Hello all…just a quick note—well, believe it or not, this is actually only the FIRST part of this chapter! I know! I figured I would separate it when I looked down to see how long it had gotten!
I have posted a few pictures on my Flickr account—one picture is of the dress I imagined Tony offered Pepper in chapter 16…
…and the other picture is my thoughts on what Vincent Case looks like.
I am a visual person and I like to picture people when I am reading…so this is for all of you who do the same! I will be adding more as I find the right inspiration.
If you go to flickr . c o m, then search under 'people' for my account: staarss2000 you will find my page…if you don't, let me know, and I can try to get you there somehow…
Please read and enjoy…!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here…just borrowing!
Previously…
'He placed his foot in the path of the door and then removed the jacket from his other arm, revealing a gun with a silencer attached to it. "This." He said, pointing the gun directly at her.' –Richard, surprising Pepper.
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'…there was definitely something behind those guarded eyes of hers that was beginning to drive him mad. He wondered in disbelief why he hadn't noticed it in all of the years before…'--Tony, referring to Pepper.
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'Deciding that she'd had enough of his boyish antics, she lifted her right foot slowly, then jammed the sharp point of her stiletto into the top of his left foot.'—Pepper, putting Tony in his place.
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Chapter 17: The Heart of the Matter, Part I
Tony swirls the amber liquid in his glass and leans against the edge of the bar. The slightly melodic sound of soft jazz from the band combined with the buzz from the scotch he has been drinking only served to help a mere hour to pass during the boring fundraiser. He had promised Pepper he would at least stay long enough to listen to the speeches, and to accept an award for being one of the top donors for tonight's event. He frowns when he glances at his watch: 8:45pm. He had at least another forty-five minutes before he could sneak out of the party without getting yelled at.
Tony shifts and turns once again towards the bartender. "Hey, barkeep! How's about another?" he says, holding up his glass; the soft clink of the ice cubes signaling the need for more liquor. Once his glass is refilled, he turns around, places his elbows on the bar and leans back.
Tony surveys the room, casually taking notice of the women that were scattered about. Apart from a few eye-catching waitresses, the attendees of tonight's benefit were older, married women, and Tony was not about to make that mistake—again.
Not that he was really looking to hook up. He smirked at himself, when have I not been looking to hook up?
It was more of a habit of his to immediately begin searching for his next playful fling when he came to a function such as this. Tonight, however, none of the women really seemed to perk his interest, and he found himself with nothing to do and had no one interesting to talk to. But he prefers not to linger on such thoughts as they only manage to make him think that there was something wrong with him.
His wandering gaze does, however, catch the attention of a rather attractive brunette at the end of the bar. Tony watches as she whispers something to her female companion and then, picking up her martini glass, begins to make her way over to him. Her dress is a bit more provocative than any of the other ones he has seen this evening, and as she saunters over to him he notices that the low-cut front manages to amplify her breasts perfectly—a feature that he truly appreciated on any dress.
Not really feeling up to flirty banter this evening, he twists around to stare at the bottles at the back of the bar, clutching his scotch in his hand.
She stops next to him and smiles. Tony leans further into his drink, trying to avoid eye contact. "You are Tony Stark, am I right?" She says in a thick Russian accent.
Tony tilts his head up at her, surprised by the sound of her voice. "Yes I am. And how lucky of me for you to notice." He says sarcastically, and turns back to his drink.
She looks at it him seductively, daintily holding out her hand. "Yvonne." She states simply, waiting for him to return her the gesture. Her casual seduction draws on his patience, and perhaps at another time he would have continued this flirty repartee until he were leaving with her later in the evening; but tonight, he just wasn't in the mood. He ignores her hand and yawns.
Unfortunately for him, she doesn't get the hint. "You not have date tonight? Why?" She questions, taking a sip of her martini slowly, watching him over the rim of her glass.
Tony's mouth lifts at the corner and he lets out a puff of air. "Because I've made several errors in judgment over the years by keeping the company of women like you in my bed—making it impossible for me to seem like a decent guy, and let's face it—with women like you around me, I don't appear too decent." He replies, takes the final sip of his drink and walks away from the flabbergasted woman. He hears her curse at him angrily in her native language as he continues walking towards the dance floor.
