Hidden 9 mos ago 3 mos ago Post by Mjolnir
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Mjolnir sʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴘᴀʀᴀʟʏsɪs ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ

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#a8f9ff ....|..... prism .....|..... outfit .............. #00aeef .....|..... outfit .............. descendant tower


After spending far longer in the shower than either of them needed, they finally managed to actually get clean… only once the water had run cold and their fingers had long since pruned.

"Good morning." J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice echoed throughout Imogen’s penthouse as she walked around with a towel wrapped around her body while water dripped from her hair and ran along her skin. "Given light of recent events, Mr. Coulson has arranged a training session which will commence in thirty minutes, at noon, on sub-level six. He has requested you all arrive unencumbered with any uniforms, gadgets, weapons or any other paraphernalia. Thank you." She played with the fresh dry bandage on her hand as she made her way to her closet realizing that she didn’t really pack for training or anything really athletic at all. It wasn’t like she spent much time doing anything particularly active… Unless she counted the past twelve hours with Magni. She might have been hiding it well but everything from the waist down was sore and felt like jello. The last thing she wanted to do was try fighting when she could barely keep her knees from wobbling.

She shifted her attention to a dresser that was from her time at the academy. Upon opening the drawer Imogen was surprised to find her old clothes still folded inside like she hadn’t been away for a decade. A lot had changed over ten years, including her getting past her eating disorder and accepting the natural curves of her body. While there was no way most of her wardrobe from back then would fit, fitness clothes tended to be a bit more forgiving. Imogen grabbed the track set that felt the most stretchy and prayed.

Giving herself the best chance of success, Imogen nixed her underwear to give herself the tiniest bit of more room. She dropped her towel before stepping into the shorts. She had to jump and wiggle to get them up her thighs and over her hips. The elastic snapped sharply around her waist when she finally got them up. Imogen rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath while making a reminder to herself to buy properly sized athletic wear for the future. It wasn’t until she grabbed the shirt that she noticed it was more of a jacket than an actual top. The zipper made her a bit anxious but there was no way in hell she was taking those shorts back off after all that work. She was able to slip her arms into the sleeves easily enough but as she tried to fasten it, Imogen could barely get both sides of the zipper to touch. She exhaled all the air from her lungs then quickly shoved one side of the zipper into the pull and tugged it up all the way to the collar. It actually stayed… until she inhaled, then came half undone. She tried closing it a couple more times before accepting that there was a strong possibility she’d be flashing everyone during training. Whatever.

Imogen emerged from her closet with a pair of sneakers in her hands. She made her way to the edge of her bed and sat down. She sighed as her top already threatened to pop open as she put on her socks. Her gaze drifted over to Magni as a thought crossed her mind. "Did you pack any clothes?"

Magni had never quite understood the point of towels. While still in the shower, he had shook the excess moisture from his hair and body to the best of his ability. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he was entirely nude. He crossed the penthouse quickly, opening up the door to the balcony and taking a step out. His hands rested upon the railing, and he took in the morning air. He breathed slowly, willing the winds themselves to whip up and around him. An invisible vortex seemed to sweep away whatever water had still clung to his form, whisking it off over the edge and toward the ground far below. Even when dry, he chose to stay outside for a moment longer basking in the sun's rays.

He entered back into the penthouse when he heard Imogen call out. His heavy footsteps marked his return indoors. It only took one look at Imogen for his fondness for her outfit became self-evident. He did not speak on it yet, for she deserved an answer first. He instead crossed over in front of her and watched her, stretching out his shoulders. "Gods travel light… I see little need for luxurious raiments for myself." He lifted his hand to motion towards Imogen, smiling softly. "Thy figure flatters thy apparel, though."

Imogen got one of her shoes on and laced before looking up. Her own gaze slowly, patiently drifted up Magni's naked body, momentarily lingering on his evident elation, then found his eyes… eventually. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she teased as she worked on slipping on her other sock. "However these are like four sizes too small. I'll be lucky if I don't pop out before the end of training." She pulled up the zipper of her top again, only for it to slip back down a couple inches.

After getting on her second shoe and struggling with her top a few more times, Imogen stood up. She looked him over once more with a satisfied sigh and grin. "I wouldn't complain about you training like that, but I don't know about everyone else." She held his gaze like a silent challenge while her finger lightly ran up the length of his… arousal… just for a second. "It would be entertaining though."

Restraint was never one of Magni’s talents… at least not when it came to his behavior. The woman before him was gorgeous, no matter what she wore or what she did. To top it all off, they matched each other perfectly. The only danger, he realized, was just how much in common they had. His ravenous gaze matched hers as her hand trailed his veins. She was either as insatiable as he was, or she was sadistic in her own way. The odds were that she was both. He lifted his hands to hold Imogen’s shoulders, squeezing them a little as he leaned in. His words were almost gutteral. "Thou plays a dangerous game." He cleared his throat, attempting to compose himself a little. They had training, and it would look bad on either of them if they were late. He would not mind spending every second he could with Imogen, and his imagination was running wild with the ways he could be quick about things. He spoke with a ragged tone, his voice breathy. "I may have apparel in my room… and I do not wish to dirty thy garments quite yet." He turned himself away slightly, taking in a deep breath. "I will not leave this day, nor the next. Thou shall have my company for some time. There is no cause for fear in that regard.."

"Alright," she conceded with a soft sigh, letting her hand cease its teasing and fall to her side. "I can be good," Imogen’s voice didn’t come out as convincing as she had intended. Between him just being him, the gruffness in his voice when she teased him, the way he walked around her apartment like he belonged there or just the simple way her existence seemed to ignite something in him, it was difficult not getting aroused. While the thought of pushing him back on her bed and riding him straight through training was a far more enticing idea, her body could probably use the break… At least for an hour or two.

Her brows rose as he turned away slightly to calm himself and take a deep breath. While Magni’s words were intended to be reassuring, her mind clung to some time like ivy to a tree, twisting and growing as it took root. Imogen knew it was an inevitability that someday he’d have to return to Asgard and his family, but the thought of it so soon tightened in her chest. They were both from two different worlds, it made sense… But that didn’t mean she wanted it festering in her thoughts after one day. She did her best to shove it away and didn’t let it weaken her smile or dull the light in her eyes. Her left hand reached up, gently turning his head back to face her and hold her gaze. She seized his chin between her thumb and index finger before pulling him in for a soft but fleeting kiss. "Good."

Imogen released her hold on him and searched for something she could cover him with in the off chance then ran into someone in the elevator. She scooped up her slightly damp towel from the ground and wrapped it around his waist. Instead of tucking in the ends, she gripped them in the palm of her right hand and started making her way to the lift, tugging him along like a dog on a leash. She pressed the button to call the elevator. It took a minute or two for it to reach her floor, but once the door’s opened she pulled him inside with an impish grin. "Which floor?" she asked while nodding her head toward the various buttons.

Magni appreciated the shift from sensual to playful, letting Imogen guide his movements at every opportunity as they made their way to the elevator. He found it a little amusing, getting pulled around by a towel at his waist. The last time he had experienced anything similar was getting pulled by the belt from a crumbling ledge in Jotunheim by a fellow Asgardian. The brief image of watching the man float away on a burning boat flashed through Magni’s mind shortly after. He sighed a little, looking over towards the elevator buttons. He couldn’t remember the floor number, but he did recall which button to push. It was like a muscle memory… especially when he was usually occupied in the elevator when pressing it. He gave a quick tap on Floor 46, noticing after a moment how close their floors were all this time. The guilt came back briefly, before he shook it off.

The elevator doors opened into a dimly lit penthouse. They stepped out into a sitting room of sorts, with wood paneling covering the walls. Electric lamps mimicked torchlight in the penthouse, with projected lights hanging from sconces on the walls. Broken swords, horns, skulls, and stuffed heads were mounted all over the walls in this room, with some sitting atop the mantle of an electric fireplace in the corner. A longboat shaped couch with a number of different fur blankets rested in a nook to the left. A small entryway in front of them led into a much brighter lit kitchen space, with tile and fake stone replacing the dark wood patterns. Magni spun out of Imogen’s grasp and ducked out of the living space to the right. He entered into a spacious bedroom. A large, thick-framed bed sat in the middle, with small portholes of sorts on two walls casting some light into the room. Animal pelts lined the walls and floors in this room, all of various animals clearly not native to Earth. A wardrobe was tucked into the corner, which Magni went to and began sifting through. There was not a hint of dust anywhere in the room. His clothes were not wrinkled, as though they had been laundered somewhat recently.

The clothes he chose were simple. A workout tank that hugged his chest and cotton shorts. Both felt a little small on him… a decade of intense fighting and feasting had somehow made him even more imposing than he was when last at the academy. He went about changing rather swiftly, leaving his wardrobe open to reveal his sparse and dull clothing. Solid color shirts, some with sleeves and some without. Jeans, basketball shorts, compression shorts, jean shorts… just practical enough for him to get by.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Imogen’s lips as he slipped free from the restraints of the towel and disappeared somewhere to the right. Her thoughts wandered as she slowly entered the space and took in the stark difference in his lifestyle compared to hers. She could have looked around while the tower was still empty, there was a small part of her that thought about it but a week ago that felt like picking at old wounds, now it was… different. As she looked over toward his sofa, the image of the burning boat from his memory flashed across her mind. She never had to bury someone close to her, let alone someone who saved her life. Imogen had wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how. There were no words she could say to ease whatever ghosts that still haunted him. She was what she said she wanted to be… a prize. She wasn’t some great hero or warrior. Imogen didn’t even know where to lay the groundwork to try relating. Her gaze drifted over toward the door Magni slipped into, unable to help but wonder if she was in over her head. Was she really what he wanted?

Imogen locked that thought away before more could slip out then slowly followed after him into his bedroom. She couldn’t fight her impulses and flopped backwards onto his bed, lying on top of the various fur pelts. Her own morbid curiosity wondered how many naked bodies had been there before her. Magni’s own thoughts hinted at it being a lot from the simple fact he knew his floor from muscle memory and shared moments similar to their own in the elevator. She let her head fall back with a soft sigh and looked up at the ceiling. Although, she supposed, what really mattered was if she was the last one. She had to admit the thought of sharing moments with his past cast a small shadow on their memory, but she hoped that there were some things in the future that they might be able to experience for the first time… together.

While Magni got dressed, Imogen rested her hands on her stomach and spoke to the tower. "Hey, J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"Yes, Ms. Frost?"

"Can you contact Bergdorfs? Give them my name, they have my information on file. Ask them to put together five or so fitness outfits and have them sent express to the tower. Please?" she asked while trying to force the zipper on her shirt to stay up.

"Of course."

Imogen slowly rolled onto her side and propped her head up on a bent arm. Her gaze drifted from the nearly empty wardrobe to the tight clothes Magni squeezed into. While she enjoyed the view similar to how he liked the sight of her in her own small clothing, she imagined he was probably as uncomfortable as she was. "Looks like I’m not the only one who outgrew the academy," she mused with a soft smile.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" she called out again.

"Did you need something else, Ms. Frost?"

"Yes. Give them Magni’s measurements as well. Tell them to put together an entire wardrobe. Focus on casual and athletic attire, with maybe one or two more formal pieces. He’ll need at least three pairs of jeans, a pair of sneakers, dress shoes and plenty of tights."

"Bergdorf Goodman says they should have the pieces you requested to the tower by the end of the day. Is there anything else?"

"No. That’ll be it. Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S." Imogen flashed Magni a guilty smile before she slowly began sitting up and climbing off his bed.

Magni was uncomfortable by how tightly his clothes seemed to conform to his body. He had listened to Imogen’s conversation with the Tower’s ghost, shaking his head slightly as he rounded the side of the bed to where she was sitting. He offered a smile, standing in front of her to prevent her from getting up. "Thou dost not need to spend thy fortunes to dress me finely, but it is appreciated all the same." He lifted his hands up towards Imogen’s shoulders, giving them a squeeze as he took in the sight of her on his bed. He scanned her expression carefully. There was a word from earlier that seemed to gnaw inside him, and he felt it was time to address it. "What do we call this, if the others ask about what we are to each other?"

Imogen’s gaze slowly trailed up Magni’s body as he came to stand in front of her. "While I enjoy that it leaves little to the imagination," she mused while pinching a wrinkle in his shirt and lightly snapped the fabric against his abdomen. "I think we’d both be more comfortable in clothes that actually fit us." She laughed softly and tilted her head to the side. "What’s the point of being rich if I can’t enjoy spending my money on the people I care about?" Imogen had more money than she’d know how to spend in several lifetimes. It brought her joy to dote upon the people in her life. If buying Magni new clothes was a small way she could show her affections, then she’d do it without a moment of hesitation. There were already several other things she had planned on buying him… Like a phone.

"I… uh…" Warmth spread across her chest and trickled up her pale skin to her cheeks as she tried to find an answer. Imogen cleared her throat and focused on a small popped thread in his shirt. "There’s a lot of different words for it, depending on if it’s open or exclusive or…" She stopped talking before she started nervously rambling and dug herself into a hole. "We—or I am only yours," she confessed with a hesitant glance up into his eyes. "Some people here would call you my boyfriend, but that honestly sounds really juvenile coming from adults." Her fingers idly tugged at the cuffs of her sleeves. "Partners? Significant others?" Her brows furrowed slightly. "What do you call it in Asgard?" she asked, looking up at him.

Magni looked away, mostly to keep his eyes from wandering down towards the zipper of Imogen’s top. He clicked his tongue as he considered what word seemed most appropriate. Knowing she could read his thoughts anyways, he spoke his thoughts aloud in a hushed tone, more to himself than her. "It depends on the nature of things. Bedfellows feels inadequate, we are not yet betrothed, and I do not think it fair to make thee a concubine." He mulled over other words, other descriptors, any deeper meaning to his words lost in the search. She intended to be with him, and him alone. That did not sound so bad. He chuckled softly, shaking his head a little. She had used the proper term earlier. "Lovers… that title felt fitting. We have made love." His gaze fell back towards Imogen, willing himself to try and maintain eye contact. "I do not intend to share my bed with another unless thou wills it."

His soft laugh eased some of the tension that had taken root in her chest. Magni saying that the word lovers felt right made her stomach do a little somersault and her heart quicken. While he agreed to partnership the night before, the surrealness of it all stripped away and cemented itself in reality with his words. Imogen couldn’t fight the warm smile that grew across her lips at the prospect of being able to call him her lover. Magni Thorson was her lover, no one else’s. There was a sparkle in her eyes as her happiness was evident across her face. "I just… I didn’t want to scare you away by saying it," she admitted with an innocent smile. "When I called you lover this morning and then with June," her words ran away but the meaning behind them was still transparent. "I didn’t want to ruin everything by saying the wrong thing," she confided in him. It seemed the longer she was around him, the easier her true feelings came pouring out. It was a little jarring, but she felt safe sharing her most intimate thoughts with him, similar to how he left his mind open to her.

"I’m selfish," she confessed with a soft laugh as she rested her hands on his waist. The tips of her thumbs lightly traced the hem of his shirt. "I want you all to myself." Imogen could agree to share his might and valor with others, but his most vulnerable and intimate parts she selfishly wished to keep for her and her alone.

Magni lifted his hands to tenderly stroke along Imogen's cheeks with his fingers, leaning down to plant a kiss on her soft lips. He let the kiss linger for a moment, his hands cupping the back of her jaw while his thumbs stroked her cheekbones. When he pulled away, he looked down into her eyes with a soft smile. "Words do not strike fear in me." He resisted the urge to go in for another kiss, knowing full well they were on the edge of his bed. He took in a breath, his grin growing a little more knowing. "I do not mind thy selfish whims, after all..." He leaned in closer, whispering softly into her ear. "Gods do not share either."

Imogen lost track of how many kisses they had shared somewhere in the midst of their time in the elevator the night before, yet every time Magni’s lips found hers it felt like the first time. Her pulse quicked, the breath was stolen from her lungs and an elated chill ran down her spine. A soft sigh escaped into the space between their lips as he pulled away. Her hands rested gently on his forearms, thumbs lightly stroking his skin as she looked up into his eyes. "I should have known better," she whispered, mirroring his warm smile with one of her own.

She inhaled a sharp breath and her heart fluttered from the deep tone of his voice and the warmth of his breath caressing her skin. Imogen wanting her lover God all to herself made sense, but hearing him admit to being equally as selfish about her roused something deep inside her. She tilted her head towards hism slightly, letting the tip of her nose brush against his cheek as her mouth inched temptingly closing to his ear. "Now you’re the one playing the dangerous game." Her lips ghosted across his earlobe as the words came out in a breathy whisper.

Finding the restraint to not drag Magni down into the bed with her took all the control she could muster. The tip of her tongue flicked against her bottom lip as she tried to catch her breath. "We have to get your hammer." Imogen sighed. She tried running through their to-do list like it would somehow calm her down and ground her. "We need to train… And God do I look forward to watching you fight," she confessed with a guilty smile while looking up into his eyes. "Then—" her chest heaved as she took a deep breath and her smile grew more devious, "—I’m riding you until you see stars… And maybe a bath." While he was still close, she stole one more kiss, savoring the sensation of his lips against hers, endeavoring to be on her best behavior… For the next couple hours anyway.

The flash of frustration that crossed Magni’s mind was swift. For all the carnal delights they had engaged in within such a short time, the depth of his appetite seemed unending. As Imogen made it clear they had more pressing matters, he simply nodded softly. Her touch against his skin still felt electric, in a way distinct from the usual powerful jolts he could call forth at will. The mention of Mjolnir sent a slight shiver down his spine. Among the excitement of being reunited with his most prized possession came a temporary fear that did not materialize enough for Imogen to get a clear read. Her sultry suggestion and kiss had wiped away whatever worry had haunted him, if but for a moment. He indulged in the kiss for a moment longer than normal, before he broke it to step back to his full height. "I will hold thee to thy word," he answered playfully.

Magni let Imogen follow him back to the elevator, letting her pick the floor for the parking garage as he folded his arms across his chest. He tilted his head up slightly, closing his eyes as that nervous energy filled his chest again. A singular thought coursed through his mind: was he still worthy? The hammer hadn’t thought so. It had grown so heavy in his hands as he shouted at the men in suits. He had lashed out at his friends and his mentors. He had called them fools, puppets, and curs barking at the heels of the weak and short-sighted. Every word, every barb, and the hammer grew heavier and heavier in his grasp. By the time he could not carry it any further, he had caught himself on black steel. No tugging could pull it free from its new resting place.

With a decade of love and loss under his belt, had he truly changed? He was still the same cad, the same rageful monster seeking another fight. He had been so eager the day prior to simply pick up Mjolnir and accept the quest to find his father. But now, as he rode down with a relative stranger, the fear of denial crept in his throat. If he could not bear his powers fully, would he stand a chance of finding any of their missing progenitors?

Imogen slipped into the elevator and pressed the button for sub-level 3. As they began their descent, she couldn't help but notice the way the silence grew heavy and the familiar stirring of nerves that emanated from Magni's mind. The memories of when the academy closed flooded her thoughts. The surroundings were familiar but the scene was foreign. She had no idea he had detested the change so vehemently that it lost him his power, that he lost his worthiness due to his wrath. What could she say to ease that burden? What could she even do? She was one woman, a relative stranger in the words of his own thoughts, and he was a God.

While he wasn't wrong, being thought of as a stranger struck a cord with her that made her want to pull away and retreat within herself. But this wasn't about her. Imogen tried her best to push aside her own insecurities as she closed the distance between them. She moved behind Magni and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. Her body lightly pressed against his back as she tightened her hold on him. "You’re not a monster, or a cad," she spoke quietly, filling the silence as she rested her cheek against the back of his shoulder. "I may be a stranger, but I know that you are kind, compassionate, and sincere. You've let me see into your mind and soul, and what I found was a caring and honest man."

Imogen turned her head so mouth pressed lightly into his back as she spoke, as if the words could seep through his skin and warm his heart. "In less than a day you've nurtured my mind and body. You’ve shown patience and understanding." Her thumb lightly stroked his stomach as she spoke. "You are a good man... I don't need a lifetime to figure that out."

The elevator slowed to a halt, dinged and the doors slid open. Imogen peeked around his shoulder out into the garage as her hold on him loosened slightly. "I can stay behind if you want to go alone." Her voice was soft and comforting as she tried to be whatever he needed. "But I'll remain by your side as long as you wish."

The sensation of being cared for was… odd. Magni’s brow furrowed slightly as he felt Imogen’s arms wrap around him. Her soft words answered unspoken thoughts. His own hands lifted to stroke hers, taking in a deep breath as he looked out towards the garage. He nodded his head slightly, his own mind conflicted on if he wanted company. His pride won out. "I will return." He gently moved Imogen’s hands from around his midsection and stepped out of the elevator, his steps slow and methodical. He walked carefully, his mind flashing with memories of the last time he had been there. He walked around towards the black, metal plated tank of a vehicle. He could almost still see Thomas standing there with a disapproving stare. He was saying something about disagreeing with the move, that the world still needed them, that they couldn’t just give up.

"Let us see how you fare without your armored chariot, or how the world fares when the gods no longer answer your call. Your realm will not make servants of mine!"

Magni physically recoiled at the memory. The hammer had felt so heavy in his hands. He had almost wanted to throw it at Thomas, at the representatives in their pressed suits. But all Magni could do was drop Mjolnir into the open Batmobile, breathing heavily from the effort of trying to bear it. But now, as Magni approached the open hatch, it felt so foolish. If he had stayed, if he had helped rally his friends, would they still be gone?

He reached out his hand, his fingers gently wrapping around the strips of leather that cushioned the pommel. He watched, in slight amazement, as the runes etched on every surface of the hammer began to glow with a dim blue light. The hammer remained perfectly stationary for a moment longer, just as it had for the ten years prior. Magni took a breath. He thought of his friends, his father, his brother, his new compatriots, and Imogen. He pulled.

Artifacts of great renown throughout the ten realms are often born from contradictions and the way they defy the natural order. A ring that can produce other rings from thin air. A ship fit for a whole raiding party that can be folded up over and over until it could fit in the palm of your hand. A hammer that weighed a near infinite amount to any who were unworthy to wield it, and yet as light as a stone in the hands of those who were. Magni lifted the hammer with ease, holding it up above him. The runes flashed with a bright light, and electricity sparked from a nearby light and crackled against the metal surface of the weapon. At the same time, a dark cloud seemed to swirl into existence above the tower, and a bolt of lightning impacted a lightning rod at the top of the tower. The smell of ozone filled the air around him, and Magni let out a relieved exhale.

Imogen was at a loss for what to do. He hardly reacted to her words beyond a fleeting touch, then pulled away. While there was a part of her that wanted to follow, she heeded his wishes and lingered behind. When the doors started closing she made a split second decision to slip out into the garage rather than be taken on a journey to grab someone else on their way to training. She stepped to the side and leaned against the wall, staring down at her pristine white sneakers that never got a moment’s use. Her hands slipped behind her back, pinned between her body and the concrete as her thoughts wandered.

That wasn’t the first time in their brief time together that Imogen tried to give Magni the same kind words and reassurances he gave her so freely. But where his words soothed her and made her heart ache with longing, it was almost like her words fell on deaf ears. It made her sad, although she wasn’t entirely sure why. It felt like her words meant little or perhaps that he didn’t believe her. He said he wanted to know her thoughts, she shared them, and they amounted to… nothing? It left her confused. Did she need to try breaking through a wall with more kind words or should she just… stop?

As he approached the elevator, he tossed the hammer up in a spin before catching it a few times. He tossed it about like it was a tennis racket. No smile graced his lips as he entered, his brow knit in a determined stare. He gave Imogen a slight nod, the smallest of smirks tugging at the corner of his lips. "I’ve still got it."

When she saw him returning, Imogen pressed the button to call the elevator. It was hard for her to miss the hammer he tossed around with ease while there was a lighter air in the way he carried himself like one of his many burdens had been lifted. A faint smile crossed her lips as she met his gaze. "I had no doubts," she replied softly, following him into the elevator. She pressed the button for sub-level 6 and leaned back against the far wall as they began their short descent.

Magni nodded, stepping towards her and wrapping one arm over her shoulders as he held her from behind. The move was quick and gentle, but the squeeze was firm. He lowered his lips to kiss the top of her head. His words were soft, the faintest of whispers delivered to her blonde hair. "I want to see what it is that thou sees in my mind that I cannot." He let loose the smallest of chuckles, reaching his right hand with Mjolnir around to show it to her. "I will not doubt thee a second time."

His hold caught her by surprise, eliciting a gasp and soft chuckle as she was pulled back against his chest. The simple embrace erased her darker thoughts like foot prints in sand washed away by the tide. Imogen hummed with content as her hands raised to rest lightly against his forearm. "It's my job to see the best in you," she spoke softly as her thumbs lightly stroked his arm. She laughed softly. His blind faith in her was endearing but it also made her a little anxious at the possibility of her being wrong in the future. "That's a lot of pressure."

Magni rested his chin on the top of Imogen’s head, giving her another soft squeeze. "I shall lighten thy load as I can." He let out a sigh as he said this, still not entirely convinced himself. But he pushed the doubt aside, chuckling softly to himself. "For now… look forward to seeing my might in combat."



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Ronnie slipped her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants before stepping out of the elevator. She vaguely remembered that floor from her slow climb up the tower the night before. She didn’t think much of it then, nor did she now. It seemed that her and Aria were some of the earlier arrivals along with two of the more broody bunch that haunted the tower. There was the one with all the tattoos and muscles that was definitely the more attractive of the two. She probably would have flashed him a flirty wink or something if he actually managed to look in her direction, but he seemed more wrapped up in his own thoughts. The other guy sat silently in a chair off to one side, his gaze locked on her for a second or two before it fell to his hands in his lap.

She spared a glance back over her shoulder toward Aria. Ronnie plastered on her usual confident smile and forced herself to take a step forward. Without saying a word, she slid onto a bench toward the back of the room and coincidentally about as far away from James as she could manage.

Zaria hesitated for a moment, guilt churning in her stomach and making her feel sick. This was…new, she’d never felt like this before, not in this context. There were other times, times where her father made her and her brother do unspeakable things in the name of his training but this was different, this was undeniably her fault, her actions alone had made James look so sad, and she didn’t know what to do. She twisted her hands together anxiously for a moment, shifting her weight uncomfortably, and then she sucked up the dredges of her courage and made her way toward him.

The guilt and uncertainty was as clear on her face as it was in her voice, and she chewed on her bottom lip until it very nearly bled before she found the words she needed to say, but even simply saying them felt inadequate. Words alone didn’t feel like enough, but she wasn’t sure if there was anything else she could do right now. She stood beside James, leaving a respectable amount of space between them as the nail of one thumb dug into the cuticle around her other thumb. "I’m sorry," her voice was soft and strained, her eyes set on the ground. This was an awful, awful feeling, and she never wanted to see him look so crestfallen because of her again, which was just as confusing as everything else. "I didn’t mean to…I-I should have let you know, you deserve better." That much she knew was undoubtedly true, James deserved better of his friends. Aria swallowed hard, nose tingling as her eyes burned. "I’m sorry." It was all she felt she could say, but the sick feeling persisted.

James adjusted in his seat as he saw Aria approaching. He did his best to put on a smile, but he knew it looked forced. He could feel the way his muscles strained to tug at the corner of his lips or how his eyes didn’t squint the right way. His hands ran along his jeans as his gaze locked onto a dried splatter of mud along the toe of his boot. "It’s… it’s fine." He cleared his throat and ran his fingers back through his hair before finally looking up at her. For a second his gaze flicked over to Ronnie, then back up at Aria. "I’ll uh… Teach you how to make burgers and mac n’ cheese another time." He nodded his head and looked down at his calloused hands as he picked at a hang nail.

"It’s not fine." Her voice wobbled a little at the end there, stomach seeming to flip over on itself as nausea made her throat constrict. She took a slow breath in, steadying herself, and glanced toward James. She took care not to look away this time, because he deserved to see how earnest she was in her apology. "I’m really sorry James, I won’t…I won’t ever do this again, you deserve better." And she meant it with every fiber of her being, because now what she was away from Ronnie and could think clearly, think back on how it all unfolded, she knew what she’d done was closer to something her father would have done, and she never, ever, wanted to be anything like him. She was disgusted with herself, because she could have at least sent a message to him through J.A.R.V.I.S. but she hadn’t. It was as much a promise to him, as it was to herself. She would be better.

He swallowed and nodded his head, acknowledging her words. James didn’t know what to say or how to respond. While his feelings were hurt and he felt a little stupid for waiting around, it was also nothing new for him either. People had left him hanging before. There was just a part of him that thought maybe Aria was different from them. But in the end it was like he said, she didn’t owe him anything… That included her time and friendship. His chest rose as he took a deep breath and strummed his fingers against his thigh. "I’m ok," he said only a fraction more convincing than the tight lipped smile he flashed up at her. "Judge is the one you really upset anyway," he lied, deflecting the conversation in any direction that took the heat off his own emotions.

Don’t drag me into your petty squabbles, the spirit hissed behind his frontal lobe.

James ignored the voice in his head as he adjusted in his seat. "Do whatever makes you happy, Aria," he said quietly, his voice muffled beneath his fingers as he rubbed his mouth. There wasn’t much else he could say.

"He’s—" the voice started to scratch its way up his throat, but James coughed and forced it down like choking back sickness. Before she could ask or pry into whatever the spirit was going to say, he got to his feet and slipped past her. James beelined for the restrooms and slipped behind the door labeled ‘men’s’ without another word or glance in her direction.

Zaria watched him go, face twisting as an emotion that felt an awful lot like hurt swelled up in her chest but…it was her fault, and she had no right to feel upset over how she’d hurt him. She looked down at her feet, the largest part of her wanting to slip back into the elevator and leave, Stark’s words from yesterday spinning around her in head. She really didn’t belong here, did she? She moved once the men’s bathroom door shut, finding a seat far away from where James had been sitting, away from the others as well. It was better for everyone that way, especially James. She still wanted to find a way to make it up to him but…did he even want that? Aria was pretty sure she knew the answer.

The elevator doors slid open again and Myla slowly stepped out just as James walked past, disappearing into the bathroom. She took a single step forward but was stopped dead in her tracks by the familiar scent of cashmere, jasmine, and orange blossom. Ronnie. The tips of her fingers curved into her palms, nails slipping into the dips of crescent shaped scabs along her skin. She knew the woman was unavoidable, but there was a part of her that hoped, in a fifty story tower, that she could avoid running into her more than once a day. It was dumb, they were all requested for training but… She sighed. Maybe Myla hoped her threats were a little more effective and Ronnie would have just left, as terrible as that sounded.

Theo glanced around the room briefly as they stepped in, eyes sliding over Ronnie like she wasn’t even there. One of his hands was still interlocked with Myla’s and he used that hand to gently guide her across the room, toward the opposite side of where the woman was sitting. He nodded to Tobias as they passed, offering Zaria a brief smile when she glanced at them, a little confused by the conflicted expression on the blonde's face and how she subtly edged away from them as they sat down on a bench nearby. He shrugged it off, refocusing on Myla, his thumb rubbing across the tops of her knuckles. "We could still skip," he whispered to her, ducking his head closer to her ear so no one could overhear. "We haven’t even checked out my penthouse yet." Myla could feel the smile that tugged his lips upward as they brushed faintly over her ear.

A subtle smile tugged at the corner of Myla’s mouth as his words tickled her ear. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but luckily, and unknown to her, the bruises hid most of it. She opened the hand that wasn’t being held by Theo, revealing the small tape resting in her palm. "I have to give this to Jim," she replied. Her brows then pulled together curiously with a bit of amusement. "Do you actually think you’ll stay there?" she whispered the tease back at him with a faint smirk.

He snorted before sighing in resignation, he wasn’t sure why but something about training felt off, he was pretty sure everything about this was going to suck in some way…probably the spidey-sense. "Not unless you’re there too." He conceded, tugging her hand into his lap so he could trace soft, nonsensical patterns over the palm of her hand, dedicating every line to memory.

Tobias hadn’t been paying that much attention as others slowly filled the room, his thoughts sifting through anyways he could try to find the lost Drake girl without driving down every street in the county. He nearly missed Theo’s nod. As he went to return it, his eyes went wide, noticing the state Myla was in compared to the night before. Deep shades of purple and blue circled under her eyes, ran along her nose and blossomed across her abdomen below the hem of her shirt. She walked with a slight limp, favoring her right leg and he could have swore he caught a faint glimpse of stitches beneath the mesh fabric that covered her thigh. There was a moment where he considered asking but he kept his thoughts to himself and turned his attention forward.

When the elevator doors next opened, Jim Stark stepped out with his hands shoved into his pockets. The bags under his eyes made clear that he had not exactly slept well last night, nor the weeks before. His eyes briefly scanned those who were gathered about. He was sporting a simple outfit: red hoodie, gray sweatpants, white sneakers. The collar of the undershirt under his hoodie was clearly gold in color. He shuffled towards a bench away from the couples, his fingers toying with a small metal card in his pockets. He kept glancing over towards Myla, noticing just how battered she looked. June wasn’t the only one targeted, that much was very clear.

Myla’s head turned slightly and cocked to the side like an owl when she heard someone approach from the elevator. She hadn’t been in the tower long enough, been around the others long enough to learn all of their scents, the way their bodies shifted as they walked or the soft unique sounds of their breathing. She couldn’t place the person at a moment’s notice like she had with Ronnie. Something about them made her think it was Jim, although she couldn’t put a finger on why. She could feel their eyes on her, but considering how Theo acted she looked like shit… So that wasn’t much of a tell. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze to get his attention as she leaned her head close to his and whispered, "Is that him?"

Theo looked up from her hand, distracted from his thoughts about what to pack for their picnic and how cute her fingers were, to look up toward the group's newest waiting member. He grunted, voice a little gruffer than it had been before. "Yeah, that’s the…uh, Stark." He glanced back down at her hand, letting out a slow and deliberate breath. "Want me to give it to him?"

The elevator doors slid open again, and out stepped June. Her shoulders were slumped some, hands shoved into the pockets of her sweatpants. She didn’t bother with an actual shirt, her entire side felt raw to the touch and the brief rub of fabric against her side had made her throw up. Instead, she’d cut one of her old t-shirts into a sort of crop top, the bruised skin around the injury left exposed with a single bandage hiding the actual stitches from view. She glanced around, gaze bouncing away from Myla and then back with raised eyebrows, before she made a beeline for Jim. "I can’t prove it yet," she muttered once she’d gotten close enough to whisper to him, not sitting quite yet. "But I think Phil is using training to get back at me for ruining his car and interrupting his beauty sleep." Despite her joking tone, her gaze caught Jim’s, flicked toward Myla, and then back to him, an eyebrow rising. There was a silent question in her gaze, wondering if he was thinking the same thing she was.

Jim nodded, his tone flat and tired. He looked over the wound on her side. "I still do not understand why someone so reliant on technology is so adverse to letting a machine fix you up." He shook his head disapprovingly, the smallest smile tugging the corners of his lips at her presence regardless. He glanced back towards Myla, lowering the tone of his voice despite knowing it wouldn’t help. "They tried going after single targets with relatively little defense. Not the move I would have made… they lost the element of surprise."

"Those things are evil, I just can’t prove it yet, you’d hate them too if you got tricked into having one reset your shoulder." She muttered, pouting only a little as a small smile tugged at her lips, despite the banter she was just happy to be back beside him. June hummed in agreement at his assessment, eyes flickering back toward Myla. As bad as June felt, the other woman looked awful. "She has defense, I’d bet the numbers were stacked against her. I have a feeling if they were targeting me instead of Phil they wouldn’t have only sent one. It was bold to only send one for Phil too, but that guy was…" She trailed off, eyes sliding to the ground as a shudder rolled down her spine. She was trying not to think of it, but it was hard not to remember when it was all still so vivid, and she hadn’t explained how it happened to Jim yet.

"They lost more than we did last night. I heard the Drake girl is still missing too. Alfred left me a post-it note, five of them actually. I’m not allowed to go looking for her." June rolled her eyes, sliding down onto the bench beside him with a grimace of pain.

Myla’s ears were burning as she heard them talking about her, but she tried her best to ignore it. She gave Theo’s hand another squeeze. "No. It’s ok. I got it." She sighed softly, slipping her hand from his and used his shoulder for support as she stood up. Her first step was unsteady, the wound in her thigh twinging in protest. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath before pushing through it. She made her way directly toward Jim, stopping a few feet away as she held out a small tape pinched between two fingers. "I was recording the meeting in case it was a trap and conveniently recorded my attack as well. I uh…" A soft sigh escaped her lips as she swallowed her pride. "I figured if anyone could make something of it, you could." She shifted her weight off her bad leg with a slight wince. "Sorry for what you might hear."

"Are they dead?" She surprised herself, though June didn’t let it show outwardly. Her voice was monotone with an edge to it, but seeing Myla in so much pain made the hair at the base of her neck stand on end. They’d moved on from targeting their families, none of them were left to target anyhow, but now the team was in danger and they’d barely even formed. "I mean," she cleared her throat, trying to sound a little softer. "The one that attacked me last night is, so…"

"Yes," Myla replied plainly, turning her attention toward June. "I forget the exact number." She went quiet for a second, counting on her empty hand: Roger, batons through the gut, fell through the window… Was there another one? "There were at least ten, most died fast… One didn’t," she added the last fact like someone would mention needing eggs, like it was nothing but a drop in the bucket. "I don’t know how much you’ll get from just audio, but if you need me to give context… Just ask." She shrugged her shoulders. Myla didn’t love the idea of spending a couple hours with Jim but this wasn’t about her pride or his. They were there to solve this bullshit, which meant working together. Plus, she’d take him over Ronnie any day of the week.

"Good." There was that same part of June from last night that was sickeningly pleased to know that they were all dead, but she didn’t dwell on it. "Are you okay? Have you been to the infirmary?" She glanced at Jim, a warning look to not mention her own dislike for the place. Their conditions were drastically different, and Myla looked like she genuinely needed a checkup.

Myla’s brows rose slightly, surprised to hear the daughter of Batman pleased with death. It reminded her of herself, and the way her own ideals differed from her father’s. While she preferred to shoulder the burden of murder alone, there was some solace in knowing that some people knew when killing was necessary. "Yeah, well…" her voice trailed off with a sigh. She didn’t feel guilt for what she did, only that she wasn’t strong enough to handle them all herself. "No, I haven’t. Theo’s mom fixed what she could. The rest will just take… time."

When Jim took the tape, he turned it over in his hands like he was looking at alien technology. It was an honest to god compact cassette tape. He flashed a weak smile, before quickly dropping it when he remembered she wouldn't see it. "I'll do a spectrographic scan and see what H.E.L.E.N. can put together… after I order something that can play this thing." He slid the tape into his pocket, feeling the metal card again. He held it between his fingers as he pulled it out, holding it out in Myla's direction. "I pulled a few strings after… yesterday." He cleared his throat, the words sticking in his throat. He hated apologies, especially when it came to stepping over feelings he didn't quite understand. "I thought of wrapping it, but that just seemed excessive."

Her brows furrowed, confused as she hesitantly reached out to take the metal card. At first, Myla thought it was some fancy credit card or something. She ran her fingers along the top, trying to read engravings when she noticed braille, and paused. Her head turned towards Jim slightly as she read the various dots slowly. Stark Industries employee? Dozens of questions raced through her head. Did he need a lawyer? There had to already be several on retainer with a lot more experience under their belts than her. How did he know she lost her job? Dumb question. The same way he was able to figure out who she was. Was this out of pity? Was it just for cover or legitimate?... Why?

The confusion that plagued her mind was evident across her face as she lightly tapped the card against her palm. "I…" Myla started but could form a sentence. Her lips pursed as she chewed on the words. "I’m not calling you boss," she finally replied. While her voice still held the familiar weight of seriousness and melancholy, there was the faintest hint of sarcasm that laced her words. Her lips tugged into a tight lipped smile as she gave a small single nod of her head. Then, without another word she left them and returned to her place beside Theo. Once seated beside him, she let out a sigh, releasing the tension that tightened across her shoulders. Myla swallowed and held out the card toward him silently.

Theo had been listening in, it wasn’t his fault, superhearing and all that, but he was confused until Myla handed the card to him. It only took one glance down for his eyebrows to shoot up, throwing a surprised glance toward Jim. He’d expected maybe something like this from Wayne but…Theo glanced down, begrudgingly feeling a newfound sense of respect for the other man. "Well, damn." He sighed, handing the card back to Myla and chuckling to himself, sliding his hand back into her own out of reflex. "You’re officially the breadwinner, I suppose I need to invest in a cute apron and start making you dinner after you get home from...what do you even do? I’d imagine if he hired you on as a receptionist you’d have shoved the card down his throat." He was grinning a wide, stupid smile that Myla could hear in his voice. For the first time in months, Theo felt like maybe things would be alright.

She ran her thumb along the braille idly, her brows still furrowed a bit as she tried to wrap her mind around all of it. Theo’s comment cleared her mental fog and pulled a genuine laugh from her. Myla couldn’t help but smile at the thought. He wasn’t wrong though. "I’m a lawyer. That’s how I meant Roger," she added barely above a whisper. "He is also the reason I got fired… Well, that and the increasing crime rates. I couldn’t juggle both. I lost my apartment shortly after, which is why I was staying with Foggy. Uh…" She sighed softly as her thumb traced circles on the back of his hand. "The money I gave to the cabby yesterday was all I had left to my name," she confessed with a defeated smile of acceptance. Foggy would never let her go hungry or live on the streets, but it wasn’t easy to admit either. "I’m sure Stark was able to figure that all out whenever he figured out my identity. Just haven’t decided if it’s pity or an apology."

Theo glanced over at where Jim and June sat, watching as Wayne muttered quietly to the man about evil robots, or something, and the brief but unguarded look Stark gave the woman, the slightest of smiles ghosting across his face before it was wiped clear, and Theo realized a few things about the other man all at once. Fuck, was he actually going to end up liking the bastard? "An apology," he decided, glancing back down at Myla instead of allowing himself to be annoyed at a man he’d barely ever spoken to, or thought about, until this moment. "We’re all part of the same team now, even though he’s kind of a prickly asshole, I don’t think Wayne would waste time on him if he was completely hopeless." Theo snorted, lifting Myla’s hand to press a soft and fleeting kiss to the back of her knuckles. A lawyer, he should have known, she was way too smart and way too good at winning arguments to be anything else. "I get to be the trophy hu–boyfriend, I think I could get used to that." He laughed, recovering from his almost blunder quickly enough even if his cheeks flushed some in embarrassment. "What do you want for dinner, darling?"

Her head fell slightly as her cheeks grew warm at his slip up. "I’m still broke," she laughed softly. "Something that won’t stick to my ceiling," she teased with a gentle bump to his shoulder. Myla spun the metal card between her thumb and index finger as she mulled over what Theo said. An apology. Traditionally, she would have just preferred Stark said it versus an ambiguous gift? that she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with. While she would over think it for the next week, she could worry about it later when she wasn’t about to be tossed into some unknown training. There was a second where her brows furrowed realizing she had no where to put the card. Then she reached over and slipped it into the front pocket of Theo’s jeans. "Can you hold this for me?" she whispered and gave his thigh a little pat. "I don’t have pockets."

"Of course," Theo’s voice was a little strangled as a tingle shot from his thigh to his—no, no, he was behaving. He coughed, shifting in place a little as her hand patted his thigh, cheeks dark with the heat of his blush. "Maybe spaghetti for dinner." He grinned, thinking that he could certainly get the pasta to stick to her ceiling.

Meanwhile, Jim turned his gaze towards June, his eyebrows raised slightly. "No thank you, didn't bother to listen about the benefits, that this gives her a cover… How am I the rude one?" He shook his head, rolling his eyes as he settled back in his seat. He wasn't doing that again.

June chuckled, patting his arm sympathetically, unable to help how soft her smile was when she glanced at Jim. "You aren’t rude, honey." Well, he wasn’t today at least, and it was never very intentional. What mattered is that he’d tried, and while the levity of that was lost on Myla, it wasn’t lost on the people who really knew him. "That was…it was really sweet of you, and a good idea. I’m sure she understood that, you just surprised her." June shrugged, winced at how it pulled at her side, and looked up at the ceiling instead of Jim. "You’re pretty smart, Mr. Stark." Her smile was a little coy, despite the pain, as she glanced back at him.

Jim shot a confused look towards June as she spoke. "We… we're using ‘honey’ now?" He lifted his arm awkwardly, swinging it around onto the back of the bench where June was sitting, but refused to actually loop his arm around her to pull her in. He shook his head. "I wasn't being sweet, just practical. We need everyone focused… and we need to keep the family we have safe. Making sure her uncle is taken care of is just business."

June’s lips twitched into a small smile, and she looked back up toward the ceiling, a small hum escaping her as she seemed to contemplate his words for a moment. "I’m trying to find one that feels right," she admitted quietly, pulling a small, circular disk from her pocket. She weighed the item carefully for a moment, before tilting her head to look at Jim. "Can we meet on your floor, after training? I have a few ideas I need to run by you, for the team." She shoved the disk back into her pocket, smile broken by the more serious note in her voice. She trusted Jim to understand this particular idea more than anyone else.

"My floor? Just the-" Jim didn’t even finish the sentence before he looked away, a slight blush burning his cheeks. Of course, it would be normal to just work on something, just the two of them. It didn’t have to be weird, he was the one with the private workshop. He was working on a few projects already anyways, so it made sense. Especially now that he knew some people were still walking around with weapons from the 1980s. They could keep it professional. "Right. Of course."

The elevator slid open again, and the tall blond man from the day earlier stepped out. Gone was his suit, he was wearing a muscle shirt and grey sweatpants, the muscles in his arms on clear display in a way that bordered on egotistical. Theo watched as the man’s gaze slid around the room, lingering on Veronica, then Tobias, then June, then Myla, making him tense some, and finally landing on Aria, a small and confident grin sliding across Luke’s face. He wasn’t sure why, but something about the other man set him on edge a little, it was the way his eyes slid across the women’s, and Tobias’s, bodies made him uncomfortable. He had the air of someone who wasn’t familiar with being rejected as he made his way toward the Doom heiress.

"Hello there," a smooth voice cut through her thoughts, and Zaria looked up, startled at the man's sudden approach. Her mind had been circling around James, and what she could do, a vague idea taking shape, but it slipped away from her before she could process it fully because of Luke. "I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting officially, I’m Luke." He held his hand out to her, and she…hesitated. The way he looked at her reminded her of the man from her arranged marriage, lecherous and hungry, and Aria shrank away from him instinctively.

"Uh, hi?" She glanced around, eyes searching but for who Zaria wasn’t sure, it…didn’t matter. She cleared her throat, crossing her arms instead of taking his offered hand. "Nice to meet you."

Luke’s smile widened, clearly not put off by her hesitance to take his hand, dropping it back to his side easily. "Are you shy?" One of his hands slid into his pocket, posture relaxed as he stood over her. "I promise, I won't bite. I figured we could get to know each other, I’m always happy to make new friends."

Anxiety coiled in her stomach, and for the first time since she’d come to the tower, Zaria didn’t feel safe. She felt like she was a hunk of meat hung out in front of a hungry animal, the way he said friends leaving little to imagination for his intentions. She squeezed her arms around herself a little tighter, offering a tight smile. "That’s nice."

James stood in the bathroom with his hands tightly gripping the porcelain sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. "Can you behave, please?"

Stop lying and using me as your scapegoat, then sure, the spirit replied less than amused and even less convincing.

"Liar," he muttered under his breath before turning on the water. James let it run cold, dipping his hands into it then ran his palms over his face with a sigh. As he shut off the tap he heard another ding of the elevator and muffled voices. At least he might be able to disappear into the group and avoid socializing. He sighed and pushed open the door, rejoining the others. While he was trying not to look for Aria, his gaze immediately snapped to her regardless. This time an entirely different blond sought her attention. James couldn’t remember the guy's name but it didn’t really matter.

As he walked past, heading back to his isolated seat, he couldn’t help but notice the way Aria looked uncomfortable hugging herself while a tense smile crossed her lips. James paused, his gaze lingering on the back of the man’s head. It’s not my place, he tried to tell himself as he took another step forward. He nearly made it to his chair but stopped again to pinch the bridge of his nose. Mother fucker.

Just go. We both know you want to, the spirit mocked him. James sighed, glancing over his shoulder toward Aria. He didn’t know what exactly he was looking for. Untoward advances or maybe a pleading glance that asked him to intervene. He was still hurt and mad, but even locked in his own misery his protectiveness didn’t just switch off.

"So?" Luke went on, not noticing James, or how uncomfortable Zaria seemed. He shifted his weight, leaning a little closer to her, and she leaned back against the wall, eyes sliding away from the man, gaze catching James’s for a moment before another wave of shame and guilt made her look down instead, jaw clenching. The blond man held out his hand again, insistent. "Friends, right?"

Across the room, June paused in talking softly to Jim, eyes catching on the scene in front of her, a frown tugging at her lips. She glanced around at the others, at Theo who was looking at Myla’s hand, Ronnie who seemed uninterested in the room at large, and at Tobias who had been subject to Luke’s advances the night before. She grimaced, shifting on the bench, considering getting up and interrupting. Luke was…nice, she supposed, but he was dumber than a box of rocks and couldn’t take a hint, clearly.

"I don’t really know you well enough, but we’re teammates." Zaria’s words were stiff, back ramrod straight but eyes looking anywhere but at Luke, her hands clenching against her sides. She felt the raised and healing skin of her burn beneath her shirt, and her gaze automatically tracked back to James.

"That’s why we ought to get to know each other better," Luke chuckled, like she was being silly.

When Aria’s gaze found James’s he cursed under his breath. "Damn it." He looked forward for just a second, taking a deep breath, then spun around and beelined straight for them. With a practiced fake smile and a false sense of bravado, he slid onto the bench right beside the blond man and took his outstretched hand before he pressed Aria further. "Hey man. Didn’t get to meet you properly last night or maybe I did, I was half asleep." A forced chuckle rumbled in the back of his throat as he shook the guy’s hand. "James."

Zaria’s mouth dropped open, surprise as clear as day across her face, and across the room June relaxed, leaning ever so slightly against Jim. Luke looked flummoxed for a moment, blinking down at the other man’s hand, before he cleared his throat and gave him a firm handshake. Aria’s eyebrows rose a little, looking between the two of them, before she looked back down at the ground. It wasn’t personal, James was just…that good of a person, he probably would have done it for anyone in the room, but it didn’t change how much she appreciated it, or how much more guilt the simple action dripped into her chest like acid on an open wound.

"Uh, yeah man, nice to meet you." Luke pulled his hand free, looking James up and down for a moment. Whatever he saw, clearly it wasn’t something that interested him. "Remind me," his smile was tight, but friendly, a little put off about being redirected so…directly, but not quite able to find offense in it. "Are you the one with the demonic sidekick?" He grinned, clearly joking.

"Vengeance spirit," the deeper voice corrected, rattling around his chest and slipping out of James’s lips like embers jumping out of a flame.

James chuckled, flashing an innocent enough smile. "He gets a little touchy." He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and rubbing his hands together nonchalantly. His gaze flicked to Aria’s briefly before looking back to Luke. "And you’re Cap’s boy, right?" he asked, pointing at him casually. "So, what does that make you? Like First Lieutenant?" While the question could have been a little passive aggressive, James’s face never shifted from genuine curiosity. It was just a simple question. He wasn’t familiar with how military rankings worked for superheroes after all.

Zaria was trying, very hard, to keep a level of composure. It almost cracked when Judge spoke up, her lips twitching, but James broke it in an instant. She coughed, covering a pointedly choked laugh, and stood up abruptly. "Excuse me," she said, voice perfectly polite, lips pressed firmly together to stop the smile that was threatening to break free, and she turned on her heel and marched into the women's bathroom. Across the room, Theo smothered a laugh as he caught the sound of her laughter in one of the stalls, knowing only a few of them would have been able to hear it, and one of them was Luke of all people.

For what it was worth, Luke laughed at the joke. His posture was loose and open, but a muscle in his jaw twitched, a minuscule tell about how he actually felt in regards to the other man’s question. "That’s right," his gaze turned, appraising as he looked James over once more, though it was clear he still wasn’t very impressed by the other man. "Lieutenant Colonel, if we’re being official. Still a rank beneath my father, but certainly better than First Lieutenant, and you? Did you… work for a circus or something, I can’t quite remember, it was bike tricks, right?" His tone was perfectly polite, an easy going smile still set on his face, eyes bright at the banter.

The longer James sat beside Luke the warmer his chest grew, and not the kind of warmth from when a cute girl touched his arm or batted her eyelashes at him, but the kind where the spirit grew restless, clawing at the walls of his cage. He shifted in his seat, feeling the steam billowing up his back beneath his shirt, but his smile never faltered. He even managed a small chuckle and lightly clapped his hands together. "True," he agreed with a nod. "Nepotism doesn’t always pan out the same for everyone." His hands ran along his thighs as he sat more upright. "Technically we call them stunts. Not as glamorous as Lieutenant Colonel but I hold over half of the world records for motorcycle stunts… On accident. Just kinda happened." He shrugged his shoulders, holding up his hands innocently with an unbothered downward tug of his lips.

Luke chuckled, smile never slipping even as he watched the steam rise up in the air. He stretched slowly, in a leisure way that reminded one of a cat, before pushing up to his feet. "What would you know of nepotism, Jamie?" There was an edge of something mocking in his tone as he glanced down at James, utterly relaxed. "Our records indicate that you’ve been disowned by your entire family, which puts a damper on your world record, I’d imagine." He glanced toward the bathroom doors, eyes sliding a little to the left until he caught sight of Veronica. "I guess I’ll have to get to know Aria later." He hummed, turning away from the other man and crossing the room without a glance back, only the slightest line of tension lining his shoulders gave away how much he disliked the conversation, but he sat down beside Ronnie with confidence and swagger.

Zaria emerged from the bathroom a few seconds later, glancing toward James, then at Luke and Ronnie, who seemed unbothered by the man's attention, and her shoulders relaxed some. She hesitated for a moment, before walking back to James and sitting with enough space for two between them. "Thank you." She whispered, just loud enough for James to hear, before tucking in on herself and facing one of the walls. She could feel Luke’s gaze from across the room, but resolutely looked at no one. She needed to make it up to James, that was the only thing Aria knew for certain.

James leaned back on the bench, letting his back rest against the wall as he let his fingers lace together in his lap. He didn’t say anything to Luke as he walked away, but kept up the false smile for a few more seconds even if the comment about his family made his blood run cold. He watched Aria return to her seat while leaving an ample amount of space between them. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was thankful or disappointed that she missed the pissing contest between him and Luke. He had a feeling that if she heard the comment about his family she might have gotten sassy, which wouldn’t have helped anything… Even if it would have made him feel better. His gaze drifted over to her from the corner of his eyes. While he was lost deep in thought, his expression was soft as he nodded his head toward her in acknowledgement before shifting his attention to a spot on the ground.

When the elevator next opened and Jules stepped out, she quickly made her way towards an open bench. She wore a simple black tracksuit, her medium-length hair tied up in a neat bun. Her face was blank, as she was accustomed to these sorts of functions. She did offer a small smile and wave to Zaria and Ronnie as she made her way to an empty seat closer to Ronnie.

The blonde had remained quiet and mostly observant. Ronnie watched as Aria practically recoiled at Myla and Theo as they walked by which made a small smirk nearly spread across her face. The lovebirds were being disgustingly wrapped up in one another, for the most part aside from some brief interaction with the rich brains. But nothing particularly caught her attention until she watched Luke attempt to flirt with Aria only to be intersected by the biker Jack? John? Ah, James. That’s right. Her brows rose curiously at the final jab before Cap junior made his way right over toward her and took a seat. She caught a quick glimpse of Jules, returning the woman’s wave with one of her own before turning her attention solely on Luke. She crossed her legs, resting an elbow on her knee and her chin in her palm as she studied him. "Rough morning, handsome?"

"It’s better now," Luke grinned lazily at Ronnie, leaning back some, before he offered his hand to her. "Lucian Rogers, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name, beautiful?" He seemed to rebound quickly enough, brushing off the more or less subtle rejection, and subsequent pissing match with James, in order to set his eyes on a better prospect…for the time being, Luke could be tenacious at best and bullheaded at worst. Of course, he remembered her name from yesterday, but it was only polite to do actual introductions before he tried to do something more fun, like invite her back to his room after the day's activities for extra training.

Ronnie pivoted where she sat, turning her body to face him with an impish grin. She slipped her hand into his and gave it a brief shake. "Veronica Hardy. Ronnie." She found it almost endearing the way he just flitted from one denial to pursue something else, although he lost points for not approaching her first. But if Luke was determined enough she could think of a couple ways he could make it up to her.

Instead of shaking her hand, he brought it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her knuckles, smirking ever so slightly before he pulled away and let go of her hand. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ronnie." Luke, more confident than usual in an attempt to save face after the rejection, very casually rested his arm on the back of where she sat, not close enough to touch but Ronnie would be able to feel the heat from his bicep as it brushed over her shoulder whenever she moved. "Are you ready for training?" He waggled his eyebrows at her playfully, clearly not quite taking it all as serious as some of the others.

While Luke might have been trying to be a little more respectable, Ronnie was not. The moment his arm rested across the back of her seat she leaned back casually so her bare shoulders brushed against the exposed skin of his arms. Her hands casually rested in her lap as she idly bounced her crossed leg. She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, why not? Can’t wait to see how completely incompatible we all are as teammates. It’ll be entertaining if nothing else."

"I wouldn’t say we’re all incompatible." Luke offered her a lopsided grin, his eyes sliding down her body before meeting her gaze once more, one of his fingers brushing a trail from her shoulder down her arm a little, enjoying how soft Ronnie’s skin was beneath his calloused hand. "In fact, I’d say you and I could work together quite well. Maybe we should put that to the test later, hm?"

"That depends," she whispered, slowly turning her head to face him with a confident, knowing smirk. "Do you plan on making it up to me for not coming to me first?" Ronnie blinked slowly, tilting her head down a fraction to look up at him from beneath her lashes. "Because I’m no one’s rebound or second choice." While her tone was flirty and light there was a faint sharp seriousness that hung on every syllable like a blade held to his throat, tempting him to say one wrong word.

Lucian titled his head to the side some, really taking in Veronica for the first time, eyes half-lidded. If he was being honest, he truly enjoyed a woman who could look him straight in the face and offer up a vague threat without even blinking, it did things to him that were a little too obvious in the sweatpants he’d chosen, so he crossed one leg over the other, shifting a little in his seat. "I can think of a few ways I could make it up to you," his smirk was verging on cocky, but it wasn’t without merit. "Haven’t you ever heard the expression save the best for last? Don’t worry sweetheart, I don’t do rebounds, and I don’t imagine you’d be any man’s second choice." Luke paused, licking his lips, before tilting his head up toward the ceiling. Was he only going to strike out here? What a drag. "Up to you, of course. I’m more than happy to work for my redemption, beautiful."

Ronnie’s gaze fell to unabashedly look at his growing problem as he crossed his legs. A pleased hum echoed behind her smirk. She reveled in it for a moment before letting her eyes slowly trailed back up his body with a soft sigh. "Good," she purred, a fiery dominance igniting behind her intense stare. "I’m sure we can work something out." Her hand fell to rest on his leg, the tips of her fingers slipping between his thighs, temptingly close.

Luke’s eyebrows rose, the slightest bit of color dusting his cheeks as Ronnie’s hand slid over his leg, and he cleared his throat, trying to mentally distract himself from the rising excitement he was feeling at how forward and domineering she was being. He took a moment to think about less pleasant things, like James’s face, and only spoke again when he felt he was a little more under his own control. "In that case," he sat up, uncrossing his legs so he could lean closer to Ronnie, his chest nearly flush with hers as he spoke against the cusp of her ear. "Why don’t you come to my room after training, we can go over our…options. I’m on floor 31."

She turned her head slightly, angling herself so her lips just barely brushed against the cusp of his ear as she spoke. "I don’t make house calls," Ronnie whispered, the warmth of her breath caressing his skin. "You will take me there yourself," she informed him, not open to bargaining.

Luke laughed, grinning at her. "Yes ma’am, whatever you say." He leaned back just enough to lean his face closer to hers, their lips just barely touching. Luke’s eyes lingered on her lips, hesitating for a moment, waiting to see what she would do. He wouldn’t try taking what he wanted, not quite yet, this was too much fun anyhow. "Whatever you want, I have a lot to make up for, afterall." Luke murmured.

Ronnie’s smile shifted into a devious smirk. "Good boy," she whispered, her lips brushing his lighter than a feather with each word.

Meanwhile, Myla shifted uncomfortably where she sat, tugging at the hem of her shirt then tucking her hair behind her ears. Anything to try and distract her from what she was hearing. Her face twisted in visible disgust, most of her discomfort stemming from the simple fact it was Ronnie. There was a fleeting moment where she wondered if that’s how she was with Theo. Her cheeks grew hot at the thought. She cleared her throat and tried to focus on something else, but in the silence of the room it felt like they were shouting and broadcasting it for everyone else. "Jesus," she muttered under her breath.

Theo grimaced, having tried desperately to block out and ignore the fact that Veronica was there, but he felt the same prickle of discomfort as everyone else, moving a smidge closer to Myla out of reflex. "She’s…different." he muttered, low and quiet so only Myla who was right beside him could hear. "This is weird."

"... Yeah," was all Myla said as she remained facing forward with a stoic, bordering on cold expression.

James, on the other hand, was less subtle. His head rested back against the wall, brows furrowed as he stared over at Ronnie and Luke from the corner of his eyes. He kept his mouth shut and his judgments to himself… Until they were practically kissing. "For fuck’s sake. Can you guys keep it in your pants until after training?"

Ronnie slowly pulled away from Luke, cocking her head to the side as she looked across the room toward the grumpy biker. "Just because you’re the only person in this tower not getting laid doesn’t mean you can take it out on me." She leaned forward slightly, dropping her voice like she was sharing a secret, even if everyone in the room could hear it. "Jealousy is an ugly trait." She smirked then leaned back in her seat against Luke’s arm, keeping his large frame conveniently blocking James from view.

Zaria’s head snapped toward Ronnie, brows furrowed and lips tugged into a frown as she looked at the woman reproachfully, but all she really saw was Luke who was smirking at her as if he’d known her reaction would be conflicted and therefore amusing. She didn’t know what to do, and it made her feel restless, Luke’s confidence made her angry, and the urge to speak up made her anxious. "Ronnie," Aria surprised herself, and she shifted in her seat uncomfortably as she felt multiple people look at her. The confidence she usually had seemed to deflate like a popped balloon, and she ducked her head some. "Please don’t talk to James like that." This was new, and one of the most uncomfortable social situations she’d been in thus far considering Zaria was unfamiliar with the whole friend thing. She just hoped that Ronnie wouldn’t take offense in the small request, she didn’t care what the other woman and Luke did, Ronnie had made it clear she was the sort to not commit and that was fine, but hearing her snap at James made Zaria tense. She curled in on herself further, tucking her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"Jesus Christ," James grumbled at the woman’s defensive response. He honestly didn’t give a shit about her jabs, even if they were true. It only made her look more like an asshole than him. He sighed, shook his head and rolled his eyes. James’s gaze drifted over to Aria when she spoke up in his defense. He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek while adjusting awkwardly in his seat. It wasn’t his goal to get her involved. He exhaled then found a place on the floor to stare at. He couldn’t begin to understand what the fuck she saw in that woman. Maybe Ronnie was different behind closed doors or maybe they didn’t talk much. Either way, he wasn’t going to lose sleep because he missed the opportunity to be friends with her or Luke. He wasn’t the only one who looked uncomfortable because of the whole exchange, he was just the one who decided to say something about it.

The quiet ding of the elevator was muted throughout the room behind James’s and Ronnie’s exchange. Imogen had slipped from beneath Magni’s hold but she kept his free hand gently clutched in her own. She took two steps forward then paused, picking up the tail end of the heated conversation. She flashed Magni a confused expression before leading them further into the room. Without a word, she led them toward one of the benches and took a seat beside June. Her expression showed her bewilderment but she didn’t ask.

June smiled brightly at Imogen and Magni, unnecessarily scooting just a little bit closer to Jim to make space for them. "Welcome to the shitshow," she offered Imogen her thoughts up on a figurative silver platter, rather than speak aloud. "Those two," her eyes flickered from James to Luke. "Had the closest thing to a dick measuring contest I’ve ever seen, and now Luke and Veronica are two seconds from giving us all a show." June made a face at that, wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue for full effect. To anyone else, she looked ridiculous, but trying to get Imogen to laugh lightened her own mood considerably.

"Oh great," Imogen muttered under her breath as she ran her bandaged hand along her thigh.

Before she could say anything else, the elevators slid open a final time as Phil, looking grumpy and annoyed, and Alfred, with a warm smile, joined the rest of them on the training floor. Both men made their way to the front of the room, facing everyone while standing before the large window.

"Good morning, everyone," Alfred beamed at everyone with his usual friendliness.

Phil, on the other hand, decided to get straight to business, as he often did. "Before we get started." He sighed uncomfortably like he’d rather jump into the simulation himself rather than say what he was about to say. "While we are all adults living under the same roof, I feel the need to remind everyone that public areas in the tower are under 24/7 surveillance. That includes the elevator." He exhaled deeply, looking a little scarred and very unamused. "I suggest keeping your sexual exploits contained to private quarters… Ms. Frost and Mr. Thorson."

Imogen curled her lips between her teeth as her cheeks quickly flushed. Her eyes went wide as she focused on a very interesting spot on the ground. Even slightly embarrassed there was also a faint, almost proud smile that tugged at the corner of her lips as she peeked over at June from the corner of her eyes. There was a long awkward silence like Phil was waiting on some sort of response or acknowledgement. She sighed softly and gave him a thumbs up. "Next time I’ll delete the footage," she replied with a soft laugh.

June was trying very, very, hard to not laugh, but the second she caught Imogen’s gaze from the corner of her eye she had to smother the snort of amusement, turning it into a cough that pulled at her side and made her wince. It felt a little like karma, so she slid down in her seat some and didn’t look at the blonde again. It felt a little bit like they were in high school getting lectured for something dumb, which was ridiculous considering they were grown ass adults, but it felt nice to know they could still find humor in the little things.

"Ms. Frost," Alfred chimed in, looking slightly like a disappointed parent.

She exhaled, looking away rather than feeling worse about herself after catching his tone. "Sorry, Phil. I will try to refrain from having sex in the elevator," Imogen’s voice was flat in the way a child’s would be when they were forced to apologize. She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and hoped that was sufficient enough to move the conversation to literally anything else.

"Huh, there’s an idea." June muttered to herself, not having considered places like the elevator. Shame Phil was so vigilant with the security cameras. That couldn’t have been comfortable though…right?

"You’d be surprised," Imogen whispered with a guilty smile.

June couldn’t help it, she actually laughed, raising a hand to smother the noise, throwing a guilty look toward Phil and Alfred and trying very hard to look as innocent as possible.

"Ladies," Phil called out, somehow managing to look more annoyed than he sounded.

"Sorry, sorry," June raised both her hands in mock surrender, grinning at the older man in a way that suggested she wasn’t actually sorry in the slightest. "We’ll behave."

"Sorry," Imogen spoke in sync with June and crossed her heart for extra measure.

Jim shot his sister a dirty look while shifting away from June on the bench an inch. His thoughts mostly consisted of self lobotomization and deep cleaning of every surface in the tower. He briefly glanced at June between them, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Alright then. Back to the matter at hand," Phil sighed and pulled out the same clipboard he wielded relentlessly ten years ago when the academy was still in full swing. "For anyone unaware, three of you have been attacked recently: Tobias, June, and Myla. That is a fourth of this team. June and Tobias were lucky because they were not the intended targets. While the circumstances behind the forming of this team are severe, things are far more dire given that two of these attacks happened just last night, catching both June and Myla when they were isolated and away from the academy." He pinned the clipboard to his chest as he crossed his arms. "Because of this we felt the need to expedite training and focus on preparing you for the likelihood of being attacked. Alfred and I also feel the need to implement a new rule moving forward. No one leaves the tower alone. The only reason Myla is still with us is because of Theo’s proximity and intervention. There is safety in numbers and we should exercise that extensively."

Phil scanned the room, making eye contact with each and everyone of them as if to drive the point home or coax out any arguments and get them over with. When no one said anything, he nodded his head and checked his papers to put himself back on track. "Before getting to training we feel it is prudent for Tobias, June, Myla, and Theo to recount their experiences and share anything that they feel is important for everyone else to know." He turned his attention toward Tobias who sat closest to the front, stoic and silent enough that he went unnoticed by most of the others. "Would you mind starting?" he asked with the faintest traces of sympathy lacing his words.

Tobias looked up with furrowed brows and a slightly uncomfortable expression. He ran his hands along his shorts with a sigh. "Yeah sure." He looked back and forth between Phil and Alfred. "I don’t have to stand up, do I?" he muttered quietly. The thought of standing up in front of everyone like giving a speech already setting his nerves on edge.

"No. Just make sure to speak loud enough," Alfred reassured him with a gentle pat to the shoulder.

"Um, alright." Tobias sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Two weeks ago I was in an Italian hostel with my niece, Helena. We had been following leads about my sister and brother, and any other heroes that went missing across Europe." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and cupping his hands together. His gaze traced the outlines of tattoos along his fingers while he spoke as a way to ground himself and keep his emotions locked away. "We were attacked in the night while we slept. They put this…" He motioned at his neck. "Collar thing on me that blocked my powers. I don’t remember how many men there were. I killed a handful before they were able to shoot me and get me on the ground. Some of them took Helena away and sedated her." He sighed, rubbing his palms together. "I managed to get one of their guns—plastic or carbon fiber, I’m not sure—I killed all but one. Kept him alive for over two days. Tortured him. But I got nothing useful. Just that they were under strict orders not to kill or apprehend me because of Magneto."

Tobias clicked his tongue and looked up at the ceiling like he was trying to remember anything else useful. "None of them had any metal on them. So they knew I was with Helena. I didn’t keep the collar… I should have. But there were magic runes along the inside. I think that’s how it worked, but I don’t know anything about magic." He shrugged his shoulders and clapped his hands together. "That’s about it."

"Thank you, Tobias." Alfred spoke softly with sympathy as he gave him another gentle pat to the arm.

Phil’s attention scanned the room until it fell on Myla and Theo. "And what about you? Myla? Theo?"

Myla sighed softly as she tried to figure out what to say or where to start. "They caught me off guard—seems to be the common denominator." She rubbed her neck, not really wanting to relive it so soon but she agreed it was useful information for everyone to have. "They uh… Got close to me through an old coworker. Had been watching me for about a year, I’d imagine." Rohypnol echoed through her mind, sending a chill down her spine as she recalled the sinister tone of his voice and the quiet pop of the silenced gun. "There were eleven or twelve of them. I don’t quite remember. I killed four. They didn’t really do anything particularly special for me, but I don’t really have powers and I’m not much of a threat."

She cycled through the events: killing Roger, unloading the gun down the hall, gutting someone with her batons, getting stabbed, throwing a guy out the window… "After the fourth guy, one of them pulled out some device." Her head twinged to the side as the phantom memory was still as sharp as a knife stabbing at her brain. "I don’t know what it was but it played a high pitched frequency that regular people can’t hear. It incapacitated me until Theo showed up." Myla shrugged her shoulders, sinking into her seat a bit. "That’s it."

"I uh," he glanced at Phil, looking a little embarrassed to be speaking in front of so many people. He squeezed Myla’s hand, reassuring her and himself. "I was feeling a little paranoid before we split up, so Myla and I decided to use one of the trackers I’ve developed…just in case." His gaze caught June across the room, noting how the woman sat up some at that and looked almost scarily interested in what he was saying. "It has an audio device in it, and a one time use defense mechanism that’s the only reason I knew something was wrong. I got there, took care of what was left, and…yeah, that’s it." He shrugged, a little self conscious. "One slipped away, he was the lookout, I heard him talking on the phone before I went up." Theodore left out how angry he’d been, at the goons, at himself, and he didn’t mention how each and every one of them met a swift and bloody end. None of that was important to training, or to the team as a whole. No one needed to know that Theo’s temper began and ended with a single reason.

"And that just leaves June," Phil found her sandwiched between Jim and Imogen and gave her a small nod.

She shifted uncomfortably, lips pressed firmly together for a long moment as she contemplated how to explain it all. She glanced first at Imogen, and then at Jim, before fixing her gaze on Alfred. It was the familiar expression of open understanding in his gaze that gave her the strength to find her words. "It started before I even realized what was happening, I was on the phone and my emotions started to…slip, I don’t really know how to describe it. I felt like someone was reaching into my chest, wrapping their fist around my emotions, and twisting them." One of her hands absentmindedly rubbed at her collarbone, a grimace flashing across her face, but her tone was steady as she continued. "There was a small chase, he shot out the back window," she threw an apologetic glance toward Phil. "I wasn’t his target, Phil was. They must have pulled public records and tracked his plate, because he was surprised when it was me but…" June let out a small breath, clenching her teeth together for a moment.

"Look, I don’t know, they must have mutants working with them because he fucked with my emotions, I didn’t have any control over how I felt, it was still me and my body, but it was like my autonomy was stripped away." June looked at the ground, swallowing hard. It was more than the fact that she’d tortured him, it was having her choices, her clarity, stolen from her. She felt violated, like she could still feel the phantom fingers of that man’s touch inside of her chest. "I think he was trying to pull the most vulnerable emotions to the forefront of my mind, that’s the only logic I can find behind it. For most people, that’s probably fear, or confusion, especially after being shot, it would be easier for him to subdue someone that way, but for me…"

June chuckled, a hollow sound that felt foreign to her. "There’s not much to share from there," The memory was so fresh for her, how her hands had been steady as she twisted his head, his blood hot and sticky between her fingers as she shoved his face beneath the disgusting water of the rain puddle. The ugly, hungry, pervasive pleasure she’d taken in hearing him beg, in knowing that his life would end at her hands, made her feel sick. A memory of her dad rose up, unbidden, resting his hand on her shoulder, telling her ’We don’t kill, we have to ensure that the cycle of violence is not perpetuated.’ and June knew she had to come to terms with what she’d done sooner rather than later, or it would unmake her. "I killed him, whatever power he had died with him." She crossed her arms across her chest, clearly not up for sharing anymore information.

Jim lifted his arm up to finally loop it around June’s shoulders, rubbing her arm with his right hand. He scanned her expression carefully, entirely out of his depth. His eyes flashed to Imogen on the opposite side of her, hoping for some assistance or understanding. This was the first he had heard of any of this. Somehow, in all the hours they had spent together, she had failed to mention any actual details of what happened. He wasn’t exactly sure how to comfort someone when they stubbed their toe, let alone when their mind was messed with and they committed murder in self-defense. Maybe he never asked, or never asked the right way, though some part of him thought that she wouldn’t have told him even if he did. So, he gently stroked the side of her arm as he said the only thing that could come to his mind. "I… don’t think Phil has emotions, so kind of a dumb move on their part."

June leaned into Jim, a little surprised but happy for the support. She had very intentionally not brought it up to him this morning, not because she wanted to hide it…well, the weakest part of her did, but she knew better. His support meant more to her than hiding did, and now she didn’t have to wonder…she glanced at Imogen, offering a smile that looked perfectly natural, and lied like the woman beside her couldn’t read her mind. "I’m okay," her hand patted Jim’s thigh, letting her hand stay there, and she threw him a thankful smile at the joke. "I’ll be okay." And she very pointedly did not look at Imogen again. Let me have this. She let out a small breath, and turned toward Phil. "Maybe he hoped to bring out more of your stunning personality." June smirked at the man, who rolled his eyes at her.

The entire time they all recounted their experiences, Phil’s pen furiously scribbled notes of anything and everything he found worth taking note. When he finished writing, he slowly looked up with a slight smile that almost bordered on sympathy. "Thank you for sharing your experiences. It does seem to be a common denominator that they try to exploit weaknesses and isolation." His gaze shifted between the three of them. "How many of you are injured?"

Myla, June and Tobias raised their hands slightly, all of them looking reluctant to admit it but they couldn’t really deny it when the evidence was plain to see. While Imogen sat toward the back of the room, her gaze briefly fell to the bandage on her hand. It was nothing serious, just—

"I see that, Ms. Frost."

"What the fuck? Does he have eyes everywhere?" Imogen muttered under her breath. "It’s just a burn. I’m fine." she spoke up loud enough for him to hear.

June, who had already gotten into enough trouble for one day, pressed her lips firmly together and did not laugh…aloud, she was quite loud with her humor in her mind.

"While I know none of you will listen to me, I feel the need to recommend that the four of you sit out of training to give yourself a chance to heal… properly."

"They won’t wait until we’re healed. If anything it gives them another reason to come after us because they know June and I were nearly killed." Myla turned her head toward Theo slightly, her face apologetic for making him worry but resolute in her decision. "I’d rather fight through the pain than sit around and wait," she spoke with a calm determination. If Theo couldn’t convince her to sit out of training with very persuasive means, there was no way Phil was going to be able to.

"Myla is right," she glanced toward the other woman, and then toward Phil and Alfred. There was nothing but resolution in her gaze, an expression that had been reflected in the eyes of her father and brother under differing circumstances before. "They will exploit every weakness they can find, and we’ll have to fight regardless of our condition." June caught Alfred’s eyes, and she leaned forward so the older man would look at her directly. He seemed horribly sad, though he hid it well. She knew him better than she knew anyone else in this room though, Alfred was her family, and she understood why, so she chose her next words carefully, voice soft. "Why do we fall?"

Alfred smiled gently at her, and dipped his head once in agreement. "Very well, Ms. Wayne." He sighed, and the last bit of tension June had been holding onto evaporated.

"As I thought," Phil sighed and nodded his head. "Well, because of these recent attacks it made the most sense to center today’s training around such attacks. You will all be randomly paired off, then one at a time sent into the simulation room." He pointed to the window behind him which showed a large and fairly unremarkable concrete room. "It is pretty simple. Your goal is for you and your partner to survive. The simulations have been structured to exploit any weaknesses or vulnerabilities you all possess to mimic these attacks. Which is also why we asked for you all to arrive unencumbered."

Phil’s gaze drifted around the room until it landed on the hammer in Magni’s hand. "You will be expected to leave Mjolnir behind when it is your turn to train, Mr. Thorson."

Magni nodded, tossing the hammer in the air before setting it down on the ground. "I do not believe our adversaries could disarm me, but I will oblige."

After clearing his throat, Phil continued. "For those of you unfamiliar with the Academy and how training works here, it is fairly straightforward." He stepped to the side so everyone could see through the window as she spoke. "This room is the most advanced virtual reality available. While you are within a simulation everything will look and feel real. If you are injured, you will feel that pain." Phil held up his hand to silence any arguments before they could be spoken. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny dart with a blinking blue light. He held it up for everyone to see. "These are sensory darts. They do not penetrate the skin and are harmless. They stimulate your nerve endings, tricking your mind into thinking you are feeling pain. When the simulation is over they will remove themselves. However during the training they are like ticks. You can remove them but it’ll do more harm than help, injure you, and cost about one hundred thousand dollars a dart," he concluded and slipped the small device back into his pocket.

