╔═══ · 。ﾟ🕸: *.🕷 .* :🕸ﾟ.  ═══╗
TIME CAN HEAL A WOUND

"The worst part about being sad is
you don't know what makes you
happy anymore." —Unknown
╚═══ · 。ﾟ🕸: *.🕷 .* :🕸ﾟ. ═══╝

Barton's Homestead

Location: Missouri, United States

May 4, 2015

"THE news is loving you guys," Maria Hill informed Tony over the video call on the quinjet. The rest of the team were silently listening but the encounter they had just witnessed made it difficult to focus. Aurora shivered in the warm blanket she was wrapped around with, hearing the same echoes of her nightmare through her mind. Nonetheless, Maria Hill continued, "Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air."

"Stark Relief Foundation?" Tony questioned seriously, glancing slightly over at Aurora who sat against the wall with her knees tucked under her arms. She was in the same spot on the Quinjet after returning with an exhausted Bruce that was mind-controlled by the witch. No one bothered to explain to the billionaire except Clint, who volunteered to steer the aircraft for a while.

"Already on the scene. How's the team?" Maria confirmed before she asked sincerely about them. Tony was silent for a few moments, deciding whether to tell her the truth directly or something along those lines. Still, with the possibility that Ultron might be listening to their conversation right now, Tony didn't want to give a straight answer.

"Everyone's... we took a hit. We'll shake it off." Tony answered hesitantly, seeing Clint staring briefly at him before returning his focus to steering the Quinjet. The billionaire nodded his head discreetly at the archer, seeing that some were more deeply affected than others.

"Well for now I'd stay in stealth mode, and stay away from here." The ex-SHIELD Director Deputy suggested to the co-leader of the Avengers. Tony almost gave her a confused expression until he saw how serious the woman was observing him through the video call.

"So, run and hide?" Tony commented jokingly, cracking a small grin to lighten up the dense mood. Clint silently shook his head in disagreement, thinking this wasn't the time to joke. It didn't help.

"Until we can find Ultron, I don't have a lot else to offer," The female agent answered with a short sigh. For once, the Avengers were stuck in something they couldn't get out of.

"Neither do we...." Tony declared softly before he switched off the monitor to end the call. The billionaire brought his hand over his face until he stood up to check on Barton. He asked in a low whisper, "Hey, you wanna switch out?"

"No, I'm good. If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time, cause we're still a few hours out." Clint insisted, his eyes not once wavering since he wasn't affected like the rest of the team besides Tony.

"A few hours from where?" Tony inquired curiously, to which Clint was focused on something else until he looked at Tony.

"A safe house," Clint answered briefly, Tony decided not to press on the matter much further as he left the archer to do his own work. The billionaire saw how everyone was still in a state of shock and weariness, but what broke his heart was Aurora's constant shivering and twitching.

Therefore, he sat down beside her cautiously as he saw small tears flow down her eyes. What exactly did the witch show her? He desperately wanted to know but instead, he asked her quietly, "How are you doing Firecracker?"

Aurora broke off from her inner thoughts as she jumped suddenly until she noticed who it was. The girl continued to clutch the blanket closer to her chest as she uttered without meeting his worried eyes, "I'm fine...."

Aurora felt a warm hand gently stroking her hair as she glanced at him slowly. Tony gave her a pointed look that basically said to tell the truth or else. The young Stark sighed before she said, "Alright, I'm not. I just don't want you to worry about my problems."

"I will always worry about you. You mean the world to me and I don't want to lose you again." Tony insisted as he grabbed her left hand to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. If only she was ignorant to believe it.

"Really?" She asked as if it was her last hope in the world. Her irritated hazel-green eyes were laced with salty tears, her lips chapped and dry that made her seem that she's been through hell and back.

"Of course, kiddo. And I'll always love you." The billionaire smiled as he gave her a small peck on the cheek. Aurora cracked a small grin as she felt her eyelids droopy and heavy before a long yawn overcame her lips. What didn't help was that she was exhausted from the lack of sleep and energy from the night before.

"I love you too... dad." Aurora said in a low whisper, snuggling with the blanket as she leaned against Tony's arm. His eyes were practically bulged out of his eye sockets... this was the first time she ever called him dad. He didn't know what to think or say. But he finally earned her trust, something he believed would never happen after abandoning her many years ago. Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sighing deeply after seeing how much in pain she felt. Therefore, he promises himself that he'll do everything to protect her. A promise he'll always keep without knowing it'll haunt him.

"...Um, dad, you're kinda squishing me." Aurora muttered to which Tony responded with a small nod as he tried to stand up. The girl quickly grabbed his hand as he looked at her, "I didn't say leave. Please stay with me...."

