They stared at the phone in disbelief. It took Tony a solid thirty seconds to stop thinking about foreplay with Scarlett before he could comprehend what happened. Tony reached around Scarlett and pulled the phone free and she no longer fought him. She pulled back and stepped away, arms over her chest.

"They were supposed to join us for dinner…" Scarlett, despite her cold exterior, was obviously concerned.

"Pepper, could you stop screaming for just a second?"

"You stop screaming!"

"What's going on?" Adrenaline was shaking the fog of alcohol.

"Happy drove us to the club you told us to meet you at!" Her voice was frantic as she explained between harrowed breaths. "I couldn't find you, just the tab you left behind! What the hell, Tony?"

"I gave out a round, is that… really what you want to focus on right now?" Tony looked to Scarlett as if to express his disbelief and she nodded to agree. "What's going on?"

"What happened when you got to the club, Pepper?" Scarlett tried to get them both to focus.

"These men… these men in black suits came into the club. I had a bad feeling so we spied on them to see what they were up to. Then the power went out and everything was chaos! People were panicking! They wouldn't let anyone leave, Tony!"

"What?" Tony and Scarlett exchanged a glance. He'd expected a car accident or something not mystery men invading a club in Malibu.

"Before I knew it they grabbed me! I couldn't see where anything was, it was so dark and… and it was like they were looking for me!" Pepper's voice trembled. Who in their right mind would go after Pepper? Probably someone who wanted to get to him, of course. It was the only thing that made sense.

"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked but Tony spoke over her.

"What happened? Have you been kidnapped? Where are you?" Tony placed a comforting hand on Scarlett's back. This was just what she needed to help with her trauma- more trauma.

"Happy." Pepper's relief was audible. "He used a fire extinguisher to create a distraction and pulled me to safety."

"Good thinking, Hogan!" Tony smirked.

"It took ages to get out of there and we overheard… Tony, they're looking for someone! They were only looking for us to get to someone else."

"Probably me, Potts. When they couldn't find me they went after you. Did you catch anything else on your way out?"

"Tony, I don't think it was you either!"

"Of course it was me, Pepper. I'm Iron Man!"

"You're not listening to me! I think they were looking for her! Not you! For Scarlett!" Pepper was annoyed by his insistence.

Scarlett froze next to him. He felt her entire body stiffen beneath his hand. He narrowed his eyes. It had to be MedCo. They'd realized she'd been rescued. He looked her over again. What the hell had she been doing for them in Africa? It had to be something important for them to continue hunting her after all that.

"They kept talking about her and unless you're doing drag without telling us then I doubt it was you!"

"You're right, I'm not female passing." Tony gripped Scarlett a little tighter and she urged his hand away at last and walked a little further from him. She was pale. Frightened. "What happened? Where are you?"

"We snuck out of the club. The front was guarded so we couldn't get back to Happy's car. Instead we found yours in the valet parking lot."

"Smart move. Are you still there? Why were you screaming?" Tony was pacing, keeping one eye on Scarlett. She had her arms folded over her chest, shoulders shrugged up. Her neck had practically disappeared. He'd been worried momentarily that she would be frightened and run, but she wasn't running.

"They were searching the area, Tony. It has to be Scarlett. They know she's with you. I told you she was trouble! I told you she was dangerous!" Tony tried to shush Pepper but it didn't work. Scarlett avoided his eyes.

"We can talk about that later. Where are you if not in my car?" Tony was confused. Pepper was terrible at story telling!

Scarlett was terrified. She felt guilty. If Pepper and Happy were hurt because of her she wasn't sure she'd forgive herself. It was one thing for it to be Tony Stark, the man, the monster. Would he really go through the lengths of sending a team to retrieve her and put his employees in harm's way just to get to her? She no longer suspected he was behind this. But then there was guilt for Scott. She played with the end of her hair again in a soothing motion, hand near her chest.

"No, we're in the Audi, Tony! I called once we were in the car. I thought we were safe but they rammed right into us on our way out of the lot! Tony, they knew what car to look for!"

"They've done their homework, Pepper. We did that car show last spring…" Tony grimaced.

"We're being chased down the highway! I don't know where to go, Tony! We can't lead them to the house!" Pepper pulled the phone away to speak to Happy. Scarlett could barely hear him. It sounded like he was trying to lose their tail. "What do I do, Tony? I'm scared! Where are you? Maybe we can come to you!"

