Stark's Winged Daughter (S.P.N.D. Book 3)

Chapter 7: Important Talks And Too Late Lessons

***

The screen flickers to life as the projector whirs. A model of the arc reactor appears, the camera panning up to the face of my grandfather.

"Everything is achievable through technology," he begins. "Better living, robust health, and for the first time in human history, the possibility of world peace."

Looking over at my dad, I see he is flipping through a journal while listening. I sat in the chair opposite of him, sketching as the video played.

"I'm Howard Stark, and everything you'll need for the future can be found right here. City of the Future? City of Tomorrow? City of..." Howard trails off, trying to get the speech right.

He paces around for a second before starting from the beginning "I'm Howard Stark, and everything you'll need for the future can be found right here. So, from all of us at Stark Industries, I would like to personally..."

My grandfather stops talking, causing me to look up. I saw my father when he was younger behind the table.

"Tony, what are you doing back there?" my grandfather says on the recording, and my dad looks up. "What is that? Put that back. Put it back where you got it from."

Reluctantly, my father put back the thing he was holding. It was a part of the Stark Expo city model.

"Where's your mother? Maria?"

A man comes from off camera and picks up my dad, taking him to his mom.

"All right," my grandfather says as he looks back at the camera. "I think we got it... I'll come in and..."

The recording changes to a new scene. Howard takes a drink from a glass as he asks, "Are you waiting on me?"

A countdown appears on screen, and then it goes back to the same place as the first scene.

"So, from all of us at Stark Industries, I'd like to personally show you... my *ss," my grandfather jokes and turns around. A small smile cracks on my face. "I'd like to... I can't... this is... This is a ridiculous way..."

He starts again and I look at my dad. "Everything is achievable through technology."

Dad closes the journal and throws it in the trash beside his chair, putting his head in his hand as if he has a headache.

"Tony?" the recording of my grandfather calls. "You're too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you."

My dad looks at the screen.

"I built this for you. And someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world.

"What is and always will be my greatest creation... is you."

My grandfather smiled, and I saw as my dad did too.

The video ends, leaving my father and I in silence.

***

I sit in the passenger's seat as my dad and I drive along the coast. We aren't supposed to be outside of the house, but what takes Coulson too long to find out isn't going to hurt him.

"So," dad begins, "You said your "friend" knew and told you that I was dying?"

I look out to the water. I should have seen this conversation coming, but I didn't plan what I was going to say. The truth, I guess.