Episode 8 fanfic title: Welcome, Avengers.
The next day...
"Well, thank you for actually being on time."
Pepper starts saying, looking up at the Hulk, who stands right next to her with his large arms fully crossed over his chest, only responds with a grunt. His mood turned sour at being kept waiting.
And when I mean waiting, I mean painfully waiting to get inside the mansion so he could eat something and sleep: "Unlike the others." The redhead finishes.
"Ho, Miss Potts!" A loud voice boomed from above had calling her attention. She looked up to see that it was Thor who just showed up from whatever he was doing (probably meeting Jane😉): "And Hulk. 'Tis good to see you again. Are you ready for the upcoming battles?"
And for some odd reason, Hulk just slaps Thor's hand from his shoulder harshly, looking really annoyed, "You ready to get a watch?" He retorts, like he was threatening and scolding the God of Thunder without caring about his status.
Before either of them could fight, Wasp swooped in, "We're here! Sorry, we're late," she excitedly chimed in, surprising him with her unexpected small size: "I had to tear Hank away from his lab." As if on cue, in a flash of bright, yellow light, Hank grows from his "Ant-Man" size.
"It was an important experiment." He explains.
"Friend Pym, I did not see you there." Thor starts, turning to him: "I expected you to be... giant." Hank felt taken aback by this compliment from him, turned around, and questioned him: "Really? Why?" "Thy giant self seems more useful."
He answered, making Hank start, "Well, actually--"
"Where's Stark?!?" Hulk impatiently taps his finger over his crossed arms over his chest, out of anger, to which Tony flies in to land with Mia in his arms: "Sorry. Sorry, everyone. I got caught up in a meeting."
Mia, on the other hand, was placed down before telling him, "No, you weren't."
Of course, Tony was in defeat as he took off his Iron Man helmet and glanced at Pepper and Mia sheepishly: "U-Uh-Um, I actually missed that meeting too." He replies to her (Pepper)—to which the red-head responds with a silent glare.
"Anyway, thanks for coming and welcome to Avengers' Mansion." He says by showing off the large mansion in front of the team: "This was my--" Hulk then, suddenly, punched the gates open, sending them flying into the backyard.
Leaving Tony speechless with his brute strength, he annoyingly comments: "You know, that was really rude."
(Mia's POV): Flashback from earlier...
With wide eyes open, and a loud gasp, I started breathing again.
Knees pulled tightly to my chest, I rested my forehead against them, letting the memories of my real past flood in. My mom's playful teasing echoed in my mind—"Come on, give your mom a hug! You're never too old for kisses!"
—And I could almost feel the warmth of those arms around me again.
Back then, I'd roll my eyes, pretending it was annoying, but the truth was, I never really minded. I was just liked pretending I was too grown for it. "I'm twenty-two," I protest, "One of these days, I'm gonna live on my own, study abroad, and never get married."
Mom would just laugh and say, "We'll see."
A tear slipped down her cheek, then another. I wiped them away quickly, frustrated with myself. 'Get it together.' The clock read 5 AM. With a sigh, I pushed myself off the bed, bare feet hitting the cool floor.
As I tiptoed out of the guest room, half-expecting JARVIS to announce my awakening presence to Tony. But the AI stayed silent, and relief washed over me like an ocean wave. The tower was quiet, bathed in the dim glow of early morning.
I wandered aimlessly, wondering if Tony was still awake—probably tinkering with his suits, knowing him. But then I spotted something from the corner of my eye—a faint blue light seeping from a half-open door.
Curiosity piqued, I approached, pushing it open carefully.
No creaks, no alarms.
And there he was.
Tony Stark, the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, slumped over his desk, face buried in his arms, still in his red dress shirt. His computer screen cast a soft glow over him, unfinished documents waiting for his signature. Light snores escaped him, but his posture was anything but relaxed—shoulders tense, brows furrowed, dark circles under his eyes.
My lips twitched. 'Of all the things I thought I'd see in this universe, Tony Stark passed out at his desk wasn't one of them.' I stifled a laugh, covering my mouth. But the amusement faded fast as I took a good look at the exhaustion etched into his frame.
