War

Chapter 4

Janis' POV

   "So... thoughts?" I wondered, letting my idea register in my father's mind.

"How about no." He replied. I went to his lab to ask him if I could hang out with Wanda without Auntie Nat tagging along.

"Why not?" I pout.

"There's a reason she's your bodyguard and that reason is to protect you. Plus, what's the big deal?"

"It's just that... I'm not exactly a child anymore, dad. I need to learn how to be on my own if I ever move out or even go to college." I validate. Tony rolls his eyes,

"You don't need college! You're already a genius and you have an empire to build up as well as a name to withhold. Your future is planned for you, batteries included."

"As tempting as that sounds; you get my point. I don't want this to ruin any chance of..." I cut off, trying to pull away from what I was about to spill. I was going to mention Rogers, but then I realized that it was a terrible idea and went against the entire plan to gain his trust enough to go out by myself. I really need to watch what I say. Now time to get myself out of this hole.

"Ruin your chance of what?" My father questioned, every bit of focus on me. I remembered that this entire conversation was about going to hang with Wanda and as much as I hated bringing her into this, I felt it was my only route.

"It would ruin my chances of getting Wanda alone? To talk about girl stuff?" I responded in the form of a question. I barely realized I dug a bigger hole, but the question allowed me to dig my way out (for now, at least.)

"Oh... I mean, I always figured but... I just..." For once in his life, Tony Stark was rendered speechless. Another idea pops into my head to seal the deal.

"If you can't agree to that, at least allow Aunt Nattie to teach me self-defense. You can't deny that it's a good idea." He scratched the back of his head,

"I guess I'll have to think about that. I'll let you go without Natasha one time but if anything happens, you press the little button on your phone that calls me directly. Are we clear?"

"Crystal!" I exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

    Wanda and I were cruising around in my car when I felt the need to tell her about my cover-up.

"Okay, don't get pissed off but I used you as a cop-out to make sure Auntie Nat didn't come with us," I admit. Wanda pulled her sunglasses up to her forehead.

"Oh no... What did you say?"

"I sorta told him that this was a bit of a date... Kinda."

"Janis!" She said, sounding bummed.

"What? It's not like you and Vis are together. It's just a one-time thing, no biggy." I reassured her. She faced forward, clearly a little angry. I hate when my favorite girl gets this way. I sigh, "I'll tell you what: when we get to the mall I'll buy you something nice since you still put up with me." I bargain. Wanda didn't budge.

"You can't buy my loyalty, Janny."

"How can I make it up to you?" I ask.

"Well... You can start by not being so hard on Vision. He's protective of me as it is and with this stuff you do when you try to anger him, he gets a little internally possessive." Wanda told. My eyes lit up,

"So it does bother him! Mission accomplished. I know everyone's weakness now." My celebration ended when Wanda looked in the rear-view mirror.

"Am I seeing things or has that black truck been following us for a while." I lifted my sunglasses and looked in my side mirror. It was strange because we took the back roads to get to the mall, which nobody really uses. I grip the wheel a little tighter.

"Hold on, I'll try to lose this asshole." I took a turn at the nearest exit and ended up on the main road. He followed, oddly. The windows were heavily tinted which made it hard to figure out who it was. I had a strange feeling about this one. "Try to see who it is." I said. Wanda turned in her seat and looked. I was so concerned that I passed the mall a third of a mile back.

"I can't see anyone," Wanda told me. After a few turns, I pulled over by a sketchy housing addition and got out of my car only to find that he didn't make the same turn. All of that for nothing. I signed and got back into the car.

"I need some music," I said. I grabbed the aux cord to plug my phone into the radio when I noticed that right next to the auxiliary port there was a smaller hole. No fucking way, Tony planted a microphone in here? I instead went to the notepad on my phone and typed out "There's a bug in here. Don't say anything rash." and handed it to Wanda. Her eyes widened and she handed the phone back. At this point, I was fuming. I decided to play a little game of "Concern My Father" and suggest a new plan. "On second thought, let's not go to the mall. Let's get totally fucked up. But first..." I when to my trunk and grabbed my portable tool kit. I popped the stereo cover off and yanked the microphone out. The plan was simple: we sit here for a good hour or two and then when we get home, the fun begins.

    Wanda and I pull up to the base.

"I have some business to attend to. You get some sleep." I say. She nods and gets out of the car. I grab the now broken microphone and storm into Tony's lab.

"You wanna explain this bullshit?" I yell, throwing it at him.

"I think you should explain first. I kept a log of that conversation in the car. Entry one: ' Okay, don't get pissed off but I used you as a cop-out to make sure Auntie Nat didn't come with us.' Entry two: ' I sorta told him that this was a bit of a date... Kinda.' Entry three, and this one's my favorite: 'On second thought, let's not go to the mall. Let's get totally fucked up.' Not once did you go to the mall as you said and not only that but you lied and said you wanted to be alone with Wanda. And I'm not sure what getting 'fucked up' is in your eyes but you were parked in the same spot for an hour and a half at some weird address on the strange side of town."

"Were you the asshole in the black truck?" I interrogated.

"Nope. That was Happy, following direct orders to follow you since you didn't want Nat there."

"What would Pepper think of this?"I argued. At this point, we were both standing tall. I hated to fight with him, but I couldn't hold my rage.

"She would think I'm a genius because now I know that I can't trust you and you can forget those self-defense lessons. From now on anytime you leave this base, you have Natasha with you and that's that."

"Why are you so bent on this?"

"Because when you were shot, you were alone."

"It could've been avoided if I had the proper training." I retaliated. Tony's face began turning red at my argument.

"I will not argue with you about this, Janis Page. Go to your room." He demanded. Never in my 12 years of living with him has my father ever raised his voice at me. Most kids would cry, but this made my blood boil.

"Why the hell should I?" I asked, smartly. Tony's face went back to its normal color and his tone went to an octave below his inside voice.

"Because I'm very disappointed in you." Those words hurt like hell. They drove their claws into my soul and ripped my spirit to pieces. I turned around and went to my room. Those are the words that make a child want to do all the right things. I decided to sleep, even though I would regret it later.