Hollow Scars

The charred and haunted looking remains of the former MedCo facility stood silent in the setting sun of the desert. There was no chirping of birds or skittering of animals or insects hurrying across the sand to avoid the strange woman walking cautiously toward the wreckage. Gun with silencer equipped in one hand and flashlight in the other, Scarlett stopped before she reached the damaged walls of the building and scanned the area for any signs of life. There were none, not even the normal signs she would’ve expected as a signal that nature was taking the land back for its own.

It seemed like what had transpired there was something nature wanted nothing to do with or wasn’t ready to forgive. Maybe it had been the characteristics of the chemical explosion that drove the wildlife away. Or maybe it was the same thing that kept people away: superstition. After the reported accident that had taken place at the old MedCo building it seemed that people were afraid that bad things would happen to them if they returned. Rumors had spread across the desert about what had really happened despite attempts by the nefarious corporation to relay a cover story.

There was the distinct possibility that nasty things had happened to those who had been curious enough to come by the site to try and loot anything of worth from the building, but Scarlett didn’t think it was necessary to look into these incidents quite yet. If there were any stories left to tell in that disaster zone, Scarlett would find them hidden within the walls on her own. If chemical exposure became a problem she would soon be aware of that as well. Once she was sure there were no other signs of life within the area, Scarlett stepped quietly through the sand toward what had once been the front entrance of the building but was now caved in and half destroyed.

Goose bumps broke out along her arms and Scarlett shivered to try and ward them off, sending a chill down her spine in the process. The facility seemed less threatening now that she wasn’t trapped in it but something about it still gave her the creeps. Surveying the damage to the entryway, Scarlett decided she’d have to find another way in. There were support beams from the floor above lying on their side blocking the entrance but the floor it had been holding up hadn’t yet collapsed. One wrong move while making her way through the rubble and Scarlett could bring the whole floor down on top of her.

Being crushed under the weight of the building didn’t sound very appealing to Scarlett, so she slowly walked toward the north side of the building to see if she could find a place to crawl inside where she could do so without disturbing the precarious wreckage. An eerie calm surrounded the building and it upset her nerves. Scarlett wasn’t sure if it was because the place was actually eerie like a scene from a horror movie or if it was because she’d been held captive there and as she walked memories of her captivity came flooding back.

She decided it was the horror movie atmosphere that was playing games with her mind making her uneasy and instead focused on the memories being stirred up. Half of them were actually fond memories. While she hadn’t liked being in captivity and had been worried for her life and for Scott’s, she’d had a few riveting adventures in that building. Sergei had been one of her fondest memories of the place. He reminded her that the men who worked for companies like MedCo weren’t always out to do harm. They were just like her: hired hands that needed to make money. Something had likely gone wrong in their lives that had led them to that point. Just because Sergei worked for MedCo didn’t mean he was a monster. It made him human. And after having gotten to know him, she’d reconsidered how to deal with men like him.

Scarlett stopped to consider what had gone wrong in her life that had led her to work for companies like MedCo but couldn’t think of much specifically. Everything she’d done had been of her own making. Her moral compass apparently was surrounded by magnets and had led her astray. But what about now? Had those magnets dislodged and finally led her to the right path? What if it was only a temporary change? Scarlett realized she had the possibility of great evil within her and it frightened her. She guessed as long as it continued to frighten her, things would be alright. When it stopped scaring her is when the problem would arise.

Stopping at the far end of the north side of the building, Scarlett found the wall caved in near the loading dock. The area was near where the explosion that had nearly destroyed her leg had occurred. Unconsciously, she brushed her fingers over her right leg to touch where the scarring still was. It would take awhile to heal completely but she’d never forget the horrible pain the wound had caused her for weeks.

Flipping on the flash light and placing her gun back in the holster underneath her leather jacket, Scarlett focused more on keeping sure footing in the collapsed building rather than on warding off evil doers. While stress was wearing down her nerves and her strength, her reflexes were still on the money so if anyone snuck up on her, she was confident in her abilities to take them down. Climbing through the gap in the rubble, Scarlett snuck through to a dark hallway, shining the flashlight back and forth in front of her feet to check her footing and prevent any accidents.

Once further into the loading dock which had been nearly completely caved in thanks to Iron Man and the battle he’d gone through with the folks from MedCo, Scarlett considered which way to head. Maybe she’d find some clues in the room where she’d met with Mikhail, Erick and Marcia when they had made her aware of her new terms. She was making it a point to repeat those three names to herself everyday so she would never forget them, at least not until she’d repaid them for every bit of wrong doing. Scarlett would make them regret holding her captive. Even with Erick dead, she felt the need to remember his name.

