Author's Note:

*peeps into the website*

*looks left*

*looks right*

DIDYOUMISSME?DIDYOUMISSME?DIDYOUMISSME? DIDYOUMISSME?DIDYOUMISSME?DIDYOUMISSME?

(Guess what reference that is and I'll give you a prize)

Why, hello there my lovely readers :D I hope you haven't given up on me just yet; I have big, big plans for this story. Funny story, really, I made up my mind to restart editing two days ago and BAM, after WEEKS of silence from FFnet, I get a notification about a new follower and a new review! IT WAS A SIGN I'M SURE OF IT. So here we go, the next chapter. Apologies for the looong wait. The final stretch until the end of the year always packs my schedule to the brim. Thankfully, this story is very stress relieving to write and I enjoy every minute of writing it. Well, maybe not the editing bit. :') So, replies to reviews up next, and after that, Chapter Faiiiiive :D

TheIronBat: You flatter me so much, stahhpp. By stop I mean, "Oh, do continue." Haha :3 I'm so glad Tony's POV was a success, he was so much fun to write! And yess, you're right, this chapter is very much Louie and whatever that happens inside her head. I hope you like this chappie and I look forward to reading a new chapter of your own story as well :D

literaturelife7: Yeah, Loki may be the Queen of Tantrum throwing, but hey, aren't all little siblings the same? I'm so glad I pulled off writing snarky Tony; he's easily the most fun to write. I dunno if there's much humor in this chapter, but let's see how it goes :3 Thanks so much, I hope you did your exams well too :D

Queen Martha Pond: Thanks so much for the review! It really motivated me to get this out super fast. I hope you liiiike, and stick around to see where this goes :D

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers. I'm just playing in the gigantic sandbox Marvel created.

Chapter 5

Louie POV

I've had weird days but this one, I think, tops them all. That is why instead of sitting in my dingy apartment with a bunch of books, I was sitting on a table in Tony Stark's lab, letting one Doctor Bruce Banner examine me.

I woke up this morning in a strange bed with a pounding headache and the familiar feeling of disoriented confusion about my surroundings.

"You're awake!" said a cheerful voice on my left. It sounded oddly familiar. I groaned and sat up.

"Virginia?" My eyes widened.

"Where am I?" Before Virginia could reply, there was the sound of footsteps and a head popped in the doorway.

"Is she up?" Virginia rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Tony, she's up, not that you didn't already know that. I swear to god, when I find those dammed cameras..." She muttered the last bit under her breath. Tony beamed. The rest of him appeared and he walked forward. I took in his appearance, blinking slightly. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt and pants, both expensive and both covered in liberal amounts of grease and dirt. Nevertheless, his face was quite attractive, really, his eyes bright and calculating. A blue circle of light glowed brightly on his chest.

"Hello," I said. Tony held out his hand.

"Tony Stark, I'm sure you already know, billionaire, genius, philanthropist, owner of Stark Industries, playboy-"

"Not anymore," interjected Virginia, her eyes narrowing playfully.

"He likes to feed his ego," she explained to me, "even if it means using that line in front of his girlfriend." She glared at Tony who winked at me. I looked from him, to Virginia, to him again. Tony Stark – Iron Man - Stark Industries - girlfriend- suddenly everything clicked into place.

"Oh my God," I said in horror, "you're Pepper Potts." Virginia - of course, no wonder she looked so familiar, her face was only plastered on the front of every magazine on the planet - grinned at me sheepishly.

"You got me."

"I can't believe I didn't recognize you," My voice came out muffled because I stuffed my face into the blankets in embarrassment.

"A heinous crime," said Tony solemnly. Pepper jabbed him with an elbow. I gazed at them blinking rapidly. The famous Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, New York's dynamite duo.

"I'm feeling a little star struck right now," I whispered.

"Sir," came a cool British accent out of nowhere. "Doctor Banner is looking for you. He is currently in the labs."

"Tell him I'll be right down," said Tony. He pinched my cheek. "Good to meet you, Louie. I'll see you in a bit." Swooping down, he gave Pepper a very long kiss - I blushed and looked down at my lap - and strode out of the room.

Pepper cleared her throat, looking a little pink in the face.

"That was Jarvis," she said, pointing at the ceiling. I assumed she was referring to the voice that had come from nowhere. "He runs the place." She gave me a smile.

"There are some clothes laid out for you in the bathroom. I'll leave you to get changed. If you come to the elevator once you're ready, Jarvis will bring you down to the kitchens for breakfast."

"Wait," I said. "What happened to me?" Pepper tilted her head, as if wondering whether to tell me or not. It made me sit up a little straighter. Whatever it was, I could handle it. I stared right back, silently demanding whatever she had to say. Apparently she got the message.

