Unexpected

Hotel Hostage

The sky was dark by the time I finally got through the traffic and inch my way through police lines to get to the ruined remains of the Stark mansion. Most of it had tumbled off the side of the cliff. There were only heavy blocks of crumpled stone and building material, the long driveway was cracked and everything seemed to be blanketed in dust.

"Excuse me ma'am, you can't be here." Another police man said, waving down my car as it edged around a large crack.

Pulling out my I.D. and the S.H.I.E.L.D. badge I had been issued when I became a full-blown member of the agency, "I'm a government agent sir. I need to see Miss Potts."

He briskly gave my badge a glance over, "Alright then."

The police weren't the only people here. Adjusting my blouse as I got out of my rented car. The front of the house, or what had once been the front of the house was partially blocked by two fire trucks with fire fighters in yellow suits and hard hats crawling over them. Even a few agents from other agencies were walking around, talking to the police as they observed the wreckage. The media was there too. Two or three news stations had sent reporters here, and I turned my head away so I wouldn't show up in the background of their video feeds. I saw dozens of people, but I felt worry grow, tensing my shoulders as I noticed that I couldn't see Pepper amongst them all. Where was she?

Then I found her. She was standing away from the crowd, her back to all the noise and movement behind her as she starred out over the cliff edge into the moonlight. I ducked my head respectfully. We weren't sure if Stark was alive or dead and Pepper... she must be so afraid that he's gone for good. Pity overtook my worry as I held back for a moment, watching her as she seemed to raise the cracked helmet of one of the Iron Man suits to her forehead. After a second she looked confused, and then put the helmet on, and to my surprise the thing started glowing at its cracks.

Looking behind me real quick to see if anyone else was watching I started forward towards her. By the time I reached her she had pulled the helmet off and tears were in her eyes, but she wasn't crying. Instead she was smiling wide, grinning and huffing little airy laughs.

"Miss Potts?" I asked quietly, not wishing to startle her, "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Agent Copper?" she tucked the helmet under her arm and held out a hand to me.

"Yes." I answered, taking her hand, "It's so good to meet you, you know, in the flesh, though I wish it wasn't under these circumstances."

"Penny," her grip grew tighter and her grin grew wider, "He's alive." The statement caught me off guard buts he repeated herself, "He sent a message through his suit... he's alive!"

"Thank the Lord!" I gasped, "Where is he?"

She shook her head, "He didn't say."

"What did he say then?" I pressed gently, hushing my voice as another firefighter passed close to us towards another pile of rubble that might have been part of the mansion's front room.

"He said he can't come home." She looked off over the ocean again, "He's going to try to take down the Mandarin, Penny." Panic started rising in her voice as she clutched the Iron Man head closer to her side.

"He'll be fine." I assured her, "But now we need to focus on you. Is there anything for you to pack or anything?"

"Like what? A chunk of cement?" she asked gesturing around us.

I nodded solemnly, "Let's get going then. My car's over this wa-"

"You're not driving."

"What?"