Since she was close to the secret room where she had once guessed Scott had been held prisoner, she decided it would be best to investigate that room first rather than the one where she had been initially made aware that she was no longer free to leave the premises. The loading dock was in such disarray it took Scarlett quite some time crawling over mangled concrete pillars and destroyed eighteen wheelers that had once carried cargo in and out of the building in order for her to get to the opposite end of the room to where the hidden door had once led her to a series of laboratories. She regretted not taking more interest in those rooms while she’d had the chance.

The storage closet that had disguised the secret door was in dire straits to say the least. Shelves and boxes crowded the floor to a point where it took Scarlett an immense amount of force to shove the door open at all. She climbed over boxes and shoved overturned shelves back into their upright positions until she could make a path to the door. Finally, at the other end of the room and out of breath, Scarlett made a mental note to start working out everyday again when she first woke up. Staying with Tony in Malibu had weakened the muscles that had already been deteriorated due to lack of nutrition and rest while she was held captive by MedCo.

Leaning against the door she closed her eyes to visualize the hallway where she’d gotten her ass kicked when she’d first attempted escape. It’d taken a number of men to bring her down and the memory of that pleased her. If she could do it then, while so weak from hunger and fatigue, she could do it now. Plus, with any luck, there would be no security agents on the other side this time, hunting her and aiming their stun guns at her.

After regaining her breath, Scarlett forced the door open after giving it a few hearty pushes, since the frame of the door had been damaged on the other side and had jammed it shut. Thankfully Scarlett was able to find leverage amongst the damaged storage closet so she could shove the door open. Her hands dropped to her sides after she managed to open the door.

The explosion that had initially knocked her back when she’d been attempting to find Scott during her escape from the facility had apparently destroyed the entire wing of the building that had once been hidden. Slowly walking through the door into the remains of the hallway she got the shivers down her spine. That wasn’t right. It hadn’t looked that way when she’d gotten up with her ears ringing.

When the explosion had nearly killed her, the building had been partially destroyed but she distinctly recalled having to crawl through a gaping hole in the wall in order to get out into the desert. Now the walls were completely gone, the roof non-existent. All that remained of the series of laboratories were some support beams and the occasional frame of a doorway or piece of furniture that hadn’t been entirely obliterated.

Scarlett turned in place, glancing once more at her surroundings. There had to have been a second explosion that had rocked that area of the facility. If she had been in that hallway when that sort of damage had been done she would’ve been killed on the spot. But she’d managed to escape with nothing but a bump to the head and chemical exposure seeping into a wound caused by shrapnel from the explosion.

Whatever MedCo had hidden in the laboratories there must have been sensitive enough for them to come back and destroy what remained. The still calm of the evening air in South Africa renewed the eerie feeling that had overwhelmed her upon first arriving on the scene. Slipping her phone out of the small bag she carried on her back, Scarlett scanned the area with her camera so she would have it to look upon later for reference just as she had done with the files she’d stolen from the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

The uneasy feeling wouldn’t leave her be so instead of lingering Scarlett crawled back through the doorway into the storage area and made her way through to the other end of the loading dock. What had MedCo been hiding in those laboratories that was so important that they would come back and destroy any signs of it? Something told her that if she hung around for too long something terrible would happen to her. Maybe the air was toxic from the same chemicals that had maimed her leg or maybe there was something far worse awaiting her there.

When she’d been held captive she’d only suspected that they were holding people captive there to use for leverage to get what they wanted. But now Scarlett’s suspicions were far more devious. Maybe they were holding people captive in that area of the building, but perhaps they weren’t being used for leverage as Scott had been. Perhaps they were being used for far worse than blackmail. The implications were staggering and disgusting, but Scarlett knew she had to take it into consideration.

She had to do everything she could to avoid capture by MedCo. Initially she had decided it wouldn’t be so bad to be taken again so she could bring down the corporation from the inside. But if MedCo was capable of biological atrocities like she was guessing were part of the Alpha and Omega project then she didn’t want to risk becoming a part of that. Hurrying as far away from the ruined corridor as she could, Scarlett left the loading dock and walked through the half destroyed hallway.

She recalled the path that had taken her from the room she’d met with her captors in from her dungeon down below. Of course, they had tried to keep her in the dark about locations so she wouldn’t manage escape so easily, but they had severely underestimated her abilities at the time. Scarlett had always been good about thinking on her feet. It was long term planning that was her fatal flaw. She employed the policy that she’d deal with things when she got to that point but sometimes it blew up in her face.

