What do we want? Chapter 3! How do we get it? Apparently, by quarantining the author until they have to write or go crazy from boredom. Hope you are all doing okay in this crazy world!

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Strange kindly transported Avi to the Avengers base and promised her he would look after Loki while the magic she had used wore off. Avi, while grateful for the wizard's assistance, didn't fully trust him and knew Loki could be just minutes behind her. Strange let her out in a field behind the building, so it took a minute of hard running to reach the paved drive. She snapped her arms, waiting for the blades she always carried but froze when she remembered Odin had stripped her of her armor.

"Bastard," Avi muttered, a wave of hatred surging over her. She regretted it almost instantly, but the mental willpower needed to admit she still loved Odin was too much to summon right now. Scanning the immediate area, Avi was disappointed that no sort of weaponry appeared available. She would have been grateful for something as simple as a metal pole she could tear from the ground.

"Lose something?"

Avi jumped and looked around, finally finding the source of the voice hovering above her. A black suit of armor levitated about fifteen feet in the air to her left, and the speaker seemed to stand within it.

"Who are you?" asked the suit, or rather whoever was within the suit.

"I…" Avi stumbled, caught off guard by the intrusion, "who…I am…who are you? Are you the Iron Man?"

"The Iron Man?" asked the speaker. "Technically, everyone who has a suit is an iron man, but for some reason, only one of us gets the official term. Now, if a woman wore the suit, it would be an iron woman, but that doesn't apply to me. I'm rabbit trailing. Who are you, and why did you just come through a portal that looked like Strange's?"

"It was Strange's," replied Avi. "If you aren't Iron Man, who are you?"

"This could go back and forth forever, I guess. Okay, I'll go first. War Machine," said the speaker. The helmet of the suit retracted, and a man's head appeared. "And now I'm James Rhodes. Now, you tell me your name and why Strange sent you here."

"My name is unimportant," replied Avi, "and I can't tell you my reason for coming here. Well, not all of it. I need to speak with Tony Stark."

"Normally, I would say no," said Rhodes, coming down to stand on the ground, "but under the circumstances, and considering Strange sent you, I'll make an exception. Besides, you can't be any older than fourteen or fifteen. Unless you're like that Spidey kid, you should be pretty harmless."

"Spidey kid?" asked Avi, cautiously following Rhodes as he walked toward the main building.

"Spider-Man," nodded Rhodes, slowing so he could fall into step beside Avi. "He's an obsession of Tony's. Thinks of the kid like a son or something. He's alright, I suppose. I don't know him very well myself. Seems a bit jumpy."

"A son?" asked Avi, suddenly very attentive. "Does Stark have children?"

"Besides Spidey and that Harley kid, no," shrugged Rhodes. "No real children. You ask funny questions."

"You walk on the ground while wearing a suit capable of flying," shot back Avi. "People do funny things."

"Alright, fair enough," said Rhodes, looking annoyed at the comeback. "After you," he said, holding the door open and standing back.

The two entered the base, and Avi took a quick survey of her surroundings. There was not very much furniture, but everything was clean and extravagant yet practical. They crossed a large foyer with high ceilings and stopped at a wall. Rhodes pushed a button and appeared to be waiting for something.

"What are you doing?" asked Avi.

"Waiting for the elevator," replied Rhodes.

"Elevat…oh!" Avi jumped back when the wall in front of her slid open.

Rhodes gave her a strange look and raised an eyebrow, "You aren't from around here, are you?" He stepped into the tiny room the wall had revealed and looked at her expectantly. "Well, you coming? It's a hike up the stairs to Tony."

"Yes, elevator," nodded Avi, stepping in and trying to act natural. The wall slid closed again, and Rhodes pressed a button on the wall. The room appeared to be moving, but upon surveying Rhodes's calm state, Avi didn't say anything. "What did you mean I'm not from around here?" she asked, trying to maintain her sense of balance in the moving room.

"You mean besides being amazed by an elevator? Well, your shirt keeps flashing back and forth between basic t-shirt to some old fashioned looking thing," shrugged Rhodes.

Avi looked down in surprise and realized she had been spending very little time focusing on the illusion of clothing she cast over herself, and her Asgardian clothes kept showing. "Oh, just a little trick Strange did," she chuckled, attempting a smooth voice.

"Right, okay," nodded Rhodes, obviously not buying the explanation. The wall slid open, and Avi found the room had curiously changed. From the sense of motion in the elevator, they must have gone up. "Here we are," said Rhodes, stepping out of the tiny room. Avi followed, and they walked across a large open room that housed many mechanical creations and pieces. "Hey, Tony!" called Rhodes, shouting in the general direction of the window-filled wall ahead of them. "Someone here to see you!"

