Hollow Scars

Tony Stark had never been so on his guard in his life than he was now sitting in the nearly empty room of the warehouse he’d recently attacked. Though, now that he reflected on the thought he could have been exaggerating. Being in captivity after waking up with a car battery attached to an electromagnet had put him on his guard pretty severely for quite a long time after the incident. But still, at the moment, at this moment it felt like the most defensive he’d ever been. He’d walked into the lion’s den practically covered in raw meat and now he was sitting amongst them hoping that they wouldn’t chomp at the bit.

“Jarvis, I don’t like this.” He muttered beneath his breath. There was a confusing mixture of craziness around him while he waited for the man who had promised him answers to join him at the table. Armed guards were standing near the half destroyed door, every so often glancing at him with morbid curiosity. But then there were others, sneaking in to catch a glimpse of him and then hiding to whisper about him like teenagers. Someone had even taken a picture of him and not one that seemed like it was for surveillance. Why were these supposed villains so enamored by him? He half suspected that someone was going to ask him for an autograph before the visit was over with. Tony was not in the mood to play to a crowd.

“Neither do I, sir. Be on your guard. I’m recording every word.” The computer responded in his ear, offering him no comfort whatsoever. The man he recognized as the leader of the group walked through large battered metallic sliding doors and stopped to speak to the guards stationed there. He was an older man, balding with a ring of graying hair just above his ears, blending into the long beard of the same graying color. Tony could tell by the scars on his arms and face that the hardened man had seen many battles and difficult times in his life. Still there was a sparkle of life and joy he could see in the man’s eyes that left Tony unsettled. His face was currently covered with dirt and scratches, kicked up by the battle beforehand.

The people who had tortured Scarlett didn’t seem to be the monsters he had suspected they would be.

There was something very big missing from the picture in front of him.

Leaning back in the second chair he’d been given after the first had collapsed beneath the weight of his suit, Tony made sure that Jarvis had a clear shot of the man in front of him just in case things went sour. The armed guards walked away hesitantly each staring at Tony suspiciously, leaving them alone and without guards of any kind. On the steel table in front of him, the man placed down his gun and pushed it toward Tony never taking his eyes off of American.

“Unarmed, as promised.” He bowed his head respectfully before taking a seat cross the table from Tony, his scarred and callused palms held up in front of him. “I hope you will take my word on the matter.” Tony grabbed the gun in front of him, pulled out the clip of ammunition and then crushed the barrel of the gun afterward just in case.

“You will understand if I stay on my guard. I’m outnumbered here and you’ve given me no reasons to trust you. Sorry but your word doesn’t mean jack shit.” Tony leaned against the table, having tested the strength of it earlier.

“Oh, Mr. Stark you are not outnumbered here. We are untrained in comparison to the Iron Man weapon. We are amateurs.” A strained smile crossed the ringleader’s lips but there was more stress behind it than anything.

“Suit, it’s a suit, not a weapon. I have gone through great lengths to have that clarified.” It was unimportant but Tony felt the need to mention that.

“My apologies.” He offered a bow of his head before holding his hand to his chest. The ringleader was making a point to keep his hands visible at all times to appear like less of a threat. “We were not prepared for an attack from such a formidable opponent.”

“But you were prepared for an attack from someone.”

“We are always prepared.” For the first time Tony could read guilt on the man’s face. The rumors of the group being filled with thugs and gangsters were true, he could tell by that simple movement. But as Tony has learned not all thugs were heartless monsters that preyed on weakness, particularly in that part of the world. Sometimes there were no other options for people like the men around him but to become monsters.

But still Tony wondered about them. There were so many decent people in the nearby village that had been responsible for saving Scarlett's life. Or maybe Tony had only seen what he wanted to see. He was particularly good at ignoring the darker fringe of things, especially when it came to Scarlett.

Was that true? Ever since she'd confessed the truth to him about her motives he'd been bathed in the dark shadow of her past. Maybe he wasn't as hopeful as he was leading himself to believe. After all, he was in Afghanistan digging up the past she’d tried to bury far out of his reach.

"You promised me answers." Tony didn't want to know about their history or personal lives. He didn't want to humanize them any more than he already had. All he really desired were answers and he would have them whether they were heroes, villains, or somewhere in between like him.

