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Stark industries. One of the largest and most extravagant buildings in New York City. Its sheer height and those of the surrounding buildings made me feel extremely small as I craned my neck up taking in the sight before me. The four hour bus ride here from DC had given me plenty of time to sit and think of every possible way that this could go wrong and now that I was here, my nerves had started to kick in making me want to run for the hills.
Nicholas had informed me a few days back that despite his best efforts, getting any sort of contact with Anthony had been next to impossible. Given that he couldn't exactly call and say 'hey, we've found your sister. Yeah, the one that was pronounced dead over 10 years ago' I can't say I was all that surprised.
My only option was to try and get to him myself which is how I found myself entering the lobby of his building, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself.
The lobby was pretty much exactly as I'd imagined. Seating areas lined the windows to the front of the building, a few plants dotted the floor and just incase you'd missed the massive sign on the side of the building, 'Stark Industries' hung proudly behind the extravagant security desk.
As I was waited patiently in the small queue of people, a memory surfaced. The image was of a teenage boy, grinning from ear to ear, running through an overly pruned garden shouting 'Ree, the tickle monsters coming to get you!'.
The security guard I approached at my turn, had barely even looked up from his computer to talk to me as I cleared my throat. "Hi, I'm here to see Anthony Stark?"
"You need an appointment kid; he doesn't just speak to anyone. Get lost before I have you escorted out." He scoffed before calling "Next!"
While I figured that would happen, I did kind of hope by some miracle it would work. Standing, scanning the room for a possible next move, I must have looked more than a little shifty especially with a pair of sunglasses on indoors as an older woman excused herself from her position behind the desk and made her way over.
"Hello dear, are you lost?" She asked with a concerned look, bringing me out of my daze.
"Hi, I'm actually here to see Anthony Stark. I'm not sure how else I can get ahold of him and it's extremely important I speak to him, I've some documents he needs to see."
"I'm afraid Mr. Stark does not see anyone unless they have an appointment." She sighed.
"I understand but this really isn't something that can wait, nor can it be delivered in a message. Is there any way I can speak to him? Or even a way I could book an appointment? It's quite urgent."
She gave me a pensive look before excusing herself for a moment. I followed a few paces behind as she returned to her desk and picked up a phone making a quick call. She lowered her head as she spoke to muffle her conversation so the only words I could catch were 'young girl', 'says it's urgent', 'has documents for him'. Lifting her head and returning her gaze to me a hand over the speaker. "Sorry dear, what did you say your name was?"
