The Seduction Process (November 1986)

Basil Sandhurst sat on a stool and fiddled with a small, metallic disc that was embedded at the back of Isabella’s neck. The mitrometer gain was too high and it caused just enough interference where she had been able to rationalize the suggestion he had given her.

“Now do not give me any more tears. You’ve given me far more trouble than I think you’re worth woman!” He snapped. He felt Isabella try to pull away but he grabbed hold of her hair at the base of her head and pulled her head painfully down so he could see what he was doing.

“Now you listen to me...I could have you doing much worse, would you prefer that? I’ve put a Senator out on the street like a common whore begging to please strangers for a few bucks. I doubt you’d like that! When Tony Stark gets a whiff of you he’ll be putty in your hands,” He said. Basil was a large man dressed in a dark gray suit, no tie and he had a completely bald head. He wore a Black Derby on his head though it was much more than just a hat. It was how he controlled those he had managed to attach the small, metal discs. He attached them to the base of their spines high up on the neck and they were about the size of a quarter.

Isabella Corsetti had been an up and coming FBI agent until the accident. Phil Coulson had taken her under his wing and had been grooming her for placement as an enhanced SHIELD agent. Nick Fury always looked for enhanced people to join SHIELD and Isabella had been a lucky find. As Basil replaced the cover to the control disc Phil and Nick looked on patiently.

“With Tony Stark’s suits and tech, I will create an army of Iron men to do my bidding,” he said with a grin. Phil and Nick frowned. They knew what was happening was wrong but there was nothing they could do about it for they had dics on their necks too. Basil stood up and turned Isballa to face him. When she face dhim he slapped her so hard in the face that blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

He waved his hand in the air as if the slap hurt his hand, which it had. Phil winced but did not intercede on her behalf. “Tony will be at the Award Ceremony. You will wear that dress,” he said and nodded to a very expensive red dress that combined elegance with a degree of trashiness at the same time. He handed her a silvery evening handbag. “In the handbag is the injection and the control disc. You will seduce Mr. Stark, lull him however you want but you must not use your powers unless he figures out what you’re doing. You will inject him and then install the disc as you were instructed,” he explained.

“Now, I don’t need to remind you again what will happen if you fail me again, do I?” He asked. Her previous failure was no fault of her own. The disc was not working properly and she was not able to kill the congresswoman that he was paid to assassinate. Her own sense of right and wrong stopped her and luckily she had not drawn the pistol she had hidden. She was still compelled to return though. He made her eat the spiciest peppers he could find one at a time. She suffered horribly but she couldn’t stop herself from picking up another one and eating it. He was delighted at how much pain it caused her. Obvious Basil had a very warped mind and he toyed with those he controlled. The senator he had controlled to take tricks out on the street had ended up resigning in shame which was exactly what the client that hired him had wanted. Nick shifted and picked up the small bowl and took off the lid. It was filled with more ghost peppers. Basil shited and picked one out of the bowl. Isabella’s fear made him smile.

Isabella's mind struggled. Somewhere deep inside of her she could sense that the things she was doing were wrong, but she could not stop herself from doing them. Isabella was a strikingly beautiful young woman of Italian descent. She had long, thick, dark brown hair that fell in cascading waves down her back. Her skin was olive in color and her eyes were dark brown. Both of her parents had immigrated to America a few years before she was born. Her entire life she had grown up wanting to be a FBI agent. When her mutation had developed she had feared that her dream would be over, but she had manged to keep her mutation a secret and had made it through the training process. Until the incident, she had believed working for the FBI would be a lifelong career. But the FBI had become aware of her mutation and she had been fired. She had quickly been approached by Phil Coulson of SHIELD, who had wanted to recruit her because of her FBI background and her mutation. He had believed she would be an asset to the organization. However, her training was cut short when Basil Sandhurst got his hands on Nick Fury, Phil, and herself.

