The Demise of Izzy Stark (#1 in Deadly Series)

chapter one: the news that changed the world

Emily Browning as Izzy Stark

--

"Ms. Stark, I hate to interrupt you, but Mr. Stark is on the phone." Izzy glanced up to the ceiling, a reflex, and frowned. Why would her dad interrupt her? It was 4:34, surely he'd still be stuck in his meeting with that Italian business man. 

"I'm busy, J." She declared, cracking her knuckles and straightening over her computer. She eyed what she'd written, a new book she had planned, and let her shoulders relax. 

"Your father says it's...urgent." Nothing was urgent with Tony Stark, except maybe for projects or apocalypses.

"Is it?" Izzy muttered to herself. "Alright, put him on." She saved her progress, logged off and tossed her computer on her bed where it gave two light bounces. "Hey, daddio." She greeted cheerfully. 

There was silence. 

"Dad?"  She repeated, frowning. This wasn't like her father at all. "J, is he even there? Did he hang up? Goddamit." She cursed. 

"No, I'm here." Her father finally said. She could practically see him now, perched on a stool by a tool table, whiskey on one side and a frown on his lips. "Hey, sweetheart." 

"Hey, dad, what up?" She asked cheerfully, switching the conversation to her STARKphone. It was black and plain with a swirly "S" on the middle of it in red. "Did it work out in Italy? We in?" 

"No, sweetie, that's what I've gotta talk to you about." Her dad replied. She swiveled in her black chair to her other table and straightened up her picture of herself, Natasha and Darcy. "Listen, you know that woman I've been seeing?" 

Izzy froze. Woman? 

"I did tell you about Krystal, right?" Her father asked, sounding horrified. 

"No." Izzy said, eyes frozen on a framed picture of the Stark family.  Her dad had an arm wrapped around a 14 year old Izzy who was beaming as she held up her high school diploma. "Krystal?"

"Yes, Krystal Reeds, well technically it's Stark now." Her father rambled nervously. So that's where I get my nervous rambling, Izzy thought faintly. "Isabelle, are you listening?"

"You married some woman I don't know?" Izzy asked slowly, confused. Why would her dad do that to her? Why would he marry someone she didn't know? 

"I love her, baby." Her dad said after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, but I do. I can't keep wishing that your mother or Pepper had worked out." Pepper could stop this, couldn't she? It'd be bad for the company, Pepper would say in that no nonsense tone of hers. "Pepper actually introduced us." 

Traitor, Izzy thought. 

"That's why I need you to pack your bags and come to Daern, Iowa and come meet your new family." Her father said. 

....

....

Click. 

Izzy ground her teeth, crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, extremely angry. "How dare he." She said aloud. "How dare he."

"Ms. Stark, are you alright?" JARVIS asked hesitantly. 

"I'm peachy." Izzy spat. She stood up and grabbed her leather jacket. "J, I'm going out, don't let anyone bother me."

"Of course, Ms. Stark." JARVIS replied. "Have a lovely night." He said softly. The lights shut off immediately as she walked out. "May I ask what you're doing?"

Izzy paused and looked back at the darkened room. "I'm gonna get wasted, J." She declared to her empty void. 

____________________________________________________________________________________

He called again, when Izzy was hungover and tired in the top floor of the Tower. Her phone rang "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath and she clicked ignore. 

Darcy sent her a confused look when they were playing pool in the Rec Room and she tossed her phone at the wall, turning it into pieces. 

Thor screeched when Black Sabbath rang throughout the kitchen when he was searching for his box of oreos. (Spoiler alert: Clint hid them)

Everywhere Izzy went, her phone would be ringing until finally, she had enough. She picked up her phone, glared at the picture of her dad and her on her 16th birthday, and screeched into the phone, "What?!"

"Is this Isabelle?" A feminine voice said back. 

Izzy froze. This wasn't her father. 

"Tony's been calling all day and I was hoping maybe you'd pick up for me." The woman continued. "My name is Krystal by the way." 

Izzy stared blankly at the smudge on the glass window, frozen. 

"Isabelle? Are you there? Oh, did I call the wrong number?" Krystal fretted. 

"This is the right number." Izzy finally said, sounding tense. "I'm Isabelle." She gritted her teeth. How dare this woman call her. 

"Fantastic!" Krystal said. "Your father's quite worried. When are you going to get here? He's sent you the address and he decorated your room - a bit dark for me and my daughter, Miranda but if you like this stuff -" 

"I'm not coming." Izzy said shortly. 

"What? Why not?" Krystal sounded confused. 

"Maybe because I have a life in New York." Izzy said sarcastically. "And he can't really make me." 

"Actually he can." A new voice, deep and boyish, said. "One of the laws of the US, my friend." 

"Frederick Howell Reed, give me the phone!" Krystal snapped, her voice distant and faded. "Nathan! For the love of-" 

"You're really making Tony upset." Another boyish voice commented, lighter than the other. Izzy gnashed her teeth. "Why don't you just get it over wi-Hey!" The boy whined.

"I'm sorry about them." Krystal apologized, "But Freddy's right. You should just get down here before Tony gets the court involved. And Daern may not be New York but it is beautiful." 

"Fine! I'll come!" Izzy's head pounded. "Just for the love of God, shut up!" 

"We'll meet you at the airport then." Krystal said, hurt and smugness mixing together. Izzy pictured a bleach blonde woman smirking with her bleach blonde children by her side. 

"I think I'll drive." Izzy retorted. 

Click. 

"Goddamn you, Dad." She swore.