Your Heart
Chapter 5 -- Research
Word Count: 12429
READ ON AO3
“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Tucker complained for the umpteenth time.
After realising the only way to end his regular meetings with Lady Arcana once and for all would be finding information on the portals she could use to help him close them, Danny took a very-Jazz-like decision; to immerse himself in countless moldy, old books in search for answers.
Only he dragged Tucker and his sister along to put an end to the torture sooner. A decision which, whereas Jazz encouraged wholeheartedly, Tucker was none too pleased with.
“Oh, quit your whining, Tucker.” Jazz admonished from the floor, a few volumes piled up around her. “Every time you complain, it’s precious time we’re wasting. Maybe I don’t mind being holed up here reading with you, but something tells me you’d much rather be tinkering with your PDA than doing this.”
Annoyed by Jazz’s accurate observation, Tucker, who was lying down on his bed, set the book he was reading down on his lap. “I’m just saying, a quick Internet search would give us many more results in a matter of seconds. If you’re worried about wasting time, then I think spending hours scanning for even the smallest piece of witch-related trivia is ten times more time-consuming.”
But Jazz wasn’t going to relent any time soon. “We already tried things your way, Tucker. Remind me again how much useful information we found online?” When her question was met by silence, she smirked, focusing again on the book she had open on the floor in front of her. “Thought so.”
“Okay, so the first few results were all about conspiratorial nutcases claiming the witches are actually aliens from a faraway galaxy and that what we call ‘magic’ is really superior technology our tiny, human minds can’t understand,” he paused to breathe, “but those were just the first few articles! I’m sure if we keep on looking, we’ll find something useful.”
“Do I really have to remind you that the most useful thing we found was a Satanist group’s website? I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly looking forward to joining them anytime soon.”
Leaning back against his bed’s headboard, the techno geek crossed his arms, feeling defensive. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“Will you two just stop?” Danny finally had enough. He slammed the book he’d been reading shut before setting it down on his desk, where his own pile of books lay. Leaning back on his chair, one leg over his knee, he crossed his arms as he sent a stern look at his sister and best friend; the kind of look a father would give when scolding his misbehaving children.
Even though they had legitimate reasons to be cranky at each other, a selfish part of him thought the only one who could really act out of line was him. Tucker and Jazz tended to forget what really was on the line. True; if they didn’t find a solution to the random ghost portals soon, that could lead to severe repercussions on both dimensions, and dealing with Lady Arcana was both dangerous and nerve-racking in every sense of the word.
But the real danger came from within.
Although Danny had tried to limit their use as much as possible, the Witch Queen’s presence demanded he wore the Ring of Wrath and the Crown of Fire in hopes of forcing the sorceress to think twice before double-crossing them. But the mere use of the two mystical items was far more terrifying than anything the entire witch clan could have thrown at him.
There was something inherently...evil encased in the ring and crown. Danny was sure of it. Damn, he could feel it with every fiber of his being. Even before donning the all-powerful objects for the first time during his coronation, the moment he held them after stripping them off of Pariah Dark’s form, they were already calling out to him.
And the most horrifying thing was that he wanted to heed their call. The relics promised infinite power to whoever was in possession of them. When, ironically, the dreaded things took possession of their wearer! After a brief moment of doubt where he almost fell into temptation and gave in, Danny understood wearing the ring and crown meant the total enslavement of his soul.
Ever since then, he lived in fear of succumbing to temptation and letting their sinister energy consume him. Whenever he had no choice but to wear the Ring of Wrath and the Crown of Fire, Danny found himself fighting an uphill battle against the hypnotising pull of power emanating from them. It was more tempting than using his powers to get back at Dash for all the wedgies. It was more inviting than dating Valerie, regardless of the very real possibility of dying by her hand. It was more dangerous than accepting to work with Vlad, who foolishly coveted the very same torture he endured every time he put those two horrid artefacts on.
Because it was a literal deal with the devil; power in exchange of his soul.
And to think he had to endure all that every time he met up with the queen of the two-faced creatures responsible for such evil in the first place, just to convince her against doing anything foolish...It was irony at its finest.
With gentle spins of his chair, Danny kept looking alternatively at Tucker and Jazz, who were blissfully unaware of his inner musings, as he talked to each of them. First was Tucker. “Tuck, I know you’ve considered books a waste of time ever since we plugged you into the Cramtastic Mark 5 to break Ember’s spell, and I’m sorry for dragging you into this, but Jazz’s brought all these books from the library and we need as much information as possible.”
He then turned to his sister, who was laid facing down on the floor. “Jazz, same thing goes for you. Except the ‘book-hating' part,” he hastily added, “you know as well as I do that if there’s someone who can find anything on the Internet, it's Tucker. Just, give him time.”
His two teammates exchanged glances before giving up with an eye roll. “Whatever,” they said in unison before getting back to reading.
Danny wasn’t quite finished, though. “There’s also the fact that I’m not even sure we’ll find anything useful in the first place. I mean, what Lady Arcana needs is either an explanation on what’s causing the portals to manifest, or a spell that can counter it. And I highly doubt we’ll find that sort of information in books from the public library.”
“Maybe if they were from Hogwarts…” Tucker snickered at his own joke. When he noticed the twin glare the siblings were sending him, he sobered up. “Sorry.”
Jazz rolled her eyes as she changed her position from lying down to sitting up, cross-legged. “That doesn’t mean we won’t find anything useful, Danny. If anything, just learning more about the witches should be of help when dealing with them, right?”
The halfa sighed. “In theory. But Tucker’s right; we’ve been reading for hours and we haven’t found anything useful, or even that we didn’t already know of.”
“Thank you!” Tucker deadpanned as he clapped his hands sarcastically.
Danny ignored him in favour of continuing. “I mean, what’s to learn about them? Their background is completely irrelevant to the issue at hand. Knowing of the Salem trials isn’t going to help me prevent disaster from happening!”
“And don’t forget we don’t even know how to tell true facts apart from naysay.” Tucker pointed out, a finger raised in the air as if that’d give more credibility to his point.
But Jazz insisted. “All the more reason to find out more about them! For instance, Danny, what did you know about witches before meeting this Lady Arcana?”
Her brother gave a noncommittal shrug. “Only what Frostbite told me and what I read in the pages I found from Sojourn’s missing journalーand no, I’m not going to let you read them, Jazz; it’s too dangerous. Besides, I don’t even have them anymore,” he was quick to add, recognising the inquisitive look on his sister’s face all too well.
Annoyed at how well her brother knew her, and at Tucker’s ill-concealed snickers, the aspiring psychologist turned her head away in a huff. “Fine, keep your sister away from fascinating topics. It’s not like I’ve been keeping your secret for years; even from you.” She punctuated with a meaningful look.
If the look on Danny’s face was any indication, they’d had that same conversation too many times before. “Jazz, careful; you know emotionally blackmailing me will get you nowhere. It’ll make me want to keep more things away from you.”
The redhead stood up and got closer to him. With her arms crossed, she used her brother’s seated position to tower over him for once, since she had long lost the ability to look over his shoulder once Danny finally hit his growth spurt. “And you know trying to play hero and keep me away is going to solve nothing. If anything, it’s only going to make me want to help you even more.”
Watching the siblings from the comfortable distance his bed provided him, Tucker knew things would only get nasty if he let the tension escalate from there. He let out a wolf whistle, effectively capturing the Fenton kids' attention. “Wow. You know you two spend too much time together when you start using the other’s methods to get what you want.”
Danny and Jazz furrowed their brow in confusion. “What do you mean?” They asked in unison.
Changing his position so his back was resting against his wall rather than his bed, which also allowed him to easily look them both in the eye, their friend just shrugged nonchalantly. He wasn’t going to say anything else; their attention was no longer directed at each other and that was enough. “Nothing. Hey, how about a break?”
“A break?” Danny echoed, incredulous. “Didn’t we just argue about wasting time? Tuck, we can’t take a break now!”
Seeing where Tucker was getting at, and that he had a very good point, Jazz sighed. Turning to Danny, she put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Tucker is right. We’ve been at it for a few hours now. We’d better take a breather and continue later, when our minds are sharper.”
Danny was about to protest when he noticed their matching expressions. They were both tired after doing nothing but searching for clues for hours and bickering with each other. If anyone deserved a break, it was them. And as his own exhaustion finally kicked in, he realised, so did he.
Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s stop for a while.”
Satisfied, Jazz gave her little brother some space as she flopped down on his bed. “So, Tuck.” When his head snapped at the sound of her voice calling his name, she continued. “How’s your latest lady friend doing?”
It took the African American young man a moment to understand who she was talking about. “You mean Camille?”
“If that’s her name, then yes.”
“Oh, we don’t hang out anymore.”
“What?” Jazz gasped. “Why?”
Tucker looked at her uneasily. Danny, on his part, remained quiet, just listening to their conversation. “Uh, no offence, Jazz but...I don’t feel comfortable talking about this with my best friend’s sister; close as we may be.”
That made her frown. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It’s just...there’s things you don’t talk about with just anyone. And what happens between you and the people you choose to fool around with is one of them. I mean, how would you feel if my mum tried meddling into your love life?”
She just made a derisive sound at the back of her throat. “Excuse me? That is completely different!”
“It is not!”
“Oh, really?” Jazz put her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised. “Please. Tucker, I’m Danny’s older sister, not our mother! Moreso, I’m the eldest by two years,” she put two fingers up to stress her point, “it’s not like I babysat you or cleaned your diapers. It can’t be that embarrassing!”
Refusing to say any more, Tucker just fell backwards on his bed, arms crossed. From his chair, Danny could only roll his eyes good-naturedly at their banter.
After a beat of silence, Jazz tried again. “Was it your issues with commitment? Did she want more but you got scared?”
Exasperated, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Then, he turned to his best friend. “You can intervene whenever you like, you know?”
Danny just leaned back on his chair, his arms folded behind his head and an easy grin on his face. “Nah, I’m good.”
Abruptly getting up from his bed, unamused, Tucker walked over to his desk and turned his computer on. His back turned to the Fenton siblings, he started fidgeting with a program he’d just opened. He had no idea what to do with it, but he figured it’d be better than Jazz butting in on his love life.
“So...is that it?” she ventured hopefully.
Groaning loudly, he rubbed his eyes before fully facing the current thorn in his side. “Has it ever crossed your mind that the reason why I don’t feel comfortable talking about this with you is because you’re going to try and psychoanalyse me?” Seeing as there was no reply, Tucker took it as a sign that she’d finally let it go, so he turned to face the screen.
...only to hear her whisper to Danny. “How much on them having trouble in bed?”
His face burning hot in embarrassment, Tucker slammed his head against the desk, startling the two other people in the room. At least Danny would never betray him, would he? No, he wouldn’t. It totally went against, like, fifty rules in the Bro Code.
Unfortunately, Danny was having far too much fun seeing Tucker squirm under Jazz’s scrutinising, psychological curiosity. “Well, from what I’ve heard…”
Oh, no! No way in Hell was that traitor selling him out like that! If Danny wanted war, he’d give him war, Bro Code be damned! Getting up with startling speed, Tucker yelled loud enough to drown Danny’s voice out. “Danny’s met a girl!”