Right now, things seemed to be going alright, besides the fact that Scarlett had found no files or information that would lead her to where MedCo had set up shop after the facility had been destroyed. The S.H.I.E.L.D. files hadn’t offered her any locations other than ones that had already been shut down. It seemed that even the security workers were led to their jobs in secret so they would be unable to leak any information if they felt so inclined to turn traitor.

Once in the office where she’d been told to build MedCo battle drones and where she’d been told Tony Stark had been behind her enslavement, Scarlett felt disappointment in the pit of her stomach. Even the television screen that had once reflected Scott’s bound and gagged image to her was gone. MedCo had done an excellent job of cleaning up after themselves. Kicking at the rubble on the floor in frustration, Scarlett cursed under her breath but continued to search the room even though it was void of any furniture.

Just as she was about to turn back to the hallway to go search her old cell underground, if it was still intact, she stopped short when something caught her eye. The light of the fading day had shimmered off of something on the floor in the far corner. Walking curiously over to it, Scarlett moved her flashlight beam across the floor until it shimmered again.

Leaning down, Scarlett carefully wiped a gloved hand over the glittering item on the floor and then revealed a half mangled old bronze key. It seemed peculiar and out of place, like someone had dropped it long after the explosion. Deciding she would keep the key and see if she could find the maker and what it unlocked, Scarlett placed it in a plastic baggy and then put it in her bag. After she’d gotten off the plane she’d gotten changed into black pants, boots, a black leather jacket over a black tank top and some black leather gloves. As much as she didn’t like to wear pants after what had happened to her leg while working with Tony to recreate his new element for his energy project she had decided that climbing through the rubble would likely cause her injury if not protected and the risk would be worth taking.

After she was sure the key was in her bag and hidden, Scarlett left what had once been an office and started down the familiar path to the stairwell where she hoped she could find a way down to the room that she’d been held captive in for weeks. Unfortunately upon reaching the stairwell, Scarlett discovered it was caved in and too dangerous to go down. She’d have to find another way to get to the floor below.

Continuing down the hallway, Scarlett searched for some of the more damaged areas of the building. In order to aid in her escape from the facility after she’d been held captive she’d set off a terrible explosion in the room she’d been held in, so it was likely that if anything remained of that area in general, then there would be a collapsed floor she could crawl through nearby. Sure enough, when she got closer to the rooms that had once been above her prison, they were nowhere to be seen. Half of them had only the frames of the room remaining while their floors had been either blown out of the building or had sunken to the floor below.

Pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail and out of her way, Scarlett pulled some rope out of her bag and found a sturdy support beam that hadn’t been compromised in the hallway. Then she lowered the rope to the ground below and descended into the sinister darkness of what had once been the lower levels of the MedCo facility.

“Why do I feel like Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are going to appear at any second and erase my memory?” Scarlett whispered beneath her breath, hoping to alleviate the stress with some humor. Pointing her flashlight in front of her Scarlett started through the room and what remained of the hallway of the basement. If she could find the remains of her old workspace, maybe she’d find something of note. If nothing else, maybe she could find some closure.

Something tumbled behind her, rolling to the ground and making a clatter of noise that left Scarlett feeling unsettled. Turning quickly, she flashed her light in the direction of the sound but found nothing but misplaced rubble. Apparently when she’d descended into the basement she’d disrupted the delicate balance of decay and had caused it to shift overhead. The remaining framework groaned threateningly but then quieted after a few moments where Scarlett held her breath to listen and decide whether or not she needed to run for her life.

Once the rubble had settled Scarlett exhaled deeply and lowered her light then hung her head back before rolling her shoulders to ease the tension in her muscles.

“I take it back, it’s far more likely to run into Albert Wesker.” Shaking the uneasy feeling from her system, Scarlett turned around and walked through the remains of the hallway. The damage was far more severe in the basement than it had been on the floor above. While there was still an easy enough path for her to follow through the debris, each time she tried to move something out of her way to give herself the proper space to crawl through, the building groaned to remind her that it could cave in at any moment.

“Just a little further…” Scarlett whispered but was then surprised when she reached the familiar door of what had once been her private laboratory and had doubled as her prison. The door was completely intact. In fact, it looked new. Her heart sunk. When she’d escaped, the place had to have been decimated. The explosion had certainly gone off and had destroyed the area around it, so why was the one room that should’ve been ruined in perfect condition?

