Change of Things Chapter 2

"Izzy? Why are you out here?" I hear Tony ask me.

"Hm? Oh....I forgot that I came out here, oops."

"It's alright, Jar told me what happened. Wanna tell me bout the nightmare?"

"I rather not Tony."

"Okay okay," he says holding his hands up, "by the way Pep is coming today to talk with you."

"Okay."

I get up and go shower and dressed before getting breakfast. Not long after Pepper shows up, I only met her like three times before coming here.

"Hello Ms Stark," Pepper says.

"Pepper, I told you, you can call me Gabi," I say.

"Or Izzy," Tony says.

"Izzy has nothing to with her name," Pepper says.

"It has to do with her middle name, Elizabeth," Tony tells her.

"I see, anyway Gabrielle please come with me," Pepper says.

I follow her to the dining room while my brother heads to the lab to work on the jericho missile. I sit next to Pepper as she takes out a notepad.

"So, Gabrielle what are your qualifications to work for Stark industry?"

"Seriously?" I ask deadpan, "I own half of it and not to mention I graduated from the same college my brother did at the age of 15."

"I know I had to do that,” She smirks, “I just want to make sure you know what you are getting into.”

“I know what I’m doing Pepper, even before I knew the importance of my name I was kidnapped a lot. I’m surprised my adopted parents wanted me still after all that.”

“They love you Gabrielle, now you better go help your brother with that missile.”

I nod and head down to the lab after removing my blouse so I am in a tank and my jean kaprise.

“Hey, ready to help?” Tony asks me.

“Yep!”

For over a year we work on the missile, even on my birthday but of course my brother throws me a party for my 19th birthday. Pepper would come a lot and remind us to rest and eat. I finally saw Rhodey again after not seeing him for three years, once we finish the missile I drag Tony so we can get ready for the award night before we head off to Afghanistan.

“You have to go Tony!” I say from inside the closet.

“But it’s so boring Izzy!” Tony whines.

“Anthony Edward Stark, no more whining,” I say walking out in a purple dress with silver heels and my hair styled to the side.

“Never say my full name again,” Tony growls.

“Then don’t give a reason to.”

He mumbles under his breath and we soon leave to go the hotel the award ceremony is taking place. I head right to the ceremony while Tony goes who knows where. I watch the video that has both me, Tony and our parents in it, I am surprised to see the achievements I have made in the video along with the pictures of me and my adopted family.

“Now I would like to give this award to my best friend and his sister, Mr Anthony Stark and Miss Gabrielle Stark!” Rhodey says.

I smile and head up to the stage and Rhodey hands me the award.

“Hello everyone,” I say, “All I have to really say is that I’m glad my brother and I can help protect our country, of course I have no idea what my brother would say so all I can say is thank you.”

They all applaud for me as I walk over to my table where Rhodey and Obadiah are waiting for me.

“Where is Tony?” Rhodey whispers.

“I have no idea,” I whisper back.

After the ceremony is over Rhodey and I walk around to find Tony and of course he gambling, I roll my eyes and stand back as Rhodey talks to him.

“You really need to start attending these more,” I say as we walk to his car.

“Yea Yea,” Tony says waving me off.

I roll my eyes and head towards Happy instead to ride with him.

“Mr. Stark! Ms. Stark! Excuse me!” a woman calls out to us.

I turn as does Tony to see a blond coming up to us.

“Mr. Stark! Ms. Stark,” she says, “Christine Everheart, Vanity Fair magazine. Can I ask you a couple of questions?”

“She's cute,” Tony says.

“Hi,” I say, “You may ask a few questions.

“You've been called the Da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?” She asks Tony.

“Absolutely ridiculous,” Tony answers, “I don't paint.”

“And what do you say to your other nickname, the Merchant of Death?”

“That's not bad. Let me guess... Berkeley?”

“Brown, actually.”

“Well, Ms. Brown. It's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee you the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, we'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals.”

“Rehearse that much?” Christine asks.

“Every night in front of the mirror before bedtime,” Tony answers making me roll my eyes again.

“I can see that.”

“I'd like to show you firsthand.”

“All I want is the serious answer.”

“Okay, here is serious. Our old man had a philosophy: "Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy."”

“That's a great line, coming from a guy selling the sticks.”

“Our father helped defeat Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero.”

“And a lot of people would also call that war-profiteering,” she says, “Ms. Stark how do you feel on this?”

“I just want to help people who need it, that's why I am following in my father’s and Aunt Peggy’s footsteps,” I answer.

“So you’re not concerned of how your technology is used?”

“Tell us, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology?” Tony asks cutting me off, “Or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs: military funding, honey.”

“Wow, did you ever lose an hour of sleep your whole life?”

“I'd be prepared to lose a few with you.”

I walk off as, once again, Tony manages to get a woman in his bed. While in my room I can hear them so I put my beats on and listen to music as I fall asleep.

“Tony? Hey, Tony!” I hear Christine call as I sit on the couch.

“You are not authorized to access this area,” JARVIS says as she tries to go down stairs.

“Jesus!” she screams making me laugh.

“That's Jarvis, he runs the house,” I says from my spot as Pepper walks up to her.

“I've got your clothes here, they've been dry cleaned and pressed,” Pepper says handing her her clothes, “And there's a car waiting for you outside that will take you anywhere you'd like to go.”

“You must be the famous Pepper Potts.”

“Indeed I am.”

“After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry cleaning?”

