Disarm • Stark

8. Ice Cream & Space Magicians.

The last thing any seven-year-old ever wants to do is sit in their room, doing math. Unfortunately for Mazzy, that was the very thing she was stuck doing. Algebra, nevertheless. Solving for X was maybe even worse than fractions. No, they were worse than fractions because algebra could include fractions. Algebra already sucked by itself, but it also had fractions to add to that suckiness.

It was sort of fun, though, because Mazzy got to this homework in her new bedroom. Her bedroom in California was a bit boring considering she'd been living there her whole life, but her bedroom in Stark Tower was more fun because she hadn't stayed there before. They were there that night, however, because Tony was setting up a clean source of energy for the new building.

Mazzy wasn't the least bit interested in this new arc reactor that was powering the building. She wasn't at all interested in whatever she could hear Pepper and Tony arguing about from the living room, either, until she heard an unfamiliar voice enter the conversation.

Glady, Mazzy dropped her pencil on her desk and shot up out of her chair, making her way to the living room. The first thing she heard upon entering the room was Pepper joyfully greeting the stranger with a smile on her face. "Phil! Come in."

Phil? Who was this guy? And why did Mazzy recognize his name?

"Phil?" Tony murmured, scrunching his face up with distaste. He stood up from the floor and quickly followed after Pepper to meet Phil by the door. "Uh, his first name is agent."

That made a bit more sense. He must have been a Shield agent. That was probably why Mazzy recognized his name.

Mazzy jumped onto the couch and stood on her knees to watch the whole interaction. What did Phil- or Agent, rather- have to say that was so urgent to the point that he had to hack into their tower?

Pepper, unlike Tony, didn't seem at all phased as she happily invited Phil to join them. "We're celebrating," she said. Mazzy didn't know they were celebrating. All she knew was that she was supposed to be doing her algebra work.

"Which is why he can't stay," Tony said. He glanced over at Mazzy, raising his eyebrows. "And why I sent you to your room," he said, pointing a finger at her. Mazzy gave him an exaggerated, toothy smile.

Tony rolled his eyes and turned back to Phil, who held a big black folder in his hands. From the looks of it, Tony was about to get involved with something he had zero interest in getting involved with. "We need you to look this over as soon as possible," Phil said. He held the folder out to Tony, who looked at it like it was some sort of bomb or something.

Mistake number one.

"Um, I don't like to be handed things," Tony said, making it very clear that he did not like Phil being there.

"He doesn't like being handed things," Mazzy echoed, pressing her lips together.

Phil gave both Starks a confused look.

"That's fine," Pepper interrupted, reaching for the folder, "because I love to be handed things. So, let's trade." Phil gave her the folder and Pepper gave him her champagne glass. Then, Pepper placed the folder in Tony's hands and took his champagne glass.

Dad glared at Phil as he said, "Official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday." He was making it up on the spot, very obviously. Mazzy didn't understand why he wanted to be Iron Man so badly if he didn't want any work to do.

"This isn't a consultation," Phil told him.

Mazzy leaned off the side of the couch. "Ooh! Is this about the Avengers Initiative?!" she asked enthusiastically.