Sometime later, he finally regained control of himself. He knew what he had to do now. His father had passed him the torch. It was his duty to get revenge on the Starks. Howard and Maria Stark were already dead, so he would have to settle for their child — that thing. It had admitted as much in the press conference. There was only one fitting end for the merchant of war: He would kill it with a weapon powered by the very arc reactor their fathers had completed together. He had the blueprint, but he only had enough materials in his hovel to begin crafting the reactor itself. It would take time to gather the necessary components, and it would have to be small — much smaller than the one his father and Stark had designed. But Ivan knew he could manage.

He began.


Invincible
By: Eva Grimm
Chapter Seven: Falling, Standing, Flying

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."

Nietzsche


Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Iron Man, Tony Stark, or any other Marvel intellectual property. Invincible is a fan-based work and not sold for profit.

***SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for any Marvel movie and comic book — they're going to happen. You've been warned.


Friday, May 28th, 2004 07:30a, PST | 10880 Malibu Point, 90265

"Good morning, Dr. Banner. The time is 07:30a — your requested wake up time," Jarvis' voice intoned as the room's overhead lights came to life.

Megan groaned as the light struck her eye lids, grimacing at the indignity of being awoken so soon after falling asleep. "Bruuuuuce... Why do you always insist on getting up at this god-forsaken hour of the morning?" she grumbled, snatching his abandoned pillow and covering her eyes with it.

Bruce chuckled — entirely too cheerfully for the time of day, in her opinion — while pulling on some clothes. "This is much later than most people wake up for work, Meg. You should try it sometime, though I recommend getting to bed earlier."

"Waking up early for work? Psssh. The perks of setting one's schedule, Brucey," Megan retorted. She switched to a cutesy, hopeful voice, and asked, "I don't suppose I could talk you into climbing back in bed with me?"

"Oh, I know better than to listen to that voice," Bruce replied, his voice full of humor. Fully clothed, he circled around the duo's bed to Megan's side of the bed, knelt down near her half pillow covered face, and gave her a quick kiss. "You'll get me in trouble with Pepper."

"Mmm..." she purred as she tasted his lips, a wicked grin growing as they parted. "Bringing up other women after you kiss me, hm? That's a winning strategy. C'mon, forget her and cuddle with me! That'll teach her to stop running this business like it's a business. Ha! As if that's how it works."

"I'm truly lucky to have you around to keep me from falling into her clutches," he playfully retorted while smiling. I still can't believe how lucky I am... Six months ago, I was a fugitive who'd been on the run for five years. Now, the military's off my back, I'm living with a brilliant (both in smarts and looks) woman, and I have a job where I get to put my education to use without government goons breathing down my neck. Bruce's other half had not shown itself since the events at Times Square, but he knew it was still there. He laughed, smiled, and had fun like any normal person would, but underneath it all, a burning rage remained. It had been there, never abating since that first night Megan was in the hospital; his neon green eyes were proof. He had, of course, kept Megan informed about the matter, and they had both agreed to keep that detail a secret from S.H.I.E.L.D. — particularly Nick Fury. The duo knew he could control his darker half, but S.H.I.E.L.D. likely would not be as trusting.

Megan tossed the pillow aside with a sigh, resigning herself to the fact that she was officially wide awake. "Spoil sport. One of these days, I'm just going to tackle you to the ground and drag you back into bed by force, you know!" She gave him a once over and pouted when her eyes locked onto his relatively neat hair. "You didn't even have to brush your hair, did you? Stupid boys and their stupid hair..."

Bruce laughed and gave her another kiss before standing up again. "I'll be in the lab, whenever you want to join me, my p earl."

Megan watched him depart from the room, her cheeks dusted pink from him using his pet name for her. She didn't remember when he started using it, but she had refused to ask him to stop, since she found it quite endearing. She released one last sigh in protest against the injustice of being awoken so early in the morning then dragged herself out of bed to begin clothing herself. "Jarvis, what's the boss lady want me to do today?"

"Your agenda is the same as usual, Miss Stark: 'Work on whatever that brain of yours concocts,'" Jarvis replied. Megan smirked at Peppers quoted words. Like her pet name, it was another interesting quirk that she left alone for the sheer humor of it. "There is, however, one extra item on the agenda for this evening," her AI continued. "The Tech Demonstration is tonight at 7p, and Miss Potts will 'have your hide' if you aren't on time."

"Ugh. I forgot that was today," Megan mumbled as she finished donning her typical gear monkey attire. "Pick out something nice, Jarvis. First time in the public eye for months and what not."

"Of course, ma'am," Jarvis intoned.

Megan snatched a brush and began tackling the messy nest sleep had made of her hair. It had become more unruly over the months, but she hadn't cut it. If she was honest with herself, she knew that she favored her pixie cut and didn't want longer hair, but she didn't want to take the chance of falling into the public eye by getting a simple haircut. I guess I should get one before tonight though, Megan admitted to herself. Hell, if I go this early in the day, there won't be as many people about. Wait, am I actually acknowledging a benefit to being up early? Ugh... A traitor to my own cause. "Jarvis, get me a hair appointment ASAP with someone who won't mangle my hair," she commanded as she began changing into attire more suited for going out into the public. "Subtly remind them that I'm not a fan of the paparazzi, and that I have the power to make their life hell if they tip anyone off about my coming. Tell them there will be a generous tip if they cancel the appointments before and after mine. Drive the Audi out front, and tell Bruce I'll be out for a bit."

"Right away, ma'am."


