Chapter Text
I don’t know which ancestor of mine pissed which God off, but they have NOT gotten over it. My life is this giant, cosmic fuck up. I would say this has been a recent development, but my troubled family history begs to differ. Sometimes, I honestly believe my Nani was a Guardian Angel sent to watch over me and protect me. Ever since she left, my world has been spun around its axis so many times, that I can’t even count.
Nick Fury. THE Nick Fury wants to have a 'discussion ' with me. Or so Steve says. I highly doubt the Director phrased it that politely. He probably threatened to peel the skin off my body and fry me in hot oil, if the Avengers refused to let him interrogate me. Which…sounds dreadful. I don’t know why I thought up that image.
I’m eighty-five percent sure, Steve and the pack wouldn’t let him torture me. But even so, if all that results out of this mess, is a simple QnA session, I will be pleasantly surprised.
But I know it isn’t as simple as that. Whoever Fury sends to probe me will try their damn hardest to prove that I'm not here simply on accident. Accidents don’t happen in a world like this. What are the chances he’s going to believe that an earthquake sent me here? Even I don’t believe this was happenstance. I know I am here because someone SENT me here. My two cents are that someone is probably Mrs. Fitzgerald, the old psychic hag. It is also clear that I have a connection to this world. The Avengers as my soulmates being my evidence. But HOW and WHY I'm here, is the real mystery.
“Kiara?” I snap my head, bringing my focus back to the room. Tony had lightly tapped the glass table to catch my attention.
“Yes. Sorry, got a bit distracted. Yea-h. So who did you say is going to grill me?”
“ No one’s gonna grill you, just- never mind. His name is Phil Coulson. He’s a good man…wai-why are you grinning?”
“I’m gonna meet Phil Coulson?!”
“Yeah?…”
“Oh that’s amazing! I wish it was under better circumstances of course. But I love him! So that’s gonna be so cool!” I smiled dreamily.” I officially withdraw any complaints about my interrogation.”
A myriad of emotions crossed the packs’ faces. From concern to confusion to jealousy and then more confusion.
“ You know him?”
“ Not in real life, through movies.”
“…Ahh”
Steve leaned forward and hunched his shoulders slightly. His face was taut, yet his eyes were expressive. His mouth was in a straight line, the ends curling slightly into a frown. I eyed the Alpha warily. He’s trying to appear like he’s not a threat by assuming a hunched posture. A hundred bucks say he is going to tell me another bad news.
“Before we talk about this in more detail. There is something else you should know.” The pack tensed and seeing them, so did I. Subconsciously my hand searched for the closest means to protect myself from the looming shadow of danger. I grasped a pen that lay on the table and held it tight. Keeping my voice stable, I sigh, “ What is it now?”
Bruce assumed command.
“ Kiara, you are an omega. For some reason, your second gender has been suppressed all your life, which is how you never had heats or drops in your world. But now things are different. Your designation got activated the day you arrived into our world.”
I huffed. “ SO you turned me into an omega?” Even I knew that wasn’t the case.
“ No, no! We did not do anything to turn you into an omega, kitten. In fact we looked into that possibility as well. Turns out you already had the omega hormones. They were just dormant. You remember the tests you got done a few days ago? It says that you have been under very heavy suppressants since a very young age. These suppressants are what were keeping your omega nature at bay.”
“ Since you are off these suppressants now, your designation is breaking free. Suppressant abuse is like drug abuse. You go into a period of withdrawal. In your case, the timing of your withdrawal is proving to be a bother. Your first heat is approaching rapidly. The doctor suspects it will hit in less than a week from now. By then your withdrawal symptoms will also appear. Both of them together can prove to be quite a catastrophe.”
I scrunched my face in irritation and confusion. Smoothing out the frown on my forehead, I motioned them to pause. “ Wait. Wait! That doesn’t make any sense? I have never taken any kind of drugs or suppressants or whatever. Man I haven’t even had proper alcohol yet! And what was that about a heat? What's that? What’s a heat?”
