Authors Note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes this whole story has been a lead in to the creation of M.O.D.O.C. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I still own nothing! Loves reviewers! FINAL PART!
12. Camouflage and Compatibility
Reilly Stark woke before the power came fully back on. Her arc reactor jolted her awake, restarting her heart and alerting her to the problem. Someone had shut down Stark/Avengers tower. Her arc reactor had gone offline, which meant her fathers had gone offline too.
Pepper Stark woke next, to Steve the Hulk and her son hovering over her. She remembered what happened instantly and jerked upright.
"Tony! They took Tony! A.I.M. took Tony!" The Hulk growled.
"Where's Reilly?" Phil asked. The power came back on and they all heard whirring and saw a streak of light leaving the Tower.
"She's going after them!" Steve said and grabbed his communicator.
"Can I call her with this?" He asked Phil who shook his head.
"She created a new frequency to contact her armor. The communicator is in her lab." They all ran, letting the Hulk go first to smash down any resisting doors. The wall Phil and Reilly had altered had been forced open, or so the hand imprints indicated.
Phil scanned the room. It had been turned into Reilly's personal armory. They had created about six versions of the armor. Only four had actually been tested. Three of those had been scrapped. Two had never been tested. It was one of those that was missing. He grabbed the communicator.
"Reilly! Reilly! That armor hasn't been tested! The retro reflective panels they're too much of a drain on your reactor! You need to get out of that armor before it kills you!" He shouted and received a scoff as an answer.
"I know that Phil, but I've fixed it."
"How!?"
"I gave the suit its own reactor. The panels draw on that and everything else runs from mine. See fixed. I'm going after dad!"
"I figured that out! That's dangerous Rei, the Avengers..."
"By the time they assemble it might be too late! I'm already on the scene now! I can do this Phil. I'm gonna help dad. Now are you gonna yell at me some more or help?"
"Help of course! Where are you?"
"Abandoned warehouse in the docks."
"Cap they're in a warehouse down by the docks!" Cap sounded the call instantly.
Reilly entered the warehouse with a flock of scientists. The panels didn't make her entirely invisible but they did make it damn near impossible to see her unless you were looking. She was greeted by the most disturbing sight she had ever seen. An overly large head in a cryogenic chamber. Attached to it were a set of tiny arms and legs. It was disturbing.
Next to it was her father and looming over him was a scientist who was pulling out his arc reactor. She gasped as he detached it from her father and walked it over to one standing in front of the disturbing tank. He stood on a platform and reached into the tank, and attached the reactor to a small hole in the grotesque creation.
The thing began to glow with light and beep. Reilly had already made her way over to her father. He was in bad shape, his breathing was ragged and the hole in his chest was distracting. She had to help him even if it meant revealing herself. She ordered ALICI to release the arc reactor in her suit.
"But ma'am removin' the reactor will shut down the reflective panels"
"I know that! Do it now!" The AI complied and Reilly grabbed the reactor and attached it to the components hanging out of her father's chest. The scientist began to panic as the reactor whirred and Tony breathed easier.
"Midnight is here!" The scientist closest to her yelled and weapons were aimed all around the room.
"You shall not stop us! M.O.D.O.C. will live!" The leader replied and Reilly glanced over at the tank. She smiled under her faceplate.
"You sure? Cause that doesn't look like he's living to me." The scientists turned collectively and saw what Reilly was noticing. The tank was filling with large amounts of discharging energy and the human seeming part of the thing they called M.O.D.O.C. was making no response. One of the scientists ran to the computer console.
"The reactor is incompatible! The Arcanum powering it is attacking M.O.D.O.C.! Quickly remove it before he fails completely!" One of the scientists moved to remove it and Reilly blasted just in front of him.
"Oh I don't think so! You don't deserve that technology!" She blasted a hole through the tank and shot the arc reactor. It short circuited and caused a minor explosion. In the panic afterward she grabbed her father bridal style and took off. She spun midair and went feet first through the window and out into the night air. She righted and sped back to Stark/Avengers Tower. Tony stirred about halfway there and spoke.
"I still don't approve fully of this whole Midnight thing but I have to admit, what you did back there. That was pretty cool. How did you have that turn stabilized?" She left her faceplate closed but he knew she was smiling.
"I moved the stabilizers."
"Where to?"
"Everywhere." He laughed.
They arrived back at the tower just as the other Avengers were about to leave. Reilly staggered, her arc reactor was slightly drained but she quickly got out of the suit and sat down. Tony was feeling a lot better and sat down next to her after Pepper had checked him out.
"Iron Man could still kick your ass." He grinned.
"Put on the suit and let's find out." She grinned and he hugged her.
"Thanks Rei sweetie. You know maybe this won't be so bad after all. But you aren't joining the avengers! And that's final." She grinned cheekily up at him.
"Who said I wanted to join your team? Maybe I'll make one of my own."
To be continued in the next installment of Avenger Academy…..
