Chapter Ten
They spent the next few hours explaining to Pepper what the suit was for. She'd asked how Tony even came up with the concept of the newly dubbed 'Iron Man' suit. He went back to how he designed a suit similar to the new one back in Afghanistan, and he quickly put in that he wanted to make a difference to the world. The problem was, Pepper didn't buy any of it. She wasn't happy when she found out that Tony was putting his life in danger.
Not only was he doing that, but he'd also lied to Pepper, and he'd dragged Ada into his mess. Ada hadn't pointed out that she didn't want a suit built for herself yet. She knew that Pepper would eventually come to see that Tony was making the right choices. He really was trying to make a difference with that suit. By ending the weapon's industry at Stark Industries, he paved a new path that led to helping future generations in the energy industry. And the Iron Man suit would replace what he lost in the weapon's industry.
A few days had passed since that incident. More and more news stories were being broadcasted about the Iron Man suit. The public was going nuts over the stories with people trying to figure out who was behind the suit, and whether said suit was a threat or not. Ada had a feeling that the more people who found out about the suit, the higher chances Tony had of being caught. Though, she also had a feeling that was exactly what he wanted.
He's always been a fan of being on the spotlight, she thought with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey, is your father home?"
She muted the television after hearing her phone ring. She hadn't even realized she had taken it with her, until then. With all that was happening, Ada just wanted a little mind-numbing fun from whatever crap she could find on the television. Of course, luck was never on her side when it came to that.
"No… are you outside?" she asked, switching the channel to a live security feed.
Not for the first time, she silently thanked herself for having the place rigged with cameras. Tony had taken on his own security measures, but, Ada was the one who made sure that all sides of the mansion were under constant surveillance. She wasn't surprised to find Emmett standing at the front entrance, eyes narrowed slightly when he realized that he was being recorded. She couldn't hide the small smirk that followed as she let him in, standing up in the process.
"Your father takes security far too seriously," he complained once he was inside.
"Clearly, you've never had to deal with the media," she rolled her eyes, "Or, the average civilian who might try and break in for an easy buck."
There was plenty of technology in the mansion that was worth more than the average minimum wage job. So, it only made sense to add extra precaution. Besides, Ada didn't feel like dealing with the media; they had a tendency to follow the moves of Tony Stark on a daily basis, and that included anything she did.
She'd quickly learned how to deal with the media when she was younger. They always tried pointing out whatever flaws she made, which was just another reason why she hated them so much. But, she hated it more so because people were so quick to judge her based on what Tony did when they were around.
They talked for what felt like hours. Not for the first time, Ada found herself admiring Emmett's personality. His charm and the way he seemed to understand what she was talking about helped. With Tony, it was different. She always knew how to keep the conversation going as far as technology was concerned.
It was late by the time they had finished. Ada hadn't even realized how much time passed. They'd started walking along the beach as they watched the sunset. She loved watching the sunset; the brilliant display of red, gold and orange that streaked across the sky reflected on the ocean. There was something almost profound, about a sunset and a sunrise. The end of one day, and the beginning of a new day. Emmett was probably the only other person she had ever talked to about that, and the only one to show that he actually cared.
Emmett raised an eyebrow in surprise when her phone suddenly went off again. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Ada answered the phone, knowing that with Tony acting as 'Iron Man', there was no telling what would happen. She had agreed to work with him so long as he stayed safe. Though, she realized with a start that 'safe' was a relative term when it came to harboring a suit like the one they'd worked on together.
"Ada, where are you?" Pepper's worried voice sounded on the other end.
"I'm at the mansion with Emmett. Why?" she asked, glancing at Emmett as she noticed him staring at the ocean.
"Okay, Ada. I'm going back to the mansion in a few minutes with Agent Coulson," Pepper told he. Ada's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Coulson. He had been investing a lot of time with the family since Tony's miraculous return, telling her there was more going on than she realized. "Something's gone wrong."
She hung up before Ada could ask more questions. It didn't take Ada long to guess that whatever happened had something to do with Tony. Between his suit, Obadiah's message with the board and everything else, Ada couldn't help but worry that something would go horribly wrong.
"Emmett, you better get going," she warned him, knowing the last thing she wanted was to get him involved.
He grabbed hold of her arm, a worried look clouding his eyes.
"What about you?" he asked.
