Iron Beta: Life as Tony Stark's Daughter

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“Good! Now toss it back.”

I gently send the ball back towards Bruce. We’re standing in the middle of the sparring mats, tossing a rubber ball back and forth and I’m only allowed to use my prosthetic. He said it builds hand-eye coordination.

My days are filled with this type of activity, the kind that are tuned towards adapting my new arm to the things that are necessary for efficient function in the real world.

That’s what Bruce said, anyways.

My day started with handwriting practice for an hour after breakfast, followed by lab work with my dad until about ten o’clock, then I came down to the gym to spar with Natasha for another hour, and Natasha traded places with Bruce about an hour ago.

“Good work Taylor, you’re free to go. I hear they picked up pizza downstairs.”

I clap – which is really more of a metallic clanging sound – and pick up my bag, containing my non-gym clothes and head towards the showers.  

Instead of jumping in and out, I stand and let the steam soothe my skin as I stare at my hands.

My left hand: bone, flesh, and bone. It can feel pain. It can bleed.

On the same token, you have my right hand: circuits and steel and wires. It can’t feel pain or bleed.

At the start of the week, both hands matched the description of my left hand and my chest didn’t have a night light in it. Now, a week later, I have one real arm, one metal arm attached to nano bots in my brain, and an eternal night light.

I shiver, both from that realization and the blast of cold air that hits me, signifying an open door.

“Taylor? Are you okay in there?” Natasha calls out uncertainly.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in five.”

“I’ll wait in the gym.”

True to my word, five minutes later I’m wearing jeans and a band t-shirt my dad got for me. I open the door to access the main gym to find Natasha sitting patiently against the wall. Once she sees that I’ve emerged, she walks side by side out of gym and heading towards the kitchen.

“How long was I in there?”

“About forty-five minutes. Your dad was getting worried and your pizza was cooling fast. While it’s just us, are you really okay?”

“I’m fine, Tasha, really. Just contemplating, you know, this,” I use my left hand to motion towards my prosthetic, ”and this.” I wave my right hand towards my reactor.

“Alright, I believe you. But next time, instead of using all that hot water because some people,” she coughs and it sound suspiciously like Thor and Steve “use entirely too much as it is, how about you come find me?”

I laugh and nod as we arrive into the kitchen to have five pairs of eyes turned our way.

Someone shoves a paper plate loaded with cheese pizza towards me as conversation starts back up.

“Hey Taylor! How’s the training coming?” Steve sits across from me with a heaping pile of pepperoni pizza.

“Not bad, I’m just so busy. Worth it, though, if I want to do my job.”

“Good, good. Speaking of doing your job, Director Fury is coming over at three.”

I groan softly. “Well, he obviously found out. He’ll probably give a speech about liabilities and such.”