Title: Protect My Heart

Author: Erik-in-CT

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer or Marvel Comics, and not myself.

Despite the assurances he had offered Bella down in the workshop, Tony was feeling just a little bit nervous about hunting down a vampire that could possibly crush him like a bug, even through the suit. For god's sakes, just a few days ago he would have scoffed at the idea of actual vampires running around Los Angeles, but now he was tossed into a world of mythology that he still didn't fully understand. Even odder was the fact that Bella had been completely unphased by any of it. She had actually dated that vampire boy? How weird was that? A little smirk briefly crossed his lips as he considered that he had Bella now, much to the obvious irritation of Edward.

But for now he had to push those thoughts away and focus on the task at hand. Edward was out there chasing down the woman that was intent on hunting down and hurting Bella in some twisted idea of revenge. Though the HUD on the helmet, Tony scanned the streets below him, catching the icy blur that was Edward moving inhumanly fast over the rooftops of the city. "Right above you," he said, knowing Edward would hear him via the comm unit he had taken when he left the workshop a few hours ago.

"I hear you," Edward replied, his voice almost inaudible over the rush of wind due to his running. "She passed this way within the last few hours."

As he flew in the skies overhead, Tony used the new techonology in the HUD to scan the city below him, looking for the signature of a vampire, a signature that varied from that of normal people. For the briefest of moments, Tony thought there might have been a flaw in the tech, because numerous spots flashed across the display. Then he realized what he was seeing, and he was shocked. "Edward...how many vampires are in Los Angeles?" Through the comm, he heard Edward chuckle.

"What, did you think a city as big as this would only have one or two?"

He supposed that it shouldn't have surprised him. Edward was right. In a city with so many people, and such varied lifestyles, it would be a good place for a vampire to live. But how would he find the one they were looking for? He would just have to follow Edward to her, he supposed.

Suddenly, Edward stopped on the rooftop of a large building. He twisted, looking around him, then peered over the edge.

"What is it?" Tony asked, pulling back and dropping down to the rooftop.

"She stopped here," Edward replied, still looking over the edge of the building. "She climbed down the side of the building and went inside. What is this building?"

Tony glanced around, trying to get his bearings from the layout of the city around him. Then he felt the beginnings of a cold panic begin. "This...this is an apartment building," he said. "Pepper..." Oh god, please let me be wrong, he thought as he ignited the thrust on the boots and made his way down the side of the building. He could hear Edward scrambling down the stonework from the roof. What floor was Pepper's unit on? Then he saw it, a window on one of the floors busted in, yellow tape stretched across it like a crime scene. His heart skipped a beat as he manuevered into the room, Edward right behind him.

"She was here," he heard Edward say from somewhere behind him, but he wasn't listening any more. This was Pepper's apartment. He pushed the faceplate of the helmet up, and looked around him. Everything looked to be in perfect order, aside from the broken glass of the window. Moving through the apartment, he stopped cold at the hallway leading to the front door. Yellow tape just like that at the window crossed the hallway. And in the dim light he saw a table laying sideways, it's lamp shattered on the floor, a black purse, it's contents spilled out from where it fell. And most frightening of all, a smear of red that was starting to darken on the wall, and a trail of the same color staining the carpet below.

Tony felt his stomach turn at the sight, but couldn't turn away. His thoughts raced out of control as he started at the evidence of violence in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Edward said, and Tony turned to glare at him. "She must have gone after Ms. Potts when she couldn't get to you." Tony's heart froze at the words, and he knew what Edward was implying. There was no hope that Pepper was still alive. The vampire woman had followed her and had killed her. Had destroyed one of the brightest stars in Tony's sky. He felt tears sting his eyes, but he pushed them back. There would be time for grief later. But right now he had a mission. Tony turned and stalked over to Edward, backing the vampire against a wall with the anger pouring out from him.

"Find her," he said, his voice clear and hard as ice. "Find her, so that I can kill her." Without another word, the faceplate of the helmet slammed shut and he turned and burst out of the window, back into the skies above. He didn't care how long it took, or how far he had to go. He would find the bitch and take her down himself if he had to.

As Tony flew from the shattered window of the apartment, Edward let out a breath he had been holding. The thoughts that Tony had been shouting in his mind were intensified by the emotions behind them, and one didn't need to be an empath to feel the rage that had been stoked into a blazing inferno by the sight in the room. Sending up a silent prayer for the poor soul that had been lost in the room, Edward made his way out and back up to the rooftop, catching the trail and heading off again.

He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following the scent of Victoria. She was moving quickly, but not quickly enough. She had sealed her fate that day, and one way or another, the hunt would end tonight. Overheard he heard the rushing thrusters of the Iron Man armor, following close behind him as he tracked the woman.

He moved quickly, shifting from the rooftops to the darkened streets as they neared the outskirts of the city. She was moving north, into the hilly terrain outside of Los Angeles. He felt a brief moment of thankfulness. It would be much easier if they caught up with her out here, rather than in the city where there were too many innocents that could be in danger.

