Here is the next chapter and my summer has begun! I'm heading for Florida for the summer and planning to go to Metrocon too. Only been there once and it was awesome. Though it was awkward trying to explain what Furries were to my grandma...

I love the season of TFP, though I'm not too sure about Smokescreen's new paint job. It may grow on me though. And I have joined the dragonformer bandwagon with my drawings. And I've been drawing some horseformers too...And I like how no one mentioned anything about the Bruce Wayne insert in the last chapter :D

Anyways hope you all enjoy this chapter!


Jack groaned, squinting his eyes to the light in his eyes. He rolled away from the window. His grip on his phone tightened, and he absentmindedly hoped that the Autobots didn't mind him falling asleep during the phone call. He passed out sometime during his explanation of his experiences with Tony.

The door to his room opened, "Jack? What are you still doing in bed? It's almost noon. Is Tony in the garage?"

Jack's eyes opened to see Pepper leaning through the partially open door. He groaned again and wiped the sleep from his eyes, "He should be."

"Alright. Well, come on, get out of bed. I've brought Dunkin' Donuts. I'll go get you father from whatever techno induced trance he's got himself into. And you need to start packing some of your things, you're going home today." She said with a sad smile before shutting his door.

Jack sat up and looked at his phone screen. At least the guys weren't still on waiting for him. He yawned and stretched, dropping the phone onto his pillow. Quickly changing into a random pair of jeans and a shirt, he hurried down and plucked a chocolate glazed donut from the bag Pepper brought and went down to the garage.

"-this isn't the worse thing yo've caught me doing."

Jack stopped on the stairs where he could see both Pepper and Tony. Tony had his suit on, steaming like he had just come home, and in an awkward position as JAARVIS tried to dismantle the suit. Pepper had her back towards Jack so he could see her expression, but he could assume that it was of confusion and disbelief.

"Are those bullet holes?"

"What's the worse thing that Pepper walked in on?"

Both adults looked at him like they didn't even realise he was there. Tony broke into a grin, while Pepper went red.

"You don't want to know."

They waited patiently for JARVIS to get Tony out. Though Pepper and Jack had brought down the bag of donuts, exaggerating with how good they tasted just to annoy Tony.

"What are we gonna do today?" Tony asked when he finally got out of the suit and sat down next to Jack.

"Can't do much. I need to leave today."

Tony laughed, "You forget that I own an airplane. We can leave at midnight or later if we choose to."

Jack shook his head, "I don't think Mom would like that. Neither would Arcee, who said that she will be picking me up from Elko."

"What? Am I unable to take you home?" Tony said frowning.

"No no. That's not it. It's just that-well-Arcee wants to pick me up 'cause we-uh..." Jack paused to think about it, "I think Arcee just wants to spend some time with me since I was kind of kidnapped unexpectedly."

Tony snorted, "I think every kidnapping is unexpected."

Pepper cut in, "That's not the point Tony."

"So? But is Arcee your girl friend or something?"

Jack coughed midswallow of a donut, "N-no! No we are not!"

"June said that she wants Jack back before Ten 'o Clock on-the-dot tonight. Which means he needs to leave around four." Pepper stood, "May as well start going through some of your stuff so you're not in a panic and rushing later, Jack."

Jack nodded and went up to his room with Pepper following. Tony frowned, biting into a donut angrily. Why couldn't he drive Jack home? Though it did make sense for a friend of Jack's friends to want to get him after a rude disappearance. Now that he thought about it though, Jack's online profile only said he had two friends. Miko and Rafael. Who was Arcee?

"JARVIS, look up Arcee on all online profiles. Spelt 'A-R-C-E-E'."

After a few minutes JARVIS answered, "There are no 'Arcee's' in record sir."

"What about in birth certificates of in the US?"

"None sir."

OoO

Pepper came into the garage later on to see Tony working on the suit in silence. She came over to the desks that surrounded him, waiting for him to take notice of her appearance. Which he did rather quickly.

"Hey. You busy? You mind if I send you on an errand? I need you to go to my office while I see Jack off on the plane. You're going to hack into the mainframe and you're going to retrieve all the recent manifests." He took out a flashdrive from a small wooden box, "This is a lock chip. This'll get you in."

Pepper took the flashdrive.

"It's probably under Exxecutive Files. If not, they put it on a ghost drive, in which case you need to look for the lowest numeric heading." He stated, walking to another desk to look at a piece of machinery.

"And what do you plan to do with this information if I bring it back here?"

"Same drill. They've been dealing under the table, and I'm going to stop them. I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them."

Pepper shook her head in disbelief, "Tony, you know that I would help you with anything, but I cannot help you if you're going to start all of this again."

"There is nothing except this. There's no art opening. There is no benefit. There is nothing to sign." He turned to her, "There is the next mission, and nothing else."

She could feel her throat tighten and the back of her eyes burning, "Is that so? Well, then, I guess that you bringing Jack here was for nothing, since there is nothing except the next mission. And I quit." She dumped the flashdrive on the desk and turned to leave.

