AN- Here's the last filler chapter before Age of Ultron which I will post the first chapter of soon and will, hopefully, be able to work on the rest over the summer more often. In this chapter, there will be a little more insight into the Chrysinthean species. I hope you all enjoy it ^^

After Winter Soldier but Before Age of Ultron

Somewhere in Oregon

Ash's POV

"Why are we out here?" I questioned looking at the variety of structures that human children were running around, climbing on oddly shaped structures, and doing... whatever it was that human children do. Despite being on Earth for a few years already, I still found some of their ways strange and confusing to understand.

"Because, you're still a kid, and kids shouldn't be cooped up inside a lab all the time, or on spontaneous life-threatening missions, you need some time outside to enjoy yourself." Bruce explained to her, shooting a bit of a pointed look at "life threatening missions", filling me with guilt since I had caved about the events during Project Insight in D.C. when he asked where I had been after arriving back at the Tower, against Nat's wishes.

"I'm already going to hear from Nat about telling you, do you really need to add to the punishment?" I questioned sulkily.

"Yes." Bruce replied as he pulled his cap down further over his face as a couple pushing their baby along in a stroller passed the two of them.

"I'm already enduring enough punishment with having to wear this mask." I grumbled a bit as I pulled at the thin photostatic veil that was concealing my face to make me look more human, but felt incredibly uncomfortable against my skin.

"Well it was either that or liquid concealer and even I think that's too much of a punishment."

"So what do I do?" I walked up to a structure where small, rubber, rectangle seats on the ends of chains rested on a frame of metal.

"You sit down and swing."

"Ok..." I sat down on the seat and leaned back, expecting there to be a backing, but instead, I fell backward hitting the ground full force.

"Ow..." I sat up rubbing my back before Bruce helped me up by my arm.

"No no you need to hold on to the chains and swing." Bruce motioned to another human child "swinging" by kicking their legs forward and backward to create the swinging momentum.

"Very well..." I got back onto the seat, holding onto the chains with a vise grip before attempting to kick my legs in a similar fashion to the child on my right, only resulting in slight rocking in place rather than full force swinging. Groaning in frustration, I hung my head and asked,

"I'm not doing this correctly, am I?"

"No, but you know you could just ask for help, right?" Bruce smiled as he stepped forward and pushed my back, making me swing forward.

"Now kick your legs back." He instructed and I did so, pushing myself back.

"Now kick forward." I did so again, going even higher this time.

"Alright you got it." I looked back to see Bruce grinning and clapping lightly as I continued the motions, enjoying the slight breeze ruffling my hair and my vision being filled with the sky with each forward motion.

Just as I felt myself begin to smile, a harsh *Boom* sounded from afar and I snapped my head forward to see a plume of smoke rising in the distance and people running away with their children screaming.

"Oh no..." I pulled myself to a stand on the swing and leaped forward when it went forward, doing a front flip before landing in a crouch like Natasha had taught me before running forward.

"Ash wait!" I didn't stop after Bruce called out to me as I continued to run toward the source of the explosion, pulling off the veil in a swift motion.

When I got there, I saw a being standing next to the smoking crater with an advanced, and strangely familiar, looking piece of technology on his wrist.

"What are you doing with that?" I demanded and he looked up at me before smiling in a deranged manner and saying,

"There you are... Chrysinthean." I froze in place, paralyzed by how he knew what I was before raising the weapon up and firing a light blue projectile right at my core, too quickly for me to dodge.

A fiery feeling spread through my body as I felt myself flying back before my vision dotted with spots and all went dark.

3rd Person POV

Just as Ash was thrown back, the attacker grabbed a communications device from his pocket and reported in,

"This is Skodor. Target subdued, bringing it in now."

However, just before he could go over to retrieve Ash, a figure wearing storage looking clothes that consisted of a patterned jacket with a wide belt and pants with flared out legs with a curled mass of brown hair appeared and cut in between the two of them.

