Like Fire and Ice

"I mean, if it's not too much trouble," Phil finished looking up at Steve, hope glimmering in his eyes.

"No, no. It's fine," Steve reassured him.

"It's a vintage set," Phil said proudly. I giggled, flipping another page of my magazine. It had been a couple of days since we arrived, and still no word of Loki.

"We've got a hit," a man called. Scratch what I said. "Sixty seven percent match. Wait, cross match seventy nine percent."

"Location?" questioned Phil.

"Stuttengard, Germany. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captian, Pheonix." Furry called from above. Both Steve and I looked up at him. "You're up."

I tossed my magazine on the table. "Well, Phil, how about those uniforms?"

"Oh! Right! Um, Fay, yours isnt actually finished yet. But we've got a runner up for you now," Phil smiled, leading Steve and I to the lower decks.

"That's alright," I smiled back at him. Phil paused and guestured to each side. I went to the side be pointed me to and opened the sliding door. I shook my head at the simple outfit and quickly changed. It was only a red corset and black leather jeans. Black converse and a black cloak to pull it together. I then jogged after Steve and Tasha to the plane.

******

As we neared Stuttenguard, Germany I jumped from the plane and let my bright red wings emerge from my back. I held Steve by the arms but I could tell he was shifting uncomfortably. "Uncomfortable, Steve?" I asked.

"No. I'm more worried about you, ma'am." He called back.

"Think you're too heavy for me, Captian?" He nodded. "Don't worry," I laughed. "I've carried a lot heavier." We watched the scene of scrambling people below and Loki exiting to the crowd. They all kneeled as he screamed for them to. But one man stood back up again and when Loki raised his sceptor I released Steve to fall right in front of the man. The blast of the sceptor bounced off Steve's sheild and hit Loki, sending him to the ground.

I fluttered to the ground and began to move the pedestirans away from the fight. I watched cautiously as Steve spoke to Loki. "You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The soldier and the bird," Loki smirked. "A man out of time, and the guardian of misfortunes."

"I'm not the one who's out of time," shot back Steve.

I looked up and saw Tasha in the plane hover over the crowd which was evacuating still. She dropped a machine gun down as she spoke over the intercom, "Loke, drop the weapon and stand down."

Loki smirked and shot the scepter at Steve, the ship, and I. I dove to the side, rolling back up onto my feet and glared at Loki. Steve threw his sheild and caught it after it bounced off Loki. He then smacked him the face with it. Loki brought his scepter up and Steve blocked his blow. Loki then shoved him back. Growling I threw a fire ball at Loki the same time Steve threw his sheild. Loki shoved away the sheild and ducked the flame. Steve ran at Loki and Loki knocked him away on his knees. He then put his scepter to Steve's head.

"Kneel," he purred. Smirking I pushed off the ground and knocked Loki away onto the ground.

"Not today," shouted Steve as he kicked Loki as he got back up. Loki grabbed Steve and threw him before turning to me.

"Come and get me, rhino boy," I smirked.

He shot his scepter at me and I dodged it. Loki then smacked me across the face with the scepter. I spun onto the ground with a groan. "Bow to me," Loki hissed pressing the scepter into my back. I brought my wing up and smacked him back.

"Never," I said pushing myself back up. I then looked up at the sky as music began to play through the plane's PA system. "Stark," I sighed as he flew down and blasted Loki back onto the stairs.

Tony held up his guned arms, "Make your move, reindeer games." Steve and I joined up next to Tony. Loki looked between the three of us and slowly raised his hands up. I smiled, my wings ruffling slightly by the pride I felt. "Good move," Tony said, puting away his guns.

"Mr. Stark," Steve sighed.

"Captian," Tony nodded. "Pheonix," he said nodding to me.

"Antony," I spat before grabbing Loki's scepter off the ground and grabbed Steve. I flew up next to the plane and placed Steve inside with the scepter. I stood on the edge of the flap and willed my wings to retreat back into my skin. Tony came up a moment later with Loki and pushed him into the seat. Loki was then strapped to the seat. The whole time he was smirking at me. "What are you looking at," I spat at him after we were on our way back to homebase. He said nothing, only looking to the two men and then back at me.

"He saying anything?" I heard Fury ask over the phone.

"Not a word," sighed Tasha.

"Just get him here. We're low on time." Fury said before hanging up.

Steve loomed closer to Tony, who had removed his helmet and was also staring at me. "I don't like it," Steve whispered.

