“Oh, sure, you are, but that does take all the fun out of it.” Her smile nearly matched his. “Very detached curiosity, that. Like I’m a specimen. I don’t think I like that.” Summer’s green eyes held more than a hint of challenge now. “You’ve seen all my flashy tricks, Mr Stark. Anything else you’d like to see?”
A self-obsessed smirk tugged at the corner of the billionaire’s mouth. “What exactly are you implying?” He stared at her with an equally as challenging gleam in his eyes.
“Oh, anything you like. Ask me anything. I know you’re still curious.” Confidently, she stepped within arms’ reach. “Should I be challenging you to take a picture now, Mr Stark?”
A dark brow quirked in amusement, “So you went through all of this for a picture? Well why didn’t you just say so?” He chuckled. “I assume you’d like an autograph as well.~”
Summer arched her eyebrow right back. “Ah, now we’re back to the beginning. I can get all the pictures I want, really, off the internet, and what would I do with an autograph? No, I only thought since you keep watching me, you might want a picture of me. Of course, your camera might break taking it, but that’s your risk, I suppose.”
“It’s a mutation. I’m sure you’ve worked with the X-Men before. In short, I was born this way.” Summer gave a twisted smirk. “That’s not all I can do.” Lightly, she projected friendliness at him, then changed it to terror, then dropped the projection altogether in favour of calling a little flame into her cupped hands. “Still curious?”
“Yeah. I did a little wor-” Cut short, the strangest feeling of comfortable ease washed over him, only to be quickly replaced with inexplicable terror. It crawled icily down his spine, but disappeared soon after, as if it never happened. His eyes fell to her cupped hands where she held a small flame. “That’s…impressive,” the scientist said simply. Tony’s brown eyes studied her carefully. “Curious? Why don’t you tell me if I am?” He arched an eyebrow with a cocky smirk.
“Oh, sure, you are, but that does take all the fun out of it.” Her smile nearly matched his. “Very detached curiosity, that. Like I’m a specimen. I don’t think I like that.” Summer’s green eyes held more than a hint of challenge now. “You’ve seen all my flashy tricks, Mr Stark. Anything else you’d like to see?”
A self-obsessed smirk tugged at the corner of the billionaire’s mouth. “What exactly are you implying?” He stared at her with an equally as challenging gleam in his eyes.
“Oh, anything you like. Ask me anything. I know you’re still curious.” Confidently, she stepped within arms’ reach. “Should I be challenging you to take a picture now, Mr Stark?”
“You wanted proof of my empathy. There you are,” Summer spread her hands, “irrefutable proof. Things I have told you about yourself that I should not know. You can call it a lucky guess if it will make you feel better, but that sort of lie never works well. I should know. Aught else?”
The scientist shook his head, as if no longer interested, “Nope. That’ll be all.” His seeming disinterest soon faded, however, as he asked, “How are you even able to do that? I mean, how is it that you became an ‘empath’, as you claim?”
“It’s a mutation. I’m sure you’ve worked with the X-Men before. In short, I was born this way.” Summer gave a twisted smirk. “That’s not all I can do.” Lightly, she projected friendliness at him, then changed it to terror, then dropped the projection altogether in favour of calling a little flame into her cupped hands. “Still curious?”
“Yeah. I did a little wor-” Cut short, the strangest feeling of comfortable ease washed over him, only to be quickly replaced with inexplicable terror. It crawled icily down his spine, but disappeared soon after, as if it never happened. His eyes fell to her cupped hands where she held a small flame. “That’s…impressive,” the scientist said simply. Tony’s brown eyes studied her carefully. “Curious? Why don’t you tell me if I am?” He arched an eyebrow with a cocky smirk.
“Oh, sure, you are, but that does take all the fun out of it.” Her smile nearly matched his. “Very detached curiosity, that. Like I’m a specimen. I don’t think I like that.” Summer’s green eyes held more than a hint of challenge now. “You’ve seen all my flashy tricks, Mr Stark. Anything else you’d like to see?”
“Ooooh, very good with the lies there, Mr Stark. Keep telling yourself that and one day it’ll be true again. That little voice in the back of your head that you can’t quite ignore, saying, ‘you’ll never be as good as him’. ‘You’ll never make up for those who died indirectly at your hands’. ‘I should have died so that he could live’.” Her smirk matched his almost exactly. “There are other methods of proof, if you prefer, or we can just talk about something else.”
Tony Stark listened in stunned silence, his face betraying nothing, however. He cleared his throat when the girl finished. “Neat little trick you got there,” he said snarkily. “But there are other, more interesting things, we could be talking about. Like…why are you bothering me with all of this?” She was proving to be a lot more than met the eye. Despite being thrown slightly off kilter by her, very insightful, revelation, his curiosity at her never wavered.
