Battle Strategies | Tony Stark [1]

ONE

"I am Zeus, and I am looking for my daughter."

The words rang through the silent room, no one daring to say a word, no one sure what to do and no one sure what to say. Of course Fury, who knew who Athena was, didn't know where she was, had no answer for the godly man. Tony, however, felt his heart drop as he knew exactly where Athena was. Outside, waiting in his car for him as he grabs his wallet. He was finally taking her out for dinner and all that was stopping them was his lack of wallet, and well now, Zeus.

The god in question wasn't anything like Tony had imagined. He had a kind face, but it was weather beaten and aged. His voice was deep and Tony could only imagine how intimidating it would be when he starts yelling and threatening him for answers. This was not how he wanted this night to go.

Zeus remained patient with the mortals in front of him, he believed himself to be a fair being so he believed that he must give the lesser beings time to think. It had been too long since he'd been on earth, things had changed so much and humanity had evolved, for better or for worse, he wasn't sure yet. He studied the mortals in front of him. The man with the darker complexion was an interesting character, he decided. A man with a lot of secrets and with one hell of a story.

The second man was harder to read. He held himself with much confidence, but underneath that was still a man who craved attention and approval. Zeus could tell he was a highly intelligent man, who cared greatly about his brains and ideas. He looked like a man who had everything but also nothing. He was lacking companionship and family, but that was beginning to change.

All three males turned their gazes to the front door as the audible click of the door opening traveled through the room. The recognizable sound of heels clicking against the floor, along with a familiar voice followed the sound. "Tony, why are the alarms blaring? Did someone break in?"

Tony shut his eyes at the sound of her voice, painfully aware of the glare that was being directed at him by the godly man. Athena made her way into the living room, confused as to why the alarms where going off. Blood drained from her face, as she spotted the face of her father.

"Shit."

[2 years later]

The world was ending in Tony's eyes. His stomach was churning, his muscles tightening uncomfortably causing him to moan. His hands shook and were undeniably sweaty as he could do nothing to help his situation. His head was pounding and nothing about his vision was right. He breathed heavily as everything around him spun uncontrollably, colors combining together as he whimpered. "I've gone vegan."

Tony's stomach churned again and he clutched the bowl of the toilet as he gagged and spluttered. His world was ending. It had been two years since he had last seen her. Her blonde hair that glowed, her stunningly blue eyes that always sparkled and her smile that she rarely let anyone see. Tony gagged again. "Oh, god!"

God had an entirely new meaning to him now since that night. The night she left and never came back, the night Zeus arrived and the night he left again. He hadn't heard shit from her, the very thought sending another whimper from his mouth. "I'm not going to make it."

Tony hurled again, a dramatic cry leaving his lips as he felt nothing but pity for himself. "Oh, god!"

Pepper stood bored at the door frame into the bathroom, holding the iron man helmet under her arm. At the start, she felt pity for him but that was two years ago. Now, he was being nothing but dramatic, only using the same excuse over and over again. Athena.

The fully grown man, decked out in his suit of armor, minus the helmet, was undeniably hungover. This was his new default mode, however. It been too long since Pepper had seen the man completely sober. His words always slurred when in her company or Rhodey's, he had a special skill of pulling it together when being in front of large crowds, most of the time. His actions were always clumsy, expect when he was in the lab and workshop, and his mouth had a tendency to run wild, coming out with the most crazy of stuff.