Waking up the next day, Anna found herself greeted by none other than Tony Stark in one of his best tuxedos.

"Tony? Where's Loki?" she asked tiredly, sitting up in her bed.

"Morning, Sunshine, it's good to see you, too. Slept well?" Tony asked, clearly unaffected.

"Tony, where's Loki?" Anna repeated slightly annoyed.

"Oh, who knows, off in a cave somewhere or in his lair of evil, probably," he answered with a wave of his hand.

"When did you two switch places?" Anna asked, tiredly rubbing an itchy spot on her arm.

"Around four or so, I believe. When I got back," Tony replied; "It's good you're up though, then I can go get some sleep."

"You could've anyway, Loki was watching me," Anna pointed out crawling out of her bed.

"Exactly, Loki was watching you. No way I would've been able to sleep anyway," he told honestly; "Anyway, I'm going to go get some sleep."

"Right. Sweet dreams."

"Thank you. And don't forget, you said you'd get a laptop. Order it online, let Happy take you or just have Pepper buy one, I don't care, but you can't apply to college with just a notepad," he informed, getting up from the armchair he had been sitting in.

"I don't want to go to college," Anna pointed out.

"You're still going to have the option," he argued before noticing her unsure look; "Listen, get the one you need or want or whatever, or get the bare cheapest one and I will have Pepper buy you one of every single brand she can name. And don't bother thinking college won't be an option just because you're a broke bitch or whatever it is Peter calls it. Not happening, Sunshine."

Anna looked at him with narrow eyes; "You're very strict in the morning."

"I'm strict when I have to be," he corrected; "And I don't like it any more than I do, so just get everything you need, okay? My card is in the kitchen, just put it on that."

Turning the card slowly in her hands, Anna looked at the way the light hit the black surface of it. While Tony had never explicitly stated it, they all knew he'd taken the parental role for her, and there was no doubt he'd meant what he said. He was a firm believer of attending college, and if he had any say (which he did), she would apply to every single one they could mention and then pay for tuition at any one of them, and not only because however much she would use could never make as much as a dent in his fortune, but because he'd taken responsibility for her.

"Oh, sorry, I did not realise anyone would be in here," Loki apologised and turned around before even properly entering.

"Loki, it's fine, come on in. Just because someone else is in the living room it doesn't mean you can't be," Anna pointed out, laughing slightly. She was sitting on the couch with one of Tony's laptops in her lap, preparing to order the things she expected to need.

"Right, naturally, I just... Usually prefer it that way," he admitted; "Not that it is not pleasant to spend time with you, I am just not very widely liked in these areas, it tends to be nicer to avoid it."

"Well, I don't mind you being in here, too, but I should probably tell you if you are trying to stay away from us you should probably avoid the shared living room. Just a tip," she added with an amused shrug. Loki smiled slightly while looking down.

"Correct you are. I must admit I grew a bit tired of my cell, I needed to go elsewhere for a bit, and I am not allowed very many places," he told, holding up a book; "I thought I could perchance sit here and read a bit."

"You can do that here. I promise I won't disturb you," Anna told with a small smile.

"Well... Thank you," he replied, unsurely walking in and sitting on the other end of the couch of her and opening his book.

Deciding to look for a computer first, Anna opened the internet and searched.

"Not you. Just them," Loki suddenly said, not looking up from his book.

"Huh?"

"I am looking to avoid them, not necessarily you," he explained, still not looking up.

"Oh," Anna replied quietly.

"Okay, can I just disturb for one more second?" Anna interrupted Loki's reading.

"I seem to recall you promising me silence," he reminded her lightly, but still closing his book with a finger between the pages he was on.

"Yes, well you got a good ten minutes of that, now I need your opinion again," she explained, turning the computer to him.

"Do you think this," she began, clicking on the other tab; "Or this."

"They appear quite similar," Loki stated, looking at the laptops.

