'You said you wanted the Mandarin. You're looking right at him.' Killian grunts. As he edges closer, I can see veins of fire stitching his body together. Bits of skin flake away, falling to the ground in dusty ash. The air is thick with smoke. I bring my lightning to my fingers but the sparks are dull. I have no energy left and dad is not in his suit. Instead he lies on the ground, his feet are bare and a cut lines his forehead. Neither of us are prepared for another fight.
'It's always been me, right from the start.' Killian sneers, raising his hands with fistfuls of fire. 'I am the Mandarin!'
I close my eyes, trying to raise a shield to protect us, but instead of us being blown apart, something from behind knocks Killian through the air.
'Pepper!' I exclaim, lowering my hands. Her hair hangs loose and her skin glows bright orange as she stands amongst the flames. She drops the metal pole on the ground and looks directly at dad. Dad stares back in complete shock, slowly shaking his head. We thought she was dead.
'I've got nothing.' Dad stutters. I stand next to him, also in shock, unable to move. She's alive. In our moment of amazement, Killian stands back up again. He's about to attack but dad's suit has registered the extremis and has begun to power up. It flies towards Pepper and Killian and I can see its eyes narrowing, preparing to target them.
Dad's eyes widen. 'Jarvis... subject on my twelve o'clock is not a target!' But the com link that connects to the suit has fallen out his ear. He looks increasingly worried as the suit begins flying towards Pepper. It begins firing, barely missing her. I'm about to summon what's left of my lightning but instead Pepper begins running towards us. She runs fast, skin glowing, eyes determined. I stand back as she leaps into the air and smashes her glowing hand through dad's suit, tearing it to the ground. She rips her hand out, flipping her hair backwards.
Dad and I watch, paralysed by surprise as she punches Killian away from her. She seems unfazed as she reaches down and attaches the iron man hand from the broken suit. Then Pepper kicks an explosive through the air, blasts it with the Iron hand and immediately causes it to explode. Killian is killed instantly. This time there will be no resurrections.
My mouth hangs open as I watch Pepper standing amongst the explosion. That was badass! Dad slowly regains himself to his feet, just as stunned as I am. I don't say anything as Pepper turns around staring at us, then her iron hand, then the explosion. Her skin has stopped glowing and now she seems frightened.
'Honey...' Dad starts as Pepper turns towards him.
'Oh my god, that was really violent.' She pales, causing me to laugh a little. After all that, Pepper is straight back to her usual stressed self.
Dad walks towards her. 'You just scared the devil out of me. I thought you were-'
'Dead? Why? Because I fell two hundred feet?'
Dad gawks at her. He has no reply.
'Who's the hot mess now?' She pants.
'Still debatable.' I shrug. 'Might be tipping your way a bit though.'
Pepper gives me a small smile and then looks over at Dad. 'I think I'm beginning to understand why you don't want to give up the suits. What am I going to complain about now?'
I scoff. 'It's dad. I'm sure you'll think of something.'
Dad rolls his eyes then slowly reaches out to tuck away Pepper's hair. She flinches away.
'Don't touch me, I could burn you.' She flusters but dad ignores her and instead gently holds her arms.
'It's ok.' He assures her. 'See, not hot.'
'Am I going to be ok?'
'No. You're in a relationship with me and you have Katy to worry about. Everything will never be ok.' Dad smirks before turning serious. 'But I think I can figure this out. That's what I do, I fix stuff.'
Pepper smiles. 'And all your distractions?'
'Jarvis.' Dad signals. 'You know what to do'
'The Clean Slate Protocol sir?' Jarvis replies knowingly.
'Screw it, it's Christmas.' Dad looks at Pepper and me, then smiles contentedly at his family. 'Yes.'
I smile as Dad embraces Pepper. I watch the two, happy that they are back together. When dad lets go and I'm confused as to why until he grins and motions me to come over. I grin back and jump into his arms as he wraps the three of us into a hug. I stand, embraced by the warmth of my mum and dad. My family. Together we watch the fireworks, no not fireworks, dad's suits. Each one self destructs in an eruption of red sparks and orange flames. We stand there, saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future. And I know, in that moment, that I'm safe. That, for now, everything will be ok. Dad is better. Pepper is alive. And I finally have my family.
"We create our own demons."
And that year, I certainly created mine. I ran away from home and was controlled by a God. But then I received my powers and proved that I can be both strong and powerful, and I won't be controlled by others.
