Can't Handle This
Chapter 34
Loki thought he was the first to rise with the hopes that he could talk to Toni alone. When he walked into the kitchen, he saw Hetalia testing her blood sugar. She gave a sigh of relief as she looked at the screen, but jumped when she realized that someone had seen her testing.
“You scared me,” she muttered as she packed up her meter.
“Is it at all possible to surprise a spy?”
“Only when you’re a god.”
Loki and Hetalia stared at each other, not sure what exactly to do with the other.
“I woke up early so nobody would see me testing.”
Loki sat down at the table. “Why are you testing?”
“I have an illness,” she said simply, wiping the blood off her finger. “And that’s all you need to know.”
The god simply nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Have you seen-”
“Antoinette? No, I haven’t,” she leaned back in her chair as well. “I know she left the Tower, but I have no idea where she went.”
Loki looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. He turned back to Hetalia, looking confused. “But it’s only 7:30.”
She shrugged. “I tend not to get in other people’s business.”
He rolled his eyes. “I have to differ with you on that one.”
She sighed and stalked to the fridge. “Yes, you’re right. I try not to get in other people’s business, but it happens anyway because I find normal lives interestingly boring.” She opened the fridge and looked around, settling on a honey crisp apple.
“I have every right to believe that the lives of everyone here are anything but normal.”
She took a bite of her apple and shrugged again. “I don’t know what to tell you. I found your love interest more…compelling.”
He chuckled. “Of course you did.”
****
By 8:30, everyone in the Tower was awake and chattering at the kitchen table. Pamplemousse was explaining Simon Says to Thor, Bruce and Tony were discussing logarithms and algorithms, Schaefer and Brooke discussed the best places in New York to buy coffee, Steve talked with Hetalia about where to start her training as he held hands with Tony, while Clint and Loki simply tried to get to know each other.
It wasn’t until Tony glanced at the clock that it really struck him. It was quarter to ten and he still hadn’t seen his daughter.
“Is Toni still in bed?”
The group fell silent and looked at Tony. Hetalia raised a tentative hand in the air. “She actually left a few hours ago.”
“Why isn’t she back yet? Is this bothering anyone else?”
Clint and Loki both nodded, sharing Tony’s look of worry.
Thor stood. “Perhaps she is simply enjoying the morning air.”
Pamplemousse looked over at Tony, trying to act braver than she felt. “Maybe she went to the ‘liberry’ to read a book.”
Hetalia swallowed uneasily. “Maybe she lost her way back?”
JARVIS chimed. “Sir,” he started. “A letter was just dropped off at the front entrance for you.”
Tony quickly went to the front door with the rest of the team close behind. He read the letter and paled, looking as if someone had told him that he was going to die.
“What does it say?” Pamplemousse asked in concern.
“Brooke,” Steve said while trying to help Tony sit down with out passing out. “Can you escort Pamplemousse out? I don’t want her to be here for this.”
Brooke nodded and led Pamplemousse out of the room and down the hall.
“Tony, what is it?”
The billionaire held up the note with a shaking hand. Steve took it and paled, too.
“Cap, what is it?” Bruce asked, kneeling down and putting on his silver-rimmed glasses.
“It’s Toni.”
Bruce read over Steve’s shoulder, suddenly knowing exactly how Tony felt.
Tony Stark and family,
I am writing this letter to inform you of my knowledge. My spies have collectively gathered the fact that you, despite my warning, decided to continue parading around as heroes. For this reason, I have no choice but to follow through on our agreement. ‘Everything and everyone you love,’ remember? Well, I’ve begun my attack. You may have noticed little Antoinette’s absence by now, I hope. Don’t worry; she’s safe with me for now. At noon, you’ll find me in Times Square with her. There, you will give your full surrender, no exceptions.
Hoping you’re well,
Kanen Osborn
P.S., Your daughter is exceptionally lovely. It’d be shame if my torture techniques proved to be too much for her. I suggest you hurry. xoxo
“You scared me,” she muttered as she packed up her meter.
