Hey guys! Here we go, moving right along to the next part! I'm going to toss out that same old disclaimer that I don't own anything Marvel or have rights to it and let you get to it! As always, I hope you enjoy! Xoxo-NickyLynn
As the car pulled up to the front of the Hotel de Paris, Tessa looked out at the busy sidewalk and felt her nerves kick into overdrive. She took a calming breath as she tried to remind herself that the chances of anyone discovering her hidden identity were slim to none. She adjusted the large sunglasses on her face, swept the brown hair of her wig to the side and drew in a deep breath. She told herself that the rewards of the situation outweighed the risks, as she knew Tony was having a hard time holding onto his sanity as he slipped closer to death's doorstep. She wanted to be here for him even if that meant stepping outside her own comfort zone.
She pushed open her door as Tony did the same, falling into step behind him as she, Tony, Pepper and Happy all made their way up the steps to the entrance of where the Grand Prix was being held. As they walked into the large building Tessa marveled at all the magnificent architecture around her. It really was a beautiful building. She followed behind Pepper as their group was directed to the VIP lounge. As they walked through the doorway, Tony leaned down close to Tessa's ear.
"You know, it's Europe, so whatever happens today, just go with it." He said to her.
Tessa looked up to him in both alarm and confusion. "What do you mean just go with it? What's going to happen?" she shot back at him. He didn't have a chance to answer her as another red-headed female strode up to them, flashing a bright smile.
"Oh, Natalie." Tony greeted the woman, leading Tessa to assume this was Pepper's new assistant she had been told about. She lifted an eyebrow at the beautiful woman, caught off guard by the confidence she exuded.
"Hello." She greeted. "How was your flight?" she asked, directing the question to Tony.
"It was excellent. Boy, it's nice to see you." Tony said and Tessa rolled her eyes because she just knew how nice he found looking at her to be.
Natalie's eyes landed on Tessa, and they constricted in confusion. "I don't believe we've met yet." She said to her.
"Oh, this is Tessa. She's a friend." Tony said nonchalantly as a waiter came over to them, holding out a tray of appetizers, which Tony helped himself to.
"Hi." Tessa said reaching a hand across the distance.
Natalie slid her hand into hers and as she did a wave of strange emotions washed over Tessa. It was as if Natalie's eyes were….analyzing her. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but there was a small voice in the back of Tessa's head that sent off a red flag. There was something about Natalie that felt….dangerous. Tessa dropped her hand, shaking off the thought, and did her best the give the female a friendly smile, despite her inner feelings.
"There's a photographer from ACM lined up, if you don't mind." Natalie said after a moment, turning her attention back to Tony as if nothing strange transpired at all. Tessa took that as her cue to slip away from them as a photographer came up to snap a picture of Tony and Pepper. Tessa made her way over to the bar at the side of the room, sliding up in between two filled seats. She flagged down the bartender and ordered herself a couple drinks. Tessa lacked the capability to get drunk, thanks to the serum, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying.
She tilted her head back and drained the first drink in one go before setting the glass back on the counter and starting on the other. "I like a woman who can drink." She heard a masculine voice say from her right, causing her to pause in her sip and look to find the source of the interruption. She turned and let out a groan as her eyes connected to one Justin Hammer. She swallowed the alcohol down before giving him a tight-lipped smile. "Justin Hammer." He said in greeting, sticking out his hand in her direction.
Tessa looked down at his hand with a raised eyebrow before looking back up to his smirking face. "Oh, I know who you are." She told him, pulling her drink back up to her mouth and taking another drink. "I seen you on T.V." she said with a smirk.
"Oh, did you catch that Sixty Minutes interview they aired last week? It was great, right?" he said, his confidence filling her with nausea.
"No." she said with a tsk. "The Senate hearing." She informed him with a smile. Tessa thoroughly enjoyed the look of uneasiness that passed over his face at that.
"Uh, can I get one of those?" he called to the bartender, motioning to Tessa's drink as he obviously tried to quickly switch the topic. "So, you here by yourself, or?" he asked her, stepping closer to her as he picked up his freshly made drink.
"Nope." She said, turning and leaning against the edge of the bar top.
"Anyone I would know?" he asked her, leaning far too close for comfort. Tessa smiled as she watched Tony make his way towards her.
"Well, if it isn't my least favorite person." Came Tony's voice, startling Justin, as he didn't see him walk up behind him.
"Oh, h-hey!" Justin said, dropping a hand down on Tony's shoulder like they were old pals.