A shiver ran through her at the coldness of his voice. She knew when Pepper was worried about what had happened at the company, it was something worth investigating.
"I can take care of myself, Emmett, trust me," she reassured him.
His eyes were dark, and as she tried to control the anger in her voice, Ada noticed with a start that the waves were beginning to churn more violently. Emmett himself stared at the waves as well, not missing the fact that this wasn't a natural occurrence.
The waves finally stopped churning when Emmett relaxed his grip, letting go. She breathed out a sigh of relief when he left without another word. If he caught her controlling the waves, she would have never heard the end of it. She just hoped that she could make up for it. For now, she needed to figure out what was going on with the company, and Pepper. If her theory was right, she had no doubt that Obadiah was behind this mess.
Luckily, Pepper herself was waiting on the rocky bluff. Ada wasted no time in joining the strawberry blond and Coulson in the car just a few minutes later once she reached them. A few other agents were already parked in the lot, awaiting Coulson's orders. Judging from the looks written across their faces, Ada had no doubt this was worse than she could have imagined.
"Take her to safety," Coulson ordered one of his men.
Ada was about to protest when the man in question suddenly grabbed her arm. Pepper just eyed both Coulson and the agent in question before getting into the car. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Ada realized that fighting back wasn't exactly her best option. She had no idea whether or not she should trust these people. Tony's words kept rushing back as she remembered his lack of trust in government agencies.
The man in question who'd taken the driver's seat was tall, and muscular. What caught Ada's attention was the spiky blond hair and blue eyes, though. She tried ignoring the look he was giving her when she climbed into the back seat, all-too-aware that they were likely going to some safehouse.
"Exactly where the hell are you taking me?" she demanded.
She didn't miss the fact that he'd started driving in and out of traffic. Ada winced when she noticed he was breaking every speed limit possible. He made Tony look like a saint when it came to driving.
"Somewhere safe," he replied without missing a beat.
Whatever was going on here, Ada wanted no part in it. She was annoyed enough that these people were treating her like some kid. True, she was only fourteen, but, she'd grown up mostly around adults. Even the teachers at her old school had admitted that she was intelligent beyond her age.
What bothered her the most was the fact that this guy could easily kill her, if he wanted to. Though, she had a feeling he wouldn't, if he was smart. Anything to avoid a lawsuit on his sorry ass.
Ada crossed her arms, glaring out the window as they came closer to what looked like a major underground city. She frowned when she noticed the city itself looked like it was heavily guarded. Her frown deepened as she wondered where they were. Clearly, there was more to this agency than meets the eye.
"Welcome to SHIELD," the agent said once he pulled to a stop.
"SHIELD?" Ada repeated.
It was only after she climbed out of the car that she remembered what Coulson told her. She realized with a start that SHIELD was just an acronym for Strategic Homeland Intermission End Logistics Division. Somehow, the name felt as if it fit. The agent in question just smirked as an African American man wearing a leather coat and eye patch approached them.
His appearance was more intimidating than she expected. Ada swallowed hard, suddenly wishing that a hole would open up and swallow her. Something about this man sent shivers through her. She wondered if this was the man that Coulson worked for.
"Welcome, Miss Ada Stark," he greeted her with a handshake. To her surprise, he didn't sound nearly as intimidating as he looked, albeit he had a firm grip like the agent standing beside her, "I see you've already met Agent Clint Barton."
He nodded to the agent standing beside her. Barton's expression was impossible to make out during the initial greeting. She suspected he wasn't any happier with the situation they were in than she was. Then again, he'd likely already dealt with this kind of situation before.
"Who the hell are you?" Ada demanded, narrowing her eyes, "And, what the hell is all of this?"
What she really wanted to know was why SHIELD wanted her. Tony's warning still rang in the back of her mind. He might have been right, after all. Given how government agencies worked, and everything else, she knew she shouldn't have trusted them right away.
"Let's talk, inside," he replied, gesturing for her to follow.
Ada couldn't help but stare after the man in question as Clint followed him. She shook her head, deciding it was better not to question everything and figure out what they wanted with her. Considering her power and what Tony was up to, she had no doubt that had something to do with it. Maybe that explained why Coulson had seemed so familiar.
As she followed them through the narrow, extensive hallways, Ada watched other agents flock to and from stations. The place was buzzing with activity. It reminded her of a military base, in some ways. The only difference was that these people looked more armed and trained for things that even the military wasn't prepared for. She shook her head at the thought, narrowing her eyes once more when they reached a smaller office.