"Pepper, can you describe the people who came after you? Did they have any accents? It's important. I need to know." Scarlett interrupted. Most of the people hired by MedCo were Russian. At least in her experience.

Then there was a horrid crash, something so loud that Scarlett covered her ears. Pepper screamed, but then the sound grew distant, like she'd lost the phone.

"Pepper? Pepper! Answer me!" Tony shouted in frustration. He exchanged another worried glance with Scarlett then dialed Pepper on repeat but she didn't answer.

Did Tony blame her for this? She wouldn't blame him if he did. But all she saw was concern. If they were searching for her then this was her fault. And if Tony wasn't behind it, which she suspected he wasn't, then she was putting him in danger just being there. MedCo wasn't just a company of thugs. They were organized criminals willing to do whatever was necessary to get what they wanted.

"Jarvis? Get the garage ready. I'll be there as quickly as I can. Track the Audi." Tony grabbed Scarlett's wrist and urged her toward the door.

"Let me help you." Scarlett twisted her hand from his grasp but followed alongside him. Tony stopped, brown eyes full of worry.

"Not a chance." Tony then led her through the restaurant, handing cash to the waiter. "Keep the change." The waiter was stunned by the money and just stared at them.

"If it's me they want then maybe I'll recognize them!" Scarlett argued. She was capable of combat. But he wouldn't know that by looking at her. That and she truly wasn't sure what she was capable of with her leg like this. Tony hailed a cab and opened the door for her.

"Get in."

Scarlett sighed in irritation but did as she was asked. Tony joined her. "I'll pay triple the rate if you get me home as quickly as you can." Tony tapped his hand, holding his cash so that the driver could see.

"Yes, Mr. Stark." The driver sped off and Scarlett slid across the backseat and into the opposite door. Tony helped her right herself.

"You'll stay at the house. Stay safe. You'll just get in the way."

"I'm pretty handy in a pinch, Stark. Don't lock me up." Scarlett shoved him off but then grunted in frustration as she lost her balance.

"And what am I supposed to do when they try to use you against me? I'm not giving them what they want. You'll stay at home where I know you'll be safe." Tony wasn't even looking up from his phone. Scarlett was frustrated. And why the hell would she believe she could be used against him? He didn't know her! She was expendable!

"I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that but you are in no shape for this." He purposely grabbed at her leg and she cursed under her breath and covered her mouth to hide any further sound from the miserable pain that raced through her body. She squirmed in discomfort. This was so unlike her. She could usually fight the pain reaction.

With a shove she urged his hand away and hunched over the wound protectively.

"You're an asshole." She whimpered.

"I barely touched you and you doubled over. One wrong move and you're down for the count. If you're what they want? Then like hell am I handing you over. I don't care how little you think of me or how annoying I find you, I'm not letting a bunch of organized thugs take you anywhere."

The cabby was driving like a maniac. Scarlett slid right into Tony and he was squished against the door. He urged his arm around her to steady her.

"I'm not useless even when injured. And I know my weaknesses. Just give me a chance to help. You distract them while I get Pepper and Happy to safety. If they're after me then this is my fault. I need to help you. Please." Scarlett hoped she could reach the man who had nearly kissed her only moments before. It felt like a lifetime ago now.

Tony watched her curiously. She was dripping with guilt. But he needed her safe. He needed to know what happened in Africa. And the idea of seeing her hurt because he couldn't protect her rattled his insides. He ignored it. This was just a power play. A means to an end.

"Fine." He relented. "But you're listening to me. Got it? If you step out of line…"

"I know. We have to work together." Scarlett was trying not to give away too much but she'd blabbed her stupid mouth off while they were drinking. Now he knew exactly what she did. Though she wasn't sure if he believed her or not.

"I'm just trying to keep everyone safe." Tony grimaced, bracing her as the cab stopped very abruptly in front of his mansion. He paid the driver, as promised, then hurried out of the car, holding Scarlett's hand. They rushed inside.

"Sir, the Mark VII is ready in the gantry downstairs." Jarvis greeted them.

"Good." Tony pulled off his tie and tossed it aside. "Go get changed into something more practical. We had clothes delivered for you while we were out." Tony nodded upstairs.

"I'm fine like this." Scarlett assured him but then backed off when he threw her a look. She rushed upstairs to do just as she'd been asked.

