(Some music is not mine, and all credit goes to their creators who will ALWAYS be mentioned along with the title. So any that's my own written songs will not have a 'by ***' but another person's will. Sorry, had to clear that up, BACK TO THE SHOW!)

)Loki's POV(

I walked back beside Tidedancer, carding a hand through her hair and listening as she began to quietly purr. Perhaps it's the cat in an her.

The Wizard stood shell-shocked a moment, before finally snapping out of it.

"She's dangerous," he said, voice slightly shaking, "A siren and a vampire? And who knows what else? She could be the end of the world!"

I snorted, "So could you, Captain America, Stark, even my oaf of a brother. Doesn't mean she will even try. Now what do you mean a siren? Did they not have tails?" I recall the mermaid-like beings, from when Mother would tell us Midgardian legends and lore, their myths.

He carefully poked her legs and I had to restrain myself from hurling him across the room, "One hasn't been seen in ages," he said, "But back when they were common only around half had a tail, the others blended in with humans. That or they could switch from land to sea, who knows."

I sighed, "And how do you even know she is one then?"

He backed away a step, "That song. I couldn't turn away, literally. Sirens can control people with their voices, even if it's unconsciously. I dug a bit, finding out about an absence of school. Turns out she had been unconscious underwater after hitting coral, but didn't need CPR."

I sighed, "Whatever. Who cares, she's still her. She's good, treated me like more than dung on her boot, or a knife waiting to stab her back." I let my voice lower dangerously, "But if you try anything like this again, I can't promise there won't be one in yours."

He gulped and glared at her again before summoning a portal and leaving. Good riddance, really.

Just then she starts to wake up, and after glancing at some screens her vitals looked considerably better. She noticed the IV and machines hooked up to her, before stretching carefully to avoid significantly jostling them.

She itches at her arm, "Um. Thanks," she murmured, looking down at her lap, "For the blood. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She looked up after the last bit and I show her my magically-healed arm, and she nearly sank back down in relief, "I'm perfectly fine love, the real question is are you ok?"

She hummed a moment, "Yeah, but can we get out of here?" She nervously glanced at the windows shining onto her, "I don't know how long the sun has been on me."

I nodded and she removed the majority of the IV's, turning off the heart monitor before removing the attachment from her hand. Carefully picking her up, I gently placed her in the more comfortable wheelchairs and we walked of the medbay, into the elevator, and out to the commons where Bucky was telling stories.

The moment we entered her wheelchair squeaked and everyone's eyes flocked over to us. Well this will be a pain.

)Tidedancer's POV(

We entered the commons and my wheelchair squeaked, causing everyone to look at us with wide eyes. In an instant, Bruce was flitting around beside me.

"What are you doing up?" He asked worriedly, "You should be resting! You unplugged from all the IV's you need those! An-" He was almost like a worried mother, or so I'd guess.

I rested a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off, "Bruce I feel fine now, and using a wheelchair isn't exactly exercise so it's all good. I will answer your questions, but later. Now I believe Bucky was saying something?"

All their eyes hesitantly drifted back to Bucky, who slowly began his story again.

"Once," He said, "Back in...that place. They had a soldier who was mean to be more powerful than me, but wasn't kept in cryo half the time. Rumors floated around, some said that she was a girl, no older than seven."

My breathing ever so slightly hitched, he couldn't be talking about me, could he?

"She was the first and only soldier to escape on her own, and could sometimes overcome the mind control. They didn't give her her powers, she apparently had them already, which made HYDRA capture her, she escaped by lighting the facility on fire."

Frick, he is talking about me.

"They called her Wild Winter. Forced her to spar against great predators in hand to hand, well paw, combat. Despite her age, she would kill five bears with hardly a scratch, if at all."

It's not real, I reminded myself, that's long ago, it can't hurt you now.

Bucky continued, "She always had remorse for the animals though, or so went a few flitting rumors. Some say she could shift shape a bit, make herself more like a wildcat, and that's how they forced her to act. A wild animal, and a caged one, with no thoughts or emotions."

It's. Not. Real. I clenched my fists in my lap, thankfully, it would seem all eyes are on Bucky.

"In fact," Bucky whispered, eyes growing wide, "Along with her uniform, she had to wear a collar on missions, both to keep her from escaping in the middle of a mission, and to remind her that she was theirs."

I slightly shivered and tensed my muscles, Why did he have to mention the collar?!  

