Awakening

I own nothing that you see here, but I own everything in my mind.

Oh you do, do you? My characters ask and I shiver.

On with the story!

Penny's POV
(YES, SHE'S BACK!)

It was strange, how the first thing I was aware of wasn't the pounding of my head, or the cold metal against my back. No, the first thing that I realized when I awoke was the steady thrum of the energy beneath my skin.

Mortem must've given me a new Arc.

I knew that my chest was now healed, as I wouldn't be semi-conscious otherwise. I also knew that I was Awake.

I could remember it all, and this time I didn't have a headache. Typically, when I regained my memories and power, I would wake up with a splitting headache and random flashbacks for days. It was mental torment, and probably one of the things I loathed the most about my Immortal life.

Thankfully though, because Insania had Cleansed my Soul before I Awoke, the transition was much smoother and I neither had a headache or was mentally overwhelmed. But even though I was now Awake, my memories were slightly blurred. I remembered dying in Tony's arms, and I recalled the feeling of my Soul being taken away. And while I knew that it had been Insania, and that she had been in my mind...her magic still lingered there...I couldn't remember what we talked about; and that was what concerned me.

But besides that little blank spot in my mind, I truly did remember everything...I was pretty sure that I even had the memories that Fati had stolen from me...though they were too blurred for me to tell at the moment.

I could remember my First Life perfectly. I had had so many titles in that life, so many names. I had been the Boy-Who-Lives, the Man-Who-Concurred, the Man-Who-Changed-It-All, and even the Master of Death. I had been the last living creature in my world…I had been Harry Potter.

My Second Life, it had been no less strange than my first, and yet it was completely different at the same time. In that life I was literally stuck in the middle of everything. I belonged nowhere, a constant, perfect mix of the living and the dead. It was that life that I realized that I wasn't the Master of Death, outside of the Wizarding World, I was Balance.

Every life, ancient and recent, I could recall with clarity, whether I was human, Asgardian, or something else entirely. I remembered every friend's face, every enemy's sneer, and before I had Bonded with Mortem, every lover's touch. They would forever be branded into my mind, and while sometimes the constant loss was almost a curse…

I would rather recall each adventure with sadness than live a life without their memory.

The moments that stood out the most in my mind, now unlocked and set free, were the countless arguments with Fati. Where I challenged her and my 'purpose' in life, when I tried to free myself from her control. But then I would find myself in another life, my memories taken and my fighting spirit broken. It was a constant cycle for so many years...that now, now I can't even believe the fool I had been.

I also remembered meeting Insania, freeing her from Fati's clutches. I remember being the one Immortal who cared enough to be there, and the Sister that I had gained in return.

I remembered being a sister, a brother, a friend, a sibling, and a hero. There was no end to the things that I had been over the millennia; no limit to the roles that I had played.

So many memories, that to relive them all would take another few millennia.

But that didn't matter, because for once...for the first time that I could remember I felt like myself. I felt whole, complete; and I loved the feeling.

Reaching out to the ocean of energy within me, my Soul, Duties, and Core all sang with pleasure.

Finally, I was Awake. I was Aequivalere, I was Balance.

I was not Fati's pawn.

And it was time for me to wake up.

"Why won't you tell me who she is?" a deep voice growled as my mind reconnected to my body. My fingers twitched, and I flooded my system with energy to chase away the cold and lingering pains.

The energy around me felt familiar, I knew this place. I had lived here, not too long ago.

"I've already told you," This voice, this voice I definitely knew, an old friend, Xavier. A person I never expected to see again… "She's an old friend."

Now that I had my memories back, I could now see that this wasn't my first time in this world, in fact, my last three lives (including my current one) had all been in this dimension.

This was the one world that I had called home the most, the one world that I had the most friends. It was this world that I was fighting Fati for.

I realized that Mortem must've taken me here, knowing that Charles would take care of me. I almost chuckled, of course. Charles would do anything for old friends.

My Duties called out to me, and I mentally sighed. It was time to reenter the game.

With a loud gasp I sat up, my Core fluttering in my chest and my body practically vibrating with power, and my bright green, Avada Kedavra eyes flashed open.

"Hello Charles." I said softly, as I saw my old friend for the first time in two lifetimes.

Xavier smiled widely at me and nodded his head in greeting. "Hello old friend."

