It didn't take long until I was already bored with my surroundings. Stark Industries, as much I as wanted to learn about the company. Pepper could see that I wasn't really paying attention.

"Did you get that Jae?" Pepper leaned over to me. Blinking back into the world I shook my head and groaned. "It's alright, I know your mind can wander like Tony's. You do know that this was a deal your dad and I had."

"Yea I know, I'm sorry Pep. I just keep losing myself in my head I guess. I use to share it just to myself." The two of us shared in a laugh.

"Come now Jaedyn, you and I both know that your mind was elsewhere other than I." I shook my head, Tess knew very well what I was thinking about.

"I have been meaning to ask you about that." Pepper stood up, and I joined her. Gathering all the files and papers that were spread around. She saw my face fall and gave me a comforting smile. "Forget I asked, right now we can go get something to eat. It's..." Pepper looked to the clock on her wall. "Wow, already two o'clock. Come on, your probably starving." I nodded and teleported our jackets from the backs of our chairs as we made our way to the door. Pep shot me a surprised look.

"I grabbed a muffin on our way out the door at eleven, but your right. I am pretty hungry." Nudging her I handed her coat over. She put it on and grabbed her purse, throwing it over her shoulder.

"I'm not ever gonna get use to that, or when you levitate things." She opened the door and we made our way down towards the ground floor.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm still getting use to it myself. But the more I practice, the better I get at it. Well that's what everyone keeps telling me." I shrugged, stuffing my hand stuffing my hands into my jeans. Pepper grabbed my arm, halting me.

"Your strong Jaedyn. A lot stronger than me that's for sure. You'll figure this out, I'm sure of it." Happy met us at the entrance to the building, as well as a lot of paparazzi. "Oh geez, these guys just don't quit do they."

"Of course they don't." I zipped up my hoodie and looked towards Happy. He had already started to block the cameras and reporters.

"Miss Potts! Miss Stark! Over here, a few questions! Please!" Reporters shouted at us. Pepper pulled me behind her, so I would be blocked from the photographer's lenses. "Miss Stark is it true that your father has made a partnership with the U.S. government to create a damage control agency? Is he taking responsibility for what happened during the invasion?" Pepper grabbed my hand when they started to shout accusations about Tony. She and I both knew he was the subject I got tense about. "Miss Stark isn't it true that the invasion originated at Stark Tower?" Pepper's eyes locked with Happy. The two of them both could tell I was pissed, and so was Tess. She forced my hand from her grip turning back towards the reporter.

The flashes caused my eyes to be filled with white dots. Rubbing my eyes clear I faced the reporter that struck my nerves. "Look. You want to know the truth?" A phone was shoved in my face to record what I was gonna say. "My dad, Tony Stark, and the rest of the team that stopped that mad man from taking over earth. Saved a lot of lives, yes many were lost in the process and that is terrible. I was here, when it all happened." Pepper's eyes widened, she must have thought that I was going to tell them what really went down. "I was attacked and used as a bargaining tool to my father. He's saved my life, again and again."

There was a silence among the reporters when I finished. Eyes glued to me. My hands now formed into fists started to shake with the memories flashes. Gently a hand graced my fist, Pepper. "Jae. Let's get out of here." Spinning towards the car. Happy patted my back as I slid into the back seat. Pepper moved in after I. The car was quiet despite the low volume of the radio keeping it all but silent.

The detours caused us to shift streets down and over multiple times. "You think New York traffic is bad, just add an alien invasion to the mix." I grumbled under my breath, rubbing my eyes.

"Your angry."

"Obviously I'm angry Pepper. They are talking about things they have no knowledge over. How else am I supposed to feel?!" I formed fists and felt myself start to levitate off the seat.

"Jae."

"What Virginia!?" Tess and I yelled, Happy was starting at us, ignoring the street and when I spotted a car abruptly stop in front of us. Pepper's eyes widened and braced herself for the crash. "Happy!" Shooting my hand in front of me the car filled with my blue energy and stopped us from hitting the other car. My other hand rested on my knee palm up towards the ceiling of the car. Fingers curled up. Blue swirls formed around my digits stopping the other cars behind us from going anywhere. My seatbelt locked me in place, so I didn't fly forward.

"Everyone alright back there?" Happy adjusted the mirror to see us both. My eyes had rolled back into my head while my powers were activated. I could feel Tess start to wish to crush the vehicles, but I locked it down before she could.

"I'm good. I'm good. Pepper?" She had her head in her hands taking deep breaths. "Sorry."

"I know when people bring up your dad it's tough for you. I should be the one apologizing to you. It's a big thing to you. Did you... Did you do that?" I shook my head yes. She didn't speak to me after that, Happy didn't bother to look at me from then on. He turned the radio up and Pepper went to her phone. I went to my phone as well. Scrolling through social media, posted a picture to my Instagram that was just of the surroundings of us at a stopped light. Passed the time to check my email and respond to a few interview opportunities.

Happy swung by fast food and grabbed us all something to eat. We ate it in the parking lot. Tossing away whatever trash we had afterword's. Pepper took a call soon after we got back on the road. Business things, people wanting comments about the new clean up division dad put together. She didn't oblige them of course. Next it was my phone to ring.

