A/N Warnings for child abuse, it's featured a lot in this chapter so there's a lot of angst and quite dark. Stick with it though because it should get lighter as it goes on. Reviews would be lovely.
The Avengers Adoption Scheme was a pain in Furys AAS. But it was good press, so Fury went along with it just like anything The Avengers typically propositioned. And just like anything The Avengers typically propositioned, it was giving him a migraine.
The scheme was set up not long after the Battle of New York to assure the public that not all people with superpowers would go rogue and flatten half the city. To keep up this idea, they only took on people with good psych evals, minimising the chance that the selected candidate wouldn't go rogue and destroy half the city.
But Tony Stark liked to play god occasionally, so he makes the final decision on who stays and who goes when it comes to "his" tower. And he'd somehow convinced the entire team that the latest orphan was a good idea.
"Stark" Fury snarled, pinching the bridge of his nose in a rare show of despair at the infuriating man, which only made said man happier that he'd actually got an emotion out of the director. "She told the entire psych team that she'd fry them if they asked her another 'inane' question about her parents! "
"So would I if I'd had her upbringing." Steve said in mute horror at the ghastly tale of childhood abuse and mistreatment he was currently reading through. It filled him with a bubbling rage deep in his stomach that sickos like her father had been left to roam the earth...well, before the explosion he had.
"More than half the team has experience with what she's been through, we'll be more help to her than any foster home. " Natasha said in an icy tone to her voice that promised a slow and painful death to any that opposed her.
"Plus the kids a genius!" Tony added and Bruce nodded in earnest and even Fury knew when to admit defeat, he sighed and the team cheered. They couldn't wait to have the technopath in their midst.
Niki "Tesla" Simmons was a skinny girl, a complete juxtaposition to the massive amounts of power she had the potential to wield. After the explosion she had died her hair a violent shade of purple that clashed with her bottle green eyes. As she stepped in to the tower, her face was twisted in to a scowl that showed she had seen too much of the world in her sixteen years. It was enough to make Tony Stark scowl and Hawkeye shift anxiously on his perch.
Before the billionaire could even introduce himself, the girl had cast her furious glare at the nearest vent and snapped out a terse
"Tell Katniss to stop aiming his EMP arrows at me or I'll blow them up in his fucking face." Which was quickly followed by an undignified squawk and the sound of several arrows being thrown down the air shaft but the scowl was replaced by an easy smile. "Hullo , I'm Tesla, thank you for taking me in for which I'm really grateful but I do hate It when weapons are pointed at me so kindly refrain from doing so or it will end badly. " she held out a hans to which Tony had to blink at twice before he was able to gingerly reach out and shake it.
The personality shift was even more fluid than his own whenever a paparazzi approached him. It was as if someone had flipped a switch that made the ripped jeans and black hoodie stop looking intimidating, and start looking like a scared little girl who had lost everything. It clutched at something in Tonys chest at the familiarity of the situation and he quickly hid it behind a mask of steel.
"Tony- Tony Stark. Follow me. " he said brusquely and turned sharply on his heel, oblivious to the flinch that flittered across the girls face.
Before the scheme, Tesla was a real life Harry Potter. She slept on a pile of towels under the stairs with barely enough room to stretch out, let alone stand up. There was a bed upstairs that she was allowed to sleep on if she was really good and promised her Father that she had repented for her sins.
The man was an overly religious drunk, a priem example of why not all of America is as forward thinking as they like to think. He thought her powers and superior intellect were actually a curse, something she should keep hidden and to maked her an outcast from society. Apparently she was being punished. For what? She knew not. Just that she must suffer in silence or she wouldn't be around to suffer at all.
The only thing she lost in the gas explosion at their tiny two floor lock up was a framed photo of her mother. She didn't mourn for her father.
Only two Avengers were in the tower, Tony to greet and Clint to provide back up after a particularly freaked kid had destroyed the lobby back in 2014. Not so fun times. It was also supposed to be the Captains job to greet newbies, Tony wasn't exactly the most...approachable person in the world. Especially when you have the temperament od a startled kitten.
Tony Stark already hated Tesla, she could tell from the way he looked at her as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. She followed after him, shoulders slumped and trying to make herself as small as possible. If no one could see her then no one could beat her.
Her room was nice, very airy, but Tesla was certain that the bed was so large to specifically torment her. Tony threw her single duffle bag in to the walk in wardrobe and made a mental note to get together with Thor and Natasha to order new clothes for the recent orphan, lord knows the girl looked like she could use a treat. Whilst these thoughts went through the engineers mind, he was once again oblivious to the expression on the young girls face as she saw how spacious her new cupboard was. The carpet that felt like heaven under her feet would surely be comfier than the matted towels she had slept on previously.
"Dinner's at six, curfew is eleven according to Cap but you'll probably get away with later if he's on a mission but don't ever be late to dinner without a good excuse or Natasha will kick the crap out of you. " he looked around the room as if searching for something else to inform her about but apparently came up with nothing "Well that's about it kid. You'll meet the team later and ask JARVIS, the AI, if you need anything and he'll help or get someone who can." Tony flashed his most charming smile to which she gave a somewhat watery imitation in return and the man, assuming she was just feeling overwhelmed, left her alone.
Tesla had never meant to fall asleep. She only meant to sit on the edge of the bed to take her boots off but it was so much comfier than anything she had ever experienced. It was like sleeping on a cloud and she was just so tired. A weariness had settled in to her bones and was slowly dragging her further and further and further until she was full on falling in to the sweet arms of the most blissful sleep she'd had in years. But when she jerked awake, it was 8:53...she was terrified.
She hadn't even managed a day.
The Avengers were just settling down to watch a movie. Despite dinner being served later than usual Tesla had slept straight through it and no one had the heart to wake the exhausted looking girl up so they left her to it. However, Steve couldn't quite get comfortable, something was tickling the back of his brain, that sensation something wasn't quite right.
"JARVIS" he asked on a whim and the rest of the team looked at him curiously "Has Tesla woken up yet?" The reply was a concerned
" awoke eight minutes ago and has been in her wardrobe since. I was just about to inform you that her levels indicate she is in significant distress. " and was enough to get the entire team running towards Teslas room.
Once again, reviews as to whether or not I should continue this would be much appreciated. Thank you.
