seren_ccd: (Iron Man)
[personal profile] seren_ccd
Chapter 14 - Sight, Theme 091

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1080

Disclaimer: Not mine, all Marvel's.

Summary: And if there was one thing that the new and improved Tony hated above anything else, it was being in the dark.


A/N: I can only apologize for the delay in posting this chapter and the shortness of it. I participated in NaNoWriMo last month, but am finished now and will do my best to get back to updating regularly. That being said, I'm off to visit all the parental units over the holidays, so we'll see if I get access to a computer.

Once again, thank you very much to everyone who has reviewed. You really inspire me to keep going!



Chapter 14

Tony continued to adjust the panels long after Pepper had disappeared upstairs. When they were finally working to his satisfaction, he emerged and walked over to his main computer station.

He sat down in his chair and drank from the cup that had once held a cold power shake and now just held lukewarm sludge. He downed it anyway and stared at the white note that had come with the specs from earlier.

Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons.

Tony leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.

It was referring to math that was sure. Tony leaned his head to the right to crack the joint a little. The fact was math had always come easy to him. But it was essentially a means to an end, an application, a tool even. The theory had interested him for about a month of so when he was younger, then he discovered robotics and theory was just too boring compared to actually touching things, building things. He had never considered the implications of it. The idea that 'math was everywhere' was an obvious one to him, just not something he was particularly interested in.

What interested him now was that someone had sent his assistant not a simple anonymous gift to then give to him, this person had sent them a clue.

And if those glasses were a clue, then this message was a warning. And if this message was a warning, that meant that something big was already in play.

And if there was one thing that the new and improved Tony hated above anything else, it was being in the dark. He'd been living with his eyes half closed for far too long. His hand clenched around the glass. That was not happening again. He put his hand and pressed lightly on the arc reactor and felt the thrum of energy in his fingertips. He looked at the note again and his fingertips pressed harder.

The second thing he truly hated was the idea that someone would stoop to using his assistant as a messenger.

"Jarvis, has the Spice Girl project been established?" Tony called out.

"Yes sir, the final adjustment was made while you and Miss Potts were conversing," Jarvis replied. "May I say again sir, that the title of this project was particularly uninspired?"

"No, you may not," Tony said. "You may however, show me the finished product."

The screens in front of him immediately displayed the view of the living room, the front of the mansion with a familiar Audi parked in front, a detailed GPS map with a red dot showing the subject was at rest and the front of an apartment building with a doorman currently letting someone inside.

Tony focused on the view of his living room. Pepper was currently sitting on the couch with her legs curled underneath her. Her brow was furrowed and she was making little notes in the margins of the document she was studying. Every now and then her bare feet rubbed one against the other.

"Sir, I'm not altogether sure that Miss Potts would appreciate you observing her like this," Jarvis interrupted Tony's revery.

"I'm absolutely sure she would not," Tony said minimizing the view of his living room and standing quickly. "But, that's just too bad. Get the suit prepped for a run."

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. "Whatever you say, sir."

"Hey, remember sarcasm is the lowest form of humor," Tony said going into the small alcove to change into his body suit.

"Well, I suppose you would know best sir," Jarvis replied. "You are aware that Miss Potts is waiting for you to join her?"

"Yeah, I am," Tony said coming out with his black body suit trousers on and pulling his top over his head. "Send her home Jarvis. I'll look it over later."

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. "What excuse should I use?"

"This is Pepper, Jarvis," Tony said holding his arms out to have the suit attached. "She's already heard all of them. Tell her the truth. I'm going out flying."

"Of course," Jarvis said.

Tony focused on the suit attachment and called for the coordinates of the latest possible Stark Industries weapons cache he'd found earlier in the day. Once the suit was attached, Tony shot out of the the garage and into the sky. His display showed his current location and the estimated time of arrival and distance to the location.

A smaller GPS map in the lower corner of his display showed the red dot signifiying his assistant began to beep it's way home.

Tony burst into super sonic as the dot left his driveway.


