Stark's Winged Daughter (S.P.N.D. Book 3)

Chapter 9: The Battle at Stark Expo

***

"Dummy, you, can we begin cleaning up this mess?" dad says to him, gesturing to the surrounding lab. "You're killing me. You know I don't-"

He gets cut off by the phone ringing.

"Incoming call by a blocked number, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. alerts us.

"My phone privilege has been reinstalled," dad says. "Lovely."

"Took them long enough," I commented as my father answered the phone.

"Coulson. How's the land of Enchantment?"

"Hey, Tony, how you doing?" a familiar voice asked, sending chills down my spine. Vanko laughs over the phone. "I double cycle."

"You what?" dad asks him.

"You told me double cycle's more power. Good advice."

"You did what?" I hissed quietly. "Why would you give tips to the guy who tried to kill you?"

Dad doesn't answer me. "You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy."

"You, too." Vanko laughs again.

My father presses the button, muting him as he tells me and J.A.R.V. to trace him.

Vanko continues. "Now, the true history of Stark name will be written.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. Where is he?" I ask nervously.

"Accessing the Oracle grid." J.A.R.V.I.S. pauses, then tells us. "Eastern Seaboard."

"What your father did to my family over 40 years," Vanko threatens, "I will do to you in 40 minutes."

"Sounds good," dad mutters. "Let's get together and hash it out."

"The Tri-State area. Manhattan and outlying boroughs," J.A.R.V. clarifies, still trying to find the exact location.

"I hope you're ready."

"Call trace complete."

I look at the screen where J.A.R.V.I.S. says the call is from, then to the article open on a different screen. Justin Hammer.

"He sank lower than I thought he could," I say to myself.

Dad stands, taking the new arc reactor from it's stand, placing it in his chest.

"You want to run tests, run them," he tells J.A.R.V.I.S. "And assemble the suit while you're at it. Put it together now."

"We are unclear as to the effects-" J.A.R.V.I.S. argues, but gets cut off.

"I don't want to hear it, J.A.R.V.I.S."

***

I manage to put my hair in a messy braid to get it out of my face by the time my dad is in the suit.

The helmet shuts and soon after I hear my phone ring so that I am connected to what he says. I switched it to my earpiece that I keep for things like this. After all, situations like this happen a surprising amount in my life.

"I'll shadow travel over there while you fly," I say, repeating the plan one more time. "First I need to grab my stuff, but we'll get there about the same time."

"Right. You have five minutes here tops if you want to be there in time."

I nod, slipping my phone into my pocket. "Keep me posted."

With that he takes off to the Stark Expo, and I shadow travel to my room, grabbing my Glock, a couple clips already filled, a collapsible staff that I've been practicing with, and four daggers. I attach two daggers to my thighs and the other two in my sleeves, and the gun to my waist where my jacket will cover it, along with the Mist if necessary. The extra clips go in my pocket.