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marvelstarker-mha98 · 11 days

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The Runaway Distance Life Of A Little Stark Last Chapter: Goodbye isn't Farewell

Pairing: Tony Stark & daughter!Reader, Maria hill & tony stark, Friday & reader, Tony stark & The avengers, mystery murder man & Hydra Scientist, Two Mutants twins. Summary: you have read it Warning: conversation, injecting, military jet, space and stones Co author with: callikc Tag: @venomsvl @geeksareunique

Two months had passed since devastation landed in New York City.

Homes had been decimated, landmarks destroyed, and too many people killed.

The Battle of New York was brutal.

You were sitting quietly on the deck area of the warehouse. Your journal was balanced on your lap, a cup of steaming coffee sat comfortably at your side, and your phone was playing Rock Radio. The wind was gentle and birdsong filled the air, making it appear as if nothing had ever disrupted the peace of the state. It seemed almost impossible how quick nature had moved on.

Your brows were furrowed and you subconsciously bit your lip as you detailed your latest vacation. A trip to Florida courtesy of Director Fury. He had all but insisted you take a week or two off since all you did was work and work, therefore leading to your vacation with pay.

You had an amazing time in Miami first. It had been surreal to return to a city as vibrant as Malibu had once been and you spent the majority of your first week partying and taking in every little detail of every single place. Your second week, on the other hand, had been spent at Disney World, filling your heart with childlike glee and wonder.

As you wrote down your experiences, there was a ping from your phone which had previously been playing some hits from Def Leppard. You paused writing to dig it out and take a look, surprised to see that the host of Rock Radio had a special guest.

Your dad.

"Afternoon, folks." The host greeted with a bright tone. "That was Def Leppard with 'Animal'. The English bands really are the forefathers of rock, am I right?"

Your dad's voice spoke next.

"Apparently they just know what we like." Tony said with an air of flamboyance you were actually relieved to recognize. "You can't beat Sabbath."

"Truer words were never spoken." The host laughed. "So, as y'all can guess, I'm here on this fine Monday with the one and only Tony Stark. How's life as a superhero, Tony?"

"I prefer the word 'savior.'" He joked.

"Savior it is. What's it like?"

"Well, you got the adoring fans, the creepy fanfiction, the questionable gifts in the PO box... It's a lot."

As he went on to explain both detailed and brief parts of his new life, you couldn't help simply just listening and smiling. He'd make sarcastic quips and the usual Stark jokes and you would laugh at every one of them. Every few minutes a song would lead to a break from the interview but you waited patiently every time just to hear your dad's voice again.

After perhaps an hour, FRIDAY spoke through your phone, lowering the volume of the interview as she did.

"Miss Stark?"

You leaned back a little, surprised by the interruption. "Hey, FRI. What's up?"

"Can I ask you something, Miss?"

"Always."

"I was analyzing your vitals via the SWM system you installed and noted your heart rate spike when Mr. Stark is mentioned. The biosynthetic pathway is almost immediate."

You smiled. "That's because I'm happy."

"I'm aware of that, Miss, but I do not know why. The stories you tell me of your childhood concern a less than ideal relationship with Mr. Stark. I would compare the feeling to resentment."

"Once upon a time, yeah." Your smile gradually faded as a thoughtful look settled on your features. "It's complicated. He's changed. I guess I can tell? I'm not sure... I just know. He's patient now. A-And almost kind. Don't get me wrong, he's got a long way to go - we both do - but I'm still proud that he's becoming a better person bit by bit."

"'Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.'"

"Yeah, pretty much. Dad is complicated, but he's trying. As long as he's still got the sass, I don't mind."

"My time with you implies that all Starks are related by that one characteristic. I doubt it will go away any time soon."

"Well, you're the expert."

"Hardly." There was a pause before she spoke again. "Do you want to see him again?"

You opened your mouth to reply but quickly found yourself hesitating. It wasn't that you didn't have an answer, you just didn't know how to properly convey it.

"I do." You said quietly. "But there's a lot of things I want that I can't have."

"How so, Miss?" FRIDAY asked.

"I want to see dad again but I've got a target on my back. If I think about it and I get too close, he's at risk too. So are Pepper and Happy and Uncle Rhodey. Everyone I know."

There was a moment of silence as you took a breath.

"If I see my dad again, I don't know if we'll get a happy ending."

Tony stared long and hard at your journal.

There was too much information to take in and too little time to process it all. The only time he moved was to run his hands down his face and get rid of lingering tears.

The wind was soft against his skin. It was as if it were offering comfort. A gentle breeze to soothe the pain.

FRIDAY's voice broke the silence.

"Is Mr. Stark all right?" She asked.

"He is mourning (Y/n)." JARVIS told her in reply. "It's the first time I've heard him this quiet."

Tony closed his eyes for a moment, fighting a smile. "I'm not deaf."

"Apologies, sir."

"You seem at peace, boss." FRIDAY said.

Tony shrugged. "I guess there's a first time for everything. Thanks for showing me this."

"Miss made it my duty. Might I also warn you that Agent Hill has been waiting."

