Stephen Strange's magic training was going far better than Amaterasu had been expecting. In all honesty, the wolf believed that it would have taken far more than a week to get to the point of growing flowers or other vegetation. Yet, Stephen thrived. Soon enough he was slashing down bamboo with little trouble. Following that, she had him attempt to grow his own, which he managed to figure out after several hours.

It was a little unnerving how quick he took to it. Once Stephen had honed in on the feeling and found what he needed to do, he replicated it without issue. He was now able to grow an assortment of wildflowers with a brush stroke, and could cut and slice bamboo with ease. He wasn't using her magic quite as much anymore, instead drawing on something inside himself to perform the feats.

Today, however, the duo was taking a little rest from the training. Stephen had asked Amaterasu if they could take a little detour this morning. He wanted to go to the hospital where worked; mentioned he had to sort out something important.

This is how Amaterasu found herself hurtling along the streets of New York in Stephen's Porsche. The mild concern the lupine had over the speeds they were moving was muted by something far more fun.

She was sticking her head out the window!

Amaterasu was disguised as a German Shepherd once more. She stuck her head out of the passenger side window. This was all so different! Moving fast with wind in her face and fur without putting any effort in! She opened her jaws and snorted in amusement when the wind flapped her jowls. The air circled back through her nasal cavity as they moved along, a silly whistle coming from her nose.

Stephen glanced over at the supposed deity he was learning from. There was no way she was a Goddess. Magic wolf? Sure, why not. The deity of the sun, though? Not a chance, she was not at all refined enough.

The Doctor grumbled and swatted at her tail as the wagging appendage slapped his chest and face. She was far too excited by the prospect of normal dog things. However, he couldn't help the light laugh that slipped from him when she bit at the air. The little growl that escaped her and the excited wriggling of her body were amusing.

The duo found themselves in the parking lot of the Metro-General Hospital soon enough. Stephen slipped his car through the much smaller number of people entering and exiting. It was odd, knowing that the lupine beside him was responsible for that.

Stephen pulled into the spot in his usual manner, double-parking the vehicle without care as was habit. He stepped out of his vehicle. The wolf followed him soon after. He locked the car behind him and tossed the keys up in the air, and held his hand out to catch them once more.

They didn't come down.

Strange glanced up, then shifted his gaze to the ground around him. A short bark caught his attention, and Stephen turned to see Amaterasu with his keys dangling from her jaws. He watched while the wolf padded toward his car, and gestured to the side with her head.

"What?" He gestured with both hands in confusion. "What do you want? Gimme back my keys."

Ammy narrowed her eyes and tossed the keys toward the man. The keys hit the pavement and skittered to his feet, much to his displeasure. He crouched to collect the keys while he watched the wolf. The large lupine nosed at his car and then pointed to the side again, causing Stephen to only grow more confused.

The wolf gave a huff of annoyance and yipped at him. She made her way to the side and pawed at the parking lot lines on the ground. Amaterasu then stepped back to Stephen's car and planted her paw on the line his car was seated over. She then shifted her head to the side to gesture her intent again.

"What? It's normal, it keeps scratches off my car. It's fine, I do it all the time." Stephen brushed her off and turned toward the hospital once more. A louder, more aggressive bark caught his attention, and he gave an annoyed sigh as he turned. "Look, I'm not gonna move the car just because—"

The wolf step over to the side of his vehicle. She raised an eyebrow at him and planted her shoulder between the driver and passenger side door, beginning to push. Stephen gave a laugh, surely she wasn't serious.

"Come on, we're wasting time. You can't… can't…" Stephen paused when he noticed the car rock slightly. The wolf's paws were digging into the asphalt, claws tensed. "Hey, cmon, you're gonna dent it. Knock it off." The wolf snorted once at him and paused in her movements, giving the man an annoyed look.

The duo looked at one another, and when Stephen didn't move, Amaterasu began to push harder. She heaved her weight against the car and started tilting the vehicle farther. Only a slight amount, but Stephen noticed that it wasn't stopping. He pursed his lips. Surely she couldn't push much more than that.

