Chapter three – Not that wonderful

It’s been days and nothing has changed at all. Adeline was most of the time alone with her thoughts, trying to do something useful in the tower. Cleaning, cooking and getting rid of what was destroyed. Everything was better than doing nothing and thinking about Tony who ignored her. Since coming to the tower, she only saw him twice – the day he left her in the bar section and then when he came to the kitchen and made himself a lot of coffee.

Adeline came to the kitchen when she heard a noise. She was surprised when she saw Tony there in a Metallica shirt, his back facing her. “Hey,” she said quietly like she didn’t want to bother him.

“Hi,” he replied neutrally, not even turning to her.

It hurt her feelings. Where was the Tony she knew before? The one she loved because he was funny, sassy and intelligent? She really loved him and he didn’t care. Now, she was looking at the man who seemingly didn’t lover her or interested in her. “Tony, when…”

“Not now. I have a work to do. Later,” he cut her off, took a big flask of coffee with him and left her once again alone, not even looking at her.

What happened? The man who hugged her and was happy for her return was gone. This was someone different. This wasn’t Stark at all, only a working body not caring about anyone but the work. And there was nothing worse than being in love with this kind of a man. She was all alone.

Tony didn’t ask for his credit card and she used it for another shopping spree. It was better than being in the tower and talk only to JARVIS, or sometimes with her father through the phone. When he asked her, what she was doing in New York, she didn’t answer him. Adeline changed the subject and they talked about the family. That’s why old Montana gave her Natalie’s phone number.

Another week passed away. The brunette was sitting in the Central Park, holding a cup of coffee from a famous coffee bar. Next to her were some bags from various shops with clothes, shoes, and food. Her green orbs were looking at the satisfied people, enjoying their free time on the fresh air with friends and family. They were safe and most importantly – happy. The woman wished to be like them – normal, without special abilities. Maybe she was getting older and wanted to settle down, or at least have someone who would stand with her, hug her and appreciate her company.

She made herself comfortable on an old wooden bench, crossed her legs and took a sip of the delicious warm coffee. One hand sneaked into her purse, trying to find a mobile phone. Thanks to Tony’s money, which she was thankful for, Adeline bought herself a new mobile, but not expensive one. She only needed it for calls and text, maybe some pictures. Now, it was the perfect time to finally call her sister and talk. The brunette found the number, put the mobile to an ear and called her. It took some beeps until the girl picked up the phone.

~Hello?~ a feminine voice from the other side sounded careful.

Adeline’s heart started to beat fast. She was smiling – the last time that happened was weeks ago. “Hi sis, it’s me, Adeline,” she said slowly but happily.

~Oh my god! Adeline? Hi! Oh my god, hi! It’s been decades!~ she was literally screaming with joy. ~How are you? I can’t believe you are calling me!~

“Wow, you do sound happy,” the brunette laughed a little. “I’m doing fine. I’m alive, having the time of my life,” she said sarcastically. “What about you? I heard you are in Atlanta at a university, studying art. Congratulations.” Honestly, she was happy for her.

~Yeah, well, I’m finally living somewhere, making new friends and I love it here! I have to admit, it’s hard – being alone, taking care of myself. I’d like to work, unfortunately, I have a lot of studying and drawing to do…~ she started to talk about every single detail that was happening in her life. She was happy, free and that made Adeline smile. She wanted the best for her sister, even when she was sometimes jealous. A thirty-year-old woman and jealous – that was pathetic. ~I know I must be talking a lot. So tell me, my big sister, what about you? Where are you anyway? I need some details, girl!~

The woman looked around. The sun peaked out from behind the trees and she put on black sunglasses. The weather was warm enough to wear a denim jacket. “I’m, eh,” she bit her lower lip, “I’m in New York, currently sitting in the Central Park, sipping my coffee after my unusual shopping spree.”

~Wow! New York? What are you doing there?~ Natalie squealed.

“If I tell you, you wouldn’t believe me,” she laughed. “But to be honest, I’m deciding if I should stay here or go back to L.A.”

~Well, I know how you love L.A. Though, if I were you, I would stay in New York because it is the Big Apple and you are closer to me! Maybe you should visit me, or I will visit you!~

“Nat, please, don’t you plan anything. I haven’t decided yet,” she sighed, closing the green eyes for a moment and thought about Tony for a second. Why should she be with him, when he was totally ignoring her? “Unfortunately,” she spoke again, “there is a high probability I would go back to L.A. and live there.”

~No! You are ruining it for me! Stay there for some months and I’ll come visit you! In fact,~ the girl cleared her throat. ~Aren’t you a little afraid, you know, living in New York after the weird alien attack?~

“No, I’m not. Yes, the city is a bit destroyed, but the people here are happy, living a peaceful life,” she answered her sister with a sincere smile on the pink lips.

~Wow, well, good for you. You know, Atlanta is a beautiful city, but I must admit I can see some strange men near my school or near my street I live. It’s scary. That’s why we only hang out in large groups when we are going somewhere. Ha, I’m being careful and an adult. That’s something unusual, isn’t it?~

“What strange men?” Adeline was now much more curious than ever. “Tell me more.”

