-THERE IS ONLY SLIGHT MENTION OF WHAT HAPPENED IN AVENGERS...NO SPOILERS-
Allo, everyone. First things first, I do not own the Avengers. I sadly never will. BUT I do own three Loki action figures. (that is as close as I shall ever be). I only own Anuliefer and Valdis. (Anuliefer is a slight play on the name Anleifer, which means heir to ancestors in Norse myth.) My grammar is not perfect, and I need help on comma usage and sentence structure!
I literally watched Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, THREE TIMES to get attitudes right. But my writing needs work. :| AND I have already been told that Tony Stark is a bit...'off'...if you have seen Avengers, then he wouldn't be so 'off' XD
There aren't too many pairings. It's basically TonyxPepper and LokixOC. But the Loki pairing is only mentioned because I have a hard time seeing him with someone more than just to use them.
This is my first upload :D So reviews and ratings would be lovely! Be Harsh, Be Nice, just tell me stuffs! (cookies would be nice too!)
(I hope putting this whole thing on one story is okay for you guys. -.- I hope it isn't too bad with those of you with mobile)
I promise there are no more comments...promise.
"I don't need a daughter!" A desperate cry sounded throughout a New York Hospital. "What am I going to do with a daughter?" Out of one room flew out a body of a woman that gave birth not ten minutes ago. Her body was broken and bruised and splattered the wall with a horrible amount of blood.
There was another loud cry that resembled a wounded animal and then the only thing that echoed through the building was an infant cry and the labored breathing of the woman.
Shield operatives surrounded the hospital; due to a bomb threat earlier. The woman's body was carried out like a broken doll, she was barely alive. When the operatives actually walked into the destroyed room, left on the bed was a crying baby girl. Her skin was a light blue, and patterned with a dark green labyrinth of lines. Her eyes were black with a red iris, scaring a few of the agents.
"Sir?" an operative walked over to Nick Fury with the baby.
With eyebrow raised he held the child. "We could use her." Her skin started to turn pale and she quieted down. A few strands of jet black hair were flattened to her small head, and her horrible eyes turned an emerald green. "Poor damned little thing, looks exactly like him."
"The woman said something before she flat lined. We believe she was the one that teamed with Loki and caused the hospital to be evacuated."
"What did she say?"
"Anuliefer Lokidotor."
Nick sighed. "Send Valdis' body to the lab."
"Shouldn't we send it to our morgue?"
"I told you what to do."
"Is there a reason you are giving me a child?" Tony Stark didn't take his eyes off of a hologram screen. "Hate children, too needy."
"We need her powers, if she can harness them we can defeat Loki." Nick said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Tony turned to face him. "How? The most we could do was have Bruce batter him up a little. The guy is impossible. And I'm not betting on a child that you found orphaned is going to help us." He looked down at the sleeping baby. "Is she some sort of mutant? Can she turn into an animal? What made you bring a baby of all things; here?"
"She is Loki's daughter."
He dropped his scotch glass. "Are you crazy? When he finds out that we have her he is going straight here and destroy my tower; again!"
"He thinks her dead." A lie escaped Nick's lips. "Besides he never has to know."
Tony shook his head. "Give her to Natasha or someone else. I don't have the patience for a child, let alone a demi god child. " He looked over at the child who just yawned. "Does she have a name?"
"Valdis named her before she died. Anuliefer."
"What a name." Tony shook his head. "Annie Stark would be better." He went back to his screen, and with the push of a button he called up Pepper.
"You do know I was two rooms away, you could have gotten me." Pepper walked in a few seconds earlier.
"Pushing a button is so much cooler. Besides, we need to get that spare room ready."
Pepper tilted her head to the side then seen Nick with a baby in his arms. "Where did the baby come from?"
"We're going to raise her and train her."
She picked up the child. "So young and already has a head full of hair." She said quietly and smiled when the girl yawned. "What is her name?"
"Annie Stark."
Later that day, Nick left without the child.
The girl grew fast as do demi-gods. Her hair grew long and jet black, making her green eyes and pasty skin stand out even more. Spoiled as she was by Tony and Pepper, she knew something was odd about her. She would have dreams of a golden city and a king that could harness the power of thunder. She would tell her parent this, but they would not speak of anything about it. It was an odd subject her dreams.
She learned at a young age that she had ice powers. While her parents forbid her to use them outside of the tower, her father created a training room so she could understand what she was capable of. Even Tony had troubles containing the power that such a small girl held.
So he devised a chip that would halt her powers to a certain level. When she was asleep he injected the chip by a small medical gun in the back of her neck.
"Will she ever find out it's there?" Pepper whispered.
Tony shook his head. "It won't be stopped by airline security and she will never feel it. The only two that know it is there is us."
She walked into the stainless steel kitchen in just a bathrobe. She filled her glass with water and held the glass tight as it started to get colder in her hands. Her face twisted into a grin as it froze over. "Ice water." She said to herself and walked into her room. She sat at her desk and worked on a project for school, occasionally sipping the water. Every few minutes she would end up slamming the pen down and look through a book. She cursed her stupidity. Her father was a genius, and she was just barely hitting a B average in school. Many of the teachers gave up on trying to see if she would be at the top of the school.
"Anuliefer." A voice whispered.
She looked around for the source, but found nothing and went back to work.
"Anuliefer, do not ignore me." Was said again, but louder.
She stood up and looked around her room. "What in the hell?" She pushed a button on the wall and it opened the large curtains to display windows that showed night time New York perfectly. "Hello?" She shook her head and shut the curtain. "Need sleep." She rubbed her eyes and turned around and paused.
In the middle of her room was a tall woman with ebony hair flowing through a hole in her hood like she was in water. "Anuliefer Lokidotor." Her voice filled with malice. Her face was not visible as she was dressed in all black mourning robes.
Annie shook her head. "That's not me."
"You cannot lie to me!" Her voice shook the tower. "I know the lie you live today! You are not who you think you are!"
"You better leave! My father can hurt you!" She backed up to the wall. "He's a rich and powerful man that will kill you if you will not leave!"
Her laugh filled the air. "I am Hela! I rule the underworld and I do not fear death! I am coming for you, dear half-sister! I'll show you what kind of man our father is and why I need to destroy every part of him in every realm!" Her form disappeared.
The door slammed open and Tony and Pepper ran in.
"What is going on in here?" Tony shouted, out of breath.
Annie started to cry. "This woman showed up out of nowhere! She kept calling me a weird name saying that I'm living a lie." She cried harder once Pepper held her. "She called me her half-sister and that she's coming for me."
The two looked at each other as Tony left the room in a hurry.
"What's going on?" Annie sobbed.
"Everything will be just fine, are you sure it just wasn't a nightmare? You've been working hard on your graduation project for a week now."
"It wasn't!" She looked up at Pepper.
After she cried herself to sleep, Tony walked back into the room. "You need to take her out of the country. I'll have JARVIS book a flight to the Caribbean or something."
"She isn't safe is she?"
"No, Thor is on his way to ask questions." He rolled his eyes. "I don't know what he needs to know."
"What I need to know is important. Did she describe this woman?" The Asgardian walked into the room.
Pepper shook her head. "She just said that her name was Hela and said she was coming after her."
Thor's face fell. "Hela." He shook his head. "Was she sure of her name?"
Pepper nodded. "Yes. She called Annie her 'half-sister.'
The God didn't say anything for a while.
"Thor?" Tony lifted an eyebrow.
He looked over at Tony. "She's in a lot of danger. She knows exactly who Annie is."
"But since she called Annie her half-sister…that means Loki is the father of Hela?"
The blonde nodded. "He has three children. Fenrir, Jormungand and Hela."
"We've never fought them."
"We do not need to. Fenrir is held in captivity. Jormungand is keeping up Asgard and Hela should not have been a problem. But she's creating one."
"Why?"
Thor shook his head. "I don't know. But she's not safe here. I'll see if I can find Loki and maybe he can get her to stop."
"That's going to be a family reunion."
"Loki hates his children. He'll kill them if need be."
"Then why keep having children?" Tony asked.
