Masking My Life

Chapter Four~Reason I'm Here

Malibu, California it's beautiful, very sunny, Tony and I walk to the basement "Put your hand on the pad." he states. I do as told, a little thing scans my eye "Welcome Spirt." the door opens and I follow Tony in.

"Wake up, Daddy's home."

"Spirt?" I ask "Your nickname, You know cause you can disappear and make things appear like a spirt, a paranormal nickname really." I nod "I still don't get it."

"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." says J.A.R.V.I.S.

I never want to hear that last sentence again, I look around the room electronics everywhere. I'm fascinated by everything in the room, a whole playground for a robotics man. One of the robots is trying to make a smoothie. Without a blender lid.

"Mr.Stark I think one of your bots has gone loco." I say giggling.

"You!" shouts Tony.

The robot apparently named 'You' knocks over the blender. Well, he tried. "I swear to God I'll dismantle you. I'll soak your motherboard. I'll turn you into a wine rack." says Tony. 'You' looks down, sad.

"I didn't know robots could have emotions?" I say fascinated over 'You' "Believe me I don't even know what goes on in his......head? How many ounce a day of this gobbledegook am I supposed to drink?" Tony ask, he was probably talking to J.A.R.V.I.S

"We are up to 80 ounces a day to counteract the symptoms, sir."

I walk up to Tony at his main workspace area as he downs a green liquid "What's that?" I ask "Check palladium levels." says Tony ignoring my question, he takes out a little device that looked like a pager mixed with a blood tester. He pricks his finger causing him to wince a little.

"Blood toxicity, 24%. It appears that the continued use of the Iron Man suit is accelerating your condition. Another core has been depleted." says J.A.R.V.I.S.

Blood toxicity? Accelerating his condition? Another core?

"Hey Spirt, little help." says Tony he lifts up his shirt to relieve to me the famous Arc Reactor! "It's stops shrapnel from reaching my heart and powers the suit, stop staring."

"What do I-"

"Take it out." I look up to him like he's an idiot "The one thing...that is stoping shrapnel from killing you.....you want me to take out?" I ask. He nods "Yes quickly."  I go an put a hand on the Reactor tugging it a little "You need to turn it." "Right." I say and turn it, tug it, and take the Arc Reactor out of chest. A core metal plate thing pops out, rusted and slightly smoking. "God, they're running out quick." says Tony.

"Are you putting these things in your body?" I ask, this thing was smoking what was this man doing to himself. "I have run simulations on every known element, and none can serve as a viable replacement for the palladium core." says J.A.R.V.I.S.

A box is opened, inside were a bunch of the little metal slits, I take the old one out and put in the new core. It's silver, giving a judgment of just how badly damaged the other one was. I look over a Tony who was now leaning against the counter "Can you put it back in?"

I nod "Sure." I put the Arc Reactor in chest, as I do notice blue tech veins all over his chest starting from his Reactor "Mr. Stark you have um a vein problem."  I look over him again "It's working up to your neck." he pulls down his shirt pushing himself up again. "Yeah I know."

"You are running out of both time and options. Unfortunately, the device that's keeping you alive is also killing you." says J.A.R.V.I.S.

My eyes widen as I turn to Tony "Your dying, you can't die what's the world going to do, what's the world gonna do when people find out?!" I ask, Tony starts working on a holoscreen "People arn't going to find out?!"