A/N: Hey all! Thanks for all the faves/alerts/reviews! Makes me happy. Now, I must warn the next chapter of this will be a little later than usual next week (still working on it...) as well as stuff going on in real life. But, in case everyone was wondering, yes, this will have an Iron Man 2 remix sequel. And, in its ways, it will be better than the movie itself. Thanks for reading, and hang on for the end!


Over the next couple of days, Tony and I worked on closing out a few last tests on my armor. Mostly, it was basic stuff that had been field-tested with my trip to Gulmira: targeting, flight, maneuverability, that sort of thing. Of course, that trip brought some very prying gazes, and I'd had to explain what I'd done to a very cold-angry Rhodey. There must be something with men and giant metal toys, because when I told him about the suit, his anger was gone like that. Like any good friend, Tony offered to let Rhodey in on the project, but, like the wise lieutenant colonel he is, he turned us down with a brisk, "No, no, less I know about it, the better."

There was only one test that met us with total, absolute failure, and I fully blamed Tony for getting the idea in the first place. See, there's a record for the maximum flight ceiling of a fixed-wing aircraft, which is currently held by the US Air Force's SR-71 Blackbird. Tony's brilliant plan was to see if the suit could break that record. My attempted argument was that the suit didn't have wings, so there was no way we could break the record. Besides, wasn't it more fun to set our own records?

Tony told me to stop being so stubborn about it and go ahead and do it. Sigh. So I did. When I'd nearly crashed into the garage again, I had an ice pack on my head and my bad knee doubly bandaged as I grumbled, "What mathematical calculation of probability is there accounting for ice buildup for that thing?"

Guess what. There wasn't. So we did the only other thing that made sense: we rebuilt the suit. Goodbye, mark two; hello, mark three. To stop any icing, I'd found some metal scraps left over from some satellite project, a gold-titanium alloy that was very shiny and bright. To counter that – and probably to Jarvis' relief – I ordered my newest suit to be mostly painted black and scuffed to a matte finish. There was only one tiny cosmetic detail I insisted on: a thin gold trinity knot, pained onto the upper armplates. Every hero or heroine has to have a code name, right? So mine was going to be after my failed hacking interface: Trinity. I thought it was pretty good, hence my smile as I looked over the finished project before letting Jarvy take it off to storage.

"I still think you need to get one of your own, bro," I informed Tony as I crashed on the sofa, munching on an apple I'd peeled while waiting for Jarvy to finish putting the plates together. "But you're still forbidden from stealth. You're...what's the word? Unsubtle?"

"You just figured that out?" he snickered in reply, but I heard him settle in his chair and start working at the computers There was Tony for ya; once challenged, he doesn't let it go. At all. I snorted a little though as I sat up, glancing at him.

"I'm smarter than I look, thanks!" I commented once I'd swallowed and gotten up to throw away my apple core. No, I hadn't told him about the Jerichos; I knew he was going to be pissed off, so I knew I had to step carefully. Besides, I'd been doing some research into the Stark Industries financials; a certain someone was oddly paying out more to anonymous buyers. Since they were unlisted, the board wouldn't care. But I cared, and the only way I was going to confirm my suspicions was if Tony let me into his office and at his work computer. That would only happen if he knew what I was up to, so I took a deep breath and turned to face him, leaning on the counter gently with my arms crossed.

"I saw Jerichos out there," I began. "Ten Rings had 'em. If two and two make four, someone's double-dealing. You're not. I don't think the board even cares so long as we make a profit."

I didn't continue; the look on Tony's face told me everything I needed to know. He was shocked and angered by this new development, and I saw his cheerful mood snap instantly into cold anger the likes of which required much more natural surroundings. As in mountains and caves.

"The bastards didn't need to kidnap us, after all."

"Oh, they were recent purchases," I commented, very sarcastic. "Not a single scratch until they exploded in Gulmira. Those were recent shipments, and whoever sent them more than likely ordered your hit. They thought I was Pepper, so I think they were just confused."

It was so obvious to me now. Of course my prime suspect would have done something so underhanded while having the power to stop anyone who poked their noses in too far. It was obvious to Tony, it seemed, because he stormed right back for the computers and went straight to work. I decided to use this as my confirmation as I dug into a pile of stuff I kept downstairs, finding a small black flashdrive. But this was no ordinary flashdrive; it was a self-operating search-and-hack device. It could go into a network, find anything remotely suspicious, copy and download, and store it for later perusal. I pocketed it before heading towards my bike, grabbing the keys off the rack.

