CHAPTER 10

Shoutout to fuschiaanne for finishing the previous chapter and just going 'what the heck? Grace' when I passed her.

I started breathing heavily and pressed my back up against the seat hard. Confusion running through my head like a herd of wilderbeast.

I'm not a test tube baby! My mind cried, then my eyebrows furrowed, a piece of advice coming from Gale all those years ago. If there's one thing I've learnt from growing up within the organisation, it's just because SHIELD tells you something, don't assume it's true.

But this was different. This was at the very foundation of who I was. How could I have been so stupid? I accepted that I was their experiment without any following up or investigation. Thinking that I owed my whole life to SHIELD.

"What?!" I gasped. "How... How did you find out?"

"Went to Fury, I began remembering, it was almost like my memories were hidden in mud and somehow they straightened themselves out. I remember not being present for the birth, cause I was late and then getting there, being told that they lost her. Your mother blamed it on me, I blamed it on her and we separated. Then figured, weird but not right, you were the right age to be born on that day, none of the bullshit of accelerated aging and Nick confessed."

"Language." Pepper scolded from the back.

"Sorry Cap." Tony grinned and I smiled slightly.

"But the others?" I asked curiously.

"Complete and utter test tube children, sure there was some genetic modification done to ensure different appearances and the whole accelerated aging but aside from that, they're basically clones."

"Right." I whispered, thinking about the uncanny resemblance of Gale and Cleo to their parents. "Do you know what everyone else is doing at the moment?"

"Fighting this whole supervillian thing." Tony replied, almost not missing a beat. "I know the spies and Cap plus kids are either infiltrating or training the newbies. Bruce and Piggy are creating a way to contact the Guardians. Cleo and Thor are in Asgard because some intergalactic problem Loki and Breezy with them. Cleo and Breezy should be returning to the Avengers Tower tomorrow. Scarlet Witch and all them are trying to track down new recruits. Rhodes is trying to calm a freaking out government whose saying that the Rego act is the best decision. Spidey and co are Spider stalking or something, I'm not sure. There's going to be a meeting at the Avengers Tower tomorrow. That's where we'll holler up for the night."

"What about you?" I asked. "Are you going to get involved this time?"

"I'm helping Bruce with the communications and staying updated, aside from that, I'll be quietly fixing up my suit until the big fight."

"Right." I nodded looking at Tony. He looked back at me and grinned.

"We're here!" Pepper cried and looked back, we had entered one of those fancy roundabout things. Paparazzi were roped back to keep from invading whatever space we had left. Tony got out, waved to the photographers. A uniformed man let me out and I nodded politely to him as the three of us walked up the wide red-carpeted stairs. I was sure that the photographers had gotten four hundred or so photos of me. Then it occurred to me. Would I even turn up on photos? I mean I was partially dead so... that counted as like a vampire right?

Before the doors opened to us, I turned back to the crowd of reporters charismatically and blew them a kiss, after waving like a princess I slid inside. Pepper and Tony were already disappearing into the crowd and I swerved quickly through the nicely-dressed walkers and waiters. The three of us were led into what seemed to be a VIP section. Pepper turned to me. "Mingle." She instructed, her tone changed. "Enjoy yourself though."

"Okay." I drew out, looking around at all the fancily dressed people. Their sporadic chatter, the glasses of expensive liquid held between their gloved fingertips. I wasn't meant for this life.

Correction, you weren't raised for this life. My mind reminded me. Yes, okay, I wasn't raised for this life, I was raised to be invisible and silent, to be the behind-the-scenes genius. I was born into this world but conditioned for another.

Thank-you mind, really, what would I do without your constant help. I shot back as I somewhat elegantly glided out of the VIP section. The voice was silent.

I kept to the wall, occasionally looking out, trying to find the refreshments table. The guests began to congregate in the centre of the room and some lady began talking on the stage about what the event was and how the money we donate will affect the lives of the children they supported etc. etc. apparently there was going to be a silent auction and an auction etc. all the lovely stuff like that. They bought on the band to perform and people started waltzing around. I crinkled my nose, if they had dancing people then it should've been called a ball not a gala.

I laid eyes on the refreshments table and began sneaking crackers and the most, normal-looking cheese. I avoided the other guests as much as possible, stepping far to the side when people wandered over and subtly turning my back away from them if they tried to move closer.

I reached for another cracker when I saw a photographer flash to my right, I froze and slowly looked over. A mousy-haired guy, probably slightly older than me was holding a camera. Goddam paparazzi. I thought to myself before storming over. The guy was frozen, his glasses were tilted crookedly on his nose.