Both siblings blinked slowly at him before simultaneously screeching, “What!?” Although it was impossible to tell which of the two was more bewildered by the revelation.
In an instant, Jazz was on her brother like a vulpture on an animal carcass. “Danny, is that true? You have a girlfriend?” Suddenly, she looked much more offended than dumbfounded. “And you didn’t tell me?!”
“No!” he quickly denied, before all but flying from his chair and going over to his so-called best friend to smack him on the arm. Hard. “Tucker, what the fuck?!”
“Language!” Jazz admonished.
“Where did you get the idea that I got a girlfriend? What, you’ve listened to me talking about how I fear for my life whenever I’m in the same room as the short-tempered, curse-inducing, infuriating Queen of the Witches of Amity Park and you obviously thought, Oh, man. That’s true love right there and then?!”
“Well, that definitely didn’t stop you from crushing on Valerie back in high school…” Jazz pointed out meekly.
Seeing Danny’s eyes glow green for a fraction of a second was enough to make Tucker sweat bullets. “Jazz, you’re not helping!” He squeaked. “And, dude, you’re freaking me out a little with the way you’re burning holes in my skull. At this point, I really wouldn’t put it past you to have suddenly developed heat-vision or something…”
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Danny finally got out of his best friend’s personal space. He was still pissed, though. “Talk.”
Straightening his clothes, Tucker rolled his eyes. “My, aren’t you sensitive today.”
“Well, duh! You just said I have a girlfriend! Could you be so kind as to tell me who so I don’t forget our anniversary or, I don’t know, her face!?”
The techno geek made a ‘pfft’ sound with his mouth, shrugging the notion off with a motion of his hand. “I never said you had a girlfriend. My exact words were ‘Danny’s met a girl.’ If you two are too obsessed with your love life to pay close attention to what other people say, that’s not my problem.”
“Okay, so who’s this girl?” Jazz asked, still curious.
“Yes, please, enlighten us, oh, King Tuck.” Danny quipped sarcastically.
Tucker frowned, not appreciating the quip at his past mistake, but he spoke nonetheless. “Dude, it 's Sam.”
There was a beat of silence where brother and sister just stared at him before Danny whispered, shell-shocked, “Sam?”
Jazz, on her part, was both shocked and confused. “Wait, who’s Sam?”
He would’ve smacked him right then and there if it weren’t for his best friend having ghost powers he could blast him with. “Well, duh! Dude, have you or have you not met a girl named Sam recently? Because, I’m warning you, if you thought she was a guy, I’m telling on you. I don’t care if she beats your ass; you’d deserve it.”
“Ooh! A girl capable of kicking my baby brother's butt? Now I gotta know who she is! Also, Tucker, language.” The aqua-eyed girl half-heartedly scolded him, before her expression turned into a pensive one as she redirected her gaze to Danny “...are you sure you don’t have a type, though?”
“Sam and Valerie are nothing alike!” Danny exclaimed, throwing his arms up at his sides. Then he turned to Tucker, his hands now curled into fists out of sheer annoyance. “And of course I know she’s a girl. I just don’t understand how on Earth you’d come to the conclusion that I’m into her or something.”
Not for the first time, Tucker rolled his eyes before getting up from his chair and draping his arm around Danny’s shoulders. “And, again, I never said you were. I just said you’d met a girl…” Danny didn’t like that mischievous glint in his eyes one bit. “It just so happens I know you two enough to know you’d immediately assume I was talking about a lady friend, which would then make you forget all about moi.” Tucker explained with a cheeky grin. “And, lo and behold, it worked!”
Danny narrowed his eyes on him. He hated it when Tucker used their everlasting friendship to play him like a violin. Jazz, on the other hand, hated having her queries ignored. Taking a deep breath, she raised her voice to deafening levels. “Hello? Can anyone tell me who this ‘Sam’ is?”
“Agh!” Both halfa and techno geek exclaimed, taken aback. Nursing his ear, the youngest Fenton glared at his sister. “You're louder than my Ghostly Wail, you know that?”
“I can attest to that.” Tucker muttered, equally annoyed.
Both sighed in defeat when Jazz limited herself to arching an eyebrow at them with her hands, curled into fists at her sides, stubborn as ever to get her answers. “Jazz, it’s no big deal. Sam is just a friend of Tucker’s who knows an awful lot about the occult and such. He thinks she might be able to help me with you-know-who.” He explained as he sat down on his bed next to her, Tucker following suit.
“Wait, Tucker is friends with a girl that’s not me?”
The aforementioned boy took offence at that. “Is it really that weird to see me hanging out with a girl because we’re friends and nothing more?”
The Fenton kids just stared at him blankly. “Dude, you literally hit on anything with a skirt. Remember the drag queen?”
The techno geek spluttered at that, while Jazz couldn’t help but chortle. “Dude, you promised to never bring that up again!”
Danny only chuckled at his best friend’s flushed face. “I don’t think you’re in any position to complain, Tuck. After all, you did break that poor queen’s heart...”
“Why, you!” Face burning hot in embarrassment, Tucker threw himself at Danny, ready to strangle him, ability to blast him to smithereens be damned! His own body reacting instinctively, Danny lay down on his back as he grabbed his best friend’s wrists. The two would’ve started roughhousing hadn’t it been for Jazz getting caught in between.
“Hey! Stop it you two!” With a superhuman strength that could only be attributed to an older sibling separating her little brothers, Jazz shoved Tucker off of Danny, while she kept the latter down with a hand on his chest. A few minutes passed before the two calmed down. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she turned to Tucker, trying to keep the original conversation going. “So this Sam could be of help?”
Willing his own breath to steady, Tucker nodded. “Yeah. Sam’s a Goth, so she’s very interested in all that. In fact, she’s been of help before.”
Danny’s interest perked at that. “What do you mean?”
“Remember when I’d come up with a solution to defeat certain ghosts this past year? Like Medusa, or that giant Hydra, and such? That was all Sam!”
“Now that you mention it, it did take me by surprise that you’d suddenly know what a hydra even is…”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence…” he quipped, before shaking his head to keep himself focused. “Anyway, whenever those ghosts appeared, I’d remember Sam talking about her latest mythology-related acquisition she bought from her favourite bookstore. So I just called her up, used the very convenient ghost in case to ask about its weakness and, ta-da! You’d have your way to beat them!” He exclaimed, proudly puffing up his chest. After a moment, he deflated, another thought in his mind. “The only creature she never told me about are unicorns, though. I don’t know why.”
“Maybe it throws off her entire dark, cynical persona.” Jazz guessed. Becoming Goth was a common coping mechanism for when people lost someone dear. For all she knew, this Sam could’ve lost a loved one and abandoned all things traditionally cute and girly as a way to put up a strong, undaunted façade, constantly exposing herself to the darker side of life in an attempt to grow desensitised to such things.
“Maybe,” the bespectacled young man shrugged, “but if you ever meet her, don’t go around saying things like that. Somehow, I doubt she’d appreciate having her entire identity picked out and analysed.”
As Tucker and Jazz kept on bantering with each other, Danny’s thoughts were elsewhere. If what Tucker was saying was true and Sam had indeed marked the difference between victory and defeat during those ghost attacks, then it really would be better to have her by his side.
Despite his years fighting ghosts and what he’d learned from Frostbite, his knowledge was limited to the Ghost Zone, which was why the presence of mythological or legendary ghosts tended to demand more of him than, say, facing off against Technus, or Johnny 13. Magical artefacts and abilities fell under that category, as well.
Aside from the lack of portal-creating and visits to the Ghost Zone, the witches, on the contrary, seemed to be knowledgeable of ghosts. And that put him at a clear disadvantage he couldn’t afford. But if Sam also happened to know about witches, maybe even partake in rituals for the sake of it, then having her near would be for the best. He would only have to make sure to keep a close eye on her in case the witches found out and went after her in retaliation.
And also, deep down, he was sort of looking forward to meeting her again.
...............
The seemingly never ending corridors were doing nothing to alleviate her already suffering nerves. Despite the velvet-carpeted floor that would other times muffle her heavy steps, she now felt as if every step she took resonated throughout the manor like the screeching tiles of a wooden floor. From the rich, maroon walls were hanging the portraits of every astounding witch their clan had ever witnessed; from queens and Council members, to especially adept sorceresses or even heroines who had saved their sisters one way or another. All those women she usually looked up to for guidance in difficult times now seemed to be silently judging her with their cold, unforgiving eyes.
She walked in complete silence, afraid to disturb the peace if she were to utter a word. After discovering the grimoire she used to travel to the Ghost Zone wouldn’t be of any help in her mission, Sam was blindly following the beginning of a hunch; the spark of an idea whose outcome she still knew nothing of. But, even if she wasn’t sure what she was looking for, it was all she had.
Sam had no choice but to follow that inkling.
Hurriedly trying to keep up with her, Star and Paulina were close behind. Once again, their position within their Queen’s inner circle allowed them to understand Sam’s thought process better than most. Only they knew the true reason behind the Queen’s unprompted visit to their clan’s archives.
“Your Majesty, what do you expect to find inside thー?” Before Star could so much as finish her question, Sam interrupted her.
“Indeed, Star. I would appreciate a warm bubble bath with deadly nightshade leaves.” The queen said, not even stopping to look back at her ladies-in-waiting.
To any other person, that cryptic message would have meant nothing but the typical request one would expect a queen to ask her personal maids of. But Paulina and Star knew better. Asking for deadly nightshade was Sam’s way of telling them to keep whatever she was up to a secret. By asking Star for a deadly nightshade bubble bath, she was instructing them that absolutely no one should find out about the true reason behind her visit to the archives.
Exchanging knowing glances with Paulina, the blonde lowered her head slightly, fully aware that her Queen was watching her from the corner of her eye. “Yes, your Majesty.”
And with that everything that had to be said was shared between them.
Time was of the essence.
Aside from the evident danger she faced every time she travelled to the Infinite Realms, there was the added possibility of being spotted by humans, regardless of how far away from civilization their meeting spot was. If anyone ever took notice of the three mysterious figures fraternising with ghosts, Amity Park’s greatest known threat, questions would soon arise.
And whenever humans had questions, they turned to the so-called experts on the matter for help. While Sam wasn’t sure those incompetent Guys In White even suspected their existence, she still wouldn’t put it past them to investigate for the sake of burning tax money in some new toys. Those greedy, government puppets… Worst of all, if they took a genuine interest in her kind, they might as well be done for, and not necessarily because the GIW were good at their job…
If word got out that witches were real and living among them, the citizens could get scared. And whenever humans got scared, especially if it was of things they couldn’t quite explain or understand, that fear turned into aggression. If they kept wasting any more time, one day she’d open her door to find herself face to face with an angry mob.
And to think it’d all be because of a group of incompentent ghost hunters who couldn’t even drive away the very same treacherous creatures responsible for her people’s need for secrecy in the first place...it was irony at its finest.
