Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Iron Man: Armored Adventures isn't mine. Not even Tony (or Gene! D:), belong to me. The rights ultimately belong to Marvel, so there. :D Don't try to sue me, got that? I'm not making even a single cent off this story.

A/N: Thanks so much to XxThe Penny TreasurexX, Rai Lockhart, GuitarsRLyLife95, (), BlueEyes444, LizKuchiki, mermaidangel123, and Soap Lady for reviewing. You guys are the greatest! :D


Chapter Eight: Clash

Pepper, War Machine, and the Mandarin landed in downtown New York. Rhodey and Gene had flown, while the former had carried Pepper. The three stood just down the street from Koontz Bank and Trust, where blue flashes of light were visible on the sidewalk outside the building, and tried to prepare themselves for what was to come.

"Gene, are you sure you're okay?" Pepper asked nervously. She adjusted her black visor, trying to delay the inevitable. "You were hurt pretty badly…"

"Don't try to stall this, Potts," he rasped back at her, usual tones masked by the voice distorter inside his helmet. "Your attempts are so pathetic. And I'm fine."

"There's Tony," Rhodey said suddenly, sounding horrified. He pointed towards a figure just outside the bank. Iron Man, wearing a suit of armor in red and silver, fired upon the police officers and people running and screaming down the sidewalk with absolutely no mercy. His movements were cold and calculated.

"I…I don't think I can do this," Pepper whispered suddenly, unbidden tears blurring her vision. "This is Tony we're talking about! I can't fight him!"

Rhodey turned to his redheaded friend, trying to stay strong for the sakes of both her and Tony. "Pepper, that's not Tony anymore. That's the Controller, for all intents and purposes. And unless we stop Tony's body right here and now, lots of people are going to die," he said firmly.

Pepper struggled for a few seconds, visibly trying to gain some control over her emotions, then nodded jerkily. "Okay. I'm…I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Her voice cracked.

"Did I just hear my name?"

All three of them spun around in surprise, and found Whitney standing just behind them. She was dressed in her Madame Masque costume, obviously ready for the coming battle.

"Whitney?" Rhodey said incredulously. "You're still Madame Masque? I thought…"

"Didn't you stop using the costume sometime last year?" Pepper demanded suspiciously, glad for the chance to briefly take her mind off what she was about to do. "That's what I heard."

Whitney just shook her head. "I couldn't just stop being Madame Masque, not with all the good I'm capable of doing with this technology. But let's not talk about that right now, okay? I'm here to help you guys save Tony."

Secretly wondering how many more secret alter egos she and Rhodey would discover that night, Pepper frowned at Whitney. Two so far, if Whitney's revelation about clandestinely being Madame Masque counted. "I'm not so sure you–" she began.

"None of you saw how Tony felt, on the inside," Whitney interrupted heatedly. She ignored the sound of an explosion from the direction of the bank; Tony had just ruthlessly blown up a police car with a single blast from his repulsors. "I did. And I'm going to do everything I can to help him get free of the Controller."

Rhodey nodded. "She's right, Pepper. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"I hate to be a bother," Gene interrupted dryly, "but Stark is headed this way."

"What?" Pepper yelped, spinning back around towards the bank.

Sure enough, Iron Man had apparently noticed their presence. He was flying towards them at an incredible speed, both gloved fists extended in front of them as he swiftly approached.

"Here we go," Gene muttered, tensing and clenching both hands into fists.

Tony slammed into them. He fired a blast at Whitney, hitting her head-on. She flew away and crashed into the side of a parked car. Then she fell to the pavement and didn't get up again.

"Whitney!" Rhodey cried, distracted as he stared towards where Madame Masque had fallen. Tony used that to his advantage, and threw himself at War Machine. Rhodey managed to defensively throw his arms up just in time, just as Tony slammed into him. Gene and Pepper stared as the pair grappled violently, unable to step in for fear of accidentally hurting the wrong guy.

Rhodey aimed a punch at Tony's helmet, but Tony ducked out of the way and grabbed Rhodey's fist at the same time. He casually twisted it to the left, in a direction that human arms were not made to bend. Rhodey cried out in pain, struggling to get away. But Tony's grip was too strong, and he held on without even trying. "Pathetic, Rhodes," he said scathingly. "You're weak, so weak. Your attempt to carry on the Iron Man mantle is almost sad." He paused for a few moments before continuing with dark humor, "I'm going to really enjoy killing you, Rhodes."

"Tony, don't!" Pepper screamed, unable to stand by and watch anymore. She threw herself towards the pair, ignoring the sound of Gene shouting for her to stop. She tackled the red and silver armor from behind, surprising Tony so much that he lost his grip on Rhodey's arm. Rhodey fell to the ground with loud clanking noise, and didn't get up.

Pepper was determined to stop Tony, no matter what it took out of her. Even if they both died, she would stop the Controller. Right here, right now. She threw her legs around his waist, holding on as tight as she possibly could. Tony gave a bellow of rage, and began bucking like a wild bronco. Pepper gritted her teeth together and continued to hold on tightly, knowing that she would probably die if she let go.

