When The Lights Go Out (October 2001)

Tony hadn't expected her to know what he had done with the transponder. "We need to buy us some time Isabella. So that's what I'm going to do," he said. He launched the containment system from his satellite and aimed it to smash through the roof of SHIELD's lab. He would hop in after it and do as much damage as he could before they stopped him. He didn't want to be captured and he had a plan for that as well.

Isabella was starting to become extremely concerned. "What are you going to do Tony? Don't you dare tell me you're going into SHIELD HQ alone."

"Oh, nothin much," He said. "I failed the team babe. And we need to slow them down. I'm in Veronica right now and I'm going to pay them a very heavy visit," He said.

Isabella was furious and her concern for him grew. "Damnit Tony! This was not the plan! Will you at least wait until I get there to help you?"

"No, you have a job to do. Keep the team going. I need to do this Isabella. Their test worked. We need to slow them up," He said. "It's going to be alright, I got this," Tony told her confidently. But he really had no idea if it would or not.

Isabella was very upset about this and she could only hope that him being in the Veronica suit was going to protect him. There was nothing else she could do. "You had better be right Tony. You had better be alright," she told him as she fought back a few tears.

Tony held back his speed just enough so that the hulk buster part of the system landed before he arrived. It weighed thousands of pounds.

SHIELD’s radar picked it up almost immediately when it began to descend over the installation. They didn’t have much time to react though they tried to destroy it with cannon fire. It didn’t hardly dent it as it hit the roof. It smashed through the reinforced roof and through the first few floors. And even the sun floor. Loki’s device was deeper down Deep onto the ground. Tony decided to aim just beside the hulk buster. When he hit the impact crashed through part of the elevator system. After he fell hundreds of feet he landed on the bottom level where the lab was. Shield agents began to fire at him and many of them ran for cover. Tony rolled out of the shaft onto the main area. He saw the containment area and he picked up a large machine and threw it at the containment area.

Loki was there and he sprang into action. He couldn’t stop what Tony threw but he could stop Tony. He had super human strength but when he tried to fight Tony in the suit Tony punched him and sent him flying. Tony continued to trash as much as he could. When Loki recovered he used his power to make the floor under Tony disappear. Before he fell though he supported himself with his massive arms. Loki materialized the floor back and Tony’s suit was effectively cut in half. The suit fell and Tony get his left leg snap like a twig. He groaned in pain as his suits containment began to weaken as SHIED Agents began to swarm him with gunfire.

“Jarvis...eject!” Was the last thing Tony remembered saying before all went black.

The ejection capsule smashed and then slid to a stop on the helipad.

Isabella’s wrist comm went off and it was a Jarvis. “Mrs. Stark. Mr. Stark’s ejection pod has arrived at the tower. Mr. Stark has sustained serious injuries,” he told her.

Isabella’s heart was pounding as she flew back to the Tower as quickly as she could. Her suit was removed and she ran over to where the ejection pod had landed. Tears were in Isabella’s eyes as she looked at her husband. She could tell his left leg was broken. She had Happy help her carry him to the medical suite and they placed him in the biobed. She had it run a scan first and then it began to treat his injuries.

Tony was unconscious and the biobed began to list all of his injuries and treatments it recommended. He had a punctured lung, a concussion, 1 fractured rib, and his leg was broken in a very serious way. There were other things and the list was not short but those were the worst of it.

As the biobed did surgery and add the titanium pins in his knee the rest of the group showed up. It was early morning and they were exhausted. Ava had been stabbed but it wasn't very serious. Steve had been hit in the back by a car. But he had said that that wasn't serious either but both Frank and Kate insisted that they get their injuries looked at. To there surprise, when the got down to the medbay, Isabella was there and Tony was having his knee worked on. The medbot had the side of his knee open and was inserting the pins when they had come down. Ava looked away quickly as seeing that without being prepared disturbed her. Steve and Kate and Frank moved toward Isabella.

