Well hello there, my fine readers. It's wonderful to see you back (or just for the first time) to read the next chapter in my humble story.

As I warned last week, I do have twists in upcoming chapters. Maybe this one had a twist. Who knows? *winks*

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

But I've got a little question - some parts of this tale are up for changes, and are there any things, in particular, you might want to see happen? Drop me a line and let me know if there are. Otherwise, sit down, relax, and enjoy the ride.

As always, I don't own Marvel.


Dinner and Discoveries


On the first Sunday, after Astraea and Madison moved into their new apartment, Pepper Potts came around to deliver a message and a belated welcome. The powerful CEO came up to the duo's floor and was shocked to see boxes still littering the open plan living-dining-kitchen space. She voiced this to the two girls after they noticed her presence.

"Uh … " Astraea started, giving the CEO an uncertain glance, "we were kinda worried about having to leave again and didn't want to re-pack everything. Those movers did a really good job of making everything neat … " She trailed off into silence.

"You needn't worry about that," Pepper reassured them, giving both teens a warm smile. "I'm here to welcome you officially to the team and invite you to a team dinner at 7:00 tonight."

"Oh … thanks. You … you didn't need to come down just to tell us. I mean, you're the CEO of Stark Industries. You could have just sent someone or asked JARVIS. I didn't think we were important enough for a personal welcome."

"Nonsense. I make it my business to personally greet all new staff members, or residents, of the Tower. The dinner was just convenient timing. I'd had such a busy week that today was the first time I could get down here to welcome you."

Astraea still remained uncertain.

Madison, however, leapt up to shake the CEO's hand, an enthusiastic smile lifting her entire face. "I have to say, this is an amazing honour, Ms Potts. You're one of my heroes."

"Thank you. And please, call me Pepper. You're a part of this family now, no matter how crazy it seems. If you have any issues with Tony, just come and tell me or have JARVIS notify me." An alarm buzzed, and Pepper glanced at her phone. "Right, I've got to be off now. The theme is roast dinners, so feel free to bring mains, sides, or desserts for tonight. It's a bit of a competition for the best one."

Astraea nodded, and the girls waved the older woman goodbye as she swept out the apartment, shoes clicking on the hardwood flooring.

Madison still had a loom of pure awe on her face. "That was awesome! The CEO came down to visit us. Amazing. I so want to be like Miss – Pepper – when I grow up." Her gaze turned dreamy.

"Mads, you're daydreaming again. We'd better get cooking now; it's already 5:00." Astraea scrambled to her feet, searching the fridge and cupboards for things she'd need. "JARVIS, is it possible to order a fillet of beef and some – " she rooted around in the salad drawer, "some flat cap mushrooms and Parma ham?"

"Indeed, Miss Blake. I shall have the order delivered as soon as possible. Is twenty minutes an adequate time interval?" The posh British tones of JARVIS came from the ceiling, much fancier than Astraea's own East Yorkshire accent.

"Sure. Thanks, J." She pulled a bag of flour from a drawer and rummaged around for bowls and scales.

"What did you need all that for? We have some beef in the freezer and a chicken for roasting." Madison wandered over beside her, glancing at the StarkPad Astraea was now searching on.

"For Beef Wellington. There was this awesome Gordan Ramsey recipe Dad found a few years ago. I'm gonna try and make that for tonight. Just need to start making the pastry while all the over stuff arrives. Should be ready by seven, then."

"Sounds good. I'll fix roast potatoes then and my old boss' favourite lemon cheesecake." Madison joined Astraea in searching for ingredients. "Trying to impress the neighbours, right?"

"Of course. Being able to cook made us more popular on campus, maybe it'll make us more popular here. I wonder how many of them can actually cook?"

"Hmm … I bet Tony Stark has always had personal chefs and stuff – doesn't need to cook, maybe never really learned. Thor probably wouldn't be able to use Earth-tech so well, even he did have to cook being a prince and all. Black Widow – "

"You know you're allowed to call them by their first names now, right Mads?"

