Chapter Four

Four years had passed since that incident with the bed. Four years since Ada discovered that she was responsible for setting that bed on fire. It wasn't as if she had done it on purpose. She quickly learned that she could control and create fire in the palm of her hands. Much to her astonishment, Tony had replaced the bed with a new one without any argument. He never questioned what had happened, only provided what little comfort he could at the time of her sudden change and proved that maybe he really was father-like material. When he finally proved that he was father material, she knew at that point that getting adopted was one of the best things that could have happened to her.

Unsurprisingly, Ada had also graduated early from school. Tony was the one who encouraged it after seeing that she hadn't made many friends. Part of it was due to the fact that she was his adopted daughter. So many girls had tried being her friend just because of her last name, while boys tried taking advantage of her. In the end, Ada had learned it was better not to trust them and move on with life. She'd impressed her teachers and the principal to the point where they just handed her her diploma with no further arguments. They knew it was pointless to argue with the fact that her scores were off the charts. Keeping her in school would only drag her down, especially after seeing the way she was treated by some of the other students.

She had also learned that Maggie was doing well in her new home. Since Maggie was two years younger than her, she still had two more years of school to get through. The two of them would often spend long nights talking when Ada wasn't out on the beach, trying to practice her powers. She hadn't told anyone about them, other than writing it down in a notebook. Ada figured it was better to keep such powers a secret, at least until she knew for sure they weren't dangerous. Besides, she wasn't sure how they would react to finding out that she had powers. As far as she was aware, normal humans didn't have the kind of powers she had.

Rhodes spent a lot of time with her when Tony was busy at work, or when he was busy dealing with the press. Ada didn't mind spending time with the Colonel, especially since he always had some of the best stories to tell. Between Rhodes, Pepper, and Happy, she was happy, now. At fourteen years old, Ada had established a good life with Tony Stark. True, there were ups and downs but, she realized that her life could have turned out a lot worse had they not talked things through.

Ada had built a target range on the cove not far from the mansion. She could easily climb down the rocks without anyone noticing, and she slipped out when Tony was busy talking business with Obadiah Stane. She loved spending time out in the open, where she could feel the ocean breeze. It gave her a sense of calm where the mansion didn't. Here, she truly felt free to just be herself. She used that to her full advantage, often firing at the targets until she exhausted herself.

She wasn't sure how far her power extended beyond what she practiced. The problem was, she tried testing her limits to see whether or not there was more she could do. While she wasn't in any hurry to show them off in public, she wasn't above practicing them constantly. After all, practice did make perfect.

Tony was the one who constantly drilled that into her. When he saw what she was capable of in school, he knew holding her back wasn't a good idea. She'd surpassed all expectations in both her education and normal everyday life.

'Ma'am, Mr. Stark wishes to speak with you.'

Jarvis' voice sounded through the earpiece Ada always kept on her. She'd built one in Tony's lab when she realized she needed a warning signal while out on the cove. The last thing she wanted was Tony or anyone else figuring out what she was up to. She went out almost every night, slipping away unnoticed or with a warning to Jarvis that he keep this between them. The AI hadn't betrayed her, yet, and she was grateful he hadn't.

"Alright, Jarvis; tell him I'll be there in a few," she replied through her earpiece. Relief swept through her when Jarvis repeated what she said to Tony. She quickly climbed the rocks and checked to make sure there weren't any scrapes before reaching the back porch. There was a makeshift latter she used to climb onto it, and, it came in handy during instances like these. She frowned when she caught sight of Tony standing in the living room, waiting for her with his foot tapping impatiently. "Is something wrong?" she asked warily, suddenly wondering if he'd caught her down there.

"Ada, I'm leaving for a few days, starting tomorrow," he explained once she reached him. Ada rose an eyebrow in surprise. She understood that Tony took a lot of trips across the world. He'd actually taken her on a few as birthday presents, making more than a few people jealous in the process, "I've got a weapons presentation that requires my presence in the Middle East."

Ada tilted her head to one side at that. She wasn't surprised he was needed for that presentation. Considering he was the one who designed said weapons, it made sense for him to be there. Yet, that didn't stop the knot of worry from forming in the pit of her stomach. With all the unrest in the Middle East, she knew it was only a matter of time before war broke out. Going there during a time of turmoil sounded like a bad idea.

