Chapter Two, So, Asgard?

"Sir," Jarvis called regretfully, interrupting the father-daughter duo plus Loki laughing at Scooby Doo; Tony and Bruce had been hiding their anger at Valentina not able to experience the simplest of childhood experiences by watching cartoons but it had also been overridden at the pure infectious joy that she exhibited at being able to watch cartoons with her Daddy, Dr Banner and Loki, "Colonel Rhodes, Dr Strange and Miss Louisa Smith from Child Protective Services are pulling into the underground car park as we speak." Jarvis announced.

"Thanks J, let them in." Tony replied, feeling how tense Valentina suddenly felt Tony hugged her tightly rubbing a hand up and down her back like he used to do when she was a baby and couldn't sleep or was upset while Loki let out a comforting wave of his magic. "Everything's going to be alright, Princess."
"Neither I or your father... or even Dr Banner would ever let anyone hurt you again, Princess Tina." Loki added reassuringly.
"Princess Tina?" Valentina asked confused, tilting her head slightly. Looking extremely cute.

"Well, yes, if I were to be your second parent and adopt you, on Asgard you would be classified as a Princess." Loki replied, a warm smirk on his face as his eyes sparkled making Valentina beam at him while Hedwig assessed the god before giving an approving bark settling back into Valentina's lap. "This way we can protect you better so this old man or anyone else really, can't take you away from your father again in the guise that you need someone to understand your magic."
"Despite the fact that he never did that to begin with." Dr Banner scoffed, the veins on his neck turning green.
"Unless he.... Son of a bitch!" Tony shouted. "He's been using my daughter's money, prestige and seats on their government while letting her be abused and no doubt telling everyone the opposite! And while having locked away half of her magic!"

"Everyone...apart from my friends...did think that I was raised like a Pureblood and had everything at the tip of my fingers." Valentina revealed. "And my friends and I caught Dumbledore removing the memories of the abuse from the school nurse. They were going to tell their parents to get me away from the Dursleys but I'm scared he'd do the same to my friends or to you Daddy. I don't want to lose my friends or you! I just got you back!" Valentina exclaimed fretfully, fear almost visibly oozing from her every pore that Loki couldn't help but not take her into his arms, surprising Bruce and Tony.

"Don't worry about him now, Prinessa." Loki soothed, petting her hair - if a little awkwardly- like he'd watched Tony do. "I will not let him do so to your father, or to your friends. Neither will my brother. He may be loud, boisterous, annoying and at times heavy handed but for his faults, Thor is very protective of his loved ones. Between the two of us, little Iron Witch, he is the most... empathetic to true citizens of Asgard." Loki whispered conspiratorially, earning a sweet giggle from Valentina while Tony and Bruce watched on happily but confused.
"What is that language, and does it mean princess? Like it sounds." Valentina asked eagerly, bouncing in her seat.

"Daddy, what would happen to Mr Jarvis if I were to accidentally use magic? Or is arc reactor technology different?" She asked in one breath as the thought occurred to her.
"It's Icelandic which is the closest human language to Asgardian and you're correct it does mean princess." Loki confirmed, pleased with how inquisitive she is.
"That is a good question, baby girl." Tony praised with a thoughtful look on his face. "Why do you ask? J, were there any issues when Loki used magic?" Tony asked.
"None that I detected, Sir. Although, I do admit I am curious as to what brought on Miss Potter-Stark's question." Jarvis confessed, making Valentina blush at all the attention she was receiving.

"Well, at Hogwarts we're told that no electrical equipment works due to magic. It short circuits, so none of the Purebloods or magical raised students have seen anything electrical. The closest they have come to anything electric are the old radios, and the older Ravenclaw students (that's my House at school home for the students who seek wisdom and prize learning, wit and intellect), and my friends Fred and George tell me that in Muggle Studies they are giving lessons that are stuck in the 1920s." Valentina explained bashfully, jogging Tony's memory regarding what Potter manor was like, and what Sirius said his home was like.

