Lana had been humming to herself for five minutes, and she could tell that her tune was irritating the agent assigned to babysit her while she was cooking. Cooking. Not hanging out on the roof, or walking around Manhattan, but cooking. Did they thing that she was going to set herself on fire?

"Ms. Lazar, could you please - "

"Stop humming?" She finished for him. She pretended to think about it for a moment, her humming having stopped. She shook her head. "Nope." She looked back to the boiling water as she reached for the tapioca, while her humming resumed.

The agent sighed loudly and rubbed his face. She could almost hear him questioning his life choices when she she felt a presence in the room, one that the agent didn't notice. Bad agent. But who could the presence be? Not Pietro; he would have just appeared beside her and tried to steal her food. Stark wasn't quiet, Natasha would be talking with the agent, Clint would also be trying to eat her food, Wanda would say something, and Thor was out somewhere with a 'Jane Foster'. That left one option.

"What, Loki?" She asked in a very irritated voice, trying to have an edge to her voice to not let him know how scared she was. Lana turned around, and Loki raised an eyebrow. He didn't buy the whole 'fearless facade' thing.

"And you're a shitty guard." She bluntly told the agent, who had whipped around to face the imposing god, and was gulping in a not so subtle way. Way to be brave, nimwit.

"We should talk."

"Talk about what? The weather? Well, for starters, it's freaking cold. It's supposed to snow today. Did you know that?"

"You're acting like a child." Loki said through gritted teeth. She was getting to him? Good.

"Who says I'm acting?" She asked as she turned back to her boiling tapioca. Behind her, she heard the cocking of a gun, meaning Loki had apparently moved, and the not very useful agent was doing something surprisingly useful.

"Your little mortal weapon won't damage me, I hope you know."

"Of course he knows. It's more for letting you know that your doing something wrong. Ya know, instead of using his words." She glared at the agent, whose face was stricken as he shakily held the gun. "Seriously, where do they find you people?"

She pointed to Loki with a wooden spatula. "Really, what do we need to talk about? Are you going to say something cryptic, threaten to kill me, and then vanish?"

"As much as I would like to, no."

"Well, that's a relief." The agent was truly shaking now; beads of sweat dripped down his face as Loki smirked. And to think, half an hour before, the agent had been boasting to Natasha at how safe he would keep her. Suck up.

"Leave." The now grinning Loki told the agent. And what did the agent do? The agent left. He left her, in a room, with a homicidal maniac. She was glad that she never asked his name.

"Thanks a lot!" She called at his quickly retreating back. She tapped the wooden spatula against the stone counter top. It wasn't much of a weapon, but she could always fling her beloved tapioca at Loki in defense.

"Have you had anymore dreams?"

She was hesitant to answer, and not just because she was trying to be difficult. Because the truth was, she had indeed had more dreams, although all of them had stayed dreams; no more burns or video proof. The beginnings of the dreams all varied, just like a normal dream. But they always ended with fire and smoke, the creature never making an appearance.

"Yes." She answered, but snarkily. "Lot's of dreams. Dreams about food, boys, and more food."

He sighed. "Dreams regarding the creature." He clarified.

"Nope." She popped the 'p', and turned back to her food.

The back of her neck prickled. "Loki, if you touch me, I will pour this water on you - which is boiling, by the way - and you'll melt faster than Frosty on Waikiki beach." She narrowed her eyes and turned around to face him, hand on the handle of the pot for emphasis. He was bristling with indignation, indignation, she assumed, was from being called 'Frosty'. She'd have to keep using that one.

"I-" He started very angrily, taking a step forward, but stopped when intricate twirls of red light halted his progress.

Lana found Loki to be scary. Horrifying, really. But there was just something about Wanda's presence - and red eyes - that made Lana very glad that the green eyed Sokovian was her friend. That friend currently having red eyes. Her hands were held out, and her characteristic, red-lighted telekinesis made her have a sinister glow.

"Step away, Asgardian." She thought for a moment. "If you value your continued existence, that is." Loki looked like he wanted to say something, but he stood in slight disbelief that a mere human could have such powers. Or that's what Lana thought he was thinking. He could be staring into Wanda's eyes, and Lana could understand that; it happened all the time to her.

Loki gave Lana a look to say 'this will continue later', and he turned on his heel.

"Stay frosty, Frosty!" She called after him, and she could hear a something breakable having its live being taken away violently as Loki stormed away. She turned to her friend.

"I think I love you. I think I really do." She said, pretending to swoon in Wanda's direction.

