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thevoidstaredback · 25 days

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Okay, so, crisis averted. Both of them, really. Red Robin had not asked or attempted to get any more of Danny's drink and the World Ending Crisis was less World Ending and more World Threatening. Either way, no one is hyped up in lethal amounts of caffeine and the world is in no more pieces than it had been before.

That brings attention to a new problem, though. It's uniquely Danny's problem and Constantine and Zatanna and Deadman won't stop laughing at him. He's also pretty sure that Raven is laughing at him in the privacy of her mind, so that's making him feel worse.

The problem is that every single hero that had been at the meeting a week ago that was not a part of the JLD has been overly concerned about him.

So what if he half died when he was fourteen and therefore will never look over either fourteen or eighteen? So what if he consumes enough caffeine to kill an elephant within a few minutes? What is he gonna do, die? That's not a real threat as long as he only fights as Phantom.

Ignoring the fact that he can, in fact, get hurt to the point of near death as Phantom. It's not like anyone knows that, though! Besides, ghosts run on god rules. They can't die, only fade when forgotten. People aren't likely to forget about most ghosts, though, even if they can't remember their names.

He's not gonna share that, though. Let Batman keep his contingency that won't work because the only contingency that will work for Phantom is the one he made himself. Tried and tested! He's marked it off of his Bingo Card.

Anyway. Heros and their kids/proteges have been trying to track him down for the entire week. He can't risk even leaving the House of Mysteries because the Supers are all probably listening out for him and they can't hear him through magic. It sucks. He just wants to go get a cup of coffee as Danny. The second he leaves, though, the Supers will be on him like bloodhounds. He'd leave as Danny, but the rest of the JLD don't know what he looks like as Danny and he'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. Being stuck as Phantom was going to start causing issues to his human half if he doesn't get to leave soon.

Should he risk it? Is coffee that won't kill him really worth risking the Supers finding out his civilian identity? Sure, they wouldn't tell anyone, but he didn't like the idea of someone being able to pick him out of a crowd when all he wanted to do was blend in. It's why he avoided Gotham and Bludhaven, actually, but that's both self explanatory and another story for another time.

"You're still here?" Zatanna sat on the couch beside him. "You're normally gone by now. You can't not be tired of us yet."

He sighed and sunk down into the couch slightly. "Believe me, I'm tired of being stuck here, but I can't leave. I can't leave as a human because you guys don't know what I look like and, no offense, but I'd like to keep it that way. I can't leave as I am now because Superman will be on my ass quicker than I can blink!" He whined this time, "I just want a cup of coffee."

"What about your special brew?" Raven asked, coming into the room.

"I want to drink coffee as a human. That stuff will kill me if I drink it as a human."

"At least you know your limits."

"That sounded like a dig at someone, Z."

"It was."

"Why don't you just go out under a protection spell?" Raven offered, "We could cast one over you and you could leave. Superman can't hear through magic, so he won't be able to tell. Neither will Superboy."

Danny thought for a second. "You're a genius, Raven! Has anyone ever told you that?"

"A few times," she blushed.

"Well, it needs to be said more!"

Zatanna laughed. "Alright, kid, let's get you outside before you drive yourself crazy."

Practically vibrating in place, Danny waited for the protection spell to settle over him. The second it did, he was out the door and wandering the streets of whatever city the House of Mysteries decided to drop him as Danny instead of Phantom.

"Who are you," was not the question or voice he wanted to hear the second he stepped into the open as himself.

"Danny," he squeaked out through his absolute panic. He didn't dare turn around.

The sound of fabric moving minutely clues him in to the second person behind him. What the hell were these two doing out? It's the middle of the day and there's no attacks going on anywhere in Gotham!

"Where did you come from?" Robin asked.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! This was really bad! Why did the House drop him *here* of all places? Does it *want* him to die again? It was very painful the first time, thank you very much! "Illinois?"

"Was that a question or an answer?" Why is Red Robin here now?!

"An-an answer?"

"Ah, you guys are scaring the little guy!" That was Nightwing. They're surrounding him! Why is Nightwing here? This is Gotham, not Bludhaven. "Give him some room to breathe."

