Chapter Forty Two

"So, let me get this straight, Tony is having panic attacks and you think this has something to do with the Mandarin?"

After finally getting back to the mansion when Rhodes offered a ride home, Ada decided to call Steve of all people. She knew he was busy doing whatever work SHIELD had offered him, but, he'd always insisted they somehow keep in touch with each other. Ada took full advantage of that offer, knowing she needed someone to vent off her worries to. Steve just happened to be that one person, since Natasha nor Clint were willing to put up with it.

"That about sums it up," she replied with a nod. She frowned as she glanced at the video screen, suddenly aware that Steve had likely seen just about everything from working for the army. "I know it sounds a bit… crazy, but, I'm worried about him. He isn't getting decent sleep, and hasn't been himself since the battle of New York."

Steve furrowed his brows together in thought when she mentioned the battle and Tony's lack of sleep. She really was worried about her father. Tony had his stubborn streaks, and when he put his mind on a task, he rarely didn't stop until said task was complete. But, this was something entirely different. She'd never seen Tony act like this, even after he was captured by the Ten Rings and tortured by them. It was clear that something was bothering him, and she wished that she knew what that something was.

"Have you tried talking to him about this?" he asked thoughtfully.

Ada held back a sigh of frustration and sat perched on her bed. Of course, she'd tried talking to Tony about it. Multiple times when he wasn't with Rhodes or anyone else. The problem was, Tony happened to be too stubborn to accept help. He would refuse to talk about it even if she did manage to ask him what the problem was. If something was bothering him like she suspected, Tony wouldn't admit it out loud until something terrible happened to him or someone he cared about.

"He's a stubborn pain in the ass who refuses to admit something's wrong," she muttered crossly.

If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he was actually laughing at that. She knew she wasn't much better when it came to stubbornness issues. Hell, he'd experienced first-hand just how stubborn she could be. Yet, that didn't make what was happening any better. She wished there was more she could do to resolve the issue at hand. She hated feeling so useless when there was something that could have been done.

"Just try and talk to him. You'd be surprised how well that works," he replied.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Ada supposed that was the best option they had. Fury wanted her to keep an eye on Tony because of his odd behavior, and the threat the Mandarin posed. Something in the back of her mind kept telling Ada that the connections were too coincidental for her to ignore. She chewed the bottom of her lip at the thought, knowing that she would have to ask sooner or later if Tony knew who the Mandarin was.

"Thanks, Steve," she murmured after giving a faint nod.

"Take care of yourself," he returned the gesture, offering a small smile.

"You too," she whispered back.

She couldn't help but return the gesture, suddenly wishing that he could have been there in person.

If only it was as simple as talking to him.

She shook her head at the thought, and decided that a shower would be the best way to clear her mind.

It wasn't until after she had gotten out of the shower and changed into fresh clothing that she noticed Tony was back. She had the labs rigged to tell her when he was back, and she guessed from the small alarm that went off, he'd only just recently returned.

Ada narrowed her eyes after walking down to the lab. She hadn't missed the fact that the Iron Man suit was now covered in dents, some of them fresh, and some of them old. Tony himself was leaning against a work table, too focused on whatever project he had before him to notice her arrival.

"What the hell is wrong with you, dad?" she demanded after noticing how absentminded he was.

She knew he'd been planning a dinner date with Pepper later tonight. It was obvious that he'd forgotten about it, and if Ada knew Pepper, she would take his carelessness personally. Pepper wasn't even aware of the fact that Tony had suffered from a panic attack. Ada frowned at the thought, realizing that she should be the first to know. Maybe she would have an idea of what was going on with Tony, or she would be able to figure it out for herself.

"Fixing something," he muttered without looking at her, "Why don't you make yourself useful and go away?"

She had to bite back a nasty retort. For one thing, Tony rarely brushed her off so bluntly. For another, she had a feeling this had to do with his earlier panic attack. Her fists clenched as she shot him a glare before heading back to the main living room.

Things only got worse when she spotted Pepper arriving just as she reached the living room. Before Tony had finally taken responsibility for her, Pepper was usually the one who looked after her. The two of them had remained good friends throughout the years, and Ada still saw Pepper as a mother-figure. If there was one thing she had learned about Pepper throughout those years, it was not to piss her off.

Ada turned just in time to see a giant looking stuffed rabbit sitting in front of the mansion itself. Pepper had stopped for just a moment, eyeing the stuffed animal before rolling her eyes and walking inside. Ada herself wasn't sure whether she should laugh her ass off at the rabbit, or kick Tony's ass for thinking a giant stuffed rabbit made a decent gift.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I was…" Pepper cut herself off after noticing the Iron Man suit that reached the sofa. Ada nearly rolled her eyes at the sight. She knew that Tony was busy working on the lab, and likely hoping that Pepper would buy his act. "What is that?" She looked at Ada in disbelief as crossed her arms in annoyance, "Ada, do you know where Tony is?"

She hesitated for a moment, aware that Pepper was already in a bad enough mood. The last thing she wanted was to make it worse. She knew what Pepper was like when she was angry, and, it wasn't a pretty sight.