"What do you remember?" she asked at last.

"The cigarette going up in flames," I replied bluntly. No sense in beating around the bush. Pepper smoothed out the bedspread. Slowly but clearly, she began to speak. I listened silently and nodded when I thought I should. Later, when I was alone, I allowed the tears to escape.

I stared at my pale face in the bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand. Quickly, I brushed my teeth and pulled on the flannel shorts and ACDC t-shirt left for me. I ignored my puffy eyes and my hair which now resembled a crow's nest. Tamping down a wave of nausea, I made my way to the kitchens as Pepper has asked, entering slowly and stopping at the doorway to take a look around.

It was quite big and comprised of way too much space to simply be a kitchen. It looked more like a hybrid between a living room, dining room and breakfast counter. Kitchen cupboards just happened to line the wall as well, alongside a stove, a large oven and an equally large microwave. On its left was a gigantic TV. In front of it were several couches and armchairs, making for the perfect lounging area for several people. Beyond that was a glass wall - floor to ceiling, letting in sunlight and showing off the breathtaking view of the city.

To the right was a large dining table, its dark wood shining in the light and beyond that were several doors, leading further into the building. I looked back at the sofas, where two people were seated - or rather, one was seated primly while the other was sprawled across the full length of one - a sandy haired man and a beautiful redhead. Pepper was at the stove, humming as she flipped pancakes. My stomach growled in approval.

"Louie," she called, "Come have breakfast." I sat down at the counter, my ears pricking up because of the eyes on my back.

"Coffee?" Pepper asked. I nodded. Pepper measured out a cupful of coffee beans.

'I'll do it," said an unfamiliar male voice. Pepper looked like she was about to object when a second voice floated towards us from the sofa.

"Let him, Pepper; the coffee grinder fascinates him."

I turn to look. A tall, broad shouldered man was heading for the counter. He wore a pair of gym shorts and a grey t-shirt. Frowning at the second speaker, the sandy haired man sprawled across the sofa, he made his way to the machine in question.

"I am not fascinated-"

"Yeah you are, Steve," said the redhead without even looking up. Huffing, Steve turned his back on the both of them. He then noticed me and smiled. I felt my stomach do a little flip-flop. Oh my… He really had quite the smile, and those blue eyes…

"I'm Louie," I said, hoping I wasn't blushing.

"That's Steve," said another voice and this one I was quite familiar with. "Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America, our resident golden boy." Tony dropped into a chair two seats away from mine. Steve started up the coffee grinder and bit the pad of his thumb as he waited patiently for it to finish. It really did seem like he was fascinated by the kitchen appliance.

"My mum was a fan of yours," I said to Steve with a wry smile.

"He gets that a lot," said Tony grinning. Steve ducked his head, embarrassed. Tony waved a hand at the sofa. "That's Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff, better known as Hawkeye and Black Widow. Agents of SHIELD… but that's all very hush-hush." There was a sudden tension in the room. The two agents were staring at Tony.

"You keep your secrets in very safe hands," I said to the two agents, jerking my head at Tony. Tony beamed.

"Sarcasm! Oh, I knew I liked you!" My mouth tilted upwards.

"Tony," said Natasha, frowning, "Can you come over here for a second?" Tony rolled his eyes but went over anyway. I looked around the room and tried not to pay attention to the quiet, heated words the redhead was obviously firing at Tony.

"For God's sake Tony, you barely known her for two minutes, you can't go around telling people-"

"Coffee!" said Steve proudly and I looked up, thankful for the distraction. My stomach was felt a little queasy after hearing Natasha's words. But it had stopped now, and although everyone looked annoyed, one glance at Pepper seemed to send them all scurrying for a mug. With murmurs of thanks, everyone accepted the strong, sweet concoction and silence fill in the kitchen except for the quiet clink of mugs touching tabletops and the occasional odd murmur.

"You know," said Tony after a moment, "It still amazes me that the seventy year old can make better coffee than the rest of us."

"Stop complaining, Tony," said Pepper, waving a spatula threateningly in his face, "No Iron Man suit can save you if you make Steve stop making his coffee."

"Four days since he got here and he's already taken my place in your heart," grumbled Tony, "How? Aren't I the more adorable one?" His eyes widened dramatically as he gave me a tragically comic version of the puppy dog eyes.

"Um," I started, a little taken aback.

"Stop scaring her, Tony," said Natasha in a bored voice.

"Make me," said Tony at once. Natasha rose from her chair, casually cracking her knuckles.

