Children Of Iron and Patience
Authors Note: I was reading several Avengers fan fics and recently saw Iron Man 3 so I decided it was time. No real spoilers but it should be fun. I own nothing. Lots of music references here.
1. PATD Protocol
The music blared from the lab along with a voice that was most certainly not Tony's. Pepper smiled as she made her way down to the lab to the blaring of AC/DC's Highway to Hell. The second singer was slightly off key and as Pepper typed in her access key she saw it was because of the ear plugs she was wearing. The lab was abuzz with noise; mostly drown by the music but not entirely. The buzz of a hand held precision saw was the loudest. The music switched as the short head of dark rust colored hair bobbed along to a translated Japanese pop song.
As she often did with these kinds of songs Reilly Maria Stark started singing the original version of the song. Pepper stood in the doorway watching her daughter cut a perfectly straight edge then a tiny zigzag pattern with one tool. She had inherited her father's gift with everything electronic. At the age of six she had decided that JARVIS was lonely and created her own AI system with a radio and the few bits and pieces she could reach of her father's tools. A year later she had wanted to know what JARVIS and ALICI (A Live Interactive Computer Interface) looked like so she had let both help her design their own personal holographic interfaces. As it turned out JARVIS actually liked the image of a slightly elderly English butler, while ALICI was a slim trim maid with blonde hair and pants instead of the French skirt it was actually rather cute.
"Mute please ALICI." Pepper called over the music once her daughter had set down the saw and reached for the next tool. Reilly jumped and pulled out her ear plugs when the AI system complied.
"Mom! You scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Pepper laughed. Her daughter appraised her carefully.
"How long were you standing there?"
"Long enough to hear your lovely rendition of, what was that?" She blushed.
"Bad Apple." They both paused as the lights flickered.
"ALICI? What was that?" Reilly asked. The voice of a young Irish woman came over the speakers built invisibly into the walls.
"It appears that me systems are being hacked. I have done me best to hold them off but I appear to be running at 96.8% and falling."
"Intruders? JARVIS how are you?" The British voice replaced the Irish one.
"I am working at full capacity but the intruders have breached the building on levels nine seven and twelve. I have already sent the signal to the Avengers and your father. I recommend both of you stay put."
"Have you activated the lockdown Protocol yet?" When she received a negative from both systems she bolted from the lab.
"ALICI! Lock down my lab! Activate Protocol M 37!"
"The PATD Protocol? I de na think that's wise."
"Do it anyway!" Pepper tried to override the lockdown with her access key but it wouldn't open the door.
"DAMN IT ALICI OPEN THIS DOOR!"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Stark, but the PATD Protocol overwrites security keys. I serry for this but your daughter kens what she is doing ma'am. Ye should trust her more often." Music Pepper recognized began to play over ALICI's speakers.
'Sing it like you mean it. No, don't you get it now don't you move!' Her daughter's voice joined the singers.
"Just stay where I can see you! Douse the lights. All the lights went out simultaneously. When the music kicked back up the normal lights in the house turned from florescent house lights to strobe colors flashing in time to the music. Pepper blinked hard, disoriented by the colors and fast paced sound mingling and clashing. Her daughter was a genius.
"ALICI?"
"Ye Mrs. Stark?"
"Where is she going?"
"I believe she is headed fer Level 12. Phil is thare." Pepper had to steady herself on the wall. Her son! She had to get out of this lab.
The first song ended and all the floors of Stark/Avengers Tower went pitch black. Phil was careful not to move or disturb his hiding place. His sister was a genius. He had about to activate this protocol when the music had started. He had never been so happy to hear Panic at The Disco before. She was headed to him he could feel it. She had been in her lab. He heard them enter his room and waited. The second song began, Casisado. Shit that one was quiet. He crossed his fingers and was rewarded when the lights in the room became intense then flashed off. This time his sister had set off the smoke machine. He had thought it was a silly idea but he made a mental note to thank her. His door opened again.
Reilly Stark would not panic. She had a weapon, not the best one she would be the first to admit but hey it was better than nothing. It was a glove fitted with repulsar technology, a prototype she had been able to grab on her way past her father's lab. She ran past most of the attackers. She knew this protocol like the back of her hand, having designed it. She reached the twelfth floor without any of the intruders noticing. Most were fighting with Night vision goggles that were blinding them with each colored flash.
She stepped up to her brother's door and it slid open. She raised her gloved arm and fired three times. Each shot connected with a surprisingly yellow clad body. She raced into the room and found her brother. His dark rust colored hair was sweaty and he looked relieved to see her.
"Hey sis! What kept you?" She shrugged like this was an everyday occurrence.
"Had to lock Mom in my lab. The usual."