It's Not A Social Call (Tony)

[Amber Lee]

As each click of her heel carried her closer and closer to the base of Stark Tower, the brunette had to keep her nerves in check. She could only guess at how much she would have to push in order to get even the lowest of jobs at Stark Industries, especially since she was stupid enough to go right to the main man himself in order to try and get something. But she didn't have much of a choice anymore. Amber knew precious little about what her father had done and who he had worked with when he served as an agent for SHIELD, having worked with the Avengers at some point during the invasion. And since the superhero group had been all over the news and his identity was far from secret, Amber was fully aware of the fact that Ironman had been a part of that operation.

A security guard quickly checked her identification and allowed her access to the elevator, which she stepped into with a nod of thanks and nothing more. As soon as the doors were closed and she felt herself in motion, Amber checked herself again, straightening the black pencil skirt that hugged her hips and thighs rather nicely just above her knees, adjusting the front of the bright red shirt she had tucked into it to complete the ensemble. A hand rose to give her hair another quick pat to ensure that everything was in place before she heard the ping of the elevator's arrival and the doors began to slide open. But instead of moving to the right as she had been instructed, Amber remained in the elevator and quickly pressed another button all together, watching the doors close with a small smirk of amusement. Though she was sure that security was watching her movements from the desk downstairs, she knew that they wouldn't be able to stop the elevator from reaching the floor she needed...

One of the benefits of being a spy's daughter, she thought.

The bug she had planted in their computer when they scanned her ID would keep them locked out of their own system long enough for her to approach Mr. Stark about the possibility of employment, praying silently that the slightly altered identification would be accepted without question as it had been by his team downstairs. She was still legally known as "Amber Lee Coulson," a middle name she didn't all together like...but she hadn't used her surname in so long that she was sure most people automatically assumed that "Lee" was it. Her father had changed many of her legal documents after her mother and brothers had left them, insisting that her surname made her traceable back to him and had to be dealt with. But Amber had protested it's removal, not wanting to be distanced from her father anymore than she already had become. And now she was rather glad she had managed to convince him to leave it in places.

Another ping sounded from the elevator as she reached the correct floor, one near the very top of the building, and she stepped out into a rather spacious room that looked more like a living space than anything else. Her dark eyes drank in the sight of the expensive looking chairs and circular couch, a bar set off to the side for Stark's use. It took a lot of self control for Amber not to roll her eyes at it, but she knew that if she wanted to impress the boss and land a job, well...she couldn't look as if she were making any kind of judgement. Holding tightly to her portfolio with her resume and references safely inside, she angled her body toward the only other door in the room, having studied various pieces from her late father's computer to figure out where exactly Stark might be at this time of day. And that back office seemed to be her best bet.

(Feel free to have him search her the way he did Natalia and come up with her last name or not. I'm not sure if you want him to find out now or later. ^^)

[Tony "Iron Man" Stark]