"What?" Tony looked up at Steve. "Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow," smirked Tony. "What's your thing? Palates?" I looked up at Tony and glared.

"What?" asked Steve, his eyebrows pulling into confusion.

"It's like calistentics." Steve only stared. "You might have missed a couple of things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle," Tony smirked at the last part.

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," glared Steve.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you," Tony said raising his eyebrows.

"Do you have to be an ass," I asked standing up, glaring at Tony.

Tony focused his eyes on me, "Was I talking to you?"

"You are such a spoiled brat, you know that?" I huffed shaking my head.

Tony stepped closer to me, our chests inches from each other. "You know nothing about me, bird girl."

I scoffed, "No, actually, I know everything about you Antony Stark, unfortunately. And everything has been handed to you in your life."

"Well, that's not creepy at all," he said, his lip twitching.

I laughed, "I should be getting a 'thank you' from your sorry ass. I've save your life more than once now."

"I never met you before in my life," Tony scoffed. "Not before you and Phil came to Stark tower."

"That's the point in being a Guardian Phoenix. You don't know I'm there," I hissed.

"I don't need you," Tony growled.

"Obviously you do because you would've been dead three times over by now!" I shout in his face.

"Oooh," Loki smirked from his seat, "I like this."

I pointed a flaming finger at Loki, "You shut up before I burn that pretty little face off."

"Don't-" Tony said pushing my arm down.

I turned and pointed my flaming hand in his face, "Don't touch me, or I will pull that arc reactor right out of your chest and crush it," I purred.

"I'd like to see you try," Tony growled back.

"Hey! That's enough," Steve stepped in between Tony and I.

A flash of lightening drew my eyes from Tony, and I lowered my arm. "Where is this coming from?" Tasha said from the front.

"What's the matter?" Steve asked and I looked over to Loki who was looing upwards nervously. "Scared of a little lightening?"

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki frowns still looking at the ceiling.

Something hit the top of the plane, shaking it. I flicked fire into my hands as Tony and Steve put on their masks. Tony opened the back of the plane and a long blonde haired man jumped down into the opening. Thor. Tony goes to lift up his hand to stop him but Thor thows Tony back into Steve and I. Thor then grabbed Loki by the neck and jumped out the back of the plane.

"Now there's that guy," Tony said standing back up.

"Another Asguardian?" Tasha asked from the front.

"Think it's a friendly?" asked Steve.

"Doesn't matter," Tony shook his head. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost."

"Stark," Steve called as Tony walked to the back of the plane. "We need a plan of attack."

"I have a plan," Tony said looking back. "Attack." He then jumped out of the plane after the two other men.

I rolled my eyes as Steve also grabbed a parechute. "I'd sit this on out, Cap," Tasha called from the front.

"I don't see how I can," Steve said straping himself up.

"These guys come from legend, they're basicly gods," Tasha tried to reason.

"There's only one god, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." Steve grabbed his shield and then jumped out of the back of the plane down.

I looked over at Tasha, "Do boys ever listen?" She shook her head rolling her own eyes. Sighing I ran to the back of the plane and jumped out. I let myself free fall for a moment before I broke my wings from my back. I sored down to the forest and landed on a tree. I watched Thor and Tony have it out for a few moments before Steve stepped in.

"Hey!" Steve shouted, his sheild bouncing between the two men before it sored back into his hands. "That's enough!" He jumped down from the higher ground to where Thor and Tony were. "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here-" he began.

"I've come to put an end to Loki's schemes," Thor growled.

"Then prove it," Steve shot back. "Put the hammer down."

"Uh, yeah, no. Bad call," Tony put in. "He loves his hammer."

Thor thew back his hammer into Tony's chest, sending him flying into the ground.

"You want me to put the hammer down?!" Thor shouted at Steve. I rolled my eyes and jumped down as Thor lifted his hammer up. He brought his hammer down on Steve's sheild and I used some of my magic to push him back, the sheild helping.

"Boys," I cooed as the all got up from the ground. "Stop fighting before momma gets mad." The three boys looked at me as I ruffled my wings. I glanced at Thor's hammer and swallowed. "Thor," I said calmly. "Don't-"

"You're a Pheonix," he growled, swinging his hammer

"Thor, please," I said backing up, holding my hands in surrender. Thor jumped at me and I bent over, covering my head, waiting for the impact. But when it didn't come I looked up to see Steve standing in front of me, his sheild blocking Thor's blow.

"Will you stop," Steve shouted at Thor.

