Staring at the the wall seemed like the most fascinating thing to do right now.
I honestly have no idea how long I have been out. I rubbed the bruise above my eye and sighed.
Did Steve make it? Was everyone freaking out?
"I can sense your distress. Something on your mind?" The woman, the one that beat me up apparently spoke to me.
Keeping my gaze on the wall, I gulped and prayed that Steve was okay.
"Don't worry, your friend is fine."
My head shot upwards and she stood there with a smug grin plastered on her face.
"I must say...you really do look like your father." She smirked and I had this urge to vomit.
"We cleaned up your wounds." She pointed at my bandaged bruises and I still remained silent.
"Well, I guess I'm not getting a word out of you..." she paused and a devilish grin appeared on her face. "But I bet you someone else can."
"Leave us."
My breath hitched as I heard that all too familiar voice.
The woman left and he walked out of the shadows with a face devoid of emotion, unlike me, I was an emotional wreck and I'm pretty sure it was clear on my face.
"You've grown." He stated and my lips parted.
Was that all he has to say to me?
Blinking back my tears, I chose to ignore him and stare at the wall.
"Use your words." He demanded, his tone deadly.
"What do you want from me?" I finally whispered.
"Your protection."
I couldn't help but scoff.
"My protection? Are you fucking serious? You're the very reason I'm in danger!" I screamed and before I could even blink, I felt a sharp pain on my cheek.
"Let that be the last time you speak to me with that tone." He hissed and if I was trying to hold back my tears back then, I couldn't do it now.
If I'm not mistaken, I heard him take a sharp intake of breath before he sprinted out of the room.
"Valentina..." The woman whispered and I looked up to her with tears blurring my vision.
"I want to go home. Please let me go home." I begged and for the first time, I saw emotion in her expression before it flickered away.
"You can't go home, Valentina. You need to be protected."
"They can protect me!"
"No one can protect you from what's coming, so you need to be strong in order to face it on your own." She explained and I just shook my head.
"Believe it or not, he does care for you."
At her words, I burst into tears again. He doesn't care. He never did, and he probably never will.
"Listen to me!" She shouted while gripping my shoulder, and I hissed at the pain it caused me.
"You have to be strong to overcome this, Valentina. But you have to trust me. Trust us. We just want your protection and after that...your father will disappear from your life and you won't hear from him again."
I processed her words and nodded afterwards.
"Good. Now, change into these clothes and meet me in the room across the hallway, with the glass doors."
****
"Took you long enough." She muttered impatiently tapping her foot against the wooden floor.
"Now I'm sure you have a lot of questions, so ask away so we can begin your training." She continued and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Where are we?"
"California."
California? When the hell did we get to California?
"What's your name?"
"Anastasia Petrov, but you can call me Anna."
"Can I make a call?" I asked her and she raised an eyebrow, showing me indirectly how stupid my question really was.
"No contact with the outside world."
"Who are you protecting me from?"
"That my dear, is classified. Anything else?"
"No." I shrugged and she mumbled a good before motioning me to follow her.
"Now..you can go anywhere in the compound, but don't go near the borders or you'll trigger an alarm, and you've met your father's men. They're not the nicest."
I gulped thinking about what happened to Steve.
"Can I at least call them and tell them that I'm okay?" I tried my luck and the woman shook her head once more.
"Can I at least call my boyfriend? He must be worried sick and...."
She interrupted me with the sounds of her laughter and I was confused as to what she was laughing about.
"You call that douchebag a boyfriend? Honey he isn't even looking for you...at least he isn't doing half of what the Avengers are."
"What are you talking about? You must be mistaken, he's probably..."
"Darling...see for yourself."
"Rose." I whispered in shock as I observed them as they attacked each other's faces. Closing my eyes slightly, I sighed and I could almost feel myself shattering.
"When do I start?" I asked and I was actually surprised at how cold and clear my voice was in contrast to my heart.
"Right now." She ordered and motioned to one of the guards.
"Valentina this is Ian, he'll be training you for a few hours then you'll take a break for the rest of the day."
I nodded at her and she walked ever so elegantly outside the room.
****
Ian was really hard on me. I guess those people don't joke. Strolling through the forest, I found a peaceful place to sit, and I set down the picnic basket I had in my hand.
The familiarity of the place made me feel at ease. This used to be Tony's Malibu mansion before it got blown to pieces last year. I sat there watching the sunset feeling so numb. Tears started forming in my eyes, but I blocked them back. Anna was right...I needed to be strong. I won't be the sad little girl that lost her father. I will be strong. I need to be strong. Taking a gulp out of my beer, I smiled as memories of my childhood starting flashing right in-front of my eyes.
-Flashbacks-
27 years ago:
"Daddy, look!" I squealed, jogging after the butterflies. I heard my dad snigger and I turned around with a frown.
"I can't catch them, daddy!" I stomped my foot on the ground in annoyance.
"I know, pumpkin. Come here." He opened his arms and engulfed me into a hug.
"I love you, pumpkin." He whispered while kissing my head.
