The Stark Legacy
Kara was so focused on the notes she was writing that she jumped when her phone went off next to her. Seeing Tony’s picture on the screen, she sighed.
“What?”
“I need you.”
He hung up before she could respond, so she groaned in frustration and stood to search him out. When she reached his car, she shook her head. “I can’t believe you still had it there.”
“Apparently, I’m sentimental.” He grunted as he lifted the boards from the model out of his car. “Help me.”
She lifted them from his arms with ease and carried them inside to the lab. Setting them down on the table, she waited for him to put it together. Once it was assembled, she stood back and stared at it.
“Wow.” When Tony didn’t respond, she looked up. He was staring at her. “What?”
“You’ve been crying.” It wasn’t a question. “What happened while I was gone?”
“Let’s just say you aren’t the only one who got a message from the great beyond.” She told him and recounted a revised version of the video. “Dad had a way with words.”
“Yes, he did.” Tony agreed. “Now come on…you’ll never believe what I found on this thing.”
“You’ll be happy to note that our good friend is up and running again,” Kara smirked at his impressed expression. “Like they could stop me.”
“Wonderful. JARVIS, could you kindly vacuform a digital wireframe?” He asked the AI quickly, and Kara stood back. “I need a manipulatable projection.”
“1974 Stark Expo model scan complete, sir.”
“How many buildings are there?” She wondered.
“Am I to include the Belgian waffle stands?”
“That was rhetorical. Just show us.”
Kara waited for her brother as he lifted the scan and turned it vertical. “Not that I’m questioning your IQ, but how does this help us exactly?”
Pulling over a chair, he sighed and gestured to the globe of the model. “Um…what does that look like to you?”
Tilting her head, she was shocked. “Not…unlike an atom…”
“In which case, the nucleus…would be here.” He told her.
Stepping to his side, Kara bent over to look at it. “Highlight the Unisphere.”
Glancing at her, he spoke to JARVIS again. “Lose the footpaths.”
“What is it you’re trying to achieve, sir?”
“I’m discovering…” Kara hit him in the shoulder. “Correction: we’re rediscovering a new element.”
“JARVIS, lose the landscaping, shrubbery, the trees, parking lots, exits, entrances…” Kara said quickly, and seeing Tony’s shock, continued for him. “Structure the protons and neutrons…”
“Use the pavilions as a framework.” Tony snapped back and expanded the view so that it surrounded them.
“Holy shit,” Kara whispered and turned herself in a circle, looking at the discovery. “Tony…this is…”
“Dead for almost twenty years, and he’s still taking us to school.” He replied, causing her to let out a laugh.
“You’re not kidding.”
“The proposed element should serve as a viable replacement for palladium. Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesize.”
“Uh-huh.” He said, ignoring the AI. Then he looked at Kara. “You ready for this?”
This time, she grinned. “Get ready for a major remodel, fellas. We’re back in hardware mode!”
…
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Tony looked at her, confused as she glared at the sledgehammer. “We need to bust that wall open.”
“Yes, that I have no problem with, Rao, help me.” She crossed her arms. “I’m wondering why you have a sledgehammer when I am standing right here.”
“Okay, what do you suggest?” He asked, giving her a wide berth.
Rolling her eyes, Kara pushed him away. “It’s like I’m the only smart one here.”
Pulling her fist back, she threw her fist into the wall at full speed. The concrete busted open, and within a few minutes, there was a decent-sized hole in the wall. “Is that big enough?”
“Okay…you’re now in charge of the holes we need to make.” He quipped. “Now follow me, so I don’t have to use a jackhammer.”
“Yeah, that is definitely not happening.” She told him and followed him out.
As they worked, Kara found herself amazed by the transformation happening in the lab. As she hauled heavy objects-well, heavy in Tony’s words-she began to see how this was going to work. She loved it.
They were finishing up securing the device when the door opened, and Coulson walked in. “I heard you broke the perimeter.” He looked at Kara. “I assume you had something to do with that?”
In place of a response, she grinned and continued working.
“Uh, yeah. That was like three years ago. Where you been?” Tony teased.
“I was doing some stuff.”
“Yeah? Well, us, too. And it worked.” The genius told him. “Hey. I’m playing for the home team, for you and your Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Now, are you going to let us work or break my balls?”
Coulson turned away from a crate and held up a piece of metal. “What’s this doing here?”
Kara watched carefully as Tony looked at it. “That’s it. Bring that to me.”
“You know what this is?” He asked, surprised.
“It’s exactly what I need to make this work,” Tony told him seriously. Then as Kara lifted the coil, he shoved the shield under and made it level.
