I grabbed a soda from the fridge and walked out into the living room to inspect the newly made hole in the living room floor. A small groan escaped my lips as I saw he'd fallen straight through the piano, crushing into splinters. But a smile worked its way on my face as I realized he'd not only fallen through the piano, but through his bedroom floor. He'd be living with a hole in his bedroom roof and floor. Ha. Better hope it didn't rain.
I finished my soda and flipped through some TV channels. I was waiting until Dad had gotten off his armour before I went back down. I'd been sitting on the couch watching The Simpsons for half an hour when Dad finally emerged. He had a few bruises here and there but nothing major.
"I'll be right back," I gathered he was going to change out of the protective suit he was wearing. A few seconds later I heard a; "Aw, shit!"
I guess Dad had just found the new hole in this roof and floor. Minutes later he returned in a plain shirt and jeans.
"I didn't realize I fell through my bedroom!" I stood and laughed as I followed him into the kitchen. He grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and held it to his upper forearm where a nasty bruise was forming.
"Wanna come down and help me with some modifications?" He asked, cringing as the cold contacted with his skin.
I shrugged. "Sure," I needed to get my hands busy. I couldn't sit still for long, I always needed something to do, something to make or fix.
We walked down to the garage in silence. As he opened the door, I noticed he'd unwrapped the box Pepper had brought down earlier. As he walked over to his computer station, I went to get a closer look to see how it had turned out. I had described to Pepper how I wanted it to look and she had done it perfectly. I made sure Dad didn't notice I was looking at it. He hated getting gifts, well, at least from people he cared about. He'd take a free Audi from the Company any day. I think it was because he didn't know how to react. Someone had taken the time to get something they thought appropriate for him. He didn't know how to let that in and show the emotion. It was hard enough on Christmas, let alone on his birthday where an entire day is focused on him,
I walked over to his station and plopped myself down on a spare computer chair, spinning around in it a few times as I listened to Dad speak with Jarvis.
"The suit is not rated for high altitude, possibly due to icing," I rolled my eyes as I listened to him. He was a regular Sherlock Holmes.
Jarvis was thinking (did he think?) along the same lines as he replied; "A very astute observation, sir."
That got me wondering whether Dad programmed Jarvis with sarcasm. Sure seemed like it.
As I looked over at the silver suit, it struck me that it was a bit...plain? All the superheroes I had seen in movies and comics had their own colours, their symbols so everyone would know that it's them. I think that's what Dad needed.
"Dad, I think it needs colour," I spun back around to face him as he thought this over.
"Use the gold titanium alloy from the Seraphim Tactical Satellite. It should maintain integrity to fifty thousand feet and maintain power to weight ratio."
"Shall I render using proposed specifications?" Jarvis asked.
"Sure," I pushed my chair closer to the screen so I could see how the proposed colour looked on the suit.
It was a shining gold body suit. Dad was thinking along the same wavelength.
"Little ostentatious isn't it?"
"What was I thinking? You're usually so discreet," Again I wondered if Jarvis had somehow changed his program to include sarcasm or if he had suddenly picked it up from watching us all day. Sarcasm was like a second language in this household.
My eyes scanned the room and suddenly landed on the Hot Rod. Red and Gold sounded good.
"Throw a little Hot Rod Red in there," I suggested. Jarvis did so without waiting for Dad to approve.
Just by adding the red, it looked sleeker, stronger and tougher. Everything Dad had wanted to look like. His vision had come to life.
Suddenly our attention was drawn to the TV on the back wall. A reporter was standing on a red carpet. "Tonight's red-hot Red Carpet is at the Walt Disney Hall for the third annual Stark benefit for the Firefighters' Family Fund has been the go-to Charity gala on LA's high society calendar."
"Jarvis, did we get an invitation to that?"
"Not that I know of, sir," He replied.
I was still staring at the TV screen where an image of Dad popped up beside her. I recognised it immediately. It was taken at the Press Conference he had held when he got back. I wasn't listening to whatever the hell she was saying, I was just looking at the picture. Dad looked so broken, sitting there in the picture on the floor. To anyone else who looked at it, they would just say it was Tony Stark, billionaire. But I knew him better. I could see the change, not only in that picture (which had disappeared from the screen)but in everything he did. His voice, his movements, the way he tried to distance himself. It was all different. In some ways better, but in others worse.
"Sir the rendering process should take five hours." Jarvis's voice suddenly broke through my thoughts.
I looked at Dad's face where a small grin was creeping across it. I knew where this was heading. He stood up, grabbed his watch and looked around at the machines which were getting ready to put the paint on his suit.
"Don't wait up for me honey!" I didn't know if he was talking to me or Jarvis.
"Do you think this is wise Dad?" I jumped up from my seat and followed him upstairs.
Dad was already halfway up the stairs that lead to the bedrooms. "Hey, it's my Gala, I'm allowed to gatecrash!" And with that he jumped the last few steps and disappeared from my view.
I sighed and sat on the edge of the couch. "Call me when you need me to tie your bow!" He knew how to tie it of course but I still liked doing it for him. I vaguely recalled Pepper saying something about this event. No doubt she was already there and not expecting Tony to suddenly turn up. She was in for a big surprise.
Ten minutes later, Tony descend the stairs, decked out in his best tux. I stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his unfished tie and doing it nicely for it. He smiled down at me and pulled me into a hug when I was done with his tie. I didn't know how to explain it, but doing those little things for him made me feel more involved, more connected.
