Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Marvel Comics or Iron Man, or anything else related to this material of which I written about. All rights are reserved by the original owners.

Author's Note: Welcome to the third story about Ramirez, Stark, and Yinsen! For the newcomers, you might wish to read the preceding fics – Captives and Forging a Hero. For those who have been following along – thanks for your continued interest!

Chapter 1 – Changes

Two months. Two amazing, exhilarating months full of risks and danger and energy. That was how long it had been since Julia Ramirez had gone from a woman in the air force to becoming a veritable superhero. Sometimes before she fell asleep at night she thought about the completely unexpected turn of events that had put her into those circumstances. It began in a cave in Afghanistan, with a man named Tony Stark. When he built an armoured suit that quite literally blasted their way out of a hostage situation, Stark, Ramirez, and their close friend, Yinsen, started down the path of constructing new suits with the purpose of turning back the damage Stark's weapon technology was wreaking upon the world.

Of course, being Tony Stark, he couldn't keep this a secret. "I am Iron Man" – from the moment those resolute words left his lips, everything changed. Stark ceased to be the world's leading arms developer; instead becoming a one-man army out to eliminate his weapons from the hands of terrorists and the black market, and instill peace and ceasefires in war-torn areas, especially where he had in some way contributed to the loss of civilian lives.

Whatever Tony did, he had to do it in a public way. He now had an image and alter-ego as Iron Man, the man with unparalleled strength and power. There were magazine spreads, and posters, and merchandise for kids. And it just seemed to get bigger everyday. Much to his personal assistant's chagrin, he was loving every moment of it. He was still the extravagant Tony Stark that the world was familiar with, just with a different, and debatably cleaner, focus.

Julia also had a suit and flew tandem with him on many missions, but her identity was a secret to the public. Even though there were widespread rumours about a second suit, Stark had not yet made any official statement about it. Meanwhile, Yinsen, their friend, mentor, and doctor, worked behind the scenes to help keep them both in the air. Their little group was tight; so much so that Pepper was thinking of giving them a collective nickname. However, in all the interviews that Tony began to do, his friends and the arc reactor in his chest were never mentioned. Those things he valued and kept from the media circus.

For Julia, she could think of few times when she had been happier. Through their efforts, they were resolving issues and making situations better for people on a larger scale than she could ever have hoped to achieve. She loved soaring through the skies; feeling the freedom only experienced by birds and fighter pilots. Each day was full of challenges and perils but she was getting to crave the adventure. It was a constant learning experience, but she had the best of friends to help her along the way.

For two months she had all of this, completely unhindered by the world outside Stark's house and from the cares of real, everyday life. For two months everything was perfect and there weren't any problems that crept in at night and disturbed her sleep. For two months all she had to do was suit up and head out on the next mission. And then it all started to change.

A/N: So, this introductory chapter has gotten you acquainted with where our heroes are since that ground-breaking press conference. Any thoughts or questions? Feel free to voice some ideas too!