"You will come no closer!" The figure raised a hand forward sending out a wave of yellow light that sent the assailant flying back before landing in a low crouch on the ground before they started clashing.

Meanwhile, Bruce managed to make it to where Ash lay in the charred grass and checked her pulse, relieved when he found one, albeit extremely weak before looking over to see her pendent laying on the ground a few feet away.

"Alright let's go." Bruce was struggling a bit picking her up when the figure from before appeared over the hill again, running toward them.

"Stay back!" Bruce held a hand out which twitched in and out of a fist as he was struggling to keep his anger and fear under control.

"You need not fear me Dr. Banner." The figure assured him as he came closer to the two of them with their hands up in a non-threatening position until he was kneeling right in front of them.

"How do you know who I am?"

"As you humans would say, I keep 'tabs' on others of my people. I am Zaruk and we must leave now before that Oajin comes to." Zaruk hoisted Ash up carrying her with one arm supporting her back and the other her legs as she lay unconscious.

"Hurry." Zaruk motioned with their head to come with them.

"Where are we going?" Bruce asked as he quickly scooped up the pendant from the ground and pocketed it.

"To the Haven." Zaruk answered simply as they ran toward the forest.

Short Running Time Skip

"How much further is this 'Haven'?" Bruce asked, out of breath from running.

"We are here." Zaruk stopped in front of a pile of rocks before passing right through them, revealing it to be a hologram.

"Ok just when I thought this couldn't get any freakier..." Bruce passed through the barrier and stepped in to reveal a giant cave and the most amazing secret alien society he had ever seen.

Light came in through a single hole in the roof, crevices in the walls held possessions, light dotted vines with strange-looking flower blossoms expelling glowing seeds that floated through the air like dandelion seeds grew along the walls in a curlicue fashion, lighting up the space with a dim glow. As he looked around more, Bruce saw a few Chrysintheans, adults and adolescents, who were walking around, pausing in their activities to see their visitors.

"Uh hi." Bruce awkwardly held up a hand in greeting.

"Zaruk, what are you thinking, bringing in an outsider?" One Chrysinthean with dark electric blue hair and light gray skin wearing clothing similar to Zaruk's demanded,

"Calm yourself Waio, he is a Jaodev." Zaruk answered and immediately the other Chrysinthean's face displayed shock and he bowed to one knee with a fist over his chest.

"I'm a what now?" Bruce questioned unsure of this new development.

"A Jaodev, or in your language a 'protector', you have been watching over this young one, haven't you?"

"Y-yeah I mean-"

"Then you know of our species and have sworn to keep our species a secret. It is a quality in humans we have had yet to see and therefore are grateful to you for accepting one of our own and keeping our secret."

"It's not really my place to tell..."

"We know, it is hers, but once she awakens we will need to establish the importance of our people's secrecy." Zaruk walked over to a large flat-topped boulder that was set in the center of the cave and lay Ash on top of it.

"What has happened to this one?" Another Chrysinthean with long emerald-colored hair done in a long plait down her back and with light cerise skin came up and placed a hand on Ash's forehead.

"It's bad, she got hit right in her..." Bruce made a circling motion with his hand to her core.

"Then we must perform a Galaia right away." She urged before every Chrysinthean within the room gathered around in a circle with Ash in the middle.

"Wait wait wait, what's happening?" Bruce held his hands up in question before a child with light purple hair and light blue skin wearing a dress with a high necked collar came up to him and pulled him away from the circle to get a better vantage point on a ledge that overlooked the area.

"What's-?" Bruce was cut off by the child putting a finger to her mouth in a silencing motion before placing both of her hands over her core and making a spreading motion and then a focusing motion.

"They're going to share their core energy with her?" Bruce deduced from the game of charades and the girl nodded slowly before pointing to show him how everyone in the circle had joined hands grasping wrists and a stream of light passed through all of them before a ray of light from each person contributed to a single sphere of light that bathed Ash in a brilliant glow.

