Chapter Text
The process to wake up was slower than she anticipated. There was a haze in her mind, almost buzzing away coherent thought. She couldn’t focus and her body felt heavy. Sluggish. It was a new feeling, but—strangely—she didn’t want to get up. Rest called her mind. Her body wanted more sleep. She moved to get comfortable, but that’s when she realized that this wasn’t normal. Not her normal.
Her eyes shot open and the bright white lights made her recoil. She squinted her eyes before moving to get off the bed she was on. With her bare feet on the cold ground, she stumbled and had to catch onto the bed for support. Her legs were weak…how strange. Had she been sleeping long? She blinked to help her eyes adjust as she looked around the room.
It was mostly empty, only a table was next to her bed and on it sat a cup with water. The walls weren’t the same white as the lights, they were dull and grey. She took a step away from the bed, going to touch the wall when she heard a loud voice booming throughout the room.
“Now, we tried to make the space comfortable, considering we didn’t know much about your preferences,” she looked around the room again, but the only thing of comfort that she knew was the bed she slept on. “I said considering! ‘Not knowing much’ was supposed to be a polite way of saying we don’t know anything about you.”
The voice sounded familiar, but there was no face for her to see to be able to make sure. Still, it’s not a voice she anticipated hearing when waking up. She sinks deeper into her thoughts, ignoring the voice for a moment.
If she could hear this voice so closely…she must not be in her domain. But, she didn’t do this intentionally. She remembered falling asleep last night and waiting for a decision to be made by her mentor.
She jumped as the voice shouted at her.
“Hey time-princess, I need you to focus, okay? That’s the only way we can get you out of that room, so corporate…please.”
The voice sounded nice, kind of. Tired more than anything.
But that wording made her suspicious.
“Only way?” Her voice came out stronger than she anticipated. Perhaps her body was regaining its strength.
“It’s good to know you’re talking to me now,” there was silence between them for a moment before the man sighed. “Let’s not go back to square one.”
She looked back at the wall, she touched it gently. Smooth. She hit it with her fist. Sturdy.
She nodded before she took a few steps back. She had a feeling the man was about to say something, assuming he can see her. She didn’t give him a chance. She started running up to the wall, defending herself from the impact. When she hit the wall, she knew it was going to give some type of feedback, but the shock of electricity that ran through her body had her on the floor gasping.
“And you did that before I could say not to,” the man said and she could barely hear the tone of exasperation.
The pain was new. Very new. She took a deep breath before moving to get up. As she stood up, she wondered.
She slammed her hands against the wall as if she intended to rip a piece of it off. The electricity ran through her again, but she held on. She clenched her jaw and felt her heart beating in her ears. The sound shocked her more deeply than the currents that were filling her. And it was for that reason that she leaped away from the wall and placed her hands over her ears.
The beating was louder like this. She closed her eyes.
Her blood thundered in her ears while her heart drummed along. She realized that she was here, in a reality, actually living.
That meant her mentor had made a decision.
There was a sudden and deep ache in her chest. She had seen burns form on skin and could only imagine this is how it would feel to get one.
On one hand she was granted a life (with all of its chaos and uncertainty) on the other she was kicked away from all she had known and had got used to. A brief image of her mentor entered her mind and she fell down to her knees. The ache grew in her chest.
She bent over and pressed her forehead against the cold floor, hoping to distract herself from what was happening inside her. It didn’t help. She quickly started hitting her head against the ground. Unknowing how to deal with this. The pain shifted and now her head was its source. Emotions she had forgotten were overwhelming her. Her throat was dry, her heart felt like it was being crushed, and her body was becoming heavy again.
Then she heard another voice. She lifted her head and was met with wide black eyes. Hands on her head and a soft command followed, “Sleep.”
She fought against the feeling for a moment, but the face of the woman in front of her looked full of sadness.
Directed at her?
She let her eyes flutter shut, her body giving into its exhaustion.
—
She felt herself letting go as she woke up. As if she had just finished a conversation. But she couldn’t remember what it was about. She opened her eyes and there were no bright lights. It was a soft blue that spread across her room. She glanced to her right and saw windows that displayed a vast field with a slight fog hiding the trees that she was sure were in the distance. She got up from the bed slowly and moved closer to the window.
She saw many landscapes, but never in person. It looked beautiful. She could only imagine how fresh the air must be.
