Spoot: PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!

Tony: Do it.

Hulk: *Rages and smashes my computer*

Hide and Seek

Steve looked up for the hundredth time. He had been watching the clock. Tony was inches from him, face smashed up against a large test tube full of liquid inspecting the contents. "Watching it isn't gunna make it grow any faster." Steve muttered, looking to him. They were closing up their fifth year as a couple and were days away from becoming parents. Bruce had allowed them to bring the containment unit home by now, so they could watch over their precious experiment in comfort. It was after all, almost time.

"He said any day now." Tony mumbled, scooting his face to the other side of the glass tube, watching the weird little humanoid wiggle. Steve chuckled, acting like he wasn't on edge his damn self. He was trying to keep it cool and had been doing a great job for the last 9 months. With the clock ticking down the days his patients was starting to wear thin. Throughout the whole thing, Tony was the one in hyper observation mode. Helicopter parent alert! Every few days Steve had to force him to leave the experiment alone long enough to sleep and eat.

The creature jerked suddenly and Tony stood fast. "THIS IS IT! Oh wait no…." He went back to staring at it intently. Steve was clutching his chest in a panic. Enough was enough. "Stark when was the last time you actually ate…"

"I dunno." He muttered, not looking away from the glass. Steve stood and grabbed him by the shirt and drug him to the kitchen. He plopped his partner in a chair and started on lunch, daring that moron to move. He pulled some bread out and turned. "Park it!" He barked, causing Tony to sit back down. "I thought I heard something! Like…I dunno! Whatever sound that thing makes when it comes out. How does that happen? Is it a glass breaking orrr…what?"

"It'll be born." Steve said as he went back to making food. "Bruce said when it's incubation time was through it would just slide right out of the bottom naturally."

"No epidural? Really? What a trooper." He took the sandwich he was offered and stood long enough for Steve to force him back down. "Was gunna just eat in there! Come on! Don't you wanna be there when it happens?!" Steve sat and adjusted himself so he could eat. "Well yeah. But it's gunna be a few more days. Relax. We have everything we need. A crib and toys. Diapers and the works. It's all good papa bear…" Tony slouched as he took up his sandwich. "Mmhyeah…ok…" He lied, taking a bite.

"Sir, There has been a security breech. Sir, I'm picking up on something in the living room. Mr. Stark, may I advise you to wake up." Tony finally sat up and looked around. Steve let out a grumble and started reaching for him blindly. He finally made contact and slapped a hand over the arc reactor causing the annoying glow. "Sir, I suggest looking into this breech post haste." Tony shoved Steve's arm away then hopped out of bed like a cartoon super hero. He rushed from the room and followed instructions on where to go. He made it up the ramp and flicked on a light. The room was empty except for the incubator. He scanned the room again right as Steve joined his side. "What are we looking at Jarvis?" He asked. "I detected movement coming from this room, but its gone now." That's when they heard it. Something in the kitchen must have fallen over.

Both men rushed to the room, Cap with his shield and Stark already in the midst of suiting up. They spotted one of the lower cabinets open…and a jar of peanut butter rolled out of it and made it's way across the floor. Steve inched closer, putting his shield up. He grabbed the door as he looked back at Tony. The other man let the face plate of his sut clamp shut then he nodded quickly. Steve yanked the door off and readied to strike. He was shocked to come face to face with a little blond girl. She couldn't have been more than three and she was naked as the day she was born. She had a slice of bread in her mouth and looked just as shocked.

Tony approached as he scanned the room. "Where there's a kid…there's a parent. Where are they ankle biter." He looked to her and viewed the scan Jarvis brought up. "Sir, I advise you to lower your weapon. You'll hit Captain Rodgers." Steve looked up in confusion. "He's not aiming for me…" For the first time ever his brain caught on to something before Tony's. He reached in and grabbed the little girl and hoisted her up. "Tony….the incubator…"

"The incubator? OH RIGHT!" He ejected himself from the suit and sent it away as he rushed to the room. "IT'S GONE! EMPTY! WHERE THE HELL IS MY KID!" He called. Steve just looked to the little girl and cracked a smile as she touched his cheek. Tony trotted back into the room in a state of panic. Both occupants looked to him and Steve hoisted her up a bit more. "She's much bigger than I thought she would be."