I need someone to show me the things in life that I can't find

I can't see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: B8B8B8; border: #550505 solid 4px; width: 400px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] I've got a feeling... that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good, good niiiiiiight. "JARVIS, what the hell is this feel-good crap? Switch the Pandora station. I want AC/DC." "Right away, Sir." The back "offices" were really Tony Stark's laboratory. To be honest, he much preferred his basement in his mountainside house in L.A., where all of his sports cars were parked as well as his Iron Man suits, and the much-smaller version of the workshop in Stark Tower in New York (the one he was in now) did not do justice to his previous living space. Still, Tony craved his workshop and this was the closest thing to it that he had. So, while AC/DC blasted over the speakers so loudly that it drowned out Tony's terrible singing (a godsend to anyone around, including JARVIS), the Man of Iron was only half-visible to the A.I. and anyone entering the room. His upper torso was lodged beneath a sleek red Cadillac, which he was obviously tuning up, only his dark-colored jeans with rips in the knees and oil splotches on them and his too-young-for-his-age black Trainers were visible, legs sprawled or pushed against the floor, or actively scrambling as he reached for something further away beneath his vehicle. To his right was his newest version of the Iron Man suit, one that was not fit just yet to be flown around New York. It was mostly gold this time with a few red accents, and Tony was still trying to decide if he liked that color scheme or not. Around the other side was Tony's workbench, piled up with half-finished projects, bits of metal, strange tools that had unknown directives, and Dummy sitting in the corner next to the bench, fire extinguisher in hand. Toward the back of the room was JARVIS's hub, a set of desks stacked high with computers and holographic screens and screen savers of inappropriate images of women and cars (Tony turned those off when he knew Pepper was in the building). From there, the A.I. which controlled or helped Tony with much of his research, building, and operation of the Iron Man suit, could see just about everything in the building. Including security threats. "Sir, I am detecting a security anomaly in the lower levels of Stark Tower...." The A.I. said, communicating with Tony via the man's earpiece, so Tony could hear him above the racket of music. "I'm like evil, I get under your skin! Just like a bomb that's ready to bloooow!" Tony's eyes were squeezed shut, nose wrinkled and teeth over bottom lip as he air-guitar'd beneath his car. "Sir, I'm certain that you are having a good time, but there's a security-" "Sing it with me, Jarvis!" Tony shouted as he rolled out from under his car, sitting up to spin around on the board with wheels as he continued air-guitaring while rolling across the cement floor. "Mister Stark, if you would just look-" "I said, shoot to thrill, play to kill. I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will!" JARVIS shut off the music, which surprised Tony, and his terrible singing filled the room for a few seconds afterward until he realized what had happened. He opened his eyes, confused and disappointed, grease splotches and dirt on his face and mussing up his hair. "Did I tell you to turn it off?" He griped, but then finally looked up to see Amber standing in his doorway. Puzzled, Tony simply sat there for a few seconds before deciding to stand up. "Jarvis, was this the security threat you were talking about?" The A.I. audibly sighed. "Yes, Sir." A grin came to Tony's face, bright white teeth interrupting the dirt and grime on his skin. He raised his eyebrows at Amber. "You managed to outsmart my security team and upset my A.I. Okay then. You've got my attention. The name's Tony Stark. And you are?" Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal template made by missickle

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[Amber Lee]

Life had changed rather drastically for Amber in the last little while, with all of this new information about her father and his job being presented to her. Of course, she had a million and one questions that she wanted to ask in relation to how her life had been over the past eighteen years, but the man she wanted to ask was no longer around and able to provide the answers. So the girl had done the one thing she had never dreamed of in her life. She started pouring over old boxes of files, heading into the computer and grabbing as much information as she possibly could to build on what little Nick Fury had given her when he had come by the house to tell her that Agent Phil Coulson would no longer return home to his little girl. That was the only reason she had managed to make it as far as she had, using information that had not been her own to get up further into Stark Tower and close to the big man himself.

Only, Amber didn't realize just how close she had actually managed to come.

The music she heard was enough to tell her that he was there. She didn't know too many other people who left hard rock music blaring while they were out of the office, but then again she didn't know too many people who listened to music like that at such a high volume at work either. Squaring her shoulders, Amber looked at him straight on when he lifted his head and the music went down, his tone clearly addressing her presence. Time was short, she told herself. Security might already be on their way up to fetch her. "Mr. Stark my name is Amber Lee," she began, using the silly version of her name that she had grown so accustomed to in her youth. "I contacted your offices about one of the open positions within your business, the assistant post to one Miss Virgina Potts."

