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Prologue

Phoenix P.O.V

I had finally finished it. The bow i had been working on for a week was finally done and i couldn't wait to try it out. But first I had more important matters to attend to ... food. Tucking my wavy brown hair behind my ears I stood up from behind the dustbin. 'Behind the dustbin' was my new home and although it had a strange smell lingering constantly around it and was extremely uncomfortable it was a damn sight better than the place i had left in Australia. My days there were spent behind bars and with needles and different potions and poisons being tipped down me constantly. I was just an experiment to them - a mutant and as far as they were concerned someone who didn't have feelings. The scientists in Australia had wanted to develop my 'skills' further. And I suppose in a way they have.
I have never known how I started off life but for as long back as I can remember I have always looked the way I have. Same brown hair. same freckled face, same emerald green eyes. In fact I don't think I have ever aged at all. According to the scientists some genetic quirk in my blood means that I have always and will always look like an average seventeen year old girl. Except I am not. You see there are other genetic quirks. Like the fact I can sprout large, feathery, golden brown eagle wings whenever I want and fly. When I get angry (which is quite a lot) my eyes change from their usual green to a brilliant glowing gold and burn the offenders skin (actually more useful than you might think!) Oh and there is also the best quirk of all - complete and utter mind control. I can make anyone and anything do exactly what i want. Plus i can read peoples minds, so i always knew when the scientists were about to perform another experiment but they also restrained my mind powers so i was never able to hurt them. So you see i am definitely not an average seventeen year old girl.
Anyway those Australians wanted to turn me into a weapon as such and after nearly 2 years i'd had enough. The guard on duty one day had been a bit drowsy so it was easy enough to hit him with a sleep jinx thing and bend the metal bars in my cell so that my small body could fit through. After that i just flew. i had no idea where i was going but one day i spotted land and i touched down in New York. And since then i have devoted my life to making a bow and finding enough food to survive.
But now i had to find todays meal. And i was very lucky to see a man in business suit, eyes glued to his phone ... carrying an unfinished pot noodle ... pot. So anyway i waited until he was right next to my bin and just as he was turning away and dropping the pot i stuck out one hand and caught it neatly.
The noodles were still warm and tasted great to my near empty stomach. Feeling content i picked out a half eaten apple from the dumpster and a banana skin and started twirling them round and round in the air with my mind powers. I began to feel drowsy and my mind spiraled out of control sending the scraps higher into the sky and making them do a kind of frenzied tap dance in the middle of the alley. And then a footstep sounded, echoing strangely all around the alley. The apple and banana dropped to the floor abruptly in the middle of the side street. Another footstep echoed sounding strange and not at all like a normal footstep. I risked a peek around the side of my bin and a strange sight met my eyes.
A tall metal thing stood almost directly in front of me. I shrank back terrified as its gold and red head swung around to face my bin the blue slits that would have been eyes if it had been a normal face pulsing strangely. And then it did a most peculiar thing - it reached up a hand and a pressed the side of its head. Part of the face slid away revealing a human face. His eyes were a deep brown and he had a black beard.Unable to contain myself i let out a high-pitched scream and almost immediately covered my mouth in alarm as i realised he now knew where i was. The man/robot took a step toward me and raised his hand again pressing another button and the whole of the metal suit faded away leaving a man with a strange blue light where his heart should have been.
"It's ok I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to say that i don't like people stealing my pot noodles and i just wanted to make an impression when i said it so yeah i guess i've done that." "Don't be scared," he added when i made no reply. He put a hand out towards me but i felt now i had to protect myself. With a shriek i smashed out from behind the bin and catapulted into the man/robot knocking all the wind out of him. My eagle wings had sprouted out from my back and i flapped them wildly.
"Wo wo wo!" he wheezed sitting up with a gash on his forehead. i dropped to the ground and my wings retracted; i felt a bit guilty about what i had done. I did recognize him now as the man who had binned the pot noodles but that still didn't explain the metal suit. i glared coldly at him trying not to show my fear as he gazed up at me a bit stunned. "What are you?" he finally said. My eyes flashed gold and an angry red welt appeared on his cheek which quickly faded but not before he had winced and cried out in pain. "Dont be so rude!" I hissed my voice scratchy and hoarse. "I would think 'who are you' is a more suitable question as i am also a living person. And i could say the same of you. I mean one minute you're a businessman chucking away pot noodles and the next you're a thing in an ugly big suit complaining about me eating them when you obviously didn't want them!" I exclaimed babbling in my fear and anger. He chuckled and said, "That is a good point. Anyway why don't you help me up." I reluctantly stretched out a hand and pulled him to his feet. "So who are you then. What do i call you?" he said conversationally. i glared at home before saying stiffly, "Phoenix."
"Phoenix eh? Nice name though a bit odd. My names Stark. Tony Stark."
"Hello." I whispered a bit shy now.
"Well Phoenix i must say you have some incredible...abilities should i say. I mean its not every day i meet a teenage girl who can sprout wings, fly, make apples and bananas float, burn peoples skin and whose eyes can change colour. I've also never met one living behind a bin before." He smiled. "But Phoenix I think I can help you."
"How?" I asked sceptically.
"I can't explain it all now but i know people just like you and i think they'd be very interested to meet you. i can also help you by giving you a proper bed."
"They aren't scientists are they? These people. They don't want to experiment on me?"
"No, no." He looked deep into my eyes and said, "Please trust me Phoenix. I can help."
And even though he he wore a metal suit and chucked away pot noodles, even though he had a glowing blue heart and a rude nature, i did. And can i just add trusting Tony Stark that day was the best thing i ever did.