The Unknown Variable
DEDICATED TO "HIGH LORD MAGE" MY 700th FOLLOWER AND "NESSA 2685" MY 500th REVIEWER! THANKS TO YOU ALL!
I own nothing; otherwise, Penny would have been in the movies.
I didn't remember much of the following forty five minutes. Any recollection I had was the horrible mixture of feelings of fury, self-hate, disrepair, horror and pain, unimaginable pain. When I did finally awaken from my stupor, I found my tools and various items thrown everywhere, broken glass scattered all over the floor, and what appeared to be puke on the ground.
My head was spinning, tears were falling down my face in an endless stream, and heartbroken sobs and screams echoed through the lab. Even with the small bit of self-awareness that I had, it had taken a large cut on my hand from a large shard of glass to bring me crashing back to reality.
After I realized how badly I had lost it, it had taken me a good twenty minutes to get myself back under control. Finally the walls were clamped down on my heart once more, blocking out the sorrow, self-hatred, and immeasurable pain there.
"U, Dummy, get this cleaned up." I snapped at the robots as I swayed on my feet. Avoiding the large pieces of glass I closed my eyes at the sight of my deceased daughter and slowly pulled the large blanket over her head. "You're killing me…please…"
"Incoming call with a blocked number, sir. Shall I redirect it to voicemail?" Jarvis inquired his tone soft, even the AI was grieving.
"My phone privilege has been reinstated, great just what I need, they have such perfect timing." I muttered under my breath.
"Put it through." I snapped, trying to keep my thoughts away from Pen.
"Sir, in your current state of mind…" Jarvis inputted but I cut him off.
"Put it through, and begin tracers. I don't care what you say Jarvis, I have a bad feeling about this."
"Of-course sir." Jarvis replied.
"Coulson," I stated, he was the only one who would be calling, and from a blocked number. I squashed the pain in my heart down. Now wasn't the time. "How's clean up duty? Look…I've got some bad news…"
" 'ey Tony," the cold familiar voice stated and my blood ran cold. He was dead…he couldn't be calling. " 'ow you doin'?" He laughed in his Russian accent.
"I do'oble cycle." Ivan stated and my eyebrows knitted together.
"What?" I asked, glad that I had Jarvis trace the call. Come on, I had just lost…Pen…I didn't need his crap now too.
" 'ou told me, do'oble cycles, mo'ore power. Good advice." Ivan elaborated.
"You're sounding pretty damn well, for a dead guy. How's the afterlife treating you, have you survived the flames?" I asked, my voice cracking at the mention of the afterlife. Man, was I good with masks and acting…though I couldn't help the bit of anger seep into my words.
" 'ou too." Vanko laughed darkly.
I pressed the voice off button, and asked Jarvis with a bite in my tone, "How's the trace coming Jar? I want a lock on this guy now."
"The call is bouncing off several satellites, sir, but I have located the original signal." Jarvis stated, and I nodded briefly as he continued the trace.
"Now, the tru' histo'ory of Stark name will be written." Vanko stated coldly but I paid him no mind, he was just a bug, an annoying little fly.
"Jar, where the hell is he?" I stated becoming impatient, today was not the day to be messing with me.
"I have accessed the Oracle grid…Eastern Seaboard." Jarvis stated and I watched as the map zoom in closer and closer.
"What yo'ur father did to'o my fam'ly o'over 40 years…I shall do'o to 'ou in 40 minutes." Vanko continued.
"Sounds good," I stated coldly, turning the sound back on. "Let's meet up, have a heart to heart, and smash it out till the other gives up."
"Tri-state area, Manhattan and outlying boroughs." Jarvis stated.
"I ho'pe 'ou're ready." Vanko stated before the line went dead.
"Jarvis, did you get him?" I asked instantly my voice sounding harsh even to my own ears.
"Call trace incomplete, sir." Jarvis intoned as I groaned and threw a screwdriver aganst the wall. Damn.
I turned towards the screen on my desk that showed the latest news of the Expo, and nearly threw something threw the screen like I had the wall.
"Damn," I stated, aloud this time. Hammer was the only one who was dumb enough, with the resources, to do this. I knew his work, there was no way that hammer was smart enough to come up with working drones for the presentation…if the information was correct.
He had given Vanko the cover he needed.
"Idiot!" I hissed in fury as I pulled the new Arc out of its diagnostics stand and pulled my old one out of my chest.
"Sir!" Jarvis exclaimed in alarm.
"You want to run some tests, run them. But I'm not letting anything else happen if I can prevent it." I snarled as I shoved the new Arc into place. "And assemble the suit while you're at it."
I could feel the powerful energy coursing through my veins, a burning sensation fallowed as the new Core cleansed my bloodstream of the Palladium, an unexpected but welcoming result.
"We're unclear as to the effects…what happened to…" I cut him off as she went towards Penny's situation.
"I don't want to hear it!" I yelled angrily. I didn't need to be reminded… I was trying to forget!
I cough as the Arc started glowing, the energy surged through my body and I could feel every effect of the poison being stripped away.
"Eh," I coughed as the effects reached my head, "That tastes like coconut…"
I hated coconut. Penny had loved it…
'Don't think about it!' I hissed to myself. There would be time to break down later.
