Dented Iron (Hiatus)

Captain Eyepatch

It was morning and Alex hated it. She couldn't remember how she got where she was, and currently the only thing that was making it bearable in the midst of a shattering hangover, veiled threats from Jarvis about the dangers posed by palladium poisoning and a certain knowledge that Rhodey was gone, Rhodes had betrayed her. They would turn the Mark II into... whatever they were going to turn it into. She shuddered to think.

No, the only think other than the knowledge that her suit was far superior, was the sunglasses on her face and the Bavarian cream donut in her hand and the view from the roof of the donut shop, which was ornamented in a giant plastic donut, that Alex had taken up seat in.

"Ms. Stark" someone called from below "I'm going to have to aske you to exit the donut"

Alex looked down at the man, "Captain Eye patch" she muttered "wondered when you'd make do on your threat"

Ten minutes later Alex was sat in a booth with Fury, it was taking a while because the pirate captain had secured the ship and eliminated everyone else on board. Alex sat leaned against the window.

"I already told you I don't want to join your super-secret boy band, okay?"

"Oh, yeah" Fury said "I remember, you do everything yourself. How's that working out for you?"

"Should have done it before now... but... I'm sorry, which eye should I look at, the patch or... I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if your real or if this is some sort of crazy delirium dream."

Fury leaned in close and tapped Alex's cheek "I am very real. I'm the realest person you're ever gonna meet"

"It's not about being real, Captain," Alex replied turning to look around the shop "where's the staff?"

"that's not looking good" Fury commented pointing to Alex's neck where the purple lines have creeped up to her ear.

"I've had worse"

"that's not what I'm getting" Fury said, and Alex narrowed her eyes.

"You don't know what I've been through Eyepatch. I can promise its worse than this"

Before Fury could respond another voice filtered through the air. Natalie Rushman. "we have the perimeter secured. I don't think we should hold it for too long"

Alex sighed "I knew it" she then turned to look at Rushman who was now donning a skintight leather like uniform. Something out of every teenage boys dream.

"Alex, I'd like you to meet Agent Romanoff" Fury said.

Romanoff sat down, right next to Fury "I'm a SHIELD shadow and I was tasked to you by Director Fury once we knew you were ill"

Alex couldn't process this fully. She figured Natalie was a spy in the beginning, of course, but that was only a few months ago, which means she's been in the company longer than that... how did they know she was sick before she knew... She had been in the company before the Obadiah incident, maybe shield wasn't there for her initially but Obie.

"Lovely, figured you'd do something like this. Should have made your resume a little less outrageous. Practically screamed spy... Of course, back then I didn't know who to blame Eyepatch or the tool"

If the two were shocked that she realized Romanoff was a spy before they didn't say anything.

"You've been very busy. Made your girl your COO, you've given away all your stuff, you let your friend fly away with your suit. If I didn't know better-"

"you don't know better, I didn't give him the suit, he took it. And I'd say given the recent year of events Rhodes was never my friend, he used me. Just like you plan to do."

There was silence during which Fury looked Alex dead in the eye "Don't talk" he said "when I'm talking" he paused and Alex felt like she was trapped. She was trapped and like any caged animal she wanted to run.

Alex shook her head and made to get up "I don't have to listen to this, and I wont so unless you have a reason for tracking me down, for putting a spy in my company, way before I was sick might I add, I'm leaving. Let me live the last few days I have in peace."

"hit her" Fury said and Alex who didn't understand anything felt a sharp in the side of her neck. She turned sharply to see Romanoff with a needle.

"what the hell? Can you people not do anything weird or illegal for five seconds. What you want my liver? Or do you want my brain? Oh wait, I know you want the reactor just like everyone else... Well, I've got bad news for you Eyepatch, no one is getting the Iron Man suit or the reactor."

"your friend took one already"

Alex smirked "I told the senate, and I told the military, and I am telling you... No one will ever have my technology. They may think they do, oh they may get a very convincing knock off, but this dies with me. And in case you're thinking of hacking Jarvis again just know he's got some pretty gnarly viruses up his sleeves." She paused then looked at Natalie "what did you do to me?"

"its what we did for you" Fury said "Lithium Dioxide. It'll take the edge off"

"Lovely... but if it doesn't cure anything what's the point"

"that's not going to be an easy fix" Fury said suddenly.

"what are you talking about?"

"Palladium Poisoning"

"you don't think I know this? You don't think I've spent every waking hour for the last few months searching, I've exhausted my knowledge and the worlds. There isn't a combination of elements that I haven't tried. I've tried them all and none of them work"

Fury was shaking his head. Very slightly, but Alex caught it. Enough to stop talking and wait for him to speak.

"I'm here to tell you, you haven't"

Alex looked at him then very quietly said "what if I don't care..."

That surely took both parties by surprise. But she had to ask it, what if she's accepted this was the end. "you're just gonna let the military take your suit and use it for a weapon?"

Alex scoffed "haven't you heard Nick; I'm not shit. No one cares if Iron Man lives or dies... In fact, I seem to recall a lot of people wishing I died in Afghanistan"

"you're Alexandra Stark... modern hero, playgirl, billionaire, you're telling me that you don't want sixty more years? You've done everything you can imagine in the twenty-two years you've been alive. You've left your mark... that's it?"

Alex looked out at the street in front of her, she hadn't done everything she wanted to do. She wanted to grow old, she wanted Pepper, she wanted to change the world.

"do I have your attention now?"