Iron Sparks

Chapter 22: K1

'Katy.'

...

'Katy?'

...

My eyes slowly begin to flutter open.  A few purple lights flash around me but apart from that all I see is darkness. I feel cold. My head is heavy and a dull ache in my body renders me motionless. I don't know where I am. I try to move but I realise I'm trapped, enclosed in some sort of container. My breathing quickens. I have to get out of here. I have to find my dad. 

'Katy?' A voice asks. I recognise it.

'SUNDAY?' 

'Yes Miss. Stark?' The British accent surrounds me but I do not know where it is coming from.

'What is happening?'

'We are in low power mode. The suit was damaged when you crash landed.'

'Suit? What suit?'

'You are currently in K1.' SUNDAY states as if that information is obvious. 

'Ok, SUNDAY, I need you to explain to me exactly what is going on. I don't know what K1 is. I don't know where I am. I don't remember anything after falling into the sea!' My breathing picks up and my chest tightens. Tears prick in the corner of my eyes. 

'Your heart rate is increasing.'

'That's because I'm panicking!' I shout. 'Just get me out of this thing.' The helmet comes off and I gasp for air. 

'To help you calm down, I suggest you name three things you can see.'

'How will that help?' I snap.

'It will help you understand your surroundings.' She says calmly.

'Fine. I see.. snow. I see... trees. I see this suit that looks like Iron Man but it has different colours.'

'Now three things you can hear.' 

'Cars. The wind in the trees. Your voice.'

'And finally, three things you feel.'

'I feel snowflakes melting on my nose. I feel... the lightning at my fingertips. I feel myself breathing normally again.' I relax a little. 'Thank you SUNDAY.'

'You're welcome Miss. Stark. Would you like to watch a replay of what happened when the house exploded?'

'Yes.' I nod in reply. The suit's helmet returns over my head and once again I'm succumbed in darkness. Gradually lights flicker on around me, blue and purple. They show my heartbeat and other random information. SUNDAY plays the video. 

I quickly realise it's from the suit's perspective. K1. It flies out of its container, surrounded by the other suits. It dodges the falling concrete and the explosions and zooms out of the collapsing house. It flies to the girl falling through the air. Me. I watch as my helpless self crashes into the sea. The suit dives after me and forms around my body. By this point I was barely conscious. It wraps itself around me, lifts me up and flies far away. It looks back at the house, broken and destroyed. I do not see Pepper. I do not see dad. The suit flies far away. The video ends. 

'SUNDAY?' I ask hesitantly. 'Where did you take me?'

'Tenesesse.'

'What?!' I scream. 'Why would we go there?'

'Mr. Stark said to create a flight plan to Tennessee. It was the only location in my records. K1 is not completed. This suit was supposed to be a Christmas present from Mr. Stark to you... Happy Christmas Katy'.