The Walking Iron Man

Chapter 2

The Fall of Stark Industries

Pepper's Office, Stark Industries, New York City...

She sat at her desk with her head in her hands. Things were not getting better, the disease was so much worse than anyone thought. Half the employees were dead, and so were half the new recruits and interns. She didn't believe Rhodey at first, until she saw a few people turning.

Not even SHIELD or the Avengers could do anything, it all seemed hopeless. She had tried for two weeks to get a hold of Tony, she hasn't even been able to get a hold of the housekeeper she had sent to the safe house to help Tony out. She had even brought her husband the gardener with her, even though Pepper told them there's no garden at the safe house since it's supposed to look abandoned.

Just when she finally reached Tony a few days later, it was the same excuses, but something was off. He didn't sound like himself. She worried that he must have caught the fever and quickly suggested getting help from Reed Richards. So far it's been a week since Reed joined him and she hoped they were working together, or at least that Tony is getting help from him.

There is a slight knock on the door and Pepper looks up and sees Happy Hogan.

"Come in!" Pepper invites, and Happy walks in.

"Are you OK? Did Tony respond?" Happy questioned.

"He did, but he's still hard at work." Pepper answered.

"Tony survived that cave for three months, I'm sure he's gonna survive this thing." Happy said.

"Yeah." Pepper replied doubtful.

"Are you OK?" Happy asked.

Pepper sighed and answered, "I don't know. This company we worked so hard to build up is crumbling down, half our employees are gone! I sent everyone home to be with their families and to evacuate."

"Speaking of which...We should get going as well. FEMA is setting up a shelter in Central Park, but...SHIELD may have a better one to go to." Happy said.

"I know. Nick Fury called and told me where to go, but I just have a few more things to do. Why don't you go ahead and go there, they'll let you in." Pepper said.

"Are you sure? What about you, who will take you?" Happy asked.

"I will call for a pick up, they do have agents. But I thank you for your concern, I truly appreciate it." Pepper said fondly.

"OK. Well...be safe!" Happy said like he was about to cry.

"Come here!" Pepper said as she gave him a hug. "Don't cry, I'll be fine."

"I'm OK. But if you're not there soon enough, I'll have them look for you." Happy said.

"Thanks Happy, but I'll be fine." Pepper said, before he walked out.

After he left, Pepper went back to getting what was left in order. She looked around for what to take with her. She wondered if things could ever be normal again, or if Stark Industries could be saved. She looked down at the city below and saw more of the dead walking and the living were screaming as the National Guard was evacuating them out.

She finally let herself cry when she thought she was alone. Dr. Doom had sneaked in and was waiting for her to be alone before taking her. Seeing her like this gave him second thoughts of kidnapping her, but if Tony does have a cure, he'll help those around her to make up for it.

Although Doom hasn't really done anything to the Avengers or SHIELD, not since he helped Susan give birth to Valeria safely. Since Valeria was conceived in the negative zone, that made Susan's pregnancy very high risk since she was full of radiation. He used his magic to aid in the labor, unfortunately it left Susan unable to have anymore children as she found out after she and Reed tried to have a third child, but miscarried.

Meanwhile on the highway entering Atlanta Georgia...

Shane Walsh had tried to save his partner Rick from the hospital, but since Rick was still in a coma, and with the National Guard gunning patients down, he couldn't do it.

"He's probably going to die anyways, sorry buddy." Shane justified in his head.

Shane put the bed that was going to use to wheel Rick out, right in front of his door before taking off.

He went to Rick's house to go get Lori and Carl. He told them he couldn't get to Rick and had to leave before the National Guard discovered him and shot him. He had apologized and said how he wished he could have gotten to Rick and carried him out.

They were now on the Highway on the way to Atlanta, where the news told them there would be a shelter. But they were stuck in gridlock for hours.

Carl had made friends with Sophia, who was in the car next to theirs with her mother Carol and her abusive father Ed. Lori had asked Carol to look after Carl while she and Shane went ahead to see what was going on, only to see Napalm being dropped on Atlanta.

