"Alexa, volume up," I mumbled into my pillow. I wasn't surprised she couldn't hear me; I was melted into my pillow. Ugh, Wednesdays were chronically the worst. Dr Ann was in the office on Wednesdays, and while she was an absolute delight, her patients were small children, and I had to deal with their parents. And I hated dealing with parents. I raised my head enough so my Amazon Echo could hear me, "Fuckin' 'Lexa volume up."
"Miss Stark, are you alright?" Jarvis, from the Iron Man movies asked. I shoved my sleep mask up into my hair in alarm and looked around the room. This wasn't my apartment, with the crappy slatted blinds or the musty smelling carpet. This was the Malibu Mansion, with smooth hardwood floors and a thick, plush rug that I could feel through my new sneakers.
"Close enough," I said as I buried myself in the blanket again. I did not want to get up. I readjusted the eye mask and truly debated staying asleep for several more hours. I knew it was far too early for me to be awake. "Jarvis, what time is it?"
"It is three forty-nine, Miss Stark," Jarvis said. I knew that I wasn't going back to sleep. I groaned loudly, and probably too long for social politeness.
"Fuck me sideways," I complained, kicking off the covers. I clambered out of bed, dropping the sleep mask on my nightstand. "Jarvis, will you start the shower for me? Else I'll never wake up."
"I have it running. You will have to adjust to your preferred temperature, and I will save it as your main setting," Jarvis explained as I padded into the bathroom. The tile floors were heated, and once again, had thick bathmats in front of the shower, the tub, and the sink spaces.
Jarvis gave me the news from around the world, including the unhappy reminder that here, we haven't caught Bin Laden yet. Goldman Sachs was still in the news. The oil spill from Deep Water Horizon happened last week. I tried to ignore the bile in my throat at that reminder.
The weather was going to be nice, which I guess was expected since I lived in California now. I adjusted the heat of the water, wanting it a bit warmer, then sighed as I slid under the amazing water pressure Tony had.
"Jarvis, am I still able to talk to you in here?" I called out, kinda feeling weird about it, but also really hoping he responded.
"You are Miss Stark, though I have no visual into the room," Jarvis said. "Was there something you needed?"
"Would you mind telling me what's on my calendar? I know I've got the salon later, so Lord knows why I'm washing my hair." I loved the eucalyptus leaves, hanging from the shower head. I was very glad I made Happy bring them to me. But other than trying to wake myself up, I had no reason to get in the shower.
"Miss Potts, has you scheduled at the salon at nine am, and that's predicted to take three hours," Jarvis said.
"What the fuck takes three hours at the salon?" I yelped, trying to glare at the ceiling through shampoo bubbles.
"You are scheduled for a color and a cut," Jarvis started. "As well as a brow, lip, and Brazilian wax. You are also getting mani-pedis. These are standing monthly appointments for you and Miss Potts."
"Standing monthly?" I asked, choosing to ignore the waxes.
"As you haven't stated a preference, Miss Potts is having me mirror her personal schedule to get you established. You will be able to adjust this to your personal preferences." Oh. That was cool. And I definitely was due to get by brows done. "Brunch will follow, Miss Potts made a reservation for a private spot near the mall. Miss Potts would like it if I reminded you that this trip is for those items which you want. Your personal stylist will meet you in New York to fill your wardrobe with business and camera appropriate clothes."
"Cool, I get the obligatory shopping chapter!" I laughed as I reluctantly stepped out of the warm water. It shut off behind me. I loved Jarvis. Maybe I'd finally stop leaving the oven on for hours on end after I take my dinner out of it. "Could be worse, I've been needing new clothes for years."
"Obligatory shopping chapter?" Jarvis questioned. I blushed a bit and smiled up at the ceiling, despite knowing he couldn't see me.
"In a good portion of Harry Potter fanfics, Harry or the main character discover that after a life of being abused and neglected, they actually have a vault full of gold and priceless heirlooms, so they shuck off their poverty and take over the world with their wealth," I explained, wrapping the towel around me tightly. "Fans call it the obligatory shopping chapter."
"Are you planning to use Sir's money to take over the world?" Jarvis asked. I smiled at myself in the mirror while pulling out my skin care routine.
"Not technically," I said. Then I paused. "But I will if I have to."
"If you have to?"
"In a few years, terrigen is going to be a problem, and we're going to have to deal with that. And of course, people are going to be scared," I said. The movies didn't show it as well as Agents of SHIELD did. The Watchdogs… "People are going to be scared, and the government is going to be worse. If we have to throw around money to keep people safe, then I'll start couponing. Everyone deserves to be safe."
"And if we can't help them all?" Jarvis asked. I sighed and gave his question the thought it deserved.
"I know we can't help them all," I said eventually, finally leaving my bathroom. I dug for the few clothes Pepper brought me that would fit until we got the shopping done. "I lived through 2016 and 2020 and everything else and I saw how helpless we are gonna be one day. But if even one thing changes, then everything can change, right?"
"I hope so, Miss Stark," Jarvis said. I huffed another sigh and pulled on my hoodie. I shuffled to the kitchen and started making coffee. Jarvis started some music from my phone, allowing me to dance around a little bit. "Miss Stark, Sir is trying to reach you on your cell phone."
"Oh!" I pulled it out and saw that he was right, it wasn't music, but my ringtone! "Dad?"
