Chapter 1: The Hero Always Dies...Alone

(Tony POV)

People categorize what they are most afraid of based on status, most of the time its death, torture, watching someone they love die and so on. For me, it's always been loss and throughout my lifetime I've experienced a ton of loss. First with my parents, yinsen, Jarvis, Pepper and now Steve. It hurts to be betrayed by a person you called a friend, someone you laughed with and talked about your life with, someone who you shared your dreams and fears with, someone you thought had your back… turning out to be an enemy. It's just another weight of pain on my shoulders, another loss to add to my list. Somethings in life are replaceable, somethings you can get over and walk away from. My parents aren't replaceable, sure I may have thought my dad hated me but he was my dad. Pepper is irreplaceable, she was the one person that I have been looking for my whole life. As cheesy as it sounds, she was my soulmate and when we got together I felt like our hearts connected and I didn't want or need anything but her. I was just dealing with inner problems I couldn't let go of and that got in the way of us being together. I miss how she used to look at me, her smile, the way that she would laugh, I just miss everything, how does someone walk away from that without looking back? How does someone get over it? To be honest, I still feel uneasy about the situation, my heartaches without her and I feel like a part of me is missing. I just know that with her I'm happier than I've ever been and without her, I feel broken, weak and like I'm falling to pieces, hanging by a string that was the day I was going to tell her about the -

Rhodey: Tony! Tony!(Rhodey puts his hand on Tony's shoulder) Hey, man, I've been calling your name for hours. You alright?

Tony: (touches his chest and inhales, then he looks at Rhodey and smiles) I'm fine.

Rhodey: come on man, you're not fine. I mean look at you, you haven't slept in days and you've been miserable for months now.

Tony: get off my back mom, I've been awake trying to figure out a way for you to walk again and I'm depressed because I haven't figured out the perfect solution yet. Ok buddy, so you don't have to worry about me(smiles).

Rhodey: I rather wear a brace for the rest of my life than to have you stress yourself out over this.

Tony: aww your so sweet Platypus.

Rhodey: you're not funny. (shakes his head and laughs).

Tony smiles and gets up

Knock, knock

They turn their attentions to the door, Tony goes to open the door and it's Pepper.

Tony smile fades and Rhodey is slowing backing away until pepper calls him back.

Pepper: I'm so glad you're ok, I really hate that I couldn't be at the hospital. How are you doing?

Rhodey: just fine thanks to Tony, he's been helping me towards a speedy recovery.

Pepper: That's great. Hopefully, it's a lot sooner than later(smiles).

Rhodey: which reminds me, I have to get to it.( Rhodey takes the elevator to get to his room)

Tony: the guys not subtle at all, is he?

Rhodey: (from his room) heeey! I can still hear you and I'm 12% subtle.

Tony and pepper laugh

Pepper:(smiles and turns her attention to Tony) how have you been?

Tony: Getting by( he stares at pepper as she stares at her hands and the floor. He can see the guilt all over her face but what did she have to feel guilty about? It was his felt that they broke up) How about you. ( she raised her head back up and plastered on a fake smile)

Pepper: great.(she smiled. She had been doing the same thing that he's been doing since they broke up, lying to each other about missing the other person. Pretending that they weren't hurting when they both knew that they were) thanks for asking. So the board is having this event and they want you to come… will you be there?

Tony:(smiles) will you be there?

Pepper: yes.

Tony: then I will be there and dressed for the occasion.

pepper:(gives him a stern look) on time?

Tony: (grins) let's not get carried away.

Pepper: this is important.

Tony: I'm just joking with you Pep, of course, I'll be there on you save me a dance.

Pepper: It's a deal(smiles)

Tony: (grins at her and they stare at each other for a while) so, can you stay? I ordered some great Chinese food, that I have been dying for you to taste.

Pepper: actually I can't, I have a lot of pepper work at home.

Tony: what happened to not taking work home with you and enjoying the moment?

Pepper: this is important.

tony:( Gives Pepper a smug look) will that be all Miss Potts.

Pepper: goodbye Tony( she turns the handle and opens the door to leave).