"Why does he keep bothering you?" The Sokovian asked, leaning on the counter beside her.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. At first, I thought he was trying to rile me up. Which," she stirred the tapioca, "he still does. But I think he thinks I'm not saying something. Or remembering something. Or..." she shrugged her shoulders, "something." she finished lamely.

A patter of foot steps interrupted them, and a tall girl with light brown hair waltzed in the room.

"Have you guys seen Peter?" She asked. Lana exchanged a look with Wanda, who shrugged her shoulders. Was one of the agents in the building named Peter?

"Uh, no. 'Fraid not." Lana said slowly, taking in the girl's appearance fully. She had an enviable shape, and was wearing a sparkly little number that looked like it belonged at an upscale club, not Stark's kitchen.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "He's like this tall," she held her hand a good few inches above her head, "and gorgeous blue eyes."

"Oh, and kinda silver hair." She tacked on as an after thought.

Wanda rolled her eyes. "You mean Pietro."

"No, I'm pretty sure his name is Peter." The girl seemed pretty adamant about the speedster's name.

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart." Lana whispered.

"And what are you guys? His cooks?"

"No, and if he eats this I'm pouring it on his head." The girl seemed to take offence to that.

Like it was a scandal, "Good help these days is just so hard to find." She spun around, leaving Lana silently laughing and Wanda fuming, as she called out for 'Peter'.

Lana started laughing hysterically once they couldn't hear the girl anymore. She'd never met one of the girls that Pietro brought back from his wild nights. And she didn't even get his name right!

As if on que - although he was probably summoned by Wanda through that weird twin link of theirs - Pietro zoomed into the kitchen.

"Is she still here?" He whispered, looking around like someone would pop out at him.

Lana and Wanda looked to each other, and through silent communication, decided to play dumb. "Who?" Lana asked, stirring the tapioca one last time before taking it off the heat, tapping the spoon as she did so.

"The girl." He whispered harshly, looking over his shoulder.

"What girl?" Wanda asked, walking to the other side of the kitchen to reach the bowls. She didn't bother walking back with them, but rather sent them to Lana on red spirals.

"The girl." He tapped his foot. "The girl with brown hair."

"The girl who doesn't remember your name?" Wanda accused.

Pietro nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, that one."

"Maybe..." Lana trailed off. "Why?"

"I've been avoiding her all morning. She says we 'share a special connection'." He shook his head in almost disgust.

"So, you've been letting a civilian wander around Stark's tower?" Lana raised her eyebrows.

"Well, yes, but-" He was interrupted by the slow footsteps of one very pissed off looking Natasha. She addressed Lana, a smidgen of an apology in her eyes.

"I heard Agent Hall left. He's been reassigned." So that was his name. Agent Hall. The coward. Reassigned to the Antarctic, no doubt. Natasha then turned her head to glare at the gulping Pietro.

"You mean to tell me that one of you one night stands has been in effectively SHIELD's second base for several hours, unattended?" She hissed, her small frame making Pietro take several steps backward.

"I-, but-"

"No buts, Pietro. Make her leave. Now." She stopped her menacing march forward and jabbed him in the chest. She then took a bowl of tapioca, and started nonchalantly walking away, adding, "And this won't happen again, Pietro." It wasn't a question, or a request; it was a statement.

As the red-head disappeared, Wanda looked at Pietro with amusement in her eyes, twinkling with his misfortune. "You deserved that."

"Shut up." And he was gone, off to no doubt find the girl. Lana felt a small twinge. It wasn't quite jealously, more on the verge of disappointment. And she didn't know why.

Wanda waved a hand in front of her face. "Lana." Lana looked up at her name. The scarlet witch held out a bowl to her.

"I don't know what this is, but I think I'd like to try it." Lana shook her head in utter disbelief.

"You don't know what tapioca is? Oh, you poor, poor child." She feigned a pain to the heart. Her companion looked over Lana's shoulder, her light green eyes widening.

"Vision." Wanda smiled a smile that wasn't quite like a smile that Lana had seen her make before. It was almost like... Oh, it was wasn't it. It was more than admiration-

Wanda elbowed Lana in the stomach. The Sokovian was stronger than she looked, Lana thought as she bent over. A couple of thoughts must have gotten through to Wanda then. Great job, Lana. The blonde looked toward the stranger in anticipation of an explanation.

I apologize! I've been busy. With stuff. And feedback! I need it! I need to know if I'm going too fast or too slow! Tack!