OCTOBER 4th

Today was the first competition. We got second place. I had wished we got first, because we obviously had the better design. Apparently Our Lady of Malibu had a better presentation. Dad actually showed up. He told me he was proud of me. I told him I wish we had gotten first place.

OCTOBER 5th

Dad's password: MIT17 (remember this for later)

OCTOBER 10TH

Dad left for a while, so I managed to hack into his video stuff.

Note: Dad, if you wanna keep me out of stuff, please don't like, make your password easy to hack. I'm ten, I'm not dumb.

Remember those suits of amours from earlier? Dad's made like ten of them. I have no idea why though. Is he going to sell them to the government? Is he making these cool things that everyone will like want this Christmas season? Or is this a sex thing? I asked Pepper about, she really seemed freaked out about it. She said it wasn't the worst thing she ever caught him doing. I fell asleep on his bed, looking at the plans. I woke up when he walked in. He didn't say anything; he just kissed me on the forehead before walking out again.

OCTOBER 12th

Our next competition is the 21st; I asked if he wanted to go, he said maybe. I asked if he could give me pointers and he finally decided it was okay. We stayed up all night, working on the program. At one point, my fingers started cramping up but Dad taught me stretching techquines for my fingers so they wouldn't cramp up as hard. This is what I mean is family bonding.

He asked if when I was a teenager I would still think of him as my cool old man and I told him I didn't think of him as old. He told me he was, he was forty. I didn't realize he was you know, old. I realized he turned forty when he was captured. He told me his buddy, Yisen, smuggled him a fruit, a orange.

He was so weak Yisen had to feed him the orange. I told him next year, I'd get him forty plus oranges. Dad laughed, and he hugged me and kissed my forehead like he always does.

OCTOBER 14th

I asked about the robots today. He told me they're actually suits of armor. He said he built one in his escape. That's the reason why he's alive. I asked who else knew about the suits and he told me it was a secret between him, Jarvis and me. I don't like to keep secrets from pepper but he told me I needed too, because it would be the only way to keep her safe. I'm scared.

OCTOBER 19th

Obie called today. He asked if I noticed my dad acting strange. Said Dad wasn't paying attention today during a design meeting. He asked about school and everything. I'm worried he would find out about dad. Something just happened! I need to check.

OCTOBER 20TH

So...Dad took a suit out for a spin. Apparently there's a problem with the ice in the air. He went really high up. Oh dear ha-ha. I made Dad some coffee, and by coffee I mean I found his flask and poured some of that into the coffee. He told me I was a "good kid" for adding that extra punch to it.

OCTOBER 21ST

It's Saturday. Dad was working on the suit and he forgot about the fireman's ball, something the company does every time this year. Pepper went in his place; she wore a lovely blue dress. Her birthday, mine, and dad all fall around this ten-day period (I'm the 17th, she's the 18th, and he's the 29th), which is pretty neat. She wanted to buy a dress because dad said he wanted to buy her something nice, I mean she's been putting up with his crap for years at this point.

She asked what Dad would buy her (yes she took me shopping. No she waited for me to get out of school for the day before taking me shopping)

She was going to get this really slightly dull dress. It was like forty bucks. Pepper's salary is enough that she could afford a nicer dress, its just old habits. Now while it wouldn't be out of my dad's way to get me something cheap, this is Pepper. She's different. I found the lovely blue dress. It has a little ruffle in the back and there's a deep part of the dress that shows off her back. Pepper's not used to dresses like that. It was like five thousand bucks. I told her Dad would totally get this to her.

Okay, so I always sort of wanted Pepper and Dad to get together. I mean, because then Pepper could be my mom and she would be a great mom. So that's another reason why I got the dress.

Anyway, dad went off, he showed me his brilliant tuxedo. He did a little turn for me and I picked out his bow tie and I told him he looked very handsome. He said he was just going to drop by. He was only gone for maybe an hour? He came home and he was pissed he was super pissed! Obie had been the one to suggest that dad get locked out of board meetings, and Obie had been selling weapons to the bad guys! Dad went into his lab. He said he was going to make at least one thing right. I told him to be careful, because I didn't want to lose him again. He didn't say anything, he was that pissed.

OCTOBER 22ND

So... Dad used it to stop people from destroying a village and almost got killed by the Air force. Rhody is just like 'what are you doing?!" The TV says it was a training exercise gone wrong. I asked Dad if Obie knows about it, about his amour stuff. Dad said perhaps, but he wasn't sure. He's worried what Obie would try to do. Oh! The competition was today. Since it's Happy's week off, Pepper had to drive me. We made first place. When we got back, Dad was finally awake (being chased by the military and defeating a terrorist organization makes people sleepy) I showed the trophy to Dad and asked if he was proud of me. He told me he could never not be proud of me.

