Chapter Seven- House of cards

Cut to scene of Pepper emerging from Tony's house...she is crying now and dialing her Phone at the same time she lifts it to her ear…as a voice answers…

Pepper-in a shaking voice

Rhodey…

Cut to scene of Rhodey on the other end of the phone the expression on his face one of concern and perhaps a little anger…

Rhodey-

I'm on my way Pepper…don't do anything…wait for me…

Cut back to Pepper

Pepper-
Hurry Rhodey…the way he is acting he's capable of anything right now…

She closes her phone…as she does there is an explosion of glass from the house and Tony now dressed in the Iron man suit flies past her and into the night…she looks after him seeming frightened and confused…

Cut to interior of suit…

Jarvis-

Sir…I have been monitoring your vital signs and I am picking up an unusual amount of activity in the frontal lobe of…

Tony-

Cease monitoring…

Jarvis-

But sir….

Tony-through clenched teeth

I said…cease monitoring…

Jarvis-

As you wish …( something sounding like a phone rings) Sir incoming call from Colonel Rhodes

Tony-

What a shock…

Jarvis-

Should I put it through…

Tony-

Yeah…let's hear what he has to say…(there is a click and we hear Rhodey say Tony's name)

Tony-

Rhodey…why am I not surprised to be hearing from you…let me guess…Pepper called and told you I was being a bad boy…

Rhodey-outside Tony's house

She called because she was concerned about the way you were acting…why don't you come back and we'll have a long talk see if we can't figure out exactly what is going on with you…

Tony-laughs tightly

It's always me…isn't it…anytime something gets a little too intense or upsetting...it's always me that causes it…

Rhodey-

I don't know what you're talking about Tony…come on back and we'll figure it out together…

Tony-

Sounds nice but…I've got other things to take care of right now…(pauses seeming to think about something)Are you at my house by chance…with Pepper…

Rhodey-glances over at Pepper who is seated on the stairs looking worried

I am…

Tony-laughs angrily again

Again why am I not surprised…could you convey a message to her from me…let her know getting fired isn't really the worst thing that can happen to someone…(pauses taking a turn in the suit) As a matter of fact…you know what…how about I pass that onto her myself…

Rhodey lifts his eyes spotting Tony on an approach directly toward them…

Rhodey-

Tony…what are you doing?

Tony-

Just giving her a little demonstration of something much worse than being fired…watch this Rhodey…I think you are gonna seriously like this…Starks out…end communication Jarvis and block all further transmissions…also arm missiles…

Jarvis-

Sir if you are considering firing upon your own friends then I am afraid I cannot comply…

Tony-laughs at this

Please…I'm not crazy…(laughter fades abruptly) Now arm the damn missiles…(Shouts and Jarvis doesn't comply. Tony sighs angrily) Jarvis switch to manual control…

Jarvis-

But sir…

Tony-yelling

I said switch to manual control and if you continue to question my orders I swear to God I will pull the plug on you once and for all…now comply…

Jarvis-

As you wish…

Rhodey and Pepper both look toward where Tony is coming toward them…there is a flash of light and Rhodey goes wide eyed grabbing for pepper…he dives away and pulls her along with him as missiles crash into the side of Pepper's car causing a huge explosion…

Inside the suit Tony laughs as he soars past…

Tony-

I'd say it's time now for a little visit to Stark industries…

He soars away and Pepper and Rhodey rise looking stunned at the fireball that was Pepper's car…Pepper looks toward Rhodey…

Pepper-

Where…Where do you think he's going?

Rhodey-shakes his head looking at her

I don't know…but I have a feeling this isn't going to be good…get Agent Coulson on the phone…

Pepper-opens her phone

SHIELD… are you sure we should involve them?

Rhodey- turns back, watching Tony as he fades away on the horizon

I'm fairly certain that whatever is going through Tony's mind right now is gonna be bad for a lot of people…no one more so than him…chances are…(pauses and looks at her)we are gonna need SHIELD to save his ass… again…

Pepper seems to think on this then nods her head dialing the phone…

Cut to Tony soaring over the city…he approaches Stark industries and on the ground a new reporter who seems to be covering an accident takes note of him in the air…

Reporter-to camera man

Forget the accident…get this…get this…

The camera turns toward Tony….

