)Loki's POV(

My oaf of a brother and I are finally headed home from the mission. I wonder how Tidedancer is, and how well her camping trip went. I really hope that idiot-What was his name? Oh yes Flash, I hope he didn't do anything to her. But if he did well, nobody needs to know he got turned into a rat, now do they?

Granted, I may have to wait until morning to see her, it is after all around ten at night back in New York. Of course, that's not stopped her in the past, but I convinced Stark to let her stay until the mission was over. The AI would likely tell them if she was out and about at midnight, be it as herself or on patrol as Agent Scythe.

We're almost back to the tower now, and we receive a call from the AI.

"What is it?" I ask, what could be so important Stark has to contact us just after a mission?

"Well," she replied, "Tony said to tell you about Tidedancer's current condition."

I quickly cut her off, "What condition?"

She continues, "She fainted just after arriving to the tower yesterday, she had been close to starving, had malnutrition, and was dehydrated, despite MJ and Peter insisting she both ate and drank water in the trip. She is currently in the Medbay hooked up to machines and hasn't woken since. She had been asking where you were before she passed out."

Thor looked worried, but all my thoughts we on her. Was this the doing of Strange? Did her flask disappear on or before the trip and she couldn't find it? "FRIDAY?" I ask with a tight voice, "Did anyone find her flask before or while she was on her trip."

"No"

I bring down my fist on the seat arm as we land and I jump out, landing on the roof and immediately teleporting myself into her exam room. Running to her side I grabbed her arm, startling Banner in the process.

"Loki!" He yelped, "You scared me!"

My voice hardened, "Yes yes apologies, now what happened to her?!"

He looked down at his board and replied, "Well that's the problem, we don't know. Her friends assured us she ate lots and drank plenty of water, so it makes no sense she would be near-starving and so severely dehydrated."

I thought for a moment, "Does anyone know where her flask is?" He was about to inquire and I waved him off, "Don't question it, just do you know?"

He shook his head and I felt like slamming mine against a wall. That dam wizard probably did this! "Banner," I stated sharply, "Leave the room."

"Wh-what bu-"

"No buts." I said though gritted teeth," Leave. The. Room. NOW."

He scurried out and I cast a spell on FRIDAY's cameras, temporarily shorting them out without the AI or Stark noticing.

As soon as he leaves I squeeze her hand and gently shake her shoulders, causing her to groan and her eyes flutter somewhat open. She tries to sit up, but falls back down before she's even an inch off the mattress, this isn't good.

"Tidedancer," I say softly, "Come on dear, are you alright?" I place one hand behind her, gently propping her up on me. She just groans again, about to fall back asleep on my chest when I shake her shoulders again."

"Stay awake love," I carefully roll up one of my sleeves, and present it in front of her, "Come on, we both know why this is happening."

She groaned and weakly managed to bury her head in my chest, "No," she muttered softly, "Don't wanna hurt you...or you end like the guard...don't want the sunlight again..."

The sunlight, the guard? Has this happened before and back in that place, and she was punished with the sun? I shake my head clear of thoughts and push my exposed arm closer to her. "They can't hurt you anymore love, If you don't you'll die. Please? For me?"

She gives a small sigh and barely manages to turn her head towards my arm. She hesitantly opens her mouth and sinks in her fangs with a slight wince.

She slowly began to gain a bit more color and eventually unlatched, yawning and leaning on me. I smile and cast a quick healing spell on my arm, gently hugging her. She's half asleep and as I get up to leave she grabs my hand,

"Stay. Please?" She askes sluggishly. Smiling, I wriggle onto the hospital bed next to her and lean back on the cool metal headboard, her propped slightly onto me. The spell on the cameras is quickly diminished with a wave of my hand, and I gently hug her. She looks more peaceful now, and less sickly.

Banner then bursts into the room, starting to freak out after seeing her looking better, and I quickly shush him. "How?" He squeaks out, and she shifts slightly in my arms.

I give him a slight glare, but enough to make him flinch apparently, "That's none of your business, the question is why didn't someone help her look? And bring the Wizard in here, I'm betting it was him who took her flask."

He just nodded and quickly left, Strange walking though a portal a few minutes later, who sent a poorly-disguised look of disgust Tidedancer's way.

Carefully wriggling out of her grip, I stalk up to Strange with a glare, "You did this!" I hisses quietly, "You did this to her! I am oh so barely restraining myself from stabbing you to death a hundred times over!"

He narrowed his eyes, "Says the one protecting a vampire! They laid waste to the human race in the past, they are nothing more than unholy undead."

I gripped his shoulder hard, "You call her soulless? Unholy? She blatantly refused to drink until I made her, she was scared of hurting me. She only drinks otherwise from wild animals, that's what was in her flask you ignoramus! She was tortured before she was even eight years old and has trust issues!"

He was about to say something else to defend himself, but was interrupted by sleepy humming.

Tidedancer was singing in her sleep. I honestly couldn't turn away, and out of the corner of my eye Strange seemed to be attempting, but for some reason struggling?

Her words were soft, tired, but clear enough,

"In the Meadows of Aethensound
Entran Tellarin all around

When day fin'ly turns to night
There you'll see
The Aether's light."

I shivered, remembering when my brother's girlfriend, Lady Jane, got something called Aether absorbed into her.

"In the dark
Then sing on mark
The song of Aethensound
The dark though surrounds,

The Aether glow
And then you'll know
The gatekeepers
Dreamreapers
Are here
Nothing to fear

Talon and fang
And the bells they rang,
Blood now drank
Parchment unblank

In the dark
Then sing on mark
The song of Aethensound."

She stopping singing and turned onto her side with a slight wince, lightly snoring and curling up into a small ball.

I somewhat smiled at the peaceful scene, while  Strange gaped and muttered three words,

"She's a siren."