Iron Man's Daughter

Chapter 18

Blossom was sitting on the edge, dangling her feet. Her dad came back from talking to Coulson and Steve. 

" Is everything going to be alright?" Blossom asked.

" We are hoping for the best," Tony said as he sat next to her. " Odds are kind of low, there is no sign of Banner or Thor."

" They will come back," Blossom stated.

" How can you be so sure?" Tony asked.

" One can only hope," Blossom stated.

" The Hulk terrified you, and you are okay with still being on the team?" Tony asked.

" Maybe the Hulk is not all that bad," Blossom hoped. " Maybe just misunderstood."

" When is Coulson's funeral?" Blossom asked.

" Are you sure you will be okay going to that?" Tony asked.

" He was my friend," Blossom sniffed. " Friends should always be there for each other."

" Was he married?" Steve asked as he walked into the room, he leaned against the side.  

" No," Tony answered. " There was a cellist, I think."

" I'm sorry," Steve apologized. " He seemed like a good man.

" He was an idiot," Tony stated.

" Why?" Blossom asked.

" For believing?" Steve asked.

" For taking on Loki alone," Tony answered.

" He was doing his job," Steve pointed out as Tony got up and walked over to him.

" He was out of his league" Tony scoffed. " He should have waited. He should have..."

" Sometimes there isn't a way out Tony," Steve informed as he walked towards Tony.

" Right, I've heard that before," Tony recalled.

" Is this the first time you lost a soldier?" Steve asked as they walked past each other a bit.

" We are not soldiers," Tony argued as he turned around to look at Steve. " Blossom and I are not marching to Fury's fife."

" Neither am I," Steve agreed. " He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does."

" We need to put all the behind us and get this done," Blossom said as she got up, walking over to them. " Loki needs a power source. "

" If we can put together a list..." Steve trailed.

" He made it personal," Tony interrupted him.

" That's not the point," Steve stated.

" That is the point. That's Loki's point," Tony argued. " He hits us all right where we live. Why?"

" To tear us apart," Steve answered.

" Yeah, divide and conquer is great, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right?" Tony asked. " That's what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

" Right, I caught his act in Stuttgart," Steve recalled.

" Yeah, that's just previews. This is opening night," Tony added. " And Loki, he's a full-tilt diva, right? "

" He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered..." Blossom started to list then her eyes grew wide.

" Son of a bitch," Tony stated.

" Language!" Steve hissed at him as he covered Blossom's ears.

" Stay with Blossom!" Tony told Steve as he left the room, Steve then uncovered her ears.