"Yes they do, that's why I can't pick. This one's got the keyboard with the... Little lights under it," Anne pointed out; "Maybe that's nice if it's dark? Or it's just for show. Maybe I should-"

"No! You should take a pick, and purchase the one you desire the most," Loki interrupted her.

"I will, I just don't know which I desire the most," she explained.

"Meaning no offence, they are both flat squares you can fold up. I am unsure how big a difference the look of the... what did you call it? Key board, might make," he advised.

"I guess you're right," Anna muttered, turning the computer screen back to herself; "I just want to be sure it's right. As cliche as it sounds, I want to fit in, you know?" 

"No."

"Cool, glad you get me," Anna retorted with an eye roll.

"I mean no, I do not understand why you would wish that. It does not make sense to me," he explained.

"Haven't you ever wanted to be just like everyone else?" Anna question with a sigh.

"Yes. Often," Loki admitted quickly; "More than often, but that's me. I do not understand why you would feel such a thing. Standing out from the mass would, no doubt, be seen as positive when you stand out by being... Well, you."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked unsurely.

"You are not ugly, you are not mean or unpleasant, and you are far from the most idiotic human I have met yet. Even if people should notice you, that is what they would notice; the positives aspects of your person. In other words, as soon as they lay eyes on you, they will like you," he explained blankly.

"You're sweet," Anna told, making Loki laugh to himself.

"I have been called many things, however sweet is not one of them," he explained to her, still smiling.

"Well, tough titties, I think you're sweet. Deal with it," she stated, leaning back and putting one of the bags in the shopping cart with the rest of the things she'd chosen.

"Tough... Titties?" Loki asked slowly.

"Yes. Tough fucking titties, Loki," Anna replied with a confident smile.

"Anna!" Steve yelled as he entered the living room, a big box in his hands. Quickly Anna emerged from the hallway to her room.

"Oh yay, my stuff!" she exclaimed happily, taking the box from Steve.

"You ordered stuff?" Natasha asked confused from the couch.

"I meant to order one stuff. Then I ordered a lot of stuff," Anna added.

"A lot, yes, there's more down in the lobby. Want me to ask someone to bring it up?" Steve offered, sitting down next to Natasha on the couch.

"It's fine, I'll get it in a sec," Anna assured them, heading to her room with the big box. After placing it on the floor, she returned to the living room; "Have you seen Tony?"

"I think he had to leave for some emergency or something. Maybe he's in Germany?" Natasha guessed.

"Germany?" Anna questioned.

"He might have said Brooklyn, actually," she corrected herself.

"That's very precise, thank you so much," Anna said, smiling slightly annoyed. Natasha just shrugged unaffected, clearly not giving much thought to Anna's opinion of her.

"What do you need Tony for?" Steve asked kindly, struggling with the TV remote.

"He's supposed to watch me tonight," she told, getting her phone from her pocket and dialling Tony's number from memory while heading to her room.

"Sunshine, not the best time," was the first thing out of Tony's mouth after he picked up.

"Then don't answer the phone," Anna told, closing her bedroom door.

"I can't not answer the phone," Tony argued, his last word slightly interrupted by a large bang; "What if it was an emergency?"

"Aren't you already in the middle of an emergency?" Anna pointed out, lying down on her big bed.

"It's called priorities, Sunshine! What's going on?" Tony asked, Anna rolling her eyes.

"You're supposed to watch me tonight," she reminded him, biting her lip.

"I'm not gonna make it home in time, ask Clint," Tony told quickly, very clearly in the middle of something big.

"Clint's on the farm. I can just stay up-"

"Anna, I'm sorry, I have to go, you'll have to find someone else to watch you. You're not staying up," he added loudly before hanging up.

After searching throughout the tower and asking everyone who knew about her powers, Anna had only one option left; Loki.

