Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

9. Happy and Red Suitcases

CHAPTER 10
HAPPY AND RED SUITCASES

"I don't understand why we can't just have a professional conversation about payment. This is a job, after all?"

White socked paws patted across the freezing tiles as New York's fall begun. Rounding the counter corner, Simba narrowed his eyes to the half empty bowl on the floor, unimpressed by the fact that he could see the shimmering silver bottom.

"I don't care, does it look like I care? You don't know that, do you? 'Cause I'm not talking to you in person!"

The orange and white fur rubbed against the dark sweatpants, leaving hair behind that would take Claire hours to try brush off.

"Simba! Wait- no! Not you, Phil. Okay, okay, let's be adults here."

Simba continued to ignore the stressful matter at the moment, and started his chorus of meows to get Claire's attention. Surely she'd understand the extremity of the situation he was faced with?

"Shut up- again, not you Phil, it's Simba. The cat? Why would I have a lion? That's beside the point!"

Claire was supposed to be on the road right now, probably in a fancy building, but instead she had just put on the pot to make tea and switched her TV to the latest news airing. A dark haired woman walked across the screen, smile wide and breath-taking.

"I don't have her number- don't send me her number! This is stressful! Well I wasn't raised in SHIELD, I was raised by a Rogue Hypnotist and my overly understanding parents!"

Another meow was made to remind Claire of the ever growing starvation that rumbled in Simba's stomach, ongoing since the early hours of the morning. The dark-blonde finally caved in and poured some pellets into the bowl on the ground whilst still upholding her debate with Phil Coulson.

"Okay, let's say I had accepted your offer to fill in to assist Mr Stark therapeutically, how do I even begin to start that whole ordeal?"

"I would assume by asking him, Miss O'Connor."

"Doctor," she corrected absentmindedly.

"Right. And with such being said, we've sustained your PhD to some degree, now it's time to see what use the effort has brought. You will perform the task at hand, you will report back to officials, and we will see you once again in Malibu."

"Malibu?" Claire's eyes wondered over to the news broadcast that was muted on the TV screen.

Tony Stark had hit the media hard after his reveal to the world on the face behind the mask, the brains behind the project. Stark Industries had never been more popular since the withdrawal of weaponry earlier in the year after Tony's abduction in Afghanistan, but a notorious iron suit?

The broadcast showed a photo with Tony in a large white building hanging off the edge of a cliff unknown to its whereabouts exactly. Malibu, Claire guessed.