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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞: 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭

Avengers Tower

New York City, United States of America

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"Now tell me why I shouldn't call the feds and have you arrested this second?"

Tony's voice spoke out from under the Iron Man suit. A suit that radiated hope and protection for most. The colors of his suit denoting to the person he was; Red for impulse, violence, and the blood of his enemies and Gold for riches and strength. Iron Man was Tony Stark, the two being one and the same.

But for Allie, it was the symbol of a threat. Here stood a man that had all the power in the world to end her right now. He had the power to listen to her and welcome her, or to send her to prison for the rest of her life. And that was a power that she never wished to entrust with anyone.

"Because if you really wanted that, they would already be here." Allie answered, lifting her hands into the air in surrender.

She knew that despite his authoritative attitude, if Stark had truly wanted her arrested the cops would have been here by now. From the second she entered the building, she had no doubt that Stark's facial scanners would have been up and running. It would have detected who she was the minute she passed through the door, and yet there was no sign of the police. And if her corrections were true, the cops would have only taken 4 minutes to get here. Meaning she would have been arrested by now.

"I have been told that I am quite indecisive so that could easily change." His voice spoke again, amplified by his suit.

"I'm not here to hurt you." She informed him, still holding her hands in the air.

"Says the HYDRA agent who is known for her ability to murder and mentally ruin her targets." Stark commented sneeringly. "Oh yes, I totally believe you."

"I just came here to talk." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I knew your father."

"I know, you were all he ever talked about." Tony responded, not a drop of sarcasm in his voice.

A brief silence passed between the two. With Tony looking her up and down as if she was his prey, the weak little gazelle easily scared with the slightest of movements. He was trying to detect any fault in her being, anything that could give her reasoning for being here away. But Allie was not weak like a gazelle, she was strong like the lion, the apex predator. She was not prey to anyone, rather being the hunter with something to prove.

"Please, I'm not armed." She told him softly. "All I came here for was get to know you."

"You definitely aren't the first woman to say that to me. Except usually they don't just show up at my house unannounced and fully clothed." He joked, slightly dropping his weaponized hand so it was no longer pointing at her face.

Allie rolled her eyes at his joke, not at all surprised that Tony inherited his father's wit. Howard had a knack for being the funniest person in the room, but he also was unable to realize when and where was the right time for a laugh.

"Look, I didn't come here to make things difficult. If you want me to leave, I'll leave." Allie said frustratedly. She matched Stark's gaze (or the suit's gaze, she wasn't quite sure which was more accurate) and a second of tense silence passed between the two.

The alarm continued to blast in the background as the pregnant silence engulfed the two of them. Allie faintly heard some sort of AI speaking through Tony's suit, but the words were barely distinguishable. All she knew was if this conversation headed south, she would be in big trouble.

But thankfully after a few moments, Stark's suit powered down and the scrap of metal that was covering his face disappeared. His metal covered hand fell to his side and Allie finally let out a sigh of relief. Her own hands fell to her side as her gaze locked on Tony's, knocking the air from her lungs.

Tony was well and truly a spitting image of his father.

Allie couldn't help but be enthralled by his chocolate eyes, the eyes that definitely came from his father. They swirled with mischievousness and wit, just as Howard's did all those many years ago. His dark chestnut hair that fell messily across his face was also a genetic trait from her late friend. The only noticeable difference was Tony's goatee, a facial style that now belonged to him.

It felt as if she was looking in a mirror, having a glance back in time. Almost as if Howard was standing right in front of her. But alas, he was dead.

"See, the thing is. I am really really smart, like well beyond your average person. And yet I can't figure out for the life of me why you are here." Tony finally spoke up, breaking Allie from her trance. "And that puts me on edge because I don't like not knowing things."

"You said you knew who I am." Allie stated.

"Alexandra Williams, the woman who famously fought alongside Captain America and solved science puzzles with my father." He recalled, pressing some buttons on the wall absentmindedly which thankfully shut off that incessant alarm. "But these days you go by Trickery, HYDRA's favorite assassin, and spy."

"Formerly." She corrected. "I go by Allie now."

