Chapter Fourteen

"Fury, you do realize that I'm supposed to be on vacation, right?" Ada asked after she'd pulled out the pad that Tony gave her weeks ago. It was a Stark Pad, some of the latest technology that wasn't even out on the market, yet. Ada had tweaked with it and managed to get the system working flawlessly. Now that it was fully functional, Ada used it mostly while she was on business trips with Tony, using a special function that prevented people from tracking her calls. And, of course, the one time she was on vacation, Director Fury would call her, "I've got better things to do than listen to you yell your ass off at me."

She was in the hotel room that Tony booked where her party was being held, getting ready. The room itself was about average, with a double-sized bed and small closet where she could put her clothing in. Tony always seemed to go all out on business trips. Ada didn't mind staying in any place possible. Considering she was now working for SHIELD, she would have to get used to living conditions that might be considered appalling to most people.

"I understand that," Fury replied, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. If there was one thing he hated, it was an arrogant Stark. Though, in Ada's defense, she was on vacation, and she hadn't gotten much sleep because of her nightmare, "But, I'm calling you ahead of time to send you information on a future mission. Have you heard of Doctor Banner?"

That name was enough to catch Ada's attention. Tony had mentioned Banner's work on more than one occasion when she was working in the lab. She knew how much Tony idolized Banner's study on Gamma radiation. Though, Ada suspected he was more interested in the explosion that had followed during one of Banner's experiments regarding Gamma.

There had been reports on what happened after one of his experiments went horribly wrong. While most of those reports weren't available to the public, she'd seen some of them thanks to the agency keeping tabs on anyone who dealt with the weird and the unusual, and Banner's work had been at the top of said list.

"So, you're expecting me to find some guy who's been on the run from the military for the last few months, now?" she asked in disbelief.

While this was her first actual SHIELD sanctioned mission, it seemed like an impossible task. She should have been excited with the idea of Fury trusting her enough to go on a solo mission. But a small part of her was also dreading the moment she went out on her own. The last attempt had ended in miserable failure, and while she hadn't been alone at the time, she still ended up hurting people in the process.

What happens if something like that occurs again? she wondered anxiously.

Ada had already fallen onto the bed as she set her Pad on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling, putting it on speaker. Banner had been on the run for years after the experiment had gone horribly wrong, and finding him was like finding a needle in a hay stack.

"I know this isn't gonna be easy, Stark, but with your age and with your abilities to connect with people, you're the most qualified agent for this mission," he pointed out. Ada sucked in a breath as she understood where he was getting at, with that. She wasn't exactly what people would consider 'qualified'. Given how young she was and how much the council had fought for her to stay away from the agency, she was surprised that Fury was allowing this in the first place, "This is what you've been training for."

She held back a sigh and finally moved the Pad so that she was looking at the camera. Fury of all people should have known better than to send someone like her out on the field. She was anything but ready for such a mission. Finding someone like Banner meant she would spend weeks away from Tony. It also meant she had to make up some kind of excuse to get away from him.

She had already lied enough to Tony since joining SHIELD. She knew it was only a matter of time before he figured out something was up. And she had a feeling that the moment he did find out was when everything would spiral out of control.

"Exactly what excuse am I supposed to make with dad when this is all said and done?" she asked, eyeing Fury seriously when she caught the deadpan look he threw her, "He doesn't know I'm working for SHIELD, and I was hoping to avoid telling him until he's ready."

"Leave that to us," Fury reassured her, not looking the least bit surprised with her worry, "We've already got the coordinates of the location where he was last spotted; he shouldn't be that hard to track." Ada gave a nod at that, glancing at the corner of her screen when she saw that the encrypted message was sent, "The mission is in a few days, so get ready."

Ada let out a sigh of frustration when he disconnected the call. Once the screen went dark, she finished getting ready and made sure that everything was in check before meeting with Tony and the rest of the crowd. She was nervous. Not just about the mission, but the party itself. Tony always invited people she didn't know, which meant she'd have to play along with smiles and waves.

She tried not to think about it as she left the hotel room to meet with Tony and Pepper. Things between herself and Tony had gotten drastically better, after they talked things through. She just hoped he understood where she was getting at when it came to being a teenager. She was going to be disappearing more often than not when it came to SHIELD sanctioned missions, and, Tony needed to be ready for that.

"Well, don't you look good," Tony remarked after seeing the silver-gray dress Ada had chosen to wear. It was a stark contrast to her caramel colored skin tone, and it hugged her hips nicely. Though, Tony wasn't overly fond of the fact that it did make her attractive. "You know what, why don't you go and change into something a grandma might wear?" he suddenly suggested after wrinkling his nose at the thought.