Unsure where to find him, she headed to his cell. When he wasn't there she actually felt relieved, as the thought of him sitting in his cell all day every day was a tad too depressing for her, but then an entirely different thought hit her; she had searched for someone to watch over her but had not been successful. Tony could not blame her for staying up and lecture her on how she wasn't bothering the people around her if they were simply not available, and with newfound energy, she trotted to the lobby to get her packages.

However, after filling her arms with them, she managed to walk directly into someone after the first corner, her sight being entirely blocked by stacked boxes, most of which was then on the floor.

"Loki," she breathed out, not at all thinking about her stuff on the floor.

"Anna," he replied, equally surprised.

"Wait, fuck," she exclaimed, suddenly realising she had no way out of it now.

"What?" he asked with raised eyebrows; "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just, I was looking for you-"

"You were looking for me?" he interrupted surprised before clearing his throat; "Sorry, go on."

"Well, Tony won't be home in time to watch me tonight so he said I should ask someone, but no one could do it and I couldn't find you," Anna explained; "I just thought I'd get out of it, I hate how I have to ruin someone's night."

"It will not ruin my night," Loki commented; "It is not as if I have plans."

"No, but you'll have to stay up all night," Anna argued; "It's fine if you don't want to, really."

"I do," he told simply; "Unless you mind, that is."

Loki's eye searched Anna's for a sign of her answer.

"Not at all. Thank you," she replied slowly; "I should probably get these things to my room."

"I will help you," Loki quickly offered; "It is soon time for you to retire for the night, as well, is it not?"

"What is in these, if I may ask?" Loki asked curiously, handing her a box.

"Uh, different stuff. I ordered a laptop but then an ad for a book I'd heard about popped up, and you know how it is," she told with a bit of shame, pulling off the tape and opening.

"Books?" Loki quipped, even more curiously.

"Like reading?" Anna questioned with a soft smile as she pulled out three books before discarding the empty box.

"I've found occasional enjoyment in reading," Loki claimed, handing her another box, this one containing the laptop she had ordered.

"Ah, and the book of... Oh, who was it? What did you call him again? Mac!" he remembered.

"I'm starting college. Maybe," Anna explained, smiling at Loki's confusion as she removed the plastic wrapping

"Yes, but why do you need Macs book for that?" Loki continued, opening yet another package from the pile.

"I don't," Anna muttered, only then recognizing Loki's sharp look; "Tony insists I can't lack anything, if I didn't get one, he would have gotten me ten and it'd be a waste."

"Hm. He is a strange human," Loki agreed in a hum; "But if you need Macs book for school, should you not have a copy already?" he asked, watching her open the white box.

"I don't have that many possessions. At least I didn't," she added with a small laugh; "I grew up in the system, you don't get to have more than you can carry in your bag. And something as expensive as a laptop definitely doesn't." 

"What system?" Loki asked curiously.

"Oh, right, I guess it's an earth thing. When kids are abandoned here they get taken to an orphanage, sort of like a home for all the kids who don't have a family where you can stay until a new family picks you."

"You were abandoned?" Loki asked softly. Anna shrugged, looking at the different pockets of a jacket.

"Maybe I was an annoying baby. I stayed at the orphanage while they looked for some sort of family of mine, but eventually, they gave up and I got put up for adoption. By then I was too old for anyone to want me, and instead, I jumped between foster homes," Anna explained factually, no emotion in her voice as she explained the system that had practically raised her.

"Foster homes?"

"It's basically the step between orphanage and adoption. You get to live with them, but only for however long they feel like it. They can adopt you or they can send you back. The thing here is that foster parents get paid monthly," Anna told; "Not enough to cover the cost of actually raising the child, but it's financially speaking much cheaper than getting an au pair or a babysitter, which is why a lot of people do it."

"That is horrible," Loki stated, no longer opening packages.

"It kind of sucks," Anna admitted with a shrug; "Which is why I am lucky Tony decided to take me in. Not everybody gets that lucky."

"Lucky," Loki hummed to himself, not immediately noticing Anna's raised eyebrows.

