Hardest of Hearts
Do You Want To Live?
"Tony!" The man in question turned around with a brilliant smile on his face.
"Cap! I thought you were going to blow me off! And who is this lovely lady?" Steve looked down at his companion, who looked up to briefly meet his blue eyes with her darker blue ones.
"He thought you weren't going to come," she explained in a sweet voice before turning to look at Tony, "I'm Beth, Steve's fiancee."
"Congrats! Hey, Cap, whattaya say about-"
"Stark!" Tony turned towards the angry redhead gracefully stomping his way and held his arms out.
"Natasha! So glad you could make it!"
"Save it, Stark! Why am I here instead of enjoying my vacation?"
"Ignore her. She's just mad because she can't figure out why you invited us all here," Clint explained.
"All in due time..."
"Tony!"
"Tony?"
"Thor! Bruce! You guys ride here together or something?" Tony asked with his ever present smile still on his face.
"Met at the door actually," Bruce said and looked up at the Asgardian god.
"You're looking good, Bruce." It was true; the good doctor looked more at home in his own skin. Bruce parted his lips to reply, but Thor cut in.
"I have been unable to locate my brother. Is he here?" The smile slipped from Tony's face as Bruce raised a brow in question.
"Yeah, his lordship's here alright," Tony grumbled out. Thor's answering smile showed off his pearly white teeth, but Tony kept his pout firmly in place.
"Tony, why are we here?" A new light filled Tony's eyes, and he motioned for his friends to gather around him. Loki appeared next to his brother, a small smile hanging on his mischievous lips.
"Are you going to tell us or not?" Natasha asked. Someone walked up behind Tony and peeked around his arm. Warm hazel eyes took everyone in, and a small smile lit up her face. Just when everyone was thinking that Tony had found a long lost relative (because she was obviously not Tony's usual type), Tony reached over and laced his fingers through hers.
"It's been...what?...five years since we were all together? Five long years...a lot can change in a few years."
"The point, Stark?" Clint asked. Tony sighed, ran his free hand through his hair, and looked down at the girl at his side. As if by some signal, the girl stepped in front of Tony and faced the group head on.
"Hello, my name is Kit Stark."
"Kit Lee Torlin! Just where do you think you're going?" My hand was frozen on the doorknob, and I guiltily looked over my shoulder. My mess of brown waves (not curls) hid most of my vision, but I could still see my best friend pretty clearly. Hands on her thin hips, straight black hair in a curtain to her elbows, and flashing green eyes. I could see my death in those eyes, and it was a long and bloody one. Yup, no passing peacefully for me.
"Ember, ya see, I was just gonna-"
"Skip out on my fabulous show? Yes, I noticed. Come on, Kit! This is my big night!"
December Nite Kinston has been my closest friend since the womb. No, seriously, our moms met in the OB-GYN office. We were delivered by the same doctor, three days apart. Growing up, we shared everything. Except for Ember's burning desire to return to her mother's home state of New York. I love my Mississippi, even though I know it's far from perfect. I published two books though, and Ember sold a lot of paintings. Combined, our incomes give us a cushy life in New York. When we moved, our single mothers moved to California to enjoy the sun and surfers. We've only been in New York for three months, but Ember already has an art show going. Tonight's the opening night.
"I won't be gone long, Em. I just need to get some fresh air." And to get away from everyone. I don't mind crowds, but sometimes everything gets a little overwhelming. That and I'm so tired of people asking about my accent. Yes, I have a deep southern drawl. What of it? Ember's never had much of an accent, and neither does Aunt Mia (Ember's mom).
"You need to stop being so antisocial, Kit. You'll never find a man if you don't learn to mingle," Ember said with a teasing smile. Find a man, right. Yeah, that's not happening tonight or any night in the foreseeable future. You heard me right! Kit Torlin ain't lookin' for no man and don't want no man! For the moment, my writing is my husband and I'm having an affair with pizza.
"I'm only nineteen. Plenty of time left before settling down," I said with an answering smile.
"Kit..."
"I won't be gone long. 'Sides, you'll be havin' so much fun, ya won't even notice I'm gone." I slipped out before she could try to talk me into staying. Nearly running right over someone, I ducked my head and started to move with the night crowd. I pulled my thin jacket closer to my body as I weaved in and out of the crowds, and I cursed Ember for making me wear "fancy" clothes. I wasn't really dressed fancily; light gray sweater dress, black leggings, flats, and this thin little jacket that wouldn't keep a bear warm.
"Sorry, excuse me," I mumbled as I worked my way out of the crowd. The person didn't even acknowledge the apology. Being in a hurry ain't no excuse for bad manners, that's what my Nana taught me.
