I really hated Iron Man 3, I got no enjoyment out of it, and thus I really felt no need to continue this story. Though...It has been almost a year since I updated, and I did have fun with it, so...why don't you all give me FUN bits of the MCU we could play with to make this enjoyable?

I'm being seriously Sirius, if you have an idea to make this not become discontinued, let it be known.

As always, please review, and take care all.

While Iris had promised Nick that she wouldn't involve herself in locating Tony, she had by no means promised to stay out of the investigation as to how he had been captured to begin with. If she hadn't known her buddy Fury the way she did, Iris would have assumed this was an exploitable oversight that worked in her favor and simply moved on.

Unfortunately, she wasn't an idiot, and she knew this was all set up on purpose for her to work around such things as "Accountability," and "Probable Cause."

What she found was...depressingly predictable, as in she couldn't believe anyone else hadn't caught on to the money trail and who benefited the most if Tony up and died at random in the middle of nowher.

Obadiah Stane, you mother fucker.

Staring down at the money transfers, travel plans, and other organized madness Iris couldn't contain her anger for much longer, she had figured it out. Obadiah, who had practically been Tony's Sirius, had arranged his murder and she couldn't be wrong on this one despite the fact she had been sober for damn near three months straight.

Who benefited the most if Tony died? Who had access to his itinerary and travel plans? Who would be on the top of the pile after all the legal battles to gain custody of the now defunct Stark estate went through the courts?

Glaring at her monitor Iris was ready to ignite her flat in her seething rage when her mobile rang, taking in a deep breath she eventually managed to calm down enough to pluck up the phone and answer it.

"Potter, talk to me."

Instead of the insipid simpering of her companies interns, or the self entitled prattling of those wishing to sign a contract with her organization, she heard a bone weary voice of someone who had become something akin to a sister to her in a very short time.

"They found him, they're flying him home now, he'll be here in thirteen hours. He's alive Iris, he's alive."

Iris couldn't help it, she sobbed out into her open hand before laughing lightly, "Of course he is, Tony is too stubborn to go down so easily, isn't he?"

Pepper Pots laughed in turn, ignoring her friend's tears as she had ignored hers, "Yeah, he's a bit of a self centered prick like that... You coming out?"

Scooping up all the files she had gathered Iris nodded quickly, "I'll be in LA in less than five hours, after that, you just make sure the berk waits for me."

Tony Stark was bone weary and just...exhausted with the world. He had beaten his father, finally, yes, by building a reasonably sized Arc Reactor out of what could at best be called scraps, but it had cost him. Yinsen had joined his family in the afterlife, and Tony had left nothing but death behind him as he had escaped the Ten Rings encampment.

Ironic, in a way really. He had always been a merchant of death, and now he was a deliverer of it, even if the method of said delivery was crude to the point of hilarity.

What would Iris think when she found out he had escaped by building himself a freaking mecha suit out of baubles and scrap metal?

...Well...she would either fall over laughing at him, or pin him to the wall as she undid his belt.

What did it say about his current mindset that he was honestly welcome to either reaction?

Oh right, deep psychological trauma coupled with possible Stockholm Syndrome (so not a real problem, he hated his captures, freaking shrinks) affecting all his views.

Sighing he shook his head slowly and tuned into Rhodey as the man continued talking on as if he hadn't noticed his best friend had quit paying attention awhile ago.

"-so she just stares at him a few seconds and...What's up?"

Turning to meet his friends gaze Tony quickly shook his head while glancing out the window of their cargo plane, "Just wondering what's changed since I was gone..."

Rhodey smirked at that while shrugging lightly, "Less then you hoped, more than you expected, I think."

Looking at his friend in honest confusion Tony shook his head slowly as the plane came to a gliding stop. What followed was your typical airline BS and a half hour after the damn plane had been docked at the terminal he was allowed to disembark, finally.

As he strolled down the stairs he observed the gathered crowd and took them in with an honest eye. Happy, his ever faithful driver nodding once in acknowledgment, Pepper, wiping a tear away as she gave him a watery smile, and...Iris, tears running down her cheeks as she approached him quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She sobbed into his shoulder once before tightening her grip to the point he felt that he was nearly choked.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you prat."

He snorted and wrapped his good arm around her waist pulling her closer as he buried his nose into the top of her head, all while breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I'd never dream of it, Countess..."

"I told you to just call me Iris..."

Tony snorted his amusement as he muttered, "I know..."