Bruce eyed Natasha for a moment, and I followed. She and the others were hanging off their seats in tension. Or that’s what I think. Their posture didn’t give it away but I somehow just…felt it in the air. The tension. The anticipation. The dread.
I turned to Bruce and raised an eyebrow. As if to say- Go on then? The brunet scientist adjusted his glass and continued. “ In our world, we- as you know already- have a biological hierarchy in place. On the two opposite ends of that spectrum are Alphas and Omegas. Both of them have… needs …that require to be fulfilled. To make sure that those needs were fulfilled, the Alphas and Omegas go into- what we call-a rut or heat. It's a check in place to ensure the survival of our species. The omegas secrete high levels of progesterone and oestrogen, to prepare for conception. Which means…that to ensure copulation, the omegas find it difficult to resist…intercou- ahem- interaction with an Alpha.”
My eye twitched in discomfort. I swiped my sweaty palms on my cotton dress. Why was he telling me this? I felt something prickle the back of my neck. Please don’t let it be what I'm thinking.
“ For an omega, heats usually start at around mid-puberty. They gradually grow in intensity as the person grows older and matures. They last for 4-5 days, and they hit every four months or so. The heat also helps in balancing your OSH levels, so that the individual doesn’t go into shock or fall into a mental void. This is done in and out of heat by domming.” Bruce inhaled deeply as if to prepare himself for the next bout of bullshit that was probably about to exit his mouth.
“ As your heat is about to hit soon, you need to be prepared for it. The doctor suggested that you have a domming session beforehand, so that you are more comfortable with doing it during your heat.”
For a moment, I just closed my eyes. Reaching behind me for a chair, I plopped down and covered my head with my arms. A tiny snort escaped my lips. And then a giggle burst forth. Which was quickly followed by peals of hysterical laughter. Tears sprang to my eyes as I laughed out my sorrow and disbelief. Why was I dealt such a shitty hand in life? First my father, then my Nani, and now this. Trouble follows me like I’ve got a goddamn danger magnet inside me.
I sobered down after a while. Wiping my face, I glared at the pack.
“ And what absolute shit does this so called domming entail?” I spat out sarcastically.
“ Basically, domming is a hormone balancing technique that is performed by an Alpha on an Omega, to balance-“
“ Balance their hormones? Yea, I got that the first ten times you said it. Cut the shit, Dr. Banner, and tell me what it entails.” I asked point blank. I had enough of him blabbering about balancing hormones. He was shit at beating about the bush. SO he should just tell me what he means bluntly. The fact that he is running around in circles like a headless chicken leads me to believe that whatever domming is, it's not something I'd like.
“ Kitten, I’m just trying to help you. We all are. I know this is tough and weird for you, but your situation is how it is.”
“ Even now, you are deflecting. What is domming?! Just tell me, GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT!” I stood, my face furious and breath heavy.
Bucky shot up from his seat, and so did Steve. “ Language omega!”My hair whipped as I snapped my head to face them. “ Then tell me. Don’t talk down to me like I’m a child, incapable of understanding anything.”
“ Intimate physical contact.” A soft voice stated. Natasha. She stood up and stalked toward me. “ Domming is when an Alpha dominates an omega, by touching them, holding them, scenting them.” She stood a hairsbreadth apart from me. Her intoxicating green irises bore intensely into mine. “ But for severe cases, when an omega is more unbalanced than is normal, it involves something extra. For severe cases…like yours, an Alpha flips an omega over their lap and delivers hard slaps to your bottom, till the omega submit to their authority, and slips into omega space.”
…
…
…
“ You fucking perverts,” I whisper. Fear and disgust were slowly replacing the shock I had felt. I stepped away from Natasha. She was close. Too close. “ You are sick if you think I will agree to any of that.” I took another step back. “ You are lying.” My breath caught,” You’ve always been lying, haven’t you?”
I looked around at the faces of the so-called heroes. “ There is no such thing as Alphas or omegas. We don’t get these heats or ruts or whatever. You’ve been manipulating me, haven’t you?”
My back hit the wall. “ You HAVE to be lying. There is no way this is real. No, no, no.” I clutched at the roots of my hair. “ This is a nightmare. This is a nightmare.” A tear slipped down my cheek.