"The simulation does have emergency protocols to shut down if anyone is injured, doing something dangerous, or someone says the shut down word. Any death blows: gun to the head, knife to the throat, thrown off a building, etc." Phil waved his hand generally. "Will end the training and result in a failure." He rapped his fingers along the back of his clipboard before continuing. "When it is your turn, you and your partner will enter through that door and go stand on the large X in the middle of the room. Once given the all clear, the simulation will begin."

Phil double checked his notes to see if he missed anything before looking around the room. "Does anyone have any questions?"

June chanced a glance around the room, taking in the varying expressions of her new teammates. Zaria seemed uncertain, but Luke was grinning like someone had just handed him a whole bottle of bourbon and told him the entire thing was for him. The emotions seemed to swing widely amongst the group, but one thing seemed the same for the majority. There was a glint of determination in almost everyone’s eyes, and she could respect that.

"Very well then." He flipped to a new page as he spoke. "The pairings are as follows: Tobias and Zaria, June and Magni, Judith and Jameson, Imogen and Luke, Jim and Myla, and Theodore and Veronica." Phil moved over to the control panel that stuck out from the side of the wall beside the door. He spent a couple minutes clicking away at buttons and prepping the first simulation before calling forward the first group. "Tobias and Zaria, please." He motioned toward the door.



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Tobias wasn’t entirely sure if he was happy to rip the bandaid off and go first, or if he would have preferred to disappear somewhere in the middle. It was like riding a bike, he tried telling himself as he pushed off bent knees and stood up. Just like riding a bike with a bullet hole in his shoulder. No big deal. He sighed softly and crossed the room. He opened the door and stood to the side, letting the blonde through before him with a faint smile.

Zaria offered Tobias a small smile as he opened the door for her, stepping into the room and then pausing, her face going a little slack as her eyebrows raised. She remembered herself after a few seconds, moving at a steady pace toward the large yellow X painted onto the floor with a slight frown. "We are fighting in the concrete box?" She glanced at Tobias, clearly confused and a little subdued. She looked around slowly, eyes lingering on the glass window, head tilting to the side some. "I am a little confused." Aria admitted, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously. Her mind was still half on cycling through ideas of what she could do, if anything, to try and make up for her blunder to James.

"It won’t look like a concrete box in a minute," Tobias replied as he moved to stand beside her on the X. He pointed around the room at the various different camera projector looking devices. "I’m not entirely sure how all of it works, but it feels very real once it starts." It probably wasn’t the most reassuring thing he could have said, but he thought it was important for Aria to be prepared for whatever was about to be thrown at them.

"Thumbs up when you’re both ready," Phil’s voice echoed throughout the large room from a hidden speaker.

Tobias held up his left thumb and looked over at the blonde. "It’ll be ok. I promise." He spoke softly with a calmness of familiarity. "This’ll be the safest fight you’ve ever been in," he offered with a timid smile.

She smiled in return, raising a thumb, feeling emboldened by Tobias’s kindness.

"Emergency shut down word is ‘watermelon’. Simulation will begin in 3… 2… 1."

Like chalk washed away in the rain, the large concrete room and one way mirror melted away. The air grew dry and hot as the temperature increased to what had to be over one hundred degrees. Their surroundings were replaced with the red orange expanse of a desert in every direction. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky as the sun was brutal and unrelenting, beating down on them. As far as Tobias could see there wasn’t a single rock or building for shelter, just the occasional cactus and tumble weed.

"This sucks." Tobias sighed, squinted, and furrowed his brows. He pulled his hood over his head in an attempt to keep some of the bright sunlight out of his eyes. As his gaze settled, tension rose in his chest as scanned the horizon around them. "Where are—"

Bang.

A bullet ripped through the air and slammed into Tobias’s left thigh. The impact knocked him to the ground with a pained grunt. He held his leg, staring down at the blinking blue light of the small sensor dart. Fuck, he forgot how bad it hurt. The temptation to rip it off was strong, but he already knew that he’d only injure himself if he tried taking it off before the end of the simulation. He looked around trying to find the source of the shot. At first there was nothing. Then, almost like materializing out of thin air, dozens of men were prone along the desert floor, camouflaged with their guns trained on them.

Tobias knew it wasn’t going to work, but he tried anyway. He held out his hand and tried to pry the firearms from their hands but they didn’t budge. No metal. He wasn’t sure how Phil had arranged the training, but if it was like his other attack he wasn’t the target. They’d try to subdue him while focusing their attention on Aria. He looked between the partially hidden mercenaries then back to the blonde beside him, noticing the red dots of their laser sights speckling her white shirt. His gaze fell to the metal of her jewelry and the button of her jeans. He pushed his hand toward Aria, focusing on any metal on her body and shoved her several feet away just as the shots whistled through the air between them.

Zaria let out a vulgar sounding curse that wasn’t in English, scrambling in the sand for a moment as her senses reoriented after she was essentially ragdolled out of the way. Instinct took over, and a familiar wave of calm washed over her mind and allowed her to think with a firm sense of clarity. Her father had been adamant that his children could hold their own in a fight, and her training growing up had been nothing to scoff at. She kicked her shoes off, rolling in the sand, jerking one hand up, and focusing as she twisted her wrist. She wasn’t half naked in a gas station, this time, she was ready.

A half translucent green barrier snapped into existence in front of Tobias, a bullet bouncing off of its surface, while a similar barrier formed at her back, wrapping her from head to toe and protecting her vulnerable side as she popped up, bolting towards the mercenary that was between her and Tobias, keeping her body low to the ground as she ran. A bang sounded, another gun firing, and it was only luck that had her shifting the shield, making the bullet ricochet off of its surface rather than hitting her arm, just as she jumped onto her first target.

A plan was half forming as her drove her fist into the man's head, a surge of energy that was just as green as her force fields surrounded her arm, leaving a shimmering trail behind the movement of her arm, and as it impacted with the man she’d caught off guard, the sand cratered beneath them, a cloud of dust kicking up and obscuring Aria from view for a moment. She skidded across the hot sand, hands digging into it as she came to a stop beside Tobias, breathing a little harder as she raised both hands and the force fields shifted into a small dome that covered them both for a moment.

"Is your leg okay?" Sweat trailed from the side of her face, leaving her uncomfortable and sticky as the sand clung everywhere it could. A few bangs sounded from outside their shield, but they bounced off harmlessly, even if Aria winced each time one impacted.

Tobias was honestly surprised at how fast Aria went into action. He wasn’t entirely sure what he expected, but someone who could hold their own in a fight was not it. He should have known better than to underestimate the daughter of Doctor Doom. There was more than one similarity when it came to their lives, so it shouldn’t have been difficult to assume she was molded into a killing machine like himself. He sucked in a sharp breath as he bottled his pain and tossed it to the farthest recesses of his mind. "Fine. Forgot how much that hurts."

It wasn’t until he was standing that Tobias noticed the translucent green dome Aria was holding up. His mind quickly ran through a roulette of possibilities of attack, but half were useless when had little to no metal at his disposal. "Keep that up," he instructed her before he hooked his leg around hers as an anchor. He closed his eyes and pressed the tips of his fingers into the dirt. His muscles tensed as an invisible sphere pushed out from around him, surrounding them in a bubble of zero-g. Tobias focused on controlling his breathing, grounding himself and tightening his hold on Aria as he felt her start to lift from the ground.

He watched as various mercenaries charged them. The second they stepped into the anti gravity field, their next step sent them floating into the air. The few that were stupid enough to try and shoot were launched backwards with the kick of their guns. They spun through the air until they were out of range and crashed down with a sickening crunch. Tobias kept one hand firmly in place on the ground while his other palm ran along the dirt feeling for any faint traces of metal and pulling every tiny speck across the desert floor toward him.

Zaria’s shield flickered only once out of sheer surprise, a strange sort of yelp escaping her throat as her body began to lift from the ground, but then she focused, pushing the shield out a little further, giving them more space to work with, squeezing her eyes shut so she could refine it properly. She triple checked it for weaknesses, made sure the surface was in a perfect circle around them, unyielding to any force that may challenge it. It wasn’t hard to do, but it took up a lot of her focus, so Aria had to rely on Tobias until she felt that the shield was good enough.

"Do we have a plan? Can you use this?" She paused, closing one of her hands into a tight fist, before letting her other flutter down to her necklace. The tiny little dagger at the end of one of her chains wasn’t just for decoration, it could be used as a weapon in a pinch, which is exactly why she wore it. "I’d offer the metal in my jeans, but I like having pants." She grinned, trying to lighten the tension just a little.

Tobias kept his eyes closed and mind focused as he pulled tiny pieces of metal in the earth toward him. "Find a way to get close enough to them so I can—" His hand froze and eyes snapped open at her offer. He looked over and saw the small dagger that hung around her neck. There was a brief moment where he was surprised he didn’t notice it, but considering what she was wearing, he pointedly kept his gaze anywhere else until that moment. "Don’t worry. Your jeans are safe." With one hand still firmly rooted in the ground, keeping them surrounded in zero-g, he took the dagger in his available palm. It only took a slight nod of his head and he was able to mentally open the clasp of Aria’s necklace, slip the weapon pendant free, then close the chain so it remained around her neck.

His eyes darted around trying to take a quick count of how many surrounded them. With Aria’s shield he could kill them all in less than a minute with her small gift. And while that was the easy answer, it wouldn’t help anyone, especially not her, if he ended it quicker than it began without giving her a chance to stretch her legs. If it was an actual attack he wouldn’t hesitate, but it wasn’t. Tobias was quickly learning that he needed to keep something metal on him at all times, even if it was just a bracelet. But he came into training unencumbered, as requested, so he was going to try his best to keep himself weakened for the sake of learning and adapting.

"Plan B," he nodded toward Aria while slipping the small dagger into his pocket. Tobias nodded his head toward one of the men who was running toward them. "When he goes up in the air I’m dropping zero-g and charging him." It wasn’t much of a plan, but it’d give him a couple seconds to close the distance and get his gun… Hopefully. Then he’d improvise.

Zaria nodded once, sucking in a breath and holding it. She focused, gathering energy to the soles of her feet, waiting for the moment the man went into the air, and then the zero-g dropped, and when Tobias moved she used the collected energy to launch herself high into the air. The dome around them snapped out of existence, but a different shield formed behind him, protecting his back. The sight of her clearing fifteen feet into the air distracted most of the gunmen enough to give Tobias an opening, guns training on her, and she shifted the placement of force fields a second before the first gun went off, blocking the dart that would have hit her chest as gravity returned and she began a swift decent back to the ground.

She clenched her teeth, bending her knees as she fell, and refocused the force field five feet from the ground, landing on it and rolling off before she could get shot, hitting the sand hard and popping up without a second's hesitation. The green shimmer formed around her fist, and when her hit connected to the nearest goon he went flying away. Zaria grinned, but the expression flattered as a gun rang out and pain burst along her side. She dropped to the ground with a yelp of pain, scrambling to the side as another dart slammed into the ground near her head, sending the grit of it into her eyes. Panic rose up inside of her, and she lifted her hand on instinct, eyes connecting with the gaze of the man who was pointing his gun at her.

It happened so quickly nothing but pure adrenaline guided her, the force field formed back into existence, wrapping in a tight ball around the man. Aria squeezed her hand into a fist, the green walls closing in around him smaller and smaller, until his body popped in a mess of gore, contained by the translucent green walls until she dropped them. She grimaced, turning away from the sight and trying not to heave up her breakfast.

Tobias pushed off the ground, ignoring the surge of pain in his leg as he sprinted at the man in free fall. The mercenary hit the ground with a heavy thud and the snap of his spine. Tobias skidded to the ground, sliding up beside the dead man and stole his gun. Bang. Bang. Bang. Three of the closest men collapsed before he heard Aria’s cry of pain. He rolled to the side, dodging incoming shots as they flew past him. He looked up just in time to see a man get squeezed and popped like a tube of toothpaste while the blonde laid on the ground holding her side. He quickly unloaded the clip, knocking down seven more men that approached her. They weren’t all kill shots, but they fell to the ground.

Focused on protecting her, Tobias didn’t hear the goon approaching him from behind. A flash of deja vu flooded his mind as he felt the cold collar press into the back of his neck. Before it could snap shut, he threw his head back into the groin of the man behind him. His left hand waved in front of his pocket, pulling the tiny dagger from beneath the fabric. With a flick of his finger it flew through the air, cutting into the attacker’s ear, burrowing through his brain and then popped out the other side. "So much for plan B," he grumbled before sending the small necklace pendant soaring through the air toward the mercenaries behind him, whipping, cutting and slashing through each and every one of them until they lied motionless on the desert floor.

"Sorry," Aria pushed herself up, glancing around wearily and taking note of all the fallen enemies. The simulation didn’t drain away though, they were still under the scorching sun with sand in more places than she’d ever wanted. It wasn’t over, was it? She squinted in the brightness, searching for something, not sure what it was, until she saw the glint in the distance. Her breath caught, and her body moved on its own, shoving off of the sand and jerking in front of Tobias without even thinking. The sniper took the shot, and the dart dug into her thigh. "Te ia mama dracu," the words hissed from her lips, accent thick, and while one part of Zaria hoped no one else knew Romanian, she focused on slapping her hands together. The force field manifested above and below the sniper, smooshing him down like a pancake.

Tobias made his way toward her, looking around cautiously. Then there was a shot and she dove in front of him. Reflexively, he reached out, grabbing Aria by the waist and stablizing her before she could fall over. He grimaced watching the sniper flattened far off in the distance. And then he waited… But the simulation persisted. "What are we missing?" He asked as his hands slowly released her once she could stand on her own. Remaining at the ready, the tiny dagger hovered in the air over his right palm, spinning slowly while he subtly moved his fingers. As if on cue there was a quiet groan from behind them as one of the men laying on the ground writhed. Tobias flicked his fingers, sending the metal pendant zipping through the air and slit the man’s throat in less than a second.

The desert started melting away, the bright sky was replaced with dull grey concrete. The blue blinking lights of the darts shut off before they fell to the ground. Whatever pain had been radiating through Tobias’s leg ceased immediately. The small dagger fell into the palm of his hand, coating his skin in the slick fake blood. Using the hem of his shirt, he cleaned the pendant off as best as he could before using his abilities to unclasp Aria’s necklace, slip the charm back onto the chain and latch it shut. "Thanks," he spoke quietly, looking over at her with a slight smile.

"No problem, I–" her hand had rose up to wipe away from of the sweat still on her brow, disgusted to realize she was drenched and in desperate need for another shower, before a strange and fleeting idea crossed her mind. Her mouth fell open to form a perfect O, eyes lighting up. "Poptarts!" Her hands clapped together sharply, a look of pure and utter excitement crossing her face, before she schooled her expression and offered a rueful grin to Tobias. "Sorry, good to work with you, we don’t make a bad team in a pinch." She gave him a small salute, turning toward the door.

His brows rose and a soft chuckle slipped from his lips at Aria’s random exclamation but he didn’t ask. Tobias nodded his head with a lopsided smile at her new found excitement and salute. "Back at you." He slipped his hands into the pockets of his shorts as he followed after her. Once again, he held open the door for her then trailed behind her as they exited the simulation room.

"Well done," Phil praised them with a small nod before turning his attention back toward the control panel.

Tobias returned the nod with a tight lipped smile as he made his way back to his seat without a word. While he didn’t love going first, he could rest assured knowing that at least him and Aria passed. It wasn’t without some minor setbacks, but a win was a win. He did learn a couple things from their training. One, that there was a lot more to Aria than what meets the eye and that he needed to invest in a metal bracelet or necklace… Something to have on himself in case he’s ever in a bind.



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"June, Magni." Phil gestured for them to go ahead, and she pushed out of her seat after giving Jim’s hand a small squeeze. Her mind was whirling after watching Tobias and Zaria’s training, trying to come up with team formations for fights with their weaknesses and strengths in mind, contingency plans…

Juniper stepped into the area ahead of Magni, feeling jittery and nervous as she paused to hold the door open for him, taking a slow breath to try and clear her mind. She’d never gotten to attend the academy, but Thomas had. She found herself hesitating on the edge of the large yellow X, eyes lingering on the concrete walls that surrounded them. He had fought in this room, trained alongside people like Magni, and…it all felt like June was chasing his shadow, like they were kids again playing tag but she could never quite catch up to him, always reaching out, but never close enough to touch.

"This room looks like a war crime." She muttered, stepping into the yellow and keeping her stance loose. The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end, goosebumps rising across her exposed arms and midriff, she didn’t exactly know what to expect here, but she had a vague idea. "Did you…use this a lot, when you attend the Academy?" She glanced toward Magni, feeling a little off kilter.

If she were being honest, June hadn’t expected to be paired up with the mammoth of a man, she’d hoped for Jim or Imogen, someone she trusted inexplicitly, but she supposed, all things considered, this wasn’t bad either. He’d been kind this morning, and understanding, not judging her openly while she’d cried and spiraled. She still felt inadequate standing beside him though, her injury on display for everyone watching, and it made her feel like she needed to compensate more. June raised her hands, clenching her jaw as she ignored the pain in her side, tying her hair back to keep it out of her face. However long this took, it would be hell for her, but she’d trained for this, and she could ignore the pain for as long as she needed to.

The resolve was visible on her face and in the way she widened her stance, tensing but confident as she prepared.

Magni was not the most observant man, but he knew the ways men would attempt to hide their nerves before battle. His current comrade seemed the type to put on a brave face, which was honorable. His eyes fell on the wound at her side, and noticed her clenched jaw out of the corner of his vision. He rotated his left arm while holding his shoulder with his right, stretching out his tense muscles. Her question was simple, and one he could answer easily. "Aye… We spent a great many days training here." His eyes scanned the walls, a small smile creeping at the corner of his lips. "Broke it in my first year… ‘Twas decided that I would be banned from using Mjolnir within these chambers since." He switched to stretching out his right arm and shoulder.

"That’s what the hammer is called? Mjolnir?" June tried to pronounce it correctly, but when she said it opposed to how Magni had said it, she sounded as if she was saying MeowMeow. "Mjolnir? No…Mjolnir?" She paused, frowning at the yellow paint as the name rolled clumsily off her lips, it sounded like a bad cat impression, and her cheeks flushed a little in embarrassment.

"Thou wilt do fine, Lady Wayne, so long as thou does not strain thyself greatly." He did not look at June, instead shifting his gaze up towards the window. He locked eyes with Imogen, flashing a toothy grin. "Thy goal is to avoid capture and to not wound thyself further. There will be time to demonstrate thy skills fully when at full strength." He pumped his arms back and forth to finish stretching them out while pacing around June in a circle, the tone of his voice firm. "Are thy wits sharp?"

She blinked up at Magni, not having expected the question. She offered a half smile, rolling her shoulders back some and testing how much give and pull she had with her side before it started to pull at the stitches, mentally categorizing the moves she knew couldn’t be performed and which once would be safe. "I like to think so," she said, shifting a little from foot to foot. "I’ll have to rely on you for a bulk of the fighting because of my side, sorry in advance." It was clear from the tightness in her jaw that June didn’t like having to admit to a weakness like this, being restricted without her gear, and half of her fighting style, frayed at her nerves, but with great effort she allowed the tension to bleed from her shoulders.

"Thumbs up when you’re both ready," Phil’s voice echoed from a hidden speaker.

June raised a thumb, eyes sliding to the window to find Jim.

Magni finally stood on the X next to June, standing up to his full height as he raised a thumb into the air. "Stay behind me, and thou wilt be fine. Guide my movements as thou can."

"Emergency shut down word is ‘watermelon’. Simulation will begin in 3… 2… 1."

Around them, the concrete walls shimmered like a mirage, and then their environment snapped to something so mundane it was genuinely surprising. June blinked down at the familiar marble flooring of the lobby, eyebrows climbing up. "Our worst case scenario is being in the tower?" Her lips twitched, but there was no actual humor in her tone. The idea that they could be attacked here of all places was a very real one, but it stole the last bit of security she’d deluded herself into having. "Yeah, it makes sense." June muttered, glancing around nervously.

"How does this usually—" Her question was cut off as the glass to the front door shattered, a sharp bang cutting through the air, and something slammed into her shoulder. She crumpled to the ground, turning it into a hasty roll as phantom pain raced across the injury. More shots rang out, and soon the entire lobby was blanketed in broken glass, men in all black, full military grab running into the lobby, guns raised.

Magni’s wide smile never faltered as he felt the first impact against his skin. He felt June duck and roll behind him, but he hardly flinched from the stings. The pain was minimal and he simply let the shots come his way. They cut and tore small pricks through his shirt, but most of the barbs were simply crushed and fell to the ground before him. He took in a breath, his head shifting back to look towards June. The smile remained, as bright as ever, but something in his eyes shifted. He was happy, delighted even, but the joy was replaced with a euphoric lust for destruction.

This was, in no way, his nightmare.

Magni’s movements were quick, as he had spent those first precious moments surveying his surroundings. It took him only one step to be within arms reach of a love-seat, which he effortlessly slid along the marbled floor behind him to provide June with some semblance of cover. More shots, more stings, but nothing as painful as the searing blaze of Musphelheim. Another two steps, and Magni had positioned himself in front of a couch, crouching down slightly. A hand hooked under the bottom of it, and a levered thrust both up and forwards sent the furniture rocketing towards a pocket of men on the left-side of the lobby. It moved with the speed and accuracy of a truck, crashing into the soldiers with a sickening crack. The next moment, Magni had grabbed two other men by the necks and smashed their heads together. The visible dents in the helmets and suddenly limp forms made it clear they were gone. He tossed the useless forms behind him in June’s direction, figuring she would have more need of whatever was on their person than he would. The brief look he shot back in June’s direction revealed that the same smile was plastered on his face, and he was only getting started.

So, two things Juniper learned from Magni’s bright and cheerful grin as he was shot repeatedly…one, Asgardian’s were on a whole other level, because what the fuck. Two, he was a little insane, but actually it was pretty cool. Just the pure enthusiasm he exuded as the shots rang out startled a laugh from her, his smile contagious to the point where she couldn’t stop her own little grin from breaking free. Suddenly, the anxiety and tension from her drained, the pain in her shoulder and side dimming enough that she could push it aside, his confidence gave her enough energy to remember this was just a simulation. It was an awful one, because it was a worse case scenario, and she knew that the amount of enemies were…her smile dimmed just a smidge, because this was probably something her dad and Thomas had both faced, but Magni’s enthusiasm made it so much easier to not focus on the darker thoughts.

She crouched behind the love-seat, peaking out from the edge of it to take count of their approaching enemies. Not counting the ones Magni had already downed, there were thirty-six and more approaching from outside. That was fine, but she needed something if she was going to be of any use here— two dull thuds impacted the wall behind her, bodies falling in a jumbled pile beside her, and when June’s eyes met Magni’s her grin had broadened into something that was just as bright as his own. She twisted around, ripping free the guns that were strapped around each man's thigh, eyeing them appraisingly for a second. "Glock 45, gen 5 model known for its ability to use both Glock 19 and Glock 17 slides…" her grin widened further, bordering on something a little feral, and she slid down onto her stomach, ignoring the pinch in her side, head tilted with one ear flush to the ground, squeezing one eye shut so she could aim better.

The guns shot smoothly, a perfect representation of how this gun normally shot which was impressive, and she kneecapped three men easily before they could close in on Magni. "Six on the left," she called out loud enough for Magni to hear, shifting her weapon to the right. The six were closing in first, if he could take care of them then…the gun fired four more times, five bodies thudding to the ground because of a very lucky trick shot, and she rolled onto her back to snag a clip from one of the bodies so she could reload.

Magni nodded, not bothering to speak as he was focused. All that erupted from his mouth was a primal grunt as he moved quickly. The pain was poignant, but he could barely feel it as he grit his teeth and did what he was best at. His first punch launched one of the men crashing into the concrete wall, leaving a large dent and a smear as the body fell back to the ground. He took out another two with a backswing of his right arm, feeling something crunch and crack under the swift and powerful movement. A single kick into the chest of one of the men sent him flying back into another. The last lifted the gun up to try and shoot Magni in the face, but the god was surprisingly quick for his size. His hand closed around the barrel of the gun, aiming it down directly to the center of his chest. The “bullet” stung, but Magni smiled through the pain as he wrenched the gun out of the soldier’s hand and used it as a cudgel into the side of the man’s face, launching him sliding across the ground.

As he looked up to face the hordes of soldiers still pouring in, he began to hold a hand out. He hesitated, stopping as he could almost feel Phil’s cold gaze from the observation platform. Mjolnir would certainly break the training chambers again, and it was against the rules. He could not go against a challenge… but he could use the next best thing. He stood up, holding his hands out in the air over the crumbled forms of some of the training bots beneath him. He felt that same familiar tingle as the marbled texture on the floor began to glitch around his feet, and the robots glitched between kitted out soldiers and their base metallic forms. Sparks of electricity shot up from them, licking at Magni’s fingers for a brief moment. Then, bolts of electric lightning seemed to course up and spark off of Magni’s body, his very eyes glowing. He lifted his hands, letting out a yell as a bolt of lightning erupted forth from him in a flash and arced between a good dozen soldiers. The targets shot sparks from their heads and joints, smoke rising as they slumped to the ground and the simulation struggled to hold its form as the bolt impacted some invisible wall.

"Holy shit," June peaked around the edge of the couch, mouth slack in genuine surprise as a literal bolt of fucking lightning lit up the space around them. She looked away, wanting to preserve her eyesight, but once it was gone she peaked back out, thoughtlessly shooting another mercenary that was trying to sneak up on Magni and had somehow managed to avoid getting electrocuted. To her, it was a show of power that seemed so far beyond anything Juniper would ever be capable of.

One of the merc’s pulled something free from his vest, pulling the pin and chucking it toward Magni. Her eyes narrowed as the device bounced twice, rolling between his legs and closer to her. Smoke began to billow out of one end of it, filling up the air between them and cutting off her view of Magni and the mercenaries. "Magn–" the solid weight of someone slamming into her side choked her words, and June felt her stitches pull and strain. The cold barrel of a gun pressed to her other side, but she was faster, shooting him once in the throat and then another time in the jaw, wheezing as she shoved the weight off of her chest. One of her stitches popped, she could feel the warmth of blood sliding down her side into the fabric of her sweatpants.

She sat up, pressing against the back of the love seat as she took in a slow breath, closing her eyes and focusing her ears instead. Fifteen feet away, Magni was fighting what sounded to be four, no…five men. Three were closing in on her position from the left, two on the right. The smoke hindered her vision, but it didn’t clog her lungs, no hint of pepper or anything of that nature messing with her senses. That was good, she could push aside the pain from her stitches and focus on the fight instead. She counted to five, listening as the men approached, sliding the guns soundlessly to the floor. It sounded like they weren’t prepared to be hindered visually by the smoke either, interesting. Was it a miscalculation in the simulation, or an actual representation of the fallacy of man? Didn’t matter, she pushed up, ducking beneath a punch that she heard cutting through the air toward her head.

Magni’s laugh cut through the air as a punch was launched into his jaw. He didn’t even flinch, the subtle sound of dented metal ringing through his skull with more feeling than the blow itself. He was swift in grabbing his opponent by the shoulder with his left hand, his right grabbing a rather decent imitation of a man’s thigh. He lifted the figure up into the air above him like a wrestling trophy. He lifted a knee up into the air, and brought the figure down swiftly over said knee. A spray of liquid sprayed across his face as he was left with two pieces of a figure. As more men moved in around him with batons and knives, Magni swung the dismembered robot around like weapons to bat the figures away.

June opened her eyes, knowing while she could rely solely on her hearing it wasn’t advisable, at this distance she could see well enough, and the grin on her lips slipped into something more serious as she focused, shifting her weight back and pushing up with her legs. She spun gracefully in the air, her leg cutting a line through the smoke, heel impacting with the chin of one of the men sending him careening into the wall. Another closed in from her right, and her focus shifted marginally, fighting stance slipping from Taekwondo to Muay Thai in such a way that spoke of relentless training. She landed, spun, and— left hook to the chin, right hook to the cheek, the top of her foot hitting the side of his knee in a merciless kick, the man dropped to one leg. She was a step ahead of him, hand lashing out, twisting his wrist before he could even press his finger onto the trigger of the gun he’d pulled until she heard something pop. The man screamed, the gun fell right into her other hand, and the shot rang sharply through the smoke.

The sound of someone stomping toward her— they really were unelegant in the smoke, weren’t they —and June twisted around to her left. She took a second to take stock of the escalation of events, Magni was still fighting a few feet away which meant she wasn’t at risk of shooting him…good. Two shots, two bodies thudded to the ground, and that left her with one more behind her.

"Enough tricks!” A thunderous clap erupted through the simulation chamber, rattling the heavy glass window of the observation platform slightly. In an instant, a strong gust of wind whipped about the lobby, tossing the smoke up towards the ceiling and in through invisible grates. With only a dismembered and mostly metallic arm left in his right hand, Magni turned to look towards June and the attacker behind her. He was swift in launching the arm like a javelin out and through the simulated soldier's head, a red oily substance spraying out from the blow. Two other soldiers were busy shoving stun batons into Magni's sides. His arms twitched as electricity coursed through his veins, racing back at the simulated soldiers next to him.

With the cover of the smoke gone, June dipped back down behind the loveseat, swiping the guns from the new bodies surrounding her and shooting each soldier she’d downed through the temple with swift precision before getting back into position on the floor, leveling the gun so she could shoot three more mercs through the ankle before they could close in on Magni. It was uncomfortable now, because she was laying in a pool of her own blood that was cooling against the marble flooring, sticking to her skin in a way that left her cold. How many more would there be? It felt as if they’d already taken on an impossible amount of enemies, though June supposed that was the point and purpose of this particular simulation. She shot the wrist of each soldier trying to electrocute Magni, though she didn’t think he really needed help in that field.

Her mind was racing, trying to think of a way to end this faster, despite the fact that they weren’t in any real danger the urge to escape the onslaught was prevalent. Brown eyes darted around the lobby from where she crouched, trying to grasp at some form of plan. What would Jim do? Her eyes passed over a sprinkler on the ceiling, sliding off of it, before bouncing back. There was a breath of hesitation, eyes sliding from the ceiling toward the entrance, where at least thirty more mercs had stepped into the lobby, looking to shoot Magni.

Her jaw clenched, eyes narrowing on a point on the sprinkler above her. There were a few different ways someone could go about triggering them; triggering the heat sensitive liquid, or if the temperature around the sprinklers spiked, or just the alarm, but it wasn’t feasible for June to cross the room and pull the alarm, not with simulated bullets being trained on her forehead, and if Magni zapped them he ran the risk of compromising the whole system. No, her best bet would be to try and shatter the little glass bulb. Her brows furrowed for a moment as she ran through her options one more time, if this didn’t work…she categorized the distance of each sprinkler, and then lifted the gun in her head, leveling it on the sprinkler that was at the clear ninety degree angle on the ceiling, closing on eye and tilting her eyes some so she could focus on the target.

A slow breath fell from her parted lips, gaze intent and calculating as she squeezed down on the trigger. Bang. Bang. Bang. Her aim was true, each little glass bulb shattering as the bullets connected, releasing the torrent of water they’d been keeping at bay. It was startlingly cold, aim wavering for only a split second as June gasped, and then she refocused and shot three more times. In less than a minute, the lobby was flooded by a downpour of water. She scrambled toward the coffee station to her left in the few seconds of confusion, abandoning her guns, yanking open the cabinets beneath the counter. Juniper was bordering on frantic as she ripped out the cheap dividing shelf, tossing it over her back and sweeping the few boxes of instant coffee and creamer cups so she could crawl into the dry space, and curl away from the chaos.

"Fry them, Magni!" Her voice cut through it all, the cupboard snapping shut behind her. The water would be conductive enough that he could take them all down in one swoop of electricity.

As water rained down over Magni's head, he took a moment to look up and smile. The cool water washed over him, refreshing his spirit if not his body. Small stings still pelted him, more ceaseless robots. Juniper's command was simple, but Magni took in the moment. His gaze flicked up to where he knew the observation window to be. A hand flicked back his damp locks from his face, and he offered a wink to where he hoped Imogen was watching. "I am the Prince of Asgard, Lord of the skies."

Magni turned his head back towards the mercenaries rushing in. He acknowledged their hail of gunfire, letting them move in closer as he let loose his deafening decree. "I am the God of Thunder." He lifted a hand up into the air, small sparks seeming to gather around his open palm. The lights of the simulation chamber flickered. Outside of the tower, storm clouds swirled overhead. Bolts of lightning and peels of thunder tore the heavens. Lightning coursed down to lightning rods on the top of the tower, before arcing wildly. The wires of the tower grew hot as they needed the call of their god.

It was near instantaneous. A bright, blinding flash filled the simulation chamber. A couple loud pops could be heard as electricity surged through holographic projectors in the room, sparking along the layer of water filling the room. The training dummies exploded into fragments of metal and wires, all while the Asgardian swiped his open fist out towards them. Within a couple seconds, there were only stationary parts left in the gods' wake. The projectors struggled to try and keep up the facade. Magni slowly walked over towards the coffee cabinets, looking up in the direction of the barely visible observation window. "I declare our spar complete, Son of Coul. Dost thou object?"

The simulation further flickered before flicking off, leaving them in a simple concrete room. Smoke billowed from small projectors above. "Congratulations, Mr. Thorson, you have managed to break another training room."

Magni shrugged his shoulders, waddling over towards where June was huddled for safety but moments ago. His shirt was shredded with a combination of bullet holes and tears in the fabric. His shorts suffered as well, with a pair of light blue boxers somewhat visible beneath where his skin was not exposed. His skin was clearly a bit bruised, but even that seemed already to be rapidly disappearing. "Thy wits served us well, Lady Wayne."

She pushed herself to her feet, grimacing at the twinge of pain that rolled down her side, disappointed that Jim’s hard work on her stitches had been wasted. He’d probably make her let those dumb robots restitch it now, but it wasn’t bleeding too badly. "I couldn’t have handled so many opponents like you did, you gave me enough time to come up with a plan, great work Magni." A part of her brain was filing away more team formations, trying to come up with ways for Tobias and Magni to work together, knowing she’d need to see everyone else in action before any of her plans could solidify, but June headed back to the viewing area alongside Magni, feeling just a little more confident about their situation.



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After the destruction of the simulation room, Phil and Alfred begrudgingly led everyone down one floor to sub-level 7. They had to sit around for another ten minutes or so as Phil clicked away at the computer, preparing the training exercises over a second time. But after getting everything in order, he called out to the room for the next pair. "Judith and Jameson."

James pushed off his knees and got to his feet. His gaze drifted over to the blonde he’d be fighting alongside, an uncomfortable stirring growing in the pit of his stomach. Just need to get it over with quickly, he reassured himself as he stepped into the simulation room and held the door open for her. As she walked past, his back tensed as he felt the steam billow beneath the collar of his shirt. He shifted how he stood and rolled his shoulders before following after her into the concrete room.

The spirit shifted, perking up like a dog that caught the scent of prey. "Behave," James snipped under his breath.

I will if she does, the spirit replied in his mind, alert and attentive like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, ready to pounce.

James looked over at Jules with an apologetic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Sorry, not you," he commented while pointing at his head. He clicked his tongue as he slid his hands into the front pocket of his jeans and made his way over to the large X in the middle of the room.

Jules remained calm and collected as she entered, her eyes scanning the room as she took in the space. Despite wearing layers, she felt starkly naked without any weapons on her. Her hands smoothed out the front of her tracksuit, her eyebrows raising at James’ first comment. She nodded as he explained, her hands held up in a makeshift boxing pose as she readied herself. "Right… well… in my line of work, demons not liking you is a good thing. Usually it means you're on the right side." Her own smile didn't exactly reach her eyes as she looked James over nervously. People and robots she could handle. Vengeful spirits and ghosts were out of her wheelhouse.

"It’s a little more complicated than that," he admitted with a slight shrug and a raise of his brows. "But if it’s any consolation, the fiery guy only hates sinners. So if you have a free conscience then you’re safe." James met her gaze, flashing her a tight lipped smile. While he didn’t mean it as a threat, he found himself studying her face for any betrayal of how she truly felt. There was something that festered in her that made the spirit stir, he just didn’t know what.

Jules simply shrugged at the response, cracking her neck as she stood on the X.

"Thumbs up when you’re both ready," Phil’s voice reverberated from some hidden recess somewhere in the room.

James had watched two of the other trainings and how different they were. Going into this he had no idea what to expect aside from a lot of angry fuckers trying to shoot at them. He understood the purpose in training but knowing how powerful and practically invincible the Ghost Rider was, he was struggling to see how it wouldn’t end faster than it started. He could try to hold back for Jules sake so she could get in a couple licks, but in the end the spirit did whatever he wanted. If he was lucky they both had a hand on the steering wheel while they fought for power… But it was messy. He cleared his throat and held up his thumb, ready to get it started and over with quickly… hopefully.

"Emergency shut down word is ‘watermelon’. Simulation will begin in 3… 2… 1."

The lights slowly dimmed as the room was thrust into the darkness of night. A low hanging fog spread across the ground masking the various gravestones scattered haphazardly around a small white chapel like something out of a horror film. James stood on the outside of a dilapidated white picket fence that separated himself from the holy ground. He swallowed as an unfamiliar anxiety rose in his chest and the spirit remained eerily still. His hand hesitantly reached out to rest on the broken gate before pushing it open. "I have a bad feeling about this," he whispered more to himself and the spirit, rather than Jules.

"I know… I hate long sermons," Jules teased. "But hey… do you think they offer confession?" She walked past James with her hands raised in fists. Her steps were deliberate and swift, her eyes scanning any windows for shadows or movements. She crossed the path to the outer wall of the chapel as quick as she could, placing her back against the white wood. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop, as it had in the other simulations. Her eyes drifted to the scattered gravestones… god, she hoped it wasn’t zombies.

James forced out a weak laugh but he had a hard time finding amusement in their current predicament when something felt… off. He took one step forward, placing his boot on the hallowed ground. The walls around the spirit’s cage felt like they strengthened as the demonic presence felt foggy and obscured by shadow. He tried letting the Ghost Rider take control but where it was usually like flipping a switch, he felt like he was trying to move through water. Everything was slow and lethargic like the spirit was a tired toddler being forced to walk. "Come on," he muttered under his breath through gritted teeth. The fire flickered and sparked before finally climbing from his clenched fists and passing over him like a wave, rather than engulfing him instantaneously.

While subtlety might have been Jules’s tactic, it definitely was not his. James didn’t aim to creep around the church but trudged up the steps right for the entrance. He reached for the metal bracelet around his left wrist but as he pulled it off the chain didn’t heed his control. It didn’t grow or writhe and not a single flame of hellfire burned along it. He didn’t understand how a concrete box and projectors simulated holy ground, but he fucking hated it. Reluctantly, he shoved the useless bracelet into the pocket of his jeans then kicked open the wooden double doors.

The clicks and metallic shifts of guns training on him echoed throughout the small chapel as dozens of mercenaries laid in wait with all of their weapons trained on him. The red light of their laser sights disappeared in the roaring flames that covered his skeletal form. He wanted his mystical chain to easily rip through them but that wasn’t going to work. He then attempted to lob a ball of hellfire toward them, but something more akin to an ember fell pathetically from his hand, landed on the ground at his feet and started a small, pitiful fire on the long rug that ran down the aisle. Then a cacophony of shots rang out as darts flew at him. Some threaded the needle, slipping between bones, while most clung to his clothing with no effect, one even lodging itself into the hollow eyesocket of his skull.

"This sucks," the spirit complained, the deep ominousness of his voice missing its usual edge. If it was possible for a skeleton to sigh, he did and a small puff of steam slipped out from behind his mandible and through the hole where a nose should be. He leisurely strolled forward while rolling up his sleeves. When the first man ran at him, he balled up his fist and slammed it into the attacker’s face, feeling the bone, or whatever, crush into a pulp from the force.

Jules peeked around the corner of the front entrance, watching the hail of simulated gunfire harmlessly ping off of the spirit of vengeance. She sighed, wishing she too had made some kind of infernal deal so she wouldn’t have to deal with the incoming pain. She darted in quickly, staying low to the ground as she quickly dove into one of the back pews. She could hear the darts impacting against the wooden seats. Her eyes fell to a couple thick books stuffed into holders in the back of the pews.

"This is a really dumb idea."

A book flew out towards the right flank of the pews, gathering the attention of a few of the mercenaries to let loose a volley of shots in its direction. Jules used the distraction and James’ presence to make a quick scampering burst up the middle aisle. She winced and recoiled as a projectile threaded the needle between James’ exposed ribs and impacted her shoulder. She pushed through, making it near James’ feet before she shoved herself behind a pew. She reached out, dragging the dead mercenary's corpse behind the wood seat with her. She grabbed for the rifle still strapped to its vest, reloading it and unhooking the fabric as she could hear steps approaching. She waited for a moment before peeking her head and the rifle up over the pew, taking a couple well-aimed shots at a few mercenaries. She only managed to take one down swiftly, alerting more to her presence. She hissed out towards James, "Is punching all you can do?"

The flaming skeleton hardly noticed the darts that tore through his clothing or latched onto various bones. The electrical current was useless, just like it had been in the truckstop the day before. He waited patiently in the center of the church for the mercenaries to come at him, snapping bones, punching in faces, or tossing them out the windows whenever they got close enough. It was tedious work. Both James and the spirit grew impatient and aggravated at how slow it all was. The Ghost Rider felt like a drained battery that barely performed while charging. Every movement was lethargic. There was no hellfire or mystical chain. The only reason he wasn’t overpowered was due to his invulnerability, otherwise he was no more useful than First Lieutenant Buttplug, punching and kicking his way through the crowd.

The eyeless sockets in the skull seemed to turn toward Jules at her words, even though there was no way to know, the gaze was piercing and annoyed. A bony hand reached up, grabbed a man that charged at him by the throat, while two fingers from his other hand hooked into the attacker’s nostrils and ripped his head clean off his body with a snap and splatter of blood. The Ghost Rider let the corpse fall lifelessly to the ground before throwing the decapitated head into another mercenary with enough force to knock him clean off his feet. "Is hiding all you can do?" the spirit rebutted, flames flickering and popping in frustration.

As if being weakened wasn’t infuriating enough, having his training partner look at him like was incompetent fueled his rage, making the spirit feel more shackled than he ever had trapped inside James’s dreadful mind. Flames licked across his hands as he grabbed the closest pew, opposite the one Jules hid behind. The wood charred beneath his grasp as he ripped the bench, bolts and all, up from the ground. Wielding it like a giant bat, he swung the pew at a group of men and sent half a dozen of them careening through the air, and crashing through the stained glass windows. He then lifted the long wooden bench overhead and proceeded to slam it down on the heads of whichever moron was closest like a fucked up whack-a-mole. The Ghost Rider pummeled another five through the floorboards of the church before the pew splintered and snapped in half.

Jules rolled her eyes in a teasing fashion as the spirit responded. He had a bit more personality than expected, but she hadn't grown up with films like the Exorcist. Hell, most of the tapes her father kept around for entertainment were highly detailed training videos so Jules could practice martial arts in a cramped living room. They served her well, though good old fashion sharpshooting was of more use as Jules kept her back pressed against the wood and tried to cover their flank.

"I'm not bulletproof," she called out, crawling on the ground down the length of the pew to take up a position on the far right flank. She tilted her body swiftly, her head and the rifle shifting into view of a couple approaching soldiers who could not react quick enough. Bullets ripped through with great aim, giving Jules a little breathing room as she pulled herself into a kneeling position. She rested her right knee on the ground and popped her head up to get a full view of the scene, taking shots at any soldiers who were attempting to fight from range. For each shot, another body dropped. Jules would duck her head and shift her position up or down a pew when they caught on, but she remained slow and deliberate with her movements.

The Ghost Rider made a sound somewhere in between a scoff and a growl as the spirit’s patience was growing increasingly thin. "Fucking holy ground." He slowly trudged up the aisle toward the remaining group of mercenaries. He didn’t count, the number was irrelevant. What was important was that their numbers were dwindling too slowly or more kept flooding in, maybe both. One at a time they rushed him, stupid. He ripped the arms off of one, caved in the chest of another with a kick, and ripped the heart out of the next. Without prejudice or much methodology to his process, the spirit tore through the attackers, dismembering and disemboweling as he went.

Jules reloaded her rifle, dropping the spent magazine on the ground and taking a moment to peek just barely over the pews. There were still plenty of enemies on the field, and it felt intentional from the simulation that for every two they took down, one would seem to enter when they weren’t looking. The most obvious solution, of course, would be to just turn back and leave. They weren’t boxed in or defending a position they needed to, but given how invested the angry spirit was she doubted running was going to be an easy sell. So, Jules relented. She needed to end things quickly.

Her eyes locked onto a small cabinet bolted into the wall. A small smile curled on her lips as she racked the bolt of her rifle. She ducked beneath the pews again, taking in a deep breath. "I don’t know if you’re having performance issues, but I really need you to burn the midnight oil," Jules called out. With another moment's hesitation, she popped her head out to fire a volley of shots at the cabinet near the altar and the large glass bottles inside. Yellow liquid poured from the shredded cabinet and onto the dark carpet underneath.

The flaming skull’s attention snapped in the direction of the gunshot, watching as the oil spilled across the floor. While the corny comment would have warranted an eye roll, if he had any at the moment, the message was clear. With a clearer directive, he moved with speed and purpose. He ripped the closest pew up from the floorboards and threw it like a comically oversized javelin at one of the side doors, wedging into the opening and barricading the exit. The spirit continued tearing the wooden benches from where they were bolted, using them to block or destroy every possible escape until all that was left was the front door. "Get out and barricade the door," the demonic voice roared out the command without looking towards Jules.

Jules didn’t need to be told twice. She held the rifle by the handguard and quickly ducked out into the main aisle, using the large skeleton man as a bit of cover from the hail of shots that was bound to come their way. She felt sharp stings in her back and another in her thigh as a few shots hit true, but Jules pushed through the pain until she burst out the front doors. She kicked, them shut behind her, and quickly ejected the rifle’s magazine. In a fluid motion, she shoved the front of the rifle between the large handles of the chapel’s entrance to bar it, and took a few steps back with her hands raised in the air as if expecting more soldiers to rush towards her.

He pushed his way forward through the attackers as bullets continued to rip holes in his clothing and ricochet off his bones. Whenever one of them was dumb enough to attack him, he snapped their leg or threw them further backwards into the church, preventing them from leaving. When the spirit reached the spilled liquid, he sparred a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Jules was in the clear before an almost sadistic laugh rattled around his ribcage. He kneeled down and without a second’s hesitation, he slammed his hands down into the small puddle of oil. Flames rolled across the liquid’s surface and spread across the old tattered carpet like it was kindling. Within a matter of seconds the entire altar was set ablaze. The armed men panicked, dropping their weapons and desperately ran for the exits. The new flames licked the skeleton’s body and ignited a fragment of his power that was dampened by the hallowed ground. If a skull could smile, then the spirit was grinning from ear to ear as he let the fire consume him. Bony fingers wiggled before he started hurling flaming balls in the direction of every mercenary that attempted to leave, simultaneously setting more of the church on fire until the entire building and himself disappeared into a roaring column of hellfire.

Sprinklers rained water down from the ceiling as the simulation lifted, leaving a flaming skeleton and Jules standing in the middle of the familiar concrete room. When whatever bullshit that had made the room holy was pulled away, the Ghost Rider’s fire burned brighter like someone stoked the flames. A deep, gravely hum echoed from within the skull before the fire was snuffed and all that remained was James… naked. The cold water running along his bare skin made him immediately aware that his clothing had been destroyed in the fire. His eyes went wide and face flushed as his hands fell to cover his manhood. He cleared his throat and awkwardly turned his back toward the observation window.

While he tried to figure out a plan, Phil pushed on a wall panel, opening a hidden closet. He didn’t appear to be in much of a rush nor was he surprised, making it very apparent that this was not the first time something like that had happened. He entered the simulation room and held out a pair of clean, folded basketball shorts toward James. "You’d be surprised how common that is," Phil reassured him in his usual flat tone.

"Thanks," James mumbled as he took the shorts and quickly pulled them on. He then ran his hands back through his wet hair, brushing it out of his face as he quickly exited the simulation and found his seat without meeting anyone’s gaze.

Once Jules was able to recover from her full-throated laughing fit at the sight of James’ naked mishap, she too shuffled out of the training room while wiping the tears from her eyes.



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#a8f9ff ....|..... prism ....|..... outfit .....|..... #995749 .....|..... brutus ....|..... outfit .....|..... descendant tower


A few minutes after Jules and James exited their simulation, Phil turned his attention back toward the room. "Imogen and Luke, please."

Luke stood up with a slow stretch, moving toward the door and thinking about how familiar this all felt. For a moment, if he closed his eyes and pretended awfully hard, he could almost imagine that they were back in those golden Academy days. He couldn’t, though. Too much had changed over the years, and who he had been and who he was now were fundamentally different, so instead he tugged open the door and held it for Imogen.

She flashed Luke a grateful smile as she stepped through the door and entered the large simulation room. To no surprise it was exactly like what she remembered, a giant concrete box with a large yellow X on the ground at the center of the floor. "Deja vu," Imogen whispered to herself as the anxiety tightened in her chest. She hated training ten years ago and somehow she hated it even more now. There was more at stake. She couldn’t coast because she was Tony Stark’s daughter or be invisible anymore. Everyone who mattered was watching her and judging what she offered in a fight… nothing. She didn’t know what was worse, the expectations resting on her shoulders or the fear of Magni looking at her differently when he realized she wasn’t a warrior like the others he had been attracted to in the past.

Her pace slowed until she stood near the center of the X. She took in a deep breath and tugged the zipper on her jacket up to her neck only for it to slide half of the way back down when she exhaled. "Ready to be reminded why you dumped me?" She laughed nervously while putting on a brave smile. Poking fun at her own weaknesses always seemed to soften the blow if she beat others to it.

Luke snorted, hands in his pockets and posture utterly relaxed as he strolled after Imogen, eyeing the familiar room with a keen sense of remembrance in regards to having trained here so much. "I didn’t dump you because you can’t fight," he paused, wincing and back tracking. "Not to say you can’t fight, of course. My dad wanted me to cut ties and move to I.H.A. and I wanted to stay at the Academy… so naturally, I cut ties and started up with I.H.A." His tone was bitter, and he didn’t once look at Imogen as he confessed this. Their breakup had been amicable, or as amicable as it could have been, and he’d let her know that it wasn’t her, but rather it was his fault. He’d thought she’d understood that, especially since he all but dropped off the face of the planet for all his friends after he left.

He’d never told her the full story though, in fact, he’d never told anyone the full story. It just made Luke angry to think about, and fighting with his temper had been trained out of him long ago. He let out a slow, even breath, and pulled his hands from his pockets, posture straightening out and he physically and mentally prepared himself for whatever fight lay in wait for them. "It was never your fault, Imogen." Lucian added, softer and very likely the most genuine he’d been with anyone thus far. He kept his eyes, pointedly and respectfully on her face rather than her failing attire, wanting the woman to understand that he meant it. Luke glanced away after a moment, an edge of that bitterness seeping back into his tone despite his control. "My dad has made it clear what his expectations are."

Imogen sighed softly, her attempt at a brave smile falling slightly. She never got the full story of Luke’s disdain with his father, but she knew some of it, enough to where she should have known better than to make the comment she did, even if it was to relieve some tension. "I’m sorry. It was a bad joke." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking around like she was on edge, waiting for the simulation to start abruptly, as they often did. "I hate this room… I hate training," she whispered more to herself than him. She took a second, rapping her fingers along her bicep before turning to face him and hold his gaze. "We’re very different people now. It wouldn’t have worked out… You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Luke. Just, you know… Don’t let your father dictate your life. It’s your life, not his."

Luke shrugged easily, waving a hand at Imogen. "No harm, I just don’t want you to blame yourself." There was no other choice for him when it came to his father and his life, every choice was calculated, a lot of the time Luke felt as if he was just a puppet being controlled, any effort to break free was futile. He looked away from her, because it was his burden to bear and his alone. "I gave up on the idea that I could choose my own path a long time ago, Imogen. It’s fine."

He glanced at the window, giving a thumbs up to the glass. "Let’s get started, boss," he called out, grinning with confidence that was all a mask to hide how he really felt about the direction the conversation had taken.

Her brows furrowed and lips pursed. She let out a slightly exaggerated sigh. "A decade and you’re still trying to lie to a telepath." Imogen shook her head and rolled her eyes. She lazily held her thumb up at shoulder height before Phil got the chance to ask. Ten years later and training was still like riding a bike. Stand on the X. Thumbs up when ready.

"Emergency shut down word is ‘watermelon’." Imogen moved her lips along with Phil, having memorized his whole speech well enough that even years after the academy it randomly popped up in her dreams. But when she went to mouth one, she was thrown off as he went off script for the first time… like ever. "I recommend holding your breath."

Luke was mentally following along with the familiar speech, rolling his neck to release some tension in his muscles, only to pause with his head tipped back to the ceiling, brows furrowing. He glanced at Imogen, and they spoke in a surprised tandem.

"What?"

"What?" Imogen looked over at Luke with wide eyes.

"Simulation will begin in 3… 2… 1."

When Phil said one, Imogen panicked and quickly held her breath. Not a moment later the ground beneath them disappeared and she was plunged into frigid water. She was disoriented between the shock of the cold and the lack of visibility once she was submerged. It took a couple seconds before her brain caught up and told her to swim toward the light. She kicked her feet and pushed her hands through the water. When her head broke the surface she gasped and sucked in a deep breath of air. Imogen looked around trying understand what the fuck she was just thrown into. The water she treaded was a black void beneath the bright reflection of the moon. As far as she could tell they were in the middle of the ocean surrounded by some kind… dock system? Even with the light of the moon, it was impossible to tell. She had no choice but to swim towards one of them, it was better than floating there for who knows how long until something pulled her under or whatever other hell Phil had in store.

She swam with the swift elegance of someone who was no stranger to spending plenty of time in the water. Imogen quickly fell into a practiced form and closed the distance to the floating platform quickly. If their training was just swimming or surviving out in the middle of the ocean she would have been fine. But there was a reason she hated training and it wasn’t because she didn’t like being active. It was because of how brutal it could be.

Her goal was to get out of the water and get out of it fast. She hooked her arms on the side of the platform and grunted as she started hoisting herself up. She shifted until her palms were pressed against the wet wood and her elbows were locked. Imogen quickly slid her knee up over the edge between her hands and stumbled to her feet. Her chest heaved as she looked around at the strange floating platform. It was huge, made of soaked wooden panels like a dock, and shaped like an old carriage wheel. There was a large center platform with several branches that stretched out to a bigger ring that enclosed everything, which was where she stood. But it was strange. There were gaps, stairs, precarious bridges, and steep ramps. It looked like she was standing in the middle of some nightmare water obstacle course, but rather than inflatable and safe, it was slippery and unforgiving. She turned around, tucking her hair behind her ears as she looked for Luke.

He dragged himself onto the dock, shaking his head like a dog, first one way, and then the next, trying to get the water that was stuck in his ears out. Luke was a strong swimmer, but he wasn’t a fan of the dark and cold water. "Dude," he coughed, on his hands and knees on the dock only three feet away from Imogen. "How the hell is this a scenario we’d ever be in? Do I look like fucking Auqaman’s son?" He pushed himself up, squeezing some water out of the front of his shirt. "I’m sure as hell not going on a cruise anytime soon."

"Exploiting weaknesses, Luke," Imogen reminded him with a sigh. She took a step toward the edge of the dock and looked down at the black abyss beneath them. "Diamonds sink," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than him at the realization. In a pool it was fine, but out in the middle of the ocean? If she sank too far she was fucked. She wouldn’t be able to shift back because either the pressure would kill her or she wouldn’t be able to hold her breath long enough to reach the surface. Of course, it was training and the simulation would end before she died, but drowning was still drowning… And terrifying.

He turned toward Imogen, frowning at her. "Go diamond, we don’t know what to expect."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. Did he not hear what she just said? "Darling, this isn’t the bedroom. You don’t get to boss me around." Imogen pushed her wet hair back out of her face as she followed the outer circle to one of the spindles that led to the large center of the platform. Halfway across she reached some sort of log balance beam that spun the second she placed a foot on it. What in the American Ninja Warrior was this shit?

Luke, honest to God, sputtered, throwing an incredulous look at Imogen. She was going to have to go diamond in a fight regardless, he just wanted it to be before they got shot at, because getting shot at was inevitable in training. "Women," he muttered, rolling his eyes but there was an air of playful familiarity about the entire exchange. Before they’d dated, they’d been friends, and even now after years apart it was easy to fall back into the old habits of their friendship. "Just don’t fall in." He said it jokingly, but there was an edge of stress in his tone. If she fell in, he’d pull her out, but it would put them in an awful spot if they were being attacked. The entire set up put Luke on edge, knowing that this simulation was designed specifically for one of Imogen’s weaknesses didn’t help.

Before Imogen could decide if she wanted to attempt to walk across the precarious log or not, the sound of boat engines carried over the ripples of the water. She looked around but couldn’t see anything through the darkness. She tried to figure out what direction they were coming from, but by the time she had any idea it was evident they were surrounded. Several black motorboats were closing in all around the platform. Glowing red dots started illuminating across her chest. She spared a glance toward Luke seeing even more lasers trained on him. Her initial response was that he’d be fine, but then she remembered he didn’t have a shield or armor… or anything.

Imogen pivoted and ran back toward him, cutting a corner short and jumping over several feet of water. Her shoes slipped on the wet dock but she managed to find her traction before sliding right over the edge. She shifted into diamond form as she closed the distance between them. "Sorry about this." She flashed him an apologetic smile then pushed him backwards, off the platform and into the water. Not a moment after she got him out of the way, gunshots rang out from every direction followed by the ting ting of the darts hitting her crystalized skin, breaking, and falling to the ground at her feet.

Luke’s hand shot out as he fell, catching the edge of the dock but putting his trajectory off balance. He choked on the air in his lungs out of utter surprise, biting down on his tongue so hard blood instantly filled his mouth, and then water was filling his lungs. He gagged, spitting out a mouthful of blood and water as he resurfaced, wondering vaguely how ridiculous he’d look out of the simulation, drowning while standing on fucking concrete. He was cold, and annoyed, and his fucking tongue hurt, so… he supposed it was time to get serious.

Kicking off the dock, diving beneath the water, Luke propelled himself toward one of the approaching boats. He could tell they were the kind that were half raft, motors helping them move quickly but the rubber fabric that kept them afloat could be punctured, and that was enough for him. The top of his head emerged from beneath the water behind the boat, eyes glinting, he looked like some horror human parody of an alligator stalking its prey, and he pulled himself onto the raft with silent agility behind the three men who were aiming their guns at Imogen.

His face was impassive as he slammed his fist into the back of the first man's head, skull caving beneath the pure force that he put into the punch, Luke ducked beneath the shot of the second man as they both turned toward him, going low so he could shove his shoulder into the man's stomach with enough force that he felt his ribs snap. The gun slipped from the simulated goon’s hand right into Luke’s, and he shot the last man in the head without flinching. It was too dark to take count of how many boats there were total, but he shot the bottom of the raft, leaving the last wheezing man to drown as it sank, and he dived back into the water, disappearing from view.

Imogen ran toward the boat that was closest to docking. Instead of stopping and waiting, her speed increased and she leapt from the platform. She landed in the middle of five men who all looked around dazed and confused for a second. Before they could get their bearings, she threw her foot into the chest of the man closest. He was thrown back with such force that he slammed into the invisible barrier of the concrete wall beneath the simulation, crumpled and fell into the water. Imogen then grabbed the next guy by the straps of his kevlar vest, spun and threw him away to die like the first one. Her brows furrowed as one of the remaining men tried to punch her but only broke his hand. "Idiot," she scoffed as she grabbed his face in her hands, snapped his neck and watched him ragdoll over the side of the boat.

That left two. They tried shooting her but the darts died and fell to the bottom of the boat. One of them kicked her and broke his foot, obviously not learning anything from the other guy. Imogen wasn’t someone for showing off or playing with her food, so rather than toy with them she slammed their heads together with a sickening crunch that caved their skulls in and made their bodies go limp. For an unnecessary extra measure, she jabbed the side of the inflatable motorboat with a diamond finger, puncturing it. Noticing how far she had drifted away. she dived into the water, shifting back to normal as she broke the surface tension and swam back to the edge of the platform.

Three more boats were sunk in quick succession, Luke slipping in and out of the water in a way that spoke of years of training, his kills quick, clean, and efficient. He dragged himself back onto the platform a few moments after Imogen, shaking his head once more so the water in his hair hit her. "This is fun," he said brightly, grinning at her in a way that was bordering on unhinged. "Way better than having to do a mission like this in Antarctica," Luke glanced back out at the water, gaze a little distant as he remembered how cold the water had been, even through his wet suit. He’d been younger then, it had been one of his first actual missions. "Yeah, way better." He held up the gun he’d snagged, weighing it in his palm.

"Fun?" she scoffed, shooting him an incredulous look. Imogen shook her head after she brushed her hair back out of her face. "You think my dad had fun when he was ambushed, outnumbered, and kidnapped?"

"Christ," Luke looked at her, his face a mix of disgust and exhaustion. "Yeah, my fucking bad. God forbid I enjoy not actually getting shot at for once." Not everyone had the fucking privlige of getting to live life in the lap of luxury until shit hit the fan, not that someone like Imogen would realize that.

God she wished she was in her diamond form when the thought crossed his mind so she didn’t have to hear it. Imogen’s jaw clenched, inhaling deeply as she shook her head. "Fuck you," the words slipped from her lips like a whisper on the wind. "Not everyone is as untouchable as you, Luke." She motioned her hand in the general direction of the murmuring thoughts of the others hidden behind the veil of the simulation. Since when had Imogen become the one who took training more seriously? A decade ago the man in front of her would have been the first to tell people to think of the gravity of the situation and now he reveled in a simulation meant to prepare them for the likelihood of being attacked and possibly kidnapped.

"Pass," He rolled his eyes, glancing down at the water with an expression verging on boredom. "I’m not the same kid I was a few years ago, Imogen. I don’t care what you think about me anymore, I’ve seen shit that would give you nightmares, just because I’ve been trained to deal with this doesn’t mean you can take your grief out on me. I can take care of any more boats." Though, she could too from what he’d seen. Did Imogen really think she wasn’t a fighter? She made it look easy, Magni was probably trying to hide a boner on the other side of the window. Whatever, he was beyond the point of caring anymore, this was all stupid.

Imogen scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And just because you let your dad plan your life for you doesn’t mean you can take your frustrations out on me." Her gaze fell to a red dot that appeared on Luke’s chest. She quickly shifted back into her diamond form, then stuck out her hand just in time to stop the dart, catching it in her palm and tossing it into the water. "Do whatever you want, Luke." He could go have fun sinking boats or doing whatever he wanted for all she cared.

Meanwhile she took off down one of the cross sections of the platform toward the center where several men had already filed off boats and made their way toward them. Imogen shifted out of her diamond form for just a second as she sprinted across the rotating log, nearly losing her balance once or twice before she slid onto the flat dock on the other side. Bullets ricocheted off her skin the second she shifted back. Her pace slowed as she came to a halt in a cross section of the platform, looking around at the dozen men that surrounded her waiting. They looked around at each other before one to her left raised his gun and tried shooting her. There was the familiar ting of the dart smacking her hardened skin and falling to the ground. She sighed, reaching out and grabbing his hand around the handle of the pistol, crushing his bones and gun with a simple squeeze. She yanked the destroyed weapon from his hand, shoved it in his eye socket then pushed him backwards into the water.

Imogen systematically worked through the group of mercenaries, letting them act first before she incapacitated them one at a time. It wasn’t until they were down to just three that they actually rubbed their brains together to do something smarter than trying to shoot her or punch her. All at once they charged her, sending the four of them falling backwards off the dock and into the water. She could barely see in the dark depths of the ocean as she rapidly sank. Just as she went to shift her hand found one of them. Using his momentum and buoyancy to her advantage, she forcefully pushed him down deeper while launching herself up a bit further. Then just before she started sinking again, Imogen shifted out of her diamond form and frantically started kicking her legs.

Her lungs were on fire when she finally broke the surface with a desperate gasp. The other two men who fell in with her treaded water nearby. There wasn’t time for Imogen to catch her breath, not yet. She swam to the nearest one, coming up behind him and wrapped her legs around his waist. Then with all the strength she could muster, she pressed her hands down on his head and shoved his face beneath the water. He struggled and thrashed, clawing at her legs but her hold only tightened the more he fought. The man beneath her was growing weak, but the other refused to sit by and watch. He pulled out his gun and shot her in the shoulder. Imogen cried out in pain, grimacing through gritted teeth as she forced herself to hold on until the goon within her grasp finally went limp.

Before she could think better of it, Imogen lunged at the last mercenary. The second her hands grabbed fistfuls of his clothes, she switched to her diamond form, letting her weight drag them both underwater. Imogen broke his hands as he tried to pry at her grip. She then pulled him beneath her, pressed her feet into his chest, launching him like a torpedo deep into the black abyss. She should have switched then, but watched until he disappeared into the voice before changing back and swimming to the surface. There was a moment where she nearly sucked in a lungful of water, but she pushed through, getting lightheaded just as she felt the chill of the night air against her wet skin. She gasped, coughed and sucked in a sharp breath.

A hand caught around her bicep, and Luke hefted Imogen up and out of the water with one arm, plopping her onto the deck as delicately as he could manage before pulling away. There was a pile of bodies behind him, messily stacked up, and he looked… bored. He wasn’t even winded, barely looking ruffled after his own fight while Imogen had been taking on her own enemies. "Watermelon." His voice rang out, tone lazy as he turned toward the window with a half shrug. "I don’t get the point, I do shit like this everyday. Maybe the training should be for people who actually need it." Luke slid his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, stepping over the glob of blood he’d spat on the concrete and heading toward the doors without looking back.

He’d taken it seriously at first, took down his fair share of simulated goons, but… it was nothing new for him, and therefore it was boring and a waste of time. Lucian didn’t need this sort of training, and it was more of a disservice to the others to take up this time than it was to move on.

Imogen was pulled out of the water and set on the dock before she could register what Luke was doing. She took a second, knelt on the ground and coughing up water and trying to catch her breath. But she couldn’t rest long. Just as she went to push off the ground and stand up, he called out the safe word and the simulation melted away. She wheezed and spat out the water from her lungs before looking around confused. "What the fuck?" Her voice was hoarse and strained from her strangled breathing. Imogen slapped her hands against the damp concrete before she stood up. She was the last person to train, but even she could see the importance behind it. The one time where it felt more real and necessary than ever before he pulled her out because he was too good for it. She stared at his back in disbelief at how much time had changed him.

She trudged behind him, water dripping from her hair and clothes as her sneakers squeaked against the floor with each step. Imogen said nothing, nor met anyone’s gaze as she made her way back to her seat beside Magni. She swallowed the lump of exasperation that grew in her throat as she lowered herself onto the bench beside him and crossed her arms over her chest. Frustrated tears welled in her eyes but she blinked them away, staring straight ahead with a cold anger painted across her face.

Luke, for his credit, felt a little guilty for cutting it short… but he really didn’t need the training. As far as he saw it, it was better for the people who actually needed it to step in. Sure, he wasn’t the most gentle about it, but he wasn’t a fucking kid anymore, he was… he was a solider, and he couldn’t pretend to be anything other than that, not even for Imogen. He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, and didn’t look at anyone. He’d been wrong, the friendships he’d had before were dead and gone, and he was too different now for the people who used to care about him to care anymore.

That was fine. He didn’t care… his teeth ground together, jaw clenched so hard, the taste of blood still lingering on his tongue. He was here to help and once they sorted this mess out, he could disappear again. Not like anyone missed me last time. Luke let out a small breath, pushing all of his feelings down as deep as he could, before refocusing on the next team up for training. He reminded himself, not for the first nor last time, that his dad was right… it was better this way.



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Imogen and Luke exited the simulation, their wet clothes dripping a trail of water behind them as they returned to their seats. Phil took a minute to cue up the next training before calling out their names, "Jim and Myla."

Myla sighed softly, giving Theo’s hand a reassuring squeeze before she stood up. She took a deep breath, pushing her pain and discomfort back into a dark corner of her mind for her to worry about afterwards. She took a step forward like she didn’t just take a knife to it the night before. A heat flared in her thigh but she ignored it and made her way to the door. She waited for Jim, planning on using him for a frame of reference for where to stand, but deciding to not be a complete ass, she held the door open for him as well.

He entered, barely glancing in her direction as he shook his head. This entire exercise was meaningless. He would never be caught without his suit close by in public, especially given recent developments. But no, Phil wanted to make a point in the only way weak men with middling intellects could: physical humiliation. Perhaps it was the high of the morning that made him willing to play along, or he was so exhausted he was just running on auto-pilot while he was busy doing all the things everyone else in the tower was far too incompetent to handle. He wanted this over quickly.

She followed him across the room and when they were halfway to the center Myla parted her lips and filled the silence. "I heard what you said." Her voice had no inflection or emotion, more stating a fact rather than searching for a reason to start a fight. The next words churned in her stomach like acid. Her natural instinct was to choke it back like bile but she forced it out before she could think better of it. "I… appreciate the gesture." It came out slow and almost painful, like each word was its own sentence and thought. She rang her hands uncomfortably and sighed. "But, for the same reason why you won’t apologize, I will not say ‘thank you.’"

Jim rolled his eyes as he looked in her direction, making his way to the starting position in the center of the room. "I don’t apologize for trying to keep my friends and family safe, or reminding people that computers exist." His words were flat, with a hint of annoyance bubbling under the surface. With the blowup over privacy, he had been proven right: the enemy knew who each of them were already. Putting on a skimpy leather outfit and a motorcycle helmet didn’t do jack shit to hide from them or keep their families from getting discovered. What Jim did in seconds they had years to do. At least now Jim could keep tabs on them… or, more accurately, his advanced AI assistant. "But at least I say thank you when someone drops thousands of dollars on me."

Myla sighed, the muscles in her jaw tensing and her nostrils flaring as she turned her head toward the exit half contemplating calling it here. She could train with Theo later or work out in the gym or literally anything else besides trying to make nice and team build with Iron Boy. "I’m trying to protect my family and friends too. That’s the reason I have a secret identity. And once I knew what this all was about I would have told you. You don’t have to like me. I just wanted respect, but you were a dick two seconds after I walked through the door."

She crossed her arms over her chest, suppressing the pain as the stitches along her side tugged at the movement. Myla stepped onto the X as far away from Jim as physically possible. She should have remained quiet, bit her tongue until it bled, pushed through the training, and disappeared into the tower without feeding into his self righteous ego. "Then why did you do it?" The words slipped out before she could choke them back. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head as she turned away from him. "Nevermind."

Jim was happy to have space from Myla as he stepped onto the X as well, folding his arms and giving a glance up towards the observation window. This was stupid, the entire situation. Honestly, he was pretty sure Phil was still trying to punish him or teach him a lesson about the day before. All he needed to do was further brutalize a young woman who clearly needed medical attention and rest, which was a classic Coulson move. As much as he wanted to ignore her question, he simply couldn’t. He spoke very quietly, the smallest of whispers that he had forgotten she could hear. "There isn’t anyone else left to do it. Just us."

Myla turned her head slightly toward him but whether or not she planned on saying anything else was cut off by Phil’s voice echoing around the concrete walls. "Thumbs up when you’re both ready." She sighed, slipped her right hand from where it was pinned against her side and held up her thumb.

"Emergency shut down word is ‘watermelon’. Simulation will begin in 3… 2… 1."

While she had been observing everyone else’s training, for the simple fact that they were simulations, she expected it all to not work very well on her. It wasn’t like she could be deceived by illusions when she couldn’t even see them. But she could feel the way the room changed around her, the air pressure rose while the temperature fluctuated a few degrees that was unperceivable to most. The whirring of spinning gears reverberated beneath the floor as pieces meant to be hidden from sight shifted and moved. Myla had a hard time focusing on any one thing until everything stopped.

She didn’t know how they did it, but she could hear and feel everything around her like she was actually there. From what she could tell, they were in a decent sized storage room. There was one door on the far wall and some kind of small skylight window overhead. The room was filled with metal shelves that reached nearly to the ceiling and were filled with boxes of… she wasn’t sure. There were a couple tables, a few chairs and that was about it. Compared to what everyone else was thrown into, Myla was almost disappointed at how basic it all felt. She reached out a hand and touched the cool metal of one of the shelves as if to check that it was actually there… And it was. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it but she didn’t really have the time to try and dissect how it worked either.

Myla quickly took stock of their strange environment knowing that they maybe had a minute before whatever rush of enemies came at them. What she did know was they were cornered so unlike the other simulations this wasn’t about brute strength but smarts and ingenuity. That made sense considering her current company and their combined lack of powers or muscle. With only one door separating them from their attackers, Myla hurried to the nearest shelf, grabbed the supports and started tugging it toward the entrance. She was deceptively strong for someone of her size and stature, managing to drag, then shove the heavy piece of furniture in front of the door as a barricade. She wiped the sweat from her brow while turning to face Jim. "That’ll give us two minutes… If we’re lucky."

Jim hadn’t bothered to wait for Myla to do the only thing she could: act as a barrier between him and whatever was coming. Training without his suit was cruel and illogical, and Myla was one breeze away from the ICU and a high insurance bill he would have to sort with HR. A supply cabinet was not exactly the ideal circumstances. He needed to work quickly. His eyes scanned the storage shelves. He made note of the various industrial cleaners, solvents, rolls of duct tape, a plastic funnel, two bottles of vinegar, a shop vac, and various other bits and bobs. He moved swiftly, not bothering to explain much as he already slid clean a shelf at chest height and began grabbing a few bottles.

He flicked open a small toolbox in the corner, producing a box cutter from its contents. He went to work quickly, slicing through the shop vacuum's tubing, pulling it free and tossing it on the shelf he was using for his experiments.

He began preparing his first concoction. He poured about half a bottle of vinegar into a jug of bleach, shoving the vacuum cleaner's flexible tubing over the top and setting a roll of duct tape next to it. "Stuff some rags under the door. And you better start praying this is all fake." He wrapped a healthy amount of duct tape to keep the tube secure before quickly rushing it towards the door, propping the end of the tube so that a hazy gas began pouring through the crack in the door frame. "Let's see how far Phil lets this go."

Myla did as instructed, not that she particularly enjoyed taking orders from him but because it was supposed to be about team work… Or something like that, and it wasn’t like she had any better ideas. She grabbed handfuls of rags and hurried toward the storage shelf that was pinned against the door. She quickly cleared the bottom shelf with a sweep of her leg, then knelt down onto it as she started shoving the cloth beneath the door. When Jim set the jug down beside her, she quickly snapped her eyes shut and held her breath. She didn’t need to ask what it was and she didn’t care to find out the hard way either. With a few leftover rags, she draped them over the bottle creating a shoddy funnel to direct as much of the gas under the crack and away from them.

She quickly got back to her feet and took a couple steps back, sucking in a deep breath then coughing. "Doesn’t smell fake," Myla commented, more rhetorically than anything. The smell was familiar enough to spark a faint memory of a scuffle on the docks that made her lungs feel like they were on fire for weeks. She searched a few more of the shelves until she found a couple more rags. Working quickly, she knotted them together into a shitty mask that wouldn’t filter out much but it was better than nothing.

Now what did they do? Wait? Myla felt like a caged animal, restless and antsy with nothing else to do but wait. She continued to search the shelves and various storage supplies for anything that could be used as a weapon, but a vacuum wasn’t going to be much help. There was a mop, which she removed the head from and snapped the handle in half over her thigh into something vaguely similar to her batons. After tucking them into the back of her pants’ waistband she started stacking the heaviest supplies on the shelf closest to the door, as high up as possible. She then went around to the other side, bracing her back up against it, ready to knock it over the second the door was breached. "Just keep MacGyver-ing and stay clear of the door." That time she instructed Jim. While neither one of them wanted to admit the other’s strengths, he was the brains and she was the brawn… That was the only way they were getting through it.

Jim had no such reassurance of success. He was stuck with a broken glorified bouncer with a temper who, at the very least, seemed incapable of hearing the eyes rolling in his head at her feeble attempt at a command. He had bigger things to worry about. He opened up the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and dumped some of its contents into what was left of the jug of bleach along with a small package of nails. He gave it a small shake before setting it down on the counter. Myla's comment on the smell being authentic did worry him slightly, but Jim was going to take this seriously enough. He had a hard time turning down a challenge. Phil would need to be the one to pull the plug.

The sound of approaching footsteps sent her back to her cluttered bedroom in Foggy’s apartment. Myla’s heart raced and breaths grew shallow as she lost herself to the memory. The attackers attempted stealth, but their steps were still too heavy, beating out of sync with the rattling bullets in their gun clips, the soft clinking of metal buckles shifting, and the swish of fabric rubbing together. Roger’s words replayed like a curse, burrowing into her skull with the sound of a silenced gunshot, the searing pain of a blade in her thigh, and the earsplitting tone, so strong that just the thought nearly made her knees buckle. The memory fogged her mind and deafened her to everything around her, dulling her senses and slowing her reflexes.

It wasn’t until three men had already broken open the door and started filing into the room that Myla snapped out of it. "Fuck," she muttered through gritted teeth as she kicked off the wall and threw herself back against the top heavy bookshelf. The precarious metal structure creaked and groaned before toppling over, knocking down two of the goons and pinning them beneath the shelf and all its heavy contents that fell on top of them. She stumbled to her feet and quickly kicked the bottle of chlorine gas down the hall toward the approaching mercenaries in hopes to keep as much of it out of the room as possible.

The third intruder narrowly missed being crushed by his comrades and was quickly closing the distance towards Jim. His gun was raised and finger hovering on the trigger when Myla called out, "Duck!" She ran at the man, jumped in the air and lunged at his back. The attack startled him, causing him to reflexively pull the trigger and a dart flew past Jim before impaling itself on the wall behind him. The stitches in Myla’s side tore as she wrapped her arms around the man’s neck in a tight choke hold. Her legs locked around his waist, holding tight as he thrashed around, clawing at her arms and slammed her back against a wall. Warm blood pooled against her shirt and trickled down her side, but she hardly noticed. Normally she would have tried to knock the man out, but even in a simulation that type of scenario was undoubtedly life or death, at least in her experience. Rather than wasting time, she grabbed his head and snapped his neck. When his body collapsed beneath her, she tucked and rolled off his back as he hit the ground.

