To say that Tony was surprised to have found in Kate a quiet ally was an understatement. He figured if any of the kids would be willing to help them out it would be Peter, but now Tony was having to reassess. Peter was good hearted and friendly, but he was also fairly by-the-book, all things considered. But Kate? Kate was the rebel. Kate, Tony thought as the girl scrolled through screen after screen of encryption on her tablet which was hardwired to the Mark 42, had her own agenda and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted.
"Almost done?" Tony asked. Kate's job was a very difficult one—not only had she had to get past her mother's pass codes to get them into her lab, but she had to decrypt all of the programming that controlled the suits which would, with Tony's biometrics, automatically bar him from piloting one. After that she would have to reset bits of the codes to allow Tony to pilot, and also to make up for his lack of Extremis. Tony wasn't entirely sure she could do it in five hours let alone five minutes, but that's all she'd said—'give me five minutes'. Five minutes were almost up. Steve stood in a corner trying to get used to the different dimensions and heft of the spare shield Kate had handed him. There were many things in the lab Tony wanted to take a closer look at, but Kate had threatened him with bodily harm if he moved from his spot next to her. Tony had no doubt that she could and would indeed follow through on that threat.
"Thirty seconds," Kate said. She flicked through something on the screen. "This is the Mark 42—"
"I know, I've got one just like it—" Tony said.
"Good, then you know this is one of mom's designs pre-Extremis. It has since been integrated but stripping that code isn't too difficult. You'll still have JARVIS as a co-pilot, though, I can't root him out of there, and I wouldn't even if I could," Kate said. The encryption screens disappeared from the tablet, and Kate set it down. She removed the hardwires from the tablet and Mark 42. She tapped on the chest plate, and the armor opened up, allowing space for Tony to step inside. For a moment he hesitated. It was one thing, to step into an armor of his own design and go flying through the air—it was another thing entirely to rely on someone else's designs to keep him airborne, to walk willingly into a machine that could easily hold him captive if it chose. He started forward anyway—they had to gain 3490's trust somehow. They had to figure out a way out of this position they were in, and this would be a good start. As he walked forward, Kate grabbed his wrist, stopping him. HE looked at her curiously, and she stared back at him fiercely with her blue eyes.
"I've done everything I can, but if she wants to she can take remote control of your armor," Kate warned him.
"Are the armors networked together?" Tony asked frowning. "We could try to take it offline." Kate just shook her head.
"You've got no clue what Extremis really does, do you? Look, I don't have time to give you the low-down—just know that if you piss her off, get on the ground and give JARVIS emergency override code Oscar Uniform Tango 6-3-8. Clear? You'll have thirty seconds to exit the suit, and I suggest you take cover," Kate said. Tony couldn't help but regard her with a slightly amused expression, but Kate only looked more determined, and her hand gripped his wrist painfully hard. "I'm serious. Do you understand?"
"Ow, yes," Tony said, taking his wrist back. He wouldn't be surprised if she left a bruise for the morning—damn super strength. She rolled her eyes.
"Don't be a baby. Get going, both of you. I suggest you announce your presence to this world's avengers loud and clear on the comm channels—otherwise you'll get blasted out of the sky or off the street," Kate said. Tony stepped into the armor taking a deep breath. The armor closed in around him. For a quick moment it was dark, but then the HUD lit up.
"Welcome, sir," JARVIS spoke.
"Oh, J, I know you're not my J, but it sure is good to hear your voice, buddy," Tony said, feeling almost relieved.
"I am sure that it is, sir," JARVIS said pleasantly. "I have advised Madame Kate that this course of action is ill advised and that instating you as a primary user on this suit will have repercussions. I advise you of the same. I cannot undo this programming, but know that I do not agree with the current state of things."
"Well, that's comforting," Tony muttered. "Are you going to be fighting me all the way to Manhattan?"
"Of course not sir," JARVIS said. "I cannot transgress my coding. I will merely state that this action is inadvisable."
"Noted, J, but we've got to get out there and help," Tony said.
"Tony, are we ready to head out?" Steve asked. He sounded worried. Tony lifted the face plate.
"Let's get outside so I don't blast a hole through the roof, but yeah, we're ready," Tony said. He turned to Kate. "Thanks for the help." She regarded him with her arms crossed and a guarded expression.
"Don't thank me yet," she said. "Thank me if you live through the battle. Good luck."
With that, Tony and Steve headed upstairs and then outside where the other Avengers waited. Thor had already transformed—though who the hell knew how considering they were in a different universe—and Clint and Nat were all suited up.
"I can carry two," Thor said. Clint and Natasha looked to him, and Tony knew what was happening.
"I've got room for one," Tony said a bit reluctantly.
And that was how, for the first time, Captain America took flight with Iron Man. They set off for Manhattan, ready to help save the world again—even if it wasn't theirs to be saving.
