A few days had passed, and her supplies never came. No Tony, no Bruce, no Bucky to visit. She was starting to feel unwell, and Venom was becoming restless. She used this time to research the database and thinks she might have found what they needed.

Their central location was in San Francisco. Her mind began to wander. Maybe they have more symbiotes, but she had to worry about getting there. Did the others know? Were they doing it without her?

"You still wish to wait for them to return? This is a dumb decision you have made for both of us."

"Well, if you don't have another option, you can leave!"

"Nonsense, we can't do this without you. Now, why don't we leave from here? We can't last much longer."

She bit her inner cheek; he was right. She struggled to get up, feeling cold but feeling herself sweating, her skin pale in the mirror. They had to go now: warnings of her health be damned.

She heard a knock on her door, and she was frozen. She carefully approached the door, leaning against the wall for support when the door swung open. Her eyes widened in surprise as her surprise visitor entered swiftly.

"Loki?"

"Hello, mortal." Walking past her and into the place, she quickly closed the door behind him while he took in her new living arrangements.

"How did you find me?"

"Barnes was subtle but not for me. I had to see for myself where you were." Loki stated. Looking back at her, he looked at her with eyebrows burrowed when he saw her appearance. She was just as bad as when she left.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I-I'm not feeling well," she said vaguely, but he wasn't fooled, "I just want to know why you're here."

He rolled his eyes, feigning ignorance on his part. "I can't come visit a darling friend?"

"...Is everything okay back at the compound?"

"Not necessarily," He spoke, going through her tower of books on the coffee table, "there's a group of soldiers at the compound. They're adamant on finding you."

"They've been searching all of the rooms, and Tony has done his best to hide your location, but they've had it enough."

"What have they done?"

"They're going to search all the safehouses," Loki spoke as he lo\\\\\\\\at her, "I assume they're going to find you."

He took in her sight and saw her knees buckle, approaching her as he took in her situation. It was clear she wasn't okay; she was barely hanging on.

"What is the matter?" he asked, now concerned about her.

"Banner was supposed to...give me a check-up. I'm not feeling well."

Loki didn't understand what she meant and whispered, 'One moment.' Placing his hand on her forehead, he took in her memories, scamming through until he found her concern.

He saw Banner and Stark strapping her on the table, seeing Venom reacting negatively to the machine, the high pitch overwhelming her. The vision changed for her with Tony and Bruce:

"He's killing you, Lily. That parasite is going to kill you." Tony spoke, carefully approaching her.

"I know this is hard to hear," Bruce said, approaching her as well, "but we need to get him out of you."

"No!"

"We should wait, you know? Until the whole Life Foundation thing is settled, right?" Rainlily asked, but Bruce looked at Tony nervously.

"It can take a few months…you might not have that long." Bruce answered softly.

Rainlily looked down at her feet, ignoring Venom's voice. She took deep breaths but nodded, "A few months it is, then."

"Lily- "

"If not me, he'll find someone else, and they may not survive this like I did…I don't have much to live for anyway. Besides, you can contain him afterward." Rainlily said.

Loki removed his hand, but this wasn't his problem. Watching her crumble to the floor, he was at a loss for what to do. There was only one person he knew that could be helpful, but he wasn't sure why he felt the need to care.

"Come, I know someone who may be able to help."

He picked her up with an arm secured on his waist. He swiftly took her outside, feeling her arm around him as she rested her head on him for support.

"Heimdall, take us up!" He shouted, the portal to Asgard beaming them up within seconds.

Thor had only shortly arrived at the compound when Banner walked in. Bucky and the team were surprised to see the severe and concerned look on his face.

"Ah, Dr. Banner. What's the matter, my friend?" Thor spoke with a friendly smile.

"Loki took Lily," Banner spoke, "he disappeared in that white light you use to travel back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and she didn't look well. I need her back, now."

"Banner-"

"Bring her back now!" Banner spoke, his face going green momentarily, "I don't care what you have to do."

"How did she look?" Bucky asked in a soft tone.

"Pale, sweaty, tumbling over. Lily might not have long."

"What do you mean by that?" Wanda now asked.

Tony looked over to Banner but saw he wasn't going to speak, so he told them, "Venom...he's killing Lily."

"What do you mean?" Steve questioned.

