To say I was confused would actually be one of multiple descriptive adjectives. One of the other highlights was pain. Just a lot of pain that was happening all at once where it was actually impossible to pinpoint individual pains. Truthfully, the list of uninjured parts of my body might as well take up the same amount of space as a gum wrapper. Because everything hurts, no if and or buts about it...though my head and chest really seem to take the cake as far as scales go.
I didn't even have time to take in this information before everyone's attention was caught by the ding of the elevator along with the unfamiliar sound of bare feet slapping against the floor. It was so strange that Dad, Peter, and I all turned at relatively the same time to see who it was- and all stared GOBSMACKED at Pepper. Cool, calm, collected Pepper was barefoot and her hair was wildly knocked from the do that was undoubtedly sprayed into place with cement that same morning.
Every other person on that floor was stunned into silence, even they knew that it was super frickin weird to see her in this state. It was pretty alarming actually, not even in the most dire of circumstances in the past had she ever lost her trademark insanity heels. In fact, I could count on a single hand the number of times I've actually seen her lose her cool, so to hear her strangled cry of horror I was seriously wanting someone to get me a damn mirror to see what the hell everyone else was seeing.
"Ow!" She was so distraught that without even thinking about it she wrenched Peter and I off Dad's legs to fitfully go through The Patdown, typical parent energy which- at the back of my head- was SUPER annoying because so far they still refused to bring up the 'mom' thing.
"God- Oh my God! Tony she's bleeding what if it's internal!" Standing was exhausting, to the point that I slumped to a seat on her propped up leg.
"Her heart stopped- she wasn't breathing-" Peter said and Pepper's response was no better than my own. At the words I felt sick, sick to my stomach and instantly woozy. I had been dead- I had to see...and I died! Suddenly the pain in my chest made much more sense than before, and even seemed to jump a notch or two...then again that's probably just panic mixed with my imagination.
The world came crashing back with Pepper's hands firm around my upper arms and her eyes drilling holes into my face.
"Anika? Baby look at me- hi! You okay?" Her words were the kind of quiet even a church mouse would have struggled to hear, but I nodded. She stood and with a slight grunt hoisted me up to her hip, undoubtedly an easier feat without the heels now that I was like fifteen to twenty pounds heavier than years prior. "We're all going to adjourn into one of Stark Industry's board meeting rooms. This is hardly appropriate in my destroyed living room."
No one moved, other than Dad who apparently read her mind and was already standing with Peter behind her- Jesus he looks awful...what does that say about me? "Yes, you idiots, she means all of you. Up! You're worse than my kids in the morning honestly." Goes to show how seemingly every nerve ending was on fire, I didn't care enough to be annoyed at that...somewhat accurate statement…
The first and only person to give attitude came from the Hulk, only he got the very same LOOK Peter and I have only been on the receiving end of once so far in our lives. We accidentally and totally not on purpose caused the gigantic dumpsters of industrial waste SI has at the main headquarters to become for the most part my most ambitious explosion yet. Of course if that wasn't bad enough, the board members and a couple investors were there to witness the entire thing. Let's just say Dr Banner was returned to us HILARIOUSLY quickly.
I.F.I.F.I.F.
Well...this sure as hell was awkward. Like an episode of Intervention where everyone is concerned is surrounding the problem person, only here everyone was seated around a ridiculous three thousand mile long table and the problem person was currently gagged for being an annoying shithead. Similarities? Technically if one was really reaching.
"The easy stuff can be handled first, Captain Rogers- I'm sure you have questions." Pepper opened the floor to the centurion, though it would appear that he was still stuck in the frozen silence he had fallen into upon seeing Bucky's face.
He shifted in place, refusing to so much as even look Bucky in the face. But then his finger went up and with a stiff jab he said, "Who is he?" It was gritted out, seemingly painful to get past his teeth and- what??
I wasn't alone, Stark relation and those close to it visibly were perplexed, the hell did he mean? "Sorry Buckster, seems the great stallion has froze out all his marbles." Dad scoffed out, not before getting a quiet, 'that's mean', from Peter below him. He sighed, "I apologize, that was rude." It probably left a terrible taste in his mouth, but Peter could get him to sink to his knees if he wanted it.
The weird part, well no that list was ever increasing at an exponential rate it seems like- probably more accurate to use current- was how Rogers kept...staring at me. It was in no real way I could verbalize, but it almost seemed...desperate. "Bucky died, I saw it happen."
"You saw him fall, just saying, if you were in court that's the best legal way of putting it without embellishments. Bucky has been a part of the family since 2009 when ou- Tony's- daughter, Anika, found him. It is an extensive story, and we are preceded by other matters. Choose your questions wisely or those answers will be given at a later time." Honestly where did she learn how to take charge of a room like that? Not a single other person at the table dared let out a breath during that entire exchange, apart from Loki and since when are whiny bratty children counted anyway?
