The Unknown Variable

(Beta'd as of 1/27/14)

Tony, Penny, and Mortem all support me in saying I own nothing.

Oh, I've been meaning to do this for some time.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to the 19 Granite Mountain Hot-Shots that died in the Yarnell Wild Fire.

Please take a moment of silence for these heroes who gave their lives to protect those who were endangered by the large, intense flames. They were true heroes.

(The Vise President even agreed. He came out and spoke at their memorial; along with about half of the county's Hot-Shots, who came to support the community and uphold their memory)

Penny's POV

"And now," Rhodey said from the large TV in my neighbor's living room. "Mr. Stark has prepared a statement. He will not be taking any questions. Thank you."

"Finally!" I muttered under my breath. This whole social gathering was really aggravating me. It had gotten on my nerves three hours ago.

If it wasn't for the free (and good) food, I would be long gone.

I sighed again and rubbed my temples as Tony walked across the stage and stood behind the podium. It was in the same room that the previous conference had been held in.

"Been a while since I was in front of you." Tony started and I frowned. I couldn't get a good look at his face to read his emotions…I had no clue what he was planning. "I figure I'll stick to the cards this time."

Tony waved the blue note cards for everyone to see before lowering them back down. 'Stick to the cards, as if. Stick to SHIELDS cover is more like it.' I thought to myself as Tony cleared his throat and continued.

"There's been some speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop…"

"Speculation my ass. He was totally involved." A nineteen year old boy to my left sneered.

"Shut it." I snapped he glared at me before we both turned back towards the TV.

"…us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you…" a female reporter said off screen; though I recognized her from her voice as the last 'trash' that had been taken out.

"I know that it's confusing," Tony interrupted and a smile appeared on my face, Dad wasn't going to blow it…he was going along with whatever SHIELD's plan was. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero…"

I groaned, I couldn't help it; Dad had just fallen into the reporters trap…I had to wonder if he did it on purpose.

"Tony!" I groaned under my breath, but both the nineteen year old boy and the young intern for the scientists heard me.

Before the boy could speak, the early twenty year old girl stuck up for me.

"She used to work for him! Of course she's annoyed!" The intern snapped.

The boy glared and turned back towards the TV.

I gave her a small smile before turning back to the conference. Tony had walked right into the trap and was now trying to save himself…

"Didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic." Tony replied, trying to rebuild his poker face.

I shook my head; I had a feeling Tony was doing this on purpose. He was always great with the press; and now…he was acting like he had no clue what he was doing. I doubted that he was really that frazzled.

The people around me started muttering, gossip flew across the room faster than even my sparks could.

"I'm just not the hero type. Clearly." He continued and I muttered under my breath. "Totally deliberate."

"With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public…" Tony was rambling now and it was most likely purposefully.

Rhodey leaned over and whispered something into Tony's ear. Probably tell him to stick to the cards.

Tony nodded and he seemed to reassure his friend. Tony rolled his eyes and looked back down at the cards; his eyes flickered to the camera for a moment as he said,

"The truth is…"

'Dad…don't you dare blow it!' I thought to myself, he was going to blow it. I just knew it.

"I am Iron Man." He said, and the press went wild. Question after question was thrown his way, and the conference only lasted another four minutes before Rhodey and Pepper dragged Tony off screen.

The questions included,

"How did you make the armor?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Who is Electra? A secret lover?"

"Does the government know about your involvement?"

"What happened to Stane?"

"When is your next party?"

"Will you be resuming the weapons manufacturing?"

To name a few of them, that is.

Tony only replied to one, and I was glad that he managed to state it before they dragged him away.

"I have no idea who the woman known as Electra is. But she has my thanks." Tony was then instantly pulled out of sight by a furious Pepper.

The whole house, and townspeople within, exploded with the news. I looked around as everyone tried to get my opinion on the matter, seeing as how I knew Tony.

I sighed; I was going be here for a while.

I spotted the intern who had been sitting next to me and hurried over.

"Hey Darcy!" I said with a small smile. "I just wanted to thank you for sticking up for me back there."

The older girl laughed, and slung her arm across my shoulders. "Anything for you, Pen. When are you going to come work for us? Hmm?"

