Chapter Fifteen

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Jessica doesn't move for a few seconds, everything seemed to be going in slow motion. She felt like she couldn't breath, like the world was closing in on her at a rapid rate. She watches, as if she were in a theater watching a movie, Phil stand from his chair and quickly rush to her side. 

She sees shadows cross through the room as the door is opened and people flood through but it all seemed to be blending into one image. Like paint that was left on a plate, cruelly mixed together to a point where one could not tell what the original color was.

Her breathing was ragged and her heart pounded loud in her ears, Jess couldn't hear anything except the rapid thump thump of it. Damien finally pushes through the blurs. He was in front of her, his hands on her shoulders, and he was shouting something. Maybe shouting at her, maybe not, Jess couldn't tell. 

All her mind was telling her was that Tony Stark was her father. He had been alive and well the entire time, he'd had another girl friend. He had gotten married. All without her, instead she lived in a hellhole while he lived in luxury. Suddenly, her mind began to scream for her to run. Screaming that she had to get out. 

She needed fresh air, she had to get out of the tower. Her body seemed to be on autopilot. Jess ignored Damien and jumped up from her chair. Then, she ran. She ran despite the group that followed her, she ran despite her mind being clouded, and she ran despite the pounding of her heart. 

Instead of going to the elevator, Jess ran to the balcony. The place with no railings and no way back up if she were to jump but for some reason, it just didn't register. Her hair whipped around as she fell forward, her arms and legs out like a starfish. 

The group that had been following her skids to a stop at the edge of the balcony, not many knowing what to do. She had jumped. Jessica had actually done it. The group parts as Tony sprints off the edge and jumps after Jessica. 

"Jesus, how many Starks are going to jump off of balcony's today?" Ian comments, his mother slaps him on the back of the head. "What? It was a question!" 

The suit flies out after Tony, almost hitting Ian on the back of the head, it shoots down the side of the building and encases his body instantly. He turns on the blasters to give him a boost, he was so close to Jessica, he just needed a few more feet. 

Something flies through the air and knocks Tony off course, he spins slightly and quickly whirls around to see the object, now clearly a person, flying towards Central Park with Jessica in his arms. 

"We've got another person at the party." Tony announces through the coms. "I'm going after them." 

"Wait, Tony!" Steve yells back. "Wait for backup, we don't know who this person is!"

"All I know is that he has my daughter." Tony replies through gritted teeth. "And I'm sure as hell going to get her back."

Jessica opens her eyes only to be greeted by the blinding sun peeking through the leaves of a tree. Slowly, she sits up and rubs her temple where it throbbed. All she could remember was Phil telling her something important, she just...couldn't remember anything after that or what said important thing actually was. 

"Jess, are you alright?" A voice, one that sounded oddly familiar, questions. Slowly, she turns around to see a man kneeling next to her. His brown hair fell in front of his eyes and he wore a bright red t-shirt with jeans. His expression was concerned but there was also something else behind it all, something that made Jessica's stomach twist. 

"W-who are you?" She stutters. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Well, you jumped off of a balcony," The boy chuckles while sitting back. "and I saved your life." 

"You?" She questions. 

"Yes, do you not know who I am?" He inquires. 

"What part of 'who are you' doesn't clue you in?" Jessica scoffs. 

"My name is Christopher." He sighs. "I'm your brother."

"No." Jess shakes her head while crawling away from him, her back hits the tree trunk. Chris doesn't move.

"Jess, I'm not going to hurt you." He quickly shakes his head. "I found an organization to help us, they promised us a safe home."

"I did too." She replies. "After you left me." 

"I didn't leave you." Chris argues. "I told you that I'd come back after I figured out everything. I wanted everything to be perfect before I got you."

"But you didn't think of the consequences." Jess quips. "You didn't think about what they would do to me after you left, what mom would do!"

"We'll make them pay." Chris assures. "We'll make everyone pay, including your father." 

"So you know." She nods. "Why the hell does everyone seem to know but me?"

"They didn't tell you right." Chris stands while shaking his head, Jess just watches him with a guarded expression. "You jumped off the balcony for christs sakes! Hydra would've done something better, helped you."

"What did you just say?" Jess questions, her voice breaking.

"Hydra, the organization I'm apart of." He repeats. "The organization I'm trying to bring you to."

"Chris, we can't go there." Jess cries. "They'll kill us."

"And the Avengers won't?! They killed Courtney!" He screams and Jess flinches. "No no, I'm sorry, sometimes I get out of hand. They're helping me with that, Jessica please."

"Take one more step." A robotic voice orders. "And I'll blast you to the moon."

"Of course." Chris rolls his eyes, his shoulders dropping. "Of course you come now!"

"Look, Kid-" 

"No! You do not get to talk, you are not her father." Chris warns while lifting his finger. "You never were one to her and you do not get to be one now."

"I didn't know she was alive." Tony argues. "Aubrey told me she was dead." 

"Lies!" Chris shouts. "Is that all you come up with?!" 

"Chris." Jessica whispers while pushing herself up with the help of the tree trunk. Slowly, he turns to look at her, his breathing ragged and his eyes almost black from anger. "Chris, you're scaring me." 

"I." He takes a deep breath and glares at Tony. "Look what you have done, you made my own sister afraid of me." 

"Jessica." Tony whispers. "Please, get behind me."

"No. She is not going anywhere with you." Chris replies, his hands curling into fists. "I'm going to kill you, Tony Stark, right here right now. Then I'm taking her away, where she can be safe." 

"You don't want to do that." Tony warns but Chris was already too far gone. He starts stalking forward with a smile, as if he enjoyed the thought of killing the billionaire. Which, in all honesty, he probably did. 

It all happened too fast, Chris swung at Tony who shot him quickly to avoid the hit but it didn't work and Chris was able to throw Tony to the ground. Now, he stood above him, tilting his head to the side. "I wish I could say that the world will miss you, Mr. Stark, but really it will be rejoicing for your death." 

Chris raises his fist but he quickly flies back, like an invisible rope had been tied around his waist, before he could hit Tony. Chris flies into the tree, his head hitting the trunk, and falls to the ground in a heap. Blood drips down his forehead but his eyes stay closed. 

Jessica stands with her hands in the air, her breathing ragged as she stared at her brother. She had never been able to lift an actual person before. She had only been able to move objects or herself, never someone else. Especially someone as big as Chris. 

Slowly, she turns to look at Tony with tears in her eyes. He was alive, that's all that mattered. She hears the shouts of agents and cars pulling to a stop. Jessica doesn't wait, instead she sprints away. She couldn't stand there and go through interrogations. 

Chris had helped jog her memory of everything and it felt like she was crumbling all over again. This time, though, she didn't have a balcony to stop her. 

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