Tony stared at her, "You know that is not what I meant, so don't bring Jack into this. And you have stood by my side all of these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. And now that I'm trying to protect the people that I put in harm's way, you're going to walk out?"

Pepper spun on her heel, "You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it. How do you think Jack will feel about that? Finally meeting his father, only for his dad to go out and kill himself?!"

"Jack isn't a part of this."

"Yes he is! Whether you want him to be or not, he is. And he has been a part of this when you both met." Pepper was trembling in effort to not slap Tony.

Tony sighed, "I know what I have to do now. I shouldn't be alive unless it was for a reason. I know that even if Jack hadn't been born, I would still be doing this. Because I know, in my heart, it's right."

Pepper walked back to him and grabbed the flashdrive, "You, Jack, and June are all I have too, you know."

OoO

Four o' Clock came much sooner than what Tony had wanted. He spent the final two hours helping Jack sort through clothes and items that he had bought Jack. A lot of the clothes were staying here, like the suit. Jack kept saying that he most likely wouldn't wear it ever in Jasper.

A few pairs of jeans and shirts were all that Jack would be taking with him. Tony sighed heavily through his nose. How did the week go by so quickly? Now they were pulling up the road that led to his plane's hanger.

Jack chuckled suddenly.

"What?" Tony looked over.

Jack grinned, "We never went to an amusement park."

Tony chuckled as well, "And I didn't get to teach you how to drive a car."

"All the more reason for me to come back huh?" Jack glanced over at Tony.

"If you want to." Tony could feel his chest swell in happiness, "I promise that it won't start with me kidnapping you."

Jack laughed, "That would be nice. I don't think my friends will like for that to happen again, even if it is by you."

"Oh come on," Tony smirked, "From the looks of it, most of your friends are women. What woman can resist my charm?"

Jack tried to stop his laugh when he thought about Tony trying to flirt his way out of trouble with Arcee, "Oh, you'd be surprised."

Tony pulled over beside the plane and parked the car, "You sure you don't want me to go with? See you off and see this Arcee?"

"I'm sure. I'm 16. I think I can sit on a plane on my own." Jack said smiling. Both got out of the car after Tony pressed the button to open the trunk.

"That is true, but still. Can't I come with?"

Jack took his suit case, "Sorry, but Arcee may try to kill you for taking me."

"Oh? She'd go that far? Possessive."

"You could say that." Jack said with a shrug. They stopped in front of the steps leading into the plane, "Well...I guess I'll see you later then."

Tony smiled sadly, "Yeah. Don't be a stranger. You have my cell number now, and let me know when you're summer vacation starts. I'll send the plane for you, or come get you myself. Which ever you would prefer."

Jack nodded, "Alright. Summer will begin sometime in May I think. I'll text you the date when I get back."

Jack made his way into the plane and quickly sat down. He waved to Tony from the window when they began taxi-ing out. A flight attendant came up and asked if he wanted anything, but Jack politely declined saying he wasn't too hungry or thirsty.

This was going to be a boring flight. Hopefully he'll fall asleep before they hit any turbulence.

OoO

Tony watched the plane leave from his car. A frown on his face, he thought about all that happened in the past week. Part of him worried that Jack didn't didn't enjoy working on the suit with him, that Jack probably wanted to go out and actually do something with him. Like going to a beach or to an amusement park like Tony had originally planned. What teenager didn't actually want to go out and do something if there were no videogames in the house.

Tony arrived home quickly, and almost instantly his house phone started to ring. He looked around for the phone as he walked to the couch. He lifted a pillow off the couch and grabbed the phone. Pepper was calling. But why was she calling his house and not his cell like she normally did? He accepted the call and placed the phone snuggly between his head and shoulder.

"Tony?"

He never got a word out though. An intense ringing filled his ears. He could feel the veins on the side of his head begin to stick out, the instant sluggish feel in the back of his head as the blood began to slow. His eyes widened. He knew this! He went through this before!

"Tony, are you there? Hello?"

A wrist cradled the back of his head, gently leaning him back into the couch. A hand took the phone from him and began to lean him back as well.

"Breathe."

Tony inhaled quickly, momentarily forgetting that he needed to. He glance to his left. He could just barely see that damned device from years ago.

"Easy, easy."

Tony released a small strained groan, trying to move and fight off the paralysis effect.

"You remember this one, right?"

Hard not to.

"It's a shame the government didn't approve it. There are so many applications for causing short term paralysis."

It was supposed to be destroyed, you bastard. You said you got rid of it!

"Ah Tony." A hand grabbed his chin and turned his head so he could look at Obadiah. Oh how Tony wished he could actually speak or move right now, "When I-uh-ordered that hit on you."

Traitorous bastard.

