Welcome to the Compound

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Under heavy sedation, they transport Mickie to the Avenger Compound.  They are greeted at receiving.

"Thanks for meeting us down here, Wanda." Steve says to the red-haired woman as he hops out of the back of the transport.

"Sure, Steve, anything I can do to help."

"She's sedated and shouldn't put up much resistance." He points to the IV drip. "We have to keep her in a sort of twilight as her body processes the sedative too quickly."

Wanda closes her eyes and tries to reach into Mickie's mind.  All she sees is a swirling red cloud full of chaos and confusion.  She then sees the gun and feels the pain of being shot.  She sinks to the floor.

"Wanda!" Steve runs over to catch her.

"So much pain, loss, confusion.  She doesn't know where she is, Steve."

"Is she a threat?"

"Not a purposeful one, Steve."
~~~~~~~~~
"This is absurd!" Loki paces back and forth in the main room, pausing to look at the monitor observing the girl.

"Brother, she calls to you in her slumber." Thor places his hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I have never seen this creature before in my life.  I am in no way responsible for her presence here." Loki protests.

Fury steps forward.  "We think she may be one of those variants you spoke of Loki."

Loki frowns again at the screen.  "The thing is though, Fury, variants do not know they are variants.  That's what makes them dangerous.  You say she is one hundred and fifty-seven years old?"

"So she claims."

"Hmph.  For a Midgardian, she looks remarkable for her age." He can hear the girl again on the monitor.

"Loki, Loki, Loki..."

Thor steps forward.  "She calls for you brother, perhaps you should answer?"

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that." Fury interjects.

"I will enter the chamber with him for his as well as our protection.  We do not know if this woman means Loki harm." Thor counters.

Loki continues to stare at the monitor.  Her lips were parted as she breathed gently.  He turns to Thor, "Let's wake her up!"
~~~~~~~~~

  He turns to Thor, "Let's wake her up!"~~~~~~~~~

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The dark haze begins to lift.  Mickie is no longer in a hospital room; in fact, it looks more like a hotel suite.  She attempts to sit up but her head begins to spin.  She's also still restrained.  Her eyes slowly focus on a pair of tall figures at the foot of her bed.  Shock and panic overtake her.

"Loki! You're...you're real! Your Majesty." She whispers and bows her head.

Loki cocks an eyebrow and studies the woman in front of him.

"How do you know me?"

"From the stories.  Please tell me what has happened to me." Her eyes fill with tears. "Please Loki?"

"I do not know."

"Can't you read my mind?"

"Not without your permission."

"I grant it."

Loki starts to walk to the side of the bed.  Thor grabs his arm.

"Brother, you were just returned to me.  Be vigilant."

"I would never hurt Loki." Mickie protested.

Loki sat on her bed and took her hand.  "Relax," he says to her "your heart is racing, I can feel it."

"I wake up every morning and it is your image that I see." Loki looks at her confused and Mickie continues. "A painting of you in your full Jotun form with all your kingly regalia.  You're breathtaking.  I can feel your power from the image.  It gives me strength to face my day."

Loki realizes that he has forgotten to breathe.  He clears his throat.  "Let's begin."

Their eyes are locked, and Loki feels the curtains of her mind part.  Wanda stands outside the door.  Loki and she are connected as well.  What he sees, she sees.

After an hour, he releases her hand.  Mickie reaches for him again. "Please don't go." Her eyes plead as she bites her lower lip.  Loki glances over to the observation window.

"Stay with her Loki" Wanda pushes to Loki's mind. "I'll relay what we saw." Loki smiles at Wanda.

"Are you afraid of me? Not that you would be afraid of anything." Stop babbling you idiot! Mother of God, he's gorgeous!

"Is it true you are so strong that you could push over a building? Is your IQ really 257? Mine is only 183.  Is it true you gave birth to your father's horse? Talk about taking one for the family!" Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

Loki's eyes grow wide. All conversation stops in the observation room as Thor suppresses a cough.

"You should not believe everything you hear." He remarks sternly.

"I would say it was another one of Thor's drunken tales but wasn't Odin riding it when he rescued you, Thor, Sif and the Warriors 3 whilst on Thor's foolhardy trip to Jotunheim?" She takes a deep breath. "Thor does tend to go off half-cocked sometimes." She leans in close to Loki. "I think you would be a much better King."

"Half-cocked?!" Thor exclaims in observation.

Tony pats him on the back. "Don't take it personally Point Break.  She obviously has a crush on Reindeer Games, though for the life of me, I can't understand why."

"Wanda, what did you see?" Steve brings the focus back.

"There is no deception in her mind.  She was a simple store clerk who was the unfortunate victim of a violent crime.  For some reason, instead of succumbing to her wounds, she ended up here." She looks at the poor girl who is causing Loki to erupt into laughter. "This is a bit beyond my scope, but I believe she is from an alternate reality where none of us are real but are just characters in comic books and movies.  She's a 'super-fan'" Wanda laughs making air quotes with her fingers. "She knows everything about us.  It's a little disconcerting."

"They're getting chummy." Tony focuses everyone back to the room. Loki is leaning in closer to her.

"Sorry, Thor, but I get uncomfortable when your brother smiles so much." Tony smirks.

Back in the room, "Loki, when am I going to get these restraints off of me?"

"I can't tell you when that will happen, Pet."

She leans in closer, "Wanna know a secret?" Mickie grins mischievously.

"Of course, Darling."

"Ooooh....don't call me that because I don't think you are ready for my response." Loki pulls back cocking his eyebrows. "Anyway," she leans in to whisper, "I can get out of these restraints at any time. I'm just trying to cooperate until I get my bearings."

"Show me." Loki whispers back blocking her right hand with his body as she proceeds to phase her hand out and back into the cuff.

"Well aren't you a naughty one.  What else can you do?"

"I dont know, but I have a feeling I can do more."

Loki's eyes began to sparkle.

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