Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel; only Rebecca and the world surrounding her.
All at Once - John The Ghost
Welcome to Lithe from the To Build A Home Series!
Thanks to Rbenham2, PotterGamesOfOlympus, Japnxsxi,
and everyone that reviewed, favorited, and subscribed to this story so far!
I have the story planned out to Infinity War and there's so much I'm excited for I wish it would all just come out already!
All at Once
And I don't want to take over the world
Just wanna know where I belong within it
Been fighting myself in a phone booth for days now
t's just so hard to tell which side is winning
This is all at once
Becca sat on her living room floor; papers spread out across her coffee table, laptop set up in the corner, and TV on across from her playing the news. It had been two weeks since she was attacked and if that didn't have her world spinning on its axis, she also found out her name held high importance in an organization unknown to her. And when she wasn't working at the dance studio she was learning everything she could about S.H.I.E.L.D. Her grandfather, Howard Stark, was co-founder alongside Chester Phillips and Peggy Carter. This secret organization was founded in the wake of the victory over HYDRA, the terrorist-criminal-paramilitary organization, in World War II. Director Fury had given her mountains of paperwork and basically history books to regulate her into this new world.
Her concentration had been broken earlier that morning as the news flashed across her screen of an explosion that had happen last night at Stark Industries. There was also talk about a covert 'Iron Man' they were calling him, who mysteriously had the same chest plate that her father had. Coincidence? Becca didn't think so. This wasn't exactly the message she wanted to wake up to first thing on your 21st birthday, more importantly when she couldn't get in contact with her father, uncle Rhodey or Pepper. But when she did finally get ahold of someone, poor Happy received the blunt of it.
"Why am I always the last person to know, Happy! Hmm! It's like you people do this to me on purpose!" Becca yelled at the man over the phone, her eyes not leaving the TV where they were getting ready for a press conference. "Let's see how much anxiety we can give Becca! I swear."
"Becca, please-"
"If you say calm down, Happy, I'm going to find a way to come through this phone and choke you." At the end of her empty threat, she heard a knock echo through her small apartment. She pulled herself off the floor and walked over to the door, still tearing into the poor man. She looked through the peephole, seeing Clint standing on the other side. Becca opened the door for him with a strained smile before walking away, letting him meander his own way through the door.
"Can I say something without you biting my head off?" Happy sighed.
Becca could basically see him rubbing a hand down his face. "Depends on if I like what comes out of your mouth next." She stood with one hand on her hip, listening to him but really paying attention to the news. She heard Clint snort at her comment as he comes into living room after pouring himself a cup of coffee. He had pretty much become a staple lately in her apartment ever since her attack.
"Tony's fine, Becca. He's alive and breathing." Hearing her calm down just for a moment knowing that. "Now, Rhodes is about to start the press conference. I promise to make sure your dad calls you immediately when it's done, alright?"
She ran her fingers through her straight hair that had become a frazzled mess from her constant gripping. "Okay."
"And Becca…happy birthday."
"Thanks, Happy." The blush rose to her cheeks as she finally hung up her phone. The cell phone landed with a dull thud on the paper covered table as Becca fell with a sigh on the couch next to Clint. "My family is a goddamn nightmare."
"That's the understatement of the year." Clint's deep voice rose from around his cup. "You're not so bad though."
She looked over at him with a cocked eyebrow, debating on how she should approach that comment. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."
Their relationship was a strange one, but surprisingly easy to be around each other. Clint told it like it was, no apprehension or setbacks in place. Just the straight forward truth, and she liked that the best about it. Since their meeting, every question she asked he had answered to the best of his ability and that's something she appreciated. Every day turned out to be the same. Becca would get her work done early at the dance studio with Ms. Gabbert before spending the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening with Clint helping to teach her the most he could of S.H.I.E.L.D. It was very easy to find a comradery between the two. But her favorite thing about him is that fact that he didn't treat her like a kid.
"Coulson is out there. He's supposed to be taking care of the situation." Clint leaned forward to lean on his bent knees, both of them watching Colonel James Rhodes take his place behind the podium.
"I think you all underestimate Tony Stark."
"Good Morning." Rhodes began speaking to the media. "You've all receive the official statement of what occurred at Stark Industries last night. There have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned and caused damage to the arc reactor. Fortunately, a member of Tony Stark's personal security staff was there to assist the situation."
"Personal security staff?" Becca echoed, ridicule in her voice. "What a bunch of bullshit."
Clint rolled his eyes with a dark chuckle. "You know for someone who seems like a complete sweetheart you can sure be brash."
"It's my secret talent." She told him, barely listening to the lies that she knew Rhodes was spewing to the press. "So if Coulson is out there, do you know what's really going on?"
