Making friends
Someone hits your cheek insistently, and you think you hear your name; the words come to you muffled. You blink, trying to adjust your eyes to the light, and for the second time that day, you wake up without knowing where you are. You feel arms supporting you while your upper body is in the air and rests on a hard surface. "Victoria, talk to me." Steve's voice hits your ears loud and clear now. "I'm fine." You respond in a sleepy voice without opening your eyes. Someone grabs your wrist, and you assume they're checking your vital signs. "Victoria, I will open your eyes and shine a light at them. I need to see how your pupils react." Bruce's voice sounds to your left; you nod slowly. Bruce lifts your eyelids one at a time and shines a flashlight at intervals. "Keep your eyes open and follow the light, please." You do what he says. After checking your face once again, the worry on his face dissipates. "Everything seems to be in order." You turn to see Steve, who gives you a small smile. "Can I get up now?"
Steve nods and helps you stand up. You hold onto his hand because you still feel unsteady. Of all the mental images that could have crossed your mind, none even come close to the chaos that seems to have unleashed in the minutes you were unconscious. There are chairs thrown around like when someone gets up in a hurry; the sick man is lying on the floor with a gag in his mouth, the legionnaire is next to him with a protective gesture, while the archer has an arrow drawn on his bow ready to enter the black-haired man's head. Natasha has her gun drawn, pointing at Fury and the brunette woman against the opposite wall. Tony is turning his back on you, but you can tell he's unhappy with the situation. The Colonel is nowhere to be found. "What on earth happened here?"
Several voices sound together, and you can only hear incoherent pieces within the uncontrolled racket of the room. "My brother just wanted to help."
"What the fuck..."
"rest for the day."
"STOP. All of you!" You scream at the top of your lungs. Steve looks at you worriedly as you breathe and try to stay calm. You calmly pick up the nearest chair from the floor and sit down. At all times, Steve and Bruce remain by your side. "I don't know most of you, but it seems you don't enjoy each other's company." Tony smirks and huffs sarcastically. "Now, could you, in an orderly manner and one by one, explain to me what the hell happened?" You are at wit's end, so you close your eyes and take a deep breath. A deep, gravelly voice comes from the side, and you nod without opening your eyes. "Guardian, my brother was just trying to help you." You nod. Breathe deep, and open your eyes. The owner of the voice, the legionnaire, continues speaking. "Your powers were getting out of control. He meant no evil to you. It was just a harmless sleep charm." The archer draws his bow, "Harmless is not the word that best describes this monster's activities." Fear and anger seep into his words.
"Clint." The admonishing tone in Steve's voice doesn't escape you, nor does the warning look he gives you. "Clint, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please step aside, lower your weapon, and allow us to resolve this matter like adults?" Clint hangs his head in shame and walks away, looking for a seat. "I'm a little lost; who told you you could hijack my meeting?" Fury's tone is somewhere between amused and annoyed. Tony snorts, "You were the one who started this whole mess by pressuring her. I think you've given up your right to chair this meeting." Tony puts air quotes when saying meeting. "And should I remind you, Nick, that we are in my tower? And that she is my guest?" Tony points Fury to a chair, and he and the brunette woman take their seats. Fury's face now shows only annoyance. Upon receiving a questioning glance from Natasha, you answer with a subtle nod. In response, she puts the gun down and sits alongside you.
You look at the legionnaire and his brother and motion for them to sit down. "Well, now that we're all seated and calm, I'll start again." You sit up straight in the chair, breathe deeply, and try to organize your thoughts. Once you think you are ready, you start telling everything. The fight with Red Skull, the In Between. The different universes and the state of each one. You tell them how The Mother created the universe, how the remnants of her power remain in each of them, connecting everything with The Mother. How you witnessed the lively and harmonious existence of beings in a thousand universes, shining brilliantly, while also observing the empty void of the lifeless cosmos. You tell them about the Guardians and how each represents an aspect of The Mother's power in human form. You spoke about the six women scattered throughout the multiverse. Who must unite and protect the universes at risk. You also tell them that, at first, you couldn't; you didn't want to believe what she was telling you. And finally, you tell them about the words spoken by The Mother. And how you decided to trust and accept your fate.
"I closed my eyes and trusted her. When I opened them, I was lying in an unfamiliar bed surrounded by wires. I thought I was a prisoner until Bruce came in. I knew it had been a while, but I never thought it had been that long." Nobody moves, and all the faces show varying degrees of perplexity; an intense silence permeates the space. Natasha finally breaks the silence. "So you don't remember what happened yesterday?" She shakes her head, "I think I understand now when you told me earlier that my eyes weren't blue." You say with a wry smile. "Are you telling me that an entity lived in the cube and now lives inside you?" Fury's face is calculating. "Oversimplifying? Yes."
