Marvel Oneshots - Book 4

Old friends

I gripped onto my stomach as I stumbled along the streets, my legs barely working. It was only a little farther.
I groaned and managed to get my body just a little further where I found just what I was looking for.

"You better fucking be home, Stark." I grumbled slamming my fist against the glass, a security guard rushed to the front and pointed a gun at me.

"Tell Tony Estella Ray is here to see him." I said as he kept his gun pointed at me while relaying the message.
He looked at me in shock and lowered his gun.

"Right this way, ma'am." He said as I chuckled and followed him inside.
The elevator door opened and I looked up to see someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

"You always said we were friends, well right now I need a friend with medical supplies." I said making him chuckle, he helped me into the elevator.

"Of course this is how I see you, nothing for years and then you end up on my door, half dead." He said as I laughed softly but quickly cringed in pain.

"You know me, I like surprises." I replied breathlessly as he looked at me with worry.

"You got old." I said making him shake his head and laugh.

"And you're exactly the same." He replied before the elevator doors opened and he helped me out into the medical bay.
He helped me to lay on a bed as I hissed in pain again.

"Were you shot?" He asked as I tried my best to relax.

"Not exactly." I replied pulling my shirt up to reveal a small circle piece of machinery with claws burying into my skin.

"What the fuck." Tony muttered looking at it as I chuckled.

"Apparently the military want to treat me like a fucking deer. They've been following me for months, then they found me and shot this into my fucking skin. It weakens me and has a tracker in it." I explained as Tony began to put gloves on.

"Why are they after you?" He asked beginning to poke at the device as I groaned.

"I'm immortal, Tony. Humans have always wanted a piece of that." I explained as he sighed and nodded.

"Um, Tony? Everything okay?" I heard a voice say as I looked up to see a short man entering.

"Bruce, Estella. Estella, Bruce." Tony said making me chuckle.

"Actually it's Astraea." I muttered as Tony looked at me in shock.

"Your real name isn't Estella?" He said as I laughed and shook my head.

"No, that was just an alias, kid." I said making him groan.

"Well, Astraea. I'm fifty two now, with my own kid, I'm not exactly a kid myself." He said as Bruce came over to look at the device as well.

"Exactly, you're still a baby." I replied as Tony pressed the device making it dig deeper as I cried out in pain.

"Shit! Sorry!" He cursed backing away from it.

"I thought you couldn't get hurt." Tony said as I groaned and breathed through the pain.

"Apparently they designed something to bring me down, probably the same shit they used on Thor." I grumbled trying my best to stay still as if not to anger the beast anymore.

"So, we just need a way to get this out of your body and you'll heal?" Tony asked as the device stilled once more.

"Let's hope so." I muttered watching Bruce examine the device.

"Prying it out would be too dangerous, we're going to need to hack it or something in order to remove it safely." Bruce said as I nodded a little.

"Well, I can definitely manage hacking." Tony said making me smile.

"Sorry it took me so long to come back." I whispered as he looked at me and smiled back.

"Let's save the apologies for when I save your ass."

—

Eventually you'd passed out and Tony cautiously worked on trying to hack into the device.
He heard a noise and looked up to see Steve entering.

"Friday told me you were up here. Everything okay?" Steve asked as Tony sighed.

"She's an old friend and I'm trying to get rid of this device that's buried in her thanks to the government." Tony muttered as Steve looked down at my face.

"Did you know her when she's was a kid?" He asked making Tony chuckle.

"No, she knew me when I was a kid." He replied, Steve wasn't all that shocked.

"So, why is the government after her?" Steve asked looking down at my sleeping face.

"The government was after you once upon a time, you know as well as anyone that they're set off by people who are different." Tony replied not looking up.

"How do you know her?" Steve asked sitting across from Tony. 

"She worked with my father, I met her when I was six. When my parents died, she planned out everything for me. But, after the funeral she disappeared." Tony said as Steve nodded.

"So, you haven't seen her in thirty years." Steve said as Tony chuckled and nodded.

"When you say it like that, it makes me feel old." He muttered before the device made a noise and began to release its grip.

"Yes!" Tony shouted as I woke up and groaned in pain.
As it lifted away from my skin I screamed out in pain, Tony readied himself above me, ready to grab it as soon as it was free from my skin.

"Fuck!" I screamed before it finally fully released and Tony grabbed it.
I fell back on the bed, panting as I closed my eyes.

"I've been burnt alive and even that didn't hurt this much." I grumbled opening my eyes to look at Steve.

"Damn, the Stars and Stripes himself." I muttered making him chuckle.

"I'm Steve, nice to meet you." He said as I awkwardly held my hand out for him to shake.

"Astraea." I replied in obvious pain.

"Awkward time to meet but it's still nice to meet you." He said making me laugh softly. I breathed through the pain and did my best to relax.

"So, why did it take thirty years to come back?" Steve asked making Tony groan.

"Steve." He growled as I chuckled softly.

"It's okay, you deserve an explanation, kid." I muttered, getting myself comfortable.

"After the funeral I disappeared, I didn't have a job anymore. So, I went out an found one. It happened to be with a secretive agency, I went deep undercover in Hydra and infiltrated them. I couldn't risk bringing you into any of it, I'd never forgive myself. I finished my mission about two weeks ago, ran from the government and got stuck with that horror of a thing and thought, hey best time to visit an old friend." I explained as Tony chuckled and smiled.

"Well, you're more than welcome to stay." He said as I smiled.

"Might need to take you up on that offer, I've been living on the streets for a little too long." I muttered, looking up at him.

"Welcome home, old friend."