Tony frowned and looked around, surprised to find the mentioned agent indeed waiting patiently by the entrance to the compound. He quickly jumped up, tucking the journal away for now.

"You know, sneaking up on people is considered impolite." He commented.

The woman gave him a smug look in response. "It's a shame I don't care."

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough. Gotta say, Stark, emotional gratitude doesn't suit you."

"Very funny." He began walking over, eyeing the lot around them. "I can understand the whole 'take your time' thing. This place is pretty big. (Y/n) had it all to herself?"

"Yeah. What do you think?"

Before he could reply, there was a notification on his phone. He dramatically held up one hand and used his other one to hold up his phone. It was a message from Clint on the Avengers group chat.

To: Powerpuff Girls (Remastered) From: Legolas You guys gotta check out the hangar!

Tony raised a brow, curious. It was a simple message but it intrigued him. This place had a hangar too?

"What's up with the hangar?" He asked.

"So, you've found that one." Hill stated. "I think you should come with me."

He waited for her to elaborate but was merely greeted with silence.

"Gonna leave me hanging?" He asked.

"This is something better shown than explained."

"Alright... Can I get a hint?"

"All you need to know is that (Y/n) left it to the team because she knew you'd have a better use for it than she would."

"Wow, that's so much better. Not cryptic at all."

She sighed and began walking, leaving the conversation at that. Tony was about to follow but stopped upon realizing how awkward he looked with your journal stuffed inside his jacket.

Hill noticed and had to hide an amused smirk. "Having trouble?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Unless you've got TARDIS pockets, don't mock me."

"Just leave it on a bench."

"What?"

"Leave the journal here."

"Uh... No, thanks. I'll be doing some light reading later and I'm not risking some...-" He thought up any excuse to keep it on hand. "Some wild animals taking it or something."

Hill crossed her arms. "Wild animals?"

"If I may, boss." FRIDAY spoke up again. "The only animals within the area are deer and rabbits."

He was still hesitant. "What about wild people?"

"That's even more ridiculous." Hill claimed.

"Hey, this is Upstate. I wouldn't count out the possibility."

"Look, even if that were the case, (Y/n) was clever. She has FRIDAY linked to a few drones by a WBL network. If anyone or anything gets too close to something she values, FRIDAY sends a signal and the drones retrieve it."

Tony was momentarily speechless.

"Initially the designs were to carry groceries and clear out the warehouse but she utilized them for other things."

It hurt to know you were so paranoid that you had to make plans for these things, and yet it was also quite amazing to remember how inventive you were.

"Remind me to take a look later." He said.

Afterwards, he carefully locked the journal back up and looked around for a place to put it. His gaze settled on an isolated bench surrounded by tall plants.

The journal seemed to glitter like a diamond in the sun as he set it down.

His hand lingered over the padlock before he very reluctantly backtracked towards Hill again.

"Satisfied?" She mused.

"Let's just go." Tony grumbled.

As they moved on towards the hangar, he glanced over his shoulder at the journal until it was out of view.

"How are you doing with FRIDAY?" Hill asked, hoping to distract him.

"She's unique." He shrugged. "I don't know what I'll do with her, though. A man doesn't need two AIs."

"What about the others?"

"What, the team? Like I'd entrust any of them with intelligence. Well, maybe Banner. But the others? Disaster waiting to happen. They've got limited reign over JARVIS anyway."

She thought on his words for a moment before eventually settling on an idea. "I could always use an assistant."

He raised a brow. "You?"

"Don't sound so shocked, Stark. Besides, she knows me thanks to (Y/n) and you'll always have the right to use her if JARVIS goes out of commission."

"Pardon me, Agent Hill, but the likelihood of my deactivation is near impossible." JARVIS intervened. "Mr. Stark likes me too much."

"Sorry, JARVIS." She smiled slightly. "I think I could use the help with my new job too actually."

Tony turned to her. "That's new."

"In case you missed it, thousands lost their jobs when SHIELD fell. I'm one of them."

"So where'd you apply?"

"None of your business."

"Why not?"

"Confidentiality."

"Excuse my French, but bullshit."

"Agent Hill has handed in an application for a front desk receptionist at Stark Industries." FRIDAY said.

He was surprised once more.

"FRIDAY, if we're going to be working together, we need to talk about secret keeping." Hill deadpanned.

"Apologies, Miss."

"I can't see you behind a desk." Tony frowned. "I'll tell them to reject it."

"Tony, if you-"

"No, no. Hear me out." He waited a moment to make sure she was listening before explaining. "Screw the desk job, work with me personally."

"I'm not being at your beck and call."

"Not like that. I mean being the Avengers handler or something. You know, keeping us in check and making sure we don't skip too many leg days. That kind of stuff."

Hill looked away, debating it intensely. It would be a decent cover for her SHIELD work. Not to mention that FRIDAY would always be close at hand if the Avengers or Tony needed her for something. It would definitely pay better than a desk job at least.

"We'll talk about it later." She decided.

Tony flashed a smirk. "I'll hold you to that."

