Long Awaited

Chapter 8

Sprite seethed in silence as the plane doors swung open. Meanwhile, I couldn't have been more eager to make my exit, practically ready to leap out of my seat and away from that jet at breakneck speed. Judging by the expressions of those around me, I wasn't the only one itching for a swift departure.

Snatching my backpack, since Ikaris had already commandeered my clothing bag (and just to clarify, I discovered that he had thoughtfully relocated all my belongings from my apartment to the castle while I was blissfully asleep), I hustled toward the exit. Stepping into the sunlight, I relished the cool, fresh air tousling my hair, a welcome embrace from the place of my birth. Descending the steps, my fellow travelers weren't far behind, and soon the familiar face of a family friend came into view.

"Hey, Happy." I greeted him with a small wave and a grin as I approached. "It's been too long. How've you been?"

"Freya, I've been good, but your dad—man, he's been driving everybody crazy. You'd think he's the one that's the bride instead of Pepper." I burst into laughter at the mental image of the great Tony Stark donning a wedding dress. Happy's gaze shifted behind me, a subtle reminder of our contrasting crew who had been last-minute invitees to the wedding.

"Oh! Happy, this is Dane Whitman, Sersi, Sprite, Ikaris, and that's Druig." I made the introductions while Happy offered handshakes and smiles to each, all of which were graciously accepted.

"Wonderful to meet you all, but I reckon we should make our way to the compound. What do you think, Freya?" Happy began turning away to lead us to the car.

"Um, Happy, if it's alright with you, I think I'll take the wheel in my own car. It's still parked here at the airport, right?" I suggested, foreseeing the need for some candid conversation during the drive without prying ears.

"Yeah, your car's still here if that's what you want."

"Perfect, thanks, Happy. We'll be taking my car then. Come on, guys, this way," I gestured, leading the group away from Happy towards the spot where my car was tucked away. "Bye, Happy! See you later."

. . .

After bidding Happy farewell and making our way to the car, an unexpected debate erupted. It felt like hours of back-and-forth about who would sit where and who had the privilege of being the designated driver. In the end, I asserted my authority – after all, it was my car. (Take that, Druig!) The wee lamb thought he was entitled to drive My Precious. Ikaris, with his plenty of pointless excuses, ended up claiming the front seat next to me. I figured giving in was easier than knocking some sense into his thick head. (And let's be honest, everyone valued their lives enough to avoid arguing with Ikaris.)

The rest of the crew settled in the back: Dane and Sersi first, then Druig and Sprite behind them. We made a few pit stops before heading to the Avengers compound, the chosen venue for the upcoming wedding. Dad insisted on having the entire Avengers family present, and Pepper thought, why not host it at the compound?

Months ago, Pepper had asked me to be her maid of honour. How could I refuse? However, living in the UK and my presentation looming close, we opted for virtual assistance. The plan was to return the day after the presentation, ensuring some much-needed family time together – as Adrien always says. But I guess plans have a way of falling off the rails.

With my focus locked on the road ahead, Sprite decided to unleash the question I had been dreading. "So, you have a private jet, an overly friendly chauffeur who's probably been working for you for years, and a car, that costs more than a million dollars. How rich are you?"

I attempted to laugh off Sprite's question as if it were a poorly crafted joke. "Well, to be honest, my dad owns the jet and employs Happy. The car, though, is mine. I built it myself, with just a tiny bit of help from my brother."

"So, is your dad, like, a millionaire?" Sersi chirped in surprise.

"Um... You might say... um... that he's a bit of a... billionaire." I tried whispering the last part, but I'm pretty sure they all heard it. Their faces were priceless, especially Dane's, who seemed the least suspecting. Dane has mostly known that I come from wealth just like him, but I don't think he could have ever expected how much.

"So, who is your father anyway, Tony Stark?" I didn't know if Ikaris intended it to be a jest or if he was serious, however, he was spot on.

"Well, you could say..." But before I could finish, the forest that surrounded the compound came into view.

"Did you take a wrong turn, love?" Ikaris asked, and I quickly whispered a quick no before heading straight off the street onto the dirt road.

"This is how all scary stories begin. A group of somewhat friends driving into a creepy forest where a creepy monster lives in waiting..."

"We get it, Snow. And besides, if there was a monster, I think it would be scared off within less than five seconds of meeting just one of the four Eternals in this car," I said.

"So true," Sprite shouted from the back as everyone broke out into laughter, including myself.

The road had a few bumps, and the trees began to blur as the car flew by. The people at the back were heavily engaged in some kind of error made in history books, a topic I would have been eagerly soaking up and asking questions about, but with the Avengers so close, I knew I had to acknowledge and share my tiny little secret—the one that had me hiding it from others and running away from it. I just hope this doesn't end too badly.

Breathing slowly out while gathering my thoughts together, I knew it was time. "So, before you meet my family, there are some things I probably should tell you." All eyes were on me as those words left my lips. And before somebody could ask, I continued, "Well, besides the fact that my family is quite well off—um—my dad has a few questionable and odd hobbies you may want to know about before you meet him, and so do his friends. These hobbies make them very well known by a lot of people. They also work for an agency that may or may not be a secret..."

was met with a wall of silence, faces reflecting clear bewilderment as they peered at me through the rearview mirror. Then, breaking the awkward stillness, Druig blurted out, "Does your old man run the mob or something?"

"WHAT? No way!" I practically bellowed, dismissing the absurd notion. Time was ticking away, the trees parting to reveal the compound in all its glory, the imposing 'A' jeering down from the summit of the main building.

With a resigned sigh, I conceded to the inevitable truth.

"My father is Iron Man."