AN: Here you go 1 more chapter
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Tony crossed the room, stopping just a few steps from her. His expression shifted from casual to something sharper, more deliberate.
"I heard what you did out there," he said. "Holding off Shaw like that, especially when you just figured out what you can do… That's not a small thing. Most people in your position would have panicked, burned out, or gotten themselves killed. You didn't. You held your ground, and thanks to you, Wanda bagged two key players in the underground crime world. Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost. That's a clean win in my book."
Lorna blinked at him, her mind momentarily blank. She was used to being underestimated, dismissed, or treated like a liability. Hearing the opposite, especially from Tony Stark, made her excited.
She shifted her weight, crossing her arms, trying to hide the heat rising in her face. "I… didn't really have a plan," she admitted. "It was mostly just not wanting to die."
Tony's grin widened. "Survival is the foundation of good strategy. You'd be surprised how many so-called pros forget that."
Lorna glanced at Wanda and Pietro, half-expecting them to chime in with some sarcastic remark, but they were both watching her. Pietro had that smirk like he was already planning to tease her about this later. Wanda's look was softer, more approving.
Lorna exhaled slowly, letting the compliment sink in despite herself. She didn't know if she believed she'd done anything special, but the idea that she might have actually mattered in the fight… that was something she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Thanks," she said quietly, and for once, she meant it.
Tony's expression shifted again, the easy warmth giving way to a more measured seriousness. He leaned against the back of a chair, folding his arms.
"Alright, fun part's over," he said. "Now for the serious question. What does Shaw want with you?"
Lorna hesitated, eyes flicking toward the floor. Then she told him everything. How Shaw had approached her with promises and pressure, dangling the chance to save her father's life. How she had believed it, even if it meant working for someone she barely understood. But later decided to beat him up and question him. Her voice trembled slightly when she reached the part about discovering the truth.
"Now I know who my real father is," she said, her lip curling slightly. "A terrorist and manipulator. I feel sick even thinking about him. And after what I remembered… after what happened on that plane... I am the reason they died. If not for my existence, they would still be living a happy life."
She stopped, her hands curling into fists at her sides.
Tony stepped forward, his tone calm but firm. "You can't change the past. None of us can. But the future… that's in your hands. You're Lorna Dane. The people who raised you, they're your parents. They're the ones who mattered."
Lorna swallowed, forcing herself to meet his gaze. There was no judgment there, only conviction.
He tilted his head slightly. "That said… do you want to meet him?"
The answer came without hesitation. "No. I don't want any ties with him. Not now, not ever."
Tony walked over and pulled one of the chairs from the small dining table and turned it around, resting his arms on the back as he sat down. His gaze locked on hers. He studied her for a long moment, reading her like an engineer inspecting a new prototype. Then he asked, "So, Lorna Dane, now that you've survived your first run-in with Shaw and company, and you got powers, what's the plan?"
She didn't hesitate. "I want to master my power and use it to help people. Like you do."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Like me?"
"Yeah," she said, leaning forward. "You've got the brains, the suit, the resources, and you use them to save lives. You take on impossible odds. That's the kind of person I want to be."
For a moment, Tony looked almost flattered. Then his grin turned knowing. "That's a flattering pitch, but I should warn you — the path from rookie to Iron Man isn't exactly a stroll through Central Park. It's a long road. A lot of it is ugly. And it costs you more than you think."
"I'm not scared of that."
He leaned back slightly, folding his arms. "Good answer. But if you want to walk the same path as me, or as the Ultimates, you have to start at the beginning. And for you, that means finishing your studies."
Her face dropped. "You're kidding."
"I'm serious," Tony replied. "I didn't come this far by skipping class and blowing stuff up… Well, not entirely. You need to learn discipline, problem solving, the boring stuff that becomes the foundation for the fun stuff. Engineering, physics, leadership... that doesn't just happen because you've got powers."
Lorna crossed her arms. "I'm not exactly the 'sit quietly and take notes' type."
"Neither was I," Tony said, smirking. "But you've got a mind that works differently. I can tell. Which means you'd be wasting your potential if you didn't sharpen it. You want to help people? Great. Step one is knowing enough not to accidentally kill them with friendly fire."
Pietro popped another handful of popcorn into his mouth and said around the kernels, "Translation: Tony's gonna make you do homework before you're allowed to blow up bad guys."