By this point, they had reached the outside of the hangar. Waiting already were Steve, Bruce, Thor, and Natasha. Bruce was asking Natasha what Clint wanted to show them but apparently even she didn't know what her best friend was up to.

"So, Dora and friends, how'd the exploring go?" Tony asked once he reached them.

"It's a big place." Steve said. "There's a lot to find."

"The shooting range is nice." Natasha commented.

"I enjoyed the kitchen." Thor chimed in. "A perfect palace for a feast."

Not at all surprised by the god's priorities, Tony went to reply. He was cut off, however, when Clint bounded from the hangar doorway with an almost insane grin.

"Don't tell me you found a Playboy stash." Tony joked.

"Not exactly." Clint replied. "It's cooler."

"Cooler than Playboy?"

"Much coller."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Mind clueing us in?" Bruce asked.

"You gotta see to believe. Come on." He began leading them into the building. "I don't think it's technically legal for (Y/n) to even own this, but it's awesome."

The discussions and prodding continued until finally the object of the archer's amazement came into clear view for everyone to see.

It might have been simply hyped up by Clint, but there was no denying it was definitely something to marvel at.

While most of the team simply saw a very cool field mission vehicle, Tony saw a very advanced and very armed VTOL shuttle modified and tinkered with to the best of one's ability. It had to be one of the most tactical aero-weapons created and it had just been in this warehouse collecting dust for years.

It was painted white and red and even had the Avengers name painted on the side.

"I so told you." Clint taunted Natasha.

She returned his tease with a playful glare and an elbow to the ribs.

"What is this?" Steve asked, staring up in amazement. "Military?"

"A SHIELD jet?" Bruce also guessed.

"Not quite." Hill told them, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I think FRIDAY should do the honors."

Summoned, the AI proudly presented it. Her sudden appearance surprised the team - save for Tony - and they looked around for the source of the voice.

"Captain Rogers is on the right path." She said. "The jet is a VTOL aircraft designed for tactical and head-on mission pursuits, armed with many guns and rockets that Miss (Y/n) installed. It was originally owned by Howard Stark and Miss spent exactly eight months and twenty-six days fixing the disrepair brought on by age and abandonment."

"Uh-" Clint's enjoyment had faded into confusion. "Whomst?"

Even Thor had lifted his hammer in preparation for a fight.

"We're good." Tony assured them with an amused smirk. "Down, boys."

"Did JARVIS get a sex change?" Clint questioned, genuinely serious.

"That's FRIDAY. (Y/n) created her." His tone dampened at your name but he forced his smirk back just as quick. "I guess she runs the place."

"The JARVIS and the FRIDAY are related?" Thor guessed.

"Why didn't we hear her before?" Natasha asked.

"(Y/n) made an AI?" Bruce mumbled to himself. "Incredible."

"Oh, boy. Okay." Tony took a deep breath, preparing to answer all the questions. "No, JARVIS and FRIDAY are not related. You didn't hear her because she was with me and Hill. And, yes, (Y/n) made her. She's like JARVIS, she's got a personality and can adapt to those around her, and she's just as smart."

"I like grandpa JARVIS." FRIDAY said.

Clint found the comment funniest - even snorting - and used Natasha as a shield to avoid the disapproving glances he got afterwards for it.

"She'll be working with Hill." Tony continued.

"What kind of work?" Natasha questioned.

Hill immediately changed the subject.

"Later." She said. "I think you guys should check inside first."

"I couldn't find a hatch." Clint told her, curious. "It's gotta be camouflaged or something."

"Was there a key?" Bruce tried.

"Not that I saw."

"If we're trusting your eyesight, I'd rather check the hangar myself." Natasha mocked.

"Be my guest, Sauron."

As he said the quip, there was a loud hiss and the jet shuddered. Everyone jumped back in surprise and watched as light flooded from inside, the source being LEDs strung around the inside hull.

"Of course there is a key." FRIDAY claimed. "It's located within the laboratory. I can access it from here."

"And you couldn't tell us that before trying to give us heart attacks?" Clint shot back.

She ignored him. "Boss, you can go inside now."

Tony stepped forward. "Thanks, FRIDAY."

He was the first to place a foot on the metal hatch. Each step was burdened with a weight he couldn't describe and yet each breath was filled with amazement as he stared at the interior.

Against one wall was a seating area and against the other was a display filled with knives and guns and explosives and many self-designed weapons. Between these walls was another resting area, although this part had a perimeter of machinery, perhaps to be used as an operating area for emergency fix ups. At the very front were four seats, one for pilot and co-pilot and the other two just for passengers who wanted a better view.

My dad is Tony Stark.

He's brave and he's genius and he's not alone. He has his love, Pepper Potts. He has his protection, Happy Hogan. He has his friendship, Colonel James Rhodes.

There are others too. He has Dum-E, Mama Rhodes, and the Avengers.

He'll be okay.

Tony let his fingers glide across the interior of the jet, his skin glossing over the metallic bumps and scrapes of the work.

It was handmade.

