Phoenix: Hey everyone. I updated a while ago and here's the next chapter!

Cerberus: Please tell me someone goes BOOM!

Phoenix: Shut up! But someone does get their mind blown in this chapter.

Whiplash

By Sailor Phoenix1997

The New York night was dark, only broken by the flashlight that was streaming over the grounds of the power plant. The man holding the light held a phone to his ear as he walked.

"Pepper…Hm-hm…Pepper, Pepper! You can't come, we can't team up, you can't have any weapons, especially a tear gas grenade, I can't tell you where I am, and no, I can't tell you what I'm working on," he said quickly.

"Dad, be honest. Is there a bomb that needs defusing?!" Pepper asked loudly on the other line. Her father pulled the phone away for a second to regain his hearing.

"What?! No! There isn't a bomb that needs defusing! Don't you have homework to do?" he asked as he walked up to a door. He knelt down and put his flashlight in his mouth as Pepper went on and on on the other line. He pulled out a small device from his pocket and slid it in and with a flick of his wrist, the door opened soundlessly. "Look, it's just going to be one of those nights, sweetie. Don't wait up…And don't go through my files or my computer!" With a sigh, Agent Potts put his cell phone away before continuing on his way into the building.

Carefully he looked around, his flashlight's glow falling on stacks of wood and metal but nothing else. Slowly, the FBI agent pulled out his gun and stepped cautiously further into the building.

A light, metallic hissing noise crept through the room as glowing red whips - alive with electricity – ghosted down behind Agent Potts. The man snapped around just as the electrowhips snapped at him, wrapping tightly around his body, making the man send an agonized scream into the air.


Tony smirked to himself as the blue flame of the welding torch slid over the silver and red plating of his new armor's chest plate and the door to the armory opened, letting his friends in.

"Here's a crazy thought," Rhodey said. Tony turned and smiled at his friends. Serenity let out a tiny "Eep!" at the sight of Tony in his work goggles. "You ever tried sleeping? It's something normal people do at night."

"You lost me at normal," Tony said jokingly. Rhodey shook his head as the others formed a semicircle around Tony and his project.

"Another suit?!" Joey said.

"Gotta keep up," Tony said as if that explained everything.

"With what? The latest fashions?" Tristan teased. "You gonna add bell bottoms to this one?"

"Guys, cut it out," Serenity scolded.

"I've got to be ready guys. You've seen what I've been going up against."

"Not to imply that you're evil but didn't you design the Earth Movers?" Rhodey said.

"And wasn't Blizzard's tech developed by your dad's company?" Tristan finished.

"Right. But Killer Shrike and Unicorn…They're common criminals. Where do they get tech almost as advanced as the ones I'm working on?"

"Almost?" Joey repeated.

"Hey I won didn't I?" Tony said. Serenity placed Tony's backpack on top of the new armor.

"We're going to be late for school you big winner," she teased.

"Again!" Rhodey pressed as he walked towards the door. "Oh and Pepper called. She said she'd been trying to call you all night." Tony pulled his Pod out of his pocket.

"You have 47 new messages." The computer stated.

"Scary thing is, it's probably just one long message," Joey said.


Tony tapped his foot gently on the floor as the water dispenser he'd installed in his locker filled the large, paper soda cup he had. Once the cup was full, Tony put a lid on top and stuck a straw in before taking a sip. Rhodey and the others gave him a curious look.

"What? I wasn't using it for anything else," Tony said as he closed his locker door.

"TONY!" Pepper yelled from her place right behind the door, making almost everyone but Sarah and Serenity jump. "Where have you been? Why haven't you called me? Didn't you get my messages? Did you screen me?" she asked rapidly before she noticed the water in his hand. "Oh, can I have a drink of that?"

"Whoa, Pepper. Slow down, use fewer words," Tony ordered. Pepper bit hard on her lip and looked around for the right words.

"Mm…Worried…About…My dad," she forced out. The boys looked at each other.

