A few days later.

I walk into S.H.I.E.L.D. getting several greetings. I greet each one back and make my way to the elevator. The up button lights up in response to my touch and I wait patiently as I see the descending numbers. The steel doors open to reveal the recruit, Serrure, already occupying the small space. He looks annoyed by my presence. The doors close and the elevator descends into an awkward silence.

So an attempt to erase the awkward silence I ask, "How are you doing?"

"Don't know."

I almost laugh at the response and turn to the recruit, "How do you not know?"

He turns his steel eyes on me, "I was doing ok before you decided to come in." He gives me a ounce over, "Now I'm not sure."

"Ok, I get it Serrure."

Then the elevator dings and he walks out, but before the doors close he throws me a smirk. What was that about? I think before the elevator dings again and I step out this time.

I meet up with the Serrure again when I go to get my delivery food and he just happens to be on lunch break as well.

"Hey Recruit." I say and slide into the seat across from him.

He fixes his eyes on me, "There are so many other places to sit."

"I know." I say back.

"Yet, Tony Stark decides to sit with the level 3 agent." He purrs out.

I shrug, "I enjoy the company."

He smirks and continues to eat his salad.

"Health nerd." I comment nodding at his salad.

"The same can not be said for you." He says pointing at my 2 cheeseburgers.

I shrug, "I enjoy the simple things."

He gives me another smirk as he looks at me again. No, he inspects me. I feel like I'm a bug under a microscope.

"Like what you see." I joke.

His eyes travel back up to my face, "Depends what I am looking for."

"What are you looking for?" I say, leaning forward.

He leans forward as well, wispering out, "Weapons."

I repel, "What?"

He slowly sits back into his seat, "I was looking to see if you had any weapons on you."

"I bet you have several." I joke.

"I am in possession of a few."

I look up, the tone shocking me. He said it completely monotone. I look into his eyes and he stares back at me and the realization hits. He was not kidding.

I try to play off my shock with a joke, "So what you are saying is, stay away."

He moves his hand right and left in a so-so motion, "That is not what I was implying." Then he looks at his watch and gives me a small smile, "See you around Tony."

Then he quickly packs up his lunch, grabs his bag, and walks away. I watch the man all the way until he walks into the elevator. For whatever reason he seems really familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it but I feel like I know that witty banter. My phone starts rigging and it snappes me out of my dazed state. I pull it out smiling when I see the name. It is my intern, Peter. I open up the message and see it is a picture of him sticking his tongue out as he points behind him, to a guy completely dressed up as Iron Man.

My eyes drop down to the caption, "Someone's popular."

I grin and text back, "Same can be said for you spider."

Then I get up having to get back to SI.

Another few days later.

I am working in the lab very late.

"Fri, run the calculation again." I say, pacing in front of the hologram.

A minute later she responds, "There is still a 60% chance that you will blow your arm off."

I sigh and open up the new security watch hologram. I throw away one metal wire and opt for a copper wire instead.

"Tony." A soft, broken voice says behind me.

I slowly turn around knowing that voice will only come with heartbreak.

"Hey Pepper." I say softly my emotions threatening to take over. So I clear my throat and ask, "What are you doing here?"

She looks down at her high heels, "I came for clouser."

My eyes fall to the floor and I can't keep my voice from cracking as I say, "What do you want me to say." I glance up at her and she looks as broken as I feel, "Pepper...we fought. We have been fighting off and on for the past couple months."

I notice her hands are shaking as she rubs at her eyes, "I'm sorry Tony."

My voice turns hard, "Me too. But you made it clear that we were over."

She ducks her head low, "Sorry."

I go over to a drawer and take out a bracelet of hers that she ounce left here. It's gold and delicate, nothing too special just a little extension of her beauty. I walked over to her and hold it out in my hand. Her mouth quirks into a little bit of a smile but it fades almost immediately as she gently grabs it from my hand. Then she turns to walk away, but I can't help myself and I reach out and grab her arm in one last desperate attempt.

"Pepper no." I say my voice breaking.

"Tony, you're right we can't keep doing this." She says turning back to me, her eyes glistening with tears.

"No, please. I can change."

She gently uncurls my fingers from her arm, "That's the thing, you shouldn't. All this means is that I am not the right person for you."

"Pepper..." I try one more time.

She turns to me her eyes deep with sorrow, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Then she bows her head and walks out. I fall onto the floor knocking over a wrench in the process. It smacks on the ground with a loud clang making its presence known, as I wish I would just disappear. I let my head rest against my work bench and my legs and arms fall where they may. I don't stop the tears that falls upon my cheeks one by one. Pepper was my rock, she ran Stark Industries as well. I just don't know how I am going to do everything without her. Ever since she broke up with me I have been holding on to the shred of hope that she would come back and she finally did, but it was for clouser. It was to take the last of my hope and just crush it under her shoe. It was not when Steve and Bucky left me bleeding to death in Siberia that broke me, it was a tall, blonde girl that broke her promise to love me that broke me.

I stay with my head resting against the desk until the sunlight starts to stream through the windows. I sigh, having no motivation to get up and be the strong, powerful Iron Man, I feel more along the lines of a small, weak mouse. I don't know, maybe Coulson will let me have a day off. I let my head rest in my hands for a few moments debating on how I should spend my day. But I give up and ask Friday.

"Have any ideas?"

"Boss with all due respect if you stay here you are only going to wallow in self pity and end up getting so drunk that you would risk your heart stopping. So it would be in your best interest to get up and go to work."

"I don't feel up for being Iron Man today Fri."

"Then don't."

