Opening My Past

Chapter Eleven~Together

Tony and I make our through the news vans peering in each one to trying to find an empty one. The two of us keeping our hats down as to not get caught.

We find a van empty and climb in each taking a chair, I pull our computer out "Okay lets get this hooked up-"

I look to see Tony watching the bathing suit portion of the beauty pageant, I roll my eyes unhooking the screen hooking it up to the computer "You have a girlfriend."

Tony doesn't say anything "Are you mad at me for not telling you about my date?"

"No."

I hear a beep and look at the screen, there wasn't enough connection "That ain't gonna cut it." says Tony. Just then the door opens and a man with a phone stands there, me and Tony turn to him fingers on our lips.

Well this is just great.

"Mom, I need to call you back. Something magical is happening." he says, oh great it's a fan "Tony and Illisha Stark are in my van."

"Shh. Keep it down." starts Tony.

"Tony and Illisha Stark are in my van!"

"No, there not." I say.

"I knew you twi were still alive!"

"Come on in. Close the door." says Tony, the man climbs in and closes the door "Oh, wow. Can I just say, I am your biggest fan."

"Okay. First, is this your van? Is anyone else gonna come in?" I ask.

"No, no, no. Just us." says the man. Me and Tony stand looking at him.

"Great. What's your name?"

"Gary"

"Gary?"

"Okay."

"Okay? we get a lot of this, it's okay." I say.

"Oh, good. Can I just say? Yeah. I don't know if you can tell, but I have, like, patterned my whole look after you. My hair's a little..." starts Gray talking to Tony

"It's fine."

"It's not right, 'cause there's no product in it. I don't want to make things awkward for you, but I do have to show you... Boom!" says Gray pulling his sleeve to reveal a Tattoo of Tony.

"Okay nope I'm gone." I say sitting back down trying everything on the computer and of course nothing worked, I hear the door close and look up to see Tony sit down next to me "Wheres the other guy."

"Boosting our energy." says Tony and then we hear a knock on the van "Which is now boosted."

I smile and type in Rhodey's log in assessing the files we needed "There's a video." I say.

"Play it." says Tony, I click play. The video was of an interview between this old guy and Chad Davis!

"What would you regard as the defining moment of your life?"

"Well, uh, I think that would be the day I decided not to let my injury beat me." says Chad, he was a cripple? Tony types in another video.

"Will you please state your name for the camera?" ask the same old man.

"Ellen Brandt." says the women. Wait! That was the girl from the bar, her left arm was gone.

Another video showed these people getting injections of this glowing orange stuff, the old guy over seeing it "Okay. So, the injections are administered periodically. Addiction will not be tolerated. And those who cannot regulate will be out from the program. Once misfits, cripples... You are the next iteration of human evolution. Everybody, before we start... I promise you, looking back at your life, there will be nothing as bitter as the memory of that glorious risk you prudently elected to forego. Today is your glory- Let's begin."

The women's missing arm grows back as she glows red. The other volunteers glow red and scream too. Before one of the volunteers explodes! I gasp and flinch.

"A bomb is not a bomb when it's a misfire." I say looking at Tony. "The stuff doesn't always work. Right, pal? It's faulty, but you found a buyer, didn't you? Sold it to the Mandarin. Got you, pal." says Tony annoyed.

I look over to him "Do you know who that is?" I ask.

Tony looks at my shocked "That-...can you tell who that is?"

I shake my head "Killian." he answers, I look from the screen to him. WHAT?!?!?!

"That's Killian? What happened-" I stop short realizing "He...was...using me wasn't he?" I ask, Tony doesn't answer.

"God my love life is cursed." I say with a tiny giggle.

********************************************************

The two of us were back in the car, Tony wouldn't let me drive! He calls Harley "Harley, tell me what's happening. Give me a full report." says Tony.

"Yeah, I'm still eating that candy. Do you want me to keep eating it?" Ask Harley, I look over to Tony "How much have you had?" I ask.

"Two or three bowls."

"Tony he shouldn't be eating that much candy. He's just a kid." I say.

"Can you still see straight?" ask Tony.

"Sort of."

"That means you're fine. Give us Jarvis. Jarvis, how are we?" ask Tony. I sigh worried for Harley's well being.

"It's totally fine, sir. I seem to do quite well for a stretch, and then at the end of the sentence I say the wrong cranberry." starts J.A.R.V.I.S., me and Tony look at each other for a second surprised.

"And, sir, you were right. Once I factored in available AIM downlink facilities I was able to pinpoint the Mandarin's broadcast signal."

"What are we talking? Far East, Europe, North Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Syria? Where is it?" ask Tony.

"Actually, it's in Miami."

What? No. Miami? 

"Okay, Harley, I'm gonna have to walk you through rebooting Jarvis's speech drive, but not right now. Harley, where is he really? Just look on the screen and tell me where it is." I say.

"Um, it does say Miami, Florida."

Okay that's a first?

"Okay, first things first, we need our armour. Where are we at with it?" ask Tony.

"Uh, there not charging." Tony pulls over to the side of the road slamming on the breaks, heavy breathing.

Actually, sir, they are charging, but the power source is questionable. It may not succeed in revitalizing the Mark 42 and the S.P.I.R.I.T.

"What's questionable about electricity? All right? It's our suits, and we can't... I'm not gonna... I don't wanna...Oh, God, not again." says Tony getting out of the car. I being the worried sister I am get out of the car running around to the front.

"Tony!" I shout and sit down next to him, he keeps pushing me away "I'm fine! I'm fine!"

I put a hand on his cheek making him look at me "Just breathe. Really, just breathe." I say, he follows my instruction and I remember what Tony said to Harley "We're a mechanics, remember. You said so."

Tony nods rapidly, I nod as well "Why don't we build something," I say taking his hand "Together."

He squeezes my hand and hugs me "Together."