However, despite the spike of anxiety in her chest, Sam couldn’t help but go back to her last visit to the Ghost Zone. Phantom’s attempts at dissipating the tension had been, as much as she hated to admit it, a welcomed thing. And yet, it was a little unnerving to learn the Ghost King shared her views on formality and the power of intimacy, because it made him look more human than she would ever be comfortable with.
In all fairness, it was difficult to imagine Phantom talking like anything but his usual, cocky self in the first place. From what little exchanges the news broadcasts had been able to catch on camera during the years, the white-haired spirit tended to get overly familiar with his opponents, getting under their skin with puns or witty comebacks thrown at their expense. Still, as unusual as it was, Sam couldn’t help but feel that, perhaps, it would’ve been better to keep on using their respective honorifics. Because Phantom addressing her like he would any other misbehaving ghost, like she’d seen him do dozens of times over the years, somehow made it all the more...real. She truly was talking to the infamous Ghost King on her own volition.
That thought alone scared her more than she’d ever be willing to admit.
Before Sam could dwell on the matter any longer, a grating, shrill voice snapped her out of her thoughts. A voice she knew all too well and would do just about anything to never hear again unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Sammy-kins!”
Stopping in her tracks, eye twitching in annoyance, the lavender-eyed girl forced a smile to materialise on her face as she slowly turned around to face the mother of all monsters. Her own. “Hello, Mother.” She forced out.
Pamela Manson was an average witch; the only thing stellar about her was her ability to distract humans with her lavish parties and over-the-top socialite persona. A woman obsessed with social status and appearances, Sam’s mother constantly got on her case due to her own disregard for the very things Pamela lived for.
Mother and daughter were opposites in almost every aspect.
Whereas Sam prided herself in her individuality and ability to go unnoticed unless she truly wished to make her presence known, Pamela was obsessed with blending in a way that would always draw all eyes to her.
Sam believed in standing up for a change, without fear of taking big steps as long as they led her to a better world. Pamela considered things to be fine as they were, and that the only changes that should be implemented were small, insignificant ones; such as her daughter’s fashion sense.
While Sam was a rather cynical individual who still cared about everyone deep down, her mother was preppy and optimistic, but her aspirations were limited to what could benefit her and her family.
But what truly set them apart was Sam’s insistence on being inconspicuous to the human eye; her coven’s anonymity her top priority. As opposed to Pamela who, had she been queen, would’ve accidentally exposed their secrets in her first week after being crowned; tops.
In all fairness, it wasn’t that Pamela didn’t care for their clan; it was just that she couldn’t resist flaunting what, she believed, made her better than everyone else.
And, right now, she believed her daughter’s manners could be much better. “What’s with the cold greeting, Sammy-kins? We haven’t seen much of each other in over a week and that’s how you treat me?”
On second thought, Sam much preferred her chances against an angry mob over spending five minutes in the same room as her mother. “Sorry, Mother, but you caught me in the middle of something important and…”
“What could possibly be more important than what I’m about to tell you?” Pamela questioned, her hands on her hips.
“Perhaps finding a way to save two dimensions or, at the very least, our people, but you’re right, Mum, what was it that you wanted to tell me?”, was what the raven-haired witch wished she could’ve said, but instead she opted for, “And what is it that you have to tell me?”
Instead of answering her daughter, however, Pamela directed an expectant look at her two ladies-in-waiting who, upon noticing her steely glare on them, immediately straightened up before lowering their heads in submission. “Greetings, your Ladyship.” Paulina and Star droned, their heads low.
Although Pamela was never queen herself, as mother of the current leader of the clan she was to be regarded with respect. A fact the woman would constantly revel in and fully take advantage of. Smiling in contentment, she sighed. “Ah, much better. Now, Sammy-kins, I was thinking we could take some time away from your schedule to have a little chat on your wardrobe choices?”
Ugh, not that again. Ignoring her mother’s offended gasp, Sam turned on her heel to make her way, once again, to her original destination. Star and Paulina hurrying up to leave ‘her Ladyship’ behind and keep up with their queen after flashing her mother a pair of matching sheepish smiles
Unfortunately, the one thing Sam seemed to have inherited from her mother was her stubbornness. Quickening her own pace, the clicking of her high heels behind her haunting Sam even in her dreams, Pamela caught up with them in a surprisingly short amount of time. Having no choice but to breathlessly talk to her daughter at the same time as she tried keeping up with her would not be enough to get her to give up on her pursuit.
“Seeing as we have much more important matters to discuss, I shall gracefully ignore your previous insolence.” Luckily for Sam, her mother missed the way she rolled her eyes at her. “I know this...Gore style of yoursー.”
“It’s ‘Goth’, Mother…” Sam corrected her, but her efforts fell on deaf ears.
“ーis just your way of rebelling against the world because things don’t go your way, but don’t you think enough is enough? You’ve been dressing like a mortician since you were twelve!”
“If you’re done patronising me and the way I choose to present myself to the worldーwhich, not only have you insulted in every possible way but, allow me to remind you, is not just a phaseー, I really do have more important matters to attend to.”
And with that, she sped up past her mother. It should’ve been the end of that conversation, but Pamela always had to have the last word. “But what about the clan? Don’t you think it’s selfish to compromise us like that?”
That stopped the Witch Queen dead in her tracks, the unexpected stop causing Paulina and Star to tumble back a few steps. Once they registered what Pamela had said, their blood ran cold; the stiffness in Sam’s posture only confirmed their unspoken fears:
Sam’s mother had just crossed a line.
Fists clenched so tightly at her sides she could’ve drawn blood, her teeth gritting in aggravation, Sam hissed, not even turning around to face her mother. “What did you just say?”
Brushing her daughter’s anger off as just another tantrum, Pamela calmly walked over to where she stood, looking over her handmaidens’ shoulders. Resting a palm on Sam’s shoulder, a hand that, although meant as comforting, came out as condescending, mocking; the older witch spoke up. “I’m just saying, you’re always advocating for our anonymity, yet you seem to ignore that people will immediately associate your obvious, stereotypically witchy outfits with real-life witchcraft. All that black and those dark colours, the ripped fabric, the metal ornaments… Sammy, don’t you see? That’s like wearing a sign saying ‘I’m a witch! Come and lynch me!’”
Taking advantage of her turned face, Sam narrowed her eyes on her mother. She dressed like a WASP housewife from the 50’s when she was a Jewish woman living in the 21st centuryーshe was in absolutely no position to criticise her looks!
How dare she? How dare she?! Using her duty to protect her people against her just to get her to wear some frilly abomination because she couldn’t fathom the idea that her daughter would want to be her own person?
It was moments like these that Sam missed Grandma Ida the most. Her grandma would’ve guided her in her darkest hours, giving her useful advice to approach the situation, but never making decisions for her, letting her live and learn instead! Grandma Ida would’ve never tried to use her to push some personal agenda on the clan.
But Grandma Ida was gone, and Pamela was there to stay.
As insulted and, although she’d never let it show, hurt as Sam was, going to the archives took priority. Stowing her conversation with her mother for another time as she resumed her march down the hallsーpreferably when she’d be alone in her roomーSam shrugged her off the best way she knew; through biting sarcasm. “Oh, please. If I were nearly as ‘obvious’ or ‘stereotypically witchy’ as you say, Mother, I’d decorate this place after the Sedlec Ossuary.”
Pamela furrowed her brow in confusion as she, too, resumed her walk. “What does that even mean?”
“She’s talking about a Czech chapel fully decorated with bones and skulls.” Star helpfully supplied.
Paulina, on the contrary, shuddered in disgust. “Ugh, I’d rather not. I’d feel like I’m always being watched…”
Star tilted her head to the side. “How? Skulls don’t have eyes.”
Ignoring the handmaidens, Pamela opened up her mouth to speak when a raised hand from her daughter, who had abruptly halted, stopped her from even getting a word in. “As lovely as catching up with you has been, Mother,” Sam started, voice laced with sarcasm, “I’m afraid I must go. I have important matters to attend to, as I already told you, that I must take care of, in private.” She stressed before turning the doorknob of the large door before her and walking inside, swiftly letting her bewildered mother out after she all but slammed the door shut in her face.
Leaning her back against the door, Sam let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. No matter how much time passed, her mother would always be a she-demon worse than any ghost. God forbid Phantom ever met her; if he were to take a page out of her book, Sam would personally burn herself at the stake.
“Is Pamela too much for you?” A sultry voice coaxed her out of her thoughts.
Opening up her eyes, Sam could feel the relieved smile forming on her face at the sight of the witch she most wanted to see at the moment. “Delilah.” She breathed out as she separated herself from the door, walking over to her friend to grab her hands in hers. “You have no idea.” Sighing dramatically, she let her head fall on the crook of the shapeshifter’s shoulder, eliciting a chuckle from her.
“Oh, I don’t need to.” She said, gently patting her queen’s head. “Just by looking at you I can tell; you look like you’ve suddenly lost ten years of your life!”
“Make that twenty,” Sam grumbled.
Separating herself from her leader, their hands still holding each other, the turquoise-eyed sorceress got to the point. “Well, what brings you here? As much as I love your visits, I thought you’d be busy with your little escapes to the Ghost Zone?”
Sam averted her gaze, the wooden floor suddenly much more interesting than a few seconds ago. “It’s precisely because of that that I’m here.”
“Oh?” Delilah tilted her head, slightly. “Okay...So, what are you here for, then?”
To her bewilderment, her queen’s eyes continuously darted from one place to another, as if expecting to be ambushed any minute now. “Are we alone?”
An odd question, but not necessarily a bad one. Putting her fingers on her chin in thought, the Council member tried to remember if she’d seen anyone that day. “Hm, I think Stephanie might be somewhere around here, engrossed in a book. But you know her, it’d be easier to get me to leave the archives than not seeing that girl with her nose deep in a book.”
Stephanie was probably with them. That was not a bad thing. Stephanie ought to find out sooner or later. Wringing her hands nervously, Sam willed her eyes to look at Delilah’s own curious turquoise ones. “I need your help with something.”
That caught her attention. “My help?” Sam nodded. “My, Sam, you’re starting to worry me.” Delilah admitted as she got closer to the Goth, her hand hovering over her shoulder but never close enough to actually rest atop of it, afraid that the sudden contact would startle her. It was unusual to see her so suspicious of everything around her. Maybe… “Did the ghosts do anything? Are we going to war?”
That seemed to snap the younger witch out of whatever she was going through. She didn’t lower her guard, though. “No, no. We’re not going to war.” She shook her head as she let Delilah gently guide her to another section of the archives. “But in order to avoid just that I might need to do something crazy…”
Delilah wrinkled her nose at that. “Something crazy? You’re not going to marry that Ghost Punk, are you?”
Startled, Sam jerked away from her touch, shuddering in discomfort. Where would she get such a ridiculous idea? She and Danny Phantom? She almost wanted to laugh. Instead, she let out a derisive sound from the back of her throat. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“So, what is it then? I’m sorry, Sam, but you’re not making any sense right now.” The shapeshifter insisted. “If we’re not going to war, and you’re not going to marry the Ghost King, what do you need me for?” Taking a few steps, she got closer to the young monarch, their faces mere inches apart as she tried looking for answers in her amethyst orbs. “What could be so serious that you’re so unnerved, Sam?”
