2 First Day

Sandra made sure she was in time for her first day in the job. She was an early riser, doing her practices from four in the morning to six. But now, due to the new schedule Stark had given her together with the fact she did not have her night club bouncer job anymore, she could wake up even more early.

Normally, she would need four hours of sleep for her to be at 100%. Without her bouncer job that would start at six thirty and end at midnight, she could sleep early. She woke up at midnight and trained while wearing weights. The people she had chosen had very high potential to be great martial artists, especially Lady Shiva and Suiryu and with weights on, she could feel her strength and stamina growing. But, at exactly six in the morning, she was in Pepper's office.

"Good to see you are an early riser, good," Pepper was impressed by her work ethnic. "Tony decided to transfer you to me for your first few weeks. When he sees you have done a good job, you will be manning his security if he is not accompanied by Happy."

"Still doesn't believe a woman can do a better job?" Sandra asked, making Pepper scoff.

"Please, his ego is too large to admit that. But, what I can tell you is that you showed him you won't get into his bed and he's punishing you for it," Pepper said then handed her a thick file.

"What's this?" Sandra asked as she opened it.

"That is my schedule for this whole week. I pride myself in punctuality and I expect you to be the same. You will drive me to those locations and keep guard while I do my business. If I am in danger, you are to protect me to the best of your abilities and by the end of the month, I will write you your check, that's all it comprises."

"Sure thing, boss," Sandra said while busily reading the file. Her photographic memory gained from Deathstroke came in play her, making her read the entire file and still remember every single detail. Once done, she put it on the desk and looked at Pepper.

"Says you need to call Mr Stark for something about heat seeking missiles," she reminded the woman who was already deep in reading papers.

"Oh, yes," she remembered while picking her office phone and dailing a number. While waiting for it to be picked, she shooed Sandra away. Sandra complied, got out of her office only to sit on the guest chairs. She looked around, trying to figure out what to do before taking out her phone. She set an alarm for 9:45am before starting to play games.

When the alarm rang, she put her phone in her pocket and got into Pepper's office. Pepper was busy in a conference call, furiously writing on a note pad to pay attention to her at all till Sandra came in front of her and signalled time. Pepper nodded then turned her attention to the person she was talking to.

"I say fifteen percent, take it or leave it. Goodbye!" she said with finality then hang up. A sigh escaped her lips, while slightly massaging her temples. "Goddamn bottom feeders!"

"We have to be on time for the charity event."

"I know, I know," she said, taking a pill from her desk drawer and drowned it into her stomach with some juice. She then took a check book and followed her to the car.

"You know the way?" she asked.

"Sure do, boss," Sandra answered, driving into traffic. She looked at Pepper via the rear view mirror and saw she was not looking so good.

"Say, boss, if you're interested, I have a meditation technique that can help you elevate your headaches."

"Oh, does it work?" she asked, slightly interested.

"Growing up, I was a rage monster. It didn't help I was a martial arts prodigy. So, I used to challenge all the underground fight clubs I knew, beating every one of their fighters till every bone in their bodies was broken. When I became eighteen, someone tried raping me, the cops arrested me the following day for breaking his legs broken. The judge decided to sentence me to two years in anger management saying I was lucky I was the victim. There, I found a guy who, just like me, had a temper as bad as the devil's. But, he has never succumbed to it for more than three years."

"I don't have a temper, I have a headache," Pepper snapped, dismissively.

"Headache in your line of job brings temper. Besides, this meditation technique will make you calm no matter what; as long as you meditate in the morning and before bed. I'll guide you to do it effectively. Also, I can show you some tai chi moves you can practice. It will loosen up your body," Sandra said.

"You know Tai chi?" Pepper asked, incredulously.

"Martial arts prodigy. Never found one that gave me problems. Mixed martial arts, Krav Maga, Karate, Shaolin kung fu, Jiu jitsu and any other martial arts out there, studied them and mastered them," Sandra said. Of course she did not add that due to the Lady Shiva and Suiryu in her, she had mastered even more techniques that can level buildings with a punch. Not skyscrapers but maybe a two floored building, of course taking into consideration two floors been the American standard.

Pepper looked at her bodyguard with an impressed look. It was rare to find a woman so into fighting that she had studied all those martial arts in her line of work. Most of whom she met were either coming out of Tony's bedroom, are planning to get into his bedroom or wanted to rip her off. Sandra was a nice change of pace in her life, making her feel somewhat relaxed.

"If you can guarantee me it will work then you can show me," she said, making Sandra smile. Sandra racked her brain and came up with the best meditation technique for her that will be further amplified by the Tai chi moves she will teach her. In 2010 when Tony confesses his love for her, he will be surprised to find a gymnist in bed, every man's dream, including hers when she was a twenty plus years old man before he took an arrow to the heart.

"Here we are. Hope you break some bank accounts, boss," Sandra said as she pulled over. Pepper looked at her meaningfully before getting out of the car and heading into the children's hospital. Sandra's eyes suddenly narrowed as she looked at the side view mirror straight at a sedan parked a street away.

Her memory and intuition was sharp enough to notice that the car had been following them from Stark Tower. She got out of the mercedes after parking it, scooped up some pebbles before heading to the car. The occupants saw her coming and immediately switched on the engine and were about to drive away when Sandra threw one of the pebbles. It tore through the windshield window and the passenger's left shoulder, making him scream out in pain.

The driver panicked when he saw this and decided to ran her over only for Sandra to leap over it, acrobatically turning her body in the air so that she faced the car and threw the second pebble right through the car's roof, ripping through the driver's genitals and through the floor right into the road, hurrying itself deep. Sandra landed behind the car as a shriek of pain drowned the air, making everyone look at the speeding car in curiousity and surprise.

Sandra was impressed by his tenacity, been awake while driving a car when he was badly injured sure takes a lot of willpower. She dag out the pebble she threw out of the road and looked at it. It had blood in it which means she can use it to identify the person she injured using his DNA.

With the excitement over, she went back to the car, took out her phone, scrolled down her contacts before coming to a stop at a name, Solomons. She sighed in anticipation before calling the number. It was barely connected before he picked up.

"What does my favorite money making cage fighter need from me?" sickeningly sweet high pitched voice said from the other side. Sandra knew she was going to regret it but she had to find this man and know whether they were after her or Pepper Potts. If it was the former she would deal with them, personally. If it's the latter then she will use Stark resources to deal with them.

"I need you to trace someone for me. I have his blood with me so you come pick it up tonight," she said.

"You need a favor from me, I need a favor from you. There's this new fighter thinks he's the shit. I want you to come over tonight, knock some teeth out of him and then I can trace this new fling of yours," Solomons answered.

Sandra knew this was coming. For the one year she was friends with him, she has come to know his personality very well. You scratch his back and expect a heavenly massage from him. He was quick and efficient while also being the manager of the biggest underground fight club in New York. He had connections in almost everywhere.

"Sure, just no killing this time. I have a good job and I'll hate to have to kill you for ruining it for me," she warned.

"You say the sweetest things to me," he crooned before hanging up. Sandra put the phone down and looked at the children hospital.