Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I make profit off the Avengers. It all Belongs to the MCU and The Walt Disney Company
This one took a lot out of me and was a little difficult to write, which is why this particular duology took so long. If anyone is still reading this I do hope you enjoy.
It's Eating Me Alive Finale
"Mr. Stark!," I choke out "F.R.I.D.A.Y!"
"Blunt force trauma to left side, vital organs in distress, emergency medical attention needed."
"Spiderman?" I turn as Dr. Banner runs towards us, I find myself reaching for my mask, however Dr. Banner drops to our side and stops my hand, before turning to Mr. Stark. He reaches down pulling Mr. Starks helmet off completely crumpling the metal in his large green hands as if it was nothing,
"He's hurt," I breath out,
"Are you hurt?"
"No." I can't take my eyes off the blood dripping from Mr. Starks nose, but I also know theres nothing I can do here, nor do I really have the strength to rush into the fight up ahead, it seems like Mr. Rogers, Mr. Wilson, and Thor have it anyway...their was no reason for me to be here.
"Bruce," Ms. Romanov stops before both of us, her eyes land on Mr. Stark. "Both of the kids are in the jet. Steve, Sam, and Thor are taking out the last bunker." Mr. Banner's large hands feel around Mr. Starks neck before he reaches down and gently picks him up, leaving me on the ground alone,
"Good we need to get back," Bruce turns to me and then Mr. Romanov, "Nat-"
"I'll take care of it," She stops him. Dr. Banner nods and takes off and for a second I forget where we are, forget what I'm doing, forget what just happened and then it hits me and I get to my feet only to fall back to the snow,
"Penny, take it slow," Mr. Romanov places her hand on my should. I reach for my mask again and this time no one stops me when I rip the hood from my head. It's easier to breath and for a second I know I'm panicking. I force myself to calm down and look around, where did Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark go? When I don't see them I turn to Ms. Romanov and frown,
"He took him to the quinjet?" I force out, my voice still raspy, Md. Romanov nods,
"Calm yourself first." I swallow and get to my feet, my legs feel weird...almost overused,
"I'm calm." Ms. Romanov tips her head down eyes serious, voice monotone to indicate she means business,
"Are you sure?" I take another breath, lightening crackles in the background, Ms. Romanov doesn't even look up,
"They're finished, if you're sure you can handle yourself I'll take you back." I nod forcing my legs to stop shaking. Ms. Romanov examines my face before placing her arm round my shoulders and pulling me along, I keep my eyes down, but Ms. Romanov isn't stupid, she knows I've lied to her.
…
I keep to myself on the jet and to no one's surprise they leave me alone. Dr. Banner has Mr. Stark on a stretcher pulled closer to the cockpit, keeping a constant eye, F.R.I.D.A.Y in his ear, no doubt giving constant updates. I keep my eyes averted from there, lucky for me Mr. Rogers stands in front of the cockpit blocking most of my view. He hasn't said anything to me, although I'm expecting him to say something. It reminds me of when I got detention and the principal pulled the the T.V into the room and Mr. Rogers voice boomed,
"So you got detention!"
I look over to Ms. Romanov, she's been on one knee eye level with the two children since we took off. I've been so concentrated on the two kids I haven't realize Mr. Rogers is standing next to me, until he clears his throat. I look up, my bangs fill into my eyes, dust still sits in my hair from the building collapsing around me. I don't move to fix them, I know I look pathetic and I don't care,
"You didn't follow the rules." He doesn't yell, but the low grunt of his voice is even scarier to me. I look away,
"I know...Is he going to die?" It comes out of my mouth before I can even stop to think about it. My chest hurts. Mr. Rogers take a large breath,
"We're not going to think like that." I push the hair out of my face,
"The part though Mr. Rogers, other than getting hurt...I would do it all over again," I look towards the kids, "I couldn't live with myself if they died while I knew they were in there...I knew you couldn't stop, you had to keep going. Your job was to infiltrate capture and destroy, I was back up. I was behind you, catch what you missed."
"Penny," I look back up towards him, he holds his hand out. For a second I think he's going to reach up and slap me,
"Other than Tony getting hurt I wouldn't have changed it either, you did well." I reach up to take his hand when a child runs into my legs.
"Спасибо!" I look down to the little girl, she's dirty and tears coat her cheeks, but she's smiling.