Now, I had a crazy to deal with.
"And metal…not pleasant…" I gasped as it gave one last surge, and I felt…alive. I wasn't happy, but…I couldn't ignore the pleasurable feeling of adrenalin coursing through my veins.
"Oh Wow…YEAH!" I yelled at the feeling of power…had Penny felt like this with her sparks? It was….addicting. "YOU NIMRODS ARE GOING TO DIE!"
Pepper's POV
I wiped the tears from my eyes as Natalie opened the door for me. I hadn't answered ether of their questions about my wellbeing. It was all I could hope that Tony was still alive. I had wanted so badly to just cancel everything and fly back to Malibu to check on him, but I knew I couldn't.
I had been trying to call Tony almost constantly for the past few hours, but none of the calls had gone through. I was extremely frustrated, but when I started ranting about not being able to get a hold of Tony, Natalie hadn't been surprised.
I stepped out of the car and nodded to Happy as he said, "I'll keep the car down here."
"Thank you Happy." I stated, I didn't know what I would do without him.
Hammer's presentation was starting soon, and I knew I had to be in attendance, though I really just wanted to go home.
Tony's video had put a knot in my stomach that refused to leave…no matter what I did.
God, I just hoped Tony was okay.
Tony's POV
I flew through the air, slightly amazed at the power outputs of the new element. I had decided to name it Penitonium, after Pen.
I refused to shed another tear until I was alone, but no matter how hard I tried, I could get rid of the horrible ache in my heart and the intense pain behind my eyes. I was expecting to hear her voice any minute now through the com…I just couldn't believe that she was really gone. I couldn't think about it….I wouldn't let myself.
In a small corner of the HUD, of the modified Mark IV which was now the Mark VI, the live broadcast of Hammer's presentation was playing and I couldn't help but glare at the annoying man who was dancing across the stage.
God, how I wanted to fry him…great… now even my thoughts reminded me of Penny.
"Jarvis, ETA." I stated coldly, reading the subtitles of Hammer's speak. He was so annoying…it would be so easy to take my emotional turmoil out on him…
"Five minutes, sir." Jarvis replied, "Someone is calling Penny's phone. What shall I do?"
I sighed and ground my teeth together, it would be risky, but I guess I would have to take care of it. "Patch it through."
"Sir…are you sure? The risks involved…" Jarvis stated but I cut him off.
"Jarvis! I know, just patch it through." I hissed, and I saw the call information get pulled up the HUD.
"Hello?" I stated trying to keep my tone light and succeeding to a certain extent, knowing that I could freak out whoever was on the other side of the line.
"Who is this?" a female voice asked, I placed her about early thirties late twenties, and she sounded concerned, but careful.
"None of your concern." I said coldly, wincing knowing that I might have said the wrong thing to the girl. "Who are you?"
I heard her growl at the other end of the line but replied snippily, "I'm looking for a Penelope Telnets. Where is she?"
"If I know who is inquiring I might be compelled to answer." I stated swiftly, my voice finally void of any emotion.
"Arg! I'm Dr. Jane Foster, I'm an astrophysicist that works with Penny, now, where is she!"
I sighed, Pen had talked about a Jane all the time…this was not what I needed, not now!
"She is currently indisposed." I answered, trying to keep the pain out of my voice and the tears out of my eyes, though I was failing on both accounts.
"What the hell did you do!?" The astrophysicists yelled at me, fury and rage in her voice as well as concern.
"I," I hissed angrily, how dare she! "Didn't do a thing!"
"Where is she!" The older girl hissed angrily.
"She's dead!" I yelled my voice cracking at the end as tears started rolling down my face once again. "And don't you DARE accuse me of doing a thing!"
"W…what?" I heard the girl gasp in surprise. "H…how?"
"I…I…can't…please…" I stated quietly, unable to talk. The walls around my heart had burst open and I was barely able to see or think straight, let alone fly straight.
"Who are you?" Dr. Foster asked again, her voice filled with the same pain as my own.
"…" I wasn't sure if I should answer… "Her father."
My voice was cold, harsh and filled with agony.
"….I thought she didn't have a father?" Jane asked hesitantly.
"Well, she did." I snapped, not meaning to sound harsh…but I just couldn't help it…it just wasn't fair…
"I'm sorry…" Jane said after a moment of silence.
I sighed tiredly as I managed to pull the walls back into place, and replied sadly, "So am I…Dr. Foster…so am I…"
Yup, Jane knows Tony even if she doesn't know who he is really….heehe.
Pen is still dead.
Tony's a bit insane at the moment...hehehe...
And my foster sisters are still ready to kill me. XD
sorry for the late update on this, Long day and I just got home...yeah...I'm so tired. Anyway, at least I updated TODAY! (my time...) yeah...
Thanks to everyone, SLEEPY KAMIKINS you are the BEST FRIEND ANYONE COULD ASK FOR! YES U WILL SHOW UP EVENTUALLY! (hint-hint soon!)
VOTE YOU PEOPLE VOTE AND REVIEW! LIKE YOUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT! Who knows…Pen's might…*evil grin*
Cp