Disclaimer: Not mine. Is this even necessary? It only serves as a reminder of what I wish I did own. *tear*
Author's Note: Thank you so much for your continued interest in this story! I will get to your reviews shortly! Don't think I've forgotten about you all. I am forever thankful. Excuse any mistakes. Enjoy!
"Jarvis, have you detected any new activity on Truezdail's site?" Tony asked as he kept his eyes trained on an aerial view of the lab.
"No sir. Ever since you made contact with Kahn at his facility, the site has not been updated."
Tony knitted his eyebrows and frowned. "No one's accessed their internal servers? The ghost drive?" He tapped his fingers mindlessly on the surface of his desk.
"Neither, sir."
"Damn." He shook his head and reclined in his seat with a sigh.
"What appears to be the problem, sir?" Jarvis inquired.
"We won't have any access to what they are doing, Jar."
"Why is that, sir?"
Tony released another sigh. "They know I can get into their files despite their best efforts to shut me out. So they've decided to go out outside of their system."
"Another server, sir?"
"Maybe." He glanced at an object on his desk as his eyes moved to the screen before him. "Or a flash drive."
"That would make sense, sir. They will be able to store their data without risking their privacy. It will be nearly impossible to locate a single computer where the syncing of the files is taking place."
"Exactly." Tony huffed and bowed his head as he looked at his phone, which lay still and forgotten on a corner of the table. "Damn." He shook his head. "Jarvis, run a scan on the number saved as Maya Hansen, please."
"What information are you looking for, sir?"
"Anything you can get me. Current address, contacts, recent calls."
"Yes, sir."
Everything in that genius brain of his warned him not to contact her. Not only had it been years since they had spoken, but now she could possibly be the scientist Fury had hired to work undercover with Kahn. A dangerous mission he wouldn't want any friend to be a part of, and though nothing had existed between them for a long time, he did care about her safety as much as anyone else's.
But Tony knew it was crucial that he see her. Now more than ever, because there was that slight possibility that she could become his greatest ally.
Deep down, he fought himself on his rationale, telling himself that this was no different than involving Pepper and Rhodey. Yet a sliver of comfort came from knowing that she would be safe with Fury and SHIELD. That they were her protectors like he was Pepper's and Rhodey's. So Tony managed to convince himself of his next task.
"Jarvis run that trace while I'm out, please." Tony typed away on his phone as he stood and walked across the room to exit his workshop. Maya, I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I'm available today. Lunch at Neptunes? 2 o'clock? –Tony He sighed before he smiled and typed again, this time selecting Pepper's number. Hey beautiful. I'll be at Neptunes having lunch with an old friend from MIT so don't wait for me at lunchtime. Love you.
Maya pulled her car into the parking lot of the small roadside dinner that overlooked the ocean. Her tires gripped the asphalt with a certainty that she could not mirror. A mix of emotions circled her and her stomach was tight with a nervousness she cursed at.
"You have arrived to your destination." Her phone's navigation system concluded before she turned it off and waited in the confines and safety of her car.
It took some courage for her to disregard her discomfort before she walked into the dinner. She glanced around the restaurant with hopes of finding Tony already inside. Unfortunately all she saw were bikers sitting in clusters with their men, and two waitresses strewn around assisting them. Fortunately, she would have another few minutes to collect herself for when Tony did make his appearance.
"Hi hun, you can sit anywhere you'd like." One of the waitresses spotted Maya and spoke from where she was taking an order.
"Thank you."
She sat in a corner booth with her coffee in hand as she waited. A gnawing feeling that he might have changed his mind crept into her mind, but she quickly shook it off.
"Home sweet home!" Tony stepped in with arms wide open as he smiled at the people inside.
"Anthony Stark, you were beginning to scare me. I thought maybe you had forgotten about us." The waitress smiled at him. "Come on Susan…never! How could I when you treat me so well." He grinned at her.
"I ought to. I've seen you grow up around here, kid. I've seen you at your worst…and at your best." Tony nodded and looked up to a table of bikers. "That reminds me…Joe, you owe me a bike." He smiled at him and pointed. "I beat you fair and square last time."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The man laughed. "I still want a rematch. My bike was not up to par that night."
"Right." Tony teased. "Maybe I'll only go at three percent power next time, huh." They all laughed when he turned his attention back to Susan the waitress. "Hey listen I'm meeting someone here…" He didn't get to finish before Susan pointed to Maya who sat in the corner sipping her coffee with a smile. "Thanks."
