An: Brief mentions of a period and period pains. Also, increased aggression as associated with high levels of testosterone. Adult language warning. The word "fuck" is said a lot this chapter. Vague description of an "explosive ass" meant to be a comedic break.
There was confused shouting from most of the Avengers as they saw each other and began to puzzle out what had happened. In the middle of it all Nova stood motionless, locked in place by her confusion. Tony came around to the front, gently grasping Nova by her shoulders. "Supernova girl, I'm going to need you calm down and take some deep breaths. Think critically. How did this happen?"
"It's hard to think when my face isn't my own and there are literal wings poking from my back." He squeezed her a little harder.
"That's ok supernova." Tony let go and began to move around the room, checking on the other Avengers. Natasha was the only one left who had yet to stand, and this was because she clutched her abdomen in pain, groaning on the floor. She was completely incapacitated. Nova joined her, trying to assess the damage she had caused.
"My guts." Natasha groaned.
"Ms. Romanov appears to be suffering from moderate period cramps. I've dispatched medical personnel from the floor below us. Everyone stay put." Jarvis chimed, drawing Nova's attention to an idea she hadn't considered.
"Period cramps? Jarvis, that's not possible."
"Fuck possible." Natasha let out a whimper as breath she'd been attempting to hold ripped its way out. "I know this feeling, from the one time I had it. It just...wasn't this unbearable." She let out a cry that was halfway to a scream in volume.
The door opened then to admit Nick Fury and Pepper Potts, both looking absolutely flabbergasted at the scene before them. "What the motherfuck-" Fury started.
"Did you do, Tony?!" Pepper finished.
"I didn't do anything, Ms. Potts." Tony was indignant. "Although I can't blame you for thinking this feat of denying realistic science was on me. I am quite intelligent." He wiggled his eyebrows at his lover.
Pepper looked a little green in the face. "Tony, stop that. You're...you look like a teenager. I'm not...eugh...We have to get you your body back." She approached Nova at this, gently taking her hands and speaking softly. "Darling girl, what happened?"
"I don't know." Nova said again, voice on the verge of breaking as the full weight of what she had done began to settle on her brow. She had taken Earth's mightiest heroes and...reduced them to their younger selves.
Fury, rubbing his own temple in what was probably the start of many migraines, began to take inventory on the situation for himself. "Rogers, are you still a super soldier?"
Steve, flexing his fingers nodded. "I'm not as big as I was, but I'm not the sickly boy I was as a teenager either. The strength remains. Mostly."
Fury moved on to Banner. "Are you alone in there?"
Bruce's answer was slower than Steve as if he had to make sure of it first. "No...yes...No? No. I'm not. But he's a lot quieter. Probably because I think I haven't fully hit puberty yet." The color drained from his face. "Oh no. Puberty."
Fury moved on, checking on each Avenger in turn until he finally got to Loki. "You're looking completely unbothered, Laufeyson."
Loki shrugged. "When you shapeshift as much as I do, you don't get attached to the shells. To the look, that is. I could look like anything as long as my brain were fully there and I'd be fine with it."
Fury came to Nova, standing beside Pepper. "I'm sorry. You have to be quarantined until we hear from Captain Marvel about any surviving members of your race." Nova just nodded, numbly.
"I know where it is. I'll go there." She began to trod out, unwilling to look at what she had done any longer.
"I'll have Hill bring your debriefing packet later, for your return to Hogwarts." She just waved it off and kept walking.
x
Loki was sitting on a couch, attempting to a read his time with the Avengers in their own quarantine away when it happened. Natasha's whimpers of pain had finally subsided with treatment about an hour ago when she drifted into an uneasy sleep, finally lending the silence to the room Loki was used to. Everyone was doing their best to adjust to what had been done, each awaiting medical evaluations. Currently, Thor was getting checked out in the next room and they could occasionally hear him yelp at something.
Loki was the first to notice the various bottles of Tylenol and other pain relievers Natasha had been offered when they began to float upward. At first, he assumed he was sleep deprived, but then Clint shot him a dirty look. "Knock it off, you blue bastard. She's been through enough today. We all have."
