The World We Live In

After spending hours in meeting and in labs getting checked out and talked at every day for a week, Matilda was allowed to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and go to Stark Tower, which was pretty much Avengers headquarters.

"Alright, Incubus, welcome to my tower," Tony said walking into Stark Tower.

She rolled her eyes. Due to the pale skin, black and blue hair, and gothic nature of her current look, Tony insisted on calling her Incubus. She had heard it all before. She figured he was gonna have a name for whatever look she had, so she was gonna make it a small mission of hers to stump him.

A doorman greeted the two and opened the door. They got in the elevator and he began to explain the tower to her. "The top floor is mine. It's my pent house. I do however share the kitchen and living room, unless I'm not sharing the living room and kitchen. The two underneath that are the rooms, where everyone stays. Guys on one girls, which is you, Thor's girl Jane, when she stays, her assistant Darcy, and Spidey. I didn't make it that way, Steve did. Underneath that is the board rooms and Avengers tech center. When shit goes down that's usually, where we meet. Then there are the labs. Half is Bruce's half is mine. I usually don't share, but exceptions had to be made. This teamwork thing, it's rough."

"I bet it is."

The three floors underneath that are combined to form a training center. I don't know what kind of training you do, but once we figure out what you need, it'll be outfitted for your needs. Actually I should put some sunlamps in there. That ought to help a help of a lot with your sunlight issue."

She rolled he eyes and made her skin tone darker. "Happy now?"

"Still a vampire," he said.

'He wants vampire, I'll give him vampire," she thought. She extended her canines and let out a hiss.

He ignored her. "Underneath that is all of the luxury stuff, a spa, a sauna, a pool."

"Stark resort," she muttered retracting her teeth.

"Under that is all of my business stuff down to the bottom, which is mostly maintenance and stuff. "Down in the basement is the fun stuff, secret tunnels, cliché, but use able leads from under the down out to four different entrances to the outside world. Cars, jets, and an armory. There's also one in the training room, but it's not nearly as well stocked."

"Not really my idea of fun stuff." Matilda's idea of fun was using her power. She enjoyed a challenge and overcoming her few limitations, were what she enjoyed the most. That's not saying that she didn't enjoy normal activities, reading, watching movies, pranking. Oh how she loved to prank. Unfortunately she couldn't do it often because she rarely ever got close enough to someone to find something that would work perfectly for them. She did nothing half assed. Tony was gonna be one of her first targets.

"Then what is? Sucking blood, souls, co-"

"A safe and the dark."

"Sounds kinky."

She rolled her eyes again. The pair reached the ninety second floor, and Tony started walking to what was gonna be her room. "This is your room." He pushed open the door. "Pepper had way too much fun, when I told her she could design them."

"Pepper has great taste," she said, looking around the room. It was entirely black, white, silver and grey. She almost smirked at that, but suppressed it. The floors were black hard wood and the walks and support beams were white except for the wall that bed was it. It was done with damask wall paper that was white with a grey pattern. The head board and footer of the bed we white with a Victorian feel to them. The bedding was a dark gun metal color. There were a few rugs that matched the bedding scattered about. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were silver. There were small tables one at the foot of the bed and one on the left. The left one had a white chair that went with it. Across from the bead hanging on the wall was a flat screen underneath it a white dresser. There was a desk on the left wall that had nothing on it, but I knew enough to know that it was able to hold any type of electrical set up you could think of. 'I'll have to get on that later,' she thought.

"Knock. Knock."

She turned towards the door. Captain America himself was standing there. A wide smile spread across her face. "Steve Rogers."

….

Matilda had just set down a cup of black coffee down in front of Mr. Johnson. She turned to head back to behind the counter. It was pouring outside. 'I am not gonna enjoy walking in that," she thought. In walked in a young boy, probably about 16.

He sat down at the counter. She walked back and went over to the boy. "What can I get you son?" she asked.

"A glass of water please," he said. He was very quiet and wouldn't look up.

"Are you okay, Kid?" she asked, concern etched on her features although her tone was rough.

"Ye ma'am," he said.

