THREE MONTHSLATER

"Angie, wake up," Pepper exclaimed, shaking me.

"Wha-What's going on?" I asked sleepily.

"They found him. He's coming home," she beamed.

Tony….My eyes widened. "What are we waiting for?" I smiled, jumping out my bed.

~:~

AIRPORT

I sat in the limo, my foot tapping the floor in anticipation. Pepper put her hand on my knee.

"Calm down, Angie. He's alive."

"But how much is still him?" Before she could reply, the plane's engines cut her off as it flew overhead. The plane landed and the back opened up. As I got out of the car, I saw him. Same old, stupid him.

His eyes met mine. "Angie…." he croaked, tears brimming his eyes.

I ran to him and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't mean…."

"Shhh….I know, I know," he said, placing a kiss on my forehead. After we released our grasp, I slapped him. "Oww! What was that for?"

"That's for scaring the crap out of me." Tears started to build up again. "I thought I'd lost you."

He pulled me in another hug. "I know, I'm sorry." He kissed the top of my head. "I'm so glad to be home."

"Me too," I replied, smiling to myself.

He let go of me again and turned to Pepper. "Your eyes are red. Tears for your long, lost boss?"

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." I laughed in reply.

"Yeah, well, vacation's over," he snarked. He flung his arm around my shoulder. "Come on, squirt. Let's go."

After we got in the limo, Pepper and Tony started to argue about going to the hospital.

"I have been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do: I want an American cheeseburger and the other-" he said.

"That's enough of that," she replied.

"-is not what you think. I want you to call a press conference. Hogan, drive!"

"A press conference, what-," Pepper questioned.

"Cheeseburger first." Tony nodded to Happy to drive.

Pepper looked at me, pleading for help. I shrugged my shoulders, shaking my head. There's no stopping him. Especially not right now.

~:~

STARK INDUSTRIES

As we exited the car, we were greeted by a round of applause. Stane walked up to Tony arms open wide and hugs him. He gave me a weird look as he looked over Tony's shoulder. That's odd…. A wave of nausea hit me as I passed him.

-Two robotic suits fought over a warehouse. Suddenly the red suit was hit and dangled from the beams-
- "How ironic, Tony! Trying to free the world of weapons, you gave it the best one ever!"-

I gasped. What are you up to, Stane?

We walked through the doors and towards the press conference. Pepper and I stood by to watch as Tony and Stane walked towards the podium.

"Ms. Potts, Ms. Jarvis," said a man. "Can I speak with you a moment?"

"We're not a part of the press conference," Pepper replied, shaking her head. "But it is about to begin."

"I'm not a reporter. I'm Agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division." He hand her a card.

"That's quite a mouthful," Pepper quipped.

The agent gave her a smile. "I know. We're working on it."

"You know we have already been approached by the DOD, FBI, CIA-"

"We're a separate division with a more….specific focus," he replied. "We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of his escape."

She nodded in reply. "I'll put something in the book. Shall I?"

"Thank you," Agent Coulson said, bidding us farewell. Before I could speak to the agent, Obadiah began the press conference. I tuned to his mind, as I listened. Come on Stane, what do you know?

Tony motioned for everyone to sit down, so he and they could see him. Even though there are NO chairs.

"I never got to say goodbye to my father. And the same almost happened to my niece. There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of man we remember from the newsreels."

"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become a part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability."

A scrawny reporter raised his hand. "What happened over there, Mr. Stark?" Tony looked at me, then back to the reporter.

"I had my eyes opened. I can to realize that I had more to offer to this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries."

The crowd erupted with flashes of cameras. Obadiah went to the podium trying to calm them. My hand went to my head. The voices! Gah- shut them out! I tried to tune to Stane's mind again, but the voices clouded the link.

Pepper put her hand on my shoulder, giving me a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah….I gonna go get some air." She gave me a small nod in reply. I turned and walked away, rubbing my temples. Every time…. I turned down the hall and saw the agent from before the conference. I walked up to him. "Agent Coulson, was it?" I held out my hand.

"Yes, miss," he answered shaking my hand. "How can I help you?"

"Call me Angie." I glanced at Obadiah, then back at the agent. "Keep a watch on Stane. I have this really weird feeling that he has something to do with my uncle's disappearance."

"From what my sources tell me, you really don't like him." He raised a brow, questioningly. "Are you sure it's not out of hatred?"

Why do people always…."I'm sure, Agent Coulson. Usually, my gut is right." I gave him a pleading look. "Can you at least watch out for him?"

"We'll look into it," he replied, nodding. "You have a nice day, Angie."

