sheslikeyou.

     She stuffs the folder away, gaze just the same, simple & stern and unyielding. She’s not unfamiliar with scare tactics, sentiments utilized to get the other to speak: she was born and bred within a facility that more-or-less trained mindless killing machines ( or attempted to at least. ) Laura, though still very much a child, had been forced through some of the best tactical training in the world, a brutal facility that saw her as nothing more than an animal and not the little girl pleading for HELP standing before a billionaire. 

     He stands up straight, folds his arms, and she only mimics his expression, straightening her own spine and shoulders, leering at him in same manner she’d once done to her own flesh and blood. Still, Laura saw no point in continuing to be fully stoic, even if she were a bit perturbed by his unkindly nature. 

          “Mi nombre es Laura. Soy un mutante…nacido de la sangre del Wolverine.” she tests the waters first with her native tongue. “Bad people made me. Bad people hurt me. Hurt my friends, my family…and killed…” she pauses breathing through her nose to calm the ache forming. “They killed my father. – I am not safe.” 

to meet his equal in stubbornness in a kid is a bit surprising, but then again tony stark is a bit of a grown man child; maybe it makes sense completely. the second she shows signs of speaking, though, he latches onto each and every word, tony easily catching onto her spanish and keeping up throughout it all. by the time she, laura, has finished, arms tighten across his chest and chin lifts as dark gaze averts. it’s a lot to take in, and even more to accept. he’s heard of the x-men, of what happened to them, but he always believed mutants to either be gone or in the process of extinction; obviously that is not so.

once he’s gathered himself enough, tony looks back down at the girl. he has no choice but to have her stay, and he’d regret it forever if he turned her away.   ❛ and what makes you so sure i can help you? ❜   he wants only a few more of his questions answered, but his mind is made up completely. shifting on his feet, lips thin and a brow lifts.   ❛ why trust whoever told you to come here, and why believe i can help? ❜

sheslikeyou.

     He reads, and she waits patiently, eyes never diverting from watching his every move. And yet another question is blurted from his lips causing her to huff out of pure exasperation. Rather than speaking, she resorts to shrugging. That’s it. Just a simple raising and collapsing of her shoulders. She’s mostly worried that if she spills the beans about this nurse, that her life could be in grave danger. Being on the run for the sake of her own existence is one thing, but to sacrifice another’s well-being, she can’t bring herself to do it –Ironically so, that very purpose is what drove her here.  

     She’s Wolverine’s kid. Hydra. Shield, Alkali – all subsidiaries of the same EVIL. They want her DNA, they want her blood. Dead or alive. She’s no good among her comrades, living in a social atmosphere is one thing, training together, also another thing – but knowing that the target she carries is far more vast than the others, not to mention her generally restless nature - Laura just could not stay there at the safe haven any longer. 

     All right. Laura’s decided that he’s seen enough. She leans in and attempts to snatch the report from his grasp, grunting and growling as she inevitably fights him on it. Knowing she doesn’t want to destroy the sensitive information, she ceases her groveling and instead bestows him an extremely pointed leer, as if to remind him that it does not belong to him.

how does anyone even communicate with this kid? it’s infuriating, but he can’t show that to someone as young as her… he needs to keep a leveled head and even tone. thus, to patiently await a possible VOCALIZATION, tony focuses back on the file to read a few more lines over, this time about the tests and trials they’d run on her. he truly doesn’t understand how she’d lived through some of it, but such a thought is cut short when the file is jostled from his grasp by the young girl’s hand. he’ll hold tight at first before simply giving up with a deeply set frown, one almost mirroring her own.

❛ so am i gonna get any answers out of you? ❜   technically he’d gotten a few from her already, but none had been too informative; except the file. the file had been extremely enlightening.   ❛ i hope you don’t expect to stay here without telling me a little more. ❜   not that tony would kick her out… it’s more or less an empty threat to hopefully convince her to speak. standing straight once more as he looks down at the other, arms cross over his chest in attempts to look more intimidating.

drcylewis.

                 ‘ give me those glasses tony, i’m trying to HIDE from someone. please. ‘

❛ —— give me one good reason to believe you and give you my glasses. ❜

sheslikeyou.

     

Child removes her sunglasses, but rather than a scowl being emitted, she looks to him with the utmost confusion, forehead crinkled, bright hazel gaze shining in pure bewilderment – She doesn’t understand. ‘Throw me a bone’. Why would she do that??  She isn’t receptive to most cultural topics, nor popular slang, mainly because…well, 11 and a ½ years of her existence she was locked up, told when to speak and how to, and aggressively prodded to do as her aggressors told her. OR ELSE.  

