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EMBRACE FOR IMPACT

"You cannot protect yourself from
sadness without protecting yourself
from happiness." —Jonathan
Safran Foer
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Avengers Tower

Location: New York City, New York

June 19, 2014

"WHAT are we going to do with her? She still hasn't woken up in two weeks." Steve declared to the rest of the Avengers, worrying that the tranquilizer was a bit excessive for her. Aurora was placed under Bruce Banner's care in his laboratory along with Dr. Helen Cho. They would take turns supervising her, still, that didn't stop Steve, Natasha, or Thor aiding them when the two scientists were occupied. Even Clint would show up just so the others could take a break from sitting in the same morbid room.

Everyone had mixed emotions about the HYDRA assassin based on her first impression. Steve felt guilty about everything that happened because HYDRA brainwashed her. Tony took a blood sample of Aurora's and was awaiting the results in two days. Natasha believed that she deserves a second chance in redemption like herself. Clint oddly enough pitied her even if she broke his arm. Thor wondered why Aurora eerily resembled her... hoping the goddess would come when the war on her planet was over.

"I'll tell you what you shouldn't do, Capsicle. Try waking her up and possibly risk getting us killed while doing so." Tony suggested with a small shrug, leaning against the leather chair with a neutral expression. The archer immediately nodded after that statement, slightly sore from his arm in the process of healing.

"For once I agree with Tony, Cap. I mean she almost killed me in London," Clint answered honestly before fumbling around with his coffee mug. Even if he was trying to ease the tension, he couldn't help but wonder if she could have killed him when she had the chance. Nothing was stopping her at the time, so why didn't she?

"But she didn't. She could have killed us in a second if she wanted to with her powers. No, she hesitated to do anything that could risk her identity. Do you think that she was afraid of something..." Natasha pondered to the group, Tony rolled his eyes whilst Bruce hesitated to utter a response.

"A-Afraid? Afraid of what? She's been through so much on her own, Nat. I don't think that would be it. Maybe she was trying to find something... or someone?" Bruce proposed from the corner, fixing his glasses to the bridge of his nose with a small nervous smile.

"Jarvis, can you scan her backpack and tell me what's inside," Tony called out to his A.I. system, alerting Thor of what he's going to do. The God of Thunder didn't appreciate many things here but certainly not investigating someone's possessions.

"Of course, sir." Jarvis' voice echoed throughout the room, examining the items inside the black backpack. No one besides Thor touched the luggage, so it was likely that nothing would be misplaced or missing. They were all positive that if even one item was missing, Aurora would be on a killing spree for their absurdity.

"Do you have no honor, Stark? You must respect boundaries when it comes to personal possessions." Thor's usually loud tone boomed at the billionaire, who casually stood up to have a shot of scotch. Once he served himself the drink and finished it, Tony pointed at the Asgardian with a harsh look.

"Look who finally decided to chime in. What about you, Point Break? All you do all day is either eat our food supply or watch the girl as if you know her." Tony retorted to Thor, causing the other Avengers to grumble under their breaths. Everyone knew that upsetting the Asgardian was essentially desiring to have a death wish soon. Of course, Tony didn't care when it came to anything, only himself and the people he dearly trusts.

"Someone must watch her for the safety of everyone," Thor answered immediately, Natasha suspected that something was bothering the God of Thunder. Tony didn't take the response rather seriously, eyeing the tall god with a small glare.

"Do you really do it because of our safety? Or is there something you're not telling us." Tony accused him when he approached closer towards Thor. The Asgardian uncrossed his toned arms as he stood up from sitting against the table before facing Tony with a solemn expression.

"That doesn't concern you, Stark." Thor proclaimed angrily with his Mjolnir on the table until he grabbed it tightly as he pointed it at Tony. Both men stood their ground firmly, the other Avengers had enough with the time being wasted on a calm evening day.

"Sir, I completed scanning the contents and it appears to have a journal, a computerized compact mirror and sunglasses, two vibranium daggers, and one semi-automatic handgun." Jarvis interrupted in time, everyone's interest quirked at the mention of the vibranium daggers. The rarest metal on Earth with Steve's shield being the last known ones during World War II.

