Chapter Twenty One

"When the hour is nigh, And hopelessness is sinking in And the wolves all cry, To fill the night with hollering When your eyes are red, And emptiness is all you know, With the darkness fed I will be your scarecrow, You tell me to hold on Oh you tell me to hold on, But innocence is gone And what was right is wrong, 'Cause I'm bleeding out, So if the last thing that I do Is to bring you down..." Bleeding Out, Imagine Dragons

"Miss Stark, are you a superhero?"

"How do you feel working alongside Iron Man, Miss Stark?"

"Are you taking over your father's company when you're old enough?"

All of those questions kept buzzing in Ada's head as she tried answering each of them. No, she truly had no idea what the future held for her.

Honestly, with everything that was happening, taking over the company was the last thing she needed. Stark Industries was his thing, not hers. She preferred keeping things that way until she was able to figure out what to do with herself. Her mind was already feeling frazzled enough as it was.

Right now, she concentrated on controlling the one power that she had the most issues with. Even if she was able to control rocks and other minerals from the earth, it wasn't much control. She soon learned the hard way that earth was a challenging element, one that kept spiraling out of control within minutes of using it.

She'd been practicing outside the mansion for what felt like months, now. A few weeks had gone by, and the mansion was finally repaired. It may have taken over three weeks, but with money and a team of construction workers, they were able to get it finished and looking better than ever.

For the most part, life had finally gone back to normal. Or, about as normal as it could get for a Stark. Ada had been hounded constantly by the news reporters ever since Vanko was taken into custody. The worst part were the questions that were asked. Most of them went back to how she would handle the company, if she decided to follow that path. Others had asked about her powers, and if she planned on becoming a superhero. The media had been trying to get whatever information they could on the recent attack at the Stark Expo. Since they found out that she had been involved with the incident, and that she had powers of her own, it was impossible to hide from them.

Ada let out a sigh as she leaned back. She studied the fresh nicks and bruises that now battered her skin. Her training routines with Natasha had already begun, and she was beginning to regret letting Fury switch Clint with the redhead. Natasha was twice as lethal as Clint, and that was saying something. She didn't take it easy on Ada just because she was young and inexperienced. Usually, by the end of their sparring sessions, Ada was too exhausted to even do anything else. She knew that the training exercises Natasha put her through were harsher than Clint's for a reason. Having been trained as a master assassin had its perks. Natasha had higher expectations now that she had passed Clint's training.

This was the first real break she had gotten since then. As much as she loved her job, there were times when a break was desperately needed. Tony was getting worried when he noticed the subtle change in both her attitude and appearance. He was aware of the fact that she had joined SHIELD two years ago under his nose. As much as it irked him to know that she had done so without his knowledge, he understood the secrecy. She had been put under a lot of pressure by himself and the others, and he regretted doing so. Hopefully her training wouldn't backfire on her when she was finally put to the ultimate challenge.

"You're looking good." Ada flinched at the sound of Tony's voice; she had been so focused on the boulder in front of her that she didn't notice his approach. She bit back a retort when the boulder in question came crashing down on the beach below, causing sand to fly everywhere. "That's gonna leave a mark," he grumbled after trying to brush the sand off his outfit.

"You do know I prefer practicing alone, right?" she reminded him, trying to keep herself from sounding tense. She managed to throw a smaller boulder into another one, causing a minnie explosion from the impact. Tony remained in the background, letting out an impressed whistle as she finished the last of her training, "Why didn't you just call me?" she asked as she reached him.

He may have been Iron Man, and he was physically fit, but exercise was not his forte. Because of her SHIELD training, Ada was constantly hitting the gym to make sure that she stayed in shape, herself. She had to help him up the rocky bluff a few times, ignoring the added embarrassment that followed.

She could already imagine what everyone would say if they saw the man behind Iron Man struggling to climb over a couple of boulders, and the thought almost left her smirking in amusement.

"I just got a call from that Emmett kid," he explained with a frown. They made their way back to the mansion, and Ada hadn't missed the fact that he kept looking down at her arms. She chewed the bottom of her lip, already aware that Tony hadn't quite forgiven her for keeping him a secret, "So, he has our house number, now?"

They stopped in the living room, and Ada bit back a groan as she realized where this was headed. Their last few conversations had revolved around him making sure she wasn't getting hit on by anyone. Which left her with the need to remind him that she was not only sixteen, but she also needed to experience this part of life. She didn't plan on letting him turn her into an emotionless robot just because he was worried about her safety.

"Dad, are you seriously happier that I would get shot at than having a boyfriend?" she asked pointedly.