"Hope you don't mind I'm wandering into the office," I informed him coolly as I straddled my bike. "Going to do some research before we go crusading."

"Nah, go ahead," Tony replied, and I put my keys into the ignition. Suddenly, he added, "Did you look at the letter from Dad? I, ah, stole a peek...you might wanna read it."

I felt my face instantly shut down at the first syllable of letter.

"I told you," I managed to growl, "I'm not interested in what he has to say. He treated me like I was less worthy than you for twelve years; that's why I didn't cry at the funeral. He didn't give a damn about me."

I cranked the keys, getting my bike to roar to life, but I didn't leave. The part of me that wanted to know she'd been loved by her father begged to see the letter, just to see if that's what it held. But I couldn't be distracted. Not right now. There was only stopping Stane, only keeping him from hurting anyone ever again. But I think Tony was in favor of the other part of me, because he got up and called over the rumbling engine, "He didn't say anything like that, Andy! Just trust me, okay? You've got 'til now!"

I didn't look at him, but I heard him bound away upstairs to get it. I didn't wait for him; I kicked up the stand and roared out of the garage. I didn't even allow myself to think until I'd reached the plant, walked into the office building and coldly told the receptionist my name so she didn't call in the police. I went all the way up to Tony's office and slipped inside, closing the double doors behind me. It was a matter of seconds to cross to the desk, sit down, and power up. I gave my drive a good-luck kiss before plugging in and watched it go.

It worked brilliantly. In a matter of seconds, I soon had reams of information: sales receipts, order requests, and schematics for a project dubbed Sector 16. The most intriguing of the mess was a video recorded by the Ten Rings. I listened in horror as the terrorists' leader – I recognized his voice, despite the Arabic – declared his awareness of Tony's identity and the group's further capture of "his assistant Miss Potts", which meant me. And then he said one thing that really got my blood to run cold: "The price to kill Tony Stark has just gone up."

"Obi Bouldy, what've you been up to...?" I breathed softly as I copied the video, receipts, and Sector 16 schematics onto the drive. My heart started racing as I tapped in a few codes to hurry the process, while my mind reeled; I had been right. Stane had ordered Tony's hit, sold them the missiles, everything. I would've been a bonus. Now that I knew the truth, I couldn't be found here. If I was found, and caught copying all this material, not only would I be arrested without bail, but Stane would find a way to cover everything up. I couldn't let that happen.

Remember how I said my luck had run out? The proof walked into Tony's office about fifty percent into the download. Shit.

"Andy!" Obadiah Stane exclaimed in genuine surprise – and, worse, pleasure. "I didn't expect to see you here, how've you been?"

"Don't," I growled as I glared at him, "talk to me as if you know me. You don't know a thing about me. And I remember that night, thanks so very much."

I'll be damned if the man didn't look hurt as he crossed to Tony's scotch supply and poured himself some. I spared a glance at the computer, and made sure to slip the day's paper over my drive. I didn't want him to find out what I'd been up to, because I'd end up worse off than I had been all those years ago.

"You know I didn't want to hurt you, Andy," Stane pleaded gently after he'd taken a sip of his drink, trying to look innocently at me over the rim of his glass. Sorry, Obi, Tony does a better fake-innocent look than you. "Besides, I always thought of you and Tony as my surrogate children!"

"Oh, so you'd rape your own daughter?" I spat in barely-contained rage, and the pretend hurt in Stane's eyes intensified. "You'd dump your thirteen-year-old daughter, raped and half-naked, onto a dirty street? I hope you're happy with what you did, not just to me, but to what me and Tony had."

He looked on the verge of talking, but I stood up from the chair and glared at him before adding, "And don't you dare give me the 'yes of course I care despite everything' bull. I'm not in the mood."

Stane looked flabbergasted at my reaction, and it was good timing. The download completed, and I snatched the drive via the paper before throwing him the bird and marching out. I barely heard his weak "Take care" as the door swung shut. Once it was, I bolted out of there, sliding down stair rails and ignoring shouts of surprise as I returned to the ground floor. I wasn't stopping for anything, not until I got on my bike and got home.

