Fragmented Thoughts - Chapter 5 (Reader)

"Okay, now try to read my mind again," Banner says to you, his hand holding a pen to a paper notepad he set in front of him. You concentrate, trying to read his mind.
"...A blue cat?" you say, confused. Banner shakes his head, scribbling down on his notepad. "Not even close...Something is preventing you from using your telepathy willingly."
"You mean besides a headache?" you throw in. Banner doesn't say anything, just smiles. You both are in the lab, Banner trying to help you 'develop' your new mind-reading talent. You still felt awkward and rude, invading the minds of others, but Banner assured you he was alright with you reading his mind. "Nothing can undo what I've already done," he told you, "you're not going to be seeing anything you can't already find on YouTube." It still made you a little edgy, but to know he trusts you comforts you slightly.
"Alright," Banner says after a long scribble of words,"I've seen no progress, but I think I know why."
"Does something have to happen in order for me to read someone's mind?" you ask. Oh, Lord. Like what, being hit in the face? Being angry? Being drunk?...Wait a minute...
"I'm not sure something has to happen, per se," he says to you. "But something definitely needs to get your mind in gear." He grabs the odd metal helmet from the shelf and hands it to you. "Try doing it with this on."
"Why? You're not scanning anything," you tell him.
"You're right,"Banner nods. "But it might stimulate your brain into thinking we are, so it'll want to work harder."
You shrug, taking the metal helmet and placing it on your cranium. Banner walks over to the notepad, grabbing his pen. "Alright, now try to read my mind."
You concentrate again, your eyes squinting in effort. "...A red...bowl?"
"A red owl," Banner corrects you, a small smile on his face. "But close. First try, and you're already making progress."
You smile a little. However frightening, it's good to know at least you can control your ability. You decide that you want to learn how to control it as best you can, so that you don't accidentally read someone's mind without their permission ever again.
"Okay," Banner says,"try reading my mind again."
"A bat," you say confidently.
"Eh..." Banner shakes his head. "An orange." Your shoulders slump. So much for that.
"Hey, lab rat!" Tony waves at you as he enters the lab, an apple in hand. He turns to Banner. "How's she doing?"
"Not...too...well," Banner says hesitantly, looking at you. "I've been able to get a couple right answers, but that's it."
Tony leans over and looks at Banner's notes. He scoffs and walks towards you.
"You're doing it wrong," he tells you.
"Excuse me? As if YOU know how to read someone's mind!" you retort.
"I do, every time I see a pretty lady staring at me," he grins. "Alright, now I want you to read MY mind. But this time, say anything that comes to your mind first. Keep going until I tell you to stop."
You nod, shuffling your feet. Your eyebrows knit together as you concentrate. "Uh...a cat, a frog, a honeybee, a shirt..."
White horse.
"...A white horse."
Tony nods. "Keep going."
You nod and resume,"A lamp, a coffee mug..."
Wood.
"...wood, a ball of yarn, a garden hose, a mouse..."
1975 Ford Mustang, red paint job.
"...A...Ford Mustang...with a red paint job...?"
Tony grins. "See? That's all you need to read someone's mind. You just need to get your gears in motion and you've got it."
"But how do I know it's their thought and not mine?" you ask.
Tony shrugs. "I don't know, really. I guess you'll have to figure that one out."
Banner walks over to you, lifting the metal bowl off your head. "You did a good job," he commends you. "In the future, you might not even need to think about other things to do it."
You smile at him, then think for a moment. You look up at Banner and ask,"What if the person doesn't want their mind to be read? What if I read someone's mind without meaning to?"
Banner looks at you, his face tight. You had learned that this expression meant he was thinking. He responded with an unsure voice,"I don't know yet, but I guess we'll figure that out too."
---
You're walking around, exploring the Stark Tower. No one really restricted you to one spot (except JARVIS, whom you now found amusing to make him do all kinds of silly tasks for you when you got bored), so you figure exploration is the best entertainment at this point. You head down to the entertainment center, a couple floors below you. When you reach the room, you see Hawkeye and Thor playing some kind of card game. Thor looks frustrated, and Hawkeye is grinning like it's Christmas.
Poor guy, making him learn a game he doesn't understand, you think. You decide the big guy needs some help and walks over to Thor's side.
"Need any help?" you ask him.
"No, thank you," he says slowly, his hand to his mouth in thought. "I wish to master this game by my own hand."
You nod, and before you walk away, you pretend to lean over and look over the card game. In your mind, you do as you did in the lab, and think of all the random things you can.
Spider, jungle, tiger, olive branch...
"Urettferdig fordel."
You lean back, startled. That's complete gibberish! That did NOT come from you. You walk over to Hawkeye's side, looking at his cards.
"You cheatin' for the big guy?" he asks you teasingly.
"Nope, just checkin' the playing field," you say. Baseball bat, pall pin, junk yard, kangaroo-
"This guy is so mine. Poor guy, has no idea what's coming."
...That is clearer than you are comfortable with. You decide that maybe reading minds is useless; Everyone is way too different for you to completely understand. You begin to head to your room, feeling a nap come on.
As you pass through the hallway, you pass by Loki's room. A bright light shines from inside, and you peer in. The door is left open, leaving Loki in full view, with his hand scrolling over a book that floats in front of his face by some kind of greenish-blue light. You wonder what kind of thoughts pass through the Voodoo Master's head. Hmm...carefully, you act like you're passing right by, but peer in around the doorframe to look at him.
Cookies, truck, hamster, old woman...
Nothing.
...Joker card, french fries, crescent wrench, igloo...
Nothing.
Grass, kilt, horn, bear, pyramid, pen, candle, brush, alarm clock, knife, leather, handcuffs!
Still nothing. You frown. Is he somehow immune to your ability? Is he blocking you from his thoughts?
You hang your head as you realize, again, that you really shouldn't be reading others' minds without their permission. Why you went off and did so anyways, you don't know, but now you feel guilty. You don't want other people knowing what you think...others probably don't either.
You begin to head to your room, your body sulking slightly.
"Loki, Loki, warn Loki, warn the girl, got to warn them!"
Hello. You turn around just as you head Steve scream from upstairs,"Loki! Both of you! We need you! Get up here, now!"
You hear a clatter from Loki's room and the dark-haired man pokes his head through. "What is it, Mr. Rogers?" he yells back upstairs.
"The Chitauri have invaded Brooklyn!" Steve screams back down. "We have to get there, now!"
Loki disappears into his room for a second, then comes back out, throwing on his long streaming coat. You're frozen in place, terrified. Tony had told you the previous day about the Chitauri - the creatures that destroyed your school campus a couple weeks ago.
And now they are in your home town.