"Is everything okay?" Sarah asked as she placed a hand on Pepper's shoulder.

"I don't know. He's been acting all weird. He's been working on this case but he won't ask me anything about it," she explained quickly.

"Um Pepper," Tony said. "Shouldn't he never tell you about his cases?"

"Yea, I'm sure as an FBI agent some of his cases put himself in danger just because he knows things. I'm sure he doesn't want you to get hurt," Tristan said and Serenity nodded her agreement.

"And isn't it an FBI rule?" Joey asked. "Not to tell de family what you're workin' on?"

"More of a guideline in my opinion," Pepper said. "But I was hoping you could…Uh…I mean, there's something I have to ask you…Uh…Can we talk in private?" Pepper said as Gene Khan passed.

"Hey, there's Gene. I gotta catch him before class. Can we talk about this later?" Tony asked as he put the soda cup in Pepper's hands. "Thanks Pepper!" Sarah reached out and grabbed Tony's arm.

"You always blow her off. If there is something real serious going on here and Pepper ends up hurt by something you could've prevented, I'm going to be there to say I told you so," she hissed. Tony shook his head and walked on.


Tony half-listened to the teacher as he sketched more armor designs in his notebooks.

"Which in turn creates an amplified beam of light also known as a laser," the professor said. Tony smirked to himself.

"Actually sir…" Tony said with a raised hand. Rhodey yanked his hand down roughly and shushed him in a similar manner. "What? There's been a lot of-"

"Shh!" Rhodey hissed.

"But…"

"Dude, shut up!" Happy hissed.

"Seriously dude. Every time you open your mouth the entire class has to do some crazy research assignment!" Joey whispered.

"Don't think you can do it mutt?" Kaiba joked.

"I'll show you what you can't do once I'm through with you," Joey hissed as his fists clenched.

"Mister Stark, did you have something to add?" Kisara asked. Tony looked around at his friends and shook his head.

"No, I don't," Tony said as the door opened and the principal walked in.

"Pardon me Professor Kline," said the grey-haired man. I need to speak with Miss Potts and if Miss Stark could join us please?" Kisara looked over at Pepper and jabbed her head to the hallway. The red-head nodded and went into the hallway with the student-teacher and principal.

"You think she tried to arrest someone again?" Tony asked.

"I'm ignoring you," Rhodey said as he crossed his arms over his chest. The door shut with a light click and after a few seconds, Tony ripped out a blank piece of paper and crumpled it up before he headed to the recycle bin, located right next to the door. As he dropped the paper in, he looked out the door window and saw Pepper cover her mouth, eyes wide and Kisara placed her arms around the girl's shoulders.

"Class ends in ten minutes Mister Stark," Professor Kline said. "Unless you'd like to add to the fourteen tardies and seven absences you already have." Tony slowly moved back to his seat before he raised his hand again.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" he asked.


Kisara glanced from the two FBI agents guarding a hospital room to the red-head she was accompanying as the door opened, letting Pepper and her teacher into the room. Pepper covered a gasp at the sight of her father laying in the bed wrapped in enough bandages to make a mummy feel inadequate and hooked up to machines.

"The doctor will be here in a moment Pepper. Everything's going to be fine," one of the FBI agents said before he shut to door.

"Dad?" Pepper whispered as she walked over to her father's side. "Dad…A-Are you…" Pepper's voice became choked as she tried to keep from crying.

"Miss Potts?" asked a doctor as he came into the room. He was looking at Kisara.

"I'm sorry sir. I only came with Miss Potts as emotional support. She's the red-head over there," Kisara said as she nodded towards Pepper.

"Is…Is my dad okay?" Pepper asked quietly.

"He was banged up pretty bad but he's going to be alright. He's on medication so he'll be sleeping for a few days but otherwise he should make a full recovery," the doctor stated.

"What happened?"

