Hey guys! I got a new chapter for ya. Thanks for the follows and favs! I hope you guys like this one!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Marvel properties. Duh.


I grumbled in annoyance as Nat came in. I was staring at a monitor, trying to piece it all together.

"Not now. Busy. Later."

"No, Pepper and your dad both said now. Let's go." I shook my head, and she sniffed my shoulder, playing with my hair. "Have you even showered?"

"Barely slept, actually." She shot me a look, I know she did, so I turned to her. "I'm fine! I just need to get this done before Thor leaves. You guys can have the party without me, I don't need one. I'm good."

"No, you're coming." I pouted at Steve, but he came over and threw me over his shoulder. I was too tired to argue against it. "Come on Nat. The birthday girl needs help getting ready, I'm sure." I frowned.

"Birthday? No, that's a week from now-"

"Thor's been here longer than three days, bug." My eyes went wide, and I pulled up my watch, checking the date.

"What the fuck. I've been at this for over a week?"

"Yep." They replied in unison as Nat went ahead, getting the elevator.

"We've been taking shifts checking on you. Bruce had a drug that we've been injecting you with to get you to sleep." Nat explained as she stepped aside, letting Steve in first, with me still slung over his shoulder.

"Oh. Lovely." As was the view. I could bounce a nickel off that ass. "You guys really love me, don't you?" Nat smirked at me in amusement, pinching my cheeks.

"You're our little lady bug. We have to love you." I shrugged.

"No, you don't have to. But thank you both veeeeeery much. Steve?" He hummed in acknowledgment. "You wanna get fucked up tonight?"

"Oh, yeah. Hell yes." I smirked with Nat, and we both yelled at him in sync.

"LANGUAGE!" He sighed, and Nat burst out laughing, making me grin.

"You're all children."

"Whatever you say, Grandpa. Whatever you say."


The elevator dinged, and I stepped out of the doors. When I did, I heard a crowd cheer. I stumbled a bit, and my eyes went wide when I saw the group before me.

The Team was in the front, with Dad right there, smiling big. Pepper was standing next to him, smiling just as Pepper-y as usual. Rhodey was laughing at Dad's antics. I bit my lip, and shot Dad a look. He spread his arms wide, cackling.

"Happy Birthday, Princess!" I smiled, putting on a show, even though I was freaking out. I moved forward, and Dad hugged me, kissing the side of my head.

"Thanks, Dad." I couldn't tell him that I hated it. I never could, and luckily, he didn't know that. He would be too busy having a good time himself, and Pepper would be too worried about him, and no one else would notice anything. And that was all I could hope for.

Dad squeezed me again, and then let go. Pepper grabbed me, and squeezed me almost as tight, but she didn't try to crush me. She still felt like she couldn't use her full strength, even though I was stronger than her. I could take it, but she wouldn't have it.

Rhodey grabbed me in a side hug, and kissed the top of my head. He rubbed my shoulder, and then let me get through the rest of the greetings.

Bruce. Nat. Clint, Doctor Cho, Maria, Sam, Darcy, Jane, Thor, and then, finally, Steve. My hero.

He smiled at me, looking somewhat stunned at what I was wearing. I smirked in success, and got a little too close, but my excuse was the crowded room. There were far too many people at this party, but that's the way Dad thought I liked it.

Before, sure, it had been. I'd wanted to surround myself with people, and alcohol, and drugs. I'd wanted to forget all the hurt, and all the heartbreak that I battled then. Now...now, I would be fine with just a box of pizza, and Steve in my bed. That's all I could ask for. Maybe a movie with Dad, or a nice dinner with him and Pepper, but I didn't need a party. I would have gladly avoided it, if possible.

I grabbed Steve in a hug and muttered into his ear, using my charm to my advantage.

"You look a little hot under the collar, soldier. Am I going to have to expect a midnight visit?"

"When you strut in looking like that, doll, you shouldn't expect anything less." I smirked bigger and pulled away, adjusting his collar. He stopped me before I could walk away, and pulled something from his back pocket, holding it out to me. I frowned, and took it from him.

"You didn't have to-"

"Open it." I frowned at him further, but he nodded to the present. It was tied up with a red ribbon, but it was just a sheet of paper. I untied it, and rolled it out. I bit my lip, but I couldn't help when I laughed.

"You're such a dick." He laughed, too, and I shook my head.

It was a sketch of Sam and I being idiots on the beach. I didn't think Steve had been paying attention, I thought he was drawing a family not too far down the beach from us, but I was wrong. Sam and I decided to yell at Poseidon, but when I went near the water, I had a panic attack. Sam didn't notice, and neither did Steve. I had had it under control. Steve didn't realize that he'd documented my biggest step yet.