"Hey, kiddo, Jarvis said you were awake, what's your plan for the day?" It was a facetime call. I could see Tony's face and Jim's as they stared at the phone between them. There was an older gentleman in an officer's uniform close enough to hear what I said.
"Worry about you mostly," I said as I pulled the pot of coffee out to fill my mug. It was an MIT alumni mug. If I stared at it long enough, it became my mom's RIT alumni coffee mug; the one I tried my best to steal away from her when I moved out just a few months ago. "Have you already presented? How did it go?"
"Leveled an entire mountain," Tony said with a grin. "Just as we wanted."
"Oh good," I teased. "I'd hate to think we were ineffectual."
Jim tried to keep a straight face, but at my deadpan, he let out a snort he couldn't control, and I beamed. Tony laughed and waved the officer closer. I could see the design on his collar – he was a General.
"Grey, there's someone I want you to meet, this is Tom Morrow."
"Good afternoon, General," I said brightly, smiling at the man. I will break the habit of saluting superior officers; I will break the habit of saluting superior officers. "Did you enjoy the presentation?"
"Your father's work never disappoints," General Morrow said with a smile on his face. "He's been talking about some things you are bringing to the table here soon?"
"Oh, dad! Can't be giving away all my secrets," I laughed and glanced at the holographic monitor that popped up behind my phone screen. It had a few notes from Tony to me.
"Grey has just returned from a gap year," Tony explained, rolling his eyes fondly. "Said she didn't wanna head straight off for college, and I didn't want to let her go anyway."
"I'm not joining you in R&D until after I have a bachelors, dad," I said, following the hints on the holographic screen that Jarvis was relaying for me. "I'll take over the Stark Industries social media, because honestly the person doing it now has no idea how to be relatable to the younger generations. I'll even take over yours since it's terrible."
"You're so mean to me," Tony pretended to complain, but there was a smile hiding in his eyes. Next to him, Jim finally relaxed. "General Morrow here is the other Military Liaison we have at Stark Industries. He's usually in DC, but he flew out to see the Jericho in action."
"This is the infamous General," I said as Jarvis changed the holo-screen, letting me know Tony and General Morrow had a relationship going back a few years. "Good to finally put a face to the name. Dad's told me so much about you, and the help you were getting the body armor put through the senate. Cheapskate bastards didn't want to pay for materials that were actually going to save lives."
"And that's the end of that anti-government rant," Tony said, trying not to laugh. "Somehow I managed to raise a liberal child who actually has ideas in her head!"
"Hey, I've got more ideas than you old man," I teased back. "And at least I dyed my hair pink instead of blue."
"It was my pleasure to help Tony here get those vests passed," General Morrow said, smiling freely at mine and Tony's banter. "I'm hoping to get your father's hand in a project one of my engineer's came up with a while back. We'd like to have a sit-down between the Air Force and Stark Industries to discuss the patenting and production of the project."
"Send me what you have," I said, shifting immediately from 18-year-old Grey Stark to 24-year-old me with too much experience in getting projects started. "I tell you what, Dad and I are going to be in New York in the first week of June to start preparations for bringing back Stark Expo. Why don't we all get together for lunch and discuss the project. I'm actually excited, this will be my first big Stark Industries collaboration!"
"I look forward to seeing what you will bring to the table," General Morrow said, smiling fondly at me. I could feel myself relaxing as General Morrow accepted the story, he'd been told about me. We needed everyone to accept my story, we couldn't afford people to have questions about me, not this close to getting started.
"Awesome. You boys stay safe out there, okay? My heart can't take the worry," I said. I looked at Tony and silently tried to plead. He just gave me a look full of apologies. Jim looked constipated at the vague reminder. I tried not to laugh as my phone's screen went blank. "Oh, I'm going to need so much more coffee today."
Good job, kiddo. Flashed across the screen of my phone, a text from Dad. I smiled to myself as I set about getting comfortable at the rarely used dining room table. I had a stack of blank notebooks and a mason jar full of pens. With a mug of coffee, and my weed pen, I got to work.
How to take over the world and make it look like an accident. By Atal Grey M. Stark
Part One: The Timeline as We Know It.
Line Break
I knew it was Pepper's birthday, so once it reached a more acceptable hour, I started preparing breakfast for her. It was a family tradition to make cinnamon rolls for someone's birthday. I got them in the oven before she came out of her room for the morning.
"Good morning," Pepper said hesitantly, likely surprised to see me awake and alert this early. It was only six am. "You're up early."
The oven dinged and I shuffled over and started pulling them out. The frosting, and the surplus I made, was already sitting out. I also had bacon, hash browns and egg bites ready.
"I've been up since three thirty, apparently, I'm still on Dermatology time. I don't mind, I managed to get a lot done." I swayed a little on my feet, probably too high for how early it was. I didn't care though; I was trying to stave off a breakdown and a depressive episode. I quickly poured Pepper a mug of coffee, and gestured for her to sit at the breakfast bar while I dished up. "Happy birthday, Pepper."
"This is for me?" Pepper asked, surprised. I even had a small, wrapped box sitting next to her plate. I could see the shimmer of tears in her eyes as she looked at everything in awe.
"Cinnamon rolls were a birthday tradition mom started. I can't give it up," I shrugged, aiming for nonchalant, but my vision went blurry with tears. I brushed them off with a laugh. "So, I've decided I'll make cinnamon rolls every time someone has a birthday. We should probably buy stock in the company, as by the time 2018 comes around, we'll probably have a birthday every day of the week."