Someone was talking near Natalie. Probably the new friends she had. For a second there was a rustle, but after some time, the girl was back on the line. ~I don’t know, maybe they are only policemen, looking after us, protecting the people of Atlanta,~ she laughed.

“Are you sure?”

~What’s with the tone, Ad? Don’t worry!~

“Can you promise me something, sis? And please, don’t be annoyed or ironic, but please don’t talk to strangers or any weird people. Check your drinks, food, everything, okay? Don’t even talk to those weird men you see near your school. It is very important, do you understand?”

~Okay, sis, I promise. Jeez, your tone freaks me out, girl. Do you know something and don’t want to share with me? Do you have any secrets?~

“Oh my gosh, Natalie! I just asked you for a favor, okay? Now, I have to go. I have some work to do. I’ll call you soon.”

~Oh, you better. B-bye!~

The green eyed woman made a grimace and ended the call. How she missed the girl! She would talk to her much longer, but she needed to get back to the tower and do nothing, like every single day she was there. Before she stood up from the bench, she enjoyed the view for the last time - the peace, quiet, and nature. Adeline grabbed her bags, threw the empty coffee packing into a bin and slowly left the park.

After a twenty minute walk, she was back in the tower, standing in the elevator and going up. The scenario would be the same – her being alone, working out, talking with Jarvis, cooking and cleaning. The difference would be washing her new clothes and re-organizing the bedroom for her needs. Tony didn’t care about her or coming to bed. He was still closed in those laboratories Jarvis had told her about.

~Miss Montana, I’d like to inform you that Agent Romanoff is awaiting you in the main room. I’ll send you straight right there. ~

“Oh, thank you, JARVIS,” she replied with a surprised voice. “Do you know what does she wants? And is Tony there too?”

~Mr. Stark was informed about the situation and he’ll be joining you soon. Agent Romanoff came with some important information and news. She wishes to speak with both of you,~ Jarvis explained.

The elevator stopped at the top floor and Adeline went straight to the room with all the bags. She saw a woman standing near the bar, holding a tablet in her hand and her eyes locked on it. She was wearing blue denim jeans, a brown leather jacket, and a white shirt. She looked different, normal. “Hey Natasha,” Adeline greeted her and put the bags on a couch.

“There you are,” the redhead looked at the brunette. “JARVIS told me you went shopping. What did you buy?”

“Nothing much, just some sports clothes and food – only the things I need. What brings you here?” she asked while approaching the bar. If she has to be with Tony in a few minutes, she needed a drink. Natasha was checking her every move. Her eyes widened when she saw her looking for a bottle of alcohol.

“First of all – you look really tired. Do you even sleep?”

“To be honest,” Adeline found a bottle of quality rum and opened it, “I haven’t been sleeping at all. Maybe a few hours total. I’m mostly surviving thanks to coffee. Drink?” she was just like Tony.

“No, thanks. Secondly, is everything okay between you and Tony?”

Adeline poured herself a drink and immediately drank it. “Not-at-all.”

“Why? I thought…”

“I did too and here we are,” she poured her another one. “He’s been avoiding me ever since we came here. I spoke to him once and that conversation lasted for almost ten seconds.”

The redheaded woman didn’t know what to say to her. She knew Stark, but not that well. She had no idea what was happening to him. “Maybe he will change after I tell you some important information, which especially you may appreciate.”

Before Adeline could react, the elevator door opened once more and Tony stepped out. “Romanoff! What a surprise! JARVIS told me you came here on business. Talk, because I have a lot of work to do,” he came closer to women, not even looking at Adeline, only at Natasha. The brunette wanted to punch him between his gorgeous brown eyes, so he could finally wake up and notice her presence too.

“Just relax, Stark. Your toys won’t run away,” she smirked. “By the way, you look terrible, Stark. What’s with you?” Tony’s hand reached for Adeline’s drink but she quickly took it away from him and drank it. That was the first time in a while when their eyes have met. He didn’t reply on Natasha’s question. “Okay you two, listen up. We discovered that Hydra has some plans.”

“Hydra?” she asked. “What’s Hydra?” Her eyes were looking directly at Natasha.

“Hydra is a terroristic organization. We discovered that Goth was working with them in the past,” Tony explained to her. It was a surprise because they haven’t spoken to each other for several longs days.

Adeline knew how to cool him down. “I was asking Natasha,” she hissed and rolled her eyes. Now he was trying to communicate with her? Why’s he even bothering? To show Natasha everything was okay between them? “What are the plans?” she continued.

“We can’t say it for unsure, however, there were riots near Jacksonville caused by Hydra,” Natasha moved her fingers on the screen and there was a photo of a man. Adeline’s eyes focused on that face, scanning the eyes, nose, and lips. She knew him and that scared her. The woman held her breath and took a step back, eyes looking directly at the redhead.

