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in the dark times you don't have to question if i'm a hundred with you.
MAY 2015
THE STARKS WALKED SIDE BY SIDE through the spacious hallway. A heavy silence was lacing through the air, something that rarely happened when they were around each other. But Tony's mind was focused on Ultron and Ultron only.
He felt an overwhelming feeling of desperation. He wanted to avoid a fight at all costs. But there was nothing they could do to defeat Ultron except to put up a fight. And that fight just had to bring some kind of aftermath, as all fights do.
Aftermath.
An image of the Avengers-his team, his family-dead flashed through his mind. Broken guns, broken arrows, broken bones, broken hammer, broken armor, and a broken shield. Deep down in his mind laid fear. Fear of failure. Fear of failing to save his family. Fear of failing to save his daughter. And God, was he scared that his vision might come true.
Maybe, if he hadn't played with something he didn't understand, this whole thing could've been avoided. Maybe, just maybe, Thor was right. He should've trusted the Avengers to protect the Earth.
That didn't matter now though, what was done was done, and there was nothing left to do other than fight. Whether it brought the aftermath or not.
As the light came through and the hallway ended, the girl's slender fingers wrapped around his forearm, gently forcing him to turn around. And for a fraction of a second, Tony forgot about his worries the moment his eyes met hers.
A heavy blue was all he saw for a moment before a soft voice broke his gaze.
"Hey," She broke him out of his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking, dad, and it's not your fault."
A wave of relief washed over his shore of desperation. Those words were the ones he needed to hear. Even though he knew that his daughter wouldn't blame him for what happened, he still needed assurance. He still needed to know that her heart and mind were never on the move when it came to him.
Tony always thought that actions weighted more than words, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he rested his hand on Arabella's shoulder and placed a light kiss on her forehead before he completely walked out of the hallway.
"AW, JUNIOR." Stark cooed as he landed. "You're gonna break your old man's heart."
The ride to Johannesburg had been silent, except for Steve talking about his plan for a few minutes. After that, silence took over again. And when they entered the sketchy ship, not a word was spoken. Leading Arabella to conclude that today was the day of silence between the team.
