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Disclaimer: I don't own any of these fandoms.

This is the sequel to the fanfic The Girl Who Knew Too Much

Please comment! Enjoy! And don't forget to check out my tumblr: the-real-narnia

Part One: The Visitor

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Chapter One

I woke up screaming.

It not like it was anything different. I had woken up screaming ever since the end of the war. The only time I didn't scream was my honeymoon. We don't knowwhat exactly is causing it. It could be anything from five years in a war, to dying, to becoming an Asgardian, to killing my sister. It's kind of hard to tell, as I don't remember why I wake up screaming.

After it didn't stop, Harry cast a spell on the walls to make it soundproof. I've tried everything from magic potions to Cas putting me under, but every time I fall asleep, I always wake up screaming.

"Rissa," Loki said, embracing me. "It's okay. You're here. You're here. It's okay. You're with me now. You're safe."

Slowly, my breathing slowed, and I relaxed into his arms.

"It's okay," he said.

I sighed and got up. "Sure," I said. "I'm going to go hang out in the restaurant."

"Come back to bed," Loki said. "It's two in the morning."

"You know that I can't sleep after I wake up," I said, leaving the room.

I went downstairs, into the restaurant. It was open twenty four hours, so we even had some people coming in this early in the morning. But today it seemed relatively empty.

I walked over to the bar and sat on one of the stools, putting my head in my hands.

"You okay?" Merlin asked. Arthur became our bartender and Merlin was our bus boy. Sometimes, late at night, I would find them making out behind the bar. Since Merlin had finished cleaning up, he just stayed behind the bar. "Another rough night?"

"You said it," I said, sighing, running a hand through my hair. "Where's Arthur?"

"He said he was going to the bathroom, but that was a couple of hours ago. I figure that he must have passed out somewhere, so I'm just letting him get his rest," Merlin said, cleaning one of the glasses.

"That's sweet," I said quietly.

"You look like you could get some rest too," he said quietly.

"I know," I said. "But the amount that I'm getting doesn't seem to be enough." I sighed. "If only I could remember what my dreams are about."

"Are they always the same thing?" Merlin asked.

"Well, they were, but the more and more that I dream, the worse it gets. I think that something new is happening."

"Something new?" Merlin asked.

"Merlin, do you think that…" I hesitated. "That I might have…powers or something, now that I'm Asgardian?"

"I think it's a very large possibility, yes," Merlin said. "In fact, I believe that I sense it inside of you. Do these new dreams have anything to do with that?"

I bit my lip. "Do you think that I…could see the future?"

"Why?" Merlin asked. "Do you think that you saw it?"

"Maybe?" I said. "Sort of. It was more…like a prophecy. The only thing that I remembered from my dream. I thought that I should check with it out with you before I talk about it with anyone else."

"What did it say?" Merlin asked.

"In the realm of all, one shall appear,

Someone who they all will fear.

Chaos will come in her wake,

And people with her she shall take.

House of love to house of hate,

One by one, they all will break.

One by one, they meet their fate.

One by one, they are too late."

"What do you think it means?" Merlin asked, looking much more concerned now.

"I don't know," I said. "But I feel that it won't be long before we find out."

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Chapter Two

"Checkmate," Sherlock said, leaning back in his chair and relaxing. "That's the fifth time in a row," he murmured, putting his hands together in front of his lips. "You must be having an off day."

"I let you win," Moriarty said.

"That's what you said the last five rounds," Sherlock replied.

"Well, you're cheating," Moriarty said.

"That's what you said the last four rounds," Sherlock replied.

Moriarty rubbed his hands down his face. "I'm just so bored!" He groaned. "Let's have fun. Let's go out. I'll even help you solve a case, anything!"

"You know you're not allowed to leave," Sherlock said. "It's either here or the prison."

"Says who?" Moriarty asked.

"Says me," I said, coming up to the table with food. I set it down on the table. "You behave yourself, mister. You're lucky you're even allowed in here, after that shenanigans you pulled with the War."

"Ugh," Moriarty said, rolling his eyes. But other than that sound, he said nothing.

"And you," I said, turning to Sherlock. "I know that you don't eat much, but this is my restaurant, and when you're here, you'll eat." I pointed to the brownies. "Chocolate. Sugar and Caffeine. If anything, it should help you."

"Why would it do that?" Sherlock asked.

"You used to be on drugs," I said. "Sugar and caffeine can simulate the high like effect, while the worst crash you can get is actually getting some sleep at the end of the day. So stop complaining and eat your brownies."

"Fine," he grumbled, slowly picking up a brownie. "You might want to set up the table, though. Everyone should be here in a couple of minutes."

I glanced at the clock. "Oh, you're right," I said, leaving. It was a Friday night. Every Shadow Sacrificer comes on Fridays, so we can catch up with each other.

"Emma, can you help set the table?" I asked as she passed me by. She, along with the rest of my foster family, helped out in the restaurant.

"Sure," she said, smiling. She ran into the kitchen to help.

One by one, the Shadow Sacrificers walked through the doors and took their places at the table. Once everyone had arrived, my whole foster family sat down as well.

I sat next to Loki, with the Doctor (Twelve) on my other side. Eleven sat next to him. Most of the Doctors didn't sit with the Shadow Sacrificers, as it was after their time. I looked around the table at my family and friends. At my little sister Jamie, who sat next to Sherlock and held his hand. Sherlock was teaching her to be his apprentice. At Dean, Sam, and Cas. At Emma, Jacob, and Toby, my other foster siblings. At the Avengers, happy to finally kick back and relax. Tony was already drinking a beer. At Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

I loved Friday nights the best.

So we sat down at six, and we laughed, and talked, for hours.

At around ten, Loki stood up and ran to the stage. He tapped the microphone.

"Uhh, excuse me?" he said, inspecting the microphone. "Excuse me? Yes, hello. I would like to make an announcement. My lovely wife, Rissa, has turned twenty-three today. Happy Birthday, Rissa. I…I love you."

Thor leaned over Loki's empty seat to whisper to me. "I don't think I have ever seen him make such a public display of his affections. I don't think I've ever seen him quiet so nervous, either," he said, chuckling.

"Whoo! Happy Birthday, Rissa!" A lot of people shouted. Fridays were always one of our busiest nights.

Merlin came out of the kitchen carrying a giant cake with him. Well, when I say carrying…I mean floating. It was a gigantic cake. If everyone in the restaurant was supposed to have a piece, it had to be bigger than usual. Too big for one man to carry.

"Sing!" the Doctors shouted. A chorus of timelords started singing, "Happy Birthday."

As Merlin brought the cake to the table and everyone sang. The candles on the cake began lighting themselves, probably by Merlin. He put it down on the table and gave me a hug. "Make a wish," he whispered in my ear.

I smiled, and made a wish. And I blew out the candles.

As I blew out the candles, there was a loud gush of wind outside the restaurant, and the power in the restaurant went out.

There were cries of dismay, until Merlin commanded in a very calming voice, "Calm down," while lighting a giant orb in the air. It glowed and allowed light to be shed around the restaurant, but it threw it under an eerie glow.

"Help!" Shouting came from the front door, and someone was banging on it. "Somebody help me, please!"

"That's odd," I said quietly. "Those doors should be open to anyone, unless we ban them."

"Please!" there was more banging on the door. "Help! Is anyone there!"

"This place is magic," Merlin said quietly beside me. "It doesn't want her to come in."

"What?" Loki asked. "Are you suggesting that the restaurant is stopping the woman from entering?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," Merlin said, looking at me. "Do you remember what it was you said earlier?"

"Yes," I said quietly. Could this be the one we all fear, mentioned in the prophecy?

"Don't let her in," Merlin said.

"Why?" Loki asked. "She can do no harm. Especially with us. Not when there are so many powerful people in here, willing to fight."

"It doesn't matter," Merlin said, his eyes growing wide. "She's coming in!"

The doors burst open, and a woman came stumbling in. She was covering her face with a hood to keep against the wind.

The doors slammed shut behind her.

"Thank you," she said, pulling off her hood, revealing long locks of dark, black hair. "Thank you for saving me," she said, right as she fainted.

Everyone was quiet. We all stared at her unconscious body.

You could hear my whisper across the entire restaurant. "Isabelle?"

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Chapter Three

The restaurant was silent. Everyone stared at Isabelle's body.

I cleared my throat. "Excuse me everyone. Unless you are a Shadow Sacrificer, please leave. If you cannot leave because you live here, please go upstairs and go to bed. But for now, the Restaurant is closed."

Slowly, people began to get ready and leave. There was some awed whispers and mutters between the customs. After all, they had just seen Isabelle, and I had just closed the Restaurant. That doesn't happen.

Finally, everyone had left.

"Oi, not you two," I said, as Merlin and Arthur were about to go upstairs. "I need your help."

I turned the rest of my foster family. "And I need you guys to go upstairs."

"What?" Emma asked. "That's Isabelle! She's been dead for over a year, and then she stumbles in and you expect us to just go upstairs?"

"Listen Emma, I need your help with this, and that includes you going upstairs. Please," I said.

"You're keeping a secret," Jamie accused me. Wow, she was a smart seven year old. Dammit Sherlock.

"I need you guys to go upstairs," I said desperately. "Please."

"Okay," Jacob said, pulling Emma's hand up to the stairs. The other kids followed.

As everyone discussed what we were going to do, Merlin turned a table into a bed and moved Isabelle onto it. (With magic.)

"What are we even supposed to do with her?" Tony asked.

"For now, we need to keep her in check," Sam said. "Lock her up. We all know how dangerous she is."

As they discussed, Loki leaned close to me and muttered, "Why did you make them leave?"

He was obviously talking about my foster siblings. I sighed. "Because they don't know?"

"What?" Loki asked.

"They think that she died in a car crash. That's it. They don't know that she came back to life, and basically tried to destroy the world," I said. "I couldn't do that to them. I couldn't ruin her memory."

Her body wasn't seventeen anymore. She had aged, like me. She would be twenty four years old now.

Loki wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear, "Are you sure that you couldn't deal with her memory, not them?"

I didn't say anything. Loki was too smart sometimes.

Merlin walked over and joined us. "Do you think this has anything to do with…you know?"

"Yes," I said. "I think this is definitely the first two lines."

"What are you talking about?" Loki asked.

"I had some sort of…prophecy a couple of days ago," I said. "I wasn't sure, and I wanted to check with Merlin first."

"If you had a prophecy, then things are even worse than I thought," Loki said. "People don't get prophecies about small things. People get prophecies about things like Ragnorak."

"Ragnorak?" Merlin asked.

"The Norse Apocalypse," I said.

"What did it say?" Loki asked.

"In the realm of all, one shall appear,

Someone who they all will fear.

Chaos will come in her wake,

And people with her she shall take.

House of love to house of hate,

One by one, they all will break.

One by one, they meet their fate.

One by one, they are too late."

Loki thought it over. "I would definitely say that it's started. The first two lines fit what happened today."

"That's what I thought," I said. "The realm of all would be the Restaurant, wouldn't it? After all, anyone can show up here. And the one all shall fear would be Isabelle, wouldn't it?"

"It definitely fits," Merlin agreed. "And I would say it started."

While everyone was talking, no one was paying attention to Isabelle.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting up.

Everyone jumped and moved away from her.

"What?" she asked, getting out of bed and moving towards us.

Everyone backed up more.

"Don't take one more step," Dean barked, pulling out a gun. Sam followed.

"Woah!" she shouted, putting up her hands. "I'm sorry…I, uh, I don't know what's going on here."

"What?" John asked.

"She's telling the truth," Sherlock said.

Sam and Dean lowered their weapons, but they didn't put them away.

"Of course she is," Moriarty said from the stairs.

Everyone turned to look at him. Standing next to him was Lucifer and the Master.

"I thought that I told you to go upstairs," I said.

"We are 'villains'," Lucifer said. "We don't need to listen."

"Oh, yes you do!" I said. "If you want to stay out of the pit."

He paled.

"But," I continued. "Right now I need your help, so I'll excuse it."

"Will you help me?" Isabelle asked, directing my attention back to her.

"With what?" I asked icily.

"With my memory," she said. "I don't know who I am."

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Chapter Four

"I think you're overestimating her," Merlin said, coming up next to me.

Isabelle was sitting on the bed, looking confused, while everyone else around her argued about what to do with her. I was leaning against the bar, just watching.

"You weren't there," I said quietly.

"True," Merlin said, leaning up over the counter. "But I still think you're over estimating her. Is she psychopathic? Yes. But she had no powers, equipment, or weapons. She doesn't even have knowledge. At this point, there's nothing she could use to her advantage. In fact, she's not even thinking about that, because she's not in her old state of mind. Right now, she's just happy that she's in a nice soft bed, in a warm place, surrounded by other people.

"We can't tell her," I said. "Anything. Not even her name."

"I think that's too late," Merlin said. "She might not have her memory, but she remembers everything that just recently happened to her. And I'm pretty sure you called her 'Isabelle' once or twice."

"Even the slightest thing could reawaken the monster," I said.

"Then we need to be careful," Merlin said. He sighed. "We should take inventory. We don't want to lose anyone. If this is the beginning of your prophecy, shit's going to hit the fan soon."

"Well, there's me," I said. A paper appeared out of nowhere, a pen along with it. My name was quickly scribbled onto the paper with a floating pen. "There's Loki," I continued. His name was written under mine. "There's you and Arthur. There's Sherlock and John. Harry, Ron, Hermione. Tony, Bruce, Thor, Natasha, Clint, and Steve. There's Sam, Dean, and Cas. There's the Doctor. All twelve of him. Plus the War Doctor. There's Toby, Jamie, Jacob, and Emma. There's Moriarty, Lucifer, and the Master."

"All right," Merlin said. "Anymore?"

I hesitated. "Yes. There are a couple of other permanent residents upstairs. I want to say that Meg and Gabriel are here for sure. I want to say that Bobby is here, too. I think that they're the only ones staying the night. Most of the other residents moved out."

"All right," Merlin said. "So in total, forty five. Plus Isabelle."

I sighed. "Great. Now we have forty five people we need to take care of, plus an evil woman back from the dead who had previously tried to conquer the world. This should be a breeze."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lucifer, Moriarty, and the Master sneaking towards Isabelle.

"Hey," I said, smacking them with my waitress notepad. "I'm letting you stay downstairs, but I want you away from here."

"Okay," Lucifer put his hands up. "We're walking away."

And as he took a step backwards, the lights went out.

And the screams began to start.

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Part Three: The Game

Chapter Text

Warning: Viewer Discretion is Advised

Percy Jackson walked through the doors of his cabin, only to step in to the Restaurant.

Oh. He didn't know it was open. It's been over a week since he'd been there last.

But it didn't look right. The lights flickered, and there was a bad feeling in the air. Several of the tables were overturned.

And in front of him, the blackboard that usually said what the meal of the day was read a warning:

DO NOT ENTER

Once you do, you cannot leave. The restaurant is no longer in our control.

Someone is playing a harsh game with us, and don't get sucked up in it.

Once those doors close behind you, you're a part of the game as well.

Good luck.

- Loki

It made Percy wonder where Rissa was. What was really going on. Should he stay, and help his friends, or should he stay out of it? Just as he was going to leave, he heard a scream echo from somewhere deep within the house. That made up his mind.

He ran inside. And he entered the game.

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Part Two: The Players

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Chapter Five

When the lights came back on, they were blinding.

"Is everyone all right?" I asked, shielding my eyes.

"I'm good," Tony said, getting up. "Who else?"

"Me too," Steve said. All of the other Avengers nodded.

"We're good," Sam said, looking around.

"Us too," John said, exchanging looks with Sherlock.

"It seems that everyone is okay," the Doctor said, his screwdriver out.

Harry nodded, and Merlin seemed to be scanning something with his mind.

"Everyone else is alright," the Doctor continued. "Everyone else is still upstairs." He paused before continuing. "But we're not alone."

"What do you mean?" came a high voice behind us.

We all turned to check on Isabelle. She started to hyperventilate. "What's going on?" she screeched. "Where am I? What just happened-"

She was hit with a cloud of smoke from Loki, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

We turned to look at him.

He shrugged. "What?"

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the Doctor. "What do you mean, 'we're not alone'?" I asked.

"Those screams," he said, scanning and checking his screwdriver. "They weren't from us. Any of us. It was something else. Something that was released into the Restaurant."

"Someone is toying with us," Lucifer said. I had almost forgotten that he, along with Moriarty and the Master, was there.

"He's right," Moriarty said. "Isabelle stumbling in, all of us cornered in this restaurant. Someone is playing a game, and we're the players. And this restaurant…this is the game board."

"So we need to leave," Steve said.

"It won't be that easy," Sherlock said. "If someone is doing this, then we probably won't let us leave."

My eyes widened. "Everyone, Asgard, now. If we can pass through, I'll evacuate the upstairs tenants."

We ran out of the room and through the kitchen. On the other side, next to the living room, there's a door that looks like a closet.

It's actually a portal to Asgard.

"Okay," I said, "Let's-"

"Wait." Loki held up a hand. "It could be a trap."

He leaned in close to the door. I saw his eyes widen. "I hear something," he said. "Something…impossibly old."

He leaned further in. As he nearly passed through the door, there was a bright flash and he was flying, through the air until he crashed into the opposite wall.

"Loki!" I said, running over to him and pulling him up. "Are you alright?"

He got up, leaning on my, wincing. He held his hand to his side, and his face was whiter than usual. "Don't try that." He said, panting. "The only reason I'm still alive is because I'm a Jotunn. I wouldn't recommend anyone else trying, though Rissa and Thor would probably survive the backlash."

"Should we try another exit?" Harry asked.

"I could," Thor suggested.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes," he nodded. He walked through the front door and attempted to walk out.

We all waited for the powerful flash, for Thor to go flying backwards.

Nothing happened. He wasn't allowed to leave, but it was just like he was walking into a wall. He pushed into the air, and you could see something that almost resembled a field stretch and pull.

It was as if we were in a dollhouse, and someone had saran wrapped the house shut.

"Why do you think the Asgardian exit was so much more powerful?" I asked Loki.

"Probably because it leads to Asgard," he said. He was still holding his side, though he looked better. He had sat on one of the stools next to me at the bar, though he winced when he shifted position.

"It took more powerful magic to build up the portal, and to keep it's travelers in one piece, so it needs stronger magic to keep it shut."

I looked away from Loki and looked back towards the door, where Tony was now blasting beams from his suit through the doors, trying to break the barrier. Steve and Thor were pushing against the barrier, trying to find a weak spot after Tony's beams hitting it.

After nothing happened, everyone tried to attack it. Someone had propped the doors open, and people were giving it their all trying to destroy it. John, Sam, and Dean were shooting guns, Castiel was using his angelic power. The Doctor used his screwdriver, trying to find a way to disable it. Clint shot arrows that passed through the barrier harmlessly to the other side, but caused no damage to the barrier itself. Harry shot spells at it, Merlin concentrated his magic on it. But even with everyone working together to destroy the thing, it stayed in place, steady and as strong as ever. In fact, it seemed that all of our attempts to destroy had made it stronger.

"So we're trapped here," I said, watching our failed attempts.

Our home had become our hell.

Our home had become our prison.

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Part Three: The Game

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Level One

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Chapter Six

"So now what?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked.

I raised my voice, "Well-" everyone stopped banging on the door and turned to me. "What now? Whoever is running the show has us all nice and trapped. So now what? When does the game begin? What are the rules? How do you win it? What's the goal?"

"For all you know, it could be like the Hunger Games," the Doctor said. "What's the rush?"

"From what I know of, and I'm sure that Sherlock, and even Moriarty will back me up on this, is that criminals, especially the psychopathic kind, will always slip up sooner or later. Criminals want credit for their masterpiece, for the havoc they wreak. I have a feeling that when we reach the end of this game, we'll meet who's in charge. Someone this cocky, and this insane will probably want to do some type of dramatic battle at the end of the game. The faster we begin, the faster we fix this."

"Rissa's right," Sherlock said. "Someone this genius, this-"

"Sherlock," John warned, poking him in the ribs.

Sherlock nodded. "Right, as I was saying, someone this dangerous will likely want to take credit for this, especially if it's someone we know. People love to shock others."

"Are you suggesting that it's someone we know?" the Doctor asked.

"It makes sense," Sam said. "With so many people slipping in and out of the Restaurant, someone could easily put wards around it, and activate them at the right time."

"Do you think that she's a part of the game?" I asked, nodding over to Isabelle. We all turned to look at her.

"Probably," Loki said, snorting. "For now, how about we keep her unconscious."

"I definitely think she's real, as in alive again, but yeah, she was definetly thrown into the game to be an obstacle for us," Sherlock said.

That exact moment, Isabelle stood up. Her eyes were open, but they were purely white, with no irises. "Welcome to Level One," she said. Her voice echoed, and she was almost floating off the ground.

"They're speaking through her," Cas said quietly.

"Each floor of this house is a different level," she said. "You must reach the next floor and accomplish the level's mission to enter the next level. All players must pass or you will not be able to begin the next level. You will encounter a series of obstacles on each level. Your first obstacle is this."

Then Isabelle fainted back onto the bed.

"I don't understand. What's the obstacle?" Steve asked, as we watched Isabelle's body.

Isabelle woke up, shouting. "Where am I? What happened?" She glanced around crazily, and her eyes met mine. "You!" she gasped. "You killed me!"

And she ran towards me.

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Chapter Seven

Strong arms pulled her back, and I was quickly hidden behind a mass of bodies.

"Great, she remembers everything," Loki muttered next to me. "Looks like she's a psychopathic killer again."

"Merlin, Harry, can't one of you do something!" Dean shouted, as he and Sam restrained Isabelle. "Like knock her out or something."

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Isabelle. Her hands and legs were instantly bound together.

"Be careful where you point that thing," Dean said. "You almost hit me."

"Thanks," Sam said, apologizing for Dean.

I sighed. "Great," I said sarcastically.

"What?" Loki asked.

"We were told that all players had to pass each level. She's playing the game too. So that means we need to work together," I explained.

Everyone turned to look at Isabelle.

"Awesome," Dean said, sighing.

"How is this in any way good?" Thor asked.

"It's called sarcasm, brother," Loki said.

"Anyway," I said, getting up and walking over to the bar. "We need to," I froze all of a sudden, something dashing across my mind, immediately followed by some nausea and dizziness.

"You okay?" Loki asked.

I shook my head quickly, shaking off the dizziness. "I'm fine," I said. "What was I saying?" I asked. "Oh yeah," I said quickly, the thoughts coming back to me, "we need to check our options. So far, I think one of our best options is to play the game." I reached the bar and turned back to Merlin. "Is my secret stash still here?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Good," I said, leaning over the counter and grabbing a bottle.

"What is that?" Thor asked.

"It's called Kool-Aid," I said. "Love it. Cherry. Here, try one." I reached back under the counter and grabbed another bottle, throwing it to Thor. "Anyone else want one?"

They shook their heads. The ones who have never had it before (like Steve, Cas, and Lucifer) tried some from Thor's bottle.

I twisted the wax cap off and guzzled down the bottle. Wow, I was really thirsty. Must have been all of this recent action.

I finished the bottle and threw it in the trash. It landed in the bin perfectly. "Now, we should," I stopped, the dizziness and nausea coming back. Huh, I thought it was a thirst problem.

"Rissa?" Loki asked.

"Fine," I said, waving his worry away. I turned back to the bar and got some water. It was odd though. Being an Asgardian, I could go months without eating or drinking anything. And I ate food not too long ago, with my birthday dinner that we had right before we were going to have the cake.

I finished drinking that glass of water. "Now, we should," I said walking forward. My sight danced. "We should," I continued, going on. The dizziness got worse, and I felt sick to my stomach. "We should…" My legs collapsed, and I drifted out of consciousness.

"Rissa!" I heard Loki shout, and I felt him catch me before I fell, but he collapsed too, and I could hear a voice whispering throughout the Restaurant.

"Welcome to the First Challenge."

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Chapter Eight

I was standing alone, in a sea of white. I was walking on solid air, surrounded by never ending white.

Oddly enough, it reminded me of that one SpongeBob episode, when Squidward was trapped in the white infinity.

The entire place rippled, into complete darkness. It reminded me of when Dean woke up in his coffin.

The world rippled again, leaving me in a dark castle. I instantly thought of Merlin and Arthur.

As the world changed again, I understood what was happening. Someone was trying to put me in a situation. But I was unable to get there because I knew so much, and could simply follow what a character could do in that situation.

I jumped from inside a coffin, to underwater, to falling from a building.

But when I hit the ground, I ended up in the street.

I remembered this street.

This is the street where my life changed.

Then I heard the noise. I rounded the corner, and my gaze fell upon a tall, blue box, the words, POLICE (PUBLIC CALL) BOX, glowing brightly along the top.

My hand involuntarily grazed the doors. And as I pulled open the door, I heard a voice behind me.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

I turned around and looked behind me. Lucifer stood there.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he repeated, turning into Moriarty mid-sentence. "You have a chance to change all of this."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We brought you back to the turning point," Moriarty said, before turning into the Master. "You can choose to stay on the same path, and enter the Tardis, or you can turn around, and go home."

He turned into Isabelle, looking peaceful, and sane. "You don't have to do this, Rissa," she said kindly. "Come home to us-" she turned into Jamie, "-so we can be a family again!"

I gave her a cold look. "I have a family," I said. The creature rolled through all of them, flashing back and forth. That's when I realized it was taping into my thoughts.

"I have a father," I said, taking a step closer. He turned into the Doctor. "I have brothers-" it flashed through Dean, Sherlock, Thor and the rest. I took another step closer. "I have sisters," it flashed through Natasha, Emma, and Jamie. I took one more step closer, right into the thing's face.

"I have a lover," it turned into Loki.

"And I wouldn't give them up for the world," I whispered into its ear. And I turned and ran through the Tardis.

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Chapter Nine

"I love you," Rissa murmured against Loki's lips.

"Mmm," Loki said, pulling back. "I love me too," he smirked.

Rissa smacked him and laughed, kissing him again.

"You do know that I love you though, right?" Loki said taking a breath and stroking her hair.

"Of course you do," Rissa said, smiling at him. "Who wouldn't?"

"Well," she said, after a pause, "I can actually think of a lot of people, but…"

Loki shut up her worries by kissing her again. "Well I can think of a lot of people who do love you," he said, in between kisses. "Though your biggest one is me, by a mile long."

"Mmm, you know just what to say," Rissa murmured.

Loki kissed her again, and again, and again. And then he tasted something on his lips. It was wet, and sticky, and tasted like copper.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. Her mouth was covered in blood, and she gasped for breath. She clutched her stomach, as blood danced across it, growing wider and wider.

Loki gasped. He knew she had died but he didn't know how.

"You…you did this to me," she croaked. Her eyes pierced him down to the soul. "You killed me."

Loki stumbled away from her, his hands wet with her blood. In front of his eyes, she vanished from view, and the scene shifted. He was on Asgard, and he watched as his mother was stabbed.

"You," she said, gasping, looking into his eyes. "You did this to me. You killed me."

"You were never good enough!" shouted Odin. Now Loki was standing in front of his father. "I never should have taken you. I should have left you in the cold, to die!"

"I should have never met you," said Rissa, as she stood in Valhalla. "I should have stayed away, or never gotten into the Tardis. I should have let you rot."

"No," Loki said. His voice broke. "NO!" he shouted. "You shouldn't have. I might not deserve you, but I need you. And I was not to blame for your death! I couldn't have done anything to prevent it. And I need to stop dwelling on the past. But it is not my fault. And I'll say it again: I might not deserve you, but I need you. And I promise that I will always love you. That I will love you with all my heart."

"Congratulations," Rissa said, flashing into something else that Loki only got a glimpse of. "You passed."

And then he woke up.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten

I woke up on the floor, in Loki's arms. I sat up quickly, and turned to him. He was still asleep.

I started shaking him. "Loki. Loki. Wake up." I could only imagine that he was in the same type of situation as I was.

It was no use. The only thing that happened was tears, streaming down his face. "Loki! Loki, wake up!" I yelled, shaking him.

And he gasped, and opened his eyes.

When Loki first saw Rissa, he was terrified. He backed away from her, on his hands and knees. Until he remembered that this was the real Rissa.

Or not. It could be another test.

"Loki," she said, hushing him. "Loki, shh, it's me. It's me, okay." She slowly came towards him. "It's me," she said, reaching up a hand and stroking his face. "It's all alright."

She pulled him into her arms and rocked him back and forth. "Shh," she said. "It's alright. You're home now."

He shuddered in her arms. The vision itself, despite the pain and guilt it had caused, was not the source of his terror. It was that thing he saw. When the creature's glamour had fell, and he saw what was really there, wearing his lover's face. Something that he had never seen before, but awakened a primal, terrifying instinct, one of doom and utter submission to this monster. Something that told him that there was no point. That it wasn't going to matter in the end, anyway. He would never get live out a long life with Rissa, as he should. They were all going to die, the two of them, and their entire family, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"It's all useless," he whispered in her arms. His shaking had shrunken down to a tremble, with a shudder ripping through his body as thoughts overcame him.

"You felt it too?" Rissa whispered.

Loki stopped, looking up at his wife. In all this time, he had completely forgotten that his wife went through something of the same thing.

"What did you…experience?" He asked, wondering if she felt anything as overwhelming as he did.

"I felt…something old, powerful. Something that was toying with us. And a feeling of despair, that we would never defeat something like this."

Loki looked into her eyes, observing. "But you don't believe it," he noted.

She shook her head. "No. I believe that we can beat this thing. But I'm not denying how powerful it is. I might have walked out on its test, but it only let me go, only let me wake up, because I passed it."

"That's what she said," Loki said. "Before I saw it's true face, and then woke up. It said, 'Congratulations. You passed.'"

"'She'?" Rissa asked. "Who did it appear to you as?"

Loki couldn't meet her eyes.

"It was me, wasn't it?" She guessed. "Look at me," she said, grasping his chin and tilting his face so he could look into her eyes.

"It's okay," she said. "I love you. And nothing will ever change it."

She gave him a nice, sweet kiss on the lips.

"Now what about everyone else?" She asked, when she was done.

They looked around the room. Everyone else was still deeply asleep.

"What if they don't wake up?" Rissa asked.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven

No sooner than I'd spoken, there was a groan as Harry pulled himself up, awakening from his test.

We ran over to him, helping him get up.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, wiping away a stray tear. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "How well are you faring?"

"Okay," I said, before Loki could speak. "We had some disturbing…tests, but Loki helped me handled it when I woke up. My brave little rascal," I said, leaning into his chest.

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Am I a rascal now?"

I winked at him. I knew that he could never stand them knowing about how much he had been affected. Plus, us being casual with each other will help Harry settle back in easier. The more comfortable we were with each other, the easier it would be for everyone to work together. The last thing we needed was us fighting.

He wrinkled his noise. "Do it elsewhere, would you?"

"This is our house. We'll do it anywhere we want," Loki said.

Before Harry could respond, there were groans from the floor. We rushed to John as he sat up, rubbing his head. "Well that was….that was quite…." He didn't finish.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

He took in a deep breath. "Yes, I believe so. I just…I need a moment." He walked off to one of the tables and sat down in one of the chairs, tapping the table and thinking about his recent experience.

"How long do you think it will take the others to wake up?" I asked Loki quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What if they're unconscious longer because they have harder tests? What if it pushes them to far?"

"How so?" Loki asked, worried now.

"What if they're not the same person when they wake up?" I asked.

"I don't think that's the question we should be asking," Loki said. He turned to the other fourteen unconscious bodies on the floor. "I think we should be asking:

What if they don't wake up?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve

Each person wakes up differently. Loki woke up gasping. Harry and John woke up with a groan.

Thor woke up screaming. Loki, John, Harry and I sat up, shocked. It's been a bit since John woke up, and we were sitting and drinking tea, coffee, and Cherry Kool-Aid.

Once he realized he was up, he stopped screaming and was quietly saying, "No, no, no, no," over and over again, tears running from his eyes.

Loki and I ran over to him, Harry and John close behind. "Are you okay?" I asked.

Thor said nothing, instead pulling Loki down into an embrace. Loki grunted as he was pulled right on top of him. I heard Harry snickering behind me.

"Alright Thor, I'm here, you can let go now," Loki said, his voice muffled in Thor's hug. "Thor? Yeah, Thor, you can let go now,"

Thor didn't.

"THOR," Loki said, shoving him off. "Yes, it's okay, this is real and I'm alive, but STOP HUGGING ME."

Thor sighed. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice grave. "But…what I saw…"

"It's okay," I said, coming up and hugging him. He returned it wholeheartedly.

Thor gives the best hugs. Well…Steve's are pretty good to, and so are Dean's and Sam's. And of course Loki's. Loki is just…well…

Anyway.

"It's okay," I said, pulling out of his hug to look at him. "It wasn't real. I know that it felt real, but it wasn't. Just a virtual reality that someone made to mess with us. A…test of sorts. But it's okay. You're back now."

He looked around the room, at everyone else asleep. "But they're not."

"No," I said, sighing. "They're not. We figure that the more problems you have, depending on what you've faced and how strong you can accept things about them, means you either wake up faster or slower." My gaze turned back to everyone on the floor. "These people aren't exactly happy. And lots of them have been through things. It makes me wonder if some will ever wake up."

My gaze drifted to the Doctor.

"NO!" came a shout from the back of the room, and we watched as Arthur woke up and instinctively pulled Excalibur from his sheath. Despite modern day era, he wanted his sword back and I understood. It would be like Harry without his wand, or the Doctor without his screwdriver. The Doctor and I managed to find his sword, and gifted it back to him. Arthur didn't wear any chain mail, but he did carry his sword around with him in its sheath. After all, we get some unruly customers in the Restaurant.

"It's okay!" I shouted, running to him. Carefully, I touched his hand and helped him lower his sword. "It's okay. You're back. It wasn't real," I said, my hands on his shoulders. "You're home." I carefully hugged him (what with the sword and all), and he slowly returned it, as if recovering from shock.

"It's just a test," I explained as I pulled back. "Someone is messing with us, toying with us. They're pulling us off into our own little hells before releasing us back here. Only a few of us have woken up yet."

Arthur eyed the other five of us standing; Me, with Loki right behind me, and Thor, Harry and John standing patiently behind us.

"Merlin?" he asked. It was the first word he said since he'd really woken up.

"I'm sorry," I said. "He hasn't woken up yet."

His sword clattered from his hand and fell to the ground, and Arthur sank into the nearest chair. "To think," he said, his voice thick. "To think, he had to go through a hell like that…and he hasn't woken up yet."

I realized that this was probably the first time the Arthur had been without Merlin. Merlin had been left alone, without him, of course, for over fifteen hundred years, but Arthur had never really been without Merlin. Arthur was only now adjusting to modern culture. After being informed that his ongoing relationship with Merlin was something more than just friendship, it took him a while to except his feelings. I still don't think that he's truly accepted them. But looking at Merlin now, I think he was starting to understand how he felt. How he felt for the one he loved, the one who was undergoing terrible pain right now, with nothing he could do about it.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm sure he'll wake up soon. He's strong."

Arthur didn't say anything; he just nodded and gazed at Merlin's unconscious body.

I didn't believe my words either.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen

Merlin had no magic.

Wherever he was, whatever dreamscape he was in – because that's what it most definitely was, a dreamscape, meant to shape itself to challenge the one in it, a world of all possibilities and realities – he had no magic.

It was like losing a limb. Magic was always there, for as long as he could remember. It was instinctively a part of him. Even before he knew spells, he was doing it automatically.

But he had none of it now.

All of his powers had fled him.

He wondered if this was because of the dreamscape, or if this whole 'game' was like this. He wondered if he was going to have any of his powers at all until they defeated this thing.

He hoped not.

God, he hoped not.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen

Steve awoke with the name "BUCKY!" screaming from his lips, before Rissa managed to calm him down. When he finally realized that he was awake, he calmed down. He got up, said, "I would like a moment to myself," and then walked over to a corner, pacing quietly in his section, before anyone even had a chance to explain what was going on.

Arthur had jumped up the minute Steve awoke, but settled back down when he realized it wasn't Merlin. He cared for everyone else here, aside from Merlin, but other than Rissa and Loki, he didn't know them very well.

He sighed, and walked over to the bar, pouring himself a glass of scotch. He had to admit, alcohol had gotten much better.

"Tough, isn't it?" John asked, as he sat on one of the bar stools. Arthur automatically took a small glass and poured some of the scotch into it.

"Thanks," John said, as Arthur passed it to him. "I think this is just what I need…" He sat back and took a shot of the whole thing.

When he was done he leaned onto the counter and looked over to the bodies. "Waiting on your lover, too, I see," Arthur said quietly. He hadn't known John much, but he liked him. He reminded him of himself. Plus, sometimes it was nice to just be with someone who's quiet.

John started, pulling his gaze away from Sherlock. "What? No, it's not. We're not-" He paused. "I'm not gay."

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked, a twinkle lighting his eye. He hasn't teased someone properly for a very long time, and he couldn't do it to Merlin as much because Merlin would hang him upside down until he gave in.

"Yes, I'm sure!" John said.

"You're telling me that you've never once been attracted to a man?" Arthur asked.

"YES!" John stressed.

"Well then," Arthur said, straightening up. "That's good, because Merlin said that we could see other people and I was thinking of asking Sherlock-"

"Stop right there!..." John said, putting up a hand, feeling just a little bit jealous.

Arthur buckled over laughing. "My Lord!" he said, wheezing. "Oh my lord!"

John glared at him before eventually giving in and laughing as well.

"What's going on?" A quiet voice asked, and everyone turned to look at Bruce, who was watching them all with wide eyes.

"Bruce!" Rissa said, going over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said, looking away from her.

"Bruce…" she warned.

He sighed and looked at her. "I'm fine. I'm not going to Hulk out or anything."

"You know that's not what I mean," Rissa said softly.

"I just need some time to adjust," Bruce said. "I'll be okay."

"Aah! Aah! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Tony said, sitting upright. "God," he shuddered. "It was horrible. I need something to drink."

He got up and strode over to the bar, were Arthur pushed a glass towards him. Tony quickly drank it all and passed the glass back towards Arthur to refill it. As Tony pulled the second glass to his lips, Rissa said. "Savor it. This is the last drink you're getting until this 'Game' is over."

"Of course it is," Tony said, sighing, before drinking half of it. "Let's let the game begin."

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen

Obviously, it didn't start right away. We needed for the rest of the group to wake up, which they didn't seem to be doing anytime soon.

So really, it just meant more and more waiting around.

The next one to wake up was Clint. Well….actually no. We didn't even notice he was awake. We turned to the bathroom as we heard the water go on. Clint pushed the door open and walked out. He noticed us all staring at him.

"How long have you been up?" I asked.

"A bit," he said shrugging.

"Anyone new up?" Loki asked.

"Yeah," Clint said, pointing to Tony. "Mr. Alcoholic here," he gestured to the drink in Tony's hand, "was still sleeping like a baby."

"Hey!" Tony said.

Clint shrugged. "Look, I'm just saying: Now really isn't the best time to have a drink."

"You're wrong," Tony said, raising his glass to Clint. "Now is the best time to have a drink." He took another gulp of his drink.

"He's got a point," Arthur said.

There was a gasp from the other side of the room. Everyone looked over there as Sam sat up. He heaved a sigh and put his head in his hands.

"Shh," I said, running over to him. "Shh, you're okay. You're gonna be fine. You're back."

"What was that?" he asked, gasping. "Some sort of test?"

"We thinks so," Loki said. "We think whoever's controlling this and keeping us here was testing us for some reason."

Sam looked around the room, noticing how seven of their group were still unconscious.

"Why are we waking up at different times?" he asked.

"I have a guess to that!" I said. "I'm assuming that we're being tested depending on several assets. Depending on how much guilt we have about something, and how strong our resolve is, we have a different amount of time."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Harry noted.

"Why do you sound so surprised!" I asked, turning to him.

"Nothing, I was just….go on," he said.

"I wrote down the order of who woke up so far," I said, pulling a notepad out of my dress.

"The order so far reads:

1. Rissa

2. Loki

3. Harry

4. John

5. Thor

6. Arthur

7. Steve

8. Bruce

9. Clint

10. Tony

11. Sam"

I leaned over and put the notepad on a table, filling Sam's name in the eleventh spot."

"Which leaves the Doctor, Dean and Cas, Sherlock, Natasha, Merlin, and Isabelle."

I looked over to her unconscious body. "That's one good thing at least," I said.

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"If my theory is correct," I said. "Then it means that Isabelle has some guilt."

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen

It took almost thirty minutes for the next person to wake up. I had noticed the time span between people getting longer, but this was the longest by far.

When Natasha had awoke, it had been almost two hours since I had woken up.

It didn't seem that long. Then again, at the same time, it seemed even longer. The Doctor had said that time feeling different was one of the side effects of living in a pocket universe, but it had never felt this strong.

She woke up with a quiet gasp, but it resounded throughout the room. We had started quietly waiting after Sam awoke. In the beginning, I pulled him aside a bit and talked to him.

"Is it because of the trials?" I asked.

"What?" he said.

"Look if my theory about guilt is right, and I have this FEELING that it is, then it had to be the trials, right? When you confessed?"

Sam was quiet, but I could see I was right.

"Is it odd that I feel guilty about waking up so soon?" he asked.

I gave a quiet laugh. "You know I was the first one up, right? And I still don't know how long I was under for. The clocks are all broken."

I gestured around the room, to something I had noticed earlier. The digital clocks all read STOP and the other ones all had their hands missing.

"Look Sam," I said. "This is good. You and your brother have been through Hell, literally. You've had such terrible things happen, and you're still standing. Back when you were hallucinating Lucifer, to how you are now, is a complete different improvement. You've been happier. You let go off a lot of things, and that's good. And since you found the Men of Letters, you not only found a home, but also a new type of hunter lifestyle, one that actually fits you better. You are getting better, and that's good."

He looked over to the bodies. "They're still under. Even…"

I sighed. "If I had any guess? Dean will probably be one of the last ones. Cas will probably be a bit, too. He still feels guilty for killing so many angels and try to become God and such. But Dean? Dean had never forgiven himself for anything. He blames everything on himself, and no one will be able to hurt him or hate him as much as he does himself. Maybe this game will help him let go. Or maybe it will just make it worse and add more things to the pile."

He was quiet before asking, "Do you think we might all get out of this alive?"

"Do you?"

When Natasha sat up, she quickly ran out of the room. All of her defensives were down, and she couldn't let them see that.

Clint followed her into the bathroom, and they stayed in there for twenty minutes. I think. (Still not sure about times.)

They came out afterwards, both looking much better. Will we ever know what happens? Probably, since Merlin thinks I'm going to end up being omniscient, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

When she came back, and looked at all of us, Natasha said, "Where are the other ones?"

"What do you mean?" Loki asked. "What other ones?"

"The…the ones…we fought them. With…Isabelle?" It was more of a question than an answer.

"There are no other ones," Clint said. "Maybe you're just tired. You did go through a troubling experience."

"No, wait," I said, a thought in the corner of my mind that I just couldn't reach. "She's right. There were….two? No, three. Three men."

Everyone shook or rubbed their heads, trying to remember what had happened.

"Two were blonde," Bruce said.

"The other had dark hair," Tony mentioned.

"But what were their names?" John asked, pressing, "Does anybody remember their names?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Could…" Steve hesitated. "Could there be a way that a…spell, or something could make us forget?"

"Obliviate," Harry said. "But this isn't a spell. I believe it's a glamour, of some sort." He looked over to Loki. "An illusion. Which is your specialty."

"A glamour could do this," he admitted. But it would have to be done by someone incredibly strong, especially for it to hold up like this."

"Someone who could put us into dream/tests/comas?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Well, there's got to be a way to break it," Sam said. "Any ideas?"

We all shook our heads, trying to think of a way.

About forty five minutes later (I think). Sherlock woke up.

We looked up in surprised. We had been researching all kinds of glamours, seeing if there was a way we could break it, or even counter its effects for a bit; give us enough time to change it.

"Sherlock!" John ran over to him, embracing him. "You're okay. You're…okay," he said, pulling back and smiling.

Arthur felt a pang of sadness. His lover still hadn't returned and it has been over two and a half hours. "Excuse me, I need a moment," he said, unable to look at John's happiness over his…partner. As happy as he was for his friend, it was too much for him.

He entered the men's bathroom, locking it behind him. He leaned over the sink, grasping at its edges with his hands, breathing heavily.

Panting, he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

He was surprised as he saw tears in his eyes. Kings do not cry. No one had died; his lover was just absent. It was not appropriate for him to cry over something like that!

But his relationship with Merlin had always been different. Maybe it was because when they first met, Merlin didn't immediately back down or obey him. He stood up for himself. Maybe it was because of the way that he knew him before Arthur had become king.

But whenever Merlin had been in pain, or in trouble, Arthur had always felt immediate worry. He remembered when he had once told Merlin not to cry over anyone, that no one was worth your tears.

At some point later, when Arthur's father died, he had heard Merlin whisper, "Everyone is worth your tears. But they don't need to know that."

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen

Sherlock looked around at everyone, shocked.

He had been under for over two and a half hours, and they acted like it was just a little test. Like it only lasted a short while for them. It had been longer for him.

It had been years.

When he awoke, he thought it was a dream. Or maybe that that was the test, waking up in the Restaurant, and if he passed it, he would wake up into his life again.

He could return to his family.

But it didn't happen. He knew, with a horror, that this world was real, and that the other one was a lie.

And now, he had realized it. He had never known his wife's name. He didn't know what she looked like. He had two nameless, faceless children, once so bright and vibrant, now silent and dull.

His love for them had overcome anything else. He would go to work at MI6, come home, kiss his wife, eat dinner, read his children bedtimes stories, and then watch a movie with his wife. It was always a mystery film, because his wife had said that she loved it when he started complaining that it was someone else and that the film was poorly written to not direct them to the proper murder.

It had been good. And he had been happy. Something he hadn't felt since the first days when he and John were running around, before his faked suicide and his two-year disappearance.

He said nothing, and sat there quietly.

When Isabelle awoke next, he wasn't surprised. He had looked at who was awake, and checked Rissa's list. He had to agree that her theory on guilt seemed the most likely, and he could see jumps in between certain people from slightly guilty, guilty, very guilty, and so guilty they will probably never get over it.

What he didn't tell anyone was that he could pretty much predict who would arise next, and when he couldn't really say the time differences between them, he could figure out who came next and the way they fit into his categories.

He had to say that the first eight were only slightly guilty. Rissa, Loki, Harry, John, Thor, Arthur, Steve and Bruce had woken up quickly and seemed to adjust better, from what he had noticed of their behaviors.

He would say that the next three, Clint, Tony, and Sam, were in the guilty category. It had taken them much longer, and it was easier to see a gap in between Bruce's and Clint's awakenings. Somewhat. They had much more guilt then the first eight and were having difficulty adjusting. He could tell as much from Tony's obsessive drinking, much more than usual. He watched him sneak two bottles of scotch into the men's bathroom, and quickly switched the empty bottles for two full ones when Rissa wasn't looking.

He had to guess that Natasha, he, and Isabelle were in the very guilty category. He knew that Natasha used to be an assassin, and he knew that she wanted to 'wipe out the red in her ledger' and she put it. He definitely had some things on his chest, especially during his two year mission of wiping our Moriarty's system. And of course, Isabelle was next. He didn't doubt that she had a lot of guilt, but he felt that she didn't have enough to fit into the next category, which is why he wasn't at all surprised when she woke up.

Everyone turned to her, scared for a second. She took them in with wide eyes, almost shining with tears. She gulped, and managed to spit out, "Give me a minute please," before running towards the girl's bathroom, grabbing a bottle of whiskey on the way in.

Arthur sighed. "We're going to need some more alcohol. We're running out."

Just wait, Sherlock thought. It will be worse when the angel wakes up. Especially since it's hard to get him drunk, so he's going to drink a lot.

Rissa sighed, and looking after Isabelle, exhaustedly said, "Could someone go watch her please?"

Natasha wordlessly got up and made her way to the bathroom. Rissa nodded at her, and Natasha gave her a tight smile.

Sherlock could see all of the stress getting to her. She looked wordlessly at the last four. He could see that she would rather be in their place then watching and waiting, unable to do anything.

And that brought him to the last section. So guilty that they will probably never get over it. It was Dean and Castiel, the Doctor, and Merlin.

He wasn't surprised. But he couldn't imagine how it would be for them. He had lived a lifetime in his two and a half hours. He wondered what it would be for them. Dean had died several times, of course, so it was obviously going to be very long, not even adding in his amount of guilt over everything that happens. He could tell how worried the rest of the SSs were. (He found it easier to refer to them as the SSs than the Shadow Sacrificers; it was easier to take note.) Tony kept trying to talk to Dean, get him better. Plus, the boy (well, he could hardly call him a boy) practically lived off alcohol. It's amazing he hasn't already died of blood-poisoning. It made him wonder; when he was brought back to life, was everything brand new or fixed? He knew that souls got reset to their original blank slate, but he knew nothing of how the body handled it. Did they get all new organs? Or if you had, say, cancer, would it still be there? If you had your tonsils removed would they show up?

He would have to ask the angel sometime. Speaking of the angel, he, the wizard, and the Doctor had all lived millennia. He knew that Merlin lived about a thousand years and a half, which was already long enough, but the angel and the Doctor had lived for several millennia, around four or five thousand years (Approx. He knew that the Doctor would often misinform people about his age, and that he went several hundred years saying he was still in the early 900s.

He wondered how long they would be under, how long it would feel to them. Two life spans? Two centuries? Five centuries? A thousand years?

He wondered if they'd all wake up.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen

When Castiel woke up, he was floating. He just had time to shout out, "Everyone, close your eyes!" before his vessel exploded.

"What was that?" I asked, coughing as the smoke cleared.

"I don't know," Cas said. We all turned to look at him. He had reappeared a few feet away from us, panting. "But I think I have it under control."

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I just need some liquor."

"Arthur?" I asked. "Can Merlin make more alcohol?"

He shrugged. "Probably. But we are running out. He might be able to copy some that we already have, but I doubt he'll be able to make it out of thin air, or even turn water into wine or whatever."

"Try not to get too drunk, Cas," I said.

"Why does he get more alcohol?" Tony asked.

"Cause he can hold his liquor better than you can, and because I know that you've been sneaking bottles into the bathroom," I said.

He flushed, embarrassed, and grabbed another bottle, turning to the bathroom.

I sighed. "Too much?" I asked Loki, as he came around me from behind and embraced me.

"No," he murmured in her ear. "But everyone is going through a lot. We just need some time."

"We've had too much time," I muttered. "What we need is to stop whoever the hell is messing with us."

"Hey, it could be worse," Loki said. "At least we're trapped at our home."

"I'm starting to think that's the problem," I said, looking around at a place we loved, full of family.

"They're trying to turn our home into a prison."

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen

When Merlin woke up, he was on fire.

There was screaming, and yelling, but the flame finally died out.

"Is it safe to hug you?" I asked.

"Yes," Merlin said, smiling at me. When I stepped out of his embrace, he was almost tackled by Arthur.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"Nothing," Arthur said quietly. "I just…missed you."

Merlin knew that it was more than that, but he left it at that.

"How long have I been under?" he asked me.

"Six hours longer than I've been under," I said, sighing. "We've been trying to keep time but it's sort of difficult," I gestured to the clocks, which Merlin noticed were missing their hands.

"I need a drink," Merlin announced.

"Big surprise," I muttered. "Can you make more?"

"More what?" Merlin asked.

"Alcohol," Arthur said. "We're running out."

Merlin looked back and forth between the two of them. "You aren't kidding. How?"

"Everyone had a rough time in their fake dream test thing," I said.

"Dreamscape," Merlin corrected.

"Dreamscape?" Loki asked, recognizing the word, before groaning, "Of course."

"What's a dreamscape?" John asked. The rest of the gang had started gathering around the bar after Merlin started talking.

Merlin explained as he started duplicating the alcohol. "A dreamscape is sort of like a pocket dimension like this one, except it's in your brain. It's where your subconscious is, where all of your dreams and thoughts are kept. You don't even remember them. But it's still all stored there. All your memories, whether you've forgotten them or they've been done away with a spell. It keeps records of every thought you've ever thought, of every dream you've had, sleeping or awake. The more memories you have, the bigger your dreamscape is. Also, depending on the way you think, some might be easier to maneuver than others."

"We think that people have been staying under because they have the most guilt, but this might be the real cause," Harry said.

"No, it's got to be a combination of the two," I said. "Loki was the second to wake up, and Thor wasn't too long after. They're both hundreds or thousands of years old."

"How old are you?" Tony asked, turning to them.

Loki shrugged. "Lost count after a couple hundred years. Been able to keep a general count, but we're probably off a couple hundred years or so of our real ages. I'd say we're both somewhere around eight hundred or so. But we could be six hundred, or a thousand. I don't really remember."

"You know how we remember some things more than others?" I asked.

"Like what?" Merlin asked.

"Like the things we regret," I said. I almost wondered if I was revealing too much about my own dreamscape.

"What about it?" he asked.

"Would those thoughts overcome more of our dreamscape?" I asked.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"So we were right," I said. "The guiltiest people have heavier thoughts in their dreamscapes. And the ones who've lived longer have more thoughts and actions to weigh on their minds."

"Yes," Merlin said. "The longer you live, the more thoughts you have bombarding you about your choices…"

"…the longer you're under," I finished, sighing.

After a pause, Tony said, "I think I need another drink."

"Coming right up," Merlin said. "I'm starting to understand why we're running out."

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty

Another hour had passed, and Dean and the Doctor were still unconscious.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked, as he slid in across me in the booth.

"I'm writing a list of every character in any universe I know of that had any sort of power," I said, not looking up from the list.

"And?" he asked.

I sighed, and put the pen down.

"And nothing. No one on this list is anywhere near powerful enough for this. I've scourged the depths of my mind, from every sort of villain in every book, movie, tv show, comic, web show, or any other type of literature I can think of."

"What about heroes?" Merlin asked.

"Yeah," I said sighing. "I've thought of those, too." I slid both lists over to him.

"What are these?" he asked, pointing to stars next to some names.

"That was my other idea, that it wasn't just one person but a group. But even with all of their powers combined, it would be hard to pull this off. Oh, and the ones with the circles are ones that work alone. None of these people would be able to work together long enough to pull this off, anyway."

"That's true," he said, sighing. Unlike the rest of the people here, I have actually given Merlin access to everyone's lives. Unless given permission by the characters, certain stories where prohibited in the Restaurant. They couldn't really talk about it either. If they did give permission, then the videos were available for viewing, the books available for renting. But most were restricted. And even though it was a large violation of privacy, I had Merlin study up on everyone's history. I needed someone else to talk with about this. Good thing, too, as I really needed his input.

"Hey," Loki said, as he and Arthur approached our booth. "We bring drinks."

Loki slid into the booth next to me, while Arthur joined Merlin on the other side.

"What are you looking at?" Arthur asked. He didn't talk nearly as much as he used to. He was much more reserved in this world. I wonder where he was when he was gone, but I've never asked. I don't think it was a hell dimension, but I don't exactly think it was a heaven one either.

"A list of anyone powerful enough to pull this off," I said.

Merlin slid the list over to Arthur. His eyes widened. "This is the amount of people who could pull this off? This is a long list."

"Well, it's more of a list of people that I could think of that were powerful. But the thing with that list, none of them could pull it off. Which means that it's just a very unhelpful list of names," I sighed and took the cherry Kool-Aid Loki had brought me, twisting the wax cap off and gulping it down. We were running out of Kool-Aid, too. I wonder if Merlin could make more of that.

"What about groups?" Arthur asked.

"No," Loki said, grabbing the list from him. "Even together, they wouldn't be powerful enough. Plus, half of these people hate the other half's guts. They would never work together. They would rather work alone and die then work together and conquer the world or whatever."

"You would know," I muttered.

"Hey!" he said.

I smiled at him, letting him know that I was teasing him. He gave me a kiss, not a long, consuming one like most of ours, but a light kiss on the mouth to tell me he understood that I was only teasing him, and no more.

"To tell you the truth," I said, turning back to Arthur and Merlin, who seemed to both be a bit embarrassed, "the only people I can think of that are strong enough to do something like this are already here." I snuggled deeper into Loki's arm in the booth.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Working together, Merlin and Loki could probably pull this off," I said.

"She's right," Loki said. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not strong enough be able to pull something like this off alone."

"What?" I asked, sitting up. "Please tell me you recorded that. PLEASE tell me that somehow, someone recorded that."

Loki rolled his eyes, gripping my arm and pulling me down right next to him. "Savor it. I'm not repeating it."

"I'm obviously missing something," a voice from the door said. We all turned to look at the entrance. Standing there was River Song, in all her glory, taking in the room with wise eyes. They darted from the amount of empty bottles lining the counter to Dean and the Doctor, lying on the floor, unconscious. "Someone want to fill me in?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty One

"River?" I asked, getting up from my seat.

"Hello, sweetie," she said, taking steps away from the entrance. "I didn't realize that you were open again. I would have stopped by sooner."

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"The door," she said, turning back to it. She turned back to us and saw our expressions. "You aren't actually open again, are you?"

"We're not," Loki said. "But we might be." He ran toward the door, opening it and trying to step outside. A blast of power sent him flying back to me, straight at my feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to ease him back to his feet.

"I will be in a few moments," he panted, settling down in a chair, wincing.

"Is that what happens when you try to leave?" River asked.

We nodded.

"Maybe I can go," she said, reaching out and touching it. A surge ran through her, and she jumped back. "No. Looks like I'm stuck here."

Nooooooooooooooooo, a voice hissed throughout the Restaurant. Stranger. Nooooooooooo.

"What the hell was that?" Tony asked.

"That," Sherlock said. "Is whatever is messing with us."

Get out, the voice hissed. Leave us, stranger. You have no business here.

"Actually I do. I don't take kindly to ones that try to hurt people I love," River stated calmly.

Get out, it said again. Get out get out get out!

"Sorry," River said. "No going to happen."

Get out get out get out GET OUT!

As the voice screamed the last word, a whirl of smoke appeared behind River.

"River!" I shouted, running towards her. "Look out!"

The sword came out of the whirlwind and pierced her through her stomach. She froze, clutching it, before disappearing in the cloud of smoke, which dissipated.

All that was left was us.

And a sword that had been shoved through my stomach.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Two

I collapsed on the ground. The sword had gone through River and pierced me too, and as they disappeared, the sword stayed behind.

"Rissa!" Loki shouted, running up behind me. "Will she be alright?" he asked turning to Merlin.

Merlin hesitated, "I don't know-"

Loki reached over and started shaking him. "Then find out! She will be alright. She has to be."

"I'll be fine," I said to them. "I don't even feel it. There's just a lot of blood. I'm just gonna take a nap." My words slurred as I reached the end of my sentence.

"You can't sleep!" Loki said, shaking me out of the darkness clouding my vision. "Help her!" he said, turning to Merlin.

"Look, I don't think she'll die," Merlin said. "I don't think that whoever is controlling this wants any of us dead. If they're powerful enough to do something like this-" he gestured around them "-then they've probably put an enchantment on the place to stop us from dying."

"Well good then," I said, blinking heavily. "Cause I'm…"

And then I was dreaming.

I realized almost instantly that this wasn't a type of normal dream. It was one of those. Some type of dreamscape test.

"Back so soon?" asked a version of Isabelle, sitting on the bed next to me, filing her nails.

"Ha ha. Can I wake up now?" I asked.

"Nope. That's the thing with this place. You can't wake up until you pass the test. Or something like that."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Let's talk," she said, changing the subject.

"About what?" I asked.

"Everything," she said. "Boys, friends, stories. Like in the old days."

"You're not her," I said. "You're not Isabelle."

She ignored that, and got straight to her point. "Why Loki?"

"What?" I asked.

"Why Loki?" she repeated. "All the characters in all of the universes, and you pick Loki. Why?"

"What?" I sputtered.

"You picked Loki. Why? And don't give me bullshit on wanting to stop him from killing a bunch of people. You know how fixed points work, and you know that it would still happen. Why Loki?"

"I don't know," I said. "I guess I-"

"Have you ever wondered what was wrong with you?" she asked, changing the subject so fast I got whiplash. Well, as much as you could get whiplash in a dreamscape.

"What do you mean, what's wrong with me?" I demanded. "Yeah, I've got some mental issues, but everyone's got those."

"I mean, why Loki? What so wrong with you that of all of the good, amazing, worthwhile people in all of the worlds, you pick a hard, murderous, beast as your husband? What's so wrong with you that you pick the ones who destroy lives for their amusement?"

"Loki's not like that," I managed to gasp out.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You think he's been Mr. Goodie Two Shoes now that you're married? You think that he'll be good and curb all of those evilimpulses just because you ask him to? Because, what, your love is more powerful? Puh-lease. Because as wrong, and evil and twisted Loki is, you'll always be worse. Because you're in love with someone like that."

And then I woke up.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Three

"Come back to me, Freya," he whispered, slowly rocking her back and forth. "Come back. I love you, Clarissa Freya Osbourne. I need you."

Rissa opened her eyes and looked at Loki, before recoiling from his arms, gasping.

"What's wrong?" he asked, moving towards her.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped harshly, looking…insane. She was shaking, and her eyes were wide with fear, something he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Rissa-" Loki began.

"Just don't touch me," she said quietly. "I just … I need some time alone." She moved away from him and settled in a chair, drinking the warm tea that Arthur brought her and staring off into nothing.

"Loki, are you okay?" Merlin asked quietly, his gaze wandering to the man still at his side.

"I'm fine," he snapped, breaking his gaze away from his lover. "We should warn people." He ran over to their meal of the day blackboard, taking a piece of chalk and writing:

DO NOT ENTER

Once you do, you cannot leave. The restaurant is no longer in our control.

Someone is playing a harsh game with us, and don't get sucked up in it.

Once those doors close behind you, you're a part of the game as well.

Good luck.

- Loki

"Why did you write that?" Merlin asked. "River died. Why do you think that other people would 'join' the game? It seemed that the one who started this didn't want her here."

