A/N: Hey everyone, I hope you've all been enjoying the story so far, I'd like to say thank you (yes again, I really am that grateful) to everyone who has read, followed, favourited and reviewed! It means an unimaginable amount that you guys seem to really like the splurge my brain comes out with! Again a special thank you to FaithfulReader92 for the review!
This chapter deals with some more of Ren's back story, however there is a lot of techie stuff that I needed to show going on, and I'd like to point out now that I am in no way a tech savvy person... I made up stuff that sounded impressive, nothing further.

Language warning for this chapter, for any younger readers, though it's not anything absolutely horrible.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers, only my OCs and their storyline, nor do I make any money from this work.

Please, read and enjoy (and a review wouldn't go amiss...)
Lucksby xx

CHAPTER 11

The next morning Ren had woken early so that she could attempt to be up and out of the tower before the majority of the Avengers were up; she wanted to make it to the lab SHIELD were providing for her on their Helicarrier, without any Thor shaped delays.

She was fairly surprised when Barton was waiting for her on the roof where Coulson had told her to go to catch the jet, and more surprised still to find out that he would be her pilot. Must read through those personnel files more carefully… However in all fairness the flight was fine; Barton was pretty chilled about her being there, as he had been last night; which had been nice given that Captain America clearly wasn't, because of her age she assumed. In fact Clint (as he had insisted she call him) had been welcoming and had seemed to respect that she wouldn't be there at all if she wasn't good at what she did.

Still she had tried to keep all her more 'Tony' attributes at bay; after all you never know who might be watching and analysing.

Arriving at the Helicarrier she had to admit she was impressed.
"Ok, Clint you weren't joking about this place being kind of amazing! It's huge! I can't believe this actually flies!"
"Well you better believe it because once we're inside it's going to." Even as he spoke huge rotor blades had begun turning, proving to be a big source of interest to the girl, "The lift they can produce must be incredible, I mean this thing is the size of an aircraft carrier, and it must weigh an unimaginable amount… I wonder what powers it?"
Clint had to restrain a laugh as he watched her, she almost reminded him of a less cocky and less arrogant version of Stark; so enthralled by the science and maths behind everything.
She seemed to conclude her examination. "Well whoever designed all of this, I really want to meet them."

Coulson had met them on the Bridge, where Ren had also met Director Fury for the first time, and out of earshot of Barton (an impressive distance and several solid walls) he had told her right out that he knew who she was. It didn't, however, faze her.

"I had expected you to. No offense to Agent Coulson, but I could tell he wasn't calling the shots and that there must be a big scary boss in an eyepatch around somewhere." Fury too was reminded greatly of the elder Stark by her words.

"Well Ms Stark it would be a great help if you could get down to work, we've had your father's normal lab here prepped for you, Agent Barton can show you the way. I've had the suit itself taken there and anything else you need can be procured."

Her smile was wry, "Thank you Director Fury, but I'll ask right away for access to SHIELD's criminal database." The smile grew, "I wouldn't want to have to hack my way in."

Fury laughed lightly, appreciating the humour the girl was displaying, "Of course Ms Stark, we wouldn't want that now would we?"

And that was how, four hours later, Ren found herself still typing away in a large and very high tech lab (she had only drooled a little bit when she first saw it) that SHIELD had so courteously provided. She had computers set up everywhere, running searches, cross referencing all the different criminal databases she could think of, creating new programs; it was her trademark state of organised chaos. And she had decided that, although she wasn't here for the best of reasons, and that Tony was never to find out about her ongoing survival, she was still going to make the most of the opportunity; after all, she didn't get access to all of this amazing stuff just every day.

If you connect up the two then you can use that to go at the firewall from two points… Will that work? Umm… More frantic typing… Nooo, okay you are good Mister, got to give you that…

"Seren", the typing continued, "Earth to Seren, hello!"
"Oh Barton" Ren finally surfaced from her trance like state- one that came with staring at computer screens and being immersed in complicated algorithms for much too long.

"Do you want to get any lunch, or are you like Stark and don't eat for days when you're working?"
Ren whipped round, suddenly on her guard, "Who says I'm anything like Stark?"
Clint laughed and took a step back, "Whoa easy tiger, I'm sorry, but you just kinda remind me of him a bit, with the computer stuff and everything."
Play it cool Ren, he doesn't look like he's lying… He's a master assassin, if he wanted to lie to me I would never know anything about it! Yeah but if he was lying he would never use that as his excuse, just keep calm, play it off and for God's sake try not to make him anymore suspicious than he is already.

"I guess so, I don't think I could pull off that whole billionaire, playboy routine though."
"Yeah, I doubt it." Clint's grin was large, glad that he hadn't offended the girl who the team was relying so heavily on. "So, lunch?"
"Sure, just give me a moment to stabilise this and I'll be with you."

PHEW! That could have gone south very quickly… Gonna have to be more careful from now on Ren…

Later that night Ren was lying in bed in her room in the Avengers Tower, but try as she might she couldn't fall asleep. Tonight it wasn't bad dreams plaguing her, no, it was memories.

Flashback…

"Get in the car!"
"But-"
"Didn't you hear me you stupid girl, get in the damn car!"
Ren slid into the back of the big SUV, clutching her small bag, with tears dripping down her face, and to her horror he followed.
"Aww the little princess is crying. What a shame Daddy isn't here to dry her tears…" He sneered, "Oh that's right he's never been there has he? Because he doesn't care about you!" The last part was practically bellowed and had Ren shaking in her seat.
"By getting rid of you tonight I'm doing Daddy a favour, because you are baggage he doesn't want, aren't you girl!"

The car had moved away from the big Malibu mansion where Tony had left his daughter alone for two nights whilst he was in Las Vegas. Obadiah Staine leaned forward and grabbed Ren by the t-shirt.
"Say it, say it you little piece of shit!"
Ren bit her lip trying in vain to choke back more tears, "I'm worthless. I'm a waste of space. He doesn't love me. Nobody does." It was the mantra that the man had force fed her over years of terrorisation; it haunted her every waking moment because there was always a place in the back of her mind chanting it.

I'm worthless. I'm a waste of space. He doesn't love me. Nobody does.

As the lights of the city drew near Ren watched powerlessly as she was smuggled through the night, out of the state, the country and the lives of everyone she knew and loved.

Flashback ends…

Ren backhanded the tears that had begun rolling down her cheeks. How ironic it was that even though Obadiah Staine was dead, he somehow managed to live on in his victory over Ren; that he had managed to damage her so badly psychologically that she wouldn't go back to Tony now, even though she was being given the perfect opportunity. She was scared, scared that he wouldn't want her, despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary.

She was a coward.

I'm worthless. I'm a waste of space. He doesn't love me. Nobody does.