In the office atop the newly built Stark Tower:
"And here we go," Tony said as he pushed a switch, and the large Stark logo on the building lit up. "Isn't it impressive?"
Pepper smiled and nodded, "It's great."
Tony poured two glasses of champagne, handing one to Pepper as he took a sip from his own.
"There's a mini arc reactor powering this thing," he said proudly.
Ring, ring!
"You're expecting someone?" Pepper asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tony, once again cutting her off, replied, "It's not necessary, and, oh—there it is again."
Sighing, he answered the call. "I am busy, clearly."
"Stark, we need to talk immediately," came the voice on the other end.
Tony sighed again, turning to Pepper. "Sure, whatever, put me on speaker."
"Okay," Pepper said, pressing a button on the phone as Tony sat down.
"Phil, come in," she called out.
Tony stood up, surprised, "Wait, you gave him my new office address?"
Pepper glanced over at him, and before Tony could protest, she added, "Phil, come in."
Phil Coulson stepped into the room, giving Tony a nod.
"You need to see this now," Phil said, his tone serious.
"You see, I am clearly busy here," Tony said, not accepting the file.
Pepper shook her head as she took a sip of champagne before handing the file to him. "Just take a look at it, at least," she urged.
Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair, glancing at her. "I thought we were having a moment."
"Yes, but it says 'Avengers,'" she replied.
"You know about the Avengers?" Phil interjected as Tony smirked. "Yeah, the same—super team where a self-obsessed, handsome, rich hero-Me failed to enter," Tony said casually.
"it's no longer about personal profile anymore" Phil said as Tony shot back "So, you do acknowledge I am all those"
Pepper rolled her eyes, "I didn't know that."
Phil didn't say anything anymore, letting Tony open the file. The image inside showed Captain America and Hulk, among others.
"Now that's a list of work to do," Tony muttered under his breath.
Pepper, seeing the seriousness in the situation, sighed. "I'm going to work."
"Now wait," Tony called after her as she turned to leave. "Your words, You have a lot of homework to do," she said with a playful smile, leaving Tony to contemplate the task at hand.
"So what is this about?" Tony asked as Pepper left the room.
"You know about the Tesseract, right?" Phil asked, and Tony nodded. Phil proceeded to explain everything.
"It seems you guys really messed up this time," Tony said with a smirk. Phil didn't respond but simply let him skim through the file.
The next day, aboard the SHIELD helicarrier, the Avengers team was arriving as Fury prepared to confront whatever mischief Loki was up to.
*******
"This is hell," Michael muttered under his breath as he sat in the meeting, which had been going on for an hour.
"How the hell are these guys even existing here?" he thought to himself, trying to focus on the meeting while keeping his thoughts from drifting.
He looked over as his mother maintained her composure while a guy explained the distribution of guests as well as their requirements and complains about their hotels.
"When will it end?" he thought, maintaining a calm face.
Though, much to his dismay, the meeting continued for another three hours before it finally ended.
"How was it?" Rose asked as they left the conference room.
"What the hell was that?" Michael blurted out, clearly frustrated.
Rose chuckled softly. "Your sister asked the same question the first time she attended one of these meetings, but she eventually got used to it," she said, patting his arm reassuringly. "Let's go have some lunch," she added as Michael nodded, eager for a break.
As they exited the building, a director approached Rose with a wide, charming smile. "Mrs. White, why don't you dine with us?" he suggested, his tone overly enthusiastic.
Michael, annoyed by the man's obvious attempt to flirt with his mother right in front of him, stepped forward. He took the man's outstretched hand in a firm handshake. "Hello, Mr. Walker, but my mother is dining with me today," he said curtly, before gently guiding Rose away.
The director shrugged, maintaining his smile, and left without pressing further.
"Are you jealous?" Rose teased as they walked.
Michael rolled his eyes, visibly exasperated. "It's weird watching someone hit on you right in front of me," he muttered.
Rose shrugged with a playful smile. "What can I say? I'm wealthy, accomplished, and beautiful. There are plenty of guys out there fawning over me," she said lightly.
Michael gave her a side glance. "Thought none of them could replace Dad," he said softly.
Rose's smile dimmed, and she sighed. "You're right. None of them could ever replace your father," she admitted, her voice tinged with melancholy. After a moment, she added, "But you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, really."
Michael frowned. "You don't have to force yourself to live like that," he said earnestly. "If there's someone you like, you should go for it. You deserve to be happy too."
Rose shook her head with a gentle smile. "Maybe, but I don't think I have time for that. I have you two kids, this company... that's enough for now," she said with a soft laugh.
Michael smiled back, appreciating her dedication. He led her to her office, where they could finally have some privacy to enjoy their lunch.
As they enjoyed their peaceful lunch, the Avengers team was simultaneously being assembled on the helicarrier. A world-shaking event was about to unfold—one that would reveal to humanity that they were not alone in the universe. Aliens existed, and this time, the government would struggle to keep the truth hidden beneath the surface and away from the public eye.
But for Michael and Rose, none of it mattered. They ate and chatted casually, sharing the kind of small talk typical of any other ordinary people enjoying a quiet lunch.
*******
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