The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

The Party Fight

~~~Tony's pov~~~

I sipped on my martini as I talked with a woman. I think her name was Sophia... Honestly, I'm not sure.

"And then he sent me off to boarding school-" I stopped my story mid-sentence as I took in the disturbing sight of my daughter dancing with the God of Mischief.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

"I'll be right back," I told the woman before storming over to them.

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

I was having a great time with Loki, but sadly, like all good things, it couldn't last.

I winced as I saw Dad walk over to us.

"Can I talk to you in the hallway, please?" He asked me firmly.

"Of course, Mr. Stark," I said politely, smiling forcefully. I'm pretty sure Loki noticed that.

"I'll see you soon, Catherine." Loki smiled genuinely at me before raising my hand and placing a kiss on it softly.

Great. Now, Dad is going to be even more pissed off!

I followed Dad out into the hallway and prepared for the worst.

Once we were out in the hallway, he turned and glared at me. "What the hell were you doing? Dancing with the enemy?"

"What enemy? Loki?" I furrowed my brows at his statement. "He was just helping me out."

"It's obvious that he's just trying to take advantage of you! Why can't you see that?"

"Dad, it was just a dance. Calm down." His reaction caught me off guard. It really wasn't that big of a deal.

"I just watched you dance with the god who tried to take over the world! Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" His eyes held a look of disbelief.

I was getting concerned now. He's never acted like this before. "Dad, what-"

He shook his head, cutting me off. "Stay away from him. He can't be trusted."

My eyes hardened as I responded. "And by that, you mean that I can't be trusted?"

"Don't twist my words, Catherine. I was only saying that-"

"Do you not believe that I can handle myself around him?" I asked seriously. "Even if he was the cold-blooded killer you made him out to be, which he isn't, I can protect myself!"

"And I don't doubt that." He placed his hands on my shoulders. "But you don't know him. You weren't there when he attacked New York. When he killed over eighty innocent people in two days. He threw me out of a damn window, yet you still don't believe it when I say he is dangerous."

"Did it ever occur to you that I've killed people too?" I asked, blinking back tears as past memories flooded my mind. "And for God's sake, you have as well! Whether it was intentional or not, your weapons and my magic have hurt people."

"The two aren't even remotely comparable!" He exploded, taking a few steps back and running his hands through his hair. "Stane was dealing weapons without my knowledge, and people got hurt. But I didn't knowingly do that to them. And you! If you've killed anyone, it's been in self-defense! Loki just straight-up murdered those people and then declared war on Earth!"

I shook my head, tired of the meaningless argument. "I'm not asking you to forgive him. Hate him if you want! I don't care. But personally, I'm not going to hold something against someone until I know all the facts. Now, I'm going back in there to enjoy the party. You can either stay out in this hallway and pout about how you're right and I'm wrong or go back to the party you put together and have some fun. It's up to you." I shrugged and walked away, getting the last word and successfully shutting him up for the time being.