"Venom took over her whole body system when we ran tests on her. She was experiencing signs of heart failure, but she didn't have long with how things were going." Tony explained.

"How long does she have?" Scott questioned, feeling his heart drop painfully in his chest.

"Within the month, maybe less." Tony answered, but Bruce never backed down from Thor.

"You bring her back, do you understand?"

"I'll go back now. You have my word, Banner; I'll get her for you."

Waking up groggy, Lily sat in a regally magical bed in gold and green silk bed sheets. She was brought into full alert by her change of scenery. The walls were just as golden, if not darker, and she saw a terrace within a short distance of her bed.

Where in the world was she?

"Does not matter. We were cared for."

Hearing the doors open, she attempted to scramble out of bed but felt dizziness almost overwhelm her. She remembered Loki coming to visit before feeling pain in her chest and falling to the floor. Upon hearing the footsteps, she slowly stood when she saw a beautiful older woman walk in.

Her hair was up and ordained in beautiful hair pieces braided into the hair, but her dress made her regal, with her chest piece to boot. She smiled at Lily, and the mortal quickly noticed Loki walking in from behind her. The woman took her hand, her smile almost putting her at ease.

"I hope you slept well, child."

"Uh, yeah. Where am I?"

"You're on Asgard, and this my home, my kingdom," the woman spoke, "tell me, what is your name?"

She hesitated, looking at Loki nervously, but looked back at the woman when he approached closer, "My name is Rainlily."

"Ah, such a beautiful name. I'm Frigga, I'm Loki's mother," she spoke, "let me take a look at you."

Lily blinked when Frigga placed a hand on her cheek, her eyes searching hers, and saw a smile creep onto her face, a look she knew all too well: pity.

"The past wasn't kind to you, dear. But to see you grow and thrive through it all, you are alone but have a kind soul."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"But you aren't alone anymore, are you? You have a visitor inside you, a friend," Frigga spoke, "But he is struggling to survive. That's why you've been feeling unwell."

"But I'm not anymore, right? What happened? Did I eat someone?" Loki chuckled at the frightful look on her face, finding it somehow endearing.

"No, but your friend took over to protect you upon arrival. He fed accordingly; you need not worry about that now." she assured the mortal woman. No one had checked or cared for her in the past few days. Would she have survived today?

"Do not worry about trivial things," Frigga assured her as women came into the room with hands filled with clothing, "why don't you change while I talk with my son? These women will bathe you and dress you."

Lily looked at Loki, and he nodded to her with a slight smirk; that was all she needed before she followed the ladies-in-waiting. Frigga smiled when she saw the look on her son's face.

"It's rare for you to care for a mortal, even rare for it to be a woman. Lover, perhaps?" she saw the annoyed look on his face, but his eyes could never lie to her.

"The mortal is not my anything. Merely acquaintances."

"Ah, an acquaintance you would read to? That special someone that sings to you, Loki? There's nothing wrong with enjoying each other's company," Frigga spoke.

"Thank you for your input. I truly appreciate it." Loki said sarcastically, glad his mother found this amusing.

The door had busted open again, and Loki jumped back when he saw Thor barged in. His face hardened with determination when his eyes landed on him.

"Loki! Where is she?"

"I don't have the faintest idea of who you are talking about." Loki stated, backing away for a reasonable distance, but Frigga gripped onto Thor's arm.

"Calm yourself. Your mortal friend is changing."

Time had passed, and when Lily walked out, Loki was at a loss for words. She wore a dark teal dress with a silver chestpiece. Wearing a small circle adorned on her head, the mortal had her hair braided over her hair with leather boots to match. With light makeup on her face, she was beautiful for a mortal.

Frigga saw the blush on Lily's face, possibilities playing through her mind. She dared not say a word, but the way her son's eyes glued over the mortal, she knew he'd be happy. Thor saw the eye lock between the two and knew this woman would be trouble for Loki.

"Thor, what are you doing here?" Lily asked, surprised. Thor smiled widely, as usual, "Banner saw you get taken by Loki and was worried about you. He said you didn't look well."

"Do I look okay now, though?"

"I told you that you looked fine."

"Yeah, but it wasn't an answer I liked." Lily muttered under her breath, the ladies in waiting looking at her in confusion.