"Truthfully, I think she was an example," Loki said. "And I don't think she'll be the first visitor that we have. I think that whoever's done this will be passing along a few other people we know; if only to shake us up and mess with our minds."

"I think our minds might already be too far gone," Merlin said, grim, his gaze drifting off to Rissa, who was still staring at empty space, almost comatose.

"And the game has only just begun," Loki said.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Four

He had no idea where he was. He was beside two other men, one with sandy blonde hair and one with dark brown hair. He could feel the power coming off the blonde one in, and the dark haired one had a sadistic smirk on his face that could rival his own.

He didn't remember much, and he could tell that the other two didn't either. They were thrown into a house that was more like a maze, thrown into a fight he knew nothing about, remembered nothing about. He had no idea who these other men were, had no idea who he was fighting side by side with. But he could tell that they were very, very, dangerous men.

He didn't remember much of anything. He remembered who and what he was, but not much other than that. His title was The Master, and he was a Time Lord. He remembered his closest friend, The Doctor, who he had to get back too. He had to get back to his funny hair and his bright smile. He had to get out of here, he had to get back to him, he had to….

He had to fight the monster that was attacking him and the other two. He had to live, and get out of this dammed maze, he had to fight his way out of here and he had to get back to his partner. He had to…

He had to do something about that infernal ticking in his head.

The monster they were fighting was an utter beast, and despite their fight, the Master could feel them weakening. The monster turned directly to him, its red eyes blazing with something more powerful than what it was, and hissed at him, "You're first," before reaching back its arm and shoving a spear straight through the Master's stomach.

He gasped as he felt it pierce him straight through. And he realized that someone was controlling this beast, and that whoever was was probably the reason why he was there and couldn't remember why.

Someone who had separated him from his friend, had thrown him into some sort of maze with people he didn't know.

Someone who wanted him to change, he realized as last, as he felt his body take hold.

And he started to regenerate.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Five

"You should go talk to her," Loki said quietly.

Merlin looked up from his notes in surprise. "What do you mean? If anyone should talk to her, it should be you. She is your wife."

Loki glared at him. "It's not that simple. You know that. You're one of her closest friends."

Merlin sighed. "Yes, I understand. Just…do you really suppose that we should talk with her? Look at her."

Both turned their heads from the bar and gazed over at Rissa, who sat on a table. She was leaning against the wall, her knees bent to her chest, and she was staring in front of her.

"I mean…she's not even blinking," Merlin finished.

"What did I miss?" asked Dean.

Everyone turned to look at him. Rissa stopped rocking and stared at him.

"What?" Dean asked. "You're all staring at me like I'm a ghost." He paused. "I'm not a ghost, am I?"

"You're not a ghost," Merlin said. "It's just…a lot has happened over the past…hour…or two. Or five. We kind of have no idea what time it is." He gestured to the clocks in the room. "We're guessing that you've been under for about eight and a half hours."

"Eight and a half hours?" Dean asked. "It seemed longer to me."

"What was your test?" Loki asked.

"What?" Dean asked.

"You're test. The thing you had to pass to wake up," Merlin explained.

"I...I don't want to talk about it," Dean said quietly.

"That's fine," Sam said. "Cas and I will cover what you missed."

People slowly went back to what they were doing before Dean woke up, as Sam and Cas took Dean a corner near the bar to explain the story.

It was understandable why when they finished and Dean grabbed a beer from the counter.

"All we're waiting on is the Doctor now," Merlin whispered.

"Well. That's all that we remember, isn't it?" Loki said. "We could be far longer than that."

"We have no idea what's coming for us."

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Six

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…need some time," Dean said, waving Sam and Cas away with his hand. "Is there any place I can…"

"Use the bathroom," Sam said.

"Why?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. It's just where everyone goes when they need space. Just kick them out and put a sock on the door."

"Why a sock?" Cas asked.

"It's kind of a universal sign of Do Not Disturb," Sam explained.

"But why?" Cas asked. "Why a sock?"

"I don't know why it's a sock, specifically," Sam said. "It's one of those things that just is."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna…" Dean jerked his thumb behind him towards the bathroom door.

"Yeah, go," Sam said. "We all need space after what happened."

"Speaking of," Dean said. "What happened to Rissa?"

The three of them turned toward their hostess, who was curled with her knees to her chest on top of a table, rocking back and forth.

"We don't really know," Sam said. "She ended up going back into the dreamscape thing, and when she woke up….she screamed a bit, didn't let anyone touch her, and became…catatonic, I guess."

"I'm gonna try to talk to her," Dean said, walking over to Rissa in her corner. He sidled into the booth the table belonged to and put his hands on the table.

She didn't stop rocking. She didn't turn her head. She looked straight ahead into nothing, rocking back and forth.

"Rissa?" Dean asked. "Are you okay?"

She stopped rocking. "No."

This was good. A reaction was better than being catatonic.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked. "What happened?"

"A lot," she said. She had stopped rocking, but she didn't turn her head from the spot she was staring at. "I'm not okay Dean. I don't think I'll ever be okay. I don't think I ever was."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"I got into that box. Why would I enter the box? It doesn't make sense. I shouldn't have opened the box."

"Ok, Rissa, right now, you're not making any sense," Dean said. "Just relax. And start from the beginning."

"What beginning?" she asked. "There is no beginning. It's just a cycle of time. A paradox without being a paradox. The ultimate paradox."

"Rissa," Dean said slowly, "I think you're-"

"Losing my mind?" she asked, with a little harsh laugh. It was the most movement he'd seen from her yet. "I don't think I ever had it to begin with."

"Rissa-"

"Just go away, Dean. Please," she said. Not once had she turned to look at him.

"No," he said. "You need to sort this out. You're one of the smartest of this bunch, and we can't have our leader off the deep end."

"I don't know why I even asked," she started muttering, starting to rock again, faster than before. "It's just another paradox. I ask, but you won't listen, but I already knew that you wouldn't listen because I know everything but then why did I even ask in the first place? Why would I do that if I knew what the answer was? Why go looking for the answer when you already have it?"

"Why did I get in that box?" she whispered, coming to a stop. "Why did I trap myself in a paradox that I was going to create? Why do I keep making paradoxes? I make them more than Moffat does. I should have never gotten in that box. Why did I get in that box?"

Dean stared at her for a bit, and then walked away.

"What happened to her?" he asked Merlin and Loki.

"We don't really know," Merlin said.

"Well, figure it out!" Dean snapped. "That girl has lost her marbles. No, she hasn't lost them; she dropped them and slipped on them and broke them all into tiny shards. And now every time she tries to pick up the pieces, she splits her hand open." He turned to Loki. "You're her husband. Can't you do something about it? Plus, you're a god!"

Loki flinched after the word husband. "No. I can't go near her."

"Why not?" Dean asked.

"Because when I go near her, she starts screaming," Loki whispered quietly, his jaw clenched. "I don't know what to do."

"The Doctor would," Dean said. "She kept rambling on about paradoxes and how she kept making them."

All three went quiet as they thought quietly.

"Maybe..." Dean said slowly. "This dreamscape thing…"

"Yeah?" Merlin asked.

"Could one person enter someone else's? Sam and I did something like that once."

"Yes," Merlin said. "What are you proposing?"

"The Doctor is down under," Dean said. "Maybe we could get Rissa into his dreamscape and he can help her…recover."

"That's a really good idea," Merlin said. "And I think I know how to do it. Let me just get some things." He left into the kitchen, probably to get the spell books he keeps in the study.

"I need some time alone," Dean said, leaving toward the bathroom, leaving Loki thinking on his own.

When Merlin came back, Loki asked, "What if it makes it worse?"

"What?" Merlin asked.

"Well, one, being in a test with…whoever…could make all of this worse. And she doesn't even know that. This should be her choice. It could make everything worse." Loki worried about what might happen. They were making the choice for her, and that wasn't fair. Years ago, he wouldn't have cared. But after losing her once…it made him truly realize what loving her was.

He frowned at the thought of 'whoever'. If Rissa was here, than she would say something like, 'We've got to come up with a name for this guy.'. Loki looked over to Rissa. She is here, he reminded himself. She's just not herself right now. But she will be. Soon. Just have to be patient.

Patience was never his strong suit.

Dean entered the bathroom and locked the door, leaning back, against the door before walking over to the mirror. He took a knife out of his pocket and slit his arm, taking the blood and drawing a circle on the mirror. Inside the circle, he wrote several symbols.

"Exaudi me o mi. Et fidelis amanti est. Conjuro te consilium et fama," he chanted.. The mirror inside the circle of blood swirled around until it showed his Master's face.

"What do you have to report?" It hissed at him.

"The leader, Rissa, has been incapacitated. I have set in motion to have her fully out of the way. I plan for her to be ensnared in the Doctor's dreamscape. That should stop her from interfering and him from awakening," Dean grinned.

"Good," it said. "You are fully cloaked. The ones you surround yourself with will not be able to tell that you're anything other than human. And the one playing this little…game," he said with disdain, "will not be able to observe our communications either."

"Is there any further instruction that you wish to relay?" Dean asked.

"No," it replied. "You know what to do. And Dean?" it asked as Dean turned away.

"What?" he asked, turning back to the mirror.

"Nice to have you on the team."

Dean grinned, his eyes going black.

"Well," he said. "It was about time I embraced my inner demon, don't you think?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Seven

"You need to make sure that she understands what's going on before you send her in there," Loki reminded Merlin.

"I know," Merlin said.

"Don't forget to put an anchor on them," Loki continued.

"I know," Merlin said.

"Don't forget to-"

"Loki," Merlin said. He stopped walking and put a hand on Loki's shoulder. "I know. I know what to do."

Loki swallowed before he said. "I understand, I do, I'm just…"

"Worried?" Merlin asked.

"Afraid," Loki said. He looked over at Rissa. "And it's for purely selfish reasons. Yes, I'm worried that she might get hurt, but I'm also scared that we won't be able to truly get her back. That she'll hate me for the rest of her life."

"She doesn't hate you," Merlin said.

"I don't think that's true," Loki said quietly. "I can't lose anyone else, Merlin. I can't."

"You're not going to lose her," Merlin said quietly. "We're going to fix this. I promise. We're going to save Rissa, we're going to defeat this thing, and we're going to get our home back."

Loki gave a nod. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Do you understand what we're doing?" Merlin asked Rissa.

She gave a curt nod.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to go in the Doctor's dreamscape and talk to him," Rissa said flatly.

Merlin nodded. "Good. Yes, that's what you're doing. But you could get trapped there. That's what I'm for. I'm anchoring you to this plane."

"I don't care what we do," Rissa said so quietly, it was almost a whisper. "It doesn't matter if I stay or go. I'm still the same. It won't change a thing. I don't know what wrong with me."

"Nothing is wrong with you," Merlin said. "Are you ready to do this?"

She nodded.

"Alright," Merlin said. "Put one hand in the Doctor's."

She reached for his right hand and grasped it tightly.

"Alright, and now hold mine," Merlin said. Rissa reached for his free hand, his other gripping the Doctor's left hand.

"Close your eyes," Merlin said, before launching into a Latin chant. "Dux spiritus illos plectere spiritus, et eis pacem et sanitatem. Surgant, iterum sibi vires."

Rissa froze, then slumped to the floor unconscious, her hands still linked to Merlin and the Doctor.

"It is done," Merlin said.

"Now what?" Loki asked.

"Now we wait," Merlin said.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Eight

I woke up in a surreal world. But I knew this place. Where was this place?

It was a field, with rolling hills and trees and air that looked red and orange.

Of course. This was Gallifrey.

I hear the light air of children's laughter drift over the hill. I hiked to the top and looked around.

There were two little boys running around the field, with a type of fabric in their hands. It looked like a kite.

"Why hello there," I said, reaching them and squatting. "What are your names?"

"We can't tell you," one of them said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Cause of the rules," the other one added. "But we can tell you our titles!"

"Titles?" I asked. "What titles?"

"We get awarded titles when we are qualified for the Time Lord Academy!" the first one said excitedly.

"Oh," I said, processing. "What are your titles?"

"I'm the Master," the first one said. "'Cause I'm good at everything!" He beamed. "That's what they told me at the Academy."

"I'm the Doctor," the second one said, smiling. "They say I'm a helper."

My smile started to slip. "Are you best friends?" I asked them.

"Yeah," the Master said. "The Doctor is my greatest friend ever!"

"We're gonna be friends till the end of time!" the Doctor smiled at the Master.

"That's great," I said smiling, but inside, my heart was breaking. "You guys should go back to playing. I'll just stay here and watch. It's a nice day."

"Yeah!" the Doctor said. "Today is fun. Nice seeing you!" he and the Master ran off with their kite, giggling and laughing.

"Cute, aren't they?" a voice said next to me. I looked up to see the Doctor. He was flickering between forms, back and forth, before he finally settled on his most recent one. Twelve.

"Is this…?" I trailed off.

"Real?" he asked, sitting down next to me. "Yes. This is a memory. Of a happy time. Our families were letting us celebrate our acceptance letters to the Academy. We had just received our letters, along with our titles." He looked out onto the two children. "This was before they made the Master stare into the Time Vortex. Before he had the incessant drumming in his head."

"'Friends till the end of time', huh?" I asked softly.

"If only," he grumbled, before turning to me. "So, what brings you here?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you're not the person who's been keeping me in this dreamscape, and you're not a memory. So, Rissa. What are you doing in my dreamscape?"

I looked away. "I came to talk."

"Why?" he asked.

I didn't answer the question. Instead I asked, "What's wrong with me?"

He frowned. "What?"

"What's wrong with me?" I asked again.

"Nothing's wrong with you. No more than anything's wrong with anyone else, that is."

"Why did I do it?" I continued.

"Do what?" the Doctor asked.

"Step into that box," I answered.

"You mean the Tardis?" he asked.

I nodded. "On the first day, when I saw your box on the street corner, why did I step in? I know of the horrors you see, of the endings to your companions. Why would I do that? What's wrong with me?"

The Doctor paused, listening to me. "You're asking the wrong question," he said simply.

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean, I'm asking the wrong question?"

"Don't ask, 'Why would I step in?'. Ask, 'Was it worth it?'" The Doctor looked at me with a tilted head. "So, Rissa. Was it worth it?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Nine

One question. It was such a big question.

Was it worth it?

The answer came immediately to me. Yes. It was.

Slow down, I thought. Think this through. Was it really worth it?

My mind went over everything that had happened over the last years. The adventures with the Doctor. Becoming friends with everyone I loved. Finding a lover. Getting married. Becoming Queen and running a safe haven/restaurant.

My sister's death. My sister's betrayal. Her murder at my own hands.

My own death.

Was it really worth it? Should I have just kept on walking, going about my normal life? Should I have just gone to school, gotten a job, and just lived as another ordinary person in an ordinary world?

No.

I didn't know the reasons I walked in that box. I didn't know what was wrong with me. But I knew one thing for certain.

What it worth it?

Yes.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty

"Yes," I answered the Doctor. "It was worth it."

"Good," he said. "That's all that matters."

I hesitated. "Is it? Is it really?"

He sighed. "Alright, what else is on your mind?" As I hesitated, he continued, "Well, go on!"

I bit my lip. "It's just…I…" I sighed. "I love someone who's evil, Doctor! Who's killed people!"

"I've killed people," the Doctor said. "Every single person in the Restaurant has killed someone. Oh, maybe not directly. But some of them…some of them did. And all the others….they blame themselves. For not being fast enough. For not planning ahead. No matter what, you will always find a way to blame yourself."

"But they didn't!" I said, frustrated. "They didn't kill people!"

"Are you sure?" the Doctor said quietly. "Because they aren't."

"But look at what happened to me," I said quietly. "Yes, it was worth it. But I married a murderer! I killed my sister! Oh, god, what's wrong with me?" I started to cry, putting my head in my hands.

One part of my mind said, God, Rissa, why are you so selfish? It's all about you. What's wrong with me?I married a murderer, I killed my sister. Get over yourself. You're just a selfish, stupid freak.

"Shit," I heard the Doctor murmur.

I looked up. I can't remember the last time he cursed.

"What is it?" I asked.

He grabbed my arms. "Listen to me and listen quick. She's coming! You can't trust your own thoughts, Rissa."

What the hell? "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Dream," The Doctor said, locking eyes with me, before everything faded away before my eyes.

Sorry for the late posts, my Internet wasn't working. For the whole month. Well, for those of you like me, Happy Chanukah! (I meant to post this yesterday, but no internet). And for those who are still waiting...don't worry, you'll be getting presents up til New Year's! Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty One

It's weird, dreaming in your dreamscape. It's hard to explain. It's like you're watching a movie of your life, a mix of your memories, thoughts, and dreams, all mixed in one.

I don't know what's real.

That's what the Doctor said, right? Not to trust my own mind?

Was I looking at my mind?

But I was thinking. Does that mean that I can't trust my own thoughts? But how am I going to think, or do anything? How am I supposed to-

"Hello Rissa."

I turned to my left. I knew this person. Who was this person?

"We don't have much time."

Much time for what? I tried to say it, but nothing came out when I opened my mouth.

"Listen to me. You need to change this."

Change what?

"This future is wrong. We need to fix this. You need to talk to Loki. You need to trust yourself."

But didn't the Doctor say not to trust myself.

"You need to trust yourself before it's too late."

"What happens when it's too late?" I finally managed to breathe out.

"You really don't want to know. But you need to fix this. You need to trust yourself, and you especially need to trust Loki."

You want me to trust a murderer.

"No matter what, you need to trust him. It's the only way to-"

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Two

"What's wrong?" Loki asked.

"Nothing. What makes you think that something's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"I know you," Loki said flatly. "Now What. Is. Wrong?"

"She's lost," Merlin whispered. "I can't reach her. I don't think I can pull her back out."

"What?" Loki asked, going white. "I thought you said you anchored her!"

"It must not have been enough!" Merlin said.

Loki looked back and forth between Merlin and Rissa. "Then we have no choice. Send me in."

"What?" Merlin asked.

"Send me in," Loki repeated.

"You can't go," Merlin said. "If you go, no one will be able to rule Asgard." Their gazes drifted to Rissa. "They already lost their Queen. They can't lose their King, too."

"It doesn't matter," Loki said, shaking his head. "We can't even contact them, and there are people set to run it in my place. The same people who are running now that I'm trapped here." Loki's eyes were pleading. "I have to Merlin. She's my wife."

"You could be lost. It could make everything worse. Who knows what it could do?" Merlin said worriedly.

"I don't care," Loki said. "Even if she hates me…I need her. We need her." He looked around the Restaurant, at the rest of the Shadow Sacrificers. "Send. Me. In."

Merlin looked at him for a bit, before slowly nodding. "Alright. Are you ready?" Merlin asked, grabbing Loki's and the Doctor's hand.

"I'm ready," Loki said. He closed his eyes, and waited as Merlin's spell drifted over him.

Dux spiritus illos plectere spiritus, et eis pacem et sanitatem. Surgant, iterum sibi vires.

Loki woke up in a place he didn't recognize. No, wait….that wasn't true. He remembered this place, in the corner of his mind. He had been there once, as a child.

This was the Lost Planet. This was Gallifrey.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Three

Loki started wandering the red fields of Gallifrey, taking it in, all of its wonder and its glory. He never thought he'd see it again. When he and Thor were children, Odin had taken them there to convene with a group of Time Lords. He should have remembered when he met the Doctor. He knew that he had heard of Time Lords, he just couldn't place the memory.

"What are you doing here, Loki?" Loki turned and saw the Doctor, looking solemnly over the rolling red hills of Gallifrey. In the distance, he spotted two children, two young boys running around the hills, laughing.

"I'm looking for Rissa," Loki said softly. "Have you seen her?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Asleep," the Doctor said. "She's dreaming."

"What do you mean, she's dreaming? You can dream in a dreamscape?" Loki asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said. "If it's not yours. Falling asleep in your own dreamscape would defeat the purpose."

"I need to talk to her," Loki said, locking eyes with the Doctor.

The Doctor looked away. "She's not entirely herself right now."

"It doesn't matter," Loki said. "I need to talk to her."

The Doctor sighed. "Fine. You may talk to her. But I don't know if it will do any good."

"I must try," Loki whispered. "If anything. I need to try."

The Doctor's eyes returned to Loki's, his eyes glowing with…something else. For the first time, he wondered if the Doctor was entirely right himself, or if this was the reason that he was still under. Was he fighting something? And if he was…what about everyone else? Like Dean, and Castiel? Or Isabelle? Did they wake up when they won?

Or when they lost?

But before he could truly gather his thoughts on the subject, the Doctor said, "Good luck."

And the dreamscape faded away.

"Rissa?" Loki asked in the dark.

"Yes?" She said quietly. He whirled around. She stood behind him, watching him.

"Rissa?" Loki asked. "Where are you?"

She reached up a hand to touch his face. "Right here," she whispered.

"Rissa? Are you okay?" He asked me.

"I'm perfectly fine," she told him. A light exploded on our right. "I've never been better."

Happy New Years Everyone! Enjoy the rest of Level One!

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Four

Loki observed Rissa in the odd light. They were still in general darkness, but there was a light to their right, almost like a television screen. Rissa had a serene smile on her face, a look of peace he hadn't seen in a long time.

But it wasn't that. It was the calm, odd look in her eyes that told him this wasn't his wife.

"You're not her," Loki told her.

"Not who?" she asked calmly, tilting her head to her side, like Castiel would have done. She blinked at him several times.

"You're not Rissa," Loki said. "So who are you."

She blinked a few more times, keeping her head in that tilted position. "I don't understand. Of course I'm Rissa. Who else would I be?"

"I don't know who you are," Loki said to her. "But you're not my wife."

"You're right," she said, a smile breaking out on her face. Her lips spread from cheek to cheek, and if anything, it made her look even more sinister. "But can you find the real one?"

She pressed those wide lips to his mouth, and as he backed away, he was in a different environment. The darkness was gone. Instead, he saw Rissa sitting next to Isabelle in a classroom. The room flickered, and he saw Rissa reading a book. It kept changing and changing, and he saw a variety of things. Rissa meeting her foster family much younger. Rissa putting the book back. Rissa dancing at a school dance. Rissa singing. Rissa learning how to drive.

"So?" A voice from behind him asked. The other Rissa was there, with her devilish smile. She could never be his wife. "Which one is the real one?"

"They're all real," Loki answered immediately. "But none of them are her. So…"

He looked into the devil's eyes. "Where is my wife?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Five

"Clever," the woman said. "But I'm afraid you'll have to explain."

"They're memories," Loki said. "None of them is the real Rissa, the current Rissa. They're all a part of her, yes, but I would like to speak to the present Rissa."

"Alright," she said, doing that head tilt again. "Wish granted."

And she disappeared, taking the scene with her.

Loki stood in a stone room. In front of him, Rissa lay sleeping, on a dais. Moonlight from one of the windows loomed onto her.

"Rissa," he whispered, reaching for her. "Come back to me."

She didn't wake. Loki started stroking her hair, sitting on the altar with her. "Please, Rissa, come back to me."

He got no reaction.

He sighed. "Well, then. Please listen."

"I've loved you since I've ever laid eyes on you. And you…you make me who I am. You make me a better person. You give me a reason to…exist. I'm not full of greed for power. I'm full of love. Love for you."

Her eyes opened. "Loki?" she whispered.

"Rissa!" he said, taking her hand. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think I can move," she whispered. It was so quiet, it sounded as if she couldn't speak any louder. "Loki?"

"I'm here," he said.

"Listen, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm so sorry about how I reacted. I promised myself that when I was in a relationship, I would always communicate. Too many problems happen when people don't communicate. Remember when I showed you Othello?"

"Yes," he whispered. "Don't speak. You're too tired to speak."

She ignored him and continued. "I love you. I love you so much. And I was so worried what was wrong with me, for choosing a…a murderer as a lover."

"Shhh," he whispered, putting a finger to her lips. "I understand. But you? There's nothing wrong with you. You see the good in people. You believe that people can change, and for the better. It's one of the reasons why I love you so much."

She smiled, but her eyes seemed off. Like she couldn't focus. "I love you. You know that right? I love you."

"I know," he whispered. "Now shush. You're pushing yourself to hard. You shouldn't speak."

"Loki? She whispered. "Where are you? I…I can't see you."

"I'm right here," he said, gripping her hand harder. "I'm right here."

"I still c-can't s-see you," she whispered. "I c-can't feel y-you, either."

Underneath his hands, she started flickering, in and out.

"Loki?" her voice was becoming more worried.

"I'm right here!" he said, touching her face. "I'm right here, Rissa!"

"Loki? I c-can't hear you," she was flickering more and more, before she faded out from underneath him, her last words echoing off the stone walls around them. "Loki? Are you still there?"

Loki sat alone on the stone dias, in the empty stone room. And then he heard the booming voice. It was neither female, nor male, high, nor low. There was nothing to signify who, or what was speaking.

"Congratulations," it roared, echoing off the stone walls. And then Loki snapped awake in the Restaurant, the Doctor waking up beside him. Rissa still laid on the floor. "You have all passed Level One."

Everyone in the Restaurant exchanged glances. Everyone was all in the main room. Even Isabelle seemed worried.

The lights flickered out, and Loki could feel the Restaurant moving underneath his legs.

"Welcome to Level Two."

Chapter Text

Level Two

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Six

What are we but flowers in the wind?

The bell rings, but I don't move.

I stand still, in the middle of the hall. People are rushing by me to get to class. Their hurried voices wash over me, as friends call out to other friends. But I don't move.

You're going to be late, a part of me thinks.

I still don't move.

What have no control over our path.

The hall lights start to flicker out.

Where we go, whether we fly or fall, is not up to us.

The hall is empty now. There are no more voices. No more people. The world was so alive.

What are we but flowers in the wind?

Where did the alive world go? This place is empty.

We cannot change our fate. We are merely flowers.

I stand silently in the empty hall. The lights are out.

We have no choice of our direction. The wind controls all.

It's so empty. So alone.

But this is not a wind.

The silence is deafening.

This is a storm.

The darkness is suffocating.

And if we're not careful…

Someone else is here. I'm no longer alone.

...we might just lose our petals.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Seven

When I first heard the noise, I thought Isabelle was playing a trick on me.

I rounded the corner, and my gaze fell upon a tall, blue box, the words, POLICE (PUBLIC CALL) BOX, glowing brightly along the top.

Very slowly, scared the box would disappear, I walked closer. I outstretched my hand, and gently grazed the doors.

It was real.

Very slowly, I took another step, and pushed open the door.

A bright light blinded me as I opened the door, looking in the interior within. I blinked it away, and standing in front of me was….

"Isabelle!" I shouted, hitting her with my lunchbox.

She giggled and turned off the Tardis sound her phone was making. "Did I fool you?"

"That is so mean!" I said, backing out of the tiny, cramped interior. "I should just lock you in here overnight."

"Ha ha ha," she said, picking up her backpack and moving out of the box.

"And weren't you going to stay after school for a test?" I asked, glancing at my phone. It was 3:10, twenty minutes after school was let out.

"Nah, I took it during Lunch," she said, walking with me.

"Okay, but how the hell did you get here before me?" I asked, glancing back at the box. A bunch of other kids were crowding around it. One of them, a boy named Lorien, waved at me. It was the drama club.

"And how did you rope the drama club into making that thing?" I added, as an afterthought.

"One, I ran. Quickly. And two, that was Lorien and I. We teamed up. Also, just about everyone in the drama club is a Whovian, and I'm pretty sure that they're writing some sort of Doctor Who musical this year or something."

"That should be a catastrophe," I muttered to myself. The drama club had a reputation of their written plays being bad with a capital B. It was also known for taking the statement, 'break a leg,' to heart. The set falls apart in the middle of the play and harms the actors. Often. Which is why I am no longer in drama club.

I will not let a set piece fall on me, nor will I take the blame for a set piece harming someone else because, I 'didn't build it properly'.

Yes, there is a story behind that.

Isabelle snorted. "You said it. I'm still gonna go see it, though."

"Yeah, I'll probably see it too," I said sighing. "Let's see if Lorien will break his leg for his third show in a row."

We laughed, picking up our pace.

"We should hurry home," Isabelle said. "We're gonna be late."

"Yeah," I said. "We want to be there before the others get home."

But as we ran home together, I couldn't help but feel that something was off.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Eight

"Rissa?" Loki shouted. "Rissa! Where are you? Are you okay?" He coughed and waved his hand, trying to clear the smoke so he could see through the darkness. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that it wasn't smoke, but dust. The restaurant had collapsed around them.

"RISSA!" he shouted louder. "RISSA!"

"She won't respond," Merlin said quietly from behind him.

Loki jumped, before spinning around and grabbing Merlin by his shoulders. "What, in the hell, does that mean?"

"She's still alive," Merlin said quietly. "But she's not here."

"Explain." Loki gritted through his teeth, glaring at the magician.

"Don't you feel it?" Merlin's gaze wandered around the rubble of the restaurant. "Someone's rewriting."

If possible, Loki's eyes narrowed even further. "Rewriting what?" he spat.

"I don't understand why we were spared," Merlin breathed, looking off into the forest through the rubble. He seemed to be in shock.

Loki didn't care. "Spared? What? Merlin, what are you talking about?" Loki reached for Merlin's shoulders again to shake him.

"The test," Merlin said. "'Level Two'. People are living their lives from the point that Rissa interfered. And to pass the test….they need to remember Rissa. Us. Everything." He gestured around us. "The restaurant collapsed because in this timeline…technically, it never even existed."

When he turned and looked Loki in the eyes, Loki felt fear for the first time in a while. A shiver danced down his spine as Merlin spoke again.

"Someone's rewriting time."

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Nine

What are we but flowers in the wind?

The halls are empty, and silent, except for the shadow and the sound of my feet hitting the floor.

We have no control over our path.

The voices behind me are getting louder. They're coming closer.

Where we go, whether we fly or fall, is not up to us.

I push myself harder, faster.

What are we but flowers in the wind?

The voices are calling my name. They're right behind me. And the images start to fill my head again.

Colorful, vibrant flowers, dancing across the breeze.

It's not real, I tell myself. Just ignore it. It's not real.

We sing, we dance. We smile. We bloom.

I know it isn't real. But it's so…

Happy.

But in the end…

Maybe I could stay? Just a little bit longer?

No. It's not real.

It can never be real.

No matter how long we've danced….

A tear slides out of my eye and rolls down my face.

The voices wrap their arms around me and pull me to them tight. They whisper two words.

We still wither…

"I'm sorry."

….and die.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty

Sherlock Holmes was a boy unlike any other. From a very young age, he was quite intelligent. He seemed to be made of genius and sarcasm.

His parents were quite normal, yet he, and his older brother Mycroft, were quite exceptional. Of course, Sherlock didn't exactly realize that he was smart, when compared to Mycroft. To their parents, they seemed so alone, with no friends at all. And the decision was made – they were to interact with other children, and then, when they turned thirteen, sent to boarding school.

Once he met other children, Sherlock became arrogant, realizing that in comparison to the other children, he was a down-right genius.

Sherlock might have realized his intelligence. But as far as it went, it closed him off from others.

So, to describe Sherlock Holmes in three words?

Intelligent. Arrogant.

And very, very, alone.

He was eight when he started solving crimes. It was something he read about in the paper. A champion swimmer, only in his teens, had drowned. He had a fit in the water, and by the time they reached him, he was gone. His shoes were missing.

Something about this gave Sherlock a nagging suspicion that something was off. Of course, he told the police, but why would they listen to him? He was only a child.

And then the case was swept away, and it disappeared from his mind.

When he was thirteen, he was shipped off to boarding school. It was a boys' only boarding school, and all of the lads hated him.

Everyday was the same: He'd wake up in his dorm, and would go downstairs to the mess hall. Everyone would ignore him, and he would have an entire table to himself. He would attend his classes, which were boring. Sherlock could barely sit through them, they weren't stimulating at all. He already knew all that they taught him. In fact – he could probably teach the class better, if he was interested.

But one day was different.

Something about this day….it seemed different. As if something…incredible, or life changing, was going to happen. He knew from the moment that he woke up, that today was a different day.

He was almost sixteen. He sat alone in the mess hall, barely eating. He didn't like to eat. It made it harder to think.

"So, you're Sherlock Holmes?" came a voice.

He looked up, his heart beginning to beat with excitement. Here it was, this was what he'd been waiting for!

And as his eyes met the speaker of the voice, his heart sank, and his excitement dissipated.

Oh. It was just one of the boys from the dorms.

"Yes?" Sherlock asked impatiently. "What of it?"

The boy shrugged. "Nothing. The other boys dared me to talk to you. They offered me five quid for it, so why not?"

Sherlock sighed. "Yes, why not indeed? Oh, maybe because you're an uninteresting specimen who's wasting my time and burning my brain cells just from being in a close vicinity?" He turned back to the book he was reading. "Sod off. I'm busy."

The boy blinked several times, and then turned and walked back to the other boys. Sherlock watched as they gave him the five pounds he was promised, and hid a smirk at the boy's confused explanation of what happened. Hm. He probably doesn't exactly realize what I said to him. I wonder if he even knew it was an insult? Sherlock sighed. This world is full of idiots. Today was supposed to be different.

He didn't know exactly why. But when he woke up, he felt like his whole life was going to change that day. And nothing happened.

And as the day continued, nothing interesting happened. Nothing at all. Just a regular boring day at his stupid boarding school.

As Sherlock climbed into bed that night, he felt disappointed and deeply troubled.

Something was off.

That's not it, a part of him said. You're just upset that nothing of import happened today when you felt like it would.

Sure, he thought back. I'm sure that's it….

It took him hours to fall asleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty One

"Rissa? Rissa? Rissa?" Isabelle sung my name, waving her hand in front of my face. "You-who, Rissa? You home?"

"I'm awake!" I shouted, snapping back to reality.

"I never said you weren't," Isabelle said laughing. "You okay? You've been out of it a lot really."

"Yeah," I said, sighing. "I just had this really weird dream…"

"Oh?" Isabelle asked, propping her elbows on the table. She rested her head between her hands. "Do tell."

"Well," I began. "In the dream, I was traveling to fictional universes and talking to fictional characters. In this dream, I was in Sherlock's universe, and I showed up as the daughter of a new professor at his private school as a kid."

"Really?" Isabelle asked, tapping her chin. "That's really cool. You can write a fanfiction on it! With maybe John or Molly in place of you. Not that your OC stories aren't good."

I smiled at her. "Thanks. But you know that right now I'm occupied with my Loki x OC fanfic," I said, turning back to my laptop and opening a Word document.

"Oh yeah!" Isabelle said, looking over my shoulder. "It's been a while since you've updated, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," I said. "I…I don't know. It's weird. I feel like…like I already finished it. Or like I should know the ending. But it's just not coming to me. It's been driving me nuts."

"Just give it time," Isabelle said, slowly giving me a fake punch in the shoulder. "I'm sure that it will come to you eventually. Maybe you just need to be in a different environment, or something."

"Yeah," I said, giving her a small smile. But inside, I was still uneasy. "I'm sure that's it."

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Two

"It is too late, Director Fury," one of the voices boomed. "The Avengers Initiative has failed. We have lost New York."

"No!" Fury yelled at them. "Give them a little more time. Please! It's our only chance to save New York."

"Take a look at your Avengers, Director Fury," another voice said, projecting an image showing the current events of New York. "We've already lost New York. Nuclear action is our only action left. We need to save the world."

He watched as his team of Four Avengers began to fall. Slowly, his hope sank. "Do it," he whispered.

"Excuse me?" another voice asked.

"Do it," Fury said, louder this time. "Take nuclear action."

"We are glad that you understand our reasonable decision," the last one said, and they all disappeared from the screen.

Director Fury was alone in the room of monitors. It was completely dark. He was completely alone. Tapping a button on the keyboard, he turned one of the monitors on. It was streaming to him live from New York.

He watched his four Avengers fight. He wondered if any of them would survive the nuclear blast. He doubted that Tony's suit would be able to stand a nuclear blast. And even with his regenerative abilities, Steve would be unlikely to survive. Even though he was a God, Thor would probably perish as well. Out of them, the one with the biggest chance of survive was probably Bruce. But if anything was going to kill the Hulk, a nuclear blast would probably do it.

Would it even work? Would blowing up New York even stop the wave of aliens?

Or were the just going to end up killing over eight million people for no reason?

Was any of it-

His train of thought cut off as the monitor cut out to static.

And just like that...

It was done.

New York, along with his Avengers, was gone.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Three

When Clint Barton received his mission to kill the 'Black Widow' assassin, he felt like something was missing.

His gut told him that something was off, and his gut was usually right. It was one of the reasons he had survived for so long.

The feeling stayed with him as he packed. It stayed on the way to the airport, and on the plane ride.

And it got stronger and stronger.

By the time he had reached his destination – the assumed whereabouts of the Black Widow – it took all of his strength to keep going. With each step he took, it got harder and harder to walk. As he pulled his bow out and unsheathed an arrow, he had to take several breaths before he could notch it without his hands shaking.

You can do this, he told himself. It's nothing you've never done before.

But he still didn't feel right.

Get over it! He told himself. He kicked the door open, and found himself staring into a wide, dark room.

He took in everything immediately. From the boxes, to the woman, to the gun in her hand.

Lethally beautiful, that's what he'd call her. There were no pictures of her on file, and this was the first time he – or anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. – has gotten a good look at her. She was younger than he thought, too. Somewhere between nineteen and twenty two. Only a few years younger than him.

The rumors of the Black Widow assassin have circled around for over a decade. Which means that this woman had started killing when she was nine to twelve years old.

She had beautiful flaming red-orange hair, and she was quite petite. He also noticed the steel expression in her eyes, and the way she gripped her gun. He took in her sweaty expression and the way she stood; defensive, but not as strong as it should be.

She was scared.

Was she feeling the same thing that he was?

He watched her eyes as she took him in, and he realized too late that he was still in an attacking stance. He watched as she adjusted her arm.

She's gonna shoot! He thought. There's only one thing to do.

He stopped his semi shaking hands and drew back the bowstring.

She pulled the trigger.

He released his arrow.

And the targets hit their marks.

Leaving the room ringing silent, with two bodies coloring the floor a deep, scarlet red.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Four

Loki jumped when Merlin started screaming.

"Merlin? What's wrong?" he asked, hurrying to the magician's side.

"They're all….they're all going to…"

"What?" Loki shouted.

"They're all going to die." Merlin's voice was a whisper. "They're…they're already…" He lifted his hand from the shoulder he was touching. It was wet with blood.

"Merlin," Loki said quietly. "Please explain."

Merlin looked away. "I linked myself to everyone. Not to the point where it would kill me if they died, but enough so that I'd be able to tell how and where they are. But if there's a death wound…." His voice trailed off as he looked at the blood.

"Who died?" Loki asked.

"The Avengers," Merlin whispered. "Clint and Tasha shot each other. Those are the wounds I have right now. The others…they all died in a nuclear blast. There is no death wound. There are no bodies left."

Loki was still, replaying Merlin's words in his mind. Did that mean?...Thor?...

"We can still save them," Merlin said.

Loki's eyes snapped up, and met his.

"This is a doomed timeline," Merlin said. "A timeline where Rissa never met them. Where she never interfered with their lives. But that timeline, the one we come from? The Alpha timeline? It still exists. We just have to get back there."

"How do you think we'll manage that?" Loki asked.

"Well," Merlin said. "Whoever it is doesn't want us dead. My guess is that they froze our bodies at a point in time that they can easily move our minds back too. This is all just…"

"Part of the game," Loki said, answering. "'Level Two'."

"We can still win," Merlin said, sitting up. The color was starting to return to his face.

"But it won't be easy."

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Five

"You did a very good job, Sherlock," the voice taunted him. "You're definitely the closest anyone has ever gotten to me."

Sherlock stayed in his stance, with a gun pointed at Moriarty in a steady hand.

Moriarty stood there, unabashed. Unworried. Just with that gleeful little smile on his face and his hands in his pockets.

"But you're not good enough, Sherlock. When it comes down to it, you just can't beat me!" He sung the last four words.

"Well, if you're so clever, tell me why I'm not." Sherlock spoke calmly, despite the increasing worry in his gut.

"Oh, I never said you weren't clever; just that you weren't clever enough." Moriarty smirked. "You have a tiny, little flaw with your observations. It's what led you into this trap!"

"Really?" Sherlock asked, passing the time, as his eyes darting back and forth between him and John. The sniper was still on them. "Do tell." How was he going to get out of this?...

"Alright. Are you ready?" Moriarty smiled, and rocked back on his heels. "You don't notice…what's not there."

He laughed when he saw Sherlock and John's confused expressions. "It was nice working with you, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson. Unfortunately, our business here is done."

He looked up, directly behind him. The places the sniper targets were coming from.

Moriarty gave a quick nod, and said, "Goodbye."

Before Sherlock could pull the trigger, a series of bullets left the rounds of the sniper rifles.

When the shooting ended, Sherlock and John were standing the exact same way as before, blood spreading from their shirts. And then they both collapsed onto the floor.

Moriarty sighed as he looked at them. "Pity," he said. "And here I thought that I'd finally found a challenge." He turned and left, not a scratch or mar on him; his body or his suit.

As he walked down the hall, he turned on his cell phone.

"Yes, I would like to report a murder," he paused as he listened on the other end. "A yes, I would like to report the deaths of detectives Sherlock Holmes and John Watson at the hands of Moriarty. Moriarty would also like to add a personal message. He says that if it's not aired publicly on national television, ten people every hour would receive the same fate as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson."

His footsteps echoed down the hall as he left the pool.

"Moriarty's stage is completed. Blackthorn is now at 61%."

He hung up the phone, cleaned it of his fingerprints, and dropped it to the floor.

He crushed it under his foot as he left the building.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Six

What are we but seaweed in the waves?

"You're not sorry," I whisper. "You could never be sorry.

We have no control over our path.

"Is that so?" the Darkness whispers, stroking my hair. "We both know that's not true. I'm the only one…who can understand."

Where we go, whether we float or drown, is not up to us.

"NO!" I shout, shoving it away. "Shut up! You could never, ever, possibly understand!"

I turn and start running as far as I can, as fast as I can.

Don't think about it. I think, pushing myself harder. It's not real. None of this is real.

What are we but seaweed in the waves?

I run into something hard. "Of course it's real." the Darkness says, wrapping it's arms around me. "Or is it?"

We cannot choose our fate. We simply move.

Not real. Not real. I think, struggling in the Darkness's arm. Calm down. Breathe. It's not real.

We have no choice of our direction. The waves control all.

"You're right," the Darkness's soft voice surprises me. "This isn't real. But tell me….can you tell?"

But this is not a wave.

"What?" I asked, fear entering my heart. "What do you mean?"

This is a tsunami.

"I mean…" he started. "How long will you be able to tell the difference?"

And if we aren't careful….

And I was swept away to another world.

….we might just lose our blades.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Seven

"Ahhhhh!" I screamed, sitting up in bed. In the bed next to me, Isabelle marked her book and got up.

"Are you alright?" she asked, sitting next to me on my bed. "Same nightmare again?"

"Yeah," I said, sighing. "But it's nothing."

"You don't know that," Isabelle said. "Did anything new happen?"

"Yeah," I admitted, shivering.

"Do you know what happened?" Isabelle asked.

I gave a tiny laugh. "No, not really. But I should still add the new stuff to the diary." I pulled out a diary I kept slipped between my bed and the wall and opened it to a blank page. Marking the date and time, I started describing all that I could remember from the dream. Once these weird dreams started, Isabelle had convinced me to record it.

I don't see the big deal, but now it seemed kind of important.

"Rissa…" Isabelle said, putting a hand on my arm. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"No," I said quietly, before smiling. "But don't worry! It'll be gone by the morning!" Glancing back down at my paper, I took a double take at the time.

"Isabelle," I said slowly. "Why are you awake?" It was past three am. And it was a school night.

She shrugged. "You know that I've always had trouble with sleeping. Plus, it's easier to stay awake and read by the time that you wake up."

I stared at her, aghast. "Then when do you sleep?"

She shrugged again. "I usually take a nap when I get home. You haven't noticed?"

"No," I said, shaking my head, holding up a hand to it. "I guess I've just been out of it lately. I've been getting a bad feeling. Like everything's wrong."

I looked out the window. You could see the moon.

"Like we're not supposed to be here."

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Eight

The next thing Merlin made was a choking sound.

When Loki looked over, he saw blood spreading from Merlin's torso. In several places.

"Merlin?" he asked. "Who…who is it now?"

"Sherlock," Merlin whispered, coughing some blood. "And John."

"Who's left?" Loki asked.

"The Winchesters. Harry. The Doctor. And…Rissa," Merlin whispered, sitting down. "And Isabelle, too, I guess." He added in as an afterthought.

"And, what, you think that as long as we can make one of them remember before they all die…"

"Then we should all return to the original timeline," Merlin finished.

"And...how exactly do we do that...?"

"You know you can always count on us, Harry," Hermione said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," He said, shrugging her hand off. "I'll just stay out here a bit longer."

"Okay," Ron said, and he and Hermione walked back inside the Burrow.

Harry would be seventeen tomorrow, which was less than an hour away. The day of Bill and Fleur's wedding.

A wedding he would not attend.

"You know you can always count on us, Harry,"

No. He really couldn't. All he had was himself.

Every time he tried to count on someone, it all fell apart. Just like this was.

He didn't deserve Ron and Hermione. And he shouldn't drag them into this.

The only one he could count on was himself.

He looked at his watch. Two minutes til midnight.

He would be seventeen in a few minutes. He hadn't realized how late it was.

He grabbed his trunks and started walking out of the Burrow.

"Harry?" came a voice.

It was Hermione.

"Harry, where are you going?"

Ron.

"HARRY!"

Ginny.

He could hear them running after him now.

His watch beeped. It was midnight.

And Harry Apparated.

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Nine

His whole life…

You're a Horcrux, Harry.

His whole life was doomed from the start.

Harry walked through the forest in a daze.

What did he do to deserve this?

He stopped as he heard the man he was looking for speak.

"I thought he would come," Voldemort said. "I expected him to come."

There was silence as the Death Eaters watched Voldemort, waiting for their next move.

"It was, it seems...mistaken," Voldemort concluded.

"You weren't," Harry said, stepping out of the forest.

"Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived," Voldemort lifted his wand. "Come to die."

"AVADA KEDAVRA."
The green light flashed around him, and everything was gone.

He was surrounded by white. He was in a very large, bright, and open version of King's Cross.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore said, walking towards him. "You wonderful boy. You brave, brave, man. Let us walk."

Harry followed him, in shock, before he remembered his voice. "But you're dead!" Harry said.

"Oh, yes," said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.

"Then…I'm dead too?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore, smiling. "That is the question, isn't it?"

Oh. Now Harry understood.

"I've got to go back, haven't I?" Harry asked softly.

"That is up to you."

"I've got a choice?"

"Oh yes," Dumbledore said, smiling at him sadly. "We are in King's Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to…let's say…board a train."

"And where would it take me?"

"On," Dumbledore simply stated.

He already knew his answer.

He hadn't found all of the Horcruxes.

And he was tired. So, so very tired.

He looked away from his mentor, ashamed by his choice. Dumbledore moved forward to gather Harry in his arms.

"There is nothing wrong with your choice," he said softly in Harry's ear.

"I think I'll take a train," Harry said.

Merlin shook all over, like he was shocked or electrocuted.

"What is it?" Loki asked, running his hands around his chest, trying to find the new wound.

"Harry," Merlin gasped out. "He died."

"Yeah," Loki said, stopping his search for the wound. Harry would have died with the spell. "Yet he returned..."

"Not this time," Merlin said. "This time he's gone. For good."

"There are only six left."

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty

What are we but seaweed in the waves?

The bell rings, but I don't move.

I stand still, in the middle of the hall. People are rushing by me to get to class. Their hurried voices wash over me, as friends call out to other friends. But I don't move.

You're going to be late, a part of me thinks.

I still don't move.

We have no control over our path.

The lights start to flicker.

Where we go, whether we float or drown, is not up to us.

At the end of the hall, I see someone. I start running towards her, my heart beating fast.

What are we but seaweed in the waves?

I know this person. This girl…I know her. I know her.

Warm, peaceful seaweed, floating on the waves.

I come to a stop right in front of her, panting. I reach out a hand, and touch the wall between us. She does the same.

We gather. We heal. We listen. We grow.

As our hands connect, my eyes widen with the realization of who this girl is.

But in the end,

I know this girl.

No matter how long we've swum.

The glass between us shatters, and the mirror comes crashing down in large, broken fragments around me.

I am alone in the dark hallway.

We still sink….

She's me.

and drown.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty One

"Hello, Dean," came a voice.

Dean knew that voice. But that wasn't Sam anymore.

"Hello, Lucifer," he said quietly.

"Recently, I've gotten myself into a bit of trouble," Lucifer said, walking around the garage. "And it seems that your brother is no longer with us. This body…is empty."

Dean didn't stop cleaning the Impala.

"That means…I no longer need to keep you alive," Lucifer said. "And after all, with Cas gone and Sam gone…well, it's time for you to go, isn't it?"

Just ignore him, Dean thought. Maybe he'll go away.

Even though he knew sarcasm wouldn't get him out of this, it made him feel better.

Lucifer's boot came down on Dean's hand. "Are you listening to me?"

Dean grabbed the crowbar underneath the Impala and smashed it against Lucifer's head.

As he raised it again for another blow, Lucifer grabbed his arm and put his hand on Dean's head.

"Do me a favor," Lucifer said. "When you meet the Darkness, please give it my message: Blackthorn is now at 92%."

Lucifer sickly smiled on his brother's face.

"Goodbye Dean."

And Dean saw the white of an angel.

When Merlin started screaming again, Loki wasn't surprised.

Loki was dragged back into their world when Merlin dropped the connection.

"What happened?" Loki asked, when Merlin stopped writhing on the ground.

"Dean is gone," Merlin said. "And Sam and Cas were...already dead? I don't know why, but in the time when his life resumed, Cas and Sam were already dead."

"So now the only one left is…the Doctor," Loki said. "And Rissa."

"Back to work," Merlin said, reaching for Loki's head.

Loki batted it away. "No. You're going to fall apart, Merlin. You need to rest. I should be able to do it with my own magic for a while."

"Okay," Merlin said without complaint, collapsing. He was asleep before he hit the ground.

Loki sat down and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he wasn't with Merlin anymore. He was face to face with his wife.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Two

"You can't be serious," I told Lorien. "I'm not joining the Drama Club! I don't want to break my arm!"

"But it's on Doctor Who!" Lorien protested.

"I love Doctor Who, but it's not worth breaking my arm for."

Lorien rolled his eyes. "Would you like it better if we did Avengers?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you are harboring a crush on a fictional character," he said. "What if you could play Loki's wife, or something?"

I just laughed. "Sure, that would be something. But hey…you're not. And I'm still not breaking my arm!" I got up and stretched right as the bell rung. As I hurried to my next class, Lorien caught up to me.

"How about breaking a leg?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes.

Lorien was probably my closest friend other than Isabelle. He was in my class, unlike Isabelle who's a junior, not a sophomore. He was always trying to get me to join Drama Club.

To tell you the truth, I had a huge crush on the guy. He's tall and lanky, but still muscular, with dark hair and green eyes.

My own little Loki.

In my own little world.

Chapter Text

Spoilers for Season 8 of Doctor Who

Chapter Fifty Three

The Master brought her phone to her lips and pressed the dial button. As she heard someone pick up the phone, she whispered, "Blackthorn is now at 100%. Mission completed. Test One – Failed."

She hung up and continued looking at her best friends' body.

It's not real, she told herself. It's another timeline, remember? This won't affect the main timeline.

She dropped the phone, and crushed it.

Yeah. But that doesn't mean it's not real, she thought as she walked away.

She had still killed the Doctor.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Four

We were dancing when the world stopped.

You're not supposed to feel the world turning under your feet. And you don't. You spend every day going about your usual life, while the Earth is spinning round and round.

You're not supposed to feel the world turning.

But you'll sure as hell feel it when it stops.

It was the only school dance I've ever been too. And Lorien had asked me.

And just as we were starting to dance, the world stopped turning.

Everything froze. Everything but me, Isabelle, and Lorien, that is. Everything around us froze. Someone was tripping and they were suspended in mid-air.

The punch bowl that was flying through the air froze, drops of liquids hardening with time.

"You lost," said a voice, echoing throughout the room.

"Lost what?" I asked, turning to the voice. Darkness started spreading out in our direction, blanketing most of the dance.

"The test," it said. "You failed the test."

"What test?" I ask, backing up a bit into Lorien's frame. With each footstep that came their way, the darker the room got and the louder the quiet seemed to be. It almost seemed as if the darkness was spreading across the rooms like a disease, and in between our small dialogue, the silence seemed to elevate to a thundering level.

"Oh. That's right." Out of the darkness came a shadowed image in the shape of a person. It cocked it's head to the side as it observed the three of us. "You don't remember."

It snapped it's fingers.

The sound roared in our ears as our memories came rushing back. It was almost as if I was elevated off an inch or two off the ground as the information poured back into my head. When it finished, I collapsed onto my knees, shaking from the complete mental violation.

It started to laugh.

It was a sick laugh. Not the type of laugh that you get when you think someone's funny, or the type you get when the villain makes an appearance. It was the sick, insane laugh of a psychopath.

My shaking got stronger with every laugh, my arms wobbling as I stared at the ground. I felt Loki move closer to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. It was an odd shock that brought my mind back into my body.

My shaking stopped as I sat back on my knees, my hands clenching into fists. "You bastard," I said.

It stopped laughing. "What was that?" It crooned.

I sat there, a shiver going through me, before springing up off the floor and running straight into the darkness. "YOU BASTARD!" I yelled, diving into the other side of the cafeteria.

"Rissa, no!" Loki shouted, chasing after me.

I really shouldn't have done it. I know that I shouldn't have. I should've known what would happen. But I still ran into the darkness.

And it spit me out.

It was like running into a barrel of cold water. I was flung out of the darkness across the entire cafeteria. My body hit the wall behind Isabelle and Loki and fell to the floor. I couldn't feel my body – it was heavy, as if it was full of lead, or as if I had turned to ice.

Shit.

Did this mean that I wasn't an Asgardian anymore? Because I feel human, and this fucking hurts.

And I really don't want to go through the process of becoming an Asgardian again. That hurt too much.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the thing mocked. "Did I hurt you?" It took a few steps closer.

"Get away from her," Loki said, standing up. He had crouched down next to me to see if I was okay, but he stood up straight as It came closer. His body started to radiate power, the air crackling with power.

That was more power than he usually had. While he had gained a lot of power in a short amount of time (to Asgardians, a few years was nothing), this was more than that. Then I recognized another presence. Oh. Merlin was helping him.

It started to giggle. "Oh. The brave prince, protecting his princess. What courage. What bravery." It mocked him, coming closer to the two of us.

"I am no mere prince," Loki said, his staff appearing in his hand. "I. Am. The. KING!" With that roar, light emitted from his staff, driving the darkness back to the other edge of the cafeteria.

Though it was pinned to the wall, the figure laughed harder.

"Is. That. All. You've. Got?" it asked, tilting it's head and smiling.

I didn't know shadows could smile. I never wanted to see a smile like that again.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting onto my feet. It was hard getting up, and I would have fallen again if I hadn't grabbed Loki. He clutched at me, pulling me into his embrace.

It was hard for me to remain standing. It was as if I've been drained of everything.

I wasn't an Asgardian anymore.

Or at least, It had sealed up my powers so I was human in their little GAMES, or whatever.

"To play," It said, laughing.

We said nothing, staring at it. I felt rather than saw Isabelle move closer. I don't want to think about her. About how I spent the last…I don't even know how long I've been here. I don't know what day it is. It could've been a minute, it could have been a year.

How long were Isabelle and I sisters again?

"Let me explain the rules," It said, pulling itself off the wall.

So Loki hadn't really pinned it down.

"This is LEVEL TWO," it continued, stepping closer. "You will be put through a series of tests. The goal of each test is to remember who you really are – the main timeline – before everything goes awry. This was the first test. You failed. That is one mark against you. You will be put through ten tests. You must pass six of them. If you don't…"

"You'll kill us?" I snarked.

"No," it said, laughing again, smiling and tilting it's head. "I have much more fun plans in store."

A shiver raced down my spine.

He wasn't showing it, but I could tell that Loki was scared too.

When was the last time he was scared?

"You will be put through a number of different scenarios," It continued, stepping closer. "And my Blackthorn team will be acting against you. You must remember before they defeat you – whether by killing you, overtaking you, or any other means. And just so you know – they have no choice in the matter, either. The three of them are my slaves. They bet their lives. And they lost."

They bet their lives. And they lost.

Was that what we were doing? Where we betting our lives?

"Why is it called Blackthorn?" Isabelle asked.

"Because," It smiled, stepping closer. "I am Blacker than night, and my thorns will pierce your heart, and be the cause of your tragic downfall."

With his last words, spikes shot out of the darkness. One hit me dead center in the chest, where my heart was, and the darkness roared around us, swallowing us whole.

"Have fun in hell," were the last words that I heard.

Before I forgot everything.

Chapter Text

Test #2:  Hell of a High School

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Five

I stared up at the sign with trepidation. I was too scared to even move my feet.

Hell.

I jumped as a hand clapped itself on my shoulder.

"What are you so scared of?" Isabelle asked, with a bright smile.

I didn't answer, just turned my head back to face the sign above the entrance.

WELCOME, NEW STUDENTS! Was spread across a banner in deep blue colors.

"Aww, come on," Isabelle said. "It's not that bad. You'll get used to it. It's not like the building is going to swallow you whole."

I snorted. "Yeah. I still need to spend four years in Hell."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Relax, Rissa, high school isn't that bad."

I nodded quickly. "Yes it is. It is! It's hell!" I backed away from her and turned around, facing her.

Isabelle put both her hands on my shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you today? You aren't acting like yourself."

I glared at the school. "I can feel it. That place is evil."

Isabelle rolled her eyes again. If she keeps doing that, they're going to fall out of her head and roll away, and she won't be able to catch them because she won't be able to see. "You're being irrational. Come on!" Dragging me by the hand, she pulled me closer and closer to the front entrance to Ashland University, or AU as most of us call it.

See, this wasn't just any high school. It was a special high school. For 'talented youngsters'. No, I'm serious, that's how they advertise it. Most of the kids like to call it AU and substitute Ashland with Artist, or Athlete, or whatever.

I still have no idea why I'm going to this school.

Well, I do know, but it still sucks.

Both me and my foster sister, Isabelle, got scholarships into the school. Isabelle is a year older, so she's already gone here for a year. Though, not many kids go to the school.

They only allow a total of 100 students

Which means that each year, only 25 kids are admitted.

The fact that both Isabelle and I have a scholarship is miraculous. They don't usually hand them out like this.

In fact, I think we're the only two to get full rides since the school was founded fifty years ago.

While there are only 100 kids, there's about half as many teachers.

There's one for each subject – and English, Math, Science, and History teacher. As there are only twenty five kids in each year, each teacher teaches four different types. For example, take English. When they teach the first years, all first years are in the same class. As they're only twenty five of us, we're all taught together.

Which means that I'll be getting to know these twenty five kids very well for the next four years.

Once the period changes, the English teacher will change between English I to English II or III or IV. At most, these teachers usually only need to teach four classes a day.

So periods are longer as well.

Since it's a private University, we need four credits of each. That means English I, II, III, and IV. The math teacher actually teaches the most classes. There's Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II and Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Statistics. We need to choose four of these to take.

I'll tell you one thing, I'm definitely not taking Pre-Calc and Calc.

For science, we only need have four credits, even though there are more classes. There's Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Those three are mandatory. Then you can choose from Astronomy, Engineering and Computer Technology.

I'll be taking Astronomy as my fourth choice.

And for History, there are three mandatory ones – US History, World History, and Government. Then you can choose between Current Events, Speech and Debate, or Psychology and Sociology.

I'll probably be taking Psych.

The way this is set up, there are only one teacher per subject. That means that your teacher for English I will also be your teacher for English II, English III, and English IV.

There are seven periods in all, each an hour long with five minutes between classes. School time is a total of seven hours and thirty minutes, if you're counting from first bell to last. Fourth Period is Lunch, which is when the entire school takes a break to eat lunch. As there are only 100 students and a handful of faculty members, they all eat at the same time.

Other than the four basic subjects, you have specialized subjects, or Electives, as I, along with the rest of the world, like to call them.

For your next available period, you need to choose between Art, Music, Athletics, Math and Sciences, Business, Languages, and English each year. Whichever one you pick will help prepare for a career in the subject. However, you can only take certain classes each year, or else they will clash with your normal year's schedule.

There are sub categories within each SS (specialized subjects). In Art, there is Digital Design, Painting and Drawing, Ceramics and Sculpting, Clothing Design, Architecture, and Visual Design. In Music there is Vocal, Instrumental, and Digital (digitally making music on computer software). In Athletics there are different sports and training to go with them. There is Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Volleyball, Hockey, Skating, Swimming, Boxing and Wrestling, Martial Arts, Dance, Gymnastics, and Weapons. Each of these have different lessons within them that pertain to the subject. The simplest ones are Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Volleyball, Swimming, Hockey, Skating, Gymnastics, and Boxing and Wrestling. Martial Arts have many different forms, including but not limited to: Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Krav Maga, Jiujutsu, Kendo, Kung Fu, and Fencing. People who take this usually take Weapons as a side course during other years. Weapons is separated into Archaic and Modern, though you do learn both. Archaic includes training in, but not limited to: Swords, Archery, Crossbows, Knives, and throwing stars and cards that have an official name that I can't remember off the top of my head. Modern weapons include training in Bombs, Guns, (which can be broken down to Pistols, Revolvers, Rifles, and Shotguns), and Military-Grade weapons (which yes, do include Guns as well). Dance is complicated too – while you'll learn 'basic' instruction on most, you need to pick your main category (though you can choose several). These categories are, but not limited to: Ballet, Contemporary, Tap, Jazz, Broadway, Ballroom (which covers Ballroom, Tango, Waltz, and Foxtrot…), Hip Hop, and Folk Dancing and Clog Dancing.

This school is so fucking weird.