Jim, in the meantime, was busy with his third mixture when the call out came. He turned his gaze back towards the open door, taking in the sight of Myla struggling with only a few mercenaries. He gave the bottle of hydrogen peroxide a shake after adding in some vinegar. He walked briskly past her, towards the men still struggling under the shelf, and poured the concoction on their heads. The projections over their faces shifted and changed as the metal masks of the training drones bubbled up. The acid tore through them with ease, but there was not nearly enough for the more he heard in the hallway. Their simulated choking and gasping was not going to keep them at bay forever. When Myla was finally done fighting the drone, Jim shook his head. "This is going to take forever at this rate."

Still crouched on the ground, Myla reached out and grabbed a half empty gallon of paint. She climbed to her feet and made her way toward the door, making sure to avoid whatever putrid smelling liquid Jim doused the pinned men with. She swung the can by its wire handle and chucked it down the narrow hallway. It slammed into the man leading the charge, hitting him square in the face and sending him tumbling over like a domino. "If it was supposed to be quick, you’d have your suit," she replied plainly, like it was obvious the training was intended to test them and not be quick. Although it would have been a hell of a lot faster if Jim threw a couple punches too.

Myla continued to search the shelves for anything weighty enough to throw at the men as they approached. She found a few random bricks, a rusted putty knife, and an old heavy tape measure. But even so, it didn’t do much beyond slowing them down and with a toppled bookshelf between them, it made it difficult when she couldn’t close the distance. She weighed her options before backing up to the wall opposite the door. It was stupid and likely wouldn’t end well, but there was only so much a half empty supply room and cleaning products could do. If she could buy Jim enough time to use the one muscle he did have, then maybe they’d pull through.

Before she could think better of it, she sprinted toward the door and leapt over the fallen bookshelf. Myla’s fingertips grasped at the small lip at the top of the doorframe, managing to hold on just long enough to swing her body. More of the stitches in her side popped in protest from the strain as she threw her legs forward and slammed her feet into the chest of the closest goon. Her grip slipped and she fell to the ground while the momentum knocked the man over, taking two others down with him. Myla pressed her palms back into the floor beside her head and got back to her feet with a quick kip up. She pulled the broken mop handle pieces from her waistband and started fighting her way down the hall, ducking punches, busting kneecaps, and slamming her makeshift batons into any body parts within reach.

While Myla was throwing junk at the assailants, Jim was busy checking the last trick he had up his sleeve. The bottle was bulging slightly at the seams, ready to combust with even the slightest bit of pressure. It wasn’t a very powerful explosive, but it was the best he could construct with such limited supplies. The nails inside would shred through anything nearby. It wouldn’t take them all out, but it would be enough to thin the herd enough for Myla to do her thing while he tried to figure out his next move.

And then, Myla jumped out into the hallway.

"Idiot!" Jim looked at his makeshift bomb, moments away from exploding, and then out into the hall where noxious gas was. There was nowhere safe to throw the bomb now, and he was not going to burn his eyes and lungs further. The large red stain on Myla's shirt was a clear sign that she needed medical assistance. This was a losing battle, and she was going to get herself killed. He had only one option as he moved away from the explosive. "Watermelon!"

Myla pushed her way through the attackers, moving farther from the gas and trying to land as many blows as possible. While she might have looked crazy for running into the fray, it was narrow corridors like that where she thrived. Tight and compact spaces made it difficult for assailants to use their weapons effectively, but she moved with a swift finesse, ignoring the pain in her side as she utilized their clumsiness to her advantage. At one point she threw one of the pieces of mop handle up into the overhead light, shattering the lightbulb and casting the hallway in darkness. She cracked the last shoddy baton in half across the face of the man to her right then plunged the remaining piece into the eye socket of merc on her left. Hearing someone else approach from behind she ducked out of the way then kicked off the wall, fist balled to bring her knuckles right down on their temple. But before her hit connected she heard Jim call out the safeword and the simulation vanished. With all her built up momentum and nothing to stop it, Myla stumbled forward and fell to her knees. Her palms pressed against the cool concrete to keep herself from tipping over as she tried to catch her breath.

Why the fuck out of everyone in the tower did she have to be partnered with fucking Stark? At that point she might have genuinely preferred Ronnie. After everything she had been through, she was trying her best, using knowledge from her own experience and pushing past the pain to try… And this is what she got? It felt like nothing she could do would ever be enough to his arrogant, elitist gaze. Fight through her injuries? Not enough. Be the body guard while he played mad scientist? Idiot. There was a fleeting thought to get up and just… walk out, out of the simulation and out of the tower. But she wasn’t there for herself, this was for her father, and Theo’s father, and everyone else who was taken. It was that thought, and that thought alone that kept her from leaving.

With a frustrated grunt, Myla pushed off the ground and got back on her feet. Her left hand ripped the makeshift mask from her face and threw the cloth aside while her right hand pressed against her bleeding ribs. She felt the warmth seeping between her fingers as she trudged toward the exit without a word, shoving past Jim in the process. Stoic, silent, and pissed, she slipped back onto the bench beside Theo, seeking his comfort while her face turned from everyone but him. There was a part of her that felt guilty, relying on him so heavily knowing the burden it put on him, but if it wasn’t for Theo… She didn’t know if she could survive that place.

Jim took the shove, standing relatively motionless as he looked up towards the observation window. He didn't care about the stares of the rag-tag group of wannabe heroes watching with either interest or glee in his failure. His eyes locked onto Phil, watching carefully with his arms folded. Phil's expression didn't reveal much, and Jim wasn't the kind of person who could read even the most obviously broadcasted emotions. The one thing he did see, however, was the agent. The older man was running calculations behind his stoic mask, and Jim saw an unflattering reflection.

Jim shook his head, slowly walking towards the door. He didn't care if he failed, or if Phil was disappointed, or if Myla was going to hit him later. He wasn't going to gamble with their safety and health. She needed new stitches and time to rest. He only hoped her boy toy was strong enough to make sure she recovered in peace.



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It seemed that the training was going less well than expected when two of them, back to back, had ended in a tap out. There was only one remaining simulation and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to connect the dots to figure out who was left. Phil clicked the final buttons and turned toward the room. "Veronica and Theodore."

Ronnie’s hand that rested on Luke’s knee pushed off of him as she stood up. She slipped past him and made her way toward the door. She rested her fingers on the handle, glancing back over her shoulder at Theo with an amused grin. "Let’s go, handsome. Just like old times." With that she opened the door and stepped inside.

Theo hesitated, face twisting into a grimace. He turned, only once Ronnie stepped through the door, toward Myla. "I hate her." The confession felt more vulnerable than he wanted to be at that moment, before he had to step into combat without her by his side, but it felt important to voice it. "I’ll make it fast." He promised, pressing a featherlight kiss to Myla’s cheek before turning around to follow Veronica into the room.

While she had some idea of what to expect after watching everyone else, each simulation was entirely different, hand crafted to expose their weaknesses like picking at a scab. Ronnie had no idea what that could mean for her. It wasn’t like kryptonite or something would work on her, but she also wasn’t a fucking God either. There was no way she could handle what Magni could singlehandedly. She’d be lucky if she could even keep up with Theo, not that she’d ever voice such a thing. But she had to do it… be part of the team. Whatever the hell that meant.

She sighed softly, stepping onto the X. As Ronnie slowly turned to face Theo, her confident mask slipped back into place along with her flirtatious smile. "I’ve missed this," she confessed.

"I haven’t." He snapped, keeping his back to her as he stepped onto the yellow X, waving at the glass window impatiently. "Let’s start, please." Theodore couldn’t think of a single nice thing he had to say to Veronica, and his mom had taught him that if he didn’t have anything nice to say, it was better not to say anything at all. He would work with her, and be cordial when it was required, but otherwise he meant what he’d said. The person he knew, the Ronnie he’d cared for, was dead to him.

"Thumbs up when you’re both ready," Phil replied.

Ronnie puffed out her lips with an exhale and rolled her eyes. "You’re so serious now." She shook her head and held up a thumb lazily. Theo was so quick to hate her, no different than Myla. He acted like she was so different when this was the exact same person he fell in love with, whether he wanted to admit it or not. While she might have disappeared, he was the one who changed. And from where she was standing the only thing different in his life was Hell’s fucking Angel. Every angle pointed back to that woman and while her attention might be onto bigger, better and far more rigorous endeavors with Luke, that wasn’t going to stop her getting her own little piece of revenge after the bitch’s little threats earlier that morning.

"Emergency shut down word is ‘watermelon’. Simulation will begin in 3… 2… 1."

The room grew dark as the concrete walls faded to a starless night’s sky, while the yellow glow of light pollution emanated around them. The wind whipped around them, sharp and cold as white flurries of snow collected on their shoulders. The temperature plummeted. The chill apparent in the way the hair along Ronnie’s bare skin stood on end and the protrusion of her nipples against the thin material of her shirt. She crossed her arms over her chest, attempting to retain what body heat she could as she looked around. They stood on what appeared to be a fairly basic New York rooftop, but they weren’t closer to any other buildings to run to and lacked both her grappling hooks and Theo’s webs. So, basically stranded. Awesome.

Ronnie walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down. It had to be at least twenty stories, easy. But they were in a simulation, so it was safe… Right? Curious, she dipped a foot over the edge. There was no resistance. No invisible floor. "What the—" Her brows furrowed. She picked up a crushed beer can that rested on the ground beside her and tossed it over the edge. Her heart sank as she watched it plummet all the way down to the alleyway below. "Fuck this."

Her head snapped around as the sound of dozens of loud footsteps could be heard hurrying up the stairs towards the rooftop entrance. Ronnie looked over at Theo for a split second to see if he had some kind of plan then rushed the door. The first man out wasn’t ready for her. She jumped up, hooking her legs around his neck and used her body weight to flip him right over the edge of the roof. It wasn’t until she heard him splat on the ground that she realized she should have taken his gun first. Damn it.

The chill in the air cut through his clothes, goosebumps rising across his arms, slicing into Theo as sharply as any knife could. Fuck. He could already feel the edges of diapause sneaking up on him, mind growing more hazy, but it wasn’t too bad yet. They needed to end this quickly, or he’d end up going into fucking hibernation. He missed her analysis of the roof, looking around instead to make sure there weren’t any obvious snipers on nearby rooftops. Without his webs, Theodore felt trapped and vulnerable.

He twisted around at the sound of the door banging open, and then a body launching over the ledge. If he’d had his webs—but he didn’t, and there was no point in thinking about that now. Theo looked around, feeling a little desperate to go into the fight with something other than his fists, and his gaze caught the sight of some kind of pipe jutting out through the roof. "Bingo!" He jolted forward, running toward the men spilling out from the door that stood between him and his goal, Theo waited until he was within arms length of one of the men to launch himself into a graceful flip over his head, landing right on the edge of the rooftop, hand curling around the pipe before ripping it free with a loud and hideous screech of protest, and then he launched himself into the fray.

It was easier to stay warm when he was fighting, twisting out of the way to avoid a punch, he swung the pipe with enough force to break the man's arm, and his gun clattered to the ground. Begrudgingly, Theo kicked it toward Ronnie before spinning around to smack another man in the face with the pipe. "Man," he laughed, knowing it was a simulation but unable to resist. "You have a face only your mom and my pipe could love." The simulation was surprisingly accurate in its offended expression of the man, which only added to Theo’s fun as he swung the pipe again, knocking him clean out.

Ronnie smirked, scooping up the gun and immediately emptied the clip in the next three men that burst through the door. "You still do that?" she mused with a laugh as she tossed the gun into the air. She caught it by the barrel and pistol whipped the next guy. Before he could get his hands on her she kicked him in the side of his knee, breaking his leg with a sickening snap. While she could have left that guy there, it wasn’t like he’d be doing anything else, she just wanted to be extra sure. She blew the man a kiss before slamming her foot into his chest and sent him falling over the side like his friend before him. "That’s five," she called over her shoulder to Theo, keeping count of her kills like it was a game.

His good mood plummeted the moment he heard Ronnie’s voice and was reminded of…everything. The pipe connected with another man's head, but Theo’s careful clutch on his control slipped for a second. Three things happened at once; the man's face caved in, the momentum shot him clean off the roof and into another building, and his pipe snapped in half with a thunderous clang. "Damn it," he muttered, scooping up the other half of the pipe and chucking it another merc, watching with mild amusement as it bounced off his head and into another man’s, making them both stumble and fall.

He wasn’t keeping count, it wasn’t a game for him, and he wasn’t having fun. They were training today because Myla had been attacked yesterday, because his dad and other heroes had gone missing, because they had no other choice. "Just shut up, Veronica." He grunted, dodging a punch to the back of the head but taking a fist to the ribs for his troubles.

"Veronica," she mirrored with a playful sarcasm. Ronnie made the nails on her right hand grow and curve into piercing claws before grabbing one of the approaching men by his family jewels. She smirked, giving it a little yank and twist while reaching for his gun with her free hand. She pressed the barrel to his head. Bang. Dead. She fired two more shots and two more mercenaries fell to the ground in what was quickly becoming a pile.

"You haven’t called me that since—" A punch caught her in the side from out of her periphery and knocked the wind out of her. Ronnie stumbled to the side gasping for air. She sucked in a sharp breath and clenched her teeth before shooting her attacker between the legs. Then, for good measure, she swiped her nails across his neck, ripping open his throat and covering her in whatever synthetic blood pumped through… Whatever the fuck he was.

"Since you faked your death and disappeared, yeah, I know." He snapped, catching the arm of the man who punched him in the ribs, clenching his fingers until the sickening sound of bone cracking filled the air. Theo lifted him by the broken appendage and used the man to knock another one off the roof. They fell, screaming all the way to their messy death, and he was glad this was just a simulation. The back of his neck tingled, and he jerked his head to the side before a fake bullet could lodge itself into his skull, twisting around to kick the goon in the stomach before he drove his elbow into the man's spine, snapping it.

Theodore let out a breath, eyes darting around them. He’d only stay angry if he didn’t start blocking her out, it didn’t matter what Veronica said, not anymore. The tension slipped from his shoulders, eyes narrowing as instinct and concentration took over. Theo darted around the rooftop, kicking, punching, and throwing whenever he could. If he had been keeping track, his numbers would easily be in the fifties after only a few minutes. His breathing was heavier, little puffs forming into the air in front of him, fingers going numb from the cold. He was slowing down a little, diapause becoming more of a threat with every passing second. His eyes felt tired, and he decided if this didn’t end in the next fifteen minutes he’d call the damn safeword if only to save himself going into hibernation.

"I mean, I was going to say the last time we fucked, but sure." Ronnie emptied another clip into whoever poured out of the door next. "And I didn’t fake my death," she scoffed and rolled her eyes before dodging a punch to the left, grabbing the guy's head and slamming his face straight down into her knee. "I just… Didn’t tell you I was alive," she added as if it clarified everything.

Distracted with her taunting of Theo, she nearly missed the man that charged at her. Ronnie dodged out of the way just in time for him to dive past her and fly right over the edge of the roof. As she watched him fall two gunshots rang out followed by a searing pain in her calf and hip. The force knocked her off balance. She stumbled and tripped, tumbling over the edge with a sharp gasp that sucked the air from her lungs.

His hand locked around her wrist, stopping the downward descent of Veronica’s body wrenched his shoulder from its socket, a wheeze of pain escaping Theo’s lips, and he heard a gun fire behind him, pain lacing over his back. Fuck. This. Shit. He should have let her fall, it wasn’t like it was real, it wasn’t like he actually cared about Ronnie anymore. It had been pure instinct, his mind had shifted from it being Veronica to being Myla for a moment, he’d only seen the tips of her fingers disappear over the edge and he’d moved without thinking, all of his worst fears rising to the surface again as he remembered finding her yesterday in her apartment, broken and bleeding and–he’d caught her, for what? For a second, just one horrible second, Theo thought about letting her fall.

Then, because he was a better person than Veronica and a hero, damnit, he hefted her over the ledge before he could get shot again, letting go as soon as she was safe, staggering to the side as his arm fell awkwardly at his side. "Yeah, I’m done." He muttered, shivering and not above forfeiting. Theo opened his mouth, watermelon on the tip of his tongue.

Ronnie sucked in a sharp breath when his arm reached over the edge and he grabbed her wrist just before she slipped out of reach. Her body swung into the side of the building from the moment with a thud. In that split second her mind raced back in time over two years ago. Her and Theo were playing a game of cat and mouse for months and that night he chased her across rooftops on the Upper Eastside. She had stolen something from some rich twat, she couldn’t remember what. But she remembered that night. How she made one wrong move and slipped over the edge. Then he was there, Redback—Theo. Even on opposite sides, he couldn’t let her fall and die. His web caught her and he pulled her back up to the rooftop. She didn’t know what overcame him or her in that moment, but sense and reason fell to the ground in her place as she pulled up the bottom of his mask and kissed him. That was the moment everything changed.

Like a puppet of deja vu, Ronnie’s body mirrored the memory as she was pulled to her feet beside him on the roof. She didn’t hear what he said or notice he was injured. "You saved me," the familiar words fell from her stunned lips like a ghost of their past. Like the night of their first kiss all of her logic drifted away. She grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling him in closer until their lips met. The brief moment stretched on for eternity as waves of memories and emotions crashed into her. How Theo used to love her, used to hold her, used to kiss her… All of it, gone.

Familiar lips pressed over his own, but the attraction he used to feel, the adoration, the love, it was all gone. The moment he realized she was never actually missing, that she’d chosen to allow him to mourn her loss, any remaining embers Theo held for Veronica had died. His lips were like stone against her own, unyielding, unmoving, and the second she pulled back, his hand connected with her cheek sharply. The slap rang out, cutting through his anger.

"Watermelon." He snarled the word as if it were the most disgusting thing ever to grace his lips, and as the rooftop and simulated cold drained away Theo spat onto the concrete beneath his feet, wiping off his lips with his good hand. "How dare you?" His voice shook, so much rage and hurt building up in his chest that he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh, cry, or throw up. "You let me think you were dead. Do you have any idea what that did to me? How heartless are you, to think you can waltz back into my life a year later and think you have any right to kiss me? You disgust me." He was yelling by the time he was done, chest heaving, the pent up aggravation at the entire situation getting the best of him, and he spun on his heel, stalking out of the room before he could come to his senses and feel bad for slapping her.

Ronnie's head remained turned to the side, her hand cupping the tender skin of her cheek as it grew hot. He hit her. Theo hit her. She didn't know if she should be stunned or appalled or maybe even slightly impressed at how he stood up for himself in a way she had never seen before. Even so, a shove she might have understood, but a slap? "What the fuck!?" she spat at him as he walked away toward the exit. "You won't even give me the chance to explain. You just paint me as your fucking villain, let your girlfriend threaten to throw me off the fucking tower and somehow I'm the bad guy!?" She shouted after him as she trailed a few feet behind.

The door slammed against the wall, a perfect indent in the shape of Theo’s hand was pressed into the metal of the door with a soft screech, a dent forming in the wall as it impacted, but he didn’t care. He needed—needed…Myla.

The entire time their training commenced on the other side of the window, Myla sat in a tense silence. Every comment and jab that Ronnie made set her teeth on edge. She kept her eyes closed, running her fingertips across her forehead while her other hand remained pressed against her side to stem the bleeding. She tried to focus on Theo's fighting, the way he started to slow from the cold, and the annoyance that coursed through his body each time the woman spoke. Myla was able to brush most of it off, the comment about their sex life less so. Then Ronnie went over the edge and for a brief second she was almost happy about it but Theo caught her before her mind could run away with the thought. She grimaced hearing the way his shoulder popped out of socket and when he said he was done some of the tension eased in her muscles.

But then all other thoughts vanished when Ronnie kissed him. The color drained from her face while Myla's heart pounded furiously against the inside of her ribcage. She thought she heard a slap but every sound was muffled behind the deafening thrum of her pulse. No one ever likes their partner’s exes, but Myla fucking hated Ronnie. She did more than break Theo's heart, she let him think she was dead. She toyed with their emotions like they were her own personal playthings. But more importantly and more selfishly, she kissed him when she had no fucking right.

The door slammed open and Myla was on her feet. There was no logic or reason, just a blind rage that dulled her senses and burned like an inferno inside her. She brushed past Theo, fist balled at her side. The second Ronnie stepped out of the simulation Myla pulled her arm back then threw her knuckles into the woman's jaw with every ounce of strength she had and knocked her back into the wall. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" Her voice was steady but venomous as her cold anger grew more heated every second she remained near the woman.

Ronnie bounced back, pushing off the wall then shoving Myla away to create some space between them. "Fuck off, angel. This has nothing to do with you."

"Don’t fucking call her that." Theo hissed, reaching out reflexively to steady Myla. His hand was trembling, very aware of everyone watching the show, but he didn’t move to stop her yet, his shoulder was screaming in pain still.

Myla stumbled backwards a step or two but she regained her footing quickly as Theo caught her. She moved forward, closing the distance between them until they stood nearly chest to chest. "I told you," she jabbed her index finger into Ronnie's sternum a little harder than necessary as she spoke. "To leave him alone." Myla took a half step forward, her voice dropping to a whisper that cut through the space between them like a blade pressed against Ronnie's throat. "I didn't think you were the type of person who needed to be threatened twice. But apparently I underestimated how dumb you are." She took another step forward so there was less than an inch between them. "Touch him again and I'll fucking kill you. There will not be a third time. So get it through your thick fucking skull or I'll crack it open like an egg."

She turned away and took a few steps towards Theo before the anger could get the better of her, but Ronnie couldn't keep her mouth shut and let Myla get the final word. "Save it for someone who fucking cares. You're far less intimidating when you can't even look me in the eyes."

That was it, the final straw. Myla paused for just a second as her face went blank and her heart settled to an ominous sort of calm. Then she lunged.

His good arm curled around Myla’s waist, hauling her up and back away from Veronica. All of the cold and all the anger had drained away, and Theo just felt tired. He put himself between Myla and Ronnie, catching the other woman’s gaze from the corner of his eye. The air seemed to thicken some surrounding them, a sense of danger oozing from every fiber of Theodore’s soul. "I know you," his voice was softer, more hollow, and he pulled Myla close to his chest. "You’ll spin a story that absolves you of all guilt, you’ll lie to anyone if it’s to save your own ass." He closed his eyes, resting just a little of his weight against Myla, taking comfort in her being so close. "I don’t care to hear your lies, fuck off."

Myla squirmed against Theo's hold until she broke free. She couldn't stay still as all the anger and frustration boiled and built up inside of her. She looked psychotic and unhinged, she knew it. How the fuck could anyone on this team think otherwise? That had to be Ronnie's plan, to push her over the edge and isolate her. She sounded paranoid and maybe she was. Myla couldn't think straight as the rage consumed every fiber of her being. She shoved her way past everyone and kicked a chair across the room as she walked by sending a surge of pain up her right leg. She didn't bother waiting for the elevator. The last thing she needed was to be stuck waiting like a caged predator. She burst through the door to the stairwell and started climbing her way up the tower.

Theo didn’t wait to hear anything else from Ronnie, or anyone else, before he followed Myla, making a point to slam the stairwell door behind them to cut off the other woman's voice. "Myla, wait!" He cursed as his arm jerked, agitating it further, but he climbed after her, taking the steps two at a time.

"You’re like a little angry Chihuahua that Theo needs to keep on a shorter leash," Ronnie called after her as she rubbed her sore jaw and made her way towards Luke. She didn't think he'd be much comfort, but it wasn't like she had much in the realm of friends there. She doubted Aria would look at her the same after all of that and all she really wanted was the distraction of somebody else to take her mind off of it. "Your floor, right?"

"Yeah," Luke spoke slowly, eyebrows high, but…he wasn’t one to turn down a good time, even if the promised good time was with someone who just acted a little crazy. He’d been worried for a split second that Ronnie and Myla would get into an all out brawl, but the blonde's self control was actually impressive. "Come on, beautiful. Let’s get some ice on that first." He wrapped an arm around Veronica’s shoulders, guiding her toward the elevator. He caught sight of Zaria as he passed, making a point to keep himself between the two women, smirking a little at her as she stood there, wide eyed and worried.



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While James wasn’t the type of guy who was particularly bashful, being in a room full of relative strangers in a pair of shorts that weren’t his was not the best recipe for comfort. On top of being butt ass naked in front of the… whatever this fucking group was, he just destroyed one of the few outfits he had to his name—well the spirit did.

It wasn’t my idea to burn down the fucking church, the voice rumbled its disagreement in the back of James’s skull.

Now that they were out of the simulation, Judge was restless like he needed to stretch his legs just to make sure he could. It took more control than James had the energy for. He wasn’t able to go five minutes without adjusting in his seat or trying to keep his steaming in check. The only thing that kept him glued to his seat was his attempt at being respectful and observing the other simulations, and the vague curiosity at seeing what else the others were capable of.

After him and Jules it was Imogen and Luke who were up next. James figured Lieutenant douche bag could probably hold his own in a fight… unfortunately. He would have enjoyed watching Luke get his ass kicked, but what he lacked in tack he seemed to make up for in physical… whatever. Imogen, on the other hand, proved to be a bit surprising. She had told them all that she had a diamond form, but he didn’t really know what that meant or what that made her capable of. She was strong, that much was sure, but before he could really see anything else Luke called out Watermelon and ended the training. James’s brows furrowed, confused at the man’s disregard. Out of everyone he expected Captain America Jr. to be the one person to take it seriously, but not only was he too good for everything else… He was also too good for training, apparently.

James didn’t hide his slight smirk as he intentionally watched Luke the entire time he walked from the simulation room back to his seat. He might think he’s Mr. Perfect, but so far he was the only person to tap out. While he imagined blondie would keep his mouth shut, there was a little part of him—and Judge—that wanted him to get smart, just so James could rub it in his face that at least he finished his training while being heavily handicapped, and Luke was just a bitch. But rather than seeking a fight, he settled for a shit eating, smug grin and judgemental side eye.

While he thought that Imogen and Lukes’s training was going to be the beginning and the end of people tapping out, James was quickly realizing that was just the tip of the iceberg and things were only going to continue going downhill from there. Myla and Jim seemed to be off to a decent enough start, but their communication was abysmal. It was hard for James to fully understand or follow because he didn’t have the slightest fucking clue what Jim was trying to do, but him calling his partner an ’idiot’ before ending their training definitely said whatever plan the guy had was fucked up by whatever Myla was doing. He didn’t blame her for being pissed, between being openly chastized, minimal communication, and bleeding… James couldn’t say he wouldn’t have been ticked too.

That only left one more training and while James didn’t like Ronnie for personal, and slightly jealous reasons… You know, that and the fact that she fed Coronel ass munch’s ego, he had expected it should have gone well enough. It was quickly apparent from their less than amiable banter that there was some history between Ronnie and Theo. Definitely something sexual. And, as if James needed more clarity on the matter, there was a kiss—promptly followed by a smack—then the final training ended abruptly with another tap out. He wasn’t keeping track but that had to be half of the simulations that didn’t make it to the end.

James stood up, preparing to leave when Myla came barreling past him, going straight for Ronnie. He barely managed to step out of the way before she started swinging. He watched in a stunned silence while backing away to make sure he didn’t get pulled into the fray. The last thing this ticking time bomb needed was an impromptu visit from the spirit.

Sounds like fun to me.

"Shut up," James muttered under his breath at the trigger happy spirit.

He waited and watched off to the side as whatever semblance of teamwork vanished. Shit was obviously going to hell in a hand basket when they were all grasping at straws to form some sort of team. This was like locking a bunch of feral cats in a room together to try and force them to get along. The only thing that would come from it was violence and blood shed. Perhaps he was a pessimist, but James was struggling to see how any of this would work. Hell, he was still trying to understand why the fuck he was there. He could just leave… Maybe he should. The thought had crossed his mind more than once. He felt like a stark outlier compared to everyone else. He had no skin in the matter, no personal connections with anyone there, and he definitely wasn’t fucking someone like over half of them seemed to be doing. The only thing that was keeping him there was a promise… Was that even worth it anymore?

Once the hot heads had parted their ways and disappeared up into the tower, he made his way over toward the elevator and stepped inside with his arms crossed over his bare chest. First he’d get himself a change of clothes from his penthouse and then…? He wasn’t entirely sure… But the temptation was growing. With a press of the button for the tenth floor the metal doors slid shut, closing him off from the others and carrying him up to his apartment.



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For the rest of the simulations Imogen remained silent, bouncing her leg, and shivering from the cold water dripping from her hair and clinging to her clothes. She wasn’t all that surprised that her brother’s training was a complete trainwreck. There was a part of her that sympathized with Myla who, even while injured, was trying her best only for Jim to cut their simulation short too. It really must have been the end of the world where Imogen was one of the few people who seemed to take it seriously. A part of it might have been because she was the least battle hardened person in the room, but it was still important. June and Myla were both attacked just the night before which meant any of them could be next. Phil and Alfred wanting them to train made sense, she just wished everyone else saw it too.

Theo and Ronnie’s simulation proved to be more promising in the beginning. They obviously didn’t get along, but they were working together well enough and trying. That was until Ronnie kissed him. Up until that moment Imogen hadn’t really been honing in on anyone’s thoughts, but that single act made Myla’s thoughts grow loud and violent. She couldn’t blame the woman. If someone kissed Magni in front of her like that… She sucked in a sharp breath, pushing the thought aside. But tensions were already high in their shitty ragtag team. They were scraping the bottom of the barrel of who was left. They didn’t have the luxury of infighting.

Imogen quickly got to her feet, weaving through the benches and chairs to try and reach either of the women before things got out of hand. But she wasn’t fast enough. The slam of the punch rang out and filled the silence of the room. She lingered on the edge of the confrontation, ready to intervene if necessary, but Theo stepped in before Myla was able to lunge at Ronnie and escalate things further. Imogen managed to step out of the way just before the brunette charged her way through and disappeared into the stairwell.

After both women parted their separate ways, Phil sighed, sparing a glance toward Alfred before addressing those who remained. "If it wasn’t already obvious, you all are dismissed."

Imogen flashed both of the older men a weak smile. She slowly spun around and made her way back to Magni, rubbing her arms to try and keep herself warm. "Well that all went terribly," she spoke quietly and sighed. Her index finger playfully tickled a small bit of his skin visible through a fresh hole in his shirt. "You did well though," she added as her gaze slowly lifted to meet his eyes. "Not that I’m surprised. It seems a decade has only made you more formidable." While her smile showed hints of exhaustion and didn’t quite reach her eyes, it was no less authentic. Magni had enough power to decimate everyone in the tower with a snap of his fingers and his strength was one of the many things she found attractive about him. So watching him in action, even if he didn’t take it as seriously as she did, was one of the highlights of her day… Not counting other activities that involved far less clothing.

"Thou fared well, despite the ill-timed exit of thy comrade-in-arms." Magni’s words were as sincere as usual. His eyes did shift towards the various exiting parties, before turning back in Phil’s direction. "In my time in these halls, there had been more care and consideration in our contests. It seems such compassion has departed with those who were taken." Coulson may have had years on Magni, and yet the younger man seemed disappointed with how his elder seemed to be handling yet another conflict in a universe riddled with them.

"This is no longer an academy, Mr. Thorson," Phil replied fairly unbothered as he gathered his things and shut down the simulation. "You’re welcome to file any complaints with J.A.R.V.I.S." With that, he made his way around those who remained and disappeared into the elevator with Alfred.

Magni shook his head to refocus his mind, reaching an arm out to envelop Imogen in a slight hug. He radiated warmth, doing what he could to share his heat for her benefit. "I was without my birthright." As if on cue, he lifted a free hand. A ringing ran through the air as Mjolnir was lifted by an intangible force from the ground a few feet away and floated to his grasp. He let out a relieved exhale as the hammer obeyed his whims. "I hope to show you just how formidable I am, when the time calls for it."

Imogen let her body lean into him slightly, thankful for his warmth and comfort. She appreciated that Magni thought she did well and in other light it might have made her feel more deserving of his affection, but Luke’s thoughts cast a shadow of doubt over anything she might have accomplished in training. Pampered and untrained. The words replayed in her mind like fucked up mantra, whittling away at her resolve and making her second guess her purpose there. Maybe he was right… Maybe Jim—

The start of her downward spiral was interrupted by the shift around them as mjolnir lifted off the ground and flew into his hand effortlessly. Her gaze fell to the massive hammer in Magni’s equally large hand as his words finally cut through her mental fog. "While I’m sure it will be quite the spectacle—" her fingers slowly ran along his forearm until her hand rested on top of his that held the hammer, "—I’m in no rush to see you in harm’s way," she confessed, quiet enough that only he could hear. While he was a God and could handle nearly anything thrown at him, whomever they were up against knew how to subdue an Asgardian. By that logic, it only made sense they’d know how to kill one as well. Magni might have only been hers for the better part of a day, but she intended to enjoy his company far beyond the hell they were in… If fate allowed it.

Magni nodded, his eyes drifting in the direction of the elevator. He did not need to read minds to know the worry in her words. The best he could offer from such grim thoughts was a distraction. "In the interim…" A small smile formed on his lips as he took a breath. He turned to meet Imogen’s gaze. "I believe thou didst make a vow for a more pleasurable sport this afternoon." He slid his hand from Imogen’s back, shifting it up to her upper forearm to give it a light squeeze.

While she remembered the promise she had made before training, much of Imogen’s original enthusiasm was dampened and hanging under the shadow of Luke’s words and thoughts. She hated that someone else’s opinions could sway her mood so heavily, but it was out of her control. Regardless of the spiral her emotions teetered on, she was a woman of her word. Perhaps the distraction would be enough to pull her out of her slump, maybe not. Either way it was irrelevant. She refused to let her own insecurities ruin Magni’s day along with her own. It wasn’t the first, nor would it be the last time she shelved her own feelings so she didn’t burden others.

Her smile grew as pressed the palm of her hand against his stomach, feeling the taut and chiseled muscles of his abdomen through the fabric of his shirt. She exhaled softly as she slowly looked up to meet his gaze. "I am desperate to get out of these clothes," Imogen replied while her other hand attempted to zip up her top for the millionth time to no avail. "Although… You might have to tear them off of me," she whispered as she took a small step toward him.

Meanwhile, Tobias had remained stoic, unmoving, and unbothered by most of what had happened around him. Neither the simulations nor infighting managed to pry him away from his own thoughts as he remained fixated on the Drakes and their missing daughter. He couldn’t put a finger on why it bothered him so much. It must have been some subconscious need to save someone since he failed Helena, a desperate urge to prove that he wasn’t the problem or that he had some usefulness beyond being the single person that wasn’t targeted. He fixated on it like a mad man, sifting through every possibility or way he could find her and fast, that he somehow overlooked the most obvious answer… She was a mutant.

Like flipping a switch, he was on his feet and crossing the room toward Imogen and Magni, paying zero attention to their suggestive closeness and shared whispers. "Hey Imogen. Magni. Sorry to interrupt. I…" Tobias’s brows furrowed slightly as she tried to find the words. "Do you know anyone who has access to a Cerebro?"

Imogen’s gaze fell as a frantic mind grew closer. Tobias’s thoughts raced so fast like someone flipping through pages too quickly for her to make sense of it. Her hand remained gently pressed to Magni’s stomach as her smile shifted from flirty to sympathetic sadness. "I do—but, Tobias," she sighed softly, "It won’t work. Several telepaths have tried, ones far more powerful than me… Once a mutant is taken…" Her voice trailed off as she shook her head, unable to finish the sentence. Hope was in short supply and every time she tried using Cerebro she got nothing. His drive was admirable but he was heading down a path they had tried countless times before… If only it was that easy.

"Luke said that they didn’t think the Drake daughter was taken," Tobias interjected before she could attempt to finish her thought or find another excuse not to try.

Her eyes went wide as his meaning and the realization of it sank in. Imogen took Magni’s free hand, slipping her fingers between his as she looked between him and Tobias with a new sense of urgency. "My mom gave me a mini cerebro when I came here… It’s in my room." She had already started making her way toward the elevator before she finished her sentence. It wasn’t until she stepped inside and pressed the button for her floor that she noticed how it was now the second time in one day that time with Magni had been interrupted. Her heart sank, sparing him an apologetic glance as she drifted toward the back of the lift.

Magni shook his head in rejection to her apologetic glance: saving anyone they could from their adversaries trumped any bedroom revelry. He let her drag him towards the elevator, sharing a glance with Tobias as he sought some level of understanding. "What is a Cerebro?"

"Well I…" Tobias started as he entered the lift behind Imogen and Magni, his drive to see through the one lead he had kept him too wired to be able to relax in the small metal room. "I don’t actually know how it works. Most mutants just know of it."

Imogen looked up from where her gaze was fixated on the seam between the steel doors while the elevator started carrying them higher up in the tower. Her gaze drifted between Magni and Tobias before she chimed in. "It’s a device used by telepaths. It enhances our abilities helping us detect and locate other mutants. A handful of telepaths, like my mom, mutants far more powerful than me…" For a moment her voice trailed off as her own self doubt that had been nagging at the back of her mind tried to claw out. She cleared her throat, shoving it back to the farthest recesses, attempting to compose herself as she brushed damp hair behind her ears. "They uh, tried… Several times. But whatever they do to mutants after capturing them hides their unique brain signatures so we can’t see them."

Her leg bounced anxiously as the gravity of the situation grew heavier the closer the elevator numbers ticked toward her flow. It was one thing attempting to give a motivational speech or fight robots in a simulation, but now that something serious and real rested on her shoulders, the burden and expectations were suffocating. What if she couldn’t get it to work? What if she did see the Drake girl? What if she didn’t? Countless questions buzzed around her head like angry wasps, each chipping away at her resolve and confidence. "Why didn’t I think of it sooner?" She muttered the question under breath, unaware the words fell from her lips rather than remaining locked away.

The second the lift stopped and the bell chimed signaling they reached her floor, Imogen pushed off the wall and started toward the doors before they opened. The moment they began to part she slipped between them and disappeared deeper into her penthouse. Hurried feet carried her into her bedroom then farther still until she was inside her closet, pushing hanging clothes out of the way until a large metal briefcase came into view. She had hidden it away and honestly hadn’t expected to ever need it, but it seemed a lot of things weren’t going quite how she had imagined. Case and point Magni’s presence and… well, everything involving him and the last 24 hours.

Imogen emerged from her room in her diamond form, carrying the heavy, nearly suitcase sized case with ease, opting for speed rather than struggling with its cumbersome weight. She shifted back to normal after she set it down on her coffee table and sat down with crossed legs on the ground. Her thumbs flipped the latches before lifting the lid and opening the case. It looked almost like an oversized, archaic laptop with a small screen, several buttons, and a helmet-like device cradled in the bottom half. She quickly tied back her damp hair into a low ponytail at the base of her skull then hesitantly reached her hands out toward the helmet. Her hands trembled as she choked back the lump that formed in her throat. There was only a handful of times she ever used cerebro. It also hurt and she only managed to get it to work once. The tip of her tongue ran along her bottom lip, finding herself suddenly parched and struggling to bridge the final gap. She made quick work of flipped switches and pressing buttons, booting up the machine and getting it ready. With one final breath for bravery, she picked up the strange apparatus and shoved it on her head before she could talk herself out of it.

Her eyes snapped shut, hands pressing to the sides of her head as she nearly doubled over. Like a blade to the frontal lobe, Cerebro dug into her brain and electrified the psionic tendrils of her telepathy, strengthening and enhancing it as it burst from her like an intangible wave that reverberated around the world. As Imogen dove deeper, the small screen in the case displayed what played across her mind. What used to be an interconnected web of countless lights like a firework across her mind now was an expansive void. All that remained was a handful of dim stars on the edge of burning out. The brightest epicenters were at Krakoa and Genosha. There were a couple other sporadic faint lights but mostly nothing.

She gritted her teeth, focusing in on New England and the handful of lights scattered about it. The tower’s location was dim with only two sparks. She drifted to Xavier’s school finding two similar little stars, but as her mind closed in the signatures had a familiar air to them. A second or two longer Imogen might have been able to figure out who they were, but knowing that she had never met the Drake girl, there was no way she would be recognizable. Her chest heaved with every heavy breath as a migraine had started building up with a relentless pounding behind her eyes. She wanted to pull away and disconnect, and nearly did when she caught a fuzzy dot in between Xavier’s school and the academy.

Her hands fell to grip the edges of the coffee table as she pushed in further until she slipped into the girl's mind. Heavy pants were masked beneath the roar of thunder. The rain was ice cold on her skin and her legs ached as she ran through a thicket of trees. Imogen whimpered from the pain, desperately trying to focus through the throbbing waves that pulsated through her head. She was losing her hold, struggling to separate the girl’s sensations with her thoughts. There was a fraction of a second where she saw a crack and broke through just long enough to get the name Bellamy Drake.

"It’s her!" Imogen’s voice was weak and strained as her eyes snapped open but the relief, although faint, was still palpable. She quickly pressed a button inside of the case, freezing the image of the map and the girl’s current coordinates. A trickle of blood dripped from her nose and trailed over her lips while her trembling hands struggled to pull the apparatus off of her head.

Magni had remained right at Imogen’s side the second she put the helmet on, a hand reassuringly gripped on her shoulder. He was unfamiliar with the technology or what precisely she was doing, but he knew enough about magics and power to know that she was fighting with and against powers he could not comprehend. He also knew that trying to enhance an ability beyond its natural means was always a dangerous road. He held Imogen tight as she fought through the noise, until she finally got what she needed. He didn’t bother looking at the image on the case, instinctively reaching towards the helmet as Imogen tried to pull it off. He was careful as he lifted it up, trying not to cause her any further pain. When it was off and placed on the coffee table next to her, he held her face in his hands and wiped the blood from her nose with his thumb.

Tobias hovered off to the side, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he watched in a stoic silence. He had never witnessed someone use Cerebro to know if Imogen’s reaction was normal or not, but watching her tense from some kind of pain or discomfort that he couldn’t begin to comprehend made him grow more concerned with every passing second. The more time ticked onwards, the closer he got to pulling her out. While he had an unrelenting and nagging need to try and solve this, even if he didn’t know why, it wasn’t worth risking the safety of one of the few of them that was left.

But then her voice broke through her pained gasps. He was so stunned that his plan actually worked that it took a second for him to step into action. Tobias’s hand dipped into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and frantically typed in the coordinates. Once the numbers were in and the map matched the one on Cerebro’s screen he was already hurrying back toward the elevator.

"Wait!" Imogen croaked. She tried to push off the coffee table and get to her feet, but her strength was drained and her body gave before she was a few inches off the ground. "You can’t go alone..." It wasn’t safe for any of them to be traveling alone, as if June and Myla weren’t testament enough to that. She would have argued and fought to go with him, but her body wouldn’t cooperate and in that moment, she realized her place wasn’t out there, but back in Cerebro… guiding Tobias to the girl. Which only left…

Reluctantly Imogen looked up at Magni as he held her face in his hands, then her heart immediately sank and twisted into a dreadful knot in her stomach. The thought of him walking out the door and maybe never coming back filled her with enough dread that a cold chill ran down her spine and nearly made her wretch. She couldn’t bring herself to hold his gaze, let alone ask… She didn’t need to be a telepath to know the same thought was crossing his mind. It was selfish but she didn’t want him to go. Imogen wasn’t strong or powerful enough. If Magni was taken, how the hell was she supposed to save him?

Magni nodded, his hand reaching out as Mjolnir rose to meet his grasp. "I will join thee." His tone was certain, the hammer crackling with a slight surge of power. His expression was grave. "Imogen is right. It would be dangerous if our adversaries caught thee without reinforcements."

Imogen rested her elbow on the table as her head sank until it leaned against her palm. She felt nauseous. She didn’t know if it was from Cerebro or the thought of Magni going headfirst into danger. Probably both. She hated that she let herself get hooked on him so quickly. He was a God. He was the last person she should be concerned about, yet he was the last person she wanted to put in harm's way. It was stupid. This was bigger than all of them. It wasn’t the place for her to be selfish… She could chastise herself about her ridiculous emotions later.

Tobias stopped dead in his tracks, finger hovering near the elevator button as he looked back over at them. Imogen hadn’t been in Cerebro for more than fifteen minutes and she looked like death. And Magni? He needed to be at her side, not risking his life to fill Tobias’s reckless need to prove himself. "You can’t," he contradicted in a quiet yet firm voice before meeting his friend's serious gaze.

"Tobias…" Imogen’s voice was weak but pleading. They couldn’t lose anyone else, not an omega level mutant, not one of the few heroes that remained… not a friend.

"I am quite capable—"

"There’s no one else I’d rather have fighting at my side," Tobias took a step toward them while doing his best to try and be reassuring. "But… They don’t want me. They went out of their way not to kill or apprehend me. I’m the only person who can go."

Imogen clenched her jaw, weighing all of their options only to come up empty handed. He was right, even if she hated it. Traveling alone was dangerous enough as it was, but running straight into danger was a whole new level of crazy. Mustering what bit of strength she had left, she pushed off the table and got to her feet. She used Magni for support as her first few steps were wobbly. But once she was stable, Imogen walked back to her room and grabbed her phone. As she returned to the living room, she pointed at Tobias. "You call me and you stay on the phone no matter what. Or we’re coming after you."

Magni towered over the two of them, his face contorted in a grimace as he weighed the argument. Neither of them were in a position to stop him should he truly wish to go, and he wanted nothing more than glorious combat… nothing except the comfort of his friends. He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head and folding his arms. "I find this course of action inadvisable, but I will not stop thee." He crossed the gap with Tobias in only a few steps, placing a tight grip on his friend’s shoulders. "If thou needst reinforcements, I will be there."

Tobias nodded in silent gratitude. While he still stood under the God’s hold, he pulled out his phone and thumbed through his contacts until he found Imogen’s name. Not a second later her phone rang out on the other side of the living room and she answered without a word. "You’ll be with me the whole time." He gave Magni’s hand a reassuring pat before slipping out from under his grasp and disappearing into the elevator.

With slow, unsteady steps, Imogen crossed the room to where Magni stood by the closed elevator doors. She held out her phone to him with a weak smile. "Think you can man the phone?" In truth, all he had to do was hold it and not break it. She figured it was a safe bet that Magni didn’t have a clue how to actually use a cellphone, but they didn’t have the time for her to teach him at the moment. She’d save that lesson for when she had the time to actually get him one. It was on her to-do list, but right now what was most important was staying in contact with Tobias and guiding him to the Drake girl.

Imogen placed her phone gently into Magni’s palm and let her fingers linger on his wrist as she spoke. "I have to go back in and guide him." She nodded her head toward the Cerebro case that was still open on her coffee table. Her voice was strained but there was a resolute strength beneath her exhaustion. It was one of the few ways she could help. She had to do it… No matter how much it hurt.

Magni tilted his gaze back towards the phone, and then back up to Imogen. He held it gingerly, noting its small frame and seemingly high pliability in his grasp. His chest rumbled with the starting breath of objection, but he did not muster up any words. Whatever that vile contraption was, it seemed to work towards their ends and Imogen was the only one who could make it function. He shook his head, holding the phone aloft. "I… am unfamiliar with how to use this… thing."

A tired, but affectionate smile graced Imogen’s lips as she placed a reassuring hand against his wrist. "It’s already connected to Tobias."

"Can you hear me?" Tobias asked. The sound of the elevator dinging echoed through the call and filled the quiet space of the penthouse, telling them that he had reached the garage.

"We can hear you," Imogen responded, leaning in slightly toward the phone in Magni’s hand. Her thumb lightly stroked the soft skin on the inside of his wrist as her gaze lifted to meet his. "I just need you to keep it close to me so I can talk to Tobias once I go back in," she added with a subtle nod toward Cerebro. Her jaw tensed slightly from the exhaustion that already ached her muscles as she shifted to the tips of her toes. She gently tugged Magni down to her level so she could give him a tender kiss. "Please?"

Magni nodded softly, a small frown on his lips. As much as he hated to see Imogen suffer more while plugged in, he hated the thought of missing glorious combat more. The greater insult than these was to hold a metal rectangle that allowed distant communication while he watched the people he cared for rush into danger. While he softened with the kiss, the tension remained in his shoulders. He spoke clearly into the box, "Make haste, and may thy journey be fruitful."

Imogen was too tired to turn off her mind, although there was a part of her that wished she had. She couldn't blame Magni for being upset when he got benched. Tobias's logic was sound and she knew it was never easy for a hero to stay out of a fight. But there was a part of her that had hoped he would have wanted to stay behind to support her, not run off into battle. That made her feel—No. She wasn't going to do that to herself when someone else's life was in the balance. The Drake girl was more important than her conflicted feelings and Magni's ego.

There was a fleeting moment where she contemplated taking back her phone and figuring it out herself… but she didn't. She gave his wrist one last gentle squeeze, like nothing was wrong before releasing her hold and turning back toward that damn machine. Her legs were a bit weak and wobbly, like the over exertion zapped whatever energy she had. But with a slow determination she made her way back to the coffee table and lowered herself back down to sit on the ground. She closed her eyes and took one, two… three deep breaths, preparing for the dive. Then before she could regret going in a second time, Imogen switched on the machine and put back on the helmet.



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"Myla, wait!" Theo’s voice echoed from farther down the staircase. Fueled by rage and adrenalin, Myla had made it to the same level as the parking garage before she finally stopped. Her thigh was throbbing and blood trickled down her left side, trailing thin lines of crimson from beneath her shirt and along the bare skin of her waist. Her chest heaved, unable to pull in air fast enough to calm the bloodlust that plagued her mind or the tremors that shook her. She grabbed the railing, slowly spinning herself around and lowering herself to sit on the stairs. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on bent knees. Her violently shaking hands stretched out in front of her while her once scabbed knuckles were split open again and blood dripped between her fingers.

Theo followed the blood, and the sight of it made him feel queasy. Why did she run? Was she mad at him? He couldn’t blame her for it, he should have just let Veronica fall. He shouldn’t have ever given her the chance…he paused, breathing hard, his good hand curled around his bad shoulder. "Damn it," he muttered, facing the wall and taking in a deep, shuddering breath. He slammed his shoulder against the wall hard, trying to stifle the groan of pain that followed as he set his own shoulder back into place in anger. It took him a few seconds, and then he started back up the stairs, following the sound of her breathing until he found her. "I’m sorry," Theo’s voice was broken, and he kneeled down in front of her, hands rising with uncertainty, as if he was afraid to touch her. "Myla…"

She swallowed trying to slow her breathing and get her fucking hands to stop shaking. Myla’s head rose slightly to face him, anger furrowed her brows, tensed her muscles and pulled the corners of her mouth downwards into a scowl. But the rage wasn’t for him. She tried to find the softness he pulled from her but all she felt was an acidic hatred burning at her insides. "Why are you apologizing?" she whispered through shaky breaths as her thumb picked at the torn skin of her split knuckles.

"I should have let her fall," he leaned in to her, catching her face between his hands and…Theo just held her for a moment, letting his thumb rub softly over her cheek, breathing her in until his own breathing steadied and his temper calmed. It took a few moments, but finally when he dragged open his eyes he was calm enough to think clearly.

Myla’s eyes slowly closed as she tilted her head into his touch. She used the gentle rhythmic strokes of his thumbs like a metronome to calm and slow down her breathing, easing the storm raging inside her. "No," she whispered, resting her shaking hands in the dips of his elbows. "That’s not who you are." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his, trying desperately to ground herself. "I could have killed her," she confessed, her words barely making a sound as they slipped out. "I wanted to. I would have… If you didn’t hold me back."

"Myla, I love you." The words spilled from his lips before he could stop them, undeterred by her murderous confession, heart thundering in his ears. He meant it though, it was the sort of thing you may realize a little too late, the sort of declaration better saved for a beautiful beach and perfect setting, but he didn't have the energy to not say it, not anymore, not looking at her now and knowing everyday may be their last. "For a second, when she went over the ledge, I forgot that it wasn’t you and I just reacted. I-I can’t lose you, because I love you and I’ve loved you for a long time now."

"What?" The word was stuck in her throat, caught and rough with surprise at his confession. What happened to the beach? The perfect moment? And why did it still steal the breath from her lungs even though she knew the unspoken words he was aching to say. Mirroring their first kiss outside the tower just a day ago, Myla’s hands cupped the sides of his face and closed the distance between them, desperate to taste his lips again. She breathed heavily through her nose, pulling him closer like any gap between them was too much space. It took every fiber of control in her being to break the kiss for only a fraction of a second to speak a breathy whisper against his lips. "I love you too."

A small, breathless laugh escaped him and he was swallowed by her lips as he chased them. He’d been silly to want to wait for the perfect moment, because this was just as perfect as any other. She was here, in his arms, and she loved him too, how could he have ever wanted to wait? It didn’t matter if they were on a beach or in a stairwell, the location didn’t alter how true his feelings were and he would continue to tell her that he loved her no matter where they were. Theo pulled back after a few moments, breathing hard and trying to remember what self control was. "Infirmary?" He managed, wanting to ignore the fact that she was bleeding and Phil’s rule and just indulge. He was fairly certain Myla wouldn’t stop him, either, but she was hurt and he did want their first time to be a little more romantic than the stairs.

"No," the whisper fell from her lips as tried to close the space between them he created, sounding desperate, practically begging. Theo got to break a rule, so why couldn’t she? He didn’t wait until the beach like he said, but let the confession slip out in a cold and empty stairwell. So why did Myla have to wait until she was healed? Given everything that was happening around them, she was never guaranteed to be back at 100% again. She wasn’t bleeding that bad and half of the stitches still held on… If barely. She didn’t care. It could be worse and she still wouldn’t care.

Myla inched closer to him, her knees lightly pressed against his hips. The tip of her nose brushed against his as she tilted her head from one side to the other. She breathed heavily, heart racing with a yearning and a need that ached and burned from deep inside. "I want you," she pleaded against his lips, breathy and lustful in a way she hadn’t sounded before. She swallowed as she ran her fingers tentatively along the top of his hand and slipped them between his fingers. Slowly, cautiously, with flushed cheeks and a featherlight touch, she guided his hand along the curve of her thigh, dipping down until the calloused skin of his palm brushed against the thin fabric that separated his fingers from the tender warmth beneath.

"Fuck," Theo was not, at the end of the day, anything better than a man in love with a woman who was hot as hell. And when said hot woman says I want you like that, you don’t argue or complain. The reaction his body had to her tone, so soft and breathless as she pleaded with him on this last rule, was instantaneous. "Here?" He wasn’t arguing it anymore, because Theodore wanted Myla just as much, and he couldn’t imagine a world in which he turned her down here and now, not with her hand curled around his and his fingers pressing into a warmth that made color flood his face.

A small tremble passed through her body like a wave at the soft pressure of his hand between her legs. Her breath was hot against his skin as her lips ghosted across his with every inhale and whispered word. "I don’t care where." Her empty palm cupped his jaw while the tip of her thumb ran along the edge of his bottom lip in the sliver of space between them. "Now." The plea fell from her mouth like a quiet but desperate moan. Myla didn’t care if it happened in a bed, on the beach or on the stairs. All that mattered was now. Every kiss and tender word chipped away at her resolve until his love broke away what last shred of control she had left. They could die tomorrow or in an hour. The future wasn’t guaranteed. But what she did know was that they had that moment. Nothing else mattered.

"I love you." It was all he could say as he shifted her from where Myla was all but perched in his lap, mind made up as he started to undress her with an urgency that matched his own. Their first time wouldn’t be how he’d imagined it, no soft bed and lit candles, none of the gentle romanticism he’d pictured, but it was perfect just like this too. Messy, fast, but passionate as he repeated those three words over and over, like a prayer.

* * *

Myla wasn’t sure when they made it to her penthouse, nor did she fully recall how they got there. All she was certain of was that they broke Phil’s rule at least once… or was it twice? Regardless, they made it to the apartment and even managed not to leave any of their clothing behind. However they never actually made it to the bed. They laid tangled and naked on the couch, skin glistening with sweat while heavy breaths filled the silence of the quiet room. Most of Myla’s weight rested on top of Theo. Her right leg was bent and splayed across his waist, left cheek resting against his heaving chest like a pillow while her fingers traced random patterns across his stomach.

"You didn’t hurt me, by the way," she whispered against his warm skin, her persistent smile never fading. While he didn’t ask, Myla felt the need to clear the air knowing how scared he was of injuring her or making her wounds worse. But her side had stopped bleeding… at some point. Otherwise, the only thing she ever felt was love, pleasure… and him.

Would Phil accept a gift basket for an apology? Hopefully he didn’t publicly shame them like he had Imogen, but Theo had a sinking suspicion that Phil didn’t discriminate when it came to humiliating someone. Ah, oh well. He’d do it all again in a heartbeat, the grin on his face evidence of how pleased he was with the turn of events. The small ball of anxiety that had formed at the idea that he had hurt her eased some, the fingers of his right hand trailing slowly up and down the curve of her spine. "I was worried," he admitted, glancing down at Myla and finding that a simple look at her was enough to ignite his desires again, so instead he looked up at the ceiling. "Sometimes my strength slips away from me, so I was trying extra hard to be gentle."

"I’m not as fragile as you think." Her voice was soft but there was a faint hint of challenge behind her words. The tip of her finger idly circled his belly button and lightly brushed across the hair just beneath it.

Not that the entire thing had been gentle, it was impossible with how desperate and hungry they’d each been for one another's touch. Her skin was so soft beneath his calloused fingers, and a large part of Theo’s brain was reciting mathematical formulas to try and keep a semblance of control. "Was it…I mean, did you, um…" He trailed off, his other hand rubbed gently at the back of her thigh, trying to find the words he wanted to say. Why was it harder to ask if she’d enjoyed herself than it was to tell her that he loved her? "I’m still taking you to the beach tomorrow." Theo said instead, cheeks warm.

"You couldn’t tell?" she asked quietly, feeling her own cheek grow warm pressed against his chest. Myla didn’t keep track or count. It wasn’t a competition. She was far too wrapped up in him to care about something as trivial as that. But it was more than once. The sensations were still fresh in her mind, the way her back arched against the cold edges of the stairs, how her thighs tightened around his waist, and the waves of pleasure that shook her body. Just the memory reignited the fire that burned in her core for him and made her heart flutter. She swallowed, adjusting how she laid on him slightly.

"You were the first—" Her face scrunched slightly as she realized how that sounded. "Well, not the first. I wasn’t a virgin." Myla anxiously stumbled through the sentence as everything was coming out wrong. She sighed as her cheeks grew more red. She shifted awkwardly against him as she searched for the words. "No one’s ever made me…" For whatever reason, she struggled to finish the thought but she hoped he knew her meaning without actually saying it.

"I…" Theo laughed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead. "I just wanted to be sure it was as good for you, as it was for me." He said, tone soft and reassuring. He didn’t stop his wandering hands, still quietly marveling in the softness of her skin, the flush between them, the desire to pull her back onto him was strong, but Theo was fairly sure she still needed to go to the infirmary and his insatiable desires shouldn’t stop that anymore than it already had.

And yet…"I love you." He grinned as he spoke those words again, wondering if she’d ever grow tired of hearing it as his fingers slid softly along her thigh, teasing Myla ever so gently. If he was a little proud of the fact that he’d managed to do what no other man had, he wouldn’t say it aloud…the evidence was loud enough as excitement filled him once more.

Myla wanted to tease him and ask if the moans weren’t evidence enough, but she kept the thought tucked away with a soft laugh and a fleeting kiss to the skin of his chest that was closest to her mouth. Her smile grew as he spoke the same three words he whispered to her countless times in the throes of passion between heavy breaths and muffled moans. "Are you trying to make up for all the times you wanted to say it but didn’t?" she asked with a playful smile.

"Maybe," he grinned, pressing another kiss to the top of her head but wishing he could reach her lips, or maybe even explore more of her with his mouth…Myla had maybe five minutes before he decided the infirmary wasn’t a good idea and took matters into his own hands. Apparently he folded quite easily under pressure of a certain kind, but he wasn’t sure if he could be blamed when she was so beautiful.

If it was possible, she curled in closer to him, pressing more of her body against his side. Myla's breath caught in her chest as his featherlight touch brushed along her thigh. The caress of his fingers sent a tingling chill up her back, only adding to the burning desire that built up in her again. She softly seized her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt him stirring beneath her leg. "Again?" she teased him softly, lacing her words subtly with the temptation that was growing inside her.

Five minutes…what a joke. Theo’s arms locked around her before he swiftly flipped their positions, pressing her down gently into the plush couch before he kissed her with just as much desperation and passion as earlier. "Again," He confirmed once they’d pulled away, leaning down to press a kiss to her chin, and then two on her throat, along her collarbone, lower…it wasn’t like the infirmary was going anywhere, anyways.

* * *

After they’d thoroughly worn in the couch, and one of the kitchen chairs in a particularly creative moment, Theo insisted on a shower at the very least. It wasn’t at all because he wanted the pleasure of applying soap to her body…no, not at all. Though, he did get a little side tracked in the shower, the entire afternoon was just one moment of weakness followed by another, but eventually they ended up in the bed where he promptly nestled Myla into all the blankets and created a healthy barrier between the two of them, if only to keep himself under control.

"So," the smile was practically palpable as he spoke, laying on his side with an arm carefully curled around her waist. One of his fingers was twirling a strand of her hair absentmindedly, eyes shut despite the lack of exhaustion. Theo felt great, actually. Best he’d felt in months, really, but she looked exhausted. "Apparently I can have J.A.R.V.I.S. order us food, I was thinking a pizza with awful toppings."

"You’re so far away," she whispered. Having spent the past couple hours lost in each other’s embrace, even the smallest of spaces between them felt like a mile. Myla shifted the blankets, breaking the small barrier he made to keep them separated. She slid closer until her body pressed against his, her curves conforming to the ridges of his muscles like two puzzle pieces slotting together perfectly. She curled into him, nuzzling her head into the dip between his neck and collarbone. One of her legs slipped between his and she hooked her foot around his calf. She laughed softly into the warmth of his skin. "What’s the catch?" she asked, voice muffled as she spoke into the curve of his neck. "Gonna drag me to the infirmary?"

A soft sigh escaped him, and he happily shifted to welcome her embrace, rubbing a hand gently along her side. Memorizing every contour of her body would become a new hobby for him. "I thought about it," he muttered, glancing down to make sure she wasn’t bleeding still. It had stopped long before they made it back to the apartment, but it still made a ball of anxiety twist in his chest to know that at any moment she could start again. "But as long as you aren’t bleeding, and you’re not in too much pain," Theo hesitated there, pulling back a little more to get a good look at her face. "You’re not, right?"

Myla adjusted how she was laying slightly, slipping her left hand behind her head to expose the side of her ribs where the cut was. Her right hand gently ran across the rough scabbing and loose strings of the stitches. "No more than I was before." She slowly let her arm fall back down to her side so the tips of her fingers could lightly run along the edge of his jaw. Her expression shifted to something more serious as her voice became quiet and contemplative. "Why did we wait so long?" She sighed as her head fell back against the pillow. "We wasted months and now it feels like I’m on borrowed time."

"I don’t know," Theo was careful to keep the tremble from his voice as her words slammed into his chest with all the force of a sledgehammer. It did feel as if they were both on borrowed time now, and there was likely never a future where they’d be as happy and safe as he’d like. There were less heroes everyday, but no shortage of villains. "I was scared to lose you," he spoke slowly, as if trying to puzzle it all out himself. There was an edge of vulnerability to all of his thoughts, insecurities that he’d repressed for so long that admitting to them now made him feel queasy. "I was falling in love with you, bit by bit, a little more everyday. Admitting it to myself was hard enough, but the idea of telling you too…I knew we were both looking for our dad’s and I didn’t want you to feel trapped."

Theodore let out a slow breath, tugging her just a little bit closer though it felt impossible. Now that he had her, he’d never let her go. Myla was it for him, there would be no one else. Even if they were on borrowed time, it was time that he planned to spend with her. "I don’t think it was a waste, though." He shifted, so that he could press his lips to hers, feel her warmth for a second and let it steady his heart before he pulled away. "It was time with you, that was enough for me."

"I didn’t make it easy," she confessed under her breath while the tip of her thumb slowly ran down the length of his throat. Myla’s brows pulled together, betraying the countless thoughts that twisted in her mind. "I knew, and I said nothing... I should have said something," she whispered before tucking her head beneath his chin. While Theo wasn’t wrong, they spent nearly all of their time together before, but this was different, no secrets, no masks, just each other. Knowing now what it could have been like, she felt guilty for waiting so long. Myla was always able to think of multiple reasons to remain silent and ignored the one reason not to… because she loved him.

"I never felt trapped," she whispered into the small void between them, the warmth of her breath brushing against his neck and along his collarbones. "Just… scared." Not of him, never of him. Scared of how dark and hopeless the world was growing around them. As more days ticked onward and more heroes vanished the more terrified she became that next it would be her… or him. In Myla’s own fucked up logic she thought if she kept him at an arm’s length, she wouldn’t get attached and would save herself the inevitable pain that waited around the corner. It didn’t work. And now… Even within the safety of his arms, in the tower, surrounded by people far more powerful than either of them, she was more scared than she had ever been before. She didn’t know what she’d do if something happened to him. Throw herself off the balcony she imagined. It wasn’t like she served much of a purpose there without him.

"Don’t blame yourself." His voice was firm, and Theodore abruptly sat up, tugging Myla up with him so he could pull her into his lap properly and look at her face. He needed to see that she understood what he meant, he couldn’t stand the idea of her blaming herself for something like this. "I didn’t say anything either. I’m not upset." One of his hands slid against the side of her neck, cupping beneath her jaw, thumb rubbing gently along her cheek.

"I was scared too," he laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I’m still scared, if anything happens to you I…I don’t know what I’d do." Kill himself, probably. He still had his mom to worry about, it felt dramatic and ridiculous, but Theo had meant it when he’d said he’d be lost without her. He pressed their foreheads together, letting his eyes slip shut as he held her. "I love you." He didn’t know what else to say to reassure her, or how to convince her that it was okay now, so he just repeated himself again.

Myla didn’t fight his hold on her or the way he lifted her up and into his lap. Her eyes closed slowly as his fingers brushed along her skin until he held her face in his hand. She relished in the simple touch and the comfort of feeling his warm, bare skin against hers. There was a moment where she tried grounding herself in his reassurances, but hearing him mirror the same dark thoughts that plagued her mind pulled her out of the fog. Her eyes opened as she turned toward him, concern plain across her face. "Promise me you’ll keep living if something happens to me." She reached up and took his face in both of her hands. "Promise me," she repeated, letting the gravity of what she was asking and her desperation wash over him. Myla needed to know, more than anything, that he wouldn’t stupidly follow her into an empty grave.

How could she ask that of him? The idea of continuing to live in a world where Myla didn’t also live…it was unbearable, just thinking about it made Theo feel as if someone had reached into his chest and tugged at his heart. Was this how Juniper had felt when she was attacked? His emotions didn’t feel like his own, how could he ever promise to keep living if something happened to her. "Would you?" He asked instead, because he could promise it, but it would be a lie.

Theo would keep living, but he wouldn’t be alive. Part of him would die alongside her, if something happened to Myla, if he couldn’t save her, how could he live with himself? There was no way he could survive that, not really. He could lie, but he didn’t want to. The idea of lying to her here and now just made him feel sick. "I love you," he stressed the word, wanting her to understand now more than ever what that meant to him, for him. "Myla, I can’t even think about losing you. It would be like…like if earth lost the sun, you’re not just my light, you keep me in orbit." His hands trembled against her, but he held her closer, as if any amount of space between them would unmake him.

Tears welled in her eyes when she couldn’t bring herself to answer him. Myla turned her face away and let her head fall. There was part of her that hoped Theo wasn’t as fatalistic as she was, that he could find some reason to push on, if not for his mom then to continue saving people like she’d want him to. But his non-answer told her the truth even if he wouldn’t. She wasn’t Stark or June, she didn’t have the money or resources or brain power to think up some fail safe if she died that would keep him from being rash. The only solution was not dying and when she was the weakest person in the tower, who nearly died once already, that felt very unlikely.

"You’re the sun," she corrected him softly. While Myla believed what he said with every fiber in her being, there was also a weak playfulness to her tone. "I’m like… a grumpy little raincloud." She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers slightly in a weak attempt to mime a raincloud. Theo was bright, warm, and full of life. She was dark, melancholy, and angry. He was just lucky enough to pull out the last bit of softness that was hidden away in her otherwise cold heart. If he was going to use a metaphor to describe her, he could at least be a little more accurate… The meaning behind it was still sweet if not also terrifying knowing that his happiness rested solely on her shoulders.

"I love the rain," Theo said instantly, leaning forward to pepper kissed across her cheeks, soft and sweet, fingers dancing across her side in the one spot he knew she was ticklish, grinning at her. "I have my favorite raincoat. Remember that time I convinced you to dance with me in the rain?" His lips lingered at the corner of her mouth, and he pulled back just a little, keeping the barest of space between the two of them.

It wouldn’t do any good now to try and change her mind, or back track and lie. They were too alike in that way, but maybe this was just what love did to a person. It made them reckless, and gave them hope where there ought not to be any. It made him feel warm, and happy in a way that felt foreign. Maybe Theo would live if something happened to her, but it wouldn’t be for very long, and it wouldn’t be anything like how he lived with her. "What was the song? I can’t remember," he lied, pressing his lips to hers, trying to draw that happy memory to the forefront of her mind.

Myla’s smile immediately returned just as big and bright as it had before her dark thoughts clouded her mind. She buried her face against his chest laughing as he tickled her, trying her best not to squirm too much and further upset her half torn stitches. If she didn’t know better she would have thought he did it on purpose because he knew she couldn’t fight back. Her smile changed with his comment, not fading but shifting to something deeper and more nostalgic. How could she have forgotten that night? Her body melted into his embrace, head falling to rest on his shoulder as the cloudy memories played across her mind. It was the first time she had actually laughed since her dad went missing. It felt ridiculous and stupid, and even with the privacy of a New York rooftop it still somehow ended up in the tabloids the next day, sparking the rumors of a romance between Redback and Hell’s Angel.

She squinted her eyes, pretending like she didn’t remember the song even though it had made its way onto her playlist that night and hasn’t moved since. Her thumb absentmindedly traced the contours of his muscles. "Dancing Queen, by ABBA," Myla finally answered, tilting her head back slightly to face him with a soft smile.

"Ooh-ooh, you can dance, you can jive." Theo sang, quite badly, but he was laughing as he pressed his lips to hers, grinning through the kiss as one of his fondest memories replayed through his mind. It was one of those moments that makes you feel alive as readily as feeling your own heartbeat made you feel. He’d loved dancing with her, it had been such a spur of the moment thing, but back then…he was already in love with her.

It had been three days before her birthday, and now he knew without a doubt that he’d fallen first. The kiss deepened just a little, some of his earlier desperation peaking through, but Theo pulled away before he could let himself go too far. She was all but sitting in his lap, warm skin sliding against his own, and it already took too much self control than he’d ever admit to not fall into arousal once more. "Best dance I’ve ever had." He whispered, lips fluttering against her skin.

Myla’s smile stretched nearly ear to ear at his off key singing. She was barely able to return the kisses when her lips wouldn’t cooperate enough to stop grinning. But as the silence grew and his kisses became deeper and her body responded whether she was trying to behave or not. She couldn’t fight the small pout that tugged at her bottom lip as he pulled away. Now knowing what it felt like for them to be one, every space and distance between them felt like torture. She was trying to be good, but every praise, memory, and declaration of love stirred within her. She should have let Theo take her to the infirmary or try to get rest, but with every argument all she could focus on was his skin against hers and the closeness of their bodies.

It was like an addiction. Now that she had indulged, Myla felt insatiable. Her body moved, desire overpowering reason like it already had several times that day. She shifted in his lap until her knees rested against the bed on either side of his thighs. Her hips slowly lowered until she straddled his waist and all of her weight rested in his lap. She slid forward until every space was closed between them. The tip of her nose brushed against his, chests pressed together, and the warmth of their cores so dangerously close it made her heart race. She slid her fingers back through his hair, grabbing gently at the base of his skull and tilting his head back to look up at her even if she couldn’t hold his gaze. "I love you," she whispered the words against his lips. That time she said it first, unprompted. Myla felt completely and entirely unworthy of his love but she’d spend the rest of her life trying to deserve it and make Theo feel just as loved and desirable as he made her feel.

Really, the infirmary wasn’t going anywhere so what was that harm in waiting another hour…or two, when they’d already waited so long to get her stitches looked at. He kissed her again, because her pout was adorable and beautiful and he couldn’t get enough of her, no matter how much he tried. His hands found her hips, and he shifted her easily, body eager to relearn the heat of her own. "I love you too, angel." More than he could put into words, so Theo would settle on showing her.



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The sound of shattering glass, the scream that echoed through her childhood home, and dread that had filled her dad’s face, it all played on repeat in her head. He’d shoved his bag into her arms, told her to pack what she could and to run, to go out her bedroom window and not look back. "There’s an old pager in the bag." Bobby’s voice had been strained, fingers digging into her shoulder painfully as he shoved her toward her bedroom. "You’ll be safe there, I’m sorry. I love you."

Everything after felt like a blur. Her bedroom door had slammed shut in her face, and a chill permeated the air as her dad froze it over. She could hear him taking the stairs two at a time, hear the sound of raised voices, of ice cracking, and all she could do was…listen to his instructions. She opened the bag with shaking hands, pulling out most of his clothes and shoving her own in, leaving everything else behind as she slipped open her bedroom window.

This was a practiced move, when she was younger her parents had gone over evacuation drills with her. She threw the bag out first, could hear feet thumping up the stairs toward her room, and rolled out of the window when the first thump shook her door. Bella landed in a tuck and roll that was only a little clumsy, her ankle twinging painfully, but her hands found the straps of the bag and she threw it onto her shoulders, glancing through the kitchen window out of reflex and a sick sense of curiosity. She wished, desperately, that she hadn’t. If she’d just run, if she hadn’t looked back, she wouldn’t have seen the crumpled body of her mom in the kitchen, blood seeping into the hardwood.

She froze, feeling like an ice statue, unable to look away as life drained from her mother. A movement in the kitchen drew her attention though, gaze raising in slow motion to connect with her dad’s. His nose was broken, ice crawling up his arms, and when he saw her he shook his head. The moment of distraction cost him, and Bellamy watched as a bullet cut into his shoulder. He yelled at her again, told her to run, and this time she didn’t look back.

It all felt like a blur, and yet she couldn’t stop replaying it over and over in her head. She’d spent hours crashing through the woods behind her house, skirting along highways, crossing only once, until she’d remembered herself and grown a little more tactful with her retreat, looping an obvious path onto a highway before slinking back into the woods more discreetly. The sky was dark, sun setting, storm clouds rolling in from the north, and she’d only just found a hollowed out tree big enough for her to squeeze into before the rain started.

It was for the best, the small part of her brain that wasn’t revolting in panic and horror knew that the rain would help cover her trail, and she’d be relatively safe for the night. Bell fell asleep replaying the day's events over in her head until she’d grown numb. She woke up with a damp patch curled up in the center of her chest, something small and wet was purring loudly against one of her collarbones. It was still raining, the temperature had dropped while she was sleeping, and now there was a little maine coon kitten nestled with her in her hiding hole.

"Where did you come from?" she’d whispered, holding the little animal with one hand as it blinked at her in the darkness, eyes a beautiful mix of blue and green. Bella had melted at the sight, tucking the kitten closer to herself when it let out a truly pathetic sound and shivered. She stroked through its damp fur with stiff fingers, helping it warm up just as she struggled to. They stayed there for a few hours, Bellamy whispering to the little kitten. When it made no move to leave her, she decided…she had a companion now.

"What should I call you?" She mused to herself, watching the kitten sink its claws into the fabric of her shirt happily, it had puffed up to an unreasonable degree now that its pitch black fur had dried. "How about…Binx?" The kitten dug its claws a little too deep into her shirt, and she let out a small and quiet yelp of pain. "Not Binx, fine, fine…I ought to name you Mister Fluff." She watched the cat's tail flick back and forth, and it pulled its claws from her shirt, raising the paw as if to threaten her. It was so cute… "You’re pretty mischievous, how about Loki?" It purred loudly, and she grinned, almost missing the sound of a branch snapping in the distance.

Loki stopped purring instantly, the small creature's body growing stiff atop her chest and Bell froze too, holding her breath as she tried to listen over the sound of rain hitting the wood around her. A few tense minutes passed, and then her pulse jumped as a man’s voice cut through the moment of reprieve she’d found.

"Clear over here," a gruff, unfamiliar voice, the kitten shrunk back against the base of her throat, and Bella held her breath. "Let’s do another sweep and circle back, we know the general area she’ll be headed to." His voice faded as he walked away, steps loud enough that she ought to have heard his approach the first time, but the fact that she hadn’t set her on edge. She waited fifteen minutes until all sound but that of the nature around her had disappeared, eyes set on the faint glow of her watch, before she shifted Loki up onto her shoulder and dragged the bag from between her legs closer to her face.

She dug through the bag blindly, getting elbow deep before she felt the cool metal of something beneath her fingers. She dragged it to the top of the bag, reading over the message once, twice, three times, before she zipped the bag shut and let out a slow breath.

41.158558, -73.166693 September 23, 18 00 hours

Her dad was cutting it close, he’d never been the most punctual, but maybe if he’d left earlier… she swallowed around the urge to cry, and instead clambered out of her hiding spot. Rain soaked through the fabric of her sweater and jeans almost instantly, the downpour was relentless, a chill that may have been uncomfortable for anyone else sinking into her bones, but it just made Bellamy feel more awake. Loki made a rumbling hiss of discontent from her shoulder, but he stayed put as she started glancing at her Google Map’s app and began to follow the direction of the coordinates.

The rain fell like a monsoon, windshield wipers furiously swiping back and forth but did little to nothing to increase his visibility. Tobias drove nearly double the speed limit as he weaved through traffic, white knuckling as he held the steering wheel with a death grip. It was a miracle he didn’t hydroplane into the highway divider with how recklessly he had been driving since he left the tower. His phone rested on his shoulder, pinned in place by his cheek while Imogen’s voice rang out from the other end. "You’re three miles out."

"Imogen, I can’t see anything," Tobias replied as he skimmed the treeline frantically for any sign of life.

"I know. I know," she replied with a panicked weight to her words. The line was silent for half a minute as the highway curved onto a long straightaway. "Due west," Imogen’s voice abruptly cut through the silence.

Tobias’s head snapped to the right. "There’s nothing there—"

"Stop! You’ve gone too far!"

"Fuck." The phone slipped from beneath Tobias’s cheek and fell to the floorboard as he cut the wheel to the right, doing a 180 onto the shoulder of the highway. The Jeep fought to heed his control, threatening to tip to the left from the force of the turn. With the steering wheel held tight in his left hand, he extended his right hand, willing the axles to lower and get all four tires on the ground before he flipped the car and went rolling into the ditch. The second he came to a stop, Tobias threw the gears into park and jumped out of the driver’s seat into the rain. He kept his hand pointed at the running car, guiding the lug nuts to unscrew themselves from the two closest wheels and float after him as he sprinted off into the woods.