"He's trying to have a child that will have his power and be able to fight with him."
Pepper and Tony looked at the sleeping Annie. "Her ice powers." Pepper whispered.
"But Nick told me he thinks her dead."
Thor looked over at Tony. "Since when did he tell us the truth about anything?"
That same night, Annie and Pepper boarded a plane to a small island where they could get away.
"But mom, it's the end of school."
Pepper smiled at her daughter. "We'll figure that out later. Go to sleep now."
The plane was dark and quiet until a force rocked the plane and woke everyone up.
"Mom." Annie whispered.
"Shh…" She reached in her purse and wrapped her hand around a small warning panel meant to call Tony.
"We're sorry for the turbulence." The voice over the intercom said calmly.
Annie shook her head. "The pilot didn't sound like that earlier." She whispered.
The lights on the plane went out and it started to lose altitude. "MOMMY!"
Everyone started to scream and Pepper pushed the button on her communicator.
The pilot door opened to show Hela, but without her robes. Half of her body was beautiful, while the other half was a rotting zombie corpse. "Did you think you could get away?"
"That's her." Annie swallowed and shook her head.
"You're all going to die now." Hela laughed as the plane plunged even faster.
"I don't want to die!" She screamed.
Hela pushed Pepper out of the way and grabbed Annie by the neck. "You will die, and I will have fun tormenting your soul."
"NO!" As she choked, her skin started to turn blue. Her hands found their way by Hela's horrid face and she grabbed hatefully.
"LET ME GO!" Hela screamed as ice started to cover her. "Stop it!" She threw Annie onto the floor of the sloping plane. "YOU!" She screamed in agony. "You have his power! That horrible power!" The ice started to cover her face. With another scream she disappeared.
"Mom!" Annie ran over to Pepper and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry."
Pepper swallowed and hugged her daughter whose skin started to turn pale again.
"We're not going to die." Annie whispered.
"Dad is coming for us." Pepper whispered.
"I am going to help." She let go of her and opened the emergency door, the force of air caused to her be sucked into the sky.
"ANNIE!" Pepper screamed, she couldn't get close to the door. Everyone flooded to the back of the plane, and one person grabbed her arm to take her with the group.
The ground was closing in on her as she shut her eyes and put her hands in front of her face. With a scream she created a circle of ice that caught the plane by the wings. Within seconds of hitting the ground she used more ice to slide down to the grass.
Iron Man shot through the air and stopped as he saw the plane safe. He flew through the open door to see the travelers bruised, but safe.
"Tony!" Pepper ran over to him. "Is Annie out there?"
"Annie?" He flew out of the plane to see Annie sitting on the ground.
"Daddy!" She stood up. "It was her!"
"It's going to be okay, Annie."
"It's not going to be okay." She said softly as her skin turned blue again. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
Through the mask, Tony's face turned pallid as he stared at her blue form with blazing red eyes. 'No.'
'Sir, the power emanating from her is just like that of-'
"Shut up."
The plane was put on the ground and everyone was sent home. Annie was once again home, but this time surrounded by Nick Fury and her parents.
"She knows of Annie's powers." Tony told the leader.
"Which I get from you apparently." Annie had knees up to her chin on the couch. "She said that I have my father's horrible powers."
Tony looked at Nick.
The door opened and Thor appeared.
Annie stood straight up. "Thor?"
"You know me?"
She looked over at Tony. "That's the King from my dreams in that golden city!"
"And you know of Asgard?"
Tony put a hand over his face. "This isn't going the way it should."
"What's going on dad?"
"You have a god thinking that you are someone else just because of your power. She's a god that will lie no matter what it takes."
"So you are a King then?" Annie asked.
"Yes, and that golden city you were mentioning is called Asgard."
Nick looked at everyone, and then the building shook.
"Now what?" Tony sighed as the glass blew from the penthouse.
"I believe I got rid of your problem." A slick voice echoed as the head of Hela rolled onto the plush carpet and into Annie's feet.
She screamed and jumped onto the couch.
"What that really necessary?" Thor shouted back.
"Nick, get her out of here." Tony ordered.
"Of course it was necessary." Thor's younger brother appeared. Green eyes blazing and his golden horned helmet gleaming. He had on a little grin that made the hairs on the back of Tony's neck stand up.
"Get her out now!" Tony shouted.
Nick agreed and started for the scared girl.
"Sorry about the little waste, she seemed to decide it was time to cause havoc."
"She gets it from her father." Thor growled.
Annie got off the couch and ran towards Nick, but before she could get out of the room, she caught Loki's eyes.
The god of mischief paused and stared at her.
"GET OUT!" Tony shouted and they left.
Loki still stared at the door. "Find yourselves a girl to kidnap?"
"She is none of your concern, brother." Thor grasped his hammer.
Without another word, Loki jumped out of the window to disappear.
"Great, I need to replace the windows, again." Tony rolled his eyes and walked over to Hela's head. "You were right, he would kill them." He jumped back as it turned into ash and blew into the wind.
"She was the least of our worries. If we would have to fight Fenrir, we would have been dead. Damned wolf."
"Wolf?"
"Yes, and Jormungand is a serpent."
Tony stared for a second. "How did Annie become normal?"
"She is part Johtun. She might have another form. He watched the ashes. Hela isn't dead, but she's not stupid enough to go against Loki again."
Tony nodded his head and sighed, the image of his daughter with blue skin haunted him.
"I'm having Stark Tower guarded." Nick walked back into the room.
"How's Annie?"
"Scared, like she should be."
"Do you think Loki recognized her?" Tony asked.
Thor sighed. "I don't know, but the fact he froze when he saw her doesn't count as a good sign."
The next morning Annie awoke to the sound of arguing. She threw on a summer dress and tip toed into the large office her father had in the first floor.
"She's dangerous without someone that knows her powers." Thor's voice came through the door.
"I'm not letting you take her to Asgard. She's staying right here." Her father's voice sounded tired.
"If Loki comes back you aren't going to be able to stop him. He knows who she is, he won't only kill you and Pepper, but he'll kill her in front of you."
There was a long pause.
"We'll accompany her there. Get the others. We'll all go to Asgard to make sure she's safe getting there." Thor tried to persuade.
Tony left out a long sigh. "Fine, but once this gets settled she's back here alright?"
"Became attached didn't we?" Thor joked.
"She's my daughter, Thor." His voice was stern.
There was the sound of movement, and Annie ran back into her room. Her head swimming with so many questions. Who was she? Why were her powers so dangerous? Why was this Loki after her?
The door opened and her father walked in, looking defeated. "Annie?"
"yes, daddy?"
He looked hurt at the name. "We need to talk, a grown up talk." He opened the curtains to the daylight. "Your powers are attracting a horrible crowd that wants to use them for bad purposes. Thor has an army in Asgard that will keep you safe until they give up."
"Is mom coming with?"
He shook his head. "No. But once everything is over you will be back with us, where you belong." He added the last part loudly.
She nodded with a smile.
"Besides, it's not well for a pregnant woman to travel." He added slyly.
She looked up at him with large eyes. "I'm going to have a brother or sister?"
He looked over at her and winked. "Hopefully you're going to have a brother."
Annie looked out the window to see a helicopter landing on the landing pad.
"The Avengers will make sure you get to the entrance. Then Thor will take you the rest of the way to Asgard."
"I'm in that much danger." Annie whispered.
"Yes." He added simply and hugged her. "Thor says you don't need to bring anything."
Annie nodded and watched him leave. She looked over on her bed to the small stuffed cat that she had since she was little. "You're coming with me Moochi."
Captain America, The Black Widow, Iron Man and Bruce Banner were sitting in the helicopter with her. Hawk Eye as she was told was on the Empire State Building, guarding with his explosive arrows.
Tight in her arms was her cat plush toy.
"You'll be fine." Natasha put a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing is going to get past us."
She smiled at the comforting words and looked out at the city getting smaller.
"Alright." The helicopter hoved.
"We aren't anywhere." Annie exclaimed.
Thor smiled. "Not yet. Say good bye."
She watched Tony lower his helmet.
"It won't be long, promise." He promised.