"Morning, Miss Potts, Miss Stark," Happy said as he came in. "Something smells good!"
"Grey made cinnamon rolls for my birthday!" Pepper exclaimed, waving her hands around at all the breakfast scattered around the kitchen. I smiled sheepishly, I might have gone overboard. "Please, help us eat all this."
Happy clapped me on the shoulder and started filling up his own plate. I couldn't help but smile at the easy acceptance I had now.
"What do you two have planned for the day?" Happy asked as he sat next to Pepper and started eating. I was standing across from them, clutching onto my own plate of bacon and cinnamon rolls. "Other than worrying about Tony?"
"Grey and I are going to the salon at nine, then the mall afterwards," Pepper said, tapping open her tablet to open her itinerary. "While we're out, Jarvis is going to be officially collating Grey's life and using photoshop to create a scrapbook and a few framed photos we can scatter around for the sake of realism."
"Since I'm twenty-four going on nineteen, I've got to be careful to look and act like a younger woman. Which is a damn shame cause I'm fuckin' chronically ill and I'm an old woman." I rubbed my back to emphasize my point. Happy and Pepper both laughed at me good naturedly. After a moment though, Pepper frowned and looked at me.
"Grey, you know that you don't have to shove all your problems into a box to be ignored, right?" Pepper asked. I refused to make eye contact. That had exactly been my plan. Shove all of my problems under the bed so Grey didn't have to deal with them. A superhero can't have depression and ADHD, right? "No, Grey, look at me. Being Tony's daughter absolutely does not mean you have to be perfect. Have your problems, have your chronic illness, own it, because if you don't, it might kill you."
"I have depression and ADHD and a touch of PTSD and who knows what else? I haven't exactly had the money to get checked out by anyone with a medical degree." Maybe if my rent was less. If groceries weren't so expensive. If I finished college and made enough money to live off of. "It just wasn't feasible back then."
"But you can do it now," Happy said, pointing out what should've been obvious. They'd already gotten an orthopedic doctor out here to look at my leg. Pepper had paid for the fancy brace I needed without even blinking. "If nothing else, Tony has agreed to sponsor you for the next three months. Be selfish, get your health looked at. Eat ridiculously expensive and good food. Get driven around and be spoiled. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else."
"How many times have you given that lecture to Tony or Pepper?" I asked suspiciously. Happy grinned at the same time Pepper flushed. I snickered but nodded my head. "Fine. You're right. If nothing else, I might as well let someone else pay my medical bills."
"Tony hasn't been taken yet," Pepper said, looking compulsively at her phone, her watch, the clock on the wall, her phone again, then she shoved a whole cinnamon roll in her mouth. I gaped at her in amazement. Perfectly Professional Pepper Potts had the same bad table manners as me and I loved it. "So, I can't be seen in the office until that's announced. Is there anything here I can help you with?"
"Actually yeah. Can you, at some point, get the archived layout of the 1974 Stark Expo? I don't need the full model or anything, just upload it to Jarvis." Pepper thought about it and nodded.
"Is that all?"
"For now, yeah." I pointed to the notebooks that just yesterday had been blank and brand new, now they were worn and full of notes, ideas, theories, and a list of Twitter Handles. "There's only so much I can do at a time. I'm trying to prioritize, but there are so many little things that aren't big-picture necessary, but that still need done."
"Like what?"
"Well, social media for one. We won't need it to save the world, but we will need an online presence so that the little people can relate to us and like us. We're nothing without the support of the world."
"You're playing media darling," Pepper said thoughtfully.
"We need our family to be of the people for the people. The name Stark can't be just another unethical billionaire. Trust me, in 2021 that's not going to fly. We will be hated. But if we change things for the better? Help the little people, and actually listen to them? We might even be able to save them from themselves."
"Nope, you've lost us." Pepper shook her head. I frowned, trying to figure out what I was trying to say.
"Too many timelines," I finally said. "There's the timeline of what happens to the superheroes in their fictional universe. Then there's the timeline of what happens to the real world, through politics and natural disasters and breaking news headlines."
"You want to use both?" Happy asked. I nodded. "Can we?"
"Deep Water Horizon happened last week. I remember hearing about that in Middle School. The worst oil spill of my life. If that happened, then I can guess that other major headlines are going to happen. Jarvis, set a news alert for Standing Rock North Dakota, and Flint Michigan. These are both years off though."
"I've set the alerts, Miss Stark," Jarvis chimed in from the ceiling.
"But what do we do for now?" Pepper asked, looking at the notebooks.
"For now, we react," I said calmly. "We react to the news about Dad being missing. We react to things as they happen around us, until Dad's home. We plant tiny seeds here and there, some to prove I existed before yesterday, others to play a very large chess game."
"Sir has already set up for an additional scholarship to open up at Miami University in Ohio, tomorrow after the news breaks that he's missing. This will lend credibility to you withdrawing after Sir is taken," Jarvis added.
"So, if we have to meet the press before Dad's home, and they ask where I've been my whole life, we say I grew up in New York, going to school under an alias. Then, rather than go directly to college, I took a gap year to explore the world before I had to take on my share of the weight of the Stark name." I paused and reached over for a blank notebook. I scribbled for a minute, scrunching up my nose while I thought. I got two more lines down before I flipped it closed.
