A/N: With this chapter, we're officially entering the Agents of SHIELD territory! I'm super excited, because it wouldn't have been possible for me to find the inspiration for this fic without that show. For those who are not very familiar with it, I've tried to explain the stuff you need to know for the story to make sense (and hopefully, succeeded). Enjoy!
It had been 7 months since the Stark family had moved to the Avengers Tower, and truth to be told, Ana missed Malibu terribly. She now lived and worked in the same building, and although it was a nice building, sometimes she felt like she was trapped in a vertical cage. At first, she could keep herself busy by doting on her dad and Happy—heart surgery was no joke, and neither were Happy's injuries—but now that they were recovered, she didn't know what to do with herself.
"You should go out more," Bruce advised when she complained to him one afternoon in the lab.
"With whom? I don't have any friends. I mean, you are my friend but—"
"But, I'm too old for you?"
"Well, yeah," she admitted.
"Then go out alone. Go to a coffee shop, or the movies. Meet other kids at your age. You're too young to become a workaholic. Maybe even download one of those dating apps. Just don't tell Tony I suggested it."
She didn't feel like coming out to Bruce, so she simply laughed it off, and changed the subject. "I could actually use your opinion on something else."
It turned out her dad's idea of family therapy was using Bruce as a counselor, which hadn't really worked out, but at least he and Ana had become good friends. Plus, he understood the importance of emotion management better than any therapist could.
"What can I do for you?" he asked softly.
"Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Malta. My first business trip." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Pepper had pulled a lot of strings just to get the invitation to the Quinn Worldwide shareholders' meeting. His paranoia rivaled hers, so this was her only chance to get her hands on the gravitonium. After everything Pepper had done, it would be a shame if Ana screwed things up.
"And you're nervous?"
"Trust me, 'nervous' would be an understatement." She sprang to her feet, and started pacing up and down. "It's so frustrating, you know. I'm one of the smartest people in the world, but I might make a terrible mistake over there, because I cannot control the chemical reactions in my brain!"
"It's okay to be nervous before important events."
"It's not just that. I'd promised Dad that I would overcome my acrophobia, for example, but now that there's no immediate threat, I keep chickening out! The list goes on and on, but my point is, I cannot use my full potential because of all these stupid emotions!"
She had been using her dad's unexpected retirement as an excuse for her procrastination, saying she didn't want him to break his promise to Pepper and start building suits again just to train with Ana, but in the truth, she was just a pussy.
"Those 'stupid emotions' helped us survive the primitive ages. They exist for a reason."
"I know the basics of evolutionary biology, thank you!" she snapped.
He only responded with a patient smile, much to her remorse.
"I'm sorry. See, that's the other problem with emotions! I don't turn into a raging monster when I get angry, but I still hurt people. Especially the people I care about."
"Tell me, why are you going on this business trip?"
"It's just business," she said evasively. Just because they were friends didn't mean Ana was going to tell him about gravitonium.
"Yes, but why is business so important for you?"
"Well, I gotta think of the best interests of the company."
"The family company, yes… Would you still be going to Malta tomorrow if you didn't love your family so much?"
"No." It was the truth.
"See? Love is an emotion, too, and from what I see, it's the one that drives you. Even if you could somehow shut your humanity off to reach your 'potential,' as you put it, what would you use it for? What would be your purpose?"
"Nothing."
"So, the answer is not eliminating your emotions. You must learn to control them instead. That way, they can't control you."
"How?"
"Well, the key to control your body is to control your breathing. Meditation. I could teach you a few tricks."
"Where did you learn them? In India?"
"Brazil, actually."
"No offense, but I'm not one for the spiritual stuff, and meditation doesn't sound very… science-y."
"That's because the human brain is still a mystery to us."
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," she quoted Arthur C. Clarke.
"Exactly. So, my conclusion is empirical, of course, but it works for me… most of the time."
Well, what was the harm? "Okay. Teach me."
Bruce took out two yoga mats from a cabinet and spread them on the floor. He spent the rest of the day teaching her different breathing methods and how to clear her mind, observe the way her body reacted, and stuff like that. She didn't feel any different afterwards, but Bruce said she would get better at it with practice. If he was to be believed, it could even help her conquer her fear of heights.
