The Expo
A few months had turned into more and now you had been stuck in the large warehouse for another six months. And, since cereal and water alone wasn't as sustainable as you'd hoped and had caused a few blackout spells, you'd been forced to get a job to pay for real food. It meant being especially careful when buying in case one of the cameras saw and identified you as (Y/n) Stark. Thankfully, though, the new look was holding up and you were doing okay.
In other news, the job wasn't as bad as you expected. It was simply waiting tables in a small cafe in a lesser known area of the city. It's what you were doing now, the cafe's logo on the small apron you wore, and a plate of bacon and eggs in your hand.
"Table four in the corner." Your boss instructed.
He was a nice guy, not a complete jerk but also not a pushover. You got very lucky in that department, even more so since he had no idea who you were.
You had now gotten used to the new look and started to feel more like you than ever before. You didn't have to wear anything expensive or over the top, the short hair was actually more convenient, and the new color was much prettier.
You went all out for the disguise, barely leaving anything from your old life around. Then again, since you had nothing to lose, it only seemed fitting to hide from everything and everyone in any way possible. You had gotten so used to running, you couldn't stop. It didn't matter if Obadiah was dead or not.
"Here you go. One bacon and eggs." You said politely, putting the plate on the table with a fabricated smile.
"Thank you, dear." An elderly man behind a newspaper said.
As he put the paper down, you noticed a specific article about the once famous Stark Expo. A frown appeared on your face as you tried to read it. However, you realized you were lingering and had no choice but to walk away. But, fortunately, as you walked towards the back for more orders, you heard two men discussing that very thing.
"The Expo's opening ceremony is tonight, isn't it?"
"That's right. I can't believe it's been thirty-four years!"
"It's supposed to go on for an entire year!"
"I've got my ticket. For the end of the month."
"How did you manage that? They're supposed to be near impossible to get."
"I know. Courtesy of Justin Hammer himself."
Your blood ran cold. You'd never met the man, but Hammer was the CEO of Hammer Industries, a weapons manufacturer much like Stark Industries. You knew he hated your father and vice versa. Why on earth would he be giving out tickets to his rival's expo?
Because of past experience, your first thought was negative, that he might be plotting something like Obadiah had been. You wondered if you were being paranoid, but reminded yourself that it wasn't wise to risk it either way. You may not have liked your father much, but it didn't mean you wanted him victim to another plot or scheme. Even if Hammer was just being a nice guy, you wanted to see for yourself.
As the two talked about the upcoming Expo, you saw the guy with the ticket show his friend. He then placed it inside his pants pocket and you knew you had to get it somehow. You definitely didn't have the money to purchase one yourself so it was the only option.
All it took was a single glance around the cafe to form a plan. You grabbed the scolding hot fresh coffee and brushed yourself down, trying to make yourself somewhat presentable and less messy. The small heels of your boots clicked on the floor as you walked over to the two men, plastering a smile on your face.
"Refill, gentlemen?" You asked sweetly.
Both nodded and moved their cups towards you as they talked about the Expo some more. You filled up the friend's cup first before moving on to the ticket holder's. You didn't stop pouring until it overflowed and spilled on his lap.
"Oh, my - I'm so sorry!" You exclaimed, putting on a look of embarrassment. "Allow me!"
As the man cursed and hissed in discomfort, you ran for a cloth and gently dabbed at the stains. As your hands neared the pocket with the ticket, you casually slipped one inside and retrieved it.
"Watch what you're doing in future or I'll have your fired!" The man seethed.
You nodded apologetically. "I'm so sorry, sir. Please accept a free beverage or meal in compensation."
He scoffed and waved you off. You kept the look of embarrassment on your face until you moved into the back room. Then it turned into a smirk as you studied the ticket.
It was for the night of the 31st, about twenty-four days away.
You had to remind yourself that you weren't going to see your father and reconcile, you were going to see what Hammer was up to.
Hopefully nothing. Hopefully you'd just get to go home to the warehouse and relax for once.