Pinching her arm to make sure it wasn’t another terrible nightmare, Scarlett twitched from the annoying pain but was convinced what she was experiencing was reality. Again, she picked up her phone and took pictures of what should’ve been destroyed. Each picture was sent off to the server she’d set up before she’d come on her trip.

Pulling her gun out of the holster underneath her jacket, Scarlett made sure it was cocked, ready, and the safety was off before opening the door. If she hadn’t had a sure grip on her gun she would’ve dropped it upon seeing what was inside.

The laboratory was just as she remembered it. The tables at the far end were intact; even the computer was still functioning on some kind of battery backup. Boxes emblazoned with the Stark Industries logo lined the wall, filled with the same supplies she’d used to build the robots that had caused her such trauma. Holding her gun still, she searched the ground for blood stains that should’ve been left over from her own wound and from the man that she had killed in her escape attempts but there were no signs that a struggle had ever taken place.

Someone had taken the time and energy to rebuild the room she’d been held in. Turning to examine the room Scarlett stopped short and this time lowered her weapon when she saw what hung on the wall near the door. The wall was papered from head to toe with the blueprints of the robots she’d created and had subsequently burned before her escape. Quickly raising the weapon she’d nearly dropped with shaking hands, Scarlett backed up so she could take a better look at the wall. Her stomach was aching in objection and her head was swimming.

Hesitantly, she took out her phone and photographed the new set up. Every inch of it she would record until she could recreate the entire room with just photographs. The computer looked suspicious when she tried to turn it on and she got the distinct feeling that it contained something that would cause her harm so she left it alone.

Resisting the urge to vomit, Scarlett instead holstered her weapon and started to rip the blueprints off the wall one by one and tore them up in anger. She yelled loudly and started to push over boxes and throw supplies across the room in frustration. Stopping short in her anger she saw something beneath the blueprints on the wall that caught her attention and was able to swallow her irritation long enough to allow her curiosity to get the better of her.

Returning to the blueprints she started to pull them off the wall, tossing them behind her until the message hidden beneath them had been revealed.

You’re Not as Smart as You Think You Are

Feeling the corner of her mouth twitch in annoyance Scarlett turned, gun in hand again and shot at the screen of the computer until her clip had been emptied. She watched it spark and crackle then eventually dim and die. Glass bits of the screen flew across the room but caused Scarlett no harm. Once the room was silent after the computer screen died, Scarlett put away the gun and placed her hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. She had to get it together. There was too much still to be done.

MedCo may have had the upper hand but Scarlett had more resources than they thought she did. Even if she was miles behind them she’d find a way to catch up. Her resilience and determination would help her through the process of finding her captors and wiping them off the face of the planet. Any guilt she’d started to feel for possibly having to take their lives faded with their taunt. They’d realized she was playing their game and she knew that the real danger was just beginning.

Once her hands had stopped shaking from the anger she felt Scarlett took pictures of what remained of the computer and the message that had been left to taunt her on the wall. She didn’t bother with the hard drive on the computer. Whatever information was being kept on there was likely to be falsified or designed to taunt her further and wouldn’t be worth her effort. Plus she had the distinct impression that it was designed to blow up if she tampered with any of the hardware. It had been dangerous enough for her to shoot at the monitor. She’d gotten lucky that her anger hadn’t cost her more than she had to give.

Later she’d called the authorities and make them aware that there was explosive materials within the damaged site and hopefully they’d be able to demolish what was left of the building so that no one else would get hurt if they stumbled upon the wreckage and accidentally triggered whatever mechanism had been to punish Scarlett.

Deciding she’d had enough of the taunts MedCo had left for her and she wasn’t going to get anything else out of investigating the wreckage Scarlett started out of the room and back through the precariously balanced hallway. She had a much easier time navigating the destroyed corridor on her way out than she had on her way in. Maybe it was because she was so angry she didn’t care what she disturbed and managed to ignore the eerie sounds echoing through the building or maybe it was because she had managed to make a path through the wreckage on her initial way through, but she was able to get out relatively quickly.

By the time she climbed back up the rope that she’d tied to the first floor, the sun had set and the air had cooled down considerably from the heat of the day. Scarlett untied the rope she’d used, wrapped it back up and then put it in her bag for later use. At the end of the hall, Scarlett found a half demolished room with a few tables that were easy enough to clear off and a chair that hadn’t been completely mangled.

Setting down her bag she started to go over the photographs that she’d taken throughout the building. She stopped again on the key. It didn’t look like it unlocked anything from the MedCo building. In fact, the style wasn’t similar to anything she’d seen before. The shape and length of it was enough to remind her of a real dungeon from medieval days. When she got the chance, she’d take it to a locksmith to find out more about it.

