A Little Fate (LokixReader) {COMPLETE}

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Are you ready?" Natasha asked once you arrived in the gym. Apparently Tony had installed different gyms for every purpose imaginable. It took you forever to find the one for sparring/training.

"As I'll ever be." You respond, although doubting how beneficial it might be to train in your unlucky state. "I can chance the time we spend sparring so that neither of us get injured, if you want." You offer, really overthinking the extent of what could go wrong. It was in your nature to be prepared.

"Pain is part of the practice. You shouldn't use your powers as a crutch, not that I think you already do. I'll make sure nothing happens, don't worry." Nat reassured you, while starting to wrap her hands. She tossed you a roll as well.

It was instinctive, the moment you caught the white bandage. It wasn't completely new, but wasn't destroyed either. You wrapped your hands expertly, as if you've done this a thousand times.

But you hadn't- had you?

"Great job with the wraps. Have you ever fought before?"

"I don't think so?" You questioned, since you don't actually remember whether you did or not. "It feels eerily familiar though."

"Good enough. We'll run through some moves, see where your skills are. Ready?" Nat dropped into a fighting stance across from you.

"Yeah." You did the same, copying her stance. Then the game began.

She started on the defensive, pulling her punches. You fought to the best of your ability, advancing very slowly. It was as if you knew the moves, but your body wouldn't put them to use. Eventually it seemed Natasha got the intel she wanted, and started attacking instead. You dodged and blocked, as something inside you stirred. You started throwing counter moves, fighting with renewed energy.

Yet through all your unknown training, she still managed to pin you. It wasn't surprising, really. She has had much more time to practice than you. She got off from straddling your waist, giving you a hand up.

"Well, you fight better than Tony, so I'd say that's a plus. Though your form is a little sloppy, and you tend to lean into your punches more. So you either haven't practiced in awhile, or just tend to fight large opponents. I say we run through some basics to give you some foreground." Nat admitted her version of your resume. Seems like you have had some experience, wherever it's from.

The two of you spend a couple hours going over basics, form, and even touching up on some weapons training. You instantly insisted that a gun was a horrible idea, so the two of you stuck with things like dulled knives or wooden 'swords'. Apparently you seemed like that type of person. She wasn't wrong though. You quickly picked up on the more classic weapon choices.

Her next segment was sent from hell itself. Conditioning. Repeating the same thing over and over and over and over again so it became muscle memory. That's what you kept telling yourself. Nat seemed to be under the impression that it would help build muscle and stamina- but it just seemed like death itself.

*

When you finally reached the living room hours later for lunch, you were tired. Right on the edge of exhaustion, tired. Natasha had been such a forgiving first time coach as to let you use your powers to briefly relieve yourself, as long as it was only a 'one time' thing. At this rate you were considering just chancing the lesson beforehand next time.

Lunch was simple, and thankfully already provided for you by Steve. He had made his infamous 'meatloaf' for everyone. Apparently first time trainees got special treatment. Or he was simply in the mood to make meatloaf. Either way, you were glad it was conveniently completed the moment you arrived.

Most of the Avengers were spread around the kitchen bar or living room eating Steve's meal. Nat, Clint, and Bruce were sitting on the couches, while Thor and Tony were still at the kitchen bar. Steve was cleaning up the kitchen -against the rule of 'cooks don't clean'- and Loki was nowhere to be found.

"Why are you eating everything with chopsticks?" Tony asked Clint, eyeing the multi-talented hawk.

"I need practice. Tasha said this was the fastest way." Clint pointed his chopsticks at Tony, gesturing with them openly.

"But why chopsticks?"

"Laura is making chinese in a few nights, I wanted to impress her." So he had told the others about his family. God, you had been so rude the first time you met. Seriously, you never usually pried. What was up with you back then?

"Is learning to use chopsticks really that hard?" Bruce asked from across the couch.

"Yes. It's frustrating and infuriating. Took me days to even get this far. A genius couldn't figure this out."

"I'll take you up on that Clint. Steve, throw me a pair?" Tony asked from his seat. Honest, this was going to end horribly.

"Have you had any experience?" Clint started asking for the rules of the game. When had it become a game?

"Not besides like- twice."

"Anyone take Tony up on his challenge?" Natasha asked from next to Clint. Seems like this was getting heated enough for her to join.

"Why does everything always have to be a competition?"

"When does it not?"

"I accept your challenge! I shall conquer these chopping-sticks." Thor shouted, as Clint handed him a pair. How were there this many chopsticks in the tower at once?

"Thor, that's not actually-" Steve was about to intervene, when the race started.

"Alright. First one to finish lunch wins. Go!" Tony shouted, knowing full well that Thor would be an easy opponent. No one doubted that he was clumsy, let alone more likely to break the sticks on accident. Like he did with the TV remote last week.

For the first minute or two, neither of them could pick up a single piece of meat. Well, meatloaf that is. You knew something was undoubtedly going to go wrong in your presence, and quickly got up to leave.

Which is exactly when Thor managed to pick up a single piece, against all odds. Tony, being the sore loser he is, forced the chopsticks to work as a shovel as he started putting food in his mouth. Thor changed tactics, doing the same, as this became a food off.

Great.

It only got better when Steve decided to put the last half serving on each of their plates, trying to either prolong the contest or agitate them, you don't know. But he did, resulting in pissed off contestants, and the food fight began.

And holy shit, was it a food war. Your self-preservation kicked in, as you declared loudly that you were not taking part in this war. You did, however, completely unrelatably brought out whipped cream cans from the fridge, handing them to Natasha and yourself. Bruce already left, probably to enjoy the show from the surveillance feed. Jarvis would probably be posting it soon too. Or just live-streaming. That seemed more of Jarvis's style.

 Nat seemed to know exactly what she was doing, as she was able to somehow treat the whip cream as bullets, nailing every male in the room at once, successfully making them taste whipped-meatloaf.

You couldn't be more glad to 'not' participate in the event. Unluckily though, right as you were going to nail Thor in the head, he ducked.

And revealed Loki behind him.

There was nothing you could do, as whip cream splattered across Loki's face.