Just like that she had just as easily walked out of his life again. The heartbreak and pain of their break-up had come rushing back to him, it was as if it kept happening all over again. That wasn't something that he wanted to think about right now because all it made him do is get really upset. He went down to his basement to build a mark, whatever number he was on. Just like he always did, he focused on each detail, he concentrated on each part to make sure that he got everything just perfect. He installed all of the necessary procrastination to ensure that he would be protected in his suit and he even made sure that he added pepper-I mean Friday as the final touch for the suit. He gazed at the final project and realized that it wasn't enough, that if he was gonna defeat all kinds of enemies then he would need more. He drew up the blueprints in his head, debted what kind of stuff that he wanted this mark to feature. That's when it hit him, how he was gonna help Rhodey… he figured out the perfect solution to Rhodey's situation. He could design the perfect brace around Rhodey's leg that will eventually allow him to walk. He drew up different blueprints, he thought of a color and decided that instead of making it so mechanical, he could design something that was real and that looked like his skin and that you couldn't tell was a brace. Tony looked back at his work station when he saw something, something he hasn't seen or talked about in a long time and there it was sitting there on his workstation. Who in the hell put that there, what are they trying to torture him? Well, they were going to have to try a lot better than that…. His whole life has been torture, his parents dying, being left a company that he didn't want, his uncle trying to kill him for that company and everything on top of more and more bull- stuff! So why is he right back where he started? Only now his worst off because of it, one of his best friends was crippled because of him and as he already knows, you can't fix a problem that you caused. I mean sure you can fix it but you can't feel like you did anything good when you were the one who caused the wrong. The object sat there to mock him, it stared him down like a bull staring at a bullfighter and he was the bull. He was frozen where he stood, he didn't even attempt to get rid of it. All he did was stare at the object, the same way he stared at his parent's photo after they were gone. To be so smart, I was so stupid that day or maybe it was pride… for whatever reason I didn't tell my dad I loved him before the accident and now I never will. My mother tried to tell me before my mom and dad left but I was just too angry with him, now I realize just how foolish I was. I miss them every day and regret not saying "I love you, mom and dad". This object was starting to annoy me, It brought up so many memories, so much pain and it all linked back to pepper. After all, he was planning on giving Pepper his grandmother's ring. The ring that one mom hoped I would give to that special girl, I never found one. There were always girls who wanted me for my money, status, charming looks( and for that, I can't blame them, we had some crazy times) but then there were women who were psychosI couldn't wait to get rid or who didn't understand the premise of a "one night stand". There were also those women who thought I was supposed to remember their name, like why? I knew back then I sounded like a jackass but I was doing my own version of healing. The wounds are still there but Pepper managed to heal that pain but with her gone…...it feels like they have been sliced open. What was he gonna do with that ring now, he gave it to Happy in "08" but he hasn't seen it since and now….. All of a sudden it was back again and he didn't know why or who was doing this. He walked up to the living room and grabbed his phone, he has to check how long he's been down in that basement. When he opens his phone he is in complete shock, he couldn't have been in the basement for three days… could he? He sees that he has 50 missed calls from pepper and over 2,000 text message. This wasn't good, how could he have been so blindsided? He looked at the phone calls from pepper and closed his eyes, he knew what those calls would consist of. They would include disappointment, angry, crying and angry mixed with them all, Tony hit delete because he didn't need to have that on his conscious on top of everything else, instead he just turned his phone off and went back downstairs. He could have used the flatline but he pounds the hammer down against the metal, he needed to get his aggression out. He thought about all of the loss, all of the people that he let down but most of all he thought about pepper. He thought about all the times he hurt her, let her down, he just thought of everything and the conclusion that he came to was that he didn't deserve her. She was too perfect for him anyway, she took so much from him and never complained and he even admitted when she was his assistant, he would intentional mess with her to get under her skin. He would enjoy how red she would turn and how embarrassed she would be and then there were times when he would try to make her smile. Anything to see that beautiful smile on her face or her beautiful eyes and her fiery red hair. That by the way matched her personality so well, he missed all of that so much but unfortunately… he was just too much to handle and he missed his chance to fix anything. She didn't even looked like she missed him, she just looked like she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible and so she did, it's better like this. I think it's time that we went our separate way because I can't take hurting you anymore. It is psychically breaking my heart, so Pepper Potts… even though it's going to be so hard to leave you, I think there is someone who is better out there for you.