"She should be killed," Thor growled.

"Why?" Tony asked stepping up next to Steve.

"I'm considered something of evil in his world," I whispered. "I'm a bad omen."

Steve looked from me to Thor, "You aren't to touch her. She's not what you think."

Thor's jaw was clenched as he nodded. "Fine." I let out a small breath as Thor turned away and grabbed Loki from a ledge. "Where were you taking him?" Thor asked holding Loki's throat.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. air base," Tony spoke up.

Thor nodded, "Lets go."

"Agent Romanoff," Tony said. "Bring the plane around." Tony blasted up into the sky to signal Tasha where to go.

"I think I'll fly back," I whispered to Steve, still watching Thor.

Steve nodded. "I'll see you back there. Stay safe."

"Thanks," I said before lifting off and heading back to homebase.

"Pheonix!" I groaned as Tony caught up to me. "What was that about back there?"

"What are you talking about, Antony?" I asked looking for the navel base in the sky.

"You were frightened by Thor's hammer. Couldn't you just knock him back with a little magic like before?"

I stopped and hovered, glaring at him. "Do you know anything about Phoenix's?"

"I know you come back to life," Tony shrugged. "And I know you have magic."

"Limited magic," I hissed pulling out my vile that hung around my neck. "This is all I get, Antony. I've already used more than I should have. And I won't always come back from the dead." I few off again, hoping he'd just return back to the plane.

"You mean you can actually die?" Tony asked, catching up to me.

"Go away," I growled pushing myself up to the boat. I landed on the deck and my wings shrunk back into their tattooed state. I charged into the bridge and slamed the door behind me, incase Tony was still there. I charged past Fury and down to Bruce's lab.

"Fay?" Bruce asked as I began to pace the lab, tear trickling down my cheeks. "Fay, what's wrong?" I knoted my fingers in my hair and I could feel the fire burning inside me. "Fay, calm down," Bruce said slowly.

"Me?! You're telling me calm down?!" I screatched.

"Agent Knight!" Fury said charging in and pushing me up against the wall. "Stop!" He looked over to Bruce. "Wait outside." Bruce left and Fury turned back to me. I could feel the flames in my hair and hands. "Phoenix, you've got to calm yourself."

"I told you I didn't want to see him!" I screamed. "This is why I never talked to him before! He doesn't understand personal space!"

"Are you sure this isn't guilt for never talking to him before," Fury shot back.

I laid my bead back against the wall, the tears flowing freely. "Let me go," I sobbed.

"Not until I'm sure you're not going to creat a scene." Fury said, his arm against my shoulders, keeping me pinned agianst the wall. "Would you like me to call him down here so you two can sort this out?"

"No," I shook my head. "I need Bruce."

"Are you calm?" Fury asked, easing up on his grip. I nodded and he let me go. I leaned aginst the wall, my head dropping down. "Bruce," Fury called. I heard the door open and I looked up to watch Fury leave and go down the hallway.

"How are you holding up," Bruce said, his arms crossed as he stepped in front of me.

"Fine," I said peaking up at him threw my bangs.

"You can't let him get to you, Fay," Bruce sighed.

"I know," I said, choking on my tears.

"Hey," he said lifting my chin up. "Stop crying. We've got things to do, a world to save." I smiled and he smiled back.

"Sorry," I said wiping away my tears. I looked up to see eight guards escorting Loki down the hallway. Bruce turned and looked to the window, pulling his glasses off. Loki walked by, smriking at the two of us. Bruce rubbed his eyes. "Come on, I bet we're needed up in the bridge." Bruce nodded and followed me up to the bridge. I sat down near Steve as an image appears on the table in front of us. Tasha sat a few chairs down, Thor stood up next to the controls and Bruce wouldn't sit. And Tony was no where to be seen.

In the image was Loki, standing in a large circular cage. "Incase it's unclear," Fury spoke off camera. "You try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass," the bottom of the ship opened under the cage, "30 thousand feet, straight down, in a steel trap. You get how this works? Ant, boot."

Loki chuckled, "It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you," Fury said harshly.

"Oh, I've heard," Loki said looking up into the camera. "A mindless beast, makes play he's still a man." I clenched my fist and Steve touched my arm. "How desperate are you, that you call such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I?" Fury challenged. "You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace. And you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glade you did."

"Ohh." Loki smiled. "It burns you to have come so close. To have the tesseract. To have power. Unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all kind to share?" He looked at the camera again. "And then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well," Fury sighed, "let me know if real power wants a magazine or something."

