FOURTEEN: The Museum

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"Look, Liz. I'm sorry that I'm gone all the time. It hasn't been easy for you and I get that. So, I was wondering if you'd like to do something, just you and me before we leave tomorrow?" Tony asked.

The girl pondered the question for a second before squealing out a yes.

"Oh, can we go to the natural history museum. Gosh, I love the Smithsonian." The girl sighed.

"Sure kid, anything you'd like." Tony smiled.
***
"What is this?" Alyssa asked.

"They're glasses. I mean, you want to hide your identity right?" Tony smiled.

Alyssa looked at the pink shades and smiled slightly.

"You know it." The girl said.

She sighed and put the glasses over her ears.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Good." Tony smiled. "Because you look like me."

"Tony!" The girl whined.

He smirked and led the girl into the first museum. A large skeleton of a stegosaurus greeted them at the front of the building. The young girl's smile grew and Tony smiled a little as well of the young girl's happy countenance. The two Starks spent ages exploring the huge museum. Alyssa skipped down the hardly busy halls. It was a Wednesday so the usually packed building was pretty much empty.

The girl soaked up as much knowledge about dinosaurs and ancient creatures as she can. Her big brown eyes sparked.

"Tony, Tony...Did you know that birds are closer to dinosaurs in relation than lizards?" The girl asked.

Tony shrugged.

"Isn't that so cool?!" The girl beamed.

"To be honest kid, I'm kind of hungry. Do you want to stop for a bit and grab a bite to eat?" Tony asked.

The girl shook her head and turned her attention back to the exhibits. She muttered a "no" and "I'm not hungry." Tony was not convinced. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and slowly followed the girl. It was only a few seconds later when Alyssa's stomach let out a huge rumble.

The girl smiled sheepishly and her cherub cheeks poked out significantly. Tony let out a small laugh and the girl muttered a "fine, let's go eat." She was obviously annoyed and her face turned bright red as they passed by the exit. A small groan echoed from her lips.

I'm really gonna miss this place.

The duo stopped by a local brew and burger joint. Alyssa ordered off of the kid's menu and Tony couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculously small portion sizes. The girl ate pretty much all of it. The disguises were still surprisingly working.

Alyssa gently took off her shades and scratched at her nose. She took a sip of chocolate milk and turned to look at Tony, desperate to break the awkward silence.

"Soooo, how's life?" The girl chirped.

"Eh, it's okay. You?" Tony responded and took a sip of his drink.

The girl shrugged and picked up a blue crayon. She could picture the arc reactor perfectly in her mind. Things are stored like detailed blueprints; each could be carefully broken apart and reconstructed all over again. The memory, it's a blessing and a curse.

RADIATING VIOLET| t. stark ✔️Where stories live. Discover now