Chapter 28: Always Expect Trouble

"The horror you have seen is not who you are." —Unknown

🕸

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

LOCATION: CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

MAY 4, 2016

🕸

AURORA couldn't concentrate on anything that afternoon, the constant memory looped in her mind at seeing his terrified face before being devoured by the flames. The news was still discussing the incident that occurred with many blaming the Avengers, but they didn't understand the whole story. Seeing she couldn't do much, she walked along the school grounds to help settle the nerves. It was about an hour before Tony's presentation and with him busy with preparations, she needed to keep her mind at ease. Her first thoughts were about Bucky, how traumatic it must be to witness something so horrific and not doing anything to prevent it.

Is that how it felt like? Constantly being tormented by his actions and what he could have done differently? Wanda must've felt the same feeling, however, the teenager didn't have a chance to chat during the chaos. After Charlie fell, Aurora forced herself to take cover as the building was going to collapse. Sam managed to find her as she leaped out the window only for him to grip her forearm tightly before carrying her down. Seeing the aftermath of the medical building brought discomfort as she just waited by the aircraft sitting silently. And as expected— after arriving in the compound, she was lectured by Steve and Natasha, both reminding her that what she did was irresponsible and reckless.

The young Stark didn't argue with them, they were right... it was reckless of herself to think she could do that. Aurora couldn't tell Tony about deliberately pulling a stunt like that, a feeling of helplessness filled the depths of her soul. Something she hasn't experienced for as long as the girl could remember. Always taught to neglect everything for one goal and what did she get in return? Nothing but pain and suffering for herself, manipulating others for their advantage. And the vision she saw about HYDRA didn't help either with her mentally, what the fuck was happening to her? Deciding to escape from the clutches of tension, she took off to the streets with some spare time before the conference.

The first thing she did was go to a local cafe and sit by the window near the door, something she always did in case of an emergency. Looking through her phone which was gifted by Tony after seeing she didn't have one, an unknown message popped up saying, 'Don't forget the flowers.' She immediately recognized it to be a code from Bucky, confused profoundly why he needed to talk to her. Not noticing the young man approaching her to take the order, not thinking much of it she just asked for a small mocha latte. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she contemplated going since it was still dangerous for them.

Knowing Tony wouldn't notice her being gone for a short while, she replied with a simple reply. She waited for the message to send and after it did Aurora deleted the phone number just in case no one could track it. Moments later the young man returned with her latte with a small receipt as he smiled kindly to her. She found the reaction a bit strange but didn't question at the moment, instead, the teenager asked him, "Hey, um, do you know if there's a local flower shop around here?"

"Yeah just take a left here and head straight down for three blocks before turning another left." He instructed, his name tag saying Michael, she nodded in appreciation and remembered the direction. The young Stark sipped on her drink quietly, tapping her fingers in a rhythmic tone as she glanced at her surroundings. It was quite cozy, the atmosphere with people chatting, the warm scents of coffee in the air, and some sitting alone like herself. The TV above near the far right of the shop switched to the news channel, images of Lagos flashed suddenly.

"Full extent of the damage is still unknown. News front correspondent Jackson Norris arrived in Lagos and he joins us now. Jackson...." The anchorwoman started with an announcement with a neutral expression. The screen changed to the map of Lagos with the male correspondent looking at the camera as he said the following statement.

"Christine a few yards away from where the conflict took place, several witnesses are confirming that members of the Avengers and unknown combatants were here at the time," Norris replied as Aurora stared ahead with a solemn look.

"Now Jackson, which Avengers were there exactly? Tony Stark?" She asked which caused a sudden ping on her chest, nervous that he might find out sooner or later.

"Captain Rogers involvement has been mentioned and corroborated, some accounts indicate Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff. Some witnesses claimed to see Phantom who's identity, still unknown, was at the scene." The male correspondent declared as the screen showed her with the pink wig and baseball cap. If someone looked closely they would see her eyes turning blue, luckily part of her face was covered.

"Definitively at this time do we know why the Avengers were in Lagos with what initially brought them there?" The anchorwoman Christine continued with the announcement, eyes flickering away as she couldn't bear to see the list of people coming up soon.

"Well, that's still unconfirmed at this time...." Norris acknowledged as she took a look at the time to see it was getting closer to the conference. She decided to start heading over because in Bucharest it was almost midnight, reaching in her jacket pocket for some change.

"The Avengers, huh?" Michael came by with a large smile as he stared in awe at the screen. It was Captain America fighting against Rumlow, assuming someone from the crowd recorded the scene.

