I don't own Avengers or its characters. I only own Riley Stark and other OCs that appear in the story.
Take on the World
Chapter 29: Clint's Safe House
The following morning after getting dressed and eating a small breakfast, Riley entered Bruce's laboratory just when Thor smacked a Samsung tablet against Tony's chest.
She already heard Steve talking about how Ultron killed Strucker and went to stand beside her father.
The young brunette wore a vivid orange long sleeve top, blue trousers and short brown boots. Her chestnut brown was styled in a straight loose style.
"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us."Tony stated.
Riley looked over her shoulder to look at the tablet which displayed a photo of a dead Baron von Strucker; 'Peace' written on the wall with his blood.
"This is a smoke screen."Natasha said from her spot in front of the computer."Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"
"Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss."Steve commented.
Natasha glanced at Steve.
"Yeah, I bet he...yeah."Natasha answered."Everything we had on Strucker's been erased."
"Not everything."Steve disagreed.
Soon the Avengers found themselves looking through dozens of boxes filled with files.
Thor threw a box lid behind him as Riley looked through files, she threw a lid from one of her boxes behind her and purposely hit Thor in the back of his head, making her smile nervously.
"Sorry, Uncle Thor."Riley apologised.
Thor turned around and looked at Riley with a slight smirk before both of them went back to work.
"Known associates."Steve complemented."Baron Strucker had a lot of friends."
Steve handed some files to Bruce for him to look at.
"Well, these people are all horrible."Bruce declared.
Bruce wanted to put away a file again before Tony stopped him.
"Wait."Tony instructed as he accepted the file Bruce gave him."I know that guy."
"From back in the day."Tony exclaimed and inspected the photo."He operates off the African coast. Black market arms."
Steve turned his head and looked at Tony, unimpressed.
"There are conventions. All right? You meet people. I didn't sell him anything."Tony admitted, defending himself."He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer. It was all very Ahab."
Thor pointed at the photo.
"This?"Thor questioned.
"Uhh, it's a tattoo, I don't think he had it."Tony answered.
"No. Those are tattoos."Thor stated and pointed at a strange looking mark on the man's neck."This is a brand."
The duo gave the photo to Bruce and he scanned the mark on the computer.
After a couple of seconds, the computer came up with a match.
"Oh yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning 'thief'."Bruce explained, reading from the computer."In a much less friendly way."
"What dialect?"Steve questioned.
"Wakanada."Bruce stammered."Wa-wa-wak-"
"Wakanda, Uncle Bruce."Riley corrected.
Both Tony and Steve turned to Riley with a questioning look.
"What? It's a small nation in North East Africa."Riley remarked with an innocent grin."I love geography."
Tony simply shrugged at his daughter before turning to Steve again.
"If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods-"Tony started.
"I thought your father said he got the last of it."Steve commented.
"I don't follow."Bruce responded."What comes out of Wakanda?"
Steve sighed and looked at his shield as Tony looked at his science bro.
"The strongest metal on Earth."Tony admitted.
"Where is this guy now?"Steve questioned.
Half an hour later marked the first real fight between Tony and Riley.
As time passed, they'd had small arguments here and there, but nothing that caused so much frustration and animosity.
"You're just a kid."Tony informed."You're not joining the fight. End of story."
"I am not just a kid, dad. I know what we're up against."Riley retorted as she crossed her arms."There is a killer robot trying to take over the world. You guys need help. I may not be the ideal help, but I'm what you've got. Please. I just want to help."
"No, Rye-Rye."Tony declared and shook his head for what had to be the millionth time that night."You're not getting involved in this."
"I already am involved!"Riley argued."I was there when Ultron attacked you and the others!"
"Which makes it all the more reason for you to just stay here. You are my kid and I don't think it's a good idea for you to get involved. You could get hurt."Tony stated slightly."The last thing I want to deal with is seeing you wearing bruises and cuts."