Pausing at the edge of the fake wooden floorboards, he pulls at the collar of his tux and then looks at his watch again: 9:02pm.
"Shit." He curses. "Screw it." Then, making up his mind, he walks straight through the dance floor—bumping several agitated couples along the way—and heads for the exit.
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The interior of the car was dead silent as Pepper steers her own car up the driveway towards Stark's mansion. A single black van trails closely behind. Richard is sitting in the backseat; his gun still trained on her.
Pepper glances periodically in her rearview mirror, watching him watch her. "I don't understand. Why are you doing this?" She asks, breaking the silence.
Richard takes his eyes off of hers and looks out his window, watching the trees fly by as the road begins to narrow. "It's business. Your boss is bad for my business." He replies, turning his attention back to her. "After he had his little change of heart in the way of no longer manufacturing weapons—my whole trade went south. I had to resort to other means of making money. And, thanks to last week's little escapade--"
Pepper blanches, and her eyes fly to the mirror. "What? That was you attacking the warehouse?" The question flew from her lips.
Richard brings himself closer to her seat and grips the headrest. "No, of course not. That was my incompetent brother." He growls, the expression on his face clearly showing his disappointment of his younger sibling. "Had I been there, I would have realized right off that it was a trap—and I would have handled that boss of yours with my own two hands." His eyes darkens at the thought of Tony Stark.
Pepper's grip on her steering wheel tightens. "You have no idea what Tony Stark is capable of." She sneers at the man behind her. Her words came out sharp and serious, but they only serve to anger Richard further. He reaches forward with his left hand and takes a handful of her hair into his fist, causing Pepper to flinch at the sudden pain.
"No, my dear," he whispers next to her ear, balling his fist up tighter, "you have no idea what I am capable of." He spat, then wrenches his hand free of her hair and sits back. "Just drive." He instructs her.
Pepper kept her eyes forward and her lips closed. She can feel the sting of tears behind her eyes but refuses to let them fall—there was no way she was going to allow herself to fall apart now—there was too much at stake. Every second that passes only meant that they were drawing closer and closer to the mansion. She still didn't know what Richard's intentions were once they got there, but she could only assume it had something to do with the suit. She glances up once more to see that Richard has shifted all the way back into his seat.
As slowly and as carefully as possible, she slips her blackberry out from the pocket of her pantsuit. She was suddenly thankful for her choice in clothing this morning. Her normal pencil skirt ensembles lacked pockets and she often complained that she had nowhere to store her phone.
Turning the small device over onto its face so that the light of the screen was not visible, she maneuvered her finger under it to depress the '1' key, causing it to speed dial the programmed number. Lowering the volume to silent on the side of the phone, she hides it between her legs and refocuses her attention back on the road ahead of her.
She clicks on the high-beams as the car begins the last climb up the mountain. The moon is nowhere to be found tonight and not even the stars are bright enough to light up the road in front of her. The night remained darker than usual--in more ways than one.
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Tony revved the engine of his Audi as he sat at the stoplight in downtown Los Angeles. The night was still young and he had no desire to go home to an empty house and listen to Jarvis hand out advice on how to improve the thrust capacities of his own invention.
He rolled the window down and let the cool breeze of the evening wash over him.
HONK!
Not even realizing he had closed his eyes, Tony opens them and quickly stamps on the gas pedal speeding forward. The searchlights of his favorite club beckoned to him as he steered the car towards its valet.
A large man dressed entirely in black came to open his door; but just as he did, he felt the familiar vibration of his phone inside of his jacket. He retrieved the small device and glanced at the screen. A small picture of his assistant appeared before him and he furrowed his brow in confusion. Then, realizing she was probably calling to check up on him, he punched the ignore button—He didn't really feel like getting yelled at by his her either.
He returns the phone to his suit pocket and then, allowing the valet to finally open his door, he exits swiftly, buttoning his jacket as he makes his way towards the entrance of the club.
