Chapter Twenty Six

"There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back, Well tell her that I miss our little talks Soon it will be over and buried with our past, We used to play outside when we were young And full of life and full of love..." - Little Talks, of Monsters and Men

Three years went by since the incident revolving around New Mexico. Within those three years, a lot had happened. First, Tony finally received the zoning permits to build Stark Tower. He, along with a team of specialists and Ada, decided on how the building itself would be designed. Pepper was the one who put the most input on the Tower, having suggested that it should be run purely on Arch Reactor energy. While Tony had been reluctant to go along with the idea, at first, she managed to convince him, otherwise.

Second, Ada had grown within those three years. Not just mentally, but, physically as well. Her muscles were well-defined thanks to the routine sparring sessions she held with Natasha. The redhead had been hard on her, at first. Neither of them were keen on getting along, especially since they found nothing in common with each other. Eventually, though, Natasha began to lighten up on Ada after seeing how much progress she was making.

Ada had long-since given up on the idea of dating anyone. After her fallout with Emmett, she decided to focus on her training. Even Tony had begun to notice how much she had changed over the last three years. At nineteen, she was fully capable of taking care of herself in ways that most teenagers her age couldn't.

Tony's most recent accomplishment had settled the family in Manhattan, New York. With the Tower's construction nearly complete, Ada had been utilizing her time in the city by exploring it. Often times, she would find herself getting ambushed by the press as they begged for questions on what life was like with Tony. By now, Ada had learned how to deal with the reporters that seemed to know exactly where she liked to go. Living with Tony meant she had to put up with them, one way or another.

She found herself wandering down the busy sidewalks of Manhattan after sending a message alert to Jarvis, warning Tony that she would be out, for some time. She knew he would want her to be back later that night. He and Pepper were holding their own celebration for the Tower's completion, and he wanted Ada to be part of it. She had been more than happy to have some input on the Tower when the project first started. But as they continued finishing the last touches, she began feeling as if she was nothing more than someone who got in the way.

She shook her head at the thought, having already decided this was a celebration best had between Tony and Pepper, and that she was just another a third wheel. The two of them had been dating since the incident revolving around Vanko. Ada knew that they were happy with each other, and she never felt resentful for the fact that Tony had begun to ignore her presence entirely whenever Pepper was around. Instead, she used the lack of his presence as a way of venting off whatever frustration she was holding in during her sparring sessions with Natasha.

Natasha hadn't missed the fact that Ada was using her training as another way of venting off her frustration. She had warned her that letting anger control her emotions was never the right answer. Channeling her anger was the best way to go when it came to sparring. Yet Ada had begun to understand that her powers and her abilities were all based on how strongly she felt. She knew that there was only so much she could do to keep said emotions under control.

Once she was past the view of the Tower, Ada made her way towards a local cafe she had been visiting, lately. The cafe itself was a place that resembled something from a fifties diner. Ada spent most of what little free time she had there. The reporters who were constantly hounding her didn't follow her inside, and, she used it as a chance to relax when her mind was running overtime. Which seemed to happen a lot these days.

"Excuse me, can I have your autograph?"

Ada rose an eyebrow when a little girl in a yellow sundress, matching sandals with her hair tied in pigtails approached her. Her mother was standing out the counter, ordering a drink. Her boldness took Ada by surprise, and she couldn't hide the small smile that followed when she noticed the little notebook she was holding. She wasn't opposed to signing autographs when kids were involved. The fact that they looked up to her at all was flattering at best.

"What's your name?" she asked after taking the notebook and pulling out a pen from her purse.

"Jaylin," the little girl replied, smiling from ear-to-ear, "I wanna be just like you, Miss Stark!"

She almost laughed at that, knowing full-well this little girl wouldn't want anything to do with her life, if she knew the truth. Ada kept that to herself, though, as she signed the autograph in question. Once she signed it, Jaylin returned to her mother's side and showed off the page that she had signed. The mother simply congratulated the little girl as they turned to leave the shop, with the little girl chatting excitedly about what had happened.