-
That night, you decided to watch the opening ceremony of the Stark Expo anyway. If you were going to get in, you needed to know what to expect.
Naturally the entire thing was as flashy as humanly possible. Evidently your father paid no expense. There were fireworks of innumerable colors and patterns, lights giving a new color to the night sky, bathing it in pinks and blues and oranges and reds. The main stage was littered with people, all cheering and chanting Tony Stark's name. There were dancers up there too, all women dressed in crop tops and tiny shorts resembling the Iron Man costume.
When Tony arrived, he did it with fashion.
He flew over New York City, only to land in the scenario of the Stark Expo and host its opening ceremony for a cheering crowd. As they screamed his name, he praised his own achievements as Iron Man, mostly bringing the longest uninterrupted period of world peace. He talked about the purpose of the Expo, the importance of legacy, and how organizations from all over the world would join efforts for the sake of a better future.
You could scarcely believe it, just how long it had been since you last saw him. It was almost a year now with the months he was kidnapped and then all the months you'd been on the run. You wondered how everyone was doing.
You missed Happy, you missed Rhodey, and you missed Pepper. They were all so kind to you growing up despite the distance between yourself and your father. They raised you, and you wondered if you'd ever see them again, if they missed you as much as you missed them. But before you could ponder more on this, the reporter on the TV started talking again.
"We are coming to you live from the kickoff at the Stark Expo, where Tony Stark has just walked offstage. Don't worry if you can't make it down here tonight because this Expo goes on all year long! And I'm gonna be here checking out all the attractions and the pavilions and inventions from all around the world."
With a sad smile, you looked down at the ticket you'd stolen.
The end of the month.
-
It seemed that the great Tony Stark couldn't stay out of trouble for long. Not even a day after the opening ceremony for the Expo you'd read that he was supposed to be attending the Senate Armed Forces Committee in Washington, D.C., about his Iron Man suit and the danger it posed if not shared with the world.
Naturally, you were curious and couldn't help watching as the cafe played it live. Then again, everyone was far too immersed in it to actually bother with the work so you easily went unnoticed.
The court room was packed with all kinds of people. Tony Stark, Senator Stern, and dozens of officials. You also noticed Pepper sitting behind your father.
"Mr. Stark, could we pick up now where we left off?" Senator Stern tried asking, banging his gavel to get your father's attention. It didn't seem to work. "Mr. Stark, please."
Eventually, he turned around. "Yes, dear?"
Some of the crowd chuckled and even you had to fight a grin at the lazy smile on his face.
"Can I have your attention?"
"Absolutely."
Stern had the kind of the face that made him look constantly constipated. You didn't really like him. In fact, you didn't seem to like anyone since running away. Alongside the paranoia, you'd developed a lot of trust issues because of it.
The Senator went on to argue about if the Iron Man suit was deemed a weapon, something Tony strongly disagreed with. He cracked a few jokes as he did, making the crowd laugh and the senators aggravated.
Your dad had never been serious in these situations and it almost always got him into trouble. When you were younger, you thought it was cool and badass and you wanted to be exactly like him, but now you knew better.
But when Senator Stern called in Justin Hammer, you paid more attention. Your dad also straightened up, his laid back demeanor faltering. You narrowed your eyes, finding the arrival even more curious. You couldn't shake the bad feeling you were getting from this Hammer guy.
He went on to argue that even though Tony might have believed he was doing good, there are threats in the world that he can't foresee. That was when Senator Stern called in Rhodey.
You stood in surprise, almost knocking a stack of plates over. The photographers on the television went wild, snapping every shot they could. Tony stood to greet his best friend and they shared a few quiet words before taking their seats again.
He was made to read a selected paragraph of a report made on the suit, but it was obvious the senators wanted it to sound bad. Rhodey tried to explain the final summary was more in favor of the suit than against, but the attempts were futile.