Little Stella watched the hands coming at her. She slapped one away then slapped the other away. When she had enough she stood on the table and pointed at Bruce in anger. She would have protested but the binky in her mouth blocked her speech. Her long blond messy hair flung into her face. "She's amazing!" Bruce sang out, trying to reach her again. "She's much bigger than I thought she would be! Much older! Is she talking?" Both men nodded. Bruce looked like a kid in a candy store. He watched the little lady help herself off the table, all the while giving him dirty…Tony…looks while her breath escaped heavily from her nose. "She doesn't like you!" Steve giggled out. "Mh. No she doesn't like anybody." Tony corrected as he hoisted her up onto his hip. He already knew her so well.

They had to get rid of the crib and the diapers. Changing them out for a toddler bed and pull-ups. Everything else worked into her life just fine. By the end of the week she had already formed a bond with Clint…and no one else outside her parents. She loved helping in the kitchen when they would make a meal and her favorite time of day was Daddy Daughter work hour. She was a perfect lab assistant. All Tony had to do was point at something and she would toddle over, retrieve it and bring it to him. She wasn't much of a talker. Only protesting when Steve tried to force her to eat vegetables or use the potty on her own. Her favorite word was the almighty NO!

Steve crossed the room, stepping over the little one. "Ok, so I figure, after we get in, you can make the adjustments to the power so we can cut security." Tony wasn't listening. He was watching Stella make her way down the wall. Her little hands sliding over it as she side stepped. She had decided that on this very day she was done wearing clothes. A pull up was about as much as she could stand. Steve turned a bit and tilted his head. "What is she doing?" He muttered. Stella scooted a bit more then looked up as Jarvis spoke. "We're playing hide and seek Captain." Steve threw his head back in a laugh. "I'm betting it won't be long before she finds him." Tony muttered, watching the little one closely.

"Do you think she knows?" Steve whispered. They were watching her once more try and find Jarvis. What started as a one time thing, became a running joke in the house. Tony shook his head then looked up. "Wait, knows about what?"

"About where she came from." Steve muttered. He was already holding his hands down so she could get a ride up onto the couch. Tony took her at her request then plopped her in his lap. He began to pull that mess of hair back as he spoke. "Lets not say anything for now. If she asks one day, we'll be ready." She looked to him from behind her dark eyes, watching him intently. When Steve spoke she looked to him. "But what do we tell her?" Her attention returned to Tony, "We tell her the truth. She's a mixture of our DNA…cooked in a tube." Steve shut him up and took her from him. "I think she's listening."

"Sure she is, but she's three…I think. Anyway, she doesn't understand what we're talking about." She was now glaring at something across the room, done with them. "What if she can. What if she understands completely. She's not a normal little girl. She's…me. She's us. She's…" Steve was cut short due to the little girl trying to escape his arms. He set her down and watched her rush off. "Wonder where she's going…" Tony had an idea. He stood slowly and went with her. "Come on…she's going to the garage."

"Why would she be going in there! Stella! No ma'am! Young lady you get back here!" Steve followed as he barked more orders. He got quiet when he reached Tony's man cave. The little girl was looking through the glass wall, watching one of the robotic assistance go haywire. "Tony…is that normal?" The said man was punching in the code for the door as he shook his head. "How did she know…" The door opened and Tony looked to him, paying no mind to the girl slipping through his legs. "Like you said, she's you. She's…" Everything went quiet as the little girl yelled. They both rushed the room in a panic then stood stiff, watching in amazement as the little diaper clad girl wrestled the robot arm to the ground.