"Not entirely." He took another deep drink of his coffee, turning his body on the couch to face the girl with his leg coming to bend under him. "I know Coulson was supposed to be debriefing your father on S.H.I.E.L.D. but with last night's happenings he probably got sidetracked…again."
"Again?"
"Your father's not exactly the easiest person to have a meeting set up with and actually follow through. But I'm sure you know that."
Becca nodded, letting her fingers twist in her lap. "I just don't understand why we we've never told about S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place. Here's the secret organization that our name has a big part in yet we've been left in the dark."
"I wish I could explain that to you, Becca, but even I don't have an answer about that." Clint shrugged. He might be a level 7 agent but that didn't give him all the knowledge in the world. And this organization had been secrets and smoke screens that he couldn't he begin to explain.
Becca's attention returned back to her Uncle Rhodey. "And now, Mr. Stark has prepared a statement. He will not be taking any questions. Thank you." Watching Tony walk into view, Becca's shoulders finally relaxed at seeing her father in one piece.
"Been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time." Tony presented the stack of notecards in front of him. "There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop-"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," and a hand shot up off screen, you couldn't see the person but Becca knew automatically from the voice that it was that reporter from Vanity Fair, "but do you honestly expect us to believe that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you-"
"I know that it's confusing." He cut her off, glaring down at the woman. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."
"I never said you were a superhero."
"Didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic." He stalled, clearly overthinking things. "I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public..."
Rhodes stepped back into the screen to whisper something in Tony's ear before he continued. Tony nodded, raising the cards to continue reading. "The truth is…" Becca leaned forward in her seat, never seeing her father trying to bite his tongue. "I am Iron Man."
"Son of a bitch." Clint slammed his mug on the table, before jumping to his feet and grabbing his phone out of his pocket. It seemed that the two in that moment have changed roles, as he was now the one pacing with a phone stuck to his ear.
Becca felt like the couch gave out from under her. But it wasn't a surprise. The moment she saw the Iron Man chest plate she had the feeling in the back of her mind that it was her father underneath the metal. She loved her father, he was the number one person in her life, but she absolutely despised his egotistical side. And that was the side that was shining bright right now.
At the revelation, it seemed like a door opened in her mind. Her grandfather created this organization to help other, to make sure the people in this world were safe. And that's what she wanted to continue. He clearly wanted her to be part of this for a specific reason, and she was going to use all her power to continue Howard Stark's legacy.
"Fury's pissed." Clint broke her train of thought, coming to stand in front of the coffee table to grab her attention. "I have a very suspicious feeling he's going to go give your father a piece of his mind." He stood his with hands on his hips, something that Becca picked up early as a normal stance for the archer. "Becca…you listening to me."
"I'm in." She looked up at him with determination.
"In what?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm in." Becca stood up now to look at him. "Everything. Anything. I want to be a part. I'm in. But one thing." She held up a finger to him and then pointed at the TV. "My father, he will know nothing about this."
June 25th, 2008 on Rebecca Maria Starks 21st birthday was when her life officially changed.
Clint became Becca's official handler, mentor, and trainer. This wasn't something that S.H.I.E.L.D. usually did for newcomers. She should have gone to the training facility with the rest of the agents in training, but they had other ideas for Becca. If she thought just learning about S.H.I.E.L.D. was a world-wind she had no idea what was coming.
On top of working at the studio mornings, she was determined to give 110% every time she was at the headquarters. She had met multiple people over the first few days of officially joining, but she seemed to be getting the same response from everyone once Clint would mention her last name. It was a wide eyed stare and start to clam up around her. She had no power in this organization yet everyone began to fear her and it made her sick.
Clint seemed to take notice to the awkwardness that came out of the usually bubbly girl immediately. The first thing he ever picked up after spending time with Becca was her full hearted nature, always being nice to people. But once her last name was mentioned, a wall seemed to go up behind her eyes and she was stoic if anything. He knew at least he wasn't about to train an egomaniac; something it seemed her father possessed.
Everything started to really settle in when the actual preparation began.
If she thought her dancing regimen was intense, she hadn't experienced anything yet. She had never thrown a punch in her life or had one thrown at her. Martial Arts had mixed with interrogation then weapon training to so on and so on. Every time she thought she was getting the hang of something, he would throw something new in her preparation.
One good thing was that her body knew how to move on its own accord. She was flexible, quick on her feet, and had a type of grace in all her movements. That's something that Clint decided he was going to use to her advantage. Espionage became a top priority to tip her on.
Becca didn't question much on why Clint had picked himself to be her handler, but the one time she actually did open her big mouth she regretted instantly. Telling him she didn't need special treatment was the last time she would every question the archer's leadership again.
Becca fell back on her spine, the breath knocked out of her. She could already feel the bruise against her ribs screaming at her in agony.
