Chapter Text
The Avengers were just entering the common room of their section of the tower when they noticed the child standing there. They had stark white hair and were wearing what looked to be pajamas with incredibly loose long sleeves.
“Hey, hey, hey! Why is there a child in here?” Tony was the first to speak.
“I’m really sorry for breaking in, honest! But I know they’d never let me up here if I just asked, so…” Whatever Tony was about to say next was cut off by Loki.
“Star child.”
“How do you know that?” they sounded incredibly nervous.
“I have been to the demon realm, as I believe you call it, before. And star children have a rather distinct magical signature.” the kid still seemed wary but did relax slightly. “What is your name?”
“I’m the Collector, they/them, and yes I know that’s not a name but no one ever gave me one so it’ll have to do.” Loki swore under his breath.
“And how old are you?”
“I don’t really know? I was trapped in this mirror prison thing for like hundreds of years and I existed for a while before that but I don’t really know how long.”
“If you’re so old then why do you look like a kid?” Clint asked, an unspoken and why do you act like one just barely bitten back.
“I don’t know about physically but it might be tied to how one of my friends, the one from the human realm, which is where we are right now, said something about me having the eternal mental state of a child? I don’t really know though…”
“That is quite alright,” Loki assured. “Though I am loathe to agree with anything Tony says, I admit I am also curious as to why you broke into our common area.”
“I was hoping you’d let me help? Like I know I probably won’t become like an actual Avenger and my friend from here says that there are things called child labor laws and stuff…anyway, yeah.”
“And why do you want to do that?” Loki questioned, grateful that Tony wasn’t butting in.
“Well I’d prefer to be helping back in the demon realm but I did some really really bad stuff there without understanding that what I was doing was wrong and so I’d like to be helping them but almost everyone there understandably hates me so my friend from here said that I could try and find a way to help here and she said I might as well go big and ask you guys if I could help.” the Collector said in one big rush.
“If I may ask, what did you do? Do not worry, I have done rather…bad things myself.”
“You were being mind-controlled!” someone said from behind him, but Loki continued to focus on the small star child.
“Well like I said I was trapped in a mirror thing for a long time and for a lot of it I was alone but then the butthead Belos came along! And then I got out and I…I basically destroyed a good chunk of the Boiling Isles over a period that was pretty small for how much damage I did and Belos kept manipulating me and obviously I didn’t know it at the time but one of my other friends-not friend at the time, friend now-told me that he was really hurt by Belos too and that I shouldn’t feel as bad about that part, and by now-friends taught me that about what death was and how what I was doing was wrong and so now I know that what I called games really hurt other people and stuff like that. And I did help around the Boling Isles for a bit but my friends said that I didn’t need to stay somewhere that everyone hated me and now I’m here.” the Collector said, once again in one big rush.
“You didn’t know what death was?” Tony asked incredulously. Loki elbowed him lightly in the side.
“Star children are basically immortal, nitwit. And therefore if no one bothered to teach them there is no way for them to have known.”
“Alright, alright. Beyond that, what powers do they have?” Loki sighed, but answered.
“Many. Star children have been described as god-like beings. I can tell you later.” ( https://theowlhouse.fandom.com/wiki/The_Collector#Powers_and_abilities ) (the Collectors power list for reference if you’re interested.)
“And that’s coming from you?”
“No idiot, I just told you that others have described them that way. Though I would not be surprised if they could beat my brother in a fight with little effort.” that got Tony to look at the Collector, a new wariness on his face, an action the other Avengers copied. “Relax. They just told us they want to help, likely in part to try and redeem themself in their eyes.”
“I’m still here, you know! …but you aren’t exactly wrong.”
“Collector, I say redeem in your eyes because I do not see you as needing much redemption at all. You weren’t aware of the consequences of your actions, and now that you are you regret them deeply.” the Collector teared up slightly but before any more words could be exchanged, an alarm blared through the tower.
“Shit, an attack? Ok, we can deal with them later, we need to get going!” Loki answered the Collector's question before it could even be voiced.
“You can come, just stay on the sidelines so people don’t think we’re making children fight for us.” The Collector nodded, a determined look on their face.
– - –
The Collector did as they were told, standing to the side as the adults fought something that reminded them of abominations, except metal. But they didn’t have time to continue that line of thought as some sort of large projectile was launched toward a nearby building. The Collector barely had time to think before thrusting an arm out and stopping it in its path. They looked for somewhere to put it down but couldn’t find any free space.
– - –
By the end of the fight, the Collector had five large projectiles floating in the air above them. Unsure of what else to do, they walked over and cleared their throat next to the black-haired man who’d been questioning them earlier.
“What?” he snapped, clearly irritable. The Collector didn’t blame him.
“I was wondering what to do with these?” they asked, gesturing their free hand towards the floating projectiles. Their occupied hand, of course, being in the air. They’d always found it easier to use their… telekinesis, Luz had called it, by using physical gestures. “I couldn’t find anywhere to put them down without breaking something.”
“Ah. I will get Tony.”
– - –
Tony’s first reaction was to gape at how this child was easily holding up massive projectiles without so much as breaking a sweat. Then he called Strange.
– - –
The Collector watched in interest as a man stepped out of a round, glowing portal.
“Yes, I do see how this could be a problem. Ok, Collector, was it?” They nodded. “I’m going to create a portal under those things you’re holding, and when I say so you’ll drop them in the portal.”
“I can do that.”
“Now!”