There was only one little problem with her plan: she hadn't counted on the armor's exterior defense systems.

A sudden burst of electricity exploded along the outside of the armor, rippling painfully through Pepper's whole body. She tried her best to hold on, locking her lips tightly together, but her shaking hands betrayed her. They released their grip on the armor without so much as a mental command from her, and she dropped limply to the ground, body aching.

Gene, almost shaking with anger, threw himself at Tony. He fired a blast of energy with all five of his rings, and the brilliant display of light threw Tony backwards through the air. Tony crashed into the side of a parked car, leaving a large dent in the side of it. He stayed down the shortest of moments, then got robotically back to his feet. He seemed none of the worse for wear, except for the faint black mark on the front of his armor.

"You think you can hurt me, Khan? You're sadly mistaken." Tony's mask slid away, revealing his face underneath. Sharply contradicting his harsh and uncaring words, his eyes were full of raw pain. Pepper gasped with horror, struggling to her feet, while Gene couldn't stop his eyes from widening. "I'm more powerful than either of you could ever believe. And once I kill you both, the world will be mine." He abruptly stopped talking and lunged forward.

Gene used one of his rings to form a glimmering shield of protection around himself, and Tony stopped just before crashing into it. His lips curved into a cruel smirk as he stared at the Mandarin, then he unexpectedly lunged in a blur of red to one side. Pepper was caught by surprise when Tony grabbed her and fastened one hand firmly around her neck. He held her back against the armor, fingers tightening so much that it hurt to breathe. She froze, as did Gene.

"Let down your shield and fight me, or Potts dies," Tony said pleasantly. "You get the pleasure of choosing, Khan. Your life, or that of the annoying Ms. Pepper Potts."

Gene stood frozen, staring at them. His face was hidden behind his black helmet, so there was no way of telling what he was feeling at the moment.

"Don't do it, Gene," Pepper choked out, even though it hurt her throat to speak the words.

Tony's hand tightened once again, and she clawed frantically at his glove. It didn't move in the slightest under her feeble attack. "Shut up, Potts," he said calmly. "Let Khan make the decision on his own. Let's see if he's really the great friend you think him to be, shall we?"

Pepper efforts to escape slowed, and her whole body slumped limply. Gray light flickered around the edges of her vision as she fought to stay awake. She couldn't lose consciousness now, not when her life was in the Controller's hands. It was all down to Gene now, and whatever he decided would be her final fate.

"Let her go," Gene said slowly, in his deep Mandarin tones.

"As soon as you come to a decision," Tony insisted lightly. "Who will you be tonight, Khan? The knight in tarnished armor or the evil villain? It's up to you who will live."

Pepper stared right at the eye holes in the Mandarin's helmet, hoping that Gene was paying attention. Swallowing hard, she shook her head. Her meaning was very clear: he needed to let her die if he had to, as long as he stopped Tony once and for all.

Tony's grip tightened again; Pepper could barely breathe. "What's it going to be, Khan? I'm not going to wait forever."

Gene dropped the hand with all his rings on it to his side, and the shield flickered and died.

"Oh, good choice," Tony said gleefully, and tossed Pepper aside like a piece of garbage. She fell to the concrete and gasped in precious oxygen, touching her bruised throat. At the same time, Tony went for Gene, a crazed look painted across his face. He slammed into Gene, and the two rolled over and over through the air. They hit the side of a building, then fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Pepper managed to get to her feet again, swaying weakly. Her throat was burning from lack of air, but she wasn't about to let that stop her. There was no way Gene could defeat Tony on his own, no matter how hard he tried. He had to have help, and she was the only one left to provide it.

Tony slowly rose, his expression one of fury. But before he could step from the crater that had formed under him, a clawed glove reached out and grabbed his ankle. Gene held on with all his strength, which was admittedly fading considerably. He was trying his best to stop Tony from killing anyone else, even though he was steadily growing weaker.

Tony glared down at Gene for a moment, and the gloved hand holding his ankle. Then he brought his other leg around and kicked Gene soundly in the side of the head. His helmet flew off, soaring through the air, and blood spurted from Gene's nose. He fell backwards and didn't move again.

"Gene!" Pepper shouted. She started forward, frantically gazing for any signs of life in Gene's unmoving body.

Before she could get more than three steps, Tony bent and reached for one of Gene's hands. He ripped the metal glove off, the five rings glittering brightly, then tossed it away. A smile of cold victory twisting his mouth, he grabbed Gene's bare hand in both of his and crushed it. The loud cracking sound was like nothing Pepper had ever heard before, and she froze with horror.

Tony grabbed the front of Gene's armor, and heaved him into the air. Gene was gasping in pain, rivers of sweat pouring down his face. His bare hand was mangled and broken, each of his fingers sticking out in unnatural directions. His eyes darted deliriously around, seeming unable to focus on anything. Then they landed on Pepper, and she shuddered with horror as she realized that she was the last thing he would ever see. And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it; she would never be able to stop Tony in time, not when he was so powerful.

