Disclaimer: I own nothing from the IronMan film. (but do I wish) Everything is owned by Stan Lee and Marvel. I don't own 'The Wreckoning' either. Boomkat does though.

Authors Note: {Holds a shield up} I know it has been forever :| Lil over a year. BUT HERE! I got inspiration today with my new Entertainment Weekly. Haha. This chapter is dedicated to the faithful. Of this story that is.I am happy to be back though. I have missed this community.

It had been about 24 hours since she was taken.

She was at Michael's grandparent's house up in Northern California. He used to bring her here when they were dating, but the place had changed drastically. She felt like she was in a prison. Although he had released her from being tied up. Michael had even given her a change of clothes. Some jeans and a shirt he had kept from their previous relationship.

Her restraints had been taken off and she was allowed to roam the house. But there was no way to get outside. Everything was a key code lock and the windows were just about indestructible. Least to chairs. Which Pepper had tested. After wandering the house all day she felt sick, and sad. Wishing she was in a better predicament.

She moved the food back and forth on her plate. Michael rested against his chair.

"Why did you bring me here Michael?"

"This was your favorite place when we were together, you loved the scenery"

"That's not what I meant-"

"I know what you meant" He snapped. She bit her lip and continued to move around the food. Michael was now getting aggravated.

"What can't eat unless your boyfriend is here?"

She glared at him and pushed the food away, "I'm not hungry…I don't feel well"

"What are you pregnant or something?"

She rolled her eyes, "Would you kill me if I was"

"Probably" He took a bite of food.

"You're disgusting"

Michael just laughed, "Well money does that o people, you should know. I mean all those years with Tony and the women…must have been difficult. So tell me. Why him and not me?"

She folded her napkin on the table.

"I don't care about all the women he has been with in his past. Because I know for a fact that I am the only one in his future"

She stood up from the table and walked away. But not before slipping a tool under her shirt. She was furious. Tears threaten to spill. When she got to her room she walked and placed the tool under a pillow. She placed her hands over her ears and screamed.

Now as Michael listened to her scream in anger as he sat at the table eating his food. He never wanted to be a bad guy but he needed the money. If he didn't pay this man back he was going to be killed, and he didn't want that.

His phone started to buzz next to him. He lifted it up to see the caller and took a deep breath.

"Hello?"

"I thought we had an agreement Mr. Waters"

"Hey look…I am going to get you your money. You said I had a week"

The man on the other end laughed, "And I will make good of that, but do you honestly think thee Tony Stark will arrive?"

"I have Pepper, just like you told me! You said he would do anything for her"

"This is true, but Mr. Waters, Stark is a very, very interesting character. Goodbye"

Michael let out an angry sigh and threw the phone on the table. Sure he was ashamed of what he was doing but it was her or him. As much as he didn't want to kill Pepper, he didn't want to die either. It was all up to Tony now.

"Just give him the god damn money, its so fucking simple!" Tony told Rhodes as he walked around his shop pressing buttons and looking over data. Rhodes stood there shaking his head.

"Look man, do you really think you should be dealing with the situation like this…I mean if he gets the money you don't know that-"

"THERE ISN'T A CONVERSATION ON THIS TOPIC!" Tony Screamed, he sat down in his chair, "For fucks sake Rhodey…this is Pepper. I don't care what he wants…I just need her back. And if 100 million dollars is what it takes so be fucking it"

Rhodey opened his mouth to respond but he knew better.

"Who do you want me to call?"

Tony laughed and took a shot, "I don't know, financial adviser I guess...Pepper always took care of that stuff" He rested his glass against his forehead, "I have to get her back Rhodey…"

"I know man" His best friend whispered, "I know…"

Tony loked at his own reflection on the class, he now had 1 day to get the money to Michael or Pepper would be killed. He turned back towards his best friend.

"Rhodey...I think I have an idea"

James smiled, "Now that's thinking clearly Stark"

Pepper sat in the room and pondered what she could do to get out of here. She had been here before, many times.

She had a plan and even though it was going to be executed early it would still work. She had heard them come in her room before opening her eyes. She could hear the whispers.

"I don't know man…this is kind of sketchy"

"Come on man…Michael would never find out. I just want a little play time with her"

Pepper silently sucked in a breath. She knew what the man wanted to do, and to hell if he was going to succeed with it.

"Ok…you have 30 minutes. I will go distract Michael"

"Alright!"

One of them left, Pepper slowly put her hand under her pillow and grasped the object and waited. She felt the remaining guard sit on her bed and begin to caress her skin. Pepper wanted to throw up but waited it out.

"Wake up sweet thing, time for us to play a game" He went to roll Pepper over when suddenly her hand shot out from under the pillow and stabbed the man in the chest. Right where his heart was.

Yeah Pepper had a few ticks up her sleeve.

The man struggled to make a noise but Pepper was faster and quicker. She pushed the guy on the bed and crushed his throat with her arm while holding onto the knife. She leaned down close to whisper something in his ear.

"This Sweet Thing" She hissed, "has a knife lodged into your chest cavity. The slightest pressure can plunge that knife into your heart and you will die. Do you want that?" She asked.

Needless to say the man shook his head no.

"After the shit I have been through I would not feel sorry letting you die, and believe me sir, you would die. Though right now if I leave it in the current position you have about 4 hours till you bleed out. Plenty of time for someone to find you I am sure." She released her grip and grabbed the gun from his holster and put it behind her in the back of her jeans.

"Now I am going to leave." The man tried to speak but she shook her head, "Oh my. I seem to have crushed your vocal cords."

She grabbed her jacket off of the table and put it on. She checked to make sure the coast was clear before turning back to the guard bleeding to death in the guest room.

"I never believed in killing anyone, but right now it's not just my life I have to think about."

Pepper Potts silently shut the door, and began to walk down the closet hallway with dreams of finding a way out.

A/N: What a chapter. Yikes, I wonder what is going to happen next. What do you all think?