It was one in the morning when she finally was able to finish programming her suit. Tony had helped her when she came across stuff she wasn't sure about. She wanted to make sure everything was right as she would be the one wearing it. The suit had no A.I. in it yet as she hadn't gotten that far, but the suit was still able to be taken out for a test flight with Jarvis monitoring. She was excited as the armor began to go on her. Tony stood watching. As soon as the helmet came down, the suit came alive. Information on everything that was around her that she could see popped up in her HUD.

"I'll be here watching you on the monitor." Tony told her. "Be careful out there."

"I will." she said back as she readied herself. Jarvis was there with her, though he hadn't fully uploaded himself into her suit. The thrusters came online and she felt herself slowly lift upward. She did what Tony had shown her and knew what to expect and what to do for flying the suit. Before she knew it, she was outside and up in the skies. She freaked at one point but got over it quickly and was starting to enjoy it. 'This is like a thrill ride.' she thought to herself as she flew through the air. She was a few hundred feet up when something happened.

Her HUD began to flash red, the word warning popped up. "Tony, you there?"

"I'm here. What's going on?" Tony said as he saw readings come up on the screen that Jarvis was sending back.

"I don't……."

"ALEX!" Tony yelled when she heard her get cut off. "Jarvis, what's going on?"

"Her suit seems to be malfunctioning, sir." Jarvis told him.

Alex felt herself become very heavy as her systems were slowly shutting down. Her HUD was still flashing red, but went dark as soon as she hit the ground. She felt dizzy and wanted to lift her head but couldn't. She came to find out she couldn't move at all. It was dark in her helmet, very dark. The only light she could see was in the sky from the moon, and that was limited due to the eye slights.

"Jarvis, where is she?" Tony asked as he got up in a hurry.

"The city park, sir. I believe she crashed landed."

"Suit me up! I've got to go for her." he told him as he stood on the platform where Alex had just been. Iron Man came online.

Alex laid there. She was starting to feel it was hard to breath. She wanted to take the damn helmet off, but couldn't. She was trying to keep clam as she could feel herself wanting to freak out. Then she heard someone near her.

"You're not Iron Man." a male voice said. It was the guy that Iron Man had been trying to take out, and now he was here. He kneeled down. "I picked up your frequency. My…..I guess he really is out of commission if you're here." he said to her as he touched her armor.

"Leave her alone!!" Iron Man yelled as he used his repulsor ray and hit the ground behind the guy at a low level, giving a warning shot. He then went right for the guy and pushed him aside. "Jarvis get her suit online." he told him as he began to fight the guy.

"Trying, sir." Jarvis replied back. A few more seconds went by for Alex when she could feel cool air beginning to enter her helmet. She took a deep breath and was starting to feel better. She still couldn't move, but could hear the fight going on around her. She cussed as she wanted to see what was happening and wanted to help Tony.

Iron Man threw the guy into a few tress; some started to fall down due to the impact. The guy got back up and hovered in the air. "I never did tell you my name." the guy said. "They call me Titanium Man."

"They're about to call you 'dead' when I'm done with you!" Iron Man told him as he flew towards him, repulsors blazing. Titanium Man just deflected the shots and the grass around started to catch fire. People who were passing by in their cars stopped outside of the park entrance when they noticed the blaze, which was spreading quickly. One person called 911. The fight went on and once again, Tony was taking a beating, though he did mange to rough him up before he started to use his speed. Titanium Man made circles around Iron Man, throwing a few punches, one resulting into his already broken rib cage, causing more damage. Iron Man screamed at the pain as he felt some of the armor on that side got dented inward, putting pressure on his ribs. He then let out an electric shock to Iron Mans systems. He wasn't trying to kill him, but after more information on the tech that Iron Man wore. Iron Man fell to the ground, while his systems recovered.

"It's been real fun!" Titanium Man said just before he took off. Iron Man slowly got up and saw the park on fire. He saw firefighters were already on the scene. He walked to Alex and picked her up before flying back home. Once home, Jarvis was able to bring Alex's suit online and was then able to get out of it. She wasn't sure if she would be able to go through that again. Tony took off his helmet just before he collapsed to the floor. Alex ran to him.

