Soldiers (Completed) •Soldiers Series• Bucky Barnes/ Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 6: Dinner

The moment I walked through the modern and most lavish looking lobby, I felt like an orange in an apple tree: Totally out of place.

I pulled at my worn out hoodie, tugging at the strings while peering around nervously, foolishly hoping the security guards wouldn't kick me out because of my trampy outfit compared to theirs. Natasha, sensing my discomfort quickly, remarked, "You look fine, Charlotte. And no one's going to touch us since we are Tony's friends."

Well, even if they did, we were more than capable to fend them off. But still, it would be embarrassing to get shooed out because you looked like a tramp among businessmen and women. Nodding to Natasha's assuring comment, I added, since I was really growing to like her, "You can call me Lottie. All my friends do that." Oh well, when I said friends, I meant Matron and Auntie Marie. But Natasha didn't have to know about my pathetic life.

I reached up to loosen my black hair band, only to put my dark hair into a tighter ponytail. Sadly, I had the same hair as my mother: straight dark hair that was plain and nothing else. I hated the fact that my own reflection reminded me of my mother. But fortunately, I had my father's eyes. Although I had never met him, I was guessing he had really, really pale blue eyes. It resembled the sky when it was a cloudless day. I liked to imagine my father. He was a better distraction for me to forget about my mother.

"Hm," Natasha made a noise and when I looked at her, a smile was hanging at her full lips. "So, are we friends now?" I shrugged and ignored the urge to smile back at her. Natasha had been really nice to me, and I couldn't appreciate it more after what happened yesterday, when all my most trusted friends betrayed me in the test. Yet because of that, I found it harder to trust anyone anymore.

When we were alone in the marble floored elevator, we stood side by side in momentary silence before Natasha spoke up, "Hey, Jarvis."

I jumped when a robotic voice answered her. "Good day, Miss Romanoff."

Frowning skeptically, I glanced around me but couldn't find the source of voice. "I brought company with me. Can you please inform Tony about it?"

"My pleasure, Miss Romanoff."

Natasha explained while taking a step back to lean on the glass wall, "Jarvis is Tony's computer system, but he's basically Tony's butler as well. Not many people know about it but Tony has adapted Jarvis into the elevators, as you can see."

"You mean the voice?" I croaked, trying desperately to take the wicked information in. Wonders and amusement surrounded Tony's name like thick fog in my head. Natasha nodded mischievously and gazed out of the window. I followed suit and admired the extraordinary view that stretched before my eyes.

"He has a strange name," I commented quietly and flinched when the voice replied.

"It stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, Miss Black. I am honored to be after that by Mr. Stark."

I pouted and stared ahead, watching my reflection in the glass. "Sarcastic and British accent. Just the perfect combination."

Natasha snorted just as a light ring sounded from above. "Here we go," Natasha announced, allowing me to go in front of her. I took a timid step out of the elevator with Natasha behind me. "Avengers assemble."

The flat, the house, whatever it could be considered as, was a jaw dropping sight. The ceiling was tall, the interior was modern designed to shame any New York home designer. By the spiral stair in the far end, was a grand piano. My heart jerked in fleeing joy when I realized I might be able to play the piano. It had been ages since I had last touched the keys, since I had been so busy fighting off monsters and defending for my life. But I still remembered there was a time when I could just sit next to my mother and watch her delicate fingers dance across the keys.