The Widow's Daughter ✔︎

Chapter Two

That was how it came to be that I was standing outside my apartment at 4am, flanked by my family, awaiting the heart-stopping moment when a fancy black Avengers car would roll up in my street and one of the Avengers, or Happy Hogan, the Head of Security in Stark towers, would step out. My heart was pounding like it did when Eleven got a nosebleed. I clutched Kellen's hand and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

My heart began to drop. I looked at my toes and sighed: maybe I'd been a fool to blindly agree to become an Avenger. It might have just been a prank. "I think we should go back inside," I said weakly, letting go of Kellen's hand.

"No!" Jake said as soon as I began to turn away. I squinted into the morning darkness to see a jet black Tesla roll in from around the corner and slow until it pulled up outside of my house. Jeanne and Himara squeezed my shoulders as the passenger door opened and someone stepped out...

"Happy, play some ACDC. The kid's here."

It was a tall man dressed in a smart black blazer, with a sharply-trimmed moustache and goatee and dark, slightly greying hair. He wore a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses over his eyes, and he looked a bit like he could kill somebody and then get away with it by saying, "oh, no, they persuaded me to kill them for them."

"Tony Stark," Lili breathed. Maxwell, Kellen and the rest gaped at him. Ashley gave him massive heart eyes and Jeanne let out a low whistle. Himara slapped her on the arm and gave her a kiss on the cheek as if to say, "I'm still your wife, so you better wolf-whistle for me too."

"Hey, Kira," Tony said, flashing me an easy smile. "The rest of the Avengers can't wait to meet you... Steve is practically peeing his pants." He chuckled and Taiga let out a high-pitched giggle. The superhero grinned at the young boy and patted him on the head.

"Steve," I mused. "That's... Captain America, right?"

"Yep," Tony said. "And doesn't he know it." He laughed sarcastically. "With your accent, you could be called Captain Brit."

I bristled. Even my own family made fun of my accent, British and posh from ten years spent in England as a kid before moving to Chicago when I was 12. "Yeah," I said. "And I can call you Captain Steelhead."

I thought I'd gone too far at first, because Tony Stark stared at me in shock. Then, he threw back his head and laughed a big belly laugh. He extended his hand to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Brit."

I shook his hand and grinned. "The pleasure is all mine, Captain Steelhead."

I was amazed - adults usually never got my sense of humour, but Tony Stark, the richest man in the entire world and an awesome kick-ass superhero, was laughing at my lame jokes, even joining in. Kellen gave me a thumbs up and grinned. I laughed and looked at the car. "So, are we driving to the airport?"

"No airport, kid," said Tony, clamping a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be taking you to our private jet landing pad. Say your goodbyes, because we're going to leave as soon as possible." he turned away. "I'll give you..." - he tried to count all of us and failed- "many people a moment."

I looked at my wonderful, crazy, awesome family, with my two mums, my three annoying big brothers, my two insane, beautiful big sisters, my wussy twin brother, and my little angel, my baby brother Taiga. I pulled them into a soft embrace and didn't say goodbye, because I knew my family didn't believe in them... they believed in see you laters and talk to you laters, but never goodbyes. 

Hirama and Jeanne kissed me on the top of my head, my fiery red hair, so very different to theirs. Maxwell, Emery and Jake gave me fistbumps and mussed my hair. Ashley and Lili strangled me with a bone-crushing hug that made me feel like my insides were made of sunflowers and Taiga planted a big, squishy kiss on my cheek. "Don't leave, Kira," he whispered. "But if you are going to be a superhero, then you have to go."

A tear leaked out from under my eyelid. I strangled Taiga with a massive bear hug and said, "I'll come back to visit every weekend, if you want."

He nodded and proceeded to promptly fall asleep in my arms.

I handed my little brother to Jeanne and faced Kellen. Of all of my lovely family, Kellen was the one I felt closest too, him being my twin and best friend. He was teary and smiling as he gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, nudging his glasses further up his nose like he always does when he's concerned. "I'll miss you, you pompous Brit," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. 

"I'll miss your whiny American accent," I said, smiling through my tears.

"Oh, there's a lot more of that where we're going," Tony Stark yelled from next to the car. I shot him a sour look over my shoulder. "Sorry." he said.

I continued. "And I'll miss your wussy face whenever you watch Stranger Things, and I'll miss it when you fart and try to blame it on Ashley and then she whacks you on the head with Taiga's unicorn pillow. I'll miss everything about you, Kells. About all of you."

Kellen gave me a shaky, watery smile. "I'll miss you, little nerd," he said. "Have fun hanging out with people who are smarter than you."

I laughed and pushed him away. "Oh, we'll see about that," I scoffed. "I'm pretty darn intelligent."

"We're smarter than you," Tony yelled. "That's why you're our intern." 

I glared at him again. "We're having a moment here, Mr Stark!" I scolded.

"Right," the billionaire said guiltily. "Please continue."

I hugged Kellen one last time, and all of the Akiros joined in. After we all pulled apart, I waved goodbye and went to join Tony by the car. He opened the door for me and as soon as I stepped inside the luxury vehicle, ACDC blasted me in the face, nearly killing my sleepy eardrums. Tony grinned and wound up the windows, handing me a glass of water that he somehow just produced. "You excited, kid?" he asked as we began to roll away.

I smiled, the butterflies in my stomach flittering madly. "More than ever," I replied, as the Tesla drove smoothly away, out of the bustling streets of nighttime Chicago, and into my new life.