"I love you too, daddy. Always and forever." I mumbled as I nuzzled my face into his chest, ready to fall asleep.
"Always and forever." He whispered as he gently rocked me back and forth while watching the sunset.
"Salvador!!" My mom called.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 years ago:
Dangling my legs from the cliff, I smiled as I scribbled some words in my diary.
"Got room for one more?" A hoarse voice spoke and I turned around with a frown. No one else usually comes here.
"Tony Stark." I stated as the man took off his sunglasses.
"No introductions needed then." He chuckled while shaking his head. "What's your name, beautiful?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Valentina." I whispered as I went back to staring at the sunset.
"Valentina." He whispered almost as if he was testing it. "I like it." He shrugged and I nodded still focusing on writing.
Folding his suit jacket neatly on the ground, he took a seat next to me joining me in staring at the beautiful view. Now that I actually took a good look at him, he didn't look okay at all. At least not like he usually looks in interviews and photos. His eyes were red and sad..
"Are you okay?" I asked him setting down my notebook.
"Sure." He shrugged not really paying attention to me anymore.
"Alright...I should get going. Nice meeting you stranger." I shrugged and tried to leave in attempt to leave him in solitude.
"It's December 16." He mumbled his voice barely even audible.
"Oh..I'm sorry is it your birthday or something?" I asked and he shook his head quickly and held his head in his hands. For a moment there, I thought I insulted him, but then a second later I heard a sob coming from him.
I don't know why I did it. I knelt down and put my hand on his shoulder.
"They left..."
"They left me."
He repeated and I frowned in confusion. He was sobbing uncontrollably and I couldn't help him. This man was not the man I saw on the tv. This man was broken and damaged.
"You're okay." I rubbed his back in a soothing manner and he just pushed me away.
"You don't care. They don't care. No one cares." He whispered running his hand all over his face, attempting to wipe away his tears.
I don't know what came over me in that moment, but all I knew was that I needed to help him.
Grabbing his hands, my fingers brushed against his soft skin and shivers ran down my spine. He stared at me in confusion. His red and glossy eyes made my heart ache for him.
"I know I don't know you, and I know you don't know me, but...you're not alone, Mister Stark...and even if you like to think that you are, you aren't. Clearly, something inside you is tearing you apart and you have to let it out, by letting someone in." I smiled warmly at the billionaire who was dumbfounded and wiped his dry tears and stood up to leave.
Before I could even take my first step, he started speaking.
"My parents. In a car crash they...they died." He shrugged staring at the horizon.
Nodding slightly, I took my previous seat next to him.
"And...I can't. I can't talk about this." He said quickly and I still held my smile.
"It's okay, Mister Stark."
"Please...Call me Tony." He said not looking me in the eye.
Grabbing my blanket, I wrapped it over the two of us and he smiled gratefully at me. He leaned in slightly and rested his head on my shoulder. I didn't know this man, but what I knew for sure was that he was hiding himself behind the name he created for himself. He was hiding the real him. I threw my arm around his shoulder and pulled him to rest on my lap.
His breathing went steady and my guess was that he fell asleep, so I ripped a piece of paper from my diary and started writing.
-Hope you had a good sleep, if you ever feel down or need a comforting shoulder, call me. I saved my number on your phone, hope you don't mind.
P.S/ keep the blanket, I wasn't that cold anyways.
Valentina.-
-End of Flashbacks-
"Mind if I sit?" I heard his voice from behind me and I couldn't help but flinch.
"No."
It stayed silent for a while and I didn't know if I was supposed to say something until he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Valentina." He whispered and I had a hard time believing he said that.
"For what exactly?" I know I shouldn't test him, but it was kind of hard to act like he didn't leave me all those years ago, like he hadn't kidnapped me a few weeks ago, like he hadn't slapped me a few hours ago.
"For leaving you...for hurting you, but you have to believe me when I say that it was for your protection."
"I have a hard time believing that, Salvador." I replied.
"Would it kill you to call me dad?" He sighed while running his fingers through his hair.
"Yes." I shrugged and he just chuckled.
"Do you hate me?" He asked a question that surprised me and had me thinking did I?
"I don't know. You're everything I stand against. You're a criminal." I stated not sure how I really felt about my biological father.
"You know I came to visit you, and Lorenzo...when you were 15, but your mother told me that you wouldn't be too happy about meeting your sperm donor."
I laughed. I laughed so hard and so did he.
"Yeah...sounds like mom." I whispered and I realised that this was the first time in 22 years that we have actually talked.
"Lorenzo actually went back to Italy." I mumbled in sadness really missing him.
"I know."
"Why?" I whispered and he frowned deeply.
"Why what?"
"Why did you leave me?" My voice cracked and I was angry that I showed signs of weaknesses in front of him.
"My line of work...Valentina my job is extremely dangerous and if anyone figured that I had weaknesses they would try to use you against me, and that would put you in harms way...which is exactly what's happening right now."
I nodded.
"I'm gonna go." I said while standing up, long after the sun has set.
"Yeah." He said still sitting in the darkness after I had walked away.