The Seventh Avenger: Playing With Fire

Chapter 21: Favours from Friends

          It doesn't take the two heroes long to hurry back towards the bar where Tony had spoken to Mrs Davies earlier in the night, and upon just simply glancing at its exterior, Lydia knows that the inside is likely left in shambles as well. Still, she stands guard as Tony ducks inside to retrieve the file, her hands clenched into fists and eyes darting about, ready for another unexpected attack from Savin and the rest of his friends (assuming that they had recovered from her onslaught of fiery attacks). It never comes though, and Tony emerges from the entrance with a thick folder a few moments later, just as the emergency service sirens sound off in the distance.

          "Here," he says, handing the file to Lydia before beckoning for her to follow him down the street. She trails after him immediately. "I've skimmed through it already, but we'll read the rest on the way."

          "On the way?"

          "Yeah. We're getting the hell out of here."

           "Well, where are we heading?"

           "Anywhere but here." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of car keys, before then pressing down on the car door remote. To Lydia's surprise, the dark car that belongs to Savin unlocks where it is parked halfway down the street, ready for them to use at their convenience.

           "How...?"

          "I have my ways," Tony says with a sly grin. The grin is quick to falter, however, when Lydia shoots him a dubious look. "OK, fine. I swiped it from Savin's pocket back near the tree farm. Either way, we've got a car, so we're leaving. Now."

          Despite the urgency underlying his words, Lydia finds herself faltering in the middle of the street. "Hang on. What about your suit? We're gonna have to go and get it –"

          Tony grimaces. "It pains me to admit, but at the moment, it's not much use to us. We'll keep it here and work on it until we need it, and it's ready to go."

          And yet, Lydia still isn't so easily convinced. "If we're not taking it with us, then how the hell are we going to get it to come to us? And how are we gonna work on it when we're not even going to be here?"

          "Don't worry, I've got everything worked out. We can't work on it, but the kid can. Speaking of which..."

          He trails off, nodding towards something beyond Lydia's shoulder. When she turns to find out what has grabbed his attention, she is greeted with the sight of a sullen Harley, drenched to the bone with his blonde hair plastered to his scalp. Clearly, he hadn't managed to escape some of the damage caused by the falling water tower. He wears a cowboy hat on his head and keeps the woollen poncho that Tony had originally worn earlier that evening draped over his shoulders close to him, protecting him from the chilly, winter air.

          He saddles up to the two heroes with a relieved smile beginning to form on his lips, but Lydia reprimands him before he gets to say anything, "I thought I told you to stay in the diner."

          Harley scoffs. "C'mon. As if I was going to stay there when Iron Man and Lydia Hathaway needed my help. You're welcome, by the way."

          At his words, her brows furrow, but it is Tony that sarcastically drawls, "Uh, for what? Did I miss something?"

         "For me, saving your life."

          "Yeah, well, A; saved you first. B; thanks. Sort of. And C; if you do someone a solid, don't be such a yutz about it. Play it cool, otherwise, you come off grandiose."