For a long while, he ran through the night, following the traces that were illuminating his path in a way that no human could detect. He began to wonder how far she had gone, if maybe she had left the area entirely. Or was she simply putting a large distance from the city where she knew Edward was looking for her? Edward started to realize the path was becoming more defined as he ran. They were catching up to her quickly. Had she slowed, or even stopped? He stepped up his speed, moving faster than he ever had before.

He heard the crackle of the comm unit in his ear, Tony beginning to say something, then he was knocked sideways with a force that sent him flying, taking down several trees before he slammed to a halt against a rock outcropping. The air was full of dirt and debris raised by his fall, but through the darkness, he could hear the high pitched laughter of his prey. He snarled as he charged through the barrier of settling dust, using his hearing to locate and charge the woman. He caught a flash of red as she slipped away from his grasp, dancing around him. He moved again, anticipating her evasion and slamming into her with a thunderous crash, throwing them both into the underbrush around them. He heard her hiss as she shoved back against him, throwing him off.

She began to run again, but this time he was right on her heels, reaching out grab her as she ran. Then he caught the thoughts of another just in time, and leaped backwards. She glanced behind her, surprised by his sudden retreat, and was blown backwards by a blast of bluish-white light that descended from above. Edward heard the earsplitting screach of stone cracking, and her animalistic yell. He rushed after her again, the flashes of white on the ground evidence of the damage done by Tony's repulsor blast. She was running now, in full retreat after being injured and realizing she was outmatched. But it was too late. They had her.

Above him, Edward heard another blast fired off, and saw the energy strike a a dozen or so yards in front of him, sending rocks and dirt and pieces of destroyed trees into the air. Then Tony landed just ahead of him, his arms raised to fire another shot. "Where are you, you..." he heard Tony mutter under his breath. Edward stopped and listened, trying to hear her movements. Then he heard the whispering brush of leaves overhead.

"Tony!" he shouted in warning, seeing him begin to turn just as the woman landed between them, having jumped from the branches above. Before he could react, she had grabbed the man, lifting and throwing him easily despite the heavy armor he wore. Edward heard the crunch of metal and the exclamation of pain as he hit. He didn't stop to think as he charged after her, managing to briefly grab ahold of her before she threw him off again with a shriek. He slammed into a tree, dazed for a moment, then jumped to his feet and gave chase again.

By the time he caught sight of her again, she had made it to a little clearing where Tony had fallen. The helmet of the armor had been removed, obviously damaged in her attack. A sickeningly familiar smell filled the air, and Edward noticed a trickle of blood dripping from a cut above Tony's eye. Edward ran ahead as he saw her move towards the man, no longer paying attention to Edward at all. He saw Tony raise his arms, firing another jet of enegy. She danced out of the way of the blast, the beam shattering trees behind her. Then she moved with a speed that Tony couldn't see, and Edward shouted a moment too late. She had stalked around behind the man like an invisible lion, and had thrown herself towards him. Edward ran, but knew he wasn't close enough. He saw her grab ahold of Tony, her arms around the chest of the armor and was crushing it with a strength that hadn't been imagined by its creator.

Tony twisted and fought to get her off, but wasn't having any luck. She was simply too much for him once she had him in her grasp. Without a thought, Edward threw himself towards the pair, swinging around to wrap his arms around her throat. She screamed in fury as he latched onto her, loosening her grip on Tony. It was enough for Tony to rip himself away from her, turning to grab ahold of her struggling form himself.

Edward knew it was finished. There was no escape for her this time. She tried in vain throw them off, screaming in rage as Edward wrapped himself around her, his head bent against her throat. Then the screams stopped abruptly, and the struggling form went limp. Edward pulled away, and the tangled mess of red hair and white skin fell away, dropping to the ground at their feet. Edward threw the rest of the body away from them, then moved about the clearing, gathering bits of the shattered trees and making a large pile. Without a word, he picked up the body of the woman and threw it onto the pile. Then gesturing at Tony, he stepped back as the man raised his arm and fired a shot of flame towards the pile. Then Edward watched as Tony bent down, pickeing up the severed head of the woman. He stared at it for a moment, then threw it into the flames with a snarl.

They watched silently as the purplish grey smoke filled their air with its sickly sweet stench. They watched until it had burned itself out, then Edward made sure the flames were extinguished. It was finally over. Edward felt a measure of relief that the hunt had reached its end. He turned back towards Tony, and was about to suggest they make their way back to his estate, when the man gasped and collapsed onto his knees. "Tony!" Edward exclaimed, rushing to the man's side.

"Home," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, then he passed out.

Author's Note:

Alright...well then. Um...Yay! Victoria is dead. And Tony is hurt. :( What will Edward do?

2 Chapters left! Please keep reading! Reviews are loved and petted and doted upon!