Isabella had not meant to fail Basil with the congresswoman, but the disc had not been working properly. Isabella had known that she was meant to kill her, and the gun had been in her handbag, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She had known it was wrong. Her punishment had been horrible though. Basil had forced her to eat Ghost peppers one at a time. It had taken days for her to fully recover. She could not go through that again.

Isabella put on the red dress and shoes that Basil had picked out for her to wear. Her hair and makeup were done as well. However, her hair was left down to cover up the disc at the base of her neck. She was driven over to the where the awards ceremony was being held. Basil had used Nick Fury to ensure Isabella got an invitation and a seat at a table near where Tony would be sitting. Isabella felt nervous as she walked in, but her feet continued to move forward until she reached her table. As she sat down a waiter brought over a glass of champagne for her.

Tony was dressed in a tuxedo but he had brown tinted sunglasses. His hair and goatee were groomed expertly and since the reward ceremony was happening in a casino naturally Tony had no intention of being there to receive the reward or make some stupid speech. He did things because he wanted to do them. Not because of a reward. There were alot of speaks on deck tonight and once again he wished his parents were still around to see the man that he had become. If his mother were in the audience, he’d stay and receive the reward...most likely. But that was not the case. He leaned over and whispered into Rhodey’s ear.

Rhodey was in his dress blues. He was an air force Colonel and well decorated. He and Tony had been through alot together and they had become fast friends after they had survived after their helo had crashed. He looked at Tony indignantly. “No...this is for you...Tony, these people are here to hear you and to see you,”He began. “I’m sure they are but I’m not feelin it man,” he said. “Tony, C’mon, I’m not doin this again,” he said as Tony stood up. The lights were on the speaker at the moment and all eyes were on the older man that was talking right then.

“Hey, it’s happening...you got this,” Tony said as he backed up. “No, Tony, i don’t hav...Ton...Tony,” Rhodey said in exasperation as Tony escaped out of the hall to the casino. The moment he did two women were on him like white on rice. One wore a white dress, very low cut in the back. She had long, blonde hair and large blue eyes. The other was a tall, leggy redhead with green eyes and short hair. Her dress was green. He made his way to the craps table with them both on his arms.

Isabella could see Tony out of the corner of her eye at this table. He was sitting with a black man dressed in Air Force dress blues. He was a Colonel and she could see he was well decorated. Judging by how they spoke to each other they were close friends. Isabella could tell that something was happening. The friend appeared to be becoming frustrated and suddenly Tony stood up and walked away from the table. Isabella looked back to see him leave the room and head out towards the casino. Two women quickly followed after him.

Isabella sat there a few more minutes before discretely getting up herself. She stepped away and as she did she saw Mr. Stark's friend eye her with a little smile. He was attractive, but not the man she was after. She stepped into the casino and quickly spotted the craps table where Tony Stark was gambling. She had some money so she exchanged it for some chips. She casually approached the table and stood on the opposite side from where Tony was. She waited until she could place a bet. As she did she saw Tony look at her. She flashed him a sexy smile and then took a small sip of her champagne.

Tony was obviously enjoying himself and he had the hot blonde blow on his dice before he rolled it. He leaned over the edge of the craps table and rolled the dice. He rolled two threes and everyone cheered and he smiled. “Well, luck is with me tonight,” Tony said as he eyed a gorgeous dark-haired beauty in a red dress. She looked at him with hungry eyes and he smiled at her. He took a sip of his drink as the dice were brought back to him. This time the redhead blowed on the dice. He rolled a seven and everyone groaned.

“Well, you can’t win em all,” he said as he lifted up his drink. He tossed chips on the table then handed chips to the two women. They took them with glee in their eyes and turned and began to play. Tony though, he wanted to see if the olive-skinned woman would follow him up to the bar so he went that way.

Isabella saw Tony eye her across the table and she knew she had him. As he stepped away she could sense that he wanted her to follow him. She walked over to the bar and stood a little ways away from him. This was a game they were playing. Seduction was an art form. Isabella had finished her drink and as she set her empty champagne glass on the counter she heard Tony order a drink.

"I'll have what he's having," she told the bartender with a glance towards Tony.

