‹ Prequel: The Bird
Paradise
Chapter 2
3RD POV
"Everything alright?" Pepper asked Tony as he came huffing into the room. He immediately went and poured himself a glass of scotch. "I'll take that as a no."
Tony sat down next to Pepper on the couch, his head in his hand.
"I don't know what I'm doing wrong." He mumbled.
"You're not doing anything wrong. You have to remember, she was being controlled by an alien, only to almost die at the hands of one, all while her father was flying a nuke into space and almost didn't make it back." Pepper rubbed Tony's back. "It's only been four months. Give it time."
"You're right." He set his drink on the coffee table. "JARVIS?"
"Yes, Mr. Stark?"
"Keep a close eye on Skye. Let me know of any unusual fluctuations in her vitals. Rise in heart rate, body temperature, so forth."
"What are you doing?" Pepper asked.
"She barely sleeps. Something smells fishy and I want to find out what it is."
"Well, while you spy on her..." Pepper stood from the couch. "I'm going to do the responsible thing."
"Which is what?"
"We've got a party to plan. I'm going to go talk to her."
SKYE POV
I hurriedly scrubbed the blood from my arm, taping a piece of gauze over my cut and yanked my sleeve down before exiting the bathroom.
Pepper was sitting on my couch, flipping through one of my magazines.
"Hey, have a seat." She patted the spot next to her. I slowly sunk down into the leather, scared that she knew what was going on. "We need to go dress shopping for your party. How about this weekend?"
"Sure. Steve's leaving on a mission Friday anyways."
"Great. We'll go Saturday."
And we were lost in a sea of colors, food and guest lists. Pepper could go for hours when planning a party. I, on the other hand, was exhausted. Just the idea of dress shopping made me want to curl up in a ball and sleep.
"Skye?" I was pulled from my thoughts. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just thinking." I ran my fingers through my tangled hair.
Pepper tossed her notebook and pen on the coffee table before turning to face me. She took my face in her hands, making me look her in the eyes.
"I'm not trying to be your mom here, but you need to talk to your dad. He's tearing himself up over not being able to help you."
'Good.' Something inside me whispered. 'He did this to me, he should suffer.'
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
I stood up, walking slowly from my room to the lab where I knew he'd be.
Searing pain ripped through my head, making me stop and clutch the tailing on the stairs for support. I stumbled to the lab, the door sliding open for me.
"Dad?" My whole body felt warm. "Da-" suddenly my legs gave out and everything went dark.
3RD POV
Tony and Dr. Banner were in the lab when Skye stumbled in. She was pale, her hair sticking to her face.
"Dad?" Tony stopped what he was doing and turned to face his daughter. All anger he felt quickly went out the window. "Da-" she suddenly collapsed to the floor, her body convulsing.
"Bruce!" Tony yelled before sliding to the floor beside Skye.
"Don't touch her." Bruce said, rolling Skye onto her side. "Just wait until the seizure's done."
The 58 seconds Bruce counted on his watch took an eternity. Tony waited until her body relaxed to stick his finger in her mouth, checking for any vomit.
"Does she have a history of seizures?" Bruce asked Tony, checking over Skye for any injuries.
"No."
"Any family history?"
Tony paused before running his hand over his face. "Her mother. Stane injected her mother with the same serum he did Skye. It only took days before her mother started...I'd find her on the bathroom floor...she'd wake up in the middle of the night seizing. Then she lost it. She went insane."
Bruce looked down at Skye. "I don't think that's what's happening."
"Everything alright?" Pepper asked Tony as he came huffing into the room. He immediately went and poured himself a glass of scotch. "I'll take that as a no."
Tony sat down next to Pepper on the couch, his head in his hand.
"I don't know what I'm doing wrong." He mumbled.
"You're not doing anything wrong. You have to remember, she was being controlled by an alien, only to almost die at the hands of one, all while her father was flying a nuke into space and almost didn't make it back." Pepper rubbed Tony's back. "It's only been four months. Give it time."
"You're right." He set his drink on the coffee table. "JARVIS?"
"Yes, Mr. Stark?"
"Keep a close eye on Skye. Let me know of any unusual fluctuations in her vitals. Rise in heart rate, body temperature, so forth."
"What are you doing?" Pepper asked.
"She barely sleeps. Something smells fishy and I want to find out what it is."
"Well, while you spy on her..." Pepper stood from the couch. "I'm going to do the responsible thing."
"Which is what?"
"We've got a party to plan. I'm going to go talk to her."
SKYE POV
I hurriedly scrubbed the blood from my arm, taping a piece of gauze over my cut and yanked my sleeve down before exiting the bathroom.
Pepper was sitting on my couch, flipping through one of my magazines.
"Hey, have a seat." She patted the spot next to her. I slowly sunk down into the leather, scared that she knew what was going on. "We need to go dress shopping for your party. How about this weekend?"
"Sure. Steve's leaving on a mission Friday anyways."
"Great. We'll go Saturday."
And we were lost in a sea of colors, food and guest lists. Pepper could go for hours when planning a party. I, on the other hand, was exhausted. Just the idea of dress shopping made me want to curl up in a ball and sleep.
"Skye?" I was pulled from my thoughts. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just thinking." I ran my fingers through my tangled hair.
Pepper tossed her notebook and pen on the coffee table before turning to face me. She took my face in her hands, making me look her in the eyes.
"I'm not trying to be your mom here, but you need to talk to your dad. He's tearing himself up over not being able to help you."
'Good.' Something inside me whispered. 'He did this to me, he should suffer.'
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
I stood up, walking slowly from my room to the lab where I knew he'd be.
Searing pain ripped through my head, making me stop and clutch the tailing on the stairs for support. I stumbled to the lab, the door sliding open for me.
"Dad?" My whole body felt warm. "Da-" suddenly my legs gave out and everything went dark.
3RD POV
Tony and Dr. Banner were in the lab when Skye stumbled in. She was pale, her hair sticking to her face.
"Dad?" Tony stopped what he was doing and turned to face his daughter. All anger he felt quickly went out the window. "Da-" she suddenly collapsed to the floor, her body convulsing.
"Bruce!" Tony yelled before sliding to the floor beside Skye.
"Don't touch her." Bruce said, rolling Skye onto her side. "Just wait until the seizure's done."
The 58 seconds Bruce counted on his watch took an eternity. Tony waited until her body relaxed to stick his finger in her mouth, checking for any vomit.
"Does she have a history of seizures?" Bruce asked Tony, checking over Skye for any injuries.
"No."
"Any family history?"
Tony paused before running his hand over his face. "Her mother. Stane injected her mother with the same serum he did Skye. It only took days before her mother started...I'd find her on the bathroom floor...she'd wake up in the middle of the night seizing. Then she lost it. She went insane."
Bruce looked down at Skye. "I don't think that's what's happening."