INFERNO │ Marvel

2.4 explosions and donuts

"How much time?" Amelia asked, watching as her brother checked his blood toxicity levels once again.

"I don't know," he told her as he swiped away the number. She was too far away to read it, but the percentage bar looked high. It worried her more than she would ever admit to him.

"Do you know which watch you'd like to wear tonight, Mr Stark?" Natalie entered the room and asked. She gave a brief smile to Amelia. The latter still couldn't figure her out.

"I'll give them a look," he said. He turned to his sister, who was busying herself with the drinks Natalie had brought in. "I should cancel the party."

"Probably," she replied.

"Yeah, 'cause it's-"

"Ill-timed," Natalie spoke up, handing Tony his drink. "Inappropriate. That dirty enough for you?"

Amelia rolled her eyes and turned her back on the pair as the assistant sat on the arm of his chair. She only caught the second half of their conversation.

"Can I ask you a question, hypothetically? Bit odd. If this was the last birthday party you were ever gonna have, how would you celebrate it?"

"I'd do whatever I wanted to do with whoever I wanted to do it with," she whispered to him before standing up and moving to leave.

Once again, Amelia was finding herself stopping the assistant to question her. "Are you seriously going to encourage him?" she hissed. "You're his assistant, not his enabler!"

"Is that your job?" she challenged the Stark.

"Maybe once," she admitted. "But not anymore. He can't afford to act recklessly right now. Do better."

With that, she turned and left.

-

Tony was drunker than his sister had ever seen him. She couldn't blame him for his incessant need to have a good time, but the Starks were already walking a fine line with every person she could think of. Being in his Iron Man suit, so visibly drunk and out of control, was going to cause them some problems.

"I'm going to get some air," Pepper said, moving from her spot next to Amelia.

"What's wrong?" Rhodey appeared beside them.

"Tony has gone insane," Amelia explained. "I've lost count of how many drinks he's had."

"I don't know what to do," Pepper added. They all watched as Tony fell over on the stage.

"You've got to be kidding me. That's it, I'm-"

"No, no! Don't call anyone," both the women cut him off. Pepper continued to speak. "I'm gonna handle it, okay? Just let me handle it."

"Rhodey, I swear I had no part in this," Amelia told the man. His expression was steely, watching Tony laugh on the stage next to Pepper, who was trying to defuse the situation.

"I believe you, Amy," he said. "But your brother's not doing either of you any favours."

"The party's over!" Tony yelled after his talk with Pepper. Amelia and Rhodey both breathed a sigh of relief. "Then again, the party was over for me, like, an hour and a half ago. The after-party starts in 15 minutes. And if anybody - Pepper - doesn't like it, there's the door."

A blast was sent from his suit as he finished his sentence. The crowd cheered wildly, but panic set itself deep in Amelia's chest. She didn't even think about her next words. "This is out of control, Rhodey. Go put on one of his suits."