Leah Stark - The Unknown Child

2.05.0

Trigger Warning - Knife Crime

Tony's POV
I suited up so quickly, I don't even remember putting the suit on. I remember flying at full speed towards the area she was spotted in. The wind moved out of the suits way as my body travelled through the air towards the shopping mall. The wind cut through my ears and I ignored all of FRIDAY's warnings about entering combat alone. I was desperate to see her. I needed to get her home, not fighting and hurting others.
I landed swiftly in-front of the girl that appeared angry, shooting guns at anyone who stood in her way. Her face seemed angry, as though she only vaguely remembered the suit. Her face had a moment of recognition, before resuming its emotionless gaze. It was like she knew who I was, but didn't know who I was. My faced dropped. I had to get her to know, I had to get her back.
"Leah, it's me, Tony, your dad!"
"Ich habe keinen Vater." She said. I stood there confused before Friday translated.
"I believe she said 'I don't have a father' sir." In that instant my heart broke apart. She was my daughter, yet she couldn't remember. Maybe it was the suit. It was definitely the suit.
"Kid, I'm going to get out of the suit. Okay?" I asked gently.
I opened up the suit and stepped out slowly, my red eyes were puffy and there was no doubt in my mind that the media was filming my every move as it was my first appearance in months.
"See, it's me, your dad."
"I said I have no father." The girl said, a conflicted look across her face. She really didn't remember me.
"You do. It's me Leah, I'm Tony, your dad. Please." I said practically begging her to remember me, for her to snap out of it at any second.
"It's Asset L. My name is Asset L. And I have no father." She informed me, though honestly I believe she was trying to convince herself more than me. My heart broke at the way she called herself 'Asset L', as though she didn't remember her own name.
"Your real name is Leah, Leah Stark. You are my daughter and you went missing a year ago." I said forcefully.
"I was in a coma a year ago, I came out of it 9 months ago. I was hit by a lorry and was put in a coma. My name is Asset L. I have no father. I belong to Hydra." She spoke solemnly, as though she knew it wasn't true. Hydra, what did they have to do with it. Then it struck me. They took her. They have had my baby girl the entire time.
"You belong to no one Leah, you are my daughter and the people using you kidnapped you."
"No they didn't!" She yelled, pulling out a knife. At this point I was worried. What if she actually stabbed me?
"Yes they did, you just have to remember." I replied.
The knife then hurdled towards me, stopping just before my abdomen. She seemed hesitant to plunge the knife into me, her subconscious memories were telling her not to.
"You can't do it can you? Your mind is telling you not to."
"Why does my heart tell me not to hurt you, when every part of my brain is telling me to do it?" She asked. It broke me, knowing that she didn't remember and only her heart knew not to do it.
"Because deep down, you remember me." I explained, crouching down to her level.
"They said you'd try and do this, I won't fall for it." She spoke, before I felt and agonising pain pierce through my ribs. It felt like I'd been set in fire, but inside my body. I looked down to see the knife in my body, and my child's hand detach itself from the blade.
I looked up at her, and saw her eyes glisten with tears. I couldn't help but comfort her.
"It's okay, it's okay, you don't understand quite yet why you did this or who I am, but you'll understand one day. It's okay, you didn't have a choice in the first place. I failed you, so don't blame yourself, I promise." I said stroking her brown hair, staring into her chocolate eyes.
She pushed herself away from me and muttered something in Russian into an earpiece. I smiled before collapsing to the floor; at least she was okay.

Asset L's POV
The man who called himself Tony seemed familiar, yet I couldn't pinpoint why. I couldn't know him, I was born and raised in Hydra. But why was my heart telling me not to hurt him, it was like it was screaming at me, which was weird. I was always told I had no heart but this changed things. Was I weak? I had been told that if I had a heart, I was weak, and had to be fixed, but I liked the feeling. I didn't want to be fixed. I had to keep quite, figure it out on my own. Remember Tony.
Remember him? Why did I have to remember him? Did I know him? And why did he keep calling me his daughter and Leah? Who was Leah?
Was I Leah?
I got into a helicopter that came to pick me up and looked back. I never looked back before.
"Asset L, была ли миссия успешной?" Asset L, was the mission a success?
"да сэр." Yes sir. I replied, sitting down and holding on. Everyone else got headphones, but I wasn't allowed them because I was an asset and we have to be strong, while they are scientists and the bosses. I kept my eyes facing forward, knowing that I'd be taken to the wiping rooms if I showed any sign of weakness. I remember the other girl who worked with me once telling our superiors that she wanted out, and that night I heard her screams and the next day, she didn't even know who I was. But that was normal, wasn't it?

New chapter coming out a bit early from the schedule I planned, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!
For those of you who don't know, The consistent date of uploads is going to be Sunday and hopefully Tuesdays. I'm in my final year of school so I'm doing a lot of studying.