It is believed by some that mirrors are portals. Portals to other universes. Portals to the underworld. Countless superstitions exist from all around the world, and they're all true. Mirrors can be a dangerous thing.
Mage has covered all of the mirrors in her apartment in an attempt to drown out the noises. Even hidden behind the veil, the whispers continue.
She tries her best to just ignore them. To act as if they do not exist. As if they're not there.
And all while trying to forget about the whispers, she ends up forgetting about the real world and her responsibilities in it. Three consecutive knocks on her door draw her attention. Once more, she grabs her gun. She clicks the safety off and slowly approaches the door. She looks through the peephole and sighs. She reluctantly opens the door as she places the safety back on and shoves the gun into her jeans.
" Can I help you?" She asks, already annoyed by their presence.
" Ms. Rogers, it appears you missed a session with Dr. Raynor," The police officer announces.
" And?"
" Per your agreement with the government, sessions are mandatory," He says, " I'm gonna have to ask you to come with us."
Lauren tilts her head as her jaw tightens. The corner of her lip turns up to form a smirk, her eyes glances up at the officer. She takes the gun out of her jeans and places it on the table by the door. As she takes a few steps into the hall, she takes the time to look at all the officers. She sees the fear in their eyes as she stands still. She sees how their bodies shake and their foreheads sweat. She sees an officer take out a pair of handcuffs with trembling hands, so so cooperates. She puts her hands behind her back and waits. As he latches the metal cuffs around her wrists, she ignites a small flame on her pointer finger. The officer yelps and jumps back, and she simply smirks as the other officers draw their guns.
" Oh relax," Lauren says with an eye roll, " If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already."
She continues to comply with the officers as they guide her out of the building and into a squad car, gathering the attention of countless bystanders. She stares out the window as they drive her to the station, watching the ongoing traffic and the skyscrapers standing tall. The take her out of the car and walk her inside the station. The moment she walks in, all eyes lock on her, and everybody stops working. The only sound in the station is her heeled boots walking against the tiled floor as they walk her to a holding cell. Everybody watches as they open the cell door. Everybody watches as she walks inside. They lock the door behind her as she goes to sit on the bench. Her head slowly rolls up, her eyes gazing at those who let their curiosity get the best of them.
" Boo," Lauren says as her eyes flash gold, just for a moment.
The rest take the hint and get back to whatever it is they were doing or have to get done. She smirks to herself and leans her head back against the brick walls of the cell, closing her eyes to drown out the busy noises of the police station. Chatter goes on around her, but she pays absolutely no mind to it. She focuses on her breathing, allowing her mind and body to calm. It brings her the sense of peace she's been longing for. Her mind can be such a dark place, its truly a relief when it brings her peace inside of darkness.
This is far from her first time in a jail cell, and most likely will not be her last. Who knows how long this time will last, might as well try to make it enjoyable.
And while it appears that her mind is calm and centered on breathing, there is still a part that insists on being chaotic. A dark, small part of her brain that rests in the back of her head. It sits there, always trying to take up more mass, always trying to take control. And sometimes... it wins.
Not long after her arrival, it's already time for her departure. The sound of the metal cell door opening breaks her trance and forces her to open her eyes, glaring at whoever it is who opened the door.
" You made bail," The sergeant says as he holds the door open.
And without saying a word, Lauren slowly stands up and walks out of her cell. She glances down at the sergeant's name tag and sees that it reads Volkov. She stops right outside the cell and her eyes move up to meet his.
" Grigory?" She asks with a tilt of her head.
" No... that was my father," He says as he squints his eyes, " How did you--"
" Because I killed him," Lauren says, stating it as if it was obvious, then turns her head and continues her walk out of the station, leaving the sergeant dazed and confused.
She opens the door and walks down the steps to face New York city, but at the bottom of the steps awaits the person who bailed her out. She lets out a sigh as she pinches the bridge of her nose.
" Hello, Stephen," Lauren says as she lifts her head.
" What happened to staying out of trouble?" He asks as she descends the rest of the stairs.
" I don't recall ever promising that I would," She teases, " Why did you bail me out."
" To help a friend?" Stephen suggests, shrugging his shoulders as his hands rest within the pockets of his jacket.