Then we have Maths and Sciences – these are separate from the regular Math and Science classes. These can be broken down into Medical (which can be broken down into Physical and Psychological), Mechanical Repair, Technical Repair, and Pharmaceuticals, which I'm pretty sure is a chemistry thing where they create cures and stuff. I think.

You can obviously tell that I won't be spending much time here.

Even though we all do have to go through 'Basic' medical training. However, I don't feel like there's anything 'Basic' about it. It covers too many things to be called 'Basic'.

After that, we have Business, which can be broken down to Law, Politics, and Business. They probably have subcategories as well, but I won't be going in that subject so I only looked at basic information regarding it.

Then we have Language which are, but not limited to: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic and Sign Language. NOT LIMITED is the key words here – if you want to learn a different language, you need to put in a special request, but you'll still end up learning the language.

And last but not least we have English!, which is probably going to be the one that I'm going to join. They cover Media, Journalism, Writing, Film and Television, Theater, and Teaching.

In total, there are 45 teachers. There are 41 SS teachers, and 4 Basic Subject teachers.

There are a total of 50 faculty members – the extra five are: The Headmaster (who nobody has actually seen in years. He could be lying dead in his chambers for all I know), the Assistant Headmaster, the Counselor – who also works as the Secretary and Treasurer, the School Cook (who teaches a Cooking Course after school), and the Librarian.

The school nurse is actually the Medical Science teacher. If anyone's sick, they report to her class. Of course, no one likes to because she makes you stand in front of the class and has the entire medical class study you. As a live specimen.

And of course, they overreact and say that you have some sort of new disease, and that you need to be quarantined to stop an outbreak of your new disease that will ultimately create an epidemic.

Or something equally stupid.

The last period is free – you can do whatever you want with it. Most kids take a Secondary Course with their original course – for instance, Journalism, if you're already taking Media – but a lot of kids will take a different course as a type of backup course.

I already chose mine – I will be taking Writing, and Film and Media. Though I'll probably take some Martial Arts after school, along with some medical training.

There are also a variety of different clubs that you can take after school, along with additional training or classes that couldn't be fit into your original schedule.

How do I know all of this, when I still haven't stepped foot inside of the school?
Simple. I read the brochure.

And I've met Isabelle's friends.

They're really weird. She hangs out with this…I don't want to say gang, but that's probably the best way to describe them.

They were okay.

But something about them really…didn't feel right.

None of this did.

Then again, my sister was dragging me through the door of Hell.

But I guess it could always be worse.

Yeah. It could always be worse.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Six

The auditorium of the school was huge, which surprised me. I guess that I thought that it would be small, seeing as there were only 100 kids in the school, but then I remembered that when performances are put on here, a lot of people come. Mostly talent scouts, but it gets really crowded. The stage was pretty nice too.

Each year there are two main drama productions – traditionally the Fall Play and Spring Musical, though they have been known to switch it around or have two plays or two musicals. The students are also encouraged to write the productions as well. If I remember correctly, one of the students a couple of years ago sold a production she wrote to Broadway after a producer came and saw it. Then there are also the Choir productions, along with the Orchestra and Band. There's also the Dance competitions, along with the Glee Club or whatever.

And there's this huge talent show that everyone is supposed to participate in at the end of the year. The main purpose of your school year is to prepare you for this. You can do anything from putting on a live performance, to showing some work that you've already made.

I still don't even remember how I got into this damn school.

I know that it was for my writing. I submitted a short story in a writing contest last year, and I won first place. I also…kind of, maybe…sold it. To a publisher.

Okay, so I do know how I got into this school.

It just feels weird. Talking about it. Things like that.

Especially because I kind of did it accidentally.

Okay, so here's the thing. It's amazing that I've managed to do this, but I don't really like attention. At all. At least at this school, I'll be surrounded by other people with crazy talents.

Except I'm still the only kid on a scholarship.

So that automatically brings attention to myself.

The book hasn't actually been published yet, and it's a small story anyway, but it's still weird.

They're allowing me to edit it again, so I have until the Talent Show at the end of the year to finish revising it and give it to the publishing company.

At least I won't stand out as much here as I would at a regular school.

The minute I entered the auditorium, my sister pulled my hand off of here and pointed to a group of students. "That's all of the first years. You need to go sit by them."

"No," I said, gripping her hand tightly.

Oh my god, did high school really impact me this much?

There was a tap as the Assistant Headmaster tapped the microphone on the stage. "Excuse me, please get in your seats with the other members of your class, everyone. We will be starting in a few minutes."

Isabelle turned to me. "Too bad. I don't know what's wrong with you today, but you need to calm down and chill out. Now go sit with the other first years."

She turned and walked away, joining up with her gang – I mean group of friends.

Come on, I thought. You need to man up. This is exciting! You're like a character in a book, off on an new adventure!

Sure, I responded to my own thoughts sarcastically. Maybe I should just change my name to Dante, then, and run around trying to get to Heaven.

But I still needed to man up. I sighed, and made my way to the group of first years.

I settled around in the back of the group, in an empty row.

Why was I so nervous? This really wasn't like me.

Maybe it's because, at a school for the Gifted, I wouldn't stand out.

"Hi. I'm Steve! Steve Rogers!" I looked up at the boy standing next to me. He was a pretty scrawny kid.

"Hey," I said, putting on my best smile. I need to make a good impression, I thought. "I'm Clarissa Osbourne. But, please, call me Rissa."

He gestured at the seat next to me. "May I sit with you?"

Wow. He was actually polite. I don't think I've ever met a polite boy before.

This is school is fucking weird.

"Sure," I said.

"What are you going into?" he asked, gesturing to the pamphlet in my hand. That's odd. I hadn't even realized that I was holding it.

"Oh, you mean Elective – or a, Specialized Subjects wise?"

He nodded.

"Oh. I'm going to be taking Writing and Film and Television. I know that it's not nearly as helpful as a lot of the things here – it's not like Medical, or anything, but I feel that I can help people through stories. People need a type of mental rehabilitation too, and lots of people don't seem to realize what parts of our lives affect us."

"Wow," he said, looking at me with wide eyes. Crap. Did I scare him off? But he wouldn't be saying 'Wow' if I did, would he? "I never thought about it from that perspective. Now that I think about it, a lot of the books I read really help me with things…"

"What type of things, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.

He gave a tiny shrug. "Bullying, mostly. That's why I'm going into Martial Arts and Weapons training. I want to learn how to defend myself and protect others."

Cool. But how are you going to turn that into a career?...

My thoughts must have been showing on my face because he continued, "I'll probably join the army when I graduate, and then I'll either be some sort of military officer, work in the police department, or be a martial arts instructor."

Oh, I see. Thinking about it from that type of perspective, you could probably find a career out of any talent, even if it's as simple as teaching that talent to others.

Which was why I was also considering Teaching, as well. I don't know how to fit it into my schedule just yet, but maybe a couple of years from now…

"Wow, that's cool," I said. "I'm probably going to get additional Martial Arts and Weapon training after school too, along with Medical. I know that nothing extreme will probably happen at all in my lifetime, especially in the next few years, but it's a good thing to be prepared."

He nodded. "I was thinking of taking medical in the afternoon for the same reason. If I do join the army, I'll go through medical training anyway, but I should still take it whenever it's available to me."

He glanced back at the door as he said this. That's when I realized that he'd been doing it for the last couple of minutes.

"Are you waiting on someone?" I asked him.

"Hmm?" he asked, before he realized that he was checking the door. "Oh, no. My friend was supposed to come here with me, and I still feel like he should be here, too."

"What happened?" I asked.

"He…got in an accident," Steve said quietly.

Oh my god. Was Steve's friend….I've never known someone who's died before, and it seems weird that Steve, who was my age, would go through that. Especially if it was his best friend…

"No, no, he's not dead!" Steve said, looking at me. "He's still alive. And he'll be okay."

But it sounded like he was trying to convince himself, not me.

"What's his condition like?" I asked. It must have been pretty serious if he couldn't come to school.

"He lost an arm," Steve said quietly.

LOST AN ARM?

"And his memory," he added.

His memory. Oh. That would certainly cause him to drop out….

"He wouldn't be able to sit with us anyways," Steve said, looking away from the door. "He came here last year. He was supposed to be a 2nd year."

…..

…..

…

What the hell am I supposed to say to something like that?!

ARGHGHGHGHG! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS SCHOOL!

On the outside, I calmly replied, "Well, sometimes these things take time. I don't know a lot about amnesia, but I'm pretty sure that there are certain things that can trigger your memory. Like a special joke or something, or a song. Or a kiss…." My head drifted off to the story that I wrote last year.

When Steve didn't respond, I turned to look at him. He was turning beet red.

"OH MY GOD! I didn't mean - I'm sorry, I was just thinking about this story I was trying to write…. Oh my god, I'm so…"

Dammit. So much for a good impression.

We both sat there, blushing furiously, as one of the kids in front of us turned around. "Hi," he said. "I'm Sam."

Our blushing stopped. Thank God.

"Hey," I said. "I'm Rissa."

"I'm Steve," Steve said.

"Cool," said Sam. He was obviously very excited to be here. But he also seemed a little younger than the rest of us…

"Hey, Sam, how old are you?" I asked him.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm thirteen," he said.

Thirteen. He jumped a grade in this school?

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Fourteen – no wait, Fifteen. My birthday wasn't too long ago, and I keep forgetting that I'm fifteen now," I smiled.

"How old are you Steve?" Sam asked, turning to him.

"Fourteen," Steve said. "My birthday isn't until July though."

"You seem really excited to be here, Sam," I said, recounting my thoughts from earlier.

"Yeah," Sam said, smiling. "My brother came here last year, and he told me all about this place. Though, I don't know how he knows so much when he plays hooky most of the time."

"Oh, so is he a 2nd year then?" I asked, looking over to the group of 2nd years. My sister was sitting with her gang – I mean friends.

"Yeah, but I don't see him. I bet he's playing hooky again," Sam sighed. "And all the teachers are gonna think I'm a bad kid 'cause we're related. Jerk."

Looking at Steve, I realized that we should probably move away from this subject before it reminds him of his friend again.

"Oh, did you hear?" Sam said, suddenly excited again. "There's this new kid."

"Uh…Sam…we're all new kids," I said.

"Oh, yeah, but I mean in the 2nd year. Something happened to one of the other kids so there's this new guy who's joining their class."

While that was really interesting, I really hoped that we could move away from this topic. I could see Steve's face darkening.

"Hey, can I sit with you guys?" a voice said. There was a kid standing next to Sam. He was really short. "I'm John. John Watson. I'll be joining Medical."

"Sure," I said, smiling at him. "I'm Rissa. Film and Writing. I want to be an author and director."

"Steve Rogers," Steve said. "Martial Arts and Weapons. I want to join the army and teach people to defend themselves."

"Sam. Sam Winchester," Sam said. "I'll be entering Law. I want to become a lawyer."

"That's cool," John said, sitting down. He turned to Steve. "I want to join the army too – I want to be an army doctor."

Wow. Everyone had high ambitions. I glanced around. And were male.

A majority of the class was male. And by majority, I mean there was only one other girl other than myself. I counted the class. Hmm. There were only twenty four kids here. I wonder where the other one was.

I turned around and glanced around the auditorium. The door was closed, so the other kid was probably in the auditorium somewhere. Just when I had given up, I spotted him. He was sitting on top of the spotlight edge. Behind him was the booth for lights, and he had gotten onto the super tiny ledge that the spotlight was shined from.

...

...

...

HOW THE HELL WAS HE OKAY WITH BEING LIKE….THIRTY FEET OFF THE GROUND?

This school is fucking weird.

So, yeah all twenty five kids are here. Well. Seems I'll be surrounded by boys.

I glanced at the other girl. She seemed kind of scary. And unapproachable.

Great, I thought. Please don't let all the boys come knocking on my door.

Glancing over at Isabelle's class, I saw that it was the same there. Of all of the kids, there were only a few females.

Around our class, everyone was doing something by themselves, but I saw a few of them curiously glance over to us. A couple of them even got up and started heading this way.

Huh. If it wasn't for Steve talking to me, and Sam following suit, everyone would probably be sitting by themselves, paying no attention to their classmates.

"H…Hey. Can…Can I join you guys?" The kid who asked it looked very nervous, and kind of shy.

"Sure," I said, gesturing to an empty seat next to John. "I'm Rissa. I'll be in Film and Writing."

He sat down, still a bit nervous as he said. "Hey. I'm Bruce. Bruce Banner. I'm gonna be in Pharmaceuticals and Technical." His nerves went away as he mentioned his class. He was obviously very happy talking about that subject.

"Really?" I asked, coaxing him out of his shell. "That's cool. Tell me more about it."

His eyes lit up, and he started to smile. "Well, I would like to experiment on some theories I have about how our body reacts to waves."

"Waves?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry, I mean waves on the electromagnetic spectrum," he said.

Ah. Okay. Now that makes more sense.

"I have some theories about how gamma radiation can help cure cancer," he said, marching on.

Woah. These kids really did have bit aspirations. I looked around at all of the kids near me. It makes me wonder what all of the other kids want to do.

"Wow," I said. "That's amazing!"

He nodded quickly before turning to everyone else. "Hey, what are you guys doing? SS wise?"

"SS?" I asked.

"Specialized subjects is a mouthful so I call them SS," Bruce explained.

"Nice," Sam said, nodding. "I'm Sam. I'll be going into Law."

"I'm Steve," Steve said. "I'll be going into Martial Arts and Weapons. I'm going to join the army."

"I'll be doing that as well, as an army doctor," John said. "I'm John. I'll be going into medical."

"You know, we should make signs or nametags, because that's the fifth time I've explained my name and SS category, and it's going to get rather tiring if I have to keep repeating them for a while," I said.

"Yeah, it might get really annoying if we have to keep doing this," Sam agreed.

"Maybe we should-" Steve started.

"Oh, would you people just shut up already?" came a voice a couple of seats down.

There was a kid with black hair and green eyes. Judging from his look and his odd jacket, I would guess that he's the typical 'bad boy' of our class.

"I can't concentrate with all that racket!" he continued, turning back to the book in his hands.

Hmmmmm.

"Whatcha reading?" I said, hanging over the seat next to him. He sat in the row above me.

He jumped. "What the hell? Don't sneak up on people like that!" he said, snapping the book shut. "And it's none of your business."

"Come on!" I said, leaning forward. "Tell me what you're reading!"

"No!" he said. "Why can't you people just shut up and leave me alone!"

"Yes, please do so," a voice droned a couple of feet away. "You're being rather insignificant right now, and your constant yapping is giving me a headache."

Both me and the guy in front of me looked at the other guy. Behind me, I could tell that Steve, Sam, John, and Bruce were looking at him too. They had followed me to the book guy, but still kept their distance.

"Dude?" I asked. "That's rude. And please explain to me…just how exactly am I being 'insignificant'?"

He put his pencil down. Looking in front of him, I saw several different sheets of paper with what looked like a variety of drawings, graphs, scribbles, and…recipes? No, not recipes…some type of instruction on how to create certain chemical reactions.

"Tell me," he said, turning to me. "Just who exactly are you?"

I crossed my arms. "My name is Clarissa Osbourne. I am fifteen years old, and have already set up a publishing deal with a company."

"And tell me…exactly why do you think you're significant?"

"Why am I significant? Well, I think the fact that I managed to get into this school shows that I'm pretty significant. Plus, not to mention that I am here on a full ride scholarship and that I have a book set to be published very soon. But I am significant because I can influence people without realizing it. Just by smiling at them, or talking to them, I can make a huge change in someone's life. Just how naïve do you think I am? It's all a matter of perspective. When it comes down to the entire world, with over 6 billion people, I may seem pretty insignificant, but when it comes to the people I interact with on a daily basis, I am a big part on how they think, how they react, and how they perceive life. And while I may not be pretty significant to the world right now, I will be in the future."

"And why is that?" he asked, but he was looking at me with a new light in his eye.

"Because I will it," I said.

He looked at me, and slowly, very slowly, stood up. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Clarissa Osbourne. I can promise you that I will never forget that name." He held out his hand. "My name is Sherlock Holmes. I look forward to spending time with you in the future."

I took his hand, and shook. "Hello, Sherlock. But please, call me Rissa. All of my friends do." I smiled at him.

There was some clapping as someone moved towards us. I recognized him as one of the 2nd years. Though he certainly didn't look like a 2nd year. He wore a suit, and carried an umbrella over one of his arms. "That was certainly inspiring."

It was only then that I realized he was mocking me.

Fine then. I'll mock him right back. "And who are you? The Penguin?"

Then there was an odd choking sound. Turning next to me, I saw Sherlock continue the sound, until it turned into a full blown laugh.

"This…this is my brother…Mycroft," he said, still laughing. "Penguin. That's a good one."

It was now that I realized that a majority of the students were looking at us. The faculty was nowhere to be seen. The 3rd and 4th years were watching us, but seemed to be bored once Sherlock and I shook hands. The 2nd years, and the rest of our class, however, were watching us intently.

From the back of the 2nd years, I saw my sister laughing her head off.

"Well, Mycroft. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I don't know you that well yet, and I'm afraid it might turn out to be a lie. Tell me, what is your business with us? Go back to the 2nd years."

He seemed a bit surprised that I knew he was a 2nd year, but he quickly dismissed it. He took his umbrella off of his arm and leaned on it. "Well, I just hadto come and meet the girl who knocked my brother onto his ass."

"Who says I did that?" I asked. "I got into a small debate with him that could go either way. In fact, I still don't believe that we declared a winner. Some may think us insignificant, and others will think that we are significant, but it doesn't really matter. I wasn't proving a point; I just explained my perspective to him." I shrugged. "Nothing more."

At this Mycroft froze. He seemed shocked. Next to me, Sherlock was laughing again.

Another 2nd year boy came up, and started dragging Mycroft away. "Come on. You know you have to stay in our section."

Mycroft didn't say anything, he just stayed frozen.

I turned to Sherlock. "Was what I said really that big of a deal?"

He shook off his last couple of laughs. "Yes. I've never seen him look like that. You're going to be great."

"You wanna come sit with us?" I asked, gesturing back to the rest of the kids.

He smiled. "Sure."

As he went to gather his stuff, I turned back to Book Kid. "So," I said. "Are you gonna tell me what you're reading?"

He sighed and handed me the book. "Be careful with it. It's a first edition."

I nodded and inspected the book. Wow. It was a first edition collection of Robert Frost's poetry. My jaw dropped open. "Wow. This is amazing! You have a first edition of Robert Frost! He's my favorite poet! There are quite a few I like, but he's the best!" I opened the page to the one he had marked.

On it was the poem The Road Not Taken

The book fell open easily to the page, as if this page has been read so many times over, it had creased the side of the book.

Looking at the poem, I understood what the kid meant. It wasn't that he was unable to concentrate on his readings. From the way the book opened to this page, he's probably read it so much he's memorized it. He was probably talking about his concentration on his path. After all…high school was when you were supposed to choose.

"Oh. I see," I said quietly. By now the rest of the group had migrated back towards our original spot, with Sherlock following. I gently closed the book and handed it back to the kid. "You've been thinking about the future a lot. That's what you meant by not being able to concentrate. You weren't talking about what you're reading. You've probably read this poem a hundred times over. You've probably memorized it by now. You were talking about your thoughts. You couldn't concentrate on your thoughts about what path to take for the future."

"How did you know?" he asked quietly.

"The book," I said, nodding towards it. "The way that it falls open to that page. Books only do that when you stay on that page for a long time. I should know – I read a lot. When I can't concentrate on what I'm reading, and I keep trying to read the same page over and over, the book will open to that page. If I lose a bookmark, I can still easily find the page. It's an old book, so it could've been someone else, but I guess it was just…intuition."

The girl I was when I walked into the school was gone. It was time to move on, and start my own path. "I memorized it too," I said, smiling.

" Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

I smiled at him. "It's not my favorite of his poems, but it's still a great one. I'm Rissa," I held out my hand to him.

His lips quirked into a soft smile. "Loki," he said, taking my hand and shaking it. I don't think that my original guess as the class bad boy was anywhere close to the truth.

"Why don't you come join us?" I said, nodding over to the group.

He nodded. "Okay. Let me just grab my stuff."

"Great," I said. "I'll be right back."

As Loki got the rest of his stuff to move back over to the rest of the group, I walked up to a kid that was noticing us. Of course, everyone was noticing us, but this kid looked at us a little bit differently. I could tell immediately that he was a loner, and that he didn't have many friends, if any at all. When he looked at us, he was longing to join us.

When he saw me notice him, he quickly looked away, but by then I was already next to him.

"Hey," I said quietly. "I saw you earlier. You seemed like you wanted to join us, but you're pretty shy. What's your name?"

"Harry," he said quietly.

I smiled at him. "Well, Harry, would you like to join us?"

He stared at me with wide eyes, before nodding quickly, and gathering his things to join us.

He followed me as we walked back to the group. I settled back into my original chair, with Steve on my left and Loki on my right.

"Hey everyone," I said. "It seems that another round of introductions are in order. Since we had a couple of new people now, we should just go in a circle and say a couple of things about ourselves. I'll go first. I'm Clarissa Osbourne, but please, call me Rissa. I'll be going into Film and Writing. I feel that through my work, I might be able to influence people and help them refresh their mind. I find that stories are a really good way to relax and escape from this world. I don't care what form they come in – books, tv shows, movies, or more! But they all help me deal with my life." And my depression, I silently added. "I'm fifteen years old. I'll probably try getting some medical training and martial arts training after school, because it's good to be prepared for anything. Alright. Who's next?"

Everyone in the circle exchanged glances as Steve spoke up. "My name is Steve Rogers. I'm going to go into Martial Arts and weapons, because I want to learn how to defend myself and protect others. I used to be bullied a lot, so I want to stop that from happening. I'm planning on joining the Army after I graduate. When I'm done, I'll probably become some sort of martial arts instructor, maybe have my own dojo, or help people train for the military. I'm fourteen years old. Who's next?"

"I'll go," John said. "I too, want to join the military, but as an army doctor. My name is John Watson, and I'll be joining Medical. And I'm fourteen years old. Who's next?"

"My turn," Sam said. "My name is Sam Winchester. I'm thirteen years old. I'll be going into Law – I want to become a lawyer. I don't think that the legal system is entirely fair, and I want to be able to help the best ways I can. I love dogs. I have an older brother who's a 2nd year, except he's a jerk. I'm done. Who's next?"

I heard a couple of people snort at that. Looking around, I asked, "How many people here have an older sibling in one of the upper classes?"

"I do," Sam said. "As I just pointed out."

"Mycroft," Sherlock grumbled. "Who you've sort of met."

"My older brother is a 2nd year as well," Loki said. "His name is Thor," he pointed out a guy with long blonde hair.

"He looks nothing like you!" I said, looking back and forth between Thor and Loki.

"I'm adopted," Loki said.

"Oh," I said. "I'm a foster kid. My foster sister is a 2nd year too. Her name is Isabelle. She's the one in the back, with the black hair."

They all turned to look at her.

"I have an older sister in the 2nd year too," came a voice. We turned and saw two guys standing near us. The blonde was the one who spoke. "Mind if we join the club?"

"Sure," I said. "How long have you been listening?"

"Since you've introduced yourself," the kid with the black hair said. "Everyone's been eavesdropping on you. We decided that we might as well meet our new classmates ahead of time."

"Well, that's cool," I said. "If you've already heard us introduce ourselves, why don't you two go ahead?"

"I'm Arthur Pendragon," the blonde said. "I'm fifteen. My sister is in the 2nd year class – she's the other one with dark hair. Her name is Morgana. I'll be going into Weapons and Martial Arts, particularly Fencing. I love swords. This is my best friend Merlin,"

"Hey," Merlin said. "I'm Merlin. I'm fifteen, as well. I'll be going into Medical and Pharmaceuticals, with some film and television study on the side."

"That's cool," I said. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Since we were kids," Merlin said. "Though, this guy was a dollophead when I first met him."

"What the hell is a dollophead?" Arthur asked, turning to Merlin.

"I'm looking at one," Merlin said.

Arthur gave Merlin a friendly shove and we all laughed. "Sit, guys. Come on."

"Alright, who's next?" I asked, turning back to the group. "Who hasn't gone yet?" Harry, Sherlock, Loki, and Bruce were the ones left.

"I'll go," Sherlock volunteered. "My name is Sherlock Holmes, I'm fourteen, and I'll be in Law and Pharmaceuticals."

"Law and Pharmaceuticals?" John asked. "That seems like a bit of an odd combination."

"No it doesn't," I said. "That's if you're thinking of law like Sam is. Sam is going to become a lawyer, but Sherlock isn't. My guess is that he wants to do some investigative work, like a detective, right? That's why you're also taking Pharmaceuticals – so you know how to recognize certain substances."

He nodded. "I'll be taking Psychology and Sociology as my last History credit, as well. I need to know how a criminal thinks."

"I'll go next, if you're done," Bruce said quietly. Sherlock nodded to him. Bruce took a deep breath and started. "My name is Bruce Banner. I'm fourteen years old. I'll be taking Pharmaceuticals with you, too. I'll also be taking Technical, too. I want to become a scientist, and try to cure diseases. I'll be taking Medical after school, because I need some training in that too. Who's next?"

"Harry, why don't you go?" I asked, stepping in before Loki could go next. He gave me a bit of a puzzled look before he saw how nervous Harry was, and realized that it probably wasn't a good idea to make him go last.

"My name is Harry Potter, I'm fourteen, and I'll be going into Film and Visual Design," he said quickly.

"That's cool," I said, knowing that was all we could get out of him. "And Loki?..."

"My name is Loki," Loki said. "I'm fifteen. I'll be taking Drawing and Painting, and Writing. I like to read a lot, and I don't talk much."

"Cool," I said, smiling at them. "That's everyone. I-"

I was cut off by the loud feedback from the microphone being too close to its speakers.

"Attention, everyone," the Assistant Headmaster said. "Please, be seated and direct your attention to the stage."

The lights dimmed, and we all turned to the stage.

Our new lives were about to begin.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Seven

"Welcome, students," said the Assistant Headmaster. "I am the Assistant Headmaster. Today, you will be sorting out your schedules for this year. 2nd years, 3rd years, and 4th years should be able to do this very easily. Today isn't much of a work day – it's mostly introduction to the classes and teachers. You'll also be getting lists of supplies, as well as an outline on what you'll be learning each class. That is all. Good luck."

He left the stage.

What the hell….

"That was it?" I asked, turning to Loki and Sherlock. If anyone knew, it would be them. They nodded. "So we just spent like…twenty minutes in here waiting on…nothing?"

"Yes, I believe that would be an adequate description on the recent events. It seems we have to go to class," Sherlock said, gathering his things and standing up.

"And where exactly is that?..." I asked.

"No idea," Sherlock said. "But I'm sure we'll find it. In time."

"First Years," came a voice. It was the Assistant Headmaster. "This way, please."

I exchanged looks with Loki and Sherlock. For some reason, I didn't really trust this guy...after all…I still don't even know his name.

"Excuse me, sir, what's your name?" I asked him, as we walked out of the auditorium. Out of the corner of my eye,I saw the kid on the ledge jump down. After bouncing off the walls a few times, he landed on his feet, and quickly joined the rest of the First Years' group.

"You may call me Assistant Headmaster," he replied, without looking back.

"Okay…" I said. "But I would still like to know your name, sir."

He whirled around on us, causing me to jump. Sherlock and Loki almost crashed into me. "When I tell you to call me something, you will acknowledge me by that name. You will not ask questions. You will be obedient and stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong. Do you understand?" He leaned closer to me.

"Yes sir," I said looking him straight in the eyes. "I understand."

He continued looking at me. I merely looked straight back at him, with wide eyes, never leaving his. I find that often staring at people with a blank face and open eyes will change their perception on you.

They don't know what to do with you.

But this guy…this was the first person who had a negative impact on it. "Listen to me," he said, coming up close to me and whispering in my ear. "If I get any funny business from you, I will take care of you."

Somehow, I don't think he means that in a good way.

He stood up straight and walked away. "Follow me, class."

After he walked away, several other people followed, with me, Sherlock, and Loki at the rear of the line. I had a feeling that these two were going to be my closest friends here.

"Are you okay?" Loki asked, lowering his voice as we walked.

"I'm fine," I said automatically, looking at the ground as we walked.

Sherlock snorts. "Well, everyone says that they're fine. But that doesn't mean that you're okay." He looked at me. "So, Rissa, are you okay?"

I looked him straight in the eyes. "You already know the answer to that."

"Humor us," Loki said. "Admitting things aloud make it easier to deal with them."

"No," I said, looking down. "I'm scared. Something about that man…I don't think I've ever felt so scared before. I know that he can't do anything, because he's a faculty member and I'm a student, but something about him feels so wrong." I looked at Sherlock. "I know that you probably don't put much credit into intuition, but my gut has never been wrong before." I looked towards the front of the line. "And my gut's screaming at me right now. That guys is bad news."

"Yes," Loki said, following my gaze. "I believe that we can all agree on that. And his reaction when you asked his name…"

"Yeah, I know," I said. "I wanted to know because it wasn't listed with the rest of the school's information. Actually, a couple of main faculty members didn't have a name." I looked down. "But after his reaction...now I'm scared to ask them for one."

"Don't worry," Loki said. "We'll just avoid him. And if he becomes a problem, we'll just use our training on him. Even though I'm not going into Weapons doesn't mean that I don't know how to use them."

"Yes," Sherlock said. "And I will be taking some martial arts and weapon training after my studies as well. And if you still want to know his name, we can investigate."

I smiled at them. "I knew that I liked you guys."

"Really?" Sherlock said, raising his eyebrows. "I got the distinct impression that you hated me when we first met several minutes ago."

I laughed. "It might have seemed that way, but as I said before, my intuition takes a big part in my actions. I knew that I would like you guys, despite the fact that you were both telling me off."

We laughed as the class came to a stop. "You're here," the Assistant Headmaster said, opening the door to a dark room.

Great. Let's just follow the creepy man into the dark creepy room.

Relax, I told myself. He's a teacher! He can't do anything to hurt us. And if we get in that type of position, someone in the class will take care of him. I know that with a few well placed hits with my book, I could probably knock him out or seriously damage him until someone else can deal with him better.

"Great," I murmured aloud sarcastically. "Let's just follow the creepy man into the dark creepy room."

There was a snort and some small chuckles next to me.

Well, at least I'll be funny when I die.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Eight

I didn't die.

I mean, DUH. But it was still a relief.

"Stay here, and take your seats," the Assistant Headmaster commanded. "There are assigned seats. Find your name, and wait until the teacher arrives."

Just as he was about to leave, a guy said, "Hey, I don't have a seat."

We all turned to look at the guy. Ahh, this guy was the class jerk/genius type.

I could already tell that I'd like him. The only question is: How well would he and Sherlock get along?

"Well, then I'm afraid you'll have to stand, Mr. Stark," the Assistant Headmaster commented superciliously, before leaving the room. I heard the 'snip' of the lock behind him.

"Did he just lock the door?" I asked, moving towards it. After a couple of twists and turns, I moved away from the door and said. "He did! I can't believe he locked us in here! What the hell?"

This school was fucking weird.

"Maybe it's some sort of test?" Bruce suggested.

"No," Sherlock said. "I believe you're overthinking it. If it is a test, or something worse, however, we ought to arm ourselves in case we have to fight."

Jeez, Sherlock, why don't you just go and start a rebellion, while you're at it? I thought.

"Does anyone have previous training?" Loki asked, pulling out a small knife. "I'm Loki Odinson."

Woah. Didn't expect that.

Yes, we are allowed to carry weapons on campus.

I'm really starting to regret going to this school. I'll probably end up having an anxiety attack before the day is over.

I'd be lucky if I could go the whole week without having one.

"I do," came a voice. We all turned to look at a student who was ON TOP OF THE CABINET. How the hell did he even get up there? Did he fly?

Yes, it was the same guy as before. The one who was somehow okay with sitting 30 feet off the ground.

I'm scared of heights, okay? But even so, being so comfortable being that high...it just didn't sit right with me.

"I'm Clint. Clint Barton," he said. He didn't get down from the cabinet.

We had assigned seats, didn't we? I wonder if his was on top of the cabinet.

He pulled a small device out from his pocket. Giving it one good shake, it straightened out into a bow. He pulled a couple of arrows out of a sheath behind him. "Archery is my specialty. I don't miss."

Now I understood the high viewpoint.

Still...Crazy.

"I'm skilled with a sword," Arthur said, pulling out a sword from his backpack. "My name's Arthur Pendragon."

HOW THE HELL DID THAT EVEN FIT IN THERE?

"Does anyone know how to use weapons, but they don't happen to have them on them?" A female voice asked. The only other girl in the classroom spoke. She was beautiful and sharp, with bright, fiery hair. "I'm Natasha Romanov."

"I know how to use a gun and a sword," Sherlock said. "Sherlock Holmes."

The girl tossed him a gun.

OMG. WHO THE HELL TOSSES SOMEONE A GUN? THAT'S NOT SAFE! NUMBER ONE RULE OF GUN SAFETY IS TO ALWAYS TREAT THE GUN AS IF IT'S LOADED, EVEN IF IT'S NOT. AND THROWING A GUN IS NOT SOMETHING YOU DO WHEN IT'S LOADED! EVEN IF THE SAFETY IS ON.

After she threw Sherlock the gun, she pulled out two magazines which she also threw at him. For those of you who don't know, magazines are…wait a second, I can't use the terms round, or chamber, or clip…

A magazine is the small device that holds many bullets in it. You slide it into the gun and pull the trigger. This shoots the bullet and lines the next bullet up with the opening. Another pull of the trigger sets that one off. Sometimes you need to cock the gun between every shot. This is true for just about all guns except for revolvers and air rifles.

Revolvers have a spinning wheel that can fit anywhere between 5 to 9 bullets, depending on the model you have. You put it in, you pull the trigger. It shoots the bullet and the wheel turns by one notch to line the next bullet up to the opening.

Sherlock examined the gun, checking to see that there were no rounds in the chamber (the chamber is where the next bullet lines up to the opening). There was obviously no mag already in there, as he took one of the ones the chick threw at him and entered it into the gun.

"Anyone else?" the girl asked.

"I know how to use a gun as well," John said. "My name is John Watson."

WHAT? WASN'T HE TRAINING TO BECOME A DOCTOR?

Then again, it was a military doctor. Even if he wasn't fighting, he would still have to go through the six months of basic training, so he would end up learning how to use a gun anyway.

"I'm good with knives," Sam said. WHAT? HE'S THIRTEEN? WHY THE HELL DOES HE KNOW HOW TO USE A KNIFE? HOW THE HELL DOES HE KNOW HOW TO USE A KNIFE? "Especially bowie knives, but other than that-"

He went quiet as the girl pulled a bowie knife from somewhere and threw it at him.

I think my heart stopped.

The knife stopped in the wall right next to Sam's face. He smiled. "Nice job. You've got a good arm," he told the girl, before pulling it out of the wall. "My name is Sam. Nice to meet you."

OH MY GOD.

I think that if I can go the next ten minutes without an anxiety attack, it will be a miracle.

"If you give me something heavy, I can beat someone with it," Tony said.

"Well, yeah, but anyone can do that," Sherlock said.

"Yes, but if you have knowledge on how the body works, then it's a lot easier to take out someone. You just need to go for their vital points. I'm Tony, by the way. Tony Stark." He said the name like we should recognize it.

Loki shrugged. "Just grab a textbook. It's not as nice as a bat or anything, but it will get the job done."

"If it comes down to that, I can do that as well," Bruce said, picking up a textbook the size of my chest. "My name is Bruce. I'm very familiar with how the body functions."

Make that the next five mintues. If I can go the next five minutes without an anxiety attack, it'll be a miracle.

Steve spoke up. "I know this sounds really weird, but does anyone have a shield? It's my preferred weapon."

"I have a frizbee," Sam said, pulling it out of his bag. "Will that work, Steve?" At people's looks he said, "Don't ask. It's a long story."

"Thanks," Steve said as Sam threw it to him. "It'll do. It's strong enough I that I can use it."

Two minutes. Make it two minutes. If I can go the next two minutes without an anxiety attack, it'll be a miracle.

"Anyone have an extra sword I can use?" Harry asked. "It's not my preferred style, but it would be the best for this situation."

One minute. If I can go one minute without having an anxiety attack, it'll be a miracle.

"I have one, Harry," Merlin said, pulling out a sword and a crossbow. "I know how to use both but I'm better with a crossbow. Might as well put the sword in good use. It's pretty well balanced, but I don't know how you'll adjust to it."

The room was starting to get dark.

Harry picked it up and hefted it as Merlin loaded a bolt into the crossbow. "Nice. This'll work. Thanks, Merlin. This will be great."

I was starting to sway.

"Rissa? Are you okay?" Loki asked, looking down at me. He was the closest to me. He seemed so tall….I don't remember him being that tall.

"Rissa? Rissa, answer me!" he said, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Stop!" John shouted. "She's having an anxiety attack! Set her down on the floor and give her space. Everyone shut up and put the weapons down! We don't know what triggered it."

Quickly, everyone shut up and Loki pulled me around the desk, away from everyone else. Sherlock and John followed.

"Listen, Rissa, I want you to concentrate on your breathing. In, and out. In, and out. We're going to breath in for four counts, hold for seven, and let it out with eight, okay?"

I nodded.

"Breath in. One, two, three, four," John said. "Stop, and hold it. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Let it out. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Let's do this again. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four, five six-"

"It's getting worse," Sherlock hissed. "Do something else."

He was right. I was starting to hyperventilate.

"Okay, okay, let me think. That's the first thing they tell you to do…" John trailed off, thinking. "Alright, Rissa, I want you to close your eyes and go to a happy place. It doesn't matter where it is, or what happens there – just go to a place you feel safe. It doesn't even have to be real. You can create it in your mind right now, if you don't already have one. If you like beaches, fill the world with sand and the ocean. If you like forests, put in trees and a campfire. Just concentrate on your own little world."

At the world concentrate, my eyes snapped opened and my breathing got worse.

"Okay, listen," John said, backtracking. "How about instead of the happy place, we go to a memory, alright? I want you to think about a very fun memory. Something that happened as a kid, where you could just relax and have fun…"

My breathing evened out as one thing immediately came to mind.

The minute I thought of that, the anxiety attack stopped.

"There. Are you in a stable place?" John asked.

I nodded. I was grateful that he didn't ask if I was okay, or any stupid questions like that.

"Would you like some space, or do you want to tell us what caused it…it's all up to you…"

I took in a deep breath and got up.

"Are you better?" Tony asked, and for once, it didn't seem stupid, or sarcastic, or arrogant. It sounded as if I knew what I went through.

I nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bruce asked quietly.

Looking over at him, I could tell. Even if he didn't have anxiety attacks…he had depression.

"No," I said. "But that doesn't mean I shouldn't." I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for my reaction. I realize that I might have frightened some of you. I also know that some of you felt helpless to do anything." At that statement, both Steve and Sam looked away. It was a small movement, but I still caught it. "I'm still adjusting to this school. I'm still wrapping my mind around a lot of things, and some of the way you deal with it…." I sighed. "I didn't expect everyone to bring weapons to school, or at the very least, know how to use them. I know how to use them as well, but…never mind. The fact that this happened surprised me. I guess I also felt like you guys kind of overreacted about the whole…danger, thing. Sorry, I sometimes have trouble explaining things. I feel like we should have just waited to see what happened. Maybe one or two people could prepare themselves for something, or we could have Clint keep a watch with his bird's eye view up there. Somehow, I don't think he'll miss. I think that everyone getting ready for, well, battle, was a bit excessive, especially if it was as simple as them not wanting the first years to ditch class. I feel like we might overreact and seriously hurt a teacher."

"If anything, we should probably just break the lock or pick it. With the talents of the kids in this room, I would be very surprised if no one knew how to do that. I also feel like we should wait and see what happens. We should be on guard, but not twitchy. If anyone's prepared, it should be Clint with his bow and arrow-" I turned to him. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he said, shaking his head.

"Good," I said, continuing. "I feel like we should also have Natasha at the ready with uh…do you have any weapons left?" I asked, turning to her.

"Yes," she said.

"Are they throwing weapons?" I asked. "Like knives or throwing stars?"

"Yes," she said, pulling out a handful of throwing stars and showing me a strap of knives. "And their official name is 'Shuriken'."

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Then I think that we should also have Natasha at the ready with some of her throwing weapons, as she doesn't need to be close to attack, and she has very good aim."

"If we need to have anyone else, I would suggest using something more along the lines of a textbook instead of a sword or a gun. We should try to avoid any fatal wounds; try to knock them out at first. If we have to attack, go for the major joints – kneecaps, elbows. That will slow them down. If you need to, try to take a paralyzing shot. If you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO, as in a life or death, kill or be killed situation, you can fight for your life, which means that you fight as hard as you can. The end result doesn't matter as long as you're safe. Does that make sense to everyone?"

Slowly, the entire class began to start nodding.

I relaxed as they listening to me. Huh. I never thought that I'd be in a situation where I'd be the voice of reason.

"Congratulations," came a voice from the doorway. It was the Assistant Headmaster. Everyone immediately went for their weapons. I don't blame them. If I had something, I would grab it too. That man was slimy.

"You all passed the test," he said.

My heart seemed to stop beating as I took in his words. 'Passed the test'?

It was all a test?

He continued to talk, but I droned him out, catching only a few words like, "Teamwork," and "Devising a plan".

I was frozen in place.

It was all a test?

"This was all just a test?" Loki shouted, raising his knife. "You bastard! Rissa had an anxiety attack!"

"But you took care of her properly and sorted everything out," the Assistant Headmaster said.

"That was harsh and inhuman," Sherlock said angrily. "We might be brilliant, be we are still children."

I didn't listen. I was frozen in place, with the same thoughts ringing through my head.

It was all a test?

If this was a test, and it was only the first day, what would the rest of the year be like?

This school wasn't fucking weird.

It was insane. Completely, and utterly, insane.

If a friend is having an anxiety attack -

1. Try to get them to concentrate on their breathing.

2. If trying to get them to concentrate on something makes their reaction worse, tell them to go to their 'happy place,' or a place where they feel safe. If they've ever had an anxiety attack before, or had experienced major anxiety, they should understand what you're talking about. If they don't, start describing peaceful places, especially if you know what they like. Mention their favorite fictional worlds - Hogwarts, the Tardis, inside the Impala, Stark Towers, 221B...

3. Try to get them to focus on a memory. Not just any happy little thought - something that's important to them. Thinking about people who have a big impact on their life can easily help them calm down. WARNING - It can cause the opposite affect in some circumstances.

4. Try to get them to focus on a song. If you happen to know a song they like, start singing it or humming it, and ask them to concentrate on it. You can even encourage them to sing with you a little, 'Oh, what's this verse again? I forgot the lyrics...'. If you don't know the person that well, or don't know a song that's very important or personal to them, try an easy song that everyone knows - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Rock-A-Bye Baby, ABCs, even Happy Birthday.

5. If you can still communicate, try to get information -

- Has this ever happened before?

- Do you have specific medication on this?

- Do you have any allergies?

- What is your phone password.

The first two questions are key. Find out if this have ever happened before. If it hasn't, call the hospital. If it has, they might have medication on this. However, if they hadn't have it happened, they will be going to the hospital. At the time, they might not be able to supply the hospital for full information, so you must immediately find out if they're on any medication, or if they have any allergies. You should also check to see when they ate last.

6. If a person has experienced this before, and recognizes it, listen to what they say. They will give you instructions on what to do. If it's as simple as 'Leave me alone,' then simply keep a safe distance so you're not bothering them, but you can keep an eye on them. If they ask you to sing with you, or to count with you, or to do math with you (sometimes concentrating on easy things like math also gives the person something to focus on), do it.

7. Whatever you do, don't tell them to calm down, or anything similar to this. Don't tell them that they're overreacting, or that it isn't that big of a deal. THIS WILL MAKE IT WORSE. THIS IS LIKE POURING KEROSENE ON TOP OF A GREASE FIRE.

Listen to what they have to say, and go along with it. Everything they say is important. Don't make any comments, unless they specifically pause to hear what you want to say. If they do this, it's a sure sign that the attack may be fading, as they calmed down enough to collect their thoughts and ask for another's opinion. However, if they do not, let them talk endlessly. Sometimes the best thing to do is just let them blow off steam and plow through.

8. Learn to recognize symptoms.

- Pacing

- Sweating

-  Hyperventilation

- Shaking or trembling

- Trouble breathing, or uneven breathing

- Face changing color - usually becoming pale

- Dizziness and Lightheadedness

- Nausea - troubled stomach

- Throwing up

- Chest pain

* I would like to clarify on something earlier. The counting thing with Rissa comes from personal experience. When I have an anxiety attack, trying to concentrate on my breathing causes it to worsen. I usually start hyperventilating, if I haven't already. On most people, concentrating on counting their breaths works. I AM THE EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE. I'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE YELL AT ME BECAUSE IT DOESN'T WORK ON ME. (Don't worry, just some stupid therapists that I don't see anymore.) For me, what works best is probably the song. My song is 'Be Still' by the Fray. If a close friend was with me during an attack, this would be a good song between us.

When I try to concentrate on my breathing, I realize that I'm no longer breathing instinctively, and it causes me to start panicking, because I feel like I'm forgetting to breathe and that I'm going to die. (There is actually a disease where you lose your instinct to breathe.) I've had to pause several times writing these two paragraphs because the breathing thing is already getting to me.

Make sure you understand how to deal with anxiety attacks. Many people around you have them. You might even have them yourself one day (like Tony Stark), and you should know what to do. This list is taken from personal experience and tips from friends I've met through said experiences.

Take care of your friends everybody. But most importantly?

Take care of yourself.

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifty Nine

I was brought back to reality as I heard a loud thump noise. Looking in front of me, I realized that Loki had pinned the Assistant Headmaster to the wall with his knife at his throat.

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Aloud, I calmly said, "Loki, please stop this. Normal people don't do things like this."

He just shoved the Assistant Headmaster farther to the wall. "I don't think you've noticed, Rissa, but none of us are normal. And this bastard," he said, gesturing to the Assistant Headmaster, "just put us through a test that could have very well ended with all of us getting hurt. And it still caused you to have a panic attack."

Jeez, do you have to go remind everyone of that?

"Still-" I said.

"I don't let people mess with my friends," Loki said. "And personally, I do not think this kind of behavior is professional."

"Pinning people to the wall with a knife at their throat?" the Assistant Headmaster sneered.

"Toying with children," Loki retorted. "Genius or not."

"I, personally, agree with Loki," Sherlock said.

"Me too," Clint said.

"I suggest that you leave and send in our teacher," Natasha said. "Before this gets rather messy."

Loki pulled his knife back and shoved the Assistant Headmaster out the door, breaking the lock on the way out.

"Did you just lie?" Clint asked Natasha.

"Of course," Natasha said. "I would never cause a mess."

Woah. All of this was moving too fast.

It was the first day, and the way everyone acted with each other…it was as if we've all known each other for months, maybe even years. This was not normal behavior.

Then again, I thought, recounting Loki's words. We're not exactly normal, are we? We are all quite intelligent. And we can obviously tell a lot of things about each other from just a short amount of time. Maybe it wasn't that weird…

"Why is the lock broken?" came a voice. We all turned to the entrance, where there was a young boy about our age.

"Who are you?" Loki demanded. I stopped him before he could raise his knife. He shot a quick look down at my hand clutching his wrist before coming back up to meet my eyes. I gave him a slight shake of the head. He nodded and slipped it back into his pocket.

This happened in a matter of seconds. Somehow, despite the short time we've known each other, we could easily communicate without words.

"I'm the Doctor," the boy said, walking into the room and over to the desk in front of the board. "I'm the science teacher here. First years learn Physics. I will be your teacher for homeroom and 1st Period."

"But you're just a kid," Tony protested.

"So?" the Doctor asked. "Oh, and you are Mr. Stark, correct?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Tony asked.

"I would like you to sit up here with me. You're going to be my class assistant."

"What?" Tony asked. "What? But…why? And…what?"

"I have my reasons," the Doctor said. "Now, everyone, please get in your seats. You will be in groups of three."

I found my seat and discovered, to my surprise, that the other two in my group would be Sherlock and Loki. Looking around, I realized that it was organized alphabetically by our surnames.

"So…" the Doctor said. "Is anyone going to explain why the door is broken?"

"The Assistant Headmaster put us through some sort of test that negatively influenced us. Earlier, the door was locked as a part of the test. So we broke it. So he couldn't do it again," Sherlock said bluntly.

The Doctor frowned. "Test? What test?"

"You don't know?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. This is my first year teaching. The previous science teacher died."

…

…

…

WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY TO THAT?

What is wrong with these people? I mean, I know that I'm not normal, but these guys are beyond weird. People don't just go along saying things or doing things that everyone around me has done recently.

And it was only the first day.

Quietly, as the Doctor rocked back and forth on his heels, looking through papers, I passed a note to Loki and Sherlock. Loki sat in between us, so he easily shared it with Sherlock.

It read: I didn't see this guy is listed on the registry. Also, he didn't give us a name, just a title, like the Assistant Headmaster. What do you guys think?

It was quickly passed back to me with their handwriting.

Loki's read: That is true. He also claims that he doesn't know about the test, but why wouldn't they tell that to a teacher? He seems suspicious, but…

Sherlock's read: While it is true that he has given us suspicious actions that are paralleled with the Assistant Headmaster, he seemed honest when he expressed his ignorance. While the Assistant Headmaster didn't tell us his name because he didn't want us to know, I feel as if this 'Doctor' may not actually have a name.

What are you saying? I quickly wrote back to him.

I'm saying that he might not have a name. He could have many reasons for keeping it secret, and if so, I believe that they are for completely different circumstances than the ones regarding the Assistant Headmaster, but I have reason to believe that 'the Doctor' either doesn't know his name or can't tell anyone it. I do not think that this correlates with the Assistant Headmaster. While the Assistant Headmaster has a supercilious and condescending personality, the Doctor seems quite friendly. Their personas are quite different. I believe that the Doctor is someone we can trust.

After reading Sherlock's response, I wrote back, I had the same feeling, but I can't help feeling like something is going on underneath the school. And I don't mean underneath like the basement, I mean it as if the school is a farce for something else. Something possibly illegal. We need to be on guard, especially from the faculty. Maybe even from some students…for all we know, they could be moles placed by the faculty to spy on us or influence us to be compliant.

How do we know we can trust you? One of them wrote back.

Because a girl who has a panic attack about a bunch of kids readying themselves to fight with weapons is not going to be a spy for some secret, underground, possibly illegal organization.

How do you know you can trust us? Was written back.

I just do. I know that it's not the best explanations, but…I don't know. Everyone who directly stood up or volunteered to fight…I feel like they're on our side. We need to be careful. I feel like whatever's going on beneath the surface is going to become a problem, and soon. And we might be manipulated into actions other than our own.

So who do you feel we can trust? Loki wrote back. I was starting to recognize their handwriting.

The three of us. John, Sam, Steve, Arthur, Merlin, Harry, and Bruce. Definitely. And I'm also guessing Clint, Natasha, and Tony. I would say the Doctor as well, because he gives me the same kind of feeling, but we still need to be on guard because he's a faculty member.

They read over my explanation and nodded to me.

Wow. So this was high school.

This was going to be a wild ride, that's for sure.

Where are most of my normal reviewers? Guys, I need reviews like Dean needs pie, or Sherlock needs nicotine.

Please review.  Thank you.  Sweet dreams.  :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty

"Today will be quite simple," the Doctor explained. "It's pretty much Orientation. I will be spending most of the day with you – each year will be spending their day with their homeroom teacher. You'll meet the rest of your teachers tomorrow." Taking out an iPad, he tapped it a few times and directed us to the screen. The screen went to a list, but then fuzzed out. The Doctor sighed and took out a little…mechanical...thing. He clicked it and pointed it at the screen. It made a little buzzing sound, and the screen went back to the list.

I wonder what it was. It looked like a laser pointer.

Before anyone had a chance to ask, however, the Doctor marched on. "For your first period, you will be learning Physics. I will be teaching this class. After, you have World History, followed by Algebra II. After Algebra II, you will have Lunch. Everyone shared Lunch together, as there is only about 150 people total in the school. It's Lunch for everyone. After, there's English I, and then you have your Specialized Subjects. This is where it gets interesting. Does everyone here know what they want to go into?"

Looking around, I saw that the whole class was nodding.

"Good," the Doctor said. "So I don't need to go into that. You pick your main two things to fill these two periods. However, for sixth period, every Tuesday and Thursday, you have Medical training. And for seventh period, every Monday and Wednesday, you have Weapons training. On Fridays, you have free days in both classes. You can choose to stay at that class, as most people do, but you can also get further studying in other subjects or activities. Everyone good?"

We nodded.

"Good. Now, I will give everyone the list of participants for the Drama production. I was not the one to come up with the list; the Assistant Headmaster was. Yes, this is mandatory. No, I do not know why. Here is the list of participants:

Bruce Banner

Clint Barton

Merlin Emrys

Sherlock Holmes

Loki Odinson

Clarissa Osbourne

Arthur Pendragon

Harry Potter

Steve Rogers

Natasha Romanov

Tony Stark

John Watson

Sam Winchester

You guys will be working with a couple of 2nd years on the school musical. Now, I believe that's all for orientation. It's time for Lunch, everybody!"

Looking at the clock, I understood that he was right. The day had started later than usual, so with the small Orientation, we would end up going to Lunch next.

As we got up, I walked up next to Loki and Sherlock and slung my arms over their shoulders. "Hey guys!" Lowering my voice, I said. "Do you think the Assistant Headmaster is plotting something, making us do the drama production?"

"Probably," Loki said.

"Despite that, I still think we should do it," Sherlock said. We both looked at him in surprise. I took my arms off both of their shoulders (they were both taller than me, and it was rather uncomfortable).

"If it is a set-up, or part of some master plan…then I think we could find out more this way. Yes, we'll be playing into his hands, but it'll be easier to find information, and discover things in the long run."

"Alright," I said, thinking. "But what are you going to do? Do you have some secret acting talent we don't know of?"

"No," Sherlock said, shaking his head. "But I'm sure we'll figure it out. School ends early today, so we will get to meet the 2nd years that will be doing the production with us, and figure it out then."

"Well, that's a good idea," Loki said, coming to a stop. We turned to him curiously. He seemed to be dreading his next words.

"But...what if our siblings are working with us?" he asked.

"Dear God, no," Sherlock said, turning a sickly color.

I laughed, and kept walking to the cafeteria. "Don't worry guys. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

They smiled (though Sherlock still looked rather sick) and caught up to me.

The cafeteria was rather large. There were tables grouped around each other. There was enough to sit 15 at one. There were three faculty tables.

As Sherlock, Loki, and I sat down at a table, we were joined by Sam, Steve, and John.

"Hey guys," I said, smiling at them.

"Hey," they said.

"Hey everyone," came a voice. Arthur, Merlin and Harry had arrived at the table. Harry and Merlin seemed to be getting along very well.

"Hey," we all said.

As we sat down, we were joined by Clint and Natasha, who seemed to be hitting it off, and Bruce and Tony, who also seemed to be very excited that they found another person obsessed with Science.

Just when I thought that everyone had joined the table, the Doctor plopped down next to us.

"What? Doctor, why aren't you eating with the faculty?" I asked.

"I prefer you guys," he said, smiling. "Plus, we're in the same age group."

I shrugged and turned back to the table. "So we're all going to have to do the drama productions, right?" I asked.

"Right," the Doctor said. "And I'm the administrator in charge of it. But at least I'm better than him," he said, looking over at the Assistant Headmaster.

We could all agree on that.

I cleared my throat. "How exactly to we get food?"

"Oh," the Doctor said, straightening. "Everyone tap the table."

We did as instructed. The table flickered, revealing itself to be a screen, and there were small charts next to everyone. Charts that were actually menus.

"All you have to do is choose what you want to order," he said.

I clicked on the Pizza section. It opened up to read Size, and Toppings. Clicking on the ones I wanted, I clicked OKAY at the bottom. It dinged, and a message popped up. It read Are you sure you would like a small cheese pizza?

I clicked YES. The part of the table in front of me opened like a hatch, revealing a small cheese pizza. I took it out and picked up a slice.

"Mmmmm," I said, taking a bite.

"Good?" Sherlock asked, opening a book.

"Yeah," I said. "Aren't you going to eat something?"

"No," he said. "Having a full stomach dulls my senses."

I frowned. "Really? I thought the opposite was true. That you can concentrate much better after having a good meal."

"No," he said.

"Are you saying that because you know for a fact, or is this just an excuse not to eat?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"She's right," Loki told him. "You should eat." He himself was eating chicken with a salad on the side.

He glared at us. "Are you putting me through Peer Pressure?"

"Yes," I said. "Now eat."

After we both stared at each other for several seconds, he sighed and turned on his menu, scanning the list and tapping something. His tray opened and he brought out a small plate of spaghetti. A normal kid would eat three times that much spaghetti, but at least he was eating.

We spent most of Lunch talking with each other, or doing various things. Sherlock was reading, and Loki finished the book he was reading earlier, before he brought out paper and started sketching on it.

"I didn't know you draw," I said, watching him. "Is it a hobby, or are you looking to make something more of it?"

"For now, it's a hobby," he said, looking up and smiling at me. "You aren't even going to ask what I'm drawing?"

I shrugged. "I've known a few artists, and they usually don't like it when something like that happens. Plus, some of them don't even know what they're drawing until it's done. So I won't bother you about your art. Though I would like to see some of your work."

"Only if you let me read some of yours," he said.

"That's fine," I said, smiling.

"Will you tell me what it's about?" he asked.

"While you're drawing? It won't distract you?" I asked.

"No, it'll be nice," he said, smiling at me.

"Well, then…" I said, drifting off. "It's a small story. The whole thing is technically a flashback that someone has before they die."

He chuckled.

"How is that funny?" I asked him.

"No, it's just that I'm not surprised that you're a tragic writer," he said. "And I look rather forward to reading it. Will you tell me more?"

"Okay," I said. "It's from a point of view of a girl who has amnesia. She only remembers her life when she faces Death. When she meets her lover again, she hates him. She can't remember her love, but he loves her, and follows her to the ends of the Earth."

"Wow," he said. "That's something. What are their names?"

"The girl's name is Clara. The boy's is Lorien," I said.

He smiled at me. "I can't wait to read it."

When we were done with Lunch, we all shuffled into the Weapons room. It looked a bit like a mix between a dojo and a dance studio. There was a wall made of mirrors, and a wall stocked with weapons. Everything from swords, to knives, to crossbows, to bows and arrows, to nun chucks and maces and beyond.

"Hello," came a loud voice. "I am Director Nick Fury, and I teach the weapons classroom. If you don't already have a preferred weapon, we will spend this week trying to find you some."

The thing that stood out most about this man was the large eye patch covering his eye.

This class was going to be…odd, that's for sure.

"If you have a preferred weapon, please stand over here," he gestured to the other side of the room.

He walked up and asked. "State your name, the weapons you know how to use, and your preferred weapons."

First in line was Natasha. "Natasha Romanov. I am skilled with the use of combat knives, throwing knives, shiruken, and guns. I prefer knives."

Next was Clint. "Clint Barton. I am skilled with a bow and arrow, crossbows, guns, and a slingshot, if need be. I prefer using a bow and arrow. Archery is my specialty."

Then Loki. "Loki Odinson. I have skills with knives, and heavy weapons. I prefer knives."

And then it just went down the line.

"John Watson. Guns, particularly handguns."

"Harry Potter. Swords."

"Merlin Emrys. Swords and crossbows."

"Arthur Pendragon. Swords, crossbows, and knives. Preferably swords."

"Sherlock Holmes. Swords, knives, and guns. I have no preference." What a surprise, I thought sarcastically.

"Bruce Banner. Heavy weaponry."

"Tony Stark. Heavy weaponry."

"Sam Winchester. Knives, guns, crossbows and swords. Preferably bowie knives."

"Steve Rogers. Heavy weaponry, guns, and uh…shields." Director Fury raised his eyebrows, but kept going, reaching the last person in line..

To everyone's surprise, the last person in line was me. I guess that after my panic attack, they thought I was scared of weapons, or something. Then again, that was logical thinking...

"Clarissa Osbourne. Skilled in archery, knives, nun chucks, bamboo sticks, and swords. I prefer stick fighting, with either a bamboo stick or using my sheathed samurai sword."

Fury paused and really looked at me. "You don't look like a fighter. That's good. You can use that to your advantage." He looked towards the wall of weapons. "Grab a bamboo stick."

I walked over there and picked one up. I immediately put it back down. This first one was too heavy. Grabbing the second one, I smiled. It was quite easy for me to hold, and was much more comfortable in my hands.

"Alright," Fury said.

I turned around and faced him. That's when I noticed the bamboo stick in his hand.

My eyes widened, as I realized what he was going to say before he said it.

"I want you to fight me," he said.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty One

Why me? Seriously, of all the people in this class who have experience in weapons, why on earth was it me?

"You…" I stuttered.

"I would like you to fight me, Clarissa," he said, standing in the middle of the room. Behind me, I could see Sherlock and Loki exchange glances.

"I…okay," I said.

"Okay?" he raised his eyebrows. "Alright. Are you ready?"

I nodded. "I'm ready." Holding onto my bamboo stick, I got into position. Which wasn't really a position at all. I just stood there, holding it as a staff, one end on the floor with the fingers of my right hand clutching it at the top. Director Fury gave me a curious look, but didn't say anything.

I like him.

I mean, I don't like the fact that I'm going to be fighting him in the middle of the room, on the first day of school, in front of everybody, but at least he understands that certain people may have some…unconventional fighting methods. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in the room.

But…I don't mean to brag…never mind, I'm going to brag, because this is something I'm really proud of.

I can hold my own in a fight.

Our foster parents (Isabelle and I) are martial arts instructors, so I've been taught how to use various weapons. Including nun chucks, because, well…WHO THE HELL DOESN'T WANT TO LEARN NUNCHUCKS? They've been training me since I've moved in, which was over ten years ago.

