Astrild; Goddess of Love

Chapter 2 - Journey

Author's Note; Thank you to everyone who has read the first part and I hope you enjoy where this story takes you.

"Well, Lady Roberts what do you think of our humble city?" Thor asked as we walked back to the clockwork dome.

"Please Uncle, call me Liz." I sighed only now realizing I hadn’t told him my first name by the confused look on his face, "My first name is Elizabeth. Your city is amazing Thor, I can't believe I got to see it. Will Loki be accompanying us on our journey back?" I asked out of honest curiosity.

"No, he is looking after Lady Sif," he replied. "I will also be remaining here, you are to make the return journey alone. Heimdell our guard will look after you." He hastily added the last part when he saw the shock on my face.

"Okay." We continued our walk in silence. When we arrived he gave me a hug goodbye.

"Farewell my niece, I hope to see you again soon."

"Goodbye Thor." I hadn’t known them long but I knew in time I would become very close with my uncles.

It was dark when I arrived back at the Institute. Well dam. I missed the entire day, Stark Industries won't be pleased. I walked back into my home and was surprised to see Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries talking to the Professor. I quickly used my telepathy to hide my wings and markings.

"Ah here she is now Pepper. Are you sure you won't stay the night?" Ah Xavier ever the gentleman.

"No thank you Charles, we better be going we have a lot to discuss, it will be a very long drive to a private airfield, seen as we missed our commercial flight," she replied graciously. I mentally noted how the Professor didn't mention the school's jet. Pepper continued "Miss. Roberts it's a pleasure to finally meet you," she held out her hand for me to shake.

"And you Miss. Potts, if you don't mind me asking why did you come in person? Don't you have staff which deal with this kind of thing normally?" Again I say it's a good job I'm not a cat.

"Yes but this is more..." she paused to think of the correct word, "personal, to Mr. Stark in particular." She said no more on the subject, "Thank you for your hospitality professor. If you would like to follow me please Miss. Roberts." We then walked toward the black town car which was parked outside. I said a mental goodbye to the professor along with a promise to visit soon. Once we got in Pepper visibly relaxed. A man in his late 30s was seated opposite us.

"Miss. Roberts I would like you to meet Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D." the title agent made me remember what the professor had said about being vigilant, did he know Coulson was here? I scanned through Coulson's mind to find what kind of work he did. It wasn't all good but he was one of good guys.

"It's nice to meet you, Coulson." I said, nicely enough.

"Enough with the pleasantries Pepper. We have a job to do get on with it," he wasn't rude just incredibly nervous about being in an enclosed space with me. What did they think I was? They hadn't even seen my wings, what opinions could they possibly have formed?

"Miss. Roberts, do you mind if I take a DNA sample?" Pepper asked, well at least she was straight forward with me.

"I thought I got the job why do you need my DNA to check my criminal history or something?" I laughed nervously my attempt at humour did nothing to lessen the tension.

"Something like that," she muttered before continuing louder, "well as the new CEO of Stark Industries I went through some for the old boxes left behind by Tony's father Howard and came across this." It was an old photo album covered in dust with a few recent finger prints on it. "Have a look," she encouraged.

"Pepper--" Coulson attempted to speed her up.

"No, my way, or the highway remember." She stated. In the meantime I'd run my fingers over the cover and opened it. One the inside of the cover was a locket which read my daughter in Asgardian.

"This was my mother's?" I asked though I knew the answer.

"Yes it has a strand of hair inside along with a picture of Tony and Howard, his father with an unknown baby girl," Pepper explained.

"That's why you want my DNA to check it is really me." I said more to myself than to them. The next thing in the album was a newspaper clipping with a picture of 'Howard and Eira Stark with their new born baby'.

"The year's wrong for Tony, so I ran a multi-vectors search with babies born before that date but after Tony with then name Elizabeth Stark. None. So I had Agent Coulson here run a more complex search. With just the name Elizabeth and your date approximant date of birth, the only one with unknown parents was you. So I offered you the job in the hopes we could have this conversation." Well what do you know? The papers lied; she's not just a pretty face.

"Could I have that DNA sample to run please?" Coulson enquired quickly.

"On two conditioned one; you delete any trace of my DNA from the database and two; call me Liz," I say more hoping he'll agree to the first than the second.

"Deal, but you in return you'll owe me," he said extending his hand towards me. I took it.

"Deal, Phil." He started the test; running by DNA against Tony Stark's DNA.

"I know this is a lot to take in Liz, but we're here for you," Pepper tried to sooth me. I've had a brother in New York all this time.

"I thought my parents were died and that's why I was left with the professor, but this," sorrowed filled me, "what if they gave me away because of my gifts?" I looked to Coulson; he knew that I knew that he knew about my powers, all but one anyway. He looked guilty and refused to meet my gaze.

"What gifts?" he asked with as much sincerity as he could.

"Why ask when you know." I replied bluntly.

"Would one of you care to fill in the civilian?" Pepper demanded. In response I blinked and allowed my shields to fall. As my wings and markings became visible Pepper gasped, I get that a lot. The flamed outlines which were draped from my right shoulder to my elbow and from there engulfed my lower forearm were glowing with orange light and pulsing with my heartbeat. The Fire of Asgard my mother had named it, in her letter. While on my left arm the crashing wave outlines pulsed icy blue to my elbow and became wisps of air up to my shoulder. The Ice of Jotunheim. Across my collar bones there is a vine of ivy which mutates into a daffodil above my heart, Earth. Behind me my wings' feathers rustled in the silence.

"Hideous, right?" I asked rhetorically that's all humans had ever said about me.

"No, no most defiantly not Miss-- I mean Liz. You're a rare and beautiful creature." Coulson said in awe.

"A beautiful creature you would rather see locked up," I stated, you can't hide anything from skilled telepath and I had the best teacher.

"Not anymore, you're a child and you can control your powers. I think I can convince my people that you not a threat but more of a help to us, which we allow you to live freely so long as you help us when we need you to." When he finished he looked like a kid in a candy store, he could use my skillset.

"So we're even." I stated. Just then the machine running the DNA comparison got its result.