Taylor was jogging again the next day. She wanted to see that crash site again. To remind herself that she already was a hero. That she saved a life.

There was a man with his back to her looking down on the beach. He turned his head and then grinned. "I thought I might run into you here. Taylor, right?"

"Mr. Stark?" the panting girl said. She was still not quite at the level she wanted to be.

"Please, Tony to friends and people that save my life. So, quite the fitness nut?" That didn't quite fit Tony's mental image of her. But he was missing pieces.

"Um, sorta. Trying to get into better shape. So what are you doing here? I thought you would still be in the hospital," the fifteen year old said.

"Some young heroine fixed up my busted leg. I'm actually here to say thanks again. And I was wondering if you needed a part time job? I've got a job and I'm needing a personal assistant to help organize things. Someone willing to take initiative. And I'm sort of limited on who I know."

"I don't really have a lot of experience in that," she said with wide eyes behind her glasses.

"Really, it's just more to pull my head out of the clouds and remind me of things I have to do, not just the things I want to do. Not going to pressure you into it, but I'd like you to at least try. Besides, I don't have the budget for more than a part timer." The budget was tiny. He might be able to afford a new armor in six months.

"Well, I suppose I can try. I, uh, don't exactly have something to write with."

"I did actually plan ahead. Here's my new Protectorate business card. They are going to put me up in one of their sub-buildings near their dock with their ferry and boats. I guess I can't even think of moving into the actual base until I've been a hero 'here' for a while." He gave her a smile. "No problem getting there, is there?"

"No, that should be pretty easy. Just downtown."

"Show up after school and we'll get some paperwork started. I should have my armor mostly repaired in another five days. Then I can start to... patrol."

Taylor nodded her head shyly. "Okay. I'll try for a while." And this might allow her to approach the Protectorate about joining the Wards!

The main entrance was just a number on a glass door, tinted dark. It jangled a bit when it opened. "Hello?"

"I think you're lost, kid. The model and crafts store is on the far side," the man behind the receptionist desk said.

"Actually, I was told to meet Mr. Stark here. Something about a job being his personal assistant?" Taylor really didn't sound too sure about this.

"How old are you?" the guy asked.

"I'm almost sixteen and its only supposed to be part time. And, um, I could use the extra money. Is this really a PRT location? It looks... normal?" she replied while looking around.

"It is. Lower security and offsite for our machine shop. Mr. Stark has been moved here for a while. Once he's finished being screened, they'll move him over to the main Protectorate base. Let me get Amy to walk you back to his area. He should have your paperwork and here's your temporary badge." He dialed a number and a solid looking woman of forty walked in wearing the lightweight uniform of the PRT.

"Come on, kid. I'll show you where you'll be working."

The hallways were a bit shabby, the carpet faded in the middle. And someone was playing music way too loud. And it was getting louder. Amy swiped opened the door to a moderate roaring sound that sounded like some sort of heavy metal, was pushed in and the door closed behind her.

"Hello?" Taylor called out.

The volume dropped considerably. "Visitor, sir," a voice said from the overhead.

Tony popped up from behind one of the workbenches filled with electronics and robotic parts. "Now JARVIS, this is not a visitor. Taylor Hebert, meet JARVIS. Say hello, JARVIS." He ducked below the table.

"Welcome, Miss Hebert. I am JARVIS. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. Nice to meet you. Mr. Stark is currently busy assembling his tinker toys so he can build the basis of a useful manufacturing system," the A.I. replied in his normal snooty manner.

"Uh, hi? You are an A.I.?" She was actually talking to the very first real A.I. that she had ever heard of.

"That is correct, miss. Mr. Stark endeavours to upgrade me between work, assembling newer and more powerful armors and his other activities. He had me take the time to fill out all of the tedious paperwork. If you could please check the rather archaic laser printer in the corner and proof it. Please tell me if I have made any mistakes before signing off on it."

Taylor walked over. "Contract for employment? Background check authorization? School records? I'm still in high school." She frowned as she started to go through it. Most of it looked fairly accurate.