On a television in what looks to be Hammer's limo Hammer is watching as the reporter talks about spotting the suit and staying with this breaking story until the conclusion…

Hammer-watching the screen

Iron man…what are you up to?

A phone rings and he answers it…

Hammer-

Justin Hammer….

Man from office-

Are you watching the news…

Hammer-smiling

I am…is this your doing somehow?

Man-

I may have had a hand in it…remember that little package I told you about…the one I delivered to Tony Starks on his birthday…well it wasn't the kind that can be unwrapped all at once…it reveals itself layer by layer and unless I miss my guess this would be layer that includes feeling of disillusionment, anger, resentment, and finally…rage…

Hammer-laughs aloud

So he really is Iron Man…(pauses looking toward the screen)Alright…you've got my attention...in fact…you already had it with your little gift…by the way how is it you managed to come by those specs…

Man-

Let's just say…they were inherited….and leave it at that….

Hammer-

Fine by me…so shall we meet…say tomorrow…my office…

Man-

I'm afraid not…see my plans for Tony Stark have accelerated themselves a lot quicker than I have anticipated…I need to move on to phase two immediately…as such we need to meet tonight…here …at my location…I'll give you the address…

He tells Hammer something and Hammer looks a little concerned…

Hammer-

That's a fairly dangerous part of town...are …are you sure?

Man-

What's the matter Justin afraid someone might steal the hubcaps from your limo…(laughs) You'll be perfectly fine...I assure you…and once you hear and see what I've got in the works…I can just about guarantee you'll be a lot more than fine…

Hammer looks again at the television where a helicopter seems to be approaching Tony…

Hammer-

Alright…I'm on my way…

Cut to image of the man from Hammer's office as he hangs up the phone and glances toward the television…in his hand there is what looks like a cybernetic arm of sorts…he chuckles at the television evilly…shaking his head and looking down as he continues to work…

Man-

Oh Tony…if you only knew what I have planned for you…you think the nightmare is almost over…unfortunately for you…it's only just begun…(he lifts the hand and what appears almost to be a bolt of electricity travels from his hand to the arm…a pulse fires and he looks toward where it went…continuing to laugh…

Montage set to the song Broken by Lifehouse

Scene returns to reporter and under the cover or music we see the reporter gesture toward Tony in the suit…cut to helicopter...inside is a police officer with a bullhorn…cut to Tony…who in slow mo looks from the copter to Stark industries…cut to Tony's house…where a car arrives with Agent Coulson in it…he gets out and Pepper and Rhodey rise from where they are seated turning to look at him…cut to scene of Hammer arriving at the man's place it's a warehouse of sorts the door slides opens and the man is standing there with a smile on his face…hammer gets out of his car and looks at him…cut back to scene at Tony's, Pepper and Rhodey now in the company of the agents enter the house moving toward a smaller television that they turn on Pepper lifts a hand to her face looking concerned as on the screen she sees the events being played out before them, Rhodey steps up next to her…cut back to copter…the police are screaming at Tony…then the bullhorn is lowered and what looks like a large rocket of some sort is leveled at Tony…cut back to Pepper leaning forward looking concerned…cut to Tony lowering his hand and firing at Stark…missiles away in slow mo…inside the copter missiles are fired as well in Tony's direction…there is an explosion…he is thrown cut to him and instant before and see he no longer looks angry but almost tearful and torn and we see him fall out of the sky…as Stark industries explodes…Pepper turns away and Rhodey embraces her…she slowly looks at Rhodey in tears now….

In a darkened alleyway we see Tony upon the ground in a crumpled mass of twisted limbs and blackened metal…his mask is opened and for a moment he opens his eyes…briefly...and in a hazy vision catches sight of a set of feet approaching him…then his eyes close…his head lolls forward…

End Scene