"Who are you?" Ada repeated her earlier question, deciding to get straight to the point.
If this man was so determined to talk, she wanted to know if she could trust him or not.
"My name is Director Nick Fury," the man introduced himself, "I, along with Agent Barton, and Agent Coulson, work for SHIELD."
He paused, letting this new information sink in. Ada blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what was now happening. If these people did know about her powers, she knew they would try and take advantage of her.
"First off, why the fuck are you telling me this, and second off, can I go home before my father realizes I'm missing?" she snapped, ignoring the look Fury gave her.
She hadn't missed the fact that Clint followed them inside, or that he was now smirking in amusement at her demands. Considering Pepper was the one who called her with such urgency, she couldn't help but wonder if something far worse was happening with Tony. These people had taken her into their custody for a reason, and she wanted to know why.
"Gotta love a kid with a mouth," he snorted in amusement, earning a look from Fury.
"We could use someone with your… assets," Fury explained. "Until we get things settled at Stark Industries, it's better that you stay here."
My assets? she repeated silently, suddenly understanding where this was headed. She'd heard enough stories to know that people like Fury would never see her as anything more than a weapon. If he knew about her powers, which she had no doubt he did, he would take advantage of her.
"You seriously expect me to believe that load of bullshit?" she demanded. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you want to keep me safe, but I'm not going to be someone's tool."
"That's not what I said," Fury sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ada, we've been watching you for some time now. We know about your powers, and where you came from. I believe it's in your best interest that you join SHIELD."
She let out a sigh after realizing that he wouldn't likely take no for an answer. Either she was forced to join SHIELD, or he would tell the world about her powers. She finally leaned forward, uncrossing her arms when she saw some of the benefits to joining SHIELD.
"Alright, where do I sign up?"
…
The following day had consisted of getting ready for the press conference scheduled at Stark Industries. After finding out that Obadiah had gone insane and tried killing Tony just to make a point, Ada was beyond furious. She realized that signing up for SHIELD meant she had missed out on helping her father, who could have been killed in the process. Tony had already reassured her that he was fine, and had proven it by showing that he only sustained minimal injuries. Though, that hadn't helped alleviate her worries that something far worse would happen.
Ada couldn't shake off the feeling that something much bigger was happening, here. She spent a good three hours just signing up for SHIELD and going through the protocols. After that, Clint brought her back to the mansion where she found out what had happened to Tony.
Now, it was a matter of getting the media off their backs. With Obadiah now dead, Tony had to take over the company again and make things right. That, and he needed to somehow convince the public that he wasn't the man behind the red and gold suit.
"There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop," Tony began, pausing for a moment as he stood at the podium and faced the crowd that began asking questions immediately.
Ada stood in the background with Pepper, Rhodes and Coulson lingering behind them. Fury had made the promise that she would begin her training as soon as possible, whether she wanted it or not. She tried not to grimace at the thought of how her training would go. Because she was new to the agency, she doubted anyone would take it easy on her, and she didn't expect them to. The biggest challenge was going to be adjusting to a busy schedule between training and keeping up with Tony.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that—" Christine Everheart started.
Ada narrowed her eyes at the reporter, already feeling an amount of disdain towards her. Christine had been with Tony for a short time, and it hadn't ended on a high note when she was kicked out of the mansion. Pepper had taken great amusement in kicking the woman out once their one-night stand was over. Though, Ada could see that Tony was a bit uncomfortable seeing the female reporter again.
"I know that it's confusing. It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."
She rolled her eyes at Tony's statement. Of course, his ego would need some fueling in regards of being a 'superhero'. As far as she was concerned, he was anything but a superhero. Though, the world could always use one after all the chaos in the Middle East.
"I never said you were a superhero," Christine pointed out.
"You didn't?" When she shook her head he actually looked stumped. "Well, good, because that would be outlandish and, uh, fantastic. I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."
Rhodes finally had enough with Tony's antics, and stepped forward to whisper something in his ear. Ada peered over her shoulder, not missing the fact that Coulson was now frowning. He was the one who wanted Tony to stick to the cards. Now, Ada suspected Tony was beyond the point of no return.
"The truth is…" Tony paused once more, looking down at his cards before looking back at the crowd, "I am Iron Man."