Her age would certainly come into question, as there was sure to be a large number of others who were interested in the position and had far more experience than she did. Her chances were slim, and that was why she had dragged herself up this far, to plant viruses in computers in order to obtain access to the more restricted levels of the building. "I had an appointment with someone for an interview but," a slight tilt of her head and a small smile appeared. "Unfortunately it seems that I managed to wander into the wrong part of the building. The elevator brought me a little further than your front desk intended." Her dark brown eyes had been trained in the last little while to withhold almost all information from someone who might seek to use it against her, and Stark was no exception. She knew all about his reputation, with women and heroes. And while she was going to put forth a slightly separate identity for the purposes of this interview, she wasn't above using a few little facts and skills to impress him.

Anything to get closer to SHIELD and finding Loki.

Her heels clicked lightly again as she took a few steps forward, approaching the desk that separated the two of them from one another and gently placed a folder on top, sliding it across to him. "It's my understanding that you don't like to be handed things," she said, suppressing any signs of the smirk that she felt growing on her lips. "But I thought perhaps a resume and a list of my skills and qualifications might be in order." It had been quite the challenge to come up with some of the terms she used. After all how does one say "computer hacking" in a nice, professional way? And now she was rather greatful to her father for making her take all these different things when she had been a child. Not only were her gymnastics and martial arts classes of use, but so were the endless sheets of mathematical equations and scientific forumlas she had learned in high school. It had all been preparation for things like this.

[Tony "Iron Man" Stark]

I need someone to show me the things in life that I can't find

I can't see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: B8B8B8; border: #550505 solid 4px; width: 400px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] Tony Stark about-faced as soon as she'd introduced herself, allowing her to speak while he walked to the counter, seemingly to grab a hand towel. While there, and hidden from view, he typed her name into the holographic keyboard that showed up and disappeared as soon as he turned away. He wiped his hands on the towel and leaned back against the counter, his grin splitting the dirt and grime on his face. It was obvious that he didn't mind having such a pretty face in his workshop, and the nonchalant, flirty manner of his hid what he was really thinking. Tony Stark eyed her a bit, eyebrow raised as he analyzed her, seeming to undress her with his gaze, and only broke that gaze when he wiped a large dirt smudge off of his forehead before tossing the hand towel to the floor behind himself and the counter he was leaning back against. "Yeah, I think I remember Pepper telling me about that position," he said cheerfully with a nod. He took a few steps forward to swipe her file off of the table. But he didn't look at it. He didn't have time to. Because ten screens all around them suddenly came up flashing red with the word, "Alert!" across them. Without breaking his look at Amber, Tony used his free hand to type in a password that stopped all but one of the holo-projected screens from flashing. The only one that remained was the one Tony had his hand on. "Ohhh, would you look at that. Security's on their way up. Yikes. Looks like you picked the wrong section to stumble into, Miss Lee." He shrugged. "Looks like they might escort you out of here. Thanks for the app, though! Sorry about the interview. Pepps is a bit busy today. Come back next time? And oooh, wear that dress again." He winked at her, smirking as he crossed his arms, file in hand, and watched her for a moment. He wanted to see how she was going to react to this news. But even Tony had to admit that he was not a patient person. When he wanted answers, he wanted them at that moment. So, with a rather exaggerated sigh, he rolled his eyes and hit the holographic "button" that would shut off the alarm. "Oh, who am I kidding? I hate dealing with security. Too much paperwork. So how about we cut to the chase, hm?" He lifted her file up and tossed it at her. It landed perfectly at her feet, not one paper out of place. "How about you tell me exactly who you are and how you managed to hack through nine levels of security coding and get past my A.I.? Not to mention how you knew which floor I was on. There's only been one person to ever get past Jarvis and you certainly are not him." Tony's jaw tightened a bit when he thought of Coulson. One of the only people to ever have surprised Stark, and truly inspired him. Why was it that people like that always seemed to go too early? Why were the only people who could inspire Tony the ones that got picked off? He cleared his throat to help push the thoughts away. He didn't need those right now. Instead, he remained leaning against his counter, arms crossed, looking intently at Amber. Not angry, maybe frustrated, but intrigued and suspicious. "Another little SHIELD bug here to check up on me? I didn't appreciate Natasha and I'm certainly not going to give you the position. So what's your code name? The Caterpillar? Maybe The Praying Mantis? Oooh, ooh, I've got it. Daddy Long-Legs. Well, it doesn't matter if you tell me or not because in about thirty seconds I'll have all the information about your life that I'll need." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his handheld that communicated with the holographic screens in his workshop. Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal template made by missickle