The sounds of something shuffling behind her brought her out of her thoughts. Quickly she turned around and aimed her weapon at the person who had undoubtedly made the noise. Tony stood behind her, leaning back with his arms up at his sides, eyes wide at the sight of the gun she held in her hands. He noted her hands were trembling and how disheveled she looked but was far more wary of the gun she held. It was the first time she’d ever pointed a weapon at him and it had thrown him off guard.

“Hey, hey now… this is a little too kinky, even for me.” Offering the smile that Scarlett found both charming and annoying, Tony hoped that he could put her off her guard just enough to get her to relax. But whatever had rattled Scarlett’s nerves was far more serious than he’d anticipated. Tony had gotten an alert from Jarvis after he’d left the meeting with Agent Pierce that Scarlett had boarded a flight to South Africa so Tony had arranged for his private jet to take him to a nearby private airfield. From there her movements had been predictable and he knew exactly where he’d find her.

“What are you doing here?” Scarlett whispered, even though she knew the answer, considering they’d been over that particular topic a handful of times in the last few weeks.

“Looking for you, obviously. I found a gun though. See?” Tony gestured to it then carefully placed his hand on top of the barrel and urged her to point it away from him.

“Relax.” Scarlett put the gun back in its holster and sighed heavily. “If I was going to shoot you I would’ve done it a long time ago.”

“I have absolutely no doubt of that. It’s not every day that I get a gun shoved in my face though. It was exhilarating in a bad way, I’ve got to be honest.” Tony watched her organizing her things in her bag again and then approached her cautiously. “But, you are sexy holding that gun. I feel like I should be making a Whole Nine Yards reference here but you have far too much clothes on for that.”

Scarlett glanced at him over her shoulder then shook her head.

“Nothing, huh?” Tony chuckled then walked to her side, sitting on the edge of the table once he was sure it wasn’t destroyed and would hold his weight. “So did you find anything useful?” Scarlett didn’t respond but continued to look through the photos she’d taken. Why would MedCo send her a message instead of choosing to wait for her to come back if they were so sure she’d return there looking for clues? It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to abduct her. “This place looks very dangerous.”

“You should know it is.” Scarlett didn’t look up at him this time and instead continued to go through the files on her phone.

“Yeah, I did a number on it didn’t I?” Tony smiled in remembrance, exhaling and puffing his chest out as if proud.

“It looks like someone else came and got rid of anything of note after you were finished if it makes you feel better.”

“You didn’t really expect to find anything here did you? MedCo isn’t that sloppy.”

“I figured it couldn’t hurt to look. I was right about a few things if nothing else.” Scarlett didn’t bother to elaborate on what she had been right about.

“This is where we first met, you know.” Tony considered, looking around.

“You met me here, I was unconscious and bleeding if you recall.” Scarlett stepped a bit away from him, pocketing her phone so that Tony wouldn’t catch a glimpse of what she had on it.

“I didn’t forget.” Tony’s smile faded as he watched her walk toward the doorway. Her hands were shaking and her eyes were sunken in. Something was bothering her and had been for awhile and while he could take guesses at what the true nature of it was, he couldn’t put the whole picture together without her input. “I thought you were dying when I found you. I didn’t know you then but I didn’t want you to die, either.”

“Well, I didn’t.” Scarlett turned to face him and sighed heavily.

“Scarlett, you’re not okay.” Tony folded his arms over his chest. He wasn’t very good at having serious conversations but he knew the right time for them. “You haven’t been for a long time. You need help. I can help you with this. I’m not going to make you stop chasing them.”

“I can’t keep doing this.” Scarlett shook her head. Tony was surprised to hear that and actually glanced around him like some elaborate joke was being played and someone was going to jump out and reveal he was on candid camera.

“I know you can’t.”

“No not that, this.” Scarlett gestured between them. “I asked you to stay out of this for your safety and you keep running in here like the white knight but I’m not a princess trapped in a tower. You keep getting me drunk and buying me dinner and it’s very cute and very noble of you but this is more dangerous than you think it is.”

“I’m Iron Man I think that I can handle a little danger.” Tony scoffed, puffing out his chest proudly.

“But you’re not right now! You’re Tony Stark following his heart and as sweet and confusing as that notion is for everybody, we can’t do this anymore. I can’t physically handle the stress. Go home.” Scarlett started to walk away from him. If she could leave him behind for the night then maybe she’d be able to get some real work done. She doubted he was the type of man that would just roll over and wait for her to finish her job and had begun to expect him to keep following her trail of bread crumbs but after what she’d found waiting for her underground, she was scared that MedCo would start to hunt him as well just so they could get to her.