"Do you want an honest answer?" Tony rose an eyebrow, looking at her skeptically as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

Finally, she brushed past him and reached her phone sitting on the counter. To her surprise, she'd received three missed calls already. One of them was from Coulson of all people. Ada frowned at that, suddenly aware that if Coulson had called, he would leave a message. This time, he didn't.

Coulson can wait, she told herself. She knew she was probably going to regret ignoring his call. Considering how much Coulson cared about her, she understood that he only called when it was an emergency.

"Hey," she said once she tapped his number and he picked up.

"Hey, yourself," he replied. She couldn't hide the grin that followed, ignoring the scowl written across Tony's face as he watched from the background, "Same time, same place?"

"Of course," she replied without missing a beat.

Once she hung up, she threw Tony a look that dared him to argue with her. Luckily, he didn't as she made her way to the front door. She didn't care what he said at that point. She planned on living out her life the way she wanted, one way or another.

…

Sure enough, Emmett was waiting for her at their favorite cafe. Ada had put on a white tank top and a gray skirt, thankful that the weather in Malibu rarely got cool. She knew Tony would ground her later on when he found out where they were. For now, she enjoyed the momentary freedom she had.

"Ada!" She was greeted with a kiss the minute Emmett spotted her.

"Emmett, it's good to see you, again," she replied.

She couldn't help but grin once more. Moments like these, where she could just be herself were rare. Ada had long-since realized that a normal life was never going to happen. Being adopted by Tony Stark was one thing. But, having powers like hers only added to the difficulty of normality.

"You too," he whispered, cupping her hand into his and squeezing it gently. "I saw what happened on the news; are you okay?"

They sat down next to a window after ordering their drinks. People walking inside were whispering to one another. Ada swallowed back the lump forming in her throat when she noticed most eyes were on her. A few were on Emmett, as if they couldn't quite figure out who he was. The whole thing was unnerving, as far as Ada was concerned.

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "I was just a little shaken after what happened, back there. Everything is happening so fast… it's kind of difficult to get a grip on reality."

Truer words could not have been told. Her life had been so hectic within the last few weeks. They hardly had enough time to see one another because of that. Yet, they were still able to make it work. That was what Ada had been grateful for.

"I can see why." He smirked, until noticing the necklace that she was wearing. Since putting it on, she had refused to take it off. Then again, she couldn't take it off, even if she wanted to, "When did you get this?" he asked curiously.

A shiver swept through her when he brushed it with his fingers. Ada hadn't missed how his expression changed a few times. From suspicion, to curiosity, to a whole swarm of emotions. She frowned at the sight, suddenly feeling more self-conscious than ever.

"Well," she started, feeling that sense of uneasiness sweep through her once more, "You remember how I explained I was adopted by Tony, right?" At his nod, Ada took a deep breath, not sure how much she should share with him, "My mother apparently left it with me when I was just a baby. But, I wasn't allowed to put it on until I was sixteen."

"By your mother?"

Emmett rose an eyebrow as he studied the necklace, as if something about it fascinated him. Wariness suddenly kicked in when she noticed how drastically his attitude and behavior had changed. Something wasn't right. He'd seen her necklace before, and at the time, he hadn't shown as much interest in it aside from mentioning how pretty it looked.

"It's getting late," she said, hoping to cut through the awkward silence that followed. The crowd of customers had already left, leaving just a few filled booths and employees sitting in the back of the room. "Dad's going to get worried if I'm not back."

"No, wait!" Ada flinched when he suddenly grabbed her hand, this time forcefully.

"Emmett, let me go," she snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously. His grip only grew stronger, "What are you doing?"

"I'd like you to go somewhere special, Ada," he replied, his voice holding an eerie sense of calm and desperation that hadn't been there, before.

He never had the chance to say anything else. Ada suddenly slammed her elbow into his ribs, causing him to double over in pain. While he was recovering from the impact, she made a run for it. The remaining customers watched the scene unfold before them in shock, though, not before realizing what had happened.

Anger churned within her. How could she have been so blind? She immediately regretted thinking of what Tony would say when he found out about this. He would never let her live it down, after all the months of trying to prove to her that boys were off limits.

"Ada!"

She didn't stop running when he called her name. At this point, she needed to get somewhere safe to avoid the worst-case scenario. Unfortunately, life never seemed to work out the way she would have liked.

"You're not going anywhere." She skidded to a stop, feeling her heart nearly skip a beat at a smooth, cold voice that spoke up. Ada whirled around, eyes narrowing when she saw a gentleman standing behind her. He looked a bit too much like Emmett, only older. Yet, that wasn't what really caught her attention. Ada's face fell when she noticed the suit he was wearing, along with a pin on his tie that had a symbol, one that sent shivers through her, "So, you're the infamous Ada Stark I've heard so much about."

