Author's Notes: This is not completely original, given that this is somewhat based around actual happens, which are as absurdly strange as this piece of fiction. What lovely muses we have, eh, Pan?

Project Technicolored Underground Presents:

Monster

an Avengers Oneshot

by SpaceBunny-chan

Silence screaming in her ears forced Adelaide's eyes to snap open. She sat up, slow and unsure, as the noise (or rather, lack thereof) wrapped itself around her shoulders like an unwelcome blanket. The first thing she registered about her surroundings was the surface she was laying upon, moist to the touch. When she flexed her fingers, she could run her fingers through the grass growing there. She realized then that she was in a hallway, or at least what at one point used to be a hallway; foliage had taken its place and freed the dirt underneath.

When she looked up her eyes met starlight.

Very suddenly Adelaide knew exactly where she was. Hastily getting to her feet, the red head started walking before she gained her equilibrium. Her hand touched briefly on a doorknob, but she knew better than to try it. Despite her best efforts, it wouldn't give way. But that wasn't her major concern right now. Something felt different, the air vibrating with intent. Her gut twisted painfully. She needed to get away.

There was a noise behind her that, in the silence, deafened like thunder. Adelaide turned abruptly to stare back. She held her breath as her eyes tried to peel back the darkness, searching for the source of the noise.

She could feel the growl, all the evidence Adelaide needed to take off running.

The pounding of her feet was drowned out by footsteps- much louder and heavier than her own- giving chase. She whizzed by branches that grabbing viciously at her skin as she ran past, but could hear them snap when what was behind her passed. What was left of the tile floor crunched under significant weight.

Another growl, humid against her neck, and Adelaide felt her blood run cold. Her mind seized; there was no way- how could- when had it gotten so fast?

No! No nononono!

If she could just make it to the end of the hallway, she could get away. Once she pushed past the curtain of night and into the light, everything would be alright.

Hope drained from her mind as a hand, clawed and too big to possibly be human, clamped down around her forearm.

Adelaide's body lurched forward as a scream ripped itself from her throat.

Once sleeping peacefully, Damien sat bolt upright at the sound. His clear sky eyes looked around the room before focusing on the red head with concern.

"Adelaide?" Damien asked, pausing when he noticed her flinch at the sound of his voice. "Adelaide, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing. Just… just…" Her breathing came in labored waves, causing her entire body to shake. One hand cradled her head as she failed to grasp at her vocabulary. "Bad dream."

"Shh. It's all right." Damien spoke softly, reaching out to place a hand at the nape of her neck. Adelaide tensed as first, and then relaxed into the warmth. "I'm here."

As Adelaide's mind really grasped the concept of where she was- at Damien's apartment, laying in Damien's ridiculously comfortable sheets and surrounded by everything that was him- she allowed her eyes to close. No monsters waited to swallow her whole and no hallway with endless corridors and open skies greeted her. She released the breath she had refused to set free.

It was gone, whatever "it" was.

She looked at her boyfriend, a forced smile on her features. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Damien countered, putting his arm around her to pull her closer.

The red head cried out at the contact, causing the dark haired man to pull back in alarm. When she ventured a touch and cringed, Damien reached over to turn the lamp on.

A bruise, not unlike a hand print, greeted them from Adelaide's forearm.

Adelaide's horror was palpable. "Oh God, no…"

"What is-" Some of Damien's control slipped, his eyes a mix of anxiety and rage. "Is that a hand print?"

"God, I- I have to-"

"Adelaide-"

"I have to call Lina and-"

"Adelaide, look at me." Damien said desperately, cupping her face in his hands. "Look at me. I'm here. I'm right here."

"You're here." She focused on him, soaking up every part of him to keep herself anchored to right here. Her breathing returning to normal all she could feel was every ounce of energy leave her. The red head felt her forehead touch his. "You're here."

He chuckled, a beautiful sound that brought color back to her life. "And so are you."

"It- it touched me." With nothing left, she had no way to hold back the tears. She did not sob, but the tracks of tears were evidence enough down her face. Suddenly she felt tired, and the idea terrified her. "It's never been able to touch me..."

Damien, being careful of her arm, pulled Adelaide to his chest as he settled back into the sheets. He realized she was too exhausted to weep, or perhaps too stunned to, but could still feel the tremble of her shoulders against his body. His hand found its way through her hair while he whispered to her, trying to calm her.

She protested at first. "You have class in the morning."

"You have work in the morning."

"Damien-"

"I'll be fine, Adelaide. Just… let me do this for you."

"... I'm sorry."

He shook his head. She was always apologizing. "Don't be."

The red head made a small murmur of understanding, and Damien returned to weaving patterns along her scalp. With no energy left to fight with Adelaide soon gave into sleep's quiet embrace, her hands loosening their grip on him as she drifted away.

When he was sure she was asleep, Damien's eyes faded from their vibrant blue to a ridiculous forest green. Loki looked over the sleeping form of his girlfriend, closing his eyes for a moment and reaching out to feel her. She was losing herself, disoriented and afraid, and beginning to stray.

Running a hand down her back, Loki whispered; "Stay with me, love."

There was an energy that buzzed through the air, and Adelaide let out a content sigh. A small incantation for the night, a small exercise of his magic that was not powerful enough for her to detect. It was a quick fix, he knew, but for the night it would be enough.

He couldn't be sure if she typically traveled to other realms when she slept, but the idea and the evidence suggested that she very well may have. Adelaide had never lied about having dreams like that but was reluctant to talk about them, which he suspected was because she didn't often talk about her powers with anyone other than Selina. This dream was a particular stain on her conscious, and a recurring one over the last few weeks that she couldn't hide as easily. She was bothered by the building, which she said had reminded her of an old mental hospital she had once visited.

More so, she was terrified of what lurked there, watching and omnipresent.

He wanted to help her so much his heart ached. He could protect her, wrap her in his arms and keep whatever was haunting her from ever finding her again. But that would mean admitting, well, everything; that he was not Damien Lightwood, a blue eyed college professor, who had no siblings and collected ties. She might be more terrified of him if she learned that he was, in fact, the Norse God of Mischief and had been lying to her.

Loki kissed the top of Adelaide's head, curling around her protectively. Hopefully in the morning Selina would have answers to Adelaide's questions, and this might be the end of her wondering.

Avengers © Marvel

Original Characters © Their Respective Owners