The reason I freaked out earlier wasn't because there was weapons. It was because I didn't expect everyone else to know so much about them, much less bring them to school. Now that I think about it, however, it does make sense. It was a really prestigious school, and expensive, too. Most rich parents would want their kids to defend themselves.

That's probably where all of the sword use comes in, too. Lots of rich kids learn how to fence.

Also, everyone's reaction in the room was ridiculously paranoid.

But I still know how to hold my own in a fight.

Of course, seeing as this was the teacher of the weapons class, I don't stand a chance.

But I kind of want to see how long I last against him. Just as long as it's more than 5 seconds.

"Battle commencing in 5.

4.

3.

2.

1."

As Fury charged towards me, I grabbed the stick with my left hand, a couple of inches below my right. I quickly shifted my weight up into the air, flying over the pole and bringing it down hard on Fury's shoulders. (Imagine how they do pole jumping, just without the running, and bringing the stick over the pole with them. So, it's also a lot harder. But I still don't have to jump as high.)

As Fury half blocked against my attack and brought his around for a strike, I realized something.

I could win. I could really win.

And that's when I knew, I couldn't. Not really.

As I blocked his attack, locking our sticks in the air, I kneed him in the stomach, and rolled to the side as he brought his stick down with him.

I knew what he was going to do next. He brought his stick around in a feint maneuver, before throwing it the other way and hitting me across the shoulder blades, knocking me to the ground.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT.

That hurt. Couldn't he have disarmed me without causing me bodily harm?

"Nice job," Fury said. I could tell that he meant it, too. I liked him a bit more. "Your technique is...creative. That's the first time I've seen something like that."

Really? In all of his years of teaching? I knew it was original, but it seems strange that no one else figured out how to do it…

Then again, you need the body strength to lift yourself off the ground with two arms, and the balance to make sure you don't tip over, so maybe it wasn'tthat strange.

As we all sat down and Fury started talking about what he would be teaching us, Natasha moved closer to me.

She whispered right next to me, quiet enough that the teacher wouldn't hear it, but loud enough for the group of us. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked.

"Throw the fight," she said.

I could tell that a couple of people were surprised, but I nodded. I wasn't surprised that she'd seen it. "I'll tell everyone later, after school," I said.

She gave a quick nod, and settled back down.

We spent the rest of the period watching Fury demonstrate weapons and explaining why you need proper technique.

It wasn't long before the bell rang, and school was over.

"Wait," I whispered to Sherlock and Loki as we marched back to our Homeroom class. "What about Medical?"

"Hmm?" Loki said. "Medical is 6th Period. It's a Monday, and since it's a shortened day, we only had Orientation, Lunch, and an introduction to Weaponry. We learn Medical on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We'll be there tomorrow."

As we all gathered back to the room, the Doctor shouted for us to gather. "Everyone, I want you to come get your numbers when I say them."

Ah, yes. The very thing I was fearing, and distinctly ignoring. So much so, I even forgot about it. For a while.

Two words.

Coed dorms.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Two

I tucked the card with my dorm number in my pocket.

There were five people per room.

I still don't know who I was sharing with. I wouldn't find out until after the meeting for the Drama Production, which, in my head, will continue being called the Drama Production until we know what we're doing.

I knew that there would be at least three guys in my dorm. Four, if we weren't sharing with Natasha. I have no idea how they organize the rooms, other than per grade. So there's no chance of me sharing with Isabelle.

I sighed and made my way with Sherlock and Loki to the auditorium. Our classes's group of 13 (me, Sherlock, Loki, Sam, John, Steve, Bruce, Tony, Clint, Natasha, Harry, Arthur, and Merlin) that would be helping in the Drama Production followed the Doctor down the halls.

As we opened the doors, Sherlock groaned next to me.

"Sherlock?" I asked, turning to him. "What's wrong?"

To my surprise, he had managed to move several feet away, his head facing the wall.

Turning to the view, I realized what caused his reaction. The 2nd years had already gathered in the auditorium. Looking among them, I recognized Isabelle, Mycroft, the boy with Mycroft earlier, Arthur's sister, Morgana (one of the few girls in that class), Loki's brother Thor, and Isabelle's gang. There were still some other unfamiliar faces.

Loki was laughing, slapping Sherlock on the back. "Come on! It's not that bad," he said.

Sherlock turned around, saying, "Look again. Your idolized brother is here, too."

Loki's smile began to slip off his face until I slung my arms around each of their shoulders. "Aww, come'on. We're not gonna let the 2nd years show us up, are we? Let's kick some ass! Even if the two of you have no theatrical talent whatsoever!"

They both smiled at me, walking back with me to the main auditorium. I had to drop my arms because Loki and Sherlock towered over me again. What was with all of these boys being ridiculously tall? Harry and John were the only ones I would even consider short.

"Alright everybody!" the Doctor called. "Gather around! It's time for introductions. I'm the Doctor, the basic studies Science Teacher, and I am also in charge of this production. 2nd years will start introducing themselves first."

"I'm Isabelle," my sister said, smiling. "I'm in Skating and Weaponry."

"The Mistress," the girl next to her said. One of the kids in her gang. "I am in Music. I specialize in drums."

"Mistress?" I muttered. I had already knew her name, but still… "Kinky much?"

Loki barely covered his laughter next to me.

"What do you mean by kinky?" Sherlock asked, confused.

Loki and I stopped laughing and looked at him. "You don't know what 'kinky' means?" Loki asked.

Sherlock shook his head.

"Go ask your brother," I told him. "I'm not giving you the birds and the bees talk."

"What do you mean by the birds and the bees?" Sherlock asked.

Loki and my stares got more and more incredulous. "Sex?" I said. "You do know what sex is?"

Sherlock just looked at us cluelessly.

"I am NOT having this conversation with you, Sherlock," I said. "You're, what, fourteen? Fifteen? How the hell do you not know what sex is?"

He shrugged.

I put my heads in my hands. "Loki…I'm leaving this up to you."

I turned back to the introductions.

The next person in Isabelle's gang was introducing himself. "I'm Lucy," he said. "I'm in Medical, specifically Psychological, and Theater."

"Lucy?" Loki murmured. "That's odd. Not many guys named Lucy."

"That's not his name," I said. Loki and Sherlock turned to me.

"Lucy is a nickname for Lucifer," I explained.

They both stared at me.

"Holy Hell…" Loki said.

"That's the idea," I nodded.

"His parents must have really hated him," Sherlock said.

"His Dad," I corrected. "Yeah, he has major daddy issues."

The last one was up. "I'm Moriarty," he said. "I'm in Law and Business." He seemed to smirk at that.

"That boy is evil," Sherlock said.

We both turned to look at him.

"What?" Loki asked.

"That boy's evil. They all are," he said.

"I'll admit you're right," I said. "Except my sister. But yeah, her gang is definitely odd...evil might be calling it a bit too much, though."

"Her gang?" Sherlock asked.

"Yeah. They call themselves Blackthorn. No idea why. They're just weird."

"Your sister's an odd one too," Loki said.

"I agree," Sherlock said. "She's alright now, but I have a feeling that she's just waiting to snap. So is the other girl."

Said other girl was introducing herself. "My name is Morgana Pendragon. I'm in Business and Weapons."

I frowned. "I'll admit there's something wrong with Arthur's sister, but I don't think there's something wrong with mine."

"Love is blind," Loki said, shrugging.

"I don't know about your sister, but Morgana is troublesome," came a voice. Merlin moved closer to us. "Arthur and I met when we were very young. I want to say that we were each about…seven years old? When we first met, we couldn't stand each other. We beat each other up. Afterwards, we became friends when I saved Arthur from getting hurt. We've been friends ever since. But Morgana…I liked her at first, but the more I got to know her, the more she…started acting secretive. I would never say it to Arthur-" said Arthur was preoccupied talking to Harry, "but I really don't trust her. I have a feeling that she'll try to pull Arthur's rein out from under his feet. He's the current heir to the Pendragon empire, but I know that she wants to inherit it instead."

"Why won't she?" I asked. "Isn't she older? I thought it was the first born who usually inherits companies."

"Because she's the daughter of the company leader's mistress," Merlin stretched the word. "While I think that the whole system they have is archaic and stupid, I feel like Morgana will go to deep depths to get what she wants."

Oh. I should've realized that I'd be bombarded by drama like this. This could get really weird…well, weirder than it already is.

"I'm Thor Odinson," the next one said. "I'm in Boxing and Wrestling, and Weaponry."
"I am Mycroft Holmes," Mycroft said. Sherlock groaned next to me, like a little kid that just learned they couldn't get candy. "I am in Business and Law."

The kid next to him, who was the one who'd dragged him away earlier today (when we first met), said, "I'm Greg Lestrade. I'm in Law."

There were two boys left. I realized that Sam was laughing under his breath next to us. "I'm Dean Winchester," the first one said. "Weaponry and Mechanics." Oh. So that's why Sam was laughing. Despite his brother playing hooky all the time, he still showed up now.

"I'm Castiel," the last one said quietly. "I'm new here. I'm in Medical and Weaponry."

So he was the newbie who took Bucky's place. Medical and Weaponry?...That seems so odd…Aren't they contradictory, in a way?

That was the last of the 2nd years. "I'm Rissa Osbourne," I said, introducing myself. "I'm in Film and Writing."

"Loki Odinson," Loki said next to me. "I'm in Drawing and Painting, and Writing." Oh, wait. Loki could help make the sets. So Sherlock was the only other one that was completely useless theatrically.

"I'm Sherlock," Sherlock said flatly, leaving out his surname. He obviously didn't want anyone to make the connection between him and Mycroft. "I'll be taking Law and Pharmaceuticals."

We went around explaining everybody's names and Specialized Subjects. In total, there were twenty three kids and the Doctor.

"So, what does everyone think we should do?" the Doctor asked. "A play or a musical?"

"Musical," at least five people said at once.

"No way," Dean, Sam's older brother, said. "No way in HELL."

"You know that there are musicals that don't all have broadway music, right? I mean, at the very least, there's American Idiot, which is just a bunch of Green Day songs, and then there's also Rock of Ages." I said.

He shook his head. "I'm still not singing," he said.

"You don't have to sing if you don't want to," the Doctor said. "But we should really decide on what we want to do. I think that we should do a musical, because a couple of people want to sing. The others don't."

"Yeah, but do we want a comedy, or a tragedy?" I asked. "Or at the very least, a drama?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "Plus, there's also this list of musicals that we CAN'T put on."

He held it out to me.

Looking at it, I started to laugh.

"Well, that's understandable," I said.

"What is?" Loki and Sherlock peered over my shoulders.

"Book of Mormon?" Loki asked, reading the first one on the list. "Why would that be inappropriate? Isn't it the Mormon's version of the Bible?"

"Because it's a musical written ABOUT a Mormon who tries to convince other people to become a Mormon. And it's written by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the same people who write SOUTH PARK."

"Ohhhhhhh." I saw a couple of people look at us. Even if they weren't asking questions, everyone was listening.

"What's Avenue Q?" Sherlock asked.

"Seasame Street for adults," I said.

He just tilted his head.

"Okay, let me put it this way," I said. "It's about puppets that sing songs that are called 'Everyone's a Little Bit Racist,' 'If You Were Gay,' and 'The Internet is for Porn,'."

Sherlock blinked at me. "I get the first two, but what's porn?"

I sighed.

"And what's this one about a Spelling Bee?" Loki asked. "How is that inappropriate?"

"I know that there are more, but there's one song called 'My Unfortunate Erection'," I said. "Oh, and the kids in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee? They're six graders."

Loki stared at me for a beat and said, "There are some really inappropriate musicals, aren't there?"

"What's 'Rent' and 'Chicago' and 'Spring Awakening' and 'Hair' and 'The Full Monty' and 'Oh! Calcutta' and 'Rocky Horror Show'?" Sherlock asked. "And how about 'Little Shop of Horrors' and 'Sweeny Todd'?"

Jeez, you could've just said, 'What are the other shows on the list about?'

"Well, the first ones are all really inappropriate. Chicago is about a woman who kills her husband – there's this song called Cell Block Tango sung by a bunch of women who murdered their cheating husbands. It's actually really catchy. The chorus says 'He had it coming. He had it coming. He only had himself to blame. If you'd have been there…If you'd had seen it…I betcha you would've done the same.' Rent is about a prostitute. Spring Awakening has sex on stage. Rocky Horror Show has an underwear number. Actually, it kind of has several. Hair and the Full Monty and Oh! Calcutta all have nude numbers. And Little Shop of Horrors and Sweeny Todd are both about serial killers. Kind of."

"Okay, I only have one question left," Sherlock said.

"Shoot," I said.

"What's a prostitute?"

…

…

…

"GO ASK YOUR PARENTS, DAMMIT! I ALREADY TOLD YOU SHERLOCK, I'M NOT GIVING YOU THE TALK!"

"Well, at least this narrows down our choices!" Loki interrupted, smiling.

I turned to look at him, aghast. "What on Earth are you talking about? This is nothing. This doesn't help us at all. First, we still need to choose if we want a comedy or a drama. Then we need to choose if we want to do a rock musical, or one with traditional music. Then we need to see how we're casting it. There's only five girls here, so unless some of you boys want to be playing females, we gotta be careful. Though some of you are certainly pretty enough….Anyway, there are plenty of things that we still have to do! We'd be better off writing a musical from scratch!"

Everyone in the entire production paused, and turned to look at the Doctor.

"Hey, Doctor," I said, weakly. "Why don't we just write a musical?"

He clapped his hands. "Brilliant idea!" He paused.

"Now how do we do that?"

All musicals mentioned belong to their creators, not me. Yes, they are all real. Yes, they are all inappropriate. Yes, they are all very good musicals despite that.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Three

I sighed as I walked to my dorm. Our rehearsal was really something, I thought, thinking back to earlier.

In the end, we decided to just do Cats.

PSYCH. Who in the hell would do Cats for a high school production?

We did end up on deciding that we write our own musical, but somehow, I got roped into being in charge of it.

We all sat on the stage in a circle.

"Why are you all staring at me?" I cried.

"Because you obviously know more about musicals than anyone else," Natasha said.

"Plus, you're in Writing, aren't you?" Sam mused.

"So is Loki!"

"So I'll help you," Loki said, shrugging. "Still not my area, though."

Well, it seems I'll be getting no help from him.

"She's right," the Doctor said, nodding. "I have no idea."'

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why isn't the MUSIC teacher doing any of this? Or the one that teaches THEATER in the English category?"

He shrugged. "Some sort of initiation for me, I guess."

I sighed. "Does everyone want me to take over?"

There were nods around the circle.

"Fine," I said. I turned and looked at Dean. "But don't expect to get out of this. You're still doing work."

He blanched. "Why are you looking at me?"

Sam snickered.

I ignored him and continued talking. "The good thing about this is that we can take our time to each show off everyone's individual talents. For instance, while we still need to have main characters and a plotline, we can have parts where each person gets a large part of a scene to show something off. Something that's individual to them."

I brought out my laptop and opened a word document. "Alright, I'm going to take notes. Since so many people here like swords and weapons, we can have sword fights. It won't be as exhilarating as a regular fight, because it will be choreographed, but it'll still be fun, and cool. Who here is good at that?"

"I am," Thor and Arthur said at the same time.

"I'm better," Arthur said immediately.

"You're nothing compared to me, boy," Thor said. It's not like he was that old either…

"Great, you guys will be fighting each other," I said, typing it. "Now we've got to pick a category. Now, do we want to do drama, comedy, or a dramedy? I'm going to take a vote. Now, my votes are special, because you can vote multiple times. Some I'm not going to ask you what you prefer, but what you're okay with. Now who feels comfortable doing a drama?" 15 people. "A comedy?" 18 people. "A dramedy?" Everyone. "Alright, we're doing a dramedy. To put it simple, we'll have a dramatic storyline with lots of funny lines and interpretations. There are two main ways to do this. One, is the main character is normal, and everyone's crazy or the other way around. Two, we put main character in an odd situation that they overreact to. That's usually the easiest way. Anyone have any preferences?"

"Maybe we could do a combination?" Isabelle suggested. "Like Alice in Wonderland, in a way…except more like Alice in the Country of Hearts."

"What's that?" Steve asked.

"It's a manga," I said.

"What's that?"

I sighed. "Never mind. Alright, here's another question. We have two ways of writing this. One, we can write the script and then cast accordingly. Two, we choose who's starring now and shape the characters around our individual preferences. We're going to vote on this. However, since there are two options, you can only vote once. Who's for the first option?" Nobody raised their hands.

I sighed. "Let me guess, you all want to do the second one because you can chose how long you're in the show for?"

Everyone nodded.

I sighed again. I seem to be doing that a lot. "Alright, who's staring?"

Everyone stared at me.

I blinked a couple of times before I got it. Then I blanched, looking at them. "You guys can't be serious. I'm not doing all of the work!"

"But you're also going into Film," Sherlock said. "So surely, you must know how to act."

I glared at him. "I'm going into film because I want to write and direct movies. I don't want to act. I don't want to do theater, either, or I would have chosen that as well."

Everyone stared at me.

I sighed again. "Fine, we'll do this the opposite way. Who wants a really small part?"

Over half the group raised their hands.

I glared at them. "You know what, I'm just going to do this myself. You get what you get. Give me a couple of minutes."

After a couple of minutes, I had a list of roles, organized from biggest to smallest.

1. Rissa

2. Loki

3. Sherlock

4. Thor

5. Isabelle

6. Moriarty

7. Morgana

8. Missy

9. Lucy

10. Arthur

11. Merlin

12. Clint

13. Natasha

14. Mycroft

15. Tony

16. Dean

17. Sam

18. Lestrade

19. Cas

20. John

21. Bruce

22. Steve

23. Harry

I smirked under my breath. Haha, suckers. You made me Queen, and now you gotta deal with it.

"Alright, here we go," I said. "Still not sure what I've got plotwise, but it's starting to come together. The main characters are me, because you people kept….never mind. After me, Loki, and Sherlock. We're a group of friends that ends up having something happen to them. Then there's Thor and Isabelle, a pair of our older siblings that are dating each other."

"What?" Isabelle asked.

"I do not approve of this," Thor said.

"I do not approve of people talking back to me after they put me in charge," I retorted. "Now hush. No interrupting."

"After that, we have Moriarty, Morgana, Missy, and Lucy. You guys are the villains. Moriarty and Morgana start off being villains, and when they die, or they're incapacitated or whatever, Missy and Lucy will take over."

"Who's Missy?" Sherlock asked.

"The Mistress," I said. "After that, we have Arthur and his assistant Merlin, and partners Clint and Natasha. You guys all work under Mycroft. You guys are special sets of spies. A mix-up of information in the beginning results in the sword fight between Arthur and Thor, until they realize they're on the same side. Next to that, we have Tony and Dean, brother mechanics of...something…..The main trio/group escape with your help. I chose this because I know that you're both in Mechanical, and we can use your talents to make it look like you're actually fixing they're getaway car or something. And, I suppose if you really want to, you can also have a robot."

"Yes," Tony said. He and Dean high fived each other.

On second thought, maybe I should try to prevent them from hanging out. I can just picture the two of them skipping school and drinking beer.

Oh, well. I'll deal with that later.

"After that, we have Sam, the detective, and Lestrade, the sheriff. I put you both together because you're both in Law. After that, we have Cas, John, and Bruce, a group of Doctors that kick ass, or something other. You're all doctors, and you all know how to fight, so, I'm assuming that I'll just do something like that….I don't know, that area needs work. Then again, all of this does…Anyway, after the Doctors, we have Steve, the army veteran, who will have a bigger role when I come up with it, and for the finale, we have Harry, THE MAGICIAN, who, with his awesome magic tricks, helps the main group into catching the evil villains."

I took a deep breath. "There. That's our basic synopsis. Any comments, questions?"

Everyone stared at each other. And then, all at once, they all burst into laughter.

"That sounds great!" Isabelle said. "That's funny!"

"You guys all like it?" I asked.

Most of them nodded. Everyone else was still laughing.

"You came up with that in a couple of minutes?" Loki asked.

I nodded. "Once I get going, I don't stop." I smiled, directing my attention to everyone. "Good. Now, I'm going to say that's all for today. We'll have more practice tomorrow. I'll spend time starting to cumulate a story, and start writing the script. If anyone has certain talents, or certain skills they would like to do, please think them over and bring up your ideas tomorrow. I promise I will do the best I can to add in your ideas."

Everyone got up and started to leave.

As they were leaving, Harry came up to me. "Hey, how come I'm a magician?"

I smiled at him. "In your bag earlier. I saw some magician tools, so I figured that you could pull some things off. Anyway, we have a while until the show, so even if you didn't know magic, since we were orchestrating everything, we could easily pull it off."

He smiled. "Okay. See you at dinner."

Oh, right. I had forgotten that we'd be going to dinner soon.

As they were leaving, I grabbed the Doctor's shirt by the collar. "Oh, no you don't. You're staying here, with me. We need to have a talk."

I crossed my arms and stood in front of him. After tapping my foot for a few minutes, I sighed. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know what you mean," the Doctor said.

"Don't give me that," I said. "I mean, what are you doing here? At this school? Teaching this class?"

He sighed. "Look, Rissa, it's a long story."

"Why am I not surprised?" I asked, rolling my eyes, before directing my anger on him again. "Listen, you're not allowed to just leave for over a year without any contact, and then just show up at my school as a teacher. What the hell is going on?"

"I'm sorry, Rissa, but I'm not allowed to tell you. A lot of weird things happened over the last year, okay?" He sighed. "But I will tell you one thing. I'm here undercover. Thank you for pretending to not know me. But promise me, you'll be careful. There's something wrong with this school." He grabbed his suitcase and started to leave.

"Wait," I said. I rushed forward and hugged him from behind. "I'm still glad to see you. I've gone far to long without my best friend. And just so you know, Loki, Sherlock, and I know something is up. They've decided that we can probably trust you, despite the fact that you're a faculty member." I let go of him and gathered my stuff from the floor. "I've really missed you, you know." He still hasn't moved. I put my hand on his shoulder, saying "I'm glad you're back," before moving past him. His voice stopped me at the door.

"So you didn't trust me from the get go?" he asked.

I stopped, not looking back, my right hand on the door frame and my left clutching my bookbag. "Would you have? After all…

…a lot of things can happen over a year."

I sighed, reaching my door number, 2 – 2. All I wanted to do now was open the door, collapse on my bed, and fall asleep.

I put in my key and opened the door –

and got hit in the face with a pillow.

What in the hell...

Oh. Yeah. I forgot again.

Coed dorms.

To anyone doing Cats, I am sorry.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Four

I groaned at the table and put my head in my arms. My headache was getting worse.

"What is it?" Loki asked, peering over at me.

"Nothing," I groaned from my arms.

"It doesn't look like nothing," Sherlock commented.

"I didn't mean me, I mean this catastrophe of a musical we're doing. It's nothing."

"You were all excited about it earlier," Loki said.

"Yeah, well now I hate it. And it doesn't help that I still had have a headache from earlier," I glared at Sherlock.

"I already said I was sorry!" He said. "I told you, I thought it was Mycroft coming to our room, not you!"

"Ah, yes," I said. "Because Mycroft and I are so similar. I mean, it's not as if we're different genders, different heights, different builds, and have different voices or anything. You know, maybe I should join some sort of twin competition with Mycroft!"

Loki was laughing his head off next to me.

Earlier, when I entered my room, I wasn't just hit in the head with a pillow. No, of course, there had to be a book in the pillowcase.

The room itself was actually very nice. There were two bunk beds and one single bed. I got the single bed, which was also closest to the door. I have four roommates, all of which are male. However, despite how….foolish they can all act, at least they're all gentlemen. Somewhat.

Directly across from me is Loki. Above him is Harry. On the other bunk bed, John is on the bottom, and Sherlock is on the top.

Natasha is rooming with Bruce, Clint, Tony, and Steve.

Sam, Arthur, and Merlin are somewhere else.

I have no idea how the boys in my dorm decided to bed the way they did. At first I thought it was because John was short, he was on the bottom, but Harry is shorter than Loki. Maybe they all just said something like, "Okay, everyone run to the bed you want!" and it all worked out.

I have no idea. I'm not going to pretend to know how those hooligans think.

Or then again, maybe our luggage was already on certain beds.

Actually, that's much more likely.

When I opened the door, and got hit with the book, I was actually knocked unconscious for a bit. Or at the very least, to dazed to do anything.

I actually saw a recording of it, because, for some unknown reason, Loki wanted to record Mycroft getting hit in the face by a pillow book.

Actually…now that I think about it, that would be kind of funny.

Watching the recording back, Loki had climbed up to Harry's bunk and was recording the door. You could see Harry on the camera's right and John and Sherlock at the edge of the camera's frame. It starts with Harry saying, "Shh. Here he comes." The door opens, Sherlock throws the pillow, and it hits the target. Said target (aka me) gets hit in the face with the pillow and falls to the floor. The pillow falls a couple of inches away, and allows them to see my face. Then Loki says, "Oh shit," and the recording stops, as John checks me over to make sure I'm not dead, or that I don't have a concussion.

I'll probably be able to laugh about this in a couple of weeks, but right now, I'm still angry.

We were currently at dinner, which was actually pretty good. I had gotten some chicken noddle soup, which, while it didn't actually help with the headache, it made me feel like it did.

"Okay, what's the biggest problem you have right now?" Loki asked.

"The characters," I replied, showing him my laptop.

"Alright," he said, scrolling through them. "What's your biggest problem?"

"I don't know how to juggle all of the characters," I admitted. "I don't even know what I'm doing with half of them."

Loki shrugged. "So cut them in half."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"You have too many characters, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, then cut them in half. For instance, you can always include flashbacks."

My eyes widened. Damn, I could kiss him. Actually, he was pretty cute…

"You okay?" Loki asked.

"Yeah," I said, smiling. "I'm fine."

"Hey, Rissa," Sherlock said, peering over Loki's shoulder and reading my notes. "Doesn't the story need more love? I mean, there is Thor and Isabelle as a couple, but doesn't there need to be two people falling in love, or whatever?"

He was right. And I knew that logically, the best choice for a couple was me and Loki. My heart sort of twisted at that, but I ignored it. I just had to use this opportunity to mess with them.

"Okay," I said, nodding. "I've got just the thing! You and Loki!" Haha, Sherlock. This is what you get for throwing a pillow book at my face.

They both froze. Everyone at the table froze.

"What?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah," I said, shrugging. Just play it cool….. "No one will be expecting it."

"But how will we get away with it?" Sam asked.

"Oh, there is homosexual romance in musicals all the time," I said, waving a hand.

"Then wouldn't everyone be expecting it?" Sherlock mused. "I was thinking more along the lines of you and Loki. You guys have much better chemistry. I'm only saying that I shouldn't because…well…me, with a romantic interest? It's bad enough you're making me a main character, but there's absolutely no way for me to pull that off."

I paused, before bursting out laughing. "I know," I cried. "I just had to mess with you. That's what you get for throwing at pillow book in my face!"

"Pillow book?" Sherlock asked, shrugging.

I turned to Loki. "That is, if you're okay with that?"

"It's fine," he said. "Now, let's add that to the plot." Moving the document from my computer to the digitally electronic table in front of us, we had it spread out between the two of us.

Damn, where did this school get this technology? No wonder it's so rich!

"Okay, first, let's add the couple," I said, writing Rissa and Loki romantic couple near the story board. "And let's check with the flashback thing. Doing this, we can probably cut the villains and main characters in half. Let's start with the villains. I think that of the two girls, Missy should definitely be the flashback character. Morgana looks too old."

Loki nodded. "I was thinking along the same lines. Moriarty and Lucy are a bit harder, especially because I feel that it could go either way. They both have boyish charm and a mature side to them."

"I feel like Moriarty would be better as the flashback character. One, he's much smaller than Lucy. Two, Moriarty seems more childish."

"Now what else?" Loki asked as I wrote that down. And by writing down, I mean scribbling on the screen with my finger. It changes to typical word format when I'm done.

"Secret agents," I said automatically. "We should cut Clint and Natasha and have them be flashbackers for Isabelle and Thor. We're going to need some wigs, though, for all of this."

"'Flashbackers'?" Loki asked. "What's that?"

"I word I made up on the spot," I said. "The role of someone who plays a younger version of someone in a flashback."

"Alright," Loki said. "We just cut out four characters. Our list is down to nineteen. Happy?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Anything in particular that's bothering you?" he asked.

"Steve's character is really bugging me. Same with Bruce and Castiel."

"Not John?" Loki asked.

"No. John is fine as a doctor. But I don't know what to do with the rest. While EVERYONE has a problem with their characters, Steve, Bruce, and Castiel just seem unnecessary."

Loki shrugged. "So work around them for now. You might come up with a better idea in the morning. It sure has been a hell of a day."

"That's an understatement," I said, nodding.

I moved the file back from the table to my computer and closed it. That was enough work for today.

We spent the rest of dinner talking with everyone. The Doctor came to join us again.

Everything was fine until we went back to the dorm.

"Alright, everybody out," I said.

The four of them turned to me. "What?" Sherlock asked.

"Get out," I said.

"Why?" Loki asked.

I mumbed, "I need to change."

"What?"

"I said, I NEED TO CHANGE! Now, GET OUT!"

I threw them out of the room and opened up my bag to search for my clothes. Outside, I could hear Merlin say, "Hey guys, what's up? What are you all waiting around in the hall for?"

"Rissa kicked us out," Loki said.

"Already?" Tony asked. "Harsh."

I could almost feel the glares being sent back and forth. "She needed the privacy to change," Sherlock said.

Finished, I opened the door and peeked my head out. "Okay, guys, you can come back in now. Do you want me to wait outside so you can change?"

Harry nodded. "That would probably be good."

As they made their way inside and everyone else made their way to their dorms, I leaned against the wall and sighed. Today was really something…

After a few minutes, John poked his head out of the door. "Alright, you can come back in now."

I entered the room and stood near the door. "Hey, do you guys mind if I turn out the lights. I'm kinda tired. I was thinking of getting to bed early."

"I was thinking along the same lines," John said.

"It's fine with me, too," Harry said.

I peered at Sherlock and Loki. "You guys can sleep or read or do whatever, but please do it under the covers. And if you're going to be watching something, please use headphones. I don't want your insomnia stopping me from sleeping."

"Hey, I don't have insomnia!" Loki protested. But he rolled under the covers anyway and grabbed a flashlight so he could read.

Sherlock shrugged. "Okay."

I turned out the lights and climbed into bed. "Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight," a chorus of voices replied.

I was drifting off before my head hit the pillow, thinking, Wow, talk about a hell of a day.

Alright, so I need to clear some things up.

I've been told a couple of times that my stories are redefining the very definition of fanfiction. I haven't truly believed that until now, when I came up with this...

Up until now, I truly did not understand the veracity of these statements that claim how I am reshaping the concept of fanfiction altogether.

When I originally started writing the sequel, I had some idea of what I wanted to do, but the third and fourth installments in this quartet were more defined than this one was. That's why there was this huge gap in between my writing for a while. Originally, Level Two and Level Three didn't exist. Instead, I had jumped straight to what is now Level Four.

When I write, I get these little scenes that appear in my head every once in a while. I keep thinking about that scene over and over again, and I can't stop thinking about that scene until I find a way to incorporate it into my writing. Once I do that, I can finally relax. I am no longer obsessing over that scene.

That was how Level Three, and as a result, Level Two, came to be. When I started writing The Girl Who Lost Her Mind, I had no idea how long it was going to be. I'm nowhere near done yet, but I can tell that this one will be much, much, MUCH longer than its parent fic.

I do not think that any of you have truly wrapped your heads around what it is that I'm doing here, and I'm only explaining because it will be a long while before anyone sees the pattern.

Level Two is all about AUs.

Let me explain it this way. Take the original plotline of The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Say that I ended the story there, and wanted to revisit the characters. Say that a couple of people where calling for an AU with the same characters.

That's what this is.

Each Test in Level Two is a different example of a very popular AU idea.

The first one doesn't really count, as it is sort of a what if scenario. But following this trend, each test will be a version of an AU idea.

The clues are everywhere. Ashland University - AU. Room 2 - 2. Level 2, Test 2.

Some of these will be longer than others. Some will be much shorter. Some will be purely comedic (those will be shorter, however) and some will be purely tragic.

There are ten tests, and they're not going to pass every single one.

You can make as many guesses as you want regarding what each type of test AU will be, though I will not give anything away.

However, if you have suggestions, I may incorporate them into the work just to get your squealing reviews.

Because of this, this fic will become very, very, VERY long. Test 2 alone (not Level 2, just Test 2) is 20,000 words, give or take. In a couple of more chapters, it will become an overwhelming majority of this fanfiction. It is almost at half, and that is still not counting this chapter.

Now that you have a clear idea on what I'm doing, I hope you enjoy.

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Five

When I awoke, I didn't recognize my surroundings. After a few moments, however, I remembered where I was – the dorms at Ashland University.

The coed dorms.

Shit. How was I going to shower?

"Hey Rissa," came a voice. Looking over, I saw Sherlock peeking over the rails on the bunkbed. "You should probably go take a shower before everyone else starts waking up."

I stared at him, aghast. "Did you sleep at all last night?

He shrugged. "Sometimes I drift back and forth. In and out of sleep. But no, I don't really sleep."

I stared at him.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked me. "Go shower!"

Right. "Right," I said, snapping out of it and grabbing a towel out of my luggage. "Thanks. I'll be back soon."

It was odd, stepping into the shower.

My first shower at AU, I thought, touching the water before stepping under it. It's warm.

I didn't spend long under the water, getting out and changing before I left the room. Surprisingly, they had separate bathrooms. So while Natasha and I were sharing a bathroom, all 23 other kids were all sharing one.

That was kind of nice. This would also help with some things.

I walked back to the room and opened the door.

Checking my phone, I saw the time.

"Get up!" I yelled, turning on the lights. "We're gonna be late, everyone!"

Sherlock was already ready, of course, but everyone else hurried, tripping trying to grab their new clothes and other things.

I dashed in the room and quickly grabbed my laptop and other things that I would need during the day. I grabbed an air freshner and sprayed it.

"Wow, that's strong," John said.

"Sorry," I said. "But none of you guys showered, and we're going to be late. Breakfast is almost over!"

"It's fine, we'll just open the window," Loki said, opening one and shoving me out of the room. "We need to change, Rissa!"

"Oh, yeah!" I said, closing the door behind me as I grabbed my stuff and dashed out.

I stayed out the door, tapping my foot and watching the clock on my phone. Another minute ticked by. Where were they?
"Let's go!" Harry said, opening the door. All four of them rushed out and we ran to the dining hall.

"Thank god it's a buffet!" I yelled, noticing the tables. "Everyone grab what you can! We'll eat in class!"

The five of us ran to the stands, grabbing food and adding to plastic plates.

I wonder if they have plastic plates on purpose so we can eat in class…I wondered at the back of my mind.

The bell rang just as we got the rest of our stuff.

"Class time!" John warned, rushing out of the cafeteria.

Following them, I grabbed my two plates of food and brought up the rear.

As we all collapsed into our seats, we let out a deep breath.

"Two plates?" Sherlock asked as he noticed my food. "Why so much?"
"You tell me, Mr. Genius," I said, passing the 2nd plate of food over to him.

"What?" he asked, looking at it as if it was something he'd never seen before.

"You don't sleep. I might as well make sure you eat," I said, pulling out my laptop and opening it.

We were back in our first period science classroom, in the groups of three from the day before.

"Sorry I'm late!" The Doctor yelled as he entered the room.

Ah. I should've known. He hasn't actually changed that much.

"Hey, Sherlock, if you've been up the whole night, why didn't you warn us?" I asked him. "About the time, I mean?"

He shrugged. "I didn't notice."

...

For being a genius, he sure can be stupid.

The entirety of the school day was…odd. After Science, we went to History, which was taught by a gruffy, but nice, old man named Bobby Singer. After that, we went to our math class, which was taught by Reed Richards, before going to lunch. After Lunch, we had our English class which was taught by a woman named Carol Danvers. Following English, we went to our first Medical class, which was taught by a guy named Doctor Stephen Strange.

It was an odd combination. I'm not even sure Bobby Singer has a degree, but…at least he knows his stuff. Reed Richards is obviously a mathematician, and I know that Carol Danvers is a published author, and is currently a journalist.

Doctor Stephen Strange, though…well…he was strange, to say the least. Plus, I was a bit surprised to discover that he taught both the physical and psychological medical classes.

The day passed in a blur, and, before I knew it, it was over and we were meeting in the auditorium.

"Alright, everyone," I said as we gathered into a circle on the stage. "I did some recasting last night. I decided that there were too many characters, and that some of you should just become flashbackers, which, yes, is a word that I made up. You will play the characters during a flashback, like when they were younger. Okay, so here is the choice of options: The story starts out like this. There is a group of best friends that are just having an ordinary day when they stumble upon…"

I pointed at Natasha. "What do they stumble upon?"

"A box of weapons," she said.

Right. I should've known that she would say that.

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked again, pointing to Dean.

"A treasure map?" he suggested.

"Good!" I said. I had actually already came up with that possibility, but participation is important.

"What do they stumble upon?" I ask again, pointing to Sherlock.

"A drug exchange," he said.

"Good!" I said. Also another one I had written down, but still good nonetheless.

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked, pointing to Loki.

"A ritual sacrifice," he suggested. "Done by a crazed cult?"

I paused. That one was actually new. "Nice," I said.

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked, pointing to the Doctor.

"Aliens!" he said. "Or time travel! Or both! Aliens that time travel!"

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked, pointing to Steve.

"A military base?" He said.

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked, pointing to Bruce.

"A weapon?" he said quietly. "That gives them radioactive powers?"

I paused. "I like that one."

"What do they stumble upon?" I continued, pointing to Harry.

"A journey to the center of the earth?" he asked sarcastically.

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked Merlin.

"Magic?" he asked. "Or a portal to a magic-like dimension that's parallel to ours."

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked Clint.

"Food," he said.

I pause. "Hungry much?"

He shrugged. "No. I just think it'd be funny if we had this huge build up to what it could be, and the answer was just food."

I sighed. "What do they stumble upon?" I asked Tony.

"A robot!" he said excitedly.

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked Sam.

"Dinosaur bones?"

"What do they stumble upon?" I asked Arthur.

"A magical sword that"

"Guys, enough with the weapons," I interrupted.

"How about a magical hammer-" Thor started.

"Excuse me," Arthur said. "But I was talking."

"My idea is much better than yours is!" Thor exclaimed.

"Oh yeah?" Arthur asked.

"Yes."

"Well, mine is a magic sword-"

"A magic hammer-"

"That allows you to become King!"

"That allows you to become King!"

Both of them froze as they realized that they had said the exact same thing.

I sighed. "If anyone else has any suggestions, just say them, please. And don't worry, nothing can be worse than Clint's 'Food' answer."

I still hadn't asked John, Isabelle, Moriarty, Missy, Lucy, Morgana, Mycroft, Lestrade, and Cas, but they seemed fine with that.

Lucy raised his hand. "What about um…angels?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"What if they find a fallen angel?"

"Nice," I said, smiling. "Anyone else?"

"What if they find a parasite?" Missy asked. "And it like…possesses them and tries to take over the world?"

"There are always ghosts," Isabelle said quietly. "They could always disturb some bones and have a ghost after them."

I nodded at their suggestions. "Nice. Now let's try to limit it. Is there anyone else's ideas that anyone particularly liked? Other than your own?"

"I liked Loki's idea about a ritual sacrifice and a cult," Sherlock said.

"Of course you do," I muttered under my breath. Though the truth was I liked it a lot too….

"I like Bruce's idea about superpowers," Steve said.

"I like Dean's idea about a treasure map," Castiel said quietly.

"I like the idea of them ending up in a different dimension or at the center of the earth," the Doctor said.

"I like Sherlock's idea of a drug exchange," Moriarty said, sounding super creepy, yet also like an innocent, normal child. (Well, as normal as a child can be, talking about a drug exchange.)

"Alright…" I muttered. "Anything else anyone likes?"

People around the circle were shaking their heads.

"Alright," I said. "We lowered the ideas down to a few. We have

1. Ritual Sacrifices, or a Crazed Cult

2. Something that Gives them Superpowers

3. A Treasure Map

4. Different Dimensions

5. Drug Exchange.

So, in total we have about five ideas. We have two type that are crime oriented – ritual sacrifices and a cult, and a drug exchange. And we have possibly three mystical ones – one that gives them superpowers, that may also be explainable by science, one where they find a treasure map and go an adventure, and one where they tumble into a different dimension. Each of these stories must have a goal. When they tumble into a different dimension, their goal can be to get home, back to their regular dimension. The cool thing about this is that we can have creative freedom. If we want vampire unicorns, we can have vampire unicorns. In the treasure map one, their goal can be to find the treasure. For the drug exchange, it might be to escape the drug cartels headquarters alive, and report back to the police to try and capture the criminals. Something similar can be done with the cult idea. The superhero one is a bit harder…we can do a government conspiracy, where the government is after them for science experiments and whatnot. We can have them simply trying to save the world. That one has a lot of possibilities as well. So.

Any questions?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Six - MISSING

Hello Reader.

We are sorry to report the technical difficulties we have been having.

This chapter will become available to you at a later date.

Until then, please resume your enjoyment of this tale.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Seven

I peeked out behind the curtains and saw the huge crowd. I quickly pulled back.

"What's it like?" Natasha asked. Everyone was ready and in costume, standing behind the curtains.

"Crowded," I said, gulping.

"Don't worry," Loki said, coming over to me. "You're going to be fine. We're all going to be fine. This will be great!"

I took in a deep breath, and smiled. "You're right! Five minutes until curtain, people. Do what needs to be done. Go to the bathroom, check your costumes, makeup, and hair. Make sure your props are on the right sides of the stage."

Everyone nodded and went to make sure they were ready.

"Don't worry," Sherlock said to me. "This will be fine. And funny. Don't worry."

I sighed. "I know, I'm just so nervous!"

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Loki said. "But why don't you check yourself, instead of yelling at other people."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Well, you're naked," he said, gesturing to me.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH," I yelled, waking up.

"Rissa? What's wrong?" I heard a bunch of my roommates voice their concern, and John went to turn on the light.

I glanced at the clock. It was past midnight. Which means…

Today was opening night.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Eight

The first two months of school had flown by. While I had originally been a bit…scared of the school, I easily adjusted, and threw myself into my work. I was done with my third draft of my book (the one set to get published) and I had written the entire musical. Music, lines, everything. We've spent the entire week building our sets and putting finishing touches on our costumes and props. Well, sort of.

"Dammit!" Tony yelled.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rushing over. It was a little over a month before show, and we had just finished making and painting the set.

Tony didn't answer.

In front of me was out entire set, in a pile. It was in tatters, torn apart and thrown in a pile in the middle of the stage. I had come in through the back and hadn't been able to see it.

"I worked so hard on that!" Tony fumed, next to me. "It was perfect! Absolutely perfect! And now it's in pieces!"

"Don't worry," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We have a month til show. We have plenty of time. At my old school, they wouldn't make the set until Hell Week, the week of the show. We'll make them again, even better this time! We'll all take a break from regular rehearsal and pitch in today. And you get to be in charge of all of us."

Tony brightened a bit. "I guess I'm okay with that….."

Maybe putting him in charge of us wasn't such a good idea….

Even though we had some setbacks, we made the set even better than before.

And we lost our music. We had to try to recreate it from scratch. Though, it actually turned out better, so I'm not that upset about it.

The Doctor was fine with sitting back and letting me do the directing, until I yelled at him to help with the props. He still did them, but he would purposefully sigh every time I came near him.

I don't know why I didn't put him in the damn musical. He's certainly dramatic enough.

Though, I will admit, this musical was going to be SOMETHING.

After all, the kids in the musical were very talented. Tony, Dean, Cas, and Bruce had managed to build moving, robotic sets. Cas and Dean build the frame of the sets, and Tony and Bruce rigged it so they could easily move the set with the pull of a lever. Cas and Dean, with some instruction from Loki, helped paint it. Once the set was done, everyone went to their respective jobs.

Bruce was on lighting and mics. He would take care of the lighting changes (which, I'll admit, there were a lot of), recorded sound and musical cues, and making sure the mics worked.

Cas was on design. He was in charge of making the props, and finding the costumes. He managed to find perfect costumes for everyone while looking in the dusty old prop attic. He had to make a lot of props from scratch, though, as a lot were falling apart. And, of course, he was the perfect handyman, making sure that the sets were stable and movable, and that they were painted right. He was also surprising talented at piano, and he would be playing the music for most of the show, except for when the characters themselves were supposed to be playing (which also happened quite a lot…).

Steve was stage manager, and would be the one giving out commands while I was on stage. We had practiced the entire week, and together, the three of them (plus the Doctor (even though he didn't do anything), and the other ones that were cut) made a capable team of working behind the scenes.

About the ones that I cut….Not long into the show, I overheard a couple of members talking about how they'd rather help backstage then onstage, so I cut a few more from the cast. Which was good because musicals are not supposed to have this many people in it, unless there's an ensemble. Lestrade, Sam, John, Tony, and Dean weren't in the play any longer. They started joining everyone else. After helping Bruce and Cas build the sets, Tony paired up with Bruce, and Dean decided to help Cas out. Those two have gotten really buddy-buddy over the past couple of weeks…. John, Sam, and Lestrade started working as Steve's underlings, who would help as stage crew and would help move the sets and some of the props in between scenes.

Everyone knew their lines (I made them practice every rehearsal, and every lunch and dinner), and were capable of singing the songs. Most of them were pretty good, actually. (Well, for the way it was written…)

The truth is, I don't even remember how we got here. It was as if we had skipped several weeks in a blink of an eye. Like a montage….Though, once I finished writing the musical, it got pretty easy. After some planning on the second day of school with Loki, I found out the ending and we started working backwards. We finished writing the first draft of the script two days later, and had finished the script by the end of the week. The music was harder, and it took two weeks for us to come up with lyrics and music. But by the time were done with that, everyone had a good head start on their lines, and we spent the rest of the time rehearsing the songs and reviewing the dances (which there weren't much of. It was mostly moving choreography and blocking.)

I couldn't help but jump as every tiny little thing I heard in the halls. I was so jittery for tonight, I wasn't even on the edge; I was off it.

Of course, if I wasn't as jumpy, then I probably wouldn't have stumbled upon that conversation.

"Fix it!" a voice hissed.

I looked around. There was no one here. All of the doors in the hallway were closed – the sound wasn't coming from there. So where was it coming from?

"I'm trying!" someone argued.

Ah. That voice I knew.

They couldn't be up to any good if the Assistant Headmaster was involved.

Sorry it's been so long. Here's three chapters as a treat!

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixty Nine

I moved closer to the voices. They weren't in any of the rooms, but it sounded like the voices were coming from behind the wall. Moving closer to the wall, I spotted an air vent. I crouched down on the floor and moved closer to it. I was suddenly able to hear a lot better, not to mention see.

The Assistant Headmaster was talking to a….was that a mirror? What?

But I was right. The Assistant Headmaster was facing a mirror (a tall, full body length mirror) and was speaking into it. But it didn't look like a mirror.

It looked like a pit of darkness.

There was absolutely no light from the other side of the mirror. It looked like what I imagined a black hole would look like, absorbing all of the light that came near it.

If I'm not careful, I might just drown.

The thought slithered across my mind as I looked at the mirror.

My body jerked. Something about this darkness…

What did it remind me of…?

"But Headmaster, doing that would-" the Assistant Headmaster protested.

"Enough," the voice from the mirror interrupted. "Are you questioning me?"

Headmaster?

The person in the mirror…was the HEADMASTER?

As in the HEADMASTER OF THIS SCHOOL?

"No, my Lord," the Assistant Headmaster said, immediately cowering. "Just…are you sure?"

"Yes," the Headmaster said. "I command you…

Kill them."

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy

What?

What?

WHAT?

What does he mean, kill them? Kill who?

And if they're going to kill someone else, what will they do if they find me listening?

A gasp slipped out of my mouth as I realized this.

The Assistant Headmaster turned out of the corner of my eye.

Oh, shit.

Shit.

"What is it?" the Headmaster asked.

"Excuse me a bit, my Lord," the Assistant Headmaster said. "I think that we might have an unwanted listener."

Shit.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I got off the floor and started running around the corner.

But the minute I got up I felt it.

No! Not now!

My foot was asleep.

Come on! Keep going! You just need to get around the corner!

I pushed off my feet, running as fast as I could.

Come on! It's right there!

Just a few more steps until I was around the corner.

Come on! Just a little more!

This was all moving too fast. I didn't know enough. Kill who? Why? When? Where? How?

What?

And then everything slowed down.

My foot, completely asleep, hit the floor.

Unable to hold my weight, I went flying into the air. It seemed like time wasn't moving at all. Like I was weightless, floating in the air.

And all of a sudden, gravity took hold.

And I came crashing back down to earth.

My body hit the ground with a thud, and I laid sprawled out, unable to move.

Come on. Get up! I thought. You need to get going!

Get up get up get up get up get up get up!

I put my arms on either side of me and started to push myself off the floor. I was slammed back down when a boot pressed into my back.

"My, my, my…what do we have here?"

Damn. That voice…

I cranked my head to the side and looked up at the person on me. The Assistant Headmaster's cruel smile sneered back at me.

He continued. "A little fly caught in the web…" He ground his boot into my back more.

I curled my hands into fists, distracting myself with the pain of my fingernails digging into my palms. Don't cry out, don't cry out, don't cry out, I thought.He's nothing more than a bully. Don't give him what he wants.

He let up on the weight as footsteps moved towards us. A pair of shoes was directly in front of my face. It was too hard to get a good look at the man's face from the position I was in.

"Tell me. What do you think we should do with the mouse that wandered into the lion's den?" the Assistant Headmaster asked him, grinding his foot into my back once more.

Oh, for God's sake, enough with the metaphors!

"For now, how about we just put out the lights?"

Oh, would you just shut up? Why are you still talking? I get it. You're evil. You caught me. Please stop gloating.

"Well, Doctor?"

What?

My head snapped up, finding the face to the shoes.

My eyes met the Doctor's, whose eyes were crystal clear and cold as ice.

What? But he would never…

"Lights out!" the Assistant Headmaster exclaimed.

Not to me…

Something hit the back of my head.

Doctor…

And I succumbed to the darkness.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy One

"Where's Rissa?" Loki asked, craning his head around to look at the entrance to the cafeteria.

"She's just late," Sherlock said, not looking up from the book he was reading. "Stop worrying. She's probably stressing out about tonight in her room. The play starts in a couple of hours, after all. Did you know that there are 243 different types of tobacco ash?"

"The Doctor's not here either," Loki said, looking at the two empty seats usually occupied by their friends.

"I'm sure they're both fine. The Doctor was probably roped into teacher duties, and Rissa's probably just in her room."

"I…."

"You're really worried about her, aren't you Loki?" Sherlock asked, sighing. He marked his book and closed it. "Then let's go check on her."

"Really?" Loki asked, brightening up.

"You could have always gone without me," Sherlock said, getting up and tucking his book under his arm.

"I know," Loki said, getting up and joining him. "But I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. And if something is wrong, you're probably the only one who can figure it out."

"Yes, that's true."

They exited the cafeteria and made their way back to their room.

"What if she's not in there?" Loki asked.

"Then we'll check the auditorium next," Sherlock said. "If you keep talking like this, you're going to start worrying me. It's all in your head."

"If it's all in my head, then why are you coming with me to check?" Loki asked.

Sherlock didn't answer. He had stopped several paces behind Loki, and was staring at the floor.

"What is it?" Loki asked walking back up beside Sherlock.

"I don't think we'll find Rissa in our room. Or the auditorium either," Sherlock said, his voice sounding strained.

"What? Why not?"

"Because I think she's been kidnapped."

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Two

"What do you mean, kidnapped?" Loki screeched.

"Well, kidnapped probably isn't the right word…" Sherlock mused. "Maybe…taken?"

"It's the same thing!" Loki yelled at him. "Don't argue about your choice of vocabulary, explain what happened!"

"Sorry," Sherlock said. He gestured to the floor. "Okay, so someone was sitting by this vent listening to something, and then they got up really fast, ran towards that corner, and slipped. And then the tracks disappear, so I'm assuming she was knocked unconscious and carried off."

"'She'?" Loki asked.

"Yeah. Whoever it was was the size of a girl, or a child."

"And you think it's Rissa?" Loki asked.

"Yeah," Sherlock said, moving closer to the wall. "The only question is 'Why was she listening through the air vent?'"

"That's the only question? Really? You can't think of anything better than that? Because I can think of quite a few more questions than that."

"Shh," Sherlock shushed, pressing the wall around the air vent. "Help me find the pressure point."

"The what?" Loki asked.

"The pressure point," Sherlock said. "There's a room behind this wall."

"There is?" Loki asked, joining him by the wall. "What makes you so sure?"

"Look through the air vent," Sherlock said, pressing his hands along the wall.

"Okay," Loki ducked down to the air vent and peered through it. "Wow! There's a room on the other side of this wall!"

"Yes, we've established that," Sherlock said impatiently. "Now help me find the trigger!"

"Alright, just stop complaining," Loki said, getting on his knees and pressing on the wall. Five seconds after he started pressing, the wall gave way and he fell forward into the other room.

"Ahhh!"

He hopped back up and glared at Sherlock. "You could've warned me, you know."

"Sorry."

"No, you're not."

"Yeah, I'm not," Sherlock said. He stalked towards the center of the room, observing a seven foot tall piece of furniture. He grabbed the black cloth covering it and pulled it off in a grandiose fashion.

Underneath was a huge, seven foot tall mirror.

It had a golden, ornate frame, carved with designs. The middle of it was the same black that Rissa saw before.

"I wonder what these designs mean?" Sherlock murmured under his breath.

"Really?" Loki asked. "Because my eyes are kind of drawn to the big, swirling pit of darkness."

Sherlock looked up towards the center of the mirror. "Yes, there's that too. But I'm interested in these designs."

Loki rolled his eyes and looked at the designs. He froze. "These aren't designs."

"You know what this is?" Sherlock asked, turning to him.

"Yes. These are words."

"What do they say?" Sherlock asked.

Loki squinted his eyes and rubbed his head. "I'm not sure…I just…know these are words…"

"Do you know what language it is?" Sherlock asked.

Loki shook his head. "No clue."

"Great. So you know that they're words, but not what they say or even what language it is?"

"Yep," Loki said nodding.

"Wonderful."

"I'm surprised," Loki said, looking at him. "I didn't know that you were capable of sarcasm."

"I wasn't, until I met you and Rissa," Sherlock said. "We need to find her. Do you see any sort of doors? Or maybe another secret passage?" His hand fell off the mirror as he started pressing the walls.

"Secret passage? What the hell are you talking about, Sherlock? We're already in a secret room. There isn't going to be a secret passage-"

The wall Sherlock was pressing fell away. "I found it," he said, smirking as he turned to face Loki.

"Whatever," Loki said, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the flashlight from Sherlock's hand and marched into the tunnel, muttering, "Who the hell has a secret passageway in a secret room?..."

Sherlock smirked and walked after him.

We're coming for you, Rissa, Loki thought, as he led the way down the passage. Just please…

Hang on for a little longer.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Three

When I woke up, my head hurt.

I mean, it's only logically, seeing as I was knocked out cold. But damn, couldn't they have just used chloroform like normal criminals?

But still…

My heart hurt more than my head did.

Doctor…

A lot of things can happen in a year.

When I tried to get up, I realized that I couldn't. I was tied to the wall.

No.

I was manacled to the wall.

Why couldn't they use ropes, like normal criminals?

If it was ropes, there was a chance I could get out of them. A small chance, but a chance nonetheless.

The only way out was a key, and unfortunately, my criminals weren't dumb enough to keep a key just out of my reach so I can make my daring escape.

So what? Was I just supposed to sit here and wait? For what? The criminals to kill me? For someone to rescue me? But no one even knows I'm…

Wait.

Normally, I'd believe that it's absolutely impossible for me to be rescued, but it wasn't.

Not with Sherlock on our side.

Besides, the play is in a few hours. If I'm not there for our last run through, they're going to go nuts.

Loki and Sherlock will notice first, because I spend the most time with them. Loki will be worried, and Sherlock won't think anything of it, but when they realize they can't find me…they'll realize something is up.

Sherlock can find me.

They will come for me…I'm sure of it!

I just hope they get here first.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Four

Loki was halfway down the tunnel when he realized what was missing.

He froze.

"What's wrong?" Sherlock asked impatiently behind him.

"Sherlock…" Loki said with a strained voice. "Do you have…any type of weapon on you? Like…any kind?"

"I have my gun on me," Sherlock said. "Why? Are you defenseless?"

"Yeah," Loki admitted, curling his hands into fists. "Of all days I forget to bring my knife-"

"Here," Sherlock said impatiently, handing Loki his knife.

"What?"

"I saw you forget it so I grabbed it," Sherlock explained. "Now let's get going?"

His face spreading into a smile, Loki grabbed his knife, and stalked forward, his weapon clenched in his hand.

And then Loki crashed into someone.

Immediately, both Loki and Sherlock pinned the man against the wall, with Loki's knife at his throat and Sherlock's gun at his head.

"Calm down! It's only me!" The Doctor hissed.

They didn't relax their holds. "That doesn't give us enough reason," Loki said. "Why are you wandering around back here?"

"Because I've been trying to infiltrate the faculty for months, and I've finally done it! But Rissa is in trouble! I was going to get the two of you for help. I can't free her myself, because it will blow my cover, but the longer she stays there, the worse the situation will get."

Sherlock and Loki locked glances. After a few seconds, they both nodded, making up their minds. Whether they could trust the Doctor or not was unimportant. Right now, they had to get Rissa out.

"Lead us to her," Loki said, lowering his knife. Sherlock lowered his gun.

The Doctor turned back the way he came. "It's this way. Speaking of which, how did you guys manage to find this place?"

"No clue," Loki muttered. "It's like Sherlock pulled this place out of a hat."

"Haha, very funny," Sherlock said sarcastically. "The clues were right in front of you, you just didn't see them."

"Oh, so I'm blind now?" Loki asked.

"Compared to me, you might as well be," Sherlock said, shrugging.

As they complained, the three of them moved forward.

The three brightest men in the universe, all in search of one they call family.

They weren't too late.

But they weren't on time, either.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Five

"Well, would you look at the time?" the Assistant Headmaster smirked. "Less than an hour until your little musical starts. It's a shame that you won't be there to see it, much less be in it. You won't be able to be in anything when I'm done with you."
He pushed the knife deeper into my shoulder.

"I'm not going to miss the musical," I said, trying not to scream. "The show will go on, and I'll be there every step of the way."

Inside my head, I kept thinking the same words over and over.

Oh my god, he's fucking stabbing me. I am being stabbed. I am going to kill him. I am going to kill him.

"How are you going to manage that, missy?" he asked, pulling out the knife and turning it before pushing it back in. "Would you look at that? I made an X on your shoulder. Isn't your cute little musical about treasure? X marks the spot!"

Fucking sadistic bastard. I'll kill him. I'll kill him.

"That's enough," commanded a voice. That voice…it was the same one in the mirror! The Headmaster.

The Assistant Headmaster moved aside and let the Headmaster come into view.

He sucked up light like a black hole. A dark figure swabbed in shadows.

First the first time in my life, I believed that the person I was looking at wasn't human.

There was no way this person was human.

"What are you?" I asked. "You're not human."

"You're not in a position to be asking question," the Assistant Headmaster sneered.

Both the Headmaster and I ignored him.

"You are correct," the Headmaster said. "I am not human."

"Then what are you?" I asked.

"I am Darkness," he said.

"That's not an answer," I said.

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"No, it-"

"Enough. That's all of an answer you're getting, take it or leave it! It's up to you whether you see the truth for what it is or not."

"Fine," I said. I can't believe that I just got into a kid argument with 'Darkness', while I'm in the middle of being tortured. "Now what the hell do you want? Why are you torturing me?"

"Because it's fun," the Assistant Headmaster said. Bastard.

I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him.

"You overheard our conversation earlier, and we need to know what you heard."

"Well, you're not doing it right," I snapped. "You don't shove a knife into someone without asking them questions. Duh."

"Why you-"

"No, she's right," the Headmaster said to the Assistant Headmaster. "You really are incompetent." He turned back to me. "Anyways, I've seen all I need."

He turned and started to walk away.

"What? Where the hell are you going?" I yelled at him. Don't leave me alone with this creep!

"I am no longer needed here. And neither are you." He turned and left, waving a hand at the Assistant Headmaster without looking at him. "Dispose of her."

And then he was gone, leaving me alone with the Assistant Headmaster.

'Dispose of her.' Oh god. He's going to kill me. He's really going to kill me.

I'm going to die.

I don't want to die. I'm only fifteen. I haven't even had my first kiss yet, goddamn it.

The Assistant Headmaster gave me the creepiest smile I've ever seen. "Ohhh, this is gonna be fun. Now how to do it?"
He put the knife in front of my heart.

"Now all I need to do it PUSH!" he gave it a shove.

I cried out.

It wasn't very deep. In fact, it was probably only in by an eighth of an inch.

But, oh God, it hurt like hell.

"Hmm. It seems that it wasn't deep enough. Let's do it again."

He gave another shove, sinking the knife in to about a quarter inch.

I was crying now.

"I think one more should do it!" He backed up and moved forward.

I closed my eyes.

Nothing happened.

I opened my eyes.

In front of me, the Assistant Headmaster was still. There was a tip of a knife sticking out of his chest, revealed through his shirt.

He slid off the knife and collapsed on the floor, revealing Loki and Sherlock.

"Rissa!" Loki cried, running forward. He reached up to pull out the knife.

"Wait!" Sherlock warned. "We need to be careful, or else she'll lose blood. Let me do it."

Sherlock switched places with Loki and moved up closely to me. "Loki, take off your shirt."

"What?"

"Take off your shirt. I need you to rip it into strips."

"Rip it into strips? This isn't a movie, Sherlock. You can't just rip a shirt into-"

Before Loki could finish his sentence, Sherlock had ripped the bottom half of his shirt off.