After what felt like three separate lifetimes, one as a nun, I was away from the city. Well, I could still hear cars and sirens, but I was far enough to be able to breathe. It ain't Central Park, but that's fine with me. I can stand next to a tree and breathe in the scent of fresh grass. Not too many people come here, but I haven't figured out why yet. It's small and doesn't have a playground for kids; it doesn't even have benches to sit on. It's not much to look at. It's not filled with beautiful flowers and historic statues. It's simple and plain, and it makes me feel just a bit closer to home. For Ember, I'm willing to do anything, even live in a city that I don't particularly like. Well, I shouldn't say that. I like New York just fine; I love Manhattan. I think everyone misses home, even if they learn to love the new place they're at.
The bark of the tree was rough, and I loved feeling it through my thin-ass jacket and dress. It's starting to get colder now, but it's not too cool yet. The temperature is just cold enough to raise goosebumps on bare skin, so it's nothing I can't handle. To pass the time, I plucked a blade of grass and bent to the task of tearing it into hair-thin strips. Sadly, this can entertain me for hours. The blade of grass pinched between my fingers fell as the ground under me started to shake. I reached down to grab a handful of grass and dirt, and I looked up to watch the leaves sway. Was it an earthquake? Could I make it back to Ember before it got worse? I shakily got to my feet and took a cautious step.
Something giant and metal wrapped around my torso and yanked me up into the air. I screamed until the hyperventilation kicked in, then I just stared up at the huge hunk of metal laughing and shaking me like a salt shaker. The little finger sandwiches I'd had at the art show were trying to come back up, and I savagely pushed them back down. Puking in midair does not sound like a good idea. My eyes were starting to tear up, and I watched as a blur tackled the ground. Dirt and grass went flying, and I coughed a bit as some of the dust was blown my way. The giant...uh...robot?...Yeah, the giant robot laughed and shook me around a little more.
"Put her down." Well, would you look at that! I know that Iron Man lives in the same city as me (it's kinda hard not to notice Stark Tower), but I never thought I'd get to see him up close. Somehow, I always thought he'd look shinier. Right now, he looks like he got into a fight with a can opener. He might have won, but it was a close one.
"Why would I do that?" the robot holding me asked. To illustrate his point, he squeezed my midsection until my ribs creaked.
"She has nothing to do with us, so toss her down and let's get back to business." He even sounds like a business man! All cool confidence. So what if the civilian can't breathe? She's not important.
"Tell me, Iron Man, would you have a chance of beating me if there were two of you?" Two...what? Like a clone? Now, that would be pretty cool. Two Iron Men? Oh! Iron Man and his new cloned sidekick, Tin Man! Oh, the lack of oxygen is making me delirious.
"No! Don't!" A sharp pain pierced my left breast and sunk deep into the flesh. I looked down and saw a dark stain spreading across my light gray dress. A beat was pulsing in my ears, and my entire body flashed hot before getting cold. All I could see was that spreading stain, even after the evil robot thing tossed me into the air. Another, smaller, pair of metal arms caught me before I could crash to the ground. So much for getting tossed to the side.
"Better hurry. I think one might have went too deep. Better luck next time." I looked up as the evil robot was inspecting his giant robot finger. Pieces of it were missing, broken off. Oh, so that's why my chest hurts so bad. As I started gasping for breath, the evil robot took to the air and disappeared with a loud boom!.
"Hey! Can you hear me! Stay with me!" Iron Man shouted as he took to the air. Huh, should I call him Iron Man? I know his alter ego is Tony Stark (no secret identities with this one), but we still haven't formally met.
"I'm hurt, not deaf." The sentence sounded perfect in my head, but the words sounded a bit slurred to my ears. Like I'd had twenty too many.
"What's your name?" His voice was muffled because of the mask, and wind, but I could still hear him over the blood pulsing in my ears.
"Kit. Am I dying?" I felt metal fingers sinking further into the soft flesh of my thigh, but the pain in my chest was a lot more important. My breathing sounded wet and strained, and it hurt so much.
"I'm not gonna let you." How heroic of him. His speed increased, I thought my cheeks were going to fall off from the pressure, and my vision finally darkened.
When I could see again, all I saw was white. I hate the color white; it's just so bland. The pain in my chest was just as sharp...no, it was even worse now. The pain was running deeper, and I tried to force in a breath. My chest screamed as my chest expanded...no, that was me screaming. I bit down on my lip to cut off the sound, and my weak fingers scrambled against what I was laying on.