Friday, May 28th, 2004 08:26a, PST | Location of Megan's Hair Appointment

"The location is on your right, ma'am," Jarvis intoned as Megan began to decelerate. She pulled her new, fully armor-plated Audi into a nearby empty parking spot (Another small blessing, she begrudgingly chalked up to the early hour of the day.) and climbed out. Summer was almost in full swing on the Californian coast, but Megan had to carefully select her attire in order to not stand out: A simple red polo shirt, thick enough (and buttoned high enough) to hide her arc reactor; a pair of loosely-fitting khaki pants that hid her prosthetic leg; red and white sneakers; and her traditional Oakleys, which she kept in place over her eyes to help obscure her identity. Her hair, which was currently much longer than it had been at the press conference, also helped. She was a bit warm with so much coverage, but it was necessary; a cyborg woman walking down the street would attract a great deal of unwanted attention. She had to admit that her Audi wasn't exactly innocuous, but she didn't have a less flashy car, and the unseen armor plating did make her feel a certain degree of safety. What truly gave her a sense of security, however, was the red and black suitcase in the trunk of her car.

It had taken time and a bit of figurative elbow grease, but Megan had upgraded her suit to withstand an assault from any enemy of the Abomination's caliber or higher, though it wouldn't be able to handle persistent assaults. She hadn't stopped there, however. The impracticality of returning to her lab any time she needed to don the suit was obvious, so she had developed another new version of the suit, focusing on portability: The Mark IV. Concessions had to be made in order to make a suit compact and light enough for easy transport, including weaponry and shock absorption, but that was why it was an emergency suit rather than the default one. The suitcase could easily be stored in any vehicle, but her Audi took it to the next level with the launcher she had built into the trunk. If she were ever attacked in public, Jarvis could drive the car to her and launch the suit with enough accuracy for it to land directly at her feet. Even Bruce had admitted the system was a good, albeit paranoid, idea.

Megan quickly but calmly strode into the hair dresser's shop, the tingle of the bell above the door heralding her entry. She surreptitiously scanned the room to see if the proprietor had ignored her AI's warnings, and was relieved to find the store devoid of clients. Bonus! The "generous tip" must have been enough incentive. "Mr. Jackman?" Megan called out. "Your eight thirty is here." The proprietor peeked his head out from behind a curtained off area in the back of the small establishment, his eyes peering closely at her. His hair boggled Megan: It was dark blue and swept back into dual points. If this guy does something wonky to my hair, I swear I'll build Jarvis a body then skin him.

"Ah, yes. Right," the strange man finally acknowledged before withdrawing himself from his impromptu cover. "Sorry, but I really wasn't sure what to expect when your butler called." Megan giggled at his presumption but didn't bother to correct him. "I figured it might be a prank call, but I only had to cancel one appointment to accommodate you, so I decided to take the risk. And please, call me Hugh."

"Well, Hugh," Megan replied as she removed her Oakleys to dispel any further suspicions the man may have had, "Thank you for taking me on such short notice. I forgot all about the company's tech demonstration tonight, and my hair's in dire need of attention."

Hugh grinned as he beckoned her towards his chair. "Yes, that was one of the reasons I decided to take the chance. I had heard that you would be showing yourself in public for the first time in months, so I figured the time would be ripe for you to seek a haircut, if you hadn't been cutting it all that time." He gave her a wink, quickly began prepping her hair to be washed, then set about the task. "What were you looking to have done? Just a trim? Some styling? Maybe a splash of color?"

Megan gave a sigh of contentment as Hugh carefully washed her hair, her ruby lips settling into a smile. This was her favorite part of the age-old ritual. "I was hoping you'd give me my traditional pixie cut, and now that you mention it, some color would be nice... Maybe some red highlights?" she mused.

"Ooh! Honey, you are gonna dazzle them. Let's get started."


Friday, May 28th, 2004 10:12a, PST | Los Angeles International Airport

"Welcome to America, Mr. Turgenov," the customs agent said as he stamped Ivan's passport. "Boris Turgenov" gave the man a curt nod of acknowledgment before walking through the gate, officially in Los Angeles. His arc reactor powered whips had already been shipped ahead of him, in separate but quick and easy to assemble pieces, under the guise of parts for a visiting professor's experiment at a nearby university. He knew he was playing this close to the chest, but he had no other choice. He had already called in every favor he could to obtain the parts for his whips, to ship them to the U.S. without suspicion, and to arrange his falsified documentation. He hadn't had enough money left, or goodwill of associates to expend, to arrive any sooner than the day of the tech demonstration.

"—ious for tonight's Stark Industries tech demonstration, Bob. This will be Megan Stark's first public appearance since her press conference sixth months ago and making Virginia 'Pepper' Potts the CEO of Stark Industries five months ago. Speculation has been running rampant about what the infamous Megan is planning to demonstrate tonight, and the main question on everyone's minds is whether whatever it is will be enough to stymie the company's hemorrhaging stock index."

Ivan ignored the TV broadcast and continued exiting the terminal. He had no time to waste, and he already knew Megan Stark's fate.


Friday, May 28th, 2004 12:36p, PST | 10880 Malibu Point, 90265

Bruce was in the middle of carefully examining the 3D blueprint of the future Stark Tower for the tenth time that day, searching for any mistakes that he and Megan may have missed, when the garage door opened. Moments later, Megan's Audi roared into the lab, brakes squealing as it came to halt in its appointed parking place. "Brucey, I'm hooome!" Megan cheerfully called out with a wave as she flipped open the door.

"Welcome home," Bruce responded with a snort. "You're late to work."

"I already told you, big guy. 'The perks of setting one's schedule.' Besides, I was getting my hair ready for the presentation. That totally qualifies as work hours. Read the handbook," Megan quipped back as she began making her way towards the screen he was working at.