"Oh my God! Sherlock! That's my shirt!"

"Yes, I know. Now take the rest off, I need to rip that as well."

"No! I'm not going to let you tear up my shirt!"

"Yes, you fucking will, because there's a knife in me and the bottom half of your shirt is already gone," I snapped.

He stared at me for a bit, before sighing and taking the rest of his shirt off.

"Good," Sherlock said, taking it from him and ripping the rest of it.

"Why couldn't we rip your shirt again?" Loki asked.

"Because I'm not going to walk around shirtless."

"I think I'm going to kill you, Sherlock."

"No, you're not. I need you to find a set of keys."

"Keys?"

"Yeah. To get these manacles off."

"Sherlock…"

"What?"

"If you haven't found the keys already, I won't be able to find them."

They both paused.

"Maybe there's a way to get them off?" Loki suggested, running over to me. He reached up to where my hands were being held above my head, tugging on them.

"Loki…"

"That's not going to work," Sherlock said.

"Yes, it will," Loki said.

"No, Loki, you won't be able to break them without keys."

Still gripping the manacles in his hands, he turned to look at Sherlock. "But I HAVE to."

On the word 'have', there was a cracking sound. We all looked at the manacles. There was another cracking sound, and then they fell away.

Loki managed to catch me by the shoulders as I fell forward, doing his best to avoid jarring the knife.

We all stood there, frozen.

"What was that?" Sherlock asked, breaking the silence.

"I…I don't know," Loki said.

Sherlock picked up the manacles. "It seems like they were frozen."

Loki didn't know what to say. "I…I…"

"Hey, guys? Knife in the chest, here?" I piped in. How in the hell do they keep getting so distracted?

That seemed to snap Loki out of his stupor and make Sherlock focus on the task at hand.

"Alright," Sherlock said, coming forward. "Loki, I need to borrow your knife."

"Why? It can't be to cut up my shirt, because you didn't use it for that.

"It's not. It's to cut off Rissa's shirt."

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I can't bandage it properly with a shirt on…"

"I'm not going to have you…" I practically yelled. "It's one thing for Loki to be shirtless, it's another thing for me."

"Why?"

I stared at him with an incredulous look. "I don't know if you've noticed, Sherlock…but I'M FEMALE!"

"Yes, I've noticed," Sherlock said.

"So, you understand why I can't take my shirt off, right?"

"No."

…

…

"Dammit, Sherlock! I'm not taking off my shirt! I might need your help, but I can bandage it well enough on my own!" I yelled. I turned around. "Sherlock, take off your shirt."

"Why?"

"Because my shirt is going to get cut up trying to take it off without taking out the knife, and I'm NOT WALKING AROUND SHIRTLESS."

"But why my shirt?"

"Because you're the only one left with a complete shirt, idiot," Loki said.

"Would you hurry? You guys have spent too much time arguing about this stupid stuff! In case you've forgotten, I have a knife in my chest," I said.

Both of them seemed to freeze, and the looks on their faces reminded me of the truth – we were kids. What were we getting into? I had a knife in my chest, and was just about to be killed.

What do we do?

Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I grabbed the strips out of Sherlock's hand and knotted it. Then I pulled the knife out, shoving the ball underneath my shirt right above the wound.

"Sherlock, take another strip and tie it around my chest," I told him.

He seemed happy enough to comply, especially seeing as how he got to keep his shirt.

Just as he finished tying it tightly around my chest, enough to put a good amount of pressure on the wound, my watch beeped.

"What's that?" Loki asked.

The color drained from my face.

"What?" Sherlock asked.

"It's a warning," I explained, shakily. "A five minute warning…"

"To what?" Loki asked.

"To show. Five minutes until curtain," I said. "We need to be onstage in five minutes."

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Six

We got the hell out of there.

Something that we should have done earlier, actually, but anyway…

We couldn't run.

If we tried to run, then I'd hurt myself.

It got to the point where Loki just picked me up.

"Loki – what the hell are you doing?" I asked him as he grabbed me and lifted me into his arms, bridal style.

"I'm carrying you so we can move faster," he said, both him and Sherlock speeding up.

I don't know how the hell he did it, but I didn't feel anything jarring or any pain. All of Loki's movements were fluid.

Still. He was shirtless.

And then I heard the scariest thing in the world.

"After them! They must be eliminated!"

It wasn't in the words themselves (I mean, really, who talks like that? 'eliminated') but it was the person who spoke them.

Standing back around the corner, pointing at us, was none other than the Assistant Headmaster.

"Run, run, run!" I yelled, shaking Loki's arm.

"You don't need to tell me so much!" He yelled, running.

Behind us, there were a series of men where chasing after us. But the worst thing I saw was their faces.

They didn't have any.

They didn't have faces.

"Do you guys notice the missing faces?" I asked Sherlock and Loki.

"Yeah," Sherlock said.

"Please don't bring them up again," Loki said. "It's creeping me out."

We sped up, running around the corner and gaining on the auditorium.

I saw Cas monitoring the side door that led backstage.

"Through the back," I told Loki and Sherlock. "Cas will stop others from entering. We need to start the show immediately. Once it starts, it can't stop. No intermission."

"You're cancelling intermission?" Sherlock asked.

"Yeah. Cas, open the door!" I yelled.

He grabbed the door and threw it open, letting Sherlock and Loki (who was carrying me) past. He closed the door behind us and locked it.

"Cas, listen," I said. "We've got to start the show now. Have Bruce dim the lights. Loki, put me down and go put on a shirt. And then get into the audience. Sherlock, grab your violin." Grabbing both of their necks, I pulled them closer and told them, "Listen, I know that we've just been through some crazy shit, but we need to act. The musical will stall them in order to catch them, just like Mystogan." I winked, referencing my own play. "Besides, we worked our asses off for this. It has to be done right."

They both nodded and ran off.

Cas finished giving Bruce commands in his headset before turning to me.

"Okay, Cas, I need to get into costume. Follow me," I instructed, grabbing my clothes. I entered the changing room with Cas lingering outside the curtain so I can talk to him. "Please don't ask about the people following us; we'll take care of them once the show starts." I adjusted my bandages before I froze. Moving around a bit, I realized it didn't hurt.

I peeled back the bandages in order to check the wound.

It wasn't there.

"Rissa?" Cas asked.

I snapped back to attention, throwing off my bandages and changing into my other clothes. I had no time to dwell on this for now.

"Okay, they're ready?" Cas asked, checking Loki and Sherlock's positions through the headset.

I threw back the curtain and stalked out, walking along Cas as we walked to the wings of the stage.

Sherlock was standing behind the curtain, with his violin tucked under his chin. Luckily, he didn't have to change, which was actually the reason why I spared his shirt earlier. I just didn't think we'd be so short on time.

"Loki's in place," Cas whispered to me.

Looking around the stage, I realized that everyone was prepared. There wasn't time to give a speech.

"Break a leg," I whispered. I don't know if anyone heard me.

Cas gave Sherlock the signal. "Curtain rises in -

Five

Four

Three

Two

One."

Chapter Text

Act One

Chapter Text

The links to the songs are underlined, and these start with 'play the violin' and 'imagine it'.  It goes to my Soundcloud.  Here's the link directly to the Girl Who Lost Her Mind playlist.  https://soundcloud.com/the-real-narnia/sets/the-girl-who-lost-her-mind,   The link is attached to the first word or sung lyric in the song.  It should be whatever comes after 'the music started up' or something like that. 

Scene One

The curtains open to reveal a figure hidden in shadows.

He pulls back his bow and begins to play the violin in one deep note.

As he transitions to the next note, a spotlight brightens into existence, and it is easy to see the young man playing the violin.

He is playing Requiem for a Dream, and he plays it as well as an entire orchestra could.

Just as he is reaching the crescendo, an noise interrupts.

"Boo!" Loki called from the audience. "You suck!"

I couldn't help myself – I started giggling.

Sherlock closed his eyes in concentration, managing to look very annoyed about someone interrupting his practice.

"Why don't you go get a life, Mr. Tone Deaf?" Loki called.

I slapped a hand over myself in order to block the noise of my laughs.

It was easy to see that Sherlock was getting frustrated.

"My cat could play better than you!"

I fell to the ground, laughing so hard. I felt more than saw Cas lean next to me. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm sorry. After all we've been through today, it just seems a little extra ridiculous. I'm sorry I can't go into detail right now."

"It's fine," he said. "But hey, the audience is enjoying it."

I peeked out and saw that he was right – the audience was fully enamored with Loki and Shane's tennis match.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sherlock asked.

Loki smiled and stalked out of his feet, jumping onstage. "Interrupting you."

Sherlock sighed. "Why?"

"Because, you've been practicing that piece of music for the last week straight," Loki said, getting his lines perfect. "I'm getting sick of it. You play it fine, and the concert you're performing in isn't for another two months. So, please stop playing, and come see what I have." He waved around a piece of paper in the air. I let out a breath that I didn't realize that I was holding.

He didn't forget the prop.

Sherlock sighed again. "Will looking at this make you shut up?"

"Maybe," Loki sang, holding out the paper.

Sherlock roughly yanked it out of his hands. He read over the document quickly before bursting into laughter.

"What? What is it?" Loki asked.

"You can't be ridiculous," Sherlock wheezed. "Clues to buried treasure?"

"What?"

"It's absolutely ridiculous," Sherlock said, getting out the last of his laughs.

"No, it's not," Loki protested. "It's summer, and I've been so bored lately."

"Why?" Sherlock teased. "The library running out of books for you to read?"

"Stop it," Loki said. "I'm serious. And even if it's not real, it could still be fun."

"Yeah, but treasure?" Sherlock asked.

"Treasure," Loki said.

The piano started up. I turned and noticed that Cas had already left to start playing.

"Imagine it," Loki said, nudging Sherlock. "'Kids in hick town discover treasure…' I can read the headlines now!" He spread his arm out in an arch, as if he was seeing something invisible to the rest of us.

"Hick town?" Sherlock asked, "I wouldn't exactly call it that."
"Oh, come on, Shane," Loki said, and then started singing, "You know that it's a hick town when there's grain elevators."

My turn. I danced onto stage, entering from stage right, doing a kind of skip/run and twirling at the end. "And the people are reserved and hate any strangers."

"Clara? When did you get here?" Sherlock asked.

I used this song to introduce the three of our characters. I'm Clara, Loki is Lorien, and Sherlock is Shane.

Loki kept singing. "When any second one of them can burst into song"

My turn again. "And they can keep on singing, all day long…" I pulled out the last note.

"And why are you singing?" Sherlock asked me. "And Lorien, you don't even like to sing!"

"Oh, come on, Shane, why don't you pipe in? You know that I've got to be really interested to sing about it! That's why we need to find the treasure! This hick town is wearing off on me," Loki said.

"Yeah, come on Shane," I said. "We're waiting for you to join in."

There were several beats until Sherlock (somewhat) sang off beat, "You know that it's a hick town when everyone knows their neighbors,"

"Oh, come on!" I encouraged him. "You can do better than that! Sing with the beat!"

"Can I just play along?" he asked. "And watch the two of you sing?"

"That's fine," Loki and I said together, "Because…"

"It means you're joining in on the adventure of a lifetime!" I sang.

"It means you're joining in on the solving of a crime!" Loki sang.

"It means you're joining in," I started.

"As we dig in the ground!" Loki finished.

"And that we're getting out of this town!" We sang together, reaching the chorus. "So come on, come on, let's join in! We're gonna find this treasure but we need to begin. So come on, come on, let's join in! We need to hurry if we wanna win."

"We're not the only ones searching," I sang.

"There's someone in the shadows lurking," Loki sang.

"So come on, come on let's join in! We're gonna find this treasure but we need to begin. So come on, come on, let's join in. We need to hurry…if we wanna win.," we sang together.

The song ended.

"Is it finally over?" Sherlock asked, a bit in shock.

"Yeah," I said. "You can calm down now."

"What are you doing here, Clara?" Loki asked, turning to me. "I thought I told you that I'd grab Shane and that we'd join you."

"I know," I said. "But I just had to come when I figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Loki asked.

"The first clue," I said, giving him a huge grin as I handed him my decoded paper.

He completely ignored the grin. I try my best to seem completely in love with him.

It's a bit too easy.

"You're right!" Loki exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Clara!" He grabbed me and started swinging me around. When we stopped I closed my eyes and leaned in for a kiss, but he slips away without noticing my motions and runs over to Sherlock to show him my paper.

I almost fall to the ground.

Inside, I gave a small smile to the amount of laughs that caused.

"Shane, look at this! It's amazing, isn't it! We need to go check it out right away! Let's go!" Without even giving Sherlock time to look at my notes, Loki ran off of Stage Left.

"He's never going to learn how to pay attention, is he?" Sherlock asked, sighing.

"No. He doesn't. And he won't," I said sadly, trying to (badly) hide the sadness on my face as Sherlock looked at me.

"Why do you do this, Clara? Just tell him that you like him!" Sherlock said.

"No!" I protested. "I can't!"

"I've known you a lot longer than Lorien has," Sherlock said. "I know what's going on. Why don't you just tell him?"

"I just can't, okay?" I said to him. "Please don't tell him. And come on, we need to catch up!" I ran off Stage Left before he could answer. He followed suit, and the lights dimmed.

Hey everyone. Sorry it's been awhile. Today is my birthday - it's been exactly a year since I've started this story (on Fanfiction.net). I'm seventeen now. I can't believe that it's been over a year since I started working on The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Thank you for all of your wonderful support. Here's a present! Uh, when words are sung, they're in italics (if you didn't already guess). 

Sweet dreams, everyone. :)

Chapter Text

Larkin's All I Ever Wanted is Now Up!  Yay!  I'm sorry it's bad.  Link is on 'I know that, but..." by Morgana, or here.

Scene Two

I waited on the side of the stage, waiting for the scene to change. The first act had four real sets, though I don't count the first one. The first set is, quite literally, an auditorium. Scene Two is part of the rooms that we use a lot in the next act. Scene Three and Four have the same set. And Scene Five has a different one.

I watched as Tony hit a few buttons and the set dropped from the ceiling. The way that we managed to juggle out the sets were amazing. The lights went up on the stage, revealing a small, but bare, room. Morgana stalked out from the wings, stomping on the ground. She did a very good job of being obviously angry. Lucy followed her onstage, ranting, "I cannot believe this! I ask you to do one simple task! One! It's not that hard to break into a mausoleum."

The audience laughed.

Morgana stopped walking away and spun on her heel to face Lucy. "I'm sorry, but-"

"No! No excuses!" Lucifer yelled. "It was a tiny, UNLOCKED, mausoleum."

More laughs from the audience.

"It was broad daylight!" Morgana yelled back.

The audience kept laughing as the conversation went on.

"SO?" Lucifer roared.

"Sooooooo," Morgana yelled, dragging it out. "People visit graveyards during the day! There was a funeral going on nearby! So, I'm sorry" (she said in a tone that was not apologetic) "for not breaking in to the mausoleum!"

"Do I have to do everything myself?" Lucy yelled.

"No! But you do have to break into the mausoleum!" Morgana yelled back.

"I hate you!" Lucy yelled.

"I hate you more!" Morgana yelled back.

The laughs settled down as both of them angrily looked away from each other. As they looked back at each other and started to lean closer, the laughs started up again.

They jumped away from each other. "Were you going to kiss me?" Morgana screeched.

"No! Were you going to kiss me?"
"No! I would rather die."

"Well, why don't you break into a mausoleum, then?" Lucifer asked, spreading his hands in exasperation.

I saw a couple of people fall out of their seats from laughing so hard.

"ARGHHHHHH!" Morgana yelled in frustration.

"I ask one little thing from you, Mira. One tiny thing. What is so wrong with you that you couldn't do this for me?" Lucy asked.

"Well, it's a long story-" Morgana tried to say.

"You're supposed to be helping me, and instead, you're not! You know what this means to me!" He continued.

"Yeah, Larkin, I do, but you're kind of taking it too far. I'm not going to break into a mausoleum in broad daylight, in the middle of a funeral!" she retorted.

"You know what this means to me, Mira!" He repeated. "This is all I ever wanted!"

The music started up.

"I know that, but…" Morgana protested.

He completely ignored her and started singing dramatically.

"It's all I ever wanted…. It's all I ever wanted….It's all I ever wanted since I was a child." He stopped and waited a few beats. "It's all I ever wanted…It's all I ever wanted…It's all I ever wanted since the day that I was born! From the day that I opened my eyes…From the first day I was alive….I've always known just what I wanted…I was never satisfied with what I'd gotten…"

He started the next verse. "It's all I ever wanted…It's all I ever wanted…It's all I ever wanted since I've known what wanting was…It's all I ever wanted…It's all I ever wanted…It's all I ever wanted since I've breathed because…From before I started to walk…From before I started to talk…I've always known just what I wanted…So I went, and went, and I plotted…To take over the world!"

Haha. The big reveal. God, he such a psychopath.

He does a very good job pretending to be a psychopath.

Almost too good.

"It's all I ever wanted. IT'S ALL I ever wanted. The only thing that I have wanted, Was to rule the world! I knew, someday, it would go my way…And I would rule the world!"

"It's all I ever wanted. It's all I ever wanted! No matter what I did, it never got me satisfaction. But I always knew just what I wanted, it's just time to put it in action! It's all I ever wanted! It's all I ever wanted! The only thing I ever wanted was to rule the world!"

He hit the note and held it, falling dramatically to his knees.

The song ended.

I started breathing again. It was the songs that I was worried about the most.

"You done?" Morgana asked, getting a few laughs.

"Don't talk like that about my musical number!" he said, staying on his knees. He crossed his arms. "I thought that it was a masterpiece," he said childishly, looking away.

"Sure," Morgana said, sarcastically, before resuming in her normal voice. "Well, now I know."

"Know what?" Lucy asked.

"That you've always been insane," Morgana said.

"Hey-" Lucifer protested, getting off his knees.

Morgana sighed. "Look, Larkin, I'll break into the mausoleum for you, but I'm waiting until sundown, okay?

"Fine. Have it done before the night ends. I want that clue."

Bruce dimmed the lights.

Hey everyone. I'll try to get one to you a day, but tomorrow might be tricky (I invited 25 people to my birthday party). I'm busy recording the songs right now. They aren't very good quality, but they're pretty decent if I do say so myself. When I say recording...I mean I'm recording me. I'm doing it all.

Duets are especially annoying, because I need to record it once in a high or low pitch, and then record it again with a different type of voice.

A couple of the big cast numbers are going to be extra tricky. Question - do you want me to post them as I finish, or when I'm done with all of them? Also, do you want the words? The parts of the songs where they speak, instead of sing. It's not done in this one, but in the previous one, for example, they (the characters) talk in between the lyrics.

There's not a song in every scene. There's three songs in the first act, two in the second, and...four? in the last act. I think. As I said before, I'm not done.

Please comment. :)

Sweet dreams.

Chapter Text

Scene Three

"Cas?" I asked him. It was almost the end of Scene Two.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Ask Bruce to tone it down, okay?" I asked him. "It's a bit too much."

He nodded.

"Got to go," I told him as the lights went down.

Tony flipped some switches and the set pieces switched as we came onstage and into our places.

The lights went up.

Me, Loki, and Sherlock (as Clara, Lorien, and Shane), were standing inside a mausoleum, opening coffins. Well, Loki and I were opening coffins. Sherlock was standing over near the edge of the stage where the door to the mausoleum was.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"Sure," Loki said, grabbing the lid to a coffin and starting to push it off. "What's the harm?"

That got a couple of laughs from the audience.

"Couldn't we have at least waited until nightfall to break into the mausoleum?" Sherlock asked.

"Where's the fun in that? It's more fun if we can break in in broad daylight. Besides, I'm impatient. I want the second clue." Loki had gotten the coffin lid to the edge and pushed it completely off.

That got a lot of laughs.

"How about you, Clara?" Sherlock said, turning to me for help. "Are you okay with this?"

"Fine, I guess," I said, walking over to another coffin.

"You're not freaking out, or anything?" he asked.

"No. If I see a spider, I'll just kill it."

Laughter rang through the audience.

"That wasn't what I was talking about!" Sherlock said.

"Oh?" I asked, picking up the coffin lid. "Then what are you talking about?" I moved the coffin lid to the ground and started looking inside. More laughter.

"Maybe the fact that we broke into a mausoleum and are opening up coffins with dead people in them?!" Sherlock said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some people fall out of their seats. Again. I think they're the same people that fell during the last scene. What was Bruce doing?

"Odd," Loki said. "I thought you would be fine with this, Shane. You've always been interested in gross stuff like this."

"You think it's gross, yet you're still opening up coffins?" Sherlock asked. He turned to me. "How are you handling this?"

"I dunno," I said, shrugging. "I guess I'm kind of viewing it like I'm on a television show, or something. This town is always so boring, and suddenly we get the chance to find treasure. I can deal with a few corpses, even if they are rotting and the bones have bleached over time."

People were starting to have trouble staying in their seats. Dammit, where was Bruce!

Sherlock tries to look sick. "You know that I was staying away from the coffins in order to avoid strong imagery, right?"

I heard an 'Oh, my sides!' from the audience.

Bruce…

"Yep!" I said.

Loki laughed.

Sherlock looked back and forth between us. "Wow, you guys are sadistic. I'm going to wait outside."

"No need," Loki said, examining the wall in front of him. "I found the symbol."

"I still don't want to see a rotting body!" Sherlock said.

"It's fine," Loki said. "It's not in a coffin." He held up an urn. "The symbol was behind this urn."

Sherlock and I joined Loki by the wall.

"Now what?" Sherlock asked.

"Ha!" Loki said. "You are interested! I knew it!"

"It says, 'the weight of the world will reveal it's next treasure.'" I said, looking at the paper in my hands. "I think."

"What do you mean, you think?" Sherlock asked.

"Well, it's in Latin," I said.

"What? Give me that!" he said, snatching the paper from me. "You're close," he said, reading over the Latin.

"You know Latin, too?" Loki asked.

"Who do you think taught it to me?" I asked.

"This is Archaic Latin, not Classical Latin, which is what Clara and I know. Though I do know a bit more Archaic Latin than she does…" Sherlock said, trailing off.

"So what's it say?" Loki said eagerly. "Come on…"

"'The weight of the earth will reveal it's next treasure.'" Sherlock read.

Loki looked back and forth between us. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"No. If it says Earth, they don't mean Earth as in the planet, they mean Earth as in ground," I said, leaving the two of them and wandering around the mausoleum.

Sherlock turned to Loki. "Clara's right. So now we need to find the ground…"

"What the hell does that mean? Loki asked.

"I'm guessing that there's some sort of rock or stone in here or nearby that has the same symbol, and once the symbol is pressed into the other one, we'll find the next clue," Sherlock explained.

"I found it!" I said, popping up from behind a coffin.

More laughs from the audience. But it wasn't as extreme as before. I started to breathe easier. Thank God, Bruce had started doing it.

"Here, Shane," I said, handing it to Sherlock. "You do the honors."

He put the symbol side of the stone against the symbol behind the urn. It fit like a mold and revealed the secret compartment underneath.

Sherlock pulled out the scroll inside the compartment and we all stared at it. He broke the silence. "It looks like another scroll. When you said treasure…are we looking for a treasure map, or are we looking for treasure? Because if we're not looking for the map, then I'm going to guess that we'll have to follow a long set of clues until we find the treasure."

"Yeah! This will be fun!" Loki yelled.

We waited a bit, staring at each other before I said, "We should put everything back where it belongs."

The audience laughed at that, but it wasn't that extreme.

I smiled to myself. Thanks, Bruce. I thought. We don't want people to know.

As we moved a few things back into their places, Sherlock said, "Wow, it's starting to get dark out. We were in here a lot longer than we thought."

"The sun will probably set in a few minutes. How about we head up to the hill to watch the sunset and read over the next clue?" I suggested.

"And let's get some ice cream to celebrate. It's the middle of summer, after all!" Loki said, slinging his arms over our shoulders.

We walked offstage, and the lights went down behind us as Morgana and Lucifer got ready for their scene.

"Hey, Cas?" I asked him as I passed.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for getting Bruce to tone it down," I told him. "We don't want him to stop, but a little bit is okay. Too much…and the audience might figure out."

He nodded. "I thought so, so I told him to reduce the amount."

I smiled and sat next to Loki.

Yeah. We can't overdo it. Or else the audience will realize we're pumping laughing gas through the vents.

Hey guys! Managed to get it in today! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Text

Scene Four

I took a deep breath next to Sherlock and Loki. It seemed like I was finally able to breath. The three of us didn't go back onstage until the second Act.

I watched as the lights went up on the mausoleum. Morgana was in the middle of it, looking like she wanted to pull her hair out.

"There's nothing here!" she screamed, throwing the urn in her hand across the room.

It hit one of the walls and broke.

The audience laughed.

I giggled as I remembered our rehearsals. We broke so many urns. And once, the urn didn't break, but the wall did.

Morgana kicked one of the coffins, which only ended up 'hurting' her. The audience laughed as she started to hop on one foot, grabbing the other. "Dammit! Where did it go?" she through the stone in her other hand across the room.

It hit the door.

I giggled again when I remembered the one time that Lucy had forgotten that there were two cues, the lines 'there's nothing here', and 'dammit! Where did it go'. He entered straight after the 'there's nothing here', line, and when Morgana threw the rock at the door, it hit him in the head.

"Mira, what the hell is all of that noise!" Lucy asked, entering. "I know you told me to stand guard, but the amount of attention that you'll bring with all of that noise is going to be ridiculous!"

The audience laughed again.

"There's nothing here, Larkin!" Morgana cried. "Someone else took it before us!"

"What?" Lucy asked, freezing.

"It's. Not. Here.," Morgana gritted through her teeth, before releasing the air and putting a hand to her head. "I doubt it was even here in the first place."

"Where was it supposed to be?" Lucy asked.

"There," Morgana said, gesturing to the place where the urn was. "It was originally hidden behind an urn, which is now in pieces on the other side of the room. We were supposed to line up the symbol here, behind the urn, with the symbol on the stone over there."

"This stone?" Lucy asked, picking it up. He walked over to Morgana.

"Yeah," she said, taking it from him. "When you match them up, it reveals a secret compartment." She demonstrated, lining up the stone. "But it's empty! None of this was probably real, Larkin. It was probably just some sort of joke that accidentally got passed down, and it became true. You know, like telephone."

More laughs from the audience.

"You're wrong," Lucy said.

"What?" Morgana asked. "Look, I know that you want to believe that the treasure is real, but-"

Lucy cut her off. "No, I meant the scroll. You're wrong about the scroll. It was here."

"What?" Morgana asked.

"Look at the dust patterns," Lucy said, pointing at the compartment. "It's heavy on the outside, but on the inside, there's a nice, clean spot. One that's almost in the shape of a..."

"Scroll," Morgana finished.

"That's not all," Lucy continued excitedly. "Because the layers of dust around the scroll are still heavy, and the place where the scroll was is clean, that means that someone else came and took it. They didn't take it long ago, either. At least, not long enough for the dust to settle. Chances are they live in this town, especially because the treasure is a bit of a legend among the older generation. This isn't a big town. We just have to find it."

They exited the stage.

"Rissa?" Sherlock asked.

Loki and I turned to him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What are we going to do about the Assistant Headmaster?" he asked.

I sighed. "I don't know. I was hoping the musical could buy us some time, but it's not that long of a musical…"

"Cause he's in the audience," Sherlock said.

"What?" Loki asked.

We all got close to where Sherlock was, peering out into the audience. He pointed at the Assistant Headmaster, who was sitting in the audience looking perfectly normal, not like a crazy psychopath who got stabbed in the heart fifteen minutes ago.

"Any ideas?" Sherlock asked.

"We could call the police," I said quietly. "After all, I was kidnapped and tortured. And they were going to kill me. Even though I have no wounds left."

"What?" Loki asked.

"They're all gone," I said to them. "I have no bandages on because I'm not hurt anywhere. I don't understand what's going on, but something is. But even though I have no evidence on me, per se, we still have the secret passageways and rooms and stuff."

"And we're just a bunch of kids," Loki said quietly. "You're right."

"If he's in the audience, then let's call the police later," I said. "Either during the third Act, or during Scene Four of Act Two, when Mira and Lyra have their duet. Or, quartet, if you include their past selves…?"

"Agreed," Sherlock said. "Now let's sit down. This is my favorite scene."

We sat down as Scene Five began.

UPDATE: The first song is up, people. Here's the link: https://soundcloud.com/the-real-narnia/sets/the-girl-who-lost-her-mind Please forgive the bad sound quality, no idea why it sounds like that it was a lot better when I exported it. Anyway, all was recorded by my mac without the built-in microphone, so that might have something to do with it. All voices are done by me.

I hope you enjoy.

Sweet dreams. :) 

Chapter Text

Markham's Song is now up.  It starts with the words, 'You called, Director Markham', by Merlin.  You can find it here or on the link on the song.  I apologize for King's high pitched female voice and for Ethan's Eeyore.

Scene Five

The lights went up on a room with an office. There was a desk in front of a giant fake window.

Mycroft was sitting in his seat with a newspaper up, blocking his entire face.

"This is preposterous!" he yelled, throwing the newspaper on the desk. He took his phone (one of the old fashioned spin dials) and started dialing a number.

In a small place next to the walls of the office, the spotlight comes up. There's a girl standing near a ringing phone on a small table. Isabelle picks it up. "Hello? Markham residence."

"Lyra?" Mycroft asked, "What are you doing at my parent's house?"

"Oh, hey Mark," Isabelle said. "They went out to dinner and asked me to house sit in their absence."

"Fine, you'll do," Mycroft said. "Tell me, what the hell is going on back in Sunny Springs?"

"What are you talking about?" Isabelle asked.

"In the newspaper," Mycroft said, fingering the paper on his desk, "it says that there has been some grave robbing and attacks?

"Oh, you're talking about the zombies," Isabelle said, finally understanding.

The audience sputtered out laughter.

"Zombies?" Mycroft asked, pulling away the phone and staring at it before moving it back to his ears.

Some people were cracking up.

"Yes! The zombie incidents!" Isabelle said, nodding even though Mycroft couldn't see her.

"Why on earth is it called the ZOMBIE INCIDENTS?" Mycroft asked.

"Well, we all know it's not really zombies, but there are grave robbings, and all of the attacks happen when people visit their dead relatives, so someone started calling them the 'Zombie Incidents'," Isabelle explained.

"Why hasn't Sheriff Gregson done anything?" Mycroft asked.

"He's out of town, along with Detective Samson," Isabelle said. That's referencing Sam and Lestrade as my past characters. "They told us that they were going to come back as soon as possible, but the place they're at is blocked off. They won't be leaving anytime soon."

"Don't worry, Lyra!" Mycroft said. "I'll send my best agents!"

"What?" Isabelle asked as Mycroft hung up, she pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. Shaking her head, she put it back on the stand and the lights on her set went out.

The audience laughed.

Mycroft redialed the phone, and said into the receiver, "Send in the King and the Rookie."

He got up and stood facing the totally fake window, with his back to the audience. Something I would normally say to NEVER do. This was just a very special case and there was a microphone to pick up his words.

The door opens and Merlin and Arthur walk in.

The music starts.

"You called, Director Markham?" Merlin asked.

Mycroft sighed, shaking his head, his back to the audience. "Didn't I tell you…" he started.

"Out with it, Mark," Arthur said impatiently.

Mycroft spun around. "Ever since the day that I was a child…I've always hated my name. Who the hell, names their kid Mark Markham? What's wrong with my parents, I cannot say. But when I started this job, I got an opportunity…to change me….I'm the head of MI6."

"No, you're the head of the Camelot division," Arthur muttered, loud enough for the audience to hear.

"And what does my name start with?" he continued. "There is only one thing to call me…and that is M. Ever since I was twelve years old," He started, "I saw James Bond and I could not hold, my excitement!" He put one foot on his chair, the other on his desk, and hopped down in front of it. "Cause there was a character, that only had one name. A letter that he was called by, and that was…M."
Next to me, Sherlock was cracking up more than the audience was.

Mycroft started shaking his finger at Arthur and Merlin. "From that day on, I swore to be like him. M is who I have become, so why won't you…call me M?"

He paused, waiting. The music continued.

"Why is he waiting, and just standing there?" Merlin asked Arthur. "And where the hell is this music coming from? I don't understand."

"He wants us to sing," Arthur explained.

"What? I'm not singing," Merlin said. "I'm not sin – I don't sing."

"Trust me, he won't stop until we sing. I would've started already, but he needs both of us to do it."

"What?"

"I'm serious. He's been bursting into song ever since I've met him."

The audience laughed.

Merlin took a deep breath. "Fine then. I won't call you M because M wouldn't burst into song."
Arthur, much more confidently, sang, "I won't call you M because M wouldn't make us sing along."

Mycroft glared at him.

Merlin continued. "I won't call you M because M wouldn't throw a tantrum."

"I won't call you M because…" Arthur paused, before speaking. "Dammit, man, why did you have to use the word 'tantrum'? Nothing rhymes with tantrum."

"Sorry."

"Oh, God, just stop," Mycroft crossed his arms in a 'cut it out' motion, and the music stopped. "Stop, we're done here."

He sat down in his chair behind the desk. "Your singing is terrible, and I don't like your reasoning. I do not throw tantrums, and you have no proof that M wouldn't burst into song."

Merlin and Arthur exchanged a glance. "Um, could you inform us of why you summoned us here? At such a late hour?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, yes. There is something I would like you to check for me," Mycroft said.

Merlin and Arthur exchanged another glance before Merlin asked, "Could you be a little more specific, sir?"

"Yes. Yes, I could."

The audience laughed.

Merlin and Arthur exchanged yet another glance before Merlin said, "So, the information, sir?"

"Oh, yes!" Mycroft said, as if he was suddenly remembering. "I need you to go to Sunny Springs and…take care…of their situation."

"Situation?" Merlin asked.

"Yes. The 'zombie attacks' as they call it. Someone's been robbing graves and attacking people," Mycroft explained.

Merlin shifted uneasily. "And…why exactly are you…sending your best agents on a case like this?"

"Because it's his hometown. Right?" Arthur asked. "I'm guessing this is off-record. You want us to do this as a favor."

Mycroft nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Alright, we will," Arthur said, "On the condition that you never burst into song around us or make us sing again."

"I'm afraid that I cannot fulfill the first condition," Mycroft said. "but I promise not to make you sing."

Merlin and Arthur exchanged glances and Merlin nodded, saying, "We'll take it."

"Thank you," Mycroft said, smiling, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. "This…" he said, scribbling on it, "is my friend's address. They'll let you stay there, so there's no need to check into a hotel."

"Thanks," Arthur said, taking it and walking to the door with Ethan. The light focuses on them, dimming on Mycroft.

"Hey, you never did tell me where the music is coming from," Merlin said.

Arthur sighed. "I've known the man for over a decade, and I still haven't figured out where the music comes from."

The audience laughed as the lights went out.

Chapter Text

Act Two

Chapter Text

Scene One

The curtains closed and we hurried onstage, Tony flipping the switches and pulling out our living room set.

I heard Cas's deep voice on the microphone. "Due to some unfortunate circumstances, we have to cancel intermission. We present you with Act Two."

We all got in our places.

Tony flipped up the lights.

Me, Loki, and Sherlock were sitting on the floor near several piles of papers. Isabelle was working on the adjacent kitchen, cooking something.

Arthur and Merlin stood on the 'front step'. The set was made with a side view, so you could see the porch. Then, there was the living room and kitchen, and two adjacent bedrooms. The bedrooms weren't actually connected to the living room and kitchen, because in some scenes, the bedrooms aren't there. But we'll get to that later…

Merlin mimicked ringing the door bell. Bruce played the doorbell sound.

"I'll get it," I said, getting up from the floor and wiping off my pants. I walked over to the door and opened it wide.

"Um, hello," Merlin said.

"Hello," I said, staring at them.

They didn't say a word.

"Well?" I crossed my arms. "Who the hell are you, and why are you on my doorstep?"

The audience laughed.

"We've been sent here by, um…Mark Markham?" Arthur said, as unconfidentally as Arthur could. He did a pretty good job...well, for Arthur.

"Oh, yes. Give me a second!" Isabelle said, putting down the pan in her hands. She ran next to me to the door, opening it wider and gesturing with her hands. "Come in, come in. I've been expecting you."

"Markham called ahead?" Merlin asked, stepping into the room, followed by Arthur. They took off their coats and put them on the coat rack.

"Not exactly," Isabelle said. The audience laughed. "He called me and asked me what was going on, and when I told him he said that he was going to 'send some people'." She made quotation marks with her fingers. "With Mark, that basically means, 'I'm sending people over and you need to let them stay at your house.' He didn't actually call ahead, and give me your names or when you were arriving or anything."

The audience laughed again.

"Yep," Arthur said. "Typical Mark."

I turned and walked back to Loki and Sherlock, sitting on the ground next to them.

"I'm Lyra Oswald," Isabelle said, introducing herself. "And this is my younger sister, Clara. I'm also her guardian. And these are her friends, Lorien and Shane." She gestured to Loki and Sherlock on the floor.

"I'm Lorien," Loki said. He jerked his head over to Sherlock. "That one's Shane."

"'That one'," Sherlock asked, lowering the paper he was reading. He glanced over at Loki incredulously. "I'm 'that one', now?"
"Well, it's not like you were going to introduce yourself," Loki said, shrugging.

"Maybe I was," Sherlock argued.

"Really?" Loki asked.

"No," Sherlock said, with a sigh.

"See?" Loki asked.

"Oh, screw you," Sherlock said, going back to his piece of paper.

"Stop it, both of you," I scolded them. "We have guests." I turned to Arthur and Merlin. "What would you like us to call you?"

"Since we're doing this as a favor, might as well drop the 'Agent'," Merlin said. "Call me Ethan."

"Call me King," Arthur said.

"Alright," I said, getting up from the floor. "Lucky for you, we have two guest rooms! Contrary to popular belief of everyone who lives in this town, Lorien and Shane don't actually live here, so you don't have to worry about sharing a room. While they do sleep over a lot, they usually stay in my room." I started walking towards the hallway that led to the two other rooms.

"Two guest rooms?" Merlin echoed. Arthur slapped his hand around Merlin's mouth.

"What was that?" I asked, turning back to them.

"Nothing," Arthur said, giving a big smile. Merlin nodded, his mouth still being covered by Arthur's hand.

The audience laughed.

"Alright…" I said. "Ethan, take the one on the left. King, the one on the right. I'll go help Lyra make dinner."

I left and walked back to the other room. The lights went down on the living room, keeping the bedrooms illuminated.

"Why did you quiet me, earlier?" Merlin asked, turning to Arthur.

Arthur sighed. "You're curious as to why they have two guest rooms, right?" He waited and watched Merlin nod. "It's probably because they already had one, but they converted the second one when their parents died."

"Oh," Merlin said in understanding. "Good save."

The lights went up on the living room and kitchen and went down on the bedroom set.

"Dinner's ready!" Isabelle called.

"Coming!" I yelled back at her. "Just give us some time to clean up." Loki and I start picking up papers. Sherlock doesn't.

"Shane?" I asked him.

"Hey guys," he said nervously. "Um…I found the next clue."

"What?" Loki asked. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed Sherlock and dragged him out the front door.

The audience laughed at him, running off before he even knew where he was going.

"Hey, we figured out the next clue, so just have dinner without us, 'kay?" I told Isabelle, grabbing my keys and running out the door.

As I run off stage through the door, Merlin and Arthur enter from the bedrooms.

"Where did all of the kids go?" Merlin asked, looking around.

"They won't be joining us for dinner," Isabelle said.

"Odd, did something come up?" He asked.

"Oh, they just found another clue," Isabelle said, waving his worries away.

"Clue?" Arthur asked, furring his brow.

"Yes," Isabelle said. "The kids have been on a 'treasure hunt'." She made quotation marks again. She cupped her hands together. "I think it's adorable. It's a nice way for them to occupy their time this summer."

Arthur and Merlin exchanged a look. "Where did they go?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know," Isabelle said, shrugging. "They didn't mention."

"Where have most of the clues been?" Arthur asked.

"The cemeteries, mostly," Isabelle said. She put her hand to her chin. "But I believe that the few most recent ones have all been in historical places."

"Like what?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, like the old boathouse, and the theatre," Isabelle said, opening the fake oven and looking inside. A smell of freshly baked bread filled the auditorium. She put on some oven mitts. "Surprisingly enough, they haven't gone to the old museum yet, which used to be the first mayor's house."

She missed the look Arthur and Merlin exchanged as she brought the bread out of the oven.

"If you'll excuse us, Ms. Oswald - " Merlin started.

"Oh, please, call me Lyra," Isabelle interrupted.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, Lyra, we need to check a lead," Merlin said, grabbing his coat and leaving after Arthur (who'd already grabbed his coat).

"Okay…" Isabelle said, turning around with the oven stone with bread on it, staring at the door they had left through.

The audience laughed.

She sighed. "More bread for me." She put the oven stone on the table and pulled off her oven mitts when the phone rang. Isabelle walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello, Oswald residence, Lyra speaking." She waited as someone 'picked up on the other end'. Her face visibly brightened. "Oh, hello sweetie! Oh, really?" she listened as the person she was speaking to 'talked'. Our mother used to say that phone conversations were a very tricky part of acting; if it was one sided, because you had to pause while the other person spoke. "You think you found one? The museum! Wonderful!" she paused and waited. "Yes, I will see you later. I love you. Good luck!"

She hung up, and the lights went out.

Sorry it's been so long guys. My school computer deleted some of my music files and my regular computer wasn't connecting to the internet and we can't use Fanfiction or AO3 on the school computers because they're labeled as 'porn'. But I promise that they'll start popping up again soon! Sweet dreams :)

Chapter Text

I do want to warn some people that this scene is very complicated. Because it's hard to keep up with, I recommend going to the Wikia I created for this fanfiction.  This is the article on the Musical. It's the-girl-who-knew-too-much. wikia .com If you type 'Musical' in the search, or look in the Wiki Content section, it should be under the 'in-story creations'. Scroll down until you hit this scene, and click on the picture to enlarge it. You're probably going to need it, especially if you're visually oriented.   'Welcome' (the song) is also on Soundcloud here or on the links with the words, "i'm so confused," by Rissa.  I'm sorry that no one sounds like their character.  Except maybe Thor...

Scene Two

Isabelle scrambled off the stage and Tony dropped the second set down. Using controls, he moved the other set (the one of the Oswald house) to the back of the stage.

I couldn't help but smile, bouncing on my feet. If this wasn't my favorite scene in the whole play, it was definitely my favorite scene in Act Two.

We all waited behind the stage as the lights went up.

Me, Loki and Sherlock entered the scene through the door in front of us.

We stepped into the museum room.

The room itself was very bare. There were a few paintings and artifacts on the walls, but that was it.

What was special about the room were the doors.

There were eight doors in total.

There were three on the second floor and five on the first. The three doors on top led to a balcony. There was no set of stairs; it was on the back of the set.

There were six doors in the middle, each one aligned with the one above it. The other two, on the first floor, were on the outer edges of the set.

Here are some terms, so you understand.

Stage – view from stage

House – view from audience.

If something is Stage Left, then, when you're standing on the stage facing the audience, it is too your left. This is House Right. If you were standing in the audience, facing the stage, this same item would be on the Right of the stage.

Luckily, I forsaw the confusion while writing this scene and built a visual. I also painted all of the doors different colors. The top three are Red, Orange, and Yellow, in that order, if you're viewing it from the House. The Upper Mid-Stage Right Door is Red, the Upper Mid-Stage Door is Orange, and the Upper Mid-Stage Left Door is Yellow.

On the bottom half of the set, we have Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple, and Pink, in that order if you're viewing it from the House. The Bottom Stage Right Door is Green, the Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door is Cyan, the Bottom Mid-Stage Door is Blue, the Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door is Purple, and the Bottom Stage Left Door is Pink.

Ah, visuals. What would we do without them?

Well, we'd probably be really confused…

"Are you sure it's in here?" Loki asked. We had just entered from the Pink Bottom Stage Left Door.

"Yes, it's the only place it could be!" Sherlock said.

"He's right," I agreed. "Plus, it's one of the only old places left in town."

"Do you think this is the last one? Last clue, I mean?" Loki said, quickly covering up when he realized his mistake. I stifled a laugh. I'm actually surprised he managed to make it this far without screwing up his lines. But it was close enough, and served the same purpose.

"No," Sherlock and I said simultaneously.

"Plus, it's not the prize, it's the journey that matters, right?" I asked.

"Yeah…" Loki said.

"Okay," Sherlock said, glancing down at the scroll in his hands. "I think it's this way." He pointed and we crossed the room until we reached the Green Bottom Stage Right Door, opening it and walking out.

Before our door even closed, the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door burst open.

"I'm telling you, it has to be here!" Lucifer yelled.

"I agree that it's in the museum, but we already checked this room," Morgana said, exasperatedly as she followed him through the door. "What about that one?"

She pulled Lucifer through the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door. As they were exiting, Merlin and Arthur entered from the Yellow Upper Mid-Stage Left Door.

"How did we even get on the top floor?" Merlin mused aloud.

"I have a better question. How come there isn't a staircase anywhere?" Arthur said, sighing as he pulled Merlin through the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door.

This brought a few chuckles from the audience.

Thor entered through the Red Upper Mid-Stage Right Door. "They said she went this way…" he said, before turning and exiting through the same door.

As the door is swinging closed, the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door slammed open, and Merlin ran out. "I'm telling you, I saw someone suspicious!" he yelled, running over to the balcony and looking around. He stopped when he realized that room was empty. "There's no one here."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Arthur said.

Cue the laughs.

"But I could have sworn…" Merlin muttered.

"Come on," Arthur said, grabbing his arm. "Let's find a staircase."

More giggles from the audience.

As they exited through the same door (the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door), the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door burst open.

"Oh, big surprise," Lucy said, stomping through. "It wasn't there!"

More giggles. I smiled from the place I was hiding behind the set. I wanted this scene to go over well.

"Shut up!" Morgana yelled at him. "It's not in here, either! We checked it already. Let's try this door!" She exited through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door. Lucifer followed.

Loki, Sherlock and I entered through the Green Bottom Stage Right Door.

"I guess it's not in there," I said. "Let's try another door."

I walked over to the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door. Loki and Sherlock followed.

As we exited, Thor entered through the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door. "I think she went this way…" he said, as he exited through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door. As soon as it closed, the Purple Door burst open again.

"I'm telling you, I saw him!" Merlin said. "He's a tall, muscular blond!"

"Sure, Ethan," King said. "Well, at least we're on the main floor."

"But where did he go?" Merlin asked.

"Uh, just pick a door!" Arthur said. When Merlin didn't move, Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm and pulled him through the Green Bottom Stage Right Door.

As it was swinging shut, the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door opened. "Oh, would you look at that?" Lucifer said. "It wasn't in there, or this room either!"

"Oh, well why don't you choose a door for a change?" Morgana roared.

The audience laughed.

"Fine!" Lucifer shouted, marching towards the Pink Bottom Stage Left door.

Sherlock, Loki and I entered from the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right door.

"Maybe it isn't here?" Sherlock asked.

"No, it has to be!" Loki yelled. "The clue says it's in the museum. Let's try another room."

Sherlock and I exchanged an exasperated look before following Loki out the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door.

The audience laughed.

"Oh, would you look at that!" Morgana said, drawing the words out. She followed Lucy as he entered through the Pink Bottom Stage Left Door. "I guess you…can't. Pick. A. Door. Either!"

The audience didn't stop laughing.

"Oh, shut up, Mira!" Lucifer said, whirling around and facing her.

"Why are we even looking for the damn treasure, again?" Morgana yelled.

"Because it will help me take over the world!" Lucifer raged back, sounding every bit as insane and crazy as he was supposed to.

"How is finding a treasure going to help you take over the world?" Morgana shouted at him.

"Trust me…" Lucifer said. He smiled calmly. "This is all going according to plan." He turned and started walking to Green Bottom Stage Left Door.

"Good," Morgana said, following him as he opened the door. "Now, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT THE PLAN IS?"

The audience roared with laughter as they left the room.

Merlin and Arthur entered through the Yellow Upper Mid-Stage Left Door.

"How did we get on the top floor again?" Arthur asked, crunching his forehead.

The Red Upper Mid-Stage Right Door opened, and Thor walked out.

"Never mind that," Merlin shouted, giving Arthur a slight slap on the arm. "That's the man I was talking about!"

They stared at Thor. He grabbed the nearest thing to defend himself with.

Which just so happened to be the sword hanging on the wall.

Merlin reached for his gun before grasping at air. He looked down, cursing. "Damn! No gun."

"I don't know who you people are…" Thor said.

Arthur grabbed the nearest thing to fight with.

Which just so happened to be another sword hanging on the wall.

They were part of a set.

The minute Arthur grabbed the sword, Thor took it as a sign of a threat, and attacked with the sword. Arthur blocked it with his sword and slipped his sword out from Thor's, creating an attack of his own. Thor easily blocked it and swung his sword around towards Arthur's face. Arthur moved back to avoid the blow, but didn't realize where he was. He hit the edge of the balcony and fell off.

The audience gasped.

Arthur hit the floor and was relatively unharmed. His sword clattered to the ground a few feet away. Thor hefts himself over the railing of the balcony and fell to the ground, landing on his feet. As he attacked Arthur, Arthur grabbed his sword and used it to block an attack that would have taken his head off otherwise. Merlin scrambled on the balcony, trying to go over the railing and hit the bottom floor. As he was climbing down, Arthur started fighting back, parrying Thor's attacks and gaining the upper hand. As Ethan reached the bottom, I entered through the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door. As Arthur disarmed Thor and went for a harmful blow, I ran over to them and yelled "Stop!" I planted myself in front of Thor, throwing my arms out.

The Purple Door opened again and Sherlock and Loki entered.

"Clara, what are you doing?" Merlin asked.

"What am I doing?" I asked. "What are you doing? This is my sister's fiancé!"

"Not to mention my brother!" Loki yelled, coming up beside me.

"Oh," Arthur said, lowering his sword.

The audience laughed, breathing easy now that the fight was over.

I sighed, lowering my arms. "Why don't we all just go home and talk this out?"

"No," Loki protested, turning to face me. "We can't go without the next-"

"Found it!" Sherlock said, holding up a scroll. The audience chuckled. He hung the picture frame it was tucked into back on the wall.

"Okay, so we can go…" I said.

"No," Thor said. We all turned to face him. "I am trying to find someone."

Just as he finished speaking, Lucifer and Morgana entered through the Green Bottom Stage Right Door. Morgana, who was in front of Lucifer, froze when she saw Thor.

"YOU!" She screeched.

"MIRA!" Thor said, perking up.

"Run, Larkin!" Morgana yelled. She grabbed Lucy's hand and ran back towards the Green Door. "RUN!"

"THIS IS NOT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN!" Lucifer screeched as he was pulled through the door.

The audience roared with laughter again.

The lights dimmed, and the music started up.

"I'm so confused." I sang.

"What's going on?" Loki asked.

"Why are we here, singing this song?" Merlin finished.

"I'm so confused," Sherlock sang.

"Who are we chasing?" I asked.

"I have a question, why are we singing?" Arthur finished.

"I'm so confused," Loki sang.

"I'm full of wonder!" Thor exclaimed.

"Why are we singing a musical number?!" Merlin and Arthur demanded.

We all ran to the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door, exiting. The music built up until it was time for our cue. Loki, Sherlock and I ran up the steps. Loki burst the Red Upper Mid-Stage Right Door open. "Welcome to Sunny Springs!"

"Where all we do is sing!" I finished, entering from the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door.

Sherlock entered through the Yellow Upper Mid-Stage Left door. "Maybe it's something in the water."

"That makes us break out into alma maters!" I finished, and we all exited through the same doors we entered.

As we left, Arthur entered through the Pink Bottom Stage Left Door, and Merlin entered through the Green Bottom Stage Right Door.

"We're not the ones who sing!" Arthur sang.

"This is our boss's thing!" Merlin continued.

The met at the middle of the stage and exchanged glances, before crossing each other.

"I've never been this outrageous!" Arthur sang.

"Oh God, I hope it's not contagious!" Merlin sang, and he exited through the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door, and Arthur exited through Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door.

The audience laughed some more at Merlin's terrified look.

Morgana and Lucifer entered through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door. "Oh God, I'm going crazy, come on we need to run!" she sang, pulling at Lucy's hand.

"Mira, I'm so confused. What are we running from?"

I, along with everyone else, entered from the Pink Stage Left Door.

"There they are!" I shouted, pointing at them.

"Alright, time out!" Morgana shouted, crossing her hands in front of her.

The music stopped and completely changed. We stopped running.

"Now let me set things straight." She said, with no real music except for a few beats. "I'm stuck here in this town I hate. With this idiot-"

"No I'm not!" Lucifer protested.

"It's legitimate," she said, holding up a hand. The audience laughed. I guess they really loved the Mira/Larkin hate relationship. "Stuck with all these memories, who swarm my head like a hoard of bees. I think that I've gotten sick, and lost my mind because of it. I jumped aboard the crazy train, and my sanity went down the drain. And here I am running from my past, and all these lies, they cannot last. So now my words shall ring true-"

"Just spit it out, would you," Everyone sang/yelled at her.

"I was getting there, dude. Don't interrupt, it's rude. Never again was I to see you," she pointed at Thor. "I say 'don't follow', but still, you do. Truth is I was born and raised, in this town, let it be praised," she gave a harsh laugh sarcastically. "A grave that spit out my bones, born into the Oswald home. The youngest of twins, truth be told, but all this new has gotten old."

"What? No it's not!" I interrupted. "I feel like you all forgot, what was going on here, because it's a little queer."

"Truth be told, that may be so," Morgana interrupted again. "But look! It's Godzilla!" She pointed behind us.

The audience laughed.

We all whirled around to see what she was pointing. With our backs turned, she grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled him through the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door.

"Hey, that doesn't rhyme!" Loki said, returning to the original beat. The audience laughed again.

"Oh, yeah, it's such a crime!" Sherlock said sarcastically, snorting.

"Crime sure, it may be so," I said. "But…"

"Hey wait, where did they go?" Arthur asked.

"After them! Come on, run!" Merlin commanded.

"Split up and meet back when we're done!" Thor suggested, and we nodded and ran off. We each ran to our own doors and exited, except for Merlin and Arthur, they both went to same door.

The music did the same build up. Morgana entered from the Red Upper Mid-Stage Right Door. "Welcome to Sunny Springs!"

"Where all we do is sing!" Lucifer finished, entering through the Yellow Upper Mid-Stage Left Door. They both exited through the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door.

Loki entered from the Pink Bottom Stage Left Door. Sherlock entered from the Green Bottom Stage Right Door.

"Maybe it's something in the air!" Loki sang.

"That makes us start singing everywhere!" Sherlock finished.

I entered through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door.

"We've got treasure and thieves!" I sang.

"And no bumblebees!" Loki finished.

The music paused and both Sherlock and I turned to look at him.

"What?" he asked. He shrugged. "I'm allergic."

The audience giggled.

We stared a bit more before continuing. "We've got treasures and secrets!" I continued.

"We wish you could have keeped it!" Merlin said, entering from the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door. Arthur entered from the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door.

"Why'd we get dragged into this?" Arthur asked.

Thor entered from the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door, and walked over to the balcony which was, miraculously, unbroken. "Ignorance isn't bliss," he said softly and sadly. He deep tenor struck a chord that brought tears to a few people in the audience.

The music slowed down and we all hung our heads. As we did so, Morgana and Lucifer peeked through the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door.

"There they are!" Sherlock shouted. "Get them!"

The music sped up until it reached that crazy ridiculous old fashioned music they use when they sped up silent film. Morgana and Lucy closed the door and we all ran in after them.

They quickly ran upstairs, and entered through the Red Upper Mid-Stage Right Door and exited through the Yellow Upper Mid-Stage Left Door. We all followed suit. We ran back downstairs and Morgana entered through the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left and exited through the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right. She was chased by me, Loki, and Thor. As we left the stage, Lucy ran through the Green Bottom Stage Right Door and exited through the Pink Bottom Stage Left Door. He's chased by Merlin, Arthur, and Sherlock. As they exited, we all ran out through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door, and were chased by Morgana and Lucifer. Halfway across the stage, we all stopped.

"Wait a second!" Loki yelled, and we turned around and chased Morgana and Lucifer back through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door. The audience chortled with laughter. Then I, Loki, and Sherlock entered through the Purple Bottom Mid-Stage Left Door, and exited through the Green Bottom Stage Right Door. Arthur and Merlin entered through the Red Upper Mid-Stage Right Door and exited through the Orange Upper Mid-Stage Door. Thor enters through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door and exits through the Cyan Bottom Mid-Stage Right Door. Morgana and Lucy entered through the Pink Bottom Stage Left Door.

"Come on!" Morgana shouted, grabbing Lucifer's wrist and pulling him offstage. They both ran into the audience and exited through the door.

We all entered through the Blue Bottom Mid-Stage Door.

"Where did they go?" Sherlock asked.

Arthur gestured towards the audience.

"Hey, no fair!" Loki yelled shaking his arms in a rant. "That's cheating!"

The audience laughed as the lights dimmed.

Hey everyone. Sorry it's been awhile, but I LOVE this scene and it needs to be perfect. Now, let's see... school is almost over, which means that soon I'll have to turn in my school computer. Unfortunately, all of the music is being construed on it, because that's the only device I have with Garageband. That means that whatever is not finished by June 1st, will not be finished until I get my computer back at the start of the next school year. The next scene should pop up very soon, it won't take long. And WHERE DID ALL OF MY COMMENTORS GO? I NEED REVIEWS PEOPLE! I'M STARVING TO DEATH HERE! Thank you to all of the newbies who have joined the Fans Who Knew Too Much Train late, but are still riding! Please enjoy!

Also, I think that everyone reading this will be joyed to hear that with this chapter, we have passed the word count of it's predecessor, The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

Goodnight, everyone. Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Scene Three

We exited the stage and Tony pulled the set back up. He pulled the living room set from Act Two, Scene One, forward again, this time without the adjacent bedrooms.

We waited in the wings as the set settled into place.

The backdoor to the stage opened, and Morgana and Lucifer entered, returning from their little run through the audience.

We smiled at them.

They smiled back and gave us a thumbs up.

As the set finished moving, the rest of us scrambled onstage.

The lights went up.

We were all sitting in the living room; Merlin was sitting in an armchair, and Arthur stood behind him, leaning against the wall. Thor and Isabelle sat together on the loveseat, with Isabelle curled into the crook of Thor's arm. I was sitting on the counter, swinging my legs back and forth. Sherlock sat near my feet, and Loki sat next to me on the counter, except he was sitting Indian style. He was eating a granola bar.

"Okay, I think that we're all missing some information," Arthur said, not bothering to look up from his position. Leaning against the wall with crossed arm, a pair of sunglasses and leather jacket wouldn't look out of place. "So we would like all of you to start explaining." He raised his eyes and met Thor's across the room. "You're first."

Thor gave a nod and sat up straighter, as Isabelle straightened next to him instead of burrowing into his side. "Well, it all started around two years ago…"

As he finished his sentence, the lights went down on the living room. They went up on the empty space adjacent to the set. It's (somewhat) set up like a park. There's a bench and a tree, it's not much. Tony, Loki, and Dean wanted to do this huge thing, with a forest, a bridge and a playground. It wasn't until I practically yelled at them that it was just a flashback and that there was no need to go overboard. If anything, we should dull it down and put some soft lights on the scene to make it seem like…well, a flashback.

So that's what we did.

The Mistress sat on the bench, sitting on the edge as if she was waiting for someone to come sit next to her. There was an open book on her lap.

Clint walked onstage. "Excuse me?" he asked her. She looked up from the book. "I know this is an odd question, but can I paint you?"

"Yeah, that is a weird question," Missy said, but she marked her page and closed the book. "I'm gonna need you to explain."

"I'm an art student, and my newest assignment is to paint something that catches our eye."

Missy raised an eyebrow. "And I caught your eye?"

"Yes," Clint said bluntly.

Missy shrugged. "Sure, I guess. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," Clint said, sitting on his knees, his side facing the audience. He looked at Mira and brought out a canvas and paints. "Just sit there and read."

The lights dimmed on them and rose on us.

"That was the first day I met Mira," Thor finished.

"Yeah, but who is Mira?" I asked him impatiently.

"I'm getting there," he said.

The lights switched again, illuminating the park.

"I'm done," Clint said. He got up the ground, shyly clutching the canvas. "Do…you want to see it?"

Missy smiled. "Yeah."

Clint moved the painting around, in order to show to Missy and the audience. Loki had painted it during our breaks. I originally didn't intend for there to be a painting, and to hide it behind blocking, because I didn't think we would be able to create one that was well enough. I never should have doubted Loki. During break on rehearsal, I would usually sit on the bench in the 'park' and look over the script and it's correlation to my blocking notes and light and music cues. I asked everyone to not bother me, and they agreed that while break is for…break, we should still do something, usually something to profit the play. Sometimes they would just do miscellaneous activities, or schoolwork. Arthur and Thor would practice the swordfight during breaks a lot. But I never knew what Loki did during break. The week before Hell week, he gave me a gift.

"Rissa? I have a surprise for you," Loki said.

"Hmm?" I asked, looking up from my notes. There was a sandwich half in my mouth. I swallowed and asked, "What's up?"

"I have a present for you," Loki said, holding something behind his back.

I smiled at him. "While I have no idea what the occasion is, I can never turn down presents."

"Good," he said, shoving it into my arms. I was staring down at a beautiful painting of a dark-haired girl reading on a bench in the park.

I stared at it. It was the perfect visualization of the painting I had pictured in my mind. "You…you made the painting. And…IT'S PERFECT!" I put it next to me on the bench and threw my arms around Loki. "Oh my God, thank you, I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!"

He almost fell to the ground from my tackle, but he managed to stay upright. He smiled. "I'm glad."

"But when did you make it?!" I asked, letting go of him. "How did you make it? It's not like I let you and Missy go and sit in the park for hours, reading on a bench and painting."