She saw a cushioned seat that faced the window and realized that her room had more amenities than last time. More water sat on a larger table. There was also a bigger bed, more pillows, and there were so many shelves filled with books.
She looked around in wonder. So much stuff, but…was it all for her?
There was a sudden knock at the door. She froze by the window and stared at the spot where the sound came from. When she didn’t answer another knock sounded and she didn’t know what to do. Then, a loud voice came through the door.
“I’m opening the door! Say something if that’s not okay!”
There was a pause and she took note that they gave her time to respond. Still, she didn’t say anything. The door opened slowly and a sheepish boy stood by the entrance. He wore his spider costume minus the mask. She remembered his face.
“Hi! I’m, uh, Peter! Or…wait, should I have said my hero name?” He asked himself quickly and she watched him momentarily panic. She visibly glanced down at the spider on his chest and the motion caught his eyes. He followed her gaze before letting out a relieved breath, “Okay good, that should explain that… right?”
He laughed nervously after a long moment of silence. He must be waiting for a response.
“Right, Spider…boy?”
Peter’s face fell and he glanced back down at the spider on his chest. Well, that wasn’t the reaction she had wanted.
“A joke. That was…supposed to be a joke.”
He looked at her, eyebrows almost touching his hairline in shock and mouth slightly agape. She gave him a small smile.
He fumbled to say something.
“Sorry, I just, we didn’t, I didn’t expect that. At all!” His energy lifted instantly and in his excitement had stepped into her room before realizing his actions.
“Oh my gosh. I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask like they told me I should, I’ll get out quickly,” He hurried to the door but she followed him slowly.
“I didn’t mind,” she said as he crossed over the threshold. He turned to face her. Before he could respond, she had already decided to say her question out loud. “Who told you to ask?”
Peter shut his mouth quickly before opening it to then close it again. He looked down the hall then back at her.
“Um, well. I,” as he fumbled she looked around the room again, searching for the cameras.
“I’m just supposed to walk you down to the meeting room,” he finally said and she stopped looking for the invisible.
“Who will I be meeting?”
Peter scratched his head before quickly glancing down the hallway, again.
“Peter?” Her voice made him look at her. A wobbly smile on his face. He was trying really hard.
“Do I…scare you?” She wondered out loud and to this, Peter’s eyes went wide again. He slapped his face as if snapping himself out of something, “No, ma’am, I just,” he took a deep breath before calming down.
“I guess I should just tell you. They gave me this job and it’s really important apparently! So I don’t want to mess up! But…” he trailed off. “I guess this is me messing it up, sorta.”
She could only stare at him as he kicked his feet. Was he pouting? She knew all the heros in this universe and even though she knew he could get the job done, she couldn’t ignore the fact that he…he was a kid. She was used to only being able to watch people from her domain, it was a rule to never go near them or to interact with them. She couldn’t help herself now. Her feet were quiet as she made her way over to him. Before he could lift his head up to look at her, she gently patted the top of it.
When he did lift his head, her hand was still on it. His disbelief was met with a smile that she hoped had shown comfort.
“You’re doing just fine, Peter.”
His face relaxed and he nodded, slightly flush.
“Thank you…ma’am.”
She removed her hand before holding it out to him. He shook it with enthusiasm.
“My name is Avalon, you don’t have to call me ma’am. Your abilities far surpass my own at the moment, there’s no need for formality,” she said simply, trying to continue her reassurance on the youth.
“But! Your healing abilities are out of this world! We still don’t know what else you can do!” He exclaimed and it was enough to make her look confused. He shook his head quickly, almost regretful again.
“They’ll probably talk about this, so don’t mind me. But if you’re okay with it, can we go meet everyone now?” He let her think for a moment. She realized he’s dressed in his costume, but she’s dressed in…a hospital gown still. She frowns.
“Are there clothes in here? Do you know?”
“Oh yeah! Mr.Stark said that if you asked, everything should be in the closet.”
She looked over to the panel near the windows, how it looked like a giant door that fit snugly into the wall. She looked back at Peter.
“Give me a minute?”
He nodded before reaching for the door and closing it gently. Leaving her alone again. The silence was becoming hard to ignore. Or to like.
She reached the closet and decided that comfort was going to be her number one priority. Might as well enjoy what she is given while it lasts.
