JD: First chapter of many! This is Amelia's past that she can remember. This is Prequel of Riptide. Enjoy My Craziness!
Leather and Metal:
Tony Stark
I lean against the car door pissed. I have every right to be too. Phil didn't fight me which I'm grateful for. I did a glance to the man in question. I see him like an uncle. He has black hair though losing it and his body shows he's stressed.
I should give him a break. He did basically raised me along with my parents. They are not my biological parents. I've lost memory of them a long time ago, all but the nightmares.
I am Amelia Lynn. On public records my last name is Cartson but really I have three other last names. Romanoff, Barton, and finally Coulson. My public last name is a combination of Barton and Coulson so it's harder to find out who I really am.
My mother, Natalia Romanoff also known as Natasha Romanoff, took me in right after meeting me. She says she saw something in me that reminds her as a young her.
My father, Clint Barton also known as Hawkeyes in some circles, saved me all those years ago. He broke protocol and saved me. In that mission only one survivor, me. I was nine, almost ten.
The doctors said the trauma of it muted me and I would never trust any of them. If they could they should get rid of me before I got some people who wants to take them down involved. Phil ignored them.
Clint had to go away on a mission and left me with Phil. Phil couldn't figure out my name. Now I don't know what it was and don't care. I know who I am. Phil gave me the name Amelia after an old friend of his.
I liked his friend. She's a tall Chinese woman, I believe, who though hide her emotions from most has a soft spot for kids. May. Miranda May I believe her name is. I haven't seen her in what feels like forever.
I sigh closing my eyes. I'm in a black car with Phil. We flown in from New York city where we live to California where the billionaire Anthony Stark lives.
I couldn't be left home alone for long periods. Phil doesn't like that idea. He says it's to dangerous. I've been bullied all my life as far as I can remember anyway. I know enough to defend myself if have to but not much more than basics.
I kept my eyes closed the seventies music lull me to sleep. In my dreams I keep my few memories of my past. I wish they would go away but never do.
Running. Is that all I ever do? I must run though. I'm to small, to weak. I can't fight back. I'm only a child.
I heard them and turn around as the darkness enclosed. Most children are scared of the dark, not me. They ran pass me not seeing me. Once they were gone I ran the opposite direction. I'm looking for someone but I'm not sure who. All I know is I need to find them.
Almost there. Where are they? I then felt strong arms grabbed me picking me up. A man who looks similar to me but an adult held me.
Fear. It rush over me. What will he do to me? Where will I go this time? I need to find whom I was looking for. How can I escape?
He toss me in back of his car. I kept trying to open the door but it's child lock. there's a hard thick piece of plastic keeping me from getting in the front. I kicked it as hard as I could. It didn't budge.
"I own you." the man I look like growl in the front seat. "I can do with you as I see fit." his voice cold and scary.
I jerk awake and Phil looked to me. We are parked. Natasha, my mother figure, was not far from us. She's so beautiful and strong but refuse to train me. She doesn't want to taint me. She is a super top spy. Tall but not extremely tall just slightly taller than average. She's skinny and smart.
A black man with an eye patch walked over to her. That's their asshole boss. He only accepted to let me stay in SHIELD's system because Natasha, Clint, and Phil could have walked if he didn't.
Phil got out talking to them. I roll down the window and listen to them. "Coulson, you should have never brought her." Natasha told him hiding her emotions.
"She couldn't stay there alone. Stark isn't that bad of a guy. He will not endanger a kid's life." He stated glancing to me.
"Normally I would agree but since he's dying he's been..." She let her voice fade for a moment then spoke again. "Risky." She said that like it was scary to her but most wouldn't catch it.
"Maybe she is what he needs then." Phil suggest. She shot him a look and then start her rounds. She's on her job so she and Phil had to get the area cleared out.
From my spot in the car I watch Fury walked up to the building then stopped. "Sir!" he scream up to the man in the Iron Man suit. "I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the donut." he said in his commanding voice. Tony got down and went inside with no problem. I look around didn't spot Phil so I got out walking in sitting at the counter.
"I told you I don't want to join your super-secret boy band." Tony sounded aggravated. Hang over maybe? Isn't he normally drunk?