"How you doing?" Tony asked, not at all really interested in the response.
"Oh you know…you're not the only rich guy here with a fancy car." Justin responded, sending Tessa a wink as he did. Tessa internally blanched and tilted her head back, finishing her second drink.
"Since when do you drink?" Tony asked her, motioning to the now empty glass.
"Since I was dragged to Monaco and subjected to unsolicited flirting." she said, turning back around and motioning to the bartender for a refill.
"You two know each other?" Justin said, realizing it must have been Tony she had been talking about.
"Oh yeah, long time." Tony said, ordering his own drink. "Almost feels like a lifetime."
"Say, you two know each other too, don't you?" Tessa said, snapping her fingers like the realization just hit her. "Ooohh. Awkward." She said with a smile, taking a sip out of her third drink.
"Yeah, haven't seen you since the hearing." Justin said, in obvious distress.
"You mean since you lost your contract." Tony amended for him, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around Tessa's side, planting himself in between her and Justin.
"Ouch. Double awkward." Tessa said with a click of her tongue as Tony pulled her along with him as they made their way over to their reserved table. Unfortunately, Justin followed behind like a lost puppy.
"It's on hold actually." He said, trailing closely behind them.
"That's not what I heard." Tony said with a shake of his head. "What's the difference between 'hold' and 'canceled'?" he asked, turning back around to face him. "The truth?" he asked, before moving forward again.
"No. No the truth is-" Justin said, continuing to follow them, much to Tessa's annoyance. "The truth is I was hoping to present something at your Expo." He told them.
"Well, if you invent something that works." Tony said with a raised brow. "Then I'll get you a slot." He said.
In an attempt to get Justin off of their coattails, Tessa gave a flourish of her fingers. The glass in his hand tipped backwards and its contents spilled down the front of his suit. Justin stopped, looking down at himself in alarm and frustration. Tessa let the power flow back into check as she and Tony kept moving forward, towards their reserved table.
"I saw that, by the way." Tony said with a knowing smirk.
"Payback for the Wonder Boy comment." She tossed back with a shrug.
They made their way to the table where her, Tony and Pepper ate, drank and laughed the time away. As the race was about to start, Tessa noticed Tony looking more fatigued than he should have been. As he excused himself for a bathroom break, Tessa shot out her hand, latching it onto his arm and stopping him as he brushed past her. "You okay?" she asked quietly, looking over him in concern.
"I'm fine." He said, brushing her off. Tessa let her hand slide off his arm as he continued to the restrooms. Tessa watched him walk away for a moment before looking back over at Pepper and did her best to continue with their conversation like she wasn't freaking the hell out on the inside. She had begun to think that she shouldn't have agreed to come to Monaco. The guilt began chewing on her insides as she knew she should have been using the valuable time to work on the cure, instead of pretending like everything was okay. Which it wasn't.
It wasn't until Tessa caught sight of the commencing race on the screen behind Pepper that Tessa began to wish she had never let Tony come to Monaco, let alone herself. She stopped talking mid-sentence and felt her face drop into a frown. Pepper, noticing her reaction turned in her seat to find the source of her uneasiness. When her eyes landed on the T.V., she saw for herself that Tony was dressed in a racing uniform, walking out onto the track towards the cars. Pepper spun back around, alarm coloring her face.
"I'm going to murder him." Pepper seethed.
"I'll help hold him down for you." Tessa told her, equally as upset.
"This can not happen. Where's Happy? I need Happy!" she said, digging through her purse to find her cell phone.
Tessa watched as Tony gave the camera a thumbs up from behind the wheel of the high-speed race car and wanted to reach through the screen and strangle him. They couldn't even leave him alone for five minutes without him finding something stupidly reckless to get himself wrapped up in. Pepper called Happy, but as the lights switched colors and the race began, Tessa knew there was nothing they could do but watch him play out whatever race car driver fantasy he was fulfilling.
The cars took off past the starting line, zooming down the winding road. Tessa and Pepper watched the screen helplessly as Tony raced through the track along side the other racers. He swerved around the other cars, passing them on the narrow strip of road, as they all did their best to outdo each other. As the race went on with no mishaps, Tessa's nerves began unwinding minutely. That was until the camera panned over and they watched as a crew member in an orange jumpsuit walked out onto the track, right into the path of the speeding cars. She locked eyes with Pepper briefly before looking back to the screen to see the man rip open his shirt, revealing something that looked suspiciously similar to the arc reactor. "Oh shit." Tessa breathed, realizing there was only one man he could be after.
