rusted [pжавый]

The scene was both comical and bizarre. The Randy’s Donuts franchise had, in all its locations, a giant donut sculpture at billboard height to give its stores more visibility. But that day, besides the enormous donut by the roadside, a man in armor was calmly eating his treats inside it.

The girl rolled her eyes at the sight. He was truly one of a kind.

— Could you give me a lift so I can come up and we can share the donuts? — she said, raising her voice to catch his attention and flashing a victorious smile when Tony startled.

— What are you doing here, kid?

Hennessy raised her arms and lifted an eyebrow at him, a clear sign that she was waiting for him to bring her up. Tony rolled his eyes but granted the girl's request, picking her up and carefully seating her on the sculpture’s halo.

— If I had known missing your birthday party would make you this down, I would have shown up a week early so we could celebrate — she joked, grabbing a donut and taking a bite. The taste made her sigh, her expression shifting to pure delight.

— You’re so full of yourself, huh, Henny?

— I was told it runs in the family — she reached for a napkin to clean her hands and wasn’t surprised to find none. The part of the armor covering her father’s hands was glistening with grease. So she simply licked her fingers, savoring the remaining chocolate.

— You could’ve come here yesterday, you know — she said, now with a more serious expression — We could have done something, just you and me. No parties, no crowds. You don’t have to hide behind all this.

— I already told you, the problem wasn’t my birthday, Hennessy — the man retorted — I’m not hiding behind anything, I just wanted to have fun, and I did.

— Dad, Pepper is really mad, you hurt her acting that way — Henny tried to keep a gentle yet firm tone — And you and Uncle Rhodey almost killed each other. Is that what you call having fun?

— You don’t need to worry about these things. I’m your father, I take care of you, not the other way around — Tony deflected, avoiding her gaze.

— But I do worry. Because ever since you came back from Afghanistan, you’ve had a self-destructive streak. You keep throwing yourself into one dangerous endeavor after another, without a second thought for how it affects the people who love you.

Tony Stark was a man who always had a witty or sarcastic remark ready. Hennessy Stark was the one person who could leave him speechless.

— I hope my gift now at least says "Thoughtful" on the display — she said, after realizing he wasn’t going to respond to her last remark. She had to tread carefully so he wouldn’t shut down completely.

The slight smirk he gave was a sign that she had managed to ease the tension.

— Did you program “Fed up” in it? Because that’s definitely what’s gonna show — he opened the wrist compartment of his armor to check, but the words were alternating between “Confronted” and “Afraid,” so he quickly closed it before the girl could see the second one.

— Hey — a voice called out to them — Would you two mind getting off the donut?

— What the hell is this? — Tony questioned, spotting the man in all black, eye patch in place, hands on his hips, staring up at them.

Hennessy bit her lips, bracing herself for the conversation they were about to have.

— About that, Dad...

— How did he find us?

— Well? — Fury called out again from below.

— Director Fury, I told you I would talk to him — Henny said, making sure her voice carried down to the man.

— Director Fury? — Tony looked at her, confused — How do you know him, Hennessy?

— You had your time, Stark. We’re on a mission, remember?

— Mission? Hennessy, what the hell is going on here?

The girl met her father’s gaze, his eyes darting between her and the SHIELD director, clearly puzzled by their interaction. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with an audience.

— Can we go down? — she asked quietly, and he merely nodded, gripping her waist and, with a single jump, landing them safely in front of Nick.

— Dad — she took a deep breath, hoping her voice wouldn’t waver — you know Nick Fury, director of SHIELD — the older Stark nodded — He is… how can I put this…

— What Agent Stark is trying to say — the man interrupted. He knew Hennessy’s profile, knew she needed a push — is that I’m also her boss. Hennessy has been with SHIELD for two years now and is one of the most promising minds I’ve had the pleasure of recruiting.

***

Nick had entered the diner, claiming he was going to order breakfast for all of them. Henny was grateful to the Director because, deep down, she knew he was just giving the two of them a little more privacy before the chaos to come.
She was also glad her boss wouldn’t witness the scolding her father was about to give her.