"You're really good at this," Pepper blurted out.
"I've planned this before," I admitted. "I was already writing this story back home. Although in the story the daughter was actually biologically Tony's who inherited the X-gene from her mom. She had foresight, but only on her bloodline, and was a fierce hand-to-hand fighter."
"So, you're just adding to what you wrote?" Pepper asked. "Or were you this detail oriented before?"
"Absolutely not. I'm not the type to write out a seventy-eight-page outline for a fic. But for real life? For Tony Stark and Pepper Potts? I'll write and re-write it until I get it right." Pepper blushed, and I laughed. This Pepper was so different from the movies, more real. This Pepper would fight alongside Tony from the beginning. And I knew I would do everything I could to make sure her and Tony were happy together. With their three adopted kids and however many Pepper felt like having herself. "Oh, hey I-"
We would never find out what I planned on saying, as my phone lit up bright pink (I was having fun with the notification settings, so sue me.)
"So popular already?" Pepper teased. I shushed her and scooped up the phone. Happy was tossing the last of the hash browns on his plate, along with the last two egg bites.
"Grey Stark, how may I ruin your day?" Pepper snickered at my catchphrase and reached for her third cinnamon roll.
"Grey, this is General Morrow, I'm afraid I have some bad news," I knew it was coming, but hadn't expected the personal call. Something in the gravel tenor of his voice had tears springing to my eyes.
"Dad?" I gasped, looking over at Pepper. "What happened?"
"There was an ambush on our convoy. I have three airmen in critical condition, one DOA. Doctor Stark looks to have been taken by terrorists."
I handed Pepper the phone and let her get whatever details out of General Morrow that she needed. The two of them spoke for about twenty minutes before Pepper put her hand on my shoulder and handed my phone over again.
"I thought for sure Rhodey would talk him out of it," I said, surprised. Or maybe I was hurt that Tony didn't listen to me. Or maybe I was proud that he didn't listen to me. There was something heavy on my chest and it was hard to breathe.
"Morrow wanted to go ahead with your planned lunch next week. I've scheduled it for the fifth, we'll fly out to New York once Jim is home."
"I don't have luggage," was the first thing I said.
"Girl, what the fuck," Pepper asked, looking at me. We dissolved into giggles for a few minutes, allowing us to both, pack away our tears for Tony.
"You're officially not allowed to be around me anymore. If Tony heard you swear like that? He'd ground me until I turned thirty." We giggled again for a moment before Pepper turned serious.
"So, they have him," Pepper said softly. "You said three months? If I don't have him back by August, I'll kill you myself."
I reeled back in surprise, then wondered why I was surprised. This was Pepper Potts. So, I nodded.
"I can't believe I'm eighteen again, that's fucking bullshit." And then I started laughing. And I couldn't stop, either. I felt Pepper wrap her arms around me as the laughs turned to sobs. Oh, Gods I missed my mom.
"You turn nineteen next month, it's not that bad."
"You take my pot, or my wine from me on a technicality, and I'll take your fuckin' kneecaps, Potts," I said dramatically, glaring at her fiercely. I kept the serious expression for only a second before I started laughing. Happy didn't laugh, but he did smile at us girls as we dissolved into giggles.
Line Break
Jim was exhausted. His best friend was missing, kidnapped by terrorists (is it kidnapping if Tony knew about the plot and let himself be taken?) and he hadn't slept in 48 hours. He allowed himself another minute in his chair, before he forced himself to stand and grab his cover from the table.
The president had left a few minutes beforehand, leaving Jim in the previously secured room to debrief. He'd done his duty, informed President Obama that Tony was missing, and the Air Force was searching with diligence. President Obama promised more troops to help search, especially as Jim had to return to Malibu to take care of Tony's daughter.
Jim accepted the salutes of the enlisted men and women as he left the base in a haze. He could still see the carnage as his Humvee pulled up alongside Tony's. The crater that only held Tony's blood and protection vest. The two injured airmen, and the one already dead. Rhodey could still feel the heat of the sand as he fell to his knees and held a woman's C-Spine in place until the medics could get to them.
Jim felt like he was on autopilot as he drove to Tony's house from the base. There was a delivery truck in the driveway, Jim ignored it as he pulled into the garage, parking in his usual spot. Pepper's car was right next to him. He took the stairs, slowly, actually leaning on the rail, until he heard bright bubbly laughter coming from upstairs.
Jim practically exploded through the doors to the living room, startling Pepper, who was sitting on her armchair, sorting through a stack of paper. Happy was working on the coffee table, sitting on the ground like a child. The girl, Tony's make-believe daughter, was bringing around a tray of food and drinks for Happy and Pepper. She looked at him and smiled.
"Hey Jim!" Jim saw red. Tony was being held hostage by terrorists, likely waterboarded and tortured, with a car battery keeping his heart beating. And this girl was smiling.
"Good afternoon, Colonel Rhodes," Jarvis said from the ceiling. Happy and Pepper looked up from their tasks and gave him half-smiles that showed their pain.
"What the hell is going on here?" Jim demanded, unable to keep it to himself a second longer. "You show up, and Tony gets kidnapped the very next day, absolutely not, you are coming back to base with me until we get some answers!"
"No," she said, and Jim froze. He hadn't expected that. Sure, he anticipated resistance, shouting, screaming, but a simple, calm, no?