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Pepper's eyes shift. She looks down and notices that the light of the screen has turned off, alerting her to the fact that the call did not go through. She traces her finger back under the device, locates the send key, and redials.
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The base of the music reverberates through Tony's chest as he gets closer to the doors of the club, and he smiles in anticipation of being inside. Several large security guards patrol the red carpet that is laid out in front, and a huge line filled with over a hundred people waiting anxiously to be allowed admittance murmur to themselves as Tony walks right past them. He only barely registers the fact that the people in line are staring at him, and he could care less that the majority of them are scantily clad women screaming for his attention.
He reaches the velvet rope that blocks the entrance to the front doors and is immediately allowed entrance by one of the security guards.
Bzzz. Bzzz.
The cell phone in his pocket sprung to life once again, and as he pulls it out, he is not surprised to see the same familiar face on the front of the screen.
Sighing, he waves his phone at the security guard letting him know he needs to take the call, steps off to the side, and punches the answer key.
He immediately begins speaking. "I know, I know…I left early. BUT, I did show up and make an appearance. That should count for something, right?" He finishes, then grits his teeth, waiting to hear her displeased voice on the other end. But when it doesn't come, he drops his guard and listens more intently than before.
"Pepper?" he waits, "…hello?"
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The light on the phone dims, but doesn't fade out, and Pepper's heart begins to speed faster than before. She involuntarily clears her throat, catching Richard's attention.
Acting fast, she begins speaking to him. "We're almost there. You do know that Mr. Stark is not home. He's out at a fundraiser and won't be back till late."
Richard licks his lips and smirks. "That's fine. I have you to get into the house. We won't need him till later anyways."
Pepper's lips tighten into a thin line. Her worry extends beyond herself and onto Tony. "What are you going to do?" She asks blatantly, not really expecting him to tell her.
Her intuition was right, he only smiles wickedly at her through the mirror, sending a numbing chill down Pepper's spine.
Her palms begin to sweat and she silently wills her voice to the phone that sits on the seat near her legs. Dammit Tony. You had better be listening to this.
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The squeal of tires and the upset curses shouted from the irate drivers of the cars Tony cuts off seems to fade into the distance as he slams the gas pedal of his sports car into the floor.
Shifting flawlessly and allowing the speedometer to reach its maximum limit, Tony expertly maneuvers the Audi through the busy streets of the city. Reaching forward, he hits a button on the control panel in front of him.
Moments later, the recognizable voice of his AI comes over the car's sound system. "What can I do for you tonight sir?"
"We've got a problem. I 'm gonna need you to prepare the house for an assault. Get all security systems up and running—but keep them all on standby." Tony jerked the wheel of his car to the right to avoid hitting a slow moving minivan.
"Pepper will be arriving at the front gate in a few moments with some very not nice company." Tony's heart began to pound and the blue glow of the arc reactor beneath his white shirt intensified. "Allow them through—give no indication that I've spoken to you. Monitor their activity and report to me until I get there."
"Of course. Systems are set." Jarvis replies quickly, then adds, "Sir? How do we ensure the safety of Miss Potts?"
Tony's jaw clenches. "I don't know."
He enters onto the freeway and shifts gears until he is speeding dangerously fast down the express lane of traffic. The cars on the road are few and far between and he finds himself racing down the freeway at a break-neck speed towards the familiar path home.
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The metal gate is open and waiting as Pepper rounds the last corner of the hill leading up to the mansion. She looks helplessly at the security cameras that follow the path of her car up the driveway and then stay trained on her while she parks.
"Get out." Richard barks, opening his own door.
Pepper waits until he has begun to exit, then grabs her phone with her right hand and slides it into her pocket as she too exits the vehicle. Almost immediately she is grabbed by a pair of strong hands and hauled off to the side of the driveway.
She pulls her arm out of Richard's grasp. "Relax! It's not like I'm going anywhere!" She glares at him, rubbing the spot on her arm he had just released.
"Yeah, well…I'm not taking any chances." He says, and pulls a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. Pepper's hands begin to shake as the cool metal is snapped around her small wrists. He grabs the chain between her hands and pulls her towards the van that had followed them in.