Thirty minutes had changed everything about her little jaunt in the woods, Bellamy wasn’t dressed to be hiking through New York’s wilderness, nor was she prepared for the relentless rain, but more than anything she wasn’t ready for the men that had been following her for close to fifteen hours. She’d thought she’d have time, that she’d be safer once she got further away from her hiding spot, but apparently doing another sweep included further than she’d first traveled because she ran into two men not long after she started walking again.

There was a moment of stunned surprise between the three of them, and then panic lanced through Bella’s chest as one man reached for his gun, and the other for his radio. Everything narrowed down to a single point, panic overriding all of her senses. Her vision dimmed, breathing heavily, anxiety rising up in her chest. She watched as one of the men’s fingers curled around the grip of his gun, the other one lifting his radio, everything moved so slowly. I’m going to die. Bella realized this dimly, her hands trembling, and—

Something sharp cut into the delicate skin of her throat, blood welling up from the scratch, but the sudden and sharp pain focused her all at once. Loki puffed up around the back of her neck, hissing, and Bellamy’s hand jerked up on instinct. A wave of cold lashed out, a little too late. The man with the radio had already started to share their location, but the ice cut the other man off before he could shoot.

She stared in mute horror at the trail of jagged ice spikes she’d left in her wake toward the two men, who were now frozen over like some sick intimation of ice sculptures. A drop of rain hit her wrist, sliding down and dripping against the bracelet that was used to stifle and augment her powers. It was a jarring and horrifying thought, to realize what she’d just done could have been so much worse without it.

"Bellamy Drake?" Her train of thought was halted as an unfamiliar woman’s voice punctured the usual peace of her mind. Bella choked on her shriek of surprise, both hands slapping around her temples as she doubled over. Loki yowled in protest around her shoulders, scrambling to peer around behind them, as if looking for more attackers. Oh my God, I’m having a psychotic break. It was the most coherent thought she could form, a decently logical one in her opinion all things considered. "Please don’t panic. My name is Imogen Frost." Frost? Why did that sound familiar? Bell made an incoherent sound in the back of her mind, because she wasn’t sure if imagining voices in her head was better than a telepath in her brain, but she could hear bodies crashing through the undergrowth not far away and something primal in her took over.

Nothing else mattered, Bellamy was being hunted and she needed to move now. She’d wasted enough time standing there, realizing she was losing her damn mind, and the logic of trying to place the woman’s name fell to the wayside in favor of her sudden, all consuming desire to run. A shout sounded not far behind her, and she had the foresight to jerk to the left just as the sound of a gun firing filled the air, and a tree at her shoulder height exploded into a spray of splinters.

So yeah, she ran.

"There is someone close by on his way to help you." The voice, Imogen, cut through the steady and repetitive stream of fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck that was bouncing around in her head, and while she appreciated the sentiment any relief the statement ought to have brought her was lost as she focused on running in a slobby zigzag pattern, shooting a haphazard spike of ice behind her anytime someone got a little too close. Loki ducked down between the backpack and the back of her neck, clinging to her sweater with his claws, blending into the trail of her hair. Having the kitten added a secondary sense of panic for Bella, knowing if the cat got hurt because of her she’d never forgive herself.

Her ankle twinged in escalating pain with every step, she was breathing heavily, and she’d only been running for ten minutes when she stepped on a rock with her bad foot and it rolled out from under her. Bellamy instinctively twisted, so she didn’t fall on Loki as she tumbled down. A bullet whizzed by her ear, shattered bark raining down on her head from the impact. As she looked up, a figure clad head to toe in an orange and black combat suit was racking another bullet on a large rifle 50 yards from her flank. They were settled in on one knee, lifting the scope up to a large white lens in the mask before their head snapped off somewhere behind Bell. The barrel was swung around in that direction, the mercenary clearly lining up a shot somewhere behind her. They took the shot.

The sound of a gunshot made Tobias freeze in his tracks and his blood run cold. His head turned in the direction of the sound, taking off as fast as his feet would carry him. In the dark of the night and thicket of the forest, he could barely see more than a few feet in front of his face. The rain that fell on his head ran through his hair and dripped into his eyes. More focused on speed and weaving through the trees, Tobias narrowly tripped over her. With too much momentum he had no choice but to jump over her. As he landed, his feet slipped in the mud and lost traction. He braced himself with a hand on the ground, saving himself before he ended up helpless on his back beside the girl.

As he stood up, he ran his hand back through his hair, a mix of rain and mud running down his face as he quickly took a head count of the group of mercenaries that surrounded them. Twelve. There were twelve. Tobias stood at the ready as ten steel lug nuts hovered in the air beneath his outstretched right hand. There was a brief glint of light reflected back at him from his left, then another gunshot quickly followed. He barely managed to catch the bullet, curving it away mere inches from his chest and redirecting it through the throat of the nearest soldier. His left hand extended in the direction of the shooter. Mental tendrils reached out, wrapping around anything metal in its path, guns, bullets, buckles. His fist closed and jerked his arm backwards, yanking the sniper from their perch, pulling them toward him.

Tobias continued to drag the metal closer as lightning struck overhead, illuminating his surroundings. He clocked where the remaining eleven attackers stood in the brief light, but also noticed that the sniper wasn’t pulled closer with their rifle and a few bullets. His eyes narrowed realizing whomever that was had been prepared in case he showed up. While his goal had shifted to catching the shooter before they got away, he first had to make quick work of the men that quickly closed in on him. His fingers wiggled slightly before he whipped his right hand like he was flicking a card. The lug nuts shot through the air, diverting in different directions until they passed through ten of the eleven mercenaries’ skulls like a hot knife through butter. The remaining one barely had a chance to aim at Tobias before he flicked two fingers in his direction, tilting the gun backwards and pulling the trigger. Bone and brain matter splattered on the tree behind him before his body crumpled to the ground.

He held out his right hand, recalling the blood and rain soaked lug nuts to him as he ran in the direction of the sniper. The sniper slowly stood up, cocking their head slightly at the man’s approach. Their next movements were swift. They removed a palm sized canister from the back of their nylon belt, quickly twisting off the top. They ducked between trees, obscuring direct line of sight as they zigged and zagged while still approaching. The mercenary’s arm cocked back, and the canister was launched through the air in Tobias’ direction.

Ice instinctively covered her arms and legs as she’d fallen, twisting up from her hips to coil around her waist, hardening her body for the impact of the ground. There was a distinct part of Bellamy that knew she couldn’t allow it to spread across her entire body, if only for her fluffy tag along. Splinters of a fractured tree rained down on her, the bullet had been so close she could hear it, but the sight of a mercenary dressed differently from the rest of the men sent a chill down her spine.

The arrival of another person almost didn’t break her from the spiral of her thoughts, they weren’t trying to detain they were trying to kill her like they’d killed her mom, and the realization sent her on a spiral. Ice swirled around her palm, and the man who landed in front of her almost was greeted with a spike of ice to the chest, but she realized that he was helping her in time. Bella sat in the mud, a mix of horror and surprise as she watched each man meet an efficient and brutal end before they could get too close. She was out of her depth, this wasn’t a fight Bell was ever expecting to win, but the ice in her palm burned with the desire to be utilized, and her eyes flickered around them, trying to spot something.

How was he even killing them? He was already gone, tearing off into the forest, Bella saw the glint of something careening through the air toward the running man and the ice was shooting from her extended hand before she’d even processed what she was doing. It connected with the object, knocking it off course and—it exploded. She scrambled to her feet, her heart in her throat, Loki was hissing against her neck low and discontent. There was a moment where her brain stalled with everything she didn’t want to do, with the desire to be very far away from this moment, but Bell had spent summers at the X-Mansion before its inevitable close, her dad had been an X-Man, and there was something in him that was fundamental to the concept of hero.

She caught the glance of orange and black moving ahead of where the man had run off too, recognizing the fact that this person had tried to kill her, and Bellamy was on her feet, more ice shooting out at the mercenary. The bracelet around her wrist burned some, but she ignored it in favor of pushing her powers further than usual. A particularly large spike of ice toppled a tree behind the figure, and Bell hesitated, looking toward the mud soaked man before she did anything else.

Instinctually, Tobias raised his hand to try and stop the projectile that was thrown at him but it didn’t bend to his will. He quickly sidestepped, trying his best to dodge behind a tree when he noticed a shard of ice collided with it, sending it careening off course. The explosion rang in his ears as he barely ducked behind a tree. Plastic shrapnel sliced his cheek and peppered his left arm in small cuts. His gaze darted toward the retreating sniper, catching faint glimpses of orange vanishing deeper into the woods. He continued his pursuit, flicking his hands toward the attacker and sending the lug nuts flying through the air after them. Most of them smacked into trees or just barely missed. He immediately recalled the small pieces of metal and sent them back out toward them. Again, most of them missed, but one lug nut threaded the needle, slipping between two trees just as the sniper weaved and cut through their left calf.

Tobias hurdled over the recently toppled ice covered tree and continued hot on their trail. The figure reached for their belt, pulling out a small plastic ball with their left hand while reaching for a pistol strapped to their thigh with their right. They looked away for a moment, a modulated gasp of pain from the calf injury. They tossed the plastic ball at their feet, and a bright flash of disorienting light and smoke erupted from it. All signs of the figure were lost for a moment, until another rip of lightning and thunder across the sky revealed a flash of orange in the trees above. A bullet ripped in Tobias’ direction, and a modulated voice called out above the din of thunder. "You can’t save them all. You couldn’t even save Helena." Several more gunshots rang out as the sniper emptied the magazine of carbon fiber ammunition, some bullets intercepting the lug nuts Tobias was using as projectiles.

The bright light blinded Tobias. He faltered, stumbling into a nearby tree, frantically trying to blink the sunspots out of his eyes. Their words cut through the loud rumbles of the storm like a piercing scream in a silent hall. The blood drained from his face and a chill ran down his spine. He barely had a chance to take in the sniper’s words and there was another gunshot. Out of instinct, he tried to curve the bullet away but like with Helena, they didn’t bend to his will. The shot narrowly missed him, grazing his tricep. He had a split second to act, and while hearing Helena’s name spat back at him triggered something feral inside of him, if he ignored the woman he was trying to protect then he’d be playing right into their hands.

"Damn it," he hissed as he quickly spun around to face Bellamy. Tobias was to her in a second, tackling her to the ground. Bullets whistled overhead as he hovered a few inches above her, hands braced in the mud on either side of her. His face contorted and grimaced as two of the shots sliced across his back making one of his arms buckle and his weight shift down to his elbow, but he didn’t move.

She had maybe ten milliseconds to process the fact that her supposed hero was rapidly approaching where she was, and it wasn’t nearly enough time to do anything more than stand there with a dumbfounded expression as he tackled her to the ground. The sound of a bullet impacting the tree behind them was warning enough, but she hadn’t been able to brace herself for the impact properly this time. Her choked wheeze was drowned out by a howl of anger from around her neck, Loki scrambling around in her hair and swiping at the man in anger. Bella squeezed her eyes shut, using one hand to catch the angry kitten behind the neck and jerking her other arm up. She twisted her wrist, ice spreading around them in a small, bitingly cold dome.

It wouldn’t do much against a bullet, but it gave them the illusion of safety for just a second, and that was all she needed. Bellamy fumbled with her free hand, struggling to hold back Loki, but she followed the warm trail of blood up his arm, fingers brushing clumsily along his bicep. "I’m sorry," her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, and then she froze over his injury, stopping any more blood loss for the time being. The dome cracked around them, and Bella let go of his arm, twisting beneath him to wrap both hands around the kitten that was, evidently, not fond of mud.

Tobias looked down at the woman beneath him with a confused expression as her fingers climbed up his arm. He looked over just in time to see ice grow across the cut and seal it. He cleared his throat as he looked back down at her. "Thanks," he whispered.

When there was nothing but the sound of thunder and rain he pushed his right hand up against the ice dome, pressing against one of the cracks and breaking it open. Tobias pushed off the ground and rolled back to rest on knees half sunken in the muck beneath him. He already knew what he was going to see, or what he wasn’t going to see, but his gaze slowly drifted over in the direction of where the sniper was but there was nothing. There was no way he’d be able to track them… They were gone. His chest heaved to take in ragged breaths as his head fell. It wasn’t a loss. He had to remind himself of that, but it was hard to think that way when the one person who could have given him answers was out of grasp.

Beyond the point of drenched, he took a minute or two to catch his breath before climbing to his feet. Tobias took a step toward Bellamy, then reached down to her, taking one hand in his while the other gently took hold of her shoulder. Slowly and carefully he helped her to her feet. "Are you hurt?" he asked as his eyes scanned her for any visible injuries, especially bullet holes.

The few moments of reprieve of distance between them allowed her time to soothe Loki, cooing at the angry cat and using her sleeve to try and wipe away the mud from behind his ears. He didn’t seem to enjoy that very much, but he wasn’t hissing or growling when she settled him back around her shoulder so she counted it as a win. She’d been so distracted with the damned cat that she’d barely registered the man coming back until his hand curled around her own. Bellamy reflexively flinched back, but she didn’t pull away from him, he was gentle in a way that thawed her ice almost instantly. "No…" her eyes glanced at his arm, her ice there was still holding strong, and then she looked away. Her gaze caught on a crumpled body in the distance, she couldn’t make out his distinguishable features, but she could see that his chest was not moving. Her eyes stayed there, breath hitching in her throat, and she realized how utterly out of her depth she was. "Are they all dead?"

Bellamy’s voice trembled, and her horror stricken whisper was almost washed away by the sound of the rain. Lightning cracked open the sky and her gaze jumped back toward him, catching a glimpse of his face clearly for the first time, even if it was fleeting. The first thought, louder than all the rest, was that her hero was actually quite handsome. The second thought that battered away the first like an angry ram, was that he looked strangely familiar. Bella’s mind kicked into overdrive as she tried to place how she knew him, the briefest of memories of her dad showing her pictures of well-known mutants she should steer clear of, at all costs he’d said, flashed across her mind as thunder rumbled above them.

Magneto.

Dread slid into her chest like the rain drops that dripped between her collar, cold and cruel, and she shrunk in on herself some, logic fighting with fear. This man was too young to be him, there were differences in his appearance, she was sure of it, but the lighting was too dim to differentiate at the moment. He’d saved her, tried to protect her, so…not Brotherhood, right? The woman, Imogen, had said he’d come to help her, but the voice had gone silent. "What’s your name? What happened to the…" she trailed off, looking down at her mud soaked shoes. It was only then that Bella realized she was trembling so hard it looked like she was shivering, it was almost comical. She didn’t want to finish her sentence, because asking a stranger what happened to the voice in my head? sounded like an awful idea.

Noticing the way she shook and how she struggled to look at the bodies, Tobias took a slight step into her line of sight. "Don’t look," he spoke quietly, calmly, knowing that not everyone had grown so numb to death and murder like he had. He glanced over his shoulder slightly, quickly clocking the various dead mercenaries scattered around them. "Yes," he replied while holding out his right hand, pulling the lug nuts from wherever they rested on the forest floor and guiding them into his pocket. "I killed them. Your conscience is clean." While there were no sounds of approaching soldiers or gunshots, Tobias’s gaze continued to scan the treeline around them rather than looking at her. He was on edge and was going to remain on edge until they were back in his car.

When she asked his name, Tobias’s gaze snapped back to her, noting the way she trembled and the fear that hung on her words. It had been awhile since he encountered someone who knew of his father. He had almost forgotten what the initial reactions were like. With a defeated sigh, he took a step back from her and held his hands up slightly, trying to make himself appear as harmless as possible… considering the bodies that littered the ground around them, dead by his hands. "My name is Tobias Lehnsherr," he answered, hesitantly meeting her gaze.

He was trying to reassure her, trying to protect her even though there weren’t any more enemies around, and what was left of the ice that clung to the tips of her fingers thawed completely. Bellamy’s shoulders slumped some, but she looked back up at him, meeting his gaze with less fear. "I’d be dead without you," her voice still shook, but this wasn’t Magneto and, given the fact that Tobias wasn’t trying to put a little bit of metal through her head, she figured she could afford him more than a little bit of grace. "Thank you."

Bella shifted her weight some, favoring her left leg, before she looked back down. Her gaze settled in the center of his chest, finding it easier to find her words looking there than keeping eye contact. "This is going to sound insane, but um…a voice in my head told me you were…coming?" She winced at the words, feeling ridiculous and a little bit like she ought to be in a psychward. "Is-Is that normal, like, for…you, or am I actually going crazy?"

Tobias slowly lowered his hands. He wasn’t good at receiving gratitude, never knowing what to say. He swallowed and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Before answering her question, he took a cautious step toward her, not wanting to alarm her or make her frightened of him. "We can’t stay here, but I promise I’ll answer any questions I can." He hesitated a moment beside her, noticing the way she favored her leg and knowing that the highway wasn’t exactly close. "I’m sorry," he whispered. Tobias guided her right arm across his shoulders as his left arm wrapped around her waist. There was an almost imperceivable wince that tensed across his face as his right arm swept beneath the bend in her legs and he lifted her up off the ground. The stitches in his shoulder tugged against his skin, fresh wounds stung from rain and sweat, and his legs threatened to buckle after a day full of working out, training, and sprinting through the muddy woods, but he pushed all the discomfort the back of his mind and focused on reaching his car.

Her brows had furrowed in confusion, a drop of rain sliding down between them and off the tip of her nose, but she hadn’t moved away even as Tobias closed the distance between them further. She ought to have, but Bella was tired and they’d established the fact that he wasn’t planning to hurt her, but she really should have. She’d gasped as he lifted her up, instinctively raising her free hand to catch Loki before he could sink his claws into the back of her neck, dragging the kitten to the front of her chest, and feeling a wave of guilt as the man tensed and flattered for a moment. Was he hurt somewhere other than his arm? "I can walk!" Her words were lost to more thunder, and she had a feeling he’d protest regardless, so she gave up on arguing and simply held on.

It took them several minutes to reach his car at a far slower and more cautious pace. Tobias didn’t risk talking, focusing his attention on being hyper aware of their surroundings in the off chance the sniper came back. Once they stepped out onto the shoulder of the highway, he let out a sigh, reveling in the false security of being out in the open and no longer obscured in the forest. His Jeep was still running, driver’s side door open, windshield wipers beating quickly, and headlights pointed the wrong way down the interstate. He waited until the coast was clear then walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. Carefully, he set her into the seat. As he helped Bellamy with her seatbelt, he looked down and properly noticed the tiny drenched ball of fur that tried to swipe at him earlier. "Cute cat," he commented, looking over at her with a weak smile.

Loki wasn’t in the same charitable mood he’d been in when he’d first found Bellamy, if his answering and subsequent hiss was anything to go off of, but considering the fact that he was just sort of drenched and pathetic looking it wasn’t the threat the kitten likely thought it was. "He found me," Bella glanced down at the cat, face soft and open as she stroked at one of his ears, a small smile curling her lips as he stopped hissing to preen under her affection. "I named him Loki, it felt fitting." She glanced back toward Tobias, eyes adjusting to the light, even as dim as it was, it still felt jarring after so long in the darkness.

A tired chuckle escaped his lips. "Yeah, I think so," he agreed.

Beneath the dim overhead light, not feeling like he was two seconds from being shot at, Tobias finally got a good look at her. Even drenched in rain and covered in mud he couldn’t deny how attractive she was. The brightness of her blue eyes was jarring, catching him off guard. He froze, for just a second before clearing his throat, withdrawing back out into the rain and closing the door for her. As he made his way back around the car, he willed the lug nuts out of his pocket and mentally screwed them back onto his wheels. The driver’s seat was drenched, but he hardly paid it any mind as he sat down, soaked from head to toe himself. After closing the door, he immediately cranked up the heater. He reached into the backseat, grabbing a discarded hoodie and held it out to her. "Here. You’ll get a cold."

Not that it would do much, but paranoid that they could be attacked again, Tobias hit the button to lock the doors. He took a second to catch his breath, letting his head fall back to rest against the seat. "The voice," he spoke up between heavy breaths, chest heaving as the adrenalin started wearing off. "Was it Imogen?" he asked, slowly rolling his head to the right to meet her gaze.

Her bag rested between her feet on the floorboard of the jeep, warmth rolling over her chilled and cold flushed cheeks as the heaters kicked into overdrive, and Tobias’s hoodie was soft between her fingers as she pulled it toward herself. Despite the sudden warmth that flooded the cabin of the vehicle, Bella was still shaking. She felt, for perhaps the first time in her entire life, truly cold. Her mind had begun to wander toward the memory of how it all started when his voice pulled her back to the present, and she hastily pulled the hoodie over her head, pretending she didn’t want to hide her face and the tears that burned her eyes inside of the fabric. Loki stayed nestled against the hollow of her throat, half beneath the warmer and dryer fabric of the hoodie, and for once the kitten looked at Tobias with something closer to approval. "Yeah," Bella ran a hand through her drenched hair, trying to pull it away from where it was sticking at the back of her neck. "Imogen Frost…so, I’m not crazy? That’s good." Despite the effort to pull humor from the situation, her voice sounded flat and dull, eyes stuck on the dashboard.

As the rush faded and the cold of the rain seeped into his bones, Tobias began to shiver. He went to rub his arms and boost his circulation, but his hand nicked something in his left arm and he winced. Looking down he noticed small pieces of plastic shrapnel sticking out of his bicep. He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth before attempting to pull the pieces out with his trembling right hand. "She’s a friend." His nostrils flared as he plucked out another piece.

Then nearly deafened by the loud beating of the windshield wipers and the continuous thunder, he heard a muffled voice. "Tobias!?"

"Shit!" His right hand dropped to the floorboard between his legs, feeling around until he found his phone. How it was still on and not damaged by the rain, he didn’t know. "Imogen. Imogen," he began before he had the phone fully pressed to his ear. "It’s ok. I’m fine—" his gaze drifted over to Bellamy, "—we’re fine."

"Thank god," she sighed out of relief. "Magni was two seconds away from going to find you."

"No. Don’t leave the tower," Tobias tried to reassure her and Magni, who was most likely listening. "I’ll be back soon and get off that machine before you give yourself a stroke, Imogen."

"Yeah, ok. Be careful. Call me if anything changes. If you’re not back in two hours we’re coming to get you."

"Got it." He hung up the call and sighed.

Tobias slid his phone into one of the cup holders. "Imogen helped me find you," he admitted, looking back over at Bellamy. "Imogen, me… A handful of others like us… We have somewhere safe. I can take you there, but if there’s somewhere else you’d rather go I can take you there too. I won’t force you. The choice is yours."

She’d flinched when Tobias dived down, searching for something beneath his seat, but relaxed at the sight of his phone. She’d zoned out for a moment, physically she was in the jeep with him, but mentally she was several miles away, standing at the window to her kitchen, watching her dad get shot while her mom lay bloodied and broken only three feet away. The shock she hadn’t allowed to form earlier was taking root in her chest, and Bellamy just wanted to make herself as small as possible so she could find a way to hide from it all. The sound of Tobias’s voice directed at her, rather than the phone, pulled her back from the edge.

Bella turned her head slowly to look at him, actually seeing him clearly for the first time since they’d met. Her eyes slid from the tattoo’s along his throat, up to the line of his jaw, hesitating on the cupid's bow of his upper lip, before their gazes met fully. She felt like she was in a fog, coherent thoughts slipping between her fingers. "I don’t have anywhere to go, Bellamy’s voice was still monotone, but it was fracturing like glass. A touch of despair slipped in, and she felt like she was drowning in it. "They killed my mom…she wasn’t even a mutant." Her voice caught in her throat, and the temperature in the jeep plummeted for a moment, the heaters trying uselessly to keep up.

Her whole body shuddered, and just as quickly as the chill came, it was sucked back out. She twisted the bracelet around her wrist twice, using it to get a smidge of control back. "I’m sorry," Bellamy whispered, glancing at Tobias and then looking away again. He really was more handsome than anyone that was covered in mud and drenched in rain ought to be. "I’ll go with you."

Tobias studied her face as she spoke, noting the way she struggled to hold on and keep it together. The cracking in her voice triggered a pang in his heart and a desire to ease the pain without the knowledge of what to do. He nodded his head, silently acknowledging everything she said. "Don’t apologize," he kept his voice calm, trying his best to reassure her in what ways he could without overstepping or making it worse.

His gaze shifted forward while his face remained partially turned toward her. Tobias quickly pulled any remaining plastic from his arm, rubbing his hand aggressively to knock out any last pieces without a care if he made the cuts worse. He couldn’t be bothered to waste the time. After buckling his seatbelt, he went to put the car into drive and paused. "I can’t fully relate to what you’re going through. They took my niece two weeks ago, but they never killed anyone I care about," he admitted while watching the rain pelt the windshield. "I’ve been trying to help for over a year and you’re the only person I’ve been able to save." Tobias slowly met her gaze. His voice was calm, but deep and carrying a heavy weight of seriousness. "Don’t blame yourself for any of it."

His left hand rested on the steering wheel, thumb tapping lightly. "I can’t offer much," Tobias continued, filling the silence. "I don’t know if the others at the tower can either, but…" his voice trailed off for a second as he tried to find the words. He was never the best at emotional support, often expected to be the strong and silent body guard, not the therapist. But he tried his best to find the words that he’d want to hear if he was in her shoes. "If you need a shoulder to cry on, I won’t judge you and I won’t ask questions."

Her walls crumpled like the ice dome had earlier, cracking and falling apart by the time Tobias was finished speaking. A sob caught in her throat, and Bellamy twisted her face away from him in shame. She wasn’t a trained hero, wasn’t accustomed to trying to contain her emotions when faced with something as overwhelming as all of this had been. Her dad trained her with her powers, making sure she knew what to do in the event of an emergency, that she knew how to survive if push came to shove, but all things considered Bella had led the most normal life a mutant of her caliber was allowed to live. This was more than anything she’d ever thought she’d have to deal with, and she was still scared, reliving those first few moments over and over again.

Tobais’s presence was like a balm to her soul, despite the fact that she felt so ashamed with breaking down in front of him, she felt safer in that stupid jeep than she had the whole time she was alone. Loki mewed at her, struggling to pull himself from the hoodie, paws that were a little too big for his little kitten body smacking at her cheeks as tears fell. Those big green eyes turned onto Tobias, ears flattening back some, giving the man the impression that the cat wanted him to do something about this because he’d started it.

"I’m fine," Bellamy’s voice was soft, steady in its false bravado despite how her breath hitched between sobs. It was a lie, but she was an emotionally private person and being so vulnerable with someone who was still a stranger was, as bizarre as it sounded, just as scary as being shot at had felt. "Sorry, I’m—I’m fine."

He swallowed and clenched his jaw, watching her fight the tears and sobs he could hear fighting for control in her voice. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do. There were no reassurances that words could give, he was already painfully aware of that. He contemplated, if only for a moment, to offer her a hug or… something but again it felt out of place for two strangers. Tobias just nodded his head and tapped his hand on the armrest, choosing to respect her privacy and not ask questions, as he promised. "Ok," he replied quietly while pushing on the clutch and shifting into first gear.

Tobias spared the small kitten a sideways glance before turning the car around and pulling out onto the highway. "I don’t think your cat likes me," he commented, trying to fill the silence with easier conversation. Anything was better than dwelling on what happened or how they were both probably on the edge of hypothermia.

She appreciated the space, the fact that he didn’t address it, that he gave her some space to try and get her emotions under control, it meant more than she could put into words. It took a few minutes of Bella focusing on her breathing, trying to steady the roll of her turbulent emotions, but soon she’d managed to slow the tears and stop the sobs all together. There would be a time later, she was sure, where she could break down properly. Now wasn’t that time, not when her emotions were tied so closely to her powers, if she let it go right now it would be like a scene out of that stupid kids movie, and she wasn’t trying to reenact Elsa at this point in time, not when Tobias was still shivering beside her.

"He’s just cold," she finally said, tugging the kitten from the hoodie and holding him closer to one of the vents. It was a little funny how, as his fur dried more and more, he began to puff up like a little ball of lint. Her lips pulled up into a weak smile at the sight, but Loki looked back at her steadily, not amused. "I…I ran for a few hours, and then I found this hollowed out tree, it was just big enough for me to slip into. I dozed off, and woke up with him on my chest." She brushed the fingers of her free hand across his head, crumbling away some of the dried mud that was sticking to the back of his neck with careful and steady fingers. "You could pet him, he likes it right under his chin…but uh, driving, right, maybe later."

Bellamy glanced at Tobias out of the corner of her eye, before she looked back down at Loki, trying to work through everything she wanted to say, all the questions she had, all while keeping a careful seal on her emotions. "I’m sorry, about your niece." She bit the inside of her cheek when those words slipped out, because that hadn’t been what she’d planned to say but it had bubbled out before she could stop herself. Bell blinked a few times, trying to keep her own tears at bay. "Thank you for…saving me." She shrugged one shoulder. "I thought I was on my own."

"Sounds like he was lucky you showed up," Tobias commented, sparing a quick glance at the puff ball with eyes.

His driving was far less erratic and death defying than it had been on his way there. Tobias drove under the speed limit given the heavy rain and was far more cautious with two more passengers’ lives in his hands. When he came to one of those little gravel lanes that connect both directions of traffic where cops usually scanned for speeding, he pulled into it and turned them back in the opposite direction. It wasn’t technically street legal, but he cared more about getting back to the tower than breaking a stupid traffic law. His knuckles were tight around the steering wheel trying to steady the tremors in his arms. The heater helped but the cold felt like it had burrowed itself into the marrow of his bones and laced its way into his blood.

He blinked and nodded his head, struggling to know how to respond to her gratitude. "I uh…" Tobias cleared his throat, trying to organize his thoughts. "We were told about your family last night. Everyone else had just accepted it but… Hearing you were unaccounted for bothered me," he admitted, keeping his gaze ahead and focused on the road. "I couldn’t sleep. Something in my gut told me we needed to try something. I asked Imogen to try Cerebro. It uh… doesn’t work on people who’ve been taken but you’re a mutant so… I figured…" His voice trailed off for a second as he looked over at her briefly. "When she found you I got in my car and got here as fast as I could. Sorry I didn’t come sooner."

Leave it to Tobias to find failure even in his successes. Bellamy was the first person he had actually saved and while he should have been happy about that, all his mind could focus on was the countless other ways he failed. How he didn’t go to Imogen last night. How he didn’t pull over the second Imogen told him too which cost him another minute. How he let the sniper get away… He lost sleep because his gut told him that she needed help. Now he was going to lose sleep replaying every mistake he made like a broken record.

"Don’t apologize," her voice was firm, and louder than it had been since they’d met. Bella flinched at the tone, and ducked her head some, embarrassed by how adamant she felt about that. She cleared her throat, and tried again, voice softer and a little shaky. "It sounds like you, and Imogen, did more than anyone else. I don’t think they were going to kill me, not until I ran." The memory of the bullet whizzing by her ear still set her on edge, if she hadn’t tripped at that exact moment she would have been dead before Tobias even got there.

"They usually don’t," he stated plainly, having studied anything and everything he could on the disappearances since they started. Tobia’s thoughts started drifting towards his missing sister, brother… niece. He cleared his throat, pushing them away and focusing on what he did know. "From everything I’ve learned they don’t leave behind bodies." He spared a quick glance over at her in a silent apology, realizing how insensitive he probably sounded. "Sorry," he muttered before continuing. "I haven’t heard of anyone else being caught in the middle. Any of their own that gets killed is retrieved… quickly. It’s good we left when we did. I wouldn’t be surprised if more arrived to clean up after us."

There was a moment where he paused, considering if he should say his final thought or keep it to himself. Considering she seemed to have a decent enough idea who he was, Tobias might as well get it out in the open. "I uh… I’m the only one, that I know of, who’s been intentionally left behind and not killed," he confessed barely above a whisper. "I think... they’re scared of my father," he added, this time intentionally not letting himself look over at her out of fear of what her expression could reveal.

She let out a slow breath, digesting his words and turning them over in her head before responding. It made sense, anyone with two brain cells would be absolutely terrified of angering Magneto, though she wasn’t quite sure if it made sense for Tobias to be here but…she couldn’t judge him based on who his father was, especially after he’d saved her. "That makes sense," Bella chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, not sure if she should bring it up but feeling like he at least deserved to hear it. "I’m sorry, for being scared at first. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I just… my dad has shown me pictures of your dad before, told me to stay away from him. I didn’t know he had a son." She stared down at Loki, and her mouth kept moving before she could stop it. "I was a little more caught off guard by how handso—" Bellamy coughed, privately mortified, and cleared her throat loudly. "I mean, I was just surprised."

Tobias’s brow raised as he turned slightly to look over at her. There was a second or two where his brain struggled to catch up, trying to determine if she was saying what he thought... No, no. He looked back toward the road, adjusting how he sat and secretly thankful he was cold enough that there wasn’t enough warmth in his body to make him blush. "It’s ok," he reassured her. "I’m used to that type of reaction. You didn’t try to kill me, so that’s a bonus," he added with a tight lipped smile.

He sighed and brushed his wet hair back out of his face to keep the water from dripping into his eyes. "What would you like me to call you," he asked quietly. "I mean, I know your name but…"

Finally, Bella looked at him again. She watched his arms trembling and a keen sense of uselessness bubbled up inside of her, she hadn’t helped in the fight, and there was absolutely nothing she could do to help him warm up now. She naturally ran a little colder than the average person, if he was overheating she could help, but even treating hyperthermia was something that was currently beyond her capabilities. Her dad could have, but it was too delicate for her to fuck around with and potentially give Tobias organ failure.

"Bellamy is fine, but um, I mean, my friends call me Bella, or Bell… So, either of those is fine." Loki was relatively dry now, it was the luxury of being so small and fluffy she supposed, and rather warm too. She sat the kitten down in her lap, freeing both her hands to twist anxiously as she glanced back toward Tobias every few seconds. The kitten stood up, shaking himself out and stretching, before carefully and timidly stepping off of her lap, and onto the middle console.

Bella’s eyebrows rose some as the kitten sniffed at Tobias’s arm, sneezed once, and then flopped over into the man’s lap, curling up into a little warm ball against his lower stomach. She stared for a second, genuinely surprised, and then glanced away blushing. "Guess he does like you," she whispered, not having the energy to smile but feeling just a little lighter than she had before. "Do you prefer Tobias?"

Tobias’s gaze flicked between the road and the small kitten that climbed into his lap. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as his right hand slowly fell to gently hold the kitten securely in place. It was strange how such a tiny little creature could bring a foreign comfort, given everything that happened. The small act of kindness from an oblivious animal was nearly enough to undo him and make the cacophony of emotions that stirred in his mind pour out. His thumb idly stroked the cat’s fur as he steeled himself, pushing down his own feelings. "I’ve never been asked." He paused for a moment to ponder the question before continuing. "My mom calls me Toby, but that also kind of sounds like a dog’s name." He laughed weakly.

She’d reflexively glanced back at him, catching the faintest hint of a smile, and her shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch. Bella glanced down at her hands, one of her palms was scrapped raw from falling, and a few slivers of wood were embedded in the soft skin at the base of her wrist. She grimaced, not even having registered the injury earlier but now that the adrenaline was wearing off she could feel every ache and twinge across her body, her ankle actually hurt a lot worse than she’d initially thought, and she shifted a little in discomfort. "I like Toby," she murmured, trying to distract herself. "At least your nickname wasn’t used in a bad vampire romance novel." It was a poor attempt at a joke, but Bella managed a small and weak smile of her own. Her dad had always joked about that, teasing her occasionally about it. "Does your arm hurt?" She glanced toward him, gaze lingering on the cut there. The cab of the jeep was steadily growing warmer, and even though her clothes were wet and uncomfortable it was better than hiking through the woods in converse.

A tired snort of a laugh rumbled in his chest. "Well, Bell’s better anyway," he replied, the faintest bit of a smile still lingering across his face. "Easily the best Princess and my favorite Disney movie. So, it’s like a double bonus there." The shift to lighter conversation helped release some of the tension across his back. As he let his shoulders fall slightly to try and rest, he felt his stitches tug in a way that almost certainly meant he popped a couple of them. He sighed knowing that there was no way he’d be able to disappear into his room without Alfred sneak attacking him and forcing him back into the infirmary.

Something in her chest tugged and softened at his words, a genuine but small smile pulled at her lips, the slightest tinge of pink coloring her still cold flushed cheeks, but the jeep was too dark for him to notice and she appreciated that. Something about the fact that he’d watched enough Disney movies to have a favorite Princess warmed her to him more than she’d expected it to. "Mine is Mulan, though I don’t know if she counts."

He nodded his head, looking over at her for a second. "It definitely counts. You don’t get to save all of China and not be classified as a Princess while a whiny mermaid gets legs and becomes one."

Her smile, still small and timid, widened just a fraction. "Twice," she added, playing with the sleeves of his hoodie absentmindedly, they were a little too long for her and only the tips of her fingers poked out, but it was comfortable and, weirdly enough, made her feel safer. "She saved China in the second movie too."

Tobias noticed he nearly glossed over her question and his gaze reflexively fell to the cut on his right arm that was still tightly sealed with ice. "I actually don’t feel it much right now. Everything else, on the other hand." He shrugged his shoulders and winced slightly. "I think I popped a couple stitches and my back is definitely bleeding all over the upholstery," he added with a laugh that was exhausted but more humorous than concerned. "I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse." He nodded his head toward her feet. "How’s the ankle? We’ll go to the infirmary first thing when we get back."

"Did you pop your stitches carrying me?" Panic laced her tone, and Bellamy turned her whole body toward him, eyes wide and a little frantic. Her hand slid forward, curving around his shoulder blade tentatively until she felt something warm and slick. Her breath hitched as she pulled back, catching the dim sight of red smeared across her hand, and leaned even closer to Tobias. "How far is the drive? You’ll bleed out if it takes us two hours to get there, I–I could…freeze it over too, my ice will hold, but you’re already so cold." She was panicking more, hand trembling against his shoulder. He was actively bleeding over there, but worried about getting her to the infirmary for her ankle? Christ.

"I have medical training, but we don’t have any equipment for me to stitch you up." Bella was babbling softly, a nervous trait she’d always had since she was a child, too anxious to shut up. Her inadequacy was crushing, she couldn’t do anything to help him, not really. The ice on his arm wouldn’t cause frostbite, as long as they got it off within the next two hours he’d hardly have ice burn, but it was all she could do to help, and it didn’t feel like enough.

"I don’t think—" Tobias’s words got caught in his throat like a dry pill as Bell’s hand frantically ran across his chest and searched his shoulder. He swallowed, forcing himself to focus on driving and not how quickly she filled the space between them. While he had about five whole minutes of being calm, his pulse was racing for entirely different reasons. His hand subconsciously pulled the sleeping kitten in closer, concerned it would slip from his lap with all the fuss. "It’s old… I’ll be ok." He looked over into her blue eyes that almost seemed to glow in the darkness of the night. He blinked, then looked straight ahead. "We’re 45 minutes out. It’ll take more than an old bullet would to kill me," he tried to reassure her with a faint smile. Two seconds ago he thought nothing of it, but for whatever reason Bell’s concern made him concerned, if only because he didn’t want to weigh down her conscience with his own obstinacy.

She hesitated for a moment, studying his face, and then she pulled back a little, wiping his blood on her jeans until her hand was as clean as it would get, she didn’t want to get any on his hoodie. "Keep your eyes on the road, please, and don’t crash." She murmured, unbuckling her seatbelt and tugging his hoodie off. She trusted Tobias to not look, which was a little ridiculous considering how long they’ve known each other for, but he seemed the respectable type, so Bellamy wasn’t too horribly flustered as she tugged her ruined sweater off, throwing it into the backseat haphazardly, and then stripped off the long sleeved black shirt she’d worn under it.

There was a fraction of a second where Tobias ignored her warning and looked over at her confused. But the moment the seatbelt unfastened and the light dinged on his dashboard his eyes widened. He turned his attention back toward the rain covered windshield with determined concentration. "Yes ma’am," he muttered under his breath with a small nod.

The fabric peeled off her skin uncomfortably, and one of her shoulders twinged with a shock of pain as she lifted her arms above her head to tug the fabric free from her chest, likely bruised from one of her tumbles. Goosebumps rose across her exposed upper body, her bra was thin and just as drenched as the rest of her clothes, so it offered little to no warmth, but Bell quickly pulled back on his hoodie, shoving up the sleeves some and trying to remain respectable. She twisted back toward him, not bothering with her seatbelt as she leaned closer with the shirt.

"Lean forward some, please." Bellamy’s voice was soft and tight as she stretched out the shirt by the sleeves, focusing for a moment so ice curled around her biceps, augmenting her strength so she could pull and twist the wet fabric further than she’d have been able to otherwise. "Brace yourself, it’ll hurt." She breathed, ignoring how close they were so she could focus on what she was doing, instead of becoming flustered. Despite how wet the shirt was, it was notably warm as she wrapped it diagonally around Tobias’s shoulder, making sure the twisted fabric was pressed flush to where the injury was before tying it tightly across his chest. It was the best she could do to put some pressure on it until they got to wherever they were going.

Tobias’s hand curled under the kitten, lifting it so he didn’t accidentally squish or pin it. He heeded her commands without argument, leaning forward so there was roughly an equal amount of space in front and behind him. When he was told to brace himself, he quickly looked over at her front corner of his eyes then down at Loki. It took a surprising amount of coordination to brace his left side, while leaving his right hand relaxed and focusing on driving. His knuckles went white as his grip tightened around the steering wheel. He sucked in a sharp breath, gritting his teeth at the tight pressure against his shoulder. The muscles in his neck tensed but he remained frozen in place, not moving an inch.

Once Bell was done, he slowly leaned back in his seat with a grimace. Tobias wanted to argue and say he would have been fine, but when his lips parted other words slipped out. "Thanks."

It wasn’t until his warm breath fanned across the cool and damp skin of her throat that Bella realized how close she was to him, eyes set on the makeshift bandage, but her gaze snapped up to the side of his face, a few strands of her wet hair brushed along his lower cheek, Loki perked up from between Tobas’s fingers in interest at their proximity, purring loudly, and she could see how his lashes fluttered across his skin when he blinked. He’s sort of…pretty. The thought was fleeting before she realized she was staring, and clumsily rearranged herself back into her own seat, fumbling with her seatbelt twice before she got it to buckle.

"It was my fault, so it’s the least I could do." Bell managed after a moment, tucking her hands back into the sleeves of his hoodie resolutely, eyes on the dash instead of looking back toward him. "My conscience isn’t clear," Bellamay blurted the words before she could stop them, half of her trying desperately to distract herself, and the other part knowing if she didn’t tell him it would keep her up tonight... if she slept at all. "You said earlier that you—" she stumbled over the word, it caught in her throat for a second but she squeezed her eyes shut and pushed on. "That you killed them all, but before you got to me I… There were two others, I froze them solid. So, it doesn’t all fall on you and your conscience." For some reason, it felt important that he knew that.

Tobias did his best to remain still and concentrate on driving. When her wet hair brushed his cheek, temporarily clinging to his skin, his body tensed and fingers tightened their hold on the wheel. He looked over at her from the corner of his eyes then back at the road. Bell fumbling with her seatbelt masked the sound of him letting out a shaky breath that he hadn’t noticed he was holding in. "It’s not your fault," he corrected her. "I was shot two weeks ago so… Unless you’re a really good liar, this isn’t your doing."

He remained quiet as Bell nervously confessed whatever had been weighing on her. He nodded his head silently, showing he was listening but didn’t want to interrupt. When she was finished, Tobias spared her a glance as he spoke. "I don’t regret it. Killing people like that doesn’t keep me up at night," he confessed resolutely. There was a seriousness to his tone as the dark shadows from his brows masked his eyes. "Do you… regret it?"

The silence stretched for a few minutes as Bella contemplated her own twisted mix of feelings on it all, and how to reply. "I don’t know," she finally admitted, voice breaking on the last syllable. She cleared her voice, trying to sound stronger if only because her fragility was embarrassing in the face of his own strength. "Part of me doesn’t, but then there’s this other part that wonders if… If they had families too, if I stole someone else's dad away from them." She swiped away a tear before it could roll down her cheek, voice soft and uncertain. "I’ve never… that was my first time, and I didn’t even think about it, I just did it. Isn’t that wrong? Shouldn’t I have paused, even just for a second? I killed them, and I don’t even remember what their faces look like."

Bellamy had curled in on herself by the time she was finished speaking, knees tucked up to her chest, pressing her face into the fabric of his hoodie to hide the fear and shame that felt like it was suffocating her. The faintest smell of cinnamon, cedar, and something that was a mix between floral and earthy that she couldn’t quite place, filled her lungs with every shaky breath. She realized distantly that this was a smell that was likely unique to Tobias, and yet it calmed her more than it had any right to. Bella lifted her face some, cheeks flushed and her whole face felt hot. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all of that on you." She whispered.

"I said no judgement, and I meant it. You don’t have to apologize," he reassured her with a calm and soft tone. Tobias tapped his thumb against the wheel trying to recall the first time he took a life, but his mind drew a blank. He knew there was a lot of blood on his hands, but it wasn’t until that moment that he realized how soaked they really were. "Maybe I’m cynical, but a dad for a dad seems like a fair trade to me. I’ve done worse for less," he confessed, keeping his gaze forward. "I… don’t know if you should look to me as a moral compass."

She…hadn’t thought of it like that, but a dad for a dad rang in her ears, and Bella felt relieved that he said it. It was wrong to feel that way, she was sure, but something about having her darkest, innermost thoughts vocalized on his lips reassured her that maybe she wasn’t as bad as she’d feared, though she also wasn’t sure if using Tobias as a meter for moral ambiguity was the best choice, he was right.

His mind drifted back to the night he was shot. Tobias couldn’t remember how many men there were or how many he killed, but he remembered the damp crimson rug in the Italian hostel. He remembered the sounds of Helena’s screams as they dragged her away, breathing in the pools of blood they pressed his face into. Nine men stayed behind to subdue him, eight died quickly. The last one lived for 53 more hours. 53 hours where Tobias pulled the iron from his blood, watching as his body grew blue with oxygen loss, where he meticulously broke every bone in his body… Where he found out exactly how many cuts a person could withstand before dying. It wasn’t a thousand.

All of that and worse, yet the guilt that weighed on him wasn’t for the lives he took or the pain he caused, but for the person he could have been and how there wasn’t a shred of remorse in him. All of that murder and pain… and he was numb.

"I don’t remember my first kill," Tobias admitted when the silence grew too heavy. "I don’t feel anything when I kill anymore." His brows furrowed at the realization he had never admitted that outloud, not even to himself. "Don’t let yourself become like me," he warned her while his thumb lightly stroked the purring kitten. "There’s nothing wrong with killing out of self defense… but," he sighed, "You should leave the rest to me."

The silence had stretched as she turned over his words, but his admission made her finally twist back toward him, eyes widening ever so slightly. A rush of conflicting emotions swept through her, unease, fear, curiosity, but more than anything else… Bella felt an inexplicable sense of safety. The muscles in her stomach tensed, her heart feeling as if it was doing a weird flip in her chest as a rush of cold slid down her spine. There was no reason for her to feel anything but fear at a confession like that, and yet he had saved her.

"I don’t think it’s wrong of you to feel that way…or to not feel, I guess." She couldn’t bring herself to look away from him as she said this, searching the bit of his face she could see in the dark Jeep. "It’s not like you’re… I mean, they weren’t innocent, they chose their path," Bella did realize it was extremely silly to try and reassure him of his sins whilst condemning herself for her own, but the way he spoke about it gave the impression that no one had in awhile, and that didn’t feel… fair. "There’s nothing wrong with how you feel about it," she unintentionally parroted his words back to him. "You’re just… stronger than me." Her voice grew softer toward the end, trailing off as she looked at the shirt wrapped around his chest. If she’d been shot… Bella looked away, feeling a little queasy.

The way Bell turned to face him directly rather than cower from his truth caught him off guard. Maybe it was just because he saved her and it clouded her judgement. That'd make sense. She'd eventually come to her senses and change her mind, but the reassurances made a small bit of weight lift from the nearly unbearable burden he carried on his shoulders. There was a faint smile that grew in the darkness of the car as a strange warmth grew within his chest. "We’re all strong in our own ways. You shouldn't sell yourself short." He might not know in what ways she was strong, not yet, but she had to be strong to survive what she did and not be shattered into a million pieces.

Tobias's gaze fell to the clock after they passed under a highway sign. "It’ll be another half an hour before we're there. You should get some rest. I'm sure you're exhausted." He turned his head toward her slightly, meeting her gaze for a second while giving her a tired but reassuring smile.

She wanted to tell him that he was wrong, she wasn’t strong, especially not like he was. Stubborn, maybe, but not strong. She was barely keeping it together, and the fear of the unknown, where they were going and what exactly it all had in store for her, made her chest feel tight with anxiety. "Okay," Bella sighed instead, accepting that whatever came next, it was out of her control. She shifted in her seat, resting her injured ankle back on the floor of the Jeep in an effort to ease the twinge of pain that pulled from it every few seconds. She turned some, arms curling beneath where she rested her head on the middle console, half tucked in on herself. "Thank you." Her voice was so soft it would have been easy to miss, muffled by the sleeves of his hoodie, Bell dropped off into a restless sleep almost instantly, the warmth of his side radiating against where her arms just barely touched him, the faint smell of his cologne filling her head.



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"...I’ll be back soon and get off that machine before you give yourself a stroke, Imogen."

"Yeah, ok. Be careful. Call me if anything changes. If you’re not back in two hours we’re coming to get you."

"Got it," Tobias replied before the line went dead.

Imogen extended a shaky hand to quickly shut off Cerebro. The second the connection was severed it felt like an invisible tether that had been connecting her to the machine snapped. She nearly doubled over, catching herself with a weak grip on the edge of the coffee table. It took several ragged breaths to muster enough energy to reach up and pull the helmet from her head a second time. She couldn’t be bothered to properly close up the case when every subtle movement felt like she was wading through water. Her hand slowly reached out to take her phone from Magni’s grasp. Her fingers fumbled with it a couple times before she got a good hold. She made sure the call was properly ended before darkening the screen and discarding it on the table beside her mini Cerebro.

Her head felt like it was full of TV static, hardly able to focus on her own thoughts let alone anything that might have been crossing Magni’s mind. Warmth dripped onto her bottom lip and the subtle taste of iron touched her tongue. Imogen wiped her nose along her sleeve leaving a crimson trail along the white material. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath. That was… more blood than she thought.

She needed to get up. She needed medicine, a shower, and rest… desperately. But Imogen was at that stage of exhaustion and fatigue where sleep would be impossible, like her mind was wired and fried all at once. "I need a shower," she commented out loud more to herself as motivation. With a deep breath to bolster what strength she had left, Imogen pushed off the table and forced herself to her feet. When she attempted to stand up straight everything started spinning and going dark. Her hands flailed, searching for the side of the couch but instead found Magni’s arm. She held onto him, blinking slowly as her vision slowly returned while using his sturdiness to steady her. "Or… maybe a bath," she corrected weakly, able to admit defeat when she was barely able to stand on her own.

Magni merely nodded, having been an ever-present shadow at Imogen’s side through the process. He lifted one hand to help hold her steady as the other rested itself upon her back. "Of course." With a single effortless motion, he scooped Imogen up in his arms. He moved slowly, making his way back to the bathroom again. When he stepped inside, he set Imogen down on the edge of the spacious tub so she could sit while he fiddled with the knobs to begin running the bath. He was silent and stoic, his brow furrowed as he fussed with getting it ready while keeping an eye on Imogen.

There was a second when she might have argued, insisting she would walk herself, but who was she kidding? Imogen was barely able to stand up without passing out, who knows how much effort it would have taken to cross her penthouse. So she settled into his arms without argument, letting her head lull against his shoulder during the short amount of time he carried her. She was grateful for his strength and support, even though she knew he would have rather been fighting alongside Tobias compared to babysitting her phone while she fried her brain. But without him… she doubted there was anyone else who would have stayed with her. That meant more to her than she could put into words.

When he set her down, she whispered a quiet, "Thank you," as if speaking would be too loud. She watched him work on drawing the bath, noting the heavy silence that filled the room and the deep pensiveness that crossed his face. Imogen slowly reached out, resting her hand against his cheek so that her thumb could gently stroke the tension from his brow. "Is something troubling you?"

Magni's expression softened at Imogen's touch, his face relaxing a little as he placed a palm over her hand that cradled his cheekbone. He took a breath as he closed his eyes. "I am a man of decisive action. To relegate myself to the role of bystander whilst my ally is in peril is… frustrating." He let out a deep exhale as his fingers gently pried her hand from his face. He felt restless as his hands continued to fuss over checking the water's temperature.

When he was satisfied the water was warm enough, Magni plugged the drain and let the water start filling the tub. With nothing else to focus his hands on, he gripped the bottom hem of his shirt and peeled it up over his head. His torso was littered with small marks, the lingering welts of the training darts from earlier that seemed to be nearly healed. There were other faint remnants of electrical burns, feeble attempts to stun a god of lightning. He tossed his shirt aside, sifting through thoughts of pain and combat. His thoughts dipped to memories of Tobias in their drills at the Academy, as if trying to convince himself Tobias would be fine. Underlying the worry, though, was a hint of envy that remained unspoken. "I do not like waiting," he admitted softly.

Imogen lips curved downwards into a subtle frown as he severed her touch. Her dejected hand fell slowly to rest in her lap. She didn’t say anything, remaining silent as she watched him. She tried to sift through the haze that buzzed in her head and hear his thoughts, but she only got fragments like radio static that made her wince as it scratched at her brain. "I’m sorry," she whispered into the space between them.

"I didn’t like the thought of Tobias going alone either," she confessed, finally looking back up at Magni regardless if he held her gaze or not. "But his logic was sound, and—" Imogen shrugged her shoulders. "—I likely would have been a burden alongside both of you." She was not disillusioned when it came to her own capabilities. Whether or not her intentions came from a place of wanting to be helpful, how could she compare to someone with their capabilities? "I have always been someone destined to live on the sidelines. I learned at a young age that sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is be supportive… Not everything can be answered with violence."

Imogen hesitated for a moment before slowly raising her right hand and resting it against his abdomen. The tip of her finger lightly traced one of the markings that lingered on his skin from training as she exhaled a shallow breath. "No one questions your strength and power. I certainly do not." Her voice was quiet but resolute, making sure he not only heard but listened to every word. "You’re a God, a warrior born to fight. But these… people have knowledge and means beyond what any of us understand. They’ve taken powerful heroes… They might have taken your father." She paused, letting the weight of her words linger in the quiet expanse between them. She recalled Magni mentioning he was looking for his father and given everything going on, it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to assume he was taken similarly to her own father.

"Just because Tobias isn’t wanted doesn’t mean you aren’t." She spoke slowly, emphasizing every syllable with a light tap to his stomach to try and drive the point home. Her voice had a subtle strength in her fatigue, but still held onto its warmth and tenderness. "If you went you could have been taken... and I’m not a hero like you, Magni." Imogen’s voice fell to little more than a whisper at her admission. "I don’t know how I’d get you back. I would blame myself to the point of madness…"

She sighed, raising her other hand to gently grasp his waist. "You might feel your value hinges on your physical prowess, but there is so much more than what you bring to a fight." Imogen’s gaze fell, focusing on the faint markings that speckled his skin. "Cerebro... scares me. I’ve barely used it, mostly failed, and it hurts more than I can put into words. If you hadn’t been there…" Her voice trailed off, unable to finish her thought or find the words. "Your support mattered. Just your hand on my shoulder grounded me… It might not mean much to you, but it does to me."

Magni listened quietly, his face remaining relatively stoic as he alternated between looking at her and monitoring the rising waters. As she finished speaking, Magni turned one of the faucets to stop the flow of water. When he faced her again, he remained frozen for a moment. Her words rang with a level of truth and sincerity that took him a little time to process. "I understand," he responded softly. "I am grateful that my presence provided some boon to thy efforts. I understand the tactics and concern for my well-being. I just wish I could be doing more." The admission was simple, and far less clear than the tempest of inadequacy and deep-seated frustration at the mess that was thrust upon him within the past few days. Imogen’s tone did much to smooth his frayed nerves. He was sure she would have more to say, but they were things that could be said when relaxed.

Magni glanced at the filled tub, let out a deep sigh, and slipped his thumbs under the waistband of his shorts. He slowly lowered his lower garments to the ground and stepped out of them, quickly turning his attention back towards Imogen. He stepped towards her, lifting his hands to cup her cheeks as he lowered his lips to the crown of her head. "Let us get thee in the bath," he whispered, less of a suggestion and more of a gentle order. He let his hands trail down to her shoulders, across her collar bone, and down to the zipper of her cropped jacket. He was delicate as he went about undressing her slowly whilst getting a better look at how drained she appeared. His movements were akin to unwrapping a fragile antiquity, his touch more restrained than he had shown before.

Imogen nodded her head slowly, listening and acknowledging his words in silent understanding. The thumb of her hand that had remained reassuringly on his side gently stroked his skin in a tender and rhythmic pattern. "I do too," she whispered. She wished she had the capability to make Magni feel as needed and useful as he looked in her eyes. She also wished she was more helpful. It was a sentiment that she had heard reverberated throughout the tower. Everyone was there to help… but how? They had no information, no leads, nothing. It was an infuriating waiting game that left people who were used to action, like Magni, restless. There were no words she could share that would ease that feeling.

She let her hand fall from his side into her lap as he continued to remove his clothing. I was supposed to be doing that, Imogen chastised herself as an evening that was supposed to be filled with far more enjoyable ways to get tired was replaced with… this. When Magni’s hands found her cheeks, she exhaled softly through her nose, sinking into his touch for the brief moment it lingered. Her heart sank when he started undressing her, lips tugging downwards into a frown she couldn’t fight while her gaze fixated on their bare feet against the tile. His gentle tenderness was endearing and only made her fondness for him grow, but being that useless churned like bile in her stomach.

With her jacket unzipped, it was like removing the laces from a corset, she could finally breathe. She held onto Magni’s arms for support as she pulled herself up to her feet. Imogen then slowly turned her back to him, steadying herself against the side of the tub to make it easier for him to help remove her top. She looked down at her shorts as she hooked a thumb in the waistband. After a couple fruitless tugs, she sighed. "You can tear them off. I don’t intend on keeping them." This was not the image that came to mind at the thought of Magni tearing her clothes off. She shook her head at her own uselessness but remained still for him.

There was a slight shift in the air as she spoke. He stood close behind her, his hands gravitating towards her sides. He filled the gap behind her, his chest pressed against her back as he wrapped his arms around his partner. "’Tis a shame, they flattered thy form." The statement lingered for a moment, before he took a step back. His fingers traced from Imogen's stomach to the small of her back. Both hands gripped the back of her shorts, and a single tug ripped open the seam of the garment. With little effort, he was able to slide the shorts past her hips and let it drop around her ankles. He circled around next to her, effortlessly stepping into the filled tub. He turned to face Imogen, holding his hands out towards her to help her in.

"Hmm," she hummed in quiet appreciation for his flattery. Imogen let out a muffled sigh of relief when the seam was ripped open. While she might have been rid of the suffocating clothing, remnants of their vise-like grip remained indented around her thighs and waist. Her finger tip ran along the groves left behind on her stomach as Magni climbed into the bath. When he held out his hands toward her, she reached out, holding tight to them like a life line as she carefully stepped into the tub, one wobbly leg after the other. Once inside, she slowly lowered herself into the warm water until she sat nestled between his legs. Imogen laid back against Magni’s broad chest, letting her head rest against his shoulder, finding comfort in his presence. Her curves slowly molded to the contours of his muscles, his warmth and strength a balm to her aching mind and weary body.

"You’re far more tender and affectionate than I would have imagined," she confessed quietly amidst the soft sloshing of the water from their movements. Imogen took one of his hands, bringing it in front of her like she was studying it for the first time or committing it to memory. Her fingers, petite in comparison to his own, traced the lines of his palm, brushed across his callouses, and outlined the faint remnants of scars. "In my experience, the stronger the man, the more fragile his masculinity. Like they saw love and affection as weakness." She rested her hand flat against his, palm to palm. The difference was so stark, almost like an adult to a child. The tips of her fingers just barely reached halfway up his own. He had enough strength and power to break her without an ounce of effort, yet he handled her like she was made of glass… delicate. "But not you." Imogen slowly slipped her fingers between his. "Did your gentleness come from your mother?"

Magni let out a resonant sigh, both in relief at the comfort of their two bodies melting together in the warm waters and as an anxious release at the question. While she studied one palm, the other lightly rested against Imogen's stomach. He too gently ran his thumb along the small indented lines in her skin. "A bit." The words came painfully slow, as if each thought took effort to form. He had not ever been called gentle, nor considered his tenderness for long. "Our passing in these halls of yore shielded thee from my wanton disregard in my youth." The confession was delivered with a somber wistfulness as he considered those he had known. His disappearance was the final of a long string of choices that drove a wedge between himself and those he considered his friends. He only prayed that they yet lived for him to reconcile with.

Imogen's question was clearly probing, as even he could surmise the purpose. So, he decided to get at the root of the matter. "I have not spoken to my mother since last we met. Her place is in this realm, and I made a habit of choosing my father's domain as readily as my brother chose my mother's." He leaned back more against the edge of the tub, his hand on her abdomen gently pulling Imogen back with him. His tone shifted slightly, a modicum of guilt trailing his words like shadows he only just noticed. "I think she saw too much of my father's shadow over my form, and I was too blinded by his stories to see his faults. ‘Tis no mystery why we hardly found common ground." He paused, a slight hitch forming in his throat, decades of history choking his words. "But what boy would dain choose reality over fantasy?"

She had no idea her comment would draw something so heavy from him, but she did not interrupt. Imogen listened intently to every word while her hold on his hand tightened gently as his voice grew heavier and more pensive. She pulled his other arm around her as if they could be any closer or the embrace might soothe him. When the room grew silent, she tilted her head back and to the side slightly so she could look up at him. "So your gentleness is just… you," she mused quietly in an attempt to pull a bit of light out of him that she unintentionally snuffed.

Imogen placed a tender kiss on the underside of his jaw before sinking back into his embrace. "I understand. I can't say I wouldn't have made the same choice… Asgard over earth. I always struggled with the transition going from Krakoa to New York when I was a girl." She doubted Krakoa held a light in comparison to Asgard, but the island did feel like its own world in and of itself. It was never New York that pulled her away, but the need to get away from the Stepford cuckoos. "Families are complicated. I'm aware of that more than most," she confessed while her left hand absentmindedly stroked his forearm beneath the water.

"We should visit her when this is all over," Imogen added. "She's your mother. I'm sure she misses you and I'd love to meet her, and your brother." Her feet rested against the far side of the tub, toes wiggling just above the water’s surface. "I could bake her a pie, and she can show me pictures of you as a baby." A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the thought of his little baby butt or him playing in a bubble bath. "It's never too late to try and mend a relationship," she added with a reassuring squeeze of his hand.

Magni tensed at the suggestion, his breath catching in his throat. He knew she was right, and that his mother would wish to see him. Showing back up with a partner out of nowhere would be a powder keg of a situation he was not ready for. "It would be more wise that I visit her alone first. I would not wish to taint thy favor of my family with an explosive introduction." It was a deflection, and a weak one at that. He took a breath, aiming for a better redirection. "What is this Krakoa? What is it like?"

The feeling of Magni's body tensing against her pulled Imogen out of whatever mild daydreams she was having about their future. Her smile slowly faded, slipping into a subtle frown she was thankful he couldn't see. Between his explanation and the hint of the word ‘deflection’ cutting through her mental fog, she didn't press the matter further. "Oh," she replied quietly, trying her best to sound as unbothered as possible. "Right. That makes sense."

One of Imogen's hands released its hold on Magni's arm to idly toy with the surface of the water while she tried to focus her thoughts on his questions and Krakoa. "It's an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that is home to many of Earth’s mutants. It's seen as its own nation and a sanctuary for mutants since they tend to be under a lot of scrutiny… Although people like Magneto don't really help our image." Her voice trailed off before she tried focusing back on Krakoa rather than the mutant struggle. "It's ruled by a council of twelve mutants… My mom being one of them." She lightly flicked a little bit of water as she tried to figure out how better to describe the island, never having to explain it before.

"It's very beautiful. The island feels like it is in perpetual spring from its abundance of flowers and plant life that cover everything. There are even these gateways that can be created by planting flowers to connect other places to Krakoa." She remembered, back when she still attended the academy, going to the Quiet Council and requesting a gateway to connect the tower to Krakoa for people like herself, Tobias, and the Rasputins, but the academy closed before anything came of it. That definitely would have made her travel to the tower significantly easier. "That's where I was before coming here. Most of the mutants fled to Krakoa when the disappearances started getting worse. Only people with the X-gene are allowed on the island, so it's been a safe haven for us." Imogen ran her toe along the wall of the tub beneath the faucet as she recalled the argument she had with her mom before coming to the tower. "My mother wasn't happy when I left."

Magni could sense a slight shift from Imogen, sensing faintly that his efforts to dodge discussion of family had went poorly. He listened to her describe Krakoa, holding her as she did. When she finished, he nodded softly. "It sounds like a good home for thy people," he said softly, closing his eyes. "I can understand her concern for thy safety." He paused, taking in a breath as he considered how to broach the next question. He knew well that running from the tension would be unwise. "Wouldst thou prefer to be witness and counsel for my conflict with my kin? Dost thou wish the same reciprocation from myself?"

"We got into a fight when I left," Imogen confessed quietly, her voice half lost beneath the sound of the water shifting from her movements. "Both of my parents wanted me to go to Krakoa when things got bad. I didn’t like it, but I agreed. The entire time I was there I tried to convince mutants to come here and help, but the most they’d do is plug into a damn Cerebro." She adjusted how she sat, bringing her knees close to her chest as if closing off her body somehow balanced out the vulnerability of her words. "When my father went missing I couldn’t hide anymore. I couldn’t leave my brother alone in this, even if he didn’t want me here." Her voice trailed off, searching for the words while a tightness constricted in her chest. "I called her a coward for hiding while the world burns around her… She said I was being reckless and that I’d get myself killed…"

Imogen ran her fingers along the edge of the bathtub, growing silent as the fight replayed in her mind. She could hear the bite in her own voice and see the fear in her mother’s eyes. There were tears clinging to their lashes and venom in their words. The rumble of Magni’s voice in his chest against her back pulled her out of her thoughts. Her body froze at the realization her deflection went as easily missed as his own… not at all. She exhaled as she sat up slightly and ran her wet hands back through her hair. "I just…" Her voice got caught in her throat as she tried to make sense of her feelings and put them into words. "I don’t want to be kept at an arm’s length," she whispered the admission as if speaking it too loud would frighten him away. "I want to be part of your life. The good and the bad. I want to support you through hardship and lean on you in turn. I’m not the kind of woman who waits behind for her man to return to her. I want to go through life side by side with my partner, through peace and war and family bullshit... All of it." She shrugged her shoulders slightly and rested her chin against the top of her knee. "I can’t say I’d be the best warrior but…"

"Thou has the heart of a warrior, and thy skills exceed those of many mortals." His words were soft and clear. Magni lifted his hands up to gently stroke and smooth Imogen's hair behind her back. "I did not mean to keep thee at a distance… My nature is to keep safe and away from danger those who I am fond of." He scooted himself a little in the tub, his arms wrapping around her knees as he embraced her. "I know thou art brave and do not underestimate thy strength. ‘Twas selfishness that made me hesitant, that thou would think less of me or mine."

The anxiety that rose in her chest from Magni’s hesitation subsided with his reassurances. What remained melted away as his arms found their way around her once again. Imogen’s head lulled against his shoulder as a soft breath of relief fell from her lips. "We don’t choose our family. They’re complicated and messy… I mean, look at my brother," she added with a wry chuckle. She slowly nestled back against his chest as the tips of her fingers lightly ran up and down his forearm. "I would never judge you because of your family. They might have helped shape you, but you are your own man. The only person who could sway my feelings for you is you, and you alone."

Magni chuckled softly, his hands slowly and softly rubbed Imogen's legs. "’Tis true… alas, Malcolm does not bear the same antagonistic disposition thy brother does." Her deeper words resonated in his chest, as his mind let the meaning sink in for a moment. "That is… reasonable and kind. Where I am from, family is a predisposition and a curse. My father, my father's father, and his father before him have determined how the realms view myself. My actions will cascade, setting the course for my children and my children's children." He took a breath, letting the statement linger as he parsed his last thought more clearly. His hands slipped up Imogen's thighs and up to her core, where he pulled her into a tighter embrace. "Affection and courtship have been either lustful relief or heartless politics. I understand that thou art different." His tone grew softer and quieter still, his hushed confession barely a whisper. "I beseech thee to grant me graceful absolution as we acclimate to this. In recompense, I vow to stand by thy side as thou seeks to stand by mine: as stalwart and equitable companions."

Imogen’s smile grew at the sound of his soft but deep laugh, relishing in the soothing rhythm of his hands stroking her legs. A quiet, content hum sang from behind her lips as he pulled her closer. While Magni spoke, she slowly shifted within his embrace, turning so she sat perpendicular to him, perched in his lap rather than nestled between his legs. Her left shoulder lightly pressed against his chest as she slipped her feet over the side of the tub, calves resting against the edge, water dripping from her skin onto the tile. "Then it is lucky for your future children that you are a good man, both strong and kind." That was better. She was able to hold his gaze and study his face as she spoke.

Her hand moved beneath the water to rest upon his chest while her fingers absently traced the contours of his muscles. "Growth isn’t one sided. We can meet in the middle." Imogen’s voice matched his gentle tone but firm in her conviction. "It takes time to find effortless synchronicity in a relationship, but we can learn and grow together. You can show me the ways people court in Asgard and I can show you how we date on Earth… Equity." She mirrored his word back to him with a bright smile, genuine warmth, and a light press against his stomach for emphasis.

She settled more comfortably into his lap, a faint glint in her eye and a subtle playfulness tugging at the corner of her mouth. "It is also a convenient coincidence—or rather fate, as you put it—that I am a diplomat’s daughter… and that I burn for you." Imogen’s last comment hung in the air between them, drawn out slowly so the implication could sink in one word at a time. "So you can get your politicking and… relief from me as well." She tilted her head slightly, smile growing as she held his gaze.

Magni smiled softly at her words. Her words provided some comfort and stability that he had been unaware he needed. His fingers pressed against her flesh, his hands desperately cradling her in his lap. The meaning of her final statements were clear. "I pray I may stoke the flames of thy affections further," he whispered, leaning his own head close to hers. The space between them felt energized, as if one errant movement would ignite a spark. "And ‘tis my hope that I may release thy tensions with matched vigor." His words were far gentler than the implication, and he sealed its meaning with a tender kiss. He held it for a precious few moments, breaking it only as a new concern knitted his brow. "How dost thou feel? Thy works did sap the life from thy complexion."

A soft chuckle hummed behind her lips as her smile grew at his closeness. Imogen’s hand gently climbed up his chest and curved around the back of his neck as he closed the remaining distance between them with a kiss. It wasn’t needy or full of lust, but it didn’t lack for affection or warmth either. She could have remained there forever, resting in his lap, held tightly in his embrace, lost in the tender caress of his lips against hers. When Magni pulled away, she let out a soft sigh that was a mix between a pout and whimper, but her smile remained. Her hand fell to rest against the curve of his neck while her thumb lightly tapped his collarbone.

"My headache is nearly gone. My strength?" Imogen pursed her lips and raised her foot just high enough to see it from where it hung over the edge of the tub. The movement was minor, but she could still feel her muscles trembling slightly. "Well," she laughed softly, looking back up at him. "You have enough strength for the both of us."

Imogen’s disappointment at the breaking of their kiss was remarkably obvious, even to Magni. He continued to hold her, noting the clear pain and fatigue in her muscles. He nodded, taking in a breath. "We can soak a while longer still." He smiled, looking into her eyes with a gentle warmth. He went in to kiss her again, sharing that tender softness once more as their mouths spoke with more than words.

Her body curved into his embrace and warmth, sinking into a synchronicity with every gentle caress of their lips. Her hand slid up his neck to cup his jaw, seeking any and every way to feel more of his body with her own. There was still a small part of Imogen's mind, hidden away like a distant whisper that was in disbelief that she was his, she was in Magni's arms… that he pledged himself to her. It was surreal, like any second she could wake up from the dream and crash back down to reality. It felt like she had to hold tight to every touch, every embrace because any moment they could be ripped apart and spirited away like their fathers.

Imogen clung to those tender kisses longer than she should have. It was cruel for her to take what she wanted when her body was too weak to reciprocate. After several minutes she reluctantly parted her lips from his with a sigh, keeping her eyes closed while her forehead rested against his. "I'm sorry," she whispered in the small space between their lips. "I shouldn't be greedy." She slowly lowered her head to his shoulder, letting her hand fall from his cheek to rest against his chest. The tip of her finger traced the line of his collarbone searching for something to fill the silence. "I've decided my first lesson for you in Midgardian dating will be taking you on an actual date," she mused quietly, with a soft smile. "We can't really leave the tower right now… But, I'd still like to try and do something nice. So, don't make any plans for tomorrow night."

Magni hummed a wordless tune, his voice resonating and vibrating through his chest as Imogen spoke. If he were a mortal, if he had a greater sense of danger and urgency, the proposal would seem foolish. The walls were closing in around them all by the day, and an unknown threat lingered beyond the tower's walls. To Magni, though, this was Asgardian custom. Feasts, revelry, passion, laughter… it was all part of the cycle, for to cease living in fear of death was to die early.

"Avarice is permitted in my company," he remarked steadily, as if issuing an inconsequential decree. He let loose a deep breath, his grip on Imogen tightening slightly as he held her close. "Thou may do with my schedule as thou pleases. I am interested to know what is custom for courting in thy realm, Lady Frost."

While Magni might have welcomed it, there was a part of her that felt selfish in her greed. A quiet, weak chuckle echoed behind Imogen’s lips as she tucked her knees in closer to her chest. "It’s silly, but... I feel guilty, indulging in my own desires when I am too weak to fulfill yours." It was a simple confession of repressed inadequacy, but she was continuing to try and be as forthcoming with her own thoughts as he let her read his. Her smile grew, a bit lopsided and sheepish. "Don’t give me free rein over your time or you’ll never be rid of me. While I’d be happy to keep you all to myself, I’m sure your friends would enjoy your company too." She then tilted her head back slightly to look up into his eyes, her voice little more than a whisper. "You can call me Imogen."

Magni shook his head softly, averting his gaze only for that action before he met her stare again. "Well… Lady Imogen, fret not over thy desires. It is the responsibility of gods to indulge in the wishes of mortals." As always, his tone was light but certain. He smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "I do not desire to be rid of thee… though I do suppose time alone to spar and build bonds with our allies would be in our best interest." He turned his head away, looking out towards the open bathroom door and into the apartment beyond. He pressed his lips together tightly as he considered their shared night, recalling the comfort in sharing in her bed. "I would be grateful if thou would indulge my own desire: to hold thee as we drift into slumber each night."

"Perhaps," Imogen replied with a quiet conviction behind her words. She wasn’t talking to a God or higher being. She was talking to her lover. There was a difference… an equity, as he put it. "But as your partner it is my responsibility to sate your desires. Gods and mortals are irrelevant. All that matters is making each other happy and fulfilled."

She nodded her head in silent agreement. While Imogen would have been content following him around everywhere to the point of driving him crazy most likely, Magni wasn’t wrong. They have had the advantage of coming into this all knowing some of the others within the tower, they weren’t going to trust each other without getting to know each other. Remaining locked away in her apartment having a lot of sex was fun, even counted as cardio… but that only strengthened their own relationship, not their connections with the others.

Imogen’s smile softened with his last words. He didn't ask for the comforts of flesh but simply to share a bed while they slept… To hold her. It was such a small, simple request yet it made something swell in her chest while a subtle flush bloomed across her cheeks. She had never been the type to blush or be bashful, but the admittance of something incredibly innocent but also intimate left her at a loss for words. Her body settled more in his embrace as if the tiniest bit of tension that had laced her muscles was cut free, allowing her to relax that last bit she hadn’t allowed herself to before. She ran the back of her finger lightly along his jaw as she looked up at him. "Of course," she whispered. "There’s nothing I’d like more."



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Tobias slowly pulled his Jeep into the parking garage under the tower. Rather than parking far off to one side, he pulled into the closest spot to the elevator that was available. He backed in so there was no car on the passenger side and shut off the engine. His head fell, looking between the sleeping kitten still nuzzled in his lap and the sleeping woman beside him. It took him a few minutes to figure out how he was going to juggle everything before he slid his phone in his pocket and finally opened the car door. As he stood up, he felt the sticky wetness along the cuts on his back cling to the back of the car seat. He looked back, sighing at the stains that were already sinking into the upholstery.

He closed the door quietly and made his way around to the passenger side. Tobias rested his hand against the side of the car, steeling what last shreds of energy he had left to get them to the infirmary. He slowly opened the car door where Bell was still sound asleep. First, he carefully pulled her bag from the floor boards and slipped the strap over his head so the weight rested on his good shoulder. Then he slowly leaned over her to unfasten the seat belt and detangle it from around her. He slipped the sleeping kitten into the large pocket of her hoodie before sliding his arms underneath her and lifting her out of the car. As they neared the elevator, Tobias waved two of his fingers beneath Bell’s leg and made the door close.

Her head lulled against his shoulder, and Bellamy didn’t even shift as she was lifted out of the Jeep. Her exhaustion had gone bone deep without her even realizing, and the foreign sense of safety she felt around Tobias allowed her to sleep through it all. Once the elevator doors shut though, she twisted subconsciously, turning into his chest a little, one of her hands catching in the fabric of his shirt against his stomach. Bell’s brows furrowed for a moment, and then she sighed, relaxing once more in his arms.

Once inside the lift, he pressed the button for the second floor, leaning back against the wall for support and sighed. It didn’t even cross his mind that he was leaving behind a streak of blood until the doors opened into the infirmary and one angry looking Alfred. The older man’s face shifted through a wave of emotions starting at obvious anger that he left the tower alone… again, he was relieved that he was back, shocked at the woman in his arms, and concerned at the blood he left behind in the elevator. A million questions danced across his face as he stepped aside.

"I’m sorry, Alfred," Tobias whispered as he walked past him. He carried Bell toward the closest hospital bed. The last step he took, his knees buckled and he stumbled into the side of the bed with a groan. He nearly dropped her but managed to set her down before every muscle in his body gave in from exhaustion.

"Tobias," Alfred pleaded quietly.

He shook his head, stopping the man from continuing as he gently helped Bell into the correct position on the bed. "Her first," he whispered.

"New patient identified. Please state name," the robotic voice echoed throughout the infirmary.

