Irondad and Penny Parker

Spooktober Mark XVI

✨The Undead✨
TW: mentions of eating disorder/Penny not wanting to eat

"You're not real." Penny said miserably, past the point of even crying at this point. She'd done this a lot over the past few weeks.

Afraid not kiddo.

"You feel real." She stated, once again, no real emotion behind the statement.

Ha, when I was alive I was told I was fake all the time. Now that I actually am I'm being told I'm real? Ironic.

It scared her how well she had captured Tony in her mind that she was able to create an imaginary version of him, complete with his sarcastic quips and remarks.

"How long do you think I have 'til they decide I'm possessed by your ghost or something and chuck me in a looney bin?" She asked to thin air, laughing as she imagined Tony's response.

Oh not long at all. You're fucked kid, right in the head. You get that from me.

She laughed. She knew he didn't mean his response maliciously, after all, she had made him say it.

"Penny! Food!" Steve shouted from downstairs.

Say hi to Spangles for me, it would proper freak him out if you made it seem like my ghost says hi.

"You know I'm not doing that." She 'replied'.

She could almost hear Tony's voice in her head and the things he was 'saying' were so petty and sarcastic that it almost did seem like his ghost were haunting her.

She wished he was haunting her.

Instead she was stuck with the harsh reality of knowing that she was talking to a figment of her imagination.

She stepped out of her room, acutely aware of 'Tony' following her.

She sat down at the dinner table, silent, feeling the stares on her.

She could hardly remember the last time she spoke to a real human being.

Clint wasn't even at the table. No one had see him since Tony's funeral. The only reason they knew he was still alive was because they could hear him screaming to himself at night.

Every time, without fail, the team would attempt to make conversation with her.

And every time, without fail, she would remain silent, staring into empty space.

"Any sign of Clint today?" Bruce asked.

"No one's seen him since- since Natasha." Steve replied miserably.

"What about you Penny? How are you today?" Bruce turned to her, not expecting a reply.

Penny just sat back in her chair, food untouched and eyes blank.

The team collectively sighed.

"How about we try some food today kid?" Steve asked kindly.

No response.

Penny could practically hear Tony scoff,

As if she's going to answer to kid from you Capsicle. That's my nickname for her.

Penny smiled, imagining Tony's outrage at his nicknames being stolen.

"You look happier Pen. Good day?" Steve carried on, trying to coax a conversation out of her.

God, sometimes I almost miss that giddy optimism.

I sure don't, Penny thought in reply. Technically she was replying to her own thought but she decided not to think about that today. One more day of pretending, she told herself, then I'll stop talking to him.

Steve just carried on and on until she had enough.

She pushed away from the table and decided, if he wanted her to speak that badly then she might as well make the most of it.

"Tony says hi." She muttered as she went back upstairs, trying to keep a straight face as she heard Tony's bark of laughter echo throughout her mind.

Did you see his face?! Priceless. Spangles had it coming. That was brilliant kid!

She walked along the corridor, occasionally glancing over left shoulder where she imagined Tony was walking.

She was so close to her own door when she passed Clint's room.

She could hear the usual quiet mumbles of,

"It's should've been me. It should've been me."

"Is Nat with you?" Penny whispered to 'Tony'.

If you want her to be.

"Tell her Clint says hi."

Sure kid.

She carried straight on to her room, there was nothing she could do for Clint. He was working through the unimaginable as was she.

"Tony?" She called out quietly to the dark room.

It was a mess, clothes strewn across the floor, bed unmade, curtains shut. It had been like this for weeks.

Yeah kiddo?

"This has to stop. Doesn't it?"

Yeah kiddo.

"I don't want it to. I-I know you're not real but at least this way I still get to talk to you. I don't know how to live without you Tony."

This isn't healthy Pen.

"I know." She mumbled sadly.

She could almost feel his hand resting on her shoulder, something he always did to comfort her when he- when he was alive.

You've gotta accept that no matter how hard your genius little brain tries, it can't back the dead. Does that make me a zombie right now? Am I 'one of the Undead'

She smiled slightly, she really was going mental.

She could hear him.

But at least this way, even if she was talking to the air, she would never have to live without him.

It's not healthy kid, you need to talk to real people.

"I know. I just- I just need this for a little longer okay?"

He gave up then, not because it was what Tony would've done but because Penny wanted him to. At the end of the day, it was her imagination that kept him alive.

She fell asleep, so close to feeling one of Tony's hugs that he'd give her when she couldn't sleep.

Her heart physically ached, she's missed him so much.

With every part of her existence, every minuscule atom of her missed him so much that it was destroying to even think about him.

But it was more damaging to stop thinking about him.

To feel the true size of the pain that she had shrunk by pretending he was still there.

If she- if she stopped pretending-

If she stopped, she'd have to miss him.

She just couldn't cope with that.

No, for now, just for now, she'd keep pretending.

Honestly guys I have no idea what that was I'm sorry 😭