"I'm busy until next week!" called back a voice.

"She's here with me," shot back Rhodes.

"Coming!" replied Tony. Avi caught sight of the man as he stepped around a piece of machinery and started towards them. He appeared to be looking her over just as intensely as she was him. Today was not her first time seeing Tony, but it was the first time she had ever attempted to speak to him, or even alerted him of her presence. Twice before, she had seen him in battle as Iron Man, but this was the only time she had seen his real face. Tony gave her a quick smile and nodded, "Hiya, kid. Who is this, Rhodey? School trip? Want an autograph?"

"Strange sent her," shrugged Rhodes from the side where he was stepping out of his armor.

"Strange?" asked Tony, his expression changing to puzzlement. He turned to face Avi full-on, and she stood still, taking in the man without the armor.

Tony wasn't very tall, but his build looked fit, and he held himself confidently. His beard was funny and didn't cover his whole face like the Asgardian men's always did. Sometimes Thor's friend Fandral would shave his beard in the same manner, and everyone would tease him about it. Avi found it seemed to fit Tony's look well. She wanted to know what color his eyes were but couldn't bring herself to maintain contact long enough to tell.

"Do you work for the wizard?" asked Tony, wiping his grease-stained hands on a cloth from his back pocket.

"I…no, sir," said Avi, focusing her eyes on his black t-shirt that sported the words 'Life is too short to remove USB safely' across the front. "He helped me get here. I needed to speak with you."

"Oh, well, okay, go for it," said Tony. "I've got thirty minutes before that thing recalibrates."

"Are you still working on that invisibility joke?" asked Rhodes scoffing.

"It will work," said Tony. "A few more days and I'll have it. Okay, kid, let me have it. What can I do for you?"

"Please, sir," said Avi, still looking at his shirt, "may we speak in private?" She usually had no problem maintaining a level of confidence with people, but meeting the man who was apparently her father was more overwhelming than she had anticipated.

Tony glanced at Rhodes and shrugged, "Ah, sure, kid. Let's hit up my office over here." He pointed across the room and began walking at a quick pace towards a door on the far wall. Avi followed him, her heart pounding steadily in her chest. This man was her father. If Loki had told the truth, then she was currently walking behind the man who had given her life. And who had given her up. The entire story of what had happened was directly at her fingertips, but she wasn't sure she would have the strength to say anything more to Tony.

"Just shut it behind you," said Stark, nudging the door open with his foot and stepping into a small office featuring nothing more than a cluttered desk and several chairs.

Avi gently closed the door behind her and watched as Stark shoved some papers and books aside and dropped down onto the desk, legs swinging a few inches above the ground.

"Have a seat, sweetheart," invited Stark, motioning towards an empty chair against the wall.

Avi couldn't make her feet move. She knew the only way this was going to work was if she just forced herself to spit it out and get the words moving. A wave of courage washed over her, and she took a deep breath, "I'm Avila."

Tony's legs stopped swinging.

Avi closed her eyes, not sure what she was expecting to have happen next.

"I'm sorry, what?" asked Tony.

Avi opened her eyes and stared at her boots. The sneakers were gone. Her illusion must have disappeared in her fear. "I'm Avila," she whispered. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Tony's arms were strong and warm, and his embrace felt quite similar to Thor's, which Avi would never have expected from his small stature. She found herself caught off guard when suddenly pressed against the man's chest, a round plate of some sort under his shirt pressed against her upper arm. Avi could tell that Tony was crying, but the tears were silent, and only the shaking of his shoulders gave it away. It all happened so fast that she was unsure of what to do and stood very still as he held her.

"My gosh," whispered Tony, barely audible. "Is it her?"

He took a step back and held Avi at arm's length. She could feel his eyes all over her but couldn't bear to look back at him.

"Is it really you, baby?" he asked. His hand was on her chin now, lifting her face. She forced herself to meet his gaze, and her heart jumped when she saw pure joy radiating from his expression. "My little Avi?"

She nodded, tears suddenly barreling through her faster than she could stop. They spilled down her cheeks, and she felt her legs weaken. Tony sensed her unbalance and quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her up.

"Oh, hey!" he said, leading her to a chair and helping her sit. He knelt before her and took her face in his hands. "I can't believe this. It's you! I should have known the minute I saw you. You look so much like your mother. Heck, you look an awful lot like me. Holy mackerel, how old are you now? Twenty-something? You don't look a day over fourteen. Oh, gosh." He was smiling broadly, tears flowing just as steadily down his face as they were Avi's. "Oh, baby, don't cry," he said grinning. "It's okay. Hey, kid. It's alright." He pulled her close against his chest again, and this time Avi returned the embrace. Why she was so overwhelmed, she had no idea. Perhaps it was because she had half-expected Stark to turn her away or grow angry. He had given her up, after all. Avi's emotions were careening every which way inside of her, and she longed to feel peace. She wished she was back on Asgard at Odin's side and that nothing had changed. She wished her life was normal. Yet, she was so glad to be in Tony's arms. It felt right.

