Angel with a Shotgun

I

Hogwarts, Scotland 1997

Charlotte, more commonly known as Charli, sat on the ground by the tree at the edge of the Black Lake thinking. The grounds of Hogwarts were war-torn and littered with bodies, most unidentified, and drenched in blood. The sun rose from the opposite side of the lake, exhausted people moving around in the background cleaning up after the ferocious battle that had been finished late last night, or rather early this morning. She'd lost everyone dear to her during the fight and their deaths weighed heavily on her soul and heart. With a sigh she pulled her wood flute from her charm bracelet and enlarged it before starting to play a slow sad tune that echoed over the grounds.

"You alright there Tagloff?" A deep voice came from her left. She finished playing her tune before turning to look at the young man sitting next to her.

"Potter. I'm as fine as anyone would be after losing everyone dear to them. I'm sure you get it knowing the crap you've been through over the years." Charli replied examining the Potter heir.

"Hmm, I suppose. I'm sorry you had to lose everyone dear to you." Harry said softly, looking at her.

"Any plans now that the war is over?" Charli asked him curiously.

"No not really," Harry shrugged, "I still have a lot of expectations on my shoulders even with the war finished. I have to help with clean up, take up my mantle as Lord Potter, and fix some of the laws within the Wizengamot and that sort of stuff. Everyone probably expects me to marry Ginny Weasley too and give her a brood of kids though as much as I want a family, I don't want one with her. Our personalities clash too much." He continued with a rueful smile.

"Well, I'm probably going to return to America. The magical people there are far more tolerant of creatures, half-breeds, half-bloods and muggle-borns. There's too much prejudice here for me, even if you manage to correct some laws. You'll never actually be able to fix everything." Charli replied with a soft smile.

"Which category do you fit into? Half-blood, half-breed or muggle-born?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well the people here would consider me a half-breed even though I'm not actually. I don't fit into any category. In America I'm considered a mutant with magic although I'm not that either. If you want to get technical, I'm an alien." Charli replied with a small chuckle. Harry sat there and blinked with his eyebrows raised for a moment. It was a rather comical sight. He turned to her and frowned.

"An alien?" He asked.

"Yup. I don't know exactly what I am since I've lived on earth my entire life and never knew my parents but I know that without my glamour I'm pale blue, my skin is icy cold with strange patterns on it and my eyes are an orange-y red but with three swirling pupils instead of a singular pupil. I have white feathery wings tipped with red, slightly pointed ears, sharp incisors and ebony hair with small blonde streaks. I've got an affinity for elemental magic, air and water or ice, I can talk to animals and if I focus hard enough I can speak with nature itself." Charli explained.

"Well, from what little I know of mythology and creatures I'd say you were something of a mix of Jotun and angel or something like that." Harry replied staring at her. Her forest green eyes connected with his emerald ones for a moment and the sadness in hers dissipated slightly before returning. Turning away from him she pulled her dark brown plait over her shoulder and examined it, removing bits of dirt and sticks from trees. She sighed she was going to have to wash it. It always took forever to clean her hair properly.

"Well, I'll see you later Charli." He said, standing up and dusting himself off.

"Come find me in America one day Harry. I'll be waiting for you." She replied, removing her glamour and flying off. Harry watched her leave before looking at the ground and realising she'd left her wand, flute and shotgun behind. Picking them up and shrinking them he put them into the moleskin pouch around his neck he'd had since the beginning of his Hogwarts career when he'd first met her.

"I'll find you again, my Angel with a shotgun." He whispered to the wind.

II

New York, USA 2012

Charli sat in an out of the way café watching through the window as the Avengers fought against Loki and the Chitauri. The natural magic of the Earth was screaming at her, demanding she shut down the portal that was ripping open her precious sky. Sipping at her coffee she frowned. She'd been in a battle before and didn't like it, at all. As another alien crashed into the ground outside the café she swore and put the drink down. Picking up her shotgun she walked out of the café and into the streets. Every alien she came across that tried to attack her was killed by a single blast of her magically enhanced shotgun, blowing a hole into the middle of their chests or blowing their heads off completely. Reaching the centre of the battle and seeing the Avengers battle with the aliens she heard the red-haired woman say, "That doesn't look like a party to me." Turning her head, Charli swore. Iron Man had decided to lead a Leviathan straight to them. Not wanting to be shot down by anyone she remained hidden under her glamour but reached out her hand, released a pulse of magic and wiped her hand sideways harshly, ripping the head of the Leviathan straight off.

The Avengers looked stunned for a moment, Iron Man landing in front of them as the body of the flying worm crashed to the ground.

"How did that happen? What tore the things head off?" Tony asked.

"That would be me. Now might I ask if one of you can take me to the top of that blasted tower so I may deal with the portal? My senses are screaming at me to shut the stupid thing down." Charli replied, finally gaining their attention.

"Who're you?" Romanoff demanded, pointing her gun at Charli. In fact everyone was pointing a weapon at her.

"I'm the least of your problems right now. The only thing you can be sure of is that I'm on your side otherwise I wouldn't have ripped the Leviathans head off. You can call me Charli. Now get me to the top of the fucking tower or all this shit is going to get worse." Charli replied with her free hand on her hip and her gun swung over her shoulder.

"Right-o then one trip to the top of the tower." Tony stated, stepping forward and grabbing hold of her.

"Thank you Mr Stark." Charli replied.