"Bellamy Drake," Tobias replied, sparing Alfred a sideways glance as he set her bag on the ground. He then carefully slid a hand into her hoodie pocket and pulled out the small kitten.

The sleep that Bella had managed to acquire wasn’t as peaceful as she’d have hoped, her dream was filled with faceless men, their features twisted into something grotesque and incomprehensible, and she was running through the woods again, watching her mom bleed out, watching a bullet rip through her dad’s skin, and this time Tobias did not show up. "Drake, Bellamy. Multiple wounds detected, core temperature dropping rapidly." A robotic voice cut through the nightmare, distorting into something deeper, making her pulse jump. Tendrils of cold seemed to leech from her skin, cooling the air surrounding her, a thin layer of frost spreading from where her palms rested against the bed. "Administering mild sedative." Something sharp slid into the side of her neck, and Bell jerked awake.

Tobias’s gaze snapped toward the bed as the temperature dropped. Reflexively, he took a step toward the robot, holding up his hand to stop the syringe but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked back to meet Alfred’s calm gaze. The man was a little wide eyed at the realization of who laid on the bed before him, but importantly he was trying to keep Tobias calm. "It won’t hurt her, just keep her calm."

He grimaced, shifting his shoulder slightly as he remembered the robot’s less than tender stitches he received the night before. But he said nothing. Alfred’s hand on his shoulder gave him a reassuring pat in silent praise for what he accomplished before holding out his other hand toward him. "I shall look over the cat."

Tobias nodded his head and gently slipped the content kitten into Alfred’s cupped palms. He took the couple of steps over to the next closest bed and sat down. His weight stirred the robot to life. An arm extended from the side of the table and placed a sensor on his wrist. Then the red beam of light swept over him. "Lehnsherr, Tobias. Multiple wounds detected. Please remove inhibiting clothing or state ‘assistance.’"

He grabbed a handful of his shirt, feeling how the damp fabric still clung to his skin. Just the thought of trying to peel it off of him and remove the temporary bandage Bell made all felt like too much effort. Tobias rolled his shoulder slightly and grimaced. "Assistance." The end of the robotic arm split, revealing surgical scissors. It swiftly cut through the fabric of his and Bellamy’s shirts. He shivered as his wet skin was exposed to the cold breeze of the air conditioning. No longer hidden by clothes or the darkness of night, his injuries presented themselves beneath a mixture of mud and blood.

Delirious confusion distorted the first few moments of consciousness for Bellamy, one of her hands automatically slapping over where the needle withdrew from her neck, a rush of cold spreading from her fingertips along the slope of her throat before she remembered herself, hearing the sound of Tobias’s voice nearby giving her something to focus on. An unnatural sense of calm was eroding at her panic, and her ice was thawing into the fabric of the hoodie, leaving her a little damper than she had been before, and shivering.

The red light scanned him a second time. "Lehnsherr, Tobias. Reopened gunshot wound to the right shoulder, anterior and posterior. Cut to the left cheek. Frozen cut to the right tricep. Thirteen small cuts to the left arm. Two containing residual debris. Three large cuts across the back. Low core temperature. Recommended treatment: cleaning, removal of debris, sterilization, stitches to the bullet wound, tape stitches to the remaining wounds, and bandaging. Do you comply?"

"Yes," he replied quietly and nodded his head. All the while his gaze remained fixed on Bellamy in the bed opposite him.

She’d twisted her head to look toward the sound of his voice, gaze catching on the skin of his chest and straying for a moment, eyes wide and expression a little dazed as she took in the tattoos that decorated his entire torso, and his biceps, following the trail toward his waist before she jerkily looked back up toward Tobias’s chest. It was likely an effect of the sedative, but she missed when the robot spoke to her next until one of the arms moved closer, catching her attention.

"Repeat, please remove inhibiting clothing or state ‘assistance.’" Bella stared at the arm dumbly, blinking a few times as the words slowly penetrated the fog that seemed to be clinging to her head. She sat up slowly, watching the arm move back some to give her space, and then with great effort she managed to remove his hoodie. She flinched as a red light scanned her, looking toward Tobias shakily and then back at the arm. She’d never seen anything like this before, it was disorienting to wake up to it. "Drake, Bellamy. Scapular contusion. Sprained left ankle. Sprained right wrist. Ten foreign objects in palm of right hand. Low core temperature. Dehydration. Recommended treatment: cleaning, removal of foreign debris, sterilization, compression for scapular contusion, sprained ankle, and wrist, administration of fluids. Do you comply?"

"Uh," Bell cleared her throat, her mouth felt as dry as the desert, voice hoarse and uncertain. "Yes?" She glanced once more toward Tobias, expression one of utter bewilderment. "Where are we?"

Tobias’s gaze fell the moment he realized what she was doing, focusing on his clutched hands that rested in his lap. A drawer on one side of his bed opened to reveal a metal bowl as it was being filled with warm water. The metal arm took a rag, dipped it into the water and then began to clean the blood, dirt and grime from his skin. First it started with his face, then arms and back. The warmth was soothing, but stung whenever it grazed one of his various cuts. And while it did some to help sooth his shivering, he only felt colder in the absence of it whenever the cloth was pulled away.

He snuck a quick glance from beneath his brows, but the moment he saw more of Bellamy’s exposed skin he quickly looked away. Tobias cleared his throat. "Descendant Academy," he answered, unsure if she knew what that was. Somewhere in the middle of everything he must have missed the machine warning him about anesthesia. The syringe jabbing into his shoulder pulled a sharp breath from him and it took everything in his control not to withdraw.

The name sounded familiar in the same way the name of a book did, distant and unimportant until the moment when it was important. She shifted uncomfortably as her own robotic doctor began the same process as Tobias’s, cleaning away the mud and muck from her body with a warm, damp cloth that left her colder than when it all started. Bella was used to the cold though, welcomed it more than most, but she was still uncomfortable in her damp jeans.

Alfred stepped forward between the beds, opening a cabinet on the wall that housed large heated blankets. He grabbed the first one, carefully opening it with one hand while he cradled the cat like a baby. He took a slow step toward Bellamy with a friendly smile and placed the warm blanket across her lap. "Alfred Pennyworth, Ms. Drake," he introduced himself as he placed the kitten gently into her lap. "I am one of the academy’s caretakers."

"Hello," Bell instinctively shrunk in on herself some under Alfred’s attention, shoulders relaxing a little as the warm blanket was draped across her lap, eyes lingering on Loki as he was placed gently down before she looked back up at the older man. There was something soft about Alfred, he reminded her of her grandpa, gentle and kind, and the realization made her eyes burn. "Thank you." Her voice was soft and unguarded, eyes slipping back down to Loki who was sleeping quite happily.

He went back to the same cabinet, pulling out a second blanket and took it over to Tobias. As Alfred unfolded it and tucked it around the man’s lap, he studied the way he shivered. "I’ll go fetch some warm, dry clothes and tea." The older man nodded his head toward both of them and made his way over to the elevator.

"Can you tell Imogen I’m back, please?… Before her and Magni do something stupid," Tobias asked quietly.

"Stupid? Like leaving the tower without telling anyone?" Alfred goaded him gently. "J.A.R.V.I.S. has already notified them."

His face contorted into an apologetic grimace. "Thank you."

Alfred nodded his head before slipping into the elevator. His gaze drifted over to the blood on the wall and sighed before the doors closed.

Tobias closed his eyes, focusing on steadying his breathing and minimizing the tremors that shook his body out of his control. There was a sick sort of irony that it had been less than 24 hours and he was back on that damn table again, getting poked and prodded with needles. At least that time he didn’t have to deal with Luke making salacious comments and trying to seduce him. He kept his gaze fixated on the fleece blanket as he spoke up, trying to fill the silence. "Sorry I didn’t wake you."

She watched the metal arm twist away from her, retrieving the required equipment to remove the thick and jagged splinters from her hand, before she turned her attention back onto Tobias, keeping her gaze respectfully elsewhere than his exposed skin. "It’s okay, I’m not upset." Bell winced as the first splinter was pulled free, dropping with a small thunk into a small metal bowl, her blood welling up each time a splinter was removed. It was methodically done, not with a sense of ease or comfort in mind like a human would have had, and it left her feeling nauseous.

Whatever they’d given her before she fully woke up made her mind move slower than usual, each thought dragging along like driftwood in a slow moving river, it made her angry but too far away from her emotions to be able to register it fully. "Are you…okay? I mean, your shoulder…" The last splinter, bigger than the others, was ripped free from her skin and the arm moved to stem the bleeding, sterilizing the multitude of small wounds before bandaging her wrist. It moved away to retrieve what looked to be compression wraps, an IV bag, and a needle.

What little bit of color that had returned to her face drained away, and Bellamy looked up toward the ceiling resolutely. She had no issues with needles on other people, but for herself? Her stomach rolled in protest, but she swallowed down the little bit of bile that rose up in her throat, squeezing her eyes shut until the sting of the needle had passed through the crook of her elbow and the cold flow of fluids entering her body left her feeling disoriented and clammy. "I’m not a fan of this." Bella managed after a moment, voice wobbly and tired.

Tobias parted his lips to answer her question, but froze as he caught a glimpse of her growing sickly pale. He pushed off the table to stand up and catch her if she fainted, but a second robotic arm grabbed his other shoulder and kept him firmly planted in place. "Please remain seated." He winced, shutting his eyes tight as the movement jostled the arm that had started stitching him, causing it to slip and jab the wound. He was really fucking terrible at receiving care from that damn machine. His fist pounded the side of the table as some outlet as another arm started stitching the back side of the bullet wound tandem with the front. Sure, it was faster and probably more efficient… But just like the last time, it seemed there wasn’t a sufficient amount of anesthesia or did he fuck that up too and not notice? Whatever.

"Lay down," he instructed her calmly, looking across the gap toward her, keeping his gaze fixed on her face and only on her face. "You look like you’re going to faint. Lay back so you don’t fall on the ground and hurt yourself," he repeated, trying to force his words through her partially sedated mind.

Moving at all seemed like an awful idea, she was barely holding onto the contents of her stomach as it were, but after a moment of debate Bell laid down slowly. The blanket was hot in her lap, her upper body frigid as the arm moved to wrap compression bandages first around her wrist, and then her ankle. She wanted to take back her acceptance of treatment, if they’d just tossed her in a tub or a pool she could have fixed herself right up, but the sedative was working against her logical thought process, and she was so tired that none of it felt like it mattered anyways. The pain in her wrist and ankle were easy to ignore earlier, but now her injuries felt like tangible proof of everything that had happened. Bella wasn’t sure if she was ready to let that go. Everything was hazy for a few moments, thoughts fluttering away as quickly as they came, she was on the verge of passing out, but eventually it passed and she could think a little clearer.

"I don’t like it either," he sympathized. "I’d rather not make this a daily occurrence, but so far I’m two for two." An exasperated laugh rumbled in his throat behind a clenched jaw. It wasn’t like Tobias was trying to get himself hurt and wind up back in the infirmary. The last thing he wanted was to sit through more fucking stitches, yet there he was. At least that time it was for a valid reason, versus avoiding hospitals out of stubborn pride and paranoia.

When the arms finished the final stitches on his shoulder, they pressed gauze against the wound and taped it in place. It wasn’t going to help much, especially when it came to avoid popping stitches because of training. But he’d cut himself some slack and take a day off from working out in the morning. No guarantees for the following day. When the robot medic switched to stitch tape for the rest of his wounds, Tobias relaxed slightly and finally answered her question. "I’ll be ok," he reassured her. "Got it when they took my niece—" He froze mid-sentence as the metal arms placed two strips of tape over the cut on his cheek. "I’m just not very good at the whole rest and relaxation thing," he confessed with a guilty smile.

"I never have been either—" The robot cut her off, its little metal hand…thing…spinning for a moment, still holding the compression bandages. Bellamy tilted her head with a vague sense of interest, mouth clicking shut like a child that had been scolded for speaking during class.

"Drake, Bellamy. Scapular contusion would best be treated with a compression wrap, ice, and elevation. Please sit up." It waited patiently for her to find the energy to drag herself back up right, mindful of the IV in her arm. "Please turn."

Bella frowned at the arm, but twisted some so that her back was to Tobias. A bruise, deeply purple and splotchy, curled around her shoulder blade toward the top of her shoulder. She couldn’t even remember which fall the injury came from, it didn’t matter either, the sedative didn’t do anything for her pain though. She sucked in a sharp breath as it began to tightly wrap the compression bandage across her chest and then around her upper arm, pinning it in place before the arm retreated to put on a secondary bag of fluids; she'd already run the first bag dry.

Gingerly, she lowered herself back onto the bed, face scrunched up in discomfort and pain. "Please tell me I don’t have to sleep here tonight." Bell glanced toward Tobias, eyes a little more focused than a few moments before but still relatively hazy. "I feel weird, what did it give me?"

Tobias watched as the robot covered the cuts on his left arm with small pieces of stitch tape. "You started panicking in your sleep, so the—" he motioned his hand toward the arms of the machine, "—gave you a sedative."

"Lehnsherr, Tobias. For proper access to your right tricep, please rest your right hand on top of your head."

He sighed softly, raising his hand as instructed, slowly to not disturb the fresh stitches in his shoulder. His palm rested on top of his head, exposing the length of the underside of his arm. Tobias watched for a second as the robot worked to remove the ice, then looked back over toward Bellamy. "No, you don’t have to sleep here," he reassured her with a quiet chuckle. "There’s plenty of empty apartments. I can take you to pick one once we’re free to leave."

It appeared that tape was significantly faster than traditional stitches. The machine worked diligently to wrap his right arm around the bicep and left arm from shoulder to elbow. The cuts along his back were too long to bandage, but he no longer felt the warm trickle of blood so whatever was done at least stopped the bleeding. "Lehnsherr, Tobias. First aid complete." Not needing to be told twice, Tobias slid off the hospital bed and wrapped himself in the warm blanket. The moment he stepped away, the bed folded up into the wall and the curtain closed around the area. "Commencing station sterilization."

He hesitantly approached Bellamy’s bed and lowered himself into the empty chair beside it. Between the warmth of the blanket, no longer being prodded with needles, and the creeping exhaustion, Tobias’s eyes grew heavy. He managed to stay awake for maybe a minute before he sunk further into the seat and dozed off. His sleep was peaceful, at first. His head tipped forward, chest rising and falling with every deep rhythmic breath. The void of his mind drifted to the bloody hostel floor as the sound of Helena’s screams echoed down the hall. He choked on the warm taste of iron with every gasping breath. Tears burned his eyes as he fought against the hands that held him down and the knees in his back. The pressure of a boot pushed down on the fresh gun shot wound sending a flaming heat radiating down his arm. His left hand clawed at whoever he could reach, tugging at their legs, at their arms, at… His fingertips brushed the plastic pistol. Before the attackers knew what was happening, the weapon was in his grasp and he pulled the trigger.

She didn’t realize that he’d fallen asleep at first, the robot had wrapped up her own first aid but the fluids were still being administered, so Bella was allowed to lay there for a little longer and watch the drip of the IV. Eventually though, almost as if out of her control, her gaze slid toward Tobias. He looked…peaceful, his long lashes created small shadows across his cheekbones, face relaxed, breaths even. She replayed the night over and over in her head as she took in his pale skin, the bags under his eyes, the bandages adorning his body, and she felt…guilt. If he hadn’t come looking for her, he wouldn’t have aggravated his injuries. If she hadn’t ran, if she’d helped her dad, if she’d been strong enough—Bell went to turn away, blinking away from the thoughts that began to feel as if they were suffocating her, when she noticed his breathing was more labored and, to her horror, a single tear cut a glistening trail down his cheek.

Bellamy panicked, what was he dreaming about that would make him cry in his sleep? Could she wake him? Should she wake him? Her arm instinctively jerked forward, trembling fingers reaching out toward his hand, when a robotic arm smacked against her uninjured wrist. She pulled her hand back with a soft yelp of pain and a reproachful look at the robot. "Please keep your IV arm stable." It intoned, turning away from her without another word. Bella huffed in agitation, turning back toward Tobias.

Ding. The elevator chimed in sync with the ring of the gun through Tobias’s dream, startling him awake. His chest heaved as he tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. He groaned, sitting upright as Alfred walked towards them with a tray perfectly balanced in one hand and a neat pile of folded clothes in the other. "Apologies, Mr. Lehnsherr. I was unaware if Ms. Drake had dry clothing so I took the liberty of grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt from your belongings for her. I assumed you wouldn’t mind."

Tobias nodded his head. "Of course. Thank you, Alfred."

She looked between the two men, mouth falling open a little at how easily Tobias accepted that. It was true, all of her clothes in her bag were beyond drenched, she’d need to wash them before she could wear anything, but his willingness and how unbothered he was…it was touching.

The man set down the tray at the foot of Bellamy’s bed to free his hand. He then handed Tobias one set of clothing, then set another set on the side table for her. His attention shifted back to the tray which was stacked with more than just tea. There was a steaming teapot, two tea cups, honey, a bottle of aspirin, a bowl of water, a bowl of milk and a tablet. "We aren’t properly equipped for your little feline friend, Ms. Drake. But I have a warm bowl of cream and water, prepared for him. I have also taken the liberty of placing an order for whatever you should need: food, litter, toys, etc. I’ll have them delivered to your room tomorrow when they arrive."

"Thank you," her voice sounded as stunned as her expression portrayed her, looking up at Alfred a little dazed by the man’s courtesy and thoroughness. She hadn’t even managed to think far enough ahead to consider everything Loki would need, her brain had been stuck on survival mode first and foremost. "I—I have money, I can pay you back, I don’t want to be an inconvenience…" She’d already done that more than enough for one day, Tobias and the other people, Imogen, Magni, they’d all done so much for her already. She wasn’t sure how she could repay any of them for any of it.

"This is all maintained with Stark, Wayne and Frost money. I don’t think they’d accept repayment even if you offered." Tobias’s voice dropped low enough that only she could hear it. "You’re not inconvenient. You’re alive… That’s what’s important."

Was it all that important? She glanced up at him, the doubt visible in her gaze before she looked away, head ducked in shame. She wasn’t like him, or likely the others in the tower. She didn’t have enough training to be useful in whatever fight they were headed toward, she couldn’t even save her dad. At best, Bella would be cannon fodder, at worst she’d get someone else killed for her own incompetence. She didn’t vocalize any of this, it wasn’t Tobais’s job to reassure her. Instead, she nodded her head once to show she understood what he said.

Alfred grabbed another warmed blanket and placed it on the ground, making a small little burrow around the bowls of water and cream. He then gently took the kitten from Bellamy’s arms with a reassuring smile and placed him in the small habitat so he could get some much needed food and water. Next he set to pouring two cups of tea and passing one off to each of them along with two aspirins. Finally he held out the tablet toward Tobias with a warm smile. "I’m sure you’re able to help her find a place to stay."

Tobias set aside the clothes so he could hold the tea in one hand and the tablet in the other. He gave the older man an exhausted but warm smile. "Thanks, Alfred."

The man gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder before turning back toward the elevator. "Don’t worry about cleaning up. I’ll take care of it later. Feel free to leave your dirty clothes behind. I can have them cleaned and back to you both by morning." Without another word, Alfred slipped back into the elevator leaving them both alone to change and recover.

"Thank you." She echoed Tobias, blinking a few times as the whirlwind of an old man exited just as quickly as he’d come. Staring down at her own cup of tea for a moment, before glancing down at Loki. The kitten was delighted by the offerings, purring so loudly she could hear him from the bed, and the sound brought a small, tired smile to her lips.

Tobias took a sip of his tea, then leaned forward slightly to rest the tablet on the side of Bell’s bed. "There’s a lot of empty apartments, so you’ll have a pretty good selection." He looked over at her briefly with a smile before illuminating the screen. "Mr. Stark and Mr. Wayne let us kind of decorate however we wanted. I have my old penthouse from when I attended. There used to be a wide variety of people here back in the day, so I’m sure there’s something you’ll find interesting." He navigated to a page similar to the kiosk down in the lobby that showed images of all the available apartments and held the tablet out towards her. "It’s like HGTV, but you don’t have to pay for anything," he laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I have to pick?" She’d smiled at his joke, but there was an undeniably edge of stress in her voice as she caught sight of the sheer amount of available apartments. Stone floors, wooden floors, marble floors, one with a balcony, one with a piano, one even had an indoor hot tub. Who in their right mind would want a hot tub in their bedroom? Bella chewed on her bottom lip, lifting her wrapped hand to scroll through a few of the options herself. "This one has a couch in the closet, who in the world needs a closet that big?" Bella muttered to herself, swiping away from that one before giving Tobias a sort of helpless look. "I have a studio apartment in New York that barely passes as a closet, I’m a little out of my depth here."

He leaned forward, peeking over the edge of the bed to look at the tablet when she mentioned the giant closet. "I think that was Jessica’s apartment. She’s the only person I’ve known to care more about fashion than Imogen." Tobias laughed quietly. "Alright, here." He reached out and gently took the tablet away from her. His finger slowly ran along the screen as he skimmed the various available apartments. Occasionally he caught glimpses of rooms that reminded him of the previous tenant and he couldn’t help but wonder what happened to them, if they were in hiding or were taken… like Helena.

He cleared his throat. "So… What do you like? Colors? Hobbies? Help me narrow it down a bit." Tobias looked up at her from beneath his brow. While his eyes were cast in shadow with dark circles beneath them, there was still a subtle warm and light behind them.

"Well, um… literature, I have a degree in English literature, so I guess that’s a hobby, but…" her eyes trailed off of the tablet screen, settling on his hand instead, the way his finger swiped across the screen slowly. Bella stared for a moment, unsure of why she was so enthralled, and decided it was the sedative clouding her mind. With great effort, she settled her eyes back onto the screen. "I participate in professional figure skating, I was meant to go to an international competition next month." Her lips tugged down some, the realization that she couldn’t go anymore sat like a weight on her chest. "None of that really matters anymore." Bell let out a soft breath, swallowing around the urge to cry, she wouldn’t break down in front of him again.

With each new piece of information, Tobias swiped away apartments that he didn’t think suited her. The task was a little mundane, but he kept his mind busy so he didn’t slip into thoughts about his nightmare or how uncomfortable it was to lean his back against the chair. He looked back over at her when she mentioned figure skating. "Guess that just means we need to solve this quickly so you can go." The corner of his mouth tugged into a lopsided smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. People had been going missing for over a year, the likelihood of them wrapping this up in less than a month was unlikely. And while he had a habit of being pragmatic at best, pessimistic at worse, Bell seemed like she could use some optimism… Even if it was a little misplaced.

She smiled at that, soft and a little wobbly, but it was one of the first genuine smiles he’d managed to pull from her since they’d met. It reached her eyes, her cheeks a healthy flush instead of the sickly pale she’d been earlier. She knew that it wouldn’t happen, but he was trying, and Bella appreciated that more than she could put into words.

"Well, I don’t think any of these apartments have an ice rink but I’ll keep an eye out," he teased gently. So far he had it narrowed between five different apartments, each of which had a decent library and looked cozy, like a home away from home. If he had to choose, he probably would pick the second one. It had that dark academia sort of vibe and a lot of plants, but he wasn’t sure if that really suited her. He knew little to nothing about Bell, but something told him that she needed something brighter and more welcoming. "What’s your favorite color?"

Her eyes had trailed back to his hands, and then away back toward the cat to distract herself, but at his question Bell looked back up, her eyes catching his gaze. She opened her mouth to answer, but…"Blue, but dark, like..." She pressed her lips together tightly, gaze breaking away from his own to stare at the heated blanket in her lap. Why had she said that? She hadn’t realized what color his eyes were until just then, a mix of blue and grey that reminded her of the frozen over lake she practiced ice skating on as a kid behind her house. "Any shade of blue, really." Bellamy recovered quickly, heat rushing to her cheeks, but the robotic arm moving to remove her IV helped take her mind off of her blunder, grimacing and looking away as it was removed from her arm and a bandage was placed over the crook of her inner elbow.

"Drake, Bellamy. First aid is complete." She looked toward Tobias, eyebrows raised.

"Is that it telling me to get out?" Her lips twitched up into a slight smile, the idea of being bossed around by a robot was ridiculous.

Tobias laughed, something a little less strained and more genuine. "Yeah, means you’re done." With the knowledge of her liking blue, he swiped away two more options narrowing it down to three. There was the one he originally liked and two others that looked a little brighter, letting in more sunlight with a couple places he could see Loki getting into some mischief. He handed over the tablet as he stood up with a pained groan. "I narrowed it down to three. Maybe that’ll help."

Bella leaned over to look at the tablet, eyes scanning the options she’d been left with. She debated for a moment, narrowing it down between the two, but the first one…the shade of blue on the walls, the windows, there was something about it that felt right. She hesitated still, glancing toward Tobias as he set down his cup of tea, belatedly realizing she hadn’t drank any of her own yet and taking a sip. It was warm, and refreshing. She’d always enjoyed tea, and the familiarity of the drink eased some of the tension hanging onto her shoulders.

He downed the rest of his tea, then set aside his cup to grab the set of clothes Alfred had left for him. "I’ll give you some privacy." Tobias nodded his head toward the sweats on her side table. He gave the little cat a quick pet as he stepped away. His free hand grabbed the hospital curtain and pulled it out to divide the space between them. He hadn’t noticed the bed he was on earlier was already sterilized and ready for someone new. Must have finished while he was sleeping. He set aside the blanket that was no longer warm to the touch aside from his own body heat. He kicked off his sneakers and peeled off his drenched socks first. Surprisingly his shorts and boxers were still damp and took some effort inching them down when the fabric kept clinging to his skin. A shiver ran down his body as his wet skin was exposed to the chilly air conditioning. He quickly pulled on the dry sweatpants and hoodie, thankful to finally be dry.

She scooted off the bed, eyeing the mud caked shoes and discarded socks with a frown. Those had been her only shoes she’d brought with her, she’d have to ask Alfred if…they could order her some more, she supposed. It felt weird to be reliant on someone else for things like that, but it was out of her hands now. Bella struggled for a moment, the mobility of her wrapped shoulder and upper arm made it difficult to drag off her damp jeans, hard to pull on the sweatpants that were too long and pooled loose fabric around her ankles, and downright impossible to get the hoodie on over her head. She wobbled a little on her good foot, hanging her head in embarrassment as she clutched the hoodie in her good hand.

Tobias took his time laying out his dirty, soaked clothes as neatly as he could for Alfred. When he finished he slowly and carefully lowered himself to the ground. He crossed his legs beneath him before reaching his hand beneath the curtain where he could hear the kitten still slurping up cream. He idly stroked the cat’s head as he waited. "I like the color red, but more like maroon. And I play the piano." He wasn’t entirely sure why he offered up the information unprompted. Maybe he felt like it was only fair since Bell shared information about herself or maybe he wanted to fill the silence… Or maybe he wanted her to know something else about him that wasn’t his father or that he was a killer.

Despite her predicament, Bellamy smiled at Tobias’s confession. She hadn’t expected it, hadn’t been sure how to ask despite wanting to know, and so she was glad that it was information openly given. "What’s your favorite song to play?" she flopped back down onto the bed with a huff after struggling for a moment, giving up the last bit of dignity she had. "I’m sorry, I…I can’t lift my arm. Can you help me, please?" Bella held the hoodie out toward where she knew he’d come from the curtain, face flushed and resolutely turned to the side, so she could glare at the robotic arm patiently waiting for her to vacate her bed so it could begin sanitizing the space.

"Umm…" He puffed out his lips with a deep exhale. What did he enjoy playing? Tobias played a lot of songs, but was always drawn to tunes that were a little more enchanting or melancholy. "Probably Swan Lake." He had never seen the ballet but the music was uniquely haunting, yet captivating in a way most songs weren’t.

"Yeah, sure," Tobias replied to her request for aid without hesitation. He groaned as he got to his feet and walked toward the curtain then hesitated. He took a deep breath then stepped forward, keeping his eyes focused on his bare feet. He just barely caught a glimpse of the hoodie out of the corner of his eye, reaching out for it, missing a few times before feeling the fabric brush his palm. He took a second to prep it like you would dressing a child, turning it front side down and bunched up one of the sleeves. His gaze shifted to the ceiling as he moved in front of her. "Right hand first," he instructed barely above a whisper. When he felt her fingers slip through his hands shifted to the other sleeve, prepping it similarly. "Ok. And the other one?"

Her face burned, but one of them had to actually look and see what they were doing, so Bella turned toward him despite how flustered she was, sliding each arm in as directed, though her right arm was tricky because of how it was wrapped, even lifting it just the tiny bit she had to pulled at her shoulder and made pain ripple down her back. She shifted her weight, remembering her injured ankle before she put too much weight on it, and shifted back as her knees threatened to buckle. Getting dressed by a very attractive man was not supposed to be so horribly painful, it never was in the books at least.

The next part was tricky, so he worked slowly to make sure he didn’t hurt her while focusing on counting the number of ceiling tiles. Tobias fingers scrunched the fabric up so he held it from hem to collar. He took a slight step closer only sparing the quickest glance to make sure he wasn’t going to miss. Luckily his sweater was massive compared to her, so he had plenty of wiggle room to guide it over her head without putting tension on her arm… Whichever one was injured, he couldn’t remember. He carefully tugged the hoodie down to her waist making sure not to accidentally touch her. Tobias looked down at her only when he was certain she was fully covered. He gently untucked her hair from beneath the collar with an awkward smile and flushed cheeks. "There." He nodded his head and took a step back.

"Did you pick a room?" He asked, nodding his head toward the tablet, trying to shift the conversation back into more comfortable territory.

Despite the embarrassment and pain, Bellamy couldn’t help the small and indulgent grin that tugged at her lips, brightening her tired eyes. The way his own cheeks were flushed, how gentle he’d been as he fixed her hair, it was all so endearing. Bell didn’t understand how a man who claimed to have taken so many lives could be so unbelievably gentle, and warm. She could feel the difference in their natural body temperatures now that he wasn’t on the verge of hypothermia, where she naturally ran a few degrees cooler than the average person Tobias felt blissfully warm. She cleared her throat, glancing down at the tablet, happy to have a distraction from the confusing direction her thoughts had gone.

"The one on floor thirty, I think. The color and the windows, it’s so beautiful." her grin softened into something a little more sad, and Bella backed up to sit on the edge of the bed, trying to roll up the ankles of the sweatpants so she didn’t trip over them. "It’s the sort of place you dream about living in, but never think you’ll actually be able to." She paused in her endeavor of rolling the ankles up to instead roll the sleeves of his hoodie up, face one of great concentration as she struggled for a moment. "I’ve never seen the play, Swan Lake, but I’ve read Mark Helprin’s literary adaptation of it. I’ll have to look up the music."

"I have the sheet music in my room," he replied before fully realizing the implications of what he was suggesting. Tobias cleared his throat and slid his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. "It sounds a lot better with accompaniment or a proper orchestra though," he continued trying to move past what could have been an awkward invitation that gave the wrong message. He wasn’t entirely sure what the wrong message was, but whatever it was, he didn’t want to come across forward or like he was trying to get her alone or something.

Tobias inhaled a sharp, awkward breath as he walked around the hospital bed to pick up Bellamy’s soaked bag. He carefully pulled the strap over his head and rested it on his good shoulder. "How’s your ankle?" he asked as he crouched down to collect the empty bowls. He slid them into a side pocket of her bag and scooped up the pudgy content cat. Using the sleeve of his hoodie, he wiped the cream from Loki’s face as he returned to Bell and held out the kitten for her. "You can try walking, but seeing as how you won’t even put weight on it…" his voice trailed off, the implication of his words evident without saying it. "There’s also crutches, a wheelchair or…" He motioned his hands toward himself with a slight shrug. While Tobias was tired, he could manage carrying her to her room if that’s what she wanted. In the end it was her decision.

"I’d like to hear you play sometime," Bell glanced toward Tobias, brows furrowing more as she watched him verbally backtrack for a moment, not sure why, unless he didn’t want to spend time around her, which…that was fair, really. She glanced back down at the sleeves, swallowing around the lump in her throat. It made sense, he’d fulfilled whatever moral obligation he’d had getting her here alive, that was all that mattered in the end. "No pressure, of course. I’m sure you’re busy with…" she gestured around them, the sleeve she hadn’t managed to roll up properly flopped back and smacked her in the face. Bellamy dropped her arm quickly, face burning in embarrassment.

"No, I…" his voice faded away as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tobias wasn’t used to this, any of it. Most of his life it had been just him and when he was at the academy he had people like Magni who just kind of adopted him and dragged him around everywhere. He never really made friends on his own or initiated anything beyond necessary conversation. "I’d be happy to," he sighed, deciding honesty was better than whatever it was that he was trying to do. "I was just… trying not to make you uncomfortable," he admitted with a faint smile.

"Oh," she let out a soft breath, surprise flickering across her face before Bella smiled, soft and unguarded. She hadn’t realized until that moment, but the two of them had a lot in common. "You…I feel safe with you." Her breath caught in her throat, realizing what she’d said a second too late, but…it was true. She looked down at her ankles, one wrapped and the other bare. The floor was cold beneath her feet, welcoming and familiar. "I–I just mean, you don’t have to worry about that, so."

The admission caught Tobias off guard. As far as he could remember, the only people who ever felt safe with him was family, or at least the only people who vocalized it. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He must have been doing something right. The small bit of good he did paled in comparison to the overwhelming shadow of his past that loomed overhead, but the small reassurance told him he was on the right path, if nothing else. He cleared his throat and nodded his head. "Ok," he replied softly.

She pushed up to her feet, smiling at his reply, testing how much pressure her bad ankle could withstand before answering. She would sooner go back out into that forest and give the sniper a clean shot than have him push her around in a wheelchair, thank you very much, but she wasn’t going to tell Tobias the idea of him picking her up again made her heart flutter in her chest. Christ, what was wrong with her? Had she hit her head during one of the falls, because it sure felt like it, maybe it was just the sedative. Pain arched up her ankle, along her calf, and burned in her knee. Bella flattered for a second, face paling a little, but she smiled a tight little smile at him. "I can walk," she lied, eyeing his shoulder with more concern than she’d given her own injuries. "I don’t want you to rip your stitches again. That was…" terrifying. "It must have really hurt, I’m sorry."

"Yeah, fuck that," he muttered under his breath as he pushed her bag around his torso so it hung behind his back. Regardless if Bell tried to argue or pull away, Tobias could move faster than her. He swept his left arm into the back of her knees while his other hand carefully held her side, and then picked her up. His jaw tensed for a second as he adjusted her in his arms, but then he relaxed and made his way toward the elevator. He turned her so she could handle pressing the button. He was already beyond the point of fatigue, so he wasn’t going to risk adding another thing to juggle along with Bell and her bag.

She had a split second where she saw the resolve flicker across his face, her stomach dropping, and then Tobias was moving toward her faster than she could process the movement. Bella looked like a deer in headlights, gasping as her legs were quite literally swept out from beneath her, good arm flailing for a second before she slipped it around the back of his neck, face burning for a completely different reason as her weight settled easily into his arms. Bell, quite possibly, had never felt more attracted to another person until this very moment. "Toby!" The nickname slipped from her tongue without thought, her warm breath fanning across the bit of his throat that was exposed, arm tightening around his shoulders for a second before she adjusted, not wanting to agitate any of his injuries.

"I didn’t even notice until we were in the car," he confessed, looking over at her as they waited on the elevator. Tobias would have shrugged but he couldn’t move his shoulders while focusing on supporting her weight, so his head just nodded to the side slightly. "I get tunnel vision in a fight. Unless the injury actually inhibits me, I’ll notice vague pain, but don’t really register what it is until it’s all over."

"Are you in pain?" Her other hand kept Loki against her chest, where the kitten was content to snuggle up and doze lazily, so she couldn’t reach out and press a hand to his chest like she felt the bizarre desire to do. She could feel the steady and strong thrum of his heart against her side though, catching his gaze as her own heart beat erratically in her chest, and that was the exact moment Bella knew she was in danger for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with armed goons. She’d never felt so flustered from something so simple, it was so stupid. She just needed sleep, the sedative needed to wear off, and she’d be fine from there. "I…thank you." Bell added softly, looking down at the cat.

Tobias stepped onto the elevator when the doors opened, and turned her toward the panel so she could select the correct floor. Once the lift began to move upwards, he leaned back against one of the walls for support as they waited. Was he in pain? Yes. Was he going to admit that to Bellamy? No. "Just a little sore," he answered, looking down at her from beneath his dark brow. It wasn’t a lie, per se, just not the entire truth. Was it likely that his legs would give out two seconds after he entered his apartment? Most likely. But half of that wasn’t because of her but his own fault for doing an excessive amount of weight training in the morning. Figures the one day he half kills himself working out there would be training and it’d be the one time he actually helps someone. Fate was kind of a bitch that way.

When the doors opened to Bellamy’s new apartment, Tobias let out a low whistle. "This is a lot fancier than my place." He pushed off the wall with a faint grunt and carried her inside. His eyes scanned the room until he locked onto an ornate staircase that had to lead to a second floor, and most likely her bedroom. Fuck. At the base of the stairs he inhaled a sharp breath through his nose then started climbing. Each step was more difficult than the last. His legs felt like noodles and his muscles were on fire, but his face was stoic and blank aside from the slight furrowing of his brows.

"Tobias," her tone was verging on pleading, watching how his brows furrowed, face otherwise impassive. She could feel the tension in his arms though, how each step up felt slower than the last. Guilt rolled in her stomach, because he was in pain but trying to push through for her, she should have just asked the stupid robot to put her in a tub, exhaustion and conflicting emotions be damned, anything so he didn’t have to suffer through this for her. "I can walk, please…" He was stubborn, and focused, so her whispered plea didn’t do much, and her head fell to the side to rest against his collarbone, a soft sigh of defeat falling from her lips. "I’m going to be worried about you getting back to your room now." Bella muttered, absentmindedly stroking Loki’s head with her thumb.

Tobias’s gaze fell to the top of her head as she rested it against him. His pulse elevated slightly as a warmth grew in his chest and spread across his cheeks. "I’ll be ok. I’m only five floors away."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when Tobias finally made it up the stairs and found her bedroom. He carried Bellamy inside and gently set her on the bed. He then pulled her bag over his head and put it inside her closet. "I can show you where we do laundry tomorrow, if you need help," he offered, rubbing his hands together awkwardly as he lingered by the door. "Did you need anything else?" he asked. While it wasn’t his duty to take care of her, he couldn’t bring himself to leave until he knew his help was no longer needed… or wanted.

The bed was soft beneath her, like how she’d imagined a cloud would feel when she was younger, nicer than any bed Bellamy had ever owned, but it wasn’t enough to distract her from him. Her eyes tracked his movements like a planet stuck in the gravitational pull of the sun, unable to look anywhere else. It was the exhaustion, the sedative, that was all, and yet…she took a deep breath, and all Bell could smell was his cologne. "No," she lied, better this time, because what she wanted was very different from what she needed. She wanted to ask him to not leave, she was scared of being alone again, but that was selfish in a way that she didn’t even want to consider. "Thank you, for everything. If you hadn’t shown up…" Bell looked away, and she could feel the tears shimmering in her eyes. She set aside Loki onto one of the pillows, refusing to let a single tear fall. "Thank you for saving me, Tobias."

"Ok," he whispered with a nod of his head. "I would do it again," Tobias confessed as he noticed the tears pooling in her eyes and the guilt that tugged her mouth into a slight frown. "Even if it ended worse for me. So…" He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Don’t blame yourself for me. I’m alive, you’re alive…" He nodded his head and exhaled softly.

"I’m on floor 35 if you need anything. I don’t sleep much so it’s no bother." Tobias took a step forward, lingering for a second in the doorway. He lightly tapped his hand against the door frame while looking over at her one last time. "Good night, Bell." A lopsided smile curved at the corner of his mouth before he disappeared out into the hallway.

His words bounced around in her head relentlessly as she watched him go, biting her bottom lip hard enough that she could taste iron across her tongue. She resisted calling him back, because she knew the control she’d held onto all night was slipping. She didn’t trust herself, her powers, or her own control enough to risk hurting him, so she watched him go as the tears spilled over, and he was already gone before she found it in her to reply. "Night, Toby."



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#cb6b06 ....|..... #d13b00 ....|..... ghost rider ....|..... outfit .....|..... garage ............ #00674f ....|..... sentinel ....|..... outfit .....|..... kitchen > garage


The kitchen looked like it had been the battleground for a minor domestic war.

Flour dusted the countertops like fresh snowfall, streaked where her hands had dragged through it in frustration. A bowl, too large for the task, sat half full of something that aspired to be dough, though Zaria was almost certain dough wasn’t supposed to look like… that. The rolling pin lay abandoned on its side, lightly smeared with pink jam she wasn’t sure was supposed to be on it. A whisk clung to a desperate clot of butter like it was holding on for dear life.

Zaria stood in the center of the chaos, shoulders drawn tight, brows furrowed at the holographic recipe floating serenely in front of her. The instructions shone in soft blue light, precise and clear, utterly indifferent to the existential crisis happening beneath them.

“I swear it looked easier in the video,” she muttered.

“Miss Von Doom,” J.A.R.V.I.S. said in his ever-patient, ever-composed tone, “The recipe specifies cold butter. You appear to have… softened yours to the point of liquefaction.”

Zaria let out a small, strangled noise. “I panicked! It wouldn’t mix, so I… heated it up.” She lifted the bowl, then put it down again before the ooze could slosh out. “I was trying to be efficient.”

“Efficiency,” the AI replied gently, as gently as artificial intelligence could be, she supposed. “is not typically achieved through improvisational melting.”

Zaria scrubbed her hands over her face, leaving streaks of flour along her cheeks. “I’ve fought bounty hunters, J.A.R.V.I.S. Lots of them. Why is baking harder?”

“Because,” J.A.R.V.I.S. mused, “Bounty hunters do not require precise measurements.”

She huffed, amused despite herself, then looked around the kitchen again, really looked. If Logan were here, he’d be leaning in the doorway with that long-suffering look of his, arms crossed, raspy voice ready with some teasing remark. If her brother were here, he’d have made fun of her until she threw a utensil at him, and then he would have taken over for her. But James… James would’ve shown up at eleven-thirty, hands in his pockets, expecting lunch and company and maybe—maybe, trust.

And she hadn’t been there.

Her stomach twisted. She didn’t even know how to explain why that mattered so much, but it did. It mattered in a way that scared her a little. “Okay,” she said, exhaling sharply, “We’re starting over. How do I fix this? Can I fix this? Is it fixable or should I throw myself off the balcony and hope I splatter poetically?”

“I would strongly advise against self-defenestration,” J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. “And yes, we can salvage this. First, please place that bowl, carefully, into the sink. Then retrieve fresh butter from the refrigeration unit.” She moved as directed, dumping the bowl into the sink with a wet, sugary plorp that made her wince.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” she said as she crossed to the fridge, “Do you think James will still be upset?”

There was a beat—infinitesimal, but present.

“I believe,” the AI answered, “That Mr. Blaze was disappointed. Not angry. You have done him no irreparable harm.”

Her throat tightened. “I don’t know how to… do this,” she admitted softly. “Friends. Promises. Not messing things up.”

“You will learn,” J.A.R.V.I.S. said, and something about the simplicity of the AI’s statement calmed her frayed nerves ever so slightly. “Now, cube the butter. Small pieces.”

Zaria held the block of butter, fingers pressing into the greasy surface with a grimace, hesitating over the knife. “…Define small?”

“Half-inch,” J.A.R.V.I.S. said.

Zaria made her first slice. It was decidedly not half an inch. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it nervously as she hesitated.

There was a pause.

“…Close enough,” the AI said diplomatically.

She snorted, an inelegant, unguarded sound, and for a moment, some of the tension in her spine eased. Zaria pushed the butter into the flour as instructed, working slowly, carefully, determinedly. Her fingers were clumsy, her movements awkward, but she was trying. Really trying.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.?”

“Yes, Miss Von Doom?”

“Do the instructions say how to make them taste like somebody’s childhood?” She looked down at her hands, at the mess she was turning into something better. “Because I think that part matters most.”

A softer note entered the AI’s tone. It was astounding to realize this was not an actual person, but something that had been coded to respond in such a way. She still didn’t fully understand how he worked, but he was the most helpful thing in this tower thus far. “Only intention can do that, I’m afraid.”

Zaria swallowed hard and kept working. For James.

That was when Alfred entered the kitchen like a man stepping into a crime scene. He stopped dead in the doorway. Absolutely frozen. For a long, quiet moment, the only movement was his left eye giving a single, pained twitch, so small any other human would have missed it, but Zaria caught it with the precision of someone trained to notice danger.

And Alfred Pennyworth, war veteran, medic, ex-intelligence operative, survivor of unspeakable Gotham nonsense… looked horrified. Horrified in a dignified British way, which somehow made it worse. His gaze swept slowly from the flour storm coating the countertops, to the jam-streaked rolling pin, to the sacrificial whisk glued to butter, to the holographic recipe, and finally, to Zaria, elbow-deep in a bowl of flour and butter that was clumping like drywall plaster.

“…Miss Von Doom,” Alfred said carefully, his voice so polite it bordered on surgical. “Might I inquire as to why it appears as though you’ve attempted to bake inside a tornado?”

Zaria blinked at him, cheeks burning. “I—um—I’m making pop-tarts.”

There was a full three seconds of silence. Alfred stared at her like she had told him she was attempting open-heart surgery on the countertop. J.A.R.V.I.S., ever helpful, chimed in with impeccable timing. “Miss Von Doom is attempting to prepare homemade strawberry pastries as an apology for disappointing Mr. Blaze.”

Alfred drew in a breath so sharp it could cut glass. “Ah,” he said, and something in his posture softened. Just a touch. “A noble endeavor. And one I suspect Mister Logan would approve of.”

Zaria’s throat tightened. She wasn’t even sure how he knew about Logan, but a part of her wasn’t surprised. It felt like Coulson and Alfred knew everything. “If he were here he’d tell me I’m doing it wrong.”

“Yes,” Alfred agreed dryly, stepping into the room with the air of a man approaching a wounded wild animal. “But he would be correct. You are doing it very wrong.”

Zaria groaned and pressed her hands to her face, smearing new streaks of flour across her skin. “Why is that not comforting?”

Alfred clapped his hands once, brisk and authoritative. “Right. Stand aside, Miss Von Doom. I’ve handled worse than this.” He glanced down at a glob of something that may have once aspired to be dough. His jaw tightened imperceptibly. “Much worse.” It sounded a little like a lie, actually. Not that she was going to complain.

He moved with startling efficiency—rolling up the sleeves of his immaculate shirt with military exactness before surveying the damage. Within minutes, he had dumped the doomed bowl from the sink into the trash, rinsed and replaced the tools with frighteningly swift precision, and wiped down three square feet of counter with the silent, resigned sorrow of a man who knew he would be cleaning up after young superheroes far too often. Then he gave Zaria a firm, encouraging nod. “Very well. Let’s salvage your culinary… aspirations.”

“I’d call them attempts,” she muttered.

“Attempts require momentum,” Alfred countered. “What you’ve been doing is flailing with purpose.”

Zaria stared. “Is that… is that better?”

“A marginal improvement.”

J.A.R.V.I.S. chimed in again. “Mr. Pennyworth has taken over the role of supervising chef. I shall remain secondary support.”

“Very good,” Alfred said. “Now, Miss Von Doom, hands washed. Properly. And then we shall address your dough.” She washed her hands like she was preparing for surgery, under Alfred’s scrutinizing gaze, before returning to the workstation. Alfred placed a fresh bowl in front of her, already containing the proper proportions of flour and salt.

“Cold butter,” he said, handing her a perfectly chilled stick from the refrigerator. “Diced. Into half-inch cubes.” Zaria hesitated. “I am aware,” Alfred said, “That J.A.R.V.I.S. attempted this step with you previously.”

Zaria winced, trying not to pout because Alfred really did know everything. “It didn’t go well.”

“I deduced that when I discovered a butter puddle.” She picked up the knife. Paused. Alfred positioned her hands gently but firmly. “Here. Thumb curled inward. Press, don’t hack. And breathe. Cooking is not warfare.”

“It feels like warfare.”

“Then consider me your commanding officer in this campaign.” She snorted, again, and something in her chest eased, just like before. Under Alfred’s instruction, her cuts were cleaner, closer to the right size. He nodded approvingly. “Well done. Into the flour now.” Zaria dumped the butter in. “Now, incorporate with your fingertips. Not your palms. Warm palms melt the butter prematurely.”

“Like this?” she asked, fumbling.

“Precisely. Gentle. Think of coaxing, not crushing.”

Zaria blinked, and after a few moments she added. “This is… nicer than I expected.”

“It is,” Alfred said mildly, “Baking is meant to be a relaxing endeavor, as it is difficult to produce anything edible when one is panicking.”

J.A.R.V.I.S. added, “Her panic level was at 82%, earlier.”

Zaria groaned softly. “Why would you tell him that?”

“Because,” Alfred said, “It explains the dough on the ceiling, and the butter liquefaction incident.”

She ducked her face, flushing darker. “I’m never living that down.”

“No,” Alfred agreed. “You are not.” But when she peeked at him, he was smiling. A small, warm tilt of the mouth that felt like approval. Real approval. “Now,” he said, straightening, “Shall we continue? We have pastries to complete, a kitchen to restore, and a friend to make amends with.”

Zaria’s chest tightened again—this time not with panic, but something fragile and hopeful. “Yeah,” She said quietly. Zaria wondered, distantly, if this is what life could have been like if her dad was… anyone else.

* * *

James had been restless since training. He wanted to get out of the tower and go on a ride… He wanted to leave, feeling more out of place with every passing hour. He had packed his bag with what little bit of clothes he had that Zaria meticulously unpacked earlier that morning. With one less outfit after his whole training fiasco, there was an excess of room that felt… off, like he was leaving something behind. He made his way down to the garage without running into anyone—thank god—but now there was the whole hurdle of actually getting on his bike and leaving. No matter how much he tried, hooking his saddlebag up to his motorcycle, getting seated and even putting on his helmet… He couldn’t bring himself to start the engine.

He remained in that limbo for over half an hour, ass going numb on the seat and sweaty palms pressed to his thighs. All the while the spirit kept calling him a Pussy every time he reached for the keys in the ignition. After being chastised nearly a dozen different ways, James ripped off his helmet and threw it across the garage.

Well that was dramatic, the voice nagged at the back of his head while the sound of his helmet rolling across the ground echoed loudly throughout the vast concrete room.

"For the love of God, shut up!" James ran his hands back through his hair before peeling off his leather jacket and throwing it on the ground.

James couldn’t go on a fucking ride because he promised he wouldn’t leave the tower alone. He couldn’t leave because that same promise made his feet drag like they were strapped to cement blocks. And he couldn’t bring himself to trudge back up to his room because… of his pride? He was lonely?... Maybe he was just a pussy like the spirit said. Unable to make a single fucking decision, James resigned himself to one of the rolling mechanic’s stools and started tuning up his motorcycle as a way to keep his hands and mind busy.

By the time the elevator had started its descent to the garage, James had rid himself of his shirt to avoid getting one of his last decent pieces of clothing covered in grease. His shaggy hair was pulled back in a short and sloppy ponytail that only held half of his hair out of his face. Smudges covered him like polka dots from his head to his waist, while his hands were entirely black almost all the way up to his elbows. Metallica played throughout the garage with a little help from J.A.R.V.I.S., blocking out all other noises… including the spirit’s judgement.

The elevator chimed softly as it reached the garage, the doors gliding open with a smooth whisper that somehow made Zaria’s pulse jump into her throat. The tower’s garage was cavernous, sunlight slanting in through high windows, dust motes drifting lazily in the beams. Rows of sleek vehicles sat in immaculate lines, polished to mirror shine. A lingering smell of gasoline and motor oil clung comfortably to the air, grounding, warm in a way that reminded her faintly of Logan.

And there, exactly where J.A.R.V.I.S. said he’d be, James sat beside his motorcycle. He hadn’t heard her yet. Which somehow made everything worse.

Zaria swallowed, adjusting her grip on the plate before she dropped it. Six pop-tarts sat on it, three perfectly golden, neatly frosted, even drizzled, with Alfred’s help, like something out of a bakery case. The other three were… earnest attempts. Lopsided. Frosting sliding off one side. One looked like it had gotten into a fistfight and lost, strawberry filling was oozing out of its edges like some kind of murder scene. Her face still had flour streaks on it, she knew because Alfred tried to wipe one away and she dodged out of pure fight-or-flight instinct. Her hair had a dusting of white like she’d been caught in a light blizzard. Her shirt, once black—now had the patterning of someone who’d hugged a bag of flour at high velocity.

She felt ridiculous. Terrified. Stupidly hopeful. The elevator doors tried to close behind her, nudging at her back like a passive-aggressive reminder she couldn’t stand here forever, so she stepped forward.

Her fingers tightened around the plate, holding it in front of herself like it was a shield. Six pop-tarts. Three proud. Three… less so. All hers. All stupid. All she could think to bring. The music hit her. Loud. Grimy. Fast. It barked through the garage as if warning her to turn around while she still could, it was the sort of music Logan liked though, and that gave her just a little bit of confidence to step forward instead of turn away.

There he was though, James, shirtless, grease-stained, doing… something to his bike that she didn’t really understand. It looked complicated, and messy.

She swallowed. Hard. Fear and anxiety swirled inside of her like a tornado. Her feet moved anyway. “Uh—hi,” she tried to say over the music, but it barely came out. She had to move closer before she was even in his peripheral vision, before he could hear her. Her heart was pounding so hard she swore he could hear it through Metallica.

“James,” she blurted, a little too loud, the moment she was close enough that he couldn’t pretend not to notice her.

James was hunched over tightening a bolt with a socket wrench when he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes. He paused just a second, sparing Aria a sideways glance. The pit of emotions that had been churning in his stomach since he left training tightened and contorted. If he was actually planning on leaving it was too late now. He knew once she noticed his packed bag there would be no way to avoid the conversation. Either he’d make her guilt grow or he’d be a jackass… Maybe both. He let out a soft sigh that was lost somewhere beneath the guitar solo from Master of Puppets. He finished tightening that single bolt before discarding the wrench into the toolbox at his feet and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, adding another grease mark to his already peppered skin.

"Hey J.A.R.V.I.S., stop the music," he called over the loud electric guitar. Then like spontaneously going deaf, the garage was silent as the grave. The only sound filling James’s ears was the residual ringing from the absence of the noise. Greasy hands pushed off his knees as he stood. The movement shifted the stool and sent it rolling behind him until it stopped, caught on the sleeve of his leather jacket and his saddlebag. He looked down at Aria with dark circles under his eyes, patiently waiting for her to speak. His face was a mosaic of exhaustion, frustration, sadness, and about twenty other emotions all rolled into one.

And then, because there was no turning back, because her guilt was crawling up her throat, she just started talking. “I… missed lunch. And I’m really, really sorry. I know you said you were okay, but—” She cut herself off, inhaling sharply. She couldn’t stop now, there was still so much Zaria felt like she needed to say, but all the words were getting caught in the back of her throat, choking her. “I thought—I thought maybe—well, you said they reminded you of your sister. And I wanted to make something that mattered. I’ve never baked anything before, and I didn’t know what I was doing but I tried, really tried, because I didn’t mean to hurt you and I know I did, and—”

Her eyes burned, her throat was closing up, and she couldn’t look at him, so she thrust the plate out and held it in the space between the two of them. “I just wanted to fix it. These… these are for you.”

James studied her face, brows furrowing as the words fell from her like a nervous vomit, one after the other. He didn’t notice the tray clutched in her hands until Aria mentioned his sister, then his gaze fell to the strawberry pastries, half of them looking like they were purchased from a gourmet bakery while the others looked like a child that tried. The sight made his chest tighten with an aching homesickness that always laid dormant inside him. He knew which ones were hers the moment he saw them and for a reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on, he liked those more.

Seeing the tears forming in her eyes made the tension fall from his shoulders and his brows curve upward with subtle concern. Before he could find the words or form a sentence, the tray was shoved into the space between them and the cold metal pressed against his chest. James’s gaze fell to the offering a second time and instinctively went to take it until he saw the blackness of his hands out of the corner of his eye. "I… Give me a second." He held up an index finger and took a step away. Then he stopped and turned back to face her. "Please don’t cry… I’ll just cover you in grease."

James cautiously turned from her, making sure Aria wasn’t going to burst into tears the second he stepped away. He half stumbled half stepped over the toolbox and made his way over to the sink. It took him several minutes of scrubbing his arms with the abrasive soap to get most of the dirt, grime and grease off of his hands. But no matter how hard he tried, it still remained embedded under his nails and in the creases of his skin. He grabbed an excessive amount of paper towels and dried his hands, then used what was left to try and wipe the remaining grease from his chest and face to no avail.

After tossing the dirty, bunched up towels into the trash he slowly approached Aria like she was an injured animal he didn’t want to scare off. James hesitantly reached out and grabbed one of the uglier misshapen poptarts. He turned it over in his hand, studying it before looking over at her. "You know you can buy these at a gas station for like… five bucks, right?" He brought the pastry to his mouth and took a bite without hesitation. The trust that he had in them not being contaminated one way or another was surprising considering the state of her eggs that morning, but she made the effort to bake poptarts from scratch… He could stomach a bite or two.

He looked a bit surprised at how normal they tasted. Sure they looked like a five year old made them, but they were just as good, if not better than actual poptarts. The corner of James’s mouth curled upward into a weary smile as he took another bite and grabbed his stool to sit back down with a sigh. "Thanks," he spoke quietly and a bit awkwardly, not knowing what else to say, but knew he needed to say something.

Thanks? That’s it? the spirit goaded him beneath the ringing in James’s ears.

"If you don’t shut up I’ll take a bath in holy water," James replied through his growing headache. He took another bite of the wonky poptart hoping to drown out that damn voice and calm some of his twisting and conflicting emotions.

Zaria didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until it shuddered out of her—quiet, barely audible even in the sudden silence of the garage, but enough to make her shoulders finally drop from around her ears. The sight of him actually eating the pop-tart, her pop-tart, the ugliest of the batch, the one she’d nearly thrown in the trash twice, sent a tiny, fizzy rush of relief through her, like her ribs had loosened their grip on her lungs.

But the relief didn’t stop her hands from trembling.

She rubbed her thumb against the edge of the plate, smearing a faint streak of flour onto the metal in the process. Her gaze flicked from his face to the pastry in his hand, then back again, searching for any sign, any, that he wasn’t secretly forcing himself to chew. When she finally found her voice, it was soft. Fragile. Barely there. “Does it… um—” Her fingers tightened on the plate. “Does it taste okay?” The question stumbled out of her, nervous and uneven.

She tried to smile but it wobbled, her bottom lip catching between her teeth. She couldn’t seem to stop fidgeting, shifting her weight, brushing flour from her sleeve, pushing her hair behind her ear even though it immediately fell forward again. Anything to keep from wringing her hands like a child waiting for a grade and dropping the plate, adjusting how she was holding it constantly. Her eyes darted to the pop-tarts Alfred had made, the perfectly frosted ones, the ones that looked like they belonged in a commercial. Those would’ve been safe. Predictable. Normal.

But he hadn’t taken one of those. He’d picked hers.

And that made everything much, much worse.

“I mean—you don’t have to say it’s good just because I’m… uh. Crying-adjacent.” Her laugh was thin and shaky. “I know they look like they were assembled during a small personal crisis. Which they were. But Alfred said they were technically edible, and—yeah.” She realized she was rambling again and snapped her mouth shut, inhaling sharply. A beat passed. Then, quieter—small enough he could have missed it if he wasn’t listening.

“I really wanted them to be good.” Her gaze lifted to him again, open, uncertain, hoping in a way that made her chest hurt.

"You didn’t try them?" James asked her with a mouthful of food, pausing in the middle of chewing, brows tugging together a bit confused. He swallowed, looking between the half eaten poptart in his hand then up at Aria from beneath the tousled hairs that fell in his face. "So… It’s poisoned?" The corner of his mouth curved upwards into a weak lopsided smile before he intentionally took another bite while a laugh rumbled in his chest.

He then leaned to the side, reaching out with his free hand to grab a nearby stool and slowly rolled it towards her legs in a silent offering. James didn’t really know how to do this whole friend thing. It had been years since he had a person who remained in his life for more than 24 hours, and according to the clock it had been… 29 hours. So she was already breaking that record. There was still a part of him that was a bit sore and guarded from getting burned the single time he opened up to someone in over a decade. She apologized and he knew she meant it, but there was still some kind of internal roadblock he couldn’t get around. So rather than trying to fill the silence with a slew of words that he’d fumble to put together and likely wouldn’t make a sentence, he ate in a tentative silence.

After finishing the last bite, James cleared his throat wishing he had something to drink but he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth and shit on Aria’s attempt at making amends. His hands rubbed his thighs anxiously before looking over at her. "They’re good… Slow acting poison though. Might want to up the dosage next time," he teased softly. His quiet tone didn’t quite reach his usual casual calmness, but it was getting there… Slowly. James wasn’t often in the territory of having to forgive someone. He knew it would take time, but that’s it. Everything felt like uncharted territory, and awkward… Really fucking awkward.

Zaria blinked at the stool like it was some rare, delicate thing, an invitation she wasn’t sure she was allowed to accept. For a moment she just stood there, frozen in that breathless in-between, plate clutched like a lifeline. Then, with a small, almost instinctive nod, she eased herself down onto it. The faux leather of it was cool beneath her legs, grounding in a way she didn’t expect. Her knees drew together, her hands hovered awkwardly over the plate, and she let out a soft, watery laugh at his joke, thin but real, threaded through with a kind of exhausted relief.

“No. I—” she sniffed, scrubbing her sleeve across the corner of her eye before any tears could fully commit. The laugh hiccuped again, gentler this time. “They weren’t… meant for me.” She stared down at the pop-tarts, her crooked pastry soldiers lined up beside Alfred’s pristine creations, and her fingers tapped nervously against the rim of the plate. “I made them for you.”

The words slipped out soft but firm, unadorned. Somehow that naked honesty felt more terrifying than any apology she’d stammered earlier. “I didn’t try them because…” Her throat bobbed. “I’ve never had a pop-tart before.” She lifted her gaze, just for a heartbeat, like she was checking to see if he’d laugh, even though she knew he already knew this much, but this time she wasn’t sure she could join him. “So I wouldn’t even know if they tasted right. Or wrong. Or like…” Her hand fluttered vaguely, searching for a word she didn’t have. “Pop-tarts.”

A breath trembled loose from her chest. “I just wanted to try to do something nice.” The silence in the garage was too loud, deafening almost, but her voice dropped to something quieter, something raw enough it felt like she was peeling open a seam she’d never touched before. “Something that was… actually mine. Actually genuine.”

"Well," James mused into the silence of the garage as his cleaned hands ran along his grease stained jeans, slowly and unintentionally getting dirty again. "If those are mine—" he pointed at the plate where three perfect and two massacred poptarts waited to be eaten and enjoyed, "—I can choose how they are eaten… So you should have one and I’ll buy you shitty gas station poptarts the next time we leave the tower."

"Can I have one?" the spirit asked, with his deep demonic voice falling from James’s lips.

"You don’t have a mouth."

"Semantics."

Zaria stared at the plate for a long, suspended heartbeat, like the pop-tarts themselves had suddenly become sacred objects, fragile and glowing beneath the garage lights. The offer settled over her slowly, gently, like snowfall on stone. Her fingers twitched against her knee, hesitant, unsure, caught between fear and something that almost resembled warmth. Then, with a soft exhale, she reached out. Deliberate. Careful. She chose one of the ugly ones, one of hers, its uneven frosting cracked at the corner, the dough slightly lopsided as if it, too, had been nervous during its creation. Her hand shook as she lifted it, cradling it like something precious she wasn’t entirely sure she deserved.

The banter between James and Judge tugged a smile to her lips, small, edged with lingering nerves, but real. There was a strange comfort in the way James argued with his demon like it was a bickering roommate rather than a creature born from torment. Judge’s low, rumbling demand, James’s flat refusal, something about the absurdity of it loosened a knot in her ribs she didn’t know she’d been clenching. She even let out a faint laugh, barely more than a breath, but threaded with a shy, startled amusement. “I’ll eat one,” she murmured, lifting the misshapen pastry a little higher as proof. Her gaze flicked to him, bright with nervous sincerity. “But the rest… the rest are still yours.” Her voice warmed, softening around the edges.

“I made them for you. I meant that.” She looked down at the pop-tart in her hand, studying its crooked lines, the places where the frosting had pooled or split, the faint indent of her thumb from when she’d set it on the tray earlier. For some reason, holding it now made her chest tighten, not painfully, but with something achingly tender. Something strangely hopeful. She inhaled, steadying herself, and added—barely above a whisper, but clear enough to reach him. “Thank you… for sharing.”

James’s brows pulled together in disbelief rather than a normal ‘you’re welcome’ like most people would have offered. "If you thought you could bring down a platter of poptarts and get away without eating at least one of them, you’re crazy." He let out a small, incredulous puff of air that slipped from beneath pursed lips. "But I’ll be sure to take the rest up to my apartment for breakfast or something… If that would make you happy." His last words came out slow, tentative and far more soft than his usual dry sarcasm. He didn’t look in her eyes, his gaze remaining focused on the grease stains along his jeans and the black oil that clung to the creases of his fingers and remained beneath his nails.

Zaria felt her smile bloom before she could stop it, small and warm and entirely unguarded. The elevator’s low hum, the quiet settling of the garage around them, everything seemed to soften as she watched him study the stains on his jeans instead of her face. She shifted the half-eaten pop-tart in her hands, crumbs dusting her fingertips, and let the words rise gently, like steam off something freshly baked.

“It would,” she admitted, voice a murmur shaped by sincerity rather than shyness. “It would make me really happy.” Then, almost tripping over her own earnestness, she added quickly, “But only if you’re happy too. That’s what matters most.” Her cheeks warmed, not with embarrassment but with the fragile, glowing hope that he understood—this wasn’t gratitude out of politeness, or some attempt to repay kindness with obligation. It was simply the truth, offered to him the way she offered everything important: gently, carefully, with both hands.

James’s brows rose slightly at her final comment. He couldn’t recall a time in his life where someone claimed to care more about his own happiness more than… well, than their own. He held out his hands like he was trying to calm a frightened animal, but a lighthearted, lopsided smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Calm down there, tiger. I’ll compromise that it matters that we’re both happy, but there’s no way in hell my happiness matters most." He dropped his hands gently to his knees for a beat before pointing an index finger toward her. "Also if you wake me up early tomorrow then some of those poptarts are yours." His eyes squinted slightly as he wagged his finger in a gentle, mostly playful warning.

Zaria’s grin unfurled slow and bright, like sunlight catching on something fragile and making it glow. She lifted her chin in a small, almost defiant nod, soft, but certain. “Then we’ll call it even,” she murmured, amusement threading through her voice like silver ribbon. “Your happiness, mine… equal stakes. No arguments.” The playfulness in her eyes softened into something warmer, gentler, as if the words themselves had anchored her to the moment. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and let her smile settle into something quieter. “And I can… definitely see myself enjoying one of the pop-tarts in the morning.” Her gaze dipped to the plate and then back to him, the corners of her mouth lifting just a touch more. “If you don’t mind sharing.”

"Good," he replied with a sure nod and a slight ease of his posture. While other people, normal people, would have seen Zaria’s comment as some sort of innuendo at the implication that she’d see him in the morning. But James only took it as confirmation that the blonde hellion that had deemed herself his headache, burden, and friend intended to wake him up bright and early like she had that morning. And while the idea of being woken up prematurely already made him grumpy, the thought of someone being impatient enough for his company that they have to wake him up to see him sooner was… comforting. "I wouldn’t have offered if I minded."

Silence stretched for a beat, thick, humming, taut. Then, almost without warning, the words began to slip faster, unfiltered, like some dam inside her had cracked. “I’ve never had a friend before.” The sentence landed between them like a confession. Not dramatic. Not self-pitying. Just… true. She set the plate down carefully on the nearby workbench as if her hands needed to be freed to say the next part. Or maybe because they were shaking too hard to carry the weight of it.

“My father, he…” Her jaw tightened, as though the name itself made the bitter taste of iron bloom across her tongue. “He kept us, my brother and I, inside the castle. Always. Latveria was outside, but we weren’t part of it. We were… possessions. Projects.” Her voice grew quieter still, but sharper, edged like broken glass.

“Every lesson was about control. Power. Silence. He said kindness was a liability. Compassion was weakness. That caring for anyone made you… breakable.” For a moment, her eyes unfocused, gaze distant, like she was seeing marble corridors and cold stone walls instead of grease-streaked concrete and metal. “He tried to beat it out of us.” The words weren’t metaphor. Not entirely. A brittle laugh escaped her, not humorous, just a splinter of sound. “It never quite worked on me.” Then she seemed to realize what she’d said, what she’d revealed, and her spine straightened abruptly, breath hitching as though she’d just stepped somewhere she shouldn’t.

Her hand shot up to tuck flour-dusted hair behind her ear again, automatic, shaky, panicked. “Sorry,” she whispered, voice shrinking, retreating. “That was… too much. I didn’t mean to—” Zaria swallowed hard, gaze dropping to her knees, shoulders curling inward like she could fold herself back into something smaller. Safer.

“I just… forgot.”

A beat.

Quieter.

“How little I’m supposed to say.”

James remained quiet and patient, hands clasped together in his lap as he listened to whatever she wanted to say and let her words run their course. He twiddled his thumbs for a few seconds, trying to parse together a coherent thought before he spoke. "I don’t really have friends either… None that last more than 48 hours anyway." He looked across the tool littered space between them, then held her gaze. "But even if I did, I wouldn’t share information you’ve told me in confidence. That’s no one’s business."

He reached up and brushed back the loose strands of hair that fell in his face and attempted to tuck them behind his ear, but they slipped free not a moment later. "Your dad sounds like a dick," James commented with a half-hearted laugh. "I think you and that Tobias guy could start a support group. ‘Shitty super villain dads anonymous.’" His posture relaxed some, shoulders slouching forward slightly and knees spread casually. "Gotta make sure you have ‘villains’ in the title, or Lieutenant Buttplug might show up." He grimaced at the thought of Captain America Jr. weaseling his way into—well, anything—with that uncomfortable lecherous gaze. That man looked like a poster child for a predator.

Zaria had just taken another bite of the pop-tart, when James said the words Lieutenant Buttplug. The laugh hit her like a punch to the diaphragm. She choked on strawberry filling, coughed once, then doubled over with a strangled, hiccuping sound that was completely ungraceful and entirely uncontrollable. Her shoulders shook as she struggled to swallow and breathe at the same time, one hand pressed to her sternum, the other clutching the mangled pastry. A smear of jam streaked her thumb. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes, but this time, blessedly, from laughter.

“L–Lieutenant—” she wheezed, then dissolved into another breathless laugh. “I can’t—James—” It took her a full thirty seconds to get herself under control again, to sit upright, to swipe at the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. She inhaled slowly, shakily, her grin too wide and too bright for someone who had nearly cried in this same garage not ten minutes ago. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, gentler, still laced with leftover laughter, but carrying something deeper beneath it. “Thank you.”

She didn’t clarify what she was thanking him for. She didn’t need to. It was the laugh. The kindness. The way he hadn’t recoiled from her honesty. The way he hadn’t mocked her father—well, not in the wrong way. All of it. Her smile softened further, turning rueful, almost tired but warmer than before. “And… yeah. My dad sucks.” She said it with a wry, lopsided twist of her mouth, the kind of confession she wasn’t sure she was supposed to make out loud. But it felt good, strangely good.

James’s own smile grew. It was small and steady like the sun rising over the horizon in the morning, a blooming warmth. No matter how he felt or how the slight sting from being forgotten that morning still lingered at the back of his mind somewhere beside the spirit, making someone laugh… Truly laugh always eased the tiniest bit of tension that was ever present, tightly knit between his shoulders. It never removed it completely. James couldn’t recall what it felt like to ever really be… at ease, but for a fleeting few moments as Aria cried and struggled to form words, it lightened the load.

He groaned, a mix of annoyance at shitty father figures and discomfort as he tried to stretch some of the soreness from his arms. "Mine does too." James let out a laugh that was almost more of a wheeze, awkward, a little forced, but laced with good intentions and sympathies. "Don’t get me wrong, yours wins by fucking miles—" He made a gesture with his hand, sweeping it to the side as if to say Doom won by a landslide. "He gets that giant ass Nascar trophy that’s like the size of a small country. My dad gets one of those cute little participation ribbons." He chuckled and held up his thumb and index finger so close together that they were practically pinched as he mentioned the tiny medal his own dad got in the grand scheme of ‘shitty dad awards.’

Zaria let out a small, wry laugh, the sound threading between the echoes of silence in the garage and the faint hum of the garage lights. Her eyes glinted with mischief despite the lingering nerves, and she leaned slightly forward, resting an elbow on her knee as if sharing a conspiratorial secret. “Maybe,” she said, voice playful, soft but edged with a teasing warmth, “We really should start a… ‘Bad Dads’ club. We could make matching T-shirts, like those cheesy family reunion ones, but way cooler. You know—‘World’s Shittiest Father—Est. Doom’ and ‘Tiny Ribbon Edition—Also My Dad.’” She let her smile bloom wider, hoping it was enough to tug a laugh from him—hoping that in some small, ridiculous way, they could share a moment of levity, of connection, even in the shadow of their fathers.

James laughed softly as his posture softened, shoulders slouching forward into a more comfortable and tired looking hunch. He clicked his tongue, made finger guns, and flexed his thumbs like pulling the trigger. "Upgrade it to a hoodie or jacket and I’m sold." He shrugged his shoulders at his own shitty joke. "You could get a two for one special with Judge." He pointed toward his head but more specifically his unwilling passenger that rattled around his skull.

"Why am I included?" The voice rumbled to life through James’s mouth.

"Isn’t your dad like satan? That’s pretty fucked up."

"Spirit not demon," Judge corrected, annoyance palpable in his gruff voice. "Try again."

"God isn’t much better," James corrected himself with a wry chuckle.

Zaria’s grin unfurled before she could stop it—small at first, shy at the edges, but undeniably real. She ducked her head just slightly, as though the gesture might hide the warmth blooming across her cheeks. “A hoodie would be better anyway,” she admitted, voice soft but laced with playful agreement. “More room for dramatic slogans. And I like being cozy.” The words slipped out lightly, almost breezy, but beneath them was the quiet sweetness of someone amazed she could joke like this with him, even after she’d fucked up.

Her smile softened as Judge rumbled to life through James, the familiar, uncanny cadence echoing against the quiet of the garage. She watched the two of them banter with a tender sort of fascination, Judge’s gravel-edged indignation, James’s dry, effortless sarcasm, woven together like two mismatched threads that somehow made perfect sense. There was something strangely comforting in it, something grounding. Like listening to siblings squabble over the radio station during a long drive.

She let out a quiet breath, her gaze flickering between the man and the spirit who shared him. “I… mean,” she said softly, almost hesitant, her nose wrinkling in thought as she traced the worn seam of her sleeve with her thumb, “God… definitely isn’t much better.” The admission came with a faint, uncertain shrug—half agreement, half a quiet confession of her own complicated relationship with divinity, morality, and the people who wielded it as a weapon.

"I’d rather put my faith in a God like Magni than the big guy upstairs," James commented while pointing upwards in the general direction of God, the heavens or whatever other bullshit. "At least the Asgardian is, ya know… tangible."

Zaria’s lips curled into a small, amused grin, something soft around the edges, like a smile that had learned how to bloom carefully. She angled her head just slightly, watching him gesture skyward as if the ceiling itself might house a divine audience. “Yeah,” she murmured, voice threaded with a quiet warmth, “Tangible is… definitely easier to work with.” Her fingers toyed with each other, restless but thoughtful, as her gaze drifted toward the concrete floor and then back up to him, a gentle flicker of mischief behind her eyes.

“I mean, no offense to anyone with a pantheon on speed dial, but the whole ‘I am a god’ thing makes me feel weird. Like I’m trapped in a bad movie and waiting for the villain monologue.” A soft huff of laughter escaped her, brief but real, easing something tight in her chest. “Just… people deciding they’re divine? I don’t know. It’s a lot.” She shrugged lightly, but her gaze remained steady on him, and the spirit nestled somewhere behind his eyes, as if that honesty was an offering she trusted them to hold.

"Yeah you’d think with my whole… predicament." James motioned toward himself with a soft sigh, before resting his forearms back against his knees. "It’d make sense for me to believe in God, a god… And maybe he’s up there. I don’t know. But if he is, then he’s royally fucked my shit." He shrugged his shoulders with a casual indifference. "I’m not worshipping any god. I put my faith in myself and the people I keep in my life… And we’re not gods," he added with a weak laugh.

Zaria let out a breath that was half a laugh, half something brittle loosening in her ribs. She lifted a hand as if to gesture at the air, at nothing and everything, the ruins of belief and the things people tried to build in its place. “Well… my dad thinking he’s a man-made god is more than enough to put me off worshipping anything with a throne or a halo,” she murmured, humor thin but true. Her smile wavered, not from embarrassment but from the echo of old wounds, then steadied, small and real, like a candle that refused to go out. “So… I get it. Faith in people feels a lot safer. A lot more honest.”

A beat passed. Her gaze drifted toward the concrete floor between them, then back up to him, uncertainty shadowing the edges of her expression. She fidgeted with a corner of her pop-tart, picking absentmindedly at a crumble of crust. “And Luke…” Her throat tightened around the name. She swallowed. “He… makes me uncomfortable.” The words felt small, but they trembled with truth.

Her gaze flicked to James again, catching the faint grimace he’d made at the name. Something eased inside her, as if a spring that had been wound too tight finally loosened a fraction. “So… thank you. For earlier.” There was no babbling this time. No rambling. Just a quiet sincerity that rested heavy between them, fragile, but real.

"Yeah, well…" James started with a sharp inhale as he ran his palms along his thighs, stopping when his hands came to rest on his knees. "I never really liked people who couldn’t take a fucking hint… I’m about as subtle as a sledge hammer," he added with a half-hearted laugh as his gaze fell to his calloused fingers rapping against his kneecaps.

"He sounded like those rapists we smited a couple months ago," Judge chimed in without any sassy or sardonic remarks, just sharing an observation similar to how one would comment on the weather. "Smelled like them too."

James’s fingers curved into the palms of his hands, turning his knuckles white as half of the muscles in his body visibly tensed even if he didn’t move an inch. His expression was tight and pensive with furrowed brows and clenched teeth that made the muscle along his jaw prominent beneath his cheekbone. "Just… don’t be alone with him." He held up his hand to stop her before she made any assumptions. "It doesn’t have to be with me. I just don’t trust narcissistic pricks with an ego. They’re the type of people to do fucked up shit and blame the victim." His hand fell but before it landed on his leg, he stuck his index finger up into the air to interject himself. "I will fucking kill him if he tries anything—" with anyone in the tower? Sure. But Aria more specifically, he just wasn’t going to say it. "I’d like to see his stupid Captain America ass try and stop me."