"Huh, Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Can I have this to go?" Aurora snarkily answered as she saw herself on the TV heading towards the burning building. The man grabbed the latte as she checked to find a few twenty bills, getting one out while waiting for him to return. Once he did she gave him the bill as she saw it was refilled to the brim, positive it was half empty.

"Thanks," She said genuinely as she headed towards the exit. Enjoying the drink as she walked along the street towards the flower shop, people strolling around made it a bit crowded. The city itself was quite calm compared to the never-ending excitement from New York, wondering if Tony ever came here during his youth.

About five minutes in, Aurora finally arrived at the mini shop towards the corner with fresh bouquets on the stand. She extended her arm to take one from the display for a whiff of the scent, a pleasant feeling that brought a smile to her face. An array of roses, daisies, and dahlias, however, determined to get Sunflowers since it was her favorite. Paying in the front of the cash register inside, she finished the last contents of the latte as she turned the cup around to find some writing. It was a phone number from the young man in the cafe. Scoffing annoyed that he tried to make a move, she took the bouquet and headed out to find a trash can and throw it away.

Searching around to find a good place to teleport, Aurora saw a lonely alley near the end of the building. She glanced around for any suspicious movement before summoning a portal towards the location. It was getting more difficult to find excuses to go check on Bucky, seeing that he needed to stay away for a bit after what just occurred yesterday. The night sky cast over a gloomy sensation as she continued forward to his apartment, the door locked with newspapers glued on the windows. Curiosity sparked as she didn't remember two locks on the door, raising her hand hovering over to slowly unlock it.

A click was heard from the opposite side, creaking the door open as she saw how much it changed. It was cleaner, the furniture wasn't messed around nor newspapers lying on the ground. She placed the bouquet on the table as Aurora noticed a notebook with papers sticking out. Unlatching the click, it was his writing with some dreams he had, suddenly her senses heightened as she gradually turned around to face him. He was wearing a simple gray shirt with black sweatpants, blue eyes staring into her hazel-green ones. Setting down the journal, the teenager started walking closer to have a better look at him.

"How are you feeling?" The young Stark questioned, stepping closer until she was right there in front of him. He didn't answer at first, rather he took his time observing the young girl who was his only company. Being alone took a toll on both of them, but somehow they would try to help each other if they could. Even if they weren't related by blood, their bond was stronger than anything.

"Good... no more nightmares. I saw you in the news." Bucky replied quietly, she realized what he meant as the TV screened the Lagos incident near the kitchen. The teenager immediately turned it off with her telekinesis as she knew what was coming.

"No, please don't tell me you're going to give me a lecture. I don't need another after what happened yesterday." Aurora insisted as she sat on the couch upset, hands placed on her face to try to erase the memory. He followed her actions as his weight shifted the furniture, her body next to Bucky's as she sighed deeply.

"What happened?" He asked calmly, concerned for the girl who took care of him. He hesitantly put his hand on her back but she didn't push away, she just tried to process a way to explain. Swallowing thickly as tears threatened to spill, wiping them away harshly as she finally told him.

"I thought I could do it... when I went inside the building. I wanted to prove myself to them, the world that I've changed— but with the aftershock, I couldn't hold on to him. I could see the fear in his eyes, desperately pleading with me that he didn't want to die." The teenager recalled, squinting her eyes shut as her voice trembled. She needed help but was too stubborn to admit it since it was always considered a weakness, and now she had no choice but to accept who she is.

"It wasn't your fault," Bucky said gently, patting her to soothe the stress she carried. It was evident she struggled to find peace, he may have come to terms with his past because still couldn't get rid of the guilt.

"I know... but if that were true, why does it continue to bother me?" Aurora groaned to herself, frustrated that she had to endure this. If HYDRA could see her now, they would do the torture chamber for a week just so she could comply and be the emotionless soldier she was.

"Because you've changed— for the better, kid. You have a family now, someone who cares for you." He ruffled her hair with the metal arm, chuckling that she was annoyed that it messed her curls but couldn't stay mad for long. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, she noticed what he was referring to.

"Well you've always been my family before that," Aurora remarked as she leaned against his large body, wanting to enjoy the silence for a while before returning to her crazy life of a Stark. Not to mention, training to be a Princess which she knows absolutely nothing about. A thought occurred at the real meaning behind the urgent message, asking with curiosity, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"That... I just wanted some company." The man responded with a low tone, liking some time alone every once in a while. Aurora had to agree that it was nice to reconnect, they were just broken people who were beyond fixing.