Back at Tony's Safe House before Reed's arrival...

Tony turned the camera on to record his progress.

"It's been about two weeks now going on to three since I have turned. Whatever it is that is keeping me as myself, is not keeping my body alive. I am slowly decomposing, so I had made a run to a funeral home. Scared the mortician, but was able to get him to help embalm me. Although it won't preserve my body forever, but it will slow down the decomposition and it got rid of the smell of death. It wasn't an easy decision to make in case there was a chance of curing me, but the fact my body has been dead for weeks, I think that chance is gone. I also have to eat to keep my mind, unfortunately it is people I have to eat because somehow the smell of living flesh and blood is appetizing. I tried to eat normal food, like Schwarma, but I couldn't taste it and the textures are disgusting. I can't even drink water! So...I guess I am officially a cannibal, but am I even human anymore? I don't know, but at least I can continue my work and give those still alive, including Pepper, a real chance to keep living. I took a blood sample from one of the burglars I apprehended, the one I didn't eat yet. Anyways, it was previously thought that if you get bitten and scratched by the living dead, that is what makes you turn. That part is still true, but the blood test revealed that the disease is present in his body already. If I could get a few more samples from other living people, I can see if they too have the disease. If it is in everyone, then the next step is figuring out how it spread or where it came from in the first place. I'll record again when I have new findings. Tony out."

The Baxter Building...

A week later after Reed Richards left, Susan gets a call from Nick Fury to head down to SHIELD's shelter. But she was ordered to go retrieve Pepper first, so she and her children head to Stark Tower.

"But mom! I don't understand why I couldn't go with dad!" said Susan's son Franklin.

"Your father said it's not safe." Susan answered.

"I've been helping him with the research, how is it any different where Tony is?" Franklin argued.

"He said no, and that is final! No more arguments!" Susan said putting her foot down.

Franklin grumbled as he finished packing. Like his sister Valeria, he was also very smart and headstrong, but he was closer to their dad than Valeria is. Franklin didn't understand what she saw in Dr. Doom, especially since he was their enemy.

Back to Stark Industries...

Pepper was taken by surprise when Dr. Doom approached her and made known that he won't hurt her if she leads him to Tony. But he was surprised when she didn't put up a fight and agreed to guide him to the Safe House in Miami.

"I'll admit, it's nice to not having a lady screaming at me, but why are you helping me?" Dr. Doom questioned.

Pepper explained, "I want this to end as much as you do. I just lost half my employees, including my assistant! I've also been trying to get Tony to talk to me, but he has kept dodging my calls. Maybe you will help get his attention."

"I'm sorry about your losses, but my people are just as important and I promised them I would not come home to Latveria until I have a cure." Dr. Doom said.

"But what if there isn't one? What are you going to do?" Pepper asked.

"Then I never come home. I'll have to work on finding one myself." Dr. Doom answered.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go! I can't let you leave your people behind!" Pepper declared.

"Victor? What are you doing here?" asked Susan, who just walked in.

"Susan. I could ask you the same thing" Dr. Doom responded.

"I'm supposed to pick up Pepper to take to the shelter." Susan said.

Pepper jumps in and says, "I'm not going!"

"What? Why not?" Susan asked.

'I'm taking him to Tony Stark for the cure." Pepper answered.

"Pepper, why? Is he forcing you? Cause I will shoot him down while you run away!" Susan said as she points a gun at his head.

"Yes he did sneak in here to take me, but I am volunteering to take him. You're gonna have to shoot me to stop me, but I warn you...I still have my extremis and can heal quickly!" Pepper explained.

Susan sighed and said, "Fine, I won't force you to go to the shelter, but I'm coming with you." She turns to her kids and says, "You two don't have to go, but Valeria...I know you're going to want to come anyways. But you two be very careful and stay close to us!"

"I will, I promise to be very careful and to listen to your orders." said Franklin, who was very responsible, but was also going to keep an eye on his sister.

"Alright!" Valeria responded over being able to go along, especially with Victor, whom she thought their mom should have stayed with and married.

