Chapter 35

"Alright V, let us set some atmosphere! I am feeling stagnated. Let's play some music shall we?" exclaimed Ray as she walked into the workspace of their Malibu house. "That just made me feel much better!" she exclaimed happily as Tony smiled at the teenager's reaction. They were working on making Micro-repeater that would be implanted in their hands to call for their suits.

"Alright Miss Stark, if your musical drama has ended, shall we play?"

"We shall, Mr. Stark." she chirped. "Please let me calibrate." Ray said for the 3rd time since they had started working.

"No no. That's an absolute waste of time." Tony insisted making Ray roll her eyes.

"Ah! Micro-repeater implanting sequence complete." Tony said he punched the triggers in both his arms then stood up on the platform for the testing.

"And sir, I've also prepared a safety briefing for you to entirely ignore." Jarvis said.

"Which I will. Right, let's do this." Tony said getting ready.

"Test day 1, Stark Triggers, Voila and Jarvis are taking on safety measures, Dummy is on the camera, Tony is on the platform and I am trying to understand why I am not allowed to do the testing." Ray said in the microphone sitting comfortably on her chair.

"Because, the last time you did it, you broke your arm." Tony said in a very obvious Tone.

"What makes you think you wouldn't?"

"'Cause I'm uncrushable!" he said showing his muscles as if he was Hercules making Ray roll her eyes. "Start tight and go wide, stamp in time. Mark 42 autonomous prehensile propulsion suit test. Initialize sequence." Ray said in the mic as Tony threw out his hand in an attempt to trigger his suit in a way that looked to Ray like some ridiculous karate move while making a face but it didn't work.

"I think you should not make that face. The Iron Man is scared of your face." Ray joked.

"Hey, Iron Man isn't scared of anyone. He is a worrier!" Tony said in a way kids talk about their toy robots and tried again but nothing happened. He lightly hit his hands, "Let's try it again." he said as the parts lifted. "Yeah!" he exclaimed as the arm part flew on him. "Alright, I think we got this. Send 'em all."

"Incoming." Ray said as the leg part flies over and attaches itself to Tony's leg, then as another part flies over it crashes into one of the Iron Man suit glass cages, then another part hurls itself at Tony and Tony inflects it with his arm making it crash. "Alright, Ray, you better slow it down a bi..." he was about to say but was cut short by the parts hitting him. "Eeee!" Ray said trying to slow it down but the command was passed.

"Send it one by one." Tony said trying to stay in one place as the parts hit him out of place.

"We didn't programme it like that." Ray said as suddenly another part of the suit shoots over and Tony ducks as it narrowly misses hitting him in the head. The other parts also fly over and attach themselves with force to Tony's back and crotch area.

"Damn it!" Tony exclaimed as he was knocked down by a part and he used his flight stabilizers to get back in place. Ray couldn't stop laughing seeing his brother dance on the platform to avoid his fall. All the other parts shoot over and get attached to Tony, accept for the final face piece, which just hovers, facing Tony "Come on. I ain't scared of you." he said as the plate went straight towards him but it hit the edge of the table turning around and Tony flips over to grab the piece and finally the Iron Man suit is fully attached to Tony. "I'm the best." He said. The moment Tony felt as if things were perfect one of the stray pieces of the suit shoot over to Tony, knock him down, which knocks the entire suit, except for the head piece, off Tony.

"Always a pleasure seeing you work, sir." Said Jarvis making Ray giggle.

"Not funny." Tony grumbled sitting up and taking the helmet off.

"I'll show you the video later and then tell you exactly why it is funny." Ray said walking up to him, still giggling. It was when Tony held his head that she realized that he was hurt. She also noticed that the region below his left eye had turned blue because of the face plate hitting him.

"Alright, alright, I'll get you an ice-pack." She said walking up the stairs and returning with an ice-pack.

Tony held the ice pack on his head with an irritated look on his face. "Aaawwe, Tone, you ruined your handsome face!" Ray joked rubbing the bruise with her thumb giving him a teasing look.

"Just a mark on my face can't ruin my manliness." Tony said with his attitude at its peak.

"Voila, just show him his face." Ray said with a smirk as a virtual screen appeared right in front of him.

