A/N: I just decided to upload it all at once

Maria POV

Bruce finished packing his final suitcase "Are you sure you don't wanna come?"

"Believe me, I'm sure. I have no great desires to go sit at a table with a bunch of stuffy old guys and get treated like a child. Sorry if it just doesn't sound fun to me."

"Understandable."

"Plus, I got a hot date tonight." I wiggled my hips suggestively

Bruce sighed and shook his head "Steve is coming over sometime today, I think you need to explain to him how to use a cell phone again."

"Maybe an IPhone was a little to much. But, it has provided us some serious entertainment."

He laughed at the memory "Yeah, it took him twenty minutes just to turn it on... Anyway, Corey is probably gonna come pick up those targets you made for him."

Oh yeah. Corey had been testing out the new explosive arrows I had made him (he needed smaller, more accurate blasts) and blew the center out of most of his targets.

"I totally forgot about that."

"I know you did, why do you think I take the time to remind you? If your head wasn't firmly attached to your shoulders..."

"Bruce, don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked sarcastically

"Fine, I'm leaving." he kissed my forehead "Don't do anything you'll regret."

I smiled "Don't forget to live." And with that he was out the door.

I sat spinning in the bar stool and I had a sudden thought "Eureka!" I jumped off of the bar stool "Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Stark?"

"You know how on the hologram computer screen, I can pick stuff up and pull stuff out?"

"Yes, I am familiar with the technology."

"Well, if I can touch the hologram why can't the hologram touch me...or other stuff?"

"I'm not following?"

I groaned "Jarvis, try and keep up. If I-" the elevator doors opened and Steve stepped through "We'll talk about this later Jarvis."

I ran up and jumped into Steve's arms "Steve! I thought you didn't love me anymore! You were gone for so long! I thought there was no chance for your return!" I yelled

"Hi Maria. Any chance you could get off of me?"

"Why? So you can run out and leave me again? NEVER!"

"Maria, I'm not as young as I once was."

I looked him in the eye "Yeah, because you look so old." Something about gamma radiation slowed the aging process, more in Steve than in Bruce but probably because Bruce's dose of gamma just didn't...end up the same.

"Just because I don't look old doesn't mean I'm not old enough to be your great-grandfather."

"Ooo, I like older gentleman." I wiggled

He raised his eyebrow at me "You are more and more like Tony everyday."

I jumped off of him "Thanks, I try."

"...I'm not sure that was supposed to be a compliment Maria."

"I wasn't either, but I decided to take it as one." I sat down on the couch and Steve sat beside me

"So, I heard you have a gentleman coming over later." He gave me a disapproving look

"Wow, news sure does travel fast... Oh, stop looking at me like that. I am cooking him dinner, that's all."

"Mhmm, how well do you know him?"

"More than most people I shack up with, I mean I know his last name and everything."

Steve's eyes got really wide and his voice really stern "Maria-"

"Steve, I'm joking...mostly." I mumbled the last part

He sighed in relief "What's his name?"

"Laufeyson."

His eyebrows furrowed "...Laufeyson, why does that sound familiar?"

"That's what everyone says. Anyway, he is a perfect gentleman and we get along...And he is hotter than-"

Steve interruppted me "Okay, I get it, the perfect guy."

"No, not perfect, but I think that's why I like him. He is perfectly...screwed up."

"Is he a drug addict? Alcoholic? Workaholic? Sex maniac?"

"You mean is he anything like me? No."

"Well, that's a relief. Then, as long as he makes you happy, you have my blessing."

I smiled "Thank you. Now, what's wrong with your phone?"

He groaned "I can't get the stupid thing to turn on."

"Mhm, when was the last time you charged it?"

"Like...two days ago."

"My dear, this is an IPhone, not charging it for an hour is pushing it." I stuck it on my IPod charger and sat back down "This isn't like other phones, it does to much to not need to be charged often."

"But, you only have to charge yours twice a month and it does more than mine does."

"Yeah, but I created my own phone. Apple is crap compared to anything I make."

"Oh." It was funny how much he looked like a little kid

"I think I am going to downgrade your phone, get you something simpler."

"Please." He begged

I laughed "I'll see what I can do."

(Later that evening)

I had steak marinating in the fridge, the salad was already made, bread already sliced, potatoes already mashed, and Loki would be here any minute. The elevator doors opened, I got excited and looked to see who it was.

"Oh, it's just you Corey." I sighed

"Sorry to be such a disappointment."

"Your new targets are in the lab, your new arrows shouldn't blow through these quite so easily."

"Not gonna offer me a drink, ask me how my day was...anything?"

"Nope, I want you to get your targets and get out." he stood there waiting for a moment "What are you waiting for?"

"Oh, you're right Maria, let me just go look for them."

I groaned inwardly "Sorry, I forget you can't see sometimes."

"Yeah, being blind is a real bitch." I shook my head and went downstairs into the lab I grabbed the new targets and made my way back up stairs. Halfway up I heard Loki's laugh, and Corey's... I bursted up the the stairs and Corey was in the middle of telling Loki a story...about me.

"- and then she pulled out a straw and snorted the whole line of cocaine right in front of us, and she didn't understand why we all looked shocked."

"Hey Corey, here are your targets, 'kay bye." I handed him the targets and shoved him in the elevator. He was chuckling and the elevator doors closed. I hoped they drug him straight into the seventh circle of hell.

