May 24, 2010
Private Air Hangar, Monaco

"My name is Justin Hammer. I'd like to do some business with you, please sit."

After his violent escape from prison, Ivan Vanko sized up the smiling, soft-haired man in the fine suit who had apparently financed his freedom. Ivan still wore grey prison scrubs. He watched and listened closely as the man, Hammer, ate organic icecream and talked continuously, as if they were business partners.

It took only a few seconds for Ivan to realize that this Hammer seemed completely out of his depth. It took a minute for him to realize that this wasn't an act, and Hammer really did believe himself to be some far-thinking business mogul.

Ivan chewed on his toothpick, calculating.

"What I saw you do to Tony Stark on that track," Hammer said as his eyes lit up, "how you stepped up to him in front of God and everybody, that was… wow!" He smiled. "You spoke to me with what you did. And I know that you knew that I'd be listening."

Ivan leaned forward.

"This is why I couldn't bear to have you shipped off to God knows where. It would have been such a waste of talent." Hammer pressed a hand to his chest. "But if I might make a suggestion, you know, you don't just go and try and kill the guy. I think, if I may, you go after his legacy. That's what you kill."

Yes, Ivan thought to himself, sitting at the fancy table in the private air hangar as Hammer talked. This will work very well.

Stark Mansion, Malibu

Maggie got back to the mansion an hour after the others and walked inside, stiff from her injuries and the long flight. J.A.R.V.I.S. had projected three TV screens in the living area and they were all set to different news channels. Maggie paused to watch for a few seconds. Yesterday the authorities had identified the Monaco assailant as Ivan Vanko, a Russian physicist who'd done time for selling weapons-grade Plutonium, and last night Vanko had died in an attempt to escape the Monaco prison. Tony had given a press statement when he arrived back in the States this morning, quelling fears and reassuring everyone of Iron Man's continued vigilance. If the grim-looking newsreaders were any indication, the statement hadn't really worked.

"... senators point to Stark's recent erratic behaviour and Vanko's use of arc reactor technology as reasons for the Iron Man armor to come under government control-"

"What happened to you?"

Maggie jumped at the voice and glanced over to the kitchen where Pepper stood, a phone in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, her face pale as she stared at Maggie.

Maggie hesitated. She thought she'd done an alright job at covering up her injuries, but the spooked look in Pepper's eyes told her it hadn't been enough. Pepper's gaze zeroed in on the lumpy bruise on Maggie's temple, then scanned over her with x-ray precision. Maggie wore a long sleeve shirt and jeans to hide the rest of her bruises, and the bandage over her gunshot wound wasn't visible through her shirt. She stuffed her hands into her pockets to hide the scrapes on her palms. She was stiff and aching, but she hoped her posture was casual enough.

Maggie shook her head. "I know what you're thinking, and I promise, everything's fine. This" - she waved a hand at the bruise beside her eye - "was my mistake. I'll help you with the damage control in a minute, I just want to talk to Tony first."

Pepper's mouth thinned.

"Send me an email with any details about interviews or press or calls you need me to make, and I'll get it done," Maggie continued. She had a flight to New York later today, to check on the Expo, so she could handle any press from there.

Pepper nodded wordlessly, though her lips remained pressed together.

Maggie turned and headed for the stairs down to the workshop, careful to make sure her gait looked normal. But once Pepper was out of sight she took her time down the stairs, careful of her injury. Her side ached and twinged with every step.

She had to squint when she reached the bottom of the stairs. The workshop blinds were drawn, making the space inside dim and cool. She let herself in through the glass doors and peered around until she spotted Tony, standing in the small kitchenette, drinking a green smoothie.

Tony looked up at the sound of her footsteps and his eyebrows pinched together. "You're hurt."

Maggie waved a hand. "I'm fine, but how are you?" She ran her eyes over him. He had scrapes and a bruise on his cheekbone, and deep shadows under his eyes. He looked older and more tired than she had ever seen him. She winced in sympathy as she strode into the kitchenette. "Looks like it hurts."