Franklin grumbled at how Valeria was happy to be going along with Dr. Doom. But he at least was glad they would be meeting up with their father at Tony Stark's safe house.

Meanwhile in Atlanta...

After Rick had left Morgan and Duane with enough ammo to get by, he headed to the city, but he found it to be completely abandoned, except for the walkers. He had lost his car at some point and instead rode a horse into the city.

Unfortunately his horse had gotten eaten, and he had to climb in a tank. Later he was lucky that there were other survivors in the city and was able to meet up with them inside the department store. This was where he met Glenn, T-Dog, Morales, Jacqui, Andrea, and Merle, who was causing problems for them. Rick decided to cuff him to the roof, but he meant to release him before they left, but T-Dog had dropped the key and Merle was left with a hacksaw nearby.

They ended up trapped in the store, but Rick devised a way to walk next to the walkers without them smelling them. They chopped up a walker's body and Rick and Glenn cover themselves in it's blood and guts, which worked until it started raining. Rick had also hot wired a Dodge challenger and turned on the car alarm to lure the walkers away so they could escape into the truck. Glenn drove the car while the truck followed behind.

At the camp wit hthe rest of the group...

Shane, Lori and Carl along with Carol, Ed, and Sophia had found their way to the other half of Glenn's group that were camped outside the city. Shane had taken the lead and taken Rick's wife Lori as his lover. When she had gone into the forest to pick wild mushrooms, Shane had followed her and they had sex.

The sound of a car alarm had alerted everyone to Glenn and the rest of the group returning to camp. Dale quickly turned the alarm off when Glenn told him he didn't know how to turn it off. Amy was glad to see her sister Andrea, Morales reunited with his wife and kids. Then Glenn announces to everyone that they have a new guy with them and tells Shane that he's a cop just like him.

Carl was curious about who this new guy was, and couldn't believe that it turned out to be his dad. He had never been so happy in his entire life. "He's alive!" he thought. Every kid in his class had a favorite superhero, some liked Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-man, Thor, or even the Hulk. Carl thought they were cool too, but his dad is and always will be a superhero to him. Now with his dad being alive, that really made him a bigger one.

Lori couldn't believe it either that her husband was alive. She really thought he was gone, though she never knew if he had been turned or was just killed by the National Guard with the other civilians, but he truly defied the odds. She was so happy to have him back that she didn't even think about her new relationship with Shane.

Shane on the other hand was shocked to see his partner here. "How can this be? How did he survive? Did he wake up from his coma, did someone else rescue him?" So many questions ran through his head, but the worst of it was watching his relationship with Lori end right before his eyes.

Glenn was touched to see Rick reunited with his family, but they still had one more problem they will have to deal with, telling Daryl Dixon that they left his brother Merle on the rooftop.

Meanwhile at Tony's Safe House...

Reed Richards has been at his house for a week, but got quite a shock when he first arrived.

The Arrival...

After entering the house, he called out "Tony? Are you here? It's me Reed."

"I'm here." Tony called out from inside the bathroom.

"On there you are. Are you OK? You don't sound so good." Reed asked as he tried to open the door.

"Don't come in! I need to explain something first before you see me." Tony said behind the door.

"Alright. I'm listening." Reed said.

"You're right that I'm not good." Tony said.

"Have you been bitten?" Reed questioned.

"Please let me finish! Then you can ask questions." Tony exclaimed.

"Sorry. Go right ahead." Reed said, persuading Tony to continue.

"There's no easy way to explain this, so I think I should just show you, and please don't shoot me!" Tony warned.

"Why would I shoot you?" Reed asked.

Tony opened the bathroom door, revealing the state he is now in.

"Oh my God!" Reed gasped.

"See?" Tony replied.

"You...you've been turned, but...you're talking! How is this possible?" Reed questioned in shock.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out. I can't even remember when I was turned or what I was doing before it happened." Tony answered.

"So this is why you didn't want Pepper to come here, or let anyone else to know where you have been." Reed said.

