Life Is What You Make It (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic)

Chapter 1: Hanging Out with Foot-in-Mouth Disease

Hi all!

This is my first attempt at fan fiction, or even writing for public consumption at all! Please be gentle with me, and I hope you enjoy it!

The Puppet

Shit, I'm gonna die. is the first thought that pops into my head. Not particularly original, but pretty accurate when you're hanging two stories up, precariously dangling at an odd angle from a harness.

As I see the crew scurrying around like squirrels whose supply of nuts has just been threatened by a raccoon, I take solace in the fact that I'm not the only one freaking out. At least I have legitimate concern. The crew is probably just thinking, 'Fuck, where's my cell phone? This will make a great screen saver pic.'

In less time than it probably seems, the crew is pulling me in from the crane, righting me as they do, and setting me gingerly to the ground. I say 'gingerly' because I am an asset, much like the carefully-developed script, the expensive movie cameras, and the many other entrapments of movie making that surround me. After all, they've filmed about 90% of the movie - I guess they could CG me in if I die a horrible death, but the fans of the comic would know.

It seems like I'm surrounded on all sides, until the director steps in. "Mia, are you alright?" asks Ben Foster. This is his first large-scale action film in the director's chair. Ben went from being an actor (at which he is amazing and still does the occasional role), to directing a couple of independent films, then from the indies he had a hit a couple of years ago with a film about the life of a former Mujahedeen guerrilla who became a world-renowned spy for the west.

Ben is frenetic and a little obsessive, and seems genuinely excited to be on-set every day. Plus, he knows what it's like to be an actor, and I think he really cares about the actors and their wellbeing.

Once I'm checked out by the on-set medics, I'm cleared to return to my current gig as part-time trapeze artist/daredevil, and all-around clown for everyone's amusement.

Though it seemed glamourous at the time that me, Mia MacKenzie, an up-and-coming actor, should be cast as Wonder Woman, it does have its downfalls. At least I'm filming in London, and I met the most beautiful man in the world because of it.

Two weeks earlier

"Pinch me," I say to Anna as we arrive at London Comic Con. OK, so it's not called London Comic Con; it has a longer name with MCM in it, and I'm pretty sure there's a 'Ye Olde' somewhere in there, but I may be thinking of Medieval Times back home.

"I'll pinch you if you pinch me first," says Anna. Anna Faris is one of my co-stars in Wonder Woman. In fact, she plays my best friend in the film. She's also become a great friend in real life. Though she's got more film roles under her belt than me, I can see she's a little star struck as well.

We climb out of the black SUV in which we arrived and head for the specially designated entrance. There's a smattering of people waiting for us - well, more than a smattering. There are press who are gathered, but mostly it's the diehard fans of the comic. I hope I don't disappoint them.

At 5'9", I'm not petite but I'm not exactly an Amazon either. I do tend to tower over other women, though, which I think helps the illusion. My figure is curvy and could lean toward rubenesque if I were the type to sit around eating ice cream all day. Luckily, I've always been pretty active so my curves stay in check.

The only thing I dislike about the Wonder Woman role is that I had to dye my naturally dark brown hair black. Oh well, at least my blue eyes fit the role!

I smile and wave to the assembled crowd, turning when my name is called for photos. I also try to shake as many hands as possible, signing autographs, and taking selfies with the fans. Though I know most of the fans here love Wonder Woman and not necessarily me, I realize that in a weird way I'm a representative of Wonder Woman, so I want to treat her fans as she would like them to be treated.