Tony hurried downstairs, tossing his coat on the desk and stepped onto the platform at the center of the gantry. The pieces of the Mark VII were lifted by robotic arms and snapped into place over his body. With the helmet remaining open while systems came online, Tony turned toward his desk.

"Lock down the guest room, Jarvis." Tony ordered. "Show me the security camera. Let us communicate." Tony closed the helmet. He could do all of this from within the suit. Scarlett wasn't in the guest room but he saw the light on in the bathroom. "Scarlett, come out of there for a second." He called to her. "Let her see me."

"Stark?" Scarlett had only managed to get her zipper undone by the time he'd called her. She stepped back in surprise as he appeared before her, and she knew at once he was in his armor. "Don't you dare! Stark!" Scarlett ran to the door of the guest room and tugged but it wouldn't budge. She threw her weight against it in frustration but it wouldn't relent. There were no hinges inside the room for her to pull either.

"Don't waste your strength. You're not going anywhere. Windows won't go either. Just… wait for me here."

"God, you're such a dick! You agreed that I could help! A dick and a liar! I can't believe I…" She shoved again at the door but more than anything she was kicking herself for ever thinking he could be an honest man.

"It's for your safety. I can't hand you over. I don't need more hostages on my hands."

"You're such an arrogant prick! I'm not some damsel! You know that!" She thought he did after tonight at least. She was practically snarling. If he was there she would have throttled him.

"Call me whatever you want. I'm going to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe? Somehow I have managed to do just that without big brave Tony Stark around my whole life and I don't need some up his own ass piss-ant in his ego colored armor to save me! You just assume you're the toughest shit in the room, Stark! Let me the hell out of here or I swear to god…" Scarlett saw red.

"I won't be long." Tony turned off the camera connection. "Don't let her leave. She can have food, water, whatever else she likes but she is not to leave that room or access anything else. Got it? Stay focused on the entrances and her."

"Yes, sir." Jarvis said politely. "She is striking the door with rather surprising strength. When she breaks a bone should I call for medical assistance?"

"Just talk her down. Keep her from breaking something. Don't let her fool you either, okay? She's… she's a sneak, that one." Tony smirked. He liked that about her. But it felt like they'd taken two steps forward and about a hundred steps back in the last ten minutes. "I'm out." Tony blasted out of the garage, tracking his car's GPS in hopes of finding Happy and Pepper.

Scarlett was cursing and trying to open the door. To get away. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Another prison. She crouched low on the floor and grasped her hair and then stood back up. She kicked her heels off and kicked at the door around the lock. She wouldn't be held prisoner again. She couldn't be!

"Miss Damien? I suggest you try to calm yourself. You're going to get hurt."

"Calm down?" Scarlett shouted in frustration then paced. The doorknob had entirely disappeared into the door. Why was this a feature in his house? Maybe she'd been a fool to think that Tony Stark was up to anything but bad news. Her heart hurt. Why the hell did her heart hurt? This was exactly what she was supposed to expect, right? Moving from one prison cell to another! Granted, this one was far more manageable.

God! She'd almost kissed him! She slammed her foot against the door again but it wasn't budging, not without the proper tools.

"Yes, madam. Could I offer you a nice brandy to calm your nerves?" Jarvis suggested and Scarlett growled, her lip twitching. "On second thought, how about some fresh bread and a nice glass of sparkling water? It appears both you and Mr. Stark are rather intoxicated."

"I don't want food, Jarvis! I want to help! I got them into this mess, please!"

"Mr. Stark has insisted you remain safe in the guest room."

"But you could let me out, right?" Scarlett placed her hand to the wall pleadingly. She didn't know what Jarvis really was but it felt like he was the whole damn building. Maybe she imagined it but she thought she felt the wall warm beneath her touch.

After a quiet moment, Jarvis repeated his instructions. "Mr. Stark insists you remain in the guest room." Scarlett walked back to the couch and sat on the edge of it with her head in her hands. She had no connection to the outside world. Nothing but Tony's extravagance. There was no way she could hack Jarvis, not from here. Her fingers grasped the edge of the couch and her breath shuddered.

"Not again." She ran her hand through her hair.

"I am truly sorry, Miss Damien. I will have bread and water sent up for you anyway."

"It's not your fault, Jarvis." She softened. "I could use it to sober up anyway." Adrenaline had done half the job already.

