It's mid-afternoon, and Morgan's phone is perched on a holder on her CEO desk. She and NaTalia are videocalling during work, at NaTalia's shocked insistence. Morgan didn't want to do the call, but they aren't really having a conversation. It's mostly just NaTalia muttering while Morgan types on her laptop and tries not to get distracted.
"Girl, I can't believe you did that! I said 'the whole hog', not 'the quantum hog'!"
"I know, NaTalia. I'm sorry." But I know you never stay mad for long. Eventually you laugh it off, no matter how bad it is.
"Pfft. Why are you apologizing? You've always been-"
NaTalia is interrupted by the beep beep of an incoming call.
"-the crazy one," she finishes.
Morgan peers at her phone and sighs. "Sorry, Talia, it's Mom."
"Oof," NaTalia replies, and hangs up.
Morgan answers the phone, "H-", but is cut off.
"MORGAN LAURA TH-STARK!"
Morgan jumps, eyes wide.
Her mom is yelling...with the lisp from her stroke. If it wasn't so devastating and scary, it would be funny. Pepper isn't done, either.
"I leave becauth I had a f***ing th-stroke, put you in charge, and on your firth day, YOU DO THITHS?!"
Morgan puts a hand over her face in exasperation. "Mom, I didn't have a choice."
"You alwayths have a choith!"
You don't know that! Morgan leaps up, her chair thudding against the windows behind her. "Between bad and worse?! That's not a choice!"
"You could've given it-"
Morgan cuts her off.
"To the military? What if Dad had given his suits to the military? It's a short step from there to the NSA. We already suspect them of violating our privacy - why make it easier? I can't patent it - the military will stop me. I can't release it on the internet - that's unfair distribution, although it's not terrible."
Morgan sighs before continuing.
"You tell me what I should do. I asked Barton and he didn't have an answer."
Morgan stops when one of the assistants comes in and hands her a flat package with papers on top. The top sheet's title reads "Subpoena By Authority of the Senate of the Congress of the United States of America".
Once the assistant leaves, Morgan finishes. "At least this way everyone knows that there's one person with some morality who has instant access to the power of quantum AI."
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Daughter: Issue 1
Fanfiction"Twenty years after Tony Stark's heroic death, his daughter Morgan is taking on the family business and carrying on his LEGACY." What Morgan didn't inherit was her mother Pepper's practicality, or her father's genius. Now Pepper is in the hospital f...
