training wheels protocol

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          "I think you hurt FRIDAY's feelings

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"I think you hurt FRIDAY's feelings."

Slinking through the penthouse of Avengers Tower, Kennedy tried to stay hidden behind the packing crates that were slowly overtaking the entire penthouse. Having returned from her failure of a mission, Kennedy's hair was still sopping wet as FRIDAY demanded that all Kennedy's suits be returned to their closet before she sealed the labs shut. Kennedy, left to wander around in her pajamas, had been stealthily sneaking around, praying that she wouldn't have to face James Rhodes, not entirely sure that she would be able to take his disappointment. Of course, luck was never on Kennedy's side, as she was quickly beginning to realize.

"Uncle James," Kennedy murmured, hearing the mans voice from beside some packing crates, unable to see him.

As James came into view, Kennedy had to look away, casting her eyes onto the ground. Her father's best friend, one of Kennedy's fatherly figures, a better one than Tony anyhow, rolled into view. He sat in a wheelchair, braces circling around each of his legs. His face was gaunt and hollowed in, his body frailer than the last time Kennedy had seen him, looking weak beyond belief as he rolled towards her, the wheelchair softly clattering against the ground. Yet however exhausted he looked, his eyes still brightened slightly as he took in Kennedy.

"Kennedy," he gave her a large smile, extending his hands out in greeting. "How's my Little Stark been?"

Kennedy's face said it all as guilt and depression swam across it, her eyes pools of sadness as she barely managed to meet the eyes of her Uncle. Biting her lip, Kennedy couldn't help but feel ashamed of the situation James was in, not because she had something against disabled people, but because she felt that she was the one to blame for all of James's new problems. Kennedy was carrying the weight of his disablement on her own shoulders.

"Not great," Kennedy was struggling to hold onto the snarky front she usually put up, trying not to glance down at James for longer than half a second. "I'm in trouble... again."

"That would be why I'm here," James nodded. "Tony asked me to watch you until he got back. Seems like you've been up to an awful lot ever since I last saw you."

"Hardly," responded Kennedy, resisting a snort as James began to wheel off towards a couch, her following him and sitting down on it so that she was more or less at his eye level. "All I've done is stay locked up in this stupid tower. Dad's turned into Mother Gothel or something because now I'm always stuck in here."

"Tony has been busy lately," James said slowly. "With the Sokovia Accords and the ending of the Avengers, he's needed to work a lot, especially with press."

"Too busy for his own kid?"

"You know that's not what's happening," James told her gently. "Tony's just worried and scared when it comes to you. He didn't have the best father, he doesn't know how to raise a kid, he's doing his best. It's even harder now that you've been trying to save the world, he's worried and scared for you."

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