"Who are you?" Ada demanded, feeling her fists clench as she spotted Emmett approaching them.

"I am Emmett's father, Nathaniel Carhall. I have heard so much about you these last few days," he explained with the slightest grins.

Narrowing her eyes in annoyance, Ada could only imagine just how much this asshole heard about her. After seeing how quickly Emmett had changed when he saw her necklace, she didn't know who to trust.

She had to force back the vile rising in her throat. The two had her surrounded by now, unless she decided to jump out on the busy street. Though, the idea of doing just that didn't seem so bad now. They wouldn't be able to follow her if they tried attacking.

Wouldn't be the first time I've done something so reckless, she reminded herself. And it certainly won't be the last.

"You know, I'm beginning to understand why my father never trusted you," she muttered under her breath when he grabbed her wrist. The smirk written across his face was enough for her to wish she could punch it off. "It's too bad you trusted me as well."

Emmett let out a cry of shock when a piece of cement suddenly came flying into the back of his head. Ada didn't bother sticking around to make sure he was okay. Any chance of slipping away needed to be taken.

"Do you really want to run, now?" Nathaniel called after her, "We're the only ones that know what you are!"

That was enough for Ada to stop in her tracks. Her heart sank as she remembered the reasons behind joining SHIELD. All she ever wanted to do was find out where her powers came from. Though, she had a feeling that finding out about them from an asshole like him wasn't such a good idea.

"Why do you think you're capable of controlling the earth?" he added.

"I've always had these gifts," she snapped.

At least, it was partly the truth. She knew that she had been born with these abilities. The biggest problem she had was figuring out where her powers came from, and why she was born with them. It wasn't as if she had been born with the X-Gene like mutants were; SHIELD made sure of that when the agency took blood samples.

"You belong to a race of creatures that are not of this planet, nor do they belong on this planet," he informed her.

Ada's blood ran cold as she heard that last bit. Memories of the dreams that had haunted her for so long suddenly came rushing back, and she realized with a start that this man was connected with the people from her dreams.

Nathaniel wasn't given a chance to continue when they heard the screech of tires. For a moment, panic swept through Ada when the car itself hit the breaks the moment it reached her. She knew these people could have very well called for backup. Being on her own meant that she would have to use her powers against them, and she didn't look forward to doing that, again.

"Get in!" Relief swept through her when she recognized the driver as none other than Jimmy. Ada wasted no time in getting in, slamming the door shut as he sped off, leaving Nathaniel and Emmett behind, "When your dad called, I knew something was up," he explained once they put distance between them.

She didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. Jimmy's look of concern didn't last long when they reached the mansion. She sank into her seat after seeing Tony waiting outside, with Pepper standing beside him. The anxiety written across Pepper's face only added to her embarrassment. It was bad enough that this had happened in the first place. But to know that both Tony and Pepper were waiting for her return only added to her embarrassment.

"Ada, what happened?" Pepper's frantic voice sounded seconds later when Ada finally climbed out of the car. She ducked upon seeing the 'I told you so' look Tony was giving her. But, the look faded when he noticed something was obviously wrong, "Thank you, for bringing her home."

"No problem," Jimmy nodded, looking equally as worried as Tony and Pepper.

Once the car was gone, Ada swallowed back whatever pride she had left and pushed her way past Tony and Pepper. She needed to get away. Dozens of different emotions were sweeping through her in that moment, and, she knew that she couldn't let them see her now.

Tears were threatening to overwhelm her as she reached her room and locked the door. If what that Nathaniel bastard had said about her was true, then it only left her wondering why SHIELD never knew the truth behind her heritage. She couldn't shake off the sense that something else was going on. Something that even he didn't understand.

"Jarvis, keep the doors locked," she managed to say, hating how choked up she sounded, "Override protocol three eighty nine."

Once she was sure that Jarvis had finished the task, she reached for her notebook and pulled it out. Nathaniel's explanation had terrified her. She knew that it was foolish to think that humans were the only intelligent life forms in the galaxy.

His explanation left her wondering if she was an alien of some sort. It only explained why her powers had developed so suddenly, and why she stuck out like a sore thumb in crowds. Though, it didn't explain why her dreams had been so vivid, and why they took place on earth.

Ada opened the notebook, carefully reading over the list of powers that some of the people in her dreams had. Some of them had the ability to shape shift. Others had telekinesis. Others still had healing powers like her own, and so on.

