Invisible | Tony Stark (o.h)

Chapter Seven

A lot had changed in the year since the battle with Ultron in Sokovia. 

Tony and Keira had 'tapped out' from the Avengers, but considering Tony couldn't exactly have a 'relaxing break', it hadn't taken long for him to get back to work. 

But it left Keira to have a well over-due bonding time with Bea. Both of them had only gotten closer throughout the grief, their mother's death had caused them both. 

However, Bea was now enrolled back into school and loving every second of it as well certainly enjoying the perks of her older sister dating Tony Stark. 

Keira was, of course, glad her sister was enjoying herself so much, but definitely did miss their all-day movie marathons. 

It wasn't like Keira did much anymore, she still didn't quite have a proper job but Tony refused to let her even start to job search until he was convinced she was 100% alright. This, of course, was funny coming from the man who had avoided his own problems for so long. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel so grateful that someone had finally noticed her pain and was helping her to become more visible to the world. 

Keira's eyes flickered across the stage, watching the scene unfold in front of her. 

A younger version of Tony talked with his parents, and Keira inhaled sharply at how painful it was just for her. 

She looked across the stage at Tony who was clearly struggling a little bit, but easily hiding his true feelings, the Stark way. 

That was something the two of them had in common, neither really liked processing their feelings themselves, which often caused the other to have to step in. 

Keira sent him a smile of encouragement, as the scene started to come to an end. 

"He does miss you when you are not here. And, frankly, you're going to miss us. Because this is the last time we're all going to be together. You know what's about to happen. Say something. If you don't, you'll regret it."

"I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could."

Keira watched as Maria kissed Tony on the cheek before walking out, leaving the younger and older version of Tony on the stage. 

"That's how I wished it happened. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF." Tony said. "God, I gotta work on the acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to. . . clear traumatic memories."

Tony stole a quick glance at Keira standing in the wings, as she sent another smile of encouragement before nodding at him to continue. 

Keira quickly recognized the look in his eyes as it was the same look she had seen in her own eyes, for the majority of the time she looked in the mirror.

Pain.

"It doesn't change the fact that they never made it to the airport. . .  or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but. . .Plus 611 million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in their right mind would've ever funded it."

"Help me out, what's the MIT mission statement?" Tony asked. "To generate, disseminate and preserve knowledge." The crowd spoke along with him. "And work with others. . .to bring it to bear on the world's great challenges." Tony said. "Wel, you are the others. And, quiet as it's kept. . the challenges facing you are the greatest mankind's ever known. Plus, most of you are broke."

The crowd laughed. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. Rather you were." Tony corrected himself. "As of this moment, every student has been made an equal recipient of the inaugural September Foundation Grant. As in. . .all of your projects have just been approved and funded. No strings, no taxes. . .just re-frame the future! Starting now!"

"Go break some eggs."

Tony exited the stage as the crowd broke out into a huge round of applause, before taking Keira's hand, pulling her along with him as one of the MIT teachers tried to have a discussion with him. 

The two of them stepped into the corridor, heading towards the elevator. 

"That was nice, what you did for those young people." A woman who was also waiting for the elevator said. 

"Ah, they deserve it. Plus, it helps ease my conscience."

"They say there's a correlation between generosity and guilt. But if you've got the money. . .break as many eggs as you like. Right?"

Keira watched as Tony narrowed his eyes slightly at the woman before using his free hand to press the button to the elevator. 

"Are you going up?" Tony asked the woman. 

"I'm right where I want to be." The woman said, digging her hand around in her bag.

Tony's hand shot forward closing around her wrist before he realized what had just happened. 

"Okay, okay. Hey! Sorry, it's an occupational hazard."

"I work for the State Department. Human Resources. I know it's boring. . .but it enabled me to raise a son. I'm very proud of what he grew up to be." The woman said shoving a photo at Tony. 

Keira shared a concerned look with Tony before continuing to listen to what the woman had to say. 

"His name was Charlie Spencer. . .you murdered him."

Keira cursed under her breath, this was the last thing that Tony needed right now. 

"In Sokovia. Not that that matters in the least to you." The woman's pain and anger were evident but she still didn't stop. "You think you fight for us? You just fight for yourself."

Tony just frowned at the woman, pain clouded his vision. 

"Who is going to avenge my son, Stark? He's dead." The woman said, shaking her head in absolute disgust. "And I blame you."

Keira glared at the woman, who looked a little intimidated at the woman in front of her. 

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Spencer, but could you please leave now?" Keira tried asking, her own heart in pain as she watched Tony slowly break further. 

"Sure you are." The woman scoffed. "You, Miss Ross, are no better." She said before walking off. 

The second she was out of sight, Keira whipped back around to face Tony.

He had let go of her hand and had stepped away from her. 

"Tony. ." Keira trailed off. 

"Don't," Tony shouted at her. "Don't you even dare."

"Everything is going to be alright." Keira tried again, trying to soothe him. 

"Everything couldn't be further from alright," Tony said. "No matter what you say, that woman was right, it is my fault."

"You didn't mean to create that version of Ultron," Keira said. "You were trying to make the world a better place. You just made a mistake, we all do."

"Just stop! You are just fooling yourself!" Tony shouted at her. "I'm a murderer, alright! You don't deserve me! I've killed so many people and your 'calming words' can't change that."

Keira glared right back, her calming tactic had gone out of the window, she was pissed now. 

"You know what? You might be a murderer," Keira shouted back at him. "But I'm so done of you trying to convince yourself that I don't deserve you, last time I checked, you don't get to decide that for me!"

"Just fucking leave, Ross!"

"You know what?" Keira shouted back at him. "Maybe, I will. I honestly don't know why I ever gave you a second chance to prove yourself to me, other than the arsehole I had known you as for most of my life." Keira shouted at him, anger obvious in every syllable. 

She stormed down the corridor, using her right hand to wipe the few stray tears that had managed to leak out of her eyes.