Howdy! Alrighty here is Chapter 4. Sorry for the delay...Uni is eating me alive so updates will be in slow-mo this week, Sorry! I want to say thanks to all my reviewers you guys motivate me to ditch uni and just do this...thank you :P

ThatAwkwardCrazyAuthor: Darn! I needed you a week ago! haha thank you, and I'm sorry that this won't be going along with that, hopefully it still works though :)

Fortune's Fool 1597: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, and I tried making the paragraphs shorter this time 'round, so I hope it's all good now :)

Oh and the nationality situation will be dealt with next chapter :) I hope you like this one!

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1...

Chapter 4:

She couldn't recall falling asleep. In fact, she couldn't recall much of anything. Upon opening her eyes and blinking away the blurriness, Ashley even felt a moment of panic set in as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings she was currently in. The metal walls weren't the ones she was used to, and the bed she was laying on was softer than she remembered. Then the flood gates opened, and the past day's events came crashing down hard. She had woken from her…nap? coma? whatever. She was awake now. It was difficult to believe she had even fallen asleep in the first place, considering it was the only thing she had done for the past three years. Yes…three years, she had finally found out how long it had been after asking Tony what year it was. After three years of sleeping, she had awoken to accidentally attack one of her saviours, and then got into a scrap with another before begrudgingly agreeing to leave with the unusual team that had found her.

What were their names again? She had never been good with names, but she racked her brain for them anyway. The girl was definitely Wanda, she doubted that it was a name she would ever forget, as she was the only one that seemed to have some sort of trust in her. That in itself was strange. Why would the only one that had been in any serious pain be the only one to like, and even trust her? Ashley knew that if it were the other way around, she would have blown the girl sky high by now! But the girl was the least of her worries, her brother on the other hand, was definitely not a fan of hers. Pietro…ugh! Bundle of joy, that one. After they locked horns and she had made the decision to leave with the group, he had avoided her like the plague and urged Wanda to do the same. By the odd chance that he was ever forced to acknowledge her for whatever reason, he did so with obvious dislike.

Ashley didn't care. People had always annoyed her in the past, why should that change now? She wasn't anti-social, definitely not. But she had never quite been able to understand the minds of others. Sure, she was good at reading people and wasn't stupid by any means, but there seemed to be a limited amount of common sense in the world and an abundance of people to share it between. It was for this reason that she refused to care about what people thought of her, and she couldn't deny that the presence of her power was another reason. The slight arrogance it gave her may not have been her best quality, but she enjoyed the feeling of power, to know that others couldn't compare was fulfilling. All of your life you are told that everyone is different, that the differences make you unique. Well sure, that true…and you could believe it. But you just know that their is someone like you out there, someone with the same quality that makes you 'unique'. However, the same couldn't be said for her. There was no one that could do what she could do, she knew that, and that was the beauty of her power.

Who else? Ah yes, Tony Stark and Captain America. She knew the Ironman, she was awake when he had made his announcement to the world on live television. The fact that he had opted out of taking anymore military contracts was admirable in Ashley's opinion, it presented him in a different light. The man that was constantly in the tabloids for his latest social conquests and newest business acquisitions, wasn't real. That man cared for fame and money, as most people do. So when he tore Stark Industries from the weapons manufacturing field (the field he had created his fortune in), his company's worth may have slightly dropped, but his value as a human had skyrocketed in Ashley's mind. He had also seemed to take a liking to her, and had been the one that spoke to her the most.

Captain America still slightly confused her. Of course she had heard of him, most people knew the story. The man who sacrificed himself for the greater good, right? So how in the hell was he still alive and kicking? Not to mention he still looked like a man in his twenties, rather than a man born in the twenties! She would have to politely ask him about that later.

Then there was the redhead, and her bow-wielding buddy. Damn, what was is? Cat and Nick? No, that didn't sound right at all. After a few more minutes of contemplating it, she gave a small shrug and mentally noted to keep an ear out for their names again. They had seemed nice enough, they even did well to hide their mistrust, but the small cautious glances that they threw her way constantly weren't as subtle as they believed them to be.

After she had agreed to join them, the archer had given her the spare thermal jacket he had been wearing, and had brushed off her objection, insisting that he would survive the short distance to the jet. Ah yes, the jet. She grinned at the memory. The jet she was currently sitting in was without doubt the most amazing creation she had ever seen, she knew she was gaping in awe as soon as it came into view. She also knew that Stark had felt a swell of pride at her praises, no matter how hard he had tried to downplay the comments. After they boarded the aircraft, she felt an immense relief when she noticed the warmth of air-conditioning seeping into her chilled skin. Although she usually preferred the colder climates, this place was just plain ridiculous! Who willingly chooses to live in places like this? She shook her head in bewilderment, returning to her memories.