The whole thing was so confusing. It seemed as if whoever the people from her dreams were, their powers varied depending on where they were, and who they were. She knew that the woman with the baby had been of a higher ranking status, and that the woman's sister had sacrificed herself to give the fleeing group time to flee.

She tried to fight back the tears that were beginning to show as she noticed just how much the people in her nightmares suffered.

"Ada."

A knock sounded on her door, catching her by surprise.

She bit back a retort, having already looked up files on SHIELD after grabbing her Stark pad. According to the files, there was something going on in New Mexico. Energy readings were off the charts, and a team had been sent to investigate.

"Dad, I'm busy," she muttered, wincing when the door suddenly opened.

So much for having the best security, she thought bitterly. She wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone. After the way Emmett had betrayed her, and Nathan's explanation as to where she came from, her mind was still reeling with shock. Between that and dealing with the smugness of Tony's attitude towards Emmett, she didn't feel like putting up with him.

Tony ignored the glare that followed, and he sat down on the bed. Instead of the triumphant grin she expected, he looked thoroughly concerned. Ada looked down, the embarrassment she felt from earlier suddenly returning stronger than ever.

"Ada, what did that bastard do to you?" Tony asked after noticing the notebook laying open on her bed, and the files that lay scattered along it.

Ada choked back a nasty retort, knowing full-well that wouldn't get her anywhere. Besides, Tony actually did look as if he was trying to help for a change. His expression was impossible to read when he reached her. She knew he could have just as easily rubbed it in her face after finding out what Emmett had done. Instead, Tony was trying to provide what little comfort he could, despite being so awkward about it.

"He just…" She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes shut as she pictured the block of cement hitting Emmett, and the scowl written across Nathaniel's face, "Dad, do you know where I'm from?"

She struggled to keep her voice calm. A combination of guilt, anger and sadness threatened to overwhelm her at that moment. Tony just looked at Ada in confusion when he realized what she meant by that. It was a question she had been struggling to keep to herself, but after that incident, she knew she had to ask.

"If you want an honest answer, you'll have to ask SHIELD," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "The only information they gave me was that adopting you would keep you safe, and out of the hands of people like Emmett."

For once, Ada didn't know what to say as his hand rested on her shoulder comfortingly. Tony wasn't the comforting type to begin with. To see him like this was only just another reminder of everything that had happened.

All at once, a rush of emotions overwhelmed her as tears stung the edge of her vision. She leaned into Tony's shoulder, hoping to hide them. The nightmares and dreams that had haunted her for so long left her wondering if these people had a connection with Nathan. She couldn't shake off the feeling that somehow, it was all connected.

"Dad, I keep having these nightmares," she choked out, shuddering at the memories of having to watch those innocent people die, "I keep seeing the same dream about those people… and I keep watching them die right in front of me. And, this woman keeps dying after she sacrifices herself for her baby."

Tony frowned at that. He had been aware of the fact that she kept waking up in the middle of the night. Jarvis would send an alert to him, making it obvious that something was bothering her. And, while she hadn't been honest at the time as to why she was losing sleep, he understood now why she couldn't tell him. He let out a sigh, gently squeezing her shoulder after realizing what she was going through. This wasn't just normal teenage stuff.

She'd already explained everything to him before Vanko was taken down. But she wasn't sure whether or not he really understood the gravity of the situation. Having to watch those people suffer over and over again left a mental strain on her, and Tony wasn't the only one who began to notice.

The nightmares had begun affecting her training. And she knew she couldn't keep going on if something wasn't done about it.

"Ada, while I may not know where you came from, I want to remind you that you're the best thing that ever happened to me," he assured her. Ada looked at Tony in surprise. That was the first time he'd ever said that out loud, "No matter what happens, I will always love you as my daughter."

That was enough to make her heart swell with joy. He may not have shown it often, but Tony actually did have a soft spot.

"And, if I ever see that Emmett bastard again, you can be assured that he'll have his ass handed to him."

She couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed. She knew that Tony meant what he said, and, that he would stand by his decision. But, something told her that finding them wouldn't be easy. If Nathaniel was as smart as she suspected, he would go into hiding until the right opportunity came.

The worst part of it, though, was knowing what Nathaniel had said. He claimed that her people didn't belong on this world. Which meant that if what he said was true, then his people would return. Ada felt her stomach lurch as she understood this was just the beginning. That these people were far from finished with their work, and they wouldn't stop until the mission was completed.

AN: Thank you Guest for reviewing! I appreciate all reviews, especially since it lets me know that people are enjoying this story. I also wanted to remind readers that the poll is still up; I haven't gotten any votes, yet, and would really appreciate it if people took the time to vote.

Guest - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and hopefully this was soon enough ;) I try to keep it every other day or every three days.