Tony slid away, as if uncomfortable at her close examination. "I made it out in one piece," he said as he put down the smoothie. He glanced at her. "Where were you?"

"I'm really sorry, I lost track of time and totally missed the Grand Prix. I can't believe that Vanko guy had an Arc Reactor, do you know where he got it?"

The dark look in Tony's eyes as he strode past her to the workspaces told her that he did not miss her evasion, but he answered the question. "He made it."

"He what?"

"Apparently his father had the designs. J.A.R.V.I.S. is running the research for me, he should have everything by this evening." Tony walked around the worktables, picking up gadgets and moving them, collecting old coffee cups.

Maggie ran a hand over her jaw as she paced after him, thinking. "This is going to change things. Already they're talking about reopening the congressional hearing into Iron Man, and poor Pepper's upstairs doing her best to keep SI afloat." She sighed and followed Tony back to the kitchenette. "I guess it helps that this Vanko guy got himself killed, so we don't need to worry about more of your tech being out there. And you stopped him, so really Iron Man worked perfectly. We'll put up a strong front like we have been doing, but we'll need to get Rhodey on board-"

"Why are you doing this?" Tony cut her off, whirling to face Maggie, and the bone-deep exhaustion in his voice startled her.

Maggie fell still. "Doing what?"

"Helping. Trying to fix this."

She frowned. "Because you're my brother, and I don't want to see the armor taken away from you?"

He shook his head. "I know. Ever since I came back from Afghanistan, you've been there for me. And I thought we were done keeping secrets. But Maggie… you said you'd be here." He met her eyes, and just looking at him made Maggie feel exhausted. "You said you'd be here, but you're not, because you're still keeping secrets! And those secrets are getting you hurt!"

"I'm not-"

"Look at you!" he shouted, gesturing to her face.

"Look at you," she shouted back, pointing at his haggard appearance. "Let's not pretend I'm the only one with secrets. You don't understand, I'm keeping you safe, Tony-"

"I'm freaking Iron Man!" He spread his hands. "I've got the strongest suit of armor in the world, and you still think you need to keep me safe?"

The words slid right through her armor and into her heart. It hurt, but she instantly shored up her defenses with anger. "Yes, I do!"

"I'm fine, Maggie," he said curtly, and turned his back on her. "I think you need to take a look in the mirror."

Maggie stared at his back for a long moment, taking in the slump to his shoulders, and remembering the shadows in his eyes.

"Fine." She turned on her heel and walked out. Tony didn't call after her, and he did not follow.

Maggie stormed upstairs, ignoring the sharp pain in her side, and then strode down the gleaming corridor back towards the front door. Her jaw was clenched and her face hot, a million thoughts crowding for space in her mind.

She turned a corner, and instantly jolted to a halt to avoid running into the person striding in the opposite direction.

Maggie Stark and Natasha Romanoff faced off in the corridor, assessing each other with narrowed eyes.

Maggie's first impression was holy moly, that's a beautiful woman. The woman stood about a head shorter than her and had deep red hair that fell in curls around her face, and a pair of intelligent, assessing green eyes. She wore a pale pink blouse and a black pencil skirt.

Then Maggie forced herself to think with her brain. "Who are you?"

The woman blinked, long and slow, and said: "Natalie Rushman." Her voice was smooth, measured.

Maggie's eyes narrowed. "Why are you." Then she realized she might still be a bit distracted, and finished: "Here. Why are you here."

The woman's mouth curled up at the corner as if she could hear Maggie's thoughts. "I'm Mr Stark's personal assistant. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms Stark." She held out a hand and Maggie took it without thinking. Their handshake was short: two pumps and then out, but both Maggie and Rushman did their best to crush the other's bones.

"Right," Maggie said. "How long have you worked for him?"

"Three days."

Maggie didn't know what to make of this. Natalie sounded perfectly reasonable, but there was a light in her green eyes that said come on, you know I'm lying to you, right? How long is it going to take you to figure it out? It was a move in a chess game, and Maggie never realized she was even playing.