"I'd rather not get involved with… this," she replied, gesturing between Pepper and the Iron Man suit.

"He's wearing this in the house, now?" Pepper went on as she walked over to the suit, "What is this, Mark Fifteen?"

Ada chewed the bottom of her lip as she noticed the number hidden on the back of his helmet. He did his best to hide it, though she knew it read Mark Forty Two.

"Uh… yeah, something like that. You know, everyone needs a hobby," Tony replied.

She only stayed in the background, knowing full-well that getting caught in their argument was the last thing she wanted. Tony had a tendency to drag her into whatever was going on between them. She knew that would only end in disaster if they started fighting again.

"Oh, and you're wearing your hobby in the living room, now?" she deadpanned.

"Just breakin' it in. You know, it's a little pinchy in the gooey bag at first, so…"

She didn't bother sticking around for the rest. Finally getting fed up with their argument, Ada left them before things could escalate to a full-blown argument.

With a sigh of frustration, she locked the door behind her once she reached her room. Some fresh air after that kind of argument was desperately needed. She needed to clear her mind, and something told her meditation wasn't the answer, this time.

"Jarvis, do you know where Happy is?" she asked after realizing he was the one person she knew she could talk to without worrying about Tony finding out.

"Mr. Hogan is on his way to the Chinese Theater, Miss Stark," Jarvis replied almost immediately.

She hid a knowing smile as she slipped out through the window before anyone could notice she was missing. Tony had an array of cars she could choose from, and she didn't need keys to start the engine. The good thing about being taught how to drive by Clint was, he'd taught her how to hot-wire a car. Normally, she only used such skills during an emergency. But, at this point, she was desperate to get away from the rising tension between Tony and Pepper.

Shaking her head at the thought, she pushed away whatever worries she had of Tony and Pepper and drove off to the Chinese Theater.

…

After weaving in and out of traffic for what felt like hours, Ada finally reached her intended destination and found a parking space to pull into. It was already late at night, and she was surprised Tony hadn't tried calling her since she left the mansion. On any normal occasion, he would have called a dozen times before she finally answered. Her heart sank even further at the thought. Something was really wrong with him if he wasn't checking in on her like he normally did.

To her surprise, and to her amazement, she noticed that the Chinese Theater looked like the real thing. Green roofs that arched down could be made out across every block. A large archway marked the main entrance theater itself. Small booths selling cheap knock-off souvenirs were scattered around the plaza. The place itself was crowded with pedestrians and customers. Ada couldn't help but marvel at the site when she realized this was the first time she'd visited the place.

It didn't take her long to spot Happy among the crowd. He was just getting out of his car when she walked across the street, reaching him within seconds.

"Happy!" He stopped short after realizing that he wasn't alone.

"Ada, what are you doing here?" he asked once he reached her, checking to make sure that no one was watching them.

"Well, dad and Pepper are currently arguing with one another, and I've got nothing better to do," she started with a shrug.

Happy eyed her skeptically, but he didn't bother pressing for answers. He knew she wasn't fond of hearing Tony and Pepper argue. After growing up with it for the last fourteen years, she still couldn't get used to it.

"I'm on a mission of my own," he said, and she almost smirked after noticing how proud he sounded.

As they started walking towards the stairs leading to the main courtyard, Ada noticed that the area was bustling with activity. Though, Happy had his gaze focused on one couple in particular. Ada narrowed her eyes when she followed his gaze, not missing the fact that they were acting strangely suspicious.

Carefully, she turned on the earpiece that she always kept handy while on missions.

It was a device that she and Jimmy had worked on a few months ago. The device itself was designed so that she could overhear conversations from a distance between pedestrians. It came in handy during situations like these, and not for the first time, Ada found herself silently thanking Jimmy for his clever hands in engineering.

"That's the guy I'm keeping an eye on," Happy informed her after looking at the two men who looked strangely guarded.

He nodded towards the younger looking gentleman dressed in a trench coat; the man kept looking over his shoulder as if he was expecting someone to attack him. Ada watched him carefully, knowing full-well that if he was planning something, they needed to be ready for it.

"Looks more like a rat that crawled out of the sewers," she muttered under her breath.

Happy threw her a knowing look as he smirked. Even if he didn't agree with her choice of words, he knew she had a point.

"Yeah, well, he was with the guy who was hitting on Pepper earlier today," he explained with a shrug, "Tony asked me to keep an eye on him, and, I plan on doing just that."

Ada watched the pair warily as they started talking in low whispers, "Can you regulate?"

He knew he was being watched. That explained why he was acting so suspiciously. Ada's fists clenched as she hid behind Happy, peering around the corner as she kept one eye on them.

"Yes, I can regulate," the younger man replied.

For a moment, Ada blinked in confusion as she wondered what they meant by regulate. To her, it sounded almost like a drug deal.

"Are you sure about that?"

The older guy handed over the briefcase, the slightest smirk playing on his face.

"Yes," the younger guy repeated.

"It's a decent batch. Don't say I never did nothin' for you."

"Thank you… I mean for understanding."