"I just mean," he began after he noticed; "A good family should be an expectancy, not something considered lucky."

Anna smiled sadly before turning back to the box.

"I am sorry if I upset you, Anna," he quickly apologised, sensing her mood.

"It's fine," Anna assured, not turning to look at her conversational partner.

"I was abandoned, too," Loki then told. Anna slowly turned around to look at Loki.

"Thor's father found me shortly after. Fortunately, as I otherwise would have likely met a less than pleasant demise," he added with a small smile.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Anna stated unsurely.

"It is fine. I have come to terms with it," he assured; "Well, somewhat. Thor's father, Odin, and our mother took me in after finding me."

"Wait, I'm confused. So, Thor's your half brother? You share your mother?" Anna questioned, sitting down on the bed while listening to Loki's story.

"Fortunately, I am not genetically related to the oaf I've claimed as my brother," Loki told; "I have accepted his mother as mine. My actual mother left me to die and had it not been for her kindness that's where I would have had my end."

"Right, but didn't Odin take you in, too?"

"Odin did, however, have ulterior motives, as he always does. I was to be used for... Political leverage, I suppose you could call it," Loki explained with a short breath; "I am the son of Laufey."

Loki patiently waited for Anna's reaction, which never came, only to realise something.

"You do not know who King Laufey is?" he asked surprised.

"I'm from the earth, Loki. I don't know who any of the spacemen are," Anna admitted.

"King Laufey is the ruler of the Frost Giants, a species which are in a less than peaceful relationship with the Asgardians," Loki explained; "As his birth son, I believe Odin thought I could be used in yet another game of his. As yet another pawn, instead of his son."

"Alright," Anna said with a sigh; "You win. Your story is sadder than mine."

"Well, I am pleased," Loki joked; "It hast not all been in vain, then."

"I don't have any school stuff because I wasn't allowed to go to school. My last foster family had a long list of stuff I had to do, so there wasn't really time, nor was it a priority," Anna told honestly.

"But you will be returning to school now?" Loki asked, tilting his head slightly to the side in curiosity.

"Tony tutored me since I got here, now I've passed the test and I've officially finished high school, albeit a little late. Tony wants me to apply to college," Anna told; "What time is it?"

"It has passed ten, I believe," Loki replied with a sigh, looking at the big mess.

"Mh. I should probably get to bed, then," Anna muttered.

"Yes. Do you believe yourself able to find it under the pile of newly acquired items?" Loki questioned.

"Ha, ha, real funny guy, aren't you?" Anna mocked, beginning to remove the pile by creating an even bigger one on the floor.

"I do believe I have my moments," Loki said, the satisfaction in his voice evident.

"If I were you, I'd be a little nicer to the girl who might just have something for you," Anna hummed, finishing emptying the bed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as a thank you, I got you something. I was going to wrap it, but since you'll be staying up again to watch me, I thought you might like it now," Anna explained, moving aside a couple of books to reveal one she'd manage to hide from him while opening them all.

"That is..." Loki stopped midsentence and simply focused on the book in Annas hands.

"It's no big deal. Besides, Tony paid for it, if anything you should thank him," she laughed slightly, handing him the book.

"Who is Snorre Sturlasson?" Loki asked, his pronunciation every bit as perfect as Anna expected.

"He wrote this book, Younger Edda. It's basically a telling of the myths about you. Or, the story, I suppose," she corrected with a small smile; "I don't know how accurate it is, and most of it is on google anyway, but I thought-"

"It is perfect," Loki interrupted softly before clearing his throat; "It is a very kind gift, one I appreciate greatly, I assure you."

"It was no trouble, really. I couldn't find it in old Norse, but I managed to get a copy in Icelandic, which should be pretty close, I guess," Anna informed, putting her hands in the back pockets of her black skinny jeans.

"I speak the all-tongue, there is no mortal language I do not comprehend," Loki informed absentmindedly, turning the book over to look at the back.

"Right, of course." Anna laughed slightly. Loki looked up to face her eyes.

