Siberia | S. Rogers

nineteen

.19 | all i've known

Merida walked side by side with Tony down the long hall of the tower, their destination was to a board room where many of the agents worked vigorously trying to find Killian and the other circus members that had escaped.

She had spent most of her morning and early afternoon with Tony, watching him work and learning more about the man underneath the iron suit. He was quick witted, sarcastic and extremely observant. There was a delicate way in which he answered all her questions as she inspected just about every single invention, or prototype, in his garage.

He took a lot of pride in his work and she noted the details to everything he created. For someone who didn't have much technology around at her leisure, this was like a playground for her to look around and investigate.

They had been called up to the board room, the both of them, as a full detail was being given on the members of the circus and Fury had been adamant that Merida show up as well, he also included the words, 'No funny business either,' which in Fury speak meant no shifting unannounced in a room full of agents that were not prepared to see an overgrown tiger burst into the room.

She was stoic as she walked with a hesitation, Tony though caught on to her reservations as she looked anywhere but at the glass doors they were nearing.

He rolled up his sleeves, still smelling of faint grease and motor oil, "You okay, kid?"

Merida paused for a brief moment, parted her lips and frowned, "The last time I saw him on the screen I shifted, uhm, down in the lobby when I first got here.." Seeing Killian's face had triggered her, a wound so deep and still so fresh and raw.

She had no way of knowing what she would do at any given moment when she saw his face, it brought up so much raw emotion - the beast within hated Killian with an ire, for the beast it was a natural reflex to see him and want to shift. For Merida, she wanted to just curl in the fetal position and hide from Killian's venomous aura.

He nodded lightly, reached out to push open the handle on the door and offered his hand in a gesture that she could go first, "You'll be fine," There was a subtle shift of his eyes as he gave her a very small encouraging smile, very unlike the snarky Tony she had always seen.

It gave her a brief moment to collect herself and gather her strength as she walked into the boardroom, unaware of what she was going to be getting herself into.

She caught the faint scent of Steve, who she had imagined was already in the room with the rest of the Avengers and Fury. As they both walked in her eyes were immediately drawn to the large white board on the wall directly in front of her that ran the length of it, or just about at least.

It was littered with photos of people she recognized, people she had grown up, people she had loved.... Names in dark black white board maker were written under the photos and her eyes blazed in on Killian who was posted front and center in the middle, his menacing smile trained on her as if he were staring at her through the photo; mocking her and taunting her.