"She says thank you." Ms. Romanov walks over, the little boy standing behind her. He's so small he comes up just to her knees, "You saved her life," She continues, "Her names Olga, and this is Arthur, they were trapped in there for two days, some how SHIELD missed them. That girl was Mila their older sister, both of their parents were killed when Hydra first invaded."
"Твой мой герой!" She stops hugging my middle and looks up, blue eyes wide,
"She says you're her hero." I reach forward and push the dirt off her forehead.
"пожалуйста." I whisper, I can already hear Ms. Romanov correcting me in her head and I remind myself to watch a few videos on youtube later. The little girl smiles. This is why I did what I did and I wouldn't change it however when I look up to Mr. Starks pale and limp body I can't help it, I let a tear fall.
…
The minute we land, Mr. Stark is whisked away with Dr. Banner at the head. Apparently Dr. Helen Cho is on her way, but other than that no one will tell me anything and it's been made clear to me that I'm to stay out of the way. Before we landed Dr. Banner personally promised to me that Mr. Stark would be okay and made me promise to take care of myself, again I lie. I walk off the jet in a haze my steps slow, Ms. Romanov takes the kids to a separate wing of the compound to clean them up and contact SHIELD about temporary placement. I'm left feeling alone, until Mr. Barnes approaches me.
"Did you finish your homework?" I turn toward him slowly, confusion written all across my face,
"What?"
"You're homework?" He holds up my cellphone, how did he get ahold of that...He must of taken it from the jet, good think I would have missed it,
"No?" I don't mean for it to sound like a question, but my history homework is the very last thing on my mind right now. Mr. Barnes tests the weight of my phone in his hand before holding it out,
"Take a shower and then meet me in the kitchen." I grab the phone and watch him walk off. For a second I don't move,
"He wants to help you" Mr. Wilson comes up from behind me "Let him." Just like that he too walks ahead of me, I wait until he turns the corner, then I follow.
…
"The answers Wehrmacht right?" Mr. Barnes nods his head reaching for another cookie from the plate in the center of the table,
"I believe that is the first right answer you've gotten in last 16 questions." He's not wrong. For once today I followed orders, heading to the showers and soaking myself under hot running water for fifteen minutes, that was all my skin could take before I emerged clean and blistering red. I brushed my hair and changed into a set of cotton grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt from the over night bag I packed. I printed off my history homework from the the common room printer and met Mr. Barnes in the kitchen, Mr. Stark on my mind the whole time. Mr. Barnes had cleaned and changed but our ideas of comfy clothes are very different, instead of sweats he's gone for jeans, a red T-shirt, and a dark blue hoody. Cookies and milk had been laid out and to my surprise he'd dumped out three boxes of Oreo's and thank god for it too because I ate almost the whole plate before we even began looking at my worksheet,
"History's not my best subject." I admit, Mr. Barnes dunks his cookie and raises an eyebrow,
"My unit was ambushed by the Wehrmacht troops ya know?" I look over,
"Why do you think this is the only question I know?" Mr. Barnes gives me an agitated look,
"Are you telling me you knew about this because I was captured?" I nod, "You liked me being a prisoner of war?" For the first time I crack a smile,
"No" I shake my head, "It's what made Mr. Rogers become a hero instead of a gimmick." Mr Barnes scrunches his eyebrows,
"You went missing and were presumed dead, so he went to find you, if that never happened, who really knows what would what would have happened to Captain America." Mr. Barnes tilts his head seeming to be lost in a memory.
"Penny?" I turn towards the new voice in the kitchen. Dr. Banner stands awkwardly in the kitchen, mainly because he's so big but also because he looks uncomfortable, I drop my pencil and look up feeling my heart seize,
"Dr. Banner?" He steps inside, "Mr. Stark-"
"He's okay," He holds his hands up, "what I came here for was to see if you would donate blood."
"What?"
"You and Tony have the same blood type-"
"Can she do that?" Mr. Barnes interrupts. I'm thinking the same thing with my blood being enhanced can I donate?
"I've looked into Steve's blood and found that his enhancement actually speeds up the recovery in non-enhanced humans, the only problem is Steve is A+ and Tony is B-."
"I'm B-?" Dr. Banner nods, I guess I've never paid close enough attention to know.
