Anna had spent yet another day with Peter, this one meant to actually focus on the cover story she had given Harry; college applications. It had turned into a bit more of a hangout, and eventually, the day had ended and Anna had reached nighttime, Loki taken upon himself the job of watching over her.

"I've always wondered what would happen if I were to use my powers on a piece of furniture. Like, what would happen if I tried to fix a broken screen on an iPhone?" Anna wondered aloud while resting on her bed. Nighttime had neared, and she would have to go to bed soon, but a part of her wanted nothing more than to stay up and converse with the god smiling at her antics.

"If you have been so in doubt, how come you have not tested it?" He asked, flipping a page in the book he was reading; Harry Potter. Although, Anna suspected most of his attention was focused on her, and that the occasional turn of a page was more for show than anything else.

"I'm not allowed to use my powers without Fury's permission. Fury is-"

"I am acquainted with the annoyingly intensive pirate, thank you," Loki huffed, making Anna laugh slightly. The room hit a comfortable silence before Loki's eyebrows narrowed in spite of his eyes still being focused on the book. "Does he truly oversee every use of your power?"

"Well, no, on a daily basis captain gives the orders and makes the calls, but he reports it to Fury," Anna explained unaffected.

"So they truly do control you? Control all you do with your powers? You never use them without being ordered to do so?" Loki asked, finally looking at the girl lying on her back. Her hands rested behind her head and her eyes were focused on the ceiling.

"Well... no," she told slowly.

"I did not realise you were so compliant and easily controlled," Loki told flatly.

"I'm not!" Anna quickly claimed; "It's just... I've seen what they do to powered people they can't control! And... and even if I wasn't punished or locked up, what would I do? They wouldn't let me stay here and I have nowhere else to go!". She'd sat up in a sudden spark of energy and searched Loki's face with her eyes. He took a deep breath before replying.

"I am sorry if I offended you. I simply meant to say that you are living under Stark, and I find it hard to believe that he would kick you out for disobedience, particularly if done in good meaning," Loki explained himself.

"Well, Tony follows Fury's orders, so," Anna explained with a small shrug.

"Does he?" Loki challenged quietly. Anna narrowed her eyebrows at the god, who simply smiled at her before returning to his book.

Anna signed before lying down again. What exactly was he saying? Was he encouraging her to test her abilities? Or to use them without Steve's knowledge, to use them just for herself? She felt the urge she usually did her best to push down; the urge to know herself, to know her powers. The urge to know exactly how strong or weak she was, to know her abilities and her limits, and to use all of that for herself. She'd always been indebted to everyone around her, always been under someone's control or had to control her powers to not get caught, but... What would happen if she let loose?

"How much do you know about your powers?" Loki asked, his voice suddenly soft.

"Only what you've told me," Anna admitted, holding back a frustrated sigh.

"So nothing, in other words," Loki realised before explaining; "You don't really... heal things. Well, you do, and that's the effect, but more than anything you speed up the process already in order and just... assist with that. You give their healing abilities a boost by offering from your energy; your magic. As magic is of the most powerful energy, it enables your ability to heal more than what they would ever be able to on their own. Why you can do it so fast, and so powerfully. A deadly wound or critical disease is impossible with simply energy, but magic energy... it is more powerful than so. But as said, you collaborate with the injured body to do as you will. That's why you can't heal inanimate objects such as furniture or electronics, and why you would find yourself unable to cure death. And, of course, why healers are deemed so dangerous."

"Wait, dangerous?" Anna asked, sitting up to look at Loki; "How are healers dangerous? If anything, they're the opposite."

"Well... that is because you are pure of heart. Who have you ever healed?" He questioned. Anna thought back, quickly sorting through the small number of people she'd actually been close to throughout her life.

"Uh, not that many. Some friends, along the way. The occasional stranger. And of course the avengers," she added with a shrug.

"All you have ever healed have been people you wished to be healed, to be healthy, to be alive. Say you wished for someone to come to harm. Say that's what you willed, then do you think your powers would heal them... or would they humour you, as they were meant to?" Loki asked her. He'd put the book away and now leant forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands gathered in front. His full attention was on Anna as she considered his words.

"I don't understand what you're saying, how... How could I cause harm? I thought I could only work together with people, that we healed them together!" She repeated his previous words.