"I wish I could go with you," she admitted.

She suddenly felt uneasy with the thought of him leaving like this. He usually took her on trips throughout the states when the company was involved. But with so much going on in the Middle East, he clearly wanted nothing to do with her tagging along. Sure enough, Tony shook his head, already detesting the idea of her going with him. He knelt down to one knee and wrapped an arm around her in a hug.

"You and I both know I'd never let you anywhere near that place," he reminded her, "Not without body-armor and a guard of soldiers for protection."

She almost laughed at that, "You said the same thing about the school dance, which, by the way, I refused to go to anyways since no one asked me out," she pointed out.

Tony smirked knowingly. He'd made it perfectly clear to any boy that showed interest in her that she was off-limits. He'd gone from caring little to being overprotective within those four years. Though, Ada never minded. In fact, she liked the idea of having a father who cared so much about her own safety.

It was certainly a far cry from what she had grown up with in the orphanage. She had gotten used to growing up without a father figure in her life back there. But the moment Tony adopted her was when her life had changed for the better. She knew that most of the kids at the orphanage would have given anything to have a father like Tony in their lives. And Ada was only just beginning to realize how lucky she was that Tony had chosen to adopt her.

"Pepper and Obadiah are staying behind to keep an eye on you, alright?" he added once he stood back up.

She simply nodded at that, knowing it was mostly Happy who would keep an eye on her. She'd grown to enjoy spending time with Happy since he looked after becoming her official babysitter. Though, if she was being honest, she could just as easily defend herself if anything happened to her. Powers or not, she was no pushover in a fight.

"Stay safe," she told him, her voice barely a whisper.

"You don't have to worry about me," he reassured her, "I'll always find a way back home."

She nodded once more, finding it hard to believe this was the same man from four years ago. Times had changed for both of them. Four years ago, she wouldn't have even called him 'dad'. Tony blinked in surprise when she called him that, and she'd caught the look of pride that would follow shortly after. He would never admit it out loud, but he was proud of her, and he had no regrets in agreeing to adopting her himself.

Now that Ada thought about it, she was suddenly grateful for the changes that were made between them. She hadn't realized until that moment just how much being able to call someone her 'dad' meant to her. It was a strange thought process, but she knew she wouldn't want things any different.

Now, she surprised herself by calling him that just now, "Thank you, dad."

Tony took her by surprise when he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Ada couldn't help but return it, hoping that he really would make it back safely. After everything that had happened over the last four years, losing him would be worse than being told she didn't belong anywhere.

"Anytime, kiddo," he whispered back.

…

Coulson leaned against the back of his seat as he studied the footage in front of him. He'd been keeping track of Ada since Stark adopted her. From sending little birthday gifts to stopping by to watch as she grew, he knew she was getting stronger with each day.

The team that had started its research on her sudden appearance in the world had finally figured out something unusual, about Ada Stark. Coulson couldn't help but frown as he pictured her throwing balls of fire at the targets she set up. She wasn't human. At least, that was what it seemed. His concern for her safety had been ever-growing. She could easily be caught while practicing on the cove, and it had taken every ounce of restraint not to interfere and tell her to go back inside.

"Sir, Mr. Stark is getting ready to leave," he reported to Director Fury. While he had multiple cases floating around that had already been taken care of, this was his most important case. He'd watched Ada grow from a newborn to who she was now. "Sir?" he repeated with a bit of uncertainty.

"Make sure you keep an eye on Ada," Director Fury suddenly replied. Coulson held back a sigh of relief and looked back at the screen, keeping his eyes trained on Ada as Stark left the premises. "With Stark gone, she won't have as much protection."

"As much as I hate to say it, boss, something tells me that she can protect herself," Coulson pointed out, remembering the torched targets from minutes ago.

He would not want to get on Ada's bad side. After seeing what she was capable of, it was obvious that she had more potential than they first realized. That alone led to the numerous possibilities of allowing her to join their agency. Her powers gave her an advantage over others, which was an asset that could not be ignored. If they planned on finding some way of getting her to join the agency, they would need to act quickly. Otherwise other agencies could try and persuade her into joining before they had the chance to ask. And he had a feeling that wouldn't end well for anyone involved.