They did not, in fact, give him room to breathe. Maybe coming outside was a bad idea. If he gets out of this no more dead than he already was, he was going to move to the middle of nowhere and become a hermit. Smallville is a town in the middle of nowhere, right? He'll retire as Phantom and move to Smallville until the people get suspicious and burn him as a witch-!

Maybe moving to a big city would be a better idea. Or locking himself in the basement of the House of Mysteries. Yeah, yeah that's a good idea.

"-even listening?"

Oh shit. They were still talking to him! Now is not the time to panic! "Gottagobye!" And then he was running.

Good job not panicking, Danny.

Part 1 Part 3

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blankdblank · 1 year

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Poke Pt 12 - Weak Knees & Sweet Dreams

@devilishminx328. @theincaprincess, @lilith15000, @jesevans, @jiminapickle

Poke Masterlist

...

Long before the sun would rise in a chair at the lounge for the flight to Sweden you sat hunched slightly onto Eddie’s arm that hung over the armrest between you. A couple days early you would stop in and check on the research center to drop off the new machines inside your spare suitcase to help move the next wave of patients along.

Packed to the brim were binders of reports of how the study had been going, scanned by bees sent over through the internet to keep on top of progress, with more binders to be filled soon. More patients were coming and now with Stark’s donation there was more room to assist in travel fees for them to enable it.

For now you dozed off and tried to not dream of the gardens ahead you could check up on both at the grave and inside the memorial garden where your home once stood. Eddie would get you up on time to leave the private lounge to claim the first class seats the airline upgraded you to upon notice of your name.

Bright and sunny however when you landed even still when the sun was meant to be setting the sky was bright as ever, the positioning of these lands to have little night time this time of year. Idun and Epli were there to pick you both up and let you stay at their place. Flashes of press however came with the slew of questions about the event to come which some were calling your makeshift debut amongst the elite, as you had missed the chance to celebrate your arrival to adulthood here in Scandinavia.

Partly the day was about you, but for the most part about what you had brought back to life. A living relic who again appeared overtop your head outside the airport in dragon form. Here to keep you company to the other side of this press happy trip. Eldfalls himself could feel how special this trip was, even knowing it was in honor of him and his former pilot, the air carried the weight of this. A day of something older to be remembered by all in the three lands prized by Asgardians as still loyal to their faith, even in some small matter of history alone, a day of honoring a lost King and all that he meant to the ancestors of these lands. Everyone wanted this event to go well, and right into his arms you flinched at a sudden familiar light of another kind.

Wide eyed just a moment you stood peering around Eddie’s protective wall he formed in front of you to the Princes who landed thanks to Mjolner, in a burst of light right behind the car. Flashes again erupted and the duo were glad to invite themselves along to see your parents’ research center.

The research itself would be barred from their interference, but the numerous Beserkers here had confided enough to prove the work was advanced so much so they had to take part and protect it when your parents had been alive. The etchings mounted on the wall however had the both of them freeze and pay silent respects to the lost parents of their new friend.

They could only approve of the work being done and the efforts behind it, even with their limited medical knowledge common to that of what Asgard had to offer compared to Midgard. Spare rooms were offered to them, and the next day more was to be shown to the pair eager to know just why you arrived here early ahead of the event in Norway. Breakfast, with mention of a tour of your hometown left a bittersweet taste in their mouths as soon as the notion was offered. And after a morning stop they got to see where you were raised for a time.

The post lunch tour of your hometown, namely the memorial garden you lovingly traced fingertips across flower petals and leaves between lazily flapping insects helping to pollinate them just about had the duo in tears. For what this meant, beneath where the floor of your former home rested they followed the pathway eyeing flowers they believed to have been lost to these times. Subtle hints of tear stains down your cheeks were caught by the duo who listened to plans to travel ahead to Norway that evening.