"What? Was that too much for you, Stark?" Clint's words piercing sharper as he watched her lay there a second. "Does the princess need a break? Need a maid to come clean you up?" He knew his words were burning deep, but he knew his next statement was going to floor her. "Maybe you are your father after all."
A person 5 miles away could have seen the fire in her eyes at the statement. She pulled herself off the mat, staring her superior down with a clenched jaw. "I'm not my father."
"Then prove it, Becca. If you're not a Stark, who are you!"
Clint's voice boomed in their small practice room. Her body exploded into action. Jabs, kicks, punches were thrown. She whipped her body around Clint, using her quick movements to her advantage. Before long Clint was the one that found himself on the ground, catching his breath. Becca sucked in a deep breath, hands coming to rest on her knees.
"Bex." The older man spoke. His eyes not leaving the ceiling as if he was reading the word on the stucco.
"What?" She stood up fully, hands coming to rest on her hips.
"You don't want to be a Stark, you're Bex. Agent Bex."
And from then on she had become her own entity. She was no longer introduced around SHEILD as Stark. She was Agent Bex, one of their top priorities to get on track.
By the end of her first month training she had gotten use to the cold baths she was taking every night she got home from drill so she would be able to move her sore muscles the next day at the dance studio. Becca knew she had a lot on her plate but she wasn't a quitter. And if she couldn't handle this, how was she supposed to keep up when her school year began at the end of August.
Her father was the talk of the country, so she was able to slink back into the shadows. Nobody taking notice to what Rebecca Stark was up to in New York. Every time though Tony would ask how things were going she would simply leave it to being busy at work. Which wasn't a complete lie. This was how Coulson found his way back into Becca's life.
"We have a steady watch on your father. The next time he decides to blow something up…we'll know immediately."
Agent Coulson seemed to be Director Fury's right hand man. Which meant most agents were put under director order of him. Becca had the upmost respect for everyone she had met in this organization. And that definitely went for Agent Natasha Romanoff.
She had met the ex-Russian spy on a day that was unlike any others. Becca walked into the office Clint had set up in the headquarters. She had always asked him about the desk that sat opposite to him on who worked there since every time she went in it was unoccupied. His answer was always that she would find out eventually.
Becca had stopped short in the doorway, watching the two laugh over something they were talking about. The younger girl had never seen Clint at so much ease since she's met him, knowing that this woman clearly meant something to him.
"Sorry." She lifted her hands in apprehension, as both their eyes found her standing there. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, it's okay." Clint waved her into the office from where he was perched on the corner of his desk. "It's about time the two of you met."
At his introduction of the two girls, Becca couldn't help feeling inferior under the gaze of her dark green eyes. The spy was dangerously gorgeous with her fiery red hair falling over her shoulders, Becca felt like a bum next to her. If she was that pretty who knew how deadly Agent Romanoff's skills actually were.
"So…you're a Stark." It wasn't a question; it was more of Natasha gaging how the young trainee would handle the interrogation. Something that had Clint rolling his eyes.
"Not by choice, but I roll with the punches." Becca's arms locked together against her chest.
"She's going by Bex. Agent Bex when she level's up." Clint tried to help ease down his best friend. "She's good, Tasha. And is a dancer. Might give you a run for your money."
"Fuck you, Barton." Natasha threw back at him. "Fine, let's see what you got."
Agent Romanoff kicked her ass, anyone could see that from where they were standing. But she also didn't give up. That was what put Becca in her good graces. Don't give up. Don't complain. Keep your shit together. The saying should be printed on a banner in the assassins' office.
Weapons training wasn't even touched until she was 2 months in. Her first thing to learn was how to use her body as a weapon. And her mind had to be the most powerful weapon of them all. She had to be able to think on her feet; how to get in and out of situations. When to keep her mouth shut, how to get people to talk, spin situations, etc. There was so much work going into every little detail she was taught.
But walking into that equipment room on a hot August morning had her reeling about the amount of artillery she had to learn and also feel the brunt of. Becca had training in a bit of everything if she ever came across the weapon in her arsenal. Guns and knives seemed to be her weapons of choice with an influence more towards the blade.
Knives were one of the most lethal weapons. Just one small nick could be the death of someone; herself included.
Becca was good in gymnastics and acrobatics, so they started focusing her in sleuth espionage. The monkey if you will. It was easy for her to throw her body into tight spaces, slink around corners, and quietly get from one side of a building to another without being heard or seen. So knives were a good weapon of choice to hide all over her body.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Becca groaned into the phone at her father's question. "For the fifth time, I'm fine. Just really busy." She pushed herself into her apartment, completely spent from training that evening. On top of a long day of class as well.
"I'm just worried you are working too hard." Tony's voice grumbled over the line. "Don't want you to burn out before 25."
"Hilarious. Get in any fights lately, Iron Man?" She threw right back at him.
"Touché."
