Dancing in Her Webs | Yelena Belova [1]

Chapter 2

After the mansion was destroyed, she and Tony never seemed to be on the same page anymore.

All her life, Happy or some other person her father hired, babysat her while he traveled to exotic places and partied until ungodly hours. Irina never knew the truth of Iron Man's real identity and all her father's enemies until six or-so years ago.

Pepper even babysat Irina sometimes, but Irene never enjoyed the forceful mother-role Pepper tried playing in her early years, nor how Pepper babied her. Despite the annoyance, Irina loves Pepper nonetheless, and so does her father —that was enough to make her happy.

Natasha never felt the need to baby Irina and treated her as an adult, unlike her father and Pepper —that was one of the main reasons Irina took an almost immediate liking to the then undercover assistant. Nat's always been the easiest person Irina could talk to about anything she had questions on. And, most importantly —she's always been there for Irene.

2009, Malibu, California. Stark Mansion.

A newly turned 13-year-old Irina landed a punch on the punching bag in the corner of her father's boxing ring. She hissed, her ring and pinky knuckle bright red and stinging from the multiple impacts.

"You're doing it wrong." Irina straightened her posture and looked through the ropes of the ring. Natalie Rushman —an arm draped over one of the ropes— stood, watching the young teen before she's kicking her heels off and entering the ring. "Widen your stance, and keep that thumb of yours tucked away," Natalie advised, closing in on Irina, and fixed the brunette's stance and fists. "You should only be hitting your target with these two knuckles," she dragged the pad of her pointer finger over the teenager's pointer and middle knuckles, then dragged it over Irene's ring knuckle, "and sometimes this one."

"Apparently Happy hasn't been teaching me right, then."

Natalie chuckled, "Oh, I think he has. You just haven't been paying attention."

Teenager Irina averted her gaze, knowing full well that she's right, but denied it anyway, "I pay attention."

"No, you don't." Irina met Natalie's emerald gaze again, "You need a better poker face." Natalie then backed to the center of the ring, arms folding and stance widening. "Now, hit."

Sighing, Irina looked to the red punching bag before bringing her fists back up and standing in her fighting stance the way Natalie had shown her. Her deep brown eyes found their mark, and she punched the bag, landing a solid one right where she intended to punch. Compared to the punches she'd landed before Natalie's help, this one felt incredibly better, like there was more force behind it.

"Very good," Natalie complimented, impressed. "Keep it up and you'll be the most badass kid in school."

"I don't like school. Especially now that everyone knows my dad is Iron Man," Irina grumbled, shoulders slumping forward slightly.

"Cheer up, kid." Natalie placed her hand on Irene's shoulder, and Irina met her gaze, "There are worse things to not like, and trust me, your school life isn't one of them."

"How would you know? You don't know what it's like to be teased because your dad is some rich guy in an iron suit."

"I do know," Natalie said softly, surprising Irene. She draped an arm around the young girl's shoulders, "I'm always keeping tabs on you, you know."

"Really?" Irina was even more shocked —not even her own father could keep track of her. "Why? I'm just your boss's daughter that hides in the shadows."