Somewhere deep in the windswept Afghani desert a cell phone rings in a tent. It is picked up silently and cautiously.
"I have something you want and you have been unable to get."
"Who is this?"
"March twenty-eighth at nine o'clock in Los Angeles. You will be finally able to get what you have wanted for twenty years."
"Who are you?"
"A messenger." The phone went dead.
It wasn't a long limo ride to Disney Hall but it certainly was cozy with six people in tuxedos and evening gowns in the stretch. Unlike the day of their actual birthday, the night of the black tie gala for Jamie and Emma's birthday was miserably wet and cold. The rain pounded on the roof so loud that it nearly drowned out the radio.
"I still don't get this whole affair," David commented as he sipped at a bottle of water. "You obviously had the party you enjoyed yesterday. Most of the people in this car try to avoid this type of affair at all costs…"
"Not all the time." Jamie chimed in.
"I didn't say all the time." David amended before he continued. "And we all know how no one likes the paparazzi here so why do you do an event that is almost specifically set up for them? And what happens to the so-called gifts that you both receive at this thing?"
Emma held up her hand to stop David's rant to try to explain. "We all do the obligatory glitz and glamour thing for the paparazzi so they don't crash the more important things." She started. "We don't really get gifts from this. All the money that people gave goes to several different charities as endowments from either us personally or the Stark Foundation."
"All of it?"
"Every single dime." Tony chimed in. "It always has." He added, not exactly liking the line of questioning. "If you are really curious as to which ones, the majority of it goes to the March of Dimes."
Pepper held Tony's hand a little tighter to give him a silent and unnoticeable signal to shut up.
"Is there a reason for that?" David asked in a far calmer tone and more polite.
"We wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for them." Jamie answered without any joking in his voice, giving David a look to knock it off or he would do it for him.
David quickly shut up after the dark glare he got from his future brother in law, just in time as the limo was pulling up to the entrance.
The red carpet was lined five people deep with cameras, all trying to get that coveted shot. As Happy moved around to get the door, Tony shifted slightly as if he was putting on a different skin.
"Show time…" he mouthed as the car opened and he stepped out and then helped Pepper.
The flash bulbs erupted as soon as each of them stepped on to the red carpet leading inside as people were screaming out their names to try to get a quote or a close up but the Stark family was accustomed to this. Their calm, cool exteriors with practiced smiles and charm eased their way through the crowds. Tony stopped to give a few words with Pepper as he waved on the others to go inside since the twins were technically the guests of honor.
Once they were inside, it was a completely different environment. The chaos of the red carpet had dissolved into an upper-class benefit complete with a band, people dancing, drinking, socializing and networking and having a good time in general.
After Tony and Pepper had rejoined the twins and their respective significant others, the group started to split off from each other to mingle since they were technically the hosts of this little show. Jamie took Marina to the dance floor to show her off and to impress her with his skills that he did not get to show her in Mexico. Emma skillfully worked the room with David, showing how well she had been taught in the world of party etiquette.
Tony had been keeping an eye on them occasionally as he and Pepper made the rounds. Well, maybe more David than anything. He may have proposed to Emma but that did not stop Tony from being concerned and did not ease his desire to castrate him if he tried anything with his little girl.
After about an hour of mixing, David was eager for a little time alone with Emma. By nature, he was a very private person and he really needed to get used to all the flash that came along with his bride to be. As she was thanking a contributor for their generosity, he came up behind her and whispered in her ear that maybe they should get some air.
Emma excused herself and then turned with a smile. "I know the perfect place to go." She said as she took his hand and led him up to the roof, passing by most of the people like they weren't even there.
Out of the corner of her eye, Pepper saw Emma run off with David to the roof and she smiled. She remembered her moment with Tony on that roof very well and it would have been better if he hadn't left her there. Secretly, Pepper was glad that Tony did not catch the two of them leaving or he would have hit the roof. He was too engulfed in conversation with the junior senator from New York as Pepper discreetly got closer to him. As he spoke, Pepper made a quick scan of the room. Jamie was slow dancing with Marina and Emma was on the roof but something still seemed out of sorts to her. Everything seemed in place but there was a gut feeling that something was out of sorts.
