I getting Iron man 3 out of the way after there is a good time gap between movies I plan to fill a little.
"Speaking"
"Phone call"
"Sound effects"
"Thoughts"
Sports bar California beach lunch time (Toni POV)
I could only stare at the news broadcast slack-jawed at the travesty that was Iron Patriot. Screw all that other stuff about terrorists and a guy with a robe on, that was not important. What had they done to the gift I gave to my best friend I turn my head to see if Rhodey was as outrage as me only to see him avoid eye contact.
"Listen Toni it tested well with focus groups" he defeated. "People think War Machine was to aggressive." He was still avoiding eye contact.
"Rhodey there is only one punishment worthy of this betrayal... I'm calling your mother." I pull out my phone before he can try an stop me, a look of horror on his face.
"Hello Toni how are you?" Mama Rhodes says happy for the call.
"Not good Mam your son has betrayed me." A audible gasp came out.
"Now what did he do?" She demanded.
"He took a gift I gave him and let strangers deface it." I was grinning like an idiot now. "He's here of you want to ask him." Those words were coffin nails to Rhodey.
"Yes hand the phone over to my son and I'll have a word with him." Mama Rhodes says in a sweet tone but we both knew it was prelude to the pain Rhodey was about to feel.
Tossing the phone to Rhodey I stand up and give him a two finger salute then walk out but not before hearing Mama Rhodes tear into him.
Stark mansion workshop 4 o'clock (Toni POV)
"Toni we cant keep putting off this meeting they want to talk." Pepper says looking irritated.
"The problems just keep coming." I thought rubbing my forehead.
It's been 6 months since the invasion and it was just one thing after another. I started selling the synthetic Vibranium to research groups which was supposed to be a good idea you know collaboration for science. But almost immediately I get a call from the Wakanda embassy demanding a meeting.
"Why does a small Africa nation have a problem with me selling synthetic Vibranium?" I sigh they were very insistent that I talk to them.
"They are saying religious reasons because Vibranium is sacred to them." Pep says. "Listen you have been dodging them for a month and a half and now they're threatening legal action." Pep finished.
"What legal action could they possibly put forward?" I feel a new headache coming.
"I don't know but our lawyer's are looking into it. But please at least talk to them, Stark Industries is getting daily calls now." Pepper looked at her watch. "Listen I have a 4 o'clock please deal with this." With that she hangs up.
"Mam should I set up a call." Jarvis cuts in.
"Fine better get this over with." I grumble.
Waiting for the call to connect I look at some files I 'borrowed' from the department of defense. These were all files on enhanced individuals currently on the radar. There are a lot of names and the list only grows every day.
After the invasion people with powers just kept coming out, some good and some down-right evil but most just kept there heads down. I need soldiers for the war inevitably coming to earth and these people are the best bet.
"Thank you for calling the embassy of Wakanda how may I direct your call?" A polite woman's voice said opening the call.
"This is Toni Stark I am resounding to a request for a meeting." I say in a neutral voice.
"I'll put you through to the ambassador please stay on the line." I could hear the venom in her voice that only made we wonder what the hell I did.
"Ms Stark thank you for getting back to us. Wakanda would like to set up an in person meeting about the supposed synthetic Vibranium you are claiming to sell." He sounded angry to.
"Fine I'm available in 2 weeks. Let's meet at Stark industry's building so you can see it yourself." Before he can respond I hang up.
"Jarvis anything else I need to deal with?" I just want to eat and read my files.
"No mam nothing important but you do have a call from Mr Hogan."Jarvis informs me.
"Put him through." The call connects. "Happy what can I do for you." I say.
"Does the name Aldrich Killian ring a bell?" Happy asks.
"Ya sweaty guy, walked with a cane and super pushy." Grabbing a energy drink as I keep listening.
"Well he's coming onto Pepper real hard and I don't trust him." He says.
"Happy, Pep can take care of herself but you are head of security so do what you think is best." I hang up and go to the living room.
Stark mansion living room (Toni POV)
After 5 hours of reading on my couch Jarvis grabs my attention.
"Mam there is an urgent call from miss Potts." I tell Jarvis to answer.
"Toni! Happy is in the hospital." Peps frantic voice comes through.
"Hay calm down! What happened?" I say trying to figure out what's going on.
"He was in a terrorist bombing at the Chinese Theatre!" She gets out. "The Mandarin is taking credit its all over the news." She sounded like she was going to cry.
"Pepper I'll get to the bottom of this I promise." And who ever did this is going to drowned in there own blood.