"Woah... does this only work among your people or can it be used on others?"

The girl made some more hand motions but they were all but lost on Bruce as he tilted his head before turning his attention back to the healing circle. The sphere of light dissipated back into the circle members and Ash bolted upright in a silent gasp as Zaruk placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke softly before helping her off the platform and leading her to a separate room.

"What do I do now?" Bruce asked the girl and she just shrugged before picking a wicker basket up from the natural shelf in the cave wall and leaving.

"Nice chatting with you too..." Bruce "told" the girl as he sat down before the defensive Chrysinthean from before, Waio if he remembered correctly, came up to him and held out his hand.

"I apologize for speaking out of line when you first arrived, Dr. Banner."

"No... problem?" Bruce accepted the handshake, albeit he did it a little stiffly.

"I have seen this motion being used to 'extend an olive branch' among you humans, but I am afraid I am not practiced in it."

"I-it's alright, neither was Ash the first time." Bruce was quick to assure him as he made a motion to follow him and they started to walk through the society's hideout, the girl from before stopping in front of them to gather some of the flowers that grew along the wall and deposit them into the basket she was carrying, pausing her chore to wave to Bruce, who awkwardly waved back before she left.

"I saw Reaia attempting to communicate with you during the Galaia, so I assumed you would have liked a verbal explanation of what exactly we are."

"Can she not talk or...?"

"She lost her voice when she ventured too far onto a human's 'farm' and sustained a critical injury to her throat. We were able to save her life, but unfortunately her voice was lost."

"I thought that Ga-lee-uh could heal?"

"We may be an advanced species, but even we have not evolved to where we can fully regenerate lost internal organs or appendages. Unfortunately for those of us who get too close to overly wary humans on occasion..." Waio gestured to another Chrysinthean who was missing his right leg and was walking using crutches that looked to be made out of branches with a basket strapped to his back.

A closer look at a couple more of the hideout's inhabitants revealed that quite a few individuals were missing appendages, but seemed to have adapted to it.

"Is everyone here the only ones on Earth?" Bruce asked worriedly.

"No, we have heard from other small clans, very few of them, but they are here nonetheless. We are the fortunate ones, not everyone managed to escape our planet's destruction..." Waio trailed off before stopping as some kids ran in front of them, laughing happily as they chased each other down a hall before Waio smiled slightly and added, "But those of us who remain are in good spirits, it is the only thing keeping us alive."

"I wish I could say the same for Ash err Lumna I should say. She's... lost everything... her mom... her sister... her best friend... and she still can't even remember her family's names..." Bruce pulled out the pendant and opened it up to reveal the pictures inside.

"'Lumna'? As in the Viwa clan?" Waio held out his hand for the pendant and Bruce gave it to him to look at.

"'Viwa'?"

"It is what you would call a 'surname'."

"Oh."

"Yes, her mother was Lorinia and her sister was Astra." Waio pointed to the other two people in the family portrait as he said their names.

"Where's their dad?"

"There was no father, Lorinia was one of the few who chose to parent children on her own."

"How does that even work? Here-"

"We are well aware of how you humans reproduce and I must say it is... disturbing to say the least..." Waio cut Bruce off before shuddering a bit and explained, "On our planet, when one wished to have children, they simply needed to ask the Orinix, and to show their commitment to parenthood, they were required to stay in the Caverns of Consultation for four days without any sustenance. After showing their dedication, a child is created from a single spark of the Orinix's being."

"That's... fascinating. W-What about him...?" Bruce pointed to the boy in the other picture. Waio suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable as he closed the pendant and handed it back to Bruce abruptly.

"What's wrong?"

"That boy... his name is Xavion..."

"Don't you mean 'was', Lumna says she remembers him getting killed to save her?" Bruce questioned in blatant confusion.

"No... he was saved... only to be lost again... my son..." Waio bowed his head down as his voice wavered saying the last part of his sentence.