Bruce blinked. He wasn't sure how he'd missed the haircut, since her hair was decidedly shorter — and more colorful, for that matter — than it had been that morning. It had been returned to the pixie cut she had when he first met her months ago but with brilliant, bright red highlights interspersed throughout her natural black locks. It complimented her current outfit well, and he had no doubt that the same would hold true with whatever she decided to wear that evening, since most of her suits and blouses involved red in some capacity. He'd never seen her wear them, spare when he saw the news report of her press conference, but he'd come across her wardrobe while exploring the lab. At first, he had been baffled to find them in the lab of all places, but Jarvis had explained: She rarely wore them while working in the lab but almost always ran late to functions she needed to wear them for, so she kept them on hand in order to change as quickly as possible once she remembered that she needed to.

"So, what do you think?" Megan inquired once she reached him.

"Oh, err," Bruce stammered while searching for an appropriate reply. "I think your hair is really lovely, of course!"

Megan giggled. "I was referring to my blueprint. You know, the one you're looking at?" She winked. "But thank you for the compliment." When his cheeks flushed, Megan mentally cheered. Adorable! Operation "Embarrass Bruce": Success.

Bruce returned his attention to the 3D display. "Right. Of course," he sheepishly replied. "I've gone over it several times, and I can't find any flaws, as usual. It's got my seal of approval."

"Well of course there are no flaws," Megan quipped with a grin. "Stark Tower is our baby, after all!" A second later, Megan's choice of words caught up with her, and she quickly turned away from him.

Bruce opened his mouth to respond but paused, straining his ears. Did she just start crying? His suspicions were confirmed when a moment later, she did a poor job of muffling a sob. But... why is she crying? All she said was... Oh. Oh shit. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug against his chest, whispering, "Hey now, don't cry. Science will figure that out someday." He continued whispering comforting words, but internally, he was also panicking, albeit for a different reason. Does this mean she wants to have a baby with me? Hell, if she's making plans that far in advance, does that mean she's thinking about getting married? Am I even ready for either of those things? I am so out of my league here...

"Ugh, I'm so stupid," Megan said, interrupting Bruce's internal hysteria. "Why am I even crying about this? It's not like I haven't known my whole life... I was content with adopting someday. Hell, I was adopted. It shouldn't be bothering me!"

She's right, this shouldn't be bothering real-Me, rational-Megan pronounced, but regardless of whether it should or shouldn't, what matters is that it is. Hook me up here, emotional-Me. Give me something to work with.

I don't know! emotional-Megan mournfully replied. I mean, real-Me hasn't thought about it in a while...

Ooh, that's good — that's a good point! Let's backtrack to the last time real-Me thought about it, so we can get a better idea of what's changed between then and now.

The first day of real-Me's capture by the Ten Rings, a third internal voice announced, catching the other two by surprise. Estimated August 30th, 2003, and approximately 05:00p, based upon the sun's position in the sky when she met with the leader outside.

Err... Thanks, rational-Megan awkwardly replied. So... Who are you?

Real-Me's memory, memory-Megan answered shortly and matter-of-factly.

Riiiiight... So, is real-Me going to be making any more internal constructs that we should be aware of? 'Cause it's totally getting cramped in here, rational-Megan replied.

Unknown. This has not yet occurred, the newcomer retorted.

Emotional-Me? Any thoughts on this?

Why can't we give birth to children?! Why do we have to suffer through this?

Wonderful. Well then. Back to the matter at hand: What's happened since the last time real-Me thought about her inability to be pregnant?

August 30th, 2003: Real-me met with leader of Ten—

No, no, no! The last thing we need is a day-by-day replay of the past 9 months, rational-Megan hastily said, cutting off memory-Megan. How about this: I'm going to ramble about some stuff I think might have caused this change in reaction, and you tell me if I'm remembering something incorrectly, okay?

Okay.

Good. So! Since then, real-Me has announced to the world that she's a transwoman, built several variations of the suit, killed Obadiah, saved Pepper, technically joined S.H.I.E.L.D., met Bruce, lost the bottom half of her left leg, fallen in love with Bruce, become an even bigger recluse, slept nightly with Bruce, made Pepper the CEO of Stark Industries, had copious amounts of sex with Bruce... Err, you know what? I'm seeing a trend here. It's both totally logical and plausible for real-Me to be hung up on the inability to have children after falling in love with someone for the first time ever. Okay, real-Me: Back to you!

"Meg? Meg? Are you still in there?"

Megan blinked, the glaze over her eyes disappearing, although it was nigh impossible to tell given they were still filled with tears. "Huh? What?"

"Oh thank heavens," Bruce said with a sigh of relief. "You were totally unresponsive for a couple of minutes there!"

"I... Err... I was having a conver— you know what? Never mind." She took stock of her surroundings and found that they were no longer in the lab, but rather the living room. She was laid out on one of the couches, and Bruce was kneeling on the ground beside her. He must have carried her upstairs. "Sorry about that," she sheepishly replied while attempting to coax her lips into a smile, which ultimately resembled a grimace more than the desired effect. "I think I know why I'm so bothered about this, despite previously being okay."

"Oh," Bruce replied, nonplussed. "Well that's a good thing, at least. May I ask what you've discovered?"

"I, ah... Hm," Megan began to reply before thinking through what she was about to say. "Well, this is going to be really awkward."

Delightful, Bruce internally moaned. Let me guess: "It's because you've never loved anyone before, am I right?" Her cheeks once more flushed a brilliant red that matched her new highlights. The combination of her tear-covered face and scarlet cheeks made Bruce's heart lurch. Try being a little less blunt next time, Banner.

"Y-yes. That's right," Megan finally muttered. Well, at least I'm able to admit it.

Bruce averted his gaze for a minute. She had nearly convinced herself to ask him what he was thinking about when he said it of his own accord. "So you being in love with me has changed how you feel about your situation. A natural conclusion is this occurred because you want to have a child with me. Do you want that?"

"I... Well, yes."

"And why is that?"

