~17~
Steve walked off the jet with Maria while Clara waited for Tony and walked back to the lab with him. "How are you feeling?" Tony asked.
"I'm fine," Clara answered. "My head still hurts like hell."
"I wish I could just blast that witch..." Tony started, but Clara stopped him.
"Before you plan a murder Tony, she was just a kid." Clara said calmly as they turned a corner down a hall of Avengers Tower.
"Whatever..." Tony mumbled before changing the subject. "So what are you planning on wearing to the party?"
"Tony, I don't even know what I'm going to be doing five minutes from know, let alone what I'm going to be wearing at a party." Clara gave him a sarcastic laugh as they entered the lab. Clara said down at her desk, trying to get things in order as Tony stood in front of her.
"Then may I suggest the maroon dress?" Tony asked, standing with his hands behind his back like a child. Clara stopped what she was doing and crossed her arms.
"How do you know about the maroon dress?" She asked.
"I know a lot of things Clar. I especially know if you want to impress Rogers, you'll wear the maroon dress."
Clara's eyes widened as he cheeks turned red. "I'm not trying to...where did you...I'm not...impressing anyone." She stuttered out, knowing she was blabbering that a fool. Tony smirked at his stumped sister before turning on his heel and meeting Bruce.
Clara's mind raced with embarrassment as she tried to finish up a few things before meeting back with her bother. "This could be it, Bruce. This could be the key to creating Ultron." She heard Tony say.
"I thought Ultron was a fantasy. An idea we came up with like forever ago." Clara said as she walked into the office. She remembered the night that she rambled on about having an artificial intelligence that could end an alien invasion. Of course this was after watching her brother go through a wormhole and her being turned into a bomb, along with a couple of drinks.
"Yesterday it was. If we can harness this power, apply it to our Iron Legion protocol..." Tony started.
"That's a mad-sized if." Bruce interrupted.
"Our job is 'if.' What if you were sipping margaritas on a sun-drenched beach turning brown instead of green? Not looking over your shoulder for Veronica." Tony said.
"Don't hate, I helped design Veronica." Bruce replied.
"Veronica is pretty great," Clara shrugged as she quietly whispered it.
"As a worst-case measure, right? How about a best-case? What if the world was safe? What if next time aliens roll up to the club, and they will, they couldn't get past the bouncer?" Tony tried to make sense of it, prove that it was a good idea, but Clara knew it was way too good to be true.
"Yeah but Tony, aliens haven't been the threat for a couple of years. The threats have been..." Clara was cut off.
"People. The only things threatening the planet have been people." Bruce said.
"I want to apply this to the Ultron program. But JARVIS can't download a data schematic this dense. We can only do it while we have the scepter here, that's three days, give us three days." Tony said, us referring to himself, Bruce and Clara.
"I'm not going to be a part of this." Clara said.
"Why not? It was our idea." Tony said.
"Yeah, when I had just gotten done being a human bomb! You're going for artificial intelligence that is beyond our mindset and you don't want to tell the team." Clara retaliated.
"Right. That's right, you know why I'm not telling them? Because we don't have time for a city hall debate. I don't want to hear the 'man was not meant to meddle' medley. I see a suit of armor around the world."
"Sounds like a cold world, Tony." Bruce said.
"I've seen colder." Tony said and Clara could see the seriousness in his eyes. She knew he wanted to save everyone, but she knew it was impossible. "This one, this very vulnerable blue one? It needs Ultron. Peace in our time. Imagine that." Clara looked at her brother. "C'mon Clar," he started. "It's our best play."
Clara thought it over before running a hand through her hair, "Damnit," she mumbled and sat down at the desk.
"Great choice." Tony smiled, patting her back.
In the next three days, Clara only left the lab to take quick showers, use the restroom, or to change. She spent every other second at her computer running the tests that were needed. She survived off of coffee and protein bars as she tried to stay awake for every trial, every scan, every anything because she knew one screw up could mess everything up. After their three days were up, none of the trials had worked. Tony sighed after his latest scan came out wrong. "What did we miss?" Tony ran his hand over his face, trying to wake him up from his groggy state.
"I'll continue to run variations on the interface, but you should probably prepare for your guests." JARVIS said. Clara sighed heavily as she looked back at her brother.
"That's tonight, isn't it." Tony nodded and she sighed louder, her head falling into her hands as she laid them on the desk.
"I'll notify the both of you if there are any developments." JARVIS said.
"Thanks, buddy." Tony said.
"Enjoy yourselves." JARVIS said.
"We always do." Tony said before stopping at Clara's desk. "You might want to clean up Clar. The bags under your eyes are starting to look designer," he teased.
"Screw you Tony," Clara mumbled. She knew he was kidding, but she wanted to punch him so hard.
"Remember," he started. Clara picked her head up and looked as he exaggerated, "maroon dress." He winked before leaving to get ready.
She rolled her eyes and finally went to her room and she looked around her closet for a dress to wear. She finally laid eyes on the maroon dress. Damn it Tony.
***
Guests filled one of the highest floors of Avengers Tower as Tony threw his party. "Well, you know, the suit can take the weight, right? So I take the tank, fly it right up to the General's palace, drop it at his feet, I'm like, l "Boom! You looking for this?'" Rhodey finished telling his story leaving Tony, Steve and Thor just looking at him blankly "Boom! Are you looking...Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else that story kills."
"That's the whole story?" Thor asked and Steve looked around awkwardly.
"Yeah, it's a War Machine story." Rhodey defended.
"Well, it's very good then. It's impressive." Thor laughed.
"Quality save." Rhodey said, hiding his disappointment. "So, no Pepper? She's not coming?"
"No." Tony answered.
"What about Clara?" Rhodey asked.
"She's not here yet?" Tony asked, looking around as he thought he already saw her tonight. Just then, the elevator door opened, reveling a girl in a short, off the shoulder, maroon dress and black heels. Her dark brown hair was curled and pushed to one side and tucked behind her ear. She wore only one gold bracelet, instead of her usual two, and a silver necklace with a single diamond charm. Her brown eyes sparkled when she came closer to the three men, leaving two of the three breathless.
"Hello boys." She said smugly.
"Hi Clar," Steve coughed to try and cover up his loss for words. "Hi Clara." Tony smirked at Steve's reaction, knowing he made the right call about the dress. What could he say? He just knew fashion.
"Thor why don't we...why don't we go over there." Tony said, making him and Thor both leave Steve and Clara alone.
"Y-you look..." Steve started.
"Ridiculous. I know, but Tony insisted I wear it." Clara said, looking down at her dress then back at him.
"I was going to say beautiful." Steve corrected. Clara blushed, not even attempting to hide it. "Can I get you a drink?" Steve asked.
"Just a beer." Clara replied. He smiled and nodded before walking off to get her drink.
Out of nowhere, Tony came by. "You have to admit, I have an eye for these kind of things." He said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Ah yes, because I wouldn't make it without your taste in fashion." She chuckled. Tony winked and left her once again to say hello to a few friends. Clara rolled her eyes and looked around, seeing her friends having a good time together without having to use their weapons.
Steve came back over and handed her a beer. "Cheers." He said, clinking his bottle against hers.
"Cheers."