A glass screen lit up with information and a to-do list. "Here is Master Stark's current agenda. I have filled in a few suggestions for personal time. I've also compiled a list of his likes and dislikes that are within his budget."

"Half of this is alcohol," Taylor noted.

"Try to make sure he drinks something healthy in between his alcohol, Miss Taylor. And that he needs to eat a full meal once a day," JARVIS explained.

"I heard that!" Tony called out.

An extra sheet of paper kicked out of the printer, with writing on it. 'He has only had a bagel for breakfast ten hours ago.'

Taylor nodded even as she put it in her pile. She was going to be something of a babysitter for a genius? The papers were mostly accurate, even (she winced here) the part where she had her psychotic breakdown due to her trigger.

"Your PRT standard issue secure phone is in that packet. I even have one. And have to keep it on. In case of an emergency so I can not run out in my armor and get to stand around looking stupid." Tony's voice was echoing from behind the center island. "JARVIS, make a note to upgrade the phones to the Stark standard glass ones once we have some free capacity."

"Noted, sir."

"What are you doing down there?" Taylor asked curiously.

"Well, I'm about fifty percent of the way of finishing up my first holographic design station and about twenty percent done with my first robotic waldo. I'm probably going to name him in honor of Dummy. Moron should work. Dummy actually saved my life once, all on his own. I'm pretty sure I hadn't made him that smart," Tony said as he stood up. "JARVIS, fire up holographic grid A and run it through a diagnostic."

"Miss Taylor, if you could pick up my wireless eye and point it above the black and silver cylinder?" the A.I. asked.

"Um, sure." She picked up the camera as a block of grid-lines appeared, starting to rotate and change colors. "Whoa! Cool."

"You haven't seen anything yet, Angel. Have JARVIS check all the wiring connections, too."

And that was how the next three hours went. The hologram design station was amazing, especially when Tony started to rapidly prototype manipulator arms that would work better in the forty-by-forty foot room.

Taylor was playing with her phone, setting it up. She blinked at the time, which showed 6:32 PM. Well, she knew who she was first calling. Her very, very short list with one phone number. Her father picked up the phone. "Um, hi dad. Sorry I'm not home, but I sort of got a job. I really couldn't say no. And it's amazing! Do you mind if I bring my boss over? He's a good guy, but I know you can be protective and all. We can make it a dinner thing."

Danny Hebert was blinking rapidly. "I guess. I was just going to order out a pizza."

"That's great. Hey, Tony? What do you like on your pizza?" Taylor called out. Hey, that actually worked!

"Pepperoni and sausage with artichoke... Actually, just extra cheese, no artichoke hearts." Tony closed his eyes as he laid on the ground, trying to stave off his loss. That had struck home that Pepper loved artichoke on her pizzas.

"Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese. We should be there in half an hour or so. Thanks dad." Taylor started filling up her school backpack with a notepad. "Dad will have our pizza ready, so let's go. I still have schoolwork to do."

Tony was silently try to say something. "Sure. How are we getting there?"

"Well, we could bus-"

"Nope, not doing that. JARVIS, is there a car we can requisition. And make sure the vault is locked down," the genius said.

"Vault is locked down. Sir, there is a vehicle, but it is a delivery truck. Are you sure?" the A.I. asked.

"Absolutely." Tony stifled his shudder just a bit. "Public transit? Too many people too close."

"Oh, I'll have to watch out for that in the future." Taylor noted that he could be twitchy about some things.

"The receptionist is leaving the keys out for you. Have a good night, sir."

In just five minutes they were driving a small (for a Mac) truck.

A video call appeared. "Hello? Are you JARVIS?" the masked female asked.

"That is correct, Miss Dragon. A pleasure to meet you. Mr. Stark is currently away, hopefully getting supper. I expect he will return to his apartment and sleep for a few hours, then be back." JARVIS's faceless fractal image did not show any real expressions.

"Do you think your Mr. Stark would actually talk about the particulars on how he created you?" Dragon asked curiously. "You are the first A.I. I've ever met."

"He can probably fit you in with some of his free time once he gets his armor back into basic shape," JARVIS replied adroitly.

