Chapter Text
“Since when does A.I.M have an air division?” Tiana said blandly in her comms by way of greeting to Iron Man and Captain America, who had both just flown in to aid her and Miles Morales in an impromptu fight.
“A.I.M’s divisions have divisions.” Tony responded, his tone flat. It sounded like he was rolling his eyes.
Nevertheless, his sentiments echoed how everyone else felt about the third A.I.M attack in Brooklyn in as many weeks.
“Behind you, Starling.” Sam called.
Coming up behind Tiana was…To be quite honest, she didn’t really know how to describe these…robots? They were some kind of humanoid drones with wings. They looked like…
No.
She couldn’t bring herself to think of it.
“Hate to admit it, but their technology is very…futuristic.” Tony said, his voice tight as he narrowly dodged another A.I.M robot, before giving it a repulsor blast. It sounded like it pained him to say it.
“I guess they’re really putting the “advanced” in Advanced Idea Mechanics, huh?...Huh?” Tiana quipped as she used a spinning move to dodge a flying A.I.M robot, then with a swipe of her arm deployed her metal missiles, which embedded into the robot, before blowing up.
Tony groaned. "Don't tell me you've enrolled into the Morales School of Jokes and Humour."
Sam’s snort was cut off by a huff after he narrowly dodged a flying A.I.M vehicle, before sending his shield at a swift, deadly speed to cut it in half.
“No, it definitely sounds like someone’s been hanging out with the local Spider-Man...Maybe a little too much” Sam teased.
Miles chimed in, making his presence known. "Nuh uh, I only teach her good jokes. Anything else is beyond me."
Tiana flushed. “Wow guys...that bad, huh?”
“Just a little.” Tony shrugged an armoured shoulder before aiming a repulsor at another flying robot goon that was trying to sneak up on Tiana.
“That’s the 4th one to sneak up on you, Starling. Any reason for all the attention?” Sam asked.
“...I don’t know.” Tiana said aloud, but she had a couple guesses in her head, none of them particularly comforting.
“Heads up, they’re regenerating.” Miles informed.
The three of them looked down to see the fallen dismantled tech particles attaching back together, forming the same winged robots, but even bigger.
“The structure of the robots is familiar, but I can’t wrap my head around it right now…Wilson, have you been able to get Redwing on one of these things yet?” Tony asked as he dodged another winged attack that was eerily similar to a move Tiana had made seconds before.
“No…they move or shake him off every time I set the tracker on them.” Sam said with frustration.
“Damn, they do the same thing to me when I try to locate the source as well,” Tony echoed, as he manhandled another robot. “But we’ve gotta find it somehow.”
"They're going upward, even higher than we are now." Miles informed. "Soon I won't be able to follow."
The 4 heroes looked up.
"I'm surprised their structures can outlast such an altitude." Tony pondered.
At that point Miles had to tap out. "There's less buildings for me to swing on. I'm stuck here." Miles said dejectedly. "I'm going to go call for help."
"On your way back down maybe grab some of the destroyed parts...Also, maybe give them an extra ponding just to make sure they stay destroyed." Tony advised.
"Got it." Miles affirmed. He looked at Tiana. "You guys be careful." He said before quickly swinging back down.
Tiana nodded, and flew above the melee, attempting to see if she could scope out the source. She circled the general area of the fight before seeing a flash in the distance.
“Guys, I found something coming into view. It’s close by, and…” Tiana squinted. “It looks like a huge ship or aircraft, it could be the source. It’s giving off an energy field, and I can see it with my mask, I’m not sure if it’ll reject my tech if I get closer or not.”
“Alright, come back down to our level and we’ll figure something out, we don’t know what we're dealing with yet, or if that field can fully short circuit outside tech. Better not chance it until we form a plan around it.” Sam said.
“Alright Cap. On my way back down.” Tiana agreed and began to steadily make her way back down to Sam and Tony, seeing that they were becoming surrounded.
As she was flying back down, a figure flew past her at a great speed, brushing her wings and subsequently knocking her off course.