I miss those days, Ada thought as she ordered her own coffee. If she was being honest with herself, she truly did miss the days when she was innocent and carefree. She'd lost contact with Maggie over the years, because of her busy schedule with SHIELD. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that she was mostly at fault for that.

"You could always sign something for us." Ada only rolled her eyes as a group of boys around her age crowded one of the booths. The one who spoke was grinning like an idiot as he leaned against his seat, arms crossed as the other snickered along with him, "Name's Dean, by the way. Heard a lot about you, Stark."

The sneer of contentment in his voice was enough to send a shiver a disgust through her. Ada had dealt with plenty of idiots like Dean before. Though, those confrontations didn't usually end on a high note. She tried to avoid getting into fights while out in the public. That kind of message would only prove what she feared the most out of the people who kept a close eye on her. They would only see her as a monster; someone who couldn't be trusted out in the open.

She simply ignored them and took a sip of her coffee, trying to focus on anything but their taunts. A few customers in the shop were already shooting the group dirty looks. Their catcalls were enough of a reminder why she hated going out in the public. There were times when simply ignoring them was out of the question.

Ada was about to turn and face them when a new voice suddenly intervened, "I'd leave the lady alone, if I were you."

Her eyebrow shot up higher than she thought possible as she looked up, noticing the newcomer looming over her table as Dean and his goons finally stopped. His intimidation act seemed to work, because, they got up faster than could have imagined. Though, she almost snorted when he called her a 'lady'. She was anything but that, as far as she was concerned.

"Sorry, sir," Dean quickly apologized before he and his goons left.

Ada narrowed her eyes when he shot her a scathing look along the way. One glare from her was all it took to send them packing, for good. Even they seemed to know when they were no longer welcome. She knew how to put on an intimidating presence when it was needed, but, having backup helped.

The tension in the room began to fade almost as quickly as it had risen. Ada breathed out a sigh of relief once they were gone. She hated people like Dean. He thought of her as nothing more than a trophy-child, simply because she was Tony's adopted daughter. She shook her head at the thought. So many people tried taking advantage of her, because of that. She'd learned over the years that trust was something that had to be earned, not freely given.

"Thank you," she sighed, relaxing only a little as she got a glimpse of the stranger in question.

She recognized him almost immediately. Coulson had sent her enough pictures during his mission in Antarctica for her to recognize the man standing before her. With broad shoulders, a muscular chest, blond hair and blue eyes, he was none other than Steve Rogers. Or, as few people remembered him, Captain America.

"I'm not a fan of bullies, especially bullies like them," he muttered, looking more than relieved that they were gone. Considering he'd saved her from having to expose her powers in the public, Ada supposed she owed him more than just a thanks. "I take it you already know who I am, ma'am?"

His question took her by surprise. Ada blinked a few times, gesturing for him to take a seat and join her. Luckily, he did just that. She hadn't been planning on meeting him until the time was right. Or until Director Fury gave her the order to meet with him. Though, the more Ada thought about it, the more she realized that their paths would have likely inevitably crossed. Captain Rogers had been living temporarily in Manhattan until he figured out what he wanted in life.

"I do, actually," she admitted with a sheepish smile. After seeing the files that Coulson had sent her, regarding the mission in Antarctica, she should have known it was only a matter of time before they met. "The agency I work for has been keeping tabs on Captain America for a while, now."

Steve rose an eyebrow in surprise at her response. She knew Coulson had always been a huge fan of Captain America. To know that he was alive and had been found, left her wondering how he'd handled the mission. He must have been reeling over his seat, hoping to get his set of trading cards signed.

"So, you must work for SHIELD, then?" he guessed after realizing that few other agencies would know about his sudden revival. SHIELD wasn't exactly a well-known secret throughout the world. Unlike the FBI, CIA and other agencies, SHIELD kept mostly underground and worked in the shadows. "You seem a little young."

"And you don't?" She gave an unladylike snort, earning a look of amusement from Steve. "I joined when I was fourteen… I haven't really had any regrets, since."