"You too."

~:~

"Stark Industries! I've got one recommendation! Sell, sell, sell! Abandon ship! Does the Hindenburg ring any bells? Let me show you the new Stark Industries business plan! Look, that's a weapons company that doesn't make weapons!"

I rolled my eyes at the news reports. Suddenly, Tony came over the tablet comm.

"Pepper, Angie, how big are y'alls hands?" We gave each other a look and Pepper turned back to him.

"I don't understand, why?"

"Just get down here." Click.

She turned to me and raised her brows. I held my hands up.

"Don't look at me…"

~:~

"Don't ever, EVER, make me do anything like that again," Pepper threatened.

"I don't have anyone but you two," he smiled.

I shook my head. "So what do want to do with the old one?" I held up the reactor.

"Destroy it. Incinitrate it," Tony said.

Pepper asked, "You don't want to keep it?"

Looking at us, he said, "I've been called many things. Nostalgic is not one of them."

"Alrighty then. I'll go do that," I said as I walked towards the door. My phone buzzed.

I know you're busy right now, but we have a situation.-Logan

I put my phone back in my pocket. "I gotta go."

"But you just got here," pleaded Tony.

I saw the look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Uncle Tony. I have to. There's an emergency. Plus, I've already been away from the school too long. They've been generous enough to give me this long."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's probably because your boyfriend covered for you."

"He's not my-" I groaned. "Look, I'll be back. I just have to take care of some things, kapeesh?"

"Okay, fine. Go bore kids to death over catching up with your old decrepit uncle," He said dramatically.

"Seriously, you're just as bad as those kids, " I groaned. "Bye, Tony." As I walked up the stairs, I pulled out my phone and called the school.

"Xavier's School."

"Hey, it's Angie."

"Finally, the mighty Oculus calls," Logan said.

I rolled my eyes. "What's the situation? This better not be you trying to get out of babysitting again."

"Hey! The first time I babysat, the school got attacked. I'm not doing that again, " he exclaimed. "And, no, that is not the situation. We got a new kid and he's pretty beat up. He won't let anyone touch him. We had to sedate him to get him here."

"What's he got?"

"He can control light or photons or some kind of science stuff Hank will have to explain. I guess you'll figure it out when you get here. "

"Alrighty, then," I replied. "I'm getting ready to leave. So, I be there late tonight or in the morning. Tell them to keep him sedated till I get there."

"You got it. See ya when you get here."

"You too. Bye." I clicked the call off and headed to my room . After I grabbed my stuff, I headed towards the living room. Pepper handed me a bag full of snacks and drinks.

"Here's this for the road. Stay safe."

I smiled. "I'll try to. And, I'll be back soon. Just call me if something comes up before then."

"I will." After we hugged each other goodbye, I went to the garage and left.

~:~

XAVIER'S SCHOOL

After I had settled in, I rushed back to the Professor's office. There I met with Hank and a few others who helped bring the young mutant in.

"If he can control light, why couldn't Scott or Alex or anyone like him subdue him? "

"That is what we're trying to figure out. But as Logan told you, he lashes out ," the Professor replied. "We hope you will be able to calm him. "

"I don't know, Charles. Both you and Jean are stronger than me." I sighed. "Why me? I still can't control my powers."

"Every kid who comes in this school loves you, Angie," Jean said. "What's different with this one?"

~:~

Once we got to the lab, Hank and Jean slowly took the mutant off sedation. They left me with him, and I waited as he started to wake up. His eyes began to blink open, and started to struggle against the bed.

"Hey, buddy. It's okay, no one's here to hurt you." He kept struggling and I placed my hand on his arm. "I can't let you out, if you don't calm down, Buddy. " He jumped in shock.

[Spanish]

"You're in my head! Get out!"

"Wait…" I muttered. "You speak Spanish?" He nodded in reply. No wonder why he…. "Sorry for scaring you. No one meant to; we're just here to help."

"W-Where am I?" the mutant asked.

"You're at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.'"

He narrowed his eyes. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because of I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be in here alone. Now, will you let me take these restraints off and try to have a civil conversation with me? " He nodded in reply and I undid the restraints. "Now that those are off..." I held out my hand. "I'm Angie. What's your name? " He hesitantly took my hand and shook it.

"Marcos....Marcos Dias."

~:~

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. Life's just tough I guess.

P.S.- For all the Spanish speakers, I apologize for the way I am writing Marcos' dialogue. I attempted to translate, but for many reasons I stuck with putting it in bold. (All 2-1/2 years of Spanish has definitely been wasted.)

See y'all next time!