"Ignore him," Pepper rolled her eyes, clearly as annoyed with Tony's behavior as Ada felt. "You look beautiful, Ada."

"Thank you, Pepper," she grinned back, relieved that at least someone saw through Tony's ruse.

He only rolled her eyes before leading the way down to the main room where the party was being held.

Ada blinked in surprise when she saw the same woman from the last interview a couple of days ago waiting for them. 'Natalie' just looked at them with a pleasant smile, albeit there was tension between her and Pepper the minute the strawberry blond noticed her.

"I cannot believe you hired her," Pepper hissed under her breath.

She was more than likely annoyed Tony had hired Natalie without her consent. Though, Ada couldn't blame her for that, especially considering she was also the CEO of Stark Industries. Tony's smug look only left Ada crossing her arms as she caught him looking at Natalie up and down. She nearly rolled her eyes at that, knowing full-well that Tony was crossing boundaries he shouldn't at that point.

"Miss Potts, Mister Stark, Miss Stark, you have a photographer, so—" She paused as a cameraman suddenly reached them and took their pictures. All of them kept on a poker face, despite the obvious tension between them. Ada had no doubt Tony was in for an earful when this was over, judging from the glare Pepper was giving him, "Right this way."

"You look fantastic," Tony started once Pepper was out of earshot.

"Thank you, very much," Natalie returned the gesture with a charming smile of her own. Ada couldn't help but glance at Pepper self-consciously when she noticed she was distracted by a couple of reporters, "You have a dinner today at nine thirty."

"Perfect," Tony replied with a wide grin, "I'll be sure to make it by eleven. Is this ours?"

He gestured to a table that overlooked the racetrack. Ada rose an eyebrow when she noticed that crowds were already beginning to fill in the stands. The race itself didn't start for another hour or two, but vendors were also joining the crowds to sell whatever merchandise they could.

"It can be," the redhead replied, though her hesitance told Ada she wasn't looking forward to dealing with that task.

Luckily, Pepper had already pulled Tony aside to start knocking some sense back into his head. Ada grimaced at the thought, knowing that Pepper was not the kind of woman she would want to piss off. She may have acted honey-sweet most of the time, but she had a temper about her that made even a wolverine look friendly.

"So, what made SHIELD decide to send the Black Widow after my father?" Ada asked once she and Natalie were left alone.

She glanced at the redhead self-consciously, not missing the fact that she actually faltered a little. She almost smirked at that sight. After running enough searches throughout the database and checking in with Clint on the matter, she knew who the redhead really was. Natalie had done a good job at wearing a disguise, and Ada supposed that was part of her training, but the red hair had been a giveaway.

"There's no such thing as the Black Widow," she tried pointing out.

"Please," she scoffed in annoyance, crossing her arms once more as she looked at Natalie curiously, "I've heard enough rumors from both Barton and Coulson to know that she does exist, and that she normally only works sanctioned missions out on the field. So, what are you really doing here?"

"Barton was right," Natalie shook her head in grim amusement, "You are annoyingly perceptive." Ada tsked her tongue at that, knowing Clint found her more annoying than any other agent he'd worked with. Though, in her defense, she was still a teenager. "Look, I've been sent here to keep an eye on your father in case he does anything reckless. Seems there've been a few readings on his vitals that aren't showing up as normal."

Both were already headed to the bar where they could order drinks. Even if she was only sixteen, that didn't mean Ada deprived herself of a good drink. She'd broken into Tony's stash behind his back, and while she didn't drink to the point where she was completely buzzed, it felt good to open a bottle every now and then.

Not for the first time, a knot of worry formed in the pit of her stomach as Ada recalled the black veins along Tony's neck. His behavior hadn't been completely off the charts, but there was something almost… strange over the last few weeks. She couldn't explain his odd habits or the way he'd been acting, but she knew something wasn't right.

"So, you're suggesting those black veins I've been seeing on his neck aren't normal?" Ada guessed, earning a look of surprise from the redhead.

"Ada Stark!"

Ada bit back a groan at the sound of an annoyingly familiar voice. Natalie used this as a chance to slip away before she could interrogate her any further.

"Justin Hammer, what a… pleasant surprise," she greeted him in a honey-sweet voice, desperately trying to mask her annoyance.

The older man took her hand and shook it as a gesture for the reporters to take note of. Which only added to her aggravation. Even if she acted beyond her age, she was still only sixteen. The thought of dating someone who could easily pass as Tony's age (she wasn't even going to go there, for his sake), disgusted her.