"What?"
"No. I won't go to whatever base to have me interrogated about Tony's disappearance. No, I won't be arrested. And most unfortunately, no, I don't know where the Ten Rings are keeping Tony."
"Dad," Happy chimed in absently.
"Dad, right," she said, nodding along. "Gotta get used to that. Alright, sit, you look dead on your feet. Here's some food."
Jim took the plate from her and sat. Less because he was told to, and more because he wasn't sure he could've stayed standing if he tried. He finally saw what Happy was doing. He was framing pictures of the girl and Tony. Pictures going back years. Some of the frames were new, some were older, in style and even in handling. One frame was worn, a corner completely rubbed round. It held a photo of a young Tony holding a toddler. The grown woman sat across from Jim on the couch.
"No, I'm not actually Tony's daughter, that was something he came up with. No, I'm not actually eighteen turning nineteen, I'm almost twenty-five. Last week, you were all fictional characters, and now you're very real. I'm taking over this timeline and the TVA can kiss my ass if they think I'm gonna take this lying down." She paused and glared out the window. Jim had no clue what the TVA was, but she hated them. "I gave Tony a timeline, did he give it to you?"
Jim pulled an index card out of his wallet. "I didn't know what it meant."
"Tony's only with the Ten Rings for three months. It sucks, but the movies, the novelization, the comics, no one specified where exactly he was, so I don't know. There's nothing I can do about that, anymore. I tried to get Tony to stay put, but he's a Stark, which makes him stubborn." Jim reeled back in shock. Tony knew about the consequences and still pushed to let it happen. Where was his selfish best friend Jim constantly reminded to trust people? "Don't look so crushed, Rhodey, he's gonna come back, stronger than ever, and ready to remind the world that he is Tony Fucking Stark."
"Who even are you?" Jim demanded, looking at her. Jim was officially lost. Lost at sea with nothing but a life vest keeping him alive. He was stuck in a storm and was just waiting for the wave that would knock him underwater to kill him.
"I'm Grey Stark," she said simply, as if that was all that mattered. And maybe it was.
"Jim, come over here, and I'll tell you all we know, Grey deserves a break from telling it," Pepper said, scooching over in her chair so Jim had space to sit on the arm. He dutifully rose and crossed the room, letting Grey pat him on the arm as he passed. Pepper was a familiar comfort, and he was glad she was here. Jim was so tired.
"I'm gonna go make sure the delivery boys are almost done, they've been here for hours," Grey complained, hopping up and leaving the room. Pepper watched her go before turning her full attention to Jim.
Jim sat and listened, hearing the same rough outline Grey told Tony, the same main timeline. Everything was them until 2012, The Avengers. Then again until the 2014 DC Disaster. 2015 put them in Sokovia. 2016 in Siberia. 2018 was Doomsday. Jim didn't like it. He could appreciate why she'd keep it vague until they were in a secure area, the idea of a doomsday event had him cold down to his bones.
"I'm in," Jim said after a few minutes of silence. Pepper had returned to selecting the best pictures of Grey's childhood for Happy to frame, or to put in a scrapbook that was sitting at her feet. "She says this will save Tony's life, I'm in."
"We know," Pepper said. Of course, she knew. "Grey is fantastic, she has this way of seeing the world as her right. And she's even demanded we get Tony a therapist."
"Does she care about him? Like us?" Jim asked quietly. He glanced at the hallway she'd gone down earlier, hoping she wouldn't come in during this question. He trusted Grey, because Pepper and Happy did, because Tony did, but he'd be watching her.
"More than us," Pepper said just as softly. "I don't think we'll understand it until we see the same Tony she knows. Apparently, after the Avengers, Tony's such a different person, but it's 2016 where he really changes."
"Hogan, what do you think?" Jim said, turning to look at Tony's bodyguard.
"I think Grey is someone we will regret kicking out," Happy said thoughtfully. "She's got everything Tony needs to actually enjoy his life, right in her head. For once, we don't have to try and react to what Tony does to protect him, she already knows what he's going to do, and can prevent it."
"I think that I know every major world ending event between now and 2025. I think that I know that Tony is marked to die in October of 2023 unless we stop it. I know that there is a sketchy ass shadow organization that has the ability to launch nuclear missiles without government oversight. I know that Hydra is still active and has at least six highly trained super soldier assassins waiting in cryostasis. I know that the infamous Black Widow failed to destroy the Red Room, so there are innocent young girls being kidnapped and turned into chemically enslaved assassins for yet another sketchy-ass shadow organization." Grey's voice never rose. She spoke calmly and clearly, laying out the bad things in the world. Jim felt sick to his stomach. "I know I just got dropped into your lap at a horrendously inconvenient time, Jim. I didn't ask for this, shit the only thing I asked for was a raise so I could afford rent and groceries at the same time. But I'm here. I'm here and I know how to do what we need to not only survive the bullshit but come out on top."
"Where do we start?" Jim asked, sighing heavily. He was so tired.
"We start tomorrow, after you've had some sleep," Grey said gently. Jim nodded his thanks for that. He needed at least six hours flat on his back. "We have tomorrow off, as it were."
"And then?" Jim asked, half afraid of the answer.
"We have flight clearance for May fourth," Happy said, pulling a laminated list out from under a pile of picture frames. "We're going to Stark Manor in New York to make it look like Grey grew up there. I'll go to the house in the Hamptons, add a few touches there too."
