Energy

Clint and Natasha arrived shortly afterwards. They had been in the city on their lunch break during the attack, possibly due to the planning of the Mandarin. Natasha had a direct line to Fury and spent a long time giving him every detail he wanted. Clint attended Maya as she came to, checking her for further injuries and any side effects of being knocked out cold. Natasha eventually came to Christie’s side and led her away from the cliff.

“Fury wants you back on the helicarrier,” she told Christie as they approached the others.

“I want my revenge,” Christie stated. She had a feeling that Fury wouldn’t want to hear that and would try to stop her from going after the Mandarin, but maybe Natasha would help her achieve it.

“I know. But Fury will have a plan. We’ll strike when the time is right,” Natasha reassured her as Pepper stood. Natasha joined Clint’s side as Christie halted, wondering what Pepper could possibly have to say to her. The Iron Man suit was now sitting empty on the ground, but Pepper was still gripping onto the helmet.

“I’m so sorry,” she said once she had come to a stop a step in front of Christie. All Christie could do was grimace and hope that no more tears would fall. “You know, in the back of my mind, I never gave up on him and me. And when I saw him today… God, I just-”

“Pepper, please don’t,” Christie murmured. She didn’t want to hear about their past relationship or her feelings. The only thing that mattered was that Tony was dead.

“What I’m trying to say is that it was stupid for me to even consider that he still had feelings for me. I know he loves you now,” Pepper finished. Tears were welling in her eyes and she held out the helmet in trembling hands. Christie’s eyes fell, a rush of emotions and memories hitting her hard at the sight of the Iron Man mask. How was it even possible? Had Tony’s suit failed him? Christie swept the helmet out of Pepper’s hands and walked over to Natasha.

“Clint will take you to Fury, and I’ll transport the women to other Agents nearby for safekeeping,” Natasha informed her. Clint gave a sympathetic look before leading Christie to their vehicle. He didn’t speak until they were in a jet and minutes away from the helicarrier.

“I’m sorry we weren’t there earlier,” he remarked.

“It’s not your fault,” Christie muttered while shaking her head. It was Tony’s: they both knew that.

“I admired him. He had a lot of good qualities,” Clint continued and Christie’s jaw locked.

“I don’t want your sympathy right now,” she said. The grief had well and truly turned into pain and anger. A sick ball in her stomach was constantly making her energy levels rise, and Christie was struggling to keep them under control.

“Don’t do anything rash. I know what it’s like, but you’ve got to do the right thing.”

“You know what I’m feeling right now?” Christie wondered, unable to believe that anyone could know how much it hurt. It hadn’t occurred to her yet, but she loved Tony. Christie didn’t necessarily feel in love, but she felt so strongly for him. Why had it been taken away so quickly? Tony had joked about it being his last night on earth, but he had been right after all. At least he’d gone out with a bang.

“I thought I had lost Natasha once,” Clint admitted. Christie finally turned her head to look at him. His face was stern; his eyes slightly squinted from his creased brow. With a tiny nod, Christie acknowledged that he was genuine.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” she whispered. Her hands gripped tighter to the edges of the metal helmet.

“You’ll avenge him,” Clint reassured her in a soft voice. His lips turned upwards as he reached over and rubbed her shoulder in attempt to comfort her. “You are a part of the Avengers, after all.” Christie couldn’t help but smile. She was a superhero, something she didn’t want to be, but that meant she had the power to do what was right. She would make the Mandarin pay for taking Tony’s life. Without realising, one of her hands reached up to the precious necklace Tony had given her and she traced its contours.

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, neither of them noticing the miniature red light inside the Iron Man helmet that periodically flashed.



Talking to Fury dramatically calmed Christie down. Clint had been right: she would be able to avenge Tony, but she had to wait first. An opportunity would come, and Fury promised that the moment he knew about it he would deploy her.

The first day was spent quickly by Christie flinging her mad energy at the air. Occasionally she was pushed off the helicarrier by a gust of wind, but she would always return to the same spot and continue to release her anger. All was fine until she accidentally hit a SHIELD jet and it had to emergency land. Fury ordered her to remain inside and not attack anything.

Christie was depressed the following day. She didn’t leave her dull grey room and remained in bed for the majority of the time she was awake. Whenever her eyes closed, terrifying nightmares about losing Tony would shake her awake. Tears fell most of the time too, causing her head to feel swollen and throb with her heartbeat. Christie felt like crap. She had never truly mourned before, and she hadn’t realised how painful it was.

On the third day, Christie started to piece herself back together. She emerged to the tearoom for drinks and managed to join Natasha for a meal. There she heard that the Mandarin had kidnapped Maya and Pepper from their safe house, and that SHIELD was working on a lead. Afterwards, Christie borrowed another snowsuit from Natasha’s spy outfit collection and refused to take it off. Tony always believed in her to be a superhero, and with the boiling energy in her, Christie knew she could do some damage. The pure white reminded her to do good with her power. She would wait for her time.

During the fourth day, Christie was staring at the Iron Man helmet, cradling it in her hands as she sat on her bed. A knock resounded on the door and without further pause, it opened. Fury was standing there, a smirk across his face.

“It’s time,” he told her. The corners of Christie’s lips turned upwards as she rose. Inside her she could already feel the energy beginning to spark with her anticipation. Time to avenge Tony.