Three men jump out of the van; all carrying semi-automatic weapons, and wearing army fatigues. Their faces are dark and worn—as if they had been just picked up out of a jungle somewhere, thrown into combat gear, and planted right here in front of her. She could feel the pulse in her neck begin to speed up as she watches them check their vests and load their weapons.
Richard picks up his cell phone and dials his brother. "Where are you?"
"Pulling up to the gate right now."
Just then, another black van comes tearing down the driveway, sending the birds from a nearby tree flying off into the night. Vincent Case exits the van with three more armed henchmen—all equally equipped for some impending battle that is planned for tonight.
Vincent's eyes go to Pepper. She shifts uncomfortably under his gaze. "She's pretty. Now I know why Stark strings her about everywhere."
Pepper gives him a disdainful look, then turns to stare at the door of the mansion.
"You know she made a call on your way here, right?" Vincent continues, looking back at his brother. Pepper's eyes snap back to him immediately.
Richard yanks at the cuffs, causing her arms to lift and the edge of the metal to dig into her wrists. She grits her teeth and takes a step forward to ease the pressure.
"Oh really…Who'd she call?" Richard grumbles, staring a hole through her. Pepper returns the glare, raising her chin defiantly.
Vincent smirks. "Stark."
"Well then. I guess we can expect him sooner than we anticipated…" He takes a step closer to Pepper. "Phone?" he questions sternly.
Pepper hesitates only a moment, then decides that she had better not begin to piss him off even more. "Right pocket." She yields.
Richard retrieves the small device and promptly hurtles it into the dense trees on the other side of the driveway. "Alright," he says, turning to his men and his brother, "Let's get inside."
Pepper is led to the front door where she is forced to allow the eight armed men entry into Stark's home. She had expected Jarvis to speak up once the door is opened, but she is only greeted by the darkness of the foyer and the sounds of her heels clicking on the tiles. She moves to a panel near the door, but is abruptly cut off by a large man with a nasty looking scar across his left cheek.
"What are you doing?!" He growls at her.
She takes a step back reflexively. "I'm just turning on the lights." She says innocently, looking from Scar back to Richard.
Richard nods his head and Scar steps aside, allowing Pepper to approach the small panel. At the touch of her finger to the glass, a display comes up immediately with a virtual slider across the front. She slides the virtual bar to the right, and the lights in the house come up, revealing the expansive living room, and lighting the path down the staircase that leads to Tony's workshop.
Richard pauses, getting his bearings and memorizing the layout of this floor of the mansion. Then, turning to the men on his right, he says, "I need the three of you outside. Park the vans out of sight, then patrol the perimeter of the house. Alert me as soon as you Stark arriving."
The three henchmen nod their understanding then leave the room. He pulls at the handcuffs, bringing Pepper's attention back to him.
"How about a tour?" he says, a sinister smile playing across his lips.
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"Jarvis, call Rhodes for me. Tell him what's going on and to assemble a team." Tony instructs his AI.
He turns the last corner of the hill that leads to his home and slams on the breaks of the Audi. He waits and watches as two black vans park themselves near the bank of trees on the side of the road. He shakes his head, knowing that this was going to be an ambush no matter what. Their vans blocked the entrance to the house as well as the driveway down to the tunnel's entrance. He was basically walking into the lion's den with nothing. No weapons, no protection…
…no armor.
By all logical distinctions, this was definitely a lose-lose situation.
Tony bites his lower lip and starts to hit the steering wheel in frustration. "FUCK. SHIT…Shit." He curses, squeezing his eyes shut and planting his forehead on the wheel.
"Sir?" Jarvis chimes in.
"What?" Tony replies flatly, not lifting his head from its spot on the steering wheel.
"Might I suggest an alternate entrance point?" Jarvis asks.
Tony lifts his head slightly, thinking of what his suggestion might be. "The tunnel? It's blocked Jarvis."