'He's not just tired. He's running himself into the ground.'
Carefully, I slid my hands under his arms, lifting him away from the desk. His chair rolled back smoothly, thank God, but then—he went limp, nearly sliding right out of her grip. I barely caught him, knees hitting the floor with a quiet thud.
Pain shot up through my legs, but I barely registered it, too focused on the dead weight in my arms. Then, without warning, Tony nuzzled into her neck, mumbling something incoherent: "Mmph... you smell nice."
My face had just gone from warm to extreme sunburn.
'Oh my God. Oh my GOD. WHAT THE FUCK!?!' I should blame myself for reading too many late-night mafia romance novels for the way it made my heart race: 'This isn't real. This is NOT happening TO ME!'
But it was.
And now Tony's arms were around my waist, clinging like I was a human pillow.
Gritting my teeth, I hauled him up, arms trembling, 'How does someone this slim weigh so much?!' Somehow, I managed to drag him to his bed, dropping him onto the mattress with a quiet "oof". He immediately curled into the blankets, snoring lightly.
I wiped imaginary sweat off my brow—because why not be dramatic?—before glancing at his clothes. Still dressed. 'Ugh. Why me?' I hesitated. 'This is stupid. This is SO stupid. But I can't leave him like that.'
Shoes and socks came off first.
Easy.
Then the dress shirt—buttons undone one by one, careful not to jostle him. But as the fabric parted, my gaze caught on the arc reactor, that faint blue glow nestled in his chest. And then what I did next was sinful—' oh no, don't do it don't'—was staring at his abs. 'Damn it.'
I bit my lower lip.
'Okay, animated Tony is unfairly attractive. RDJ, who, IN FACT, is not! Well, except Bucky, Wolverine, Rocket, and Loki. But that was beside the point.' Shaking my head, I finished stripping the shirt off, then moved to his pants. 'I hate struggling like this!'
Belt unbuckled.
Zipper down.
And then—
'Oh no no no!!!!'—his boxers came with them.
"This is a KIDS' SHOW," I hissed under my breath, squeezing my dark brown eyes shut: "I did NOT just see that." Face burning, I yanked his pants off completely, then scrambled for the dresser, grabbing the first pair of sleep pants I could find—red, because of course.
I wrestled them onto him (without looking, thank you very much), then threw a blanket over him. Tony sighed in his sleep, nuzzling into the pillow. I froze, then, because one, I feel like this is my punishment, and two, doing this was the worst (yet amazing) experience ever.
Then I checked his forehead for fever.
Which was normal temperature, 'Good. At least, overloading earlier wasn't doing anything to him.' As I turned to leave, a sticky note and pen caught my eye.
An idea sparked.
---------------------------------------------
With Tony at 6 AM...
Tony woke with a groan, blinking at the unfamiliar softness beneath him. 'Bed. Not a desk?'
He sat up, rubbing his face—then paused.
Pajama pants. "Only" pajama pants.
His clothes from yesterday were neatly folded in the hamper: 'What the hell?'
His eyes landed on the sticky note on his bedside table, "Hi, Tony. Just to let you know that I'm sorry for changing you. Sincerely, Mia." A surprised laugh burst out of him. 'Oh, this is gold. Bet I can blackmail her with it.'
"JARVIS," he called, grinning. "Tell me you got footage of last night."
"/Indeed, sir./" The AI projected the security feed—Mia struggling to drag his unconscious ass to bed, her mortified expression when he mumbled about her smell, the hilarious panic as she stripped him down.
Tony's smirk widened—until the camera caught her lingering stare at his chest. His reactor hummed, a flicker of warmth spreading through him: 'Huh. She's enjoying the view, that's quite a new record.' "JARVIS, when did that happen?"
"/Approximately 5 AM, sir./"
Tony chuckled, shaking his head, 'She didn't take advantage. She just... helped me get pajamas.' After freshly taking a shower, and getting fully dressed, he followed the scent of food to the kitchen—and froze in the doorway.
Mia was singing.
In Spanish.