"Sure thing kiddo," Tony affirmed, giving her a small cheek kiss as they cuddled in each other's arms. A few hours later, the Starks woke up from their nap after feeling the Quinjet land onto the ground. Tony aids his daughter as Clint leads the way with Natasha by his side, the others following behind.

Aurora noted that they're heading towards a large farmhouse, everything except Clint and Natasha were confused about where they were. She was still wrapped up with the blanket, her eyes slightly red but luckily she stopped crying since she no longer felt pain... just frustration and anger. They got closer to the house, as the Starks stepped on the porch, Thor asked them profoundly confused, "What is this place?"

"A safe house?" Tony answered but he was unsure of himself.

"Let's hope," Clint responds, sounding a little unsure about it too. The Avengers slowly entered the house and towards what Aurora presumed to be the living room. Barton called out to someone and within a few seconds appeared a heavily pregnant woman that smiled softly at them.

"This is an agent of some kind," Tony suggested jokingly to the God of Thunder. Aurora rolled her eyes at the comment since she knew the woman was more than an agent to Clint.

"Gentleman, Aurora, this is Laura," Clint introduces his wife to the team. Everyone awkwardly stared at her since no one knew she existed until now. Laura interjected with a small smile to ease the tension, "I know all your names."

Loud footsteps could be heard from a distance as Clint glanced over towards that direction, "Ooh, incoming." Two children appeared from the staircase as they shouted for their father in delight. Clint picks up his daughter before he kisses the top of his son's head. "Hey, buddy! How are you guys doing? Ooh...."

The rest of the team besides Natasha watched with surprise at the revelation that Clint was a father. Even Aurora found it hard to believe when he seemed the type to be independent. The billionaire leaned towards the Asgardian as he uttered, "These are... smaller agents."

The teenager smiled at the loving sight of Clint's family. Wishing she had something like this in her youth with her mother. Maybe she did... except when new dreams were filled with new places and faces made it difficult to distinguish if it was her imagination or some lost memory. The sound of laughter made her feel warm inside, the purest form of happiness.

"Killers don't deserve love nor the happiness you deserve." Pierce's voice echoed in her mind, causing her to clench her hands into a tight fist. Thor noticed her pain as he brought a hand to her shoulders as he tried to comfort her.

"Sorry for barging in on you," Steve interjected at the family reunion, the others slightly nodded in agreement to the Barton's.

"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed," Tony said rather snarky towards Clint specifically, Aurora sighed through her nose before she stepped on his foot to silence him.

"Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off SHIELD's files, I'd like to keep it that way. I figure it's a good place to lay low." Clint confirmed with a shrug, glancing at them awkwardly standing in the middle of the living room.

Barton's daughter walked up to Aurora with a small smile as the teenager glanced down. The young girl introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Lila."

"Aurora." The teenager answered stiffly, not knowing if she was frightened or smiling at the child.

"You're pretty," Lila confesses which shocked Aurora for a moment. She never believed herself to be pretty when she was covered in hideous scars and always held a strong expression on her face. If anything, Aurora thought she was average compared to her mother's ethereal beauty. Her thoughts were inflicted by Lila when she asked her, "Do you want to play with me?"

Aurora blinked for a few seconds as she answered truthfully, "...I don't know how...."

"It's fine! I'll show you!" Lila giggles happily, grabbing the teenager's hand as she takes her towards her room. Aurora awkwardly glanced back at Tony and the other Avengers before slowly following the young girl's footsteps. She was placed in a small chair that had stuffed animals seated beside her. Lila gave her a plastic crown as she explained what she had to do.

"You're now a Princess, Aurora. And I am too!" Lila exclaimed after fixing the teenager's hair and adding some makeup. The girl held up a small mirror which Aurora smiled softly at her reflection.

🕸

"Mommy look! I'm a Princess now like you!" Young Aurora giggles happily to her mother, wearing a beautiful emerald dress with her small curls framing her round face. The young girl smiled brightly upon seeing her favorite place in the Kingdom. The royal Olympian throne room. She wore her mother's favorite tiara as she was carried by the goddess in her arms.

"My little Princess." Athena grinned softly, pinching her daughter's cheek gently before she gave her a forehead kiss. The goddess strolled along with the throne room which was currently clustered with servants and royal guards doing their duties. Athena wore a traditional creamy silk dress for the upcoming occasion the Kingdom was going to have.

"Mommy, who's coming to visit?" Aurora questioned curiously upon seeing the elegant dinner table being prepared for the night ahead. Whispers and loud footsteps shuffled throughout the room, hoping everything goes well for both Kingdoms.

"Oh, your grandfather will be returning with the royal family of Asgard," Athena explained firmly, nodding her head as servants passed by the young family. Many respected the goddess that proved to be more than just a royal.

