Marvel Avenger's Academy
Part 10
It was a week later; the students had accumulated enough money to upgrade both the dorms and Stark Tower. It pushed them to their task limits and their lessons. Natasha was currently looking over some more on the Time Fog.
She was in the Timeless Archives, sighing in frustration as she slammed a book shut
"God...DAMN IT! Nothing!" She groaned
"Hey! Natasha!" Tony yelled, running towards her
"What?" Natasha snapped "Haven't you done enough concerning last week?"
"I have good news! I've learnt about the Time Fog!" He called
"Ah-! What? YOU'VE learned something about it? What is it?" Natasha ordered
"Well, I need to explain this." Tony started
*flashback*
Tony hummed as he worked during his lesson with Professor Pym
"Ah, THERE! Ha-Ha! The equation of Electro-Dynamics...There we go." Pym spoke excitedly as he worked on a new experimental equation.
"Thanks." He nodded with a smile before Fury walked over
"Pym, I need a word with you. Stark." Fury acknowledged Tony's existence but gestured him to leave.
"This about the Time Fog? I've told you, I can't do much more than I have. I'm stuck." Pym sighed
"Then have you considered alternate possibilities on how to get rid of it?" Fury asked
"Maybe I can help?" Tony asked
"What do you know about the Time Fog Stark?" Fury asked
"I've read up on Temporal Anomalies from Krueger's Theorem and atmospheric descriptions, based on the principals." Tony answered "Plus I noticed the stuff from Loki's window. Kind of hard to miss."
"What SORT of things from Loki's window?" Fury asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The purple mist." He deadpanned
"Don't play smart with me Stark. Well, what DO you know about the Fog?" Fury answered
"Nothing more than theory. You tell me what's going on and I'll be able to help reduce it." Tony shrugged
"Very well." Fury nodded to indicate both as Tony's answer and a signal for Hank Pym to show his work.
*end flashback*
"Wow...managed to get onto Fury's good side I see." Natasha nodded slowly 'This is a huge breakthrough...'
"So, yea. According to them the Time Fog just... Appeared one day. That's why the built the academy, especially here. To get rid of it and study it. You know those tests we where taking? They where to subtly use our knowledge and skills to analyse the Time Fog in different ways they might have missed." Tony explained "Currently my equipment is scanning and analysing it and cross referencing it with what they have done before. In an hour or so I should be ready to try and get rid of the small amount of time fog to the left of the academy."
"So you've made progress that the others haven't." Natasha simplified it. "And we'll have an extension to the school."
"Basically, yeah." Tony nodded
And he then grinned; bring his face closer to hers
"I think I deserve a kiss after that." He smiled
Natasha growled at that
"Fair is fair. I can wait to cash it in." Tony smiled
"If I DO kiss you, will you drop it?" Natasha asked
"Sure." Tony nodded with a smile "But you DO still owe me a date!" He added
"Fine." Natasha sighed and kissed his cheek. "There; done."
"Nope. Doesn't count." He smiled, cupping her cheek and then kissing her right on the lips
"Hmm?!" Natasha hummed in shock, pulled back as he let her go and she slapped him
"Hey! You owed me a kiss." Tony frowned, rubbing his cheek "And it wasn't like I was slipping you tongue or trying to cop a feel or anything."
"You don't just force a girl to kiss you Stark. Even IF there was a word of mouth agreement." Natasha answered
"Err... No. I just kissed you." Tony frowned "A simple peck on the lips. I didn't grab your shoulders; I didn't push you against the walls. I even moved my head slowly, you COULD have stopped me."
"A...Just...Keep up the good work Stark." Natasha turned away and walked off
'...She digs me.' Tony realised
And he now couldn't keep the grin off his face
*at the Dorms*
Janet was humming as she sat out in the sun, doing homework, when she saw Natasha storming towards her
"Huh? Whoa, what's up Natasha? You look pissed." Janet commented
"That... STUPID STARK!" she yelled in anger
"... You're in loooove." Janet sang with a smile seconds later
"I am NOT!" Natasha snapped
"First and Second Stage: Denial and Anger." Janet smiled "Now come on, what happened? Details girl!" She smiled
"Nothing! NOTHING happened, now will you shut up please?" Natasha answered
"Ooh...! Bargaining: Stage Three. Come ON, Natasha; we're both girls here. I won't judge." Janet asked
"Janet. Stop." Natasha frowned "And you're listing off the stages of depression."
"I've seen a LOT of romcoms I KNOW what I see with you." Janet answered "Denying everything to the people around you; Angry at the boy you like; Bargaining to try and get out of it, last is Depression you have a huge cry for hating yourself for hating him, then finally Acceptance where you just admit it to yourself."
"As if!" Natasha scoffed, walking past Janet
"Stage Three, Natasha." Janet called out then returned to her homework "Not long now..." she whispered while smiling.
Natasha snarled as she stormed through the Dorm
"I wonder what the others are doing?" Janet thought
As Natasha stormed through the dorms, she was still mad, even more so since talking to Janet. "Hey Natasha, whoa...What's up?" Rhodey asked
"Your stupid friend!" She yelled
Rhodey sighed and pinched his nose "What did he do this time?"
"He KISSED me! Asshole!" She answered then cursed Tony
"... He kissed you?" Rhodey asked
"Yes! Stupid Stark!" She snapped
"Did you like it?" Rhodey asked
"I-...Is EVERYONE on my case today?!" Natasha stomped off
Rhodey sighed with a smile thinking back on other girls Tony had "dated" 'She enjoyed it.'
"Widow Woman?" Loki asked with a raised eyebrow as he saw Natasha storm past
"WHAT?!" She snapped reaching the end of her limit.