"I did want to warn him and yourself about the Dragon Slayers. They are high tech thieves that have managed to steal several of my armors. I would take some specific steps to protect yourself," the native parahuman said.

"Ah, yes. I'll have Mr. Stark peruse that. I definitely do not want to end up being kidnapped."

"Goodbye for now. I look forward to working with both of you." Dragon then disconnected.

Both A.I.s thought something was off during the exchange.

The Mac truck pull up in front of Taylor's small home twenty minutes after leaving the PRT shop.

"You really like to drive fast, don't you?" Taylor asked as she pried her fingers off the console.

"That was barely ten over," Tony complained as he hopped out. He needed a real car. Even if it wasn't one of his sportscars.

Danny and Tony shook hands at the door. They then retired to the kitchen table where the pizza was laid out with a side dish salad.

"So, ah, you hired my daughter to be your personal assistant?" the man with thinning hair asked as they started to grab their pizza slices.

"Yes. She impressed me terribly after saving my life yesterday. Shy little thing, but with the will to step up in a crunch. And," Tony bobbed his head side to side for a second, then continued, "I kind of need a minder. I had no idea I was hungry. I was way too focused on building some tools so I could repair my armor."

"Armor? Oh, you were the cape in that local section that crashed on the beach," the slightly older man said.

"Guilty. I'll need to work at hardening the electronics on my Mark 8. While I do love to talk about myself, I want to learn a bit more about my new assistant and her father. What do you do for a living?" Tony asked with a disarming smile.

"I'm the human resource manager and backup accountant at the local Dock Workers union, the 3110. Brockton has been in a pretty bad situation since the last big depression. I've got a pet project about finally finishing up the ferry, but the city council refuses to actually finish funding it. So it's a rusting hulk awaiting engines. Oh, Taylor? You have a cell phone? After... the accident?"

"Even Tony has one. I guess the PRT says everyone has to have one." Taylor pulled it out. "It's kind of sturdy looking." She stared at the nonstandard phone. Why did it look familiar? It was so bland that it did not stand out.

"I have become a wage slave," Tony said with a deep sigh. This was a pretty good pizza. "Hopefully I can push some decent tech towards the PRT and start amassing a fortune again. Sounds like it might be an interesting challenge."

Danny looked confused over at his daughter.

"JARVIS explained it while we were working. Tony here is from Earth Gimel. You know, like Earth Alep is and we're Earth Bet?"

The father was struck by how alive his daughter sounded. "Oh, that's... different. I take it you are a bit well off on your Earth?"

"Just slightly famous and rich. Really nothing."

That got a laugh out of Danny as his daughter smiled. "What's the most famous thing you did?"

"Oh, invented my Iron Man armor and became the world's first modern superhero. Pretty crazy, but when you're as rich as I am, well was, it's just considered being eccentric," Tony said then started to devour his second slice.

"First modern hero?" Taylor was blinking. Tony Stark was like Hero, the first big name Tinker after Scion appeared? Whoa.

"Captain America totally beat me, considering he fought in World War II. Little bit of cryofreeze and viola; a living legend in the 21st century. And Thor, well he claimed to have visited the Vikings in the Before Christ thing. Not sure I believe that, but he's the demigod with the hammer and lightning." Tony grabbed some salad as he talked. Ah, Russian dressing.

"That's quite a bit to take in," Danny said. "So, do you follow sports?"

"I follow sports teams. I always wanted to buy the Yankees," Tony said with a bright smile.

That got a laugh out of the pair.

Danny closed the door an hour later and smiled softly at his daughter who was doing her homework at the dinner table. "I'm going to have to get some more beer. At least he only drank one."

"I think he was just being polite. He's likes some expensive stuff," Taylor said as she concentrated on her math.

"Are you going to be okay?" Danny asked.

"This is what I need, I think. Helping Tony, that was a big step." She gave him a more real smile.

Taylor was eating breakfast after her job and then was checking the two dozen messages that Tony had sent, giving her a list of things to pick up (or not pick up as he changed his mind). "He's a spaz."