"Okay, okay. Jesus..." Smirking, she settled back once more, putting her legs up on the coffee table.

"I paid big money for that you know," said Tony loudly. He was ignored. Shaking my head I grinned. These people were so weird. Steve leaned against the counter, folding his arms.

"So, Louie," he said a tiny frown creasing his forehead, "What happened yesterday?" My smile faltered and the weight of yesterday's events came crashing down. I guess Tony and Pepper hadn't gotten around to giving them the four-one-one. I downed my coffee and told them everything. It was the second time I told someone and it was easier than the first. The words just tumbled out of my mouth and by the end of it my eyes were burning but I felt so free. Of course it would have been free-er if a heavy silence hadn't greeted me at the end. I swallowed nervously. Did they not believe me?

"That's some story," said Natasha. I half shrugged- half nodded. Tony rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"Those are some interesting abilities. Have you ever tried to control them? Manipulate them?" I blinked.

"No, I don't know how to do it. It sort of just happens."

"There's got to be someone who can teach you though, someone who has had first-hand experience with this magic stuff," said Steve slowly. Tony nodded in agreement.

"What if it's not the sort of thing you can control?" I asked frowning. It's not like I particularly wanted to control this. I wanted it gone.

"Bull," said Tony airily, "Look at Bruce, he's got his little green problem down pat, walking around downstairs as cool as you please." I raised an eyebrow. Little green problem? Tony noticed and leered.

"Sweetheart," he said looking straight at me, "The Hulk is in the building."

"Tony!"

I blink. The Hulk? The Hulk? I took a moment to process this information. Everyone was looking at me as if they expected me to look terrified and bolt. Strangely, I didn't feel the need to.

"Okay."

Steve looked gobsmacked. So did Natasha and Clint, for that matter. Pepper chuckled weakly, staring at me.

"Well. Tony was right about one thing. You sure are different."

"I knew I liked her!"

"You're seriously okay with knowing that Hulk is in near vicinity to you?" I shrugged and nodded.

"Why?" asked Natasha at once. I thought for a moment before I replied. It felt like I was being tested.

"Because I don't think the Hulk is a bad person. Maybe it's because I was never directly affected by his actions. But I've seen some of the footage from the fights on the news. Didn't he save Iron Man's life?"

"But you're saying you're not even a little bit frightened? You said you saw the footage, you saw what he can do."

"Well, yes, I am frightened," I squirmed a little in my seat. "But I'm just as frightened of the rest of you."

"Even Pepper?" asked Tony, lips twitching again.

"Especially Pepper," I said nodding firmly and shooting her a small smile. I hesitated before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is, um, he's just bigger and greener and more primal than us, but he's still an Avenger, right? Why should I be frightened for my life?"

"I find your niceness really hard to believe," said Clint, shaking his head.

"I'm willing to give everyone a chance," I said, flushing. "Anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt."

They're just used to people freaking out, I reassured myself. They don't think you're just blowing your trumpet and acting like a bloody saint. Nope. Not one bit.

I reasoned with myself. Okay, it's true, the Hulk did seem scary and I probably would have a heart attack if I ever came face to face with him but at the same time, I couldn't help thinking, wasn't there someone behind the Hulk? Wasn't he a human being with feelings? Right now, I could sympathize with Bruce Banner more than with anyone else in this room. I knew what it was like to lose control and not be able to do anything about it. I shivered and poured myself more coffee.

"I think we should try it," said Tony looking at the others.

"No, Tony," said Steve crossing his arms. "That's stupid and dangerous."

"It's not like he hurt her before, he helped. Louie," said Tony cutting across Steve, "There's someone who we think might be able to help you."

"You know someone who can stop this?" I asked.

"Maybe. Or maybe he can teach you to control it."

"Wait a second," said Natasha sounding horrified, "You're not talking about-,"

"Yeah, he is," snapped Steve, his blue eyes crackling.

"Who?" asked Clint looking back and forth between them, "Who are you talking about?"

"Loki," hissed Natasha, narrowing her eyes. Clint's jaw dropped open. He rounded on Tony looking furious.

"Are you insane?" Tony folded his arms and glared at them all.

"He can help her, I'm positive he can."

"He killed 82 people in two days, Tony!" cried Natasha.

"And I bet you've killed more, Nat! We all have." His voice softened and he threw me a look. I felt rather ill again. Suddenly, these people weren't weird and goofy. Suddenly they were all very, very dangerous to be around. Clint snarled.

"It's not the same thing and you damn well know it. Are you crazy? Loki? There are so many people that can help Louie, like Xavier-"

"Besides, who gave you the right to decide that Louie is our resident rookie-?"