"Well, yes. But if you approach by foot, you there is only a twenty-nine percent chance that you would be detected by the intruders…once you bypass their current position, you would be required to scale the side of the hill approximately two meters south. Once you arrive in the tunnel, you will have immediate access to the launching pad."
"Yeah, well…that's all easier said than done. I'm not exactly good at 'sneaking' by people." Tony fiddles with the cell phone in his hand, trying to think of any other options. He accidentally presses a button on the phone and it lights up; Pepper's image looks up at him and his mind begins to wander.
This was his fault. Because of him, she was in danger.
He felt his breath begin to quicken and the blood in his veins begin to flow faster than before. His mind focuses on Pepper and the men holding her. His anger increases ten-fold and his only occurring thought is that he needs to get to her somehow; and now.
Armor or no armor, he was still Iron Man.
Then something else occurred to him…
Despite the seriousness of the situation, he found himself grinning like an idiot. Better yet, he thought, I am still Tony Stark—and if there was one thing that Tony Stark was great at, it was getting his ass out of sticky situations. Only this time, he had a bit more on the line than just his own backside. He needs to ensure Pepper's safety, and the only way he could do that, was if he was in there with her.
This is his turf... his home.
…and there is one thing he knows for certain: these guys have no idea what Tony Stark is capable of.
Steeling himself for the confrontation, he reaches for the handle on the door of his car. "Jarvis, go silent. Listen for my single word command cues." He pulls himself out of the car and buttons the jacket of his tuxedo. "And signal all fire dummies in the basement to be on guard for any possible fire hazards—no matter how small."
"Yes sir. Good luck."
Tony cracks his neck and begins to walk up the driveway towards his home, straightening his bow tie along the way. After all, there's no sense in showing up to his own ambush looking like a complete slob.
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Pepper stares at Richard blankly at his demand for a tour. "What do you want me to tell you?" she asks, annoyed at the request. "This is a house. There are bedrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, and
a home office." She nods her head in the direction of the patio. "Would you like to see the pool?" she asks in a scornful tone.
Her humorous rant is rewarded with a slap to the face. She reels back quickly, bringing her hands up to her stinging cheek. Richard pushes her roughly against the nearby wall and brings his hand up again as a warning. "Don't fool with me Pepper, I'm in no mood. I know Stark has a lab here...we've been monitoring him for months now." He drew himself closer still, the blackness of his makes Pepper look away from him. "Either you tell me where it is, or I put a bullet in your head and throw you in that pool—then go find it myself." He pauses, taking a step back. "Your choice."
Pepper swallows the lump in her throat and looks between Richard and the four men behind him. Pepper is a logical woman--she knows there is no hope of hiding the workshop from them. She decides the best course of action would be to just bring them downstairs. Besides, they won't be able to access Tony's private computer or the Iron Man armor without Tony himself.
"Ok." She replies quietly.
"Good." Richard smiles at her, and sweeps his hand out in front of her. "Please, lead the way…"
Pepper begins to hesitantly walk forward, her heels wobbling a bit with each unsteady step towards the staircase. No sooner had her foot touched the first step did she hear one of Richard's men call for his attention.
"Sir?" The man calls.
"What?"
"It's the guys at the van. They've picked up somebody heading towards the house."
"Who?" Richard asks, his patience growing thin.
"It's Stark."
Pepper's eyebrows fly upwards and her heart begins to pound anew.
Vincent and Richard share a surprised look and then look back to Pepper. Richard keeps his eyes focused on the woman in front of him as he instructs his henchmen. "Tell the boys to bring him in."
"Yes, sir." The man with the radio replies, then walks to the front door to await their arrival.
Vincent walks over to his brother and whispers something into his ear; both of their eyes shift back to Pepper. She was beginning to feel even more uneasy about this entire situation—and that was saying a lot, considering all she has been through already.
Vincent finally speaks up. "If your boss really is a smart man, he will hand over that armor of his," he pauses, pulling a large military knife from its sheath. "…or he'll get to watch his lovely assistant bleed to death on the floor of his own home." His words are punctuated by the sudden appearance of a large blade in his hand. "And I will have no problem making sure he does." He grins evilly, then walks past her and down the stairs to the workshop.