She noticed that the clothes were very modern for the time. It…made sense, but she almost felt regretful that the ball gowns from the early 1800’s were out of style. They didn’t look the most comfortable though, so it was best to move on from that thought. Avalon settled on a black ensemble of baggy jeans and a hoodie. Very comfy. She put on socks to help shield against the cold floor. When she opened the door again, she saw Peter waiting with his hands folded in front of him. She stepped out of the room and Peter gave her a thumbs up.
“I’ll lead us!” Peter said while motioning for her to follow. Avalon fell into step with him as they walked down the hall. Grey walls with little decorations surround them and she was able to see every detail. There were no cracks or any ruin. They were practically perfect.
“So…I did want to thank you.” She heard Peter say, albeit quietly, but since there wasn’t much noise, she heard him perfectly.
“For what?” She asked, curious at his remark. There wasn’t much she did, since she was never allowed to do much in the first place.
“For helping us. With the stones. I heard about all they did to help bring…well, to bring us back. It’s-it’s kind of scary to think about. Disappearing and then coming back…” Peter shivered at the thought or maybe the memory. His pause was long, his mind must be wandering. Avalon reached out and patted his shoulder, he slowed down a bit before giving her a small smile.
“Anyways, the point is! Thank you for helping Mr.Stark. They were wondering how you were able to make the stones fly like that. That’s why, well you know,” he points down the hallway. She nodded in understanding, but then she paused to think. Within a second, she felt a laugh bubble in the back of her throat. Peter glanced at her and she couldn’t hold it back. Her laughter was loud and unexpected, even more so than the joke she tried to tell earlier.
The feeling was light and freeing. Maybe…euphoric? She didn’t have much to compare it to.
Peter began chuckling with her, confusion clear on his face, but he couldn’t help himself.
“W-why are we laughing?” He asked after seeing Avalon start to reel herself back in. She takes another deep breath before calming down.
“It’s just…imagining you all trying to figure out how the little stones flew around in a tiny circle?” She had to hold back more laughter. “I can only guess that someone was trying to solve that like it had to do with math.”
Peter lets out a surprised laugh before clamping his mouth shut with his hand.
“I am so sorry Mr.Stark,” He whispered, but Avalon heard no response so she gave Peter a grin.
“There might be a mathematical explanation, but that’s not what you’re going to be getting out of me... Are you gonna be in the meeting?” Avalon asked and Peter jerked like he just remembered where they were going.
“Yeah! I’m sitting in because they kind of…want you to tell everyone why you’re here in the first place.”
Avalon nodded, “I have quite a lot of explaining to do.”
—
It took only a couple more minutes before Peter led her to a pair of giant doors. Glass doors specifically, but she noticed that the bottom part was foggy. Her head barely went above the part that was visible while Peter’s eyes were at least to the line. She gave him a glance and he gave her a small nod before opening the door for her.
“After you!”
She walked through the doors and was faced with major heros. She caught their attention immediately and she could see the tension on all of them. Some wore it in their eyes, others with the way they stood or sat. And some even looked unbothered, but she felt like there was no way they weren’t at least cautious.
Cautious like she was. She stayed by the door, giving Peter enough room to slide in behind her so that he could find a seat. Her eyes wandered around the room and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the people in the room or her nervousness, but her senses were all heightened as well. Soon enough a voice spoke up.
“Please, take a seat,” it was a polite command and even though she preferred to stand, the Captain didn’t seem to be in the mood for games. At the large table, she sat on the opposite side of the heros. Before anyone else could say anything, Avalon decided to speak up first.
“You must have many questions,”
“That’s putting it lightly,” Iron Man had interrupted and she looked at him, but he waved at her to continue.
“But, I can’t answer all of them, not…yet.”
The tension in the room got heavier, but now there was a mixture of confusion and hostility. Iron Man threw out the question on all of their minds,
“Why?”
She stared at him. He was in his suit, but only his head was visible, similar to Peter. Not all of them wear masks, but the ones who do… aren’t wearing them right now. Her curiosity grew.
“I would be breaking more rules in doing so. I don’t know what might happen if I do that…Earth might be purged,” she said while in thought. Her mentor might have granted her mercy by sending her here with no guidance or warning. She wouldn’t learn her lesson if everything was laid out clearly in front of her.
“Is that a threat?” Thor raised from his seat and glared at her. He was regaining his color, it looked like he had found purpose again. She gave him a smile.
“You seem happier,” she commented and that seemed to startle him. His glare became sharper and he remained quiet, but a quick look from the man in blue seemed to help him remember the purpose of the meeting was to talk.
