IRON RESOLVE

"F-Fuck… Tony…"

Pepper's moan was like music to his ears, even as Tony thrust into her once, twice… and then one final time before tipping over the edge. Beneath him, Pepper lay sprawled out, her body slick with sweat, the sheets beneath her thoroughly drenched. Her entire form shuddered for a brief moment before finally relaxing.

Tony smiled down at her.

"You alright, Pep?"

Pepper huffed, catching her breath.

"…Fine, Tony. But… you're still hard. I don't think I can keep going."

Tony chuckled softly, pulling out and shaking his head.

"It's alright, Pep. You don't have to push yourself."

It was true—he could keep going. But he wasn't about to push her past her limits. He wasn't going to risk hurting the beautiful redhead beneath him.

Still, he couldn't help but notice the way her gaze flicked toward Maya Hansen, who was sprawled out beside them, already fucked into unconsciousness.

They had been at this for hours.

Tony barely felt winded.

Pepper and Maya, on the other hand… they had both reached their limits.

Biting her lower lip, Pepper exhaled shakily.

"Maybe… maybe you could talk to Helen?"

Tony rolled his eyes with a laugh.

"I'm not going to proposition Dr. Cho just because I wore you two out, Pepper. I don't want to make her uncomfortable. Maya was one thing—I knew she'd be into it. Helen… well, we'll see. But I'm not some insatiable incubus just because I'm a little stronger now. Not about to pin Helen down and have my way with her."

He smirked slightly.

"Of course, if you really wanted to keep up with me…"

Tony trailed off deliberately, watching as Pepper's expression tightened slightly. He immediately raised his hands in surrender.

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to pressure you. It just… felt appropriate to bring up."

Pepper bit her lip and shook her head.

"I'm just not sure, Tony. It was one thing for you—you shouldn't have had to live with a metaphorical guillotine over your head for the rest of your life."

Tony inclined his head slightly, acknowledging her words.

The shrapnel embedded in his chest had been exactly that—a blade hanging over him, waiting to fall. Or perhaps, if one wanted to go further back, a Sword of Damocles.

And beyond that, there was the damage to his lungs. Humans weren't meant to have a massive metal housing unit embedded in their chests. Who knew?

Now, though…

Tony had never felt better. Never felt stronger.

And it wasn't just because he was a Super Soldier with a stable version of Extremis running through his veins. It was more than that.

Unfortunately, while Pepper still didn't know that the stabilizing agent he'd used for Extremis was Super Soldier Serum, she knew enough to be hesitant.

"It's just…" Pepper hesitated. "I've seen how strong you are now, Tony. I'm not sure I want to be that strong. Nor do I need to be. I understand why you're being cautious about what forms of Extremis you commercialize. If everyone was as powerful as you are…"

She trailed off, shaking her head.

Pepper was smart.

She had come to the same realization he had.

After watching Maya and Helen run test after test on him, she had seen the results firsthand.

Tony wasn't going to explode.

Probably ever.

But his strength was off the charts.

And his regeneration… well, it was almost limitless.

In hindsight, demonstrating that by cutting off one of his fingers and letting it regenerate in front of her might have been a bad call.

Maya and Helen had been fascinated.

Pepper had looked horrified.

The problem was…

Tony genuinely believed she needed to be this strong.

She thought she was safe because she had him.

And, sure, he was confident he could protect her—most of the time.

But what about the times he couldn't?

Pulling her into his embrace, Tony buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.

"…I just don't want to lose you, Pep."

She hugged him back, nestling into his arms.

For a long moment, they simply lay there in silence.

Finally, she sighed, her voice already growing drowsy.

"You won't, Tony. You don't need to worry. Everything… will be okay."

She had no idea.

For a moment, he considered telling her.

Considered explaining that no, everything would not be okay.

But Maya was right there.

And before he could make up his mind, Pepper drifted off to sleep.

Tony remained still, staring at the ceiling for a long while before finally sighing.

Carefully, he extricated himself from their clutches.

Neither of them stirred.

For a moment, he stood there, gazing down at them.

Then, he turned his attention to the ceiling.

"We ready, J?"

"Yes, Sir."

Camp Lehigh

A place of legend—though only to a select few.

This was where Steve Rogers had been recruited to become Captain America.

Where SHIELD had first been founded.

And where HYDRA had begun to fester.

Arnim Zola had been welcomed into SHIELD after the war, recruited through Operation Paperclip. They had believed him weak-willed. A useful mind. A man they could control.

They had been wrong.

Zola was a true believer.

Cut off one head, and two more would rise.

HYDRA had never died.

It had simply evolved.

But time had caught up with Zola.

In 1972, he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. But he had no intention of dying. His body was failing him, but his mind…

His mind could live on.

And so he had done the impossible.

By modern standards, his supercomputer was primitive.

Had he survived another decade, it would have been smaller.

Two decades?

Perhaps he could have lived everywhere.

Three decades?

He could have been unstoppable.

Alas, he had been born too soon.

Still, it was enough.

He had survived.

And now, deep beneath Camp Lehigh, Arnim Zola remained—watching. Calculating.

Waiting.

Security was tight.

Reaching him should have been impossible.

So when someone simply appeared in his server room without so much as a whisper of warning, he panicked.

He tried to send an alert.

Tried to trigger a failsafe.

Nothing happened.

"You in, J?"

"I am indeed, Sir. Commencing Operation Playdate."

If Zola could blink, he would have.

"Who are you? What is this?"

The armored figure turned toward one of the monitors displaying his digitized face.

Then, the helmet retracted—revealing Tony Stark.

Arnim Zola felt something close to shock.

"Anthony Stark. What a surprise. You know, I knew your father. We worked together before my death."

Stark smirked.

"Yeah. And after your death, you and yours had him killed."

Ah.

He knew.

More than expected.

Zola tried to pivot.

"I was led to believe your relationship was… acrimonious. Perhaps we did you a favor."

Stark barked out a laugh.

"Even if I hated my father enough to thank you for killing him—which I didn't—my mother was in the car with him that night."

His grin sharpened.

"And I loved her."

Zola attempted a failsafe.

Nothing.

Tried to self-destruct.

Nothing.

Tony Stark chuckled.

"What's the matter, Zola? Cat got your Nazi tongue?"

"Taking out the trash, Sir."

And with that…

Arnim Zola ceased to be.