Even in his bulky suit, she hugged him tight. "Of course it won't be long. You'll destroy that guy! And I have to make sure mom doesn't do anything to harm my future sibling!"
Thor grabbed her hand. "Hold on tight, we're going pretty fast."
With one last look at her father, she jumped into Thor's arms and he used his hammer to propel them into a worm hole.
The bright light blinded her as they descended into the city of her dreams. The houses were built out of a metal that looked like gold. And on top of the highest point in the city was the palace. Multiple balconies littered the turrets and the many floors.
"Welcome to Asgard." Thor exclaimed as he led her to the castle.
"This is beautiful." She made slow circles taking in the people and the sights, even though many of the citizens were interested in her as well.
"It's so warm, and-" She stopped and looked at the small shops lining the streets, the children dancing and playing games and the older citizens sitting on small stools smoking pipes with fragrant tobacco. "Comforting."
"Come, we must speak to my parents." He led her into the cool shade of the palace.
Sitting beside the throne was his mother Frigga and his father, Odin. "Who are they?" She whispered.
Thor smiled. "Mother, father, this is Annie Stark. Daughter of Tony." He bowed to his parents. "This is my father, Odin and my mother, Frigga."
Odin smiled weakly; she could feel the exhaustion emanating from him. Frigga stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find you a room." The two left, Frigga talking about the city's history.
Thor looked at his father. "That's her."
"She different from the others." Odin's once proud voice was quiet. "She looks exactly like him."
"She has his powers."
"What makes you think she is safe here?"
Thor smiled. "She's safe because Loki wouldn't dare cause another fight here. He might show up, but as long as she is safe inside the castle, there is no way he will cause her any harm."
"I hope your right."
"Since Thor is your son, does that mean Loki is your son as well?" Annie asked, standing in the large guestroom outfitted in gold.
Frigga's face fell.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't ask so many questions." She placed her stuffed cat on the pillows.
She shook her head. "There is nothing wrong with asking questions. Yes, Loki is my son as well. I still love him very much even though he causes much trouble. He seems to always need to be in competition with his brother. They were completely different growing up. Thor was strong and has strong physical power. Loki is a mental genius and has amazing magic skills. If only he would use them for good. He seems to have gotten himself so caught into his mischief that it has become chaos."
"Was he a lot of trouble when he was younger?"
She nodded slowly. "He acted like we didn't care, that we didn't want to know what he was feeling. But that's enough for now, Annie. Why don't you lie down? The trip for a young girl must be exhausting."
Annie looked out the window. "Thank you for letting me stay here."
"You're perfectly welcome dear." And she left the girl to her room.
The doors opened to the throne room. "Brother, I believe we need to talk." Loki shut the doors behind him.
"You were exiled brother." Thor stood up and grabbed his hammer. "You need to leave." He stood in front of Odin and Frigga.
Loki gave a quick glance at his weapon, but did not extend his own."I want to talk about the girl."
"The girl is none of your concern."
Loki's face twisted into rage. "She is my daughter; I believe she is of my concern."
Thor paused. "How did you know?"
The younger brother laughed. "Do you really think me that stupid? She's my mirror image, and has my powers."
"You left her for dead! You killed Valdis after giving birth."
His face fell. "I didn't know what I would do with a daughter. It was Valdis that told me she wanted to die! She didn't want to follow me anymore and she didn't want to train our daughter to use her powers!"
"She knew you would use them for your horrible games!"
Loki tilted his head. "Games? What I do is not 'games'!"
Thor kept his stance. "She's staying here, Loki."
"Anuliefer belongs with me, Thor!"
"Her name is Annie now."
Loki made his scepter appear.
The shouting had woken her up and with curiosity Annie looked around the corner at the two feuding brothers.
"I want her to not grow up as I did; she needs to know what she is before she destroys everything! She's growing up in a sea of lies." Loki's skin turned blue and his eyes red.
Her eyes grew wide. The blue skin with the patterns, the red eyes…who was Loki?
"She's been doing just fine! So leave before you mess that up!"
Loki's skin turned back to normal. "Just wait Thor. She will find out who she really is and go on an angry rampage. I tried to warn you. Just hope that she doesn't find out here, or Asgard is in a lot of trouble. Her power is great, not as great as ours, but she should still be considered a worthy ally or adversary." He started out.
"Loki." Frigga whispered.
He looked back and gave her a small smile. "Mother." He left Asgard.
Annie ran into the throne room and over to Thor. "What did he mean?"
Thor froze, along with his parents.
"I'm like him aren't I?"
He nodded. "You have ice powers like my brother. But we're trying to help you use them for good purposes."
She looked at her feet. "How did I get these powers?"
"You are part Johtun."
She screwed her eyes shut. Johtunheim, that world of bitter ice she saw in her dreams. "I'm part ice giant." She looked up at Thor. "So Mom and Daddy aren't really my parents."
Thor got on his knees in front of her, "They love you more than anything in this world. They knew what you were and still love you. Your father would do anything in the world for you. Don't let this change anything."
"Then who are my real parents?" She looked down at him.
"We don't know, all we do know is that Nick found you alone as a baby." Thor could feel his heart getting heavier as he told the lies. He did not like telling lies, but these were truths to be told by Tony alone.
She nodded. "Thank you for telling me."
Thor got up and smiled down at her. "Promise me you'll still love them."
"Promise." She smiled and giggled.
"Don't let Loki get to you." Frigga told her. "He think he knows what is right, but it's been obscured by his power. That's why we must make sure you aren't scared of your powers."
Later that afternoon Annie escaped the boring walls of the palace to walk through one of the many luscious gardens. Beautiful flowers she had never seen before, fruits grew on trees that she could not name and small bugs that were as bright as the colors of the flowers were everywhere. The air was clean and fragrant and she felt quite lightheaded.
"It's quite beautiful." A voice scared her and made her turn around. Loki stood by a tree, leaning against it casually.
"You aren't supposed to be here."
He smirked. "How many times have you tested your powers?"
Annie shook her head. "Not many times. I know how to use them…just not very well."
"You need training. You have a terrifying yet, amazing power. Keeping it locked inside will just do more damage."
"I shouldn't be talking to you." She was shaking.
Loki got closer, his voice soft. "I promise there isn't anything to worry about, I'm not here to hurt you." He took his helmet off, showing slicked back ebony hair.
"What do you want?" She stared hard at his face, finding something oddly familiar.
"I want to make sure you are safe. I don't want you to get angry and destroy yourself because you let your powers get the best of you."
She took a step back. "Why do you care? You want to destroy everything anyways."
"Who said I wanted to destroy everything? I want to rule is all. Besides, caring for one's blood is natural."
She clenched her fists. "I am not of your blood; I will never be like you!"
Loki's face twisted into a horrible smile. "Really? You are more like me than you know. The lies that you live in every day are like the lies that I grew up with."
"Lies?" There was that word again. Annie shook her head. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Your father's friend found you in a hospital where my love gave birth to you. They stole you from me!" He started getting angry. "A child with my powers should not be underestimated!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "You're scalp deep in lies, Anuliefer. My brother, Thor isn't one to trust either! He's only doing what father and mother wish him to do. That's why he has them at the throne while he rules!" He took another deep breath and then gave a small smile.
Annie eyes were wide. He had ice powers, she had ice powers. She watched him turn into a blue being, she could do the same, it all made sense. She shook her head.
"Don't deny it; you are the mirror image of myself. I don't know how they thought they could hide you. If you come with me, I could train you! We could rule the 9 realms with our powers!"
"No, I don't want to rule anything." She said softly. "I just want to be normal!" She ran out of the garden, getting lost between buildings and large gatherings of people. She stopped at an empty field and collapsed. She wanted nothing more than to hug her mom and daddy. She didn't care if they weren't her real parents. They weren't psychotic people bent on taking over the world. She should have known something was up when Hela said that she had 'his horrible power'. Tony had no powers, just his suit. Tears burned her eyes and soon fell down her cheeks. She grew angry at herself, she was always quick to tears.
"Annie!" Thor ran over to her. "We've been looking all over for you!"
