Jax:

Next Day

Plane

Tony, Pepper and Jax were on the plane ride home.

Pepper was watching TV.

Senator Stern was broadcasting. "It's just unbelievable. It proves that the genie is out of the bottle and these two men have no idea what they're doing. They think of the Iron Man and Gold Strike weapons as toys." Tony and Jax walked in. "I was at a hearing where the Starks, in fact, were adamant that these suits can't exist anywhere else, don't exist anywhere else, never will exist anywhere else, at least for five to ten years, and here we are in Monaco realizing, 'These suits exist now'."

"Mute," Tony told them.

The TV was put on mute.

Jax sat in a chair. "He should be giving us a medal. That's the truth."

Tony set down a platter.

"What is that?" Pepper asked.

"This is your in-flight meal," Tony answered, opening it to reveal the food inside.

"Did you just make that?" Jax asked.

Tony nodded. "Yeah. Where do you think I've been for three hours?"

Jax looked at him in confusion. "Dad, what are you not talking about?"

Tony looked at them. "I don't want to go home. At all. Let's cancel my birthday party and... We're in Europe. Let's go to Venice, Cipriani. Remember?"

"Oh, yes," Pepper answered.

"It's a great place to... be healthy," Tony told them.

"I don't think this is the right time," Pepper told him. "We're in kind of a mess."

"Yeah, but maybe that's why it's the best time," Tony told them. "'Cause then we..."

"Well, I think as the CEO, I need to show up," Pepper told him.

"As CEO, you are entitled to a leave," Tony told her.

"A leave?" Pepper repeated.

"A company retreat," Tony told them.

"A retreat?" Pepper repeated. "During a time like this?"

"Just a ride," Tony told them.

"Dad, what's going on with you?" Jax asked.

Tony looked at them, hesitating. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just... I'm just saying to recharge our batteries and figure it all out."

"Not everybody runs on batteries, Tony," Pepper told him.

Tony looked away, outside the window.

Jax was still sure something was off with him.

  🚀  

Night - Stark Mansion - Garage / Workshop

Tony and Jax were in the garage, looking at a hologram of a computer screen.

"So, you went to visit the guy that attacked me on the track in prison because you wanted to know why he came after me," Jax told him. "And all he gave you was his father's name. Solid plan."

"He said that his father is the reason that I'm alive," Tony told him. "Jarvis, did you find anything?"

Jarvis: "Query complete. 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 in Pakistan, and served 15 years in Kopeisk prison. No further records exist."

Rhodey walked in. "You two boys 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 to the PCH, knocking down your front door and taking these." He pointed at their suits. "They're gonna take your suits, guys, 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 any more."

"All right," Tony told him. "Let's go."

  🚀

Jax:

Ana:

Next Day

Night - Stark Mansion - Jax's Room

Jax was in his room the night of Tony's birthday party, getting ready for the party.

Ana knocked on the door. She was holding a box.

Jax turned to face the door, seeing her, waving her inside. "Come in."

Ana walked closer. "My sister wanted me to come and ask what watch you'd like to wear tonight?"

"Why?" Jax asked. "She's the assistant."

Ana smiled a small smile. "Well, she may be punishing me just a bit for letting you get involved in the race at Monaco."

"So, you, too, huh?" Jax asked. Ana chuckled. "Pepper's been raging about it to me all the time. My dad doesn't necessarily get the big deal since I'm more involved in a lot more than car racing on a daily basis."

Ana nodded, setting the box on the table, opening it to show Jax the watches inside. "So, why does Pepper care so much?"

"Pepper practically raised me," Jax answered. "My dad was gone all the time, working, leaving me at home. That's why he had to hire an assistant, so that he could get a live-in nanny for me."

Jax picked a watch.

Ana looked down. "What about your mom?"

"My mom died when I was two," Jax answered. "Right around the time that my grandparents died in a car accident. I never got the chance to know any of them."

Ana took the watch from Jax. "I'm sorry."

Jax shook his head. "Nah. It was a long time ago."

"Is that why you acted out against your dad?" Ana asked.

Ana started to put the watch around Jax's wrist.

Jax sighed. "I always used to think that he hated me because the only family he really had left was a son. He lost his parents and his wife all within a week, and he was left with me. He was always away. He was always working. I thought that it was because he hated me. So I started to act out to really give him something to hate."

"And that's when you realized that he didn't hate you," Ana realized.

"Right," Jax agreed. "I just realized that... he didn't know how react with me, until right before we became what we are now."

"At least it's a family business," Ana told him. "I know a little something about that."

"What?" Jax asked. "You and your twin gonna go into the assistant line of work?"

Ana chuckled. "The family business is a little more complicated than that."

"Well, I'd love to find out more about it," Jax told her.

"I'm sure you will, sometime," Ana told him.

Jax and Ana looked at each other, smiling small smiles.

The music started downstairs.

Jax offered Ana his arm. "Would you like to escort me to my father's party?"

Ana smiled, taking Jax's arm. "That is what I'm supposed to do for the night."

Jax and Ana walked out of the room together.

  🚀  

Tatiana:

Living Room

The party was well underway.

