Masking My Life

Chapter Seven~Exposing Tricks

What idea was Tony going to exploit, I was nervous as I was handed a chocolate milkshake. I wonder if Tony knew it was my favorite.

I weave my way through the crowd and sit down with Pepper at the table, she looks over and smiles "Hey.....wheres Tony?" she ask, I look down and shrug "What?" I look to her "He said he was...going to exploit a bad idea." I say.

Her expression changed on a dime, she closes her eyes as if praying to god Tony didn't do something stupid. I look around and the T.V catches my eye, no no no no no "Pepper." I start. she turns and notices the television.

"Natalie. Natalie!" 

Natasha rushes over as we stand "What do you know about this?" ask Pepper pointing to the T.V  "This is the first that I have known of it."

"Where's Happy?" I ask.

"He's waiting outside." says Nat.

"Okay, get him. I need Happy." says Pepper.

Me and Pepper run outside  "When you said bad idea Tony, I didn't know you meant buying your way into the race!" I slide into the car and we're off!

Engines revving!

Set! 

Go! 

The race takes off. A man dressed in orange as pit crew walks beside the track. He looks familiar. Tony's surprisingly not bad at this race car driving. Orange man is on the track. 

In a suit that looked like IronMan, Tony said no one could be able to replicate it.

The lightning whips strike a car. 

Pepper looks terrified for Tony.  "Go, go."

We crash through a barrier onto the track heading the opposite way to the race cars. Tony's car gets hit and he goes flying, loosing the front. Ivan heads forward. Another car gets hit. Bit of fire. Dripping petrol. Never a good sign.

The man slices more of Tony's car, but he's gone. Tony comes up from behind him and whacks him around the head with a sheet of metal. Fighting. Tony is knocked on the floor. Sees dripping petrol. The man begins to swings the whips. Tony moves, hits petrol and the car bursts into flames. 

Happy drives the man into the fence. "Are you okay? Were you heading from me or him?" ask Tony "I was trying to scare him." says Happy.

"Are you out of your mind? Get in the car right now!" shouts Pepper making me move over.

"I was attacked. We need better security. You're CEO. Better security measures. God, it's embarrassing." says Tony, okay I'm done, I get out of the car and look around to the man as Tony opens the door.

I look around to see the mans head move "Mr. Stark.....he's alive!" and he slices the door in half. Happy reverses a bit and runs into him again. "Hit him again!" I shout. The man slices the car in half. He continues to slice at the car "Give me the case! Please! Come on!" shouts Tony.

Pepper throws the case, Tony stand on it and it turns into the Iron Man Suit! A fight begins. Which involves more damage to the car and damage to the Iron Man suit. Tony rips out the Arc Reactor, shutting off the mans suit.

As the police started taking the man away I could hear him say "You... You lose. You lose Stark."

****************************************************

We were back after our trip in France, I look over at Tony who was sitting in a car in his workshop looking at holograms.

I then look back to my phone, one call wouldn't hurt.....Ring......Ring.

"Hey Rhodey?-"

"I'm pulling up."

"What?"

"I'm right outside, I was sent over after what happened in France."

I nod "We're in the basement." and he hangs up on me, I turn back to Tony "Find anything?" I ask.

"Query complete sir." says J.A.R.V.I.S.

Tony nods as I walk over "Anton Vanko was a Soviet physicist who defected to the United States in 1963.However, he was accused of espionage and was deported in 1967. His son, Ivan, who is also a physicist, was convicted of selling Soviet-era weapons grade plutonium to Pakistan, and served 15 years in Kopeisk prison. No further records exist." says J.A.R.V.I.S.

I look to the door opening as Rhodey walks in and walks over. "Tony, you gotta get upstairs and get on top of this situation right now. Listen. I've been on the phone with the National Guard all day, trying to talk them out of rolling tanks up the PCH, knocking down your front door and taking these. They're gonna take your suits, Tony, okay? They're sick of the games. You said nobody else would possess this technology for 20 years. Well, guess what? Somebody else had it yesterday. It's not theoretical anymore. Are you listening to me? Are you okay?" 

Tony gets out the car. And falls. Oh no not another core depleted, Rhodey supports him to the desk I open the box and take out a slot "What that?" ask Rhodey "It's palladium." I say as I remove the Arc Reactor "Is that supposed to be smoking?" ask Rhodey "If you must know, it's neutron damage. It's from the reactor wall." says Tony.

"You had this in your body? And how about the high-tech crossword puzzle on your neck?" I look at Rhodey and sigh "Damn I was supposed to hide it, knew I was forgetting something!" I place the Arc Reactor back in Tony and he starts drinking green liquid again. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at you. You wanna do this whole lone gunslinger act and it's unnecessary. You don't have to do this alone." says Rhodey "I'm not alone." says Tony pointing to me "I don't count." I say.

"You know, I wish I could believe that. I really do. But you've gotta trust me. Contrary to popular belief, I know exactly what I'm doing." says Tony, he points another finger at me "You were supposed to hide it!"

I stand up and hold my arms up "You think this is my fault, I'm replicating your skin on other patches of your skin, it's hard!" Rhodey looks between the two of us like we are insane "Skin?!" he ask.

Me and Tony sigh "Just show him." I look at Tony "What?"

"Show him."

"The thing?"

"Yes the thing."

Rhodey looks at us confused, I sigh walking up to him "Close your eyes." 

"What?"

"Just close them." he looks at me confused but closes them, might as well mess with him. I wave my hand over his eyes "Open." Rhodey opens his eyes, and looks around shocked "Why are we on the moon! HOW AM I BREATHING ON THE MOON?!" 

I chuckles "Your not on the moon your still in Tony's lab." I say as the illusion disappears from his eyes, A shimmer comes around him "Maybe A blue dress." I say, another shimmer Rhodey looks at himself "WHAT THE WHY DO I LOOK LIKE YOU!!!"

Another shimmer comes over him as he touches himself "I'm male again?" he ask, I nod "But looks can be deceiving." a shimmer comes over me as I transform into Rhodey "What kinda voodoo witch magic are you doing?"

I smile "I don't know man." I say with Rhodey's voice, another shimmer I disappear "And fight!" shouts Tony. I punch Rhodey he looks around his guard up, I sweep his legs he falls to the floor as I pin him down and reappear "Spirt wins!" shouts Tony as I help Rhodey up.

"What was that?" he ask "My.....glitch." I call it, he smiles "It's amazing casting spells and disappearing." I rub my arm "It's actually all the same thing, using illusions, tricks." I explain.

Rhodey comes to realization "That why Tony picked you, to hide that thing on his neck."

I nod "You can't tell anyone, only five people know I'd like to keep it that way."

"But why you could help the world."

"Rhodey you don't know what's happened, what I've done. Simple tricks won't help the world."