“You didn’t answer his question,” Iron Man noted. “And that’s already communicating a lot to us.”
“It’s not a threat,” Avalon started calmly. “More like a warning. I can’t speak about certain things and I don’t want Earth destroyed just because you want answers. I was hoping you could understand that.”
He glanced at the others in the room before giving Avalon a nod.
“Alright. Then tell us what you can.”
“Happily,” she said quickly before laying a hand on top of the glass table. “First thing is something you’re already vaguely aware of. I am not supposed to be here. I believe it was you that called me…what was it? ‘Time-Princess?’” Her question was directed at Iron Man who gave her a shrug.
“Not my best work,” he admitted.
“Well, to be fair it works just fine. I come from a place where time doesn’t exist. I was never supposed to enter this reality or any other. Yet, I intervened at a critical moment. Whatever the reason was, I wasn’t supposed to do it. So, my mentor had to make a decision. That led me to being here. Existing in time again. Specifically your time.”
There was a moment to take everything in. Peter raised his hand as if he was in school. It was almost endearing.
“Yes, Peter?”
“It’s okay if you can’t answer this, because I don’t want anyone purged, so don’t, if that’s what’s gonna happen, but it would be nice if you could-“
“Peter.”
“Right, I was just wondering why send you here? Specifically.”
She sat with the question for a minute, thinking it over. The others patiently waited for a response.
“Can I say I’m not sure? Because the best I can do is guess. I was not allowed to be there when they discussed what to do with me and I was not given warning before being sent here. Whatever fate is given to me, or path I now face, I must do so as a human,” she said truthfully. She looked down at her hand which was soft, she didn’t have to do much besides take note of how long universes lived with their variations of realities.
Now, it seemed like she only needed to focus on her reality.
The others didn’t have much to say to her uncertainty. But she didn’t need them to. Getting through this was part of the process, she supposed.
“So you’re here…as punishment?” Black Widow finally spoke up from her seat next to The Captain. She still had her long hair. It suited her.
“Yes.”
“Is Earth going to get caught up in your punishment?” Captain America spoke up again, his eyes never wavering from hers. Yeah, that’s not an enemy she would want.
“No. My punishment comes in the form of being human. Or something like that,” she glanced down at her hands before looking at Iron Man. “I still don’t know anything about what this version of myself can do.”
His eyebrows rose and he clicked his tongue.
“Well, all we’ve been able to tell is that you have some wild regeneration ability. The electricity didn’t do much damage to you and any burns sustained to your body or hands were completely fine by the time we examined you.” He said before quieting down. “Plus your self-sustained head injury.”
She felt that ache inside her chest again, but it was dulled.
“Where’s that woman by the way? The one who knocked me out?”
Everyone was silent as she sat there waiting for an answer. She raised an eyebrow when no one spoke up.
“She’s in the building. Most likely with her team,” Widow finally said. Her posture made it seem like she was telling the truth, so why did Avalon have a certain feeling.
“I see, I just wanted to thank her. When I came to and realized I was living again it was already overwhelming, but also knowing that it was done behind my back…” Avalon trailed off before getting her smile back. “Well, it was all a bit much. I appreciate her knocking me out when she did. It kind of brought me back to being.”
She saw Peter nod supportively, but the others were still tense. Alert. It took her a moment, before realization dawned on her. Waking up in a room that seemed almost defenseless, Peter saying sorry to no one, them all facing her. Despite her aid against their biggest threat, their guard was still completely up when it came to her.
“You believe I am a threat…to all of you?” She asked openly. She put both hands on the table and straightened her back. The others didn’t move, but she knew they were watching her every move.
“You appeared out of nowhere, the power blast that alerted us of your arrival was comparable to only one thing we’ve faced before,” Iron Man says, his tone serious, firm, unwavering.
“Thanos,” she said softly. So, they expect the worst from her. That is not unreasonable. Considering she does not know why she’s on Earth either. She could surmise that her mentor has decided that human suffering will also be her suffering.
“It’s a surprise you have not yet killed me,” her comment made Captain America lean back in his seat before letting out a deep sigh. He gave a quick glance to the others before speaking up.
“It’s not that we didn’t discuss it as a possible outcome,” he started and she didn’t give a reaction. He continued, “But, Wanda let us know that you were still alive, thinking. Apparently,” he let out another sigh. He was tired, it seemed like.
