little piece of heaven (tony stark's daughter)

8

rosie's p.o.v

i can hear my heart pounding in my ears as the doors slowly slide open. i really don't know what to expect, and can you blame me? one minute loki was teaching me how to survive and kick ass and now he's trying to destroy my planet.

nat's gone, we don't want loki to know what's really happening and so he can't know that people know i'm here. it's a 'secret'.

i pad into the space, it's not what i was expecting. loki's in some kind of glass cylinder, a metal walkway all around it with those same screens. he looks up in amusement as soon as i come onto his radar.

"well hello, lady astraea, guardian of earth, daughter of stark.. and hybrid".

there's a sick smile on his face, mocking me. he thinks it's funny.

"you know i couldn't tell anyone, they'd kill me" i mumble, looking down at my socks again. i feel slightly guilty, which doesn't make much sense. it's like he's in my head already.

a haunting laugh echoes around the room as loki mercilessly taunts "just like they tried to do to your baby brother".

"jupiter has nothing to do with this" i say firmly, desperate to keep my head. if i start thinking about the attempted murder of that baby im going to get mad and lose control which i can't afford to do right now. if i shatter the container loki's in no one will ever forgive or trust me again. instead, i sit down on the floor a meter or so away from him, crossing my legs and resting my back against a metal pole.

"what is this exactly?" loki asks with a flicker of curiosity.

i don't know, what the hell is this? i know what im supposed to do, i need to work out loki's plan because he certainly wasn't fighting too hard to get away. i need to look inside his head, but i can't tell him that, and i can't look unless he opens up to me.

okay just breathe "i want to know why you're here".

that laugh sounds again, causing chills to run down my spine and bumps to prickle on my skin. it's not a kind laugh, it kind of reminds me of obadiah, and ivan.. but maybe with more crazy. if that's possible. it's confirmed in my head that it definitely is when the criminal's face falls straight and he spits with malice "your planet is pathetic".

i frown "it's beautiful".

he narrows his eyes at me "you're taught lots of things are beautiful that aren't, hybrids for example".

the words take a moment to sink in, in which time tears have already pooled in my eyes. loki smirks at this, twisted satisfaction dancing in his eyes as salt water leaks from mine "like i said, pathetic, and you're only half human".

"i know some incredible humans" i argue quietly, my voice sounding exactly as he's describing.

the smile that crosses his lips momentarily is hollow and makes my stomach feel weird "is that so?".

"yes" i nod, a little more determined when i think about those who i love "there's my dad, and pepper, and auntie nat, and agent barton" i count them off on my fingers, though i'm cut short by yet another cruel laugh.

"you won't think agent barton is so incredible when you see what i've done to him".

the horror on my face must've been obvious because his teeth glint at me in a smile.

"he's more of a man than you'll ever be" i mumble softly, trying to convince myself that he'll be okay, because he has to be.

when i don't get a response, i look up to see the asgardian staring straight at me, and i know that this is my chance. i stare straight back, right into his eyes and let the magical part of my brain do the rest of the work. i see green, a lot of it, an angry kind of green i haven't seen before. the hulk. so that's his plan.. get the hulk.

"you have a funny idea of a man" he finally states.

"you have a funny idea of peace" i respond coldly as i recall something he said to fury earlier.

he looks impressed for a moment "using your powers, very nice.. for a freak of nature that is".

i suppose his words must've stung me deep down more than i realised, because before i know it my wings and antlers have retracted back into my body, as if i'm normal. normal.. it's a funny concept because i've never wished to be normal before, ive never had an issue with my wings before, never wanted them to go away or for my antlers to disappear. but loki makes it sound like a bad thing, i'm the only one of my kind so maybe that goes make me a freak. he knows what he's talking about, right? he was born and raised on asgard, he knows asgardians and im not one of them.

"you can hide your deformations but they'll always be there" his eyes harden as he looks me up and down "right under the surface, just waiting for you to get a little upset, to lose control for a moment. you know, your dad is a liar. i can guarantee he's told you you're beautiful. let me tell you lady astraea he was lying. you are a freak, you're dangerous, why do you think they went after jupiter? even your mother is ashamed of you, keeping your true heritage a secret from everyone. you are a freak".

my chest feels tight as i struggle desperately for air, sobs beginning to wrack my body. i'm still sat on the floor and ive never felt so small. i'm sure the man i once looked up to would've continued to crush me, but the door flies open and nat marches in. dad pushes past her having been a few steps behind and runs over to my crumpled form. i can barely hear his murmurs of "hey hey hey, i've got you roos, i've got you" as his arms wrap around me and he lifts me off the floor. he carries me in his arms somewhere far away from loki and i keep my head buried in his shirt the whole time, soiling it with my tears.