"Pretty grim—turned straight into rubble."
After Hope's words, Artoria had Gwen look after company affairs and sped to Tony's seaside Villa. The once-luxurious mansion was now a heap of ruins. An old Iron Man Suit stood in the safe zone, sparks and smoke curling from its joints. Explosives had torn massive cracks in the ground; a bit more force and the whole thing would split and plunge into the sea.
"Jarvis, open the armor."
"Sorry, Miss Artoria, the connections are warped; manual tools required."
Stepping up to the suit, Artoria issued the command to Jarvis's subsystem. Both she and Pepper were authorized users, but it looked as though Pepper hadn't refused—she simply couldn't get out.
"Artoria, go save Tony! I'm fine here."
Inside the armor, Pepper sobbed. Clearly something had happened to Tony; otherwise Pepper wouldn't be this frantic. Yet the immediate problem had to be solved—older Mark series suits lacked sufficient oxygen. If Artoria didn't extract her quickly, Pepper would suffocate.
"The hatch is here. Close your eyes—this'll be quick, Pepper."
After checking, Artoria located the suit's opening and spoke to Pepper inside. She pried the seam apart, but the armor was too damaged; even forcing it open didn't trigger automatic release. Steeling herself, Artoria tore a huge gash in the hundred-million-dollar suit and lifted Pepper out.
"Easy, catch your breath first."
Whether from shock at Artoria's strength or from oxygen deprivation, Pepper was gasping. Artoria gently patted her back to calm her.
"Three planes came out of nowhere and attacked. Tony told me to wear the armor and then vanished. I'm so worried, Artoria!"
Pepper held Artoria tightly, terrified. She wasn't afraid of death, but this time she could only watch helplessly as the person she loved was attacked while she herself was kept safe, losing sight of the one she loved. She feared Tony wouldn't make it out of danger alive, and her emotions, already stirred by Artoria, grew even more intense.
"I'm here, Pepper, don't worry! Big bro will be fine."
Artoria didn't refuse Pepper's embrace and hugged her back. In this situation, it was time to give her 'sister-in-law' a shoulder to lean on. Tony would die? No way! The liquid armor had already been developed, and with a watch or other device, he could transform into Iron Man. Artoria wasn't worried about Tony's life at all—she knew he wouldn't die so easily before facing Thanos.
"Ten Rings or the Hand? Or another faction?"
Helping Pepper to her feet, Artoria looked at the destroyed seaside Villa, lost in thought. After all, this attack alone couldn't confirm it was the Ten Rings. With Tony missing, Artoria felt he must be somewhere planning or investigating who had attacked him.
"Happy, finally! Get Pepper to the company and have a private Doctor check her for internal injuries. I still have things to do here."
"...Oh~! Okay."
Happy, running errands for Tony, returned with a pizza, two cheeseburgers, and snacks. He hadn't expected to find the boss's house gone after just two hours. When Artoria called, he realized it wasn't a hallucination. Following her orders, he helped Pepper into the car and drove away from the luxury seaside Villa once home to a billionaire playboy.
"Artoria, what are you looking for?"
Hope and Susan arrived a step later, curious as they saw Artoria searching through the ruins. Though surprised the playboy had been attacked, they didn't care much about Tony's fate—they only knew one Stark.
"Jarvis's computer terminal. Hope it's intact—at least the last conversation with Tony might be recorded. Could be useful."
Artoria sifted through the rubble, remembering the lab's location. Scientists' private labs had to be sturdier than the rest. After moving several hundred-pound stones, she found the lab entrance, its door scratched but unaffected.
"Saturday?"
\"Always here, master.\
"Call a plane—we've got work to do."
Effortlessly pulling open the alloy door, Artoria grabbed her Bluetooth headset. With two extra pairs of legs behind her, she might as well use them. Soon, a private plane arrived, large cases intact though circuits burned. Fixed, she'd get the answers she needed.
"Head back and rest—I'll be back to the company soon."
Spotless aboard the plane, Artoria addressed the two dirty beauties used as labor. After speaking, she left under Saturday's piloting, leaving Susan and Hope sighing in unison.
"Artoria, when you see this, I know you've noticed my disappearance. Don't worry, sis—I'm tracking the ones who ambushed me. Feels tied to the Afghanistan kidnapping. If needed, connect Jarvis's subsystem to your Saturday. I'll be back soon. Take care of Pepper. Love, Tony."
As expected, Tony had left a recording, likely hiding underwater. Relieved, Artoria no longer worried about his safety.
Unlike Artoria, Nick's head ached—why was it Tony again? Now he had to face Maria's interrogation.
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