Mastering Illusions

4

Well. That was quite the meeting.

I remain in the throne room after Thanos leaves, not wanting be ambushed by Odin, wishing to hear what it was the Titan had to say to me. I spend several minutes pacing back and forth before the throne, hands clasped behind my back, running over the conversation in my mind.

The Titan had told me I had to be in love with Veers, to show my affection for her to the galaxy. I also was to remind them all of Thanos' rule over the universe, in every district I traveled to, of his power.

Starting today.

And if I failed...my blood would be the first spilled to correct the Balance.

Well. The second, actually, what with the Collector having already died.

Eventually, I leave the throne room, Odin nowhere to be seen. Surprised but certainly not disappointed, I make my way to my room, shutting and locking the door behind me.

Compose yourself. You need to compose yourself.

I feel something press against my ankle and look down to see my flerken glancing innocently up at me. I can't stop the slight smile that touches my face as I crouch down to pet the creature, which takes the form of a mortal cat. "Hey, Goose," I say softly. "Still pretending to be a cat?"

Goose meows indignantly and paws my hand. A gift from my sister, Hela had insisted Goose was a flerken but to this day, he's never done anything a flerken typically does. I haven't seen hide nor hair of any tentacles shooting forth suddenly from Goose, nor have I seen him swallow anything significantly larger than his mouth. The closest he's come to it has been the swiftness with which he scarfs down the slabs of meat my sister brings him as treats on returning from her forays into space.

Anyway, as a gift from my sister, I've learned to be suspicious of the cat, even if he's never shown himself to be anything more than just that: a cat. Hela's gifts are never harmless. There's always an ulterior motive.

Being nice to her youngest brother? Not a chance. Giving him a gift that could eat him if he annoyed it? Definitely.

My sister's sanity is questionable at best.

Goose moves smoothly away from me, jumping up onto my mussed bed and kneading the sheets with his paws. I walk toward my bookshelf, taking an old novel down and settling myself into a book to read until my prep team arrives. I could use some peace and quiet before the tour.

Except I don't get it. Well, the peace and quiet I do, for a time, but the sensation of being drawn into a book, especially a favorite like the novel I selected, is noticeably lacking. I end up staring blankly at the old pages as I flip them, my eyes scanning over the words but their meanings refusing to enter my mind, nothing but scribbles on a page.

I end up closing the book and placing it back on the shelf, just as a knock comes on my door. "Who is it?" I ask, and receive back a chorus of young voices that can only belong to my prep team. "Come in," I say reluctantly, standing.

The door rattles in its frame, there comes a dull smack as if something slammed against it, and I hear Flash's annoyed voice rising above MJ's and Ned's. "Hey!" he exclaims. "What's your problem?"

Perplexed, I furrow my brow and then start as I remember I locked the door. Hurrying across the floor, I unlock the door and wrench it open, causing my prep team to stumble into the room, MJ crashing into me.

"Hello," she remarks, glancing up at me as she pushes back, hands against my chest. I raise an eyebrow at her as Flash laughs.

"Ah, look, MJ is already making moves on the champion!"