"Eew!" Tony exclaimed looking at it making Ray giggle.

NEXT DAY

Tony, Ray and Pepper sat in the living room after dinner talking and chatting. Well Ray was mostly sitting quietly with her legs on the coffee table with her head against Tony's shoulder. She was tired. She couldn't sleep since the incident in New York. She would either spend her time with her brother in his garage or in her room awake. The only time she slept was when she fell asleep on her desk while typing or writing something. It took her a long time to think but she finally had made a decision. She couldn't stay on a diet of sleeping pills. She had to try and pay attention on other things. Well she did try going out with her old school friends but she didn't knew exactly why they had been acting different since she returned from New York as, though unofficially, an avenger.

She had to try and get on with her studies. It had been about a year now that she hadn't been in touch with her books. Though she did complete school when she was 14, she went so that she could mix around with people of her own age. But all that didn't matter to her anymore. She couldn't sit back at her home all her life without any degree. So this was a very appropriate decision.

"Hey, I gotta tell you guys something." She stated making both Tony and Pepper look at her.

"What?" asked Tony.

"Just wait a minute." She said getting up, rushing to her room and then returning back with a file and handing it to Tony. He gave her a suspicious look before opening it. "You applied for MIT?" Tony asked shocked. Before ray wasn't even interested in going to any institution even though Tony tried to. She said that she 'needed a break and had a lot of time in her hand' Tony had even stopped asking her if she really wanted to study anymore or not. But again it was Ray who finally came up and suggested that she should get back with her studies. "Why so suddenly?" asked Tony out of immense curiosity.

"Yeah... I think I had a lot of break and this might be a good time to start up."

"That...that is indeed a good thought." Pepper commented. "I mean, you really have been wasting a lot of your time and it is important to get a degree."

"Tell me Ray. Is this the only reason you wanna go there?" Tony asked, concerned.

Ray sighed. She was previously thinking that she wouldn't tell her brother the truth but at this moment she felt as if he really deserved to know the truth. She really didn't want to lie to him. "I...I umm... need some air Tony. It has been quite a rough time. I... I wanna be a little normal. Maybe I need some change in atmosphere...or maybe a distraction. And I also want to break."

Tony paused for sometime before he spoke up, "If that is what you want, Ray. I have nothing to object." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's good that you finally have decided to take some interest in your career."

"So it's a 'yes'?"

"Why would I say no?"

Ray smiled before hugging her older brother. "Guess what? I'm gonna break your record of youngest MIT pass out."

"Don't tell me this what is all about!" Tony joked.

"Alright, I need you to sign in a few places." She said as she giggled along with him.

AT NIGHT

As usual, Tony was in his garage, working. Ray however didn't feel like going to the garage. She sat down on her bed, thinking. She had to leave for MIT day after the following. She was really looking forward to this but the moment she realizes that going to MIT meant staying away from Tony made her feel bad. "Ray?" she was broken out of her trance by Pepper calling her. "What are you doing? I thought you were at the garage with Tony."

"No, I just didn't feel like working today." Ray replied as Pepper walked up to her and sat down beside her on her bed. "So, what's disturbing you?" asked she.

"Disturbing?" Ray was left a little off guard. "I'm not disturbed."

"Come on! There is something. Or else, you wouldn't be sitting here." She insisted. Ray sighed. After Tony, there was anyone whom Ray would trust, and it was Pepper. She was somewhat like a sister figure to her and she knew that if she was in any trouble, Pepper would always be there for her. But she really didn't exactly know how to frame her sentence.

"I don't know..." she began. "You think I should go to MIT?" she asked.

Pepper was shocked at the question. "Give me a reason you shouldn't. Ray it's the best decision you have taken in years!" she replied laughing a bit.

"Yeah, but...you know... is it the right time?"

"Are you thinking about Tony?" she asked now in a bit serious tone.

"Do you think I should go?"

"Ray, I think...you should. I mean why not! Your lives are always complicated, ever since you became Iron Man and Valkyre and its going to stay so. That doesn't mean you stop doing other stuff. I think it is actually a great idea to try and start doing something new." She said as Ray nodded. "And talking about Tony..." she added, "he would have missed you then, he would miss you now. So don't make him a reason to not go to MIT. I'll take care of him, I promise."

