Time Keeper and Grim Reaper

Chapter 1

"Alexis, I need you to hide in that cupboard right now. Quick!" I scrambled to my feet, taking the bare necessities before dashing to the door, just to notice the silence from mum. "Mum?" It served as a gentle prompt as it snapped her back to reality. "No, nonono. Not there!" I made a surprised noise as I was half carried to the wardrobe. "Mum!" "Just stay here. And! Don't make a single noise." "Mum? Mum! What are you doing? We agreed on this!" "Shh, Alexis, shh. Please just remain hidden. Hide in the wardrobe until it's safe to come out." "But mum! We agreed on this! We agreed to leave together again! And I told you I'm strong enough to handle both of us! I can protect you!" I didn't even know I was crying until Mum delicately wiped off the tears lines and kissed softly on my forehead with unshed tears in her eyes. "Please, my dear Alex. Just.. please. I can't afford to lose you too." It was then when I felt the sudden thickened magic in the air. So, they are really here then. My hands flew to the pendant on my neck, ready to call onto its power when there was a wave of Asgardian magic pushing me back, further into the wardrobe and the door locked up in front of me. "MUM!" I yelled, fists banging heavily on the door. Mum didn't even twitch at the constant bangings on the door. Damn. It must be a silent magic barrier.

"Princess." "Oh, Sir Elyan. How do you do?" There was a defeated sigh as I watched the said general look away. "Princess, I apologized..." "Oh, so you are sorry now. Where were you where Father ordered my arrest just because I didn't agree with the guy that he wanted me to marry? Where were you when I had to run for my life? Where were you when I required your help? Here I thought you are my friend." "Princess... You knew I can't go against Allfather. His orders are absolute." "Did I ever say that when I had to save your arse during all those troubles? You, this despicable, wicked man! And don't ever think I don't know about what you have done! All those strings you pulled, all those little dirty tricks, all those evil political plans you played, just to land this general role!" Mum spat angrily onto his face, and his fake facade fell apart to a smirk, ugly side. "Hmmm.. I thought you are just a stupid little princess, you know. It seems that you are so much more clever than that brother of yours. But too bad, you are too late, it seems. On Allfather's orders, I am to bring you back to face trial for your actions." With a wave of his hands, a pair of guards stood up and mum gave a huff of indignity, glaring. Immediately the guards wither and take a couple of steps back under her glow. "As a royal Asgardian princess, I wouldn't require and tolerate such service. But I do not have regrets about this. Meeting my husband and having a child with such an honourable man is never a regret. Do you?"

The general smirked. "This is never about me, you know..." In a blink of an eye, there was a knife pointing at his throat. All he did was laugh. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Unless you want to add another offence onto your child." Damn him. I banged a couple of times on the doors, yelling for mum to just finish him and not to care about me, but it wouldn't even budge. "Watch your mouth, Elyan. Remember, I will never regret doing that. How I wish that I am never born a royalty. And by the way, a gentle reminder; finding me is a thing, but my spouse and child? Never, in your miserable life." "Men, take her down!"

"MUM!" I screamed, pounding on the door, even though I knew it was pointless. We didn't arrange this! We are supposed to leave! We are supposed to escape to our next safe house! "MUM!!" "Remember, child. Do wonderful, great things with your powers. You are a royalty, so remember the virtues. Stay safe! And please tell your dad I love him! I love you too!" With that, she and the rest of the people in the room vanished into the air. I eventually broke down, after taking into account the fact that my mother was no longer with me.

She was bound to die now.

With a jolt, I woke up to dimmed lights, which I waved it off, with a quiet thanks to the ceiling. The lights immediately switch off, leaving me sitting alone in the dark. Habits never change, huh? Even nightmares. After so many years, still, the same repeated nightmares, reliving me the last moment when mum was taken from me. Kronos.

"You're cute, you know?"

In a blink of an eye, I pulled out the gun under my pillow, ready to shoot the intruder but it was quickly twisted out of my grip. After so many years in the run, my body responded before I knew it and I countered, slamming the person into the nearest wall, fingers on pulse points to effectively cut off minimum air. Immediately the lights went fully on as the person patted surrender on my arm. "Oh my god! Tony!" I quickly released him and he coughed, barely even speaking as he joked. "I would have no doubt believed that you were an assassin if it wasn't the fact that I already knew that you are a half-Asgardian." "You still have the nerves to joke! If it wasn't for Jarvis, and me leaving a hand, you would have been dead!" "But I didn't, right? Are you feeling better now?" Surprised, I looked into Tony's honey brown eyes. I certainly didn't see that coming.

"I will get the first aid."

I know you must be having tons of questions. First, which Tony right? Tony as in Tony Stark. Yes, that Stark. And yes, we are in a relationship, but! Not that kind of relationship you are thinking of. His official girlfriend is Virginia "Pepper" Potts. And nope, I am not his "unofficial" girlfriend. I am his step-sister. And no again. Howard Stark did not have 2 wives. I was officially adopted under Howard and Maria Stark. How old am I, you may ask? Well, well. That's for you to guess, isn't it?

Wait... I haven't properly introduced myself, have I?

I'm Alexandra  Horatia Barnes, James Buchanan Barnes daughter. Yes, I do know. He is commonly known as Bucky, the best childhood friend of Steve Rogers, aka the legendary Captain America. And yes, I do also know that he had died honourably in the war. I was there, trust me. But that was a story for another time. However, what many people did not know was that Bucky had married in Brooklyn with my mum and had me.

Instantly, Tony held me back, rubbing reassuringly on my wrist. "I'm okay. Trust me." I refused to turn, knowing perfectly well that there were still tears rolling down my cheeks. Damnnit. There was movement behind me before Tony appeared in my line of sight once again. "Most importantly, are you okay?" He delicately wiped off the tears lines with his fingers and kissed softly on my forehead. The movement was so familiar, yet so different. "What do you think?" "A cup of hot chocolate is the solution to everything?" With that, I finally broke into chuckles, then full-blown laughter. "That's cheating you know, using my lines against me." "Well, that's the same old lines you used to say whenever I find you in the night." "The only difference is that you are just so young and so cute back then." "What? I am not cute now?" I pretended to ponder for a while and Tony immediately grumbled half-heartedly. "Do you even need to think about it?" "Maybe I do." Smiling, I snuggled into his embrace as he tightened his hands around me, mirroring my smile as I traced his arc reactor.

"So..." "So... building binge?"

"How about upgrading binge? I need your insights on the glider."

"Deal."