In my heart, I knew they weren’t lying. Not because I believed every word they said. No. But because I could feel it in my head. I could feel a presence in me, that agreed with what they said. That wanted what they said. My…omega, it wanted what they were offering. The domming, the heat, the soulmates.
“ Kiara“ Bucky's voice called. It felt so far away though. Good. I wanted him, them far away.
“Sweetheart?” Bucky's voice came closer. No, my mind screamed. Away! Keep them away! I slipped further back into the recesses of my mind.
Cold metal fingers gripping my neck brought consciousness back to me. My eyes opened to find the concerned faces of the Avengers near me. God! I hadn’t even realized that I had shut my eyes. Everything seemed loud all of a sudden. I could hear my breath and the whirring of Bucky’s arm plates. My skin felt hypersensitive. I felt goosebumps rise all over. I felt the firm, tantalizing hold on my neck. The coolness of Bucky’s fingers in contrast to my sweaty, flushed skin.
Before my brain could catch up and throw another hissy bitch fit, I felt Bucky squeeze again. And Oh God! It felt euphoric. My arms tingled, and my legs almost buckled under the heavenly sensation. I slowly felt him move his fingers in small circles, without them ever losing contact with my skin. Pushing and pulling till the tension in my body let loose.
“ That’s it. Relax. Everything’s okay. You’re okay. Nothin’ will happen to you. Everything’s okay. “ Bucky cooed.
I let myself bask in the comfort his touch provided. Only for a moment. Centering myself, I tapped his hand, signaling him to let go.
“You said that when I was on suppressants, the omega nature couldn’t come out. Right? So that’s it. Put me back on suppressants.”
“ Those are very heavy suppressants, love. Not to mention extremely harmful.” Tony reasoned.
“ I’ve been on them for my entire life, according to you. And I’ve been completely fine!” I replied.
Bruce interrupted gently, “Kitten…even if we wanted to, suppressants like those are hardly available. In fact their sale is very illegal and considered unethical.”
I scoffed. “ Oh please! Don’t act like you haven’t done anything illegal. Murder to you guys is like jaywalking. But suddenly now that I need something, your moral code has become super righteous.”
Steve narrowed his eyes.” That’s enough, omega. You are being very disrespectful right now.” I pointed my finger at him and barked harshly,” Do not call me that!”
“ Kiara this has to happen. End of conversation.” Steve commanded.
“ Actually no. It is not the end of the conversation, and this will absolutely fucking NOT happen! You know why?” I smiled mockingly, before continuing. “ I am going to contact Doctor Strange. He’s a sorcerer, and probably the only one who can help me go back home. I have already drafted an email. I was going to tell you guys about it before I sent it. Which is why I came here in the first place. So we don’t have to worry about the heat because I’ll be back home before then.” As I was finishing my sentence, I felt dryness in my throat. My voice went weaker, and weaker before I launched into a coughing fit. I blindly reached for a glass of water, but accidentally picked up Tony’s whiskey. I gagged at the taste and the unfamiliar burn in my throat. “ Oh God, that was not water.”
Clint hesitantly rubbed my back and my coughing began to subside. He slid a glass in front of me, this time filled with water. My head felt a little woozy.
Blearily looking up at the Avengers, I croaked,” So, how’s my plan?”
Bruce was old. Not just in body, but in mind. He had spent decades interacting and in places arguing with others, similar to him in age and profession. But Lord, has it been long since he argued with someone so young! Everything he says to Kiara just seems to worsen the situation. No matter how doctorly or clinically he tries to explain it.
“ Kiara…please think about your options here. We will never force you into anything. But, just-please, think about what has to happen carefully. Take some time- privately- sleep over it rather. And then tomorrow morning, we will listen to your decision. If contacting Dr. Strange is what you want, then we will surely do that. I will personally make sure of it. But for the time being we-you should at least be prepared to handle your heat. I’m going to give you some material to read up on. It has all the information you need on domming, heats and ruts. You can even ask J.A.R.V.I.S, he’ll happily assist you.”
