"Lisey get your arse out of bed before I dump cold water on you!"

I blinked open my eyes, groaning as I already knew what was coming next if I didn't do as my roommate playfully commanded. Morgan wouldn't hesitate to actually get a glass of water, so I slowly rolled out of bed.

If it wasn't obvious, the morning was not my favorite time of day, and this wake-up call was even less appreciated with the addition of my ridiculous childhood nickname.

"Alright I'm up, I'm up," I called, trying to not already be irritated this early in the day. "Just give me a second, geez. And how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

My full name is Annalise, and I didn't think Lisey was something a 24-year-old nursing student should be called. It was hard enough to be treated as an adult when I barely knew what I was doing as it was, a juvenile name like that made it worse.

My roommate just looked at me and rolled her eyes while she continued curling her tawny brown hair. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I glanced down at my stick-straight hair. If only I could get it to hold a curl for longer than five minutes, I had tried everything aside from electrocution, and I don't think that would even work.

"Oh don't look at me like that, you know I would kill for your hair color Anna," said Morgan, catching my longing glance in the mirror.

I suppose she was right; it was rather nice. Chalk it up to Irish and Scottish roots; I did very much inherit the freckles and red hair.

Deciding to change the subject before I began contemplating experimentation with the accursed curling iron again, I asked, "Hey Mo are you coming to the end of the semester costume party tonight?"

"You mean the nerdy superhero one? No way, you know that's not my thing," she paused, grimacing for a moment. "I still can't even tell them apart, and no, another movie marathon will not change that."

By this time, she had finished with her hair and was putting on her makeup but turned to me with a smile.

"But you're gonna go right? Hey, I bet you can get a discount from Amy's; what are you going as?"

I nodded, trying not to be disappointed she wasn't going. She was right; I worked at a tiny little costume shop that had loads of trinkets for amateur cosplayers to build into something great, along with all other assortments of things.

"Yeah I am, you know I never turn down an opportunity to dress up."

Like many people I had become a superhero junkie, I loved what they symbolized, the honest desire to help people and make the world better while still being complex characters. I had written my undergraduate literature thesis on hero archetypes; I was always proud that I had managed to put in so many references in an academic paper.

Continuing I said, "I'm going as an Asgardian warrior girl, um it's hard to describe. I just need a couple of accessories, like some jewelry to complete the ensemble. I saw some stuff in the back the other night that looked perfect; I just need to ask Amy if I can borrow some of it. She can be a little strange sometimes."

My boss was a little odd, always talking about things that didn't make sense. I think losing her husband had really messed her up, but she managed reasonably well, and she had taken to me unlike some of the other part-timers, who didn't last long at all.

"Have you looked through my stuff I might have a bracelet or necklace that would work," Morgan called over her shoulder, as she continued getting ready.

I looked down, Morgan's taste in jewelry was very…let's say it wasn't Asgardian and more thrift store meets flea market with a country flair. She somehow managed to make it work though.

Shaking my head, I said, "No, I wanted something…I don't know, but I'll know it when I see it."

She just rolled her eyes again, something she often did when we talked, and said, "Yeah that made a lot of sense, but ok."

Glancing at the clock, she looked back at me in a concerned manner.

"Hey, don't you have class in thirty minutes?"

Following her gaze, I saw the hands read half-past nine and felt my stomach drop. The subway station that would get me to campus was five minutes away and then another five minutes' walk after I got off the train.

"Oh crap I'm gonna be late," I said with a groan.

Rushing to get ready I managed to not look like a total mess and dashed out the door.

I was distracted in class, doodling on the corner of my notes what I imagined to be the perfect accessories to go with my outfit. I really couldn't stop thinking about the party later tonight, it would be the first time I wore my handmade Asgardian battle gear in public before, and I was nervous that maybe it would look stupid next to any store-bought or professionally made costumes. NYU's nerdy population took its costumes seriously; our city was home to New York Comic-Con after all.

Smiling nervously at the cute guy that sat two rows over from me but never talked with, I hurried out of the lecture hall and started walked the three blocks to Amy's Costume Shop. I didn't work today, but I was interested in seeing if she would let me borrow a few bits of jewelry for the party.

The store itself is rather unassuming, a little hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but when you go inside you are blown away by the sheer amount of stuff inside the building. For how small the place is it isn't crowded or cramped at all, that's something I'll never understand.

