Second Chances

T W E L E V E

"Stark you need to get Rhodey to the Vice President. That's his final act, he said it himself. He'll have the government under his control."

He looks at me and shakes his head.

"No we're not leaving you."

"I'm dying, there nothing that's going to stop it."

"That's not true."

"Tony, look at me. I was suppose to die in the battle. I was suppose to drain the power and close the portal. All it's be in delaying the truth."

"You said my name, you said Tony."

Rhodey comes over to us, I grab his hand as I put the watch on him. I set the rings of my fallen ancestors in his hands.

"I need you to be here for him, I trust you with these. When the time comes, put them on and twist to the left."

"What will they do."

"Show you how to be a warrior."

I slowly sit up and look at Tony, he helps me stand up. I grab his face and smile, I lean forward.

"You would have made me happy, I should have given the great Tony Stark his chance."

I've started to cry, and my body begins to glow again.

"You need to go now."

"No, we can help."

I smile and kiss him, putting everything I can into it.

"Go, be the hero everyone needs. My car should be out front, it'll tell you everything about the mandarin and AIM."

He slowly start to back up as Rhodey grabs the suit. He pulls him out of the room as I look at the other man.

"You should leave, unless you plan to die."

He quickly rushes out as the lights go brighter. I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable.
————————————————————————
Tony's POV
I'm trying to go back, I want to go back. We can figure out how to help her and Pepper. Rhodey is pulling me behind him, we're loading into the speedboat. I look at the mansion as it suddenly explodes, everything is gone. I slump down onto the seat as Rhodey sits down beside me.

"I could have saved her."

"We did our best, she's home now."

"You know I don't believe that, she still has family on earth. The family that thinks she's with me."

I put my head in my covered hands, everything is starting to get to me. Losing her, Pepper being injected, the world on another villain attack.

"Look man, we need to help the world. But we also have to figure out this vice president thing, right?"

"Right. I wonder who I'm calling right now. Oh! That's the vice president."

"Thanks. Hello?"

"Sir, this is Tony Stark."

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

"We believe you're about to be drawn into the Mandarin campaign. We gotta get you somewhere safe as soon as possible."

"Mr Stark, I'm about to eat honey-roast ham, surrounded by the Agency's finest. The president's safe on Air Force One with Colonel Rhodes. I think we're good, here."

"Sir, this is Colonel Rhodes. They're using the Iron Patriot as a Trojan horse. They're gonna take out the president somehow. We have to immediately alert that plane"

"Okay, I'm on it. I'll have security lock it down. If need be, they can have F-22s in the air in 30 seconds. Thank you, Colonel."

"Rhodes and Stark out."

The phone is hung up and I try to breathe, we need to figure this out. The Princess didn't die just for us to fail.

"We gotta make a decision. We can either save the president, or Pepper. We can't do both."

JARVIS speaks up as I look at my friend.

"Sir, I have an update from Malibu. The cranes have finally arrived, and the cellar doors are being cleared as we speak."

"And what about the suit I'm wearing?"

"The armour is now at 92%."

"That's going to have to do."

I quickly pull the wires off of me and push off the boat. I use my booster to fly faster, I need to make it to that plane.
————————————————————————
I was always told I was stronger than most, I had faster abilities, quicker healing abilities. My mother told me I was almost indestructible, of course I could get hurt but this was nothing i've ever dealt with. My heart was pounding loudly as I dig my way out of the rubble, fighting for every ounce of air I could. I got out and seen the product of the explosion, everything was gone. I need to get to Stark and Rhodes before it's too late. I start running and change into a large version of a shark, it's going to be faster and easier to swim.

"Come on."

I got up to the boat and changed back, I grabbed onto the ledge as he helped pull me up.

"How the hell are you still alive."

I dryly laugh as I hold out my hand, he passes the watch to me. I send out a radio signal, trying to pinpoint him. I'm glad his watch hasn't came off yet. I get a small signal as I turn back to Rhodes.

"You need to get Pepper, I deal with the others. To answer your question, I don't know how."

He smiles as I jump into the air and spread my large wings. I speed through the clouds as the signal is stronger. I get into the plane as people start to fly out, a large hole is in the side of the wall. I caught a few as I see the Ironman suit, I smile, I don't thinks it's noticed me yet.

"You know Stark if every mission we go on, one of us are likely to die. We might just have to skip the dinner and get straight to the good part."

He looks at me, I smile as we get the people to safety. He goes to take off again but get his by a transfer truck. Thankfully it was just his suit, he must have been on board the boat somewhere.