Delilah’s intense gaze made her squirm, but she had a point. She couldn’t expect her to help her, no questions asked. For instance, she wasn’t just the best shapeshifter of the clan, she was also a Council member, and the archives guardian. She was the one tasked with keeping their people’s most precious treasure, their history and knowledge, safe. And considering what she was gonna ask of her, Delilah was in her right to know exactly what was going through her head.
Steeling herself for what was to come, Sam straightened her spine, returning the intensity of the older witch’s gaze in earnest. “I need you to grant me access to a certain type of book.”
Delilah’s posture relaxed. “Is that it? Why didn’t you say so sooner? Sure, just tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll let you take a lookー.”
“I mean,” Sam cut her off, “I need you to grant me permission to take the book with me, outside of the manor...and into the Ghost Zone.” Her voice wavered when she muttered the last part.
“Oh...I see...” The guardian’s expression immediately sobered up. She cleared her throat, awkwardly. “And, what type of book are you looking for?”
Now things were going to get really ugly. “I need a spellbook detailing everything we know about the Ghost Zone, specifically, its portals.”
For a while, Delilah just stared at her, almost unblinkingly. The good news was she didn’t appear angry or outraged as Sam had predicted, the bad news, however, was that her empty, unreadable expression was much worse. At least she’d have known what she was thinking had she been yelling at her for her idiocy; questioning her mental health. But as it was, Sam was almost as lost as her.
After what felt like an eternity, Delilah finally found her voice. “So you…” she quieted down, trying to find the words. “You want to take one of our most sacred texts to the Ghost Zone?”
Sam winced. Somehow, it sounded way worse when she said it like that. “I know it’s asking for too much…”
“Saying that’s an understatement wouldn’t even begin to cover it.” The Council member scoffed. “Seriously, Margaret would have a cow! And don’t get me started on Wilhelmina…”
“I know!” Sam was quick to reassure her. She was perfectly aware what she was asking of her might be a little excessive, but she wasn’t completely delusional! She knew just what kind of reaction their fellow Council members would have... “I know, but...the only way to ensure our people’s safety is helping Phantom. And he needs help closing numerous unstable portals that are suddenly opening. I thought the book I’d been using to get to the Infinite Realms would have the answers, but its contents were thoroughly underwhelming.”
Just like she did in Phantom’s lair, Sam got the spellbook out of her skirt before handing it to the guardian. In turn, she inspected its pages, concluding that, indeed, the book hadn’t much to offer. “Please, Delilah, you know I would never ask this of you if I didn’t think it’s our only hope.”
Sam wasn’t one to plead. The young Council member knew this better than anyone. She was headstrong and determined; the entire clan knew there wasn’t much that could be done to dissuade her once her mind was made up. Margaret herself found it to be both a blessing and a curse, while Wilhelmina thought it was a curse. Period. And Delilah...
Delilah prayed to all things above her that she wasn’t about to make a mistake. Sighing in defeat, she flashed Sam a small grin, earning herself a triumphant smile in return. Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, she motioned for her queen to follow her with a slight jerk of her index finger. “Come with me, your Majesty. I know just the thing.”
Sighing in relief, Sam allowed her eyes to wander around the manor’s archives. She really couldn’t blame Stephanie for loving the place to the point of practically making it her second homeーthe sight was breathtaking.
The circular room, surrounded by large panel windows, located right below the Council Room, which put it in the three-story manor’s second story, was one of the best examples of a Pocket Dimension Spell put to good use. Countless shelves filled to the brim with colourful, leather-bound books went on as far as reached the eye; hanging proudly from the ceiling, the arrow-shaped banners with her clan’s signature colour and emblemーa black rose over a royal purple backgroundーadorned the room; leaning against the shelves, golden ladders could be seen moving on their own accord; which was almost as impressive as the floating books that flew from one place to another by flapping their two covers like an eagle would flap its wings.
Walking through the numerous aisles, letting herself be, one again, amazed by the sight, Sam caught a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. Turning her head to the source, she found Stephanie Baker, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her back against a shelf’s lateral plank, an incredibly dense book perched on her lap.
Sensing someone’s eyes on her, no doubt, Stephanie lifted her head up and away from her book, before a grin was plastered on her face at the sight of her queen. Her enthusiastic wave was answered by Sam’s much more subdued one, alongside a small chuckle. “She’ll never change; she’s at her happiest when surrounded by books,” Sam mused to herself.
She and Delilah kept walking in silence, but with each step she took, the Goth couldn’t help but furrow her brow, anxiously. They were getting further and further away from the archives’ hot spot, the zone with the most activity disappearing in the distance until she almost couldn’t make it out anymore. Just where was she taking her?
Her question was answered when her guide halted abruptly in front of the wall. An empty space that, unlike the other walls encasing the archives, wasn’t even decorated by a portrait of one of the previous guardians. Not sure what to expect, Sam tilted her head to the side, speechless. “Uh...Delilah?”
But Delilah didn’t answer. Instead, she turned her back on her and extended her hands, palms open, in front of her. “Clavis mysteria!”, she chanted, her carefully coiffed onyx braid dancing around her, as if swayed by a sudden strong breeze. From her palms emanated a green fog that, as Sam could only look on in awe, speechless for an entirely different reason; seemed to open the wall in half, the resulting, uneven, wooden dents making way for it.
An eternity or a few minutes could’ve passed, and Sam would be willing to believe anything she was told, when the green fog manifested again, carrying a rather large object with it. When the Witch Queen realised what it was, she could only gasp in astonishment.
Levitating before them was a royal blue, leather-bound book. Intricate designs were scattered throughout its back cover, engraved in gold. Two such designs, a pair of golden, twin swirls, flanked an equally golden fleur de lis on its spine. But the most amazing thing, what truly showed the book’s importance, were the golden letters, glinting under the light, on its cover:
Arcana’s Grimoire
Mouth hanging open, the young witch could only gape at her friend, completely blown away by the revelation, as the grimoire landed safely on her hands. With a small chuckle, Delilah pushed some loose, black locks obscuring the right side of her face aside. “Sorry. No matter how tightly I tie my braid, spellcasting always messes my hair up.”
Her throat suddenly very dry, Sam swallowed before managing to speak, a finger pointing at the manuscript. “Is...is that…?”
With a knowing smile, Delilah nodded. “Arcana's Grimoire. If you want to find answers on what’s causing those ghost portals to open at random, this baby is your best bet.” Stretching her arms towards the queen, she handed the book to her, who held it with as much care as one held a newborn for the first time, almost reverently. “The grimoire holds the answers to all those questions time made sure to erase.”
“I-I…you...t-the book...” Sam stuttered, not sure what to say. “A-are you sure you want to entrust the g-grimoire, Arcana’s Grimoire, to me?”
“It’s risky, I know. But you said it yourself, you wouldn’t ask me to grant you permission to take a spellbook out of the manor if you weren’t convinced it’s our only hope.” Those few loose strands falling on her face, a stark contrast to her dark mane, she lay a comforting hand on Sam’s shoulder, a soft smile on her face. “And I wouldn’t hand the grimoire to you if I didn’t think it’d be safe with you.”
Eyes widening at the Council member’s words, Sam couldn’t do anything but send her a grateful smile in return. Clutching the grimoire close to her chest, she promised, “I’ll guard it with my life.”
Internally, she made another promise, only this time, it was much more violent than solemn. “And I swear, if Phantom so much as looks at it wrong, I’ll ask Danny to lend me some of his parents’ weapons and hunt him down myself.”
................
“You’re lucky this place sells some of the best pastrami sandwiches I’ve ever had, dude. Otherwise, you’d be on your own.” Tucker said in between bites of his heavenly pastrami with honey mustard sandwich. Wiping some sauce from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, earning himself disgusted looks from the two other people present, he wagged a finger at his best friend. “Seriously, though. Who would’ve thought Sam would have good taste in restaurants?”
He winced when the Goth in question elbowed him on his side. “I have excellent taste in food in general, thank you very much. It’s not my fault only 9% of the global population can appreciate it.”
Once again, they were meeting up at the You Mocha Me Crazy, which, at this rate, was going to become their new favourite hanging spot. Unless Sam was willing to forego her vegetarian ways and ask for a Double Meaty Nasty Burger with extra bacon with them. Somehow, that seemed unlikely. Luckily, during their first visit Sam had introduced Tucker to their selection of sandwiches and cold cuts, making it easier for the techno geek to warm up to the café.
After that successful first meeting, the trio decided to hang out whenever Danny needed Sam's help to write his ‘paper.’ All they had to do was ring or text Sam, and she’d tell them when she was free to meet.
Today was one of those days she was free and the guys were in need of her help. The three were lounging around a small coffee table Sam named ‘her spot’, for it was where she usually had her coffee or worked on her assignments in peace. The fact that she was good friends with one of the baristas also helped keep the space free of any ‘spot-stealing-squads,’ as she lovingly referred to ‘those vultures.’
Nursing his aching side, Tucker rolled his eyes. He’d already lost count on how many times they’d had that same conversation. “Is there anyone free from your vegan wrath?”
“For the last time, I’m ultra-recyclo-vegetarian, not vegan.”
“What’s the difference?” Danny intervened, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
“Vegans tend to waste almost as much food as non-vegetarians. Ultra-recyclo-vegetarians make the most of every single meal.” Sam explained, forking a piece of tomato from her salad. “That’s where the ‘recyclo’ part comes from.”
“I thought that was freegans.” Tucker frowned, still munching his sandwich.
“I’m surprised you even know what that is.”
“You and me both.” Danny said, turning to look at Tucker with a curious expression on his face.
Rolling his eyes, the techno geek shrugged them off. “You meet the craziest people on Tinder.” He explained offhandedly. When he took notice of his two companions’ horrified expressions, he almost doubled over in laughter. Clearing his throat, he turned to Sam. “And you still haven’t answered my question.”
Shaking her head to erase the traumatising image that was Tucker’s love life, Sam started. “What? Uh...oh! Right. Ehem! As a matter of fact, there are people excluded from my ‘ultra-recyclo-vegetarian wrath.’” She corrected. “I’d never force people without enough resources to go vegan. Such as the Inuit community. Besides, those guys barely hunt anything compared to rich jerks with questionable hobbies, and they use everything of what little they do hunt.”
“Handy people.” Danny mused, before returning his attention to his laptop, resting on top of his lap, one leg crossed over his other knee. “Now, I don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but we’re here to help me with my...with my homework, remember?”
If Sam thought the way he seemed to overthink his words was weird, she didn’t let it show. “Yeah, you’re right.” She said as she turned her torso around, reaching for her notes inside her spider backpack. “Okay, you two. Lay it on me; what do you want to know?”
Tucker and Danny exchanged a glance, before the blue-eyed boy ventured. “Well...Sam, you’re the expert. What can you tell us of...um...of the witches.”
Scanning through her notepad’s pages, Sam froze at Danny’s words. Could her people’s secret have been discovered already? Before risking compromising her sisters, she had to test the waters first. “Why are you doing your paper on witches in the first place?” Her voice came out a little colder than she intended.
