Stolen - Tony Stark

4.

Malibu, California, 2010

She was looking for a power source. She wanted the power, and that power needed a source.

 Okay, this seemed pretty self-explanatory, and made sense, if she wanted to isolate it and use it to power multiple objects, which was the plan once she obtained it.   She needed a source, somewhere to concentrate the power.

And, thankfully for her, in his tipsy state at the Expo, Stark had blabbed to her some useful information: "I keep all my best designs and stuff there, close by, too risky shipping them all over the world. Gotta have a base somewhere."

And so Malibu it was. Thanks for the hint, Mr. Stark. 

Okay, so the A.I. had been a surprise.

This whole mission was turning out to be full of surprises - just like, as it would turn out, the man himself.

Stark's Malibu mansion was dark and quiet. Clearly, he wasn't yet back from New York. But he could be back soon, so she had to act fast.

Security at the house was extensive, as was expected, so it took her longer to get inside than it usually would. But once she was inside-

Well hot damn.

This was a tech-thief's paradise. Everything was sleek and new and modern, and all the appliances and technology were the latest and greatest. This was seriously someone's house? There was more space in here than she would know what to do with. I bet he doesn't even use half this space. 

Descending down the grand spiral staircase to the basement, she found the Holy Grail of it all:

Stark's home lab.

Hot damn indeed. 

Tools and notes baring equations and designs were spread across every inch of available counter space, and what must have been the latest Iron Man suit stood on a platform in the centre of the room.  Other versions of the Stark armour circled around the space on display in glass cases. 

She marvelled at it all - she'd really hit the jackpot. 

Something on the messy desk caught her eye - it was a round arc reactor inside a glass cube.  Around the centre of the reactor read Proof Tony Stark Has a Heart.

"Cute." She reached out and took the cube. 

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

"AH!" The voice was so sudden she nearly dropped the thing. "Who's that? Who's there? I'm armed and I will shoot." Holding the cube in one hand, she withdrew her handgun with the other. "Where are you?"

"I am all around. I am J.A.R.V.I.S., Mr. Stark's personal A.I."

"Of course he's got one of those. And I just threatened it." 

"And may I ask who you are and what you're doing in Mr. Stark's house?"

"You're a pretty polite A.I."

"It would appear as though you are stealing."

"Well done, Mr. J.A.R.V.I.S. So I'll just take this and be on my way."

"Well, I'm afraid you've left me no choice, Ms. Konstantin."

"How do you know me?"

"Enabling Intruder Alert Protocol."

The glass cases slid away, opening up the compartments surrounding her.  With a hum and blue glow, all the suits in the room activated in unison, all turning towards her. It was honestly sort of creepy.

The hand repulsors glowed and hummed to life, pointed directly at her.  "Intruder alert. Intruder alert."

She fired at the closest suit's head, denting the helmet and cracking one of the eyes, but that was it. 

It fired a blast from one of it's hands in return. As she dove out of the way, she dropped the cube, the glass shattering. She grabbed the reactor as she fled.

The doors and walls around her were sealing themselves shut. She just managed to roll beneath the door before it sealed her inside the lab.

The doors and windows upstairs were sealing off too. She fired at one of the floor-to-ceiling windows a few times, before smashing through it with her prize. 

Well, that had been more messy than intended, but she had still gotten what she had come for. 

Hearing a whirring overhead, she saw the collection of suits fly through the ceiling skylight. They looked down on her from above. "Stand down. The authorities have been notified and are on their way."

"Exactly why I won't be sticking around-" But her path was blocked.

Another suit landed behind her, only when it spoke, it didn't use the same automated voice as the others. "Oh, I don't think you're going anywhere."

Stark himself.

The mask of the suit lifted to reveal his face.  "My house being broken into wasn't exactly the 'welcome home' I was expecting. Hello again, Kazimiera - we didn't officially meet at the Expo.  Thanks again for the notification, J.A.R.V.I.S." Then he nodded to the arc reactor in her gloved hands.  "You stole my heart."

"Okay, I'm flattered, truly, but, it was one kiss-"

"No seriously. 'Proof that Tony Stark has a heart'. You know Pepper got that for me. She's gonna be pissed when she finds out someone stole it."

"Who's that? Your girlfriend?"

"My personal assistant. Pretty much runs the company. She is also not going to be happy about all this damage, thanks to you. Oh, looks like the welcome party has arrived."

Black cars and SUVs were driving in a line down the road, about to turn onto the drive and up to the house.  Talk about a quick response. 

"Those don't look like the police," she observed.

"They're not," said Stark.  "This is something else entirely."

"Lucky me. Well, as much as I would love to continue this conversation, and find out who your guests are-" Kass turned and took off, the arc reactor heart in her hands.

"I figured as much." Tony nodded.  Then he spoke into his ear-radio.  "Agent Romanoff, she's all yours."

(I sent this message to all my followers, but thought I would also say it here as it concerns this story.  So in a very me fashion - me being the indecisive person I am - I have now decided to connect the story to the rest of my Marvel stories. This means I will have to go back and change some things in my already published stories (which I have been doing) but there was some stuff I wanted/needed to change there as well. So expect to now see Kass in my 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' stories.  Sorry for any confusion!  

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))