He continued to pound on the metal until it was stuck in the workstation

Tony:(throws the hammer and knocks everything off the workstation including the ring". Tony exhales aggressively) I'm so tired of this.( he tries to catch his balance but slips down, he puts his hand on his face and the other on his heart.

Tony's heart was beating rapidly, the room was spinning. As Tony's eyes rolled at the back of his head, all he saw was someone running towards him. who was running towards him? Why was this happening to him, again?

When Tony came to he was chained to a thick metal pipe, his wrist had rings of blood on them. There was so much blood that it dripped down to his arm and spread to his shirt, was this supposed to be torture? He thought to himself. He laughed because he had felt worse pain than this before, no amount of pain could compare to what he was already going through. This made the kidnappers upset, they barged in the room with their arms crossed staring at Tony. Tony looks up at the guy and laughs.

Tony: of I'm sorry, is someone upset? Did I foil your evil plan? So just read your script, you know the script that every bad guy says to let the other guy know his serious.

The guy just snarls at him and punches him hard in the stomach.

Tony: Oh my apologies, you're a dog I had no idea. So what kind are you, bulldog? Mutt? Poodle ( he grins).

The guy hits him even harder in his stomach

Tony: thanks, I needed that and thank you for not hitting me and the face.

The guys strike tony twice in the face

Tony (exhales deeply) that woke me up, now I don't have to worry about setting my alarm.

A laugh comes from the shadows

The shadowy figure (claps at tony's performance) enough! Your job is done here. (the guy disappears into the darkness)

Tony: so two questions, how long have you been standing there? and how long have you two been dating? Also, I must admit the disappearing act is impressive, can you teach me how to do it? Ok, three questions but who cares? So what's your name or do I just call you dark, mysterious shadowy guy, no that's too …. How about the typical bad guy, Nah, not cool enough. Well, you aren't cool.

Shadowy figure guy: shut up!

Tony: hit a nerve did I?

Shadowy figure: just call me death.

Tony: Wow, that's even worse than shadowy figure guy. You know what I'm going to call you fluffy or pointless because you're wasting my time!

Death: I-

Tony (interrupts): umm this is my story and I want his name to be, oh perfect! scarecrow, not because his scary or doesn't have a heart but because he didn't have a brain.

scarecrow: I

Tony (interrupts again): that's much better, carry on.

Scarecrow: I'm trying to but you ke-

tony:(interrupts again) I wasn't talking about you, stupid.

Tony: I may not be smart but I have muscle and I find that when you want someone to do something, all you have to do, is grab their friends.

Someone flashes the light and Tony turns around, his smile fades and he says

Tony: Rhodes? You son of a bitch, If you hurt him I promise-

Scarecrow: hit a nerve, did I?

Tony: ( Tony hung his head down in defeat) I'll do whatever you want, just let him go.

Scarecrow: and lose my collateral.

Tony: his no good to me here, his hurt and he can't-do anything for you.

Scarecrow: expect to motivate you, Tony Stark.

Tony: It would motivate me more If he was safe back at the avenger's headquarters. I don't care what you do to me, just let him go. You can kill me for all I care but spare him and my friends!

Scarecrow: very well. (scarecrow removes Rhodey's chains and sets the plane's coordinates back to the avenger's headquarters.) my apologizes tony, I thought you received your first message.

Tony: what are you talking about?

Scarecrow: the benefit( he grins) Pepper Potts is currently lying in a pile of rubble, sources say that they haven't even found her body yet.

Tony's heart started to pump slowly and he felt like he couldn't breathe, the room spun around before he passed out

Scarecrow: my work here is done, for now(he smiles).

A guy walks into the room and asks scarecrow where did he actually send Rhodey and scarecrow replied by saying back to his room. They both laughed and walked out of the room, they continued down the well-lit room. The guy asked him does he think that Tony will actually fork over the information and the guy says In do time.

Guy: and you're still going to kill him after it's over?

Scarecrow: the hero always dies, alone…

(The end of chapter 1).