"That was not my watch, and for that, I'm going to kill you" Tony murmured suddenly. I looked up, almost exhausted. I shook my head, but I couldn't shake the vision that Tony was upside down.

'I'm upside down. Bugger'

The Shadow Master hovered in front of me. "Where is your pretty little boyfriend now?"

"Pretty?" Was all I chuckled "Hands off, he's mine"

"I didn't mean it like th-"

"No it's cool, I accept that"

"Shut up, before I hurt that pretty little face of yours"

"You really like that adjective, don't you? Try it pretty boy" I retaliated, a smirk forming on my features as I heard Tony's suit incoming from kilometers away. The metallic sounds echoed closer until they smashed through a window, attaching themselves to Tony's hand as he began to wildly fire.

"Oh for sh!ts sake" Shadow hissed, flying down to attack.

"Initiating escape" Jaya announced softly into my earpiece as the metal protecting my left arm detached, firing at the chains holding me up. I fell from the roof, being caught by Jaya, and fired a mini missile at Shadow, knocking him out for a few minutes until he regained composure, in which time we could flee.

"Couldn't have done that earlier Jaya?" I tapped my earpiece as my helmet came down.

"Mr. Stark had a plan, you didn't"

"Right on"

"You alright kiddo?" Tony latched onto my arm once we had gotten outside. Only half of his suit had shown up, not enough to fly.

"Yeah yeah, I'm good, are you?" I breathed. He nodded slowly.

"I think I'm good, but I need your help"

"Anything" I nodded

"That suit, Rhode's wasn't inside - I need you to follow it, please"

"Are you sure you'll be fine here?"

"Yes, good luck" He nodded, stepping backward. "And Hannah?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark?"

"Stay safe."

"I will Mr. Stark, I promise." With that, I shot up into the air at high speed, my suit tracking the Iron Patriot.

//////

"Lock on location"

"An oil rig?"

"Indeed, ma'am"

"Did the Iron Patriot Crash?"

"No, the suit is 95% intact" Jaya responds as I hovered above traffic.

"How long until we arrive?"

"23 minutes ma'am"

"We need to shave off sometime...gun the boosters"

"Yes, ma'am." Louder than the fire of a cannon, the boosters kicked in and the suit flew the fastest it ever had towards the oil rig. Upon arrival, I noticed the suit of the Iron Patriot dangling in the air, supported only by barely together iron chains.

"Oh for fu- Jaya is that the president?" Was the sigh that came calmly out of my mouth, even as I was not calm in any shape or form.

"Indeed it is...how did you know, ma'am?"

"Can't you see through the suit? It's him"

"...I am not doing that, ma'am" She stated abruptly. Choosing to ignore her comment out of confusion, I regathered my thoughts.

"Okay, we need a plan of atta-" A chain wrapped itself around my neck, jerking me to the ground. Instantly, I was on my feet and turned to fire at whoever it was who had the audacity to attack me, only to be met by Rhodie and Tony, both hushing me.

"I'm sorry, but you were in a compromising position"'Rhodie whispers, signaling me to duck.

"So you wrap a chain around my neck?"

"They were going to see you"

"So you wrap a CHAIN AROUND MY NECK"

"You have the suit on" Rhodie rolled his eyes.

"Nice to see you too" I laughed softly, fist bumping him.

"Family reunions over" Tony whispered, nudging Rhodie. "I need to look over, cover me." Tony ducked up to look and ducked back down quicker than light.

"What did you see?"

"Too fast, I didn't see much" Tony ducked back up, studied our surroundings and ducked back down. "They've seen us, all armed, heading towards us"

"Great" Rhodie grumbled, cocking his gun. "I'd kill for some armor right now"

"You're right, we need backup-"

"Hey" I pouted

"You're great backup sweetie, we need more backup too"

"Good save"

"But you know what" He murmured, nodding to the sky.

"Incoming suits" I whispered, a smile forming.

"Multiple incoming" Jaya seemed to almost huff into my earpiece. Every Mark of the Iron Suits began surrounding the oil rig.

"Jarvis, target extremis heat signatures with extreme prejudice"

"Yes sir" They all chimed in unity

"What are you waiting for, it's Christmas. Take em' to church." They launched into a violent attack. I winked at Rhodie and Tony and shot up with them, assisting with the extermination of extremis creations. While Rhodie proceeded to attempt to rescue the president as well as Tony rescuing pepper, an extremis agent launched from behind a large container of oil and latched onto my suit, beginning to burn me out.

Jaya made an executive decision to launch me from the suit.

I hurtled through the air towards the water but halted just before I hit the water impactfully. My eyes flew open to see who my hero was, only to be met by my hovering, with nothing holding me. "JAYA!!" I freaked, screaming for her, scared of myself. When Jaya didn't come, I slowly moved my body as if I was hovering in my suit in an upright position. "Son of a b!tch this is trippy. This isn't real, this can't be real, I'm human" I whispered.

"What are you?" Loki murmured

"A human being" I responded sarcastically

"No...you're not"

My mind drew back to the conversation I engaged in with Loki, back on the helecarrier. Months ago now. I never gave it a second thought, I thought it was his attempt to toy with my mind. Recent weeks have proven otherwise. "Why me, why now" I hissed under my breath. Jaya hovered beside me.

"M-Ma'am"

"Not often you make a robot stammer" Came my sarcastic reply, suiting up.

"Y-You were-"

"Not now Jay"

"Ma'am-"

"I said not now!" As she shot up into the air, we both prepared to attack an extremis agent at high speed, when Tony roared

"DO NOT ENGAGE!" I stopped abruptly, realizing it was Pepper.

"Okay, what the fu-"

"Get down!" Tony called, his voice breaking. I darted down and protected him with my wings as Pepper took on Aldric Killian, armed with a metal pole and iron arm. With one final swing, one final shot, Aldric Killian was killed. I unwrapped us from my wings as Pepper slowly transformed back into the one we knew and loved. We wrapped her in our arms, telling her everything was going to be alright, that she was safe, that she could be fixed.

"Sir, The Iron Maiden is needed back at Stark towers" Tony's malfunctioning earpiece chimed. Tony glanced up at me guiltily.

"I'm on it" I winked, laughing very softly. I hugged them both goodbye, stepping backward and launching into the air.