Kalopsia ⊰ The Avengers

It's a Process

The conference room is silent. All of the Avengers waiting for Leo to give them his report. Leo, still with tears in his eyes, stares out of the conference room window. Layla is in her room, taking a nap from all of her emotional distress. 

Leo wrings his hands, trying to get away from Layla's emotional pain. As an empath, he could easily pick up on other's emotions and experience it for himself. But with Layla it was overwhelming. 

She felt so many disturbing emotions. Depression, Anxiety, Shame, Guilt, Fear, and Anger. And she felt it so strongly. It seemed that Layla was also somewhat of an empath. Not only did she feel and react to what she sees around the world. But she can also feel with everyone else is feeling in the situation. 

She was overwhelmed. 

Tony and Bruce jump when Leo suddenly speaks up. All of the over Avengers snapping to attention. 

"Everyday you start with one hundred percent. Your emotions draw from this bank. Layla overdraws everyday. So she has a negative balance. And the next day when she has a hundred percent again she's still trying to catch up." He turns around to take in their emotions. It's a mixture of confusion and sadness. "I've also discovered that she is an empath or as the abilities to be one. So in addition with her withdrawals from her 'emotional bank' the world- no- the universe is withdrawing from her as well."

"So what does that mean?" Steve asks, leaning forward in his seat in anxiety. 

"It means she's exhausted. And needs to rest. I can work with her on some techniques to lessen her stress and anxiety. I fear there is no medicine invented yet to deal with her complicated DNA, so I'll have to treat her anxiety and depression a different way. It'll take a long time and it'll be a process of ups and downs. But she will get through it. She's a strong girl."

"She's doing well in speech therapy and physical therapy so maybe that will help." Natasha mutters. Speaking more to herself than to the others in the room.

"For now I would restrain from taking off her bracelets. At least until she thinks she's ready. She knows the most about her powers and herself. Allow her to make decisions. Give her back the control that Hydra took away from her."

 "Okay. Thank you Leo." Tony says, getting up and walking Leo out of the room and to the elevator. 

In the room Thor shakes his head. "If she were in Asgard she would be healed already. Allow me to bring her to Heimdal. He will know what to do."

"There Hydra won't be able to get to her." Clint shrugs. 

"You can't actually be considering this?!" Steve shouts. "What about not wanting other worlds to find out about her abilities?"

"Time is different in Asgard. While here it may take her years to get better. In Asgard she could get better in what would be the equivalent of months or even days here." Bruce calculates. 

Thor nods in agreement. "I can protect the girl and have those who help her sworn to secrecy. She will only see Heimdall and the All-Father. It is a risk we need to take because of the circumstances of her powers." 

"What about Leo? How is he going to help her if she's in Asgard." Steve attempts to negotiate. He wanted Layla to stay here where he knew he could keep an eye on her and protect her.

"We have our own form of therapy of Asgard. She will receive better care there." 

Tony uncharacteristically quiet since his return finally speaks up. "We should take a vote." Everyone nods. "All those in favor of Layla going to Asgard raise their hands." Thor, Clint, and Bruce raise their hands. "All those in favor of Layla remaining here raise their hands." Steve, Natasha, and Tony raise their hands. 

"We've got a tie." Nat sighs.

"Why don't you ask me?" 

Everyone's head whips towards the doorway. Layla leans against the metal frame, the sleeves of her sweater covering her hands and the hem reaching her mid thigh. Her leggings stretch to mid calf and fuzzy socks fill the gap of remaining skin. 

"You should be resting." Bruce attempts.

Layla shakes her head, cutting him off. "I- I flashed into Asgard very quickly when I was younger. If no one noticed me then they won't now."

"So are you saying you want to go?" Steve asks.

"I'm saying I want to get better. And I need access to my powers again so I can see what the Second Head is doing. They wouldn't just let me get away like this. They're planning something and me being with you guys is part of that plan if they've let me remain here this long." Layla gasps at the end, rubbing at her sore throat.

"What if taking you to Asgard is part of their plan?"

Layla looks to Thor, hoping he could talk for her in this aspect. 

"Perhaps, but even if it was, there is no way for them to access her from Asgard. There's no way for them to even know what Asgard contains so why would they want her there?" 

"To find out what Asgard has?" Clint responds to Thor. 

"Doubtful." Tony scoffs, "For that to work they would need Layla to talk with them."

Everyone looks to Layla, who looks to the side in discomfort. The Avengers nod, agreeing that it was highly unlikely for Layla to be working with them now or even when she was prisoner. 

"So are you saying you want to go?" Steve asks, his eyes pleading with Layla. 

Layla matches his gaze, not entirely sure what he wanted from her. She never experienced eye contact before. Not like this. It was always with the use of her powers and they couldn't see her. But now thanks to the team before her she could actually see from her own two eyes in the way that everyone else could. 

And depicting emotions like this was entirely new to her. Without the use of her powers she felt weak and afraid. She had never not had her powers before. 

Her powers made her Layla. 

Without her powers Layla wasn't Layla. She didn't know what she was without her powers and that scared her. 

So maintaining eye contact with the soft blue eyes of Steve Rogers, Layla nods. "I need to go."

The Avengers remain silent for a while. Just thinking about what would come next. 

With Layla and Thor leaving there wasn't much the team needed to do. They could continue their search for Loki's scepter but without Thor there, there wouldn't be much progress and even if they did find it they wouldn't be able to make a move without Thor. 

They could look into the Second Head more but there really wasn't much to go off of. 

The team had been so invested in the mystery of Layla Chase-Mason that they forgot about their other responsibilities as Earth's mightiest heroes. 

But now they had to allow her to get better on her own accord and let her take control of her life for once. 

"I'll let Leo know." Bruce breaks the silence. Layla nods in thanks. 

Thor stands, walking over to the girl and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can leave whenever you're ready."

"Now."

So with goodbyes exchanged the two made their way to the roof alone and with a flash of rainbow light, both Layla Chase-Mason and Thor Odinson were gone. 

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edited 9/15/2020