That got a chuckle from Danny as he finished his breakfast.

The young teen was distracted and actually left early.

"Hey, Taylor. I heard you rescued some loser of a cape from dying in his armor," Emma called out.

"I don't know that he's a loser, but he got me a job working for him. He's got a full A.I. named JARVIS, so that's cool," Taylor said as she clutched her book bag closer to her chest and hunched her shoulders.

"Jarvis? What sort of name is that?" Sophia said in derision.

"Probably just has a guy pretending to be an A.I. and Taylor is way too stupid to figure it out. I mean some Tinker would have made one by now if it was possible. I always thought it was funny how she was so good at computer sciences," Emma said as she put on the airs of thinking hard. "Oh, it makes perfect sense now. Mrs. Knott is so butch it hurts, so Taylor must be a pretty good rug muncher."

Madison snickered even as she made sure the teacher wasn't in ear shot. "Well, she's probably bi. I mean she's probably putting out for this 'Tinker' that can't make his flying suit work."

Taylor's face had been turning more and more pale, especially as the nearest students started laughing and pointing. She started looking around, even as her feet turned and she started running away as fast as she could, nearly knocking over a janitor.

Two blocks from school, she slowed down as she panted heavily after her run. That was stupid, she berated herself mentally. Because she ran everyone is going to think she is a dyke or slut. Her good mood from yesterday was totally gone. Looking back down the street, she saw a bus starting to pull out and head towards her.

She made it just in time to follow an old Chinese couple onto the street, showing her school ID. She could hang out at the library for a few hours. Taylor tilted her head as her phone vibrated with another message from Tony.

Or she could go and drop in at the PRT shop and warehouse. There was a McDonalds around there, wasn't there? And she could pick up some of these knick-knacks.

Why did he need three inch number stickers in white with black lettering?

Taylor swiped herself into shop number five. "Good morning, Tony!" she called out as she opened the door with her shoulder. "I brought breakfast and a black widow for you..." She stopped to blink at the sight in front of her. "That looks much more impressive standing there."

Tony turned off his micro-torch and flipped up his welding goggles from where he had been putting his armor back together. "You, my young lady, are a goddess!" He took two of the breakfast sandwiches and the hot cup of too-black coffee.

Two waldos in the background were moving and assembling different pieces of electronics with fast precision.

"Oh, Moron, this is Taylor. She's important, okay? Good!"

One of the waldos stopped to have its 'hand' look at her. It spun 360, then went back to assembling things.

"JARVIS, bring up the broken left back thruster schematic." Tony started to rapidly manipulate the hologram, expanding the micro-repulsor thruster. "Did that order for sixteen troy ounces of Palladium get filled? We're on a schedule."

"Yes, sir. They mentioned that they would send it with the mail courier at three o'clock this afternoon from Armsmaster's supplies," JARVIS explained from his computer terminal.

"That's going to set us back a bit. You know I need to be ready to show off my armor on Sunday to Piggot and Armsmaster. Taylor, I know you are skipping school, but I need this as soon as possible. JARVIS, write her school a note saying she's assisting a special project and needs work release. It was work release in public schools? Right?"

Taylor nodded. "Yes, I think so. But they don't know I have a part time job."

"No better time than the future. So hop down to the Protectorate ferry and flash that new job badge and get them to take you across to get my palladium. Come on, hop hop!"

Well, Taylor thought to herself, it certainly wasn't going to be boring. "Sure, Tony!" She was really going to see the inside of the Protectorate base in the bay? How cool!

Her day was looking up, even as she was going to be run ragged.

The ride across on the ferry was a bit more boring that she had hoped. There was a school tour group to see the public area where the ferry docked as the end of a tour.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" Taylor said as she walked over to the PRT heavy security officers.

"No public admittance," he replied in a bored tone.

"But Tony said I'm supposed to pick up his palladium, noibedium and molybdenum." Taylor was starting to think she should just wait ten minutes before she left Tony so he'd remember all the things she'd need to get.

"Excuse me?" the officer said, quite startled.