"Oh my God, Tony! What happened?! Are you-"
"Leave, Pepper! Now!" The sound of a woman's clicking heels met my ears, and a tired looking face filled my vision. He was bruised, cut up, and looked like complete shit, but I knew who he was. Everyone knows who he is. Tony Stark, Iron Man, my savior. Black dots covered his face, and I left for a little while.
I could feel before I could see. My chest felt raw, exposed, and wet. I struggled to open my eyes and tilted my head down. I already knew what the ceiling looked like, it was time for something different. Not too far below the hollow of my throat, nestled right above my breasts, was a giant gaping hole. Not like a black hole that can see into infinity. This hole was bleeding, white-hot with pain, and had a hand inside of it. A rough-fingered, blood-coated hand. Startled brown eyes met mine, and I noticed that he had a good amount of blood on his face. It was even in his beard and hair. My blood coated him. Cords and metal were going into the hole, and I wanted to twitch at the unfamiliarity of it but couldn't move.
"Do you want to live?"
"I'm only nineteen. Plenty of time left before settling down."
"Yes." He nodded, just once, and got back to work. I watched his hair for a moment. The lights brought out some lighter browns in the dark mess, and my blood was starting to dry and cake in good-sized lumps. It was gonna be a bitch to get out. This time, the blackness started at his ear and covered the room.
The shock woke me. It spread all throughout my body and set me on fire. Energy pulsed through me, and I don't mean like a sugar-high. This was purely electrical and popped my eyes wide open. I grunted at the sheer intensity of the feeling and clawed at the table under me. My head whipped from side to side, but I could feel my heart beating easier. Instead of stopping my heart, like I thought an electrical shock would, my heart was beating at a strong pace. I've always had a strong heartbeat, and it feels normal now.
"I'm alive."
"For the moment." I looked to the side to see a smiling Tony Stark, with blood smeared all over him. He looked like a serial killer in a cheesy horror flick, which I happen to be a huge fan of (I always root for the killer).
"What did you-?" I answered my own question when I looked down. I was still shirtless, bare breasts for all the world to see (or just Tony Stark). There, where the gaping hole had been earlier, was a soft blue light. No sewn line, no bandages...just some metal and that blue light. I looked up and saw a blue light shining through Tony's (bloodstained) white shirt.
This time when I passed out, it had nothing to do with pain.
"Cap! I thought you were going to blow me off! And who is this lovely lady?" Steve looked down at his companion, who looked up to briefly meet his blue eyes with her darker blue ones.
"He thought you weren't going to come," she explained in a sweet voice before turning to look at Tony, "I'm Beth, Steve's fiancee."
"Congrats! Hey, Cap, whattaya say about-"
"Stark!" Tony turned towards the angry redhead gracefully stomping his way and held his arms out.
"Natasha! So glad you could make it!"
"Save it, Stark! Why am I here instead of enjoying my vacation?"
"Ignore her. She's just mad because she can't figure out why you invited us all here," Clint explained.
"All in due time..."
"Tony!"
"Tony?"
"Thor! Bruce! You guys ride here together or something?" Tony asked with his ever present smile still on his face.
"Met at the door actually," Bruce said and looked up at the Asgardian god.
"You're looking good, Bruce." It was true; the good doctor looked more at home in his own skin. Bruce parted his lips to reply, but Thor cut in.
"I have been unable to locate my brother. Is he here?" The smile slipped from Tony's face as Bruce raised a brow in question.
"Yeah, his lordship's here alright," Tony grumbled out. Thor's answering smile showed off his pearly white teeth, but Tony kept his pout firmly in place.
"Tony, why are we here?" A new light filled Tony's eyes, and he motioned for his friends to gather around him. Loki appeared next to his brother, a small smile hanging on his mischievous lips.
"Are you going to tell us or not?" Natasha asked. Someone walked up behind Tony and peeked around his arm. Warm hazel eyes took everyone in, and a small smile lit up her face. Just when everyone was thinking that Tony had found a long lost relative (because she was obviously not Tony's usual type), Tony reached over and laced his fingers through hers.
"It's been...what?...five years since we were all together? Five long years...a lot can change in a few years."
"The point, Stark?" Clint asked. Tony sighed, ran his free hand through his hair, and looked down at the girl at his side. As if by some signal, the girl stepped in front of Tony and faced the group head on.
"Hello, my name is Kit Stark."