I smiled at him, and he smiled back. While I no longer looked like the same man that he had known...it was like I was Benjamin again.

I glanced around, and noticed that I was on a medical table in the mansion's med bay. My bloody clothes were in a pile in the corner, and I was wearing simple white pajamas that were the standard medical wear here. I wasn't attached to any machines, but I could tell that the redhead, Jean I believed her name was, was very worried about me.

Jean and Charles weren't the only ones in the room of course; I also saw Logan and Storm also in the room. I chuckled, knowing that more of my old friends wouldn't recognize me. Of course, Logan had known me in another life entirely, a rather short life, but still. There was no reason now to bring up old memories.

"You gave me quite the scare when Mortem showed up, you bloody and in his arms." Charles stated as he rolled over and I chuckled.

"I have missed you, Ben...or is it Penny now?" Xavier asked privately and I smiled at him again as I slid off the table.

"Penny now, if you would Charles." I replied and he nodded.

"Well, as I said long ago, normality hates me." I continued aloud, "And Fate even more."

I chuckled at my own inside joke as Charles shook his head. He was used to my antics, even if I had been gone a good few years since I had been Benjamin Rayten.

We had founded the school together, and we had discovered the secrets of the Xgene together, and we had both been friends with Erik...once upon a time.

"Will someone tell us what's going on?" Logan growled and I chuckled again. Jean and Storm shared a look, but I didn't pay them any mind.

"Peace, I'll explain things in my own time." I stated as my Duties twitched again. "But first, I have a few requests of you."

Tony's POV

My mind had quieted, as much as it ever did, and my heart felt lighter as we suited up. I didn't know what Fury was doing, and personally I didn't care. I knew that the man wasn't as cold hearted as he had been acting, but it still didn't matter.

Penny was alright, and Loki was using my Tower, my Reactor, to charge his portal. That was something that I wasn't going to stand for. Things were finally getting back to a level that I could actually deal with.

Ever since Mortem visited I hadn't spoken a word to the others. I had ignored the worried and confused looks that Rogers kept shooting me, and I hadn't responded when Coulson quietly asked if I was ok.

I was doing better, and I think Coulson realized that, as he had just patted me on the shoulder before walking away to deal with Fury.

Part of me was still laughing over the irony of Jarvis choosing New York as his playground, while the other part of me was trying to figure out why I found that ironic.

I patched up the Mark VI rather quickly, repairing what I could in a short amount of time. I basically only made it flight capable; everything else was pretty much ruined.

I had literally almost thrown a fit when Rogers strolled into the hanger with Agents Barton and Romanoff in tow. I hadn't commented, just simply returned to my makeshift repairs with my blowtorch. My anger with Romanoff for shooting my daughter hadn't faded; I was just keeping a tight lid on it.

Jarvis had told me that Barton was back to normal because Romanoff had smashed his head in; my words, not his.

Coulson was the only one of us that wasn't suiting up; he had decided to stay aboard the Helicarrier to keep an eye on things.

Jarvis was tracking Thor and Barton, and told me that they were both making their way towards New York, though I wasn't sure why. Jarvis had even replied that Penny's tracker had turned back on, and that she was currently moving about Xavier's school. I had almost laughed at the news, so that's where Mortem had hidden her.

It was ironic if nothing else.

I slid into the Mark VI as Rogers, Barton and Romanoff all went off to commandeer a jet. I thought that it was amusing, that they three of them thought that they were being so sneaky. If Fury really had wanted them to stay here, they wouldn't be able to leave; and it was debatable about whether or not he would be able to keep me here.

But it was obvious, to me at least, that his lack of actions regarding the others actions meant that he wanted us to leave.

Jumping out of the cargo hold with a wince, I took off into the air. I hadn't even known how suffocated I was in the flying metal deathtrap SHIELD called a base until I was back in my suit amongst the clouds.

"Game on Loki." I muttered to myself as I took off towards New York, the 'commandeered' jet following me.

Maybe I could beat the sense back into the Asgardian...either way, Loki was annoying.

And scene! Anyway, hope you liked it! Pen's back! ^.^ Of course, things with Fati will heat up and eventually Tony is going to kick Romanoff's ass. After he kicks Loki's of course.

Thanks for reading everyone, review if you please :)
Cp