Valor ↠ Prequel [0] ✓

08 | Tinker Bell

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VALOR
viii. TINKER BELL

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   RILEY WAS DAMN GOOD at what she did. For a nine-year-old, Riley was outstanding in her line of work. That was clear as day. She thought she had it all figured out by now, but when she was reassigned to work with Tony Stark, she didn't know what to expect.

   Riley honestly never realized that Tony fled from the premises. She had chosen to give him some privacy while watching the videos his father left for Tony. When she returned to the lab to check on him, Tony was missing. Riley had originally assumed he was in the bathroom, but then again, who goes to the bathroom for a few hours?

   It wasn't until Tony returned with a bunch of equipment and a newfound motivation to save his life when Riley realized he had actually left.

   Riley watched as Tony Stark maneuvered throughout his laboratory. Part of her still couldn't believe where she was. Incredible things had occurred in this very lab, and they were all by Tony's hand. The nerdy girl was honored.

   "So am I supposed to just trust that you know your stuff?" inquired Tony, walking around seemingly aimlessly. "No offense." He turned to fidget with his tech, adding, "JARVIS, could you kindly Vac-U-Form a digital wireframe? I need a manipulatable projection."

   Riley followed him around, eager and curious to see what he was doing. "Pretty much," she confirmed. "I did help whip up that Lithium oxide that treated your symptoms, you know."

   Tony hummed. "Fair enough," he remarked. Riley studied him. He seemed to be using conversation to keep him grounded, to slow down his mind before it overheated like it usually did.

   Riley was hesitant. She still hadn't figured Tony out quite yet. She was waiting for him to become a carbon copy of every adult she'd ever worked with—the ones that doubted her and dismissed her. But from the looks of it, Riley was slowly beginning to think he would continue to surprise her.

   Tony continued, "I just usually work alone on this stuff, so—"

   "1974 Stark Expo model scan complete, sir," announced the artificial intelligence known as JARVIS.

   "I can tell. You didn't even offer me a seat!" Riley humored. Tony shot her an unsure glance, silently judging her. Riley just beamed. "I'm kidding."

   "You're funny," he sarcastically annotated as he hoisted the blue projection away from the model. "How many buildings are there?"

   "Am I to include the Belgian waffle stands?" JARVIS wondered.