"You mean the Princes and your friends?" The young girl insisted on excitement. She's heard stories about the Princes and the Warriors Three for their bravery. But what piqued her interest was Lady Sif for being the only female warrior for the royal family. Similar to Athena's position on Olympus. Although, Aurora did notice that her mother would occasionally talk about one of the Princes.

"Yes, my darling." The ethereal goddess nodded her head softly. Aurora hugged her mother as they continued strolling around as they got ready for the celebration. Eventually, guests began to arrive and merge from the throne room, many smiled down at the young girl who excitedly strolled around to find her heroes she's heard about.

"When are they coming?" The young girl asked desperately, her eyes darting around the throne room.

"Soon, dear. Now come, we must take our place by the throne," Athena outstretched a hand to which Aurora grabbed hold on. The small family came through the crowd to where Athena's father, Zeus was with her other siblings. It was remarkable that all the royal Olympians were in the Kingdom when they had duties to fulfill.

"Welcome! Our guests from Asgard!" Zeus' thunderous voice echoed to his citizens as everyone parted ways to introduce the royal family of Asgard. First came King Odin beside his lovely Queen Frigga, strolling along the path before Zeus greeted his old friend.

"My friend, it's been far too long," The Greek God declared as the friends gave a firm handshake to each other. Frigga patiently waited for her husband before they turned to their left, the Norse Queen smiling down at the child. Aurora knew better than to hug her godmother since it wasn't considered proper. However, the Queen didn't seem to put much thought into it as she embraced the sweet girl until she bent down to the young girl's height.

"How's my favorite goddaughter doing?" Frigga questioned Aurora as her kind smile seemed to never fade.

"I missed you," Aurora muttered softly, staring brightly into Frigga's eyes with a beautiful smile. The Queen motioned for her to come beside her, hoping to spend some time with Aurora. Whispers emerged from the crowd, mostly from female Olympians as the eldest Prince, Thor arrived. The God of Thunder held a proud smirk that Athena couldn't help but shook her head at her friend. He wore the Asgardian armor with a long crimson cape that flowed effortlessly with his movements.

Following behind Thor was his brother, Loki. The God of Mischief wore his signature horn helmet that matched with his emerald cape. He didn't focus on the applause nor the warm welcome he received. Rather at the Goddess of Wisdom that held a genuine smile only to him, a warm feeling both of them had. Even Aurora observed her mother's sudden expression, to which she grinned that she was finding her happiness again.

Loki strolled up to Athena, gently grabbing her hand before he gave a delicate kiss on the top of her hand. The goddess nodded softly as he told her sincerely, "You look radiant, my love."

"Thank you, Loki. You look handsome yourself," Athena answered truthfully until Loki continued forward but that didn't stop him from getting one glance at her.

Lastly, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif presented themselves to the royal family before the celebration began. Laughter and happiness radiating from the room as this was the mark of a beautiful moment for both Kingdoms. Aurora giggled as she saw her mother dancing gracefully with Loki, seeing the love and admiration in their eyes. The God chuckled upon seeing Aurora peek her head towards them before she hid after being caught.

"She has your beautiful smile," Loki commented, continuing to dance slowly with the music. The Greek goddess subconsciously smiled as she simply wanted to enjoy the celebration for the night. What seemed like an evening that would last forever was soon forgotten by the lost Princess of Olympus.

🕸

Aurora jolted suddenly for the lost memory of her past. Almost falling from her seat before she regained her strength to push herself back up. Still, her eyes widened upon remembering that she recognized someone... Thor. It couldn't be a coincidence when she didn't have the imagination to create something like this. A small nudge from the shoulder made the teenager aware that she was back in reality.

"Um, Thank you, Princess Lila. Why what an honor to be here," Aurora answered, unsure if she was playing correctly. Her mind didn't seem to focus on anything after a few minutes. She glanced down at her cup, knowing it's been years since she last played with dolls or tea parties. A frown appeared on her lips at the thought of her childhood gone before her eyes. Nonetheless, she focused on the young girl as they continued to play for hours until it was evening.

"Would you like to draw something?" Lila asked her, getting some crayons and sheets of paper on the table.

"Um, would it be fine if I play later?" Aurora replied to which the young girl nodded. Therefore, the Stark excused herself because she needed to talk to Thor about something important. Except, that the whole team was at the kitchen to find Fury near the dishwasher. Thor was nowhere to be found, which Aurora found it strange along with how Tony seemed to be hiding behind the others.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Stark?" Nick Fury hollered to her, glancing at her with just one good eye. Aurora leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms above her chest as she nodded at him with respect.

