Nonexistent

Chapter 2

I sat upside down on my bed, munching on the cookies Pops had brought in earlier. He could always tell when I was in a bad mood.

 The cookies always helped. As hot as my room was, I'd pulled on my thickest sweater to I wouldn't have to look at my arm. So I wouldn't have to look at my nonexistent soulmate, the nonexistent 'love of my life'.

I hated it. I hated not having someone to spend the rest of my life with, hated not having the happiness everyone around me had found long ago. Tears were beginning to prick in my eyes when my Spidey-Senses started tingling. I wiped at my eyes with my sweater before getting up to investigate. 

The source of the danger seemed to be the living room, were Bucky and Sam were chatting on the couch. I saw their arms, each once with the other's last name. Except instead of the silver that romantic soulmates had, theirs were a rich bronze, signalizing their platonic soulmate relationship. 

They had barely acknowledged me before a bright blue portal opened up out of nowhere, right in the middle of the room. JARVIS set off an alarm, notifying the Avengers of a sudden intruder. Bucky simply pulled a butter knife from his pocket. 

Moments later, the Avengers surrounded the room, loaded with weapons but in their pajamas. Just then, Loki burst through the portal, along with a figure slightly taller than me, face covered with a sack and hands bound with Loki's magic. He quickly closed the portal behind them, the figure squirming, clearly trying to break free. 

Dad was the first to break the silence. "Alright, Loki. What do you want?" The trickster simply grinned. "Why, Stark, I'm here to make a  peace offering." 

"What kind of 'peace offering'? What do you want, brother?" Thor boomed in his deep voice. 

"I have done some research, dear brother." He started. "I have discovered... other universes." 

"What do you mean, 'other universes'?" Aunt Nat inquired, her gun's aim never faltering. 

"I have discovered parallel universes, universes similar to ours, yet not quite the same as our own." 

"Get to the point, Reindeer Games." Dad quipped. Loki cringed at the nickname. "My point, Stark, is that there are more Avengers out there, enough out there to create-"

"An army. You're saying we could make an army of... us." Uncle Bruce finished. "Yes, Banner. An army of Avengers. And I can help." 

"How are we supposed to believe this? How do we know- how do we know for certain- that this isn't a trick?" Pops sputtered. Loki motioned at the masked figure, still struggling to escape. 

"I brought an example." He snapped his fingers, and the magic cuffs dissipated. The figure ripped the sack of their head to reveal-

It was a teenage boy, maybe a year older than me. And he was hot. Like, really hot. He had short, dark hair, and light skin. On his head he wore horns like Loki's, but shorter. He scanned the room, studying the people around him. 

Goosebumps littered my skin as his eyes landed on mine. They were green, a deep, emerald green. So beautiful I could look into those eyes for days. He gave me a small smirk and I fought the blush rising in my face. 

"As I was saying," Loki continued, "This is... me. Except from another dimension, so he's really not me. More like a parallel to me, a mirror image." The younger-Loki looked like he'd been insulted. "A mirror image of you?! If anything, you are a mirror image of me!"

His voice was faintly British and silky smooth. 

Ah shit. Even his voice is hot. 

"As you can see," The older Loki seethed, "He is like me but more... aggressive." 

"Well, you said zis vas a 'peace offering', what do you vant in return for zis... 'army' you promise?" Aunt Wanda asked, her accent thick. The older Loki gave a pained grin. 

"I want to live my days in peace, not stalked by humans, or hunted by you like woodland game. I want to go about my days without worry, not on the run." 

The room fell silent. Once again, Dad broke it. "I, for one, don't believe it. I think this kid is an illusion." Both Lokis scowled. "I can assure you," the younger one said, "That I am not a mere illusion." 

"Do you have any proof?" Aunt Nat asked. 

"But of course." The older one said before punching the younger square in the shoulder. 

"Who do you think you are?!" The kid fired back, "I am Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard, trickster god-" 

"Yeah yeah, we know the speech." Dad interrupted. "Buck, Sam, take them to a holding cell until we figure this out." Bucky and Sam reached to grab the Lokis. The younger one rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

That's when I saw the silver name, a familiar name.

"Wait!" I yelled. Everyone froze and looked at me. 

I hurried over to the younger Loki, reaching for his arm. He jerked it away, unsure. "Please, the writing, I need to see it." He stared at me with those emerald eyes. Once again I fought the blush rising. He eventually lowered his arm, slowly, to my eye level. 

I gasped. There, in shiny silver writing, was my own last name. 

'Parker' 

"I-I think," I stumbled over my words.

 "I think you're my soulmate."