Chapter Four

The next day found Toni awake and down in her lab well before sunrise. Before she did anything else, a new arc reactor was needed. She spent the early morning creating what she needed, glad that the materials were already in her well stocked lab.

It wasn't long before her bodyguards - minus Happy - came down and entered the lab.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked as they went and wandered around, looking at what was down there. It wasn't often the guards entered her lab but they all were always fascinated with what her current project was. Toni glanced up from where she was examining the reactor under her magnifying glass.

"I am creating something that is going to help me." She said simply. Then a thought occurred to her. "How big are your hands?"

"What?" Deckard asked, all of them looking at her with weirded out expressions. It definitely wasn't the most weird thing she had ever said but definitely one of her top ten.

"How big are your hands? Show me."

They all lifted their hands and showed them to her. She sighed and shook her head. "I guess I'll have to do it myself. JARVIS, how're diagnostics?"

"My calculations show that the reactor is significantly more powerful than the one you currently have in use. But not all of my scans are complete."

Toni shrugged and grabbed the reactor, sitting down in chair that leaned back enough and started to unbutton her shirt.

That was when they all noticed the glowing device in her chest.

"What is that?" Robert asked as they all ventured closer. She glanced at them and smiled wryly.

"It's what is keeping me alive." She removed her shirt to show that she had a white tank top with a hole cut in the middle for the glowing device that was clearly built into her chest.

"What do you mean? What is it doing?" Clyde asked.

"I currently have shrapnel trying to pierce my heart. The reactor keeps that from happening." Taking a breath, she relaxed back into the chair. She gestured towards an EKG machine that she had laying around. "Can one of you turn that on and bring it over to me?"

Deckard and Jason brought it over, turned it on, and helped her attach the sensors to her body.

"Why am I getting the sense that maybe a doctor should be doing this?" Clyde asked. She smirked at him as she heard the EKG get a smooth rhythm of her heart.

"A doctor would not be able to handle this." She reached up and twisted the old reactor so that it opened. She gently lifted out before a swift tug caused the end to come out and handed the old reactor to Bryan. By this point, all five of them were tense and watching her every move, ready to spring into action if need be. "Now, I just have to gently reach in and lift the wire that is touching the metal and causing me discomfort."

"Is it safe?" Bryan asked.

"Yeah, it should be fine. Its just like Operation." She mumbled as she slowly reached in through the organic discharge and felt for the wire. Moving it around, she was able to put it where it was supposed to be without even looking. She removed her hand and reached for the new reactor that Deckard handed to her. She swiftly and easily plugged it in inside of her chest. The new powerful reactor caused a shock to her system, caused her to gasp and jerk at the electrical sensation and causing the men to rock forward on their feet. Luckily she got over the new shock quickly and popped the rest of the reactor into place, turning it and locking it into place. Toni grabbed the towel from her lap and wiped her hands.

"There, easy peasy." She said with a smirk as Jason helped her sit up as all of the sharp men noticed that she was slightly shaky from her little self operation.

"Please, try to avoid doing anything like that again," Robert slightly pleaded.

"No promises."

"What do you want me to do with this?" Bryan asked curiously, examining the old reactor.

She glanced over and shrugged indifferently as she hopped to her feet, detaching the EKG machine, and buttoned up her shirt.

"Destroy it. Incinerate it." She suggested.

"You don't wanna keep it?" Deckard asked.

"Boys, I have been called many things. Nostalgic is not one of them." The five of men exchanged glances. That was true.

"Will that be all, Miss Stark?" Jason asked with a smirk at her slightly annoyed look towards him.

"That will be all, Mr Bourne," she retorted. He winked as the men began to leave her lab and head upstairs to give her some space and make some breakfast.

As soon as they were out of sight, Toni moved to her computer and designing area. Her lab was made of holographic tables so that it was easy for herself and JARVIS to manipulate things and design things as needed.

"JARVIS, you up?"

"For you, Miss, always."

"I'd like to open a new project file, index as Mark II." She began manipulating the three computer screens in front of her, typing and moving hidden designs.

"Shall I store this on the Stark Industries Central Database?" Toni digitally grabbed a design and dragged it electronically over to one of the holographic tables, causing a 3D image to appear that she could manipulate.

"Actually, I don't know who to trust right now. Till further notice, why don't we just keep everything on my private server?"

"Working on a secret project, are we, Miss?"

"I don't want this winding up in the wrong hands. Maybe in mine, it can actually do some good." Finally the design looked complete to her. She typed up the materials she was going to be needing and grimaced. "JARVIS, place an order for three times the materials and equipment and have it delivered ASAP."

"Of course, Miss. Mr Shaw has asked me to pass along that 'breakfast is ready and if you aren't up there in two minutes he will come down and drag you to it'."

Toni groaned but knew there wasn't much more she could do until the materials and equipment arrived so decided to comply with her bossy bodyguard's orders.

Toni appeared in the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at Deckard. "Did I make it in time?"

"Just about. You had three more seconds," he shot back at her. A laugh escaped her lips and those of the other men as they gathered around the breakfast table to eat the egg omelets, bacon, toast, sausage, and muffins that had been made. Breakfast was almost over with when there was a buzz at the gate.

"There are some people at the gate asking to see you, Miss," JARVIS said. The light banter and teasing atmosphere disappeared instantly as they all tensed and came alert.

"Did they see who they are, JARVIS?" Robert asked.

"There are two SUVs, no names have been mentioned as of yet. They've just requested to see Miss Stark." Curiosity and tenseness filled Toni's body.

She stood to see if she could see them from one of the front windows only to stop with Deckard stopping her in the living room. The two had a slight staring contest contest before she conceded with a sigh and plopped onto the couch. Deckard leaned against the back of it, facing the front door with his arms crossed. Clyde was over by the balcony windows where he could perfectly see outside and inside. Jason took his spot on the stairs leading down into the lab - a perfect spot because you wouldn't be able to see the stairs unless you were in the living room. Robert stayed by the front door while Bryan went out to see who their visitors were.

It wasn't long before JARVIS relayed what was being said outside to the occupants inside the house.

"Miss Stark, the driver of the first vehicle says his name is Alfred Pennyworth."

There was zero hesitation in Toni's response. She knew exactly who some, if not all, the people who have shown up at her doorstep.

"Let them in."