AUTHOR NOTE :- I am sorry that i was unable to post for past month. usually i update chapter, right after writing so i was not able to give constant updated. then i decide to take a break and amass enough chapter to do constant release. now i will update one chapter per two days.
After giving an angry glare at Pepper, I turned my attention toward Whiplash (Ivan) and hurriedly tapped his briefcase with his feet, which Pepper has thrown at him. Briefcase opened itself in front of him and from it came two mechanical gauntlets, after putting my hands in it I can feel it tightening around my arm, after feeling that it had wrapped my arm, I lifted it and stretched it allowing my suit to wrap me automatically.
After gearing myself, I turned towards whiplash while pointing repulsor at whiplash ready to fire. "Now where do you want a burn mark as my victory sign-?"
But before I could continue he swung his right hand and binds my left hand with his whip and tried to give me a high voltage shock but electricity released by h whip got absorbed my suit since I built an energy absorption function.
(Sir, power at 110% capacity)
I smirked after hearing JARVIS prompt "this is getting interesting."
Seeing that high voltage whips are useless against my suit whiplash tried to retract his whip but I hurriedly grabbed it and pulled him towards myself by giving it a powerful tug, pulled him flying towards me and gave a straight hook, knocking him unconscious.
"Are you okay?" seeing unconscious Ivan at his feet, I turned my attention towards two people I hold dear.
"Yeah… okay, I am okay." Pepper who still shaken by fear due to whiplash attack earlier finally calmed down after hearing Tony's question and replied him absentmindedly.
Today she finally saw everything tony experience during a fight from his angle, although she knew he does dangerous jobs all time but she never thought it was this dangerous.
"Tony we got a hell of a talk after this?"
"Talk? About what?" tony asked with an exhausted and confused expression.
"About what? You are asking me? I specifically told you not to do anything dangerous. Why do you never listen to me? What if something has happened to you? If not for that person warning about today, you could have died." Pepper shouts at tony with tears in her eyes, after seeing his confused expression.
Tony looked surprised at Pepper's sudden outburst, but he can feel her care in her anger which makes his heart warm after all she last of his family who truly cares for him. Seeing her tears he could not help but get an urge to hug her, but remembering his condition he could only bury his love for her in his heart. After calming down he asked the question that's been bugging him
"What are you doing here? And how come you know about Mark V? Who is the person you are talking about and what this warning thing is."
Pepper has calmed down after her outburst and understood that she has spoken too much. After hearing tony ask about Carl, she remembered 'I have to thank him, if not for his help tony may be dead today.'
"Pepper… pepper hello! Are you injured, Jarvis call ambulance, we have emergency." Tony anxiously shouts at pepper, seeing that she is not replying he thought whiplash previous attack have give her some injuries. Thinking of this he gave unconscious Ivan a death glare.
Pepper come out of her thoughts after hearing tony shouts and looked at his face which is filled with worry. She felt happy inside, seeing the care and concern tony showed her.
She replied "No need, I am alright. As for that person, I don't know him. All I know is he is called Carl Drake." After that she told him about entire conversation she had with Carl, after finishing she notices tony in deep thought with a grim expression.
"Don't worry; I don't think he has malice toward us."
"Okay. I was just wondering, maybe we should upgrade our company's security." tony replied while collecting his thoughts, this security breach is bigger than Pepper thought, even though JARVIS itself is not guarding Stark industry but firewall created by JARVIS is not something anyone could bypass especially without alerting anyone. That means there is a bigger organization behind him. He had guess in his mind which he will conform after returning home.
After seeing she is alright he walked upon Ivan and plucked the arc reactor from his exoskeleton armor and crushed it.
"Alright." pepper replied seeing security coming to us, she doesn't know the thoughts churning in her former boss's head.
Soon police and ambulance came; while medics were taking care of injured, police came to Ivan and cuffed him, and took him to hospital before taking him to jail waited to be sentenced.
After taking of everything Pepper and Tony returned to party hall to meet and thank Carl, but when they returned they saw Natalie alone drinking wine liesurly. Whe they asked about Carl she replied.
"He said he will soon meet both of you and hoped Ms. Pepper would keep her word."
Since they know that he will contact them himself, they let go of their thoughts temprorily and decides to return to their hotel.
Late At Night
Bang… Bang… Bang…
"Room Service"
Pepper who is currently having a shower heard someone knocking the door, thought of food she ordered.
"come in, and put food on table and leave."
Few minutes later she came out of shower with a bathrobe, she saw a black haired boy with pitch black eyes wearing hotel service boy clothes, eating her food while looking at her. She froze in her place, second later reacted that she is wearing a bathrobe and with a shriek ran to her room.
"Tony indeed has eyes for beauties." Carl who is currently in disguise said looking at Pepper fleeing back.
After a minute or two Pepper came out of her room fully dressed, looked at Carl angrily and asked. "Mr. Carl don't you think its unbecoming of you as a gentleman to enter my room like this."
Carl thought 'women can also be this fast?' and put an innocent expression and said "I never said I am a gentleman."
While they were having his conversation wall to their left burst open and from it came Tony wearing Mark V and shouted at Carl while pointing his repulsor at him. "tell me where is Pepper before I change my mind and beat the shit out of you."
Carl said pointing behind him "behind you."
"huh" Tony replied and turned his head and looked at stunned pepper who is looking at him like a clown. tony replied with a embarrassed voice "sorry, when I heard your shriek I thought you are in danger, so this happened."
"No i was just surprised seeing Mr. Carl, he has a knack for showing up abruptly." Pepper replied without mentioning previous incident. she don't want Tony to misunderstand.
"Carl? you mean, this kid is your mysterious visitor?" Tony looked at carl with doubt and disdain.
"you know, that I am sitting right here. and if you want to live you better be polite with me." carl interjected their conversation while pointing his finger at tony.
"mm... what do you mean Mr. Carl?" Pepper asked carl with doubt while tony stared at him with a stunned face.
"It looks like you don't know." carl bent a little and put his elbow on his legs while supporting his chin with his hand with lifted eyebrows and replied lazily.
"you see arc reactor on your lover's chest, it is killing him by poisoning. i am surprised that you never noticed, him giving his entire company to you and doing reckless things and all day partying and drinking. according to my calculations he probably has around 2 years left."