Thengel right from the airstrip picked you and Eddie up, the Princes having been rounded up to be given a grand tour of the city while you settled into Thengel’s rental for the stay. Stars would be the theme and reluctantly the brothers alongside Thor’s friends who had arrived from Asgard and Vanir to be present for this would be pulled into the beginnings of the boisterous Norse Pagan themed ceremony networks would be broadcasting up to the big ship unveiling after the fundraising dinner.

Around the back of your head braided flower like buns rested atop a long strip of plaited curls your bees made certain to help you fix your hair while Thengel helped you to hide the comb ends of your tiara you painstakingly made certain was on straight.

The tiara was mainly made of rows of circular diamonds in a gentle slope. The lowest half a carat with two carat stones above that, then three one carat layers followed by another layer of three carat stones. An arched solid layer of one carat square diamonds sit under crescent arm shaped arches angled upwards coated in square three quarter carat diamonds that reach up to points supporting nineteen four carat diamonds to top it off.

That was paired with the diamond and yellow diamond teardrop earrings gifted to you by Johnny. And the necklace you made. A choker around the base of your neck in a woven Asgardian metal base. There grape sized teardrop yellow diamonds formed hearts, spaced enough to fit leaf shaped clear diamonds that met in the front, for a strand of teardrop clear diamonds growing in size to end the strand. With a yellow diamond to put the Tiffany diamond to shame to rest just shy of your cleavage.

Yellow and white to go with the dress you had found for this. Somewhere between a wedding gown and a prom dress the brilliantly white layered tulle floor length dress was strapless, had a deep plunging neckline and cinched waist. Topped with shimmering beaded and rhinestones five pointed stars all over it in varying sizes.

“Oh now that’s just not fair,” Eddie said turning your head from the mirror. “Going after the Prince’s knee caps like that.”

“What?” you squeaked making Thengel smirk to himself.

“I see what you’re going for, ‘just had this lying around’, nice move, certainly shooting your shot. I approve, he’s not gonna feel his knees down tonight.”

“We are unveiling a sail tonight, that is all, no knee capping involved.” You said with a blush only hindered by Eldfalls turning your head to blow a puff of colorful smoke across your face you blinked through and looked back to the mirror to see a band of shimmering silver around your eyes outlined by runes in Old Asgardian. “Oh that’s pretty, thank you,” you said and felt his head nuzzle into the side of yours to murmured sentiments in his old tongue.

“Poor Prince,” Eddie teased making you roll your eyes, “Never gonna know what hit him.”

Thengel broke his comments with his hands rested on your shoulders to smile at you proudly, “You will be magnificent. I know Sigyn is smiling on this moment and Magnus is weeping with pride. Let us go and get you to the event.” He said and you nodded, just barely remembering to grab the bag Loki had gifted you and your glittering heeled platform boots tied off with newly replaced bows as the old ones that came with the rough bottom soled pair had worn thin on both pairs. Inside the car they both were tied on then hidden away underneath layers of the poofy skirt for you three to look around and see the celebration going on in the streets.

All throughout Norway the festivities were carrying on it seemed with only a lull of silence when Eldfalls came to hover his way out of the car parked outside the museum. Though the silence seemed to be for you caused by the uproar of the crowd around the car you stepped out of to be seen beside the standing dragon, noise canceling out others until music came to focus and in a turn the raven haired Prince caught a world stopping smile spread across your face.

Radiant and glittering in the evening sunlight and flashbulb sea a face adorned with symbols marking of other lands he knew so warmly as home turned to steal a glance his way. Hard and fast a hand on his back had the dark haired Prince flinch to catch himself from collapse and heaved a deep sigh to the sight of Volstagg who paid compliment to the young Shieldmaiden bearing pilot markings of such a craft. He barely looked away a moment and seemed to have missed the good distance from the curb to the front hall your group just entered. Low and respectful to the Royal Families here you curtsied and were greeted fondly and promptly shown to other guests while Eddie to Thengel whispered in smirk laced notice of the continued tries to steal glances your way from not just the Princes but their own guests the crowds had taken so warmly to.

“And where, might I ask, did you find that?” Lady Sif’s voice turned your head to the gown glad warrior of legends who nodded her head to the blue woven metal bangle topped by aged silver pearls of Lagertha’s around your wrist. “Our people have only seen that piece in portraits and tapestries. The famed Lagertha bore it.”

