This is a new fic which I've become inspired to write...I know some of you are wondering what's happening with the sequel to The Avenged, well...to be honest, it's slowly happening! But alas! there is something else for you to read for those who love watching Tony suffer! As always there will be Pepperony, extra cheese and some misery as I love to see the hero fall, only to watch him rise, mightier than ever before!

Pepper wanted more from me; she wanted me to be the man I knew I couldn't be for her. So here I was; standing at the precipice of the hardest decision I've ever been faced with.

I closed my eyes and prayed for the strength to find me, to aid me in the coming hours.

The sky darkened around me, the air was still, the day was merely an eerie afterthought.

'Tony, where are you?' Pepper's panicked voice rang through my ears; I could hear the confusion in her voice, the anger, regret. 'Tony please, please come home, don't do this.'

I replayed the message over and over again; there was nothing that could be done now. The decision was made, the plan was in motion. And so I stood in the darkness; watching, waiting.

'Jarvis, what's it looking like?' I asked quietly.

A gentle breeze picked up from within the stillness, the cold was refreshing on my bare skin, seldom did I find myself without my armour, seldom did I find an excuse to be without, today was an exception. I found no better way to face my enemy, than to face him on my terms.

'Chances of walking away from this are very slim, sir.' Jarvis said with a genuine hint of concern.

When had I written human emotion into Jarvis? I closed my eyes momentarily. The shrill truth in his words sent a chill through me.

'I highly recommend aborting this mission, sir.' Jarvis added.

'Duly noted.' I managed; the harshness of my own voice scared me.

I was deteriorating fast, a lot faster than I had anticipated.

'Sir, have you called Miss Potts?' Jarvis asked.

I looked down at the phone I was clutching in my hand. 'No, Jarvis, I haven't.' I replied. 'I don't have anything I need to say at this point, everything I've done in my life was leading up to this moment.'

'I believe you should be having this conversation with Miss Potts, I am merely a program after all.' Jarvis said firmly.

I laughed to myself, the irony of being Iron Man and having the companionship of a computer as a last conversation.

'Well, Jarvis, you and I have been through a lot, so I guess this is thank you.' I said with a smile on my face.

'Indeed, sir, we have made a good team.' Jarvis acknowledged.

'How far are they?' I asked kneeling on the ground.

I squinted trying to catch a glimpse of the impending doom with which I was faced.

'ETA is twenty-seven minutes, sir.' Jarvis replied.

I inhaled deeply, I felt the sharp pain sear through my chest, a knot formed in my throat, I felt sick, nerves and fear riddled my body.

'Sir, you still have time to leave.' Jarvis said to me.

I shook my head, if I hadn't have known better, I could have sworn that Jarvis was pleading with me.

'You know that I can't do that.' I whispered into the night.

'I will call Miss Potts for you, sir.' Jarvis said.

'No, don't do that.' I urged. Silence answered me, 'Jarvis?'

Nothing, no answer, did he leave me, for not accepting his offer? No, that wouldn't happen, he was my creation, he did what I programmed him to do he didn't think.

'Jarvis?' I whispered. Desperation became evident to me as my voice cracked.

I looked around; I caught a small glimpse of a light flickering in the distance, one, maybe two miles away, coming fast.

I swiftly got to my feet, the blood rushed to my head, I felt as though I was challenging gravity itself, after a moment of swaying I straightened myself up and rushed for the cover of the nearby shrubs.

'Jarvis, I need you.' I found myself whispering; holding myself down, nausea filled my entire being. I crouched closer to the ground, resting my face on my knee.

A familiar roar sounded above me, the sound came to a halt not more than a yard away, the sudden movement had left my body dazed and struggling. I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.

'Tony?' The mechanical voice yelled out from the darkness.

My heart sunk, Rhodey, why was he here, why did he come?

'Tony, I know you're here, you're making a mistake.' He spoke urgently.

I could hear the pleading in his voice.

My own voice wouldn't have had the strength to reply, nor did my body have the desire to move, I felt my knee give way and felt myself fall forward. I barely had enough warning to throw my hands out in front of myself to hold my body up.

'Tony?'

I heard Rhodey yell out again.

'Sir, my systems are online, there was a technical glitch.' Jarvis explained.

I closed my eyes, a sigh of escaped my lips, I silently sat in my spot, 'Jarvis, eliminate the signal, get him out of here.'

'Very well, sir.' Jarvis responded.

I saw Rhodey look away from my direction and take off into the night sky.

'What happened?' I asked Jarvis as I tried to raise myself from the crouching position in which I found myself.

'My transmission from you was cut momentarily. I'm not able to find a conclusion as to what caused it.' Jarvis replied.

'I know what caused it.' I said quietly, I made my way to the location I was in earlier, 'my brain is failing to hold the extremis, and my mind is deteriorating.'

Jarvis' silence was only matched by my sheer panic at what was happening to me. As far as egotistical, self-loving individuals went, I was at the pinnacle of that class. But I loved my mind more, the things which I had been able to create and envision with a simple thought, there were none who couldn't compare, save for my father and even perhaps Banner. But that was all slowly fading away from me, and it was terrifying.

'I'm sorry, sir.' Jarvis offered.

I smiled, 'nothing to be sorry about, I did this, I knew there were going to be consequences.'

'There should have been more time.' Jarvis said.

I nodded, 'yes, this is far too quick, but at least this way I get a say as to how and when I go out, right, a few more months and I'd be getting spoon fed by Dummy.' The thought alone chilled me to the bone.

'They're coming.' Jarvis announced.

'Good, get everything ready Jarvis, one last rodeo.' I called upon the suit and it began to assemble around me. I took my stance, ready for them.

Let me know what you thought about this piece :) I'm very excited to see what people think!