Leah Stark - The Unknown Child

2.08.0

Leah's POV.

The next morning after I woke up was disorienting. I woke up later than I had been for the past year and I had as long as I wanted to get ready.
I showered quickly and packed a spare pair of clothes in the backpack I found laying in the corner of the room. I threw on clothes that looked like someone traveling would wear, not some of the fancier stuff. I shoved on the hiking boots as well as the warm leggings, iron man sweater for a bit of a laugh and grabbed a brown bomber jacket and left the cabin. I began my hike through the woods, holding a small device that created a map hologram to appear an show me the directions to the main road. It was a long hike and I arrived there by noon that day. I then started up the main road, consealing myself in the bushes that went along the side of the road.
Eventually, a hill took over and I had to walk on the road to be able to get there. I walked looking behind me as I went, and saw a family car heading towards me.
I can't believe I did it but I did the stereotypical hitchhiker walk you see in movies. The one where they walk backwards with their thumb pointing in the direction you want to go, and remarkably they stopped.
I looked through the car windows to see a child I presumed to be 10 and another around 14-15, just a year younger than me.
The mother peered out the passenger side window at me before speaking in a strong American accent that dominated her speech. "Hey kiddo, how'd you end up out here?"
"Oh I was hiking and I got a bit lost in the woods. The nearest town's Rhodoendrons right?" I replied
"Sure is, we're heading there ourselves to stop off before going home to Portland, you wanna ride?"
"Is that okay? I don't wanna disturb you or make your car even more crowded."
"Of course sweetie, your not bothering anyone here, right Katie, Janie?" She asked the two daughters in the back. The youngest shook her head and the eldest shrugged in reply.
"Hop in kid." The father said smiling.
"So what's your name, kind of wanna know it if we're all going to be in the car together for 50 minuets." The mother said looking back at me.
"Oh, I'm Leah."
The teenage girl instantly picked up on this and looked at me, before talking. "Like Leah Stark."
"I guess, I mean Leah's a pretty common name." I said awkwardly, knowing I couldn't tell them who I really was or they'd probably insist on me coming all the way to Portland with them so they could purchase me a plane ticket and get in the news as the people who found me. I just wanted to turn up again and pretend it never happened.
"Oh, whatever." The girls said, looking back at her phone, scrolling threw twitter.
"Oh it's so sad what happened to her. No one knows where she is and she's probably so scared. I couldn't imagine being being Tony Stark. He's practically isolated himself ever since she disappeared." The mother said coping over my own tragedy. I wanted to laugh a little, but the two girls and the husband just rolled their eyes and groaned.
"Not this again" said Janie, the youngest daughter. "She's always going on and on about what happened to her, and about how we should be grateful we're not in her position. Just ignore it and don't encourage her." She moaned.
"I do not do that!" The mother snapped.
"Whatever You say mom, whatever you say."
In the end the drive took 39 minuets with the clear roads and most of them were spent talking to the family or me and Katie looking through twitter or Instagram at people like Tony Stark, my own father, or Tom Holland and some other hot celebrities. I thought it was kind of funny how Peter and Tom Holland looked so similar, honestly they could be twins.

