Stark's Daughter

Chapter 18:

      Today, the snow fell quietly and beautifully. I decided to go outside again, and watch the silent world before me.

     When I got to the top of the tower, I headed outside. There, I saw Marc standing, gazing at the city of white.

     I walked up next to him and leaned against the beam of rail. Moments passed and there was no sound. It is peaceful.

      "Hey." I quietly said.

"Hey." Marc replied quietly.

His eyes searched the world in front of him. Although, he almost looked upset. Or as if something was wrong. I'd rather not interrupt him when he's lost in thought. But, I did anyways.

"It's so beautiful." I remark, "and peaceful."

"Yeah." Marc sighed, "it reminds me of Asgard with my family, before the incident."

"What incident?" I ask.

"Well, one day, I was with my family. And we came to this... spot... Where I had seen bodies everywhere. Blood pouring out of their dismembered bodies. Something had tore through them limb to limb. You'd never be able to help them, even if they had still been living. Their body parts lay all over the street. They were all dead." Marc was lost in thought.

I gasped, "what? Oh my gosh... Weren't you.. scared?"

"Heh. Death doesn't scare me Stephanie." He said.

I didn't know what to say after that. Was there anything I could say? Death doesn't scare me. How? Death does scare me.

"Well, it scares me." I reply.

"It doesn't me. Death is coming for all of us, Steph." Marc says quietly.

He looked to me, then back down to the blanket of snow.

"How are you not phased by it?" I ask, looking down.

"I've seen my share of things... Anyway.." Marc ended the conversation.

"The snow reminds me, back in Asgard, how Anna and I used to play in it. And mom and dad would watch over us. We used to have a lot of fun. That is, until they had abandoned us." He sighed.

"You're not the only one. I used to live in a foster home. For almost eleven years." I explain.

"Wow. Anyway, I'm going to go inside. See you, Steph." Marc called, walking inside.

~~later that day~~

"Hey, Steph." Bruce said, almost questionably.

"Hey." I responded.

"Do me a favor?" He asks.

"Um.. Sure. What do you need?" I ask him.

Bruce crosses his arms and looks around.

"I can't seem to find my test tubes." He says, "could you go look in the cabinets?"

"Yeah, okay." I reply and turn to go on a hunt.

Walking into Bruce's secondary lab, I quickly scramble around for any sign of test tubes. I go over to the drawers and pulled them out. Going through them all, I can't find anything.

"Bruce! I can't find anything! Where is it at?" I yell for him, but no response.

I roll my eyes and grunt to myself.

"Stephanie, you okay? I heard you yelling." Marc walked in behind me.

"Yeah.. Yeah, I'm fine. Just looking for something..." I say.

I move to the next object beside me. Three cabinets that hang on the wall. Opening one cabinet, I find nothing. Then, I decided to open the other two at the same time.

Although, this time, there was something. But not anything I was looking for. Green goo spilled all over me. From my chest, to my feet, covered in the warm goo.

For a moment, I didn't move. I was too in shock with whatever was all over me now. My mouth hung open, as I turn to find Marc's surprised face.

"Oh my gods." I whine angrily.

"You might want to go wash that off." Marc said.

"Yep. Getting on that now. Please go tell Bruce I couldn't find his stupid stuff." I say, stomping off to the shower.

~~after the shower~~

Waking back into the lab, Bruce sits with all the others with a beer.

"What happened to 'I don't drink'?" Dad mocked Bruce.

"I may've lied.. Just a little." Bruce shrugs.

"Oh. So you did drink my wine?" Dad says, almost sarcastically, with a hint of seriousness.

I chuckle, and they all turn to me.

"Hey sweetie." Dad says, waving me over.

"Hi." I say back.

They all sit so quietly, as if they can't say what they want around me.

"Keep going. You guys are too quiet." I tell them.

Moments passed, again, with nothing being said. They all just sat, letting their eyes wander.

"You never found my stuff, huh?" Bruce asks me.

"No. Sorry. But whatever you had in that cabinet got all over me." I respond, rolling my eyes.

"What stuff?" Steve asked Bruce.

"I don't know. The kid is making it up. I don't have anything in there. What's it look like?" Bruce directed to me.

"Green, warm goo. I'll show you if you don't believe me." I cross my arms.

"Alright, let's go take a look." Dad stands up to lead us to the cabinets.

We all stand back, ensuring nothing will get all over us. I go first, while everyone leans forward in suspense.

"It's just goo. It's not like it's going to jump at you." I laugh, cautiously opening it.

"Says the one who leans as far away as possible from it." Clint laughs along with me.

"And the one who whined about getting it all over themselves." Natasha added.

Then, something weird happened. Whatever goo was in there, it's gone now. Most of it poured out on me, but there should still be some left. Maybe some drops of it inside of the cabinet. But nothing. It is all gone.

"Told you she made it up." Bruce remarked.

"What?!" I whimper, " I promise you, I'm not making this up. It was here! Ask Marc! He was here when it happened."

"Yeah. She's right. Something really did pour out on her." Marc walked in, defending me.

Why don't they believe us?

"What?! You look at us like we just shit in your cereal! I'm not lying!" I yell.

"Stephanie!" Dad furrowed his eyebrows.

"Language." Steve said broadly.

Looking around the room, everyone incased anger. All except Clint and Thor.

Clint elbowed Thor lightly, holding in a laugh. As Clint held in a burst of laughter, Thor let loose his boom of ridiculous laughter.

I half-smiled at their outbursts. Okay, this is funny. I turn away from the crowd, now holding in my own laughter.

"Come on. It is impossible not to laugh at that. She's too cute when she curses."  Thor giggles.

Clint began laughing even more, as he exited the room.

Soon, the whole room was laughing, for what, now, seems like nothing. All I said was one word, and everyone loses it.

While everybody was chuckling, I slyly exited the room and headed back up to my room. Easy.