"You're serious?" Bruce asked gobsmacked.
"Yes. Hogwarts is an old castle that was built nearly two thousand years ago and has torches and gas lamps like all magical homes and dwellings." Valentina confirmed with a nod.
"I remember now." Tony stated. "That's what Potter manor was like and it gave me inspiration to create something better."
"Which led to the arc reactor!" Valentina exclaimed excitedly, earning a fond smile from Tony as he kissed her head.
"Exactly mini me!" Tony beamed proudly. "J, make sure to run tests and diagnostics on how all electronics work and react with magic in the immediate vicinity." Tony requested.

"Running diagnostics now." Jarvis announced. It was in that moment that Jarvis announced the arrival of Dr. Strange, Rhodey and Miss Louisa Smith from C.P.S or Child Protective Services. All the technology talk had successfully calmed Valentina down and distracted her from their impending arrival.
"Tones! Are you alright? What's going on?" Rhodey asked frantically, until he saw his best friend, his brother sat on the sofa with a small girl between him and Loki with a snowy owl on her lap, and Dr Banner sitting in an armchair opposite; and Tony was happier than he'd ever seen him.

It was then that it clicked for Rhodey and Stephen (who were both long standing friends with Tony, having known him since he started M.I.T at thirteen and were there through all the abuse dished out by Howard and Obadiah). This was Valentina, Tony's daughter. They hadn't truly believed the message from Jarvis, not wanting to get their hopes up but seeing them sat side by side the truth was undeniable. She was Tony's daughter, they were so similar for her not to be, the only difference being her beautiful yet astonishing green eyes. The only colour similar to hers was Loki's. It was then they took in all the injuries that covered her body.
"Is this Tina? What happened to her? Who did this?" Stephen and Rhodey asked sharply.

Their anger being held back by the skin of their teeth; when they saw her flinch at their sharp tone they immediately felt horrible.
"I'm fine, honey bear. More than fine. I've changed my reactor and I have my daughter back. Any other injury on my part can wait." Tony waved off.
"I'll check you over once I've finished with Valentina." Stephen stated firmly in a no nonsense tone as he rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"Hi Valentina, my name is Stephen Strange and I'm a friend of your dad's from M.I.T. This is James Rhodes or Rhodey and he's our friend as well. Finally this is Miss Louisa Smith from Child Protective Services." Stephen introduced.
"Don't worry she's not here to take you from your dad." Rhodey quickly reassured her when she quickly and tightly latched onto Tony.
"That's right Miss Pott-"
"Sorry but it's Potter-Stark." Tony interrupted sharply. "Her mother, stepfather and I hyphenated her name and it's on her birth certificate and all legal documents."
"Of course. My apologises Dr Stark." Miss Smith apologised.

"I'm just here to deal with those who brought you here, take notes on what Dr Strange finds and hand it over to the courts so they can appropriately charge those responsible." She continued in a slow voice making Valentina, Tony, Loki, Bruce, Stephen and Rhodey frown at her.
"There's no need to talk in a slow voice, Miss Smith. Just because I'm eleven and scared doesn't mean I'm stupid." Valentina snapped sassily, she didn't like it when people treated her like that. Tony and Loki had wide smirks on their faces while the others were more composed and were able to hide them slightly.
"Yes, I do agree with my daughter, Miss Smith." Tony said firmly, his 'business persona' as Rhodey calls it on full display.

"Especially as she's always been smarter than others her age and could hold a conversation about arc reactors and know what she was talking about." Pride literally oozed from Tony at that comment. "I believe she may even be smarter than me."
"Sorry." Miss Smith said mulishly, an embarrassed flush on her face.
"Anyway, let's get the examination underway. Thankfully Tony has an equipped state-of-the-art hospital wing in the tower so we don't have to deal with the press. Jarvis?" Stephen called, looking over Bruce's notes while Tony and Loki explained their plan to him, Rhodey and the mulish Miss Smith.

Hopefully she didn't impede anything. Although if she did he would make sure she was never in this line of work again.
"The floor of the hospital wing is in perfect condition and the staff have been notified." Jarvis stated.
"Great, thank you. Shall we get you feeling better than Tina?" Stephen asked, leading the way back to the lift which would take them down to the seventieth floor where the wing was located.

