The Force -Marvel-

Chapter 6

Lydia stood in the middle of the room and started at the doors she would soon walk through. 

Her hair was curled and perfectly parted down the middle—the white strands framing her face. Natasha had done her makeup. It felt heavy on her face. Lydia had never worn makeup before. It was also her first time wearing a dress. It was pink and went to her knees. Tony had picked it out. Surprisingly Lydia liked it.

She just hated the situation.

"I am here to address many of the issues-" Lydia could hear Tony talking to the people gathered outside. His voice echoed off through the speakers. Today the world was going to meet her. The world knew about her, but not everything. They didn't know her story. They didn't know what she had been through, what she had survived.

They didn't even know what she looked like.

Steve was standing by the doors with Sam, talking in a whisper. Both were nicely dressed in suits with ties and shiny shoes. An unexpected hand on her back made Lydia flinch. "Honey." It was Natasha. "Relax. Everything is going to be okay."

"I know," Lydia lied. Nothing felt okay. When the world learned about her, that included Hydra. "I'm just nervous."

"I know." Natasha raised her hand and wiped something off Lydia's cheek. "I'll be right by your side the entire time." Lydia nodded, feeling comforted by that. It would be easier with the people she trusted most by her side. However, it wasn't just Hydra that worried her.

"What if," Lydia whispered to Natasha so Sam and Steve wouldn't hear her. "The world doesn't like me?"

Natasha glanced over at Lydia, smiling faintly. To Lydia, it almost seemed fond. "They are going to love you, I promise."

"And, if you're wrong?"

"I'll kill them," Lydia laughed at that, a real smile finally coming to her face.

"I know the rumors of a young ex-Hydra soldier have been in the Media for some time now. I am here to address those rumors for you now." It was more than a rumor. Lydia knew that. There was a small screen to the left that showed Tony. He was speaking to the world live. "Those rumors, although much exaggerated, are true." The people below him went into a frenzy, all shouting questions. 

"Hold your horses. I'm not finished." That silenced some of them, but not all. "That ex-Hydra soldier was a child when SHIELD found them. They were just a kid. A kid who didn't know any better. That was years ago, and they have since been living in this tower as an Avenger."

"He keeps saying they," Steve whispered to Natasha. Lydia hadn't seen him walk over with Sam. "Why does he keep saying they?"

"He's gonna pull a Tony," Sam muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Lydia's brows furrowed, not understanding what Sam meant. However, she didn't care to question him right now. Tony was still talking.

"The Avengers protect our own like we protect the world. They're included in that. They're a part of our team." Lydia felt a warmth growing in her chest as she listened to Tony address her in such a loving way. "So no, they're not fighting in any battles, at least not yet. They're the next generation of this team. That being said-" Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, Tony stopped. His eyes traveled away from the camera as if contemplating his next actions.

"What is he doing," Steve questioned lowly to Sam.

"I said he was gonna pull a Tony." There was a knowing smirk on his face.

"That being said," Tony continued. "That unnamed child will remain unnamed and undisclosed for privacy purposes. For their protection and safety. You're not entitled to their identity." Lydia was shocked that Tony had changed the plan. The crowd began to yell questions at him. "If you have any questions, take it up with someone who cares." With that, Tony smirked, held up a peace sign, and turned around. Not bothering to answer any questions.

As Tony walked through the door separating the world from the Avengers, he paused at the sight of the group. His focus was on Lydia's stunned face. Suddenly, he felt unsure if he had done the right thing. "Listen, kid. I'm sorry I didn't ask. I-" he stopped talking as Lydia stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him. 

For a moment, he was frozen. Lydia had never hugged him before. Tony came to his sense and hugged her back, holding onto her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Monster in the Tower?"

That was the headline in the New York Times Newspaper the following day. It was the first thing Lydia saw when she woke up. 

The world didn't welcome her with open arms. They saw her as a monster. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did. She felt that it went much better than planned. Tony talked to the crowd and decided not to reveal her name or face. To keep her identity a secret.

"I don't know if I feel safe anymore," a man said on the television. "I live ten minutes from the Avengers tower, and all this time they've had an ex-Hydra soldier? I mean how are we supposed to willingly accept a murderer into society?" His face held pure anger.

Lydia sat crossed-legged on the end of her bed and watched the TV intently. "I think that anyone who has gone against the government and this country as they have should be imprisoned, and they should throw away the key. That is just my opinion."

"Hold on," A female reporter said in a small box off to the side. "This person is being kept hidden for a reason. You're jumping to conclusions." 

"I don't think I am," he snapped back at her. "There is no telling what this person can do. They need to be put into a facility where they can be monitored. Murderers aren't people. Ex-soldiers who went against this country aren't people. I don't care how young they are. If I had it my way, I would-" The TV went black. In the reflection, Lydia could see Tony leaning against the door frame. She didn't move. Didn't address him. She just stared at the screen.

"It's not true what they say about you," Tony's voice was gentle. His body was stiff as he looked around the packed room, but his eyes found their way back to Lydia quickly. 

"It is," Lydia whispered. "I'm a monster." It took every ounce of strength Tony had not to address the media camped outside. He wanted to scream at them, curse every single one out individually.

"Hey," Tony stepped into the room but still kept his distance. "You're not a monster, Lydia. You're a bright, beautiful, kind-hearted girl who's had an unimaginably hard life." He went against his original thoughts and walked over to the bed to sit down next to her. "The world will always see what it wants to see. They don't know you like we do." Lydia was now looking at him. "They don't know how far you've come from your days in Hydra. Your intentions are pure and good. You're not a monster." A tear rolled down Lydia's face, and she nodded. Tony opened up his arms and let the girl fall into. "You're just a child."

"Thank you, Tony," Lydia whimpered. "I don't know what I would do without you." From the day Tony opened his home to her, he had been on her side no matter what.

"When I first became Iron Man the world wasn't a big fan," he started. "And it took a while for them to see that I was good, and many still don't, and that's okay. I will continue to fight for them even if they have doubts because that's what heroes do." He pulled away from her so he could look Lydia in the eye. "And I know you'll do the same thing when the time comes."

"I will," Lydia nodded, raising her hand to wipe away the tears. "I'm not Hydra, and I never want to be."

"You're an Avenger," he winked at her. "Now, we have a moving truck downstairs and a bunch of paranoid Avengers. So, why don't we get down there?" Tony stood up, ready to leave. Downstairs, the rest of the team was eagerly waiting for Tony to return, hopefully with Lydia.

"Tony," Lydia called out. He turned back around. "For what it's worth. I'm a pretty big fan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said. "Thank you."

"I always got your back kid," Tony whispered, blinking back his own tears. "Never forget that."