⮕ 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓 ❘ [𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖛𝖊𝖑 𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖘]

▬▬▬▬ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑱𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏

"Nope. All good," Joanna declined politely, "So what do you want?"

"Well, technically I'm here for business only," Nathan stated, "I wanted to bring my husband but he insists not mixing work and family. So, I'll just be done with the job, and hopefully a present for my daughter,"

"Wow," Joanna blinked at him, "Who knew the bloodthirsty assassin was gonna go gift shopping,"

"Ha!" Nathan scoffed a laugh, "Bloodthirsty assassin. You're very funny Joanna Sanchez,"

"Do you say my whole name to point out that you know it?" Joanna questioned.

"Yes, I know a lot about you," Nathan rested his elbows on the table in front of him, "Parents died in the Battle of New York, which leaves you with your Aunt Grace Sanchez. You and Peter are trying to get into MIT with your little friends MJ and Ned and you're working your ass off for it. Current GPA 3.9. You were in the Stark-Dmitri Internship for a span of two years—"

"Right, okay. I get it," Joanna stopped his monologue, "Thank you," she nodded, "Are you in New York to talk to Tony? Is that why you're here?"

"No. No, no, no," Nathan waved a hand at her dismissively, "I'm here to kill him,"

Joanna's expression faltered as she stared at him, appalled at the revelation.

"I have a question for you," he continued, "What is it? Why do you risk your life for him, Tony Stark? How has everybody forgiven him for his past?"

"He saved the world,"

Nathan snapped her eyes at her, "No," he rolled in a deep voice, "My sister saved the goddamn world. Y/N Dmitri, she saved the world," he spoke in a slow deep voice, voice trembling as he spoke your name, "Stop with that surprised face, it's so not cool,"

Joanna blinked at him, in shock for a completely different reason, "You—You're Ms. Dmitri's brother?"

"Yes,"

"But," she blinked, thinking to herself, "She told me all her family members were dead,"

"Oh, no. I was," he explained, "But then I faked my death and then, blah, blah, blah, it's a long story," he waved it off.

"Wow. I did not see that coming. Thank God, I didn't kill you up there," 

Nathan choked on his cup of tea, coughing as he slowly began to laugh, tipping his head back as though it was the funniest joke he ever heard.

"You kill me?" he spoke in between laughs, "Again, oh, Joanna Sanchez, you are so funny. That's hilarious,"

"Mr. Stark and Ms. Dmitri were friends," Joanna spoke, "Why are you after him?"

Nathan cocked his head to the side, examining her words, "You are so fond of him. It tells me you don't really know who he is,"

"He came out here to protect me and Peter,"

"No. He came here to protect his reputation," he clarified, pointing his mug at her, "Do you know how many people he killed? All the sins of his past will haunt him to his grave, wrapping around his body like a cocoon of blood,"

"Okay. Wow. That was very poetic," Joanna remarked.

"Thank you,"

"He's still an Avenger,"

"What does that word even mean? Huh?" Nathan only got aggravated by this, "That it holds so much power. You call him a hero no matter what he does? No matter what he did?!"

"It means that when you choose to spend your life trying to help people," Joanna got defensive.

"So I can just kill whoever I want, and the choose to help people? I'm, what, saved by the title of 'Avenger'?" Nathan mocked.

The teen glared at him and continued, "When you do so, there are going to be things that you lose. When you face the kind of threats that he has, there's going to be collateral damage,"

"My sister is gone," Nathan's voice shook, "Because of him. He put her up to the suicide mission,"

"What? No," the teen denied, "No, that is— No,"

"Are you calling her collateral damage?"

"I would never," Joanna stared down at your brother fiercely, "Ms. Dmitri was everything to me. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. And no. Mr. Stark didn't do it,"

Nathan shook his head in amusement, sniffing, "How long have you known Tony Stark?"

"7 years,"

"Minus the Blip," he deadpanned knowingly.

"2 years," She corrected her earlier statement.

"And did you know him before he became his big hero you suppose he is? When he sold nukes like they were Christmas candy canes?"

"No," Joanna mumbled weakly.

Nathan watched her for a few seconds, "We are defined by what we do. Not by nice words. Like it or not, there is no escaping this, Jo," he sighed, looking up at the teen in front of him.

"Thank you for the tea party, truly," Nathan stood up from the chair, placing his palm on the table to push himself up.

Joanna huffed lightly, watching him head towards the door, "Wait, aren't you gonna use the window?"

Nathan turned to her over his shoulder, "What, no. I'd much rather take the stairs. And please, I'm not that dramatic and I don't have the energy to fly down the window. You literally live on the 14th floor,"

She watched him leave, twisting the doorknob and pulling the door open.

"Oh, and kid," Nathan spared one final glance at her, "Do not get in my way again,"

With that he stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind him, leaving poor Joanna to process what had just happened.

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