Chapter 4

The moon reflected off the ocean, turning the view into a glittering sea of light. A lone seagull made its circles on the dark horizon, and the wind ruffled Tony's hair slightly. He stood on his balcony and listened to the rhythmic roar of the sea hitting the rocks far below. It was wonderfully quiet and peaceful.

Tony looked at his expensive watch. Nearly four a.m. He was tired, but as long as he could avoid sleep, he would stay awake. As long as he could stay out of dark, cold caves, he would.

Tony thought about Pepper. In maybe five hours she would be back. Just knowing that she was in the house made him feel better, even though he knew he was often so dismissive.

Tony rested his forearms on the railing and enjoyed the silence. He was the only one in the house right now, something he usually hated, but sometimes it was just soothing. A thick cloud moved across the sky, obscuring the moon.

"Mr. Stark," he heard Jarvis say suddenly. "My sensors detect several people on the premises. They appear to be hacking into my system."

"WHAT?!"

Tony was frozen in place for a moment. Then his mind began to race. The armor! He had to get into his suit immediately!

"How many people, Jarvis?" he yelled as he ran through his house.

"Five men, identities unknown so far. Obviously armed."

Tony reached the living room.

"Sir, the men have -"

Jarvis' voice cut him off.

"Jarvis?" Tony called out, slowing down his pace. "Jarvis!"

Was it really possible that they had hacked into his computer? No, it wasn't. No one could have done that...

Tony couldn't finish the thought because at that moment, five men dressed in black and wearing dark masks ran toward him. They unmistakably had their guns pointed at him. Tony stopped instantly. Panic spread through him. Without Jarvis, his armor wouldn't do him much good. All functions and sensors ran through Jarvis' system. Without the computer, his armor was just that: heavy and immobile.

"Stop right there, Stark! Not - one - inch - further."

Not daring to move, Tony watched as the men came closer, guns pointed at his head and heart. Instinctively, Tony raised his hands.

"Good to see you again, Stark."

One of the men approached him. Somehow it was a familiar voice... Tony felt electricity running through his veins. This voice... he had heard it before - and he would never forget it.

"Did you miss me?"

Tony guessed a grin under the mask. He was unable to say anything, let alone move. Fear paralyzed him. It couldn't be true... Raza?!

"I was really hoping for a more polite welcome."

Raza's dark voice echoed in Tony's mind. The leader of the Ten Rings. The terrorists who had kidnapped him and done all this cruelty to him - here in his home.

The men circled him with their guns still raised. Their frantic movements made Tony nervous. He feared he might be shot at any moment.

"Tonight you will die," Raza hissed, removing his mask.

Large scars marked one side of his face and bald head. Scars that Tony had inflicted on him during his escape. The terrorist smiled, or at least the corners of his mouth twitched, but his eyes remained cold and emotionless. Tony didn't react and stared at Raza's face in shock. The nightmares suddenly seemed to merge with reality. How could the Ten Rings be here in front of him?

"You still have some time left, Stark. You decide how much pain you want to put yourself through before you die."

Tony's mind went blank. There was no plan, no idea, no helpful thought on how to get himself out of this situation.

"We want Iron Man," Raza said calmly. "We want the armor. And you're going to give it to us." Raza now showed a real grin. "Maybe you remember what happened the last time you didn't give us a weapon."

Tony remained silent. For a moment, the living room he was standing in dissolved, and he slipped back into the cave, seeing the water trough in front of him and hearing men speaking in Arabic. Then he forced himself back to the present with all his might.

"Don't even try to play for time. Anyone who shows up here unexpectedly will be shot."

Tony brought himself to snort dismissively, though he didn't feel like it. Then he lowered his hands.

"That's it? That was your whole show?" he asked, gesturing broadly at Raza and the men. "How long did you rehearse for this play? And is the genre of your show supposed to be comedy, satire perhaps? Or more like fantasy, because it's absolutely absurd that you think I'd give you the ar-"

Without warning, Raza punched him in the stomach with full force. Tony went down, gasping for air.

"You're going out on a limb, Stark."

Tony gasped and coughed as he supported himself on the ground with one hand and held his stomach with the other. "It could be a drama, too, because you're definitely not going to get my-"

Immediately, Tony was hit with a heavy kick to the head and fell to the ground. He felt for his temple with his hand and clearly felt blood running along it. He scrambled to his feet only to be knocked back down by another kick. Stars circled in front of Tony's eyes as he lay dazed on his stomach. His head hurt terribly.