Hospital entrance 3 hours later(Toni POV)
Happy was in bad shape that much I can tell from my visit. He was caught in the blast that killed 6 people and destroyed a building. Walking out of the hospital I start to make plans before the press jumps on me asking for my statement.
"My statement is this. There is not a cave to deep or a place to big where I won't be able to find you and drag you out." I grit out. "I'm coming and there is not a damn thing you can do." I finish walking to my car.
Stark mansion 1 hour later (Toni POV)
Looking over the crime scene with the hologram I start to put the pieces together. A bomb with no parts or ignition agent and Happy Pointing to a set of dog tags on the ground. The only lead I really had was that there was an incident in Tennessee with a similar explosion and apparently it was a suicide. The other was a weak connection that both men, suicide and the tags were military.
"Jarvis make a flight plan to Rose Hill Tennessee." I say
"Being done Mam" before I could say anything else my phone goes off and the ID was Natasha.
"Nat good to hear from you. How can I help?" I say in a calm tone.
"I should be asking you that. You did threaten a terrorist on live TV." She did sound concerned.
"Ya I did but I could use your help in finding said terrorist." I paused. "You free to lend a hand?"
"I can make time. What do you need?"
"Meet me in Rose Hill Tennessee tomorrow morning I have a feeling that is where I can find answers." I say sending her the location.
"No problem see you there." With that she hangs up.
"Mam there is someone at the door." Jarvis says.
There is indeed a woman at the front door dark hair pale complexion. Putting on the Mark 42 and sheathing my sword I make my way up to the door. Now that I see her I do recognize her as Maya Hansen a botanist I tried to hire after seeing her work but got stonewalled.
Opening the door and stepping out of the suit I greet her. "Maya Hansen blocking my calls for a decade and now your at my home." I say in a fake pout.
"Listen I need yo- what do you mean blocking you're calls?" She looked genuinely confused.
"I made several calls to you after I got the board of directors to sign off on hiring you." I scratch my head. "Didn't you get any of my messages?" I ask.
Before she can answer a bag falls right in front of me curtesy of Pepper.
"Toni get moving we have to leave!" She says running down the stares.
"Why?" I asked
"Because you threatened a terrorist on live TV!" She was making a big deal about nothing.
"Guys should we be worried about that." Maya says pointing to the news that showed a missile coming at the house.
"Jarvis deploy blast shields." With that 12 inch steel walls cover the windows the only this we hear is a boom and the room shakes a little.
"Pull up security feeds for the cliff side of the house." A screen pops up showing 3 attack helicopters moving closer.
"Deploy turrets and zero in on the choppers" a targeting sequence starts and homes in on the helicopters.
"Fire."
What happened next left the two other people in the room stunned as the 25mm Gatling guns fire and the helicopters got torn apart.
"Toni why does the house have blast shields and turrets?" Pep asked after slowly turning her head to me.
"Pep do you remember a man coming to my home and laser whipping my front door off?" She just nodded. "That's why." I stated.
"I have to go but I will be contacting you later." Maya say going out the front door.
"She never said why she was here in the first place." I say confused.
"Oh Pep I'm going to Tennessee to investigate and Natasha is gonna be there with me." I informed her.
"Good at least there will be one responsible adult on your trip." She says walking back up stares.
"I resent that!" I shout at her.
Rose Hill Tennessee night time (Toni POV)
I decided to leave early for Rose Hill but that might have been a mistake. Flying in I was about five miles out when Jarvis cuts out. "Jarvis you there?" No response.
Then the HUD goes dark.
Power cuts out.
Yup I'm definitely falling.
"SHIIIIIIIIIIT!!!" I scream as I plummeted from the sky.
Smash! I think that was a tree.
Slam! That was a boulder of some kind.
Crunch! And that would be snow.
Using the manual release on the suit I immediately feel the weather. But at least I was smart enough to wear the right clothes for winter in Tennessee a coat over my T-shirt with cargo pants and sneaker to top it off.
"Oh I just know all those Valkyrie I killed are just laughing at me right now." Stupid war-maidens and there stupid flying horses.
Surveying my surroundings I see I'm in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere. Reaching into my pocket to grab my phone when I pull it out I see it was smashed probably from the boulder.
"Well this is just perfect!" I yell into the wilderness.
Pulling the armor by the emergency rope, I had to walk for five miles in the snow to Rose Hill. I came to a pay phone and tried to call anyone but all I got was dial tone. Done for the night I try to find somewhere I can fix the suit and the best place was some house with a garage. Breaking in was not a problem putting the suit on the couch I sit it up and assess the damage.