"Yeah, but it still feels weird. Plus, Black Widow sounds cooler. Anyways, she's a spy-assassin and so is Clint, I bet they can cook a little at least."

"Pepper? And Steve?"

"I'd guess they'd be able to do pretty well. But also, Doctor Banner. Didn't he stay in a bunch of different countries while he was on the run?"

"I guess. That's everyone, right?"

"Er … Falcon? From DC." Madison had flour all over her face, despite barely using the stuff. "Would he also be here?"

"Maybe. He seems kinda more normal than the majority of the team, too. Wait – what about War Machine?"

"Ahh … forget about Iron Patriot. Army man, right? Might be alright at cooking. We'll just have to wait and see."

"That we will."

oOo

A few hours later, the duo headed to the common floor, each carrying a covered tray of food and dressed in semi-casual clothing. They weren't exactly sure of the dress code for the event, but given the money most of them probably possess, even casual wear would look posh on them.

As they entered the open plan space, Pepper directed them to place their dishes on the counter or in the fridge as needed. Madison despotised hers swiftly, eyeing the various bottles of alcohol also open on the counter.

"You know, seen as this is a private residence and all, are we allowed to have a drink?" Madison's bold question was directed at Pepper, who was holding a glass of red wine herself.

The CEO narrowed her eyes, giving them an appraising look. "How old are you, ladies?"

"I'm 19, but Madison is three months away from being 19," Astraea answered cautiously, casting Madison a questioning look. The other girl just shrugged.

"Hmm … One drink, " Pepper conceded, "seen as this is a very secure building and you might need one to get through dinner with the Avengers." She gave them a small smile, seeing the looks of worry on their faces. "Don't worry, it's not that bad. It'll be lovely to see some more ladies though. We sometimes have Jane and Darcy – that is, Doctor Jane Foster and Miss Darcy Lewis. You might have seen them on the news after Greenwich last year.

"Right then, I'll leave you, girls, to mingle. Tony still isn't here. Looks as though I'm dragging him from the workshop again. It's a good thing I've had practice managed him prior to the Avengers – not sure if I could handle him otherwise." Pepper pursed her lips, topped up her drink and swept from the common room into the elevator.

Madison grabbed the nearest bottle of wine, pouring a generous amount into an empty glass from one of the many cupboards. "This stuff looks so posh; you can practically see the money dripping from it. But hey, billionaire, right? Perks of."

"Sure. Reckon there's some whisky here? I love the smell." Astraea checked the bottles, hunting for the right stuff.

"Uh … there's some scotch. A bottle of bourbon too," Madison reported. "Scotch is Scottish Whisky, right?"

"Yup. At least, according to the internet." Madison passed over the bottle. "Thanks." Astraea opened the bottle and seized a small glass. She added roughly a shot, but her metabolism rate meant she could take slightly more than average before getting drunk. Not god-like levels, or super soldier, just a bit more than average. "Just need ice."

Drinks in hand, the pair moved further into the room, towards the adults making loud conversation. A few metres from the group and they stopped, giving each other uncertain glances. Everyone there was much older than them. Above the age group that the teens usually talked to, though not higher than anyone they had made small talk with before. Astraea and Madison did work in a café after all. No longer though. Astraea was making enough money to keep them both comfortable, and Madison was just-about promised a job at Stark Industries after finishing her Leadership and management degree. The proposal for Astraea was helping her best friend as much as it was helping her. It was an opportunity for Madison to get an amazing job at a young age; it would give her the opportunity to have all the nice things she wanted. Astraea was determined for Madison to have a good life – Madison's nightmares indicated her childhood hadn't been great. It was about time she had the chance to make many more great memories.

oOo

After an initial 15 minutes of (awkward) socialisation, the Avengers, Pepper, Madison, and Astraea settled down at a heavily laden table. Dishes of roast beef, pork, and chicken all coated in various sauces were lined up down the middle. At every other interval bowls filled with roast potatoes, carrots, asparagus, cauliflower cheese, red cabbage and apple, and numerous others. Both Madison and Astraea were overwhelmed by the sheer volume and variety of food.

