The Daughter of Tony Stark

Chapter 11

   "Stay very still when we get in the main lab," Ultron warned the three of us, his red eyes flickering at me longer than the Maximoff twins as we entered through the lab's side door. Loki's staff was clenched tightly in his hand. "There are no second chances; do not mess this up." Wanda and Pietro stayed close to his side, giving each other a comforting glance before following him in. I lingered a few seconds at the door with my arms crossed, reading the Korean letters etched on a tiny plaque. I couldn't understand them, but I knew what they stood for: U-Gin Genetic Lab.
It was a test, I knew that, but Ultron didn't seem to be the type to waste time. Here I stood, about to intrude on a company that was associated with my father. I didn't feel like myself or even look like myself. My glasses had been left behind in the city, perhaps as a taunt to his creators. My dirty clothes had been replaced with a blue chiffon dress that cut off above my knees and black leather jacket taken from wherever Wanda stored her clothes. My feet had been stuffed in spare combat boots and long socks so ripped that there were more holes than fabric. Nothing felt right anymore.

"Isabel!" I jumped at the sound of Wanda's voice, but her tone was anything but unfriendly. She gave me a warm smile that seemed to falter when she saw my expression. "You alright, sorâ?"

"Do you want me to tell you the truth?" The two of us chuckled, and Wanda followed my gaze to the plaque. "I don't want anyone to die during this."

"And no one will," she reassured me. I flinched as her hand snaked up into my own and our fingers interlaced. Wanda watched me curiously, and relief spread across her face when I didn't yank my hand away. "I've... I've always wanted to do that."

"Me too," I murmured, perplexed at the warm feeling growing in my chest. I must have held my father's hand a dozen times, but there was something different about this. It was like the groove of our hands somehow matched to fit perfectly, and it gave me this sense... as if I had finally found where I belonged. "Together?"

"Together," Wanda nodded, and I followed closely behind her inside. Ultron placed a metal finger against his lips as we entered the main lab before motioning for me to stand by his side. Wanda let go of my hand to stand by Pietro in the opposite corner, and I couldn't help but feel as if I had been abandoned. Ultron bent down to where his head was just above mine.

"You already feel a connection with them," he whispered in my ear and I watched the twins talk quietly to each other. "I'm assuming you're still standing by my offer."

"Well, you didn't give me much of a choice," I hissed back. "What if we aren't related and I'm just here to keep them from dying?"

"Isabel, we both know that's not true," the robot tutted. "They don't trust me enough to lie like this. All of this- this battle... was for you. To find you. Hope is so strange. It can both be born and then die within moments. It's fragile. The very idea of you being alive brought them to me. Tony Stark is even more motivated to stop us just so he can see you, and you two are worlds apart from being related."

"You kind of sound like him, if he was a psychotic freak."

"Say anything about me being like him again and I'll slit your throat," he threatened. I suddenly felt the cold metal of the staff brush against my back. "Or I'll use this on you. It'd spare me a lot of trouble. Now shut... up." I nodded and kept my mouth shut, exhaling in relief when I felt him move the spear away. The lab doors opened automatically, and we all froze as Dr. Helen Cho entered the room. She didn't notice any of us for a few seconds, but Ultron spoke before her opened mouth could utter a single word, "Scream, and your entire staff dies." The woman nodded with wide eyes, an expression similar to mine. I was here to keep Wanda and Pietro alive, but I couldn't watch him kill someone else in their place. "You know, I could've killed you, Helen... the night we met."