Bruce took a deep, shuddering breath. “ And if and when Doctor Strange comes up with a solution to…to send you back” Bruce’s voice cracked,” You’ll be the first to know. And I promise, none of us will interfere in any way whatsoever. We…we just want to help you.”
“ We don’t want to lose you, but if that’s what’s best for you, then we will not hold you back.” But Bruce couldn’t bring himself to say that. So he kept it to himself.
The room was deathly quiet. The Avengers couldn’t bring themselves to say anything. They barely had their soulmate, and now they were going to lose her. They had waited years, decades! But none of that could make them have the heart to force Kiara to stay with them if she wouldn’t be happy.
The sadness and grim in the air were palpable, and no doubt felt by Kiara. The young girl was looking desperately around the table, wanting to comfort her pack. But unable to do so. After all, how could she? She thought. When she was the one who put them in that mood in the first place. Throwing one last look at Clint- whose face held heartbreak, Kiara immediately flees the room. The door bangs shut behind her, as she sprints down the hallway. Her figure crumbles up and collapses on the soft mattress of her bed, as the girl's chest heaves and shudders with the force of her sobs.
Somewhere far away, an elegant hand waves away the remnants of the vision playing out in the fortune globe. The figure stands up from their seat, a posh sofa with velvety mauve cushions. With a careful wave of her hands, the oracle crystal ball vanishes to a pocket dimension in a swirl of magenta and black. Tea pours itself into tiny cups, suspended in the air by tendrils of the same dark and purple magic. Somewhere in the background, the news is playing on the television. The figure walks leisurely over to the source of the noise, coming to stop right in front of the telly. The tea floats perfectly into her waiting hands, and she lifts the cup to her mouth. The contrast of the white porcelain cup stark against her fingers tainted black with the use of dark magic.
“ BREAKING NEWS- The missing victims of the unnatural earthquake that occurred last month are presumed dead. To brush up on our viewers, On 5th April 2021, an unnatural earthquake shook Washington D.C. A Nine on the Mercalli scale, the earthquake completely shattered the dwelling of Miss Aisha Arora. At the time of the incident, her daughter Ms. Kiara Arora, a nineteen-year-old high school graduate, and her longtime friend Mr. Ryan Li were in the house. According to the reports, the two were unable to safely exit the premises when the earthquake hit. They presumably sought shelter under some steady furniture but were unable to protect themselves. When the authorities reached, nothing was left of the house. As the dust settled, all that could be seen was splintered wood and giant heaps of rubble. The police were unable to find the bodies of the two teenagers.
Currently, Miss Arora, the female victim's mother is residing with her fiancé, Rogue Slade. The male victim, Mr.Ryan Li was an orphan, but under the care of Mr. Lewis Bennett, who fostered him.
Curiously, the only house to be hit this badly was Ms. Arora’s. Others seem to have felt the earthquake but on a much lower and non-threatening level. Our geology expert, Dr. Brenner will elaborate more on this anomaly after a short break. I’m Maria Hill and you’re watching ABC News.”
The T.V switched off, and on the black screen, the figure saw her reflection. Eyes deep and sunken. Red painted lips, and flowing black hair curled majestically over her hips. Deep purple robes swayed and billowed as she walked. Innate confidence that lured people into her trap. This was no ordinary woman.
The bell above the front door chimed, and with a gust of wind, a cloaked figure stepped in. Old, wrinkled hands drew back the hood to reveal an aged woman, with thin, silvery white hair. She turned to look at the sign that hung above the door.
‘ ROSA FITZGERALD WELCOMES YOU TO HER HUMBLE ABODE.’
A bitter smile quirks up on her wrinkled face, and she raises an eyebrow at the woman in question, lazily sipping tea. “ Rosa Fitzgerald? Is that the name you are going with these days?”
Mrs. Fitzgerald shrugged carelessly and set down her tea cup. “ Took you an awful lot of time to find me this time…Mother. What have I done?”
The old woman stood up straighter and glared at Mrs. Fitzgerald with unwavering strength and anger in her eyes.
“ That is exactly my question. What HAVE you done,…Agatha Harkness?”