Crystalline

Six weeks had passed since meeting Stark, and I had started working in a genetics department in a research facility just south of the city centre. The dull concrete and steel exterior left something to be desired, but upon entering into the sleek lobby to be greeted by an expansive water feature coupled with copper sculptures, my dubious first impression was eased considerably. Even the people were kind to me, appearing unfazed if I ever did speak unusually or misunderstand something they said. Thusly, all was well, and every morning, when I woke up, I was excited for what the day might hold for me.

I quickly became aware something was different when I arrived one morning, noting the nervous look Giana, the receptionist, gave me. Deciding to take heed to her silent warning, or at least what I assumed it to be, I entered the lab quietly, only to find Terrence, my boss, and Tony Stark staring at each other, shoulders parallel.

“Mr. Stark, I wasn’t expecting to see you in my lab,” I spoke quietly, unsure of what was playing out. Stark turned to face me, the movement jerky and abrupt.

“Ah! Just the woman I want to see. Ellie, dear I know it’s been a few weeks, but you certainly made other arrangements quickly,” He mentioned, strolling over to run a finger over a benchtop, before inspecting the same finger, eyes flitting over to Terrence.

“I gave you sufficient time to give me a response, Mr. Stark, I had to assume your silence was an answer in itself,” I wanted him to know how little I really needed his internship, although I couldn’t tell if my attempt had worked.

“Oh well, Ellie, I’m here now, in the flesh. Pack your things, I have a car waiting for us,” Stark grinned, skipping a little as he came towards me. When I didn’t move, his glee ceased.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, I’m afraid I must decline your request. The facilities here at Clearwater Research are quite satisfactory, and I wish to stay on here,” I tried to maintain eye contact, but a little stab at my heart forced my eyes south. Why was I turning down something I’d wanted for years?

“Whatever you say, Ellie. You know where I’ll be if you change your mind,” At this point, he turned to face Terrence. “In my proper laboratories.”

His departure left my boss and I in a silence that made my skin prickle. Terrence seemed to sense my discomfort, so he smiled in my direction and strolled towards me, “Not to worry, Ellery,” He said. “I was not expecting a scientist of your calibre to come without competition. If you would like, I’ll introduce you to another of my incredible scientists. He is much like yourself, I believe,” Terrence did not wait for my answer, so I assumed it was not really a question.

Silence filled the space in my lab, and I was able to take a deep breath. Something about being around men like Stark and Terrence made me uncomfortable, and having both in the same room left a bad taste in my mouth. After the occurrence, I found focusing on work difficult, so I chose to organise the tools in the room to my taste instead, waiting for lunch to roll around.

Even the cafeteria at Clearwater maintained a laboratory feel – the table tops were polished glass, not a chip to be found on any, and they were all wider than an average table. This was to accommodate for the paperwork and laptops that employees brought to their table. There were very few rules at Clearwater, one of which was that all food must remain in the cafeteria, and any drinks returned to the lab had to be in travel mugs. Instead, whilst they ate, they would bring laptops or printouts of their work to the cafeteria to avoid losing any time they had available.
That was something I loved about that place, everyone there shared a true passion for their work. At any hour of the day, there would at least be two or three people here working. Not by force, either, Terrence provides them with tasks or deadlines, and they were free to work however they wished to meet the criteria.

“Ellery!” Terrence’s voice rung out of the usual hum of lunch, making me jump. I turned, regretting the sudden movement immediately as hot tea sloshed out of the mug and onto the tray I was holding, along with my thumb. I tried to ignore the small mess on the tray, feeling my cheeks heat up at the blunder. Thankfully, Terrence didn’t seem to notice. “Come now, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Charlie Cross. He’s currently leading a team in the research on clean energy. We intend to create a basis for replacing the city grid with a system to rival that of Stark Industries.”

I tried not to stare at the doctor, unfortunately, his appearance was not one to be seen every day. Light, matted hair clung to his sharp features, framing even paler eyes. In the unforgiving light of the cafeteria, his skin projected a deathly pallor. After a moment, I realised I was staring at the ghostly man, and tore my eyes from his face, and extended my hand for him to shake.

“Hello, Dr. Cross, I’m Dr. Victors,” at this point, he took my hand gently, tilted it upwards in a manner of shaking. “I specialize in genetics.”
“I know,” Charlie replied, gazing unblinkingly at me, removing his hand from my reach and wiping it on his trouser leg. I tried to pretend not to notice, but I was never one for lying. It was at this point that Terrence cut in, saving us from an awkward silence to follow.

“Don’t tell the others I said this, but you two might just be my best minds, and despite the gap in studies, I can’t begin to imagine what sort of achievements the two of you might accomplish if given the opportunity, one which I would be happy give,” Terrence seemed to gush at us, and it made me wonder if that was why he had not taken so kindly to Mr. Stark’s invasion.

“I would be obliged to work with you, Dr. Victors, provided you keep in mind that you are not the only person to be sought out by other companies, and you are not the head of your department,” Charlie continued to gaze eerily at me. I didn’t appreciate his condescension, however.
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“I wasn’t aware Clearwater called departments teams, Dr. Cross,” I noted, before turning to Terrence. I had enough of the strange Dr. Cross. “I’ll be off, Terrence, I have notes I need to read over my lunch.”