She narrowed her eyes after realizing this really did look more like a drug deal than anything else. Not for the first time, Ada found herself wondering why they hadn't tried stopping them, yet. Drug deals happened just about every day, and were so common that SHIELD didn't bother with them. That was something the cops could handle.

Before the man could get any further, Ada took the initiative and 'accidentally' bumped into him, knocking something out of his hand in the process. Happy quickly caught the object in question and patted him apologetically on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, buddy," he said, "My friend here can be a little clumsy."

She offered a small smile as the younger guy looked at her warily. If he suspected anything, he didn't show it. The longer they stayed there, the higher risks they had of getting caught by both this guy and the one Happy was so concerned about.

That was when things took a turn for the worse. The guy's hands began glowing red, and, Ada could see steam rising from them. She shot Happy a warning look, praying that he hadn't missed the sudden change himself.

"What are you doing, buddy?" the guy Happy had been stalking asked when he joined them. "You out by yourself? A little date night?" His eyes shifted between Happy and Ada, and Ada suddenly felt her cheeks turning a faint shade of red. "Watching your favorite chick flick, maybe?"

"You're asking way too many questions for my liking," Ada snapped, crossing her arms as the man narrowed his eyes. "We were just passing by."

"Yeah, and, we were on our way to see a little movie called 'The Party's Over', starring you and your junky girlfriend, and here's your ticket," Happy put in, revealing the object the younger man had dropped.

Ada stiffened when she noticed they were glaring at them dangerously. The tension had risen to its peak. His hands started glowing once more, and Ada was already formulating an escape plan for Happy before things could spiral out of control.

"No kidding? That doesn't belong to you."

The stranger tried swiping it from Happy, but Ada reacted faster. She grabbed the object before he could reach it, moving it just out of reach. He let out a grunt of surprise when she punched his nose in the process, ignoring the look Happy threw her.

Ada took a step back in surprise when his face glowed a bright red. Seconds later, and his face was completely healed. Not a single trace of what she had done was visible. Her heart was racing with panic when he suddenly grabbed her by the neck, his hands still glowing that bright red. She could feel heat radiating from his body as he tossed her aside like a useless utensil.

Her head began to spin as Happy was thrown seconds later not far from where she had been tossed. Ada struggled to get up, but instead forced back a yelp of pain that shot through her leg. Of course, it would have felt as if he'd broken it.

The stranger started walking towards them, his hands still glowing until someone shouted his name.

"Savin!" He stopped in mid-step, glaring at the speaker. "Help! Help me!"

Horror surged through Ada when she realized what was happening. Savin only smiled as the younger guy began glowing the way he had earlier. Only it was a more violent glow, and the heat that came from him was almost overwhelming.

"Ada, you need to get out of here," Happy shouted as he too saw what was happening.

She only shook her head and started focusing her powers on the ground. She needed to act quickly if they were to make it out of here alive.

"I'm not leaving you here to deal with that," she snapped as she pulled up pieces of cement.

The cement would protect them both from the intense heat that she could already feel. Not for the first time, her powers had saved her life as well as someone else's life – the guy in question had suddenly screamed in agony as what appeared to be his energy reached a critical point.

It wasn't until after she'd formed a rock-like shield to keep them safe from the heat that the explosion followed. The world suddenly felt as if it as being ripped apart around Ada as she hurtled rock after rock to keep the shield from falling apart.

Nothing could have prepared her for the pain that followed. The intense heat that came from the explosion was enough for her to lose control. Her teeth ground together as she tried to hold herself up. If she lost control now, it would only end in disaster for everyone.

By the time the flames had finally begun to die down, Ada was gasping for breath. The smoke burned her lungs, making it difficult to breathe. It was also clouding her vision enough that she couldn't make out where everyone was. But, Ada hadn't missed the fact that Savin had survived the explosion. Her eyes narrowed with rage as she saw him walking away, as if nothing had happened to him.

He was the last thing she saw before passing out from sheer exhaustion.

…

"True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese, they sound Chinese, but they're actually an American invention. Which is why they're hollow, full of lies, and leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knock-off, The Chinese Theater. Mr. President, I know this must be getting frustrating, but this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming; your graduation."

Tony's heart lurched with dread as the video played out. When he'd gotten a call from Fury regarding Ada's condition, he suddenly wished a hole would open up and swallow him.

Because of his negligence, she'd gotten hurt. He knew this could have easily been avoided if he'd paid attention. His hands were shaking as he recalled how furious Fury had been when he called. Now, he was just thankful Pepper had been asleep at the time. There was no telling how she would have reacted had she found out.

He shook his head at the thought, knowing full-well that this was all his fault. He planned on making things right, again. One way or another. Even if it killed him, in the end.

AN: I'm sorry I haven't updated in over a week. One reviewer kept saying that this story doesn't make any sense (in a way, it really doesn't ^^); now, I'm going to be honest in saying this was actually written years ago, and I'm just trying to tweak it best as I can. I appreciate constructive criticism, and I try fixing whatever errors people point out. With that being said, I went back and changed her age to be more accommodating to the story. At any rate, thank you ImsebastiantanButter and Softballpup12 for reviewing!

Softballpup12 - Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it so much :) Hopefully you'll continue enjoying it, despite my lack of updates ^^