For the Love of a Father ✓

I Blame You...

"Wake up dear and say goodbye to your father." I watch my grandmother say as she plays the piano. Something in this tugs at my memory.

"Who's the homeless person on the couch?" I'm not sure what he was like in his youth, but Howard Stark was a dick.

"This is why I love coming home for Christmas, right before you leave town." Dad looks like a completely different person. It was strange to think I was 3 at this point.

"Be nice, dear. He's been studying abroad."

"Really? Which broad? What's her name?"

"Candice." I gag at that and Dad looks away sheepishly.

"Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday."

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

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

"We might have to make a quick stop." Dad and I wince. While he might not have always been there, the last 3 years Dad had not missed a single birthday or Christmas, making sure work came second on those says. Now I knew why.

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

"You were an ass." I whisper to Dad, turning away from the scene.

"I know. But he wasn't the easiest to live with."

"I can see. But he's not the one living with regrets." I say as the memory ends. Dad steps out on the stage.

"That's how I wish it happened. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing or BARF. I really need to proof acronyms before they go to patenting." I giggle at that, knowing BARF was my doing. "An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to clear traumatic memories. 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 for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in their right mind would've funded it. Help me out, what's the MIT mission statement?"

"'To generate, disseminate and preserve knowledge.'" The audience recites back to him.

"'And work with others to bring it to bear on the world's greatest challenges.' Well, you re 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." This gets a laugh. "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." There's more cheering. "No strings, no taxes, just reframe the future! Starting now." He pauses and I watch Pepper's name appear on the teleprompter. I hurry on stage.

"Everyone thank you for your attendance today." I smile at Dad. "I know this is a big deal and I, for one, cannot wait to see what the brightest minds of this next generation come up with. Thank you!" I say to them before dragging Dad offstage. "Are you ok?"

"It hasn't gotten any easier."

"It will. Let's go get some dinner."

"Cheeseburgers?"

"As if we'd eat anything else." We head to the elevator, waiting for it with another woman.

"That was nice, what you did for those young people." She tells Dad.

"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? This is your daughter?" she asks, gesturing to me.

"Yes."

"I'm glad you have yours. Kids make this life easier." It's then that Dad and I realize the elevator hasn't even been called.

"You going up?" I ask.

"I'm right where I want to be." She goes through her purse and Dad is immediately set off, pushing me behind him and grabbing her wrist.

"Woah, hey." He says, panicking. She pulls her hand away and he realizes what he's done. "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. Much like I'm sure you are of your daughter." She thrusts a picture against his chest. "His name was Charlie Spencer. You murdered him. In Sokovia. Not that that 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." My vision goes red as I watch this woman walk away. My powers dance around my fingers but Dad grabs my hand, holding me back.

My phone rings, breaking the eerie silence. "Steve. What's going on?"

"You need to come home.."