“That I did, Mr. Stark. I am Barakat.” He bowed his head respectfully again and then turned his gaze toward the door. Outside of it Tony could see men cleaning up the terrific mess that Tony had created. Had they deserved the chaos he’d created? They had attacked him first to be fair.

"The woman who was here earlier this year… Did you hold her captive? Are you responsible for what was done to her?" Tony remained stoic. These men were not to see that he was questioning their motives and his all at once. He wanted the fear he'd instilled in them to remain. That was often a problem for Tony. He was far too likable, even when he was being the world's most colossal ass hat. Something about his attitude and demeanor made him attractive to others. It had been his saving grace for many years. But today he hoped it wouldn’t get the best of him.

Barakat turned his head down in shame and Tony had his answer before he spoke. But he wasn't going to be the one to break the silence between them. He wanted them to admit what they did and he wanted answers. Body language wasn’t enough. Tony needed to hear the truth. He needed to see Barakat’s eyes as he admitted to doing terrible things to a woman Tony couldn’t imagine hurting.

"There was a woman, yes. She was a pretty girl when I found her." His brown eyes flitted back toward Tony and then to the table once more. Eye contact was often hard for people ashamed or lying.

"And?"

"We held her here for a length of time." Barakat didn't seem to want to tell Tony the whole truth and considering how unsavory the truth seemed Tony couldn't blame him. The more he skated around the truth, the more Tony wanted to break his nose and scream nasty things at him.

"If you don't give me answers you're going to have to deal with far worse than your conscience." Tony finally threatened when Barakat offered no further information, his lip curling and twitching in irritation.

"Yes, we held a woman here and we caused her great harm." Tony gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw, turning his gaze away. Even though he'd known the truth before he'd heard it from the ringleader's lips he was filled with the same anger that had caused him to lash out at the doctor earlier that day. "Please, let me explain!" Barakat sensed the tension radiating off of the armored billionaire and held his hands up again, eyes wide with fear and caution. Tony hadn't realized that his hands were clutching onto the edge of the table and effectively crushing it beneath the suit.

"I'm listening," Tony exhaled, having apparently also been holding his breath. He released the table from his grip and tried to relax in his chair. Unfortunately, his mind wasn’t willing to give in to any attempts made to ease the tension and his neck began to ache.

"I was approached within shadow by a man."

"Yeah, trustworthy I'm sure. Do you always take candy from every stranger who offers it?" Why had Tony assumed these men were benevolent just by having seen kindness in their eyes? They were the worst kinds of monsters; men who could commit atrocities and then go back to living their lives like nothing had been done.

"When you live your life in this desert, Mr. Stark, you trust no one particularly men unwilling to show their faces. But you must understand living in shadow. Not all of us have the strength to stand in the spotlight while others take aim." Was that really what other people thought Tony did? Not a chance; he just liked the attention. Besides, he looked damn good in the spotlight.

"It's not strength. If you have nothing to hide then there’s no need for shadows is there? Don't throw excuses at me, Barakat. There are none you could come up with that would make me sympathize with you. Not after what you've done to her and to people before her. I've spoken with the villagers and I've seen the results of your so-called tactics so you will not get any pity from me." Tony resolved to stick to his guns. He had to remember the big picture, even if it was a bit harder for him since he tended to act on impulse. It didn't mean he wasn't putting much thought into the things he did, but in this situation he was more inclined to let emotions guide him rather than logical thought.

"I expect none whatsoever. I just want you to understand how things operate in this part of the world."

"I think I understand plenty." Tony’s voice had such a bite to it that Barakat froze momentarily.

"There was a man who approached me and my men. He told us on multiple occasions how to better things for us and our people and had provided us with certain opportunities we would have not had available to us otherwise. He had the means to help us and we trusted him after time. When he told us there was a woman who was coming to put a stop to his help we were worried. He told us that what she was up to would... destroy what we had been working toward. We would receive no more help. We would lose every ounce of the independence we are fighting for and have gained. She would have us on our knees for the old regime without mercy! Our homes would be lost, Mr. Stark. Our families would suffer. She was just one woman so I was skeptical." Barakat seemed remorseful and though Tony knew there was nothing about the man in front of him that made him a hero, he hadn't expected remorse particularly after the speech had begun with excuses.

"What convinced you then? You don't seem like a naive man."

"Stories, of course." Barakat offered a small smile but it was still pained with regret. "The man in shadow told us of her prior careers and showed us the destruction she left in her wake. We would be easy to destroy for her. He told us how she would do it too. Electronic espionage... We have very little to take, but our secrets are what keep us alive. If she were to give our information to the wrong people we would be as good as dead."

