Chapter 24

"How?" Tony whispered and took a shaky step back away from his screen, not believing the image his eyes were processing for him. His eyes then landed on the metal pods above him that kept his suits while not in use, and he held back a gasp when they opened up on their own accord to allow the armors to exit and land next to him. He twirled in place and stared at each and every single one of his creations standing near him and forming a circle around him, all booted up and ready to attack. Despite his best attempts at regaining control over them, none of his armors listened to their creator's commands, leaving the unprotected Tony Stark screwed up beyond help.

"Technology," Tony heard the attacker say and he returned his eyes to the screen. "Isn't it the best? Especially computers; they're in everything and everywhere today. Humans don't realize just how much they rely on them. Don't they?"

"I thought you were dead," Tony said, trying his best to hide the terror that overcame him.

"Define 'dead.'" The voice responded in a mocking tone. "Hammer did kill my body, but he at least let me live through my machines even if I was his slave. But you…Tony Stark…Iron Man…you tried to kill the rest of my soul."

"We had a deal, Fix," Tony pointed a finger towards the floating head on the screen. "You asked me to help you stop Hammer – you never said anything about helping you turn him into a zombie. What did you expect me to do? You changed your plan, so I changed mine."

"Plans change, Stark. You oughta know about it. Didn't your plan to live happily ever after with the late Miss Potts change?"

"That's still the plan, Mr. Fix. I don't believe you killed her. She's smarter than you. If Gene Khan and a Makluan lizard couldn't kill her, you have no chance against her."

The virtual man chuckled and shook his head. "Didn't you get the memo? Her place was the first one I attacked. When your system notified you that her home had been compromised, it really meant to tell you that she's dead. She, the gorgeous redhead; the kindhearted, albeit quite nosey, Virgil Potts; and, his lovely girlfriend, Marsha Ray. Potts owed me, anyway. If it wasn't for him and his daughter I'd still be in business and would've never had to resort to serving Hammer in the first place."

"If you think a little electric shutoff and your ugly face on her screens are going to scare her, you're dead wrong. You don't know what she can do."

"What? You mean lose her senses to EMF?" Fix laughed aloud when Tony's eyes widened. "I told you, Tony. Computers are everywhere; hear everything, see it all. It was a pleasure watching your every move…every time you acted like a pathetic, lovesick puppy while she was gone. Every time you whispered sweet nothings in her ear…every time you gave me more ammunition to find your weak spot…to plan my revenge on you."

Tony was stunned silent, finally piecing everything together. Why had he not seen it coming? Destroying computer viruses was not his forte; otherwise Technovore would have not come back. His programming skills were such that his viruses were self-evolving, just as Andros Stark had once said. Why did he never think to double-check Mr. Fix was truly gone, especially after what he had tried to pull on Pepper by sending Whiplash to kill her? How could he, who was considered to be the smartest young man on this planet, not contemplate the possibility that perhaps his virtual enemy was not actually gone?

"But, alas, all good things come to an end," Fix said. "And it would've ended much sooner if you had died in that car accident like you were supposed to. Or perhaps during the blackout…or better yet, in the hands of the well-endowed Miss Potts."

"You caused Pepper to attack me? You caused the crash? And the blackout?"

"Who else?" Fix scoffed. "Oh, yes! You thought you had caused that wonderful car accident, huh? Always so self-centered, Tony. Always thinking you're God's gift to the world. Of course I caused that accident! The light was green, wasn't it?"

"But, how…I tried it…I did it again…later on, and…"

"And what?" Fix sneered. "I let you see what you wanted to see. I wanted you to think it was you, seeing as you and your lady friend refused to die quietly. It would have been funny to see you go to jail for it like you were thinking about doing, Tony. It would've been fucking hilarious."

"You…you said this was about your revenge on me, right?" Tony asked, trying anything he could to think of a way out of the predicament he was in. "Why bring Pepper into this?"

"Are you really asking me this? Do you really not know or are you pretending so that you can stall? There is no getting out of this, Tony. I have complete control over your suits, your satellite, your father's home, and everything and everyone that has a relationship with you. Even your little military friend will get a visit from me after I'm done with you."

Tony scoffed. "And you say I'm self-centered," the inventor whispered before he hacked into the computer with Extremis and tried to disable Fix in the same way he had done so before. The AI, however, knew better by now and sent an electric shock to Tony's brain – just as he had done so before, bringing the young man to his knees.

"I learned, Tony. You didn't."

"I thought you were watching me…" Tony spat, still on all fours. "You should know I've learned a lot."

"Not what you should've been learning. I was watching you. I observed you and her. And I have to say that it's a damn shame you never got to see her the way I did. Who would've thought the scrawny girl would turn out to be such a fine looking woman?"

