The Genius// Tony Stark's Daughter

Chapter Five

"Eliza? Is everything all right?" I hear Pepper yell over the loud ACDC music.

I stop. "Jarvis, turn off the music," I practically whisper. The music stops, leaving a cold, dead silence. I'm almost afraid to move. What will they do when they see the mess that I've created for them?

"Yeah! Um, well,  kinda..." I yell back to Pepper with fake enthusiasm.

I hear quick,  stammering footsteps travel down the stairs. Pepper appears soon after that, with Tony at her heels. Their looks of worry instantly change into looks of shock and anger.

"What the hell?!" Tony shouts as he throws his head back. He runs into the lab, and combs his hands through his hair. He paces in circles, and then turns to me. "What did you do?!"

"I...well, um..." I don't know what to say. How do I tell him that I snuck into his lab when I wasn't supposed to, was detected as an intruder, and destroyed his suit?

Tony walks over to what used to be his suit. He checks it and sighs. I hear him cursing under his breath.

"Jarvis, damage report." Tony commands.

"Eliza, why don't you head upstairs?" Pepper quickly suggests. It's more of a warning than a suggestion. I nod, and carefully walk up to my bedroom with my head down. I quietly close the door behind me, and flop face first onto my bed. I feel tears threaten to fall down my face, but would never dare to let them. I hear Tony and Pepper shouting, but try my best to ignore them.

I know that I'm getting what I deserve. I was stupid and reckless, and now Tony has to make up for it. It's not like I couldn't have prevented what happened. I could have decided not to sneak into the lab, and just mind my own business. I could have decided not to touch his suits or mess with his tech stuff.

Ugh. I'm so stupid. What was I thinking?  Why-

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a knock at my door.

"Eliza?" I hear Tony call.

Crap.

I walk over and open the door. I muster up all of my dignity, and just go for it. "God, I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't mean to break anything, I just wanted to look around and see the suits. I didn't-"

"Look, kid..." He interrupts me. "I know that this has been hard and everything, and you didn't mean to, you know, trash my stuff." I honestly can't tell if he's joking or not. "And I know I've been a total jerk, and..."

I half expect him to kick me out. Instead, he takes a seat next to me on my bed.

"...I'm sorry. Okay?" He finishes.

"It's just that...I have no idea what I'm doing. I didn't have a good dad. I don't know how to be a good dad. I'm in way over my head here, kid. I mean, I didn't even know that you existed until like a month ago." He sighs. "-No offense." He adds.

There's a long moment of silence. "God, I just don't know. I don't know! I guess I really just came up here to apologize. I mean, I wasn't there for you. You didn't have a dad. And know that I am here, I'm just... an ass."

I look at him. Here is the man that I spent my whole life wondering about. The man who's resented me since I got here. Who did something so bad that my mother hated the mention of his name.

I don't even know what to say. But luckily, I don't have to say anything. He gets up and looks down at me.

"But you're still fixing my suit." He says in a joking way.

I laugh nervously, and he turns around to leave.

"Tony... " I sigh. He turns back around. "You aren't a bad dad." I smile at him, and he smiles back. He turns around, and walks out.

"I'm serious about you fixing my suit!" he shouts as he leaves. I chuckle.