Raza grabbed his left arm and lifted it slightly; Tony didn't resist, still gasping and trying to shake off the numbness.

"We went to the trouble of destroying a mall in L.A. to lure you here. Instead, you spent the evening at a party. How disappointing. I guess I overestimated you, Stark."

"Your disappointment won't end here," Tony said reluctantly.

Without warning, Raza jerked his arm up at an awkward angle. Tony screamed in pain, knowing instantly that his shoulder was dislocated. He writhed on the floor and had to clench his teeth to keep from screaming any louder. If he couldn't get into his suit somehow, he was doomed.

"I warned you," Raza said in a calm voice.

"Damn it!" Tony exclaimed grudgingly. He was struggling to stay conscious.

"If you want to die with your other arm intact, I advise you to cooperate now," the leader growled in a menacing voice. "Or we can wait here for your pretty assistant, maybe she can help us better?"

"No..." Tony groaned, narrowing his eyes. Not Pepper...

"Get a grip, Man of Steel," Raza shouted sneeringly, then spoke briefly in Arabic to his men.

In response, four hands grabbed Tony under his armpits and pulled him up. Tony swayed dangerously, so someone had to hold him upright.

"Without... Jarvis..." Tony gasped as his knees threatened to buckle. There was a flicker in his vision. "Without Jarvis... the... workshop where the suit is cannot be opened..."

Raza stood motionless for a moment, then answered even more quietly and calmly.

"I don't believe you, Stark. Stop trying to fool us. Either play along or die right now. We'll find a way to get the armor even if you're dead as a doornail."

Tony swallowed; he had to improvise somehow.

"A code," Tony murmured, leaning forward slightly. "I need to enter a code..."

The terrorists pushed him forward. "Then go ahead!"

Tony took as much time as he could - which was necessary, given his injuries. If he didn't think of something, he was screwed. The pain numbed his senses. It was only with great difficulty and with great caution that he made it down the stairs. With every jolt, he thought he could feel his head and arm shattering into more and more pieces.

"The code, Stark!" Raza shouted at him more impatiently as one of the men pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of his head.

Tony had no choice. He began punching in the code. By now, the fear of impending disaster overpowered his pain. His eyes fell to the desk. There it was. His phone. If he could get to the phone unnoticed for a moment, he might be able to reboot Jarvis.

The door opened and the terrorists entered with tension, as if waiting for a trap. The Iron Man armors stood side by side against the wall. The latest model, ready for immediate use. Raza let out a gurgling laugh as he approached them.

Tony pretended he couldn't stand - which wasn't so far off the mark - and dragged himself to his desk chair. One of the terrorists shouted something in the foreign language Tony remembered so well and raised a victory fist.

Tony rested his right hand on the desk and pretended to be incapacitated by his injuries, breathing deeply in and out with his eyes closed.

As the terrorists spoke in Arabic, he grabbed the phone and began searching under the table - without changing his position too much - for the virus these bastards had apparently used to shut down Jarvis. He had a program for that, of course. Getting Jarvis up and running after that was a breeze. Numbers appeared on the phone's screen and rattled off at breathtaking speed. It would only take another moment.

One of the terrorists shattered the glass behind which the Iron Man armor was kept.

"Alright, grab the armor and kill Stark!" Raza shouted in English, apparently to let Tony know what was about to happen to him.

"Hey!" yelled one of the terrorists who had turned to look at him.

He seemed to have noticed Tony doing something under the table. Raising his gun, he walked quickly toward him. Raza shouted instructions in Arabic. Suddenly there was a dangerous hustle and bustle. It was now or never.

"LIGHTS OUT, JARVIS!" Tony yelled and threw himself under the desk.

It became pitch black, but where he had sat a moment ago, the bullets of the gun struck with a spark.

Raza roared again, and the other men joined in. Tony continued to crawl on the floor. The suit. It was the only thing that could save him now. He pressed his hand over the arc reactor so the light wouldn't reveal his position. He could hear the others running, but they could see as little as he could. Unlike them, however, he knew exactly where to go. He used the phone to tell Jarvis to get the armor ready.

Tony reached the platform. With great difficulty he managed to stand up. Then he felt his second skin being put on. The familiar sounds of the system powering up calmed him somewhat, then the reactor shone brightly in the darkness.

Now it was the terrorists who were panicking. Tony raised his right arm and fired at the terrorists who were already fleeing the workshop. He caught one of them, and the others grabbed his body and dragged him after them. Three bullets hit his armor in return.