Tony lifted his face and glared at the screen, earning him a chuckle from the evil AI. "What? Jealous that I got to see her in fewer clothes than you did? I mean, other than that one time in the shower, but I don't think that counts, right?"

"Damn you," this time, Tony did not hold back.

And neither did Fix.

The suits of armor all attacked Tony at the same time, and the inventor alternated between physically defending himself from the suits and trying to hack into them with Extremis. He could no longer rely on JARVIS; the AI was down for the count, and he knew he had no chance of escaping the tracking abilities of Fix.

He was on his own.

And all he could do for now was making sure he went down fighting.

Pepper…I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. His eyes briefly stared at the entrance door where she had crawled her way in a few months ago, amidst the rain and amidst the odds of her safe return; the moment the countdown for the end of their lives had begun. I should've listened to you. I should've listened to you when you said it was not me who caused the accident. I should've helped you search for the answer!

And, above all, he should have listened to her when she had said that not being together was for the best. Maybe not in the short-term reality of how much it would hurt them both, but in the long-term reassurance that she would have a chance to live her life, restore what she had lost, away from him; away from the danger he had put her in.

But now…it's too late, Pep. I've let you down, again.

"AH!" Tony screamed and he was thrown in the air and against a wall. Memories of his fight with Pepper returned to him, and he almost wished he had learned something more from her other than just dodging her. She had become a fierce fighter, much so like Gene and the Makluan, and had it not been for his silly luck that night, he would had not been able to stop her in time.

I'm done with this; Tony thought and slammed the incoming Artic Armor with all the energy he could from the Extremis. He knew he could not regain control over any of the suits while Fix was around, but that did not mean he could not pull the same trick on Fix that the AI had pulled on the inventor. Before his eyes, the Artic Armor began malfunctioning, shaking violently and hitting its peers in its dying stage. After a few more painfully long seconds, the Artic Armor was finally down for the count.

"That's alright, Stark," Fix shrugged it off. "There are still five more to go."

Only five? Tony looked around himself to play close attention to what was occurring around him as just a few seconds ago his only concern had been to avoid being pulverized by his own creations. The Marks I, II and III, the Stealth Armor, as well as the Space Armor were still attacking him, and his backpack suit was down for the count, having been smashed by the Artic Armor at some point during battle. The inventor gulped when he realized that his two most potent suits, War Machine and the Hulk Buster, were yet to join the attack.

"That's correct, Tony," Fix smiled. "I'm saving the best for last."

How did he know what I was thinking?

"Because I can read your thoughts. You see, Stark. You're no longer human, not much more than your redheaded friend, I should say. Your body might still be organic, but thanks to Extremis, your central nervous system is hardwired to your machines…any machine…any computer…any AI."

"Like you."

"Like me."

Despite the dreadful situation, Tony smiled, for the first time surprising the intruder in his home. "What's so amusing, Stark?"

"What? Can't read my mind all of a sudden? Or are you just afraid to?"

Fix narrowed his eyes at the boy, knowing damn well what he meant. "You wouldn't dare."

"Why not?" Tony challenged, noticing that even the suits had stopped attacking him. "You aren't leaving me much of a choice, are you?"

"I didn't take you for a quitter."

"I'm not. I don't have anything to quit," Tony reasoned, his smile growing wide with the simplicity of his plan. "You said you now own everything I ever had. You're planning on taking out Rhodey and my dad, if you haven't already, and you've already murdered my girl," Tony swallowed hard at the last part. "If you ask me, taking you down with me seems like the most reasonable option."

"Sounds more to me like a dead's man last struggle. Lame coming from you, Stark."

Tony shrugged. "Lamezoid," he chuckled as he quoted his fallen redhead. "Lamezoid's a good word."

"You're pathetic attempts at stalling won't stop me."

"They're not attempts, Fix. I promise you that."

"Like you promised her you would marry her? That type of promise?"

"No. More like the death do us part, type. And you are the death and I'm the part."

"Fool."

"I used to be."

Tony closed his eyes and ignored the pain his body was feeling at being attacked by the suits. They tossed him back and forth as if he was nothing but a rag doll, but Tony did not care. His mind was working overtime in using the one weakness Fix had informed him of, attacking the AI with his own abilities.

"AAAHH!" Mr. Fix screamed, his head shaking back and forth. "GET OUT OF ME, STARK!"

But Tony did not relent. He had once before experienced the power of extreme hacking someone's mind, and he had never thought he would ever be grateful for the Controller's attempt at using VR against him. It had been good practice for what he was doing to Fix now.

However, Mr. Fix was not ready to die again.