"Yes, and I would prefer to keep it this way. It hasn't been easy to dodge Pepper's calls. I thought about letting her think I'm dead, although technically I am dead. But that would involve her telling SHIELD about this place." Tony said.

"This is so...unbelievable! How are you surviving?" Reed asked.

The look on Tony's face said it all.

"Don't tell me you're eating people?" Reed stated.

"I don't like it, but I have to." Tony said.

"How many so far?" Reed asked.

"Six...I think. When I first woke up like this, I was eating my first person. After I made it out, I started to head to this place. At the time I appeared normal since I was still fresh. I tried to avoid eating anymore and tried regular food. But I felt myself slipping and got a huge hunger, and the unfortunate person who was trying to see if I was OK ended up as number three. I made it here after that, but Pepper had sent our housekeeper, who brought the gardener along, so that's four and five."

"What about the sixth person?" Reed asked.

"Two burglars broke in and I ate one of them." Tony answered.

"Where's the other one?" Reed asked.

Tony goes over to the pantry where he locked the other guy up and showed Reed. When he looked inside, he could see the guy looked scared as he was bound and gagged.

"Please don't eat me! I'm sorry I broke in! Please let me go!" the guy screamed.

"Oh Tony!" Reed scolded.

"I'm sorry, but I was saving him for later." Tony said.

"Let's just let him go and we'll figure out a better solution for food." Reed said.

"OK, but how do we keep him quiet?" Tony asked.

"Let me take care of that." Reed said.

Reed talked to the burglar saying that he would be free to go, if he promised to keep his mouth shut about Tony, but as he was being released, the burglar spotted a kitchen knife, grabbed it, and tried to stab Tony with it. Reed had apprehended him and Tony bit down on him and ate him.

For the past week, Reed would go out and try to find those who had been attacked and were on the brink of death, or those who were freshly killed to bring to Tony as food. Sometimes they would turn before they got to Tony, so Reed would have no choice but to kill them. But some he would keep for experiments.

Today, Reed had found someone who was close to death and ready to die. But this time Reed wanted to try a new experiment that he would need to be alive for, so after getting permission, he brought the man to his lab.

"Thank you so much sir! You're doing a great service for us." Reed said.

"Anything that would help my family live." the dying man said.

The man had gotten a small scratch when he tried to fend the walkers away from his wife and kids. Much to the pleading of his family, he voluntarily distanced himself from them before he turned. Reed had found him in the streets where he had chained himself up.

Back in the lab, Reed was trying to create a vaccine the same way anti-venom was made. He hoped it would prevent anyone from turning after they die. If successful, it would prevent the spread of the disease.

He administers the vaccine right before the man died, but it didn't work since he still turned. Red stabbed him in the head.

"It didn't work did it.' Tony said.

"Yeah, another failure."

"Hey, every failure leads to success." Tony said.

"Are you hungry?" Reed asked.

"I'm getting there." Tony answered.

"I'll go hunt then." Reed said.

A few hours later...

Dr. Doom, Pepper, Susan, and her children Franklin and Valeria all arrived at the safe house. Pepper went to unlock the door, but found that it looked like it had been previously broken into. So she unlocked it quietly and had the others enter with caution. Susan had her gun drawn out.

As they enter the house, the smell of rotting flesh hit them hard, and Pepper began to worry that Tony was dead. The screams coming from the kitchen confirmed her fear as she ran toward the kitchen.

"Tony! I'm coming!" Pepper yelled out.

"Pepper wait!" Susan called out as she ran after her.

But the moment they got there, they both screamed. Dr. Doom and Susan's kids followed afterward, and they too get the shock of their lives.

"Pepper! What are you doing here?" Tony asked as he stopped chewing on the person's neck.

Reed, who was holding the person down, was horrified to see Susan and their kids there that he said, "Susan! I told you and the kids to stay home!"

Everyone looked at them both in disbelief over Tony looking like the living dead, except he's still talking, but eating a live person. And Reed, who was helping feed Tony this person. Even Dr. Doom was shocked at them both.