"Prepare to die, Khan," Tony growled, then held up a repulsor. "This has been delayed far too long for my liking. But better late than never, I suppose."

"Pepper, look!" Gene weakly pointed at something in the distance, and Pepper whirled around to see what he meant. Her eyes widened as she recognized the Controller, who stood just a ways down the block from where the intense battle was playing out. Even from where she stood, Pepper could see the small smirk on his lips as he controlled Tony.

She heard a loud crash somewhere behind her, but didn't stop to see if Gene was okay. Instead, she slowly drew a small blaster from its leather sheath at her left side, one she only used when she desperately needed to. And this was definitely one of those moments.

Gritting her teeth with determination, she pointed the blaster directly at the Controller. She watched as the man's eyes widened in dawning realization, and the smirk slipped from his face. She knew he was undoubtedly forcing Tony to rush towards her at that very moment, but ignored the temptation to turn towards the coming danger.

A cold smile of triumph coming to her lips, she pulled the trigger. "Say good night," she muttered darkly, as the blast from her weapon hit the Controller head-on. He collapsed to the ground without a sound, a dark plume of smoke rising from his crumpled body.

Pepper lowered the blaster, emotionally exhausted, and it dropped from her unfeeling fingers. It hit the ground with a small clatter, and her shoulders slumped with relief. The Controller was finally dead. This time, for good.

That's when the screams began.

Pepper spun around again. She stared with horror for a few seconds at the sight of Tony writhing in pain on the ground. He was screaming, and brilliant sparks exploded from the armor. A burning smell filled the night.

"Tony!" she screamed, then ran to him. Ignoring the pain she received from coming into contact with the sizzling sparks, she began recklessly tearing the armor from Tony's body. He didn't resist, his struggles slowing and screams trickling off into nothing. When she finished, tossing each piece of the armor into a sizzling pile several feet away, Tony wore nothing but a burned red shirt and jeans. They were smoking, but didn't appear to have caught on fire. Every bit of exposed skin was blackened with smoke and minor burns.

"Tony?" she whispered fearfully, kneeling on the ground beside him. She dragged his upper body onto her lap, and he didn't resist. His eyes were wide open and staring, and he was completely still. His chest didn't rise and fall. "Tony, answer me! Come on, Tony, wake up! You're free!" Tears began to blur her vision, and she tightly hugged the body to her chest. Tony couldn't be dead; he just couldn't be! She'd gone through so much to save him the past two years. It couldn't end like this!

She choked back a sob, and felt the tears in her eyes begin to overflow down her cheeks. She felt dead inside, like she was the one not breathing. Her whole world was agonizingly imploding around her, leaving her with nothing but a cold void of darkness. The world was a much darker place than it had ever been before, even when Tony had been missing.

A hand hesitantly touched her shoulder, and she jumped in shock. Hugging Tony's body possessively to her chest, she slowly turned to face whoever had touched her.

Gene stood beside her, blood dripping down his face and broken hand clutched to his chest. His face was a mask of pain. "Potts, I think it's too late," he choked out, eyes looking a little red. "Stark…it's too late for him." He couldn't bring himself to continue, gravely bowing his head.

"No it's not," she whispered, voice thick with unshed tears. "It's not too late. He's going to be okay." These words were more to reassure herself than anything, because she knew in her heart that Tony Stark was dead. And there was nothing she could do.

Gene was frowning. "Pepper, you've got to listen to me. Tony is dead," he said, slowly and distinctly. "We were too late." He offered her his free hand, obviously intending to help her to her feet and lead her away from the scene.

"No!" she screamed, brutally swatting his hand away. "You're wrong, Gene! You're wrong!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks, fast and furious. "Tony's not dead! He can't be!" She broke off, choking on her tears.

He looked wounded, but didn't try to drag her away against her will. Instead, he turned and walked away to check on Rhodey and Whitney.

Pepper released her tight grip on Tony, though she left him lying across her lap. Wiping at her overflowing eyes, she stared down at his blackened face. It was peaceful now, in death. It was obvious that the Controller's death had freed Tony, but now he wasn't here to enjoy it.

What am I supposed to do now? she thought brokenly, sighing heavily as she tried to force the tears to stop coming. She felt empty inside; there was no longer any meaning in her life. So why should she even keep living?

Tony gasped, blue eyes flying open. He coughed and choked, struggling for a moment as he tried to get his breath back.

Pepper stared with utter shock for a moment, then darted in and hugged Tony tightly. She started crying again, even more than before, but now for joy instead of sadness. Tony was alive!

When he finally stopped coughing, he croaked out in a raspy voice, "Pepper, it's me."

Pepper cried even harder, not sure if she could ever manage to let Tony go again.


Please review, everyone. There's still a very long epilogue to come! :D