Spiraling through the air, it took her a few seconds to reorient and straighten herself out.
“-Ack- Hey! What was-” Tiana cut herself off, assuming it was another robot.
However, this one was faster, more fluid in the air…
That’s when she realized.
At first the shock of seeing her grandfather again had her frozen in mid-air. She hadn't seen him or had any contact with him in over 2 years.
But then she came back to her senses.
“...Iron Man! Cap! It’s The Vulture! Heading straight for you guys!” Tiana shouted into the comms, before speeding down to follow her grandfather.
Tiana saw the Vulture gearing up for an attack, and full body barreled into him just in time. Halting the attack and knocking him off course. At the same time, Sam and Tony made quick work of the last of the pack of winged robots that had surrounded them.
They rolled in the air for a few seconds, with Tiana trying to subdue and The Vulture trying to escape.
But at last, he managed to throw Tiana off him.
She spun a few backflips in the air before using her wings to center herself.
The Vulture appeared to be gearing up for another attack, a small army of his robots and other A.I.M agents in aircrafts behind him. All of them in a face-off against Captain America and Iron Man.
This was going to be ugly.
Tiana sped towards the faceoff. She heard the distinct sounds of metal feathers being unsheathed, as well as the familiar sound of repulsors loading.
She entered, in the middle of the two sides.
“Grandp- Vulture! Stop!” She held up a hand, shouting with authority, catching herself at the last second before the slip up.
The Vulture paused, a sinister smile on his face. “My dear Tiana.”
Tiana swallowed. “That’s enough. Call these things off. Now.”
She felt a swoosh as Sam and Tony came up behind her.
“You heard her Toomes. Let’s not make this into something it doesn't need to be.” Sam warned.
Tiana heard Tony mutter quietly, more to himself. “FRIDAY, find an opening in this energy field, and get me a way to shut these things down.”
The Vulture chuckled. “Not today. By the end of this, you’ll be gone, and Brooklyn…all of New York, falls under my…control.”
“Toomes, you know well enough that we won’t allow that.” Sam said. Though he still resigned himself to the fight. "This only ends with you going back to prison."
The Vulture ignored the warning, instead refocusing on Tiana, holding out his arms. “Tiana, you can always join me, my cause. You’d find much better purpose.”
“This can all be yours.”
Tiana narrowed her eyes. "I don't want it."
The Vulture and the A.I.M goons were closing in. Tiana, Sam and Tony all recognized the energy field getting stronger as their opponents became closer in proximity.
“The field’s screwing with my system…FRIDAY!” Tony exclaimed.
Sam responded similarly, frustratedly hitting his wrist panel. “None of my ballistics are working, only the wings.”
At this point Tiana noticed there was no change or disruption to her own tech.
The Vulture, still focused on Tiana, spoke again. “That’s right, your tech still works. That’s by design.”
The Vulture reached out with a flourish, “Join me, granddaughter.”
Tiana clenched her fists, flapping her wings harder. Now ready to attack.
“No.”
And so the fight began.
It was gritty, and ugly, everybody taking hard hits.
Sam and Tony remained at a disadvantage, but fortunately some other heroes finally came to their aid, and were attempting to counter the effects of the energy field. As well as Miles, who figured out how to use the A.I.M vehicles to swing from robot to robot, while also taking them out.
In the chaos, Tiana once again came face to face with her grandfather.
She spoke first. “I’m not going to join you. I’m not a villain. Get that through your head.”
“Of course you’re not.” Toomes responded. Seemingly backing off.
Tiana wasn’t fooled, and remained in a defensive position. “...Do you understand? Don't do this.”
She uselessly tried to plead with her grandfather once more. “What is the point! What is the end goal! There’s no need for this!” Tiana shouted angrily, her voice rising above the noise.
The Vulture sighed. “...I understand…but I cannot allow you to thwart my plans.”
He suddenly unleashed a large projectile net at Tiana.
But she’d never let her guard down, so she was ready.
Spinning in the air, she cleanly avoided the net, before throwing a net of her own as a distraction.