Fury laugh at what Tony said. "No, no, no. See, I remember, you do everything yourself." I risk a glance. Fury is enjoying this. "How's that working out for you?" He ask sipping his coffee. The woman behind the counter I saw and flinch. It's Natasha. My basically mother. She place a chocolate milk bottle in front of me and walked around the counter to other side.
"It's... It's... It's..." is Tony lost of words? I wonder. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna get off the wrong foot. Do I look at the patch or the eye?" I tried not to laugh sipping my chocolate milk. Yep, I'm going to like this guy. "Honestly, I'm a bit hung over. I'm not sure if you're real or of I'm having..." Fury got in his face cutting him off.
"I am very real." He said serious. "I'm the realest person you're ever gonna meet." He slightly snap but kept cool at it, figures.
"Just my luck. Where's the staff here?" he glance around then eyes land on me. Fury shot me a quick glare. He then spot something I couldn't see.
"That's not looking so good." He reach out touching the suit. Natasha start to walk over to them. When did she walked back in the back room? She's now by the entrance.
"I've been worst." Tony shrug it off. Natasha's heels are clicking against the floor as she walks over.
"We've secured the perimeter," She let her Russian accent slip a little but barely noticeable unless you pay extra attention. "but I don't think we should hold it for to much longer." She went real fast to English accent. Tony looks utterly shocked to say the least.
"Huh. You're fired." He stated as Fury looks smug to say the least.
"That's not up to you." Natasha state simply sitting beside Furry.
"Tony, I want you to meet Agent Romanoff." Fury wrap an arm around her like a prize possession.
"Hi." Tony said leaning on to his arm.
"I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. Shadow." She explain glancing to Fury. "Once we knew you were ill, I was tasked to you by Director Fury." She looked to him again.
"I suggest you apologize." Tony stated simply. That one made me confuse but I sip my milk not wanting my butt to be handed to me.
"You've been very busy." Fury stated. He unwrap myself from my mother putting his hands in front of him. "You made your girl your CEO, you're giving away all your stuff." Tony tried to say something but Fury wouldn't let him. "you let your friend fly away with your suit." I turn around not looking at them. "Now, if I didn't know better..." Tony cut him off.
"You don't know better. I didn't give it to him. He took it." He seems peeve now.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. He took it?" Fury asked He's being an ass, again. "You're Iron Man and he just took it?" sarcasm mixed in to his voice grinds at my nerves. "The little brother walked in there, kicked your ass and took your suit?" I so wish I could hit Fury when he's like this. "Is that possible?" I'm sure that was directed to Natasha.
"Well, according to Mr. Stark's database security guidelines, there are redundancies to prevent unauthorized usage." She sounds like a lawyer.
"What do you want from me?" Tony asked.
"What do we want from you?" He made a 'nu-uh' sound correcting Tony. "What do you want from me?" Natasha tap my shoulder and I got up with her. "You have become a problem, a problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe." Fury is ripping him a new one. "I have bigger problems than you in the southwest region to deal with." Fury snap his fingers. "Hit him." I lean against a wall by the exit and watch the shot enter Tony's neck.
Tony start to freak out and Natasha checked him over. "Oh, God, are you gonna steal my kidney and sell it?" He asked in slight pain. I smirk over that one. "Could you not do anything awful for five seconds?" he asked slightly calmer. "What did she just do to me?"
"What did we just do for you?" Fury correct him calm now. "That's lithium dioxide. It's gonna take the edge off. We're trying to get you back to work." he explain.
"Give me a couple of boxes of that. I'll be right as rain." He state.
"It's not a cure, it just abates the symptoms." Natasha correct him. They do that a lot.
"Doesn't look like it's gonna be an easy fix." Fury stated looking at Tony's neck still.
"Trust me, I know. I'm good at this stuff. I've been looking for a suitable replacement for palladium." I flinch knowing that stuff can be poison like. "I've tried every combination every permutation of every known element."
"Well, I'm here to tell you, you haven't tried them all." Fury said smug again.
I walked out to the car and got in letting them talking Tony in to whatever.