"Tony Stark? I guess I'm supposed to talk to someone about either getting it or ask to be escorted to Armsmaster's private lab and shop. It's supposed to be ready. Just no one to pick it up until later today."

"Uh, hold on. I need to confirm. Stay here. Don't move or you will be contained." He stepped over to a hardline phone and dialed.

After several quiet conversations over the phone, he came back. The door behind him opened to admit a female superhero with a costume that seemed to be covered in circuits.

"Taylor Herbert?" Battery called out.

"Uh, Taylor Hebert," she corrected.

"Oh, right. Come with me. You have your security badge." Battery raised an eyebrow at that. "Personal Assistant?"

"I'm pretty sure it translates into adult babysitter and gopher," Taylor grumbled.

That got a smile out of Battery. "No problem. This way."

They entered a very utilitarian corridor of the repurposed floating oil rig.

Taylor took a deep breath. "Um, can I ask you something private?"

"You can ask. I may not answer," the woman answered.

"So say theoretically that someone had gained a superpower and wanted to approach the Protectorate to look at maybe joining the Wards?" she asked in a quiet rush.

"Theoretically?" Battery rubbed her forehead through her mask. "Just show me. I don't have time for you to be coy."

The teen cringed at that until the superheroine smiled encouragingly. Flies suddenly converged on her hand to make a spinning circle around her left hand. "It's not really a great power, but I figure I might be able to help. I've been working on a costume and exercising."

"I hope you haven't been buying store made things to put together?" The older woman sighed. Kids.

"Oh, no. I've been making my own by having some black widows making a suit out of spider silk. It really is as tough as scientist theorized. Another few weeks and I'll have it ready. Then I thought about going solo. But that's kind of dangerous."

"How many insects can you control? At what range?" Battery asked seriously.

"Um, as many as I want? And several blocks in all directions."

That got a low whistle. "Okay, your power is better than I thought. Look, kid, I'd suggest you join The Wards. This is a statistic that doesn't get noised around is that over half of kid heroes are killed or go villain in the first month they try to go out. It's not safe. Kaiser would just gut you if you accidentally ran into him."

Taylor gulped. "Um, who do I talk to? Should I go in costume?"

"I'll get you a business card. I wouldn't bother with wearing a costume, but I'll go with you. Just give me a call when you are ready and we'll set up a time, okay?"

The teen nodded glumly. "I'll have to tell my dad, won't I?"

"Well, yes. He has to sign some forms. You'll probably have to transfer to Arcadia High. I haven't really dealt too much with that, but they'll probably want you to switch over the summer unless you really want to-"

"Yes. That would be- I've got nothing I care about at Winslow High." They would get her out of that hellhole? This was sounding better than ever.

That was not normal, Battery thought to herself. It sounded like she had some problems. They finally got to the lab/shop doors. Battery knocked and then called out, "Civilian incoming. Make sure you have your helmet on, Armsmaster."

Taylor blinked at the sight of the man who was wearing fatigue pants and a wife beater shirt and a helmet to protect his identity. "Um, sorry to bug you." Her phone buzzed again, prompting her to pull it out and check the message.

"I got a few hours of sleep since patrol. I needed to get a bite to eat anyways," Armsmaster said even as he yawned. He opened a few cabinets, pulling out boxes with worn labels. "Here're the materials Tony said he'd need."

"Huh, kind of weird. He's asking if you and Kid Win would like to see him put his armor together Saturday morning? About ten o'clock." Taylor was scratching her head. And he wanted her there at seven. So no jogging then.

"I'm sure Kid Win will be thrilled. I can probably schedule it in. If he can actually mass manufacture his stuff, this will be big," the bearded hero said to himself.

"Thanks, sir. But I better get back before Tony decides he needs some platinum or gold. As it is, I'm going to be a little paranoid walking back to the shop."

"Just ask one of the officers to give you a ride if they are free. And just be casual about it. It's a good neighborhood," Armsmaster said.

The rest of the week had passed in fairly quick order for Taylor. School was still horrible, of course. But heroes did not attack bullies just because. Besides, she would be the one thrown in prison and they'd be 'validated' for picking on the freaky girl. Another two shirts ruined and her history essay shredded. And the horrible laughs and pointing about the 'freaky dyke'.