"How long do you plan to stay?" she asked. "I know he's not easy to work with."

"I'm excited by the opportunity to continue building my career at Stark Industries," Natalie said with a polite smile.

"Sure." Maggie eyed Natalie for a few long moments before she realized they were still squared off in the middle of the corridor, staring at each other. "I've gotta go."

"Of course." Natalie stepped to the side. "Have a safe flight, Ms Stark."

Maggie walked off, heading for the door, but a few seconds later her eyes narrowed again and she turned around. Ms Rushman still stood there, watching her with a polite smile. I never said I was flying. She glared, but Ms Rushman didn't move or break her smile, so Maggie grit her teeth, turned around and kept walking.

Something really weird is going on. But she had other weirdness to focus on for now, so she tabled the Natalie Rushman mystery for a later date.

Later that evening it was Rhodey's turn to come down to the workshop and yell at Tony. He'd come down just as J.A.R.V.I.S. finished giving his report on Vanko, spitting mad about the political situation and how he'd spent all day convincing the army not to come and take the Iron Man suits by force.

But then Rhodey looked at Tony, really looked, and saw his clammy skin and the look in his eyes. Tony stumbled out of the hotrod he'd been sitting in, and Rhodey rushed to help him stagger over to the worktables and replace his Palladium chip. Tony couldn't hide the tremors running up and down his body, or the shortness of breath.

Rhodey looked down at the used Palladium chip as it smoked in his hand. "You had this in your body?" He slid the new chip into the reactor as he eyed Tony. "And how about the high-tech crossword puzzle on your neck?"

"Road rash," Tony murmured. He took the reactor and slid it back into his chest, sighing. "Thank you." He faced away from Rhodey for a moment to catch his breath and shake off those few moments of fear he'd felt when he thought that this time it was too late, the Palladium had gone too far.

"Does Maggie know about this?" Rhodey asked.

"Know about what?" Tony bluffed. The reactor glowed to life, bringing with it the sense of wholeness and rightness that it always did. He reached for another chlorophyll smoothie and then finally glanced over at Rhodey. His oldest friend stood with one hand on his mouth, peering at Tony. "What're you looking at?"

"I'm looking at you," he replied, his voice low. "You want to do this whole… lone gunslinger act, and it's unnecessary! You don't have to do this alone."

"You know, I wish I could believe that," Tony grit out tiredly. "I really do. But you've gotta trust me. Contrary to popular belief, I know exactly what I'm doing." He raised his eyebrows at Rhodey, who just looked back at him, evaluating and unsure.

Tony pushed down the fear, and let that familiar false confidence slide back over him.

Truth was, he was reasonably sure about what he was going to do about Iron Man. The world needed Iron Man, but he couldn't be there. He'd thought about passing the armor on to Maggie - she knew the suit better than anyone else in the world, and shared his feelings about why Iron Man was important. But the idea scared him. He didn't want to put her in the line of fire, and recent events had shown that she was clearly too caught up with whatever else was going on in her life.

But Rhodey… Rhodey was used to the line of fire. He'd step up to the plate, be a force for good.

But Tony couldn't say the words, not just yet. Tony watched Rhodey watch him, and thought he'll know when the right time is.

Hammer Industries, New York

Ivan Vanko looked up at the metal suits that Justin Hammer had designed and produced, arrayed in the white display room like a battalion of empty men. He climbed the ladder up to one of the suits and tore off the helmet.

"Um, that's where the pilot goes," Hammer called up, sounding strained. "I'm having a tough time finding volunteers." He let out a nervous laugh as Ivan examined the helmet. "I'll take care of that, just leave it."

Ivan tossed the helmet and looked back down. "What you want them do?"

Hammer scratched his neck. "Well, long term, I want them to put me in the Pentagon for the next 25 years." He steadied himself as Ivan climbed back down. "I want to make Iron Man look like an antique, I want to go to that Stark Expo, I wanna take a dump in Tony and Maggie's front yard. You know what I'm talking about?"

Ivan chuckled. "I can do that. No problem."

