Illegitimate Prodigy

I spy a Vulture.

Flipping a pen between her fingers, the young Stark kept herself lost in a textbook that sat atop her glass desk. It had been six months since she moved in with Tony--her father--and she was finally getting use to being so high above the ground, and for once was not stressed by everything that life flung her way. Placing her pen back down, she licked her finger to turn the page and her brown irises widened the more she focused.

Heels clicked down the hallway floor, which hadn't quite drawn Belle away from her book, until the footsteps stopped at her door. "Is that a textbook you are reading..?" The familiar female voice said. "I thought you were still taking a semester off?" An weary, nearly defeated sigh escaped the younger female's lips, and she turned to face her father's CEO who was leaning against the frame of her door. "Physiological Psychology--I was a bit rusty at it while getting my bachelors---I was hoping brushing up on it might assist me in the medical school classes."

The ginger gave an impressed nod and her bottom lip pouted out slightly in response. "Any word from your grandfather?" Her eyebrows rose, and Annabelle brought her eyes back to the book, however it wasn't to continue reading, but more to avoid looking so disappointed. "No...still angry at me, I'm afraid."

"He'll come around, I'm sure," Pepper said reassuringly, but of course, Annabelle knew her grandfather more that anyone. He hated Tony. Probably because he knowingly left his daughter to raise a child on her own. Belle was still uncertain why she so easily pinned herself under her father's thumb. "Is Tony still planning on this dinner outing tonight?" Closing the textbook, she pushed herself up off the chair, revealing her grey yoga pants and a faded crimson red sweatshirt that sported the last name STARK on the front of it in cracked gold letters. Pepper had given it to her a short time after she moved in, insisting that her father wanted her to wear it. She assumed that Pepper did these things to make her feel more welcome--and cared about.

"I believe so. Rhodey stopped by to discuss something--they are in his shop." The CEO gave a slight eye roll. Belle knew her father and Pepper dated at one point--and it all ended because of his obsessions with his suits--and his dangerous lifestyle. No doubt did it still perturb her to no end. "I have other things to attend to tonight, so I unfortunately have to decline."

"Hot date?" Annabelle retorted. Pepper's blue eyes rolled, and a sarcastic laugh pierced the air around them. "You're funny, Annabelle. Have a good night." Without another word, the tall red head was gone from sight.

________________________

Sporting a aegean blue dress and tan ankle boots, Annabelle made her way down a long hallway that was littered with black marble floors. She had proceeded to try to call her father from the apartment part of the tower, but every call ended with his voicemail. (Which he never checked anyway.) Approaching the first glass door, she waved her arm in front of the glass at eye level to the right, which brought up a hollow print. Pressing her delicate fingertips to the glass, a blue line scanned her impression, flashed twice and unlatched the opening. Immediately getting to the other side there was a short distance between the first door and the door to her father's shop. This door was inaccessible to her. After the Superhuman Registration Act was passed, Tony was required to keep any 'machinery' pertaining to Iron Man protected. This meant that no one, including Pepper was allowed access without supervision.

As she drew nearer to the second door, she could see the shadows of her father and his confidant Colonel James Rhodes facing a giant screen on the other side. The thing she didn't observe was that there was a third person. He was shorter, even a shorter stature than her father. She stopped when she reached the door, pausing to let her irises focus on the screen behind them. A masked--bird like man was on the image. The footage looked like it was taken from a security camera, the pixels a little fuzzy with every movement. Squinting in hopes for a better look, all she could really see was green eyes. Words were being spoken from all three people on the other side of the door, but she couldn't make out anything. The video went on for a few minutes longer, but before it could be finished, she caught eye of her father glancing over his shoulder, which immediately caused the other two men to look. Rhodey--and then a much younger man. Was that a high schooler?

Tony paced to the door with two giant strides. He spoke towards the glass, probably asking F.R.I.D.A.Y. to unlock the door, and with one swift motion he pulled the door open, but only enough so that his head would fit through. "Hello, Sweetheart." The sweetheart sound so sarcastic, and not genuine at all. In fact it never really did coming out of his mouth. Annabelle gave him an uncomfortable smirk. "What's up, sour patch?"

"Pepper said we were suppose to be going out for dinner tonight at 7. It's..." she lifted her wrist to glance at her watch. "five to seven." She turned the face of the watch to show her father, who dropped his dark hues , and opened the door even more to bring his arms through. His hands rose to grab her wrist, and his index finger and thumb quickly turned the knob back on her watch. "Now it's 6:45. I'll be out in fifteen, how bout you get a head start, and I'll meet you there."

"but..Tony, what are you doing?"

"Oh ya know.. super hero stuff," he replied, his voice jumpy.

"That kid is a super hero?" She pointed, her eyes turning to the younger gentleman on the other side who was staring at her.

"Yep." There wasn't another peep from her father as he shut the transparent door behind him. Annabelle let out a giant huff, back peddled and started a leisurely pace to the elevator.

Generally, she was pretty good at keeping to herself. She didn't obsess over her father's lifestyle---avoided overthinking Tony getting killed while trying to protect the unfortunate---which meant she was pretty good at minding her own business and being exactly what he expects of her. He just wants her to be his daughter. Nothing more, nothing less. Curiosity was getting the better of her this time.

Who was that bird man?