"Look up," she commanded him. Matilda, didn't need 110 years of people skills to know that the boy was obviously lying.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb with me boy," she told him. Her voice had a slight southern drawl that she picked up from her time in Texas, which was out of place in Brooklyn.

"Sorry Ma'am." He looked up. His left eye was beginning to swell shut and his lip was busted open. A small line of blood was beginning to trickle from it.

Matilda muttered a cure and went and grabbed some ice. She wrapped it up in a towel and handed it to the boy along with his glass of water. He held the rag so that it was touching both his lip and his face. "Thank you Ma'am."

"You can stop with the Ma'am," she said to him. Matilda knew that she was a Ma'am, but at the time hated feeling old.

"Then what would you like me to call you?"

"My name is Matilda Knight, but you can call me any variation of Matilda you want." She liked the boy despite barely knowing him.

"Miss, can I get refill-"

"One moment sir," she said to the customer.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Steve, Steve Rogers."

"Miss I would really-"

She was losing my patience with the man, calling me over. "Hold on a second!"

"Knight, attend to the other customers! Does this kid even have money to-"

"It's on me Randy!" she yelled at my boss. She turned to Steve. "Hold on a moment, and I'll be right back, and if Randy tries to be all big and bad, just tell him that Tilly's looking out for you."

Matilda bitchily made her rounds before returning to Steve. She sat back down next to him. "So how does a kid like you end up with a shiner and a busted lip like that?" she asked.

"I get beat up– a lot," he said.

"You tell your folks?"

"It's not their job to fight my battles. I'm too old for that."

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Nineteen," he said, "I know. I don't exactly look it."

"You act it," she told him, "Actually you act older. I've seen quite a few rowdy customers come in here, twice your age with less than half of your manners."

"Thank you."

"Have you ever just tried running away?" she asked. As far as Matilda was concerned, there was no shame in running away. She had done it on many occasions.

"No, running isn't an option. Running just leaves me open to more."

"You're a good kid. You know that?"

"You're not much older than me," he said.

'Oh but I am,' she thought. "Want me to quit calling you kid?"

"If it's not too much of an issue."

"You're gonna go far, be something special. It's not your size that matters. It's your will, your fight, your heart. It's in you. I can see it."

"You truly believe that?"

"I live by it."

….

"Captain America, here in the flesh," she said, "It is an honor."

"It's a pleasure to meet me Ma'am," he said.

"Oh how I was right! You truly have become something special!" she couldn't help, but cheer a little. She ran up and hugged him.

"Cap, you know her?" Tony asked.

"I'm not sure," Steve said.

"You've read my file as well?" she asked, Cap.

"I hope it's not too much of an invasion-"

"It's fine. It's fine. Anyways in 1940, I had reached 22 physically. It was also the year I quit aging." She looked at Tony. "You gonna note that for future reference?" She didn't let him answer and turned her attention back to Steve. "I had just spent ten years traveling around Texas and decided it was time for a major change in scenery, so I moved to New York. Brooklyn to be exact. I changed my looks and got a job as a waitress." She changed to her old form.

Realization dawned across his face. "It's not your size that matters. It's your will, your fight, your heart," he repeated her words.

"Oh goody! You remember."

"Anyone wanna fill me in?" Tony asked.

"No not really," Cap said, "Matilda, you've changed, quite a bit."

"Helps to stay hidden."

"Also gotta stay current," Tony said.

Steve's face fell.

"And that is exactly why I'm here. I'm going to get you in touch with the modern world." She switched her form again, this time back to her alternative body. "But first I need to meet the rest of yinz and get settled in."

"Yinz?" Tony questioned.

"Yinzer speak a.k.a. Pittsburghese, I've had a few stints there."

"I'll go see about getting the Hawk out of his nest and the Spidey from her web," Tony said leaving. He yelled as he walked down the hall. "Spidey bitch spidey bitch does whatever I spidey bitch does," he sang.

There was the sound of a door opening and a few thuds. Matilda stuck her head out of the door just in time to see Tony hit the wall once more and slide down it. "That's rich," she said with a smile.

Natasha looked at her. She narrowed her eyes, before retreating to her room.

"Ignore her. The life of an assassin has really gotten to her," Steve said, "Let's go meet the others.