I looked at Loki and he was grinning mischeviously "Well, he was quite a character. Sibling?"

I sighed "More or less, I grew up with him but he is actually a Barton/Romanov baby."

He nodded "So, you do coke?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds."

"It sounded pretty bad."

"Well, you were never supposed to hear the story. Plus, I haven't done any hardcore drugs in at least a month...I should just shut up now, shouldn't I?"

"It may be safer that way." he laughed "So, what are we cooking?"

"Well, we are going to use the grill on the balcony to make some steak." We made our way out to the balcony and Loki set all of the food on the table. I put the charcoal on the grill and doused it with gas. I struck the match and...nothing. I struck another match...same result. "Grr, I can start hundreds of fires on accident but when I try to start one on purpose..."

Loki gently pushed me out of the way "Step aside woman," he said in a fake manly tone "Your estrogen intimidates the fire."

"Is that so?"

He struck a match and it lit on the first try "Yes, you see, fire is easily made nervous by overly attractive women."

"What you mean to tell me is 'man make fire good'?" I said in my best caveman voice

"Well, if you want to simplify it like that then, yes, that is exactly what I mean."

"Thanks for saying it in the least sexist way possible."

"I try." I sat down and he threw the steaks on the grill. Once the food was done I brought out the plates and silverware and we sat down to eat. We spent the first few minutes eating in a comfortable silence. The food was good, the company was nice, a very nice evening if you ask me.

"What was life like after your dad died?"

"Well, you know about the foster care and me running away."

"I mean after that."

"After that?"

"Well, I was a twelve year old living on the street. I seemed to fend for myself pretty well, I always ate something at least once a day. I was about thirteen or fourteen when I met Jerome."

"Jerome?"

"He was in his late twenties and super gay. He was running an underground drug and fighting ring, there was a little prostitution but not enough to make the big bucks. He took me in and told me I could stay if I did stuff for him. At first I was just a delivery girl, take drugs here or send a message there. One day, one guy I was bringing some drugs to got a little handsy...so I broke them."

"You what?"

"I broke his hands. Both of them, I was fifteen and he was a big man. Jerome heard about it and he was ecstatic, I was his new money maker. When I turned eighteen, for my birthday, he bought me a ticket to New York and a map of the city. He told me he would miss me and stuck me on a plane. I still don't really understand, I was making him serious money and he just sent me on my way telling me I was ment for bigger things. I still write to him on occasion, he told me if I ever needed to blow off some steam that I could come back and kick the crap out of someone in his ring."

"You didn't have the easiest childhood."

"No, but I definitly didn't have the hardest."

"And then you became a superhero."

"Well..." This shocked me, no one had brought up the fact I was Iron Angel before

"You haven't made a public statement about it but... I assumed if anyone had access to the suits, it'd be you."

"Yeah..." I pushed the rest of my food aside

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay. Just, everyone knew that my father was Iron Man and look what happened."

"I understand."

That pretty much wrapped up that conversation. When we were done eating he helped me clean up. We started talking about all the books we had read...and there were a lot. We were washing the dishes when he said something very...interesting.

"I have read hundreds of books from here but what I'd really like to do is read up on the Midgardian lore."

"The what?"

His widened slightly "Nevermind."

I furrowed my eyebrows about to push the question but he sprayed me with water. I gasped "Cold!" I glared at him and he snickered "That sounds like a challenge!" I grabbed a bowl and filled it with water and threw it in his face. This started an all out water war but he was wearing a white shirt...so I didn't mind. Even with all of the slashing and giggling, his comment was still bouncing around in my mind. After we dried off Loki was about to leave. We stood at the elevator saying our goodbyes and he kissed me. It was soft and very quick. He must have known what a tease he was because he was grinning like an idiot while the doors closed on him. Once I was sure he was out of hearing range, I decided to do a little research.

"Jarvis, define Midgardian."

"Midgardian: The term Asgardians use for the people of Earth."

"Asgardians? Like Thor?"

"Yes Miss Stark, Thor was an Asgardian."

"Hmm, is there a name Laufeyson in our data banks?"

"No Miss."

I sat in thought for a long moment, both Steve and Bruce recognized the name."What about Loki and the Avengers?"

"One moment...There are seven results for that search in my data."

"Which is the most relevant?"

"You probably want the first Avengers mission file."

"The first first one?"

"No Miss Stark, the third first one."

"I am going to ignore that comment. Which Avengers were involved?"

"Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye."

"Wow, pre-Spider Man. That is old. Give me the run down of what happened."

"The god of mischief Loki, son of Odin, brother of Thor,wanted to take over the world using the tesseract to unleash an army called the chitauri. Using the power from the arc reactor that Tony Stark and Pepper Potts installed to run Stark Tower, he opened the portal and nearly destroyed the island of Manhattan. He was eventually pounded into the floor by a very green Dr. Banner and the chitauri defeated."

"What are the other results?"

"There is some security footage labled 'Reindeer games fed concrete by giant green rage monster'. Would you like me to pull it up?"

"Yeah." I walked toward the screen. Loki was standing yelling something at the Hulk. Hulk listened for about two seconds before picking Loki up and smashing him into the floor. The only words I could really make out were 'puny god', which, while kinda funny, made my stomach churn. Loki was that puny god... but of course he was!

"Jarvis, I really need to change my taste in men."

"I have been thinking that for years, Miss Stark."