"Jarvis, can you repeat the one item?" Tony demanded his A.I. system, unbeknownst to them that this would be the start of new discoveries from now on. Their lives were going to change for the better or worst when they know who Phantom really is.

"A journal, sir. Hidden clues and information about Diana Hunter along with mentions of her past life." Jarvis informed the group, causing Tony to almost choke on his drink with his eyes bulging at the mention of the name. The two assassins' best friends have known that name for many years, curious why this teenager had information about her.

"Diana Minerva Hunter? As in Agent Pierce, the so-called prodigy daughter of Alexander Pierce?" Natasha questioned with Clint nodding in agreement. Both agents met the woman briefly before their next mission to Budapest. Although they didn't exchange many words, they got the impression of her strong personality and loyalty she demonstrated to SHIELD and everyone knew it.

"Yes, Miss Romanoff. A Level 8 agent serving SHIELD for a decade until her record was redacted in 2005." Jarvis declared through the speakers, Tony became uneasy about thinking of his ex-lover many years ago. It seemed like only yesterday when he first met her on his way to his university with Rhodey. Why did his past have to haunt him now?

"Wasn't she with you, Tony? You know, before you rejected her after receiving an offer for Stark Enterprise?" Clint teased the billionaire with a large smirk, the rest of the Avengers focused on Tony with curiosity. Was there something he didn't tell them?

"I don't want to talk about it, Barton," Tony grunted as if he was a toddler that got in trouble for something naughty. The man sulked against his seat with a small frown before motioning to Clint that he was going to die for that comment. The archer simply laughed at the reaction, slightly wiggling his eyebrows to Natasha with a knowing expression.

"I never knew why she wanted to be with you. She was definitely gorgeous with a brilliant mind that could have done many achievements in her life. I wonder if maybe she stopped going to her missions because of you?" Clint interrogated and that was the last straw for Tony, everyone knows that based on his hands clenched tightly whilst saying profanities under his breath.

"Enough!" Steve interrupted them firmly as he accidentally slammed his hand on the table, "Look all we have to do is wait until she wakes up. Not difficult, right?" The other Avengers slowly nodded their heads after witnessing Captain America almost lose his calm nature. After discussing a few more topics the meeting officially ended with everyone splitting up to their daily routine. Tony and Bruce working on inventing in the laboratory and the others were either training or watching over the girl.

Two days passed from the last meeting, no one suspected that Aurora would finally wake up. The teenager at first felt her muscles and bones ache with pain, remembering what happened before her hand retracted to the back of her neck. A small bandage covered the area... tranquilizers, she concluded. Aurora slowly fluttered her eyes open, trying to adjust with the bright light illuminating the dull room above her head. Once she surveyed her surroundings, a small pinch surged from her arm upon noticing it was a needle inside her veins. Her head was buzzing as she tried to regain consciousness, frustrated that she was trapped inside hell knows where.

'My backpack!' Aurora mentally exclaimed in fear, swiftly taking off the bed sheets along with the needles attached to her arm. She was wearing a large black t-shirt that barely touched her knees, wondering who this belonged to. Her bare feet touched the cool tile floor as she searched around the room for her backpack. Without her knowing, Steve was taking a small nap behind the curtain until he heard a faint rustle noise near the medical bed. Upon seeing Aurora frantically searching for something, Steve sat at the chair beside the bed whilst she didn't notice him yet.

"You alright, kid?" Steve questioned gently, causing the teenager to freeze before slowly turning around with her hands on her side. Aurora stared into his light blue eyes, wondering why he was always calm when she could kill him if she wanted to. Instead of verbally answering, she simply nodded her head softly as she observed Steve in his civilian attire.