Five Years and Five Months Ago
"Kit Lee Torlin! Just where do you think you're going?" My hand was frozen on the doorknob, and I guiltily looked over my shoulder. My mess of brown waves (not curls) hid most of my vision, but I could still see my best friend pretty clearly. Hands on her thin hips, straight black hair in a curtain to her elbows, and flashing green eyes. I could see my death in those eyes, and it was a long and bloody one. Yup, no passing peacefully for me.
"Ember, ya see, I was just gonna-"
"Skip out on my fabulous show? Yes, I noticed. Come on, Kit! This is my big night!"
December Nite Kinston has been my closest friend since the womb. No, seriously, our moms met in the OB-GYN office. We were delivered by the same doctor, three days apart. Growing up, we shared everything. Except for Ember's burning desire to return to her mother's home state of New York. I love my Mississippi, even though I know it's far from perfect. I published two books though, and Ember sold a lot of paintings. Combined, our incomes give us a cushy life in New York. When we moved, our single mothers moved to California to enjoy the sun and surfers. We've only been in New York for three months, but Ember already has an art show going. Tonight's the opening night.
"I won't be gone long, Em. I just need to get some fresh air." And to get away from everyone. I don't mind crowds, but sometimes everything gets a little overwhelming. That and I'm so tired of people asking about my accent. Yes, I have a deep southern drawl. What of it? Ember's never had much of an accent, and neither does Aunt Mia (Ember's mom).
"You need to stop being so antisocial, Kit. You'll never find a man if you don't learn to mingle," Ember said with a teasing smile. Find a man, right. Yeah, that's not happening tonight or any night in the foreseeable future. You heard me right! Kit Torlin ain't lookin' for no man and don't want no man! For the moment, my writing is my husband and I'm having an affair with pizza.
"I'm only nineteen. Plenty of time left before settling down," I said with an answering smile.
"Kit..."
"I won't be gone long. 'Sides, you'll be havin' so much fun, ya won't even notice I'm gone." I slipped out before she could try to talk me into staying. Nearly running right over someone, I ducked my head and started to move with the night crowd. I pulled my thin jacket closer to my body as I weaved in and out of the crowds, and I cursed Ember for making me wear "fancy" clothes. I wasn't really dressed fancily; light gray sweater dress, black leggings, flats, and this thin little jacket that wouldn't keep a bear warm.
"Sorry, excuse me," I mumbled as I worked my way out of the crowd. The person didn't even acknowledge the apology. Being in a hurry ain't no excuse for bad manners, that's what my Nana taught me.
After what felt like three separate lifetimes, one as a nun, I was away from the city. Well, I could still hear cars and sirens, but I was far enough to be able to breathe. It ain't Central Park, but that's fine with me. I can stand next to a tree and breathe in the scent of fresh grass. Not too many people come here, but I haven't figured out why yet. It's small and doesn't have a playground for kids; it doesn't even have benches to sit on. It's not much to look at. It's not filled with beautiful flowers and historic statues. It's simple and plain, and it makes me feel just a bit closer to home. For Ember, I'm willing to do anything, even live in a city that I don't particularly like. Well, I shouldn't say that. I like New York just fine; I love Manhattan. I think everyone misses home, even if they learn to love the new place they're at.
The bark of the tree was rough, and I loved feeling it through my thin-ass jacket and dress. It's starting to get colder now, but it's not too cool yet. The temperature is just cold enough to raise goosebumps on bare skin, so it's nothing I can't handle. To pass the time, I plucked a blade of grass and bent to the task of tearing it into hair-thin strips. Sadly, this can entertain me for hours. The blade of grass pinched between my fingers fell as the ground under me started to shake. I reached down to grab a handful of grass and dirt, and I looked up to watch the leaves sway. Was it an earthquake? Could I make it back to Ember before it got worse? I shakily got to my feet and took a cautious step.
Something giant and metal wrapped around my torso and yanked me up into the air. I screamed until the hyperventilation kicked in, then I just stared up at the huge hunk of metal laughing and shaking me like a salt shaker. The little finger sandwiches I'd had at the art show were trying to come back up, and I savagely pushed them back down. Puking in midair does not sound like a good idea. My eyes were starting to tear up, and I watched as a blur tackled the ground. Dirt and grass went flying, and I coughed a bit as some of the dust was blown my way. The giant...uh...robot?...Yeah, the giant robot laughed and shook me around a little more.
"Put her down." Well, would you look at that! I know that Iron Man lives in the same city as me (it's kinda hard not to notice Stark Tower), but I never thought I'd get to see him up close. Somehow, I always thought he'd look shinier. Right now, he looks like he got into a fight with a can opener. He might have won, but it was a close one.
"Why would I do that?" the robot holding me asked. To illustrate his point, he squeezed my midsection until my ribs creaked.
