Just A Normal Kid

Chapter 3

Rosie was given pain meds in the ambulance and rushed to the hospital, where a few quick X-rays of her leg were taken. The break had not been a clean one, so the doctors had told her that surgery was needed to insert a rod in her leg for the bones to stay together and heal properly. When she woke up after the surgery, her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, but she forced them open. Rosie saw her father standing in the doorway of her room, looking right at her face. "D-d-dad?" She croaked out, trying to reach him, but all she got was an indifferent expression.

Her father came into the room, and sat down in an empty chair, saying nothing. The look on his face confirmed Rosie's fear. He really had meant what he had said during the video call. She had been trying to convince herself that it was a ploy to fool the kidnappers, but on look at his face brought all her hopes down, shattering her heart.

She decided to make one last effort, "D-dad? W-why?" He stared stonily at the wall behind her head, and said, "Your mother had a unique and useful ability, but then she went and got herself killed on a mission for SHIELD. I raised you in the hope that it had been passed on to you, but it has obviously not happened. Once we are out of here, you cannot breathe a single word about what I said to you.

"We will go back to how it used to be. I have ensured that no news channels have gotten their hands on the only recorded video of what happened. The story that you are going to stick to is that you fell down the stairs and hurt yourself. I have a reputation to keep, and Stark won't be learning of your existence. You will follow that or else there will be consequences." When Rosie shook her head, he cast a furtive eye around the room before moving towards her bed and grabbing her neck with both hands and beginning to choke her. "H-h-help" she croaked out as loud as she could, trying to get as much air into her lungs as possible.

She heard quick footsteps and a door banging open and a police officer dashed into the room, followed by Deputy Leeds. They leaped towards Arnold and tore him off of her, leaving her gasping for breath. It happened so fast that he couldn't resist, but that didn't mean he went without a protest. "Why the hell are you arresting me? I was just assessing my daughter's injuries! I haven't done anything wrong!" Deputy Leeds gave him the customary speech, but Arnold still refused to go. "What am I accused of?"

"Kidnapping, falsification of evidence, interference with police proceedings, attempted murder-"

"That's ridiculous! I am an innocent man, as well as Tony Stark's lawyer! He's going to ruin your lives if you arrest me!"

"I don't think so Arnold. After all, I gave him the evidence and permission to make an arrest on my premises. Oh, you didn't know? This is a Stark owned Medical centre." Mr. Stark had arrived. He was in a wheelchair being pushed by Colonel Rhodes. He seemed unusually tense, sitting ramrod straight in his wheelchair.

"Wha-"

"I was there in the same room, you wretch, when the video call was going on. I. Heard. Every. Single. Word. Did you really think that you would be allowed to meet your recently-kidnapped daughter in a room that wasn't bugged? Every word you said had been recorded." He gave a sinister smile, "Woods, you're fired. Get this sorry excuse of a man out of my sight, Deputy."

Colonel Rhodes moved to the bedside table and opened a small box, handing what looked like an audio recorder to the Deputy, before telling Arnold, "You better thank your stars that Tony refused to let me deal with you, Woods, or you'd be feeling ten times the pain she is right now."

A doctor hurried into the room to and checked her throat to see if any damage had been done and gave her a small smile when he finished. "They pulled him off in time, Miss. Woods. There's minor bruising, but it'll heal within the week."