"Primitive?" Stark had never been more flabbergasted. "Primitive?! I will have you know that this is the most high-tech, spiffy, top-of-the-line, exclusive, generally not-primitive technology in the world!"

"I'm sorry." Crystal smiled, looking generally more amused than sorry. She held up the StarkPhone in her hand. "I just meant… it's a touchscreen."

"It's 2013!" Stark gasped. "Touchscreens are basically revolutionary!" How do you do your phone calls? Computer chips in your head?"

"Bracelets, actually." Crystal shrugged. "The holographic type you already see everywhere in Wakanda."

See, this was the problem with housing Loki's child from thirty years in the future. Nothing impressed her, except with how old-fashioned and vintage it was. She had only been officially a resident in the tower for twenty minutes, and, sweet as she was, and as polite as she was trying to be, Loki thought it was truly ridiculous of Stark to attempt to impress her with the technology.

To be completely honest, Crystal was probably more technologically adept than Loki, himself, what with her living in a place and time where holographic communication, and who knows what else, was completely normal and commonplace.

The two of them, Loki and Tony, that is, had moved Crystal to the tower, and where trying, emphasis on trying to find a way to make her feel welcome, at home, and generally not over-stimulated. After all, the doctor had told Loki that, while she was almost completely healed, physically, the mental effects of her time on the Sanctuary would take time and care, and love to recover from.

Loki had all the time in the world, but it would most likely take quite a bit of it to develop much care or love. Besides, it sounded really corny. The best he could do, at this point, was be there for Crystal, maybe not as her father, yet, but at least as a friend. She seemed kind enough, and somehow, Loki was getter better at making friends. The true question, now, was how to gain her trust?

How to have her understand that he wasn't everything she expected, whatever she was expecting?

That, and, how to send her back to her proper time?

That seemed the most important question of them all. Once she was back in her proper time, he could put this whole thing behind him, and go back to living his newly-heroic life as if she had never, but will eventually happen.

And, until then… what?

How was he supposed to act? What was he supposed to say? Do? Think?

The pressure of being a good example, or at least not a terrible one, hit him like a semi. How impressionable was your average seventeen-year-old? If she saw him sleeping in until noon, would she think that alright? How badly did he need to get his life together?

"Father?" Crystal spoke up, her wide grey eyes blinking up at him in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, of course." He replied, far too quickly. "Why would you think otherwise? I'm perfectly fine."

"You're looking a bit frazzled." Tony noticed. "This too much of a shock to you?"

Loki glanced back at Crystal, who was suddenly looking extremely remorseful. "I didn't even think about that…" She admitted. "Wow, this must be really stressful for you. You want to lie down, or…"

"It's nothing I can't handle." Loki cut them off. "I've seen stranger, I'm sure."

"Really?" Tony's eyebrows shot up. "When?"

That… was an excellent question. "Sometime, I'm sure." Loki waved a hand to dismiss the idea. "I'll live, though."

He needed to talk to Bruce. Either Bruce, or Thor, or both. Bruce would be able to get the technology to send her back to wherever she'd sprung from, although, ideally not to the same place, and his brother had always had a way of calming him down when things were the most stressful. "I think I need a minute."

"Of course." Crystal smiled again. "Take all the time you need."

"Yep, I got her covered." Tony sent a wink Crystal's way, and, to Loki's surprise, she rolled her eyes. He hadn't thought she had the confidence to brush the engineer off, like that.

"Don't touch her, Stark." He ordered, before fleeing to Thor's room.

Crystal watched Loki leave, obviously running from her, with a sinking feeling in her stomach. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, how to react to her. She was safe, here, but she wasn't exactly home. She'd known he would be different, but she hadn't really processed how world-shattering this revelation would be, to him.

She wanted to be able to spend time with him, to get to know him as a person, but not until he was comfortable with the very idea of her.

Maybe her uncle would be more receptive to her. After all, she wasn't his daughter.

"So, do you guys have movies, in the future?" Tony was asking. It was odd, being in a room with the Tony Stark, talking to him as if they were equals. Her father had always told her so many brilliant, amazing stories about the Avengers, and Iron Man had always been her favorite, what with his razor-sharp wit, the way he didn't even need powers, only his own mind to fight evil in the world, the redemption his story brought. It was amazing, all of it.

"Yes, we do." She answered. "More of them than you, though. Did you know people made movies based off of all of you?"

"No kidding?" Tony's grin looked like it could light up the sky. "About us? There's an Iron Man movie?"

Crystal couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Actually… there's three."

"Dude." He acknowledged, plopping down onto the couch. "How many does Cap have?"

"Three. And Thor has three, two."

Tony seemed to be having a slight existential crisis. "And… you can't tell me what's in those movies, right?"

"Course not." She smirked. "Some of it hasn't happened yet, and I don't want to be any more of a walking spoiler than I already am."

Disappointment dripped from the engineer's face. "Okay, fine. Killjoy. Who's your favorite?"

Well, that would be a little awkward, if she had to answer. Did she have to answer? "Guess." She commanded.

"Me!"

Naturally, that would be his first guess. Crystal laughed at how very like himself he was. "Of course!"

He winked at her with a smug grin. "You've got good taste. Your dad hates me, you know."

"Really?" She leaned forward. "He had nothing bad to say about you, after you died."

Tony blinked in surprise. "After I… Well, I guess everyone dies… But I didn't realize he had any amity towards me in the least."

"You're his favorite, too, save Thor." Crystal giggled, but found it a little odd. "Does he not act kindly to you?"

"Nah, I'm his worst nightmare." He joked. "He's always mean to me."

Now it was official. Crystal really needed to figure out who in the world her father was. He was a total stranger. Of course he could be trusted, but how were they to have a relationship if neither of them knew who the other was?

"I think I ought to go talk to him." She announced. "You know… make sure he's okay."

"Okay." Tony nodded, offering her a hand with mock gallantry. "You need any assistance, milady?"

"No, I'm good." Crystal lied. Her broken leg was extremely painful to walk on, despite the splints, and how well it was already healing. She'd be totally fine by tomorrow.

Naturally, Tony was skeptical. "You sure? Rudolph told us what they were probably doing to you, up there. Torture, and all. You're really banged up, you know."

No.

No, don't think about that, darn it, Tony why did you have to bring it up? With a nervous whimper, she pressed her hands to her head, shaking it to clear it of the unwanted memories. "Nope. No. Not at all." She insisted. 'I… I-I'm good at healing. Always been a gift." Rambling had always been one of her nervous habits. "I'm totally fine. Nothing to worry about."

Now Tony was looking at her with a weird, extremely skeptical face. "I mean, if you say so."

Shooting him a grateful smile, she decided now would be a very good time to shut up, and began making her way towards the elevator.

TheOnlyHuman.