They had told her to rest up, she snickered, as if she hadn't done enough of that in the past three years. But nevertheless, she knew that they would want to begin questioning her about her past and life story as soon as possible, so she agreed in order to prolong that time. Despite the fact that they had been the ones to initiate her escape from the HYDRA base, she would be a fool to trust them immediately. First of all, what were they even doing there? How did they find her? And why would they help her in the first place? judging by the amount of questions forming in her mind, she would be interrogating them, not the other way around. The thought made her smile and she-

"Do you always smile and laugh at walls, or is it a habit you picked up with HYDRA?"

She knew that voice, so she didn't even bother glancing at the man who had been watching her as soon as she woke up. It was only then that she realised how strange she must have looked to him. Ashley had been unknowingly staring at the metal wall opposite her ever since she woke up, but as each memory had fluttered by, she hadn't even noticed it.

"I guess it's a gift I must have picked up. I think you got the better deal though."

Pietro eyes narrowed in suspicion, he couldn't recall anyone discussing his time with HYDRA with the girl in front of him. It was a sore subject for him, for his sister too, they weren't proud of what they had done for HYDRA nor did they particularly enjoy being experiments. So his dislike for this new addition only grew when she made an obvious jab at the power they had given him. He desperately wanted to play it off as if he didn't care, but his mouth betrayed him and he inwardly cursed as he saw the small smirk tug at her lips.

"How do you know about that?"

"Haven't you heard? The walls have ears," She rose from her seat and strode towards the small doorframe which he had been leaning on, arms crossed, since she had awoken. His eyes bore into her own as she approached him, and he angled his shoulder back to allow her to pass through the frame without obstruction. Thinking the conversation was over, she caught him off guard when she stopped to stand in the doorway with him with all signs of humour banished from her face. She wasn't even trying to intimidate him, she was only about four inches shorter than him, but he felt uneasy as her knowing eyes studied his face curiously before she continued in a whisper. "There's no telling what you'll learn, if you just take a little time to listen." His brows furrowed as he watched her slip past him and move towards the rest of the team. She was definitely a strange one.

—

"Any luck?"

"Yeah…no I got nothing."

As soon as he entered the aircraft, Tony had told J.A.R.V.I.S to search for any information pertaining to their most recent addition. Once they had sent Ashley to the back to rest, the team had gathered and decided that finding as much information on her as possible was most likely a good idea. It had been seven hours, and every search that Tony had the AI run only came back negative. No birth certificate, no school or college applications, no job, no healthcare record, not even a speeding ticket…Hell, her damn name wasn't even in the system, well at least no one matching her appearance. All of this just annoyed Tony, and when the Captain decided to check on his progress. Every. Two. Minutes. He thought he might blow a fuse. It just made no sense, how could a girl living in the 21st century have absolutely no record of…well, anything?

"I don't get it, there has to be something. You can't just hide from J.A.R.V.I.S, that's not how this works."

"Then I guess we're just going to have to ask her when she wakes up." To be honest, Steve didn't think the girl was much of a threat any more. Well technically she was, but he doubted that she wanted to hurt them. He knew how silly his suggestion had sounded when he told her to rest, but it wasn't the physical component he was referring to. She was tired, he could see it in her eyes. Not the type of tired were you have pushed yourself too hard, exhausting yourself mentally or physically, but the tired that only came from experience. He had seen the same look many times in the eyes of veterans, retired soldiers that had returned from service, it was a look that only a soldier could understand, one that came from having seen too much. That had puzzled him even more. Is that what she was? A soldier? Is that why there were no records of her? Right now he had more questions than answers, and that didn't sit well with him. They needed to know more about this girl before they allowed her into the tower, who knew what sort of threat she could pose if they allowed her access to their equipment and she turned her back on them.

"Ask away Captain."

Both Tony and Steve tore their attention from the screens before them to stare at the girl, with wide eyes. The two men shared a glance, they didn't know how she would react to the search Tony was currently conducting. Ashley gave them a small smile, ensuring them that all was well. She hadn't really expected any less, in fact she would have probably been disappointed if they didn't try to identify her officially. "You won't find much on me, Mr. Stark. I was an orphan, so my family never really registered me. My birth records aren't available, neither is anything else really."

"Why is that?" Despite her comment being aimed at Tony, it was Steve that had addressed her.

"Well, let's just say that I've played my fair share of cat and mouse over the years. Powers like these are desirable, if they can't control you they'll find a way to harness whatever it is you can offer. Unfortunately for me, unlimited power is one hell of an offer." The small smile she gave at the end of her words was in faux humour. It was clear to both men that she probably had it tougher than the twins. How long had she been running? Is that what her life was, hiding from HYDRA? The thought sent a wave of sympathy through Steve. He had seen first-hand what kind of animals HYDRA were, and he wasn't really surprised to hear that they had been after the woman in front of them since she was a child.

Tony couldn't seem to remove those two words from his mind. Unlimited power. It was so familiar, so similar to when he heard those same words mockingly enunciated three years ago on the helicarrier. She couldn't have known, she was comatose when Manhattan was almost flattened, but the similarity of how she had said the words had sent a chill up his spine. It looked like he was the only one that had picked up on it, if the sympathetic look that the captain was shooting her way was anything to go by. It was a coincidence. He told himself. Coincidence.