She looked up at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what? I've told you everything-"
"Liar. Loki was here. He told me what I am and who I am. He told me how your friend stole me out of the hospital. "
Thor stood on the spot. He didn't know what to do.
"Am I that dangerous that my powers had to be hidden and forgotten?"
"You aren't dangerous; you aren't trying to use your powers to hurt anyone."
Annie wiped her eyes. "Loki is my father, which makes you my uncle."
Thor nodded. "You do realize that your father 'The man of iron' is going to kill me."
"I'll protect you. But since you are my uncle that means Frigga and Odin are-"
"Your grandparents. Your real name is Anuliefer. It means 'Heir to the Ancestors'. Your mother named you correctly."
"Who was my mother?"
"She was a great warrior that had fallen in love with Loki. But she went down the wrong path. Come, it's getting dark. I want you safe and inside." He helped her up. "This was a lot to learn today."
"That it was. I learned what Loki wants of me."
"He told you?"
"He wants me to fight alongside him to rule the world and something about the 9 realms." She looked up at him.
"He won't be able to do that. Not with you on our side."
"Does anyone else know any more of my mother?"
Thor shook his head sadly. "She lost a lot of her friends when she fell in love with my brother."
She was quiet the rest of the walk. When she sat down on her bed she reflected on the day's events. "Why can't I be normal? What was my real mother like?" She asked out loud. With a disappointed sigh she laid on the bed. "As if I expected an answer." Her stuffed cat stared back at her.
"What do you mean she found out?" Tony shouted in a rare angry outburst.
Thor stood up straight. "My brother found her."
"You told me she would be safe!"
"He did not hurt her. He just told her everything you didn't want her to know."
Tony gripped his scotch glass. "Bring her home."
Thor averted his eyes. "If that is what you wish."
"I want her home so that I can explain to her further. I don't want her hating us."
The god just nodded and went on his way.
"What are we going to do Tony?" Pepper was sitting on the white sofa with an expression of worry.
He looked into her eyes. "Tell her we love her and hope that she doesn't turn into her father."
"You are the only father that she knows. So she'll give everyone the cold shoulder for a few days and then emerge like nothing has happened."
"I don't do that, Pepper."
"Whatever you say Tony." She smiled at him.
"Just remember Tony and Pepper have tried their hardest to be the best parents." Frigga whispered to Annie. "We didn't want to tell you everything because that was not Thor's duty to."
She nodded her head and hugged the goddess. "Thank you." She bowed to Odin and Frigga. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here."
Thor picked her up and used his hammer to fly down to the clouds.
When Stark Tower was in sight, Annie started to smile. "Home."
"I'm glad you will always think of it that way." Thor told her as they landed on the balcony.
"Annie!" Pepper ran and hugged her.
"Mom!" She hugged back and Thor seen the look of relief on her face. "Asgard is beautiful! The gardens have flowers that I have never seen before!"
Thor left as Annie told her about Asgard.
"Your father and I would like to talk to you." She led her into the main room of the penthouse.
She sat on the couch, looking up at Tony expectantly.
"I guess you found out." He had a drink in one hand.
She nodded. "I just wish you would have told me sooner."
Tony sighed. "I didn't want you to hate us." He sat down beside her. "He lies, just remember that. You are nothing like him, and you have a heart. We didn't want you to know because he would try to use you as a weapon."
Annie nodded. "So am I dangerous?"
He shook his head. "Your powers have a strong limit, which is controllable."
"Is Loki going to kill me?"
He looked at her for a few moments. "I don't know."
She walked into her room and sat at her vanity, Loki's words telling her of living lies echoing throughout her conscience. She looked at herself in the mirror and jumped in her seat. The image of Loki appeared in the mirror, and then disappeared to her disturbingly alike reflection. Her hair even curled up at the shoulders like his did, her eyes had the glimmer his did, and her skin was pale and surprisingly flawless like his was. She swallowed at the likenesses. "I'm not going to be like him. I'll even give up my power." She told the mirror. She stood up and put her hair in a ponytail for bed.
"Annie?" Tony opened the door and jumped back a few steps.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. "Nothing, just thought I seen something." He took a deep breath. "You're coming with me to S.H.I.E.L.D HQ tomorrow morning, so get some good sleep."
"Why am I going there?"
"I think it's time for you to know what we're up against." After saying good night, he left.
Annie crawled into bed and shut her eyes. She knew exactly why he jumped like that, with her hair up and in baggy pajamas, there were very few ways to tell her and her father apart. He was terrified of that likeness. A few hours later, she finally fell asleep.
The S.H.I.E.L.D HQ was a large glass building with security so tight a mouse would be destroyed if caught in the wrong area.
"Are they going to do tests on me?"
Tony looked at her. "Of course not! You're here to start some serious training."
"For what?"
"To go against what we've been fighting for years, bad guys."
The rest of the walk to the meeting room was quiet. When the doors opened, sitting at the large table was, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, and Nick Fury.
"You're late." Nick stood up.
"You know girls, gotta look their best all the time."
Annie rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm the one that woke YOU up." She took a seat.
"Annie Stark, you have an opportunity of a life time ahead of you." Nick held a button for the holographic screen. "Due to your powers and your ability to use them, you have a chance to become one of us, The Avengers. Our duty is to defend the Earth against international warfare." He ran through pictures of Loki destroying buildings and fighting Thor. Multiple villains with powers were shown on the screens, their faces twisted with horrible expressions as they tried to take out her father and his allies.
"And a sociopath with no feelings." Natasha added.
"That 'sociopath' is my brother." Thor remarked.
"And our main enemy." Tony said and then put a hand up to silence them.
"We do have more objectives than that. Being one of us is hard work and it's always extremely dangerous. You can't depend on your father to always save you."
"Did you even hear about the plane incident? I'm pretty sure she can take care of herself." Clint spoke up. "She saved over ninety people and that's nothing to look over."
"It's also nothing to get an ego over. Many times the world is in danger and she must think of the people before the glory." Nick retorted.
Annie shook her head. "I don't want to be a hero." She said softly.
Nick studied her for a second. "We need to get you something to protect yourself."
"I can do that." Tony smirked. "I'm pretty sure I can get something that will accommodate her powers."
The leader nodded. "As of today, Annie Stark you are a member of The Avengers."
As she sat in the limo his speech echoed in her head, drowning out the sounds of her father coming up with ideas for armor.
'You cannot let your feelings come into your line of vision, never let anyone tell you that you shouldn't be here. Every fight there will be a chance you will die, you will be injured, you will see comrades fall. You cannot let Loki into your head; he will try to mess with your judgment.'
When the limo stopped at Stark Tower, Tony shook her lightly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just thinking."
"Scared?"
She nodded. "I know I have powers, but I'm not as strong as any of you. I don't want to be in your way of defeating Loki." Her last sentence left a bad taste in her mouth.
He got out of the limo and helped her out. "You'll be fine, you're a fighter and don't worry about what Nick said. You are a hero for saving those people; you could have died saving them."
They got on the elevator to his lab. "JARVIS, scan Annie we need to see if we can suit her up with something."
"Yes sir."
After a few scans, JARVIS' speech started to skip.
"What's going on?" Tony asked, but the glitching system wasn't any good answering.
"She shouldn't need your armor." Loki sat on a chair, in a suit with a dark over coat and dark green scarf. His black hair was slicked back and in a ponytail. "She should be able to generate her own."
"I'd rather have her in something that will protect her."
"Her armor should, just like mine would." He stood up and transformed into his dark green and gold armor with his horned helmet gleaming.
Annie shook her head. "I never tried."
"Just feel it, imagine yourself in a battle ready to fight and you need to protect yourself. Feel the need to save yourself."
"Don't do it Annie."
She disobeyed and made her body tense up as if she was ready to be attacked. A warm feeling flowed through her body and she could feel her energy spike. The tips of her fingers started to turn blue and then as fast as everything started, it stopped. "I can't." She admitted softly. "I'm not that powerful."
"You're more powerful than you think. You have a god's power!"
Tony clenched his fist. "I might not have my armor, but let's see how you handle a fist!"
