Pepper Potts sat at her desk and tried to ignore the many thoughts running around in her head. She just hadn't been able to sleep that night, worry gnawed at her inside making her sick to her stomach. Her eyes flickered to her cell phone for maybe the hundredth time that minute. It didn't so much as beep. To calm her nerves she turned on the News, hoping to distract herself.
"we have just gotten a report that the area where Anthony stark will be in Afghanistan for his interview is being hit by a major sand storm, we don't know when its expected to end but from what know so far it doesn't look like it will end soon." The reporter announced, her voice to cheery for Peppers taste. Pepper dropped her head into her hands. Her mulling was cute short by 'Riot' Tony's ring tone. Pepper dashed to her phone and answered, "Hello?" she sighed with relief when Tony's voce came on over the line. "hey Pepper, Worried?"
"hell yes, where are you?"
"hell."
"Tony, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine for now, but I swear I will be glad when I'm back home."
"Every one will be."
"Including you?"
"Yes, including me."
"I'm a little disappointed though."
"Why?"
"the reporters not my type."
"Tony any females your type."
"That's the problem, this one ain't female."
Pepper stopped for a second and blinked, "what?"
"Oh common Pepper your faster than that."
"Sorry I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"Sorry"
"What makes you think it's your fault?"
"Pepper, when you don't get any sleep at night its usually my fault."
"right" there was static on the other line then a beep, when Tony's voice got through it was choppy. "S…Sorry Pepperrrrrrr I…I…I'm gunna have to llllllllllllllllllet you go, lines be…being a dick."
"Right Tony talk to later."
"bye"
"bye" Pepper held the phone to her ear for a long time listening to the dial tone.
Tony put the phone down and sighed he missed her. He looked out of the caves entrance and watched the sand go by. "This is going to be a long interview," Tony said to Rhodey as his friend came up from behind him. "Yes it is, come on the film crew is set up," Rhodey replied placing his had on Tony's shoulder. Tony turned towards him "why the rush?"
"guess they just want this over with."
"Me too."
"so how's Pepper?"
"She's doing alright, she'll be happy when my plains lands after al this is over."
"I think everyone will be."
"Yeah"
"lets go,"
"okay"
Tony and Rhodey walked away from the mouth of the cave, their minds running. One thing tony new that was different from the last time he was in the cave he was with a friend he new would be with him when they left.
The lighting was horrible, but they made it work. the two chairs in the center of the deserted cave where ignore as tony and the reporter walked around the cave.
Tony ran his hands over the metal work table, his fingers feeling every scratch and ding.
The anvil, and hammer.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I never thought I would be here again," he said. The reporter watched him jotting down notes for questions, he needed to be thorough in his questioning to make sure he asked the right questions to turn the watchers to his and the interviewees side. He wanted the world to see through the invulnerability people had placed on Tony stark, especially after the whole I m Iron man escapade.
'Ooh another question to ask' he thought righting down the little reminder.
Fifteen before filming was to begin Tony had conveniently disappeared one of the crew had asked Rhodey to find him. Five minutes later he found Tony sitting deep in the cave legs crossed Indian style with his hands resting palm up and relaxed his back was supported by the wall and his eyes closed. Rhodey reached down and gently shook him. Tony opened a bleary eye and smiled, "meditation is very helpful when suffering from anxiety," he said. Rhodey nodded and offered his hand. Tony accepted it gratefully and pulled himself to his feet with a groan his knees protesting to the movement.
"Think they'll notice the limp?" he asked Rhodey.
"Probably"
"Don't want to keep people waiting"
"Nope… you know you don't have to do this,we could call the whole thing off."
"Rhodey I appreciate it, I do, but I said I was going to do this, and besides with that storm like it is we aren't getting out of this cave for a while"
Rhodey sighed, "Fair enough, shall we?" Tony nodded and led the way back.
The camera focused as Tony sat down "we rollin' ?" he asked the camera man. The unremarkable man nodded. He turned his attention to the reporter. "Mister Stark" the man said holding out his hand. Tony grasped it and said "Tony please, mister Stark was my father." The reporter smiled, "Why don't we start simple, who are you?" Tony snorted, "That's simple?"
"Fairly yes"
"I am Anthony Edward Stark, son of Howard Stark and Maria Stark, a former weapons designer and engineer, I run an international corporation built by my father, and I run rescue missions for the military when they have neither the equipment or the man power to handle dangerous missions."
"would these missions explain you limp when you where coming in?"
Tony cracked a smile "Damn I was hoping you wouldn't notice. To answer the question, yes I am recovering from several injuries received during my most recent mission"
"Which was?"
"Classified,"
"I though the armor protected you."
"From bullets, and small missiles yes, from getting pounded into the ground by said Bullets and Missiles, no."
"How did you come up with the Iron Man?"
"Essentially I always had the thought, I just needed the excuse to have a field day."
"And being kidnapped gave you the excuse you needed?"
"Yeah pretty much."
"I am aware we are slightly off topic but what made you go into engineering? From what I've found out when you where younger you quite musical."
"to my mothers delight. You know I never really thought about it before, I always wanted to be an engineer. I idolized my father, when I was little I practically held him in the light of a god, or at least invincible, what child doesn't?"
"True, so it was your desire to mirror your father that turned you to engineering?"
"No, Not really. When I was twelve I realized I was smarter than my father, when I realized that, I tried to prove it to him by doing everything in my power to one up him."
" You certainly did that."
"Did I?"
"What do you mean?"
" I fallowed in his foot steps I did exactly what he did, I put all my effort on the weapons and ignored every thing else. I let other people handle medical brake throws, I let other people worry about the ramifications of my mind and its destructive ideas." Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair again a frown etched into the lines on his face "for years I was drowning my self in alcohol and I never understood why. Do you know why?"
The reporter shook his head.
I was feeling guilty about all the people I'd inadvertently killed, and you know what it took for me to realize this?"
Another shake.
"Going cold turkey in a cave in Afghanistan, with nothing but an old man rats and flees to keep my company."