After a moment or two passed of awkward silence, James ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. "But uh… yeah. You’re welcome. He obviously doesn’t find me attractive, so I have that going for me," he added with a wry laugh that bordered on self deprecating. But for once, he didn’t mind being left out of that particular situation. The last thing he wanted was Luke trying to get in his pants.

Zaria felt a strange, unfamiliar warmth settle in her chest, a little ember of relief that refused to burn out no matter how tightly she held her emotions in check. Listening to James, seeing the way his hands tightened and flexed, the subtle tension in his jaw as he spoke of people who made him uncomfortable, it was… comforting. Not in the usual sense of safety, because she’d never known much of that outside her brother or Logan, but in the delicate, grounding sense of someone finally giving a damn. She wasn’t used to this. Not truly. Not someone who didn’t have some ulterior motive, who didn’t see her as a pawn, a means to an end. But here he was, telling her, without exaggeration, without performance, that he cared. And she realized, with an odd mix of awe and hesitation, that it mattered. That she mattered.

Her lips curved into a small, soft smile, the kind that tugged at the corners in a way that made her feel exposed and alive all at once. Her gaze lingered on him, warm, a little sappy, and for a fraction of a moment she let herself just look, absorbing the subtle shifts of his expression, the easy way his voice softened despite the bitterness threading through it. She swallowed, hesitated, and then spoke, letting her words come out slow and measured, as though each one was carefully chosen from a treasury of vulnerability she didn’t often access.

“Luke’s… dumb,” she said, almost teasing, though the underlying seriousness made her tone firm enough to carry weight. She flicked a glance toward him, warm and honest, and added softly, “I get it. I’ll… be careful around him. Don’t worry.” Her fingers curled slightly around the edge of the stool she was sitting on, as if it grounded her in the moment, kept her from spiraling into the too-familiar space of distrust and fear.

She let her smile soften further, and the uncharacteristic sappiness of it made her chest ache in a way that was almost sweet, almost painful. “I… I’m really not used to anyone caring, not like this. Not for me. But… It's nice. I hope I get used to it eventually,” she admitted, her voice lowering to a near whisper, sincere and unpolished, raw with that strange mixture of relief and hope. It was a confession that felt dangerous to let slip, but she felt the need to let it out anyway, the need to stake a small claim to something that wasn’t constant disappointment or fear.

She tilted her head just slightly, brushing the flour smudges from her cheek without thinking. “I—thank you,” she murmured, letting the words hang in the air, fragile and earnest. Not just for the warnings, or the protection, or the small thread of trust he offered, but for the simple fact that he cared. And that… was something she wasn’t ready to let go of, not ever. “For what it’s worth, I… care about you too.”

The seriousness of the conversation and the weight behind Aria’s authenticity rested heavy in the air between them. James couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes. His gaze remained intent on the steel toed tip of his boots and the smudge of coagulated oil that stuck to it. He cleared his throat and tapped his heel as he tried to piece together words into a clear thought. "In a place like this—World like this—" His hand motioned in a general circle at everything that surrounded them as he tried to downplay what Aria said, or redirect conversation… Or deflect… something. "It’s good to have someone watching your back. Not that I think the people here wouldn’t but… They’re pretty wrapped up in their own shit. I’m just… here." He shrugged his shoulders as he peeked up at her from beneath his brow and the loose hair that fell in his face. "Resident atom bomb. I… Don’t really have any personal stakes in all of this…"

Liar… the spirit chided him within the privacy of his mind.

James sucked in an awkward breath, gaze falling back to that one goopy chunk of oil. "Well, I didn’t..." he corrected himself, barely louder than a mumble under his breath.

He scratched the back of his head, then in the typical way he tried to avoid seriousness—or more specifically being vulnerable—he stood up… But he didn’t leave or walk away. Instead he focused on busying his hands and mind, by gathering up the tools strewn around his bike. He managed to get half of them put away before he remembered that he wasn’t finished and there were a handful of bolts that still needed to be put back on. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath before crouching down in the place Aria found him earlier.

He grabbed one of the bolts and spun it onto the threaded piece of screw until he wasn’t able to tighten it by hand any further. James grabbed the ratchet, slipped it around the bolt, then froze… She cared about him too. The thought bounced around his head like a pinball. It left a weird twisting and warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that wasn’t from the poptarts, something he couldn’t describe. He just knew if he didn’t say something, he’d regret it… He sighed softly and rested his forearms against his bent knees. "You don’t have to worry about me. With the asshole riding shotgun, it’s nearly impossible to kill me."

Smooth.

"For fuck’s sake," James grumbled under his breath as he tossed the ratchet aside with a loud clatter that echoed throughout the empty garage. Grease covered fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, streaking his eyes with smudges of black. "Thank you…" He turned his head slightly to look back over his shoulder at her, but his gaze didn’t lift from where it was fixed upon the ratchet that laid at his feet. "... for caring," he added barely above a whisper as if saying it too loud would make it too real, or wash it away entirely.

Zaria listened to him with her heart in her throat. His voice, his discomfort, the clatter of the discarded ratchet—all of it pressed against her ribs until she wasn’t sure if the ache there was hers or borrowed from someone else. She shifted where she sat, drawing her knees up just slightly, and let her gaze trace idle lines along the concrete floor. When she finally spoke, her voice came out soft, fragile in a way that wasn’t weakness so much as honesty laid bare.

“I’m… not entirely sure I have much stake in any of this either,” she admitted, her gaze drifting toward the dim halo of light cast by the overhead lamps. “Not personally, not the way the rest of them do. I’m not the kid of an Avenger, or a soldier, or a God. I’m just… me.” She exhaled slowly, her breath trembling at the edges. “But Logan would have helped. He would’ve grumbled and complained the whole time, and said everyone was an idiot, but he would’ve stayed. He always stayed.” Her voice dipped, softened further, a faint crack on the last word that she swallowed before it could fully break open.

She went quiet for a moment, her hands folding in her lap, fingers tightening as if bracing herself against something only she could see. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable—just heavy, thoughtful. When she finally looked up again, her eyes carried a fragile clarity, a truth she hadn’t spoken aloud until now. “And… I’m almost certain my dad has something to do with all of this.” The bitterness there wasn’t sharp; it was weary, resigned, like she’d grown up expecting catastrophe as naturally as sunrise. “It just… feels like him. The scale of it. The chaos. The arrogance to think only he can fix, or ruin, everything. Why wouldn’t he be involved?”

Her fingers unclenched slowly, palms opening in a helpless, small gesture. “So it feels like the least I can do is help. Even if it’s only in small ways. Even if all I can do is be another pair of hands, or another voice saying ‘I’m here.’” Her gaze softened, drifting to James’s back—the tense set of his shoulders, the way he still hovered between vulnerability and retreat. She hesitated, then let the words fall with a gentle honesty that felt as delicate as unfolding wings. “And… I’m glad you stayed too.” It was quiet, but not uncertain. Soft, but not weak. A truth offered like an open door, warm and steady, waiting for him should he want to step through. She let out a small breath, and then shifted the conversation sharply. “So… what’re you doing to your bike?”

James leaned over and slowly picked up the discarded ratchet. He idly spun the socket with his thumb and index finger, filling the silence with a quiet click, click, click. "I almost did… leave." His confession fell like lead in a still pool of water, rippling the surface and weighing heavily in the space between them. He didn’t look back at Aria. He didn’t motion toward the packed bag that rested on the ground beside his bike. "Then I wanted to go on a ride… Let Judge out of his cage." The metal wheels of his stool squeaked as he scooted forward, the sound sharp like a blade ricochetting of the concrete walls of the garage. "And I remembered a promise I made not to leave the tower alone…" He slid the socket back onto the bolt and started tightening it, to busy his hands, or mind, or maybe just give him something to focus on that wasn’t her.

After a minute that dragged on for an hour, only filled with the repetitive cranking of the ratchet, James finished the first bolt.. "I just… Started taking it apart and putting it back together." He leaned over, reaching down on the ground between his feet to pick up the next bolt. Grease stained fingers slipped it onto the tread and started to tighten it like the first. "I’m not used to being in one place for this long," he added while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, covering the pale skin beneath his dark hair with a black smear to match the rest of his body.

For a heartbeat, Zaria froze. Not outwardly, not in any way that would have drawn his attention, but somewhere deep, quiet, and instinctual, like an animal pausing mid-step in tall grass. The words almost did leave struck with a soft, hollow thud behind her ribs, the kind that stole the air without making a sound. A thousand responses flared and burned out all at once, fear, relief, something dangerously close to loss, and she was profoundly grateful that his back was still to her, that his attention was locked on bolts and steel and oil instead of her face. It gave her time.

Time to swallow it down. Time to smooth the tremor out of her breath and hide how the idea of him leaving had made something in her chest go cold, and how the knowledge that he’d stayed, for a promise he’d made to her, made it ache in a way she didn’t yet have language for.

She watched the slow, methodical movement of his hands, the way he needed motion to anchor himself, to keep from drifting. It was familiar. Comfortingly so. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady, gentle, almost casual, as though his confession hadn’t just reached into her and turned a key. “Yeah…” she said softly, tilting her head as her gaze lingered on the bike, the pieces laid bare and slowly made whole again. “Staying in one place for too long feels strange to me now, too.”

She drew one knee up, resting her arm loosely over it, grounding herself in the posture. “Logan and I… we moved a lot,” she continued, quieter, more thoughtful than sad. “Never stayed anywhere long enough to get comfortable. Long enough to breathe, maybe. But not long enough to settle.” Her mouth curved into something almost wry, almost fond. “There were always people looking for me. Bounty hunters. Collectors. People who thought turning me in, or owning me, would earn them something.”

Her fingers curled briefly against her sleeve, then relaxed. “So we kept moving. Different cities, different borders, different names sometimes. Long enough for me to learn how to pack fast and sleep lightly and not leave pieces of myself behind.” She exhaled, slow and even. “It’s… weird, being here. Knowing I could stay. Knowing I don’t have to be ready to run at a moment’s notice.”

Her eyes lifted to his back again, warm and impossibly gentle. “But I think,” she added, almost thoughtfully, “Taking things apart and putting them back together makes sense. When you don’t know how to stay still… you fix something instead.” It wasn’t a question. It was understanding, offered quietly—like she’d been standing right beside him the whole time, even when he’d thought of leaving.

James listened to her words, quiet and pensive in his understanding. He was thankful that she didn’t ask, more thankful that she didn’t cry at the mention of him nearly leaving… Because he didn’t, he stayed. He lingered in that garage, taking apart and putting back together his bike a million times over in hopes that someone would come talk him out of it… That she would. A faint, weary smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he finished tightening the final bolt and set the wrench aside in the tool box. "There wasn’t really anything to fix, but I definitely might have broken it," he joked with a soft laugh. His motorcycle was fine, he knew it was, but he made the joke all the same as a way to breathe some levity into their conversation. "Might need to take it out for a spin tomorrow to make sure everything is in working order." His comment was innocent, laced with a subtle hint that they should go on a ride tomorrow… After all, he did make a promise.

He took a couple minutes to clean up the remainder of the tools, placing them neatly in the box and putting it back in its home on the workbench. Without a word, James slowly trudged across the garage, the sound of his heavy footfall echoing off the walls as he retrieved his discarded helmet. As he returned to Zaria, he wiped the grease from his hands against his jeans. "That poptart reminded me how hungry I am," he commented as he stopped in front of her. He slowly held out his hand toward her, a gentle offering to help her to her feet or carry the tray… either. "Did you still want to learn how to make cheeseburgers and mac and cheese?" There was a brief moment where his gaze fell to his palm, noticing the dark streaks that still stained his skin and the grease caked beneath his nails. His fingers reflexively curled inward until his knuckles turned white, partially embarrassed at the gesture but more so at the tainted offering. But he pushed past his own awkwardness with a sigh and slowly opened back up his hand, although he’d understand if she didn’t take it.

Zaria watched him move, watched the grease-smudged hands, the slow, tired gait, the quiet devotion with which he packed each tool away as if order might be enough to keep the world from slipping through his fingers. Her teeth worried at her bottom lip, a nervous habit long-formed and never quite broken, as her thoughts spun themselves into knots she couldn’t loosen.

There was a version of her, an older, more terrified one, who would have run. Who would have taken the image of that half-packed bag like a warning flare and made for the exit before anyone could leave her first. She knew how that story went, get attached, get abandoned, get handed another wound to carry. Logan disappeared, and she learned what it meant for grief to echo. If James left, she knew, deep down in the marrow of her bones, it would feel like someone had taken a chisel to the small, fragile thing in her chest that had only just begun to resemble hope.

She was here to find her Logan. That was her mission, her anchor, her purpose. But every hour, every conversation that unraveled between her and James like thread pulled from a seam, made something inside her shift, like a puzzle piece she hadn’t known was missing had finally clicked into place. And she was so scared of what that meant. Scared that she wasn’t supposed to want that. Scared that she did. When he turned and offered his hand, awkward, stained, uncertain, she hesitated only a breath. Then she placed her palm against his, her fingers curling gently around the warmth of him, the grease smearing against her skin like ink. She didn’t care. The contact grounded her. Rooted her. Reminded her that, for now, he was still here.

“I’d like that,” she murmured, her smile soft, almost shy, glowing faint around the edges like something that couldn’t quite hide how much it meant. She didn’t care that he’d probably meant to take the tray, letting herself be pulled to her feet instead. “Learning, I mean. After you shower.” A beat. Something lighter. A breath of a laugh. “You look like you got into a fight with an oil can.”

"Says the girl covered in flour," James commented with raised brows as he lifted his free hand, using the back of his finger to wipe a white smudge from her cheek with a gentle—and slightly awkward—smile. His gaze then fell to where her hand still lingered in his, not pulling away when she got to her feet but resting in the comfort of his touch. A warmth bloomed across his cheeks, but he didn’t pull away. He tugged against it slightly to reach down and scoop up his bag, yet his hand remained available, fingers lightly encompassing hers without a word.

The truth of it was… James had been so starved for human connection and physical touch, that even something as innocent as Aria’s hand lingering in his meant more than he was capable of putting into words. A touch was rare. Friendship, rarer still. He had entered that garage with every intention of leaving, a non-minor part of it due to that very girl… and still he stayed, folding under a tearful apology and poptarts.

They crossed the garage together, her hand retreating only when she needed to steady the tray. The elevator doors slid open with a gentle chime, and she stepped inside, pressing the button for his floor. Stainless steel reflected both of them, her smaller frame, his slouched shoulders, the careful space between them that felt charged with something unnamed. As the elevator began to rise, she didn’t look at him. Couldn’t. Her eyes stayed fixed on the dim outline of their reflections in the doors, her hands tightening infinitesimally around the tray.

“I’m glad you stayed.” It came out quiet—so gentle it barely seemed like sound. But it was real. A truth she hadn’t known how to say until it pressed itself out of her like air from lungs too full.

James’s head turned toward her, his gaze falling to the flour dusted hair at the crown of her head. A lopsided smile tugged at one side of his mouth while he adjusted his hold on his bag. "Yeah… me too."



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Descendant's Tower


Jim didn’t exactly have much interest in the last training match. He had slipped on his aviator sunglasses and slotted the small metal patch over his temple. He had work to do, work that trumped whatever training loverboy and the femme fatale were doing in the concrete box. His hands rested firmly in his lap, his eyes shifting through design documents with nothing more than the impulses in his brain. He had, instinctively, sat himself down next to June by sheer force of habit. His eyes occasionally shifted in her direction before another thought would draw his eyes back to the projected diagrams he was working on.

The only thing that drew his vision away was sudden movement. Myla was back on her feet, much to Jim’s annoyance. The simulation wasn’t over, as the projected rooftop was still visible for a moment. Though, the safeword and powering down of the sim as Myla stomped her way down to the door into the chamber made it clear that something was going down. He wasn’t expecting a fist fight, though. The projected diagrams shifted away as Jim was left watching on in horror as Theo got in between Ronnie and Myla. It was clear from the scowl on Jim’s face and the tension in his shoulders that he was not happy that Phil’s idiotic lesson had devolved into a front row seat of Jerry Springer.

"Well… what a wonderful use of our time." The biting remark was muttered under his breath, an impulse he could not control. He turned his gaze back towards June, removing his glasses as he caught another glimpse of June’s side. "You…" He paused, several thoughts and feelings crossing over his face at the reminder of June’s injury. "We should get your stitches fixed. Again."

"It was…" she paused, eyes bright and alert, but June didn’t move to break up the fight. There were enough people that were a lot stronger and less injured than her that could qualify as the middleman in this scenario. Not that she could totally blame Myla, if Veronica had kissed Jim…her head tilted to the side, lips pursed. Well, she wouldn’t have punched her in front of everyone else. "Unique."

The word was said with an air of sarcasm and vague distaste, the training was about as unique as a gunshot wound. Really, what it was though, was informative. "We have a lot of work to do, team formations, and battle plans, and cont—" June paused, gaze sliding from where she’d been looking blankly into open air, contemplating her mental to-do list, to where Luke and Ronnie were leaving. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, before standing with great care to not grimace at the pain, hand slipping into her pocket before she deliberately leaned nice and close to Jim.

"Give me a moment, and then I’ll go anywhere you want if," warm lips brushed over the shell of his ear, and he could feel how they coiled up into a small, secretive sort of smile. "You help me with my plans, I need that brilliant brain of yours." June straightened out, twisting around before he could reply to slip back into the training room. It was the optimal time to do it, with everyone else distracted by the scuffle.

Jim’s flat expression stood in sharp contrast to the slight blush in his cheeks at June’s compliment. He turned his gaze away, letting her slip off with ease as he stood stalwart with his arms folded over his chest. He slowly walked over towards the entrance to the training room, leaning against the wall as he let June do her thing. He tilted his head to the side, calling back towards her. "You’re going under the machine this time, June. I don’t want you bleeding in my workshop, the roomba doesn’t clean it right."

June moved like a shadow, every motion deliberate. She didn’t rush, she never rushed, because rushing drew eyes, and eyes drew questions. The moment the others had drifted away or into their little clusters of damage control and gossip, she’d slipped between them with practiced ease, her footsteps muffled against the sterile concrete.

The air in the training room still stank faintly of ozone and blood, despite having moved rooms between Magni’s training. Captain America’s golden boy had spit a bit of his blood onto the floor during his own training. Not that anyone had noticed. No one ever noticed the small, quiet things when there was drama happening front and center. She crouched by the faint smear on the floor, pulling a small sterile swab from a packet in her pocket, and the small metal square she’d been fiddling with earlier from her other pocket. It wasn’t her first sample, and it wouldn’t be the last. She’d collected from others, coffee cups left out, half eaten food. A strand here, a fragment there. She told herself it wasn’t paranoia, it was preparedness. Bruce had taught her that every good detective followed the data.

And the data was messy right now. Too messy.

Her father was missing. Jim’s and Imogen’s were, too. So were half the world’s defenders, all vanished in a perfectly orchestrated sweep that had left the world’s mightiest children fumbling through the ruins like kids playing at war. The timing was too neat. The power vacuum too… intentional. Someone was still playing the game, and through it all a single fact stood out to her like a beacon.

Why hadn’t Captain America, one of the world’s mightiest heroes, been targeted? It felt too convenient, but she wouldn’t give voice to those thoughts and speculations just yet. They were meant to be a team now, afterall. It wouldn’t be good for doubt and suspicion to be so openly cast amongst each other.

June capped the sample and slipped it back into her pocket. She clicked her tongue, her smirk fading. She knew what her next hour was resigned to. "I hate them," she muttered under her breath as she slipped back to Jim’s side casually, as if she’d been there the whole time. "But fine, I’ll let the damned robots fix me, ready to go?"

Jim nodded, shoving his hands into his pant pockets and letting his shoulders hunch slightly as he stepped towards the elevator. "I know," he mused, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he adopted his usual sarcastic tone. "But it would feel like a waste of money to fly you out to a good surgeon, and a robot won't ask you why you were shot." Almost subconsciously, he pulled the hand closest to June out from his pocket and let it hang loosely at his side as they walked towards the elevator. He didn't need to even press the button, as a simple look at the panel seemed to be enough for HELEN to call the elevator for him. He knew better than to ask what exactly she was up to until they were somewhere more secure. In the meantime, she would have to put up with his snark. "Or… you know… dodge next time."

June watched the elevator doors slide shut with a sound like a blade slipping into its sheath. The hum of the machinery filled the silence, low and mechanical, steady, predictable. “You say that like I enjoy getting shot,” she snorted, glancing sideways at him. Jim always looked like he was thinking in blueprints, precise, layered, and a little lonely. He wore his sarcasm like armor; she recognized it because she did the same. The elevator shuddered gently as it ascended, soft and subtle. June shifted her weight, one hand sliding instinctively to curl around his own instead of the knife that was slipped into her sweatpants, the one she’d pretended she hadn’t brought to training. The habit was one she couldn’t unlearn, not when paranoia was the closest thing she had to comfort these days.

Her mind flickered back to the training room, to the sound of fists and shouting, to the way people’s tempers had frayed like old rope. Teams cracked from the inside long before they fell in battle. Her dad used to say that.

“I have so much to do. Team formations, contingency plans, and… something else. I want to show you what I’ve been working on,” she said, voice steady, clipped. Her free hand brushed her pocket, the blood sample, the secrets she wasn’t ready to voice yet. "You might think I’m paranoid," she murmured, half to herself, voice so soft he’d struggle to hear her. "But something isn’t adding up, I just can’t put my finger on it yet." She didn’t look at him when she said it, but she knew he’d hear the weight under the words, the suspicion that didn’t dare take shape yet.

Everyone had secrets. She was just the only one cataloguing them.

Jim shrugged, his gaze unfocused as he was lost in thought. He knew at this point to trust June’s instincts. Something was definitely wrong, and their enemies seemed to know a lot more about the most powerful heroes in existence than Jim did about whoever was taking them. His sarcastic quip was distant, more a gut instinct. "Really? I thought we were all here just for a vacation."

The elevator dinged, and the infirmary’s sterile glow bled into the small space. The scent of antiseptic stung her nose, bright and clean and utterly false. June exhaled, a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a laugh, before she moved toward one of the beds lazily, dragging her feet as if she could delay the inevitable.

"New patient identified. Please state name," The sound of the robotic voice filled the clinic, and she let out another sigh, repeating her name for the damned thing so it could begin its diagnostic scan.


As the elevator doors swung open to Jim’s workshop, the mess was a clear sign that he had been busy between the prior night and training. Power tools and welding equipment was haphazardly scattered on a large toolbox in the center of the work area. Two hydraulic robotic arms were putting the finishing touches on welding and airbrushing the Vanguard armor near the far wall, fixing up small dings and scratches from the night prior. A 3D printer in the corner was busy printing some kind of bowl-shaped device. On every other surface, various tools and scraps of metal and material were scattered with a meaning only Jim could parse out.

"I… haven’t had a chance to clean up." A little color blushed Jim’s cheeks as he stepped in, shoving his hands into his pockets. He briskly moved into the space, stepping around the mess to quickly take a look at the projects he had in development. With a small nod at each project, he eventually looked back in June’s direction. He rolled out a couple stools from under one of his worktables. "So… want to fill me in on your current paranoid fantasy."

June didn’t sit right away. She hovered in the doorway of Jim’s workshop like someone standing on the lip of a cliff, deciding how far she was willing to jump. The scent of metal and solder hit her first— warm, sharp, oddly comforting. Jim’s chaos looked like madness to anyone else, but she could read it like scripture, every misplaced tool a breadcrumb, every half-finished prototype a puzzle piece. It made her feel… steady. In control.

Or as close to control as she’d gotten in weeks. She exhaled once, slow, bracing, then stepped into the room and glanced up toward the ceiling out of reflex. “J.A.R.V.I.S.,” she said, calm but clipped, “Please pull up my safeguard protocol. Full display.”

The lights in the workshop dimmed automatically as the AI did as instructed. A soft hum vibrated through the air, and then, with a low, blooming shimmer, holographic blueprints burst into existence around them. Twelve designs of three-dimensional bracelets spun slowly in the air, each one annotated with layered diagrams, embedded circuitry, and neat, highlighted functions. June stepped closer to Jim, who had the pleasure of being seated in the center of it all, hands folding behind her back in a posture she’d learned from her father, old Wayne habits, detective habits, the kind meant to hide how tightly she was gripping her own knuckles.

The bracelets rotated, casting cold azure light across her face.

“Tracking nodes,” she said, tapping her finger through one diagram, thin metal bending into shape around a wrist. “Seamless SOS triggers. Identity verification. Environmental hazard alerts. All standard.” But then she flicked her wrist, and the projections changed, inner layers of the devices peeling back to reveal additional features.

Failsafes.

Not for all of them.

Just… some.

June’s jaw flexed; not a reaction, just acknowledgment.

“And before you start,” she said quietly, glancing at Jim’s silhouette framed by cool blue light in the dark lab, “I didn’t put any hard contingencies into yours. Or Imogen’s.” Or Magni’s, but that required more explanation to Jim than she felt she had to spare in this exact moment, what was most important was explaining why she had paranoid fantasies, as he so lovingly phrased it.

Her voice remained steady, clinical, but the truth under it was softer. More dangerous. “You two are known variables. Predictable. Loyal. Stable. And… I trust you.” Her gaze flicked toward him, just for a heartbeat, soft and open. She shifted her attention back to the projections before the moment could deepen into something he wouldn’t know how to handle.

The bracelets reassembled themselves in a slow rotation—names appearing beside them one by one.

Luke.
Ronnie.
Zaira.
James.
Tobias.
Jules.


June’s eyes narrowed, not in malice, just calculation. “These six,” she said, voice quiet but razor-sharp, “Are unknown.” She gestured at Luke’s schematic first, the faintest downturn of her mouth there. “Captain America’s son— and yet his father wasn’t taken. Him more than anyone… I don’t know, those scars on his back, there’s just something about him that sets me on edge. That’s why I got this,” she pulled out the little metal square from her pocket, holding it up for Jim’s gaze. “I want to create a…sedative. It would have to be unique to the super-soldier though, strong enough to actually work.”

She let the bracelets continue spinning, her expression unreadable in the electric blue glow. “I’m not trying to punish anyone,” June said, softer now, “I’m trying to keep us alive long enough to find our parents. Whoever took them knew exactly what they were doing. They were precise. Surgical. I…I need to be, too.” Her eyes tracked the holograms like a chessboard, a battlefield mapped in steel and suspicion. “And I’m not giving whoever’s behind this a free advantage because I was too sentimental to plan for the worst.”

June finally sank onto one of the stools Jim had rolled out, posture rigid but her eyes, just for a moment, betraying how tired she was. It felt like the weight of their world was balanced upon her shoulders, like she’d turned into Atlas when no one was looking, and she’d clearly been working on all of this long before she finally brought it to Jim. She looked at him fully then, chin lifting slightly. “So,” she said, voice low, “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me this is too much. Or help me make it better.”

Jim sat like a pensive and cautious gargoyle, his eyes studying the floating projections while occasionally shifting to follow June's movements. He didn't seem shocked, nor angry, nor even impressed. When June had finished her presentation, one that he presumed she had rehearsed in her head ad nauseum, he simply folded his arms and slouched a little. His eyebrows knit together as his face scrunched up a little while he observed the schematics. He clicked his tongue absent-mindedly as he seemed lost in thought for a moment.

When the moment passed, Jim stood up. His posture was oddly rigid as he held his left hand behind his back. He approached one of the bracelets, his right hand twisting and swiping to get a more detailed look at the inner workings. A prolonged sigh escaped his lips as he seemed to scrutinize the design layer by layer, the clicking of his tongue intensifying with each layer. When he was finished, the clicking suddenly halted. The air had been sucked out of the room, the only sounds being the general electric hum and the faint sound of brushes against concrete flooring from the vacuum robot.

"Pharmaceuticals are your domain, I wouldn't be much help there." His tone was serious, borderline instructive. He stood taller than usual, his words flowing like their own pre-rehearsed lecture. He wasn't the showman his father was, but he knew how to break words down into steps when he needed to. "There are a few redundancies in the circuitry. The hinge is too flimsy, and we would need to alter the metallic composition for each person based on their strengths. I can rework my biometric monitoring device to simplify the identity verification and encrypt the vitals readout to HELEN for automated analysis."

Jim paused, turning on his heels to face June. The faintest trace of a smile ghosted the corners of his lips. "Current design gets a B. Had to deduct points for energy inefficiency and the lack of flair, though I am surprised you didn't put a bat logo on them for brand recognition." His tone had softened to his regular biting banter, taking a small breath as he took a step in her direction. A glimpse of worry crossed his face for a moment, as if reconsidering his support. It was washed away with a harder look of determination. "I think it's the right move, the only problem is convincing them to wear it. Especially if any of the ‘wildcards’ are playing for the other team."

June let the silence settle around them like dust in a cathedral, soft, weightless, sacred. His answer wasn’t loud or dramatic, but it hit her with the force of oxygen in drowning lungs. She watched him move through the holograms with that mechanical focus only a Stark could manage, deconstructing her work not to dismantle it, but to strengthen it. The relief that unfurled in her chest was quiet and perilous, a warmth she hadn’t felt since before the disappearances, before the world had become nothing but empty signals and unanswered calls. For weeks she had been a taut wire stretched over a chasm, and now, hearing him say I think it’s the right move, she felt that wire slacken just enough to let her breathe.

She looked at him fully then, really looking at the rigid line of his shoulders, the sharp brilliance behind his sarcasm, the faint ghost of a smile that tried and failed to disguise concern. Something surged up in her like a tidal pull, an urge to close the distance, to touch her forehead to his or to kiss him just once in gratitude or awe or something dangerously adjacent to trust. But June Wayne was carved out of restraint…most of the time, and she’d been raised on self-control the way other kids were raised on lullabies. So she held still, instead of giving in like the night before. She only let the smallest, softest smile lift the corner of her mouth. “Thank you,” she murmured, not flippant or clever, but earnest, raw in a way she almost never allowed herself to be. The words felt like standing without armor, and she hoped he understood how rare that offering was.

Then she straightened, spine lengthening with purpose, eyes returning to the spinning bracelets like planets caught in orbit. “As for convincing them to wear it,” she said, tone smoothing back into steel, “I have a plan.” Her fingers brushed against the hologram, mind already racing ahead. “We present them as standard mission tech, uniform equipment. Non-negotiable. Something designed for team cohesion, comms, and emergency coordination. I’m going to have Alfred and Coulson bring it to them, not us. It’ll go over better that way.” Her eyes flickered, razor-sharp and certain. “All we need is the right framing. People don’t question safeguards when they believe they’re the ones being protected.” She exhaled once, steady now. “They’ll put them on. Every single one. If they take them off, we’ll know, but we’ll tell them we understand, that it’s okay to take it off, especially in the tower. We just have to frame it right.” It was a gamble, she knew that, but it was all they had right now.

Jim folded his arms, letting out a prolonged soft whistle of an exhale as he considered her words. He was not as averse to change and problematic variables, but they were dealing with a level of uncertainty that made even a Stark blush. Not everyone seemed particularly keen on rule following in his estimation, and with fellow geniuses like Theo walking around… odds were not particularly in their favor. That is, unless they stacked the deck.

"We need to bring Parker in on this." The words tasted like bile in his mouth, taking in a sharp breath as he spoke. "My father spoke of Spider-Man like he was the messiah. Smart, loyal, honorable. Out of everyone here… Theo is the closest by blood. The whole blowup with Veronica makes him sympathetic. And no offense… Tony and the Bat weren't exactly known for being transparent. But a friendly neighborhood spider-kid?"

Jim shrugged his shoulders, letting out a little bit more air as he turned his gaze towards June. He could already anticipate at least one of her concerns, lifting his hands up to shrink down all but the basic bracelet designs that lacked contingencies. "We show him the untampered models, get his input and design, slap a little spider-symbol on it, and get him to help sell it… in the hopes that even a mole wouldn't be able to say no to him."

June’s first instinct was resistance— quiet, controlled, but sharp enough to cut. Her brows pulled together as she stared down at her hands, thumbs brushing absently over her knuckles. Bringing Theo in meant widening the circle. Widening the circle meant risk. Her mind spun through the probabilities with mechanical precision: Theo’s loyalties (unstable but earnest), his emotional volatility (high), his moral compass (strong, inconveniently so), and his intelligence (dangerously underappreciated). If he sensed even a fraction of what the bracelets truly were, he would ask questions, good ones. The kind she’d have to either lie to or dodge.

She could already feel the headache that would come with trying to dance around a problem-solving prodigy with spider-sense and grief sharpening every one of his instincts. Her teeth pressed into her bottom lip as she ran through every potential fault line. There were many. Too many.

But then she breathed, slow and deliberate, and sifted those faults for what they truly were— fear. Not of Theo. Not even of betrayal. Fear of losing control, of letting someone see the fragile architecture of her plans before they were perfect. Before she was perfect. Jim’s reasoning spun itself through her thoughts like thread drawn through a needle, stitching holes she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge. Theo was the most trusted among them, the least compromised, the least connected to the suspicious variables she was tracking. People believed him the way they never would her. And the group needed someone like that, a pressure valve instead of a fuse. They needed the spider-kid because he was, infuriatingly, exactly what she and Jim were not: openly good.

June lifted her gaze at last, the frown still ghosting her mouth but softened now, tempered by reluctant logic. “You’re right,” she admitted quietly, the words tasting like surrender and steel all at once. “He’s the best chance we have at making this look clean, especially if anyone is playing for the other team.” She drew in a slow breath, straightening again, shoulders settling back into their familiar, precise alignment.

“Theo’s trusted. He’s harmless to them. They won’t question him the way they’d question us.” Her fingers brushed the projection, collapsing the two remaining bracelet models into a neat alignment of light. “He’s also smart. It’s risky letting him that close to the design… but not doing it would be riskier.” Her eyes swept up to Jim’s, something resolute sparking behind them. “So yes. We bring him in. Carefully. On our terms.” She paused, voice softening to something more human and less soldier. “It’s a good call, Jim.”

Jim raised an eyebrow, stunned a bit by June’s words. The more she spoke, the more his brows furrowed as he tried to read her words. It was always a chore trying to understand something as nebulous as feelings or body language. It was only a pseudo-science baked up by ineffectual debutantes to try and drum up purpose for psychologists to justify their careers, as he once argued in a required course to a chorus of groans when getting his bachelors. His prickly nature always had a way of biting him in the ass when it mattered, though, and he was far too stubborn and lacked the self-awareness to parse those consequences properly.

However, Jim was able to glean the obvious from June’s words: she was agreeing with him. That revelation by itself was evidence of how grave June truly estimated the situation. He could see that she was working out the calculations, but even he was surprised at how quickly she acquiesced. He wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, though he would happily taunt one. "Really?" His question carried a bemused tone, a rhetorical setup to his inevitable barb. "Trusting someone other than yourself… Behavior like that is a point in favor of my doppelgänger theory."

For a fraction of a heartbeat, June let the razor-edge of her gaze dull, the usual steel of her calculation melting into something warmer, more human. Her eyes lingered on Jim, tracing the angular lines of his jaw, the furrowed concentration of a mind perpetually moving ten steps ahead of everyone else. There was a pause, almost imperceptible, where the room seemed to hush around them— the hum of machinery, the faint buzz of the projector, even the air itself holding its breath. In that moment, June’s features softened, the tension that had been a permanent fixture around her eyes and lips loosening just enough to reveal a fragment of the person beneath the armor. It wasn’t a smile, not yet, it was something subtler, a quiet acknowledgment, a gentle surrender of pretense.

She finally sat, hands folded in her lap, the faintest exhalation escaping her lips like a sigh caught halfway between thought and confession. “Jim,” she murmured, her voice low, almost reverential in its honesty, “I trust you more than anyone.” The words were deliberate, measured, heavy with the weight of meaning that wasn’t thrown around lightly. “That’s why I answered your call, instead of going after Thomas alone.”

Her lips parted slightly as she exhaled again, allowing herself a fraction of the trust she usually reserved for plans and contingencies. The room seemed to shrink around them, her voice soft and steady against the mechanical backdrop, carrying an intimacy that her words rarely permitted. “I came here because…it was you. I didn’t come for your inventions, or your machines, or even your smarts,” she said, letting a small, almost imperceptible warmth flicker in her eyes, “I trust you. So I threw out my plans, and I’m working with a team. She let that sit between them, a silent gravity, a fragile acknowledgment that their partnership was not just tactical— it was personal, and in the way June allowed herself to feel, it was profound.

Jim’s cheeks brightened at June’s response, her intimate admissions eliciting a moment of bashful confusion on his part. It was becoming more painfully clear by the minute over the past day just how deep her affections for him had run, but each revelation simply left him all the more baffled on how to navigate such uncharted territory. More than that, feelings compromised the mission. Keeping a level head was the best way forward, as it was the only way that they would be able to succeed where their predecessors had failed. The last thing he needed to think about was that morning: The way her hands had pressed him against the wall, the look in her eyes, the feeling of her lips against–

Focus.

Jim needed to descalate and refocus. "Yeah… a team." The words felt like sand in his mouth, pouring out like an hourglass. "I… I get it. I trust you, ever since you kept quiet when we were kids." The ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips as he recalled that board meeting they met well over a decade ago, when his hands were elbow deep disassembling some computers. Everything was much simpler then. The mirth faded as Jim’s eyes shifted over towards the elevator, and his heartrate quickened. "I… do think we have different definitions for working with a team than they do." A nervous smile barely concealed the ever-burning anxiety in his chest. "I don’t think the lovebirds or the lumbering Shakespeare performer are clever enough to put a ‘contingency’ plan like this together.."

June’s mouth curved despite herself, a small, genuine smile breaking through the tension at his attempt to paper over something fragile with humor. It lingered for a moment— warm, fond, before she breathed out slowly and let her shoulders sag. Just a little. Enough that the truth slipped through. The weight she’d been carrying finally showed, the tightness at the corners of her eyes, the faint tremor in the hand she braced against her thigh, the way her posture softened as if gravity had finally remembered her name. For the first time since all of this had begun, June looked tired, not strategically tired, not tactically drained, but bone-deep exhausted in the way only responsibility could hollow a person out. The kind that came from being awake too long, thinking too hard, holding too many lives in your hands with no margin for error.

“I don’t disagree,” she said quietly, her voice gentler now, worn thin at the edges. “We do have very different definitions of teamwork.” Her gaze drifted to the hovering bracelets, then beyond them, as if she could see the others through walls and steel. “I’m not even sure I’d consider all of us an honest team, yet. I would have been happy with just you and Imogen, but… I think everyone’s trying. In their own way. Everyone has feelings about this, ideas, fears, instincts. We’re just smarter about it than half of them, but they still have uses.” Her lips pressed together, thoughtful.

She paused, fingers curling loosely, then sighed. “Myla and Theo, for example. They’ve put in more groundwork than I have, boots on the ground, ugly situations, real chaos. I hate admitting it, but their city is on its way to being as bad as Gotham.” A rueful huff escaped her. “But if there’d been more than one assailant back there? I’m not sure I would’ve come out of it like Myla did. She held her ground until help got there.” Her eyes lifted back to Jim, honest despite her reluctance. “Theo too. He sees people in ways I don’t. That has to matter, right?”

Her gaze shifted again, this time thoughtful rather than doubtful. “And Magni’s battle expertise is going to be essential, whether I like it or not. Strategy only gets you so far without someone who knows how to hold a line when everything goes wrong.” A faint, tired smile ghosted her mouth. “It’s good to have a tank. Even better to have one who wants to protect people, and enjoys it.”

She hesitated then, just a beat too long, before adding, uncertainly, “That said… if I could trade Luke or Ronnie for a second pair of lovebirds or another wandering Shakespeare enthusiast?” She glanced away, exhaustion winning out over diplomacy. “I would. In a heartbeat. They bring too much strife to the team.”

Jim's anxious expression softened the more June mused on the team. He hadn't paid as much attention to the training rounds as he should have, opting instead to continue his usual work instead. June, always the strategist, had clearly taken mental notes of their combat prowess. In his defense, this wasn't his wheelhouse. People were always a blind spot, instead preferring things that he could engineer with a precision that left little room for error. He had trained a bit, but always just in case he was attacked for being the son of Iron Man. He was simply the man in the chair, but even June seemed better suited for that than him. Of course, she did have one blindspot. "I meant that their definition of team doesn't include a specialized neurotoxin and tasers if they step out of line."

What he did know of June far too well, as his own body felt like it was deteriorating with each passing minute, was how exhausted she was. He could feel his blood pressure rise as he thought about how she had passed out the night before, exacerbated by their intimate moment. He knew they had work to do, but June's designs were fairly complete. His eyes shifted back to the projections, lifting his hands to begin sliding all the designs out again and making adjustments with a rapid speed. "I can have H.E.L.E.N. print a prototype based on our schematics… make sure it's functional and test its form factor."

Jim paused, his eyes shifting over to the various machines. A functional prototype would still take time to manufacture and develop molds for, even with high-end equipment. While they certainly had work to do, he knew that rest would serve them well. He was beyond running on fumes, more idling than anything. He waved his arms over towards the corner of the room, where a set of stairs led to an elevated portion that ultimately served as a bedroom (despite Imogen's protests). "I've got a bed in the loft if we want to..." The statement hung there, his words fading out as his brain struggled to find the right word. Sleep evaded him, rest felt incomplete. Nap felt almost juvenile of a term. Other synonyms were just out of his reach. So, he left the obvious implication dangling.

June read the offer in the spaces between his words, in the way his hands never quite stilled, in the way his voice softened without him meaning it to, in the careful distance he kept even as concern bled through every sentence. For all his brilliance, Jim had never been good at asking for things outright, especially not things that weren’t mechanical or measurable. Rest was neither. Neither was wanting someone to stay. And yet, there it was, hovering between them like an open door he was pretending not to look at.

She took a slow step toward him, the hum of the workshop fading into the background as her focus narrowed. Up close, she could see the signs he tried to ignore in himself, the tension locked in his shoulders, the faint pallor beneath the workshop lights, the way his breath hitched just slightly when he paused. Time was precious. Every second mattered. But June knew, with the hard-earned certainty of someone who had pushed herself past the breaking point too many times, that a strategist running on exhaustion was just another liability. And she couldn’t afford to be one. Not for the team. Not for him.

Her hand slid gently along his shoulder, warm and grounding, her thumb brushing the seam of his shirt as she leaned in just enough for her forehead to nearly touch his chest. It wasn’t dramatic, just intimate, deliberate, real. A small, tired smile curved her lips, soft with something dangerously close to tenderness. “Yeah,” she murmured, voice low, affectionate, carrying a quiet promise rather than urgency. “I think… we should.” Her gaze flicked briefly toward the stairs, then back to him, eyes steady and fond. “We’ll be better for it.” A beat, then softer still, meant only for him. “And I don’t want you burning out any more than I already am.”

She stayed there for a moment longer than strictly necessary, drawing strength from the closeness before pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. The world could wait an hour or four. Maybe six, if Jim was persistent enough. Strategy required clarity, and clarity required rest. “Let’s make use of the bed,” she added gently, that coy warmth lingering in her tone.

Jim flinched slightly from June's touch, and he froze as she leaned into him fully. Personal space had always been important to him, especially given the number of powered or otherwise combative individuals that Stark's seemed to know quite well. Even with some walls laid bare that morning and the night before, Jim could not help but recoil only slightly from his old friend… even if he was somewhat partial to the complications that were arising from their entanglement.

A day earlier, Jim would have balked at the suggestion of sharing a bed with anyone. At this stage of exhaustion, with his edges frayed and his emotions far more turbulent than he was used to, he didn't care. He needed rest, June needed rest, and he knew that the proximity would help him ensure she actually slept instead of continuing to work. For reasons he couldn't fully identify, her health meant more than his routines and comforts. Teamwork was the only word he could attribute to such an impulse, even if it felt sterile for such a confusing situation.

Jim lifted his hands to gently ease June off of him, turning his body more fully towards the stairs. "Leave your shoes down here, I don't want to track oil up there." His instructions were delivered with the same flat tone he had any time they had interacted in their youth. He quietly crossed the lab while snapping his fingers. The overhead lights began to dim as metal shades drew low. Small lights illuminated the floor only, angled down to aid in stepping over tools and projects. At the bottom of the stairs rested a single metal chair and a plastic mat. Jim quietly settled himself into the chair, taking his time to remove his shoes and setting them to the side of the tray. Each movement grew a little less refined, his head dipping down a little farther than expected as he moved to stand.

June stilled like a photograph mid-exposure, caught on the cusp of warmth and its undoing. The moment Jim recoiled, something in her muscles went rigid, a breath caged just behind her ribs. Confusion flickered first, quick, startled, delicate as a candle guttering in draft, but the hurt that followed was quieter, heavier, sinking like a stone into water. It did not show on her face. She smoothed herself out with a precision that belonged to strategies and maps, not bruised feelings; every expression flattened, every softness pulled back into the vault where she’d once sworn nothing personal would ever be allowed to bloom again. The ghost of her smile vanished like morning frost.

Her throat worked once, a swallow that tasted like iron and restraint. A seed of doubt threaded itself through her— small, insidious, the kind that roots in the fault lines of hope; misread, misstep, miscalculated. The touch she’d offered had been a promise, but maybe she’d been the only one who…wanted that. Maybe the ground they’d been inching across wasn’t neutral territory at all, but a minefield, and she’d just learned where not to step. She didn’t ask him why. She didn’t say anything at all. Her silence felt like a blade with the edge turned inward.

June moved on instinct, mechanical, obedient, like a soldier responding to a command. She stepped away, every motion stripped of its earlier ease, and knelt to unlace her boots. The laces felt rough against her fingertips, the knots snagging like each one was a tether she hadn’t realized she’d tied. She set the boots neatly to the side, aligned with quiet precision, standing again without looking at him. Her posture was immaculate, straight as a ruler, but there was a soft collapse in her shoulders, subtle enough that only someone who had studied her for years would see it, the first visible crack in her discipline.

She waited beside the stairs, hands deliberately loose at her sides, gaze fixed upward but unfocused, like she was looking straight through the metal steps into some other version of herself that hadn’t let feelings complicate anything. When Jim turned, she followed at a respectful distance; not so close as before, not brushing against his gravity, but orbiting him like someone relearning trajectory. Every step was deliberate, careful, as if even the air might shatter if she trespassed too close again.

The quiet, which would normally provide some sort of comfort to Jim, crept up his spine like a chill instead. He felt his stomach twist in that way he never quite understood, like he had made some kind of mistake again. He focused on taking one step up at a time, leading her towards a completely different scene. While the workshop as a whole was an unorganized maelstrom, the loft was militaristically tidy. The bed was carefully made, its sheets and comforter folded perfectly. There were no errant articles of clothing, all having been placed into a chute in the wall where some unseen machine could sort the dirty clothes by color. Panels in the walls grew transparent to reveal a hidden wardrobe of similarly styled sweaters, shirts, and slacks. Jim had slipped into a pair of slippers at the top of the stairs, and not a speck of dust seemed to rest on any surface.

Jim motioned towards the single door connected to the loft. "Bathroom if you need it." He paused, his eyes widening with shock for a moment as his thoughts drifted once more. They did not sway long, as he turned back to face June. She looked… detached, distant in a way that felt… different. It took a moment of careful studying to parse that there was something about her posture that felt less Wayne. Jim's mind raced, his eyes shifting to her side and the raised fabric where stitches and gauze helped keep her wounds in check. His demeanor shifted in an instant, almost instinctively matching the sort of tone and concern his half-sister often showed. "Do you need anything? Water, shower… How are your stitches?" He took a step closer, his brows knitted in careful observance.

June blinked at him, thrown off balance by the sharp pivot— how his voice, mere minutes ago distant as a locked vault, now reached for her like an open hand. The confusion pooled behind her ribs like seawater trying to rise; she felt it crest, then ebb out in a tired breath. She couldn’t tell which Jim was real, the one who recoiled, the one who asked her to share his bed, the one who looked at her now as though she were something breakable. Each version pulled at her in a different direction, and all of them hurt in ways she did not have the energy left to chart. Her exhaustion pressed into her bones, heavy and unrelenting. It softened her posture, made her edges blur. She shook her head slowly, strands of hair shifting like loose threads unraveling.

“No… I’m okay,” she murmured, voice low, frayed. “I’ll just shower. And then sleep. We need the rest.” The words felt like triage, functional and necessary, but nothing in her felt functional anymore.

She tried to summon a smile— small, tentative, a delicate thing that hovered at the edge of her mouth like a bird debating flight. It carried apology and hope in equal measure, weighted with the aching uncertainty that he wouldn’t return it, or worse, wouldn’t know what to do with it. Still, she offered it anyway, like laying down her final weapon for the night.

Then, without waiting for his reaction, she stepped past him. The soft whisper of her movements cut the silence like a seam being stitched closed. Her hand found the bathroom door; she slipped inside and shut it with a careful click, muffling the world, and him, on the other side.

Jim stood awkwardly as June slipped by him, her curt response and attempt at a smile the only acknowledgement of his words. He followed her with his eyes as she slipped into the bathroom, leaving him in the space that felt suddenly hollow with her absence. He could still hear the faint sounds of machinery below working on printing and assembling their prototype. That sound was usually a reassurance, a dull thrum of progress that lulled him to sleep. Now, it just reminded him of how little he was contributing.

Jim stepped towards the wall, undoing the buttons on the sweater one at a time in a simple rhythm. His movements were almost robotic in their own way, a simple process he had done countless times. His mind turned to their work… or, more accurately, her work. June had the plans, the contingencies, the means of convincing the others. Jim's focus had been too limiting in scope. He still had some of his father's schematics that he was busy working into his suit. Automated thermal imaging to avoid getting tricked by anyone invisible or falling for illusions, infrared sensors to check for speedsters, and even plans for a larger exo-suit to deal with heavy hitters like their resident god. Jim was so focused on the threat outside the tower he hadn't even thought to prepare for the very real potential threats in their company outside of hoping his untested suit of armor would stop them for him.

He was glad he called June. He was glad he called Imogen. As much as people like Myla pissed him off, the devil's daughter had a determination he lacked. He didn't want to bring Theo in just as a pawn, he wanted someone else on their level to help solve this "problem" they all faced. Having Imogen there, as much as she knew how to get under his skin, was reassuring in a time where everything felt overwhelming. It was hard to admit, but Jim was woefully unprepared for this mission. A team was their best bet, even if it was compromised.

Jim removed his outer garments one by one. He tossed each article of clothing into a hamper in the wall, where the small sounds of whirring were the only signs that the dirty clothes were getting sorted into the appropriate hampers out of view. Left in only his underwear, he felt a warmth flood his cheeks as he quickly looked towards the bathroom door to ensure it was closed. Instead of a sigh of relief, the tension in his core remained. She had already seen him naked, but the embarrassment still remained with the heat of the moment removed. His pulse quickened as his thoughts crescendoed. What was this? Why had he invited her to sleep here? Her own room, her own shower, it would all certainly be more comfortable. Why did she stay? Why was she quiet? Why did she ask to kiss? Why him? What did any of this mean?

He wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore, sighing as he quickly tapped a panel on the wall to reveal a drawer filled with neatly folded pajamas. They were red in color, and were softer than his usual clothes. He quickly put on the shirt and the pants, shuffling towards the bed. He hesitated next to it, his mind playing through the day’s events. His mind shifted to the car, the awkward silence that filled the space on their drive in towards the Tower. Something was off, something he couldn’t quite place. Jim took a breath, slowly lowering himself to the edge of the bed as he waited silently.

June moved through the bathroom like a ghost of herself, all muscle memory and no momentum. Her hands folded her discarded clothes with practiced precision on the counter, shirt, pants, socks, each piece a small ritual of control, before she stepped beneath the spray. The water struck her skin in steady percussion, warm enough to soothe, not warm enough to melt the tension coiled through her. She watched the rivulets gather at her ankles and disappear into the drain, as if the day could follow.

Her mind lagged behind her body, like she’d slipped a fraction of a second out of sync. The exhaustion wasn’t just in her bones; it lived behind her eyes, heavy and stubborn, a fog threaded between her ribs. It made her feel muted, like she was speaking from behind glass even when she said nothing at all. She knew the feeling, burnout that arrived like a ghost-light, soft and flickering at the edges, warning her she’d pushed too far.

So she showered like she would reload a weapon. Not tender, not luxuriating. Just necessity

Jim’s soaps were… utilitarian. Unscented or nearly so at first glance, but the steam breathed mint and eucalyptus into the air, something fresh enough to sting at the edges of her lungs. Sea salt rode underneath, a brine that reminded her of waves breaking against cliffs in Gotham winters, cold and sharp and honest. Something Alfred would buy, she thought— practical, dignified, with an edge of care. Her fingers hovered over the fourth bottle. De-greasing soap. Industrial strength. Stark Industries branded in tiny print.

June’s mouth softened into a real smile, small, helplessly fond, blooming warm at the center of her chest. She imagined him scrubbing at engine oil on his forearms, shoulders tense, jaw set in concentration. She could see it like a memory even though she hadn’t been there. Something about it felt… private. Humanizing. It nudged the corners of her heart into something tender, even through the exhaustion. She rinsed, shut off the water, and stepped out. The cold air hit her and she realized, too late, that she hadn’t brought anything to wear.

The towel clung to her skin, tucked securely beneath her arm, and she dried her hair with the other. When she looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself. Eyes dulled, shoulders dropped, cheeks flushed from heat and fatigue. She blinked once, as if she could reanimate from within, but the reflection didn’t change. Sleep will help, she reminded herself, quiet and certain. It had to.

She gathered what courage remained, frayed and tentative, and padded to the door. Her fingers hesitated on the knob before she cracked it open. Cool air slipped in around her calves. Jim sat on the edge of the bed across the room, red pajamas softening the sharp lines of him, waiting.

Her voice came out low, careful, like testing the floor before stepping onto thin ice. “Jim…?” A pause, her throat working. Eyes not quite meeting his.
“I—” She gestured slightly to herself, towel and bare skin and steam trailing after her. “I didn’t bring anything to sleep in. Do you… have something I could wear?”

The request felt strangely vulnerable, like stepping out of armor. Her heart fluttered unevenly. She didn’t step farther into the room, just lingered in the doorway, haloed in steam, waiting, just like he had been.

Jim’s eyes had locked onto the bathroom door from their unfocused state the second it opened. He froze, his eyes rapidly shifting from taking in the sight of June in the towel to some invisible point on the wall. He had already seen what was under the towel, but hormones and his general demeanor left him feeling an undeserved embarrassment. Her tone, her voice… it wasn’t the usual way she spoke. Color flushed his cheeks, and his brain ground to a halt.

After an awkward moment, Jim nodded a little too hurriedly. "Right… Uhhh… yes." He quickly rose to his feet, his eyes a little wide with a mixture of surprise and an anxious energy. He crossed over towards the wall, clicking his tongue as the fogged glass panels grew clear to reveal his wardrobe. He looked down towards the same panel he had gotten his own sleepwear, and tapped the glass. The drawer slid out, and Jim quietly lifted a matching set. He shuffled back across the floor in June’s direction, his eyes returning to her. He kept his eyes trained on her face, approaching with the clothes like a reverent gift. The second he grew close, his breath seemed to catch in his throat. The faint heat from the bathroom, or from her, seemed to entice the faint trickle of a bead of sweat on his brow. He paused before her, before turning his gaze down towards the pajamas. He held them out towards her, his eyes trailing up from her towel to her face again. "They might fit weird… I can try to find something else if they aren’t good."

June watched him cross the room, the neat choreography of motion so inherently him that it barely registered as surprising. Of course his wardrobe would rise like a machine responding to instinct, of course his pajamas would be folded with geometric precision, seams aligned like blueprints. The loft felt like the inside of his mind— ordered, categorized, every object obedient to its purpose. Efficient. Tidy. Jim.

She accepted the pajamas with careful fingers, the fabric soft against her palms. “Thank you,” she murmured, voice low but steadier than she felt. She tried to soften her tone, round the edges so it wouldn’t scrape against the tension already coiled in the room. “They’ll be fine. Really. Perfect for tonight.” The reassurance felt like placing a hand on a bomb and praying the wire she cut was the right one. Her smile, small, fleeting, was the closest she had to composure, and she let it linger for half a heartbeat before slipping back into the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her like a sigh.

The quiet met her again, humming against her ribs. She stared at the pajamas for a long moment before changing, moving slowly, every motion an echo of the mechanical efficiency she’d worn like armor all day. She tugged on the shirt and pants, the fabric swallowing her smaller frame, smelling faintly of metal and detergent and something warm she couldn’t name. She took another breath, steady, then steadier, and pressed her palms to the sink. It’s just sleep. They’d shared more than space already, they’d had sex for pete’s sake. More than logic. More than plans and contingencies. So why did this feel suddenly monumental? Why did her pulse climb her throat at the thought of sharing the bed?

Ridiculous, she told herself, tilting her head back until she could feel the cool air brush her throat. You’ve survived worse than proximity. Get a grip. Still, she lingered. Just one more second. One more to smooth her hair back, to straighten the hem of the borrowed shirt. To arrange her folded clothes and towel neatly. To gather the frayed edges of herself and knot them tight enough to pass for whole. Then she pulled the door open quietly, stepping back into the loft with her chin lifted.

Jim remained frozen a few places from the door, standing stiff and straight with his eyes focused on the wall. He was doing everything he could to be normal. He tried not to others the towel dropping, or the shifting of fabric as June put on his clothes. He did his best not to imagine the scene behind the closed door, despite how vivid he could imagine it after that morning. He fought against the rising warmth in his core, reminding himself that it was just June. She wasn't a stranger, or a fantasy. She was just his intimidating, intelligent, and charming family friend. This wasn't anything special, certainly.

The moment the door swung open and June stepped out, those simple thoughts flooded out of his head. Seeing June's smaller form swallowed in a matching set of sleepwear had burst open the dam of spiraling emotions he tried to seal with naivety. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He stood frozen, taken by the sight of her. After an awkward moment, he simply muttered, "Oh… wow."

Focus.

The thought cut through the fog of his clouded mind. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze for a moment. He was already regretting the offer, purely because he now felt more awake than he had minutes ago. His voice was quiet and oddly vulnerable as he spoke. "I'm… sorry. I'm not used to this." A true admission, and one that came from the series of conversation templates he ran through his mind in the time she showered. Things were new and very strange between them since the night before, and he wasn't even entirely sure what he was apologizing for. It was usually more of a social habit, but here it felt like the best offering he could muster.

June felt the warmth rise in her chest, unbidden, at the quiet sincerity of his words. She froze for a heartbeat, unsure whether to smile, sigh, or retreat, her usual command over composure faltering. The apology was disarming, simple, unadorned, and it washed over her like a cool tide over sand— erasing the jagged edges of all the doubt and worry she had been carrying. Her cheeks warmed, and the tight coil of anxiety threading through her mind loosened just a fraction more. She was embarrassed at how flustered she felt by his simple statement before his apology, at the way the steadiness she so fiercely curated had been brushed aside so effortlessly.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, she moved toward the bed. Each step was measured, deliberate, as if she were approaching a skittish creature, giving herself and him room to breathe. She settled beside him, careful to leave an ample gap, her posture upright but softened at the shoulders. The faintest exhale escaped her lips, and she let her hands rest loosely in her lap, idle but present.

“I… I’m a little rusty myself,” she admitted, voice low, threading through the quiet of the loft like a tentative promise. “Everything’s… different now. And I guess I’m just… worried. I don’t want… I care about you a lot, and I have for a long time.” Her eyes flicked briefly to him, earnest and unguarded, before she let them fall back toward her hands, letting the vulnerability sit unchallenged between them. “I don’t want to push you too far, especially if you aren’t comfortable.”

Jim's expression oddly hardened at June's words as he nervously readjusted his position on the bed. He hadn't expected her to hold the same nerves he had, certainly a byproduct of that Wayne myth-making that made her seem more than human. "I… don't know what to do." It was a soft confession, one he figured he owed. "I'm not quite… I am fond of you. I haven't really thought about anyone else in this way. I never thought it could be mutual." The words flowed out like a jumbled mess, glancing towards June but not quite making eye contact. He didn't know what to do with his hands, lifting one before setting it back into his lap.

"I… just don't know what to think. I don't want to be a distraction, or to be distracted… but I feel like I was more distracted before we..." He trailed off, as if the exact word to use was a landmine. He turned his head away, color filling his cheeks as he refocused his thoughts. He had a point, and it was just better to get to it. "I… think we are already entangled, right?" His question lingered as he glanced back towards June, finally daring to try and match her gaze. His knit brows accentuated the lost expression, searching for answers in her eyes.

June was quiet for a long moment, the space between them swelling with the weight of everything he had said, and everything he hadn’t. The loft felt too still, too pristine, as if the air itself were holding its breath. Her gaze dropped to her hands, fingers loosely intertwined, then separating, then tangling together again in a restless loop. Her thumbs traced absent arcs against her knuckles, a nervous habit she hadn’t bothered to break when thinking was hard and feeling was harder.

A distraction.

The word lodged beneath her ribs, dull and persistent, echoing every time she inhaled. She understood what he meant, she really did. Missions. Stakes. The world balanced on a knife’s edge, catastrophe always one misstep away. Logically, it made sense. But logic didn’t soften the way the idea of herself reduced to a variable, to something that needed managing, minimizing, slipped past reason and went straight to the bone. It felt like a boundary she hadn’t seen being drawn, a thin, sharp line etched around something fragile and unnamed, warning her not to step too far in any direction.

She drew in a slow, careful breath, shoulders lifting and falling with deliberate control. The kind of breath meant to steady trembling hands. This, she realized. Now. This was the moment. The only one where honesty wouldn’t shatter her completely if it went unanswered. If she waited, if she let this keep growing in the quiet, unspoken spaces between them, the fall would be farther, sharper. More devastating. Her fingers stilled at last. She lifted her gaze to him, hesitant at first, then steadier as it met his own. Her eyes were bright, not from tears, but from the effort it took to hold herself open like this, resolve braided tightly with vulnerability, each one keeping the other from unraveling.

“We’ve been entangled for longer than either of us wanted to admit,” she said softly, the words careful, measured, as if she were placing them one by one where they couldn’t break. “Longer than we realized.”

Her lips curved faintly— not quite a smile, more a ghost of one, touched with memory. She glanced away for half a second, as though bracing herself, then looked back.

“For me… I think it started the first time I met you. That computer room.” A quiet breath escaped her, almost a laugh, almost a sigh. “You were impossible and brilliant and infuriating, and I remember thinking—” She faltered, fingers curling into the fabric of his borrowed sleep shirt at her thighs. “Oh, I like that. I like how he challenges my mind, that’s so…refreshing.”

Her voice steadied as she continued, even as her hands betrayed her nerves. “Somewhere along the way it stopped being just admiration. It’s always been there, on some level.” Her shoulders lifted in a small, helpless shrug. “Being on the same team doesn’t change that. It never has.”

She swallowed, the movement visible, words pressing hard against her chest as though they might refuse to come out at all. One hand came up to rub at her thumb, grounding herself before she spoke again. “I don’t know how I feel about being called a distraction,” she admitted, her voice catching despite her effort to keep it even. “I know what you mean. I do.” Her gaze flickered away and back again, searching his face, afraid of what she might find there. “And maybe it’s true—we are distractions to each other.”

She hesitated, breath hitching, then pushed forward anyway, as if retreat weren’t an option anymore. “But I keep thinking…” Her fingers tightened briefly, then relaxed. “Would it really be better if we weren’t—together, like this?” The words trembled, but they didn’t break. “Because I think pretending this doesn’t exist would be a worse distraction for me than letting these moments happen.”

Her shoulders dipped as the last of the breath left her, something like relief and fear twisting together in her chest. She shifted slightly on the bed, not moving closer, but not pulling away either— holding her ground. “I’m worried too,” she said quietly. “All of this scares me more than I want to admit.”

Her voice softened further, guilt threading through it. “And I’m sorry for putting you in this position. It was selfish of me.” She lifted her eyes fully to his now, unwavering despite the shine there, walls finally collapsed beyond repair. “But I don’t regret it, because if we fail, if the world ends, or if… if the worst happens, and one of us dies, then at least I’ll have had this, even for a little.”

Jim remained frozen, his brows furrowed as he took in June’s words. The small smile at the corner of his lips was the only sign of how her words landed. There was something reassuring about knowing, for certain, that she liked him. He met her gaze briefly, his hands clenched in his lap. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a sharp breath. He was always bad at offering comfort. The best he could do was a bad facsimile. "I… I don’t know when it started," he replied, his words softer and with a more vulnerable tone than he felt comfortable with. She deserved honesty. "You were always different. I didn’t have a lot of friends… but the ones I had weren’t like you. But who could compare to a Wayne?" His smile grew a fraction at the joke, an awkward hiccup of a laugh punctuating the statement. His nails dug into his palms as he focused on laying bare his feelings.

"I’m infatuated with you." The confession lacked the same punch after the events of that day, but it was as abrupt as if it was a revelation. In truth, to him, it was. "My chest hurts around you. I was hoping it was just indigestion." He didn’t even chuckle at his attempt at humor, his eyes searching June’s face in the hope that she understood. His eyes only flicked away to her lap, uncurling the fingers in his lap. "I don’t think I would have ever worked up the nerve to say or do anything. I don’t like risks or improbabilities or inefficiency. I like my routines and my work." He took in a breath, feeling his thoughts and feelings tangle into a ball of discomfort in his chest. It was more than he knew how to handle, a tempest of things he didn’t know how to describe and all felt like nails on a chalkboard. He was warm, his cheeks burning.

He lifted his right hand, watching the shaking thing as he moved it in June’s direction. His fingers brushed against hers in her lap, eliciting a jolt through Jim’s system as he nearly pulled away. He persevered, gripping onto her like a lifeline. When his eyes met hers again, his own eyes wet with emotion. "I… wouldn’t mind new routines with you." He gulped some excess saliva, his bodily functions seeming to go haywire with his emotions. His thoughts did cling to one thought, one thing that needed clarification. "I… I’m not doing this just for you. I don’t do things I don’t want to do."

June didn’t interrupt him. She barely moved at all, afraid that even the smallest shift might shatter the courage he’d gathered piece by piece. She listened the way she listened to a confession in a quiet room, the kind that trusted silence more than reassurance. Every word he offered landed carefully, stacking atop the last, and she felt them settle in her chest with a warmth that surprised her by its gentleness.

When he said he was infatuated with her, something inside her loosened, an unspooling she hadn’t realized was wound so tightly, and when he followed it with indigestion, a soft, startled laugh slipped free before she could stop it. It wasn’t mocking, not even amused; it was relief, pure and bright, and it left her smiling at him in a way that felt almost shy. Oh, she thought, with a fondness that made her chest ache in return. He really is trying.

She watched his hand as it trembled toward hers, felt the jolt when his fingers brushed against her skin, and didn’t pull away when he held on. Instead, she let her hand curl around his, grounding him as much as herself. His words, about routines, about choice, about wanting, settled into her with a deep, steady certainty. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft but sure, carrying the weight of careful thought and honest feeling.

“I wouldn’t mind building new routines with you either,” she said quietly. “And I understand what you mean. This isn’t just for me.” Her thumb brushed lightly against his knuckles, a small, reassuring motion. “Just like my choice isn’t just for you. We’re… choosing the same direction, for our own reasons.”

She held his gaze then, something playful and knowing flickering through the tenderness as a sly grin tugged at her lips. “We’ll have to learn how to coexist a little differently now,” she added, warmth threading through the words. “But I think we’re both fast learners.” The smile softened as she paused, hesitation briefly clouding her expression while she weighed the thought turning over in her mind. When she spoke again, it was gentler still, vulnerable in a way she didn’t often allow. “I want to learn what you do and don’t like,” she admitted. “Your boundaries. Your rhythms. I don’t ever want to hurt you by accident.” Her fingers tightened slightly around his hand, a quiet promise. “If we’re doing this… I want to do it right.”

"I think we’ve already done things a bit out of order." Jim’s remark was quick, filled with a more subdued sarcastic tone than normal. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of touch between the two of them. It still felt abnormal, a departure from his usual comfortable experiences. It wasn’t bad necessarily, at least not now. "It would be a long list… I’m very particular. I’m pretty sure HELEN could pass it on better than I could." He paused, slowly opening his eyes to face June again. He looked down at their intertwined hands, letting the moment settle as he found the right words. "We can figure things out with trial and error. Take things slo–" The word caught in his throat, his eyes unfocused as a sensory memory shook him out of that sentiment. As much as he didn’t like thinking about it, there was no knowing how much time they had to figure things out. Slow wasn’t going to cut it for either of them. "No… no, I… maybe not slow," he mused aloud, his thumb gently stroking June’s hand. "You don’t have to worry about hurting me. I’m not going to break. Besides…" The corners of Jim’s mouth turned up in the tiniest smirk.

"We both know I’m the one likely to mess this up.."

June snorted before she could stop herself, the sound soft and inelegant and wonderfully real. It startled her just as much as it did the moment, and she found herself smiling wider when his familiar sarcasm slipped back into place like a well-worn jacket. The tension she hadn’t realized she was still holding in her shoulders finally ebbed, warmth replacing it as she looked at him, really looked at him, and felt something settle into an easier rhythm between them. This was the Jim she knew. The one who hid sincerity behind dry wit and let humor do the dangerous work of honesty.

She shifted slightly on the bed, still keeping that careful space, but her posture loosened, shoulders relaxing as her fingers remained intertwined with his. When he admitted that not slow might be the only option, she didn’t flinch. If anything, she felt a spark of something reckless and alive flicker through her chest. The world didn’t give them the luxury of ideal pacing, and she had learned long ago that waiting for the perfect moment usually meant missing it altogether.

“Not slow works just fine for me,” she said lightly, a small shrug accompanying the words, as if she were agreeing to a change in weather rather than something far more significant. Her grin turned playful as she added, “And yes, you can absolutely have H.E.L.E.N. email me the list. I’ll study it like it’s a mission briefing.” There was fond amusement in her eyes now, the corners crinkling just slightly, but it was clear from her tone that she was utterly serious.

Then her gaze dipped, not to their hands this time, but to the space between them, measuring, considering. When she looked back up at him, the confidence softened into something more tentative, almost shy, though the teasing lilt remained. “So…” she began, drawing the word out just a fraction. “Am I allowed to kiss you now?” Her lips curved into a coy smile, eyes bright with curiosity and warmth. After a beat, she added, gentler but no less playful, “Or should I be responsible and wait until we’ve both gotten some sleep?”

Jim blushed at the direct question, his eyes nervously tracking her shift in expression. The playfulness they had shared had returned in full force, but even he could sense the sincerity underlying her request. He couldn't help but glance at her lips again, and then back into her eyes. The sensation of touch between them grew scalding, or maybe he was just imagining that. He broke eye contact to look at the larger bed behind them.

"A kiss before bed is normal. I think. Right?" It was a cheap rationalization, a feeble excuse to indulge in something they enjoyed. At least, he hoped she enjoyed. She said she had, and she didn't seem to be lying. She wouldn't be asking for another if she didn't. Jim gulped down the thoughts and cleared his throat, addressing her directly. "I… would like it if you kissed me," he admitted softly.

June felt absurdly light in that instant, lighter than strategy, lighter than fear, lighter than the careful architecture of plans and contingencies that usually lived behind her ribs. The simple fact of his wanting her to kiss him bloomed in her chest like warmth after cold, quiet and bright and almost embarrassing in its purity. It made her feel young in a way she rarely allowed herself to be, hopeful in a way that didn’t come with blueprints or safeguards attached. A new normal, she thought, something fragile and tentative taking shape between them, stitched together from awkward honesty and small acts of courage.
She didn’t answer him out loud. Instead, she leaned in.

Slowly at first, as if giving him time to change his mind, to pull back, to recalibrate, but he didn’t, and neither did she. Her free hand lifted without quite realizing it, hovering near his shoulder, not gripping, just resting there like a question she was still learning how to ask. When her lips met his, it was soft, a little uncertain, the kind of kiss that carried more feeling than precision. There was the faintest clumsiness to it, a gentle misalignment, a breath caught in the wrong place, human and imperfect and achingly sincere. But there was warmth too, and intention, and a quiet, careful passion that promised this was something she meant to remember.

She drew back after only a moment, not because she wanted to, but because it felt important not to rush the meaning out of it. Her eyes searched his face, bright and a little shy, her smile small but unmistakably real. “Was that… okay?” she asked softly, voice barely louder than the hum of the tower around them.
Jim nodded slowly, his eyes still closed from the moment she had leaned in. His lids opened lazily, a mixture of exhaustion and relief leaving him blissfully sluggish. When he answered, it was in an equally soft manner. "It was." He gave the hand in her lap a soft squeeze. "They have all been good. I want more," he murmured, taking in a breath before he dared to glance back at the bed behind them. He offered a defeated frown by the time he looked back at June. "But we need sleep. And I feel like if we kiss again, we won’t stop," he admitted, the memory of that morning once again playing through his mind. With a moment’s pause, Jim slowly turned his body and lifted his right knee up onto the bed to face June directly. His hand still held hers, lightly tugging her back towards the rest of the bed. He tilted his head briefly, as if pointing with an unseen hand for her to climb over and join him.

June felt the heat climb into her cheeks at his confession, a soft, startled bloom that made her duck her head for half a second, smiling despite herself. Wanting more, of her, of them, landed gently but firmly in her chest, like a hand set over her heart to remind it that it was still beating for something good. She let him guide her without resistance, fingers still threaded with his as she shifted closer, the world narrowing to the simple choreography of knees and blankets and careful movement.

She crawled onto the bed, slipping beneath the sheets and comforter with a quiet rustle, the fabric cool at first and then quickly warming around her. A small, breathy laugh escaped her as she settled in, equal parts bashful and pleased. "Yeah… that’s fair," she admitted softly, glancing at him from beneath her lashes. "Guilty as charged."

The tension eased out of her shoulders as if someone had loosened a too-tight knot, her body finally remembering what it felt like to rest instead of brace. The sheets smelled faintly of clean detergent, something simple and comforting, like rain-dried cotton, and she found herself idly wondering if he washed them every day, or if he had done it because he knew she might be here. The thought warmed her more than the blankets. Maybe in the morning, they could…

She turned onto her side, facing him, drawing her hands close to her chest beneath the covers, her smile lingering— small, real, and a little dazed with relief. For a moment, she just looked at him, committing the quiet version of him to memory, the softened lines, the unguarded eyes, the calm after so much storm. And for the first time in what felt like forever, June let herself believe that sleep might come easily.



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The gunshot echoed in her mind like she’s in an empty dome, the sound reverberating over and over until her teeth felt loose and her ears rang. The dream didn't end when her mom died, it was like a time loop, replaying over and over, never ending, no escape in sight. Bellamy watched her die too many times to count, and then she watched her father die, and then she watched the men die, and then she watched her mom die again. The only thing she was never given the privilege of seeing is the release of her own life, and that was what woke her up shaking and gasping, vomit climbing up her throat.

She jerked out of the bed, putting too much pressure on her bad ankle, and she crumpled to the ground with a dull sounding thud. Loki popped up behind her, eyes wide and bleary from sleep, but Bella couldn’t afford to pay him any mind. She all but dragged herself to the bathroom, the door already open, determined to throw up anywhere but Tobias’s hoodie. She makes it, but there is nothing in her stomach to really expel besides bile, heaving over the toilet until the sickness had passed.

Eventually, Bell sank to the floor, pressing her flushed cheek to the tile as shivers shook her body. She felt feverish, but there was a ball of cold that was manifesting across her chest, pressing down on her. She couldn’t breathe, but two thoughts stood out louder than all the rest.

Her mom was dead. Her dad was gone.

A violent shudder ripped from her, and she knew she had only a few seconds before it all fell apart. Bella ripped off the hoodie, ignoring the pain that rolled from her shoulder blade down her spine, pushing the compression bandages to its limits as she struggled up, shucking off the sweatpants, stumbling toward the shower. The temperature in the bathroom was dropping rapidly, and Bella slipped when she stepped onto the cold tile, falling hard on her hip, and that’s where she stayed, dragging the glass shower door shut behind her before Loki could slip in.

Her hands shook, the bracelet slid from her wrist, clattering to the tile, and then the ice practically exploded from her skin. It crawled across the floor, up the walls of the shower, wrapping around the ceiling. Loki yowled from the other side of the shower, unable to help, but the ice was contained with her in there, frosting over her skin. The temperature was dropping further, and she couldn’t breathe. Bella curled in on herself, pressing her hands over her eyes as tears froze on her lashes.

"Ms. Drake," a voice was speaking, but she couldn’t seem to understand the words it was saying. Her vision was narrowing, dimming, as the ice frosted over the glass. She could hear Loki howling from the other side of the shower door, sounding pathetically panicked, but she couldn’t slow how her chest was heaving or her thoughts were spiraling. "Ms. Drake, your core temperature is rapidly dropping, do you require assistance?"

"No, no, no, no," she was incoherent, one hand clutching the wrist of her other hand hard enough to bruise. It was too much, powers too closely linked to her emotions, she couldn’t get it to stop. She was having an anxiety attack, nothing particularly new for Bellamy, but it had never been this bad before. Her powers were spiraling out of her control because of it, and she couldn’t get it to stop which only added to her panic.

"Ms. Drake, how may I assist you?"

Her chest hurt, and she stayed on the floor of the shower, surrounded by ice, hyperventilating, but inside she was standing in a forest screaming until her heart burst. The trees grew until the sunlight could no longer break through the foliage, and the darkness in her head became impenetrable. She wanted her mom, she wanted her dad, she wanted…

She took in a breath that seemed to rattle in her lungs, choking her as if ice was climbing up her throat from the inside out. "Tobias," His name fell from her lips begging, like a prayer, without even an ounce of consideration to why she was saying it, calling out to him like he was there and he could save her from the spiral she’d fallen into. The voice overhead said something else, but she didn’t listen. Loki was making loud sounds of distress, clawing at the glass door, but Bella felt as if she was sinking in on herself, drowning in her anxiety.

Everything else felt so, so far away.

"Mr. Lehnsherr," The sound of J.A.R.V.I.S. cut through the silence of Tobias’s penthouse. "Ms. Drake is in severe distress, her core temperature is approaching below zero, heart rate at 189 bpm, and she has called for your assistance. Should I alert someone in the case of a medical emergency?"

Tobias had managed to stumble his way back to his apartment and fall into bed. He barely managed to get beneath the covers before sleep took him. He hadn’t moved an inch, unaware of how much time had passed when J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice rang throughout his bedroom and pulled him out of his nightmare. It took a second for his brain to catch up, fighting through the mental fog of exhaustion. Then it all crashed into him like a tidal wave, rousing him like a bucket of ice dumped over his head. He threw his blankets off of him and practically jumped out of bed as all of his exhaustion and pain was locked away beneath a surge of adrenalin.