Everyone was dancing and drinking.

Tony was in his Iron Man suit with the head piece open so they could see his face. He was severely drunk.

Pepper watched him from the side of the party.

Natasha and Tatiana were keeping an eye on the party.

"I still don't know why we all have to be here if there's nothing requiring all three of us," Tatiana admitted.

"It's not about a job," Natasha told her. "It's about being around them, gaining their trust enough to be able to expand the project when the need arises."

"Yes, because they won't have trust issues after they learn the truth," Tatiana stated sarcastically in a deadpan voice.

Natasha smirked. "Yes, but nothing that won't be able to be fixed. Believe me."

Further in the party, Ana and Jax were sharing a drink.

Jax, messing around and having fun, allowed his Gold Strike gauntlet to attach to Ana's hand, much to her amusement and intrigue.

Ana laughed lightly, looking around, seeing Natasha and Tatiana at the side of the party. "This is probably a bad idea."

Jax shook his head. "No, we're not doing anything wrong. Let's do it. Come on, you know you want to."

"What about those people around?" Ana asked.

"That's why we're doing it," Jax replied. "It's for them. It's my dad's party and our friends. Our fans. They like this sort of garbage. Come on. Hike it up." Jax took Ana's hand with the gauntlet, raising it so they aimed the glove at a far statue on the other side of the room, away from everyone so that no one got hurt. Neither of them could help small smiles. "You have him in your sights, this false idol? I'm tired of worshipping false idols. You're gonna take it."

"All right," Ana agreed. "Three, two. Fire in the hole. One."

"Nail it," Jax said.

Ana shot a blast of light energy out at the statue, shattering it.

Everyone watching gasped, before all the guests started to cheer.

Tony, Pepper, Natasha and Tatiana looked toward them skeptically.

Ana laughed lightly. "Wow."

"Another crisis averted," Jax remarked.

Ana turned to face Jax, smiling. "Packs a big punch, doesn't it?"

"Tatiana..." Natasha trailed off.

"Yeah," Tatiana agreed, walking away toward Ana and Jax. "Hey, Ana. Jax."

"Tanya," Jax replied. "How you doing?"

"You two having fun?" Tatiana asked, crossing her arms, slightly amused.

"Just a bit," Ana answered. "Let me guess. Natalie wants to talk to me?"

"Yep," Tatiana answered. "Come on."

Tatiana turned to walk away.

Jax reached out a hand to stop her. "Hey, wait, wait, wait. Tan, come on. Hi. Both you girls are here. This is great. I'm psyched you came. I didn't know if all of you were gonna make it. Let's have some fun. Let's do shots."

Tatiana and Ana glanced over at Natasha to see how she would react.

Natasha, wanting to keep their cover from being blown without making a big deal about this, gave in, nodding.

Ana smiled, turning to Jax. "Okay."

Tatiana was more cautious, but willing to go with it, nodding. "All right. Let's do shots."

Jax nodded, pleased, grinning. "Good. Looks like we all need to let off a little steam."

"Like you don't ever do that on your own?" Ana replied, smirking.

Tatiana tilted her head, shrugging. "But you may have a point about us."

Jax chuckled, linking his arms with Ana and Tatiana, leading them toward the bar. "Then right this way, ladies."

  🚀  

Outside

Rhodey pulled up to the mansion, on the phone. "Yes, sir, I understand. No. No, sir, that will not be necessary. I'll handle it. Sir, I personally guarantee that within 24 hours, Iron Man and Gold Strike will be back on watch."

  🚀 

Inside

The party was going strong.

Jax turned to Ana and Tatiana with their shots. "To letting loose and having fun."

"To letting off steam," Ana agreed.

Tatiana raised her shot. "To not being so damn serious all the time."

Jax smiled. "Cheers to that one."

Jax, Ana and Tatiana clinked their shots, drinking.

 Rhodey walked in, toward Pepper. "Hey, Pepper."

"I'm going to go get some air," Pepper told him. 

"What's wrong?" Rhodey asked.

Pepper led Rhodey toward where Tony was. "I don't know what to do."

"You gotta be kidding me," Rhodey told them. Tony was drunkenly stumbling, regaining his balance. "That's it. I'm making..." Rhodey started to walk past Jax, Ana and Tatiana, taking out his phone. Jax grabbed his arm to stop him. "Jax..."

"No, no, no," Jax told him. "Don't call anyone."

"This is ridiculous," Rhodey told him. "I just stuck my neck out for both of you."

"I know," Jax told him. "I get it. I'm gonna handle it, okay? Just let me handle it."

 "Handle it," Rhodey told him. "Or I'm gonna have to."

Jax walked away from them.

Ana and Tatiana watched him go, exchanging a look.

Tony looked at the crowd. "You know, the question I get asked most often is, 'Tony, how do you and Jax go to the bathroom in your suits?'" He let a moment pass. "Just like that."

People laughed.

Jax walked up to Tony, taking the mic from him to talk to the crowd. "Does this guy know how to throw a party or what?" 

Everyone cheered.

Tony spoke into the mic. "I love you. Unbelievable. Thank you so much."