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[Amber Lee]

His appearance couldn't be anything further from professional, but with all of the research that she had managed to collect about Tony Stark over the last little while, both public knowledge and not, she had known to expect such things from him. He seemed to care very little about the fact that he was covered in the grime and sweat that came from working on new machines or inventions, but it was almost like the look suited him somehow. When he wasn't busy being Iron Man, everyone was more than aware of the fact that Stark was a mechanical genius who could be surpassed by perhaps one other person in the whole world. And who that person was? Well...if she had done her research right, he'd been killed by Stark after attempting to take over the world with the same technology that was embedded in his chest and keeping his heart beating.

She allowed a small smile to grace her lips as he looked her over, using a rather intense stare in his eyes that most other people might have been uncomfortable with. He was probably thinking some rather vulgar thoughts about her, if truth be told, and while Amber knew how most people attempted to get a job with the millionaire, she had a little more respect for herself than he did, and even in that dress she'd make sure he didn't touch her in anyway she deemed inapprorpriate. After all, she was her father's daughter.

The flashing screens didn't startle her in the slightest. The only part of her body that seemed to move when they appeared with their bells and whistles were her eyes as she looked at them, wondering just how panicked the floors below had become when they realized what was going on with their computers and the young woman who had gotten into the elevator. She said not a word as Tony looked at her and held up her file, suggesting that perhaps she attempt to return some other day. And of course, in true Stark fashion, he threw in a little comment about the dress that she had worn for her interview with a wink that made her stomach harden a little. If security wanted to come and collect her, they could. There was a chance that her program was still working and could therefore help aid in her removal from the tower without their help, but only a chance since she hadn't quite figured out all of the little things it was capable of. She took a small step backward as she prepared to leave...and stopped.

Stark sighed, seemingly annoyed, and shut off the final alarm, dousing them both in a wave of silence before he threw her unopened file at her feet and began to question her. It seemed that he wasn't entirely convinced that she was just there for the job, but it was a little surprising that he had gone on the offensive as quickly as he did. "I have resources that were previously unavailable to me," the young woman said as she turned herself on an angle to address him. "Resources from a place that I never knew existed until recently who have a lot of answers for my questions. I knew I couldn't get them directly without having to jump through some hoops and prove a few things. Your job opening seemed like a good way to start." The venom that seemed to be in his voice as he spoke of SHIELD meant that he recognized the software that was in his computer. Looks like someone had used it against him in the past, she hadn't counted on that. As for this Natasha business, she could only assume that he was talking about another of the Avengers, the Black Widow if she recalled properly. But that was someone Amber was damn sure she couldn't reach, and so all thought of working alongside a woman like that had been put out of her mind, for the time being.

"I don't work for SHIELD," she said a little coldly, not bothering to pick up the file at her feet as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Not yet, anyway. But I'm unfortunately connected in one of the worst possible ways, and I want to do something about it."

[Tony "Iron Man" Stark]