Steve's squared his shoulders, locked his gaze with Bucky, and said, "How are you alive?"
"Azzano, he shot me up with something." He shrugged noncommittally, only Steve was instantly shaking his head.
"No, that's not good enough. I want to know-"
"Later." Bucky shut down, it wasn't even forceful just his clipped tone. Yet it was enough to call the snarling dog to heel apparently.
But then for some God forsaken reason he turned his attention to ME also with an equal, and possibly of even greater ire, "And why are you ignoring me young lady?"
...what in God's name? Somehow, this managed to even beat finding out I died like not even fifteen minutes ago. Dad and I managed to make comedically timed eye contact where we seemingly asked each other, did you just hear what I just heard?
He turned to Bucky, with an air that showed calm. Calm with the promise of hellfire behind it if given an unsatisfactory answer, "Care to explain whatever the hell that bullshit was that came outta his mouth?"
"Tony!" Pepper reprimanded quietly and he nodded absently to appease her.
"God-punk, the fuck you done that for?" Bucky groaned painedly into his camouflaged hand with a force that nearly made me fearful of him trying to scoop his own brains out.
"She's ignoring me and I want to know why. I deserve to know!" He slammed his hands down upon the table to enhance his point with a thunderous *BANG*. Numerous exclamations of 'what's' coming from around the table seemed to be the spark needed to get his slightly flushed pink skin to flash an alarming shade of red. "Because I'm her POPS!" He bellowed and his breath literally came on like a wind able to move one's hair.
Crickets, right up until I snorted loudly, "The FUCK you are!" Bedlam, everything devolved into utter chaos of confused yelling that varied upon discernibility.
"Anika!" Pepper's loud angry scolding could be heard over the din- but absolutely nothing was more hysterical than my father's instant response being, "I'll allow it," with a raised finger.
"Tony!" Pepper's, now, exasperated voice was nearing the edge of defeat. This couldn't have possibly gone any worse could it?
"I believe this is where I come in," Mr agent singleye-seven came waltzing in, much to my ever growing displeasure.
"Oh, who let in discount Jack Sparrow?" I grumbled, accidentally loud enough to be heard in the immediate vicinity.
"I think you'll come to appreciate my being here Miss Stark," Fury said with a touch of pride, "After all, I come bearing answers."
"Right, because this totally has easy answer- what the?" As I was about to unleash the 'tude' he slid across the table's surface three framed photographs of varying sizes. "... that's me." My voice was small and unsure, "HOW can that be me?!" Only it grew louder the more confused and subsequently more angry I became. The largest one, easily recognizable as a second world war 'war room' quote unquote, had me right up front where everyone stood tall to short. Peggy's hand right on my shoulder where everyone had a somber expression on their face. The other two were smaller, one with me in a group picture with the Howling Commandos...and one candid of Steve Rogers, Bucky, and I where they had me sitting on their shoulders and face caught in the moment of me screaming with laughter.
Looking at them it was an undeniable thing, there was no way these could be doctored with the timing of it all.
The way Dad's face shifted had my stomach sinking FOR Bucky, for his tone promised a fate worse than death if he received a less than satisfactory answer. "Explain. Now." Rogers didn't even get the opportunity to open his mouth before a much angrier snap came his way, "NOT YOU."
"Tony," Bucky tried to placate, "it's really hard to explain. It's why I never brought it up- not even once after all these years I was going to let sleeping dogs lie until this became anything pertinent."
"You don't think this is pertinent." His incredulous tone wavered as he jabbed the offending frame closest to him.
Bucky let out a carefully controlled exhale through his nose with his eyes closed before continuing, "Did we have those or even know of their existence in 2009? No, hell I didn't even remember her ARRIVING in 43' until about two years ago."
I sat through all this as behaved as I possibly could, but it was all starting to get a bit too much for me hearing that special nugget of information. My hands smacked (rather pathetically compared to Rogers' slam earlier) and said, "Oh absolutely not, Jarvis make a note. We're shelving that ridiculousness for some other time and date." Now though, I felt an all too familiar predatory grin of shark teeth split my face (still rather painfully), "Here's an interesting question that I sure would like to know," The setting of the stage, the way the people who know what's about to happen either began to cringe or lean forward with eager anticipation as I made direct eye contact with the resident sulker. "So Loki! Who the FUCK is Thanos?"
A/N
…….so uh...hi? IM SO SORRY I have been having the absolute worst time of writer's block with this getting into the BIG parts (and smaaaall rewrites) but mostly the chaos is just really hard to organize haha
Oh! And, Rachel Slavinski……;)