…
"Happy, let me!" Ana reached to take her suitcase from Happy, but he wouldn't let her. He was yet to return to his full health, and not supposed to strain his body too much.
"Relax, Ana. It's not even heavy."
"You don't have to do this, you know. You're the Head of Security—"
"Forehead of Security," her dad corrected her.
"You're not a personal driver or bodyguard! It's not in your job description anymore. Dad, say something!"
"Happy, you're my hero," he said, pressing his palms together like in prayer. "Thanks for looking out for her. I owe you a big one."
Ana had hoped he would be overprotective of Happy. She had been wrong. Both men flashed her triumphant grins. Ana rolled her eyes. "Ugh!"
"No way we're sending you alone into the lion's den, kid."
"Lion's den? Dad, you're being overdramatic."
Happy called for the elevator. Ana went to give her dad a hug. When they parted, they always parted on good terms, no matter what. After so many near-death experiences, it had become a habit. At least he understood why he couldn't come. Quinn wouldn't be thrilled to see an Avenger in person at his party. Neither would the shareholders. Ana didn't hate SHIELD, at least not the way Ian Quinn did, but she had created a good story to approach him; one that would lead him to think she considered him a mentor and wanted to join his crusade against SHIELD and the government. In order for this story to be convincing, she had to do this alone.
But then, her dad had taught her so much that a part of him would always be with her, no matter where she went.
"You got this, kid," he whispered. "I believe in you."
"You always do. Thanks, Dad." He was being nonchalant, but she could see the concern behind his eyes. She hugged him again before following Happy into the elevator. Bruce was right about one thing. She was doing this for her family.
But then, why was she so nervous? She didn't think her life was in danger, no. Even if she got caught, Quinn would never risk the wrath of Iron Man by harming her. He was smarter than that. Did she fear that her true motives would be revealed, people would find out gravitonium could be used for time-travel, and the research of her life would fall into the wrong hands? Hell yes. But deep down, what scared her the most was failure itself. The thought of returning home empty-handed.
…
It had been years since she had last been to Malta. She had forgotten how beautiful it was. Every place her dad had taken her was beautiful; she just had lost the ability to enjoy such things somewhere along the way, now she was trying to regain it. She had arrived here three days before the meeting, and this short vacation had helped her mentally prepare herself for the mission ahead. After three days of swimming, sunbathing, luxurious pampering by massages, facials and other stuff, she felt ready. The breathing techniques Bruce had taught actually started helping as well. Maybe it was just placebo effect, but as long as it worked, who cared?
"We're here," Happy announced, stopping the car in front of the entrance of Quinn's villa. Everything looked as expected. A bunch of security guards at the front door, the street full of other luxury cars, men and women in fancy clothes… Your typical shareholders' meeting.
Happy got out of the car, opened the door for her with a very serious look on his face, probably trying to appear intimidating to the others, and she emerged from the car. "Wish me luck," she whispered.
"I'll just park the car, then come find you—"
"Happy, no! You can't follow me around like a chaperone, that would look suspicious." He was visibly offended, but he had to understand. "Look, just find the other bodyguards, blend in, make small talk, see if you can learn anything of importance. I can handle myself."
"Fine. But if anything goes wrong—"
"I'll call you. Promise."
"Okay. Be careful."
"Thanks."
She turned on her heels, and walked through the door, trying to look like just another entitled rich person in pursuit of even more money and influence. At least she was no stranger to such settings. Inside, a waiter offered champagne immediately, she took a glass, and sipping the drink, made her way around the garden. Quinn would soon come to her. She was Ana Stark, after all.
"Gravitational anomaly detected," JARVIS' voice came through the comm in her ear. He was observing the place via satellite. "It's here, Miss Stark. Main house, basement level. Only one heat signature."
Her heart made a leap in her chest. Gravitonium was really here. She was so close…
As expected, it didn't take her long to get noticed. "Ms. Stark!"
The diplomatic smile she had learned from Pepper found its way onto her face instinctively. "Mr. Quinn. A pleasure to finally meet you."
They shook hands, and continued walking together. "Likewise. Is this your first time in Malta?"
"Hardly. But I'd almost forgotten what a beautiful country this was. Maybe I should consider becoming a citizen, like you did."
"I must admit, I never thought Stark Industries would be interested in doing business with us."