" Well, clearly your friend is fine," Lauren sighs, " Thank you... now, I'll be on my way."
" Back home?" He asks, stopping her before she can walk away.
" Back to my apartment, yes."
" Is that really the best place for you?"
" Excuse me?" Lauren asks as she crosses her arms.
" Lauren, I didn't mean it like that," Stephen says with a sigh, " Just... maybe you should take a break from the city. Maybe a vacation would be good."
" Right, I can't exactly imagine myself laying on the beach in a bikini," She scoffs.
" Oh I can imagine that just fine," He says with a cheeky grin, " You deserve some rest, Lauren."
Her eyes carefully examine his, along with the words that just left his mouth. He can feel her trying to poke around at his thoughts, so he clears his throat and breaks the eye contact, trying his best to fortify his mind.
" What aren't you telling me, Stephen?" Lauren asks as she tilts her head.
" Nothing of any importance," He lies with a gentle smile as he lifts his head," Take some time... for me."
With that, the former Sorcerer Supreme leaves the woman. He walks away, leaving her in front of the police station.
Lauren does eventually make her way back to the apartment. She opens the door as closes it behind her, but notices something odd. The mirror in the hallway now rests uncovered, with the veil draped on the floor. Her eyebrows furrow as she goes to pick it up and place it back on the mirror.
She lets out a huff as she contemplates Stephen's suggestion. He definitely knows more than he's letting on, and it annoys Lauren to her core. Information being withheld has always and will always bother her.
As she walks around her apartment to gather her things, she starts to think about where it is she wants to go.
Fiji.
Maybe Mexico.
The Bahamas.
Maybe the Virgin Islands.
Costa Rica.
Maybe Tahiti.
Regardless of her destination, she takes her bag and walks out of her apartment. She locks the door, then places her palm against the wood. Her eyes and hand glow gold as she enchants her home.
Her eyes return back to their normal green, and then she's off to JFK. She stands in the airport terminal, eyes scanning through all the boards with all the destinations, until she lands on one she likes. She walks up to the ticketing counter and places her passport down, along with a credit card.
" One first class ticket to Santo Domingo, por favor."
To the Dominican Republic she goes.
She doesn't bother turning her phone on.
She keeps it off in order to better enjoy her vacation.
Not thinking twice about her prior arrest.
She creates a quiet little bubble for herself.
Right on the beach in a small bungalow.
And for weeks, she does absolutely nothing.
She turns her brain off momentarily.
To escape from it all.
To escape from reality without magic.
She spends her time sipping coconuts on the beach and having her hair braided by the local children.
She lives in peace and harmony.
No powers, no guns, no enemies.
Maybe Strange was right.
Maybe a vacation was a good thing.
Maybe it's a good thing she never booked a return flight, not like she would need it to begin with.
Her weeks of vacation span into months.
She has absolutely no desire to go back to the states.
And since her phone is off, she misses quite a lot.
She missed dozens and dozens of calls from Bucky, both personal and business related.
He desperately needed her help with the Flag Smashers and the Power Broker, but it was of no avail.
He ended up having to face it all with Sam by his side, venturing down a path with Zemo and John Walker that he thought he never would.
And even when he found out that former CIA and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter was an international criminal known as the Power Broker, Lauren still wouldn't pick up the phone.
Always voicemail.
But he never gave up.
Week after week, he still called.
Eventually Sam chimed in too, calling her cell to she how she's been, but all he gets is her voicemail.
They share concern over the Avenger, but both realize that if she doesn't want to be found, she won't be.
Months upon months upon months go by, and Lauren stays on the island.
Her home away from home.
She grows found of her life on vacation, and finds herself losing track of time.
After spending a life time running from one fight to the next, it's safe to say time off is way over due.
Months of relaxation turn into a year, which turn into a couple more.
She doesn't notice how long she's spent on the island, nor does she really care.
Her powers have been on the back burner for so long, it's almost as if she forgot who she is.
Without an enemy to pursue, she has no need for guns.
No need to fight.
Everything is... fine.
For years, she lives her life like a normal person.
Not an Avenger.
Not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Not a spy.
Until that one day.
Until that one very fateful day where the world learns Spider-Man's true identity and who killed the famed Mysterio.
Peter Parker.