The image then flickered out. "He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce said jokingly.

"Loki's gonna drage this out. So, Thor," he called to the man who stood with his back to the room. "What's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri." He turned to us. "They're not of Asguard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army. From outerspace," Steve said in disbelif.

"So he's building another portal," Bruce began to pace. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" questioned Thor.

"He's an astrophysicist," Bruce shrugged off.

"He's a friend," Thor said more forcefully.

"Loki has them under some kind of spell," Tasha spoke up. "Along with one of ours." I frowned knowing she meant Barton.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Steve spoke up. "He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him." I smirked looking over at Bruce.

"Have a care how you speak," Thor growled. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asguard. And he is my brother."

"He killed eighty peopel in two days," Tasha shot back.

"He's adopted," Thor ammended.

I snickered and Thor shot me a glare. "I think it's about the mechanics," Bruce said, covering my snicker. "Uridium. Whats the Uridium for?"

"Stablizing agent," Tony said waltzing into the room with Phil. "Means, the portal wont collapse on itself like it did at S.H.E.I.L.D." He looked at Thor and patted his arm. "No hard feelings, Point Break, you've got a mean swing." He then walked to the controls. "Also, means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants. Uh. Raise the mitten mast. Shift to top sails." Tony points on one of the men. "That man is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." Steve looks to me, confused. I shook my head and patted his arm. Tony rubbed his head looking at the controls. "How does Fury even see these?"

"He turns," Maria rolled her eyes.

"Sounds exhausting," Tony said starting on the right side. I rolled my eyes at him. "The best of raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily." He began to round the computers, pressing unnessisary buttons. "The only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to," he clapped his hands together, "kick start the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonucler astrophysics?" Maria asked.

"Last night," smiled Tony. "The packet. Salvig's notes. The extration theory papers? Am I the only one who did the reading?" He asked looking at the rest of us.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve sighed, ignoring Tony's remark.

"He'd have to heat the cube to a hunderd and twenty millions Kalvin just to break through the coulomb barrier," Bruce said, pacing behind us.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stablize the quantum tunnelling effect," Tony shot back.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achive heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the panet," Bruce nodded.

"Finally, somebody who speaks English," Tony smirks guesturing to Bruce.

Steve leaned over to me, "Is that what just happened?"

"He's being sarcastic," I whispered back.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner," Tony said shaking Bruce's hand. "You're workd on anti-electron collisions is unparallel. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." I shot up out of my seat, glaring at Tony but Bruce patted my arm.

"Thanks," he said unsure of how to answer.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube," Fury said entering the room. "I was hoping you might join him," Fury said to Tony.

"I'd start with that stick of his," Steve spoke up. "It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon."

"I don't know about that," Fury stated. "But it is powered to the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys? I do not understand-" Thor began.

"I do!" Steve shouted, smiling. I giggled but glared when I saw Tony roll his eyes. "I-I understood that referance."

"Shall we play, Doctor?" Tony asked looking at Bruce.

"This way, sir," Bruce guestured for Tony to walk down the hallway. Sighing I left the others and trailed after the two men. I watched as the chit-chatted back and forth. I stopped at my room and changed before heading down to Bruce's lab again. Tony stared at me as I hopped up onto on of the desks and opened my book. "Yeah, the gamma rays are definetly consistant with Salvig's reports on the Tesseract," Bruce said as he scanned over Loki's scepter. "But it's gonna take weeks to process."

"If we by-pass the major mainframe is direct rout to the homeward cluster, we can clock this around at six hundred teraflops," Tony said fiddling with his own computer that he had brought.

Bruce chuckled at Tony, "All I packed was a toothbrush."

"You know, you should come by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors all R&D, you'd love it. It's candyland." Tony bragged. I snorted.

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York, I kind of broke...Harlem," Bruce blushed slightly. I gave him a weak smile and patted his shoulder.

"Well, I promise a stress free enviornment. No surprises." I watched Tony poke Bruce in the side and I jumped up shoving Tony back.

"Ow!" Bruce jumped.

"Are you insane!" I snapped at Tony.

"Nothing?" Tony asked ignoring me.

"Hey! Are you nuts?" Steve said storming into the room.

"Jury's out," Tony waved Steve and I away. "You really have a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve snapped at Tony.

"Funny thing's are," Tony pointed the thing he poked Bruce with at Steve.

