Chapter 2
Nicole Lion was furious as she walked into Lion Laboratories the next day. She had to be very careful that no one would be able to see the gleaming reactor through her shirt. Just the thought of it was annoying her.
"Nikki! What in the world?! What are you doing here?"
Nicole sighed as her best friend/assistant, Lala walked over to her, "I own this place, remember?"
"I know that," Lala said, rolling her eyes. "You just got back to the US yesterday! You were hurt!"
"I know that," Nicole said. "But I live to work."
"Stubborn," Lala mumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing," Lala covered up. "Anyway, why the hell are you really here?"
"To get out of my house, and to try and forget my problems."
"What problems are you talking about?"
"I was really injured in Pakistan," Nicole lowered her voice. "I'm not supposed to be alive."
"Then why are you?"
"Come with me."
Nicole led Lala through the floors to her office. Once behind the locked door, Nicole revealed the shining reactor to Lala.
"Tony Stark's invention?" Lala asked in confusion.
Nicole nodded, "I now need it to survive." She laughed sarcastically, "Who would've ever thought I'd be at the mercy of Tony Stark of all people?"
She rolled her eyes at her reflection in the mirror, "Look at me, I'm a freak living off of a chemical reactor."
"But Tony Stark uses it when he fights, doesn't he?" Lala asked.
"Of course he does," Nicole responded. "How do you think he powers that metal suit? And how do you think Stane was able to power his?"
"So it makes you stronger."
"Like I want to use this for anything else but to save my life," Nicole said in disgust. "I loathe the fact that my life basically belongs to Stark now. I may as well have sold my soul to the devil!"
"Jesus Christ."
Tony Stark was in no better mood than Nicole was all the way across town. His schedule was full for the next three days with meetings, meetings, and even more meetings, and it wasn't like he'd actually been aware of it.
"Y'know, I wonder if you ever listen to me when I talk," Pepper was rebuking him as she handed him his suit jacket.
"Hmm?" Tony hummed. "Sorry, Ms. Potts, what were you saying?"
Pepper shot him an icy look, "Mr. Stark, I suggest you pull yourself together, or the Board of Directors is going to think you're going senile again."
"Like I really give a shit what any of them think," Tony rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so angry today?" Pepper inquired.
"I'm not," Tony responded.
"Well, it's obvious something is wrong with you. Might I suggest you talk to that something after this meeting?"
"What are you talking about, Potts?" Tony said icily.
"Think, Mr. Stark," Pepper suggested. "You know perfectly well what I mean."
With that, Pepper left him to think in his thoughts.
Women, Tony thought to himself. Can't live with them, and sure as hell can't live without them.
Throughout the boring meetings, Tony did in fact find his mind wandering. And though he hated himself for it, it was wandering to a certain brunette who he'd given help to only 24 hours earlier. Growing up, he'd hated the mention of Nicole Lion. She'd always been trying to outdo him one way or another, and usually, she succeeded. Everyone had expected her to take the same route as he did and stick with technology as the highlight of her career, but she'd turned back to her roots and gone into the pharmaceutical field, just like her parents. Not that she didn't bring her technology smarts with her. Lion Laboratories had never been more successful after Nicole took it over. She did everything possible to make sure the company was up-to-date and always fitted with the newest technology.
Now, how did Tony know this? Another reason he and Nicole had grudges against each other. Their employees often came from one another. If one scientist didn't work out at one company, they pretty much knew the other would employ them. Nothing looked better on a resume than working for Tony Stark or Nicole Lion, even if they did hate each other.
Tony returned to his office after the first set of meetings, hoping for a bit of peace, but he wasn't going to get it….
There was a knock on the door, and Pepper walked in.
"More bad news?" Tony asked.
"Hardly," Pepper responded. "How did the meeting go?"
"I'm running out of options if I want Stark Industries to survive, Pepper," Tony said. "How do you think it went?"
"Well, I'm sorry, but you've got a visitor," Pepper sighed, a slightly amused look on her face.
"Who is it?"
Pepper stepped back, and none other but Nick Fury walked in.
"Oh, great," Tony's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Just what I needed today, more problems."
"Rough day, Stark?" Fury inquired.
"You've got no idea, Fury," Tony poured himself a glass of the scotch that had been sitting on his desk and took a swig from it. "What do you want from me today?"
"Word is that you've given an Arc reactor to Nicole Lion."
"I didn't give it to her," Tony said. "I implanted it in her. I didn't have much of a choice."
Fury nodded, "It was a smart thing to do."
"Why?" Tony's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"We can use her," Fury said. "Or at the very least, you can."
"I don't think so, Fury," Tony said. "The last thing I need is help from her."
"Ah, the old rivalry of your parents' still exists then?"
"More than you could ever know."
"I still want you to keep it as an open option, Stark," Fury said. "You're all alone out here on the west coast. Maybe she can help you in more ways than one."
"How many times do I have to say it?" Tony's anger was rising. "I don't want, or need help from Nicole Lion."
TBC!
AN: Another chapter….Hope y'all enjoyed it. I decided to add this chapter today just to give y'all some insight into what might be coming. Leave me some love!