Recap:
"Good night, Reyna."
♤
"Good morning, Reyna," Sam greeted the Latina as she entered the kitchen some hours later.
"Morning, Sam," she returned the greeting. "What are you making?"
"Pain Perdu. It's my titi's recipe from when I was a kid," he explained. Reyna walked up behind him to get a closer look.
"Your titi?" She giggled. Sam gave her an exasperated look.
"Okay. It's my aunt's recipe," he clarified.
"It looks delicious," Reyna commented, trying to keep him talking as she sent out a small puff of smoke to snag a piece of bread Sam had just put on a plate.
"Oh, it is. Whenever my titi announced it was Pain Perdu for breakfast, every kid within a 5-mile radius came running to get a plate. She was the whole town's titi, really," Sam chuckled.
"Mhm, she sounds lovely," Reyna commented as her puff delivered the Pain Perdu to her hand.
"Yeah, she was- hey!" Sam exclaimed when he noticed Reyna taking a bite out of the bread, giggling like a madman. She just sent him a big grin, taking another bite. The falcon shook his head with a chuckle before flipping the bread in the pan.
"Hey, kid. Exited for today?" Steve entered the kitchen just as Reyna sat down on the counter.
"I'm fucking terrified. That's what I am," the mutant admitted, taking another bite and placing the Pain Perdu on a floating plate next to her shoulder.
"First off, language. Second, you'll be fine. Tony and I will introduce you, then you'll just answer some questions. For the rest of the time, you only have to stand there and look pretty while we talk. Nothing to worry about," Steve reassured her, clapping her on the shoulder as he passed her.
"I know I look amazing, but do you have to advertise me as simply another pretty face?"
"We aren't, remember? You'll have a little demonstration towards the end," Sam reminded her. Reyna dug her palms into her eyes, trying to rub away all her problems. Sadly, it didn't work.
"They'll just shout demon the second I go black," she complained.
"Don't worry. We'll be by your side the entire time," Steve reassured her again. "You know what? What do you say we have the demonstration at the party tonight?"
"Ugh. Sam, I going to need another Pain Perdu and a lot of coffee," Reyna groaned. Sam just laughed at her misfortune.
"Coming right up, princess."
♤
A few hours later, Tony, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Thor, and Wanda stood waiting in the living room for Loki and Reyna to join them, all dressed in their battle regalia. Loki arrived second to last in his complete ceremonial armor, minus the helmet. He has slicked his hair back as usual, and the trademark smirk adorned his face. Reyna was the last to show up, only a minute or so before they were to leave. She wore her newly made black armor with Enyo on her hip. She had followed Natasha's tip on hair and makeup: minimal yet memorable. A simple smudged eyeliner in both corners of her eyes to make her eyes pop and a braided crown circled her head while the middle hung loose.
"Sorry, I'm late. The hair didn't want to behave," Reyna apologized.
"Don't worry about it. Let's get going before we are too late," Steve ordered, herding the team into the elevator. Loki sneaked up to her.
"You sure are making a statement with that crown," he commented quietly in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Loki gently placed a hand against the back of her ribs and pushed her forward when her stride faltered the slightest, keeping the conversation on moving foot.
"If they are portraying me as a pretty face, I want to at least look like an important one," Reyna explained.
"Smart little vittra," Loki praised, and Reyna could feel his smirk. That little bastard knew exactly what he was doing.
"I know," Reyna agreed as a matter of fact. "Are you ready to face the press of Midgård?"
"Can't be worse than a day at Asgård's court, I'd imagine," Loki shrugged, sounding more confident than he felt
"I'm scared too, Loki, but I'll have your back, and you'll have mine. You know, from one auctioned horse to another?" She reassured him, nudging him with an elbow.
"Of course. Though I believe you are more familiar with this environment than me," Loki pointed out. Reyna shrugged.
"I guess. Come on, let's not keep the team waiting." The Latina took Loki's hand and dragged him down towards the garage where the rest were already loaded into the giant SUV. They crammed themselves inside, shut the sliding door, and Happy revved the engine. Wanda, who sat next to Reyna, gave her a teasing and knowing look.
How's the situation with Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome?
Oh, shut it.
♤
The trip didn't take too long, only about an hour, but it felt like an eternity to the nervous mutant, spending the entire journey picking at her armor. She tried to distract herself by looking out the windshield, but her leg still refused to stop bouncing. Suddenly, a tentative hand was placed against her bouncing knee, and in an instant, it stopped moving and her anxiety calmed. The nervous woman zoomed in on the hand, then looked up at its owner; Loki was looking out his window, seemingly not paying her any mind, but the hand on her leg told another story. She smiled softly and turned back to look out on the street, placing her hand on top of his.
When the car finally parked outside the giant skyscraper, they all filed out of the cramped vehicle and into the sea of reporters. In an attempt at avoiding attention, the two mages opted to not get out first or last, but unsurprisingly, they drew the cameras to themselves like moths to a flame. Reyna and Loki adopted their usual tactics; straightening their backs, raising their heads, and hiding any sign of discomfort behind a neutral mask. Once inside, some slightly wide-eyed staff led them to a room behind the stage before scurrying off to do something else. Reyna could hear the buzz of voices become louder on the other side of the wall and with it the heat of her anxiety. Loki threw the mutant a glance, finding the otherwise confident woman staring out into space. Her hands were furiously rubbing up and down a particularly sharp patch of armor close to her wrist, desperately trying to use it as a distraction. Loki made a move to get closer to her, but Steve's voice cut his plan short.
"Is everyone ready?" Reyna seemed to snap out of her daze and her hands stilled.
