[1] BROKEN ONE // t. stark

10

"Who is this Peter Parker?" I asked Dad as we sat in our jet.

     Here's the story of Tony Stark's troublesome daughter: We were in a rush to get on plane because I missed ten minutes of our actual departing time. Dad was very angry and didn't even wait for me when we rushed towards the plane so I thought I'd have to wait until he calms down.

     "Someone," he answered lowly and lazily as if didn't even intend to tell me. Well, I didn't expect him to answer either. But then he sighed, in which relaxing his tensed muscles and me. "To be honest, I don't know who he is. I saw the public camera that there was this boy clinging and saving people so I searched out for him."

     "Clinging?" My eyes narrowed.

     "Yes," Dad answered. "There's this string coming out from his wrist. I don't know how to explain to you. Just look at this."

     Dad handed me his tablet. The screen already showed a situation, where there was a guy at one of the cars that was parked at the curb. Maybe this was somewhere in the Queens since this Parker boy is from Queens. And before the guy can do anything, someone, dressed is a red and blue suit appeared. His face was masked, however.

     And I assumed that was Peter Parker.

     I tapped on the screen and the video played. I waited. But my patience was low that I looked up at Dad to ask him where was the part that he said a string coming out from his wrist. But then I saw it. I don't know what Peter Parker did to the guy, but when my eyes were focused on the tablet again, I saw that he was flying - clinging - onto something and not on a metal bar or something. He was hanging on the string.

     "Oh. That's....odd." That was only what I managed to say. I handed him his tablet back, but he didn't take it.

     "Odd?" He raised his eyebrow. "I think it's brilliant. Look at this." Dad touched a button on his watch and the video changed. This time, it showed the same person in red and blue suit - Peter Parker - saving town's people in a bus by stopping a car. An expensive car that must have weight three times his weight, almost hitting the bus.

     Something in my heart stirred. The first video of him didn't do me anything, but the second video made me want to see his face so badly. I wanted to know how he looked. I felt my lips twitched and I hoped Dad didn't see it.

     "Is that Peter Parker?" I asked him, handing him back the tablet. This time Dad took it and put it on the table in front of us.

     Dad nodded his head yes.

     "Why do you want to see him?" I was eager to know. And not just that, I cannot wait for us to land at Queens and meet him.

     "To recruit him," Dad answered with a wince like he knew there's something not right to do it.

     I scowled. "Recruit for what?"

     Dad looked - stared - at me for a few seconds as if to apologise to me or to tell me what he was going to do by eyes.  I have a clue. After what happened and after the fights, I think I knew why Dad was recruiting Peter Parker, but I didn't want to jump into conclusion. I didn't want to think bad about my father because he's my father. But the guilt in his eyes told me that I'm right; the guilt in his eyes told me to forgive him.

     "Dad. You can't recruit a schoolboy to do your favour." My voice was a mixture of stern and disbelief, yet still soft.

     "I don't know what else to do, Terri." Dad leaned sideway to the window and held his forehead. "I tried to think other things to bring the members back, but they're just....useless." He shook her head. "I....I didn't mean to keep us apart. The contract. I just didn't want anyone to accuse the Avengers taking innocent people's lives anymore. I've been blamed too many times. I wonder if they've been scolded like me. The burden is too heavy. Heavier than raising a careless daughter."