He laughed. "No, you didn't, but you sat on a bench in a…," he glanced around the set, "park…for hours. I painted it during break."

"You...used me?" I asked him, staring at the painting so he couldn't see my blush. He had used me as a model. Something bloomed in my chest, and I felt amazing.

We were interrupted by the twenty-minute timer that set the break. Some people groaned, some of them laughed, but everyone got up good naturedly.

"Yeah," Loki said. "I used you. After all, you were practically asking me with your dark hair, by sitting on the set."

I smiled at him again, before clapping my hands. "Alright everyone. We're gonna take it from Act Two, Scene Three. We've got a new prop, and I've got to change some blocking!"

Now I watched as the same painting was shown to Missy and the audience, who gasped with pleasure at the sight of the painting.

"Wow," Missy said, voicing the audience's thoughts. "It's beautiful."

Clint blushed, something he didn't reveal he was capable of until this past week. "Thank you." He hesitated. "I…I was wondering if we could keep in touch? I would love to use you as a model more."

"Okay. I'm Mira, by the way."

"I'm Caleb," Clint said, smiling.

The lights switched again, going down on the adjacent park. As the lights came up, Thor said, "After then, I met Mira regularly, until one day, when she just disappeared. By then, I had started making a name for myself, as both a painter and a photographer. I was hired by a dance studio to take pictures of the dancers. That was when I met Lyra, and learned the whole story. This was about a year ago."

Our lights dimmed and the others went up. They illuminated a new set, one of a ballet studio. There was a set of mirrors, and a bar attached to them.

Natasha was stretched out on the bar. She had let slip a while ago that she was taking Ballet as an extracurricular, and since it also aligns to Dance and Figure Skating, which Isabelle is in, I decided to make Lyra a dancer.

"Hello, I'm Caleb," Clint said, walking into the room. "The studio hired me to photograph you. Would you like to see some of my work before I start taking pictures?"

Natasha stopped stretching and stood up. "Sure."

"These are some of my best, with my friend who used to model," Clint said, handing her a file of pictures. "Actually, you look a bit like her."

Natasha opened the folder and stared at them. She dropped the file, and the pictures cluttered to the floor. She didn't move. "Do you still have contact with this person?" she said quietly. But even though it wasn't loud, the entire auditorium heard it. They were all on edge.

Good.

Clint dropped to the floor and started picking up the pictures. "No," he said, gathering them up. He put them in the folder but didn't stand. He looked up at Natasha. "Why?"

"Because she's my sister," Natasha whispered. "And she's been missing for years."

"Woah! Woah!" I shouted, standing up. The lights switched back on us perfectly, which made an inner version of me jump with glee. We'd finally gotten the transition right. "Hold it right there! What. In the hell. Are you two talking about?"

"I never told you," Isabelle said calmly. "But we have another sister. She's my younger sister, and she's also my twin. She ran away from home when we were really young."

"What. The. Hell?" I repeated.

"Anyway," Thor continued, blatantly ignoring my grievances. "That's how I met Lyra. Eventually, we fell in love, and I had myself and my younger brother, Lorien, move here. He's in my custody. And we've been looking for Mira ever since. I actually just got back in town, following a lead on her."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," I shouted. "We are not getting off this topic. You don't just neglect to tell me that I have a sister. Who the hell does that?"

"Clara, calm down," Thor said. "Mira dropped the Oswald name a long time ago. I'm sure you can understand why Lyra would never tell you about a sister who despises this family and everything it stands for. She didn't want to make you upset."

"What?" I asked. "No, I can't understand-"

"Well, I'm sorry, but we need to move on. There are more important matters at hand."

I stood there sputtering.

"Well, I'm sorry that I got in a fight with you. With a sword." Chuckles broke out in the audience. Arthur broke my stuttering silence and Loki pulled me back onto the counter beside him. My legs weren't swinging anymore. "To be fair, you seemed suspicious and you did grab a weapon first. As an Agent, we need to take that as threatening."

"I understand," Thor said. "But to be fair, the two of you seemed very suspicious too."

"Okay," Loki said. "So, some things are starting to make sense, but who was that guy she was with?"

"Larkin Blackwood," Merlin said, propping his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. "He's criminally insane."

"What the hell is my sister doing with a psychopath?!" Isabelle screeched.

The audience laughed.

"What is a psychopath doing in town?" Sherlock asked, looking at his toes.

The audience continued laughing, more so when they watched Sherlock look up after the silence and notice everyone staring at him.

"What?" He asked. "It's a perfectly logical question. Why would a psychopath come to town?"

"Maybe they want the treasure," I joked.

"What treasure?" Merlin asked, frowning.

I laughed a bit. "Nothing, just a joke."

"Actually…" Loki said slowly. "I think you're right. I think they're after the treasure."

"What. Treasure?" Merlin asked.

"It's rumored that there's a treasure hidden somewhere in town, and that there's a set of clues hidden that leads to them," Sherlock explained. "We've been on the trail. But I'm guess that they're right behind us."

"How could they, if they don't have the previous clues?" I asked.

"Maybe they're just checking the oldest places in town," Loki suggested.

"Wait…" Isabelle said slowly, horror dawning on her face. "Did you say…Larkin. Blackwood?"

"Yes," Arthur said. "What about him?"

"Oh, God," Isabelle said, collapsing back into the couch. "He's back." She threw her arm over her eyes.

"You know him?" Merlin asked, looking up.

Isabelle sighed and sat up. "Yeah. Mira and I knew him when he was a child."

"So you were friends?..." Thor asked.

Isabelle gave a harsh laugh. "No," she said. "I wouldn't say that."

The lights extinguished on our side of the stage. The other half illuminated, once again back to it's park interior. Natasha and Missy are playing on the ground, acting as childish as they can.

"Oops," Moriarty said, entering. He gave little shrug and said it in a completely unapologetic manner.

"What did you do?" Natasha asked immediately, dropping her toys and standing up.

"I didn't do it," Moriarty said, obviously lying. "It just….happened."

"What. Happened?" Natasha said through grit teeth, obviously used to this type of behavior.

"Here," Moriarty said, tossing a backpack towards Natasha and Missy.

Natasha opened it, gasping and throwing her arm over Missy's eyes. "Don't look, Mira!" she yelled.

"Why?" Missy said, sounding small and scared. "What is it?"

"It's your cat," Moriarty said slowly. He shrugged. "He's dead."

Missy started crying. The lights illuminated back on the house.

That was all the lines that Moriarty had. To tell you the truth, after watching him do these lines, I was to scared to give him any more.

We all sat in our circle, extremely quiet.

Loki broke the silence. "He put a dead cat…in your backpack?"

"Yes," Isabelle said quietly.

"Did he kill it?" Sherlock asked.

"I don't have proof," Isabelle said, "but I'm almost positive."

There was silence as we all stared at each other.

"Drum!" Merlin exclaimed in the silence.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" Arthur asked, giving him an odd look.

"Drum!" Merlin said excitedly.

"Dammit, Ethan, care to elaborate?" Arthur said, stepping away from the wall. The audience laughed.

"You said that nothing rhymes with 'tantrum'." Merlin said, pointing at Arthur. "'Drum' does. So does 'bum' and 'come' and 'dumb' and 'gum' and 'hum' and 'Mum' and 'numb' and 'rum' and 'some' and 'strum' and 'um' and 'yum'."

The audience was roaring now, and Loki and I just added fuel to the fire.

"You forgot 'done'," Loki said.

"'Done' doesn't rhyme with 'tantrum'," I said, rolling my eyes and giving Loki an exasperated look. "But, Ethan, you did forget 'from'."

Arthur stared at us with an incredulous look in his eyes. He moved his gaze over towards Merlin, and said, "So not the time, Ethan. Soooo, not the time. And anyway, they don't really rhyme with 'tantrum', they just rhyme with its last syllable."

"Talk about off track," Sherlock murmured, before he sighed and got us back on track. "So now what?"

"We follow the trail," Loki said, picking up the paper on the counter. "We figure out the clue, and wherever it leads," he lifted his gaze from that paper towards us, "we follow."

The lights went down.

Told you it would come quick! Might be a couple of days until the next one. I'm going to try and finish as many songs as I can before Monday. And thank you to my lovely reviewers! :)

Sweet dreams, everyone.

Chapter Text

Hey everyone. I just want you to know that Larkin's All I Ever Wanted, Markham's Call Me 'M', and the large cast number 'Welcome' are all on Soundcloud. Link is here  or on my profile page. In addition, this song is up as well. Oh, and I also did Shane's Requiem for a Dream. Enjoy.  Song starts with Morgana's, "All I Ever Wanted".

Scene Four

We exited the stage, and Tony banished the set.

I turned to Isabelle and Morgana. "You guys ready?" I asked them quietly.

They both nodded. Isabelle had pulled off her apron and had her dress underneath. Morgana had changed during Scene Three.

"Places," I told them.

I moved over to the side where Loki, Sherlock, and Harry (who was now in full costume) sat. I gave a small snicker at his ridiculous robes. He gave me a glare that said, "You made this stupid costume, don't laugh at it."

My snickers got louder.

Then my smile faded as Cas looked at me and whispered, "Are we skipping this intermission, too?"

I nodded. I slipped over to the side and pulled out my cell phone. I quickly dialed 911. The minute I heard someone pick up, I said, "The administrators at Ashford University are criminals who are trying to kill some of their students who discovered their secrets."

I hung up, and lowered the phone back to my pocket, my eyes watching Morgana and Isabelle get into places on different sides of the stage. Morgana stood on Stage Left, and Isabelle stood on Stage Right.

"Now," Cas whispered.

The lights went up, but it was only one.

The spotlight shined down on Morgana, but it came from directly above her instead of from the light booth. It shrouded her in a silhouette as she to sing with the first few notes of a song.

"All I ever wanted," she began. "Was to see the sun. All I ever wanted was to be loved by someone. All I ever wanted was to not be the 'other one'. All I ever wanted with this family was to be done."

It was a reprise of Larkin's crazy song, except it actually had depth and meaning in it. And of course, the only thing they had in common was the phrase, "All I Ever Wanted,". Just about everything else is different.

Her spotlight dimmed (barely noticeable), and another one went on directly above Isabelle. "All I ever wanted," she sang. "Was to stop you that night. All I ever wanted was for us not fight. All I ever wanted was to show you the light. All I ever wanted was you back in my life."

She began to walk towards the middle of the stage, with Morgana crossing in order to stand a bit behind her towards the stage left.

Morgana started her chorus, "My name is Mira, because I'm your mirror. I'm nothing more than your reflection." She turned towards Isabelle and raised her hand after Isabelle did, demonstrating the mirror. "My name is Mira, because I'm your mirror. When it comes to you, I'm always second. My name is Mira, because I'm your mirror. I just want to step out of the shadows, of you." She stepped out from behind Isabelle, where she had moved. "My name is Mira, because I'm you're mirror. I am my own person, too."

Isabelle turned and faced Morgana. "My name is Lyra, but I'm not your leader. But your older sister, I still am. My name is Lyra, but I'm not your leader. I just want to do what I can. My name is Lyra, but I'm not your leader. I've always loved you, why can't you see? My name is Lyra, but I'm not your leader. Why couldn't you be happy with me?" With her last words, Isabelle reached out towards Morgana, who jerked away.

"My name is Mira, but I'm not your mirror," Morgana sang, turning her back on Isabelle. "I am who I want to be. My name is Mira, but I'm not your mirror. I am me. My name is Mira, and all I ever wanted was my freedom. My name is Mira and all I ever wanted was to be loved by someone."

As Morgana slowly walked away, Isabelle followed, singing. "All I ever wanted was to be with you. You were a part of me, it was always just us two. All I ever wanted, was to prove you're not unwanted," she reached out towards Morgana who moved away, and Isabelle collapsed on her knees. "But now I am exhausted. It's all I ever wanted."

"All I ever wanted was friends and family, who simply loved me for being me. All I ever wanted, was to not be forgotten. Even now, I'm still haunted," Morgana turned and exited the stage, singing her last line. "It's all I ever wanted."

She left Isabelle sitting there on the floor as the lights came on and I ran onstage clutching the clue. "Lyra!" I shouted. "I figured out the next clue! And guess what! It says that it's the last one!"

The lights went down.

REVIEW! especially on the songs, those are the ones I'm really worried about. I'm not the best singer in the world. Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Act Three

Chapter Text

Music is on Soundcloud. Playlist is here or on my profile page. This song starts with "There's magic in the air."  It can be found here or below.

Scene One

As the curtains closed and our new set settled into place, Cas's voice came over the speakers. "Excuse me, but it seems that we will be skipping the second intermission as well. Please remain seated as the third act is about to start."

There were a few grumbles in the audience, but no one really moved.

"Ready?" I asked Harry. He nodded.

The curtains opened.

Our new set was the 'town square'. There was a fake statue in the middle of it, and a backdrop of 'city hall'. There was also a bench and stuff. Harry stood in front of the statue in his ridiculous magician costume.

The audience quieted down, looking at their playbooks as they realized that this was the last character.

He started to sing. "There's magic in the air! There's magic everywhere!" as he sang, he danced around, pulling a bouquet of flowers out of his shirt sleeve and a rabbit out of his hat. "Dance around; I've cast a spell! Spread word of me, please, do tell! I'll pull a rabbit out of your hat, And money from your pocket!" The audience laughed. "Step right up, step up to bat, And you'll –" he was interrupted before he finished.

"Boo!" shouted Dean from offstage. "Boo!"

"Okay, I get it!" Harry shouted.

It really was a terrible song.

Dean threw a loaf of bread at him from the wings.

"I'll stop singing!" Harry shouted back, the music shutting off.

The audience laughed again.

I laughed and stepped forward from behind the statue. "Did you ever think that you would have more fans if you didn't sing about stealing their money?"

As the audience laughed a third time, I realized that they forgave us for getting rid of intermission. Again.

"I just want to be honest," Harry moaned. "And I'm not stealing it from them."

"Sure," I said, raising my eyebrows, clearing not believing him. I sighed and stuck out my hand. "I'm Clara."

He took it and shook. "Mystogan."

I dropped his hand and lifted it to my mouth to cover my snort. "Mystogan?"

"What?" he asked.

"There's another reason you don't have any fans," I said, laughing, the audience following suit.

"Hey!" he protested. "I…I do too have fans!"

"Sure you do," I said, rolling my eyes in disbelief. The audience laughed. "You know, your height might have something else to do with it."

"Are you calling me short?" he said dangerously.

"That depends. Do you want me to call you short?" I asked. He gave me an odd, blank stare. The audience laughed. I sighed, continuing, "Anyway, I'm here to offer you a chance to gain some more. Fans, that is. How does that sound?"

He smiled. "What do you have in mind?"
I hesitated, before scratching my head with a bit uncertainty. "Well…it…might require breaking the law," I warned.

The audience laughed. They laughed even harder at Harry's response.

"I'm in," he said immediately. The lights dimmed.

So, uh...I kind of don't know what happened...but here's the rest of Test Two. Enjoy!

GIVE ME REVIEWS AS A PRESENT PLEASE. 

Chapter Text

Scene Two

The reason I already called the police is because the Third Act is really short. While there are six scenes, (more scenes than in the other acts), and three songs, it's still extremely short. The last two scenes are only songs, and the first one is only about three and a half minutes. The second one is only about two minutes. And of course, there was the first scene you just witnessed. Extremely short.

The Second, Third, and Fourth Scenes are longer, but they still pass quickly. There are only a few lines of dialogue – I think that this scene is the longest. I think that this is the shortest Act.

When the lights came back on, Loki, Sherlock, and I, were in front of the same set (the Town Hall set). Sherlock and I were sitting on the bench and Loki was standing, pacing. Lucy and Morgana were standing in the near the stage right wing, extremely conspicuous and obviously spying on me, Sherlock, and Loki. Harry was in the back behind the statue, setting up some sort of magic box, in the background but not really there.

"I figured out the last clue," I said in a normal voice.

"What?" Sherlock said at a much louder volume. "I can't believe you figured out the last clue!"

"Any louder, idiot?!" Loki yelled at him. "We don't want people to FIND THE TREASURE BEFORE US!"

Morgana and Lucifer moved closer as the audience laughed.

"Anyway," I continued in my normal voice, "it's at the town hall inside of the statue." The three of us turned to look at the statue behind us. "Let's go tonight when they're clearing out. Mystogan," I jerked my head towards Harry, "that out of town magician, will be there all day. We should take it when he's done."

"Unfortunately, this means that it will be completely unguarded until we take it," Sherlock commented.

"It's a still a great idea!" Loki said. ""I'll go tell the others!"

He turned and ran offstage.

Morgana and Lucy were clearly arguing, but they both nodded, agreeing on who knows what, before exiting the stage.

Sherlock and I relaxed, taking in deep breaths.

"They bought it," Sherlock said.

"Yeah," I said, slumping across the back of the bench. I slung my arm over my eyes. "But the two of you were way too obvious." Luckily, my shirt didn't muffle my words.

"Yeah," Sherlock said.

There was some quiet silence where I sat there resting, while Sherlock fidgeted next to me.

"Clara?" he finally asked.

"Yeah?" I asked, not moving.

"Why do you love Lorien?"

I was quiet, unmoving, before I answered. "I don't love him."

Sherlock snorting. "Could've fooled me."

I sighed, taking my arm off my eyes and sitting up. "I don't know."

"Why you love him?" Sherlock asked.

"If I love him," I corrected. "I do know why, though."

Sherlock waited for me to continue.

"For the same reasons," I said quietly, but the audience heard every word, grasping at my lines like it was a lifeline from their sinking seats.

"What reasons?" Sherlock asked.

"The same reasons someone loves anyone," I said sadly. "Because you love their smile. You love their laugh. You love how you can make them laugh. I love the good, I love the bad. I love his bad habits, like how he nibbles on his thumb when he's thinking. I love his good habits, like how he always tries to hold open doors for people. I love his excitement, and how rash he is when something new happens. I love the way he falls asleep in the middle of watching something, and the way he pretends that he didn't, and that he actually knew how the entire movie or show goes. I love the way he'll make things up in order to make it seem like he's paying attention, even though we both know he wasn't. I love the expression his face will get when he plays a prank on you, and I love the way how he laughs so hard he can't even breathe when the prank takes hold. I love the way he'll wake us up in three in the morning when he can't sleep and he has something or an idea he needs to share."

"You love that?" Sherlock asked. The audience laughed, but quietly.

"Yeah," I said, giving him a sad smile.

"You never act like it."

"Well, yeah," I said giving him an exasperated look. "Who the hell likes waking up at three in the morning?"

The audience laughed loudly now.

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said," I said. "I don't like being woken up at three in the morning. But when he's excited, and when he's including me in that excitement, I don't care anymore. I love how he'll accidentally write the lyrics to a song he's listening to instead of what he's supposed to be focusing on. I love the way he lives."

"What about the way he loves you?" Sherlock asked. "Do you love that?"

I stared at him, giving him a betrayed look. "Screw you, Shane," I stood up and stomped off face, trying to hide my tears before utterly failing.

"Oh, come on Clara!" Sherlock said, getting up. "I'm sorry! It was only a joke! It was a low blow, I admit! I'm sorry!"

He ran off of the stage after me.

The audience was surprised to see the lights still on.

Loki stepped around from behind the statue in the town square, showing that he heard every word.

The audience gasped.

"Loves me?" he whispered, his voice echoing through the auditorium.

The lights went down.

Chapter Text

Scene Three

The lights went out, and when they came back on, they were dimmer, and contained a purplish tint to them.

It was night.

It was the City Hall, again, and Harry was standing way in front of the statue, facing the audience who was his…well, audience.

Me, Loki, Sherlock, Merlin, Arthur, Isabelle, and Thor all peeked out from behind the set. We ducked back in as Morgana and Lucy entered, looking awkwardly casual.

The audience laughed.

"Watch the amazing Mystogan magic tricks!" Harry shouted. "Wallah! A card trick! Watch me make them fly!"

He tries to shuffle them and they went everywhere.

The audience laughed.

"Give me a second!" Harry shouted, quickly clearing up the cards. "Ah…technical difficulties…"

As he 'performed' for the audience, Morgana and Lucy moved closer to the statue.

"Alright, I got it!" Harry said. "Let's try it again!"

He tried it again, and while the cards still go everywhere, it looked slightly more magical.

"Wallah!"

Morgana and Lucifer were standing right next to the statue now. They bent down and picked up two pickaxes that magically appeared out of nowhere, and started demolishing the statue.

Harry remained completely oblivious.

Merlin and Arthur started to sneak onstage first. We followed.

"And now, I will pull a rabbit out of my hat!" Harry announced, taking off his hat. Behind him, the statue was almost completely demolished. He still didn't notice, looking inside his hat before shouting. "OH MY GOD! MY RABBIT! HE'S DEAD!"

The audience roared with laughter.

Distracted by Harry's cry, Morgana and Lucy look up, during which Merlin and Arthur slap a pair of handcuffs on each of them.

"You're under arrest for destruction of property," Arthur said. He didn't read him his Miranda Rights because this is not taking place in America (MI6, remember?).

With the finesse of an escape artist, Larkin slips out of his handcuffs and starts to run away.

"Get the criminal!" Merlin yelled.

Harry looked up and waved his hand.

The lights all blared bright, before fading back to normal, revealing a giant hand that grabbed Larkin out of the set.

Bruce played fake applause until the audience got the hint and started applauding for real.

"Woah, Mystogan!" I shouted as the applause died down. "That was amazing!"

"Why, thank you," Harry said, bowing. He pulled a rose out of nowhere and handed it to me.

"How did you do that!" Loki yelled, looking back and forth between the giant hand and Harry.

Harry smiled. "Magic."

"No, but where's the trick?" Loki asked.

"It's magic," Harry said.

"Fine, don't tell me," Loki said, crossing his arms.

There was a round of slow applause as Mycroft entered from the shadows of the Stage Right wing. "Wonderful!" he said. "You've apprehended the culprits!"

"Director?" Merlin asked, looking around like music was going to start playing any second. "What are you doing here?"

"I felt like it was time for me to swoop in and save the day," Mycroft said, before sighing. "But, alas, it seems that our little magician here has beaten me to it."

"Don't call me little!" Harry growled.

"I don't think he was talking about your height, Mystogan," I said.

"Unfortunately, our flight back doesn't leave for another two hours-" Mycroft said.

"What flight?" Merlin interrupted. The audience chuckled.

Mycroft went on like nothing was said. "-So it seems that we'll be staying here! Why don't we throw a party to celebrate!"

"Celebrate what?" Merlin asked. The audience laughed some more.

"Uh…" we all turned and saw Sherlock, standing over an open treasure chest. "You guys might want to see this…"

"Oh my god, I almost forgot the reason why all of this happened in the first place," I cried. "What's in it, Shane?"

"Uh…" Sherlock said, standing over the chest. He pulled out a big scroll.

"Oh…" I said. "So that last clue…wasn't actually the last clue? There's more?"

"Uh…." Sherlock turned the clue around.

In the middle of the scroll, in large, letters, were the words MADE YOU LOOK!

The audience was roaring, and they continued laughing for the rest of the scene.

"You've got to be fuc-" Loki started.

"What the hell?" I shouted, interrupting his curse. "Damn old bastards messing with us from beyond the grave! This isn't funny!" I shouted at the sky (ceiling) and shook my hands in the air.

"Let's have a party anyway!" Mycroft said.

"Eh…why not?" Sherlock said.

"Party at Lyra's!" Mycroft said, leaving the stage.

Isabelle sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not?"
The lights went down.

Chapter Text

Scene Four

When the lights came back on, it displayed the set of the Oswald house. The bedrooms were attached, and Morgana and Larkin were tied up in them. The rest of us were all in the living room.

"Hey, Mystogan, what's your real name?" I asked Harry.

"Hmm? Oh, Eric Weiss," Harry responded.

I threw back my head and laughed. "Well, I will admit that 'Mystogan' sounds better for a magician."

"Yeah," Harry said sighing. "You don't have to tell me."

There was a ding! as a timer went off, and Isabelle shouted, "Brownies are ready!"

"OH!" Harry yelled, running off.

Loki laughed, coming up next to me. "Weird guy, isn't he?"
"Yeah," I said, chuckling and shaking my head.

"I feel like he's trying to be a magician, but he's also trying to not bring attention to himself," Loki said.

"That doesn't make any sense," I told him.

"Yeah, I know, but it still feels like it," Loki said. "That trick he did, to capture Larkin – that's some hard core Houdini-level stuff. If he can do things like that, then why is he concentrated on card tricks and pulling a rabbit out of a hat?"

"Yeah…" I said, my voice dragging on. "But…no…what…that's ridiculous…it couldn't be…" I drifted off as a thought occurred.

"What is it?" Loki asked.

"Speaking of Houdini…what was his real name again?" I asked him.

"Erik Weisz," Loki answered. "Why?"

"Mystogan's real name is Eric Weiss," I said.

Loki almost dropped the drink he was holding. "What…you don't think…"

We both turned to look at Harry, who was laughing with Isabelle and Thor. "Houdini did say he'd come back…" I said quietly.

We exchanged a look, before saying simultaneously, "Nah."

"Sooooo…." Loki said, fidgeting a bit. "I…was…wondering…."

"Yeah?" I asked him.

There was a gasp as the audience realized was what happening in the adjacent rooms. Lucy had gotten free from his bonds again.

"Well…" Loki said. "Since it's still summer…."

I heard someone in the audience shout, "NO!" as Lucy grabbed a gun.

"And we don't have the treasure…" Loki continued.

"Yeah?" I asked him.

Lucifer was nearing the door now.

"If maybe…you would like to…go…"

Lucy opened the door, gun first.

"…on a date?" Loki finished.

Before I can answer, Lucy aimed the gun at me…

And pulled the trigger.

Loki's screams of "Clara!" rang out through the auditorium as the lights went out.

Chapter Text

Song is on Soundcloud. Playlist is here  or my profile page.  Song starts with the words "this is a story".  Link can be found here or below.

Scene Five

When the lights came back on, the stage was empty, except for a lone grand piano. I walked onto the stage, quietly and slowly. I was wearing the same clothes, except there was a big red stain on my chest. I sat down at the grand piano and began to play.

I played the first few notes before I began to sing.

"This is a story…of love and light. This is a story of hate and despite. This is a story, of adventure and might! This is the story of my life." My soft voice filled the room.

"Love, I should have told you…all these years ago. Just how much I loved you…we could have made it so! Love I should have loved you…with all of my might! Oh love you should've been mine, every day and every night."

Some people in the audience were crying.

"Tell me, should I…apologize? Tell me, should I…apologize? Tell me, should I apologize? Tell me, should I apologize?" I sang as an interlude.

"I could say I'm sorry, but you wouldn't even hear. I could say I'm sorry for everyday, of the year! I could say I'm sorry, but we still can't go back." My voice lowered. "I could say I'm sorry, but it doesn't change the past."

"This is a story of love and light. This is a story of hate and despite. This is a story of adventure and might. This is the story of my life. This is the story of how I died. This is the story of my life. And love, I loved you, that was not a lie."

There was sobbing as I finished the song.

"This, was the story of my life…."

The darkness filled the stage once more.

Chapter Text

Song is on Soundcloud. Playlist is here  or on my profile page.  Song starts with, "I would be your eyes".  Can be found here or below.

Scene Six

The lights went back up, revealing a grave.

Everyone (Merlin, Arthur, Mycroft, Isabelle, Thor, Harry, Sherlock, and Loki) stood in front of my grave.

Mycroft left first, and was followed by Harry.

After that, Merlin and Arthur left.

Thor left next, and then Isabelle did.

Sherlock and Loki stood in front of the grave.

"Lorien…" Sherlock said quietly. "You have to come inside."

"Later…" he said. He stared down at the grave. "I'll come in when the storm passes."

"But it's not raining…" Sherlock said.

Some tears rolled out of Loki's eyes. "Yes. It is."

Some people in the audience let out a sob.

"Oh," Sherlock said, before turning in and leaving.

Loki stayed there, staring at the grave, and began to sing.

"I would be your eyes; I would be your ears. I'd love you all throughout the years," His voice was low, but it was heard throughout the entire auditorium; it was as if everyone were holding their breath. "I'd save your dreams, I'd fight your fears; I'd wipe away all of your tears." He knelt down in front of the grave. "Please do not cry. Just close your eyes. I'll fight the darkness deep inside. You will not die; spread your wings and fly away to paradise."

He stood up, continuing the song. "Every day and night, I loved the light that I saw deep inside your eyes. At the end of the day, when I'd speak and I'd say I love you, I promise those weren't lies. I would fight your fears. And wipe away your tears." No one dared to breathe as the next lines were sung. "I've loved you all throughout the years."

He stood up and turned, looking at the sunset behind him. Using a projection, we projected my image from backstage, and I gave him a sad smile.

"I've loved you all throughout the years."

I disappeared, and the sun 'set', throwing the theater into darkness.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Seven

I watched as the curtains opened once more and everyone ran to take their bows. I had debated on what song to use for the bows – I was stuck between Join in on the Hunt and Welcome. Join in on the Hunt was our opening number, and Welcome is the closest thing to a cast number. I finally decided on Join in on the Hunt – It was our opening number. It should be our last.

Harry and Mycroft went first. Then Isabelle and Thor, who were joined by their past selves. Then Merlin and Arthur. Then the Mistress and Lucy, followed by their past selves. Then it was our turn.

Along with Sherlock and Loki, I ran onstage and we made our bows. When we entered, the audience stood up, and gave us a standing ovation. Then the whole cast came together to take one big bow. Then we gestured to our stage crew, who ran onstage, and then Bruce in the lighting booth. He flickered the lights. Then we all took one big bow.

I looked at Loki, exhilarated. This was amazing.

It wasn't just my acting that had caused this feeling. I was responsible for creating this show.

This was more than amazing. This was one of the happiest moments I'd ever had.

And then it was ruined.

"He's getting away!" A cop yelled, and the Assistant Headmaster got out of police custody and ran onto the stage. I have no idea when the police got here or when they apprehended the Assistant Headmaster, but I knew that if he was running towards the stage, then whatever he was planning wasn't good.

Sometimes I really hate being right.

He pointed a gun at me (no idea where he got that, either…maybe he stole it…) and I was brought back to one of the first few days that we were working on this musical.

Chapter Text

Congratulations.  You have now unlocked CHAPTER SIXTY SIX. Continue, reader.

Chapter Sixty Six

I sighed, putting my head back on my pillow. We had finished with the meeting and all went back to our rooms, agreeing to reconvene at dinner.

I was still trying to figure out how to set up the musical.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, his hands hanging over the ladder on the bunk bed. He lay on the bottom bunk, facing me. "Still got writer's block?"

I sighed. "Mr. Perceptive today, aren't you?" I sat up and straightened my pillow, putting it between my back and the headboard. I grabbed my laptop and opened it again. "Yeah. I've been stuck on some things."

"Well, why don't you rethink the type of musical?" Loki asked.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, looking at him.

"Well, we agreed on a dramedy, right? Well, why don't you end it with a tragedy?" Loki suggested.

I stared at him, wanting to ask him why he had a change of heart, but when I opened my mouth, I said, "Why are you whispering? We're the only ones here."

It was true. John had stayed behind to talk to Doctor Strange in Medical, Harry was with Merlin and Arthur, and Sherlock was….well, who the hell knows where he is. Does he even know where he's going?

"I was thinking that we could keep it a secret," Loki said. "Make it a surprise."

"Okay, but what are you suggesting?"

"One of us dies," he said immediately.

"Why us? I mean, I don't mind it," I added. "But why us?"

"Because we're the lovers," he said. "And it would be tragic if one of us would die for the other at the end."

"Alright, but which one of us?"

"Why don't we draw lots?" he suggested.

"Okay," I shrugged.

I took out a hat and cut up a piece of paper into a bunch of tiny slips. On one I wrote "You're dead." And the others were all, "You're fine."

"What are you doing?" Sherlock asked, walking into the room.

"Drawing lots on which one of us dies," I said, pulling out the first slip. "Blank," I answered.

"My turn," Loki said, pulling out a paper. "Blank."
"I'm assuming that you changed the mind about having a dramedy and are deciding which one of you will die for the surprise tragedy," Sherlock said, sitting down on John's bed. Loki and I were sitting on Loki's bed.

"You're correct," I said, pulling out the next one. "Blank."
Loki pulled out another one. "Blank."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Sherlock said, voicing the words from earlier I never asked.

"Rissa was having trouble again," Loki said. "And have you ever heard the phrase, 'Writing Block? Kill a character.'?"

I laughed. "That's good. It actually explains a lot of the books I've read and the shows I've seen. Oh, and blank," I said, observing the next slip.

"Where've you been, Sherlock?" Loki asked, drawing another slip. "Blank."
I was starting to get annoyed with myself for cutting the paper into so many small pieces.

"I forgot my violin," he said, pulling the instrument out of it's case from under the bed. "What?" he asked, responding to the silence.

Loki and I were staring at him. "You play an instrument…." I started. "And you FORGOT TO TELL ME! YOU SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE MUSICAL TALENT YOU IDIOT!"

"I'm not an idiot!" Sherlock said. "I'm a high functioning sociopath."

I laughed. "No you're not. You may act like one, but you aren't. And even if you were a sociopath, that wouldn't mean you're smart, even if they are smarter than the average person. You're smart, Sherlock, but sometimes, you don't sit down and think." There was silence for a bit until I added, "Blank."

Loki reached for the hat and asked, "Why don't you play something for us, Sherlock? We need to hear how you play."

"'We'?" Sherlock asked. "Are you working with Rissa on the musical now."

"Yes," Loki said.

"And yes, it is fine with me, despite the fact that it was never clarified until this very moment," I chimed in.

Loki had the intelligence to look chagrined at that, but perked up as he read the slip. "Blank."

I sighed and reached for the hat. "Well, Sherlock? Are you going to play something or not?"

"I…okay," he said. And he started to play Requiem for a Dream. He managed to shift between the different melodies that are usually covered by an entire orchestra on one violin. Everything from the slow beginning, to the regular melody, to the epic middle, and back to the first two to complete the song.

Loki and I sat there staring at him, waiting for him to finish the song. When he was done, we applauded quietly. "Wow," I said softly. "That was really good. You should have told us earlier."
"Thank you," Sherlock said, quite manneredly, and for the first time, I saw his gentlemanly upbringing. "What did you get?" he asked, gesturing to the slip in my hand.

I glanced at it and grimaced. "Death. Looks like I'm the one dying." I had been so involved with Sherlock's music that I hadn't even seen what was on the slip.

"Hahaha," Loki said. "I get to live!"

"You guys are so childish," I said, rolling my eyes. But I was laughing too, at their ridiculous personalities. "Alright, let's figure this out. We can plan this out, and Sherlock can provide music while we work. After all," I eyed Sherlock. "You were going somewhere to practice, right?"

He nodded.

"Alright," I said, standing up and stretching. I was feeling refreshed. "Let's do this. I think we should work backwards, now that we've decided that we die in the end."

Loki nodded. "I think you're right."

I brought my laptop over to him, and we laid side by side in his bed, looking at our plans so far on the screen. I added Rissa dies at the end to the list.

"How's that for a title," I joked, pointing to my newly typed sentence.

Loki laughed. "It's nice, but it might be giving too much away. Let's work on a title last."

I laughed. "Got it. Now we should start working backwards. I die. Why do I die?"

"You sacrifice yourself to save everyone else," Loki suggested.

"Okay, but it needs to be more complicated," I said. "Well, no, I mean that we need to evaluate on how I die, too. Do I fall to death? Do I drown? Do I burn? Do I suffocate? Am I stabbed? Shot? Strangled? Come on, we need to be more specific here. Who kills me? Why do they kill me? Are they forced to? Are they trying to kill someone else, and I get in the way? We need to be more specific."

Loki seemed to be a bit shocked. "Right. Much more planning than I thought. Let me think for a bit."

I sat there waiting for him to gather his thoughts. Over on the other side of the room, Sherlock was pulling out sheet music.

"Okay," Loki said, finally speaking. "I think it should be one of two things; you die doing something heroic, or accidentally."

I raised my eyebrows. If he was going where I thought he was, this was a very good idea indeed. "Explain."

"Well, of course there's the heroes course, which would probably be something like taking a bullet for someone else. That person would either be me, as your lover, or someone who isn't a very good person, like a villain. Because you're a good person, you could die for a villain, and the person who was going to kill them could be a friend. Maybe even me, if we have too. The second option would be accidentally. For instance, as soon as everything is done, and all is well, you die by an accident."

I stared at him. "Those are really good ideas. But I have a third one."

"What's that?"

"Just when everything is over and done, a villain takes a gun and shoots me. When we're celebrating our victory. We could either have them shoot me, or have me die for someone else, either you or a villain that betrayed the other villains and joined our side."

Loki stopped, thinking. "I really like that idea, but I think that they should just shoot you, for a personal grudge or whatnot. I don't think that we should make it heroic, because then it's even sadder. Especially if I notice that you're going to get shot, but I can't save you in time."

I nodded. "So it's settled. We celebrate our victory and the villain get's their hands on a gun and shoots me. You notice and try to take the bullet but you're too late. But what about our love thing? I think it would be really tragic if my love for you was unrequited, and you didn't realize your love for me, or how much I loved you until I was dying. And if we do the unrequited thing, than we should also never get to kiss."

We smiled at each other. "It's perfect!" We said in unison.

We were still staring at each other when Sherlock interrupted us. "That's creepy, you know."

We laughed. "Says the guy who can tell your life story with one glance," I teased.

He sighed exasperatedly and went back to his violin, starting to play another song. But I could tell, even from looking at the back of his head, that he was smiling.

We all were.

And, despite the fact that we were all special kids at a crazy school, we felt like just a group of normal friends.

We spent the rest of the day in those places, writing the play, listening to Sherlock's music, and laughing.

All was well.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Eight

I froze, staring down the end of the gun, my past words echoing through my ears.

She dies.

I don't want to die.

I can't die. I'm only fifteen, goddamn it! I'm not allowed to die right now.

I haven't even had my first kiss yet.

First kiss…

My eyes widened as I remembered what I told Loki. "And if we do the unrequited thing, than we should also never get to kiss."

Never get to kiss.

Never get to kiss.

Never.

Get.

To.

Kiss.

I stared down the gun. I could be shot any second, just like Clara.

So I did what was probably the last thing anyone held at gunpoint would be expected to do.

I turned to Loki, grabbed his shirt, and brought his lips to mine.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventy Nine

As our lips touched, a wave of power flew throughout the auditorium.

When I opened my eyes, we were still all standing in the auditorium, but it was different. It was completely empty. There was no audience, no cops. It was just the group of us, but even then, it wasn't all of us. Mycroft, Lestrade, and Morgana all vanished. Everyone else all stayed on the stage.

We were still in our 'child' bodies…but it didn't matter.

Our bodies might be different, but our minds were the same.

I exchanged looks with Loki.

Somehow, our kiss had reawakened our memories. It had 'broken' the spell, so to speak.

The façade of a school disappeared, until only those of us that were real remained. Mycroft, Lestrade, and Morgana were probably pulled out of their universes, and returned when their purpose was served.

The same slow clapping we'd heard from Mycroft earlier echoed throughout the empty auditorium, but it wasn't Mycroft clapping.

It was Darkness.

The man – no, the thing that shoved us in here, that approached us in the school, the Headmaster, whoever the hell Darkness was – was standing in front of me once again.

I didn't dare try to attack him this time.

He smiled again, the same sickly smile he gave last time. A foul, sinister smile that cheered for chaos. It filled me with dread, and I began to feel nauseous.

"Congratulations!" It shouted, throwing its arms (?) into the air. It laughed again, a torturous laugh that grated on my nerves and gave me a shiver no amount of heat could stop. "You've passed your first test!"

"You bastard!" I said again. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because it's fun," it said. "You've noticed the difference, yes? Between the first time you regained your memories and this one? If you can do it on your own, it's harmless. However, every time you fail, it will take a toll on you. You don't need to pass six tests to pass the level. You need to pass six tests to live. If you fail more tests than four…let's just say that there are some fates that are worse than death. But hey, more fun for me…."

I shivered, and I felt rather than saw our entire group move closer together. Even Lucifer, Missy, Moriarty, and Isabelle moved closer.

I tried to push Isabelle out of my mind. We'd been sisters again, and it had felt so good.

With reality dumping a bucket of ice water on me, it felt like I had killed her all over again.

"Now, I believe that I've already explained the rules last time, but let me clarify again for everyone else," Darkness said, throwing his hands into the air and spinning around, gesturing around us. "Welcome to Level Two!" He said it like it was a game show.

Then again…he probably saw this as a game show, with him as the host.

"On Level Two, you will be put through a series of ten tests! You've gone through two so far – you've lost one, and you've passed one. If you lose a test, the reaction on your minds and bodies will be harsher every time. In the first test, a majority of you died, so you don't really remember."

It smiled again, and I knew what it was going to do before it did it.

"NO!" I shouted, running for it.

Loki grabbed me, his voice in my ear. "Rissa, no!"

"Let me remind you," Darkness said, snapping it's fingers.

A wave of power echoed through the room, and even though it was returning my memories or turning my mind into mental pudding, I still felt sick, and weak.

I fell backwards, and Loki caught me, lowering me to the ground. Looking down at me, shivering and twitching on the floor, he stood up and turned towards Darkness. "Why is it effecting her so much worse?!" he demanded, but his desperate plea still showed itself through his tone.

"Well, you changed her entire bodily composition from a human to an Asgardian," Darkness said. "Maybe she isn't…adjusting well."

It smiled again.

"You sadistic bastard," I whispered from the floor. He hadn't seemed nearly this scary when he was nothing more than the Headmaster.

But then again, he wasn't showing his true colors.

He wasn't showing his true Darkness.

"You've really got to get a new comeback!" Darkness said, smiling and walking closer. Loki backed up and stood in front of me. "'Bastard' just isn't having the same effect it used to, though I believe that's the result of you over using it."

I looked away from him, and my gaze landed next to me. Near me was Sherlock, also on the floor, shaking like crazy. As bad as the mind invasion affected me, it was probably much, much worse for Sherlock.

"Sherlock," I said, reaching out and touching his shoulder. His head snapped up, and his eyes meet mine. They were crazy, and wild. I was brought back to the last time I had seen him this young, back when I went to school with him. "Sherlock, it's me, Rissa. Please, breathe," I whispered, dragging myself closer to him. I hissed as I got sicker.

The primitive instincts shining through Sherlock's eyes faded, and his cold intelligence came back. Those eyes warmed at the sight around us. "Rissa?" He asked.

"Hey," I said, giving him a pained smile. "You alright."

"I…"

"Yeah, stupid question," I said. "I've had the same thing happen to me, but I didn't die in my previous memories." Panting, I tried to move closer to him.

With more strength than I could muster, he got up, and tried to stop me from moving.

"Loki?" he asked, looking up at his back.

Loki didn't turn. "Yeah."

"What…?" His voice drifted off, and he found himself unable to word the question.

"That's Darkness," I said.

"Darkness?" he asked.

"Yeah, I know, lame right?" I asked him, cheering him up.

"What did you just say, girl?" Darkness hissed. Black tendrils of shadows shot out from his figure and slithered towards me, wrapping around my throat and lifting me in the air.

"Rissa!" Loki shouted, trying to pull the tendril off of me. He snapped back as if he'd been burned, and used his magic to try and conjure up a weapon.

Black spots started clouding my vision, and I didn't know if it was from my lack of oxygen or another one of Darkness's tricks. The black tendrils felt cold an heavy around my neck – like a collar, I realized.

We were all its prisoners.

We were nothing more than Darkness's play games.

Nothing more than toys.

My vision turned from black to red, and I grabbed the tendrils around my neck. Red-hot rage burned through me, giving me a burst of adrenaline and the confidence to do something about it. The tendril I had grabbed started turning red, before the one around me froze and snapped into cold, red glass.

I collapsed on the floor, and Loki fell next to me.

"What was that?" he asked, putting his forehead against mine.

I swallowed, and shook my head, still unable to talk.

He nodded, and I understood – he knew that I didn't know.

"Well," Darkness said, and it actually sounded a bit stunned. It's confidence was wavering. "That's new." But it's smirk came back, and it shrugged. "Makes the game more interesting."

His hand shot out, and I flinched, expecting to be harmed.

His dark vines flew past me and grabbed Lucifer, the Mistress, and Moriarty.

He pulled them up and dragged them towards him. Watching him treat the three…untouchable villains in such a way scared me even more than the fact that they were teenagers.

"You should have done a better job, my puppets," he hissed at them. "You should have done a better job. You are terrible at sabotage."

Missy spit at him.

I gaped at them. "You guys knew? This whole time?"

"No," Moriarty said. "But we all had the odd urge to destroy the set and cause…accidents."

I went white, before I grew angry. "ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WE'VE HAD, INCLUDING LOSING THE MUSIC AND OUR SETS, IS BECAUSE OF YOU?"

They all flinched. Good.

"Oh, don't be too mad at them," Darkness said, smiling wickedly. "After all…they can't help it."

His words brought me back to the first time we'd met. "The three of them are my slaves. They bet their lives. And they lost."

"They're your Blackthorn time," I whispered.

He ginned again, like a sadistic Chesire Cat. "You're correct, my lovely little…Rissa," he said. A shiver ran down my spine at the way he said my name. "They are being held against their will, just like you."

"Why is it called Blackthorn?" John asked.

"No!" I shouted, but it was too late. Darkness's tendrils shot out again, and speared each of us through our chests.

"Because," Darkness said. "I am Blacker than night, and my thorns will pierce your heart, and be the cause of your tragic downfall."

As the world started to fade into our next test, and our memories started to slip away, I heard it say, "This one is going to be a hell of one."

Chapter Text

Test #3: Rissa in Wonderland

Chapter Text

Happy Birthday Hannah! :) Here, have a prezzie!

Chapter Eighty

"Rissa, wake up! Rissa!"

I groaned as I shrugged off the hands shaking me. "Leave me alone," I said. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Exactly!" the voice continued. "Wake up!"

"Dammit!" I yelled, my eyes snapping open. I had to squint my eyes against the brilliant sun.

My sister was smiling impossibly large in front of me. That beautiful smile was the one that made everyone fall in love with her.

"Why did you wake me up?" I complained. "I was comfortable."

"Yeah, but it's such a nice day! We should play games!" She waved her hand that was holding a deck of cards.

I sighed and put my head down onto my arms. I was lying on a blanket in the grass. It was a perfect summer day; warm, with the sun out and a nice, cool breeze.

It was no surprise that I had fallen asleep reading.

"You were perfectly content to let me read here," I said, my voice coming out muffled between my arms. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I finished my book," Isabelle said, shrugging.

"So you had to wake me up from my nap?" I sighed. "Fine, I'll play a game with you, but I want to use my deck of cards."

She pouted. "Come on. That's all the way back at the house!"

"Too bad," I said. "That's your punishment for waking me up. If you want to play a game with me, you need to go get the cards."

"Fine," Isabelle said, rolling her eyes. "I walk will do me good." She got up and turned, starting to walk away. She froze before she got too far, and turned back to face me. "And don't fall back asleep," she warned.

"Alright," I said, too tired to even cross my fingers. I was just going to do it anyway, and she knew it.

I heard her evil laugh as she left, already sad by the fact that she was going to wake me up soon.

I fell asleep anyway.

I woke up to the sound of someone muttering, "I'm going to be late. Damn angel transportation. Why won't you work?"

I looked up and rubbed my eyes. Standing in front of me was a tall man with black hair. He had a pair of black wings and a fake headband-halo on his head. My eyes were drawn to his coat.

Why was an angel wearing a trenchcoat?

"I'm going to be late," he continued, moving off. "I miss angel transportation. Damn Metraton…"

I didn't even realize that I had gotten up until I moved closer to him. He was moving faster now, running around the garden. I quickened my pace to catch up.

"I'm going to be late…" he said, before he entered a playground.

Inside the playground, there was a sandpit that the angel walked to.

"I'm going to be late…" he said.

He stepped into the sandpit and disappeared.

I stared at the space. "What…." I muttered to myself.

I walked over to the stand pit and stood where he had stood only a few second before, kicking the sand.

Nothing happened.

"What the hell?" I murmured, kicking it again.

And then a glowing hole appeared and I was falling.

And...welcome to TEST THREE! I would love to see if any of you have guesses on which characters will be which in Wonderland. As you've already guessed, Rissa is Alice and Cas is the White Rabbit...who else will be in store?

Also REVIEWS.

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty One

When I woke up, I was laying on the floor.

Disoriented, and shaking my head around blindly, I grabbed onto the first thing I could find.

"Ow!"

I looked up, and realized that I was clutching a doorknob – that was also someone's nose. My eyes widened, and I scrambled away from the door. "I'm sorry!" I cried.

Wait. Why am I apologizing to a doorknob?

"Guests," the doorknob huffed. The door he was attached to was small, the size of a door you'd use for a cat or a dog. "Always bothering my work."

"Your work?" I asked. "You're a doorknob."

"Wow," he said. "I never would have been able to come to that conclusion on my own. Thank you."

"You don't have to be rude about it!" I said, indignant. "My name's Rissa."

"Tony," the Doorknob said. "Now what the hell are you doing here?"

"You tell me! I followed an angel into a sandpit and ended up here."

He sighed. "Damn it. That stupid angel has never been able to manage his time ever since he lost his transportation."

What?

"What?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

"Never mind," Tony said.

"So…why are you a doorknob?" I asked him.

"I used to be a mechanic," he said. "I accidentally combined myself with a system called J.A.R.V.I.S. that I created, so now I'm in charge of all of the systems of Wonderland."

"Wonderland?" I asked.

He shrugged (well, as much as a face attached to a doorknob could shrug), and said, "So, this kid came down here a while ago and decided to call this world Wonderland. We decided to keep the name, and it's better than our first one, plus easier to explain to all of the crazy guests we get." He sighed. "We've learned by now to just go with it."

"So…" I started.

"Let me guess," he said, sighing again. "You wanna follow the angel?"

I nodded.

"Alright, here's how the drill usually works," Tony said. "See that table?"

I turned and noticed the table behind me. "What about it?"

"On top of it is a bottle. Follow the instructions."

I stood up and walked towards the table. Reaching it, I picked up the small crystalline bottle. "'Drink me'," I read aloud.

I turned to face Tony. "Why the hell would I drink it?"

He looked at me, aghast. "Because it says to!"

"So?! That doesn't mean that I should do it! I ended up in a strange place; I'm not going to start drinking water and eating food in this place before I know exactly what they are and how they can affect me."

Tony sighed. "The water makes you smaller so you can fit through my door."

I looked at him. "You just said that you control all of the systems in Wonderland. Can't you just make it bigger?"

"No," Tony said. "It doesn't work that way. You're supposed to drink the water, and then try to open me, but you realize it's locked, so you eat the food at the bottom of the table, grow, grab the key on the table, and drink again so you can fit."

"Why the hell would I do that?" I asked him.

"I don't know. It's what you're supposed to do! I just listen to everything the Queen says."

"Listen, I don't give a fuck who this Queen is. I'm not some child that you can trick into drinking odd substances that affect my chemical structure. I might be sixteen, but I'm smart, dammit."

"Well, then what are you going to do!?" Tony hollered at me. "You want to follow the angel, don't you?"

"Stop yelling at me!" I shouted. "Give me a second."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright, so the objective is to get through your damn door, right?"

"Yes," Tony said.

"That's it. There's no rules, I just need to be able to go through the door."

"Yes," Tony said, starting to sound unwary.

"Alright," I said. "So I'm supposed to drink this water, and shrink, right?"

"Yes," he said, eyeing me with suspicion.

"Then I realize I forgot the key, and I eat…this," – I picked up the cake off the floor -, "in order to grow back to size and grab the key. Then I drink more water and exit. Is that right?"

"Yes," he said, growing more panicked by the second.

I gave him a wide grin that did nothing to help ease his nerves. "Alright, let's start with the key first." I walked up to him and unlocked him, opening the door. "There. Step one out of the way."

"Congratulations," Tony said sarcastically. "You unlocked me. But you still need to fit."

"I know," I said, smiling. I reached down, grabbed the cake that made you grow, and shoved it in Tony's mouth.

"What – hey?" The rest of his words were muffled by the sound of him chewing.

He started to grow, slowly at first, and then quickly as he finished the cake. By the time he was done, he was even larger than a normal door.

"There you go!" I said cheerfully, walking towards the door. I opened it and took my first step into Wonderland.

"Hey, kid," I heard Tony say behind me.

I turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"Nice job," he said, sounding sincere. "That's the first time anybody's ever thought of that. I didn't even consider it. I think that it's going to be a lot of fun watching what happens next. Wonderland won't know how to handle you."

I smiled at him, and laughed. "Glad to be entertainment. See you around, Tony."

"See you, Rissa!" he shouted. "But be careful of the Queen! The Bitch is one sadistic psychopath."

"Thanks for the warning!" I shouted, and I turned and left him behind, entering 'Wonderland'.

Hey everyone. Thank you for the comments, but please, guess guess guess! I want to know who you guess is who! (Some are probably extremely obvious) but I still want to see what your guesses are. Also, if anyone has suggestions on who should be fancast as Rissa, I'd love to take them. If you do, I'll make you a movie trailer. :) Enjoy, everyone. AND GUESS. GUESS GUESS GUESS GUESS GUESSSSSSSS!

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Two

I turned away from the door, taking a step forward.

My foot didn't hit the ground.

Instead, the air rushed at me as I hurtled through the air. I had walked right off of a cliff.

The water below rushed up to meet me, and my body was unceremoniously dumped into a pool.

I swam up and my head broke through the surface. I treaded water, gasping for air.

"How odd," came a voice.

I looked up. To the right of me, there was a young woman standing on a plank of wood, a bar that led from each end of the pool.

"What is?" I asked, swimming over to the path. As I climbed onto the wood, I noticed that the woman was holding a bundled up baby in her arms.

"Your pool," she said, looking at what I just climbed out of.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"That one's yours," she said, looking out over my pool. She turned to face the pool on the other side of the board. "And that one is mine."

That's when I realized that the path we were standing on was actually part of a dam, a wall splitting both pools.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "What about my pool is odd?"

She turned back to face it. "It's big."

"So?" I asked.

"Did you taste it?" she asked.

"Taste what?" I asked her.

"The water," she gestured back towards the pool.

"No," I said.

"Taste it," she said, gesturing. "Go on. It will be alright."

I snorted. "Listen lady, a talking doorknob tried to get me to eat and drink some stuff earlier, and I'm not about to start consuming food in a foreign land just because a human is telling me to do it next."

She gave me an odd look. "Oh well. If you were to taste the water, you would notice the salty taste."

"So what, its salt water?" I asked her.

"No," she said. "It's tears."

I looked back at, as she put it, 'My Pool'. "Tears?"

"Yes," she said. "This pool is a collection of all of the tears you've ever shed in your lifetime. It's quite impressive, and also very sad, considering how big it is. You must have been through some terrible things to fill a pool this big."

"And what about you?" I asked, turning around to look at her pool. "Are these your tears?"

"Yes," she said. "And it's odd how you've collected so much more than me, considering your age."

Her pool was less than a third the size of mine.

"Who are you?" I asked, tearing my gaze from the pools to look at her.

"I am the Duchess," she said. "I am Duchess Natasha Romanov. But I am no longer royalty."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I was taken from my home, and trained to be a spider," she said, looking wistfully at her pool. "All that is left is what She has me pretending to be."

"'She'?" I asked. "Are you talking about the Queen?"

"Yes," she said. "She took everything from me. My innocence, my life, even my family."

"But you still have your child," I said, gesturing to the bundle in her arms.

"What child?" she asked, showing me the bundle. "I have no child. I cannot bare children."

Inside the bundle was a gun.

"This is all I have left," she said, dropping the blanket into her pool. It sunk underwater, and the more I looked at her pool, the more it was turning a darker color. "I must be leaving you now," she handed me the gun. My eyes widened. "Keep this. You're going to need it." She handed me a holster that could be hidden in my blue dress. "I must go to the Queen. I am facing trial."

"For what?" I asked.

"For the crimes I committed," the Duchess said.

"Wait!" I said. "Didn't you say that the Queen was the one who turned you into a …spider?"

"Yes," she said. "But I have red in my ledger. I would like to wipe it out."

She started walking again and called back, without turning around. "If you find the Boys, they will help you on your journey. Walk the opposite way from me. Tell no one of the weapon – you will need it."

I shivered, but nodded, even though she couldn't see it. When she vanished from my sight, I turned and started walking down the damn in the pool.

When I stepped onto the edge of the pool, I turned back to look at both pools.

While mine was incredibly large, the Duchess's was steadily growing darker, like a stain.

My eyes widened as I caught the red tint in the sunlight and realized what it was.

Blood.

Hey everyone! Okay, so here's how this is going to work - this is going to be an odd combination of Alice's Adventure in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass, along with tidbits taken from the movies, the Alice in the Country of Hearts manga, and the Code Geass, Black Butler, and Ouran High School Host Club special episodes. Now that that's out of the way...I usually do this in the beginning but I was talking with a friend the other day and I realized that I have to put this in. Disclaimer: The Darkness villain in here? It's mine. I created it. Got it? If you're all caught up to Supernatural, then let me tell you - this is not the same darkness. I had no prior knowledge of what Supernatural was doing (though this is not the first time I've written something that's materialized itself in real life or on one of my shows). Also, that will not be mentioned. The series pretty much diverges from canon around one to two years ago, so any new developments will not be involved. For instance, Avengers: Age of Ultron. While I did reference it in this chapter (it's mentioned that Natasha can't have kids), it will never be outrightly acknowledged or spoken about until this series is done (and then you might get mentions of it in special mini-stories).

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Three

I started walking along the dirt road that appeared, and I was soon led out of the pool area and into a forest. After checking to make sure the safety was on, I tucked the gun away and moved forward.

It wasn't long until I came to a fork in the road. There were signs pointing in every direction, so much so that most didn't even point to a path.

"Great," I muttered. "Now what way am I supposed to go?"

"Well I suppose you could always go this way," came a voice. I turned to my right and saw a blonde boy standing there.

"Well, there's always this way, as well," came another voice. I turned to my left and saw a dark haired boy standing there.

"Let me guess. You're the Boys?" I asked.

"Yes," they said in unison. They moved closer together until they were standing in front of me. "I'm Arthur Dum Tweedle," the blonde said. "I'm Merlin Dee Tweedle," the black haired boy said.

I looked back and forth between them. "If I were you, I'd drop the last two names. Especially you," I said, turning to Arthur. "I mean, 'Dum'? I hope you don't live up to your name."

Merlin started laughing.

"What?" Arthur asked, turning to him. "What's so funny?"

"'Dum'. 'Dumb'. Hahahahahah."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Great humor, really."

"You guys look nothing alike," I said to them.

"Yeah," Arthur said. "If we were brothers, we wouldn't be called 'The Boys', we'd be called, 'The Brothers' or something."

"So what's your relationship?" I asked.

"We're partners," Merlin said.

I sighed. "You do know that word has like, twelve meanings, right?"

"Yes," Arthur said.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on guys, stop messing around and help me."

"What do you need help with?" Merlin asked.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea," I said, sighing again. "I'm trying to leave, but I don't know how I do that."

"Oh," Arthur said.

"Well…" Merlin started.

They exchanged a look.

"What?" I asked. "What is it?"

"The only way to leave…" Merlin started.

"Is to meet all of the characters…" Arthur finished.

I blinked at them. "I'm sorry, characters?"

They nodded. "We all have a role to play," Merlin said. "You must meet all of us. Who have you met so far?"

"Well, the Duchess," I said. "And Tony, I guess. And I've seen the angel in the trench coat, but I haven't talked to him."

"Ah," Arthur said. "The Black Angel."

"'The Black Angel'?" I repeated. "Why is he called that?"

"Because his wings are black," Arthur said. "Castiel – or Cas, as we prefer to call him – is always getting into trouble, wandering in and out of Wonderland."

"It's a wonder that he's still traveling so much, especially now that he's lost his angel transportation," Merlin muttered. "He's going to be later than ever."

"I followed the angel into Wonderland," I said quietly.

"Then you should probably go speak to him next," Merlin said.

"Do you know where he is?" I asked.

"No, but I'm sure the Caterpillar does," Arthur muttered.

I blanched. "I'm sorry, the what?"

"Hey, you know that he hates it when you call him that," Merlin said. He sighed. "He's called the Blue Caterpillar because he lost a bet."

"Lost a bet?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arthur snickered. "He has to wear a blue caterpillar costume for the next week and a half, as punishment. So I've started calling him the Caterpillar."

"You're going to want to take a left," Merlin said, pointing behind him. "It shouldn't be long until you see him. Just warning you…he's an odd one. And you might want to stay a few ways away. Trust me."

I stared at them, not moving before I slowly said, "Alright…" I started walking down the left path and turned to wave behind me, "It was nice meeting you, Boys!"

As I walked down the path, I could've sworn I heard Merlin say, "I hope this one makes it out alive."

And here's another chapter, less than an hour after I posted the last one. Enjoy! Sweet dreams, everyone. And please, let's have some more guesses about the characters! I love seeing your answers! :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Four

I sighed as I walked along the path. I had been walking for a few minutes now, and still had yet to catch sight of anyone, much less a man in a caterpillar suit.

Calm down, Rissa, I thought to myself. You have no idea how large this world is. It probably won't be much longer.

"Well, well…it seems we have an Outsider," came a deep voice.

Turning to my left, I saw a man in a blue caterpillar costume sitting on a mushroom.

"Hello," I said, walking up closer. "I was hoping you could help me. I-"

He blew smoke into my face.

"Ahh!" I yelled, coughing. "Don't blow smoke into my face!"

"Don't stand where I'm smoking," he said without a beat. "Now, what were you saying?"

"Hmm?" I asked, still coughing. "Uh, The Boys – Merlin and Arthur – told me that you could tell me where the Black Angel went, or at the very least, point me in the right direction.

"I'm afraid I can't help you," he said, blowing another ring of smoke in my direction. I moved back to avoid the smoke, but still ended up coughing.

"Sherlock!" A voice said angrily. "Don't be rude! You can help her, so you will. And don't blow smoke into people's faces."

