"Good morning. It is six-thirty AM..."
The blonde in my brother's bedroom stirred slowly as Jarvis kept talking, giving the whole 'what's happening in the world' speech. I eyed the feed from the security camera, eyes narrowed while I scowled deeply at her. Tony himself was out like a light (not typical, but I couldn't blame him), so she, Christine Everhart of Vanity Fair, gently pulled on Tony's shirt from the night before – teeth grater, that – and looked out sleepily on the ocean view outside. Well. Time for my personal warm welcome to a day in the life at the fancy Stark mansion in Malibu, California.
The name's Andy Stark. If you're really that interested, my whole name is Andrea Jacqueline Stark, but Andy's perfectly cool by me. Yes, the greatly famous and somewhat infamous Tony Stark is my brother. Older brother, actually, by five years. But I, unlike him, have a better morality than he does. I mean, honestly, he has to come home with a new woman at least twice a week, while I gladly lock myself in my room and enjoy my own personal brand of fun. Of course, on this lovely morning, I'm downstairs in Tony's garage, ready to work on my custom bike, but getting fairly annoyed by the houseguest. So what do you think I do? I power up a music playlist, and put on 'Rock and Roll Band' by Boston. Full volume. Yes, that would wake her up nicely....
The intercom twittered faintly, but I still managed to push my wheeled chair over and press the button. It had to be Pepper, Tony's assistant. She pretty much keeps his life in order, something I'm totally grateful to her for.
"Morning, Pepper!" I called over the music, and I could imagine Pepper grimacing as my music stormed through the channel.
"Andy, I think we get the message...now can you turn it down? The floor's starting to shake," she asked, and I sighed heavily. Damn. So much for my fun of the morning. But then I remembered one of Pepper's usual morning tasks: taking out the trash. I smirked and went to turn off my music, in a slightly better mood before bounding easily through the door up to the house and up the stairs.
Little Miss Everhart was already speaking to Pepper, taking her dry cleaning and still wearing Tony's shirt. I waited patiently in the doorway until I heard Pepper deliver one of my most favorite things to hear from her: "I do anything and everything Mister Stark requires. Including taking out the trash."
"Morning, Pepper, today is a lovely day," I greeted once she said that wonderful, subtle slam. Everhart's gaze immediately latched onto me, and I could see the surprise etched on her retinas as she figured out who I was. I guess it's because me and Tony dress totally different from each other: even when he's wearing jeans, he always manages to at least look professional, while I reject almost every form of feminine dress and modern fashion. Today, my outfit of choice included old, nearly destroyed jeans, a baggy-but-comfortable black AC/DC t-shirt, and my very favorite Doc Martens steel-toe boots. Compared to Pepper, in a clean skirt suit and blouse, I looked like something a cat had dragged in. Probably.
"Your taste in music is very...loud," Everhart commented bracingly, while I coolly walked into the kitchen to get some coffee and dunking in a fair amount of chocolate-flavored creamer. Of course, I managed to quirk a brow and decided to get eloquent.
"Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair, I assume," I replied. She raised her brows and nodded very slightly before I continued, "Your taste in writing ranks far below mine. If you really want to know, I've burned almost all of your articles since 2001, and, thanks to you, entirely halted my subscription."
She didn't like that. I could tell by the very tight smile she managed to screw onto her face. Oh, she knew who I was by now, and I smirked proudly as I took a slurp of my coffee.
"You must be the annoying little sister I've heard so much about."
Annoying?! Annoying?! Me?! Now just hang on! The only person who knows I even exist is Tony! Well, and Pepper, but by the startled look on her face she'd been thrown by that too. Ooh, this chick was so getting it.... I set my mug aside and crossed my arms, frosting her with my best glare.
"Then maybe you oughta take my brother's shirt off your ungrateful, snobbish shoulders, put your own little tramp's clothes on, and get the hell out," I suggested coldly, and I knew I'd pissed her off by the way she tightened her grip on the dry-cleaned suit. I saw Pepper sag with minor relief; I guess she'd been almost desperate for help to 'take out the trash' this time around. Everhart tried to return my gaze with a glare of her own, but she failed. Miserably.
"Then I'll change."
Andy, one; Everhart, none! She flounced off, and I shot Pepper a broad grin before picking up my mug again and settling at the table with my usual breakfast-flavored Hot Pocket. Mercifully, Everhart left with a very solid closing of the door, and Pepper ventured up the stairs after eating her breakfast of scrambled eggs and French toast. I was reading over the comics section when Pepper came back, shaking her head.
"Not getting up, is he?"
"Apparently, he had a little...too much fun last night," Pepper sighed, and I rolled my eyes before pushing away from the table and hiking up the stairs. Sometimes, my own brother really, truly disgusts me. But it'd been my choice to move in, so I might as well do my part in the house. Like waking said brother up.
His room was next door to mine – the first door without caution tape criss-crossing it – and, without so much as a pause, I hefted my fist and hammered on the door.
"TONY, WAKE THE HELL UP!" I shouted through the door, and I knew that had woken him up by the thud I heard on the other side. I just decided to come through on the annoying part and added, "I don't care if you're naked!"
