In Another Life...

27

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Anastasia did everything to stay as far away from Loki as she possibly could whilst she was stuck on the massive Helicarrier.

Natasha and Steve had both asked her what her sudden mood change was about and why it had happened right after she saw Loki. Anastasia told them it was the whole Clint situation, but Natasha knew it was something more.

Anastasia would tell Nat eventually, though she didn't know how to say "Loki, the other God we have on this ship, looks identical to my very dead father in another life," without actually saying it that bluntly.

That would be the type of thing that she would be reported for with a psych evaluation to follow up the report. She was trying to avoid that.

So for the time being she made herself busy getting actual work done while the other members of the team argued like children amongst themselves.

"Of the people in this room, which one is; A. wearing a spangly outfit, and B. not of use?" Tony asked. Anastasia briefly looked up, having not listened to most of the argument. She made eye contact with Bruce and he shrugged.

"Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you."
"Just find the cube." Steve said before he left.

"That's the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice." Tony said and Anastasia shook her head. Fury wouldn't have let him stay in the ice either way.

"They considered it, but Fury wouldn't go along with it. So now he's our problem."

"The guy's not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us." Bruce said.
"What he's got is an ACME dynamite kit. . . It's gonna blow up in his face, and I'm gonna be there when it does." Tony replied.

"And I'll read all about it."

"Uh-huh. Or you'll be suiting up like the rest of us."

"Hopefully we don't need to suit up. . . That means war, and we're not soldiers, no matter how much experience we have." Anastasia said before leaving. She was tired of fighting. But she would do it.

For the boy in Queens, who sees her as close family.
For her son, in another life. Her boys.

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They had to suit up.

And the only thing that kept her going was memories from the past. Whether they were from nineteen seventy-one or two thousand and eleven.

In the end, she was covered in blood, sweat, and chitauri guts.
A scent combination Anastasia hoped to never endure again. She would rather be Avada'd than deal with that.

After the couple days she had, Anastasia was happy to finally have a shower, so she could not only get clean, but also break down from the stress of her entire life.

It was late at night when she arrived to her apartment in Queens, a notice on her door. . . An eviction notice. Great.

Thirty days to vacate.

Anastasia pulled it off the door with a heavy sigh and walked in, leaving it on the kitchen counter.

Less than thirty days to line up a new place to stay. She frowned deeply, knowing Peter wouldn't be happy to see her go. . . Though she also knew she was considered a superhero now and it was no longer safe for her to live in a building full of civilians.

She brushed a section of ebony hair off her shoulder and dug her phone out of her back pocket. Anastasia pulled up her contacts and her finger lingered over Tony's contact.

Sighing once more, Anastasia clicked his name and held the phone up to her ear. . . It rang three times before the familiar voice came from the other end.

"Miss me already?"

She hummed. "If it makes you feel better, sure."

"Are you drunk?" Tony asked in an amused tone.

"No," Anastasia scoffed. "I'm slightly buzzed. . . Stark, I need help. . . I didn't know who else to call."

"What's going on?"

"Does that offer you gave Bruce extend to the other teammates in need?" She asked hurriedly, sobering as she felt adrenaline build within her system.

"I thought you had a place already, you're supposed to be there now."

"I do, I am. . . I have thirty days to vacate so new tenants can move in, it's not safe here anymore."

There was a beat of silence on the other end.

"Come here in the morning and I'll send some of my guys over to your place, I have a couple spare rooms that weren't destroyed in the battle. . . You can stay in one of them until the rest of the building is rebuilt."

"You're a life saver. Thank you, Tony."

"Yeah. . . Get some rest, kid. Its late." Tony said just before ending the call.

She smiled slightly, walking into her bedroom. The past week had been anything but normal, and she was determined to have some normalcy.

Even if it meant being attached to two brilliant scientists in the famed Stark Tower.