This is a sequal to a story I wrote around one and a half years ago called More Tales of Suspense. You can find it on my profile.
At last, she emerges from the depths of middle-school. Bloodied and bruised, The Mullberry (previously cookiesnmilk123) is on her way to high school. Fresh faces, a fresh start, and a fresh new beat for a poppin' sequal.
I don't own anything...
5 Months Later
"IT'S SUMMER!"
Pepper Potts burst through the doors to the Tomorrow Academy, her backpack held high above her head. Breathing in the not-so-fresh, stuffy air of New York, she dramatically marched over to the nearest trash can and with one graceful flick of her wrist, she dumped her backpack into the garbage.
"Pepper!" A male voice shouted, turning heads of pedestrians on the sidewalk. "That's a perfectly good backpack!"
James Rhodes walked over to his friend to stare into the trash can with a bewildered expression. He glanced up at Pepper before asking, "Why the heck did you do that?"
As if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Pepper rolled her eyes and pointed to the trash. "That was my sophmore backpack. I can't wear the backpack I wore in tenth grade when I'm a junior."
Rhodey stared at her for a second then started chuckling and shaking his head. "Just like how pink was your 2009 color? How 2010 'just screams blue'?"
"Exactly!" Pepper whole-heartedly agreed, glancing down at her light blue tank top.
"Guys!" Both heads snapped up to the voice of the third and final member of their party. The young genius sulked over to them, his face buried in a grey piece of paper. "Look at this report card!"
Tony, being the genius that he was, could easily achieve a perfect 4.0 GPA- if desired. But... when Tony turned eighteen he would inherit Stark International, so his future did not depend so much on his schooling. However, if he didn't achieve an acceptable average in school, then he would have his legal guardian, Mrs. Rhodes to deal with. That, on top of the fact that Mrs. Rhodes threatened to take Stark International away from him if he failed a class.
Pepper snatched the report card away from him and scrutinized the paper. After a moment her expression faulterd and she burst into laughter.
"What is it?" Rhodey asked quickly, worry laced his voice. He grabbbed the paper from Pepper and his eyebrows jumped to his hairline.
"You got a sixty seven in gym?"
"Hey!" Tony snapped back, jabbing a finger at the paper. "That has to be a mistake. I did not do that bad!"
"It says here," Pepper giggled, and pointed to the report card as well. "You 'skipped class regularly'."
Rhodey shook his head with a small smile on his face. He folded the paper in half and clapped Tony on the back. "Don't worry about it, man, I don't think that's enough to lose Stark International."
"Yeah," Tony mumbled. "But enough to climb a few rings down the pride latter."
"At least you don't have to take it next year."
"I guess."
The three of them headed in the direction of the closest Starbucks, a regular after-school tradition. They each got their regular; Rhodey sticking with a frappuchino, Tony an espresso, and Pepper with a cup of coffee. Rhodey and Tony only allowed her to drink de-caf in their pressence. And, of course, Tony was buying.
The trio then made their way toward the subway, two months of freedom layed out in front of them. A relief settled in on the three friends, Tony especially felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders.
"Sooo..." Pepper said as they all entered the train. "Can you guys believe that we really finished tenth grade? Honestly I never thought the school year would end. I mean, so much has happened this year. What with Iron Man-"
"Shhhh!" Both young men glared at Pepper. Rolling her eyes, she casually waved her hand around the car.
"Oh c'mon, no one's listening."
Glancing around the train, Tony noticed that Pepper was right. Beside the three of them, the only other people included a blind, elderly women clutching a bag of groceries, a buisiness man talking urgently on his cell phone and a pregnant lady (asleep).
"Still," Rhodey glanced around suspiciously. "You gotta be careful 'bout what you say in public."
The trio was silent for a moment, the only sound the harsh whispering of the buisiness man and the steady rumble of the subway.
"Hey, Tony." Pepper finally said, surpressed joy trickling into her voice, wide eyes staring up at her friend.
Tony was, needless to say, a bit frightened. "...Yes Pepper?"
"IT'S YOU'RE BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!" She threw her hands up in the air and twirled around like a little girl, coffee flying everywhere. The pregnant women shot up quickly and looked around, bewilderd. The business man glared darkly at Pepper for a moment before moving to the farthest seat away from the teens and the elderly women reacted in no way at all. Tony wondered vaguely if she was even alive.
"Pepper!" Rhodey hissed. "We all know that, no need to shout it!"
"I know! I know!" She said quickly, but there was still a wide smile spread across her face. "It's just so exciting. I can't wait to give you your present."
Tony sighed at the thought of the next day. Normally birthdays would excite him to no end. In past years his father would have taken a week off and the two of them would vacation where ever Tony would please. His dad was usually too busy to vacation, so it was always something he looked forward too.
This would be his first birthday without him.
'I know he's still out there. I know I can find him...'
As if reading his thoughts, Rhodey gave Tony a scrutinizing glare.
"Speakin' of you're birthday," He said. "We want you relaxing tomorrow."
Tony snorted. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious man, I don't want you anywhere near the armor. Or a computer."
"I don't have time for relaxing, Rhodey!" Tony said a bit harsher than he intended. "My dad is still out there, Gene is hunting down the rings-"
"You've been spending every afternoon in the lab since December!"
"For good reason! You saw what Gene could do with five rings, imagine if he had ten!"
The subway slowed to a rickity stop and the exits opened. The buisness man shot out the door, and the pregnant lady hoisted herself up and walked away, barely making the closing door.
