Ghost

7

Iron Man 2
2011
Age 10

The last 3 years had been great for Maddie. For one, her and her father had grown closer and they were now practically inseparable. It's safe to say that they were each other's best friend.

The two Starks spent most nights in Tony's lab, building anything they had the materials for.  Maddie had learned so much from her father that she was now learning at a high school level. She was incredibly smart. Tony liked to tell people she got it from him.

As well as helping him with projects, Maddie had her own workbench in the corner of her fathers lab. It wasn't much but it was just enough for her to work on different things. The only exception was she was not allowed in the lab without Tony or Peppers supervision. Now you may think Tony is being strict but in fact Tony was scared. If Maddie is anything like him, she will get incredibly curious and start messing around in the lab. With fear that something would happen her, Tony gave her a workbench if she agreed to his rule.

Now here Maddie was sitting on the living room couch, waiting for her father to return home. He had been called to court or something, Maddie wasn't really sure nor did she care because her dad disallowed her from going. Since announcing the the world he was Iron Man, Tony decided to keep a line between family and work. Family always coming first. So to Tony, if there were ways he can keep his daughter away from the superhero side of his life, he would be happy.

Maddie was left at home alone, well with Jarvis. Because Maddie couldn't be trusted with a nanny, Tony convinced Pepper that Maddie was mature enough and smart enough to be left alone with Jarvis' supervision and that if anything would happen while they were away, Jarvis can let them now and they can go home.

Maddie didn't mind Jarvis. In fact she loved the AI. She's currently working on creating her own AI but without her fathers help. Actually, Tony knows nothing about it. Maddie wants to surprise him and prove to him that she is capable of doing things without supervision, capable of being trusted in her fathers lab alone. She was planning on working on it while Tony was away, stashing all her materials under her bed. But she was at a block, she couldn't figure out what she was missing. She would ask Tony but that defeats the whole point of a surprise.

"I'm home!" Tony yelled as he walked through the front door. Instantly Maddie sprung off the couch and towards the sound of her fathers voice.

"Dad!" Maddie yelled back as she ran towards her dad, leaping it his arms.

"Hey Mad Dog, did you miss me?" Tony smirked as he wrapped his arms around his daughter.

"Nope, I just want to use the lab" Maddie joked getting a small chuckle from Tony as he placed her back down. "Did you bring gifts?".

"As a matter of fact, I did. But you didn't miss me so I might just have to keep it mys-"

"No No, I missed you ok" Maddie interrupted.

With a laugh, Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Handing it to his daughter.

"This is just something small but I hope you like it".

Opening up the box, Maddie gasped. Inside was a silver necklace with a silver heart locket.

"It's empty now but you can put whatever you want in it"

"I love it dad, thank you" Maddie smiled as she embraced her dad into another hug.

*******
"Wake up, Daddy's home" Tony yelled into his lab, Maddie trailing behind him.

" Welcome home, sir. Congratulations on the opening ceremonies. They were such a success, as was your Senate hearing. And may I say how refreshing it is to finally see you in a video with your clothing on, sir." Jarvis' voice filled the room.

"Um what?" Maddie's face turned.

Tony attention however was on one of his robots trying to make a smoothie without a blender lid.

"You!" Tony yells which causes the robot to knock over the blender.

" I swear to God I'll dismantle you. I'll soak your motherboard. I'll turn you into a wine rack".

Tony walks over to the blender and picks up the green liquid while Maddie sits on the counter.

"How many ounces a day of this gobbledegook am I supposed to drink?" Tony asked his AI.

"We are up to 80 ounces a day to counteract the symptoms sir". Jarvis responds as Tony downs the liquid, looking over at his daughter who has a face of disgust.

"What's up with you?" Tony questions.

"It looks like barf" She replies.

"Yeah I it tastes like it too" Tony puts down the glass. "Jarvis check Palladium levels".

"Blood toxicity, 24%. It appears that the continued use of the Iron Man suit is accelerating your condition. Another core has been depleted".

Taking out the arc reactor, it pops out, rusted and slightly smoking.

"Woah they are running out quick" Maddie adds.

"It's fine Mads, I'll just get more. Hey, how about you go make us some waffles?" Tony asked his daughter, but really he just wanted her out of the room.

"Okaaaay, but I'm getting the bigger piece this time". Maddie smiled as she ran out the lab and up the stairs. As soon as his daughter had left, Tony left out a breath.

" I have run simulations on every known element, and none can serve as a viable replacement for the palladium core." Jarvis spoke as Tony inputs a new core. "You are running out of both time and options. Unfortunately, the device that's keeping you alive is also killing you."

"Miss Potts is approaching, I recommend you tell her about-" Tony mutes Jarvis and puts back down his shirt.