The workshop smelled like burnt wires and rusted metal. The heater in the corner clicked loudly every few minutes, but it was doing its job—barely. Tony stood bent over a torn-down prototype, fiddling with its internals like he could keep his mind quiet if he just kept his hands busy.
"The sandwich was fair," he muttered absently. "Spring's a little rusty. Rest of the materials, I'll make do."
The local kid hovered near the workbench, bouncing on the heels of his too-big sneakers.
"I got it all from the junkyard," the kid beamed. "The spring, the battery. Even the heater. It still works! Kinda."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Kid, your scavenger skills are impressive. The watch, though..."
He held up his wrist, showing off a glittery pink monstrosity.
"...I was expecting more Stark Tech, less Barbie's dream lab."
"Hey! That's my sister's! And it's a limited edition."
Tony rolled his eyes. "How can I possibly be expected to innovate with glitter telling me the time?"
The kid laughed, unabashed. "When can we talk about New York?"
Tony flinched, just slightly. "Maybe never."
"What about the Avengers? Can you talk about them?"
"I don't know. Later. Hey—give me a little space, would you?"
The boy nodded and stepped back, though he still hovered nearby.
Tony took a breath and returned to his work, but the quiet didn't last.
"Hey, what's the story with this place, anyway?" Tony asked "People around here said some guy blew it up."
"Guy named Chad Davis. He used to live nearby. Army vet, really decorated. One day, just... snapped. Made a bomb. Took out half the block."
"Six dead, right?" Tony asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yeah."
"Including Davis?"
Before the kid could answer, the back door slammed open, crashing against the wall with enough force to shake tools off the bench.
Tony's head snapped up.
"Tony!"
Rhiley stood in the doorway, soaked from the rain, blood dripping from her fingertips, her face pale and stricken. Her hair clung to her cheeks, and her jacket was stiff with drying blood. She looked like she'd clawed her way out of a grave.
The kid gasped. "Whoa—"
"Upstairs," Tony ordered.
"But—"
"Now."
Without another word, the boy turned and bolted.
Rhiley stepped inside, just barely managing to stay on her feet.
"You followed me?" Tony's voice dropped to something dangerous.
Her answer came quickly. "I put a tracker in your skin."
His expression darkened. "You did what?"
"God no, I'm not tech-savvy, you idiot." She winced, swaying slightly. "Jarvis told me what happened. I saw Pepper—"
"Is she okay?"
"She's okay," Rhiley said, breathless. "You flew off in a prototype suit with no comms. I had to know you were alive."
YOU ARE READING
Radioactive | Bucky Barnes
Fanfiction"I want to go back to the time you first told me your name." Rhiley, the twin sister of Howard Stark, finds herself wrapped up with the one and only James Barnes. The next time she sees him is on her new assignment with the 107th Infantry Regiment...