"You know, I never knew the daughter of Anthony Stark could look so… pretty," he started, eyeing her up and down as she held a glass of gin in hand. By now, she was struggling to fight the vile in her throat, "I have to say, it would be quite the opportunity for me to get to know you a little better, in a more private setting."

"Look, Hammer, for one thing, that's beyond disgusting, and for another, I'm his adopted daughter," she retorted, eyes narrowing as Hammer just couldn't seem to take the hint. "Besides, there's about a hundred other men I would rather date around here."

The fact that he was flirting with her in the first place only added to her disgust. She could easily press charges against him, but she knew that would only end in disaster. Instead, she decided to remain passive aggressive. If he made a move, then she could use that as an excuse to fight back.

"Well, I had no idea…" By now, his hands were snaking their way around her waist, and it took everything Ada had not to slug him right then and there, "Maybe I can still buy you a drink, then? You seem fond of them."

Faster than he could react, Ada suddenly grabbed hold of his wrist and twisted it at an awkward angle. The moment she heard a distinctive cracking noise was when Ada hid knowing a smirk. Hammer let out a yelp of pain when he realized she'd broken his wrist. He quickly pulled his hands away and stood a few inches away from her, eyes widening in panic.

Other people had noticed Hammer's intentions, though. People such as Christine Everheart, the ever-annoying news reporter Tony had flounced around with a couple of years ago. Her eyes were narrowed when Hammer tried putting his now broken wrist in a bucket of ice to keep himself from screaming.

"Look who it is, my least favorite person in the room!" Tony clasped his hands together as he reached Hammer, a sly grin written across his face. Despite that, though, Ada could see the fury flashing across his eyes. He'd seen everything, and wasn't taking any shit from Hammer. Not this time. He reached out a hand, and Hammer just stared at him incredulously, as if he wasn't sure what to do with it, "And here, I didn't think I invited you."

"I was invited by Christine Everheart," he retorted as he finally shook Tony's hand, with his left hand. He was still holding his other hand awkwardly after the matter, glaring daggers at Ada while she stood beside her father with her arms crossed, "You know, I could press charges against your kid for orderly misconduct, and hurting a civilian."

"And I could press a dozen more charges over the fact that you just tried flirting with my daughter." The icy tone of Tony's voice was enough for Hammer's eyes to widen in horror, slightly, "Need I remind you that she's just a miner?"

"A miner who can and isn't afraid to kick your sorry ass if you try that move on me, again," she added with a snort of laughter, ignoring the incredulous glare Hammer was giving her.

He'd learned his lesson, as far as Ada was concerned. Never mess with the Stark's. Not even on their worst days. He immediately tried regaining his composure as Christine joined him seconds later, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"By the way, this is the new CEO of Stark Industries," he changed the subject when Pepper reached Tony's other side, narrowing her eyes when she caught the tension between them all.

She might not have seen the confrontation unfold, but she did know how uneasy Tony was around Hammer in the first place. Ada nearly rolled her eyes when she realized that Hammer was at least wise enough to know when he should back down.

"I know, I know," Christine offered a warm smile to Pepper after congratulating her, "And, my editor would kill me if I didn't take the opportunity to get a quote from you. Would you mind?" There was a pause as she looked at Ada, as well, "Actually I was hoping to get a quote from the both of you, seeing as you know Mr. Stark better than most people."

"I think I'll give Pepper the spotlight, for this one," Ada turned down the offer, hating interviews to begin with, "After all, this is a huge achievement for anyone."

Christine's face fell when she realized Ada wasn't in the mood for an interview. She hated them, not only because people rarely saw the real her through them, but because the reporters in question always took everything out of contrast.

"Oh, of course, but—"

Hammer cut her off before she could continue, "She's actually doing a spread on me about the Stark Expo."

A panicked look flashed across Tony's face at the mention of 'spread'. Ada nearly laughed at Tony's expression. She had stayed at Pepper's apartment at the time when Christine was with Tony that night. She never took part in whatever crap Tony put women through. The worst part of those nights had been knowing what he was up to at the time. Tony had tried explaining to her in the best way possible that there was nothing wrong with what he did. But she knew well enough to know that it was better not to ask questions and stay with Pepper during those kind of nights.

"Yes, well, she did quite a… spread on Tony, last year," Pepper intervened when she caught the panic written across Tony's face.

"You should not be part of this," Tony whispered to Ada, who only rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time.

Her aggravation only got worse when she caught the sly look Hammer gave her. Maybe he hadn't learned his lesson after all. She would have thought that by now, he would realize she was off limits. She struggled to maintain her composure throughout the conversation.