"That explains the high levels of gamma radiation we detected in you." Bruce seems relieved to find this explanation and immediately returns to his excited puppy attitude. "And what are your powers? What can you do? I have several tests that I want to do on you." "I have no idea. She just mentioned that a teacher will show up to train me." Natasha intervenes. "Well, you, I mean. She stopped Loki with a wave of her hand. And she did the same with a bullet. She also held the portal open until Tony fell and made him land safely." She shrugs as if she's recited the shopping list, while your eyes are so wide with surprise that you're afraid they'll pop out of your head. "I can't even imagine how to do what you say."
"And neither should you. Miss Davidson, your abilities are influenced by your emotions." You roll your eyes at Fury's comment. "I would like to know what gave you that idea, Mr. Fury." You answer ironically. "It's Director Fury for you, Miss Davidson." He answers. "That's Lieutenant Davidson for you, Director Fury." You double down. Fury keeps his good eye on you, and you don't show any signs of moving your gaze either. It's a battle of wills, and you have the feeling he's testing you to look away would be a failure. Tony clears his throat, cutting off the moment, and Fury looks away while you try to hide a triumphant smile that does not go unnoticed by the woman accompanying the Director, and she nods in approval. "I think that until this 'master' appears, Bruce and I can develop some kind of device that reduces your powers to a minimum to avoid a surprise like before." You nod absently, trying to understand the recent exchange.
You only snap out of your daze when the legionnaire and his brother rise and kneel before you as a gesture of respect. "What are they doing? Steve, can you explain to me what this is?" Your friend shrugs, not knowing what to say. "Lady Guardian," The blonde says, "my brother and I are here to assist you in any task you may undertake. We're both seasoned warriors. My hammer and his daggers are at your service." You can't believe what is happening before you; the moment is uncomfortable, and you don't know how to get out. And not to offend anyone. "Gentlemen, my name is Victoria. No formality is necessary." Tony can't hold back his laughter. "Come on, Point Break, you're scaring Victoria; get up and take Reindeer Games back to where he came from." The more things happen around you, the less you understand, and your mouth is open like a fish out of water.
You turn your attention to Steve after the two brothers have left. "I don't think I heard their names." Steve looks at you. "The blonde one is Thor, the God of Thunder, and the other is Loki, the God of Mischief. They are princes of Asgard, sons of Odin." Your jaw hits the floor as you process what you just heard. At that moment, a man in armor smashes the door to enter the room, your training kicks in, and you get into a defensive position. Everyone remains seated. The face plate of the armor lifts, and you see the Colonel's face looking stunned. "Have you controlled the situation yet?" He seems somewhere between surprised and disappointed. Tony walks past you, laughing, "You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy." And he goes over to help the man in the armor. "I guess not." You whisper.
The next few days are a whirlwind of activity. Natasha, Clint, and Steve were called to Washington by María Hill, the brunette who accompanied Fury, to testify about the events in New York. Someone told you that Thor was back in Asgard, settling matters related to his brother. Your only companions in the tower were Tony and Bruce. You occasionally meet Pepper Potts, Tony's boss/girlfriend, and Colonel Rodhes.
Luckily, Pepper finds a time to take you shopping. What is not to your liking, however, is the current fashion style. Luckily you got some clothes that you can adapt to your style. But you find a silver lining with your hair. The structured hairstyles of the 40s are already out of fashion, and now you can leave your hair down and free. Although, you did look horrified at the hairdresser when she suggested that a copper-colored bob would accentuate your features. You gave her such an angry look when you asked her to cut just the ends that she didn't mention it again. Pepper laughed so hard she almost choked on the water she was drinking.
A week after waking up, Bruce calls you to the lab. When you enter, you can't help but wrinkle your nose at the powerful aroma of locked humanity that assails you. "Bruce, when was the last time you aired this place?" Bruce lifts his head from the screen and looks at you, confused. "I don't understand." You put your hands on your hips and give him a stern look. "Dr. Banner, when was the last time you left this place? It smells like hell." Bruce absentmindedly smells the lab coat he's wearing, and judging by the look on his face, he realizes what you're saying. "Sometimes I lose track of time. I think I've been working non-stop for a week." You shake your head with your palm on your head. "I finished the device." He says sheepishly. You approach and see a bracelet on the work table. Bruce takes it and points to your arm. You extend your arm, and when he places it on you, the electrical current that seems to run through your body is reduced to a slight tingling under the skin. "How do you feel?" he asks. "Well, I guess. Before, I felt something continuously running through my veins; now, it's just a tingling." Bruce smiles, pleased, and you hug him. "Let me pay you. I'll buy you a beer; there's a bar a couple of blocks away." He tries to refuse, but you insist until he accepts. "The only condition," you tell him, "is that you take a very long shower." You laugh as Bruce nods.