"I'll donate." I leave my homework at the table and follow Dr. Banner to the med wing. He's careful to take me a different direction, completely avoiding the main room where Mr. Stark is. Instead Dr. Banner leads me to a smaller room, with an white desk, rolling chair, recliner and just a few pieces of medical equipment non I can name or tell anyone what it does.
"Take a seat." I do, sinking into the cushion of the recliner all while watching Dr. Banner play around with the small tubes. For someone with hands so big he never fumbles, and when he ties the elastic around my arm and slides the needle into my inner elbow he does it all without skipping a beat. I watch the dark red of my blood slide through the tubbing and into a clear sealed bag,
"That didn't hurt." I mumble, Dr. Banner gives me a smile.
"I need about litter, thats more than you give on your average blood donation but you shouldn't feel any different." I stare at the bag for a second watching it slowly fill,
"It's that bad?" Dr. Banner must realize what he's said because he back tracts,
"A lot of the injuries are internal, I believe with this he'll be up and about in no time." I should ask if I can see him, should insist on staying until he's awake and we can talk instead I look up to Dr. Banner and take a breath,
"I want to go home." His eyes widen underneath his glasses, "after this." I clarify but his eyes stay the same,
"Ummm okay, we can arrange that, but I want you to stick around just a bit." He searches for his words, "Just in case." Unlike the tower I can't easily walk or swing home. Happy drove me here this morning meaning someone's going to have to drive me home tonight, although I was suppose to stay the night in Wanda's room. Right now, I want my own bed, I want my aunt May. I turn to Dr. Banner and nod,
"Okay."
…
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Do you want to talk about it?" I turn to Happy, who's eyes stare back into mine from the rearview mirror,
"Watch it mouth." I sigh,
"Happy you're not the best person to talk to." His eyebrows shoot up, "about feelings, emotions. Happy. You're actually really bad at it." I watch for his reactions after a second he shrugs,
"Alright I'll give that one to you kid." I nod and turn bak to the window, were almost home now, "If it makes you feel better kid, I talk to Cho and Bruce, they said Tony's going to be just fine, they got the bleeding to stop and you're blood perked him right up." I keep my eyes on the window,
"That's good." After donating my blood, Dr. Banner walked me to the kitchen where I ate ever single Entenmann's donut in the pantry and thenwent to Wanda's room to be left alone. Thats where Happy found me a few hours later. In those few hours Dr. Cho landed and made her way to the Med Bay. Happy woke me up and helped me leave quickly and quietly although I'm pretty sure everyone knew and just chose to leave me alone, a gift I'm thankful for.
"You're really beating yourself up aren't you?" I turn from the window back to Happy's eyes in the rearview mirror.
"I just want to go home." The car stops,
"Well were here." He takes his seatbelt off but I open the door first,
"Don't worry Happy, I'll let my self out." I hop out, tossing my backpack over my shoulder and slam the door before running to my apartment complex. I open the door and run to the stairs taking them two at a time until I'm in front of my door. I can hear a horror movie on the other side, and sigh. May was having a good night and here I am ruining it, but my want for comfort out weights my guilt and I open the door. May screams throwing her popcorn at the at me while reaching for the lamp on the table,
"Aunt May it's me!" I hold my arms up, May holds the lamp out like a weapon and carefully I reach over turning the lights on,
"Penny?" She shouts, placing her hand over her chest, "you are grounded," she breathes out, "For a month." I drop my backpack and dash into her arms catching her by surprise,
"Oh?" she stands and then carefully wraps her arms around me, the lamp still in her right hand, "I'm just kidding about the grounding...actually tomorrow I'll be kidding, I'm still mad, wait a minute?" She pushes me back with her left hand, and looks me up and down, "you're suppose to be at that conference thingy with Stark aren't you? Did he bring you home, did something happen?" She grips the lamp tighter, "where is he?"
"No aunt May," I grab the lamp from her and place it back on the side table. "I asked to come home, I wasn't having a good time, I wanted to see you." Lie, well partly. Aunt May smiles,
"Awwww Penny nickle, thats the nicest thing I think you've ever said to me after almost killing me." I reach forward and hug her again, this time she wraps her arms around me just as tight.
"I love you." Her hand travels down my hair,
"Did something happen?" yes,
"No, I just wanted to be home."
