A/N: Oh yes. This is it. But don't be sad! Because I'm starting on the IM2 remix, though the title is still uncertain. But there's plenty of material to be used. But! Enjoy the end of From Her Eyes!


Oh, God, this was the craziest idea I had ever had. Right in front of me stood the entire Stark Industries press corps, and I was about to walk right in front of them to offer the statement. I was going to die.

It only helped a little that Happy was right behind me – obviously ready for a quick escape in case I panicked or I had to get hustled out of there right on the spot. For now, Tony's driver and bodyguard had a comforting hand on my shoulder while I waited for Rhodes to shoot me a quick, brief intro.

And then I was on. The press was dead silent, mostly because I was, in comparison to Tony, I was nonexistent and invisible. I managed a small quirk of a smile as I withdrew the cards. In my own head, I was panicking and running out of there screaming. This wasn't my arena; this was Tony's. But Tony was in no fit state to do anything, so I had to do it. Just great. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Introductions first.

"Uh, hi there," I started. "I'm, uh, Andy Stark, and I've got a, erm, statement, from my brother and the company. Basically –"

"Miss Stark?" a very, very familiar voice broke in right at that moment. I cringed, even despite the fake smile I managed to plaster on my face as I spotted the Barbie-like blond in the front row. Cue Andy versus Everhart, round two. "Can you honestly expect us to believe that everything that occurred at your brother's factory last night all comes down to a robotic prototype and a couple of bodyguards who were conveniently present to deal with the issue?"

"Look, I know it sounds crazy," I tried to cover, in classic, Tony-style fashion. Maybe I could pull it off. "'Cause you know, if it'd been, like, Tony and me, that'd be insane. I mean, given his track record, and mine, though you guys obviously, erm, don't know me. We're not the hero types, y'know."

"I wasn't insinuating that," Everhart parried, and I felt my face flush. Uh oh. Self-implication sucked, and now I was getting myself into it. Just like Tony. Now to dig myself out.

"Well, good," I shot back, brows crashing together a little. "Because if that were true, and Tony and I were superheroes, that'd be crazy and...and...fantastic."

Great. I'd just committed a Tony-grade gaffe. I could see the press' faces lighting up, and Everhart was sitting back, perfectly smug. Oh, I'd get her one day. I picked up my cards, doing my best to keep my hand from shaking.

"Truth is," I began, but I stopped. I asked myself what Tony would do. I knew he wouldn't read this stupid alibi, and go for the deepest trouble he could get into. Well, why not? I didn't have any better ideas, so I tossed the cards over my shoulder and put both hands on the podium, leaning close to the mike. I stared right at the cameras, forcing myself to think, act, and feel like Tony.

"Truth is," I started again, "Tony's Iron Man. I'm Trinity. Pleasure to meet you."

And the press room. Went. Nuts. Everyone jumped to their feet, screaming questions at me, but my common sense had finally come back to me, and I bolted towards Happy. Rhodes ran to cover for me while Happy ferried me through the back corridors, back to the Bentley, and immediately down the Pacific Coast Highway for Malibu. I sprang out of the car as soon as Happy had pulled up, and it took me maybe one second to race from the passenger door all the way through into the entry hall.

"Oh, God, they're coming," I panted once I saw Pepper's stricken look and the broad smile on Tony's face. "I can't believe I went and did that..."

"So?" Tony asked as I managed to walk in the rest of the way, kicking off my heels and massaging my feet. "Jarvis, lock the door, and anyone not family had better not walk in."

"Of course not, sir," came the reply, but I hid a smirk because I could hear a slight flux in "Jarvis"' voice pattern as "he" continued, "Of course you demand your privacy. I'm sure the press understands perfectly."

Tony seemed to notice the extra dose of sarcasm and glanced up, and I fought back a laugh. Pepper saw me struggling and leveled me with a look, to which I replied with a gleaming, innocent smile.

