A/N: sike

"Jack and coke? What are you 12?" Tony quipped disbelievingly

"On a scale of one to ten, yeah I guess."

He rolled his eyes and I pulled a face.
"What? I was gonna ask for straight rum out of the bottle but something told me that would be slightly frowned upon." I countered dryly, watching as Tony poured my triple shot jack Daniels and coke.

"I love that you're following in my footsteps I really do.. I'm just wondering if you're in need of any professional help."

"Thanks for the drink, Tony." I uttered off handedly, raising my glass in a farewell as I went to join the others. Tony had called for a group celebration tonight for my "birthday" because I wouldn't tell him when the actual date of my birthday was and I refused to let him celebrate it. Obviously he took this as a challenge and now here we were, having drinks and 'chatting'. I don't think I'd ever experienced something so unnatural in my life.

"Jack and coke? How old are you?" Clint commented as everyone turned to me. I rolled my eyes and took a gulp, flipping him off as the conversation slowly filtered back into the air.

"Obviously coke tastes better out of a glass bottle. It's just simple fact." Natasha recited bluntly, daring anyone to disagree, with just the pure venom laced into her tone.

"Pepsi is better than coke I don't know what you're all on." Clint countered.

"Bollocks to your Pepsi." I scoffed and Clint rolled his eyes. Steve nodded at me and raised his single can of Coca Cola in agreement. Part of me felt bad for his inability to get drunk but then again I was thankful to have a sober friend to keep me in check when I'd lost count of how many shots of taken.

"Ace, can I just say your hair looks impeccable tonight." Tony announced, sidling up to me with his glass of whiskey. I turned to him with a frown as everyone paused their chatter. We all looked to Tony in disbelief like he'd just proclaimed his sudden urge to become a buddhist and move to Thailand. Actually, in hind sight, that probably would've been less surprising than the out of the blue compliment he'd just served me.

"What the fuck do you want, you train wreck." I muttered bluntly, my tone unamused and stern as I glared at him. He feigned a look of offence, his brow furrowing as he scoffed in faux disbelief

"What on earth are you insin-"

"You don't compliment anyone, Tony...Is this about the avengers?" I sighed dramatically, noticing how everyone was suddenly hanging onto every word of the conversation. His innocent facade dropped suddenly and he rolled his eyes tiredly.

"I just don't understand why you don't want to be part of it." He muttered, flicking my ear as I rolled my eyes.

"What's the matter, Wilson? Embarrassed to be associated with us?" Nat commented dryly, raising a single, well-shaped eyebrow at me.

"I'm just not interested in all the media and meetings and all the shit that comes with 'being an avenger'." I countered and Tony gave me a bemused stare like he couldn't even comprehend the notion of not wanting to be noticed everywhere I went.

"I can't say I disagree with that." Bruce suddenly piped up and I gave him a smile, narrowing my eyes smugly as I caught a glimpse of Natasha looking at Bruce with a glimmer of affection dancing across her eyes. They weren't exactly inconspicuous about whatever they had between each other, and I didn't quite know exactly what it was. But I wouldn't pry. Natasha knew well enough to keep whatever thoughts she had about what had gone on between Loki and I to herself so I respectfully returned the mutuality.

"You'll join the fights though won't you?"

I looked to Clint carefully, studying the wary note in his voice

"If I'm needed." I affirmed lightly.

"That's a no then."

"Of course we need you." Steve cut in over Tony, giving him a dangerous glare.

"I'm working on your suit." Tony commented, his eyes flashing with a certain pride as I raised my eyebrows in surprise, unable to keep in my excitement at his admission.

"What does it look like?"

"Well, simple skintight cat suit, very durable but light and breathable as well. The gloves are fitted with a shock absorbent material that transmits energy incredibly well to help with all that spooky shit you do with your brain force fields." He listed off and I nodded eagerly.

"I'll be working on a mask and hood to shield your identity as well since you're so averse to publicity for some reason." He muttered and I smirked at him approvingly.

"I'm excited." I admitted, draining the last of my drink before phasing the empty glass over to the counter. Tony gave me a bemused look and his classic half smile as he patted my shoulder.

"Well I never... I made you feel an emotion." He commented dramatically.

"An em- an emosh- a what now?" I countered, feigning confusion.

"Emotion, poltergeist. You know what that is?"

"Vaguely. It's an Italian pasta dish right? Sounds tasty."

Tony smirked a little and dropped his head, patting my shoulder again.

"Close."

I phased over to the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge, phasing back over to Tony as I clamped the bottle cap in between my teeth. He grimaced as I levered the cap off with my molars, swatting at my hand to get me to stop. I just grinned and took a swig of the beer, pocketing the cap.

"Great party huh." Tony commented, nudging me as if to say 'bet you're glad I forced you to have a birthday celebration on a day that definitely isn't your birthday'.

"This is a party?" Clint piped up, frowning.

"I was just thinking the same thing, birdy." I agreed.