Then again, she considered that Tony was far too important a public figure for them to take him captive and never let him go again. People would actually look for Tony if he went missing and that had been proven when he’d been taken by hostile forces in Afghanistan years ago while doing a weapons demonstration. On the other hand, Scarlett was the perfect target. She’d spent years severing ties with people from her past and keeping her identity secret so that if she went missing no one would be the wiser. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. had no idea where she was half the time and wouldn’t seem alarmed if she suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet.

The only person that would really look for her was Tony and it was possible that was going to land him in some serious trouble.

“You know, it’s funny.” Tony walked from the table he’d been seated on, following her to the doorway. “You keep saying that you can’t do this with me anymore and yet you still keep doing it. Your resolve hasn’t stopped you from giving into me.” Scarlett turned to face him again and leaned against what remained of the frame of the door to the hallway.

“I can’t help it that I like you.”

“You mean you can’t help it that you love me.” Tony corrected, leaning his hand against the wall next to where she stood.

“Did your parents not tell you that you were loved enough as a child? How many times do I have to say it before you stop asking me to keep reminding you?” Scarlett didn’t mind saying it, but she did enjoy giving Tony a hard time on the subject.

“On the contrary, mom told me she loved me all the time as a kid, dad was cold and distant but I didn’t tell him I loved him either. I have plenty of people that love me. It’s about who says it not how many times it’s said.” Tony smirked, reaching to brush his fingers over her cheek to wipe away some dirt from her skin before tilting her so she was looking up at him.

“That’s almost sweet.” Scarlett swatted his hand away and then started back into the room. Tony waited for her to turn around before plucking the hair tie away from her hair and letting her curls fall out of the pony tail. He’d done it so many times that he had it down to a science. Scarlett stopped, licked her lips and then turned to look at him skeptically. “Seriously?”

“Do you have any idea how much sexier it is like that? I keep telling you but I don’t think you’re really listening.” Tony tossed the hair tie over his shoulder and into the rubble in hopes Scarlett wouldn’t go searching for it again.

“I wasn’t going for sexy right now. I was going for not getting my hair caught on anything.” Scarlett gestured toward the destroyed building and then rested her hands on her hips in annoyance. “I’m tired Tony, go home.”

“Not without you. As far as I’m concerned I am home.” Tony shook his head and then approached her again. She wasn’t going to get away from him that easily. “What did you find in those S.H.I.E.L.D. files you stole? You nearly caused that Agent to have a nervous breakdown, you know. Something about ruining her career.”

“I’ll give them back.” Scarlett avoided the first question and only addressed the comment about Agent Pierce, batting her eyelashes.

“But what was in them?” Tony peered toward the bag she’d left on the table, wondering if the files were inside of it so he could get a look at them.

“Nothing I didn’t already know.” Scarlett lied. There wasn’t too much she had gathered from the files except for the information regarding the biological weapons MedCo had been producing and the fact that they had an agent undercover within the company’s ranks. “S.H.I.E.L.D. is much further behind than they think they are.”

“Why don’t you tell me just how far behind they are over dinner?” Tony pried, hoping to get her to relax again. Every time he caught up with her she seemed to be a bundle of nerves.

“You and I both know that when you ask me to dinner it isn’t really going to be dinner.” Scarlett picked up her bag when she saw him eyeing it and placed it over her shoulder once again.

“Do we now?” Tony stepped closer and picked up her hand, relieved that she let him and didn’t make attempts to pull away. “What is it we do then when we go into a restaurant and order food? I thought that was dinner. Have I been wrong all these years? Why hasn’t Pepper corrected me? That’s a pretty serious mistake.”

“Dinner is Stark code for scotch and sex.” Scarlett glanced down at his hand on hers warily and then back up at the man who was smiling down at her again. She cursed herself, as she had done many times in the past, for giving into Tony’s charm and allure. No matter how hard she’d tried to resist she’d fallen for him and continued to fall for him time and time again.

“Well, that’s only part of dinner with Tony Stark. You never give me the chance to really wine and dine you.” Tony pulled her close and rested a hand on her waist, pretending to twirl her around the floor in a dance, keeping her close against him. If he could distract her enough, as he had done many times before, he could at least keep her for the night and that was just what he needed. One of these days he’d be able to get her to stay with him for good, at least he hoped.

“Oh really, and what is so special about a date with you, hmm?” Scarlett placed her hand on his chest and stopped him from making her dance.