“I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark and Ms. Stark require. Including occasionally taking out the trash. Would that be all?”

I laugh again from my spot after seeing the look on Christine’s face. She soon leaves the house as I head to get ready to leave.

“Pepper!” I call as she heads down to my brother, “I’m heading off!”

“Tony will be there soon!” She calls back.

“Right!”

I get into my car and head to the airport to see Rhodey waiting.

“Hi Rhodey,” I say walking up to him.

“Hello Gabrielle,” Rhodey salutes and smiles at me.

I laugh and salute back. For almost another three hours we wait for my brother to show up.

“What's wrong with you?” I hear Rhodey say.

“What?” Tony voice says back.

“Three hours!”

“I got caught doing a piece for Vanity Fair.”

“Three hours. For three hours, you got me standing here and your sister waiting inside the plane!”
“I'm waiting on you now. Lets go. C'mon. Wheels up! Rock and roll!”

“You need a watch or something,” I say not looking up from my book.

“Oh c’mon sis I bet you are late sometimes,” Tony says sitting down as the plane gets ready to take off.

“Never, I always do my best to be on time to things.”

I go back to my book and of course Rhodey and Tony argue and then a fricken party starts. I sigh and move away from all of them into the little private room, I stay there for about an hour before my claustrophobia gets the best of me and I begin to freak out. I exit the room fast and Rhodey and Tony look at me and stop the music.

“Izzy? You ok?” Tony asks me pulling me close to him.

“..I...I forgot I can’t handle small spaces,” I answer shaking still.

“Well you will be off this plane soon,” Rhodey says.

Like promised we soon land in Afghanistan and go to where we are giving the demonstration.

“General,” Tony and I say greeting him.

“Welcome, Mr. Stark, Ms. Stark,” the general says, “We look forward to your weapons presentation.”

“Is it better to be feared or respected?” Tony says as we give the presentation, “And I say, is it too much to ask for both? With that in mind, I humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries freedom line.”

“It's the first missile system to incorporate our proprietary repulsor technology,” I say, “They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire.”

“I respectfully disagree,” Tony finishes for me, “I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how dad did it, that's how America does it...and it's worked out pretty well so far. Find an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee you the bad guys won't even want to come out of their caves. For your consideration, the Jericho.”

Behind Tony and I our missile hits the landscape sending the air pressure towards us, I stand there pretty well for someone in heels.

“We throw one of these in with every purchase of 500 million or more,” the General says, ““To peace!”

“Tony,” Obadiah says on Tony’s phone.

“Obie, what are you doing up?” Tony asks.

“I couldn't sleep till I found out how it went. How did it go?”

“Went great,” I answer, “looks like it's gonna be an early Christmas.”

“Hey, way to go, my kids. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Why aren't you wearing those pyjamas I got you?” Tony asks.

“Good night, Tony.”

With the he hangs up and Tony and I get into the truck.

“Hey Tony! Gabrielle!” Rhodey says walking up to the window.

“I'm sorry, this is the fun-vee. The hum-drum-vee is back there,” Tony says.

“Nice job. See you back at base.”

Most of the ride is in silence as I am squeezed between my brother and a soldier. Did Tony forget I’m claustrophobic?

“I feel like you're driving me to court martial,” Tony says, “This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're gonna pull over and snuff me. What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forest...”

“We can talk, sir,” the man next to me says.

“Oh, I see. So it's personal?”

“No, you intimidate them,” the woman in front tells him.

“Dear God, you're a woman! I honestly, I couldn't have called that. I mean, I would apologize, but isn't that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first.”

I suppress a laugh as my brother rambles.

“I'm an airman.”

“Well you have actually excellent bone structure there. I'm kinda...having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird? C'mon, it's OK, laugh. Hey!”

“Sir, I have a question to ask,” the man in the driver’s seat asks.

“Yes, please.”

“It is true you went 12-for-12 with last year's Maxim cover models?”

“Oh god,” I sigh making the guy next to me laugh.

“That is an excellent question. Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict, but fortunately the Christmas cover was twins. Anything else?”

The guy next to me starts to raise his hand and I give him a look.

“You're kidding us with a hand up, right?” I ask him.

“Is it cool if I take a picture with you?” he asks me and my brother.

“Yes, it's very cool,” Tony answers.

The man hands the woman his camera and we move in together making me a little more uncomfortable.

“I don't wanna see this on your MySpace page. Please, no gang signs. No, throw it up, I'm kidding. Yeah, peace! I love peace. I'd be outta job with peace.”

“C'mon! Just click it, don't change the settings, just click it.”

Suddenly the truck in front of us explodes from what I can guess is going over a land mine.

“What's going on?” Tony asks.

“Jimmy, stay with Stark!” The second man says getting out.

“Lie down!” Jimmy says forcing Tony and I down.

“Son of a bitch!”

“Wait, wait, give me a gun!” Tony yells.

“Stay here!” Jimmy yells before turning and being shot multiple times.

“Tony?” I ask.

“Come on, we need to get out of here,” he takes my hand and we slowly get out of the van.

He grabs one of the guns and shoots out into the field and I doubt he is hitting anyone. We run to take cover, Tony takes out his phone to call for help when one of our missiles lands near us.

“Move!” I yell getting up but unfortunately it explodes and we are thrown back.

I slowly come to after a while and remove my blouse to see blood coming thru the bullet proof vest Rhodey had me wear, that's when I black out.