Respite

It was supposed to be a routine mission, no more was needed than two Avengers and a couple of agents. That was until they uncovered an entire organization of criminal scientists and a 12 year old chained in a basement.

Maya was the perfect lab rat, an unwanted and unnoticed orphan with an IQ to rival even Tony Starks. The price on her head was high and until the network that held her captive had been eradicated, she needed to be somewhere safe. Who better than Tony Stark? An intelligence that matched hers, a fortified tower, and also the only person that had been able to elicit a positive response from the girl.

Maya is broken, traumatized, frightened, and guarded. She's terrified that at any second she'll be taken back to the basement. Tony is out of his depth, recovering from his own anxiety after Loki attacked New York, and determined to figure it out. He's just trying to stabilize her until the criminal organization is taken down and they find her a good permanent family.

This is only meant to be temporary. So why is starting to feel attached?

~~~

In which Tony becomes responsible for a traumatized, genius, 12 year old girl.

TW: Major child abuse and PTSD