Loki's face twisted into a smile. "I'll leave in just a moment." A large arm of ice shot out of his hand and circled itself around Tony.
"Leave him alone!"
He chuckled. "You're next." Another arm of ice circled itself around Annie. "Something needs to be known!"
"STOP IT!" The hard surface of never melting ice was crushing her body, as cold as ice is there was no cold to the ice. In fact, her body was slowing turning blue
"DON'T YOU-" Tony's voice was stopped as ice covered his mouth, sealing it shut.
The God took two long nailed fingers and dug into the girl's neck.
"STOP!" She screamed in agony as a few trickles of blood fell onto the ice holding her captive.
The realization of what he was doing made Tony shake his head, his eyes wide.
"There is it." Loki's voice was dangerously low. "Look, Anuliefer, look at what was shortening your power supply! Look at what this man you call your father was controlling you with!" He held between two bloody fingers a chip with Stark Ind. engraved in the corner.
Annie blinked a few times and started at the small piece of silicon. "What is it?"
The ice disappeared and the two fell to the floor.
Tony admitted defeat. "When you were little, bursts of your energy would destroy things. So we placed a chip into your neck to keep your powers at a limit so you wouldn't hurt yourself or other."
Loki let her go. "Sorry for the bloodshed, but it had to be done."
Annie stood up, hand on the back of her bleeding neck. "You implanted me with a controlling device? The same device used for criminals with psychotic backgrounds?" She couldn't believe that he had done that to her. Did he actually trust her at all? "So I am dangerous!"
Tony shook his head, his face pale behind the helmet. "You are only dangerous when you want to be, but when you were a child you couldn't help your power."
"I'm not a child anymore! I know how to use my powers!" She ran out of the lab and the elevator shot down.
"See what happens when a child is brought up on lies?" Loki smiled and smashed the chip.
"You started something that we're going to finish Loki. Just wait, you'll die by my hands."
"Sounds delightful." Loki licked the corner of his top lip and disappeared.
"Sir?" JARVIS came back online.
"It's alright, everything is under control."
"I was just about to say that Annie is no longer in the building. And I cannot track her."
Tony opened the ceiling. "That's because her chip is gone."
"That isn't good."
"No, no it isn't. Leave a hologram message saying that we'll be back later to Pepper."
"I hope you're right sir."
"I'm always right."
Since the chip was removed, Annie realized that she could feel power cursing through her. She was running faster than she had ever before and wasn't getting tired. Before she knew it, she was outside of New York City and into a desolate broken part of a vacated town. It was perfect to try and test herself.
'Feel the need to protect yourself.' Loki's voice echoed in her head.
She stood in the middle of the cracked pavement and shut her eyes. The warmness flooded through much faster that last time and within a second she felt herself in a heavy armor. In the cracked glass of what looked like a store window she saw herself in dark gold and forest green. Her gold helmet covered her left eye, but left two menacing looking slices to look through. Right above her ears were two long curved horns and a hole in the back of it let her hair come through in a short ponytail. Her boots were green leather and the points curved like a jester's boot.
"Shit." She looked closer in the glass to see that with the image binding helmet, she looked exactly like Loki. The glass cracked and shattered. "Guess I should've expected that." She felt warmth through her fingers and created a large ball of ice. "That's a lot easier."
'You look so much like him.' A soft voice came into her mind.
She looked around and blinked. "Who is that?" But the voice never came back. She slumped on what was left of a bench. That chip halted her powers to a considerable level, and it made her beyond angry. Something rattled in her brain. 'Daddy is going to get another child. This child will actually be 'his' and it will also have his intellect. People will be raving at the sight of another genius Stark. While I disappear into the background.' Her gloved hands clenched into fists. "I will not be forgotten."
"Didn't I tell you that your powers were impressive?" Loki sat on top of a crumbling building. "You have your own armor. You were born with that armor."
"I might have told him that I wasn't dangerous, but I will fight you!"
He smiled. "Then go ahead, let's see what you are capable of shall we?"
She clenched her fist and a large curved icicle appeared. "GO!" She screamed as she ran towards Loki with her body twisting and she threw the large ice at him like a boomerang.
It went straight through his form. She turned when his laughter came from inside of a building. "Missed."
"How'd you do that?"
"You can do it too."
She ran inside the building, the floor was weak and she could feel it start to give way. "Where are you?"
"Find me."
She walked up a set of decaying steps and saw two of him sitting side by side on the bed.
"It's not hard, just split your energy up into small parts. Not too many, don't want to be weak when they are destroyed." He then fused into one and jumped out the window.
She ran over to the window and looked out. It was a good two stories.
"Jump out! It won't hurt you!"
"You're crazy!"
He started to laugh. "I know that I am! Now jump!"
She didn't know why she trusted him, but she lifted a leg out the window and let her body fall. She landed on the ground with a thud on her feet. There was no pain, just a dull throbbing in her feet. "Holy shit."
"See? That chip would have eventually destroyed you."
She looked over at him and created her ice boomerang again. "I'm still not done with you!" She threw it again, just to be caught by him.
"You cannot defeat me, your powers are great, but mine are better."
She wasn't listening, she sent wave after wave of ice beams his way.
"ANNIE!" Iron Man landed on the ground.
"I can take care of this!" She shouted.
"Can you really?" Loki grinned and sent a wave of ice at her, sending her flying through a wall. The building shook and fell on her.
"NO!" Tony shouted and ran towards the rubble.
"If she would have trained with me, she wouldn't have this problem." He turned and left.
Like a madman Tony dug through the rubble searching for his daughter. "Annie?" He called when digging brought him nowhere. "Annie? Can you hear me?" He froze when he heard some rubble move.
"Daddy?" Her voice was muffled.
He ran to the source of the sound and started digging. He found her safe, and unharmed due to her armor. "Annie!" He pulled her out and wrapped her in a hug.
"I'm so sorry daddy." She pulled away and took her helmet off.
He took his mask off. "Never run away like that again!" He put his hands on her face. "When I saw you go against Loki, I thought he would kill you. You are MY daughter and I don't care what that psycho says, you're staying here."
They hugged again and started to walk home.
"I'm glad she's safe sir." JARVIS said into his mask.
Tony just smiled.
Annie finished her school work and graduated. She didn't graduate with top honors which was expected of her by most of the city. She felt she had left her father down.
"I'm sorry." She said softly in the limo, still in her dark purple cap and gown.
"For what?" Tony and Pepper both asked.
"For not being Valedictorian, everyone was thinking I was as smart as you."
Tony looked over at her from over his sunglasses. "And do you think I cared what people think? I don't think you should either. It causes too much trouble." He slumped in his seat. "I don't remember my graduation being that long though."
Annie laughed and watched out the window.
The members of the Avengers were in the penthouse of Stark Towers, congratulating Annie on graduating.
"So what are you going to do?" Natasha asked, sitting down with her on the couch.
Annie shook her head. "I don't know yet. I don't know whether to train with you, or to go to college. But I don't know what I want to go for. I'm not really good at anything. I was at best a mediocre student." She sighed.
"Do what you want to do. Don't try to live up to your father's name. Your father is having trouble enough trying not to do that."
She smiled at the red head. "Thank you."
"You could be a doctor." Steve added.
She shook her head with a smile. "I don't think I'd be a good doctor."
"Teacher?"
"Bratty little children? No thanks."
"I swear you are just like Tony." Pepper rolled her eyes.
The laughter soon died down as everyone went home.
"Looks like you got a lot of gifts." Pepper hugged her.
Annie smiled up at her. "Yep, and Daddy is taking me training tomorrow." She looked over at Tony who was slumped in a chair snoring. "Dead asleep."
"Take it easy on him." Pepper chuckled.
Annie walked into her room and sat at her vanity. "What a day." She put her hair up and in the corner of her eye she saw something on her bed. She turned around in her chair to see a long gift box on her bed. She got up and walked over to it. The box was an emerald green and it was tied with a glittering gold ribbon. With slow movements she slid the ribbon off and opened the box, showing a dark green empire waist dress. "Looks vintage." She smiled at her favorite style. The back was corseted and it had a sweetheart neckline with thick shoulder straps. The dress itself came down to her knees. She literally ripped her clothes off and slipped the dress on. It fit perfectly. In the bottom of the package was a smaller box containing a gold flattened metal necklace. "It's so beautiful!" She squealed and clasped it around her neck.