I need someone to show me the things in life that I can't find

I can't see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: B8B8B8; border: #550505 solid 4px; width: 400px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] "Isn't everyone connected to SHIELD in the worst possible way?" Tony shot back without even looking her way again. He didn't want to deal with one of Fury's Super-Nannies come to check up on him. First Coulson, then Tasha, now this girl. Who the hell was she anyway? Although, Fury was certainly in the right ballpark. Women did get his attention better. Tony tapped away on his handheld, communicating silently with J.A.R.V.I.S. as the sentient program cut right through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security and straight into their files. (Seriously, why did they even keep Tucker around?) Fury had files on everyone who even saw a flash of that damn eagle logo, whether they were a threat or the freaking Muffin Man on Drury Lane. Amber Lee, huh? Well. He'd just see if that was true. "So let me get this straight," Tony began, irritation obvious in his voice. He leaned against the counter, crossing one leg in front of the other, leaving a nice grease line across the floor. "You thought you could use me to get in good with SHIELD? Was that your plan? Well, you're S-O-L, Mrs. Smith. Guess you didn't do your research right because Fury doesn't even want me. Me and SHIELD have a rocky relationship. You hacked the wrong guy." He glanced up, his dark eyes hard. "Try the Cap. He's sappy, retro, friendly. Plays well with others. SHIELD loves him. But whatever you do, don't ever try to hack my systems again, Miss..." Tony trailed off, standing there blinking at his screen. It had taken forever to hack her file (and by forever, he meant several minutes, which was odd for J.A.R.V.I.S.) down to this level and now that he was staring at the information, he didn't know how to react. He just stood there, his mouth still hanging half-open from what he was going to say but couldn't believe. The information was hidden from Amber. Only Tony was staring at the name on his handheld now. Before he could figure out what emotion should come out with the word, his held-breath let go with the exasperated last part of his sentence, "...Coulson." Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal template made by missickle

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[Amber Lee]

She could tell by his body language and tone of voice that she certainly wasn't going to get the job she had originally come looking for at this rate. And apparently, a slightly more honest approach to things wasn't going to make Tony anymore inclined to help her either. Well, fine then. If she couldn't get an in with Tony Stark then there were other ways of trying to prove her worth to SHIELD, and they didn't all include him. She'd only thought that perhaps she could impress him with a few of her sneakier ways, something that might have otherwise appealed to the billionaire who wasn't exactly well known for his good behaviour.

Even so, this was just one little stepping stone on the way to getting where she wanted to be, and since she had already run into Clint Barton in the park the other day, she knew that her options had only grown from what they had been before. "I would hope not everyone is connected to them and seen in a bad light," she said, crossing her arms over her chest a little tighter than before. Though she would never say it to him, she had heard quite a few things about her father from Clint and Fury since the news of his death had been delivered to her, and none of them seemed to have anything but praise for the late agent. Fury had even gone as far as to call him his best. And that was the standard that she held herself up to, both because he was her father and because Amber wanted to prove herself somehow in this world. Right now, SHIELD seemed to be the best option for using her skills and doing something that would better the lives of other people. What better way to honour her father than by doing that?

His words were filled with irritation and anger, which the brunette wasn't overly surprised about. After all, she was pretty sure that she'd be upset with someone if they had hacked into her computer system and disturbed her for a job interview. So she let him go on his little tirade about how he and SHIELD didn't play well, how she should go and find Captain America and try to convince him to help her or something. Granted, the famous war hero had been the next person on her list to contact if things with Stark had not worked out, but it didn't seem that she was going to get that far. Tony suddenly fell rather silent, staring down at something that was shielded from her eyes with a look on his face that seemed to display shock and confusion above all other things. An eyebrow quirked as she looked at him, not all too sure how she should take the lack of sound now being produced from his mouth. It was like something had managed to leave the man totally speechless, because he didn't even manage to finish calling her by name.

And then it was her turn to be shocked. Her body stiffened a little as she shifted her weight to a little wider stance, knees unlocked in the same way that she had once been prepared to fight during her ridiculous self defence classes. Had he just called her..."Look who's hacking now," she growled softly, her dark brown eyes narrowing in his direction. "You don't exactly practise what you preach do you, Mr. Stark?" Nobody was privy to that information. Nobody. As far as she knew, those files had been so deeply hidden that not even her father was sure they could have resurfaced again no matter who went looking for them. But clearly they didn't consider Tony Stark when updating their security software. "You seem rather un-surprised by that," she noted, her eyes remaining locked on his form.