Megan blinked. "Well, I suppose it's because I think we could be good parents and because I'd like to have a child someday."

"Are you sure you could handle having a kid at this point, given the relative chaos we went through a couple of months ago and our standing commitment to answer S.H.I.E.L.D.'s call when they need us?"

"It's not like I was thinking about having a baby right now! Of course we wouldn't be ready now!"

"And what about what I think?"

"I was naturally going to ask you! I literally just came to this realization on a conscious level, Bruce!"

Bruce paused, wrestling with his emotions. "Meg, I... I need to be frank with you." No, no, no, no, no, Banner! What the hell are you about to say?

"Bruce?" Megan asked wide-eyed, pushing herself upright. Oh please no.

He brought his gaze back to face her. "I love you, Megan." Oh good, I thought I was about to say something completely moronic, like: "But I'm not sure if I could consider being with you long-term until I speak with Betty again." Yeah. That. Damnit.

Megan said nothing, simply closing her eyes.

"Meg?"

"Take a car and go."

"W-what? I didn't mean th—"

"No, but I do. Take the emergency credit card I gave you, get in my Saleen, and go. Don't call me until you've sorted this out." When Bruce didn't move after several moments, she screamed at him, her eyes flying open, full of fury and hurt. "I SAID LEAVE!"

Bruce could only stare. She had wrenched her eyes shut once more, but it had done nothing to still the torrent of tears that had begun to spill anew, and she was now trembling. He knew that type of trembling. He had done it himself more times than he could count, back when he was first learning to control his anger. He silently stood and headed upstairs. Once he had packed some clothes in a bag, he made his way down to the basement. On his way, he glanced hopefully at the living room but she was still sitting on the couch, her eyes closed and body trembling violently. Defeated, he trudged down into the basement.

"Cancel my wake-up alarms, Jarvis," Bruce called out once he'd reached the lab. "And please let Pepper know I need some time off."

"Of course, sir," the AI intoned with a tinge of regret.

Bruce retrieved the keys to Megan's Saleen S7, threw his bag into the back, and made his way out of the garage, already dialing the only person he knew the phone number of that could help reach Betty Ross with any expediency: Agent Hill.

When Megan heard the car pulling away, she finally relinquished her tight grip on her emotions. Without consciously thinking the action through, she stood and viciously kicked through the glass table in front of her with her left leg. The prosthetic was fine, but she had just inadvertently dealt herself damage. That was Mom's table, she remembered as she stared down at the shattered pieces of clear glass and rose wood with her tear stained face. Unbidden, memories of the moments she'd shared with her mother at that table bubbled up to the forefront of her mind, inciting a sorrowful cry from her as she collapsed onto the couch once more.

"You know, I know a few techniques that could help you manage that anger very effectively."

"Damnit, Bruce, get out of my head!" Megan screamed at the empty house.

"I'm truly lucky to have you around to keep me from falling into her clutches."

She released a wordless, primal scream.


"Megan, you know your father and I don't want you dating yet," Maria Stark chided her daughter, her voice a whisper, after dragging Megan away from the boy who had approached her in the mall food court while Maria was in the restroom.

"Mooooom, please stop doing this! You know I'm going to date eventually, right?" the sixteen year old complained as they walked away. "I know it could be dangerous for me, but I'm not going to be a nun! I'm already attending college, for heaven's sake!"

Maria said nothing in reply. Instead, she found an exit, called Happy, and left the mall with her unhappy daughter in tow. When they got home, Megan attempted to storm up to her room, but stopped when her mother finally spoke. "Megan, come to the living room with me for a minute. If you're still mad with me afterwards, then you're free to go upstairs and vent."

Megan fumed in response but followed her mother into the living room regardless, knowing that whatever punishment was in store for her would be worse if she didn't. Maria sat them down at the couch next to the glass table her own mother had passed down to her, and began to speak. "About what you said at the mall. I do know you'll date eventually, and you know that I know that. The thing is..." She paused to carefully choose her words, then pressed on. "Love is a double-edged sword. It's dangerous for everyone, not just you. When two people love each other, they can wield that sword together and cut through any opposition. But if you love someone else, offering them the handle of that sword... they may turn it back on you. The longer you hold that blade together, the stronger it will cut — for or against you."

Megan stared. "That's... a rather depressing thought, Mom. Thanks for the warning, I guess?"

Maria fixed her daughter with a serious look. "Megan Alexia Stark, I am serious. If your father came home today and announced that he didn't love me anymore, how do you think I would feel? It would break my heart because we have been through so much together — because together, we honed that blade." She laid a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder before continuing. "I promise you, your sword will be twice as sharp. I hope you will find someone who's willing to bear it with you because together... Together, you will be invincible."


Megan sobbed, cradling her face with her hands. Tears escaped through the gaps between her fingers, falling from her face and landing upon the fragments at her feet. She warned me. Mom warned me about this seven years ago. Bruce... Are you going to come back to me? Or are you going to drive that sword through my heart?


Friday, May 28th, 2004 06:52p, PST | Stark Tech Demonstration

"Oh Meg, honey, I am so sorry to hear that," Pepper said after Megan gave her the abridged explanation of why Bruce was taking time off. Rhodes, who was at the presentation in his official capacity of government liaison to Stark Industries, said nothing, merely drawing her into a comforting hug.

Well, Howard, Maria. I guess this had to happen sooner or later, Rhodes thought as the young woman (Whose age was all the more apparent to Rhodes at that moment) gratefully accepted the hug.