"Threatening the safty on the ship isn't funny." Steve turned to Bruce. "No offense, Doc."

"Yeah, it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things," Bruce slightly chuckled.

"You're tip toing big man. You need to strut," Tony encouraged grabbing a bag of blueberries.

"And you need to focuse on the problem, Mr. Stark," Steve snapped at Tony.

"You think I'm not?" Tony shot back. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? WHy not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation until I have all the variables."

Steve frowned. "You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy, Captian. He's THE spy. His secrets have secrets." He threw a hand full of berries into his mouth. "I't bugging him too isn't it?" He looked over at Bruce.

Bruce looked up, "Ahh...I just wanna finish my work here and-" He started nervously.

"Bruce," I warned.

Bruce looked at me and sighed. Be pulled off his glasses, "'A warm light for all mankind', Loki's jab at Fury about the cube."

"I heard it," confirmed Steve.

"Well, I think that was ment for you," he said pointing to Tony. Tony nods and hold out the bag of blueberries. Bruce takes a handful. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"Stark Tower?" Steve questioned. "The big ugly-" I laughed as Tony glared at Steve, "building in New York?"

"It's powered by an arc reactor. It's a self sustaining energy source. The building will run itself for what, a year?" Bruce asked Tony.

"It's just a prototype," shrugged Tony. He looked over at Steve, "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now."

"So why didn't S.H.E.I.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce questioned. "What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

Tony looked at Bruce, "I should probably look into that, as soon as my decription program finishes breaking into all of S.H.E.I.L.D.s secure files." He looked down at one of his little electronic toys he created himself.

"I'm sorry did you say-" Steve began.

"JARVIS has been running it since the bridge," Tony said nonchelontly. "In a few hours we'll know every dirty secret S.H.E.I.L.D. has ever tried to hide." He held out his bag of blueberries. "Blueberry?"

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open, "And you're confused on why we didn't want you here?"

"An intelligence agency that fears intelligence? Historically not awsome," Tony shot back.

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war," Steve said jumping into solider mode. "And if we wont stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders. We should follow them."

"Following is not really my style," Tony smirked, eating more bluebarries.

"You're all about style aren't you," Steve sneered.

"Of the people in this room which one is a, wearing a spangly outfit and b, not of use?" I stepped up next to Steve, glaring at Tony.

"Steve," Bruce frowned. "Tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?"

"Just find the cube," Steve says stiffly before he stalks out.

I glare at Tony, "Can't you try to be nice?"

"Nice really isn't my style," he smirked.

"Why do you treat him like he's a child?" I ask following him as he walks over to his computer.

"Because he acts like one," Tony said picking his teeth with his tounge. I smack the blueberries out of his hand, sending them all over the floor. Tony looked at them, "You're picking that up."

"Can't you stay serious for more than five minutes?!" I hissed at him.

Bruce came over and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me back, "Okay, Fay. Either you get out or you sit down and read your book." I shrugged Bruce off.

"I vote option number one," smiled Tony.

I grabbed my book and threw it at him. Tony ducked and it broke through the glass window behind him. "Go to hell, Antony Stark," I growled before storming out and walking by the broken window, grabbing my book up on the way back to my room.

******3rd POV******

"And that's the guy my dad never shut up about?" Tony asked obsverving the computer. "Wounder if we should've kept him on ice."

"Guys not wrong about Loki," Bruce sighed, concerened about Fay. "He does have the jump on us."

Tony walked over to his personal computer again. "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."

Bruce chuckled, "And I'll read all about it."

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

"Ah, see. I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed, like a nerve. It's a nightmare."

"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel trying, every second, to crawl its way into my heart, and this stops it," he tapped his arc reactor. "This little circle of light, it's apart of me. Not just armor. It's a terrible...privelage."

"But you can control it," Bruce countered.

"Because I've learned how," Tony countered back.

"Still..." sighed Bruce as he looked back at the computer.

"Hey," he moved all the things aside on the computer. "I've read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should've killed you."

Bruce chuckled humourously, "So, you're saying that the Hulk...The other guy saved my life? That's nice. But he wasn't the one that saved me." Tony's eyebrows formed a V of confusion. "He's just a side effect of who really saved me." He pointed at the circle of light seen from under Tony's shirt. "Same as your little circle of light."

Tony blinked, "Pheonix saved you?"

Bruce shrugged, "She's my guardian too."

"Pheonix didn't tell me that," he frowned looking out towards where the petty girl had fleed.