I turned to look at the newcomer, a short man with blond hair...that was in a lizard costume.

"Hello," he said, sticking out his hand. "I'm John. This is Sherlock. We're wearing these ridiculous costumes because we lost a bet."

"I wouldn't have gotten involved in the bet in the first place if it wasn't for you," Sherlock grumbled.

"I'm not the one who made wearing silly costumes a punishment," John shot back. "Plus, it's not like you care what you wear. You once went to visit the Queen in nothing but a bed sheet! She nearly took your head off."

I giggled. I'm not much of a giggler, but their antics reminded me of an old married couple, with one of them being extremely and ridiculously stubborn. (It was also obvious which roles they each had). "I'm Rissa. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well," said John. "I'm this idiot's doctor."

"I'm not an idiot!" Sherlock snapped. "I'm a high functioning sociopath."

"You keep being rude, I'll take away your hookah," John said.

"Oh, is that what he's smoking?" I asked.

"Yeah," John said. "He prefers cigarettes, and then pipes, but they aren't options. So he either smokes a hookah or he goes back on the nicotine patches."

"Isn't that a better alternative?" I asked him.

"Not if he's wearing three patches at once," he grumbled. "Anyway, what was your name again?"

"Rissa," I said. "And you were John, right?"

"Yes, John the Lizard," he said, nodding.

I paused. "I'm sorry?"

"That's his name," Sherlock said, taking his lips off of his precious hookah. "His name is, quite literally, John the Lizard. Now do you understand the costume?"

"Yeah," I said, starting to giggle again. "So it's ironic." I turned to Sherlock. "Does this mean that your name is Sherlock the Caterpillar?"

For a very small moment, I saw his lips twitch up, and I felt relief at the discovery that he no longer found me extremely annoying. "No," he said. "I'm in a caterpillar costume because Arthur thought it would look the most ridiculous on me."

"I don't know," John muttered. "The hot dog costume looked pretty funny."

"So," I said, laughing. "What are you parents' names?" I asked turning to John.

He scowled. "I get it, I've got a funny name."

"It could be worse," Sherlock said. "What was it you were complaining about the other day?"

John rolled his eyes. "My mother wanted to name me after my father, Bill. I'm just glad she didn't. I mean, do I look like a Bill to you? And 'Bill the Lizard' sound awful."

Sherlock snorted. "Because 'John the Lizard' sounds so much better."

I laughed. "So if John's a doctor, what do you do, Sherlock?"

"He messes with everyone in Wonderland," John mutters.

"No, you know that's the Cat's job." Sherlock's face spread into a huge grin. "I'm the Consultant. Whenever someone needs something, or needs to know something, or needs advice, they come to me."

"So that's why Arthur and Merlin pointed me to you," I said quietly to myself.

"Precisely," Sherlock said.

"You still mess with everyone, though," John muttered.

"Of course," Sherlock said. "I need some form of entertainment."

"Well, how about me?" I asked. "After all, I'm an outsider. So if you help me out, and point me in the direction of the Angel…?"

This time Sherlock was unable to hide his smile. "Oh, you're going to be entertaining alright." He sighed and clasped his hands together. "Tea."

"What?" I asked.

"I'm assuming he was saying something about being late," Sherlock said.

I nodded.

"Then he's late for tea," Sherlock said. "He's probably at the Madman's house as we speak. Keep going along the path. When you come to a fork in the road, take a right. You should come up to the back gardens of a box, and you should see the tea party. You should find the angel there."

I smiled. "Thank you."

As I started walking away, John shouted, "Be careful of the Queen!"

"Yes," Sherlock added. "Her royal Bitchiness hates to lose the center of attention. As an Outsider, people automatically are interested in you."

"Don't worry!" I said back, smiling. "I'll watch my back."

"No," he said shaking his head. "Watch your front. Good luck."

And I continued down the path towards a Mad Tea Party.

Fun fact - in the original story, Bill the Lizard is a gardener. However, in the Alice in the Country of Hearts adaption, he's a doctor who specifically treats Nightmare (the series' version of the Caterpillar). I thought that the relationship seemed a little too fitting for our detective and his blogger. Now onto business - my friend recently asked, 'If you enter the Restaurant during the game, do you join it?', or something along those lines. The answer is YES, but no one will end up joining that way until we reach Level Four, which may take a while...speaking of future levels, I've decided that this is no longer a quartet, and instead, a quintet (which mean it has five installments). But because 'Quintet' sounds stupid, I'm just going to use the word Saga instead. I've decided that this fanfiction (The Girl Who Lost Her Mind) will end after the end of Level Two, and that the next one will start with Level Three.

In the last test however, the high school test, we also had Morgana, Lestrade, and Mycroft, along with a few other special guest stars as teachers. These people are TEMPORARY players, which means that if Darkness needs more people to mess with the original group, he'll drag them in from their universes, and set them to return when the test is finished. The people who are actually stuck are Rissa, Loki, the Doctor, Isabelle, Merlin, Arthur, Sam, Dean, Cas, Harry, Bruce, Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Sherlock, John, Lucifer, the Master and Moriarty.

AND WHY AREN'T YOU PEOPLE GUESSING?! IT SHOULD BE EASIER NOW BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LEFT ARE DWINDLING. COME ON, GUESS GUESS GUESS GUESS GUESS! Especially because in the next chapter we meet the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse! Maybe. I might have a chapter for the Knave of Hearts first. The characters you have left to meet are the four mentioned above (Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, Knave of Hearts), along with the Chesire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the King of Hearts, the Gryphon, the Jabberwocky, the Mouse, and the Queen's Cards (Two, Five, and Seven). Note: Darkness does not have any of these roles. Do not count him in your guesses.

Yes, Darkness is male.

Sweet dreams! :) This test won't take long. We're almost half-way through it.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Five

I only went a few more feet before I found the fork in the road.

Still, when I turned around to see Sherlock and John, I couldn't see them.

I thought I had only walked a few feet, but they were nowhere in sight.

Just ignore it, Rissa, I thought. You don't know how time and space work here. It could take two minutes to walk three miles or an hour to walk three feet.

God, I hope not.

I took the right in the fork of the road, following the trail he told me to.

In a very small amount of time, I stumbled across a garden full of magnificent flowers.

Walking past them, I came across a long table, full of enough chairs to fit over twenty people.

However, only a few of them were occupied.

At the far end of the table was a man with a blazer with long coattails and a bowtie. He was eating fish sticks, and dipping them in custard. Next to him was the Black Angel, who was also seated next to a guy with eyes of emeralds, who sat across from a tall man with flowing hair.

"Hello," I said.

They all froze and turned to face me.

The man with the bow tie jumped forward first, his lips breaking out into a smile as he grabbed my hands. "Oh my, an Outsider! This is just amazing! How nice to meet you!"

"Hi," I said, smiling from his carefree attitude. "I'm Rissa. Is this the 'Mad Tea Party', as Sherlock put it?"

"Yes, that's us!"

"Why is it called that?" I asked.

"Because I'm Mad! A Madman with a Box, that is! I'm the Doctor, at your service," he elegantly pulled a fez off of his head and bowed. He pulled me towards the table. "Come meet my acquaintances! This is Castiel, the Black Angel! And this here is Dean, the Righteous Man!"

"He's an angel," Castiel put in.

"How many times do I need to tell you, I'm a vessel!" Dean exploded. "Not an angel. I. AM. HUMAN."

The boy next to him sighed, closing the book in front of him. "I'm Sam, Dean's younger brother," he said to me. "I'm the Boy King."

"I call him the Dormouse," Dean put in, smirking at Sam.

"Don't you mean Dormoose?" I muttered. "After all, he's huge…"

"What was that?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly.

The Doctor pulled me to a seat in between him and Sam. "So, Rissa, would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," I said quietly. "What are all of you drinking?"

"Beer," Dean said, holding up a flask.

"Liquor," Castiel said. "I've drank enough to fill a liquor store and I'm still not drunk."

What are you supposed to say to an angel that wants to get drunk?

"How about you, Sam?" I asked him.

"Orange juice," Sam said, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip.

"Are any of you actually drinking tea at this tea party?" I asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said. "You are!"

"What are you drinking?" I asked him.

"I'm not thirsty!" he exclaimed.

"Of course you're not," I muttered to myself.

"It's always tea time here!" the Doctor said, "So I drink tea so much that I'm not thirsty!"

What?

"Oh, Doctor, I believe that the Queen wants to see you," Sam said, looking on a laptop that wasn't there several minutes before. "Tony just messaged me."

"Oh, that's bad, that's extremely very not good," the Doctor said. "And what is she thinking, summoning me during tea time?"

"I thought you said it was always tea time here," I said, confused.

"It is!" the Doctor said.

"Then how can the Queen ever summon you not during tea time?" I asked.

The Doctor opened and closed his mouth several times, before breaking out into a smile again. "You're right! I like you, you clever girl! And I guess I can't blame the Queen for that…"

Dean snorted. "You don't have to blame the Queen for anything – she's still a bitch."

The Doctor gave Dean a berating look. "Now now, Dean. What did I say about speaking like the Queen like that?"

"What happened?" I asked. "Why does everyone keep talking about the Queen like that?"

"Because the Queen wasn't always like this," He said quietly. "She's always been…cold, but she was reined in by her sister. All was well for both kingdoms, until…"

"Until what?" I asked quietly.

"Until her sister disappeared," the Doctor admitted. "The Queen felt betrayed, and she became-"

"The sadistic bitch that she is today?" Dean suggested.

"Broken," Sam said quietly.

"Still," the Doctor said quietly. "Better a broken heart than no heart at all."

"Yeah, you might be right," Dean agreed. "But her heart isn't broken. She doesn't have a heart."

"Dean!" Sam said.

"Now Dean, you're being very rude," the Doctor scolded.

Castiel sighed and leaned forward across the table. "Would you like me to tell you the real story?"

"Yes," I said. "If you would, please."

"The land was once split into two," Castiel began. "There was the land of the white and the land of the red. The Red Queen ruled the Red Land, and the White Queen ruled the White Land. They were two sisters, who each loved each other dearly. While the Red Queen was always cold, the White Queen could melt her heart. One day, however, the White Queen disappeared. The Red Queen feared the worst, but it was soon discovered that the White Queen had neglected her duties and ran off with another. This infuriated the Red Queen, and she hates anything that reminds her of her sister, the White Queen. She has extreme anger towards everyone, and takes it out by beheading people for nonexistent crimes."

"So why hasn't anyone done anything about it?" I asked softly.

"Because that's not how this land is set up," Sam said.

I turned to face him, sitting on my left. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm sure you've at least guessed some of it, but we all have roles to play here. They're odd roles, I'll admit – most of us don't even know what our true roles are, but they're still there. Some seem completely useless, and some just plain annoying-"

"Like the Cat?" Dean grumbled.

"But we can't interfere with one another's roles," Sam said. "Except for an Outsider. Since you don't actually have a set role, you can mess up the balance as much as you want. Do you know how you have to leave Wonderland?"

"Yeah," I said quietly. "I think it was mentioned earlier…"

"You need to meet all of us. All of the major players that have roles. The idea is that the Outsider must change Wonderland before they are allowed to leave. And it's almost automatically trusted that you'll change it for the better, or else you never would have been allowed in Wonderland in the first place," Sam explained. "Which is why you need to be careful. You're going to need to meet the Queen, and if she feels a tip in the scales of power, or if she feels that you're dragging attention away from her, she'll likely try to kill you."

I swallowed. "So who have I met so far, and who else do I need to meet?"

"Here," Sam said, pulling up some pages on his laptop. "Let's see…you've met the four of us, along with Sherlock, who led you here, right?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding. "His doctor, John, too…I also met 'The Boys', Merlin and Arthur, and Duchess Natasha. Oh, and Tony."

"So far, that means that you've met ten of us, which means that you're halfway through. You have ten left, leaving the Queen and the King, the Red Knight, the Queen's three servants, the Jabberwocky, the Gryphon, the Mouse and the Cat."

"So where should I go from here?" I asked.

"You turned right at the fork in the road, right?" Sam asked.

I nodded.

"Go back to the fork and take the left road. Across the way, you'll probably meet the Knave who will take you to the Queen's castle. That alone will knock out seven,maybe eight, depending on who's there."

"Be careful," Dean said, handing me a strange looking knife with symbols carved on it. "Use this, as a precaution. And don't tell anyone you have it."

"Okay," I said, taking it and standing up. "Thank you. Oh, and Doctor?" I asked, turning to him. "Don't you need to visit the Queen as well?"

"Oh, yes," he said, sighing. He turned to Sam. "What on Earth for?"

"The Duchess is on trial," Sam said. "You're being called to witness. You're to arrive in half an hour."

"Then I guess I'll see you soon," I said, standing up.

"Thank you," I repeated, looking at all of them.

"You're welcome," Sam said.

"Good luck," Dean said.

I turned and walked back down the path, a well-worn knife hidden next to the gun.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Six

I tracked my way back down the path until I came to the fork in the road.

I took the left trail and wandered around for a while without any progress. Then I came to another fork in the road.

It was the same fork from earlier.

I kicked a rock in frustration. I hate when this stupid thing happens. It's bad enough in stories, but now I've gotta live it? Why can't there just be a clear path, or a map, or those 'you are here' signs they have in malls, or a travel guide -

"Hello, there, ma'am," a voice said. "Are you lost?"

I turned to see a man behind me. "Who are you?"

"My name is Steve, and I am the Red Knight, the Queen'ss most humble servant," he said, bowing.

"Oh good," I said, sighing. He said he works for the Queen, which means that he must know where she is. "I think I'm lost. My name is Rissa. I'm a…"

"Outsider, miss."

"Yeah, that's what I've been called," I said, thinking Knight, huh? There's another off of my list…

"I was hoping that you could show me the way to your Lady's castle?" I asked, suddenly hit by the urge to speak extremely formally. I remembered everyone's words of caution, and realized I was standing on glass.

The only question was, when the glass breaks, how long will it take for me to hit the ground?

"Of course! It's right this way, miss!" he took his way down the left path, walking only ten feet before pausing. "It's right here!"

Walking up next to him, we ended up right in front of large, ornate gates.

How the hell did I miss that the first time around?

"Are you ready to go in?" Steve asked. "The Queen will be pleased to have an Outsider."

I nodded, and was quickly pulled through the gates.

After dashing through a few dozen doors into the castle, we finally stopped in the throne room.

It was a large, sprawling room with wonderful arches in the ceiling and checkered tiles. I could practically see people dancing here.

My gaze was brought to the pair of thrones at the end of the room, where three men hovered near the steps, and a large man sat on one of the thrones.

The Queen's seat was unoccupied.

"King Thor, meet Milady Rissa!" Steve said, rushing forward to the large man and bowing to him, curtesy still taking over despite his excitement. "She's an Outsider!"

The King broke into a huge grin, rushing forward and giving me a large, strong hug that stole my breath away and nearly knocked me out. "Oh, an Outsider - it's so wonderful to see another one."

"It's nice to meet you, your Majesty," I nervously and a bit weakly, once he finally put me down.

The three guards who were loitering (well, they weren't really guarding; you need to pay attention to do that) seemed interested and suddenly approached.

"An outsider, you say?" one asked.

"Yes!" the King said. "Rissa, these are the Queen's three servants; this is #2, Moriarty."

"Hello," I said.

"This is #4, the Master," the King continued, moving on to a man with a bad bleach job.

"And this is #6, Lucifer," he finished with the last one.

Wow, these people have some strange names, I thought. Still…I just met the Knight, the King, and the three servants – that's another five off of the list! That only leaves the Jabberwocky, the Gryphon, the Mouse, the Cat, and the –

"Who is this?" a harsh voice came.

I spun around to look at the person who was obviously the Queen with her royal bitchiness, before I froze in shock at the sight of her.

Her wide eyes were caught in mine, and she seemed just as surprised to see me as I did to see her.

Her name slipped out of my mouth without a second thought.

"Isabelle?"

I promise that I'm not putting Isabelle and Thor together on purpose, it just...keeps happening. Oh well. I guess we'll see where it goes from here.

Three words: Fucking Fullmetal Alchemist...

*sigh* Sweet dreams, everyone... :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Seven

I don't know how long it's been since I've seen my sister.

It could've been months, it could've been days.

Hell, maybe I've only been in Wonderland for an hour or two, or a handful of minutes.

But seeing her here was like a bucket of ice water being thrown on me.

"Isabelle?" I squeaked. "What…what are you doing here?"

Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. "You!" She hissed at me. "Guards! Guards! Seize this...this…bitch."

"Woah!" I said, putting my hands up. "Not sure what happened, Izzy, but this? This isn't funny. What the hell?"

"Don't play dumb! You think you would be welcomed back with open arms?"

"Okay," I said. "I'm getting the feeling you're upset."

"Upset? I'm not upset." With strength I didn't realize she had, Isabelle picked up her throne – picked up her THRONE – and threw it at me. I side-stepped and it landed in a heap of rubble behind me. "I'm fucking furious!"

"That's an understatement," I muttered, looking at the shattered remains of the chair. I ducked as I heard her throw something else, and the King's chair landed next to the remains of the other.

"Guards!" she yelled. "Bring me more chairs?"

"I'm so bored," Lucifer said.

"Then get me a damn chair!"

"Do it yourself."

In a scream of frustration, Isabelle picked Lucifer up and threw him at me. He soared harmlessly above my head, not looking up from his book, which, as far as I could tell, was blank.

"Woah!" I yelled. "Wait! Let's calm down, because I don't think that we're who we think we are."

Isabelle paused to think of that ridiculous statement. "Huh?"

"Listen!" I said. "My name is Clarissa Osbourne, I'm fifteen, I have a step-sister named Isabelle who's a year older, and everyone here keeps calling me an Outsider. I was chasing an angel wearing a trench coat into a sandbox and ended up here. I know that that entire statement sounds ludicrous, but I promise, that's what happened."

Isabelle paused, her arms holding Moriarty above her head. "You're…you're an Outsider, you say?"

I nodded.

She dropped Moriarty, who somehow managed to make falling from someone's arms dignified.

"Everyone, leave us!" she yelled.

"I don't want to," the Master said, pulling a book from one of the curtains, as if the fabric had suddenly turned into parchment. "I'm busy."

"Get the hell up and get the hell out!" Isabelle screeched. "Duchess Romanov is going on trial soon, which means that I'm going to be swamped with a whole lot of people who are never going to let me get a breath of air. So get. The hell. Out."

"Yes, my lady," Steve said, picking up Moriarty and the Master. Thor picked up Lucifer and carried him out the room, close on Steve's tail.

When the door shut, Isabelle breathed, and went to collapse on her throne, before realizing it was in shambles on the other side of the room. She sighed and sat on the steps, and waited for me to sit down next to her. She continued waiting for me, letting me speak first.

"I'm guessing that you're not my Isabelle, and I'm not your Rissa," I said. "If there's someone who looks exactly like you were I come from, it stands to reason that there's someone who looks exactly like me where you come from, here, in Wonderland."

Isabelle nodded, sighing. "Yeah, that about covers it. I'm very sorry, for reacting that way to you…I've been really…not in a good place, lately."

"Really?" I asked, before quietly asking myself. "My sister seems normal. But now I wonder if she's really okay…"

"I've always been good at hiding it," she said quietly. "It wasn't until a while ago that I started taking my anger out on…" she gestured to the floor, "...chairs."

"Yeah, about that…aren't you going to need some thrones for the trial?"

She nodded. "Let me introduce myself properly. I am Isabelle, the Red Queen. I had a younger sister; Rissa, the White Queen."

"You didn't get along well?"

"No, actually. We got along great. I've always been a bit…distant with everyone, but Rissa always brought out the best in me," Isabelle gave a soft, sad smile. "She could always make me smile, and I could always count on that."

"So what happened?" I asked.

Her sad smile vanished. "She betrayed me."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"There's nothing you need to be sorry for."

"That's not true," I protested. "I reminded you of her. So I'm sorry."

She gave me a soft smile. "You're trying to leave, right?"

I nodded.

"You know that you have to meet everyone in Wonderland with a role to leave, right?"

I nodded again.

"Who have you met so far? Or who do you have left, if that's quicker?"

"Um…I have yet to meet-"

There was a strong roar of wind, and all of the lights flickered out.

"What...What's going on?" I asked, standing up.

Isabelle stood up next to me. "Oh, please no. No. "

"Um…the sky," I whispered, looking through the windows. "When…when did it become night?"

"That's nothing to worry about," Isabelle said, shaking her head. "Time is only relative. But..."

"I don't know what that means."

There was a flash of lightning, followed by thunder. But there was no rain, and the night sky was clear of clouds.

"No! Not him."

"Who?" I asked.

"I hate him," she muttered, before yelling, "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE! I am sick and tired of your constant tricks."

"Well that's too bad, isn't it?" came a deep voice from behind us.

We whirled around to see the most horrifying and terrifying thing I've ever seen.

A man made of shadows.

As he moved closer and closer toward us, he absorbed more and more light, bringing a wave of darkness after him.

He stopped a few feet in front of us.

The longer he stood there, the more he leeched warmth away from me; it was like the temperature just kept dropping. I could see my breath in the air.

"Hello, Rissa. So we meet again."

"I…I've never met you!" I said.

"Oh, but I've met you. And you have met me, you just…forgot."

At the words forgot, a wave of sickness passed through me that almost had me to my knees.

"Leave her alone," Isabelle protested - but her words were barely audible.

"You know what?" the Darkness smiled, and it was the most horrifying thing I've seen; sick and twisted, with teeth like fangs (that were probably venomous). "I think you're right. I'll bother you instead. There's one last…trick…I need to perform."

"Rissa..." Isabelle croaked. "Run..."

But I couldn't. I couldn't move; I was frozen in fear.

He put a finger against Isabelle's forehead, and with a gust of wind, sucked himself into Isabelle's open mouth. When he completely vanished into her body, the lights flickered once, before coming back on.

Isabelle blinked, twice, and turned to me, her eyes sending shivers down my spine. They were swirling pits of shadows.

"You'd be best to listen to her, Rissa," she warned in Darkness's voice. But every word they spoke, his voice began to sound more and more like Isabelle's. "You really ought to run..."

And then, in Isabelle's clean, regal voice, he shouted. "Guards!"

The doors burst open.

"Off with her head!"

So...you guys remember the book I'm working on?

I'm going to contact a publisher soon.

Also...I got really hooked on FMA and wrote my first One Shot! Yay!

Also, we've only got about three (maybe four) more chapters here, before we move onto Test Four, which I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about.

Sweet dreams, everyone. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Eight

With the shout of her command, the door burst open, and guards flooded into the room. My knees, which were frozen in terror, unlocked and I ran for the front door. Before I reached it, however, it burst open, and more guards entered the room.

Before I could be properly terrified of my incoming death, I was swept off my feet and into the air.

And then I flew out a window.

Looking up, I saw a man (with wings) carrying me away from the Queen's palace.

"What…?"

"I am the Gryphon," he said. "But you may call me Clint."

"Clint? Well…thank you for saving me…" I said hesitantly.

He nodded. "Don't worry. I was overlooking your entire interaction, and I saw what happened. It would be rude of me to let you die, and to not introduce myself. After all, now that you've met me, you only have the Jabberwocky, the Mouse, and the Cat, don't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah…" I didn't remember mentioning that to the Queen. Hadn't I been cut off before I could tell Isabelle that?

There was a loud roar behind us, and the forest below us started collapsing.

"What was that?" I asked Clint.

"The Jabberwocky," he said. "It seems you'll be meeting him soon."

"What is the Jabberwocky?" I asked.

"To be completely honest?" He asked. I nodded. "Absolutely no fucking clue."

"Wonderful," I muttered.

"He transforms between man and beast. The Queen probably sent him after you in his beast form. You must return him to his normal form if your meeting is to count, however."

"Wonderful," I repeated.

"Wonderland," Clint corrected.

I glared at him.

He shrugged. "Aw, come on! Anyway, I've got to go."

"Go where?" I asked him. "And you're already carrying me. Why can't you take me with you?"

"Because you need to meet three more people," he said. "Find the Mouse – he'll help you calm the Jabberwocky."

And then he dropped me.

I screamed as I fell a few hundred feet from the air, landing on a mushroom.

The force of my falling body recoiled, and I bounced off of the mushroom onto the ground.

"You must be the Outsider I've been hearing about," came a soft voice.

I turned to see a small boy, with glasses. "You must be the Mouse I've been hearing about."

"Yes, I do believe that would be me," he said. "I'm Harry."

"Rissa," I said. "So…Clint said that you'd help calm the Jabberwocky?"

"I'll see what I can do," he said. "The most I can do is create a type of potion – a type of scent in the air that will calm him. He should change back on his own."

"He should?"

"Hey, I'm trying my best to not get you ripped to shreds!" He said.

"Alright," I conceded, putting up my hands. "Don't get all fussy about it! I-"

We were interrupted by a loud noise, as something ran through the underbrush on its way here.

"Is that the Jabberwocky?" I asked, worried.

"Yep," Harry said. "I'm surprised he's going so slow."

"Slow?"

"Slow." He nodded, running over to a mushroom and jumping on it.

I stared at him, aghast. "What are you doing?"

"Creating the potion!" he said, jumping up and down, before hopping to another. "Each mushroom contains a different scent, and mixing certain ones creates the potion in the air!" He jumped over one onto another. "But if I accidentally add the wrong one, something bad could happen."

"Like what?" I asked, watching him jump back and forth.

"Well, for one, I could neutralize the potion. Two, I could make something explode."

"Those are two very different things!" I glared at him.

He shrugged, and jumped to another.

The sound of falling trees continued coming closer before a large, green, hulking figure burst into the clearing.

My eyes went wide. "That's the Jabberwocky?"

"Yeah," Harry said, jumping to mushroom. "This is the last one!"

"You're too late!" I screamed as the Jabberwocky came closer to me, sniffing the air and recognizing my scent.

"Just be calm with him!" Harry shouted, jumping up and down. "Like a dog."

"I'm scared of dogs!" I yelled. "Why isn't he turning back?"

Harry stopped bouncing and looked back and forth between the mushrooms. "Oh. It seems I've diluted the potion."

"You what?" I asked, looking at the Jabberwocky with fear. Guess I'd have to turn him back on my own, then.

"Sorry."

Be calm, I thought. I relaxed my body and slowly held out a hand.

The Jabberwocky stopped, like it was confused, and it slowly approached me, sniffing the air, before outstretching one of its own hands.

I stared at it. What was I supposed to do? Shake it? Sniff it?

Slowly, I placed my hand on top of his and made a soft humming noise in my throat. The creature relaxed and began to shift back into a human.

And then an army came marching out of the woods.

I tensed up as the soldiers surrounded the clearing.

"Well, well, well," a haughty voice said, making her way through a wall of soldiers. Isabelle's face was spread into a cruel smile, and her normally blue eyes seemed like swirling pits of darkness. So it still wasn't her, then. "Congratulations, Rissa," she mocked. "You get to say that you're the first person to actually calm the Jabberwocky. Isn't that right, Bruce?"

The Jabberwocky (who was now human) groaned as he lifted his head up. He had fallen to the ground as he changed back, and seemed to be having a headache. He muttered a few words, too low to be distinct.

Isabelle grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up. "What was that?"

"I said, 'Screw you, bitch!'" Bruce spat on her face. She kicked him back into the dirt, and I scrambled over to help him up. "Are you alright…um, Bruce?"

"Yes," he said, panting a bit. "Thank you, Miss…"

"Rissa."

"Now isn't really the time for introductions," Isabelle snarled.

"Oh, but you're wrong about that…" I looked around, but I couldn't identify the speaker.

Isabelle spun around twice, scanning the clearing, before she hissed, "You damn Cat!"

"You see…" the voice continued, "…little Miss Rissa has met just about everyone. The Boys…" Merlin and Arthur were pushed through the wall of soldiers, "…the Duchess…" Natasha followed them into the clearing, "…the Consultant and his Doctor…" a very not bored looking Sherlock entered, followed by John, "…the Tea Partiers…" a blue box with the words POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX written on it appeared in the center of the clearing. The Doctor exited the box, and was followed by Sam, Dean, and Castiel, "…the King, knight, and your guards, followed by you, of course…" Isabelle seemed extremely pissed as her people were mentioned, "…The Jabberwocky…" Isabelle and I glanced at Bruce, "…the Mouse…" we moved our glances over to Harry, "…the Gryphon…" A branch cracked as Clint fell from it, crashing to the ground, "…and the Doorknob, of course." A holographic full-body image of Tony flickered into the clearing with the rest of us. "In fact, Rissa has met nineteen out of the twenty people she's supposed to meet. The only one she hasn't met…" a tree shook as a figure jumped down from it, flicking his tail. "…is me."

I stared at the man in shock. He had flowing dark hair and luminescent green eyes that reminded me of the Cat he was dressed as – with ears and a tail. "I am the Chesire Cat…" he said lazily, shooting me a wicked grin. "…also known as Loki. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Rissa. I'm the register trickster in these parts."

"You mean annoying pain in the ass," Isabelle roared. A tendril of darkness shot out of her hand at Loki, but it passed harmlessly through him.

"Another one of your tricks?" she snarled.

"Yep," Loki said, appearing behind her. "I'm actually over here."

She whirled around, and his image flickered and vanished.

"Or over here…" a carbon copy image of him flickered to my right, "…or here…" another version of him popped up to my left, "…or here…" he continued, a third clone of him hung upside down from a tree.

"…or here!"

"Or here."

"Or here."

"Or HERE."

"OR here."

"Where are you?" Isabelle shrieked, pulling out a gun. "Come out, or I'll shoot her."

Before any of us could think, before I could do anything, I whipped out Natasha's gun and shot Isabelle's right out of her hand.

She stared at me, frozen.

"Where am I?" all of the Loki's whispered, before they disappeared.

"I'm right here," a voice said behind me. Hands gripped my shoulders and dipped me low into a kiss.

A shockwave rang throughout the clearing, taking everyone's silly costumes, and the extra guards, with it. Isabelle's mouth opened, and Darkness rushed out, swirling around before landing in the middle of the clearing. A small part of me realized that the sky had gone dark again.

He began to clap, leading a slow round of applause. "Congratulations! You have survived another test! You passed. Just keeping track of the score – you've taken three of the ten, and you've passed two and lost one."

I heaved in a deep breath, and I could tell that the others in the clearing had trouble breathing.

"Ready for another one?" he asked gleefully.

"No!" I growled, taking the knife Dean had given me and throwing it at him.

Darkness caught it, looking at it like it held the secrets of the universe.

"Dammit Rissa, stop attacking him every time you meet!" Loki growled in my ear. "You're only going to get hurt."

"I know, I just…I dunno, it's like I can't stop myself. I think he's making me attack him."

"Why would he do that?" Loki asked.

"Cause he's a sadistic bastard?" I mumbled.

"Well, Rissa, you attacked me again," Darkness said, tilting his head to the side like Cas does when he's confused. "I'm afraid I'll have to cost you. After all, I've gone pretty easy on you all so far. First I put you in high school, and then I put you in a fun little game of Alice in Wonderland!"

His hand clenched around the knife, and it shattered like glass, falling to the floor.

"The next time will not be so easy. In fact, from here on out, with maybe one or two exceptions I have tucked away, it's just going to get harder and harder."

He smiled again, that horrible, pointed smile with needle-sharp teeth. I really wish he'd stop doing that every time I meet him. "So…time for Test Four."

Darkness threw back his head and laughed. "Enjoy."

And a wave of black blanketed us as we all fell asleep.

Guess who's starting to write longer chapters? This gal! (Yeah, this chapter was originally three chapters) I'm probably going to do some reorganizing for both this and it's predecessor before I start adding the next test. But it shouldn't take to long, actually - if anything holds me up, it'll be school. I start Monday, and I still need to do my summer reading.

Adding both books together, I have over 1,000 pages to read.

Well, they don't call it AP for nothing.

Here I come, senior year!

Sweet dreams, everyone. :)

Chapter Text

Test #4: Call Me Crazy

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighty Nine

At first glance, she looked like a normal kid.

But so does everyone, at first glance.

He had been in the psychiatric ward for three months, two weeks, and six days when she arrived.

Just like everyone else in the ward, she didn't look crazy – no one ever looks crazy. But she was different – she didn't have that crazy 'air' about her. No, she seemed as out of place as one could be.

She wasn't out rightly crazy, or obvious about it – she wasn't jumpy or twitchy with paranoia, like Clint or Bruce, and she wasn't talking to herself or to her hallucinations, like Castiel. When she glanced around the room, she barely paused at the fireplace - she didn't have the absorbed attitude by fire (like a certainpyromaniac he knew). He glanced over at said pyromaniac, Lucifer, noting how he was sitting right next to the fireplace, as always. He was even picking at his skin again. The nurses are doing a terrible job at getting him to stop.

She didn't seem to have twitchy fingers or eyes darting to pockets like their resident klepto, Moriarty, (though, to be honest, the only people who could recognize his behavior were other people in the ward who had been there long enough to see through his act). She didn't seem to have any tics like the Master did, always tapping out his auditory delusion of a four beat drum. She didn't seem to be shut down like John or Natasha, or even Clint, every once in a while. Of course, that doesn't mean that she didn't have PTSD – after all, Harry managed to hide his abuse from his cousin's family well enough. If he had to guess, the only thing she slightly had in common with some of the more obvious patients was Sherlock, with his anorexia (because he could see the dietary pills in her bag to help her gain weight). If he had to guess, he'd definitely say depressive, and if he was to go one notch higher, he'd peg her as manic depressive.

"What do you think?" Loki asked, leaning over to whisper into his best friend's, ally's, closest acquaintance's ear.

Sherlock sighed and marked his spot in his book, leaning it down to take a good look at the new girl. "Let's see…nothing that bad. Anorexia, Generalized Anxiety, Depressive – no, manic depressive, Bipolar Type I, and…some type of insomnia, though that could be a side effect of her hyperactive mind or parts of her medication, which is probably one reason why they're going to switch her off of Abilify."

Loki squinted. "Damn, you can read the label from here?"

"No," Sherlock said. "But I can read the sticky note the nurse put down for the girl's doctor, saying that she should be taken off of Abilify."

Now that it was pointed out to him, Loki could easily see the note on the message board. For an institution that wanted their patients to have privacy (from one another; there was no such thing as privacy for the patients between the staff) they did a very poor job.

Loki sighed. "So, what do you think of her?"

Sherlock looked back up from his book, which he had returned to after finishing his deduction. "I think she's a bit of an oddball, and intelligent. If we were stuck in a classroom and I was surrounded by boring idiots, I'd probably test the waters with her. However, I am not in a classroom, but rather a mental hospital, with much, much, much more interesting occupants. I'm still trying to figure out the Winchesters and Merlin and Arthur, not to mention you."

"Hey!" Loki said indignantly. "What do you mean, 'you'?"

"Well, I'm still trying to figure out why you created such an odd grandiose delusion when you're so obviously…."

"What?" Loki asked, his eyes flashing.

Sherlock looked away and returned to his book. "Nothing. If she's here for longer than a week, I might talk to her, but I doubt she will be. She probably had a manic episode, and they want to keep her here for some closer observation, as well as change her medication to see if they can find a better one that will actually keep her stable. Unlike the rest of us-" his eyes darted around the room to glance at the other patients, all of which had been there for over a week, which had them labeled, in Sherlock's mind, as 'Mysterious enough to be Monitored', "-she will probably not be here long. If she is, however, then I will be extremely interested as to why, and she will probably take forefront in my investigations."

Loki sighed. "Sure. You have fun with that. I'm going to sneak around her before I introduce myself. Also, we have musical lessons in an hour."

"Fifty six minutes, actually," Sherlock said, without looking up from his book to check the time. "Enjoy yourself. Bring back a mystery."

Loki sighed and got up. "Not everyone can pull a mystery out of their pockets, Sherlock," he said as he walked away.

"What do you mean, you 'lost her'? How can you lose a patient?"

Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing. How had she already given them the slip? It had taken him six hours to get away from them. Even Sherlock, who has the highest record, wasn't able to slip away until two and a half hours.

"I dunno, she's just gone! I mean, her stuff's in her room, and she's still here, but…she's not here."

Loki pressed his lips together to keep the laughs from tumbling out.

"Come on," the older doctor said. "Let's do regular rounds. We'll start at the Gym and move to Counseling, then Education, then Art, Music, and Lunch."

"What about the Courtyard?"

"You think she got outside?"

There was a pause.

"Right, let's go to the Gym."

Loki watched as the two walked around the opposite corner and disappeared. His eyes widened, however, when a panel in the ceiling moved and the girl dropped down from there, fixing the tile on the way down.

Her feet quietly hit the floor, and she waited a bit, listening to the disappearing footsteps of the doctors, before leaving.

Loki waited a few seconds, before following her.

The girl seemed to know where she was going, and she confidently walked around a few corners before sliding in to the Music Room.

Loki stood at the door, his hand raised to open it, when the melodious, melancholy music quietly drifted through the doors. Slowly, he lowered his hand to his side and closed his eyes, drowning in the music. The harmonious tune of the grand piano struck a familiar chord in him. Before he realized it, he stood there swaying to nothing, as the song had ended.

"Are you going to wait out there all day, or are you going to come in?" a voice called out.

Loki stood up, and eased the door open.

The girl sat on the piano bench, nimrod straight, with her back facing him, leafing through some sheet music. She waited for him to move close behind her before she spoke again, without looking at him.

"What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second."

Her mouth quirked up in a small smile, before it grew into a smirk. She spun around on the piano bench so she was facing Loki. "Alright, Loki, my name is Rissa."

"How do you know my name?"

"I think the better question is: How don't you know my name?"

He paused. "What?"

"Please, you don't think I don't know how nurses gossip? The ones who brought me here mentioned everyone in this place, and it wasn't hard to put two and two together. I've been scheduled to come here for the last three or four hours, so I'm sure that the nurses here would've started gossiping about me, or at the very least, speculating about what was wrong with me."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me that you're going to play the normal game."

She gave him a curious look, and stopped leafing through sheet music. "The normal game?"

"It's when you're stuck in Egypt."

Rissa gave a small chuckle, and turned back to the papers. "No, I'm not in denial. There's nothing wrong with me because there's something wrong with everyone else."

"What?" Loki asked. "So because everyone else is crazier than you, that makes you normal?"

She paused. "I suppose if you were to compare it like that, then yes, I would probably be a better example of normal, but no, that's not what I'm talking about."

"So…"
"Have you ever heard the expression, 'If everyone is special, no one is'?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand it?"

"Yes?"

She laughed. "Good answer. Nowadays, there's always misconceptions, and ideals that were misconstrued by the mass media, so you can never know for sure."

"But you can?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"The same way that your friend – sorry, acquaintance – Sherlock can read people." She paused and turned to face him again. "I pay attention." She turned back to her papers, and continued. "The phrase, 'if everyone is special, no one is' is misleading, because people can be special in a series of different ways. Now, if everyone were special in the exact same way – through intelligence, or musical, artistic, or athletic ability – then it would be a prime example. The best way to truly phrase the idea behind it is, 'If everyone is rich, then everyone is poor.'." Rissa turned back to Loki. "Stop me if I go to fast."

"To have a stable country, you need a stable economy, and to have a stable economy, you must have three social classes – the High, the Middle, and the Low. The Low, (and some Middle and High who like to believe that they are self-righteous) look to make it an equal world – for everyone to have the same amount of money. But if such a thing happened, the economy would collapse. For instance, if every single person had the same type of income as the rich do – let's say, a quarter a million a year – then there would be a large problem with inflation – since everyone had more money, everything would be a lot more expensive. Take a watermelon, for example."

"A watermelon?"

"A watermelon costs about four dollars, which is over half the price of hourly minimum wage. If we were to go by the same percentage, increasing wages would increase the price of the watermelon – no one would actually get richer, the country would just print a lot of money. That's what happened to Germany after World War I – they had so much money, they were carrying trillions of dollars in wheelbarrows – because a wheelbarrow full of money was really only equal to a buck or two, because of their inflation. Because of this, if we were to make everyone rich, we'd lessen the value of money, and therefore make everyone poor. The same goes with a game. If you give every single person a medal – the exact same type of medal – then it takes out the worth of it. If the person who worked the hardest and won got the same type of medal as the loser, than all of that effort was for nothing, because the result would be the same either way. That is what the saying, 'If everyone's special, no one is,' means. Therefore, if everyone is crazy, including myself, then no one is crazy – because in a world where everyone is crazy, crazy is the norm – so I fit right in."

Rissa stopped shuffling through the papers, and her shoulders sagged, her voice becoming as melancholy as the music she played earlier. "It's like depression. If you're sad all the time, then you're never really sad at all, are you? Because you get used to it. You've acclimated to it, and it's normal for you. Only an even larger burst of sadness or a small burst of happiness lets you see where you really are. If everything stays the same…well, then everything is the same. And there's no real point. To anything."

Loki sighed and eased himself on the bench next to her. "Maybe," he admitted, "You're right. And you definitely are, about some things. But the trick to the depression…" he gave her a mad grin, "…is to keep yourself so distracted, you don't even know what's going on, much less what you're feeling."

She laughed. "I suppose that's one way to go about it." She froze and abruptly stood up. "The nurses are coming. Let's loop around back to the common room."

She straightened everything up and they passed through the doors right as the other ones were opening. Rissa took no notice, and continued to stride forward toward the common room.

"How do you know the way?" Loki asked. "Have you been here before?"

"No." They passed a few more feet before she elaborated. "Each government-sanctioned mental rehabilitation facility has to have the same layout. I think it's a law, or something."

She paused right outside the entrance to the common room and held up a finger. "Three, two…one."

They rushed in, Loki returning to Sherlock and Rissa going to the window seat and looking outside. The nurse at the front desk returned from the back room, and nearly jumped a foot in the air when she saw Rissa. She quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie and started talking to the other nurses.

Even though he couldn't see her face, Loki knew that Rissa was smiling.

I'm back from the dead guys! Nah, I'm good, just swamped with college applications and scholarships. It might take longer but I'll try to post once a week. You guys are encouraged to comment OR PM me if you just want to. And please please please please please COMMUNICATE! I'm like a cat - I NEED YOUR ATTENTION! *meow*

Also the song Rissa plays is 'Hurts Like Hell' by Fleurie, if anyone is interested.

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety

"How were your 'investigations'?" Sherlock asked quietly, still reading his book on – Loki leaned forward to read the cover – Astrophysics and the Properties of Gravity in the Human Environment.

"Uh…I'm not quite sure," Loki said. "But I'll keep you updated."

"Wonderful," Sherlock said. "I look forward to it."

Loki glared at him. Sherlock didn't notice.

"Attention, everyone," the front desk nurse said. She stood up and gestured to Rissa. "Everyone, this is our newest patient, Miss Clarissa Osbourne."

"Rissa."

"Clarissa here is-"

"Rissa."

"Clarissa is a-"

"Rissa. My name is Rissa."

The nurse sighed. "Miss Osbourne, at this facility, we don't use nicknames. We prefer to go by the names your parents gave you."

"Parents? What parents, you mean the ones who shoved me into the social system and bounced me around from foster home to foster home? Those parents?"

The nurse seemed frozen.

"I would appreciate being called my Chosen name, because no one who gave me my name deserves to be treated with respect."

The nurse seemed to get a bit of her courage back. "Miss – Miss Osbourne, we cannot make you the sole exception to the rule."

"That's fine."

The nurse relaxed.

"The easy solution to this is to dissolve the rule altogether."

The terrified look on the nurse's face was priceless.

Rissa waited for the nurse's response. It didn't come.

"Well then, it seems that we've settled this argument. I am tired right now, so I bid you all adieu until I wake up from my nap."

She turned and waltzed out of the common room.

"Hmm," Sherlock murmured, before returning to his book. "Let's see what happens over this week, shall we?"

Loki was already off the couch and around the corner, catching up to Rissa. "That was wonderful," he said, giving a fake round of applause. "Lovely performance."

She rolled her eyes. "Glad you were impressed with it."

"Tell me, if the nurse wasn't frozen stiff, what would you have done?"

"I would've waited until she least expected it. Then I'd set her computer on fire."

Loki stopped walking. Rissa turned back to look at him, "Was it something I said?"

"Yes."

She smiled. "I'm not a pyromaniac, and while I do like to set things on fire, it's mostly because I love to casually refer to something being on fire when everyone else is freaking out. It's very funny."

"Are you being serious?"

"I dunno. Am I?"

She saw the odd look on Loki's face and rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not being serious. Point taken – probably shouldn't talk about pyromania in a mental ward. No, I wouldn't set her computer on fire. I'd probably catch a spider and put it in her drink or something."

He gave a small laugh. "You humans are so malicious."

She froze, and blinked at him a bit. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Well, malicious means-"

"I know what malicious means, Loki. I was referring to the 'you humans' part."

"Oh."

Silence rang before them, before Rissa rolled her eyes and took initiative.

"If you're not human, then what are you?"

"A god."

"A god." Rissa nodded, bit her lip and turned away before looking back at him. She sighed and began to walk away. "Now I know why you're in here."

"Hey, I'm being serious!" Loki yelled after her. "I'm a god!"

As she rounded around the corner he called after her. "You humans are all the same!"

Her head lpopped back around the corner. "So you're a god, huh?"

"Yes."

"You forgot something else."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You're a racist god. And an asshole."

As she disappeared around the corner, her voice echoed back into the hall. "And not the good kind, either."

And she left Loki with two thoughts.

Great, you did it again. And you were off to a good start this time, too.

…

…

…

Wait.

There's a good kind of asshole?

Hey guys, I hope this will tide you over until the longer chapter I'm not finished writing yet. :( I'm very excited to do this test. As you can see from above, we're going to get various mood swings. That's because the Loki we have here is half-Loki from Rissa's timeline and half-crazy God from Avengers point. I kind of wanted to see if I could make Rissa and Loki fall in love even when Loki's being stupid, so we'll see what happens. :)

But you guys will like this. You get to see a lot more of the bantering part of the relationships. Thank you to the three lovelies from Fanfiction and the sole lovely from Archive. Your comments made me smile (and also helped me write faster).

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety One

"Back so soon?" Sherlock questioned as Loki eased himself back onto the sofa.

Loki was silent.

"That bad, hmm?"

"Sherlock…

"Oh, so you're really upset."

"Sherlock, shut up."

"Were you off to a good start?"

"Yes, now will you SHUT? UP? I need to think about how to fix this."

"Sure. Have fun with that." In all his words, Sherlock had never pulled his eyes away from his book, but it was easy to see how he re-consumed himself in his work after that.

Loki laced his fingers and sat there thinking, almost in a trance. He didn't even realize how much time had passed, until Sherlock nudged him.

"I've read three hundred and sixty eight pages, Loki."

"Good for you."

"I'm serious, you've been sitting here for over four hours."

"So have you."

"Yes, but I've been reading. So it doesn't count. I'm not staring off into space with my mind falling off a cliff. What's gotten into you, anyway? Why are you going so crazy over a stupid girl? Yes, the stalker-to-friend thing is something you always do, but you usually wait a few days to evenspeak to them."

"She sort of rushed it along," Loki mumbled.

"Still…what's changed?"

Loki was silent, before saying (very quietly), "Don't tell me you didn't feel it."

For the first time, Sherlock turned and looked him in the eye. "Felt what?" His own were narrowed to slits.

"In the air. This morning. Something wasdifferent, and you know it."

Sherlock sighed, and closed the book. "And you think that this…new girl…is the cause of it?"

"Yes."

Sherlock sighed again and shook his head, picking up the book and starting a smooth rhythm on it's hard cover. "Now, I don't know why you and half of the ward seems to believe in magic, and I know that saying this won't change your mind, but magic isn't real, Loki. It's not. This morning there was a problem with the ventilation pressure in the building because the airflow outside stopped. Since they never open the doors, except for special occasions into the Courtyard, we don't get air that's naturally circulated; it needs to be pumped by a machine."

"I don't believe that, and I don't think you do either," Loki hissed. "There was something odd this morning, and I can prove it."

"What's changed?" Sherlock suddenly repeated.

Loki froze. "Huh?"

"What's changed?" Sherlock repeated. "The new girl? Loki, you've been trying to 'prove' magic to me since we've been here, and you have yet to done it. And the reason is simple."

"Because magic isn't real."

"I'll prove it. Just you wait and see," Loki hissed, turning away.

A few moments of awkward and intense silence were between them until Sherlock sighed. "If you're really so worried about relationships – if you really feel like you want to fix this, just like you want to with every situation, then ask someone else for advice."

The tension eased out of Loki's shoulders and he relaxed next to Sherlock. Taking in his friend's words, he warily looked around the room. "Just…who would you recommend?"

"Hmm…" Sherlock started up his tapping again. "Not Harry, Steve, or Castiel. They don't know enough…Not Arthur, Dean, Tony, or your brother. They know too much… And don't even try asking Moriarty, Lucifer, or the Master." His tapping paused, before returning to it's normal pace. "I don't even have a category for the Doctor. Or Natasha," he added. "Your best bets are probably Sam, Bruce, John, Merlin, or Clint."

"Clint? I thought he'd be in the too muchcolumn, along with Arthur, Dean, Tony, and Thor," Loki asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"It may seem like that, but Clint actually has a secret girlfriend at home. They've been going steady for years."

Loki shook his head. "It doesn't matter – you know that I could never ask Clint about something like that."

Sherlock sighed. "He'll get over, just like this new girl will. Eventually, they all get over it. That's what happens when you're stuck in a place where everyone is insane – you adjust to it, and it's not that weird anymore. Your god complex might make you complicated, but you aren't anywherenear as complicated as Merlin, Castiel, or the Doctor is – you know that."

"Clint has been here for five weeks," Loki said in a low voice. "Other than him, the longest it took anyone to adjust to me was eleven days, and that was with Natasha. And remember, she arrived after Clint." His gaze drifted to his hands, which were folded on his lap. "I know what you say, Sherlock, but it's not what you think. I don't think that Clint is ever going to come around, and you don't either."

"You're right." When Loki turned to look back at Sherlock, he found him staring at the window across from them, at their own reflection cast by the shallow lights and the fire. "Of everyone here, Clint is the most messed up."

"But-"

"I'm not talking about his delusions – he isn't anywhere near the top when it comes to delusions with you people. However, everyone else? All those people with those crazy delusions on top? They're coping. They understand, and it's helping them move on. Even for the Winchesters. Clint…Clint isn't moving on. He's stuck in a loop that he can't walk out of – a warped space of paranoia and fear – and at the rate that this hospital is working at – well, he's probably not going to get better."

There were a few seconds of silence between them, and Loki found himself grateful for (the small amount of) his sanity.

"Go see John. He'll help you with your problems."

"You're only recommending John because you're in love with him."

Sherlock snorted. "Your theories are getting more and more ridiculous, Loki. John has a girlfriend back home, and they've been going steady for a while."

"And how does that make you feel?" Loki asked, leaning forward.

"It makes me feel like moving you to the bathtub and stealing your kidney in the middle of the night."

"That's weird, Sherlock."

"Eh." He shrugged. "What can I say? Sociopath."

"I'm gonna try Sam," Loki stood up and started to walk away from his roommate. "Have fun with your sociopathic tendencies."

"Have fun with your god complex."

"You need what?"

"Advice."

"You. You need advice. On what?"

"Um…friendship? Specifically between the opposite sex."

Sam sighed. "Why do I think that this is going to be a failure before it even begins?"

"Because it probably is."

Sam gave Loki a scrutinizing look. "What are you doing, anyway? What's gotten into you that makes you want to become friends with the new girl?"

"I didn't say anything about the new girl."

"The only other girl here is Natasha."

Loki was quiet.

Sam sighed. "Look, if I knew more about what you wanted, I could help you more."

"I already have one therapist." Actually, he had three, but that wasn't the point.

"Do you really think I want to play therapist right now?" He lowered his voice. "Dean and I think we might have gotten a lead."

Loki's eyes widened, and he, very quietly, (and discretely as one could be) slapped Sam on the shoulder. "Are you stupid?" he hissed. "Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to break out?"

Sam winced. "Yeah, I know, it wasn't pretty. But this time it's different."

"How?" Loki asked. "A new escape plan? A different route? A different schedule? Drugging the nurses? Outside help? You've tried all of those techniques and just about a million combinations of them and none of them worked. Really, Sam, be smart about this."

"We are," Sam retorted. "People out there are dying, and we need to help."

"Yeah, and what about you?" Loki said sharply. "I know what goes on in the back."

Sam's face whitened.

"You have a better chance on playing up being fine, and getting out that way. It might take longer, but it's better than the alternative, and you know it." Loki sighed. "Look, can you postpone it for at least…five to eight days?"

"Why?"

"Just…a feeling. Please." He would also have time to try and talk them out of it, with backup. "Look, I know you're worried, but you can't help other people if you hurt yourself, Sam. And what about Dean? You two need to STOP, take a deep breath, and think."

Sam swallowed, heaved in a breath, and then nodded.

Loki smiled. "Good. Now, I need your help. I don't know what it is about today…maybe it's new medication? Maybe I just woke up in the right spirits? Maybe…who knows? But something about this girl, it makes me…"

"What?" Sam asked. "Angry? Sad? Happy? Heartfelt? Like you're flying above the clouds?"

"I…I don't know," Loki said, puzzled. "I just…I know she's important. I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling - but somehow, she's important – important enough for me to go to you for advice."

"That important, huh?" Sam nodded, then snapped into action. "Alright, then let's get started…"

Loki hesitated in front of her room. He noticed that the sign next to the room readRissa instead of Clarissa. Something told him that the handwriting was her own, and he wondered how she had gotten the dry erase marker.

"Hey, asshole, it's rude to disturb someone's beauty sleep."

He turned around to face Rissa, who stood behind him with her hands on her hips.

What do you say? What did Sam say again?

"Complement her."

"You don't need beauty sleep, you're already beautiful."

Her eyebrows raised.

Oh, dear me, did I say that aloud?

"Nice," she said. "What did you do in the past five hours?"

"Uh…"

"I would appreciate it if you gave me the truth."

"I asked Sam on how to deal with women."

"So that's where you learned your line, huh? Maybe I should talk to this 'Sam'…"
Was that an insult?

"So…" Loki said warily. "Can we…start over?"

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"Because all of that 'starting over' shit is stupid. We've already made assumptions and judgments about each other, and there's no point in pretending that we don't already have them." She paused. "However…I will give you a second chance. Starting with giving me a lengthy description on why you're here."

"You never really told me why you're here, either," Loki said, suddenly coming to the realization. "You just deflected the question."

"I'm sorry," she said sweetly, and completely insincere. "To learn that, you must be at least a Level Two friend."

"What am I right now?"

"Negative One."

"Negative?"

"Yes. You've got a lot of work."

Loki sighed. "Alright. My name is Loki Odinson."

"And you're a god?"

"Yes."

"Is your god complex stemmed from your name?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't."

"And…what are your opinions on humans?"

Don't say it don't say it.

"They're inferior."

"Hmm. How?"

"What?" He hadn't expected that reaction.

"How? How are they inferior?"

"I…"

She sighed, and leaned against the wall to her room. "Do you know why humans are known as superior creatures?" Her voice shook as she looked away from him.

"No," he said, acting completely uninterested, leaning next to her and looking in the opposite direction. But he felther standing next to him, and hung onto her every word.

He could act uninterested all he wanted, but to him, this girl would never be boring.

It was even more obvious in her presence, demanding his attention.

"Look at me when I talk to you."

Yes. Not boring. Just very, very irritating.

His eyes darted next to him, into hers, which blazed like fire. Her glare disintegrated his own within a matter of seconds, and Loki felt smaller and shorter than her.

Which was ridiculous, because he was over six foot and she couldn't be over five five.

Also, he was a god.

"Humans are not superior because of opposable thumbs, or because of communication. Humans are superior because of greed."

Loki froze up. Every time he's tricked into thinking this girl is ordinary, does she bounces right back with words like that.

Who talks like that?

"A beaver will do what it can for survival. It will cut trees to build a house, and gather food for its children. They do what they can to live comfortably. But humans… humans are special. Humans aren't content to simply live for survival. We want MORE. We always want more. And that leads to amazing creations: indoor plumping, electricity. Entertainment; television, games, books, movies, music, plays…Because of our greed, humans have excelled."

She glared at him. "I don't care if you dolive longer, or are stronger, or are even more intelligent, or whatever the hell it is that you believe makes you superior. Sea turtles live longer. And half the creatures out there, from bears to ants, are stronger. Hell, dolphins are supposed to be smarter than humans! Yet you're telling me that they're superior?" Rissa's voice softened.

"The value of each human is priceless. One human cannot equal another, but that doesn't mean that one is worth more than the other, or that one of them can be replaced. What's gone can only be found, not recreated."

She got up from the wall and started to pass by him to her room. Loki felt like he was losing her, and he had to stop her – had to find out more, find out why – how – she thought like this. "Humans are such foolish creatures," he said, resigned. His words stopped Rissa in her tracks.

"Yes," she said. "They are." His head shot up at my word they instead of we. "Such foolish, selfish creatures." As she reached the door, Rissa placed her hand on the doorframe, and, turning to look at him, said, "Green is a really fitting color, you know?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"Well, you're supposed to be smarter than humans," she snapped back. "Figure it out yourself."

She opened the door and didn't look back.

Hey guys! Here's a big chapter! :) Please comment everyone! Even you newbies! Yes, you guys. I get your notifications when you follow this story, and I know that you're reading this, so comment comment comment comment! :) Yay!

Also (in case you didn't guess) this entire section is going to be from Loki's 3rd person point of view! Yay!

Sweet dreams, everybody. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety Two

"Loki, if you're going to bother me, at least do it properly." Sherlock didn't look up from his book but Loki sighed and sat down. He did not, however, start bothering Sherlock 'properly'.

Sherlock snapped the book closed and glared. "That is it. Loki, why do I need to play therapist? Take initiative. Tell me what is wrong, or get out."

"You know that you're my closest friend, right?"

"We're not friends," Sherlock said automatically.

"Fine, allies, acquaintances, peers, people who can keep up with each other intellectually and can decently get along," Loki said.

Sherlock nodded. "Those are acceptable terms."

"It's the new girl," Loki said slowly.

"Yes, I figured," Sherlock said impatiently. Loki ignored him.

"I think there's something wrong with her."

"No shit Loki. What could ever be wrong with a girl in a mental ward?"

There was no snappy retort or comeback, no ordering or insults…nothing. A frown actually crossed Sherlock's face, but it quickly turned up into a smile. "What did she do to you?"

"Will you please help me?" Loki asked, suddenly animated – it was as if a switch was flipped. "I don't know what's wrong with her. And…I don't think that you could read her."

"Ridiculous," Sherlock scoffed. "I scanned her when she came in. She seemed normal – well, as normal as one could be for this place."

"Try it again."

Sherlock raised his eyebrows, pressing his hands together. "This is…interesting."

"Good," Loki shot at him. "Because that means you'll help."

"No it doesn't," Sherlock said.

"Fine," Loki said, getting up. "Then I'll just leave..."

Sherlock sighed. "Sit down."

Loki smirked.

"You know, I really hate you," Sherlock said to Loki.

"Yeah, but life would be so boring without me, wouldn't it?" Loki said.

Sherlock sighed and said. "As much as I hate to admit it. What do you need my help with?"

Loki shook his head. "Just…talk to her. I need to know what you make of her. It's like…I don't even think there's a word for her complex. Like she's reserved and superior, and at the same time, it makes her inferior; she has sympathy, but not empathy, and she always sounds sad, and resigned. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"Alright. What did she say to you?"

"A couple things. About how humans are superior creatures because they go beyond what is needed in order to live more comfortably. They go beyond survival to create electricity and plumbing. But then I say that humans are foolish, and she says, 'Yes. They are'. They are, not we are. And then, she told me that green looked good on me and walked away."

Sherlock looked at Loki and laughed, loud, giggling that Loki had never seen before.

It scared him.

"Sherlock…" Loki said. "What…what is it?..."

Sherlock managed to calm down. "I've known you for months now, and she was able to find out something that I didn't realize."

"What?"

"When she says that green looks good on you, she insinuating that you're JEALOUS. Green is usually associated with jealousy, and envy. She's claiming that you're jealous of humans."

"What?" Loki repeated.

"And she's right!" Sherlock finished.

"WHAT?" Loki yelled.

Sherlock nodded. "Your odd complex about how you're superior to humans? It was always bothering me, until now. I realized what she did; that the whole reason you have these delusions in the first place is because you're jealous of other people, and it causes you to feel inferior. That's why your delusion was created. You're jealous of the things that normal people had, and it probably has to do with your odd upbringing."

Loki just stared.

Sherlock sighed, smiling. "Oh, trust me, I'll be talking to this girl, alright. She's a special one. Everything just got much more interesting."

For the first time, Loki was glad that he'd been at Blackthorn for so long. It meant that he knew exactly where to hide – that he knew a place where he can see and hear everything.

"So. Loki tells me you're interesting."

"Well, I aim to please." Rissa snapped the book shut and looked at Sherlock. She had been leaning against a wall in the hallway – an odd place to read, if you ask Loki – and seemed upset at being disturbed. She gave Sherlock a once over before returning to her book. "They're wrong about your diagnosis."

"I…what?" Sherlock asked.

She flipped her hand up a small card appearing in between her fingers. She handed it to Sherlock.

"This…this is my diagnostic sheet," Sherlock said, eyes wide. "Where did you get this?"

"The same place I got the others." She shrugged. "The filing cabinet."

"How do you know it's me?" Sherlock asked. There's no picture."

"Please, it's extremely easy to match the face to the name. Especially considering all of your habits that generally line up with your diagnosis. I haven't really looked at all of them; I've only gotten through a few so far. But let me tell you…some of these are so wrong it's ridiculous. Of course, they don't list details or remarks or anything said by or about the patient in particular, but it's still easy to pin-point where they're wrong."

"And you said mine was wrong," Sherlock stated. It was meant to be a question, but it was posed as a statement.

"Yes."

There were a few moments of silence before Sherlock impatiently said, "Well, are you going to tell me."