"As ready as we will ever be," she sighed. Natasha placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You'll do great. Just keep your head cool, and everything will be fine," she reassured the Latina, who smiled slightly in gratitude before zoning out again. Steve and Tony went up on stage, and the Captain began the speech. Loki moved then, placing himself right behind Reyna's left shoulder.
"You're alright, little vittra," he whispered as he snaked a large hand around Reyna's smaller one, healing the torn skin on her palm and vanishing the blood.
"Thank you," she said, a bit sheepish when she realized what he had done.
"Don't mention it."
"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming here today. As you may know, we have gathered you all here to make an announcement. During the last three months, not one but two more people have become residents in the Avengers compound. One of these new residents has a, to put it lightly, troubled past with this planet and came here to help train our other recruit but has since then decided to join our cause. I know there will be an uproar over his presence among us, but during his stay with us, he has only made improvements and hasn't given us any reason not to trust him. Tony?" Steve moved off the podium to make room for the billionaire.
"Thank you, Captain. While the second to pop in was well known to us, the one who joined us first didn't even know we existed. How that is possible, I don't know. Until we picked her up from Jabba the Hut's palace about three months back. Since then, she has been really tough, overcoming everything thrown at her, and is now ready to join us in the trenches. I give you Loki Odinson and Reyna Barbosa-Medina." That was their cue. Loki gestured for her to go first.
"Knock them dead." Reyna smiled and gave him a wink before climbing the six steps up to the stage with the god hot on her heels. The second her face was visible above the stairs, all hell broke loose; with cameras flashing and aggressive calls for attention. She walked up to stand beside Tony as Loki placed himself to her left. When their voices didn't do the trick, hands flew to the sky, eager to learn more about these new faces.
"Right, questions. Yes, you in the back," Tony pointed to a man with a thick mustache in the back of the room.
"Can you tell us more about Miss Barbosa's history?"
"Would you like to answer the question, Reyna?" Tony turned to the woman.
"That I can do," Reyna switched places with Tony. "Hello, my history is quite complicated, so I'll give you the overly simplified version. I was born in Brazil in '96, where I lived with my mother and father for a few years until my mutation manifested and they got in trouble with their employers. So, they traded me for their lives and, in 2004, I was relocated to the Palace and remained in their custody for 14-ish years, where I was used like a circus animal almost every day. The Avengers got a tip about the place, and soon enough, I was living with them. Next question? Yes." Question after question came in rapid fire at her. Everything from her past to her future. Some were more intrusive than others, and some were just disgusting. Her quick-witted mind answered every single one of them expertly. Steve soon thought it enough and asked them all to quiet down as he took his place on the podium.
"I think that should be enough questions about Reyna. Does anyone have any questions regarding Loki?" The sea of reporters erupted in a roar of questions, protests, and calls for attention. "Great, Loki?"
"Thank you, Captain. Who would like to go first? Yes." He pointed to a Korean woman in the 3rd row.
"Why did you come back here?"
"Great start. When my brother, Thor, came to visit some time ago, he brought tales of our dear Raven to the Allfader on his throne and me in my cell in the dungeons. I showed interest in his tales and Thor proposed the idea of me tutoring her to the king. And after a lot of bargaining, to my shock and my brother's delight, he agreed. His reason was my temper; it always tended to mellow out when I got to teach young witchlings. So, I returned to this realm as a teacher and the team like to jest that I'm in rehabilitation, as they call it." He spoke with such confidence and persuasion. If Reyna hadn't known what actually happened, she would have believed every word that rolled off his silver tongue. Everyone bowed over their notepads to scribble down his words before their hands flew in the air. Loki pointed to a dark-skinned woman wearing a hijab.
"How can we know you won't try to take over the world again?"
"Valid concern, Lady. During my invasion some years ago, the scepter given to me controlled me just as much as the others it enslaved. I had no say in the actions that caused this city so much grief, actions I deeply regret, actions I have no intention of repeating. Even if I was to lose my head; my brother, Lady Reyna, and Lady Wanda have me under lock and key, leaving me posing no threat to you or your kin," Loki soothed the concern expertly. He continued to answer all the questions with the same expertise and calm. Never once giving them a reason to leave them distrusting of him. All in all, the conference didn't last more than 45 minutes before they wrapped it up.
"That would be it from us today. You are all more than welcome to the afterparty this evening. We look forward to seeing you there. There is just one more thing I have to say, Loki, Reyna, welcome to the team! Thank you for coming! Good afternoon." Tony wrapped up and walked off the podium, gesturing for Reyna and Loki to walk first. They all left the stage to applause and wolf whistles. Natasha, Clint, Thor, and Wanda stood there waiting for them.
"Sounds like it went well," Wanda commented.
"I don't know. You tell me," Reyna exhaled in relief to be out of the spotlight and turned to Steve and Tony.
"You did amazing. You both did," Steve complimented, clapping Loki on the shoulder.
"Now it's just the afterparty, and no, you can't sneak off early. You two have to socialize." Tony shut down the inevitable request, leaving the two mages pouting. This "socialization" thing sounded stupid. Curling up with a good book far from the noise and nosy reporters sounded like a more reasonable idea.
"If we have to socialize, then all of you have to too," Reyna demanded. She almost looked like a child demanding their parent join them in the bath.
"That was the plan," Nat chuckled.
"Come on. Happy is waiting for us outside. The party starts in two hours, and the only one allowed to be fashionably late is me, so chop-chop," Tony hurried. The rest just laughed.
"Welcome to the circus," Clint muttered with a smile.