Encrypted report from Agent Romanoff to Director Fury:

I know I'm not assigned to Ms Stark but there is something going on with her. She and Mr Stark get under each other's skin, but only because they let each other under their skin. They both worry about each other. I don't think Ms Stark knows the extent of Mr Stark's issues. Recommend further surveillance of Ms Stark.

Maggie spent the next few days run off her feet - she spent most of her daylight hours on the phone with various reporters, politicians, and armed forces personnel trying to reassure everyone that Stark Industries and Iron Man were still in a secure position after the Monaco incident. She flew between New York and LA several times, ensuring the Expo still ran smoothly (since Pepper was too busy to do it, and Hammer's upcoming exhibition was drawing a lot of eyes), to have press and company meetings in LA, and also to have in-person meetings with various folk in D.C. She was technically still only a Stark Industries consultant, but realistically she had a lot of sway when it came to reassuring people of Tony's position. Not that she spoke to him at all.

Maggie took calls from Pepper and Rhodey all day, but she and Tony hadn't spoken since their fight. They both knew the other was keeping secrets. Maggie was worried about Tony, and about what was going to Iron Man, and the fact that someone else had been able to build an Arc Reactor. But it was clear Tony didn't want her involved in his personal business. So fine. She'd do her part as a Stark Industries employee and supporter of Iron Man.

At the same time, Maggie had her own personal business. In between company calls and speaking on the news, Maggie was looking in to the trap that had been laid for her in Tbilisi. It was clear that this Agent Barton worked for a larger organisation. She wondered if the trap had something to do with her Winter Soldier investigation - if someone was trying to hush her up. But Barton hadn't mentioned anything about that, and his annoying talkativeness didn't exactly fit the Winter Soldier MO. She followed up the false leads that had been laid for her, creeping closer to an answer.

Pepper kept reminding Maggie of Tony's upcoming birthday party.

"I don't know if I'll make it, sorry," Maggie told her the day before the party, from New York. "Are we sure a party is a good idea anyway, what with everything happening? Rhodey is calling me now asking when Iron Man is going to be back on watch."

A long silence stretched over the phone, before: "Maggie, I don't want to get in the middle of whatever's happening with you and Tony, but I know he would really appreciate having you there."

"Sounds like there's enough people invited that he shouldn't miss me," she said spitefully, then sighed. "I really am busy, Pepper. And he'll get my present regardless." She'd bought him a high-tech smoothie maker, since that was all he seemed to drink these days. Maggie bit her lip. "If Tony asks me, himself, to come, then I will. But I don't think he actually wants me there."

Pepper sighed, and ended the call soon after that.

Pepper tried to pass on that message throughout that day and the next, but Tony was avoiding her. Maggie never got a call from Tony, and so she prepared herself for a night of Wyvern investigation.

May 29, 2010
US Customs Port of Entry, Mexico-USA Border

For the first time in four years, Bruce Banner set foot on American soil.

Stark Mansion

In the darkness of his private sitting room, Tony looked up at Natalie Rushman as she dabbed concealer onto the bruise beneath his eye, in preparation for his birthday party. He really didn't get what her deal was, but there was something like kindness in her eyes.

"Can I ask you a question, hypothetically?" he blurted out. "Bit odd." The Palladium reading from earlier seemed to be burned behind his eyes: 89%. He'd had to button his shirt up all the way to hide the dark markings, and even then they were still visible if he tilted his neck a certain way. "If this was your last…" he reached up to rub at the tension headache building between his eyes, "last birthday you were ever going to have, how would you celebrate it?" He looked up at her.

Natalie appeared to think about it for a moment. Then she shrugged. "I'd do whatever I wanted to do. With whoever I wanted to do it with."

Then she stood up and walked away.

Tony leaned over and looked into his martini glass. If only it were that easy. He tipped the glass back and downed it in one.

Margaret Stark's Apartment, Los Angeles

Maggie had spent the day immersed in the shadow world. She hadn't left her apartment since arriving yesterday, determined to figure out who had laid the trap for her in Tbilisi and why - they were clearly a few steps ahead of her, and she didn't want to fall further behind.