“Hey, you noticed me first, I think. And I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to walk away right now with your curiosity prickling at my spine. Let’s just make this easy: what do you want to know?” Summer arched an eyebrow at the genius inventor, pursing her lips. There were edges to this one, edges she could cut herself on if she wasn’t careful. But what was life without risks?
A dark brow arched back at her. What do I want to know? “There are some, very few, facts about my life that are not open to the public. What I’d like to know…is how the hell you know some of my most private thoughts.” Tony was disgruntled by this. It was little known fact the doubt he held in himself. Granted, not usually, but there were some things in his life that he feared would come true. That he would fail as a hero, as the inheritor of his father’s company…that he would fail Pepper.
“You wanted proof of my empathy. There you are,” Summer spread her hands, “irrefutable proof. Things I have told you about yourself that I should not know. You can call it a lucky guess if it will make you feel better, but that sort of lie never works well. I should know. Aught else?”
The scientist shook his head, as if no longer interested, “Nope. That’ll be all.” His seeming disinterest soon faded, however, as he asked, “How are you even able to do that? I mean, how is it that you became an ‘empath’, as you claim?”
“It’s a mutation. I’m sure you’ve worked with the X-Men before. In short, I was born this way.” Summer gave a twisted smirk. “That’s not all I can do.” Lightly, she projected friendliness at him, then changed it to terror, then dropped the projection altogether in favour of calling a little flame into her cupped hands. “Still curious?”
“The word is empath.” Summer drew a deep breath. “Shall I go farther? It really doesn’t matter to me if you believe me or not. I know what I am, and that’s what’s important. Though I really have to suggest you see someone about that self-doubt problem.”
Brown eyes narrowed, the only tell of his mild unease. As a recovery, a faux bewildered expression crossed his face. “Where did you even get that from? I, never, doubt myself.” An arrogant smirk smoothed his features coolly.
“Ooooh, very good with the lies there, Mr Stark. Keep telling yourself that and one day it’ll be true again. That little voice in the back of your head that you can’t quite ignore, saying, ‘you’ll never be as good as him’. ‘You’ll never make up for those who died indirectly at your hands’. ‘I should have died so that he could live’.” Her smirk matched his almost exactly. “There are other methods of proof, if you prefer, or we can just talk about something else.”
Tony Stark listened in stunned silence, his face betraying nothing, however. He cleared his throat when the girl finished. “Neat little trick you got there,” he said snarkily. “But there are other, more interesting things, we could be talking about. Like…why are you bothering me with all of this?” She was proving to be a lot more than met the eye. Despite being thrown slightly off kilter by her, very insightful, revelation, his curiosity at her never wavered.
“Hey, you noticed me first, I think. And I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to walk away right now with your curiosity prickling at my spine. Let’s just make this easy: what do you want to know?” Summer arched an eyebrow at the genius inventor, pursing her lips. There were edges to this one, edges she could cut herself on if she wasn’t careful. But what was life without risks?
A dark brow arched back at her. What do I want to know? “There are some, very few, facts about my life that are not open to the public. What I’d like to know…is how the hell you know some of my most private thoughts.” Tony was disgruntled by this. It was little known fact the doubt he held in himself. Granted, not usually, but there were some things in his life that he feared would come true. That he would fail as a hero, as the inheritor of his father’s company…that he would fail Pepper.
“You wanted proof of my empathy. There you are,” Summer spread her hands, “irrefutable proof. Things I have told you about yourself that I should not know. You can call it a lucky guess if it will make you feel better, but that sort of lie never works well. I should know. Aught else?”
“Must not be that curious after all … I’m wounded. Oh, no, what’s this?” She arched an eyebrow. “Definitely curiosity. And a lot of anger, my my. You do a lovely poker face, Mr Stark, but I’ll give you a secret: I know what you’re feeling.”
His passive, disinterested expression never wavered. His curiosity, however, piqued even further. “That so?” He retorted with dry skepticism. Tony Stark was a man of science. Talk of ‘magic’ and mind reading and the such, he always approached from a logical standpoint, never to trust fully without first testing the theory. “And what am I feeling right now?” A dark brow arched in a clear challenge.
Summer lifted a hand between them, eyes sliding out of focus. Her voice went toneless, empty, and a little crease appeared between her brows. “You’re curious. You don’t trust me — no, it’s that you don’t believe me. But you’re intrigued yet.” A slow blink pulled her out of the trance, and she tipped her head at Tony. “I expect that’s not good enough for you. It usually isn’t.”
Still skeptical, Tony rolled his eyes. “So you’re very observant. I could pull the same stunt you just did. Doesn’t make me a mind reader, or whatever you are.” He shrugged a shoulder, a challenging look on his face.
