I am sitting in the Stark Tower—or should I call it the Avengers Tower? Because, you know, the other letters did not have a fortunate end...
Well, here I am, drinking a glass of milk. Can't have alcohol, being a kid and all. Not that I trust any drink Tony offers me, anyway.
"Curse you, Zelretch," I mutter under my breath. "I know you're watching, you creepy vampire."
The others are deep in discussion, trying to sort out the aftermath of the battle. Medics are still tending to the injured, agents are securing the area, and civilians are in the process of recovery. Nick Fury, standing at the center of it all, is in full-on Director Mode.
"We need to secure the Tesseract," he says, eyes sweeping over the group. "And keep the mind-controlling spear out of the wrong hands."
"That's 'scepter,'" Clint corrects, arms crossed, still looking disgruntled about being mind-controlled.
"Doesn't change the fact that people will be after it," Natasha says.
Rin stiffens at that. The scepter falling into the wrong hands? Bad. Very bad. She briefly considers nudging the Avengers toward actively preventing any future incidents but decides against it. If things play out as they should, Scarlet Witch—a reality-warping powerhouse—will come into play. That alone increases their winning percentage by a huge margin. Best not to interfere too much… yet.
Instead, she focuses on the conversation. Steve is asking Fury where the Tesseract is going.
"Back to Asgard," Fury answers. "Safer there than on Earth."
"Loki as well?" Steve asks.
Thor, who has been quiet so far, nods. "He will stand trial in Asgard. His crimes will not go unpunished."
Rin, sitting nearby, makes a face at Loki. The god of mischief, bound in chains, glares at her in return.
"Oh, don't give me that look," she says, smirking. "You lost fair and square."
Loki pointedly ignores her, looking anywhere but at her, which just makes her grin wider. Even Thor seems mildly amused.
Nick Fury turns his attention back to the team. "SHIELD will handle the cleanup here. You all did well, but this isn't over. There will always be another threat." His gaze lingers on Steve. "You know that better than anyone."
Steve nods, expression grim. "The fight never really ends."
Tony scoffs. "Way to kill the mood, Cap."
Bruce chuckles, while Natasha and Clint exchange knowing looks. The Avengers discuss where they'll go from here. Tony invites Bruce to his tower, suggesting they work together in a lab instead of "hiding in some remote shack doing science on the down low." Clint and Natasha are already looking toward their next mission. Steve, well… he's still figuring things out in this new world.
Then comes the problem of Rin.
"You're… staying here?" Steve asks, puzzled.
Rin shrugs. "Not like I have anywhere else to go."
"Where exactly are you from?" Natasha presses.
Rin debates what to say. She could try to explain the concept of alternate dimensions and the existence of the Root… but that would be too much. Instead, she settles for a simple, albeit vague, answer.
"Another world," she says. "Sent here by my teacher, Zelretch, to gain experience and, apparently, save the world. Which, by the way, you're welcome."
Steve frowns slightly at the mention of a teacher. "Zelretch?"
"A wizard," Rin says with a slight smirk. "One who can see infinite realities. Which is why he had a good idea of what would happen here."
Tony raises an eyebrow but doesn't question it too much. Instead, he looks at Pepper. "Thoughts?"
Pepper gives Rin a considering look before sighing. "She's a kid, Tony. She has nowhere to go."
Tony makes a show of sighing dramatically. "Fine, fine. But just so we're clear, I have absolutely no intention of scientifically trying to figure out your parlor tricks, which are apparently 'magic.'" He air-quotes the word.
Rin rolls her eyes. "Magic is something that defies all logic, a miracle in itself. What I use is magecraft—something that operates under a set of rules and can be learned."
This, of course, leads to her explaining the difference between magic and magecraft, much to the confusion of almost everyone except for Bruce, who actually seems interested in the theoretical applications. Tony tries to poke holes in her logic but ends up more intrigued than skeptical.
By the time everything is settled, Rin is officially staying at the tower. The Avengers part ways—not abruptly, but with an understanding that this won't be the last time they fight together. Steve exchanges a handshake with Tony before leaving, Clint and Natasha disappear into the shadows on their next mission, and Bruce follows Tony into the tower, already discussing experiments.
Thor and Loki prepare to leave. As Thor summons the Bifrost, Rin waves cheerfully at Loki.
"Try not to get locked in a cell for a thousand years!" she calls.
Loki scowls. Rin sticks her tongue out at him, and he turns away with a huff. Thor sighs, shaking his head fondly. He turns to the others. "Farewell, my friends. May our paths cross again."
With a flash of light, they are gone.
As for Rin? She thinks she can finally relax for the next six months before the plot of Iron Man 3 kicks in.
Or so she hopes.
............
Somewhere, in a space where everything seems distorted, an object that looks like a child's toy but is actually the pinnacle of mystic codes trembles slightly.