After a few hours of digging into the false leads she got at the source: an IP address which had since been disconnected, but another half hour of tenaciously pulling at the thread yielded an answer:

Agent Clint Barton. SHIELD.

Magge sat back, staring at her computer. SHIELD. Who had first tracked down Maggie Stark in Peru, in an attempt to hire her as a weapons developer. When Agent Coulson emerged again after Tony's time in Afghanistan Maggie had looked into them: they were a shadowy intelligence branch, overseen not by the US Government but by the World Security Council, who were a bureaucratic organisation but who did their best work in the shadows. SHIELD wasn't a secret, necessarily, but most people never heard of them or the work they did.

Maggie had even sent intelligence and leads their way a few times, after the business with Iron Man. She trusted the organisation about as far as she trusted any intelligence organisation, but they seemed capable. She knew Coulson as an acquaintance, and he had even been nice to her - both when she was a drifter, and when they met again at Stark Industries.

But Coulson had been nice to Margaret Stark. She didn't know what he, or the rest of SHIELD, would have to say to the Wyvern. She was almost 99% sure they hadn't connected Maggie to the Wyvern, or they wouldn't have bothered with the elaborate trap in Tbilisi. And it had been pretty clear they intended to take her in against her will.

After doing a little more fishing Maggie made her way to bed, considering what to do about SHIELD. Perhaps she'd give Coulson a call, get some more information about them. She didn't want to join any shadowy organization, but she had come to the realization that the Wyvern might need allies. Having to stitch up her own bullet wound in a hotel room in Armenia had told her as much. Maybe I can't do it all on my own.

With that thought in mind, she checked the TMZ website before she turned off her bedroom lights. Sure enough the website was already flooded with reports and pictures from Tony's birthday party. The mansion was lit up like a beacon and lavishly decorated, packed with people having a good time.

Maggie sighed, left TMZ, then sent Tony a quick message:

Happy birthday, Tony. I love you.

Then she switched off her phone and went to sleep, her thoughts full of SHIELD and men on rooftops shooting arrows at her and the shadows under Tony's eyes.

Stark Mansion

Pepper got to the party late - she'd been held up in a meeting with the SI board - and when she arrived Tony was already drunk. And in the Iron Man suit. She stared, frozen at the edge of the party, as Tony danced and DJed and held court over the ecstatic guests.

A few minutes later she bumped into Rhodey, who took one look at her face and her stammered I need to get some air, and asked: "What's wrong?"

She led him back to the living area just as Tony staggered drunkenly off the small stage, laughing.

"I don't know what to do," she breathed.

A stormcloud rolled over Rhodey's face. "That's it, I'm going to-" he turned to leave, but Pepper grabbed his sleeve.

"No, don't call anyone!"

"This is ridiculous," Rhodey hissed, "I just stuck my neck out for this guy!"

"I know, I know, I get it-"

"Let's call Maggie-"

Pepper winced. "I really don't know if that's a good idea right now, she's angry at him-"

"I'm angry at him!" Rhodey snapped.

"I'm going to handle it, okay? Just let me handle it." Pepper had no idea really what to do, but Rhodey looked to be on the verge of doing something drastic.

Rhodey stilled, his eyes on Tony as he waved a champagne bottle around like a sceptre. "Handle it," he said in a lower voice. "Or I'm going to have to."

Tony was having fun.

Or at least he thought he was - this swooping, falling sensation in his stomach and the prickle of everyone's eyes on him was what fun was, right? He hadn't had fun in a while, and he was a little too drunk to remember properly. He wondered if alcohol had any negative effects when mixed with Palladium.

Pepper took the mic from him and tried to send everyone home. She looked beautiful tonight - well, she always did. Smiling for the crowd, but her eyes dark and concerned when they fell on him. You're out of control, okay? She'd murmured to him. Trust me on this one. And he did trust her, with his life, but not even Pepper could save that now.