Amaterasu, meanwhile, thought Stephen had grown too lax in his respect of others since he started getting the hang of the brush techniques. It was time to change that.

Stephen staggered back as a heavy weight pressed down on his body. The powerful weight of magic, as he had come to recognize, flared out from the wolf with a wave of pressure. He watched in concern as the wheels of the car started to lift on one side. Higher… and higher.

The wolf was watching him, a smug grin on her face. Stephen refused to give in.

He changed his mind when the expensive vehicle gave a groan of tortured metal. The surface against the wolf's shoulder crumpled and deformed, the car jolting back a small amount. The lupine didn't even shift; she stepped closer. The tires on the opposite side squealed and squeaked as they hopped against the pavement. Slowly, the car began to slide across the parking lot, every inch causing it to tilt further—

"Alright! Fine! I'll move it!" Stephen gave in with a growl. The heavy weight pressing down on his form vanished in an instant, and the wolf stepped away from the vehicle. The expensive sports car hit the pavement and rocked side to side as the springs settled it once more. "Fucking… what the hell? You couldn't just leave it as is?"

Stephen walked forward while a myriad of curses rattled in his mind. He moved to the side of his car and looked down to inspect the damage. There was nothing wrong. No bent metal, or cracked paint. No scuffed edges of the tires nor scratched panels. It was perfect, no damage whatsoever.

Another yip from behind him had Stephen turn. He stared at the wolf for a long moment, the lupine's paw raised and pressed against the door.

"Don't."

Ammy wagged her tail in reply. She shoved her paw forward and the metal caved inward. She pulled back to reveal a paw print on the door and bent metal around it. The wolf shifted her gaze to it, then looked up at Stephen. She flicked her tail and turned, giving a little lupine laugh as she padded toward the hospital. The message was clear.

Don't be an asshole, fix it yourself.

As upset as Strange was, he sighed and stepped into the car. He grumbled as he worked it back and then parked properly in the stall. After he exited, the Doctor looked up at the wolf waiting for him at the entrance of the hospital, her illusion having long since dissipated. He'd have to get her to teach him how to repair things next.

The duo stepped into the hospital and Stephen delighted in seeing the staff double-take. The looks between the wolfess beside him and then to himself were amusing. Then came the excitement and the light scramble, and he huffed. This wasn't going to be some short little trip like he wanted it to be, was it?

Amaterasu delighted in the attention and the sudden excitement that filled the hospital once more. She wouldn't have a ton of people to help out this time, but she was still absolutely going to help. The great wolf glanced at Stephen, and then back at the workers. She tilted her head a small amount, her ears flopping to one side.

"Could you come with me for the moment, Amaterasu? I need you around so I can explain some things. That should let them gather whatever list of patients they need dealt with." Stephen wasn't talking with the staff to confirm anything. Instead, he spoke at them.

Amaterasu wasn't really a fan of how Stephen conducted himself today. He's polite to her, sure, but he was still dismissive of people around him and had a hard time realizing it. So, Amaterasu looked at him and sat down. She shook her head to deny his request entirely.

"What do you mean? I need you so that Christine can—"

Ammy cut him off with a short bark. She stared at him, judging, and then shifted her gaze to the staff that observed the pair. Stephen glanced between the two for a moment, not quite understanding. The wolf rolled her eyes and moved to sit beside Stephen this time. She barked up at him and then pointed her nose toward the staff members once more.

"You… want me to ask them?" Stephen asked. A sharp nod was his reply. "I… okay? Er…" He glanced up at the staff watching the pair, not appreciative of the relaxed smirks they wore. "…Could I take Amaterasu with me to see Christine, while you—"

A sharp nudge against his side had Strange looking down at the wolf. She huffed and pointed her head at the front counter staff members, in an attempt to tell him to try again. Stephen rolled his eyes.

"May I take Amaterasu with me to see Christine?" A moment of thought. "And… would you be able to make a list of patients for her," he pointed to the wolf, "to help?"

Amaterasu flicked her tail in annoyance. Getting Stephen to be polite was like trying to paint fine art with her Celestial Brush; near-impossible and took far more time and effort than it needed to. It should be simple, but nope!