[Tony "Iron Man" Stark]

What are we waiting for? Why don't we break the rules already?

I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked, but here they come again to jack my style

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: 8a8a8a; opacity: .7; border: #550505 solid 4px; width: 470px; padding: 15 0 15 0px;] Un-surprised? Un-surprised? Well, at least his face seemed to be doing what he wanted it to do. But Tony was way more than just surprised. He hadn't known Coulson long, but he'd read the man's file. Nowhere had there been listed "has a daughter". And it must be his daughter, because she was too young to be his wife. Maybe his sister. Little sister, but those family relations hadn't made it onto his file either. Why had he wanted to keep her a secret? And what had Tony just done by uncovering that secret? "I didn't know he had any family." Tony said honestly, though without emotion. He crossed his arms. "So are you Fury's newest little secret weapon, then? What'd he send you to me for?" He tightened his jaw and kept his mouth shut, allowing her to respond. It was harder to be mean to her now, knowing her relations to Phil, but she was still a SHIELD lackey and Tony didn't trust her. Some nights I wish that this all would end 'cause I could use some friends for a change [template made by missickle]

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[Amber Lee]

The look that crossed his face initially seemed to remain there as he looked at her, speaking with a new voice that didn't quite seem like Tony Stark anymore. Amber couldn't figure out what was going on inside of his head when he looked at her like that, feeling almost like a window he could look right on through and not a human being he shared a conversation with. It was beginning to unnerve her a little, but the brunette maintained her ground and strove to keep her own face in a neutral position lest she reveal to him just how unsettled she now was. Nobody had been granted access to that information since her father had come home one day and instructed his daughter very carefully on what she was now to call herself. It had taken a little bit for the girl to grasp because of her age at the time, but within the span of a few weeks, everything had changed. She had relocated to another school, her middle name now being identified as her surname, which in turn had disappeared from her records all together. She hadn't understood what the fuss was about at the time, but now that the information had been accessed by an outsider, she knew exactly what her father must have been feeling at the time.

Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her heart beating madly against her ribcage as her dark brown eyes continued to look steadily toward him. "I don't work for SHIELD," she said carefully, adjusting her stance so that her weight came to rest on her left side, her right hip cocked slightly. "The only affiliation that I have to them presently is through my Dad." Was through her Dad, she mentally corrected herself. No, keep things in the present tense, she thought. Even if it was just for now, until she was really able to adjust to the change in lifestyle, this was how things were going to go. And while she was thinking of it, it was probably best not to relay to Tony her plans for eventually joining SHIELD, since he was already rather adverse to her being in his presence after learning that she had some kind of connection to the agency.

Hurray for finding Dad's laptop...

The brunette shook her head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and away from her eyes. "Fury didn't send me for anything," she repeated. "I'm looking for a job, and I heard there was one available here. And they always say that you should update your skills before you go to an interview, so I did." A small smile perked the corners of her lips as she thought about what exactly she had done in order to make it this far. Most people probably wouldn't have taken things to the level that she did, but that meant that her competition was probably much smaller than she had once thought it to be. And to think, she owed it all to a man who was no longer present in her life...

[Tony "Iron Man" Stark]

What are we waiting for? Why don't we break the rules already?

I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked, but here they come again to jack my style

