Hammer's Payback - Iron Man Fan Fiction (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Chapter 13

Tony sat, stunned and disappointed, catching his breath. There was no appointed time he had to make the drop, nor any stated deadline. Presumably, that meant he could do it any time he wanted. However, it was likely he was being watched. He didn't try to hide when he flew over to SI to pick up the thumb drive. They knew when he got the message and if he didn't act soon, there would undoubtedly be consequences. Hammer didn't even promise to give Pepper back if he gave them the Mark V. It sounded like this was just first on the list of things Hammer wanted from him. Do this and maybe I'll let her live. My friends want this first before we can move on to settling the score.

Where the hell was Rhodey? He'd had plenty of time to get here, even without the X-99. If Tony was going to give these crackpots the Mark V, he really needed to have the Mark VI ready. He faced a second of indecision over whether to call his wayward sidekick that instant or wait until he heard what else JARVIS had gleaned from analysis. The scales tipped slightly to give Rhodey the benefit of doubt for the moment.

His voice calm and determined, he ordered, "Lay it on me, JARVIS."

"Sir, there is some footage of Miss Potts that was edited out, but it appears it was not erased in the literal sense. Mr. Hammer's second speech was recorded over it using a program which left vestiges and digital ghosts. I have enhanced the trace to approximately 75% of the original."

"Play it!" Tony didn't even feel the need to chide the AI over the 25% that was lost.

The holographic screen lit up and the picture was back to the zoomed-in shot of Pepper, still blindfolded and helpless on the floor, with Hammer squeezing her cheeks together with one hand. If 100% was a Blu-Ray, then 75% was more like Dad's old 16mm film reels played on a projector. Not perfect, but close enough. Less than one second elapsed before Pepper jerked her face out of Hammer's grip and caught his finger in her teeth.

Hammer yelped in pain and pulled away. Tony thought he saw blood, but it could have been a shadow. Pepper looked frustrated that she didn't get a better bite and Hammer whimpered like a baby. It was no wonder he would edit this out, the big wuss. Tony's lips curled into a grin.

Then, while Hammer was nursing his wound, Pepper spoke in a rush of words, "I quit, Mr. Stark. Do you hear me? I'm not your CEO anymore. You're not responsible for me. Don't give this slimy little creep anything!"

Hammer immediately punished her with a forceful kick to her gut. She doubled up in pain, drawing her knees up to her chest, and writhed on the floor, crying piteously.

All the blood left Tony's face and his insides twisted in knots. He whispered to her holographic projection, "Don't cry, honey." He couldn't stand to hear her cry.

"Cut it, Mac," Hammer barked from outside the frame, and the clip ended.

"Give me another second, JARVIS," Tony said softly.

He couldn't take in anything else right now. Pepper's piteous cries played over and over in his mind, overlapped with 'I quit, Mr. Stark' which was so obviously code for 'I love you' that it should have been in the Princess Bride. He reached into his pocket and curled his fingers around the pregnancy test stick, squeezing it tight as if his grip could embrace the unborn child he knew had perished in that horrible moment. He let himself absorb the pain, mourning the child he had only known about for a day.

So why did Hammer cut this out? Was it, as Tony originally thought, personal embarrassment over his wimpy reaction to being bitten? Did he know about the pregnancy? Or was it because he'd hurt Pepper so seriously? Surely that heartless kick proved Hammer's resolve better than the slap or the forced pucker. Why wouldn't he want Tony to see what a badass woman-abuser he was?