Chapter Seven

It was late by the time Ada had finally returned to the mansion. After dismissing more than a dozen phone calls, hopping into the shower, and changing into pajamas, she was exhausted. Tony had returned not long after she did. Though, she spent the rest of that afternoon on the cove trying to vent off her frustration and fear.

She knew he was trying to sort things out with Obadiah. The idea of them working things out though left Ada feeling uneasy. After seeing the way he ran the company and seemed so eager to get things back in order, she had a feeling Tony knew more than he was letting on. Something had changed him, while he was there in Afghanistan. Something had turned him into a different person from what she had been familiar with, and she couldn't be sure if that was a good thing.

Between that and everything else, Ada couldn't help but wonder if things would ever go back to the way they had been. She didn't miss the days when she would wake up in the orphanage. But, she couldn't shake off the feeling that things were only going to get worse. With Tony being in the state he was, she wondered how long it would take for him to actually recover from being captured. None of what had happened to him should have happened in the first place.

"Are you going to the dinner, in a few days?"

Ada nearly leaped out of her skin at the sound of Pepper's voice. She'd almost forgotten about the dinner that was taking place almost a week from now. Technically, a sticky note and a reminder from Jarvis just in case had been placed in the kitchen for safe-keeping. With everything that was going on, Ada hadn't really had the chance to think about it.

Her mind suddenly wandered back to how she would dress for the dinner. Normally, she didn't care about such affairs since Tony was usually the center of attention. Since he returned from Afghanistan, she had no doubt the media would focus more on her this time around.

Appearance may not mean a thing to me, but I'd rather not have them soil my image, she reminded herself.

"Yeah, I'll be going," she gave a nod of agreement before noticing something Pepper was trying to hide, "What's in the bag?"

Pepper did her best at hiding the brown paper bag she had wrapped up. Her hands looked as if she'd washed them a dozen times before approaching Ada. She knew that Pepper would have normally been back at her apartment at this hour, so, obviously, something was up.

"Just, a small gift your father gave me during his trip," Pepper replied, almost wrinkling her nose in disgust. If they were anything like the last gifts Tony had gotten her, Ada didn't blame her for feeling that way. Ada couldn't hide the smirk that followed when she reached her, "I'll see you tomorrow then," she added with a kiss on the forehead.

She rose an eyebrow skeptically as Pepper left her at that. Something told her Tony was down in the lab, which meant he probably wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. Once Pepper was gone, Ada returned to her room, trying to resist the urge to stop by and see what Tony was doing. Knowing Tony, he was either busy trying to fix things that hadn't been touched for weeks, or brooding over whatever happened in Afghanistan.

With a heavy sigh, Ada threw herself onto the bed and welcomed the warm comfort it provided. Not for the first time, her mind wandered over to how she would tell him about her powers. The idea suddenly left her feeling nauseous. She couldn't be sure whether he would accept her after she told him the truth. She didn't want to be treated like some kind of freak, who was destined to be locked in some kind of facility and tested on just for being different.

She tried casting the uneasy thoughts away, knowing that thinking about it wouldn't help. Whatever happened, she knew she couldn't tell him the truth. Not without things escalating to a full-blown fight, or without her fearing the worst possible outcome.

…

"Congratulations, Nadia. You're expecting a baby girl."

The woman breathed in a sigh of relief as the doctor turned away.

After months of fleeing from the hunters, she and her group had found a small village known as Rajasthan. There, they would rest for the next few months in the hopes that her unborn child would survive. The villagers had been kind enough to let them stay until they recuperated from their journey.

Nadia was exhausted from all of the running. She was certain it wasn't healthy for her unborn child either. But, they had little choice. The longer they stayed, the more danger they and the people that took them in were.

"How much longer must we keep up this running?"

The leader of their group, an elderly man with long silvery white hair, let out a sigh of frustration. His name was Thai, and he came from a long family of people born with unusual gifts. Nadia was now his eldest daughter, and she was also the only one left of his family. Losing his family had taken a toll on him. It was clearly written out on his face, and guilt suddenly stabbed at Nadia's heart. All of this just so that her little one could find a safe place to live.

"For as long as it takes," replied the gruff voice of a brother. Though they were not related by blood, Nadia had come to know him as her brother. They grew up together near a farm in France. They became good friends and protected one another. She had discovered that he could read minds, but only from a short distance. "Why can we not just strike them down? We have the power to do so," he added.

"Benoit, I understand your hostility towards the humans," Thai murmured thoughtfully. "But, we cannot persecute them. It would be an act of violence, and we are not the violent type; it would only justify what they already believe us to be." Benoit looked at him angrily, but said nothing in response. "We can only hope that one day the people of this world understand we are not a threat."

Nadia nodded in agreement, though she had her doubts. Humans were strange creatures. They lived in a world of fear and hate. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they destroyed themselves with all of their violence.

