Magyk

vii

moral imperative

a matter of what's inside the person's mind that will compel them on how to act.

~~~

"Faerie!"

The Avengers gathered in the Hangar Bay where Faerie had just appeared. She looked weary and drained which further raised Wanda and Vision's suspicions about something being wrong.

"Oh, hello," she responded calmly, unphased by the group's enthusiasm.

"Hello?" Sam laughed from the back and several of the Avengers turned to him as he walked forward. "That's all you have to say after you've been gone for a week."

"I apologize for my absence. However, I was needed in the Underworld for other priorities," she said, making to go to her assigned room.

Steve opened his mouth to say something when all of their phones buzzed urgently. Faerie frowned and looked around, attempting to find the primary source of the sound. Steve pulled out his device and frowned.

"Damn." Everyone in the room perked up, and Steve's tone went to Captain-mode instead. "We have a mission in Bucharest."

"How important is it?" Natasha asked, perfectly-arched eyebrows settling into a subtle frown.

"We need everyone on this," he responded before turning to the recently arrived goddess. "Faerie, do you mind giving us a hand?"

"Oh no, not at all. Do you need Thor as well? Perhaps I can find him in time..." she trailed off, watching Steve's reaction.

"No. He's probably busy on Asgard. We don't want to bother him." Steve shook his head and Faerie nodded.

"Of course."

"I'm going to try to get Stark on the line. Maybe he'll be able to help. In the meantime, suit up. All of you," he said, pointedly looking at Faerie, who despite agreeing to join them on the mission was still looking a little hazy.

They all nodded and left the room, except for Sam and Faerie.

"Do you have a suit? I didn't see you bring one from.... wherever you came from," Sam asked, grinning at his friend. Faerie smirked and her eyes shone mischievously as she looked at Sam.

"You should worry about yourself, Sam. Don't worry about me."

Sam held his hands up in surrender and left the Hangar, leaving Faerie to stand there for a few moments before leaving for her own room. She stood in her room, considering if she really should go. She had just barely recovered from overexerting her powers, and it would definitely be painful to go back to work immediately.

She huffed and waved her arms around and where her stola was once wrapped around her body, was battle armor with elaborate plates made of Uru, an Asgardian metal. She had received it from Odin on her eightieth birthday, in which gods were of age to be "adults".

It was beautiful, forged intricately by the best of Odin's workers, also in collaboration in Hephaestus. The cloth wrapped around her body was tight, but not restricting. Thin, but warm. It was made for her and her only. Faerie prized the armor and kept it on her person at all times with the assistance from her abilities and training from her father.

She stood in front of the mirror and wiped her fingers on her eyelids and they came away with black paint. She looked at the mirror and saw a warrior staring back at her. Her brown hair was tied in an elaborate bun and light wisps fell from it, cascading around her face. Her hazel eyes stared back at her, and the area around the eye was covered in black paint.

The paint was smudged and messy, differing greatly from the neat, clean look the girl had otherwise. Her lips were painted a dark, bloody red and her pale skin looked white in contrast to the black and red makeup.

"Faerie!"

She was shaken from her thoughts by a voice at the door. She shook her head and opened the door, revealing Steve clad in his Captain America suit. He nodded at her and she reciprocated the gesture before following him out of her room and to the Helicarrier.

"Tony and Rhodes are going to meet us on the way," Steve pointed out in response to Faerie's searching eyes. She nodded and the carrier lifted off. Steve and Sam sat at the front of the jet while Vision, Wanda, Faerie, and Natasha were in the back. Vision and Wanda sat side by side on the bench, murmuring incomprehensible things to each other.

Natasha stood, pacing back and forth in the center, as though something was bothering her. Faerie paid no mind to any of them, standing alone in the corner by the door. Her mind swirled with thoughts and she closed her eyes, knocking her head back against the metal wall behind her gently.

The carrier shook and while Wanda grasped onto Vision for support while blushing, Faerie merely stood there, her feet planted firmly on the floor. Natasha looked at her, assessing her expression, only to come up empty-handed. Natasha walked towards Faerie and she merely opened one eye at Natasha before huffing slightly.

"How can I help you, Ms. Romanoff?" she asked, adjusting herself against the wall.

"Natasha, please," the redhead responded, keeping her face clean of emotion. Faerie quirked a brow at her.

"Natasha, then. How can I help you?" the goddess reiterated.

"Is something wrong? You seem troubled." Natasha's eyes were calculating, watching, and while Faerie felt incredibly violated, she also knew that the woman wouldn't get a read on her. Faerie knew of Natasha's past in the Red Room and could see past the kind front Natasha put on. She wanted information. About what, Faerie did not know.

"Fatigue. Nothing better, nothing worse." Faerie waved Natasha away lazily and Natasha noted the black wisps surrounding her fingers, much like Wanda. Faerie saw Natasha's wary look and smiled good-naturedly. "Do not worry. It's normal. It surrounds my feet too."

Natasha frowned and looked down, realizing that Faerie was telling the truth, as she found black mist surrounding the goddess' feet.

"Where'd you get the armor?" she asked conversationally, eyeing the intricate details that covered said armor. The metal looked sturdy and the clothing Faerie wore under looked comfortable as well. Natasha approved, albeit internally.

"I keep it contained magically. It is always with me, but not necessarily always visible. It is difficult to explain. Odin made it for me; I received it as a gift on my eightieth birthday," Faerie explained, having to stop herself before she went too deep down the forgery hole.

"Hm." Natasha nodded and walked away, leaving Faerie with her thoughts again when she heard a thunk against the wall. She opened the door without hesitation and smirked when she saw Iron Man and War Machine flying side by side right in front of the opening.

"Glad you could join the party."

They flew in and with a flick of Faerie's wrist, the door closed again, leaving Natasha and Wanda's hair windswept while Faerie's hair remained neat and prim. Tony and James flipped up their masks and walked over to Steve and Sam after greeting the others.

"Avengers."

Faerie looked up from the floor where she had been playing around with the mist, making patterns and such to look at Steve who had stood from the pilot chair.

"It's time to work for a living."

~Sarah