Stand tall; Or small.

Retail therapy was not a term that had been coined on Asgard; unless one were predominately interested in livestock, furs and the occasional garments to be found on the market, there was little choice within the markets of her own realm. The phrase had seemed to accrue to the Midgardian’s need to compensate emotional turmoil with the latest fashions and their accessories. The blonde more familiar with the brand names of those who had had an ad televised, the likes of Gucci, Versace and Prada were ones which had seemed to clutch determinedly at the corners of her mind with the desire not to be forgotten. (It may have been, however, that the blonde had said ‘bless you’ upon hearing the first, had pondered which tongue the second was spoken in for a solid five minutes and asked if the third were a battle cry if said loud enough).

The sorceress did not wander aimlessly like the soft cotton clouds that meandered above the Manhattan skyline as though attempting to unnecessarily shield the sun from the moon in the constant game of hide and seek between the two; her excursion was filled with purpose, emphasised by the staccato rhythm of heeled boots against the concrete pavement. The seconds ticked by, that could have either been denoted by the ticking of the many watches that adorned the wrists of the citizens of the city or the fragmented white blanket that breezed across the sky guided by the hand of Father Time himself, the Enchantress turning off the crowded path via the door that had hung slightly ajar which lead to her destination.

Cassie Lang stood slightly to the left of the entrance, bright pools of sapphire having been drawn to the jet black leather jacket that bore two red stripes which had been integrated into the design to create a look reminiscent of both practicality and a touch of stylish elegance. If Madame Hydra’s records were in fact true; Amora was to believe that the girl’s father had been murdered by the Scarlet Witch meaning that, now, the young blonde sought revenge for the parent that had been taken from her. It was probable that the young Avenger may accept what the Asgardian had to say if she offered her the chance to live out (or think she was living out) her revenge. Lithe limbed strides became slower, walking up beside the teenager as her own green eyes perused the shelves before darting down to the jacket now held in the delicate hands of the other, offering an airy; “It would suit you, you know. It is reminiscent of your costume is it not?” Perfectly painted nails reached out to rest against the fair haired girl’s arm as a gentle, reassuring expression softened the sorceress’s features as she uttered a whispered, “It’s all right, I am a friend, I hope.”

She was in her own world, absent-mindedly running bits of fabrics through her fingers. She had too much on her mind to actually pay attention to the clothing in her hands. Thoughts of easier times were on her mind, of her childhood. Playing in Tony's mansion with her father. Long before he had ever known she was stealing the Ant-Man particles and injecting them in small doses into her own body. She wondered if he would be proud of her, if he knew who she was today. If he knew that his little girl was a Young Avenger. 

A sickeningly, sweet voice echoed in her head and for a moment she had to determine if it was real. Deciding her own mind wouldn't be talking over fashion with her, she turned her head. Ah, Amora Incantare. 

Teddy sat silently as she thought about what she wanted to say. He knew he’d hurt more than just Billy with his leaving, and Cassie definitely deserved to let her anger out on him. He fiddled with his phone a bit, debating whether texting would seem rude or not. Just as he’d decided a short one couldn’t hurt, he heard Cassie take a deep breath.

He forced himself to meet her eyes and not wince as she told him off. The pain in her eyes felt like stab wounds and he really wanted to hug her again. Teddy waited a second to make sure she was done with her bit before taking a deep breath and starting his explanation.

Teddy ran a hand through his hair and glanced away from her. “It wasn’t like I just up and went on vacation. Fury sent me off to Russia to chase after some of Goblin’s serum. It was all rushed and secretive, I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.” He shrugged a bit, fiddling with the bracelets on his wrists. “I should have told Billy, hell I should have taken him with me, but I figured I wouldn’t even be gone a week. Some things went sort of wrong and I ended up having to stay for two months.”

The blonde bit his lip and paused for a few breaths. “It was really, really bad, Cassie. I was in hiding for a while; I couldn’t contact anyone, even Fury.” He took another deep breath to control himself before finally looking up and meeting her eyes. “I’m really getting sick of everyone making it seem like I left because I got bored of Billy or something.”

Cassie put her head down once he had finished. She didn't want him to see the obvious concern on her face. Didn't want him to know that just the thought of him in danger scared her. Not when she was trying to keep her resolve. 

"I know, Teddy. I know." She agreed. She knew he would never want to purposely hurt Billy or her, but he still had hurt them. "I know you didn't get bored of Billy, Teddy. I'm not an idiot. I just wish you would have told us where you were going. We were all so worried." She had been. For months, all she could think about was if he was safe. He was one of her closest friends and the thought of him being gone on a mission by himself scared her to no end. 

She reached her hand out across the table, placed it on Teddy's. "I'm glad you are safe." She withdrew her hand after her statement, needing him to know that she was truly happy for his return. But, she was still hurt. "I'm not mad at you, Teddy. I am mad at the situation. We needed you here. Do you even know what happened to Billy? To me?" She questioned, wondering if anyone had filled him in on the details. "On Halloween, we were sent to a cabin and when we got there, all hell broke loose. Billy's parents were there; dead." She waited before continuing, "I couldn't even help him, Teddy. It was horrible. The next thing I knew I was passing out from some gas that had surrounded the air." She felt tears brimming the edges of her eyes, and swiped them away as fast as she could manage. "I was out for months Teddy. In a coma in the hospital and when I woke up you weren't there." She sighed, "I know it's selfish. I know. Billy and Sam were both there and I should be grateful for that, and I am. But, you. I just- I have known you the longest and you are all like my brothers, but you the most, you know? And it just hurt." 

It was one thing knowing that Billy was upset, Teddy had left him at the worst possible time, after all. Sam jumping down his throat was unexpected, still deserved though, but didn’t hurt nearly as much as it could since he and Sam weren’t friends. However, Teddy knew the moment anyone from the original team tried to talk to him about it, he’d break. Cassie hadn’t been around to see the two of them together, but she was around for most of the four years. He only prayed that their friendship would let her show him just a little kindness while she was lecturing.

"Listen, Teddy. I wanted to meet with you. I think we have a few things to discuss. I want to get those out of the way first." She truly did. She hated being mad at him and she wanted to get everything off her chest, so that they could go back to being them. To being friends. She didn't want to bother with small talk first. If she did, it was likely that she would change her mind about yelling at him and she couldn't afford to do that. Not now. 

She sat down her ice cream on the table and took a seat across from him. She closed her eyes for a moment, needing to gather the courage to tell him everything. She had always had a soft spot for her friends, and while she talked a big game, she couldn't stand being mad at one of them. Mostly, when they were sitting next to her and the sweet ice cream fumes were filling her nostrils.