Stark's Shadow

Chapter 20 - How To Drive Your Friends and Family Insane

"Hey, Hades, wake up," Tony yells, walking into my room and throwing things at me, "There's an angry pirate here for you."

"Stop calling me that, Tinhead," I groan, "And what does Fury want now?"

It had been about a week since the whole "vacation incident" as we decided to call it, thanks, Clint. There wasn't much known about me in the SHEILD database, and that simply was not okay with Fury. I'm apparently excellent at keeping secrets from top-secret organizations.

"They've decided they want to take a look at your DNA," Tony tells me, "They think you've been enhanced."

"I'm not enhanced," I insist.

"Sounds like something an enhanced person would say," He jokes, "They also want to get a better understanding of your powers. See if there's any science behind it. Naturally, they expect you to tell them about that."

"If there is any science, I don't understand it. I'm not Strange,"

"I disagree,"

I roll my eyes, because what would we do without that Stark sass? Can we trademark that?

I walk into the meeting room where Fury is.

"Let's make this quick,"

"We need to go to SHIELD, Olive,"

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions," He tells me, "You've already crossed enough lines, Stark."

"What have I ever done?"

He gives me a whole list. Including calling him by his first name. I told him he needed to take a chill pill. I can't shorten the list, so I may as well try to make it longer than Tony's. I'm not sure that's possible.

We arrive at SHIELD, and they start doing their thing. Taking blood samples, cheek swabs, fingerprints, and some hair. The whole nine yards. I kid you not, it was the most boring thing I've ever had to do. I wasn't even allowed to speak. Fury said he doesn't want me distracting agents from their work. I think he's being petty. I let him know, of course. Don't get me wrong, Fury is great, but he's also easily annoyed, and I am the definition of "annoying little sister".

After they steal my DNA, they make me run around like a little lab rat. I run faster than any non-enhanced person should be able to. Steve also told Fury about the time I ran all day by accident. I lifted things and pushed, pulled, and jumped. Everything, anything, I did it.

"Is this all necessary?" I ask Fury, "Wouldn't some DNA be all you need?"

"Oh, it is," He smiles, "I just needed to get back at you for calling me Nick."

"Oh, you asshole," I complain.

"But we do have results," He tells me. I can see him mentally adding to his list, "You are an enhanced individual."

"I disagree,"

"You can't disagree with your own DNA!" He tells me.

"How do you know I wasn't born like this?"

"That would still make you enhanced," He tells me, "And we have older DNA from before you went missing!"

"How?"

"After you went missing, your father gave SHIELD hair from your hairbrush. DNA can't change, even if a face does. He was determined to get you back,"

"Shocking, he wasn't very determined to be part of my life,"

"He was a busy man,"

"Then he shouldn't have had kids,"

He ignores me. Shortly after Tony comes to get me, it was too sunny for me to travel back on my own. I insisted I quickly stop in the city and take a cab to the tower, but apparently, that's not safe for me.