Grasping her hair she furrowed her brow. Flashes of Scott's dead body, a hole in his head, it falling limp against the back of some metal chair. Flies crawled out of his mouth and she snapped her eyes open in terror. She didn't think Tony was behind it now that the anger was fading. But if they were hurt because of her, she wouldn't know how to be. It had only ever been her before. And now people she cared about were falling like flies.

No, she didn't care about them, did she? She didn't even know them. It didn't mean she wanted to see them hurt either.

Had that moment with Tony been another manipulation? Him just trying to get her panties off? She thought they'd been having fun. But maybe she'd let too much of her guard down after everything. And she hated that she'd wanted that kiss. To feel his lips. That goatee. Oh, to feel anything good.

It had to be the alcohol. The illusion of safety. She was a fool.

Falling for his charms like every woman before her. She wouldn't let that happen again. Even if he had nothing to do with MedCo, he had to know something. She would find out and then she'd go back to her life. Well, what was left of it- which wasn't much. Without Scott all she had was work.

She grasped her hair and curled up on the couch.

"Jarvis? How's Scarlett handling the guest room?" Tony raced out of the garage. He'd done the right thing. Yes, he knew her stories were probably true but also she was grievously wounded. That and she was drunk. Hell, he was drunk!

"She's given up on escape, sir. But I do think that perhaps you have hurt her feelings."

"Don't let her fool you, Jarvis. She doesn't have feelings."

"I am fairly confident that she feels imprisoned a second time, sir." Well, Tony didn't like that very much.

"She'll get over it." Tony swallowed the annoyance. He'd been stupid to play that dangerous game with her at dinner. Yeah, he'd flirted, but he'd never really intended to let it get that far. Though it had felt quite nice.

"Of course she will, sir."

"When did I program you to be such an ass?"

"I do believe it's part of my core programming, sir."

"Right, okay. Can you use the GPS from Pepper's phone and the Audi to give me a better idea of where they are?"

The overcast night sky suddenly felt ominous as he raced just below the clouds.

"That and could you have a driver pick up Hogan's car and bring it back where it belongs?" Tony's thoughts were racing. He shouldn't have had that much scotch. Then the wine. "Set the local police scanners in the background just in case. See if we can unravel any of this mystery." A radio stream began to play quietly in the background, reporting on mostly local incidents. It touched briefly on the blackout at the club but reported nothing about intruders. Who was in their pocket to keep that from being picked up by police? Probably someone at the police station. He tucked that information away for later.

Even though he was nearly on top of the space on his radar, he didn't see anything suspect. The highway was clear, only a car here and there traveling below. Jarvis was scanning the area.

"Sir, I found the Audi. It appears to have rolled off of the highway, down a hill, and into a drainage ditch." Jarvis targeted the site of the crash for him. A knot of worry formed in his stomach.

"Activate stealth mode, Jarvis. I don't want to be heard on approach if those men drove them off the road." Tony spotted the smoking wreckage of his Audi lying upside down in the grass of a drainage ditch alongside the highway. Jarvis scanned but there were no heat signatures in the vehicle. Happy and Pepper weren't in there.

Parked on the shoulder of the highway near the wreckage was a black SUV. Several men in black were walking down the hill. "Keep those signatures marked, Jarvis. Are they armed?"

"They are armed, sir."

"Bring up the backup camera on the Audi."

Footage appeared to the left of his screen from the car. The camera lens was cracked but it still worked. There was nothing but smoke or dust.

"Any sign of Hogan or Potts?"

"None. I think they might be hiding, sir."

"Damn, okay. Keep an eye on our suspects." Tony was hoping he could recognize something about the men in black through the camera. A symbol, a label, even a make of their weapons could be helpful. "Give me a headcount, Jarvis."

"Four men in black suits within range, sir. All armed but I cannot tell with what. Small caliber weapons it seems. I cannot get specifics at this time."

"I can handle small caliber." Tony rolled his shoulder. "Charge the repulsors. Low power. We just want to hurt them not kill them. Maybe they'll talk. Let Rhodey know I'll have some potential terrorists for him to deal with."

"Yes, sir."

Tony targeted the man nearest the wreckage of his Audi. He slowed down, but still came out of the sky like a shot. The man screamed as Tony grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Then he was struck. It was a soft sound on the back of the Mark. It probably didn't even leave a dent.

