Chapter 2
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Out of many things Salem had inherited from her dad, his music taste was one of her favourites. In the rare instances where she and her dad were in the same car, some sort of rock music would be played to occupy the silence. It usually ended with both of them nodding along to the music or tapping their fingers.
Salem doubted that the passengers in her car liked this type of music but she didn't care. Driver got to pick the music and requests were allowed.
As the road began to become straighter and they were less likely to fall off the edge, Salem increased the speed slowly but firmly.
Her passengers seemed to cling on for dear life as she drove.
Lucky for them, she was taught how to drive by her GodFather and her father's best friend, James Rupert Rhodes, and that meant she was an amazing driver for someone her age.
She managed to shave a thirty minute drive into fifteen and a half minutes. Usually, going at a high speed would scare a driver, especially when the roads were uneven as these were but the Jeep was modified to almost be indestructible and extremely safe for the passengers and drivers.
As the road began to widen as the end came, the barriers were built tonight to slow the students driving. A line started to form at the entryway to the other side, people stopping the cars and checking IDs.
As they reached the gate, an agent made them slow down and knocked on the driver's window.
LILITH rolled the window down for Salem.
"IDs, student or official," The agent said, gesturing to the tablet in their hands. "I need to check them then I can let you through. Evacuation procedures of the school's."
The girls went for their IDs, Daphne, Anna, and the twins went for their school ones while Salem took out her drivers' license that had her full name on it. It was easier if the agent knew who she was because then they would tell Fury or her father.
He took Salem's first, checking it before seeing the name and handing it back. He took the other four IDs and scanned them against the tablet, Daphne's had made the screen brighten but it was barely recognisable as Salem was carefully watching the screen.
He nodded, handing them all back before gesturing for them to move along. "Park and check in at the desk. They'll tell you where you're going."
"Thanks," Salem said, moving the car along slowly as she watched through the side mirror at the agent as he tapped something into the tablet.
She drove about another quarter of a mile, finding the makeshift car park that was only about a ten minute walk from the shore. This used to be used for when the students first came to the island after summer, making sure that drivers knew the rules and license plates were logged onto the system.
She parked, the car's system going into standby as she left the car and everyone got their stuff. She waited until everyone else had started to walk towards the tent that held a couple tables under it, lining up as other people arrived in their cars not far behind.
Salem went second to last in her little group, letting the Rain twins go first with Anna. She checked her phone as she put the rucksack on one shoulder and the duffle across her torso.
"Thumb on scanner," The female agent sitting at the desk asked, making the others move along.
"My thumb isn't in the system," Salem handed her official ID over, both her school and her drivers' license.
"Full name."
"It's on there," Salem said carefully as people behind her started to queue up. Daphne was right behind her and she felt Duke tighten around her neck and shoulders, hissing into her ear a warning.
The agent didn't look impressed. "Please state your full name,"
She sighed, "Sabrina Andris Stark."
The agent nodded. "Minor change of plans. Follow the gentleman behind me. Anna Rue is going with you alone with the twins."
Salem took her IDs back and walked behind the table, Anna already there waiting.
The man they were supposed to follow wasn't an agent, that was clear by his mannerisms quite quickly. Media portrayed him as Hawkeye, an amazing archer of the Avengers. He didn't have his bow and arrows with him right now, but he was cautiously looking around.
An armoured car was waiting for them, ready to take them to the safehouse.
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Salem sat in the front in the passenger seat, her eyes flickering between the road and her phone.
"So," Hawkeye started, looking over to her as he drove. "You're Tony Stark's daughter? I never thought Tony would have kids."
"I was the result of a one-night-stand he had with my mother," She said. "Dropped off at his doorstep a couple hours after I was born."
"So you never knew your mom?"
"Nope," Salem looked out her passenger window, watching as the people milled around out there but they were getting further and further away from the docks and nearer the north-west of the island. "All I know is that I got her eyes and her foul mouth."
"I would have thought you got the foul mouth from Tony," He grinned. "Did you get his smarts too?"