"It is perfect, Anna. Thank you."

"Did you know I birthed a horse?" Loki questioned curiously.

"Good morning to you, too, Loki," Anna yawned, sitting herself up in the bed; "No, I did not."

"No, neither did I," Loki agreed, distractedly flipping a page.

"Have you been reading all night?" Anna questioned curiously, glancing at her phone to see the time; 8 am.

"I have. It turns out, I have had many adventures I did not know about. Of course, as has Thor."

"Yeah? What's your favourite story about Thor from the book?" Anna asked as she got out of the bed, casually stretching her tired body.

"I found the one where he dies particularly satisfactory. I do suppose the stories always are better than what the real world may offer," he added thoughtlessly.

"Said the nordic god who knew magic," Anna narrated, going into her walk-in closet to find an outfit.

"You are much more fun when you are asleep, I will tell you," Loki yelled after her, still focusing his eyes on the text.

"Yeah, you're more fun when I'm asleep, too," Anna said as she returned from her closet in jeans and a casual green sweater; "In the dream I had you were Thor's maid of honour because he was getting married. You both had dresses and all."

"Yes, I noticed. I liked how you made my dress look," Loki informed.

"Wait, you saw things?" Anna questioned, stopping in her tracks.

"Nothing too far out, just the things you were dreaming about," Loki assured her; "Besides, it is my fault for putting that story in your head."

"Why didn't you wake me? That's what you're supposed to do, Loki," Anna stated sharply; "Wait, what do you mean you put the story there?"

"Well, I just thought I would allow you to sleep instead of interrupting your rest to-"

"That's not your decision to make, Loki," Anna interrupted; "You have to wake me when I start making stuff, we don't know anything about my powers! They could be dangerous!"

"Anna, relax, I-"

"Don't tell me to relax!" Anna yelled, taking a step forward. Loki slowly closed the book and placed it on the desk before standing up.

"I apologise," he told slowly; "You are entitled to whatever emotions you may experience. I should have woken you as I have been instructed."

He waited for Anna to stop him before continuing.

"I believe I somewhat... Recognise, your powers," he explained slowly; "The things you create as you sleep are not real, they are merely illusions. I ensured they did not leave your room so anyone but I would see them."

Anna took a deep breath. "They could still be dangerous to you, we don't know anything. I can only access the powers when I sleep, there's no way to test the extent of them or the harm they may do."

"I assure you, they will do me no harm," Loki promised, Anna suddenly realising something.

"What do you mean you put them in my head?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said you put the story in my head, remember?" she recalled; "What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, I just meant that I was reading the tale of that, which is, might I add, entirely fabricated, and unconsciously forwarded them to you. I was unaware how receivent you was of such things, I assure you." Loki looked entirely calm in what he was saying, perhaps even trustworthy, but Anna didn't trust her powers at all, no matter how calm Loki seemed about them.

"What do you mean? I, what, I took your thoughts?" Anna questioned unsurely.

"No, of course not," Loki assured, taking a step closer to her; "No, you just noticed. I did not shield my thoughts in the slightest, I might have even transmitted them a bit unknowingly. In other words, I met you halfway, you did not violate my privacy or anything of the sort."

"You're saying I read your mind?" Anna realised; "That I, in my mind, heard your mind?"

"It is entirely to be blamed on me, Anna. I was so caught up in the book and usually one does not have to worry about shielding one's mind when on Midgaard, your ability once again caught me off guard. Had we been on Asgaard this never would have happened, there I would remember to shield my mind," Loki rambled, taking a step closer to Anna.

"But we're not on Asgaard, and I've never been on Asgaard," Anna thought out loud.

"You - oh," Loki said quietly.

"What?" Anna asked sharply; "Tell me."

"I do not know how to inform you of this," he admitted; "I was sure you knew, if nothing else from Thor."

"Spit it out, Odinson," Anna warned.

"You are not foreign to Asgaard," Loki stated slowly.