“Why don’t you give me the chance to show you?” Tony leaned to whisper in her ear. He never did anything with minimal effort. Tony Stark always put one hundred and ten percent into every little thing he did. “Dinner, dancing… I’ll take you places you can’t go without me.”

“You underestimate me, Tony.” Scarlett was mentally coaching herself so she could escape his arms but it wasn’t working very well. The simple fact was that Scarlett didn’t want to escape.

“I think you underestimate me.” Tony smirked, making sure she didn’t pull away even though she made very few attempts.

“Tony, this isn’t a good idea.” Scarlett whispered under her breath but her heart was sending her desperate signals to kiss him. “It’s dangerous here.”

“Which is why we should go to dinner. Restaurants are way less dangerous than abandoned research facilities last time I checked. Well, that depends on the restaurant I guess…” Tony reasoned. Ringing came from Scarlett’s pocket and they both glanced down toward the phone as it signaled she had an incoming call. The smile faded from Scarlett’s lips and she reached for the phone but Tony grabbed her hand to stop her. She looked up at him, ready to scold him but he interrupted her. “Don’t answer it.” She exhaled deeply and prepared to disappoint him yet again. “Scarlett, you’re more important than what’s on the other end of that call.”

Scarlett considered his proposal and actually ignoring the call but knew in reality she couldn’t do that. Tony wanted her to live a fairy tale where things were carefree and he could fix her problems. But that just wasn’t possible. What would happen if she went back with him to Malibu? The same thing that had happened the last time she was there. More blood on her hands was something that Scarlett just wasn’t willing to risk. That was what would happen if she went back to life with Tony Stark. MedCo had made it perfectly clear where they stood on the matter. The line in the sand had been drawn.

“Please?” Tony whispered, tilting her chin up to look at him again. He was desperate to get her somewhere safe. Even if she didn’t stay with him, she looked pale and shaken. Something had happened at the abandoned wreckage that she wasn’t sharing with him and all Tony really wanted to do was to make things better so they could start their lives off right. If anyone deserved a chance at real happiness it was the two of them. He’d decided that on his way after her the first time. How many times had he sabotaged relationships because he didn’t think he’d be good enough to be a part of them? Not anymore. After years of filling an emptiness he refused to admit existed with women, sex, party drugs, alcohol, money and fame, Tony had realized he’d been sabotaging any attempts to find real happiness. He guessed Scarlett had done the same, but with other vices.

Scarlett resisted, considered kissing him and then pulled away abruptly, retrieved her cell phone from her pocket and answered the phone call. Tony grunted in frustration, hung his head back and then turned around to wipe his hand over his face. When she got off the phone he was sure that they were going to end up verbally sparring as they often did before she ran off. Why couldn’t she listen to him? At the same time, Tony completely understood what she was going through and why she couldn’t give up on her quest for redemption and vengeance. He’d done the same thing but there had been no one but Pepper trying to stop him. And Pepper hadn’t done a very good job and hadn’t tried very hard to do so either. Pepper had good intentions, but was nowhere near as stubborn, nosy, and determined as Tony was.

When Tony turned around to take Scarlett’s phone and hang up on whoever had called her, Scarlett was nowhere to be found. Tony turned to look around the room once again in case she’d hidden or snuck out the doorway. He guessed that she’d jumped the wall and headed through the desert. Tony hurried to do the same but by the time he got over the wall, with nowhere near the same agility that Scarlett had likely done it with, the woman was already long gone.

Out of breath, Scarlett stopped at the first building she found, which was a rundown abandoned home that had been damaged in the battle between Iron Man and MedCo. She hid behind one of the walls in case Tony came looking for her. Leaning her head against the back of it she swallowed the guilt she felt for leaving Tony amongst the ruins and the possible danger there but knew he wouldn’t linger for very long without her. Plus, MedCo didn’t seem very interested in Tony, at least not yet. Scarlett was grateful for that if nothing else.

Pulling her phone back out and looking down at the number of the call she missed, Scarlett recognized it as one of the contacts she’d used years ago to find jobs on the underground. When she’d first started looking for MedCo again after leaving Malibu she’d called in a few favors she was owed to try and get information on the rogue company. Before she could call the number back she coughed and sat catching her breath. It felt like something was caught in her airway and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t clear it. Maybe she wasn’t just out of shape.

