For the Love of a Father ✓

No So Ancient History and Introductions

"So what...You've been with SHIELD this whole time?" Tony asks me the following morning while we're eating breakfast.

I pause in my eating, taking a moment to look at him. "Pretty much. As soon as I was old enough, Fury started having me trained." He looks like someone slapped him. "It's fine. It's what I wanted. And after seeing everything that you have been through, you and your friends, I can't help but think it was the right call."

"So you knew... about me?"

"I think Nick tried to keep it from me to some degree, but I learned how to pick the locks to the personnel files room before I was even wearing a training bra. I learned all about you." He looks down, ashamed. "Oh please. I'm not a prude. You were free to do whatever, and whomever, you wanted. You owe nothing to my mother."

"So you were trained by?"

"Clint, and then Natasha when she was brought into the fold."

"So not only did Romanoff lie to me about who she was, she kept this from me too?" He says, his voice elevating slightly as he became angrier and angrier.

"Fury swore her to secrecy. Everyone who knew was sworn to secrecy." I tell him.

"Why?!"

"Because, if I was unknown, no one could use me to get to you!" I yell back. He looks shocked. "Your safety has always been a top priority for SHIELD."

"Mr. Stark, the rest of the Avengers have arrived and are on their way to the elevator as we speak. Director Fury is with them." A voice comes over the speaker system.

"Thanks Jay." He says before explaining. "That's JARVIS. He's an AI I built to assist myself and Miss Potts in running Stark Industries." I nod. "Are you up for meeting/remeeting some people?" Again, I nod. "Good. Cool."

"This is weirding you out, isn't it?"

"Not exactly the news I thought I would be getting any time soon, and to find out you were alive for... how old are you?"

"24." I answer.

"That you were out there for 24 years and no one bothered to say anything to me, not even once. I mean, don't get me wrong, I wasn't in the best place to raise a kid for a long, long time."

"That's why she didn't tell you."

"What?"

"She would see on the news or in the newspaper, exactly what your life was like and she knew you couldn't handle the responsibility yet."

"Did you ever find out why she gave you to Fury?"

"She was being hunted. Something about her mother that even you didn't know Stark, was that she was a SHIELD agent. One of our best actually." Fury says as he and the rest of the team step off the elevator. I smile at Clint and Natasha as they enter the room. Along with them were faces I recognized, not from personal encounters but because they had been plastered across the news at some point or another in the last few years. "Myra, meet Dr. Bruce Banner, Thor Odinson, and Captain America, Steve Rogers." They each nodded at me in turn.

"It's nice to finally meet all of you." I say quietly. "I'll just go back to my room for now."

"There's no need for that Ms. Stark." Nick addresses me fully. Captain Rogers looks shocked. "You're now as much a part of this as they are."

"I don't remember..." but I'm cut off.

"This is what you've been trained for. Not all of the rats went down with the ship when HYDRA fell that day in DC. A lot of high level players are still in play."

"And Loki's scepter is in their possession as well." Thor says, looking aggravated.

"You all will be flying out tonight. There's already a list of the HYDRA bases we were able to uncover. Go in, find whatever it is that they were working on, and capture the HYDRA agents still there." Nick orders before leaving.

"So you are what exactly to Tony?" Bruce asks, trying not to be rude.

I smile at him. "I'm the daughter no one ever told him existed." I say, holding out my hand in introduction. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Banner. I'm a huge fan of yours." He turns sheepish for a moment.

"Thanks." He says awkwardly.

"Thor Odinson, Lady Stark." Thor says, bowing a little.

"Nice to meet you." I say back, offering a small wave. I turned at last to the only member of the group who hadn't said anything yet. "Myrabella Stark." I say, offering my hand.

"Steve Rogers, ma'am." He says formally, taking my noticeably smaller hand in his to shake. I felt a jolt of electricity travel through us when our hands touched and judging by the look on his face, he's felt it too.

Tony must have picked up on something too because he's immediately next to me, giving Steve a look. "Right, introductions have been made. Let's get to work."