* * *

Once Stephen had finished all of the tests, scans, x-rays, C.T scans, set the broken bones in a cast, completed an array of blood work, cleaned and dressed the cuts and lashes to her back and hook her up to a I.V drip for the dehydration and to raise her blood pressure, and finally took all the relevant photos, he lived to his word and checked over and treated Tony while they waited for the results.

Once the results had all returned, he pulled Tony and Miss Smith out of the room leaving her with Bruce, Loki and Rhodey, Stephen took a moment to compose himself smiling as he listened to Valentina talk about mechanics and gamma radiation - switching from one to the other as a though or idea occurred to her - in a way he'd heard no one other than Tony and Dr Banner talk about them.
"Well Dr Strange?" Miss Smith demanded.
"It's as bad as we feared, Tony." Stephen revealed with an apologetic and regretful look upon his face. "She is severely malnourished and dehydrated which despite eating and drinking well at her school has only counteracted so much.

She is deficient in calcium leading to severe Hypocalcaemia, and she is also deficient in iron and fibre. She has multiple incorrectly healed bones not to mention the broken right hand she received from school. As you found out she has never been inoculated for any diseases, and she has multiple burn scars on her hands, and scars on her back in lashes. I think it would be a good idea to follow through with your plan to go to Asgard and have their Healers treat her, otherwise she might never heal from all of this." Stephen explained heavily. "Even with the healing process by the Healers of Asgard, she will still need to be on food fortified in fibre, calcium, vitamins C and D and iron. Orange juice, and foods high in fibre for example." Stephen added.

Tears immediately sprung to Tony's eyes at all that had happened to his baby. He couldn't even imagine all the pain she's suffered and all of the fear she'd felt while he looked tirelessly for ten years. He nodded, turning to look at his laughing daughter to gather himself and his thoughts but to also imbued this image into his mind. He may be in constant pain due to the arc reactor - which while slightly less than before now there wasn't palladium poisoning him - he had a feeling was nothing compared to all his baby girl, his world had experienced while she was with those...people. But he would make them pay. He would make all who had a hand in all the pain and suffering she'd experienced pay and they would experience it tenfold. There was no hell on earth that could compare to an angered overprotective father.

"Wo-would the courts accept the Aesirs of Asgard healing her?" Tony asked looking towards Miss Smith. He hoped they would but if not he'd still take her to Asgard to be healed and deal with the Dursleys another way. He would not let them get away with hurting his daughter. Miss Smith looked thoughtful for a moment as she looked over all the evidence that have gathered and had to remember to remain neutral at all this poor girl had suffered through in her short life, especially as she'd confessed to remembering her parents murder according to Dr Stark.

"Yes. This will certainly be more than enough to have them sent down for a long time, especially as they knew she was stolen from you?" Tony nodded his head. "Then that'll definitely sway any doubts the jury or judge may have. I'll go make some phone calls to have them arrested and their son sent to foster care, hopefully with the right people and the right guidance he'll straighten out his behaviour. Just in case could you have the footage submitted of what Valentina went through in that house, Dr Stark? That way we should be able to keep her away from the courts; although, you may be requested to speak in court." Miss Smith, wondering how he would be contacted if they were off planet in Asgard (who knew she would ever be saying that).

"Heimdall will be able to see when Tony is needed and will inform him immediately." Loki said from the doorway causing everyone to jump and turn towards him, only something else caught Tony's eye; Bruce's veins were turning green where he sat in the chair beside Valentina's bedside, while Rhodey stood at the bottom of the bed trying to calm Bruce down with wide eyes. "You left the door open a crack and we heard everything. I thought I should come and inform you of Banner, but I've put a protective shield around Valentina's bedside so he won't get to her." Loki assured the clearly worried father. But this didn't sway Tony who immediately ran to his daughter putting himself between her and Bruce.

He may like and trust both Bruce and Hulk not to purposely hurt her but he also wasn't willing to take that chance.
"Bruce, you need to calm down." Tony instructed in a firm but soothing voice.
"Tin man! Hulk like tin man. Tin man's daughter was hurt, Hulk like her too. Only you two. Her being hurt makes Hulk angry. So angry!" Bruce's voice was gruff with the Hulk's. The change seemed to be happening faster and faster the more he talked.
"I know, big guy, I don't like it either. It makes me beyond angry. But you gotta calm down so you don't break the hospital equipment helping her." Tony instructed, pointing to the drip that was between the bed and the chair Bruce sat in.

