A makluan's oath

Chapter 8: Mandarin's quest

Tony and Pepper were walking by the ally where they were standing in. Waiting for them to walk by.

"Tony..." a voice spoke out of the dark alley.

"Huh?" Tony responded. Looking into the dark place. "Hello? Who's there?"

"I'm... right here, Tony." Pepper chipped in as though she thought he was talking about her.

With that Tony walked into the alley trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. With that the Mandarin stepped out from where he was.

"Greetings my old friends!" The Mandarin spoke in his ominous voice.

"Gene!" Pepper cried out.

"Mandarin!" Tony said, annoyed to see his face.

"Pepper Potts! Tony Stark!" He said his name as though it was poison. "Or should I just call you... Iron Man..."

With that a flash occurred and whipped the Mandarin out of existence as Gene stood there. Taking the spot where the once powerful Mandarin was.

"You can both relax." He spoke calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Gene! I can't believe it! This better be an apology, like the biggest," with that Tony stepped in front of Pepper trying to hold her back. "'most massive apology in the history..."

"Not likely! Should've expected him to sneak up behind us. He's great at stabbing people in the back!" Tony spoke with anger.

"I'm not here to fight. I promise you that. And also I haven't stabbed my servant, Long in the back." Gene responded with a calm tone.

"Well he follows you around like a lost puppy! And he'd do anything for a-" with that Tony could feel someone pick him up by the back of his shirt.

Pepper gasped promoting Tony to look behind him only to lock eyes with a the reptilian servant he was speaking of.

"Wish to say that to my face, Stark." He hissed out the name and as he looked at Tony's shocked expression he simply chuckled. "A loss of words. How pathetic." He spoke in a teasing manner. "You do realise I can crush you Stark with ease."

"Long, enough." Gene commanded.

Long narrowed his eyes before unceremoniously dropping Tony before walking over to a wall leaning on it in the shadows before beginning to admire his claws as he crossed his arms. Acting as though he did not care about this at all to give up any of his attention to it.

"In fact," Gene continued before being interrupted. "I need your help."

"Our help?" Seeming taken aback before Tony recovered. "After everything you did? Lied to me about my father being alive!"

"From what I've seen you've never asked if he was dead and said or confirmed he was dead." The makluan muttered under his breath, not daring to look up from his claws as though he was bored.

"Betraying all of us!" Anger leaking more into his voice.

"Betrayal is two-sides, Stark! You lied to us about being iron man." Gene said pointing out the obvious.

"What are you doing here, Gene?" Pepper said getting to the point.

"I've located another Makluan ring, but I've been unable to..." Gene said before being interrupted by Tony.

"Wait! Another ring? There's only five rings! You have them all!" Tony said as though thinking there was only five.

"You're wrong. After we defeated Fin Fang Foom," Gene speaking calmly once more.