When she gave back the microphone - swapping it with the champagne bottle, because even irritated at him she knew that just shoving the mic at him would make his stomach swoop with panic - Tony introduced her to his audience: "Pepper Potts." They clapped. As they should.

"She's right," he told them all as he stepped off stage, the suit clanking. "The party's over. Then again the party was over me like, an hour and a half ago. Can I call it my birthday party when my own sister doesn't even show up?" he wondered aloud. But that was a little too close to real. And he'd planned it this way, sort of, anyway. Pushing Maggie away was easier than having her close and seeing him fall apart.

He cleared his throat and spread his hands. "The after party starts in fifteen minutes!" The crowd broke into cheers, drowning out his slowly sobering doubts. "And if anybody - Pepper - doesn't like it, there's the door-" he flung a hand in the direction of the front door and then staggered back when he accidentally let off a repulsor blast, which scorched over everyone's heads and shattered the plate glass wall by the stairs.

He caught a glimpse of Pepper, with her eyes closed, and Rhodey staring across the room with a clenched jaw, but then the cheers and laughter of his crowd, his friends, drew his attention.

The night went downhill after that.

The silver Mark II armor suited Rhodey. He looked like what Iron Man was supposed to be - a strong, determined symbol, sure of himself.

The helmet clanged down over Rhodey's face as the party guests scattered, and he strode toward Tony with heavy steps. "You don't deserve to wear one of these! Shut it down!"

With cognac in one hand and the microphone in the other, Tony turned to the cowering DJ. "Goldstein!"

The DJ's head popped up. "Yes, Mr Stark?"

Something hot and bitter rose up Tony's throat. "Give me a fat beat to" - he broke into a hysterical giggle - "beat my buddy's ass to."

Goldstein, bless him, didn't hesitate before cueing up Another One Bites the Dust. Tony gave him a nod.

When Rhodey launched forward and seized Tony in a hold, Tony smiled despite himself. Here we go.

The Triskelion, Washington D.C.

Doctor Sandeep Khatri did not like working the late shift. But SHIELD protocols dictated that the Triskelion needed at least one on-call forensic analyst on site at all times, and he'd gotten unlucky with the rota this month. Still, it meant he had extra time to talk his student intern through the job, though the young dark-haired Culver graduate had yawned through half his instructions so far.

Sandeep cleared his throat, and the intern - he thought his name was Higgins - blinked and perked up. "We also need to review the active DNA analyses." He gestured to the computer monitor which was running the current database algorithms. "We compare to dozens of local, national, and international databases, as well as the SHIELD database, so searches tend to take a few hours to a few days. Tell me what you see."

Higgins blinked a few more times, then squinted at the screen. "There's several searches running at once."

"Yes," Sandeep said with an attempt at patience. "There are hundreds of active SHIELD cases at any given time, and many of those require DNA sequencing for some reason or other. First we have to handle extraction of DNA, quantitation, amplification, and separation, before we have a viable profile to compare against the databases. You will experience trigger-happy agents yelling at you to expedite the process," he warned. "If you ever figure out a way to explain the scientific method to them without them getting angrier, let me know."

Higgins swallowed nervously. He'd seen a few field agents around the Triskelion, and knew not to get in their way. He couldn't imagine the STRIKE team had much patience for chemistry.

Sandeep turned to move on to the DNA sequencing equipment, but then the intern said:

"Excuse me, doctor, I think this analysis is finished?"

Sure enough, a second later the computer let out a low ding. Sandeep turned, sighing, to see the third case down on the screen - CB20100523 - read database match complete. He fired up the monitor next to the readout screen. "Okay, so it's coming up with a partial known match, that's great. It's for the Wyvern case, Agent Coulson briefed me personally about this one; I've spent the last week on extraction and amplification since it was a small sample size." He turned to Higgins. "What we'll need to do now is quality assure the results, collate a report for the case file, and then contact the agent in charge."

Sandeep turned back to the results screen and ran an eye over the data. He froze.

Higgins leaned over his shoulder. "Does that say…?"