Riley looked down and frowned in disapproval.
"You don't trust me."Riley scowled.
In all honesty, Tony had not thought this far in their relationship.
He hadn't really thought about what would happen if Riley wanted to follow in his footsteps and use her skills for good.
Though he heard many times before that dealing with teenagers wouldn't be easy.
That probably should have dawned on him before.
On the other hand, he was proud that Riley wanted to save the world and help people and all that jazz.
On the other hand, Tony had seen the consequences of violence.
He'd seen the catastrophic battle of New York.
He'd seen the damage caused by the Mandarin.
He'd seen what Ultron unleashed earlier, presumably only a fraction of Ultron's grand plan and had seen so much loss as a result.
He didn't want to lose Riley too.
And what kind of father would he be if he let his kid daughter put her life on the line like that?
Doing a job that was bad news for fully grown adults?
She was supposed to have a chance to be normal.
Not to join one fight and then another.
Tony puts his hands on Riley's shoulders.
"Rye-Rye, you're an amazing girl. You're my daughter and I love you."Tony said, trying to reason with Riley."But I never want anything to happen to you. I wasn't able to save my own parents. I don't attend to lose you as well."
Riley looked at Tony.
"There's so much more in me, dad."Riley reminded with a small frown."I just want you to be proud of me."
Tony planted a kiss on Riley's forehead.
"I'm already proud of you."Tony assured.
Considering her situation, Riley was handling everything well.
She was extremely tired and found herself drifting to sleep more often than she would care to admit, but it was going well, nonetheless.
So, she continued to sleep as they searched through the physical files, eventually finding Ulysses Klaue and beginning their new mission.
The Avengers travelled to the African coast in search of Ulysses Klaue.
His salvage yard was on the outskirts of the closest major city and the team parked their quinjet outside the large warehouse.
They thought it was best for Bruce to stay in the aircraft with Riley and they would call for him if they needed a Code Green.
However, the young brunette woke up when Bruce was anxiously waiting for a signal sent by the team.
Bruce was worried that they would need a code green, but before they could relay a message, a flash of red appeared in the man's eyes before he became the Hulk.
When it came to the Hulk, Riley was more calm than anyone was with Bruce's alter ego.
But it wasn't her who needed the help.
It was that city because the Stark heiress knew that she could bring Bruce back, the trouble was getting to the Hulk.
Her father told her not to get involved.
However, Riley knew she couldn't just sit and do nothing.
So, she activated her Jewel Star suit and flew off to find the Hulk.
And when she finally arrived, she dashed past authorities holding threatening guns and straight towards the Hulk.
Once deactivating her suit, Riley slowly reached forward, ignoring the shouts for her to back away and run from the Hulk.
Reaching out her hand, the young brunette touched the significantly larger one that belonged to the Hulk and put him at ease.
The Hulk was not a monster.
No matter what, he was always going to be a hero in her book.
The Hulk looked at Riley's hand silently as he snapped out of Wanda's control.
He noticed the soldiers aiming their guns at him and the damage he has caused in the city, but Riley assured him everything was alright.
"It's okay, Uncle Hulk."Riley assured kindly."You're okay."
The Quinjet was silent as Clint operated the aircraft from the driver's seat.
Bruce was on the floor, his arms wrapped around his torso and sweat glistening on his skin.
The news plastered his attack on the African city on every channel and he couldn't stand to look at the devastation he caused.
It had been a long day for everyone on the team, all of them physically and/or mentally drained and tired.
They had a setback today with the unexpected 'Code Green' and the equally frustrating run-ins with the Maximoff twins.
Both twins were difficult, one fast and the other unbelievably annoying with her mind-tampering abilities.
Riley had researched the Maximoff twins and their powers yesterday, but never expected them to take down the Avengers easily.
The Avengers had never been more quiet.
Wanda's powers had Bruce, Natasha, Steve and Thor shaken.
Bruce really got the worst of it.