"It's fine. Let's please not talk about it anymore. At least not until I'm done with this stupid presentation," she replied. "I don't even know how I'm keeping it together right now. The less I think about it, the better; I still have to do the presentation." She turned to the face the mirror on the wall of the green room and inspected her attire once more. She had ultimately decided to wear a short ruby red dress that was similar to one her mother had owned (Wasn't that the dress she always wore those pumps with? The ones I wore on my sixth birthday?), hoping that she could channel her mother's strength and get through the demonstration without breaking down. She topped it all off with sheer, black pantyhose for her right leg; matching red pumps (These were, in fact, the same pumps from her sixth birthday. Her mother had found it endlessly amusing that they fit her daughter perfectly once she had grown up and given them to her, citing 'fate'); and ruby stud earrings. Simple and straightforward. Her arc reactor and prosthetic were on full display, but that was intended. They would play into the presentation, and Megan didn't want to bother hiding them anymore, regardless. Naturally, she could not answer questions about why she had them, however, since that would reveal her part in her escape from the Ten Rings and the events of New Years Eve. She and S.H.I.E.L.D. had both agreed that should still be kept under wraps; she could be far more effective if potential threats didn't know that she had possession of her suits.

"Well, I love the hair," Pepper replied, trying to change the subject. "The highlights are a modern, young look."

In spite of her caged up emotions, Megan snorted. "Yeah, I'm feeling a bit young today." Because I still haven't grown up, it seems.

Pepper knew better than to respond to that, so she simply let her be and left to go make the final preparations for the brief introduction she'd be giving as CEO of the company. Rhodes gave her one last hug before waving goodbye and leaving to join the rest of the crowd in the second floor hall.


Ivan glanced at his watch. It's time. He began unbuttoning the top buttons of the blue jumpsuit he was wearing to hide in plain sight amongst the cleaning staff in the break room — and to hide his back mounted whips from sight — and stalked towards the elevator that would take him to the upper levels of the building. Once he reached it, he pressed the button to hail his chariot to blissful revenge.

"'Ey, new guy! Where ya goin'? We've still got three minutes on break, man!"

"Don't worry, buddy," Ivan retorted as the doors to the elevator opened. "I'm just eager to get started."


"And so, it is my pleasure to introduce the woman who will be demonstrating our latest technology tonight: Miss Megan Stark," Pepper finished, gesturing in Megan's direction as said woman walked onto the stage, giving a brief wave and a plastered smile. More than a few of the audience members didn't bother to contain their laughter when Pepper said "woman," but thankfully, they were mostly drowned out by the stereotypical applause and loud "whispers" that spread like wildfire through the crowd as people noticed her prosthetic and arc reactor.

Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries, watched with keen interest as the ex-CEO of his long-time competitor reached the center of the stage. And here I thought Stark Industries would just sputter and die after that idiot decided to stop making weapons, Hammer thought. I swear, if those are weapons, then I'm in deep shit. I was just barely staying afloat before; the last thing I need is for Stark to have some kind of triumphant return to the world of weapon dealers...

"It's been a while since I was in front of you," Megan began. "As you can see, I've been through some changes, but that is not why I am here today. No questions will be answered about why these changes occurred, so please don't ask. What I will talk about, is what these are. Beginning with this." She tapped the arc reactor in her sternum as a close up image of the technology appeared on the screen behind her. "Some of you may recognize this as miniaturized version of my father's arc reactor, which is currently housed at Stark Industries' Los Angeles branch. After this leap forward in technology, we at Stark Industries asked ourselves, 'We went small with the technology: Why not go big?' So we did." A 3D blueprint of the future Stark Tower, the same one Bruce had been analyzing earlier that day, appeared on the screen. "As we speak, Stark Industries is obtaining building permits and preparing to construct this building in the heart of New York City, where it will be powered entirely by an arc reactor. The initial prototype will power the building for a whole year, and that's just the prototype, ladies and gentlemen. This is Stark Industries' answer to the world's energy crisis. This is the bright future of world with clean energy."

Most of the audience began to applaud, even those among it who disliked her. Nobody could deny that Stark Industries had done the unthinkable. If this technology was viable, and Megan's reputation was certainly good in that regard, then the company that had officially backed out of the world of weapon dealers would triumphantly take a step forward into a market the world sorely needed.

"Thank you, thank you," Megan said in reply to the crowd's ecstatic response. I honestly didn't think that would go so well. Just means I can get out of here sooner, I guess. "The blueprint on the screen will be open for examination after the presentation is over. Just remember that everything's already patented, of course," she noted, eliciting some laughter from the crowd. Once the noise had died down, she continued. "As for my prosthetic leg." The blueprint was replaced with several close-up views of the prosthetic, all from different views. "This technology follows all commands I issue it through neural receivers that are implanted in nearby living tissue. Although the brain won't receive sensory input from the limb, it is nevertheless completely responsive to all instruction, and again, this is just a prototype." She paused and gave the crowd a genuine smile, though few among it could tell the difference. "And after this leap forward in technology, we at Stark Industries asked ourselves, 'We have the technology: Why kept it to ourselves?'" An image of a model human appeared on the screen with prosthetic legs and arms. "Stark Industries is proud to announce that it will be offering what no other company ever has: Responsive limbs for those individuals who have lost their own. This is the bright future of a world where limbs can truly be replaced."

Once again, the crowd began to applaud, but it was short-lived. Metal whips crackling with electricity tore through one of the room's multiple pairs of metal doors like they were butter, leaving the fragments to tumble to the floor. The room fell deadly silent.

"Hello, Stark," Ivan announced as he stepped into the room, whips in hand, as the upper half of his jumpsuit burned away under the intensity of the electricity coursing through the harness he had devised for his whips. "Today, you die."


Friday, May 28th, 2004 10:03p, EST | Willowdale, Virginia

Bruce solemnly watched the couple, Betty Ross and Leonard Samson, as they happily made their way home after a night on the town. His dark clothes allowed him to easily keep out of sight, though the baseball cap he was using to partially obscure his face would have kept Betty from recognizing him, even if she had looked directly at him.