Phil got in to the car and pull out after Fury and the others. Tony was flying ahead of us. I sigh listening to the oldies station as it played a song that always makes me smile. "Let me Be Your Teddy Bear?" I asked Phil in a sweet voice. He just smirk at me and let me turn the song up. I softly sang along with the Elvis Presley song Teddy Bear.
That's one thing that Phil did rub off on me. Old stuff fantasia me not just the newer things. Older they are the more fascinating they are. I don't live in the past like he does a lot of time but I love old music, movies, and stuff like that. It's all so interesting.
After a few more songs we pulled up to this fancy building that's so pretty. Only problem is it looks like a wrecking ball was let loose on one side of it and inside of it somehow. "Wow." I said softly watching it.
"Tony's out of hand." Phil said beside me and I watch as he start to get out of the car.
"Wait Tony did this to his own home?" I asked shocked.
"Yes, he did." Phil answer me. I jumped out and ran after Phil and then step behind him as Natasha walked over to the other side of me. We walked inside and I gasp softly. It looks worst than a wrecking ball crashing through here. There is trash everywhere and debris galore. This place is completely wrecked on the inside. Slightly scared to enter the room I stood in the door way as they talked. Natasha walked forward to stand not far behind them. Phil standing beside me messaging my shoulder.
"That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology." Fury stated simply.
"No, it was finished." Tony tried to correct. "It has never been particularly effective until I miniaturized it and put it in my..." he stopped talking tapping on his chest.
"No. Howard said the arc reactor was a stepping stone to something greater." Fury seems slightly off. "He was about to kick off an energy race that was gonna dwarf the arms race. He was on to something big, something so big that it was gonna make the nuclear reactor look like a triple-A battery." He seems proud somehow.
"Just him or was Anton Vanko in on this, too?" Tony asked pouring drinks.
"Anton Vanko is the other side of that coin. Anton saw it as a way to get rich." he's really enjoying explaining this. "When your father found out, he had him deported. When the Russians found out he couldn't deliver, they shipped his ass off to Siberia and he spent the next twenty years in a vodka-fueled rage. Not quite the environment you want to raise a kid in, the son you had misfortune of crossing paths with in Monaco."
"You told me I hadn't tried everything. What do you mean I haven't tried everything? What haven't I tried?" Tony asked confused like.
"He said that you were the only person with the means and knowledge to finish what he started." Fury stated seriously. He then sipped his drink.
"He said that?" Tony doubt him. Even I know he's a total ass but never doubt him.
"Are you that guy? Are you?" He's getting aggravated. He lean forward to look Tony in the face. "'Cause if you are, then you can solve the riddle of your heart."
Tony start to shake his head. "I don't know where you get your information, but he wasn't my biggest fan." Tony seems slightly lost in memory.
"What do you remember about your dad?" Fury finally decide to go to the root.
"He was cold, he was calculating." he stated remembering his past. I know that look oh so well. "He never told me he loved me. He never even told me he like me, so it's a little tough for me to digest when you're telling me he said the whole future was riding on me and his passing it down. I don't get that." he's telling it all out, but without the memories attached. "You're talking about a guy whose happiest day was when he shipped me off to boarding school."
"That's not true." Fury got in before Tony kept talking.
"Well, then, clearly you knew my dad better than I did." Tony lean back.
"As a matter of fact, I did. He was one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury said glancing at his watch after putting his drink down. Tony was able to get in a what before cut off again. Tony's surprised. Two men came in with a box, well really they been in but they walked over to Tony and Fury putting it down in front of Tony. "I got a 2 o'clock." Fury said getting up.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Some of the men that was waiting to put a box in front of Tony who's confused as can be. "What's this?" Tony ask pointing at it.
"No, I'm not good."
"Okay, you're good, right?" Fury ask not really interested.
"No, I'm not good." Poor Tony.
"You got this? Right? Right?"
"Got what? I don't even know what I'm suppose to get." Neither do they. I thought to myself.
"Natasha will remain a floater at Stark with her cover intact." he put on his jacket Phil and I walked over. "You remember Agent Coulson, right?"
"Yeah." Tony gave up. Fury start to walk away.
Fury stop for a moment. "And Tony, remember, I got my eye on you." He gave Tony a creepy look. With tat he left.