Some upbeat pop song, hips swaying as she flipped something on the stove with the spatula and continues singing, "Tus ojos sobre mi boca, mis ojos en otra cosa~
Tus manos sobre esa guitarra me llevaron a imaginar (cerveza)
Mia pretends that she was ordering a drink, almost made Tony snort but he kept that to himself.
Todo lo que una dama no debe contar"
'Damn.' He leaned against the doorframe, watching her dance. 'Attractive. Very attractive. I wonder if she was hiding her spanish heritage, maybe she never knew it.'
"La música fluye, tus ojos me huyen, te quiero amarrar
Caminas al filo de mi precipicio fingiendo saltar
Mis ganas son una roca, las cosas que no se tocan
Seducen al gato a explorar los tejados de tu suspirar
Me deslizo en tus problemas, ni cuenta te das.
"Ay, ay, mejor doy un paso atrás~~"
Mia twirls and goes back to cooking but kept on dancing like no care in the world, earning a soft gaze from Tony, who couldn't help himself but be drawn to her singing; Even if he never understands the language nor who sings it.
"Si te quitas los tacones corres mucho más~~"
Then when she turned—and shrieked:
"DON'T DO THAT!" She brandished a spatula at him like a weapon, "How long have you been standing there?!"
Tony simply grins: "Oh~Not long."
Mia's face turned scarlet.
"Knock next time!"
Only to earn a burst of laughter from him, she glares deadly at him as he continues on before he finally ends it with a chuckle, "Okay, give me a moment." He clears his throat and nods, "Okay, done. You happy?"
"Much." She turned back to the kitchen table with the pancakes, where Tony's eyes widened at the sight of bacon, freshly scrambled eggs, sausages, and toasted buttered bread. He then tells her: "Y'know I have a private chef that can cook, right?"
Mia met his gaze and shrugged. "Does it look like I care?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge. He shook his head. "Nope." "Good. Now, let's eat." Mia huffs and serves him breakfast as she places it on his plate.
At breakfast, Mia takes a bite of her food in delight and continues eating, whereas Tony was hesitant until, "I'm not poisoning rat poison if that's what you're worried about." "Oh, right. Sorry. I'll just eat it." As soon as he took a bite of his bacon, he groaned.
"Holy shit, this is good!" He begins devouring it.
Mia smirked triumphantly, "I'm glad you like it!"
"How do you know how to cook?" Tony asked, curious.
She simply answers while taking her orange juice to drink, "YouTube tutorials and your tablet. Don't act so surprised." He laughed, "Don't worry. I won't." "Good." As they continue to eat peacefully, but we all know it wasn't going to end there.
So then, because Tony couldn't resist asking and teasing her, he leaned in with placing his chin over his palm to stare at her with a glint of amusement.
"So. About you undressing me~ you survived?"
Mia choked on her orange juice, and glares at him: "I—It was a one-time thing! You looked uncomfortable!" "Admit it. You enjoyed it." Tony's grin turned wicked that it made her want to end him, and she threatened him, "I will throw you out the window."
He held up his hands, laughing still at her reaction: "Okay, okay! Truce."
Mia pointed her fork at him, "You better mean it or else, I'll ask JARVIS to damage your suit."
Tony just leaned back, still smiling and laughing.
End flashback, Now...(Mia's POV):
Everyone else followed, but I moved to join him.
"I guess he just wanted to explore and get something to eat, Tony," I commented.
Tony turns to me, "You sounded like you know him?"
"I do. Bruce Banner and the Hulk were the ones who saved me from the Cube by helping me escape." I took notice of how his expression changed into shock, as I continued to smile: "And if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here alive, I would be taken in for experimentation already."
With that, I entered the mansion, acting as if I hadn't described it to him, and immediately explored, awestruck by the Avengers Mansion's interior architecture. It had a large, opulent hall with high ceilings and, of course, with black and white checker marble floors.
But in the middle of where I was standing, had a large A emblem that relates to the word "Avengers" at the centre of the floor, and large arched windows. The architecture is classical, with marble columns and ornate detailing.