"I really don't know…The injuries are unusual and the FBI aren't talking. Did your dad work with power lines by any chance?" the doctor asked as he checked his pager. "Excuse me Miss Potts." Pepper blinked furiously to try to keep her tears at bay.

Suddenly, her father's eyes shot open as he started gasping for air.

"Dad?" Pepper said. "Are you okay? What happened?" Kisara's eyes narrowed somewhat at Pepper's slower speech. "Power lines…Did someone do this to you?" Agent Potts grabbed hold of his daughter's arm and pulled her closer to his mouth.

"Mister…Mr. Fix," he whispered before his eyes closed again and his grip went slack. Pepper grabbed hold of her father's hand and snapped around towards Kisara.

"Can we get some help in here?!" the whitette demanded. The doctor from earlier came back in and smiled kindly.

"It's okay. He's been unconscious since we found him. This is just the body's way of healing itself," he explained calmly as the door opened again.

"Hey!" Tony said sharply as the FBI agent grabbed his shoulder.

"Tony? Rhodey?" Pepper asked.

"What are you two doing here?" Kisara pressed.

"Not just us," Rhodey said as Joey, Serenity, Tristan and Sarah all came in as well. Tony took a look at the man on the bed before he looked at Pepper, who was clenching her fists at her sides.

"Pepper…I'm sorry…I-"

"Tony! This isn't the best time," Kisara said with a hard glare.

"Are you alright Pepper?" he asked before mentally slapping himself. "Of course she's not okay! Her dad's in the hospital for crying out loud!"

"What do you care?!" Pepper choked before she headed for the door.

"Pepper." The red-head turned towards the whitette who had addressed her. "Why don't you go wait in my car? I can give you a ride home to pick up some stuff or drop you off if you like. But in this kind of situation I think it would be best for you to stay with a friend until all this is cleared up." Pepper nodded.

"May I stay with you Miss- I mean, Kisara?" Kisara nodded. A small, sad smile graced Pepper's face before she shut the door. Kisara turned to Tony again.

"You've got a lot of nerve asking her a question like that Anthony Edward Stark!" Kisara snapped.

"Kisara, can I talk to you in private?" he asked. Kisara sighed and headed for the door.

"I'm sorry Tony. But I have work I have to do, starting with taking care of Pepper. You know, I hear friends do that when their friends are hurt," Kisara said just before slamming the door shut. The doctor looked around as an awkward silence spread over the group.

"Well, I have other patients to attend to. So…" Without another word, he left the room. Tony sighed miserably.

"I told you so," Sarah said.


"I'm such a jerk," Tony muttered as he bent over his new armor. "I'm always blowing Pepper off, never taking her seriously." Rhodey sighed as he hung up his phone.

"She's still not answering her cell," he reported.

"Maybe we could try Kisara's number. Pepper did say she was stayin' with her," Joey offered.

"I don't know Kisara's cell phone number, her home number, her address…Heck, I don't even know what Pepper's mother's name is!" Tony growled to himself.

"The FBI that were guarding Pepper's dad…" Tristan pondered. "How much you guys wanna bet that someone did this to him?"

"I'm with you on that," Serenity said. "But if someone did attack him, I'm betting Pepper's going to do something."

"It's Pepper," Tony said. "She's not just going to sit around… And neither am I."


Kisara sighed as she put down her book and looked over at Pepper, who was busy on her father's computer.

"Are you hungry Pep? It's getting rather late. Would you like something to eat before bed or something?" Pepper didn't respond.

"Come on Dad. Searching FBI data bases," she muttered. Kisara stood up and touched the top of the laptop.

"Pepper, it's late. Maybe you'll be able to work better tomorrow." Pepper shook her head.

"Mr. Fix," she said as she typed it in.


The orange-red glow of the hard-light computer screens shone off the metal arms, torso and legs of a dark-skinned man with one eye covered in metal and the eye itself glowing red. His head was shaved bald save for the black goatee on his chin.