"Show me." I demanded, I normally wasn't the one for worrying completely about photos but if the internet got hold of me reaching for a cracker, I'd never hear the end of it.

"Uh okay." The guy blinked and pressed on the media replay button. I sighed in relief, I looked elegant and because of the framing of the photo one would never know that it were a cracker I was reaching for.

"Thanks." I said stubbornly, I reached for his access pass, reading his name. "Tomas Parker, wait, Parker?" I asked incredulously. Tomas nodded slowly.

"Yes?"

"Your father isn't Peter Parker by any chance, is it?"

"Uh, yes it is. He's over there." Tom nodded to a photographer, sneaking around out of the view of the guests, taking photos of the band.

"So what do you do here?" I asked, pulling him back against a wall, out of walking lines of guests.

"We were hired to just take photos of everyone." He said, lifting one of the three cameras around his neck and taking a photo of a couple dancing elegantly. He continued to take photos as we talked. "Yourself? How did you know who my father was?"

"My name is Lana Stark and a lucky guess I guess." Tomas paused for a second, pulling down his camera.

"Lana Stark? You're the one everyone's talking about?"

"I guess..." I trailed off. "Wait, they're still talking about that?"

Tomas nodded, "No one has really forgotten about it, it's this massive mystery, who the mysterious girl who is seen with Tony Stark so frequently. Too young to be a lover, too hidden not to be family or adopted."

I pulled a face. "We were going to announce it tonight." I felt a buzz in my pocket and pulled out my phone. It was a text from Pepper to meet back at the VIP section soon. I pocketed the phone. "But it's nothing that big."

"So how did you meet with him? Did Tony Stark really keep you secret for like, what, sixteen years?"

"Fifteen. Um well, it's a long story."

"We have time." He said, blowing on the lenses of his camera.

"We don't have time." I corrected, crossing my arms and looking at the procession of guests moving towards their tables. "What about you?"

"My mum was a runner, dumping me and running basically, I don't hold it against her but it hurts." He took another photo. "My said raised me single-handed, pretty impressive with all of his sup- work."

"Superhero work?" I filled-in smoothly. Tomas gave me a look where he wasn't sure whether or not I could be trusted. "Trust your spidey senses Tom, I'm guessing you inherited those." I spoke, sounding mysterious and slightly stalkerish.

"Well..." He trailed off slowly. "The senses, I guess, the eyesight and I can hear well, the balance too and strength... But not the genius he's so famous for. And now I'm just one guy with a hard heart and a good perspective."

"A hard heart is good." I whispered softly. "It means you don't fall to evil easily."

"Or good." Tomas said hardly, lifting his camera for another shot.

"Not everyone is a genius." I whispered as the speaker brought up someone that had been influenced by the charitable donations from previous years. "Think about it, Captain America, he's pretty amazing but not a genius, Thor, he's no genius, neither is Scarlet Witch or the Falcon or War Machine. They're not geniuses but they're still very important. I mean, I'm not genius either." Tomas' features slowly softened.

"I call bull." Tomas whispered, taking another photo, there was a grin on his face and I knew we were only joking. "There is no way Tony Stark's daughter isn't the genius of the century. At what age did you graduate school?"

"Thirteen." I shrugged non-chalantly, I reflected his smile.

I felt another buzz against my leg and pulled out the phone.

Where r u? – Pepper

Doing what a daughter of Tony Stark would be doing at any party ;)

I grinned when I felt a repetitive buzz in my pocket, Tomas didn't comment but sent a few odd looks my way. I finally gained the courage to look at my phone.

ALANA!!!!

That was from Pepper. The rest were from Tony.

ALANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING.

Lana you're too young for this.

Lana please no.

No.

No.

Lana please

Fine.

Kiss him good.

He better be hot.

I don't want any messes on the bedsheets.

Be safe.

Actually no, GET UP HERE.

I sighed as I replied.

Fine Grumpy Pants. Ill be there soon.

I looked up at Tomas who was taking more photos, the conversation went back to dinner. "So dad is kind of getting mad at me, so I gotta go. But Tom." He paused his photography to look at me intently. "Come tomorrow, there's a meeting at the Avengers Tower and it'd be nice if you were there."

"Will you be there?" He asked, his eyebrows drawing up in this cute way.

I thought about my plans for tomorrow; assassinating thirty or so people and destroying lots of equipment. Dying.