Up on the roof under the clearing sky, David took his opportunity to steal a few kisses from Emma without Tony breathing down his neck every time he got too close for his comfort.
"I don't think your dad was too happy about my birthday gift to you." David sighed.
"Give him time to adjust to it. He'll get used to it." Emma said reassuringly as she heard the sound of the roof door open and close, signaling that they were no longer alone.
Two men in tuxedos rounded the corner but something about their faces set off a reason to worry. While her purse was behind her back, Emma pulled out her cell phone and started to press the code that would summon her glider if necessary.
"Look what we have here, a pretty little dish with something in the way." One of the men growled as he licked his lips at Emma.
David stepped in front of her to get in between them. "Get the hell away from her." He ground out.
"You first," the man said as he threw David out of the way.
David scrambled to his feet and ran back over to where Emma was as two shots echoed in the night. Everything seemed to blur together. He heard Emma scream and then felt something equivalent to a tent peg being rammed through his shoulder. Almost as if in slow motion, David put his hand up to his shoulder and peeled it away covered in blood before he fell to the ground.
"You son of a bitch!" Emma growled as she pushed hard against her captor. "You will pay for this with your blood. I'll kill you myself for that."
"We'll see who pays first," the man said as he passed Emma, kicking and screaming, to his subordinate with the gun and headed back into the ball.
The goons headed back down the staircase while Emma continued to thrash against them. The leader drew his weapon, a Stark Industries made semi-automatic and opened the door.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen…welcome to the event!" he shouted rather joyfully as he cocked the gun. "I guess you all thought you were coming to a fancy ball." He laughed as he walked up to the stage. "Now, if you would all be so kind, men on one side and women on the other and no one will get hurt."
The room started to scramble to either side except for four people who stood their ground – Tony, Pepper, Jamie and Marina. Tony and Pepper ended up being near the center of the room while Jamie was off to the side where the women had gathered.
"Hide among them," Jamie whispered to Marina as she was behind him.
"I won't leave you." Marina whispered harshly.
"I don't want you hurt and for the moment they don't know about you. I would like to keep it that way."
"I am not leaving you." Marina restated leaving no room for negotiation.
"Then at least stay behind me." Jamie insisted.
As the room parted, the one in charge had a sadistic smile coming across his face when he saw Tony Stark dead center with his beautiful wife holding to his hand. "I'm sorry…did I crash your party?"
"That sounds like a good epitaph to me." Tony ground out. "You got a name I can put on the stone as well?"
"All in good time, Mr. Stark." He sneered. "You have made us wait twenty years. You can wait a few minutes. My show isn't over yet." He waved to the door and beckoned his subordinate to come in with Emma. As he dragged her forward, the leader noted that his subordinate was sporting a thoroughly bloody nose from his prize. The subordinate dropped Emma none too gently center stage and then the leader pulled her head back by her hair. "Looks like we caught ourselves a prize here."
Tony was furious when he saw Emma being held captive. He was a spilt second from going up there to grab her when Pepper stopped him. He looked back at her in shock.
"Tony, look around," Pepper whispered as she scanned the doors. Each one was guarded by at least two men with automatic weapons that obviously worked for the crasher. "You and she would be dead before you took two steps."
The leader smiled once more. "I don't think we got your attention fully yet. Your daughter is our pet now." He said as he pulled Emma up to her feet by her hair and forced her to look at him. "You know where you belong, don't you sweetheart?" he purred at her.
Emma forced herself not to scream as she was pulled up by her hair. Rage was keeping her going more than anything. "Yeah…at the trigger of something that will send you to hell." She spat.
"Insolent bitch." The leader said as he slapped her hand across the face. "Now dear, kneel for your master."
"I have no master so if you want someone on their knees you better go down yourself." Emma growled which earned her another slap.
"I told you to kneel."
"Never. A Stark kneels to no one!"
All the while this was going on; Tony's blood was boiling as he was forced to watch his daughter being tortured in front of him. He did have to be proud as she continued to fight him.
The subordinate handed the leader a larger weapon which was then pointed at Emma. "Kneel."
"You'll have to break my legs before I kneel before you." Emma spat back.
"As you wish," the leader said as he spun the gun and jammed the butt of it right into the back of Emma's knee, forcing her to the ground with a sickening sound.