"And let me guess Allie, you want to know what happened to my father?" Tony questioned, cocking a brow challengingly.

"I came here to talk, and that includes talking about both you and your father." She informed him.

"You know, it's very interesting meeting you. I thought you would have been snarkier or smarter considering I was named after you. It might explain where I got those traits from." At his words, Allie felt a layer of shock overcome her. Briefly rendering her speechless.

"You were named after me?"

"Sandra Anthony, that was your name when you went undercover at Stark Industries in 1943 and gave my father the location to your base." Tony stated. "He thought it would be an honor to have me named after you, but he soon learned that I was too much of a disappointment to live up to the legacy you set."

"How do you—"

"How do I know that? Because you and Steve Rogers were all my father talked about." Tony said, obvious resentment dripping from his voice as he spoke.

"I'm sorry." She apologized quizzically, not quite sure what else she could say to ease his obvious distaste.

"My father admired Steve, but he loved you. All he ever spoke about was how strong, how intelligent, how amazing you were. Meeting you was the highlight of his life, you helped him create inventions he hadn't even thought of and you inspired many more." He informed her. "And the only other person he spoke of that way was my mother."

"I'm glad he got married and had the family he wanted. He deserved that" Allie told him, feeling her throat constrict with melancholy.

"Now I wouldn't say that." Tony commented snidely.

"I'm sorry?"

"Do I look like the child that Howard Stark wanted? Because he certainly made sure that I knew I didn't live up to his expectations." He retorted, rolling his eyes.

"I never realized that Howard changed so much, but I am sure that he would be proud of you and everything you have accomplished." Allie tried to reassure him, but obviously did a very poor job considering the fire now raging in Tony's brown eyes.

"Well, the Howard you met was a friend. Not a father." He spat angrily.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect." She frowned as Tony let out a sigh.

"No, that was harsh. I'm sorry." He breathed out, trying to quell his rage.

"I didn't come here to rehash bad memories for you. It's just after what HYDRA did to me, I don't remember much anymore. And I thought the best place to start was with the people I used to know." She explained softly.

"You do realize Howard is dead right?" Tony deadpanned.

"I know and I am sorry for your loss." Allie apologized, feeling her eyes burn with tears at the mention of Howard's death. Because despite their last conversation being almost 70 years ago, after all the cryostasis, for Allie it only felt like months ago.

"It's alright, it was years ago." Tony shrugged impassively.

"Still, no one should have to lose all their family." Allie countered, resting her hand softly on the red shoulder of his suit.

Tony coughed at her apology, a blatant sign that he was done talking about this topic. "Well, it looks like we have a lot to talk about."

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As Tony led Allie through the tower, she quickly came to realize that he was not one for humility. The entire building was an ode to his success, featuring only the top of the line furniture and fittings. Standing within the building, she felt as if she was some lowly speck of dirt clinging to the designer boot of Tony's foot, not even worthy to be touching the luxurious leather. Not even worthy to be breathing the same air as this man.

She felt so out of place amongst all these riches. Here she was, donning her stolen leather jacket and home ripped jeans that would amount to a total of $10, nothing extravagant about her at all. Even the homeless man on the street would probably have better clothes than her.

And by her side was none other than Tony Stark in all his wealth and glory. Probably wearing some exclusive upscale suit and a watch that costed more than what she had spent in her entire life. And yet Tony purely exuded exorbitance. A lavishness that not even the top 1% of the world would have the luxury of ever experiencing. It was difficult to wrap her head around, that so few could be so ridiculously affluent whilst so many others struggled to even afford the bare necessities.

But the thought was pushed from her mind as Tony guided her over to a magnificent bar area, decked out in monochromatic colors and shelves of expensive alcohol. He immediately headed behind the bar, pulling out two glasses and placing them on the table. All whilst Allie slowly sat down on the bar chair, feeling an immense sense of guilt as she sat surrounded by all this opulence and temptation.

"Drink?" Tony asked casually, bending over and searching through his bar fridge for a suitable beverage.

"No thanks." Allie refused. "But feel free to drink if you want."

"And this is why I have an alcohol problem." Tony grumbled to himself as he pulled out a bottle of scotch and poured himself a drink.