Wanda shot him a look. "And you could have benefited from the same."
Tony ignored them both and focused on Lorna. "Here's the deal. I'll help you train your powers. We'll run you through simulations, tech integration, and maybe even get you into the field once you're ready. But in return, you put in the work academically. Think of it as an investment in your future. You're young. You've got time to do this right."
Lorna thought about it. The idea of spending years in classrooms didn't exactly thrill her, but she understood what he was saying. Power without control was a disaster waiting to happen — she'd lived through that already.
"Alright," she said finally. "I'll do it. But when I'm ready, I want to be in the field. I don't want to be kept on the sidelines."
Tony's grin returned. "Good. Because I don't do sidelines. Welcome to the long game, Lorna Dane."
He turned toward Wanda. "She's your responsibility when it comes to the training schedule. Keep her from breaking anything we can't afford to replace. And I'll try to make time for some special guidance."
Wanda inclined her head. "Understood."
Pietro raised his hand. "And what about me?"
"Oh, I almost forgot," Tony said as he looked at overexcited Pietro. He thought for a moment.
"Well," Pietro grinned, pointing a finger at his face.
"I heard you've never completed your studies... So, you are going back to high school. Good luck, and if you run..." Tony glanced toward Wanda.
"I'll break his legs," Wanda finished it for Tony.
"..." Tony grinned as he pointed his finger at Wanda. "What she said. Now, time to interrogate our new guests."
...
[Basement level]
The containment wing was colder than the rest of the facility. Stark's design: The usual energy turrets, reinforced adamantium walls, and enough redundancies to make escape a fantasy. The lights were dimmer here, focused beams cutting across polished steel. Each cell was sealed by transparent energy fields.
Shaw sat on the lone bench in his cell, relaxed as if he were a guest in a luxury suite rather than a high-security holding block. His posture was straight, shoulders loose, a small smile curling at the corner of his mouth. His tailored jacket had been taken, but even in a plain black shirt, he carried himself like a man still in control.
Tony stopped just short of the energy barrier, hands in his pockets. Wanda stood at the doorway, leaning casually against the frame, her eyes locked on Shaw.
"Comfortable?" Tony asked casually.
Shaw glanced up slowly, that same faint smile never leaving. "As comfortable as one can be when held by people who think they've won."
Tony tilted his head. "Funny, you don't look like a man concerned about the charges stacking up against him."
He shrugged. "Charges are for men without reach. You'd be surprised how quickly the law bends when the right hands push it."
"Yeah, I've met your type before," Tony said. "You think you've got a backdoor out of every situation. But here's the thing… my doors don't open for you."
Shaw's smile deepened. "And yet you're here. Talking to me. That means you want something. You wouldn't waste your time otherwise."
Tony stepped closer to the barrier, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Maybe I'm just here to see if you're dumb enough to tell me what your plan was with Lorna Dane."
"Lorna…" Shaw said her name slowly, as if tasting it. "She has potential. And potential should never be wasted. Your problem is that you see a weapon and think it needs a leash. I see a weapon and think it should be unleashed."
Tony's jaw tightened, but his voice stayed level. "You see people as tools. That's your flaw. And that's why you're in here instead of out there."
Shaw leaned forward just enough for the light to catch in his eyes. "You think you have me contained. But I was always a step ahead, Stark. Even now."
That was the moment Tony knew something was off. Shaw's confidence wasn't just arrogance. It was calculated. "Well, let's see what you got in that head of yours." Without changing his expression, he triggered a silent mental command. The energy of the Mind Stone infiltrated Shaw's mind.
In an instant, the map unfolded in his head: the Hellfire Club's underground dens, hidden ports, encrypted routes, the entire chain of command from smugglers to financiers. Not just names, but patterns. How shipments were disguised. Which officials were paid. The secret safehouses in cities that didn't even exist on official records.
It was a treasure trove of intel. Enough to tear apart their network root and branch.
'It's been a while since I looked at the small timers. I'll have Janet and Ghost clean them up tomorrow,' Tony thought.
And then something else flickered in the data stream.
The Mind Stone's energy flared as it warned: Invasive ancient bacterial lifeform detected.
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AN: I'm pretty sure most of you know who this freak is.
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