Choices

Chapter Seventeen

 "My parents never got a chance to celebrate my eighteenth birthday with me. I'm grateful to be here spending yours with you," Tony glances over at me with a humorless expression.

 "Oh," I don't know how to respond to that. I realize that Tony was only seventeen when Howard and Maria were in the car accident. We sit in silence for a minute. I awkwardly clear my throat, "What were they like? My grandparents, I mean."

 "Your grandfather was a dick," Tony scoffs, "Never did show any affection. All he cared about was the business and Captain America. Seriously, he talked better about him than he ever did me. He was drunk off his ass just about every time he was home. Guess it's not a wonder where I got that problem from... Even though I say all of that, I wouldn't be here where I am without him."

 "What about my grandma?" I look down at my hands as I fiddle with them in my lap.

 "She was beautiful, first of all. She was affectionate but at the same time hard. It took a strong woman to put up with someone like my dad for that long. She loved people and was very social. She always believed everyone had a purpose...

 "Here, let me see your hand," Tony says unexpectedly. I hold out my right hand to him. He takes my hand and taps my index finger, "You see how your finger bends slightly to the right?"

 "Yeah?" I reply as I intently watch my hand.

 "You get that from her," Tony looks up at me.

 "Oh, wow..." I'm fascinated by this small fact. Since I will never meet my other grandparents, it is nice to know that I am connected to them even in a simple genetic way.

 "Yeah," Tony leans back against the metal wall, quickly abandoning our conversation. He holds a finger up to his ear, "Okay, roger that."

 "What?" I ask when he stands up.

 "They need me in the cockpit," He walks away.

 I nod as I stay seated. I pick up the debriefing file just because I have nothing else to do. I am only looking at it for another minute before someone approaches me.

 "So we're being led by the daddy-daughter duo," An agent stands in front of me, "You realize that most of us men here have been a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for over five years? You've been one for only a few months and your daddy isn't even an agent."

 "I'm sorry you got your feelings hurt," I reply coldly. The agent does not look happy as a few other agents snigger. I stand up to face him, "Do you not respect me as your leader?"

 "Hell no, you're a seventeen year old girl who thinks just because you wear a million dollar suit means you can be the boss," He sneers as he folds his arms across his chest.

 "You do realize that I cannot have any agent on my team that doesn't respect me or my leadership?" I cock my head. I read the nametag stitched on his suit, "Agent Brett?"

 "I can't respect someone who's nothing but a suit," Agent Brett jeers. He takes a step back to point at me as he addresses the other agents, "I can't be the only one who-"

 I take this opportunity to grab his extended arm to support my body as I swing up leg up, my foot kicking the side of his face. I give him another kick to the side of his knee before twisting his arm and flipping him down to the ground. "Just a suit, huh?" I ask him as he groans, "And I'm eighteen, by the way."

 "Anyone else who does not respect myself or Tony as your operation leader, please speak up now so we can relieve you from this mission," I look at the seventeen other agents, "I want to know that you will have my back today as I will have yours."