"No. Remain on standby," he replied to the tower’s AI as he sprinted through his apartment, running past the elevator and out the door to the stairwell. Tobias took the stairs multiple at a time and used the railing to quickly launch himself around the landings and down the next flight. He reached Bellamy’s floor faster than the elevator would have reached his floor and hurried toward the ornate staircase in her living room. "Where is she, J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"Primary bathroom."

Where Tobias’s legs had grown weak with every step as he climbed to her bedroom earlier, he took them with a hastened fury, tunnel vision overpowering every other thought and sensation that attempted to cross his mind. The second he entered her room he was hit with a blast of cold. The drop in temperature sent an involuntary shiver down his back as he made his way toward her, finding it to look more like an arctic tundra than a bathroom. He quickly and carefully scoped Loki off the frozen ground. "Sorry buddy." The panic was evident in his voice as he set the cat outside the bathroom, then closed and locked the door behind him so he didn’t get hurt.

Tobias turned back around, his breath a white cloud rising from his lips as he watched the frost climb up the sides of the shower, cracking and splintering the glass. He hesitantly reached out and carefully wrapped his fingers around the handle to the shower. The metal was so cold it burned against his palm. The fragile touch made the glass pop and threaten to shatter. He took a deep shaky breath and prepared himself. Then he pulled open the door. He let the handle fall from his grasp before pressing his hands against the tile above Bellamy. He hunched over her, using his body as a barricade as the glass shattered around them, and slid off his back before crashing to the ground.

Once the destruction had settled, Tobias crouched down in front of her. He tucked her hair behind her ear then dipped his head to try and meet her gaze. "I’m here," he whispered with a warmth she desperately needed. His finger gently hooked beneath her chin, turning her to face him. Bellamy’s skin was colder than ice. He wasn’t a doctor, but that wasn’t normal. There was a brief second where he reached for the shower’s tap, but she couldn’t stay there with all the broken glass.

His skin was so warm it burned, but Bell relished in the pain because it distracted her from everything else. She took a deep, shuddering breath as if she’d emerged from water for the first time after quite a long time, opening eyes she hadn’t realized slipped shut. Her tears had crystallized, tumbling from her lashes and shattering against the frost covered tile. Confusion clouded her face at the sight of Tobias, but her hands rose of their own accord, latching onto the fabric of his hoodie like a lifeline.

"I’m sorry," he spoke quietly as he slipped his hands beneath her and picked her up. Tobias tried his best to carefully step out of the shower. With his focus solely on her, he didn’t notice the small pieces of glass that sliced the bottom of his feet as he carried her toward the tub. He perched himself on the edge, letting Bell rest in his lap as he turned on the hot water. He didn’t want to send her into shock, so he made sure it was a cool but comfortable temperature before plugging the drain and carefully setting her down inside.

Some part of her brain registered what was happening, trying to pull back her powers, desperate to make it stop, terrified of accidentally hurting him because she couldn’t control it. The lukewarm water was agony for a moment, the differing temperatures between her body and the liquid slowly filling the tub drew new sobs from her chest, and she twisted in the tub, looking for a way out.

Tobias didn’t know if someone with her type of powers could get hypothermia, but with the way she shook and how she felt colder than death, he wasn’t willing to take any chances. He knew the fastest way to raise someone’s body temperature was skin to skin contact. There was a brief second where his cheeks flushed, but he pushed aside the embarrassment for the sake of Bell’s well being. He quickly pulled off his hoodie so his chest was bare, then climbed into the tub behind her, still wearing his sweatpants. Tobias slowly slid his legs on either side of her as he lowered himself into the lukewarm water. "We have to get you warm," he whispered from behind her, as a quiet warning. He hesitantly grabbed her biceps and eased her backwards so the exposed skin of her back rested against his bare chest. His hands then started to rub along her arms, trying to boost circulation and give her some of his warmth.

"Toby," Bellamy’s voice was choked, and her back arched to put distance between them for a moment, scared beyond words of hurting him, the burn of his skin searing into her back and arms. "Hurts." His hands were steady on her arms, rooting her to the spot, and after a moment, as the heat slowly began to thaw her body and cut through the panic, she collapsed against him.

"I’m sorry," he whispered as the warmth of his breath brushed along the back of her head. Her skin against his was numbing and piercing at the same time, while the warm water stung against the fresh cuts along the bottom of his feet. The muscle in his jaw tensed, but the concern that tugged at his brows wasn’t from his discomfort, but hers. He didn’t want to hurt her and contemplated pulling away, but then the full weight of her body fell back against him.

Her gasping, shaking breaths subsided slowly, turning into soft sobs of mingled shame and fear. Bella felt as if the dam she’d built up around her emotions finally broke, and the flood was simply too much for her to bear alone. She hadn't wanted to give him this burden, they barely knew each other, and yet in the midst of it all, she’d wanted Tobias to be here, and now he was. She went very still for a moment, chest not rising or falling, body tensing in the water as the last of her ice melted, and then… Bellamy twisted around, arms slipping beneath his own, curling around his sides, and she pressed her face into the warm skin of his chest as her sobs spilled over. She could be embarrassed later, could hate herself for the weakness later, for now she clung to him and cried because her family was gone and she was alone and it was all just too much for her to face alone.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry," she managed to find the words between her sobs, lips ghosting over his skin, but she made no move to pull away and put distance between them.

Tobias’s eyes went wide as she turned to face him and he froze, not knowing what to do or how to react. He didn’t know what to expect. Was she going to be mad at him for the warm water or getting in with her without asking permission? Maybe she was mad at him for breaking her shower. But it was none of those. Bell’s arms wrapped around him and she buried herself into his chest as her grief took her. There was a second or two of hesitation before his arms reflexively wrapped around her, one hand rested along her back while the other gently cupped the back of her head. He slowly sank into a more comfortable position, resting his back against the tub with a silent wince at the pressure against cuts. "You don’t have to apologize," he spoke calmly, lightly stroking her hair as he attempted to console her.

The pressure of his arms around her, cradling her to him, made Bellamy feel as if she was being held together while she broke apart. She trembled against his chest as her sobs turned from soft to heartbroken and gut wrenching. She let the grief out now, because she wasn’t sure if she’d ever give herself another chance. Incoherent words fell from her lips, things like; "They’re gone." and "My fault." and "I’m sorry." repeating over and over until she’d exhausted herself, cries slowly quieting, arms going a little lip around his sides. Bella didn’t know how long she cried for, clinging to Tobias, but by the time she was done the water had cooled and she was shivering against him.

Bell didn’t move away, she couldn’t find any energy to be embarrassed, the beat of his heart beneath her ear was steady and comforting, lulling her into a sense of calm that felt foreign and far away. Her hair was damp, clinging to the bare skin of his chest, and she shivered again, instinctively pressing closer to him, seeking more warmth even though she was the one that caused all the cold to begin with. "’M sorry," she mumbled, eyes drifting shut. The cold didn’t matter all that much, anyways. This was comfortable enough, and she had no energy left for anything, let alone to pull herself away from him and out of the tub. She just… didn’t want him to leave.

Tobias didn’t pull away or try to leave. He settled into the chill of the tub, their shared body heat the only thing that kept him from trembling. He didn’t know how long they remained there, but when the water got high he used his foot to shut it off, being careful not to disturb her. He didn’t know what to say or what to do besides be there and give her soft reassurances. Every time she blamed herself he muttered a soft, "It’s not your fault," or when she apologized he said "It’s ok," and stroked her hair.

As the water grew cold, he concentrated on keeping his breaths steady. His muscles ached as he held in every shiver and tremble so he didn’t make Bell feel any worse than she already did. "Bell," his voice was soft and quiet, but a faint shiver hung on the end of her name as it left his lips. "You’re getting cold again. We need to get out." He slowly sat up, letting her remain against his chest as his hand fumbled around for a moment until he found the drain. It took some coordination, but Tobias managed to keep one arm around her as he lifted them up until he was sitting on the edge of the tub with her in his lap while red tinged water swept from his feet and down the drain. He carefully swung his legs over the side, turning to face out toward the rest of the bathroom. "I need you to stand. Ok?"

He gently helped Bell to her feet, then grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Dry off," he instructed her before turning back toward the room. Tobias grabbed another towel and knelt down on the tile. As best as he could, he attempted to sweep the pieces of glass into a pile beneath the sink. He could figure out cleaning it up and replacing her shower door tomorrow when he talked to Alfred, but it wasn’t worth waking him up in the middle of the night. When he thought he got it all, he ran a hand along the ground sacrificing his own palm to make sure she didn’t cut herself on any strays. He noticed the clothes he had lent to her, picked them up before he stood up and held them out to her. "Here." Then without a warning, he picked her up for the… He had lost track of how many times at that point. While he was certain he got every piece, he still didn’t trust it.

Tobias unlocked the bathroom door, opened it and then set her down on the soft carpet where Loki impatiently waited for her. "Get dressed," he directed her gently. "I’ll wait in here until you’re decent." He closed the door and sighed. Now that he was alone and didn’t have to put on a brave face, he grimaced with each step as he made his way to the toilet and sat down. Tobias sat in quiet, shivering in his soaked sweatpants as he pulled the small pieces of glass from his feet and discarded them into the trash. It wasn’t until he was done that he noticed the blood he trailed across the tile floor. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Everything Tobias said took a few moments to process, she felt as if she were in a fog, unfolding herself from his body to stand, rubbing the soft fabric of the towel over her chilled body slowly, taking the clothes and staring at them blankly for a long moment before her feet left the ground and she was lifted. Bella tilted her head back, eyes catching on his own, and her breath stuttered in her chest as she realized he was here. It hadn’t fully registered, but… she’d called, and he came, and something about that meant more than she could put into words.

The carpet was soft and warm compared to the bathroom, Loki meowing and rubbing against her bare foot, trying to get her attention as the door shut and she looked down at the clothes, at the towel still wrapped around her, and her soaked bandages. It took a moment, but slowly, with stiff fingers, Bellamy unwound the compression bandages. First from her wrist, then her ankle, and then finally the one around her chest and shoulder. Slowly, painfully, she pulled the hoodie over her head. The fabric pooled around her waist, but she didn’t bother with the sweatpants, remembering vaguely that Tobias’s were soaked.

"Tobias?" Bell’s voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, and she cleared her throat, trying again until his name came out clearly. "I’m dressed…kind of." Loki was climbing up the back of the hoodie, until he could curl around her shoulder, and when the bathroom door opened she held up the sweatpants with flushed cheeks, eyes set on the ground. "You…You wear them," her hand trembled, eyes burning with fresh tears, and she couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see his expression as she allowed herself to be selfish one more time tonight. "Just—please, don’t leave."

Tobias pushed off his knees, slowly standing up and making his way over to the door. The tips of his fingers unintentionally brushed hers as he took the sweatpants gently from her grasp. "Ok," he replied quietly with a nod. He slowly closed the door then pressed his back against it as he studied the crimson streaks mixed with water that trailed along the floor. First he needed to wrap his feet before he trailed bloody footprints across her apartment. He took a step toward the sink and started opening cabinets and drawers. There were things for certain about the academy, that they’d get injured and that most of them were too stubborn to go to the infirmary. As such, every penthouse had its own first aid kit. He just had to find it.

After a minute or two of searching, he found the white box tucked up under the sink out of sight. Tobias set the hoodie he was wearing and the dry sweatpants on the counter before returning to sit on the toilet lid. He made quick work of cleaning his feet with antiseptic wipes and then wrapping them in bandages. It was nothing fancy or a fraction as efficient as the infirmary, but it stemmed the bleeding which was all he needed. He then spent the next five minutes on his hands and knees, cleaning up the puddles of pink water with a towel. He discarded the stained cloth in a pile with the one filled with glass and moved back to his feet.

For the first time since returning to the academy, Tobias caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Circles nearly as dark as his tattoos curved beneath his eyes. Small clumps of dried mud lingered in his hair and along the curve of his jaw. The cut in his cheek ran along his cheekbone just beneath his eye and halfway across his nose. The ink that decorated his body rose and fell with every labored breath. Every bandage was soaked and clung to his skin. He sighed and head fell, no longer wanting to look at the shadow of a man that stared back at him. His fingers diligently tore the bandages from his arms and shoulder, discarding them into the trash, and then pulled on the dry hoodie with a sharp breath. He peeled off the drenched sweatpants and draped them over the side of the tub before pulling on the ones Bell had borrowed.

Tobias sighed then slowly crossed the bathroom. The glint of metal out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked over and saw a small bracelet lying on the ground in the shower. He held out his hand, pulling the small piece of jewelry off the ground and floating it through the air until it fell gently into his palm. With one last deep breath, he opened the door. Tobias stood silently on the edge of her bedroom, just the tips of his toes brushing against the carpet. His gaze fell to the ground the moment he noticed Bellamy was undressed from the waist down. The full gravity of everything that had just happened and what he did finally slammed into him like a sledgehammer to the chest. His cheeks flushed as he struggled to meet her gaze. "You dropped this," he spoke quietly, filling the silence as he extended his hand toward her with the bracelet resting in his palm.

She’d curled in on herself waiting for him, and it wasn’t the sound of the bathroom door opening but his voice that pulled her back from the spiral her thoughts had almost fallen into again. Bella titled her head back, taking in the sight of Tobias with tired eyes, but…she reached out, taking the bracelet and slipping it back onto her wrist before she struggled to her feet, catching herself unsteadily on his arm once she was standing. The fabric of his hoodie fell just below the tops of her thighs, hiding her underwear from view, and she leaned against him for a second, letting out a soft sigh.

Her hand slid down his arm, until she found his fingers, lacing them with her own, before she very pointedly pushed Tobias back a few steps into the bathroom, limping along behind him without a word. Bellamy directed him back toward the tub in a way that was a little bossy in its silence, putting both her hands on his shoulders when they got to the ledge and pushing down uselessly until he obliged and sat. She twisted away without a word, moving carefully as her ankle and hip throbbed in pain, snagging a clean washcloth from the rack and a bottle of shampoo that had been left by the tub before she turned the water on and left it on, steam billowing up as hot water slid down the drain.

Tobias remained silent, heat building in his chest and flooding his cheeks as his gaze followed her hand from the corner of his eyes. His hand twitched slightly as her fingers slipped between his effortlessly. A breath caught in his chest as she pushed him backwards, his mind fumbling to keep up and understand what was happening while his body heeded her commands subconsciously. It all felt intimate… too intimate. Panic tugged at the back of his mind as she moved him with a silent dominance that felt foreign to the timid stranger he was familiar with. It wasn’t… She wasn’t… His heart raced as a thought sunk into his mind like an anchor. It couldn’t be that. They had just met… They were exhausted. He was exhausted… That wasn’t why he did it. He didn’t want repayment, not like that. He needed to tell her to stop but his body still caved to her demands, lowering himself onto the edge of the tub. Tobias’s lips parted, struggling to find the words to tell her no when she turned on the water and a panicked tense laugh spilled out instead.

Methotically, Bell wet the washcloth beneath the water, added a small dollop of soap, and rubbed the fabric together to spread it, before she turned back toward Tobias. She was determined, lips pulled down into a slight frown as she stepped closer, slotting herself between his legs without a second thought, one hand curling around the back of his neck and tugging gently until he bowed his head some so she could properly find all the little bits of dried mud that still flecked his hair, rubbing at them gently until the soap cleaned it all away. Bellamy was so focused and intent that she didn’t properly register how close they were at first, his forehead nearly brushing her collarbone as she leaned into him, her outer thighs pressed to his inner thighs, the hand at the back of his neck found her fingers ghosting over bare skin.

She paused as the realization sunk in, hands stilling as the heat of his body registered, his cologne mixing with the smell of the shampoo; something floral and musky, it took a lot of self control for Bella to step away as color flooded her face, soaking the wash cloth and then squeezing the soap from it as best she could until only water remained. She returned to her spot in front of him, still blushing but just as determined, running the hot, damp cloth one more time over his hair to remove the soap that had remained, using one of her hands to tilt his head back so she could look at his face. It was a little silly, how he put up with her silent demands, looking exhausted and just a little bewildered, but it softened her some as her lips pulled up into a tired smile.

Some of Tobias’s initial tension melted away as he realized what she was doing. But something else twisted and knotted in his chest as he sat silent and obedient. He swallowed, knees subconsciously spreading slightly as Bell stepped closer, slipping between them. His gaze fixated on the drawstring of his hoodie she wore, keeping his breathing steady as the heat grew in his cheeks and his clenched fists rested on top of his knees. Everything from the neck down remained frozen and stoic like a statue while his head moved with every gentle guidance of her touch. When she tilted his head back, Tobias blinked slowly before letting his gaze slowly lift to meet hers. He wasn’t expecting to see her smiling down at him, even exhausted and sad, there was an authentic warmth behind her eyes and the subtle curvature of her lips. His shoulders fell slightly as the faintest bit of tension eased from his muscles while a weary smile softened the dark melancholy in his eyes.

She took him in properly, the slope of his nose, the curve of his cheekbones, the bags beneath his eyes, the shape of his lips… Bella blinked, lifting the cloth to rub at a single remaining smudge beneath his chin, using her free hand to tilt his head ever so slightly. Once she was done, she laid the washcloth along the edge of the tub beside his soaked pants, turning back to face Tobias with slow uncertainty. "I…" she licked her lips and looked down, feeling like her mouth was too dry all of a sudden, and catching sight of how close she was to him from where she stood, keeping him in place on the edge of the tub with how she’d wedged herself between his legs. Her face burned, and she looked back up at him.

"Sorry, I-I don’t know what I was thinking, I just…" Bell went to step back, bad ankle flattering for a second, body tilting backwards.

Tobias’s eyes widened. He leaned forward, standing slightly as his hands reached out to gently grab Bell by her waist. He steady her carefully before slowly lowering himself back onto the side of the tub. Hesitantly he released his hold on her, but his hands hovered in the air at her side, ready to catch her if she stumbled again. "Why do you keep trying to use that foot?" he asked her quietly with a weak playfulness in his tone as he let his gaze fall to the bruised culprit. "It’s not going to heal if you keep twisting it every five minutes." He slowly looked back up into her icy blue eyes with a gentle concern that knit his brows together.

The press of his hands curling around her waist made her heart skip a beat, and her face felt so hot that she was worried she had an actual fever. Bell looked down, away from his soft gaze, feeling a lump form in her throat as she contemplated how to answer. "I…" she squeezed her hands into fists for a moment, breathing slowly as she took a moment to make sure she had full control of her powers. "I can heal, technically," she felt disgusting for admitting it aloud, for sharing the fact that she was choosing this weakness over the alternative. "I was too tired, and…it feels wrong to heal it when—when they’re—" Fresh tears filled her eyes, and for the first time since she’d come to the tower it wasn’t only sadness that filled her chest. There was a swell of anger, and it only made her even more tired.

He scooted forward slightly, gently taking her forearms into his large calloused hands. Tobias waited patiently for her to meet his gaze and settle her breathing. "Your parents wouldn’t want you in pain." His voice was calm as he spoke slowly, emphasizing each word with a reassuring squeeze of his thumb. "What do you need to do to heal?"

Her breath caught in her throat, tensed shoulders relaxing beneath his hands as she peaked at Tobias from beneath her lashes. They wouldn’t want her in pain, she knew that, but… "I have to turn into ice." It sounded so, so ridiculous saying it out loud, and her cheeks darkened a little, so she hastened to explain herself. "I have an organic ice form, I mean, technically I could use molecular control over moisture to replace my body's compromised cells with fresh, untainted water molecules but…" Bell trailed off, and she let out a soft sigh, sagging just a little against his hands. Her eyes burned, both from the tears and exhaustion. "It helps if I’m submerged in water, and it takes focus."

"So, what you’re saying is…" Tobias’s voice trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder toward the steaming water she left running. "You could have healed yourself the entire time we were in there, and didn’t?" He quirked a brow then slowly looked back over at her with a tired but soft playfulness behind his eyes. He understood that it was the farthest thing from her mind while in the middle of a panic attack and he didn’t blame her for that. But he still tried to find some levity in the irony of the situation. If only to ease tensions.

Pink flushed her face from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears, embarrassment seeping into her like cold, and Bella tried very hard not to squirm where she stood. Yes, that was what she was saying, but it was the way he wasn’t condemning her for it, rather gently joking about it, that made her chest feel warm and her heart flutter. "Yes," she managed, biting her lower lip and realizing that just like with Alfred, Tobias being so kind in this moment felt like proof that something in her had broken. She wasn’t even sure if she deserved the kindness, not after he’d sacrificed so much trying to save her but she allowed her injuries to remain. "I wasn’t thinking clearly."

Bellamy swiped at her cheeks with one of his sleeves, trying to stem the flow of tears before she could fall apart completely again. She looked back at him, letting his presence ground her in this moment, fighting the urge to hug him again. It was wrong, and confusing, to take so much comfort in Tobias when they barely knew each other, and it wasn’t fair on him either. "I’m sorry, you were sleeping, I didn’t mean to. I had a nightmare, and sometimes I can’t control it." She held up her good wrist, tugging at the sleeve of his hoodie until the bracelet he’d returned to her was visible. Bruises in the shape of her fingers overlapped the pale skin, and Bella blinked at the sight in surprise, quickly tugging the sleeve back down. "The bracelet is supposed to help, but I panicked." She couldn’t quite bring herself to meet his gaze, eyes settling on his cheekbones instead.

"Stop apologizing," he chided her softly with a warm, understanding tone and faint smile. "I can sleep on the couch if it’d make you more comfortable having someone close by," Tobias offered. With how tired he was, it really didn’t matter where he slept. He’d be out within a few minutes and still probably sleep like shit between how sore he was, the numerous fresh wounds he had, and the nightmares that plagued him every night. Plus, if she had another panic attack he wouldn’t have to run as far, which was a bonus.

She caught sight of his lips pulling up into a soft smile, and her bottom lip wobbled traitorously for a second before she managed to return it. "Could you… I mean, if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, you could just sleep in the bed." Bella’s face burned and she hastened to add more, looking anywhere but at Tobias. "I just mean, it would be more comfortable, and of course I don’t expect se—I mean, Christ." She raised her hands, covering her face and trying to decide if it was too late to have Tobias leave so she could just drown herself in the damned tub and end all of her suffering in one go.

Tobias’s face turned bright red as he abruptly stood up, shifting from being at eye height to towering over her. She was still close enough that he wobbled slightly, trying to find his balance without tipping backwards into the tub or pressing his chest against hers. He swallowed the lump in his throat, holding his hands up cautiously, letting them hover precariously in the air near Bell’s shoulders. "I…" His brain struggled to find the words and make coherent sentences. "I’m not that type of guy," he admitted between shaky breaths. He blinked trying to focus his thoughts. "You uh…" He nodded his head at the tub behind him. "Heal yourself and I’ll—" Then he pointed at the door.

Her hands slipped from covering her eyes to just her lower face when he stood up, head titling back some to look up at him. Bella’s brain felt like it stalled for a second as she realized how tall he actually was, and how close they were still, every breath she took kept the smell of his cologne in her head. She felt awful, he was clearly flustered now and it was because she’d said the wrong thing, she didn’t—it wasn’t like she was trying to seduce him or something stupid like that.

While holding his breath, Tobias sidestepped, slipping out from being sandwiched between the edge of the bath and Bellamy. Before she could panic again, he quickly added. "I’m not going anywhere. Just… you know… privacy." He nodded his head and quickly exited the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

Not two steps into her bedroom, Loki meowed up at him seemingly annoyed that he was closed out. "Sorry, buddy," he whispered, giving himself a second for his heart to stop racing and the heat to fade from his cheeks. Tobias sighed softly, leaning down to pick up the small kitten before making his way toward Bellamy’s bed. Then he sort of just… froze. Five minutes earlier he wouldn’t have thought much about it, but now a cold sweat tickled along the back of his neck and the subtle dread of anxiety twisted in his chest. There was one clear side where she had been sleeping, so he walked around to the other side where the blankets still remained perfectly made.

Rather than climbing beneath them, Tobias laid on his back on top of the comforter. He gently set the cat on Bell’s pillow as he got settled, crossing his ankles, tucking his left hand behind his head and resting his right hand across his stomach. Once he stopped moving, Loki wasted no time climbing onto Tobias’s chest, burrowing himself into the hood of his sweater, nuzzled against his neck. It wasn’t his intention to fall asleep, but as another rush of adrenalin left his body, he was too exhausted to think, let alone keep his eyes open. It was a matter of a couple minutes he was out cold, chest rising and falling rhythmically with each heavy breath.

The door had shut softly behind Tobias, and now it was her turn to sit on the edge of the tub. Bellamy rested her elbows on the tops of her thighs as she hunched over for a second, hands pressed to her forehead, and she fought to calm her breathing. It had been irrational, the panic she’d felt when she’d thought that he was leaving. It wouldn’t be any good for her to get attached to him, it would be bad for both of them. She pushed herself to her feet, looking at the tub for a moment, debating which way would be easier, but… no, it would be faster to just switch to her organic ice form.

Bell dragged off the hoodie, squeezing her lips together tightly as her shoulder pulled and pain slid down her back like rain water, cold and persistent. She dropped the hoodie to the ground, and slid her undergarments off, letting her eyes slip shut as she focused. It started at the soles of her feet, soft skin shifted into unrelenting ice, as blue as a glacier in the Arctic. It spread to the tops of her feet, up her ankles, curling around her calves, thighs, stomach, all the way to the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered open, and she held out a hand for inspection. This form reminded her of her father, it made her chest hurt just to look at her iced over hand, but she’d never felt stronger, more alive than when she was like this.

She let out a soft breath, the air that expelled from her lungs visible as it hissed into the relative warmth of the bathroom, and she let the focus on holding this form slip. The ice seemed to seep back beneath her skin, leaving her body unblemished of the previous injuries that had marked her and, in their own morbid way, represented the tragedy that had become her life. Bellamy stared down listlessly at the hoodie for a moment, feeling as if she’d displaced the last piece of herself that existed before everything fell apart, and then she got dressed. The world doesn’t stop spinning, even if it feels like hers did, so she took it one step at a time. Turning off the water from the tub, making sure the hoodie covered her as much as possible, and finally making her way out of the bathroom.

She wasn’t expecting him to already be asleep, but Bellamy shouldn’t have been surprised. Her gaze softened, and she hesitated before slipping into her side of the bed, very carefully and delicately draping a blanket that had laid rumbled on her side of the bed across Tobias before she slid beneath the sheets and curled up on her side. The bed was soft, and warm, and the steady breathing beside her lulled her off into sleep faster than she could begin to overthink the fact that he’d stayed. If at some point in the night she naturally gravitated closer to Tobias, one of her hands curling into the fabric of his hoodie, the crown of her head just barely brushing his arm, well she was asleep and it wasn’t her fault.



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Near Descendant's Tower


Rune had kept a running list of things she wanted to do if she ever reached Midgard. It had begun when she was thirteen, a quiet catalog of possibilities she revisited whenever Hel felt too still. Stealing clothes from a mannequin had never been part of it. She wasn’t even certain what people here usually wore, for one, and stealing, in general, left an unpleasant prickle in her chest. Not wrong, exactly. Just… unsettling.

She had meant to be practical. Judging by the looks she’d earned so far, she might have missed the mark. The white knit shirt over a gray turtleneck, the teal trench coat, the orange-and-purple plaid skirt, perhaps it was more colorful than necessary. The coat matched the funny little hat, at least. The neon yellow socks matched nothing at all, but they had been part of the display. Surely that counted for something. Mannequins, she reasoned, were meant to give guidance.

What bothered her most was that her mother’s portal had delivered her into a locked clothing store instead of her actual destination. It felt oddly discourteous, if portals could be accused of such things. Still, Rune was capable of adapting. She decided to add hiking to her list, if only out of principle, because that was what she was doing now. Hiking.

Her mother’s instructions had been simple: follow the road, seek the large edifice, and pledge allegiance to the organization that had sent out the call for aid. It sounded promising. Rune had always wanted to be part of something larger than herself. Some of the spirits spoke fondly of teams and the shared purpose of having a place where you were needed, wanted. Honor came with that, she supposed, but what she really wanted was the experience. The walking, however, was proving less charming than she’d hoped, especially in the borrowed shoes. Shiny white, sharply heeled, and entirely unforgiving. After some consideration, she decided they were designed less for travel and more for endurance.

“I could take them off,” she said lightly, thinking aloud as she often did. Long conversations with spirits had taught her there was nothing wrong with that, as long as she didn’t argue with herself. “I imagine they’d be easier to manage that way.”

That decided it. She stepped off the road and carefully eased herself out of the shoes, one and then the other, mindful not to scuff them. For a moment, she weighed leaving them behind, but that felt unkind. Instead, she tucked them under her arm and carried on, her steps immediately lighter. She tried to whistle as she walked. The sound came out soft and uneven, but she didn’t mind. Practice was part of learning.

The day itself was lovely. Blue sky stretched overhead, scattered with drifting clouds, and though the sun had warmed her more than expected, it was a pleasant sort of warmth. Rune wondered why Midgardians didn’t travel more often in those rumbling metal vehicles, they seemed far more efficient, but she suspected there were rules about such things. Still, the thought made her smile, and she made a mental note to ask someone later. She followed the road without hurry, balancing carefully along its center line when she could, attentive and content, as though Midgard were already beginning to meet her halfway.

Some dozens of yards behind her, a black SUV rolled over the asphalt in the direction of the Tower. With a clear line of sight to Rune's back, the vehicle began to slow before it came to a stop. In the driver's seat, Jules leaned forward on the steering wheel with a set of binoculars held up to her eyes. She took in the sight, a short barefooted woman with an audacious sense of style walked calmly. Jules’ eyes shifted to a small screen in the center console that displayed strange readings of radiation unfamiliar to this realm. She leaned back into the seat, setting the binoculars down on a tray near the center console.

The agency was right: a fresh god straight from another realm had touched down suspiciously close to the old academy. Everything about the readings read as vaguely Asgardian. Jules glanced at the large sidearm resting on a holster connected to her door and took a deep breath. First contact was never her strong suit, but someone had to make the first move. Worst case, she'd have to make sure to spam the buttons on her pager and hope the agency got the SOS in time.

The SUV rolled up a few yards behind Rune, sliding to a halt on the shoulder of the road. Jules popped open the door and stepped out, readjusting her jacket to hide the freshly holstered gun under her arm. She took a deep breath as she slammed the car door shut, approaching the stranger. She still couldn't quite muster up a greeting, settling for the most direct opening. "Good Morning… Are you lost?"

Rune slowed at the sound of the engine, turning with an unguarded curiosity rather than alarm. The woman who stepped from the dark vehicle looked purposeful in a way Rune recognized from stories, someone accustomed to being the first to speak, even when she would rather not. She adjusted the shoes under her arm and let her bare feet settle against the warm road before smiling, bright and open, as though being stopped like this were simply another part of the journey.

“Lost?” she echoed gently, tasting the word as if it were new. Her head tipped to one side, thoughtful rather than confused. “I am not quite certain I qualify for that yet. I have never been to Midgard before, so I do not actually know where I am meant to be standing at any given moment.”

Her gaze drifted briefly down the road, tracing the painted line beneath her toes, then lifted again, earnest and mildly amused. “The roads are very strange, though. I expected them to be… bigger, I think. Or perhaps louder. In Hel, paths are more a matter of intention than construction.” She gave a small, apologetic shrug, as if she hoped the comparison wasn’t rude.

Rune shifted the shoes against her side once more and straightened, her tone warming with purpose. “I am looking for a large edifice,” she continued, the word pronounced carefully, tone matter-of-a-fact. “Something important. An organization, I believe. My mother sent me there.” A faint note of pride slipped in despite her best efforts to keep things simple. “Hela thought I might be of use, after the call for aid.”

She paused, then smiled again, soft this time, hopeful rather than certain. “If you happen to know the way, I would be very grateful for the direction.”

Jules’ mind raced as she stared at the demigod straight-faced. Midgard was a very specific term, one used by the Tower's resident Asgardian. Hel, as spoken, could refer to the resident biker's ‘dark passenger’ or an Asgardian domain. But the name Hela clicked things in place. Daughter of the Queen of the Hel… on any other day, the protocol was simple. Jules would bring her in to the office and let the bureaucrats deal with this. Given things with Zaria and Tobias, letting another powerful being out of her sight seemed like negligence. After all, they hadn't been able to stop any abductions so far… but the folks at the old academy had.

"You're in luck," Jules replied, turning her head to monitor the horizons. "I am working with the folks you are looking for." That wasn't a lie, but Jules wasn't entirely certain on which exact organization this extraplanar traveler was referring to. "I can take you to them… save you some of the effort."

Rune’s smile warmed like sunlight on frost, brightening her whole face as though gratitude were something that glimmered out of her. The shoes remained tucked beneath her arm, but she stood a touch straighter at Jules’ words, relief softening the quiet tension in her shoulders.

“Thank you,” she said, voice clear and earnest, each syllable shaped with the careful diction of someone who had learned speech from books and spirits rather than other people. “That would be most welcome. I have been told the journey would be simple but, as it happens, simplicity is a matter of perspective.”

She turned her attention to the looming metal contraption behind Jules, expression curious but edged with caution. It was a wary sort of wonder, like someone standing at the shoreline of an unfamiliar sea. Rune stepped closer by degrees, bare feet whispering against the pavement, her gaze tracing the shape of the vehicle as though trying to locate the heartbeat within it.

“If I may ask,” she ventured, head tilting slightly, “What is it powered by? It moves without hooves, and I do not sense magic. I had thought perhaps Midgard relied upon enchanted machinery, yet there is no tether of power that I can feel.”

Her smile flickered back, soft with sincerity rather than embarrassment. “My mother spoke of Midgard as a realm built upon innovation. I am beginning to understand her meaning. Though everything is very… flat.” She drew in a steadying breath, gathering both her courage, and her shoes, and inclined her head in a small, formal nod, courtly without pretension.

“If you are truly one of the people I have been sent to find, then I am very fortunate indeed. I would be grateful for your guidance. And I promise,” her gaze shone with a hopeful spark, “I shall be a useful aid to the cause of the organization."

Jules looked back at the vehicle as Rune approached, asking questions about its function. She paused, readjusting her jacket again as she mulled over the questions. She was never the “first point of contact” for dealing with folks like this. When undercover, she could fall back on an identity and the profile assigned to the role. As herself, there was a vulnerability and a loss for words in how to approach the situation. Unlike her acquaintances at the tower, jumping in the sack probably wasn’t the easiest approach… especially if she would have to walk the godling through it. "It’s got wheels instead of hooves so it can just roll forward. As for how it moves…" Jules trailed off, sighing slightly as she wasn’t even sure how to conceptualize an engine in terms the stranger would get. "It’s complicated. We’ve got nerds at the Tower who can explain."

The description of Earth as flat was… amusing, given her time abroad. The smallest of smiles pierced the professional mask she presented, taking a look around at their surroundings. "Midgard can vary more than out here," Jules simply remarked, shrugging her shoulders. She took a couple steps back towards the van, nodding towards it with her head. "Why don’t you hop in so I can take you to meet the others? We’ve got someone there who would be very interested to see you."

Rune paused before the metal beast, toes curling against the warm road. The peculiar handle beckoned, an invitation of polished metal, and she reached for it with careful curiosity. It yielded beneath her fingers with a soft click, the entire side of the contraption swinging outward like a door to some hidden chamber. Her breath caught, wonder blooming bright across her features, eyes lighting up. “Ooooh…” The sound slipped from her, quiet and delighted, before she remembered herself and straightened, spine elegant despite her uncertainty. She climbed inside with the same cautious reverence one might show a temple, gathering her skirt and tucking her knees as she settled. The door thudded, too gentle to latch properly, and she winced, cheeks warming as she tried again, this time coaxing it closed with a firmer push.

Her borrowed shoes sat primly in her lap, like small, obedient animals she was determined to keep in line. For a moment, she smoothed the teal coat around her, steadying her nerves with the familiar texture of its sleeve. When Jules joined her, Rune offered a bright, grateful smile, one hand curling loosely around the shoes as though they tethered her to bravery.

“Thank you for assisting me,” she said, tone formal but warm, like sunlight filtered through silk. “It is most kind of you. If I may… what is the proper name by which I should address you?” Her gaze lingered on Jules, not demanding, merely earnest, as the engine’s hum stirred beneath them.

Jules opened her door to the SUV and turned her back to Rune for a moment, removing her sidearm and slotting it into the holster in the door. She readjusted her suit jacket and turned to face the side of the SUV, checking her reflection carefully. She looked put together enough, a good first impression. Some habits from going deep cover were hard to shake, even when she had no character to play. A moment later, Jules slotted herself into the driver’s seat and quickly buckled up, looking her passenger over.

"My name is Jules. What’s yours?" She hesitated a moment before throwing the car in drive, considering whether to try and get the Asgardian to put her seatbelt on. If she was anything like her kin, a car accident was unlikely to even leave a mark. Without much fanfare, Jules began to pull out from the shoulder and onto the road proper. Her eyes remained fixed on the road, only flicking away to check the mirrors or horizon. "Did I hear you say something about Hela?" The question was swift, simple, and to the point.

Rune paused for a heartbeat as the vehicle rolled smoothly beneath her, eyes tracing the contours of the interior with a mixture of fascination and caution. She dipped into a gentle curtsy within the confines of her seat, the motion subtle yet deliberate, and offered a bright, almost radiant smile.

“I am Rune Helasdottir,” she began, her voice lilting like a soft breeze through the branches of Hel’s ever-silent woods. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance on such a sun-kissed morning, though Midgard is… most curious to me.” She drew a delicate hand to her chest, gaze dropping briefly to the shoes she had tucked into her lap, before rising to meet Jules’ eyes once more.

“Yes, I did speak of Hela,” she continued, a faint blush touching her pale cheeks. “She is my mother, sovereign of Hel, and this is the first occasion I have ventured beyond the borders of my home. To blend, as it were, I found it necessary to acquire garments from a… doll within a shop. I trust my attire is… passable?” Her words lingered in the air, soft but earnest, carrying the quiet wonder of someone seeing the world for the very first time, and the careful, sincere attempt of a daughter eager to do her mother proud.

"It’s…" Jules hesitated, keeping herself as focused on the road as possible. She did sneak a glance back towards the interesting assortment of fabric and colors. She tilted her head slightly in acquiescence. "It seems to suit you." Jules offered the tiniest smile as she took in a breath, processing everything else she said.

Rune’s arrival was certainly no coincidence, especially given her mother seemed to receive the call for aid. From her recollection, Hela didn’t seem to be on the same side as the Avengers or Justice League. The fact that she picked up the signal meant that nearly anyone could have, and that would certainly be a problem for the folks at the old academy. Another headache, and another reason to limit these solo excursions away from its grounds. Certainly the Waynes and Starks had made plenty of defenses for the Academy grounds to prevent a direct assault, or buy them time to escape.

Jules let out a small sigh, trying to wipe her usual pessimistic paranoia from her mind. She had a job for now, a simple one: survey the situation. "So… what did the sovereign tell you of the situation in Midgard?" The question felt ridiculous to utter, but the wording was probing enough to try and get Rune talking. It was best to determine everything she could before walking a potential threat straight in the front door of her new home.

Rune’s face brightened at once, the approval settling over her like a benediction. Her shoulders eased, and she dipped her head in a small, graceful nod, as though Jules had bestowed something more meaningful than a simple compliment.

“I am glad to hear it,” she said warmly. “I feared I might appear… improperly assembled.” The corner of her mouth curved with gentle humor, and she smoothed the skirt in her lap with careful fingers, the shoes resting neatly atop the fabric as if they, too, were listening. At Jules’ question, Rune turned her gaze toward the passing world outside the window, watching the landscape scroll by like a living tapestry. When she spoke again, her voice carried a thoughtful cadence, unhurried and sincere.

“My mother has watched Midgard for a very long while,” she explained. “It has ever been a realm of… contradiction. Fragile, yet relentless. Brief in its lifespans, yet endlessly inventive. I believe she finds it fascinating.” A pause, then a soft addition, almost fond. “One might call it a hobby, though she would not.”

Rune shifted slightly, offering a small, almost careless shrug, as if what followed were of little consequence rather than cosmic weight. “Of late, however, her attention has sharpened. The call for aid did not reach her by chance, nor did she answer without deliberation. She feels the balance here has begun to… tremble.” Her fingers traced an idle line along the edge of her coat sleeve. “Not in a manner that is wholly dire,” she added, gently reassuring, “But enough that observation alone no longer suffices. Thus, she sent me.”

The explanation did little to soothe Jules’ growing concerns. From her recollection, Hela was an adversary to the allies of the IHA in Asgard. If she had a vested interest in Earth at such a precarious time, the odds were she wasn't on their side. That being said, years of experience had honed Jules’ gut. She could tell in her core, with a high degree of certainty, whether someone posed a danger. While Rune was almost certainly strong, her defenselessness made it clear she wasn't like most soldiers she faced. She was not being careless because she thought herself better, she seemed curious more than anything.

If Hela had chosen this girl as a spy or a weapon, she had certainly chosen poorly. Perhaps whatever danger the descendants faced even had gods and goddesses fearful that they were next. If that was the case, then having another demigod on their side would prove a great boon. Still… Jules could relate, in some way. "So… she sent you here to help out…" The statement hung more like a question than a fact, Jules’ gaze briefly flicking to her passenger. "We could use any help we can get at this point, but they might be a bit… weary. You'll need to convince them if you plan on sticking around."

Rune hummed softly at that, a low, thoughtful sound that lingered in her chest like the echo of a distant bell. She considered Jules’ words with care, eyes drifting once more to the road unfurling before them, to the steady certainty of its direction even as the world beyond it shifted and blurred.

“I am here to be of help, if they will have me,” she said at last, her voice gentle but sure, shaped with the gravity of an oath even though she spoke it lightly. “It would please me greatly to lend what strength I possess, though I would rather it be given than imposed. Aid is best when it is welcomed, I think.”

Her hands folded neatly over the shoes in her lap, fingers resting there as though they were upon a small, patient creature. She lifted her gaze to Jules again, open and unguarded, without the slightest hint of offense at the notion of mistrust.

“If there is doubt, I shall answer it,” she continued, a faint, hopeful warmth threading through her words. “I will speak to them of my mother’s intent, and of my own, and of the place from which I come. So long as they will listen, I shall explain all that I am able. Truth is not fragile, even when it is quiet.”

A smile touched her lips then— small, sincere, almost shy in its brightness.

“I have never belonged to such a gathering before,” Rune admitted, with the soft wonder of confession. “The thought of standing among others with a shared purpose… it is a rare and precious thing to me. Even if they decide I am unsuited, I will be grateful to have tried.” She tilted her head slightly, as though already imagining the faces of those she had yet to meet.

Jules’ grip on the steering wheel tightened, her face remaining blank as it continued to observe the road in front of them. The one kindness her father had shown was taking over the responsibility of teaching her so that she could ignore tedious topics like plays and poetry. Every word Rune spoke felt like a rhyme in some grand poem about happiness or grief or whatever topic poets felt like wasting a reader’s time litigating. Getting a straight answer felt like pulling teeth, though the pain of that would arguably be a bit more bearable.

Despite the frustration, Jules’ face remained an expressionless mask. She loosened her grip on the wheel, letting the tension in her shoulders relax slightly. There was a through-line, one that was becoming increasingly clear: this girl was isolated. Isolation was often a means of coercion, a tool to mold someone in their own image. This Rune, whether she knew it or not, was another pawn on the chessboard. Whether she liked it or not, there was nothing really she could do about her now except to bring her to the heart of the operation. She could let the others determine the truth, parse through the jumbled mess of metaphor and verse to figure out who exactly she was.

So, for now, Jules drove down the lonely road, clicking her tongue slightly as she considered a response. When she did speak, her tone was flat. "A… gathering like this isn’t all it’s cracked up to be." It was an oddly vulnerable statement, one masked under an almost dismissive tone. "It’s a bit easier to work alone. It’s a more controlled environment, less variables. Mistakes are your own, not the fault of anyone else. And the gathering we have is… volatile. Tense. This whole thing is bound to collapse at any time, and a lot of people are going to wind up hurt when it does." She let out a soft sigh, her eyes drifting briefly to the girl dressed in a visual cacophony. There was a part of Jules that felt sorry for her, seeming to acknowledge truly for the first time just how unprepared the stranger seemed for what laid ahead.

"So… I would be careful of getting too attached."

Rune hummed again, soft and distant, the sound threading itself between the low growl of the engine and the whisper of air against the windows. Her gaze drifted from the passing fields to Jules’ rigid profile, then back to the long gray ribbon of road, as though the answer might be written there in motion rather than words.

She did not seem troubled by the warning itself. The emotion beneath it, weariness, caution, the old ache of disappointment, registered only dimly, like a language she understood in theory but had never needed to speak. That, she supposed, was something deeply human, to bruise so often upon hope that one learned to keep it folded small.

The danger, however. The volatility. The promise of fracture.

That was interesting.

“The darkness of the storm determines the brightness of the rainbow,” she said at last, voice light, almost conversational, as though remarking upon the weather.

A small smile touched her lips as she watched the world slip by, green bending into brown, sky thinning into distance. There was no fear in her expression, only a quiet, thoughtful sort of anticipation. To Rune, collapse was not merely an ending, it was a crucible. Mortals forged meaning in such moments, from loss, from ruin, from the fragile bravery of standing together even when standing promised pain. They carved their songs and poems and stories from it, spun beauty from the ache, called it art, called it love, called it living.

If this gathering was destined to be volatile, to wound and be wounded, then it would be real. And reality, in all its brief, burning strangeness, fascinated her more than any untouched eternity ever could. She said nothing more. The smile lingered, gentle and unreadable.

The corner of Jules’ eyebrow raised as she passed a glance towards her passenger. The optimism was a change of pace, once that she wasn’t acclimated to. Maybe a splash of color in the tower wasn’t a bad thing, with all the brooding badasses and self-obsessed narcissists. Jules merely shrugged her shoulders, turning her head back to face the road. She muttered her response under her breath, more an internal monologue than a statement. "Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine… they’re going to love you.."



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Ronnie rose with the sun, bathed in a warm amber glow mixed with the deep red ambient lights that covered Luke’s penthouse. The silk sheet was draped across their naked bodies rather than covering them, limbs poking out at different angles. She didn’t need the warmth of a blanket when his body was like her own personal furnace, radiating warmth wherever her skin touched his. Her cheek rested against his chest, forsaking a pillow for the comfort of his flesh.

She stirred slowly with a quiet groan, only remembering the events of her night and day before as the spectacle of Luke naked beneath her came into view. A groan shifted to a pleased hum and soft exhale as she looked him over. She could have let him sleep, perhaps should have, but her impulsive thoughts won out.

Ronnie slipped a leg along his skin, shifting her weight until she straddled his waist with nothing separating them aside from sheer will and determination. She ran her hands along his bare chest in patient anticipation as she waited for him to wake. It was only when his gaze met hers that her fingers enveloped his neck and the tips of her thumbs traced the length of his throat, dominating in their tenderness. "I like my mornings filled with cardio." She spoke slowly, temptingly, emphasizing her words with a teasing rock of her hips and a devious grin. "Sex and then watching you lift weights sounds like a fantastic start to a day." She released her hold, slowly dragging her nails down his chest as she sat back upright so all of her weight rested right where she wanted.

Sleep had taken him somewhere colder than it had any right to be.

Luke stood again in the shadow of a man shaped like a monument, broad shoulders wrapped in blue and red, shield slung like a promise across his back. The sky was a ruthless, perfect blue, the kind painted into recruitment posters and history books. Heroes gathered in a semicircle before them, faces lifted with reverence, hunger, devotion. His father’s voice carried like iron wrapped in velvet, each word landing with the weight of destiny.

Luke tried to step closer. The sun burned his eyes. The ground beneath his feet felt like ice. He looked down at his hands, too small, too pale, and watched them curl into fists, nails biting crescent moons into his palms. Something lived in his chest that was not pride. Not love. Not hatred alone.

It was want.

To be seen. To be chosen. To be him. The burning spread, sharp and endless, hollowing him out from the inside—

—and then the dream shattered.

Awareness crashed back into him all at once, dragged violently into his body by warmth and weight and the unfamiliar intimacy of breath against his throat. His eyes flew open, pulse already coiled tight in his veins, every instinct reaching for violence before reason caught up.

Ronnie. Above him. Gold-lit. Real. The tension bled out of him in a slow exhale as the world rearranged itself into something softer, more dangerous in its own way. The red ambient lights of the penthouse brushed her skin like spilled wine, turning her into something mythic and immediate and entirely his problem. His heartbeat steadied. The cold retreated. A crooked, lazy smile tugged itself into place like a well-worn mask he never forgot to put on.

"You have a beautiful sense of priorities," Luke murmured, voice still rough with sleep, eyes glinting with lazy amusement as they traced her face, and then lower. "Cardio, discipline, sinful motivation… really, you’re looking out for my long-term health."

His hands slid to her hips with practiced ease, thumbs pressing lightly as if he were anchoring himself to the moment, to her warmth, to something solid enough to drown out the echo of a god-shaped shadow still lingering in his skull. "Perfect way to start any day," he added softly.

And then, in a single smooth motion that spoke of confidence learned through violence and privilege alike, Luke shifted his weight and rolled them, guiding her down into the sheets as though it were nothing more than a lazy stretch, nothing more than instinct. The silk whispered around them. He hovered there for half a heartbeat, studying her like a beautiful equation he already knew how to solve, blue eyes bright with charm and something sharper buried far beneath it.

"Guess that means I should stop sleeping in," he said lightly, a grin curling slow and deliberate at the corner of his mouth. He leaned closer, lips just barely brushing her own, hands firm on her hips. "Roll over." There was an edge to his tone, and he smirked against her lips.

Ronnie moved with him, not fighting as he shifted on top of her and pressed her down into the bed. Her thighs bracketed his hips, letting him move in closer as she trailed her hands along the contours of his muscles. She looked up at him with a ravenous anticipation. The tower was complicated with all of its messy entanglements, with Zaria, Jules, Myla… Theo. But Luke was refreshingly simple. There were layers removed between them unlike the others. Their desires aligned in the same way their bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces. While everything else was complicated around them, she could settle into this simplicity. Bodies and flesh and his weight bearing down into her.

While his breath ghosted along her skin like a tantalizing promise, dark and teasing, she seized his lips, reveling in his touch and taste before forfeiting control. Ronnie was a woman who thrived in dominance, taking what she wanted, when she wanted it. But there was a layer of unspoken satisfaction at being able to release the reins and lose herself to pleasure. At Luke’s command her smile grew devious and hungry. She flicked the tip of her nose against his before following his instruction with a teasing fluidity in her movements. Ronnie turned over beneath him, letting every bit of her body brush against his. Her feet shifted along the bed and against his legs. Her hands slid along the silk in front of her, face down in the sheets as she arched her back and pressed her hips back into him.

There was a distant thought that came with her eager obedience. He wasn’t sure if she’d be making this a daily routine with him, but starting each day like that was the best idea anyone had come up with in the last twenty-four hours in this godforsaken tower. Though, that may have been a matter of opinion.

* * *

"Fuck." The word slipped out with a deep breath, filling the space between pants where moans had echoed off the walls moments earlier. Sweat glistened along heaving chests as they laid on top of the warm silk sheets, their heads near the foot of the bed, legs still entangled. Ronnie brushed damp hair out of her face with a breathy laugh while staring up at the ceiling bathed in crimson lights.

Luke’s breath was still uneven when her voice cut through the red-soaked quiet, raw and breathless and satisfied. A low chuckle slipped from his chest, lazy and unguarded, the sound vibrating where their shoulders brushed. "Yeah," he murmured, lips tugging into that familiar crooked line, all heat and arrogance and soft ruin at the edges. "We just did."

Ronnie rolled her eyes with a breathy laugh that was lost beneath heavy pants and the heaving of her chest. Her own smile rested in a fragile balance of peace, without a mask or feigned confidence. She wasn’t in love with Luke by any means. She doubted either one of them were capable of love, not anymore. But they had this… unspoken understanding, a symbiosis. Unlike the game of cat and mouse her and Aria were playing, or ticking time bomb that was Myla and Theo, this was easy. Sex and companionship without strings or expectations.

He turned his head slightly to look at her, eyes bright in the dim glow, pupils still wide, the world narrowed to silk sheets and tangled limbs and the slow, grounding rhythm of breath returning to something steady. Sweat traced the sharp lines of his collarbones, gathered in the hollows of muscle like rain caught in marble grooves. For a moment, he simply stayed there, warm, present, real, letting the last echoes of pleasure settle into his bones.

Then motion returned to him like instinct. Luke pushed himself upright, muscles in his chest and stomach pulling tight beneath the dark red light, each movement unhurried and deliberate, a quiet performance he never fully stopped giving. Shadows carved him into something sculpted and dangerous, sweat catching along his skin like liquid starlight. He reached out as he passed her, fingers brief and unapologetic, delivering a playful swat to her ass.

"I’ll start the shower," he said lightly, already stepping away, confidence woven into every careless syllable. "If you’re lucky, I’ll manage to behave." He glanced back over his shoulder, grin cutting sharp and wicked. "…or unlucky. Depends how you like your mornings."

She seized her bottom lip between her teeth at the sting that radiated along her bottom, her smirk laced with a devious hunger and temptation that always lingered beneath the surface. Ronnie rolled over beneath the silk, turning onto her side and propping her head up so she could watch him go, enjoying the subtle bounce of each cheek as he stepped. Her eyes flicked up to his as he looked over his shoulder toward her like a silent challenge.

Then he turned fully toward the bathroom. The scars along his back caught the light as he walked, rows of pale, precise lines etched into bronze skin, quiet and orderly and monstrous in their symmetry. They moved with him, stretching and narrowing over muscle, a secret language written into flesh. No one ever read it correctly. No one ever asked him to translate.

The bathroom lights flared to life. Luke reached in, turned the handle, listened to the pipes groan awake. Steam began to bloom slowly, ghost-pale against glass. He grabbed two towels from the rack, thick and white and soft, and dropped them onto the counter without ceremony.

Then he stepped beneath the spray before it had time to warm. Cold water struck his shoulders like a confession. He braced one hand against the tile, head bowing as the shock tore the last fragile threads of sleep from his thoughts. The dream clung to him anyway, sunlight, a shield, a back too broad to ever step out from behind. He shut his eyes and let the water batter it away, rinsing the gold and the blue and the impossible shadow of a man he would both murder and mourn.

By the time the water finally warmed, the past had gone quiet again. Luke lifted his head. And the mask, as always, slid neatly back into place.

Ronnie took her time prying herself from the warmth of his bed, climbing out from beneath silk and the red glow that painted her skin like blood. The soft padding of her bare feet upon the tile was lost beneath the sound of rushing water that flooded out of the bathroom and echoed around his penthouse. She carried herself into the bright lights and steam, across cold tile and into the warm puddle of water that splashed around Luke’s feet.

She took hold of his waist, filling the space between them until his back was warmed by the closeness of her body. Her lips ghosted along the apex of his shoulders, teasing against the upper edge of his scars. "I’ve never been good at behaving." Her fingers, slick with water and the sweat that still clung to their skin, ran along the contours of his muscles and followed the deep V of his Adonis belt, lower and lower, until...

"The gym isn’t going anywhere," she purred against his scars. Ronnie was an insatiable creature. Until Luke was through with her, she would drain him dry and make life in that dreadful tower a little more bearable… Starting with taking advantage of his naked body in the shower until he begged for release.

And in the end, Luke did beg, not that he honestly minded too much. There were perks, after all, to being on a team.

* * *

Eventually they got cleaned after a lengthy detour filled with heavy breaths, shaking legs, and the water in the shower having long gone cold.

Ronnie grabbed one of the towels he had laid out and wrapped it around her body, tucking the corner beneath the hem so it stayed tight around her torso. A small trail of water followed her as she made her way out of the bathroom and started scouring his penthouse for her clothes. It wasn’t a breadcrumb trail but like a bomb went off, pieces strewn about everywhere from the kitchen, to the couch, to beside his bed. As she gathered it all up, the saltiness of sweat and other aromas still clung to the fabric.

She sighed. "Think I could borrow some clothes? I’ll let you tear them off me later." She looked back at him over her shoulder with a smile, partly illuminating her genuine question, but also tinged with her brazen lust that dripped off of every word and never laid dormant for long.

Luke leaned against the doorframe, still damp from the shower, watching her drift through his penthouse like a pretty little storm, bare feet on marble, towel clutched tight, damp hair leaving dark commas across his immaculate floors. The aftermath of them was everywhere. Fabric draped over chair backs, a sleeve caught on the corner of the kitchen island, something delicate hanging from the lamp like a white flag of surrender.

His mouth curved slowly, knowingly. For half a second, he considered saying no. Just to see the spark. The flash of teeth. The sharp, lovely fury she carried so well. It amused him more than it should have. Instead, he pushed off the frame and crossed the space between them, movements easy, unhurried. Water still traced lazy paths down his chest, catching in the shallow lines of old scars and muscle before disappearing into the fabric of the towel he’d secured around his waist.

"You can take whatever you want," he said, voice warm with humor, eyes flicking over her with open appreciation. "I’ve got sweats, dry-fit shirts… nothing exciting, but it’ll do." He nodded his head toward the door just beyond the bathroom, the one that led into his walk-in closet—dark wood, soft lights, quiet luxury. "Third rack on the left," he added lightly.

As he turned back toward the bathroom himself, headed for the sink, already reaching for his toothbrush, he paused just long enough to glance back at her over his shoulder, grin sharpening into something crooked and boyish and dangerous all at once. "Grab me something too, yeah?" he said. "Surprise me. I trust your taste."

"Careful," Ronnie all but sang as she quickly gave his retreating ass a small pinch, for no other reason than she wanted to. It was like cuteness aggression. She’d take a bite out of it if he’d let her… figeratively... Kind of. He had a nice ass. Her bare feet quietly padded across the tiled floor toward the closet. "If you give me too much free reign, I might never leave." She flashed his reflection in the mirror a devious smile before disappearing out of view.

Considering they were going to work out, or more aptly Luke was going to work out while she lounged seductively nearby… for moral support, Ronnie wasn’t going to put too much consideration into the clothes she grabbed. Ok, that was a lie, partially. She very pointedly chose a shirt that was made of a light material and gray, so with sweat and exertion it would perfectly cling to Luke’s muscles. After all, she wanted a show, right?

For herself it took a little more work, simply because she was smaller than him. But Ronnie was nothing if not ingenious. Basketball shorts with a drawstring pulled tight and a simple white tank top with the hem twisted into a knot would suffice just fine. With her hair still damp, darkening the light fabric with every drip, the shirt did not leave much to the imagination. But honestly, she’d work out naked if it wouldn’t be scoffed at by the tower’s resident uppities.

It was only a few minutes before she emerged with the fresh clothes neatly folded in one hand and her damp towel in the other. Ronnie set the clothes on the side of the bed before slipping back into the bathroom to hang up her towel. She might have been chaotic and messy while lost in lust, but she wasn’t a slob. She knew how to clean up after herself, especially when the space she had destroyed was not hers. While Luke finished getting ready she set to gathering up the remaining discarded clothing, folding hers into a neat pile and leaving it near the lift so she could remember to take it with her later, while his clothes she tossed into what she assumed was the proper basket. She wasn’t going to go far enough to make the bed—it’d likely be disheveled shortly after their return anyway.

Once her mess was addressed, Ronnie sat at the foot of the bed, pulling on her shoes and lacing them up. Then waited for Luke to finish whatever morning routines he had, happy to watch him like every step and move he made was a private show just for her.

Luke’s breath caught in a laugh at her pinch, the sound low and surprised, as if she’d managed to slip beneath the layers he kept so carefully arranged. Amusement warmed his expression despite himself, blue eyes flicking toward her reflection with something almost fond in their sharpness. He shook his head once, lips tugging into that familiar crooked smirk, as though indulging her was the easiest thing in the world. There was something dangerously domestic about it, her bare feet on tile, her voice bright with mischief, the casual threat of staying. For a heartbeat, he let himself imagine what it would be like if anyone ever truly meant it.

It wasn’t possible for people like them, though. Better to not get too entangled, sex was sex, and they could joke all they wanted, but at the end of the day they were here for a reason that had nothing to do with creating relationships.

He turned back to the sink, resuming the rituals that anchored him. Cold water, then the face wash, something expensive and faintly ridiculous that fizzed softly against his skin, bubbles clinging to his jaw as he worked it in with methodical care. He rinsed, patted dry, then smoothed a light oil across his cheeks and throat, the motion practiced, almost reverent, like polishing armor. Deodorant followed, quick and efficient, the sort of detail no one ever noticed until it was absent. His life was built from small disciplines like that, clean edges, controlled impressions, nothing left to chance.

Clothes came next, the gray shirt Ronnie had chosen sliding over his head, cool against still-warm skin. He glanced at himself in the mirror, taking in the way it clung just as she’d intended, the faintest curve of satisfaction crossing his face. A quick spray of cologne, wood and spice, and he left his hair as it was, damp and tousled, messy in a way that looked intentional rather than careless. He could fix it, of course. He simply didn’t need to. The disarray suited him in the same way charm did, another weapon softened into style.

By the time he was finished, barely fifteen minutes had passed, though it felt like an hour had folded itself neatly away. He stepped back into the bedroom, towel discarded, confidence intact, the penthouse once again belonging to him. Ronnie sat at the foot of the bed lacing her shoes, watching him like he was a spectacle, and Luke’s grin sharpened in response. He wiggled his eyebrows at her, playful and smug, as if the morning hadn’t already been thoroughly derailed. "Ready to go, sweet cheeks?" he asked, voice warm with teasing, eyes bright with that easy, dangerous charm.

Ronnie pushed off the bed and slowly made her way over to him with the same devious glint behind her eyes that never seemed to fade in his presence. "We did actually make an effort to get dressed, so I suppose—" she dragged out the last syllable dramatically with a playful roll of her eyes "—we should be good. But only for a little bit." With that, she dipped two fingers beneath the elastic waistband of his shorts and gave it a teasing snap against his tight abdomen. Her grin grew, mischievous and challenging as she flashed him a wink and sauntered past him to go press the button to call the elevator.

* * *

The doors to the lift opened to a long corridor of familiar white marble tiles, lined with one wall adorned with doors leading to the kitchen, laundry room, and locker rooms. The other side was floor to ceiling glass that separated them from the largest and most extensive gym Ronnie has ever seen. Every piece of work out equipment… like ever, was arranged around the room. There even seemed to be a split between regular equipment and then specialized machines that looked like they were specifically created for those outside the realm of normal, people like Luke and Magni, and anyone else with enough strength to lift a car. Then in the center of the room there was a large boxing ring that also had one of the robot things from the training rooms. To be honest, Ronnie wasn’t likely to do much beyond some simple leg presses or run on the treadmill, but she wasn’t displeased at the various ways Luke could get sweaty.

On the opposite side of the gym, a tall blonde figure was already in the midst of a workout. Magni sported only a set of compression shorts, the muscles in his back flexing as he did cable flies while turned away from the others. The handles were attached to thick metal fibers, which through a series of complicated pulleys, lifted several large tungsten blocks in front of him. His movements were slow and rhythmic, as he hummed an old Asgardian rowing chant deep in his chest. He didn't seem to notice Luke and Ronnie's arrival, just letting out the occasional grunt as his sweaty palms caused the blocks to come closer to the ground than he intended.

Luke took in the expanse of the gym with a slow sweep of his gaze, white marble and steel and glass gleaming beneath sterile overhead lights. It was excessive, theatrical, familiar, exactly the kind of space built for gods and the men who desperately wanted to stand beside them. He felt Ronnie’s presence at his side and glanced down at her with a faint, knowing smirk, already aware of the direction her attention would drift. The place practically hummed with testosterone and competition, with the quiet promise of sweat and spectacle. His pulse ticked upward, not from exertion, but from the stage being set.

Then he saw him.

Magni.

The old rhythm of school days and training halls flickered briefly at the edge of memory before Luke smoothed it away. He crossed the room without hesitation, strides long and relaxed, shoulders loose like he hadn’t once measured himself against that broad back in shadowed corridors years ago. The tungsten blocks rose and fell in slow defiance of gravity, cables straining with each deliberate pull. "Morning!" Luke called easily, voice bright enough to carry but warm enough not to challenge. "Hitting the gym early too? Didn’t think I’d see anyone else here so soon."

He veered toward the free weight rack as if the movement were incidental, fingers curling around the handle of an eighty-pound dumbbell. He lifted it with casual ease, testing the balance, holding it suspended for a breath before lowering it back into place with controlled precision. His eyes flicked toward Magni’s reflection in the glass wall, assessing without appearing to.

A beat passed.

Luke reached for a heavier weight.

The muscle in his forearm tightened as he lifted it cleanly from the rack, the motion smooth and unstrained, a faint grin ghosting across his mouth as though the act amused him. He rolled his shoulder once, feeling the familiar pull of strength beneath skin and scar tissue alike. Performance. Always performance. And yet beneath the easy smile and relaxed posture, something old and sharp stirred, the instinct to measure, to rival, to prove. Not loudly. Never loudly. But enough to remind him that even in rooms built for gods, he refused to stand in anyone’s shadow.

Magni smiled, lowering the blocks carefully until they rested upon the ground again. He ran a hand through his thick locks, trying to get a few strands from obscuring his view. When he faced Luke, he banged with delight. "Ah, Rogerson. Good Morrow!" As always, his voice seemed to reverberate throughout the space. He wiped his hands on his breeches, his eyes scanning the room. He gave a passing glance over Ronnie, giving her an enthusiastic nod. "Good morrow to you, my lady."

Magni took in a deep breath, seeming to have strained just enough with the oddly labelled weights to force the god to reset his breathing. He lifted his arms out, stretching the muscles he had just worked. If he were any other being, he would appear to be showing off. In reality, Magni was simply taking the time to ensure he had properly stretched a muscle group that hadn't seen as much love in his time abroad. He was not afforded dedicated machines to work out specific muscle groups while surviving the fiery pits of Musphelheim, and the chance to tone areas he had neglected was one of the lesser perks Midgard offered. His grander reward for this excursion was most certainly slumbering upstairs. A small, unconscious smile crept up the corner of Magni's mouth at the thought of his bedfellow. He snapped to attention, realizing he had not properly responded to Luke. "We had no midnight revelries yesternight, which afforded us this morn an opportune moment to condition ourself appropriately. ‘Tis best we remain at our best for the trials and tribulations we may yet face," he said jovially, offering a warm smile once again.

Ronnie did not hide the delighted smile that curled at the corner of her lips at the sight of the God’s sweat glistening back. Her gaze trailed the contours of his flexing muscles unapologetically with a small cock of her head. Luke was a specimen without a doubt, but Magni was a God. Both were blond, chiseled, and strong enough to toss her around in just the way she liked. It was difficult to compare, harder still to choose. Then like a spark growing into a wildfire, the thought ignited something feral that lived within her and rarely remained dormant for long.

"Good morning," Ronnie replied, her voice smoother than the silks she was lost beneath not an hour earlier. She hummed a low, appreciative sound as her eyes trailed from Magni’s shoulders, along the dip of his spine to the curve of his lower back. She didn’t stay behind Luke, but weaved between the men like a feline: elegant, intentional, and on the prowl.

"Conditioned is one word for it," she purred, reaching out to let the tips of her fingers brush the damp skin of Magni’s forearm as she passed. Ronnie settled into the space between each man’s equipment of choice, crossing her arms lazily over her chest as she leaned to rest one shoulder against the cool metal supports of whatever machine the God was currently working on. "You’re practically vibrating," she commented as her gaze casually followed a trickle of sweat that hugged the toned curve of his abdomen before slipping beneath the waistband of his shorts. "If Imogen’s letting you slip away in the early hours of the morning to play with metal blocks, she clearly doesn’t realize what a…" She drew in a deep breath through her nose, pursing her lips as she pulled her attention from his form to meet his gaze. "strenuous resource she’s wasting."

Ronnie glanced back over toward Luke with a wicked, conspiratorial glint in her eyes that spoke her intentions without saying a word. "Don’t you think, Luke?" Her head lulled to the side with feigned nonchalance, lips curving into something seductively devious. "It’s almost criminal, a god using regular gym equipment. We really should show him how we handle high-intensity intervals."

Luke felt it before he allowed himself to show it, that small, inconvenient tightening in his chest when Ronnie’s voice turned honey-slick and dangerous. Magni had once been more than a rival silhouette in a room like this, he’d been laughter in training halls, bruised knuckles from sparring sessions, a shoulder at his side when the academy still felt like something worth believing in. And Imogen… Imogen had been fire of a different kind. For half a heartbeat, something almost protective flickered through him at the thought of dismantling whatever fragile thing they’d built upstairs the night before.

It passed.

It always did.

His smirk unfurled slowly as Ronnie looked back at him, conspiratorial and feral. Luke lifted the weight into a clean curl, bicep tightening beneath fabric, breath measured as he brought it up and lowered it again with precise control. "She’s insatiable," he chuckled, voice warm and amused. He repeated the curl, the motion fluid, disciplined, muscle memory carved into him since boyhood. Working out had never been pleasure. It was obligation. It was maintenance. It was the unspoken rule of growing up in the shadow of a living monument; you either kept up, or you disappeared.

"Though she has some very good ideas, doesn’t she?" he added lightly.

His gaze slid across Magni’s chest, taking in the godly architecture of it without shame, a slow appraisal barely masked as idle curiosity. He threw in a wink for good measure, playful, harmless, a performance of equal-opportunity indulgence. Then his attention returned to the weight in his hand as he completed another curl, exhaling evenly through his nose.

There was something almost theatrical about the triangle they formed, god, weapon, wildfire. Luke’s lips curved faintly as he set the heavier dumbbell down and reached for another, this one heavier than the last, pushing himself into the rhythm of repetition. Every lift was controlled. Every breath was mastery. Whatever sparks Ronnie wanted to fan into flame, he would let them burn just hot enough.

Magni raised an eyebrow at their seductive efforts, but remained blissfully unaware of their innuendo. Magni walked over to the dumbbells Luke was working on, plucking the heaviest one before crossing to a nearby bench. He placed a hand down for support, hunching down and lifting the weight up and down from the ground. "Lady Frost hath earned her rest. Her efforts yesterday caused her some distress, and ‘twould be improper of myself to wake her at such early light." He spoke Imogen's defense plainly, without the bravado most showed when protecting a partner. They did not know of her time with the machine the day before, nor did they see the pain she endured at its usage. He could not fault them for what they did not know.

Something did pique his interest, however. As he continued hoisting the weight, he turned his attention back to Ronnie. "If thou has recommendations for a more fitting exercise, I would welcome thy council." He knew Luke well enough from the days of the Academy to trust him. If she had a fitting workout for men like them, it would be foolish to pass up such an opportunity.

Ronnie’s hungry gaze was not masked or hidden, but brandished proudly like an offering anyone could take if they were willing enough. Her eyes traced the curve of Luke’s bicep as he flexed, watching the way the fabric of his sleeve contoured with each curl. Then as Magni moved to match, so did her attention, taking in the glisten of sweat that clung to the God’s skin and how his muscles were nearly larger than her head with every lift of the dumbbell. She truly was a kid in a toy shop. Give her a comfortable seat and a drink and she could have made herself right at home with the spectacle.

But why watch, when she could touch? Luke was built far better than any man she had the pleasure—or displeasure—of sleeping with. Well endowed to match. And Magni? Well... He was a God. You don’t get to have that grand of a presence without the manhood to match. She nearly looked, nearly let her gaze slip past the elastic waistband of his shorts and drift farther south to see if she was right, but for once, she showed some semblance of restraint. After all, why rush when that was the end goal?

She pushed off the weight machine she was leaning against and made her way over to where Luke sat. "She doesn’t seem like the working out type," Ronnie mused as slowly circled him, trailing the tips of her fingers along his flexed bicep until her palms rested upon his shoulders. "I’ll confess, I’ve never been much for weight lifting myself." As she continued to speak, her thumbs started rubbing small circles, pressing into the muscles of Luke’s back as she worked any knots and tension loose. "I’ve always preferred cardio. Something that gets my heart racing—" her grip tightened in a subtle emphasis that only the man beneath her hands would notice. "—and my blood pumping."

The tips of her fingers teased along the back of Luke’s neck, working their way up to the base of his skull and through the sweat-dampened blond hair. "I’ve learned some techniques that are quite optimal for three people… Like the Eiffel Tower." Her voice purred as she gave his hair a small, playful tug. Just enough to catch a quick glimpse down into his eyes as her smirk turned seductively mischievous. "It works best with a balance of strength, and flexibility." Her gaze flitted over toward Magni as she took in his form once again. "You both, no doubt, have muscle to spare and I’ve been told I’m quite… pliant."

Ronnie’s hands settled on him like she was claiming territory, thumbs pressing into muscle with slow, deliberate circles. Luke felt the subtle tightening in his shoulders before he consciously relaxed them, lips twitching faintly as he fought the urge to laugh outright at how blatant she was being. It would have been impressive, really, if Magni weren’t so completely untouched by the undercurrent. The god took her words at face value, earnest and open, while Ronnie wove implication into every syllable like silk.

And there it was again, that strange, inconvenient tug in Luke’s chest.

For a fleeting second, discomfort brushed against him. This felt different from flirting with Tobias or teasing someone who understood the game. Magni’s innocence wasn’t stupidity; it was sincerity. There was something almost unfair about dangling bait in front of someone who didn’t realize he was standing near a hook. Luke’s jaw tightened subtly. Wasn’t that the point, though? Manipulation was leverage. Leverage was power.

He mentally shook himself free of the thought. What was wrong with him today? Sentimentality. That was all. Old halls. Old faces. The ghost of who he’d once pretended to be. He lifted the weight again, steady and controlled, focusing on the burn in his bicep as Ronnie’s fingers threaded briefly into his hair. He let out a slow breath through his nose, the corner of his mouth curving just enough to play along.

"I’ve heard that can be quite the workout," he managed smoothly, though the spark behind it wasn’t quite as bright as usual. The dumbbell rose and fell again. Discipline. Focus. "Better to have two stronger partners for that technique," he added, tone light, eyes sliding toward Magni with a faint smirk that suggested camaraderie more than corruption.

His gaze lingered just long enough to sell it before he returned to the lift, muscles flexing beneath gray fabric, breath even and measured. Whatever strange hesitation had crept into him, he buried it beneath repetition and charm.

Magni nodded slowly, finishing the set before alternating which arm he worked. "I am unfamiliar with this Tower of Eiffel, or how it would sufficiently train the three of us…." he muttered, his brows knit in confusion as he racked his brain for a memory that eluded him. "But if thou is certain it might provide a sufficient challenge, it would be foolish to deny such hospitality." He did not know this Ronnie well, but Luke was an old comrade. He could not quite keep up with Magni’s strength, but he bore strength unlike any mortal he had met. If Luke believed this workout would be fulfilling, Magni trusted that it would most certainly aid him in some way. "What equipment dost thou require?"

"I’m not surprised you’ve never heard of it," Ronnie replied plainly, like she was sharing some hidden secret to perfect muscular tone, not weaving a web in an attempt to trap the God. "Most people shun it because it is quite intensive. So much so that it is often practiced in the nude. Clothing can be fairly restrictive during the technique and is known to hinder results." As she spoke, her hands ran along Luke’s shoulders, down his flexing biceps and back up. "Not to mention people are incredibly prudish when it comes to nudity."

Her gaze drifted between both men, watching the way they lifted their weights almost in sync. There was a moment where her mind got lost in what those arms could do, to herself… to each other. Ronnie was an adventurous woman and the tower opened up so many possibilities. She got to try two women at once, why not two men? She was a simple woman after all, and the prospect of two toned and muscular men having their way with her and each other was just too delightful not to try.

"No equipment is necessary," she answered his question as she moved to stand beside Luke, letting her arm drape across his shoulders. "It’s all about counter weight and opposing forces—" she paused as a feigned expression of realization and disappointment played across her face. "Damn. I forgot about Phil’s new ‘rule’. I don’t imagine he’d be very appreciative seeing us like that in the middle of the gym, even if it was for constructive purposes." Ronnie sighed and shrugged her shoulders with a practiced skill of faking her emotions like a skilled actor. "Oh well…"

Luke listened to Ronnie spin her web with the faintest curve of amusement at the corner of his mouth, the sound of her voice sliding between mischief and mock sincerity. He felt her hands roaming over his shoulders, down his arms, tracing the rise and fall of muscle as he continued his lifts. He ignored it outwardly, refusing to acknowledge how each touch made him hyperaware of the way his body responded, the subtle tightening beneath her palms, the way the fabric stretched as he moved, how his pants became a little tighter with the gentler touch. Discipline, he reminded himself. Control.

He chuckled under his breath as she invoked Phil’s rule, the performance almost admirable in its theatrical disappointment. The weight lowered into its cradle with a quiet metallic thud, and Luke rolled his shoulders once before straightening fully. For a fleeting second, that same swell of something personal brushed his ribs again, memory, history, familiarity, but he pressed it flat without ceremony. None of it mattered. What he felt meant nothing. What he wanted meant nothing. The mission was the only thing that deserved oxygen.

"I don’t particularly care what Phil thinks," he murmured, voice smooth and almost lazy as he turned to face both of them. His eyes moved between Ronnie’s feigned innocence and Magni’s earnest confusion, something sharp and calculating settling quietly behind the charm. He took a step closer, posture open but deliberate, the faintest edge creeping into his grin.

"I’ve heard others are quite loose with the rules," he continued lightly, letting the words hang just long enough to suggest more than they stated. "What’s stopping us?" The smile that followed was warm, magnetic, almost playful. Almost.

There was something lingering under the surface of the conversation just out of Magni's reach. He wasn't precisely sure what rule of Phil's they would need to break. After all, if they were staying in the gym, they wouldn't be leaving the premises on their own. There was always the chance this trick would involve some sort of travel, which gave him pause. He would not leave without at least letting his lover know, especially given the dangers their unknown enemies posed.

That being said… an intense workout in the nude was not as scandalous to him as it was to most Midgardians in the tower. While Luke and Ronnie were both quite attractive, nakedness without sensuality was as casual as breathing or eating. The breeches he wore were more to avoid another unfortunate situation of getting sensitive areas caught up in ropes or pulleys. Holding skin was far easier than trying to clasp fabric. So, Magni simply nodded along, offering a small smile. "Well… I doubt our comrades will wake from their slumber to disturb us." He gave one more passing glance to the entrance of the gym before sliding off his bottoms.