NEXT DAY

"Be good." Pepper said as if she was talking to a seven year old as she bid good bye to Ray. "Do not over eat, do not under eat. Wake up on time and go to bed in a decent time and..." Pepper trailed.

"Yes mom..." Ray joked before turning to her brother who would drop her to the air port. "Shall we?" she asked taking her seat in the red Audi.

"Yes..." Tony said with a smile as he drove off.

"Just be good and don't blow off the stuff there, 'cause I wouldn't be there to cover up your back there." Tony said. "And don't focus too much on breaking my record."

"You are afraid that I might!" Ray joked as she hugged her dear brother.

"I'd only be proud." He said honestly making her smile. Tony wasn't comfortable letting his baby sister go and stay among unknown people. Even though she was basically a part of a super hero team and smart enough to take care of herself.

"I'll miss you too." Ray said with a small laugh realising that Tony was hugging her way too long ".

"What is you have a nightmare?" Tony asked in a worried tone. Ray flinched.

"I can call you, right?" she said with a faint unsure smile.

"Anytime." Tony said before finally breaking the hug, "Take care. Love ya!" he added.

"Love you too." She said before going up the stairs of their private jet and turned around at the door to wave before the door closed.

AT MIT

Ray walked past the corridors of MIT. As she did, the others stared at her. "Look, isn't the Ray Stark?" someone said. "Oh my god, it is she!"someone else exclaimed. "Damn, that's Valkyre!" Ray ignored all these comments and stares making her way to the room allotted to her. Being a Stark, she has always been used to the attention. She never have felt awkward in this atmosphere.

MIT was all that she had heard about. Lectures, professors everything! She hadn't made any friends yet. Though it has been only a week she had joined. But she had become very close to Professor Smith. He seemed to be very fascinated to have her as his student. He had already earned her respect with his love and passion towards his subject and the way he believed that teaching and spreading his subject could be way of progress. He had met her personally and talked to her. They seem to have the same bent of mind.

AT STARK MANSION

"Tony, I think you should stop now!" Pepper exclaimed angrily.

"Stop? Stop what?" Tony asked not even looking up from his screen where he was working in his garage.

"How long have you been here?"

"I...I have no idea." Tony said still not looking at her.

"38 hours." Sir popped in JARVIS.

"That's right." Tony said.

"Thirty... Thirty eight hours. Tony you need to stop doing whatever you are doing and get some rest!"

"Pepper I am absolutely fine and comfortable with what I am doing."

"But I'm not!" Pepper snapped. "How long has it been since we had decent conversation?"

"W e are having one right now."

"Not like this." She said as she switched his virtual screen off.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

"Tony we live in the same house and you have been doing nothing but stay in this hole. Can't you give me some time?" she said. "All you do is sit here and make those stupid robots..." "armours!" he corrected but she didn't pay any attention and continued "and fidget with them. It's like I am of no value to you!"

"What? No...no it isn't like that!" Tony defended.

"It is how it seems." Pepper said.

"It doesn't."

"It does!" Pepper said angrily. She was hurt and Tony noticed it. Did I really have been paying no attention to her? He asked himself. "Alright, I'm sorry. I had been a dick. I didn't notice that I had been here for so long. Give me a chance."

"I have given many!" she said.

"I know! I know! That's why I apologize! You know how I am when it's about working here. But..." he walked towards here cupping her face, "but you also know I love you." Pepper smiled a bit. She always melted by these sweet quotes of Tony.

"Alright, let me fix this!" Tony said gaining his hyperactive self. "Dinner tonight? The Royal, your favourite!" Pepper smiled. "Should I take it as a 'yes'?"

"Yes." She said as Tony placed his lips on his lady love's.

"Now, I have to go to the Expo." Pepper said.

"Yeah." He said releasing her as she left.

"Be there. Sharp at seven." He called back.

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

So here's chapter 35. I know it's a bit short but writing too much and expanding it will make it boring. The next chapter will have a bit of Pepperony. Though I am not sure if there is going to be too much of romance or if I am going to give it a funny touch. Tell me what you want will you? It'll help me decide.

Bye till then.

ImaginationsUnleashed