In a flash and after the Space Suit, the Stealth Armor, and the Mark I armor were short circuited by the genius, Mr. Fix sent back an attack of his own. Tony screamed in pain when he felt electric shocks ransack his body, and he fell to the ground, face down. The Marks II and III were still around him, but now simply just stared down at the inventor, waiting for Fix's next command.

Tony groaned as he slowly pushed himself up with his hands, but as soon as he was on all fours, the Mark II kicked him in the stomach, forcing the boy to fall down on his face again. His mind was then confronted by images placed there by Fix, showing him memories of Pepper's smiling face, Rhodey rolling his eyes at him, and even his own father giving him an approving smile.

The blue-eyed boy felt tears come to his eyes, both cursing and thanking the AI for the last images he had been forced to see before his certain death. Tony wanted Fix to maintain a close connection with him as it would make it easier on the scientist to erase Fix from virtual reality – just like he should have made sure of the first time. Although, it would have been a much better option to live to tell the story.

Tony felt one of his armors lift him from the floor by his arm, and the second armor grabbed his other arm, making him kneel in front of the floating head's image, very much so as he had done to Pepper once before. He gave Fix a lopsided smile, feeling all will to live leave his soul. His eyes did not show his fear when the last two pods opened up, and he did not even flinch when the War Machine and Hulk Buster armors landed in front of him.

"How about this, Tony?" Fix asked. "Killed by your two most powerful creations. How ironic, isn't it?"

Tony did not respond and just closed his eyes, putting all his attention and efforts into destroying the AI. He heard and felt the armors preparing every piece of artillery available in them before every weapon that he himself had loaded on those two suits was aimed at him. Even the Marks II and III aimed one of their repulsors at the billionaire, all waiting patiently for the order to strike.

"Goodbye, Tony Stark."

"Goodbye, Mr. Fix."

xxxXXXxxx

He felt something hitting him full force, in a similar fashion to what he had felt when the bright light had engulfed him when his father's plane had been attacked. However, as opposed to the first time, this light felt warm and even…tender, if light could even be described as such.

"Are you alright?" Tony heard the familiar gruff voice ask him, and he finally opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the floor, or what could be seen of it as it was now littered with pieces of scraps that had once been his beloved suits. The Mark II and III lay to either side of him, both torn and bent out of recognizable shape other than for the red and gold markings on them. He then chanced a look behind him to see the dark, burned marks on the wall that had undoubtedly come from the heat released by the light or the suits' attack.

"Stark?"

The inventor took in a deep breath to look up and in front of him, to a sight he thought he would never see again. The armor was still black, thick and imposing, and the ten rings of power shone brightly on its metal fingers. Beyond the suit of armor of his old rival lay the mashed remains of the Hulk Buster and War Machine, and beyond that his mainframe and servers were toasted.

"I thought you were dead," Fix said, looking as surprised as Tony felt.

"Funny," the newcomer responded. "I thought you were, too."

The Mandarin then raised the rings and aimed them at the computer screen, causing Fix to laugh aloud.

"Your magic cannot stop me, Mandarin. You may have destroyed the suits with brute force, but that is not the way to destroy me."

"It's not magic," the Mandarin corrected Fix. "It's absolute power. It's science you cannot hope to ever comprehend."

"Try me."

"Already did," Mandarin responded and immediately Fix froze up.

"What? What is happening to me?" The AI asked, his voice filled with fear. "No…NO! STOP THIS! I…I can't die…I'm immortal!"

"No. I am immortal," Mandarin said before the rings lit up again, brighter than before. Tony's eyes were glued to the screen, and he could almost feel the pain Fix was going through. He was so happy he had lost connection with the AI or he would have been in the same boat with him; slowly being torn to pieces, code line by code line.

"How are you doing this? It's not happening…you aren't even supposed to be…be…al…al…error…error-r-r…"

Mandarin increased the power being released on the AI, and soon afterwards a high-pitched, desperate howl let him and Tony know that Mr. Fix was truly no more. The silence that followed the painful death of the other system that had taken over JARVIS' system was deafening until Tony finally found his voice.

"I can't believe this," he began. "Gene, what are you doing here? How did you even know I was in trouble?"

"I know it all, Stark." Mandarin responded, his back facing Tony who by now was slowly trying to get up from the floor. "And, it's not Gene."

"What?"

The rings of power lit up and their swirling light engulfed the suit in a move Tony recognized as the armor being retracted back into them, leaving the human underneath exposed to the inventor's wide eyes. "It's Pepper," she responded as she looked over her shoulder to face him. "I'm the Mandarin now."

A/N: Gene was never there…muahahaha! Who saw it coming? Anyone? Nobody? What about the fact that in a fic called Broken, the main villain is called Fix? Get it? Broken? Fix…Err…Not a fan of irony, huh? Oh, well…I tried…