Bella kept her gaze on the smooth, dark brown surface of the table.
"So," said Agent Coulson, from his place across from her. "What you're telling me is that someone created a program that produced expert weapons makers before they turned seven."
"That's the highly simplified version, but yes, Sir. Basically, that's it." Bella had told them everything. They would never have given up until they did, and it simply seemed pointless to try to hide it any longer.
"And that is what you were doing in Afghanistan? Designing weapons for the Ten Rings?"
Bella nodded. She couldn't look up. Couldn't bring herself to see the expression on his face, what he must be thinking about her. "Yes, Sir."
"You said they erased your memory in this program. How do you remember it, then?"
"I don't. News of a program like that just gets around. Most of what I've told you is just what I've managed to piece together. They implanted the information in our heads, then altered our minds to give us mental capacity surpassing the average adult human, particularly the areas that affect memory and reasoning. Then they erased our memories of all the procedures and knowledge of the program."
Bella was starting to get annoyed. She had been dragged off by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to a S.H.I.E.L.D. base. There, she had been locked up for what she estimated to be at least twelve hours. At the twelve hour mark, she'd fallen asleep and had been awoken for this. She wasn't completely sure about the proper procedures for this sort of thing, but she was reasonably sure a minor's parent or guardian should, at the very least, be notified of what was going on, which Bella doubted had occurred – otherwise, Tony would probably be there already.
"We've heard rumors, of course," said Coulson. "But we didn't actually think it there was anything to them."
"And now you do?"
He said nothing, but instead stood.
"So, what happens now?" Someone was, no doubt, trying to figure out all the ways this organization could use her. Did anyone really think she was going to go back to that life quietly and without a fight? If anyone did, they were wrong.
"Have you called Tony yet?"
He didn't respond.
"I'll take that as a no." He stood up and walked toward the door. "What are you planning?" Still no response. "Agent Coulson. I may be fifteen, but I'm smarter than that. I will never consent for building weapons for your organization, or any other."
"Who said anything about that, Miss Stark?"
"Please. Just don't. I know organizations like yours, I've worked for enough of them. Sir, short of mind control, there is absolutely nothing you could do to convince me to work for you. Even if you tried to force me, you need Tony's permission for me to work for you, as my parent. I doubt he'd give it if I didn't agree."
"Miss Stark, you could help people by doing it."
"I don't doubt that your organization has the world's best interest in mind. But the world has enough weapons, Agent Coulson. I see no reason to build more. Tony's Iron Man suits shouldn't be distributed to the world at large. If he'd given them to the government, that would have happened eventually. Someone would have gotten their hands on it who shouldn't have it. The same would happen with anything I designed for you. And then we'd need more designs. We're trapped in a race that can only end in disaster, with everyone coming up with weapons, trying to create something better everyone else. I see no reason to get us to the finish line any more quickly than I already have."
Coulson looked at her for a moment. His cell phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this." He stepped outside.
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Tony was starting to get frustrated.
Izzy had vanished mysteriously after Stark Expo had been destroyed. He had immediately ruled out Vanko as being responsible. Vanko was, at long last, well and truly dead. The next idea he'd come up with was Justin Hammer. Hammer, however, denied having anything to do with it, and there was no evidence of his involvement.
"She couldn't have vanished off the face of the earth," said Tony to himself. "Her suit doesn't go into space." That gave him an idea, but he brushed it aside. Later. He closed his cell phone after yet another call to someone couldn't help him.
Both he and Pepper had exhausted nearly every source available. The only place he could think of to contact was S.H.I.E.L.D., and he didn't like asking them for favors. The night before had been an emergency, because of Vanko. He supposed now could be considered an emergency too.
"Hey, Boss," said Happy, walking into the room. "Did you know Miss Stark knows how to assemble an arc reactor?"
"What? How do you know about that?"
"Because she assembled one from spare parts and duct tape last night. And did you know Natalie's a secret agent?"
Something clicked in Tony's mind. "Wait a second. Did Natalie see Izzy assemble that arc reactor?"
"Yes."
"Yes to both your questions, Happy. Long story which I should explain to you and Pepper at some point. First, though, I have to make a phone call."
Tony stood up and left. Once he was alone, he dialed Coulson's number.
"Hello, this is Phil Coulson," said an answering voice.
"Coulson? Would you know what happened to Izzy?"
There was a short silence.
"Agent Coulson. Do you know where my daughter is? Is she at a S.H.I.E.L.D. base?"
There was another short silence. "Stark, all we did –"
"Why was I not told about this? You want me to join your super secret boy band, and yet you bring my daughter to a S.H.I.E.L.D. base for questioning without even telling me first?"
"Stark, we needed to make sure she wasn't a threat."
Tony took several deep breaths, as Pepper would have advised him to do. "Coulson, do you really think I would have adopted her without being satisfied that she wasn't working for the Ten Rings or anyone else?"
More silence.
"I sincerely doubt she'd agree to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., if that's what you're hoping."
"I guessed."
"I'll be waiting outside at the doughnut shop the director and Natalie met me and Izzy at yesterday." Had it been yesterday? It felt like ages ago. "Three hours. Bring Izzy. And her suit." He hung up.
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Tony sat in the ring of the doughnut, waiting. In full armor, just in case. Two minutes before they were due to show up with Izzy. They'd better show up. Tony understood why they would want to talk to Izzy about her past. But they were not going to just take her to some base of theirs to question her without at least telling him first.
A car pulled into the parking lot. Tony recognized Agent Romanoff in the driver's seat. In the back sat Izzy. Tony breathed a sigh of relief.
The car pulled to a stop. Tony jumped down from his perch and walked across to the car. Izzy climbed out the back. He wrapped both arms around her in a hug for a moment. Izzy had always been good at hiding her emotions, but he could tell she'd been shaken badly by the experience.
Izzy and he removed the Iron Man suit from the back seat, loaded it into the back of his own car, and left in silence.
I'm not sure if I'm 100% pleased with this chapter… your thoughts?
Let's see if I can get four or five reviews before the next chapter goes up.