"Have you seen enough, Hulk?"

Bruce's eye twitched. "Yes, I have. And honestly, just use my name. She can't hear you call me 'Dr. Banner' or 'Bruce' from here. It's weird for you to call me that while I'm not transformed."

The blonde sharpshooter gave his temporary ward a wicked grin. "Ah, but that's half the fun! The other half is the name itself. Honestly, it still makes me laugh!" As if to prove his point, he quietly chuckled.

"I already explained it to you," the neon green eyed brunette replied with a groan. "It describes my other half and memorializes the location I decided to accept that part of me. I swear, you're worse than a child."

"You have to make your own humor in this line of work, Hulk," Clint quipped as the pair strode in the opposite direction of the couple, who were already very far away. "So tell me. Is that really enough for you to be over her?"

Bruce smiled. "Yes, actually. There's no point yearning for what could have been when we've both already found other people that we're happy with."

"Fair enough," Clint replied evenly.

"And thank you again for bringing me out here. I know you didn't have to."

"Hey, big guy, don't sweat it. Hill knows as well as anyone that you being emotionally stable is a good thing, so asking for a favor that would help you stay that way is a no brainer. Besides, the VTOL we've got flying overhead is close enough to snatch you up in seconds but still far enough up that nobody on the ground can hear it. Willowdale isn't that far from the Atlantic. The immediate safety of anybody nearby isn't exactly in peril."

'Big guy'... Ah, Clint. You're making me even more anxious to get home. "Quite. I'm happy I was able to resolve my feelings about this so quickly. I wouldn't have gone to the tech demonstration regardless — safety hazard and whatnot — but tomorrow is Megan's birthday. I wouldn't want to miss it."

Clint waggled his eyebrows. "I bet." His companion groaned but didn't dignify him with a response.

The pair's earpieces flared to life. "Agent Barton, Dr. Banner. We've got a problem."


Friday, May 28th, 2004 07:07p, PST | Stark Tech Demonstration

The room immediately erupted with sound as its panicked occupants began scrambling over one another to reach the emergency exits. All thoughts of her sadness regarding Bruce and anxiety regarding the presentation evaporated from Megan's mind as she swiftly brought her hand up to her concealed earpiece. "Jarvis! I need you to get the portable suit to me. Can you launch it into the hall, or do I need to get down to the ground floor?"

"I'm on my way, ma'am. The hall has a skylight, and I can modify the launcher's trajectory enough to send the suit through it. ETA thirty seconds."

Hopefully that will be quick enough, she thought as she watched Ivan approach at a leisurely pace, as if he knew she wouldn't run away. Two gunshots cut through the noise of the crowd, and the Russian collapsed to his knees with a cry of pain, blood splurting out of his calves. What the hell? I thought everyone was checked for weapons before they entered? Not that I'm complaining... Megan scanned the crowd for the shooter and found Rhodes standing to Ivan's right a short distance away, his gun aimed at the man's head.

"Drop your weapons! Do it now!" Rhodes warned, his gun never wavering. Ivan glared balefully at him, but he released the handles of his whips, causing the electric current running through them to end as they snaked back up and into the harness on his back.

"Fifteen seconds, ma'am."

"Do not shoot," Ivan called out as he carefully raised his hands above his head in apparent surrender.

"Five seconds, ma'am."

"Now take that thing off. Slowly."

Ivan began to slowly shift his hands, as if to grasp the harness and lift it off, but in one swift movement, he thrust his head forward while simultaneously bringing his right hand thundering down. At the hand's peak, the whip shot out with electricity flaring to life once more. A bullet blazed through where his head had been less than a second before, leaving him unharmed. The whip itself wasn't long enough to reach its target, but the electricity that arched out did. Rhodes was blasted backwards at the same moment the portable suit crashed through the skylight and landed at Megan's feet, the twin hand grips that would initiate the armorizing process already out, waiting to be grabbed.


Friday, May 28th, 2004 10:08p, EST | Willowdale, Virginia

"Wait, he's got what?!" Bruce asked stunned. "Pick us up. Now!"

"Do it," Clint ordered, in case the pilot didn't take Bruce's command seriously. He locked eyes with Bruce, who had already begun a breathing exercise to keep himself collected. "So we're clear, you know we won't make it in time to do anything, right?"

His companion's neon green eyes narrowed darkly. "I can't say that I care."

Clint's eyes never left Bruce's as the VTOL that had been shadowing them from above swooped down in a flurry of noise and gusts. "Well, I'll be damned if I'm going to stand between you and her when I don't have orders to do so. Let's fly."


Friday, May 28th, 2004 07:08p, PST | Stark Tech Demonstration

Megan didn't hesitate for a second. In one swift movement, she snatched the hand grips, lifted the armor so it was directly in front of her, and thrust her arms to their respective sides, snapping the armor against her chest. While Ivan was still focused on Rhodey, the suit began to assemble itself around her, beginning with her arms and upper torso, then snaking its way down her legs. I am so glad I wore a dress with a high hemline.

"Oh my god, look at Stark!" one of the people who had yet to escape the room shouted in amazement before realizing their blunder.

Shit! Megan internally cried as Ivan whipped his head around in a heartbeat, saw the nearly assembled armor, and promptly began to stumble on his wounded legs towards her, unable to hit her from so far away. Another gunshot resounded through the room when Rhodes, who was miraculously still conscious, released a shaky shot at Ivan. The Russian roared in agony as the bullet intended for his head missed and shot through his right shoulder instead, leaving the arm limp. Rhodes tried to steady his arms enough for another shot, but Ivan had gotten close enough to Megan that he might hit her if he shot now. He suspected it wouldn't phase her while she was in the suit, but he wasn't willing to take that chance. His gun arm collapsed to the floor together with his torso as he redirected his remaining energy to controlling his breathing enough to get oxygen without further agitating his wounded chest.