Obadiah started messing with something that Tony couldn't see, "I was worried that I was," He revealed a clamper that Tony knew was going to take his reactor, "killing the golden goose." He could feel the heat radiating as the thing burned away at his shirt and small metal clamps that secured the reactor in his chest, "But, you see, it was just fate-" the clamper shot a thin metal sheet into the reactor holder disconnecting any wires that were on the sides, "-that you survived that."

Obadiah twisted the clamper to make sure that all connections were broken, "You had one last golden egg to give." He lifted the Arc reactor from Tony, "Do you really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you?"

Yeah, that's exactly how it works. Damn coward, just wait for the paralysis to wear off.

"Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now, what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?"

Yeah well war changes things around a bit. Do you honestly think he would have 'helped' if there wasn't a war threatening everything he knew?

Tony gasped when Obadiah pulled the last connection out. He could already feel his heart struggling.

"Oh it's beautiful."

No. It's not.

"Tony, this is you Ninth Symphony." He sat down beside Tony, "What a masterpiece. Look at that. This is your legacy."

No way is some scrap of metal and energy my legacy.

"A new generation of weapons with this at its heart."

I'm sorry Jack. I might not be able to stop this from getting into government hands.

"Weapons that will help steer the world back on course, put the balance of power in our hands. The right hands."

I need to get to the Arc Reactor in the shop.

"I wish you could've seen my prototype."

Prototype?

"It's not as uh...Well not as conservative as yours."

How did you make it? No one got a hold of my blue prints.

"Too bad you had to involve Pepper and your son in this. I would have preferred that she live, though your son. I can't have a Stark heir get in my way of the company again."

Don't you dare! Don't you dare go for Jack!

He watched Obadiah leave with his reactor, cursing and promising pain on the man if he went anywhere near Jack. He needed to get to the reactor in the garage, he'd have a chance then. But the paralysis still had a hold on him for another two minutes.

Tony took as deep of a breath he could. He needed to calm down, calm his heart rate. Where was that reactor? One of his desks. He would need to be able reach it, so hopefully it wasn't on anything ontop of the desk incase he wouldn't be able to stand or pull himself up. He glance at the clock. One more minute.

He would need the reactor, hope it could sustain the newer suit. He needed to stop Obadiah. He would go for Pepper first, since she is closest and Obadiah knew where she was. Tony silently thanked what ever would listen since Obadiah didn't know Jack's last name. He did June's, but that was so long ago that Obadiah probably forgot about it.

The feeling in his arms and legs began to return, although extremely sluggish and heavy. He forced himself to his feet and went to the elevator, leaning against anything that would help hold him up. He fell into elevator, thankfully he didn't get an overly large one like he wanted or else he would be on the ground and not leaning against a corner.

He pushed himself up straighter with the railing, waiting for the elevator doors to open into the garage.

The doors opened and he stumbled out. His heart was slowing more than what should be safe for an awake and slightly panicking man. He was sweating profusely and his hands and arms were white and felt staticky from the lack of blood being pumped in them. He could only imagine what that rest of him looked. One of his legs gave under his weight and he fell to the floor.

Tony cursed under his breath and began crawling to the desk. Pushing himself from the back of a car and rolling the creeper out of his way. He grabbed a tote and pulled it underneath himself. He reached up for the reactor, but the glass and his uncoordinated movements went against him and pushed the reactor further onto the desk. He felt that it was on a book and grabbed the book. He could pull it to him along with the reactor.

His fingers wouldn't bend and grip the book cover, and the tote slid out from under him. He rolled over onto his back breathing heavily. So this was it huh?

He could faintly hear Dummy's hydralics going, and slowly the reactor was lowered into his view. He grabbed onto it, wondering if this was some weird hallucination. But seeing Dummy looking down at him...why would Dummy be in some pre-death hallucination? It had to be real. Though it was weird how a rivet and a stripped screw looked like eyes on the robot, and how it gave a curious whoop like it was asking if he was alright.

"Good boy." He smashed the glass apart and began digging the reactor out of the metal frame. He just barely connected the reactor when a black dots started popping into his vision. He took a few deep breaths. He needed to calm down, the reactor was in, everything would be fine.

"Tony?"

Sounded like Rhodey.

"Tony? Tony!"

Tony felt hands grab his arms and pull him over onto his back. He grabbed ahold of what he could. It was Rhodey.

"Tony, you okay?"

"Where's Pepper?"

Rhodes looked at him like he was crazy to ask that, "She's fine. She's with five agents-"

Tony sat up more. Five agents? Only five?

"They're about to arrest Obadiah."

Tony shook his head, "That's not going to be enough. Help me up."

Rhodes grabbed Tony's arm and pulled him to his feet, "If five agents aren't going to be enough then what are you going to do?"

"You should've come over to see the project when I invited you to." Tony walked over to the center of the room, "JARVIS, suit me up."

"Yes sir."


There you have it! Hopefully since it is summer I will be able to write more. Please review and comment about the chapter/story, I really do appreciate it!

Does anyone want to make a cover image for this story?