Perception

~CHAPTER 05~

MALIBU, CALIFORNIANIA 2011

She opened one eye and then closed it again, It wasn't that she was blinded by the light, or that she was dazed. But it was that she was Confused, and confusion tended to consume her. slowly opening her eyes, she sat up slightly in her bed. her room was decorated with colorful lights and shiny toys.

Persephone Grace Stark knew she had been in and out of surgeries for a while now. but she would never have enough time to get back into a normal routine, or lifestyle to get used to it. her father was growing tired of it, and when he returned from Vormir with the soul stone he had a plan. Seph took in the dimly lit bedroom and rolled over and Saw her father asleep with his head in his hand which was being propped up by the arm of the chair he was in. She looked down and noticed a slight pulsing in her veins. After that moment, tony had taught her and trained her how to control the power of the soul stone, along with the help of Thor, who had experience with that sort of thing.

there were moments when she wanted nothing more than to destroy it and live a normal life like her sister, but the Stone was keeping her alive. and she knew she was stuck with it.

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY five hours later

Tony finished his speech to the young college students and made his way off the stage listening to the screams and applauds from the audience.

"Mr. Stark," A man with a bald head approached him in awe. "You are just so lovely," He said shaking his head running a little to catch up with Tony, who was walking fast backstage and down the hall.

"Thank you," Tony tried but the bald man interrupted him.

"Just a question, will any of the money you donated go to the staff and faculty?" the man continued on, but it all faded and sounded like gibberish to him. Something was wrong, but he just couldn't tell what. Just then his phone wrang in his pocket.

Tony held up his hand to shush the Bald man and left the hall stepping into the stairwell.

"Dad?" Bethany's voice said through the line.

"Hey, sweetheart" Tony said sighing, just hearing his daughter's voice calmed him. until she continued.

"Dad, I don't know where Seph is," She said sternly. Tony looked up a hint of horror on his face.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?!" he asked worry, and anxiety getting the best of him.

"Well, last I spoke to her, was at school before she left to go to Peter's" Beth explained. "But since then, she hasn't come back to the tower, I called Peter and well..."

"Well, what?!" Tony asked fear evident in his tone.

"He said, Natasha came to pick Persephone up the night she said she was going to sleep over" Tony nodded his head and pinched his brows together.

"I see, it's fine thanks for caring about your sister, I'll handle it from here," Tony said talking fast as a woman with a clipboard opened the door to the stairwell approaching him slowly. "Bye Beth gotta go," Tony said.

"By dad, love you," Bethany said.

"Love you too," Tony finished hanging up the phone.

"Mr. Stark," the woman said. Tony looked up from his phone and over at the woman. "Is this a bad time?" She asked. Tony shook his head and mentioned for her to continue. "Good, you actually have an urgent call on line two," She said holding out her work phone. Tony nodded and swatted her away as he answered the phone.

"Yup?" he said into the line.

"Tony," Steve said solemnly. Tony took a deep breath and rocked on his heels.

"No Cap, what were you thinking?" He said the anger, anxiety, and fear coming out. Steve also took a deep breath and continued.

"Look, we needed her to get into the lab" he explained.

"So you used Nat, took one of my cars, and kidnapped my daughter," Tony asked with sarcasim and irritation.

"Kidnapped?!" Steve said shocked over the phone. "She agreed to do it," he defended himself.

"Listen, you said we were going to drop the whole Rumalo thing," Tony said quieting down a tad.

"I know Tony, but I thought he would have intel on Finding James," Cap said sighing. the line went silent for a moment.

"Did he?" Tony asked.

"From what I know, he's somewhere in the UK," Steve said shaking his head looking down at the ground. Tony took another deep breath and leaned against the railing of the stairs.

"How bad was it?" Tony asked as he casually scrolling through pictures and articles on the internet of the incident.

"She feels, awful," Steve said worry and regret in his voice. Tony nodded and closed the articles.

"Where is Persephone?" He asked.

"She is in her room, she arrived on the scene after the bomb had gone off, so she was a little confused at first, she's helping Wanda though," Cap said. Tony smiled relieved she was okay.

"Beth said you weren't at the tower?" Tony mentioned.

"Because we're not, we're at the compound," he explained. Tony nodded and rocked on his heels.

"I'll be home soon, Secretary of the state will probably have something to say about all of this" Tony said ending the phone call.

Later that night, Bethany and Peper drove to the Avengers Compound, hearing that Thaddeus Ross, the secretary of state scheduled a meeting for all avengers, or anyone training to be. The thought arriving early would help. Also, Beth wanted to see her sister.

Nearing 10 pm. Beth walking through the newly furnished compound trying to find her sister's room. Yes, she had been there before, but only a few times and was still getting to know the new place.

"Hey Beth," Steve said walking past her but stoping. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Pep thought I should attend tomorrows meeting with Ross," Bethany said

"Oh," Cap said gazing his eyes to the floor,

"Do you know where Seph's room is?" Beth asked looking around.

"Down the hall the left," He said continuing walking away. "And beth, I'd be quiet she is fast asleep" cap said smiling turning around and jogging towards the elevator.

The door creaked open, a small passage of light peered through the penetrating dark room. In plain sight Bethany saw her sister fast asleep in bed, she took a glance around Persephone's room, noticing how dull and undecorated it was. She knew that would change.

Climbing in bed next to her sister, Bethany remembered to keep quiet. peacefully laying next to Seph, Beth leaned her head against her sisters, and she soon fell asleep.

It wasn't until 1 am, that Tony arrived at the compound bags in hand, he had only left for a few days for his trip to MIT, but everything seemed to go south with him gone. He tiredly kicked off his shoes, and dragged himself down the hall to his quarters, when he saw the door to Persephone's room cracked. without thinking, Tony walked over to close it knowing his daughter was inside sleeping, but when he caught a glimpse of both his daughters laid up next to each other, he slowly crept inside and pulled the covers over the two of them.

"Sleep tight girls," He said approaching the door and closing it behind him. Tony soon headed to bed knowing both his kids were safe, and sound asleep.