Disclaimer: I do not own any of this story exept for the plot.

Please enjoy my story! I've been planning this story for a while and im working on ch 2 right now! Please review people!


Chapter 1

Tony Stark hovered over the area, surveying the damage. He smiled, satisfied with his work. All that was left of the piles of weapons was smoke and scrap metal.

"A job well done, eh Jarvis?" he joked.

"Brilliant sir," came the clipped British voice from the speakers. Stark turned and flew off towards the setting sun. It was a very uneventful flight back. Tony used the time to relax and listen to his music. When he got back home he wasn't looking forward to getting the suit off.


"I need to find another way to do this Jarvis," Tony whined.

"Would you like me to do a little research tonight, sir?" Jarvis responded as Tony squirmed with the machines.

"Yes, I would actually," Tony winced. Ten minutes and a couple bruises and swear words later, Tony was free of the suit.

"Sir, you have a meeting with the head of the R&D department tomorrow," Jarvis informed Tony as he walked upstairs.

"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony mumbled, yawning. He headed straight up to his bedroom, grateful for his warm, soft bed.

The Next Day

Tony woke up bright and early at six in the morning to Jarvis' outlook on the day. He sat up on his bed and stretched. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and went through his morning routine. He was in the kitchen straightening out his suit when pepper walked into the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Pepper smiled.

"Good morning Pepper," he yawned.

"Long night?" she asked sitting down in one of the chairs at the table.

"Yes actually." Tony grabbed a granola bar from the pantry and unwrapped it.

"Don't get that on your suit, Tony. You don't have time to get cleaned up," she said. Tony smiled as he looked down at his watch.

"Ready to go?" he asked between bites.

"Yep," she said standing up. Hogan was just pulling up to Tony's house in the Rolls Royce as they walked out.

The main building to Stark Industries was currently under repair from the showdown with Stane. The damage was bad but he already had people working on it. All the other buildings were fine, so most people still were able to work. For that, Tony was thankful. With Stane gone, Tony was able to convince the board to switch to Arc Reactor technology. He had given his researchers a design for a chest piece like his own but with crucial differences. After all, Now that he was a "super hero" he didn't want anyone to be able to get rid of him like Stane almost did.

"We're here," Pepper said pulling Tony from his thoughts. He stepped out of the car after Pepper and straightened his tie.

"How do I look?" he asked as Pepper turned to him.

"Very professional," she said making some last minute adjustments.

"Thank you." He said heading for the building with Pepper following closely behind. He didn't notice the people staring until he got in the elevator. One of his employees was glancing over at him every couple seconds. Tony looked over at him and smiled. He was sure he heard Pepper snickering at his response. The man stumbled out of the elevator and Tony sighed. Pepper looked over at him, smiling ever so slightly.

"What was that about?" Tony asked after the doors slid shut. Pepper giggled and shrugged. Tony shook his head. "I can tell it's going to be a long day already."

The doors slid open and Tony walked straight back to his office. As the doors closed behind him, the television turned on and Tony poured himself a drink. The anchors on the news station blurred into the background as Tony fell deep into thought. He almost wished he hadn't told the press that he was Iron Man. Tony looked down at where the miniature arc reactor was nestled in his chest. It was one of those things that actually comforted him. Tony took a small sip of the scotch and stared out at what his father had created and he had expanded. He was sure that the people down in the parking lot were looking up at his office and wondering what he was doing.

Tony leaned back and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt very uneasy. This feeling came from his chest right where the arc reactor was. He knew this feeling. It always came before something bad happened. His eyes flew open and he searched for the source of the dread. He quickly shut the television off and heard a small ticking noise. Instinct told him to get away as soon as possible. As Tony threw himself across his desk, there was an explosion. The windows shattered and a sharp pain in Tony's chest blinded him. He curled up in a ball on the other side of his desk as the room was riddled with bullets. Just in time, the protective metal curtain he had installed came down to stop the bullets. As soon as the metal came all the way down, Pepper ran in the room, a look of horror on her face and a cell phone in her hand.

"Oh my God, Tony! Are you alright?" she cried.

"Chest," he moaned. Pepper looked to his chest and saw a perfectly round hole that was quickly staining with red.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening," she whispered, hysteria showing through her normally in-control eyes. "Doctor. We need a doctor!" Tony knew it was bad. He also knew there was only one doctor who could save him. There wasn't much time. The darkness was closing in on him. Before Tony passed out he said two words that could save him if he got there in time:

"Dr. House."