Peace.
That one word. I never knew it could be a feeling.
I've never felt it.
Something flashes.
Red and blue. It seems to be a... onesie?
It was gone again, as fast as it came.
It's so quiet. So calm. So... blue.
' was he married?' a strange voice asks. It wasn't all that strange. I think I've heard it before.
' there was a cellist I think.' I heard dad reply.
What the heck where they talking about.
"...she asked me to find you. That was the last thing she told me." Another voice says.
Everywhere is suddenly dark. I look around nothing but darkness. I look around for everyone but no one is here.
I stand up trying to call out but nothing. I suddenly see a blinding light seeping through a door. Wait, a door?
I simply shrug not like I have any options. I move to open the door but it disappears out of my reach leading me into the room that was glowing blue. I see a shining blue stone in the room, the glow seemed so familiar.
I look down at my hand to see them glow just like the stone. I move my hand out to touch the stone, I feel so alive. My hand touched the blue stone and I could feel power surging through my veins, the gem glows brighter, like we were feeding off each other.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, accompanied by a muffled sound. I was annoyed. Why can't I just enjoy this peace a little longer?
The muffled sound comes again, louder than before. It seems they're calling out to someone. But who? Why were they disturbing me to get to whosoever they were trying to get to?
The bang comes again.
This time I feel it. I could feel something or someone touching me. Begrudgingly, I open my eyes. The first thing that I see is the stars.
Beautiful as always.
"...sa, Lisa?" I heard someone call out.
I try to place the very familiar voice. I'm sure I've heard it about a billion times.
"Are you okay?" He asked as I sat up, grabbing my head. It felt like a truck just ran over my head.
"What the hell just happened?" I croaked out.
I noticed sand was on my body so I tried to wipe it off but it wasn't useful.
"You just fell out of a moving vehicle without using your powers. I'm surprised you haven't sustained any injury." He said helping me up.
"Why is my head banging?" I muttered but I guess he caught it.
"Well, to take you out of the state you were in, I hit you hard with the butt of the gun. Cognitive recalibration." He explained.
I gasp touching the back of my head.
"If I annoyed you that much, you should have told me, not try to put me into coma, Fury." I said rubbing my head.
He just rolled his eye and turned around.
"We have to get you home before your dad throws me off his building." He said.
I nod, taking note of our surroundings. "Why the hell is that helicopter on fire?"
▪️▪️▪️
The elevator door opens letting me in to the living room. I see Pepper bending over a computer screen and head towards her.
"...Are we off the grid?" I heard her ask as I move closer. I tap her and she jumps a little before hugging me.
"How was your walk?" She whispered and I nodded, raising my thumbs.
"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy." Dad's voice comes in filling the room.
"Wow. So maybe our reactor takes over and it actually works?" Pepper asks.
"I assume. Light her up." Dad says as I press the button lighting the building.
"How does it look?" Pepper asks.
"Like Christmas, but with more... me." Dad replies and I roll my eyes.
"Gotta go wider on the public awareness campaign. You need to do some press. I'm in DC tomorrow. I'm working on the zoning for the next three buildings." Pepper said and I groan at all the paperwork and conferences.
"Pepper, you're killing me. Remember? Enjoy the moment." Dad says.
"Yeah. This is a vacation. A Stark vacation." I said as I walked back to the couch slumping on it.
"Then get in here and I will." I hear Pepper reply, flirting. I gagged.
"Sir, Agent Coulson of SHIELD is on the line." JARVIS informs and I tense.
"I'm not in. I'm actually out." Dad replies.
"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting." JARVIS replies.
"Grow a spine Jarvis. I got a date." He replies as he walks in.
"Levels are holding steady... I think." Pepper says
"Of course they are, I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genius?" Dad asks and I roll my eyes.
"Well, ha, even though I live with two, I really wouldn't know now, would I?" Pepper replies.
"What do you mean? All this came from you." I quip in sitting up.
"No. All this came from that." She replies pointing to dad's reactor.
"Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby." I said.
"Yeah! Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit." Dad says.
"Twelve percent?" Pepper and I ask at the same time.
"An argument can be made for fifteen." Dad replies trying to salvage the situation.