A grand staircase ascends to a higher level, visible in the background. The hall's floor is mostly polished marble, with a darker checkered pattern incorporated around a central, circular design at the foot of the stairs.
"Wow..." I was breathless at the sight.
Several framed artworks hang on the walls, I can't help but walk around, but not after hearing JARVIS welcoming Thor, "/Greetings, Thor Odinson. May I offer you a drink?/" This seems to take him off guard slightly before asking:
"What manner of palace is this?" He inquires, looking towards Tony, who helpfully explains to him, "This was a museum for the Maria Stark Foundation, my mother's home."
Tony softly mentions his mother in the last sentence. As he walked away to give the tour, I stayed standing there as I couldn't help but feel sympathy and guilt for him.
After all, according to the MCU Civil War live action plot twist scene I remember watching as a teen, how painful it was to see how Zemo was shown a video of the Winter Soldier killing his parents as part of his mission that it broke Tony into wanting to kill Bucky for revenge.
But I knew, that if I ever tell him about it...it would dispatch the Avengers forever, and he would never forgive me—UNLESS Captain America was the ONE that Tony looks at for confirmation like in the movie to this TV show then I can keep that secret of how I knew to myself.
Sorry, but I cannot risk myself to be known as the first one to know beforehand.
"I've had it upgraded since the breakout. I thought this could be our headquarters," Tony began.
Wasp zipped around the beautifully crafted foyer, exclaiming, "Swanky." "Tch, I prefer dark brown walls for the ambience," I countered, earning a glare from Tony, who then continued on with the tour.
"The mansion is run by JARVIS, my personal artificial intelligence. Anything you need, JARVIS will provide. Say hi, JARVIS."
JARVIS spoke in agreement: "/Indeed./"
"We've got a full kitchen, chef on call—" Again, Hulk interrupted Tony's tour speech, noisily devouring and chewing the contents of one of the room's three industrial-sized refrigerators, oblivious to the distraction he caused.
Wasp lands on the gamma giant's shoulder as he burps loudly, leaving her to continue watching with a look of slight disgust, "Ew." Wasp looked disgusted, whereas I, on the other hand, went to the fridge to find a ginger ale and ice cream.
She seems to spot me with them, and ask in horror.
"Mia?"
I look up at her, confused, "Hm?" "You're not gonna put that soda in your ice cream, are you?" She asked, as I simply stare at her, and with my biggest evil grin on my face, I pour my soda in the vanilla ice cream and begin scooping it into my mouth: "Mhm mhm hm~~~"
I hum happily as Hulk glances down at me with curiosity, poking at my shoulder gently, and motions for me to let him try it. Staring down at my ice cream soda float, I put it down on the kitchen counter, opened the drawer to take out the ice cream scooper.
As well as getting another ice cream that's chocolate from the fridge by handing it to him, "Here."
"Soda too."
I nod happily, "Okay, here."
And simple enough, I pour half my soda on the ice cream. Hulk takes a mouthful of it, and begins to chew slowly until he widens his eyes in joy:
"Delicious!" I giggled. Back on the tour continues on, as Tony shows Thor's first: "There are 12 bedrooms, maid service, laundry, room service." I was then escorted to see my room, he stood in front of me, and pointed out: "Here's yours."
"Okay."
As soon as I open the door, my dark brown eyes widen in shock at the sight before me.
My bedroom featured a captivating cosmos-themed ceiling and wall mural, creating a serene and dreamy atmosphere complemented by dark furniture, bookshelves, and dim lighting, perfect for quiet contemplation and escape.
A large window centered between two bookshelves drew my eyes to a forty-pound box of books on the floor. Making me remember that Tony had bought them for me last night, and there, what really stood out the most was a large drawing desk, with my:
"My art supplies! When did you get them in here?" I quickly asked out of excitement to Tony, who in return, replied with a proud smile on his face, "I did before and after you went to sleep. Plus, you draw, so I figured you would want something to draw on."
I couldn't help but tackle him into a hug.
He stood frozen, he didn't know what to do, but I reassured him: "Thank you, Anthony." I looked up from his chest and beamed happily, "For the drawing table, I promise to treasure it with my life and soul!"