When I walked in, there was an elderly lady with startling ginger hair and a rather fierce expression on her face. But when she saw me, she cracked one of the rare genuine smiles; this was the Amy I was lucky enough to know.

Leaning against the counter in the front of the store she greeted me, "Ah hullo Lis, how are you?"

Amy was Scottish, and I would never tire of her accent.

Smiling widely at her I said, "I'm doing fine Amy, and before you ask, no I did not talk to Andy."

She had been after me for weeks to talk to the blonde boy in my medieval literature analysis class, the one I had tried to smile at earlier. I kept telling her that I didn't need a relationship right now, but she insisted that I would see it her way soon enough. Amy was quite persistent.

Before she could launch into a story about how she had resisted liking her husband for years, I continued.

"I wanted to ask you something, is it ok if I maybe borrow a piece or two from the backroom for a party I'm going to tonight?"

She had turned, and her back to me and was looking at one of the shelves when I asked her so I couldn't see her face.

"Of course ya can…just be careful back there some of that stuff is…"

Sometimes Amy would do this, space out and look like she was lightyears away from where she was. Looking at me now, I felt unnerved by her gaze; it was like she was looking through me not at me.

"Old," I offered, trying to prompt conversation to start again and hopefully jar her out of the daze she was in.

Eyes still seeming to be looking at something else, she nodded, "Old, yeah."

Suddenly she lurched forward and grabbed my shoulders.

"Anna," she said, a calm sort of tremor in her voice.

Amy never calls me that, not since the day I met her.

"Anna, why are you in New York," she asked me.

Confused by the question I started to answer her, "What? I'm here to fin- "

Interrupting me she shook her head, "No, why are you here?"

At this, she gestured around her to the comfortably cluttered shop.

My confusion mounted, and I once more tried to answer her, "I don't know, I work here, I need mon- "

"Do you believe in destiny Anna? I do," she said, cutting me off again. "Some people are meant to do, to be something, to change the world, even if it is not this one."

Very concerned and a bit freaked out by her strange words I tried to think of any logical thing she could be talking about. I mean of course I had read theories of parallel worlds and stuff like that, but it wasn't possible, complete fiction that should stay in the realms of imagination. There was a reason I studied books and history, not theoretical physics after all. I liked my nonsense in books where I could enjoy it, not in the real world where it didn't make sense.

Worried that she was having some kind of episode or breakdown, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "Hey Amy maybe you should sit down."

Narrowing her eyes at me, she snapped, "Now why would I do that? Just because I'm old doesn't mean I need to be coddled!"

And just like that she was back to her usual prickly self, no more crazy talk.

"You know I think I might have just what you want for your party."

As she was talking, she pulled out a smallish wooden chest with a brass latch on it. It was very ornate with strange carvings that looked almost Norse in origin…but not quite. Like something older, that I just couldn't place. Almost magical, wow now I'm the one thinking crazy.

"Go ahead open it," she said, her voice startling me out of my thoughts.

"Ok if you're sure."

At that, I took the chest and looked at it appreciatively for a moment before opening it. The latch came up easy as if it was oiled often, the inside was padded with black velvety fabric, but I hardly noticed that.

What I can only liken to a cuff of some kind - not unlike one of Wonder Woman's bracelets - but much more impressive, it looked to be made of pure silver. It was covered with the same designs that the wood was, on the inside as well as the outside, strange.

For a second, I thought it looked like it was glowing but I blinked, and it was gone.

Grinning at me Amy asked, "So what do you think? Do you like it?"

Tearing my eyes away from the beautiful piece I nodded dumbly. Did I like it? I loved it, I honestly couldn't believe it hadn't been bought up immediately.

"I love it, but how have you not sold this yet?"

Glancing at the bracelet she smiled.

"I thought you would ask that ya see this is an old bracelet. It was found in Norway a long time ago, ma husband got in an online auction many years past. There was a legend attached to it: Whosoever wears this bracelet will go on a life-changing journey of adventure. But we were never able to sell it because no one was ever able to get it around their wrist because of its small size, really too bad that."

Oh, just your average magical bracelet that would suddenly make my life more interesting. Sure.

Deciding to go with her on this I asked, "Why should I be able to make it fit? I mean if no one has why should I?"

She let out a raspy laugh and nudged the chest closer to me.

"Oh you're an exceptional girl Lis, I think it's been waiting for the right person."

She had that strange look in her eye, the same one she got earlier when talking about other worlds and making me think she might be having a stroke.