"Mom!" She ran into the living room. "Thank you so much!"
Pepper stood up and looked at her daughter, a worried expression came across her face.
"What's wrong?" Annie twirled, ecstatic of the dress.
"I didn't buy that for you." Her voice was soft.
The young girl tilted her head. "What do you mean? Who else would have my measurements? This fits perfectly!"
Her mother sighed, and then smiled. "You do look very beautiful in it. A dress shouldn't hurt."
"huh?" Tony snapped out of his sleep. He looked over at Annie. "Where'd the dress come from?"
"I thought you bought it. It was on my bed." She looked hurt. "It fits so good."
Tony looked over at Pepper. "Maybe we should find you something in a different color."
"But I like green, it goes with everything."
Pepper put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think it should hurt anything. It's just a dress Tony."
"Yes, it's just a dress." The room's temperature dropped a few degrees as Loki appeared, sitting on the farthest chair. "A nice one as well."
Tony jumped up. "I really wish you would stop coming here."
Loki just raised an eyebrow. "I think I have a right to see her on her graduation day, I even brought her a present, which she looks stunning in."
Annie averted her eyes. "Thank you." Her voice was soft.
Pepper and Tony looked over at her.
"That's all I wanted." Loki grinned and left, the room's temperature going up.
Annie turned and slowly walked into her room. With the dress still on, she fell onto her bed and passed out in a dreamless sleep.
"I want to train." Annie stood in her father's lab the next day. "I want to be an Avenger."
"Did you think about a school?" Tony looked over at her from his work.
"I don't know what I want to do." She said softly and looked at him. "I'm not good at anything."
He paused in his work and looked at her in the eyes. "Being with us isn't really worth losing your life over."
"Yes it is. It's worth having the world safe, it's worth keeping the new generation from being hurt!" Her voice got louder. "You might not like to think of it as this way, but you all are not immortal! Loki is! You will need to train more to continue saving this world!"
Tony chuckled. "You're a damn good speaker. You'd make a good politician." He saw her evil eye. "Relax, I was only kidding. You'll go training today, I promise."
She smiled. "Thanks Daddy!"
"You are spoiled as hell."
"We should take her with us to the gala." Pepper sat at the dinner table. "Let her dress up and have some fun mingling around people her own age."
Tony looked up from his laptop. "She'll get bored."
"No she won't. She's not you."
"Who's not daddy?" Annie walked in wearing a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. She grabbed an apple from the bowl.
"You." Pepper smiled. "You're going to a gala with us."
Her face lit up. "Will I be able to wear the dress?"
"Yes."
"When is it?"
"Later tonight."
Annie squealed and ran into her room.
Pepper gave Tony a 'I told you so' look and continued to look at her magazine.
"What if Loki shows up?"
"I don't think he will."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"I don't."
Stroke after stroke with her brush gave her jet black hair more shine. She was going to look beautiful for this social event. She was going to show everyone that the daughter of Tony Stark might not be as smart as he was, but she can be beautiful!
"Why must you show everyone that you are as good as your father?" The room dropped a few degrees as Loki sat on her bed.
Annie turned. "Because they expect a Stark to be smart and to already have been through college by now."
"You are not a Stark. You are Lokidotor."
She frowned. "No one knows that, and I am a Stark. I might not be one by blood, but he has taught me everything he knows."
"But you do not have his intellect. You do not even have my intellect."
"Then what DO I have?" She started getting angry.
Loki stood up. "You have my power, but no such skill to control it."
"That's useless."
He lifted her chin. "Let me train you. I'll show you magic that this world can't even comprehend!"
"What good is that power when there is nowhere to use it?"
His face split into an unsettling grin. "There are plenty of places to use it Anuliefer. Many realms there are to conquer!"
Annie set back. "I don't want to conquer anything. I just want people to stop thinking that I have to be as smart as my father."
Loki's eyes thinned at the name and he disappeared.
"I'll find a way to make myself more powerful." She ripped the brush through her hair hatefully. "I'll be the strongest Avenger. Then I'll make daddy proud and then everyone will shut up about me being smart." Her green eyes glimmered. She slipped the dress and necklace on. Going through her closet she picked out a pair of black heels. "But first I'll show them I can be beautiful."
Pepper's eyes grew wide as Annie walked into the living room.
Tony took off his sunglasses.
"I believe it's Annie, but it doesn't look like Annie." Pepper joked. "You look beautiful dear." She hugged her. "The limo is waiting."
The gala was in a large mansion outside of New York City.
"I didn't think this many people would be here." Annie whispered.
"Neither did I." Tony groaned. "Okay, we showed up, let's go." He turned, but Pepper grabbed him by the collar.
"Just wait." She pointed to Annie who was with a group of young women.
"So how does it feel to be the daughter of the richest man in the world?" A snotty blonde said before taking a sip of her drink.
"Doesn't feel like anything." Annie shrugged.
"You would have thought that he would have bought you a better dress for the occasion."
Annie frowned. "It's an empire waist, vintage. It never goes out of style."
The girls laughed. "Sweetheart, my dress is cut from fabric that cost two thousand a yard. All of our dresses are one of a kind and yours looks like it could come from a thrift store."
Without another word she turned on her heels and walked away from the cackling group.
"Well that didn't look like fun." Tony clenched a fist.
"They are teenage girls, they will do this."
Annie walked through the crowd, watching the disgusted glances and the whispers behind the palms. Her courage had faltered, and the music had turned into a slow waltz. Before she got off the dance floor, her hand was grabbed. She looked up and was brought into the dance by Loki.
"Humans are quite nasty aren't they?" He led them to the middle. "Always monetary arguments."
"I feel like they need a swift kick in the ass." She frowned. "My dress is more beautiful than theirs."
Loki grinned. "You know they are all talking about you."
Annie scrunched her nose. "Yes."
Tony was being held back by Pepper. "Why aren't you letting me kick his ass?"
"Because he is dancing with her. Nothing more."
"What are you going to do about it?"
Annie shook her head. "I can't do anything about it."
Loki chuckled. "There are many things to do. You are alike your mother in that sense. You were always torn apart by what you should do. She was raised to be a good person, but treated quite poorly."
"Who was my real mother?"
He blinked slowly. "She was a beautiful woman that was torn apart by her so called 'friends' and family. She was expected highly of and this creates pressure. She could not deal with pressure. Don't turn into her, fight back if you need to." He kissed her on the forehead and let her go to disappear in the crowd.
She walked off the dance floor.
"Ah, Miss Stark." An older gentleman walked over to her. "Just graduated I see congratulations."
She smiled. "Thank you so much, sir."
"It would be nice to have had you on honors though. But your father might be able to get you into a school."
She took a calming breath. "I can get into a school on my own terms. I do not need my father."
"On anything less than honors? You might as well try for a community college." A few of the women he was with giggled.
Her eyes started to burn as she looked around and a few of the guests were staring at her, whispering behind their hands and laughing.
"Annie?" Pepper ran over to her.
"I hate being a Stark." Her eyes started to glow. "No matter what I do, I am not good enough." Her voice was low. "I'm tired of being a high class joke."
"You're not a joke, let's go home." Pepper tried to put an arm around her but Annie moved away.
"I'm done." And she ran out of the building.
Tony ran outside to follow, but could not see her. "Shit."
"Now what?"
Tony looked at her with a sad smile. "We hope she comes to her senses. Meanwhile, I'll take the suit and search above ground. You go ahead and take the limo and search for her on ground."
Pepper nodded and sat in the front of the limo. "Let's go."
"I'm tired of being underestimated!" Annie screamed into the wind. She clenched her fists and she was dressed in her armor. "I want to be feared." Her eyes turned red and her skin became the pale blue she was sworn not to use again.
"What are you going to do?" Loki appeared behind her.