"I know I created you and I'm not mad... but I'm very disappointed right now." I say to the suit like I was scolding a child.
Opening the back I pull out the main circuit board and bring it to the workbench almost immediately I see the issue. The connection for the power regulator was burned out this would drain power much faster and caused a malfunction.
"Freeze! Don't move." So caught up in my thoughts I didn't notice a kid walk in pointing what looked to be a potato gun at me.
"Whoa kid be careful with that." I say sarcastically.
To prove a point he fires a potato at a glass jar shattering it. That was good because the last thing I need is a concussion. He re-aims at me but soon realizes he fired his only shot.
"Out of ammo?" I say smirking at him.
"What's that on your chest?" He says probably trying to change the subject.
"There called boobs kid and girls get them when they grow up." I say causing his face to turn red.
"Not that! The glowing circle!" He gets out quickly.
"It's an electro magnet." Man this kid was curious.
"What's it power?" He says.
I move over so he can see the Iron Queen armor when his eyes land on it the flood gate opens. A hundred questions a minute get tossed at me from New York to how I made the armor. Then he seemed to realize something and asked the million dollar question.
"Your Toni Stark right?" I just nod
"What's your name kid?" I ask out of curiosity.
"Harley Keener mam." He says with as much politeness as a pre teen can be.
"Well I'll stick with kid." I say chuckling.
"Then I'll call you lady." He adds.
"Hay kid you want to help me fix her?" I say gesturing to the armor on the couch.
He just nodded as fast as his head could go and stands next to me. We started working and I answered as many questions as well as I could while he handed me tools it went on like this for an hour before we can get the suit to take a charge.
"Thank for the help kid your actually pretty smart." He beams at that.
"Hay kid you know anything about an explosion that happened here?" I figured he may know something it being a small town.
"Ya some guy came back from war and blew himself up with a bomb." He says playing with one of the fingers from the armor.
"Could you take me over there?" He gets up and gestures me to follow.
The walk through town was short not a lot of people on the road at night but when we get there it looks bad. The whole front of the building is gone ashen shadows of people on the wall and a crater where the blast was.
"Kid did Davis have any relatives in town?" I ask.
"Ya his mom lives in here she'll be at the bar." Wow this town was small if a kid knew a grieving mothers drinking habits.
The bar was a nice hole in the wall bar that had a lot of people I tell the kid to wait outside. While walking in some lady with red hair and facial scaring.
"Hay watch where your going." I says making the red head scowl.
Continuing in and a woman drinking alone looking like life has drop-kicked her.
"Mam are you miss Davis?" She nods so I sit in front of her.
Without a word she pulls out a file and hands it to me. I take a second to thumb through the documents. It was a file on her son lots of technical jargon but the thing that stood out was the second name on the file, Taggart J same as the dog-tags Happy was pointing to.
"Miss Davis why did you give me this file?" She now looks very confused.
"Are you not the person who called for it?" She says
"Actually that would be me." The red head says then goes to grab me but I kick back my chair and elbow her in the gut so I can grab the file putting it into my jacket.
"What is going on here?" The sheriff says getting up.
"I'm homeland security and that woman is a under arrest for assault on a federal agent." She finished flashing her badge.
"I need to see some paper work before I can believe that claim." Says the sheriff.
"I don't have time for this." She starts walking over then shoves her glowing hand into his chest then she lights up like a Christmas tree.
Not sticking around I run out of the bar and she followed. Right as I reach the street some guy comes out of a car with a gun and points it at me but before he can shoot the kid throws a snow ball at him throwing off his aim. Not wasting any time I dive through a window into a store and see the red head coming at me so I jump behind the counter for cover. Going into the kitchen I look for a weapon I find a kitchen knife and when she rounded the corner I stab her in the chest which causes her to fall on the floor. But to my shock she just pulls the knife out and starts getting up stab wound glowing orange.
"You just have to make this difficult." She says in a manic tone.
Right as she gets up I use the last trick I have. "POCKET SAND!" I shout throwing a hand full of sand into her face.
"Ah you bitch." She yells trying to clear her eyes but before she can do that I grab a butcher knife and shove it into her skull.
I move for the back door but I noticed a rather large amount of orange light looking back I see her body starting to light up. Not wasting time I get out the back door moments later a massive blast destroys the building.
"Holy shit she blew up." Dusting my self off I start to move but get stopped when the bald guy from earlier steps into view with Harley.
"So what's it going to be Stark the kid or the file." He says smiling at me.
I was about to answer but a 4 bullets lands right into the guys head. Not taking a chance I grab the kid and start to haul ass out of there which was good because 15 seconds later he blows up to.