"Awwww, I don't believe that for a second." She pushed her cheek into the side of my head, "A whole convention for science nerds, thats like your dream environment, but I'm going to ignore it because it seems like you've had a rough night, yes?" I nod, "Alright."
"Can we finish the movie?"
"Not a chance, but if you want to throw a new bag of popcorn in the microwave I'll find a comedy, maybe Melissa McCarthy?" Again I nod,
"Okay, go to it." I run to the kitchen shoving a bag of popcorn into the microwave from the box aunt May's left on the counter and decide for the rest of the night I'm not going to think about anything. The events of today, how angry Mr. Stark probably is, how mad everyone else probably is. I'm going to eat popcorn, watch a movie with aunt May, and force all the anxiety, anger, and fear away. Tomorrow is another day with a new set of thoughts and I'm not going to worry about it, until I open my eyes, I can't...I just can't.
…
"Aunt May I don't feel good." May bends over my bed and reaches forward brushing her hand against my forehead and then dragging it down my cheek,
"Mmmmm, you're warm," she musses, "and you're over due for some kind of virus."
"Can I stay home?" She stands up, placing her hands on her hips.
"Probably best, give Stark a call and tell him you're not coming today, I want you to stay home and in bed. I have a short shift today so I'll be home by 6 I'll stop and pick up some dinner, okay?" I look up at her, eyes pitiful,
"Can you do it?" May tilts her head,
"Do what?"
"Call Mr. Stark, please aunt May!"
"Penny you chose to take on this internship, you should be the one to call-" I reach up and grab at her scrubs,
"Please aunt May!" She tries to pull back but I keep my grip on her tightly. Yesterday morning I woke to a simple text from Mr. Stark,
I lived.
A few hours later I received another one.
Be here tomorrow.
Since then the anxiety has been building and building until this morning I just couldn't help it and found myself doing everything to seem like I had the beginning stages of a fever. Before being bitten I would get ill often, at least once a season. The only explanation anyone could give was that I just had a weaker immune system. My whole body was weak, allergies, asthma, blurred vision, chronic migraines, slow metabolism although I overate back then too. After the bite it was a complete 180, I haven't been ill, needed Claritin, Imitrex, glasses, or my inhaler, although I let aunt May refill it. Before I needed it at least four time a week, maybe once a day during spring, but going from using it almost everyday to suddenly just not needing it, that would be too suspicious. I haven't been sick in almost a whole year, so this was obviously overdue. Aunt May grabs my hands and pulls my fingers away and then touches my cheek,
"Penny, Honey what's got you so upset?"
Mr. Stark got hurt because of me and I can't bare to see him, can't bare to bring up what happened only two days ago.
"I just...I can't...I." Aunt May gently reaches down to grab my chin,
"Okay, okay. I will call Stark before work and let him know okay, just lay back and rest alright?" I nod, her thumb glides across my jaw as she reaches down to kiss my forehead,
"I love you aunt May." She smiles forcing me back and tucking me in.
"I love you too, sleep. I'll probably be home before you really wake up." When I'm sick I can sleep for days, too bad I'm not really sick. I'm going to be awake with my thoughts all day...these nagging, fear clenching thoughts, their eating me alive...
…
KNOCK, KNOCK
"Coming!" I groan rolling off the couch and stumble to the door, KNOCK, KNOCK
"I said COMING!" I scream at the door, stopping to look into the peep hole. My heart quickens and I turn around pressing my back to the wood and slide down to the floor, hugging my blanket tighter around my shoulders, "Happy?" I whisper pushing my hand over my mouth. Why is Happy here? His fist pounds on the door again,
"Open the door kid!" I lean forward getting on all fours and crawl over to the couch grabbing the remote. I turn the T.V off. Maybe I can make Happy believe no one's home, that he was hearing things before...that could work. CRASH! I turn to Happy who now stands in the remnants of what use to be my front door,
"Did you just break the door down?" Happy brushes imaginary dust off my shoulders,
"I told you to open the door."
"So you break the door down?" I point to the broken piece of wood on the floor, "You're going to have to replace that!" Happy raises his phone,
"Already done. Speaking of phones, why don't you answer yours?" I hug the blanket tighter around my shoulders and lean against the legs of the couch,
"It's charging in the other room, May should have called you."
"She did, mentioned you were sick, you know what the funny thing is though?"
"The fact that you would find anything about someone being sick is disgusting Happy...shame on you!"