Ronnie was honestly surprised at how easy it was to get Magni naked. Was she that good or was he that dense? As much as she was the first person to inflate her own ego, it was likely that the latter was the culprit. Her gaze trailed over to the god. He had zero hesitations and wasted no time at all before removing his shorts. Her brows rose as her eyes fell, unabashedly, to what lived beneath the tight fabric. She drew in a deep breath and held it, taking in his… magnitude as she ran the tip of her tongue along the front her teeth behind her pursed lips. Oh this was going to be fun. Matching his enthusiasm and lack of inhibitions, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head without making a show of it. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her shorts as she glanced back over her shoulder toward Luke, flashing him a quick wink along with a devious smile. "I hope you’re well rested."

If Hell is real, he realized, lips twitching with the urge to fold into something less certain, less amused, I’m going there.

The thought passed through him like a shadow, brief but unmistakable, before he forced it down beneath the easy arrogance he wore so well. His mouth curved instead into a cocky smirk as he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it free, tossing it aside with careless confidence. The lights of the gym traced every line of his torso as he moved, muscle catching the light in sharp relief. His gaze swept over Magni in turn, strength meeting strength, and the smirk stretched into something brighter, almost competitive.

Luke rolled his shoulders once, loosening tension that had nothing to do with exertion. The moment hovered on the edge of something unspoken, charged with intent and possibility.

"We don’t have to worry about being disturbed here," he said lightly, reaching out to slide his hand along the curve of Ronnie’s back. "We have plenty of time to build up to a great… workout."



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The collar was cold and tight, pressing uncomfortably against the back of his neck. Invisible tendrils stretched out in every direction, reaching out for metal but failing like trying to grasp water with his bare hand. The powers burned in his veins but no matter how much he focused or pushed, nothing happened. A heavy hand pressed his face into a warm sticky liquid that slowly sunk into the fibers of the carpet. He sputtered at the metallic taste, teasing him with the power that tingled at his fingertips but he couldn’t use. They forced him to watch as they dragged her out of the door. There were tears in her eyes and a haunting scream should have fallen from her parted lips but only the echoes of sinister laughs filled the small dark room. He shouted as the blood strung between his lips.

The sound ripped through his nightmare, melting away the image like burnt film and slamming him back into his body feeling the noise vibrating in his chest. Tobias bolted up in the foreign bed, a weight that was on his chest slipping off to the side as a small ball of fur tumbled from his shoulder that he barely managed to catch in his shaky palms. A cold sweat clung to the back of his neck, tears stung his eyes and his throat was hoarse. As he looked around, breathing heavily, he noticed every piece of metal in Bellamy’s room shifted toward him. Every drawer opened a few inches from the screws in the resin knobs, table lamps resting precariously on the edge of the nightstands, even the bracelet that hung on Bell’s wrist pulled her hand into his lap.

Tobias set the confused kitten down on the bed beside him then buried his face into his trembling hands. It was always the same dream, every time he slept. No matter how much alcohol he drank or sleeping aid he took, it never changed. There was a small piece of hope, a faint light hidden in the shadows cast over his soul that thought maybe saving Bell would alleviate the crushing burden of guilt but the nightmares still persisted. He ran his hands back through his hair, lacing his fingers together at the base of his skull as he doubled over, resting his elbows on his thighs.

Soft fingers curled around his wrist, a gentle tug as the weight on her side of the bed shifted. "Toby," Bella’s voice was hoarse and thick with sleep, eyes half open, and she tugged on his arm until he relented, moving until she was sitting up, closer to his side than when she’d fallen asleep. Her mind felt slow and muddled with sleep still, each blink sluggish, but her arms were steady as she curled them around him, her left hand gentle as it pressed the back of his neck, pulling him toward her until his face was pressed into her shoulder.

She wasn’t sure why she did it, maybe it was because she’d caught a glimpse of the tears catching on his lashes, or the anguished cry that had jolted her awake, but she didn’t want him to feel alone, didn’t want him to suffer through whatever nightmare he’d had thinking he had to face it alone. It was irrational, and probably stupid, but he’d helped her and Bell wanted to help him. "It’s okay." It was little more than a whisper, fingers brushing through the hair at the back of his neck. Loki struggled between the two of them, plopping out between them on the bed ass over head, throwing an incredulous look back at them as he relocated a few feet across the duvet. Bellamy didn’t know what else she could do, so she just held him, feeling the tremble in his hands.

Unlike how open and understanding he was with helping others through their struggles, Tobias was significantly more guarded and closed off when it came to himself. He didn’t follow her gentle guidance easily like he had the night before when she cleaned the mud from his face and hair. His body was rigid and tense. He only conceded to give Bellamy a brief moment where she could feel a bit less indebted to him. Once he felt her fingers run through his hair, the jolt of electricity from the intimate touch quickly brought him to his senses. He sat back upright and cleared his throat. "I’m fine," he muttered under his breath while swiping his thumb under his eyes to wipe away any tears.

Tobias took a second to let his heart rate and breathing settle before waving two fingers slightly, closing every drawer and shifting the table lamps back to their original resting place. He let the silence linger heavily for a minute or two before sparing a glance over at her, noting how her movements no longer seemed pained. "You healed yourself?" he asked quietly before shifting his attention forward, fixing his gaze on the opposite window. "Sorry I fell asleep."

Bella let go like she’d been burned, cheeks flushing in embarrassment, and she quickly and clumsily pulled away from Tobias, making sure there was more than enough space between them as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. What had she been thinking? That had been stupid, and the shame of it all swelled back up within her with a vengeance. "Sorry," she whispered, staring down at the duvet rather than at him. Sunlight spilled in through the window, shadows dragging up the wall caused by the curtains that were only half drawn. Bell sat with her back to the pillows, legs tucked up beneath the sheets, feet pressed to the mattress, and she tilted her head so her hair formed a barrier between her and Tobias as it fell over her shoulder.

She took a moment before answering, reminding herself of the things that felt more important and prevalent in the light of day. She was alive, her mom was… not, her dad was likely taken alive, they’d wanted to kill her, Tobias had saved her. She was, ultimately, alone now. Bellamy flexed the muscles in her shoulder, feeling sick when no pain swelled up in greeting. "Yes." Her eyes caught on a point across the room, where sunlight reflected off the smooth surface of a crystal vase. There were no flowers in it, it was empty, but… it looked like it ought to be holding flowers. "Sorry I made you stay the night." She returned his apology with her own, forcing her gaze away from the vase. There was something tragically poetic about the sight of it, so empty and yet yawning as if needing more, it reminded her too much of how she felt right now.

Loki peaked up from his spot at the foot of the bed at her, looking slowly from Tobias to Bellamy, the kitten stood up, stretching so his back arched and his butthole was pointed toward Tobias. Then it jumped off the bed and sauntered out of the bedroom through the door that had been left open, tail high in the air. The sound of his little paw steps faded the further he went, but she didn’t get up yet to follow him. The warmth of the bed felt as if she’d leached it away, leaving her cold and even more tired than when she’d fallen asleep.

The air in the room grew tense and shifted, but it wasn’t because of Bellamy and her powers. Tobias noticed the way she pulled away from his coldness and hid herself behind her hair. His head fell and turned away as he tucked his mouth and chin into the palm of his hand. He had felt lonely for years before going to Europe with Helena and since her disappearance that familiar void began to creep back up on him again. Although it wasn’t until that moment that he fully realized why. He could be strong for others, fight their battles, shoulder their burdens, and take a bullet for them without a moment’s hesitation. But there was some sort of mental block that prevented him from allowing himself to be weak in front of others. He could be understanding and kind, but the vulnerability that ate away at him remained locked away behind his pensive eyes and sullen presence.

"I’m sorry," he mumbled into the calloused skin of his palm. Tobias slid one leg off of the bed as his instinctual reaction was to walk away without another word and hide away in his apartment. But there was still another part of him he was trying to understand that felt responsible for Bellamy. He saved her. He brought her to the tower. He was the one she called on in the middle of the night. How was he supposed to handle that? He was just one person. He’d feel guilty leaving her alone in her grief and even more guilty knowing he left her despondent because of something he did or didn’t do.

The conflicting thoughts and emotions left him restless. Tobias had the sudden urge to pace as it all bounced around his head. He climbed off her bed and stood up. But without the adrenalin from the night before or the extreme exhaustion that seemed to dull his senses, the pain in the soles of his feet stung at the pressure. He sucked in sharp breath and winced, before turning toward the bed and placing his hands on the mattress for support. His head fell, sagging between his shoulders, unable to meet Bell’s gaze. He felt ashamed for how he pulled away, for his coldness, for how he was acting like a hypocrite for letting her open up to him but he couldn’t bring himself to meet her halfway. It would have been better if someone like Imogen saved her. She was better at this sort of thing. All he was good at was killing and pushing people away.

The silence had stretched, long enough for her to begin considering her options. Bellamy couldn't stay here, it was the sort of realization that only came with the clarity of morning but it left her feeling cold and empty. She wasn’t a fighter, she was no good to the team Tobias had mentioned, if she stayed she’d only continue to be a burden on him and everyone else. But where could she go? The people that had attacked her family didn’t care that she wasn’t a hero, they wanted to kill her all the same. There was nowhere for her to go, nowhere she belonged, and everything she’d had before was gone. Her eyes slipped shut as hopelessness closed in around her throat like the jaws of a predator, and Bell wanted so desperately to pick up her phone and call her mom but she knew that she’d never be able to do that again.

That realization almost broke her, but the sound of Tobias’s voice drew her out of that dark place, helped her refocus on the present. The bed shifted as he slipped up and away, the blanket she’d laid over him last night discarded, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him as he left, it wasn’t fair for her to want him to stay, and—the sound of his breathing changing instinctively turned her head, eyes opening just in time to catch the look of pain on his face as he bowed his head. Bella moved reflexively, sitting up on her knees, one hand braced on the bed as she looked him up and down, trying to find the source of his pain. Had he pulled his stitches? She caught sight of the bandages on his feet, and froze.

The night replayed in her head as her lungs stalled, how he’d found her, the ice crawling up the walls, the sound of glass falling and shattering. Bellamy flinched back as if he’d hit her, face paling, hands clenching the duvet beneath her. "I hurt you last night." Her voice was little more than a whisper, muffled by the hand she raised to press over her mouth. He’d stepped on the glass to get to her, the glass had broken because she didn’t have better control, she’d called out for him. "I’m so sorry."

Tobias felt the bed move beneath his hands but it was the way he caught her flinch out of the corner of his eyes that finally pulled him out of his own head and drew his gaze toward her. Whatever stoicism he had been holding onto slipped through his fingers like smoke. Instinctively, his hand slid across the comforter, stopping halfway between them both before he curled his fingers into a loose fist, not knowing what to do. "It was an accident. You didn’t know." His voice was quiet and calm the way it had been the night before, like he had shut the door on his own feelings and rooted himself in focusing on her. That was easier for him. He could be a caregiver and protector. He could be strong for her in the way she needed… Just not weak.

"I was… trying to hide it from you so you didn’t worry," he confessed under his breath, averting his gaze to the floral pattern of the blankets. Tobias didn’t know why he admitted that, but it was true. He never once limped or grimaced at the pain while the pieces of glass were still stuck in his skin as he carried her. He made sure to clean every drop of blood from her bathroom. All for what? To carry one burden for her in secret?

Bella sank slowly back onto the bed from her knees, gaze set on his face. Her eyes burned, shame and guilt swelling up within the cavity of her chest and making it hard to breathe. She blinked a few times, quickly averting her eyes so he didn’t see the tears welling up. She was disgusted with herself, for the weakness, the lack of control, for making herself his problem. Her thoughts spiraled for a moment, but it was the feeling of ice spreading between her fingers that gave her enough control back to smother it against the sheets.

"I’m so sorry." Her lips trembled, and she couldn’t—wouldn’t—look at him. There wasn’t anything she could do to make it better, she couldn’t heal Tobias, she couldn’t make it any better. "I-I shouldn’t be here, I’m not like you or any of the other people here. I barely have any training, I can’t control it like I should. I hurt you." And he was going to hide it. Knowing that made it so much worse, the fact that he planned to hide the fact that he’d stepped in glass for her was absurd. He was just… too good, too nice.

Tobias took a deep breath before pushing off the mattress and slowly, painfully, making his way around to the other side where she sat. His hands rested on the edge of the bed and leaned forward so that he was closer, standing at eye level. His gaze was direct and intent as he looked into her eyes, even if she wouldn’t look back. "I told you," he started, quiet and calm but with a strong conviction in every word. "Stop apologizing." He sighed, eyes falling to stare at the blankets bunched beneath his hands. "And if you want to get technical, I hurt myself. I broke the door opening it and I made the decision to step on the glass rather than look for a broom or something."

Panic rose up in her when he started to walk away, and for just a second she was certain that he finally understood that she wasn’t good like him, but the resignation turned to confusion as he came around to her side of the bed, body automatically turning so she could face him, head tilting back a little, but her eyes darted down to the bed as his hands rested atop it. Small divots forming from the pressure, Bella swallowed hard before glancing back up at Tobias, breath catching in her throat just a little at his words and their proximity. "We’re a lot alike, aren’t we?" Her eyes turned toward the duvet and where it was bunched around her thighs, hiding her bare skin from view. Thank God, the mortification of him feeling her like that right now might actually be enough to send her over the edge… though, she didn’t actually have any clean clothes. Fuck. She needed to do laundry, but that felt like… too much, right now.

"I feel awful," Bella admitted this after a moment of chewing on her bottom lip, not quite looking at Tobias, her eyes set on his hands instead. "You… I know how I would feel, if our roles were reversed." She lifted her hands slowly, frowning at the dusting of frost that was left in her wake. She hated it, hated how little control she actually had when her emotions were a mess like this. "You don’t have to feel like you’re… responsible for me, that isn’t fair on you." Bellamy turned her hands over in her lap so her palms were facing upwards, and she kept her gaze diligently on them instead of looking at him. "Am I really not allowed to apologize at all?" She peaked up at him through her lashes, a small and tentative smile tugging at her lips.

Tobias remained silent and patient, letting her say whatever she needed to get off her chest with the clarity of a rested mind. He looked between her eyes and mouth as she spoke with a gaze that was both intense but attentive. The corner of his mouth threatened to tug into a lopsided grin at the sight of her own sheepish smile. "You called for me," he replied to all of her concerns and doubts with one single sentence, like it answered everything. Bell called for him in the middle of the night and he answered. He never once complained about it nor did he regret it. "Maybe," he added while letting his gaze fall to the floral duvet beneath his hands. "I need someone to look after as much as you need someone to look after you."

It was an admission he hadn’t quite come to terms with until that moment. But so much of his time over the past handful of years has revolved around protecting and looking after Helena… And he failed. He had been stumbling through the motions since then but struggled to find a purpose again until he fixated on finding the lost Drake girl… until he did. And now she was there at the tower because of him. Maybe he did feel responsible for her, but what Tobias failed to see was how that was a problem. He had been doing alright with it so far. But, if Bell really wanted him to back off, he would. He stayed the night because she asked, he’d leave if she asked too.

With a sigh, Tobias pushed off the bed and slowly stood up right, letting his hands fall to his side as he looked down at her. "You can have a max of three ‘sorries’ a day before I cut you off. But that’s my final offer," He teased, trying to lighten the heaviness of their conversation with a poor joke and subtle smile.

Oh. She hadn’t thought of it like that, not really. She wanted to tell him that taking care of her was rotten work, that it wasn’t fair to him at all, but there was something in Bell that wanted to be selfish with this one thing. It wasn’t like she had anything else, anyone else. "Okay," her shoulders slumped some, but the relief was clear in her voice. "As long as it isn’t a burden on you," she watched his hands slip off the bed, stomach fluttering as the distance between them grew. He’d been so close, but she only really just registered it fully.

"Three a day?" Bella looked up at him, face scrunched up a little at the idea. That was an awfully low number, she’d have to get creative if she wanted to exceed it. "Fine, but…" she looked back down at the subtle indents in the duvet from where he’d been leaning onto the bed, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. "When you’re healed, can you teach me how to fight?" She slipped out of the bed after a moment of hesitation, tugging the hoodie to make sure it covered her lower half still. Standing in front of him, without him sitting, their difference in height was apparent and Bell had to tip her head back to look at his face properly. "It’s been a long time."

"I’m… not sure I’d be the best teacher," he confessed with a weak laugh. "My dad was more of a trial by fire type of guy. I just got my ass kicked until I figured it out." Tobias couldn’t imagine trying to teach someone how to defend themselves like that. It was a long, arduous process that created more pain and resentment than actual results. He never knew what real training was like until he came to the academy and it took even longer for him to unlearn some of the bullshit Magneto taught him. "There are better combatants to learn from here than me… June, Myla, Jules, Lu—" He caught himself before saying Luke’s name as a knot twisted in his stomach at the thought of him being uncomfortably forward with Bell like had been with half of the people in the tower already. Tobias cleared his throat. "I can try though."

Bell’s nose wrinkled delicately at the explanation of how Tobias was taught, brows furrowing just a little. She didn’t want to judge Magneto based on his whole… super villain thing, but… he sounded awful. It made sense, villain’s didn’t make the best parents she imagined, but still it was sad for Tobias. She caught his pause on one of the names listed, and tried not to deflate too much. The idea of having someone else train her, and very likely judge her for her inexperience, made her feel sick to her stomach with anxiety. "We’ll try, and if it doesn’t work out I can… um, ask one of those other people." She shrugged, shifting a little awkwardly in place as she realized she’d have to meet the team. The anxiety in her stomach swelled up further, and she was embarrassed to realize how daunting the idea seemed.

"I have to meet them all today," the words were whispered and shaky, Bellamy found herself looking at the center of his chest instead of his face, color flooding her cheeks as her shame made her burn from the inside out. "If I don’t, I’ll just dwell on it until I do." A fact she knew to be true about herself, as much as she’d be happy to hide away in her apartment in the tower, Bella couldn’t justify being a recluse and using up their resources. She had to be useful to the team, otherwise she couldn’t justify staying here. "Are you okay to walk?" Her eyes bounced back up to his face, concern flickering in her gaze.

"Yeah, probably," he replied with a soft laugh. "I don’t own the tower. It’s probably bad manners to hide you from our hosts and keep you as a stow away." His gaze fell for a moment only to notice her bare legs. Tobias cleared his throat and took a step back while his eyes focused on a small knot in her brown hair rather than anything below the hem of the hoodie she wore. "Alfred probably told some of them anyway. At least June." He turned slightly toward Bell’s closet, remembering his promise to help her with laundry. "We should probably get you some clothes first."

The first couple steps he took into the closet stung but he paced himself, forcing himself to put his entire weight down on the soles of his feet and get used to the sensation. Tobias glanced over his shoulder toward her, giving his best attempt at a reassuring smile. "Just have to get used to it. I’ll be fine." He reached down and picked up her bag from where he discarded it the night before. It was no longer dripping, but it was still damp and smelled faintly of mildew. He put the strap over his shoulder and returned to her, getting slightly more confident with each step. "You can borrow something of mine. I’d give you these sweatpants back but…" His voice trailed off and he didn’t finish his thought. He didn’t think much about the fact he wasn’t wearing boxers under his pants last night, but he also wasn’t expecting to jump in a bathtub with them on or end up in half of the predicaments he had gotten into.

Her eyes trailed down for a moment at the mention of his sweatpants, but they quickly bounced back up toward his face, where it was safer, her cheeks flushed. Bella was ready to have her own clothes back, she felt like she was swimming in everything he gave her to wear, but also… Tobias turned toward the door, and she tucked her head down some, catching the faintest whiff of what was more certainly his cologne. She’d fallen asleep to it, and for some reason that she didn’t dare explore, it made her feel a little calmer. They were… friends, she supposed, and friends didn’t hold hoodies for ransom because they liked how their friend smelled. She was being weird, Christ had she hit her head at some point in her sleep? Bell lifted her head, pointedly looking anywhere but at Tobias as she tried to calm the flutter of her heart.

Tobias nodded his head toward her bedroom door before heading out. The stairs were a little more complicated, but by the time he reached the bottom he walked like there was nothing wrong. It was always easier for him to ignore pain when he knew what to expect with each movement. As they approached the elevator, his gaze drifted over to Bell. His apartment was only five floors away, which in a nearly empty tower should be easy to reach without running into others. But he didn’t want her first introductions to be like that either. After he pressed the button to call the elevator, Tobias’s hand lightly pressed against her stomach and gently guided her to the side until her back was pressed against the wall beside him, out of view of the lift if there was anyone inside when the doors opened. While he might have seen more of her than intended, that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to protect her modesty.

Bella followed him quietly, watching him wearily, worried that walking too much would hurt him worse, but Tobias seemed to have a good poker face. "I can carry the bag." She muttered, chewing on her bottom lip as she went in mental circles about how to help him, always arriving back to the conclusion that she couldn’t actually do anything to help. If only she could heal other people, the frustration at feeling so powerless was eating her from the inside out. Her thoughts stalled as his hand slid and pressed against her stomach, but she followed his direction without argument, head tilted ever so slightly as her back pressed to the wall so she could look at his face. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest, face warm as heat collected in her core. What is wrong with me? Bellamy felt like she was in a daze, and it took every ounce of self control to look away from Tobias until the ding of the elevator sounded.

The door slid open, and there stood Luke. He was shirtless, the smooth muscles across his chest and abdomen on clear display in the fluorescent light of the elevator. Genuine surprise flickered across the man's face at the sight of Tobias, and he glanced at the panel on the wall as if to reconfirm what he already knew. "Are you lost?" He laughed, tone laced with confusion. "Aren’t you on 35? What are you doing in Aoife’s old penthouse?"

She leaned forward just a little, trying to peek around the edge of the elevator, but was stopped by the pressure of Tobias’s hand against her stomach. Bell glanced up at him, head tilting in a way that was birdlike in nature as she remained quiet.

The absolute last thing Tobias wanted was waiting for him on the other side of the metal door. He focused on keeping his face blank and stoic, masking the slight elevation in his pulse at the sight of Luke staring back at him. There was a brief moment he felt Bell stir against his hand, but his hold tightened, fingers pressing against her abdomen with a bit more force to keep her in place. He studied the blonde’s face for a moment before a faint, casual smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Alfred caught me running up the drive yesterday. Him and Phil are really enforcing that ‘don’t leave the tower’ rule… I’m getting my cardio on the stairs instead." His free hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Still pretty tired from training yesterday, so I was cheating the last couple of floors," he added while pointing to the elevator.

Tobias took a small step back like he intended on heading back to the stairs. "And caught red handed." He laughed awkwardly. "What are five more flights anyway?" His hand on Bellamy gently grabbed a handful of the hoodie using it to guide her silently to the side and further into the room.

Tobias’s hand pressed harder to her stomach, and she bit her bottom lip, trying to distract herself from the puzzle of confusing emotions that rose up at something as simple as his touch on her body. She didn’t try to glance around the edge of the wall again, staying pressed there with her eyes set on his face. She was confused for a moment, not understanding why he needed to lie to someone who was on the same team with him, and then she reanalyzed the situation. She was only wearing his hoodie, hair still mussed from sleep, face flushed, it would be easy to draw the wrong conclusions if someone stumbled upon them like this. The realization only made her blush harder, and she followed his silent guidance, still watching his face as his fingers curled into the fabric of the hoodie.

"Barefoot?" Luke’s eyes slid down Tobias’s body, appreciating the view, but ultimately still confused. He glanced back up at the other man's face, lips tugging into a small, bewildered smile. "What happened to your feet, anyways? Are you sure you should be working out like that?" The doors automatically started to close, and Luke raised a hand to keep them open, moving to step out of the elevator so he could talk to Tobias without being hindered. He considered this nothing but pure luck, because he hadn’t gotten a chance to more… thoroughly reconnect with his old friend.

Bell’s eyes widened, she could hear the other man moving, likely stepping off of the elevator, and one of her hands automatically caught the fabric of Tobais’s sleeve where his hand pressed to her abdomen. Muscles jumping and tensing in anxiety beneath where his knuckles still pressed from the grip of her shirt, fingers fluttering against his wrist with insistent panic.

Tobias wasn't able to think up a lie fast enough before the doors started closing. As Luke took a step forward out of the elevator, he instinctively took a step backwards toward Bellamy. He gently pulled her closer so that he stood as a barricade between her and the new arrival, letting his body and her bag act as some sort of shield for her modesty. His jaw tensed as he glanced back over his shoulder toward her and sighed knowing he wasn't able to avoid the one situation and person he had wanted to. "Bellamy," his voice was soft as he directed his attention toward her while his hand flexed defensively against her stomach. "This is Luke Rogers." Tobias then slowly turned his head to meet Luke's curious and expectant gaze. "And this is Bobby Drake's daughter…" He didn't step aside but made a curt nod over his shoulder to the petite brunette hidden behind him.

Luke rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of Bellamy before Tobias shifted, cutting off his hungry view of her very bare legs and making his eyes flit back up to Tobias’s. He took in how tense the other man was, the way his jaw flexed, how he shifted to stand in front of the Drake girl, how close they were… his small smile turned into a curling smirk. "Well, hello there." He purred, taking a half step closer, but keeping his eyes at a respectful height as he tried to peek around Tobias, catching a glimpse of wide blue eyes… that were only looking at Tobias. Luke’s smirk flattered just a little, but he took it in stride, looking back at the other man. "Look’s like you had a… busy night." He let the innuendo hang in the air, lips twitching as the urge to grin at the other man was almost too strong to resist.

She wasn’t sure what it was, maybe the pervasive and intruding gaze of the new man, or his tone, or simply the fact that Toby seemed so weary of him, but she felt just as uncomfortable with the newcomer. She felt his hand flex against her stomach, and she instinctively stepped closer, tucking herself behind his frame, the hand that had been holding at his wrist moved to curl into the back of his hoodie. The innuendo was not lost on her, and a mix of shame and embarrassment made Bell retreat in on herself some, ducking her head when she caught a glimpse of Luke’s eyes. "Hello," her voice was very soft, but there was an edge to it.

"Yeah, well…" Tobias cleared his throat, adjusting the way he stood to mirror every micromovement Luke made, making sure to always keep himself firmly in between him and Bell. "Killing twelve mercenaries in a monsoon and getting cornered by Alfred in the infirmary will do that," he tried to skirt around the innuendo or other salacious insinuations the man was trying to make. "There was a sniper that got away. Didn’t have an ounce of metal on them. Found that to be… odd." Tobias did his best to steer the conversation toward the more pressing matter of the Drakes’ attack, sharing more prudent information with a teammate rather than focusing on whatever ideas were stirring in Luke’s head.

"Huh," Luke seemed to refocus, sounding stumped as he turned to face Tobias fully instead of leering at Bellamy. His eyes narrowed some in consideration, the silence stretching for a moment as he mulled over his words. "You mentioned the weapons they used when you were attacked before were what, plastic?" Luke ran a hand through his hair before dropping it back down to his side, eyes slipping back toward what he could see of Bell… which wasn’t much. He followed the trail of her ankles up, view cutting off before he could even get to her thighs because Tobias kept shifting in front of her. Spoil sport, he mentally sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. "My best guess is, since they don’t likely know about the team, that you’re considered an unknown variable. If you’ve dealt with them before, it could be that they changed all their weapons to account for you." He shifted a little to the left, trying to make eye contact with Bellamy again, smiling in a way that ought to be welcoming and enticing but seemed to elicit no response from her. "Do you remember anything that could be helpful from your attack?"

Her hand trembled against Tobias’s back, clenching the fabric tighter. That wasn’t a question she’d been prepared for, but it made sense. They’d want to know as much as they could, they were preparing for whatever… this was. Bell hesitated, trying to pull up anything of substance from her memory, but it all felt like a blur. Focusing on it, even just for a moment, made a cold sweat break out across her forehead, and she took in a deep breath to try and unclench her muscles. Letting her emotions get out of control wouldn’t do any good, or help them at all. She’d be more likely to freeze Tobias’s ass than anything, and that wasn’t an ass that needed to be on ice—Christ. Bella cleared her throat, trying to relax her hold on his hoodie a little. "I don’t think I have any useful information… I jumped out of the second story window to get away. They–" her breath hitched, but Bellamy used the warmth of Toby’s body to center her. "They had guns, that’s all I know."

Tobias turned his head slightly to look back at Bellamy, feeling her heavy breaths on the back of his neck and hearing the anxiety in her voice. "Breathe," he whispered before looking back at Luke. "Sounds a bit paranoid, don’t you think?" he spoke up, turning the conversation back to him again. "I’m just one person." Maybe if these attackers were preparing to face Magneto or something it’d make some sense. But he had killed maybe twenty five of them? He was too late to do anything aside from saving Bellamy. There was no possible way they all stopped using metal weapons because of him plus—"No. That’s not it. The lackeys had metal, it was just the sniper who didn’t."

Lucian watched with rapt fascination at how gentle Tobias was with Bellamy, how he could see her visibly relax at the other man’s whisper, and his eyebrows rose just a little as a new wave of confusion overtook him. "It seems paranoid," he admitted, trying to puzzle out how long the two of them have known each other for. They seemed closer than what a single night could make a pair, especially someone as reserved as Tobias. Maybe they fucked, that would do it. Wouldn’t stop Luke from trying his luck, not until it was clear they were established, at least. Life was short, the women in the tower were hot, and he was finally free for the first time in years. "I don’t know man, you should talk to June, Imogen, or Jim, they’re the smart ones." He gave a soft laugh at the admission, if anyone was going to puzzle out what the hell was going on it would be one of the three of them. "Though maybe the sniper wasn’t there for our pretty friend," Luke smirked at how Bell tucked herself just a little bit closer to Tobias, she’d be fun to fluster if he could get her away from her bodyguard. "If they were the only one without metal on them, maybe they were there for you." He grimaced at the idea though, the thought that any of them could be targeted by a sniper was surely unpleasant.

There was something about Luke that Bella decided, with a smidge of guilt, she did not like. Perhaps it was his arrogance, or how his eyes eagerly took in every bit of exposed skin, or how casually he came to the conclusion that the sniper would have been there for Toby. The idea made a new sort of dread expand in her stomach, and the realization that she could lose him too made her anxiety sky rocket. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was so warm, so clearly alive and well right in front of her, she could have started to frost over. She breathed careful, even breaths, well aware that the temperature around them was dropping by a few degrees and each breath she exhaled was visible in the air. Despite it all, Bellamy remained calm. It was a little too much all at once, everything was too fresh, and the idea that Tobias was someone she could rely on and lose for the same reason she’d lost her parents set her on an entirely new edge that she hadn’t known was an option until this very moment.

"I doubt that," Tobias scoffed at the idea. A slight chill emitted from behind him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. There was a fleeting moment where he peeked out of the corner of his eyes, trying to look back at Bell without showing himself more wrapped up in her than he already appeared. "They’re scared of my dad. They’ve gone out of their way not to kill me or capture me. Plus…" His brows furrowed, adjusting Bellamy’s bag on his shoulder as the weight was starting to anger some of his injuries. "I steer clear of X-men. I never even met any of the Drakes until last night. Assuming I’d even be there is… weird." He cleared his throat as he tried to find some way to remove themselves from this situation. "I planned on calling a meeting in a couple hours. Save myself the burden of going over it all more than once."

Luke shrugged again, letting out a soft sigh. "I don’t know man, hopefully the rest of the team has better ideas. I’m the one that does the punching, the three brains do the thinking." He chuckled at his half-assed joke, gaze turning speculative at the mention of a meeting. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, mulling something over, before he waved a hand at the pair. "Don’t let me stop you from whatever the two of you had planned," he grinned at Tobias, raising a single eyebrow. "Unless you need help with anything, of course." The idea of getting Tobias and Bell together like that was tempting, especially with how protective the other man seemed to be, but… no, it was a useless thought. It was about as likely to happen as Luke was to shave his own head bald. He turned, moving back toward the elevator, posture relaxed, but he threw a wayward glance at Bell just as the doors slid open, his grin turning into something disarmingly soft and unusual for his usual attitude. "I’m sorry for your loss."

She understood the intention, an extension of kindness, but… something about bringing it up again choked her, made Bellamy feel as if Luke’s presence was a blanket and he was smothering her. She could feel his gaze still lingering on her even once the elevator doors slid shut, and she shifted just a little behind Tobias, hand still clenched in the fabric of his hoodie. "I… don’t think I like him very much." She admitted, voice soft and trembling.

Rather than prolonging the conversation, Tobias nodded his head in silent acknowledgement. He remained firmly in place until the doors closed and he heard the elevator continue its ascent. It was only then that some of the tension slipped from his shoulders with a sigh. His free hand pinched the bridge of his nose while he slowly released his hold on her sweatshirt. "Yeah," he exhaled deeply and pressed the button to call the lift a second time. "I guess ten years is a long time and changes people. In Luke’s case, he became…" His brows furrowed as he tried to think of a more delicate way to word it. "Horny." It had been a long time since they were all at the academy together, but he couldn’t remember Luke ever being as relentless in his pursuits. Maybe it was because he was with Imogen? He couldn’t recall what the man was like before they started dating or if he treated her similarly. At the end of the day, he was free to be as sexually liberal as he pleased. Luke just needed to understand social cues and when to back off.

Her lips pressed together, smothering the snort of amusement that threatened to crawl up her throat at his explanation. It seemed like the best way to explain what she’d just experienced, pricks of discomfort still gnawing at her from how his gaze had been hungry and searching whilst it explored what he could see. Bell was overwhelmingly thankful of Tobias, and she wasn’t sure how she could ever return the kindness and protection he’d given her. He’s said that he felt as if he needed someone to look after, though, and if that was what he needed and it wasn’t a burden on him… then she’d lean on him.

When the doors opened, Tobias poked his head in making sure no one was inside or lingering out of sight. Once in the clear, he waved her in with a subtle wave of his fingers and a nod. He pressed the button for level 35 then positioned himself in front of her a second time. There weren’t any occupied floors between Luke’s and his penthouses but there was a strange nagging in his stomach that told him to stand there… just in case. As the lift started carrying them higher in the tower, he ran a hand back through his hair. "It’s not just you. He tried coming onto me the other night. Luke doesn’t seem to understand when people aren’t interested and he’s very persistent. So just…" his voice trailed off as the doors slid open to his own apartment. What? Tell her to stick near him and only him? That was ridiculous and paranoid. He doubted Bell wanted to spend every waking moment hanging off his side. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he set her bag down on the ground. Tobias didn’t know if he had the right answer.

"Stay away from him, and stick close to you." Bellamy finished his thought for him, voice soft and searching, eyes tracing the curve of his jaw as he stepped off the elevator, and she trailed after him. "That was sort of already the plan." She admitted quietly, gaze moving to look around the apartment instead of remaining fixated on Tobias. Her gaze kept tracing back toward him, like she was made of metal and he was the magnetic pull, ironic in all of the worst ways. "I…" She glanced toward the couch instead of looking directly at him, taking a few steps further in. His apartment was exactly what she’d thought it would be like, boarding on minimalist. "Thank you, for… everything."

His head slowly turned to look down at her. "If that’s what would make you comfortable," Tobias replied quietly. There was still a part of him that felt—he didn’t know if guilty was the right word—bad for letting her feel like the only place that was safe was around him. Of course, he’d never try to hurt her, but everyone in the tower was supposed to be dependable and worthy of her trust. "There are good people here who won’t try sleeping with you," he attempted to reassure her with a sheepish smile. "Imogen for one, and Magni. In the past he would have tried, but he seems pretty wrapped up in Imogen now." He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I don’t know the others very well, but most of them seem reliable."

Tobias kept his gaze on her while she looked away. "You’re welcome," he replied quietly before slowly walking further into his apartment. "My room’s this way," he added while pointing toward a hallway nestled between the kitchen and a den that looked over the ocean and housed his grand piano. While he knew the Wayne’s and Stark’s were wealthy, even a decade later it felt a bit excessive that they got him a Steinway. He would have been fine with a cheap keyboard, but his hosts didn’t seem the type to do anything half-assed.

"That’s a relief," there was an edge of humor in her tone as she caught his smile from the corner of her eye, gaze sliding back toward Tobias. His smile made her soften some, tension slipping from her posture as her stomach flipped irrationally. "I’d only feel comfortable sleeping with you, anyways." The words slipped from her mouth before she’d even fully thought through how it sounded, but the second that it did register heat filled her face, choking Bella for a few precious seconds before she hastened to explain herself. "I-–I mean, like, sleep beside. Not—I’m not trying to—to… I mean, like, last night. Before you came, I had a nightmare, but when you were there I was—" She coughed, wheezed really, as the explanation lodged itself in her throat and refused to budge. Nothing but pure embarrassment coursed through her veins, and Bell tried desperately to think of a way to redirect this line of conversation as she followed him toward his room. "I slept better." She finally managed, voice more like a hoarse squeak than anything.

There was a second where Tobias paused midstep, cheeks growing warm as Bell continued to stumble through her words. He swallowed, sparring a quick glance over his shoulder toward her before looking straight ahead. "I uh…" He cleared his throat. "I knew what you meant. It’s ok," he tried his best to be calm and reassuring, but couldn’t bring himself to look back at her a second time or meet her gaze.

"Good," she let out a slow breath, pressing a hand to her chest over her heart and trying to will it to slow the rapid tempo it was beating. "That’s good." She seemed to be developing a fantastic ability of shoving her foot in her mouth.

As he led the way down the dark hallway, dim lights illuminated from the motion guiding their path toward his bedroom. Like the rest of Tobias’s apartment, his bedroom lived in a balance of industrial modern minimalism. Everything was gray and sleek, lacking much character or uniqueness. Other than a bed and two end tables, the room was quite simple with access to his balcony, his bathroom, and a closet built in that was far too large for any man’s wardrobe. He made his way to the farthest cabinet doors and opened them. Inside this end were mostly clothes from when he first attended, while they were almost certainly too small considering how skinny he was back then, they should be perfect for Bell. He pulled open a drawer and grabbed an old track suit that was probably the smallest thing he owned. Then he grabbed a t-shirt, a pair of socks and… his hand hovered over the drawer that held his boxers. He didn’t want to make it weird, but he wanted her to be more comfortable and he imagined an extra layer of clothing would help. Tobias vaguely remembered his ex mentioning how comfortable men’s boxers were. Whatever. He sighed, grabbing a pair and adding it to the pile.

He slowly turned toward Bell, holding the stack of clothing out for her. "Wasn’t sure what you’d want so I grabbed a bit of everything." He nodded his head toward a door behind her. "Whatever you don’t want you can leave on the counter."

"Thank you," she took the clothing with a small smile, retreating into the bathroom to change. She was unbelievably grateful that she wouldn’t have to wait for her clothes to be cleaned before she got pants back, even more so that she wouldn’t have to meet anyone else in just a hoodie. Bella stripped before making quick work of getting dressed, hesitating only for a second with her hand hovering over the boxers, but… she tugged them on, face warm, understanding why he’d told her she could leave anything on the counter that she didn’t want. The extra layers of clothing gave her a sense of control, even if the pants and sleeves were still too long, Bellamy put on everything, slipping on the socks last and leaving the jacket unzipped. It took her less than a minute to wiggle into all of the loose fitting clothes, and she didn’t want to make Toby wait on her too long, so she hurried back out of the bathroom.

Once the door shut to the bathroom, Tobias wandered back over to his closet and pulled out fresh clothes for himself, including boxers, which he had felt naked without since the night before. It wasn’t until he had entirely stripped down that he had the realization that she could open that door at any moment. With a bit more panic and a lot less leisure, he quickly pulled on his boxers and then worked on pulling on a fresh pair of track pants so a majority of him was covered if nothing else.

The door slid open soundlessly, and she stepped through the threshold looking down at where the fabric of the track pants bunched around her ankles, looking up just in time to catch Tobias pulling his own boxers on. The muscles in his arms flexed with the movement, and the smooth, unblemished skin of his ass disappearing beneath the soft fabric drew a surprised gasp from her. In the light of day, unhindered by a sedative, seeing him shirtless felt different, but seeing him nearly naked was a step further than she’d ever expected to go. Bell’s face burned as her entire body flashed hot, then cold, and she clumsily spun around, hip knocking against the frame of the door. "I’m so sorry!" Her voice was louder than usual, flustered and embarrassed. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but the sight of him half naked, how fit his body was, was seared into the back of her eyelids, and she couldn’t deny now that Toby was, quite possibly, the most attractive person she’d ever met. She hadn’t even blinked twice at Luke and his abs, but the sight of Tobias’s toned body made heat sear in her core, and she was so thankful, and oddly disappointed, that he’d been facing away from her. "I wasn’t thinking."

Tobias froze then immediately dressed faster than he thought possible, or his healing injuries would have liked. Once his lower half was properly covered he slowed to a normal pace, although his cheeks remained a bright shade of pink and his hands fumbled while trying to get his shirt oriented the right way so he could put it on. "I should have said something." His voice was quiet, almost sheepish. He was never someone overly bashful when it came to his own body, but there was a difference between knowing you’ll be seen and caught off guard. It was an honest mistake, yet he felt more guilty that she found him that way rather than embarrassed being caught half naked. Tobias kept his back to her, the long scratches across his tattooed skin red and irritated at his disregard for gentle patience for the sake of getting out of the awkward circumstance as fast as possible. It was only after he pulled on his t-shirt that he found the courage to face her, although he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes. "Everything fit… ok?"

"Yes," Bell cleared her throat, because the single word came out more like a squeak. She ran a hand through her hair, working out the few knots that had formed with sleep and trying to smooth it down. "Everything fits… I mean, it’s a little—" she lifted her hands, the sleeves long enough that only the tips of her fingers stuck out of the fabric, but the sight of it drew a small smile from her, face brightening ever so slightly. "Still a little long, but not awful… thank you, again." Bellamy glanced at Tobias’s face, feeling even more shy now that she’d seen… yeah. "Are you going to limit my daily thank you’s, as well?" Her lips twitched, fighting the growing smile as she tried, a little desperately, to move the topic and her mind away from how nice his ass had looked.

He sat down on the side of his bed as he started putting on socks. Tobias looked over at her from the corner of his eyes, watching how she inspected the largeness of his clothes on her. "You can keep them," he offered with a small shrug. "They don’t fit me anyway. A decade’s done more than just make Luke horny," he added with an awkward laugh, trying to find a way to ease the tension in the room. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards slightly as grabbed a pair of sneakers and began loosening the laces as much as possible. Even with the additional space, he still grimaced as he slowly pulled the shoes on over his injured feet. Once they were on, he sighed, sitting upright so he didn’t strain the cuts on his back for a second, trying to find the energy to lace them. "I might have to," he teased her quietly with a brief glance and small smile.

She caught the grimace and moved before the thought even solidified, closing the distance between them and sliding down to her knees in front of Tobias. Her eyes were set on the laces even as her cheeks flooded with color, fingers steady when she caught the strings between them and started to carefully tie them. "You’ll pull at your stitches," her voice was gentle, and Bell glanced up toward him through her lashes only once, registering the position of how her kneeling in front of him like this could be portrayed, and shoving away any thoughts that may have made her blush harder. Diligently, she moved on to the next sneaker, trying to tie the laces so they were neither too loose nor tight, hopefully a decent inbetween that wouldn’t strain his feet too badly. She wouldn’t be able to borrow any shoes from him, that was for sure, and hers were still soaked and mud caked. She’d just wear the socks for now, and figure out how to order new ones later. "There we go." She patted the tops of his feet very gently before pushing back to her feet.

Tobias went to argue, but conceded with a sigh knowing it wasn’t fair for him to refuse the help after how many times he’d aided her, even when she argued. He swallowed and rested his hands on the edge of the bed as watched her fingers tighten the laces. "My stitches are fine. The cuts in my back are just… angry and it tugs at the scabs," he spoke quietly, filling the silence as she worked.

Once she was finished, he slowly stood up. "So… Laundry and meet everyone," Tobias reminded himself as he looked down at her. His brows furrowed slightly as a loud growl rumbled in the pit of his stomach. An awkward laugh escaped his lips as he rubbed his abdomen. "And… maybe some food."

The idea of food right now made her feel sick… but she hadn’t really eaten anything in what, two days? She needed to, at the very least, drink some water so another IV wouldn’t be necessary. "That sounds like a plan," Bell smiled up at him, soft and sweet, eyes soft at his laugh. There was a private part of her that was thankful he’d allow her to keep the clothes, though it was a confusing thought so she pushed it aside. "Lead the way, Toby." Meeting the others felt a little less daunting, knowing that he would be there with her.



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The rest of the evening had been fairly quiet aside from the quiet hum of metal music that echoed throughout James’s apartment, giving their cooking endeavors an interesting soundtrack that somehow contrasted but also complimented their easy laughs and cooking chaos. They spent over an hour destroying his kitchen a second time, this time covering it in melted cheese, condiments, and grease, but by the time they finished Aria had managed to produce two respectable looking burgers along with a completed batch of kraft mac & cheese.

Letting the mess be a tomorrow problem, they settled on the couch where James decided the best thing to accompany one of his favorite meals was one of his favorite movies. 10 Things I Hate About You. He would call it a guilty pleasure if there was a single fiber of his being that felt guilty for enjoying it. He didn’t know how much Aria got to watch movies and if he was taking on the responsibility of helping expose her to the better parts of the world, movies—especially that movie—was a good place to start. So in the comfort of each other’s company, exhausted after a particularly draining day, they enjoyed burgers the way they were meant to be enjoyed, lazily and in good company.

At some point between finishing their food and the credits rolling for the movie they both fell asleep, drifting off from their food comas, exertion from training, or maybe just the ease of each other’s presence. By the time the morning light had started creeping in through the windows James had sunk further into the couch. His feet were stretched out on the ottoman, one ankle resting on top of the other, arms crossed, and his head hanging, chin to his chest. Meanwhile Aria was curled up beside him, her head nestled in his lap unapologetically like that’s where it belonged.

When the sun had risen just enough to shine directly in his eyes, James began to stir. He went to stretch but once he felt the weight along his thighs he paused, forcing his eyes open to notice the mess of blonde hair splayed across his lap. In that moment a warm, unbidden and unexplainable feeling thrummed to life in his chest. He froze, scared to wake or disturb her, but also just enjoying the look of peace painted across her face. Slowly, carefully, he pulled the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and draped it across her. James settled further into his seat and grabbed the remote. He did his best to quickly mute the T.V. the second he turned it on, and opted for watching with subtitles rather than risk disturbing her.

Zaria dreamed of a balcony made of pale stone and moonlight. It rose out of nothing, suspended over a dark that had no bottom, its balustrade carved with the same severe, merciless geometry she had grown up memorizing until it lived behind her eyes. The stone was cold beneath her bare feet. Silk whispered around her legs when she moved; she wore a dress the color of old bones and winter roses, too fine for her hands, too delicate for the life she had lived, the fabric breathing like something alive against her skin. The air smelled like storms that never quite arrived, ozone and distant rain, sharp enough to sting the back of her throat. Somewhere in that vast hollow space, someone said her name.

She turned, heart lifting at the sound of it, James’s voice, unmistakable even in dreams, rough-edged and warm, threaded with something like concern. Relief bloomed so fast it hurt, fragile and dizzying, like stepping onto solid ground after too long at sea. But when she faced him, it wasn’t James who stood there.

It was her father.

Victor von Doom wore inevitability the way other men wore coats. Cloaked in shadow and metal and the cold certainty of being right, he stood with his hands folded behind his back, expression calm, disappointed, eternal. The world narrowed around him, warped by his gravity, by the familiar pressure of his presence. And at his feet—

Zaria’s breath locked in her chest.

James lay broken against the marble, blood dark against white stone, his body bent at angles no living thing should know, his face slack and unseeing, the warmth gone from him like a candle pinched between fingers. The balcony tilted, the horizon buckled, the sky seemed to pull away from itself. Her father said something she couldn’t hear, his mouth shaping words that had ruined her life a thousand times over, syllables heavy with ownership and inevitability.

She tried to scream. No sound came. Her eyes flew open.

Air tore into her lungs like she’d been drowning. Her body jerked, fingers clawing at empty space, heart hammering so violently it hurt, each beat a sharp, panicked blow against her ribs. For one awful half-second, the dream clung to her, marble and blood and metal and inevitability still pressed against the inside of her skull, still slick on her skin, still whispering that nothing good was allowed to stay.

Then sensation rushed back in.

Warmth first. Heavy, gentle warmth draped over her shoulders, settling into her bones like something deliberate, protective. A blanket. The soft rise and fall beneath her cheek. Denim. Cotton. Heat. The faint scent of grease and soap and something uniquely him, grounding and imperfect and real. She blinked hard, vision blurring, then clearing, the shapes of the room slowly assembling themselves into something safe and ordinary.

She was curled on her side, knees drawn in, her head resting in James’s lap, turned toward his stomach, cheek pressed into the worn fabric of his jeans. The steady, living weight of his leg beneath her temple anchored her in a way nothing else ever had, solid and undeniable. It took another second for her to register the bright wash of morning light creeping through the windows, the careful stillness of the body she was leaning against. Her breathing slowed in uneven increments, shuddering its way back into rhythm.

She became aware of the blanket tucked around her shoulders, of the way it had been placed with deliberate care, pulled close enough to keep the chill away but not so tight that it trapped her. And then, softly, impossibly, of the fact that James was awake. Her gaze drifted upward, hesitant, afraid that sudden movement might shatter whatever fragile miracle had carried her out of that nightmare. She tilted her head back slowly, neck craning until she could see his face.

The world narrowed to that. Sleep-soft eyes. Tousled hair. The faint tension in his jaw like he’d been holding himself still for her sake. Alive. Breathing. Warm. The sight hit her harder than the dream had. Her throat tightened without permission. A sound almost escaped her, something small and broken and relieved, but she swallowed it down, lashes fluttering as she tried to steady the ache blooming behind her ribs. For a long moment she just looked at him. At the person she’d laughed with until her sides hurt. Who had let her wreck his kitchen without complaint. Who had watched a stupid movie with her and somehow made it feel like a revelation. Who had, in the space of one strange day, rewritten what it meant to be safe beside another human being.

She hadn’t known it could be like this. Not easy. Not quiet. Not warm.

Her childhood had been marble and discipline and blood beneath shut doors. Her life after had been running, always running—Logan at her side like a shield and a shadow, a father-shaped absence she had wrapped herself around because it was better than nothing. But this… this was different.

James had settled on watching Golden Girls, muted with subtitles. There were a handful of times where he had to muffle a laugh to try and not disturb her, but she slept so heavily that she didn’t even notice. He had made it through two episodes when he felt her stir. He remained still, breath even, a stoic pillow that would remain frozen in place under the assumption she was adjusting rather than waking up. But as a few seconds ticked by, there was a growing sensation like a tickle in his chest that made him feel like he was being watched. It was only when refraining became too unbearable that he spared a glance down to the mess of blonde hair in his lap, finding hazel eyes filled with more than just sleep staring back up at him.

The corner of his mouth curved into a lopsided smile. His hand along the back of the couch where she had been sitting the night before shifted slightly, nearly moving with the subconscious urge to adjust the blanket or brush aside a lock of hair. But his fingers curled into a fist along the cushion, forcing restraint. "Did I wake you?" he asked quietly like too much noise would break the fragile balance the morning rested in. "I forgot how funny Dorothy was. Golden Girls might not have been the best decision." His smile grew, warm and softly apologetic in his guilt.

Zaria let out a small, careful breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, the kind that loosened somewhere deep in her ribs. Waking was usually a violent thing for her, sharp and disorienting, all instinct and readiness to run, but this time the world had opened softly instead, layered in warmth and quiet and the low, steady presence of him. Seeing the faint curve of his mouth, the way sleep had gentled the hard lines of his face, the way his eyes looked clearer than they had the night before despite sleeping on the couch, it eased something knotted tight inside her chest. Not all at once. Not cleanly. But enough.

For a moment she just stayed there, cheek still pressed into his lap, lashes heavy, the blanket warm across her shoulders, the muted glow of the television painting pale shapes across the ceiling. She felt safe in a way that made her nervous to acknowledge it. Safe in a way that felt temporary and therefore precious.

Her voice came out before she could decide whether to keep it to herself, roughened by sleep and the ghost of fear still clinging to her throat. "I had a nightmare,” she admitted quietly. The words didn’t tremble, but they were thin, worn soft at the edges. She shifted the slightest bit, not enough to move away, just enough to breathe more easily. "It’s… better now,” she added, softer.

Then she looked up at him properly, really looked, at the way his smile hovered like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to keep it, at the gentleness in his eyes that hadn’t been there when they first met, at the careful way he held himself still for her sake. Something warm flickered through her chest, shy and fragile. She offered him her own smile in return. It was small. Uneven. A little uncertain around the edges. But it was real. After a second, she asked, just as quietly, "Did you sleep okay?”

She didn’t move from where she was. Didn’t untangle herself. Didn’t pretend she hadn’t claimed his lap like a refuge in the dark. She knew he’d need his leg back eventually. Knew this couldn’t last forever. But for now, wrapped in borrowed warmth, with the echo of a nightmare fading and the soft proof of him still here beneath her cheek, she let herself stay.

"I’m sorry," James replied at first, like somehow the nightmare was his doing. He doubted it was, even deep down he knew the probability was slim, unless she had visions of the spirit smiting a village or something… but nevertheless, he felt the need to apologize anyway, like the food, or his couch, or just his presence was the catalyst for the troubling sleep.

He cocked his head to the side with a lazy shrug at her own inquiry. "I’ve slept in far worse conditions. So a night on the couch isn’t that bad… Aside from the crick in my neck." His smile was subtle, a small tug at one corner like he was uncertain if he was allowed more than that. James’s gaze fell back down to her where she laid unmoving against his leg, weary eyed with messy blonde hair. She was… beautiful. The thought came on its own, like a train barreling through subconscious barricades and slamming into the forefront of his mind. It tightened in his chest and stole his breath. And for once the spirit said… nothing. No sarcastic comments, or insults. Nothing. Almost like he locked himself away and gave James one sliver of a thought that was just his.

He cleared his throat, forcing himself to repress the thought, to breathe and focus and not think about it. It was difficult for him to keep his expression unchanging, harder still to act like he didn’t have a tsunami of thoughts sloshing around his mind. James drew in a breath that was a little ragged, like he had forgotten to breathe for a moment longer than he should have. He rapped his fingers against the back of the couch and then met her gaze once again, because he had to, because he couldn’t act like it felt different… somehow.

"Did you want to talk about it?... Your nightmare," he offered, opening the door for her if she wanted it but in a gentle way that showed he wouldn’t pry or ask questions if she declined.

Zaria watched his mouth when he apologized, the way the word left him gently, like it had weight. It made something soft stir in her chest, tender and undeserved and painfully kind. Her lips curved in response before she could stop them, a quiet smile shaped by gratitude more than amusement. Even his attempt at humor, the small crooked admission about his neck, drew warmth into her expression. It was easy to forget, sometimes, how rare gentleness was when it wasn’t demanded. How disarming it could be when it was offered freely.

But when he asked about the nightmare, something in her faltered.

The smile lingered, but it thinned at the edges, turning fragile. Her lashes fluttered down, and for a long moment she let her eyes close, shutting out the room, the television’s flicker, even his face, holding instead to the rhythm of his breathing beneath her cheek. In and out. Steady. Real. The warmth of his leg pressed through the thin barrier of fabric, solid and anchoring, a quiet proof that the dream had lied.

She inhaled slowly, then again.

"It’s… nothing new,” she said at last, her voice soft and careful, shaped as if by glass. "Just another dream about my father.” Her fingers curled faintly into the blanket. "About him finding me. Taking me back.”

The words were spoken plainly, but they carried the weight of years, corridors of cold stone, iron rules spoken like scripture, a childhood carved into obedience. Her voice lowered further, nearly a whisper. "About what he’d take from me once he did.”

Her eyes opened again, and for a heartbeat she couldn’t look at him. Because the truth rose too fast, too sharp, the thing her father would steal first, if he could, would not be her freedom or her name or her body.

It would be this. This warmth. This quiet. This strange, fragile sense of being safe in someone’s presence. It would be James. The realization lodged in her throat like a splinter of light, painful and impossible to swallow. So she didn’t say it. She couldn’t. Not yet. Instead, she lifted her gaze back to him, letting only the softer truth show, the fear she had always carried, the one that was easier to explain.

"I’m okay,” she added quietly, though it wasn’t quite true. Her mouth curved into the faintest smile, brave and aching and incomplete. "I am. I just… needed a second to remember where I was.” And who she was with, that he was alive.

It was only when she started to describe her nightmare that James moved, letting his arm fall from the back of the couch. His hand hovered over her arm, like he was second guessing himself or giving her the opportunity to stop him, but after a pause, his palm came to rest gently upon the cap of her shoulder. He wasn’t trying to force his way into her personal space or make her uncomfortable, just give a soft, grounding bit of reassurance that his words could never give.

His thumb lightly stroked her arm through the blanket in a steady rhythm. "This place feels pretty safe," James commented as he lifted his head to look around his new living arrangements. After all, it was built by Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne. He didn’t know if it got safer than that. "There’s a lot of powerful people here who would help keep you safe." While he had some conviction behind his words, he realized that he couldn’t guarantee that. A lot of the people in the tower have a past, a history. Him and Aria were new. They were unknown, unstable variables. He couldn’t entirely blame their new allies for keeping them at an arm’s length when all they knew was she was Doom’s daughter and he was possessed. It didn’t paint them in the best light.

James sighed. His face hardened into something more pensive in the way his brows curved downwards and his jaw tensed. "Ok, well… I can’t speak for them," he confessed. The corner of his mouth tugged, not into a smile, but into a sympathetic sort of grimace. "But I can protect you. Or I can try, anyway." He held her gaze for a second before shifting his attention toward the muted rerun of Golden Girls. "I know your father is powerful but I’m functionally immortal… Sooo..."

There was a heavy silence that hovered in the space between them for a handful of minutes before James finally let his gaze fall back to her. He didn’t know why he felt protective of her. Maybe it was because someone needed to look out for her with Logan gone. Or maybe it was because he could see the trust behind her eyes and while it was what, two days? Aria was the first constant thing in his life in a long time. Or it could be something else… that he wasn’t going to think about because that was stupid, and he wasn’t a blonde with boobs.

He shrugged his shoulders. "If he tries I’ll just have to kill him." There was a light sarcasm behind the weight of his words, but once he realized he just threatened her dad he cringed with a pained, apologetic frown. "Well… You know, with your consent… Obviously. I’m not just gonna murder your dad. That’s crazy."

There was a deep rumble in his chest, almost like a scoff that roared to life from the belly of a beast before the spirit decided he had been quiet long enough. "I think you mean I’ll kill him. You’re just a meat suit."

James sighed, his head sagging as he felt whatever meaning or vulnerability that might have hung on his words was erased by his resident parasite. His jaw clenched, muscles along his neck flexing as he swallowed back his words and let his attention drift toward the window.

Zaria felt herself soften beneath his touch, the slow, absent-minded rhythm of his thumb against her arm seeping through the blanket and into places she hadn’t realized were still braced for impact. The tension she carried so instinctively, like armor she forgot she was wearing, eased, piece by piece, until her shoulders sank more fully into the couch and her weight settled more honestly against him. His words warmed her in a quiet way, not loud or dazzling, but steady, like embers banked carefully through the night. He didn’t speak like a hero from one of the movies he’d talked about yesterday. He spoke like someone who meant it, even when he doubted himself, even when the promise was too big for any single person to reasonably carry.

She listened to him talk about the tower, about the people inside it, about protection and uncertainty and the strange, fragile politics of trust. She understood more than she said. She had felt the careful distance in the hallways, the weight of her name moving ahead of her like a shadow. Doom’s daughter. A risk. A story people thought they already knew how to end.

It didn’t hurt the way it once might have. Not when she was here. Not when his voice was low and awkward and sincere above her, admitting what he could and could not promise.

When he said he would protect her, something warm and dangerous bloomed in her chest. When he fumbled over the idea of killing her father and tripped over his own morality, she let out a quiet, startled laugh, soft against his stomach, the sound more breath than voice. And when Judge rumbled through him, sharp and cool, she smiled fondly.

She shifted just enough to look up at him again, eyes gentler now, clearer. There was no fear in them this time. Only certainty, fragile but bright. "I know they don’t really trust me,” she said softly. "Most of them.” Her fingers curled lightly into the blanket.

"I think… it’s easier for them to accept you. Even with Judge. You’re dangerous, but you’re… I’m just a reminder of something their parents fought for years.” She paused, then added more quietly, "But Tobias trusted me.”

The name carried careful hope in it, fragile as spun glass. It wasn’t what she had with James now, not even close, but it was the only other connection in the tower she could hold onto. "And his father was just as bad as mine. Worse, in some ways. And they trust him now. It took time, but… they do.” Her gaze lifted to James again, steady and unguarded. "So maybe one day they will with us too.”

James shrugged his shoulders slightly, staring at the TV as a commercial about toilet paper or something played silently in the background. "I don’t… care if they trust me," he admitted quietly without looking back down at her. He wasn’t there to make friends or build trust. Sure, a team needed trust, he supposed, but he could tell when people were lying to him, Judge could sniff out the liars… Going at things solo was nothing new for him. If they didn’t trust him then he’d show up to kill or smite what was needed of him, then disappear back into his penthouse.

But Aria? With her father, the bounty on her head, and everything else, she needed that trust… For protection. For safety. One bad egg could get her sent back to Doom or worse. Tobias trusting her was a boon, not a big one, but if the people in the tower could learn to accept him despite his father, then it should be no different for her… He hoped. "Tobias seems fairly level headed compared to most of the others here. If one of them was going to trust you… I think he might be the best choice." It was only then that his gaze dropped back down to her with a small, lopsided smile.

A beat passed. Then her smile changed—softened, warmed, turned inward like something meant just for him. "Maybe… but I’ll always remember who trusted me first.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Who promised to protect me.” Something resolute settled behind her ribs.

"Hmm," he mused quietly, unable to fight the way the corners of his mouth curved into a more earnest smile.

"And I’ll protect you too,” she said gently, the words simple and absolute. "Even if you are… functionally immortal.” There was a flicker of shy humor in her eyes.

James laughed quietly, nodding his head in a playfully placating sort of way. "Sure thing, Killer."

She grinned, then, carefully, she lifted one hand from beneath the blanket and reached up, pressing a single finger to the center of his chest in a light, deliberate poke, right where his heart beat. "And that wasn’t a very nice thing to call him, Judge,” she added, looking not at James, but at the invisible presence riding shotgun behind his eyes, her tone fond despite the reprimand. Her hand lingered there for half a second longer than necessary before retreating, her head settling back into his lap as if it had always belonged there.

His head dipped, gaze falling to where she softly touched his chest. It was small, a passing gesture meant to chastise and reprimand the spirit stirring in the back of his head, but his breath still drew in sharply and his heart skipped a beat. James tried his best to brush it off and mask it beneath a quiet chuckle that rumbled beneath his ribs. And thankfully Judge spoke up before he had to distract himself to try and not let the heat creep up to his cheeks that he could feel stirring in his chest.

"It’s the truth. I could call him my host, but ‘meat suit,’ or ‘puppet’ is more fun. Without me, James is just a man with a motorcycle."

James rose his brows in silent concession. As much as the spirit was a parasite that made him feel like he was losing a little more of his sanity day by day, without him… He wouldn’t be in the tower, wouldn’t be sitting there with Aria’s head resting in his lap. It was a weird sort of irony, the way silver linings presented themself around a cloud so black that he didn’t know if he’d ever see the sun again. There were some days where he regretted making the deal, the days where his father was especially spiteful or he felt more lonely than he could put into words. But even in a building of superheroes who didn’t trust him, he felt more accepted than he had for over a decade. Fate was… weird.

Zaria didn’t think about it before she moved. One moment she was curled against him, wrapped in the borrowed warmth of his lap and the quiet comfort of morning light, and the next she was pushing herself upright. The blanket slid from her shoulders and pooled in her lap like fallen snow as she twisted to face him fully. Her hand came up, hesitant only for a fraction of a second, before she pressed her whole palm flat against the center of his chest.

She felt it immediately. The warmth. The steady, living thud beneath bone and skin and stubborn pride. It grounded her in a way nothing else could, and for a dangerous second she was acutely aware of how close they were, of the heat rushing to her cheeks, of the way her breath caught and then tried to pretend it hadn’t. But she ignored it, focusing instead on the firm line of her mouth as she frowned slightly, eyes sharpening with something protective.

"No, Judge,” she said, voice steady despite the warmth climbing up her neck. "You’re wrong. He’s not just a man.” Her fingers flexed faintly against his shirt as if to emphasize the point, her frown deepening in quiet conviction.

"You of all can see that. You live in him.” She shook her head softly, blonde strands shifting around her shoulders. "He’s a good person, genuinely good in a way a lot of people can never manage even if they spend their whole lives trying. He deserves better than being called a meat bag.”

There was no dramatics in her tone, just a calm, unwavering certainty that felt older than her years. She had seen cruelty, had grown up surrounded by it, and had learned to measure people by what they did when no one was watching. And James, for all his sharp edges and flippant humor, had chosen kindness in the small moments that mattered. Her gaze softened then, the sternness melting into something lighter, more playful as she finally withdrew her hand from his chest.

"C’mon,” she added, a small grin tugging at her lips, mischief flickering behind hazel eyes. "You’re creative. You could definitely come up with a better nickname than that.” The grin lingered, soft, teasing, fond, and she let her hand fall back into her lap, pretending her pulse hadn’t jumped at the feel of his heartbeat under her palm.

James didn’t move, on the contrary he froze entirely. He felt the warmth of Aria’s palm radiant across his sternum as she pressed her hand against his chest. His Adam's apple jumped in his throat when he swallowed, breaths growing shallow like properly filling his lungs was too much movement. The hand that had been resting on her shoulder had shifted with her movement, returning to where his arm was stretched across the back of the couch, but his finger—one single index finger—twiddled and tapped against the cushion. He grounded himself in that solitary movement rather than the racing of his heart that he knew she could feel through the thin fabric of his shirt. His chin dropped, gaze falling to her pale, delicate fingers that pressed gentle but firmly against his ribs. He blinked slowly, trying to steady his breaths as his eyes trailed up her arm, along her shoulder, until they found their way up to her flushed cheeks and serious gaze.

He was of multiple minds as her words filled the silence of his penthouse. James wanted to argue her claims, pointing out the obvious fact that she had known him for the better part of two days. So how could she know what kind of person he was? There was a smaller, strangely foreign part of him that almost wanted to defend Judge. While his words of choice were… harsh at times, he also wasn’t wrong. Then, beneath his own warring stubbornness was a pull deep in his chest, like a tether wanting to lift his hand and rest it on top of hers, holding it in place before she could take it away. His thumb twitched, but before it moved she did and her hand fell into her lap. Good. The last thing he needed to do… was something stupid, like that. He cleared his throat and extended his fingers outwards before curling them tightly into a fist, like his own silent bid for restraint and control.

Coward, the spirit chastised him within his mind. James clenched his jaw, but did not respond. He hung his head slightly, loose dark locks fell from his messy ponytail, slipping from behind his ear and veiled part of his face. His gaze fixated on a grease stain in his jeans while Judge took over his vocal cords like his own personal puppet. "I’ve called him plenty of names: liar, pussy… coward. I thought ‘meat suit’ was kinder."

James sighed, unable to remain stationary as he became the butt of a joke he didn’t want to be a part of. He ran his hands along his jeans before pushing off his knees and standing up. He groaned softly as he unintentionally forced his back to stretch quicker than he probably should have. He winced, sucking in a sharp breath when something between his shoulders twinged and pinched. "Poptarts and coffee?" he asked, sparing her a quick glance with a small, fragile smile that lost a fraction of its warmth from Judge’s words. He didn’t wait for an answer, walking around the couch and heading toward the kitchen. He groaned and his face contorted with discomfort, reaching one hand up to rub the back of his neck in an attempt to soothe the ache.

Zaria’s frown deepened when Judge spoke again, the words falling into the quiet room like small stones tossed into still water. She didn’t respond this time, though the disapproval lingered plainly across her face. Instead, her eyes followed James as he pushed himself up from the couch, and for a brief, dangerous second her thoughts scattered completely. The stretch of his shoulders, the quiet groan that slipped from him, the rough line of muscle shifting beneath his shirt—he was painfully, unfairly handsome in a way that made her chest tighten before she could stop it. Dark hair, tired eyes that were somehow still kind, the sort of rugged presence that made the room feel steadier simply because he was in it. She caught herself staring and quickly dragged her gaze away, heat prickling at her cheeks as if the moment itself had been caught doing something it shouldn’t.

They were friends.

The thought landed hard, firm as a boundary she repeated to herself more than once. Friendship alone already felt complicated enough, already stretching the limits of what she understood about being close to another person. Logan had been safe, steady and patient like the father she’d never had. Her brother had been a protector, someone who stood between her and the world like a shield. But this strange, quiet ease with James, felt different in ways she didn’t quite know how to navigate, and that frightened her more than she wanted to admit. The idea of misstepping, of accidentally hurting him, made something inside her chest knot with a nervous intensity she couldn’t easily smooth away.

She sat up slowly, drawing the blanket off her shoulders and stretching her arms above her head. The movement loosened the stiffness that came from sleeping awkwardly on the couch, though her mind was still spinning faster than she liked. When she looked back toward him, she forced her thoughts into quieter corners and offered him a bright, steady smile—small but sincere, a fragile piece of normalcy she was determined to hold onto.

“That sounds good to me,” she said lightly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice stayed warm, casual, though a careful listener might have caught the hopeful note she tried to tuck beneath the words. “We could make something for lunch too, maybe?” She followed him toward the kitchen a second later, steps soft against the floor, the smile lingering even as her heart continued its quiet, complicated dance.

James grabbed the platter of poptarts she had offered him the night before which had been carefully set aside on the counter. He turned around to face her, gaze slowly rising from beneath dark hair to look over at her with a tired smile that still managed to be warm beneath the aches of his body and Judge’s snark. The quiet sound of the plate sliding across the kitchen island echoed throughout his open penthouse as he placed the pastries out for her. He rolled his shoulders and then his neck as he turned his back toward her and started brewing a pot of coffee. The caffeine wouldn’t work the tightness out of his muscles, but it would remove the haze that still clung to the edges of his mind.

Once he heard the quiet whistle of steam and drip of coffee, James opened the cabinet beside the fridge and retrieved two mugs. "Sure," he replied softly, facing her once again while setting down the ceramic cups on the counter. "You’ve already witnessed the extent of my culinary expertise," he joked with a halfhearted laugh. "But I’m sure we could find a recipe or—"

"Good morning," J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice rang throughout the apartment, cutting off James before he could continue. "Mr. Lehnsherr has requested everyone’s attendance for a meeting in conference room 01 on the first floor at noon. Thank you."

James sighed, followed by a weak laugh that was more irony and annoyance rather than actual humor. He pressed his hands against the edge of the counter, tapping his thumbs against the cool surface as he clicked his tongue. "Guess lunch is off the table," he mused with a smile that was lazy and frayed as it only curved on one side. "Wonder what that’s about," he thought out loud as he pushed off the kitchen island and went about gathering sugar and milk for when the coffee was finished.

Zaria had already claimed one of the pop-tarts by the time James turned back toward the coffee machine. She chose carefully, one of the neat, golden ones Alfred had made compared to her culinary chaos, and held it delicately between her fingers as she wandered toward the fridge. Each bite was small, thoughtful, as though she were still a little amazed that food could exist like this, simple, delicious, shared between people without ceremony or expectation. She tugged open the refrigerator door and searched for a bottle of water, the quiet hum of the appliance filling the soft silence of the penthouse.

The announcement from J.A.R.V.I.S. stopped her mid-step.

Her hand paused on the refrigerator handle, pop-tart half-raised to her mouth as she turned her head slightly toward the living room. A faint crease formed between her brows, uncertainty settling into her expression as she looked back toward James. “I… don’t know enough to know if announcements are a good thing or a bad thing,” she admitted sheepishly, the words leaving her with a soft breath that carried more weight than she meant them to. She closed the fridge and stepped back, forcing herself to take another bite of the pastry, chewing slowly as if normalcy alone might steady the strange heaviness that had suddenly settled in her stomach.

The anxiety crept in quietly after that.

Her thoughts slipped sideways, tumbling into dark corners she hadn’t invited them into. Maybe they had decided she was too dangerous to keep around. After all, who needed the daughter of Doom lingering in the hallways of a building full of heroes? Maybe they had found something out about the disappearances, about Logan. The thought hit hardest of all. What if they had news? What if the news was the kind that ended searches and closed doors forever? She swallowed hard, chased the bite of pop-tart with a long drink of water, and deliberately forced those spiraling thoughts down where they couldn’t claw their way back up.

James shrugged his shoulders as he set down the milk and sugar on the counter. He studied her face, the way her body seemed to go rigid lost in thought. Anxieties around the unknown were common. He could understand, even used to feel it at one point, but with the spirit in him… He had found himself significantly less concerned with the what if’s. "I imagine whatever it is, it isn’t urgent… Or our attendance would have been ‘urgently requested,’" he commented, trying to ease her tensions with a wry smile.

"But regardless, I’m the flight risk, not you. Remember?" His brows rose in a silent challenge as he repeated Tony Jr.’s words. He wasn’t entirely sure why he said it, but Aria’s unease made him think back to their earlier conversation about their place on this team… in this tower. He had no reason to think either of them was about to be ousted, but even so, it’d make sense for it to be him over her. She seemed like the type of girl who could use reassurances and he was just trying to do his best where he could.

She looked at James, and in that moment he became the anchor in the storm of her thoughts, the simple reality that cut through the fog. The quiet steadiness of him, coffee brewing, mugs set out, shoulders loose despite the morning stiffness, felt like a lantern in a dark room. His words were kind in a way she wasn’t entirely sure she deserved yet, but it made her shoulders ease. “Thank you,” Zaria murmured, voice soft and genuine as her lips tugged up into a crooked sort of smile. There was a pause, barely ten seconds, and then her face lit up like she’d just realized something.

“Dinner, then,” she said suddenly. The words slipped out before she realized how long the silence had stretched. Heat rushed to her cheeks the moment she heard herself, and she turned quickly toward the living room, setting out to tidy the space unnecessarily. “I mean—” she added, a little breathless now, “If you want, we could cook dinner together. I can find something on the Tube.”

She paused, brow furrowing as the phrase caught up with her. Her nose scrunched in thoughtful confusion. “Is… is that what people call it?” The uncertainty melted into a graceful shrug that somehow managed to be both elegant and deeply embarrassing at the same time, like someone who had grown up in marble halls without the internet suddenly realizing the world had its own strange vocabulary she was still learning.

He chuckled softly, the sound deep and gravely as it rumbled somewhere in his chest, as he watched her nervous shift from the unknowns of their impending meeting to… Something else that he couldn’t quite decipher. "Tube," James mused quietly as he pivoted around and lifted the coffee pot from its base. "Americans usually call it TV… or television if you’re feeling fancy," he clarified for her as he started to pour the steaming hot liquid into the prepared mugs. "Dinner is good," he reassured her quietly with a small nod of his head that made wild black locks fall from behind his ear.

When he finished his gaze drifted over toward his fingers curled around the handle and the grease still caked under his nails. "I should probably shower beforehand." he commented, more thinking out loud than anything. James’s attention slowly drifted across the penthouse to where Aria tried to tidy the small bit of disorder they made on the couch. His gaze fell to the white marks that still clung to her dark clothes like stubborn memories of her cooking endeavors. He chuckled to himself as he motioned toward her shirt. "I imagine Betty Crocker might want fresh clothes too."

Zaria’s grin came easily this time, sheepish and warm as she brushed a stray smear of flour from the front of her shirt. The reminder of her earlier culinary disasters made her nose wrinkle slightly, though the expression softened with quiet amusement rather than embarrassment. “Yeah,” she admitted, glancing down at the stubborn white dusting across the dark fabric like it might confess its crimes if she stared long enough. “Betty Crocker definitely needs a shower.” The words were light, but the smile she gave him afterward carried a softness that lingered just a moment too long, as if she was reluctant to let the easy warmth between them slip away.

She hesitated after speaking, the pause small enough that most people might have missed it. For a moment she simply stood there, fingers curling into the blanket she had been wrapped in earlier, the quiet familiarity of the penthouse settling around her like something safe and carefully held. It felt strange, how easily she had grown comfortable here, how quickly the space had begun to feel like somewhere she could breathe without watching every door and shadow. The thought made her chest tighten with a fleeting, foolish reluctance. She told herself she was being silly.

Her hands moved before her thoughts could linger too long on it. She began folding the blanket neatly along its seams, smoothing the fabric with careful strokes that spoke of practiced tidiness more than habit. The couch cushions were straightened next, the pillows lifted and fluffed before she set them back in place as if restoring the small island of calm they had created there the night before. The movements were gentle and unhurried, though the quiet domestic rhythm gave her something to do with the strange flutter of nerves in her chest.

“Maybe I’ll go do that now,” she said softly after a moment, her voice warm but steady as she glanced back toward him. The faintest note of hesitation threaded through the words, though she masked it behind an easy smile. “But I’ll probably come back up if I have time before the meeting.” The sentence came out more hopeful than she intended, though she didn’t seem to notice it herself.

"Don’t forget your coffee," James tried to stop her before she left in too big of a hurry. Remembering the ungodly sweet coffee she had the day before, he grabbed the sugar and put enough scoops into the dark liquid that he was certain it would give cavities. He then grabbed the milk, adding a sizable helping that took the coffee from black to a warm caramel color. After giving it a good stir, he walked over to Aria and held out the steaming mug toward her with a soft, lopsided smile. "Door’s always open," he offered. It wasn’t like anyone else was likely to visit him. Plus, she had already seen him naked, he doubted either one of them could be scarred more than they already have been.

Zaria had made it nearly to the edge of the room before his voice caught her, and she stopped so abruptly she nearly laughed at herself. She turned back with a little startled blink, then doubled back toward him in a quick, light-footed shuffle that was almost comically eager, the kind of movement she would have denied if anyone ever accused her of it. The sight of the mug in his hand, and more importantly, the scandalous amount of sugar he’d clearly dumped into it for her, made her grin widen into something bright and unguarded, all warmth and sleep-soft affection.

“Thank you,” she practically sang, the words lifting on a note of genuine delight as she accepted the steaming mug with both hands, careful and reverent as if he were handing her something precious rather than aggressively sweetened coffee. The heat of it seeped into her palms at once, comforting and sharp all at once, and she couldn’t help the soft little hum of approval that escaped her as she took a daring sip far too soon. It was scalding, painfully, recklessly hot, and she still smiled through the sting.

She lingered just long enough to glance back at him over the rim of the mug, her expression softening around the edges at his words, at the easy invitation tucked into them like it was nothing when it meant far too much. Then she backed toward the door, careful and clumsy in equal measure, and bumped it shut with her hip on the way out, laughter flickering across her face at the awkwardness of it.

“See you soon!” The words floated back to him warm and certain as she disappeared into the hall, coffee in hand, heart lighter than it had any right to be, heading for the elevator with the taste of sugar on her tongue and the quiet promise of returning already tucked safely in her chest.



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