The studio lights were burning.

"So, Tony," Stacy Kepasko, the blonde darling of Entertainment Force, drawled in her Boston accent, "what's it like fighting aliens?"

Tony shifted in his seat.

"Well, I, uh...you, uh, you saw it. It's like how it's been described I guess."

Kepasko was unrelenting, an odious being who never stopped buzzing in your ear.

"Ah come on Tony. You gotta give us the details!"

The audience murmured passionately in agreement.

"Fighting aliens is like fighting a school bully. Which is the same as fighting anything else. Now, can we-"

"It can't be that normal Tony? Come on, give us-"

"I'm giving you everything! You don't seem to realise that aliens are fundamentally the same as people. It's just that people don't have big ears. Now, can we please move on?!"

Kepasko sighed, and gave a sly look to the audience which Tony saw. He threw off his microphone and stormed off, as Kepasko tried to reassure the television audience that "they'd be back in a minute."

He exited through the front door, and immediately found a swarm of fans dressed as Iron Man waiting for him with pen and paper at the ready. He stormed through, a headache mounting up in his brain. Happy guided him into an awaiting SUV, and they drove off.

A man in plain clothes raised a phone to their ear.

"Too many people. I'll try and get after the vehicle, sir."

They hopped onto a motorcycle, and sped off after Tony.

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"Look at this idiot behind us."

Tony was indifferent, and quiet. Happy honked the horn and stuck his hand out the window, signalling the biker to overtake. But as the biker began to drive past, they threw something at the car, causing it to sharply come to a halt. The biker drew a gun from their chest.

"Tony, you...oh, lemme guess. You brought it with you?"

"Not as dumb as I act!"

He reached into the back and removed a suitcase.

"Only had time for the Mk. V."

He opened the case, revealing a red and silver armour.

"Show time."

The suit reached up around him, and Tony noticed the gunman seemed to be taking his time. Once fully embraced in the Mark V armour, he told Happy to get home.

"I don't appreciate being shot at, y'know."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't openly admit things."

"Who are you? Bruce Kill-us-With-Cheesiness? Joe Pathetic-si? Ray Li-no-tta? I can go all day."

"The name's Taggert. It's my pleasure, Tony."

"Well, I guess that's important. Lemme guess, you want fame? Glory? A handsome suit?"

"I'm working on orders. Can't say who. What I can say is that my boss is really, really peeved off with you. Or at least his-"

Tony just blasted him with a repulsor, lifting his body up and flying to the nearest cop. Said cop was dressed in over-fitting uniform, and was chewing on a donut.

"Lemme know when you're interrogating him."

"W-will do, Mr Stark."

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Taggert was cocky, sitting at an awkward angle with his hands on the table. There were dragon tattoos just visible on his arms, as well as a little '10' on the top of his hand. Tony walked in, ready to play the dual role of good cop/ bad cop.

"Hey big guy, did I hurt ya?"

"Not as much as we'll hurt you."

"Listen, who's we? You planning some kinda march on Wall Street?"

"There's ten of us. Ten for each ring on his finger. You'll have to find somewhere safe when he comes, because when he does, there won't be anywhere safe left to stand."

"Who's he?"

"Can't tell you."

"Choice or orders?"

"Can't tell you that either."

"Listen, we've got so many pointless ways of making you talk. I've got one extremely not-pointless at all way. Don't make me use it."

"Try me."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

He removed something from his pocket. A shape walked inside, and immediately sprang and pinned Taggert down to the ground.

"A pretty strong remote controlled suit is currently holding you to the ground. I'll make him press harder if you don't talk."

"Go on then! Make my brains into paint if you want!"

Reluctantly he called away the suit (but first gave it a pat on the shoulder), and tossed Taggert across the room.

"So, who's paying you to kill me?"

"Kill you? Nah. He just wants an observation. I'm meant to injure you ASAP. Or at least stall you."

Tony got up and left.

"Make sure no one steps anywhere near him." he told the officer in charge, rushing out in irritation.

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Taggert was sleeping when the sachet was tossed into his cell. He mumbled, and opened his eyes for a moment. Seeing the blue packet that had been thrown in with him he struggled, clawing at the cell door. He screamed for a split second before the whole room erupted in a cacophony of flaming damnation.

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Tony was awoken by a harsh sounding ring tone, regretting his decision to let Jarvis pick a random theme. The cops had been taken, along with Taggert.

He got out of bed and stretched.

"Jarvis, someone's just made a mistake."