"There's a SCIF, in the basement of the manor, Howard built it. Grey has promised to give us more information on the future there," Pepper said.
"I won't take away anyone's free will," Grey said sharply, as if someone had asked her to. "If asked, I can tell how the movies went, but if you don't want things to end that way, they don't have to."
"You're handing us our lives with full control as if you were God," Jim said, finally realizing what Grey wanted to do.
"God is dead, I'm just here to clean up the mess," Grey said shortly. Jim blinked at her in surprise but chose not to comment. "On that cheerful note, unless anyone needs me, I've been awake since four, I'm going to bed!"
Grey waited a beat, then turned on her heel and vanished into the hallway. Jim stared after her in bewilderment for a minute, then turned to Pepper. She just shook her head. Jim decided Pepper was right. He didn't want to know.
Line Break
Just breathe. Remember to breathe, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Tony woke up in flames. His skin burned, his insides burned, his chest burned. He opened his eyes. Toes, wiggling. Knees, slightly bent, hips, sore, should've stretched on the plane. Chest. Moving on.
Fingers, wiggling. Face? Tony patted his face, carefully exploring. His hair was in place, no burn spots. Two eyebrows, two eyes, dry and itchy, but well and whole. Tony tried not to gag as he pulled out whatever tube or wire the man had shoved up his nose and down his throat.
Once Tony controlled his gag reflex, he leaned his head up enough to see the car battery on the table next to him. The wires led down to his chest, and beneath the thin gauze, a rudimentary magnet, keeping the shrapnel out of his heart, just like Grey promised. Breathe.
Grey had warned him, told him what to expect and what he could do to minimize trauma. But it wasn't enough. The magnet burned like an engine. And, in a sense, it was. Already, in his mind the wheels were turning. He could do it faster this time. Oh, he would protest at first, it wouldn't do to have them be suspicious, but eventually, if it got him tools, he could do it. It would be rudimentary, but he was Tony Fucking Stark, he could do anything.
"What did you do to me?" Tony asked, gasping as his fingertips traced the wiring exposed in his chest.
"I got as much shrapnel out as I could," Yinsen said, looking at Tony through his shaving mirror. "You even have a souvenir, look."
Sure enough, Yinsen moved to hold up a jar of tiny pieces of metal. Tony felt his stomach roll at the sound. Tiny pieces of metal, from his bomb, were working their way into his heart, except for that stupid magnet. In a corner of his mind, Tony was already running through the calculations needed to make sure his bombs stopped doing this type of damage. He also wondered why he didn't already know.
"I have seen many wounds like that in my village. We call them the walking dead," Yinsen explained. "Because it takes about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs."
"And this?" Tony asked, even though he knew. He could picture the walking dead, suffering slowly for a week from his bombs and weapons. How many American Soldiers were hurt this way by Stark weapons? How many terrorists had his weapons that shouldn't have? Tony felt like he was going to throw up. This was worse than what Grey warned him was coming.
"An electromagnet, hooked up to a car battery. And it's keeping the shrapnel from entering your heart, hmm?" Yinsen glanced upwards, showing Tony the camera in the corner. Tony zipped up the blood-soaked hoodie to cover the magnet. "We met once, you know. At a technical conference in Bern."
"I don't remember," Tony said, his mind spinning with ideas. He knew he couldn't write them down, not with any ability to keep the list, so he created a chalkboard in his mind and started scribbling.
"I don't blame you. If I had been that drunk, I wouldn't have been able to stand, much less give a lecture on integrated circuits."
"Where are we?" Tony asked, tired of the small talk. There was a bang at the door. Time to meet their hosts, Tony thought bitterly. Yinsen crossed the room with purpose and pulled Tony to his feet, hissing at him to do as he did. Tony put his hands up, wincing as it pulled the magnet.
Step one: Replace the battery with a mini arc reactor.
Step two: Escape
Step three: Cancel Stark Weapons Program so they can't hurt anyone ever again.
Step four: Let Grey loose on the world.
The terrorists walked in, all carrying Stark guns. Rage flared through Tony as he realized the extent of the betrayal that led him to this cave, with his car battery. Tony should've listened to his daughter. He should've stayed at home and just done the hard work. But... It was too late. Too late for action. It was time for revenge. And that was okay.
"He says, 'Welcome, Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America.' He is honored." Yinsen translated the Arabic monologue from their kidnapper. Tony bit the side of his tongue to keep him from making a face. This was hardly this first kidnapping, but Tony could already tell this was going to be his least favorite. It made him miss Tiberius. "He wants you to build the missile. The Jericho Missile you demonstrated. This one."
Tony looked at the picture. It was the black and white shot he had sent to the Generals to convince them to see the demonstration. It was an official Stark Industries press photo. They shouldn't have that. Tony understood what he had to do.
"I refuse."
Line Break
"Jim, you still have pink paint in your hair," Pepper said as the officer came down for breakfast. He tried to rub it out, it didn't work.
"I still don't understand why we had to set up the interior of the house too," Jim complained as he accepted the mug of coffee from Grey. He sank into the chair at the dining room table. It was nearly ten, but they had been up to nearly five the night before painting the room they'd chosen for Grey. Happy was still in the Hampton's with the jet, he would return later that evening.