"Woah... 'son' and what do you mean 'lost again'?" Waio looked at Bruce with sadness in his eyes before sitting and leaning against the cave wall as he started to explain,

"Yes he was killed... but the Orinix revived him after I pleaded with it and we managed to make it to an escape pod that was coordinated to Earth, even though he wanted to find Lumna so badly." Waio smiled a bit before continuing, "When we arrived, we immediately began to make a home for ourselves here in this clan until a sickness went around and we needed more Eocti seeds, so he volunteered to go into the city in order to connect to a signal in an attempt to contact other clans, he managed to send out the message, but he never returned..."

"I'm sorry..."

"I never should have let him do it... He wanted to prove, to the others and to me, that he was capable of helping our people as he did with his friend so long ago and it could have cost him his life... again..."

"Ash wants to regain her memories, but sometimes she fears what she will remember about her past like when she remembered about the Chitauri invasion, she barely got any sleep for weeks after that..." Bruce admits sadly.

"They both had the courage to bring about change, but we fear it would lead to their demise as it did my son..."

"Waio," He turned to look at Bruce as he continued, "What if I told you your son isn't dead?" Waio looked at him with hope in his eyes.

"Ash told me that she saw him after the whole... situation with Project Insight, he's alive, but he's under HYDRA's control."

"I have heard many things about that organization, none of them good."

"She thinks she can save him, bring him back from the 'dark place' as she calls it."

"'Dark place'?"

"I don't know she said the last time she saw him his eyes were glowing, acting aggressively, and was firing random blasts at anything in his path and Hydra was taking advantage of his unstable mindset with sound frequencies." Bruce explained and was met with Waio's relieved laughter.

"I don't..." He was cut off with Waio explaining,

"Forgive me, but the answer is simple; he is experiencing Tayen."

"What's Tayen?"

"It is a lot like you humans' 'puberty', once they reach the appropriate age for it, they begin to act irrationally, wild even, and once they reach peak, untamed behavior, all that needs to be done is to engulf them in their element to restore their rightful mindsets and gain their Marks. This was done in our homeworld with the Sanctuary Caves, special caves that contained all four of our planet's basic elements: earth, fire, water, and plasma."

"Plasma? You mean like electricity?"

"Yes, Lumna's sister, Astra, was a wielder of plasma, she was one of the very few with this ability."

"Have you heard from her?"

"I'm afraid I have not, we have not yet reached communication with clans on other planets, most of our technology was destroyed along with our planet and your Earth technology is severely limited in terms of contact range."

"Sorry?"

"It is fine, in time we hope to reach others and come together to find a new home, as we helped the Skrulls do so long ago."

"Skrulls?"

"That is a story for another time, I believe Zaruk is almost down discussing our clan's discretion with Lumna." Waio stood up and Bruce followed suit.

"Well thank you for the... insight into your species." Bruce awkwardly extended his hand to Waio, who shook it more smoothly this time. Bruce turned to walk away when,

"Dr. Banner?"

"Hmm?" Bruce turned back around to face Waio as he spoke,

"I realize that, as a scientist, it is your job to make sense of things that do not make sense so that they would not be feared by your people, and our species may seem unfamiliar and perplexing, but we are not to be feared..."

"No no I get it, all your people want is to keep each other safe, and if that means hiding from our people because you think they wouldn't take news of aliens on our world too well, you do what you think's best for you all-"

"Bruce!" They both turned to see that Ash and Zaruk were right there and Ash ran forward to give Bruce a tight hug.

"-especially for the next generation." Bruce added as Ash released him from her hug, but he kept her by his side in a lighter hug.

"Once again, we are grateful for your compliance in keeping our society secret." Zaruk thanked them and they both nodded.

"You are both welcome back here anytime you would like." Waio offered them before they reached the secret entrance.

"Thank you and we will do whatever it takes to get your son back to you safely." Bruce promised him before he and Ash stepped through the barrier to reach the outside world, where it was dark and the lights of human civilization shone in the distance.