Rhodey glared at Tony for a second before regaining his composure. "All I'm saying is that Pepper and I think you need a day off. One day."
"Please Tony?" Pepper murmured. "We're worried about you."
A long sigh escaped Tony's mouth. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "You guys don't need to worry about me."
The subway jerked to a violent start and sent the three unprepaired teens sprawling, Rhodey loosing his footing completely, and he fell embarrasingly on his butt. His drink coated him in a sticky mess.
"Aw man!"
Tony and Pepper burst into laughter and helped their friend to his feet, the tension that had moments ago filled the room evaporated. He tried wiping himself down with the sleeve of his sweatshirt but it really didn't help much.
The train shuddered again, but this time it was Tony who fell.
"What the hell is up with this train?" He snapped as a giggling Pepper helped him up.
"How does she do that?" Rhodey stated suddenly.
"Huh?"
"That lady," He whispered, pointing to the stone-like old women. "She didn't even flinch."
They all stare at the elder, who didn't seem to be affected by the shaking and rumbling of the car. Her arms were stiff around the brown grocerie bag and a walking cane sat on the bench next to her. The teens couldn't tell if she was asleep or not because she wore a heavy set of dark glasses, a good indicator that she was blind.
"Maybe she's dead." Tony said flatly, suggesting his earlier thoughts.
"Maybe she's a robot!"
"Maybe," Rhodey said. "Just maybe... she's asleep. Honestly, I can't even tell if you two are kidding half the time."
Pepper giggled, and an evil smile crept it's way across her face. "Hey," She whispered. "I have an idea."
She tiptoed her way lightly across the train to the old lady. Tony and Rhodey pleaded her to stop whatever it was she was planning, but she ignored them completely. Slowly, she crouched down to the elder's height.
"Pepper!" Both young men hissed.
With a silent giggle, Pepper reached out to grab the bag of groceries and shake it.
Nothing.
"See?" Pepper laughed. She shook the bag again, with more force this time, yet the old women didn't seem to feel it.
Tony chuckled and even Rhodey cracked a smile.
"There could be an earthquake," Tony said. "And she wouldn't notice."
Another powerful jerk from the train sent a milk jug falling from the stuffed grocery bag and smashing on the dirty floor of the subway.
Still, no reaction.
All three teens started laughing.
"No!" Pepper giggled. "There could be a nuclear explosion and she wouldn't notice!"
"I'd notice." Said a surprisingly low voice. Faster than anyone could have guessed, the "old lady" seized Pepper's free arm and twisted it behind her back. Pepper cried out in pain, falling to her knees and she dropped her coffee. She started twisting and wiggling desperately trying to free herself, but the elder's iron grip wouldn't budge.
Tony and Rhodey could only gawk for a split second before the gears started turning.
"Hey!"
"Let her go!"
Pepper struggled some more, but it was no use. "You see pretty well for someone who's blind!"
"I am not blind."
"Yeah I can tell!"
"Pepper, stop talking!"
The thing's head snapped up to stare at Tony.
"Iron Man."
Disbelief crashed into the three teens.
"Who are you!" Rhodey yelled furiously.
"I-Iron Man?" Pepper laughed nervously, the fear shown clear in her voice. "No!"
Tony scowled at the old women. "How'd you know that!" Without thinking, he reached to press the activation button for the armor on his backpack.
The elderly lady quickly waved her hand in his direction. When he pushed the button, nothing happened.
Again, he punched it, but the backpack remained frustratingly regular.
"I'm sorry," The old women dead-panned. "I cannot allow you to do that."
Tony and Rhodey exchanged a quick glance before glaring back at Pepper's attacker.
"What do you want?" Rhodey asked.
"I want nothing."
The room was quiet for a moment before Tony asked, "What are you?"
Again, silence filled the compartment before she finally answered. "A warning."
Realizing that questioning it would get him no where, Tony went straight to the point. "A warning from who?"
"The Mandarin."
A deadly silence filled the room. No one breathed. Even Pepper was quiet for once.
"The Mandarin sent me to tell you that he is close to aquiring another ring." She (he, it... Tony wasn't sure how to refer to her) explained.
"What do you mean another?"
"He already has eight."
As Team Iron Man absorbed this, the old women continued.
"I was sent here to relay to you the order the Mandarin has for-"
"Order!" Tony spat, his blue eyes wide with hatred. "We do not take orders from that-"
Pepper cried out as the old women bent her arm further behind her.
"Stop!" Rhodey and Tony shouted. She ceased twisting her arm but Pepper's face was still scrunched in pain.
"Do not interrupt." She dead-panned. "The Mandarin has ordered that you assist him in obtaining this ring. He has found the last couple of rings a challenge and has assumed that this temple will be extremely difficult."
"And if we say no?" Tony asked, anger pouring into his voice.
"Then he will kill you're father."
Many different emotions came crashing into Tony at that moment. He was at a loss for words, all he could do was stare.
"I can see that you have a lot of contemplating to do." The old women said. "You can expect a call from the Mandarin in twenty four hours. By that time if you have not reached a decision..." She stood abruptly and forced Pepper up with her, then shoved the girl into her friends who caught her before she could fall.
"What exactly are you?" Rhodey asked hotly.
A wry smile crossed her face. "I am but a projection of the seventh ring. Remember, twenty four hours." A brilliant flash of light blinded the trio for a second, and then she was gone.
R&R as always. I don't live in NY City soooo I'm not entirely sure how the subway works. All I know is that it's dirty and it's hard to stand up hhaha.