Of Life And Hope

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ 🄲🄷🄰🄿🅃🄴🅁 7 - 🄼🄴🄴🅃 🄳🄾🄾🅉🅈! ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

You were surprised but excitement welled inside you - Peter had told you a lot about the place. "Okay," you agreed before following him out the door.

-~:~-

"Why'd you bring me here?" you inquired, looking around the lab despite your confusion. It was a majestic place, a dream of anyone who liked technology and you were one of those people.

"Might as well teach you how to use advanced technology," Tony shrugged.

"I know how to use technology," you grunted. "Theoretically."

"Theoretically," Tony pointed out, waving you over. "Come, you can use this screen here."

You looked at the almost-transparent thing in wonder.

"You need any help getting started?" the man asked.

"No, I think I'll manage," you breathed, wonder lacing your voice. "There's been a project I've been wanting to try." Then you turned to him, suddenly a bit afraid you won't be able to. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course," he smiled. "Use any resources you want and I'll be right over there." He nodded to the other side of the lab where a few screens already floated.

"Okay, thanks," you nodded before turning to the screen. But then you turned back to the man. "Hey, uhh, do you have any paper?"

-<>-

"Kid, we should probably go and eat dinner," Tony Stark called, interrupting your concentration.

"Just a few more seconds," you muttered, gently grabbing the floating electrical net you had programmed. "I'm almost ready."

"What are you doing, anyway?" he asked, walking away from the door and towards you to take a good look at what you were doing.

You carefully placed the net over the paper crane you had formed and the net sparkled, wrapping itself around the bird. Two dots twinkled where the bird's eyes should've been. "There," you smiled, taking the bird in your palms and presenting it to Mr. Iron Man. "This is Doozy."

"You spent hours... on a paper bird," Tony Stark muttered, confused.

"No, I spent five minutes folding the bird," you explained. "The rest of the time I programmed a net that would attach itself to the bird and now, although it looks ordinary, it's like... like a robot. A companion."

Tony raised a brow.

"Doozy," you said, "turn on."

The two lights in the places of the eyes flickered again and the bird flapped its wings, floating in front of you. It flickered its eyes twice, telling you the command was successful.

"Doozy, run a scan on that man behind you."

The bird turned around, scanned Tony Stark up and down and then turned back to you, blinking its eyes twice.

"Doozy, project the file."

Immediately, the file of the person was projected in front of you. You smiled proudly, putting your palm under the paper bird. "Thank you, Doozy, you can turn off now."

The paper bird powered down and you looked at Tony Stark proudly. "It's also heat, cold, water, and bullet resistant."

"I've got to say I'm impressed," he muttered, looking at the bird that was barely the size of your palm. "Let's go eat now."

-<>-

You walked into the dining room, Doozy fluttering along above your shoulder even when you went to serve yourself the mashed potatoes.

"Steve," Bucky said lowly, "is that a paper bird?"

You raised a brow, now realizing it was the first time you had heard the super soldier speak.

"I think it is," Steve muttered back, equally confused.

Confusion was the thing that also showed on the others' faces. Well, except for Tony. He looked proud.

"Everyone, meet Doozy," you grinned, plopping down at your now usual place for meals. "Doozy, meet everyone."

Instantly, the bird projected a message into the air in front of it.

Hello, everyone. It's nice to meet you.

You grinned at the bird that was now fluttering in front of your face, flashing its eyes to say it had accomplished what it had to do.

"Good job, Doozy," you smiled, putting your palm under it, "turn off, now."

It powered down, only flashing its eyes twice after going limp in your palm.

"Did you make that?" Nat asked.

"Yeah," you grinned. "It was a bit troublesome to install some stuff but we managed."

"It is an impressive little robot," Vision commented.

"Is it a pet?" Pietro asked, eyeing it curiously.

"Sort of," you shrugged. "I'm not sure yet what it could be used for. I just wanted to try."

From the corner of your eye, you saw Loki shutting the book. You swallowed a bite before turning to him. "Did you finish the last one already?"

"I'm a fast reader," he said quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of the others, who had by now gone back to their conversations.

You nodded to acknowledge the fact before asking another question. "Did you like it?"

"Books back on Asgard are more interesting but I guess it was fine," he answered, the tone of his voice indicating boredom.

You swallowed another bite. "Asgard? Is that your home?"

A conflicted expression crossed Loki's face and for the first time during the conversation, he glanced away from the ceiling and at you.

"Oh, I'm sorry," you apologized quickly, noticing the sadness in his eyes. "I just think I've heard of it from somewhere. Like a- Like a distant memory."

Something in Loki held him back from snapping your neck. "Maybe from the news," he suggested.

"No, I'm sure I would remember that," you shook your head, now frowning. "It must be one of the blocked memories."

"What was that?" Loki asked, furrowing his brows as you muttered the last sentence.

"Oh, nothing," you smiled quickly. "Do you not want to eat?"

"Why do you care?" he inquired.

You were taken aback a bit and turned back to your food so as to not look at the God of Mischief. "Sorry," you apologized quitely. "If you don't want to eat then the reasons are none of my business."

Loki frowned, leaning backwards to further sink into the couch. He'd have to talk to his brother later. Could it really be...?