“You were excited to wake up,” he finished with a small, worn smile. She didn’t know how to take that, but it was almost welcoming.
“That’s shocking?” She asked with a small laugh, feeling the air lighten a little bit. Perhaps they were more concerned with her lack of…humanity? Or maybe it was the fact that she has not shown it yet.
Mr.America shrugged, the smile still on his lips, his tension seeming to fade out. “Just…new.”
“A second chance doesn’t come to everyone and I’m willing to do whatever you all want. My purpose has become helping you and anyone who needs it. Earth is my home now.” Her words let's most of the others in the room breathe out their worries.
“Listen, we just weren’t sure where you came from, your intentions, all of that,” Iron Man rubbed his head, finally letting his headache be shown to everyone in the room. Avalon nodded, feeling better that she guessed somewhat correctly what bothered them.
“We’re still in the rebuilding phase,” Thor offered and she took it as a peace offering from his earlier hostility. She appreciated it.
“I can help. Anyways you need me to!” She said eagerly, looking at all of them in front of her. Black Widow looked somewhat amused.
“We haven’t been properly introduced, I’m Tony Stark,” he said as he reached out his hand. She took it and smiled.
“I’m Avalon.”
“Just Avalon?” The Captain asked before reaching out his hand as well.
“Yeah, just Avalon, for now at least.”
“Steve Rogers, it’s nice to meet you, Avalon.” He said, while giving her a firm shake. His hand was big and warm. His smile encompassed everything she knew he was. Genuine.
“Nice to meet you too, Captain.”
Black Widow was next and she gave Avalon a tiny smirk, but reached out her hand as well.
“For now?” She asked Avalon who laughed at the proding.
“I don’t know what the future holds, so yeah for now.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about catching anyones attention, you’re stunning,” That alone made Avalon’s cheeks heat up in embarrassment because she didn’t mean for it to be taken like that.
“Natasha Romanov…someone brought back by your intervention,” Natasha held onto her hands tightly and Avalon felt the weight in her eyes. A mix of emotions.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Natasha. I know I’ve always wanted to,” Avalon whispered, but she made sure to put emphasis on her words. She didn’t know if it would help Natasha with what she was going through, but she learned somewhere that sometimes telling someone you’re glad they’re alive…means a lot.
Natasha let go of her hand as she gave her a brief smile.
Avalon turned to Thor who didn’t seem to want to give her a handshake. His eyes seemed to voice his skepticism. She was surprised when Thor spoke up first.
“Thank you…for helping us and not making things difficult.”
She was quick with a response.
“And here I thought you liked it when things got rough.”
Steve choked at the sudden comment and Natasha didn’t bother holding back her laugh. Tony’s face was amused for a moment before remembering Peter was in the room. His face took on a scandalized expression.
“There is a kid in the room.”
Even though his cheeks were pink, Peter argued against Tony calling him as such. She knew that he was more embarrassed for being called out than anything else.
Thor just gave her a smirk, she could practically see the tune changing in his head.
“Don’t climb a tree you don’t want to explore.”
That was a saying she never heard of and she took a look at the others who also appeared confused. Peter shook his head, clear disapproval on his face.
“Dude,” Tony copied Peter's reaction, but it was clear to see the amusement that was threatening to take over his face.
“It was weird,” Natasha commented, her face showing slight disgust.
“Just stop,” Steve begged, closing his eyes and rubbing his head. They were all still standing and even though they were beginning to goof around, Avalon still found herself trying to comprehend how she was able to make it here.
Avalon tapped the table lightly, the noise gaining all of their attention again.
“Can we go back to the part where I meet everyone?”
Tony huffed before going around the table to pull open the door that she walked through.
“If you’re here to be pushy, I can introduce you to the front door,” Steve went to open his mouth, but Tony threw him a look. “We have enough of those people on this team already.”
“Tony,” Steve didn’t hide his exasperation.
“It’s okay, Captain,” Avalon said while giving Rogers a smile of gratitude. “At your pace then, Mr.Stark.”
Tony looked at her appreciatively, “Now that I like the sound of.” He motioned for her to go through the door first.
She followed her word and stepped through the door, ready to help anyone that they wanted to help. She was on their time for as long as she was needed. Avalon felt her heart beat with excitement, but she’s seen so much that the deepest parts of her knew that this wouldn’t be as easy as it could have been at one point.
But that’s alright. She was here now and she would help them in any way she needed to.