"No, love. You work with their body. Their wishes, their will, that is of no importance. That's why you are so powerful; you have more control over their body than they do. They may control their movements, their actions, but their health... their life... that is entirely in your hands," Loki gently informed.

"But, but why would their body work with me to harm them?"

"You forget, darling, the body is not conscious. It's what you call biology. It is life and death, it is pain and sorrow and joy and happiness, it is all bigger than the inhabitants of the bodies. The natural flow of the cosmos, that is, to a certain degree, within your power to control. The death their body is slowly working towards, the death the body will eventually reach as a natural part of the process of life, that is what you can conjure. The body wants to die, just as it wants to heal. Healing is easier, because more often than not, health is closer than death, but... a powerful healer such as yourself, I do believe you might just be able to pull forward something other than health," he explained.

"You're saying... I can kill someone just by wanting them dead?" Anna repeated slowly, Loki nodding slightly.

"No," Anna said decisively; "No. No, no way. Impossible. I've wanted people dead before, and all of them are alive and thriving! I can't, I can't do all that, I just heal!"

"You've wanted people dead?" Loki questioned.

"Yes!"

"Truly?"

"...yes" Anna repeated a bit slower.

"You've really, truly, wanted to end someone's life? Wanted their families to suffer the loss of them? Wanted their body to be lifeless and remain so, for all time to come?" Loki pressured.

"I mean... maybe not that far, but... but I've had bad thoughts," Anna claimed surely.

"Bad thoughts, yes. But no bad intentions. You are pure of heart, but imagine if you had not been," he tried explaining it.

Anna took a deep breath, running her hands over her face. Loki looked sympathetically at her as he allowed her to be in her own head for a few minutes.

"I'm a killer," she stated quietly.

"In no way," Loki stated quickly.

"But I am," she told, looking down.

"Have you killed?" Loki questioned seriously.

"No," Anna admitted.

"Then you are not a killer," Loki decided quickly, not wanting her to go through the pain of that guilt for a second; especially considering she had nothing to be guilty of.

"But I have the potential to kill," she argued, looking at Loki.

"As do I!" He retorted before making a grimace; "bad example. My point is, everyone is, to some degree, capable of causing harm, even death. Any person in this building could cause a death, as could a dog, as could a dedicated cat! As could a peanut should someone be allergic."

"I'm not a peanut," Anna muttered to herself.

"I am fairly certain I remember Stark calling you such on multiple occasions," Loki teased carefully, breathing out in relief when Anna smiled.

*

"What would happen if I tried to heal someone dead?" Anna continued her unending stream of questions. All day since she'd gotten home from hanging out with Peter, Harry and a reluctant Ned, she had been pestering Loki with them while following him around the tower, and while first charmed by her concentration on him and his words, he was starting to reach a state resembling annoyance.

"Anna, darling, you expect me to be some sort of lexicon on two legs, and as much as it must disappoint you, I am not. Healing is hardly my expertise," he reminded her, dragging the teabag around in the mug before bringing it to the other mug he had before him on the table.

"But you're the closest I have to an expert," Anna mentioned. Loki looked at her, his eyes softening and regret of his tone filling him as he realised she probably had always been alone with all her questions and doubts, never able to have them answered without risking being discovered and prosecuted.

"Is the person long deceased, I expect it will have no effect," he told, handing her one of the mugs and sitting down by the kitchen table. "If it is recent... As I understand it, objects in one state desire to remain in that state, and the natural state for beings able to live is to be alive, the body would likely desire to return to that state. I imagine that if it was within time natural resuscitation is possible, you might be able to manage. That being said, it would most likely kill you in the process." He added in an uninterested tone.

"What?"

"Well, I have heard briefly of the matter from my mother. Healing someone on the brink of death is near impossible, no one is that strong anymore, so you cast all your energy into it until you run out yourself. In almost every case, you will not have enough energy to heal them, so you will use yours up, so the number of fallen will rise to two," he tried explaining it.

"Oh," Anna said, pausing briefly before continuing; "what did you mean no one is that strong anymore?"

Loki sipped the still overly warm tea, burning his tongue slightly, before replying.

