My optics booted with a click, showing a room filled with wheeled devices my database classified as cars. This was quickly followed by a buzzing that turned into blaring 'music' my database identified as AC/DC, and a clicking, classified as human. I turned my head with a whirr of servos and saw the source of the clicking. It was a young man, early thirties, wearing only a pair of loose jeans and some sort of glowing device in his torso. He looked up from his desk as the music cut off.

"Good. You're awake. My name is Anthony Stark, but you can call me Tony. How do you feel?"

I thought for a second, "With a wide array of pressure sensitive interfaces and detailed sensory input maps."

The human rolled his eyes, like I had done something wrong, "I meant emotionally, how do you Feel?"

"Umm… Request does not compute… Database classifies as Confusion?"

"Good, Good. You're doing better. Can you move?"

I lifted my foot and moved it forward a few feet and set it down before moving my other foot in the same way. This was followed by raising my arms above my head and windmilling them briefly. "Is that good enough?"

"Yes. JARVIS, make note that Mark 7 has motor spasm in left shoulder."

"Yes Sir. You instructed me to inform you if anyone came to the door."

"And? Tell them I'm busy."

"Sir, It is Mr. Fury. I do not believe he will leave."

"Fine. Send him in. Seven, Please raise your left arm to 165 degrees vertical by 0 degrees horizontal." I raised my arm as instructed and felt something being pulled out. Something else slid in a moment later and Tony stepped away, "Lower your arm to neutral. Sleep mode. JARVIS, record this meeting." I closed down my external systems before freezing my programs and going into power saving sleep mode.

When I was woken up, and had finished booting, I noticed an unfamiliar weight inside me, "Tony?" He stepped out from behind the desk, holding a rag in one hand and a fire extinguisher in the other.

"Yes? Are you ready for your real first test?"

"I think so. But there is some kind of weight inside me. Like a person."

"My daughter, Catherine. Kat, did you sneak into daddy's armor again?" He seemed almost amused, and I almost smiled until I heard her voice on my internal microphone.

"Daaaad! Please don't do the baby voice! I'm 16 you know."

"Not yet. Your birthday is tomorrow."

"Can this be my early birthday present then? To test your new armor?"

"Fine. But Rhodey's coming along to help. The Mark 6 can't carry the Mark 7 by itself," His mouth twisted into a grin, "Get to know each other. I have a feeling you'll become the best of friends soon."

Me and her simultaneously responded, "No way. S/He's not even digital/human!"

"See, you're already getting along just fine," JARVIS spoke slowly, "Would you like me to call Master Rhodes, or do you remember the number?"

"I got it. Suit me up," the floor under Tony opened and several bright yellow arms slid up and started forming his armor around him. The shiny red and gold plating imprinted on me immediately.

"I don't look like that do I?"

"No. You're just matte black now. I'm gonna paint you with some red when we get back though."

"Cool," I fired up my repulsors as Tony shot out of the garage. I followed, Kat screaming like a person on a roller coaster. We banked up and formed a triangle with a silver and black armor suit.

"Uncle Rhodey! How are you?"

"Good. Wait a second, Kat? How did you get out here?"

"She conned me into it. I wish her mom had been home."

"Yeah, I know. I almost had the same problem. Good thing Jay is too young to borrow my jets. He went to the mall with Donna and Pepper."

"Good," Tony started staring past Rhodes, "Incoming. It's Pepper. Kat, Flight test is good. Now it's time for a speed test. If you aren't out of that armor before your mom gets home, she'll ground both of us."

I killed my repulsors, letting gravity start us down before I cranked them into overdrive. Kat squealed as I banked low over the road and shot past her mother's car at slightly under the speed of sound. The garage door was already open when we reached it, and the arms started pulling me open before I even had my repulsors off. Kat dropped into the couch behind her father's desk, kicking her combat boots up on the table and grabbing a bottle of soda from the fridge.

Her father and uncle joined us a moment later, skidding into the chairs opposite the couch as one of his little robot helpers dropped open beers in their hands. A gorgeous redhead pulled in a few seconds later, clicking something on a phone, "Passed me on the driveway. Bet those beers are fresh. Kat? How long ago did your father get back?"

"Fifteen seconds after I did."

"Kaat," her father looked at her.

"And what were you doing?"

"Driving my new birthday present."

"Which is which car?"

She pointed at me, "That one," Luckily behind me was a shiny new Lamborghini Gallardo. Her mom seemed to buy it for a moment before glaring at Tony.

"The car, right. Not the suit?"

"No, The suit," Kat was beaming.

"Sellout," Tony murmured under his breath.