Pairings: Darcy & Tony; Tony & Harley – mentioned; Darcy/Bucky – mentioned
Tags: Darcy is Still Tony's Daughter; Darcy and Harley: Secret Starks; Darcy is a Howlie Legacy Twice Over; Tony Stark Shenanigans; Secret Code Words; Father-Daughter Relationship
The elder two-thirds of House Stark have a Code.
The youngest third of said House will be indoctrinated into said Code once he (and his father… and his half-sister, to be honest) has gotten used to the fact that he is, in fact, a Stark. [Dear Tony: Seriously, what the fuck is in your sperm that foiled a vasectomy, twice?]
The Code was developed in the very early days of their relationship, just after six-year-old Darcy was informed by Grandpa Tim who her biological father was. Neither she nor Tony was ready to reveal a Stark heiress' existence to the world, let alone admit to the rest of the Legacies that Darcy wasn't just another Dugan, but Tony wanted to have some subtle way to gauge how his Baby Bot was doing. [Yes, yes; a Stark, being subtle? Will miracles never cease? Dear Howlies, those jokes were already old when you were ribbing Howard. Please stop.]
The Code became super useful once Darcy grew up and started adopting scientists [and aliens, and interns] and finally moved into the Tower. She's still pissed she somehow lost that argument, honestly, but whatever. At least she can hang out with her robotic brothers and new AI sister while keeping an eye on her lunatic father and waiting for her flesh-and-blood brother to join the party. And, y'know, maybe sometimes ogle a super-soldier and his stupidly pretty fancy robot arm [she is not just a Stark in name, after all]. Darcy still wasn't ready to admit to being a Legacy in more than just name, let alone reveal the length and breadth of her Stark inheritance [enough brains to match her billions, let's leave it at that], so the "super secret spy code" – Tony's words, not hers – once again proved its worth as a method of clandestine communication.
The Code is simple, and based on nicknames.
When Darcy calls him "Stark," all is well with the world in general and herself in particular. If all is well in Tony's world, Darcy gets called "Lewis" - Lovely Excellent Witty Intelligent Spawn.
"Tony" means Darcy Does Not Approve of whatever her lunatic father is doing, and if he doesn't knock it off toot sweet she's bringing in the big guns [Pepper, of course]. When Tony Does Not Approve of Darcy's Shenanigans, he calls her "Minion" or "Intern." [Seriously Bot, stop emulating your old man with the shenanigans. You're supposed to be the smart one in this family.]
"Old man" means Tony should really be paying attention to what the fuck she's saying. "Shortstack" is the corresponding Listen To Your Old Man warning.
Any variation on "Iron Man" means Pay The Fuck Attention This Has To Do With SHIELD And/Or World-Ending Avengers Bullshit. Darcy You Need To Listen And Do As I Say Because Shit Is Going Down nets Darcy getting called Princess Fiona [it's a whole long Thing and you do not want to know].
Darcy doesn't really use any kind of paternal signifier; even twenty years on, it's bizarre to acknowledge Tony as her father rather than her super weird snarky benefactor-slash-buddy, and anyways her father figure, for better or worse, was Grandpa Tim. If she ever says "Daddy," though... Tony will burn down the world to protect his Baby Bot.