“Is it at all possible to surprise a spy?”
“Only when you’re a god.”
Loki and Hetalia stared at each other, not sure what exactly to do with the other.
“I woke up early so nobody would see me testing.”
Loki sat down at the table. “Why are you testing?”
“I have an illness,” she said simply, wiping the blood off her finger. “And that’s all you need to know.”
The god simply nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Have you seen-”
“Antoinette? No, I haven’t,” she leaned back in her chair as well. “I know she left the Tower, but I have no idea where she went.”
Loki looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. He turned back to Hetalia, looking confused. “But it’s only 7:30.”
She shrugged. “I tend not to get in other people’s business.”
He rolled his eyes. “I have to differ with you on that one.”
She sighed and stalked to the fridge. “Yes, you’re right. I try not to get in other people’s business, but it happens anyway because I find normal lives interestingly boring.” She opened the fridge and looked around, settling on a honey crisp apple.
“I have every right to believe that the lives of everyone here are anything but normal.”
She took a bite of her apple and shrugged again. “I don’t know what to tell you. I found your love interest more…compelling.”
He chuckled. “Of course you did.”
****
By 8:30, everyone in the Tower was awake and chattering at the kitchen table. Pamplemousse was explaining Simon Says to Thor, Bruce and Tony were discussing logarithms and algorithms, Schaefer and Brooke discussed the best places in New York to buy coffee, Steve talked with Hetalia about where to start her training as he held hands with Tony, while Clint and Loki simply tried to get to know each other.
It wasn’t until Tony glanced at the clock that it really struck him. It was quarter to ten and he still hadn’t seen his daughter.
“Is Toni still in bed?”
The group fell silent and looked at Tony. Hetalia raised a tentative hand in the air. “She actually left a few hours ago.”
“Why isn’t she back yet? Is this bothering anyone else?”
Clint and Loki both nodded, sharing Tony’s look of worry.
Thor stood. “Perhaps she is simply enjoying the morning air.”
Pamplemousse looked over at Tony, trying to act braver than she felt. “Maybe she went to the ‘liberry’ to read a book.”
Hetalia swallowed uneasily. “Maybe she lost her way back?”
JARVIS chimed. “Sir,” he started. “A letter was just dropped off at the front entrance for you.”
Tony quickly went to the front door with the rest of the team close behind. He read the letter and paled, looking as if someone had told him that he was going to die.
“What does it say?” Pamplemousse asked in concern.
“Brooke,” Steve said while trying to help Tony sit down with out passing out. “Can you escort Pamplemousse out? I don’t want her to be here for this.”
Brooke nodded and led Pamplemousse out of the room and down the hall.
“Tony, what is it?”
The billionaire held up the note with a shaking hand. Steve took it and paled, too.
“Cap, what is it?” Bruce asked, kneeling down and putting on his silver-rimmed glasses.
“It’s Toni.”
Bruce read over Steve’s shoulder, suddenly knowing exactly how Tony felt.
Tony Stark and family,
I am writing this letter to inform you of my knowledge. My spies have collectively gathered the fact that you, despite my warning, decided to continue parading around as heroes. For this reason, I have no choice but to follow through on our agreement. ‘Everything and everyone you love,’ remember? Well, I’ve begun my attack. You may have noticed little Antoinette’s absence by now, I hope. Don’t worry; she’s safe with me for now. At noon, you’ll find me in Times Square with her. There, you will give your full surrender, no exceptions.
Hoping you’re well,
Kanen Osborn
P.S., Your daughter is exceptionally lovely. It’d be shame if my torture techniques proved to be too much for her. I suggest you hurry. xoxo
Chapter 28 is sad because Cj says "Let's just say I've got red in my ledger and I physically cannot wipe it out.". That's sad because Natasha says that in Avengers.
10/17/16