Astraea was seated in-between Madison and Tony; Natasha was next to Madison; Clint beside Natasha. On the other side sat Steve, Sam, Bruce, and a James 'Rhodey' Rhodes (opposite Tony). Pepper had allocated herself as head of the table, ready to keep an eye on the crazy family that was the Avengers.

For the most part, the conversation was carried by Tony, Pepper, and Clint. Natasha and Bruce tended to pitch in with witty remarks every so often but were otherwise quiet. The two other men ranged from being quietly talking to each other to involving everyone. Only Astraea and Madison seemed to barely talk at all. Pure nerves and a lack of understanding all the inside jokes made a quiet combination in a person. Even asking to pass dishes needed the words repeating 11 times mentally just to be sure they were saying the right thing. At least, that's how Astraea felt but Madison seemed to be adapting a little quicker to the general vibe of the conversation.

"So, I take the tank, fly it right up to the General's palace, drop it at his feet, I'm like, 'Boom! You looking for this?'" Rhodey is telling a story to Pepper and Tony who both give him blank looks.

Madison, however, bursts out laughing. "That's a good one!"

Rhodey looks over at Madison for a second before gesturing to her. "Thank you! At least somebody finds it funny. That girl is my new best friend." He stands up, leaning across the table to shake her hand. "James Rhodes, but everyone calls me Rhodey."

"Madison Lance. Nice to meet you."

"You know, she only finds it funny because she hasn't heard any good stories yet." Tony chimed in, raising a glass at Rhodey. "Just wait a few hours. War Machine stories won't be as funny then."

"Because you have much better ones?" Madison questions, raising an eyebrow at him. "I haven't heard any funny ones yet and you've been spouting plenty of them."

Astraea elbows her friend in the side. "You can't say that!" She murmurs in a hushed whisper. "It's his tower, and I don't want to have to go crawling back to uni explaining we need our old place back again despite leaving only a week ago."

"It's fine. I was being funny," Madison whispers back, an easy smile on her face. "Don't worry."

When they re-join the conversation, Tony is already halfway through a new Iron Man story, gesturing wildly. The others are chiming in with corrections. Then Bruce adds:

"Wasn't this a dream you told me in the lab when you were drunk? I swear I remember hearing this before." There's a little twinkle in Bruce's brown eyes. "You were trying to convince me to do drunk science with you, and explaining how it had worked in your dream with the suit. JARVIS? Is there an audio recording for this?"

"Indeed, Doctor Banner. There are both video and audio records of the event. Would you like me to play?" As always when JARVIS speaks, Astraea and Madison jump a little, still not completely used to the disembodied voice of the AI.

"Go on, then. Play the video." As Bruce finishes his sentence a hidden project produces the video against a plain wall opposite Pepper.

All eyes shift to the short clip of video footage. A very drunk-looking Tony Stark stumbles into a high-tech lab, where Bruce is busy working with a holographic screen. Giggles erupt as Tony promptly collapses onto Bruce, using him as a cuddy wall to lean on. With a clear eye-roll, Bruce deposits the genius on a squishy armchair, propping him up using an impressive stack of cushions.

"Brucie-bear … bruceeeee … I have a … a fucking … funny story to tell you … " Tony slurs his words into an almost incomprehensible mass of drunken talking. "I had a dream that … there was a giant bloody duck … and a purple hawk … I had to use the suit and – " He tips forward, body swaying. "Woah … The lab is spinning, Brucie!"

Bruce sighs, leaving his work to dump a bucket in front of a quietly giggling Tony. "Tell me when you aren't drunk."

"But … I wanna do science." Tony pouts, glancing up from his bent-over position. "I need to tell you … the rest of my story. About the duck. I had to make the suit smell like bread … yummy bread. Ducky followed me to the pond. And then … and then the hawk shot it … Good duck for us … hulk-sized duck for dinner … or for science." With that Tony finishes, flopping back in the chair and promptly going to sleep.