"Do you need anything? Water? Food?" He continued to ask her, the teenager decided to lay back down to bed whilst discreetly looking for anything she can use as a weapon. Still, based on how relaxed Steve seemed and that he didn't kill her in London, Aurora would call it even. Pulling the bedsheets to her waist, Aurora silently nodded since she thought her throat was sore and dry. The male super-soldier handed her a small cup of water and saw that she finished it in mere seconds.

"Were you looking for your backpack?" Steve proposed, piquing her interest whilst knitting her eyebrows together before her eyes widened in realization. After a few moments, she finally muttered a small yes to his direction as she avoided looking at him.

"Tony will bring it to you later when he comes in with the test results, alright?" Steve nodded his head gently with a small smile curving his lips. The teenager slowly nodded in agreement, subconsciously panicking that she couldn't find her mother's necklace either.

"What test results?" Aurora finally questioned him confused, clenching her fists at the sudden flashbacks of her preparations of becoming an assassin. She loathed the thought of someone taking her blood samples without her consent. HYDRA always told her that once she reaches sixteen, her blood would be manipulated to create the next line of female super-soldiers. Not anymore....

"...Your DNA test, kid. We're helping you find your parents." Steve confessed with a tiny genuine smile to her. Aurora became paralyzed in shock, finding her family? After being alone for almost a decade she was finally going to be with her parents?

"W-Why would you want to help me? I've done nothing but make other people's lives miserable, I don't deserve anything..." Aurora mumbled ashamed, however, with Steve's enhanced hearing listened to everything she said.

"Sometimes life doesn't give you something you want, not because you don't deserve it, but because you deserve more." Captain America declared wisely, making her feel like she was wanted. A warm yet unfamiliar feeling stirred inside her, it made Aurora want to do anything to get rid of it. Was she getting sick or something?

"Why do you have so much faith in me? I don't even know or trust you." The teenager insisted, becoming visibly disoriented until her eyes began to feel heavy.

"Because I know you can change if you have the right support," Steve explained, but she suddenly felt her body sway around the chair, Steve catching her on time before she collapsed to the ground. Steve called Jarvis to alert Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho about the incident, hoping that it was nothing serious about her health.

Meanwhile, on the other level of the Avengers Tower, Tony was in his laboratory working on his Iron Man suit. However, he came across complications with another A.I. system hacking into the tower a few days ago. Upon discovering it was Aurora's A.I. called M.A.T.T.H.E.W that had a similar coding system than his. Took approximately four hours until Jarvis gained control, it perplexed the billionaire on how advanced M.A.T.T.H.E.W is. However, Jarvis rudely interrupted his thoughts with an announcement, "Sir, the test results are in."

"Oh, perfect. Now we can finally get rid of the kid at last," Tony hollered excitedly, fixing the last touches before he swiftly changed the monitor to see the results. He scanned through the screen finding it all boring until he saw something pop up that made it interesting. A HYDRA file appeared, curious Tony clicked on it until he found something that will always change his life.

Name: Aurora Selene Hunter

Born: December 2nd, 2001

Place of Birth: Albany, New York (USA)

Mother: Diana Minerva Hunter

Father: Anthony Edward Stark

Record History: Subject E-616, formerly known as Project X, was presumed to be rescued by Commander Alexander Pierce with Brock Rumlow and placed at the Research Base in Sokovia. Subject E-616 is the only known essence of inheriting her mother's genetics and abilities. Upon further investigation, she is the last of the Stark bloodline as assumed by gaining the intellectual ability.

Experimented at the age of four, and was the sole survivor of Project X. The serum was rumored to contain some elements of the Tesseract and other properties of past failed serums. It was proven to be successful after inheriting her mother's energy shield along with enhancing her body. Put to the test, she has proven to rival her partner The Winter Soldier in combat and obedience. If she reaches the age of sixteen, the second serum will be inserted into her body that could ultimately defeat any enemies of HYDRA. The perfect creation, the first female super-soldier.

Known Abilities: Energy Manipulation, Enhanced Combat, Enhanced Senses, Healing Factor, Mind Control, Pain Infliction, Power Manipulation, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Portal Creation.