"You feeling better?" Bruce asked Ash as they maneuvered their way through the trees.

"Yep," Ash replied, smiling that she was speaking more normally, "I'm glad to know I'm not the only one on Earth."

"Yeah, that must be... great..."

"What's the matter, you don't seem too happy about it?" Ash questioned him in a curious tone.

"I am, it's just... how much longer do they think they can hide from people?"

"I'm not sure... I see valid points from both sides, there are still many people that can't handle the fact that me and Thor are aliens, so the knowledge that there are others not only on this planet but other galaxies would guarantee panic, but I feel that the longer they hide, the harder it will be for others to accept them if the truth ever gets out." Ash held her hands on the sides of her head as if she was trying to keep her thoughts inside, but was failing.

"Hey, let's not worry about it for now. Let's just get back home and figure out what to do from there, yeah?"

"Yeah." Ash nodded as they reached the edge of the forest that led back to town.

"Alright, now let's-" Bruce's sentence was interrupted when something glowing blue was shot to the ground next to them and they quickly turned around to see the same Oajin, Skodor, from before, but looking more beat up and his weapon was badly damaged.

"Stop right there!" Skodor huffed out as he got closer to them, Bruce doing his best to keep the Hulk in check but maintaining a firm stance in front of Ash.

"What do you want from me?" Ash demanded to know as she got in front of Bruce.

"Kryjer commands that you be brought to him immediately."

"Well you can tell Kryjer that I'm not going anywhere either now after you retreat or after I show you why you can't just come to this planet and threaten us." Ash readied her fists for combat in front of her as Skodor kept a hand over his blaster. Right before either of them could make a move, a small blue disk shot out from nowhere and zapped him to where he crumpled to the ground.

"What the-?"

"Hey guys." They both turned to see Nat standing there with her uniform on and her Widow's Bite gauntlets still lit up from use, "Looked like you could've used some help considering you've been off the radar for four hours."

"Nat!" Ash ran over and hugged her tightly.

"Yeah, that could've gone a lot worse." Bruce admitted just before Skodor got up, practically seething until he saw Nat and Ash prepare to strike and he warned,

"Kryjer will have his dual arsenal of destruction."

"Sounds like a bad punk band name." Nat snarked with a smirk before Ash slowly walked forward with a death glare in her eyes,

"What do you mean 'dual arsenal'?"

"By the time you find out, you will not be able to do anything to stop the Reaping." He grinned wickedly before raising his right wrist which had a bulky piece of tech on it and pushing a button on it to dissipate in a swirling mass of bright lights that vanished heading towards the sky.

"That was... intense." Bruce broke the silence with his comment before turning his attention to Nat to ask, "How'd you know where to find us?"

"Uh Ash has a GPS implanted in the bracelet I gave her and when I heard about a 'foreign fire attack' on a playground in Oregon, I figured you two would be involved."

"What?!" Ash held up the wrist that contained the cloth woven bracelet and pushed aside some of the threads with a finger to see that there were indeed tiny flashes lights and metal strands woven within the threads.

"After... losing her in a mall... I figured I'd need to find another way to keep track of her." Nat hesitated with her excuse before Ash cut in with,

"He knows about D.C., I told him." Ash admitted, being met with her glare before,

"Eh I figured you wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret."

"Can we please just go already, we've all had an... eventful day and I for one need to process some stuff." Bruce asked before Nat and Ash nodded in agreement and they all made their way back to town, Ash walking in between the two adults with her arms around both of them in a half side hug.

Meanwhile in space...

"Retrieval was unsuccessful. Shall I recommence with reconfigurations?" Skodor reported in, kneeling before Kryjer.

"Yes," Kryjer rises from where he was sitting to walk over to a table where alien technology is strewn across its surface, stroking each one individually before monologuing, "This Chrysinthean technology seems primitive at first, but it has proven to be highly effective in plotting every being's locations. Soon there will be nowhere for their accursed species to hide that we will not know of and their secrets will be ours..."

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