Agent Potts and the Man in the Iron Suit

VI

Sunday had been uneventful. Virginia had slept in after the late night, taken a relaxing shower, and then sat in her apartment, processing the past few days. She did a little more research in preparation for her next case, and thought about how she was going to explain the Stark situation to Leevy when Monday arrived.

It was Monday.

Virginia stepped up to the door to Leevy's office and inhaled deeply before knocking.

"Enter."

Leevy looked up from his computer as she entered the room. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach, waiting for her to speak.

She swallowed to coat her dry throat and said, "I'm afraid there's been a hiccup in the Stark case, sir. A pretty bad one. Mr. Stark... he... hacked into our system somehow."

Leevy's eyes widened in alarm.

"But, his sole purpose is to use it as leverage. He won't do anything as long as we cooperate," she quickly added.

"And what are his terms?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Of course, the reason he did this was to keep the suit in his possession. He's called a truce, and... offered to help me with the Hammer case."

"Sorry?"

"There's a gala he's going to get me into tonight, where I can make first contact with Hammer. It's actually really helpful. He even pointed out that if he helps with this case, I can keep an eye on him and the suit. He just wants it to remain with him."

"Well, if he's being useful, play by his rules for now. But you know we have to figure out a way to get the suit from him eventually, right?"

In that moment, Virginia decided to keep the hope that Tony had shared with her to herself. She said, "Yes, sir. I've been noting details that could prove vital once this truce ends."

"Good," Leevy said. He unclasped his hands and turned back to his computer. Virginia knew she was dismissed.

She spent a few more hours at the agency headquarters before heading home to get ready for the evening thrills.

When she arrived at her apartment door, she found a prettily wrapped box on the floor. Virginia picked it up and inspected the tag. She didn't recognize the name of the store it was from, but the other side had her name and address on it. She brought it into her home, set it on the kitchen table, and cautiously opened the lid. She gasped at what was inside.

With trembling hands, Virginia reached into the box and pulled out a gorgeous blue dress. It had a v-neck and an open back, and the fabric was silky smooth to the touch. She clutched it close to her and looked in the box again. There was a note inside. She grabbed it and read:

Thought you might need something for the occasion.

- TS

Virginia shook her head in bewilderment. She didn't know what to think of Tony Stark anymore. She felt as if her whole world had been flipped on its head, spun around, and righted again within the past week.

The next few hours were spent curling hair, putting on makeup, choosing earrings, and, finally, sliding into the dress. Virginia hardly recognized herself when she finished, which might be a good thing, since she would officially be known as Sally Parridge once she stepped into the venue. She checked the clock and realized her ride would be arriving any minute.

By the time Virginia got out the front door, she only had to wait a minute at most before the familiar Rolls-Royce appeared. Happy got out and held the door open for her, and she quickly climbed inside.

She was welcomed by a cloud of unfamiliar cologne. Virginia turned to her left, and her breath caught in her throat. The man next to her seemed like a complete stranger, though in reality he looked much more like the images she had known of him before a few days ago. Tony's hair was combed and slicked back, and his goatee had been neatly trimmed. He wore an expensive suit, and was currently sporting a stupid smirk that didn't help anything.

"Hey, good to see you again," he greeted. "Am I allowed to call you Ms. Potts for the evening? It might put everybody off if I address you as agent."

Virginia ignored the way her heartbeat had rapidly sped up since she got into the car. She said, "I'm afraid it'll have to be Ms. Parridge tonight. You did read that this was an undercover mission among all the other information you looked into, right?"

"Oh, yes, I remember now," Tony replied while fidgeting with his cuff link. "Y'know what? I'll take it. Any upgrade from agent is a win."

She rolled her eyes.

Tony glanced at her before turning back to his cuff link. "The dress looks great on you, by the way."

"Oh, thank you," Virginia replied, suddenly feeling quite self-conscious. "And thanks for the gift."

"Just thought it was the least I could do after dragging you into this situation," he said with a shrug. "Have you been to an event like this before?"

"Something similar, once or twice, but never at this guest list tier."

"If you come at it from the right angle, it's not so intimidating. It's basically just a bunch of stuffy men in suits making an appearance so their competitors don't think they've got the upper hand in the social world. Kind of boring, honestly."

"Says one of the so-called 'stuffy men in suits,'" Virginia teased.

Tony sighed. "Comes with the job, I'm afraid."

They pulled up to the venue sooner than she was expecting. Virginia took one look at the paparazzi outside and felt queasy. She had been around the press before, yes, but never in the limelight, in a dress like this, escorted by Tony Stark. That was all on its own level.

Happy came around and opened the door. Virginia took a deep breath and stepped out to flashing cameras and blinding lights. She managed to find her way over the curb and onto the sidewalk, but didn't know how much further she could go. Tony suddenly appeared at her side, offering his arm to her. She clung to it and followed him through the fray of over-stimulation. 

She could finally breathe again when they stepped inside the building.

"You okay?" Tony asked. Genuine concern showed on his face.

Virginia offered him a weak thumbs up. "Fine, just... not used to that. It's a lot."

"Welcome to my world," Tony muttered as he led the way further into the building.