"Fury. I never thought I would meet you but perhaps on a different occasion when we aren't trying to save the world." Aurora suggested with a lopsided grin, while Nick just stared at her before glancing at Tony. There was no denying that she resembles her parents in personality and appearance.

"I believe the situation calls for it, Miss Stark. If anything, Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time." Nick retorted to her, yet the rest of the team listened to what he had to offer. The ex-SHIELD Director continued, "My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve voiced his opinion, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed with a concerned look on his face.

"Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though." Nick explained but Aurora couldn't help but smile slightly at the joke. Tony frowned at the thought of getting nowhere close to finding Ultron.

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony interjected for once, seeing that Aurora was in distress about something.

"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway," Nick confirmed the information, causing some to sigh in disbelief or groan. Aurora saw Lila cama up to Natasha with a drawing, grinning softly at the moment.

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare," Tony randomly told them, piquing Aurora's interest as she furrowed her eyebrows together at the mental image.

"Seriously? And this is why I question everything you do." Aurora remarked, however, Tony glared playfully to her which the girl responded with sticking out her tongue in a second.

"Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that," The ex-agent rudely interrupted the playful banter between the Starks.

"NEXUS?" Steve inquires upon not recognizing the name. Aurora shrugged her shoulders, spiffing a sandwich in the middle of the table. Without hesitation, she snatched the plate with the sandwich and munch on it whilst listening to the conversation.

"It's the world internet hub in Oslo, every byte of data flows through there, fastest access on earth," Bruce uttered for the first time, cleaning his glasses with his shirt while doing so.

"So what'd they say?" Clint questioned Nick seriously. The rest of the team wondered about the possibility of Ultron's next move towards their extinction. He could be anywhere in the world, something Aurora hated when they're fighting an enemy blindly into battle.

"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed," Nick uttered, Clint sighed under his breath.

"By whom?" The billionaire pondered, seeing that Ultron needed some kind of help to be able to pull off a stunt on his own.

"Parties unknown," Fury answered monotone, staring at the young Stark who stole his sandwich.

"Maybe HYDRA. They're the only ones I know trying to reach their goal for world domination. But I wouldn't bet on it since no one else I know is still alive." Aurora declares, grinning that she finally had some good food.

Natasha nodded her head, debating the option the teenager gave them. The former assassin asked, "Do we have an ally?"

"Ultron's got an enemy, that's not the same thing. Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is." Nick suggested the option, seeing one of his agents silently thinking about something.

"I might need to visit Oslo, find our 'unknown.'" Tony volunteered to help the team. Who better than to send the genius Stark that's capable of doing anything with technology? No one else.

"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that." Natasha sighed tiredly, briefly meeting her boss's face with a neutral expression.

"I do, I have you," Nick answered, glancing at everyone around the room before he continued, "Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. Here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk," Natasha humorously called out to the Captain, immediately the blonde shot his head forward when he heard his name.

"You know what, Romanoff?" Steve started but he didn't focus on that right now. Natasha smiles mischievously at him, even Aurora smirked that she knew what to mess around with Steve.

"So what does he want?" The SHIELD Director questioned the leader of the Avengers.

"To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies," Steve responded first, uncrossing his arms as he stood up to his full height.

"Person bodies. The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it." Tony added after Steve finished.

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed," Black Widow sassed they billionaire, Tony rolled his eyes at the comment. However, Bruce observed the drawing Lila gave to Natasha as he realized something important.

"They don't need to be protected, they need to evolve. Ultron's going to evolve," The scientist confessed, piquing Nick's interest as he asked him. That's when Tony catches on to what Bruce was suggesting after not hearing from a certain female that was supposed to inform them of the improved regeneration cradle.

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?" Bruce asked them, immediately everyone else realized what he meant. Aurora knew that he had Loki's scepter, but if what Bruce says it's true... then they would have to take it from him now.

Steve was the first to give commands to the Avengers, telling them to suit up and plan out a rescue mission along with getting the cradle. Captain told them, "I'll take Natasha, Aurora, and Clint."

"Wait, she's not going," Tony demanded seriously, but Aurora already had her mind made up.

"Yes, I am. Just because I let down my guard the first time doesn't mean I'll do it the next." Aurora explained, grabbing her old mission suit. Tony quietly excused them to talk for a moment outside. The Starks has always been headstrong by nature, so with the idea that nothing was impossible for them didn't stop them from achieving their strengths.

Eventually, they returned as Aurora had a large smile on her lips as Tony told them, "Alright, strictly recon. I'll hit the NEXUS, I'll join you as soon as I can."

The Avengers wore their suits once more as they finally had a chance to beat Ultron at his own game. It would be a long trip to South Korea, but when the world is at risk... the Avengers will be ready to protect it.