Tucker furrowed his brow, taken aback by her sudden guarded posture, while Danny just rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Uh...why not? The seminar I signed up for is on mythological creatures and folklore, and witches are one of the most legendary myths ever...right?”
Alright, that made sense. But she couldn’t be reckless, she had to make sure Danny didn’t pose a threat to her coven. “Yeah, they definitely are. I’m sorry, it’s just...with all the ghosts constantly attacking Amity Park, I thought, ‘why witches?’, you know? I mean, your parents are experts! If you just asked them for a little bit of help, your assignment would immediately turn into an easy A, wouldn’t it?”
Taking a gulp from his espresso, Danny carefully thought what to say next. He couldn’t let Sam think he had some sort of ulterior motive for asking about the mystical group of women; he’d promised Lady Arcana her people’s secret would be safe, after all. So he did the only thing he could; he expertly lied. “Well, I don’t really like having things handed to me, you see. What’s the point in signing up for a seminar if I’m just going to get an easy A thanks to my parents, you know what I mean?”
Tucker had to fight the urge to laugh at the irony of the situation. Oh, what Danny wouldn’t have given just to get easy A’s during high school... When his two friends turned to him, Sam looking at him in confusion and Danny quietly begging him to keep his mouth shut, he played it cool by taking a sip from his drink.
“Anyway,” Danny continued, “I just thought ghosts would be...I dunno...too mainstream? The assignment is supposed to make me do research on mythological creatures, and nowadays it’s pretty obvious ghosts are anything but mythological.”
“Witches aren’t far behind, either…” Sam internally mused, sipping from her macchiato. Holding the carton cup with both hands, she decided sharing some information with Danny and Tucker would be safe. She’d just tell them the basics, debunk some Hollywood myths...the usual. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Danny echoed, hopefully.
“Okay.” Sam repeated with a smile. “Anything in particular you want to know about?”
“Just...anything you can tell us, really.” Tucker said, leaning forward with his hands between his legs.
“You’re gonna have to be a tad more specific than that, guys.”
Crossing his arms, the Astrophysics student thought long and hard. What was it that he really wanted to know about them? Well, the answer to that was obvious. His only real question was why? Why did they do what they did? If only he could figure that out, then maybe he’d know how to approach Lady Arcana. But there was no way he could ask that without exposing who he was. And it wasn’t like Sam, of all people, would have the answer anyway.
So instead he asked, “What’s their origin?”
That startled Sam, who almost choked on her lettuce, Tucker quickly coming to her assistance and patting her back. After massaging her throat and swallowing her food, she looked at Danny with an inquisitive eye. “Come again?” She croaked out.
“What’s their origin?” He repeated. “And...and I don’t mean this as in...as in a history lesson. Like, when did witches first appear or anything. If I wanted to know that, I’d just read a book or watch a National Geographic documentary. I-I mean, how is a witch even born?”
“Do I have to explain the birds and the bees to you guys, too?” She asked with a coy smile, having recovered from her coughing fit. Despite the seriousness of his query, the violet-eyed girl couldn’t help but tease him.
Danny flushed in embarrassment. He had to admit, he’d handed her that one. Shaking his head, he chuckled. “I’m good, thanks. You might need to talk to Tuck, though.” He joked, earning himself an offended gasp from his best friend, who punched him lightly on his arm in protest. “But, nah. I guess a better question would be, what makes a witch...well, a witch?”
Sam had to admit, it was a good question. Even if it may risk her people’s secrets, such depth earned the blue-eyed boy some respect from her. Not many people went beyond the basics when looking for information. Most would be content with reading the first few paragraphs of a Wikipedia article. But Danny… Something about the intensity of his ocean blue eyes made Sam feel he was more similar to his parents than he’d originally thought; despite having no interest in ghosts himself. Somehow, he shared their inquisitive and curious mind, albeit from a less scientific approach. Just by that question alone, she immediately understood Danny Fenton was much smarter than people gave him credit for.
Exhaling, she began to explain. “Believe it or not, the one who got closer to the truth was Harry Potter.”
“You mean the children’s book with the extra creepy white dude?” The bespectacled young man raised an eyebrow, before exchanging disbelieving glances with his best friend beside him.
She just chuckled. “Yeah. Witches are human women who were born with the innate ability to do magic, setting them apart from the rest.”
“So...this is witches vs muggles that we’re talking about.” Tucker insisted.
“Yes, Tucker.” Sam said with a bit more bite than she intended. “Point is, being born different tends to alienate people, and considering we’re talking about magical-powers kind of different…”
“The witches were alienated and persecuted by society.” Danny finished for her.
“Bingo.” The raven-haired girl picked up some photocopies with different articles printed on them and handed a few copies to both of them. “Although nowadays most people bel-know witches aren’t real,” she caught herself before her subconscious could rat her out, “some cryptology experts theorise they just eventually flocked together to keep whatever magical gene they had inside the coven. You know, as a precaution to avoid further persecution.” To this day, she still couldn’t believe a group of nutjobs would be right on the money. The sole idea was ludicrous, and yet…
“So, that’s it?” Tucker asked, looking up from his own set of photocopies, incredulous. “Witches are just humans who, inexplicably, won the superpower lottery?”
The Goth just smiled sheepishly at him. What could she say, anyway? Though witches weren’t against scientific discoveries or careers (Star herself was studying to become a mathematician), magic sort of was their thing; literally. So nobody had ever really delved on why or how they’re different from other humans.
Scratching his chin in thought, Danny tried reconciling what Sam said to his own encounters with the spellcasters. When he thought about it, Lady Arcana and her witches really weren’t any different from any other citizen of Amity Park; the only surprising thing about them was their Queen’s unique eye colourーher being breathtakingly beautiful didn’t matter since her personality needed an awful lot of workーand their characteristic ability to do magic...and maybe their questionable taste in pets.
But that was it.
Other than that they were as human as his own family. Even their hatred of ghosts was in synchrony with the town’s general opinion of him. Perhaps if he treated the Witch Queen as any other girl, things would smoothen between them. It made sense that part of her prickly personality was a result of him consciously treating her differently than he would treat others. Deep down, she knew they were unwelcomed, and therefore, built walls around her to avoid getting hurt.
“Look at you, worrying over making the Witch Queen feel comfortable around you...You’re a lost cause, Fenton.” Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes at himself, having more important matters to take care of. “Sam,” he called out to her, startling her and Tucker out of their own conversation, “is there a way you could tell us about their spells or something?”
It was a risky question, he knew. But, as useful as learning to deal with the witches was, what they really needed was a way to put an end to the crisis threatening both dimensions. And the only way to do it was by finding a portal-related spell.
Eyes widening at his question, Sam could feel her stomach churning ominously. That question was a bit too specific for her liking. Depending on how she handled the situation, she could either masterfully take care of it or put her subjects in danger over a potential misunderstanding. “Their spells? What do you mean?”
Danny pretended to look through his own set of copies, trying to appear nonchalant, as if his question were born from mere curiosity, rather than a sense of impending doom. “Nothing, really. I was just curious. I mean, would witches even cast spells, or would they voluntarily just manifest their powers like ghosts do?” As he spoke, his mind raced back to the floating book Lady Arcana had, without any kind of warning, shoved in his face during her last visit.
The Goth had to resist the urge to spit in disgust at the notion of being compared to those disembodied remains of human consciousness. She took a subtle breath to ease away her repulsion. “It’s hard to say.” She lied. “Since there’s no clear evidence that true, real-life witches ever existed, ーand I’m sure they don’t, obviouslyー.”
“Obviously.” The two men seated with her echoed.
“ーthere’s no definite hypothesis explaining if they truly casted spells or not. For all we know, their famous rites and ceremonies could just be that; ceremonies belonging to pagan religions that were thought to be witchcraft by Christians.”
“Any chance we might be able to find any spell on the Internet?” Tucker wondered, readily taking his trusty PDA out of his pocket, causing Danny to sigh tiredly upon noticing the device in his hands. While Tucker used his tablet and computer when doing assignments or playing video games, that was solely because the screens were bigger. He’d actually been in a loving, committed relationship with his PDA since he first got it when he was 14. As time went by and technology evolved, instead of adjusting with the times, he put all his engineering knowledge to use with the sole intention of updating his baby and never having to part ways from her.
It was both kinda cool and a little disturbing, to be honest.
Leaning back on her chair and crossing her legs at her knee, mirroring Danny’s own stance, Sam propped her face on her hand, a bored expression plastered on her face. “Although I do find your commitment to recycling that old thing of yours instead of falling for the capitalistic trap that is technology consumption commendable,” she said, and Danny was sure his eyes must’ve popped open at seeing her utter that long-ass speech without so much as pausing to breathe, “sometimes I worry about you.”
Offended, Tucker frowned at her, only clutching his PDA tighter in his hands. “I’m mercifully going to choose to ignore everything you just said except for the part when you call me ‘commendable.’ Now, can I look for information on the Internet or not?”
Leaning forward, this time resting her chin on her knuckles at the same time as she propped her elbow on her bent knee, Sam shrugged, not really caring. “You can try, but chances are you’re only going to find Halloween articles from children’s magazines, or weird Satanist websites asking you to offer a sacrifice in exchange for joining them.”
As Tucker flopped back down on his chair with his arms crossed, pouting and grumbling something along the lines of, “Damn it, Jazz…”, Danny tried fishing for more information. “So they don’t really cast spells?”
The discomfort came back. She knew Danny was only trying to be thorough with his assignment, but that didn’t change the fact that his questions hit a little too close to the mark. “The only way to find out for sure would be meeting one in real life.” She said in a voice so low, even with his enhanced senses Danny almost didn’t hear her.
Noticing the tension suddenly coming off of Sam, her previously laid-back and even playful posture changing to a much more tense one: legs crossed tightly, her shoulders stiff, both hands clutching at the fabric of her shorts…; Tucker decided it’d be best if they let the topic go for a while. And so, he did what he did best:
He abruptly changed the topic.
“So Sam,” he called out to her, quickly getting both her and Danny’s heads to snap to him, “I don’t think you’ve ever told me.”
“Tell you what?” What was he doing?
“What’s your deal?”
Sam blinked. “My deal?”
The teal-eyed young man just nodded. “Yeah, what’s your type?” He asked as he leaned forward, mindlessly toying with his PDA. “Because in all the time I’ve known you, I’ve not seen you once with a boyfriend, not even a fling.”
“Tucker, you’ve known me for a year.” She reminded him. “Not necessarily as much time as you make it out to be.”
“Hey, a lot can happen in a year!” He defended.
“Tucker himself has had three different girlfriends in the last three months.” Danny added.
“See?” Then, he turned to his best friend with an unamused expression on his face. “But, dude, don’t say it like that; you make me sound like a player.”
“I’m just saying,” the black-haired youth put his palms up in surrender, a lazy grin on his face, “it’s not bad for a guy who was rejected by every single girl back in high school.”
Tucker just glowered at him, before turning his attention back to Sam. “So...back to the question; what’s your type of guy?”
