I tried to take all the weight off my feet as I crept down the stairs. My bare feet hit the wooden stairs and felt natural under them, I always hated shoes. The lights were off but I could still see the outlines of everything. My mom and dad taught me to sneak around in the dark. Be invisible, I reminded myself. I was about halfway down and without any squeaks so far, but that could change in just 8 stairs. I swallowed and slowed my breathing; I couldn't take the chance of being found just by my heavy breaths. I went down three more, five to go; I was home free. I went down two more, three to go. I was going to do it- took a chance and ran down the last three. Nothing happened-perfect. I saw the outline of the room; three chairs in the right corner, a table in the middle and a lamp on a side table. The Russian style house was huge, a lot of wood and fur. The black skin suit I had one made me invisible, the only thing that was really outstanding was my fire-red pixie cut hair; long hair was so overrated and way to much trouble.
Then I heard it-the tiniest squeak, behind me. I got into my fighting stance, my feet shoulder weight apart and my arms ready, clearing my mind to just focus on this. Then the fight started, I man grabbed my from behind with his arm around my neck, I quickly kicked his knee (a common weak point), when his grip loosened just the slightest I ducked under his arm and kneed him in his nose, hearing it break with a sickening crack. Then a women came from the side, she was huge compared my 5 ft. 10in. stature.
"Вы немного дерьма." She cursed at me in Russian.
"So I'm the little shit?" I sassed back. She charged at me, I expected her to just be a big mindless lug-I was sadly mistaken. I did the classic duck under the arm but she held out her arms and literally picked me up by my neck. Her baseball mitt sized hands closed around my neck. I could feel my throat being slowly crushed, I thrashed like a fish out of water, tearing at her hands to free myself. Even though it was dark, red started washing over my eyes my body threating to pass out. Like hell! I wasn't going to let myself pass out. I swung my legs back and kicked her as hard as I could in the face. My heel connected with her cheek bone, even though I couldn't feel it break, I could tell I caused her some pain as she let me go and I fell to the ground. I didn't even stop to catch my breath as I scrambled up and ran to the side of the room. Then I heard her coming behind me I whipped around only to see her fist connect with my eye. I fell back and hit my head on the side of the table, I could feel it cause a deep gash form at the base of my hairline. I was about to get up when she put her foot on my chest and started to push down.
"I win." She said in her very thick Russian accent. The lights clicked on so I could finally fully see who had out done me. She took her foot off of my and strutted off, silently gloating about her win.
"I've told you Ion, you have to start wearing shoes. If you had on some you could have hurt her more and gotten away." My dad came in the room, I groaned. I laid on the ground as a response. He held out his hand and helped me up. Most 16 year old girls are worried about how they look going to football games or their boyfriends. My problem was trying to impress my parents trying to beat up people twice my size.
"I just don't like them, they're constricting." I mumbled as I had to lean against the wall for some support. My head started to clear as I took a few deep breathes to get oxygen back in my system.
"Well on real missions you will have to." He informed. I was so close to finishing the practice mission, but I was too confident and that got the best of me.
"Why did it have to be a Russian?" I breathed.
"Because your mom insisted." He scoffed. Of course, why did I even ask it? "Common, I'll get you to the medics, but hey, you look better than the guy you beat up."
"Broken nose?" it was weird how hopeful my voice was. My dad nodded. We went through the blue halls and glass doors passing people who looked like they had never even smiled.
We entered the white room filled with screens of x-rays, and medical looking things, my dad lead my over to a table and sat me down at the end. I usually wouldn't be in here just for a puny black eye but I bet my money that they were worried about my breathing considering a 300 lbs. lady almost chocked the life out of me and stepped on my chest.
The doctors pulled out an oxygen mask and put it to me, I thought it was a little over the top but they always make sure that their youngest trainees are in tip-top shape. I was the youngest in the training program, most people thought I was fragile or needed to be taken care of, and I wanted to punch those people in between the eyes. They also took a quick x-ray of my chest to make sure I didn't have any broken ribs; thankfully that was not the case.
"Ok, ok I'm fine, can I go now?" I pulled myself off the table and was practically out the door when I said it. My dad gave a nod and I went out the door not just before I heard one of the doctors talking to my dad.
"Just like Natasha eh Clint?" they said.
"Yeah-just like her mom." My dad breathed out.
