Howie stared at the screen, rolling his eyes at his friend's shocked expression. He was sat in the garage, laptop resting on his knees, om video call to James. The younger boy was in an office of some kind, hands tucked under his chin and elbows resting on the desk.

'He gave them your address?'

Howie pinched the bridge of his nose, looking sideways at his dad. Tony was frantically typing to the computers trying to discover something before JARVIS downloaded the CCTV from the Mandarin attack.

'Yes James. He gave them our address.' Howie rolled his eyes as James started laughing. 'It's not funny. I could have a dozen journalists at my door any minute.'

'Or terrorists. ' James pointed out. 'Terrorists are worse.'

'You don't know journalists like I do.' Howie said. James pulled a face at him for that. 'At least I'm allowed to hit terrorists.'

James laughed, typing a bit on the computer to his left. He looked to the right as someone spoke to him about deadlines and partners. He shook his head, replying with similar words. He nodded a couple times before looking back at Howie, an easy grin appearing on his face.

'Sorry about that. The boss wants all this work finished by Monday but its near impossible. Pete's not finished yet and I can't do anything until then.'

'I bet all the rubble makes it even harder.'

'Don't get me started.' James moaned. 'I was walking in the other day and I swear this giant ass lizard comes running through the streets.'

'Followed by Spiderman, I'm sure.'

'Followed by Spiderman, the menace.' James said with an eye roll. 'Then some of X-Men turned up and, long story short, I was like twenty minutes late for work.'

'Enjoying work then?' Howie said with a laugh. James poked his tongue out, squeezing his eyes shut.

'I am actually, thank you very much. Never a dull day.' He shrugged. 'I did feel bad the other day, though. We went to an exhibition for the Battle of New York and there were just so many broken buildings.'

'Well, that's not your fault, is it? You're not the one who invaded Manhattan, Jim. You're a hero, remember, we talked about this.'

'There was definitely at least two apartment complexes I destroyed without needing to.' James frowned. 'And I know I'm a hero, How, it just seems like no one else does.'

Howie leant back in his seat, sighing slightly. James seemed to vary between two points of view; either he thought himself a monster that was too dangerous to be around normal people (the less likely one) or he thought he was a hero and grew angry, though not completely angry, when others didn't recognise it. It was always difficult to tell what James was feeling, especially as he would switch as the drop of a hat.

'Sod em.' Howie said finally. 'If they don't like you, just ignore them. What can they do to you? The press loves you-'

'The press call me a monstrosity.'

Howie faltered a bit, nodding his head sideways. 'In a way, yes. They call the other guy monstrosity.'

'The other guy is still me.' James said, almost absentmindedly. Howie wondered how much he was actually paying attention to the conversation, even if it was about him. He tapped at his computer, frowning. 'They don't like me Howie, I can tell.'

Howie rolled his eyes. 'Well, at least they don't know where you are. I have to talk to the people who don't like me.'

James scoffed. 'Why would anyone-'

'Not like me?' Howie said, raising an eyebrow. 'Poor little rich kid who spent his whole life safe from everything and getting whatever he wanted. Yeah, no one dislikes me.'

James' eyes narrowed. 'Your life wasn't that easy, How. You were kidnapped when you were eight.'

'Seven. I turned eight a couple months later but I always get it wrong when I tell people. And anyway so did you.'

'Actually, I was six the first time I was taken away from my dad.'

'I was two.' Howie said, his eyes downcast. On the screen, James made a noise low in his throat. The boys both set their jaws, refusing to be the first to look away.

'Well.' James said finally, the smallest of grins gracing his face. 'This is getting depressing.'

Howie had to laugh, even if it was slightly bitter. The main reason he liked James was the boy's bluntness. It probably came from a lifetime of not being around people but it was still refreshing. Well, most of the time. Sometimes he just wanted the younger boy to be quiet.