"I'll even build a play room for you big guy to smash in. Both here and on Asgard, if you come with us." Tony added which Hulk liked immensely.
"I'm okay now, Hulk. I have my daddy, Hedwig, Daddy's friends, Loki and you and Dr Banner." Valentina piped up, with a soft smile directed at Bruce/Hulk. Her words and soft smile seemed to have more of an effect on him than anything Tony or Rhodey could have said; the next second, the green slowly bled out of Bruce's skin as he shrunk back down to his size until only a very faint hint could be seen to his veins but even that was slowly bleeding away.

"I'm sorry." Bruce muttered ashamed, slumping into the chair he had previously sat in, running his hands down his face.
"There's no need to apologise." Rhodey waved off, returning to his seat on the other side of the bed. "I can honestly say if I could change like that I would've. Now, my adorable little niece, why don't you continue to tell us all about your friends why we wait for the drip to finish." Rhodey suggested, beaming at her.
'Thank you.' Tony mouthed to his best friend, his rock, as he sat beside his daughter on the bed, his smile widening as she snuggled into him, her head resting beside the arc reactor.

Rhodey winked at Tony before turning his attention to Valentina and an endearing smile upon his lips as she told them all about her best friends Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy, Fred and George Weasley, Susan Bones and Sue Li. While she was distracted Loki quietly entered the room casting the spell upon Hedwig as promised and gave her the vaccination for Dragons Pox by the use of his magic before leaving to fetch his brother, the Tesseract and the Sceptre; it was time to go to Asgard. Valentina didn't need to be here when those...people were arrested and separated from their son - the only thing beside their image that they cared about - hearing the abuse they would no doubt spew about her. And if Tony did see Thanos, which he didn't doubt, he saw the fear in Tony's eyes; then it was better that both the Mind Stone in the sceptre and the Tesseract were in Asgard's vault.

* * *

With all matters dealt with regarding the court, Valentina having the start of her inoculations and sent word to her friends after reassurances from Loki that Hedwig would find her (he'd cast a teleportation spell on the owl that would activate the moment Hedwig was ready to return to Valentina), Stark Industries (which would be run by Pepper Potts-Hogan for the time being as he'd taken back the CEO position once he'd recovered from the poisoning which Pepper was only too glad about) and all contracts up to date and completed , they were ready to head to Asgard.

Nick Fury was handling the fallout from the Strike team not able to receive the sceptre, once Tony had informed his godfather what was actually in it, what he'd seen in space and who had actually orchestrated the attack on New York with Loki just a puppet, Nick had wanted it off this planet asap. Valentina felt like she was dreaming with all that had happened in the last few hours alone but due to her eidetic and photographic memory and not to mention feeling slightly better now that she was no longer dehydrated or that her blood pressure wasn't dangerously low, she knew it was all real and actually happened.

Donned in a new outfit that actually fit her courtesy of her Daddy and Mrs Potts-Hogan (a red long sleeved skater dress, white Mary Jane's and her hair in Dutch braids), Valentina joined her daddy, Loki, Thor and Dr Banner (who wanted to escape the prejudices of Earth regarding his other half and he was fascinated with what life on another planet was like) on the rooftop gardens her trunk in Loki's inter-dimensional pocket. Both Tony and Valentina were ridiculously fascinated about it and asked a hundred and one questions about it. There were already plans between the father-daughter duo to create something on Asgard once Valentina was fully recovered from the treatment she would endure and her magic had settled once Loki unblocked it.

"Man of Iron you stand beside Loki but make sure to hold on tight to both the container and your daughter." Thor instructed, pulling everyone from their thoughts. "Banner, you stand beside me and do the same."
"Jarvis, make sure no one from Shield apart from Uncle Nick or Aunt Peggy enters the tower or any of my properties. And make sure none of the board members get any ideas to pull a fast one. Increase my shares in the company and stock to a minimum of sixty percent, actually that is a priority! The last thing we need after this fiasco is another Stane."

