Iron Woman - (Fem Iron man X Pepper)

Chapter 2 - Parties

2008

29 years old.

Life's been great, I've been partying, spending money. Running a company. I even built my very own mansion in Malibu...it was great.

I was supposed to be somewhere tonight....but I can't remember where. So instead I went to a casino.

I laugh as I was surrounded by men and women as I gambled, "Work it! Come on! We should just stay till the morning."

"You are unbelievable." My friend Rhodey steps up at my side.

"Oh, no! Did they rope you into this?" I ask.

"Nobody roped me into anything!"

"I'm so sorry." I fake pout.

"But they told me that if I presented you with an award, you'd be deeply honored."

"Of course I'd be deeply honored. And it's you, that's great. So, when do we do it?" I ask.

"It's right here. Here you go." Rhodey hands me the award.

"There it is. That was easy. I'm so sorry." I take it.

"Yeah, it's okay."

"Wow! Would you look at that? That's something else. I don't have any of those floating around. Uh, we're gonna let it ride! Give me a hand, will you? Give me a little something-something." I hold up the dice to a woman, she smiles and blows on it. "Okay, you, too." I hold out the dice to Rhodey.

"I don't blow on anyone's dice." Rhodey growls.

"Come on, honey bear." I smile.

"I don't blow on anyone's dice!" Rhodes knocks my hand away causing the dice to roll.

"There it is. Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes rolls! And..."

"Two craps. Line away." The dealer says.

"That's what happens." Rhodey points.

"Worse things have happened. I think we're gonna be fine. Color me up, will ya?" I ask.

I smile as I walk with Rhodey and Happy, stopping as Rhodey turns, "This is where I exit."

"All right." I nod.

"Tomorrow, don't be late."

"Yeah, you can count on it." I point, totally lying.

"I'm serious!"

"I know, I know." I head over to the car, "Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's. There you go."

"Miss. Stark! Excuse me, Miss. Stark! Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair magazine. Can I ask you a couple of questions?" A woman yells.

"She's cute." Happy whispers to me.

"She's all right?" I turn to her, "Hi."

"Hi."

"Yeah. Okay-" I look her up and down.

"It's okay?"

"Go." I nod.

"You've been called the da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?"

"Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint." I smile.

"And what do you say to your other nickname? The Merchant of Death?" She asks, referring to the weapons in my company.

"That's not bad. Let me guess. Berkeley?" I point.

"Brown, actually."

"Well, Ms. Brown. It's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee you, the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals." I nod.

"You rehearse that much?"

"Every night in front of the mirror before bedtime." I smirk.

"I can see that."

"I'd like to show you first-hand." I bite my lip.

"All I want is a serious answer."

"Okay, here's serious. My old man had a philosophy, Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy." I say.

"That's a great line coming from the girl selling the sticks."

"My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero." I narrow my eyes.

"And a lot of people would also call that war profiteering."

"Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs, military funding, honey." I ask.

"You ever lose an hour of sleep your whole life?"

"I'd be prepared to lose a few with you." I smirk.

The rest of that night wasn't so pure...