The Hulk did an obscene amount of damage after Wanda unleashed him and as if that wasn't bad enough, footage was on every news channel in the world.
Was this what Ultron wanted?
To destroy the Avengers' reputation before giving them their demise?
If so, Riley wasn't going to let that happen.
Anyone who messed with her family, was going to mess with her too.
But it seemed the damage was already done.
Ultron had broken the most powerful team on Earth and he barely even touched them.
With Wanda and Pietro by his side, Ultron made the Avengers a puddle of traumatic pasts and disconnected friendships.
He tied them up in the strings that once held him, and while he roamed free, they tied themselves in knots.
Tony spoke to Agent Hill through the monitor and the Stark tower appeared empty behind her.
"The news is loving you guys."Agent Hill stated."Nobody else is. There's been no official call for Banner's arrest but it's in the air."
"The Stark Relief Foundation?"Tony asked.
"Already on the scene."Agent Hill declared."How's the team?"
Tony glanced at his friends.
They were all silent, many still terrified of their memories and fantasies.
The Avengers had managed to regroup after the battle, yet many were still disoriented.
Tony and Riley were the only ones still in the right of mind.
"Everyone's...We took a hit."Tony informed."We'll shake it off."
"Well, for now, I'd stay in stealth mode and stay away from here."Agent Hill suggested.
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"So, run and hide?"Tony assumed.
'Until we can find Ultron, I don't have a lot else to offer."Agent Hill stated.
"Neither do we."Tony responded.
Tony swiped at the screen and ended the call.
He sighed and ran a hand down his face before he looked in Clint's direction.
"Hey, you wanna switch out?"Tony suggested.
"No, I'm good."Clint responded and looked over his shoulder from the driver's seat."If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time. Cause we're still a few hours out."
"A few hours from where?"Tony questioned.
"A safe house."Clint admitted.
Tony didn't question Clint.
Instead, he walked away from the monitor and stopped beside Riley, who had drifted to sleep in her seat.
The billionaire was grateful that his daughter didn't get any injuries in order to calm the Hulk down.
Though now they needed somewhere to stay in order to recharge before going back to fighting Ultron.
Hours later, Clint landed the Quinjet to a place in Iowa located in the United States of America.
The team walk down the extended ramp and were met with a house that sat on a large plot of land.
Fields and forests stretched for miles, encircling the farmhouse with peace and serenity.
Far from roads, cities, and chaos, the house was secluded and the perfect safe house for the team of superheroes.
Riley smiled at her surroundings as Thor looked high up at the hills of fields.
"What is this place?"Thor questioned.
"A safe house?"Tony assumed.
"Let's hope."Clint mumbled as he led them up the porch steps and into the house."Honey, I'm home!"
Riley, Tony, Thor, Steve, Natasha and Bruce gathered into the quaint living room that was attached to a large kitchen.
The farmhouse was made from old-fashioned wood and nails, grounding the team to the roots of what was once the standard of infrastructure.
Natasha smiled as a heavily pregnant woman walked out from the kitchen.
'Hi."Clint greeted as he walked over and planted a kiss on the woman's lips."Company. Sorry I didn't call ahead."
The woman smiled, looking to the young brunette and the group that stood confused in her living room.
"Hey."the woman answered.
Tony looked at Riley.
"This is an agent of some kind."Tony informed.
Riley nodded in silent astonishment at the sight of Laura.
"Riley, gentlemen, this is Laura."Clint introduced.
"I know all your names."Laura said sheepishly.
Riley and the Avengers noticed Clint's arm around her shoulders.
They realised that Laura was Clint Barton's pregnant wife.
They looked between each other, questioning if any of them knew that the man was married.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing footsteps caught everyone's attention.
"Ooh, incoming."Clint sneered.
Children pounded down the stairs at the sound of the front door and piled into the room.
"Dad!"
A young boy and a young girl ran to Clint, who crouched to embrace them with a grin on his face.