"You look lovely, dear," Frigga spoke, "Now, why don't you take her for a walk, Loki? Show her Asgard, and I will meet you when you are both done. I'm sure we have much to discuss."

"Actually," Lily said, "Can we talk about it now? I won't be able to enjoy myself otherwise."

"She's right, mother, no need to delay the inevitable." Loki supported.

"The mortals on Midgard are worried about her; it's best we discuss this now." Thor added.

Frigga sighed, but she could see the impatient and worried look on the girl's face, "Very well. Please sit."

"Why don't I like the sound of this?"

"Be cool for me, will you?"

"We've examined you while you slept. I know you're aware of the toll Venom's taking on your body," Frigga spoke, "And you are correct. You almost did die."

Lily's face went pale, as did Loki and Thor, not realizing the full severity.

"I don't understand. Did Loki save me?"

"No, your other ability did. You're a healer first, remember?" Frigga reminded her. Lily ran a hand through her hair in frustration, nearly forgetting all about herself.

She had been so busy trying to co-exist with Venom that she forgot about this. Still, she had presumed to take in Venom and canceled her healing.

"The reason it's escalating faster is that your body seems to be fighting him off instinctively. Your body has grown weak and caused your collapse." Frigga explained.

"We managed to save you this time, but we think you two should find a solution if you want to stay together," Frigga continued, "But Loki can bring you back should it be as severe as today."

"Mother, that's hardly ideal. Surely, we can find another means to"

"It's not often I see my boys bring me a new friend," Frigga took Lily's hands into her, "Now, would you like to take that walk before you go?"

"Oh, I like this woman. And a walk would be nice before you throw me in another prison again."

"I didn't imprison you; they asked us to stay there."

"ALONE."

"Mother, I must take her back." Thor tried to speak, but his mother threw him a side-eye.

"Loki, take her, will you?"

"I will not. I'm afraid I must refuse," Loki answered, but Lily rolled her eyes.

"I'd rather explore on my own, find the beauty of this world alone," Lily said with a smile, "but thank you all the same."

Lily walked past without another look back, Frigga nodding at one of her ladies-in-waiting. Following the mortal, she left, but Frigga looked to her sons, "She is lonely and unwell. She shouldn't be alone for now: here or back home. Promise me one of you will look after her."

"Mother-"

"She's not fully human. Promise me, my sons."

"...Alright."

Lily wandered the city in awe, loving everything she came to see. She went toward the open fields and saw that night was setting, but she wasn't ready to return yet.

Sitting along the steps, she saw the lady-in-waiting disappear, but she didn't mind.

"This world is much more beautiful, don't you agree?"

"It's breathtaking. Better than anything back home." the mortal admitted, smiling in bliss.

"Good to know."

Lily looked over briefly when she saw Loki come to her but looked back to the beautiful dusk sky. "I almost wish I didn't have to leave."

"That's impressive for you, is it?"

"I'm easily amused," she said with a small smile, "but maybe because I am about to return and put into another house all alone. I want to enjoy this."

Loki saw that distant look on her face, a look he probably had long ago. Perhaps it wasn't reasonable for him to relate to her, but he saw himself in her a little. She didn't even know who she was.

"Perhaps I could entertain you with star-seeing if you wish?" She looked over at him in surprise, "Really?"

"If you sing for me again."

She looked suspiciously at him, "Only if you read to me."

"No, absolutely not," he reacted impulsively, "but perhaps we can return to that later. Shall we?" Loki pulled her onto her feet. Walking her to his favorite spot, he was back in his home. Taking her to the top of the palace, Lily gasped at the view.

From here, she could see all of Asgard, and Loki couldn't stop the satisfied look on his face, "A beauty, isn't it?"

"It is..." Still, he took her towards the center, where he laid down on his back. Motioning for her to join him, she lay beside him, and her eyes widened in pure awe.

The moons seen over Asgard were a sight, the stars shining brightly. She could get used to this sight.

"Growing up, I always looked at the sky, day or night. It's always been calming to me, you know?"

"Is that right?"

"Mmm. I didn't have anything as a child but this sky; it was mine. No one could take it from me, and it was kind to me."

"Growing up with Thor, people often compared us and mocked me for my size. He would often ask me to join him on adventures, but even now, I have no one's respect. No one's company I enjoy. But my books and this sight are all I could ask for."