"Rough night?" Natasha says stepping over.
"Ya you could say that. Your early." I say catching my breath.
"Well someone's digital child wouldn't stop calling me when he lost contact." Nat said raising her phone.
"Mam! Mam thank goodness you are alright when I lost the connection with the Mark 42 I feared the worst." Came the voice of a frantic Jarvis.
"It's ok Jarvis. The suit just had a malfunction." I say trying to calm down the AI.
"So what now?" Nat asked.
"Here. This file has some answers look through it and we can come up with a plan." I say.
"Kid you ok?" He nods and smiles.
"You saved my life." With that he runs over and hugs my leg. What was I supposed to do leave him to incinerate.
"No problem kid, now get off." I say gently pushing him off me.
"Now let's regroup at the kids garage." They nod and we start walking.
Keener house 2 hours later (Toni POV)
"So we have a suspect the think tank A.I.M has there name all over this file." Nat says while I work on the armor.
"Ya there involved in this now I think I know where to find the Mandarin." Putting away the soldering iron I turn to Natasha's phone Jarvis was using. "Jarvis run a trace on the terrorist video signal and cross reference with all known A.I.M facilities."
"Yes mam." After a few seconds he speaks up. "You are correct mam the signal is being sent from an A.I.M facility in Miami Florida." He confirmed.
"Are you saying the international terrorist who kills for fun and hates America is currently in the sunny land of Florida." I take a deep breath to try and process how ridiculous this is.
"Well he had to be somewhere might as well be Florida." Nat says and was not helping with that smirk.
"Nat bring the jet in and we'll head out, and thanks for coming." She smiled and ran out.
"Jarvis call Rhodey." I wait for the call to connect. "Hay Iron Patriot how it going?" I say with sarcasm.
"Toni call my mom back she is still mad and you need to tell her you are joking." He says sounding a little mad.
"I wasn't joking. But I'll call her and pull your ass out of the fire." I say with mirth. "Oh and I have a question was A.I.M the organization that came up with Iron Patriot Right?" I ask.
"Ya they came up with the rebranding idea." He say.
"Thank you Rhodey that makes this a lot more fun." I hang up. When I find the person who made Iron Patriot a thing I'll throw them through a wall.
"Your leaving." Came the voice of the Harley.
"Ya but don't worry this is not the last you'll see of me." I say with a smirk and a ruffle of his hair.
"Toni you ready?" Nat says walking back in.
"Ya I'm ready." I walk out the door but not before turning to the kid one last time. "Take care kid your going to be great." With that I ordered the suit into the jet and we fly away.
Miami Florida 3 hours later (Toni POV)
Natasha was grinning at me for what ever reason so I decided to address that before the assault on the facility.
"What has you grinning like an idiot?" I ask walking into the armor.
"Your good with kids. I just never expected that." She says checking over her guns.
My experience with kids was from a life I lived nearly 200 years ago when I grew up in an orphanage and later ran the place. Kids are alright personally I never wanted them but it helps to know how to handle them.
"Another mystery solved about me. I don't hate kids." I laugh back at her and she joins in.
Before either of us can continue we both hear a knock at the back door of the jet. I immediately pull out my sword but Nat just smirks then a voice come in.
"Open up! Florida has snakes and alligators I don't want to get eaten." Came the voice of Clint.
"I invited him for backup." Says opening the door.
"Glad to know I'm on speed dial for assaulting terrorist bases." He giggles.
"All right now we look like a strike force. So here's the plan I'll go in the front you guys provide support from range." Pulling up a early Extremis tests and play it. "Also be careful if you damage the glowing people too much they blow up especially after brain trauma." Right as I said that the guy in the video blows.
"Holy crap! Explosive terrorists now I've seen it all." Clint cuts in.
"See the blond guy in the video in the glasses." They both nod. "That's Aldrich Killian head of A.I.M and most likely selling Extremis to the Mandarin he is our second target if he's here."
"Alright team let's get to it." I say.
Mandarin Compound 30 minutes later (Toni POV)
Making our way through the compound was easy I just blast people then Nat or Clint finish them off. There was a lot of enemies here mostly guards but an occasional glowing combatant decked out in army gear. But they were not expecting Iron Queen with two highly trained shield agents that are crazy good at headshots. Going deeper into the building I see something weird. There was a woman on the couch that was high as hell then we when to the bed room and there were two more women on the bed. After a toilet flushes the Mandarin comes in using a British accent.
"Did you know fortune cookies where made by America's based on a Japanese recipe." The guy says to the lady's in the bed.