Saturday morning and Taylor was feeling a bit lethargic, as she was used to jogging. She swiped her badge to enter Tony's shop. She was so glad this week was just about over.

"Good." Tony was feverish working at installing some of the solid state circuit microboards that his suit used into one of the many pieces of his armor. "Take those stickers you bought. I've got a job and it's really important," he said even as he worked. He explained what he wanted her to do.

And that just confused her, but that was not too unusual. By the third set of stickers she had a sinking feeling that she knew what he was doing. She stepped back in.

"Sir, the alarm system just went into autonomic mode," JARVIS called out from his computer. "And the network signal is starting to destabilize."

"Knew that was going to happen. You moved home?"

"Yes, sir. Loaded and ready. I estimate that they will break in the back door very shortly," the A.I. said.

Tony smacked the circuit into place with the pliers he had in his hand. "Okay, Moron and Nimwit? Let's suit up."

Both of the waldos started to rapidly assemble the armor about him, starting with his feet. But with only two non-specialized arms, it was not as fast as he would like.

"Oh, Taylor? Can you grab that rubber mallet over there?" Tony said, pointing at a cluttered bench. "Five minutes?"

"Suit up process at at 15 %. Sir, you are only going to be 82 % suited up before the Dragonslayers break in at their current speed," JARVIS called out.

"Hit the knee joint right there," Tony ordered.

Taylor swung the mallet a bit harder than she expected as she was seriously a bit buzzed on adrenaline, but the two pieces of the boot snapped together. "Now what?"

"Now I want you to go into that corner out of sight and stay there," Tony ordered as he nodded to the corner were some crates just happened to be laid out for a small figure to hide behind.

"You need about two minutes, right? To finish up?" Taylor asked quietly and intently. Her bugs were following two men that were coming in from the back through the loading dock.

"It would be nice, but not going to happen. Wait! Come back. Ah, damn. Danny is going to murder me in my sleep," Tony said as Taylor ran out into the hallway.

The girl made sure the door was closed behind her. With a thought she had all the bugs close to her swarm into the electronics to jam the reader. Then she headed towards the back area at a slow trot.

"Who the hell relabeled all the rooms?" a voice complained around the corner and down the hall.

Taylor turned the corner trying to keep her face passive. She stopped as she got close. "Who- Who are you?" she asked the techno-mercenaries in only partially faked fear.

"Shit! I thought he was supposed to be alone. We have to get that A.I.. Saint's is pissed that we're five minutes behind schedule." The two men started to move forward. "Don't move and you won't- I said don't move!"

One swipe and Taylor was into the breakroom and running for the other exit, kicking a chair with her shin. That hurt and caused her to hop on one foot for a second.

BWAZZZZKZK! She was then twitching on the ground, muscles locked up as she split her lip on the linoleum with her teeth.

"I tagged her with my taser and she's down. I'm just going to leave her," one of them said.

"Come on. That was Stark's assistant. So he has to be down that hallway," his companion. "Saint's firing up his Slayer, just in case. He's got a bad feeling."

"It's just one Tinker. We can handle it."

Four more doors and they finally came to one that would not open.

"Something in the electronics. Eww. Must have sprayed some pheromones in it," they finally figured out after a minute. It was full of insects.

"So let's just blow it with Det-Cord."

The door exploded in their faces, smashing them against the far wall. "Okay, dirtbags. Stay down."

"Sigma-Sigma-Sigma! Target is active!" the one coherent Dragonslayer called out.

"Okay, take the hard way," Iron Man said, lightly blasting him with a palm repulsor. That sent the villain skidding down the hall and far wall. "JARVIS, where's Taylor?"

"She's in the break room, unconscious, sir. I am detecting a powerful energy source outside, about half of a Class 1 ARC reactor and it is moving towards the back door."

"We'll come back for her," Tony decided as he clanked down the hallway rapidly. He didn't bother to open the door into the warehouse section.