Strange whip devices fell from his sleeves as he strode fearlessly down the road. The whips lit up and began to burn with energy that burned through his coat, revealing the long, electrically charged whips in both his hands. "Oh shit." Tessa exclaimed before one of the cars came tearing around the corner towards the man. He lifted his arm into the arm and brought the whip down on the car, slicing through it like it was made of butter. Tessa shot up from her seat as the destroyed car flipped through the air, colliding with the ground in an explosive impact that sent the vehicle rolling and filling uncontrollably. "Pepper I have to get down there!" she nearly screamed as the man continued down the stretch of road she knew Tony would eventually come down.
"Happy!" Pepper shouted, shooting up and the two women ran out of the room. They found Happy, rushed back into the car and took off towards the track.
"Hang on!" Happy shouted as he drove them towards one of the barriers before crashing into it and onto the track. They skidded around a sharp corner, the two women being tossed to the side in the backseat, as Happy diverted them out of the path of several of the racing cars. Pepper screamed and Tessa willed them to go faster.
"What are we going to do?!" Pepper yelled, watching Happy swerve out of the way of the incoming cars. "Tony doesn't have a suit!"
"I'll take care of it!" Tessa shouted, knowing she had no choice but to intervene. "Just get to Tony and get him out of here!"
"What?!" Pepper shouted. "What are you going to do?" she asked, as they swerved around the last few cars.
"Look, there's a lot you don't know Pepper, but just trust me, okay?! I'll take care of it!" she said again.
They rounded the last corner and what came into view sent Tessa into full fight mode. Tony was standing in a pile of wreckage, flames burning around him, as the man with the electrical whip-like weapons strode closer. Happy slammed down on the gas pedal as hard as he could, aiming right for the man. Pepper let out a scream as they slammed into him, pinning him between the Rolls Royce and the fence that had stopped them. Tony had jumped out of the way and was clinging to the fence for dear life, suspended above the man and the car's hood.
Tony jumped down from the fence as Happy yelled out if he was okay. "Were you aiming for him, or for me? Because I couldn't tell!" Tony said, his heart still pounding with adrenaline. From her spot next to Tessa, Pepper was a screaming mess. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" she screamed out at him.
"Better security!" Tony yelled back, pointing at the man who had almost killed him.
"Get in this car right now!" she yelled at him.
"I was attacked!" Tony defended, not knowing why he was the one being yelled at.
"Get in the damn car Tony!" Tessa yelled, pushing her door open.
"You're CEO!" Tony kept ranting on to Pepper. "We need better security! It's embarrassing!" he shouted as he walked around the car to the door Tessa was holding open. As he was about to step into the vehicle, Tessa let out a yelp of surprise as the door was suddenly cut in half and it fell to the ground in a burning thud.
Tessa whipped her head up to see the man alert again and looking furious. "GET IN THE CAR TONY!" she yelled before flashing out of the car in a burst of blue and appearing next to Happy's door. "Get him out of here!" she instructed as he stared up at her in alarm, no one other than Tony having known about her powers.
Unfortunately, her plans to get Tony and the others away to safety sputtered to a halt as the man brought one of the whips down on the car, effectively cutting it half. Pepper let out a scream as Tessa opened the gates on her powers and pushed the car and its occupants skidding far away, leaving Tony standing on the other side with wide eyes. "GO!" she yelled at him, planting herself in between Tony and the man.
The man stood up and took a few steps forward towards Tessa. His eyes watched her curiously, calculating his next move against her. He brought one of his arms up, but before he could bring the bolt of electricity down on her, she transported herself out of the way and landed behind him. She sent him sprawling forward with a burst of energy directed at his back. Tessa braced herself as she watched the man pick himself back up and face her. She knew she would be able to defeat him, but the problem was that they didn't even know who he was. She needed to stop him, but she also needed to make sure he was kept alive so they could question him and figure out just what in the hell was going on.
The man swung his arm around, and again Tessa disappeared from sight, landing herself out of his reach as he swung down. When he swung up again, Tessa took hold of his arm with her powers, stopping if from coming down on her. With her other arm she sent out a burst of power, slamming it into his chest, this time with more force. He went flying back through the air and landed on the concrete with a loud thud. Tessa transported through the space separating them as he lay motionless. She hesitantly stepped closer, trying to check for signs of life before he brought his arm down so quickly that she didn't have time to respond.