“The word is empath.” Summer drew a deep breath. “Shall I go farther? It really doesn’t matter to me if you believe me or not. I know what I am, and that’s what’s important. Though I really have to suggest you see someone about that self-doubt problem.”
Brown eyes narrowed, the only tell of his mild unease. As a recovery, a faux bewildered expression crossed his face. “Where did you even get that from? I, never, doubt myself.” An arrogant smirk smoothed his features coolly.
“Ooooh, very good with the lies there, Mr Stark. Keep telling yourself that and one day it’ll be true again. That little voice in the back of your head that you can’t quite ignore, saying, ‘you’ll never be as good as him’. ‘You’ll never make up for those who died indirectly at your hands’. ‘I should have died so that he could live’.” Her smirk matched his almost exactly. “There are other methods of proof, if you prefer, or we can just talk about something else.”
Tony Stark listened in stunned silence, his face betraying nothing, however. He cleared his throat when the girl finished. “Neat little trick you got there,” he said snarkily. “But there are other, more interesting things, we could be talking about. Like…why are you bothering me with all of this?” She was proving to be a lot more than met the eye. Despite being thrown slightly off kilter by her, very insightful, revelation, his curiosity at her never wavered.
“Hey, you noticed me first, I think. And I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to walk away right now with your curiosity prickling at my spine. Let’s just make this easy: what do you want to know?” Summer arched an eyebrow at the genius inventor, pursing her lips. There were edges to this one, edges she could cut herself on if she wasn’t careful. But what was life without risks?
“A dare? Really? Are we in grade school now?” He grinned at her playfully. “I love games. Especially ones I know I can win. Which is all of them,” He finished with an air of arrogance.
“Pfft, you never got out of grade school. I know /all/ the rumours about /you/.” Summer made a beckoning gesture, grinning back. “Come on. What kind of picture records more details than the physical?”
“Ah, actually graduated MIT by nineteen.” He leveled a bored expression her way. “Everyone knows the rumors about me. Only, like, half, of those might be true.” Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Okay. Riddles. I hate riddles.” He paused in thought for the space of several seconds. Finally, he shrugged one shoulder, a look of disinterest on his face. “Don’t care.”
“Must not be that curious after all … I’m wounded. Oh, no, what’s this?” She arched an eyebrow. “Definitely curiosity. And a lot of anger, my my. You do a lovely poker face, Mr Stark, but I’ll give you a secret: I know what you’re feeling.”
His passive, disinterested expression never wavered. His curiosity, however, piqued even further. “That so?” He retorted with dry skepticism. Tony Stark was a man of science. Talk of ‘magic’ and mind reading and the such, he always approached from a logical standpoint, never to trust fully without first testing the theory. “And what am I feeling right now?” A dark brow arched in a clear challenge.
Summer lifted a hand between them, eyes sliding out of focus. Her voice went toneless, empty, and a little crease appeared between her brows. “You’re curious. You don’t trust me — no, it’s that you don’t believe me. But you’re intrigued yet.” A slow blink pulled her out of the trance, and she tipped her head at Tony. “I expect that’s not good enough for you. It usually isn’t.”
Still skeptical, Tony rolled his eyes. “So you’re very observant. I could pull the same stunt you just did. Doesn’t make me a mind reader, or whatever you are.” He shrugged a shoulder, a challenging look on his face.
“The word is empath.” Summer drew a deep breath. “Shall I go farther? It really doesn’t matter to me if you believe me or not. I know what I am, and that’s what’s important. Though I really have to suggest you see someone about that self-doubt problem.”
Brown eyes narrowed, the only tell of his mild unease. As a recovery, a faux bewildered expression crossed his face. “Where did you even get that from? I, never, doubt myself.” An arrogant smirk smoothed his features coolly.
“Ooooh, very good with the lies there, Mr Stark. Keep telling yourself that and one day it’ll be true again. That little voice in the back of your head that you can’t quite ignore, saying, ‘you’ll never be as good as him’. ‘You’ll never make up for those who died indirectly at your hands’. ‘I should have died so that he could live’.” Her smirk matched his almost exactly. “There are other methods of proof, if you prefer, or we can just talk about something else.”
*amused eyes* I know. I think maybe this is more fun. How curious are you?
I’d say I’m curious enough to always get myself in trouble.~
“How about I let you try to find out what I meant, then?” She’s laughing at him, oh yes. When is Tony Stark ever confused? “I dare you, in fact.”
“A dare? Really? Are we in grade school now?” He grinned at her playfully. “I love games. Especially ones I know I can win. Which is all of them,” He finished with an air of arrogance.
“Pfft, you never got out of grade school. I know /all/ the rumours about /you/.” Summer made a beckoning gesture, grinning back. “Come on. What kind of picture records more details than the physical?”
