The Golden Daughter✓Tony Stark

23: New Elements.

Dad and I sit in the workshop surrounded by blue prints and articles.

The projector is busy playing something but my mind isn't on it. I look through the books and articles for clues but nothing.

"...Tony, what are you doing back there? What is that?" Five years old dad had picked one of the buildings up off the model. "Put that back. Put it back where you got it from. Where’s your mother? Maria? Go on. Go, go, go, go." A man takes dad off, presumably to where Granny is.

I sneak a peek at dad to gauge his reaction but he just merely sighs and looks away.

I look away from him, grabbing a notebook off the floor beside me and scanning through it.

"Tony." I snap my head up to the screen. I've never watched this part of the video before. From the corner of my eye, I see dad seat up too. "You’re too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you. And someday you’ll realise that it represents a whole lot more than just people’s inventions. It represents my life’s work. This is the key to the future. I’m limited by the technology of my time, but one day you’ll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation is you." Tears filled my eyes. If he had the opportunity to say this in person, it would have meant so much more. Probably give dad the closure he needs.

Dad stands up, ruffling my hair before going out of the lab.
I guess I'll see him in a few hours then.

▪️▪️▪️

"Well, that was fast." I said as I entered the workshop. "Let me guess you brought her strawberries?" I ask as I settled beside him.

"Well... I did tell her they were for you." Dad says and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't even like strawberries." I said. Growing up, I realised Pepper didn't eat strawberries so I stayed away from them. "Well, one thing did go right." I continued gesturing to the model in front of us.

Dad lifts a blue projection from the model. "How many buildings are there?"

"Am I to include the Belgium waffle stands?" JARVIS asks.

"That was rhetorical. Just show me." Dad says as he drops the projection. He clicks his fingers and the model begins to spin and lifts upright.

"What does that look like to you Smalls, JARVIS? Not unlike an atom. In which case the nucleus would be here. Highlight the unisphere. Lose the footpaths. Get rid of them." Dad says, giving commands to JARVIS.

I take a few steps backwards.
"It looks to me like an arc reactor. Just with a different nucleus." I replied.

"What is it you’re trying to achieve, sir? Miss?" JARVIS asks.

"We're discovering… Correction. We're rediscovering a new element, I believe. Lose the landscaping, the shrubbery, the trees." Dad says flicking parts away.

"Parking lots, exits, entrances." I added.

"Structure the protons and the neutrons using the pavilions as a framework. Dad." Dad mumbles. The model now resembles a nucleus and dad expands it so we're standing right in the middle of it.

"Dead for almost 20 years, and still taking me to school." Dad says as he snaps down so the model fits in his hand.

"The proposed element should serve as a viable replacement for palladium." JARVIS reports and I breathe in relief. Dad wasn't going to die anymore. Atleast I wouldn't have to worry about waking up one day to see that he was gone.

"Thanks Dad." I heard him say and I smiled.

"Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesise." JARVIS continues.

"Whatever JARVIS." I said as dad stands up clapping. Now I know what was next.

"Get ready for a major remodel, fellas. We’re back in hardware mode."

▪️

Dad and I grab different tools, smashing walls, drilling holes in the floor, fiddling with wires, putting together pipes.

Phil enters during our renovation.

"I heard you broke the perimeter." He said.

"Yeah. That was, like, three years ago. Where have you been?" Dad asks.

"I was doing some stuff." He says.

"The new Mexico thing?" I ask as I lift a coil.

"Yeah. How do you know about that?" He asks.

"Well Fury did mention it one or two times." I said.

"Yeah, well, stop talking more working, I've been busy too and it worked. Hey, I’m playing for the home team Coulson, you and all your Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Now, are you gonna let me work or break my balls?" Dad asks.

"What’s this doing here?" He asks as he pulled out a prototype of Captain America's shield.

"That’s it. Bring that to me." Dad says.

"You know what this is?" Phil asks like it deserved to be in a museum or something.

"That was Lisa's favorite toy back in the days and it’s exactly what I need to make this work. Lift the coil. Go, go. Put your knees into it. There you go. And… Drop it. Drop it." Dad says as Phil lifts the pipe. The shield balances the pipe making it straight. "Perfectly level. I’m busy. What do you want?" Dad asks.

"Nothing. Goodbye. I’ve been reassigned. Director Fury wants me in New Mexico." He says.

"Fantastic. Land of Enchantment." Dad says.

"So I’m told." Phil replies.

"That's where Jane Foster is right now. I'm a huge fan of her works. Could you pass my greetings to her? If you by any chance meet her. I'll give you some of my Captain America trading cards in return. The vintage ones." I persuade. We sort of bonded over the fact that he saved my life and the fact that he was a huge fan of Captain America like I was.

"You have those?" He asks suddenly getting excited.

"Yeah, the entire collection and a few extras. Perks of being the granddaughter of Howard Stark." I said shrugging.

"Enough of this rubbish. Secret stuff?" Dad asks, cutting us off.

Phil clears his throat. "Something like that. Good luck."

"Bye. Thanks." Dad said as they shake hands.

"We need you." He says.

"Yeah, more than you know." Dad replies.

"Not that much. I'll definitely see you later, Lisa." He says as he leaves.

Dad and I goes back into the building. I insert the prism where it supposed to be while dad does something behind me.

"Initialising prismatic accelerator." JARVIS informs. Dad tries to turn the wheel on top but it barely budges. I roll my eyes and take the wheels. It definitely moves more faster than when dad tried to turn it. Maybe I have super strength too.

"Approaching maximum power."  JARVIS says as dad attached a wrench making it much more easier for both of us. We finally reached our goal but not before cutting a perfectly straight line in the wall.

Dad and I removed our googles staring at our result. We exchanged a fist bump before heading to the glowing triangle to inspect our work.

"That was easy." I said as dad removes the triangle using a pair of pliers.

"Congratulations both of you. You have created a new element." JARVIS states. Dad place the core into the new reactor. "Sir, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics" JARVIS informs and I laugh out in relief.

Tony Stark wasn't going away anytime soon.

A/N: Yeah he isn't. Thank you guys for the votes and to my silent readers, I see you too. Thank you very much.

Next update: Friday.