I shoved popcorn in my mouth and tried to explain the situation at the same time. "sss' nah ealy afff prhhhhfllllm." I stated around the popcorn. Sue me, I was starving.
"Hun?" Tony started jokingly "Didn't your parents teach you not to speak with food in your mouth?"
I chocked a bit on the popcorn and his face changed to concern. He doesn't know a single thing about my parents, I reminded myself. "I said, it's not really a problem."
"You got stabbed, and it's not a problem?" Bruce said incredulously, sending mini bits of popcorn flying out of his mouth. Charming.
"Well yeah, they were after Stark but it wasn't planned."
"Again, how is that not a problem?" Bruce repeated, wiping at his mouth a little.
"Czzz tt wssss un-"
"Matty-" Frankie warned and I swallowed my popcorn.
"It was an opportune moment."
"How do you know that?" Clint pointed out, body language screaming that he still didn't trust me.
"They were in a hurry." I said immediately. Natasha and Clint shared a glance. "If they planned it out they would have done it in a place where an unfortunate person-" I gestured wildly to myself "-me, could stumble upon them."
"Valid point." Natasha said semi-impressed with her arms crossed. Still a tough crowd.
"They also wouldn't send their lowest thugs on the food chain after Tony. The Pride is too smart for that." I paused tapping my chin in mock thought, "Oh! And one more thing, they could not, would not, send someone who was terrified of combat after 'The Great Tony Stark'." I finished with a flourish, spinning on the bar chair. I had a big smile on my face and my hands were high -not that my shortness helped- in the air.
Tony smiled proudly while the two assassins kept their faces blank. Maybe if I juggled fire breathing bowling balls and electric knives, then the two of them would be impressed, I thought darkly. I glanced down at my shirt and picked at the edges of the blood covered rip. I sighed, this was really my favorite shirt.
"Hey." Frankie snapped his fingers in my face trying to catch my attention. "I know it was your favorite, but it's your fault, you ruined it by doing something stupid." I heard an indignant yell in the background. Tony.
"It wasn't stupid, he's more important than me." I countered.
"Why would you say that?" His posture grew rigid.
"Because it's true, through and through." Anger flashed in his eyes at my answer, while I was semi-proud of my on-the-spot rhyme.
"Ryder, people love you, would miss you. People care about you just as much as him." He said gesturing toward Tony. Tony had no comment, thankfully.
"Person." I whispered.
"Ryder-" He knew he was losing the argument, I could tell by the look in his eyes. The only other person that ever cared for me was my mother and father, but they were both too far gone to care.
"I'm going home." I said successfully cutting him off. I needed to go home and change, take a shower, and get a good nights sleep. Making it to the bar entrance in a few strides, I slammed the heavy wooden door open with the palms of my hands. Bright sunlight invaded my eyes for a moment. It only took a few seconds before my eye sight cleared and I took a right as the door slammed behind me. I walked in quick short steps and weaved in and out of the crowd of people.
About a minute later I felt a hand on my shoulder. Someone was asking for a verbal lashing. I turned, mouth open, and stopped myself short "Bruce! Don't you know that you shouldn't interrupt an emotional woman?"
His brows knitted together in amusement. "That was quite the dramatic exit." I laughed in reply. "I had a horrible father too, ya know?"
"Frankie's not-" I was horrified, no one should have that impression of Frank.
"-you father? I know, he's not who I'm talking about." I started walking again and he followed.
"Takes one to know one, huh?" I said as our shoulders brushed. The sidewalk was unusually crowded, but I smiled glad for small comforts.
"Sadly." He nodded in regret.
"Hey, how could you tell-"
"-that Frank's not your dad? You look nothing alike." He shook his head. I was a bit miffed that the answer was that simple, the answer was never that simple. "All you two have in common is your personalities." I didn't know whether to be offended at the comment or not, so I pushed it aside to mull over later.
"First of all you need to stop finishing my sentences. It's creepy. Second of all-" I stopped short, hearing a hissing noise. "Isn't there a festival going on?"
"Yeah some fall festival or something like that, what's the second thing?" I didn't answer him and kept on walking trying to figure out what building the noise was coming from.
"Bruce." I said with a low and steady voice. He almost stopped walking at my change in voice but he decided to match my pace. Glad he was keeping up with the looking normal vibe I continued "We need to get everybody out of this area."
"Wait, what?" Bruce grabbed my shoulder forcing me to stop.
I almost growled at him. "We. Need. To. Clear. The. Area." I spit out.
"I heard that. I meant why." My eyes shifted to a building to our right and he followed my gaze. "It's dangerous. That building, it's going to go up in flames."
"How do you-"
"-know?" I questioned. "Just trust me, I know." I was getting anxious, one flip of a switch or possibly the tap of a button, and the building would be up in flames.
Bruce's left eye twitched and he tapped his foot nervously. "Alright." He finally sighed agreeing. He went to leave but turned around "Is there anyone inside?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose "Yes" He looked at me his left eye still twitching, it would almost be comical if I didn't know what it meant. "I'll get them, okay?" I said. He didn't reply "Okay?" I said more forcefully.
"Okay" he replied quietly his eyes flashing. We both knew that he and fire would never mix. He turned to leave again but stopped him this time by grabbing his wrist "Get as many people as you can out then get yourself out of the way." He looked like he was about to protest but I spoke before he could. "Bruce." I looked pointedly at his tapping foot and he nodded, agreeing to get out of the way. He turned with one last glance and disappeared in the mid-day crowd.
I looked for the clearest exit before opening up my big mouth "OH MY GOD! IT'S TONY STARK!" My hands gestured sporadically down a relatively clear street. But only few people turned their heads and fewer left for the street. I shrugged to myself, I guess Tony wasn't that big of a deal anymore.
Bruce's call followed shortly after making me chuckle. "NO, THAT'S THOR!" His deeper voice called out "HE'S SUCH A BABE!" More people turned their heads just to get a look at the non-existent muscular god-but-not-god, Note to self: People prefer Thor over Tony. People started to walk in the direction of the road, but it wasn't enough.
"HEY, NO! YOUR WRONG THAT'S CAP-"
I was cut off by the pop and tinkling of glass as it shattered. I stumbled a bit at the sudden rush of air. It took only a few seconds and the calm-ish walking of people turned to a panicked rush as they ran from the sudden burst of flames. I turned and look at the building surprised, it went off early, I was expecting another five minutes. As the crowds disappeared Bruce's surprised, almost green, eyes met mine for a moment and I ran for the smoking building.
The last thing I saw before I entered the building was Bruce fighting against the screaming people to reach me, to stop me. Deep down, I hoped, he knew logically he would never reach me. I had enough time to hope I looked heroic running into the building. I hoped I looked way more calm than the people outside, than even Bruce -who, I swear, radiated calm. I fought the natural instinct to run with my tail between my legs, both metaphorically and literally.
I shifted into a dog and ran up the stairs toward the source of the flames.
AN
I'm baaaaack!
Tsk. Tsk.
You guys are getting lazy (Not that I'm not- I could be the queen).
There's four buttons below.
I like two of them in particular.
I NEED TO KNOW IF I'M HORRIBLY FAILING!
Maybe I'll give a Christmas gift if you do...
BYE!
