Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

10. Jarvis and his Tin Can

CHAPTER 10
Jarvis and his Tin Can

"Holy shit... get a load of this," Claire dragged her cat over to where a giant window had replaced the entire wall, looking out over the royal-blue ocean and its crashing waves on the cliff the house was built over.

"You ever seen anything like this? Of course you haven't, because I haven't..."

Claire had dropped her suitcase off at the steps that spiralled up to the next floor, having gotten distracted the moment she had stepped foot inside the large home. Happy was, well, happy to leave her at the door, zooming off to deal with his own timetable.

"I'm sorry... does your cat speak?"

The dark-blonde twisted around, startled, hand flying to her chest as she felt it heave up and down to catch her breath.

"Tony..." she greeted, holding out her hand as if she were visiting an old friend.

His eyebrow lifted as he looked down to her hand, silently accepting the gesture and giving her a firm shake. He remembered her from a couple days ago, when she had brought up the subject of James Rhodes's uncomfortableness at his Iron Man 'outing'.

"Deanna Troi," the nickname came from Star Trek, Claire thought.

"And my cat, Simba," she gestured to the gorgeous animal at her side, who seemed to be staring up at Tony Stark with a loving look, something Claire had suggested he to do in the car on the way from the airport.

"As in, from the Lion King? I don't remember there being anything about a cat... I don't look after pets."

"Simba, as in Sim Sala Bim. We do not pick him up and sing ritual songs, and we do not let anybody but Doctor Claire O'Connor look after him."

"Feisty, great. I love a strong, female character. Shall we get to it? Let me show you your room, Houdini."

Claire watched him walk over to her bright red case, and lift it up with less effort than Claire would have shown.

"I've heard that one before, Rocket Ship... just so that you know."

He laughed at this, and led her up the wooden stairs.

"I'd like to get this show over and done with as fast as possible. I don't know what SHIELD wants, and what this 'Avengers Initiative' is-"

"You know about that?" Claire was surprised, not realising Coulson had told him about such a secret.

"I had a visit from Director Fury last night... not a pleasant pirate-for-hire. 112% do not recommend him for your kids next party," he trailed on, reaching the top of the stairs and taking a right down the wooden lined walls, oil paintings hanging far and wide, and at the end of the hallway hung a red and gold iron man portrait.

"I don't have a kid," was the only answer Claire could give to the wave of information.

"Right, yes. You're like, what? Eighteen?"