Chapter Seventy

She wasn't sure what to expect when she received a call from Director Fury just a few days after her date with Steve. Since the first date had gone so well, they went out a couple more nights after that. It was hard to imagine that their lives could have changed so dramatically since they first met. Despite Tony's protests and the fact that he had been unhappy with the first initial date, he was beginning to realize that they were taking things slowly. Ada knew from experience that moving forward too quickly could lead to disastrous results, especially in their line of work. The last thing she wanted was to push Steve into an uncomfortable position.

Ada shook her head at the thought as she wandered down the hallways of the SHIELD facility where she first began her training. The fact that Director Fury wanted a face-to-face meeting only left her feeling that much more concerned. Natasha had warned her that she and Clint filed a full-detailed report on what happened in Winchester, London. But she left out the little fact that Nadia had been the one responsible for causing all of that damage.

A shiver swept through Ada as she thought of how that had ended so horribly. Getting shot hadn't exactly been the best option, but it was the only one they had to stop Nadia from destroying everyone in the compound. The worst part was knowing that her mother would have been willing to kill everyone on sight, including the team. She understood why her mother had been so determined to take down everyone responsible for the pain that the Black Knights had caused her. But death was never the answer. Not as far as Ada was concerned.

She watched as agents passed her along the way. She could still remember when she first started out in the agency. Most of the agents that were here now had either been relocated or moved on in the world. But the ones she had worked alongside had always regarded her as someone who was too young and naive to even be part of SHIELD. There was a time when she had been determined to prove that she was more than worthy of being part of the agency.

But that ended in disaster, she silently reprimanded herself for even thinking she could have taken on a mission of her own at her age. Age hadn't necessarily played a large factor in how badly the mission had ended. A mutant had been on the loose causing chaos throughout Brooklyn, New York. And she managed to somehow convince Jimmy to tag along with her when she and Clint weren't on speaking terms with each other. She was lucky they had both gotten away without getting themselves killed in the process, and that Jimmy had still remained her friend after that.

Her failure in Brooklyn hadn't been forgotten. Hell, Coulson had used it as a way of reminding agents why going out on their own was a stupid and reckless decision. But in the end, she had begun to respect Clint because he stood up for her when the agency threatened to kick her out. The archer had taken everyone, including herself by surprise when he stood up for her. Ada couldn't hide the small smile that followed as she recalled what he said to her that morning when the Council had faced her.

"Sure, the kid can be reckless and an idiot at times, but I sure as hell wouldn't want her as an enemy," he'd said at the time.

One of the Council members had pointed out that she'd been responsible for nearly causing a building to collapse during her fight with the mutant. Of course, she'd managed to stop it from doing so, but not without severe consequences. Eventually, both Fury and Clint were able to convince the Council to let her stay as long as she remained on strict terms until they deemed her ready.

It wasn't until she reached the small room that Fury usually used as an office that Ada stopped in her tracks. She swallowed hard as she thought of how he would assess the situation she was in. Since she hadn't put on her mother's necklace, she hadn't been suffering from nightmares like she normally did. In fact, she'd actually gotten decent sleep for the first time in days since recovering from her captivity with the Black Knights.

If only things had gone differently back there, she thought bitterly. I wish I could have convinced Nadia to let go of her control. Maybe those people wouldn't have been killed in the process. Guilt had been eating away at her since she found out how many people were killed in the compound. Tony was the first to reassure her that their deaths had been justified. Even Steve had reassured her that she hadn't had a choice in the matter. She was only just defending herself at the time. But that was still no excuse for losing control, or for letting Nadia take control of the situation.

With a sigh, she finally pushed the door open and decided that the sooner she got this meeting done and over with, the better off she would be.

Ada glanced at Director Fury warily when she saw him sitting at the desk with manila folders spread across along with an iPad. His expression was impossible to make out, but she could tell that he wasn't happy having to be there in person.

"You're looking cheerful as always, boss," she remarked dryly.

Fury threw her a look that dared her to continue. Ada quickly clamped her mouth shut as she took a seat across from him. She tried to soothe her already frayed nerves by rubbing her arms up and down. When that didn't work, she averted her gaze after feeling his own eye bore through her. Getting into an argument wasn't exactly the best way to handle the situation. Especially when said person she was arguing with happened to be her boss, and the director of SHIELD.

