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6

"you would not believe your eyes..."

Not safe. Not safe. Not safe. Not safe. Not safe.

NEVER SAFE.

Amelia runs through the forest, branches scratching and hitting her as she scrambles through. She can't stop. If she hesitates even for a moment she is a goner. The 

She slides on mud. Skids across the mud, tripping over herself.  She rolls down the hill, rocks, and sticks scraping her body. 

Pain shoots up her leg. She hisses, struggling to pick herself back up. She winces as she tries to stand up. 

A hand falls on her shoulder.

She trips over herself, falling to the ground. Her heart races as a figure reaches out to grab her. She lets out an ear-splitting scream doing her best to crawl away.

The figure grabs her ankle, dragging her across the dirt. She grips at everything- anything to hold on to.  Twisting around, she gets a look at her attacker. A hood covers most of the face but the hand on her ankle is actually one made of pure light. The heat sizzles Amelia's skin.

The figure snorts, "Stupid bitch."

Amelia grabs a rock, throwing it at the hood. Ignoring the shooting pain in her leg, she stands and tries to limp away.

The safety is clicked off a gun and she barely has time to react before a bullet is fired into her back. The figure stands over her body, a younger version of Amelia with burning green eyes. She smiles sickly, raising the gun for another shot.

Amelia jolts awake.

Her heavy breaths are all that is heard throughout the room.

She finds herself making it to the Tower's roof. She wraps her arms around herself, looking out at the city landscape. From up there, everything looks so very small.  Stray tears fall down her face. Her fingers ghost over the spot where she was shot in her dream. There's nothing there. Not even a trace of a scar. The pain doesn't always fade. It lies in wait for the illusion of safety only to remind her that she will never be safe.

"Lady Amelia, what are you doing up here?"

She quickly wipes her tears away, turning around. "I just... didn't realize how long it'd been since I've been outside. When did you guys get back?"

"The team returned a few hours ago. We did not find it necessary to disrupt you," Thor explains, a kind smile decorating his face. "Are you okay?"

"No." She looks back out at the horizon, hiding her red eyes and cheeks. "I'm trying to get there, I guess."

Thor joins her near the edge, "What's the matter child?"

"I just can't see myself getting past this part. I'm always going to be stuck between who I was and who I could be. And every time I even think about moving on...  I get a painful reminder that I can't." She looks down at her hands. For such a long time, they weren't hers. They belonged to those that controlled her. She belonged to them.

"On the day I was meant to be crowned king, I was instead banished to this place for my rash and impetuous decision. You Misdgardians taught me something I never before knew. Anyone is capable of change." 

Amelia turns her head, completely disregarding her tear-streaked face. "But the other side of that story? Loki? He found out he was lied to and tried to take over Asgard and then Earth. Who's to say I go that way?" She scoffs, shaking her head. "I'm not here because anyone wanted me here, I'm here because someone wanted a weapon. That is the sole reason I am alive. I don't know who I am without that...... I don't know if I'm anything but that."

"The very fact that you are standing here proves that you are more than the pain inflicted upon you. Your purpose and future is not dicatated by anyone but yourself." Thor places a hand on her shoulder. "You have come at a crossroads in your life where you must look deep inside yourself and ask the biggest question of your life that you will continue to ask multiple times later on: who are you and what do you want?"

Amelia gives a short laugh without a hint of humor. "Would you mind giving me the answer to that as well?"

Thor stretches his arm to call for his hammer. "Would you mind going on a trip?"

Amelia squints at him through the tears. She has o idea where he's going with this one but ties her robe together regardless."Sure, why not?"

She takes his hand. He spins his hammer around, whipping the air around them up. Quickly she toes out of her slippers, gripping them in her open hand. The pair go flying up into the air. Amelia holds her breath, afraid if she opened her mouth she'd most definitely scream. She squeezes her eyes shut as wind bites at her skin. Her hair whips around as she holds onto Thor for dear life.

Note to self, never go flying around with Thor again.

After what feels like forever, Amelia's bare feet touch down on frigid snow. She squeaks, hurrying to slip her slippers back on. Thor hands her his casual clothing cape for extra warmth. She shakes her head. "I'm good."

With one hand on her back, Thor points out to the sky. Colorful streaks of light weave through the sky.  A long turquoise strand moves back and forth with a shy pink above it. A flash of light flies across the sky. Amelia's pupils dilate to the size of saucers, the flash reflecting in her emerald eyes.  Her voice is breathy and soft. "Is this real?"

"One of Earth's finer sights.". 

"I just... this is beautiful." 

The lights move along the sky like dancers on a stage. The streaks contrast against the pitch black night sky. They're even brighter than the moon.

"Banner told us you had the ability to perform such feats."

Amelia shakes out of her trance. "That? No, I can't do that. I can barely even light a room up."

"You see those stars?"

"The what?"

Thor's face falls ever so slightly, he points to all the white spots in the sky. "Those are stars. I'm sure your scientists have reasons for their being but on Asgard, they represent those that have fought for those who cannot fight themselves. Those who love greatly and deeply. I did not bring you here to force the idea of good onto you. I brought you here so that you might see the beauty in this world. I thought you needed to see it because I assume you never took the time to look up at the sky."

Amelia and Thor stand there in deadly silence, taking in the ambient noises of the environment. The occasional flash of light streaks across the light. It is then where serenity washes over the teenager. She ignores the growing cold and threat of sickness, entirely entranced by the glowing lights. A barely visible glow irradiates from her eyes. Beside her, Thor's body becomes outlined by a golden glow. She notices out of the corner of her eye but says nothing.

Following the lights' movements with her eyes, she says, "Is it okay if I don't know whether I'm good or bad? Can I just figure it out as I go?"

"I wouldn't ask any more of you."

"Now that I've made my sappy realization we should probably go back to the Tower before I die or worse I start crying again."