"Iron Angel"

Based on the "Iron Man" Movies

Alex's Diary: Entry One

The meaning of the word "overprotective" I think has been etched into my mind, never to be forgotten for as long as I live.

I love my father. He is one of the greatest father's a girl could ever have. He gives me anything I ask for – no matter the expense – he makes sure I have the best education possible (even though I am a genius like him, I still want friends. So, I go to school. Call me weird, but I need a life) and he always makes time out of his overly busy schedule to be with me…I hope that you, dear diary, noticed the sarcasm in that statement.

My father has way too much time to be with me.

Not that I am complaining about hanging out with my father. I'm not. We have fun together. But, ever since the accident, it's been 24/7 Dad time.

The accident…I don't even want to know how it happened, but it did. It's not like I'm dying or anything…ok, I was for a couple months, but that's not the point. The point is that I am fine now, thanks to Dad.

I simply got into a car accident. That was it. I was with a friend and a drunk driver slammed into us and ran us off the road. Ok, so it was more than that. The car was run off the highway and plunged many, many feet down into the ground below. Let me make it completely clear that my friend and I were driving on our side of the road and that we were going by the speed limit. We are very good drivers. How my friend and I survived, I still don't understand. But, we both believe I owe my survival to my father.

Because of the accident, I no longer have use of pretty much every muscle in my body. The accident seriously damaged my spine and left me paralyzed. The only reason I am even able to write in this diary is because of Dad and his technologies. He and some of the world's best doctors were able to invent a device that is able to stimulate the nerves in my muscles to move again. So, as long as I keep the device sticking into my spine, I am just as I was before. I call the device "Mr. Un-Freeze". You know, because Mr. Freeze was a cartoon character that froze things and the device un-freezes my muscles so that I can move…still don't get it? God, really? Well, go look him up. It's really simple to put in too. All I have to do is stick the high-powered needle into my back and I'm good to go. But, I've been told, if it ever comes out…I could be in very big trouble. Dad and the doctors said that, if it ever comes out, I would be completely paralyzed again within a half an hour. Never do I want that to happen.

On top of that, I was born with asthma. The paparazzi always seem to get a field day out of me and my problems. They believe my father is invincible, how he made me – a girl with so many problems – they don't seem to understand. But, as long as I take my inhaler twice a day and whenever I feel an attack coming on, I'm fine. I'm still just a normal 18-year-old girl…despite my spine injury and asthma…

Alex sighed as she paused in her writing and looked out her bedroom window. The sun was shining, a breeze blowing. It was what she considered a perfect day. And, on top of that, she was home alone. Well, Jarvis was there, but other than that no other human was in the house. That hadn't happened since the accident. After coming home from the hospital, Alex's father put her under a constant watch. Though she could never see them, Alex knew that bodyguards were following her at school as well.

She knew that her father meant well, but it was really getting on her nerves. But, being the daughter of a billionaire had its downfalls as well as its perks. Being Tony Stark's daughter was a completely different story. Her father was one of the most famous men in the world…or so she heard.

"Alexandra, your father and Miss. Potts have just pulled into the driveway"

It was fun while it lasted.

"Thank you, Jarvis" Alex said as she closed her diary and put her pen down "Shall I go greet them or will you?"

"I will, if you wish, Alexandra"

"I was kidding, Jarvis" she said, laughing as she stood and headed down to meet her father and Pepper. "And, you can call me Alex"

"Alexandra, you know how hard it is for me to call you just by your name!" Jarvis said "Let alone nicknames"

"Well, keep trying" she said "I have faith in you, Jarvis. I know you can do it"

Alex quickly went down the stairs and smiled when she saw her father and Pepper in the kitchen. "So, whatcha doing?"

Tony Stark turned and smiled brightly at his daughter. "Alex! We were just talking about the party tonight"

"Party?" Alex said, confused "What party?"

"The awards ceremony tonight" Pepper Potts replied. She looked at Alex as a mother would look at a daughter. "Did you forget, Alex? I thought I told you to write it down…"

"Me? Forget?" Alex said, innocently. She pointed at her head "Pepper, this mind does not forget anything"

"Then why am I sending you to school?" Tony asked, with a smile as he walked up to his daughter and put his arm around her

"Alright, I need friends" Alex replied, almost rolling her eyes although she was smiling "I need a life"

"Well, fortunately for you Alex, I made sure that a dress was prepared for you" Pepper replied as Tony laughed "It should be in your closet"

"Oh, she is good" Alex said as she pointed at Pepper and turned to go back and see which dress Pepper had picked "Don't let this one go, Dad. I like her"

"Your wish is my command, Princess" Tony yelled after her. He turned back to Pepper. "Which one did you pick?"

Pepper sighed a little. "A low cut one…"

"Pepper!"