'Yeah, and besides, you should be working on my house '

James laughed, a proper laugh. 'I'll pop round this afternoon, make sure everything's going okay. See ya, How.'

'Bye James.' Howie grinned, pressing the hang up button. He looked across at his father, sighing when the man didn't even look at him.

Howie left the workshop, heading for his room. His dad was focused on the job and probably wouldn't even notice him leaving. Howie walked upstairs, stopping at Pepper's door.

'You okay?' He said, as she threw Tony's clothes into a suitcase. He expected some of them would be ripped, giving the violent way she was packing them. 'He's an idiot, you know that.'

'He gave them our address.' Pepper said, practically snarling. 'Twelve years he keeps you a secret, hides you away here and four months after I move in, he gives the whole world our address.'

'Its nothing to do with you.' He said, wishing he had someone else with him. One of the girls, or James, just someone who could back him up and stop him worrying. Although James didn't exactly help with the second part. 'He didn't mean it like that.'

'I know, I know.' Pepper sighed. She looked suddenly older and Howie wished he knew her enough and was confident enough to give her a hug. 'Just...pack your stuff, okay.'

Howie nodded, walking down the hall. He already had a suitcase out, most of his clothes already folded up inside. He grabbed a backpack, opening it up and throwing a hoody, some shorts, shirts and shoes in the bottom. He grabbed his crutches, pushing a button in the side so they folded up. He bent down to pull two compact suits from under his bed. One, similar to his dad's mark V suit, he put straight into his suitcase, while the other, split into several smaller parts that assembled together, he put in his backpack. He emptied his mini-bar into his backpack, not knowing how long he'd be gone.

He scowled when the doorbell rung, refusing to leave his room. He grabbed his photo album, small but important, and put it in the backpack, burying it under another sweater.

He looked around the room, sighing slightly. This had always been his room, cramped and hidden away. When he was a baby it had had a proper door, with a handle and a lock. Tony had slept with him most nights, when he didn't have someone sleeping over and the room had been soundproofed for the times he did. When Howie was two, someone had broken in, the head of a rival company, and stolen several thousands pounds from Tony's safe, blueprints for future weapons, one of the bots and Howie, sleeping in his bed. When Howie had gotten back, the door had been replaced with a sliding part of the wall, the handle with a sensor you had to press in exactly the right place and the lock with an alarm that would tranquilise you if you got the sensor wrong twice.

When New York happened, Howie demanded his door back, and he'd never been so happy to see a lock or a handle. The security measured had been designed to keep people out but they also kept him in, leading to his preference for small spaces. With the lock, he got to decide when he saw people and the handle meant he could actually walk about in the house without using the vents. The sliding wall had only opened from the outside, after all.

'Howie!' Tony shouted from downstairs. 'Get down here.'

Howie rolled his eyes, closing the backpack and heading back to the stairs. He leant round the top, raising his eyebrows at his dad and the woman he was stood with. Tony raised a hand to point at Howie, who glared down at him.

'You're not his mum, are you?'

Howie pulled his face back, glancing at the woman. She didn't look like him but he guessed...

'No.' The woman said, clearly affronted. 'Look, I need to be alone with you. Somewhere...not here. Its urgent.'

Tony shrugged. 'Normally I'd go for that sort of thing, but now I'm in a committed relationship.'

Something flew past Howie's side and he looked up at Pepper, even when Tony didn't flinch.

'It's...with her.'

'Tony?' Pepper said, stepping up behind Howie and placing a hand on his shoulder. 'Is somebody there?'

'Yeah, its Maya Hansen.' Tony said with a smirk. 'Old botanist pal that I used to know, barely.'

He leant in, muttering something to Hansen, who rolled her eyes and whispered back. Raising her voice, she looked around at Howie on the stairs.

'I need your help.'

'What for?' Howie said, shrugging slightly. They were a bit busy, it better be important. 'Why now?'

Hansen glared at him, though he doubted she could see Pepper. He had positioned himself so he could barely be seen, and she was even more out of sight.

