Avengers - Time Rift: Iron Maiden

Chapter 1 - First Impressions

The bed shook slightly waking Tony Stark from a deep sleep and he looked up groggily rubbing his eyes "Five more minutes mom" he mumbled as he rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. "Pardon me sir" Jarvis said "but there appears to be and intruder accessing restricted files in the lab". Tony sat up with a grunt pulling on a T shirt and pair of jeans "Threat assessment?" he asked as he started down the stairs trying to work the knots out and hopping slightly as his left foot was partially asleep. "Minimal sir, no weapons detected" Jarvis replied. "Well, this should be easy enough then. I'll give the Iron Man speech and have the cops pick them up" the inventor stated in a rather indifferent voice as he reached the door to the lab and stepped inside.

Stark was taken a back for a moment as the girl in her mid twenties as best as he could guess looked back at him and rolled her eyes before going back to working on the computer terminal in front of her. Her hair was shoulder length and crimson red, her eyes piercing and bright green. She was slim and fit dressed in a black sleeveless spandex shirt with blue side panels running down the shoulders and sides and black BDU style pants with jump boots. She didn't look back as she spoke "Go back upstairs and play with your toys Stark. I'm almost done here and I'll be on my way". Tony took a step forward "Now maybe you're new to the area and as fond as I am to attractive young women breaking into my house to fiddle with my terminal I'm spoken for. So why don't we go both go upstairs and wait for the police to get here? No need for things to get nasty". The girl still kept her eyes on the terminal as data streamed across the monitor "Go away Stark. The cops aren't coming. I intercepted your call and locked communications down". Tony looked up toward the ceiling slightly "Jarvis?". Jarvis immediately replied "It seems as though she is correct sir. All communications are currently unavailable". "Alright little girl, you have some explaining to do" Tony's voice was full of frustration and annoyance as he grabbed the girls shoulder and she swung around driving her fist into his chest sending him bouncing off the work station behind him and crashing into a spectral analyzing unit "I told you to leave me alone Stark. I just need the base specs on Ultron and I'm out of here. Believe me, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here". Tony gasped as he struggled to get to his feet "Well that wasn't very polite. Let me guess, personal space issues?" he said shaking off the effects of the blow "She's fast, faster than Cap, stronger too" he thought to himself with a frown. "Give me a scan Jarvis" he whispered as he tucked the blue tooth into his ear. "Sir, it's odd but there may be a problem. DNA scans reveal not only your DNA present but also that of Natasha Romanov and what appears a modified version of the Super Solider Serum Captain Rogers was given". Tony's eyes widened as he looked at the girl and Jarvis continued "It appears as though selective gene splicing and enhancement was implemented as well. Finally something I assume you missed since you were otherwise engaged flying across the room. The insignia on her shirt sir. It's a variation of the Avengers' emblem". Stark shook his head as he straightened up "So much for a quiet weekend of martinis and Skinamax".

"I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I'm Tony" she said sticking his hand out only to have her slap it away still not even so much as turning to face him. "Yeah yeah. Billionaire, philanthropist, genius playboy, blah blah. Oh, and the cause of the whole Ultron mess I have to clean up. Not impressed. Now sit in the corner and stay out of my way or give me the data I need so I can get out of here" the tone of her voice becoming more annoyed each time she had to speak to him. "Alright, that's it. I tried playing nice and even overlooked that sucker punch but now it's time for you to learn a lesson kid" Tony shouted grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. Her elbow stuck him squarely in the side of the head as she spun around an instant before the upper cut smashed into his chin standing him upright and her right foot was planted solidly in his chest sending him over the work station again gasping to catch the wind that was knocked out of him as he landed flat on his back. "Sir, perhaps you have forgotten the evidence of the modified Super Solider Serum I mentioned earlier. You are in essence fighting with someone on par with Captain Rogers, minus the shield of course. It is my assessment the fact you aren't grievously harmed is simply because she doesn't wish to cause you severe injury" Jarvis said as Tony groaned and pulled himself to his feet again. The girl glared at him as she huffed out of annoyance "Stop being a pest. Sit. Stay." she barked turning her attention back to the computer muttering "Who'd think such a loser would have encryption this advanced?".