Thankfully, several of the staff agreed to Stephen's request. They seemed surprised at his asking. Yet, they moved to speak among one another, calling others in the hospital, all in an attempt to decide who they would be able to write down. People with broken bones, cuts, stabbings, and any internal damage that wasn't too severe. Ammy couldn't heal everyone yet, but she would damn well try. Maybe she could at some point down the road.

With everything sorted, Stephen turned and began his trek down the hall. Amaterasu followed along behind him, while her tail flicked side-to-side as she recalled this place. It was nice. They had given her some muffins! She hummed and made a mental note to visit these places again, for both a snack and to check on more people to heal. Then she could make a long trek into the rest of New York and visit every hospital in the city. That… would take a little while…

Ammy huffed as she followed behind Stephen. They stepped into the staff lounge where none other than Christine Palmer was waiting. She looked upset. Angry, to be specific. Christine relaxed a moderate amount when she saw none other than Amaterasu behind Stephen. A hint of a smile crossed her face before she returned her frown to Stephen.

"Christine, you look absolutely—"

"Cut the shit, Stephen," Christine snapped.

"…lovely." Stephen finished.

"You've been avoiding my calls and haven't been to work in nearly a week. I know that this whole 'magic' thing threw you off but come on. The ER doesn't stop. I know none of your 'super important surgeries only you can do' have been coming up yet, but for fucks sake, I—"

"I've been learning magic," Stephen cut in.

Amaterasu blinked as her gaze swapped between the duo. Both were quiet for a moment. One looked as if she couldn't believe what the other said. One looked as if he couldn't believe what he admitted.

This was going to be a whole thing, wasn't it? Amaterasu glanced around the room, then created an illusion of herself right between the duo. The wolf began to creep her way from them and began the hunt for something far more interesting to do. There had to be food around here somewhere, right?

Ammy gave a little huff as she stepped across the tile floor. She had to make sure to keep her claws lifted to stay silent while invisible. Her first goal: the fridge. The wolf huffed as she approached the closed container and reached up. Her jaws clamped around the handle and she started to pull.

The gentle tug wasn't doing much; the door stayed shut. She pulled a little harder, to no avail. Was the door locked? A brief check confirmed that it was not and that it should swing open freely. What was keeping it closed? She grumbled to herself and increased the strength she was using, planting her paws on the floor. She pulled harder, and harder, and—

It was tipping! Ammy made a startled little noise in the back of her throat and scrambled to settle the fridge down. She slowly, agonizingly, lowered the appliance. When she felt the weight rest on the floor she gave an annoyed grumble. She turned away from the fridge and flicked her tail at it. Sure her illusions hid the visible aspects, but they did nothing for the noise.

Stupid break room refrigerators.

Now irritated, the wolf decided to check elsewhere around the break room. Surely she could find something to eat! The great lupine deity couldn't imagine that a busy place such as this and staffed at all hours would be lacking in snacks to nibble. She glanced at the top of the counters, which were unfortunately bare. There was a machine with a cup in it, covered in blinking little buttons, which Pepper had affectionately called a 'coffee maker' during the little tour she had taken them on. Entirely useless to the wolf, as were the packets of sugar. Could she even drink coffee? She would answer that question at a later date, for now, it was snack time.

She continued her quest, pausing for a moment as she heard Stephen and Christine raise their voices. She glanced over, trying to tune in. Something about "irresponsibility" and "not paying attention." Surely they weren't referring to her, right?

The wolf dismissed the idea with a shake of her head and continued her search through the cupboards. She'd pull them open, and then stick her head in to see if there was anything useful. Bowls… Odd utensils… A whole cupboard of gloves. Just drawers full of weird and inedible materials, much to Amaterasu's annoyance.

Her search continued. She looked through the lower cupboards, not quite ready to clamber onto the counter yet. However, her search seemed hopeless until she finally stumbled upon a box in the back reaches of a cupboard, tucked away behind some cleaning supplies.

Pancake mix. That sounded like food. Well, from what she had heard at least, pancakes were food. So this must just be pancakes in a box! How compact! People were certainly resourceful when they needed to be. The wolf deity was mildly impressed at humanity's ingenuity.

