Two Fractured Souls

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦

(Tony's POV)

"Run that by me again," I declare, staring at Y/n's limp body.

"It's called magic exhaustion. It occurs when a magic user wields too much magic in one go, causing them to become weak and sometimes faint, such as Y/n did," Loki repeats for the third time, sighing in annoyance.

"See, that right there, isn't possible. You want to know why that's not possible? It's not possible because magic isn't real," I state in an exasperated voice. I'm not even sure that I believe myself, though. Ever since Loki first attacked earth, I've been trying to find a way to use science to recreate the same signatures that Loki's supposed magic gave off. So far, all my tests have come back negative.

"Science, magic. Call it whatever you want, Stark. It's not as if I expect your tiny Midgardian brain to be able to comprehend the complex knowledge needed to understand it," Loki criticizes.

"Well, it's not as if you have enough skill to be able to properly use it," I quickly fire back.

Loki looks like he's about to retort but is stopped by Bruce walking up to him. "Come on, guys. Shouldn't the main focus be on Y/n?"

"You're absolutely right," I immediately agree, causing Loki to glare at me in suspicion. "How is our little magician?"

"She's still unconscious but stable," Bruce announces, looking over her chart.

"Well, then. Let's go and wait for her to wake up," I say, heading toward the infirmary.

(Y/n's POV)

Darkness is all around me. It surrounds me on every side. Not a single ray of light can penetrate it. It's completely silent as well, as if a wall is around me blocking out all noise. This is the first time in a long time where I'm completely and utterly at peace. There's nobody counting on me, nobody criticizing me on my failures, and no life or death situation put on my shoulders. I can simply rest without having to worry about disappointing people.

If I'm truly at peace, though, why do I have this nagging feeling like there's something left unfinished? I shake it off as a guilty conscious and return my attention to the calming silence. All of my worries seem to melt away.

The silence is suddenly broken by a quiet noise in the distance. Even though I can hear a sound, it's coming out all distorted, almost like I'm trapped underwater. The noise, which started out as only a whisper, is slowly becoming louder and louder. I attempt to turn my head to see what's causing the thrumming sound, but I'm completely paralyzed. I can't move, can't speak, and can't cry out for help.

Just as I feel like I'm drowning, the consistent thrumming becomes loud enough for me to realize that the noise is actually a bunch of voices talking in the background. If I could, I'd cry in relief. I'm safe. I'm not alone. 'Help me, please,' I try to scream. Although no sound comes out, I can't help but feel as though they heard me. It feels like a lifeline has been thrown to me and I've caught it. What previously felt like water, now feels like fresh air. I can finally breathe again.

(Tony's POV)

"At least I posses talent, Stark."

I glare daggers at Loki. The nerve of him! "Well, at least I..." A sudden gasp causes me to stop the scathing remark that was about to claw its way out of my mouth. Glancing down at the infirmary bed, I notice that Y/n's eyes are open. Bruce, who was in the middle of monitoring her heart rate, rushes over to her side and reaches his hand down to feel her pulse. Although she's not fighting him, I can clearly see confusion and fear in her eyes. I wonder what happened to her while she was unconscious.

Bruce obviously senses the same emotions because he quickly leans down and whispers something to her. Whatever he said must have worked because Y/n's erratic breathing starts to even out. After taking a few more seconds to calm down, she quietly speaks up. "W-where am I?" Her voice is raspy, which is weird considering she was only unconscious for a couple of hours.

Bruce, being the overly kind guy that he is, quickly makes his way over to the sink and pours a glass of water for her. "Little sips," he instructs her. After she has had her fill of water, she pushes herself up on shaky arms until she's sitting up. "What happened?"

"Well, you fainted," I inform her.

She seems to think about my answer very thoroughly before something akin to fear flashes in her eyes. "What happened to Clint?! Is he..."

"He's alright," Bruce interrupts, placing his hand on her shoulder. "He's tired, but he'll be fine after he gets plenty of rest."

Y/n nods in acknowledgment, her shoulders sagging with relief. I've got to hand it to the girl. I completely underestimated her loyalty before. She could have run, but she didn't. I mean, she freakin' collapsed because she was more concerned about Clint's health than she was about her own freedom. Maybe I should give her a bit more trust. Not complete trust but some. With my final choice made, I raise my head to announce my decision when I notice everyone staring at me. I must have zoned out longer than I thought. Oh, well.

"So, Y/n," I speak up. The girl lifts her head and meets my gaze. "I might have been a bit too harsh on you. I mean, you were previously working for HYDRA, so I did have a reason to be harsh with you..."

"Tony," Bruce warns.

"Right. Anyway, I possibly could've been a little nicer to you," I finish.

"Not that I don't appreciate the apology, if that's even what this is, but is there a point to this?" Y/n abruptly speaks up.

"Why, yes, there is," I respond with a playful smile. "I've decided that for saving Legolas I'm giving you limited access to your powers."

(Y/n's POV)

What?! I jolt my head up in shock. There's no way I heard him right. "Not that I don't appreciate your kindness, but what exactly does that mean, Tony?" I ask, cautiously awaiting his answer.

"It means," he declares with a smug grin, "that you'll still have to wear the bracelets until the team fully trusts you, but you can have them off for short amounts of time to train."

I'm sure my smile right now could outshine the sun. I can't believe he's letting me have my powers back, even if it is only for short periods of time. I can't describe the feeling, but it almost feels like a part of myself is missing without my powers. It's as if they're a part of me, which I guess they are in a way. A sudden wave of pity overwhelms me when I remember that Loki's magic is currently suppressed as well.

As if he could read my thoughts, the trickster himself walks up to me. "Enjoy your nap?" he asks. Oh, so he's back to being a snarky bastard.

"Why yes, my dear Loki. I had an amazing nap. I think at one point I even dreamed of you being bested by Thor in a sparring match." The smirk that was once present on Loki's face is immediately replaced with a scowl.

"Know your place, mortal," he snaps. If looks could kill, I'd be dead a thousand times over.

"Relax, Loki. I was just joking," I say, although I subconsciously shiver thinking about what I actually dreamed about. "So, how has your day been so far?" I ask, trying to strike up a conversation.

"It was adequate," he mysteriously replies, causing me to roll my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips.

"Why don't you just admit you missed me?" I question in a sickeningly coy voice. If the sputtering sound coming from Loki's throat is anything to go by, I'd say I offended him. Oh, well. He deserves to have his pompous ass brought down a peg or two. "So, Doc," I chirp, turning toward Bruce, "how long until I can start training?"

"Well," he responds, checking what I assume to be my chart, "you're healing quite rapidly, so after another day of rest, you should be good to go."

"Cool!" I shout in excitement, pumping my fist in the air. Just one more day, and then I can start training with my powers. I can't wait to kick ass!

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A/n: This was sort of a filler chapter, but there will be a lot more action in the next chapter.