She could not believe this was happening. Back when she was a teenager, a tinsy bitsy part of her she tried very hard to suppress secretly longed for talking about girl stuff with the other girls her age from her clan. Something as silly as talking boys, makeup, or any other teenaged-girl nonsense with other people would’ve made her lonely childhood all the more bearable, and now…
...now she was being offered to talk about boys...by other boys...at twenty-one. And the worst part was that she was actually considering it. Her life could not get any more complicated than that. Sighing through her nose, unable to believe how low she’d stooped, she gave in.
Her type...that was a good question. Back when she was still in her early to late teens, she would’ve said she was looking for a unique guy. The type of guy who valued his individuality and who was above all the pointless trends dominating the public with their pre-fabricated, market-targeted predictability. A guy who didn’t fall into any of the classical high school cliques: someone who wasn’t a brainless jock, or a geeky kid, or one of those posers who hid behind a fake dark persona to get people to pay attention to him.
Someone who embraced being different rather than exploited it.
Someone like her.
But all those fantasies turned out to be nothing more than that; fantasies. Delusions. Sooner or later she’d have to open her eyes to the world. She just wished Gregor hadn’t been the one to open them up for her… After that fiasco, Sam finally learned what she was truly looking for in a partner. “...a good guy.” She practically whispered in the end.
Tucker and Danny exchanged a confused glance once their initial surprise at Sam’s sudden reply, after several minutes of silence, had worn off. It was the former who spoke up, “...I’m not sure that qualifies as ‘a type.’”
“Of course it does!”, she protested. “Just like girls stereotypically fall for ‘bad boys’, we can also fall for ‘good guys.’ And I’ve had my fair share of bad boys, thank you…” she muttered before looking away from them.
Something about the way Sam said those words hinted at a lot more going on than just a teenage girl crushing over a guy with a motorcycleーand hopefully not a ghost one who only wanted her as a vessel for his real girlfriendー, but she seemed to have closed herself off completely. Danny wanted to ask her about it, but something in the way her position stiffened changed his mind. No way would Sam open up to someone she'd just met over something so personal.
Instead he asked, "And how about looks?"
She flashed him a small smile and that alone made his entire week worth it. "I'll admit, I do have a soft spot for guys that aren't exactly average."
Tucker scoffed. "Well, duh! I'd also pick a supermodel over a plain-looking chick any day of the week..."
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
Despite the seriousness in her voice, she eventually broke down laughing, the other two joining in on the fun soon after. As her giggles quieted down, Sam stole a furtive glance at Danny. The way he seemed to sense her discomfort despite barely knowing each other and making an effort to keep her mind away from unpleasant thoughts was enough to make her heart flutter, making her blush slightly at the realisation.
She shook the feeling off, though. Danny was sweet, and maybe a little cute despite his, apparently, natural awkwardness, but she wasn’t looking for romance, having much more important things to take care of. Besides, he really wasn’t her type, cute as he may be. Still, that didn’t change the fact that she wanted to thank him for his help in some way. And, against her better judgement, she knew just what to do.
An hour passed by until Tucker had to bid them goodbye, saying he was going to be late for class if he stayed with them any longerーalthough he really, really wanted to skip that lectureー, and so, he left his two friends to their own devices. Another forty minutes or so later, it was finally time for them to go to their respective classes, too.
Rolling her eyes at Danny as he opened the door for her, but thanking him nonetheless, Sam stepped out of the café, her companion close behind her. “About the spell thing you asked me about earlier…” she started, her words coming out of the blue and tearing Danny away from his own thoughts, “I guess, if witches are actually just humans with magical powers, then it’d make sense if they’d need some sort of way to activate said powers…”
Mouth slightly agape, he finally found the words, “You mean like a password or something?”
She looked over at him from the corner of her eyes, a cryptic smirk on her lovely face. “Maybe.”
Turning to face him, her smile widening but never losing its mystery, she waved before walking past him, “See ya, Danny.”
Danny slowly waved at her in return, unbidden, too gobsmacked to form a coherent sentence. Because just like that, she was gone.
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Dress
A/N: Still on my Doctor Strange kick and not at all sorry about it. This contains exactly zero IW or Endgame spoilers (and basically ignores both movies except that pretty much everyone knows everyone). So, bam. Will Tony Stark and Stephen Strange get along with both of their egos long enough for all involved parties to celebrate his fiancée Pepper’s birthday gala celebration?
Pairings: Stephen Strange x Master of the Mystic Arts!Reader, Tony Stark x Pepper Potts, Clint Barton x Natasha Romanoff, Vision x Wanda Maximoff
Warnings: Uh, literally none this time I think. A tiny bit of jealousy and overprotectiveness? Maybe some implied messing around sorta in public?
Also, as always, likes are incredible, but reblogs (and getting this out to a larger audience!!!) are gold, kisses, lovelies!
(Not my GIF)
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“I thought you hated Tony Stark.”
“I do. Which is precisely why I have to show up and outshine him at his own party.” You sighed, turning to roll your eyes at Stephen as he examined his reflection in the mirror. You sat down on the nearest surface to slip your heels on with a slight wince at the discomfort of the shoes. Stephen struggled with the bow tie for a moment, feeling your eyes watching him from across the room. He sighed, turning towards you with a small smile. “Would my lovely girlfriend be my hands once more?” You smiled back, standing up and crossing the room to him. You reached out, softly fixing his bow tie.
“There. Handsome as ever, Stephen,” you breathed, flipping his shirt collar down and smoothing it out.
“I’ll have the prettiest girl on my arm for the night.” You blushed under Stephen’s soft gaze, his eyes focused on your face. He took your hand, spinning you around to examine the emerald dress clinging to your body. Stephen smiled, pulling you close. “How have I been this fortunate? What in my life has been good enough to warrant this? You being here? With me?” You smiled, your cheeks heating up at his kind words. Stephen gently took your chin between his thumb and index finger to draw you closer with a shaky hand as he leaned towards you, pressing your lips to his. After a moment, you hummed and pulled away.
“If we’re not careful, we might not make it to Stark’s party at all,” you teased him, a mischievous glint in your eyes. Stephen laughed.
“Oh no, we’re attending this party. I have to go remind Stark that, stunning as Pepper is, my girlfriend is the most stunning creature to ever exist.” Stephen turned to look in the mirror once again before turning back to you. He offered you an arm and you smiled, happily accepting it. He raised his free hand to form a portal. You stepped through together and started up the stairs of the building. A well dressed man opened the door for you, stepping aside so you and Stephen could pass.
“Thank you,” you murmured, giving the man a kind smile.
“Of course Stark would throw a party this extravagant,” Stephen muttered, his eyes roaming over the interior of the building.
“What is this gala even for?”
“Sabrina the Teenage Witch! Witch Doctor! Glad you guys could make it to Pepper’s birthday gala. Honestly didn’t expect either of you to show up,” Tony started, causing you and Stephen to turn towards him.
“I did RSVP to this. Why wouldn’t we be in attendance?”
“You and me don’t really get along most of the time, Doc,” Tony shrugged. He looked the pair over and gave a low whistle. “You two clean up nice, magicians.” You smiled.
“Isn’t Stephen just the handsomest thing you’ve ever seen?” you asked, giving Stephen a half-smile. He smirked. Tony laughed, nodding his head.
“Definitely an upgrade from the cape,” Tony agreed, with a grin. “But do the rings really match the outfits?” Stephen scoffed.
“Like either of us would go anywhere without our sling rings, Stark.” Tony rolled his eyes as he took his sunglasses off. He gestured to a waiter carrying glasses of champagne, the young boy hurrying over. You smiled, picking up a long stemmed glass with two fingers, taking a delicate sip. The boy smiled back as Stephen picked up a glass as well. Tony gave a small salute to the couple before starting away.
“Well this should make for an interesting night,” you whispered, your eyes scanning the room at the superheroes, government agents, and normal people mingling in the spacious ballroom. “Hey, uh, Stephen?”
“Hmm?” Stephen hummed, his attention turning back to you.
“Isn’t part of your job as Sorcerer Supreme to keep an eye out for threats to our universe?”
“Obviously,” Stephen muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Well, Loki is right over there with his brother and Wanda Maximoff.” Stephen turned, his eyes scanning the room. He froze as he spotted the dark-haired god, his eyes lazily sweeping the room. Loki fixed Stephen with a bored stare until he spotted you by his side, his expression changing to one of intrigue.
“Oh no.” Stephen started to pull you away, causing you to lightly bump into someone. You opened your mouth to apologize when you turned to look at the person, your eyes widening when you realized the person you had bumped into had been Princess Shuri of Wakanda.
“I am so—” Shuri laughed, waving a hand.
“It is really not an issue, I should have also been looking at where I was going. My apologies,” she replied, grinning at you brightly. She dipped her head at Stephen. “Sorcerer Supreme.”
“Princess,” Stephen greeted her, dipping his head in return. Shuri gave you a wink before slipping off. You watched as Okoye gave an exasperated sigh before hurrying after the young girl, rolling her eyes at you as she passed. You grinned, turning your head to watch them.
“Doctor Strange!” You and Stephen turned at the voice, relaxing at the sight of Steve Rogers flanked by Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.
“Captain America. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Stephen replied with an easy smile. You met Sam’s eyes and a smirk replaced the small smile on his lips.
“Hey, Y/N. Having fun?”
“So far, so good but the night is still young and I have only just arrived,” you mused, a small grin on your face. Sam laughed.
“Well, you ever get too bored, I’ll be around.” You felt Stephen tense up beside you, his arm tightening around yours.
“Thanks, Sam, I’ll keep that in mind.” Stephen excused the two of you before steering you away. “You’re the one who wanted to keep our relationship private, Strange,” you reminded him, gently.
“I’m just glad Stark is taken or he would never shut up about you.”
“Y/N! Stephen! I’m so glad that you two made it!” You turned to smile at Pepper, letting go of Stephen to hug the redhead.
“Happy birthday, Pepper!” Pepper laughed, hugging you back.
“Thank you so much,” she breathed, smiling widely. “My fiancé did make sure to welcome you, didn’t he?”
“Yes, your intended did welcome us in with open arms,” Stephen replied, hugging Pepper once you had let her go.
“Good, I’m glad. I know you boys have your rivalry so I’m glad you’re getting along tonight,” Pepper paused as someone called her name, “I really hope you lovebirds enjoy yourselves tonight.” She shot you a wink before moving back into the crowd.
“I thought—”
“I didn’t tell her. But you have been rather glued to my side all night,” you reminded Stephen, raising an eyebrow. Stephen opened his mouth to speak when a gentle hand grabbed your elbow. You turned your head sharply, relaxing at the sight of Wanda and Natasha grinning at you.
“Come on, Y/N. Let’s have some fun, no?” Wanda whispered, raising a delicate eyebrow. You nodded, grinning back. You squeezed Stephen’s hand before following after Wanda, Nat walking beside you. “Who are you trying to impress with that dress? It is definitely stunning. And half the men in this room can’t seem to keep their eyes of you, Strange included.” You glanced back, Stephen’s eyes still trained on you as he sipped his champagne. The girls beside you giggled.
“Maybe I am trying to impress Doctor Strange,” you shot back, waggling your eyebrows suggestively. Wanda laughed, shaking her head at you.