The lupine perked her ears for a moment. Stephen and Christine were yelling at one another now… Well, she didn't hear any violence. Ammy reassured herself that everything was perfectly fine… probably!

The wolf gripped the box in her jaws and pulled it from the cupboard, setting it on the floor with a soft thud. She looked at the closed packaging and huffed. The little cartoon pancake on the front looked happy, so this must be tasty! Now… how would she open it?

She fumbled and fiddled with the box. It was weird, the box was unnaturally smooth and had an odd sheen to it. It didn't taste like anything she was familiar with. Still, she lay down and used her forepaws to grasp the box. She bit down on the top of the box and wrenched her head back, a healthy bite torn from the top.

Well, the box certainly wasn't tasty. She spat that out with a huff and shifted her attention to the now open box. It looked like… sand? The smell coming from the box wasn't terrible though and did vaguely remind her of other hospital foods she had smelled while running around. It was probably food! Without hesitation, Ammy stuck her snout into the box, opened her jaws, and shoved deeper. She clamped her maw down on the supposedly delicious material, ready to experience the absolute bliss of these so-called pancakes.

It was not delicious. Not in any conceivable way. The wolf reeled back and tilted her head as she tried to withdraw. She had shoved her head too deep into the box; it was stuck on her muzzle, and over her face.

She pushed up to her feet and whipped her head around, struggling to dislodge the death trap. She coughed and spat out as much of the horrible-tasting powder as she could, hoping she hadn't been poisoned already. She staggered to the side and crashed into the counter, the rattling thud and loud crunch echoed around the room. She tried to pull away further and stepped backwards; the idea of stealth had long since vanished from the wolf's mind.

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Amaterasu continued her walk backwards. She took long, awkward steps as she stumbled. The attempt to remove the box from her head hadn't worked in the slightest, so she whipped her head to the side. The loud crash and thud let the wolf know that she cranked her head against a cupboard and shattered the wood. The box remained stuck on her head, much to her immense displeasure.

She felt a tingle in her nose, and the feeling grew larger with every moment. There were hands on her back now. Stephen and Christine were talking to her, but… That tickle in her nose… She scrunched her muzzle in an attempt to hold back the growing tide. Unfortunately, she was not successful.

A powerful sneeze erupted from the lupine, followed by two startled and disgusted shouts. Ammy could feel the powdery pancake mix rocket out of the box on her face. The annoying and horrible mix covered every inch of her head, tickled her ears, worked down over her back, and was just unpleasant. She pawed at the box on her head in an attempt to remove it, but her claws wouldn't catch the plastic on the outside of the box.

"Amaterasu, stop moving!" Ammy paused for a moment at Stephen's voice and grumbled. She stood still and felt a tug on the front of the box. Without hesitation, she wrenched her head back and came free with a trailing explosion of the awful powder, rearing back like a majestic stallion. The annoying mix shot into the air and settled down like snow on the wolf's formerly white coat.

Ammy stood still with her eyes closed. After a brief moment of silence, the wolf shook herself off violently. A horrible cloud of pancake mix floated into the air around the trio and had them all covered in dust in moments. Not at all finished yet, the wolf reeled her head back and took a breath. She paused, and scrunched her nose, attempting to stave it off. She held herself high…

She sneezed. She sneezed harder. Ammy sneezed harder again, and the powerful blast echoed around the room. She couldn't stop, every sneeze more violent than the last.. Her head dipped further downward with every sharp explosion, and she shook her head after each one. Her head hit the floor with the next sneeze, but she couldn't stop. She staggered to the side and let out another harsh explosion of air in an attempt to clear her nose. Unfortunately, that was the wrong way to go, as she slammed her side into the fridge. The heavy appliance door caved in from the impact. One final, sharp sneeze sent her head to the floor again. She cranked it against the tile and caused it to shatter into an absurd number of pieces.