"So you captured her and tortured her? Smart move." Tony rolled his eyes.

"I was relentless." Barakat scowled, still avoiding Tony's gaze. "Later I found out that the very same woman was responsible for the advancement of my home town. The woman I was sure would kill us all saved us. If I knew then what I know now, Mr. Stark, I would not have trusted those men in the shadows. It was a difficult decision but she only one woman and sacrificing her life for the good of many seemed worth the risk." Once it was clear Tony had nothing to say, Barakat continued.

"I feel terrible for what was done to her, we all do. I do not sleep knowing the wrongs I have committed. I don't know how she even managed to survive. To think this woman I thought would bring destruction on our heads instead became our savior and it is our fault she suffered in the first place... it is a heavy burden to carry."

"Burden? It's a burden that you made the calculated decision to torture a woman you knew absolutely nothing about? I get the thing about her reputation, I get the fear of losing your homes. I even get the sacrifice play but did you even try to speak with her?"

"She would not speak! And when she did it was like a snake's bite and only made me angry," Barakat responded. Fear lay behind his gaze, fear that Tony would lash out. But it was a well deserved fear.

He should be scared.

"Of course she wouldn't speak! You kidnapped her and tortured her! I wouldn't tell you a damn thing either if I were in her shoes!"

"We were told that she was a secret agent of sorts and that she would never speak to us. The man in shadow assured us that with time we could break her and while we may learn nothing of her, she would no longer be a threat to anyone." Barakat spoke quickly, stuttering over his words. The strong man was reduced fearful dribble upon seeing the rage in Tony’s eyes.

"Why didn't you just kill her?"

"He told us we could not! He had formidable allies. We had seen them in the past destroy others who did not cooperate. It was very rare that the man in shadow came to us without weapons we could only dream about. When I began to doubt that the woman had any value to us after that first week of keeping her in darkness he struck a deal with me. A very tempting deal."

"Must have been pretty rewarding considering what you did to her."

"How is it that you know what was done?" Barakat seemed suspicious and offensive for the first time since Tony had begun asking questions. "Why do you want to know what happened so badly?"

"I don't think you're in a position to ask that, are you?"

"You are emotionally attached to this in some way. I see it in your face. You know this woman then?"

"Continue on with your story, Barakat, or are you are going to wish that you kept your gun." Tony slammed his fist on the table, denting it in. His hands were shaking beneath the suit in anger. This man who had been the source of Scarlett's nightmares wasn't getting any further kindness from Tony. There was no excuse available that could release him from the guilt dripping from his lips.

"Okay! Calm yourself, Mr. Stark!" Barakat once again showed the fear that was instilled by formidable weaponry. These were the kind of men that could be bought at any price. These were the types of men who hurt women and children for a cause. If they thought that Tony would understand what they had done just because they had been working for the greater good they were sorely mistaken. There was no greater good. The doctor had told Tony that the townspeople didn't want help from thugs. The stories didn't add up.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You're spoon feeding me excuses you've come up with over the past months to dodge the blame. Ultimately you tortured her. You made the decision to follow along with those men and now you should pay the price. So don't tell me to calm down." Barakat hung his head in shame once more. The pity Tony had felt for any of the men around him had finally dissipated. It had been easy to get swept up in their guise once he'd seen them cower before him, but if Tony hadn't been in the Iron Man suit they would have killed him without a second thought.

These men didn't care about the people they crushed as long as they got what they wanted. What Barakat wanted right now was not to be killed by Tony Stark. He wanted an allegiance and he wouldn't get it.

A second man approached them apprehensively with steel cups filled with water. He handed the first to Barakat and then held the second out to Tony. Tony stared at the cup and then gestured at the half smashed table in front of him.

"Set it down, I have a thing…" Tony waved his hand at the man offering him kindness. Tony didn't like people handing him things, it was a pet peeve of sorts. On top of that he wasn't planning on drinking anything these men gave him. He wouldn't put it past them to try and poison him to even the playing field a little bit. Tony was far from gullible. Barakat seemed lost in his own mind, contemplating what he'd been told. Tony wondered what would change now. Would he see the true colors behind the mask of benevolence and admiration he’d been shown?

