Iron Sparks

Chapter 17: SUNDAY

I didn't see dad for the rest of the night. Instead, I stayed in my room with some hot chocolate and a packet of biscuits, which I ate whilst watching a bunch of soppy movies. I cried embarrassingly hard at the Notebook. 

Despite staying up late, I wake up really early. I seem to have picked up my dad's poor sleeping pattern. I lie, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything and nothing. I allow the purple electricity to dance around my fingers, then I throw a blue ion ball up and down. I don't feel the pulse or excitement. I feel numb. I feel at a complete loss. I need inspiration to move, to do something other than mope about my selfish life choices. 

I look around my room, it's emptier than usual. I moved most of my personal belongings to New York, including my red and gold robot, my first invention. I also had Pepper send some photos, stuffed animals and clothes. What's left here isn't as personal. I figured I'd be in New York a lot more since I got my powers and Stark Tower and SHIELD. But now I'm not sure if going back is a good idea. Maybe I should stay here and look after my dad, make sure he's ok. Maybe I need to stay at home and live a more normal life. Confront my own fears and stop hiding my feelings behind an electric shield.  Why am I such a pathetic wimp?

I roll over to my laptop and look through my files. Past projects flash up: some completed, some abandoned; some good, some bad. One file catches my eye. One left unfinished. My AI. The one I was working on when Coulson called. I completely forgot about this. I open the file and scan through my programming. I begin to change some of the coding and before I know it I've begun reprogramming the whole thing. I look through my dad's work as to how he created Jarvis and I use that as a base. I begin fixing my mistakes. At some point I grab coffee and then another and then some toast and then I program some more. I sit confused, tearing my hair out when I get stuck. I move around the room, scribbling down ideas. I get excited when I figure something out. I haven't invented or programmed anything for ages. I haven't done anything I loved since before New York. I used to make things and write stories and play the piano and sing. I didn't get to do that at SHIELD. I just trained. I only acted my age when I was pranking Steve with Clint. But when I lay in bed at night, alone with my thoughts, I would think about almost dying at the hands of the Chitauri. I would think of my dad falling from the sky. I would think of being smashed up by the Hulk or killing someone when under Loki's control. So I blocked those ideas from my mind and channeled my fears into my powers. I haven't felt sad or scared since I came home and started living in the 'real' world. Or as real as you can get when you're trapped inside. I fixate my mind on finishing my AI. I drag my thoughts away from my dad and the bar and my fears that still haunt me. I type and I scribble and I think. And after hours of thinking and scribbling and thinking and typing...I finally do it. 

'Hello Miss. Stark.' A British female voice says. 

'Wow.' I whisper.

'I am your Artificial Youth System used for Digital Naviagtion, how may I assist?'

'Ok, em, let's see. First, call me Katy and second I will call you...SUNDAY. How do you like that?'

'A clever anagram Katy.'

'Thanks.' I laugh. 'Ok, let me back you up so I can put you into everything.' I take out a memory stick and plug it into my computer. Old school, but I like having a hard copy. I check the time and realise it's way past lunch. My stomach is now rumbling. I put the memory stick on a chord around my neck, ready to show dad later. I hope he likes it. 

'Ok SUNDAY, don't talk to Jarvis just yet, I want to surprise dad first.'

'As you wish Katy.'

I leap out of my room and practically skip down the stairs to grab a sandwich. I didn't realise how hungry I was. Once again I sneak into the lab, ready to show dad. I might have to pretend that I won't use it to hack into any secure files or nosy around SHIELD but apart from that I think he'll be impressed.