Stark Struck | The Avengers

Chapter VI: Questioning Breakfast

Chapter Six

        I pocketed my mobile as Tony hung up, and started towards the lift. I was wary of my surroundings, maybe a little too cautious - but I had my reasons. I blew a strand of hair away from my face, but it decided to pester me and fall back in my face. I continued to blow it away until I gave up and just tucked it behind my ear.

        Then I froze. Right in the middle of the hallway. The memories of yesterday were still fresh in my mind. I could still feel myself falling from the great height. I could feel my breathing quicken, and I wanted to calm myself, but I couldn't. I felt like I couldn't move, then my breathing stopped.

        My vision was blackening and I was seeing spots. The whole world was then under an earthquake attack. Everything was shaking, but I still couldn't move. I still couldn't breath. If I was breathing, it was either so slow I couldn't detect it or so quickly paced it was too fast to hear.

        The world was still shaking when I heard a voice. Far away, but still could be heard. It was circling around me, and it was faint. The voice grew louder and louder until it sounded as if it was right in front of me. "Alex?"

        I couldn't recognize the voice yet. "Alex?"

        The voice was starting to sound worried. "Alex?!"

        "What, God dammit?!" I yelled, all color and visual returning. Tony sat beside me, his arms on my shoulders, he stopped shaking me.

        Light bounced off his dark hair. His brown eyes were full of worry, disbelief, and a touch of humor. "You alright?"

        "Perfectly peachy." I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

        He sat back in relief, smiled and chuckled. "Stark? What's going on?" Came a voice from Tony's cell phone.

        Tony brought the phone to his ear. "Nothing," the person on the other end said something, "...Director."

        I raised an eyebrow at his hesitation to answer the person on the other end of the call. Tony hit the end button on his phone and laid it on the table. "Who was that?"

        "No one."

        "So who's Director 'No-One?'" I suspiciously ask.

        "He's...Director Fury."

        "Uh-huh, keep going. What's he the director of?"

        He murmured something.

        "What?"

        "S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony took a deep breath. "He's the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

        "What's S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

        "It stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division," He stated, sounding like he was trying to remember the name.

        "Sounds like someone was really trying to make it spell 'SHIELD.'" I said grinning a bit.

        Later on, I listen to Tony speak a bit about what S.H.I.E.L.D. does, and he refrained from talking more in depth about it. I poked my breakfast for a long time, deciding on whether or not I should of ate it. I put the fork on the table and leaned back in my chair, listening to Tony continue to talk about S.H.I.E.L.D. and a couple of it's agents and Avengers. Tony stopped talking, and his eyes were staring in a different direction. I followed his gaze, and walking towards us was a dark skinned man in a black trench coat. When Tony stood only then did I notice the man's face. He was wearing an eye patch. He reminded me of a pirate.

        He motioned Tony over to the edge of the shop. Tony looked at me and said, "I'll be right back." He walked away with the 'pirate', and I stared at them trying to figure out what they were saying. The two glanced quite a bit in my direction, so I guessed they were talking about me.

        What felt like a few minutes later, the two men came back, Tony took his seat in front of me, and the eye patch man pulled up a chair. Tony looked at me with probably the most serious face I've ever seen him have. "Alex," he began, "This is-"

        "Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D." The man interrupted.

        "So you're the famous Fury I've been recently hearing about!" I replied, a fake smile plastered on my face, "You're the one who brought the Avengers together!" I stopped smiling, "You're the one who didn't keep track of Loki! So he ended up kidnapping me!" I hissed at him.

        "A lot like you, Stark..." Fury muttered. Tony smirked.

        I kicked my feet onto the edge of the table. "So why're you here?"

        "I've been told you've been a recent target of Loki-"

        "No, Loki and I are just the best of buds!" I replied, the entire statement full of sarcasm.

        Fury's eye narrowed. "-And S.H.I.E.L.D-" Tony cleared his throat. "-Stark- wants to make sure you are kept safe."

        I raised a brow at Tony. "Okay... and...?"

        "I've assigned an agent of mine to look after you, but she's currently on a mission with another agent."

        "Hope they're living it up in Budapest!" Tony snickered. Fury gave him a cold glare. "...I mean, having a killing spree on their... mission..."

        "So Mr. Stark here, will be keeping you safe."

        "Wait, what?!" Tony and I both screeched at Fury. We were both on our feet.

        "Tony Stark is way too immature to keep me safe!"

        "And I have Pepper!"

        I stared at Tony with disgust. "What the hell were you thinking? We're just friends, Tony. Friends."

        Fury shrugged. "I've made up my mind." Fury stood. "And maybe Miss. Heart could teach you some manners, Stark." Fury's comment made me snicker.

        "What's that supposed to mean?" Tony inquired.

        Fury took a file out of his coat and handed it towards Tony, "Here are the rece-"

        "I don't like to be handed things." Tony cut in.

        Fury threw the file on the table, and pointed at it. "Those are the recent whereabouts of the others."

        And with that Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. left.

        I looked down at the file. It was full of papers. "Looks like you have a lot of reading and catching up to do." I crossed my arms, and Tony picked up the file and started skimming through it.

        I smiled. For the past week, this very moment was the calmest. And I intended to enjoy it.