'Because I read the papers.' She said, acidly. Howie wondered what he had done to annoy her. 'And, frankly, I don't think you'll last the week.'

'We'll be fine.' Tony said, Pepper taking that as her cue to walk down. She patted Howie's arm as she moved and he watched her go silently. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, he stepped down at bit, to about halfway, just in case this Maya Hanson tried anything. Tony had a suit on but it was the Mark XLII and he wasn't likely to fight someone he described as an old pal.

'I'm sorry.' Pepper said, her voice laced with annoyance that only Tony and Howie would be able to pick up on. Howie smirked slightly as Tony's face dropped. He had clearly been enjoying himself until he realised how trouble he was in. 'With Happy in the hospital, I didn't know we were expecting guests.'

'We weren't.' Howie said, grinning at his dad when he glared upwards.

'And old girlfriends-'

'She's not really.' Tony tried to defend himself.

'No not really.' Maya said, an edge of frustration in her voice. 'It was just one night.'

'Yep.'

'That's how you did it, isn't it.'

'Well... you know.'

'Yeah.'

Howie rolled his eyes, taking another few steps down the stairs. This was what always happened when someone from dad's past visited, no matter who it was. All three would talk over each other, as if trying to prove they didn't have a problem with the situation while making it plainly obvious that they did.

Pepper gave a fake smile. 'You have saved yourself a world of pain.'

'What?' Tony said, looking up at Howie as if expecting support. He just shrugged, stepping down a few more steps.

'Trust me.' Pepper grinned, slightly more genuine now but becoming predatory.

'I'm sure.'

'We're going out of town.' Pepper said, ignoring Tony's scandalised look.

'Okay. We've been through his.' Tony patronised, smirking slightly. 'Nope.'

'Yep!'

'The man says no.'

Howie laughed as they started talking, again all over each other. They were even beginning to yell, getting angry over very small things.

'Don't touch her bags.' Tony said when Maya stepped forward to help Pepper. He glowered at Howie when his son snorted.

'Tony, this is how normal people behave.' Howie said, putting on his best annoying parent voice. Tony's glare only increased.

'Stay out of this, Howie.' He said, turning back to Pepper. 'I can't protect you out there. I challenged-'

'Is this normal?' Maya said, pointing at the giant rabbit in the corner. Howie had to hop down a few more steps to properly pull a face at it.

'Sadly, that...'

'Yes, this is normal!' Tony shouted.

'Very normal.' Howie added, widening his eyes slightly.

'It's a big bunny, relax about it.'

And then Tony and Pepper were arguing again, about the rabbit this time, as if their previous conversations weren't petty enough. He looked at Maya expectantly when Pepper proclaimed she didn't like the rabbit, Tony's entire face falling.

Maya was looking at the television screen, completely ignoring everyone else. Howie couldn't see what she was staring at, his height meaning the edge of the ceiling blocked it out. He took a few steps down, returning his gaze to the arguing couple as he did so.

'Do we need to worry about that?' Maya's voice cut through their arguing and Howie looked up again, his eyes widening when he saw the screen.

Helicopters were waiting outside the house, clearly not part of the press. Even as he watched, FRIDAY informed Howie that they were equipped with rocket launchers and machine guns.

'Oh, crap.' He muttered, running up the stairs. Something exploded behind him, propelling him upwards.

He hit the wall at the top of the stairs, barely managing to twist so his back took the blow. Moaning slightly in pain, he stood up, struggling towards his room. Another explosion and the house started to tilt, Howie almost falling backwards. He pressed a button on his hip, wires shooting out of his leg and attaching him to the ground. It was unstable but it would him there for a minute or two. He looked up, eyes widening when he saw half his room falling towards him. He held his right hand towards the bannister, twitching his fingers. A grappling wire sped out of the centre of his palm, wrapping around the metal. Hitting his hip and tensing his hand, he shot forward, detaching from the floor and gripping the bannister with his metal arm. He immediately wished he hadn't used the grapple because it had broken on impact and he didn't have another one. He jumped up as his suitcase shot past him, trying to grab the backpack as it slid past. He missed, cursing and looked down at his dad. Tony was pushing the person in the suit, which must be Pepper, towards the door.