"You don't get sick kid." I open my arms,
"Well I am!" I grab a pillow from the couch and throw it on the floor and lay down, "so go away."
"I was given two orders, one see if you were having one of you weird too much light and sound episodes and two, see if you're faking and it seems as if you're faking." I throw my blanket over my head,
"Go away and fix the door before you leave." I don't hear the sound of Happy's shoes, but I'm hoping that by staying under the blankets he'll take pity and just leave, all that goes out the window as soon as I hear his steps walk up to me. Before I know it, Happy grabs me and has me slung over his shoulder, "HAPPY!"
"I was told to bring you back kicking and screaming if need be, so you decide right now, will you walk calmly down to the car or are you going kicking and screaming?"
…
"Are you proud of yourself?" Happy looks at me from the rearview mirror, I sigh and turn to the window,
"I hope you bruise." I told Happy before we left the apartment I didn't want to go and if he made me it would be an unpleasant experience for all involved. Of course Happy made me go and I kicked and screamed all the way down and when Happy opened the door to my apartment complex I screamed about being kidnapped until I gained the attention from curious New Yorkers. One asked Happy if I was indeed being kidnapped,
"No she's not, she's a lair, don't listen to her." At that point I just bit his shoulder, and Happy threw me into the car, hard. I couldn't blame him, he'll probably wake up tomorrow with a bruised back in the shape of my fists, throwing me was only fair. Happy had just made it into the car when people surrounded the Audi and started pulling out their Iphone's to take pictures and box us in. Happy just got out of there before they started pounding on the windows.
"Ya know when I dropped you off Saturday night you were barely able to move or talk, you've recovered quite well from all that haven't you?" His voice holds sarcasm and resentment. I pull my blanket around me tighter,
"I told you I didn't want to go and yet you made me go, technically what you did was kidnapping, and you have the nerve to be mad at me?"
"You bit me! And I wouldn't be surprised if we end up on TMZ or an episode of cops."
"I'll tell them you hit me." I counter back,
"I'm about to hit you right now,"
"I wish you would." The car speeds up and my heart beats faster when I realize were about to pull into the parking garage. Of course he wouldn't just drop me off in the front, I'd just run off. He always park in the garage when he's going to personally make sure I make it up. I pull my knees up to my chest and warp my blanket around my whole body leaning my head on my knees. I feel the car turn and then stop. Happy turns the car off and gets out, his car door slams before mine is opened, the cold of the garage bites at the exposed skin on my neck.
"Get out!" I shake my head and stiffen my body waiting for Happy to forcibly pull out, like he did my apartment, instead I hear him sigh. "Talk kid, I've never known you to be this afraid of the boss." I groan and lift my head to look at him. He's got his right arm resting on the top of the open door the other one resting on his hip, fist closed.
"I told you I don't feel good,"
"Okay cut the crap, whats the real reason?" I swallow, feeling the familiar sting of tears, I blink them away and shrug,
"He got hurt because if me." I whisper it so low I'm secretly hoping Happy couldn't hear me.
"What, you afraid he's mad at you?"
"Think about it Happy!" I snap, "If Mr. Stark got hurt while in you're care, how do you think you'd feel?" Happy bends down,
"Theres a difference kid, Tony pays me for that, it's my job, it's not your job to protect Tony, you're the kid, if anything it's Tony's job to protect you and from what I heard that's what he did. He's also not dead, he's upstairs, a little soar but mostly back to normal, and you did that for him kid." My blood, Dr. Banner said my enhanced blood would not only replenish the blood he was loosing but also it might speed up his own healing and it seems like that's exactly what it did. I take a deep breath,
"What if he's mad?" I turn to Happy feeling a tear slip down my cheek,
"I guess you're going to have to find out." He reaches forward and uses his thumb to wipe the loose tear away. It's a move so unlike Happy that for a second it's almost like Uncle Ben is in front of me. The amount of times uncle Ben would wipe my tears away, when I was feeling bad about myself or someone was mean to me at school could fill a book.
"Do you think he's mad...disappointed?"
"Tony?" Happy makes a face, "Nahh, I've never known him to be that angry of a guy," I sigh giving Happy a "I know you're lying" look. "Well ya know I'm lying, lets go!" Happy stand up and steps back hand outstretched in a gesture that says, get out of the damn car. I release a deep breath and get out of the car, letting my socked feet touch the cold concrete...