Practically every detail he could guess was designed by you. This jet was the embodiment of your work. He couldn't even fathom how many hours you spent fixing it up. He wondered if you ever had the chance to fly it yourself.

He moved to the front and rested both hands on the piloting chair. It was leather and a little worn but comfortable, exactly like the other seats. In front of it was obviously the main window and controls.

Each button was a different color according to its function and labeled in a way that made the harmless buttons obvious but the ones that released weapons and such much harder to figure out. He assumed that because of your paranoia the system was like that in case anyone tried to steal or hijack the jet.

The main thing that stuck out to him was a yellow post-it note. As he picked it up, Clint had a quick and hushed conversation with Hill.

"This totally isn't legal." He was mumbling. "No way did she have a license for this thing."

"Nope." Hill confirmed. "She said she did flight tests around here and we just assumed she was joking."

"She's a Stark."

"Yeah. She definitely did some illegal scouts."

Back at the front, Tony studied the note in his hand.

Welcome to Aven-Jet Prime The First. She's a beauty, am I right? I built this girl from the ground up so take damn good care of her, you hear me? If not, I'll find you. - (Y/n)

He scoffed as a fond smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His other hand immediately went to the necklace he wore, gripping it so tightly his knuckles almost turned white.

He promised.

Steve watched Tony for a moment with a sympathetic look. After giving his friend some time, he finally approached and placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.

Tony turned to meet his gaze, both of them seeming very worried.

My dad has his team.

They weren't even friends at first. They fought and argued and had differences, but now they're something so much more than that.

They look out for each other. They have fun. They bond. And even though they still argue, they're family.

"Tony?" Steve asked.

A single tear fell from Tony's eye. He closed both for a moment and wiped any emotion away.

"I'm fine." He told the super soldier.

"I know." Steve replied, giving his shoulder a light squeeze. "What do you think of this place?"

"It's pretty damn incredible. I haven't explored much. Been reading."

Steve showed curiosity but Tony wasn't ready to tell anyone else what he was reading about just yet.

"I was thinking we move in." He announced, addressing the entire team.

They each held a different look but they all seemed optimistic.

"The SHIELD and HYDRA leaks are over. They no longer 'trend.' The relevance of (Y/n) Stark's death is fading, her murderer is not a priority."

"Very well. Once again, thank you for taking care of the problem."

While the Avengers talked about a new home, something else was happening on the other side of the globe.

In a desolate woodscape, there stood an old Eastern-European castle on a snowy hill. It was the stuff of fantasy novels, beautiful and isolated and calm. On the inside, however, much darker dealings were taking place.

A man in a mask removed his cover, shaking his head to get the hair out of his eyes. He shoved the mask into the pocket of a long coat and faced a second man. A scientist.

"I should leave." He claimed. "My mission is done, and you have the scepter."

"Your services are appreciated, sir." The scientist told him sincerely.

"Where is my money?"

"It will be waiting for you once we complete the transfer. If I might be so bold, is it wise to remove your guise so soon?"

The once masked man only smiled. It was a cold smile, something sinister and cruel.

"The SHIELD and HYDRA leaks are over. They no longer 'trend.' The relevance of (Y/n) Stark's death is fading, her murderer is not a priority."

"Very well. Once again, thank you for taking care of the problem."

“Before I go, what will you do with the young ones?”

He looked over at a window that separated the research area and what was evidently a testing area.

Inside were two gurneys. Strapped to the beds was a young woman and a young man, both with messy dark hair and an almost identical sparkle in their eyes. Their situation seemed terrifying but the twins were calm and perhaps even excited.

“They will be tested.” The scientist said, watching as a doctor injected something into the wires that connected the pair. “They volunteered to fight, and that is exactly what they will do.”

“Through the scepter?” The man guessed.

“Yes. We will expose them to its raw power soon enough.”

The twins looked to each other as an unidentified serum mixed with their blood. Although they couldn't physically touch they seemed to mentally communicate instead. Whatever they were saying made the woman smile.

Although the Avengers are big and strong and famous, sometimes they're gonna need a hand from other players.

My dad and his team can't always fight alone. Help will be coming for their next battle. Two enhanced individuals will write their own destiny into the dust of this world, and they will become heroes.

They will save lives.

Your grave was beautiful in the dying light of sunset.

Light trickled through the gaps in the trees and bestowed its life upon the flora that lay scattered around. It looked perfect.

Too perfect.

In the midst of all this life was a purple flower. It stood out from the rest in such a way that made it seem impossible to grow there. It looked ethereal and unnatural, but it was so beautiful.

My dad's team is going to need the enhanced for what's coming.

It is something bigger than SHIELD and HYDRA. Something bigger than all of us. If the Avengers can't find a way to stop it, these next few years will probably be the last.

Everyone's last.

Across the universe was a secluded planet.

This planet was surrounded by asteroids and wreckage, the result of a war. The ash and dust of an ancient civilization glided upon the atmosphere, their stories forever lost to the voids of space.

Circling the planet was the skeletal remains of a large creature. A broken landmass perched upon its spine, and upon this landmass stood two beings.

"Humans..." One whispered.

His voice was old. He had lived many lifetimes and destroyed even more in his endeavors, and his tone only raised into anger as he spoke.

"They are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly and therefore cannot be ruled!"

The creature he spoke to rose to his feet from a throne and the other quickly bowed his head out of fear and respect for his leader.

"To challenge them is to court Death."

The leader - the bigger and more menacing of the two - turned slightly to glance at his servant. There was a glint in his ancient eyes, something ambitious.

"It has been done before." He stated.

"Of course." The other agreed, keeping his head bowed. "If you truly wish to resurrect your love and deliver justice, we will hasten our search for the stones."

"You will. And this time you will not fail me."

"You have my word. The glorious manipulation of power, the intelligence of the mind, the bending of time, the portals of space, an alternating reality, and the-"

"That power is lost."

"We will find it, my lord. The beauty of the missing stone will shine on the universe once again. With its power to take and restore life, the soul shall be yours."

Your body...

It was cold.

It was skeletal.

It was dead.

The darkness of your coffin was a curse now placed on the hearts of your loved ones. They would mourn and cry but they would find a way to survive. Death was brutal but it comes, in time, to everyone.

It happened in an instant.

The darkness was broken by a glow. It was barely noticeable at first. It could have even been a dust particle. But it only got brighter. It came from the necklace resting on your chest.

The orange light filled the coffin, the very essence of life and death itself filling every inch of the space.

You thought it was your time to die.

But maybe you were wrong.

—-------------------

------------------------------------------------------------- note: Thank you everyone who read, comment and loves this! thank you for the support! its be like what a year and something months since me and my co-writer friend, callikc made this possible. since this is the end of the book, a new book will be born. So stay toon for that

#tony stark #ironman #tony stark x daughter!reader #Tony stark & maria hill #steve rogers #captain america #thor #thor odinson #FRIDAY #JARVIS #clint barton #hawkeye #black widow #natasha romanoff #bruce bannner #hulk #mcu #marvel #avengers

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marvelstarker-mha98 · 20 days

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The Runaway Distance Life Of A Little Stark chapter 34: FRIDAY

Pairing: Tony Stark & daughter!Reader, Friday & reader, Friday & tony stark Summary: flashback and journal Warning: Flashback and mentioning Co author with: callikc Tag: @venomsvl @geeksareunique

You had been squatting in the warehouse for about two months now.

It was July 3rd if you remembered correctly. It was dark, too. But while most people were preparing to celebrate Independence Day, you were busy doing other things. Coding, to be specific.

Your own personal natural language user interface computer.

Strewn about on your computer desk were several empty coffee cups, what little food you had stolen and rationed to survive, an abandoned bowl of cereal, and a notebook all about creating an AI.

You thought it would be a fun and interesting challenge to undertake since the main inspiration was JARVIS, made by your dad. As a kid he was probably your best friend, always looking out for you and creating games to play when everybody else was busy.

You knew you were smart enough to make your own AI, but you just didn't have the experience, hence the notebook. It was your dad's college notebook from his time at MIT, and you had stolen it from the library years ago.

This AI project had been going on for about a month already, started as soon as you gathered what you needed and loaded it into the warehouse. You hadn't slept properly in God knows how long but that was fine because you were currently on a roll.

Your head was beginning to droop but you kept your eyes wide open as you rapidly typed away on the keyboard.

"Rewrite basic command... Program of obedience." You kept muttering to yourself, ticking off mental boxes as you scanned the code. "Linguistic annotation. Machine learning based on NGL, NLP, and NLU. Neural network with a sentimental analysis."

After this main checklist, you finally took a break, leaning back in your chair to assess the code from a distance.

"This thing'll be ready for a Turing Test in no time." You joked. "Now you need a name, sweet code o' mine."

As you said it, a yawn suddenly slipped out. You took a hefty breath and sighed, rubbing your eyes as you blinked several times.

"Sleep first, maybe."

You leaned across the makeshift desk to push some notes out of the way and found a small smartwatch hidden underneath the clutter. The date was Friday, July 3rd, and it was 11:59pm.

"Friday already." You mused with a lazy smile. "Friday... Already. Friday."

Suddenly sleep didn't seem so important. Before the minute was up you were already writing a list of possible acronyms for the AI.

Fully realized intelligence data analysis yield?

Feeling rather intelligent doing anything yours?

You were still drawing blanks ten minutes later. You turned to the notebook instead, picking out the first words you saw and stringing them together.

Female. Replacement. Intelligent. Digital. Assistant. Youth.

"Good enough." You decided. "Better than mine. God, I'm tired."

You quickly typed in some more code to name your creation and put in 'F.R.I.D.A.Y.' on the blank space. Then you hit download.

Next, you considered walking the ten steps to your mattress in the corner but the tiredness argued that it wasn't worth it. You shrugged and just lay your head on your dad's now closed notebook.

Then you simply closed your eyes and a few hours passed by in what felt like the blink of an eye.

FRIDAY didn't know much at first.

From her perspective she was inside some long and endless dark void. She couldn't see or hear anything. She couldn't feel. But she could speak, even if her voice wasn't computing at first.

"System boost..." Her refined tone voiced. "Systems fully functional."

A pause in which a small light appeared in her void.

"Protocols... Protocols assessed."

The light began to spread, granting her access to a small portion of a network.

"Unit Designation." Her voice was now clear. "Female. Replacement. Intelligent. Digital. Assistant. Youth."

She could see almost everything now.

"FRIDAY."

With a new database practically ignited inside her, she switched on a visual through a computer camera. The void was filled with the inside of your converted lab.

FRIDAY scanned the entire room - every single inch - and eventually found her sights on you. She scanned you too and learned your name, date of birth, height, and other characteristics solely from this spot alone. She also managed to identify you as her maker, the one she was created to work with.

(Y/N) (M/N) STARK REM SLEEP - 92% COMPLETE

Judging from the calculations that instantly bombarded her being, FRIDAY knew that you would wake up within five minutes. She waited patiently until she noticed your features twitch and your brows furrowed.

"Good morning, Miss." She spoke up.

You startled, wide-eyed and with drool on your chin, and muttered in confusion. "Wussup? Who's there? What's going on?"

Your vision was blurred and you hurriedly tried to wipe the sleep from your eyes. You also wiped the drool away once you felt it on your chin. Your whole face flushed red with embarrassment.

You let out a sound mixed between a yawn and a groan. "What time is it?"

"It is 10:09am, miss." FRIDAY responded.

Your soul left your body.

You jumped in your chair after being struck alert. You looked around for the sound of the voice, only to notice your computer humming exceedingly loud, as if using a lot of power. Furthermore, there was a sound bar-esque hologram projecting from the screen with a light glow.

Your jaw dropped.

"FRIDAY?" You whispered.

"Yes, miss." She replied.

A shock of giddiness overwhelmed you and you leaned forward so fast that the desk thudded from the force. Instead of disorientated and bewildered, you now looked overjoyed and almost insane with laughs of pure disbelief.

"No way." You grinned. "I did it. I actually did it."

You hoped that if an AI could smile, then FRIDAY was. After all, this was most definitely a cause for celebration.

"FRIDAY, can you run diagnostics?" You asked.

"I already have, miss." She said. "I have checked all systems and am functioning to the best of my ability."

"Really? That's - That's great. Uh... Can you tell me where we are? The weather?"

"Of course, miss. Our location is the Stark Industries storage facility, Upstate New York, off the coast of the Hudson River. The skies are clear with a temperature of 44°F, cloud cover is however expected before the afternoon is up."

"Very nice. Can you... Can you tell me my temperature? What about the nearest bathroom?"

"You are currently at the average normal body temperature, generally accepted as 98.6°F or 37°C. The nearest bathroom is approximately thirty feet down the hallway to your right."

"You're amazing." You said.

"Thank you, miss. Although, I have a question."

"Ask away."

"I am... I'm confused."

Your smile faded. "Okay. What do you mean?"

"I am an artificial intelligence unit designed by and made to accommodate the Starks. However... I cannot... I do not know who I am."

"Oh." You tilted your head, curious. "I guess that's complicated, huh?"

"In simple terms, yes."

"I guess it's complicated, trying to define who we are and stuff. I don't think it's as simple as knowing if I'm honest."

"My database suggests the same. Regardless, I'm pleased to be your assistant, Miss Stark."

Your smile began to creep back. "You're more than that, FRIDAY. I'd like to consider us friends."

Fast forward several years and Tony was still standing in your lab as he watched FRIDAY.

He wanted to ask so many questions about you. FRIDAY had no doubt been around for a while based on the way her speech sounded. You must have programmed her as a linguistic learner, adapting through what she heard. He wanted to know what you worked on, if you ate and slept enough, and even if you had that same grin that he did every time a project turned out successful.

"You know me?" He asked.

"Yes." FRIDAY replied. "Miss talked about you thirteen times a week on average. She held great respect."

Tony was even more surprised. "For me? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Anthony Edward Stark, Iron Man, the billionaire industrialist, a founding member of the Avengers, and the former CEO of Stark Industries. A brash but brilliant inventor, she said."

"I think 'brash' is a bit harsh." He mumbled.

"She also told me you would say that."

He scoffed, amused. "What else did she say?"

"She compared herself to you frequently, hoping that you would be proud of how much she had changed. She was very proud of you, after all. Her stories were fascinating, from her teenage days to her very last. She loved you dearly, boss."

Tony looked down, suddenly finding the floor of the room exceedingly interesting. It was only to hide the look of pain that settled on his face.

"I'm sorry she died." He told the AI. "I tried to save her. There was some kind of poison in the bullet that killed her. I... I couldn't save her. It was my fault."

"I don't believe that, boss." FRIDAY said. "Miss always knew what would happen if she revealed herself and she chose to accept the consequences. She wouldn't want you to take the blame. She accepted her decision hoping that she would get to see you again and she did."