She crossed her arms and looked back defiantly, as if to prove her point. While it had never been easy work, she enjoyed what SHIELD had to offer. It meant that she could travel across the world and help people without them even realizing it. The only reason she had become 'famous' was because Tony had adopted her. She used that as a scapegoat, hoping to throw anyone off her scent.

"Do you have a name I can call you?" His question was enough for Ada to realize that she hadn't even introduced herself.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. She suddenly felt self-conscious as she wondered if he would judge her based off her last name. Something told her that she would have to constantly live with that comparison, "Ada Stark."

Almost at once, Steve recognized her name. She hadn't missed the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Wait, you're Ada Stark?" he asked in surprise.

Well, so much for not judging me on my name, she thought bitterly. She should have known better than to believe that anything good would come out of sharing her last name.

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?" she retorted, narrowing her eyes when Steve looked taken aback by her sudden change in attitude. "I've heard this song and dance before. I tell you my name; you judge me based off my adopted father's work."

"No, I wasn't planning on… I just wasn't expecting to meet you, so soon," he tried deflecting. "I was told by Director Fury that we'd be meeting, eventually."

Now, it was Ada's turn to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. That, she wasn't expecting. Even Natasha kept reminding her that her training was far from over. Working with a partner was something she had never considered, unless she thought of designing weapons with Jimmy. Though, that in itself was a whole different story. Jimmy was a tech genius, someone who probably wouldn't last more than a few minutes out in the field.

"Nice to know that the boss didn't share this information with me," she muttered under her breath. "What exactly is he expecting us to do, in the first place?"

Steve looked at her thoughtfully when his food finally arrived. She'd nearly forgotten about her drink until taking a sip, grimacing at how cold it had gotten. The good news was, she could heat it back up with her powers.

"I'm not sure," he admitted with a shrug. "He was hoping you could show me how to use modern technology, for a start."

Ada almost laughed at that, until she realized he was being serious. He looked thoroughly embarrassed at having to admit it out loud, not that Ada couldn't blame him. Considering where he came from, modern technology probably wasn't his strongest forte.

It wasn't until hearing her phone go off that Ada noticed how late it was getting. They'd been talking for what felt like hours. She knew Tony would be miffed enough that she was missing out on the dinner he had planned for that evening. Though, given how he probably planned on spending it with Pepper, she wondered if it was worth going back.

"I should probably get going," she sighed after sending him a message to let him know where she was. She left out the fact that she had met Captain America. Tony wasn't necessarily a big fan of him, given how much Howard had marveled Steve. "You know, if you ever need help figuring something out, I'm only a few blocks away."

For a moment, Steve's mouth hung open, as if he wasn't sure what to say to that offer. She knew she wasn't the easiest person to get along with. Heck, she gave Tony a run for his money when it came to being difficult. But, she did care about the people she considered her friends. While they weren't on that level, she had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time they saw one another.

"I'd appreciate that," he finally nodded in agreement.

With that thought in mind, Ada left him her number and the cafe. She was already running late as it was. Tony was never going to let her hear the end of it when she got back. Though, a little break from the Tower did feel good; spending time with the engineers to make sure that everything was put into place meant she hadn't had the chance to wander around and explore the city, much.

She blinked in surprise upon seeing that the lights were already on. The words 'Stark' were illuminated across the Tower in bright, white letters. The Tower itself was designed in a way that it would stand out among other skyscrapers. As if Tony's ego wasn't fueled enough, he had to go over the top with every little design.

It didn't take her long to reach the penthouse where Tony and Pepper were waiting. After debating whether or not she should change into something a little more formal, Ada had quickly pushed the thought aside. With it just being the three of them, she could dress as casually as she wanted without feeling judged by Pepper or Tony.

"The Tower's looking good," she announced after the elevator reached the final floor.

The last floor was where the penthouse was located. From there, she could see the bar in the background, along with a balcony that overlooked the city. Down below was where their rooms were located. She, Tony and Pepper all had their own rooms, even though Pepper and Tony often slept together.