Three small tentacles plugged themselves into the computers which began to swiftly scanning through rows of binary code.

"Search in progress." One of the large computer screens began to show a map of New York before showing a head shot of Pepper. The man stared at the screen with indifference.

"Someone's still looking for me. Make them stop."


Pepper continued typing in the codes she knew her father used and the passwords to open the various firewalls that protected some of the FBI's greatest kept secrets.

"Pepper, are you sure you want to do this?" Kisara asked.

"My dad trusts me Kisara. I can't let him down. And I won't let the man who hurt my dad just walk around freely."

"I doubt he is. The FBI will probably keep an eye on anything he does. They probably have another agent on the case right now."

"Whoever they are, they're probably not nearly as good as my dad," Pepper countered. Kisara sighed as a car drove by the window, coming to a slow stop outside.

The door to the van opened and a few men dressed all in black stepped out carrying guns.

Silent as the night itself, they surrounded the two-story house, coming in through the windows and the back door. Carefully, they made their way through the house until they came to a closed door.

"Targets located. Proceeding with termination," said one of the men into the comlink in his helmet. Another man walked up to the door and kicked it in, and all men aimed their guns into the interior, which was vacant of all life. "Search the rest of the house!" the leader said to the others as he reached for the comlink in his helmet. "Sir, we have a problem."


Kisara and Pepper landed on their feet and looked back up at the window from the second story they'd just leapt from.

"Come on," Kisara said as she grabbed Pepper's arm and started running down the street. Pepper fished around in her pockets until she found her phone. Quickly she dialed a familiar number.

"Come on. Please pick up. Please pick up!" she pleaded.


"Patricia Potts, aka Pepper…That's adorable," the cyborg man said with indifference as an image of the running girls appeared on one of his screens. "And Kisara Stark. A student-teacher at Miss Pott's school. And cousin to Anthony Stark, aka, Tony. Trace Pepper's cell phone." As he spoke, the tentacles plugged themselves back into the computers.


Tony sighed miserably to himself as he took off into the New York night.

"What do you guys think Pepper wanted me for? She said she wanted to talk to me in private."

"Maybe she just wanted you to listen to her for once," Rhodey said through the comlink.

"Yea. I hear it's somethin' friends do for each other," Joey agreed.

"Not you of course, but friends in general," Tristan said.

"Cut it out you guys," Serenity scolded. "Where are you even going?"

"I hacked into the ambulance company that picked up Pepper's dad. Thought I'd check out where they found him," Tony explained. "It sounded like she wanted me to do something for her."

"Quick question Tony, if you can hack into an ambulance company to find where one man was picked up, why don't you use those abilities to find out where your cousin lives?" Serenity asked.

"Thank you for reminding me of that," Tony said.

"Ohp! Pepper's calling. I think you should pick it up," Rhodey said.

"I'm routing the call through the armor," Tony reported. "Pepper? I'm on three-way with Rhodey. Are you-"

"Tony! Running! In the city! Kisara! GUNS!" Pepper shouted into her phone.

"WHAT?!" said everyone in the armory and armor.


"Okay, this time. More words," Tony ordered as Kisara lead Pepper through the alley. Pepper pulled on her arm and stopped the both of them. She paused only to catch her breath.

"My dad was investigating a guy called Mr. Fix, some kind of…Inventor?" Kisara nodded. "Yea, inventor. He's a high-tech arms dealer. He supplies guys like the Maggia!" Pepper started walking down the alley towards the street. "Ooh! All I did was type his name into the FBI data base and now Kisara and I have Black Ops guys chasing us!" Kisara grabbed hold of Pepper's arm and yanked her back as the black truck came to a screeching halt right in front of them.

"Run!" Kisara ordered. Pepper didn't hesitate as the two ran in the opposite direction.


"Rhodey, I'm isolating Pepper's cell phone signal. Do you see it?" Tony asked as he changed his direction.

"We got it! I see her! What is this, satellite imagery?" Rhodey asked.