Finally… A moment of peace and silence… Amaterasu opened her eyes and took a breath. Fresh, clean, pancake-mix-free air filled her lungs. She held still, trying to recover from the horrifying, violent fit she had been subjected to, her ribs aching and—

"Are you serious?" Stephen's voice broke the peace. The empty pancake-mix box flew through the air and bounced off Ammy's snout, much to her displeasure. "Christine and I were having a serious conversation, and—"

A little laugh interrupted Stephen. Followed by a chuckle, then a snort. Soon enough, poor Christine was against the counter, hands on her middle, unable to control herself. Stephen just stood confused as he watched his girlfriend laugh so hard tears rolled down her face. Amaterasu was also confused but joined in with a little rumble of a laugh herself.

Stephen Strange stood in the midst of all this chaos, unable to believe what had happened. He and Christine had argued and it sounded like they were going to take a break from one another. Then all of the chaos started. Crashes and bangs, wood being shattered, tiles being broken. The massive form of the "Goddess of the Sun" had walked backwards around the corner with a box on her head.

"Stephen… hun, you are such an ass," Christine laughed as she teased Strange. Stephen was about to respond when a short yip of agreement from the wolf cut him off. Instead, he turned his attention to the lupine and attempted to frown at her unsuccessfully. This was an absurd situation that had the often moody Stephen Strange in higher spirits.

"Hey, don't agree with her!" Stephen protested, unable to help the smallest smile gracing his face. This was all far too silly, not at all something he was used to dealing with.

"Shush, don't harass the poor wolf just cause you wanna be a dick," Christine sighed, recovering from her laughing fit.

Another short, sharp bark was given by the Goddess, and Stephen shifted to face the wolf once again. He opened his mouth, then paused, and gave the lupine a look.

"…Can you say that again?" He asked. Stephen seemed a little more excited now, his gaze locked on the wolf.

"Arf!" Ammy replied. She wagged her tail and gave the Doctor a little head tilt when he grimaced.

"Not… not that part. That's rude." Stephen huffed. "Tell me a number. Something I wouldn't be able to guess."

"Arr."

"Three."

"Wurf!"

"Forty-two."

"Awoof!"

"Amaterasu, bacon isn't a number…" Stephen paused for a moment, then, the realization hit. "I can understand you..."

Amaterasu wagged faster in response and gave an excited bark. She pounced forward and jumped, her paws smacking Stephen's shoulders and gripping tight. The man staggered a little and then grimaced as the wolf lunged forward to lick at his face over and over again. He struggled to push the 200 pounds of wolf off of him, subject to the intense affections of the Goddess of the Sun, and all the wolf slobber that came with it.

This just set off Christine once again, the poor woman doubled over with laughter. Stephen merely scrunched his face and accepted the fact that he wouldn't be able to pull away from the strong wolf. He was subject to Amaterasu's excited wolf antics until the point Christine decided to help him.

As disgusted as he was though, Stephen couldn't help the surge of joy that filled him. He did it. He could learn magic! If that bald 'Ancient One' would accept him… She had mentioned something about his ego. Multiple times actually… He had been doing magic far better when he realized he knew nothing and relaxed. He had felt a little amused at the absurdity of the situation when he finally understood Amaterasu.

Maybe… Maybe he had been wrong. He couldn't have been the wrong one all those times he and Christine argued… could he?

"Amaterasu," Stephen began once the wolf had calmed down, "I'd like to skip the last day or two of our training if that's alright." He paused in an attempt to find the proper words. "I… need to take a little time for myself, and… I've been neglectful of Christine. I'd like to take her out," he turned to face her, "if you'd like that."

Luckily enough, the woman agreed, on the stipulation that she choose when and where, and Stephen wasn't allowed to complain at all. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment but he nodded all the same, leading to a shocked look from Christine. A hug was shared, and the two looked a little more at peace than when the day started.

Amaterasu, for her part, sat and watched. She gave a happy little growl and padded her paws on the tile floor. She was excited for him. For them, actually. She hoped it would work out… Once Strange learned to relax and have fun, that is.

For now, though, Ammy had to clean up. There were broken tiles and cupboards to repair, and a massive mess of pancake mix to clean. She also had to run around again and help heal people the best she could with her remaining time. She had been inactive with that for the last few days and needed to pick up the pace. Today was going to be one of the longer ones, wasn't it?

