Iron Man [Book 2]

Replacement

After stopping at the factory, we were taken to Stark's home. Pepper was the only one with her own apartment, so Stark let Rachel and I have a spare room.

I was in the living room, standing by the window and staring out it, with the two women, while Stark was in his lab. Pepper was watching a television show called 'Mad Money,' and the host was basically slandering Stark and his company.

"So," Rachel spoke, looking at what was called a tablet. "Tell us something about you, Miss Barns."

Pepper turned the volume down and turned to me, just as curious as Rachel. I stared at them, planning to give as less information about myself as possible.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Anything," Rachel continued. "Where you're from, what you do for a living."

"How you got in that cave?" Pepper piped up.

I looked at the ground. I was hoping they wouldn't ask that.

"It's a long story," I began. "And I just met you a few hours ago."

They nodded.

"That's fair," Pepper replied.

"Then just tell us something that you're okay with us knowing," Rachel told me.

I pursed my lips, wondering what I could tell them.

"Well," I started. "You already know my name. I'm from Brooklyn, and I trained to be a nurse."

"That could come in handy when Mr. Stark gets hurt," Pepper joked, smiling. "Where did you learn nursing?"

Before I could answer, a voice began to speak out of nowhere, causing me to go into an attack position.

"Lily Barns. Born February 18, 1918. Graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Went to University College of London, and Graduated in 1942. Died in 1945."

I looked around, searching for the source of the voice. Rachel and Pepper were looking at the ceiling, before looking at me with wide eyes.

"What was that?" I asked, looking around the room.

"That would be me, madam."

I turned in a circle, before turning to the other two in the room.

"Was that you?" I asked them.

They shook their heads.

"I am Jarvis, Mr. Stark's virtual assistant."

"Where are you?"

"I am everywhere. I'm a computer program that Mr. Stark designed."

I nodded.

"Is it true?"

I turned to the women, and saw that they were still staring in disbelief. I was about to ask what Pepper meant, but then I remembered what Jarvis told them about me. I sighed, placing my head in my hands.

"My apologies, Miss Barns."

I waved it off, and nodded.

"It's true." I answered.

Their eyes widened more.

"But how?" Rachel asked. "Jarvis said that you died in 1945. How is that possible?"

Knowing that they would ask until I told them, I decided to tell, and just cut out the middle man.

"I'm immortal."

With that, I explained everything. I told them that my brother and our friends took me to the Grand Canyon for my sixteenth birthday. I told them I was told that I had fallen in the Canyon, somehow survived the fall, and got amnesia.