'Even if you got the lowest score, you're still a winner in my book.' -Dad.

OCTOBER 23rd

Phil called, trying to confirm the schedule for meeting Dad to talk about the stuff. I answered. I told him about Obie acting suspicious, which Phil said they were keeping an eye on. Phil told me he had heard about my achievements in the computer competition and said his boss was very impressed with my achievements. He said once I turn 13 I could start qualifying for an internship at whatever his place is (shell? sheath? whatever). He said he saw video of Dad flying around in the suits; they came up on the satellites. I asked how he knew and he admitted he 'tapped' into the computers. I told him that was a bad thing to do; only I was allowed to hack dad's computers. He laughed and he asked what time would be best, and I guess he's meeting Dad around 4:30. I'm worried Obie will try and hurt dad. Dad said Obie's a good guy at heart, and he's known dad for years: he wouldn't try and hurt him like that.

OCTOBER 24th

Dad had Pepper pick me up; he said he wanted Pepper to watch over me. He had a nightmare last night, I'm sure he was worried about my safety. He kissed me on the forehead and told me he loved me. I'm not sure why. I took you with me, because I just had this feeling of fear and dread. I was worried something bad would happen.

Pepper took me to the Stark Headquarters. It felt different. I remember even a few months back, April probably, Happy took me up to see Dad, who had been working for three days straight, and was worried about this one program. We chase each other down the hallway on scooters for hours! It was so much fun! Now, it doesn't feel that way. It felt like in movies, where it was suddenly... it felt like a ghost of a shell of what it used to be like.

Pepper left me downstairs, while she went to Obie's office. Phil showed up about twenty seconds after we got there, and I greeted him. Obie approached us and asked who was Phil, how did I know him. I covered for him; I told him he was Pepper's brother. Pepper was grabbing some stuff and we were going for lunch. He asked where Dad was and I said his lab at home, like usual.

It was a bad lie.

I knew it. Obie asked if my Dad was doing anything down there and I said I didn't know, I didn't go down there. "You used to go down there all the time." I said I had been busy with school.

He went upstairs and pepper return shortly thereafter, leading Phil and I quickly outside. Phil led us into the car that was waiting for us and drove to a different location just outside of LA.

Phil then gave us the lowdown that looked something like this: Obie hated the fact that after Grandpa died, Dad got control of the company. Obie felt like that was his given job. Pepper pulled out a flash drive and Phil showed it on screen. Dad was tied up, he was in a chair. Obie had paid for Dad to get kidnapped! He wanted Dad to die!

I told them Obie had begun pressuring me. I told Obie I needed at least six months before I could make a move. I asked what Obi would have done to me if Dad wasn't back, and we had presumed him dead. Phil got really quiet and Pepper almost began to cry. I asked what was wrong and Phil said that there was a good chance that Obie would have tried to hurt me. I asked if even I agreed to turn over the company when I was twenty-one and Phil told me "He probably would have not wanted to wait till I was twenty one."

Pepper realized it had been at least an hour since we left and Dad was waiting for us and she tried to call him. He answered but then he hung up and Pepper started getting emotional again, because it sounded like he got attacked.

That's when I called Rhody. It was Rhody's day off but I just said Dad was in trouble and Pepper and I needed him to go over to the house to save him. I told him Dad's life was in danger and he believed me, I think. He probably thought I was over emotional or something.

I told Phil about the arc thingy in dad's chest, the thing that's keeping him alive. Pepper showed plans she had on the flashdrive, that Obie was trying to build his own. I texted Rhody about the arc thing, Rhody said he would check. Pepper and Phil decided to go back, this time with other people. They had guns. I hope they're okay they've been gone about twenty minutes. I'm here at the headquarters, sitting in what can only be described as a holding room. I don't think I'm going to school tomorrow. We were going start reading Little Women tomorrow. Happy has wanted me to read that book for a while now but it looks really girlie.

7:45pm- okay brief update. Rhody got over to Dad, and apparently Obie had gone over and pulled the arc right out of Dad's chest! He almost killed Dad! He is DEAD TO ME I HATE YOU OBIE!

Rhody got the one dad had made for himself back when he was captured into his chest and helped saved dad's life. Pepper had had it framed for him, a inside joke that dad had a heart. Haha.

Dad called me as soon as he got out, asking about Pepper. I told him he was at stark industries probably and he cursed. I told him I told Obie he was in his lab and I was sorry and he said not to worry about it and that he loved me but that he had to go stop Obie. I'm worried. I'm worried both he and pepper are going to get hurt.