"I'd like to go on and show, if I may, the imagery that's connected to your report." He said, looking at Rhodey still.
Rhodey seemed uncomfortable. "I believe it is somewhat premature to reveal these images to the general public at this time."
"With all due respect, Colonel, I understand. And if you could just narrate those for us, we'd be very grateful."
Knowing there wasn't a way out, he just motioned for them to get it over with. The screen in the corner showed a series of recorded images, mostly of places that looked hidden or that they should be confidential.
"Intelligence suggests that the devices seen in these photos are, in fact, attempts at making manned copies of Mr. Stark's suit. This has been corroborated by our allies and local intelligence on the ground indicating that these suits are quite possibly, at this moment, operational."
You sighed. This wasn't looking good for him. Your dad was being played out as an inconsiderate menace, and, despite your complex opinion on him, you knew he wouldn't do this on purpose. When he leaned over, his phone in hand, you watched curiously.
When you realized he had just 'commandeered' the screens, you sighed a second time. No doubt he was about to show them all up with something.
True enough, you observed as the hijacked screen began to show videos of failed attempts at replicating the suit. There were videos from North Korea, Iran, and, much to everyone's surprise, one from Hammer.
"Is that Justin Hammer?" Tony asked, pretending to be shocked. "How did Hammer get in the game?"
Hammer himself was desperately fiddling with the monitor, trying to turn everything off. The screen showed the suit failing miserably in a mini explosion of sparks and loose wires. Hammer looked incredibly embarrassed as he finally turned the screen off.
Your dad went on to explain that most countries were about five-ten years off even coming close to his design and Hammer was left to make excuses for the video, claiming the person inside the suit wasn't harmed. Senator Stern was bright red as he stood up.
"I think we're done, is the point that he's making. I-I don't think there's any reason to-"
"-The point is, uh, you're welcome, I guess." Tony stated in a nonchalant manner. "Because I'm your nuclear deterrent. It's working, we're safe, America is secure. You want my property? You can't have it. But I did you a big favor. I've successfully privatized world peace."
He stood up, turning to address the crowd. He raised his arms and threw up two peace signs. Everyone started clapping and cheering, standing from their seats also.
"I tried to play ball with these ass-clowns." He laughed.
"Fuck you, Mr. Stark." Senator Stern said. "Fuck you, buddy."
The clapping was only getting louder and he could barely be heard. Tony simply smiled like he owned the world as he put on some sunglasses and blew kisses.
You stood in silence, not sure if you were in more disbelief or amazement. Probably an even amount of both. A small part of you suddenly felt proud to be a Stark, but you were understandably a little embarrassed with his antics.
However, Hammer caught your attention again. The way he was looking at the senators screamed guilt and the bad feeling in your gut got worse. If your issues weren't bad enough, they definitely were now, with the revelation he'd been trying to replicate your dad's suit.
-
It had been about a week and a half since the congressional hearing and you were tinkering with the jet in the warehouse again. You still hadn't quite figured out what it was, but it looked a lot better than when you'd first found it. According to FRIDAY, your work had greatly paid off and it was now flyable. You were just adding random little perks to pass the time.
As you worked, you had Metallica's Enter Sandman playing through the speakers you'd installed. You hummed along to the lyrics, occasionally pausing to discuss things with FRIDAY.
You were thinking about installing some security measures. The warehouse seemed like a fitting home for you now. It was isolated, large enough to hide in, and backed by a large lake. Plus you already had so much stuff in there, it'd just be a pain to move it all.
"FRIDAY, how we doing?" You asked over the music.
"The jet is 94.7% operational, Miss."
"Nice." You stood up, hands on your hips as you looked around. "Hey, what do you think about using some Merlin engines to give this thing a kick?"
"It would be a risk, but a state-wide search suggests a contractor nearby may have the materials needed."
"Brilliant. Thank you."
You'd have to steal it. You'd gotten used to doing that recently.
As you finished up, wiping your hands on a rag, you turned down the music. You would have turned it back up since Halestorm came on, but something on the television caught your attention instead.