The Warriors three eased over same as Loki and Thor, who all looked at the piece of history around your captured wrist she held aloft. “Birthday gift. Good friend knows a demon who claimed to have stolen it from her burial site. My Beserker friends said I could see if it would burn me or not and I haven’t heard from Yggdrasil if she wanted me to bury it somewhere for her.”

Sif stated, “Lagertha is rumored to have returned to this realm. Should she desire it the location will be well displayed for her to send word for its return.” Releasing your wrist she said, “And one so linked to an ally of her former life I myself would be comforted by the care you have taken of it, were it mine to retrieve.”

Volstagg in a wave of his hand, “Were you on Asgard a fine feast would be fashioned for this occasion days in advance, though for mortals a day of feasting would suffice, as they do not withstand as we do.”

Fandral asked, “Will there be no dancing? Those on the streets are quite festive compared to those inside, even our King and Queen relax in times of feasting.”

With a giggle laced smile that had the raven haired Prince’s brow twitch you answered, “Not much relaxation amongst the populace for monarchs nowadays. More poised and focused on image or they will imagine to be settled at being frivolous and far too carefree to be trusted in matters of state.” Exclamations of irritation at the notion had the group offer argument to the contrary for the few minutes until everyone was called to their tables to hear the opening speeches. Mainly on the discovery of Eldfalls and his recorded journey, that bled into a stroll out to the back courtyards and pathways that fed to the party filled pathways to the boat filled river.

No one had filled the decks yet and before lanterns would be lit a round of dancing and old songs kicked off. Fully led by the Vanir and Beserkers proudly filling out the crowds, one of whom boldly made certain to pull you along to join in on the group dances. In the midst of the third dance again your wrist was claimed. “Pardon me, tradition, you must down a horn of strong brew to toast the final bars,” Thor murmured by your ear, helping you to take proper hold of the horn to not spill.

He stepped away as you peered inside the empty white gold horn. Yet Loki’s voice next to your other ear signaled his sudden arrival from the crowds with a colored glass bottle he pulled the stopper from the top of it. “Wine from Mother’s finest vineyard.”

For a picture perfect moment his filling the horn identical to the one of his own you peered up at him to ask, “You did not bring me some of Frigg’s wine.”

Widely he smiled and poured his own supply, “If you say so,” then tapped the top of his own horn to yours, vanishing the bottle to start singing with the crowds again to finish the song, for which a careful hand on your side lured you back to the paired twirling steps Thor had first pulled you from. Hands of those who knew and people who caught on were filled with glasses and horns of their own for the joint toast at the end. And the Prince could only laugh at the soft gasp you let out when he took your empty horn to throw away with his own so he could have full use of your hands to help guide you through the next dance.

Giggles and a warmth throughout your body seemed to permeate the mood to the seep of the stronger brew throughout your veins even Eddie teetered a bit to for a few moments. Though in the care of the Princes and Warriors Three none could catch a moment aside from glee out of you or the happily circling dragon above humming along to the familiar song.

Fires soon were lit and the next step of the evening was to be carried out. Drums timed the fill of the boats to deep Norse songs that marked the walk Eddie led you down to the docks. To his marked turn Eldfalls shifted back to his boat form enabling Eddie’s hop onto the outer wall so he could lift you inside onto the deck. Even in the dress and heels the stroll to the rudder control was smooth as ever.

Loud and clear the music and voices filled the air as he sailed away from the shore carried on, until to a timed joint push of levers the mysterious sail burst forth ushering on a moment of stunned silence before the noise erupted again. The Web of Wyrd right in the center of diamonds filled with either acorns or oak leaves in woven rings, each corner of the diamonds met with compass stars, a design far from expected but no less perfect for how you seemed destined too have found and restored it to its former glory.

Long into the night the celebration continued raising a boat load of funds for future restoration and preservation jobs and by morning the Princes were called back to New York reluctantly. Meanwhile Eddie and Thengel, now out of their tuxes went with you to check on your parents grave now their own private garden oasis. One you had to sit down to not pass out remembering how it compared to the one you planted them as a child you hoped they could see and enjoy.