A tense silence filled the void between the two, featuring lots of awkward shuffling and averted gazes. Tony, still very much confused by the woman sitting in front of him, felt a wave of curiosity permeate in him. Alexandra Williams was supposed to be a ghost, and yet here she was sitting on a barstool in his very building. 

And there was a war waging in his head.

The childlike curiosity within in him craved to hear her story, to hear about the woman that his father praised so highly. His naturally inquisitive nature being a tough competitor, ebbing at his mind and surely torturing him. It burned within his veins and spread like wildfire, the unfortunate prize of his naturally intelligent psyche. All because of his desire to finally have some form of connection with his father. A connection that could only be achieved through this woman.

But on the opposing side was his sense of duty. He was Iron Man, the servant for the mundane and the enemy of evil. He was the protector of the people. And here had sitting before him was a mass murderer, a HYDRA operative and an international fugitive. All showing no signs of resistance and ready for the taking.

Her kill list was long, almost guaranteeing her the capital punishment in multiple different countries. He would be hailed a savior for bringing her in, a task that proved impossible for many others. A task that so many had failed.

But here he was, letting his selfishness win out.

He was Tony Stark after all, the megalomaniac with well above average intelligence. The very person who truly encompassed what it meant to be egoistic. He wasn't Steve Rogers, who saw the world as black and white. Who acted on injustice with swift vengeance and unconditional fury. That moral compass within Tony ticked differently, their ethical alignments not being as synonymous as many thought.

And that proved to be the determining factor in letting Allie stay; Tony was selfish.

"So I guess I should start with my dad right?" Tony finally spoke up, breaking the poignant silence with his gruff voice.

"Start wherever you want, Anthony." She replied, nodding softly at him.

"Please, it's Tony or sexy world savior. I accept no other names." He chided.

"Go ahead sexy world savior." She commented, eliciting a laugh from him.

"I can see why my father liked you." He grinned mischievously, reminding her of the old Howard she knew. "Well immediately after your 'death', my father decided to continue producing midnight oil in your honor."

"Midnight Oil?"

"The serum you and my father created. It was used to create an army of soldiers that didn't need any sleep." He explained, noticing the confusion that swam in her chocolate eyes.

"I think I remember making that with Howard." She mumbled, vaguely recalling making some sort of chemical with his late father.

"Yeah well it didn't work, congratulations." He smirked arrogantly.

"Sorry?" She inquired.

"The U.S army dropped it on the soldiers at the battle of Finow, giving them symptoms similar to sleep deprivation and psychosis. It turned the soldiers into monsters and the battle became a massacre " Tony told her, awakening the great beast of guilt that had resided in her chest. Adding to her already long list of people rendered deceased because of her actions.

"No..." She trailed off, terror enveloping her in a hug like a long lost friend. "Howard wouldn't have given it over to the Government if it didn't work. He promised me he wasn't going to do that."

"Calm down Circe," Tony smirked. "It was stolen from him, twice actually. Everything you warned him about was right, so eventually he destroyed it."

A sigh of relief instantly fell from her lips at Tony's words. "Thank god."

"We wouldn't want any of that stuff floating around. There's already enough murderous soldiers hanging in the shadows." He commented before catching himself, although much too late. The two of them both winced at his words, prompting a twinge of pain to settle in Allie.

"Sorry, I have a habit of not thinking before I say things." Tony apologized.

"It's alright. It's not like your wrong." She shrugged, trying to maintain an aloof facade.

"I tend to very rarely be wrong about things." Tony assured. "But you, I was definitely wrong about."

Allie shook her head at his words, plastering a fake smile on her ruby lips. "We can talk about me later. I want to hear about you."

"You could have wiki searched me and that would probably be more accurate than my version. My narcissism has a tendency of making me sound a lot more heroic and fearsome than what everyone else thinks." Tony joked, swirling the amber liquid in his glass absentmindedly.

"What's wiki?"

"I forgot you are as old as Captain popsicle." He sighed before taking a much-needed sip of the liquid courage.

"Steve?"