Any thoughts were stopped when she watched Christine make her way over to the fridge. The wolf observed the woman planted her left hand on the top portion of the appliance, while the other pulled on the bottom handle. The door opened, and Ammy's jaw dropped. So that's how it was done! She wagged a little faster at the knowledge. This would be very useful later…

The large wolf caught a muffin that Christine tossed her and scarfed it down. The little warning from Christine to not eat the wrapper came a moment too late. Today was going to be a good day, Amaterasu was sure of it!

With the three of them finished and much happier than when they had entered, they began their trip around the hospital. There wasn't much of a rush in the building that day as the wolf healed patients. Another two hundred people were able to walk free from that one hospital that day, healthy, happy, and very appreciative of a certain wolf. Many more would follow suit across the city.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

The Director of SHIELD was in dire need of some good news. The world was a terrible, terrible place, and sometimes it felt like he was the only one that held it together with his bare hands. There wasn't enough time in the world to deal with every single issue that arose anymore.

Terrorism. Corrupt politicians. Assassinations. Revolutions in foreign countries. Aliens. Mythical deities. Sassy billionaires. Beings made of pure hate. Mind control. Secret experimentation. Weird Nazi cults. Devil worship groups. And last, but certainly not least…

One weird fucking magical dog.

He was dreading the moment Japan finally took notice of this. Would they claim blasphemy? Would they start worshipping her? Maybe some cult assassins would come to try and kill the dog in some odd conquest to reclaim their goddess and restore order to the universe. Honestly, he had no clue just how they were going to react, other than that it would be annoying to deal with. Fury made a mental note to have an extra agent or two pose as civilians and swap shifts into the shrine to keep tabs on the wolf. One agent always present wasn't going to cut it if things got out of hand.

Nick Fury broke out of his thoughts. He strode down the hall and stepped into the meeting room, his leather boots ghosting over floor. The former super-spy came to a stop and nodded to Steve Rogers as he stood up. The super soldier gave him a nod in return.

"Rogers," Fury greeted, "please tell me you found something on your assignment."

"Well, I found something, even if I'm not quite sure what that something is." Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out a little notebook. Fury raised an eyebrow as he took it, then glanced up at the soldier.

"Why isn't this on the encrypted phone we gave you?" the Director eyed Steve with a squint.

"Well… the phone died. I couldn't find—"

"It has a seven-day battery life. You weren't gone for that long." Fury interrupted the soldier with a raised eyebrow.

"…find the charging cord, so I looked around, and—"

"It has wireless charging… You just put it down on the pad that says 'charge' on the console of the Quinjet." He sighed at the flustered Captain America and gave his head a little shake. He flipped open the notebook and started to look over what was penned in. "Tell me what you found out."

"It was… odd. The townsfolk weren't very willing to talk. I found them in the middle of burning a bunch of weird plants, and managed to grab a few for samples." Steve frowned and walked around to the side of the table to lean against it. "The way they were behaving was off..."

"How so?" Fury set the notebook down for a moment, turning his full attention on the super soldier.

"Well, when I got there, it almost seemed like they were waking up. There was a lovely older woman who invited me for tea if I helped clear out her garden. She was cursing someone out in a different language. Something about an 'Agnes' but she wouldn't talk more about it." Steve frowned and crossed his arms. He drummed his fingers on his bicep in thought.

"There was this younger kid though. Riley. He made mention of a few things before he was ushered off by his parents. Spoke about a 'Victor Von Doom', and that he shot lightning from his fingertips. Said this Doom person caused all the damage to the town. When I asked anyone else about it though, they shrugged it off. They didn't seem too upset about the damage. Some mutters about 'good riddance she's gone' and then they were off again. They weren't scared, they were just… relieved? I wrote down more about it."

Fury narrowed his eye ever-so-slightly as he gazed at the super soldier. He brought a hand up to hold his chin and cover his mouth while he picked up the book again, his eye going through every little detail Steve jotted down.

"Whatever it was that happened, they seem much better off now," Steve added.