As the tallest, Jim had been asked to paint the ceiling of Grey's bedroom. They decided on several shades of light pink, since she had dyed her hair that color. Pepper had filled the room (and the one next to it) with toys for kids of various ages scouted from ten different goodwill stores. They aimed for teens and up, with a few "sentimental" items saved from childhood.
It created this image of Tony being surprised by a young daughter, then made sure she wanted for nothing. There was a framed photo of Grey as a newborn, but the camera angle cut off the mom's face. All the photos with Tony started after Grey turned two.
A bookshelf was filled with various series Grey would've read as a kid. Nancy Drew books took two entire shelves. Maximum Ride and the still new Percy Jackson books took over the next one down. Harry Potter, Eragon and Twilight took the bottom shelf, alongside the Lord of the Rings that had been passed down from Howard to Tony, now to Grey.
"I asked the same thing," Grey commiserated. "Apparently I don't truly understand the lengths people would go to, to get at the Stark Legacy."
"You don't," Jim agreed. "People have been after the Stark name since World War Two."
"Ugh, write it down for tomorrow, I don't have the mental ability to juggle anything else today," Grey complained as she flipped through the packet in front of her. She was twirling around a blue pen and kept trying to stick it in her mouth. "Okay, Tom Morrow, Air Force General. Married to long time domestic partner Gene, who is a History Teacher. Awh. See, y'all legalized gay marriage before us. We only legalized it in 2015."
"We only got it legalized last year," Pepper said. "Obama said it was past time."
"Think that's the same thing he said in my world."
"Oh, he's gonna win again?" Jim sounded excited at the prospect. Which made sense, Obama was a fantastic president, and I was kind of jealous Rhodey would get to protect Obama with the War Machine suit.
"I don't think so, not here," Grey said, looking up from her packet. "Matthew Ellis is the president in 2013."
"Isn't he a democrat?" Pepper asked, pulling her tablet over so she could google him. "Why would the DNC put forward another candidate?"
"For the plot," Grey mumbled, pouting.
"That's a terrible reason, do we want to change that?" Pepper asked. Grey's head shot up like she never even considered it. Her eyes danced back and forth like she was reading something.
"No," Grey said finally, an air of sadness clinging to her. "No, we will not get involved in elections. I think that's a bit too far, even for me."
The trio lapsed into silence for a little while, before Pepper moved and started dragging Grey away. Jim roared with laughter as Grey acted as though she was being dragged away for torture. The ladies returned an hour later, with Grey dressed appropriately for a meeting with a General of the United States Air Force at a Michelin star restaurant. Pepper had hired a car to take her back and forth from the restaurant since Happy wasn't returning until that evening.
"Grey, it's wonderful to finally meet you in person," General Morrow said brightly as her car came to a stop. Grey hadn't waited for the driver to open her door, she was a big girl, she could do it herself. She shook his hand with a bright, dimpled smile.
"You too, Tom, dad can't speak highly enough of you," Grey said, her smile barely darkening at the reminder of her father's disappearance.
The two kept polite small talk going as they got seated in the empty restaurant and placed their orders.
"How are the airmen that were injured when dad was taken?" Grey eventually asked. Tom looked at her in surprise.
"They will recover. Two will be honorably discharged, one will return to active duty. One didn't make it," Tom said softly. Grey knew that in the movies, they had all died in the raid. She was glad she'd already made a difference, even if she wasn't sure how she'd done it.
"We would like to cover the medical and funeral costs," Grey said suddenly. "I'll have Pepper reach out tonight to set it up. They were after Dad; it was our fault they got injured."
"I'm sure the families would appreciate the gesture," Tom said, shocked by the offer.
"Dad isn't as selfish as he comes across," Grey said softly, noticing the surprise and confusion that lined the other man's face. "A lot of what he does was designed that way, first by papaw, then by Obadiah."
"What do you mean?" Grey hesitated as the servers flocked their table with their drinks and appetizers.
"Papaw learned quickly how to work the cameras, and how to act a certain way to keep a specific image. When Dad was born, Nana and Papaw had to walk a fine line of protecting Dad from the weight of the Stark Name, while also keeping him present in the spotlight."
"Tony's been in the spotlight since he was born," Tom said.
"But no one really knows about me," Grey said, smiling like she knew something. It wasn't her fault she knew everything. "Dad hated having the spotlight on him as a child. His every mistake was criticized and publicized, so he learned to lean into that. Be a public playboy and people underestimate you in the board room. Be the smartest in the room so no one will ever dare to question you. Keep everyone on their toes."
"There's something you're not saying," Tom said. Grey didn't smile but gave him a solemn look.
"As a high school graduation gift, Dad was going to expand Stark Industries to start exploring actual usable green energy. He approached the board with all the funding and everything planned out, and they shut him down, even though it would've increased profits by a margin of eighty percent, at minimum."
"What? Why? Then what?" Tom asked.
"Then this!" Tom's face fell as he realized what Grey was implying. Tony had tried to change Stark Industries, and now he was missing, kidnapped by unknown, unnamed terrorists. A dark shadow took up residence on Tom's face as he realized the implication of this. Stark Industries might be involved in shady work, and they had government contracts. Government defense contracts.
"So now what?" Tom asked. "Is there proof? Is there anything we can do?"
"I don't have proof. And I don't have power until the fatality clause kicks in," Grey's voice fell to a whisper as she said fatality. She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. "Pepper is going to be put in as CEO pro-tem for the month until the clause kicks in, but she can't actually change or vote on anything, she's just a warm body to keep the company going until the clause."