"The usual?" She asked.
"The usual." He spoke over his shoulder as he made his way to where Maya sat.
Tony's steps were as confident as ever, so much so that Maya envied him for it. How could he be so sure of himself, yet she sat feeling like a convoluted mess of emotions? She was sure she knew the answer, but pushed it aside, as far from them as she could. There was no need to complicate the situation any more than it already was. As he moved closer her heart sped up. She wished and hoped that he would not notice. She slowly rose to meet him.
"Still like to make an entrance." She smiled.
"Ms. Maya Hansen." Tony stood with arms outstretched and his head tilted slightly in a pleased motion. He could not deny that he was happy to see her.
"Tony." She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, but her reservation started to pass when he hugged her back. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise, Maya. It's been too long." He motioned for her to sit before he followed and took his place across from her in the booth. He looked up, "How long has it been?"
"Too long." Was Maya's quick answer.
He nodded. An awkward silence gripped them as they sat facing each other with their heads bowed. "Normally I would have no problem starting a conversation." Tony chuckled.
"I know. Same here." Maya took the opportunity to sip her coffee. Another moment of silence. "Lets not make this uncomfortable." She laughed.
"Got it." He grinned and shifted in the booth to make himself more comfortable. "So Maya, what the heck are you doing in Los Angeles? Last I heard you were moving to Georgia."
Maya's smile faded and was replaced with a small frown. "Yeah. I did move to Georgia." She nodded as she recalled her reason for moving there in the first place. A light pang of anger rose inside her from seeing the way he nonchalantly mentioned it to her.
"How was that?" Tony continued.
"It was…humid." She finally smiled.
"I hear humidity does wonders for a woman's hair." He teased.
"Oh yeah!" She feigned excitement. "A girl's best friend."
Tony chuckled when Susan placed his 'usual' order in front of him. "Thank you, Susan."
"Not a problem. How 'bout you hun, ready to order some food?" She turned to Maya.
"Oh…I think I'll just have a tuna salad, please."
Susan nodded. "Coming right up." Tony smiled at Susan as he took a forkful of spaghetti. "Will Pepper be joining us, sweetie?" Susan asked Tony.
He swallowed his food before he shook his head, already wrapping more past on the fork. "Not today, Suse. She's still at the office."
"That's too bad. I made her favorite." She smiled and turned to walk away. "I'll just have to pack you a doggie bag for her." She winked over her shoulder.
"You're the best." Tony replied and turned to look at Maya who looked amused at the exchange. A slow grin surfaced from deep within him.
"Pepper?" She pushed the subject on him. He raised his eyebrows at her curiosity. It was no surprise to her that she felt a tinge of sadness at how his whole being lit up at the sound of that name. She could not recall him ever responding like that for her. A small amount of regret then invaded her as she chastised herself for her reaction, trying to convince herself that their past was truly ancient history, and that he was no longer part of her life. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry. Forget it."
Tony nodded as he continued to eat. He shrugged and set his fork down to look up at the woman across from him. "If you must know, Pepper is…my girlfriend…" he paused and thought about his words and shook his head. "Not my girlfriend. Um, my lady…nope…" Maya chuckled at him as he sighed and gathered his thoughts to formulate the best answer he could. "She's…well she's perfect." He shrugged again. "No one has stuck by me like her. She's been through hell with me, and I would do the same for her."
Maya nodded in understanding. "I think I know what you're trying to convey. She must be a tough one to deal with you." She teased. "Wait, you're not forcing her, right? Is she sane?" She teased some more, but Tony rolled his eyes at her attempt at a joke. She raised her hands in defeat. "I apologize. She sounds like a brave woman." She took some salad into her mouth. "Is Pepper really her name?" She knitted her eyebrows at him.
He shook his head. "My name for her."
"Kinky." She laughed.
"Stop." He shut his eyes and shook his head in complete disgust. Surprisingly.
"You haven't changed." She commented.
"I have actually. More than you know. I think you're the one who hasn't changed." He threw right back. "Kinky?" He chuckled. "Don't go there again, please."
"Can you blame me? I learned from the best, Tony." She spoke the truth. Her material was a culmination of the years they spent at MIT. His quick remarks. The annoying sarcasm. All of the obscene one-liners. She credited all to Tony Stark.
"Do what you must, but never about me and her." He shook his head before he cleared his throat. "Virginia…" he spoke through a mouthful of pasta. Tony looked up at her and saw her confused face. "Her name is Virginia Potts."