"Twelve percent? For my baby?" Pepper asks as she moves towards me.
"Well, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you." Dad replies following her.
"Oooooh." Pepper replies as she passes me to the table pouring champagne into two glasses.
"My private elevator..." Dad starts
"You mean OUR elevator?" Pepper asks.
" ...was teeming with sweaty workmen checking out my sixteen year old daughter, who just hit the growth sprout." Dad says.
"I'm eighteen." I piped in as he ruffles my hair. I smack his hand away and he laughs before going to sit beside Pepper on the floor.
"I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?" Dad asks.
"Not gonna be that subtle." Pepper replies and I roll my eyes.
"I'll tell you what. Next building's gonna say 'Potts' on the tower." Dad tries to patronize.
"On the lease." Pepper replies.
"...Call your mom, can you bunk over?" Dad asks.
"Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten." JARVIS says and I remember Phil.
"Starks, we need to talk." Phil's voice comes in.
Dad picks up his phone and looks at it.
"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message." Dad says in an almost robotic voice. I almost burst out laughing.
"This is urgent." Phil replies.
"Then leave it urgently." Dad quips and the elevator door opens, revealing Phil holding his phone to his ear.
"Security breach." Dad calls out after realising he's been caught before turning to Pepper.
"That's on you."
"Mr. Stark." Phil greets.
"Phil! Come in." Pepper says as she stands up to meet him.
"Phil? You too? His first name is Agent." Dad says as he stands up rushing after her like the love sick puppy he is.
"Come on in, we're celebrating." Pepper invites.
"Which is why he can't stay." Dad quips.
"We need you to look this over." He informs handing dad the laptop he was holding. "Soon as possible."
"I don't like being handed things." Dad replies after looking at the laptop for a few seconds.
"That's alright, 'cause I love to be handed things. So, let's trade." Pepper replies as she extends her glass of champagne to Phil and takes the laptop from him, then takes dad's glass and hands him the file. Dad didn't realise what was going on until the laptop was in his hands.
"Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday." Dad grumbles after realizing what had just happened.
"This isn't a consultation." Phil replies as dad opens the file. He opens the laptop.
"Is this about The Avengers?" Phil sends her a look.
"Which I...I know nothing about." Pepper continues.
"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify." Dad replies as he walks towards the work table.
"I did." I added.
"I didn't know that either." Pepper said.
"Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others."
"That I did know." Pepper says.
"This isn't about personality profiles anymore." Phil says and I stand up and head towards them.
"Whatever. Miss Potts, got a minute?" Dad calls from behind me.
"Half a moment." Pepper whispers as she walks over to dad.
I stand beside Phil and sigh.
"He doesn't know does he?" He asks quietly.
"Nah. I'd like to keep it that way." I replied.
"Any word on it yet?" I ask.
"No. Not that I'm aware of." He replies and I sigh.
I see dad expand his hands and different profiles appear in holographic form.
I look at all the images from here and I saw a very very familiar red white and blue-
"Is that-?" I ask gripping Phil's hand in excitement.
"Yeah. We found him in the ice a few months ago." He says.
"And you didn't tell me? I thought we were friends." I said.
"Not friends, more like the annoying little sister I can seem to get rid of." He replied and I hit him with my elbow. "But seriously, it was an official matter and only few people knows about it." He replies.
"You're going to pick him up aren't you?" I ask.
"Yeah." He replies.
"I'm coming with you." I said.
"I don't think-" he tries to decline.
"Come on, Phil. You're not going to deny your little sister, are you?" I ask giving him my greatest puppy eye.
"Lisa, it's not in my control-" he starts.
"Fine, I'll ask Fury. He'll let me." I concluded and he just sighs in defeat.
I look up just in time to see Pepper and dad kissing and I roll my eyes.
"Don't leave without me." I tell Phil as Pepper walks towards us. She gives me a hug.
"I'll see you tomorrow." She says as she enters the elevator with Phil. I throw both of them one last wave before the door closes.
I walk towards dad, who was holding the holograph form of the Tessaract in his hands, a worried expression on his face.
I stand beside him putting my head on his shoulder, he sighs.
"We're going to be just fine." I comforted both of us.