The Daughter of Tony Stark

Chapter 1

   When Maria Hill saw me coming down the hall, she looked slightly shocked. "Tony's letting you out of your room now? When did this happen?" she asked me, and I laughed.

"Metal Man isn't very pleased about it, but I'm sick of hiding," I explained to her, walking with her down to the landing area. "You think I made a good decision?"

"I think so," Maria nodded. "I hope he warned you that the team might be a little confused with... you being here."

"Better than me not being here," I muttered under my breath, and Maria gave a light chuckle. We walked together, opening the doors to the landing area where the Quinjet was lowering. I covered my ears as it landed, wincing from the noise. The doors slowly lowered, revealing my father turning around in his seat at the cockpit. The Avengers' heads slowly turned in my direction, some with confusion written on their faces and some skeptical.

"Lab's all set up, boss," Maria acknowledged my father, who put on mock astonishment and pointed to a man who I recognized as Captain America.

"Uh, actually, he's the boss," he playfully corrected her. "I just pay for everything, design everything, and make everyone look cooler." I had to stifle a giggle, which my dad noticed with a grin. "Hey, Water Girl."

"Metal Man, I shot back, sticking out my tongue. Captain America, the first to exit the aircraft, looked extremely confused as he glanced at me.

"I don't want to be rude miss, but who are you?" he asked me. "Are we supposed to know you?"

"You don't know my daughter, Steve?" my father laughed sarcastically. "Of course not." As he exited the aircraft, he did a small spin, faking a bow in the direction of his friends. "Secret's out people! I have a daughter!" When he passed by me, I swear he rolled his eyes. Leaving me with the rest of the Avengers.

"So, you're Tony's daughter," a woman with fiery hair piped up. The Black Widow. Her arms were crossed, leaning slightly to the side as she leaned on her right leg. "I'm Nat."

"Isabel," I said back, my heart beating as I said my name. I wasn't the only one on edge; the rest of the Avengers seemed to be frozen in place as their eyes searched me for any kind of threat. I say rest, because Thor seemed to find the idea quite... fine.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, daughter of Stark," he said happily in a semi-booming voice, patting my shoulder. I felt my face turn beet red as his hand came in contact with my shoulder. My glasses slid down my nose.

"It was nice meeting you all," I squeaked out, slowly walking backwards. "I'll, uh, be in- pool." I quickly walked back inside the building, not looking behind me to see their expressions. After rounding a few corners, I stopped by a wall, took my glasses off, and banged my head against it.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, I told myself.You meet the coolest people on Earth and don't even say a proper hello. I'd been waiting to introduce myself for forever and I couldn't even say a sentence properly. After pulling myself together, I slid my glasses back on and made my way to the nearest elevator and pressed a button, taking me to floor thirteen. When the steel doors opened, the strong smell of chlorine lightly burned my nose. My eyes looked over the Olympic sized pool in front of me, and I turned to the right to a changing area. After I was in my swimsuit, I grabbed my prescription goggles, sliding my glasses off and putting them on. I slowly dipped my legs in the pool, looking back at my reflection.

Monster

Freak

Liar

I lifted my hand a few inches above my reflection and flared my fingers, causing the water to ripple. My thoughts sometimes would change to words like that, and every once and a while a scream. I had no idea why, and it terrified me. Taking my mind off it, I clenched my hand into a fist, raising an orb of water out of the pool and sending it up into the ceiling. Droplets slowly flew back to the ground, some resting in my hair instead of back in the pool.

"I am the daughter of Tony Stark," I told myself, clearing my head. "I am the daughter of Tony Stark." Closing my eyes, I felt my legs come close together, and when my eyes opened, I was greeted by my familiar dark blue mermaid tail. "I have water powers." As I caught my reflection again, I couldn't help but sigh. "I wish I was normal." Leaving that in my brain, I dove in, leaving no trace of my presence behind.

____________________________________________________________

I wish I could say, 'this is my cool introduction now, I'm actually a mermaid.' Transforming my legs into a tail is one of my gifts with being a hydrokinetic. As normal as being a hydrokinetic is. I sat at the bottom of the pool, watching my long brown wavy hair float around me. Somehow being in the water helped fix my eyesight, my goggles were only needed because the chlorine stung my eyes after a while. Mustering some of my strength, I pushed hard against the pool bottom. My tail reformed into two legs and started to kick to the top. Once I broke the surface, I started to swim freestyle. Laps and laps passed, and I lost count of how many after a passed over a mile or two. Feeling bored, I stopped at the edge of the pool and pulled myself out. That's when I realized Captain America was watching me.

"Oh... um, hi, Captain America," I said awkwardly, waving to the man. "How long have you been there?" He stared at me curiously. I could tell he was trying to figure me out, understand the connection between my father and I.

"Long enough," he answered vaguely, walking closer to the pool. "And call me Steve, miss. How did you..." he trailed off. I looked at him in confusion. "You swam over four miles in less than thirty minutes without stopping, and you're not breathing hard." I reddened, trying to think of a cover.

"Swimming is a hobby of mine," I explained and Steve nodded, looking around the pool deck currently covered in water. How much of me being here had he seen? Hopefully not the part where I was raining water down with my powers.

"That explains Starks' nickname for you. Tony told me to tell you that dinner will be ready soon, and something about bringing a piano out." I paled a little at his words, waving meekly as Steve left. Once he was gone. I ran to my room, not caring that I was soaking wet and that the other people I passed were staring at me. I almost slipped twice, the second time nearly running into my father. He was waiting for me in the elevator to the upper floors, a grey towel in his hands.

"Piano, really?" I questioned him, taking the towel and stepping inside the elevator with him. When the doors closed, I turned to him and narrowed my eyes. "What the heck!" I hissed at him. "First you're worried about what the Avengers will think of me, and then you bring a piano out. You expect me to sing in front of these people?" My dad shrugged.

"I mean, wasn't exactly my idea to get right out of a mission and then have to introduce you to my dear old comrades, was it? Someone I've never mentioned in the few years of us being together as a group?"

"I'm sorry I didn't like the fact you basically locked me in my room every time they decided to visit," I threw back, wrapping the towel around me. "I'd say fairs fair right there."

"I really can't argue when the smell of chlorine is slowly destroying my brain cells," my dad smirked. I could tell he wasn't super angry at me, but there was a bit of anxiety coursing through him as he was trying to figure out how to work the situation out. "Take a shower, please. Put a dress on and impress them with that Stark talent." The elevator doors opened up to my floor, and I stepped out. "And I mean it when I say a dress! I don't want to see you wearing sweatpants!"

"Got it!" I laughed, rolling my eyes in amusement. "I'll wear leggings."

"Not funny!"