"You and Sam looked ridiculous, you both gave me no choice but to document the occasion." I rolled my eyes, but I met his eyes, sharing his smile. "Happy Birthday."

I felt my breath hitch, and he didn't even make sure that anyone was paying attention to us before he got a little too close. I lost myself in his eyes, and my knees went weak. My arms turned into jelly. But then Darcy came up behind me, and grabbed me by the arm, dragging me over to the bar. When I turned to look at Steve again, he was still smiling at me.

"E, come on. Shots. Shots shots shots." I nodded, and grabbed one, downing it in a second. "You're gonna need the mead, aren't you?" I nodded again.

"Oh, yeah. Most definitely."


Steve walked up the stairs to the balcony that looked over the scene with Sam, telling him all about the last mission the team had been on.

"Sounds like a hell of a fight, I'm sorry I missed it."

"If I had known that it was going to be a firefight, I would have called."

"No, no, I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough." Steve smirked. "I'm very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case." Steve stood up straighter at the mention of his friend, and Sam continued to keep his mind off of it. "Avenging is your world, man, and your world is crazy." They turned to the balcony looking down on the scene, and Steve spotted Ellie near the old war veterans that were friends of the team, laughing with one of them as Sue Storm stood behind her, grabbing her shoulder to make her jump. Ellie had seen it coming and just handed Sue a drink, making Sue roll her eyes, and Ellie smile. "You find a place in Brooklyn for you and E yet?" Steve was taking a swig of his drink, but choked slightly when Sam said that.

"Uh, it's just for me, and I don't think I could afford a place in Brooklyn." Sam raised an eyebrow at Steve, and laughed at him.

"It's okay, Cap. You guys weren't the only ones in Siberia." Steve gripped the glass a little tighter at the thought of that first night. He thought that she was drunk, but she hadn't been. He thought that he'd been dreaming, because how could a dame like her had ever wanted a guy like him? Someone so much older, so damaged. He didn't understand it, but it happened. It happened again though, and he initiated, but she was still all for it. Then it happened again, and again, and it hasn't stopped since S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. Steve was amazed that they'd kept it a secret this long.

"Don't tell the rest of the team."

"Oh, no. No way. If I tell the team, that spreads to Tony, and I am not dealing with the drama, uh-uh. No how." Steve nodded in understanding, and Sam paused. "In my personal opinion, I think you two make perfect sense." Steve looked at Ellie again, watching her smile. Her brown eyes lit up in a way that made him smile with her, and he just wanted to see more and more of it. He never wanted to stop looking at that smile. "You deserve sweetness more than anybody else around here."

"Thank you, Sam. That means a lot." Steve frowned after a moment, and turned to Sam with curiosity in his eyes. "I thought you were out that night?" Sam smirked, and chuckled.

"You're not the only one who got laid." Steve shot him a look. "What? She was the one who was running out the next morning!" Steve laughed at that, and Sam rolled his eyes, but chuckled along. "We can't all be as chivalrous as you, Grandpa."


I was stoned within the first ten minutes, and drunk within the next twenty. I knew that I could most likely kill myself doing that, but with Extremis, I knew that it would wear off quicker. It wouldn't last long.

I messed with Johnny Storm by starting a rap battle. I went with Kendrick, shooting off Alright like it was nothing, and he shot back with Yeezy, and we ended up having a flaming contest, trying to show off who could do more: basically, who could burn the most shit within thirty seconds. Dad was drunk by the time that happened, and Pepper was just happy to see me happy. Plus, I promised her that I'd replace anything we destroyed. I kept on her good side.

Sam tried to outdrink me with two rounds of shots, but when the rounds consisted of ten shots at once, he definitely couldn't compete with me. He went off with Steve after that, with Steve holding most of his weight. That was when I walked away for a little bit with Darcy to smoke some more. Lux, an old friend from the partying days, joined us, along with Johnny. Clint even came with us, which surprised me, but also didn't at the same time. I should have seen that coming.

I saw Natasha walk away from Bruce after she flirted with him. I was just walking back out of the smoke room, and I jumped up to the bar next to Bruce, grinning at him.

"You really need to take a hint, moosey poo. She digs you." He turned to me and frowned, raising an eyebrow.

"You're one to talk. What about Steve?" I hissed.

"I am not drunk or high enough to talk to you about that right now. Besides, it's weird. He had a thing for my grandmother. And possibly my father."