Pepper is still frozen on the spot; one foot sits precariously on the top step and the other on the step below it. Her hands are gripping the safety railing tightly, and for some odd reason there is a ringing in her right ear. The fear and turmoil threaten to overtake her but she suppresses it back down and sets her head high. The years of being the assistant of the most difficult man in the business world has taught her that appearance is everything. If you allow your emotions to run you, then no one will ever take you seriously.
She levels her gaze at Richard, sending him a defiant look, then turns and walks down the stairs towards the darkened basement.
Vincent is waiting by the locked doors, eyeing the hand scanner inquisitively. "Does your handprint allow you entry into here too?" He asks her quickly.
Pepper doesn't answer him quickly enough and he brings his knife up to her wrist. "I can just cut one off and try for myself." He tells her with an insanely serious look in his eye.
Pepper glares at him and moves to place her palm across the scanner. Moments later the doors swish open and the lights flicker on as she enters the familiar room. The smell of grease and gasoline and polished metal assail her senses—she closes her eyes briefly and welcomes the well-known scents that are distinctly Tony Stark.
An impatient hand on her back brings her back to reality and she is guided quickly down the final set of stairs and onto the workshop floor. She looks around quickly and is silently grateful that there is no evidence of anything remotely 'iron man' in the entire room. For once in his life, Tony must have put everything into its place and hidden it all away properly. Her optimistic thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the angry growl of one of the brothers behind her.
"Where the hell is everything?!" Vincent shouts across the room. His voice is absorbed by the sound-proof walls, but it carries up the stairs to his approaching brother. "There's nothing down here except cars and computers!" He yells, sweeping his arm across a workbench and sending its contents flying to the ground below.
"Relax Vin. Stark will be here momentarily. And all will be revealed." Richard says as he enters the expansive space and sweeps his gaze across the room. He too notices that there is nothing in the room related to weaponry or the armor. His eyes settle on Stark's hotrod, and he nods appreciatively. "Now that is something I did not expect Stark to have in his possession…" He chuckles out loud, and runs his hand across the flawless paint along the passenger side door.
Pepper groans inwardly, What is it with men and cars?
"She's the only lady in my life that doesn't talk back." The unexpected sound of a new voice draws the attention of everyone in the room. All eyes fly to the entrance of the workshop where Tony Stark is now standing.
A mischievous grin lights up his face and Pepper sighs audibly at the sight of him. His tuxedo is in perfect order as he stands there looking like a modern day superhero—her eyes travel over his chest and down to where his hands are hanging in front of him. Her relief at seeing him soon turns back to unrest as she sees his hands shackled together in a similar fashion as her own.
Her examination of his appearance draws his attention and his eyes snap up and lock with hers. They share a longing gaze and Pepper smiles slightly as she feels a warmth spread throughout her body at the genuine concern she sees in his eyes.
Tony takes in Pepper's appearance; searching for any sign of injury or evidence of mistreatment of his assistant. He is relieved to see a smile appear on her face as they share a silent moment. His eyes travel to where her hands are cuffed in front of her, and he feels the anger begin to swell in his chest at the idea of Pepper being restrained by these armed men.
Tony clears his throat and begins to walk towards Richard. A set of hands appear on his shoulders, holding him in place.
Richard raises his hand towards Stark and the three men at his sides. "It's all right boys, I don't think he's going to be much of a threat right now." He declares, motioning for Stark to continue walking forward.
Tony's mouth twitches and he brings his bound hands up to scratch at his goatee. "1932 Ford…Been working on it as long as I can remember." Stark says, his eyes glued to Richard and the machine gun hanging at his side.
"You have excellent taste." Richard replies, his eyes slide from the car to Pepper and back.
Tony follows his gaze and turns back to the car. "…She's my pride and joy…"
Richard smirks at Stark. "Really? I would think there was one other piece of equipment in your possession that you would designate that title to." Richard says knowingly.
Tony nods, stopping at the front end of the car. "Oh, yeah…well there is my 1967 Shelby Mustang. I got her a few years back when--"
The sound of a gunshot and ping of metal shocks everyone in the room; including Stark. Then he feels the slightly heated metal of a pistol at the back of his neck.