Vaguely considering that Tony was right and she wasn’t okay, Scarlett disregarded that idea for the time being. If it ever started hindering her progress, she would deal with it then. When she had gotten rid of MedCo she would have time to deal with whatever physical ailment was plaguing her. It very well could’ve just been from the dust that she’d kicked up at the site of the wreckage but then again, Scarlett doubted that. She’d been coughing long before she’d traveled into the desert.

Once she could breathe properly Scarlett got up and started walking as stealthily as she could through the remainders of the small town until she found civilization again. Eventually she’d find a place to get a ride to the airport so she could head on her way. She’d have to stop at her hotel room first and grab her belongings but that wouldn’t take very long. If she stayed the night in Cape Town as she had initially planned then she would likely run into Tony again and her resolve was wearing thin as she’d clearly displayed when she’d nearly given in to his wishes while he’d been holding her in his arms only moments ago.

Calling the number back, Scarlett waited until the Indian man picked up on the other line. He’d been a long time contact, she never knew his name and he never knew hers. It was an arrangement that had always worked for them. In her mind, Scarlett had always referred to him as her Deep Throat, even if that was a little Mulder and Scully of her.

“I thought something had happened to you, beautiful. It is unlike you to miss my call.” The familiar voice on the other end of the phone spoke to her. When she’d first gotten in touch with him years ago, his confidence had been threatening and nerve wrenching but now that she’d been keeping in touch with this man for years, she found his voice warm and fatherly. Scarlett stopped to consider that there was something screwed up about feeling that way about the man who had given her missions over the years that constantly put her life in danger.

“I was a little tied up.” Scarlett responded, still out of breath.

“Figuratively or literally?”

“Figuratively today, sorry to disappoint.”

“I do always look forward to your stories. Some of my most entertaining.” The Indian man clicked his tongue in amusement and then cleared his throat. “I have news for you.”

“About my favor?” Scarlett hoped, glancing both ways before hurrying across an open square of the town and closer to her hotel room.

“Yes,” He began, “though there is not much to tell you I am afraid.”

“Any little bit will help.” Scarlett found the worn looking motel she’d paid for the night and hurried to her room. She wouldn’t be in danger talking about her job here on the phone. The other sorts of folks who were staying at the filthy place were as far in over their head as Scarlett was and far less capable.

“In my search for this company I have found three different satellite signals from different places up north.”

“Do tell.”

“One is outside of Banjul.”

“In Senegal?” Scarlett cocked an eyebrow curiously. She hadn’t traveled all over Africa but had spent some time in Senegal in her youth before she’d gotten into the underground scene.

“Yes, madam.”

“Where else?” Scarlett knew she’d need more specific information but she could at least muse over the locations and what connections they had to MedCo since she didn’t have the time or the means to look at a map at the current moment. She slipped the keycard into her hotel room door and hurriedly picked up her suitcase.

“A town outside of Madrid and one outside of Istanbul.” He finished up neatly and she could hear curiosity in his voice. “That is all I could find. Are you sure this job is one you want to pursue?”

“Thank you for your help.” Scarlett ignored the question but felt confused. Why were there so many of them and why were they so far apart? Was there any method to MedCo’s madness or was that part of their genius? Either way, she was starting to grow weary of the constant traveling she had to do to get to these places.

“I have other jobs for you. You are still my most requested consultant.”

“No, thanks. I am flattered though.” Scarlett smiled as she approached the motel front desk and paid for her hotel before checking out and rejecting the refund she was offered since she hadn’t stayed for more than a few hours.

“I don’t like this job you are on now.” Her contact’s voice became more serious. “It’s like that other one I warned you about. Dangerous and shady. You recall what happened last time? I do not want to hear more stories like that.”

“Everything I do is dangerous. Besides, this job is it for me. I’m retiring.” Scarlett joked, but the man on the other line didn’t laugh. She was starting to think that no one trusted in her abilities anymore.

“I will keep looking for more information then if you insist.”

“I do appreciate your help.”

“You should considering retiring to India.” She could hear the playful tone return to his voice and felt relieved.

“You know how I feel about the desert, sorry.” Scarlett had spent most of her life in the desert doing nasty jobs for people who didn’t want to get their hands dirty. When she left, she planned on staying as far away from it as she possibly could.

“I will send you specific coordinates as soon as I can. Good luck.” He spoke seriously before hanging up. Scarlett slipped her phone in her pocket and then called the cab company she’d used to take her to the small town nearest the facility to MedCo in the first place. After she was well on her way, she would make sure that Tony was alright and then she would continue on with her job.

As she got into the back of the dirty cab that would take her to the airport, she couldn’t help but think just how much she would rather be out to dinner with Tony than getting on a plane to Dakar.