It Starts and Ends Where Love Began [Blackhill x daughter through the years]

17) Mother's Boxing

"Right, yes. Thank you. Tell Sasha I love her. And if you see her tell her to go fuck herself."

"Of course."

Natasha steps back out and takes a deep breath before walking over to Pepper Potts. She's taking over for Stark Industries apparently and Natasha's doing her best to hide her excitement. Stark did not deserve this company.

"Hello, you must be the notary. Right this way." Pepper Potts. Today she's taking over the company.

"Yes, thank you."

They walk through the hall, some beige-ish coloring with some floor to ceiling lights, Ms Potts leading the way rather quickly. Natasha could hear the boxing before she saw it, she could hear the click of Pepper's heels before she caught up, she could see it all ten steps ahead.

"The notary's here!" Ms Potts announces. "Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork?" The paperwork that makes Tony no longer in charge. What a 'selfless' move. Natasha wonders why.

Tony punches whoever he's punching, replying quickly with, "I'm on happy time."

Maria would laugh, Natasha merely plagues herself with the thought of being here. She should be worrying about her daughter. About Maria. Not a good-for-nothing billionaire who built himself a suit of armor.

Natasha hears the bickering between Tony and whoever. Tony gave an unneeded, sloppy uppercut to the man. Natasha agrees with the opponent when he calls it dirty boxing, not mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts is much more precise, and not in a boxing ring.

Natasha takes it as her cue to walk in, fading away from herself and into Natalie Rushman.

She gives them time to take her in, standing a little too long and looking a little ways away. She's dressed in a button up white shirt, the buttons open a little too low. She's in dress pants and a belt, black heels accessorizing the whole look. Her hair is long and wavy. She looks stunning, but mature. The look she's orchestrated for herself for this mission. Maria would love it, if she were there, or here, or in some proximity to her family.

Natasha holds the binder. This is great.

Tony stares, as does the man. Happy Hogan, that's his name. Bodyguard security persona, in short. But there was definitely more to him than that.

"I promise you this is the only time I will ask you to sign over your company." Pepper says in that annoying, present voice of hers. She seems together, but still somewhat unsure. It's relaxing to know Natasha's not the only one who's not sure what she's doing here. No- Natasha knows. She just wishes she could skip this out.

Natasha walks over to her anyways, not because she generally wants to but because it's what she needs to do. It's her mission. Keep an eye on Stark but do what any legal woman would. Which includes making Pepper Potts the new CEO of Stark Industries.

"I need you to initial each box," Natasha says matter-of-factly. She holds out the pen to her, holding out the open binder. She can see Stark staring. No. She is Maria's, she is Sasha's. Wherever Maria is, she's still hers.

Happy bonks him on the head. "Lesson one, never take your eye off the-"

Tony kicks him in response.

Natasha watches, holding back an eye roll and continuing to act 'sexy' instead. They're just a bunch of bulky men wasting away, not really doing anything important. She has to assess Tony Stark/Iron man, she knows that. See if he's worth anything in the Avengers Initiative. She's really not sure what she'll say.

Tony and Happy finish up, and as Natasha sees Stark pointing at her she looks up. "What's your name, lady?" He questions. He couldn't have asked nicer?

"Rushman," Natasha replies. "Natalie Rushman." It's so rehearsed it's like she's not even thinking.