Finally close enough to strike, Ivan made a vicious downward swing with his left whip, but Megan blocked with her right forearm just before the whip could connect with her still unarmored head. As her faceplate snapped into place, the suit's red eye slits coming to life, she raised her left hand and hastily fired her repulsor at his chest. Megan watched with wide eyes, however, as he quickly turned his body enough to bring his right side to the front and her blast was neutralized by the electricity in the wires running the length of his right arm.

What the hell is he using to power this thing? Megan wondered as her eyes narrowed on the protrusion from the front of his harness, but she couldn't tell what it was while he had it turned away. She glanced at her HUD and assessed the damage to her forearm. While the electricity would eventually cut through the portable suit's weakened armor if she allowed the strand to stay wound around the exoskeleton, she wasn't in immediate danger of losing another limb. Right then. There's an easy way to get up close and personal with that power source. She stepped forward and to the right, purposefully grabbing the whip with her left hand. Twisting around over and over, she swiftly approached Ivan, coiling the whip around herself like it was a simple piece of rope. Once Ivan saw what she was doing, he released his grip on the whip's handle, which killed the electricity in it and initiated the winding mechanism in his harness. As the harness effectively reeled Megan in like a fish, he grasped his right the hand grip with his left hand, causing the other whip to spring out once more.

Not today! Megan shoved off the ground with her left foot, twisting her body up and into the air, and allowed her boot repulsors to blast her forward. The added momentum worked, and she blazed by Ivan before he could snap the other whip down at her. She killed the repulsors and, as her feet struck the ground once more, she swung her attacker back first into the wall of the room with a sickening crunch. It's over! she internally cheered as his battered body slid to the floor together with the shattered remnants of the back mounted harness. The electricity in the whips finally cut off altogether, and she unwound herself and approached her fallen foe.

"He's still breathing, but he's unconscious, ma'am," Jarvis alerted her as she reached him.

Megan glanced over at her heavily injured and harshly breathing friend. "That's not good enough." She knelt down to seize Ivan's head and snap his neck, but before she laid hands on him, she heard the sound of clapping. What the... She turned to locate the source of the noise and found that, despite the danger, several people had remained and watched the fight. One of them was holding a shoulder-mounted camera with a TV's logo emblazoned on it. She froze. She had forgotten that the tech demonstration was being broadcasted live. Had they just televised her donning the armor? And more importantly... I nearly killed a man on live TV. Holy shit, that's disaster narrowly averted. She turned back to Ivan and continued her previous movement but instead moved to check his pulse. There. That way what I did before won't look as suspicious. Before she stood, she inspected the power source on his chest and was less than pleased at what she found. An arc reactor? But... But how? Okay, Megan — prioritize here. You need to get Rhodey to an ER! She yanked the reactor from its socket in Ivan's harness, crushed and discarded it, then promptly dashed to her friend, scooped him up, and flew out of the hall through the skylight's recently acquired hole.

As she flew away, she idly mumbled, "At least it still had a palladium core."


Friday, May 28th, 2004 09:16, PST | UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles

Unable to help himself, Bruce dashed through the door leading from the hospital's helipad and down the stairs to the fourth floor, where the S.H.I.E.L.D. comm had said Rhodey was moved after preliminary treatment in the ER. That's where Meg will be. What he hadn't expected, however, was the huge, nigh impenetrable crowd on said floor.

"Excuse me!" he said as he tried to push his way through the crowd. "I need to get through!"

"You can wait in line to see Stark like the rest of us, buddy!" the lady next to him growled before pushing him back. Bruce nearly mirrored her actions but caught himself and took a deep, calming breath before engaging some of his anger management techniques. They wouldn't quell the anger in him (Nothing stopped the anger festering in him anymore.), but they would help keep it at bay. Now is not the time, Hulk. I'm just as pissed off as you, but transforming now will only make this situation worse, and you know it.

"Well, you seem to have hit a wall there, Doc. Literally," Clint commented when he caught up to Bruce with his much more sedate pace. "Want some help parting the red sea?"

Bruce glanced at the sharpshooter. "That would be appreciated, yes."

"Ooh, you even got all formal about it. Well, I suppose I will too." Clint withdrew a badge that identified him as law enforcement. "Special forces here! Please make a path! Yes, you sir, with the mullet. I applaud your callback to the days of yore, but I need you to step aside." Slowly but surely, the crowd parted enough for Clint, his increasing ridiculous comments, and the now bemused Bruce to pass.

Once they eventually reached their destination and showed the hospital security Clint's credentials (Special forces indeed, Bruce thought.), they entered Rhodes' room where they found Megan silently watching over her unconscious friend, her battered suit stored in its suitcase form and laying on the ground next to her.

"What are you doing here?" she icily inquired upon noticing the duo at the door.

"Woooah. And that's my cue to leave. Good luck, champ," Clint replied before exiting the room as quickly as he'd entered it.

"Sorry if I'm bothering you," Bruce softly answered once the sharpshooter had left. "I can leave."

She sighed. "I just... It's been a hell of a day, Bruce, and I don't think I can handle talking to you when you haven't sorted out... that business."

"Err... I have, actually," he replied. When she gave him a look of utter disbelief, he hastily added, "Really! I have, I swear!"

In spite of herself, she snorted. "You swear?" The pair blissfully descended into laughter for a minute at the revival of their old in-joke, but before long, the somber atmosphere descended upon the room once more.

"So you've already sorted it out, hm? And how is that, pray tell?"

"Well, to be honest, I called S.H.I.E.L.D. Hill, specifically, since she was the only agent whose number I had. I knew I'd have to see Betty in order to sort out how I felt, but Virginia is a really long drive from California. Also, I figured S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't exactly be pleased with you sending me out without an escort." Megan paled realizing that, in her anger, she had completely forgotten about that. "Don't worry! I told them you insisted on it. Anyway, Hill decided that keeping me emotionally stable was high enough priority to send out a VTOL and escort right away."

