Infatuation Of The Mind • ♤Loki Laufeyson♤

Chapter twenty nine - A blast from the past

June 2010.

Ever since your encounter with the Avarice stone, three years ago, you hadn't been able to completely get it off your mind. How many other stones with the same kind of power source might be out there?

Your research led you nowhere and you hadn't encountered anything like it during your missions.

Thomas and you had been on a new scouting mission and you had been thoroughly battered. You had been two against thirteen and in the end you had even been forced to use a little bit of your power, so that neither you nor your partner would come home in body bags.

Out of breath and bruised, the two of you had agreed not to tell anyone about it. Afterwards you slept so deeply that even dreams did not disturb your mind, not until Thomas stopped the car outside your apartment building. The early morning sun shining through the openings between the buildings.

"Will you be okay?", he asked and turned off the engine, the world went quiet.

"I will, and you?"

"I will, thanks to you and those glowing hands of yours.", he raised his hands and wagged his fingers.

You laughed tiredly and leaned your head against the headrest in dejection, "It felt really good to let go of the tension a bit."

"How does it feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your power, how does it feel? Can you feel it when you're not using it?"

"I can, but it's hard to explain. Sometimes it feels like tingling beneath the skin, which is hell when you're tired. It helps to get up and walk around though. Sometimes it feels like a bad ache in my whole body and sometimes just in my head.", you shrugged and looked at Thomas, "Like I said, it's hard to explain."

"There must be a way we can help you. Allow you to have an outlet for your power but in a safe way. A safe place. We are S.H.I.E.L.D. damn it, we should be ready for anything."

You put your hand on his head and ruffled his brown hair, "You're sweet, but right now all I need is sleep. See you in a few days!"

"Take care!", said Thomas before you closed the door. You waved at him as you watched the car drive down the street and take a right before disappearing.

You reluctantly walked up the stairs to your apartment, your legs resisted but you pressed on. Before you left, you had made your bed and that thought was the only thing that kept you going. To lay down on a fragrant pillow under a crisp duvet. If you could, you would sleep for two days.

You opened the door and turned on the hall lamp. Everything was just as you had left it.

"Food or shower? Food or shower?", you darted your eyes between the kitchen and the bathroom. Finally you grabbed an apple and took a bite, "Shower it is."

You stripped off your clothes and brought the apple with you into the shower. There you sat on the floor for a long time and let the water wash over you while you ate your apple.

When you dried off and went out into the living room, you discovered ten notifications on your phone. All from Phil, your pulse accelerated and you checked every single notification. There was no more than half a minute between each call, no messages, just calls.

Immediately, you called back and breathed a sigh of relief when you heard his calm voice on the other end of the line after just two signals.

"What's going on? Has something happened?", you incited.

"We need you.", Phil said, still ever so calm.

"Phil, I just got home.", you ran your hand over your face.