THE DEATH SEASON ▹ final avengers ✓

05 | the attack on new york

chapter v of the death season :

" THAT MEANS GET LOST , SQUIDWARD ! "

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" Ned , I ' m probably never gonna come back here . "

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january 10, 2018

new york, new york

" SLOW DOWN , SLOW DOWN . I - I'LL SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU . "

"You're totally rambling."

"No, I'm not."

"You lost me."

Tony Stark readjusts his black exercise jacket over his chest as he finishes his jog through Central Park, the city skyline happily peeping in the distance through the tall green trees that surround them. The soon-to-be Pepper Stark is back by his side, this time with a big diamond ring on her finger. Collections of other joggers move by and the city is all as it should be - or almost. And the engaged couple are off in their own little world all as they should be - or almost.

"Look," Tony lets out a heavy breath, quickly walking sideways to keep up with Pepper's quick pace, "You know how you're having a dream and, in the dream, you gotta pee?"

"Yeah." Pepper resists a sigh and ducks her head, pretty used to Tony's weird analogies.

"Okay. And then you're like, 'Oh my, God, there's no bathroom, what am I gonna do? Oh! Someone's watching! I'm gonna go in my pants-,"

"Right. And then you wake up, and in real life, you actually have to pee...?"

"Yes!" Tony excitedly responds and practically bounces a few steps ahead of her, glad to see that she finally understands.

"Yeah! Everybody has that!" Pepper dismisses it, really not seeing the correlation here.

"Right! That's the point I'm trying to make." Tony hurries on and curves around in front of her, displaying both hands to still make her see. "Apropos of that, last night, I dreamt, we had another kid after her... So real."

"'After her'?" Pepper stops across from him, her lips pulling into a small and still heartbroken smile, "You mean after Lisa?"

Pepper knows she should probably give up after all this time of trying, but she just can't. Those two Stark idiots are the only family she has, besides Rhodey and Happy. She did her best to keep Tony in line and she raised Lisa since she was a toddler. Through all that, Pepper Potts never gave up on either of them. Why would she now? Still, it's been two years since they last saw her and Pepper still cannot get Tony to say her name.

Tony blinks and shifts his shoulders, uncomfortable with the pain that still lingers in his chest, "Yeah. After-after her."

Pepper gives a sigh, still smiling sadly, "Another girl?"

"No, no, a boy. We named him after your eccentric uncle, the one that wanted to buy her a monkey for her fifth birthday." He squeezes his eyes closed and squeezes his hand together, trying hard to remember, "What was his name? Oh! Morgan!"