"What...what happened?" Steve asked.

Isabella was exhausted, but she refused to leave her husband’s side. The list of injuries was bad, but not life threatening. However, Tony would be recovering for a long time. She didn’t know what time it was when the others finally returned. The biobed was operating on Tony’s knee as Steve, Kate, Ava, and Frank walked in. She sighed and looked over at them.

“Tony decided to attack SHIELD HQ himself using Veronica. I’m not sure what happened, but he was unconscious when I got here.”

"Veronica?" Frank asked. And Ava looked confused as well. "That's just the code name for it. It's a massive suit and containment system Tony developed incase The Hulk came to New York. He called it the Hulk Buster...but, why would he do that Isabella?" Steve asked as he shifted to put his arm around her. He could see she was upset. Steve was dirty, grimy and did not smell very good.

Frank frowned as he looked at Tony and moved to put his own arm around Ava. He didn't know why he did that, seeing Tony like this just affected him. He now knew he made the right choice to abandon his quest for vengeance. This is what the end of it might look like. Him in a hospital bed and Ava grieving for him.

Isabella fought back a few tears as she felt Steve’s arm around her shoulder. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to her. “He...he said that it was the only way. He said he had failed everyone and that this was going to give us the time we needed.”

She looked back and saw that Ava had been stabbed and she immediately became concerned about her. “ Ava, come over here and use this bed,” she told her. With Frank’s help, she got into the bed and it began to scan her for injuries. It listed several things off...everything she expected...except for one...that she was two weeks pregnant. Her eyes widened in surprise and she felt everyone looking at her. “I...I didn’t know...”

Frank's eyes bulged when he read the readout. And then he smiled and took up her hand in his. The biobed complained about the contact as it hadn't finished it's scan and Frank reluctantly let her go. It was clear he was thrilled though. He mouthed the words, 'I love you,' To her and his smile brightened when she mouthed back, 'I know'.

Steve shook Frank's hand and Kate gave him a little hug but Frank didn't really hear what they said. His focus was on Ava. In her, in her alone, he had his family back. His family, his future, his providence. His love for her swelled and all of his aches and pains he had been feeling suddenly lifted from him. He felt like a million bucks. All the hate and his fight for vengeance was washed away in that instant. Steve smiled as he let go of his hand and he saw part of that in Frank as he straightened. Frank was a very large, broad man and somehow he looked even larger now. And he felt it too.

Ava was nervous at first that perhaps Frank would be upset. She held her breath as she watched him look at the readout, but as a smile suddenly appeared on his face she knew he was happy. She was happy too. They both had their families back and they would both have the happiness they deserved. This was going to be a big change in her life and though she was somewhat scared, she knew she couldn't have a better partner than Frank. 

"Well, I guess this officially means I'm done with fighting," she said as happy tears came to her eyes.

"Well, for starters we'll need to move out of that...place," Frank said. "I'm worried how Micro is going to take all this. We will need to explain everything to him," He said. He was trying to moderate his happiness. Isabella was close by and appeared to be on the verge of losing it. Frank pulled over a chair and sat as close to Ava as he could be as the medbot sprayed...something onto her wound. It was a disinfectant and a numbing agent in one. Then it began to apply the stitches.

Steve would have to wait for the biobed to be vacant to be looked at. His left shoulder blade ached but he had had worse. Still Kate was concerned about that. She had seen him get thrown as the car careened into him.

"How is he?" A voice said from behind them. Loki was suddenly there. He was in his dark gray suit and he smiled at them as he spoke. Everyone in the room just reacted. Steve flung himself at him but he fell through him as if he were incorporeal. Kate stopped short and touched him. Or tried to, her hand went right through him.

Frank stood but only had taken a step. Isabella and Ava were on alert as well. Isabella, by instinct and moved to put herself between him and Tony who would not be able to defend himself.

