2011

A young girl carries her luggage as she walked through the immigration gate. After 9 years she is finally back again.

Abandoned at 3 years old, her mother left her by dying mysteriously. Her father... he doesn't want her. After that, she was shipped out of the country to the UK.

Living in a dorm has its quirks. she learnt to be independent of herself. How to iron, how to wash, how to this and how to that. Except cooking. Somehow she always burns her cooking. She herself don't know why.

As the years gone by she watched as her friends come and go. Their families came and got them out of the school. She haven't got anybody to pick her up.

Like right now, a man wearing black sunglasses and a black suit was holding a paper, with the writing:

Hailey J. S.

Figures, her own dad doesn't want her to wield the surname.

As she approached the man, she thanked the security guard that has been accompanying her all the way. Since she was practically still a child. Who had flown from England all the way to California.

The change in weather doesn't help too.

What if her dad doesn't like her? She doesn't care. she hates him anyways.

But what if... he apologizes? ...Maybe she will consider forgiving. But forgetting will be tough. She's always been easy to forgive someone. But in the end, she always resents.

The man in the sunglasses noticed a young girl walking to him. As she stood in front of him, he asked, "Are you Hailey Josephine?"

"Yes, I am." She said with an accent.

The man offered to take her luggage. "Come with me, we will see your father at home. I'm Happy Hogan, but you can call me Happy." He smiled.

"Thank you." and she followed him to the car.

She got in the back seat and waited for Happy to finish putting her luggage on the trunk. He then went to the driver's seat.

As they drove from the airport, She suddenly asked, "Is Tony nice?"(

"He's nicer than before." Happy answered.

After seeing the new superhero in television back in 2008, continued by a press with him admitting that he is Iron Man, Hailey's grudge for Tony Stark got even bigger.

Leaving her for years to mend of her own. She once thought that the cruel man that took Iron Man's mantle was not her dad. They don't look alike, in any way, except their brown hair. But hers was darker. Auburn. She concluded that she got the rest of her looks from her mum.

Yes, mum. The effect of living in England from her childhood. Her loving Mum who had died mysteriously back in 2004. A sandy-haired shady guy wearing sunglasses came to their house to give mum's will. She never saw him again afterwards.

Her mom left her a letter, some money, a necklace, a locked journal and a safe deposit box. She kept them in a box for memorabilia.

The necklace took shape of a diamond. It wasn't transparent, and it was baby-blue colored. Probably a fake? But she kept it on her anyways.

She opened the letter when she was 8. She read better then. The shady man warned her not to tell anybody about the encounter. She was watching TV at the living room at her dorm of Tony's press conference.

Her eyes widened as she read,

"Tony Stark is your father,"

in neat, cursive lines.

Just as the tv sound,

"I am Iron Man."

All of her questions were mostly answered.

Who is her dad? Tony Stark.

How did her life funds pay? Tony Stark.

Why am I shipped to the UK? Tony Stark.

Why did mom die? Still no answer.

A while later they arrive at a large mansion in Malibu.

"We're here!" Happy stopped the car and helped Hayley open the door.

"Home sweet home." he stated.

"Hopefully if I survive in this hell hole," she mumbled.

Happy carried her luggage and strode inside. Hayley followed behind him. As they came in, a woman greeted them.

"Hello, you must be Hailey!" the strawberry-blonde greeted.

"Yes, and you must be--" she recollected her memories of recent interviews of Stark Industries's new CEO.

"Pepper Potts, you can call me Pepper." She smiled and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hayley Kirk." Hayley smiled. The smile doesn't reach her eyes. Kirk was her mother's surname, and her surname for her whole life.

Pepper raised an eyebrow.

"Your surname is gonna be Stark from now on." a voice interrupted their introduction.

a man with a goatee showed up, coming from who knows where.

"Tony Stark. Genius, Billionare, Philantropist." He introduced himself.

Tony Stark. The root of her pent up grudge.

"You." She pointed to him. "I hate you." she declared.

Pepper was amused.

Happy wanted nowhere to be here (in the middle of the banter), so he offered himself a task of moving Hayley's luggage.

"Look kid, I had known you exsist when your mother died, and I did not know that she was having you." Tony defended himself.

"Were were you, all of my childhood years!? you basically shipped me off to England!?" she raised her voice and shouted.

"I, was a hot mess, back then. Getting drunk, partying every night, neglecting duties, hooking up with girls, until Afghanistan." Tony stated.

Afghanistan. The news back in 2008 told that Tony Stark was held captive by the Ten Rings for three months. Hence Iron Man was born.

"That's no reason to ignore me for the next two years!"

"I am sorry, kid. I just wasn't ready to handle a kid yet. I payed for your school fees, and Pepper here thought it wasn't enough." And Pepper nodded.

"You need to be with her, Tony. She's your daughter!" Pepper argued.

"Finally, after much much fighting--" Pepper coughed, "discussing, We concluded that you are to be here, with me. As your legal guardian and father." Tony explained.

"Too late," she fumed.

"Pepper, can I get to my room please?"

"Sure, Uh, Ok. Follow me." and Pepper with Hayley on her tow climbed up the stairs into her room.

"JARVIS!"

"Mr. Stark. What can I do for you?" The robotic AI answered.

Tony contemplated something for a while. then retracted his thoughts and decided that its better to do it later, when she's all right.

"Let's get back to the suits," and he walked to the basement.

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