"Agent Stark?" I shifted in my seat and looked to the outside.

"Depends whose asking?"

"Commander Maria Hill with S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Barton gave me this number, and I just wanted to make sure this worked." I rested my head on the window of the car and hummed in response.

"Well it works commander. And yes, this is Agent Stark. You'll be able to reach me here whatever time of day." Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Pepper giving me a concerned look when I said that I was an agent. I don't think she really understood what that meant. She did know I was risking my neck. Just like dad is constantly doing. "Bye Commander." The phone went silent and I stuffed it back into my pocket. "It happened a little bit after I was hospitalized for my arm."

The horn was hit, and I heard Happy curse under his breath. That made me chuckle, he glanced back in the mirror to me. "Heard that did ya?"

"Oh yea." He shook his head, I could see the embarrassment on his face. It soon disappeared when he had to focus on driving. I didn't believe what I saw when I spotted protesters marching towards the tower.

"Avengers? More like Destroyers!" They were chanting short phrases and waving around their cardboard signs. I clenched my hands tightly. My fingernails cutting into my palms. Pepper tenderly grabbed my hand and pulled my fist apart and wrapped her hand around mine.

"Thank you..."

"Just stay with me." I nodded and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, focusing on where I was. I felt their hatred for me, I heard their booing of the avengers. Of me. "Harold can you turn up the radio. Drown these guys out."

"No problem." The music cranked up. Taking away whatever the protesters were saying about my father and the other avengers. All I saw was their lips moving and their signs waving up and down. "We should be there in a few minutes." I smiled to Happy in the mirror before closing myself off. Letting the sound of the radio take over me. Pulling into the parking lot, I unbuckled and briskly exited the car.

"You alright Jaedyn?" I rubbed my eyes. Forcing whatever tears there were away, to not let them fall. My hands clenched again as I fell to my knee. Flexing my fingers and forming a ball of blue glowing energy currents. Pepper saw me fall and called my name. I shot her a look and Happy moved her behind him. "Jae."

"Stop trying to help her. Let her help herself!" Tess uttered, several voices spoke simultaneously from my mouth.

"Shut up!" I hit my knuckles onto the pavement hard. Psionic energy sent waves on the ground. As it reached Pepper and Happy I stood up. Waving my hands in front of me, my palms up. Stopping my motion abruptly the waves crashed up like waves on rocks. Lowering my hands, the energy dissolved slowly. Looking over to Pepper and Happy they looked almost scared. "I'm sorry. I...When emotions get high, like anger. Tess comes out. I was pissed to say the least at the protesters. I didn't want to lose it in the car." Pepper nodded slowly. Happy glanced to the car, locking it with a click of a button.The three of us entered the elevator and made a few pit stops so Pepper could drop off some files. I faked a smile when people waved to me. Nodding to acknowledge them. Happy was good to block them from coming in my space right now. "What time is it?"

"About a quarter to six," Happy said as he looked to his watch. In the blurry reflection I could see a smile on both Happy and Pepper's faces. Made me anxious as to why they were smiling

"Why are you two looking so smug?" I began to turn towards them when I heard the ding of the elevator and was met with a deafening noise.

"Happy Birthday Jaedyn!!! Balloons and streamers covered the ceiling. Lights were shooting different colors up into the room. Stepping off the elevator I was met by Dad who had placed a tiara on my head. It read, Birthday Princess. He kissed the top of my head grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you put this together?" I half whispered to him as he kissed my head.

"Pepper's idea, I just did all the planning and heavy lifting." Pepper and Happy moved out from the elevator. Dad kissed Pepper and patted Happy on the back as he made his way into the party.

"Is that why Pepper and I went into the office? Oh, and when traffic was terrible?!" Overjoyed and overwhelmed with the situation dad wrapped an arm around me and we made our way into the party. People saying Happy Birthday and giving me compliments. My eyes moved around the sea of party members. Friends and family were here, even some people I didn't recognize. But it was good to have people here, made this place seem more lively when dad and Pep were out doing business.

"Yes it was. Thank them later, right now. You can go upstairs and get dressed for the party alright?" Dad gave me a Stark smirk. I elbowed him and made a straight shot towards the stairs. Cheerily smiling at them.

"Thank you guys for coming. It means a lot to me." I yelled down the steps to them, so they could hear me over the music. They cheered and rose their cups to me. Making it into my room I closed the door and stretch my arms. Opening my closet with a wave of my wrist I spotted a black dress with long sleeves. Perfect to hide the remaining bruises I had from the attack. Moving over to my bathroom I grabbed some hair gel inside the cabinet and rubbed it into my hand. Looking at myself in the mirror I pushed my hair back. Combing it to slick it back, hairspray to make it stay for the night. I hadn't planned on wearing any makeup tonight. Hell I hadn't even planned on there being a party. Things change.

I pulled out my Smokey eye pallet and went to work, adding highlighter to my cheek, and topping it off with a bit of color to my lips. Once I felt good enough for a party I grabbed some black heels, strapped up. Ready for battle. I almost forgot. I grabbed the tiara and placed it upon my head. I looked like a princess.

