Tony looked around his room, frowning to himself. Seeing it all, it was as though something was missing, he felt as though he had lost someone, but thinking about it, he hadn't lost anyone he cared about.
The room was just as he had left it, but when he looked towards the walk in closet, he moved closer, peering in to the left side. All he saw was his clothes, shoes, ties and other things, but it still didn't feel right.
Shaking his head, he got ready for the day. Him and Bruce had the scepter for a few days, running some tests. They had a successful mission the day before, at the Sokovian base, aside from the two enhanced, everything went smoothly.
The girl had messed with his mind, making him see the team, dead, with a portal open above and an army invading Earth again. Heading to his bedroom door, he turned and looked around again, and he could've sworn he saw a flash of blonde hair and blue eyes, a beautiful woman smiling at him, from the desk chair.
He left the room, going to the elevator and down to the floor needed, Tony looked around, feeling it again, that something was missing, but he shook it off. Both him and Bruce had the whole day running tests on the scepter.
Tony knew the power inside it, would be the key he needed for an old project for his. He needed this, to keep the world safe. After convincing Bruce to be a part of it, and keep it from the rest of the team, the two worked together to run possible simulations, to harness the energy inside.
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Two more days pass, and Tony gets ready for the party down stairs. For the past few days, he was feeling low, lost and alone. He had no idea as to why, or why his dreams seemed to be of a beautiful blonde woman, with eyes that seemed to see right through him. He didn't know her, had never met her, if he did, he would certainly want to know her.
Shaking his head, he puts on a smile as the elevator doors open out onto the main floor, the party now in full swing. He spent the evening talking with people, trying to enjoy the night, and not realising, he was being watched, by the very woman who haunted his dreams.
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Izzy sighed dishearteningly, watching him fake a smile. She had been watching the past few days, and had been inside the system, stopping him from succeeding with Ultron. She knew it was a bad idea from the get go. She remembered when he had asked her to create more AIs, for future use, but Ultron, what he wanted to do with that, she had shut him down. Now, without her there, he was pulling off the shelf.
Hearing a beep next to her, she turned her head, seeing that one of the simulations was successful... 'Shit! No, no, no!..'.. She spins to the screen, and begins typing in her codes to shut it down, but it was too late, Ultron was now everywhere, and she was kicked out of the system, as he destroyed Jarvis.
She had no way of contacting the tower, or anyone that was still there. Pushing to her feet, she looked out of the apartment window, seeing the tower, 20 blocks from her.
She had obtained the place, the day before, after creating her identity all over again, and siphoning money into an account for herself. She knew she could get there in less than 10 minutes, but she'd have to take the stairs all the way to the top.
Rushing to change her clothes, she hesitated, wondering which to go with, Shadow or Pheonix. Shaking her head, she went with the second choice. Her past was a past for a reason, erasing who she was, from the world, from her family. She was never going back to that.
Quickly suiting up, she slips on her new mask, and heads straight out, heading for the tower. She ran, not stopping for the traffic, not caring about anything else, other than getting to Stark. Even if he didn't know her, she knew him. She had to protect him.
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They all heard the noise, turning to the voice by the elevator. Tony called for Jarvis to reboot the legionnaire OS, but got no response.
'I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy..'.. The voice said, and Tony watched as the bot stumbled about. Something or someone had taken over, and was now controing the thing.
'You killed someone?..'.. Cap asked, and Tony watched the others start to take a stance.
'Wouldn't have been my first call. And her, spying, trying to stop me, I shut her out..'.. The voice scoffed... 'But down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices..'
'Who sent you?..'.. Thors grip tightened on his hammer, as a recording of Tony played.
Tony let out a breath, it had happened, Ultron. He had done it, but wasn't in control of it. Fear began to seep in, wondering what was it going to do.
'I'm ready, I'm on a mission..'.. It said.
'What mission?..'.. Tony glanced to Nat, seeing her hand take Banners wrist.
'Peace in our time..'.. Ulton said, and more legionnaires burst through the walls, attacking the team. They all fought against them, taking them down.
Once the last one was destroyed, they look over to Ultron, seeing him pace back and forth... 'That was dramatic. I'm sorry, I know you mean well, you just didn't think it through. You were warned Stark, but you don't remember. None of you do. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved, if it's not allowed to evolve?..'
Tony glances to the others, as he sits on the steps, trying to catch his breath. What did Ultron mean he didn't remember?
'There's only one path to peace, with the Avengers extinction-..'..
They all watched as the head came off the bot, a sword slicing through it, and the body dropped to the floor... 'I had strings but now I'm free..'.. Ultrons last words, before the bot died down.
Tony glances up, seeing a woman in a red and gold suit, a red mask covering the top half of her face as she panted, retracting her sword into a small staff... 'Sorry, would've been here sooner, but had to take the stairs...'.. She put a hand to her ribs, huffing out a breath... 'I thought I was in better shape. Stark, you gotta make the tower smaller, maybe. Too many stairs..'
'Who are you?..'.. Cap stepped forward, glaring at the woman.
'Oh, relax Rogers, before you old heart gives out on you. Isn't it past your bedtime old man?..'.. She scowled at him, and Tony couldn't help but let out a snigger. Considering what just happened, he didn't think he'd find anything funny at the moment.
'First off, you all need a drink, and so do I. Barnes..'.. She turned to him, seeing him in shock... 'Bourbon, neat for me please..'.. She nodded towards the bar... 'Or anything that's still drinkable..'.. Turning back, she stared Cap down... 'Second, we need to move, now. Starks lab, let's go. Wilson, help Barnes with the drinks, would you? Everyone else, let's go..'
Tony watched with fascination, as this woman strode from the room, heading up to his lab. The team started following after her, and Tony got to his feet, Rogers frowning at him... 'She seem familiar to you?..'
Tony looked up at the woman, as she walked up the stairs... 'Yeah, glad I'm not the only one..'
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Starks Pheonix {2}
FanfictionPicking up after the fight with Killian aboard the Norco, Izzy has fully retired from SHIELD, now living and working with Tony, at the tower. She was focused on making sure it was ready for the other Avengers, when they returned. Though she still h...