"Yes, that's one of his many other names. He also goes by Cap, The Star-Spangled Man, Capsicle, fossil, Captain 'Murica. You have to add the accent on America or it doesn't sound as good—"

"I think I get it, Tony." She interrupted his ramble, not particularly impressed.

"He's a man of many names." He shrugged, eliciting a disappointed sigh to fall from her mouth.

"Okay, I need to stop indulging in your attempts to deflect the conversation." She warned. "Tony, please continue with your story."

"And to think it was working so well." He mumbled, ignoring her irritated tone. "Dad and Peggy stayed in contact and started S.H.I.E.L.D. which I am assuming you are more than familiar with. And then he married my mother and had me, the biggest disappointment of his life."

"I can't make any excuses for your father or talk about the experiences you had with him. But from the way he talked about having kids when I knew him, I am certain that you weren't a disappointment to him at all." Allie told him, feeling a frown settle on her lips at the way Tony spoke about Howard.

"Yeah, well be glad that you didn't know the Howard I knew." Tony scowled.

Allie, who came here on the very premise that she wanted to see what type of life Howard chose to live following her ultimate demise, was shocked by Tony's confession. Howard, the witty, brilliant, charismatic man that she once knew had turned into this cold, aloof character that Tony described. A figure that Allie could never see Howard ever becoming.

"I am sorry Tony. I wish you got to know the Howard that I knew, he was so much like you. Witty, extremely intelligent, handsome. You are almost his twin." She said melancholically, truly wishing that Tony could have met the Howard that was her friend.

"Is this your way of hitting on me, Allie?" Tony remarked, attempting to change the subject. But she could see the slight despair that lingered in his dark eyes, the part of him that was jealous of the relationship Allie had with his father. "Because for your information, I have a very territorial girlfriend who gets very jealous about women hitting on me. But for a woman of your age that looks as good as you, I could make an exception."

Allie scoffed and rolled her eyes at his comment. "I have a boyfriend, Tony."

"You have some game, my friend." He nodded, impressed. "What is it with you people from the 40's having better luck than the rest of us."

"I don't know what that means." She frowned.

"Don't worry about it. Tell me what he is like?" Tony egged, coking a brow at her expectantly.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself, Tony?" She smiled innocently.

"I see what you did there." He pointed at her, noticing her blatant attempt to divert the conversation. But he gave in anyway, unaware of the dangers that lurked if he did follow that path.

"The common phrase that seems to be going around is that I am a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Arrogant, apathetic, callous, egocentric and a hedonist are also thrown in there too." He spoke impassively.

"Tony, no offense but I don't care what people have to say about you. I want you to tell me about yourself." She pouted softly, not agreeing with many of the words that just passed from his lips.

Tony gazed at her for a moment, trying to analyze whether he should open himself up to Allie or remain sealed off from sight. Whether he should expose the deep, corrupted parts that made him who he was. And the urge to do so was overwhelming, surprising him greatly. The words hung from his lips, ready to pierce the air and paint his life story for Allie.

And he slowly found himself giving in to the feeling, unaware of his need to finally open up to someone who didn't already know a everything about him. Whether it was because Allie had that effect on people, a warmness that evoked a sense of security, or the walls of his being finally cracking under excess strain, he was unsure. But he opened up nonetheless.

"When I was 21 I took over as head of Stark Industries after both my parents died in a car crash and made it the most advanced weapon's company in the world." He started, abruptly turning his gaze from Allie to the drink in front of him, trying to hide the pain that flooded in his eyes.

"I was 31 when I was taken hostage by a terrorist organization that was working with my coworker and my father's longtime friend. There I created Iron Man suit to escape. And I crafted the very first miniature arc reactor to stop the bomb shrapnel that was in my chest from killing me. Then I took them both down and turned Stark Industries legitimate."

"After that, I got into a fight with one of dad's old coworkers again. I found a cure to my poisoning from the arc reactor that was both saving and killing me. And I joined this team of superheroes. We saved New York from an alien race that was being controlled by a mythological God. To save the city from a nuclear bomb, I flew the missile into space and nearly died. Then, I had to take down a faux terrorist and an actual terrorist that was an old admirer of mine. Also nearly died there as well." He continued, his words heavily coated in cynicism.

