SAPPHIRE | MARVEL ²

| 𝐓𝐖𝐎 |

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𝐓𝐖𝐎: 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐘

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Los Angeles, California
31st October 2011

And this counted the fifth year Tony Stark didn't throw a huge party on Halloween. He didn't have the heart too. He had tried organizing one in 2009, but canceled after the terrible feeling that something was missing. But it was never something, in fact, it was a someone.

So, with a cake, he got inside Stark Industries' building and made his way to Pepper's office.

"Hey Pep." He greeted, after closing the door behind him.

Her eyes fell on the cake and she sighed.

"I know it's hard, but I still thought we should celebrate." He said, still by the door. Once she nodded, he walked towards her and put the cake on the table.

Pepper stared at the candles that said "Happy Birthday" while Tony was lighting them. "You know, she's been gone for five years, but it's the sixth birthday I miss."

The billionaire glanced at his girlfriend then leaned towards the cake. "Happy 19th birthday, Julianne Tiny Temper Potts."

The name brought a smile to the strawberry blonde's face before it dropped again.

"Tony, there's something I never told you." A beat. "About Julie's dad."

"Yeah, I figured it was a sensitive topic. I tried to get the kid to talk but she'd reply by 'snitches end up in ditches'." He rambled.

"It's you."

Tony froze. "What?" He whispered after a few seconds.

"It's you. When I was a model, I went to one of your parties, we hooked up and I got pregnant." She explained with a small voice. Tony fell on the chair behind him, his facial expression showing pure shock.

"Tiny Temper is.. my daughter? I had a daughter? Why didn't you tell me before? I could've helped, I could've raised her with you!"

"Would you have? Because the Tony Stark I met in the 1990's was in no way the type of man that would've taken the responsibility of having a child. You had just started partying again after losing your parents, you were definitely not stable enough, mentally speaking."

Tony knew she was right. And he hated it. He was barely starting to change for the better.

"Does she know?"

"She knew."

"Don't talk about her like she's dead." Tony sighed.

"Don't talk about her like she's alive. The false hope is killing me." A tear dropped on her cheek.

"I miss her too."

Malibu, California
3rd November 2011

"Tony we have a situation in New York." Rhodey said once Tony had answered the phone.

"Coming."

New York City, New York

When he landed in Central Park in his suit, he looked around for a glimpse of anything strange. He could see people running away from where he was so he assumed it was at the right place.

Once he turned and looked in the direction of the lake, he saw someone pass him rapidly, leaving a huge wave of ice behind them.

"Woah, was that Mr. Freeze?" He stared as the figure surfed on the ice before landing on the floor a few meters further from him. The ice immediately vanished when her boots met the grass.

"Actually, sir, more like The Snow Queen." J.A.R.V.I.S. corrected.

The woman got rid of the huge coat she was wearing.

"You might want to keep that, it gets cold in November." He said with an amused tone.

She turned to him and his smile fell, but she could obviously not see it.
Her white hair were pushed away from her face by the breeze, letting the hero take a better look at her, though he couldn't see much because of the mask that was covering everything under her eyes.

Her eyes were an unnatural blue. Actually, everything about her seemed unnatural at the moment. And above all, the steam fog visibly coming from her pale hands.

She started walking towards him, attacking him with icicles, making him immediately activate his Repulsors to destroy her 'weapons' with his laser blasts.

Once she was near enough, she made a knife-shaped icicle appear in her hand and started attacking him in a hand to hand- or more like armor to knife- combat. He understood that she was trying to reach his arc reactor, and used his laser to burn the hand that was holding the knife.

She let it drop on the grass and held her hand, frowning, trying to stop herself from making any noise that would show her pain. She suddenly looked up and as she was about to attack him again, Iron Man grabbed her wrists, using the armor's strength to keep her in place as he was trying to get his A.I. to identify her. But it seemed to have trouble finding her. Who exactly was this woman?

In a fast movement, that he definitely did not see coming, she kicked him away and created an icy wall she used to push him into the lake. And by the time he came back up, she had already disappeared.

"Identification complete." He heard J.A.R.V.I.S. said. "Julianne Potts."

"Say what now?"

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I feel like the next chapters might be pretty sad lmao

So in case you're a bit lost, right now, the whole attack and shit, happens five years after Julianne's kidnapping. This whole thing is happening about six months after the events of Iron Man 2 and six months before the attack of New York (The Avengers).