Dad managed to fix Pepper. She returned to her normal, stressed self. From then on, I started calling her mum. Because that's what she is to me. My mum.
"There are of course people who say progress is dangerous,"
But then I guess those people they never had to live with lightning powers, or Tony Stark as a father. After fixing Pepper, dad decided why stop there? He had the surgery to remove the arc reactor from his chest. I remember watching anxiously through the window with Pepper and Rhodey, constantly scratching my wrists as the doctors stuck scalpels in him. But he looked so peaceful on the operating table, and I eventually calmed down.
Happy woke up in hospital. I rushed into see him as soon as I was allowed, just like I had promised. He was battered and bruised but was happily watching Downton Abbey. He was released a few days before Christmas.
And finally, just before Christmas, Dad and I returned to Malibu. Our house was gone, of course, but we managed to salvage a few things, including Dum-E.
I stand where my room used to be, watching the sea gently lapping against the rocks. Technically, this is where the living room was, my room was the floor above, but the view is the same. Calm and Beautiful. I will miss living here. I'm sure New York will be fun, busy and lively, but this was my home for so many years.
Memories are now drowned in the sea. Pictures I had on my wall, drawings I made when I was three, a necklace I received for my tenth Birthday. Luckily, I moved most of my stuff to New York a few moths prior, thinking I was going to live there. I guess I was right. But that was when I was stubborn and selfish, thinking only of myself.
I breathe in the salty air, a tear slipping down my cheek as I say goodbye to my Malibu home. Dad is packing some things into the boot of the car.
'I see you're moving away.' Loki whispers in my head. 'Sorry about your house.'
'Thanks.' I sniff. 'We're moving into the Avengers tower in New York, so that should be fun. It's been refurbished since you destroyed it.' I laugh pathetically, but it doesn't stop another tear from sliding down my cheek.
'Why are you crying?' Loki asks.
'Because I've lost my home.'
Loki laughs. 'No you haven't. Your home is your family. I see your memories Katy, they are of your father and Pepper and the Avengers. That is your home.'
'Thanks.' I smile, feeling better.
'Just one thing though.'
I look up from staring at the ground. 'What?'
'I felt your anger when Pepper "died". I felt your strong emotions. I know I told you to release them, to express them, but you still need to have control. If you're not careful, the way you feel will take over you and... drown you. I sense your future Katy, it's filled with decisions you will not want to make. Your family will be torn apart and you will be in the middle. You will rise higher than before but you will fall many times. Are you ready for that?'
'I can be.' I whisper. 'I will learn to control my emotions.'
'Trauma reveals us sometimes. Be careful which version of you is revealed. That anger you felt, it has the power to destroy. But the love you have, that has the power to build.'
I nod slowly, watching the sparks dance around my fingers. Beautiful but deadly. 'When did you become so wise Loki?'
'When I was forced into this prison cell. I'll be out soon though.'
I laugh. 'You deserve to be in there... but I forgive you. For New York and for controlling my mind. It's actually turned out to be quite useful.' I pause, unsure whether to say it, but I do. 'Thank you, and I don't just mean for the powers.'
'You're welcome Goddess of lightning.' I can see him smile in my mind, not a sinister smile but a gentle one. Soft. 'There's worse prisons you know, to be in.'
'I know.' I feel the gentle breeze on my face as I look out to the sea. 'Goodbye Loki, we'll talk soon.'
'Goodbye, Miss. Stark.'
'Ready Mini Stark.' Dad leaps over.
I quickly brush away the tears off my face that I didn't know where falling. 'Yep!'
Dad reaches into a brown paper bag and brings out his arc reactor.
'You sure about this?' I ask.
'Yes, it's time to let old things die.'
I look at the shiny metal one last time. The blue light no longer shines.
'To a clean slate.' He says.
'To a clean slate.'
And with that, Dad throws the arc reactor into the sea.
I climb into the car next to dad, we both slip on our sunglasses, turn the music up full volume (Highway to Hell, obviously) and drive away. Dum-E sits in the trailer behind along with a few other salvaged parts. I didn't see where the arc reactor landed, but I know it will have sunk to the bottom of the ocean with the rest of our house.
Our past washed away,
Ready to start again.
A/N: Hello Readers! Although this is the end of Iron Man 3, there will be a few more chapters. Hope you enjoyed the story. Please remember to like, comment and share.
Thank you!
BBRey :)