Made some changes to this chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2

Location: Malibu, California

Date: August 6, 2005

Time: 10:55 a.m.

"And just adjust the calibration… there. Got it." I smirked as I held up the hand propulsions. "J.A.R.V.I.S., with these babies my latest invention will be top notched."

As usual, my A.I. lacked any sense of humor. "Sir, are you sure that now is the time to be gloating about your latest achievements?"

"Why wouldn't it?" I asked. "It's not every day that I outsmart myself."

"If you could truly outsmart yourself, then why haven't you brought your company out of the financial depression it is currently in? I estimate that ever since your big announcement last month, Stark Industries has lost over eighty percent of its finances."

If I had programmed J.A.R.V.I.S. with a face, I would've stared at him. "Are you trying to convince me to open back up the weapons division? Because, let me tell you now, that's not going to happen."
"No, sir. But I believe it would be in your best interest to know… uh, sir? You have visitors."

I turned to see Pepper leading in two people. One was an attractive young woman with blue eyes and auburn hair. She was dressed in the latest fashion dress, that looked as if it had just come out. Her companion was a familiar face, blonde hair overlapping his stern blue eyes. Dressed in his business suit, Hank Pym had a look that said he clearly didn't want to be here. "Doctor Pym. Janet. Thank you for coming."
"Stark, your face is the last thing I wanted to see again." Hank said to me. "It's only because of the stunt you pulled at the conference that I'm even in this war monger house."

Janet smiled at him. "Come on, Hank. Go easy on him."

"Yeah, Hank. Go easy on me." I smiled. "Come on. I know how much you hate me, but let me reassure you that I'm not the same guy. The weapons are behind me."

"That may be, Stark, but you still carry the same arrogance and swagger I've known you to have all your life. Far as I'm concerned you haven't changed a bit." He studied me a bit longer before asking, "What is that you're working on?"

Smiling, I held them up. "Flight stabilizers. With these, a person can use the jet-powered boots I've been developing to fly."

"Sounds fun." Janet said.

Hank seemed interested before asking, "But what are you using to power it? Last time I checked, the technology for such a technological accomplishment still doesn't exist."

"Does now." Pulling off my shirt, I showed them the glowing circle in my chest. Janet stared while Pepper blushed. Even the charming and fun, yes I'm being sarcastic, Hank Pym couldn't keep his composure. He reached out and touched it. "Yep. An arc reactor in my chest."

The scientist in him came out. "It's incredible. If this can successfully sustain a heart, this could revolutionize modern medicine. Heart transplants? History."

"I'm considering using arc reactors as an alternative power source. A source of clean, self-sustaining energy. Not only a power source for flying. You know my dad tried to invent the first flying car? Didn't work, but maybe if I incorporate a larger version of the one in my chest-."

"Stark." A familiar voice boomed as Stane marched in, Happy behind him. "I've been patient long enough, and now I want…" His voice trailed off as he saw what I was showing everyone. "Is that…"
"My new heart." I said as I put my shirt back on.

He smiled. "So is this what you've been working on? An artificial heart? I thought the arc reactor in Stark Industries was the only one we could make. The military applications alone-."

"No." I said. "This isn't being weaponized. It could do better in medicine, transportation-."

"Tony, you don't get it. Making weapons is what we do. Inventing things that go boom is where the real money can be found."

I narrowed my eyes. "And how are we going to build a better future if all we do is destroy the present?"
"We're making a future by making sure our enemies don't try to screw with our country."

"This isn't open for debate. My company is not making weapons ever again, and if you're part of my company you will get on board or get out."

I swear I saw several things cross his face as my words sunk in. Anger. Loathing. Malice? He then smirked. "Very well. I'll stay on board. See where you lead us." As he turned to leave, he added as a parting remark, "Make sure you don't forget how you built the reactor on that scale in the first place. It would be a shame to lose such a discovery."

Date: August 10, 2005

Time: 1:45 p.m.

"And your research has taken human understanding of ants to levels not known before?" I didn't expect myself to be interested in Pym's research, but the levels he's taken his research to was quite fascinating.

He nodded. "And that's not all. I've been able to use my Pym particles to develop nanobots that can help fight infections and disease." Pym was getting into discussing his research. "I've used them to combat cardiac arrest, brain tumors, you name it."

I smiled. "I would very much like to invest in your research. This could mean a revolution in modern medicine. You could very well eliminate the common cold with your work."
Janet yawned from where she sat. "When you two nerds are done, some of us would like to do something fun."

"Science is fun." Doctor Pym said right before the unexpected happened. An SUV crashed into the street beside us. I don't mean like a car crash. I mean as in it fell from the sky into the street. That did cause several cars to swerve and crash into each other.

My coffee spilled all over me as we also swerved. "Happy!" I called out in front.

"Uh, guys? Tornados don't happen in California, do they?" Janet asked as she looked out the window.

"Not often enough, and certainly not in the middle of a clear day. Why?" Pym asked his girlfriend.

"Because I see one coming right for us."

I looked out the window and, to my complete surprise, she was right. There was a big tornado coming right towards us, sending cars and trucks flying at us. Pedestrians were running away from the disaster, making it hard for us to navigate. I pounded at the window. "Happy!"

"I'm trying to move us, sir!" As soon as there was an opening, he stepped on the gas and the limo began to speed away. Man, I wish I was in my Ferrari right now. We would be far away from that thing.

Happy turned down a street and for a minute I felt safe. That feeling soon vanished as cars continued to be thrown around us. Turning, I saw that the tornado had turned and was still coming our way.