"That was a short visit. Are you leaving already?" Tony asked, now confident and superior. "Jarvis. Lights."

The workshop was lit as ordered - and Tony realized immediately that something was wrong. Black dots were floating around in front of his eyes, and a static noise was penetrating his ears.

"Sir," Jarvis' voice reported. "I'm detecting a concussion. You may be about to pass out."

"You don't say," Tony gasped and stumbled.

He had to pull himself together, he couldn't let them get away. Slowly he walked up the stairs, but he couldn't see the men anywhere.

"I recommend you call 911," Jarvis said insistently.

"Where are the terrorists?" Tony asked, ignoring the comment. He had to hold on.

"Already outside the building. Sir... You- "

"Okay. Get me out of the suit."

He realized he couldn't hold out much longer. There was no point. Jarvis opened the armor and Tony stepped out. He immediately fell to his knees.

"Sir, I'm going to call a doctor -"

"No, I'm not giving you permission."

He didn't want a doctor and he didn't want to go to the hospital. He just needed to rest for a minute. His heart was beating in his throat, cold sweat was forming on his forehead, and some blood was still pulsing from his forehead wound. But he couldn't put Pepper in danger. What if the men were still nearby?

"Mr. Stark," Jarvis said, almost forcefully this time. "May I at least inform Miss Potts?"

"No... I just need a minute..." Tony muttered as he fell.

The alarm rang, Pepper groped for it with her eyes closed, but missed. Finally giving up, she reluctantly sat up to turn it off.

Six a.m. Disgusting six a.m. She wondered why she was getting up so early when Tony sometimes didn't go to bed until that time.

Pepper sighed and pulled herself up. After a quick shower, she felt much more awake. She read a few emails and text messages that had come in overnight, while checking the news and drinking a smoothie. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The economy continued to stabilize, the war in Afghanistan still wasn't over, some kids had robbed a gas station, the new Batman movie had been released - and Stark Industries' stock continued to fall. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Quickly, she grabbed her smartphone and laptop and left her apartment. In her Audi, she drove to Tony's mansion, stopping for coffee on the way, as usual, and continuing to listen for news that may or may not be important.

When she arrived, she spotted Happy leaning against the apparently freshly cleaned Rolls Royce, reading the paper. Pepper turned off the car and got out. Happy greeted her with a smile and folded up the paper.

"Good morning," Pepper said. "Is Tony up yet?"

"I don't know. Yesterday he said he wanted to leave as early as possible to get a new cylinder head for his R8. But well..." Happy raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "Who knows how long he was in the workshop yesterday."

Pepper nodded. "So you haven't been in yet?"

"'Nah. But I'll join you if you go in. Maybe he just forgot."

"I don't think so," she said, smiling at the idea that Tony had forgotten something.

It was much more likely that he had changed his mind. Sometimes she got the impression that he just liked to keep people waiting. Together they entered the house.

"Jarvis, where is he?" Pepper asked, sipping her coffee and grimacing. It tasted terrible; she would definitely stop somewhere else next time.

"In the living room, Miss Potts," Jarvis gave her the short answer.

She gave Happy a surprised look. " Up already, then. Or still..."

They entered the living room.

"Tony, are you there?" she called, putting her things on one of the end tables.

"Shit..." Happy muttered.

"What?" Pepper asked, turning to face him.

Happy just stared.

"What?" she asked again, following his gaze.

An icy fist closed around her heart and she let out a sharp scream. Tony was face down on the floor. His head was surrounded by deep red, dried blood.

"My God," she breathed, clapping her hands over her mouth.

Happy ran to Tony and bent over him. Pepper followed after coaxing her legs to move. Very carefully, Happy turned his boss over and felt for a pulse with his index and middle fingers.

"He ... seems to be okay," Happy said with little conviction.

Pepper's stomach turned. Tony looked terrible. His entire face was covered in dried blood, apparently from a cut above his right eye. The eye itself didn't look any better, deep blue and swollen.

"Oh, God..." Pepper shuddered. "Jarvis, what's wrong with him?" She couldn't understand why Jarvis hadn't called for help. "What happened? Why didn't you contact anyone?"

"Terrorists broke in last night," the computer said. "They must have cracked my security system - I am inconsolable. Despite several warnings, I have been forbidden to contact anyone, including medical services and you. Had his condition been life-threatening, I would have overridden that prohibition, Miss Potts."

"What?" Pepper exclaimed. "Terrorists?! But... how..."

"Boss?" Happy shouted, slapping Tony's face. "Boss!"