Anna snorted. "She's the laziest bitch I've ever met. Never seen her wake up before ten on any day unless there's a fire alarm or food."
"Or that one time when Miss Kelly had to get me up for the assembly," Salem turned around to look at Anna with a grin.
"Oh yeah, she dunked a bucket of water onto you to wake you up!" Anna laughed. "That was hilarious. You looked like a drained rat!"
"Says the one with the goatface!"
"Alright, calm it," He said. "We're almost there."
Clare and Blair stayed quiet throughout the journey.
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"Yo, IronDad!" Hawkeye greeted as he led the two girls into a small warehouse. "Got your kid and her friends."
The warehouse was split into different areas, and where
Inside were several holographic screens set up, showing the island in its entirety with tiny blue dots moving all around it. In the distance of the island holographic, three large oval shapes were coming towards the island making them the missles.
Tony Stark was ordering around some of the agents as they tried to find ways to diverge the path of the missles. He wore the IronMan suit but as soon as he heard that they were there, the suit came off and walked by itself over to them.
"FRIDAY, scan her for any injuries or anomalies," Tony gestured vaguely over that direction. He glanced over a couple times as FRIDAY looked over Salem with a critical eye and made note of anything.
"Besides the elevated levels of anxiety, nothing is out of the ordinary," FRIDAY said from the suit.
"Good," Tony nodded. "Have you got your stuff?"
"Yeah. Got my go-bag and Duke,"
"Get the girls into one of the other rooms, but I don't want Salem out of my sight. Pepper will kill me if she gets a single hair out of place,"
A pair of agents came over and led Anna, Clare, and Blair away.
Salem went to one of the corners near the tables of screens. Putting her feet up on it, she leaned back in the chair as she put her earphones in and blasted music so she didn't have to hear the people around her. She played a game on her phone to pass the time.
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The rest of the Avengers soon found themselves at the warehouse on the island.
"That's one big snake," Steve Rogers stated as soon as he got a glimpse of a girl sitting with the black snake around her torso and shoulders.
"Is it safe?" Wanda asked.
"She's had that snake for almost six years now. Though I do suggest you don't try and take him away from her." Natasha started to walk past the ones who slowed down. "You wouldn't like the consequences."
Natasha walked over to where Tony stood, getting into the swing of helping instantly as she observed the screens and looked at any information so far.
They all followed her lead, getting over to the command centre all already dressed in their Avengers outfits. Though Rhodey left his to put on later, not wanting to lug around the machine.
"Does it bite?" Sam questioned, nodding over to the pair of snake and girl.
"Yes," Natasha said.
Vision looked confused. "Black rat snakes aren't known to attack humans."
"The snake's not the one you have to worry about," Rhodey grinned at that, quickly making his way over to the girl and snake pair.
The girl had dark hair that went down to her shoulders in messy waves, sticking out a little like she had to hurry out of bed. Jeans, jacket and boots were her outfit along with the long black snake that acted like an extra piece of jewelry around her shoulders and torso.
She had a duffle bag under her chair with a rucksack thrown over the back of it. She had a pair of black, circular glasses perched on top of her head.
When Rhodey got her attention by gently tapping the leg of her chair with his foot, the girl looked up with a familiar scowl on her face before she almost jumped at the taller man.
"They're cozy," Steve said. "Why does she look familiar?"
"Now that you've mentioned it," Sam agreed. "She does look familiar, but I can't place it."
Tony frowned. "Will you lot stop your yapping and help me figure this out? There's three missiles coming towards the island but they're evading everything we've sent to them so far."
"Pepper Potts is calling," FRIDAY said.
"Accept it, thanks FRIDAY," Tony rubbed a hand down his jaw. "Hey, Peps."
"Don't hey me, Tony!" Pepper said. "Is she alright? I want to hear it from her."
Tony turned around, "Salem! Pepper's calling, get your ass over here and tell her you're fine."
"Stop swearing at her, Tony!" Pepper said sternly. "And wipe the smirk off your face, Salem! You two are infuriating sometimes."