"You really think I don't know what goes on behind those doors?" she scoffed, ignoring the look he gave her, "I'm old enough to understand. Besides, Pepper already beat you to the birds and bees talk."

Tony's eyes widened to the size of full-moons, and for a moment, it looked as if she saw his cheeks turn a faint shade of red. Relief swept through Ada when Pepper finally had the decency to excuse themselves from the conversation. Tony was fully ready to argue with them, desperate to get away from the already awkward conversation before it got any worse when he thought better of it.

"You handled Hammer perfectly, Ada," Pepper congratulated her once they were far enough away.

Ada couldn't hide the smirk that followed, "He was asking for an ass-kicking. I just wish I could've done it again when he brought up his story with Christine."

Pepper just looked at her in amusement. For a moment, Ada suddenly felt as if she was normal again as she leaned into Pepper. Moments like these were rare, nowadays. With Pepper busy as the CEO of Stark Industries, they didn't get to see each other as often. She'd always seen Pepper as a mother-figure, and probably because it was Pepper who had always been there for her.

Should I tell her about my powers? she wondered absentmindedly. If there was anyone she could trust with such knowledge, it was Pepper.

"Pepper, I think—"

Before Ada could even say anything, she saw something on the television screen that made her think twice about telling the truth. Pepper's own eyes widened in disbelief when she too spotted Tony climbing into a race car. The driver in question was swearing a dozen colorful words after he was thrown out of his seat.

"Natalie, get Happy," Pepper ordered the redhead when she tried apologizing for not keeping a better eye on Tony. Pepper turned to Ada, whose face fell at the sight of Tony putting himself in harms way, again. After the way he'd been acting over the last couple of weeks, she knew she shouldn't have been so surprised with his reckless behavior, "Ada, Tony would kill me if I let you anywhere near this."

"He's my father," Ada snapped, eyes narrowing with defiance, "You try and stop me."

She let out a sigh of frustration as the car pulled up. Happy was in the driver's seat with the Iron Man suitcase. It was a device both Tony and Ada had worked on, specifically for moments like this. As Pepper got in she shot Ada another desperate look, but she only shook her head.

"Guys, I'll meet you there," she told them.

Before either of them could argue Ada started running. She wasn't even sure where the boost of speed had come from, but, she used it to my advantage. It wasn't long before she reached the gate that opened up to the track.

The panicked cries of the crowd could be heard as Ada got inside, only to see what looked like a man with whip-like electrical arms. Her heart was racing as he threw one of the whips towards the crowd rushing to get out.

In one quick move, the world around her suddenly changed from that of excitement to complete and utter chaos. Without thinking, Ada threw a wall of water between them, concentrating as much as she could. The last thing she wanted was for them to get caught in the crossfire. The panicking crowd had stopped their shouting, too shocked to speak.

All she could see was her father staring at the tan-skinned man with graying brown hair approaching him. The fear in his eyes was obvious. He had no means of escape unless Happy got here in time. She had no other choice but to stop this guy before things got out of hand.

Ada ran down the race track so that she got close enough to see what was really going on. The man approaching Tony had thrown one of his whips at the car, cutting half of it off. In a split second, he threw the whip again, cutting the other half off. By now, Tony was making a feeble attempt at getting away.

"Leave him alone!" Ada suddenly shouted.

The attacker suddenly whirled around, realizing that he was not alone. She rolled to the side as he threw a whip in her direction, narrowly avoiding getting shocked. She could hear Tony's shouting in the background, but, her attention was on the attacker.

That was when things started to go wrong. One of his whips suddenly grabbed her by the wrist. She held back a yelp of pain as energy coursed through her. This sort of pain was nothing compared to when she had put on that necklace. The man raised an eyebrow when she held on to the whip. With one strike she managed to throw a ball of fire directly into his face. By now, Tony had stopped his shouting, he was only staring at her in disbelief.

The man attacking her had finally released his grip on her arms, struggling to cool off his now burning flesh. Ada didn't give him a chance to recover from the shock of her attack. She threw another fireball at him, fueled by anger towards the fact that he'd attacked Tony. The fireballs didn't stop until he slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

"You lose," he finally rasped in a heavy Russian accent.

A shiver of dread swept through Ada as the limo finally reached the race track. Tony managed to stand up, still shaken from what had happened. Panic crawled through Ada as she realized that Tony had seen everything. He'd seen everything, and probably had about a dozen questions to ask now.

"Ada, wait!" Tony's cries fell on deaf ears as she bolted before he could reach her.

She had to get away from there. Away from the people who raised her. The overwhelming fear that she'd hurt him, and everyone else suddenly came crashing down on her. All that mattered was keeping them safe, and that meant getting away before things could get any worse.