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: 8a8a8a; opacity: .7; border: #550505 solid 4px; width: 470px; padding: 15 0 15 0px;] "The only affiliation that I have to them presently is through my Dad." Dad. His first assumption had been correct. Tony knew it. He watched her carefully, noting the change in her eyes, her face. Oh yes, she was Coulson's daughter all right. Always in control of her emotions but still unable to hide that look in her eyes. He had been exactly the same. "Fury didn't send me for anything. I'm looking for a job, and I heard there was one available here. And they always say that you should update your skills before you go to an interview, so I did." And that smile. That was definitely a Coulson smile. It was that kind of smart-ass, "I'm better than you but I have class and won't say it", kind of smile. Like freakin' Snape. Tony couldn't help but smile back. It was a small smile. It played at the corners of his mouth and didn't touch his dark eyes. No, he was still too upset for the mask to reach his eyes. Tony glanced at her file again. He turned away from her, pouring himself a glass of Scotch. He poured her a glass and slid it across the counter toward her. He didn't even know if she was old enough to drink, but he didn't really care right now. Tapping his glass with his ring finger and pinkie while he held it loosely in his hand, Tony let out a sigh. He still didn't say anything, eyes scrutinizing her like she was an equation that he was still trying to figure out. He raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. Then he spoke. "You're hired." And that was it. That's all the Man of Iron offered. In a very un-Tony-like manner, the two words were spoken softly, vulnerably, and weren't followed up by some threat, blow to her intelligence, or off-handed joke. They were sincere. If she was a Coulson, she was good enough for Stark Industries. She would still need to talk to Pepper about the job, since she would be her new assistant, but as far as Tony Stark went, Amber Lee Coulson was well-suited for the position. Some nights I wish that this all would end 'cause I could use some friends for a change [template made by missickle]

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[Amber Lee]

There might have been a fair distance between the two of them, but Amber knew well enough that he was watching her, studying her the way she had come to study people now. He knew who she was, and her words were simply a confirmation of information that had somehow been allowed into his hands. So why was he still looking at her like that? It was almost as if he was completely shocked, in a catatonic state of being that didn't allow his body free reign of motion because his brain was still trying to process the information it had been presented with. Maybe she had been right in coming to see him about a job. Clearly, there was something about the mention of her father that unnerved him a little.

Her dark eyes watched him carefully as he moved, going to pour himself a drink before he slid a glass across the counter top at her as well. Knowing full well that she wasn't legal to drink, and really had no taste for it the way others her age did, she chose to ignore the gesture in favour of keeping an eye on Tony instead. What was he thinking when he looked at her like that? Though she did her best not to let it show in her face, the girl was rather confused as to why the silence between them was so prolonged. It wouldn't be that hard for her to break it, but something in her said that she needed to wait, to be patient and let Tony be the one to make the next move. She'd played her cards, showed him what she had to offer and allowed him to expose one of her greatest secrets. So what was the game plan now? What kind of dance were they in the middle of at this very moment? And all it took were two little words to make Amber jump a little in surprise.

It all felt too easy. He'd barely glanced at her file, hardly said anything to her except to demand if she had been sent as another SHIELD agent to keep an eye on him after the events of the invasion. And while she hated to admit it to herself, Amber had a nasty feeling that a lot of it revolved around the fact that Phil Coulson had been her father. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," she said by way of a response as the surprise continued to show in her eyes. "I'll report for work as soon as you require me." Or Pepper...whoever. While the position was listed as being Pepper Potts' assistant, they both knew that she would still technically be an employee of his and therefore used when required. Not that she minded all that much. Despite the persona that he frequently displayed in public, a great many things lead Amber to the conclusion that Tony Stark was very much a mask for Iron Man, and that she'd learn a lot from standing in the same room as him for extended periods of time.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

[Tony "Iron Man" Stark]

What are we waiting for? Why don't we break the rules already?

I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked, but here they come again to jack my style

