Legends Never Die

Chapter Nine

They landed on the roof, Tony ran out to look at the city.

 "I missed this", she said to Jarvis and the stones. 

Fury waited for her at the stairwell, "There's someone anxious to see you, Stark". 

Tony looks at him unimpressed, "Who'd you tell eyepatch?". 

"I actually didn't, she guessed right".

 Intrigued, she followed him to the common room, er, floor in the tower. 

She treaded carefully, the Time stone seeming to ignore her request to hide, which was followed by all the stones. 

She slowly walked into the living area, and there was a woman on the couch with her back to her. 

 Tony tilted her head in disbelief, "Romanova?", the woman tensed, but turned from her spot on the couch.

 Nats eyes went to saucers as she took in the reactor and the stones orbiting around her protectively. 

"Tony?" 

She stood up and walked close, and Tony hit her in the shoulder. 

"That's for dying", but before Nat could retaliate, she pulls Nat into a ghost hug. "But this is for coming back". 

Nat was shocked, Tony is not touchy feely, and she never figured out why, just knew that he was.

 Tony pulled back, "How are you alive? How did you even get back?"she asked, confused. 

Nat shrugged, "I have no idea, I woke up at the bottom of Vormir, and the Soul stone told me that my soul was released, since the act it was used for was the most noble of all." 

She looked at Tony, "Which begs the question, how are you alive?" 

She asked in her interrogator voice. 

Friday, however, was very happy to see Tony. 

"Boss!! You're alive!" 

Tony smiled fondly, putting space between her and the assassin.

 "I missed you too baby girl-oh!". 

Tony gasped in surprise at the black mass rubbing against her legs. 

Deep green eyes peered up into her own. 

Tony crouched down to have the cat inspect her, it would be nice to have some company in case worst went to worst. 

"Does he have a name?"

 She asks, not taking her eyes off the cat. 

Nat shook her head, "He doesn't seem to like me, so you can name him". 

Tony sat crossed legged in front of the sitting cat that seemed to study her. 

But she didn't need the stones to tell her that it wasn't a cat, far from it actually. 

"Alright then," reaching out slowly to pet him if he let her.

 The cat looked at her hand in fascination, then nudged it with his head, purring.

 "Snowflake it is then, we should get him some food" she said standing up and walking towards the kitchen, but she stopped, her back to Nat. 

"I'm glad you're alive, Romanova".

 Then continued on walking, with Snowflake trailing behind. 

The Soul stone stayed for a minute, "Romanova, please don't make me regret bringing you here, Tony has suffered enough".

 Nat crosses her arms in thought as the stone follows Tony to the lab. 

Jarvis watched with fondness as Dum*E and U hug attack Miss.

 Jarvis was then integrated into the tower once again.

 As Snowflake ate some salmon, Jarvis watched as Bucky and Sam spared in the gym, and Bucky confided what he contributed to Stark's life.

 Sam went quiet after that.

 Romanoff was in deep thought regarding something, Jarvis could only guess what it was. 

It all seemed calm, but Jarvis knew that Tony was already working on the next step.

 "I don't care about legals Fury! You are going to bring me Vision and that's final. 20 minutes? Thank you, that wasn't so hard was it?" 

She said in a motherly tone. 

 She hung up with a huff and plopped on the couch next to a sleepy Snowflake.

 "Come here, I'll hold you," she said in a soft voice.

 Jarvis wanted to say that it was Loki, but from the name to the tone of her voice, she already knew. 

Snowflake seemed too stunned to move, and just stood there. 

"It's okay," she reached her arms out to calm him down, "I'll protect you from the mean spider". 

She leaned closer to his head, " I'm scared of her too, it's fine". 

Snowflake carefully padded over to Tony's lap, and looked at her expectantly. 

'This isn't Loki needing to be better at disguises, he's been traumatized'. 

Tony thinks sadly, shifting so she's laying down on the couch. 

 She slowly pets him until he relaxes enough to curl up on her chest. 

She hears the agents bring in Vis, but they leave immediately. 

Tony drifts off to sleep, pushing the timer into the back of her mind, there's been too much today-she knows she'll have nightmares. 

Cat? I don't think so....NATS alive!! She may have made a lot of mistakes with Tony, but every one gets redemption.