But the resounding pulse that radiated from the shot made the insides of the Mark VII flicker. For a second, everything powered down and came to a screeching halt. Would it short out the reactor? For a second, he couldn't breathe, but he realized it wasn't the reactor that was shorting out. It was the armor. Even so, if it did short out, he'd be prisoner inside it. He'd never be able to move it without the hydraulics inside working.

Thankfully, the outage lasted only a second.

"Jarvis? What the hell was that?" Tony cursed but didn't let go of the man he had pinned. The captured man was screaming with a Russian accent, trying to shove him off. "Target their weapons, Jarvis." He did so and Tony allowed small rounds to fire from the shoulders of the suit. It destroyed the captive man's weapon.

Holding the man in black by the back of his jacket, he stood up and with a blast of his repulsor knocked another out of the way. There was a cry of pain as the man fell.

"Nice shot, sir."

"Let's give these assholes a chance before we blast them to the moon, shall we?" Tony knew Jarvis would let him speak through the suit. "Where are my driver and my assistant?" Tony heard another man curse in Russian. "I repeat: Where are my driver and my assistant? Tell me now and maybe we can work something out."

"I do not know!" His hostage spoke. "We have taken no prisoners! We are only to take the girl!"

"At least he seems willing to talk." Tony smirked. Over the police chatter he heard reports of a railing on the highway being destroyed by a car flipping over it. "Stall the police but be mindful to who reported it."

"Yes, sir." Jarvis responded. "Behind you!"

Tony turned just in time to be struck by a second small caliber round and just as the last one had, this one exploded with another pulse. He stumbled, dropping his hostage, and the suit slid back in the grass, leaving deep grooves. Without realizing it, he'd fallen to one knee to catch himself.

What the hell was that?

Tony felt his fingers tingle from an electrical jolt.

"What is that weapon, Jarvis?" Tony coughed. His mouth felt full but there was nowhere for it to go but down.

Jarvis scanned it but neither of them recognized it and there was no record to be found. "It appears that on impact some sort of pulse is released."

"Remind me to grab one to bring home with us." Tony stood back up. "Charge netting. Buy me a few more minutes with this guy to get some answers." Red beads launched from the gloves at his command and landed on the ground, creating a grid of lasers that cast a net between him and the men taking shots. That weapon devastated the Mark VII. Even still he was malfunctioning! "Why are my shields crashing, Jarvis?"

"Shields are down entirely sir. I am attempting to repair them but it might take me more than several moments." Jarvis said calmly. "Try not to get shot in the meantime."

"Smart ass." Tony's fingers were numb but he managed to grab the man who he'd lost only for a second. "Why are you here? Why are you going after my friends?" He snarled threateningly.

"We're not here for you." The man choked.

"For the girl, then?" Tony almost had it. But then a shot rang out and bullet tore through the head of his hostage, splattering blood all over the front of Tony's suit. Tony dropped the dead man and stumbled back in surprise. "Clean visor." The Mark VII cleaned itself and he could see again.

Near the top of the hill where the SUV was parked, there were more men. One shot a rifle at his own soldiers!

"I don't like this, sir." Jarvis warned.

"Me neither, Jarvis." The Mark VII took to the skies again. Tony flipped through the air and landed on the highway. Bullets clattered against his suit harmlessly. He could handle regular gunfire just fine. He grabbed the bottom of the SUV and lifted it, forcing those hiding behind it to dive out of the way or be crushed by it as it rolled downhill.

The metal crunched on its way down, tires popping, mechanics steaming.

Tony flew into the nearest man, grabbed his gun and crushed it. The man screamed and Tony threw him to the ground. He looked downright terrified.

"Put him to sleep, Jarvis." Tony held his hand to the man's face and released a gas that would sedate him with a single inhale. "Let's keep this non-lethal if we can." Tony was tired. He wanted this done.

"Yes…" Jarvis' voice distorted and disappeared and the armor went dark. Tony crashed to the ground like an anchor, the suit sliding down the hill. It flipped over at the bottom, much like the SUV had.

"What the hell is happening?" Tony shouted but got no response. The reactor was still fine so why was the suit down? He couldn't see anything without power. He couldn't even hear what was happening outside!

Tony Stark was a sitting duck, trapped inside his suit with only limited air and almost no space.