𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤

Part Sixty Three

Tony was in his workshop that day, reconstructing the crime scene where the explosion happened. He was on to something with Jarvis, when he heard the doorbell ring. "Are we still at ding-dong? We're supposed to be on total security lockdown!"Tony raised his voice."Come on, I threatened a terrorist! Who is that?" He turned around in his chair and got up.

Jarvis spoke up, "There's only so much I can do, sir, when you give the world's press your home address."

The door buzzed open and a brunette woman stepped inside. She got scanned before she heard the approaching steps. Tony, in his suit, came out of the living room, stopping her from going any further. "Right there is fine." He said and she stopped in her tracks. "You're not the Mandarin. Are you?" The mask lifted off his face as he asked her. "Are you?"

She smiled awkwardly, "You don't remember." She let out a chuckle."Why am I not surprised?"

"Don't take it personally. I don't remember what I had for breakfast."Tony said.

"Gluten-free waffles, sir." The AI's voice said and the woman looked up at the ceiling, confused where the voice was coming from.

"That's right." Tony confirmed.

"Okay, look, I need to be alone with you," she looked around the house,"someplace not here. It's urgent."

Tony turned around, walking deeper into the mansion. "Normally, I'd go for that sort of thing, but now I'm married. It's...", he was interrupted when the bags fell down from upstairs right in front of Tony, barely missing his face. "To her." He added before he heard your voice.

"Tony?" You called out, while Tony got out from his suit."Is somebody there?"You asked and he heard your high heels clacking against the stairs as you walked.

"Yeah, it's Maya Hansen. Ah... Old botanist pal that I used to know, barely." He said, before pulling the woman aside to talk to her quietly."Please don't tell me there's a twelve years old kid waiting in the car that I've never met."

"He's thirteen." She said and Tony looked at her in terror, choking on air. She laughed, "No, I need your help."

"But, what for? Why now?"

"Because I read the papers and frankly, I don't think you'll last the week."

"I'll be fine." He said as you approached the two of them.

You smiled at the woman as you stood next to Tony. "I'm sorry, with Happy in the hospital, I didn't know we were expecting guests-"

"- we weren't."

"- and old girlfriends." You finished your thought with a smile.

"She's not, really." Tony said.

"No, not really. I... it was just one night." She shrugged.

"Yep." Tony said.

You looked at Tony and spoke again,"That's how you did it, isn't it?"

The woman smiled awkwardly.

"Yep. Well, you know, you saved yourself a world of pain." You said and Tony looked at you, offended.

"What?"

"I'm sure."The woman said.

"Trust me." You said to her before turning to face Tony. "We're going out of town."

"Okay. We've been through this. Nope."

"Yep-"

"- The man says no."

"-Immediately and indefinitely!" You said.

Tony began, "Honey..."

"Great idea. Let's go!" Maya agreed.