“You hardly need it. At least 43 percent of the men in the room are plotting to find a way to get you to leave with them,” Natasha smirked, glancing around the room.
“I literally walked in on a man’s arm.”
“And? That does not stop them, darling,” Wanda pointed out over her shoulder.
“Okay, enough of my love life, where’s Vis?” you asked, scanning the room as Wanda led you to a secluded spot by the wall.
“He is here somewhere. I think he and Bruce were speaking together earlier.” You smiled as you noticed Vision making his way through the crowd towards the three of you. Vision smiled at you and Natasha as he reached Wanda’s side.
“Do you ladies mind if I steal my beloved away for a while?” he began, still smiling gently. You grinned, shaking your head lightly. Vision turned to look down at Wanda, offering her his hand. “Wanda, darling, would you care to dance?” Wanda smiled, accepting the hand before turning to wave as Vision walked her towards the dance floor.
“Good. I’m glad her and Vision are happy.” You nodded in agreement.
“Speaking of happiness, where’s Clint? I haven’t seen him yet.” Natasha turned her head, gesturing to where he was leaned against the bar talking to Rhodey as he sipped on his drink.
“Are you and Stephen ever going to actually announce your relationship?” You raised an eyebrow at the assassin.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you replied, coolly. Natasha rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t.” Natasha turned as Clint approached, smiling softly at him. Clint smiled back, brushing a reddish-auburn curl behind Natasha’s ear.
“Would you two just get out of here? You’re making me sick,” you teased, smirking slightly. Natasha rolled her eyes at you, taking Clint’s hand and starting to pull him away. You watched them go, still smiling slightly. You turned to take a step, almost running into someone again.
“I would be more careful if I were you, darling.” You tensed up at the familiar voice of the Asgardian prince, his blue-green eyes fixed on your face and expression curious.
“Loki.”
“It is, Y/N, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Was there something I could do for you?” you replied, keeping your voice even and uninterested. Loki’s smile widened at your disinterest.
“Would you care to dance?”
“I try to avoid dancing with sadistic beings with genocidal tendencies.” Loki laughed.
“What harm can one dance cause? I promise I’ll be on my best behavior,” he paused as you rolled your eyes at the sarcasm expertly lacing his words, “I won’t stop asking until you say yes.” You sighed, grimacing slightly. “Just one dance and I will let you enjoy the rest of this evening.”
“Why do you want to dance with me so badly?”
“I always attempt to make it a habit to at least share a single dance with the most stunning attendee at every party I attend.” Loki extended his hand, his expression intense. You paused, weighing over the options in your head before you hesitantly took his hand, letting him lead you over to the crowd of people dancing in the center of the room. “Milady.” He bowed before raising back up and placing a hand on your waist, taking your hand with the other. You placed your free hand on his shoulder, cautiously. As you danced, you caught sight of Stephen from across the room, his eyes narrowed at you. As the dance came to an end, Loki opened his mouth to speak before someone grabbed your hand, pulling you away. You startled, glancing over to see Stephen walking in front of you, his grip tight on your hand as he pulled you into a hallway, away from prying eyes.
“What on earth are you doing?” he whispered, turning towards you.
“I was dancing. It was one dance in a room full of people. I don’t think I was in any danger, Stephen,” you replied, your voice soft as you crossed your arms in front of you.
“He is dangerous, Y/N. He should be the last person you associate with.”
“Stephen, I’m just as good as you are. I can take care of myself. You don’t need to protect me.” Stephen sighed, his body sagging slightly as the tension left his body. He tugged your hand gently, pulling you towards him. You rolled your eyes before you moved towards him so he could wrap his arms around you. You relaxed slightly at his embrace until he started moving towards the wall. “What are you doing?” Stephen smirked, pressing you against the wall, his body moving to cover yours.
“Guaranteeing that everyone knows that you are spoken for in every sense of the word, my love.”
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In case anyone is curious, that’s the dress ^^^ (or just imagine a different one, that’s fine too!)
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The Apprentice - Loki Imagine [PART 12]
[PART 1] [PART 13]
Warnings: gore
A/N: Also things happen here differently than in Avengers. If you notice differences, they’re there on purpose :) I don’t want to follow every step in the movie because that would be boring-ish?
Your P.O.V.
Long story short, Loki and I didn’t fight although we were free. So we watched from the side as Thor somehow decided to work with the mortals. We were all taken to this ship that was heading to New York - little did they know it was exactly what Loki and I wanted.
So instead of freely roaming around this ship, they locked us up in a round cage that could drop if we misbehaved. It was obvious it wasn’t built for us. Loki told me it was built for doctor Banner who in anger turned into a green beast. Now we had to wait a little more before we’d make our great escape.
‘‘You’re beautiful, Y/N’‘ Loki spoke up, catching me off guard. I had been sitting on the floor, just staring around us curiously as I studied our surroundings and the people. The compliment made me blush and I failed to hide a little smile. Now I turned to face Loki who was sitting on a bench. ‘‘Have you been staring, Trickster?’‘ I giggled, standing up so I could make my way over to him. Loki shrugged innocently and scooched over so I could sit beside him. I didn’t move as he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my cheek.
I’d be lying if I’d say I didn’t like this. The feeling of him being this close made me feel like the girl I once was on Asgard. He had this mystic power over me that felt nice but scary at the same time. ‘’I have a plan’’ He whispered into my ear, so quietly it was impossible for anyone else to hear. My face didn’t reveal anything, instead, I pretended that he was flirting with me. So I covered my grin and pretended to act a bit cheeky.
‘‘Really now? What else would you do to me?’‘ I played along, deciding I could have some fun at the same time. Loki’s face was priceless but he too had to play this game. He pulled his lips into a thin line and gulped, clearly enjoying the thoughts I planted in his head.
Suddenly, I heard his voice but I couldn’t see his lips moving. He was communicating to me through our minds, one of the great things of using magic. Nobody else could possibly hear us. ‘Y/N, I need you to act scared, alright? I would never actually lay a hand on you but trust me’ Loki told me, managing to keep a poker face on. Whatever he had planned had me intrigued.
‘Okay, I trust you, Loki’ I answered him, getting ready for whatever he’d do. I had a few ideas and soon, I would know for sure what his plan was. Loki shot me an apologetic look before wiping it off with anger. He clenched his strong jaw and narrowed his eyes, giving me such an angry look it sent actual shivers down my spine.
A split second later, I felt his cool hand around my neck. Loki pulled me up my feet, which probably looked horrible but I played along so this didn’t hurt at all. I squealed in fear and grabbed his wrist with both hands, trying to make it look like I was struggling. ‘’You think I actually care about you?’’ Loki yelled into my face, his voice getting deeper as he spoke louder. If this was real, I’d be heartbroken. But this little game we had going on honestly was fun.
‘‘Loki..w-what..stop!’‘ I choked out, using my skills in acting I had learned on numerous missions. Fake tears stung my eyes and I tried to keep my eyes open so I could form bigger tears. Loki pushed me against the glass cage and I hit my head on it on purpose. Soon, an alarm went off and a red light flashed across the room in sync with a beeping noise.
It was working!
‘‘The day you vanished, all my feelings joined you. Why would I ever care about a weak, pathetic excuse of an apprentice like you? It was your first mission!’‘ He kept spitting harsh words at me, using things even Thor would believe. He had to be cruel to make it legit. If he’d just call me ugly, nobody would buy it. This had to be personal but I knew him too well to take it personally.
‘‘Loki stop this madness!’‘ Thor yelled from the other side of the cage. Loki’s jade eyes shifted from me to his brother. I couldn’t see anything because I was facing the God of Thunder with my back as I struggled to fight Loki off of me. ‘‘Hello, brother. Care to join me?’‘ Loki laughed darkly, making himself seem so evil it stunned me. He was either an incredible actor or then he had actually lost his mind. Whatever the case, I was going to have to hide my awe.
‘‘Let her go!’‘ Thor demanded sharply. He sounded angry for real. It was just what we needed. If Thor believed this, the rest of the team would too. That’s when I blinked away my tears, letting them stain my cheeks. ‘‘Nothing is stopping me from punishing her for her fails’‘ Loki sneered, almost like this was fun. ‘I’m going to throw you on the floor, be prepared, I’m sorry’ Loki told me with our special connection and only a mere second later, he pushed me away from the glass. I lost my balance and fell on the floor, which looked once again very harsh. But I welcomed my fall with my arms and then grunted out in pain. I tried to get up by crawling on my knees but Loki returned to me.
His strong hand grabbed my jaw as he lowered himself in front of me. I hated the fact this was turning me on. The way he held me, the way he looked at me so darkly, everything about this was like some twisted yet fantastic foreplay. ‘’The king punished me for your wrongdoings. I think it’s time I pass them on to the rightful person, which is you, darling’’ Loki told me ever so coldly, his eyes glued to my body.
‘‘Loki, please! I’m so sorry, I never-’‘ I tried to beg for his mercy. ‘‘Enough, brother!’‘ Thor shrieked and soon I knew why. Loki had grabbed his dagger into his other hand and he pushed it against my throat. I could feel how the cold metal touched my skin, drawing goosebumps on my arms and shoulders. My heart was beginning to beat harder and I was actually tense. This was dangerously thrilling.
The door behind Loki opened and Thor made his way inside. Loki smirked as he heard his brother had opened the door. This was his one and only shot to leave. We had planned two things; our first plan was for one of us to get to New York and we’d join each other again later. If Loki could escape now, I’d pretend to be on these guys’ side until I’d meet him again. That would buy him time to create the portal for the chitauri army so we could finally give Thanos what he desired.
The second plan was that we’d escape together. We hadn’t planned that too well because we both kind of liked the first one. The only negative of it was that we’d have to be separated. Neither one of us wanted that to happen but we would have to if it meant for our plan to work out better. Because if we failed, we’d be separated forever.
Loki turned us around so I was in between the two of them. The dagger was still on my throat but now we were standing and Loki was right behind me. As I saw Thor, I noticed the worry in his blue eyes. It almost hurt to fool him but we would do whatever we had to. ‘’Loki this isn’t you’’ Thor tried to talk him out of this. I looked outside this cage and saw the redhead who had tried to talk to us earlier. Natasha was a spy, previous villain, now supposedly a good girl. She stood there and she was ready to fight Loki.
‘‘You don’t know me, Odin’s son!’‘ Loki spat with poison in his voice. I was sure that part of his anger was true. ‘Plan one it is, petal. See you in New York’ Loki told me, the sudden voice in my head almost making me jump. ‘Good luck, Loki. I’ll watch your back’ I answered him quickly, knowing that every little thing we’d do know had a lot to say later.
Loki used his magic to cast an illusion. Nobody else could see that but us. The illusion made it look like he stabbed my abdomen. I gasped, eyes widened as I pretended to be in pain. He pushed me on the floor again and raised his hand to ‘stab’ me again. As Thor jumped in to help me, the real Loki fled. I took over the illusion, focusing on giving myself an ugly wound. Thor’s hand went through fake Loki and he growled, realizing Loki had fled. It was too late. Real Loki had stabbed one of the agents and Natasha was helping the bleeding man. Real Loki had shut the door and left. It all happened really quick! I was amazed by his skills.
