Regenerate | X-Men/Avengers - Pt. 1

Ch. 22

Vince's things were just put into storage.

When Scott turned my way I had my back to him. The sound of the closet door shutting got me moving. I didn't know where to go, I didn't want to go back to my room, or to the lounge, or anywhere in the house. I dreaded every piece of furniture, every corner, every painting on the wall. I walked until I was deep in the woods, far past the point where Vince had talked to John, past the place where I'd wandered in my sleep, and just kept walking.

I'm sitting in the snow, the sunlight waning. There's nothing you could've done to stop him, they say. That's impossible. There's always something I can do, but opportunity just slips through my fingers. Why? Am I scared? Do I still assume someone more capable than me will take care of it? Or do I sit here and tell myself I deserved it?

The sun has set and my jeans are probably soaked through, but I can't feel my butt so it hardly matters. My arms and face feel like ice, but I'm burning up inside. I check the time on my phone. It's just barely six o'clock.

---

Wind whips around the flowing curves of the cliff side mansion. Rain and ocean spray combine as they noiselessly brush across the acres of glass facing the dimming light of the horizon.

"Sir, there appears to be a young woman at the front door. She did not enter through the gate, so I would assume this is your teleporter?"

Tony ponders for a second trying to remember what the heck JARVIS is referring to.

"Tony."

He scrambles to his feet and jogs upstairs. Pepper stands on the landing with a forbidding expression. "She's here?"

"Yeah." Tony plays it cool.

"And you were going to tell me about this when?"

"Um, right now. I'm probably gonna need you around for this, so."

"I have a call with the vice chairman of-"

"No you don't, that's been cancelled."

"Cancelled? Tony, you're cancelling my calls now?"

"Well, you're my assistant, and right now I need you to assist me."

"What, you mean supervise?" Pepper gives a strained smile as she catches the girl's eye through the glass door. "Why is she here?"

"Look, Peps, she did me a favor and I'm paying it back, I thought you'd like that."

The door opens and the girl walks in with a cautious smile.

"Pepper this is...Ace."

The girl gives him a dry look. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Potts."

Pepper shakes her hand and finds it chilled. "Come sit by the fireplace. I take it you made it home fine the other night?"

"Course she did," Tony answers, "she's a teleporter."

The girl looks startled at Tony, then almost frightened at Pepper.

"She came here for the assistant internship."

"No, I didn't," Ace answers quickly. "I said no to that, was very clear."

"She agreed to it if I showed her the suit."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Pepper puts her hands out, "what assistant internship?"