TOLD YOU
TOLD YOU TO TRUST ME
HA
___________
Chapter 6: Breaking.
Grant Ward:
Mason Stark grew up in the eye of the public.
When the news came on about her existing, I was 8. I saw her being held by Tony Stark when my older brother and I were walking past a gas station and I felt bad for her.
I thought she was going to be lonly, seeing how she didn't have any siblings. I at least had my older and younger brother (of course, later my older brother turned to be a problem).
But I would see headlines about her, and I saw how happy she was with her father. I asked my older relatives how she could be happy with one family member bit they said it all depends on the love.
Tony and Masons relationship inspired me to show that kind of love to my little brother. I was already doing that, but I wanted him to know that I was there. Emotionally and phsically.
So I guess that's why I didn't want to see her reaction to learning her father is dead.
-------
Abrams came in first, handing Mason a purple stuffed dog.
She looked at it questionly, but then realization dawned on her face and she curled it towards her chest, smelling it. She looked calmer some how.
Mrs.Pots was close to her, Coulson looking with sympathy. Both of them were dead and brought back.
Wheezy the dog laid at her feet, head in her lap begging for attention and poking the purple dog.
Coulson was the first to speak. "Well, first I would love to do the honors of saying welcome back."
Mason smiled and mouthed Welcome back from what?
He sighed and sat back. "From your...nap. You were sleeping for a while."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, no shit Sherlock." she whispered.
Her voice sounded scratchy, like a long-time smoker.
Coulson's features turned grim.
He's known Mason since she was 6, watching her grow with 'Iron Man'. He's seen all her achievements, all her accompliments. I wouldnt be surprised if he went to a birthday party or two.
So maybe that's why he's looking uneasy about telling her she was dead.
"When I mean awhile, I mean a long time." He sucked in a quiet breath.
"Two years. Well, two years and 3 months."
Masons eyes went wide, almost comically. I could see her mind halting, trying to catch up with it.
He motioned to Abrams. "Ollie?"
He came out from the corner and looked at Mason in her eyes. Brown.
"That's not all." He said.
Mason sucked in a breath, shook her head and gripped Mrs.Pots hand. From why I've seen, Mrs.Pots was her mother figure in her life.
But she focused all her attention onto Abrams, daring him to tell her the next news.
"Is Steve dead?" she asked.
Her voice was almost in a normal volume, which surprised me. I saw her wincing, and I knew that hurt her.
Coulson sighed. "Yes."
She went silent, holding it all in. She squeezed onto Mrs.Pots hand again.
"He wasn't the only one who died that day." Abrams countined.
She was quiet, mouthing out words. She looked like she was counting. Then her eyes slipped shut, trying to remember who else could have died.
After a moment, she asked who.
"You." it was quiet, so he tried again. "You were shot twice, dead almost Immedatily
"
I watched her face, expecting something to break.
But I have to hand it to her, she didn't. Not at first.
She was confused, eyes open and scruched, looking at the ground but not seeing anything.
Her hand, the one that letting her dog and the purple dog, went to her stomach and then her chest. She breathed in quickly.
Her fingers set out to find what I guess was the battery that kept her alive, remebeing that it was blown to bits.
What color in her face left, making her brown eyes stand out more.
A mintue passed by before she attempted to say "Then how the fuck am I alive?"
Her voice cracked.
Abrams shook his head. "I dont know. I was the first to find out you were alive six months after your death. And even then you weren't even alive. There were twitches of the body, and some little sparks."
"Are the files on a drive or something I can go through?" She looked at Coulson, a somewhat pleading look. "Or can I go home and find out what I've missed? Or you know, have Dad tell me?"
At this point, Mason was reaching out for straws. She finds out she was murdered, her partner was murdered, and she needed the one person who's been in her life the longest.
Mrs. Pots let out a few tears, tilting Masons head towards her. "Sweetie..."
She didn't have to say anything.
---
Mason Stark never broke in front of the public.
Not with the rumors, not with the whole Iron Man, not with Iron Avenger, and not once during the Civil War.
But seeing her after the news of her father broke her.
---
When you tell a child that you were dead and that your parent is dead, you expect them to cry.
Not Mason. She didn't cry, just open her mouth with nothing coming out. She gapped like a fish, looking lost.
Her eyes looked at all of us, trying to find anything that says it's a lie.
It's not a lie. I'm sorry.
"When?" She sounded tired.
"A year and 3 months." Mrs. Pots said.
Mason closed her eyes, mouth in a tight line. "Did he...did he know I was...?" she trailed off.
Abrams shook his head. "I'm not sure. When I found out you were...whatever you were, he was in a depression and his drinking was getting-"
Mason stood up, gripping on to the purple stuff animal. "What drinking? He didn't drink." He looked at Mrs.Pots.
She sighed. "Mason, when you died he lost you and Steve at the same time, almost the same minute even. He went down, into a deep depression."
Mason put her hands to her eyes. "How did he die?" Her voice was getting worse.
No one answered for a long moment until finally Mrs. pots said "Suicide."
Mason went still. Then she uncovered her eyes and took a step back, towards the wall. "What?" She was quiet.
Mrs.Pots looked lost. "Mason, your father was in a depression. You were dead, you and Steve, and he blamed himself. He-"
"He killed himself." Mason replied. Her voice sounded...normal.
"He...fucking...killed himself." It was gettinf louder now.
She started to walk around the room, feet thudding on the floor. "He committed suicide...he drank even though he promised me he wouldnt...all because a couple of people he cared about were gone?"
She wasn't shock.
She was angry.
She grinded her teeth, voice getting louder. "What the hell? He knew, he knew from day one we could all die. He knew he couldn't change anything, yet he still tried." She turned to us. "You know what he made me promise? He made me promise not to kill myself of anything got to bad. He said to live it through, that it would turn out better or I can help do it. He said I was a hero, and heroes don't do that."
Her voice was back, cracking be damned. Turns out you really can't shut a Stark up.
Abrams held his hand up. "Mason, its not food for you to be talking so Mich right now. You have to be hurting-"
"Your damn right it hurts."She turned to him, eyes right and anger in them. "But, Ollie Abrams, I dare you to fucking try and shut me up."
She didn't seem to be upset that her father was dead.
She seemed more concern that her father killed himself.
Mrs.Pots stood and grabbed her shoulders, stopping the yelling instantly.Mason didn't look like she was about to cry, and she really didn't seem to be thw person to cry.
But Mrs.Pots just held on to her. "I'm going to bring you to the Miami house, okay? All of his stuff is there, not touched. Everything you need to know will be there."
Mason relaxed at the sound of going home.
Abrams was besides her, hands checking her throat. "I have to make sure your ready, first."
Mason turned to him. "Ollie Abrams, I have just learned I've been dead, I came back to life for some god forsaken reason, Steve is dead and my dad killed himself. Do you really think that I'm going to stay here for a few tests?"
Coulson nodded. "We just need a few. We have to make sure you are not just going to collapse dead after a few hours. Agent Ward-" he motioned to me.- "Will be watching over you."
She puffed. "So I do have a baby sitter." She winced.