Title: Chains of the Heart
Author: Erik-in-CT
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer or Marvel Comics, and not myself.
Bella still couldn't believe that she had let Tony talk her into this. All she really wanted to do was to go home and relax…to talk to Tony about everything that was going on. Reconnect. Instead he had talked her into this ridiculous trip. Though she supposed that was all part of his charm, the way he could do that. And so here she was on one of Tony's subspace planes headed halfway across the globe to attend some glamorous party with lots of cameras and reporters, to rub elbows with the elite of the world and watch the Monaco Grand Prix, which Tony had assured her was quite an event. While the car racing and the publicity wasn't really something she thought she'd enjoy, despite Tony's assurances, she had agreed to come with him because he had asked her to. And she had a sneaking feeling that he had something incredibly awesome, yet amazingly stupid planned.
And of course it didn't take long after their arrival before she was proven right. After enduring the onslaught of picture takers that always engulfed Tony when he made a public appearance, they made a short circuit of the dining hall where they would be seated to watch the race. Bella had turned her back for a moment, her attention distracted by the people around her, and when she turned back, Tony had disappeared. With a resigned sigh, she made her way to the table that had been assigned to her and took a seat.
"You should keep a leash on him," she heard a voice say, and she glanced up to see a business suit type with his arm around a tall blonde woman. The man grinned down at her in a way that made Bella shift slightly in her seat, uncomfortable.
"Yeah, well…easier said then done," she responded. The blonde woman accompanying the man smirked and muttered something under her breath. Bella hoped the man would leave her alone. Unfortunately he seemed to want to talk, pulling out a chair and sitting down with asking permission to join her.
"Justin Hammer," he said, extending his hand towards her.
She considered for a moment before taking his hand for a quick shake. The name rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place it. "Bella Swan," she said.
"Ah yes, of course, Tony's prodigy girl."
Bella blushed despite herself. She knew she had a certain talent for the field she had found herself in, helped immensely by Tony's tutorage, and she had been offered a very nice job at Stark Industries after her internship had ended, but a prodigy? She hardly considered herself one.
"Ah come on now, don't be modest," the man said, clapping a hand on her shoulder as if they were old friends. "I could use someone with your talents at Hammer Industries." He waggled his eyebrows in a completely unattractive manner. "Any way I can sneak you away from Tony?"
"I don't think so, no," Bella replied, raising her eyes to glance around the room for the man in question.
"Ah, well, too bad. If you ever change your mind…"
Bella looked up as the man trailed off, noticing his attention had been drawn to the TV screen behind her. Turning, she felt her heart jump to her throat as she saw Tony on the screen, dressed in a racing jumpsuit and climbing into the car bearing the Stark Industries logo. "What the…" she murmured. "Excuse me," she said to Hammer and his companion as she stood and made her way to the exit of the room. She was met there by the ever present Happy Hogan, a metal briefcase chained to his wrist like the nuclear launch codes on a secret service agent. "Did you…?"
"No ma'am," Happy said. Then their attention was drawn back into the room as a collective gasp rose from the observers. Bella's eyes moved immediately to the television screen, and it took a moment for her mind to register what she was seeing A man was walking down the center of the track. What the hell was he doing? He'd get killed. And then the lead car came around the corner, and Bella couldn't tear her eyes from the screen. But before the car could collide with the crazed man, a flash of light seemed to extend from his hand, and the car was flipping through the air, sliced clean in two.
"Damn him," Bella said as she turned and grabbed Happy's sleeve, pulling him from the room. "Come on, we gotta get that to Tony." Bella was exactly sure what they were going to do, but Happy seemed to, so she let him guide her downstairs and into the car they had arrived in. Before she had a chance to buckle in, he had hit the gas and was headed straight for the blocked off streets that made up the track.
"Here," he said, dropping the briefcase over the backseat, his wrist still attached. "The key's in my pocket. Get it off."
Bella leaned over the seat, trying to keep her balance as the car swerved left and right. Finally she got the tiny key from Happy's pocket, and after a few moments of fumbling, was able to detach the case from his hand. Then she made the mistake of looking up. They were going backwards on the track, swerving around the cars that had already passed before the carnage had started. She did her best to keep the terrified screams in.
Then they rounded a corner, and she saw the smoking remains of cars piled up along the road. She gasped in shock at the sight, then she saw the man with the sparking whips advancing upon a man in a blue jumpsuit. Horrified, she realized it was Tony. Before she could say anything, Happy hit the gas on the car, heading straight for the pair. Just before they collided, she saw Tony jump and cling to the metal fence against the outside of the track. They hit the other man dead on, pinning him against the concrete barrier.
Tony jumped down from the fence walking to the driver's window. He was yelling something at Happy, but Bella couldn't hear what he was saying over the roar in her ears. What the hell had just happened?
Then the man groaned and began pushing against the car. Tony started yelling and pointing, Happy started cursing, and Bella tried to hold herself to the seat as the car lurched backwards then forwards again. The side door popped open because of the impacts, and Tony was yelling at her. Without thinking about it, she tossed the metal case out of the car, watching as it landed at Tony's feet. She prayed it worked the way it was supposed to. They had never gotten the chance to fully test it in battle conditions.
With a small measure of relief she saw Tony activate the case, the metal plating sliding out perfectly until it encased Tony. It wasn't as good as the full suit, but it would do in an emergency. An emergency just like this.
Once the suit had fully assembled, Tony kicked the car out of the way, and Bella clung to the seat to keep from tumbling out of the door. She watched in horror as Tony fought the other man. Whoever this man was, he had some tech that was very similar to Tony's. But luckily he wasn't quite as proficient with controlling it, and Tony was able to finally take him down, pulling the power source from the man's harness.
Tony sat in the back of the car, letting Happy drive him back to the airport where the plane, and Bella, were waiting for him. He had just left the detention facility where the man who had disrupted the race was being held. He has a little disturbed by the brief conversation he had had with the man. Who the hell was he? How had he gotten a hold of the plans to build the RT unit. Granted the one the man had assembled wasn't as advanced as his own, but still… And his parting comment. Tony shook his head, trying to dislodge the memory.
As the car pulled to a stop, he carefully schooled his expression not to show the apprehension he was feeling. He made his way onto his plane, finding Bella curled up on one of the seats. Her eyes were closed and her hair fell in her face. Leaning against the wall, Tony folded his arms over his chest and looked down at her, a small smile turning up the corner of his lips.
"Hey," he said quietly as he reached down to brush her hair from her face. Chocolate eyes blinked open, looking up at him with an unreadable expression. "Still mad at me?" She hadn't been too happy with his little stunt at the racetrack, and had made that very well known to him after the 'incident'.
"Just a little," she murmured, shifting in the seat to sit up straight.
He sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him. She settled into his side, an arm slipping around his waist. "I just wish you'd let me know before you do something like that. So I don't have a heart attack when I'm taken by surprise." After a moment, she turned her eyes up towards his face. "Did you talk to him? Did he say why he did it?"
It was a minute or two before Tony could respond. "I did talk to him," he said, not looking at the woman in his arms. "He didn't say much though. Couldn't make sense out of him at all." He gave her a light squeeze. "But don't worry. He's never going to get out of there." Tony hoped he wasn't lying.
Author's Notes:
I have been totally awful at updating this story. *hangs head in shame* And there is no excuse for it at all. But I promise I will try to get back on a weekly schedule. I'm so sorry for the delay. I hope y'all are still reading!
Please leave a review and let me know what you think!