Report Last Updated: Werner Reinhardt (December 31st, 2013)

Tony roughly leaning against the table, his mind trying to process the information along with sudden mixed emotions. His child? It can't be... Diana never mentioned being pregnant or something along those lines. They were both only in their mid-20's going to thirty when they separated. After Stark Enterprise was expanding, they became distant with barely time to be together. The last thing she said was, 'Someday... something will bring us back together, Tony. Whether you like it or not, but this will change both our lives.'

"Shit! Jarvis, I want you to do another test now! Fuck, this can't be right," Tony shrieked in realization for what she stated, that something was Aurora. The billionaire frantically searched for a picture until he accidentally dropped it on his lap. There was no denying the similarities between his ex-lover and Aurora, from their light brown hair with matching eyes and strong personality they possess.

"I'm afraid sir, I've already done that. This is the fourth test declaring that you are the father to this child." Jarvis responded in his British accent, and that's when Tony lost his shit. He couldn't believe it— no, he didn't want to no matter how much evidence was thrown at him.

"Sir, I've detected an increase in your blood rate. Would you like Dr. Banner to examine you?" Jarvis asked as Tony struggled to answer. He finally swallowed the lump on his throat as he managed to reply that he was alright. But, Tony was far from just being okay... his daughter is a fucking assassin! He placed the image on his desk as he ordered Jarvis to call the Avengers to a short meeting with him explaining everything he read from the file.

The other Avengers all had identical expressions of alarm on their face as they reread the file. They couldn't doubt this new outcome of surprising evidence, none didn't expect less from Tony's reaction. No words could be formulated with only sympathetic looks to the billionaire, leaving him to decide what to do. Steve patted his shoulder gently, telling him that he had to visit her later to give her the results.

"This is all my fault," Tony muttered alone, his eyes staring emotionless at the image of Diana on the table. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, contemplating what he had to do. Aurora will no longer be alone... alone, just like himself when he was younger. His parents are always on sudden meetings with barely any close relationship between them. His butler, Jarvis, and best friend, Rhodey were the only ones he could rely on.

Even if he didn't get the chance to be with his parents, Tony couldn't deny hers when she was this close to being with him. With no other doubt, the billionaire nodded his head slowly at what he decided. Jarvis alerted him once again that Aurora— his daughter, was awake and accompanied by Clint. Not a moment to lose, he gathered the results and her items, traveling to the top floor. Upon arriving, Clint was leaning against the door with his arms crossed, that was when he placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Good luck, Tony. She's definitely a handful but a Stark that's for sure," Clint warned him, leaving Tony by himself to the entrance of the room. What in the hell was he going to say? Hey, kiddo, how are you doing? Oh, did I mention I'm your father? Tony shook his head in disagreement, just relax... what's the worst it can happen?

Discreetly, Tony opened the door to see Aurora playing with some blue most between her fingertips. She immediately stopped when she felt that she was caught, glancing at the billionaire with a neutral face. Until her face lit up when she saw her backpack in his hand, using her telekinesis to retrieve it. Scavenging for her possessions, she had everything from the journal to the necklace. However, there was an awkward silence after staring at one another, waiting for someone to do anything.

"Are you gonna do something, or just stand there and look like a complete waste of my time?" Aurora remarked playfully with a soft smirk on her lips.

"No, actually but since you were too busy clinging onto your self-worth, I didn't want to disturb you." Tony sassed back, causing the teenager to roll her eyes at the nonsense. Even when she was barely regaining consciousness, that didn't stop her from making sarcastic remarks.

"Hmm, I was going to give you a nasty look but I see you already have one." She commented back, Tony lightly gasping that she was sarcastic as himself.

"Alright, you definitely are my kid," Tony muttered to himself, however, Aurora slightly glared at the billionaire when she saw his lips move for a few seconds.

"What?" She asked confused, crossing her arms upon noticing that he might be hiding something from her.

"I said, I got the test results from the lab, kid. Do you want me to tell you or you read it?" Tony questioned Aurora, silently fidgeting when he outstretched the file to her. He was waiting for any reaction, but instead, she just got up and snatched the file from him. No sound was made the next two minutes, that was until Aurora broke the silence with a laugh.