A couple more days were taken to stop in at the research center as the news came out loud and clear, Reed Richards and Susan Storm had eloped and now that plus one invitation was useless. Though the world did get some gossip when Johnny showed up with two plane tickets and took you to Japan for a day trip to the same spa you went to with Clint, then took you home to land a few hours after Eddie had from his own flight. He had to get to a story, and picking up the set late shift at the book shop, an escape was tried from the online buzz about your trips with certain men on your possible courtship list.

“What do you think people would do with the buildings? That is if the cube let go of them?” MJ asked.

“Something stupid, most likely, remodel them and turn them into shops or clubhouses for really exclusive clubs and such.”

“Can I ask what you think about Peter?”

Near to alone on the street your hand reached out to steady her in place when the tour group on the property two lots over got blasted onto their backs by a sudden gust of wind. Out of nowhere two aliens, one a hooded goblin of sorts beside a horned woman, both in full body armor, just arrived on the street. Armed with staffs varying to their own likings, one like a scythe in gold and the other multi pronged on one end and sharp on the other glowing in a bright blue light, the yet to be named Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight came here with one goal, the Tesseract.

Just a few feet away from you Corvus hurried a broad lunge forward to grab you by the back of the neck. His wife, as he lifted you off the ground a few feet, spoke firmly, “Efforts to stop us are futile,” before she could even finish her sentence MJ’s jaw dropped to the sight of your eyes rolling back and slump of your body in the female warrior’s husband’s grip. “Pathetic,” she quipped.

Only to watch as he readied to drop you the backwards twist of your leg to grip and wrap around the arm that had hold of you. A move covering the draw of two daggers from your thighs. One to stab him in the chest and the other to stab him straight up through the underside of his jaw into his skull, just a simple twist of the blade and he was confirmed dead and his staff free to grab when you let him collapse.

Though you wouldn’t need it at the hurl of the second spear you jumped a step to grab from hitting MJ, one spin mid air at her side and hard as you could the glowing weapon was hurled right back at her own neck with his to follow in her chest.

Trapped in a beam of light the press of a hidden control snatched the both of them mid collapse and the Tesseract while you readied your wide eyed self to take the glowing blast she shot at you from her raised fist.

Blue mist in a final action of the cube, before it was stolen away to Thanos’ possession alongside two more of his murdered children, zapped you and MJ out of the way. Far out of the way of the blast that melted a rather ugly statue that had been argued over being replaced for years now on the corner behind where you once were. SHIELD agents in casual clothes called in the event, and when they checked that the property still was under protection of a barrier they still couldn’t cross.

“Ow,” you muttered to her “oof,” and puffs of air to get the dust and dirt you had collapsed into out in the middle of a vast dessert on the cusp of sunset.

“Are we dead?” She asked as she found her knees and you let out a cough to the feel of your throat muscles repairing from the air constricting squeeze it had gotten a few moments prior.

“No,” up onto your butt you rose to dig out of your bag, mentally tapping your hive that placed where you had been sent, your eyes had fallen upon your phone, “We’re in Arizona.”

“Where?!” she asked shrilly.

“Arizona,” you repeated and huffed readying your wedge boots to stand in the shifting brittle dirt beneath you as the skin under where your shorts cut off felt rough from sand sticking to them.

“No I heard you,” she said popping up to her feet to look around. “But why are we in Arizona?!”

“You know, every time I get zapped off somewhere it’s usually for some obscure reason I won’t know till later. For now, at least it’s just Arizona and not another continent. Your family at home?”

“No, Abuela had a trip planned they went with her to visit her sister. Let me stay home, they find out I went to Arizona without permission though, I am never hearing the end of this.”

“Well,” you said with a sigh of your own looking around, “I’ll make a call, get you home before morning. Road’s that way.” You said pointing to the distance parting her lips.

“We’re gonna hitch a ride?”