"I don't know. I'm tired of being a joke and being laughed at. I'm tired of being lied to!" She shouted at him.
He raised a thin eyebrow. "There is no use just venting. What are you going to do about it Anuliefer?"
Her eyes turned jet black and her iris' turned crimson. "I'm going to show them what fear is."
"What will your 'father' think?"
She smiled. "I don't know, what will you think; father?"
His face split into a terrifying grin. "Do what you will! Show them your pain!"
In the middle of June the temperature dropped to 25 degrees, and snow started to fall. News reporters were clueless and meteorologists were booking to find a reason why.
"Sir?" JARVIS asked Tony.
"Yes?" He was standing on the Empire State building, scanning for his daughter.
"This freak storm is parallel to Loki and Annie's power."
He sighed. "That's what I was afraid of; I need to find the source."
"Before that sir, Fury is on the line and he sent a message stating that he will be sending the others."
"Fuck. Tell them to go away, this is my battle and they won't lay a hand on her. Loki yes, but not Annie."
"Of course, sir."
"What's going on?" Thor came through the clouds and stood beside him. "Your weather has been acting strange."
Tony looked over at him. "Your brother is getting inside the mind of my daughter and we need to find her."
"You can stop looking." Annie walked on a bridge of ice being made as she took every step. "I just want everyone to know that I caused this weather, and this is just a small sample of what I can do!" her skin was a dark blue, and her eyes glowing red.
"You don't need to do this! You've let Loki into your head and he's twisting everything in your mind!" Thor shouted.
"What has he twisted? Everything he has said to me makes sense!"
"I don't think destroying the city with snow will make everything better."
Annie laughed, but it was a dark maniacal side of her no one has seen. "Of course it will! They will fear me once they understand what I can do! Then I will no longer be laughed at and looked down upon because I am not a genius!"
In the corner of his eye Tony could see Captain America and Black Widow in a helejet. "I know I shouldn't have taken you to that gala, but people are horrible and you shouldn't have to prove yourself! What did I say in the limo?"
Before Annie could answer a shot rang out and her body stiffened.
"DAMMIT!" Tony shouted and jetted over to her.
She craned her neck to see in her should was a large tranquilizer dart. "I am not some animal!" She shouted, and then she started to fall.
Tony caught her and looked over at the two in the jet. "I told you this was my battle!"
"Fury's instructions." Natasha looked remorseful. "He wants her in the HQ under surveillance."
"She isn't a criminal."
"Sir?" JARVIS come on his communicator.
"Shut up." He mumbled and then reluctantly took her himself to the headquarters.
There she was placed in a small room, where she was to be under constant surveillance.
She sat on the glass chair, feeling the strain the room's pressure was putting on her powers. "You can't keep me in here forever." She said to herself.
Tony watched the screen in another room. He hadn't left that screen for days.
"You need to get some sleep, Tony." Steve consoled him.
He shook his head. "I'm not going home until she does."
"Did you hear me?" She shouted again. "I will get out!"
'Calm down, daughter.' A soft voice echoed in the room.
Tony sat up and looked at Steve. "did you hear that?"
"hear what?"
Back in the other room, Annie was standing and looking around. "Who are you?"
"Rewind it." Tony ordered the technician. When it was rewound enough, he stopped it himself and played it back.
"It's just a little interference from white noise." The tech told him.
Tony shook his head. "Listen." He played it slower and the message was clear.
"Who is it?"
Annie sat back down, giving up on the odd voice. "If you guys hear that, then I guess I'm not crazy." She talked out loud again. "At least you could do is send me some magazines. Anyone will go loco in this room by themselves."
But only the technician was watching the screen. Tony had taken Steve to see Nick Fury.
"We heard something." Tony slammed his hands on the leader's desk.
"What did you hear?"
"Some entity called her 'daughter.' What happened to her real mother?"
Nick looked up at him with a calm stare. "She's dead."
"You've lied to us before, how can I trust you?"
"You just have to. Now is this all that you need to tell me? You heard a noise?"
Tony stared him down. "Fine, suit yourself." He walked out of the room with Steve behind him. "There is something up."
"We're not going snooping are we?"
Tony grinned. "Let's go Scooby."
"Who?"
He shook his head. "Never mind."
Four hacked doors, sneaking down two staircases and five knocked out guards later, they reached a door barred off with an old fashioned pressure lock. "Doesn't this look innocent?" Tony mumbled to himself. My sensor is telling me that there is an odd force coming through this door."
"Like a ghost?"
"Sort of." He grabbed the circular lock and spun it until the door released a great amount of air and opened.
Somewhere in another realm, Loki's eyes opened wide and he shook his head. "No."
Annie stood up quickly and looked around the room. Something in the air had changed; the hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up.
'Be calm daughter, we shall meet soon enough.' The voice came through the room and then the feeling of the room changed back to normal.
Tony found a light switch and flicked it on. Loud humming lights turned on one by one until the whole room was lightly lit.
A large round containment capsule was in the middle of the room. Inside was filled with a bright blue liquid surrounding a woman with waist length brown hair. She was only dressed with a bloody hospital gown.
"Who is that?" Steve asked.
Tony shook his head. "I don't know."
"So she is alive." Loki appeared behind them and then made his way to the capsule.
"Who?" Tony asked.
He turned and smiled at him. "Anuliefer's mother, Valdis. Your leader has been keeping her alive for some time then."
"That's Annie's mother?"
Loki's smile fell and then turned into a horrible grimace. "She must be let go." He readied his staff.
"You might not want to do that." Nick Fury walked in. "That is a highly combustible preservation liquid. One big bang or high movement will cause it to explode and destroy us all."
"You horrid little mortal! Open it!"
"Why? You are the one that tried to kill her."
Loki fumed.
Tony walked over and looked at the hologram screen. "This says that she's healthy. Why are you keeping her like this?"
"He thinks that if Anuliefer would know who her real mother was that she would become evil." The mischief maker chuckled. "Far too late and far too many lies have turned her that way, not Valdis."
Without another word, the capsule's liquid was quickly drained and it opened slowly, the patient inside slumped to the ground.
"Who did that?" Nick demanded.
"Not me." Tony shrugged.
Valdis at first struggled to stand, the blue liquid covered her entire body making it hard for her to move. She lifted her head to see the men standing before her. "Loki, where is she?" Her voice was hoarse.
"She is safe with us." Tony answered. "She has not been harmed."
"Why are you telling her that?" Steve whispered.
"We have Annie, she won't do anything when we have her."
Valdis straightened herself and wiped off her face. "Four men in this room and none of you have enough respect to hand me a towel?"
Loki snorted and disappeared.
"Some help you were." She mumbled as Tony gave her his shirt.
"Right now you are in our custody." Nick walked up to her, but she materialized a black sword. "We don't mean you any harm."
"Tell me another lie, Fury. Lies stream from your mouth more than Loki's."
"We will not harm you, at least I won't." Tony offered peace.
"Why, Stark?"
"Because we all have the same objective, to keep Annie safe."
"Annie?"
"Anuliefer, while you were gone I took care of her like she was my own." He shook his head. "She is my daughter."
Valdis averted her eyes. "You raised her, she is by love your daughter, but by blood she is mine."
There was a loud explosion from upstairs.
"She'll be here in a minute." Tony had a smirk on his face.
Steve looked over at him. "How'd you know that was her?"
Annie ran in the room and readied herself to fight with her armor.
"Calm down Annie, she's not an enemy." Tony told her.
But she did not lower her ice hoop. "Who is she?"
Valdis gave her a weak smile. "I'm your real mother, Anuliefer."
The hoop was dropped and instantly melted. She took a few steps closer to the woman that claimed motherhood to her. "You're alive?"
"I was being kept alive by Fury at my request, so that in case anything would happen I could destroy Loki."
Tony snapped his head in her direction. "You can destroy Loki?"
She nodded. "I traveled and trained with him for many years, I know his exact weaknesses. Even though a green Hulk is pretty effective."
"How did you know about that?" Steve asked.
"I've kept her updated."
