Chapter 30 - Hologram

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The next year was boring, I helped Pepper a lot with the Company, then I've helped Tony also.


The next year was boring, I helped Pepper a lot with the Company, then I've helped Tony also

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Today we were at MIT, Tony was presenting realistic hologram technology.

Pepper couldn't make it....they were on a break.




I sit in the front row with tears in my eyes as I watch the scene before me. Our mother, Maria was playing the piano, While a younger Tony was laying on the couch with baby me on his chest. "Try to remember the kind of September. When grass was green...." She stops singing as Howard...our father walks in, but continues playing. "Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father."

"Who's the homeless person on the couch holding my baby?" Dad asks.

Tony, wearing a Santa hat, staggers to his feet and chuckles, holding me up in his arms. "This is why I love coming home for Christmas...right before you leave town."

"Be nice, dear, he's been studying abroad." Mom says.

"Really, which broad? What's her name?"

"Candice." Younger Tony smiles.

Dad pulls off Tony's hat. "Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday. And please take care of your Sister."

"Okay, so it's Monday. That is good to know. I will plan my toga party accordingly. Where you going?" Tony asks.

"Your father's flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway." Mom smiles.

"We might have to make a quick stop."

"At the Pentagon. Right? Don't worry, you're gonna love the holiday menu at the commissary." Tony says.

Mom stops playing the piano. "You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that's true, you'll be a great man some day. I'll get the bags." Dad nods.

"He does miss you when you are not here. And frankly, you're going to miss us. Because this is the last time we're all going to be together. You know what's about to happen. Say something. If you don't, you'll regret it." Mom whispers.

"I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could." Tony nods.

Baby me smiles as dad kisses my head and walks away. Mom kisses Tony's cheek and then kisses me, walking away. I hold my hand on my cheek as tears stream down.


"That's how I wished it happened. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF. God, I gotta work on that acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to.....clear traumatic memories. Huh." Tony blows on a candle and everything around him shimmers, then starts to dissolve. "It doesn't change the fact that they never made it to the airport....or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but...." He takes off his glasses. "Plus, 611 million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in the right mind would've ever funded it.....Help me out, what's the MIT mission statement? To generate, disseminate.....and preserve knowledge. And work with others.....to bring it to bear on the world's great challenges. Well, you are the others. And, quiet as it's kept.....the challenges facing you are the greatest mankind's ever known. Plus, most of you are broke." The crowd chuckles. "Oh, I'm sorry. Rather, you were. As of this moment.....every student has been made an equal recipient of the Inaugural September Foundation Grant. As in...all of your projects have just been approved and funded." The crowd breaks out in applause and cheering. "No strings, no taxes... just re-frame the future! Starting now." Tony look above sadly, "Go break some eggs." He exits the stage.

I hurry out of my seat and walk behind stage, I find him walking down the hall. "Tony...that was beautiful." I hug him. "Seeing them....was a gift." I wipe my tears.

Tony smiles and links his arm with min, we approach a woman standing at the elevator. "That was nice, what you did for those young people." The woman says.

"Ah, they deserve it. Plus, it helps ease my conscience."

"They say there's a correlation between generosity and guilt. But if you've got the money....break as many eggs as you like. Right?"

Tony narrows his eyes and half smiles, then turns to face the elevator. "Are you going up?" I ask, pushing the button.

"I'm right where I want to be." She digs in her handbag, Tony grabs her wrist.

"Okay, okay. Hey! Sorry, it's an occupational hazard." He backs away.

"I work for the State Department. Human Resources. I know it's boring....but it enabled me to raise a son. I'm very proud of what he grew up to be." She shoves a photo at him. "His name was Charlie Spencer. You murdered him. In Sokovia. Not that it matters in the least to you. You think you fight for us. You just fight for yourselves....Who's going to avenge my son, Stark? He's dead....and I blame you. Both of you." She points, walking away.




I was left speechless.....I look down at the photo in sadness.

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