“Ah, actually graduated MIT by nineteen.” He leveled a bored expression her way. “Everyone knows the rumors about me. Only, like, half, of those might be true.” Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Okay. Riddles. I hate riddles.” He paused in thought for the space of several seconds. Finally, he shrugged one shoulder, a look of disinterest on his face. “Don’t care.”
“Must not be that curious after all … I’m wounded. Oh, no, what’s this?” She arched an eyebrow. “Definitely curiosity. And a lot of anger, my my. You do a lovely poker face, Mr Stark, but I’ll give you a secret: I know what you’re feeling.”
His passive, disinterested expression never wavered. His curiosity, however, piqued even further. “That so?” He retorted with dry skepticism. Tony Stark was a man of science. Talk of ‘magic’ and mind reading and the such, he always approached from a logical standpoint, never to trust fully without first testing the theory. “And what am I feeling right now?” A dark brow arched in a clear challenge.
Summer lifted a hand between them, eyes sliding out of focus. Her voice went toneless, empty, and a little crease appeared between her brows. “You’re curious. You don’t trust me — no, it’s that you don’t believe me. But you’re intrigued yet.” A slow blink pulled her out of the trance, and she tipped her head at Tony. “I expect that’s not good enough for you. It usually isn’t.”
Still skeptical, Tony rolled his eyes. “So you’re very observant. I could pull the same stunt you just did. Doesn’t make me a mind reader, or whatever you are.” He shrugged a shoulder, a challenging look on his face.
“The word is empath.” Summer drew a deep breath. “Shall I go farther? It really doesn’t matter to me if you believe me or not. I know what I am, and that’s what’s important. Though I really have to suggest you see someone about that self-doubt problem.”
*amused eyes* I know. I think maybe this is more fun. How curious are you?
I’d say I’m curious enough to always get myself in trouble.~
“How about I let you try to find out what I meant, then?” She’s laughing at him, oh yes. When is Tony Stark ever confused? “I dare you, in fact.”
“A dare? Really? Are we in grade school now?” He grinned at her playfully. “I love games. Especially ones I know I can win. Which is all of them,” He finished with an air of arrogance.
“Pfft, you never got out of grade school. I know /all/ the rumours about /you/.” Summer made a beckoning gesture, grinning back. “Come on. What kind of picture records more details than the physical?”
“Ah, actually graduated MIT by nineteen.” He leveled a bored expression her way. “Everyone knows the rumors about me. Only, like, half, of those might be true.” Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Okay. Riddles. I hate riddles.” He paused in thought for the space of several seconds. Finally, he shrugged one shoulder, a look of disinterest on his face. “Don’t care.”
“Must not be that curious after all … I’m wounded. Oh, no, what’s this?” She arched an eyebrow. “Definitely curiosity. And a lot of anger, my my. You do a lovely poker face, Mr Stark, but I’ll give you a secret: I know what you’re feeling.”
His passive, disinterested expression never wavered. His curiosity, however, piqued even further. “That so?” He retorted with dry skepticism. Tony Stark was a man of science. Talk of ‘magic’ and mind reading and the such, he always approached from a logical standpoint, never to trust fully without first testing the theory. “And what am I feeling right now?” A dark brow arched in a clear challenge.
Summer lifted a hand between them, eyes sliding out of focus. Her voice went toneless, empty, and a little crease appeared between her brows. “You’re curious. You don’t trust me — no, it’s that you don’t believe me. But you’re intrigued yet.” A slow blink pulled her out of the trance, and she tipped her head at Tony. “I expect that’s not good enough for you. It usually isn’t.”
*amused eyes* I know. I think maybe this is more fun. How curious are you?
I’d say I’m curious enough to always get myself in trouble.~
“How about I let you try to find out what I meant, then?” She’s laughing at him, oh yes. When is Tony Stark ever confused? “I dare you, in fact.”
“A dare? Really? Are we in grade school now?” He grinned at her playfully. “I love games. Especially ones I know I can win. Which is all of them,” He finished with an air of arrogance.
“Pfft, you never got out of grade school. I know /all/ the rumours about /you/.” Summer made a beckoning gesture, grinning back. “Come on. What kind of picture records more details than the physical?”
“Ah, actually graduated MIT by nineteen.” He leveled a bored expression her way. “Everyone knows the rumors about me. Only, like, half, of those might be true.” Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Okay. Riddles. I hate riddles.” He paused in thought for the space of several seconds. Finally, he shrugged one shoulder, a look of disinterest on his face. “Don’t care.”
“Must not be that curious after all … I’m wounded. Oh, no, what’s this?” She arched an eyebrow. “Definitely curiosity. And a lot of anger, my my. You do a lovely poker face, Mr Stark, but I’ll give you a secret: I know what you’re feeling.”