What Are the Odds? (Stony Au)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

~~33 years ago~~

"My favorite superhero is still Captain America," Tony shrugged, playing with the metal bar over the slide, "But I guess she's cool an' stuff too."

"Oh my god, Captain America is the worst superhero of all time!" the nine year-old groaned, "He's so boring! Have you ever had detention with his annoying voice on repeat?"

Tony shook his head.

"Then your opinion doesn't count," he shrugged, pushing Tony from the start of the slide, "Besides, he's dead."

"Wha- Hey! No, he's not!" Tony argued, "And it's my turn!"

"He is dead!" the kid behind Tony piped up, his name was Eric.

"No, he's not!"

"How would you know? You're just a baby!" Eric puckered his lips out, making kissing noises, "Oh yes, Ms. McClennen, I'll do everything you say because I'm just a suck-up who wants to be just like Captain America, who's dead."

"I'm not a baby!" Tony's hands balled up into tiny fists, "And he's not dead!"

"Yes, he is! C'mon Tony, we're friends, right?" the kid looked up from the slide.

"Yeah, Joe, 'course we're friends," a small frown settled on his mouth, gesturing to Eric, "Tell him to stop. He's wrong!"

"Tony, listen, coming from a friend," Joseph stood up, siding with Eric, "You need to grow up. You're what my dad would call, a pussy."

Tony's face turned beet red, "You don't even know what that means!"

"I know that's what you are!"

"Well, you know what you are?" Tony walked up so that he was right in front of the two taller boys, "You're a-,"

~~~~~

"Ms. McClennen, he called us the b-word!" Eric cried, Joseph nodding his head along with him.

"Tony, is that true?" the young teacher turned to Tony, who's glare landed on the two boys.

"Motherfucker doesn't start with a b."

"Tony!" Ms. McClennen stifled her laugh with a cough, "That is unacceptable! We will be having an indoor recess, where you can think of how you would like to apologize to your friends!"

"They're not my friends."

"It doesn't matter!" she took Tony by the hand and started leading him to the classroom.

She stopped to tell the other teacher of how she had to leave because of Tony's actions. His face remained stoic when the teacher gasped in surprise, despite the feeling of dread filling his stomach.

"I can't believe you would do such a thing!" Ms. McClennen huffed, "First, you stop turning in your work; then, you start talking back in class; and now this? I expected better from you, Mr. Stark."

"You shouldn't have."

"Why not?" they walked into the classroom, "Should I have treated you like I treat Eric? Giving you extra work to do? Detention?"

"I dunno," Tony muttered, figuring it not worth it.

"You don't know?" Ms. McClennen sat down in one of the small desks, with Tony doing the same, "No."

"Then write your apology letter," she pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil, seeing right through the child.

"But I'm not sorry," Tony pushed the paper away, while trying not to completely break down, "It's not fair, they deserved it."