The agent looked like he wanted to say something, but Kara spoke instead. “Of course, we know what it is. Dad never shut up about it, you know?”
“I’m busy. What do you want?” Tony interrupted, and Kara knew better than to bring the topic back to the surface.
“Nothing,” Coulson told them. “Goodbye. I’ve been reassigned. Director Fury wants me in New Mexico.”
“Fantastic. Land of Enchantment.”
“So I’m told.” Coulson paused. “Good luck. We need you.”
“Thanks,” Tony responded.
Coulson looked at Kara. “Keep him in line.”
She snorted and went back to work. “Yeah, right.”
…
“This is insane.”
“Did you expect otherwise?” Tony asked as he got the device ready to start up.
“No, but I figured it should still be said out of precedence.” Kara retorted and sighed. “Here goes nothing, I guess?”
“Don’t sound too excited.”
“I just want to know if it’s going to work or not.” She snapped. “Let’s get it over with.”
As he turned on the device, JARVIS’s voice echoed throughout the room. “Initializing prismatic accelerator. Approaching maximum power!”
Kara watched as Tony struggled to turn the handle and was about to step forward when he grabbed an oversized wrench and started to pull. This seemed to work, but sent a beam of energy out that tore into everything it touched.
“Shit.”
“Whoops.”
Leaping over the coils, Kara threw herself in front of the beam and jolted as the energy hit her. Then she caught herself and blocked it from destroying anything else.
“You good?” He yelled to her, concerned by the reaction.
“Yep, just hurry!”
Once he had the beam settled on the new parts, Kara sighed and bent over with her hands on her knees. When he finally turned the machine off, she looked up at him.
“You should, ah, probably cover up,” Tony told her and tossed her the shirt he had laying on his desk. “That was easy.”
“Speak for yourself. You owe me a new shirt.” She grumbled as she pulled it over her head. “Did it work?”
“Congratulations, Sir. You have created a new element.”
Kara stared as she watched him move forward and look at it. They were both silent, waiting to hear if their creation would work to keep him alive. Kara knew that this could change the world, but in that moment, all she cared about was that her world stayed intact.
“Sir, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics.”
“We did it,” Tony said in shock. “We actually did it.”
“I just want it to help you,” Kara told him honestly.
“Yeah…me too.”
Finally, looking around them, Kara whistled. “Uh, Tones? This place looks like shit.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He clicked his tongue. “Dumm-E, You. Can we clean up this mess? You’re killing me.”
“Incoming call with a blocked number, Sir.”
“Phone privileges reinstated. Lovely.” Tony clicked so that the call was answered. “Coulson, how’s the Land of Enchantment?”
“Hey Tony, how you doing?”
Kara looked at her brother instantly. “Is that…?”
The man laughed. “I double cycle.”
“What?”
“You told me double cycles, more power. Good advice.”
“You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy.” Tony retorted and glanced back at his sister.
“You, too.” He laughed again.
Clicking a button on the screen, Tony turned to his other computer. “JARVIS, trace him.”
“Now, the true history of Stark name will be written.” Vanko taunted, and Kara was getting angry.
“JARVIS, where is he?” She asked quickly, leaning over Tony’s shoulder.
“Accessing the Oracle grid.” The AI responded. “Eastern seaboard.”
The man seemed unfazed by their silence as he continued. “What your father did to my family over forty years, I will do to you in forty minutes.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get together and hash it out.” Tony bit out as he watched his screen.
JARVIS gave an update referencing the tri-state area, then even closer in the Manhattan and outlying boroughs. Kara tapped her foot anxiously as she waited.
“I hope you’re ready.” The dial tone went off, and they were alone again.
“JARVIS?” Kara asked quietly.
“Call trace incomplete.”
“Dammit.”
Tony looked up in a panic and didn’t know what to do. Then his eyes fell onto the screen holding information about the Stark Expo, and he froze. “I know where he’s going. I have to get to New York.”
Standing, he ran over to his new reactor and yanked it off the base. Then he shoved it in his chest.
“Sir!”
“You want to run some tests, run them. And assemble the suit while you’re at it, please.”
His face shuddered in pain as the new element meshed with his system. A bright light filled the room, and suddenly he was feeling ten times better than he had in a while. Looking up, he paused.
“And what’s this?”
Kara smirked and shook her head as she stood in front of him in her suit. “Yeah, like I’m letting you go alone.”
As the suit surrounded Tony’s body, the siblings nodded to each other. “Let’s go get him.”
They both took off into the sky at the same time and were gone in an instance.