Meanwhile...

"It's done," the smooth voice said over the phone.

"I thought I asked you not to call me directly."

"Relax. I know how to bypass being recorded."

"For your sake, I hope so."

"I have to say, when I was approached for the job, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"Well, considereing what you're being paid, I don't know that I'd complain."

"Oh, I'm not complaining. Just the opposite. This was a delightful challenge."

"We've been talking too long. Get back to work on the original project. This was just a side venture. Don't forget that."

"Certainly not."

"I mean it. You were hired..."

"I was hired because of my skills and my mind. And because you need them. Don't forget that."

There was a pause, then the same voice continued.

"You came to me. Never forget that."

Date: 2008-12-04 06:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] diane-c.livejournal.com
I love this series and was delighted to see this chapter! You've got great stuff going here -- I hope you get all the writing time and inspiration you need to keep it flowing. :) Thanks much!

Date: 2008-12-05 08:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seren-ccd.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! I hope I get the time too. It's all there waiting to written down, I just want to pause the rest of my life for a week so I can focus on this.

Date: 2008-12-05 03:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kyra-gm.livejournal.com
Oh my god! I've been waiting for that!!! That was really good!! And damn!! You left me like this again!!! I'm sooo waiting for all of this to make sense! Seriously! Great work!!! :D

Date: 2008-12-05 04:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seren-ccd.livejournal.com
Thank you! Sorry about the cliffhanger. I promise not to do that too often. I'm getting back into the flow of this story and have lots to write!

Date: 2008-12-05 08:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] one-exclamation.livejournal.com
Your style of writing is incredible and very in character for Tony. :) I did enjoy reading this chapter - and now I'm pretty thrilled to go to chapter one. I hadn't realized it was Chapter 14 till the end! Oh blonde moments strike again.

Great story, keep it up! :D

Date: 2008-12-06 07:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seren-ccd.livejournal.com
Thank you very much! I'm having a great time writing them. I'm very glad that Tony is coming through okay. He's a very challenging, but fun character to wrangle.

Oh, those blonde moments!

Date: 2008-12-07 03:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] space-cadet.livejournal.com
Yay! I keep your journal open in a tab and refresh it hoping for chapters :) They're truly great - the plot, the characterization... I luff it.

It's the small things that make me happy :)

Date: 2008-12-07 12:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seren-ccd.livejournal.com
Oh thank you! I hope I can update before I leave for the holiday. Otherwise, I'll definitely be back in January for sure. I'm so glad you like it!

Date: 2008-12-07 06:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] le-red-queen.livejournal.com
Verrry nice. I am loving this series! And oddly enough punning is the lowest form of humor, and sarcasm is the loset form of wit - making Tony the worse linguist Lol :P

Date: 2008-12-08 09:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seren-ccd.livejournal.com
Well, he paid more attention in physics than in English ;-) Thank you!

Date: 2009-09-09 04:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lizbet0.livejournal.com
Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope you decide to write more in this series! I so want to know what happens next! {bounces restlessly}

Date: 2009-09-09 07:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seren-ccd.livejournal.com
Oh my gosh!! Thank you so much for all your comments! I have just been happily reading them this morning (before I have to settle into work, yuck).

I'm really glad you like Pepper and Tony's relationship. I am having fun with them and I will be finishing this story. I kind of ran into a snag and had writer's block, which was then manipulated by Star Trek into writing McCoy/Chapel. But, I think after I finish the Going To Georgia series, I'll be jumping back into this one. I know where I'm going now with it!

I'd like to finish it before the next movie comes out, which is May 2010. *panics*

Date: 2013-05-04 10:52 pm (UTC)
celtic_maenad: Oil painting of girl's shoulders & head. The girl has ram's horns and red hair, pulled back. (Caracal in Denim)
From: [personal profile] celtic_maenad
Oh yeah, definitely looking forward to more! Don't even care if it's now AU. :)
Edited Date: 2013-05-04 10:56 pm (UTC)

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