"Me," said Tony jabbing a finger at himself. "I'd rather she's my resident rookie than belong to SHIELD or Xavier or any other God forsaken bunch, we're as good as any –"

"But Tony, this is Loki we're talking about -"

"He practically apologized to you Robin Hood, don't even deny it, he did. His mother's death must have knocked a little common sense into him because he seems completely out of it. Did he really look like he was about to tell us about his glorious purpose and take over the planet?"

"It's true, he did seem less… manic," said Pepper.

"He roamed around here on Earth for days and we didn't hear a peep out of him until SHIELD picked him up."

"Yes, well, how long will all of that last? He is the God of Mischief and Lies, he's probably just biding his time…"

"I'm not saying we have to trust him completely, we're not that stupid, we should give him a chance -"

Voices rose loudly in protest. I blocked it out, eyes prickling again. Blinking I sighed. I was crying way too much lately. I only looked up again at a soft, "Louie" from Pepper. She pushed a stack of pancakes towards me.

"Thanks," I said softly. The noise had died down, thankfully. As I raised a forkful of pancakes to my mouth, a movement to the left caught my eye. I turned to look and my breath caught in my throat. I was gazing into beautiful emerald eyes, shimmering and shifting in the light. Pale skin, high cheekbones, long hair in a shade of ebony to rival mine; everything about him was beautiful and so very, very dangerous. Oh.

"You."

Bruce was a sweet guy with an untidy mop of curls and intelligent brown eyes behind a pair of wire rimmed glasses. He spoke quietly, moved silently and efficiently and seemed to be the only one besides Pepper who didn't mind how, well, insane Tony Stark was. Right this very moment the man in question was at the other end of the lab pulling up virtual screens and talking rapidly to himself. Bruce approached me, thermometer in hand.

"I'm just going to check your vitals before we move on to some other tests, okay?" I nodded and eyed Tony, who was still talking nineteen to the dozen and scribbling on scraps of paper.

"Is he always like that?" Bruce laughed quietly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." After checking all vitals and producing me to be of good health, Bruce began to ask me about my abilities. I told him all that had happened to me, from the water bottle incident to the alleyway one. By this time Loki and Steve had also slipped into the lab. All the Avengers were taking turns to supervise Loki and currently on Loki-watch was Captain America. Loki wasn't at all happy about the situation.

"When did the symptoms start?"

"A couple of weeks ago, maybe," I said, shrugging.

"Did anything at all happen to trigger?" I bit my lip.

"Well I was holidaying in Greenwich when I got caught in that huge alien invasion."

"I see," said Bruce. His eyes flicked to Loki who was staring fixedly at his fingernails.

"I remember all the fighting but at one point I must have tripped and blacked out because the next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed." Bruce examined my eyes and prodded the back of my head.

"Perhaps," said Loki quietly, "you fell through a portal, rendering you unconscious." Tony nodded, now pulling up scenes from the battle in Greenwich.

"That seems plausible; they were opening up everywhere," he looked at Loki, "That's how you said you ended up here, right?" Loki nodded. While Bruce took notes, I took the opportunity to study the God of Mischief. I had read the stories; the more recent ones on the news and the old myths. Loki was not however what I'd expected him to look like. The guy was so odd. Aside from the fact that he insisted on wearing full Asgardian armour, he stood in the lab like he belonged there, with a sense of authority not unlike what Steve's personality exuded. I almost smiled. He definitely had the upbringing of a prince. Almost immediately, Loki met my eyes and I blinked, a little uncomfortable. What were his powers? Was telepathy one of them? I couldn't remember if any of the articles I had read had mentioned it. I forced myself not to look away.

I didn't trust him, no matter how attractive his cheek bones were. Bruce broke our little impromptu staring match by asking me to stand.

"I'm going to try something before I let Loki take over," he said, beckoning me to a table at the back of the lab. Now that I was closer I could see that a space had been cleared out, with a plain wooden stool in the centre.

"I have no idea what triggers your powers, Louie," he said waving me over to the stool, "but I'm assuming highly charged emotion has something to do with it. So, I want you to think of something that will spark off some kind of powerful feeling that will cause you to do something." I gripped the edges of the seat. Powerful emotions huh? Loki watched me, frowning. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Something that makes you happy, or sad, or mad?" asked Bruce encouragingly. It was easier said than done. I gave myself a mental shake.

Concentrate, Louie, you can do this. Think. Happy memories. Weekends with my mom. Reading in the treehouse. Graduation. But nothing happened. The seconds ticked by in silence and I was aware of everyone in the room watching me closely. Another minute passed.