     Still, continuing down her mute path, she unzips her backpack, places her glasses inside, and tugs out the folder. She holds it sacred, as it’s the last copy she has of her true identification, and so, she gazes to him warily, though she holds the information out for his grasp to take. She’s no longer angry in appearance, but she has the eyes of a little girl, begging to be seen. THIS IS WHO I AM. THIS IS WHAT THEY MADE ME…

that silence. it’s as if it never ends, as if it won’t ever end. then again, it’s all made worth it when her sunglasses are removed and file is taken out of her backpack before being held out to the man. he can tell she’s hesitant, and such a fact worries even him… maybe there’s a reason he hasn’t heard of the wolverine having a kid.

carefully he’ll take it from her, not looking away until he’s blindly opened the file. head tilts down, chocolate brown hues reading each line and bullet point and word over. even as he flips through the pages he has to do a few double takes, gaze lifting every so often as the surprise makes itself more and more obvious. nearly five minutes pass before he’s giving a verbal response, but even then tony is having a hard time.   ❛ who sent you to me? ❜   it’s his only question for now, for it’s the only one not answered yet; everything else makes sense. all things considered.

sheslikeyou.

      His harsh insistence only makes her grit her teeth and clench her jaw. She doesn’t like his tone, and so, beneath shades, she is GLARING. She even proceeds to roll her eyes, dramatically, as she huffs through flared nostrils. Tiny fingertips snatch the doll from his grip and she shoves it back into her bag. 

     When the group of employees tries to make their way into the lift, Lau looks to them, brows perking, but gaze still hidden behind glasses. She waits for his command to the computer, all the more amazed at these advancements, continually intrigued by her life outside of Transigen’s captivity. 

     Of course, Laura doesn’t very much like that she’s being told what to do. Tony’s intonation reminds her of the scolding voices of the guards. Somehow, she understands he means well, after all, she’s the one showing up on his turf, demanding he pay attention. 

     Even so, lips remain closed, tight, and as the elevator rolls to the top and doors provide entry to their secret location, she simply stares him down as she enters with, or without his permission.

he’s never met someone so very irritating in their silence, but tony can’t bring himself to push her for answers. she’s a kid, after all, and to do such a thing would be… well, it’s FROWNED upon. and he’s not that guy, but he’ll half glare nonetheless. even as they exit the elevator, the expression doesn’t falter ( especially because she won’t stop LOOKING at him like that ).

it’s no surprise she’s invited herself into the penthouse area, though, but it’s not something he’s too keen on complaining about. briefly he glances to her backpack, imagining all of the shit she must be carrying in there that relates to her father, but the man quickly averts his gaze forward as he passes her only to turn around and cut her off.   ❛ come on. throw me a bone. why are you here? ❜

❛ mm… i don’t think i wanna answer that. ❜ | @motherfndeadpool

sheslikeyou.

     Everything within her, her instincts and impulses, tells her to attack the buttons, to play. - And yet, she’s reminded of a time in Oklahoma, with her father. And she refrains. 

     She also refrains from speaking. Instead, she removes her knapsack from her shoulder, unzips the side, and retrieves her father’s figurine ( that she’d stolen from her friend, Bobby ). The Wolverine.  There he is, in all his plastic glory, though a bit dirty due to dessert sands. Next, she tugs at the dog tags she had hiding beneath her shirt collar, and without removing them, she dangles them for his sight, but quickly tugs them away as if he’s about to take them from her. Lau shoves them back down, hidden behind fabric of her shirt where she feels they’re safe, closer to her heart. 

     She’s going to do as best she can, conveying the news without verbal verification, merely because she feels uncomfortable, uncertain as to whether or not she can honestly trust him, what with the likes of HYDRA in cahoots with her creators at Transigen. If need be, she has her file within the same bag, her identification as well as Logan’s wallet. 

what follows is a bit hard to comprehend, for it’s so very outlandish and impossible. of course tony’s heard of the x-men through s.h.i.e.l.d., but he’d never troubled himself with that side of the group. after all, he has the avengers to watch after… or had the avengers to watch after. admittedly, and rather sadly, it takes a few, long seconds for what the SILENT individual is trying to say to sink in, but once it does he’s left speechless even further. the dog tag she’d snatched away before he could look closely, the comic — but how? as far as he’d been made aware, mutants had started to —— DIE. awhile ago by now, though no one knew completely why ( or so they claimed ).