Tony groaned in agony.

"Thank God!" A tiny particle of Pepper's weight crumbled from her mind. "Tony! Are you all right?"

"Wonderful, thank you..." Tony replied sarcastically, eyes closed.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Pepper told Happy.

"No..." Tony muttered. "No hospital."

"Tony, what are you talking about? You're barely conscious! And injured!"

"No, I am very conscious. See?" Tony said, opening his good eye a little.

Pepper stifled a comment. She knew of Tony's strong aversion to hospitals. But his injuries needed attention.

"Mr. Stark has a concussion, but I see no swelling of the brain," Jarvis said. "However, the laceration will need stitches, and his shoulder is dislocated."

"Happy can fix the arm," Tony said immediately.

"Are you crazy?" Pepper shouted in annoyance.

"You of all people have to say that. You've already been near my heart with your hands in my chest, Pepper. Surely Happy can handle one shoulder?"

"Boss," Happy said nervously. "I can't... I don't even know how."

"Jarvis will tell you what to do."

"What if it goes wrong?" Happy asked, looking nervously at Pepper.

"Wait, you're not seriously considering this, are you, Happy?" Pepper shouted angrily. Were they both losing their minds?

"Hogan... do it... or you're fired."

Pepper rolled her eyes. She hated that side of Tony, but tried to reassure herself that Tony usually knew what he was doing. Happy took a deep breath.

"Okay. What do I have to do?" he asked.

Pepper groaned and turned away.

"The tissue is already too swollen to do this slowly," Jarvis explained. "So the most important thing is to pull the arm in a jerky, upward slant."

"Uh-huh," Happy said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "Uh, okay..."

He frowned and stood up. With an uneasy feeling, Pepper looked at Tony, who was lying on the floor, his face contorted in pain and his eyes now closed again. She watched as Happy placed his foot in Tony's armpit and then very gently took his arm in both hands.

"Mr. Stark..." Happy warned and Pepper groaned again.

With a strong tug, he pulled his arm up. Tony let out a short but loud scream, then turned on his side and buried his face in his healthy hand.

"Did it work?" Happy asked nervously.

"Jarvis?" Pepper relayed the question.

"It worked."

Happy blew out a puff of air in relief.

"But what about the cut?" Pepper asked, pulling Tony's hand away from his face to get a closer look at the wound.

But before anyone could say anything, Jarvis came forward with another announcement.

"Agent Coulson and Agent Romanoff of S.H.I.E.L.D. have just entered the property. Shall I let them in, sir?"

"Who's Romanoff?" Tony asked.

"Hard for a playboy to remember so many women?"

Tony recognized the pretty Russian immediately as she entered the room next to Coulson, both of them coming closer. She was wearing a skin-tight suit and a belt with two guns that made Tony a little nervous.

"Uh, Jarvis, did I tell you to let them in already?" Tony asked, sitting up in pain.

"My apologies, sir. I thought it was a good idea and I was sure you'd feel the same way."

"Jarvis, just for the record. I do not feel the same way."

"Mr. Stark," Coulson said pleasantly. "We were informed that you had a visit from the Ten Rings last night."

"The Ten Rings?!" exclaimed Pepper and Happy at the same time.

"How did you..." Tony asked, but stopped himself, wincing at another wave of pain in his head.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has its sources," Coulson replied with a smile. "How bad is it? Natasha?"

Agent Romanoff leaned down toward Tony, the neckline of her suit wide open.

"Eyes on my face, Stark," she said, touching his shoulder and head. Over her shoulder, Tony saw Pepper rolling her eyes again.

"Oh, does it hurt?" Romanoff asked impassively as Tony winced again at her touch. "Doesn't look too bad. Who fixed the arm?"

"Yes! That would be me," Happy said immediately, looking a bit pleased with himself.

"Wow, what a great job you did. And who are you? His nanny?" she remarked with a dry sideways glance at Happy, who immediately looked down in embarrassment. "I can stitch that up," she told Coulson.

Coulson nodded slightly, his expression still polite.

"Can you get up?" Romanoff asked, now turning back to Tony and giving him a challenging look.

"With a little help from you, Natasha, I'm sure I can," Tony said, returning the look.

Romanoff was stronger than she looked. She put an arm around Tony and helped him up with almost no effort. She led him to the couch and sat him down. Then she picked up a small bag and lowered herself almost provocatively onto Tony's lap. Tony's mouth opened automatically and he couldn't help but chuckle. This agent was obviously trying to provoke him by any means necessary. Carefully, she began to clean his temple with a cloth and disinfectant, washing away the dried blood all over his face.