"Call me crazy, but I think that tornado is following us." Janet said.

"I think you're right." I said. Happy turned down another road, and the tornado changed directions to come down our street. When we turned right on another street, it continued to follow us. Was this thing alive?

A truck was then thrown in front of us. Happy put on the breaks, but it was too late as we crashed full force into the truck. I hit my head and groaned as I held it. Janet and Doctor Pym were looking at each other when suddenly the limo was split into two. I found myself being thrown out into the tornado. Only now the tornado was dying down.

In what was the middle of the tornado stood a man. At least I think it was a man. Hard to tell when all he was wearing was green armor. Did he have buzz saw blades on his wrists? And what was with the helmet? He looked like he was wearing a torpedo. "Stark. Bet you're blown away by my presence."

"Uh, who are you?" I asked.

"The name's Whirlwind. Better remember it, because I'm the guy who's going to kill you."

"Whirlwind? I thought with your looks you'd be Buzzkill, or Mr. Torpedo."

"Mock me all you want. You won't be laughing when I remove your head from your shoulders." He pointed his buzz saws at me. It was then he grunted in pain. Looking around, the both of us noticed something flying around him. "Shoo, bug."

"Bug? Okay, that was just rude." The bug said, making both of our eyes widen. Whirlwind grunted as something bright flashed for a moment. Was he just zapped by something small?

Growling, Whirlwind began firing the buzz saws from his wrists. The blades stuck themselves in the truck, the street, even my limo. When he failed to hit… whatever he was fighting, he formed a mini-tornado around him and began to search for said unknown fighter. I couldn't help but think he looked a little like the Tasmanian Devil with that tornado around him.

While he was distracted, I crawled back to my limo. "Hank? Janet?" I called out. They weren't in there. What? Where did they go? I heard groaning up front, and remembered about Happy. Pulling the driver's door open, I found him there groaning with a cut to his head.

Unbuckling him, I staggered as I tried to support his weight. "Let's go." I told him.

"I'm fine, Mr. Stark. I can walk still." He told me. As I let him stand on his own two feet, we were both blown forward by a gust of wind. Looking behind me, I saw that Whirlwind was coming back to us.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Stark." The super powered being said. "I'm being paid big bucks to take you out."

"By who? Who's paying you?"

He laughed. "You think I'm going to tell you that? I'm gonna take your head off, and then I'm gonna-." He was cut off as the same flash from before hit him.

"Don't think so, pal." Something flew by me, and I finally got a good look at my rescuer. It was a tiny woman, at least that's what I assumed. She was dressed in some sort of black and red uniform with a short skirt. Her head was covered with some sort of helmet that was insectoid in design. The most surprising thing? She had insect wings coming from her back, like a pixie. "Mr. Stark, are you okay?"
"Uh…" Was all I could say.

"He won't be for long." As Whirlwind came towards us, he pointed his hands at us. Two tornados came spinning towards us and lifted all of us into the air. As I spun around, I suddenly found myself caught in a vortex, and it was getting harder to breathe. "You see? I'm just going to suck all the air away from you. You'll suffocate, and then I'll drag your lifeless corpse to—ow!"

"Ow?" I managed to ask as I was dropped. All tornados stopped as Whirlwind began swatting himself like he was covered with bugs. I think he was. He was stripping off his armor and throwing it to the ground while he continued to swat himself. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Solenopsis geminata. Also, known as fire ants." Another voice said. "I had an entire colony crawl into your armor. I think you can tell how they got their name."

Whirlwind didn't answer, but continued to swat himself as he tried to get the ants to stop biting and stinging him. While he was busy, he suddenly was hit by something that clanged against his helmet and sent him backwards. He didn't get back up. However, someone grew standing over him.

I swear he looked like some strange retro, futuristic biker in his red and black outfit. A black helmet covered his head, and I think there were buttons on his hands. He looked at me. "Are you all right, Mr. Stark?"

"I think so." I said. "Just who are you? And are you with Tinker Bell?"

"Excuse me?" The lady also grew to a seeable size, and the wings vanished from her back. "I am the Wasp. Not Tinker Bell."

"Okay, my bad." I said. "But who are you? Micro Biker?"
"I'm Ant-Man." The biker guy introduced himself.

I laughed at that. "Ant-Man?"

"Hey, it was the help of ants that stopped Whirlwind, wasn't it?"

"Good point." I looked around. "There were two other people. Doctor Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne."

Wasp looked at me. "It's okay. We got them to safety."

"We'll take care of Whirlwind. You just worry about getting yourself back home."

Time: 2:12 p.m.

"Sir, why have you canceled all your meetings for this afternoon?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked me.

If he had a face I would've looked at him. "Because something incredible happened today. I was attacked by a maniac who was a human top, and saved by two people in bug-themed outfits that could both shrink."

"And I thought your story about the Mandarin was absurd."

I ignored him. "My point is, they've confirmed an idea I've been toying with." I then started redoing the schematics of the armor I made in Afghanistan. "I was able to use this armor to stop one base of terrorists, but what if I could do more? What if this armor and I could end up saving countless lives all across the world?"

"Sir, you know what you're proposing is essentially taking the law into your own hands?"

"No. This is helping out where the law cannot. What if they're based in an area the U.S. can't go? I could go in, stop the nutcases, and get out without risking international war."

J.A.R.V.I.S. was silent before saying, "Well, since you've made up your mind about this, shall I store the plans and files on the Stark Mainframe?"

I shook my head. "No. This is going to be a private project." I finally finished trimming down the schematics of my original design. Now to get to work.

Please review if you enjoyed.