"Of course Sir." Jarvis agreed. "I, with Mrs Pepper Potts-Hogan and Colonel Rhodes, shall make sure everything runs smoothly while you are away."
"Thanks J." Tony sighed in relief. "Ready Bambina? Will you let Daddy pick you up?" Tony asked, not wanting to startle his daughter.
"Ready Daddy." Valentina beamed, trying not to tense as her father picked her up. Once she was on his hip with his arm tight around her waist, Valentina wrapped her small arms tightly around his neck without strangling him and within the next moment they vanished from Stark Tower, New York, vanished from Earth in bright rainbow lights and appeared in a golden dome-shaped observatory with a man dressed in golden armour and amber eyes waiting for them.

"Welcome back home Prince Thor and Prince Loki. I am sorry I never foresaw what you would go through, Prince Loki." The man greeted the two Princes with a shallow bow, his voice a deep but soothing baritone. "Welcome to Asgard. I am Heimdall the Watcher, Protector and Gatekeeper of Asgard and the Bifrost."
"It's beautiful here." Valentina whispered enthralled, her gaze not fixed on the dome they stood in but through the opening where some of Asgard could be seen. Heimdall smiled softly at the young mage who had seen too much for someone so young, someone that was two years younger than his own son, Astrid. But he could see she had a kind and caring soul but also the soul of a warrior like all of her parents.

"That it is, young one, you are very brave for all that you've been through but don't worry my wife Lady Eir and Queen Frigga will be able to heal you. You have a kind and caring soul and also the soul of a warrior like all of your parents."
"I'm no warrior." Tony denied, Lily and James were more warriors than him and it felt wrong to be classed with them. He made a mental note for when they returned to have their wills unsealed and to find out what happened to Sirius.
"Experiences in your life would say otherwise." Heimdall countered, leaving Tony stumped but a kiss to his cheek from his daughter brought a small smile to Tony's lips. "Come King Odin and Queen Frigga are waiting for you."

"Heimdall, I'd like to introduce our comrades Dr Bruce Banner who can turn larger than even Volstagg and can turn green, he also freed Loki of the mind control Thanos, the War Titan placed him under." Thor introduced excitedly, as they left the Gate House making their journey along the bridge towards the golden castle in the centre of the city; a dark flush appeared on Bruce's face at Thor's words. Stammering how the Other Guy came to be. "And this is Man of Iron, Dr Tony Stark." Thor continued just as excitedly once Bruce finished. "He was the first person, I'm ashamed to admit, noticed Loki was under mind control." He muttered shame faced before he regained his excitement as he continued.

"He also wears this metal suit that not only shoots weapons from different parts of it, including the hands of the suit but can also fly! And this little lady is his daughter Valentina Potter-Stark a powerful mage but she was stolen from Friend Tony as a babe and hurt badly."
"It is a pleasure to meet you all and I thank you for helping Prince Loki in his time of need." Heimdall bowed his head to them before he turned to Thor and Loki with a grim but serious look upon his face.

"This could be very bad for Asgard, we must tell the King about Thanos immediately and I will keep a close eye on him at all times."
"Thank you my friend." Thor bowed his head, clapping Heimdall's shoulder. It was a tense silence for all but a moment before Loki decided a distraction in the form of a tour of the city was in order; he didn't like seeing Tony and Valentina so tense.

* * *

"Oh, but of course I and our best healers will heal her." Queen Frigga said compassionately once Loki and Thor had explained everything to her and Odin.
"Thank you. Thank you." Tony whispered emotionally, holding his daughter tight to him bestowing a kiss to her forehead under the watchful eyes of the King and Queen of Asgard. Frigga, who was smiling openly at Tony, stepped down from the platform where Odin sat upon his throne while the King was assessing them for all but a moment before he spoke for the first time addressing Loki.

"Loki, I apologise for setting you on this path. You were hurting due to the secrets I and your mother kept, that I made her keep. I should've seen and helped you, perhaps then you would not have reacted so adversely and fallen from the bridge making you easy pickings for that titan." Odin apologised, shocking Loki and even Thor and some of the guards, Odin was not known for apologies. Unable to speak with his suddenly too dry throat Loki could only offer a terse nod and a tight smile. "This said, I'm more than happy to offer you and your daughter asylum here Dr Stark." Odin addressed Tony knowing he could get nothing better from Loki at the moment, not that he blamed him.

