Starks Kid (P.Parker FF)

Volume #3

AJ tilted her head slightly as she watched her dad try pieces to what she could comprehend as a military-grade suit of armor. She didn't understand what technically happened to her dad back in the Afghan Cave, but then again neither he nor Pepper wanted to go into details of it. AJ understood that her dad might not want to remember whatever happened to him and honestly the adults were just scared that she might get nightmares.

"Uhhh dad... you alright?" She asked as her dad was currently being manhandled by the extra-hand bots helping him put on the finishing touches to his suit parts "Just...uh Peachy sweetheart, daddy just wants to try out some of his new toys"

She took a look at the screen with all the manuals, mostly at the light in his chest, which she can presume that it was the energy source for the whole metal death trap "Dad, the thing on your chest" she motioned to him pointing to his chest with a toy arrow from her Merida from Braves Toy set "Is that like the arc reactor in your work"

"Hm? I'm impressed kid, you recognized the arc reactor." Tony replied smugly proud of his daughter's observation "No, your blueprints have a big arrow pointed to the chest piece saying 'Arc Reactor'"

She hopped down the tall stool "Since it's a reactor, it's the power source, right? what exactly are you trying to do right now? Tryna make a wearable transformer?"

Tony only glared at his daughter, shaking his head "No kid, just uhh little project that I discovered I had a knack for"

"Yeah yeah that's what you said for every new project" AJ rolled her eyes and huffed in frustration, not going to lie ever since Tony got back he had been so busy that he and his daughter haven't been able to spend any time together.

She wasn't a soft, emotional kid she was used to her dad being busy but after the idea of losing him and separating from him for that long, the need of wanting to be around him doubled. She didn't want to complain, I mean how could she. Her father was home, alive, and safe there was no reason for her to feel lonely despite being surrounded by him and so many others.

The following days were no better than the last as the young girl would watch her dad demolish his prized car possession every time he would take his suits for a test drive till one day her dad came home looking more disheveled than usual. Apparently he had been chased by military-grade jets which simultaneously thought he was a bogie. It ended up being a tad costly adventure as she watch Tony writing checks to replace the destroyed plane and the soldiers life insurance after sending them plummeting thousands of meters out of the air.

But of course the unexpected happened when she got home from Tae kwon do practice and found her dad practically immobile on the couch as if the life had been drained out of him.

"d-dad? No no no."

She was panicking, looking around not necessarily for a solution but she was lost. She looked for someone, something, a sign to help her dad. 

She stood up and ran towards the door hoping that their driver was still there, that was until she felt a hard hit to the back of the head. And with that Aj's world turned black. 

Aj's head was throbbing like crazy making her start tearing up, she bit her lips trying to refrain from crying out loud in fear of still being in danger. She curled up in a fetal position covering her mouth with her hard crying silently to herself wishing for her daddy to come save her. Whoever hit her had dragged her body into a closet by the front door halls and locked it, the poor girl didn't even know if her father was alive let alone if his body was still there. 

She was in pain and upset. She was lost. Not until she heard a car door slam and the door open, hearing this made the little girls eyes shoot wide open. The little hope she had left was restoring itself, forcing herself on to her knees as she felt too weak to stand. Her head still pounding and feeling a little nauseous. She heard Pepper's voice scream in fright of Tony's body. 

Aj started banging on the closest door screaming for Pepper's name. Still leaning on the door - she had felt herself fall forward as Pepper finally unlocked the door making the girl fall on her hands. Aj looked up at Pepper reaching out her hands in a grabbing motion staring at the older woman through her tears. Pepper picked Aj up "Pepper- Obedias hurt- he hurt daddy" she said struggling through her cries as her body was trying it's hardest to catch a breath. She rubbed her eyes refusing to look at her daddy in such a pained state. 

"Aj, wait here sweety ok, I have to save Tony-" Pepper in a state of urgency placed Aj down and dashed to the workshop. Aj still feeling dizzy -  failing to mention to Pepper that she was hit in the back of the head - fell asleep on the floor letting her dizziness and exhaustion overcome her body.

Aj rewoke once more after feeling the environment she was in bounce, opening her eyes and yawning she looked around her surroundings and saw that she was in Pepper's car in a screaming match with Tony through the phone. She recognized which direction she was going in, it was towards the Stark Industries and from the top of the building she was a large metal machine right above the arc reactor facility the warehouse recreated after her Daddy's smaller version of it. She tried to get Pepper's attention reaching out and grabbing her sleeve making Pepper jump "AJ? Tony- Aj's awake...what exactly do you want me to do-?" Pepper  was frantic, everything going on around her she was having a hard time trying to remain calm and focused while trying not to freak out Aj. 

"Overload it? How?!" Pepper continued her screaming match with Tony as she jumped out the car and ran to the arc reactor leaving Aj still in the car. 

Overload the reactor? That'll destroy everything. she thought looking in fear at her father on the roof of Stark Industry getting beat down by a large metal man. 

Pepper still screaming at Tony that he would die from the overload as the men continued to fight above her- she hesitated to even enter the building, "JUST PUSH IT!" Tony yelled through the phone loud enough for his daughter who was secretly following Pepper behind, heard the demand, "YOU'LL DIE!" Pepper screamed back.

Aj's small body managed to slip past Pepper running to the button and with no hesitation, letting all impulsivity and intrusive thoughts get to her - she pushed the button. 

The Blast completely knocks Obedias out, Tony managed to get away, and a Pepper Potts blown back from the explosion landing on her back a few feet back. As for the young girl who stood at face impact of the explosion. Her status was completely unknown.