August 15 2012
It's been two years since Whiplash and all that happened, things are going great for Josie Stark. Her dance lessons are going great, her dad and Pepper are in a very stable relationship, and she's almost convinced Tony to let her get a hamster. Things are calm- too calm. She has the ever-looming sense that everything is about to go to, for lack of a better term, shit. Damn right they are, Josie.
Cut to right now, Josie is in the living room of the penthouse of her dad's new building, Stark Towers, dancing to 'Promiscuous' on Just Dance. And, I have to add, smashing the dance out of the park. Tony and Pepper are flirting and talking business over the phone, as he finalized the arc reactor or something- Josie wasn't paying attention to their conversation at dinner last night.
As the dance ends, Tony walks in, "Levels are holding steady, I think.", Pepper bites her lip, as she looks at a graph.
"Of course they are, I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question. How does it feel to be a genius?", he grins, walking over to her.
"Well, I really wouldn't know, now, would I?"
"What do you mean? All this came from you."
"No, all this came from that."
"Jesus guys, get a room.", Josie mutters (it's now her favourite phrase, since she learnt what it actually means) as she walks over to them.
"Come on, Pep. Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself twelve percent of the credit.", he says.
"Twelve percent?", Pepper gasps.
"An argument could be made for fifteen.", Tony shrugs.
"Twelve percent? My baby?", Pepper shakes her head.
"Well, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted all the heavy things. And, sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you."
"Oh.", Pepper rolls her eyes.
"Arguing like a married couple.", Josie mumbles.
"My private elevator-"
"You mean our elevator?"
"Y- Uh- It was teeming with sweaty workmen.", he complains, sitting down next to Pepper and Josie, "I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?"
"It's not going to be that subtle.", Pepper smiles.
"I'll tell you what, the next building is gonna say 'Potts' on the tower.", he offers.
"On the lease.", she grins, going to clink glasses with him.
He pulls his flute of champagne backwards, "Eek, call your mom, can you bunk over?"
Josie pulls a face, "Old people talk is so weird."
Tony feigns being hurt, "You hear that, Pep? We're old!", he gasps.
"And that's surprising?", Josie raises an eyebrow.
The phone begins to ring, "Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overridden.", J.A.R.V.I.S says.
"Mr. Stark, we need to talk.", Coulson says, over Tony's phone.
"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message.", Tony lies.
"This is urgent."
"Then leave it urgently."
"Coulson, save me! It's date night, I might throw up!", Josie yells.
The elevator doors open and out walks Coulson, "Security breach. It's on you.", Tony points to Pepper.
"Mr. Stark.", Coulson says.
"Phil, come on in!", Pepper exclaims.
"It's Philip from the agency with the long name! Hiya!", Josie grins, walking over to him.
Tony pulls a face, "Phil?"
"I can't stay.", Phil tells them, walking in.
"Uh, his first name is 'Agent'.", Tony says, following Pepper over to where Coulson's stood.
"Come on in, we're celebrating!", Pepper smiles.
"Which is why he can't stay.", Tony gives him the fakest smile possible.
"Please stay, I can't physically stomach being alone with them any longer.", Josie pleads.
"We need you to look this over as soon as possible.", Coulson hand Tony a file, or at least tries to.
"I don't like being handed things.", Tony says- drama queen.
"That's fine because I love to be handed things.", Pepper hands her champagne flute to Josie, takes the file from Coulson, and hands it to Tony, in turn taking his champagne flute, "Thank you."
Josie downs the champagne Pepper handed her in one gulp, "Ew. That is not as nice as you guys make it out to be.", she grimaces.
"Underaged drinking! Not cool.", Tony shakes his head disapprovingly.
"Hypocrite.", Josie mumbles.
Tony turns his attention back to Coulson, "Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday."
"This isn't a consultation.", Coulson says.
"Is this about the Avengers?", Pepper asks, "Which I know nothing about.", she adds on the end.
"Is Captain America involved? Please tell me Captain America's involved!", Josie squeals, then corrects herself, "I don't know who Captain America is? What's the Avengers Initiative? I didn't know Dad was rejected and Natalie was secretly a spy all along.", she blatantly lies.
"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought, and I didn't even qualify.", Tony says, walking over to his desk.
"I didn't know that either."
"Who's Iron Man?", Josie adds.
"Apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others.", Tony lists.
"That I did know.", Pepper nods.
"Damn right.", Josie says, and the two high-five.
"This isn't about personality profiles anymore.", Coulson explains.
"Whatever.", Tony scoffs, "Ms. Potts, got a second?", he beckons her over.
"Half a mo.", she says, walking over to him.
"You know, I thought we were having a moment.", he says, not looking up from his screen.
"I was having twelve percent of a moment.", Pepper teases.
"I was also present!", Josie calls, "And very uncomfortable!"
"This seems serious, Phil's pretty shaken."
"How would you know if- Why is he 'Phil'? Also, how does Josie know him? They've never met before."
"Not that you know of.", Josie grins.
"Uh-", Tony narrows his eyes.
Pepper diverts the attention back to the screen, "What is all this?"
"This is, uh-", he swipes, so there are holograms, with profiles of Thor, Steve Rogers, and Bruce Banner, "This."
Pepper looks around and sighs, "I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight."
"Tomorrow.", he insists.
"You have homework. You have a lot of homework."
"Well, what if I didn't?"
"If you didn't?", she raises her eyebrows.
"Yeah.", he nods.
"You mean when you've finished? Well, um, then...", she leans in and whispers something in Tony's ear, and from the look on his face, Josie has no interest in finding out what she said.
Awkwardly, Josie turns to Coulson, "So, weather's nice out, huh?", she says, looking anywhere but at Tony and Pepper.
Coulson chuckles and a few moments later, Pepper comes walking over, "So any chance you're driving by LaGuardia?"
"I can drop you.", Phil says.
"Fantastic.", she kisses Josie on the forehead, "See you later."
"Bye Pep, have a safe flight!", she says, walking towards Tony, "See 'ya, Phil!" Tony stares at the holograms, picking up a glowing cube thing. Josie gawps at all the information, not understanding about ninety-seven percent of it, "The world's weird, huh?"
* * * * *
(a/n) Hey guys! Remember to vote, comment, and all that jazz!!!
-Hannah(;
Coming up soon:
Present day:
Josie and Peter go on a date!
2010:
Loki!!!!!!
Battle of New York!
Next chapter title:
Josie meets a date