"I'll thank NASA later. You guys have to buy her some time until I get there."


"Pepper, it's Rhodey. Turn down 43rd Street then cut through the alley. The vans can't fit through there." Pepper nodded as Kisara turned down the directed route.

"How did you know what he said?" Pepper asked.

"He's a little loud. And being good at hearing is something I picked up while I was away from New York. It's actually quite easy to do once you're out of the city," Kisara explained. The truck appeared at the other end of the alley and a man leapt out of the truck and started firing at the girls. "Keep moving!" Kisara ordered as she turned around and pulled Pepper into a side alley as the bullets caused sparks to fly around their feet.

"Pepper! Cut through the building. It'll take you to 42nd Street," Rhodey advised. Kisara lead Pepper to the large red-brick building and started pulling against the two large doors surrounded by graffiti.

"It's locked!" she reported.

"Thanks a lot Rhodey! Oh! Are there any dead-end alleys you can lead me to? Maybe Kisara and I should just hide in the bad guys' truck! They'd never find us in there!"

"Uh…Pick the lock!" Kisara started looking around the alley and noticed a window just above the closed dumpster next to the door and a stack of bricks on the other side. "Use a credit card or kick it in!" Kisara picked up one of the bricks.

"Step back Pepper," she ordered. Pepper did as told and Kisara threw the brick, smashing the window.

"Or, break the window. That works too," Rhodey admitted. Kisara grabbed onto the lid of the dumpster and flipped herself over before offering a hand to Pepper.

"How did you do that?" Pepper asked, awestruck.

"Another trick I learned while on my own," Kisara said quickly as she pulled out a few shards of glass from the window and she slid inside. "Come on, hurry." Pepper did as told.


"They're cutting through the building. Circle around," the cyborg ordered as his metallic fingers began pressing keys on his chair. "Clever girls. But perhaps little Miss Potts and Miss Stark are getting some help. Who is she talking to?"

"Error! Unable to track receiving signal. Unknown firewall in place." The man's human eye narrowed and his fingers laced themselves together as a black figure came up behind him.

"Problem?" he said. His voice sounded like it was coming through a gas mask.

"Not a problem. A mystery. Whoever she's talking to must have the most advanced cell phone on the planet. I think this is someone I should talk to." The cyborg looked up at the man behind him, dressed in black with his joints covered in red plating and his face was covered with a red mask that was similar to a gas mask.


Kisara kicked down the front door and looked around the street as Pepper came out behind her.

"Rhodey I think we lost them…" Kisara growled.

"No we haven't Pepper!" she yelled as she grabbed Pepper's arm and pulled her down the street as the black van came up on the sidewalk. The girls ran out into the street and the van followed them.

Suddenly, Iron Man rammed his shoulder into the back end of the truck, sending it flying in a turn-over into a lamppost. Pepper and Kisara kept running until one more black van came into their path. The side door opened and three more black-clad men holding guns appeared. They leapt from the vehicle and starting shooting.

"Hit the dirt!" Kisara yelled as she tackled Pepper.

PING! Pepper and Kisara looked up to see the armored hero standing in front of them, the bullets bouncing off his armor like a ball bouncing off a wall.

"Pepper! Kisara! Get to Rhodey's house you'll be safe there!" Iron Man ordered. The girls pushed themselves to their feet and started running down the street.

"How does Iron Man know ours and Rhodey's names?" Kisara thought to herself as she looked over her shoulder. Iron Man had activated his shields while the girls hadn't been paying attention. He shut off the shields and blasted at the men and their truck, sending all of them flying down the street. The sounds of more screeching tires filled the air and another truck zipped past Iron Man. "Don't look back Pepper," Kisara instructed.

Tony glared at the truck as it sped past him.

"Warning. Intrusion alert. Communications in jeopardy."

"What?!" Tony demanded.

"Tony! Someone's hacking into the armory's com systems!" Tristan warned.