"I had the shrapnel taken out of my heart and have officially retired from being Iron Man." He concluded, returning his gaze back to face Allie. "Yep that's about it."

"People don't like that version of me which is why I don't tell anyone. They also give me this face, which surprisingly you aren't giving me." He added, referencing a look of pity that Allie knew all too well.

"It's because I somewhat understand what that's like." She proclaimed, giving him an empathetic smile.

"I lost my parents when I was 5 years old and I was taken by HYDRA. I was raised as a soldier and I fought for them until I got into a disagreement with my own coworkers I guess you could say. Eventually, I broke free with Bucky and Steve during the war. Then I fought for America, joining a team of my own and nearly dying a couple of times as well." She chuckled lightly before a solemn look overcame her face.

"The only difference is that I became a terrorist of some sort."

"I have read your file Allie, you aren't a terrorist." Tony refuted.

"Are you sure about that? Because all the files I have read say otherwise." She argued, her voice soft but resolute.

"Allie, HYDRA manipulated you into becoming an operative for them. There was no consent from you nor were you in the right mindset during any of your missions. And by law, that doesn't make you liable for any of the crimes." Tony countered, his words resembling speeches previously spoken to her from one of his teammates.

"You have talked to Steve, haven't you." She said accusingly, narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion.

"Yes, Steve told me about your last escapade into New York." He informed her with a smirk, surprised that she was able to pick that up. "He wanted to see if I could run some scans to find where you and Bucky Barnes were hiding. But it seems as if the two of you have perfected the art of hiding underground."

Allie felt her breath hitch in her throat at his words. The mere mention of Bucky's name knocked the air from her lungs instantaneously, although this time it wasn't in a good way. The way that Tony had phrased his comment, she wasn't sure if knew they were staying together. If he had been able to realize that she was staying with Steve's best friend.

Dread built up in her veins like lead, rendering her limbs heavy and immobile. Her stomach became nauseous as an icy chill spread through her body, her mind worryingly empty. The realization of how dangerous her mission was came crashing down on her, not because she feared her own incarceration, but Bucky's. For she feared that her actions would once again lead to his captivity by an organization striving to see him tortured.

She watched Tony's expression change as she stayed silent, no longer teasing but now confused. So she cleared her throat, forcing herself from her chain of thoughts as she spoke. "You sort of have to when the entire world is on a manhunt for you."

"Well, not that you apparently need it, but I can keep S.H.I.E.L.D off your tail from now." Tony offered, immediately prompting a frown to climb her face.

"Why would you do that for me?" She asked softly, surprised by his generosity. Not having expected such a kindness from a man that she barely knew.

"Because you were family to my father. And even though I resent my father, it still means you are family to me." Tony shrugged, trying to pass off his offer as an obligation rather than an act of goodwill. But Allie saw past his act and smiled graciously at him.

"You haven't even known me for an hour, Tony." She chided. "So either you have low expectations or make the worst decisions."

"I'm one for risky decisions. That's why I am no longer the CEO of my own company. "He chuckled."And if I didn't help you, my father would come back to life and whoop my ass for it."

Allie laughed at his words, once again reminded of how similar Tony and Howard were. Because although Tony would never be able to see it, he was more like his father in personality than what he would ever admit. And Allie was the only person still alive that could truly attest to that fact.

"Thank you, Tony. You don't understand how much this means to me." She said gratefully.

"Yeah well, it's just nice not to have someone from my father's past that wants to kill me." He commented, evoking a sharp intake of breath from Allie.

Shame coiled in her stomach as she awkwardly averted her gaze from Tony who immediately noticed her odd reaction. Panic grabbed her by the throat and all but slamming her back into reality. Reminding her of the real reason why she was here. Why she was visiting the man she was supposed to murder over 20 years ago.

"There's something you need to know. About my true intentions for coming here." She spoke, barely managing to get the words passed the lump in her throat.

"You're not a gold digger are you?" Tony joked, reaching into his pocket as if to grasp his wallet.

"What?" Allie frowned quizzically as Tony sighed.