"You gotta be kidding right? You can't be my... my dad. This has to be some kind of prank," Aurora laughed loudly, not believing anything until she observed the billionaire's face... serious yet calm.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. But Jarvis tested your DNA four times, and every time it comes up positive." Tony explained, mentioning how he met Diana along with the relationship problems they had.

"Great, just perfect. I'm a product of a one-night stand." Aurora grumbled, slamming her head against the fluffy pillow as she mumbled profanities in different languages.

"Now wait a moment, kid. Your mother and I weren't just a casual fling. She was more than that, but we just fell apart when we had different motives. Diana loved being independent, still, I liked the attention of the media." Tony insisted just after seeing Aurora frown at something.

"I wonder how she looks like... the only thing I remember is her voice..." Aurora muttered, thus Tony sighed until an idea appeared out of nowhere.

"Jarvis, can you see me a video recording of Diana when we went to her house in 1999," Tony declared to his A.I. system, piquing her interest in what he was doing.

"Yes, sir," Jarvis responded, a bright monitor appeared with what Aurora presumed to be her mother. She couldn't help but be awed by her graceful beauty, assuming that this was taken when she was around her early 20's. The video showed a young man posing beside her mother, staring seriously at the camera. Suddenly, young Tony wrapped his arms around her waist and forced them on a slow creek. Once they resurfaced, Diana began laughing and splashing water to him, calling him a hopeless romantic and something else Aurora couldn't hear. Until Tony simply leaned forward and gave a small kiss on her lips, then the camera stopped recording.

"...Do you know where she is now?" Aurora asked hesitantly, placing the backpack on the chair Steve sat hours ago.

"I-I don't know, I haven't seen her for over eleven years. Look, I don't want to force this upon you, but since you're my daughter I don't want you to be alone again." The billionaire hinted, nonetheless, the young assassin quirked her eyebrows together.

Aurora scoffed at the moment, "What are you trying to imply?"

"I'm keeping you here at the tower, kid. I'm sorry I wasn't with you before... but now I'll try to make everything up to you." He confessed, but she didn't seem convinced just yet.

"You don't seem the type to have kids, Stark." The teenager retorted playfully, now it was Tony's turn to roll his eyes and sigh dramatically.

"And yet here we are," Tony lightly smirked, however, Aurora slowly rose from her bed as she strolled towards him with a curious expression. Her hands were outstretched to his face until it cupped his cheekbones. Aurora examined him closely feeling the rough hairs of his beard, his narrow nose, and lastly staring into his dark chocolate eyes. What surprised them both was that she gently leaned into his waist and hugged him. Tony hesitantly reciprocated the actions, a bit frightened that she might kill him if he didn't.

Tony purposely coughed as he slowly unwrapped his arms around her, grabbing her shoulders as he remarked, "Well, who knew you were my kid, huh? The only thing you got from me is that sarcastic attitude... and my charming looks."

"Seriously? That's the best you can come with?" Aurora answered with a tiny smile, trying not to cry that she was finally home. Of course, it would take time to adjust to this new life along with having her father here... beside her. She regretted saying that she didn't care about him when he didn't even know she existed. Instead, Aurora was replaced with a new identity and no one noticed.

"Point proven. Alright, Firecracker— I'm going to call you that for now on, I have some rules here.... On second thought, what the hell you'll probably not listen anyway." Tony smiled down at her, Aurora curved her lips since they both knew they weren't ones to obey the rules.

"You got that right," The teenager replied, Tony chuckled as he gave her spare clothing. Once changed, he led her towards her room— sorry, rather her own level on the Avengers Tower. She'll be between himself and Natasha's, with Steve right below them.

"One last thing, you have to meet the others before going to your room." Tony insisted quickly, already directing the elevator to the main living room that they would usually be at.

"Wait for what?" Aurora immediately protested, clutching her backpack tightly as a sense of security. She nervously swallowed her saliva, hoping that she didn't make a bad impression on them after rescuing her in London.