"You're in a heap of trouble for what happened back in Winchester, Stark," he finally deadpanned. Ada was hardly surprised with that accusation. She had been bracing herself for the questioning that would follow. But what Fury said next took her by surprise, "Though it seems that most of the team has already stood up for you in regards of what happened. Romanoff and Barton were especially keen on making sure that the Council let you off the hook for what happened."

She frowned in confusion when he handed her one of the folders that had been sitting at the top of the pile. Ada's brows furrowed together in surprise as she saw the various reports that both Natasha and Clint had filed. Tony's was smaller, but she recognized his format almost immediately. Soon to follow was Banner's, who had given a full detailed report on her medical condition and why she had been in the infirmary for nearly four days.

"They all stood up for me?" she asked in surprise.

"Don't go around flattering yourself, Stark," Fury rolled his eye knowingly, "On any normal occasion, the Council would be on your ass for pulling off such a stunt in Winchester. But given the circumstances and what happened back there, we're letting it slide."

She only gawked at Fury and what he was implying. She knew full-well that she could have faced severe punishment for killing people and for unleashing her powers. The fact that the Council was letting this slide left her wondering just how many clearances Fury had to pull. She wasn't going to argue, though. If he was willing to stand up for her like the rest of the team, then there wasn't any point in arguing.

"I'm not sure what to say," she admitted sheepishly.

"That's a first. You might want to take a look at some of the records that Romanoff was able to find before that compound collapsed," Fury suddenly warned her.

The silence that followed left Ada's mind wandering for the next few seconds as she read the files in question. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she noticed that the scientists who had been experimenting on her were taking notes like they said. She frowned as one text in particular caught her attention.

"They were planning on using me as some kind of social experiment?" she asked warily.

"It seems their hate extended beyond that of your own people," Fury replied with a nod. Ada's eyes narrowed as she thought of what one of the scientists said. The scientists at the compound had been talking about trying to find some way of containing the powers that her people once controlled. Then they went on about finding a way of capturing mutants and doing the same thing to them. A shiver of rage swept through her at the thought. She knew that she wasn't the only one they had been experimenting on. Her stomach suddenly twisted in a knot as she wondered how many other victims had suffered at their hands. "They were planning on using you as a way of terrifying the public into believing that anyone with powers couldn't be trusted."

"Including mutants and others with enhanced powers," she finished for him. Fury gave another gruff nod at that, having already reached the same conclusion himself. Ada wanted to throw up when she realized that these assholes had been hurting so many other people in the same way they'd tried hurting her own. "What I want to know is why the hell these assholes were so determined to take down the Aliquid in the first place? What did they ever do to them?"

"That's the million dollar question right there," Fury let out a sigh of frustration and rubbed the temple of his forehead knowingly. "No one has been able to determine why the Black Knights were so hellbent on capturing and killing off the Aliquid, other then personal greed."

And it's also the question that we're going to keep asking until they answer it, she added silently. They can't remain silent forever, as high and mighty as they try to make themselves sound.

Ada had a feeling that even if the Black Knights were capable of answering said question, they wouldn't. They were the kind of people who would go out of their way to find any excuse possible. A shiver of unease swept through her at the thought. She suddenly found herself wondering when they would try to attack again. She tried pushing the uneasy thoughts aside when she caught another file sitting under the folders.

It was discrete enough that she would have missed it if it wasn't for the logo stamped on the corner. For a moment, Ada was tempted to ask what the folder was there for when she thought better of it.

"I'm guessing that the incident in Winchester isn't the only reason you've asked me to meet with you, sir," she suddenly spoke up again. She caught the look Fury was giving her, and she tried not to smirk knowingly, "The only reason you ever want to meet with me face-to-face is if it revolves around a mission of some kind."

She almost laughed when she heard him mutter 'smart-ass' under his breath. She knew him well enough to understand that his work in the Triskellion was only part of his job. Fury was usually all over the place trying to keep his closest allies in check. So the fact that he wanted her there in person told her that this was something he'd been wanting for quite some time.

"I know you and Captain Rogers have been getting close over the last few months," he finally informed her. Heat immediately rose to her cheeks at the mention of getting closer to Steve. While it was no secret between herself and those close to her, they hadn't exactly made it public yet. "And seeing as he trusts you more than most agents he works with, I wanted to assign you to the same team."

His statement caught her off guard. Ada wasn't sure what to say as she looked at the table self-consciously. True, she and Steve had been getting closer since they started seeing each other. But were they really ready to work together on the same team? Then she thought back to the fact that they technically already did work on the same team.