"No, thank you, Dad," Jax told him. "For such an awesome night. And we're gonna say good night now, and thank you all for coming."

The crowd booed.

"No, no, no," Tony told them. He looked at Jax. "We can't... Wait, wait, wait. We didn't have the cake. We didn't blow out the candles."

Jax put the mic behind his back so the crowd wouldn't hear them talking. "I don't know what's going on with you, but you're not acting like yourself. Trust me on this one, okay?"

"Trust you?" Tony repeated.

"It's over," Jax told him. "Just send everybody home, okay? Normally, I'd be right there with you, but Rhodey is here, and he's in trouble if we get in trouble. Okay?"

"If you say so," Tony told him.

"Okay," Jax told him. He took the bottle of alcohol from him. "I'll take this." He handed Tony the mic. "You take that."

Tony spoke into the mic. "Jax Stark. My son's right. The party's over. Then again, the party was over for me, like, an hour and a half ago. The after-party starts in 15 minutes." The crowd cheered. "And if anybody doesn't like it, there's the door." He held his hand toward the door, accidentally firing off a light ray into a glass window, making it shatter. Everyone gasped, watching the glass fall. They started to cheer. "Yeah!"

Pepper walked out, leaving.

Rhodey walked downstairs.

A blonde girl threw up a bottle into the air.

Tony shot it with a light blast, shattering it.

A brunette threw up a glass.

Tony shot it with a light blast, shattering it.

  🚀  

Garage / Workshop

Rhodey walked into the garage, looking toward three suits at the wall. One of them was Jax's Gold Strike suit. The other two were silver, unpainted suits.

  🚀  

Living Room

Tony was looking into a mirror to see the reflection behind him. "Pull!" 

The blonde girl threw a glass into the air.

Tony was still looking at the mirror to see the glass, shooting it with an energy bolt, shattering it.

  🚀  

Garage / Workshop

Rhodey was in the middle of being put inside a silver suit.

  🚀  

Living Room

A blonde was holding a watermelon.

"I think she wants the Gallagher!" Tony told them.

The blonde threw the watermelon into the air.

Tony used the arc reactor in his chest to shoot a light stream into the watermelon, destroying it, making it splatter everywhere.

The crowd cheered.

Jax shook his head.

Rhodey walked in, in the suit. "I'm only gonna say this once." Everyone looked at him. "Get out." The crowd ran out, leaving. The mask closed around Rhodey's face. Rhodey walked toward Tony. "You don't deserve to wear one of these. Shut it down."

Tony turned to the DJ. "Goldstein."

"Yes, Mr. Stark?" Goldstein asked.

"Give me a phat beat to beat my buddy's ass to," Tony told him, laughing.

Goldstein started to play "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen.

Ana and Tatiana walked away out of the party toward Natasha, the three of them exchanging a look, knowing to stay out of this.

Rhodey grabbed Tony from behind. "I told you to shut it down."

Tony closed the mask around his face, flying back into Rhodey, making them break through a wall into the next room, falling to the floor, flipping to a standing position, walking toward the living room. "Now, put that thing back where you found it before someone gets hurt." Rhodey threw a disk into the back of Tony's head. Tony stopped walking. Rhodey picked up a weight, throwing it toward Tony. Tony ducked, making it hit a window behind him, making it shatter. "Really?"

Tony picked up a bench press weight, using it like a bat to hit Rhodey hard enough to make him fall into the boxing ring behind him, then fall out of it to the floor.

Jax looked at Goldstein. "Get out of here."

"Yes, sir," Goldstein told him, running out, leaving.

In the other room, Rhodey stood, grabbing a weight to hit Tony repeatedly, trying to hit him again. Tony caught the weight. 

Rhodey kicked him in the leg, making him fall to his knees, throwing him up through the ceiling into the room above and fall to the floor. He looked up through the broken hole. "Had enough?"

Downstairs, in the living room, Pepper walked toward Natasha, Ana and Tatiana. "Natalie."

"Ms. Potts?" Natasha asked.

"Oh, don't, 'Ms. Potts' me," Pepper told her. "I'm on to you." She pointed at Ana and Tatiana. "I'm on to all of you. Ever since you got here--"

Tony and Rhodey crashed through the ceiling to the floor in front of the girls, making them jump.

Tatiana took a step back. "Whoa. We should get out of here."

"Yeah," Ana agreed.

Pepper, Natasha, Ana and Tatiana walked out, leaving.

Tony pushed Rhodey to the floor. Rhodey stood. Tony punched him in the face, trying to punch him again. Rhodey stepped out of the way to make him miss and walk past. They turned to face each other. Tony punched Rhodey in the face. Rhodey punched Tony in the face. Tony punched Rhodey in the face harder, pushing him through a table. 

Jax in his Gold Strike suit pulled Tony and Rhodey apart, pushing them back to the walls on either side of him, holding his hands toward them. "Stand down. We don't have to do this." He looked at Rhodey. "You wanna be the War Machine, take your shot. You want the suit? Take it. But this ends now." Rhodey sighed, flying out of the mansion, up into the sky, leaving. Jax turned to Tony. "What the hell is going on with you?"

Tony didn't answer.