Chapter Forty Three
If there was one thing Ada hated about being stuck in a hospital, it was being surrounded by those stark white walls. They were boring, depressing, and left her mind feeling numb. Waking up in a hospital didn't make things any better.
The familiar sound of a heart-rate monitor echoed in the background. Emergency calls sounded every now and then through the intercoms. IV fluid bags were attached to her arm as her eyes blinked open, and she tried focusing on anything but the room she was in.
It had taken a few seconds for her to register where she was, and what had happened. The intense pain from earlier had become a dull throbbing. She grimaced and tried sitting up, only to wince at the sudden pain that bolted through her.
She blinked a few times as she realized that she wasn't alone. A loud snort from the other side of the room made her look up, eyes narrowing in surprise when she recognized Fury standing there.
"Of all the irresponsible, reckless stunts you could've pulled off…" Ada cringed at the sound of Director Fury's voice. She was half-expecting to find Tony waiting in the room for her to wake up. Instead, she finally spotted Fury leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. He did look pissed off, and, Ada couldn't help but wince as she realized he had a point. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are that you're alive? Or that they didn't take you?"
She bit back a sigh of frustration. His accusations only left her feeling guiltier about what had happened. Things had gone horribly wrong when she joined Happy at the theater. They could have easily been avoided if she had convinced him to turn back. Instead, she'd encouraged him and even gotten involved with the explosions that were happening across the United States.
SHIELD was trying to track down the Mandarin, and anyone that got involved would likely get caught in the crossfire. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to get hurt because of her mistakes. Yet, there they were.
"Well, no offense, but your voice is about as soothing as the sound of nails on a chalkboard," she grumbled, rubbing the back of her head as she sat up.
"Just be thankful I didn't drag your sorry ass to the base," he snapped after pinching the bridge of his nose. "Your job is to stay alive and keep an eye on your father, as challenging as that may seem."
Ada narrowed her eyes at that last comment.
It stung, and he knew it.
She had been careful over the last few years of her training. Seeing Happy and the way he was handling the two men just reminded Ada of how little she knew, and that she could have lost so much more. He could have died if things took a turn for the worse. Her heart lurched at the thought of what could have happened to either of them.
"Happy, is he alright?" she couldn't help but ask when she finally spotted Tony arriving.
He shot Fury a warning look as the Director let out another huff of frustration and gave them some time alone. Once Fury was gone, Tony wasted no time in closing the distance between them. Ada felt a lump forming in the back of her throat when he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Despite the dull pain from earlier, she found herself returning the gesture as she realized just how relieved she was to see him again.
"He's alive," he reassured her after hearing her last question, "And thank God you're alive."
She let out a sigh of relief as she buried her face into his shoulder. Knowing that Happy was alive left her feeling more than relieved that she had done something right. Yet, she hadn't missed the dark look in his eyes when they finally pulled apart.
"What happened to him?" she asked hesitantly.
She remembered the explosion that had shaken the theater. She remembered the sickly red hands that had begun glowing, and that the party responsible for said explosion happened to be human. It was enough to send a shudder through her. She hadn't realized at the time that the bombs Rhodes mentioned were caused by human interference. The connections were beginning to make sense when she put thought into it. He mentioned that they hadn't been able to find casings around the explosion sites. Any searches found little to no evidence revolving around an actual bombing, which only added to her earlier confusion.
"According to One-eye, you were clinging onto Happy for dear life when they found you on the steps," he explained once he'd grabbed a chair to sit beside her. "He's been in a coma since you were both taken in."
Ada swallowed hard. Her throat suddenly felt tighter than usual. The guilt from earlier came rushing back at full-force as she pictured the desperate look in Happy's eyes when he tried getting away. He could have fled the area unscathed. Instead, she only made it worse and ended up getting him hurt in the process. She tried pushing the thoughts aside when she realized why she felt so guilty. So many scenarios played across her mind as she imagined what could have happened if he'd gotten the chance to run.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, burying her face into her hands.
"Ada, don't you dare blame yourself for something you had no control over," Tony snapped before she could say anything else, "Look, Happy would've gone out of his way to try and stop this nutcase, with or without your help."