"Hi, sweetheart."Clint answered as he hugged his daughter before doing the same to his son."Hey, buddy."
Clint pressed kisses into his two children's foreheads and Laura stood beside them with her hands on her leaning back to support her unborn baby's weight.
"These are...smaller agents?"Tony stated.
"I think they're more than just that, dad."Riley murmured.
Lila smiled at Clint.
"Did you bring, Auntie Nat?"Lila asked.
Natasha smirked. "Why don't you hug her and find out?"
Lila rushed over to Natasha and the red haired woman placed the little girl in her arms.
Steve smiled at his girlfriend before looking at Laura.
"Sorry for barging in on you, ma'am."Steve apologised.
"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed."Tony admitted.
"Yeah, well, Fury helped me set this up when I joined."Clint exclaimed."He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. I'd like to keep it that way. I figure it's a good place to lay low."
Riley simply smiled at her coach.
Nick Fury kept Clint's growing family a secret.
The house in the fields was left off the files and Laura and her children, Lila and Cooper, were known by no one.
No corporation, scientist or alien could bring harm to them and Clint wanted to keep it that way.
Then again, if she learned Clint had a family, she would've spilled it out due to her excitement.
Natasha went over to Laura.
"I missed you."Natasha remarked and gently placed her hands on Laura's swollen stomach."How's little Natasha?"
Riley let out an excited gasp.
"Whoa."Riley chuckled."We're getting another Black Widow?"
An awkward smile appeared on Laura's face.
"She's...Nathaniel."Laura admitted.
Natasha's smile dropped and playfully frowned at Laura's swollen stomach.
"Traitor."Natasha muttered.
Riley covered her mouth to giggle at Natasha's reaction.
"I still think it's cool that Uncle Clint is naming his third kid after you, Aunt Nat."Riley assured kindly.
Cooper and Lila went over to Riley, earning her attention.
"H-Hi, Riley."Cooper greeted with a shy smile."I'm Cooper."
Riley simply smiled and shook hands with Cooper.
"Nice to meet you, Cooper."Riley answered.
"And I'm Lila."Lila declared happily.
Riley shook hands with Lila as well.
Then Thor went out of the house, earning everyone's attention.
Steve went out after the God of Thunder.
"Thor?"Steve questioned.
"I saw something in that dream."Thor declared."I need answers. I won't find them here."
Thor then gave Mjølnir a spin before taking off in the sky.
Riley went to check out the window and saw Steve heading to the field.
The young brunette thought for a moment that she should go check on him, but realised that he needed some time to be on his own.
Not longer after eating lunch and then clearing up the dishes, Riley and the Avengers retired to the rooms that they were given to stay in the safe house.
One was for Tony and Riley, the second for Bruce while Steve and Natasha were to sleep in the third available room together.
Laura gave Riley a soft pink pyjama shirt with matching trousers to wear.
"They're a bit oversized if that's okay."Laura commented.
"No problem, Aunt Laura. Thank you."Riley said with a smile."Your house is cool by the way."
"Thank you."Laura responded as her hands clasped together on top of her large belly."Clint built it all himself."
"Awesome."Riley praised before her eyes went on Laura's swollen stomach."So when is little Nate coming?"
"Hopefully in the next month."Laura admitted.
"Then I'll make sure to start looking for presents when the psycho bot is out of the way."Riley informed confidently.
Laura gave Riley a gentle smile before leaving the room, so she could get dressed.
Riley changed into the pyjamas she was given before folding the clothes she was wearing and placing them in the wardrobe.
The bedroom held a wardrobe in the corner and a nightstand beside the bed.
Its walls were painted with a light wash of blue, the wood underneath peaking through to match the bronze in the bedsheets.
Riley then sat next to the window to glance at the view outside.
The forest outside was plush, its green flourishing from the heavy rainfall in the secluded part of the country.