"I guess I should've known, simply by the sheer amount of people here."

I smirked as Tony rolled his eyes.

"Hey Bruce, I'm kinda disappointed I missed your whole 'green giant' performance." I began, already seeing Nat roll her eyes and give me a disapproving frown.

"Care to give us a private show?" I asked and Tony hummed in agreement, his mouth full before he'd swallowed his liquor.

"Now there's an idea." He countered

"An idea i'd rather not go through with." Steve recited purposefully, giving both of us a reprimanding glare.

"You've only just started reconstruction of this place, Tony. I'd hate to ruin its ugliness-" Bruce began, clearing his throat as Tony frowned dangerously.
"-its magnificence." He corrected himself as We all snickered and Natasha allowed herself a smirk.

"Mr Stark I believe you have a visitor." The clipped voice of Jarvis suddenly rang out and we all turned to Tony expectantly.

"How exciting." Steve spoke dryly, but Tony seemed confused.

"Anyone we know?" He asked.

"Not on the database sir. Young female, late teens. She claims she's here for miss poltergeist." I rolled my eyes as it spoke and tutted. Frowning at Tony exhaustedly

"So I'm 'poltergeist' to Jarvis now as well?"

"Ace who is it?" Steve asked and I gave him a derisive glare.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Did you hire a stripper?" Natasha queried off handedly as she sipped her martini.

"Send her in Jarvis." Tony ordered, walking back over to pour himself a drink.

"5 bucks says she's here to kill me." I muttered dryly, nudging Clint as he snickered and the rest gave me an amused smirk

I stood from the sofa and adjusted my dress, sneering at the fact it had ridden up to my ass. Fuck I was bad at this, I should have just worn skinny jeans and a 'nice top' and I would've been fine. She is beauty, she is grace, she can't be classy for shit.

The elevator door opened and I lazily turned to see a young girl stood there. Her wet, dark blue hair hung blunt around her jaw and she looked like she was slightly malnourished. Her dark brown eyes scanned the room impassively until they'd locked onto me. It was like a switch had been flipped and a livid fire ignited behind her gaze, her stare suddenly wild and untamed as she clenched her jaw.

"You." She hissed as everyone's heads turned in her direction. There was a brief moment of silence Then all of a sudden, without warning she darted towards me so fast I barely had time to phase out of the way as she thrust her dagger into the space where I'd been mere milliseconds before.

I motioned toward everyone else to stay put as they'd immediately jumped to their feet. The girl whipped around and leapt toward me again, this time she was too quick for me to teleport and I had to dodge her advance, grabbing the wrist that held the dagger and brought it down to my knee hard to deaden it.

"Try not to kill the child." Nat called out and I grimaced irritably. She tried to kill me first. surely it was fair game?

My attacker pulled out another knife from her jacket and swiped at me, her glare turned vicious and almost insane. I dodged it and grabbed her arm, twisting it as I rounded her, kneeing her in the back and pulling her hand to the point of breaking until the knife clattered to the floor.

I pushed her forcibly, allowing her to fall on her knees as I wrapped my arm around her neck and pushed the back of her head with my other arm pressing her windpipe so her breaths had become raspy.

"Okay Coraline." I breathed as Tony made his way over, summoning a pair of cuffs into his hand from somewhere.

"What the fuck..." I added as my heart began to slow to a normal pace.

"You killed...my father." She spat between heaving breaths. I raised my eyebrow and kept my arm around her neck as Tony secured her wrists together.

"Let me guess.. I should prepare to die?" I commented dryly, dragging her up as I stood and Tony snorted.

"Alright Inigo Montuya let's go." Tony piped up as I smirked to myself and turned to the audience that had gathered. Steve was watching the girl with a wary frown and Natasha just looked amused. Figures. Me and her were used to this kind of shit by now.

"You've got an admirer." Clint commented.

"Should we hand her over to the police?"

"No." I replied bluntly, cutting off whatever Steve was going to say next.
"I'm not certain the police will do anything. Plus I'd like to ask her some questions." I added, paying attention to the part of my brain that warned me of the possibility she was linked to Allison and P.A.C. Meaning this whole interaction could be part of a multidimensional plan for my assassination.

"Take her to the holding cell."

"Tony, why the hell do you have a holding cell?" I asked tiredly and he just shrugged.

"For times like these, Wilson."

I shrugged, unable to argue with that logic, and watched as she got dragged away by Stark's security.

The last thing that burned deep into my memory was the scalding venom that leaked from her lethal glare as she stared at me all the way up until the elevator doors closed. I turned swiftly, smiling as if nothing had happened and my life hadn't just been threatened by a 16 year old no less.

"Shots?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok this is the end for real this time I pROMise.

I just really wanted to add in an 'after' to show what was kinda going down after the events of New York so I wouldn't have to explain everything massively in the next book :)

Super short chapter but it works for what it is.

Thank you all for reading 🙏🏻 you're the best

Xxx