She nodded slowly. "Okay, but you caught up to Betty and talked through everything with her that quickly? That's... impressive, if true." She fixed him with a look. "It's also highly implausible."

"You're right," Bruce replied. "That's not what happened. It only took us a little bit to find her when we got there ("Honestly, it was more than a little scary how quickly the agents found her location."), and when we did, I... Well, I sort of just watched her."

Megan was less than impressed. "You 'sort of just watched her,'" she parroted back incredulously.

"Yes, but let me explain!" he quickly said before her mood could deteriorate further. "You see, she was with somebody else, and I just had to be sure that she was with him. But I was right: He was her new boyfriend, and she was happy with him."

"Please tell me there's more to your explanation than that because at the moment, it sounds like the only person who's really sorted out their feelings is her."

He chuckled weakly. "I promise, Meg. That's all I needed to see. I'm not going to worry about 'what ifs' when she and I are already both with people that make us happy. You can ask Hawkeye — I told him the same thing when he didn't believe me either." After she continued to stare at him in disbelief for several more minutes, he began to panic. Is there some better way I can assure her I'm telling the truth? Or is she bothered that I was able to get over somebody so easily? Or maybe s—

"So you weren't lying before?" Megan finally asked, her eyes beginning to shimmer. "You... You really love me?"

Bruce blinked, caught off guard. "Of course? Wait, so you thought I was lying?"

She flushed brilliantly, matching the shade of her highlights. "Of course I thought you were lying! You immediately followed that statement up with 'but I'm not sure if I could consider being with you long-term until I speak with Betty again!' What the fuck was I supposed to think?!"

I totally didn't think of that. He palmed his face while muttering, "I am such an idiot."

"Yes," she stated matter-of-factly. "Yes, you are. That has to be the worst confession of love anyone has ever given, Bruce." She began to snicker. "Ever!" Unable to stop herself, she burst into a fit of giggles. His own face began to develop a flush, eventually matching the hue of hers, which had yet to die down.

"Yes, well, even if it was the worst confession of love ever, it was still an honest one," Bruce eventually replied. "I just didn't want to consider marriage or children until I was assured that I had only you on my mind. It wouldn't have been fair to you, otherwise."

Megan blinked. "Wait, I think I've missed something. When did marriage become a point of contention?"

Oh good lord. You are really failing at this tonight, Banner. "Well the thought, err, came to mind when you first began crying after the whole 'Stark Tower is...' Look, I'm not going to say it again, but you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, it just occurred to me that since you were upset about that, you might also be thinking about other long-term plans."

"So what you're telling me," she summarized, "is the entire argument was one huge misunderstanding on your end about what I was upset about."

"Hey!" he replied indignantly. "It wasn't all a huge misunderstanding! I got the part about having a baby with me right!"

"Well, yes and no. I was upset about being infertile, yes, but you only figured into the issue because it had hit me on a subconscious level that I could never have a child with you, if we decided to have one together. On a conscious level, I was not planning out us having a child or us getting married, Bruce."

Bruce could only stare. "I, err... I'm sorry then?"

Megan gave him a brilliant smile. "Accepted. And now that we've both admitted that we love each other, regardless of how shittily we did so, your pearl demands a kiss!"

He gave an internal sigh of relief as his lips quirked up at her obvious acceptance of his pet name for her. "You don't have to tell me twice." He happily closed the distance between them, but before they could kiss:

"You two need to get a room. And I don't mean this one. It's occupied," Rhodey suddenly chimed in, scaring the duo, who had been unaware that he had regained consciousness.

"Holy shit, Rhodey!" she cried out while clutching at her arc reactor. "I swear you nearly made my heart stop! Give a girl some warning next time, yeah?" She took a deep, calming breath, then asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Good enough, all things considered," he retorted. "And since I know you won't ask the other question you're dying to ask, I'll just answer it for you: The. Whole. Thing."

The pair of superheroes could only stare. "R-right," she eventually stammered out. "In that case, we'll just, uh, go let the doctor know you're up."

"Mhm, whatever you say, Meg. But before you go, two things. One: I don't want to hear about you two jumpin' one another's bones in the middle of the hospital. Get a room. Seriously. Two: I am so fucking sold on that suit. You've gotta hook me up."

Megan gave him a wicked grin. "Woah now, Rhodey! You just got admitted to the hospital after being hit by a whip. I was kidnapped and had a hole blown in my chest, but I still escaped and didn't go to a hospital. I'm not sure your poor, fragile body couldn't handle the stress. You've gotta walk before you can fly, buddy!"

"Oh, I know you did not just pull that on me, Meg! Where's my love at?"

She grabbed her portable suit with one hand and Bruce with the other and fled for the door. "Buh-bye, Rhodey! I'll tell the doctors to check you for whiplash!"


Friday, May 28th, 2004 08:01, PST | Justin Hammer's Residence

"No, I don't care what it takes," Hammer shouted into his phone. "Did you see him? I need him. Make it happen." With a firm click, Hammer hung up on his aid, his orders given. He swiveled in his desk chair to stare out the window up at the stars. Things are finally going my way. Stark reveals she's been working on weapons after all, but there's already somebody who can go toe to toe with that new weapon? He's the inventive talent I need. With him on my side, Hammer Industries will be unstoppable! I'll have government defense contracts coming out the wazoo! This time, you'll lose Stark. You think you can just sneak your way back into the world of weapons? Just wait until Senator Stern catches wind of this. Hammer grinned maniacally. Yes. Things are finally going my way. I'll be a greater merchant of death than Stark ever was.