That didn't make her feel any better, even if she knew he was right. Happy was a stubborn man, and once he put his mind on something, he didn't usually stop until the task was finished. That was one of the many reasons Tony hired him in the first place.
"I could've done better," she muttered under her breath.
"None of us could've done better," he reminded her, squeezing her shoulder gently as she finally looked at him, "I've been nothing more than an ass for the last couple of weeks, and I realize that this is more my fault than anything else."
For once, Ada didn't know what to say. She found herself staring at him for a few seconds as she contemplated over what he said.
"Saying that had to hurt," she finally whispered after realizing that he was admitting his own mistakes.
He's never done that before, she thought.
He must have been feeling guiltier about it than she realized. Though, as Ada studied his face for the first time since waking up, she noticed with a start that he actually looked afraid. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she noticed just how terrified he really looked.
"How are you feeling, after all of that?" he asked.
"Most of my injuries were healed when I woke up," she replied with a shrug, glancing down to make sure, "I feel a little sore, but I'm guessing that's only natural after going through something like that."
Tony gave a nod at that, looking more than relieved. He let out a heavy sigh and stood up, letting her do the same after she pulled off the straps attached to the heart monitors. Nurse's call or not, she didn't plan on sticking around the hospital for too long. She hated them for a reason, and didn't plan on explaining why.
She studied her arms curiously as she noticed for the first time that she had no scars.
Most people would have considered that a bonus. Yet, Ada found herself frowning when she realized that her powers had taken that away, as well. She shook her head at the thought. Having powers may have been the only reason SHIELD let her join, but, there was always a downside to them.
Her frown deepened when Tony finally led her to the room where Happy was being kept in. She shivered when she spotted the IV fluid bags attached to his arms. The heart monitors' rhythmic beating was the only reassuring sign she had that he was still alive. What horrified her the most, though, was seeing his face.
His face was now heavily scarred, with burn marks that glared an angry red. Both of his arms were wrapped in bandages, hiding whatever carnage had been left behind during the explosion. Ada had to swallow the bile rising in her throat as she studied the marks carefully, knowing this could have easily been avoided.
A nurse was placing a fresh vase of flowers beside the bed. Ada blinked in surprise when she noticed most of the flowers had been from friends and family. Even Tony had left a small bouquet for Happy. Despite the grim situation, she couldn't hide the small smile that followed. The flowers were enough to brighten even the dullest room, and she knew Happy would've approved if he had been awake at the time.
"Sunday Night's PBS Downtown Abbey," Tony started when the nurse in the room glanced at them in surprise, "That's his favorite show; he thinks it's elegant." Ada almost smiled as she remembered the many nights when Happy was left babysitting her. He would often put on Downtown Abbey or other shows like it to keep her entertained, whether she liked the shows or not. His excuse was that he wanted her to have some culture. Not that Tony hadn't provided any during their worldly travels, "One more thing… make sure everyone wears their badges. He's a stickler for that sort of thing, plus, my guys won't let anyone in without them."
"Of course, Mr. Stark," the nurse replied with a warm smile.
"Get well soon, Happy," Ada whispered once she walked past them.
She was thankful he hadn't been in worse shape. She just wished she could use her powers to help him recover faster. Though she knew she had healing powers, and had used them to heal her own injuries, she knew that using them on other people with injuries drained her energy. She'd begun practicing her powers at SHIELD to know their extent, and she finally began to understand that her powers could also kill her if she misused them.
'The hardest challenge is knowing your limitations,' Nadia had told her one day when she asked why she felt so drained when she tried using them. 'We must learn at an early age what our limits are.'
That's easier said than done, she thought after remembering how often she tried using her powers and ended up exhausting herself.
Despite her extensive test-runs, she still didn't know the extent of her own abilities. It terrified her to know that she could easily hurt someone as quickly as she helped them. She knew she was dangerous, and it left her wondering whether it was right to use her powers in the public or not.
"We're awaiting the arrival of Mr. Stark and his daughter. We're hoping he'll provide us with his reaction… his reaction to the most recent attack."