Nothing much was making sense to her at the moment.

"So, it is true?" she mumbled through her tears. Her voice was shaky but held for the moment. "You are my…" the word 'father' wouldn't come out.

"How did you find out?" asked Tony, his hand resting lightly on her head. "Who told you?"

"Strange started to," said Avi, fighting to keep her voice from breaking. "Loki told me everything. So, you are?"

"Your father?" asked Tony. "Yes, I am. Oh, gosh, I owe you a heck of an explanation, don't I? I've been a real failure of a dad. I promised myself I would never mistreat my kid, and here I've ignored you for twenty-odd-years."

Avi wanted to dispute his self-deprecation, but she wasn't sure what words to use. She replied by squeezing him a little tighter.

"Why?" asked Tony. "I mean, why did they tell you? Has something happened? Is Odin alright?"

"Yes," whispered Avi. "Yes. Strange saved me from him…" She couldn't say anything more.

"Saved you?"

Tony released his grip and leaned back to a kneeling position again, his hands still on Avi's arms. She finally met his eyes, and they locked their gaze, neither saying anything for a few minutes. Tony's eyes were dark brown, just like her own. They were soft and warm and kind but understandably held a million questions. Avi never wanted to look away.

Suddenly, the door flew open with a bang, and Tony and Avi looked up to see the tall, imposing figure of a man in full Asgardian armor, spear in hand. It was Odin.

"Stark, take your hands off my child," he said in a voice low and commanding.

Tony scrambled to his feet, and seconds later, his suit had built itself over his body. The helmet closed over his face, and he stepped in front of Avi, shielding her.

"I think you mean my child, Odin," said Tony.

"You renounced all claims many years ago," said Odin, stepping into the room. Power visibly radiated off the All-Father, and he possessed the power and might that Avi only saw in him before and during a battle. At that moment, she was more terrified of Odin than she had ever been before.

"I renounced nothing," said Tony. "I asked you to help me. Now would someone like to explain to me what is going on here? What does Strange have to do with all of this? Avila said he saved her."

"An explanation will be given to you in due time," replied Odin. "But not now. Give me the child, Stark."

"I don't believe I will," said Tony, his suit starting to hum as if he were building up power.

"You cannot keep me from her," said Odin, stepping closer. "Do not attempt to fight me. You know you won't win."

"Doesn't mean I won't try," said Tony, his hands coming up into a defensive position.

Avi had slowly stood and taken several steps back, though keeping herself behind Tony as a shield. It occurred to her that someone could get seriously hurt if Tony attempted to fight Odin, but she wasn't sure what to do to stop it.

"Do not be a fool, boy!" demanded Odin, so close that Tony could almost touch him. "Give me the child, and we will discuss this like rational beings."

"I'm not a boy anymore," said Tony, and he blasted Odin with some sort of fiery energy radiating from his hands. Avi gasped when Odin stumbled backward, but he recovered almost instantly and advanced again, utterly unphased by the attack.

"Repeat that, and you will never see the girl again," said Odin, ominously.

"Stop!" cried Avi, running forward and around Tony. She stood between the two men, arms outstretched in defense towards each of them. Her breath was heavy, and her heart hammered furiously in her chest. Odin and Tony looked at her for a moment, distracted by her actions, but she wasn't sure what else to do. Avi gazed mournfully at Tony, tears again welling up in her eyes. Crying had occupied more of her time in the past few hours than it had since she was a toddler. "He'll hurt you," Avi said. Then she dropped her arms and went to Odin's side.

"I have raised my daughter to exhibit great wisdom," said Odin, a hand clamping firmly onto her shoulder. "Avila is better off as my child than she ever would have been with you." In a sudden motion, Odin pulled Avi close to his chest, and in a flash of light, they disappeared from Tony's office.

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Wow, I was surprised at how fast this chapter seemed to write itself! Introducing Avi to Tony was a hump I couldn't seem to get over, but once I got started it worked itself out quite well. Hopefully I don't procrastinate chapter four like I did this one. Thanks so much for taking the time read! Leave a review if you like and I hope to see you again for Chapter 4! Also, I may need to include more Rhodey. There is no one as fun to write as Rhodey. He is a class A sarcastic beast of awesomeness.