Sandeep frowned, closed the software, and then opened it again. He searched the case number, then re-checked the database match.

Higgins wasn't yawning now. "It is," he breathed.

Sandeep stared at the screen a moment longer before he pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Higgins asked, his voice high.

Sandeep let out a breath. "We need to get these results straight to Director Fury."

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

Doctor Jane Foster chewed her lip as she ran over the data on her jury-rigged equipment, her arms crossed.

"So what's up with the flashing and the beeping and whatnot?" called her irreverent assistant, Darcy Lewis. The Culver undergrad was tipping whiskey into her coffee thermos.

Jane didn't take her eyes off the readings. She could tell Darcy the details - that the strange atmospheric phenomena of the past few days was only increasing in intensity, more than likely the sign of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge forming in the desert.

Instead, she just said: "I think I need to call Erik Selvig."

May 30, 2010
Downtown Los Angeles

Maggie woke up at dawn. She rolled out of bed, got dressed, and then headed out to make the short walk to her local coffee shop for breakfast. Yawning, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it on.

Right away, she knew had happened. She had a half dozen missed calls from various people, and dozens of automatic news alerts, but the first notification that popped up was a text message from Rhodey which read:

I don't know what Tony's problem is, but maybe he'll listen to you.

It had been sent in the early hours of the morning. Maggie frowned.

She'd made it to the coffee shop so she ordered a croissant and a coffee, and then pulled out her phone again. She decided to google 'Tony Stark news', since that usually told her what the problem was.

"Oh my god," she hissed. The barista glanced up at her, eyebrows raised, and Maggie had to shoot her a polite smile.

It wasn't good. The main headlines read something along the lines of OUT-OF-CONTROL STARK PARTY ENDS IN ARMORED DUEL. Hand over her mouth, Maggie scanned through the articles. The pictures really told the whole story: Tony lording over his partygoers in the Iron Man suit, clutching a bottle of champagne. Then shots of Tony fighting another suit, the silver Mark II. The news reports were saying that was Rhodey?

Then there was the blurry phone footage: the two suits throwing each other through walls, falling through the roof, duelling it out in the shattered mansion downstairs kitchen. Their eyes glowed and Maggie could tell they were shouting at each other, though she couldn't make out the words.

The red Iron Man suit slammed the other through a countertop, then turned to face the camera - to where the partygoers stood, gawping and filming. Then he hunched over and roared at them, like some kind of monster.

The footage cut out.

Maggie didn't hear her name when the barista called it. Her eyes were fixed on her phone screen as she scrolled, her heart pounding.

Terrified partygoers… reports of an explosion at Stark Mansion… an Iron Man suit seized by Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes… Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts unavailable for comment…

Maggie felt utterly, utterly cold. I wasn't there. She didn't understand how this had happened. Tony and Rhodey fighting? It felt as if the world had flipped upside down overnight.

But… Maggie saw now that the signs had been there. Tony pushing her away, his strange, sudden decisions, the shadows under his eyes. Something is seriously wrong.

"Ms Stark?" came a loud voice.

Maggie flinched and looked up, tearing her eyes off her screen, to see the barista holding up her coffee with an expectant look. "Sorry." She hurried over to take it.

The barista shook her head. "No worries. Hope everything's okay." From the depth to her expression, Maggie knew that this barista had read the morning's news.

She grimaced and walked out, juggling coffee, croissant and phone. But her stomach churned, and she doubted she'd be able to eat anything. She walked back down the street slowly, staring straight ahead, the images and reports buzzing in her mind.

But then, even in her state of shock, she sensed it. Something is wrong here. She kept her pace measured, but allowed her senses to expand outward, across the street and to the buildings around her. What is it? What had caused her sudden prickle of anxiety?