I met up with the only other teenagers my age on the ship, Cooper- Tony and Pepper's kid only about a year older than me, my best friend actually. Then there was Garrett, Bruce and Darcy son, we were born only a day apart, but he was quiet like his father and didn't talk much, we was basically the little brother I beat up if anyone messed with him. Then there was Alvis, Thor and Jane's kid, nicknamed by all of us Alv, the oldest out of all of us-18. Then there was Grace, only 10 years old and Steve's daughter who always wanted to play with us, but would cry if she even scraped her knee. I loved her to death and would do anything for her. I even went as her "show and tell", it was adorable.
"Whatcha working on Coop?" I looked over Cooper's shoulder to see him fiddling with a couple of wire and his very own Iron man arm.
"Trying to recalibrate this so that it when I put this chip," he held up what looked like an SD card about the ¼ the size, no bigger than a finger nail. "Into me it will come to me whenever, wherever."
"Didn't your dad already do that?" I knew all about the Mandarin and Tony's Mark 42.
"If you haven't noticed Ion, my dad blew all of his iron man's up; it will take him months to remake them. Plus this one is going to be mine and I'm going to make it all on my own." He said without looking up. He had his dad's same black hair and snarky attitude but unlike his father he knew when to turn it off, that he had his mother's eyes.
"Good luck with that," I smirked.
"Yeah just like your mission today." He shot back.
"That's low," I laid on the couch beside Cooper's work desk. We were in the hallicrafter and all the people under 18 had to share one floor. We all got 1 room, Cooper had transformed his into a mini workshop for him. "When we are getting home?" Stark Tower. The whole Avengers crew lived there now just in case they need to suit up and save the world again.
"In about an hour and a half." Cooper said while connecting blue wire and a red wire.
"Wake me up then." I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. I heard Cooper scoffed. He knew I only slept when I was comfortable with certain people. Other than that I would take maybe 10 minute naps but never really full on slept, this was one of the rare opportunities I had. My eyes finally fell to the sound of a charging up iron man arm.
"Ion. Wake the hell up!" I snapped awake when my feet were being pushed off the black leather couch. Cooper flopped down beside me and laid his head back. It was scary how much he reminded me of his dad. "And why don't you wear shoes?!" he covered rubbed his eyes with his hand.
"I've told you, they are constricting and cause more weight for you." I recited it to him for the millionth time.
"Yeah but when you get into a fight you're going to need that extra protection for your feet." He groaned.
"Whatever, I'll worry about it when I need to." I sighed. "How far are we out?"
"5 minutes. Alv and Garrett are already there. We're meeting up to get some Shwarma." He informed me.
"Ah, common we always get Shwarma!" I complained.
"Because it's freaking amazing!" he defended him and his dad's new favorite restaurants. I was too tired to argue and threw my head back on the side of the couch. "Wanna beat the rest of the pack?" he asked referring to the rest of the crew. I knew he was talking about.
"You finished your suit?'" I smiled.
"While you were asleep." He had been working on the suit for two months.
"Meet me on the deck in 10 minutes." I commanded. He laughed that sounded so much like his dad. He parted ways. I ran to my room across the hall. I ransacked my closet to find my skydiving suit. Normal people think that the only way to skydive is with a parachute, S.H.I.E.L.D kids are not normal. My suit almost looked like a flying squirrel with webbing in between the arms and the legs, but instead of parachuting down softly to the ground I had my own personal mini iron man phasers in the suit that I could control. They weren't as strong as Coopers but they would allow me to slow myself down enough so I could land safely. I grabbed the suit and ran to the roof. We weren't allowed outside so I had to take an air vent to it. I climbed to the deck and ducked behind an airplane.
"Cooper!" I screamed, I could barely hear myself over the wind at this altitude. Nothing. "Cooper-" I started then I had a metal hand clamp over my mouth. I turned to see myself starting into the face of Cooper's iron man.
"You want to get us caught?" he lifted up the face mask to reveal his green eyes and little stubble he had been so proud of. "Come on," he put down the mask. "Last one down has to buy." And with that he jumped off.
"Damn you Stark." I mumbled as I put on the suit and was about to jump when I heard the door open.
"Ion Barton! What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Nick Fury barked. I turned to see him jogging his way to me.
"Beating Cooper so he has to buy Shwarma." I laughed and then I jumped off the side of the huge ass plane and fell thousands of feet toward the skyline of New York.