A Failed Experiment

chapter 9

I'd tell you what happened in the eleven months after, but they were more peaceful and uneventful than I could express, so lets skip to the day I left Kamar-Taj to join the avengers, shall we ? 

Bucky decided it was time for him to leave as well, and Aideen would never leave our side, not for anything, her words not mine. It was early afternoon and was November. A small crowd of people that ranged from friends to people I'd only spoken too a couple times, among them was Stephen and Wong, who separated from this small crowd, " It was truly a pleasure to have you here, all of you, if you ever need help, never be afraid to ask." Wong told me, smiling brightly against the sun,
" It was a pleasure to be here, Sir." Bucky was smiling, but that kind of hyperactive smile, he was excited to leave, I wonder what he's waiting for,
" Oh please." Wong threw him into a hug, although he only came up to about his neck, so it looked like a watermelon giving a telephone pole a hug. Stephen grabbed my hand,
" Do you really have to go ?" He whispered, a look of nearly childlike disappointment on his face, " Yeah, but this isn't goodbye, I'll see you again, I promise ." I kissed him softly,
" Alright then, goodbye sweetness." He kissed my forehead and opened a portal,
" Be careful." I smiled, waved and walked through the portal, leaving the place that had grown so dear to me.

the other side of the portal was New York, I think, and we were standing outside a large skyscraper, it must have been the largest modern building I've ever seen. A man with blondish-brownish hair was standing in the third floor window. Bucky shoved open the door, and the window man was rushing down the stairs with all the force he visibly had, " Bucky ! You're home !" He came to the bottom and flinged forward, headed straight for the cold tile. I threw my hand up and caught him. A pro of being in an environment where all types of magic flourished was my telekinesis had gotten a lot stronger, as a couple months in, Wong had decoded to train me in my own powers rather than the mystical arts,
" Easy tiger." I teased, putting him back on his feet. He continues his original path and hugged Bucky,
" Hi Steve." Bucky muttered, hugging him back,
" Who are these two ?" Steve asked, letting go of his friend,
" Well, this is Astor." I smiled at him,
" Hi ! Steve Rodgers right ?" Steve nodded and Bucky continued,
 " And this is Aideen." She glared at him,
" So you're the one he's been talking about. You really couldn't find anything better ?" I jumped to attention, and so did Bucky,
" Hey ! Not cool." He looked at me again, like he was on to something,
" Will you shut up a second, I was talking to her." I couldn't help bursting out laughing.

Bucky fully explained me and Aideen to a second man I vaguely recognized, " Well, are they of any use ?" I laughed sarcastically,
" I'd say so." He looked at me, and the way I recognized him came to me ,
" Well look who's confident, we'll see just what use you are." That's Tong fucking Stark, " Wait, I recognize you, I've definitely seen you before, what's your name, girl." I smirked, " You wouldn't know it, but you know my face, you raided a HYDRA lab with Stephen Strange and I was one of the first experiments you passed, my names Astoria to answer your question." His face lit up in recognition, " Yeah I know the name ! We looked through the files and I went back for you but your room was empty." I chuckled, " Yeah, well Stephen beat you to me." He rolled his eyes, " Well, anyway, there's a fighting ring in there, Jarvis ?" Something kicked into gear, " Yes Sir ?" I suppose it was a kind of AI assistant, " Call Happy, and don't tell him what he's doing." 

After a while of waiting, joking around with Aideen, a slightly round man arrived with a bag of boxing tape and gloves, " Hello girls ! Ready to fight ?" Aideen and I glanced at each other, we'd both fought men twice the height and weight of this one so this should be easy enough." I'll go first." I told him. I hopped into the ring and caught some gloves Happy threw at me, " Just so you know, my real names Harold, Tony loves nicknames." I chuckled, " Alright, that should be interesting." I put my hands up in the way I'd always been taught, and apparently this was right as he never said anything about it, " Ok, try throwing a couple punches. " Is this man really mansplaining to me how to fight ? I chuckled, " You asked for it." I muttered. I went to punch him in the face, he guarded, so I punched him in the gut, then when he doubled over in pain, I punched him in the face, " Happy ? Ooo that was distasteful."  Tony called me out and I tossed the gloves to Aideen, " Do I really have to do this ?" Happy/Harold  asked, " Yes, It's what I'm paying you for after all." I slumped down on the sofa beside Tony and Aideen climbed in. In HYDRA, she was a legendary fighter, so this should be good. Happy wiped his face, which was dripping in blood from his nose, "  Oh ! You can't be much harder." He thought aloud, she looked back at me and we both laughed, " Rule n-number one, never take your eyes off your opponent. " He tapped the side of her face with the glove. She turned and punched him full force, the impact producing a satisfying crack, " Touch me again and I'll break your neck rather than your nose, clear ?" Happy nodded, " Pathetic." Aideen muttered, climbing out of the ring again, " Ah, violence, I missed it.".