911 | james barnes

012

9:24am, July 17, 2013

New York City, New York

"I should be over all the butterflies but I'm into you!" Violetta's voice was shrill, cutting harshly through the Paramore song playing over the speakers in the tower. With the mop clutched tightly in her hand, she spun and danced around without a care in the world, the other Avengers watching in awe.

Tony watched Violetta dance and sing, her body floating with grace across the polished floor of the Avengers Tower penthouse. Squinting his eyes, he reached over the counter in his usual not-thinking-before-doing ways, his fingers curling around the cold metal of a knife. Stepping toward her slowly, he tossed the knife onto the ground near her feet, the clattering sound drowned out by the volume of the pop song. Hearing Bruce's sputters of protest and disbelief, he shushed the entire group, watching as Violetta danced over the knife, its sharp blade sinking deeply into the flesh of her bare foot.

Yet she did not flinch. Tony's lips quirked, his usual 'I knew I was right' expression slid onto his face as though it belonged. Bruce, Thor and Steve recoiled in shock at the action, Clint and Natasha gazed upon the situation with sadness and remorse brimming their eyes.

"Kid! Hey, yeah, you wanna come help me down in my lab for a bit?" Tony stammered, waving the teen over with his hand. Bruce's elbow made harsh contact with the billionaire's ribs, dark brown eyes glaring into the side of his head.

"What?" Tony whisper-yelled, his back turned toward Violetta who had begun cleaning again.

"You are not experimenting on my daughter!" Bruce growled, his eyes darting over Tony's shoulder to see her, pale hair fell in waves down her back, her movements fluid and graceful as she continued twirling around the room, the mop leaving wet tracks across the floor.

"Well, why not?" Tony replied, his expression baffled.

"B-be-because she's my daughter! She's just a kid, Tony." Bruce yelled aloud, all eyes in the room turning back to him.

"A kid that has amazing and fantastic abilities and showed zero pain stepping on one of the sharpest knives in the world! Come on, Bruce. Don't you want to know how she supposedly survived the same gamma radiation blast that turned you into a giant green rage monster." Tony stated, his face inches from the smaller scientist's. He sighed, walking toward the small Russian girl and ushering her in the way of the elevator.

"Wait, what do you mean supposedly?!" Bruce stuttered, his voice incredulous as he began to run after the pair.

"Tony! What do you mean supposedly?!"

"TONY!"