LIGHTNING ▷ BUCKY BARNES [UNDER EDITING]

4| OPPORTUNITIES

Valerie coldly stared off into the distance once she escaped the Avengers tower. The tower behind her shone light again after her little panic attack that cut off all the light in the building. The letter A once again shone in all its glory over the city, making her feel small and invisible. But who doesn't feel invisible when living in New York? Well, for the first time in a while Valerie felt the opposite of invisible, she felt watched. The dark alleyways surrounding the tower didn't help either with that feeling. She clutched her camera with dear life as she speed-walked towards the Time tower, the feeling of being watched never leaving her until she walked into it.

She sighed heavily once she entered the elevator, her worry washed away and was replaced with satisfaction despite what happened just fifteen minutes ago. She walked around the floor full of writers, photographers, assistants, and editors, all were minding their business like always. Valerie headed towards her office only to be stopped by Milly who blocked her way by rolling out of her cubicle whilst in her desk chair. "How was the billionaire, Tony Stark?" she asked as she chewed on a piece of gum, the sound just making Valerie annoyed more than she already was. "Like always: stuck-up, arrogant, self-centered—" "Give hem some credit Valerie, they saved us a lot of times." Milly cut her off, throwing her arm over the other as she stared at the camera hanging around Valerie's neck. "Only when they're the cause of the problem," she replied calmly, holding her camera close to her and walking towards her office, ignoring every stare towards her.

She quickly shut the door behind her and scoffed to herself before turning the lights of her shared-office on. Startled she took a step back only for her back to be met with the wooden door. "Valerie Elizabeth Jones." a familiar man spoke. Valerie eyed him cautiously from the couch he was sitting on, fumbling with a old, broken camera. "Anthony Edward Stark." she mocked with the same tone as the man in the red suit. His suit shone a golden glow due to the dim lights in her office but her eyes quickly shifted from the suit towards the open window when a cold wind flew into her office space and made the tiny hairs on her neck rise up. The silence took over the both of them but it didn't look like Tony would break it any moment so Valerie took measures into her own hands and spoke up first, "Why are you here?" she sighed, snatching the old camera out of Tony's hand before placing it back on the shelve it belonged to. The camera around her neck was quickly placed on her desk a minute after and she leaned against it as she waited for an answer. "I love how we're not doing the chit-chat thing," Tony confessed, clapping his hands together and repositioning his body in the couch, "I'm offering you protection: a safe place to stay and train," he explained, watching the woman carefully for any tricks she was hiding up her sleeve. But she wasn't. She just wanted to return back to her old life and forget about the little facade that happened earlier.

She frowned in frustration, her hands balling up into fists as she pushed herself off her desk. "And why on earth should I want that?" she hissed, being unaware that little sparks of white lighting escaped her clenched fists, only to disappear a second later when she relaxed her hands. "Please do remember that the tower is being watched 24/7 by fans, civilians, and enemies. It wouldn't take long for, let's say HYDRA, to find you, kidnap and enslave you to be their little puppet." he sneered and just as he taught, Valerie grew quiet and consider doing it. That was until she realized she didn't need to be taken care of, least of all by the Avengers.

"I'm good," she declined as politely as possible as she moved towards the open window and motioned her hands towards the outdoors, "You know where to leave."

Tony looked at her with something like surprise and defeat before he stood up from the couch and walked towards the window, just to stop a few inches in front of Valerie. "Please consider it." "I did. Now, please go. I'm asking nicely." Tony sighed and nod politely before taking his leave out of the window in his red, flying Iron Man suit. She quickly closed the window after he flew out and just then Winn walked into their shared-office with a familiar fast-food bag.

"I got taco's!"

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