"Anything for you, Mia."
He chuckled and patted my back, finally relaxing. I stepped back, my eyes sparkling as I took in the drawing table. 'It was perfect! It even had one of those adjustable tops so I could angle my comic drawings just right. He really thought of everything.'
I ran my fingers over the smooth surface, imagining all the drawings I was gonna make with the art supplies Stan had given me: "Okay, okay," Tony said, pulling me away from my examination. "As much as I want to stay here, I've got to show you the tour of the Avengers Mansion."
I snapped my head and nodded, "What are we doing in here for? Let's go!"
*Scene changes to Mia, and the others following Tony to the theater/lounge downstairs*
"A theater/lounge."
Wasp and I glance at the remote for a second before we dashed towards to take it but since she can fly faster than me, I left her fly over into the room's couch, taking control of the remote: "Satellite TV and movies. Every form of video entertainment on the planet."
With the push of a button, the painting above the fireplace lifts to reveal a television screen behind it within the framing, playing a kid's cartoon. "Are you serious, Stark?" Hank huffs. "This is what you spent a week preparing?"
"Uh, no, I haven't gotten to the good stuff yet. You're going to need these." Tony continues, where I, on the other hand, had just snatched the remote from Wasp, who let out a "Hey", as I ignored her and began changing it to TNT.
Where it showcased MATRIX on TV, "Now this is perfect." I smiled cheerfully, making Hank glance a bit from Tony over his shoulder to see the movie as well, since he was interested in it; Meanwhile, Pepper walked up to each of us.
Holding out the device that resembles a slightly an oversized credit card with the Avengers 'A' symbol and a black square on its front seemed unremarkable at first. But then, the 'A' began to glow light blue, and the black square revealed itself to be a screen.
"These ID cards are linked to the Stark entry satellite network," Tony's headshot is being televised live through the card's screen as he explains, I glance up to see that everyone was given each their own, except me.
I raised my hand: "What about me? Do I get one?"
"Actually, I'm glad you noticed." Tony snaps his finger, "Pepper, mind giving hers too?"
Pepper nods, and obliged as she walks over to me before she hands me the ID card like the others, except mine was different.
"Wow, yours is nice! Is that you? You look so cute!" Wasp complimented me excitedly. I was stunned, a flashback of teenage Mia taking a picture flashing through my mind.
I blinked. "Is this...me as a teenager?"
"Yeah," Tony said. "Apparently, this was the only picture of you they could find from the orphanage album before it burned down."
"Wait, it burned down? When?" I asked, shocked.
To which his personal secretary chimes in to say, "A few years after you disappeared," Pepper answered, I looked down at the ID card once more with a slight frown, and then I smiled at her, "Wow...I must have left the gods to destroy it." I muttered under my breath.
"And will keep us in audio and video communication anywhere in the world." Tony quickly changes the subject: "They also give you full access and control of the mansion." With a glance, I saw Pepper walking up to Hulk: "I can show you how it—Oh!"
Her offer seems to take offense at her offer and snatches the card out of her hand, "You think I can't figure it out?" He growls. Pepper remained remarkably calm despite Hulk's aggression. I grew worried. "I'm sure you can."
Thor confronts Hulk, displeased by his attitude.
"T'would be wise to treat the lady with respect." He tells him, as the Hulk leans in to glare at him, "Which lady do you mean, Blondie?" He remarks, only for Tony to stop them by clearing his throat, they both look away and go back to listening to him.
I then got off the couch, walked over to stand between Thor and Hulk as a way to lessen the tension, and whispered to them both, "Knock it off." I place my hands on each of their arms, "I don't like fights."
"He started it." Hulk grumbles as he points at the god, who, in turn, agrees with me: "Lady Mia's right, we shall not fight." I nodded and then turned to the green guy, showing a disapproving expression, "Hulk, after this. I want to talk to you, only if you're ok with it." I gently offered.
To which his glare softened at my gentleness, and he huffed a reluctant "yes," earning me a bright smile. Now, back to the tour, there at the back of the fireplace, it suddenly lifted, revealing a massive hidden compartment.