"I should be." I said slowly. "If I get everything done quickly."

"Cool." Tomas grinned. "Then I'll do my best to be there too."

I smiled back, spinning away, throwing over my shoulder. "Nice to meet you Parker."

"You too Stark." I winked at him as I turned away, hearing the click of a camera lenses behind me. I walked up to the VIP section and got passed by the security agent waiting at the side. I was shown to my table and instantly some exotic gourmet meal was placed in front of me. Pepper was trying on a stern face and Tony was calculating. I started eating then looked up innocently.

"If you really want to know, he was sloppy." I deadpanned. Tony began cracking up laughing while Pepper dragged in an exasperated breath bordering on shock and horror. I went back to eating my dinner while Tony chocked out his next words, tears of laughter in his eyes.

"I thought you'd be away for a little longer with the way you were sounding." He grinned, I rolled my eyes and played along with it, my voice having a condescending and critical tone to it.

"Well I thought that too, but honestly it was all bark and no bite, but I must ask, do you see any stains on my dress? Terrible aim, honestly." Pepper's head fell onto her hands while Tony's peals of laughter increased. I feigned a look of distain over my skirt, scanning it for any 'stains'. "But I'll stop there because Pepper seems like she's going empty this lovely stuffed chicken."

Pepper did look a little green. I continued my ramblings.

"Talking about Pepper, I must say, I love Pepper," Interrupting Pepper's aww. "Especially on roasted potatoes." I grinned innocently as I caught Pepper's glare out the edge of my vision.

"Okay giddy," Tony teased. "Eat your chicken."

"It'd be nice if they put some pepper on it." I muttered under my breath.

The rest of the dinner was quite uneventful, Tony donated some fifty million to the charity. We were on of the first guests to leave after Pepper convinced Tony, once again, that a charity gala was not the place to get drunk at.

When we exited at a mere eight thirty, we were confronted by a large crowd of paparazzi. "Now's your time." Tony whispered into my ears as we waited for our car.

"Miss, what is your name?" I asked, one reporter in the many questions that were being thrown at me, I felt slightly overwhelmed and my Mist began to rise.

"Alana Stark." I replied fluently.

"Are you related to Tony Stark?" Another one cried.

"Yes, I'm his daughter." I replied.

"Why haven't we heard from you before?" Another one asked, a man this time.

"I wasn't aware of my heritage, I was placed under protection without my consent. My father and I met by a roll of fate and then afterwards figured out who I was."

"Are you a part of the rumoured, next generation Avengers?" A reporter cried, pushing her microphone forwards.

"Next Generation Avengers?" I mused. "That's a rather long name, isn't it? But yes, I am. I was raised alongside Thor's daughter." I remained a passive face, avoiding her name.

"Cleo Thordottir?" A reporter cried out in question. I nodded.

"Do you think you'll be able to follow in the footsteps of your father and inherit Stark Industries from Pepper Potts?" A reporter asked.

"To be honest, I haven't thought that far ahead, I think at this point in time, Stark Industries is in perfectly capable hands." I flashed a smile, blinking the spots of camera flashes out of my eyes.

"Do you have any abilities?" The crowd asked.

"Classified." I grinned mysteriously. "Although my knack for cooking mac and cheese is pretty prize-worthy." I got a small laugh out of the crowd.

"That'll be enough questions for now." Tony said from behind me, guiding Pepper and I towards the car FRIDAY had bought up. Pepper leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"I call shotgun."

I made a groaning noise and gestured lavishly to the shotgun seat. I slid into the back, giving one last wave to the crowd of reporters before the door was shut for me and Tony sped out of there.

I had a cheeky grin on my face, I looked down at my infused fingers happily. I'd just conquered my first wave of reporters without running away or using the Black Mist. I felt pretty proud of myself.

I looked up to the front, Tony was looking at me through the rear-view mirror, we locked gazes.

He landed on the roof of the balcony of the Avenger's Tower. The suit falling out from around him.

"Dad!" I cried, my voice hoarse, tears spilled out and I stopped what I was doing to rush over to him. Whatever he'd done, whatever I'd done. We were still family. I picked him up, his breathing was laboured, his veins were dark with the poison. Fighting had made him worse. "You're not going to die." I whispered, my voice hitching. Tony shook his head weakly.

"Please, Lana, stop all of this." He whispered, I looked upwards at the chaos and destruction not realising he'd taken his last breath in my hands.

I came to with tears in my eyes. I'd seen his death.

And it seemed like it was all my fault.