"Why not?"
"Well, considering your affiliation with the government…"
"Oh, right… Our military contracts in the past, now SHIELD…"
"And Damage Control, from what I heard?"
"And Damage Control," she confirmed. "From a more… progressive perspective such as yours, we look like a bunch of ass-kissers, don't we? I intend to change that."
He frowned skeptically, but Ana could tell he was intrigued. "That's admirable. But don't tell me your father doesn't know you're here."
"Of course he does. He just doesn't know why I'm really here. You've been very straightforward with me, Mr. Quinn, so allow me to return the favor. My father… Well, he's my hero. My closest friend. And the best teacher I've ever had. But unfortunately, he has a forgiving side I don't share. You, on the other hand, inspire me. You don't tolerate anyone who wants to control you. And people like us should stick together."
"Just to be clear, are we talking about SHIELD?"
"Why do you look so surprised?"
"Perhaps because legacy means everything to you. SHIELD was a part of Howard Stark's legacy."
"So were Obadiah Stane and the Vankos," she reminded darkly.
"Speaking of, what really happened to Mr. Stane anyway? I'm just curious."
"He paid the Ten Rings to kidnap my dad, and hired mercenaries to kill me. When we discovered he'd been dealing under the table, he tried to kill us again. With a suit of his own."
"I never believed he died in a plane crash."
"Yes, that was the lie SHIELD told the world, and my father let them. They covered up the incident, and his reputation remains tarnished. Some still blame him for the blood that was actually on Stane's hands. Same thing with Ivan Vanko. SHIELD never let the public learn he was the son of a traitor, and that was the only reason he was able to build an Arc Reactor. Do you now see why I'm bothered, Mr. Quinn?"
He smiled. "I think you and I are going to be good friends. Let me introduce you to some of my—"
They were interrupted by a young brunette woman in a pink dress. "Ian Quinn. I'm your last-minute party crasher. Skye."
Skye… The name sounded familiar. She and Quinn shook hands. "Oh. Wow. Great to meet you." He turned to Ana. "This is Skye, a member of the Rising Tide. A group of hackers. They got some pretty big secrets out in the public."
"I prefer 'hacktivist.' I'm glad you've heard of our site."
"I read it. We think very much alike. More freedom of information, less government interfering on everyone's rights… I'm a fan."
"This does explain the invite. This is a tough party to get into."
"Not as hard to get into as the encrypted backchannel you contacted us through to request an invite."
"That's sort of where we live."
Skye. The Rising Tide. Of course! "Wait, you're the one who tried to hack into the Stark Industries mainframe a couple of months ago," Ana said.
Skye chuckled nervously. "That's me."
Quinn was now even more impressed. "Really?"
"No, I got locked out… embarrassingly fast."
Quinn seemed to like Skye, so Ana decided to compliment. "She was good, though. I appreciate talent when I see it."
"Looks like I'll have some competition, then."
Skye frowned. "Competition?"
"I've been known to turn a few black hats into white hats—not just for vulnerability analysis, but for very creative thinking."
"A-are you offering me a job?"
"I didn't invite you here for your pretty face. I didn't know you had a pretty face. Yes, I want to hire you before someone else snatches you up, like Ms. Stark here. But I think you ladies might want to get to know each other. You're absolutely right, Ms. Stark. People like us should stick together. Now, if you excuse me…"
He walked away, leaving Ana alone with Skye. Ana looked at her. She was one of those "hippies" she used to hate while growing up. But what she had told Quinn about SHIELD and her father's reputation wasn't exactly a lie. A "hacktivist" could be what she needed to get the truth out there.
Skye studied her from head to toe, whistling. "Ana Stark… Wow."
"In the flesh."
"So, am I in trouble?"
"Depends. Why did you do it?"
She shrugged. "Curiosity killed the cat."
"Not this time, Skye. When I told Quinn that you were good, I wasn't lying. Do you know how rare it is for me to meet someone who can actually challenge me? Our whole IT team couldn't stop you when you breached the firewall. They had to call me. And do you know what I had to do to lock you out? I had to reboot the systems. I was scared there might have been a leak. But now, you're here, and you don't look like someone who'd try to steal corporate data for profit. No, I think your intentions were… nobler than that. I think you wanted to see if we defend the peace in public, but build weapons of mass destruction in secret."