"She has nothing to do with us, so toss her down and let's get back to business." He even sounds like a business man! All cool confidence. So what if the civilian can't breathe? She's not important.
"Tell me, Iron Man, would you have a chance of beating me if there were two of you?" Two...what? Like a clone? Now, that would be pretty cool. Two Iron Men? Oh! Iron Man and his new cloned sidekick, Tin Man! Oh, the lack of oxygen is making me delirious.
"No! Don't!" A sharp pain pierced my left breast and sunk deep into the flesh. I looked down and saw a dark stain spreading across my light gray dress. A beat was pulsing in my ears, and my entire body flashed hot before getting cold. All I could see was that spreading stain, even after the evil robot thing tossed me into the air. Another, smaller, pair of metal arms caught me before I could crash to the ground. So much for getting tossed to the side.
"Better hurry. I think one might have went too deep. Better luck next time." I looked up as the evil robot was inspecting his giant robot finger. Pieces of it were missing, broken off. Oh, so that's why my chest hurts so bad. As I started gasping for breath, the evil robot took to the air and disappeared with a loud boom!.
"Hey! Can you hear me! Stay with me!" Iron Man shouted as he took to the air. Huh, should I call him Iron Man? I know his alter ego is Tony Stark (no secret identities with this one), but we still haven't formally met.
"I'm hurt, not deaf." The sentence sounded perfect in my head, but the words sounded a bit slurred to my ears. Like I'd had twenty too many.
"What's your name?" His voice was muffled because of the mask, and wind, but I could still hear him over the blood pulsing in my ears.
"Kit. Am I dying?" I felt metal fingers sinking further into the soft flesh of my thigh, but the pain in my chest was a lot more important. My breathing sounded wet and strained, and it hurt so much.
"I'm not gonna let you." How heroic of him. His speed increased, I thought my cheeks were going to fall off from the pressure, and my vision finally darkened.
When I could see again, all I saw was white. I hate the color white; it's just so bland. The pain in my chest was just as sharp...no, it was even worse now. The pain was running deeper, and I tried to force in a breath. My chest screamed as my chest expanded...no, that was me screaming. I bit down on my lip to cut off the sound, and my weak fingers scrambled against what I was laying on.
"Oh my God, Tony! What happened?! Are you-"
"Leave, Pepper! Now!" The sound of a woman's clicking heels met my ears, and a tired looking face filled my vision. He was bruised, cut up, and looked like complete shit, but I knew who he was. Everyone knows who he is. Tony Stark, Iron Man, my savior. Black dots covered his face, and I left for a little while.
I could feel before I could see. My chest felt raw, exposed, and wet. I struggled to open my eyes and tilted my head down. I already knew what the ceiling looked like, it was time for something different. Not too far below the hollow of my throat, nestled right above my breasts, was a giant gaping hole. Not like a black hole that can see into infinity. This hole was bleeding, white-hot with pain, and had a hand inside of it. A rough-fingered, blood-coated hand. Startled brown eyes met mine, and I noticed that he had a good amount of blood on his face. It was even in his beard and hair. My blood coated him. Cords and metal were going into the hole, and I wanted to twitch at the unfamiliarity of it but couldn't move.
"Do you want to live?"
"I'm only nineteen. Plenty of time left before settling down."
"Yes." He nodded, just once, and got back to work. I watched his hair for a moment. The lights brought out some lighter browns in the dark mess, and my blood was starting to dry and cake in good-sized lumps. It was gonna be a bitch to get out. This time, the blackness started at his ear and covered the room.
The shock woke me. It spread all throughout my body and set me on fire. Energy pulsed through me, and I don't mean like a sugar-high. This was purely electrical and popped my eyes wide open. I grunted at the sheer intensity of the feeling and clawed at the table under me. My head whipped from side to side, but I could feel my heart beating easier. Instead of stopping my heart, like I thought an electrical shock would, my heart was beating at a strong pace. I've always had a strong heartbeat, and it feels normal now.
"I'm alive."
"For the moment." I looked to the side to see a smiling Tony Stark, with blood smeared all over him. He looked like a serial killer in a cheesy horror flick, which I happen to be a huge fan of (I always root for the killer).
"What did you-?" I answered my own question when I looked down. I was still shirtless, bare breasts for all the world to see (or just Tony Stark). There, where the gaping hole had been earlier, was a soft blue light. No sewn line, no bandages...just some metal and that blue light. I looked up and saw a blue light shining through Tony's (bloodstained) white shirt.
This time when I passed out, it had nothing to do with pain.
10/10/13