Avengers Generations

Chapter 1

Tori stood in the kitchen waiting for the popcorn to finish. The microwave sounded like a little machine gun as the snack exploded, filling the small, dirty kitchen with the smell of butter.

Suddenly, her ear buzzed with a staticky voice. "Hurry, Tori! It's about to start." Her brother sounded deathly serious.

"Almost done." She responded. There was no response. "Anthony?" She questioned uncertainly. Then she yelled "Anthony!! It's not working!"

"Tap your ear!!" Came the response from the den. Tori did so.

"It's almost done." She repeated with humiliation. She hated it when she couldn't figure out technology. Her dad was Tony Stark, who used to be the most ingenious man ever, and her mom was Virginia Potts, CEO of the biggest companies in the world. Even her little brother was a technological genius, and she couldn't even figure out how to tap her ear.

_

The microwave timer went off, and Tori grabbed the bag of popcorn and half walked, half jogged to the den. She flopped onto the degraded couch with Anthony and offered him the bag while stuffing a few kernels in her own mouth.

"Doth Mother know you weareth her drapes?" Their dad walked into the room in his boxers and an old AC-DC t shirt.

"It's a snuggy Dad." Anthony said in a monotone "And our show's on." Tony reached for the popcorn.

'Like he needs it.' Tori thought, glancing at her dad's beer gut.

"What is this?" Their mom said as she walked into the room. She put her hands on her hips "Superhero cartoons? Tony! You know how I feel about those!"

Anthony tossed his head back and sighed - no TV today.

"Pepper, baby, is it Sunday already?" Tony said. He looked guilty. And he looked like a bum. With popcorn in his beard. Not a pretty picture. Tori didn't know if this was how he'd always been, or just after her parents divorced. She didn't remember much of her parents being together, just that it was happy.

"Don't "baby" me, Tony." Pepper said with a coldness. "And yes, it is Sunday. May I have my children, please?"

"Well," Tony said "Maybe we could go out to lunch first? As a family?"

"Oh, that would be fun!" Tori said dryly. "The media will love it! 'Virginia Potts takes up boxing'." The sides of her dad's mouth twitched as he tried to cover a laugh, but Pepper just glared at Tori. "What?" The girl shrugged defensively. She looked at Anthony for support, but naturally he was keeping out of it. Anthony was good with gadgets, not people, and Tori envied that.

"Victoria, don't be that way." Pepper scolded "Go get your stuff and get in the car. You too, Anthony." The two kids sighed and heaved themselves off the couch. "And stop watching this garbage!" Their mom called as they left the room.

Tori and Anthony silently stuffed their backpacks. They could hear their parents yelling in the den. Something about the "Old Days" and the TV "giving them ideas".

"And thus ends a glorious weekend at Dad's." Tori announced to her brother "Now we're off to a perfect week with Mom." Not even she could smile at that one. Life felt so dificult for her recently... and it sucked. In less than two weeks and she would be eighteen - a legal adult, but she felt guilty wanting to leave as badly as she did. She wanted to get away. She would get a job, pay for an apartment, and live the good life, but what would Anthony do without her? He was only fifteen... Tori knew she wouldn't have been able to survive three years without him, could he do it without her? She doubted it.

"Victoria Harley Stark! You come here this instant!" Her Mom snapped her out of her plans. Her aggravated voice revealed that if she stayed in this apartment any longer she might kill someone. Most likely someone with a popcorn-ridden beard.

"Common, Anthony." Tori tried to sound lighthearted. "Let's go."

"Honestly, your father..." Pepper huffed in the car on the way home.

"At least he feeds us actual food." Said Anthony, looking at his to-go tofu wrap through his modified computer glasses.

"Pizza and popcorn is not actual food!" Pepper scolded.

"Says the vegetarian." Tori pointed out with her head leaning against the back window of the little car. She noticed her mom's grey roots were showing. That meant she'd go to the hair salon tomorrow and try to convince Tori to do something different with her hair - or her makeup - or her clothes - or her face. Ever since her parents divorce all her mom could think about was work, appearance, and how much she hated Tony. Tori wished she could get her parents back together... They used to be so happy... They used to be a family. Now the only family Tori had was sitting next to her with computerized glasses and tofu.

Pepper pulled up to a Target. "I just need to grab a few items." She informed them "You can come or stay. Whatever."

Tori glanced at Anthony, who didn't make any move to get out. "Ditto." She agreed.

"Have it your way." Her mom shrugged as she got out and closed the door.

The two siblings sat in the car. It was early August, so the heat rippled over the hood, all but boiling the kids inside. Anthony opened the windows, and that helped some. They waited, sweated, and didn't say anything for a really long time.

"What is taking her so long?" Anthony whined, wiping the sweat off his upper lip with the back of his finger.

"Maybe there's a clearance on weight loss pills." Tori suggested dryly.

The next thing they knew, there was a man sitting in the driver seat. In a terrifying, confusing moment, he had run up to the car, unlocked the door through the open window, and slipped into the seat. He shut the door, locked the car, and rolled up the windows quickly, trapping the teens in with him.

Tori screamed. Anthony started digging in his backpack for some gadget - but he pulled his empty hands out quickly when he heard the man.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kid." His voice was deep and powerful. He was wearing a long, black trench coat and an eyepatch on his left eye.

"Who are you?" Tori shouted. She was utterly terrified. The man hesitated, but then reached for something inside his coat. Tori's eyes grew wide. Was he reaching for a gun?!

"You can call me Uncle Nick." Said the man. He held up something that looked like a black lipstick container. He pushed a button on the top and smoked curled out.

Anthony shouted "Gas! Don't breath!" But it was too late. The two kids coughed, and then fell asleep.