"What does that mean?"

"Well," Loki began before taking a deep breath; "You may not be Asgaardian, but your magic is that of an Asgaardian."

"What magic?" Anna questioned, folding her arms over her chest; "I don't have magic."

"Your ability to heal, to illusionize, to speak with your mind, what did you consider those to be?" Loki questioned confused.

"Uh, I don't know, I didn't even know I could do half those things before you just told me!" Anna complained loudly; "How is that possible, how can my magic be Asgaardian?"

"Many ways. You may have an ancestor somehow related to Asgaard, perhaps an offspring was created without the knowledge of the Asgaardian court and left on Midgaard to be raised many years ago, you could very well be the great great grandchild of such a being," Loki theorised; "Perhaps you have been struck by some sort of energy unknowingly left on Midgaard by an Asgaardian."

"I'm part Asgardian?" Anna repeated slowly, sitting down on her bed.

"You may be, I cannot know. All I can say is that your abilities are far from foreign to me, I recognize them by heart, I have grown up around such abilities my entire life," Loki explained, not daring to sit down on the lady's bed.

"That does not explain, of course-" Loki mused thoughtfully to himself, interrupted by Anna suddenly waking up from the trance she'd been in.

"I have to go see Tony," she told Loki, rubbing her head tiredly before leaving the room.

"Yes, you go see Tony," Loki agreed mumbling, looking down at his outstretched palms in thought.

"Hey, Sunshine, what are you doing down here?" Tony asked happily as Anna entered the lab, carefully closing the door behind her.

"Hey, Tony," she replied dryly, walking over to him.

"What's wrong? You found someone to watch you last night, didn't you?" Tony checked, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

"What? Oh, yeah, I did. Listen, Tony, I was thinking," Anna told, glancing around the room; "My parents..."

"Your parents?" Tony encouraged, pulling over a second office chair for her.

"Yeah. They're... Well, I don't know," she said with a deep sigh.

"I know, Sunshine. They looked for them but didn't find anything. You don't know who they are," he summed up. Some people would have considered that insensitive, but Anna knew it was the opposite; He was saving her from having to say the words. She slowly looked up.

"No, they couldn't find them. But I thought," she began, swallowing the lump that had stuck itself in her throat; "I thought maybe you could."

"Me?" Tony asked surprised. Anna shrugged.

"I mean, yeah. Nobody else could find anything, but nobody else is... You know, you," she explained. Tony looked at her carefully, his eyes running over her face.

"I'll try, Sunshine. I can't make any promises," he finally agreed; "Besides, the people who looked earlier had access to a lot of official records and files that I don't have. My toys are more fun, but they're basically in kids mode when it comes to the governments."

"I thought you just hacked all the records?" Anna questioned. Tony sighed deeply.

"Yeaahh, I did, but they're talking about figuring out ways to keep superheroes under control, so Fury's got me under a careful eye. I guess the government is worried the superheroes will save one too many babies or something," he said with an eye roll; "Or, save the wrong baby. Like, they want the baby dead for political reasons. And in swoop I, only trying to do what's right, not at all thinking about the glory or how I'm going to get a really good chance at hitting on the single mom."

"Tony, ew," Anna complained, a disgusted look on her face.

"I'll see what I can do about your parents, Sunshine," he assured her; "In the meantime, I'm glad you're here. There's someone coming over to the tower in a few hours, I want you to be here to meet him. Understood?"

"Who's coming over?" Anna questioned, leaning back in her chair.

"I need a blood sample," Tony told, already distracted by his new task; "Is there any way I can convince you to let me put a q-tip in your eye?"

"In my what?"

"It's for science, and it's only a little!" Tony promised; "I'm trying to find a new way to measure the-"

"Tony! You can't stab me in the eye with a q-tip!" Anna decided, standing up to leave.

"I wasn't gonna stab you with it, just a light dab!" Tony tried yelling after her; "It's for science!"