Walking back out of my room and towards the steps I'm met with loud boisterous music. Reaching the steps I got a good look at everyone. Dad and Pepper were chatting in the distance. Happy was sitting at the bar, getting a good look for security detail. That's when I spotted Natasha and Clint sitting on the couch. Their legs rested on each other's with drinks in their hands. A long table with a red and gold cloth stretched across it. Presents draped across it, some boxes with wrapping paper. Others were bags with colored tissue paper. In a lowered section of the room was dancing. Sweltering bodies crowded the enclosed space, their hips gyrating in emphasis with the pulsating music which was reverberating around the open air. Vibrant laser lights beamed across the dance floor. Some tipsy adults were stumbling over their own feet to get off the dance floor and up somewhere else. Couples down in the pit of dancers pressed their bodies against each other, in an interlocking moment of serenity.

"There's the Birthday girl." Dad said, looking up the stairs. A drink of what I can only guess was alcohol. "Join the party." I declined the stairs, again being met with birthday cheers and smiles. I was given a drink by someone I hadn't seen before and drank it. "It's your birthday party so only this once will I allow you to drink."

"Mhmm. I bet." I laughed and saw him chuckle to, so I knew we were fine. "Thank you... For this."

"You needed something, and your birthday wasn't... The best. You're eighteen, I needed you to have something good to remember it by." I smiled and kissed his cheek. He pushed me towards the party. "Go have a good time."

Stepping deeper into the amount of people who were here I began to lose myself in the music. Swaying to the beat, jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd. The music was so loud that it made my skin tingle and my lungs feel like mush. The bass thumped in time with my heart beat as though they were one, filling me from head to toe with music. Making my ears go deaf. I liked this song. My heart beat mirror the beat of the drums in the songs. Loud and crazy. A grip on my arm caused me to leave the dance floor and up towards an area where it had slightly less people.

"Jaedyn. Be careful, you were glowing out there." Dad was giving me a parenting look, which I did my best to ignore.

"Awe dad. That's so nice of you to say. I try look my best."

"Not what I meant Jaedyn and you know it." As I tried to get out of his grip he pulled me tighter and pulled me closer to him. "You shouldn't let people see the other side of you."

"It's a party dad. Lighten up. I'm not gonna send people flying across the room." Grumbling that I understood he let me go. Our attention was brought to the tapping of a microphone. Pepper stood up on a platform smiling to everyone.

"Alright so what's not a birthday with some singing? Here we go." The lights began to dim and I saw small candles lighting the way for a triple decker cake. Chocolate icing covering it from the top to the bottom. On the top it spelt, Happy Birthday 18th Jaedyn.

I could have sworn I was gonna cry then. It was the perfect birthday in every sense, and in all the ways only the universe can give. I was so grateful for all the people here, even though I didn't know most of them. They were here for a party and for me. I stepped towards the cake and they started to sing. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Jaedyn. Happy Birthday to you...." Closing my eyes halfway through the song I thought about what I wanted to wish for.

"Why not wish for me to be gone?" Tess echoed in my head, but I shook my head. "Do you not wish me gone." I glanced to my reflection in the window at the side of the room. Seeing Tess' glowing blue eyes in the window. "You don't want me gone? Surprise, surprise." I turned back towards the cake finally blowing the candles out. Cheers and people clapping filled my ears.

I knew dad would be waiting. He knew that once the party calmed down I would be drunk. Stumbling over my words and feet. People had left, I unwrapped some presents. Other asked for me to open them in private cause they were a special gift. Dad just wanted me to be safe. I was home so it didn't matter if I was drinking or not. I could feel the worry invade me as I stumbled up the stairs. Dad barely catching me as I did. One shoe in hand, the other half way lost up the stairs. I was a giggling mess to say the least. "Oh princess." He sighed, rubbing a hand across his face, one arm around me to keep me steady. "Your hangover is going to be a bitch in the morning." I giggled once more, clinging to his arm as he started to shuffle me off to my room. He opened the door with a yell up to Jarvis scoffing at what he saw. My room was floating up on the ceiling. My lips parted, and another laugh escaped me. "Well can you at least try to set your bed on the floor?" I nodded, raising and lowering my hand to the floor. The bed lowered slowly and I walked like a baby gazelle towards my bed.

"You get drunk all the time." I slurred, a goofy and lazy grin plastered on my face. Dad took off my other shoe and tossed them towards my closet and I went stumbling into my bed. Dad pulling my blankets across me.

"That's why I know you're not going to like how you feel in the morning." He said and smoothed my hair, kissing my forehead. "Maybe we'll go have anther one of those classic father daughter days we haven't had in a while. Would you be interested in that?"

"That would be fun." I indistinctly uttered into my pillow. I knew that he knew what I was talking about, and with that the lights were out and I was fast passed out.

The Author

Here's another chapter of Phantom.

I'm still working towards getting a job right now. But I'm close to securing one.

I plan to make the next chapter a lot longer, hopefully I will do what I want to happen justice.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

If you have the time could you please leave me some feedback. It helps a lot!

Thank you again and I hope you have a great Day/Night!

~C.K.O~