Get ready for it to go depressing again :)
So now I have to start tying the story and the series together based on memory... good thing I binge watched the entire series 4 times during the summer :P
Chapter 7: archive
"Is that a new suit?" the low, distorted voice began.
"Titanium Man... Don't..."
The inventor's mind was shattering. He didn't have time to deal with any obstacles, least of all Hammer goons.
My head...
He started flying away at the fastest speed his damaged armor could carry him, but his foe was faster.
"Not so fast, Iron Man," the villain had placed his grasp around the hero's wrist, leaving him dangling.
Extremis... must hack...
The larger suit began to shudder.
"What's going on?! My suit's shutting down! Sasha? Sasha!" Justin Hammer screeched through the internal communications channel.
"AAHHHH!"
A surge burned through Tony's mind. The short, simple use of Extremis was accelerating his already quickly deteriorating condition.
With his enemy frozen in place, Tony flew to the only place he knew no one would look for him: the abandoned Stark mansion.
xXxXx
She spent hours looking through the rubble, but there was nothing to find aside from A.I.M. soldiers who hadn't made it out in time.
He's alive... He has to be alive.
xXxXx
The list of potential cures was getting shorter by the minute. Every method had a million reasons for why it wouldn't work - all except for one.
He had to reset his mind to how it was before the Mainframe.
I won't remember that I... I won't... I won't know that I love...
It's the only option.
If he didn't, his mind would rip itself apart.
xXxXx
"Pepper!"
Rhodey sprinted across the collapsed room towards the sobbing redhead.
"What happened?" He asked, using every ounce of control he had in order to keep the situation from getting worse.
"Rhodey... A.I.M. was... every armor... they must... Tony is... T-Tony i-is... is..."
Her eyes cleared and she looked up for a moment, only to drop her head again to continue crying.
"He's gone..."
xXxXx
He began the upload sequence, leaving a locked archive of his memories - thanks to Extremis - on the computer.
The computer began deleting the experiences he had in the virtual world... certain memories flashing before his eyes.
The warm embrace when he gave her the Rescue armor.
Kissing her cheek after defeating the Makluans...
Sharing the first kiss on the school rooftop on graduation day...
Finding himself in her arms after escaping the Mainframe...
Telling her about how he felt...
Her.
He thought about her.
xXxXx
Pepper wiped the tears from her eyes for a moment and saw her friend collapse, starting to shed tears of his own.
A.I.M. killed Tony. What else would they do want with him now? They already have Extremis...
Variations of the thought had invaded her head since the moment she entered the ruins of the base. The tears covering the redhead's hazel eyes had finally cleared again, allowing her to stare at Rhodey's broken form. He let out a small uneven whisper.
"Maybe he escaped..."
He'd be back by now if he escaped.
It was clear to him what she thought when her sobbing restarted, louder and more ear piercing than before.
They could not even begin to comfort each other. Rhodey had lost his brother, and Pepper had lost her heart.
xXxXx
His eyes lightly twitched and slowly opened.
What's going on?
The boy's head was clouded with questions. Why was he at his old home? Why could he not remember what had just happened? Where had his friends been? What had happened to him?
His answer came in the form of a folder on the computer. All that he found in it was a video, an encrypted archive, and a digital blueprint.
The inventor's first instinct was to click on the archive, but it was encrypted too heavily to be opened without the password. Realizing that it would take him too long to decrypt, he decided to click on the video.
"Tony..."
The genius jumped at the video of himself and stared with utter confusion.
"A lot has happened... and I did what I needed to do..."
The version of himself in the video suddenly winced in pain.
"I... we were going to die. The only way I could save myself - save us - was to erase some memories..."
A tear slowly fell from his right eye, but this time it was clear that it was not from physical pain as he sniffled.
Why was I so sad?
"S-sorry... you have to use the blueprint to repair the armor..." He continued, gesturing at the suit of armor in the background.
"It was damaged when A.I.M. attacked me at the Armory... and then there was an explosion..."
He trailed off, and the video quickly cut to another recording, this time with rivers of tears flowing from his bloodshot eyes. Fighting his sobs, he took a deep breath and continued speaking.
"Tell... tell her... tell her I'm sorry."
xXxXx
"Where is the ring, Stark?!" the dark menace spat impatiently. He assumed that having a crew of A.I.M. scientists working under an expert like Howard would have made this process faster. He was wrong.
"Shoved up your ass I assume," the elder Stark growled under his breath.
"Did you say something?"
"It was nothing, oh Great Khan."
Regardless of Gene noticing the scientist's polite attitude had dissipated a long time ago, he still became irritated at the arrogance that the man displayed.
Arrogant. Just like his son.
The tyrant engulfed himself in an orb of bright light, and a moment later he was sitting outside of the ninth Makluan Temple - outside of his old home.
"He will pay for his insolence, mother. Soon enough, they will all pay... the Mandarin will make sure of it."
So how was that for a happy chapter?
It might take a little while to post chapter 8, but I'll try my best to get it out soon :)
Chapter 8 - Coming soon