"Don't really have any inclination to do so, no," Rissa said, turning the page.

Sherlock opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say.

"If you need me, I'll be hiding all of the silverware in the kitchens. Nice meeting you, Sherrie."

Still reading, she walked down the corridor and disappeared from sight.

I'm so sorry guys, but I'm back now. Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety Three

"Dinner has been postponed on account of losing all of our silverware."

"I'm sorry, what?" John asked. "Did you say 'lose all of our silverware'."

"Yes," the nurse said.

"Well, where did it go?"

"Stop asking such stupid questions, you insolent child!" she turned and stomped out of the room.

The kids stared at her as she left.

"'Insolent child'?" Dean snorted. "That's a new one."

The nurse behind the counter cleared her throat and stepped up. "We will be ordering pizza and wings."

"Whoo!" Tony yelled, jumping up. "Party!"

"Anthony, get off the table!" the nurse yelled.

"Never!"

Steve climbed onto the table where Tony was dancing and picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder and climbing onto the floor.

"Party pooper!" Tony shouted, throwing a plastic cup at him. It bounced off of Steve's face. He blinked at Tony.

"Thank you, Steven," the nurse said, before paging the psychiatrist. "Dr., Anthony's ADHD medications are. Not. Working."

"How do you know that?" came the response. "Was he on the table again?"

"Yes."

"What's going on, Sherrie?" Rissa asked, coming up behind where he and Loki sat, leaning back and watching the show.

"Please don't call me that."

"Would you prefer 'Lockie'? Oh, or how about 'Nessie'."

"My given name is fine."

"No it's not. I must change it."

"Why don't you change Loki's?"

"Don't bring me into this," Loki said. "I don't want her getting mad at me again."

"I already changed his. It's Lokester. Like Jokester? Except with his name."

"I don't like that name!" Loki replied indignantly.

"How about Loki-is-an-asshole-who-keeps-pissing-me-off-and-will-wake-up-with-no-beautiful-luscious-hair-if-he-continues?"

"I don't like that name either. Wait…" he paused. "You think that my hair is luscious and beautiful?"

"Yep!" Rissa said, running her fingers through it. "Too bad that the person attached to it is an ass."

"Loki, I like her," Sherlock said. "Can we keep her?"

"Sherlock!" John, who was nearby, interrupted the conversation. "You can't 'keep' her."

"Why not?"

"Because she's a person."

"So?"

"That's slavery, idiot," Merlin said, coming by and plopping down on an adjacent couch. "Oh, no, officer! The person in the back certainly isn't a pet. You can't make people pets. I swear I'm not a kidnapper."

"Yeah, there's only one place slavery is welcome," Arthur said, sitting beside him. He wiggled his eyebrows. "And that's in the bedroom."

The group groaned, but there were still smiles and smirks on people's faces.

"I like you," Rissa said towards Arthur. "You said that before I could. Good job."

"Hey, Sherlock, remember that time we used to be normal?" Loki asked.

"No."

"Yeah, me neither."

"I'm so glad we get pizza!" Dean said happily as he joined the group.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at yet another person joining their group before he returning to his book.

"Why, did all of the silverware go mysteriously missing?" Rissa asked nonchalantly.

Everyone turned to look at her. She shrugged. "Every time I go to a new place, the silverware all disappears on the first day. Maybe I'm being stalked by a poltergeist, and they keep playing pranks."

"A poltergeist?" Dean asked, he and Sam perking up.

"Is there any salt here?" Rissa asked suddenly.

John shook his head. "No, why."

"Then cool it," she said to the Winchesters.

"Yeah," Harry said popping up on the side. "After all, if it gets us pizza, it's not that bad, is it?"

"Pizza has arrived!" the nurse said, coming out from behind the desk to let in the guard.

Most of the group got up and moved towards the pizza, leaving Sherlock and Loki on the couch, with Rissa leaning against it.

"I quite clearly heard you say that you were hiding the silverware earlier," Sherlock said quietly, not looking up from his novel. "Why feed their delusion? You're just adding fire to the fuel."

"Do you know why people have delusions, Sherlock?"

"Theoretically."

"Yeah. But you're not one of them. You don't have a delusion."

"You are correct."

They were quiet, none of them getting up for the pizza. Loki would've, but he didn't dare leave the conversation.

"How do you know?"

"How do I know what?" Sherlock asked, still absorbed in his book.

"That you're not living in a delusion?"

That got his attention. He looked up from his book and turned to face her.

"Of course I would know if I was living in a delusion."

"Really? How do you know that any of this is real?" She turned back to watch the group of people hungrily attacking pizza. "Delusions are a type of coping method – it helps keep people happy. And if they need the delusion in order to be happy, then I'm not going to take that away from them. I just need to make sure that they don't hurt themselves or others."

"That's easier said than done," Loki spoke up quietly.

Rissa turned to look at him, and her eyes stared into his, searching. It was impossible to read her face.

She nodded, and Loki could have sworn that he heard the words Isn't everything?brush across his mind.

"I'm getting some pizza," was spoken aloud at the exact same time, by the exact same voice. Rissa turned and started walking toward the food.

"That was abrupt," Sherlock said, leaning back and looking at Loki. He stopped when he saw Loki's face. "Loki. Loki, are you there?

"I'm always here," Loki snapped, getting up and hurrying away.

"Really? It's kind of hard to tell. What with your delusions and all..." Sherlock's words echoed down the hallway as Loki hurried into his room.

Reaching inside, he closed the door. Running to the attached bathroom, he splashed some water on his face.

"It's not real. It's not real."

There was a knock on the door. "Loki?" a nurse called out. "Here are your evening medication."

Loki ran towards her, swiped the cup from her hand and said, "Thanks, I'm going to bed early, Get Out."

The nurse took one look at him and bolted.

Loki sat onto his bed and sighed, contemplating his meds.

He got over to his luggage and pulled out the medication he had saved.

Double a dose won't kill me, he thought, grabbing the extra pills and taking them down with one gulp of the water near his bed.

"Brother!" Thor opened the room, happily coming in. "There is pizza! We must indulge while we can!" He stopped as he saw Loki leaning back against the wall looking sick. "Are you alright, brother?"

Loki nodded. "Go away, Thor. I'm going to bed early, alright?"

Thor took a long look at Loki's state, his face furrowed with worry. Slowly, he nodded and said, "Sweetest dreams, brother."

"Thank you," Loki said, watching as his brother left.

He turned off the lights and laid down in the bed, pulling off his shirt and jeans as he did.

He knew he wouldn't be getting any dreams tonight.

This story will continue to be rated T. If any sex is done between Rissa and Loki, it will be nondescriptive. I don't write smut.

I'm just saying.

Sweet dreams, everyone. :) Enjoy the rest of your break!

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety Four

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

Loki woke up to the repeated rhythm of his bed bouncing up and down. "What are you doing?" Opening his eyes resulted in the startling sight of Rissa jumping up and down on his bed.

"I'm waking you up, idiot!"

He groaned and threw his pillow over his head.

"Wakey, Wakey, Lokester!"

"NO, LET ME SLEEP! And don't call me that!"

"How about Loki-is-an-asshole-who-keeps-pissing-me-off-and-will-wake-up-with-no-beautiful-luscious-hair-if-he-continues?"

"Oh My God!" He threw the pillow at her. "Go. Away!" He felt more than a little nauseous thanks to the double dose of his medication he'd taken the previous night.And how does she even remember that stupid nickname?

"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon," Sherlock drawled. Loki cracked open an eye to see him leaning against the wall. "She did the same to me. Nearly gave John a heart attack."

While Loki shared a room with his brother, Sherlock shared a room with John. The two of them got on pretty well, (especially considering Sherlock's dislike of other people).

"See, so it's useless," Rissa continued, jumping up and down. "The sooner you get up, the sooner I stop."

He groaned.

"Come on, Lokester, I ain't letting up anytime soon."

"Fine!" he snapped. "I'll get up, on the condition that you call me by my name."

"And me," Sherlock joined in.

"Yes, and Sherlock."

She pouted, but got off the bed, grabbing his hand and pulling him out. "Fine. Now come on, Loki. I want breakfast. All of the silverware mysteriously reappeared in the kitchen overnight, and someone made everyone pancakes! We need to go before they're all eaten."

"What?" Sherlock asked. "You didn't mention any of that earlier."

"Oops…" Rissa shrugged, still taking Loki out of bed, completely ignoring the fact that Loki was in nothing but his boxers.

"You made pancakes?" Loki asked, curiously.

"Yes, so let's go!" She whined, dragging them to the door.

"No, I need to get dressed first!" Loki said, pulling his hand out of hers and grabbing his blanket to cover him up.

"What are you talking about, you're fine!"

"No I'm not, I'm shirtless!"

"So?"

"So I'm not going down there in my boxers, Rissa!"

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, just hurry. I want to eat."

"Thank you! Now turn around."

"Why?" She blinked at him.

"Because I need to change!"

"What are you talking about, I've already seen you shirtless."

"Just turn around!"

"Fine, Jesus Christ."

As she turned around, Sherlock distracted her. "How?"

"How what?" she asked, forgetting about Loki for a moment.

"How did you make the pancakes?"

"Are you talking about my recipe, or how I got away with it?"

"How you got away with it," Sherlock said.

She shrugged. "They have a fifteen minute rotational period when they check on rooms. There's just a matter of sneaking out in between and getting back in time. When I have more time, I'll make a fake dummy so I can stay out."

"You had no qualms about ditching them yesterday," Loki said.

"Yes, but it's one thing to vanish during the day, when everyone is out doing something. It's another thing to disappear during the night."

Sherlock nodded. "You're right on that point."

"I know."

"Alright, I'm done," Loki said.

"Good!" She laced her arms through theirs and started to skip out of the room. "Come on, let's go eat!"

The boys wearily glanced at each other as they were dragged to the cafeteria.

After several corners, two cases of stairs, and five doors, they finally arrived at their destination.

While neither boys' mouths dropped, their eyes widened in surprise at the amount of pancakes piled up in the buffet line.

"How did you manage to cook all of that?" Loki asked.

She smiled. "Simple. I turned on all of the stoves, put on a griddle on each of them, and made a bunch of them at once. By keeping them under the back of the fan, they stay warm."

"I don't think that's right…" Sherlock said.

He suddenly found a pair of large and intimidating eyes staring straight into his. "That's how it happened," she said in a low, dangerous voice. After five seconds, she smiled brightly, dragging them towards the buffet table. "Come on, let's get some pancakes!"

When they got in front, Rissa put four plates on her arms, like a waiter, before she started filling them with pancakes.

"Who is the fourth plate for?" Loki asked.

"My imaginary friend."

"Your…imaginary friend?" Sherlock asked curiously. He had seen no signs that she had one.

"Yep."

She had finished stacking all of the plates with food and dragged them to a table where she sat down and passed out the plates.

Loki went to sit next to her before she cried, "No! Your seat is over there."

She gestured to across the table.

"Why?"

"She needs a place to sit."

"Your imaginary friend?"

"Yes."

Ignoring her, Loki sat down in the chair.

She hissed at him.

He made no move to get up.

She glared at him some more, before pushing the extra plate a little farther down the table. "Asshole."

"Wow," Sherlock said, checking the time. "You've been with him for over ten minutes and this is the first time you called him that today."

"I know, he was doing so well, wasn't he?"

"So…" Loki interrupted. "Did this…imaginary friend…help you cook?"

"Of course."

"Now two people working together to cook all of this food makes a little more sense," Sherlock muttered. "Except for the fact that imaginary friends are, well…"

"Imaginary?" Rissa suggested sweetly, before pouring syrup over her pancakes.

"Yes," Sherlock said. "Imaginary." He watched as she devoured the pancakes. For having anorexia, she sure didn't act like it.

A very small amount of time had passed until she had finished eating her pancakes. "Alright!" she said. "We're done!"

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Loki asked. "I'm not done."

Rissa rolled her eyes and got up, picking up her plate. "I mean, me and my imaginary friend. We're done eating."

Sherlock gaze followed her as she walked over to the other seat and scooped up the plate in front of the 'imaginary friend's' chair – the empty plate.

"How is the plate empty?" Loki asked.

Sherlock couldn't say a thing.

"What do you mean, 'how is the plate empty'? She ate it! After all, it was for her."

"Who ate it?" Sherlock asked weakly, gaining his voice. "Rissa, there…there's no one there."

"He's right…" Loki said. "Rissa, there's no one there. Imaginary friends aren't real."

She glared at him. "God, Loki, you're such an ass. Fuck you. Come on, Isabelle."

As she marched angrily away, Loki shouted after her, "Yeah, well…fuck you too!" But as the doors to the cafeteria swung shut, he turned to Sherlock and asked, "What does 'fuck you' mean?"

Sherlock sighed. If there was one good thing about a psychiatric ward, it was that no matter what, it was always interesting. And from the looks of things, he thought wryly, it seems that it's going to become more so.

"Sherlock?" Loki asked, annoyed. "What does 'fuck you' mean? I can't say it to Rissa without knowing what it means."

Dean snorted from the next table. "You just did."

"Yeah, well fuck you too, Dean."

As Dean and Loki hashed it out, Sherlock's thoughts turned to Rissa's 'imaginary' friend. She had shown no previous signs of imaginary friends or hallucinations, nor was she on any sort of medication for schizophrenia (or any which had side effects that could cause such an image). And while Rissa had previously messed with them, by both pretending to be crazy and playing pranks on the others in residence, something about this situation seemed a little different from that. With this, he realized what he must do. Like any good detective, he needed evidence.

It was going to be hard, especially since they were cut off from the outside world. But he had to learn about Rissa's past.

"I wonder who Isabelle is," Sherlock muttered to himself. She'd be the first one he'd look for.

Loki looked at him aghast. "Weren't you paying attention? That was the name of her imaginary friend."

Maybe, Sherlock thought, looking back towards the doors. Or maybe not.

I've got a feeling there's more to it than that.

Oh my god guys, I'm sorry this is so late. I'll try to post quicker from now on.

Sweet dreams. :)

Chapter Text

I know it's been awhile, but I'm alive, and the next chapter is already underway. Few things though – I suggest you start back on Test 4 if it's been awhile since you've read this. Also, I found the PERFECT song for this portion – it's called Addicted to Love, and I personally prefer the version by Florence and the Machine. I suggest you listen to it if you have time.

Also I finally tagged this on AO3 and I might've gone a bit overboard…it's kinda entertaining though?

I'm going to try posting the next chapter by Wednesday. If it's not up by Friday, PM me or comment again, and yell at me please. The fact that you really want to read this helps me write more!

Anyway, enjoy! :)

Chapter Ninety Five

"I believe that something is wrong with my roommate."

The quiet sentence had everyone looking up over to Natasha, who stood near the entrance to the commons.

"Rissa?" Loki asked immediately.

"Do I have any other roommates I should know about?" she asked.

"Well, she's not wrong," Clint murmured.

"So?" Sherlock asked, looking more than a little wary. "This is a mental ward. There's something wrong with all of us."

Natasha glared at him. "Try again."

"…coming?" he asked, getting up and making his way toward her room, with Loki on his heels.

"Better," she said, following him.

Everyone else made to get up.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "You can't all come. The nurses are stupid, but they're not that stupid."

"Well, she's not wrong," Clint murmured.

"Clint, go away until you have something worthwhile to distribute," Sherlock said.

"Sherlock!" John said.

Sherlock sighed. "Clint, stop talking if the only thing you're going to do is agree with Natasha."

"Listen, you guys need to provide a distraction," Natasha said.

"Party?" Tony asked hesitantly.

"No," Steve said immediately.

"Tony, are you drunk?" Natasha asked, glaring at him.

He hesitated. "…No?"

Her glare intensified.

"…Yes? Maybe? I don't know."

"Have you consumed any alcohol, you dolt?" Sherlock asked, exasperated.

"Yes."

"Then for now your answer is yes," Sherlock said, rolling his eyes. "This is what passes for a genius in these parts?"

"Hey!" Tony yelled. "I swear to drunk I'm not God!"

Everyone stared at him.

"Why don't we put Tony to bed early?" Clint suggested.

"Now that's a suggestion I can get behind!" Sherlock said.

"For now, try a different suggestion," Loki said. "How about pranks?"

"Loki, brother, you are the only trickster here," Thor said.

"Actually," a quiet voice said. "I…I'm kinda good at pranks."

Everyone turned to look at Harry, who was by far the youngest there. The unusually shy boy met their stares.

"Harry?" Merlin said quietly. "I'm surprised you're getting involved."

Harry had a bad case of PTSD because of his relatives, and he came across as extremely shy.

"I like Rissa," he said quietly. "She always knows what to say. Can I see her when you're done? I promise I'll distract them."

Sherlock nodded. "Take Sam, Dean, Clint, Merlin and Arthur. If he can be trusted to listen to instructions, you can take Lucifer. I'll leave that up to you."

Harry nodded. "Bruce, I'll need your help too, if you're willing once you hear the plan."

Bruce looked surprised, but shrugged and got up.

Natasha nodded. "Good. Alright, Loki, Sherlock, you're with me. Steve, can you put Tony to bed, and then watch the Master, the Doctor, and Moriarty in the common room?"

He nodded, taking Tony's arm and leading him away, who was whining, "But I don't wanna go to bed!"

Sherlock sighed. "Thank God you're here too, Loki."

"I am God."

Natasha huffed and stalked toward their room, saying, "Thor, control your brother!" before they hurried after her.

The four of them stopped outside of her room.

"Well?" Loki asked. "Are we going in or not?"

Natasha glared at him. "I should give you a warning. When I woke up, she was still sleeping, so I got in the shower. When I exited, she was up and…"

"and what?" Sherlock asked eagerly.

"Painting."

"Painting?"

She nodded. "I have no idea where she even got the paint in the first place, or how she managed to paint so quickly, but there was a huge mural on the wall after I got out of the shower."

She opened the door and they peered inside.

On the far side of the wall, there was a meadow of flowers spread out among the wall and sunny blue skies. Rissa stood in front of it, wearing a smock, facing away from them. She held a paintbrush in one hand and a bottle of paint in the other.

"And…now there are flowers. Great," Natasha said. "Painting over this is going to be difficult."

"Why do you need to paint over?" Thor asked. "It seems like it could be helpful to many patients."

"So, what's wrong?" Sherlock asked.

Natasha gaped at him. "Well, other than the fact that she has 'illegal' clothes, she somehow got ahold of many different colors of paint and completely redecorated the wall." Any clothes with strings attached weren't allowed, because they may harm themselves, so her smock wouldn't have passed inspection.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't worry you that much," Sherlock said dismissively.

Natasha sighed. "You're right. I was hoping it would be different when we came back with more people, but…" she moved closer to Rissa, until she was standing right next to her. "It's like she's in a trance," she said, waving her hand in front of her face. Rissa continued painting, not even noticing the hand in front of her face.

Now that they were closer, they could hear her humming under her breath, a nice, happy sort of tune. Sherlock snapped his fingers in front of her, and next to her ears, several times.

No response.

"Let me try something," Thor said, before grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Rissa! Rissa, you've must wake up. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssaaaaa!"

"How are you possibly so annoying?" Loki hissed, grabbing Thor's arm. "And if you keep shaking her like that you're going to hurt her, idiot!"

"Do you have any ideas?" Natasha asked, sincerely interested.

Loki paused. "I can think of one thing."

He – gently, unlike his brother – grabbed her shoulders and leant towards her, before pressing his lips against hers.

After a moment, he released. "Huh. I thought for sure she'd do something. Probably slap me, but still."

"She didn't even stop painting!" Natasha said, somewhat incredulously.

And so she hadn't. Instead, she continued humming and brought the paint bottle over to a pile of others. Grabbing a new bottle, she began to open one with red paint.

"She's like one of those electric bunnies!" Thor said.

"You mean batteries?" Sherlock asked dryly.

"No," Thor frowned. "I distinctly remember a bunny hitting a drum."

"Leave, it, Sherlock."

Rissa had opened the bottle and reached for a paintbrush, before realizing that the one she had was currently used, and that she couldn't use the attached bathroom to clean it.

"Oh well," she said in a happy voice, before plunging her finger into the bottle and starting to finger paint on the wall.

There was a loud boom from the floor below them, and they heard one of the monitors running by yelling, "What do you mean, there are deer in the building?"

Loki snickered. "I can't wait to talk to Harry about what he did."

"I take it back," Thor said.

They all (except Rissa) turned to him. "What do you mean?" Natasha asked curiously.

"I don't think this mural is suitable for children anymore," he said, gesturing to the wall.

While they were preoccupied with the explosion and the guards, Rissa had started writing striking figures across the wall in the blood red paint.

"I think it's a language," Loki muttered, eyeing the symbols.

"Do you know what language?" Sherlock asked.

"No," Loki replied, before, surprisingly, turning to his brother. "Thor?"

"It seems familiar to me as well, but I find I cannot read it," Thor said, nodding.

"Oh no." Rissa's sad voice penetrated their thoughts. She was holding the paint bottle in her hand, and shaking it, but it was obviously empty. "I'm out of paint."

Before anyone could stop her, she pulled a small paring knife out of her apron and sliced downwards on her arm. Blood slowly began to trickle through the cut, and they watched in horror as Rissa happily began humming again, using her blood to continue writing the symbols on the wall.

"The fuck?" Natasha asked.

Loki snapped out of it and grabbed Rissa, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her away from the wall. "To our room, hurry," he said, and the four of them ran out of the room and across the hall, Rissa still moving her arm as if she was writing on the wall.

Thor opened the door, and Loki laid Rissa down on the bed. She was still moving her arms.

"Thor, hold her shoulders down," Loki demanded. "Natasha, can you keep her moving arm still? Sherlock, I'm going to need you to straighten the arm with the cut on it." As they followed instructions, Loki ran out of the room and grabbed a nice clean pillowcase from the supply closet.

He ran back into the room, where they were holding Rissa down. She was starting to struggle, and her humming had becoming increasingly distressed.

Loki took the pillowcase and began tearing it into strips, quickly wrapping up the arm. Despite being wrapped once, Rissa's movements were causing the wound to bleed more.

"Keep her still!" Loki hissed, trying to wrap a second layer on her arm.

"We're trying!" Natasha hissed.

There was some more running past the door that had Loki snickering despite the situation. "What do you mean, the deer is giving birth?"

Sherlock let go and got up. "I've had enough of this." Instead of leaving like they expected, he grabbed the pillow from Thor's bed and threw it on top of Rissa's head, smothering her.

"Sherlock!" Loki shouted, as Rissa's struggling increased.

"What?" he asked, taking in their gazes. "Oh, don't look at me like that. She'll pass out soon enough."

Sure enough, her movements stopped as her body fell limp. They all looked upon her now sleeping form before Loki retook her arm and resumed wrapping it.

"There," he said, finished. "All done. I suggest you all join the chaos."

"What about you, brother?" Thor asked. It was unlike his brother to stay away from such havoc.

Loki looked down at Rissa. "I will keep watch over her."

Thor nodded. "Then I will stay as well, and one of us will fetch more people if we need reinforcements."

Sherlock and Natasha each looked at Rissa once more, before they took their leave.

"So, brother…"

"No."

"Wha-? You do not even know what I'm going to ask."

"I don't care. Shut up."

"Loki…please? I am curious. You are never one to stay away from chaos, and yet you would rather be here, with a sleeping girl instead."

Loki was silent, but Thor knew that he was considering how to answer the question. Finally, he said, "She makes my magic awaken."

Thor reared back as if struck. "What do you mean? I thought that we were…"

"Yes, I thought so as well. But now I'm doubting so. With her here, I can almost touch it. While before it was like watching the sun set over the horizon, now it is like a bonfire a few yards away." He looked down at her. "Even just now, with her sleeping, it is as active as ever. Not only that, but she can be…quite confusing. And you know that I've always valued riddles."

Thor nodded. "Now that I've thought about it, the ward has seemed more…alive since she joined us. I thought it was just her personality – she is very bright. But I think I feel it as well. I am just nowhere near as attuned to magic as you are."

"What do you think made her act like that?" Thor asked after a pause.

"I don't know," Loki said, swearing privately to himself to talk to the Winchesters after this. "But…

…It's like she was possessed."

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety Six

"I see you're awake," a smooth voice said as Rissa forced her eyes open.

"Loki?" she asked, yawning. "What the hell are you doing in my room?"

"Just so you know, you are in my room; you're still hogging my bed as well."

With a squeak, Rissa fell off the bed. Loki was amused. With the exception of her odd acting yesterday, he'd never seen her look so uncomposed. "W-what happened last night?" she asked, squeaking out the question.

Loki frowned. "You don't remember?"

She shook her head. "Sometimes I black out…and wake up in different places. Did I…do anything weird?"

"Um…you stole paint, and put a mural on the wall of your room."

She deflated. "Oh, thank God, that's not nearly as bad as some of the stuff-"

"I didn't get to finish," Loki said quietly. "When you ran out of paint, you…cut yourself and started using your blood."

Rissa froze, her face going pale. "Shit."

After taking a moment to compose herself, she asked, "Who knows?"

"Me, Thor, Sherlock, and Natasha. None of the doctors found out, and I bandaged your arm before it could get really bad. We're going to have to find something to say to the other people in the ward though – they played a bunch of pranks in order to distract the nurses and monitors."

"What did they do?" Rissa asked curiously, as her other arm and eyes sought out the bandage wrapped around her left arm.

"Somehow – and I still don't understand how – Harry managed to let a deer into the commons. Apparently, it was a pregnant doe, and started giving birth. It kept the staff occupied for hours, especially since Harry was being manipulative and started talking about how they had to take care of the 'poor things'.

Rissa snickered, before looking back down at her arm. "You really wrapped this?"

"Yeah." Loki said. "Why? Is something wrong with it?"

"No, it's really good. Thanks," she said, giving him a real smile.

"So…" Loki started.

Rissa rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Ah! It's not like I'm asking for your firstborn! I just want to know what Level I'm at. You know, for being your friend."

She sighed. "I guess you'd have to be at a Level Three. At least."

"Success!" Loki said victoriously.

Rissa sighed. "You're ridiculous."

But she was smiling, and Loki saw this as a good thing.

"I can't believe I sleep in a little, and a deer breaks in and gives birth!" Rissa said as she and Loki walked around the corner into the common room.

Sherlock, understanding what they were doing, said, "Sleeping in? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now," Rissa said with a smile. "But thanks for worrying about me!"

An easy enough way to tell everyone that she's alright, and to thank them for the distraction.

"Rissa!" Harry said happily, running towards her and hugging her. "I'm glad you're feeling better." Loki heard Harry whisper into her ear.

He pulled out of the hug and beamed. "You missed it! And they were so cute! Look, we have pictures!"

Dragging both her and Loki over to the table, which was covered in pictures, Harry excitedly showed them what happened.

Rissa burst out laughing.

Even Loki had to admit it was pretty amusing. The picture where Merlin was holding a baby deer covered in something and running after Arthur to make him hold it was a particular favorite. Lucifer seemed to be huddled around several baby deer, crouching in the corner and looking nefarious – well, as nefarious as he could, surrounded by baby deer and all. A particular image of Clint standing on top of a bookshelf to get away from the deer reminded him of girls and rats in their kitchen.

"Just how many babies were there?" Rissa asked, wheezing.

"A lot," said Dean.

"Thank you so much for your amazing input, Dean," Sherlock said, rolling his eyes and sliding out a picture of Dean pinned to the floor under baby deer.

"I thought I burned that!"

Sherlock smirked and handed it to Loki.

"Give it here!" Dean yelled, trying to grab it. Loki was taller than him by a few inches, and was able to keep it out of his reach, though.

"Not likely," Loki mused, smirking. "It's not often that I get blackmail material as good as this."

Rissa snickered.

"Why did you need Bruce?" Loki asked Harry quietly, watching as Rissa continued looking over the pictures with the others, occasionally teasing them.

"His 'anger management' issues," Harry said quietly. "He threw a 'fit' and broke a door."

"And then…deer?"

"Deer."

"What type of animals are you bringing in next time?" Loki asked.

Harry shrugged. "Pigs? Dogs? Elephants?"

"Elephants?"

"Elephants."

"This is getting ridiculous," John said. "You're not going to let elephants in here. Where are you even going to get it?"

Harry shrugged. "Steal it from a zoo?"

"First deer, now elephants. Plus with Rissa getting hurt, and this being a mental ward…John's right," Clint murmured. "What is this, a soap opera?"

"Nah, everything's in English," Rissa said.

"Just because it's not in Spanish doesn't mean it's not a soap opera," Dean said snorting.

"Yeah, you'd know, wouldn't you?" she said slyly. As Dean sputtered, she continued. "Anyway, there's not enough soap and no opera, so I think we can count being entertainment for some higher being off of the list."

A small timer went off, and everyone paused.

Loki locked eyes with Sam. "Just imagine," he said quietly. "How much worse this would've been if you tried to leave."

Sam swallowed heavily.

"Alright, line up!" A nurse yelled.

"What's going on?" Rissa asked quietly.

Loki turned to Sherlock. "Sherlock, get her out of here, will you?"

"Wha- what do you mean 'get her out of here'?" Rissa yelled. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Emrys!" the nurse called. Merlin walked forward.

"Listen, do you trust me?" Loki asked quickly, grasping her shoulders.

"Absolutely not."

"Morningstar!" Lucifer stepped up behind Merlin.

"It doesn't matter. Will you listen if I make a suggestion?" Loki asked.

"Depends on the suggestion."

"Novak!" Castiel came up next, trying to file in line but obviously distressed at being so close to Lucifer.

"Don't take your meds tonight. In fact, don't eat any dinner. Make it look like you are, but don't."

She gave him a long look before she gave him a small nod. "Alright; no medication."

"Odinson!" The nurse called.

"Okay," Loki said quietly, before releasing her shoulders and joining the line. Thor followed into the line behind him.

"Pendragon!" The nurse called. Arthur stepped up in line, and another nurse had arrived. She pulled out a medical kit and started going through it.

"Smith!" The Doctor trudged into line. The second nurse had taken out a large syringe – even though it didn't look like one. Instead of a needle, there was a circular stamp on the end of it. Instead of one needle, the stamp was covered in multiple pricks.

"Winchester!" The nurse called. Dean filed into the line, followed by Sam. They all looked at the syringe warily; Loki hated the thing, and he knew the others did too.

Everyone stuck with Grandiose Delusions had to get this weekly – sometimes more than that, depending on behavior. It affected some worse than others; Arthur, Sam and Dean seemed to have the hardest time of it (thought Merlin and Loki didn't fare very well either).

Loki wondered if anyone else had seen the correlation he had. That Sam, Dean, and Arthur were all still human in their fantasies. That he and Merlin were practically made of magic, while the others (be they 'angels', 'timelords', or his brother) were creatures who had magic, but didn't depend on it.

That every time he got that damned shot, his magic felt far weaker and farther out of reach.

Out of all of them, the Winchesters probably got it the most – the dose was doubled every time they tried something. But Loki got it pretty bad too. For a series of excuses and other things that never made sense, reasons that the staff seemed to make up on the spot.

He hated it. He hated the damned thing.

If he went the rest of his life without ever seeing it again, it would be too soon. And he had a long time left to live.

"What are they doing?" Rissa muttered, watching them screw on the syringe. Loki could see and hear her from where she and Sherlock were in the shadows, thanks to his superb senses.

"It's nothing, just something everyone with Grandiose Delusions need to do once a week," Sherlock said dismissively, thought Loki could see the tightening of his mouth. "Come on, let's go."

"No, I want to stay," Rissa said, holding her ground.

Everyone else had filed out of the room; it was time for it to begin.

Merlin was first. The nurse spun him around, pressed the device at the back of his neck, and activated it. The needles shot out the end and pressed into Merlin's body, and he gave a tiny jerk. After a few seconds, when it was done injecting whatever the hell is in the damn thing, he was released.

Merlin walked away, stumbling, rubbing at the back of his neck.

Lucifer was next. As he was prepared and the device set up against his neck, Loki's eyes darted to Rissa as he heard her gasp.

She was facing away from him, looking after Merlin, before spinning around and looking at the scene again as Lucifer was dosed.

"What are they doing?" she asked again, horrified. "They're going to undo all of my hard work!"

Hard work? Loki wondered.

Rissa stepped forward to do something, but her arm was held by Sherlock. "Wait!" he said. "You can't interfere."

"I don't care!" Rissa hissed as Castiel was prepared for his turn. "I need to stop them!"

As she turned around to continue, Sherlock grabbed her and pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her, pushing her back to his chest so she would stay in place.

While Sherlock was rather scrawny, he was also very tall, and strong enough to easily contain Rissa who was struggling with him.

"Ouch!" Cas said as his dose was administered, before he managed to walk away and head back to his room. Loki stepped forward for his turn.

"Sherlock let me go!" Rissa hissed at him, trying to elbow Sherlock. "I can't let them do this!"

"Ah, Loki Odinson," the nurse said. "There's been a change in your medication."

For a second, Loki felt a flitter of hope – maybe he was finally getting off this? Except no, because they wouldn't have called him in line; they would've said something during one of his private therapy sessions.

"The Assistant Director suggested a change for your dosage," the nurse said, putting down the device and picking another one up from her case. This one had a larger circle on it, with a longer syringe, so it was obviously a higher dosage spread throughout a wider area.

"No, let me go, Sherlock!" Rissa practically yelled. Distantly, as Loki was spun around and his hair pulled back, he wondered why no one else seemed to hear here. Not even Thor could, though as he met his brother's eyes, he could see that he was nervous as to the change in dosage.

The circle was pressed to the back of his neck, as usual, though it was larger and much more uncomfortable. Loki barely had any time to ponder the thought when he heard the tell-tale click of the device being activated, and heard Rissa yell, 'LOKI!" from where she was still held back by Sherlock.

Several pricks of needles shot through Loki's neck, thicker and deeper than any needle should be. An cold icy feeling was rushing through his veins, and then he was sinking, sinking, into an icy sea of black…

So comment, as per usual, but I'd love for more in depth reviews – I only got 1 last time. Also, I find myself reevaluating the AUs I'm using for this Test. If anyone has any AU ideas they'd like to suggest or see all of the characters in, please comment! I've got anywhere from two to four slots open, so suggestions please! Also, if you give me one I haven't thought of, I'll dedicate the part to you and take in any ideas you have! Happy Halloween, everyone (though I am a bit late). Goodnight! Sweet dreams.

Chapter Text

This chapter is in celebration of the fact that I diverged from Canon long ago, and thus, nothing that happened in Infinity War actually happened!

I've mainly been obsessed with Fairy Tail lately, so those fics of mine are updated more often. But my mom dragged me back into MCU and I'll probably start catching up to Doctor Who and Supernatural so I want to write this more. Hopefully you'll see another chapter soon.

Chapter Ninety Seven

"Thor, we must study!" Loki said angrily.

"Later, Loki," Thor said distractedly, brushing Loki off to spend time with a series of blond-haired twins.

Loki sighed.

"Don't worry," Rissa said, ever the light in his life. "I can help you study, Loki."

Loki awoke with a start.

That wasn't right. He remembered that moment – on Asgard. Rissa wasn't there, he had been all alone.

…Right?

When Loki entered the common room, everyone froze. There was a bustle of activity towards Loki, eager to see how he was doing after reacting so badly to his new higher dose of medicine.

At the back of them, he saw Rissa come forward, before stopping, a myriad of emotions running across her face. Apparently, she decided on one, because her face grew cold and she turned away with a 'hmph'.

"How are you doing, brother?" Thor boomed loudly.

"I'd be doing better if you kept quiet," Loki grumbled, a hand over his ear.

"Right! I shall do that right away!" Thor responded, not much quieter than the first time.

Half the group sighed before Steve lead Thor away, shooting Loki apologetic looks as he went.

"Nice to see you're awake," Sherlock said.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you cared?"

"It was boring without you."

Loki sighed. "Of course, it was. We've been over this."

Loki turned to Rissa. "Rissa, what about you?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "hmph"ed, and turned away.

"What the hell?" Loki asked.

She said nothing.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?" He demanded.

Nothing.

Loki grabbed her shoulder, before she shrugged it off and turned, glaring at him.

"Why are you mad at me?" Loki hissed.

She continued to glare. "You're supposed to be the quintessential Slytherin. Cunning, smart, mischievous, ambitious! And instead? You're acting as obvious as a Gryffindor!"

She turned and stomped away, and Loki was left behind, starting at the space she had occupied.

"What in heaven is she talking about?" Loki asked, tithing to not by his side.

"Slytherins…she's right," Sherlock said. "We would be good examples of some."

"What the hell is a Slytherin?" Loki asked.

Sherlock hummed. "It's something from Harry'sGrandiose Delusions, which makes me wonder how she's referencing it and knows so much about it. In his magical school, people are divided by their traits. Gryffindor is supposed to be bravery, though they're also known for being reckless and not that smart. A perfect example of this would be Thor."

"So?" Loki demanded.

Sherlock met his gaze. "Remember the promise we made? About meds?"

Slowly, it dawned on Loki, and he understood why Rissa was upset.

Whatever had happened (whatever he had caused through his behavior) had caused the nurses to up their dosage, something that should be avoided at all costs. Oh, he had seen how the medicine had helped some humans – Clint was certainly more aware and slightly less paranoid from his medication. His activelyhelped him. And Loki's daily medication was good for when he wanted to sleep away his thoughts.

But for some people, medication doesn't work. For the magicals, especially; those weekly shots the nurses give block out magic, and a person who is magical runs on magic. It's what they're made of; their very being.

Taking away magic can kill them.

Not that Sherlock knew any of this. He only believed so much about magic, after all, so there was no point in telling him.

But Sherlock had seen how an increased dose had hurt Loki previously (how badly it affected him), as it did with him, so they promised they would do all they could to hide their conditions from the nurses, so they wouldn't add to their medication.

Loki had failed at that, and the nurses had switched out his medication, and that was where the problem lay.

"I see," Loki said softly.

"Good," Sherlock said, nodding. "We'll have to be more careful, now."

Rissa didn't forgive him for several days – not until she had managed to replace all of his clothes with pink frilly dresses.

Though Rissa kept it short, the walk of shame from his room to the common room in a pink frilly dress seemed to show her that this was important to him, so in the end, she finally forgave him. After, of course, he fell to his knees and begged in his pink, frilly dress.

The nurses had given up on trying to find out where she had gotten everything, and were merely happy when she returned Loki's normal clothes – though not as happy as Loki, of course.

"Anthony, put your pants on!" a nurse shrieked.

"Never!" Tony yelled as he ran past all of them, wearing only a shirt and boxers.

"Do I even want to know?" Rissa asked as she sat down on the couch.

"Probably not," Sherlock said, not looking up from his book.

"I believe Tony has found more alcohol," Loki murmured, sketching on a piece of paper.

Rissa snorted. "Seriously…how does he keep getting so much? There's got to be a limited amount in this building." She looked over at Loki. "What are you doing?"

"I know mortals are primitive," Loki said, still looking back and forth between his picture and Sherlock, who was the subject of said project. "But this is something we Asgardians like to call 'sketching'."

Rissa's eyes narrowed. "Mortal, huh."

"I am a God, Rissa. It's not my fault you can't accept-"

Rissa slapped him.

"Ahh….what! Rissa! You hit me because you can't accept the truth?"

"You were being an asshole," Rissa said. "So I slapped you. In fact, you're still being an asshole."

She slapped him again.

"Dammit, Rissa!" Loki glared at her. "That hurt."

"Good, it was supposed to."

Sherlock snickered and Rissa rolled her eyes, before moving over to the window seat and staring outside, thinking deeply. "Talk to me again when you're done being an asshole, okay?"

An hour later, not much has changed . They didn't even move from their positions; Rissa continued thinking and Sherlock and Loki continued reading and sketching.

But then Merlin approached Rissa from where she sat, looking out the window. Slowly, Sherlock raised his eyes from the pages of his book and Loki's pencil stopped scratching so they could witness.

"Um…Rissa, what are you doing?" Merlin asked quietly.

"Trying to decipher my upside-down thoughts." She said, her hand supporting her chin. "Though so far I've only been able to make them backwards."

He paused. "That's…great. Wonderful. Uh, can I speak to you privately?"

She shrugged, and got up from her window, following Merlin out of the room.

"Let's follow them!" Loki said to Sherlock, putting away his art supplies.

Sherlock sighed, but snapped his book shit and got up anyway.

The two they were following weaved around corner and through rooms, until they were standing in one of the few places that were never monitored.

Merlin and Rissa stood there, and Merlin had a huge grin on his face. "I need to show you something!" he said happily.

Loki felt himself starting to grow jealous. Show Rissa what? And since when, exactly, were the two of them so close?

Merlin took a deep breath, and with it, both Sherlock and Loki leaned forward from where they were hiding around a corner, ready to hear what was happening.

Okay, so maybe they had a bit of a thing for secrets. So what? This might be a mental ward, but it was only ever as entertaining as they made it.

"Look," Merlin breathed, opening his hands, and in his palms, a flame appeared.

"It's working," Rissa breathed in awe.

Loki couldn't stop staring. Merlin had magic – of course he knew that, but it was one thing to have magic and another thing to have magic. In this facility, no one could access their powers. Loki had magic, of course, but couldn't use it…it was like it was right there, always out of reach, but so close.

"Preposterous!"

Rissa and Merlin spun around, and Loki watched as Sherlock gave away their position as he strode forward, grabbing Merlin's arms to stare at the fire in his palms. "This…this is ridiculous."

Loki sighed and strode forward from the shadows. "Let him go, Sherlock. It's not ridiculous." He came to a stop next to Rissa and the two exchanged a look.

Sherlock's reaction to this wasn't going to be pretty.

Sherlock dropped Merlin's arms and stared at the boy in shock, his voice getting life and more impassioned with each word. "No way…this isn't real. Someone call the doctors, the medication they're giving me is making me hallucinate…"

"It is real," Merlin said quietly. "Don't tell anyone. Please."

Rissa nodded. "Merlin is trying to regain his magic; right now there's a ward around this facility that keeps magic locked away from the occupants. Blocked from their user. Still…" she glanced towards Merlin and snorted. "I mean, it's perfectly logical for you to keep your magic a secret despite the fact that you've told everyone you have magic and you're already in a psychological ward...for thinking you have magic."

Merlin glared at her, flushing a deep red. "It's not like that, you know that!

"But magic isn't real!" Sherlock said, marching around.

"I know there's nothing wrong with me, and there's nothing wrong with Arthur either," Merlin continued, looking specifically at Sherlock. "What he's thinking – those 'delusions' – they aren't delusions. They're his memories. The only reason I'm here is because I have to be by his side. So don't tell. Please. The less the nurses know, the faster we're out of here."

Rissa sighed, and nodded. "Don't worry, we won't tell a soul."

"It's not polite to speak for all of us," Loki said from his corner.

"It's not nice to be an arrogant prick, but that's not stopping you, is it?" she shot back.

"Still…" Loki said, ignoring her barb. "We'll keep it a secret."

"What secret?" Sherlock asked. "Nothing happened!"

"Now you're getting the gist of it," Rissa said, smirking.

"I mean it!" Sherlock yelled, throwing his hands into the air. "There is no way, no possible way, that he has magic! I refuse to believe it! This is just the side effect of one of my medications, and you're all just messing with me!"

"As fun as that sounds, it is real," Loki drawled. "So quit complaining and accept it already."

"ARRRRRGH!" Sherlock yelled in frustration, before stomping off.

Rissa sighed, and looked at Merlin. "Don't worry, Merlin. Everything will be fine. Loki and I will talk some sense into Sherlock."

She grabbed Loki's hand and ran off, dragging him behind her.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ninety Eight

Rissa's hand fit into his perfectly.

As she dragged him along, the world flashed before his eyes; first, they were the two of them, running through the halls searching for a troubled Sherlock. Then, he was a child again, and in Asgard, and Rissa - small, adorable, and in Asgardian garb - was dragging him along after Thor.

The scenes kept flickering back and forth, and Loki didn't know what was real anymore.

"Loki?"

Her voice brought him back.

She had stopped dragging him along. Instead, they were standing off to the side, and her hands were on his shoulders. She was looking up at him, her eyes filled with worry. "Loki? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Loki said, and did not at all sound like a dying animal. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "I'm fine, I just got confused for a moment."

Rissa looked at him, inspecting him, before nodding and turning back. "Alright."

And they were off again.

They found Sherlock in the wrong place.

"Sherlock?" Rissa asked.

He was staring through the windows of a pair of doors. They looked more robotic, more sterile, and Loki was surprised that, out of all places Sherlock could have vanished to, he had chosen this one.

"Sherlock?" Loki's voice was wary, but right now he didn't want to spook his friend. Or mutual ally or whatever (this was not the time for semantics). "Sherlock, why are you here?" The 'of all places' went unsaid.

"I'm wondering if I should join them," Sherlock answered, his voice wavering.

"Join who?" Rissa asked, moving closer to Sherlock. She came to stand by his side, and Loki stepped up to be by hers. All three of them stood in a line, staring through the windows into the odd hallway.

"Them," Sherlock said, jerking his head forward and gesturing to what (or rather who) lay beyond those doors. "That's where the really crazy people are."

"Sherlock," Rissa said gently, and put her hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but didn't back away or shrug it off. "Sherlock, you're not crazy."

"Am I?" his voice wavered. "Because I really don't feel sane at the moment."

Rissa hugged the taller boy, drawing his face down into her neck, and rocked him back and forth, shushing him. To Loki's surprise, Sherlock let her, and the taller boy clung to her tightly as he began to breathe heavily and tug at his hair.

Loki was worried about his friend, and feeling upset (he really was), but most of him was focused on the hug Sherlock was getting and he kinda wanted that too.

But at least it didn't seem romantic or anything. Instead, Rissa just rocked Sherlock back and forth in a comforting manner, her hands replacing Sherlock's painful tugs into comforting caresses, and for a split second, the thought 'Rissa would make a great mother' drifted across Loki's mind before he stumbled back in shock.

Rissa and Sherlock both lifted their heads to look at him.

"Are you alright, Loki?" Rissa asked.

Sherlock said nothing, but slowly uncurled from Rissa and wiped a stray tear from his eye.

"I – I'm fine," Loki stammered. He looked away, towards the closest thing that got his attention, which was the doors.

Sherlock and Rissa followed his gaze, and they approached again, all staring.

"I've heard that once you enter that hallway, you don't leave," Sherlock remarked.

"Do you know anyone?" Rissa asked. "That…disappeared, I guess?"

Sherlock shook his head, but Loki nodded.

"You do?" Sherlock asked him.

"Before you got here. Arthur's older sister; her name was Morgana. I still haven't seen her since then, and Arthur and Merlin haven't heard from her, either."

Sherlock stared at him in shock. "But…it's been several months since I arrived. You're telling me you haven't heard from her at all?"

Loki nodded.

All of a sudden, watching through the windows of the cold doors, a door burst open and three nurses were dragging a struggling girl out of a room and down the hallway.

"Is that her? Morgana?" Sherlock asked Loki.

But their attention was drawn to Rissa with a loud gasp, as she strode forward. Acting instinctively, Loki grabbed her before she could burst down the doors.

"No, stop it, Loki! I have to help her!"

She struggled more and Sherlock joined Loki in trying to keep ahold of her, dragging her back away from the doors.

"No, let me go! Isabelle! Isabelle!"

Loki paid no attention but Sherlock froze up for a bit, looking back and forth between the struggling girl in his and his friends arms, and the girl through the window, struggling down the hallway and being carted off by nurses.

"Sherlock, I need your help!" Loki hissed, and Sherlock shook it off and took hold of Rissa again, so the girl didn't run off and burst down the doors, running straight into a place of no return.

"No! I finally found her, I can't leave her again! Let me go, guys!"

The two of them ignored her, pulling her around the corner and out of sight.

"Isabelle! Isabelle!"

Loki shoved the other two into his room and locked the door behind him.

Thor, who was on the other bed in the room, sat up immediately. "Brother? What is going on?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Sherlock grumbled as Loki pushed Rissa onto his bed.

"Will you stay?" Loki asked her. "Because I'm not afraid to find some way to keep you here. And if I can't find what I need to tie you to a chair, I've got no problems stuffing you in a blanket and rolling you into a Cheeto until you're unable to move."

The girl slumped back on the bed. "I'll stay," she whispered.

"It's a burrito," Sherlock told him.

"Good," Loki said, ignoring the other teen. He uncrossed his arms and sat down across from her, and jerked his head from Thor to the door.

Thor nodded and got up, relinquishing his bed to Loki and Sherlock, who sat down on it to face Rissa, while he stood at the door, so he could listen and also block Rissa if she tried to run again.

"Are you going to tell us what just happened?" Loki asked.

The girl, depressed and dark, didn't meet their eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

Loki snorted. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to trick me. Tell us what happened. You called the girl Isabelle."

"So?" Rissa asked defensively.

"That's the name of your imaginary friend," Sherlock stated.

Rissa sunk into herself. "I told you…" she whispered. "She's not imaginary."

Sherlock and Loki exchanged looks. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly that!" Rissa snapped. "She's not imaginary. Look, Isabelle is practically my sister. She disappeared awhile back, but she can do this thing called 'astral projecting'. It's an out of body experience. And when she leaves her body, she stays with me. That's how I'm able to play so many pranks and pull off so many things. That's why I say there's a poltergeist following me around. It's technically true."

"That's-" Sherlock started.

"No," Rissa said harshly. "Don't say it, Sherlock. You learned today that magic is real. We're not lying, so get the fuck over it. We don't have time for you to have a little meltdown."

Sherlock opened his mouth and closed it, unsure of what to say.

Loki remained silent.

"Loki?" Rissa asked after a few moments.

"Yes?" he asked hesitantly.

"…what happens back there?" she finally asked.

"I don't know," he lied.

She glared at him. "Yes, you do."

He looked her in the eyes and saw her determination. Loki sighed. "Fine. I do. It's a series of thing. I believe that the most common one is electroshock therapy…"

He flinched. Thor had hit him far too often with lightning, and electroshock therapy was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

"What else?" Rissa asked harshly.

Loki said nothing. Rissa didn't need to know what else happened there.

"Fine," Rissa said. "I'm going to break her out, though."

"WHAT?" Sherlock burst out, jumping off the bed. "Rissa, you can't be serious!"

"I'm dead serious," she told him, glaring. "She's my sister. I'm not going to leave her here to be tortured."

"I'm not going to let you do something so suicidal!" Loki said, standing up.

She glared up at him, getting off from the bed too (though even at her full height, she was still at least half a head shorter than him. "I've been looking for her for years. There's no real reason for me to be here, Loki! The only reason I've been in mental wards is because I've been searching for her since she's been taken. I'm completely fine!"

"You blackout!" Sherlock said, standing up as well, the two boys with their arms crossed as they looked down on their stubborn friend. "And then do weird, unsafe things you don't even remember!"

"That is not her."

All three of them froze, forgetting that they weren't the only ones in the room. The three turned to Thor, who stood up straight from the door he was leaning against and made his way forward, taller than all three of them.

"It is not Rissa," Thor continued.

"What are you talking about?" Sherlock asked.

Loki sighed. "I've been so caught up in Rissa's ridiculously idiotic plan that it slipped me by, but Thor is correct."

"What?" Sherlock asked. He didn't think he'd ever hear Loki admit something like that about his brother.

"Her sister astral projects to follow Rissa around. In order to keep the connection between the two ongoing, Rissa's body is open to possession." He met her eyes. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes."

Light dawned in his eyes as he understood. "Oh," he breathed. "I understand now."

Rissa closed her lips and looked away.

"You're not crazy at all, are you? You're perfectly sane."

"I told you," she said quietly, still not looking at him. "When I first arrived."

But you didn't believe me. The words went unspoken.

You didn't want me to. Was the unspoken reply.

Fire burned in Loki's eyes and his jaw clenched as he moved closer, towering over her. He took hold of her chin (not ungently) and turned her head towards him so their eyes were meeting. "Let me make this clear. You will not do something so recklessly stupid as trying to break her out. Also, now that you know where she is, I want you to close that connection. It's not safe."

Since she couldn't make herself any taller, she shoved Loki, who fell backwards onto the nearest bed. Rissa climbed on top of him, gripping his shirt and pulling his face right near hers. "She's. My. Sister. I would do anything for her."

There was silence while the two stared at each other, until Thor let out an uncomfortable cough and the two split like they were burned.

"Why don't we wait?" Sherlock suggested. "We'll act in the future, after we gather more information. Is that acceptable?"

The three boys looked at Rissa, which is where the question was aimed.

She closed her eyes in pain, clenching her fists in anger. "Fine. No half-baked plans. But we need to hurry. I'm not going to let her get tortured back there any longer."

With those words, she spun on her heel and left their room.

Alright, if you haven't already guessed, the end of this Test is approaching, and when their memories return (which they will no matter their pass/fail outcome) we'll shift back to Rissa's 1st Person POV.

Chapter Text

*on the eighth night of Chanukah, the-real-narnia gave to me:

the return of an old story*

I can't promise a lot, but I'm going to try to update at least once a month.

Chapter Ninety Nine

In the week that followed, things were tense.

It took Rissa three days before she approached Loki and Sherlock again. While that happened, she spent all of her time whispering furiously to Merlin and Harry.

Sherlock, who started understanding the possible correlation between 'delusions' and magic, has been paying more attention to those patients lately.

Rissa had also been sneaking off with the Doctor, who has been 'Eleven' for most of the time he was there.

"Why is she spending so much time with him?" Loki hissed to Sherlock.

"Are you jealous?"

"What so interesting about him?" Loki continued, ignoring Sherlock.

"A lot," Sherlock muttered, remembering when Rissa had asked them for the Doctor's details when she couldn't find a patient's chart for him.

"So what's wrong with him?" she asked, jerking her head over to The Doctor.

"Ahh, Johnny Boy," Sherlock said, rubbing his hands together. "I love this one."

Rissa and Loki both ignored him.

"So, Loki?" she asked, turning to him.

He stared into her eyes for a few seconds before blinking and looking away. "That's John Smith, but everyone calls him the Doctor."

"Why?" she asked.

Loki's eyes darted to Sherlock, who noticed his expression of a trapped animal and took pity on him. Or wanted to show off.

Probably the latter.

"His name on file is John Smith, but it's obviously an alias."

Rissa turned her piercing gaze on Sherlock. "Just because it's the most ridiculously common name ever and the most obvious name for an alias doesn't mean that it actually is one."

Sherlock shook his head. "He's admitted that it's an alias, but won't admit his real name. He just keeps telling everyone that he's called the Doctor."

"The Doctor, huh?" Rissa smirked. "That's gotta piss the doctors off."

"You have no idea," Loki muttered.

"So what's he in for?" Rissa asked.

"You make this sound like it's prison," Sherlock said.

"It is," Loki insisted.

"Well?"

"Oh, um, DID, and Grandiose Delusions."

"What the hell's up with this ward and Grandiose Delusions?" Rissa muttered. "I swear, the only way for you people to cope is to make a completely new life."

"Hey!" Loki protested. "I'm in here for Grandiose Delusions!"

"My point exactly."

"Anyway," Sherlock stressed, upset that he lost attention. "He also has a heart disorder, which is why I think that his Grandiose Delusions started."

"You?" Rissa asked. "What about the doctor? And I mean the doctor doctor, not…the Doctor." She gestured to 'John Smith'.

"The doctors are idiots," Sherlock said.

"He's right," Loki muttered. "Can't trust them for shit."

"Okay, so explain," Rissa said, crossing her arms.

"Well, I believe that his Delusion is caused by his MPD and his heart disorder. He believes that he's a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who has two hearts and 'regenerates' into a new person when his old body gets mortally wounded or too old."

"Like that one sea creature you humans have in the ocean," Loki suggested. "A starfish."

"No, Loki. Just don't."

"I'm sorry, what?" Rissa asked, blinking at the two of them. "Could you repeat that, because nothing you said made sense. At all."

"He believes that he's from another world – that he's an alien. When his current body gets old and dies, or gets mortally wounded, then he 'regenerates'. His body changes, as does his personality – an old part of him falls away, and he gains a new part based off the experiences he had during his previous body. Each body, or regeneration, is a different one of his personalities – his biggest ones are what we call Eleven and Ten, followed by Twelve and Nine. The other ones will pop up, but they don't last long. I'm pretty sure that Four lasted for about six hours, once, but that was it. You can usually tell him apart by what he's wearing – if he's Nine, it's a leather jacket; if he's Ten, it's 3D glasses and a trenchcoat; if he's Eleven, then it's a bowtie and a fez; if he's Twelve…it's like this weird…coattails thing, black and red. I still has no idea how he manages to hide his clothes from the nurses…Twelve seems to be most common nowadays – after all, it's his 'current regeneration' or so he claims – but he still jumps back to the other ones."

"In the time I've been here, he's been Eleven and Ten more times than any of the others put together," Loki said.

Rissa nodded. "Okay. And, the heart condition?"

Sherlock looked sad, for once. "There's a hole in his heart. He was born with it, and he wasn't supposed to live past two years of age. He could drop dead tomorrow, or in ten years. We don't know."

"But that's true for all of us, isn't it?" Rissa asked quietly. "How does it affect his Delusion?"

"He's supposed to have two hearts."

Sherlock straightened as the memory came back to him.

"He's supposed to have two hearts," Sherlock whispered.

Loki turned to look at him. "What?"

"In his delusion," Sherlock whispered. "I thought that the 'two heart' thing was just the manifestation of his heart condition, but what if that is his heart condition?"

Loki smirked. "Sherlock, are you suggesting that he's not human?"

"I hate you," Sherlock said, before getting up. "You two need to stop fighting, this is getting ridiculous."

"Fine," Loki hissed, getting off of the couch and making his way to Rissa, who glared at him.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"I've decided to grace you with my presence," Loki said.

"You're such an asshole," she hissed.

"That reminds me," Loki said, crossing his arms. "What is a 'good' asshole?"

Rissa thought for a moment, before gesturing to the other occupant in the room. "Sherlock."

"Don't drag me into this," he said. Sherlock felt a twitch right above his eye. Why were these two so stubborn? "Talk to me again when you start making sense, Rissa."

"If Sherlock is a good asshole, then I am too!" Loki shot at Rissa.

Sherlock sighed and returned to his mind palace. Maybe he could do something productive while they hashed it out.

"No, you're not. However, I appreciate your acceptance of your current prickiness. Unfortunately, unlike most problems, acceptance is not the first step towards recovering from douchbaggery, so you still have a ways to go. However, your honesty is very nice."

Loki growled, frustrated. "I. Am. Not. An. Asshole."

"Really?" Rissa asked. "Because Common Sense says otherwise. Isn't that right Common Sense?"

There was no reply.

"Isn't that right, Common Sense," she said more forcefully.

Still no reply.

She walked over to Sherlock and flicked him on the shoulder, momentarily gaining his attention. "You may not think you're an asshole, Loki, but Common Sense says otherwise."

"I told you not to drag me into this," Sherlock grumbled, before returning to his book.

Loki smirked victoriously.

"However, she is right, Loki, you can be such an ass."

"Hey!"

As the two glared at each other; Loki at Sherlock for insulting him, and Sherlock at Loki for interrupting his reading, Rissa turned back to them.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"The fighting was getting tedious," Sherlock told her bluntly. "So you need to stop."

Rissa rolled her eyes but she was smiling. "I think I have a plan," she said.

They looked over at her.

"A plan?" Sherlock asked, curious. "A plan for what?"

She glared, her smile gone. "To rescue my sister?"

Yes. The whole reason Rissa decided not to talk to them for several days.

"What is it?" Loki asked.

"Well, you said they inject those with Grandiose Delusions once a week, right?"

The two of them nodded.

"When is the next one?"

"Tomorrow."

She took in a deep breath. "Alright then. For now, we wait. And tomorrow…tomorrow we act."

All three were ridiculously tense as they waited.

Sherlock didn't want to tell anyone else about the plan, so they hadn't, despite all of Rissa's arguing about Thor needing to know and about possible back up with Merlin and Harry.

Loki came up with different plans for the two of them, and was the one who pointed out that if Thor didn't know the plan, his reaction would be much more realistic.

Rissa firmly stated that she wanted it on the record that she did not approve of Loki's point.

But they all finally agreed.

They spent the last day together, in the music room, trying to enjoy as much as they could in case the plan went South.

As the next day's evening approached, they got too uptight to say anything. As they started lining up for their injections, Rissa held Loki back.

"Kiss me," she said.

Loki was quite sure that his face was looking rather shocked right then.

"Well?" Rissa asked. "A kiss for good luck?"

So Loki, fear returning to his heart, took a deep breath, and leaned forward to kiss her gently on the lips.

"Good luck," he whispered to her, as he slipped away to get his shot.

...if you really pay attention to the previous test, you'll notice that the level didn't end when they kissed; they got their memories back a different way.

True love's kiss doesn't always work. :D

Chapter Text

Chapter One Hundred

"You idiot! You gave him too high a dosage!"

"I only gave him what you told me too."

Loki was in a haze. He was strapped down to a bed, and everywhere he looked, the world was tinted an icy blue.

"Someone give him some adrenaline!" the first voice commanded.

Loki felt a needle jab into his side, and felt a rush run through his body. A spike of pain followed it, and the haze started to turn black.

"He's having a bad reaction to both medications!" someone shouted.

The nurses continued rushing him into a room, and he heard the tell-tale signs of a machine being hooked up to him.

"Someone give me his vitals!" a voice yelled.

"We've got an irregular heartbeat!" someone else shouted.

That's odd, Loki thought. He could feel his heartbeat in his chest, and it felt like it had a normal, steady rhythm.

Rissa had warned him, but the experience was still weird. His vision was shifting, changing.

"It's getting worse!" someone shouted.

It was getting harder for Loki to see. Everything was dark.

"We're losing him!" a voice yelled.

Loki didn't care. He was content to float in the icy blackness.

The machine flatlined.

Loki felt the drawer he was in open.

The room was freezing, and he was thankful for the cover someone threw over his naked body almost instantly.

Loki opened his eyes. The world was still in an icy blue tint, but it was darker, as if there were more layers of ice. Rissa hovered above him, muttering to herself and making fun of the nurses. She sighed and laid a hand on his forehead.