Stark's Little Stardust

5: Unseen Forces

The hum of the lab surrounded you as you sat cross-legged on the floor, tinkering with a gadget Bruce had passed over earlier. Tony was working on one of his suits, and Uncle Banner was in deep concentration over his latest project. You were enjoying the quiet time together, feeling like you belonged here, despite being in a six-year-old's body.

Just as you were about to ask Tony a question, the sound of heavy footsteps approached the lab, echoing ominously down the hall. You assumed it was one of the Avengers coming to check in—but the door swung open to reveal Nick Fury, his one good eye instantly narrowing in on you.

"Stark," Fury's voice was sharp, "why is your kid here?"

Tony looked at Fury, raising an eyebrow with his signature smirk. He nudged Bruce. "Tell him, Banner," he said, clearly proud.

Bruce turned towards the projector screen, pulling up the interface you had helped him work on. "Geniuses stick together, and this little genius here—" he pointed toward you, "did something pretty interesting."

Fury's eyebrow rose in skepticism as he glanced at the screen. Confusion crossed his face as he saw what looked like intricate coding, designs, and even a few completed circuits that you had managed to piece together. He struggled to believe a six-year-old could do that—though, in truth, you were a fourteen-year-old mind in a younger body.

Tony crossed his arms, pride beaming from him. "Take a look at what my kid did, Fury," he said smugly.

Before Fury could respond, Steve walked in, catching sight of the screen and raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but the chaotic Stark has created a little genius of his own."

Natasha walked over with a smile, ruffling your hair. "Hey, little genius, I'm Natasha Romanoff."

You offered her a shy smile, feeling warmth from the familiar connection you shared with her in the future. "Hey... I'm Y/N," you replied, keeping things short as you shook her hand.

Fury finally cut in, his voice stern. "Can we recruit your daughter, Stark? We could use someone like her to help with the tech while you and the others are out on missions."

Thor, who had been silently observing, immediately protested, his voice booming. "Are you a mad mortal? That is a child!"

Tony's face twisted in confusion, shock evident as he processed Fury's request. Bruce's eyebrows knit together in disbelief as he wondered if Fury was serious about recruiting a six-year-old—genius or not—to SHIELD. The very thought made your stomach turn.

Fury tried to explain himself, glancing at the array of tech on the screen. "Look, with a brain like hers, we could develop gadgets that could finally take down Hydra for good."

You stayed quiet, your small hand gripping onto Tony's pinky, feeling safe and connected. You didn't like how Fury saw you as just another tool in his arsenal. Tony wrapped a protective arm around you, his face hardening.

Steve, ever the voice of reason, shook his head. "Fury, this is a literal child we're talking about."

Fury shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay... and?"

That was it—your father and the rest of the Avengers began arguing with Fury. The debate quickly turned heated, and soon, the whole team was arguing amongst themselves, their voices rising until it filled the room. The subject had shifted from Fury's request to accusations and blame, none of which made sense to you. You looked over at Bruce, who was watching everyone with a growing frown, trying to figure out why things had escalated so quickly.

Then, your eyes fell on the Tesseract, sitting quietly on the lab table. You felt a strange pull toward it, an unsettling feeling in your gut. It all started to make sense. The Tesseract was affecting their minds, twisting their thoughts into anger and mistrust. But why wasn't it affecting you? You were in the past, but maybe the timeline you came from shielded you in some way.

Without a word, you slipped out of Tony's embrace and walked over to the Tesseract. The arguing continued behind you, voices becoming harsher and more bitter. Thor was complaining about "mortal antics," Steve was growing red-faced, and even Natasha's calm demeanor was slipping. You took a deep breath, reached up, and knocked the Tesseract off the table with a sharp clink.

The room went silent as everyone turned to look at the Tesseract, now lying on the floor. Their faces slowly cleared, and their tense postures relaxed.

Steve blinked, looking around, then muttered under his breath, "What... just happened?"

Tony rubbed a hand over his forehead, sighing. "Why were we arguing like the... rich—I mean, the Real Housewives of Malibu?"

Natasha let out an exasperated breath, brushing a hand through her hair. "That was... unusual."

Bruce stepped forward, piecing together the clues. "The Tesseract was controlling our minds..." His gaze shifted to you, curiosity in his eyes. "But how did Y/N know that?"

You fidgeted slightly, shifting your gaze to the screen as you realized Bruce's sharp mind had caught onto something more. You could feel his eyes on you, watching intently as he took off his glasses, scrutinizing the screen for any additional information. His expression changed slightly, as if he had just solved a puzzle.

In that moment, you knew he had figured it out—that you weren't just any six-year-old, but someone much older, someone from a different time. You met his eyes, gulping, and gave him a subtle shake of your head, silently pleading with him not to say anything.

Bruce stayed quiet, nodding almost imperceptibly. You breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that he was keeping your secret. The rest of the Avengers seemed to shake off the lingering effects of the Tesseract's influence, focusing on what had just happened.

"Well," Fury finally said, breaking the silence with a dry chuckle, "at least we know the Tesseract is still as unpredictable as ever."

Tony let out a short laugh, pulling you close and patting your head. "That's one way to put it. I'd say 'chaos incarnate' is a bit more fitting."

Thor looked between everyone and sighed. "Perhaps it is best we do not meddle with the Tesseract any further."

Steve nodded in agreement. "I think that's wise. Let's get it somewhere safe."

You remained close to Tony, feeling the tension in the room ease as the Avengers rallied to store the Tesseract. You couldn't help but feel a little proud of yourself for stopping the argument before it got out of hand. You'd saved the Avengers from falling under the Tesseract's influence—and saved Fury from making an even bigger fool of himself.

Bruce gave you a discreet nod from across the room, a look of understanding in his eyes. He would keep your secret safe. As for the rest of the Avengers, they still saw you as Tony's brilliant, if unexpectedly insightful, daughter. And that was just the way you wanted it—for now.