"I don't have any shoes." Happy shrugs,
"If you picked you're first option you'd would have had shoes wouldn't you?" I shoot him another angry look and step aside letting him close the door,
"Funny."
"Lets go." I pull my blanket close and follow Happy to the elevator getting in and immediately have second thoughts, but before I can bolt, Happy puts his hand on my shoulder and I'm forced to watch the doors close,
"Rude." I mumble. My stomach flops with the movement of the elevator but then again it's probably my nerves. Hurting Mr. Stark has been eating me alive, and now with the opportunity to face him, why wouldn't I? I swallow a lump in my throat and hold my breath as the doors open, Mr. Stark stands front and center,
"I've been waiting, F.R.I.D.A.Y said you didn't want to get out of the car. What, seats too comfy?" Happy pushes me forward,
"Kid was having emotions?"
"Emotions?" Mr. Stark scrunches his face, "Never heard of them." His forehead scrunches, "are you going to step off the elevator?" I look around, Happy has already stepped off leaving me behind looking pitiful in my plaid pajama pants and Star Wars fleece blanket.
"Elevators not going down kid." Happy offers and after a second I cross the threshold of elevator and floor. Immediately Mr. Stark puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me along,
"There, now that wasn't so hard was it, one step in front of the other, just that that creepy kids Christmas puppet sings"
"Winter Warlock." I clarify,
"Whatever, wanna tell me why you ignored my texts and had aunt May called my body guard to say you're sick?" He takes his arm off my shoulder, and grabs the top of my head, turning my head back and forth, "You don't look sick, no sensitivity to light or sound!" he screams that last part. I Step back knocking his hand off my head,
"Stop that."
"Spill, why you acting weird?" I shrug,
"I'm not really. I always act weird around you."
"Ya, in a Mr. Stark is the greatest man alive and I want nothing more than to be him with all his vast knowledge and money, not Mr. Stark? I'm scared of him." I release a frustrated breath and turn heading over to the couch and plop down,
"How can you even want to see me after what happened in Russia?" Both Mr. Stark and Happy stand looking at me as if I've grown two heads, "You got hurt because of me, Dr. Banner wouldn't even let me see you and then he asked me to give blood...and I just...You could have died." I jump to my feet throwing my blanket off, "You could have died because of me!"
"That's cute." Mr. Stark smiles and turns to Happy, "Did you hear that she thought I was easy to kill, that's funny kid."
"Take this seriously?" I shout, "I didn't listen and you got hurt...you got really hurt." I squeak that last part out, my voice cracking in the middle of my speech,
"You're putting a lot of blame on yourself, aren't you?" I swallow,
"It was my fault." Mr. Stark purses his lips and takes a step closer to me,
"Who's the adult?" I look to Happy confused, "Don't look at Happy, look at me, who's the adult?" He snaps his fingers,
"Mentally or physically?"
"I'm going to let that one slide. I'm the adult and when you're around me I'm in charge of you, just like those children. You were willing to risk you're self for them just as I was. It's the law of nature, you protector whats younger and weaker than yourself." He reaches forward plucking a single hair out of my head, all to be annoying I'm sure.
"Weaker?" I spit, slapping his hand away,
"Plus if you got hurt or died, aunt May would have ruined me." He shoves his hands into his pockets, "So, it was an easy choice."
"But if you would have died, I don't know how I could ever live with myself. I don't even know if I could patrol or go anywhere without being afraid." I turn grabbing my blanket and hold it close, "I couldn't live with myself."
"You're really letting these fears eat you up aren't you?" I nod, refusing to meet his eyes, "Now you know I felt." Now I have to meet his eyes, confusion has to be written all over my face,
"I don't understand."
"That day in Wakanda." He clarifies, "and then when you were running around the city seeing the ghost of my dead father."
"That's different?" I blurt out, "None of that was directly your fault."
"I couldn't stop Thanos, that was my fault, and then even with the most expensive medical equipment I couldn't figure out why you were just dying in front of me?" I growl, all of that was months ago.
"You jumped in front of me!"
"AND I'D DO IT AGAIN!" He snaps hands out in front of him. "You don't get to come here all mopey and sad because you think I was going to die protecting you, thats not how this works!"
"Then how does it?" I toss the blanket behind me "I don't get to be upset at the thought of you dying..at the thought of you dying possibly because of ME! How is that even fair?"