"I can also allow your visitation Dr Banner in thanks for freeing my youngest son from the mind control and for your help in thwarting the mad titan if only for a time."
"Thank you." Tony muttered turbulently, feeling an overwhelming amount of relief.
"Thank you, your majesty." Bruce said gratefully, after the state New York was left in and how Rogers was acting Bruce was in no rush to return to Earth which was something Hulk agreed with him about, and he didn't want to leave Valentina and Tony until he was sure they were safe. Odin nodded and called for his war council. Taking the dismissal for what it was, Frigga, Thor and Loki led the way out of the throne room.

"Okay, Tony, I need to put Valentina into an induced sleep now. The longer her magic is locked the harder it'll be for her magic to settle and her body to adjust." Loki stated the moment the doors had closed behind them.
"Okay." Tony nodded before he gave all of his attention to his little girl, noticing how worried she was. "Everything's going to be okay, Bambina." Tony kissed her forehead while rubbing her back soothingly. "Queen Frigga, Loki, Heimdall's wife Lady Eir and the other healers are going to take very good care of you and when you wake up I'll be by your side and you'll feel much better."
"Will it hurt?" Valentina whispered, scared, looking down at the blue light of the arc reactor in her daddy's chest.

"Not one bit sweetheart." Frigga reassured the little girl. "Loki will put you fast asleep before he unblocks your magic which will be able to heal itself and your body better with our help. You won't feel a thing I promise."
"Don't fret, little iron witch." Thor boomed, but in a much quieter voice than usual having learned from his mistake at the tower while using his pet name for her. "My mother is an excellent witch and healer and she taught Loki all there is to possibly know about magic. And the healers here are second to none but none more so than Lady Eir. You are in safe hands. I promise you, your father and Dr Banner will also be safe with me." Thor promised resting a closed fist across his chest.

The action intrigued both father and daughter as a similar glint appeared in their eyes they could almost be identical if it weren't for the differing colours, but they knew now was not the time to learn all about Asgard's customs they could learn that once the healing process had been completed.
"Okay." Valentina whispered, but she still hugged Tony tightly to her and it would seem that Tony had no intentions of letting her go either when an elegant woman with black hair in a intricate up-do, with beautiful silver eyes that contrasted with her dark skin and hair, dressed in a navy blue medieval gown of a light but sophisticated material entered the antechamber curtsying to her queen and princes.

"You may accompany your daughter to the healing halls if you wish, Dr Stark but after that I must insist you accompany Prince Thor on a tour of the castle and the rest of Asgard." She said in a velvety honeyed tone.
"Lady Eir?" Tony questioned.
"That is correct, yes. My husband sent word to me so we could prepare the halls appropriately ahead of time." Lady Eir confirmed with a reassuring smile.
"Prinessa," Loki said, bending down slightly to meet Valentina's eyes and missing the widening eyes of Thor and Lady Eir but a pleased and knowing smile from Frigga, "I promise you that I will never ever harm you or your father.

I may be known as the God of Mischief, Mayhem, Lies and Magic but I haven't once lied to you or your father and I don't intend to start now. You're safe here, no one will ever hurt you again. I swear it!" A sweet blinding smile was his reply causing a warm feeling to envelop the mischievous god.
"I trust you Loki." Was all the confirmation they needed to get things started.

"Look after my baby. I just got her back." Tony warned, his heart breaking as he lay his now sleeping daughter on the table beneath the soul forge.
"We will. I will Tony." Loki promised tenderly as something passed between them that neither would be able to place for a time but from her place across the room Frigga knew and she couldn't be happier. She would finally have a grandchild and another child; for what was a child-in-law if not a child of the heart.

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Icelandic to English translations:

• Prinessa = Princess

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Author's Note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this.

Second Author's Note: Please continue to vote for your pairing for Valentina. I'm torn in between Theo, Draco, and both the twins, so please make sure to comment for your choice. The votes so far, are as follows:

• Fred and George: 21

• Draco: 16

• Theo: 14

• Blaise: 12

• Draco and Theo: 7

• Fred: 4

• George: 4

• Draco and Blaise: 1

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