Yet, it was a lot, but she was quite proud of herself for being able to keep up. With school work, dance routines, training, and trying to keep a normal presence in her day to day life, Becca had even started going on Level 1 missions with Clint as back up.
That all changed though the first time she killed someone. It was 2 weeks before Christmas. She was off school which meant Becca had about 2 months to officially go into agent mode. It was her first big mission with Clint and Natasha both in action. They had been watching a big hot shot in Nepal for a while, and now was the time to proceed into action. Clint was on look out from the roof across from their targeted building. Natasha was taking the ground while Becca was starting on the roof. They were going to meet in the middle where the manufactures main lab was located. Everything was going as planned.
Until it went wrong.
Becca had gotten into the room first. It was empty and she immediately went to work on hacking into their systems to retrieve the information for S.H.I.E.L.D. Then she felt a body grab her from behind. From that point on everything became a blur. All she could really remember is standing over a man's bloody body as Natasha came barreling into the room. She knew her and Clint were talking back and forth in the in-ears but she didn't catch any of it.
Natasha finished the decoding and got the two of them out of the warehouse. All Becca could do was stare down at her bloody hands in disbelief as Clint got the three of them out of the scene in their jet. There was hushed whispers between her two mentors in the front, but she just couldn't concentrate on anything.
They didn't return to New York that night. Becca regained some attention as she looked out at the expansion of country side they had landed on. She grabbed her extra bag filled with a sense of normalcy that they would always bring along with them on each mission depending on how long it would take. Becca followed the two off of the jet, her eyes landing on the 2 story country house situated in the back of the field. She didn't say anything just followed, watching the sun slowly coming up over the tree line.
"You're safe here, Becca." Clint spoke softly in the morning light.
She simply nodded and continued following them down the path towards the house. He led her to one of the guest rooms on the second floor, telling her to get cleaned up. Becca set her bag on the bed looking over the country warmth filled room. It was the type of home she only ever saw in movies or TV shows. She took a long shower, watching as the man's blood swirled down the drain.
It was official. She had taken another human's life.
She knew that it was the consequence of the job, but you can't really prepare for it until you are actually in the situation. She pulled on a heavy sweatshirt and the yoga pants she found at the bottom of her bag. It wasn't as cold as New York and there wasn't snow on the ground, so she at least knew she was somewhere in the south.
A soft knock came from the door and she gently told them to come in, not trusting her voice. Natasha walked in, hair wet like her own and dressed in jeans. "Coffee is in the pot downstairs."
Becca nodded at her and ran her fingers through the wet strands of her hair.
Natasha closed the door, allowing her green eyes to read over the younger girl. "Do you want to talk about it?" Becca simply shrugged, not knowing what even to say. "Look, I'm not going to push you to open up or have a heart to heart. Just know the first kill is always the hardest. And you'll remember it for the rest of your life."
"How'd you deal with it?"
The redhead sighed, allowing herself to come sit next to her on the bed. "I went through a very different process than you are with S.H.I.E.L.D. Killing was almost a medal of honor with how I started." Natasha gave a sad smile to Becca. "You're in the right hands here. Clint has a lot of faith in you. And so do I. So cry it out, yell it out, do whatever you need to do. But just know we want you on our team if you still want to be here. It's all up to you."
Becca nodded, everything sinking in for her. The two girls took their time going downstairs, Becca looking over the house on her way. Becca was taken back by the woman standing in the kitchen, being held in Clint's arms.
"You two make me sick." Natasha commented on the couple, walking around them to grab her own coffee cup.
"It's okay, Nat. You'll find a guy that can deal with you one day." Clint snarked, letting go of the woman gently. His eyes found his young mentee hesitating in the doorway, arms once again wrapped around herself. He had noticed very early on that this was how she acted when she felt awkward in situations. "Becca, I would like you to meet my wife, Laura."
Becca's eyes widened at the admission. "Oh, um, hi."
"Hello, Becca." Laura smiled at her with such a warm smile Becca felt like her cold insides were starting to melt. "I've heard so much about you. Come here, get some coffee before these two drink it all."
She did as she was told, taking the cup she was offered, putting her own fixings in it. "So, this is your home?"
Clint nodded, leaning back against the counter. "It's kept secret. The only people that know about it are Fury and Nat, and now you. No one knows about Laura and I want to keep it that way." The sound of 2 pairs of feet padding down the stairs brought a wide smile to his face. "Especially these two."
His two kids came running in the room, jumping on their father in joy that he was home. The older boy Cooper was a spitting image of his father with the little girl, Lila, took many of her mother's mannerisms. It was in that moment that Becca realized where she stood. She knew how close Clint and Natasha were, almost jealous of their bond. But now they were taking her in, giving her a home away from home.
We are 1 chapter away from Iron Man 2. Up next the past of SHIELD will all be explained to Becca.
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