“No,” you said and showed her the car on a key ring Wakanda had sent Misique narrowing her brows and eyes your way. “Misique asked me to watch her car for a bit.”

Taking her first step when you did, “Really? What’s she up to?”

“Checking some anomalies for one, there’s been blips of energy all over the globe this week and I guess it was a warm up signal for those two to pop down. Won’t mind if we put some miles on the car.”

Out of her pocket she pulled her phone, “I don’t have a signal, do you?”

“Ya,” you said scrolling through your contacts to find Bucky who picked up on the second ring.

“Pluto, something wrong?”

“MJ and I are in Arizona.” You said and his brows instantly shot up.

“I’m sorry, you’re where?” he said getting up from the couch at the Tower, completely ignoring the movie as he went to the lab where Nat was talking with Bruce after Tony and Rhodey had flown off to check the sudden spike in energy in the other side of town.

“Arizona, not far from the Grand Canyon actually according to the road signs. Two aliens popped out of the sky and the cube zapped us both out here for some reason.”

Inside the doorway he told Nat, “I need the jet two aliens popped up and the cube zapped Pluto and her friend to Arizona.”

Bruce muttered, “Wow that kid’s got bad luck.”

Nat said, “We can’t just use the jet, it has to be authorized first.”

Bucky nodded and said, “I’ll talk Prince Sparky then, he’s got a line to that Heimdall guy who likes her.”

Nat muttered as she followed the Super Soldier who turned to stalk off in search of the blonde Prince, “That is an even worse plan.” In the hall she said, “I’ll call Fury, give me a minute.”

Bucky turned and shifted the phone in his hand, “Keep you posted on a ride home, hang tight, little duck.” Hanging up he pocketed his phone as Nat pulled out her own.

On the road after you added your phone to your bag the empty blacktop granted ample room for the car to be tossed and expand dropping her jaw again at the sports car. Around the hood you walked and said, “From what I remember there’s a nice place in a hotel nearby.” Like you did she brushed what dirt and sand you could off before you both climbed inside. Onto the backseat you set the bag in your hand and switched the car on to the distant sight of headlights in the rear view mirror. “Have you been to the Grand Canyon before?”

“As a kid. Pretty big. Have seen good images from stars over then at night, could be interesting.”

“So what context were you wondering about my thoughts on Peter?” you asked shifting gears to get going towards where your bees were guiding you to the eatery ahead.

“He’s a great guy, right?”

“Well he’s certainly not a threat to puppies.” You said making her chuckle.

“Would you date him, I mean, a good guy to date?”

Glancing at her you smiled saying, “He’s crazy about you. Very sweet, thoughtful, but forgetful and jumpy, but he can even out over time I would assume with a solid foundation of a coupling.” Luring a grin across her face.

“So how do I get him to ask me out? I can’t ask or my Abuela will never let me live it down, she’s got this notion that if they love you they will make the first move, and he is way too loose lipped and jumpy to keep me moving first a secret.”

“You might just have to plant one on him and walk away,” you said making her chuckle again. “Wouldn’t technically be asking him anything.”

“Why’d you go limp like that?” MJ asked turning your head.

“Someone grabs you by the neck you play opossum. Go limp, they loosen their grip and you hit them as hard as you can in their weak spots. Now if they’re drowning you it’s better to thrash a bit first then go limp.”

“Pretend to drown,” she finished the thought and you nodded. “I didn’t even see the staff till you caught it. How’d you see it?”

After a soft sigh you answered, “I have better reflexes and heightened senses compared to about 99% of the population. Higher metabolism too, why I eat so much.”

“That explains so much,” she said to herself then stole a purse lipped glance your way, “Maybe with your heightened senses, you might have caught onto who Spider-Man might be?”

“Well I hope you’re not assuming it might be me,” you joked making her chuckle.

“No,” she said as you giggled to yourself. “I’m pretty sure it’s Peter. He tries really hard to keep it to himself but he’s so bad at hiding it. He’s never around when Spidey pops out and he keeps getting ‘sick’ left and right. Ned tries really hard to help cover but there’s only so much he can do.” She said making you giggle again. “I think I’m gonna tell him I know who he is. Might help, with the dating bit, so he won’t have to lie to me.”