Lily smiled at him but understood him, "You can always watch them with me?"

Loki looked over at her and noticed the goosebumps on her arms. But more than thought, he heard the pain. With a wave of his hand, he watched as a blanket covered her. She smiled at him, allowing the blanket to extend to himself.

"Thank you."

"No problem," he said before he cast a ukelele for her, "don't suppose you'll play for me?"

She chuckled but nodded. Bending up a knee, she tuned it before playing random melodies. Loki didn't want to tell her, but he enjoyed hearing her sing. It made him calm and relaxed, something he rarely felt.

Looking back at her, he hated admitting that he enjoyed his time with her, but he knew things would change when they returned to Earth. He would keep his promise, though; he wouldn't let her be alone.

The morning had come, and Lily was going to Heidmall, where Frigga was bidding her farewell. "Please, visit me as soon as you can. I'd love to see you again." Frigga spoke.

"I promise I'll come visit once things have settled." Lily promised.

"Come, let us go, Lady Rainlily." Thor spoke, ushering her towards the door. Loki followed them when Frigga grabbed his arm, catching his attention, "You two are strong together. Be open to them both, dear."

Loki looked at her questionably when Thor called him over. Lily panicked, unsure what to do, but Loki wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close when the portal opened.

She clutched him tightly throughout the trip when they returned to the compound. Loki felt her tense and realized she wasn't supposed to be there.

She felt herself stiffen, "We should leave. Right now."

She didn't get a moment when she heard the alarms go off, and she felt Venom take over. A high-frequency noise came from the speakers throughout the compound, and she fell to her knees. Crying out in pain, she felt Venom in her scream, and she covered her ears as best she could.

Thor and Loki crouched down beside her, Thor resting a hand on her to try to still her as Loki took over. He pushed her hands back and used his own, manifesting noise-canceling headphones Bucky had used before. She sighed in relief, feeling pale and sweaty, but rested her head against his shoulder as she tried to collect herself.

Thor slowly stood, his Mijnor in hand, when military forces surrounded them. General Ross came towards them and saw a few Avengers behind him. Tony, Bruce, and Steve came on approach, but he didn't stand down when he saw how quickly they immobilized her.

"Release the woman to us; she's our citizen." Ross told him, but Thor made no motion to help them.

"Failure to do so, I will have to detain your brother Loki for assisting with kidnapping." Ross swore, Loki looking at him with pure disgust.

"He saved me; leave Loki out of this." Lily spoke, slowly trying to stand. Loki wrapped an arm around her, assisting to help her up, but hearing the guns click alarmed Lily.

"By order of the United States government, you are to be detained and taken to the Raft. We ask you two to move away before we also detain you." Ross ordered, but Loki brought her closer as Thor covered her from being seen.

"You have no right to arrest a citizen of Asgard. Whatever crime Rainlily has committed, our people will punish her." Thor spoke.

"She is a human."

"She is half human; she's half-god."

Ross looked at Lily in bewilderment but didn't have the evidence to fight this. But he knew Thor could overpower many of them, but Loki was dangerous.

"Why don't we talk about this inside? Now that she's back, you can lay off the search and let her rest. She'll be with us." Steve spoke, wanting her to be inside with the others; the team would look out for her.

"Fine. Rainlily is not to be alone, and I want all of you in there. We need to straighten this all out now." Ross spoke, walking back towards the compound.

Looking at the Avengers, Steve nodded to her with a concerned look, and she smiled gratefully at him; they were even. Tony winked at her before Steve walked in, but Bruce thanked Thor before he came to her.

"Are you alright? You look a little healthier since the last I saw you." Bruce asked, making Thor and Loki frown slightly.

"We'll talk about it when that guy leaves, but I'm fine now." Lily assured him.

"Come, brother," Thor ushered Loki, allowing the two mortals to bond, but Loki sighed in annoyance.

"All this human squabble, I don't know how they stand it."

"That's how I feel about your antics."

Bruce checked over her, but he looked at her with a nervous smile, "I was worried."

Lily smiled, and without a second thought, she hugged and embraced him. He was hesitant at first; most people were afraid of him. More so that the big guy easily riled up, but not with her. He was still angry, sure, but he didn't scream at him. He slowly hugged her back, knowing this was just as important to her.

