Unexpected // An MCU Story (Book One)

xi

I walked downstairs the next day to see Pepper looking pissed, and that was never good.

"Oh, boy. What'd he do now?" I asked, following her to the stairs to the workshop.

"Something stupid."

"What a shock." I said sarcastically as she typed in the passcode and walked in as I trailed behind, slightly annoyed Tony had started working without me.

I had been spending pretty much all my time down there, and knew my way around nearly all the machinery. I'd help Tony with his suits or his cars, and I figured out that I'm pretty good with technology, as well.

"Uh-uh." Tony said, pointing to Pepper while taking a drink of something.

"Is this a joke?" She asked. "What are you thinking?"

"What?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Hey, I'm thinking I'm busy. And you're angry about something. Where've you been, kid? I need your help."

"Well, telling me you're down here might be helpful."

He smiled before standing up and turning to Pepper.

"Do you have the sniffles? I don't wanna get sick."

He walked through the room, shutting down all the holograms.

"Did you just donate-"

"Keep your business."

"Our entire modern art collection to the-"

"Boy Scouts of America."

"Boy Scouts of America?"

"Yes, it is a worthwhile organization. I didn't physically check the crates but, basically, yes. And it's not 'our' collection, it's my collection. No offense."

"No, you know what? I think I'm actually entitled to say 'our' collection considering that I put in- over ten years curating that."

"It was a tex write off. I needed that."

"You know, there's only about 8,011 things that I really need to talk to you about."

"Dum-E. Hey, stop spacing out. The Bridgeport's already machining that's part." He said to the robots instead of answering her.

"The Expo is a gigantic waste of time."

"I need you to wear a surgical mask until you're feeling better. Is that okay?"

"That's rude."

"There's nothing more important to me than the Expo. It's my primary point of concern."

"Okay, that's rude." I said under my breath.

"I don't know why you're-"

"The Expo is your ego gone crazy."

"Wow. Look at that." Tony said, ignoring her and picking up a pop art picture of himself as Iron Man. "That's modern art. That's going up."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding."

"I'm gonna put this up right now. This is vital."

"Stark is in complete disarray. You understand that?"

"No. Our stocks have never been higher."

"Yes, from a managerial standpoint."

"You are... well, if it's messing then let's double back."

"Let me give you an example."

"Let's move on to another subject."

"Oh, no, no, no, no. You are not taking down the Barnett Newman and hanging that up!"