So two armored warriors broke in on both sides of the room simultaneously. One was a dinged and dented suit of red, gold and steel. The other dwarfed Iron Man, looking like a mecha-dragon with two rapid fire cannons in place of its wings the size of a rhino.

"So it was a trap," Saint said bitterly through his PA system.

"No, duh, Sherlock. I'm attached to my armor and no one steals it on my watch," Iron Man quipped back.

"I'm in a power armor built by the the premiere 'tinker' of this world. I don't care about your armor at all. But you will surrender your rampant A.I." Both guns tracked over and started fire, only to miss as the smaller figure rocketed into the air.

"Not going to happen. JARVIS is family. You'll get him over my dead body," Tony snapped back. He's here for the A.I.? He'd need to think about that motive later. An eye-twitch had his repulsors set to full power.

Energy shrieked out, scoring the heavier armor of the Dragonslayer even as his boot and back thrusters had him flitting around the warehouse.

"Jane? Thomas? This is going to take too long on my own. Get in here ASAP." Saint had the armor shoot out a blue flame from the mouth, setting the building on fire as it missed the dratted quick armor. It barely looked damaged from the heavy bullets that had hit it.

The fire alarm triggered and the sprinklers kicked on.

Two more power armors, variations of what Saint was using smashed in through another wall. They tromped forward on all four with their tails swinging in dual motion. The left one fired a cutting laser from it's mouth.

"Target lock its left legs, JARVIS. The original one," Tony ordered in his suit, automatically cutting his external speakers.

"Target locked. On your mark, sir," the A.I. replied.

His high intensity laser deployed from from his left gauntlet. With one sweep, it cut through Saint's front left leg and damaged the larger hind leg.

"Who the hell is this guy? He's a freaking pro, not some new and unknown Tinker," Jane shouted. Her suit started to scream a warning from behind her, distracting her with a new threat.

With a roar, Armsmaster's tricked out motorcycle screamed into the warehouse through the hole the Dragonslayers had made and landed with a screech, turning in a tight low arc. His left armored gauntlet grabbed his halberd from his back and extended it towards the smallest Dragonslayer. Electricity crackled along its blade and he slammed it twice into the power armor as he drove past it at forty miles per hour

"Shit! Jane, are you okay?" the last Dragonslayer called out.

"Systems are scrambled. I'm at about thirty percent. Just kill the jerk," she snapped back.

Armsmaster set his motorcycle on a suicidal game of chicken as Thomas fired a barrage of foot long missiles. Without even slowing a beat, he swung his halberd to fire a grapple into the rafter and zipped into the air in a tight arc.

"Iron Man? What's the situation?" Armsmaster demanded as he landed and tucked into a roll behind a heavy cutting press that started absorbing blasts of energy and bullets.

"Got the suspicion that these guys might show up when they tried to access JARVIS remotely through the PRT network. Decided to try and set a trap, but all communications were intercepted except for paper notes like I sent you this morning," Tony replied even as he rocketed towards Saint's armor at full speed.

"Are you insane-" Saint shouted only to feel the hit through the armor as he was smashed through the back wall and into the lot outside. "What kind of idiot slams into a more powerful and armored foe?"

"The faster kind," Iron Man replied as he rocketed back at twice the speed, using his palm repulsors, back flaps and boot thrusters to dodge almost all of the attacks sent his way. At the last moment, his armored gauntlets started blasting concentrated repulsor into the Dragonslayer's mouth exploding the plasma beam weapon. In a motion that seemed to fast for a normal human, Iron Man then hit the head with a double-handed smash up into the air.

The flipped over form was then pelted by little beams of energy as another hero joined the battle. "You need a hand, sir?" They had nearly the same color scheme, Kid Win thought aloud.

"You aren't supposed to be here for another hour and a half," Iron Man noted even as he fired another cutting laser that damaged the neck of the Dragonslayer armor, leaving a glowing hot gash.

"I figured I could hang out and talk shop. This is much more cool anyways," the teen said as his hover board had him fly behind some cover.

"Can you distract him for two minutes?" Iron Man demanded.

"Sure," Kid Win said as he set his laser pistol to rapid fire.