…

The mother let out a gasp as she struggled to keep up with her family. Life for the traveling group had become increasingly difficult for all of them, since people began discovering their abilities. The expectant mother had been born with the power to control the elements, something of which the rest of her people were unable to do. Everyone else could wield one ability, or one element. It was the way of their people, and it was a tradition that passed on from generation to generation.

However, when those who were outside their group had discovered the woman's powers, they turned on them. The group had quickly learned that they were not welcomed here. However, that did not stop their will to survive.

"Keep moving! They'll catch up to us!"

The leader of the group had stopped in their tracks after noticing the mother had stopped as well. She had tripped, and she was now clutching her ankle in pain. None of them were used to running like this. Especially a pregnant woman. The people who were after them had sought those born with powers, and they had discovered their presence just an hour ago. Their determination to hunt them down like wild animals had terrified the group.

Once word slipped through the village they had been hiding at that there were men on horseback searching for them, they quickly left without a trace. Leaving a trail would only end in misery, with the men finding them. Even so, they didn't have the time to stop and worry over such injuries.

"Kasai!" the woman cried out, grinding her teeth together in pain. This kind of stress was not good for anyone, let alone someone in her condition. The protection of her unborn child meant more to her than she would ever let on, "My ankle must have twisted on that branch."

"Relax," the older woman soothed after hovering a hand over her injury. The expectant mother did just that, steadying her breathing as a golden light appeared from the palm of the older woman's hands. Seconds seemed to pass before the pain began to ease. "You may now try out your foot."

The expectant mother carefully stepped on her once injured foot, sighing in relief when she felt no pain.

"Thank you, Kasai," she whispered, eyes widening in alarm when she noticed the group of riders on horses approaching.

"Go, now! I will hold them off for as long as I can," Kasai suddenly ordered.

"No, I'm not leaving you, sister," the woman protested, feeling her heart break at the thought of losing someone else she cared so deeply for.

The leader of the group was already dragging the pleading woman away. Her eyes widened in horror as the horsemen reached Kasai, who stood her ground. Beads of golden light surrounded Kasai as she glared at the horsemen that surrounded her. She had been preparing for this moment, and she readied herself for their attacks.

The golden lights began whipping about at the horsemen, who drew their swords as the horses shied away from the lights. While they were meant as a means of intimidation, they had an energy that could easily harm those Kasai deemed worthy. The men that surrounded her learned this the hard way as one of them collapsed to the ground with a deep gash on his neck. Kasai attacked them relentlessly, using whatever methods she could to buy her people time to escape.

Her attacks wouldn't last much longer. One of the men suddenly threw a rope in her direction, tripping her as she tried running once more. She wasn't given a chance to fight back as more ropes flew in her direction, binding her hands and feet together within seconds. The men wasted no time in beating her down until she was covered in bruises, feeling utterly powerless against their strength.

"You will be the first of many to die," the leader of the horsemen sneered after reaching the horrified woman.

Kasai merely narrowed her eyes as he reached her, grabbing hold of her chin. Even though his heavy armor, she could see that these men were nothing more than mere cowards. They were targeting innocent people because they were different, and it only justified the rumors they'd all heard.

"Our kind will never die," she spat out the words defiantly. "You will soon realize that; we are meant to survive."

The golden light was already beginning to appear before the startled men. Her wounds were just starting to heal once more when the leader of the group slapped her across the face, striking hard. A shiver ran through Kasai at the blinding pain of his metal-clad hand, leaving a blaring red mark on her cheek.

"Then, let the hunt begin," he crowed.

…

Ada's heart nearly skipped a beat as she woke up, gasping for air. Beads of sweat rolled down her face. The room suddenly felt much smaller when she recalled the vivid nightmare still haunting her mind. Someone had died right in front of her. The thought of watching someone die, without being able to do something about it, sent shivers of fear through her.

Who was that woman? Who was the pregnant woman who had called her 'sister'? Most importantly, the group of people they had been with seemed vaguely familiar. Her mind was already trying to run through the numerous possibilities. She didn't want to believe what she saw. She wanted to pretend that it had been nothing more than a fantasy, made up in her mind. Yet, everything had felt so real, as if it was an old memory.

A shiver ran through Ada as she tried casting the thoughts away. She had a feeling that the nightmare probably didn't mean anything. Whatever that nightmare was, she knew that in the morning, she would forget all about it. At least, that was her hope.