Present-day Tony takes advantage of everyone's lack of attention to pour all his vegetables onto Pepper's plate and calls for JARVIS to end the clip.

"Certainly, Sir. Would you be requiring any more videos tonight?" JARVIS sounds an awful lot like he's trying to hold back laughter to Astraea.

"No thanks, J. I need to update you not to play embarrassing clips."

oOo

Despite the bundle of embarrassing stories (and videos), the evening remains pleasant and conversationally. By the end, Astraea and Madison both feel a lot more relaxed around the intimidating Avengers. Madison heads to bed early, followed by Clint and Natasha in the lift. Astraea mills around for another half-an-hour prepared to contribute to washing-up. But Pepper assures her they have enough space in the dishwashers, showing Astraea all three of the machines in the massive kitchen area.

Having been satisfied she didn't need to do any work, Astraea headed to the stairs to make her way down to her and Madison's apartment. The few flights down would give a little chance to burn off some of the food she ate earlier. Astraea had tried a little of everything, except for the cabbage and asparagus. She hated them.

As she approached the right floor, Astraea could hear the footfalls of three different people within the building. Focusing her hearing on them, she sat on the stairs, listening to see if she could surprise those in there. From the hushed conversation Astraea could hear easily, she gathered it was Madison, Clint, and Natasha talking in the apartment.

" – and the background check showed some interesting things. Well, more like it missed out about three years of your life. Nat and I did some digging with our own recourses. Want to know what we find?" Clint sounds slightly threatening to Astraea. It's strange because he'd been nice to Madison beforehand.

"You were a SHIELD agent, weren't you Madison? Or should we call you Agent Lance, or maybe Hermes? Which do you prefer?" Natasha's words are honey-sweet but belied by the razor edge underneath.

Astraea's mouth gapes open in shock. Her best friend worked a secret spy organisation?!

"I left a year ago for personal reasons. You have no reason to bring this up. Yes, I was an agent. Briefly. But all that is behind me now. I'm moving on and I have a life free of being Pandora." Madison's voice sounds strangely steely, in a way Astraea has never heard her friend before. "I'm asking you politely not to tell anyone. I'll tell Astraea when I feel comfortable with it, but not before. I don't want you ruining our friendship because of something I've long since left behind."

"You really think it's a coincidence that you ended up roommate to a known enhanced? Whether you believe it or not, Fury put you there for a reason. You must have suspected it – given your own talents. I hope for your sake that you weren't HYDRA. We haven't gone very far with our investigations yet, but if we get any hint that you are here as a spy." There's a heavy pause from Natasha. "Well, you'll understand first-hand why they call me Black Widow. Understand?"

Madison must nod because Astraea doesn't hear any response.

"Good."

There's a faint whoosh as the two agents leave in the lift. Astraea remains on the stairs. She doesn't know how much time passes; all she can think about is the fact that her best friend was a SHIELD agent, and that she herself was – maybe is – on a list of enhanced for S.H.I.E.L.D. And her best friend probably knew this. Madison worked for a spy organisation and never said anything. She even has a codename – 'Hermes', god of travel, thieves, and known as being 'jack of all trades, master of none'. What the hell can her best friend do?

Astraea stays there for another few minutes for heading to one of the gyms. She needs to work this all out of her system before she explodes.

Before she says or does something she might later regret.


Ohhhh ... so there you have it. Madison Lance was a SHIELD agent. The mystery thickens. Stay tuned for more next Friday.

I hope you enjoyed that particular twist. Did anyone predict anything like this? Or was this completely different to what you were expecting? Well, I did warn that there will be a few twists coming up in future chapters.

How will Astraea procced? And how would you feel, realising your best friend had been part of a secret spy organisation?

As always, thank you to everyone who reads, favourites, follows, or reviews. It always warms me up.

Until the next time,

Look-for-the-miracles