I perk my head up.

"Be the engineer for ounce. Show Coulson the design ideas you have for making your suit more durable."

I let the idea roll around in my head with a bunch of other ideas, but decide to finally pull myself up off the floor, put on a dress shirt, jeans, shoes, and drive to work.

I walk into S.H.I.E.L.D. saying all the usual greetings before I walk into the elevator and ride up.

"Mr. Stark you're here!" Coulson announces.

I look around the room, noting that he is not alone. He is with Natasha and Rhodey.

"Hey." I say, walking cautiously into the room.

I keep my eye on Natasha, I never know if I can trust her or not, she is a very shifty double agent.

"Tony!" Rhodey says coming over and hugging me.

I embrace the man, feeling better with having my friend back. Rhodey seems to notice the tension in my body as he gives me a concerned look when he pulls back.

"I'll tell you about it later." I say to which he gives me a concerned nod.

I walk into the room questioning, "What is this about?"

Coulson grabs someone behind Nat's back and brings him forward.

"He believes that it would be a good idea to get your input on some new tech for S.H.I.E.L.D."

I almost trip over myself when I see the man standing next to Coulson.

"Serrure!" I say, surprised.

He gives me a small smile and a nod, "Nice to see you again Tony."

I stare at the man and he stares back. His eyes are so full of nothing. I just want to reach into those eyes to find out what is buried under all those layers. His smile turns into a smirk and he breaks the eye contact by looking down at the tablet.

"I have been looking into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s weaponry and have been noticing flaws. So I was wondering if you have any insight on how to improve the current gear." Serrure says.

I give him a wary side eye but turn to Coulson, "What are Widow and War Machine doing here?"

Coulson gives me a steadying glance, "If you must know Romanoff just came back from a mission and was curious about your condition and I called Colonel Rhodes in, as a friend."

I read in between the lines, "They are here in case I go crazy."

Coulson gives a slight shake of his head, "There's an added bonus to being a spy and a ex-vet, but no they're here simply as support."

I roll my eyes dramatically, staring down Nat. She is currently not in the mood for games as she has her arms crossed over her chest and is giving me a, move and I will murder you, glare. I have been on the receiving end of that glare more than once, it's dangerous. My eyes then move to Rhodey who is currently looking a little guilty at the arrangement. Then finally over to the technician, he is giving me a smirk that has so many emotions buried just under the surface.

I then face Coulson and say, "You picked the worst day for this."

"I'm sorry about..."

I interrupt him, "My girlfriend of three years just broke up with me a few hours before this." I start to walk around the room, "Yeah, I debated about not even coming today, but Friday convinced me I would be doing less harm if I came in. But look at me now, getting interrogated about my technology and my suit that you stole. So now I believe I would have done less harm to myself if I stayed home."

"I'm sorry about your argument but as you know S.H.I.E.L.D. does not tolerate relationships between it's agents. So this is a topic that should not be discussed on the premines." Coulson says.

I drop onto the couch, "Fine. Ok Locksmith what do you got?" I say looking at the technician.

He gives me a confused look, "Locksmith?"

"Yeah I looked it up, your name means lock in French."

His mouth morphs into a smirk, "Tony Stark, you just can't help yourself?"

I give him an intense glare, "I look for answers to things I don't understand."

"Am I one of things you don't understand." He snakes out, matching my glare.

"Yes."

We break the glare a minute later with matchings smirks. Then he carefully sits down on the couch next to me and passes over the tablet. I analyze the contents on the tablet. All they are are possible upgrades to the traditional S.H.I.E.L.D. suits.

I mutter out, "These are going to be too bulky and they are going to severely limit your teams efficiency."

"Then what do you suggest?" Coulson says.

I glance up at the man before going back to examining the vests, "For one, add less padding and more kevlar. It will keep the agents safe from regular bullets, but you also need to add a layer of light padding in case you are dealing with an enhanced individual." I hand the tablet back to Serrure, "I would need holograms of these suits to really do a deep examination of them."

"Come with me." Serrure says back, then leads me out of the tension filled room and into the elevator.

Ounce the doors are closed he mutters out, "Locksmith?"

I grunt out a laugh, "What, do you not like it?"

"I think it is more suitable for the man making the locks not for the one breaking them."

"You sound like someone I know."

"I hope they were your friend." He says wistfully.

"Why?"

"I do not wish to be your enemy."

"Why would you think you would be my enemy?"

His eyes are filled with a dark sadness when he says, "I have done some unspeakable acts."

In an effort to erase some of that sadness I say, "You have done no worse sins than me."

That only makes him frown even deeper and his eyes turn a darker shade of brown.

"You don't know me or what I have done."

I sigh and place a hand on his shoulder, "No I don't know you, but I know that you would not be working at S.H.I.E.L.D. if you would have done something truly horrendous."

He looks up at me, his brown eyes almost black with despair and an, "I'm sorry." escapes from his lips.

I am about to ask him why, but suddenly the elevator doors open and it's like we have entered a different dimension. He changes back into his smirking self again and any sadness or emotion that I witnessed has vanished. He leads me out of the elevator and into a lab. Then he pushes a few buttons and a hologram projection of the upgrades fly into the air.

"I will leave you now." He says and exits the lab leaving me alone and curious.

I play the conversation back in my head trying to figure out what the heck just happened. He sounded like I should know what he was talking about. He sounded like he was truly apologizing to me, even though I have only known the guy for a couple days; I just keep coming back to that familiar witty banter. I know that smirk, that edge to his voice when he speaks. I know those characteristics and I need to figure out who the heck this new guy is.