"It doesn't have to be fair I'm the adult!"
"YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE ADULT! I'm always going to be the kid to you, and you know what? I like it... I like that I always get to look up to you, and I can't deal with thought of having to say goodbye to you. Haven't I done that enough, isn't it my turn?" Mr. Stark takes a step closer to me,
"What are you saying kid?" His voice is low, his tone serious.
"I'm saying don't die, don't put yourself in danger for me...I don't want to say goodbye, I can't do it anymore." I take a deep breathe, "Everyday I forget my parents, I'm beginning to forget uncle Bens voice...I don't want to forget you too."
"Okay," Mr. Stark stops right in front of me, looking down one eyebrow raised, "Not going to happen first of all, I'm always going to be there to protect you and second, if I die do you think I'll let you forget me? Oh no, I've got voice recording and videos everywhere. You never known someday it might be my voice in your head instead of Karen's." I turn away from him,
"Not funny." I mumble, his hand catches under his chin, "Lets make a deal, I'll keep protecting you and you keep supplying me with this wonderful blood you've got. I'll tell you what internal bleeding repaired in hours, up and walking the very next day, I feel like I've had ten bananas bags in an hour, this stuff is great." I push him back keeping the smile off my face,
"We're being serious here." Mr. Stark places a hand over his chest,
"Oh I am, seriously Penny...what's your middle name." I roll my eyes,
"Antonia," He scrunches his eyebrows,
"Antonia really? Anyway you got some great blood there, lucky were the same type."
"It's the universe's way of punishing me to always be you're donor." It's the only bit of fun I can muster, Mr. Stark claps his hands and lighting punches my cheek,
"There she is, I missed her."
"I just want to know you're safe...that you're not going to die because of me...I can't take it, this alone is killing me." Mr. Stark clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth,
"Let's state this okay, you'll work harder to be more careful and I'll make sure you're following through." I frown,
"Thats all about keeping me in check though." Mr. Starks pushes his lips and looks up,
"Ya, that's about right."
"That doesn't seem fair..." I sigh knowing exactly what he's going to say, "Life isn't fair." He points a finger at me,
"Bingo," He reaches forward with both hands and grasps my shoulders, "Now, do you feel better?"
"I guess I kinda do," I look him over remembering how only two days ago he laid unconscious in the ashen snow, blood pooling out his nose. Standing here now he looks how he always looks, healthy.
"I think I know what will make you feel better." I smile looking up with hopeful eyes,
"Pizza?" Mr. Stark nods,
"Only if you perk up a bit kid, I don't like anyone in my presents to be all sad, brings me down ya know?" He shoves his fists into his pocket,
"All about you right?"
"Always." A weight on my chest lifts, getting it off my shoulders and having Mr. Stark acting his normal self makes me feel foolish for ever being as upset in the first place. Mr. Stark notices my smiles and gives me one back, "Much better." He states,
"So pizza?"
"Yes, Pizza wha-" The Elevator catches us both of us off guard, the door opening to reveal a tired looking Mrs. Potts,
"Tony we have a situation." He nods,
"We do...what kind of pizza do you want?"
"Pizza?" She questions, "No, apparently the Audi in the garage is tied to a reported kidnapping, the police are in the lobby to talk to you." I turn to Happy who has his eyes closed, his lips pushed into an angry scowl,
"What do you mean kidnapping?" Mr. Stark's forehead scrunches, his voice full of confusion, Mrs. Potts eye's turn to Happy,
"Theirs a video online of Happy carrying a young teenage girl out of an apartment in queens and into a Audi A8 L as she screams she's being kidnapped." Mr. Stark slowly turns around back towards me, I avert my eyes and look around at everything and anything, when no one speaks I point to a what must be a new bookshelves in the corner,
"Is that new? It's nice."
"You told people you were being kidnapped?" Mr. Stark questions, his voice louder with more of a bite to it.
"Ya I did." I breathe in as I say it, feeling the air around us change,
"Penny why?" Mrs. Potts asks keeping her spot by the elevator,
"I didn't want to come sooooooo..." I trail off, Mr. Starks face changes,
"Thats actually really smart."
"Tony!" Mrs. Potts chides he turns toward her,
"What, it is?"