"Well, what's the use in having and owning a race car if you don't drive it?"
The Monaco Grand Prix. Your dad.
Was he driving?
"You've gotta be shitting me." You muttered, quickly turning up the volume to listen.
Why was he driving? Was he not aware of how dangerous it was? Or was he aware, but simply not caring about it?
You watched him get in the car with the original driver storming off. He seemed to relish in the moment, all those eyes on him. You scoffed, moments like these being the ones that made you remember how he never had time for you. It hurt.
When the race began, you couldn't deny the worry shining through the hurt and annoyance. The chances of someone dying in the races were slim, but the chance of being hurt were much higher. You just had to hope your dad was competent enough to drive properly.
And things were going well. They really were. Until some man walked right onto the track and quite literally tore one of the cars in half with some kind of electrical whips. Looking closer, your eyes widened when you noticed the arc reactor in his chest. It was almost identical to your dad's.
"Who the hell are you?" You muttered, subconsciously leaning even closer.
He looked rough, his hair long and greasy and his tanned skin covered in dirt. The top half of his jumpsuit was burned away from the arc reactor. He looked like a convict.
Your heart damn near shattered when he tore your dad's car in half as well. The bigger part cartwheeled through the air and landed with a sickening bang against the side fence, upside down.
"No!" You shouted, grabbing the television. "Dad... Come on. Get out. Come on!"
More race cards skidded to a halt behind the strange man, causing a chain reaction explosion as he stalked towards the wrecked Stark vehicle. However, when he again struck it with one of the whips, you could just about make out that there was no driver. Your dad made it out.
And, true enough, he attacked the man from behind, hitting him on the head with some scrap from the wreckage. The man retaliated and your dad tried to get out but it wasn't looking so good. Until a new car arrived on the scene. It was Happy and Pepper, and the man tore off the side of the car before your dad managed to grab the case containing his suit.
The fight was fairer that time around and your dad successfully defended himself for a while, even defeating this strange man by tearing out the arc reactor. The man was taken away after but only laughed after.
You were so on edge that tears were clouding your vision when you all but collapsed in pure relief.
Your dad was okay. Barely.
-Tony POV-
Celebrating his birthday had always been a big affair for Tony. Bands, plenty of booze and food, loud music booming throughout all of Malibu, and even strippers had been involved. But this year it was different.
He was dying, he knew that, but no one else did. He was never one for birthday wishes or pleas, but if there was one thing he wanted, it was you. His little girl. Almost a year of your absence had hit him harder than he ever expected. He wished to have you back.
His searches around the globe had turned up nothing. He didn't know what he'd been expecting considering how smart you were. The only true bonding you ever had was when you watched him create JARVIS but he was well aware you observed everything in the house and were more than capable of inventing something to hide yourself.
He wondered why you hadn't come back after Obadiah's death. He knew the man was the reason you ran away, and he was furious at the threat he made to you, but it was safe. Surely you had to know that.
He was drinking more than usual that night for many factors. You being missing and the fact he was dying were the main ones.
And Rhodey was getting annoyed by the behavior. He'd had enough, especially when he'd just stuck his neck out for the guy.
He'd taken one of Tony's earlier suits and crashed the party, telling people to get out before facing off against his friend.
"You don't deserve to wear one of these." He told him. "Shut it down."
Tony rolled his eyes and looked at the DJ setup. "Goldstein."
A very nervous looking man popped his head over the laptop. "Yes, Mr. Stark?"
"Give me a phat beat to beat my buddy's ass too." He giggled as Another One Bites the Dust started playing.
"What about (Y/n)?" Rhodey asked suddenly. "Do you think she would have wanted this? I don't."
Tony's expression turned stone cold, a complex arrangement of hate, sorrow, guilt, and anger flashing through his eyes. He looked at his best friend, breathing heavier than before.
"Don't say her name." He warned.