Tony looked to Natasha who's acting like a robot if you ask me. "We're disabled all communications. No contact with the outside world. Good luck." She touch my wrist before walking away herself.
"Please." he turn to Phil who's not in mood to take anything. "First thing, I need a little body work." He motion to his body. "I'll put in a little time at the lab. If we could send one of your goon squad down to the Coffee Bean, Cross Creek, for a Starbucks run, or something like that, that'd be nice." he glance at me but talking to Phil.
"I'm not here for that." Phil said even. "I've been authorized by Director Fury to use any means necessary to keep you on premises." he start to say the rules. "If you attempt to leave or play any games, I will tase you and watch Supernanny while you droll into the carpet. Okay?" I smirk slightly with a raised eyebrow.
"I think I got it, yeah." Tony agree glancing to me.
"Enjoy your evening's entertainment." Phil said starting to walk off
Tony turn to me and raised his eyebrow. "So who are you? Jr SHIELD Agent?" he asked after looking me up and down a few times.
I glared at him and then roll my eyes. "I'm Phil's niece." I stated looking over my shoulder to where Phil went off to.
"Agent have a family?" He asked shocked.
"It's complicated." I stated the truth as I start to walk away.
"Hey, where you going?" He called out to me.
"Explore and hopefully nothing falls on top of me!" I call back with my hands up to the sky. I sprung around and skip my way down the hall. I did turn around and saw Tony go through a the box that said 'Howard Stark' on it. I went off to give him his privacy. Just about every time I cross paths to where Tony was he was either reading, looking through the box, or watching a video. In some cases two of the three.
"Hey!" I heard him the last time I went pass him.
"What?" I asked stopping leaning against the doorway looking to him.
"You want to go for a ride?" He asked with a smirk.
"No." I answer truthfully.
"Oh come on. It's a convertible." He tried to tempt me. I narrow my eyes at him.
"Didn't Phil say you have to stay here?" I ask seriously.
"Rules are meant to be broken. Plus you will be there to make sure I don't do anything stupid." he grin to me trying to convince me.
"Ask Phil." I said simply.
"What is your name?" He ask and that got me confused. I know he doesn't know my name but still.
"Amelia." I answer truthfully.
"Well, Amelia, it will be fun, you won't let me break any rules, and we see the city."
"The rule is you don't leave this house. Or well, really what's left of it." I stated rolling my eyes again.
"If I leave and Phil sees I'm gone and you still here what do you think will happen?" Wait he's cornering me. Dangit!
"Fine!" I yelled out.
I follow Tony out to his car and he motion me to get in. I climb in and the so different than the normal black cars I'm normally in. Phil's real cousin Paula would LOVE this car. We speed down the road till we got to a strawberry stand.
"Six dollars. Six." the man said with a thick Mexican accent.
"I don't have any dough." Tony said. He took out off his watch handing it to the man. "Here."
"No, sir, that's too much." the man said shaking his head. If I was drinking something I would have spit it out in surprise. That watch can probably be sold for a good bit of money.
"No, it's fine. Take that." Tony insist. "It's fine."
"No, senor. The man said shaking his head more.
"Take it. Take it." Tony slightly chanted. I was tempted to take out my wallet and pay the poor guy. The man gave up he took the watch and start to hand Tony the strawberries. "I don't like people handing me things. If you just drop that there, that'd be great." I took it sending Tony a dirty look.
"Are you Iron Man?" The man asked.
"Sometimes." Tony said starting to pull out.
I heard the man yell after us. "We believe in you!" I smirk leaning back and look at the strawberries in my lap. Wondering what they are for.
Driving off I start to feel bad for letting Tony corner me in to this. Phil is going to be pissed off at me. Ugh! I'm so stupid! I look to the strawberries again and saw Tony glancing at me from corner of his eye. I can barely tell while he's wearing sunglasses but I can see it. "If you want one just take one already." he said with a smirk.
I stuck my tongue out at him but end up eating one of them which did calm me down. I love fresh strawberries and watermelons. I'm weird like that. There is others I love to eat too but I don't get to a lot with living in New York. Summer is fast approaching which means my summer trip with Clint is too. I miss my father.
JD: Review Please!