The only thing she could hope for was that her child was raised in a world where she wouldn't live in fear. Despite all of that, she knew that the child provided a future for her people. One that would clearly define whether or not they would survive.

…

Her heart was beating rapidly when she woke with a gasp. It was only seconds before her world went black when that dream occurred. The woman she had dreamed about days ago… she now knew her name. What scared Ada the most, though was how realistic those dreams were. She could still remember every vivid detail within those dreams. She not only could see the emotions written across their faces, but she could also feel them as well.

Ada found herself frowning at the thought.

Most people who had dreams that were memorable usually had a meaning to them. At least, that was what Ada liked to believe. The truth of it was, Ada had been terrified of the reality that these dreams were bringing her. People had died in her dreams. People who seemed good, and they were just struggling to survive.

Once her breathing had become steadier, Ada reached for her notebook from under the bed and started writing down in vivid detail of what she had seen. She knew that writing this down for future reference was important. If anyone asked what she had been dreaming about, at least she could explain in full detail what had happened.

About the only thing she did know was that these people needed help. It was clear they had been on the run for a long time. Nadia had lost her sister. She must have felt devastated; Ada couldn't imagine what that must feel like.

Though, if she was being honest with herself, she did know a bit of what that was like. She'd almost lost Tony. She never knew her own family, or what they were like. To grow up with no knowledge of who her family was, had always left a hole in her heart.

"Jarvis, what time is it?" Ada asked, rubbing her eyes to wipe the sleep out of them.

"It is seven in the morning," the AI replied.

Only seven in the morning. Ada let out a groan when she realized there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. Besides, with Tony being back, she had a feeling this would be the perfect opportunity to ask what had happened to him while he was in Afghanistan. His jumpy attitude and the way he talked to everyone had left her feeling worried that something serious happened.

With that thought in mind, Ada got out of bed and quickly changed. She rose an eyebrow in surprise when she noticed that Tony was awake, and Rhodes was sitting at the wet-bar in the second living room. The two were standing close together, talking in low, urgent whispers. It looked as if Tony was only half-listening, and he was bored out of his mind with whatever Rhodes was talking about.

"Hey, Ada," Rhodes greeted her after realizing they weren't alone.

Tony simply stood back when Ada hopped onto a stool to sit between them, ignoring the looks he and Rhodes gave her. She'd been to the lab enough times to know where her place was. Tony never paid much attention to it, but he did get a little concerned when people like Rhodes were there.

"Hey, Rhodes," she greeted with equal curtness, aware that whatever they were discussing had been serious, "So, you wanna tell me what really happened?" she asked Tony, already jumping into business.

"I'll see you guys later," Rhodes said, clearly not wanting any part in what they were about to discuss.

For once, Ada was grateful Rhodes had chosen not to partake in whatever Tony was about to share with her. The Colonel already seemed to know that this was something they needed to keep between them. Though, he probably also knew what had happened to Tony, and what he planned on doing about the Industries.

Tony's decision to close down the weapon's industry was something that the rest of the world had taken seriously. While Ada understood why he had made such a reckless decision, she also wanted to know what he planned on doing with the company. There was only so much one could do when the world saw Stark Industries as a weapon's company.

"You're really not gonna let this go, are you?" Tony asked, eyeing Ada seriously. She shook her head, eyes narrowing slightly as their eyes met. She was more determined than ever to get answers. Most importantly, she wanted to know how he managed to survive in Afghanistan the way he had, "This… this happened to me."

Ada could only stare at his chest in disbelief when she saw the glowing blue light. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she noticed how similar it was to the Arch Reactor. What amazed her the most, though was that she could practically feel the energy it gave off.

She hadn't missed the scars etched around his chest. Or, the fact that whoever had captured him likely left those scars. It was just another reminder of how painfully close she had gotten to losing him. She carefully reached out, watching the blue light glow ominously bright.

"Rhodey told me what happened to you," she swallowed hard; Tony didn't budge when she carefully brushed her fingers across the device, suddenly wishing that he hadn't sugarcoated it for her, "Is that really the thing that's keeping the shrapnel from entering your heart?"

"Yep. It produces a magnetic pulse that keeps the shrapnel away," he explained.

She nodded to show that she understood. The Arch Reactor had been designed as a ploy to keep the environmentalists happy. Yet, Ada could also see that it was capable of being used as a way of harnessing energy. She'd done enough research to know that such technology was possible, if it was used correctly. The problem was, anyone who heard of the Arch Reactor would think badly of it, because it was such new technology.

"So, that's the only thing keeping you alive?" she deadpanned.

There was a time when Ada had believed Tony to be invincible. He'd proven that on more than one occasion during a reckless party, or when he was drinking. Now, she was only just beginning to understand how vulnerable he was.

A shiver ran through her once more when she realized just how close she had been to losing him. Even though she never flat-out admitted it, she loved him as a father. To lose him would mean more than she could ever say out loud.