"I'll have someone run research and see what we can dig up. Ideally, we're not dealing with a less restrained Thor running around, we've got enough super-powered deities to worry about." Fury sighed, snapped the book closed, and tucked it away in his coat.

"Speaking of deities—"

"That's why I mentioned it, Rogers." Fury interrupted and cast a knowing look at the super-soldier.

The Director held his hands behind his back and sauntered his way toward the window at the side of the room. He came to a stop and tapped his gloved fingers against the back of his other hand. Fury stared out the window toward the general direction of Central Park. Their current position in the SHIELD headquarters in New York afforded them a gorgeous view of the city.

"Fido is causing a stir," Fury admitted, still facing the window. "People are eager to see her, and the excitement around her is only growing. She hasn't done much in the last few days, but that's just adding to the chaos."

"What do you mean? Is she alright?" Steve stepped closer to the Director. He tapped his foot in worry, mind going a little faster. He hadn't known the wolf for very long, but he wasn't going to let someone that eager to help get trampled so soon. He'd been through the whole 'appearing in another time/world without anyone around them' thing before. It sucked.

"Oh, she's fine. Better than fine, actually. She's getting faster. The collar we've been tracking her on has shown a gradual increase in speed when she's not limiting herself. Several videos have already shown additional abilities that have come out of nowhere since you've left." Fury turned to face Steve.

"Then what's the issue?"

"There's been… whispers of unease from people. Very powerful people. You know these medical companies, absurd prices, bullshit explanations just to get the slightest amount of profit." Fury paused, then sighed. "Politicians defending the wealthy so they can keep power. Defending all the lies, all the bullshit. She's not good for them. There's nothing happening at the moment, Stark's little donation ensured that, but…"

"But?" Steve raised an eyebrow. Fury sighed.

"But… if things keep progressing, her helping is going to impact them. They aren't going to like that very much and might try to… prevent her from helping people. Try to work new laws in. Get something in the way so that we would have to step in. I'd rather not do that, to be clear." Fury stopped, turned his gaze back out to New York once more, and sighed. "If things keep going the way I think Fido's been dragging them, there's going to be a shift. Powerful people are going to start squirming, to keep things from changing."

"Sir?" Steve asked.

"Rogers. We're still under the United States government. What do you think's gonna happen when powerful people start putting pressure on those in charge?"

"…Oh," Steve replied. "Is there… something we can do? Something I can do?"

"Unless you can undo centuries of cultural ideology and convince every last person in the world that change needs to happen… no. No, you can't." Fury turned to Steve once more and gave him a firm look. "Keep Fido on her best behaviour if you can. It'll make it harder for them to make up reasons to step in."

"Yes, Sir."

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

The last few days were going very well for the Goddess of the sun. The Ancient One had agreed to take Stephen in as an apprentice, though reluctantly. She did threaten to strand him atop a mountain if he didn't behave, to which Stephen very readily agreed. Classic Sorcerer Supreme. Ammy had found it hilarious.

With that little side-project completed, Amaterasu found herself without any one specific goal to follow. So, she made her way back into the city once more. She had only managed to deal with all the hospitals on this one island; there were plenty more to go. So, on she went. The wolf made her way into various hospitals, not even bothering to open the front doors over the days.

Numerous reports of a white blur of floofy wolf started circulating the internet once more. On the third day, things started to change. One, two, three hospitals finished and there wasn't too much commotion. On the fourth, there were some people that stood around the entrances, which she jumped over. It wasn't much of a hinderance.

By the time she made it to the twelfth hospital, it was absurd. Large vehicles and numbers of people had gone on to random hospitals throughout the city in an attempt to see her. To talk to her. Maybe to beg her for their own help. She ran at far too fast a pace to notice anything more than "Ama—" before she was gone again, either into the hospitals or out into the streets.

By the end of the day, the poor wolf was exhausted. The illusion around her form was a little grainy, and her paws dragged on the grass as she made her way back to the shrine. She felt strong, more so than she had since coming here. But she was done for today. All that running, jumping, healing, and expending far more energy than before had drained her. It was nap time for the wolf, and she was very much looking forward flopping into her bed.