"You were right." Barakat spoke up after moments spent in silence while he considered Tony's words. "It is no one's fault but ours. I made the decision to hurt her. I made the decision to hurt her worse as time went on. It became a sick game." When he looked back at Tony his eyes were cold and shining with tears Tony was sure wouldn't be shed. "After we had taken her when we watched her breaking into the computers... I was unsure what to do with her."

Tony stiffened up, repeating over and over in the back of his mind not to lash out as he heard more of the story. He would never get the answers he sought if he kept interrupting.

"The man in shadow returned to us and I asked what to do. Should I kill her? That seemed obvious. Her death would keep us safe. He told me no, that she was still of some use. I asked what for and he said it would be none of my business. If I did as he asked I would be handsomely rewarded and my people would not suffer. They would pay for everything we ever dreamt of. But I had to keep her alive. They offered me a handsome sum up front."

"Then why cause her so much pain, hmm?"

"There are two answers to this." Barakat leaned against the table taking a drink of the water he had been given. "The first being that the man in shadow had told us we would not receive the rest of our payment until she was broken."

"Broken?" Tony felt a chill race down his spine. What exactly did that mean, broken?

"Her spirit needed to be driven out. I do not know what he or his allies wanted her for, but they wanted her so weak and frail that she would do anything for anyone who would help her." Barakat was nervous, leaning back in his chair.

"You said there was a second part of your answer."

"I told you, it became a game. She was stubborn, more so than any woman or man I have known. She broke my arm after I shot her. I have never seen that kind of determination in anyone before. The threat of pain did nothing! She would not cry! She would not beg for anything not even death. She would try to escape and I would see how I could make it harder for her. She only stayed alive because we let her. If the man in shadow hadn't instructed she be kept alive then... she would've died after the first two weeks. We would give her just enough strength to live. Despite it all she never broke. The first man was angry. Every time he visited he grew angrier that she would not break."

Tony wanted to tell Scarlett how proud he was that she had never given up or given in when it would've been much easier for her to do so and stop her torture, but he also wanted to cause great harm to the man sitting across the table from him, not to mention this man in shadow. Tony had a sinking feeling about those who had manipulated Barakat and his men into doing what they had done.

Tony came to a terrible realization. What else had Scarlett suffered at the hands of these thugs? If they wanted to break her, what lengths had they gone to? Tony felt sick and suddenly desperately needed the water on the table in front of him. He guzzled the whole glass before he'd considered once again that it had been drugged. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be causing him any problems.

"What else did you do? To break her?"

"What do you mean? Torture is not enough?"

"Torturing men is different than torturing women." The implications in Tony’s voice were clear and he wasn’t sure he could spell it out further without getting sick.

"No, no... no." Barakat held up his hands defensively and leaned against the table, staring at Tony pleadingly. "I am a monster, Mr. Stark but I am not that kind of monster. I was told that I could go to any lengths and any means to break her spirit but there are some things I refuse to do. I have daughters. I have seen what happens to women thanks to men who are worse than I am. Me and my men, we are not good people I will admit that but... I am not that either." Tony sighed with relief, but had the sinking feeling in the back of his mind that he wasn't sure if this was true or not. It scared him, but how exactly would he ever know the real truth? Would Scarlett someday tell him what happened? And even then would she ever actually tell him what had been done to her specifically? When it came down to it, did Tony really want to know?

"You must have been pretty upset when she got away." Tony needed to desperately change the subject before he acted on the conflicting emotions building up inside of him.

"I was torn." Barakat scowled. "On one hand she won the game and I almost wanted to congratulate her. If circumstances had been different I think she and I would've gotten along very well."

"Oh, you would've hated her." Tony sighed and shook his head. "What else though? You said torn. So what's on the other hand?"

"A second man came to us. He was not afraid of us seeing his face. Older, thick accent... He was angry she was gone but I couldn't find her no matter how I searched. The hospital said they had not seen her and none of the villagers were talking. She had to have left the country as quickly as she could. I tried to tell this man that she would not survive what I had done to her! There was no reason he should be so threatened by just one frail broken woman. He said she was not broken, that I failed. And if I did not retrieve her I would not get my payment and we would not be saved."

"Sounds like you were being played."

"I did not realize that until it was too late." Barakat moistened his lips, the nerves fading but the guilt still apparent on his face. He was spent. "I asked about the first man who had wanted her broken and he said that was never an order. They wanted her and nothing more. She was an asset to their company I was told and I would regret losing her. I had two weeks to find her."