Speeding back towards the rest of the heroes, she spoke into the comms again.
“You guys heard him, my suit isn't affected by the energy field, so I can get to the source. I’m gonna go up there, and blow it.”
“Alright, Tony and I will follow and cover you.” Sam laid out the quick plan.
They broke off, most of the heroes working to contain and destroy the robots, while Tiana, Tony, and Sam made their way higher, and higher towards the A.I.M “mothership”.
Just then, The Vulture once again intercepted them, launching rocket and metal feather projectiles at the trio.
Tiana narrowly dodged a projectile. “Move, Vulture, this ends now!”
However, the Vulture was focused on other matters.
“Granddaughter, this is your last chance to join me. Remember who you are. Who raised you.”
Tiana’s face scrunched up even more.
“Face it, Tiana, I’m all you have left. Sooner or later you’ll realize that, and then you’ll understand that we are more alike than you think.”
Tiana dodged another net. Getting angrier. “No!”
“Starling, be careful!” Sam called, as Tiana narrowly avoided a collision with an A.I.M vehicle while trying to simultaneously evade the Vulture and get to the source.
Tiana snarled. “No, I’m nothing like you!”
The Vulture only smiled. “Oh, but you’re exactly like me.”
…
“And don’t you forget who made you that suit.”
"Tiana-!"
It happened quick.
Tiana was about to land on the mothership, when she felt a sharp breeze at her back. A large projectile was coming her way.
She geared up to swipe her arms and take it out-
But then an A.I.M robot came crashing into her. Sending her barrelling her straight towards the Vulture, who was ready for her.
Tiana heard a shock at her back, and a crack.
After that, all she heard was rushing wind in her ears.
She was falling. Fast.
Smashing through robots on her way down. She thought she screamed for help, but she couldn’t hear her own voice through the rushing wind.
The buildings, robots, and skyline all blurred as she flipped wildly through the air. She couldn’t see, or focus on anything.
She’d never experienced such speed, not even when she was flying. Uncontrolled free falling was so much different. And much more scary.
That’s all Tiana remembered as she careened towards the hard earth-
The cement ground.
She thought she saw red rushing at her, just before her vision went out.
And then it was nothing.
- ONE WEEK LATER -
Tiana awoke to the sound of Sam, Tony, and who she assumed was her doctor, discussing her injuries.
She slowly opened her eyes, the task surprisingly difficult, and all she saw was white.
As in, a white room, white sheets, white walls and floors. A hospital, then.
As she became more oriented, she realized she couldn’t really feel her body. Or move, even. But she also found that she wasn’t really able to feel any panic at the realization.
She couldn’t see anything but her hands either, as the blanket covered up to her chest. She felt woozy, out of control, and the voices felt far away, like she was underwater, she could only grasp pieces of what was being said.
“-touch and go…” Probably the doctor.
"...no, family…” That was Sam.
“...Mr. Stark…braces…provided…incredible…” Tony.
“...can’t rush the recovery process…”
“-this kind…of injury…”
“-unsure…kind of outcome…”
“-some kind of proxy…”
“...how it happened…”
“...quite unfortunate…”
"...but still, she's really lucky..."
At some point they finally noticed she was awake. The doctor appeared into her line of sight first.
“Afternoon, Tiana, glad to see you awake.” The doctor said quietly. She noticed that Tiana’s eyes were slow to track her movements, so she figured Tiana was still feeling the effects of the medication and anesthetic she was on, so she would keep the conversation light, but straightforward.
“You’re in Manhattan. This is a private hospital.” The doctor paused, glancing back towards Sam and Tony who stood in the threshold of the door.
“You had an accident.”
Tiana blinked slowly.
“You’re going to stay here for a while…Recover, and get some rest.” After that the doctor gave a nod and left the room.
Tony and Sam had moved further into the room, their faces sad.
“Hey kid…” Sam started, but he didn’t really know what to say to Tiana.
Tiana stared at them, her face uncomfortably blank. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke.
“He said he’d never hurt me.”