She stood up after defeating her first bad guy, looked down at it as she smoothed her hair back and pointed. "NO!" She snapped. Steve just burst into that fit of laughter while Tony stared in shock. Stella picked up her binky, popped it back in her mouth then turned to her parents and narrowed her eyes. "She completely destroyed it…by the way. So thanks a lot kid…" All she did was point at Tony ominously before leaving the room.

Those two took to parenting like fish to a frying pan. They both already each had a favorite thing about her. Tony loved it when she searched for Jarvis and Steve loved to test her abilities. She could lift about 50 pounds at her size and age. It was amazing. Her intellect was just as stellar. She had already figured out that Jarvis was not a person. She broadened her search to any tech she could find. One day while Tony's attention was elsewhere, she grabbed up his control device. Originally she just wanted to inspect it, like she did all things. But when she discovered that if she tapped certain parts of the screen she could make stuff around the lab happen.

Bruce rolled across the room in his seat, passing the little investigator. He stopped himself and held his hand down. "Stella can I have that…" She looked up at him with such rage it scared him. He yanked his hand back then looked to Tony. "She has your remote." Tony looked up and smiled. "Stella! Watch!" He made his way to her then showed her if she used her fingers to hold down on a section and slide, she could dim the lights. Stella watched then yanked the device away. She waddled off, setting her binky down on her way. That was a first. She looked up as she walked…looking more like Tony in that moment. She tapped away on the device, watching the world around her change this way and that. She looked at the little screen and inspected the small diagram on it. She flicked the device…and the odd orb appeared in front of her.

"Hello Madam Stella…" came a soft soothing, adorable voice. She held her hand up as Jarvis spoke. She put her hand into the hologram and moved the partials around. "Hello Jarvis." She said softly. Tony crossed his arms and leaned on a table. "Sonofabitch…she found him. She won. Steve owes me money." Bruce looked to him in amusement. "So I guess the games over now…"

The months that followed had the parents in a state of stupor. Every few weeks Stella seemed to change a bit. It wasn't noticeable at first but by the time the first snowfall of New York hit, she had outgrown pull-ups, going on her own, and her clothes were a size too small. Both men sat, watching her draw on some paper she found. She looked more like a six year old by now. Steve leaned in, inspecting her. She jerked her head up and gave him a face, indicating she didn't want to be bothered. Pure Tony. He stood back up and looked to his partner. "Is it just me or did she grow a bit over night…" Tony nodded, still watching her.

She stood up, paper in hand. She made her way to Steve and held it up. He looked down at her, but couldn't do much else. She waved the paper at him and sighed. "Come on Daddy, don't leave me hangin'…" He jumped a bit and took the drawing, looking over the little doodle of Jarvis. She walked away, stating she was hungry. The two men looked to each other then knew they had to make a call.

Stella crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to let Bruce listen to her heart. He sighed and sat back, giving up. They had brought him up to speed on her growth rate and he too agreed it was a little odd. But he figured it was due to her incubation conditions, not to mention she wasn't a normal little girl. "I think I have an idea…" Steve said, leaving the lab. Tony stepped over and put a hand on the girl's back. "Come on ankle biter. Just let us check you out."

"I'm fine. My heart rate is normal and my blood pressure is perfect. I don't get it. What's the big deal!" Tony shot her a look as she copped her attitude. He was the perfect sassy dad. Her attention averted when she heard a familiar voice. She hopped off the table and rushed Clint as he called to her while he stepped in. He grabbed her up playfully and growled. She laughed and plugged his nose. She never really did this with her parents. Then again, they weren't the coolest person ever! They were dumb parents. "Did you bring me anything?!"

"Did I bring you anything?" He parroted as he put her on her feet. He dug in his pocket. "Ooohhhh….lets seeee….huh, must have left it in my other pocket!" She was growing impatient until he presented her with the tip of an arrow. She squealed and snatched it from him, inspecting it. Clint looked up at the disapproving faces of her parents. All he gave them was a giggle. "Think you can distract her while I run some tests?" Bruce asked. Clint agreed and they got to work.

Everything checked out normal. She was however…extraordinary. Her cells were growing faster than an average child. Her parents thought that would end badly but Bruce reassured them that there was a drop off point where the acceleration would slow and almost stop. By her mid 30's she would be all caught up. They decided at that point to enjoy what little childhood they could get out of her. By then end of winter, she was entering a new phase of life.

Steve looked up from his book when Stella let out a scream from the bathroom. He waited for the all clear but didn't get one. He stood just as she exploded from the room in tears, rushing passed him. "Stella! What's wrong! Are you hurt!?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screeched from her room. Tony was heading into view, looking to Steve for assurance. He just shrugged, that was all he had. Tony nodded and headed down the hall. He leaned up against the wall and knocked on the door. "I'M A FREAK!" She bellowed. "Sure why not." He muttered playfully, but jumped when something hit the wall, causing some sheetrock to rain form the upper levels. "Easy kid!"

"SHUT UP!" That was the kicker. Tony did not approve. He pushed his way into the room, trying to get the door open. She had it blocked by a dresser…lamp…100 pound bed…and a teddy bear. "Stella Annabel whatever your name is you open this door right now…" He went quiet when he spotted her, way in the corner, huddled in a ball, sobbing. He beckoned for Steve and the two of them tried for three hours to get her to let them in.

It took a bribe of shawarma and football tickets to get her to clear a path. She drug the heavy bed in it's entirety back toward the corner where it belonged. Steve offered to help her but she refused. When she got her room back in order, Tony sat on the bed and handed over his control device. "Hello Jarvis…" She said softly, fighting the urge to break down in a fit of tears again. "Hello Madam Stella." She pet the screen then looked away as he finished. "I am detecting a change in hormones. Are you alright?" Both men looked to each other then back at her in shock. Another call had to be made.

Steve nearly broke the door opening it as fast as he did. Natasha pushed her way in then held up about ten grocery bags. "That one is full of chocolate, ice cream, and chocolate ice cream…and that one…" Tony had already dug in…pulling out a box of tampons. He inspected it as if it were alien. Steve just hugged Natasha tight then let her go almost too roughly. "Listen, just let me handle this." She took the box and made her way down the hall. She opened the door and held up the gift. Stella looked up and those pretty brown eyes narrowed.

Tony was searching through all the products when Natasha came rushing through the room in a panic. "LESSON LEARNED!" She dove just in time as Steve's shield made it's way to her. "Ok, I'm going in." He muttered, taking up his shield and a box of products. Tony stood and kissed him comically then pretended to cry as he waved him off.

Steve crouched down and began to duck walk toward the door as he hid behind the shield. He used his teeth to rip open the box of tampons then threw them over like a live grenade. He ducked as the explosion erupted. "THAT'S NOT FUNNY DADDY I HATE YOU GET OUT OF MY LIFE AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHH!" Tony could be heard from the other room laughing so hard he was coughing. Steve rushed back in and latched onto him, hiding behind him as the girl rushed by.

Her adolescent years proved the theory of the drop off point. The two parents cursed the day they complained about her growing up too fast. They wished this one would fly by. Tony watched that pretty little blond walk by in her own world. He was already cursing letting her have a phone. Last time she actually spoke to them was the day before she got it. "Stel. What's two plus two…" He joked. She just shot him a look, black painted lip curling up in a snarl. "Can't tell me can ya. Yeeeah it's because that phone is draining your IQ…hey, hey! Blondie…yeah you…" She was just staring at him in the ugliest way, fighting the urge to flip him off.

The front door chime went off and Tony hopped up. "You're gunna get it now." He muttered as he met Steve at the door. "Fix it." He barked. Steve was trying to put his jacket and keys up. He looked to Stella and narrowed those blue eyes. "Don't you think that eye makeup is a little heavy?"

"Don't you think that big head of yours is a little heavy…"

"Holy shit she can talk!" Tony snapped. Stella eyed him and snarled. "Tony, language." Steve barked as he entered the home. He snatched the phone from her, ignoring her protests. He tossed it in the wall safe and shut it. He turned to her and those hands went on his hips. She crossed her arms over her chest and the stand off began. Tony threw his hands in the air and walked away. He was better with the long talks and intellectual discoveries. Steve was stubborn and good at breaking her. He waited a few seconds then spoke, "Stand down."

"I can do this all day daddy."

Tony was already half way through his second drink as he watched the stand off come to a stop. Stella gave in and screamed about how she hated everyone before taking off to the garage. Steve looked to his partner and sighed. "Thanks for the assistance Stark." By now they were all about first names…unless they were truly angry. Tony sat up and put the drink down. "You're right. I should have said something. But damn it Steve, she's scary…I mean, have you seen her?! What's she into now? Manson? Serial killer documentaries? What?!" Steve sighed and walked off, throwing his hands in the air. Tony knew right then he had to step up before things turned to shit.

He let himself into the garage and looked around. He spotted her working on something. He approached and sat on the stool next to hers. "Sup Blossom." She just shot him a look before going back to tinkering. "Your cartridge isn't secure."

"I know."

"That proton fuser is gunna take one huge shit if you leave it like that."

"I know what I'm doing." He watched her for a moment then propped his head up using his elbow. "I couldn't stand my dad." She cut her eyes at him then went back to her work. "Yeah. He cared more about work than he did me. Half the time my parents were gone. Months at a time. They missed my childhood too…kinda like how we missed yours. Sorry about that." She set her tool down and looked away. Then…it happened.

"What am I…" Tony sat up, unsure of what to say at first. It wasn't until she looked to him that he found words. "Our daughter." She rolled her eyes and got up. "What else!" He watched her pace around the room, snapping and slapping her hands together, like he did when he was stressed. "You…are an experiment." Those words pierced her heart hard. She turned to him in a blind rage. "We still love you." He said softly. "I know, it's bullshit right?"

"Damn right its bullshit!" She snapped, taking up a wrench. He put his hands up slowly as he stood. "this…this feeling inside you, yeah. You're not alone." He eyed Steve in the doorway then went back to her. "You're not the only one."

"Bullshit!"

"Stella Annabel! Language!" Steve barked as he entered. He snatched the wrench from her and tossed it. She was about to just unload, but instead, he grabbed her in a hug. "Everything special about me…came out of a bottle." He muttered as he put his lips in her hair. She had already started to cry. "You and me are the same. But your creation was special because you came out of us both. Not some super hero juice. Just us. Just love." She latched onto his back and sobbed so hard she gagged.

It was the last they heard of it. A few days later their world came crashing down around them. Steve rushed into the kitchen in a panic, causing Tony to spit out his coffee. They both rushed down the hall and Steve showed off the empty bed. There on the pillow was a note. Typical teenage runaway note. This girl had vanished to go figure out what she was, where she belonged…and who she would be. Both men searched, but you couldn't find someone skilled enough to stay hidden. You couldn't find what did not want to be found.

They had watched her grow from a toddler to a sixteen year old in the corspan of six months and now, they had nothing to show for it. Time didn't care. It kept moving. Jobs and missions came and went. Tony finally finished the project he and Bruce had been working on. The Pagoda they had fought years before was now being used to house a new program. It didn't let off frosty energy like before. It just looked like a hologram of a young man. It was great in battle and could be used in dangerous inhabitable surroundings. The 7 year mark came and went for the power couple, and it had been two years to the day of Stella's disappearance.

Steve marched into the lab, in a huff, ready to protest the use of the Pagoda on a specific job. They were informed of a hostage situation. Tony had already given the all clear and their project was gone. Steve's protesting did not stop there. If they insisted on using that stupid holographic man then so be it. He thought it was a bad idea though, so he headed out on his own to rescue those hostages his way. By the time he got there, the place was destroyed. He knew for a fact the Pagoda had gone awry. "This is exactly why…" He muttered as he made his way through the rubble.

Right before he made it inside what was left of the building, he bumped into what felt like the Hulk, and he went down. "Oh shit, whoa dude are you ok?" His eyes popped open and watched as a young lady helped him to his feet. She was cute and almost perfect. "Uuuhh, anyway. Sorry about…y'know…almost killing you. Hey…you're here for the hostages right?!" There was something odd about this girl. Steve didn't answer her, he just turned away and put a finger to his ear. "We have an enhanced in the field." The girl looked around then back to him. "Whoa cool, really?" She followed, looking around for this…enhanced. She watched Steve as he moved junk and rubble around. "They're gone…" She said softly. The man turned to her and narrowed his eyes. "What did you do with them…"

"Nothing…mmh…why? Should I have…done something with them? Ooohhhhppppfffffftttt! Shhhiiit…I was supposed to bring them to that place…y'know! Uuuhhh…what'sit called…"

"Safe house…" He muttered, watching her cautiously. She snapped and pointed a finger at him as she put a free one on her nose. "That's the one!"

"Are you drunk?" He asked, approaching her slowly. "Uuumm…nnnooo…" She looked around then back to him. "Are you offering? I mean, I'm a lush so…" He shook his head as he watched her. He made his way around her then stopped to face her again. "What are you?"

"Eehh…that's a good question. I always thought it was some kind of…super soldier thing." Steve held up a hand as his eyes went wide. "Are you a Winter Soldier!" She jumped out of her skin then giggled. "Shiiittt nooo! But I know where some are. Big base in Moscow. The place is junk now. Soldiers all dead. I know a guy…" Steve's brow rose. "James. James Buchanan Barns. You work for him?" The girl got this weird look on her face. "That…that would be weird…because he's like, I mean, we're like…a thing…so…but anyway! Whatever! So tell me about yourself!" Steve was taken aback by a few things but decided to play along while he waited for the backup.

"My name is Steve Rodgers." He said simply. He noticed the girl got a look on her face, as if she were pained by something. "I'm sure he spoke of me." He said. "If not, he should have. Now, how about yourself. I shared, it's your turn." She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Not yet Pretty Boy. I have a few more questions. For starters. Where's Stark?" Steve took interest in this. He had never met this young woman yet she knew his partner. "What do you want with Stark…" He asked in an almost protective tone. She just put her hands up and smirked. "Nothing really, he just owes me money. About ten bucks. He swore he would give it to me after we got home." She had him distracted enough to rip his hood from his suit clean off. Steve was in a stupor but got ready for the fight.

Everything came to an end as they both came down on each other hard. His fist connected with hers and it caused them both to fall backwards and hit the ground. He began to slowly help himself up as she got to her feet. "You're going easy on me. Why?" He didn't answer, just tossed his shield at her. "How's that for going easy." He gasped out as he stood up. His heart jumped into his throat as he watched her inspect the shield instead of…being taken down. "Oh I remember this…" She said. Steve was about to just tackle her but backup arrived. Tony landed and set Natasha down. She swayed and plopped over then jumped to her feet. The girl watched in amusement as the rest of the team touched down.

Hulk beat on his chest and readied himself for the fight. "Awww cool you guys even have Hulk with you! Oooh man I love that guy…" She watched Clint take his place and draw his arrow. She smiled bright and waved at him, causing him to lose focus for a second and look to the other's in confusion. "So what's the story. Who are you and where are the hostages?" Tony barked. The girl just crossed her arms and gave him this…look…

"Nn'kay…" Tony muttered as he held up his arms. "Sir, hold your fire, you're going to hit Captain Rodgers." Jarvis spoke, causing Tony to look around for Steve. "He's way over there." Steve was catching on…causing his eyes to widen. The girl took a step toward Tony and put a hand on the helmet. "Hello Jarvis." She said softly. "Hello Madam Stella." He replied in a loving way, not missing a beat.

Spoot: LEMME GO!

Tony: Lock her up tight. No one escapes the naughty chair…