I heard him shuffle around in his room – and I swore I heard him grumble "She took my shirt" – before he shuffled for the door and opened it. Unlike his usual appearance, Tony looked half-awake, hair a mess, and eyes bleary. Not to mention he was wearing his bedsheets. Har har, Tony. I love you anyway.
"Morning!" I informed him brightly and pecking him on the cheek as he woke up a bit more. "Coffee's still hot, the garage is ready, and the trash has been effectively burned."
"Great, Andy," he mumbled before reversing slightly and closing his door to change. I sighed and hiked into my room to grab my toolkit before heading back for the garage, getting right to work on my bike. Tony appeared not long later, and he put on his music playlist (handy that both of us like rock) before he started on his hotrod.
Now, we were left alone for a few hours, working in relative silence, me at the ready with my iPod, Tony sometimes talking to Jarvis, the house's AI. But then Pepper came downstairs, tapped in her code, and the music died almost right away. I wired up on the instant, although I knew Tony and Pepper were more than likely – as usual – discussing upcoming things while Tony tried to flirt with her. Sigh. At least I could live with Tony marrying Pepper. They've been boss-and-employee for a few years now, as far as I can remember.
But then…I saw a jab of Tony's thumb towards me. Oh, great. I slipped off an earbud so I could keep half-listening to the All-American Rejects and glancing at them in minor confusion.
"Sorry, I missed that…?"
Pepper gave Tony a long look and chided firmly, "They're expecting you and only you, Mister Stark." Thank you, Pepper, for trying to save me from whatever evil fate Tony has in store for me….
"Well, they get a bonus," Tony argued. I sighed and turned off my iPod and crossed my arms.
"Will somebody explain?!"
It was Pepper who explained. In very short, me-style terms, this was a demo of new rockets for the company. In Afghanistan. And you can imagine that, in my head, at least, I was freaking out. It sort of helped that I verbally freaked out, too.
"No way am I goin' out into a war zone!"
"You never get to see the world, Andy," Tony pointed out. "Just this one time, out and back."
"Y'know, this's why I can just jump a satellite and get the bird's-eye-view…"
"And that's why you get to see it at ground level," Tony answered, and a smirk cracked his face. Uh oh. I hated that smirk. It usually meant I'd end up capitulating. "Besides. Who's going to keep me out of trouble?"
Oh, the bastard. I at least made a show of trying to come up with another excuse, but the thing was I had no other excuse. If there's one thing I end up doing, it's keeping my crazy older brother under control and from going outright insane with everything he gets up to.
"Point," I sighed in defeat, getting to my feet and pocketing my iPod as "Real World" came on with the power. "I'll go pack, and you better not leave without me!"
"Wouldn't dream of it!" Tony called after me while I hiked up two flights of stairs to get to my room. Now, to pack for a trip to a searing hot desert, which was also a potential war zone.
Just for background noise, I jacked into the secret cam system I'd installed – part of a big project I was working on finally maturing – and opened up the cam in the garage, cranking up the audio. Just to make sure Tony didn't get too fresh with Pepper while I was gone.
And it was really no surprise that the feed kicked in right as Tony commented to Pepper, "I'd think you want me gone."
I had to stifle a groan. Great; in came his usual flirtation scheme.
"I have plans," Pepper replied, while a faint reddish tinge appeared on her cheeks. I rolled my eyes and stuffed a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt, and my battered black Converses into a duffel bag. Sometimes, I just wished Tony would ask her out. Like, honestly, he needs someone like her in his life a little more permanently. And minus paycheck.
"I don't like it when you have plans," Tony replied plaintively as Pepper flicked open a folder with a piece of paper for him to sign. I paused in my door, glaring at the computer screen as Pepper straightened; that was her way of bristling slightly.
"I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday."
If you'd believe it, my jerk of a brother tried to cover for himself. He'd forgotten his assistant's birthday. The idiot. I shook my head as I headed out of my room to raid Pepper's closet for something nice to wear for the demonstration, muttering, "Tony, stop the flirting..."
I finished packing and slung my bag over my shoulder, marching back downstairs. Tony was still trying to flirt with Pepper, so I got onto my bike without their notice and twisted the keys into the ignition, causing the engine to roar to life.
"Men!" I yelled over the rumbling before kicking the bike into gear and riding up the ramp. I started laying on speed once I was outside, racing Tony's driver all the way to the airport. I so arrived first, but Tony wasn't too far behind in his classy Audi R8. While Tony and Happy got set to board the private jet, I was already up the stairs, and was soon met by a disgruntled-looking Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes. He was probably annoyed over Tony's habitual lateness, as usual, so the jaunty salute I tossed him probably didn't improve his mood.
"Colonel Rhodes, good morning," I greeted him as I stepped around him and onto the plane. I ignored all the scantily-clad stewardesses as I headed for a bedroom – not surprising – and settled in for the ride.
I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to my brother to make him a drinking, womanizing jerk. There was a time he wasn't like that. Wasn't like that at all. I missed that version of Tony. But I had to make do with this one. Even if I didn't have to like it.