Tony didn’t turn to face her immediately, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a hundred dollar bill then set it up on the bar. The sounds of the casino, the games and the people behind them was fairly loud but not so loud that he could not hear her order what he was having. A Whiskey sour. Tony did not sit when his drink came he only waited for the woman to come up to the bar. When she did he took a sip of his drink then shifted around to look at her. He rested his arm on the bar but didn’t really put any weight onto it. He smiled at her.

“So, what is it going to take for you to tell me your name? I probably won’t remember it in the morning,” he said smoothly. When women came up to him like this, it was a foregone conclusion that they wanted him. He had one night stands go bad though so he intended to talk to her a little first before everything was set in stone. His eyes wandered up and down her body but eventually came back up to her large, dark eyes. “It’s been a while since I’ve had real Italian,” he said with a confident grin.

Isabella knew that she had Tony's full attention now. She took her drink when the bartender placed it down and moved a little closer to where Tony was standing. She took a small sip of the drink and continued to maintain a casual air. What he said made her want to cringe and roll her eyes, but she simply gave him a little smile. Isabella despised men like Tony...womanizers who only cared about one thing when it came to a woman, but she had to do this. She had to play his game so she could get him into bed. It was unfortunate that he was an asshole because he was extremely handsome. She could see why women fawned all over him...that and he was a billionaire and Iron Man.

"My name is Isabella Corsetti." She took another small sip of her drink and then placed it on the bartop. "Why didn't you accept your award?"

Tony liked attention but what others thought he did, what the award was all about was something he had dismissed from his mind. He was the type of man that liked to be thanked but at the time that he did what he did, not so far after the fact. Accepting awards just wasn’t something he was interested in. He shrugged.

“I do what I do because I want to and because I want to try to help where I can. I’m not looking to be rewarded for it,” he said honestly and took a sip of his drink. “Isabella is a pretty name. Something else unique about you I’m guessing,” he said trying to be coy but he ruined it by smiling at her. She was gorgeous! Especially when she smiled.

Isabella glanced at Tony. “And taking a woman to bed isn’t considered a reward?” Isabella smiled a little when Tony neared choked on his drink at what she said. She liked getting the upper hand on him.

She glanced back over at the craps table where the other two women still were. “You grew bored with them pretty quickly.”

Tony nearly choked on the cherry that he had popped into his mouth just when Isabella said what she said. As for her question he just shrugged.

“I guess I just had a taste for Italian tonight,” he said and it was clear he meant that literally. “So Miss Corsetti, what do you do? You look like you work out, like you are in great shape,” he said as he looked at her arms and shoulders. But it was also how she held herself. And how she seemed always on alert. As if it was an instinct to be aware of her surroundings. He then leaned back on the bar.

“So...FBI or CIA?” He asked bluntly as he turned toward the bartender and set down his empty drink and gestured with his fingers for 2 more.

Isabella glanced over at the bartender as he began to fix two more drinks. She hadn't realized that Tony had noticed how she paid attention to her surroundings. That was just her training and she hardly noticed she was doing it anymore.

“I did work for the FBI, but not anymore.”

Tony smiled as he looked at her and did not take his eyes from hers even when he picked up one of the new drinks that had arrived. “So then that begs the question, what are you doing now? Besides trying to get my attention...I mean,” he said. “Or was leaving the FBI your choice or theirs?” he asked. He normally didn’t pry into a persons like but Isabella intrigued him and he wanted to see her squirm a little though he still planned on making her squirm later as well. He wanted to know what she looked like out of that dress and began to imagine how she’d feel on top of him, riding him with her breasts in his face. The thought excited him too.

Isabella picked up her freshened drink and took a small sip. She needed to be careful so she could keep her wits about her. “It was not my choice. Something...happened and I could no longer work there. I wanted to work for the FBI my entire life so it was pretty devastating.”

She put down her drink and then looked back at him. “So, what’s it like being Iron Man?”