❛ your old man is the wolverine? how the hell is that possible? ❜   of course tony’s curious and skeptical, very little tangible proof put forth at this point, but convincing proof nonetheless. it’s his own uncertainties that keep him hesitant to trust the small child, though the elevator comes to a stop at a floor only for a small group of employees to stare at the duo before assuring him they’ll take the next one. giving a small yet taut nod of thanks, he’s looking back to her.   ❛ take us to the top, f.r.i.d.a.y. ❜   the a.i. is always there when he’s around, the lift now carrying them to the highest floor that very few actually have clearance to. not once does his gaze leave hers.   ❛ i don’t care how you do it, but you’re telling me everything. — and you’re telling me why my name was written on that paper. ❜

drcylewis.

           ‘ just the geezer i needed to see, i need you to okay a few
               things for jane before she EXPLODES. ‘ 

❛ —— just for that comment, no. ❜

sheslikeyou.

     She watches him with grand amusement, though it doesn’t placate upon her face. Lip twitches only slightly before she swallows and breathes through her nose as if she’s annoyed. This is a child who was bred in captivity, who was told what she was supposed to believe about the world. The only sense of ‘the Avengers’ that Laura knew were twisted to the benefit of Trangsigen, or barely reminisced at all, except from some of the nurses here and there. Gabby, being Laura’s main caretaker, was really more or less worried she wouldn’t comprehend that what she was, an experiment gone array – was exceptional, not something to be frowned upon as a mutant, she had every reason to be honored, to be PROUD. And so, Gabby focused the comics solely in the purpose of guiding Laura ( and the others ) when the time came to escape – No mention of Tony Stark or the likes, except one blurb regarding SHIELD in which Laura was told to stay far and AWAY.

     After Lau had left the safe haven, partly out of pure restraint, she’s discovered she cannot stay put in one place for too long ( like father-like-daughter ) but mostly for safety;  It isn’t every day you come across a child with literal Wolverine DNA coating more than 50% her infrastructure. – She was lucky enough to discover some mutant apologists, and a nurse who quickly recognized her. This nurse was the one who jotted down Tony’s name and told Laura to leave for New York, that she would find safety there. 

     Now, Laura struggles to respond, debating if being mute is the proper way to fluctuate in current circumstance. Before, she had Charles, who comforted her, who understood her without even having to try – a simple thought, a gentle response. Basic human interaction is not one of her stronger suits. She furrows her brow, almost pouts, but rather than respond right away she pushes him towards the elevators…urging him in the opposite direction and quite needy, hastily. It almost appears as if she’s trying to beat him up…she’s just aware, discussing this here, out in the open, is not the best idea. 

and it continues. that damned silence. not to mention the way she’s staring at him, the action leaving tony both confused AND slightly terrified; he’ll never admit to the latter, though. after all, she’s just a kid — what harm could she bring upon him? but it’s as if she’s read his mind, for the brunette is suddenly pushing and urging him away from the middle of the floor and towards… the elevator? he won’t make a scene, for tony doesn’t want to draw attention to being practically harassed by a kid; bad for his rep, that TOUGH GUY persona.

as they settle inside after pushing the button and watching the doors open, they’ll then watch them slide shut. again, silence befalls them, and tony isn’t sure if he should continue to face forward or confront her once more. not giving himself time to think it over, fearing he’ll psych himself out, he looks at the young girl.   ❛ so what’s the deal, kid? why is my name on this damn piece of paper? ❜   cursing is the least of his worries now, though even such a word is MILD in the grand scheme of things. dark gaze is intent upon her, lips set in a thin line.

sheslikeyou.

     It was far too elementary for her to evade any sense of security. She’s not exactly certain whom she is looking for, only a name, scribbled all too rapidly upon a napkin. He doesn’t startle her, though she is surprised that someone finally paid mind to her presence. 

     She slowly nods in response, extending the crumbled parchment that would read his name in chicken scratch.

her silence is a bit unsettling, even more so as she holds out a piece of paper. admittedly, tony doesn’t exactly enjoy being handed things, especially from strangers, but it’s just a kid — what could she do to him? hesitantly, his chin lifts and he accepts the crumpled paper, brows furrowing the second he reads his own name.  ❛ — why is my name on this? ❜   dark gaze is on the small brunette, jaw clenching ever so slightly.