Hey guys! I know I'm updating a little more frequently than usual, but A, this story is exciting and B the ending chapters are kind of quick so I'd like to post them relatively close together.

Carmen's concern turned to fear as she realized as she awoke on her couch to find that Chloe had not returned home since she'd left last night. It was unlike her to just leave, she'd been taught the value of having an adult know where she is at all times. Carmen scrambled for her cell phone, as she had fallen asleep in her day clothes.

"Yes, hello, my name is Carmen Simmons, and I'm calling because my…my daughter went missing as of last night." Carmen had always contemplated what Chloe was to her, and most of the time she concluded that she was a child of importance to her; but now, she saw that poor Chloe needed a mother's guidance more than ever and that she, Carmen, adored having Chloe as the daughter she never had.

"She's missing as of now?" A man on the other end asked.

"Yes. We were in her room a few hours after she came home from school yesterday and after a little spat, she stormed out and never came back." Carmen tried not to sound sarcastic.

"I'm going to have to ask you to continue the investigation at the police station." Carmen agreed and hung up her phone as she put it back in her pocket. She grabbed her car keys and rushed out the apartment door and down to her car.

Not soon enough, it seemed, she arrived at the police station and raced inside.

"Carmen Simmons? I just called?" Carmen asked.

"Yes, right this way." A man in a police uniform led Carmen to a back room for investigations.

"Do you know of any friends she has?" He asked, furrowing his brow and preparing a pad of paper and a pen.

"I believe she mentioned a fellow, Tony Stark, and some girl named Pepper Potts, but that's all I've heard. She doesn't like to socialize." Carmen explained. The police officer scribbled something down on the notepad.

"We will put out a search and call her friends and see what we can do, but for now just keep a sharp eye out for her." Carmen nodded and stood to leave.

"Thank you. And if you need to contact me, here's my number." Carmen slipped the officer a small piece of paper and started to leave to search for Chloe.

"What is your daughter's last name?" He asked, before Carmen had a chance to leave.

"Carter. I'm her guardian." Carmen explained. He nodded and scribbled more on the paper. Carmen entered the thick spring nighttime air. She stood on the steps to the Police Station and surveyed her surroundings. She decided to start on the left end of the city.

She feared for Chloe, being all alone and alone in New York City. She could have gone off to her friend, but in her anger it wasn't likely. Ever since her parents were killed, she'd preferred to be alone. She never wanted company, she just wanted alone time. Never friend time.

"Chloe? Chloe, are you here?" Carmen called into the lonely street; no answer.

"Chloe?" Carmen called again. No use. She walked further down the street, into Times Square; there were people there, but alas, no one was who she was searching for.

~…~

Three hours earlier…

Chloe walked into the dark, abandoned building with care. It looked like not even the lowest hobo would choose to reside here, but apparently Whiplash thought different. She looked for the door as was described to her via a note sent to her through her phone. The note had said find a flight of stairs next to a conveyor belt station that had a slight tear in the belt and descend them to the lower level in the building. She looked around for the correct conveyor belt, and soon found it along with the stairs. She went down the stairs, as was told, and landed in a dark, windowless room at the landing. The basement of the abandoned factory, it seemed, had been neglected even when the factory was running; there were cobwebs that seemed centuries old.

She found the shape of a door and felt around for the knob. Instead of a knob, she found a light switch. She clicked it on to see that the basement was filled with packages and boxes of different shapes and sizes. It seemed it was only used for storage. Chloe looked around at the labels of different boxes; some read 'lasers', others read 'guns', so on so forth. Chloe came to a large, dusty box at the end of the shelf that she couldn't quite make out at first. She squinted and leaned in to it to find that it read 'Mr. Fix's Gear' on it. As she started to take it off the shelf, she was startled out of her curiosity with a jump.

A hand from behind her pushed the box back onto the shelf and turned her to face him with an irritated expression upon his face. Chloe was alarmed at his appearing anger, afraid he would punish her by arresting her or hurting her or something; instead he gently pushed her away from the shelf in warning.

"Do not go near that box again." He warned. I nodded with strict silence and followed him into another room. The room was filled with computers stacked atop each other, a chair and a keyboard. Aside from that were more shelves, hidden in the shadows where the computer screens could not stretch their orange light. It was the only light the room had; no lamp, no ceiling lamps, just computer screens. Chloe glanced to him curiously.

