𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬✓ 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤 [𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟑]

1: Bargain.

Entering the now almost empty compound, phasing through walls, he looked around for his somewhat former friend.

He phased into the lab, startling the billionaire, in a stablish relationship, philanthropist.

"Jeez Vision. The least you could do is knock. I could have been doing something important." The man rolled his eyes as he dropped the screwdriver in his hand.

"What's wrong?"

He asked once it registered. He knew Vision wasn't supposed to be in the compound, hell, he wasn't even supposed to be in the continent.

"She's back." Vision said and Tony looked up.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked in a serious tone.

"Certain. I wasn't the only one who felt her presence." He informed the concerned father.

It was true. A few hours ago, he and the twins felt it. The buzz of energy that had been missing in their system for the past two months.

"Does Ross know about this?" He asked, dread settling in the pit of his stomach.

"No. I checked through his database and that of NASA. They don't have a record for her arrival." Vision answered.

"Do…we know where she is?" Tony asked again.

At this, Vision looked down.
"No. We don't."

▪️▪️▪️

Heels clicked against the marble-tiled floor as the determined woman walked through the compound, which was buzzing with former SHIELD agents and medical personnel from Helen Cho's lab.

Though the place was busy, nobody noticed the twenty-four-year-old walking towards Tony Stark's office.

Maybe it was the glasses on the bridge of her nose, or the button-up blue shirt and the pencil navy-blue skirt paired with pumps and her generic brown hair packed up in a low bun that made her unrecognisable.

She slipped into the office and closed the door behind her with a sigh, letting the illusion she'd put up drop to reveal her hoodie and sweats.

She walked around the large desk to sink into the large, cushiony swirly chair, letting out a sigh of contentment. It was thousands of dollars well spent.

She was already starting to doze off when the door swung open and the unsuspecting father walked in.

She watched him as he tugged on his tie and rubbed his temples, eyes tight shut as he walked around. He was tired.

If the bags under his eyes didn't indicate that, the way his shoulders slouched definitely did. Guilt filled her when she realised what she was about to do wouldn't take that away.

"Dad?" She called, making the man tense up before snapping his head in her direction.

"Smalls?" He asked unsure. Maybe this was another fragment of his imagination.

The girl stood up, walking towards her dad who was still standing there in shock.

The man reached out, expecting her to disappear like she had in the past two months, but she didn't; instead, tears fell from her eyes as she crashed into his chest, hugging him tight.

He hugged her back, and the father and daughter duo stood there relishing in the silence and warmth.

"You were gone for so long." Tony told his daughter.

"I know, I'm sorry. It was only two weeks on my side." She mumbled into his chest.

"I was worried, the footage–it was scary. We studied it, the energy–God Smalls, I thought I lost you. I was scared." The man admitted.

"I'm fine. I was off planet."

She explained everything, how she got to a new planet, how she met her somewhat older brother, the little things she remembered and what they think caused it.

"So, you're saying this is all about another infinity stone?" He asked.

"Yeah, the power stone. Some bad guy was trying to use it to destroy this planet of space cops, but the Guardians stopped him." She explained briefly and Tony sighed.

This was beyond his control.

"Are you safe from it now?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's safe and so am I." She replied as he walked towards the desk.

"Are you back to stay?" He asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Dad—"

"I've been talking to Ross, I think I can persuade him to let you stay. Even if it's on house arrest like Clint and that other guy. I'm sure—"

"Dad!"

He stopped, snapping his eyes to the familiar teary brown ones. The same one he'd been staring into since the morning of that faithful day.

"I can't. Not without them."

Of course, why did he think it would have been easy to persuade her? Why couldn't she be selfish for once?

"There's no home without them, Dad. I can't just pretend like I agreed with the Accords, like I didn't sign the Accords, like I didn't break them out of that place. I can't just come back here and live the perfect life when I know my family is still out there, living like haunted animals." She cried.

"Smalls, you have to understand that they didn't sign the Accords, that makes them—"

"And Nat? She signed, didn't she? Where is she now?" She questioned.

She saw the news, Natasha Romanoff on the run along with fellow rogue Avengers.

"Where are you going to go? I need you to be safe, Smalls. I need you around so I can sleep and not worry if the feds are gonna lock you up. Or something worse." He admitted, looking away.

"Hey. I'm going to be fine. I promise." She responded.

"But where are you going?" He asked, his eyes searching hers.

"I don't know yet. Asia, Europe, Africa. Wherever my mind goes." She answered and he nodded, admitting defeat.

He pulled her into another hug that she melted into.

"I know I can't stop you. I'm just gonna– try to get by." He mumbled, "But promise me, whatever, and I mean if you have any problem, you get in contact with us." He said, and she nodded.

"On a lighter note," she asked after almost a minute of silence, "what do you think of nanotechnology?"