If Tony loved one thing it was talking about himself. He was arrogant but for a man that could back it all up? Was it ‘really’ arrogance? And she’d learn soon enough that he did back up what he boasted.

“Well, It’s nothing short of amazing. But also incredible, heroic...I already said amazing…” he said quickly. “Being solely responsible for protecting our troops and ending more military conflicts than any other armed force, well, I’d say that qualifies as amazing,” he said. “But I’m much more interested on how amazing you can be,” he said as he took another sip of his drink. “How about we find out?” he said as he finished his drink and set it down on the bar. He straightened his suit coat and tilted his head to look at her through the top of his sunglasses.

“You up for some fun, Miss Corsetti?” He asked and he appeared ready to leave. He had no idea how long they had been talking but James Rhodey came up to him and he didn’t look happy.

“You know, this is getting pretty old Tony,” he said. “Old? Whose old? I think we’ve got alot of years to go yet,” Tony said quickly in an attempt to ward off Rhodey’s apparent irritation. “I’m up there, telling them all how much you care but i don’t think you really do. I have better things to do than to…” he said but Tony cut him off as James handed him the award. It was a thick piece of angled crystal on a gold base. “Oh I think I already have one of these,” Tony said as he looked at it a moment.

“Tony, I’m being serious,” James said but Tony refused to let him go that route. “Well, so was I when...I wrote...that check,” he said making light of what James said. Before James could continue though Tony shifted and took hold of Isabella’s arm.

“Well, its been fun Rhodey,” He began but James cut over him. “Tony…” he began but Tony spoke quickly over him. “Hey, I’m a busy man...stuff to do, lots,” he said as he stepped away with Isabella. Rhodey just sighed in exasperation as he watched Tony step away. When they finally got outside Tony handed the award to an old man that had just reached the top of the steps. He had slicked back balding, graying hair and wore thick glasses. “There ya go, ya made it up,” he said as they began to descend the stairs toward the waiting limo. The old man just looked confusedly at the award and turned to watch them move away.

Isabella felt her nervousness grow as the conflict inside of her struggled against the effects of the disc. It was like she was trapped inside of a shell of herself. She could see, hear, and feel what was happening but she could do nothing but what Basil had told her to.

A man with dark hair immediately came around and opened the limo door. She stepped into the limo with Tony following behind her. She got settled and held her clutch on her lap. She could feel the disc and the sedative still there.

Tony sat across from Isabella and ofcourse, not 10 seconds after the car began to move did he push a button and a mini bar popped up from the center console near him. He poured what looked like Bourbon or Whiskey into the glasses, though only a large swallows worth in each glass. He handed her one and took a sip from his own. He thought that Isabella looked...what, nervous? Well he had seen that before. And then there was the unanswered question as to why she was there. He thought about grilling her a little on that but he decided against it. He was afraid she’d likely lie and he didn’t want her to lie to him.

The limousine is unlike anything she had ever seen. The seat was very comfortable, everything about it was. “So Miss Corsetti, are things progressing how you wanted them to? Is there anything you need or want? Whatever it is, I’m certain I could get it. I’m very curious to see what you look like out of that dress,” he asked. His eyes shifted down to her knees then up again to her face. He smiled and she’d likely be able to tell what he was thinking. Wondering if she had any panties on at all. He held his glass lazily to the side and rested his hand with it on the seat next to him.

There was a window that divided the back seat from the driver’s area. It was closed and she couldn’t see through it so she assumed the driver couldn’t see back. She was rather surprised when Tony hit a button and a mini bar appeared. She accepted the glass he handed her and took a small sip. She was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol she had consumed, but her head was still clear enough.

She looked across at Tony and decided that she needed to just go ahead and act. She figured that Tony was going to want to have sex more than once. She needed to gain his trust.

She put down her drink and moved closer to him. She straddled him and looked down into his eyes before leaning down and kissing him.