"That's...not me, Agent Barton." He put down his book and wandered closer, staring down at Natasha's younger face as she slept uneasily. "It's her. She's...doing accidental magic. In her drug addled sleep, I might add. Marvelous." He meant it too, because his mind was struggling to comprehend any scenario that might render this a possibility.
"That's ridiculous. Nat can't do magic." Clint grumbled, his old distrust of Loki returning full force.
"She can now." Loki said, confidence growing in his assumption. "Barton, give me your hand." Clint shrunk away, leaning back in his seat next to Natasha to get back from Loki's hands.
"Fuck off you blue shit!" He snapped. "Don't fucking touch me and don't fucking touch Nat. You've done enough. You probably started this with whatever you did to poor Nova. I hope Fury finally gives your ass up to your people like he should've done months ago when you almost killed us all."
Loki withdrew his hands with a frown, opening his mouth to address hostilities over what he had done when he was brainwashed but Jarvis beat him to it. "Mr. Barton's hormone levels show a sharp, sudden increase in testosterone, as if his body is making up for his teenaged self not hitting puberty until this age. It is likely the cause of his aggression and feelings of stress."
Bruce heard this and practically started vibrating in his corner. "Oh fuck, I'm going to kill my only friends when second puberty hits. Fuck, fuck, fuck..."
"Mr. Banner you can relax. I have been closely monitoring your vitals and your heart rate hasn't so much as spiked a single beat." Jarvis was quick to address Bruce's panic.
"That's great and all, but what about that?" Loki gestured at Natasha's bed, around which various objects besides the pills floated. Among these were her communicator, her pager, and her S.H.I.E.L.D identification.
"Um...guys..." Everyone turned to look where Tony stood in the bathroom doorway. "I think I lit the toilet on fire with my explosive ass."
Sure enough, in the toilet behind Stark was a flickering blue flame. "I knew that shawarma was going to disagree with me and I added extra spice anyway." He was furiously trying to reconcile what he saw with scientific fact.
"Stark, that's magic flame not an upset belly." Loki's own temple began to throb as Nick Fury's doubtless was right at this time.
"Pft. I don't do parlor tricks, Reindeer Games." Stark crossed his arms. "This is one of Barton's pranks and mark my words I will swiftly and assuredly get him back for this. My cheeks are singed. The hairs are totally gone."
Clint scowled and said nothing to this, instead scooting a bit closer to Natasha.
x
Nick Fury sprang upon his pager the literal second it buzzed. "Danvers, please tell me you found what I asked. I'm nose deep in shit here and it only seems to be rising. A boat to paddle the river in would be nice." Fury opened the page.
I found one. He's the same race as Nova Stark. On my way back to HQ. Have medical ready for psych eval. He claims to be a sole survivor and won't tell me what of.
Well maybe it wasn't the best news but it was definitely better than no news at all.
x
Nova was just opening her debriefing packet when Jarvis informed her that Director Fury and Agent Hill stood at her door with a guest. She sighed as she had just gotten the wings to...go wherever they existed when they weren't protruding from her back. "A guest?"
The door opened to reveal the two S.H.I.E.L.D agents, with an extra pair of legs behind them. "What's going on, Director? Did any of them revert to their actual ages yet? Were there complications? Is anyone dead?"
"Not yet, Nova." He seemed to ponder his next words a moment. "But we did find someone to help explain what's going on with you."
He stepped aside to reveal another who looked like she normally did. He wore sunglasses cracked on both sides, a sleeveless blank tank top with a blue Sagittarius symbol, gray gym shorts, and long black socks that disappeared up into the shorts. His hair was the exact shade of black her's normally was. Oh, and if that wasn't any indication, he also bore the same gray skin and a pair of red and orange horns. Although one of the mushroom-shaped horns was broken from his head.
"They tell me you're a purple blooded individual. Are you? Are you a highblood?" He cocked his head, looking at her.
"My blood is purple, yes. If it you mean it literally." Nova hesitated. "Why? What does that have to do with my death? My resurrection?"
"Oh nothing." Said the Alternian. "But it has everything to do with how I will treat you." Then he vanished, practically into thin air. The next second after that Nova felt herself being lifted into the air by her throat and strong hands squeezing until her throat began to close. "It's ok. Just die." The Alternian whispered in her ear. "Just die, you violent brute."