Battle Strategies | Tony Stark [1]

TWELVE

"All right, I think we got..."

"I'll... I'll... I'll come in and..."

The video changed and a recording of Howard drinking a glass of whiskey appeared, a frighteningly familiar image that Athena was all to familiar with, in terms to Tony.

"Are you waiting on me?"

The video changes again.

"So, from all of us at Stark Industries, I'd like to personally show you my ass. I'd like to... I can't... This is... I can't... We have this, don't we? This is a ridiculous way..."

Tony flicked another page of the notebook, coming to a blank page. He frowned and flipped through the rest of the notebook, only to be faced with more blank pages. An uncomfortable feeling washed over him as he realized that his father probably never got to finish it because of his death.

"Everything is achievable through technology."

Athena watched as Tony threw the book aside, grabbing the glass beside him. He took a sip, glancing at the tape to make sure it was still playing as there was no one talking before looking away again. Athena looked at the tape too, recognizing what was about to play. The part that she knew would set Tony into action.

"Tony." Tony's head snapped in the direction of the screen once more."You're too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you. And someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation... is you."

Athena watched the screen turn black, aware of how tense Tony's body was underneath her. She twisted in her seat, to face him as he hastily wiped at his eyes.

"Don't." Athena mumbled, softly grabbing his hands away from his eyes. His eyes glistened slightly.

"Don't what?" He muttered back.

"Wipe away your emotions." Athena said softly, squeezing his hands with her own. "You're not a robot, Tony. You have feelings, and feelings demand to be felt. It's okay to be sad, frustrated, angry..."

"I'm not sad." Tony denied, sniffing.

"Yes you are and that's alright. You're allowed to cry. You're allowed shout. You're allowed to be human." Athena spoke passionately, unconsciously leaning forward. "You're allowed-"

Athena was suddenly cut off by the sudden pressure of lips against her own. Tony's hands cupped her cheeks as he pressed his lips against hers, a familiar and welcome unknown feeling fluttering his stomach as she kissed him back. He felt happy, for the first time in a long time.

Athena missed this feeling. The sensation of his lips on hers, the way his hands gently caressed her skin when they kissed, the way everything just seemed to fix itself without her help. It was perfect. Just Athena and Tony, alone together.

--

Athena sat in the passenger seat of Tony's car as he drove speedily down the road toward Stark Industries. She felt her eyebrows raise as Tony slowed slightly and began pulling over on the side of the road where a small stall was set up beside a trunk full of strawberries. She remained silent as Tony slowed to a stop as a man approached the car with a box of strawberries in his hands.

"¿Cuánto cuesta?" Tony asked once he had came to stop, in the man's native language.

"$6. Six." He replied in English.