He was behind it all. And I had known he was behind it. Not to mention he probably knew now that I knew, meaning I'd have to move, fast, now.

I roared at top speed all the way back to Malibu, and I practically leaped off my bike despite all of Tony's surprised outbursts. I tuned him out, plugging in my drive and bringing up all the files I'd just semi-legally stolen from the Stark Industries mainframe. Tony immediately fell silent, with wide eyes, as he took in all the information I'd collected. I heaved a few deep breaths before I finally felt protected enough to talk.

"It was Stane," I intoned carefully. "Him all along. He tried to kill us, double-dealt to those bastards, everything."

The piece of metal Tony had been holding as part of his work on his own suit bent ominously. He was stiff as a board, and I saw anger flashing all over his face before he managed to speak.

"Then I don't know if I'll be finished in time."

"I'll go," I told him, putting my hand on his shoulder. "I'll distract him long enough so you can finish, and Pepper can call those government agents that keep wanting to talk to us, and for Rhodes to clear out the damn sky."

I headed for the platform to start suiting up, but I stopped a few steps away from the black square. On a nearby table sat that ominous white envelope, addressed to Andrea Stark, from Howard. I clenched my jaw while simultaneously fighting down a lump in my throat. Would it hold love…or just more of the same put-downs? I managed a swallow, not shifting my gaze at all.

"Does it say he loves me?"

"You'll hafta read it for yourself," Tony replied, though I noticed he was watching the first of his new schematics coming through nearby, which were claiming his attention at the present. "But I think it might."

Even before he'd finished saying it, I'd gotten the letter in my hands, fingering it gently. To spite Dad for the rest of my life…or give him one last chance?

I opened it.

My dear Andrea, it began in Dad's scratchy handwriting,

For twelve years I have watched you compete with Anthony for my favor. It was never more apparent than today, at your brother's graduation from MIT, and the pain in your eyes as I ignored your ingenious idea never cut me so deeply.

I know you must hate me for never showing you the affection I showed your brother. For never allowing you time with me, even after so many times that your mother, before she died, tried to make me realize just how smart and clever you were. I knew it. And, in fact, I loved you for it.

Andrea, you are as smart as your brother, as witty as your mother, and, dare I make the comparison, as street smart as me. Every time Maria spoke to me about you, I was amazed, astounded, even, at how hard you pushed yourself. No matter what I taught Anthony, you learned it either inherently, or on your own. You were far quicker than any training I could have given you.

My only regret is that I never told you all of this before. But I will make amends to you, as best I can.

Enclosed is a disbursal, in your name, for exactly one-half of the family fortune. I also leave you our family estate in Long Island; no one ever learned its secrets as well as you did, my darling girl. And, in closing, I give you half-interest in the shares of Stark Industries; this will make you and Anthony co-CEOs. I know of no better hands to leave the family legacy to.

In the hope you can forgive me, Andrea, and with all my love,

Your father.

Something inside me bubbled and swelled as I read those words. Dad really had loved me, he always had. It was almost like it was me and him, in his library in the house – my house, now – in Long Island, where Tony and I had grown up, and he was holding me close while he said all these things. It was the praise and fondness I'd always craved…and it felt good. I very carefully folded the letter and stuffed it back inside its envelope before I got onto the platform.

Earlier, I was going to fight Stane so that I could prove Dad wrong for the neglect he'd dumped on me. Now, I was going to beat down Stane to prove Dad right. So I held my head high as I was encased in the black and gold plates, still walked with my usual cocky swagger as I headed towards the ramp up to the surface.

"Right, I going to go find out what Stane's been up to," I declared, keeping the faceplate up as I turned to face Tony again. "Come after me as soon as you can, okay?"

"Just leave some of the world-saving to me, a'right?" Tony laughed as he tossed me a two-fingered salute. I grinned while mixing in a disbelieving look to shoot at him.

"When have I not let you have anything, really? Seriously, now!" I chuckled as I dropped down the mask and returned the salute. Then I about-faced and bolted up the ramp, rockets roaring to life as I soared into the glittering night sky.

Dad had loved me. And now I was going to remove one last demon from my life, and it could only get better from there.