"Their are six cops in the lobby. Get. Over. Here. Now!" Mr. Stark breathes out a sigh and hangs his head, and then turns to me,
"You, lets go." I open my mouth but he beats me too it, "You started this, you're going to finish it," He leans closer, voice barely above a whisper, "And if I have to suffer than so do you, lets go!"
"Are we still getting pizza?" I lean in and whisper back,
"What do you think?" I smack my lips together,
"Is it no?"
"Ding, ding, ding!" Mr. Stark jumps up, turning to thread his arm around my neck, "We've got a winner Alex, prizes include a free ride down the lobby were six of the NYPD wait to have a personal conversation with you."
"Can I change prizes" I ask letting Mr. Stark lead me into the elevator. Mrs. Potts and Happy right behind us,
"What do you think my answers going to be?"
"Umm no?"
"Ding, Ding, Ding we've got a-" Mrs. Potts growls,
"Shut up Tony!"
Was it too much of a coincidence, he couldn't help but mentally build it up like boxes inside a closet. The boxes were starting to get too high, it was only a matter of time before they all fell over. But to Tony Stark they were too high to begin with. He remembers waking in the mad bay, being told he had lacerations on both his spleen and small intestine, however Penny Parker had donated her blood, her enhanced blood. Their blood type was not only the same, but Penny Parker was an absolute perfect match to Tony, because of this her enhanced blood went to work right away, and even before Tony woke, his small intestine and spleen had healed. Virtually it was as if nothing had happened and after a night of rest he was up and walking that morning, driving home that evening, the whole time thoughts running through his head. That summer night when she mentioned her mother,
"She called my mother Rosemary and she had red hair?"
"I dated a rosemary."
"Figures," she had said, "You have a thing for spices."
The past swirled around Tony. Long before he had fell in love and picked Pepper Potts as the last women he would ever love, he was boy. A boy sleeping with different women ever weekend, he was safe of course, always using protection making sure ever women he slept with they had their own form of contraception. Making them sigh contracts and NDA's, he wanted to avoid STD's and...children. Then the millennium hit, he remembers it well for someone who drank so much. A women with red curly hair captured his attention, a quick remark and a smile and he brought her to bed, and ever weekend for almost for a year. Kept her around because she was interesting, because she never said anything to turn him off of her, because she wasn't after anything not really. Did he love her? No, but she didn't love him either, then she disappeared. It was right before his Memorial day party, over 1000 people were going to be packed into his Malibu home, she was going to come, stay the whole weekend...she never showed. He let it go, he was too cool, too important, too busy to be attached to one women, so he moved along, but...
"You were hurt, but you're okay, Penny donated some blood and...you two are a perfect match Tony, it's amazing her blood...We were prepping you for surgery, for an emergency splenectomy, but then it's like her blood just stitched the lacerations together...I've never seen anything like it."
Bruce had marveled to Tony when he was awake and more coherent. He couldn't help it, the thoughts that he had since that hot summer started to pile back into his head. He texted Penny to come to the tower the next day, then May called saying Penny was sick and not coming for her internship, Tony had sent Happy to her apartment with one order, bring her here. He did, they talked the girl was visibly shaken from the weekend's events, this made his anterior motives easier. He wanted her here for two things, the first objective was to look at her...really look at her, she didn't look like Rosemary, her eyes were not green, her hair was not red, her skin was not overly pale. Instead she had a tint of a tan to her skin, her hair was brown, her eyes dark like...like Tony, but a lot of people had dark hair and eyes. His second objective was simple, Penny was upset and it made reaching forward and pulling the hair from her head easy. She felt it of course but she would just think he was being necrotic, like always. She didn't see him carefully push the hair into the pocket of his jeans waiting for a safe and quite place for him to pull it out, to run it through his computer, to test it against his own...he was being paranoid, he was being necrotic, but then he asked her a question.
"What's you're middle name?"
"Antonia"
Antonia, Anthony...another box stacked in the closet, but it could be a family name, a grandmother, an aunt...or did Rosemary leave behind a clue. He shook those thoughts from his head and turned towards the computer the results were finished. They had been running all night and of course he refused to sleep. Pepper didn't question him not coming to bed, why would she, it was normal for him. He took a breath and turned to the computer and leaned closer studding the document in front of him,
"Well then..."
Russian Translated in order:
"Thank You"
"You're my hero"
"You're welcome"