'Stop stopping!' Tony shouted, giving her a shove. 'Get her and get outside. Go!'

Pepper finally moved and Howie looked around, trying to find something he could use to help. A creak beside him made him look up, seeing the metal of the bannister warping.

'You have to be kidding.'

The metal broke in his hands, Howie trying to grab the ground as he fell. He grunted when he hit the floor, unable to grip the carpet as he started sliding downwards. He looked towards his feet, gulping when he saw the broken glass window coming towards him. All he could see was the open air and he was speeding toward it with no way of stopping himself. He closed his eyes, expecting to feel the glass cutting him.

His feet hit something solid, his knees bent and he opened his eyes. He was on the ground floor, which was no where near as tilted as the upper one. His feet were pressed to the wall next to the stairs, and there was a faint buzzing in his ear, like static.

'Howie!' Tony shouted from somewhere. 'You okay?'

'Yeah, I'm good.' He shouted back, looking up the stairs. He was sure...there was no way...

He shook his head, getting to his feet. He had no weapons, so he had to get out as quickly as possible. He watched, wide eyed, as the parts of the Mark XLII flew in, attaching themselves to Tony.

'Dad, I don't have a suit!' Howie said, hoping Tony would give one to him.

'Get outside, then!' Tony said, as if it was obviously. 'Get to Pepper! That's one.'

Howie looked outside at the helicopters, spotting only two still flying. Nodding, mostly to calm his nerves, he ran through the house, yelping when the floor started to move again.

'That's two. Howie, get out! I can't protect you with this suit.'

Why are you wearing it then? Howie thought, rolling his eyes. He jumped behind the sofa, bracing his back against it. The floor shook, and he watched the kitchen fly past him. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves as several rounds of gunfire sounded around him. As soon as there was a second respite, he dashed forward, grabbing the pipes that had formerly been attached to the dishwasher. His legs swung out when the floor collapsed and he was unable to stop himself screaming slightly.

He held on tightly to the piping, even as he found himself with no footing. He looked sideway, seeing the rapidly disappearing floor and swung himself on the piping, landing with a roll and trying to sprint towards the door. He heard his father shout and paused briefly, looking behind himself.

'No!' He yelled, trying to run towards his father. He couldn't get there before Tony fell, the new underdeveloped suit unable to fly. Howie skidded to a stop at the edge of the house, staring down at the water. He couldn't see any movement. 'Oh god.'

'Sir, you have to move.'

He couldn't concentrate enough to tell if it was JARVIS or FRIDAY shouting at him. He just stared down at the water, leaning against the house's last remaining wall.

'Sir, move!'

The last time his dad had been about to die, Howie had gone with him. Maybe he should jump down, try and drag his father out.

'Sir!'

And then something hit his chest, blowing him backwards. He looked down as he sprawled out, seeing the bullet imbedded in his shirt. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he didn't have metal built into his skin anywhere else but his ribcage. The terrorists' aim was impeccable.

'I'm moving.' He muttered, trying to get up but he is still winded. The words come out rushed and breathless and he knows no one will believe him. 'I'll go.'

But then there was another explosion and the house began to cave in. He was sliding and the AIs were shouting but he couldn't do anything, couldn't help himself at all. The metal exoskeleton that connected his prosthetics to his arc reactor may have caught the bullet but it still hit him with full force and he was stunned. Couldn't even think as he rushed towards the open window. The house was moving down the cliff and Howie was going to fall out.

His body soured out of the window, projected far out into the ocean. Howie's eyes drifted closed as he fell into the water.