And it won't be any different from what we already do, she told herself.

"What part in this team do I play?" she asked warily.

Fury's brows furrowed together as he leaned forward and looked at her expectantly, "You and Romanoff need to work together and look for anything related to SHIELD's database," he informed her. Ada frowned at the way he mentioned Natasha's name, and in a split second, she registered what he was telling her to do. "I've been noticing more and more information disappearing into the web, and something's not adding up. Until I know who I can trust, I want the two of you keeping Cap in the dark."

It took a few seconds for Ada to register what that meant. She sucked in a breath after realizing that she would have to lie to Steve while she was working alongside him and Natasha. And something in the back of her mind kept telling her just how wrong that was.

"No offense, boss, but I'm not exactly in any position to do something like that," she muttered halfheartedly.

"This isn't a request, Agent Stark," Fury reprimanded her. Ada just stared at Fury in disbelief as she realized what he was implying. He was ordering her. And she felt a sudden stab of guilt in her chest at the thought of having to do this to Steve. Especially when they had only just begun getting to know each other. "As a SHIELD agent, it's your job to follow my orders."

She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from making a retort that would only lead to further arguing. It took everything she had not to spit something in response. Fury's response was just another reminder of why she hadn't started any relationships in the first place. She wasn't sure how Clint did it. She knew he had a wife and kids of his own, but how he was capable of living that kind of life was beyond her imagination.

"Alright, fine," she finally snapped through clenched teeth. Fury wasn't the least bit surprised with her annoyance, or the fact that she was struggling to maintain her temper. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to give you bullshit for making me go through with this."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Stark," Fury replied with a firm nod.

Ada returned the gesture, knowing full-well that she wasn't going to enjoy having to figure out how she would keep this knowledge from Steve. She hated the idea of having to lie to him. Lying would only prove to him that she couldn't be trusted, and there was a small part of her that was beginning to wonder how true that was.

…

Tony's frown said it all when she explained the situation to him and Pepper. Barely two hours had gone by when she left the facility and headed back to the Tower. Since they were currently staying in Manhattan for the time being, she and Steve had been using their time in the city to their advantage. Now that she was being reassigned to Washington D.C. as a neighbor and to the Treskellion, she knew that their lives would be different.

"You know, I'm about to throttle Fury for thinking it's okay to assign you to a new mission so soon," he grumbled as Ada helped Pepper clean the kitchen. They'd talked about the meeting over dinner, something they hadn't done in quite a while. Between Tony constantly locking himself in the lab, and Pepper's work schedule, it had been difficult to have dinner together as a family. "This has to be his way of punishing me somehow."

"Dad, not everything is about you," Ada rolled her eyes knowingly. "Besides, moving to D.C. means that I'll be working at SHIELD's headquarters. I'm not working with just Steve, either. Nat's going to be there with us."

"I think it'll be a good move for you," Pepper remarked while ignoring Tony's accusing glare. Of everyone Tony was close to, Pepper had been the most supportive of Ada's decisions. She couldn't hide the small smile that followed when the older woman gave her an encouraging look. "You're almost twenty now, so that should be reason enough for you to see whether or not you're capable of living on your own."

By now, Ada was struggling to hide the triumphant grin that followed. Her birthday was only a few days away. Tony hadn't been planning anything spectacular, and she wasn't expecting him to. But she wanted nothing more than to prove that she was capable of doing this. Working at the Triskellion wouldn't be any different from what she did now. The real challenge would be trying to work with both Natasha and Steve, all the while hiding behind Steve's back.

I'm not even sure how that's going to play out, she thought bitterly. He wasn't going to trust her again if he found out the truth.

"I'm glad someone supports the idea of me moving away," she admitted.

As if to prove her point, she threw Tony a look that dared him to continue arguing with her. He finally let out a sigh of frustration as he reached them. Though he was clearly annoyed with the idea of her living so close to Steve, and far from them, he knew that this was something that she would have done with or without his permission.

"The last thing I want is for you to get hurt while you're out there," he said after pulling her in for a hug.

Ada couldn't hide the smile that followed as she returned the gesture. Even if she was older and more responsible than she had been when she first joined SHIELD, that didn't stop her from relishing the small moments she had with Tony.

"I'll be fine, dad," she reassured him. "And like I said, I won't necessarily be alone. Steve knows not to cross the line, and Nat's probably going to be watching us like a hawk most of the time we're together."