A moment later she caught it: on the other side of the road, a man wearing a large hat and sunglasses walked past. He'd also walked past her on her way to the coffee shop. Twice. Maggie's skin prickled and her fingers tightened incrementally on her coffee cup as she considered her options-

But then - "Happy?" Maggie blurted out his name the second she recognized him, and stopped in her tracks. The man on the other side of the road hunched his shoulders and continued walking away, but Maggie knew that build and that gait anywhere. She dashed across the road, which was near empty given the early hour, and caught up with the man easily. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Happy, what are you doing here?"

Because it was him, sure enough. Happy wore his usual black suit, with a thick coat over it, sunglasses, and a felt cap. He smiled awkwardly at her and took a few steps back.

"Happy?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking anywhere but her. And Maggie put it together - the strange clothes were an attempt at a disguise, and that was guilt on his face.

"You were following me," she realized.

"Maggie-" he began, apologetically.

Her teeth ground together. "Tony told you to follow me."

He winced as he pulled off the ridiculous hat. "I've just been keeping an eye on your apartment, he didn't mean-"

"Maybe you should be watching Tony instead, Happy, so he doesn't do shit like this," Maggie hissed, grabbing her phone and shoving the news headlines in his face.

Happy scanned the headline and the picture of the dueling suits, and his face fell. His crushed expression melted Maggie's flare of anger.

She took a deep breath and stepped back. "No, I'm sorry," she said, before he could get out a word. "You did what Tony asked you to do, you couldn't have stopped this." She took another deep breath - in, out. It all crashed down on her: Tony battling Rhodey in a suit in their home, the fight they'd had earlier, the secrets and the painful, glacial way they kept falling apart. She set her shoulders. "Right. This ends now."

Happy's eyes widened. "Maggie, what are you-"

But she was already running back across the street.

Maggie had her phone to her ear by the time she'd stormed toward her motorcycle in her building's garage. The call connected straight to the secure line to J.A.R.V.I.S.

She didn't let him get out his usual polite greeting. "J.A.R.V.I.S.," she grit out as she tugged on her riding gloves, "you're going to give me Tony's location right now or-"

"I have just sent his coordinates to your phone, Ms Stark."

Maggie blinked. "Oh, I really thought I was going to have to convince you."

"I believe it is in Sir's best interests for you to speak with him," J.A.R.V.I.S. said diplomatically.

"Alright then," she replied, swinging one leg over the bike and reaching for her helmet. "Cheers, J." Her phone dinged as he sent the coordinates through, and she checked the screen. "What on earth is he doing there?"

Randy's Donuts, Inglewood

Maggie screeched into the donut store car park on her motorbike.

She really should have noticed the suited men and women guarding the perimeter of the empty donut store, but she'd been thinking over the footage from last night and Happy spying on her on the drive over, and she was incensed. She tore her helmet off as she parked and stormed toward the door, her hands balled into fists.

The agents maintaining the perimeter certainly noticed Maggie, but only just managed to get an incoming transmission into their commpieces before she burst through the door and shouted:

"You're spying on me now?"

The minute the words left her mouth, Maggie paused.

Tony was in there alright, sitting in a yellow booth in the Iron Man armor, nursing a cardboard cup of coffee. But he wasn't alone: he sat across the table from a black man with an eye patch, and Natalie Rushman, who wore some kind of tactical suit. The Iron Man helmet sat on the table between them. All three people glanced over at Maggie's shout and now stared at her - Tony with something like panic, and the other two with carefully even expressions.

Reviews

DBZFAN45: I'm really glad you enjoyed the Wyvern v Hawkeye fight, and I hope you enjoyed Maggie and Nat meeting in this chapter! You've been looking forward to it haha. And yes, Tony got his birthday party as you'll have read by now :) See you next time!

The1975Love: Clint didn't really want to hurt Maggie, to be fair she was trying to beat the shit out of him. I'm glad you're passionate! Thank you for your enthusiasm and love for this story :)

Wyrleen: Hopefully you enjoyed all the characters packed into this chapter too! Your review came just after a not-so-nice one, so thank you for that :) And yes, Clint wasn't really trying to hurt Maggie - if he was she mightn't have gotten away so easily. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

EchoMoment: I'm so glad you're enjoying this story! Thank you for reading :)