One very long plane ride later- Nora's POV
After three months of only getting two or three hours a night on a lumpy futon, I crashed for almost twenty-four hours straight. I probably could have slept more but I got hungry. I made myself some pasta and served myself a few scoops of ice cream in a bowl and ate in the tv room.
I searched for some movie but there was nothing that really got my attention. I turned on CNN and there was a reporter at the Stark Industries. Apparently dad was going to hold a press conference. I get that he's a workaholic but he should be in a hospital not holding a press conference to reassure stockholders. Well may as well keep watching see how he's doing.
Dad takes the stage and he squats down? "Hey, would it be alright if everyone just sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way I can see you and I can…" Wow he's munching on a cheeseburger. Damn now I'm craving one. "A little less formal…"
"Good to see you" He says to Stane.
"Good to see you" he says back.
"I never got to say goodbye to dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father." Oh this is weird. Dad never talks about grandpa except when he tells me he doesn't want to be like him. Where is he going with this?
"There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him what he thought about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of the man we remember from the newsreels." He pauses for a minute before continuing.
"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability. Some one once told me we protect our country but who protects everyone else from us?" Holy crap is he doing what I think he's doing?
"Mr. Stark" A reporter calls out to him.
"Hey Ben" Dad greets.
"What happened over there?" Ben asks.
"I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Start Industries until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be. What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country as well." He actually did it. What the hell happened to him? He actually seems more grounded. His business partner gets up to address the press and I turned off the tv.
I got my phone and texted Rhodey:
Did he really just do that? Or was I imagining it?
He texts back almost immediately:
No he really did do that and I don't think he's changing his mind. He's different. I don't know what happened to him over there but it changed him. Got to go, my boss is calling me, wants to know if Tony's being serious and if he is where are we going to get weapons from now. Call your dad kid.
Wow dad actually did it. I consider calling him but figured he had enough fires to put out without having to deal with me apologizing for everything I said. I will apologize but there's a time and a place for everything.
Malibu, California- Tony's POV
Well Obie said lay low so I stayed in my workshop trying to figure out what next. I decided to build a better arc reactor for the electromagnet in my chest. I'm surprised it didn't crap out on me during my jailbreak. That's when I realize I don't have to lay low in Malibu I can be anywhere as long as the press doesn't see me. I text Rhodey to ask where Nora was. If anyone could help he improve the miniature ARC Reactor its someone who's analyzed and messed around with the previous designs. Maybe this can serve as an olive branch, well if she doesn't slam the door in my face.
I get a text from Rhodey:
Shes at the ranch. Are you finally going to man up and see your daughter? You know she won't turn her back on you. If she was she wouldn't have spent the last three months looking for you.
I sigh. I hope he's right. I wonder how much groveling I'm going to have to do. I text my pilot to get the jet ready. Then I text Pepper to cancel any meetings for the next two weeks. Then I reply to Rhodey:
Text her and tell her you're on your way for a visit. I want to surprise her. You think I should bring her something like I don't know I giant stuffed bunny. Girls like that kind of stuff, right?
He replies almost immediately:
Dude she's sixteen not four. I don't think giant stuffed animals are the way to go. Just show up and talk to her. Maybe bring her something to eat. The girl lost an unhealthy amount of weight in the last three months.
Wait, she lost weight. What the hell, Nora? I make a few calls and make sure there is a car waiting for me at the airfield when I land. I feel like driving. I'm definitely not drinking so I shouldn't need a driver. I'll pick up some food up and even get her her favorite cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory on the way there. I get another text from Rhodey:
Message sent. She said she's going to be at the ranch all day just lounging around, doing some laundry.
I go up to my room pack a few things and leave to the airfield. I text Rhodey one last time to let him know I'm on my way and to thank him. Lets see how this goes.
Nora's POV-
I got a text from Rhodey saying he's going to be in town visiting the base nearby and if he could crash here. I said he didn't have to ask and that he could stop by whenever.
I decided to go outside for the first time in what seemed like forever and take a walk. It's a nice day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, my dad is no longer being held hostage by terrorists in Afghanistan. All is good with the world.
I was walking by the barn and I heard someone's footsteps. I pause and listen but I don't hear anything. My curiosity gets the best of me and I decide to walk into the barn and look around. At first I don't see anything. I few bundles of hey. I have no idea why we have hay but then again we never really used it much. I have a few extra sets of tools. I look at the table near the wall and I see a small red toolbox. On the side of the box in sloppy back paint it says "Nora's First tool Box". I can't help but smile. At that moment, something starts to block all the light. I turn around and see a man.
He's tall and very buff. Then I look at him and see he's armed. He gets closer and I put my hands up. I can't see his face since he's wearing a mask. He has chin length brown hair and blue eyes. What really catches my attention is his left arm. Its silver with a red star painted on it. He tries to grab my arm with it but flinches and grunts like he's in pain. I get the feeling that this has happened before. Talk about déjà vu.
I lower my hands slightly and look toward the bundle of hey and say. "You want to sit down? I can take a look at your arm and maybe fix it."
He looks puzzled. I think he realizes I'm not a threat and can easily take me out if he wanted to because he hesitantly sits down on the bundle of hay I was pointing too. I get the red toolbox and walk towards him slowly. I set the box down and open it. He looks down at it, I'm sure he's checking to make sure there aren't any weapons in it. I reach down and get a tool to remove one of the plates on his arm. Whoever designed it did an incredible job. The craftsman ship on the plates is intricate and the circuitry is like something I've never seen before.
He visibly tenses every time I reach for a tool so to help him relax I start to ask him questions I start off with who are you? What's your name? He responds by shushing me. Okay so much for small talk. I start to panic a bit so I do what I always do to calm myself down, I start humming Hey Jude. That's what gets him to relax. Well I now know one thing about the armed stranger; he's a Beatles fan.
After a bit of a hassled untangling wires and following where they each go I find the problem. One of the wires was bumping into the socket and misfiring signals, shocking the poor guy. I quickly put it back into place. He lets out a sigh and relaxes. His eyes soften a bit and he doesn't look like he's going to try and strangle me or something if I talk anymore. I put the plates back on his arms and put my tools away.
I ask him "Does it feel better?" He nods
"Well that's good," I say giving him a small smile. He puts the gun he had previously pointed at me and holsters his weapon. Well, the state does allow people to carry concealed weapons. This was bound to happen.
He seems so familiar from somewhere but I doubt I've met him before. He doesn't seem like the type of person you easily forget. "My name's Nora by the way. What's yours?"
He only grunts in response. "Okay then since you won't tell me your name how about I give you one. How do you feel about Max?" He just scowls at me.
"Okay not Max, then how about George." He shakes his head no.
"I don't know, how do you feel about James? That's my godfather's name." The name seems to strike a cord with him. He gives me a small nod.
"Okay then James, you want to tell me what you're doing here." He shakes his head no. He stands up and starts to look around the barn. I ask him, "Have we met before, you seem familiar from somewhere?" he shakes his head no again. He gets up to leave. "Are you leaving?" I ask and he just nods. "Okay then, be careful out there." I say when I look back at the door he's gone. That was weird.
I walked back to the house and make a pot of coffee. I listen to the news talk about what leaving the weapons industry will do to Stark industries and what that means for the military. I get annoyed and change the channel. I find some movie playing and I start watching it. About half way through the movie I hear the front door open. I figured it was Rhodey so I got up to go greet him.
I walked through the hallway, towards the door and what I see makes me freeze.
"Dad?" Is all I can say?
"Hey kid, miss me?"