"You really think so?" Pepper asked, her eyes glowing with amusement as she sat across from Tony, holding a glass of champagne. "I'm glad to hear that our hard work is finally paying off."

"Our hard work?" Tony looked at Pepper skeptically when Ada strode across the room, rolling her eyes at his ignorance.

"You do realize that Pepper was the one who came up with the idea, right?" she pointed out after taking a seat, "She deserves more than a small percentage of ownership."

The triumphant look written across Pepper's face was priceless. Pepper really did deserve more than what Tony had to offer. She was the one who came up with the idea of using renewable energy for the Tower, and her idea had begun to sink in as Tony saw the wisdom in it. She was ready to say something when an alarm suddenly went off.

"Sir, Agent Coulson of SHIELD wishes to speak with you," Jarvis warned them.

Tony looked at Ada questioningly, but she only shrugged. She knew that Coulson had been on some top secret mission for the last few months, along with Clint. The only reason she found out about it was because Natasha had informed her of it. Even Fury had been quiet about the whole thing, telling her that it was something SHIELD probably shouldn't have been involved in, in the first place.

"Tell him I'm out," Tony pleaded, not sounding the least bit enthusiastic with the idea of talking to Coulson.

Ada almost smirked when her phone went off seconds later. It must have been urgent, if Coulson was using her to reach out to Tony. She ignored the incredulous look he threw her when she answered her phone, already aware that Coulson wouldn't be calling unless it was an emergency.

"I need to talk with your father."

His greeting was curt and to the point, though, Ada could hear a hint of urgency within his voice.

"Nice to hear from you too, Coulson," she muttered under her breath, "He's busy, at the moment."

She wasn't given the chance to make more excuses when the elevator door suddenly slid open. Ada rose an eyebrow when Coulson himself emerged from the elevator, not looking the least bit happy with the situation he was in.

"Hi, Phil," Pepper greeted him immediately after realizing how serious this must have been.

"Since when was his name Phil?" Tony asked, rolling his eyes upon their sudden intrusion. "I thought his first name was Agent?"

"Since forever, dad," Ada retorted, shooting him a warning look.

"Ada, you're being reassigned," Coulson informed her, cutting straight to the point when he reached them. Ada frowned in confusion as she caught the exchange made by Tony and Pepper, "Something's happened, and, we'll need your help with this case."

"What's going on?" she demanded while Tony pulled out the files that were given to him.

Her eyes widened in surprise when holographic images of people she had become familiar with appeared across the system Tony had set up. The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America showed up across the screen, along with Thor.

Why not include myself? she wondered, knowing that Fury had considered her for the Avenger's Initiative.

She frowned at the thought. Maybe Fury didn't think she was ready for that case. Yet, she had been training for so long now, and it irritated her to think that he didn't believe she was ready. After everything she had been through, whatever task they had in mind for Tony would probably be a walk in the park.

"That's something you need to talk about with the boss," Coulson replied, "We're rendezvousing on the Hellicarrier."

That was enough to catch her attention. The Hellicarrier was a ship that they had been working on for years, now. The airship had finally been finished just a few months ago, with the official launch occurring a few weeks prior to Tony completing the Tower.

"I'll see you guys later," she waved Tony and Pepper off after realizing the severity of the situation.

"Actually, I was just leaving," Pepper put in, ignoring Tony's pleas when he tried begging her to stay, "I'll walk you two down."

Ada glanced at Tony warily when she caught the pleading look he was giving Pepper. As much as he wanted her to stay, Ada suspected that this was something he needed to do on his own. Especially when she caught sight of the eerie blue cube that showed up in one of the files. She couldn't shake off the feeling that once again, SHIELD had meddled with something it didn't understand, and, had paid the price for such interference.

AN: I certainly wasn't expecting to get so many favorites and follows in one update :) Or, a review for that matter! Thanks to ShinigamiLovesApples for reviewing, any feedback is appreciated :)

ShinigamiLovesApples - Thank you! I'm just happy writing this; I'll keep posting new chapters, regardless of whether I get reviews or not. But, I do appreciate your feedback, and hope that you enjoyed this chapter :)