I instantly gasped in awe, "For once, I'm impressed, Tony." This made Tony glance at me with his famous smirk: "Oh, so you finally admit it?"
"Yup." Letting this one slide just this once, I watched Wasp fly around in her shrinking form inside and around the place: "Nifty," Jan complimented. The compartment is revealed to be an elevator lowering them all into an enormous underground cavern.
"And voila! The sub-levels." Tony proudly proclaims, as we were all inside the elevator made of glass, but then we saw a large house glass pyramid-style structure of smaller, yet still quite impressive size.
Whereas it made me frown, and I looked away when I remembered which episode I was in right now. Knowing full well that I cannot change the timeline as it is important, and that's not the worst part, the worst part is that tonight is the night that Enchantress makes an appearance.
Real soon.
Glancing at the Hulk, I secretly move closer to him.
I didn't say anything to him, but I could feel him sense my presence, and he didn't move, though he did lessen his anger, so that was a good thing, "The mansion's got a beyond state-of-the-art science lab, space for Hank's modular labs, as well as my armory."
As everyone walked, I noticed that Hank stood there for a moment before earning Tony a pleased smile on the scientist's face with his hand behind his back: 'He's happy with the toys he gets to do here. That's good.'
Beyond the lab, the Avengers entered a vast room with a glass ceiling and an enormous pool, "Wow! Big pool." Wasp comments, I bit my inner cheek from commenting on anything since my appearance of being around is enough to let the others know I'm here.
"Actually, the pool's on the roof." Tony corrected her, as the waters below began to part to reveal a red and white VTOL-designed aircraft, "This is a fully functional hangar with two prototype high-speed air shuttles. The Quinjets!"
The aircraft hovers in the air before us, revealing its assortment of weaponry and shielding. I tilt my head, and think: 'Well, I hope I get to see it fly when I'm free.' "Weapons, shields, and an air speed of Mach 8 for those of us who can't fly."
Tony, met with glares from Ant-Man and the Hulk, quickly continued: "But they can go into space, too." He tells them, "Then there's the training room." "What? Like a gym?" Wasp queries, only for Tony to stop midway and shows a cheeky smile.
"Well, kind of."
*Scene changes to Wasp inside a room where she was targeted by missiles automatically following her, Ant-Man gets swarmed by electric tentacle wires around him before he shrank to run only to fall into a hole that he grew into a giant, Iron Man, on the other hand starts shooting down blastersthat were behind him, Thor flies upward to the top when he was suddenly hit by the swinging ball sticks, Hulk just stood there in his position and as soon as he gets slammed between two doors, he angrily pushes away with his arms like a power machine.
*Mia, on the other hand, was watching through the cameras with Pepper*
"Hey, Pepper. Can I ask a question?" I asked her, thank god I muted the coms from this room or everyone would curious about on what I'm about to say, Pepper snaps out from watching the CCTV camera footage, turns to me, and nods: "Sure, what is it?"
I turned to face her.
"Could you create a secret room in my bedroom? I have things I don't trust Tony with." She raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "A secret room? That sounds suspiciously like something Tony would do."
I grinned: "Exactly. Which is why he can't know about it."
Pepper hesitated, then leaned in. "I'm going to fill it with personal things I want to do alone." That was the truth. "Nothing dangerous, I promise! I just... want my own 'woman cave'—a private safehouse inside the mansion where I can relax and be myself."
That included my drawing, a secret stash of weapons from STARK INDUSTRIES, a safe for the S.H.I.E.L.D. files from the helicarrier, an untraceable vintage computer, and most importantly, my adult dark romance books—which I still needed to buy.
She studied me for a long moment, then sighed in defeat, knowing full well that I won't give her more than the answers I've already told her: "Alright. But if this ends with someone having to find out why there's a hidden room in your closet, you're the one dealing with it."
"Deal! But no JARVIS allowed to enter." I beamed, both of us shook our hands as a way to confirm our deal, as Pepper shook her head, amused, before turning back to the monitors. "I'll have someone set it up discreetly, okay?"
I mock-saluted.
"Aye-Aye, captain!"
To be continued...