"See ya tomorrow," He kissed me lightly on the cheek and took the elevator down to the garage, giving me one last wave before the doors closed.
"Jarvis-" But before I even asked, he answered.
"10:23 p.m."
"Thanks Jarvis," I grinned up at the roof.
I don't remember how long I was sitting on the couch just thinking but the news suddenly came on again, so I turned my attention towards that. The usual pretty blonde women was talking from behind her news desk. The screen then changed to the inside of the Gala Dad was currently at. Just before the image disappeared off screen, I saw something that made my jaw drop.
Pepper, looking absolutely amazing in a turquoise, backless dress, was dancing. With Dad. He would no doubt be mentioning this to me tomorrow. I grinned at the thought of how happy Dad must be.
Suddenly I was extremely tired. Ever since Dad disappeared, I never felt like I got enough sleep. I could be dreaming for 10 hours but I would still feel drained when I woke. Before the news report was over, I'd fallen asleep.
Just like every other morning, I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock buzzing. That's odd. My alarm clock was in my room, not in the living room. As I slowly opened my eyes, I registered the fact that I was in my bedroom. The last time I remember Dad carrying me to my room after falling asleep on the couch was when I was 11, but it made me smile. I wondered if he'd had to don the suit to carry me upstairs. I had a slender figure but I weighed different now to what I did at 11.
I pulled my hair up into a ponytail before leaving the room. I wondered who Dad had picked up last night. I walked down into the living room and found Pepper sitting on the lounge, clicking away on her laptop.
"Good morning Morgan," She smiled up at me.
"Morning!" I replied. I looked around the room. "Has she left yet?"
Pepper looked up at me with a quizzical look. "Who?"
"Whoever Dad brought home last night,"
She smiled. "Your father didn't bring anyone home last night." She looked happy about that fact.
What? I knew Dad hadn't brought anyone home since Afghanistan but he hadn't really been anyway to pick them. I thought for sure he would last night. Maybe he thought he'd have another nightmare. There's no way he'd do that in front of a girl. "Jarvis, notify me when Dad gets up." I headed towards the kitchen when his voice stopped me.
"Mr. Stark has already been up for 2 hours, Miss Stark. He is currently in the garage,"
Okay, this was getting strange. First, he doesn't pick up any women and now he's up before 10? Something's going on.
I changed my direction and headed for the garage instead. As I descended the steps, I couldn't see Dad anywhere. I pushed in the code and opened the door. I heard the TV on down the other end of the garage. Suddenly Dad came into my view. He was sitting on the lounge, one arm wearing the glove of the suit, his other hand held a screwdriver.
"Dad?" I called out tentatively.
He looked up from his glove to smile at me briefly. But there was something wrong with his smile. It was off. "Hi,"
"What's going on Dad? What happened last night?"
I saw a flicker of anger cross his face. I wondered if he hoped I wouldn't find out something was wrong. Maybe he wished I wasn't as smart as him sometimes. But it didn't take a genius to know something was wrong.
"This," He dropped his screwdriver onto the table and picked up some photographs. "This is what happened last night."
I took the photos from his hand. I was staring down at a Jericho missile. From the terrain in the background, I knew where this photo had been taken. The next photo showed men loading boxes into the back of a truck. The boxes had Stark Industries stamped across them. Oh no.
"Obadiah has been dealing under the table," I felt my jaw drop. I never liked Stane but I never thought he would do something like this.
"Are...are you sure?"
"Yes. He told me so himself. He also told me he was the one who filed the injunction against me!" The anger was clear in his voice.
Without warning, he stood up abruptly, aiming his hand towards the other end of the garage. The sound of the repulsor firing filled the room as did a crash the next second. He'd ripped one of the fluorescent lights in the garage clean off the cleaning.
I stood there in shock. The next thing he did was aim his hand at one of the glass doors near the stairs and fire. It smashed instantly. But he wasn't stopping there. He fired at the next one, and the next one.
I couldn't move. I didn't know if I could speak. It clicked in my mind what he wanted to do. What he was going to do. I forced myself to speak.
"Dad, don't go," He looked at me with a puzzled look before he sighed and began walking towards the other end of the garage.
"I have to Morgan. If I don't help them, who will? People are dying at the hands of my weapons!" His voice steadily rose over this argument. It was clear he had made up his mind and was passionate about it but I couldn't give up without a fight.
He wanted revenge.
"I already lost you once Dad. I can't do it again. I can't..." My voice broke at the end and before I bowed my head, I caught the hurt look in my father's eyes.
He walked up to me where he placed his hands on my shoulders. "Nothing is going to happen to me. You made this suit with me; you know how strong it is. I will be fine."
I nodded my head, but kept my eyes on the floor. Of course I hated knowing people were taking our weapons and killing the innocent but I hated knowing Dad was going back to the place that had changed his life.
The next thing I heard was a sigh before the machines began suiting up my father. I couldn't resist looking at the newly painted armour. It looked better than it did before.
"I love you," The robotic voice said. I couldn't speak so I just nodded.
The next second he was flying up and out of the garage via the ramp.
I'd changed into a plain shirt and pants as soon as Dad left and brushed my teeth. I went back down to the garage and began the long wait until Dad returned.
I couldn't take this anymore. I'd been sitting on the lounge in the garage for over an hour and a half since Dad left. Judging by the suit's strength and power, he should have reached Afghanistan by now. I needed to know he was okay.
I didn't dare call him. That could just distract him and that's the last thing he needed when trying to take out a terrorist group. I was racking my brain for a way I could find out if he was alright. It suddenly hit me.