"Is…Is dat even possible?" Joey asked.

"Shut it down!" Tony ordered.

"Guys? Are you still there?...Okay. If you can hear me, Kisara and I are on our way to Rhodey's house," Pepper said into her phone.


"Repeat: Kisara and I are on our way to Rhodey's house!" Suddenly, all the screens went blank.

"I've been shut out," growled the cyborg as he started rapidly typing at his computer but his screens stayed blank. "This is no longer amusing."

"Who can shut you out?" asked the man in the gas mask. A few beeps from the computers and the screens turned back on, now featuring Iron Man as their subject.

"Iron Man. Now this is interesting," the cyborg said as Pepper and Kisara's headshots appeared on a screen and the Tomorrow Academy under them. Rhodey's picture, a photo of his house and another one of Pepper appeared on another screen. "James Rhodes. Aka Rhodey. A school-mate of Miss Potts and one of Miss Stark's students." The picture of Rhodey's house enlarged so it took up most of the screen. "Time for a house call," said the cyborg as he looked at the other man.


"Hurry Pepper!" Kisara said as the sounds of tires coming down the alley followed the girls, who quickly ran into the street. The truck followed them, ignoring the loud honking of other drivers.

The man sitting in the shotgun seat pulled out a gun and leaned out the window as he lined his gun up with the girls. Pepper gasped as the bullets again began to make a shower of sparks at her feet. Kisara looked back and growled as the truck gained on them.

"Pepper!" the whitette gasped just as Iron Man came out of the sky and wrapped an arm around each girl's waist and pulled them up into the sky.

"You're going to be okay now Pe-Uh…Ladies…Whoever you are," Iron Man said.

"Thanks…Tony," Pepper said with a smirk as she nuzzled her head against his armored neck. Kisara cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Tony? Uh…I think you have me confused with someone else," Iron Man said simply.

"Relax. I know it's you. I'm not stupid. My dad is a professional investigator, remember?" Pepper said.

"And besides, no one uses the bathroom as much as Tony Stark," Kisara added. Iron Man looked down and sighed slowly. The mask clicked open, showing Tony's face.

"How long have you guys known?" he asked as his cousin's eyes went as wide as saucers.

"We didn't!" Pepper said. "Oh but I do now! I can't believe you're really Iron Man! I thought maybe you were, like I tried to ask you..."

"Whoa…" Kisara said. "We're actually flying."

"This is awesome!" Pepper said.

"Okay, two things. One, you stink Pepper. And two, this is what I wanted to tell you at the hospital Kisara," Tony explained. "I'll take you guys to Rhodey's house. You should be safe there. But when all this is done, I'll have to wipe your memories."

"Really?" Kisara asked. Tony shook his head.

"No. I'm actually contemplating dropping you two," Tony joked.


As the morning sun began to peek over the horizon, Pepper and Kisara darted up the steps to Rhodey's house. Pepper quickly opened the door.

"Rhodey? Joey. Serenity. Tristan! We're alive. We…" Pepper's voice trailed off at the sight of their friends all tied up in large fin-like chains that were attached to a man dressed in black with red plating on his joints and a red gas mask on his face.

"Hello Miss Stark…And Pepper, you look just like your dad," he mocked. With a flick of his wrists he sent the hostages to the floor in front of Kisara and Pepper, who reached down to help them up.

"Mr. Fix?" Pepper said quietly as she and the others took a step back.

"Not quite. Mr. Fix made my arms for me and now I'm…working off my debt. Odd jobs like…Shutting up nosy teenage girls," he said as the electrowhips came out. Serenity's phone began to ring.

"Oh…Sorry. One second," she chuckled lightly as she pulled the phone out and flipped it open but didn't put it against her ear. "Hello?"

"DUCK!" Kisara tackled everyone down as Iron Man blasted through the door, grabbed the man by the shoulders and blasted out the wall before throwing him down on the concrete below. "So what do they call you? The Whipping Boy? Whipo? Whip-It-Good?"