“I know him,” she frowned and took the device from her. “This is Peter Tunderbalt’s son, Jack.”

“What?” Tony sounded shocked.

Natasha nodded. “Indeed. He’s mostly known as Banshee. For now, we don’t know if he has any abilities or they just call him like that. He murdered some agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. and he’ll continue with his job if we don’t stop him. We don’t know what his main mission is, but we are doing the best we can to figure it out. ”

“When did it all started?” Stark grabbed the tablet from Adeline roughly. Oh, how she wanted to punch him in the face for it.

“For all, we know, some weeks ago before the battle of New York started. We don’t know if he was working with Loki,” Natasha sat on the bar stool and checked Adeline’s face. She saw how mad she was at Tony, but there was also an expression of worry. The brunette was now looking at the ground, thinking about something. “Fury wanted to know your opinion and if we can count on you when something happens.”

“Yes,” the green-eyed woman nodded.

“No,” Tony had a different statement. “I will, but you not!” he pointed at Adeline.

The women looked at him. Adeline was now really pissed off and he could see it in her eyes. “What the fuck? Don’t tell me what to do, Stark. You, who’s ignoring me ever since we came to this fucking building,” she gritted her teeth. “Goth’s son is up to something and you are saying that I can’t be a part of it? Like, you can and I can’t? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Boy, what a great time to be here,” Natasha mumbled and Tony glared at her. “To be clear, I didn’t come here for your permission. You are already a part of this, even Adeline. You know Fury – you are in no matter what.”

“This is Goth’s son we are talking about, Tony,” Adeline calmed down. “There is a reason why he’s suddenly causing trouble. Just think about it. You said you killed him. What does that mean? What if he’s planning revenge?”

“You think so?” Natasha’s perfect eyebrows went up.

“You said it all started several weeks ago, before the battle of New York. Maybe Hydra has some other plans, but this is Jack and he’s such a piece of shit that would do anything to revenge his dead father,” her voice was higher and angry. “And you,” she now fully turned to Tony and roughly nudged his shoulder with a finger. “Don’t you tell me what to do! I can protect myself. Fuck, here we go again, like old times!”

“You don’t understand, Adeline,” Tony looked into the green eyes for the second time today. His heart almost melted, but his face remained the same – wrathful.

“Then explain it to me, Stark!”

Meanwhile, Natasha took the device from Tony and sent everything to JARVIS. She couldn’t listen to them and it was a bad time to be there and be a part of their quarrel. Before she stealthily left, she said them, “you two should get some rest and then talk about work, or most importantly about you two.” After that, she left them alone in the Stark tower.

Now it was time for a hassle. Adeline’s pale face was almost red – that’s how angry she was at the man standing in front of her. “Who do you think you are, Adeline?” That rhetorical question almost made her explode. “Suddenly, you are trying to be a part of this?”

“What?” she shook her head in disbelieve. “Suddenly? SUDDENLY?! What are you trying to say to me, Stark? What’s all this? Why am I even here then? I haven’t seen you for a week, we barely talk to each other and now, when we are near each other for a few minutes, you are saying this? Why? Why?” she was annoyed. “I am and will be a part of this like I was before – back in L.A. I can help, I know that guy! I can tell you everything I know about him.”

“No, you can’t help. Who do you think you are?!”

“What?” she was confused.

“Do you think you can handle this? Do you think you can fight? What happened last time, huh? Do you think you are that special?!” he was shouting at her, his eyes were full of hate and angriness. The brunette was standing there in shock. She would never imagine him saying something like this to her. She forgot how to breathe. The green eyes were wide open, slowly filling with tears. This was the biggest nightmare of all. The man she loved perfectly and clearly showed her, she’s nothing to him but a nuisance. When Tony noticed she was quiet for a long time, he continued. “You are not special, Adeline. You never were. Everything special about you came out of a bottle.”

Those were the last words she wanted to hear. Now, it was the end of everything they had. She bit her lower lip, trying not to cry in front of the man. Adeline took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “You know what?” her lips were still shaking. “Just forget about this,” she said strictly, pointed at both of them, turned around on a heel and went to the couch where the shopping bags were. She took them and without any other words, Adeline left the room.

That was it. That was the last drop of everything. Tony obviously made his decision and it broke her heart. He never loved her, he never wanted something more. It was all about sex and she was stupid to think he liked her. Only three men broke her heart during her life – the first love, father and now Tony, the man she loved the most. When she came to the bedroom, she madly threw the bags away, smashing them against a wall and then let her body fall on the bed. She was all alone and now she could cry. The hot tears were slowly falling down on her cheeks. They were salty and full of pain. “Fucking hell,” she mumbled tearfully and hid in the sheets. Tomorrow, when the sun will rise again, she had a plan – buying a flight ticket and going home, back to L.A. She belongs there – her life, being the Guardian, that’s what she should do. Maybe she would have to start all over such as finding new friends and becoming the woman she was before – no relationship, only one-night stands, and no feelings. No matter how much she loved Tony, she would have to get over him as soon as possible.

Notes