He finished his story quickly, "Along with normal torture, they had killed her mother in front of her, and killed certain animals right in from of her face. Whips, beatings. At one point they chained her in front of a window, not really sure what that was about." He frowned, putting his hands on his lap, "I'm glad she escaped. She never lost any limbs, but that poor girl was probably traumatized for life."

I discreetly rubbed my arms, I almost constantly had illusions up to hide the faded scars along my torso, and some on my arms. The worst though was probably a brand they put right in the center of my back, below the wing markings, it had my code name and the HYDRA seal on it.

I slowly tried to sink a bit furthur into the seat, I had really tried to lock those memories away, and it works for the most part. I suddenly remembered something and turned to Loki,

"Would you like to meet my family someday?" I asked.

He seems surprised at the sudden question, but gave a smile, "Yes. But only if someday you come to meet my 'father'" he said, voice tightening a smidge at the last word. I remember, he and Odin don't always get along so great.

I laughed, "I may need to someday anyways. Although," I bit my lip, "I don't really think I'm anywhere close to 'meet the royal family' material."

He leaned over the back of the wheelchair and and brought his hands together in a sort-of hug.

"You'll be fine." He smiled, speaking softly, "I would be right by you."

I smiled, leaning up and giving him a peck on the cheek, then remembering something, "oh Loki!" I grabbed my satchel, pulling out the pinecone crown and I flushed, "It may not be as fancy or made of valuables like the real thing." I put it on his head gently, "But you'll always be the king of my heart."

I also handed him a new book I had found a few days before the trip, one called Unwind, before maneuvering the wheelchair through the elevator and then the hallway to my room, carefully getting out of it just outside the bathroom and stumbling inside.

It probably wasn't the best idea to do even that, but I started to draw the bath anyways. With the camping and then the whole passing-out bit, I hadn't actually bathed in a little while. Thankfully nobody ever comes to the level Peter, Mj, and I share, and they still have around an hour or two until school ends so

I sighed, contently purring quietly as I slid into the warm water. I asked FRIDAY to play my playlist on shuffle, and the first song was '7 Days' by Alessia Cara. That's a good song, and I quietly sang along with the lyrics.

"If there's a God," I started, "Do you think he's looking down? Curled up on his couch right now

And as we fail to figure it out does he turn down the sound
Is he proud? Are we proud?
Guess we forgot
How to live life with no filter
Making boring people famous let's pretend they're fascinating
Let's tell little girl that pretty girls are better,
Or that pigment or religion really matters!"

I slowly grew louder, totally into it. But who isn't when they know the lyrics?

"We're in some trouble, Mr.Maker
Don't turn away from your screen
At least the bubble, That we've created,
could make for some good TV

Oh Mr. Man upstairs
I know you're tuning in up there, way up there
Would you care to answer my question?
Oh, the land of our taste
The spectacle of cut and paste
That we've made

Would you say? Please say
It was worth the seven days
Does he hang his head at all the greed that we possess?"

I remember all the greed, pride, and stupidity, that caused wars, my capture, and making of the Avengers.

"As the anti-social media perpetuates the mess
Maybe it's a test, maybe he's upset by the loose and stress
Like the rest of us, it happens to the best of us
God, or is it Mr. G to me?

I hope that through the static you show what's the clarity
'Cause it's hard to find the silver lining in the bittersweet
Wonder if you're praying for us 'fore you go to sleep
Do you sleep in peace?

'Cause we're in some trouble
Mr. Maker, but don't turn away from your screen
At least the bubble that we've created has made for damn good TV"

I could almost hear Cap yelling language and nearly giggled at the thought.

"Oh, Mr. Man upstairs
I know you're tuning in up there, way up there
Would you care to answer my question?

Oh, the land of our taste
The spectacle of cut and paste
That we've made
Would you say? Please say
It was worth the seven days

Don't touch the remote
It'll be back in a moment
We are not hopeless
We are just coping
The mayhem is rolling
But it ain't showbiz

Reality's potent
Chaotic, I know it
But we're growing
Have some hope in us
And were we worth all the time you gave us?

Oh, Mr. Man upstairs
I know you're tuning in up there, way up there
Would you care to answer my question?

Oh, the land of our taste
The spectacle of cut and paste
That we've made

Would you say? Please say
It was worth the seven days."

I finished and slowly got out, summoning my slippers since I would likely be unable to stand back up quickly if I fell.

I quickly magicked myself into warm clothes and used magic to open the door.

A figure stumbled and fell on the ground.

"Oof."