"Funny. Fix thought he might run into you someday so he made me," the man said.

"Really? I'm flattered," Iron Man said sarcastically. The man flicked his wrists and his electrowhips shot out of his arms and around Iron Man before yanking him down to the ground.

"And by the way, the name's Whiplash," he introduced. Slowly, he walked over to Iron Man and tapped his helmet with his foot. The armored hero didn't respond. "Well, that was disappointing."

"Iron Man!" Pepper screamed as she and the others ran towards the two men. Whiplash snapped around.

"Maybe you six can help cheer me up. Please, make it interesting…" Whiplash brought out his electrowhips. "Run."

"Move!" Kisara ordered as Whiplash snapped a whip right in front of them.

"I didn't realize your dad was still alive. Otherwise I would've finished the job. He actually found Mr. Fix impressive but fatal," Whiplash taunted as the group kept running towards the armory with Whiplash following them.

Tony pushed himself up and clicked the mask out of his way so he could gasp for air.


"Iron Man showing up to save you was pretty lucky girl. Or do you know who he really is?" Whiplash mocked as he searched the wearhouse for the group that had evaded him. Pepper bit nervously on her lip before she moved a little closer to Kisara. The girls looked upwards at where Rhodey was hiding with Joey while Tristan was keeping Serenity close on the opposite wall, hiden by a small wooden platform.

Whiplash kept on walking.

"Although," Whiplash drawled on as he pulled out his whips, "I guess it doesn't matter now since-" Rhodey stood up from where he was and threw a large chunk of metal at Whiplash.

"Everyone! Run!" Joey yelled. Serenity did as told.

"Serenity! Wait!" Tristan yelled as Whiplash's whip snapped around Serenity and tugged her close to him.

"Oh, you're a cute one…I'll try not to mess up that pretty face of yours," Whiplash sneered. He didn't notice Pepper fleeing the scene.

"Get yer hands off my sister!" Joey growled as he leapt at Whiplash, only to become ensnared by the free whip and thrown against the wall. Tristan snarled at the man. A small beep went off in Whiplash's helmet.

"What?! I'm right in the middle of something," he snapped.

"The girl Whiplash. She's escaping right now while you waste time," Mr. Fix said over the intercom. Whiplash snarled and threw Serenity away. Tristan ran and caught the girl in his arms, a light smile crossing his features.


Pepper ran to the collapsed heap of armor and started shaking it.

"Please wake up. Please be okay. Please help us. WAKE UP!" she yelled, tears beginning to choke her voice as the mask opened, showing no one inside. "Gah!" Pepper looked around to see if Tony was around but only Whiplash came into her line of vision. Without thinking, Pepper wrapped her arms around the empty husk of armor as the man brought out his electrowhips.

"You really should have run." Pepper bit her tongue to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. "Nothing personal," Whiplash assured as he snapped a whip back. Pepper's eyes closed as she waited for the painful death…

That never came.

"How?! WHO?!" Whiplash wheezed. Pepper opened her eyes slowly and hovering in the air, holding Whiplash's whip in hand, was a silver and red Iron Man.

"Don't strain yourself," Iron Man said as he grabbed more of the whip and threw the wielder into the air. "And by the way…" Iron Man landed a punch square in Whiplash's jaw, sending him flying into the small power area that powered the house and compound. "The name's Iron Man."

Whiplash snapped his whips out again and sent them flying so they wrapped around Iron Man's boots and pulled him into the ground. The hero quickly stood up and fired the unabeam from his chest, making red electricity snap and crackle around his body. Once the beam vanished, Iron Man took off after Whiplash, who'd been sent across the power structure.

"Okay, now I'm confused," Pepper muttered as she looked from one Iron Man to the other.