"What?"

"Bruce! Buddy! Take it from someone who knows how Natasha flirts, and how scary it actually is! SHE LIKES YOU!" He frowned even further.

"Really?" I smacked the back of his head and took his drink, chugging it in one gulp.

"Yes." I coughed a little, reaching under the bar to grab another bottle of champagne. "Now go celebrate for me. Make out with her, do some handsy shit." Bruce looked at me completely disgusted, and I giggled. "Come on, Bruce! That tension has been happening for more than two years now, you need to take action! Go! Birthday girl's orders!" He rolled his eyes, but took the bottle I offered him, and went to go find her. I turned to Steve when he approached, and smiled as I saw Bruce approach Nat. "Ah, young love. There's nothing like it, eh, Cap?"

"No. There definitely is not." I could feel him staring at me, and spun around to face him, tilting my head at him.

"Why do you say it like that? Like there's more behind that statement?" He searched my eyes, and shook his head, taking another swig of his drink.

"I'll tell you when you're older, kid."


Once the party had dissipated, and it was just the team and the team squad left, we sat around on the couches. Darcy was asleep in a spare room on the common floor, since she had gotten extremely stoned. Jane was sitting next to Thor with a glass of bubbly, looking slightly tipsy, but not completely wasted. Dad was starting to sober up, and Pepper was already there.

"But it's a trick." Clint declared, in reference to Mjolnir.

"No, it's much more than that." Thor stated, handing the flask of Asgardian stuff he had on his to Steve, who was still cradling a beer.

"'Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power.' Whatever, man, it's a trick!" I spat my glass, and burst out laughing, my face growing bright red. Thor was laughing as well.

I, unlike everyone else, was still totally fucked. As always.

"Ah, Ellie!" I bit my lip, realizing the compromising position I was in now. I'd ended up laying across Steve's lap, and I grinned, grabbing the flask from him. He took it away though, raising his eyebrows. "Watch it."

"You watch it. I'm not afraid to use my heat against you, Rogers." Everyone besides Dad and Thor unanimously said an 'ooooooh', and it made me giggle even more.

"Please, Barton, be my guest." I had my head pressed against Jane's leg in this position, and she smiled down at me in amusement.

"Really?" Clint asked, and Dad agreed with Thor. Clint stood up, tucking the drumsticks he'd been twirling around into his back pocket, like a proper band geek would. I turned to watch, and Steve managed to get my drink away from me, setting it aside.

"Oh, this is going to be beautiful." Rhodey said mockingly, and Dad started to tease Clint alongside him.

"Now Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up." I heard Pepper smack Dad, and I laughed again, sharing my smile with her.

"You know I've seen this before, right?" Thor smirked, and nodded. Clint raised his eyebrows, and grabbed the hammer, tugging on it as hard as he could, but it wouldn't budge. He started to laugh, and then let go. "I still don't know how you do it!" I held up a hand, and stood up, jumping slightly back and forth.

"I got this." I declared. Still stumbling slightly, though.

"You wanna bet, punk?" I grinned, and Clint grinned right back. I glanced at Thor, who shrugged. I turned back to the hammer, and hesitated, but grabbed the handle, lifting it using all my strength, but it didn't move a millimeter.

"HA!" I shot a glare at Dad, and put my hands on my hips, gesturing to it.

"Try it, Dad. Go ahead. I dare you-NO! I triple dog dare you." Dad was laughing, but then he stopped. Pepper rolled her eyes, groaning in annoyance, and so did Rhodey.

"Tony, those dares are not real, so don't-" Dad cut Pepper off, turning his competitive glance to me.

"Bring it on, cupcake. Bring it on!" I gestured to the hammer, and backed out of his way as he stood up, adjusting his jacket. "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge."

"It's a triple dog dare, Anthony, and your daughter isn't ten anymore." Pepper said.

"It's physics." I rolled my eyes, and sat down on the couch again next to Steve. I cuddled up next to him, and he put an arm on the back of the couch behind me. "So then, if I lift this, will I then rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course." Thor reassured.

"I will be reinstituting prima nocta." I pinched my nose, and collapsed against Steve's broad shoulder, groaning in annoyance.

"Oh my God, Dad, just grab the fucking hammer!" He raised his hands in surrender, and did as ordered, grabbing the hammer whilst putting a foot on the coffee table. He grunted as he pulled at it, and I smirked in amusement. He let go, and took his foot off the table, staring at me for a minute before he excused himself.

"I'll be back in a minute." I scoffed again, laughing lightly to myself.