Slowly the car rolled into the service station and everyone hopped out of the car and just stood up for a little. Rhodoedrons was a quaint village which was surrounded by nature, with the main road going straight through it, cutting it into two parts it looked rather odd however beautiful. Eventually, we all walked into the service station and I offered to pay for the food in repayment for driving me to the station. I had enough money in my bag to do it for them, so why wouldn't I?
"Leah, sweetie, put the money away! You don't need to pay for our food." Janet, the mother of the family, said.
"I know I don't," I replied simply. "I want to pay for it as thanks for helping me." I handed the money over to the cashier who attempted to hand me the change, however I told her to keep it and treat herself to something.
We all sat down with our food and ate it quickly before I walked the family back to their car.
"Well it was nice meeting you Leah... What did you say your last name was again?" Their father asked. I practically shat myself right then and there.
"Oh, I didn't say it."
"Well, were the Bedford's." They said getting into the car and starting the engine.
"Cool, and I'm Leah, Leah Stark." I said smiling before walking into the service station to use the public pay phone.
I chuckled slightly at the faces as they drove away, it was one of shock and surprise.
I put my change in the pay phone and inputted the only number I could remember from my dreams, Lilith's number. It rang several times before I heard her silky voice through the crackling telephone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Lilith, I hope your still up for our date when I get back." I grinned. I could hear her squeal behind the phone, before she responded.
"Lea's, is it really you?" Her voice cracked.
"Yeah Lil's it's me. I'm back. I'm coming home. Then we can watch a movie, whatever you want." I smiled sadly.
"You remembered!" I could practically see her grin. Tears beaded in my eyes. I really missed her. I missed everyone.
"You still have the pink ombré?"
"Nope, I am blonde now. Cut my hair short and everything, you know in a bob. Oh and I don't have my internship at the 'New Yorker' anymore. I couldn't work there after they did an article on you after you disappeared. It was horrible, so I quit. I have had an offer though."
"Let me guess, Stark Industry's Media department?"
"How did you know?" She replied sarcastically, causing us both to giggle.
"How's school going? I'll help you with any science projects!"
"It's good, honestly I'm walking to school now, so I'm gonna need to bounce soon."
"It's cool. You have my dads number right?"
"Errr, I think so, why?"
"I was wondering if you could text him, tell him you got a call from someone claiming to be me. Mess with him. I wanna screw with him, so I'll give you a call before I get back to the tower. See you soon."
"See you Lea's. Love ya." She said casually, causing me to blush slightly.
"Love you too Lils." I muttered back, before hanging the phone up as I heard the tone again.
After going to the toilets to regain my composure from the sudden confession of love, I went into a cafe across the road from the service station. It was a quaint, family owned place that served adorable cakes and other sweets. I sat down and ordered a pot of lemon tea as a helicopter passed overhead. I smiled at it and relaxed, enjoying my freedom.
Eventually a man in a long black trench coat and an eyepatch walked in. He look rather odd surrounded by the pastel colours of the cafe, but I payed him no mind. There where weirdos in every town, who am I to judge.
It wasn't until he sat opposite me I felt something was up.
"Leah Stark, Director Fury of SHEILD. I request you come with me. You have to be debriefed on the circumstances of your escape from HYDRA."
So dad hadn't told SHEILD about the Avengers rescue mission. I sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to snitch on them, Nat would ten thousand percent fight me if I told them.
"So, how do I know if you are who you say you are. Honestly, you know my story, it's understandable that I don't wanna go with strangers after you know..."
He simply pulled out a I'd card and flashed it at me. It was a SHEILD ID card. Needless to say, I was satisfied.
"Okay so, you wanna know how I escaped, right Mr Pirate?" I asked with a smirk. The man sighed and I could have sworn I heard him mutter "Of course she's just like her father."
"Yes, in the battle an explosion happened in the building you where in. SHEILD were planning to capture you during the battle, but you escaped completely unscathed from the building and HYDRA by yourself, how?"
"Simple, I found a secret room." I said. Technically, that was true. The tunnel wasn't on any of the blueprints for the building.
"A secret room?" He questioned.
"Yup, found the secret room, set up a bomb in the building, ran to the secret room and hoped I didn't die. Turns out, the secret room had a secret tunnel, which I used to escape." I said lying once more. "Anyway, how'd you find me if, an I'm guessing here, you thought I was dead?"
"Our agents have a tendency to fake their deaths once or twice. I believe one of them had 'died' 15 times. We don't confirm deaths until the body is found, confirmed and cremated, and even then we can never be sure. So if we are tracking someone, they never leave the radar."
"Makes sense, good job Fast and Fury-ous." I smiled. My tea arrived and two cups were poured out. I smiled at the waitress before resuming the conversation. "So, Mr Mad, why else are you here? I have a feeling you would have sent an agent unless you needed something from me."
"We need inside information on HYDRA. You weren't wiped as often as Bucky I'm going to guess, so you probably know far more about HYDRA than any other person outside of them. SHEILD needs the information. It would be a great help to the world if you told us anything you can remember."
"I only know the names of my most recent handler, a couple higher ups and how missions are organised. As well as guard routines to the facility I was most recently in. They wiped me every time I moved facility, and I only moved 3 times. Other than that I have nothing. Sorry Mr Mad."
"Got it. No problem kid." He said standing up. He handed me a business card. "Call the number of you remember anything about Hydra or how they got ahold of you." He said before marching out of the building.
The owner of the cafe, a small rounded woman with kind blue eyes and white hair walked over and sat down across from me.
"If he was asking you to do things, I wouldn't. I can call the police if you want."
"Ha, no. He works with the government. I'm a researcher. He needed some specialist information. Don't worry, it's fine ma'am." I replied.
"Of course sweetie."
"Anyway, how much will this be?"
"It's fine. You seem like you could do with the money."
"Haha. No I insist how much?"
"2 bucks then."
I pulled out the money. "By the way, where's the train station?"

Woo! Long chapter for y'all! So Mr Nicholas Fury is questioning Leah... That's pretty weird. Do you guys think he has an alterior motive or not? I mean he probably does, he's Fury for gods' sake. Anyway, hope y'all are enjoying the story!