Kalopsia ⊰ The Avengers

Clarity

"Because he's the reason the Second Head got me."

"What do you mean?" 

A shiver rushes through Layla's spine. The girl stiffening as the familiar feeling of fear spreads through her as her mind creates a vivid recreation of her past. Layla stares out at nothing, pain and carnage playing out from another time. 

Heimdall is quick to notice the change in her demeanor, the man scooting over to sling his arm over her shoulder. However, before his armor can come within an inch of the girl a golden shield shoots out from the girl in the shape of her body. 

Heimdall is thrown into the wall to the side of them, his armor crumbling under the sheer force of the impact. 

Layla doesn't react to the loud sound, her mind still elsewhere. Her vulnerability leaves her open to the torture that is her powers as not only is she forced to relive the past but the current reality of all nine realms as well. 

Overwhelmed, Layla lasts barely a minute longer before she too crumples to the floor. Completely unconscious. 

.

Odin stares down at the immobile girl, watching as the golden energy continues to pulse around her. 

Heimdall had brought the girl to the medical room an hour earlier after her powers had gotten the best of her. The golden-eyed man didn't go into detail about what caused the incident which Layla would be thankful for once she woke up.

Thor was still away and with Heimdall stuck to guarding the Bifrost, Odin was alone with the girl for the first time. 

Reaching his wrinkled handout, his fingers brush against the golden energy. Tiny spindles of the power reach out to wrap around his fingers, diving into his bloodstream and mixing within him. Odin shivers at the rush of power. His own eyes turning gold as he is filled with energy. 

Layla gasps, her back arching as Odin continues to absorb power from the girl. After several moments Odin steps away, Layla's back dropping to the table with a dull thud. 

Her eyelids flutter rapidly, evidence that her mind was still creating images for her. 

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Odin basks in the newfound energy he was gifted. 

The golden light no longer surrounds Layla.   

Smiling to himself, Odin leaves the room, his eyes still gold. 

.

Layla awakes with a gasp, sweat clinging to her skin like a new layer of flesh. Her eyes dart around frantically as she thinks about her sight of the current state of the nine realms. 

"I have to go back!" She mutters anxiously. Swinging her legs off of the bed, Layla nearly falls to her knees as she places her weight over them. She wobbles like a newborn, confusion clear on her face. 

Why was she feeling so weak? 

Layla stumbles her way out of the room. Using the wall to support her, Layla searches for either Thor or Heimdall. 

Not finding Thor in the palace, Layla wobbles her way to the stables and prepares a horse to take her to the Bifrost gate.  She frowns to herself as she finds that she can't even climb onto the horse with her own strength like she had been able to do for weeks now. 

It almost felt like she was back to her starting point when she first got to Asgard. When she was still weak and scared. 

Layla didn't understand it at all.