"I'll be fine, Ada," Tony reassured her after noticing how quiet she had gotten. "I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon. Believe me."

"So, the Arch Reactor… are you planning on using it in some way?" she asked hesitantly.

She couldn't help but look away, wondering just how honest he was being. After the nightmares she'd been having lately, she couldn't be so sure. With a sigh, she finally gave another nod and realized that she had to believe that Tony was right. His expression wavered slightly when she finally pulled away and stared at nothing in particular.

"Well, I figure I can make some use of the technology that helped save my life," he replied under his breath.

Ada rose an eyebrow at that. She could still recall Obadiah mentioning multiple times that the Arch Reactor was never meant to be used as anything more than a ploy to the public. Even Tony had agreed that there wasn't anything else they could utilize for other than just a publicity stunt.

"I heard from Rhodey that some machine was what helped you escape from those caves," she murmured thoughtfully after deciding to drop the subject.

Tony threw her a knowing a look and offered a sheepish smirk, "Technically, this was what I used to escape."

When he finally pulled out what appeared to be electronic blueprints across the work desk, Ada reached it and stared at the various images in surprise. She wasn't expecting to find a machine that was huge, bulky and barely looked as if it could fly on the blueprints.

"This is how you were able to escape?" she asked, glancing at Tony in surprise when he smirked slightly.

"I hardly had anything more than paperclips and rubber bands," he explained with a shrug. Ada merely rolled her eyes, knowing that he had more than just paperclips and rubber bands to help him. She suspected that the people who took him had various parts stolen. "Okay, I'm a genius who was able to utilize whatever was given to me for my survival."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," she admitted. Ada chewed the bottom of her lip as she glanced between the blueprints and Tony. "Is this what you had in mind when you mentioned re-imagining Stark Industries?"

Tony tilted his head to one side curiously at her question, "Something along those lines. I'm planning on keeping this one a secret. At least until I have it figured out."

She looked at Tony in surprise. She half-expected him to at least provide some sort of insight on what Stark Industries would be doing in the near future. But after seeing those blueprints, she could understand why he wanted to keep this project to himself.

"Alright," she let out a heavy sigh and straightened up.

It wasn't until she started leaving when Tony suddenly put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch.

"Ada, you know I could always use an extra hand on this project, right?" he suddenly asked.

She was caught off guard by his question. For a moment, she was tempted to say 'no' when she thought better of it. Maybe this would be a good way for her to understand what he'd been through while he was held captive.

"You have yourself a deal," she replied with a cheeky grin.

"Great; Jarvis, I'd like to open a new project called Mark II," Tony clasped his hands together once they had that established.

Ada followed Tony towards the table where a holographic image of the original suit of armor displayed the blueprints. She knew that Tony was capable of building and improving upon his original design. After the way he escaped from his captivity just days ago, it was obvious that he wanted to improve what he originally designed.

'Would you like me to store this under the Stark Industries central database?' Jarvis asked.

"Actually, I'm not sure who I can trust right now," Tony suddenly admitted.

Surprise swept through Ada when she realized what Tony was implying. Then she recalled how Obadiah had reacted during the press conference. His less-than-stellar reaction had left her feeling on edge around him, along the way he behaved during Tony's disappearance. She suddenly understood what Tony meant by not trusting too many people yet.

"I'm guessing this information is going to be kept confidential until further notice?" she deadpanned after noticing how Tony tensed a little.

"Well, I'd rather keep it out of nosy people like Obadiah," he pointed out. "This sticks with me… at least until I can determine whether he can be trusted."

She nodded in agreement to that, knowing it only made sense not to trust anyone entirely. It didn't take long for them to come up with a design for the suit itself. Tony came up with the color patterns; gold and red were a bit tacky for Ada's taste, but she wasn't going to complain anytime soon. She was the one who suggested he go with a sleeker design the utilized less energy, and one that could take a bullet or two. That, Tony agreed with fullheartedly.

"A suit like this is going to stand out like a sore thumb… are you sure you want something like that?" she asked warily.

I wouldn't want the media going after me if I had a suit like that, she thought with a shiver.

"You do realize this is me we're talking about, right?" Tony threw her a smirk that said it all.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Ada merely stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms knowingly. Once they fully implemented the suit's design, Jarvis ran a 3D scan on the blueprints Tony set up so that the suit could be finished. Once they finished setting everything up for the suit in question, Ada knew that the next few weeks would be busy. She hoped that Tony knew what he was getting himself into. Building a suit meant that he would be responsible for whatever trouble it caused, and for whatever mess he started.

AN: So this is the beginning of the Iron Man chapters that I said I would fix and update. I'm fixing seven-ten to make them more compatible with the movie rather than what I originally had... which to my honest opinion, was crap. Hopefully this version will be more accurate and give more justice to the movie than what I first had.