Tony was surprised when Isabella set her drink aside and then moved up to him. He saw her shift her dress up far enough so her legs could spread to straddle him. He shifted his glass to the cupholder and then his hands moved to lift her dress up enough to expose part of her hips. Her lips had lipstick on them but it was an expensive brand and they felt nice and smooth on his own. Her breath smelled like Whiskey and he felt her heartbeat flutter quickly when she pushed up against him. Now this was more like it! He thought as the kissing began to get more passionate. He felt her rub her middle down against him and she felt him getting very hard inside of his pants. His hands gripped the flesh of her hips and then he shifted one down between her legs. She was wearing panties but they weren’t much. That and he felt how wet and ready she was for him. He felt her moans in his mouth as she kissed him. He was using his fingers and apparently she was not satisfied with that. He felt her hand go to his pants. Before long he was inside of her and she ground her body down against him hard. His first inclination was that she was experienced in doing this but he felt how fast her heart was beating and how fast her breaths came. That and she was very warm.

“Is this what you want?” He whispered into her ear as she kissed his neck. He felt her tremble as she moved atop him as if she really was enjoying herself. But she seemed nervous as well...at first. Each time he moved his hands up to her neck she pushed them back down to her hips. “Is that where you want them?” He asked. She nodded wordlessly as she continued to kiss him hard and fast. When she came she practically strangled him with how hard she grabbed hold of him and shoved his face into her chest. He could barely breathe with how hard she held him as her body quivered. Happy heard her load moans at the end and chuckled and shook his head as he drove.

Tony pulled her up off of him far enough to turn her so she faced away from him. He pulled her back down atop him and his hands moved to spread her dress apart enough to have at her breasts. It didn’t take long for him to come next with the way she shifted her hips with him deep inside of her. When they arrived at Tony’s estate Happy came to the door to help Isabella out first. She had just enough time to fix her hair and her dress and lipstick but Tony had ripped her panties off and they laid on the seat in a lacy, black ball in the corner.

“Thanks Happy,” Tony said. “My Pleasure sir,” he said and shut the door as Isabella and Tony made their way into the house.

Isabella had of course heard rumors about Tony and how good he was in bed. She had wondered if those rumors were actually true until this every evening. He was everything the rumors had said and much more. Isabella had been in several serious relationships over the course of her adult life, but no one else she had been with compared to Tony. As they got out of the car, though, she had to keep reminding herself that he was a womanizer and this was a job. She could not fail Basil.

There was no small talk as they walked into the house. They both clearly wanted each other again. As soon as the door to his bedroom was closed they started tearing off each other's clothes. The pieces fell into random heaps on the floor. However, Isabella managed to keep her clutch close to her. When she had a moment she placed it on the nightstand before Tony all but attacked her. She knew what she was supposed to be doing, but she began to get lost in the passion of the moment.

He and Isabella just...fit. The way she felt when he was inside of her. The way she moved...It wasn’t a practiced thing. He had experienced that before. It came natural to her and it felt real. And that was what got him the most. She was real. A strong, confident woman. And she was strong, she had held him down for a time. Forced him to use his tongue on her a little longer. Forced him to hold off coming until she came first. Demanding but not in a way that soured the experience. He thought she just wanted to feel ‘more’. As if feeling and sensation was something that had been lacking in her life. So Tony made her feel more. And he made love to her in just about every position he knew. It was when she was on top of him but faced away from him that he noticed the odd disc on the back of her neck. And then he saw The Controller’s symbol on the casing.

As she continued to move Tony knew he was in trouble. The door wasn’t far. If he could push her to the floor…

No, he didn't think that would work. She did feel strong, he now doubted if he could overcome her. He had seen a version of these discs and knew what they did. How could he be so stupid? Isabella had seduced him perfectly. She didn't stop and that was a good thing. She raised her arms up into the air as she moved atop him. he heard her moan as she got him in a good spot inside of her. He waited until she dropped her hands again and felt her place them on his thighs as she began to roll her hips again.

As quick as a viper he grabbed hold of the disc and then braced her neck with his other hand as he pulled. The disc sparked and blood dripped down the back of her neck as it came free.