Increasingly concerned for my employer's wellbeing, I looked down at the glinting silver.

"And you think that's me do you?"

It wouldn't hurt to at least humor her and try to get it on.

Huffing at me, like she often did, she said, "I for one think your life could use a little adventure, all you do is go to school and then come work here. When was the last time you went on a date, hmm?"

Oh not this again, if she brought up Andy I swear…

"I'm just waiting for the right guy, but this isn't about that," I said defensively, "Do you really believe that a bracelet that hasn't fit anybody, will turn my life into an adventure if it fits me?"

She looked down after my little outburst and sighed. I hope I didn't hurt her feelings. Even if she was on the edge of being a bit crazy, I did really like her.

After a moment she looked me dead in the eye as she began to speak, "I've seen a lot of things in my life, and one thing that I learned is nothing is impossible, nothing. And I think you believe that too with a bit of time."

What the heck, it would make her happy if I tried it on so I would.

"Oh ok, let's give it a try shall we," I said, carefully picking the bracelet up, surprised by the weight of it in my hand.

"Here goes nothing," I murmured to myself, fulling expecting it to be too small even for my slender wrists.

But it slid on like it was custom made, if a bit snug. Very surprised by this I gaped at how perfectly it fit, while Amy stood there looking like the cat that ate the canary.

"Well, what did I tell you, nothing is impossible."

As soon as she had said this, a bright glow begins to come from the bracelet, and a warm feeling starts to creep up my arm.

Incredibly alarmed by this I looked to her in panic.

"What the…Amy, what is going on? Why is it doing this?"

Immediately I tried to pull it off, but no matter how hard I pulled it wouldn't come off. I was seriously beginning to have a problem as it started to burn uncomfortably.

"Maybe this is the start of your adventure Lis," Amy said, a strange sort of empathy in her eyes.

I could barely hear her though, and right before my eyes, the shop was fading away into nothingness.

A genuine fear of what was happening to me started to set in as things began to disappear around me.

"What about school? My family, what will they think happened to me," I asked her, my voice sharp and pitched in fright.

"I will take care of everything, don't worry about them. Just promise me you'll keep an open mind in this yeah?"

I wished her words had the calming effect I'm sure she meant for them to, but they didn't. I wasn't sure if I could promise her that. Somehow, defying all logic and sense that I understood, a magic bracelet was pulling me away from everything I knew. But I really had no other options at the moment aside from all-out panic.

Trying not to cry I looked at the last bit of reality I could see, kind blue eyes that seemed to say it would all work out.

"I-I promise Amy, I'll try."

The light then got brighter and brighter until everything was immersed in a golden glow and with a searing flash of heat everything disappeared, and I blacked out.

So I know this isn't the new chapter a lot of you wanted, but I've got exciting news! I am rewriting and editing The Thing About Destiny, so lots of changes and upgrades are coming to Anna's story. At first things will be minor but once Anna lands in the Marvel universe each chapter will get significantly longer and the changes will be noticeable. Going back I can see all the rookie mistakes I made, both in the story itself and then in my style of writing, so I'm working like crazy to get this story at the level I want it to be. I've found several continuity issues that need addressing and then this story is old enough that it doesn't match the current MCU as much as I would like so I'm making some major changes there as well. If anyone has any theories of where this is going to go, I would love to hear them. I'm back working one-shots as well, so expect more of those going forward. I also might be working on a new secret fanfiction...so there's that too!

Going forward, I will try to edit this all in a timely manner. I have the first few chapters finished and I'm working on the rest of it, as well as new chapters to continue and, gasp...finish the story! I just graduated and have the summer to work on this before I start grad school, so fingers crossed a get a lot done on this. Check out my social media if you want to connect or see what I'm up to, feel free to follow me I love talking with ya'll. I'll make sure all the links and usernames are current on my profile. I'm writing little drabbles and one-shots on Tumblr and I'm back to being on there regularly so hit me up!

Lastly, I would like to say thank you specifically to all of you who have given me constructive criticism over the years and continued to read and support my efforts here. I am well on the way to writing some things that I feel could be published one day and I know that getting my start here was a fantastic experience and I've made some brilliant friends along the way. So to all of you, and to anyone who has stumbled across my stories over the years, thank you for everything. I'll never stop writing fanfiction and I love having grown up with such an amazing community of readers, much love to you all!

Here's to a summer of updates, staying safe, and fun!