Disarm • Stark

2. Natalie Rushman & the Electric Man.

"The notary's here! Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork?" Pepper shouted as she entered the gym, where Tony and Happy were practicing boxing with each other.

Little Mazzy Stark trailed behind her, copying her posture and the way she was walking. "The notary's here, Dad!" she announced.

"I'm on Happy time," Tony responded, not looking away from his opponent.

Mazzy looked over at the two men, hitting each other with big, padded gloves. It didn't look very fun. It looked gross, actually. They were both sweating profusely. So, Mazzy looked away and followed Pepper over to some chairs in the corner of the room, just before sitting down beside her. Soon after, a woman with long, dark red hair and a black pencil skirt walked into the gym, too, making her way over to Pepper.

"I promise you this is the only time I will ask you to sign over your company," Pepper called out to Tony. He wasn't listening well, though. He was too busy watching the red-haired woman.

"I need you to initial each box," the red-haired woman told Pepper. Pepper did, and Mazzy peeked over her shoulder to see.

"I could sign it for Dad. I know how to spell his name," Mazzy offered, seeing as Tony was too busy beating the crap out of Happy to come and sign the papers.

The red-haired woman smiled, but shook her head. "That's forgery, sweetheart," she said.

"Oh."

"What's your name, lady?" Tony asked loudly, pointing to the red-haired woman from inside the ring.

"Rushman. Natalie Rushman," the red-haired woman, Natalie, answered.

"Front and center. Come into the church," Tony said as he sprayed a stream of water into his mouth.

Pepper gave him a death glare and Natalie honestly looked a bit confused. Mazzy crossed her arms, tossing her head back in annoyance. "Oh, brother," she huffed out.

"No. You're seriously not gonna ask her-" Pepper didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence before Tony interrupted her.

"If it pleases the court. Which it does," Tony said.

"It's no problem," Natalie said, closing up her file and walking confidently toward the ring as Pepper and Mazzy murmured apologies for Tony's strange behavior. Natalie stepped into the ring and Tony stared at her for a good thirty seconds as he gulped down his drink. Usually, whenever Tony was acting like this, it was easy for Mazzy to see that people were uncomfortable. Not Natalie Rushman. Natalie Rushman stared back at him, just as intensely.

"What?" Tony asked to fill in the excruciating silence. He looked away, a smirk playing at his lips. After a moment, he let his face fall blank again and turned to Happy. "Can you, uh, give her a lesson?" he said, which Happy happily did. As Tony walked over to where Pepper and Mazzy were sitting, whispering Pepper's name, Mazzy gave him a confused and judgemental look. He didn't seem to notice. "Pepper!"

"What?" Pepper asked. Tony took a seat right between Pepper and Mazzy on the seat only made for two. They both huffed and crossed their arms.

"Who is she?"

"She is from legal. And she is potentially a very expensive sexual harassment lawsuit if you keep ogling her like that," Pepper said, only glancing up from her cell phone to give Tony a pointed look.

"Yeah. You're harassing her, Dad," Mazzy said, giving him the same pointed look that Pepper had given him just a moment before.

Tony rolled his eyes, pretending that he wasn't amused by Mazzy's attempt to be like Pepper. He wrapped his arm around Mazzy's neck and pressed his hand over her mouth, playfully silencing her, as he turned to look at Pepper again. "I need a new assistant, boss," he said.