Unfortunately, as the wolf came upon her shrine in the late evening, her wishes for rest were shattered. There were… far too many people. It was absurd. Why were there so many? She couldn't see the lower walls of her shrine with the number of people crowding around it. There were so many lights. So many sounds. Why? Was everyone okay? What if someone had gotten hurt in her shrine when she wasn't around to help them out?

Against her better judgment, Amaterasu dropped her illusion.

The reaction was immediate. One person saw her, then another. Then several people ran toward her. Then a swarm of them. A wave of people crowded around her. A tsunami of unrealistic proportions, all those lights and voices and people washing over the wolf. It was overwhelming. Too much to focus on at one time, and threw Ammy off. She couldn't focus on any one thing.

The wolf was stunned. What was happening? Why were they all here? She just wanted to rest for the night, and then go back to help more people tomorrow. Why were they stopping her? She hadn't met these people before; all these strangers and unfamiliar faces crowded around her. They knew her name. This was all so alien to her. She struggled in the sea of light and colour and sound, unable to tell where she should look.

The wolf took a slow, hesitant step forward.

The crowd shuffled back a little.

Amaterasu took another small step forward.

The waves of people retreated further.

The Goddess of the Sun began to stride forward.

The oceans of humanity parted before her.

A corridor of flashing lights awaited her. Voices shouted over one another for her attention. She forced her gaze forward, not giving any one person more than a pacing glance, not any more attention than the other. Every step filled her with guilt. She had to continue on, away from the voices that called for her; begged for her attention. Hands reached for her, hesitant to touch her or stop her. Every brush of fingers against her fur weighed the wolf down further. Every time she planted her paws felt as if she were walking toward a cliff; the edge loomed nearer the more she walked.

All these voices. All these people. They wanted her help. They needed her help. She couldn't do anything for them right now. She couldn't pick and choose, or force some to leave. She helped people today, didn't she? She liked to think so. Amaterasu tried to be a force for good and to encourage people to help others. This didn't feel like she had encouraged them to help. This felt selfish. Greedy. Unclean. It felt as if they were near her and thanking her for their own benefit. The confusing thoughts roiled dangerously within the wolf's mind, overwhelming her.

The sounds and voices didn't stop as she reached her shrine. Even her own home felt disrupted by this amalgamation of senses clamouring for her attention. She walked along the stone pathway, and under the tall cherry blossom trees that loomed overhead. The falling petals felt far heavier than they should, trying to drag the wolf down to the stone below. The natural peace and beauty of her shrine no longer existed at this moment. She didn't even get to glimpse at the artwork she and Steve had made on the outer walls of her home.

Her paws touched the steps. The wolf climbed the steps to her home, leading away from the people that refused to come closer to her. No one touched the foot of the steps as she ascended. This was wrong. Why did they regard her like this? She was supposed to be alongside them, helping and healing and encouraging them to be their best.

This was unfamiliar; it concerned her. Amaterasu turned at the top of the stairs and looked out over an ocean of people.

This was wrong.

Without a sound, a gesture, or any other goodbye, she turned. Amaterasu walked into the little building and glanced around. Everything was still untouched. No one entered her home. Why did this upset her?

Ammy gave a soft huff and stepped onto the little bed in the center of the building. She didn't even attempt to circle and dropped her weight onto the bed. She tucked her nose into the edge of the bedding and curled her tail around herself.

Amaterasu huffed a gentle breath. Though her mind raced, and concerns swirled within her, she shifted in an attempt to get comfortable. Her soft breaths were the only sounds within those barren walls. She forced her eyes closed, trying to avoid the thoughts of the hundreds of people around her home. Thousands of them. Too many for her to conceivably count.

She wanted to help them all, but…

Could she? Could she conceivably help that many people? How could she tell if they even needed her, instead of just begging for her attention to get some kind of reward? Treating her like some sort of revered being, instead of what she wanted to be to them.

A friend. Someone they could turn to for support. A kind, pleasant figure that brought hope and encouraged those around her to do their best. To be their best. To help one another and encourage them onward to a brighter future. But instead, they turned their attention and energy toward her. She didn't want this excitement. This fanaticism over her presence. No, she didn't want this…

Never this…