She glared at Fury. "At least with what you wanted me to know." She looked over at the still clueless Annie. "You look just like him." Her voice was quiet as she took a step closer and put a hand on her face. "But that's not a horrible thing." She gave a small smile. "Before I was woken up, I saw what you did."
Annie looked at her feet.
"Loki is always out for revenge; no matter who it is through he loves it when trouble is being caused. It is in his nature. Sometimes the mischief he causes is harmless. But his actions have been getting out of hand and I don't want you to turn into him." She lifted her daughter's chin. "No matter how much like him you are and how much of his power you possess, you are not him. I don't care what he thinks."
The younger one nodded.
"Now, can I get some clothes? I've been wearing this for 18 years." She straightened up and pointed at the bloody hospital gown.
On top of Stark Tower everyone sat around while Nick paced.
"What are we going to do next?" Annie asked.
"Honestly, he hasn't really tried to do anything. We should just go back to 'normal' life until something happens." Natasha sipped from a glass.
"She's right." A few members mumbled and Nick looked over at all of them.
"Alright, we'll depart for now. Keep in touch and don't stay too far." He eyed Thor. "Just in case something happens I don't like to wait until something gets done."
"Very impatient." Tony wagged a finger. "Before we all go, anyone want another drink?"
Weeks went by and it was quite peaceful for everyone. Annie spent time with her real mother, Valdis as she helped her daughter with her powers.
Slowly they grew, slowly she understood exactly how dangerous she could be.
"You must never be scared of yourself Anuliefer, Loki will feel that and take advantage the second he senses your fear." Valdis sat on a metal stool while her daughter created ice shields that could hold up against fire.
"Why did you leave Asgard with him?" She let her shield down and looked at the older woman.
She averted her eyes. "Thor told you didn't he?"
"He told me that you lost a lot of your friends when you left."
Valdis bit her lip and nodded, as if to assure herself. "At that time, Loki was charged with attacking New York with a horrible power. He was in prison and I was the main prison guard at that time. His silver tongue got me confused."
"So I was created as a byproduct of brain washing." Annie felt horrible saying it out loud.
She shook her head and stood in front of her. "I'm going to tell you something that only I know. But you must promise to keep it a secret between your second parents and the rest of the Avengers."
"I promise."
Her smile was soft, genuine. "I still love Loki. He might not have a heart to love anyone back, but I love him." She blushed and backed up. "Remember, as childish as this sounds it's a secret. Fury would never trust me again if he knew."
"I can trust you right?" Annie asked, hoping she didn't hurt her feelings.
Valdis winked. "I'm not your father, I don't lie. That's the Asgardian in me."
"What's the Asgardian in you?" Thor walked in, in full battle armor.
Valdis tilted her head. "Why are you ready for battle?"
"Loki just blew up a subway system, we need to head out." He looked at Annie. "I have orders from the man of iron that you are not to go."
Annie clenched her fists. "I will go!"
"Listen to him." Valdis put a hand on her shoulder. "Train and be safe here, where he cannot control you." She wrapped her daughter in a hug. "You might not love me back, but I love you." Without another word, she left Annie standing in the training room.
"I love you too." She whispered back.
She paced the meeting room, arms behind her back and gaze at her feet.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor." Loki's slick voice disturbed her from her thoughts.
She spun around to see him sitting on the table, cross legged and picking at something on his nail. "How'd you get in here?"
"Fury thinks he has this place sealed shut." He winked. "But I have a few ways to get in, and most of them involve staging a disaster."
"Where are they?"
He snorted. "They are on their way to a crumbled subway with everyone dead underneath. But I will be nowhere to be found." He slid off the table with the grace of a cat.
"I don't care if I destroy this room, I'll fight you!"
A wicked smile split his face. "What? Did Valdis try and teach you?" He said in a mocking tone that made Annie's blood boil. "Go ahead, do your little parlor tricks."
In a split second she was in her armor and charged towards the trickster. She almost smashed into the table when he disappeared.
"I thought you would learn by now, you cannot hurt me." His voice came on the intercom.
Within seconds the alarms went off in the building and the safety walls started to seal shut.
"Annie!" Tony ran into the room. "What is going on?"
"It was a trick daddy!"
"We found that out, where is he?"
"I don't know." She shook her head.
"We'll split up." He said into his communications device.
Valdis walked into the room. "Come on, I'll come with you." She nodded at Annie. "We'll take the upper floors."
"Got it, Banner and I will take the first floor. Clint, Natasha you guys are the basement. Thor, scout the outside. Make sure he doesn't leave." The voices from the members were heard through his device.
"Be careful." He told Annie.
"I will."
The two took the steps quickly, not wanting to risk the elevator.
"What does he want?" Annie asked her as they searched the office portion of the building.
"He doesn't want 'anything.' He just wants to pull his little tricks."
"Tricks?" His voice came from a cubicle.
"Upstairs." Valdis whispered in her communicator.
They looked in the cubicles and couldn't find anything.
"Where are you? Stop these little tricks, Loki!" Valdis shouted.
Their heads turned as Loki turned in a chair. "Believe me, dȳrr. These are not tricks that I am pulling."
Valdis smirked. "What are they then? They aren't really that amazing. I think you might have lost your touch, old man."
Annie stood silent, wondering what the word was that he called her mother. She couldn't understand why she was trying to get Loki so angry.
But Loki did not retort, he just had the oddest grin on his face. "Still a little wench."
Tony and Banner were the first to show up, but Loki was not going to be caught off guard. He grabbed Annie and wrapped her with ice. "Not one step nearer."
Annie screamed out, the ice was smashing her ribs. "Stop it!"
Valdis launched herself towards the two, but she was smashed in the chest with a shield of ice and thrown through the windows.
"Mother!" Annie gasped out.
"You've really pissed me off this time." Tony shot flames out of his right hand, but it was no use. The ice was solid.
Loki started to laugh. "Go ahead, get your green monster to try and destroy me. He'll only destroy the girl."
"Don't do it Banner, not this time." Tony muttered.
Banner just nodded. "It's getting pretty damn hard not too." He growled. "What do you want?"
"Nothing." He shrugged.
"FUCK YOU!" Valdis came back through the window and this time, with a long sword that cracked the ice holding Annie.
Annie fell through the ice and landed on the floor.
"How did you do that?" Loki's eyes were wide.
Valdis giggled. "Not telling."
Loki lifted a hand and shot an ice spike towards her.
"Mother!" Annie pushed her out of the way and got impaled through the stomach.
"NO!" Valdis and Tony shouted.
The trickster took a step back, his face frozen in an expression of fear. The ice melted as he disappeared.
"Annie?" Valdis held her in her arms like a baby. "Can you hear me?"
"Kinda, it's like a bad signal." She smiled and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of her lips.
Tony ran over. "Set her down, we have to stop the bleeding!"
Valdis did so slowly. "How do you feel?" She asked softly, she knew what was going to happen. Tears started to fall down her face.
"Numb." She whispered back. Her skin was turning blue and her black eyes started to ashen in color.
"Annie, you'll be okay." Tony swallowed and tried to look at the wound. "Banner?" He looked up at the doctor. But he said nothing.
"Tell mama to talk about me when my brother or sister gets here." She chuckled, but it turned into a cough that splattered blood. "I'd be a good sister." Her eyes dulled, and a great breath was released from her lips as if it was her soul being released into the air.
Valdis' head dropped to her chest and her body shook.
Tony just stared at her dead body. The body of small half ice giant. The body of his daughter.
"Is that…" Thor had used his hammer to propel himself through the broken window. He had not heard the call.
Valdis looked up at him. "Do you think that a damned daughter of a horrid god and a disgraced warrior would have gotten to Valhalla?" Her voice was cracking with every word. "Do you think she will be punished for what I and her father have done?"
The Asgardian just looked at her. He did not know the answer, nor did he even think he could ponder it at this moment.
The funeral on earth was simple and small. She was buried in the emerald green dress that she loved so much and white roses littered the grave site. On the tombstone right beside Tony's own pre-created stone, etched in the expensive marble was:
"Annie 'Anuliefer' Stark Daughter, Hero."