She had no doubt that Natasha would jump at such an opportunity. The redhead had been asking questions regarding how their dates had gone since they began keeping in touch with each other. Which was strange when Ada thought about it. They hadn't necessarily been close in the beginning, but Ada had begun to respect Natasha in ways she wouldn't have when she first joined SHIELD.

"Alright, fine," he finally relented after realizing that she wasn't going to back down. "Just promise me you'll keep in touch?"

"Deal," Ada nodded in agreement, knowing full-well that was the least she could do.

Once they had that established, Ada went back to her room after they were finished cleaning. It had been almost two weeks since the incident in Winchester. Since then, most of the team had dispersed. Clint had gone back home, and Banner went off the grid again. The Tower seemed oddly empty now that everyone had left. Ada had gotten used to constantly running into someone along her way to her room. She almost frowned at the thought.

We've gotten so used to working together now. It's strange to think we've gone our separate ways again.

She shook her head at the thought as she finally reached her room. She had packing to do, and the thought left her feeling slightly overwhelmed as she realized this was the first time she would actually be living on her own. It wasn't until she reached a space under her bed that Ada stopped in her tracks.

She looked down to the small box that Banner placed the necklace in for safe keeping. He'd explained to her that once they took the necklace off, they figured it was safer to keep it off until she thought she was ready to wear it again. After her mother had taken control, no one was sure how Nadia would react again the moment she put it on again.

A lump formed in the back of her throat as she knelt down and pulled the box out. The fear of letting her mother take control had nearly overwhelmed her for the last few days. She knew that it was her own fault for letting such an incident happen in the first place. Everyone else tried reassuring her that she shouldn't blame herself for something she had no control over. But the pain caused by the Black Knights had been too much.

With a heavy sigh, Ada carefully pulled the necklace out, ignoring the stone fragment she'd placed in the same box. The stone hadn't glowed the same way it did back in the compound. She wasn't even sure if it was worth keeping, but something told her that it would be foolish to toss it out. Especially since it was the reason she had been able to free herself.

Carefully, she put the necklace on and braced herself for whatever fury she would feel from her mother. To her surprise, she felt nothing. Ada blinked a few times as she noticed the strange emptiness she felt the moment she put the necklace on.

I'm only putting this on because I want to have a word with you. If you try and take control again, I will take it off and keep it off for good, she warned Nadia when she finally felt the familiar presence of her mother.

Her mother was silent for the next few minutes, as if she was contemplating what to say. After what had happened, Ada was debating whether or not this had been a good idea in the first place. She was taking a huge risk by putting the necklace on again if her mother was able to take control the way she had earlier.

'I am not sorry for what I did to those people,' her mother finally spoke. Ada held back a sigh of frustration at the harshness of her tone. 'What they did was wrong, and they would have continued treating you the way they had until you begged for mercy.'

I wouldn't have allowed that to happen, Ada argued silently. Her fists clenched as she glared at the floor knowingly. Nadia, I've been trained to deal with what those assholes were doing. Unless I absolutely have no other choice, I will not use my powers to kill people.

She could practically feel the frustration her mother felt at that statement. Her mother had allowed anger to blind her, and that could have taken down not only the compound, but the surrounding area as well. Ada knew that in the end, doing so had been wrong.

'I have gone to great lengths to ensure that our people survive this cruel world,' Nadia reminded her. 'I will not allow my sacrifice to fall in the hands of those murderers.'

Neither will the team, Ada retorted. You were willing to kill them when they were only helping.

For the first time, Ada actually felt genuine guilt rolling off her mother in waves. She hadn't meant to hurt the team. But they had been in the way at the time. And she had been blinded with rage. They were the ones who allowed the Black Knights to hurt her in the first place.

I know that you have every right to hate the Black Knights for what they did to our people and myself, Ada went on when her mother didn't respond, But I'm not going to trust you anytime soon after what happened back there. I will keep the necklace on, but if you ever try to take control again, I'm throwing it out.

Once again, Nadia was silent for a long while. Ada knew that she was testing herself by threatening her own mother. Yet she couldn't bring herself to fully trust Nadia after what had happened. The only way that would ever happen was if Nadia somehow proved herself. She just hoped that she was making the right choice in keeping her necklace on. If her mother did manage to take control again, she knew that it would end in disaster. And this time, she had a feeling that SHIELD wouldn't give her the clearance she had received earlier.