Your Little Stark

Ch•12-One Day

     I stood in the bathroom later that night brushing my teeth with the minty tooth past. My feet were planted on the stool because I'm still freakishly short and I would not be able to see myself in the mirror.

    Downstairs, the sound of power tools and drills were filling up the whole house. That is what I'd be hearing all night for the next few weeks, maybe months. I exited the bathroom and headed downstairs. I didn't know where anyone was. Dad must be downstairs but Pepper had literally vanished. It's like she dropped off the face of the earth. Maybe she's been so busy with her new job as the CEO.

     I walked down the stairs to Dad's workshop in search for some company. He was sitting in his chair, a box full of personal belongings sat in front of him. The room was dark. He had an old, video player rolling beside him. Light shot out from the hole like a projector and displayed on the screen in front of him.

     Dad looked tired, a drink sat in his hand and he looked like he was about to fall asleep. I snuck over to the desk behind him and watched the little video. On the screen, was his Father, my Grandfather. It was outtakes from the video presentation at the EXPO. Grandpa was talking about the map behind him, how this is the future. I leaned against my palm, enjoying the movie.

    "Tony" he spoke, catching Dad's attention. It feels like he's talking right to him "you're too young to understand this right now, so I thought I'd put in on film for you. I built this for you" he spread his arm our behind him, motioning to the map "and someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than 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 what always will be, my greatest creation... is you"

    The old film faded out. I suddenly felt like I was intruding. This is a special moment between Father and Son and I was getting in the way. I slipped of the stool and tip toed back to the stairs.

"Wait" Dad called.

Busted.

"Yea?" I stopped, flattening my arms to my sides.

"You saw all that?"

    I nodded, feeling bad for ease dropping "Um... Yes, sorry, I was just lonely and I came looking for you and-"

    "It's fine" Dad stood up, flipping off the old projector "I was done watching it anyway"
He was quiet for a moment and I took that as my Que to leave.

    "Wait" I paused at the door "About Miss. Natalie, why did that Fury guy call her 'Agent Romanoff'? I thought her last name was Rushman"

   "Oh, uh" he thought briefly, rubbing his goatee "I know I probably shouldn't tell you this... but here we go"

"What?"

    "Basically" he sat down in his chair, cracking his knuckles "She's a... Spy. She was undercover-"

"She was spying on us?"

    "Yes. But not like in a bad way. She works for SHIELD, Like Phil Coulson does, and Nick Fury. They are all connected. Her real name is Natasha Romanoff"

    "Whoa" I remembered how earlier she was wearing that tight black suit, very spy like.

    "Now look" Dad warned "don't tell anyone I told you this, especially Pepper. Don't tell her whatever you do. It's just our secret, okay?"