"Can’t I stay home with you today?" Stark asked, staring glumly out the passenger window at the early morning Seoul traffic.

"You know I can’t have you under my feet all day while I’m trying to work," Helen Cho said softly. "This is what’s best for both of us."

"But I can help!"

"Aww, I know you can, sweetie, but you know I work better without distractions. Besides I managed to slow your age regression, didn’t I?" She glanced over at her genetic daughter. "... Well, didn't I?"

"Y-yeah…"

"And I haven’t heard a single thank you yet. What do we say when someone does something nice for us?

"Um… gamsa…hamnida?" Stark stumbled over the korean sounds.

"That’s better."

Whoever had raised Stark the first time had not done a good job of it, and she was determined to teach him manners this time around.

"But couldn’t I go to an international school instead? Nobody likes me here. They all laugh at me. They think I’m dumb because I can’t speak the language."

"If you don’t know what they’re saying, how do you know they’re laughing at you?"

"All the other girls giggle behind their hands. They think I’m weird."

"You’re not weird. You’re just… a little different to other girls your age."

"I’m not a-"

"And I’m sure if you put your mind to it you can learn Korean. You’re a very clever girl."

"I’m not a girl!"

Helen Chu bit her tongue, knowing how sensitive a subject it was. "I know you’re not, sweetie. I’m sorry for saying it. Please don’t get upset."

"I’m not *sniff* I’m not upset."

"You’re not crying?"

"N-no."

"Good. You be a big strong gi-person for mo-... for me, okay?"

Stark sniffed and nodded.

"I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time at school today. Didn’t you say you made a friend? The cute one? What was his name? Jeong-ho?"

"Jong-dae. And I didn’t say he was cute, I said he was annoying," Stark pouted.

"I was a girl once too, you know. I know what ‘annoying’ is code for."

Helen glanced across at her daughter fiddling with her armor. The school was having a Dress-As-Your-Hero Day. Tony had been up all night with glue, cardboard and glitter making her armor, after rather huffily throwing the Captain America costume Helen had bought for her in the garbage.

"You look very pretty in your armor. I’m sure Jong-dae will be very impressed.

Stark's face lit up with pride. "It has real, working repulsors."

There was a rustling of cardboard over cardboard as she extended her arm and flexed her wrist. There was a hiss of pneumatics as a nail fired from the wrist and lodged in the car windshield.

“Aaah! I’m sorry, mommy!”

Helen Cho slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt in front of the school. The windscreen was a cobweb of cracks.

But 'mommy'? Well how could she stay mad at that? She pretended to be stern as she stood Tony on the sidewalk and gently disarmed and removed the nail gun she'd built into her cardboard armor, though secretly Helen's heart was melting. It was the first time she’d ever called her mommy.

Tony was crying again, knowing she was in big trouble. Helen wiped away her tears.

“Now big smiles today. I promised Ms Potts I’d show her the photos of how cute you look in your armor."

She handed Tony her Captain America lunchbox and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She watched her daughter wobbling away in her ill-fitting cardboard suit and sighed happily. She'd resume her research on Tony's age regression at the laboratory. But she almost wished they stayed this age forever.