"Thirty days and he can be declared presumed dead," Tom realized. "Which puts you in charge, right?"
"I'll inherit the company, and I'll be able to name the CEO I'd like to take over until I'm qualified. I could take over, but I'd be barely nineteen with no college degree, unlike Dad, who was made to wait by Papaw's clause." Stane had convinced the world that Tony couldn't take control of the company until he was twenty-one. Grey would prove otherwise, but she wouldn't put the company at risk. Pepper was more than qualified. "I plan to leave Pepper in charge until Dad is found."
"We will find him, Grey, I promise," Tom said.
The servers swarmed them again, clearing away plates and drinks and returning with more. Grey accepted the white wine with quiet thanks, glad that money spoke so much, no one cared she was technically underage.
"So, what is this mystery project your engineers came up with? Jim's driving me up the wall asking about it," Grey asked, eagerly sitting forward in her seat, even as she ate the food brought to her. Tom handed over a slim file, containing images of an imagined finished product. EX0-7 suits. There was a list of potential flyers at the back. Grey immediately locked on to Sam's name. There was a tiny smile on her face. "Oh, I like these."
"An engineer of mine came up with the idea. We can't make them work, but I'd had the thought of your repulsor technology, the same type that's in the Jericho?"
"These suits would be perfect," Grey said flipping through them in excitement. She hadn't truly known Sam's Falcon suit was Stark Technology. "Dad and I were sketching out a new idea for something that would work perfectly alongside this."
"So Stark Industries will pick this up?" Tom sounded excited, and Grey couldn't help but smile.
"I will have Pepper iron out the contracts and get the patents and everything that we need to go forward. Maybe I'll get lucky, and she'll let me shadow her so I can learn the process," Grey said. Grey had already warned Pepper that she was coming home with a stack of paperwork to take care of before Tony gets back. "Despite… Everything, I'm actually kind of excited to learn what Stark Industries does. Dad kept me from it pretty well."
"Do you want to follow in his footsteps?" Of course, she did. She wanted to be the same hero Tony Stark was. Did she want to invent things, and work all day to create weapons? Fuck no.
"I was thinking legal, actually. I wanted to study business law at Miami University, but, uh, Pepper helped me put that on hold, just until we find dad, ya know," Grey said, suddenly rushing her words like she was waiting for disapproval.
"I understand," Tom said softly. "Besides, college is an experience that should be enjoyed. Don't taint it with this. College will still be there in the spring."
Relief flooded Grey's body, and she relaxed in her seat. College had always been a sore spot for her. Especially recently, with her having dropped out of her fourth school.
"Tom, I still plan to move forward with the Stark Expo next year," Grey said. "We would like to offer the Air Force first selection on presentation slots, for all the goodwill you've given Stark Industries over the years."
"Thank you, Grey," Tom said seriously. The servers finally brought out dessert and coffees, and the duo relaxed in their chairs. "So, you're interested in green energy?"
"I am of the opinion that if we don't start doing things to fix or at least combat global climate change, we're going to make the Earth unlivable for humans by 2050." Grey could remember the lack of care that her government had when climate change started ramping up. The energy crisis, the cost-of-living crisis, it was all a crisis. "And Stark Industries is in a position to help. We're in a position to do something that others can't. What if we can reverse climate change, but we don't know because the Board won't let us?"
"If Stark Industries is going to help combat climate change, I will do what I can to pledge help from the Air Force, the whole military if need be." Tom's smile was a mile wide as he listened to Grey's ideas for green energy, reforestation, conservation and finally felt hopeful that there was good in the world.
Grey babbled on about different forms of clean energy but was careful to leave out the Arc Reactor Howard created. No one would believe it useful until after Tony got back from Afghanistan. She talked about wanting to sponsor new solar farms, and how she wanted to encourage people to get solar panels on the roofs of their own homes.
"I think you're going to save the world one day," Tom said as he escorted Grey out of the restaurant. Her car pulled up to the curb, and Tom gave her a gentle smile. "I can't wait to see how you change this world and make it your own."
"We will reach out, let's say next week, barring any emergencies," Grey said, flashing him her dimpled smile. She carried a stack of folders, and a tablet Tom wasn't sure he saw her come in with. "Pepper and I will get the EX0-7 suits started, and once I have it, I'll send over the Expo paperwork."
Tom opened the car door for Grey and waited for her to be seated before closing it.
"I'll keep looking, we will find him, Grey. I'll bring your dad home." Grey gave Tom a watery smile, just as the car lurched and pulled into traffic.
"What's on the plan for today, Miss Stark?" Happy asked, a teasing glint in his eyes as he darted through traffic like he was being followed.
"Tom thinks I'm going to take over the world. Maybe I should. Beat up politicians, yell at Congress. I can kick Mitch McConnell's ass up and down the street with a smile on my face if you let me." Grey gave Happy a more authentic smile, relaxing in her seat.
"Are you going to have time to take over the world?" Happy asked. "You're so busy trying to run Stark Industries while setting up multiple teams of superheroes to save the world."
"I'm sure if I take over the world, it will be much easier to save," Grey argued, idly daydreaming about what she'd be able to do if everyone listened to her. "But you're right. I don't have time for that, I barely have time to sleep."