Pepper draws a breath as she watches Vincent hold his gun to Tony's head.
"DON'T fuck with us Stark!! ENOUGH with the cars and this bullshit!" Vincent is so angry at this point that Tony can feel the tremors that wrack his body through the barrel of the gun. The sound of the pistol cocking causes Tony's eyes to shut briefly.
Images of a cave and the smell of dank and musty air flood his memory.
He shakes his head free of the unwanted images and reopens his eyes.
"Tell us where you hide the armor!" Vincent demands.
Richard walks around the side of the car to stand next to Stark. "My brother's right. It's time to get down to business. I think it's time for you to abandon this cocky attitude of yours and reflect on the gravity of your situation here." Richard warns. The look on his face conveys to Tony that he enjoys the dominance he has over the situation.
Pepper shifts anxiously on her feet as she watches Tony intently; waiting for him to say something.
Tony brings his hands up in a sign of defeat. "Alright. Point taken." He looks to Richard who in turn looks to his brother, signaling him to lower his weapon.
When the threat of not getting shot in the head is gone, Tony takes a deep breath and continues. "I want her out of here. Put her in her car and send her home." He says, motioning to Pepper.
"No. She stays." Richard declines.
"Then I don't show you a thing." Tony's jaw sets and he plants his feet firmly. Defiance set on his features.
Vincent moves to raise his gun again, but this time it isn't aimed at Stark…
…it's aimed at Pepper.
Tony lurches to stand in front of her, and waves his cuffed hands at Vincent. "Would you please put that thing away?!" he exclaims, then points to the large Co2 canisters running along the wall behind them. " There are a lot of hazardous things in here. If anything is punctured or hit, you could cause an explosion and incinerate us all!"
The three henchmen in the room look at each other nervously. Richard and Vincent aren't so easily convinced.
Richard brings his hand up to squeeze the bridge of his nose. "You know…I DO have a bit more patience than my brother here…but not that much." He says, pulling his own pistol from its holster.
Tony watches him carefully and takes a step back towards Pepper. She in turn brings her hands up to clutch at his tuxedo jacket.
Richard takes several steps towards the couple and Vincent flanks Tony on the other side, grinning slyly at him. Richard takes the opportunity to seize Pepper's handcuffs and yank her viscously towards him. She yelps in surprise and pain at being pulled harshly by the metal of the her restraints. Tony reaches for her but receives a punch in the gut by Vincent in the process.
Tony doubles over as the wind is knocked out of him and he falls to his knees. He hears Vincent cackling in the background and then receives several more swift kicks to his side before Richard tells him to back off.
Pepper is frantically yelling at Vincent to stop his assault on Tony, but her protests fall on deaf ears. Finally, Richard commands his brother to stand down, and Tony heaves, attempting to replace the air in his lungs.
The cool concrete beneath his palms beckons him and lays his forehead upon it for a brief moment. The sight of painted lines and hairline cracks in the ground fill his vision and he suddenly realizes that he is lying at the edge of the launching pad. His mind begins to draw on his plan of action and just as he is pulled to his feet by the henchmen, he glimpses Pepper's heels as they move towards him.
He regains his footing, and licks his dry lips. "So…serious, huh?" he croaks out, eyeing Richard and his annoying little brother.
"Yes Stark. Enough games. Tell us where the armor is." Richard brings his pistol up to Pepper's side and Tony begins to panic.
"My Left Foot!" he blurts out suddenly. Richard looks at him oddly.
"What?" Vincent asks.
Tony looks to make sure Pepper is watching him. "My Left Foot? It's a movie. Albeit a pretty sad one at that." he explains, ignoring the confused expressions on the faces around him. He keeps his eyes on Pepper and wiggles his left foot slightly. "It's about a man who can only move his left foot and learns to paint with it and, despite living with a crippling disability, does something amazing with his life. All with his LEFT foot." He laughs nervously, looking between the people in front of him.
