Regenerate | X-Men/Avengers - Pt. 1

Ch. 25

Danger's kindly fashioned my latest assailant after the old enemy from my dreams. I practice mind control on him and throw some illusions in too so that he runs around attacking images he thinks are me.

The lazy beat of "Back In Black" echoes from my locker as I change.

"Isn't this your usually scheduled day to come bug me?" asks Tony. "Get over here, and hustle it-" He pauses. "What's your last name?"

"Don't have one."

"Is it embarrassing? Is it Muggleton? I knew a man named Muggleton."

I close the locker. "Well, then why don't you come up with a last name for me? I'll be there in a sec."

---

Ace clomps down the garage stairs in heavy boots, and jumps the last step. Seeing him, she beams. "Is that glitter?"

He glances down. "Ah, yes, your classmates were rather liberal."

She bites her lip. "I may or may not have influenced the excessive use of it during production."

Tony smiles demurely. "Do you want to know why I called you here today?"

"You were bored and really missed me." When he narrows his eyes she narrow hers right back.

"No, a certain government agent is coming by to harass me into being helpful," he picks up a set of headphones from the desk and holds them out, "and you are going to go through my music library and educate yourself."

"How are the two related?" She takes the headphones.

"They're not; I just want to see if having you in the same room bothers him."

She rolls her eyes, but puts the headphones on anyway.

Agent Coulson follows him to the back of the shop, pausing as he notices a teenage girl sitting cross-legged in a swivel chair, her eyes closed, hands cupping a set of earphones. He flips through mental files and facts trying to find any record of a Stark niece, cousin, or ward. There's not even a neighbor with a daughter that he can think of. He settles uncomfortably on some type of intern. Maybe Romanoff will have some input on the subject.

Stark is always dogmatic about consultations occurring wherever he happens to be at the moment. If the locations are suitable, the agent finds it's often best to just let him have his way. For now the girl is engrossed by whatever task she's been given, and at this distance she couldn't hear much anyhow. Aside from the omnipresence of the AI it's still a private meeting.

Ace yawns and rests her head in her folded arms. "How often does he come around?"

"You know I have no sense of time." Tony sets a loop of scrap wire on her head and continues typing code. "Are you paying attention?"

Pepper enters the room in her precarious shoes, a distant smile on her face and a single sheet of type in one hand. Ace raises her eyebrows dolefully.

"So, why no last name?" Tony asks, tapping away at the keyboard. "What's your ancestry?"

"I have no idea," Ace sits up.

Pepper clicks her tongue and lifts the wire crown off Ace's head. Ace stretches and yawns again. Tony signs the paper willingly and gives Pepper a kiss on the cheek. Ace giggles very quietly and Pepper tugs her ponytail.