"Did good, Andy," Tony eventually complimented me as I sat down on the sofa, near his feet but close enough that I could grab his hand.

"Gee, thanks," I laughed quietly, even as I glanced back at the news, which was replaying my first – and likely only – press conference. God, I wasn't going to ever forget that. "Now...before I forget, there's someone you need to meet."

"Really? Who?"

I just grinned before I glanced at the ceiling.

"Hey, Mina? You can stop pretending to be Jarvy now."

"Oh, thank God," Mina sighed, and I could hear Jarvis's real voice grunting and huffing in exertion. I could easily imagine Mina holding Jarvis – had this been reality, of course – in a full nelson and pinned to the floor. "I thought I'd have to keep faking that voice for the whole time..."

"What'd you do?" Tony asked, eyes wide in shock and disbelief while the sounds of the cyberspace struggle kept going. I replied with the same innocent smile I'd offered Pepper, and she groaned when she saw it again.

"Meet my new best friend: Mental Imaging Network Artificial, AKA Mina," I spun, grin never leaving my face. "She'll be the one running my suit, as well as running my room independent from Jarvis. Mina, you're not killing Jarvy, are you?"

"Of course not!" Mina retorted, and I could hear the pout in her voice. "He might have some very interesting lockouts, but I've got him easily."

"Oh, God," Tony groaned, covering his face with his hands. "She's hijacked Jarvis..."

"And not for lack of trying, Tony," Mina replied rather cheerfully. "The anti-hacking suite is most intriguing, but it's not good enough."

"And there she is," I laughed. "No need to worry about me; I'm safe in my own hands!"

"Just promise me she'll be good," Tony pleaded, but I saw the half-joking glint in his eyes. "Please, please tell me she'll be good. I don't need anything else to make things...more crazy..."

"Tony, if you worry anymore than you usually do," I quipped lightly as Jarvis was released, and I got the feeling Mina had been "boot-kicked" back into my room, "I'd be afraid that you'd pop a blood vessel or somethin'!"

Tony grinned at me and laughed, and I leaned down to hug him tightly. Yes, all would be well. I just had that gut feeling.

And it changed right in the reverse, when I emerged from my room a few hours later. I'd left Tony on his own with Pepper – and the TV, of course – so I could go see just how far my ripples were spreading in the pond of the twenty-four hour news cycle. On another screen I'd found what looked like a passable New York-style pizzeria on a satellite feed I'd jumped, so I changed out of my suit and into jeans, shirt, boots, and leather jacket while pocketing my wallet and snatching up my keys. Instead of using the handy-dandy elevator, I jogged downstairs to tell Tony where I was headed.

"I'm headed out; picking up dinner," I called, not really looking at him as I looped around the contained waterfall to align with the stairs down into the garage. "You want anythin'? There's a pizza place I found via satellite, looks pretty New Yorkian to me..."

"Uh...we got company, Andy," Tony's voice echoed behind me, and I paused. Wasn't the door...locked? And Mina had given me a security report, saying there hadn't been any breaches she was aware of...

Note to self: better interface between Mina and Jarvis soon.

I turned to look at Tony, and found a black-clad, dark-skinned man sitting in the chair I'd appropriated earlier. He wore a black eyepatch over one eye, and carried himself in a way that just screamed "government secret operation". I didn't like him already. Not to mention I wanted to know how he'd gotten in!

"And just who the hell are you?" I asked bluntly. He sat up, gaze fixed on me. I wondered if he did still have an eye under that patch, because his gaze was pretty damn intense.

"Nick Fury," he stated calmly. "Director of SHIELD."

"Never heard of 'em."

"The Strategic Homeland Intervention and Enforcement Logistics Division."

"Oh. You people. It's catchy."

"Maybe you'd like to stay and chat a bit, Miss Stark," Fury noted dryly, and I internally fumed. "I was just tellin' your brother...you two are not alone."

"Really."

"I'd like to talk to the both of you about the Avenger Initiative."

Somehow, I didn't like the sound of that.