"You...Are extremely upset...What's the matter?" Loki asked
"... TONY KISSED ME!" she screamed at him "HE KISSED ME VERY GENTLY AND LOVINGLY! AND I KNOW HE'S A PLAYBOY, MANIPULATING MY EMOTIONS!"
Loki just blinked in shock, not many people shouted at him about other people...Most likely because he was a prince and they didn't want to waste time with him. "Did you enjoy it?" He asked
"I... I DON'T KNOW!" She yelled, going into her room and slamming her door shut... Only for her to slam the door so hard she broke the hinges "DAMN IT!"
"Hold on." Loki spoke and magicked the door back on the hinges. "There we go."
"Thanks." Natasha answered then slammed the door again.
She sighed, laying on her bed
'Stupid Stark!' She thought as she covered her face with her pillow. 'Stupid! Stupidstupidstupid!' She thought angrily 'He is even making me this emotional! It's all his fault!'
*With the others*
"Dude, what the hell did you do to Natasha?" Rhodey asked Tony
"Kissed her." Tony said simply, working in Pym's lab with Rhodey leading against the wall
"Oh man..." Rhodey pinched his nose
"What?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow as he mixed chemicals
"You're such a heart-breaker. She's going to be pissed." Rhodey answered
"Who said I'd be trying to break her heart?" Tony frowned as he continued working
"I'm just saying: your reputation IS gonna give her mixed messages." Rhodey answered "You want her to like you, BUT she's only gonna see you as: Tony "Don Juan" Stark."
Tony shrugged softly, humming
"You think Amora's coming to classes?" Tony thought
"Don't change the subject." Rhodey rolled his eyes
"I'm not...Well...Okay I am, but I haven't seen her around." Tony answered
Rhodey sighed, shrugging
"She can't be still upset." Tony frowned
"She was when I saw her." Rhodey nodded
"Ah damn it..." Tony sighed putting down the tools for the experiment "Guess we really messed her up."
"YOU messed her up." Rhodey corrected
"I know I messed up; but I was also talking about Pepper and the others. You were an unintended victim." Tony answered
Tony shrugged, readying what he made putting it within a small device
"What's that you made there?" Rhodey asked kindly finishing his own experiment.
"My attempt to get rid of the Time Fog... If some of it." Tony explained
"This thing...Is gonna get rid of the time fog?" Rhodey's eyebrow raised
"An attempt. But theoretically, yeah." Tony nodded
"... Cool." Rhodey nodded
"I've got to test it out on the closest section...But we've got those tasks to do." Tony answered
"Hey, we're finished here. I'm sure there's time." Rhodey chuckled
"Plus the Time Fog is more important than Tasks." Fury said from behind them
"Director Fury! Jeez...you know how to sneak up on people don't you?" Tony gasped
"It's my job." He said simply
"Well...Here it is. Let's test this baby out." Tony spoke.
Fury nodded, the two walking through the school towards the Time Fog at the left of the academy
"Well...Here goes nothing." Tony spoke activating the device and threw it into the fog.
For a few seconds nothing happened before the small amount of Time Fog exploded into purple fire that burnt out in a ten seconds, revealing several rocks... And a red high tech helmet with a yellow faceplate, a massive burnt scar going over the right eye
"Well...we at least know that worked." Rhodey saw the wreckage
"Amazing...This is incredible." Tony spoke as he picked up the faceplate and examined it.
"Good work Stark. I'll hope to see that little gizmo work on the others." Fury answered
"That's a bit difficult...One the device is used on one amount of Time Fog it has the unfortunate flaw to disintegrate...One time use until I make another." Tony answered still looking at the scarred helmet. "This... Is just like my designs. But I haven't even finished the blueprints yet!" He gasped in amazement
"Thus the term "Time Fog". There are multiple sections of time frozen here." Fury answered "At least...that's our theory."
"So... I'll potentially die?" Tony asked seriously, nervously
"We're going to prevent that Stark, it won't come to that." Fury answered to reassure him
"Did you know?" Rhodey asked seriously "Did you KNOW?!"
"I had an inkling that something was trapped in there. But I wasn't sure." Fury answered
"So...this is another cover up?" Rhodey asked in disbelief.
"It's not a cover up if I don't have the information. It's called an investigation." Fury deadpanned
"I...I'm sorry, but that helmet...My friend being hurt...You can understand; right?" Rhodey asked
"Of course." Furry nodded
*with Natasha*
"Well...That's enough wallowing...I have to get back to work." She told herself.
Having been so angry she calmed herself down she stood up and sighed, brushing her cloths down
"Well...I guess I should kick the crap out of him." She joked to herself.
With her restored calm and left her room... And walked right into a strangely serious looking Tony
"Stark, I need a word with you." Natasha spoke
"Sure, I was coming to see you anyways." Tony spoke.
"Oh?" Natasha asked, before Tony hugged her close
"Wh-What're you?" Natasha gulped in shock
"Just...Humour me. Please." Tony answered
"... What's wrong?" She asked, hugging him loosely
"There...was something in the fog...And...It chilled me to the bone." Tony answered
"What was it?" Natasha asked
Tony sighed and slowly produced the helmet he got from the fog.
"It's one of your helmets; so?" Natasha asked
"Tasha...I haven't even made the specs for this yet." Tony answered
"Wait, what?!" She gasped
"I... Am going to die Natasha." Tony said simply
"When? How?" Natasha asked
"I dunno, the fog seems to isolate different time periods; it's gonna happen." Tony answered "So... I want to be better. And I want to be happy."
"I might...be able to help with the former." Natasha spoke
"How?" He asked
"Well...We're a team aren't we?" Natasha reminded
"Just teammates?" He frowned lightly, sighing
"Well...Maybe...More then." Natasha answered
"... Thank you." Tony smiled
To be continued
If you have any comments please leave them in reviews.