"Me too, I need a break from reality a bit." She told him, Bucky wrapping an arm around her as they sat there in silence. The pair didn't need words to describe their bond forged by the organization that's long gone.

Or was it?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ🕷: *.☽ .* :🔪 ﾟ. ───

RETURNING to the university campus before the presentation, Aurora promised she would visit Bucky as it would be a few weeks before going with her mother. The teenager arrived about ten minutes prior and was offered a seat in the front row but profoundly refused to steal it from a student that deserved it. She was hiding behind the stage from a safe distance, not wanting to make herself known to anyone. The group chatted lively like they had no care for the world, nothing bothering them about anything— how much she envied to have that now. Multiple people gathered around Tony to give any final touch-ups, spotting her hiding in the corner.

"Hey, where have you been Firecracker?" Tony questioned with a sincere glance, understanding this was out of her comfort zone. Aurora simply shrugged nonchalantly, someone came forward and asked for her clearance until Stark interrupted that she was with him.

"Just exploring," She answered without giving in to his curious stare, almost as if he knew something. Moments later, the lights inside the auditorium turned off and the holograms appeared. There sat Maria Stark on the piano playing soft notes while young Tony lay on the couch with a blanket covering him, Aurora became mesmerized with how realistic it looked.

"Try to remember the kind of September. When grass was green...." Her grandmother sang softly, striking the keys until Howard walked in and the gentle atmosphere changed. So that's how her grandparents looked, Aurora pondered as she noticed the resemblance between her and Maria Stark. The soft features on the cheekbones and nose were most distinguished, the hologram continued when Tony's mother stopped singing but continued playing as she told him, "Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father."

"Who's the homeless person on the couch?" Howard dryly inquired of his wife, fixing his suit while Tony staggered to his feet wearing a Santa hat. She never expected her father to look so... immature or something like that during his college years. That only made her question how her mother looked, and how they could have met.

"This is why I love coming home for Christmas... right before you leave town." Tony chuckled humorlessly as he straightened himself to face him. Guess family meetings weren't a thing for the Starks, always too stubborn and proud to admit anything.

"Be nice, dear, he's been studying abroad." Maria reminded Howard, unfortunately, he didn't take the information lightly as he merely sighed at the reminder of his son's antics. Was he really that much of a playboy back then?

"Really, which broad? What's her name?" His father insisted, reaching forward to pull off Tony's Santa hat. Not far behind the teenager stood the present Tony watching her curious expression at the small glimpse of her grandparents. He wondered if they were still alive, would they have accepted the girl with open arms? His mother perhaps but Howard was always a complex man to understand. That's why when Aurora entered his life, he vowed to do the best he could to spend time, unlike his father.

"Candice," Tony joked at the first name he came up with but his father didn't take that lightly. In truth, it was someone else he met before his parents' tragic death... but it would be inappropriate to reveal the name of a certain woman who gave birth to his daughter.

"Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday." Howard declared firmly, deliberately trying not to say something snarky.

"Okay, so it's Monday. That is good to know. I will plan my toga party accordingly. Where are you going?" Young Tony bantered as Aurora realized why sarcasm also runs in the family, very prominent traits indeed.

"Your father's flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway." His mother explained, humming along with the beat of the piano.

"We might have to make a quick stop." The older Stark interrupted, slowly the tension began to grow dense.

"At the Pentagon. Right? Don't worry, you're gonna love the holiday menu at the commissary." Tony immediately stated sarcastically, Maria then stopped playing the piano as she turned to her son. Clearly upset that yet again they were going to leave for the holidays, the prodigal son walking away disappointed.

"You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that's true, you'll be a great man someday. I'll get the bags." Howard spoke to him, taking one last glance before walking out of the room. Maria stood up from the chair as he leaned against the wall.

"He does miss you when you are not here. And frankly, you're going to miss us. Because this is the last time we're all going to be together. You know what's about to happen. Say something. If you don't, you'll regret it." Aurora's grandmother pleaded with him, reaching towards him as she showed a gentle smile to him. Placing a tender hand on his shoulder as she saw Tony wanting to swallow his pride. Eventually, Howard walks back in as he approaches them, avoiding looking at him as he finally says something. Her father indicated it was show time as she saw him approaching the stage.

"I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could." Tony admitted staring at his father for any acknowledgment, his mother leaned in to kiss his cheek before leaving. The present Tony Stark stood at the doorway his parents left as he appeared for the crowd.

"That's how I wished it happened. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF. God, I gotta work on that acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to . . . clear traumatic memories. Huh." The billionaire stated as he leaned forward to blow on a candle and everything around him shimmered away the holograms.