I rolled my eyes; both her and her two bosses had been bugging me ever since I moved here.

"I'm already a consultant. I'm not looking for a job. At least, not until after my dissertations are done."

"Workaholic!" Darcy cried, and gave me a playful shove.

"I think you have me confused with your boss." I replied with an eye roll.

"Whatever, sourpuss." The girl in her lower twenties replied.

I sighed, shaking my head. Noticing that no one was paying any attention I turned back to Darcy and said quietly, "I'm gonna sneak out now, while no one is looking. Say hi to Jane and Selvig for me, will yah?"

Darcy nodded, an amused smile on her face. "Got it, I'll tell them you said hi, but were too scared of the crowd to stick around."

I sighed; Darcy just loved to get on my nerves. But as one of my only friends in town…or period actually, I let it slide.

"Bye." I said curtly and started making my way towards the exit.

"See yah around!" Darcy called with a wave before being swallowed up by the crowd.

"Yeah, whatever." I sighed to myself. I had a bone to pick with Dad…but first, I needed a shower. I still smelled like ash and smoke.

I wrapped my hair up in a towel as I stepped out of the shower. It felt nice to get clean. Truthfully, I had forgotten about showering the night before, and had been regretting it at the party.

I walked past the sink and hanging mirror as I reached for my clothes hanging on the door. But something I saw out of the corner of my eye caused me to freeze.

My eyebrows furrowed as I peered into the mirror at my Core, or more importantly, the skin around it.

The skin surrounding my Arc was a pale grey; it was pealing slightly, like skin on a bad burn. However, that wasn't what was worrying.

The small, inch long black lines that were coming from the Arc, zigzagging across my skin was my main concern.

"Shit," I said to myself as I poked the pale skin, causing pain to flare up in my chest.

"This can't be good."

Tony's POV

I walked into my dark house, Happy just dropping me off. Pepper and Rhodey had been yelling at me for hours about the whole 'I am Iron Man' thing.

Then, I got hungry. So we went out to dinner. In San Francisco. Hey, what can I say? I was bored.

"Jarvis?" I called, wondering why the lights hadn't come on. My paranoia kicked in, the last time Jarvis didn't work Stane crashed him.

If he wasn't working, then something was wrong.

"Welc…ome ho…me siii….iir…" Jarvis's late, jumbled, and abnormally deep voiced reply echoed through the house.

He had been hacked again.

'Damn, Pen and I have got to fix that!' I thought to myself.

I slowed down as I spotted a dark figure standing by my repaired windows in the living room.

" "I am Iron Man." You think you're the only superhero in the world?" The man asked his voice deep and serious. He slowly turned around, his long trench coat giving him an intimidating appearance.

"Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet."

I slowly walked into the living room, and although I knew it was silly and absurd, this was feeling eerily similar to the movie, Matrix.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, wondering how a loon like this got in my house. I was thankful Penny still hadn't shown…okay, I was really worried…but still.

The man walked into the light, revealing a dark skinned man with a goatee and eye patch. Ok, the eye patch and the trench cloak make him look intimidating.

"Nick Fury," He said, "Director of SHIELD."

'Huh, so that really did catch on. I'll have to tell Penny.' I thought to myself. Penny had told me the story behind the acronym and I personally thought that it was brilliant.

"Oh," I replied in response to cover my thoughts.

"I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative." Nick Fury stated.

'What the hell is that?' I wondered silently.

Sometime later, I would wish that I never had heard of it.

Hey y'all. Yes, Tony admitted to being Iron Man, no, no one knows Penny is involved. Yes, Rhodes now knows about Penny. Stane is now dead. You all can now guess where Penny is living huh? (I finally decided to make to obvious. How many of you guessed that before?) Yeah, Fury is still interested in Tony. And yup, Penny's Palladium poisoning sets in earlier than Tony's .

It makes sense. She's had her Arc longer then he has. (Yeah, her powers were keeping the poisoning at bay. Death…or Mortem, which ever name you prefer, might have also had something to do with it. ;)

Thanks to all of you wonderful people.

Iron Man I is done. But the story has just begun. (oohhh …an almost rhyme! Yeah, I'm hyper because I'm sleep deprived. And sick, can't forget that!)

Thanks Espacole,
Cp