Bruce chuckled, "No I understand why she calls you Antony." Bruce turned to go back to the scepter. Tony stared after him. "She hates the use of her full name. She prefers to be called Fay. Though," Bruce smirked. "I don't know if she'll let you call her that. I don't think she particularly likes you."

Tony walked over to Bruce, "What can you tell me about her? How can she die? Is it the metal that's used in Thor's hammer?"

Bruce bites his lip nerviously, "It's only a certian type of metal, I'm sure Thor's hammer is probably made of that type. And...well, why don't you just talk to her yourself."

"What? And get burnt to death? I don't believe so," Tony snorted. "How come you two are so close?"

Bruce chuckles, "She felt sorry about what she had to do to save me. She worked for me before the whole incident. I hadn't really talked to her since. She said she backed off." Bruce looked up at Tony, "Talk to her. Actually talk to her. Without your snide remarks and jabs. Maybe then she might just like you."

"You good here?" Tony asked, motioning to the scepter. Bruce nodded waving him off. Biting his lip Tony venturned down the hall way where the red haired girl at gone. He frowned at the blood on the floor but followed it to an open door with beads hanging in the door way. Carefully he moved the beads away, trying to not make any nosie but as he stepped into the room he found himself face to face with a palm of flames.

"What do you want," Pheonix spoke in a slight british accent he hadn't heard before.

"Are you british?" Tony asked as he pushed her hand down. He felt a light spark in his fingers but ignored it.

The girl pulled her hands away, frowning. "That's where I was born orginally yes. How did you know?" Her voice now rid of all accents.

"You're accent was just noticable before," Tony shrugged it off. "Nevermind." He noticed music was playing from her stareo. He swallowed not knowing who was playing but walked over to inspect her other albums.

"Why are you here?" She snapped grabbing the AC/DC CD from him.

"AC/DC," he smiled. "Good choice." He walked over to the guitar on her bed.

"I don't suspect you came here to talk about my musical taste," she said taking the guitar from him and putting it back on its stand.

"No," Tony sighed. "No, I didn't."

"Then tell me what you want or get out," she said crossing her arms across her chest.

Tony shifted uncomfortably and gazed around her room, unsure of how to begin. "So you're a Phoenix, named Phoenix?"

Phoenix shifted, "My mother wasn't the brightest person ever."

"Bruce said you you perfered to be called Fay," Tony said walking across the room and inspecting her book collection.

"I do. By certain people," she said slowly.

Tony chuckled, "That list of people doesn't enclude me does it?"

Phoenix watched him carefully, "I'm not sure yet."

Tony's hand dropped from the books and he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Tell me about what you are." Phoenix raised her eyebrows. "It seems everyone else knows about you, why not me?"

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, "What do you want to know?"

"How can you die?" Tony asked glancing over at her. "Permanently."

She looked down, "You looking for ways of murder?"

"No," Tony shook his head, "Just-"

"Cirious, sure." She sat down on her bed. "Metal from other realms is one way. And once I find my mate, my death will be intermingled with his. Which means, once his heart stops, so does mine," she whispered, staring at the carpet.

"Mate?" Tony blew out.

"Usually one of the people you guarding is your mate, if not another Phoenix," she said slowly.

Tony snorted, "Figures. I knew you and Bruce looked a little cozy."

"No!" She said quickly. "No, Bruce isn't my mate."

"Sure he isn't," Tony said returning back to her CD's. "Black Veil Brides? Who are they?"

"A band," she said simply. "Can you leave?"

Tony turned to look at her. "I thought we were having a moment?"

"Go away, Tony," Phoenix said tiredly. Tony didn't leave though. Instead he walked around the side of her bed and sat down next to her. "Go away, Tony."

"That's twice now you've called me Tony," Tony smirked.

"Get out!" She screamed jumping up and pointing to the door. It wasn't until then Tony saw the tears in her eyes.

"Fay? What's wrong?" He asked getting up and going to touch her arm.

"Don't!" She said backing away. "Just don't!" She went into the small bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Tony frowned and turned to the sound of the music.

I'm screaming out

Can you hear me?

I bleed for you

Forever I will lie awake

I would die for you!

I see the truth

I've given you my heart to break

I would die for you!

With every breath I feel you there

Forbidden love is falling

Your eyes sing despair

I bleed for you

Forever I will lie awake

I see the truth

I've giving you my heart to break

I would die for you!

Tony glanced at the door wondering if she would ever speak to him.