Tony made Isabella feel things that she hadn't felt in sometime. It wasn't just the feeling of making love, but the feeling of being desired...of being wanted...even if it was just for this one night. Isabella had expected Tony to be a selfish man in bed, but he was quite the opposite. He let her take control and do what she wanted. She had already orgasmed several times, but Tony was insatiable. She knew she was going to need to slip him the sedative soon. Perhaps he would want to have something to drink soon...

Suddenly, she felt him grab hold of the disc at the base of her neck and then as he braced her neck he pulled the disc out. Isabella yelled out in pain from the sudden extraction and her mind was suddenly overwhelmed with information, thoughts, and feelings as her mind and body became her own again. It was too much...

She suddenly collapsed forward and then fell off the bed. As she did her mutation instinctively reacted to protect her and her entire body transformed before Tony's eyes. Her body was no longer made up of olive colored flesh...but shimmered and shone with a hard, diamond like material. It was over her entire body...legs, abdomen, arms, and head.

Tony knew right away he had made the right move when he saw her body change. She was obviously a mutant. After a brief look in her silvery handbag he found a syringe filled with a blue liquid, a compact, lipstick and another one of those discs. It took both himself and Happy to get her into his bed. He tossed the purse to Happy as he went to get his first aid kit. It didn't take much to stop the bleeding. But he could not know what removing a control device would do to her. If the controller bugged her somehow...he couldn’t even risk leaving his home now and what could a doctor do? Nothing most likely.

As Isabella slept Tony tore apart her disc and then the undamaged one and figured out how it worked. He could disrupt the mitrometer gain to a degree that it shorts out the disc’s powersource that Basil Sandhurst had neglected to insulate. He could adjust his suit to emit an area affect pulse that would destroy the discs that were within range.

“Tony...she’s waking up!” Happy said. From up the stairs. Tony, now changed into blue jeans and a black Nirvana T-shirt rushed up the stairs. Beside the bed there was a glass of water and 2 tylenol. He figured she’d have one dinger of a headache when she woke up. Tony hurried into the room then shooed Happy out. He couldn’t be completely certain she wouldn’t attack him even now that the disc was gone but he had a feeling she wouldn’t. He moved and came to sit on the bed beside her as she began to wake up.

“Hey there gorgeous,” he said with a smile as if nothing had happened.

The first thing Isabella was aware of was how much her head hurt. It pounded and her mouth was as dry as cotton. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she blinked against the light above her. As her eyes focused and got adjusted to the light she realized that Tony was sitting there next to her looking down at her. She instinctively reached to grab a sheet, but because aware that she was wearing a robe. Based on the smell she could tell it was Tony’s.

Her mind began to remember everything that had happened. She sat up and her hand went back to feel where the disc had been. It was gone. She knew that Tony must have figured out what was going on because her clutch was gone from the nightstand. She really didn’t know what to say. She looked away from Tony shamefully and pulled the robe tighter around her body.

“I didn’t want to hurt you...”

Tony smiled a warm smile. “Oh, I know Isabella. I’ve dealt with Basil Sandhurst before. Put him in prison 5 years ago. “I am guessing you have quite the headache. There’s water and tylenol there,” he said. When Isabella looked at the side table she saw the water but the 2 white tylenol looked like red ghost peppers. Already she could taste the horrible burn in her throat as if she had already eaten one. When she turned back to Tony he looked like Basil Sandhurst who held a ghost pepper toward her. “You failed me again!” he said angrily. And then she woke up with a start and sat up in the bed.

“You were awake for a moment, are you alright Isabella?” Tony asked concernedly. “Bad dreams?” he asked after how she had just acted. “You said you didn’t want to hurt me and I know that. When you have a controller disc on your neck, you have to do what Basil Sandhurst suggests. It will take time for the effects to wear off. I reverse engineered the discs while you slept and I modified my suit to emit a pulse to disable them. I hope you didn’t forget everything that happened last night. But...now I guess I know why you came onto me,” he said and a look of disappointment came over him.

“Do you know where he is?” Tony asked.