Ada scowled when they left the hospital, only to find themselves surrounded by a crowd of reporters. Without warning, the bright flashes of cameras nearly blinded her. She lifted her arm to shield the harsh lights, not missing the fact that dozens of people were asking questions that she wasn't in the mood to answer.
"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Our sources are telling us that this is another Mandarin attack. Is there anything else you can tell us?"
She exchanged an anxious look with Tony, knowing that the press had been looking for answers behind the Mandarin's attacks. Fury had asked her to keep an eye on Tony because of his connections with the Mandarin. Admitting out loud to the press that he had some knowledge of the Mandarin would only confirm the reporter's suspicions.
"Miss Stark, how did Captain America respond to this most recent attack that you were involved in?"
That question was enough for Ada to roll her eyes. Almost at once, Tony threw the reporter that asked that question a murderous look. He never did get over the fact that she had agreed to help Steve acclimate to the twenty-first century.
"One, none of this is any of his concern, and two, we are not seeing each other," she snapped.
Besides, even if they did decide to start 'seeing each other', Tony would have never approved. She could already see him silently plotting Steve's death if it ever came to that. Though, she doubted Tony would ever get close enough to accomplish his goal.
"Hey, Mr. Stark! When is someone gonna kill this guy?" Ada threw the man that spoke up a glare, and he suddenly looked both embarrassed and meek, though, he clearly had no regrets for bringing it up, "I'm just sayin'."
Why does everyone automatically assume he's going to kill someone? she wondered.
Before he had designed the Iron Man suit, Tony was known as the bringer of death in some countries because of his weapon's company. She knew that those accusations still haunted him. But, Tony had a change of heart after he was captured by the Ten Rings. Even he admitted that building weapons wasn't always the answer to everyone's problem.
"Is that what you want? Here's a little holiday greeting I've been wanting to send to the Mandarin." Ada bit the bottom of her lip when Tony said that, not quite liking where he was going with this. "I just didn't know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward, so I've decided that you just died, pal. I'm gonna come get the body. There's no politics here; it's just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon; it's just you and me. And on the off-chance you're a man, here's my home address: 10880, Malibu Port, 90265. I'll leave the door unlocked."
Everyone stopped cold when he finally gave their house address. Ada felt her heart sink even further as she mulled over the endless reasons why that was never a good thing. The Mandarin had already caused a dozen casualties throughout the country. She had no doubt he wouldn't feel a thing if he tried targeting Tony, and he'd exploit someone just to reach his goal.
Tony suddenly grabbed one of the reporter's phones and threw it to the ground, ignoring the looks of disbelief everyone was giving him. Ada shrank back when she realized his odd behavior was only getting worse. He was acting like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum in front of a crowd of people.
"That's what you wanted, right?" he went on after pushing his way through the crowd. Ada mouthed an apology at the reporter whose phone he broke. The poor guy looked more confused than ever after realizing Tony's behavior was unacceptable out in public, "Bill me."
"Dad!" Ada called after him as she followed him. Tony barely paused in his stride when she reached him, and threw him a glare, "Are you out of your mind?"
"I am when those people decide to threaten my friends, and my family," he snapped. Ada just stared at him in disbelief when Tony let out a huff of frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Look, I'm sorry. I know I'm acting like a dick, and I doubt I'll get any better. But, they went too far attacking you and Happy. I'm not letting the Mandarin, or whoever the hell he is, get away with it."
Ada drew in a sharp breath as she studied him warily. The fact that the people who attacked the Chinese Theater had targeted herself and Happy left her wondering if they had known who they were, at the time.
"Well, breaking someone's phone and giving away our location isn't going to help matters," she retorted. "I'll see if there's a way to find the Mandarin within SHIELD's database."
Tony looked at her in surprise after realizing what she was implying. Considering what those people had done to Happy, she was more than willing to break a few rules and hack into SHIELD's database. Even if it meant getting into trouble.
AN: I'm so sorry it's been two weeks since my last update. I plan on getting back to this; my life has been kind of hectic though. By the way, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday, and had a great New Year :)