9pm- so I left the holding cell. I got bored. I walked around, trying to look important. I think I fooled a few people but not a lot. I bumped into this one serious looking lady. She said her name was Maria Hill. She's very tall. She doesn't smile a lot but she brought me to this guy named Nick. Nick is very tall, even more so than Maria. Scared me a little bit but I tried not to show it. Maria told him I was wandering around and asked what to do with me. Nick said "leave her here. She's okay here." Maria left and he picked you up and flipped through you. "So you're Maria Stark?"

I nodded.

He has an eyepatch, which Dad said only pirates have and so without realizing I went "Aye." And he was like "ah. Inherited your dad's sense of humor too."

He then asked me if I was hungry and I realized I hadn't eaten since breakfast, which were fruit loops. Fury took my hand and led me to his office and showed me pictures of his Grandfather, who worked as an elevator person. He told me my grandfather was very important to this division apparently. He had In-And-Out brought up and we sat there and he asked me about school. He asked about my mom and told me that I was lucky to have a Dad who was very nice to me. He turned on the TV with me and now we're watching Star Wars. I'm very sleepy. I hope I get to go home soon.

2am- Maria woke me up around midnight and led me downstairs to a restricted area, where Dad was. I ran into his arms and he picked me up. He kissed me all over my face and told me he loved me so much. Obie is dead. I'm sad that Obie is dead but at the same time, He should have never tried to kill my dad. I told Dad I was so worried about him and Dad was like "I know sweetie I know." He asked if I had been treated okay and I told him, "Yes, yes I had." He kissed my hair again and said he was going to buy me a pony and my own island and anything else I wanted.

Phil told me that Obie had built his own like armor and tried to fight dad. Dad didn't look too great and I asked if Obie hurt him and he said, "he tried, but I kicked his ass." I asked if we could go home and he said okay. He put me down and I saw that Rhody was there and I hugged Rhody and told him thank you as well. Phil tried to keep telling Dad about how he could help teach Dad combat skills but Dad wasn't really listening. As soon as we got the all clear Dad grabbed my hand and was about to leave but I stopped to hug Phil and I told him thank you for helping dad. On the way home Dad asked how I knew Phil and I told him he was one of the government people that came by after his initial disappearance and I told him that thing Phil said like "more people were concern about running the company, not a ten year old girl has just lost her father." Dad said that was really kind of him. We have to get up in a few hours. I am so not going to school tomorrow.

OCTOBER 26TH

So...Dad's a superhero now. We got up really early yesterday to go to Stark Industries and talk about what happened. There was a huge battle between Obie and Dad! I watched from backstage with Pepper. Phil came over and his organization is now called SHIELD, which sounds super cool. We were suppose to practice, say we were on a yacht. Dad teased Pepper about it, saying he wanted to say he was there with her, like alone with just her. And I cleared my throat, as though to say, 'don't forget about me" Dad and pepper realized it, and dad was like 'oh you can come as well."

Vanity Fair was there, and she seemed to think Dad was this 'Iron Man'. Dad started to tell the yacht story, which Rhody really wanted him to stick too, but he admitted it, and everything went crazy! Happy drove me home and we couldn't get into the gate because so many people where there waiting for Dad. I fell asleep

on my own bed and I probably slept for hours. I finally woke up when I heard Dad come in and called for me and Pepper. Pepper was apparently suppose to come over after the press conference but I think she passed out at her place like I did. I began running down the stairs but then I heard dad speaking to this deep voice who was here to tell him "the Avengers Initiative."

It was Nick!

I was about to go upstairs but Nick called attention to me. "Going somewhere Stark!" he said. I came down and Dad looked at me and I looked at Nick. Nick poured himself a drink and he motioned for Dad and I to sit on the couch. Dad accepted a drink but he made me sit next to him, trying to protect me. Nick told Dad I was a brave girl last night, that he found me 'wandering the halls of shield." I was about to correct him because Maria found me but Dad told me to not say anything. Nick wanted dad for this major project they're doing, which involves superheroes. Dad told him he wasn't interesting. He looked me and said he had a bigger project to work on. "Being a dad." Fury asked me if he could speak to Dad alone and I went upstairs and turned on AC/DC and caught up on homework.

About an hour later Dad came up. He looked really serious. He told me things were going to change, and not all of them were going to be good. I asked if it was anything that I should be worried about. He said not really. I told him how Nick Fury gave me burgers and fries last night, and Dad said that was very kind of him. I asked him if I would get my own Iron Suit and Dad said unlikely in the next year but "who knows, maybe if you make honor roll." He asked what I wanted to do and I told him I wanted to stay in with him. Dad had Jarvis order pizza and we sat on the couch and started to watch that A-Team film but he fell asleep about ten minutes in. I usually give him crap about it but I think he's had a stressful few months wouldn't you say?