When Emma screamed as she fell, five of the door guards came up behind Pepper with guns pointed at her head.
Pepper stopped breathing as she watched Emma fall and then felt a cold hand on her wrist, trying to pull her away from Tony.
Tony felt Pepper tense against him and his head spun around reflexively as he held on to her tighter.
"I would suggest not fighting, Stark or you will watch your daughter bleed all over the floor from two bullet wounds to the head." The leader said as he put his gun to Emma's head. "Step away from your wife and neither one will have their heads blown apart."
Tony felt his stomach come into his throat as he heard this. He had to give up Pepper and Emma without a fight? Like hell. He looked at Pepper with a silent look asking what he should do.
Pepper leaned in so she could whisper in his ear. "Let me go. It will protect Emma. We will need Iron Man to get us out of this." She whispered before kissing him and then let herself be pulled away from him.
The leader smiled. "Very good. I guess you are smart after all. Since you proved you have some intelligence in that so called genius head of yours, you can call me Jackson."
"What the hell is the point of this?" Tony growled.
"The point is very simple…revenge." Jackson stated. "My employers were short changed sometime ago and we still want our pound of flesh that we are entitled to and we will take it from wherever is necessary to cause you the most amount of pain possible."
As Jackson was spouting of his monologue, Tony looked over to Jamie since his hands were tied in this situation. "Can you get him?" he mouthed to his son.
"Too many people." Jamie mouthed back as he reached behind him to make sure Marina was still with him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson saw Jamie reach behind him and quickly squeezed off a few rounds. The bullets hit Jamie in the left thigh and brought him bleeding to the ground with an agonizing scream and his blood quickly soaking the fabric of his pants. "Seize him up and search him." Jackson ordered.
Two thugs came off the other door and hauled Jamie up off the floor harshly, throwing Marina to the floor as they did it. While one held Jamie's arms behind his back, the other patted him down and pulled out his wallet, his cell phone and a 9mm Beretta that was loaded. The thug put the gun in his belt, threw the phone to the floor and tossed the wallet to Jackson as he dragged Jamie forward.
Jackson smiled sadistically as he opened the wallet to see Jamie's driver's license. "Well, look at this. I must be getting sloppy because I missed the namesake here." He purred out as he eyed Jamie. "I am glad that this was remedied before we left. I would hate to have to do all of this again." Jackson signaled to the thugs he brought in with him. "I must say, this party has grown a little dull so I am going to take my new pets and start my own. It's been real." He said with a smirk as he snapped his fingers and the thugs dragged Pepper, Emma and Jamie out to three waiting black SUVs with no markings. No plates, no models, not even a brand emblem. Jackson dropped a smoke bomb behind him so no one could see which truck Pepper, Emma and Jamie were thrown into.
By the time Tony got to the door, the SUVs were speeding away in three different directions. He felt his stomach crawl into his throat as he was consumed by helplessness. He was forced to watch his family be taken from him by force and he could do nothing…but one thing. Tony snapped his cell phone out and called Happy.
"Come get me…now."
"Yes sir. What about the others?" Happy replied.
"Come back for them."
Marina had tears stinging her eyes that she refused to let fall as she watched the aftermath. The police were taking statements as she saw Tony leave rather quickly. When the police approached her about interviewing Tony, she quickly replied that she would schedule an appropriate time when that could be done but for the most part she could answer any questions they had. After taking the detective's card, she started to scan the room for David. Marina knew that he had gone off with Emma but Emma came back as a captive so where was he?
Marina's blood ran cold as she climbed the stairs she had seen them climb earlier. What could she do if David was dead? When she reached the roof, a small blue light caught her attention some ten paces from the door. As she got closer she could recognize that it was a cell phone…Emma's cell phone with six digits dialed. Marina knelt down to pick it up and Emma's black silk and lace purse and as she was getting up, she tripped over something.
Marina quickly righted herself as she looked to see what she tripped over and gasped when she saw David. She gently rolled him over to find that he was still conscious and losing a lot of blood from a shoulder wound. "David?" she called to him to get him to open his eyes. "Don't worry…we'll get help. Just stay with me." She said, trying to keep him awake as she called for an ambulance.