The Field of Heaven
Chapter 3
It had only been one day since Tony left, and Pepper was already a wreck. She barely got any work done and spent most of her time curled up on the couch in Tony's clothes waiting for him to call or for him to get home. Tony had called when he got to and Japan, like he promised, and had also called the next morning even though it was the middle of the night for him. Pepper loved hearing his voice because it told her that he was safe and still alive.
Since Pepper was clearly getting no work done. She decided to just take a break and watch a movie and hopefully it would take her mind off Tony. She told Jarvis to put on a random movie.
Just as the movie started, Jarvis alerted Pepper of an incoming call from Tony. Pepper told Jarvis to pause the movie and patch Tony through to the workshop.
"Hey Pep." Tony's voice came from the ceiling of the workshop.
"Hi Tony. How's it going over there in Japan?" Pepper responded to the ceiling.
"It's alright. I miss you Pep."
"I miss you too Tony. When do you think you're gonna be home?"
"I don't know. I haven't even seen this Iron Slash guy and I don't even know where to begin looking for him or even what this guy looks like."
"Can't you call Fury?"
"I did, but he has no idea where I should look either."
Jarvis's voice interrupted their conversation. "Miss Potts, there is a man in a large, iron suit approaching the house at an increasing speed."
"Who is it Jarvis?" Tony asked from the phone.
"Scanning subject now." Jarvis said as he began to scan the iron thing approaching the house. "Scan complete sir. The man calls himself Iron Slash."
"What?" Pepper blurted out. "Tony isn't the name of the guy Fury sent you to find?"
"Yeah, but he's supposed to be here in Japan. Unless... Pepper it's a trap! Get out of there!"
A loud boom came from the other side of the workshop. Pepper turned and saw a ten foot tall suit that looked very similar to Tony's armor, except it was black, land in front of her.
"Hello Virginia." The Iron Slash spoke with a low bellowing voice as he started to walk towards Pepper. "It's too bad I sent your precious little Iron Man to Japan so that he wouldn't be here to save you. However, I have other plans for you. And Iron Man is twelve hours away. Just enough time to kill you very slowly, while your boyfriend arrives just to see you alive for the last second knowing that he couldn't do anything to save you."
"Tony-" Pepper said wondering if he was still there.
"Yeah I heard him Pep. I'm on my way. I'll be there in time. Don't worry." Tony hung up and immediately started his flight home.
"You see Miss Potts, that's where Anthony is wrong. He won't be home in time I'll make sure of it." Iron Slash picked Pepper up and flew off to an abandoned building a few miles away from the mansion. However, still in Malibu.
Iron Slash landed with a thud and threw Pepper on the ground. "Don't move. I'm sure Iron Man will be here soon to watch you die."
"Jarvis, revert all power to boosters." Tony said as he flew back across the Pacific Ocean towards Malibu.
"Sir, by doing that the power of the Mark VI armor will be greatly reduced and the suit will not be able to function after the flight. I strong advise against your previous request."
"Just do it. Prep the Mark VII armor. Have it ready for when I get back. What's our flight time now Jarvis?"
"Flight time with all power reverted to the boosters is approximately six hours."
"What do you want from me?" Pepper said as Iron Slash came back downstairs to where Pepper was being held.
"I don't want anything from you. I want Iron Man's suit. You are merely bait for your boyfriend." Iron Slash said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"You'll never get that suit from Tony. He'll never give it to you." Pepper said trying to sound threatening, but not really sounding the convincing.
"Oh, we'll see about that. I have leverage." Iron Slash stood in front of Pepper, who was sitting on a chair tied up. "I have you. The best leverage anyone could ever ask for when it comes to getting through to the famous Anthony Stark. You are all I need to get that suit." Iron Slash turned away from Pepper and walked back upstairs, leaving Pepper in the dark.
"Jarvis, is the Mark VII armor ready?" Tony was ten minutes away from his mansion in Malibu.
"Yes sir, it is." Jarvis responded. "Do you have a plan to save Miss Potts?"
"Yeah." For about once in his life, the great Anthony Stark actually had a plan. "I'm going to stop quickly at the house, change out of the Mark VI and into the Mark VII armor. And while I'm doing that you're going to locate Pepper's cell phone signal. Then I'll fly over and save Pepper from the Iron Slash."
"I must say, that is actually a very well thought out plan Mr. Stark"
"Thank you, Jarvis." Tony smiled to himself and he approached the mansion.
"You just want to go back to your little field of heaven where everything is so perfect and you don't have to worry about people like me. Isn't that right Miss Potts?" When Iron Slash didn't get an answer, he picked Pepper up by the throat and pushed her against the wall. "I said, isn't that right Miss Potts?"
The only thing Pepper could manage to do was nod her head.
Iron Slash let go of Pepper's neck and she fell to the floor gasping for breath. Iron Slash kicked Pepper multiple times in the stomach causing her to gasp for more breath.
"Now Miss Potts, this is the part, where I kill you slowly, and Mr. Stark gets here just in time to watch you die, leaving him vulnerable enough for me to steal his suit right off his back." Iron Slash turned to look at a computer screen. "Hmm. It seems Mr. Stark is bringing the newest model armor, the Mark VII, to save you. Lucky me." Iron Slash laughed.
Pepper felt tears start to roll down her checks. She felt pain in her stomach from where Iron Slash had repeatedly kicked her. She felt pain in her neck from where Iron Slash had choked her. She felt pain in her chest from her heart aching for Tony to stay away and save his new suit. She felt the tears begin to fall faster as she took more blows from Iron Slash's boot to her stomach.
Just as Pepper began to pass out, she heard something crash through the roof, landing with his signature fist to the ground, but that was all Pepper saw.
Iron Man stood up as Iron Slash turned to face the new Mark VII armor.
"I see you brought me your newest suit to play with." Iron Slash said as he powered up the weapons on his suit, which were surprisingly similar to some of Tony's older weapons.
"I see you have some of my older weapons for me to rip to shreds." Tony looked down at Pepper, who had passed out on the ground behind Iron Slash. Tony could see she was hurt, but that she was still alive.
Iron Slash saw Tony's gaze wander down to Pepper's unconscious body. "I see you've noticed your girlfriend, Anthony. I always keep my promises, and I promised you would get to watch her die." Iron Slash turned around and picked Pepper up by her shirt, causing her to wake from her state of unconsciousness.
Pepper looked at Tony with a frightened look on her face.
"Put her down." Tony threatened, charging his uni-beam.
"I don't think I will." Iron Slash responded.
Tony fired his uni-beam knocking Iron Slash unconscious and through the wall. Tony ran over to Pepper's weak body and picked her up, putting her on the bed. He took off his helmet and put it on the ground next to the bed.
"Tony-" Pepper mumbled, softly.
"It's ok Pep. Try not to talk." Tony pulled Pepper's shirt up to look at her badly bruised stomach. Pepper winced in the process. "We need to get you out of here."
"No." Pepper just barely got out. "I don't think I can move." Tears started to fall down Pepper's checks again. "Please, Tony. Can we just stay here tonight?"
"Fine, but we have to leave first thing tomorrow morning, ok?"
Pepper nodded her head. "Can you take off the suit and lay down with me?"
Tony nodded and removed most of suit, except for one glove on his left hand, leaving him in his neoprene under suit. He then climbed in bed next to Pepper, who curled up on his chest and fell asleep. Tony kept himself up the entire night, keeping watch over his girlfriend, soon to be fiancé.