"He's sensitive!" Alex explained to Fury for what seemed like the billionth time. She was in the debriefing room, a large, dark area filled with video cameras, microphones, and a tinted window that she was sure was a one-way mirror. "He has parent issues. The majority of your team has parent issues, and you never thought once to pull the daddy card?" She put a cherry in her mouth, spitting out the pit on the floor. The director grimaced.
"I'm sorry if the emotions of psychotic demi-gods aren't exactly the first things we check out when we're trying to strike them down," he scoffed, squishing the seed under his boot, "but just because you had no other choice than to verbally harass him doesn't mean that you're a genius because of it."
Alex could feel the angry words bubbling up in her throat as she glared at Fury. "Are you discrediting my skills as a member of the Avengers, Director? Need I remind you who saved Miss Potts from captivity, or who captured the very evasive God of Mischief? If you only accepted me on my father's behalf, then so be it, but I'm fairly sure I proved myself in the past month. Put me on paperwork, scouting missions, or strictly a consultant deal if you can't respect me as a member of the Avengers Initiative." With that, she picked up her bowl of cherries and walked out of the room, making sure to pointedly slam the door behind her.
When she walked out, no one was in the listening room beyond the mirror. Had they heard and escaped, in case her wrath carried over to them? Just as she began dialing her father's cell phone number, Clint entered the room.
"There you are, Stark!" he greeted her, "We've been waiting for you to get out of the meeting! Fury told us to go do something useful while you were being debriefed and Tash interrogated Loki."
Alex scowled at the mention of the director's name. "Can we go down to the canteen?" she asked the agent, "I need to talk to you guys."
After she finished her description of the debriefing, Natasha had returned from the interrogation and Tony looked like he wanted to throw Fury off the helicarrier.
"Where does he get off?" the genius roared, standing up at the table. Steve placed a hand on his arm and attempted to placate him, though the soldier's own expression was filled with disgust.
"I just don't understand why he would tell you that." Steve said, shaking his head.
"I'll tell you why!" Tony snarled, "He's upset that she figured out what he couldn't!"
Alex sighed and put her head in her hands. "That's not how it was, Dad! I didn't think, 'well, this guy has major daddy issues, lemme tap into that,' no! I was thinking on my feet and he was getting angry so I just made him angrier. That's all." Bruce could see the flush creeping up her neck and placed a hand on her back.
"You guys," he said quietly, "there's nothing we can do about Fury's bad moods."
Thor, who had been quiet the whole time, tilted his head quizzically. "But I do not believe," he approached slowly, "that our noble director would be so negative about the young maid of iron making a breakthrough in silencing my brother."
Natasha made a disgruntled sound and slammed her fist down on the Formica tabletop. "That's exactly why. He likes to keep enemy secrets in his little interrogation circle. Having an outsider know about that could end up in S.H.I.E.L.D. being compromised."
"I don't care what this is about!" Tony bellowed, his words echoing through the spacious hall. Various agents turned their heads to stare at the group of heroes, all looking ragged after saving the world – again. "This is about the director, who is supposed to be civil, at least, questioning my little girl's genius IQ! This isn't S.H.I.E.L.D. business. He went personal."
Alex had placed her head on the table, her orange hair creating a halo around her. "It's no big deal," she mumbled into the sleeve of her white button-up shirt. Bruce gave Tony a warning glance.
"Drop it," he muttered, "god forbid even you can do that."
Tony huffed. "Fine. The fucking pirate can have this one. But the second he thinks it's appropriate to insult one of us again; I will tear this establishment down board by board."
His daughter lifted her head, a smile on her face. "Thanks, Dad," she said, kissing him on the cheek, "and I know exactly what will cheer you up."
"You mean Twin Peaks marathon?"
"Is there any other way to be happy?"
"I did not know that peaks could be twins!" Thor's booming voice was filled with bemusement.
The Starks let that comment slide – he didn't live on this planet, after all. He wouldn't know the television cult classic. But the second the pair saw confused expressions of their human friends, their faces distorted.
"Oh, no," Tony whispered.
"What's wrong?" Clint asked with a wary look on his face.
"You guys haven't seen Twin Peaks?" Alex gasped, dramatically placing a hand on her heart.
"Well, considering I was just recently thawed out…" Steve shrugged and looked at the others for their excuses.
Bruce bit his lip. "I didn't have time for TV growing up, and out of college, I was too busy with internships."
"I grew up in the circus and became a master assassin. Needless to say, I don't watch television."
"I'm foreign."
"Excuses, excuses," the physicist said, "we'll have a group bonding session, then, featuring the lovely work of David Lynch and the late 80s!"
The entire group groaned at the idea of bonding time at Stark Tower, but Alex beamed at her father. "Now come on, guys, let's go find out who killed Laura Palmer."
Thus the viewing began.
Alex was curled up against Bruce on the large loveseat, with Thor seated next to them. Natasha and Clint shared the leather armchair; Natasha had perched herself delicately on his lap. Tony and Steve, however, sat at the bar, drinking Shirley Temples (Steve) and rum (Tony).
"Ah, finally," Tony sighed as the opening theme began, "this is what bonding should be."
author's note: i'm not planning on making an entire chapter of them watching twin peaks (this is a superhero fic, after all), but if you guys want a fluffy chapter of bonding, just let me know! reviews keep the avengers from knocking each other off ;)
also i have a plan for fury's sudden mood swing, pepper, and hammer. but that will happen all in good time! thanks for reading!