"How'd you know?" Salem asked as she came over to Tony, standing next to him as he lifted up the phone so Pepper could see both of them.
"Are you okay, Sal?" Pepper asked.
"I'm good," Salem then pouted. "I don't want to go to school anymore."
Pepper sighed, wiping a hand down her face on the screen. "Salem, you're fifteen. You have to attend school."
"Internship?" Salem prompted hopefully.
"Would you actually do it, constantly attending each and every lesson or whatnot that you need to?" Pepper gave her a look that said she wouldn't. "You'd only go if it was interesting."
Salem scoffed, a half smirk on her lips. "You know me too well."
Behind them, Steve and Sam looked to each other.
"That smirk is unmissable," Sam said.
"Since when did Tony Stark of all people have a daughter?"
Natasha shoved a tablet into their hands. "Tony and Pepper keep her out of all media and files. SHIELD doesn't even have a file on her, only the bare minimum is known."
"But you knew about her?" Wanda said.
"I worked at Stark Industries, remember," She said. "Salem was cautious of me ever since she met me. It's rare for someone to see through any of my acts." She smiled in memory. "Tony, do you want me to take her back to the Tower? It would be safer if she wasn't here. HYDRA tried to get to you through her."
He scowled. "I'm still trying to find out how they found her."
"Facial ID probably," Salem suggested. "If Daphne Grater is the daughter of HYDRA personnel, she could have had a picture of me since she is friends with Anna and I'm Anna's roommate. HYDRA probably has been trying to find a way to get to any of you, and saw my face and went oh look, she looks like a young Stark! Bam, found me."
Natasha nodded. "It would make sense. The media definitely has pictures of Tony when he was younger, and technology has improved in facial recognition."
"I want your tracker," Tony said to Salem with dedication.
"You put a tracker on your kid?" Clint said. "What kind of parent does that?"
"The kind of parent that's been kidnapped before," Tony snapped at him. He went into his pocket and took out a red and gold poker chip. He tossed it in the air and allowed Salem to catch it easily. "Replace the inside with it."
"Salem, we'll talk about your education situation when you get here," Pepper said loudly, getting through to them before anything else happened.
Tony placed a tiny metal box on the table in front of them. "Use the—"
"Smallest one, I know," Salem took out the tiny screwdriver, placing it on the side as she took off a long silver necklace that had a circular pendant at the bottom.
It was long, ending just below her breasts when she wore it. The pendant was circular and black, having a large hole in the middle to loop the silver chain through.
The pendant could be opened to thread the new chip into it.
The red and gold poker chip her dad gave her had a whole in the middle. The gold of the chip was actually wiring for a tracker if activated. Replacing the old blue and purple one in the pendant, she tucked the new one in and replaced the screws.
Tony held out his hand for the old chip, letting Salem drop it into his hands along with the tiny box.
"I'll sort this piece of shit out and get it back to you," He said, looking at the blue and purple chip with disgust. "Romanoff will take the Quinjet and get you and the other three to the airport near New York. Happy'll be there to pick you up."
Natasha put a hand on her shoulder, steering her away from there. "Come on. Get your stuff and I'll get the other three."
Salem nodded, putting her necklace back on before grabbing her bags. She took her red rucksack and threw it over her shoulder. Natasha got the other three girls to follow her and took Salem's duffel bag from her since it would make Duke move from where he laid on Salem's shoulders.
Salem saluted her dad with two fingers, but he didn't even look at her as Natasha made the girls follow her out of the warehouse and to a large jet outside.
Sometimes Salem wished her dad would pay more attention to her but she knew he was a busy man. While she accepted it, it didn't mean she had to like it.
She put her earphones back in, linking to her phone's music again.
Before the music started up again, LILITH interrupted.
"Tracker connected to Loyal, Intelligent, Learning Instruction, Teaching Hardware system. Do you wish to share location with FRIDAY and Tony Stark?"
"Share location," She muttered as they got onto the Quinjet, having a bad feeling that seemed to send chills down her back.
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