Loki looked back at Steve who picked himself up off of the floor.

Isabella was on the verge of tears. Of course she was extremely happy for Frank and Ava. They deserved this happiness, but she was also very worried about Tony. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind them. Her blood ran cold as she recognized who it belonged to. As she turned around she saw Loki there. She immediately put herself between Loki and Tony and was prepared to protect her husband. However, when she saw Steve fling himself at Loki and then go through him she realized that he wasn't actually there. 

"What do you want Loki?" Isabella asked in a threatening tone.

"I see the Tower is immune to the blackout. I was hoping the Stark name there at the top would have gone dark. Pity that it didn't. And Tony brought the fight to me," Loki said in his usual arrogant manner.

"He did alot of damage to my plans but, its all just another delay. I'm here to dissuade you from any more such attacks," He said though he grinned when he saw Tony. He moved over toward Isabella and ignored everyone else.

"So, he is alive...just barely," He said and turned to face Isabella. "You will agree not to attack me again. It would not go well for you if I decided to attack your precious tower," Loki said.

"Don't listen to him Isabella, he's just posturing," Steve said. Loki shifted to look at Steve then turned back to face her and looked into her eyes. "Am I? Test me and I will burn this tower to the ground," Loki warned and his face took on a dark, more threatening look.

Isabella listened to Loki and she glanced at Steve. She knew Loki well enough to know that he was going to continue on with his plans. However, the mere fact that he was there talking to them must have meant that Tony did some serious damage. They needed time to heal and regroup. They needed a better plan and perhaps the suits would be ready by then.

"Fine," was all she said. She had no intention of keeping that promise, but for right now they needed time.

Loki smiled at Isabella knowing full well what this uneasy truce meant. “Then it is agreed,” he said then noticed Kate standing there. “Hello Miss Blackwell. I miss you,” he said in a way that made the hackles on the back of Steve’s neck raise up. He narrowed his eyes at Loki.

Isabella saw the way Loki was looking at Kate and that made her uneasy. She could sense Steve tense up near her and he protectively put an arm around her shoulders. Isabella looked back at Loki. "Since I have agreed to this, I would like you to release Phil Coulson to us."

Loki considered her offer. "If I'm to give up someone, you will give someone to replace him. What about him," He said and pointed right at Frank.

Isabella immediately shook her head. "No. No trades. You just give us Phil Coulson. You have plenty of agents there." Isabella was not afraid of Loki and she had no intention of letting him bully her. "Consider it an offering to keep us from doing more damage."

Loki smiled. "Don't test me Mrs. Stark," he said and then he stepped p to her and slapped her hard. His hand actually connected with her face and bore her to the floor. She tasted blood in her mouth. Loki was very strong. Steve and Frank both attacked him but even as Steve grappled him Frank flew through him and Steve fell to the floor.

"You think because of Mr. Stark's little stunt that you have the upper hand here. I will show you that you are wrong," He said and his face took on a very dark caste to it. Were his eyes glittering? She thought that maybe they were as Kate helped her up. "You seem to forget, you have alot more to lose than I do," He said. "Is your daughter alone, in her room? Is she still even there?" He said and then he was gone.

Isabella's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. She heard Steve, Kate, and Frank behind her but she just kept on going. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She threw open the door to the apartment and rushed inside and down to Serena's room. Isabella was trembling as she drew back the blanket on Serena's bed. A wave of relief washed over her when she saw her daughter sleeping there. Sarah had heard the commotion and woken up. Isabella just held Serena protectively in her arms as a few tears began to fall.

"Isabella...what's the matter!?" Sarah said as she hobbled out of bed. Everyone else gave a collective sigh of relief. Ava came up behind Frank. She sighed in relief as well. "So, it was just to frighten us," Steve said. "Well it worked," Frank said wryly. Logan and Natalya came up to the doorway. "Is...everything ok? The way you all ran I thought something bad was happening," Logan said.