"So how exactly does that work? I get that you have some serious firepower, but what I wanna know is how you even got this power in the first place." Choosing to take his mind off of his previous thoughts, Tony decided to ask what had really had him curious. "I mean, readings like these," he pointed to a screen displaying her energy output levels, "they're impossible, you should be dead." He ignored the reprimanding glare Steve was giving him, and gave the captain a smug look when the girl gave him a sweet laugh in response.

Ashley rubbed her chin in contemplation before responding. "I guess that true. I don't know what to tell you Mr. Stark-"

"Tony."

Her lips curled upwards in a smile, glad that she was perhaps gaining at least some trust from the man. "I don't know what to tell you…Tony. I was born with them. I've actually been meaning to ask you…how did you find me?"

He had been expecting the question to pop up eventually, and pointed to the same screen with the output readings that he had previously showed her. "I got an alert for an energy reading while I was searching for HYDRA's remaining bases, we knew readings like these had to be something big…we haven't seen anything like it since the tesseract."

"Tesseract?" She cocked an eyebrow in question.

"Long story, I'll explain it to ya later." He was glad when she nodded and didn't push the topic further, even though he had come to terms with the events, he always felt the panic constricting his chest when he thought of New York.

"Well, I'm glad it was you of all people that found me. Thank you." She realised that she hadn't actually thanked them for releasing her, and would have to thank the rest of the team later.

Tony gave her his most dazzling smile...maybe she wasn't half bad. He couldn't deny that his curiosity was seriously peaked. This girl's power could help him with so many energy projects that his head was spinning from the possibilities. Of course he knew that she would refuse to being an experiment again, but he wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA for that matter, and he would ensure she had whatever she needed or wanted if she agreed to helping him. He let his excitement get the better of him as he blurted out his next words.

"Stay with us."

Steve's eyes snapped to his team mate's face, but Tony was solely focused on the only girl currently in the room. Nat was busy flying the jet with Clint, and Wanda had gone for a nap a few hours earlier. Steve had no doubt that Stark's request would have earned him an earful from the rest of the team, if they had been available. Just as he was about to speak up, he heard Clint calling for him in his earpiece and excused himself from the room, hoping to god that Tony wouldn't make a mess of things.

Ashley's face remained stoic as she ran the words through her head for a fourth time. Stay with them? Should she really do that? She wasn't too sure that this was an entirely supported notion, and she voiced her concerns to him.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly the most liked person around here right now." Not once did the hope leave his eyes as she spoke, and she couldn't help but let her mind stray to thoughts of what it would be like if she did join them. Would they grow to like her eventually? Maybe they could, though she doubted that her and Pietro would ever see eye-to-eye. It would be like having a family again, only this one might actually care about her beyond her powers. Tony once again spoke up, ending her train of thought.

"Who cares about them, stay with me. In fact, I want to offer you the opportunity of a life time. Be my lab assistant." The smile hadn't left his face as he spoke, he knew he was drawing her in, he honestly thought she would put up more of a fight but was pleasantly surprised when she didn't.

Ashley didn't even bother trying to keep the confused and utterly bewildered expression off of her face. Was he hearing himself? He just offered her, a complete stranger, a job as his lab assistant. Why would he want her around what she was sure was his favourite part of the building? Why her of all-oh. She laughed. Tony laughed with her, simply for the sake of laughing.

"I like you Tony, I respect you as a scientist. You know what the problem is with scientists?" Her face lost its humoured expression during her question, and her eyes turned colder than he had ever seen in the short time he had known her, causing his own smile to melt away. "They can't help but experiment. I made it clear before I even boarded this aircraft…I will not be an experiment again." The dangerous tone had caught him by surprise, luckily Tony had decided to backtrack just in time.

"No, no, no. I won't have human experiments, I don't exactly like the human component. Rest assured that if you do choose to take me up on that offer, you won't regret it kid. Whether you like it or not you're one of us now, and we protect our own." He once again gave her a smile, and with a pat on the shoulder he started walking toward the exit. He didn't know why, but he had a good feeling about this one.

It was the most genuine she had ever seen Tony Stark. What happened to the dick in the tabloids? This Tony was making it hard for her to say 'no'. With her back to him, she called out just before he could leave the room.

"When do I start, boss?"

"I'll give you a week to settle, then you have to put on your big girl panties Consuela." His response earned him a bark of laughter from the girl, and he let the shit eating grin consume his face as he left the room. He definitely had a good feeling about this one.

I really hope this wasn't as boring for you guys as it was for me...I'm sorry! It has to start slow though, there are good things in the future, I promise ;) I also wanted to explain that I want Ash to interact with all of the team and not just a couple, so this one was more Tony-oriented. He will play a big role in this story...naturally.