"Maybe thoughts aren't enough," came Bruce's voice softly, breaking the quiet. I frowned, disappointed. Here I was, in front of some of the most powerful men on the planet and I was coming off as a rather stupid little girl.

"Okay, next I'm going to show you a series of pictures and videos. I'm going to try and trigger some sort of reaction from you."

"Okay," I replied clasping my hands.

"Right then, Jarvis if you could-," There was a slight commotion and Pepper burst into the room.

"Everyone, Thor's here," she said in a falsely bright voice. "He insisted on coming down to greet you."

She threw a slightly apologetic glance at Loki who had gone rigid, eyes glued to the door. Voices could be heard from further up the corridor and soon enough Natasha walked in. Her face was smooth and blank but I didn't miss how her hand kept brushing over her hip holster. Four people followed; two women, Clint and a tall, blond man dress similarly to Loki. He had several days' worth of stubble and walked at a slow, steady pace. I felt a sudden pang. I knew that walk very well. When you lose someone you walk that walk, pretending everything was okay, that you were going to be okay. His voice was deep, a gentle rumble and his smile seemed sad. So this was Thor.

My eyes fell on the two women flanking him. One was small and dainty, with long brown hair and pretty brown eyes - a much prettier brown than mine. She was gripping Thor's hand tightly and he was holding on just as tight. She was mumbling softly to him and he smiled tenderly as he responded. My eyes move to the woman on the other side. I gaped. She caught my eye and her mouth dropped open too. It was Darcy.

"You!" We both exclaimed the same time. Distracted, Thor and the other woman both looked up. I could tell the exact second Thor noticed Loki. He went absolutely still. The woman clutching his hand gasped. Darcy too, blinked.

"Oh my god."

There was complete silence. Clint was outside the room because Thor was blocking the doorway but everyone else was stuck inside, each trying their best to disappear into the background. Nobody dared to speak a word.

Surprisingly, it was the small woman that moved first. She approached Loki, frowning as if she were trying to decide whether she was seeing things or not. Hesitantly, she reached out to him. Loki flinched. She placed her hand on his cheek, cradling his face. He wasn't the only one who looked shocked. The petite brunette smiled slightly.

"I never got to thank you." Loki narrowed his eyes.

"It is not necessary to thank me."

"Yeah it is," she said, nodding. "It really is." She smiled a little wider and dropped her hand. Stepping away, she blushed, realizing that everyone else was staring at her. Hastily she looked at Darcy and then at Thor. Thor was still frozen in place staring straight at his brother. Loki's eyes shifted nervously in between Thor's and he raised both his hands in a small 'here I am' sort of gesture.

"Hello, Thor," he said quietly. There was a long pause. Thor swallowed.

"How-," he broke off, throat working, before repeating in a stronger voice. "How?" Loki looked pained.

"It seems that the stories we were told as children were true, brother. Monsters do heal quite fast from the worst of wounds." Something in Thor's face broke and he strode forward. Grabbing Loki by the shoulders, he shook him, hard.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you are not a monster, you are my brother, you stupid, foolish-," Thor's voice broke and he grasped Loki's shoulder, looking straight into his eyes. I looked away, feeling uncomfortable: this wasn't something everyone should stand around ogling.

"I'm sorry," Loki whispered. Thor emitted a strangled sort of noise and pulled to his brother into a bone crushing hug. Loki's face showed discomfort only for a moment. Hesitantly, he returned the embrace and in a minute the frown on his face had relaxed. Letting go of him, Thor glared.

"Never," he thundered, "do that to me again. Ever. No more lies, Loki." Loki smiled a crooked smile.

"I'll try my best, brother." Thor's eyes crinkled as he smiled. Then he frowned as if noticing something for the first time. Loki answered his unspoken question with a roll of his eyes.

"No, Thor, I didn't steal anything," he said coolly. "I merely found it."

"What is it?" Loki turned and pointed to me.

"That." Thor's curious gaze swept over me, as did the two women's. I sighed. Here we go again.

A/N: Whew.

Sooooooo :3 What did y'all thiiinnnkkkk? Too sappy? Out of character?

Let me know with a review! I love hearing from you guys, it makes my day when I see that you took a minute or two of your time to give your opinion on the story. By the way, how do you feel about Louie? I wish I could draw well enough to show you what she looks like in my mind's eye...

Hmm, I feel like I'm forgetting to mention something... Darn it. I'm sure the minute I upload this, I'll remember -_- how annoying.

Okay lovies, that's all I got for now. I have much editing to do for the next few chapters.

I hope you liked it and I hope you will stick with Louie through her story :)

25/07/2015: BIG GRAMMAR EDIT

Until next time :D

Much love,

xo