"Not a problem. You might want to hold on sweetheart." Tony said as he suddenly shot up into the air. Charli gripped his shoulders with one hand, not having had the chance to strap her gun onto her back again. Within moments they were at the top of the tower next to the Tesseract and Selvig.

"Thank you Mr Stark. Oh and before you go, do me a favour?" Charli asked.

"Sure thing sweetheart; if it's within my ability to do then I'll do it." Tony replied. Charli smirked.

"Oh I do believe you'll like this favour. Give Loki a massive knock over the head for me. He's being controlled the same way Hawkeye was. So technically he's not at fault for this." She said with a grin.

"I can definitely do that but what makes you so sure he's being controlled?" Tony asked.

"It's in his eyes, Mr Stark. Nobody noticed and I'm surprised his brother didn't even notice either. Loki's eyes are originally the same green as mine. At the moment they're electric blue. The same as Selvig's are and Hawkeye's were before Romanoff knocked him out." Charli explained, pointing at Selvig before hitting him and knocking him out. She woke him up moments later and his eyes were normal again.

"Ok then. This will be fun. If I can't knock him out then I'll get Hulk on it." Tony replied.

"I don't care who does it, so long as somebody does Mr Stark." Charli replied.

"Hulk it is then. Oh and call me Tony. Mr Stark is my father."

"As you wish Tony, now get out of here. There's a battle to be won." Charli replied turning away from the man and facing the shielded Tesseract. Summoning her focus and concentration she forced her shotgun through the shield and hit the small red button at the base of the contraption and shutting off the portal. Carefully levitating the Tesseract out of its seat she put it inside a summoned unbreakable crystal container before shielding the glow, shrinking it and attaching it to her bracelet. It would be safe there. Now there was only one more thing bothering her senses and that was the missile that the stupid World Council had fired at the city. With a scowl she hurriedly apparated to its nearest location and aimed a blast of magic at it making it implode rather than explode.

With the portal closed the rest of the Chitauri collapsed and fell to the ground, unable to receive a signal from their mother ship. Charli apparated back to Stark Tower and sent out a pulse of magic that cleaned up the rubble and dead bodies but not fixing anything before pulling out a vial of pepper up potion from her belt and chugging it down. Looking down to the extended balcony she motioned Selvig over and grabbed him before jumping down to the balcony and landing on her feet like a cat. Walking into the building she noticed Loki surrounded by the Avengers.

"Alright folks, let me take a look this stupid demi-god of mischief." Charli said announcing her arrival. They turned to look at her as she pushed past them and stood in front of him, grabbing his head and forcing it upwards so he was looking straight at her. Seeing clear forest green eyes she nodded and smiled softly.

"Well mortal? Am I up to your standards?" he asked haughtily.

"Humph, trust you to forget you stupid mischief-maker. If I was mortal don't you think I would have aged by now? I stopped aging at 21 back in 2000. I haven't aged for twelve fucking years." Charli snarked.

"K-Kari?" Loki asked, wide-eyed.

"Oh goody, you do remember me daddy. Nice to know at least one of my parents remembers." Charli said, sarcasm lacing her every word.

"Wait. Daddy?" A voice said behind her incredulously.

"Yes. Loki is my father. I'm the only child of his that didn't get punished just for being his child and the only one that no-one knows of. Not the All-Father, Heimdall, Thor or even the All-Mother. Even I didn't know until I'd unlocked my memories the night of my twenty first birthday." Charli replied without turning to look at the Avengers behind her. Sensing the hit that was aimed at her head, she ducked and swung around to face them.

"You must have a death wish Mr Barton. I'd suggest not trying that again." Charli said darkly.

"Kari, we must talk." Loki said, standing up and gripping her arm. She smiled slightly at her father and clipped her shotgun to her back.

"Of course, Daddy. Have you seen mother lately? Oh and currently I go by Charlotte though I prefer Charli. It is the name of my human form." Charli replied.

"I see. Stark is there anywhere around here where we can talk in private? Preferably without you listening in." Loki asked, looking at Tony.

"Not here, there isn't. Jarvis is wired into everything so it would be easy to spy on you. However you can use one of the spare rooms that aren't destroyed and I'll turn off the mics but only so long as one of us is in the room with you." Tony replied, frowning at the destroyed bit.

"Fine. The captain can follow. He seems to have enough honour that if I swore him to secrecy I'd know he'd be able to keep it." Loki said, accepting Tony's offer even as the other's all glared at him and Thor just looked at him sadly.

The trio walked down the hall and into an empty room that wasn't as badly ruined as the others. Captain America stood by the door and watched as the father/daughter duo conjured some seats and sat a few meters in front of him. He barely held in his exclamation of surprise at Charli's appearance when she dropped her glamour.

"Daddy, I missed you." Charli whispered, leaning forward. Loki reached out and pulled her to his chest, hugging her tightly.

"I missed you too, Kari." He replied softly.

"Have you seen mother lately?" Kari asked, pulling away from him and sitting back in her chair.

"No. I have not seen Lyra recently but as she is the embodiment of the Yggdrasil she is rather busy ensuring the safety of herself and children, my daughter. I am sure we will see her eventually though." Loki responded.

"I'm sure. Lyra Yggdrasil is a hard woman to find. I have not seen mother since I was about five if I remember correctly." Kari said softly.

"Indeed, she is a hard woman to find. You are also a hard woman to find if you do not desire to be found since you are the child of the universe." Loki replied.

"I am the child of the universe and the God of Mischief and Lies. I have very few memories of you father but I always knew who you were."