Iron Woman - (Fem Iron man X Pepper)

Chapter 48 - Realization

For the next year I built more tech...spent time with Pepper.

But we're taking a break now. I wouldn't admit it but....it wasn't mutual.

She was supposed to be here with me, I was angry and sad.

I stand off to the side and watch the hologram of my mother playing the piano and singing, my younger self was on the couch. "Try to remember the kind of September. When grass was green..." She stops as my father walks in. "Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father."

"Who's the homeless kid on the couch?"

I stand up, wearing a Christmas hat, "I just love coming home from boarding school to see you leave." I say sarcastically.

"Be nice, dear, She hasn't been home all year."

My father pulls my hat off, "Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday."

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

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

"We might have to make a quick stop." My father nods.

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

"You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that's true, you'll be a great woman some day. I'll get the bags." My father leaves.

"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." My mother says to me.

I smile at my father, "I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could."

My mother leans in and kisses my cheek, then the two leave.

I step up as the hologram fades, "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." I blow out a candle and the hologram completely fades. "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.....Plus, 611 million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in the right mind would've ever funded it." I pause and look at the crowd. "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." I nod as the crowd says it with me. "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." I smile as the crowd laughs. "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." I point. I look up sadly as the teleprompter above the audience reads. 'Now I would like to introduce the head of the foundation: Pepper Potts.'  "Go break some eggs."

I walk off stage and crack my neck, a teacher approaches me, "Wow. Wow. That uh.....that took my breathe away. Oh, Y/N! So generous. So much money! Wow! Out of curiosity.....will any portion of that grant be made available to faculty? I know, Ooh, gross, but hear me out. I have got this killer idea for a self-cooking hot dog. Basically, chemical detonator embedded...."

"Restroom's this way, yeah?" I interrupt him.

"Yeah. Embedded in the meat shaft."

My assistant approaches me as I walk away, "Miss Stark, I am so sorry about the teleprompter. I didn't know Miss Potts had cancelled. They didn't have time to fix it."

"It's....fine. I'll be right back." I nod.

"We'll catch up later." The teacher waves.

I walk out into a quiet hallway, I look up at the bathroom and rub my face, looking up to see an exit elevator. I walk closer to see a woman staring at the elevator, "That was nice, what you did for those young people." She says.

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

"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?"

I narrow my eyes and half smile, then turning to face the elevator. I point at the button...she hasn't even pushed it. "Are you going up?" I ask.

"I'm right where I want to be." She goes to dig in her bag.

I quickly grab her wrist, instantly regretting it. "Okay, okay. Hey! Sorry, it's an occupational hazard."

"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 into my chest, "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 yourself. Who's going to avenge my son, Stark? He's dead.....and I blame you."

I had no words as she left.......we weren't really saving anyone.