Despite the killer robot that was still on the loose, the Stark heiress found the atmosphere of Clint's house peaceful.
The beautiful warm house in the middle of nowhere was something surprisingly appealing to her.
Her father's homes were always filled with the latest tech and the modern trends that favourited greys and whites, but the soft browns and rustic furniture was a fresh change.
It reminded her of her maternal grandparents's house back in Seville.
A calm safe place with very little technology.
Then the door of the room opened and Riley saw Tony coming up to her while holding a cup of lavender tea.
"To help you sleep well."Tony admitted.
Riley smiled as she took the cup of tea.
"Thanks, dad."Riley thanked.
Tony nodded, smiling in satisfaction.
"Anytime."Tony replied.
Tony has taken a seat beside his daughter.
Right now, they both sit in silence, watching the scenery behold in front of them.
Riley raised her head, allowing Tony to see her warm brown eyes looking deep in memories and slowly raised her hands right at the sky.
"Don't you think those stars look like a Cupid arrow?"Riley asked.
Toney scrunched his face as he focused on the stars that his daughter pointed over.
"It did?"Tony asked."I see it more like a baseball bat."
The sounds of Riley's snort followed by a giggle made Tony smile.
"Now that you imagine it that way."Riley agreed, chuckling between her knees.
"You like watching the stars?"Tony asked.
"Mum loved the stars."Riley admitted, her smile shrinking a bit at mentioning her birth mother."She said that when she looks at them twinkling, it was like hundreds of wishes waiting to come true."
Tony hummed, understanding, but he did imagine that Hattie just loved to make her daughter feel there was beauty in the world despite its chaos.
"What was she's like?"Tony asked.
Riley smiled softly at she thought of her late mother.
"There are no words in this world that can describe how wonderful she was."Riley declared with a soft smile."The best mother that one can ever have. Whenever my birthday was coming near, she will do some extra part-time jobs. Like helping at Grandfather Reginald's hotel or any odd works that she can find."
A heavy yet soft sigh escaped from Riley's mouth.
"I didn't need any crayon to draw on the wall."Riley continued."I didn't want many dolls or frilly princess dresses. I just need her, but she always bought me some stuff. Every night she will come to my room, singing this made-up song that her mother used to sang or tell me some interesting tales from different places around the world."
Riley wiped away the tears that were coming out of her eye.
Tony silently listened to every word coming out of his daughter.
The man understood her feelings so much.
How much he wished that he can tell his own mother how much her son loved her and how sorry he was for being an ungrateful son.
"If only I can turn back time."Tony mumbled.
Riley took a few sips of her lavender tea before smiling lightly at her father.
"Me too, dad."Riley admitted."But Grandma Anita always tells me to focus on the here and now. Because…there are people that need us and we still have a chance to make the future better."
Tony planted a kiss on Riley's forehead.
"I understand, Riley."Tony responded with a smile."Be sure to get a lot of sleep after drinking your tea. We have another long day tomorrow."
Riley smiled. "I know."
When Riley finished drinking her lavender tea and brushing her teeth, Tony tucked her to bed.
Riley sunk into the pillow that sat under her head as she began to shut her eyes.
"Hey, dad?"Riley spoke up.
"Yeah?"Tony said.
"I just realised something."Riley informed.
"And what's that?"Tony asked.
"Iowa's nickname is the Hawkeye state."Riley remarked."No wonder Uncle Clint chose to settle down here."
Tony playfully rolled his eyes before he watched Riley drift to sleep.
It made him feel like he was away from the technical world of fighting aliens and chasing bad guys.
Like he wasn't Iron Man, but was Tony Stark.
Husband to Pepper.
Father to Riley.
But also really retired from hero work.
It felt like a dream.
A frown appeared on Tony's face upon remembering that Ultron was still out there as well as the Maximoff twins.
It was no time for dreaming.
The Earth's mightiest heroes must come together once again to protect the world from global extinction.
Though he clearly hoped that they would succeed.