As Romanoff began to fill a syringe with liquid, which she also took from the small bag, Coulson paced the room with an interested look.

"How did Raza and his people manage to shut Jarvis down?" he asked.

"They must have found a hole in my security system," Jarvis admitted. "I can't explain how that happened, though. My investigation is ongoing."

"There is no breach in his security system. The Ten Rings must have had something," Tony said.

"It's impossible to shut Jarvis down."

Romanoff injected anesthetic around his cut, then retrieved a needle kit, carefully disinfecting it.

"And what about the Ten Rings? I thought they didn't exist anymore?" Pepper asked, watching what the agent was doing to Tony with a suspicious look on her face.

"While we assumed this terrorist group had been disbanded, it appears we were wrong," Coulson explained. "Many members were killed by Obadiah Stane's people after they failed to fulfill their contract. Stane wanted them to kill Tony, but they captured him instead to use him for themselves. Stane then cleaned up the mess. So it made sense that we thought they had disbanded. When we learned that Raza, their leader, was among those killed, we put the matter to rest."

"Reliable sources," Pepper agreed angrily.

Tony felt a little flattered by Pepper's emotionalism and concern for him. Romanoff began to sew up his wound. Except for a feeling of pressure, Tony felt nothing.

"My apologies," Coulson said, looking at Pepper. "Like I said, we were wrong."

Pepper snorted. "Tony could have died!"

"If there was more security around the house, they would have had a harder time. How come you didn't have any at the gates?"

"Why should I have security? I have the armor," Tony replied.

"I guess we're all smarter now," Coulson said.

"Don't move," Romanoff warned Tony, saving the cheeky comment that was already on the tip of his tongue.

"Do you have any leads on the current whereabouts of the terrorists? Where did they go?" Happy asked worriedly.

"We don't know," Coulson replied. "But S.H.I.E.L.D. is on it."

"Sure. You're on it," Pepper hissed angrily.

Romanoff gave Pepper a quick look, then pressed a bandage over the stitched wound on Tony's forehead.

"Ow!" he complained.

The Agent stood up and re-joined Coulson. "The shoulder should be cooled and then immobilized."

Tony nodded, but immediately regretted the move. His head hurt like hell.

"Well... Raza's not one of the fallen," he said, feeling his shoulder carefully. "He was here. Raza was among the men who were here last night."

"What? Now this is getting interesting..." Natasha said thoughtfully, and Coulson also seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"Some of our agents will be guarding your house and you for the next while," Coulson said. "It's too dangerous to leave the armor alone."

"Excuse me? Alone?" Tony asked.

"The bodyguards you usually have at the entrance will be reinforced by our team."

"Thank you, but no, I don't need anyone -"

"Someone should definitely stay with Stark today. Just in case the concussion causes more problems."

"Happy and I are here," Pepper confirmed immediately, looking much more satisfied already.

"Very good. Natasha will take charge here and supervise the installation of the safety precautions..."

"No, definitely not," Tony exclaimed.

"...to make sure everything is set up to the best standards."

"Do I even get asked?" Tony raised a healthy hand.

"Natasha." Coulson looked at his agent and she nodded.

"Hello?!"

"I'm afraid I can't stay. Director Fury needs me... elsewhere," Coulson continued.

"I don't want your agents here!" Tony complained.

Finally, Coulson turned to him. "That's not your call, Mr. Stark."

"As far as I know, this is my house." He looked playfully at Pepper. "Or isn't it?"

"By revealing your identity, you've become a security issue for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I don't want a bunch of idiots in my house."

"You don't have to worry about the competence of our people. Besides, Agent Romanoff in particular knows how to make herself invisible. You won't even notice us."

"No! I will not allow -"

"Mr. Stark," Coulson interrupted, showing a major emotion for the first time: a deepening crease on his forehead. "Either you work with us, or we're going to find other ways to get you to cooperate. And believe me, that could be even more unpleasant for you than a visit from terrorists."

Tony stared back angrily, but felt unable to protest loudly. The concussion was becoming more and more present. His eyes shifted from Coulson to Romanoff.

"Don't worry," she said as she caught his gaze. "I have no desire to spend my time with you either. You won't even notice I'm here. Besides, I won't always be here. I have more important things to do than babysit."

She grinned maliciously at Happy, who turned away in a huff. Tony sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

"Wonderful, that takes care of everything," Coulson said cheerfully. "Get well and see you soon."