"Don't worry, kid. It'll only be a few minutes until you settle in for the day." Tony explained, hearing a faint ding sound to see the Avengers chatting until they saw Aurora. Thor was the first to stand, alarming the girl at the tall God of Thunder as he grabbed her hand and delicately kissed the top gently.

"Ah, Lady Stark, it's a pleasure to finally meet you at last. If I didn't know any better, you look almost identical to your mother. From her captivating beauty to her wisdom, although I don't see any similarity to you, Stark." Thor declared with his voice booming around the room, Aurora nodded slowly in acknowledgment whilst Tony looked offended.

"Seriously, Point Break? Guys help me out here," The billionaire asked them, causing Natasha and Clint to be the next people to officially meet her.

"Sorry Tony, but she does look like her mother. It's nice to see, I'm not the only woman here. The name's Natasha but you can call me Nat." Natasha greeted her warmly, the teenager gave a genuine smile at the infamous Black Widow. She was thankful that they didn't hold a grudge against her.

"Well, I'm Clint as you already know." Clint introduced himself, although he still hasn't forgotten about the broken arm incident. Aurora temporarily read his thoughts, feeling a bit guilty that she broke something valuable of his.

"I-I'm sorry for breaking your bow," She whispered to him, however, Clint was a bit shocked at the statement. Next, was Dr. Banner who feebly greeted her, fixing his lab coat until he remembered he had to return to his work. Lastly, Steve approached her with a soft smile, hoping that she didn't feel intimidated by them. Then again, she was taught to always appear more than herself but never more than her worth.

Finally, Tony took Aurora to her floor, showing her everything that belonged to her, but this was too much for her to handle. Back at HYDRA, she only had a small bed and desk with a small bathroom, that was all they gave her. Upon finishing the tour, Aurora was greeted with a gray-toned master bedroom that had a full closet with new clothes, Tony bought the last second.

"How did you know I like AC/DC or Led Zeppelin?" Aurora asked curiously when she saw the band shirts, rudely interrupting Tony with his long ranting on how he did everything himself.

"I didn't but you seemed like the kind to appreciate good music," Tony shrugged his shoulders, continuing to explain the Avenger's routine, where to find them, and if she needed anything she could simply ask Jarvis for assistance. "You got all of that?" He questioned after spotting that she was dazed.

"I do... um, thank you..." Aurora answered sincerely, sensing that same warm tender feeling from earlier. Something was definitely wrong with her if she kept having the sensation again.

"It's the least I can do, Firecracker. By any chance, how did your A.I. managed getting into my system?" Tony inquired one last time before heading to his room.

"Simple, reverse engineering and rewiring," Aurora smirked proudly, tossing her backpack to a nearby chair as she laid against the soft sheets of the bed.

"Huh, interesting. Well, I can teach you a thing or two if you like," He offered, exchanging a few words before bidding goodbye for the night. Aurora couldn't sleep throughout the dead of night, her mind was still processing that her supposed 'dead' father was actually alive. And then there was Bucky, how could she now see him when she was probably monitored everywhere with no chance to escape. The brunette girl eventually fell asleep after playing some Led Zeppelin songs, her fears slowly washing away.

In the next few weeks at the start of July, Aurora got the hang of being around the Avengers even if she hasn't socialized much with them. At one point, she was caught working on Tony's lab by the billionaire himself until he saw that she modified Jarvis to be able to detect hidden viruses and simultaneously be able to fight against it. Tony didn't want to admit it but although she looked like her mother, she gained his intellectual ability with her quick-witted attitude. A dangerous combination, indeed.

Even though Aurora hasn't called him her dad yet, Tony knew it would take time until she could adjust to the tower. But for now, they were slowly bonding over their taste in music and inventing, both denying the odds with the similarities they had. However, her life with the Avenger's was just the beginning... because her past will always haunt the young assassin. And she won't be prepared for it.

Once a HYDRA agent, always a HYDRA agent.

Captain America Will Return To AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON