From a young age knew I was different from most kids. It was a mixture of things, I had the latest tech, I went to a private school, my Dad while embarrassingly eccentric showed up for things that were important to me where as some of the other kids parents didn't. I grew up where my Dad was my hero because he was different. Because no matter where he was in the world doing god know's what (usually it was gross and I didn't want to know.) not once did he let me down.

It never occurred to me that other people would see him as anything but a good guy. He wasn't for everyone I got that but to hold a grudge that span over a decade. I couldn't seem to get it to completely click. I of course didn't know that this was going on, in my head. Not until he came.

2000

I woke up during the middle of the night. I yawned, i didn't get what I was doing up.

"Jarvis? Is Daddy home yet?" I ask, on the window appears a small blue light.

"He just arrived home Miss Reign." I grinned and got out of bed i ran down the stairs. I saw him.

"Daddy, you're home." I jumped and he picked me up.

"Hey, squirt, what are you doing up?" I shrugged

"I missed you, what's was Switzerland like? did you give a long boring speech? why do you stink? Is it the new year yet? Did I miss it?"

"Hey I do not stink, cheeky. And yes, happy new year." I pouted

"Happy new year. Can I have a yahoo, please." he thought about it

"Sure but then you get back to bed, deal?" I nodded

"Deal."

I wouldn't know that because he wanted to get home before I woke up. Over a decade later because of it, I would be in more danger than I had ever been.

-----------

-3 months Before-

"I just don't get why you have to leave, this is your home." Dad huffs as I drop another box on the lobby floor.

"Dad, I'm 21 the fact that I haven't moved out sooner especially college makes you lucky." I turn to face him. I was moving out to a house of my own.

"I didn't move out till I was..." he thought about it "Well not much later." I chuckle

"By the time you were my age you had become CEO. I think I can handle being the boss and moving out. Besides. I am a 30 minute drive away and a 10 minute fly away. That and now that Pepper has officially moved in, there is no need for me to stay."

"There is because you're my daughter and I like having you close."

"I'm not that far away. And as long as you call first you can come over anytime. bUt seriously call first. Now come on, you can help me with the last couple of boxes

-Present-

"Forty six" I heard Jarvis. It was 3am and I was on a hologram call with my Dad, I had a nightmare and I called him, he was awake as usual. He's been having a difficult time since New York, so this had become a usual occurrence.

"Ouch."

"Forty Seven. Sir, please may I request just a few hours to calibrate..." Jarvis started

"No. Forty eight."

"Dad, why couldn't you wait till I came over in the morning." i sigh.

"There is no time like the present. Besides I do the stupid stuff first remember." he lightly jokes

"And look where that has gotten you, Jarvis how long has he been awake?"

"72 Hours, miss Reign."

"Micro repeater implanting sequence complete." Dad ignores and continues on

"As you wish sir. I've also prepared a safety briefing for you to completely ignore." I sleepily chuckled.

"Computer got jokes."

"Which I will. Dum-E. How did you get that cap on your head you earned it. What are you doing in that corner? You know what you did. Blood on my mat. Handle it."

"It's a good job they're machines and can't fight back just yet." Dad moved around

"Reign, you should go to sleep." he tells me

"I need to see this first, I have a feeling I don't want to miss this." Dad shrugged then went back to what he was doing.

"Focus up ladies. Good Evening, and welcome to the birthing suite. I am please to announce the imminent arrival of you bouncing badass baby brother. Start it tight then wide. Stamp date and time. Mark 42 autonomous prehensile propulsion suit test. Jarvis drops the needle." I shook my head as he started dancing ten held out his arm, nothing happened he tried it a couple of times then the arm piece attached itself to him, a couple of other pieces came to.

"I've got this let's speed it up a little." They did and it was funny chaos. One of the hit his groin which was painful to watch. He went flying and almost hit the floor .

"Come on I ain't scared of you." I shook my head then something happen and he got knocked over.

"Dad you okay?" I asked

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Dad try and get some sleep, okay. I will talk to you in the morning okay? I love you."

"Love you too Honey." the call ended I look to my beside table, where the picture of my parent's stood. I was worried about him. I would have to talk to Pepper about it. Sighing and slid back down and fell back. Before it got any worse.

-----

Me and my stupid thoughts. Anytime you think it can't get worse or you try to stop it from being worse. The very thought bites you and it get's worse. TV had been Hijacked by a terrorist called the Mandarin, who like most terrorists killed and tried to teach us Americans a lesson. Despite everything going on I still walked into work. I had a meeting with one of Peppers old work colleagues . Aldrich Killian.

"Tony has got them in his basement. They're wearing party hats." Happy told me. He had been promoted to head of security for Stark Industries and as much as I loved him I was regretting it . "This is an asset that we can put to use."

"Uh-huh" I replied as I signed some documents

"So you're suggesting I replace the entire janitorial staff with our Dum-e's? Thank you." we carried on.

"What I'm saying is the human element of human resources is our biggest point of vulnerability. We should start phasing it out immediately." I stopped

"What?!" I exclaimed

"Excuse me, Bambi, you should be wearing..."

"I cannot believe you just said that. Happy? Okay. I am thrilled that you are now head of security. Okay? It's the perfect position for you."

"Thank you."

"However..."

"I do appreciate it."

"However, since you've taken the post we've had a rise in staff complaints of 300%." I informed him.

"Thank you." he seemed proud

"That's not a compliment." I told him, shaking my head.

"It's not...It is a compliment clearly someone's trying to hide something." he retorted

"Miss Stark."

"Yes." I turned my attention away to my secretary

"Your 4:00 is here." she informed me.

"Thank you."

"Did you clear this 4:00 with me."

"We will talk about this later. But for now I have to deal with this, for the love of my sanity, behave."

"What do you have to deal with?"

"One of Peppers work colleagues that apparently used to ask her out all the time." I pushed the door open and the man turned around. He was not what I was expecting. Before me stood a man in his forties with slicked back hair, casual suit and a charming smile.

"Mr Killian?" I question.

"Yes, it's nice to finally meet you Miss Stark. I've heard a lot about you." he greeted holding out his hand which i shook.

"Same. Pepper has told me a lot about you."

"Well I've changed a lot since we last met." he chuckled

"You were supposed to be issued with a security badge." I tuned on my heel to face Happy.

"That will be all Happy, thank you."

"You sure?"

"Yes, stand down." I walked further in.

"I'm gonna linger right out here, okay?" I nodded

"It's very nice to meet you. I believe you have a proposal to present." I gestured to a seat and we sat down.

"Yes, after years of dodging the President's ban on 'immoral' biotech research, my think tank has a little something in the pipeline." he took out a small case and opened it, from there he attached something small to behind his ear.

"It's an idea we like to call EXTREMIS.I'm gonna turn your light's down." He did so after taking the control. " Regard the human brain." he rolled out three little mental balls which projected an image of the universe.

"That's, that's the universe. My bad. But if I do that..." the image changed "That's the brain. Strongly mimetic though, wouldn't you say." I was impressed 

"Wow, that's amazing."

"Thanks it's mine." i did a double take after that sentence.

"What?"

"This, you're inside my head. It's a live feed, come up I'll prove it." he stood up on the table and held his hand out. i took it and stood up on the table.

"Okay now pinch me." I looked at him confused

"Come on, i can take it." I did so and I saw a flash of orange

"What was that?" I wondered

"It's the primary somatosensory cortex. It's the brain's pain centre. But this is what I wanted to show you, miss Stark." He turned me around and zoomed in. "Now EXTREMIS harnesses our biometrical potential and it goes here." he focus' in a a void.

"This is essentially an empty slot and what this tells us is that our mind our entire DNA intact, is destined to be upgraded."

"Wow." he stepped down then helped me down as well. We sat back in our seats.

"Imagine if you could hack into the hard drive of any living organism and recode it's DNA." he suggested

"That would be incredible. Unfortunately, the way I also hear it, it also sound highly weaponized. As in enhanced soldiers, private armies, and my Dad is..."

"Tony. Tony, Tony... You know I invited your father to join AIM 13 years ago. He turned me down. But something tells me now there is a new genius on the throne who doesn't have to answer to her father and who has slightly less of an ego."

"It's gonna be a no, Mr Killian. I must admit I am impressed with your technology and presentation but the risks far outweigh the pro's." There was a knock on the door and I looked back it was Pepper I nodded and she came in.

"Sorry to interrupt...Killian?" We stood up.

"Pepper." he turned to me "Well i can't say I'm not disappointed . but ran as my father used to say 'Failure is the fog through we glimpse triumph.'"

"That's very deep. unfortunately I have another meeting to attend. Pepper will you see Mr Killian out."

"Yes." I shook hands with him again and then left. It was 7:00 by the time I got home. I dropped my things on the couch.

"JESSIE." i called out to my own house program

"Good Evening Miss Reign. I trust you had a good day at work."

"You could say that." I took off my heels and let my hair down out of it's ponytail. I saw that there was a box on the coffee table.

"Jessie. who left the box?" I questioned.

"It is an early Christmas gift from your father. He brought it over earlier today. You also have a message from Colonel Rhodes. It says, call me as soon as you can, we need to talk."

"Call Rhodey." I went to look through what I had, I think I would make some ramen soup. Yeah, that's what I'll do

"Reign."

"Hey, Rhodey, what can I do for you?" I ask starting to make my dinner. He sighed

"Have you spoke to your Dad today?"

"Not since early hours of this morning why? Is something wrong?" I question.

"We met up today and he seemed off. I don't think he's been sleeping." he confided in me

"I know it's been a bit of a struggle since what happened in New York, and he has been having difficulty sleeping but I din't think it was that bad since I was the same."

"He freaked out and bursted out of the restaurant then just flew away."

"I will speak with him and I'l keep you updated, okay." i promise.

"Okay." I hung up. Maybe I wasn't taking what was going on with my Dad that seriously, I figured I was the only one who could notice but I guess it was becoming a bigger problem. I had my food and crashed. I would speak with him first thing.