"Something like that," she admitted.
Ana chortled. "That's SHIELD, not us."
"SHIELD?" she asked skeptically, almost defensively.
Ana was confused. Was a Rising Tide hacker not supposed to hate SHIELD anyway? Maybe she was surprised because like Quinn, she was expecting Ana to be a SHIELD supporter. "What do you think they were doing with the Tesseract in the first place?"
Skye frowned, but it lasted only a second. Then she nodded in approval, though not very convincingly. "Yeah, typical SHIELD… Why am I not surprised?"
"Miss Stark, this is your window."
Quinn was on the podium now. "Let's hear what our host has to say, shall we?" Ana said to Skye.
"Yeah."
They parted ways. Ana pretended to listen to his speech for about a minute, then slipped away when he was not looking her way, and strode inside the house. But there was a problem. Skye was right behind her. She seemed even more nervous, but Ana didn't think she was coming after her. No, she had her own agenda.
JARVIS was right. There were no guards in sight. The two girls stood in the doorway awkwardly for a moment, facing each other, then Ana said, "Hey, your business is your business. I'll just mind my own."
Skye sighed in obvious relief. "I'll do the same. Going upstairs?"
"Downstairs, actually."
"Okay. Good luck."
"You, too."
She nodded to show her appreciation, and Ana did the same. They parted ways again, this time for real.
"Still one heat signature?"
"Yes, miss," JARVIS said.
"Got it. Going offline now."
Ana took out the comm and put on a pair of protective earpieces. It was odd that there was only one man guarding something so valuable as gravitonium, but then, maybe he was one hell of a bodyguard. Still, whoever he was, he wouldn't stand a chance against the Sonic Taser.
The entire basement level was dedicated to R&D. Gravitonium had to be in one of these labs. There was a window on every door, which made her job easier. And finally, she found it. A huge cluster of unstable gravitonium, floating in mid-air, behind a glass panel. She was right. Gravitonium was real. But there was no bodyguard in the room. The heat signature JARVIS had detected turned out to be Dr. Franklin Hall's.
Slowly, she opened the door and entered. Dr. Hall, who had been working on something frantically—a gravity field generator that was about 12 feet in diameter—looked up.
"Hello, Dr. Hall. I'm Ana Stark."
"I know who you are," he muttered, and returned to his work.
Gingerly, she approached him. "Well, this looks… promising. So much potential. Don't you agree?"
"You're not supposed to be here."
"Please. I'm not a thief. I'm just asking for a chance to explain myself."
"I don't have time for that."
"This is raw gravitonium, right? Unstable. I can tell you how to stabilize it. Not just stabilize it, but also how to intensify the gravity fields."
"Have you worked with gravitonium before?" he asked, like a professor talking to his student. Good. He was coming around. Maybe.
"I've worked with simulations. Simulations based on your research. I can show you."
"Not interested."
Shit. The amount of gravitonium Quinn had found was a lot more than she had expected. It wasn't something she could just slip into her purse and walk away. She didn't want to leave such a dangerous material to a man like Ian Quinn, but she didn't want to risk getting caught either. Hall didn't seem to really care about her presence here, but Quinn would probably be a lot less tolerant of intruders. She shouldn't be greedy. She should turn off the generator, grab the amount of gravitonium she needed for one temporal roundtrip or two, and get the hell out of Malta.
She approached Dr. Hall, one hand in her pocket of jacket, and realized she had been wrong to assume he was trying to stabilize the element. No, he was turning it into a bomb. He was trying to kill everyone here.
He paused, and they looked at each other. Dr. Hall with defiance, and she with incredulity. "Why?" she gasped.
"I can't let Quinn have this power."
Interesting. If he wasn't on Quinn's side, she might have a chance to have all of the gravitonium. "Then help me! I can get both you and the gravitonium out of here, but I need you to cooperate. Gravitonium will be safe at Stark Industries, you know that. You can keep working on it in a safer environment. Believe me, sir, I know the fear of your life's work falling into the wrong hands. I won't let that happen to you, I swear!"
Maybe she should have consulted with Pepper first before offering Dr. Hall a job, but she had had to improvise under these circumstances. Besides, she was the Chief Technologist. The whole R&D department was her responsibility. She could hire whoever the hell she wanted.