“Very well might,” you replied.

And she looked your way to ask, “How’d you find out? I mean it’s blatantly obvious you’re the Duckling, but outside of that?”

“Misique kept finding his school bags in alleys with his clothes.” You said making her laugh.

“He went Superman.”

“Had the city kept the phone booths he would have. Compromises in budget cut into things like that.”

“When did you first come here?”

“Paragliding lessons when I was twelve, with Bucky.”

“He taught you to paraglide over the Grand Canyon?”

“Well the mountain they usually use in Siberia was shut down at the time for a weather watch. Not very fun. But I did get to watch him wake up to a bed coated in turtles after forgetting to lock our window at the hotel. No idea how they got in but they sure loved his strawberry scented body wash we got stuck with when our luggage got delayed.” Making her chuckle again. Already out of town himself Eddie at least wouldn’t be startled by the ping box you had inside your heeled boot now you were zapped across the country. Though you would find him a nice souvenir or something to have when you told him about this new jolt to your planned evening.

“Oh this is nice,” she said getting out as you did once parked outside a star lit hotel that blended into the canyon around it and watched you catch the car that shrank again to be pocketed inside your purse again. Even without a signal she snapped a few pictures on her phone and joined you inside to stroll to the elevator to get to the eatery, though the gift shop had her stop and excitedly guide you in to find Peter something nice before you headed upstairs to no news on the flight home yet.

*.*.*

“Play that back,” Loki said and had his jaw fall slack in recognition of who had been killed and had beamed away the bodies with the magical cube.

Tony asked, “You recognize them?”

“The Black Order, three children of Thanos, Shieldmaiden Pluto has now killed three children of Thanos. Should they have survived to pass on her identity, there is no realm safe for her were he to seek revenge upon her.”

Steve said, “Well, Bucky’s off to fetch her now. She’s in safe hands.”

Loki simply strolled off and muttered to himself on the onset of what he knew to be a wave of crippling fear he required solitude for, “None of us are safe.”

*.*.*

Out under the stars post meal you sat on a bench. Chatting in wait to watch the jet appear and land in front of you both. On the flight home you shared the full play by play and spoke to Bucky and MJ.

Atop the landing strip the jet settled, outside of which Peter was amongst the team, wide eyed and impatient having heard his hopeful girlfriend had been kidnapped with one of his good friends. “Hey Pete, got you a hat,” she said and as you said strolled up to him putting the hat on his head. An excuse to get close she used to tap her lips to his and just keep on walking past him only making him stare at you with even wider eyes that caught your reach for your necklace you mouthed a reminder to him of the gift from you.

Into his pocket his hand dipped to grab the black dahlia you had made him, “MJ! I got you a gift too!” he shouted and turned to speed after him as you made Bucky smirk at your bump into his arm.

“You buy anything fun?” he asked you.

“Found this cool beaded pouch one of the local tribes were selling. It’s got a thunderbird on it. Just caught them as they were packing up, got you one with a turtle,” making him grin and chuckle accepting it. “Got a fox for Loki too, but I guess he’s busy.”

“I’ll get it to him,” he said with a grin accepting both from you as he turned you for the waiting car to drive you home as he would head back to the tower for a bit longer, mainly to ensure the Prince got his gift.

*.*.*

“Yes?” the double of the Prince opened the door for his real self hidden inside of his closet to not make too much noise.

“Pluto got you something at the gift shop,” curiously the double took hold of the hamburger sized box as Bucky simply turned to head back to the meeting. Closing the door again the box was brought to the Prince inside the closet who forced himself up off his side to take with trembling hands hold of the box to open.

Beading of careful detail was enough to distract his panic even for a few moments, though when he lifted it he felt there was something inside. And out of the opening of the bag he brought a jaw dropping bangle of black woven metal around moonstones in shapes of the moon phases that upon snap around his wrist he felt a tear fall down his cheek in relief it gave him for some protection tonight in his dreams.

*.*.*

Pt 13

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