Even Pepper was beginning to think he had lost his mind. What the hell is talking about…'left foot'?" She looks at him and wrinkles her brow.
He ignores the look of confusion on her face and continues. "Point is-- the movie is a bit of an inspiration when it comes to my inventions." He changes the subject quickly and points across the room. "See that machine over there?" He asks, motioning towards one of his fire dummy robots.
Richard nods.
"That machine has a control panel on it that will open up the vault where I keep the armor. I just need it over here to plug it in." Stark informs him, pointing to an outlet on the floor.
Richard tips his head at the henchmen, and they walk over to the robot to retrieve it. Stark interrupts their process. "Actually, its got wheels, I just need to call it." He lifts he eyebrows at Richard, waiting for his consent.
Richard tightens his grip on the gun and Pepper's arm. "Fine Stark. Just do it."
Stark nods, then turns to the little robot. "Jarvis! Here boy! Activate, protocol 7." Stark emphasizes his words slightly, trying not to sound like he has an ulterior motive during this whole process.
Vincent and the others watch as the small robot springs to life. Its single arm unfolds and the whirring of components signifies its compliance as it begins to roll towards Stark.
Pepper is aware of the fact that Tony is up to something, so she keeps her eyes trained on him, watching his body language.
Just as the robot comes to a stop in front of Stark, Richard pulls Pepper off to the side and out of the way of the swinging robotic arm. Tony reaches for the control panel on the side of the robot, and Vincent takes a step forward, letting him know he is watching him carefully.
"Stark—I don't think I need to remind you of what will happen if you try something foolish." Richard says, motioning his head towards Pepper.
Tony grins at him. "Trust me…Dick, I'm fully aware of the fact you have a big gun in your hand."
Tony turns his attention back to the panel and hits a series of buttons.
Nothing happens.
Vincent sighs in frustration. "Well?"
Tony frowns at the machine, then takes notice of a set of loose wires on the right side due to a bullet hole. "Ah!" he shouts in discovery of the damaged panel. "There's some loose wiring…thanks to someone's happy trigger finger…" he says, looking at Vincent.
Stark squats down to examine the bundle of wires extruding from the side of the machine. He grunts in frustration, and then pulls a blue wire from its place on the inside. He strips the plastic off with his teeth, pulls out a red wire from the same location and repeats the process.
Pepper begins to fidget as she watches him work, taking note of the concentration in his eyes and the way his shoulders tense up every time her heels make a noise on the concrete. He glances up briefly to catch her eyes, silently telling her to stay calm. She nods her head, but relaxes only slightly.
Taking the ends of the two wires, he twists them together then begins looking around for something. He turns and faces Vincent. "I need a lighter to fuse the ends of this together."
One of the henchmen perks up and speaks, "I got one." He says, digging into his pocket and pulling out a small black lighter.
"Great." Tony replies enthusiastically. "Stand over here and hold it up…wait till I tell you when. I need to make sure the wires are perfectly placed." He directs the henchman to stand to his left, directly in front of Vincent…
…and directly in front of the fire hose-shaped end of the robotic arm.
Tony turns to look at where Richard and Pepper are standing on his right. He directs his gaze at Richard, but his words are meant for Pepper. "Lucky for me, my left foot isn't the only useful thing on my body…" he turns and winks at Pepper and she looks at him suspiciously.
Did he seriously just shoot off a come-on line? Right now?
Then it hit her…My left foot…His left foot…just last week in the office when she'd injured him—she'd managed to stomp her heel right onto his left foot.
Tony holds her eyes for a moment more, praying she understood what he had meant by the whole movie reference--he was about to look away when he notices the corner of her mouth slide upwards; Her head nods the tiniest of movements, and she shifts her eyes down to the ground.
Tony grins, then directs his attention back to the wires in his hand. Holding them up and away from his face, and into the path of the robotic arm, he looks over to the henchmen and smiles fully.
"Alright, big guy, fire!"
Two attempted clicks later, a flicker of a flame emerges from the tip of the lighter…
…and then all hell breaks loose.
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Part II will be posted by the end of the weekend...
Thank you all so much for reading...