Tightrope

Powers

Jennifer Walters makes her way from the car with a bag under her arm and her phone on her shoulder. She needs her husband to have done the laundry and  her daughter to be at a friend's so she can down a glass of wine- not that it would help all that much.

She loses the grip on her grocery bag over the sound of Aerosmith coming from the basement. She heads for the staircase.

"Jen. We have a guest," her husband kisses her cheek, all smiles.

"John,' she forces her grin, 'How green am I going to be if I go into our basement?"

"I'm surprised you're not green already. Tony Stark is down there. Says it's an emergency."

She grumbles under her breath and heads down the staircase. Over in the finished area, her daughter is enjoying wrapping up a level of garageband with their unexpected guest.

Tony is high-fiving, and she's still holding her game guitar.

Jennifer clears her throat. Tony rotates away from the drum set;

"Hey! It's the imbecile parent."

Jennifer taps her nails against a nearby wall, "Hey, it's Iron Ass. Lucy sweetheart, why don't you run upstairs and ask daddy to get me a coffee, huh? I need to evict to Mr. Stark."

"Mom,' she sighs, 'he's cool."

"Upstairs. Now," Jen brushes her daughter's shoulder, "I love you."

"She's cute," Tony stands in front of Jen with a smile.

Walters tilts her head, "How are you?"

"Well,' he reaches to take a stool and sit in front of her, 'My wife is home with the baby and the rest of the crew are all in Russia."

She lifts a hand, "I'm sorry I asked. Why are you in my house?"

Tony continues, "You remember Izabella? The little kid at Banner's wedding? She's an AB blood type with abilities."

Jen's brows furrow when she whispers, "You're joking."

"The kid and her aunt are on the run. SHIELD's involved. Natasha's old organizations- oh her ex is alive. He's a bit of a nut job."

"Let me guess, Fury sent you here to pick me up."

"We have a winner!"

"Yeah,' she chuckles and stands at the bottom stair as if she is asking him to follow, 'No thank you."

"Bruce needs you," Tony stands, a bit more seriously.

She shakes her head and adjusts her wavy hair, "I can't fight his battles and he doesn't want me to."

"The kid needs you."

"I have my own kid-."

"Come on Jennifer! I get it,' he snaps, losing some of his sarcasm, 'I just left my 3 month old for this. There are people out there who need you! You're turning your back on them."

"If Bruce needed me, he would've called."

"This is big-."

"I don't! Want to know. I'm sorry. I can't help you. My child and my husband come first. Go back to Fury and tell him to go find someone else."

Tony takes an inhale. "Blonsky is involved."

Jennifer swallows and crosses her arms, "...That's even more reason for me to remain neutral."

"We need another hulk to help take down this creep who you know."

Jen looks up toward the crack in the ceiling, listening to her own heart pounding in her chest;