"You think you're better than him? No."
It looked like he wouldn't hear any of it. Well, she had tried…
"I'm sorry, Dr. Hall," she said, and activated the Sonic Taser in her pocket. He grunted in pain, and Ana caught him before he collapsed and hit his head. She didn't want to kill him. She remembered the pain of being subjected to a Sonic Taser. Once again, she was on the giving end of cruelty for a change, but this time, she took no pleasure from it. Franklin Hall was a brilliant scientist whose judgment was just clouded with fear. She didn't want his blood on her hands. Gently, she dragged him to a corner and left him there, making sure he was comfortable enough.
"This will only last fifteen minutes. Everything's going to be alright. I'll put gravitonium to good use, I promise," she said sweetly.
She returned to the computer, reversed the process and shut the generator down. It would take some time for the gravitonium to be fully discharged, so there was nothing to do but wait.
"Look at you," Hall said. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he had regained the ability to speak. "You've risked your life just to get here. This is greed!"
"I'm not doing this for money!"
"Only because money is not what you need. No, you crave something else. Power. As if you don't have enough of that already. For your kind, it's never enough."
"Dr. Hall, please… This is the only thing that can end my father's nightmares. The only thing that can ensure the safety of our planet. To see what's coming—"
The door flew open, and a familiar voice asked, "Dr. Hall?"
Ana gasped. "Coulson?"
Coulson looked like someone who had been caught red-handed, but he kept his cool. "Oh, hello, Ana. What are you doing here?"
"Not much," she said sarcastically. "Just stopping Hall from killing us all."
Coulson turned to him. "Dr. Hall? Is that true?"
Hall remained silent, but someone else must have confirmed it through Coulson's comm, because his expression changed into one of betrayal. "Why?"
"To bury it in the ocean. With him. All petitions, embargos couldn't stop him. He grows more powerful every day. Then I get word he's found this. Sorry, Mr. Coulson. I had to make a choice."
Ana walked up to Coulson. "What are you doing here?"
"Dr. Hall was a SHIELD asset. We thought he was kidnapped."
"Oh, come now, Coulson. We both know I'm not talking about the mission."
Coulson was about to say something, but his eyes widened in panic at the sight of something behind her. Ana turned to look, and realized it was Dr. Hall, who had made a leap towards the control board and restarted the generator.
"Shit!" Ana made her own leap to stop him, but she slipped and fell down.
What happened afterwards felt like it was happening both too fast and in slow motion at the same time. The generator regained acceleration, pulling everyone and everything in the room towards itself. Ana tried to hold onto something, but before she could do that, she hit her head, and everything went dark.
…
When she came back, something was wrong about her surroundings. She was lying on the glass panel that separated the gravity field generator from the rest of the lab, and everything around her was upside down. Quite literally. The right heel of her stiletto was broken. Her ankle had been twisted, and was throbbing painfully. Yeah, it was never a good idea to wear heels in a lab…
Coulson and Hall were standing on the same panel. The latter had a glass of drink in one hand and a gun in the other, pointed at Coulson. He didn't have a gun when Ana had entered, so he must have taken it from Coulson.
"Coulson?"
"Ana? You alright?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Stay close to me. I'll get us out of here."
She sat up, but when her hand went to her pocket, the Sonic Taser wasn't there, although she still had the earplugs on. Shit.
The generator started accelerating again, making them sway from side to side and shifting the floor beneath them. This time, they ended up on one of the walls. Ana took off her stilettos, and limped to Coulson's side, barefoot. At least it was safer this way.
"All I had to do to get access to Quinn's lab is to drop little clues, create a puzzle for him to solve. Quinn likes to feel smart."
"So, you leaked your location… Why not reason with him?"
"You can't reason with an addict! And he's addicted to exploiting opportunities! So is she! They give no thought to the friends, the ecosystem, future generations left ruined in their wake!"
"I don't know about Quinn, but I know Ms. Stark. She's a good person. Like Agents Fitz and Simmons, your former students. I've got them in my ear right now, telling me you're not a bad guy. We could've worked with you on this."
"SHIELD? SHIELD is just as guilty of the same thing! Experimentation without a thought of consequence! Your search for an unlimited power source brought an alien invasion."