From the other side of the stage, there was a loud stomping on the ground as she tried to make out a figure. The stage somewhat blinded her from seeing as she heard some inaudible words coming from someone. However, her attention was turned away as Tony continued with the presentation, "It doesn't change the fact that they never made it to the airport... or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but.... six hundred and eleven million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in the right mind would've ever funded it."

He stood on the center stage as he stared around the audience, that distraction made her lose the opportunity to investigate. Of course, she could just be paranoid once again that it wasn't someone suspicious but as a trained assassin, never lose a chance. Thoughts circulated her mind, no one was around the girl so it must have been a worker for the school. Instantaneously, Tony addressed the crowd as he raised his voice slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry. Rather, you were. As of this moment... every student has been made an equal recipient of the Inaugural September Foundation Grant. As in... all of your projects have just been approved and funded."

The crowd broke out in thunderous applause with many whistling in excitement, Aurora took a closer glance and saw the projector screen for Tony's lines as it saw Pepper's name mentioned. She knew they were taking a break after some argument about a few weeks ago. The final lines for the billionaire were said as he exited the stage, many still astonished at the great news they received. Seeing he went to the other side of the stage, the teenager took the long route to avoid the crowd dispersing. Going by the long hallways stretching down for what seemed like miles, the view from above was a stunning sight to behold.

Many would think she was a student for how she dressed, likely not questioning for her age as she appeared older than seventeen. From the far distance below, a man walked out of the building below with a frustrated expression as he stormed towards somewhere. Leaning against the glass, she narrowed closely until an elevator ringed that made her leave the side to head towards Tony's direction. Meanwhile, the said Stark stepped into a quiet corridor, spotting a woman also waiting therefore he turned his back to the wall.

"That was nice, what you did for those young people." The woman started the conversation, momentarily staring at the billionaire with a neutral expression.

"Ah, they deserve it. Plus, it helps ease my conscience," Tony answered with a small shrug, something to give in return.

"They say there's a correlation between generosity and guilt. But if you've got the money... break as many eggs as you like. Right?" She continued to press further the questions, his eyes narrowed and gave a half-smile. He then turns to face the elevator only to find the button unlit and pushes it himself, becoming uncomfortable with the situation.

"Are you going up?" He gestured but she just stood there with a slightly angered look as glanced directly at him.

"I'm right where I want to be," She answered, reaching inside her handbag, Tony immediately grabbed her wrist as he sensed something off only to realize what he did.

"Okay, okay. Hey! Sorry, it's an occupational hazard," He explained, retracting his hands by the side of his body. It became a habit after the many situations he endured but seeing she wasn't hostile, he slightly calmed down.

"I work for the State Department. Human Resources. I know it's boring... but it enabled me to raise a son. I'm very proud of what he grew up to be." She said with a profound aggravation as she shoved a photo to him. The woman stated without remorse or thought of the words that would affect him, "His name was Charlie Spencer. You murdered him. In Sokovia. Not that it matters in the least to you. You think you fight for us. You just fight for yourself. Who's going to avenge my son, Stark? He's dead... and I blame you."

She left without another word as she left a grimed Tony standing by, staring down at the picture with confusion. He walked inside the elevator and took him to the highest level to prepare the takeoff towards the Avengers tower. Once he arrived, he found the teenager standing beside Happy as they seemed to be in a small argument. Of course, he knew she went to Lagos, it was his job to know almost everything about her— well almost.

"Happy get ready for takeoff," He instructed as the man walked away with a confused girl observing him closely. The Starks walked alongside each other as she asked about the thick picture he was holding. After handing it to her, she immediately recognized that face. It was him when she failed to rescue the man, Aurora turned it away to avoid seeing the eyes of guilt.

"Care to explain what you were doing yesterday?" Tony questioned briefly after he got himself a shot of vodka. The teenager at first hesitated to answer, which was her first mistake before coming up with a lie.

"Training at the compound." She announced coolly, seeing Happy approaching them as he told him about the urgent news he received. Still not convinced with the answer, the billionaire left them to see what the hell the problem was.

"Happy you— Traitor!" Aurora barked as she felt betrayed that he revealed her secret.

"I never said anything." He hissed back as she registered what the urgent news was. Standing up abruptly while trying to get off the private jet but Hogan already shut the door behind him. It was moments before—.

"AURORA SELENE STARK!" Tony yelled furiously behind the door as she tried to hide while Happy just blocked her path. She wished to strangle the bodyguard but the teenager had to confront him, and this was the first time he said her full name.

Shit... she's in trouble now. And there was no telling what he'll tell her.