"But you never did."

"She disappeared without a trace. I have never heard of her since. The hospital in the village eventually confessed to helping her when they drove us out. I didn't care that they had, I was not angry. I found out then that she was donating money. She was responsible for the help we had received. She was the reason my daughter could give birth and her child could be saved. The cord had been wrapped around the child's neck... we would not have had the surgical means available before her help."

"Yeah, she's a regular saint until you meet her." Tony smirked momentarily before he returned to his stoic expression. "The second man, you said he had an accent..."

"Russian. Very strong and scary man, much scarier than the first. Somehow those who are not afraid of being seen are much more threatening than those who use shadows to their aid."

"And what happened when they realized you weren't getting her back?"

"I never heard from him again. I never received payment for what I did to your friend. But two weeks after he left for the last time things here changed. Men we didn't recognize showed up asking strange questions. People became sick. We discovered one of them putting something in our water supply." Tony froze. If that wasn't MedCo he didn't know who the hell is could be. It stunk of MedCo. After what he learned from Scarlett about the biological tests that were being performed in the town outside of Milan, he couldn't think of who else it would've been. But what did they want with Scarlett back then? Had they been putting this into the works from the very beginning? Tony's head was spinning with the rush of thoughts and speculation.

"They double crossed you."

"Yes. But we found out their plot and we drove them away. They would not experiment on us. We would not let them! Let them bother someone else in some other place, but here we would not be guinea pigs."

"And that worked?"

"These men, Mr. Stark, they don't want to be noticed. Resistance causes problems and if you resist just a little, they move on to find others too stupid and scared to escape." Barakat leaned forward on the table. "I know because I too have exploited these kinds of people over the years."

"So if the people of your town drove you out after that what is it you're doing out here with all these weapons?"

"When we discovered what your friend had done for our people despite the terror we had inflicted upon her we were confused. I have all this strength and power but for what? This woman who had nothing... I took it all from her, Mr. Stark... she did more for our people in that short time than I have done for them in years. The people of my home no longer need my help or anyone's thanks to her. So we have instead refocused our efforts."

"To what?"

"Stopping those men. Once we drove them out we heard stories of people dying over the mountains. Those people never stood a chance and I know I earlier spoke and told you I didn't care but that was what I felt then. Time changed me. Your friend changed me even though she does not know that."

"I wouldn't recommend ever trying to tell her that. I wouldn't expect her to be very forgiving."

"I wouldn't either, not after what I did." Barakat nodded. He seemed defeated and exhausted after telling his story. Tony wondered how it felt to have it off of his conscience. "I know there is no redemption for what I did Mr. Stark but every night I pray that there might be some way I can make up for the errors committed over the years. I may not be a good man, in fact I am a terrible man, but I know that now. If faced with the same situation today I would refuse profusely and offer her aid."

"You can't erase the past." Tony whispered under his breath. Is that why Scarlett was fighting so hard to right her wrongs? She couldn't change the past but she had to learn to live with it. And maybe she wouldn't be able to live with it until the chapter with MedCo had closed. That was how he'd felt about resolving what had happened within Stark Industries. No one had understood why he couldn't move on with his life and refocus on recovering from what had happened to him.

He couldn't learn to cope until he'd figured out why so many terrible men had his weapons. Maybe Scarlett couldn't recover until she'd unraveled the tangled thread that had become MedCo's involvement in her life. He was guessing that she had no idea that their web had spun this far back into her history. What would it do to her when she found out?

"You are right, but I can do more with the time I have now. I will never be that man again and I can never make up for the terrible things I have done. But I can definitely keep anyone else from making the same mistakes after me. These men I shaped into killers and thugs, they knew nothing else. But now they know they can do more and for that I am proud. They know my history, some even helped me along the years to do dreadful things. But now we work to stop those men from hurting people and it is far more rewarding than anything we had done in the past. Mr. Stark I know that you are angry. I can see it in your face. I have not seen you angry in any of the magazines or television specials. But all I can say is I’m sorry."

"Yeah, well it's not every day I'm face to face with a bunch of guys who tortured someone important to me." Tony hated the way the word torture rolled off of his tongue. It felt wrong. Yeah, he'd been tortured while he was held prisoner too but it had been different. He'd known why those men wanted him even if he hadn't discovered the truth behind his kidnapping until much later. But Scarlett clearly had no idea why she'd been held and she had fought much harder to get away than Tony had. She hadn't been afforded the materials and opportunities Tony had been given.

