The Other Stark

Chapter 32

For once, in a long time, it was quiet in the Tower. Really quiet. No tension on the air, or anticipation, worries, just serenity, something everybody was in need of.

Since things with Buck were sorted out, and all the HYDRA's stuff too (for now at least), they had no current problem to worry about, so Tory decided to keep working on her task of recruiting new members for the Avengers, as things with Peter were going so well.

It had been a few days since Tory had started looking for Ant-Man, someone that had intrigued her since he showed up, mainly because of the technology from his suit, finding it harder than Parker. He wasn't one to do things out on the open so much, but being a good challenge, she kept looking.

Tory was on her lab, hacking into every security camera that ever had a picture or a video on Ant-Man, but all she got was him shouting for someone, so she was using the name as a keyword: Pym. The young scientist recognized the name, of course. There wasn't a lot of people with it who could be related to the type of technology she saw in those videos. Dr. Pym used to work with her father at S.H.I.E.L.D, but it had been long since he did something public. The only person that probably had been in contact with him was his daughter, who ran the company that had their name on it.

The screens showed some men she knew were related to Hank Pym. Crossing some of them for being dead for a couple of years or so, she came up with 5 faces, but that was it.

"Shit!" she screamed, hands pulling at her hair. It had been a stressful day without many results and the woman couldn't stand it anymore, been on that chair, locked down on her lab, surrounded by five faces she never saw in her life. Meanwhile, she had a boyfriend that was probably waiting for her on her room or his, already sleeping, having given up on waiting for her a long time ago.

"Give me a resume of their lives, F.R.I.D.A.Y. Does anyone have those abilities? Trained fighting? Or is capable of building something like that?" the woman questioned, closing her eyes for a second, before the computer beeps and a list comes up, with names, ages, professions, even prison records.

As she waited for any results, Tory went back to screen where she had Peter's suit design ready, some piece of the tech she putts on it, other parts were given to Tony so he could develop. The boy was in need of something that could be more than only hiding him, although she liked the work Peter had out into doing his own gear.

"Miss Stark... I think I found the guy you're looking for," the AI informed, shifting her attention from the pair of lens.

"And? Resume!" she questioned.

"Scott Lang. Electrical engineer. Has been arrested twice for stealing. The first, staying in jail for a couple of years. The second for one night only, disappearing from his cell with no explanation," F.R.I.D.A.Y explained.

"Why do you think it's him? The only thing we can't explain is the fact that he just went ghosty on his cell. That's no big deal. Things happen," she commented, turning her chair to the pod that held the blue and red pieces of Spider-Man's gear.

"His second time arrested was for stealing some kind of suit from Dr. Pym's house and then returning it, unexplained, been caught on the act," the Irish voice continued.

"Let's take the shot then," Tory wondered, getting up from her seat to take some tools, hands moving to rub her eyes.

"I'll cross the country, and tell the guy that's working with a man that hated my father, and everything related to him, and tell him I want him on the team? Thinking like this... it sounds nuts!"

As she closed her mouth, the lab door opened and closed, as someone walked up to where she was, her back to them.

"What's nuts?" Buck asked, waiting for the woman to turn around.

"Found the guy I was looking for, but I'm not sure about this anymore," Tory explained, walking around her workshop, already knowing why he was there.

"I'm late... Isn't it?" she asked, taking her coat off, both of them walking out, heading for the garage.

"They've been waiting for half an hour..." Barnes mumbled, the elevator's doors opening, Steve and Nat waited, outside of a black SUV. Seen them, they got in the car, Nat on the wheel.

"Sorry, I'm late."

...

The four of them sat in a dinner's booth, the waitress had just walked away with their order.

"So you know who's behind the suit?" Nat asked, leaning closer to the table.

"Yeah... Just not sure how I'm going to approach him or anything. Too much if I just knocked on his door?" Tory asked, playing with the saltshaker.

"Well, and Peter? Don't you have to train him or something like that?" Buck asked, noticing Steve's quick glance to Tory.

"Send an email, with plane tickets. Who wouldn't be curious with that," Romanoff suggested, leaning back on her seat.

"If he's interested, he'll come."

"The thing is... Hank Pym is helping him. He built the suit. It's his technology. The guy hated my father! You think he'll just let Scott come and meet the Avengers with two of Howard Stark's children?" the brunette questioned, eyes turning to her.

"It's worth a shot, you know. He could've changed..." Steve commented, always hoping the best of everyone.

"All right. I'll send the email," Tory grunted, taking her phone out of her pocket.

"Give him what...A week? Less?"

"Give the guy four days. A week is too much," Barnes said, their food arriving right after.

...

It had been four days already, an email was sent back, a confirmation Scott Lang was expecting the invitation.

Been four on the afternoon already, Peter was walking in the glass door, saying hi to Frank, who just boringly stared at him, before speaking up.

"Ms. Stark asked you to wait here, please. Said someone would join the two of you."

Parker brows knitted together, as he stops on his tracks, holding the elevators doors open.

"Alright," he responded, making himself comfortable on the dark leather couch on the lobby, staring at random details from the decoration.

Not 5 minutes had passed by when the glass doors opened again, a man stepping in with a nervous smile, backpack on his shoulder.

"I apparently have a meeting with Tory Stark," the men told Frank, who sat behind the counter with his bitchy face, as always.

"Name?" he asked, looking at the screen in front of him.

"Scott Lang."

"She'll be down here to pick you up at any moment. You can wait with the kid," the man said, making Scott turn, just now noticing the teenager on the couch.

He walked over, moving the bag to the floor, whipping his sweaty hands over his jeans, legs bouncing nervously.

“Don’t worry that much. They are awesome! I little scary, but awesome,” Parker cooed, putting his hand out.

"I'm Peter, by the way."

"Scott," as they shook hands, they hear the song coming from the elevators, Tory walking out with a bright smile, looking over at the two sitting on the sofa.

"Who's ready for some avenging?" she asks with a smirk, Peter and Scott exchanging a look, before both of them get up, following the woman with excitement.