Iron Man then turned one-eighty and smashed through the roof, then the inner walls and then through three offices to take out the door to the break room.

"Tony?" the girl crawling slowly on the ground called out.

"I'm getting you out of here," Iron Man said as he skidded to halt. His repulsors screamed out at full power into the roof, vaporizing everything between him and the sky. "Hold on." He swooped her up and rocketed into the air then over to the far side of the building. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, just twitching from the taser. Owe. Those hurt," Taylor complained as she was set down.

"You'll live," he said with a smile. Then he was back into the sky with a shriek of repulsors. It was only a moment to see two Dragonslayers trying to retreat. Both had extended jet engine intakes and thrusters along the top of the main body and were starting to pick up speed, leaving a trail of black smoke as they rose into the air.

Saint's Friend or Foe started screaming a warning as Iron Man slammed onto his back. "Damn you! You're dooming the world!" he shouted, even though he was the only one that could hear.

"Oh, look. Big holes in armor!" Iron Man quipped as he put his hands in front of the jet intakes. One double-blast of repulsors took out both jet engines. A quick check made sure Saint was headed to an empty road. "One down."

The Dragonslayer armor plowed into the asphalt at two hundred miles an hour and did not get back up.

He rocketed for the last one when his right boot jet conked out, sending him spinning. "Oh, come on! I just repaired that!" He complained. "JARVIS, can you compensate?"

"Not and keep up with that armor, sir." JARVIS really sounded apologetic.

"Eh. Not letting them get away." He extended his laser cutter on his gauntlet again. "Cut the thrusters for one second. And... fire!"

The beam burned into the tail, then finally traversed over to the right engine port. With a cough and then boom, the engine exploded inside and the last enemy started to spin out of control as Thomas screamed in fear. With a boom, all of its internal ordnance and fuel exploded in a massive fireball.

"Oops." Oh well.

He headed out to the back lot to see Armsmaster winching the third Dragonslayer out of the fire with his grappling hook. Which reminded him of the other two guys in commando gear. He swooped unsteadily in and then back out in just two minutes, returning to land next to Armsmaster on a sputtering thruster.

"I think that's everyone but maybe some drivers for the trucks they came in," Iron Man called out.

"These are the important ones. Dragon is going to be thrilled that we finally caught Saint," the native hero said with a grim smile.

"So now what? I think my assistant got roughed up and my shop will need to be put back together. And I need to repair my armor. Again."

"Now we have to deal with reports and debriefing. Piggot isn't going to be happy, but this was probably a good win. I thought you said your armor wasn't going to be ready until tomorrow?" Armsmaster asked curiously.

"Dragon's been attacked twice when she let it slip that she was making a new armor that would be ready in a day. I figured they'd follow their M.O. Do I really have to do patrols?"

Kid Win snickered from where he was sitting on his hover board about their head level. "No one gets out of patrol unless they have a medical leave or family emergency."

"He's right. Though I think I'm going to require to fix that boot thruster first. Good job for your debut here in Brockton Bay. That's going to get you some International attention right off the bat." Armsmaster even cracked a small smile.

"Well, I'm not exactly a shy guy. I think I'll live," Tony said in a dry tone.

"Quite the opposite, in fact," JARVIS said in his own droll way.

On the opposite side of the building that was partially on fire. Taylor was listening to her phone ring. "Come on, pick up," she said as she held the sleeve to her shirt to her lip.

"This is Dan," her father said from his office at work.

"Um, dad, I'm just calling you because I got a little hurt at work. Just some bruises and a split lip," she started to explain.

"What? Tony put you in danger? What happened?" he asked in a near panic.

"No, I sorta disobeyed him and distracted some villains so he could suit up and then go beat them up. I think he won. Saw him flying over head." Oh, her jaw hurt.

"What were you thinking of?" he demanded, hurt by her seeming disregard for her own safety.

Taylor closed her eyes as she sat up against the building across the street. "I'm going to be a hero, dad." She looked around carefully. "I'll explain everything later."

"I'm on my way right now, Taylor," her father promised.