The whip hit her feet, pulling them out from beneath her. She went falling through the air and the back of her head connected with the road in a painful smack. Tessa let out a groan as she pushed through the pain and dizziness, her vision swirling around her. The silhouette of the man came into view above her and she only had a moment to bring her arm up in defense as one of the strands came down on her again. It wrapped onto her forearm as she held it above her head, sending a painful jolt of electricity coursing through her.
Tessa let out a scream as the whip burned into her flesh, the smell of it filling her nose. She dug into the core of power inside herself and let it burst out of her. The powerful burst of energy latched onto the cord of metal wires wrapped around her arm and traveled up to the man they were emanating from. The device he had strapped to him began to spark with the overload of power coming through it. The electricity went haywire and began attack him just as much as it was attacking her. She let out a roar as she directed more power into him, completely overloading the device. The electricity died out with a small explosion of bright light. As the spasms it was filling her with ceased, she sent one final blast into his direction, hitting him square on the chest and sending him flying through the air and landing several feet away. This time, he didn't get back up.
Tessa was left panting as Tony came rushing up to her while emergency crews filled the area. "You okay?" he asked her in concern, looking down at her marred flesh.
Tessa looked down at the burn around her arm and let out a hiss of pain, cradling it against her chest. It hurt, but she knew it could have been worse and she knew that she would heal. "I'm fine." She said as he helped her to her feet. "Are you okay? Are the others-?" she began to ask, looking behind Tony to the destroyed vehicle.
"They're fine." He assured her. "We're all fine. Thanks to you." He said, looking over her to make sure she really was okay.
"Yeah, well…what are fairy God mother's for, yeah?" she joked as she watched a group of armed officers surround the motionless form of the unknown attacker. "Any ideas what the hell all that was about?" she asked, sliding her eyes over to Tony in question.
"I have no idea." He told her honestly, he too looking over at the man. "Did you see the power source of that thing?" he asked, looking back over at her with worried eyes.
"I know." She said, knowing what he had been thinking. It was far too similar to the arc reactor. An almost exact replica. They needed answers. The blaring of sirens could be heard and as Tessa looked around, she realized for the first time the gravity of what had just occurred. She looked around to all the spectators and all the cameras and knew….she had exposed herself. She had exposed herself in the worst way. Her face dropped as she realized that there would be no coming back from this. The damage had been done.
After Tony had been granted a minute to speak with his assailant, not getting much out of him other than cryptic answers, they all loaded back onto the private plane and made their way back to Malibu. It was a long flight, and Tessa spent the majority of it dozing off in her seat, exhausted by everything. Tony had spent the flight telling Pepper…well, everything. He told her the truth about Tessa. He told her about the palladium cores. And he told her about how he was dying. As Tessa sat, quietly listening, she couldn't help but let her mind wander.
Not only did she still have to contend with the fact that the only person in the world she loved was dying and she couldn't seem to stop it, she now had to deal with the repercussions of her exposing herself to the world. She rubbed at her bandaged arm and began to wonder how things had ever got this complicated. She just wished once…just once….that the world would throw her a bone. If felt like she was drowning under a sea of all the things she had to fear. Tessa was strong. She had to be, given all the chaos she had been subjected to, but she was beginning to feel the limits to her ability at handling everything. She felt like at any given moment she would slip out of control….and for her, loosing control wasn't an option.
She so took a breath and did her best to accept whatever would come. And as they landed and saw the array of black SUVs surrounding the private airstrip, Tessa Knew that there would be no more running. Tony, Pepper and Tessa walked down the steps as the SHIELD agent, Phil Coulson stepped forward from the group of men in matching black suits.
Tony stepped forward. "Can we not do this now?" he asked Phil, thinking he was there to be debriefed again. "I have a headache and I-" he began before Agent Coulson interrupted him.
"I'm afraid we're not here for you, Mr. Stark." He said before his eyes landed on Tessa.
Tony's eyes followed Phil's line of sight until they landed on Tessa as well and realization dawned on him. In truth, he had been so worried about his impended death that he didn't even consider the impacts that Tessa's display of power would have on her life of hiding. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." Tony said, moving himself in front of Phil, blocking Tessa from his vision.
"It's okay, Tony." Tessa said, stepping forward. She looked from Tony to the group of men surrounding them. "It's okay." She said again as she stopped next to him. She told him, knowing since the moment she had revealed herself that it would end here. In truth, she was just glad it was SHIELD coming after her and not Hydra. "Just, go home. I'll be back as soon as I can." She said, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Are you sure?" he asked her, looking unsurely from her to the agents around them.
She nodded. "No more running or hiding."