Anthony sat on the sideline swatching everyone dance.
He was tired of dancing after Natasha had dragged him to the floor for a bit.
He was drained. Everything was just exhausting now. He just sat at a table and closed his eyes for a bit.
All he wanted was some silence. He felt like pretending to go to the bathroom, but, use a portal to go to the tower and be alone.
He was about to get up when he saw his dad walk over and sit down next to him. "You look soooo engaged." Strange said as he handed his son a drink. Anthony sipped it.
"How are you feeling?" Strange asked him.
"Like I shouldn't be here enjoying myself. Like I should be training." He said as he placed the drink down.
Strange knew he was already feeling like that. Stranger wasn't dumb. "I know the feeling... but, you to unwind sometime kiddo..." strange said with worry filling his voice.
"I can't unwind when a threat like Wanda is still there... haunting my every move..." Anthony said as he fidgeted with Kylos necklace.
Strange glanced at his son and sighed. He ruffled his sons hair and stood. "Fine..." Stephen handed him some files.
"These people are some people who are rumored to have chaos magic. Not taking your brother and his wife into the equation." Anthony held the files and glanced at them.
Anthony looked at strange. "I figured you'd want something to do... you're just like Christine you know. And that's a good thing.." strange got up, kissed the top of his head and went back over to the other adults.
Anthony stared at Stephen and smiled ever so slightly as he started to go through the files in front of him.
He went through them for a bit until he paused.
He saw a man who looked so... so familiar. He frowned as he read into the file.
He suddenly had a memory come back to him. It was a bad memory. One that has his biological father standing over him as he cried for his father to stop hurting him.
Anthony closed the file and teared up. He then glanced back the file and opened it again. He looked at the pictures of the man.
"Henry Aikawa..." Anthony said with anger in his voice. All he saw were pictures of this man who hurt him smiling with... with kids.
Anthony felt so angry. He clenched his fists and just got up from the party and walked out to the water.
He stood at the water and teared up as all the awful memories came to him. He stared at the water and just let his tears fall.
"I hate him..." Anthony said.
"Hate who?" A voice said from behind him. He turned and saw Natasha standing there with a plate of food.
He looked at her and just turned his head back to the water. "My dad..." he said. Natasha raised a brow.
"I'm assuming not... strange?" She said.
"My biological father..." he said with sliver of anger in his voice. His father was awful to him on so many levels.
"Can I ask why?" She said.
Anthony didn't answer. She nodded and was about to leave.
"He experimented on me..." he said quietly. Natasha glanced back at him.
"I...I was an experiment. That's all I was to my parents. I don't know why they needed me to be like this.... But here I am. He would stick me with needles, hurt me when I didn't give him the results he wanted, etc. I wasn't a son..." he looked down.
"I was just some numbers on a page to him. I don't even remember having my own room as a child. I can't even remember my childhood... thank God I don't have to live through that hell..." he said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"But I just now got to learn he is living and thriving. He has twins and is raising them... being the father I needed, but not the one I got."
Natasha sensed all the anger in him. She placed her plate on the ground and walked over and stood next to him watching the water.
"You have every right to be angry with him. I would hate him as well... I would ignore him for eternity." She said.
Anthony nodded slightly. "Wish I could... he's a target of Wanda's. She's going to be going after his power."
Natasha couldn't help but think about how ironic it was. The person Anthony probably wanted to actually be dead is alive and he has to most likely protect him from Wanda.
"Damn... you're stuck on a one way street." She said.
"Yep... that's for damn sure." He said. "Guess I have to protect him now...."
Natasha looked at him slightly. She wouldn't even had catered to the idea of protecting someone who tortured her. She would've placed them in prison and not protect him like Anthony intended to. She simply placed a hand on his shoulder and pasted it gently.
"And Anthony, that's why you are the best out of us all. You may seem angry, but you truly are a kind and gentle creature. I'm gonna leave this plate of food here for you. Come back on over when you're ready." She turned and started to leave.
"Thank you.... Natasha." He said quietly.
"You're welcome, Anthony." She walked back over to the party. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt more tears fall down his cheeks.
"I'm supposed to be happy at 21... I'm supposed to be happy, carefree, alive, and in love..." he said Blankly. He stared at the water before turning and picking up the plate that Natasha handed him, and headed back to the party.
He gathered his things and placed them all in his bag. He headed inside and went to the couch and laid down.
"Maybe some sleep will help..."