"Don't waste your breath," Ana advised Coulson. "I've tried offering him a job. It didn't work."
"I don't know, he's actually making a fair point about the alien invasion."
Was Coulson openly criticizing SHIELD? This was new…
Suddenly, Ana spotted the Sonic Taser on the ground, beside the knocked over table behind them. Knowing she couldn't run, she waited for the next gravity pull, and used it to made a quick forward roll to pick the device up while Hall was trying to regain his balance. He could still shoot her, but it was a risk she was willing to take.
"Hey!"
Ana had got the device.
The scientist sneered bitterly. "You won't use that. You have protective earplugs, but Coulson doesn't."
"And that's why you're not going to shoot him." If he shot Coulson, Ana would be free to stop Hall. "Oh, and you're wrong. It was our vulnerability that brought the aliens. Cowards like you hold us back from catching up with the rest of the universe! If things stay as they are right now, we're all doomed. Caution is a luxury we can no longer afford!"
The floor shifted once more, and Coulson used this opportunity to charge at him, while Ana focused on holding her only weapon securely in her palm. Coulson disarmed Hall, and took his gun back. They were standing on the glass panel again. She scrambled to her feet, trying not to put too much weight on her right foot.
"I see the future, Mr. Coulson! And it's a catastrophy!"
"I just see a lot of people in trouble." He yanked a cable hanging on his right. Of course, it didn't do anything.
"Coulson, if cutting the power worked, I would've done it myself."
"Fitz-Simmons are telling me to find a catalyst… What does that mean?"
"No, that's not an option." Adulterating the element would make it completely unusable.
"Why not?"
"Because she wants to use the gravitonium herself later," Hall said when she remained silent. "See? That's my point! She's willing to die for it!"
"My dad needs it. Coulson, please! I can't return home empty-handed!"
"Ana, I don't think Stark needs you to die either."
"I'm not going to die! I just need to come up with a different angle…"
He turned to Hall. "It's not too late to do the right thing. Help me find a catalyst!"
"I am doing the right thing! Completely selfless act. I know that history never celebrates what didn't happen. They'll call this a tragedy. They won't understand the good I did here."
Through the door window, Ana could see Skye, with another man. Probably an agent. This was getting even weirder…
"Killing innocent people?" Coulson asked.
"Saving millions. We have to live with the choices we make. But sometimes, we had to die with them, too."
Coulson lowered his weapon. "I understand. You made a hard call."
"Yes."
"And now, I have to make mine."
He pulled the trigger. He didn't shoot directly at Hall, though, just the glass beneath his feet.
"NO!" Coulson had guessed right. The human body could work as a catalyst.
The glass beneath them was shattering, too. Coulson held onto a cable, and grabbed Ana by the arm before she followed Hall into the gravitonium below. It had been a close call.
The generator stopped, the room returned to its normal alignment. That was when Skye stormed in, with the other guy. She was soaking wet.
"You were a SHIELD agent?" Ana cried.
"She's a Consultant," Coulson explained.
Damn, she should have known. Typical SHIELD. She looked at the gravitonium. To her surprise, it hadn't petrified like she had feared. Maybe it was the catalyst being a living organism that had made the difference.
"Ana? Is everything alright?" Happy barged in next, with his gun out. His jaw dropped open when he saw Coulson. "Wait, is that…"
"Put the weapon down!" the other SHIELD agent yelled, now pointing his own gun at Happy.
"Agent Ward, calm down," Coulson said. "Nobody here wants to hurt anybody… Right, Ana?"
Ana gestured Happy to put his gun away, then removed her own earplugs to prove she had no intention to use the Sonic Taser. Now they could negotiate. She had a million questions for Coulson, true, but her priority was still the gravitonium.
"Coulson," she started. "I don't know what you guys are doing here, but it's none of my business. I'm here for the gravitonium. Let me just take it, and be on my way."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that."
"I thought you agreed SHIELD couldn't be trusted with such things anymore."
"Yeah, but that comment was off the record. Besides, gravitonium is not mine to just hand over to you."
"In that case, I want to have a word with Director Fury."
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"That's quite a demand."
"Oh, don't worry, he always has time for me."
"Very well. I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, you and Mr. Hogan are coming with us."