"Thank you...for worrying." she whispered before slowly withdrawing from him.

"Come, they are waiting for us."

Arriving at the meeting room, Bruce had her sit on the bench outside the room before going in; the meeting was in full swing.

"Do you realize the implications if her little 'friend' takes full control? You want this woman to be an Avenger?" Ross questioned.

"She's a good kid; she has kept control of him all this time," Tony spoke, "and he needs her willing. I can vouch for her."

"Forgive me if your word doesn't mean anything..." Ross retorted, "But if Captain can vouch for her, then we can try."

Tony looked annoyingly over to Steve, but he stood, "She has a good head on her shoulders; I'll vouch for her."

"Fine, but Rainlily will taken to the Raft if she loses control. She cannot be alone, ever. Am I clear?"

"Clear, sir." Steve acknowledged. The team watched as he left the room, but Tony stood with Bruce, looking over to the Asgardians, who watched Ross go with anger in their eyes.

"So, mind telling us what happened up there with Supercuts?" Tony asked.

Thor looked to Loki, who waved at him to answer, "Loki took Lady Rainlily to Asgard. According to our healers, she was near death, but Venom had taken over by then. We managed to nurture him, but it seems there are some issues."

"What kind of issues?" Wanda asked, curious.

"It's her body," Loki spoke this time, "she was a healer before Venom entered her system. It seems her body is naturally trying to fight Venom out of her body."

"It explains her need for so much chocolate..." Nat whispered, noticing Bucky watching Lily through the glass screen. She was standing, twirling in her dress before she paced, clearly entertaining herself.

"Her body had never given up the fight when Loki arrived at her. Perhaps she ran out of supplies, but it was a close call for us to save her." Thor spoke.

"But Venom said she'd be fine if she accepted him. How did this happen?" Steve asked, Scott and Sam edging closer to them.

"We think it's because of her DNA...she's part human."

The team tensed up, the tension thick, but Loki spoke, "We will take her to Asgard should it happen again. Our smartest people are trying to find a way for them to co-exist. But make no mistake, Venom can still kill its host. It's a parasite, not a sickness."

"She will be in Loki and I's care. She must be a part of any missions you have for us." Thor added.

Bucky smiled when Venom helped her fix the circlet adorned on her forehead, realizing how beautiful she looked- otherworldly. She was dying but thriving. He would ensure she took it easy until they found a way to help her.

"I'm sorry, so is she part Asgardian?" Pietro asked, receiving a nod from Thor.

"We believe so, considering her healing abilities are not natural here on Midgard." Thor spoke.

"I will continue researching, but the best option for now is to let them watch her. Taking her on missions should help her." Bruce suggested.

"I'll set it up." Tony said, nodding to Steve for his help.

Taking it as the meeting was over, Bucky left the meeting room, and she smiled when she saw Buckly walking directly over to her.

"Bucky..."

He stood up and came up to her, carefully grabbing her arms. Looking over her, he looked into her eyes, "Are you alright?"

"I've been better, but I'm glad to see you again. I missed you." Lily admitted; her heart fluttered when she saw his smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. I missed you too," Bucky said, "nice outfit."

"Thanks, I like it too. Was the meeting okay?"

"Yeah, you're going to be joining us for meetings now. No more being alone, understand?" Bucky spoke.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'm fine on my own," Lily told him, but he squeezed her arm.

"I know, but I am going to stay with you," he told her, "get used to it."

She rolled her eyes but was still surprised by his behavior when his hands slid down to her hand. Taking one of her hands into his, he guided her down the hall to the living quarters. She wanted to ask where he was taking her when he saw his room for the first time.

Hearing the door close behind her, she noticed his room was bare, with just a bed, but the floor had a pillow and a throw blanket. Realizing that was his preferred sleeping position, she frowned but didn't have a chance to comment on this when he took her towards the bed.

"Rest here, for now. No one will disturb you in here." Bucky told her, sitting beside her.

"Are they going to take me to the Raft?" Lily asked. Bucky took a breath, looking over her carefully, when he heard the fear in her voice.

"No, and we'll make sure they won't," Bucky's face filled with determination, "I'll make sure they don't."