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: 8a8a8a; opacity: .7; border: #550505 solid 4px; width: 470px; padding: 15 0 15 0px;] She thanked him. Part of him just wanted to laugh and say so what? Tony Stark got thanked every day. Thank you for your contributions to this charity, Mr. Stark. Thank you for repairing the bridge, Iron Man. Thank you for not replacing all of the silverware in the SHIELD hellicarrier cafeteria with tooth picks, Tony. (Okay so maybe that last one was a little far-fetched because, honestly, when didn't he do that?) But to hear a thank you from Amber Coulson hurt. It hurt because she was thanking him not Stark Industries, the man who'd let her father die. So what if he hadn't been in the room? So what if he had been trying to start up the engines of the hellicarrier so they didn't all go careening into the earth? The point was Coulson had died on Tony's watch. Iron Man should have been able to save him. Iron Man was a hero. But no, no he wasn't. He was just a sad alcoholic without a functioning heart. No, no, the muscle was still there, somewhere. Every day he got a little bit closer to death but also a little bit closer to immortality. But the heart was gone. Tony wasn't sure if he'd ever had one to begin with. Phil Coulson had, though. His heart had been big. Even for a SHIELD agent he somehow showed how much he cared for the people he worked with. He hadn't given up on Tony even when Stark had been at his lowest. In fact, he'd threatened to taze him and watch Super Nanny in order to keep him in check. Whatever it took, that's what Phil Coulson did. He was a real hero. A hero to people that didn't even know him... and especially those that did. Tony glanced at Amber out of the side of his eye while he downed his glass of Scotch. This girl standing in his living room... standing just where her father had before... could she be a hero too? She had the potential. Stark had the job. Why not give her a shot? Tony wished Coulson could see him now... the impact he'd made on Stark's life. Man, it felt like at any moment Tony would be getting a call and trying to get JARVIS to block it, and then getting interrupted for another "Team Avengers" meeting or something. But the man would never walk through that elevator again. He would never interrupt Stark again. Tony'd lost one of his heroes that day. But maybe... maybe she could be one. Maybe Tony could dodge her phone calls and tease her about cellists and secretly respect her from a distance. Maybe Coulson had given Amber more than just his nose and hair color. Maybe he'd given her his heart. And that's all Stark needed for a smile to touch his face again. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" "Yes. Thank you, Miss Coulson." Some nights I wish that this all would end 'cause I could use some friends for a change [template made by missickle]

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[Amber Lee]

It hadn't taken nearly the effort she thought it would in order to convince Tony Stark that she was the right woman for the job, and Amber wasn't sure how well that sat with her just yet. She had been prepared to make some kind of argument over her usefulness, breaking into the tower security system itself as proof that she was resourceful and intelligent with assets beyond what other people were likely to possess. She'd dressed herself up in a manner far more professional that anyone else at her age would bother, to prove that she could look the part. But it seemed that as soon as he had hacked into her files and learned the truth of her identity, he had been more than willing to let her invade his life...as if she were supposed to serve as some kind of replacement for the father she had lost. True, Amber knew precious little about how close, if at all, Phil Coulson had been with any of those who worked for SHIELD or the Avengers, but she wasn't totally blind. She could see that there was something in Tony's eyes as he looked at her, something that almost looked haunting.

Amber quickly gave her head a mental shake as she tried to push aside the thoughts that were becoming rather overwhelming, instead trying to put herself at ease with the fact that she now had a job. It had been given to her, albeit without having to really fight or earn it, and she needed to be content with that. Still, there was one last issue she would need to clear up with him before she left the building that night, something she knew couldn't wait very long just in case he should happen across the wrong person. "Mr. Stark," she began slowly, kneeling down to gather up the paperwork he had previously thrown at her feet. "The issue of my surname isn't common knowledge. My father had it changed so that my middle name served as my new surname when I was younger, to protect me from his line of work, I'm sure." With everything staked together in a neat pile, she slipped it back into the folder and straightened up, holding it all tightly to her chest.

"I wish to respect my father's wishes, and I hope that you will allow me to do so." Her dark brown eyes looked straight forward at him, noting the small smile that seemed to linger on his lips. "I don't want people treating me any differently because of him," she added quietly, her tone taking a much softer approach. While she had loved her father dearly, Amber knew that if anyone else were to learn of her parentage, it would lead to one of two things. People would either come to hate her for who her father was, or they would make her life far too easy, and Phil wouldn't have wanted that. He'd raised his daughter to be self-reliant and able to take care of herself, which is exactly what she planned on doing. She wasn't going to disappoint him.

Not now.