— A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Hennessy? I send you to MIT to study, and you join a spy cult?

She held back a laugh at the term he used. Laughing now wouldn’t help her case.

— Are you still studying? Or have you been lying to me this whole time?

— Of course, I’m at MIT, Tony. — She called him by his name when she was fed up with his antics. — In less than a year, I’ll finish my PhD. But S.H.I.E.L.D. has development technology I wouldn’t have access to anywhere else.

— Research on what? — He narrowed his eyes. — Something that’s going to explode if I look at it the wrong way?

Hennessy let out a small laugh, shaking her head.

— Molecular neuroscience. Cognition. Computational models of brain function.

— Humpf. — Tony scoffed. — Typical of you.

— You know how Bruce Banner transformed? — He was about to answer, but she was faster. — Besides the gamma radiation? — This time, he hesitated.

— What happened to him was a reaction of the body to what was already in the brain. Emotions, traumas, cognitive processes. Before S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded, Dr. Erskine and Grandpa — Tony’s expression darkened slightly at the mention of Howard — developed the serum for Steve Rogers. But the serum bonded directly with his cognition. A man receiving the Super Soldier Serum with a manipulable or unstable brain wouldn’t have become Captain America.

— And yes — she added, deciding it was best to be honest with him — I also apply this research to interrogation techniques.

Tony let out a dry laugh and crossed his arms.

— Hennessy, I spent years trying to keep you away from all of this. I don’t trust S.H.I.E.L.D., and I don’t want them playing scientist with you.

— I know. — She ran her hands through her hair. — But you have your legacy, Dad. And I have the opportunity to do something that will truly change the world for the better. Isn’t that why you created Iron Man?

Tony took a deep breath. He knew when a battle was lost. If he fought too hard, it would only cause destruction.

— Just promise me you’ll let me design a suit for you. I did my research on what women wear there, and I don’t want you walking around in one of those. Are they teaching you to fight, too?

— It’s part of the job qualifications. — She shrugged. — I could take you down.

He raised an eyebrow at her, skeptical.

— Without the suit.

— Let’s not go around spreading that, okay? And don’t go creating things there to invade my brain.

— I’ll think about it. — She grinned mischievously. — I’m heading back to work. Listen to what Fury has to say and don’t embarrass me in front of my boss. — She gestured toward the diner with her head.

— You’re telling Pepper about this. — He pointed a finger at her face. — I don’t want to get yelled at for you.

***

— I imagine you guys didn’t tell her about the palladium? — Tony asked after feeling the symptoms subside following the injection Natasha had given him.

— That’s not relevant to her job, — Fury replied. — This is lithium dioxide. It’ll ease the symptoms, get you back to work.

***

Post post credits scene

The training center was empty at that hour. The girl had spent the day in the lab analyzing a set of synaptic connections, but now she was dedicated to her combat training.

S.H.I.E.L.D. required it, and besides, she had started to enjoy it. She realized she had a natural ability to read and predict her opponents’ movements. She knew it was a little too easy and that many had already noticed.

So, Hennessy focused her training on offense, since she had already mastered defensive techniques.

— Impressive, Stark. — She heard Natasha say as she arrived at the training area. — I bet Clint you wouldn’t show up today after spending twenty hours in the lab.

— I’m not afraid of hard work, Romanoff. — Hennessy cracked her neck, ready to step into the ring with the redhead when a sudden movement caught her attention. She shifted her body just a few millimeters to the side, raising her hand to block a punch that would have landed on her.

— Damn it, Stark. — Clint grumbled behind her, and the girl laughed at his reaction. — You’re going to make me fill out all of Natasha’s paperwork.

— Stop dragging me into your bets. — Hennessy frowned. — It’s bad enough that I have to hear Romanoff brag about making money because my dad flirted with her.

— By the way, — Natasha added, — you were right. He’s in love with Pepper.

— Even someone watching them on TV could tell that. — Clint retorted, and Henny scowled.

— Are we going to train, or are we going to talk about my father’s love life? I’d rather take a punch to the face than listen to this.

— I’ll take care of that. — Natasha said, sounding way too excited for Stark’s liking.