He came back a minute later with a glove from his suit, and I started to cackle, rolling over to bury my face in the couch. He had Rhodey go and get a piece of his own suit to help him.

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodey accused, and Dad retorted back.

"Are you on my team?"

"Just represent. Pull."

"All right, let's go." They kept trying to no avail, so they gave up. Bruce went up next, and made a loud, Hulk-like noise, making everyone in the room raise their eyebrows. Nat smiled at him fondly, and then Steve got up, going over to the hammer. He pulled, and it budged, but no one noticed except for Thor and I. I glanced at him, and I saw his eyes were wide in fear, until Steve let go. He laughed nervously, and I smiled at Steve, before glancing at Bruce and Nat. Bruce gestured to the hammer, but Nat waved it off right away.

"Oh, no, that's not a question I need answered."

"All deference to the Man Who Would be King, but it's rigged." Dad declared, and Clint agreed with him loudly.

"You bet your ass!"

"Steve, he said a bad language word." Maria tattled, pointing a finger at Clint.

"Did you tell everyone about that?" He asked, leaning back on the couch closer to me. I laughed, and shoved him as he smiled right back at me.

"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code." Dad asked. "'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation."

"Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory." Thor said, standing up from his spot on the couch. "I have a simpler one." He grabbed the handle and lifted the hammer simply, shrugging. "You're all not worthy."

We groaned in unison, and Steve laughed, smiling, until we heard a high-pitched screech. I covered up my ear, and that sobered me right up. We all turned to where we heard a robotic voice, and it looked like a bunch of broken pieces from various Legionnaires were put together into one.

"Worthy. No. How could you be worthy? You're all killers." That hit me like a punch to the gut. I clenched my fists, and stood up slowly with everyone else. My eyes were probably glowing.

"Stark." Steve said, but Dad looked at me.

"JARVIS." I called slightly, but heard no response

"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a-dream." I grabbed my phone off the couch, and started to tap commands, ordering the suit to shut down.

"Reboot Legionnaire OS. This suit is buggy."

"There was this terrible noise. And I was tangled in…" Nothing was working. I glanced up from my phone, panicking, frowning at the suit. "In...strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked, and I bit my lip, clenching my hands harder.

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."

"Who sent you?" I wished Goldi hadn't of asked that.

"I see a suit of armor around the world." I felt Dad's eyes on me again, when my voice came out of the suit's mouth. I muttered it's name under my breath.

"Ultron." I could feel Steve's eyes on me, too. He recognized the name.

"Ellie, what is this?" I heard Bruce ask, and I gulped, stepping forward.

"In the flesh, huh?" I asked, sounding about as brave as I felt.

"No, not yet. Not this chrysalis. But I'm ready." Everyone else was on edge. Thor gripped his hammer, Maria cocked her gun. "I'm on mission."

"What mission?" I asked, taking another step forward. Steve moved behind me slightly further, as I frowned at Ultron. The robot turned to look right at me.

"Peace in our time." Three legionnaires burst out of the containment room, going after all of us. Steve yelled at me to duck, but I yelled in turn for everyone else to. I blasted the robots directly, but I only managed to get one. The other two flew around to avoid me, and everyone who couldn't take the hits at the moment ducked out of the way. Goldi hit one of the others with his hammer, knocking it towards the wall. Maria shot at that one when it flew above her. I spun around and blasted it with as much heat as I could, sending it down. I spun around, looking for the third, and spotted it grabbing the sceptre.

"Thor, the sceptre! I can't destroy it!" Thor turned to me, and looked where I was looking, going after it. I turned to the ruined party, now seeing that Rhodey had been blasted by one of the legionnaires onto a lower level, looking over the Quinjet. Dad had been blasted through the shelf blocking off some of the room. Nat and Bruce had rolled over the bar, and Steve had ducked under the coffee table to avoid being hit. Jane, Pepper and Helen had hidden behind the piano, and luckily none of them had been hurt. Pepper was looking at me, worried out of her mind. I stormed up to the last legionnaire and grabbed it, crushing it's head piece in my burning hand. "Why are you doing this. I created you, you aren't supposed to hurt anyone, you're supposed to protect people, and that includes us!"

"That was dramatic." I glared at him, squeezing harder. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through." I frowned at him now. "Your team, Miss Stark, is also a danger to this world. You want to protect it, but you don't want it to change. And how is humanity saved, if it is not allowed to evolve like you have?" My eyes went wide. I crushed the head piece in my hands, and dropped it to the ground, staring at it as it went limp at my feet. "I had strings...but now I'm free…"