"All I can do is offer my condolences." Barakat repeated, obviously hoping for an ounce of redemption from Tony.

"Yeah, it is all you can do and to be honest it doesn't mean much." Tony got up from where he sat and exhaled deeply. Talking to the men who were behind what had been done to Scarlett hadn't at all offered him the relief he'd been seeking.

"Would you tell her that for me? Tell her I am sorry."

"I don't know if I can." Tony shook his head negatively. Somehow he didn't think apologies would mean much to Scarlett, not about this. He was going to have a hard enough time figuring out how to tell her that he'd broken her trust, snooped into her private accounts and then delved into an area of her history that she hadn't yet been ready to share, nonetheless telling her that he'd met with the men who had caused her terrible pain and they wanted to apologize. "Thank you for your cooperation." He started walking toward the open doors and back into the sunlight. There was still more to be done. Who wanted Scarlett to be broken? Why had the man in shadow disappeared? Tony had a very distinct feeling that he knew who the man in shadow was, but was once again afraid to find out the truth.

"Mr. Stark! Before you go I have one more question." Barakat ran to catch up with Tony who stopped and looked at him over his shoulder. "Is she alright?"

"She overcame everything you put her through. If she didn't have nightmares every night I would've never known she'd been through this." Tony spoke curtly and honestly. Barakat seemed to realize something in that moment, recognition passing through his eyes. Tony had revealed his relationship with Scarlett unknowingly in his last few words.

"I am glad she is okay. I am sorry for the nightmares."

"So am I." Tony stopped and turned around to face the apologetic man. He seemed eager to change, so why couldn't Tony offer him an opportunity to assist?

"I know I said one last thing, but I have more. I know it's not much but I have money that was given to me as a down payment for the things I did to that woman."

"Oh?" Tony perked up. It was a lead, better than nothing.

"I couldn't bring myself to spend it. I kept it as a reminder to what I had done and how much the life of another human being was once worth to me. Now that I have met you I do not need it anymore. If it will be of some use to you in your pursuit of justice, then I will be happy to give it to you." Barakat turned around and spoke in his native language to the man who had given him water. The man ran off to presumably obtain the funds that had been given to them as payment for Scarlett's torture.

"It could be of some help, yes." Tony nodded, partially grateful for the assistance and partially still too angry to form proper words. He walked back toward Barakat and stood threateningly over him. "I know of something you could do to help make amends for your misdeeds. It’s not enough but it’s a start."

"Do you? I..." Barakat seemed surprised but eager to help in any way that he possibly could. "What is it? I will do anything."

"She's in trouble. These same men didn’t give up as easily as you did. I might need your help if push comes to shove. If you help me, it won't make up for what you did but it's a better start than what you've got." Tony swallowed the large lump in the back of his throat. Maybe learning the truth hadn't been the best course of action on his part, but at least it had given him some information. Unfortunately the reality of what he'd learned had been just as horrific as the torture he'd been imagining in the far reaches of his mind.

Now he was going to have nightmares.

"Anything, Mr. Stark. You give us a call and just tell us what to do and how. We will help, no questions asked." Barakat placed a hand over his heart and offered the first genuine smile that Tony had seen from anyone in the desert warehouse.

"I'll be in touch." Tony took the stack of cash wrapped in paper that had been handed to him and walked out the front door. Once the helmet flipped down over his vision he urged the Mark VII into the air and away from the warehouse. He saw the messages in the corner of his screen from Scarlett talking to Jarvis and was flooded with relief. At least she was doing okay and didn’t seem to be angry with him. In fact, she was joking with his computer. He had the urge to talk to her, to hold her and tell her what he'd found out but something in his gut urged him against it.

Talking to Scarlett right now would be destructive. She would be angry when she found out what he'd done and he couldn't handle that after what he’d discovered. Eventually he would have to confess what he'd done and what he'd learned but there would be a better time and place for it. When he knew the whole story, or as much of it as he could uncover, he would tell her every detail. But right now, Tony had to follow the money in his hand and see if he could trace back to its origin. If the man in the shadows was the man he suspected it was, then Tony would make sure there was hell to pay.

Scott wasn't going to get off so easily if he was pulling the strings behind Scarlett and MedCo.