Maya's face showed she was impressed. "Very sophisticated name. Not your usual type."
"Things change."
She could not deny that a small part of her was happy for him. Because he had managed to experience that so called change. For the best, it seemed. She hoped that he was happier than she was with her life. "So I've heard."
They continued to eat their respective meals as a silence loomed over them. Not an uncomfortable one. More than that. One that spoke volumes. Of an understanding and an accepting of pasts and futures.
Tony was the first to finish his lunch, and he broke the silence when he had nothing else to focus on. "So how about you? Anybody nab you off the market, yet?"
Maya smiled sadly at him. "Um, no." Tony's head dropped to avoid her pained expression. "I was…before I came out here." She shrugged it off as if it no longer mattered.
"I'm sorry." He apologized and sipped some iced tea. "Do you…would you like to…talk about it?"
"No!" Maya was quick to reply. "The last thing I want to do is spill my guts to you. That could ruin my reputation. You know how it goes." She smiled genuinely at him.
"Right. How could I forget?" He teased. "Maya Hansen- ever toying with men's emotions, never committing, always living life on the wild side." They shared in a laugh.
"Hardly." She huffed. "But we'll stick to that. Keeping up appearances and what not." He nodded amazed at her banter. She really had learned a lot from him, and he was pleased with the fact that it made his life easier knowing he could spit out inappropriate innuendos and not have to worry about lawsuits. "So…Iron Man, what's new?"
He grinned widely at her calling him by his 'superhero' name. "So you've heard about me becoming an international symbol of bravery and unrelenting brawn?" He flashed her another grin. "I'm impressed."
"Oh shush."
"I like knowing that my awesomeness makes its way around the globe. Not that I didn't know that already, mind you. You can't contain my magnificence. It's impossible."
Maya rolled her eyes playfully at Tony before she shook her head at his narcissism. "Ok…" she raised her eyebrows and sipped on her now-cold coffee. "I think I'm all caught up now." She laughed. "No need to go any further." They laughed.
"So…" he turned serious as he scrunched up his sweater sleeves. "What really brought you out here?" He pried. "Are you on a self-discovering journey?"
She laughed softly and his serious expression was now also reflected on her face. "I'm out here on an assignment."
"With the CDC?" He questioned. Tony had a feeling her answer would be a clear negative.
"Not exactly. Well, I can't tell you much." When Maya saw Tony's face she continued. "I'd like to, but then I'd have to kill you."
Tony leaned forward with his elbows on the table, a smirk on his face. "How about I guess." He offered her.
"You're good, but you're not that good." She countered.
"Try me, Hansen." Tony's challenge was gladly accepted by her equally as wide grin. She nodded and crossed her arms in front of her. "Ok." He cracked his fingers. "Secret mission."
"Obviously, genius."
"Having to do with your expertise in microbiology."
"Really, Sherlock?"
"You were hired by…a special division. Not really government."
She uncrossed her arms in curiosity and encouraged him to continue.
"Could be dangerous."
"Maybe."
"Undercover."
"I cannot confirm nor deny that." She smiled.
He leaned back in his seat to relax his posture. "Ah, I'm getting really close."
"Perhaps."
"To do what? Cure cancer under the radar?" He added in the joke to throw her off.
"I wish. Still working on that."
"So then to steal someone else's formulas for curing cancer."
"Not even close Iron Boy."
He pouted playfully. "Don't be condescending." He scratched his head in mock thought. "I got it!" He clapped his hands together and leaned in to whisper. "You're working undercover to take down some evil genius who's conspiring to rule the world with zombies."
She laughed and leaned in herself. "No. But that was close."
Tony nodded. "So no zombies. Yeah, I thought that was a long shot." He looked around to supposedly gather his thoughts. "You're undercover to bring down an evil genius who's a modern-time equivalent of Frankenstein...trying to be the first one to successfully have a breakthrough in science by creating this planet's perfect species." He waited for her reaction with a victorious grin.
Maya sat in awe.
To be continued…
Ok so I have some action coming up soon. I'm very excited about it. Stick around!
So that Iron Man 3 extended spot was great! Tony Stark peered into my soul, and I didn't mind it one bit! "Extensive rather than extended…" love that guy. So who's excited?! *raises hand and jumps*. Who's interested in helping me make a time machine? May 3rd here we come! P.S. I still cannot find Pepper in that Air Force One scene! Some of you...you know who you are...have got me so anxiously searching for her! :-) Help!