The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 38: One More Crime

A/N: I guess the FrostMoon dynamic right now is "you bother my friend, I'll cut you." Hello, everyone! Watched Far From Home twice and, not to spoil anything, but Peter and MJ are the cutest ever. Just ugh, their minds and their power. Also, remember how I keep saying this is a slow burn? Well, children, I'm starting to turn up the heat.

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The next few days were quiet. Loki was on edge each time Luna was in the room or spoke to him. She was understandably cautious, but he walked on eggshells around her. He didn't hover in the kitchen as she cooked or sit right next to her on the couch. And he didn't ask her to dance, no matter what music was on.

Luna wanted to tear her hair out as she thought about it at work. He was being ridiculous and obsessing over a non-issue. He spooked her, but he wasn't at fault. She tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen. She sighed and groaned for the fourth time in the morning. If he wanted her to be upset with him, he was doing a marvelous job.

"You're so lucky you don't have to deal with this," she said to the tiny zebrafish under her microscope. It didn't answer. She didn't expect it to. "But you do have to deal with this." She scraped one side of it. "Sorry 'bout that," she muttered. "FRIDAY, start the timer."

"Certainly," the voice said.

Luna leaned back and rubbed her eyes with the backs of her wrists. She contemplated getting up and leaving to stretch her legs, but it was only a small scrap on the fish's body. If the regeneration time of an embryo's tail tip was reduced by 93%, healing time should be more notably decreased. She opened her notebook to a new page and made an entry for the day.

"Hey, what's the average healing time for an adult zebrafish, again?"

"About 24 hours post-wound."

"Right. Thanks." Luna took her original math and modified it. Per her calculations, she estimated it would take an hour for complete tissue repair. She closed her notebook with her pen in between the pages. "Keep an eye on it for me, will you?"

"Of course."

Luna felt heavy fatigue weigh in on her brain. Sleep didn't come easily the previous night or the one before it. She took off her gloves and rested her chin in her hands, allowing her breathing to slow as her eyes shut. Dangerous at the bench, but it wouldn't be for long. Ten minutes, at most. She wouldn't miss anything.

A sharp beeping jolted her awake. Luna rubbed her eyes and looked around, wincing at the painful numbness in her arm from resting her head on it awkwardly.

"Oh, what's going on? How long was I out?" she mumbled groggily.

"It's been about thirty minutes since you made the incision," FRIDAY reminded her.

Luna blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "Uh-huh. And?"

"The organism has experienced complete tissue repair."

"He what?!" Luna leaned over the microscope eyepiece, and, true to the AI, the scrape along the fish's side had disappeared. "Please tell me you got a visual recording."

"I certainly did. Would you like to see it now?"

"Yes. Oh, yes, please." Luna turned her back to the bench. On the holographic screen, FRIDAY pulled up the video and played it. "Can you speed it up a bit?"

"Of course."

The video played at a higher speed, showing cells and extracellular fluid whizzing through vessels. Luna watched in anticipation as lymphocytes crawled up to the wound site and started the process of stitching it up. The damaged area filled and closed in less than a minute. The video ended, leaving Luna in stunned silence, her mind was abuzz with ideas and thoughts not stringing themselves together. Again, her plan of action was lost.