Iron Man and Whiplash were caught in a dangerous dance. Whiplash's electrowhips around Iron Man's torso while the armored man sent punches and kicks towards the other. Iron Man took off into the skies and blasted Whiplash with his repulsors, sending him skidding back several feet before he came back swinging and managed to get Iron Man's back with his electrowhip before snapping it around him and running around in circles, entangling the hero in the deadly coils.

Iron Man grabbed hold of the whip and yanked on it so Whiplash was brought close enough for Iron Man to grab a hand and blast it with his repulsor before shoving his knee into Whiplash's stomach. The man retaliated with a few electric shocks to Iron Man's back before grabbing his face and holding him away from the hand holding the whip as the air began to reek of ozone from the whip.

"Struggle all you like," Whiplash taunted. "I can fry Iron Man all day long."

Iron Man blasted at Whiplash, making him release his mask and the hero started a small struggle that ended with him on his back with Whiplash's whip tighter around him.

"Power flux in progress. Situation critical." Tony growled loudly before his unabeam shot Whiplash off him and into the power cables. The villain screamed loudly before the whole thing exploded, sending Iron Man a few meters away and a piece of Whiplash's whip landing next to him.

Slowly the hero stood up.

"Whiplash?" One more explosion rocked the ground as Iron Man walked towards the armory, stepping on Whiplash's whip and crushing it underfoot as he did so.


"Pepper's dad woke up," Rhodey reported.

"Is he going to be okay?" Serenity asked still seated in Tristan's arms despite being in the safety of Tony's room. Joey was glaring at his brunette friend while holding an ice pack to his head and eating his eggs and toast.

'They say he's going to be fine. The police are still down stairs and they're going to take her to see him. Do you think Mr. Fix will come after them again?" Rhodey asked. Tony shook his head as he ate another piece of his breakfast, the same thing Joey was eating.

"No. The trail's cold. They're no threat to him now," Tony said.

"But Iron Man is," Joey countered. Tony nodded, a worried look crossing his features.

"He's a genius guys. And right now he's probably coming up with a hundred new super-weapons to take me down," Tony said. "Unless I stop him." The door opened.

"You mean we right?" Pepper asked as she and Kisara came inside the room.

"Anthony Edward Stark. I can't believe you. Not only do you have a heart condition, but you're a minor and this whole Iron Man thing is making you a vigilante. You do realize that right?"

"And I can't believe you nerds didn't tell us. Don't you trust us? I know I'm crazy trustworthy and Kisara's pretty good herself," Pepper said quickly. "We could've totally helped you fight crime weeks ago! OH! We should be out fighting crime right now!"

"Pepper!" Kisara whispered.

"Shh!" Serenity hissed.

"Sorry," Pepper said before she turned to Tony. "But why didn't you tell us?!" Tony chuckled.

"I tried to tell you a hundred times, Pep, but you won't stop talking long enough to let me," Tony said as he shook his fork at her accusingly. Pepper looked around the room, pieces of words coming out of her mouth before she managed to think of one word.

"Seriously?"

"And as for you Kisara…" Tony's face became downcast. "I'm ashamed to say that after you ran off, I didn't see a reason for you to do it so I got mad." Kisara smiled a little before going over to the raven-haired teen and pulling him into a hug.

"Tony, we can't change what's past. We can only forget and move forward. So I say we move forward towards a new future as a family. Okay?" Tony nodded and returned his cousin's hug.

"Aw," Serenity said as she wrapped her arms around Tristan's neck. "I love happy endings." Tristan's face went red as a cherry as Joey's fists clenched at his sides and his snarling became a little more evident.


Phoenix: OH MY GOSH!

Cerberus: ACTION!

Phoenix: I can't believe this. Not a single review on either of my stories that I updated earlier this week or on Autobot00001's Star Crossed Lovers. Can someone please be nice and just drop by any of the stories and say, nice work? Is that too much to ask? Okay, I'm done with this chapter now. Review, check out Star Crossed Lovers, leave a review there and tell people you know to check out the stories and leave a review! Please!