Not letting him continue I grab him by the back of the shirt and toss him into a recliner.
"Ok you have five seconds to explain what the fuck is going on or I'm going to toss you through the roof." I grow out.
What happened in the next two minutes was a rambling explanation on how he was an actor and was hired by Killian to cover up his test subjects that blow up. Great I was hunting a fake person while the real terrorist was walking around.
"Where is Killian!" I shout at this dumb-fuck of a man.
"Probably in the back of the compound that were all the crazy stuff happens." He says.
Before he can ramble anymore two more Extremis soldiers run in. Not having any patience left I just blast them them toss them out a window and fire two missiles that hit them mid-air.
Making our way to the back of the compound fighting the whole way we enter the building. The place just screamed unethical from the stone walls to the blood stains on the tables and people in lab oats running around. Walking further in I find a surprise chained to a lab station.
"Maya what the hell are you doing here?" I ask seeing her chained up and typing away.
"I work for A.I.M but I tried to quit and Killian did not like that." She says frowning.
"Why did you work for them in the first place and why quit now." I ask trying figure her involvement in this.
"Well I worked for them because I needed funding for Extremis they seemed like the only people willing to try." I was about to point out that I was gonna to fund her but the cuts me off. "The reason I quit was Killian is the one that blocked all the job offers you sent I thought you just forgot about me." She finished in a sullen tone.
"Well now I have two reasons to chop his head off." I say but a door opens and shows Killian walk in.
"Now that's just hurtful Stark." He says smiling like a madman that he was. "Your the reason this all was possible." He stopped about 3 feet in front of me.
"How the hell is that?" I am really confused now.
"When you left me on that roof all those years ago I really thought you would show up for the first 20 minutes but after 2 hours I was really thinking about using the one step shortcut to the lobby." He says starting to pace.
"Oh cool he's insane." Was the only thought I hade as he continued.
I tune the rest of the speech out and apparently so did Clint and Natasha because when I looked at them Clint was inspecting his bow and Nat was examining her nails. This went on for a minute or two but when I tune back in he sounded like he was finishing up.
"-and I will get Potts after I'm done with you and your little Air Force friend Rhodes. He was easy to get, your Armor is nothing com-" Oh great he kidnapped Rhodey.
Acting on a split second decision I pull out my sword before he can blink and lop his head off. His lackeys didn't have time to react as I kicked his body at them making them stumble back into the hall they came out of. Clint fires an arrow at the door and pulls on the rope attached so he can close the door.
BOOM!
"Well that was anti climatic." Nat says
"Ya but the guy was nuts." Clint adds.
"Hay Maya. Seeing as your former employer lost his head how would you like a job?" I ask smiling not that she could see that given the helmet and all.
"Uh sure let me just get my stuff." She says awkwardly getting up.
Searching the compound I finally find Rhodey hanging from some chains not saying anything I just blast the chains and he fall into a heap.
"Wake up sleeping beauty your princess is here!" I shout.
"Toni help. I can't move." He says
"Get out of the armor and I'll just carry it." I sigh out.
After waiting for the law to show up to arrest A.I.M we take the jet back to my house. I get to fix War Machine because fuck Iron Patriot and I gave the armor it's old paint job. Maya was joining the medical R on Monday she will be working on Extremis to stabilize it which I will be helping. I'm definitely interested in the whole super strength part and the regrown limbs thing.
Stark Industries 2 weeks later (Toni POV)
I breath deep as I feel my chest with a distinct lack of an Arc reactor. It took a week but Extremis was stable now so the first thing I did was have the reactor removed. The surgery was drastic removing that much shrapnel but the results were great and after 3 days of recovery I can now breath easy. It was a tough choice but I didn't want to worry about a bunch of metal moving into my heart.
"Maya do you have what we discussed?" I ask walking into her office.
"I still say this is a terrible idea." She says pulling out a small case from her desk. "But I trust you not to abuse this power." She said going back to her work.
I open the small case and see an auto-injection kit with a ominous orange glow. This was full power Extremis not the watered-down version they used on my surgery. This was the stuff that made you super strong and allowed rapid regeneration unfortunately after being stabilized it no longer let people spit fire.
That would have been cool.
"Thank Maya I won't take this gift for granted." I say smiling.
"Remember this is only to be used if you know your about to die. I don't know if the human body can survive the full force of Extremis even if it's stable." She said not even looking up.
Walking back down the hall to my office I start to dread the meeting that was coming. The representative from Wakandan was coming today and I have no idea what they wanted but it can't be anything good. Maybe a nap would help I still have time before they arrive.