Ceres is mine and the X-Men are Marvel's. The song is "Inside the Fire" by Disturbed. Great song, get it. This takes place before Avengers Disassembled and before Scarlet Witch went crazy.
Chapter 1
Ceres looked at the people crowding New York again. She looked up at Stark Tower; it was time to find Tony Stark. She walked up to the secretary.
"Hi, I'm looking for Tony Stark." Ceres said sweetly.
"And who are you?" He asked suspiciously.
"An old friend and I need to talk to him."
"Sorry no one gets to see Mr. Stark without an appointment and you aren't on the list at all." He said, frost in his tone.
"Ceres!" Tony Stark recognized her and strode up. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, this man is saying I don't have an appointment." She answered.
"Come on up to the office. I have some people you should meet." Tony gestured to the elevator and she stepped inside, taking out her iPod nano. It was on Disturbed and she turned it all the way up.
Ohh Devon
Won't go to Heaven
She's just another lost soul, about to be mine again
Leave her
We will receive her
It is beyond your control
Will you ever meet again.
Devon
No longer living
Who had been rendered unwhole.
As a little child,
She was taken
And then forsaken
You will remember it all
Let it blow your mind again.
Devon lies beyond this portal
Take the word of one immortal
Give your soul to me
For eternity
Release your life
To begin another time with her
End your grief with me
There's another way
Release your life
Take your place inside the fire with her
Tony stopped her. "Good song. Who sings that?"
"Disturbed. I've been listening to it since it came out. I hope someone notices how awesome it is." She chuckled.
"Well, come and meet the Avengers. Your new family." He said as the elevator door opened to a large room with a conference table in the center. She recognized them by their costumes, but stopped dead when she saw him.
"Tony, I don't think I can." She tried to back away.
"Nonsense. Meet the group, stay. I need you to complete this team." He said seriously.
"No, I can't. Not with him here." She pointed to Logan. "No way."
"I need him. You don't have to be friends with him, just say hi." Tony said.
"Fine." She gave up. Tony wasn't letting her get away. They walked into the room and everyone greeted Tony. Logan had a beer in hand and was sitting at the far end. He noticed her, but said nothing.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and Logan," Tony began, as the group chuckled. "May I present Ceres? She has powers that will help this team." Logan shot out of his chair. "Something wrong, Logan?"
"Powers? You never said you had powers." He yelled. Ceres flinched and sat down beside Tony Stark.
"Can I finish?" Tony asked politely. Logan nodded. "As I was saying she has powers that can help us. I want you all to help her out. She will be staying here with me until she is ready for a place of her own. She has a force field; she can heal out in the field, and the most important power she possesses? She's an empath. She senses others' emotions, often involuntarily."
"Hi." Ceres greeted timidly. She was listening to her iPod nano as the others, with the exception of Logan greeted her. Ms. Marvel, War Machine, Spider-Man, Thor, and Captain America all came over to greet her.
"Unfortunately, I can't speak for anyone else. But you look like the Celestials of legend from what the All Father has told me." Thor said as she giggled.
"The maidens? My mother says that my lavender hair and golden eyes make me a siren if anything else. I corrected her, saying sirens have darker features." She answered him. "It is nice to meet the Norse God of Thunder."
"Pleasure is all mine, fair one." He smiled.
"Ms. Marvel, the leader of the Avengers." Carol said as she extended her hand. "So, why did Tony steal you away from your home?"
"He said he needed my empath ability, to sense distress." She answered truthfully. She had never been one to lie. "My empath ability covers all of Manhattan at the moment and no one seems upset. I have perfected it so I can pick out one person over millions of bodies."
Carol looked at her. "Good, we could use that and your healing will come in handy too."
"Well, well, the empath." Spider-Man chuckled.
"Spider-man, I've heard you are the wise guy in the group."
"And one of the geniuses." He gloated.
"Nice to meet you and I look forward to working with you." Ceres said.
"War Machine, Rhodes if you like, miss." Rhodes said as he took her hand.
"Nice to meet you. I hear you and Tony go back to before he was Iron Man. Tony and I have a history." Ceres said, laughing lightly.
"You sleep with him yet?" Rhodes asked quietly and Logan perked up for an answer.
"He's tried, but it will affect our professional relationship. I declined and he promised that one day he would. I don't doubt it. That is if he can catch me. I also fly." She winked at Rhodes who smiled and walked away.
Captain America walked up to her next. "Hello, Ceres. I am Captain America."
"I know. My father told me stories about you."
"But your file says you are almost as old as Logan."
"I still look like I'm 19." She stated.
"So you do. Is that why Tony wants you to live here?" He asked, good-naturedly.
"I suppose. But I cannot be sure."
"Well, good to have you on the team." He said, walking away to talk to Carol, leaving her and Logan to themselves.
She was about to pull out her iPod when he was on her. She gasped started and looked at him intently. He measured her and she was still beautiful
"Ceres, you still look the same as you did in 1894." He breathed.
"So I do. Is it going to be a problem? Us working together, I mean? Especially since I now live in Stark Tower with Tony?" She asked.
"Why don't you live with me at the Institute?" He questioned.
"I know Tony better than you. You disappeared on me, remember?"
"Yes, but maybe we can pick up where we left off." Logan said hugging her.
She pushed him back with her force field gently. "Look, I don't know. It could get awkward and I would hate it."
"So what now?"
"Let me think about it and I will come to a decision. I promise." She kissed him on the cheek.
He flushed briefly, then his tough demeanor was restored. "Okay, darlin."
"You are really bad at hiding your lust for me." She said walking away.