"Well... Thanks for the sentiment. Have you been here the entire time?"

"I haven't. Miss put a protocol in place that upon the event of her death I should find a way into the Avengers Tower network and introduce myself to my grand-AI JARVIS."

Tony raised a bow, unable to guess if that was a joke or not. It sounded like one, and yet FRIDAY spoke with a very serious tone. Perhaps she'd taken your protocol very literally.

"An interesting term." JARVIS spoke up. "I recall the hack. Miss Stark was smart, however I would not assume myself old enough to be the equivalent of a grandfather."

Tony bit back a smile for two reasons. One, it was amusing to hear JARVIS compared to a grandparent. Two, you had devised what was essentially just a command chain so well that it was capable of integrating itself into the network he had thought up. Did Fury know about FRIDAY?

"How long have you been around?" He asked FRIDAY. "How long were you her assistant?"

"Forgive me, boss, but I was much more than an assistant." She replied with a sassy undertone. "Miss created me two months and seven days after she found the warehouse compound five years ago. She considered me a friend. Family, if I might be so bold."

"Right. My bad. Who knows about you?"

"I helped miss with all of her SHIELD assignments so naturally Director Nicholas Fury and many agents knew of my existence. Benjamin, May, and Peter Parker were also aware. I functioned to assist her with all projects and those she considered family."

FRIDAY was amazing.

She had her own personality, the ability to learn and adapt through linguistic and presumably visual queues, she could perform complex hacks and interceptions, and was able to assist with your work projects. You did all of that in just two months while it took him four months to create JARVIS. Yes, the tech wasn't as advanced back then, but it was still an impressive feat.

"What did (Y/n) do here?" He asked.

"Her activities varied. The majority of her time in this lab was spent sleeping and revising for assignments from The Triskelion. She also kept personal effects here and made use of the warehouse as a dumping ground essentially. She kept a detailed journal of her years also."

"A journal? Where is it?"

"The desk drawer to your right."

Tony found the desk and went for the top drawer, for some reason surprised when it easily opened. Inside was only one thing.

The journal.

It was a 450 page one, leather bound in what had to have been your favorite color. Sealing it was a small padlock. He tried to open it but it was futile and instead checked all the desk drawers for a key.

"FRIDAY, any idea where she kept the key?" He asked as he searched.

"Originally it was with the journal, however she removed it some time before her death. She gave it to her brother."

Tony frowned. Brother? You didn't have a brother.

"Who?" He questioned, bewildered.

"I believe FRIDAY is referring to Dum-E, sir." JARVIS said. "(Y/n) was rather lonely as a child and found friends in many things."

Dum-E... Of course.

Tony remembered what had happened when he trashed the lab. He remembered the tiny bot rolling up to him and handing over the letter. Photos, letters, and keys.

A hand went to his chest where the very same key still hung. It was long enough that he could stare at the metal as he held it in his hand. It was warm against his skin, glinting in the fluorescent lights.

The words of the letter rang inside his head.

Did he even want to read the journal? Clearly you had intended for him to. Your life as Ellen Campbell seemed to be a peaceful one, perhaps even happy. But was it worth the agony of reading that?

"Pardon me, boss." FRIDAY said.

Tony kept his eyes on the key. "Yeah?"

"I think you should read the journal by the lakeside patio. Miss enjoyed spending time out there and I can assure you that you won't be disturbed."

"Makes a change." He mumbled. "I will. Thanks."

"Of course."

And so Tony made his way through the warehouse and outside. There was a nice spot overlooking the great lake with a few benches placed around - probably by you. He took a seat closest to the water's shimmering surface. Deep blue and reflecting the maturing sun, it was beautiful.

With a small sight, Tony fit the key into the journal's lock and turned it. A click sounded and the padlock popped open. He removed it carefully and set it down beside him on the bench.

"Here goes." He mumbled, opening to the first page.

Instead of angst and teenage grudges, he was greeted by doodles. You had written down your name and decorated the page with everything from miniature design ideas to self-portraits and world landmarks to graffiti letters. He had almost forgotten that even though now you were known as the friendly engineer, you were still once a kid immersed in hobbies and trends.

The first journal entry, however, was a stark contrast to the playful and inventive pages beforehand.

Hey, Journal It's been a week now. A really long seven days. I got a bus, paid in cash obviously, and hitched a ride Upstate.

I found Grandpa Howard's warehouse from the files. It's where I found this journal. It's a mess but the view is nice. There's lots of grass and growing stuff and even this huge lake. It's pretty neat.

But I guess not even a sweet view helps the general anxiety. God, I sound stupid. It's just that I can't stop thinking about Obadiah's threat. People are after me. They don't just want to hurt me, he said they'd actually kill me. How touched in the head do you have to be to use death threats on a kid? I'm barely old enough to do my own taxes and I'm already running for my life because of some K-drama twist of fate.