Now I hoped he could get through this in one piece.
Thor who knew it was useless to break this cage decided to help me. ‘’Lady Y/N’’ He said my name and got on his knees. My trembling hands touched my abdomen that looked like it was covered in blood. I knew that Thor would touch the wound soon. I knew I could make it disappear and make up an excuse that the magic felt real. But it would be too dumb.
So I decided to make it real. ‘’Thor’’ I sobbed, taking his attention away from my abdomen as I got ready to penetrate my stomach. My hand covered the spot and instead of casting illusions, I created a sharp blade on my palm. It went straight through my skin and seconds later, I was taken by surprise as a horrible pain spread through my body.
I cried out in raw pain and used my last energy to destroy my own blade. Thor cursed underneath his breath and pulled my hands away from the wound. ‘’Hey! Open up this thing! We need help!’’ He yelled at his team, his voice almost echoing here. My abdomen was in so much pain it sickened me but it was like a mosquito bite compared to what Thanos had done. I knew this was like a scratch, nothing I couldn’t handle.
‘‘It’s going to be okay, Lady Y/N’‘ Thor cooed as he pressed his big, warm hand on my wound to stop the bleeding. That moment clenched my heart. I truly hated to lie to him, which could also explain why I felt like making my pain real. ‘‘It hurts’‘ I whimpered, holding onto his red cape with my bloody hands. Thor cracked a tiny, sympathetic smile and he nodded.
‘‘Don’t worry, we’ll find Loki and get him to Asgard before these humans can do anything. Father will punish him for what he did to you’‘ Thor reassured me, saying things I would’ve liked to hear ONLY if this was real. But I knew he wanted the best for Loki and his ‘punishment’ on Midgard could be worse than what Odin had in mind. Odin, at least, had to have some mercy for Loki, his son. But I didn’t say anything, knowing I couldn’t risk blowing my cover. I was watching Loki’s back now and I had to buy him time. Even if that meant tolerating these people.
_____
‘‘Don’t worry, I’m of Asgard. I heal way better and quicker than you do’‘ I told Bruce Banner who was currently taking care of my wound. A man with a good heart but with a monster inside him too. A monster I would have to bring to life sooner or later. I wasn’t exactly excited for that part but I already planned this with Loki.
‘‘But you’re hurt, Y/N. Just stay still a little longer’‘ He sighed as he kept taking care of my wound. I sighed and let him stitch it up. The needle piercing my skin only stung slightly. A minute later, he was done and I was allowed to lower my shirt. I was sitting in his lab with the team surrounding me. The redhead seemed to have something against me but I couldn’t blame her either. Luckily, the rest of the team thought I was on their side now.
‘‘Do you know where Reindeer games is going?’‘ Tony asked me, arms crossed as he sat on the desk in front of me. He seemed seriously concerned for whatever was about to happen. I wouldn’t betray Loki by spilling the truth to these people. ‘‘I’m not sure. It seems like he wasn’t telling me the truth to me after all. He could’ve lied...’‘ I sighed, putting on a pout as I stuck to my role of a backstabbed partner. Thor sat down beside me and patted my shoulder in a comforting manner.
‘‘We’ll find him’‘ He reassured me, almost like he already knew where he was. I faced him and nodded, hoping that I would find Loki first. Simply sitting here had me worried enough. I had no idea where he was or how he was doing! I could only hope he had succeeded with his plan.
‘‘What happened to your arm?’‘ Tony asked another question, one I didn’t expect. Since Banner had to take care of my wound, I had taken off my armour and boom, my metal shoulder was there for all eyes to see. This time, I was genuinely hurt by the memories I carried with me. ‘‘You can’t just ask people that!’‘ Steven or ‘Steve’, the Captain fired at his teammate - or whatever they were.
It felt like everyone was staring at my shoulder now and it brought my insecurities back to life. I was so ashamed so I pulled my cape over it to cover what I hated. ‘’A lot happened in space’’ I began, not entirely sure how to explain this. If I did, they could trust me but I couldn’t tell them who did this.
It caught Thor’s attention too. Him being himself, he dragged the cape off to look at it better. I just sighed and let it happen. I saw that he touched the metal but I couldn’t feel it. It sucked. I could’ve ranted for hours about it but I decided to spare them from that misery. ‘’My space captivator’s master did this to me as a punishment, I guess’’ I tried to explain it as simply as I could. Our rule number one was to never reveal Thanos’ name. That would be too risky and I knew I’d screw everything up. They would be damned to ask me everything I knew about the purple pile of shit.
‘‘I’m sorry, Lady Y/N’‘ Thor was the first one to react to what I told them. I just smiled and nodded, trying to brush it off. If I wanted to succeed with my part of the plan, I had to gain their trust and then tear them up by causing a fun little fight. ‘‘Where’s Clint?’‘ I cleared my throat as I decided to change the topic. Natasha reacted to that immediately. ‘‘Why are you asking?’’ She spat, arms crossed over her chest. I knew she cared about her friend and I wasn’t even sure if she’d let me see him.
‘‘I want to apologize’‘ I answered her just as sternly. That’s when Tony stepped in between us, breaking the eye contact that could’ve set something on fire any second. ‘‘Girls, girls, no need to start fighting’‘ He raised his arms in hope to calm us down. ‘‘Let her see him. I’m sure you can kick some ass if she tries to do something bad’‘ Tony spoke to Natasha and I just stood there and listened. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Thor who leaned closer to me.
‘‘Are you sure it’s a good idea to see him?’‘ Thor whispered curiously. I turned to face the man I had known longer than anyone else in here. ‘‘Sure. What’s the worst that could happen?’‘
‘’What the hell do you want?’’ Clint snarled the second I stepped into the room he was in. He had been in bed but now he got on his feet. Natasha was right beside me, keeping her eyes on me like she was a bear and Clint was her cub. One wrong move and she’d snap my neck. ‘’I’m here to apologize’’ I let him know, partly being serious. What we had done to him and the other people’s minds actually made me feel bad. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what it was like for them.
‘’Calm down, she’s with us now’’ Natasha said which surprised me. It’s like she had my back although I could swear a second ago she hated me. Of course, I was grateful for her back up. Sadly, it would make it harder for me to be the backstabber. ‘’Where’s Loki?’’ Clint asked roughly, making a grimace that let me know he had a painful headache. His hand covered his sweaty forehead and I looked away, unable to look at him like that for much longer.
‘’Escaped’’ Natasha let him know. I watched as she leaned against the wall so easily. That’s when Clint growled, obviously annoyed Loki had managed to escape. ‘’He stabbed me’’ I filled in the story Natasha had left quite short. That caught arrow guy’s attention and he looked at me, examining my body for wounds. Silently, I pointed at my abdomen that was currently covered. Some of his anger seemed to disappear and it got replaced by pity. It was one of the looks I hated the most in the universe but I needed it right now. Pity made them think of me as a weak little thing and they would lower their guard around me. Eventually, it could even lead to something as valuable as trust.
‘’I thought you two were together’’ Clint revealed his thoughts. No matter how hard I tried to act, there was no way I could’ve hidden the heat that cornered in my cheeks. I faced the floor and let out a sigh. Truth is, I had no idea what Loki and I were. When we had been separated so long ago, we had been together. During that time, there was no official break up but so many years had passed. Nevertheless, we were flirty and touchy but neither one of us actually decided to clear things up.
I suppose it was what people called ‘complicated’.
‘’We were, uh..before I was captured’’ I put things out for them. According to Tin Box, or Tony as he preferred me to call him, humans knew about me so I didn’t know if it was a secret to keep. ‘’Anyway, I truly want to apologize for what the scepter did to your mind. I’m deeply sorry’’ I got to the point and did what I had to do. Clint swallowed as he listened to my sincere apology. I didn’t think it would be this hard but it was. My gut felt heavy and I was ashamed for what we had done.
Oh if they knew the reason behind it all!
It killed me on the inside that I couldn’t tell them. These people were good and I didn’t feel proud of what Loki and I had done. Nothing was fair. If I was in this alone, I would’ve rather died. But I was in this for Loki. I couldn’t let him get hurt. How could I live with myself if I allowed Thanos to torture Loki to death? Especially since I knew exactly how much his torture hurt, emotionally and physically.
‘’Earth to Y/N’’ Natasha’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. The two of them were looking at me intensely and I realized I had got lost in my horrible fears. ‘’I’m sorry’’ I cleared my throat and put on a fake smile. I had to pull myself together!
‘’Excuse me’’ I choked out, unable to stand there for much longer. I turned my heel and pressed a button that opened the door. Behind it stood Thor, which I already knew about. Just like that, I left the room and paced the corridors with Thor behind me. It all got too much in that small room.
Finally, after almost running, I stopped behind a corner. I knew that the rest of the group was nearby but I didn’t want to join them just yet. I just had to think for a minute! Clearing my thoughts would be important.
‘’Y/N, what happened?’’ Thor wanted to know. My eyes were glued to his hammer which only made things worse. I didn’t want to think about the fight that was bound to happen soon! ‘’I’m just tired’’ I sighed, hoping he’d offer me a bed for a couple hours. It was all I needed for now. Then I could get back into action. ‘’Come on, I’ll ask them to give you a bed, okay? I’m sure Banner could have you in his lab. He’s a quiet man’’ Thor reassured me friendly. Maybe being with Banner was exactly what I had to do now?
So I let Thor lead me back to the room I had been stitched up in. Bruce was there, looking at some screen, so focused he barely noticed us entering. ‘’May I leave Lady Y/N here to rest?’’ Thor asked so politely. Bruce turned to look at us innocently and then he glanced at the bed nearby. ‘’Sure, sure..’’ He nodded and turned back to his work. It seemed like everyone was upset after the death of the agent Loki had killed. The man in charge had given them a speech, one I didn’t hear but after it, they were all so serious.
‘‘I’ll be back soon’‘ Thor promised me as he left the two of us alone. Great. Silently, I walked to the bed and got on my back, exhaling deeply as I got a chance to relax. It felt..nice. Although the surface wasn’t that soft, it was better than anything I had been on for ages. The feeling of be mattress sinking underneath me was like a gift from Valhalla, like a cloud that carried my relaxed body to a calm state.
‘‘Why are you here again?’‘ I asked the doctor after a while of silence. My arm covered my eyes to lock out the light so I relied on my other senses. ‘‘They need me to track the radiation- to uh, track Loki’‘ He let me know, almost as if he changed the topic mid-sentence. I assumed he would’ve explained some of Midgardian stuff I wouldn’t understand anyway. So I didn’t stick thinking about it for too long.
Loki.
His name made me chuckle. ‘’Any luck finding him?’’ I wanted to know, partly because I could get some peace of mind. Banner muttered something and I heard the sound of clicking. ‘’It seems like he’s somewhere in New York but I can’t pinpoint his location’’ I was told the golden words. New York! So Loki had succeeded!
Thank heavens for that.
[PART 13]
Author’s Note: Hey-o, New York and the chitauri here we go! Oh and awaking the Hulk shall be fun, or..maybe not.
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