𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 [𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘒 1] 𝘠/𝘕 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘬

-11-

After Aiden left, I rushed downstairs as fast as I could. My side still hurts, but I don't care. I need to knock some sense into Dad. "J.A.R.V.I.S! Where's dad?!" I demanded of the AI. "He and Ms. Potts are in the workshop," the AI replied. I sprinted downstairs to the workshop as fast as possible.

I saw Mom doing something to Dad. Are they finally dating? I wondered to myself as I typed in the code. I entered and strode towards them. "What the hell were you thinking—" I stopped short upon seeing Mom putting her hand inside Dad's chest and making a disgusted face.

"Oh, there's pus!" Mom exclaimed. "It's not pus. It's an inorganic plasmic discharge from the device, not from my body," Dad replied calmly. I walked to the opposite side of Dad and gagged at the smell. "Oh god!" I cried out.

"Oh hey, Junior. I didn't notice you there. How was your date with Aiden?" Dad asked, oblivious to Mom's continuing discomfort. "It wasn't a date. We were talking and god, that smells!!" I exclaimed, hastily covering my nose.

"It smells!" Mom cried out again, her expression still contorted in disgust. "Yeah, it does," Dad acknowledged. "I'm going upstairs. I can't anymore!" I declared, ready to escape the unpleasant odour. However, Dad shot me a warning glance, provoking me to roll my eyes and reluctantly stay. 

"The copper wire. The copper wire, you got it?" Dad continued, addressing Mom. "Okay, I got it! I got it!" Mom replied, her repulsion evident. Suppressing a laugh, I watched the scene unfold, finding it oddly amusing. "Okay, you got it? Now, don't let it touch," Dad began to instruct, but Mom unintentionally touched the sides, causing a buzz from the machine behind her, "the sides when you're coming out!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Mom apologized, her voice filled with remorse as she carefully removed the wire from Dad.

"That's what I was trying to tell you before. Okay, now make sure that when you pull it out, that you don't..." Dad's instructions were interrupted as Mom pulled out the wire with the magnet attached, causing the medical equipment to start beeping. "There's a magnet at the end of it! That was it. You just pulled it out."

"Oh, God!" Mom exclaimed, her panic evident.

"Okay, I was not expecting..." Dad began, his voice trailing off as the machines continued to beep insistently.

"Okay, what do I do?" Mom asked frantically, attempting to put the magnet back in. I struggled to contain my laughter at the chaotic scene unfolding before me.

"Don't put it back in! Don't put it back in!" Dad exclaimed urgently.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just going into cardiac arrest--"

"What? You said it was safe!"

"'cause you yanked it out like a trout... We gotta hurry. Take this. Take this. You gotta switch it out really quick."

I continued to watch the chaotic scene unfold in front of me. Dad handed Mom the reactor, instructing her to attach it. Mom reassured Dad repeatedly, insisting that everything was fine as she carefully connected the device. Dad let out a small scream as it was attached. "Was that so hard? That was fun, right? Here, I got it. I got it. Here. Nice," Dad said, trying to lighten the mood as Mom looked at him with concern.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked, her worry evident as she glanced at Dad.

"Yeah, I feel great. You okay?" Dad replied, meeting Mom's gaze. At that moment, both Dad and I burst into laughter, unable to contain our amusement.

"Don't ever, ever, ever, ever ask me to do anything like that ever again," Mom said between laughs, her tone filled with playful exasperation. "I don't have anyone but you... well except this thing over here..." Dad remarked, pointing at me. "THING?!" I exclaimed, feeling offended by Dad's play. 

Dad ignored my protest and continued to focus on Mom. A heavy silence hung between them as Dad rose from the bed, removing the wires from his body, while Mom wiped her hands clean and picked up the old arc reactor. "What do you want me to do with this?" she asked, gesturing to the device.

Dad's gaze lingered on the arc reactor for a moment before he responded firmly, "Destroy it. Incinerate it."

Feeling like an intruder in their conversation, I quietly made my way towards Dad's desk, not wanting to eavesdrop. As I glanced at the pictures displayed there, my eyes fell upon a photograph of Dad and Grandpa, prompting memories of happier times. Beside it, I noticed another picture—this one of Dad and me. And next to it, framed with care, was a drawing I had made for him on Father's Day when I was just three years old. Did he keep it with him all this time? The realization filled me with a warmth that transcended the chaos of the moment, reminding me of the deep bond between us despite everything.

"Hey, Butterfingers, come here," Dad called to the robot I adored. I listened as he continued,
"What's all this stuff doing on top of my desk? That's my phone, that's a picture of me and my dad, and this one is me and my little one." I felt his presence behind me as he spoke to the robot. "Right there. In the garbage. All that stuff."

I saw Dad's smile when he noticed me holding the drawing. "You kept it with you?" I asked, my voice wavering slightly with emotion. "Yeah, I did. I have the other ones framed too. They're in my room," he confirmed, patting my shoulder reassuringly. "I thought you threw them away..." I admitted with a chuckle.

"Why'd you think that?" Dad inquired, curiosity evident in his tone.

I shrugged lightly, a sheepish grin spreading across my face. "I don't know... I guess I just figured you might not want to keep all that kiddie stuff around now that I'm older," I confessed, feeling a sense of openness.

Dad's expression softened, and he shook his head gently. "No way. Those drawings are some of my most prized possessions," he assured me, his voice filled with seriousness. "They remind me of how much you've grown and all the special moments we've shared."

I felt a swell of warmth in my chest at his words, a deep sense of gratitude washing over me. "Thanks, Dad," I murmured, unable to hide the affection in my voice.

Dad's confession caught me off guard, his words laden with honesty and raw emotion. I turned to face him, meeting his gaze as he looked at the picture of us together. "You know... when we were kidnapped and I didn't see you with us... I thought I lost you again. I didn't want the same to happen again," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret.

Tears stung my eyes as I listened, my heart aching at the thought of Dad bearing such fear and sorrow. Without hesitation, I reached out and hugged him in a tight embrace. "I'll never leave... not again," I assured him, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What's bothering you? You came in here angry," Dad observed, his gaze fixed on me. I had completely forgotten about my earlier frustration. "Why'd you do that? Stark Industries is a weapons-making company. What's the point?" I questioned, sinking into the chair he had occupied moments before. "I did what I had to do," Dad replied nonchalantly. He gestured for me to lay down on the chair, and I complied without protest.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, scan her," Dad instructed our AI, which promptly obeyed. A blue holographic ray scanned me, and my information appeared on the screen. "How's her wound doing?" Dad inquired of the AI, referring to the injury on my side from where I had been shot.

The AI displayed a series of data readings and analyses before responding, "The wound appears to be healing satisfactorily, sir. There are no signs of infection, and the tissue regeneration process is progressing as expected."

Dad let out a sigh of relief, his expression softening with reassurance. "That's good to hear," he murmured, his gaze briefly meeting mine before returning to the screen. "Continue monitoring her progress closely, J.A.R.V.I.S. I want regular updates."

"Of course, sir," the AI acknowledged.

Dad spoke out of nowhere and said, "Y/N, I want you to keep something just for yourself." I straightened from my seat and looked at him. 'Of course... What is it?' I asked curiously.

"I'm working on something big. Very similar to yours but very different."

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I MIGHT BE ABLE TO POST CHAPTER 12, TOMORROW GUYS!! ANYWAY I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!!!!!! :3