User: sw087 Fandom: The Avengers (Iron Man)

Sophie had it all growing up; a brother, loving parents, and plenty of money to throw around however she wanted. But sitting in the dark dining hall in a gown that cost nearly a thousand dollars, surrounded by other people dressed just as lavishly, she had one thing on her mind. Leaning closely to the man that her brother trusted the most, Sophie whispered, "Where the hell is Tony?"

Obadiah Stane, who was her brother's right hand man and her father's former partner at Stark Industries, leaned back toward her and whispered, "He'll be here."

He better be, she thought to herself. The award ceremony was to show appreciation for all of Tony's achievements in his time of being head CEO of the company, but he wasn't even going to go until he discovered it was in Las Vegas. And now he wasn't even at the hall.

When the video that showcased all of Tony's greatest achievements and how he became CEO at such a young age, his friend, Colonel James Rhodes, stepped up on the stage and behind the podium. Sophie glared at the empty seat next to her, and when Rhodey called for Tony and he didn't appear, she stood up with the smile that magazines dubbed as the "money maker" behind her division of the company – the aeronautics division

As Sophie stepped up to the stage, she smiled apologetically to Rhodey before taking the award and facing the audience. "Thank you, all," she smiled and waited for the applause to subside. "Unfortunately, my brother is hard at work, and couldn't pull himself away. But he did send me in his absence to accept the award and thank all of you for giving him this prestigious award. It was always his dream to continue our father's work and to help advance technology for everyone."

The audience applauded, and Rhodey offered his arm to Sophie, which she graciously took before they walked backstage. "Where is he, really?" Rhodey whispered to Sophie once they were out of range of the microphones.

"My guess?" Sophie offered as the curtains closed around them and they entered the wings of the stage. "He's playing Craps."

Sophie waited at the top of the grand staircase of the casino until she saw her brother – followed by his "man slave" Hogan- head toward her. "Thanks for standing us up like that," she chastised as they walked down the stairs together. "Really, the people at these things don't want to see me. They want to see the prodigal son to whom they are throwing their money at."

"I think they'd much rather look at you in that gown," Tony smirked back, keeping a humored look on his face. Just before the door, Sophie grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "You know I don't like being touched," he said as he looked down at her hand then back up to her face.

"No, you don't like being handed things," Sophie corrected, "and if you don't learn how to grow up sometime soon, you're going to allow this company to crumple at your feet." Sophie let go of Tony's arm and stepped out into the flashing lights and the shouts of reporters and photographers, leaving Tony behind.

When Sophie awoke the next morning, she set herself to work packing her suitcase. She was to attend a benefit dinner in New York as a representative of Stark Industries and the donation that they gave towards the charity. And while she was away, Tony was supposed to be going to Afghanistan to sell weapons to the US Army. The two of them were good at representing each side of the company: while Tony was the one who liked to see things explode, Sophie liked to find ways to improve the world. Sophie believed she had the harder job since the company specialized in weapons of mass destruction.

Sophie pulled out a red, floor-length gown from her closet that was still wrapped in plastic and laid it over her arm before heading down the stairs with her suitcase. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she came face to face with a woman who was walking around the house wearing one of Tony's shirts. "Hi," Sophie greeted as she placed her bag next to the door and put her dress on top of the bag.

"You must be Sophie Stark, the good-natured daughter," the woman pointed out as she crossed the room. "Hi, I'm –"

"I don't really care," Sophie answered as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And I don't have the time to give you the nice version, but you're just Tony's flavor of the week. You don't have anything special, or whatever it is you think the two of you share. But feel free to loiter around the house."

Without a second glance, Sophie walked past the woman and headed to a door with a key-pad next to it. She quickly punched in her six-digit code, and waited for the lock on the door to flip, which came with the welcome of Jarvis. "Good morning, Miss," the computer system greeted as Sophie headed through the door and down the staircase.

"Good morning," Sophie answered back as she took her time down the stairs. "Can you make sure that my plane is ready to leave to New York by the time I get to the airport?"

"Yes, Miss," Jarvis replied as Sophie reached the end of the staircase and walked to a glass door in the center of a glass wall.

Using the same six-digit code that she used earlier, Sophie pressed the buttons on the keypad and walked into the workshop. Tony had his back to her, working at one of his many "toys" when she walked in, but he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be on a plane to New York?"

"I don't know," Sophie sighed as she sat down behind Tony's desk and placed her feet on the glass tabletop. "Aren't you supposed to be on a plane to a warzone?"

"I'll get there," he answered. "Besides, it's my plane, so shouldn't it leave when I tell it to?"

"Actually, since I designed it, oversaw all its building and construction, and have ownership of 51% of the plane," Sophie rattled as she spun the desk chair in a slow circle, "I'm gonna say that it's my plane."

Tony finally turned to look at her, his face almost an exact replica of their father's. "When are you moving out?"

"Construction's done in two months, so I'll be moving in as soon as that's done," Sophie answered as she stopped spinning. She had designed her own apartment for a building that was under construction in Manhattan. "You'll miss me when I move out."

"No, I won't," Tony replied before glancing down at his watch. "Now look who's going to be late."

Sophie glanced down at her own watch, and almost knocked the chair over when she jumped up from her seat. "Shit, shit, shit!" she shouted as she left the workroom.