"Nothing, proceed." He gestured.

"It was back in 1991, before the death of your father." She murmured, turning her gaze down to her hands anxiously. "I was sent on a mission by HYDRA. It was a simple extract and assassinate job, one that would have gone down in history." She explained as a look of horror worked its way onto Tony's face as he began to realize where her story was heading.

"Please don't say—"

"It was your family."

"Really? You too!" He exclaimed animatedly.

"You were 21 when was supposed to kill you. I had snuck into your building at the time and I was supposed to wipe out your entire family and steal some work Howard was working on." She continued, shame coating her words and cutting away at her throat with its sharp edges.

"But then you heard me and left your room. You came into the hallway and you reminded me of your father. You looked so much like him that I thought it was actually Howard. And that's why, despite my completely destroyed brain, I was able to remember who Howard was. You were the only reason that I didn't carry out the mission that night."

A short pause filled the air as Tony took in her words, trying to pinpoint when exactly this had happened. Trying to figure out when he had come so close to death without even realizing it. It was a scary thought, that he had been so close to his own demise and yet he hadn't even known. But it also acted as a reminder, that not even he could truly escape death.

But not only that, Tony was trying to imagine the woman sitting in front of him, the quiet but gentle woman, being a person worthy of her namesake. Trying to conceptualize a version of Allie that could be so cold and murderous, a soldier of HYDRA that had terrorized the world for years. He was trying to imagine what Trickery had been like.

"What happened?" He finally spoke.

"I faintly remembered who Howard was so I ran. I didn't get very far as HYDRA had found me and put my head back in the blender again. And then I was put back in the ice until I was needed for a new mission." She answered, her voice dripping with shame and disgust.

"Christ, Williams." Tony muttered, running a hand through his hair gloomily.

"I—I..." She spluttered, her own self-loathing making it difficult to talk. "I'm so sorry Tony."

But instead of Tony reacting in anger like she had expected, he turned to her in pure confusion.

"What?"

"I nearly killed you when you were a child. I nearly killed your entire family!" Allie declared. "And for that, I will eternally be sorry."

But Tony simply shook his head at her words, perplexing her completely.

"Allie, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't kill me or my parents even with your brainwashed, blended mind." He stated. "If anything, you gave me more time with my mother. And for that, I will forever be grateful."

"You're not angry?" She asked nervously.

"No, Williams." Tony smiled, patting her on the shoulder in reassurance. "Not at all."

And that's when the first tear fell from her eye. Her first tear of relief since the '40s.

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Hello loves!

Happy pride month and I hope you all are staying safe!

Fuck me that was a tough chapter to write! I tried really hard to get Tony and Allie's relationship perfect as Tony will be an integral part of her acceptance of her past in the future. So basically, this won't be the last you see of Tony in this book!

So Ima give you guys a little update for my current works bc I don't really have much else to say. There are about 6 chapters left of Trickery and the Teaser for the sequel (Tricked), so I am expecting there to be about 6-7 weeks before Trickery is completely finished.

I am planning on publishing my Steve Rogers fic in a few weeks as I still have to plan how my OC will fit into Tricked and into all the other MCU movies. Also as of yesterday, I have finally cast all the Greek Gods (all 17 of them *sigh*) and I must say, I am pretty proud. I have tried to make them diverse and use a huge range of actors from different ethnicities (it's so sad there are little Greek celebs fyi). But it was hard af as Marvel has already cast most of the celebs I was planning to use haha.

Additionally, my plot shop should be out soonish as it is pretty much ready to go. There will be completely sporadic updates for that one as it is obviously not my main priority. I already have a few of my ideas typed up and ready so right now it's just in that final editing stage.

Also, get ready to meet my Steve Rogers OC in the next chapter! *cue evil laugh*

Now onto the questions!

1. What do you think of this chapter?

2. What would you like to see next?

3. Do you guys have any movies or franchises you would like to see plots for?

4. Do you have any predictions or things you would like to see in my Steve Rogers fic?

And here is my gift to you all for being the best readers ever!

(sorry that was lame...)

ANYWAY, until next time!

- Grace xx