One for the Team || Sequel to - Lost and Found

TWO: Phoenix

He stood in front of her almost exactly the way he did the last time she saw him. She adjusted her stance slightly. Tony must have noticed, as he stepped forward. "Go back inside."

V must have been fuming, most likely projecting her anger and fear. She hated when she did that. She sighed and went back inside with Tony, leaving Strange outside.

"You know him? How?" Tony asked.

V felt like she was going to throw up. How was he here? How did he find her? After all these years... She panicked and sprinted up the stairs and to her bedroom, throwing the door open and diving under the bed for a stuffed sock and a pre-packed backpack.

Tony, apparently, followed. "Hello, I'm talking to you." He said. Then he seemed to notice her expression, and if V had to guess, it was somewhere between jump-scared Peter at a haunted house and Tony himself when Morgan said s**t that one time.

V still didn't hear him.

"V," he grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. His curiosity stung, since it was mixed with clear worry, which seemed to burn like acid under the skin he touched. "How do you know him."

"Let's just say he patched me up, once upon a time." She turned herself to face him completely. "Look, I just need a little time at the compound, if he's gonna be here."

(The Avengers compound was a new thing Shield helped Tony Stark develop over the last couple of years.)

"Okay but why is his being here such a big deal? So he fixed you up once. What's so bad about that?"

She shook her head dismissively. "I just need to go."

"Did you forget it's your birthday?" He asked after a pause. V could feel his disappointment as she paused, too.

"I promise I'll make up for this." She moved around him and into the hallway.

"At least take Rhodey with you?"

"Fine." And then she was gone.

~~Tony's POV~~

"Bruce?!" Tony asked as he came back outside. Bruce Banner had just materialized beside Dr. Stephen Strange.

"Hey, Tony."

"Tony Stark?" Dr. Stephen Strange asked. He didn't wait for Tony to reply. "I need you to come with me."

ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

Tony paced in front of the enormous stairway. Stephen Strange explained the deal with Thanos, which Bruce had apparently suffered himself. Bruce insisted that Tony contact the others but he couldn't do it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

Tony had the cell phone open and was dialing Steve's number when all of them heard the noise outside. He led the way out into the chaos.

~~V's POV~~

She still couldn't believe he found her. How? Why? When? Just now, today? Or was he stalking her, waiting to pounce? That sent a chill up her spine.

She snapped back into reality at the snap of fingers in her ear. "Light's green." Rhodey said.

V nodded and started driving again.

They got to the compound and split up. Rhodey told V that he had to check in with what's-his-face, so she went to poke around Tony's office. She wouldn't do anything, just look around. She let her mind wander, taking her time.

These last few years had been amazing. She had her dad, an amazing step-mom, and a sister. Sometimes, though, she actually envied Morgan. She knew she'd never been able to have what Morgan had. A stable family. V was just never ready. Pepper had told her thousands of times that that was okay. To not be ready. Whether that be family, love, spilling her guts and feelings out to a shrink, or really anything.