"I'm sorry, Tony. But, Alex loves her low cut dresses. Before the accident, you wouldn't care whether or not she wore them. In fact, one time you told me you loved seeing her wear them because it made her look even more beautiful than she already is"

"That was before the accident" Tony said, turning away from his secretary "I don't want anyone seeing Alex's…device. I don't want anyone to bring it up and cause her to re-live horrible times"

"Do you not want that to happen to Alex? Or yourself?"

Tony turned back to Pepper. She couldn't help but notice the pain in his eyes. She knew that it was he who didn't want to be reminded about the night he almost lost his daughter…his world…

"That night haunts me more than anything else I have experienced in my entire life" Tony said, with a somewhat shaky voice that almost caught Pepper off guard "You remember that night, don't you?"

Pepper nodded. "I don't think I would be able to forget"

It wasn't too late at night. Only about 10:00, maybe a little later. But, Tony was still waiting for Alex to come home from her movie night with her friend. Who did she go with again? Richelle? Tony was horrible when it came to names, not just of Alex's friends but other people as well. The main point was that he trusted Richelle, he trusted all of Alex's friends. He knew they wouldn't do something stupid.

"Jarvis, any sign of her?"

"Negative, sir" Jarvis replied "But, I'm sure Alexandra is on her way home right now"

It was then that the phone rang. Tony turned to go and answer it when he saw Pepper pick up the phone. Why was she still here? Oh, that's right. He had asked her to stay so they could finalize plans for the benefit he was hosting a few days later. He thought nothing of the call until he heard the phone crash to the floor. His head shot up to find a pale Pepper breathing heavily and shaking.

"Pepper?" he said, rushing over to her "Pepper? What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Alex…"

Fear shot through Tony's body. "Alex? What about Alex? What happened?"

Pepper turned tear filled eyes towards her boss. "They want you to come and identify her body…"

Tony was out of the house and racing towards the site of the crash faster than any human could possibly move. His car came to a screeching halt when he saw the lights on the ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars. As soon as the car stopped, he was out and rushing towards the people gathered. He found the parents of Richelle standing huddled with their daughter, trying to comfort her to the best of their ability.

Tony slowed when he saw that Alex was nowhere to be found. Alexia Reagan looked up at him. "Oh, Tony" she said, as Richelle turned towards Tony "Thank God you're here!"

Tony just nodded. "What happened here?"

"Goddamn drunk driver" Camden Reagan replied "The girls weren't doing anything wrong. They were going the speed limit, driving on their side of the road. Both of them had seatbelts on…but some drunken bastard crashed into them and sent them over the edge of the cliff"

Tony's gaze shot to Camden and Alexia. "Over a cliff?"

Richelle Reagan continued to cry. "Alex was the one who was driving" she sobbed "When she saw the driver coming towards us, she commanded me to jump out of the car. I didn't want to, but Alex gave me no choice. She pushed me out of the car. Once I got on the ground, I watched as Alex made a sharp turn, to try and get out of the way. But, instead she drove herself off of the cliff"

Alexia nodded as she started to cry. "Alex is being moved onto a stretcher right now" she said "She-"

Before she could finish, Tony was bolting towards the cliff. He started breathing heavily when he saw the EMT's bring the very limp body of his daughter out of the wreck, onto a stretcher, and up to the top of the cliff. The minute the stretcher touched the ground, Tony was by Alex's side.

"Alex…Alex, speak to me!" Tony pleaded

"It would be a miracle if she did, sir" the EMT said "It would be a miracle if she did anything ever again"

Tony looked at the EMT and then back at his daughter. "What do you mean?"

"Her injuries are severe, sir" he replied "I'm no expert, but it doesn't look good"

Tony's eyes filled with tears as he smoothed the hair out of Alex's face. She had blood all over her, from cuts and scratches all over her body. She was just barely breathing. So slow was her breathing that Tony almost thought she wasn't breathing at all…

"But, Alex is doing fine now" Pepper said "The device in her spine is helping her do everything she did before"

"I know, but…" Tony stopped when Alex came back downstairs.

"What time are we leaving?" Alex asked

"Oh, I don't know" Pepper said, smiling "Whenever your father decides to show up"

"I'll say…8:00" Tony replied "Sound good?"

"Whatever you say" Alex replied "You are the honoree"

Tony watched as Alex went back up the stairs, taking the stairs two at a time. His eyes never left the glowing purple square in the middle of her back. Pepper put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you worry for her" she said "But, she'll be fine. If she can make it through this, she can make it through anything"

Alright, this is my first attempt at a Iron Man fanfic, so please be kind in your reviews. :)

I tried to keep the characters as in character as I possibly could. I will continue to do that throughout the story. If a chapter will be majorly OOC, I will warn you. :)

I hope you like this first chapter!

Please Read and Review!