Toni Stark

“Tony, you don't understand,” I started stepping towards him with my hands held up in surrender. Tony glared at Loki, fire in his eyes, then sharply looked at me.

“Toni, he THREW me out of a WINDOW! Tried to take over the WORLD, and put the lives of MILLIONS of people in direct danger. He's responsible for Coulson's death. Cos he KILLED him!” Tony said angrily, his voice rising to a shout, his arms flinging wildly through the air as he gestured.

“Phil Coulson?” I whispered, Tony nodded forcefully. I spun around to look at the god. Loki, stood clutching the desk for dear life, he looked like he was ready to fall down. He was paler now.

“The man in the suit with the large weapon?” Loki questioned, meekly.

“YES, THE MAN IN THE SUIT WITH THE LARGE WEAPON, YOU ASS. YOU KILLED HIM.” Tony screeched.

Loki pulled back a step. I felt faint. I stepped back and fell to the bed, cradling my head in my hands. Oh. My. God. Phil. I loved that guy. Special Agent Philip John Coulson had been dating my Aunt Susan for about four months before I met him. Phil was by far the best guy my Aunt had ever talked to let alone was dating. Phil was quirky, funny, and easy to talk to. Sure it sounded cliché but that was Phil, a good listener who knew how to make you feel better. Even if that damn suit was a bit off putting to begin with. Phil Coulson loved Captain America, Sherlock Holmes, cooking, and Aunt Susan.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I tried to choke them back but it didn't work. Tony and Loki rushed forward with their arms open to comfort me, Tony still spewing hatred in the form of dirty looks towards to the god, I pushed them away. I stood up and ran out of the room before Niagara Falls started coming out of my eyeballs. I slammed the door of my room shut behind me and fell on my bed. The tears were coming full force and I kept making little whimper/sucking noises as I sobbed. Without even wanting to the memory of the first time I met Phil bubbled to the surface, threatening a flashback. Okay, this unwanted flashback was happening.

_____________________It was a rainy night in Portland..._________________________

I stood in front of the dingy mirror, in a dingy bathroom, of a dingy room, in a dingy hotel, in the dingy part of Portland. It was the dingiest place I'd ever been. Everything was coated in a layer of, not really dust or grime just,well, dinge.

I untaped the gauze that was secured via medical tape to my chest, the unfamiliar light-blue glow emitted wearily, I gently cleaned the small red incision and the stitches accompanying it that stretched the circumference of the small metal device now lodged in my sternum. I winced as the soap cleansed the wound and washed traces of blood and electrical discharge away. Satisfied, that it was clean and I would not succumb to any major infection or gangrene or something, I placed a new piece of gauze over the little generator and taped it down.

The gauze did a decent job of blocking out that strange light that had no business being in my chest. The weight of it was uncomfortable, and no amount of squirming could make it better. I literally had something on my chest. This thing may have been built by my hero, Tony Stark, and it may have been keeping him alive but, two weeks after surgery and I was ready to rip it out. The whole area had a buzzing sensation that was driving me up a wall, I felt electric.

“ANTOINETTE MARIE!” My mother yelled from the other side of my dingy hotel door. Quickly, I pulled on a baggy t-shirt and grabbed a hoodie. I exited the bathroom and got the green gift bag and my backpack off my dingy bed. I opened my door and stepped out and was promptly slapped by a cloud of dinginess, it was depressing. My mother stood a few feet away hands on her hips, her dress was ugly and too tight, and she had enough make-up on to be accepted into a family of clowns. My mother's face was creased into it's usual scowl.

She turned and started walking down the hall, I followed.”We're gonna be late to Susan's birthday dinner now. And I'm gonna have to sit there and FUCKING listen to your grandmother BITCH about how we're ALWAYS late, and I am NOT gonna do it. Just cos YOU got surgery doesn't mean you get to do this GODDAMN HIGH AND MIGHTY thing. Cos you ain’t a PRINCESS and I ain't treatin' you like one either.” My mother said with emphasis, mostly on the swear
words.

“Sorry mom,” I muttered as we reached the dingy parking lot where our dingy rental car waited with my father and sisters already inside. I got in and we drove through the rain about forty-five minutes to Aunt Susan's bungalow/cottage. I listened to my ipod the whole time blocking out the sound of my family. When we had arrived Uncle Roger's green BMW and Gran's beige Honda were already sitting behind Aunt Susan's red Volkswagen and her boyfriend's black Cadillac SUV.

When we parked everyone piled out as quickly as possible, except for me. I sat in the car a moment longer turning off my ipod and obsessing over the lump in my chest making it was covert as possible.

I opened the burnt orange front door quietly and slipped into the house. Aunt Susan stood in the front room holding a platter of cheese and crackers. Her bright smile taking over her face. Her pretty, auburn hair was pulled back from her neck, except for one loose curl that hung in the middle of her left cheek. As usual, she was wearing a pretty and flowy floral patterned dress and chunky jewelry (most likely the spoils of a local art festival). Her smile broadened when she noticed my arrival.

“Toni,” she sang out setting the platter on the coffee table and floating towards me. My parents were sitting sullenly on the couch across from my mother and Aunt Susan's older brother, Roger, and his wife, Jocelyn. Uncle Roger rolled his eyes at my mother. I heard a few resounding crashes and a general ruckus, that would be my sisters and Uncle Roger's younglings in the game room. I set the giftbag on the rosewood tea table near the door and stepped over to her. She gave me a big hug. Uncle Roger and Aunt Jocelyn shot me small, polite smiles, while my mother and father scowled and stuffed their faces with crackers and cheese.

“Susie, Susie this one is a good one,(hic) sweetheart. Oh is Antoinette here(hic) yet?” I heard Gran slur from the kitchen. Aunt Susan looked towards the kitchen and shook her head. I was still puzzling over weather Gran was referring to the new boyfriend or whatever alcohol she was undoubtedly consuming copious amounts of. I followed Aunt Susan as she drifted off towards the kitchen.

“Susie, honey, the man cooks and is polite (hic) to your dear, old mother (hic). Oh hey Antoinette, how bout givin (hic) your dear,old grandmother a hug?” Gran slurred, teetering on a bar stool, swishing down the last of what appeared to be Chardonnay. Aunt Susan rolled her eyes at her inebriated mother as I shuffled to give Gran an obligatory hug.

Once released from the old and moth-ball scented arms of my grandmother, she looked me over, head-to-toe. “So, Antoinette,” she started refilling her glass from a large bottle on the counter, “where's your boyfriend? Your auntie here, has (hic) got one. And your much prettier than her even with that THING in your chest.” She made a jab at the reactor through my shirt, hitting it hard with her arthritic finger.

I winced, as the metal piece gave a small fraction in its setting. I felt the warm oozing sensation, knowing that there'd be red on the gauze later. I zipped my hoodie up more and crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly even more self-conscious of the hunk of concealed metal. Aunt Susan glared angrily at her mother for her action. And even the boyfriend (who I just realised was behind the counter manning the stove with dish towel tossed over a shoulder, armed with a ladle, cooking dinner in his plain and boring suit. He'd be referred to as the Suit from now on.) looked at me with a concerned expression.

Suit's eyes darted around the kitchen, observing everything, Aunt Susan's irritation, my discomfort and pain, Gran's drunk obliviousness. He stirred a bubbling pot as his eyes landed back on me. Despite the cold exterior, his eyes were warm and a smile filled his face. I clutched my arms tighter around my chest. Gran swilled down another glassful.Suit still looking at me stepped from behind the counter and held his hand out to me.

"Hi, I'm Phil Coulson."