"Tony, she is your daughter! She did everything to try and get you to like her but she got nothing in return. For once in your life just think about her and stop this. (Y/n)-"
Before he could finish, Tony had fired a repulsor beam, sending him flying backwards.
After that, the fight began.
-(Y/n) POV-
It was time.
As you walked into the Expo, you wore plain pants, a striped shirt, and a white hoodie covered by a denim jacket. The hood was up, hiding your identity, and you stayed at the back of every crowd. You weren't here for the fun of the Expo or to see your dad, you were there to see if Hammer was up to something.
His 'advanced weapon systems' presentation and demonstration was supposed to start any second. You had no idea what it was, but the vibe you were getting from that man was still over the top and extremely weird. You didn't trust him as far as you could throw him.
As Pick Up the Pieces started playing from the PA, Hammer waltzed onto the stage, practically bathing in the blue light as he approached the lectern up front.
"Yeah!" He cheered when the music died down and the clapping got quieter. "That's what I'm talking about. Thanks for coming. Ladies and gentlemen, for far too long this country has had to place its brave men and women in harm's way. But then the Iron Man arrived and we thought the days of losing lives were behind us."
As he started the rant, you rolled your eyes, already fed up. You didn't know why you felt so annoyed with everything lately but you assumed it was the stress of keeping a low profile at an event such as this. After all, the Stark Expo wasn't just your dad's thing, but it was your legacy too. You were a Stark whether you liked it or not.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Hammer began again. "Today I present to you the new face of the United States military. The Hammer drone!"
From the back, several drones, built in a way that resembled the Iron Man suit, rose on platforms. They were large and chunky, and there were about eight for each type of division including army, navy, air force, and marines. The crowd went wild but you remained stony-faced, eyes narrowed at the drones.
They weren't like your dad's suit which was light and somewhat non-threatening in appearance, they were very clearly meant for offence only and were extremely intimidating.
But these thoughts were shaken from your head as Rhodey showed up in a suit that was actually one of your dad's, only military modified. Had he stolen it or had he been given it? Either way, Hammer introduced him as the War Machine.
But then came the rumble in the distance. The sound of thrusters.
You turned and were one of the first to see the light streaking through the sky as it headed for the stage. Quicker than lighting you pulled her hood further down your face to block your identity as the Iron Man whizzed overhead and landed on the stage. The people around went absolutely wild.
Your dad and Rhodey stood together, waving, but you knew something was up. Hammer tried to play it casual but it was obvious he was seething. That was when the minigun attached to Rhodey's shoulder locked onto your dad, startling everyone. The drones followed suit.
Something was wrong.
Your dad shot into the air and the drones, as well as Rhodey, followed within the second, the guns firing and smashing the glass ceiling.
"Shit!" You cursed, ducking and covering your head as shards crashed all around.
A couple scratched your hands, but the pain was barely noticeable as people shoved past in an attempt to escape. About four times you almost fell to the floor and twice you stumbled into pavilion pillars. Once outside, the chaos was somehow worse.
People ran shouting and yelling, Hammer drones were wreaking havoc and destroying things and killing people, there were small fires brewing from explosions, and the air was polluted by smoke and gunfire. You felt your breath hitch and your insides squirm as the drones planted themselves in the ground and shot at both your dad and the innocents.
A cry nearby caught your attention and you turned to see a boy in an Iron Man mask staring up at one of these drones. He didn't seem afraid, but the drone had clearly surprised him. You ran forward, a protective instinct you didn't even know you had taking over.
As the drone aimed the minigun at the boy, you jumped up, pushing the large barrel as upward as you could and making it shoot up at the sky instead. Completely by coincidence, you managed to shoot down one of the other drones in the process. But you didn't have time for victory.
The drone turned on you and you did an extremely fast assessment, picking up every detail you could. You noticed a tiny gap between the body and head and reached into your pocket for the knife you had hidden. You shoved the blade inside the small gap and immediately felt wires inside snap.
