The Daughter of Iron Man

Decisions

Returning to the home I grew up in was extremely therapeutic. I felt safe there, and I loved being able to spend so much time with not only Sarah, but also with my dad and Pepper. However, it wasn't enough to completely chase off the nightmares.

Initially after the attack I was having nightmares every night. Lately, it's only been 2-3 times a week. I managed to stop screaming in my sleep, though I frequently still wake up in a cold sweat.

After one of those nights, I got up to wander the mansion to try and calm myself down. After a while of wandering, I ended up in my dad's lab.

"Good evening Alice." FRIDAY announced as I entered the lab, the lights coming on.

"Hey FRIDAY." I mumbled. I walked towards the display cases with several of my dad's Iron Man suits. Most of them looked pretty new.

I always forget how tall his suits are until I'm standing directly in front of one. My dad's only a couple of inches taller than me, but in his suit, he's at least a foot taller.

"FRIDAY, open the display cases." I announced, my voice just as tired as I was.

The glass separating me from his suits slid up until it was gone. I chose one of the suits, and gently pressed my hand against the power source in the middle of the chest. I closed my eyes, leaning forward until my head rested against the cold metal.

"I'm gonna be just like you dad. I promise."

As I walked away from the armor, the glass slid back down until it covered the display. I walked towards my dad's desk, plopping down in his giant office chair with one leg carelessly dangling off the side.

I admired my dad's lab, then glanced at his desk. A small flash drive laid next to the computer. I leaned forward, grabbing the flashdrive. My dad doesn't use flash drives.

I looked at the small metal flash drive and noticed that there was writing on it that had worn off. I held it closely under the light, and was able to make out what it said.

Alice Snow.

"Alice, It's 2:47 in the morning." FRIDAY's voice announced, sounding pretty concerned for an AI.

"I know, trust me." I told her. I felt around on my dad's desk until I found the sensor that lights up the whole desk and digital keyboard. I searched around until I found 2 circles, one within the other with a USB drive. I plugged it in, and the monitor came to life with one video on the drive.

I clicked on the video that grew to match the screen size. I immediately recognized my mother on the screen from the pictures my dad showed me growing up. I felt like I was snooping, but it was my name on the drive. So without a second thought, I hit play.

I fell back into my dad's chair, biting my nails anxiously like I did as a child.

In the intro she talked about her ex-boyfriend and how she was afraid of him. I felt hot anger fill me at the mention of that man, but I didn't let it stop me from focusing. I smiled when I heard the baby cooing in the background, and then at one point begin to cry. It was fun seeing a video of myself as a baby. I became glued to the screen as soon as she started talking about her pregnancy.

"Throughout my pregnancy, objects would randomly start moving, then drop. I didn't tell anyone because I feared for my daughter, and for myself. But when she was born, it all stopped. Tony, even though Alice is just a baby right now, I know she has such potential to make a difference in our world."

Several tears fell down my cheeks. Something about hearing my mother's voice was very familiar, and I knew right then that she would have wholeheartedly accepted my decision to become a hero.

So many questions came to light, leaving me even more confused. Then a thought hit me, stopping me dead.

Did my dad know about my abilities this whole time? He wouldn't have just left the flashdrive here unless he watched it recently.

I watched the video over and over again, but each time I just had more questions left unanswered. But the one thing I couldn't figure out, is what an infinity stone is.

.

.

.

After my eventful night, I crawled back into bed quietly to not wake up Sarah. It was nearly 5 by the time I made it back, and I laid their awake, staring at my ceiling.

I gave up after a couple of hours and got up. I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth, then threw on a pair of running shorts and a tee shirt. My hair was still soaking wet as I made my way to the kitchen to find some breakfast.

I ate a huge bowl of cereal knowing full well Natasha would disprove. So when I was done with my cereal, I grabbed an apple and walked to the front room.

The sunshine lit up the front room. The sun reflected off the ocean waves, creating its own light waves on the wall opposite me. I sat down on the couch and picked up my book to read while I ate my apple. After about an hour, Sarah finally came down the stairs.

"GOOD MORNING!" She yelled, way too excited to have just woken up. Her curly hair was a frizzy mess and she was still in her pajamas.

"Morning sleep head!" I laughed, setting down my book.

Sarah walked to the kitchen, just barely out of sight. She grabbed her own bowl and filled it with cereal, then came back to join me. "Why are you up so early?" She asked, sitting down on the loveseat next to me.

"It's 9!" I laughed. She glanced at the clock, and then laughed at herself.

"So, have you thought about what you're going to do for school yet?" She asked, her mouthful of cereal. My heart sank at the mention of school.

"Nope." I replied.

Stonewall Academy, the school I was going to would be continuing to offer online courses until the new building was built, though I hadn't decided whether I wanted to do online school.

"Well, you'll have to figure it out soon. We're going back to New York next week, and you'll only have a week before school starts." She explained as though I hadn't been thinking about this every day.

"Maybe I'll just drop out." I teased. Sarah stared at me.

"Yeah, I'm sure your dad would love that." She laughed, shoving another bite of cereal in her mouth. "What if you came to my school?" She suggested. I stared at her for a moment. I couldn't tell if she was being serious. 

"You live in Queens, I live 30 minutes away without traffic." I reminded her.

"I know, but just think about it. It may not be as bad as you think." She added. She leaned over to the coffee table and set her cereal bowl down.

"What school are you going to again?" I asked, reinstating eye contact.

"Midtown high school." She replied, then added with a smirk, "school of science and technology."

"Isn't that a public school?" I asked. I wasn't sure whether my dad would ever be down to send me to a public school. He wanted me to get the best education I could.

"Yup." She replied.

"Sarah, you know my dad would never let me go to a public school. I've gone to private schools my entire life." I reminded her. Part of me really did want to join her, though I couldn't get my hopes up.

"I know, but it'll be a good experience. Besides, you're only 15 and you already have a full ride scholarship to MIT. It's not like going to a public school will affect that." She reminded me. I nodded.

"Okay, fine." I said, leaning forwards with a smile on my face. "If you can convince my dad to let me go, I'll do it." I agreed.

Sarah leaned forward as well, a smirk making its way to her face. "Challenge accepted."