"What is this room?" I asked. Ignoring me, Whiplash pulled a box from the nearby shelf and open the flaps. I was curious as to what he was showing me, and why it was relevant to his plan. She figured since he was the boss, and he had access to weapons that she couldn't even imagine, it was best not to question his motives. Whiplash fussed with the tape holding the box shut, frustrated. Finally, he got the tape off and opened the top then inner flaps to the cardboard box and pulled out a black full-body suit that looked fit for a female body. He handed it to me. Taking it, I gave him a questioning look.

"This is a combat suit. Hence the name, it is designed to strengthen the wearer in a fight. It was designed by top S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and tested on one and only one S.H.I.E.L.D. operative. It is now yours to use to assist me in killing Tony Stark." Whiplash pulled out the matching utility belt and set it on the chair. Chloe surveyed the costume.

"What happened?" She asked. Whiplash was silent.

"During the test. What happened?" Chloe clarified.

"The test failed. The subject was incapable of handling the power and eventually died of it." Whiplash turned to rid of the box. I stood in the dark room, orange glow from the computers hitting my back. I looked it over more as I waited for my next assignment.

"Well, put it on! We have work to be done." Chloe jumped and ran to lock the door shut so she could change.

~…~

Tony groaned in pain. There was no way he had the strength to keep doing this, but he knew that for the sake of his life and the lives of the city, he had to keep fighting. He had to go on, he couldn't stop. He ignored the constant pleas from his friends to quit while he was ahead, because he could keel over dead any second. They warned him that he needed to rest, he needed to get better, get stronger, he wasn't right to do this. But he knew he had to. He knew he could stop Whiplash from killing him and get Chloe to go good again. He'd done it once, right?

"I'm surprised you're even here. Aren't you in pain? Why don't you give in?" Whiplash commented.

"Because I won't let you kill me, I won't let you kill the citizens of this city, or put anyone in harm's way." Tony answered in a struggling tone. He tried to ignore the cries of pain his body was screaming to him. He felt something warm dripping from his neck down his arm, knowing it was from Chloe who had cut him and hit him, causing the small wound to enlarge, almost dangerously. He felt the blood fall to his hand and hoped he wouldn't fall to the ground and pass out any moment now.

"Well, don't let me get in your way." Chloe budded in, kicking Tony's helmet. His head bounced around inside from the impact, creating a super headache on his part. Tony released his grip on Whiplash and fell onto the roof of a nearby building, holding his head in pain. Chloe landed back on the building and strode to him.

"You know, it's too bad I have to kill you Tony, because I was starting to really like you." Chloe smiled and laughed as she aimed a weapon at Iron Man, "It's just a shame that I know all your weaknesses. Then again, it's obvious enough already what those are." She pulled the trigger and held it back.

"I don't have a weakness." Tony tried building energy.

"Oh, you don't?" Chloe said as she bent down and tapped his uni-beam; Tony knew it was clear that she was referring to his heart. He knew it was a weakness, and he knew that the device currently saving his life could be the death of him; but he would not let himself be killed by a girl that he knew there was good in. Chloe stood, slowly releasing the trigger as not to fire the weapon. She strode away from him, fiddling with the weapon as she crossed her arms.

"Oh, and as if that weren't enough, I know your other weakness is just as powerful." Chloe pointed to the floor nearby where a redheaded girl sat against a wall, arms and legs tied and mouth taped; a tear streaming down her cheek. Tony felt a large fit of anger build up inside him that overcame all the searing pain in his body enough to charge at Chloe full-out. Chloe stood on the receiving end calmly as she watched Iron Man race towards her, smile wide on her face.

As Tony watched Chloe, he found his strength fade away. He couldn't do it, he couldn't hit her. It wasn't in his nature to hit a girl, he'd been raised better. Especially one that understands what it's like not having parents, and one who could understand what he'd gone through so well. He stopped in front of her, hanging his head low.

"That's what I thought." Chloe commented, aiming her weapon once again.

Longer chapter, wasn't it? I stopped myself before I ended the story too soon. Yaay self-controllll XD Well, on another note, winter break week=update and/or finish Her Story. Sooo, I hope I'll be done with this one by the time I go back to school. Might be, might not be. Reivew!