The drone malfunctioned and stuttered, sparks flying from inside. You finished it off by tearing the knife back out and pulling the entire thing down to the floor. It was much harder than it initially seemed but you managed.
The boy you'd saved stared up at you but you couldn't see his face from the mask. You couldn't tell if he was terrified or in awe. Another drone flew past and knocked into you, however, sending you flying into a pillar nearby.
You coughed as the air was knocked from your body. Rubble fell around and you could only imagine the mess you looked like. The drone that took you marched to the boy like the first one had and pointed a gun at him again.
But before you could save the kid a second time, your dad appeared and took it down with a repulsor beam.
Time seemed to freeze.
Your breathing became shallow and shaky and the surroundings darkened as your nails clawed at the concrete ground in an attempt to stand. From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, your entire body was screaming.
You staggered backwards, hitting the pillar again, and the world started to swirl around. You couldn't focus because the place was moving in circles. It was like sitting in a chair on the edge of a cliff and being about to fall.
You tried to talk, but only a hoarse whine left your lips. You tried to move, but were rooted in place because of the fear. Your legs ached to run, to run and embrace your dad, apologize for running and scaring everyone.
But you didn't.
He was gone before you could force yourself into action. It was only the little boy looking around in worry that stirred you back into reality. After a shaky breath, you ran over, kneeling in front of him.
"Hey, kiddo." You tried to smile despite the tears in your eyes and the chaos unleashing. "Where's your family?"
He couldn't speak but somehow managed to point in a direction with a shaky hand. You picked him up and took off, almost bumping into a man wearing a suspiciously clean suit on the way. You paid him no mind, however, and didn't stop until a couple ran up to you, yelling for the boy. They thanked you before taking him and running.
You spun around, on the verge of a panic attack as the explosions and screams berated your senses.
-
A week had passed since the close encounter with your father. You could barely process being that close to him after so long. Even now you wondered if you should have moved.
Would it have been worth it? Exposing yourself after so long? All those months of running and hiding... Would it have been a waste?
You shook your head, not wanting to think about it. You'd made it this far alone so what was a few more weeks? And all that Expo business was done anyway. Hammer had been exposed, and the drones all destroyed.
But the last thing you expected to see as your warehouse came into view was a giant aircraft in the middle of the clearing with dozens of armed people in uniform piling out. Your heart stopped for a second and every bone in your body screamed at you to turn and run. You were about to, but more of those people miraculously appeared behind you as well.
"Who the hell are you?!" She exclaimed, reaching for her knife despite knowing it wouldn't do any good.
"Please stay calm." One of the group, a woman, said, her hand raised to show she wasn't going to shoot. "Head inside."
"Uh..." You looked at all the uniformed people with her, a brow raised. "How about no?"
"Trust me, it's easier if you go willingly."
"Yeah, that makes me just wanna say no again."
The woman sighed. "There's someone who wants to meet you. Take a look and you can stab us with your cutlery after if you don't like it."
You furrowed your brows and she nodded to the knife hidden in your pocket. You knew then going quietly was perhaps the only option. You were most definitely outnumbered and you didn't think a knife would do much against innumerable guns.
"Fine." You raised your hands. "But I can't promise I won't break both your legs if I don't like this."
She merely chuckled and motioned towards the warehouse. You asked questions as she guided you inside but she didn't say a word. You first thought was that she was a spy or something since she was dressed all in black with a tight bun holding her hair away from her face, and all of a sudden you panicked.
Obadiah's threat. What if these people were part of it? What if they were there to kill you?
You decided to make a run for it but before you could, a man with a deep voice spoke up.
"Hello, (Y/n)."
He wore a long leather trench coat, all black, and had an eye patch covering a badly scarred eye. Whatever happened to him, it didn't seem pretty.
"Who are you?" You asked hesitantly.
He gave a smile that more resembled a smirk, and clasped his hands behind his back. "My name is Director Fury. I'm here to talk to you about SHIELD."