"Well, healing, as all magic, is a muscle. You may have the theory, but you need the strength, and the only way to gain such strength is to challenge yourself. Doing so as a healer is incredibly dangerous and deemed highly unethical, so ever since there were laws written to prevent the draining of healers energy, no one has managed to become that strong. As I have heard, in the old days it was common for healers to get intense headaches and even pass out, and some simply used their energy up and their life ended."

He blew slightly on the liquid before sipping again, seemingly more pleased with the temperature now.

"So," Anna began, picking up her own tea; "passing out isn't normal?"

"Gods, no. I imagine it must have been quite horrible to have been pushed to such lengths, it is far over what could ever be healthy. It takes a toll on the healer, they're risking their health for someone else's. As I said, dangerous and highly unethical," he repeated before noticing Anna's furrowed eyebrows. "Why do you ask?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"No reason," she replied with a shrug; "Anyway, I should go get ready for bed."

"Yes, naturally," Loki agreed, his eyes still focused on her; "I will be there shortly."

*

Steve entered the kitchen, immediately noticing the sullen god of mischief watching his tea intently. He looked unsurely around the kitchen before entering and going to the fridge.

"How much do you know of Anna's abilities?" Loki suddenly asked, surprising Steve slightly.

"I'm surprised you haven't spoken to her about that," he replied, pulling out the apple juice.

"I have. Now I'm asking you," he added lightly. Steve closed the fridge before looking at Loki unsurely.

"Why?"

"Because you oversee every time she uses her powers, correct?" Loki practically stated. Steve grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured a glass of the juice before leaning his back against the kitchen counter, facing Loki.

"Magic isn't exactly our field, Loki. We only know what we've been able to figure out on our own," he told honestly.

"Yes, but you've never tested how far her abilities go?" Loki continued, not a hint of emotion showing on his face.

"No."

"Why not? It seems the controlling step that would come natural to your little organisation next," Loki provoked, sipping his tea. Steve's jar tightened before he drank his juice.

"Tony spoke to the people above and somehow made a deal. She was pretty scared when she first arrived, Tony was quick to get protective and I think he wanted to shield her from anything that could spook her," Steve told.

"Frighten her?" Loki quickly questioned; "No, that is of no matter... for now. If you have not tested her abilities, how do you know how strong she is?"

"Simple," a voice sounded from the door; "We don't."

"And how do you know if you overstep her abilities and hurt her?" Loki challenged Tony who stood in the doorframe with his arms crossed above his chest.

"Why would we do that?" Tony replied with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Well," Loki began in a drawl; "I know not how mortal healers do it, but for a healer on Asgard to heal as consistently as she does would in no way be considered safe. I do believe the term would be overworking them."

"I don't like you, but I see your point," Tony admitted, sighing frustratedly; "We'll do some tests."

Steve, sensing the change of mood, placed a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder.

"I'm sure it will be fine. She's not as easy to scare as she was at first, she'll be fine," he assured.

"Speaking of," Loki butted in; "Why was she so frightened upon her arrival here?"

Tony narrowed his eyes as he looked at Loki and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Hey, Reindeer Games! What's with the sudden interest in Anna?" he asked sharply.

"No reindeer, no games, and no interest, sudden or otherwise," Loki assured lightly; "A simple case of curiosity is all that has stricken me."

Loki rose from his place, his mug empty by then; "I will go assist Anna in her attempt to rest. And, should you need an expert of magic to attend the tests Lady Anna must go through, you certainly know where to find me, as you have me trapped."

"If we need an expert of magic we'll go to Thor or Wanda, thank you very much," Tony huffed as Loki passed him. Elegantly, Loki spun on his heels and had his front against the two again.

"Well, I mean no insult, but the Scarlet Witch is a result of... Experiments, yes? Her magic is in no way like Anna's, she will be of no help. And Thor, bless his heart, is bad at many things, but magic in particular," Loki said with a small smile; "Even on Asgård, I would be considered a master. You would do right in considering that you have someone of my abilities standing here, willing and offering their help."

"And why are you offering us your help?" Tony asked him, raising his head slightly.

"You could claim me willing to... Redeem myself, to help someone deserving of it," Loki informed slowly before giving one last emotionless smile before leaving.

"There's not a chance he was talking about us, is there?" Tony asked Steve, still looking at the door Loki had just left through.

"I don't think so," Steve admitted, making Tony sigh loudly.

"Shit."