Avengers - Time Rift: Iron Maiden

Chapter 13 - The Wire: Part 1 - Detonation

Inspiration: I am the Fire - Halestorm

Thanks to @SouthernLolita for help turning up the feels ... to 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony flopped down into the seat across from Tonya in her office "You never struck me as the vacation type" he said as he crossed his legs and leaned back. "Just doing some things I always wanted to do and haven't gotten around to yet that's all" she answered as she went through the files on her desk. Tony tilted his head back looking at the ceiling "Any of my numerous would be therapists would speculate you're trying to get things fit in and give Darcy as many good memories as you can before it's too late. You're not on some kind of deadline you want to share, are you?". Tonya closed the files in front of her "Look Tony, we both know why I'm here. That hasn't changed. Yes I have things I want to do and I can't be sure how all this is going to play out ... but no, there's no secret agenda. I just want to have some fun in case things do south. As far as Darcy, yes I want her to have as many good times and memories as possible but I'd want that no matter what". Tony hopped up out of the chair "Good enough. Speaking of memories and all that, dinner at our house tonight? Say six O'clock?". Tonya smiled "Sure, we'll bring the scotch and dessert. Darcy can try out the new cake recipe shes been wanting to make". Tony headed toward the door "In that case make sure it's the good scotch" he said with a laugh. The redhead frowned slightly "Hey now, she's getting better. I don't even need to keep antibiotics around the apartment anymore". Tony burst out laughing as he left the office "Six O'clock, no tardies!" he shouted as he rounded the corner, his face suddenly becoming serious as he stepped out of view "She's lying J. Prep to lock her out of everything, move the Dreadnought to my home lab and call the team. We need do this and keep her out of it. This is my mess to clean up and I want to keep her as far away from it as possible. And try to crack her schematic files, I want as much fire power as I can get when Junior comes to visit". Jarvis responded into the blue tooth "Right away Sir. May I suggest blocking her passive scans as well? It may prove beneficial to have advanced warning of any packet or Infinity Stone detection before she discovers it". Tony stepped into the parking lot "Good idea, make it so Number One. Also find me a recipe for bouillabaisse and tartiflette, I feel like cooking tonight". Jarvis responded "Right away Sir, I'll order the groceries and have them delivered ... and notify the fire department".

What none of them realized as they talked and laughed at dinner that night was that this would be the last dinner they enjoyed together before Tonya's actions finally pushed Ultron to make his final assault only three days later.

Tony Stark had taken the day to stay home losing himself in research, working on his new suit as he tended to do when he felt stress starting to weigh him down. He huffed heavily as he dropped the servo and torque driver he held onto the bench "I know, I should take the girls and Pepper on vacation. Maybe Europe, lord knows Tonya would go nuts with everything to eat there. I'm Darcy would wind up in some beer wench costume that's not appropriate for public display. And Germany has what? Two billion different sausages? That should keep Tonya busy for at least ... three days" the thought causing him to chuckle softly. "Sir, I have detected Ultron's energy signature" Jarvis announced shattering Tony's string of happy thoughts as well as the silence in the lab. Stark jumped up from the work station throwing the tool box behind him out of he way and headed toward his suit "Lock Tonya and Juliet out of coms Jarvis ... get a hold of Pepper and tell her not to let Tonya into the lab at SI for anything and put both her labs on lock down until this is over. It might not stop her but it'll slow her down." he waited a moment until he heard the beep of the communications program being altered "Alright team, suit up. We need to take care of business before Tonya gets wind of this. We hit him all at once ... fast, hard and we don't back off until he's dust. Let's do it right this time. I give us a ten minute head start tops". Clint came over the com "I've got Widow and Banner, Cap will be here in forty seconds and we're airborne in fifty-five". "I'm in route for support. Thor is right behind me" Coulson replied. Starks visor slammed closed and he flew out of the lab in the basement at his home his eyes narrowed as his boosters went to full thrust "J, lock that bastard down so he can't run or hide this time. Let's finish this before something we can't fix happens".