"It burns…." Tony said as he cringed at the pain coming from his rib cage. Alex helped him get up so they could get him out of his armor. She then helped him to his chair.

"I'll go get your pain pills." Alex told him as she ran out of the workshop and upstairs.

The following day wouldn't be a pretty one. It was three in the afternoon and Alex was down in the workshop, working on the computer program for her suit when she decided to take a break. As she made her way up the stairs, she heard a huge argument going on. There were three people total, one female, one male, and then Tony. She decided to not go completely up and stayed down enough so no one saw her as she listened.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Rhodes yelled to Tony.

"I don't have a problem." Tony whispered, though Rhodes could hear him.

"Oh, you don't? You better think about that again. You were told to rest, not be going out there in that death suit of yours."

"He's right Tony, you need to rest. Look at you." Pepper told him. Tony was sitting down on his couch, very upset. He hated being talked to like this, he wasn't a child. Though they were there cause they cared and wanted to help him.

"I can do whatever the hell I please!" Tony yelled back as he got up, though he had a hard time moving. He placed his right hand on his left side as pain began to surge through him.

"And what's this about Alex? You got her going out there now too?" Rhodes said.

"That was her choice." he told him as he slowly made his way to where he kept his alcohol.

"No, I think you some how influenced her." Tony was getting very upset when he heard that.

"I told you, IT WAS HER CHOICE!" Tony yelled. "Trust me; I didn't want her to be out there. She wanted to help me and I gave in." he added as he got his scotch out and a glass.

"Tony, no…." Pepper said as she ran to him when she saw what he was about to do.

"Leave me alone…." Tony told her as he motioned for her to go away. He then poured himself a drink and downed it pretty fast.

"But you were doing so good." she told him.

"Leave it to Tony Stark. When things start to go wrong in his life, he just goes back to the bottle." Rhodes said, now disgusted with Tony as he watched him pour another glass. "Come on Pepper. We're out of here." Rhodes told her. They left and now he was alone to his scotch. He picked up the bottle, glass still in hand, and took it over to the coffee table where he put it down. He sat back down and finished the glass before pouring another. Alex stayed where she was at for a moment, not sure what to do. Part of her said to get back in the workshop and just stay there, the other part said to go to him. Though she had this feeling that he didn't want anyone around. She then began to feel it was her fault. She began thinking if she hadn't wanted a suit, she would have never been out there that night, and Tony would have never gotten into that fight with Titanium Man, causing Tony even more pain. She finally made up her mind and slowly went up the stairs and stopped, looking at Tony who was looking really rough. 'I guess he didn't sleep good.' she thought to herself. Tony was sipping his scotch when he saw her.

"You want to yell at me too?" he asked her.

"No." she told him. This was the first time she saw him drinking. And by what she heard Pepper say, she took it he had a problem in that area. "Should you be drinking while on pain killers?" she asked him.

"Screw the pain killers. They're not doing shit for me." he told her as he finished his third glass.

"Is Dr. White coming by to look you over?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"I didn't call her. She's just going to tell me the same damn thing, rest, rest, rest." he told her as he poured another glass. Alex really didn't like what she was seeing. Yesterday went so well, and now this happens.

"But what if something more serious is wrong now? You have to get looked over." she tried telling him. Tony looked at her, anger in his eyes.

"I'm really getting sick of people telling me what to do!" he yelled to her.

"Fine." she said, feeling like she was about to cry. She held it back though. "I'm sorry for caring. I'm sorry I wanted to help and what I put you through last night. And I'm sorry we ever met!" she yelled as she ran for the front door, feeling that she couldn't hold it back anymore. She left, slamming the door behind her. Tony finished his drink before throwing the glass to the wall out of anger. It broke and pieces lay on the floor, where it would sit for some time. He then heard a car drive away. Tony was now truly alone.