UNKNOWN GUEST

#112 Surprise And Surprise

Uncle Tony's laughter echoed through the quiet room as he leaned back on the couch across from me, a glass of water in one hand. I rolled my eyes, already regretting bringing up my failed attempt at growing a beard.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.

He grinned, still chuckling. "I mean, come on! You? With a beard? I'd pay a million bucks just to see how that looked." He shook his head, the humor evident in his sparkling eyes.

I sighed, running a hand along my jawline, now clean-shaven again. "Well, the beard's gone, so you missed your chance."

Tony leaned back into the couch, his signature smirk tugging at his lips. "Shame. Could've been historic."

I gave a noncommittal shrug. "It was a disaster. Trust me, it looked like a dying hedgehog glued to my face."

That earned another laugh from him, though this time he tried harder to suppress it. "So," he said, shifting the conversation, "what's been keeping you busy here, sport?"

I leaned back in the chair and gave another shrug. "Not much, really. Just trying to keep the lights on in this place since someone"—I dragged out the word dramatically—"decided to leave Colonel Rhodes in charge, and he seems to have better things to do than sit around babysitting me all day."

Tony grinned knowingly. "Yeah, that sounds like Rhodey. He does have a lot on his plate, though. But look at you, Mr. Manager. Got the whole facility running, huh?"

I snorted. "Running is a strong word. Surviving, maybe."

He raised an eyebrow. "Heard Ross dropped by to pay you a visit."

I groaned, rubbing my temples at the memory. "Yeah. Came by to issue some friendly reminders about how easily he could drag me to the International Criminal Court if he really wanted to. Said he was 'being patient,' but it's more like he's just testing mine."

Tony gave me a sympathetic look and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "He wanted to. Honestly."

I tilted my head, curious. "Wanted to what?"

"Lock you up," Tony said matter-of-factly. "Probably still does, but I told him to shut up."

A flicker of surprise crossed my face. "You told him off?"

Tony gave a lazy shrug. "Yeah, well, Ross and I aren't exactly best friends. He's still carrying a grudge over Bruce, so it's easy to piss him off. I just told him that if he wanted to keep playing this game, he might not like how it ends."

I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "Thanks, Mr. Stark. I mean it. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Tony gave a self-satisfied grin. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm great. You don't have to say it."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Still as humble as ever."

For a moment, we sat in comfortable silence, a rare thing given everything going on. The weight of the world always seemed a little lighter when Tony Stark was around.

Then his expression shifted, the humor fading just slightly. "Do you know where they are?"

I didn't need him to clarify. I knew exactly who he was asking about. My parents. I exhaled slowly, the familiar ache tightening in my chest.

"The last time I saw them was in St. Petersburg. That was a while ago." I hesitated, then added softly, "I have no idea where they are now."

The silence that followed felt heavier. I tried to ignore the gnawing worry that crept up my spine every time I thought about them—Mom and Dad, out there somewhere, on the run from Ross and his men. Hiding. Surviving. But for how long?