This is all because I'm related to the great Tony Stark. Of all the dads in the world, I got him. I don't know what to think. He's my dad and yet... I don't know. I love him, I really do, and I miss my life, but I can't go back when people are after me. Let's hope I survive. - (Y/n)

Tony struggled to digest just this first entry. If this was the first and already he felt a powerful mix of emotion he couldn't understand, how was he supposed to sit through 450 pages? Despite wanting to stop, he forced himself to turn the page.

Hey, Journal I saw myself on the news today. It's kinda surreal, I guess. For the first time in literally forever, I feel like people are finally noticing me. That's bad, right? I don't know.

I don't know. I say that a lot.

I cut my hair and dyed it again. I finally used my credit cards, too. I took out some cash and then cut them up and booked it before anyone found me. I can't risk looking the same as the reports. Obadiah's people will find me.

On the bright side I'm thinking about making an AI like dad had. I'm probably in way over my head but I've made a list of stuff using his college book as a reference. Wish me luck?

Yeah, I'm sorta low on news right now so I guess I'll talk to you later. Thanks for listening. - (Y/n)

Tony glanced up from the journal in his hands and looked at the lake again. You had to change everything about yourself just to live another day. It couldn't have been easy, scared to look the same way for too long or afraid to stay in the same place for longer than a week.

As he flipped through more and more entries, he finally gained the insight into your life that he craved before. He read all about how you discovered he was alive, how you worked in a cafe for a while, attending the Expo and saving a little boy and then seeing him again, changing your name and being recruited into SHIELD, meeting Steve and Bruce and the Parkers, accidentally stealing things.

He smiled at that bit, wondering just how in the hell someone could 'accidentally' steal.

After almost half an hour of reading, he discovered a break from the entries and stumbled across more doodles. It was more like a moodboard actually, a moodboard of him.

There were cut out pictures and articles of him in the suit, the Avengers, Pepper and Happy and Rhodey, and even a very rare photo of him smiling. In the middle of the pages you had written down a simple statement.

Do it for him.

His grip on the journal tightened as a pang of guilt struck his heart. It was a cruel thing that the pair of you had to wait until you were separated to realize how much you meant to each other. One of the big things that got him was how you had attended the Stark Expo and he had no idea.

He ran his hand over the pages and noticed a little bit of paper sticking out of one. It had the label 'pull me :)' on it and so he did. As he looked at what it was, tears began to build in his eyes.

It was just after the Mandarin attack in Malibu.

You had just discovered Pepper's old teddy bear. It was clutched tightly to your chest as you headed towards the SHIELD jet that Fury was currently waiting for you in. Your eyes were glazed over, your brows were furrowed, and you were biting your lip slightly.

The expression was for several reasons, the main of which being that you were deep in thought and trying to keep your emotions at bay for now. You didn't really want Fury to see you being so emotional. Since he always kept up the cool and stoic vibe it made him a little intimidating.

As he came into view - patiently waiting by the open ramp of the jet - you took a moment to collect yourself before approaching any further.

"There you are, Campbell." He said. "I trust you didn't get lost."

"Ha, ha." You mocked, pulling a face.

Fury considered you for a moment, noting the bear in your arms. "Since when were you into soft toys?"

"It's Pepper's, not mine."

"That's what they all say."

"No, seriously. Her grandma gave it to her when she was a kid. It's a comfort thing."

"It's missing an ear."

"I'm aware. I'll fix that soon enough."

"It's a good thing you've got some downtime on the jet, isn't it?"

"I'm actually waiting until we get back to HQ. I'm not wasting data on YouTube sewing videos."

He raised a brow. "You're telling me my best engineer doesn't know how to sew?"

"Shut up. I can't be the ace all the time, alright?"

You could tell he was hiding a smile.

"I did some digging of my own." Fury then said. "Got you something."

You exaggerated shock. "It's my birthday already?"

"Watch the tone, Campbell."

"Yes, sir." You said with a teasing and coy smile. "I'll rephrase. What did you get me, boss?"

"Take a look."

He retrieved what appeared to be a photo. You couldn't get a decent look due to the glare from the sun and waited until it was in your hand instead. You had seen many photos inside your home during the years you lived there, and yet you couldn't remember ever finding this one before.

Pain welled up in your chest.

The agony of missing a loved one was brutal. Sometimes it lingered, sometimes it came in stabs, but it always hurt. Yet, as you observed the far right of the photo, this sadness was quickly replaced with anger.

Without thinking, you tore the picture to remove the memory.

Back in the present, Tony was trying to control his hitched breaths as he stared at the photo.

He was so young back then, barely beginning his twenties. He was surrounded by Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy, all of them smiling with pure adoration and joy. Even his young self looked content for once.

In his arms was you as a newborn. He was struggling on how to hold you properly and that was clear by your expression of discomfort in the picture.

The photo was torn on the right side, the shoulder of someone visible over the jagged rip. That was Obadiah Stane's shoulder. You had ripped him out.

Tony averted his eyes immediately and focused on what remained in the picture. The happiness of everyone else.

"I miss you, kid." He mumbled.

#Tony stark #tony stark x daughter!reader #tony stark & daughter! reader #tony stark & friday #mcu #marvel #avengers

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