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Putting on the Suit

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Everything was neat and tidy in the house. Art displayed in just the right fashion, furniture without a spot, walls void of personal effects as per usual. There were very few rooms that Tony allowed for that sort of thing.

"I don't understand," Rhodes commented as he followed the other man through the house. "Didn't someone break in?"

"No," Tony answered without pausing in step. They were making their way to the garage, that much was evident. There was criticism in his voice, "Because I was stupid enough to let them in, apparently."

"Did they take anything?"

They went down the stairs and the shattered glass still lay across the solid ground. The owner had no qualms stepping through the pass, but Rhodes took his time, careful not to touch the jagged edges.

"The plans, for one," Tony replied, taking a seat at the computers. The machine sounded with the grumbling shifts of being woken and he proceeded to get to work. He couldn't help but feel pleased that his progress before the attack had still remained clean, if not with the desired result. "And anything else they could get out of the computer. They didn't want to wait around for long though."

Rhodey came around at his back, watching with little comprehension. Still, it didn't hurt to look impressed. "Would you?"

Tony refused to answer.

"They threw in this decoy," he continued, but the details were nothing but a haze to the officer. He had always been more of a hands-on man. "…something to get me away from Potts."

He watched as Tony worked. The prodigy had calmed down visibly, but what Rhodes couldn't understand was that when it came down to it, Potts was only the assistant. She had managed like none of the others, but until recently Stark had taken it for granted just like everything else.

"I couldn't figure out why I wasn't able to break through the main security and get to the personality platform, but…"

He paused, as though something was working in that head of his.

"Maybe I've been looking in the wrong place."

Tony got up quickly and there was hardly enough time for Rhodes to get out of the way. He strode to a cabinet, for what the man thought was this epiphany. When it opened it only revealed a liqueur cabinet. He proceeded to pour himself another glass of whiskey.

"…I haven't even considered that the reason I can't find him, is he isn't even there." Tony closed the door and leaned back against the black metal, losing himself in thought as he took an easy sip.

"So," Rhodes started, waiting for him to continue. "What does that mean?"

Tony turned to the suit prototype that hung steadily in place. "It means, that Jarvis could have had a chance to lock himself up in the suit," he replied inattentively, cradling the glass by his lip. "Preserving his program."

He took another sip, heading back to his seat with a new plan in mind, "He wouldn't have access to the base server to do analysis or repairs, but the suit would remain fully functional in the event of the destruction of the home interface. Even without an active power source it is possible he was able to spark it."

Rhodes moved to the suit, admiring the detail work, "Spark it?"

"Create a burst of electricity that would act like a jump start, for a car. Not enough to run it, obviously…"

"Obviously…"

"…but just enough power to close himself off and prevent any damage," there was a pause as Tony took a drink, lips turned downward in fascination as he studied the advancement. "…or further damage."

Rhodes touched the cool metal briefly, pulling away as he took in the theory. "He can do that?"

"Well, I did construct him to be a genius," Tony grinned, eyes focused on the task at hand. "Something has to compensate for my humanity."

Ever full of himself, Rhodes thought as he shook his head. "Have I ever mentioned how eerie your inventions can be?"

"Hey," the man looked up with a hurt expression. "Jarvis is not eerie." And a wag of the finger, "And I expect you to apologize when he can hear you again."

Again, he turned back to his job, "I just need to get the attachments running, make a few hardware adjustments, and I think this just might work."

He was still planning to go through with it. That was why he had brought the 'friend' along to help? For morale? And whatever he was planning with regards to this mess, Rhodes wasn't about to push under the rug after it was all done and over.

"You can't go along with their demands!"

"You don't know their demands," Tony retorted with an even tone that only pushed Rhodes' anger higher.

"I don't have to," Rhodes answered loudly. The man would never listen to the reason of someone experienced. "You think I haven't run into this scenario a hundred times over?"

"Iron Man has to make an appearance tonight," Tony declared with a determined tone, fingers constantly in movement as he worked on the repairs.

"No, he doesn't. Leave it to the government to protect Pepper. And you, we can keep you secure until this all blows over. Find out who the woman is…"

"Secure?" Tony laughed. "What? You going to lock me up in a box?" He shook his head with disapproval, "I can fix this, I just need a little more time."

What Rhodes couldn't understand was the full extent of that sentiment.

"You can't keep doing this, Tony," Rhodes tried, but his opinion went unheeded, yet again. "You don't think about the lives around you. Everything is focused on your next thrill, and that's all this is to you. It's an adrenaline rush to push all the attention spot on Tony Stark. What you can do, what you can achieve."

Tony flinched, but the man was already too caught up in his speech to notice.

He raised his voice in imitation, "Oh, Mr. Tony Stark has done it again…" Point made he turned it back, "Fine, you did good this once, but you said it yourself, you aren't the hero type. I'm sick of sitting on the sidelines waiting for you to screw up."

"So am I." Tony spun the chair around, with a look that was saturated with smugness.

It made Rhodes entirely uncomfortable, "What?"

"Are you done?"

Never, "I think so."

"Good," Tony continued, standing and moving past the confused man. "Now let's go get you into that suit."

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A.N. – Yay! Update! Skipped a day, but what can I say, Barnes and Noble was opening. Although it turned out a bit disappointing over-all. I think I will stick with my Borders.

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