Time Traveling is Complicated Chapter 71, an avengers fanfic

Hi everyone so apparently I had one more left in me and this one is long, like really long. So I hope it'll hold you over to the next one. Thank you for the support. :) Let me know what you think.

When I opened my eyes I was in a weird living room. It had a view of a bunch of skyscrapers and the windows were shattered. I saw the Empire State Building in the distance and flying aliens in the distance. Oh shit, I'm in New York.

Wow this is the first time I time jump so close to my present. Why am I here though?

Out of nowhere someone landed fell onto the balcony. What the hell?

Then a giant green man, I think, jumped onto the balcony and threw the guy that fell onto the balcony through another window. He landed on the floor a few feet away from me and that's when I recognized him.

"Loki?" I said.

"You?" He said confused.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"How are you here? The last time you appeared on Asgard was at least half a century in ago."

"ARHH!" The green thing that threw Loki yelled. Holy crap that's the Hulk.

"Enough!" Loki yelled. "You are, all of you, beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by…" that's all it took for me to lose my patience with him. I concentrate and flung him up at the ceiling.

"Shut up you egotistical maniacal sociopath." I threw him against the wall. "You came to my world, caused the death of who knows how many people." I threw him against the bar. "And then you taunt Hulk, who for the record seems pretty cool. I've had enough." I let him go. "He's all yours big guy." I said, stepping aside.

Hulk stepped forward and grabbed him by the leg and flung him around until finally he just let him go so hard the floor crumbled under Loki. Hulk turned to look at me before he walked away and said "Puny God."

"I don't know what happened to you since the last time I saw you but don't ever try to destroy my world. Even Odin won't be strong enough to protect you if you do." I said before I got the chills again and started glowing.

I closed my eyes and just let the stone do it's thing. When it was done I saw that I was in the ranch. I looked around and everything was pretty empty. I walked over to the living room and saw a flash of light that disappeared right away. Wren was sitting on the couch watching where I'm guessing future me was before I teleported out.

"Hey." I said.

"Hey." Wren said looking towards me. "Oh I know that outfit. I'm guessing this is where you came right after I used my powers in front of you for the first time."

"Actually, this was the second stop, the first was New York." I said.

"Interesting two different stops in two different times before it takes you back." Wren commented.

"It's been doing that the past few times although this was the first time in months the stone sent me anywhere."

"Well that has to count for something. She isn't letting you talk to your Dad but at least it didn't leave you trapped in the past." Wren said.

"True, so we're about to have the big talk." I said.

"Yes we are." He said.

"Can I just say, you were such a jerk when I first met you." I said.

Wren just laughed at that. "Don't really know how to respond to that. I honestly didn't think you were going to last the day." Wren said.

"Dude you made two grown men run out crying." I said.

"But not you. You stuck it out and proved me wrong." He said.

"And I swear you have no tact. You're way of asking if something's wrong is to annoy the crap out of me until I explode." I say.

"It's the only way I could get you to talk to me. You were so tightly wound. I swear the stick up your arse had a bigger stick up its arse." He retorted.

"I was so tightly wound because you were so snotty." I answered.

"That seems like another lifetime ago." He said smiling.

"So back to the main event, we're about to have the big talk, any advice or anything you want me to specifically mention?" I said.

"You know it doesn't work that way." Wren said.

"I know but we finally made progress and you don't hate my guts as much anymore so advice?" I said.

"Nora I never hated you. There are just some things you didn't know about me that you'll find out later on." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why do you say it like that?" I said.

"Oh its nothing." He said "So back to the big talk. Like it happened with Jess and Sam, seeing is believing. Just explain the time jump and the stone and then fill in the gaps when it feels right. You'll know what to say." He said.

"That easy."

"That easy." He confirmed.

"Okay I can handle this." I said giving myself a pep talk.

"You can." He said with a smile on his face a laughing a bit.

"What?"

"Nothing, Don't ever change Nora." He said with a smile.

"Okay, wish I could say the same about you but I kind of like this version better than the one I met. You're a very hard person to read Wren."

"Funny, I always thought I was an open book." He said.

"Are you okay?" I asked, "You're very nostalgic right now."

"Yeah I'm okay." He said nodding. At that moment the chills started.

"Time to go." I said.

"See you soon Nora." He said.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them I was back where I had left Wren.

"What that bloody hell?" Wren said.

"Uh, How long was I gone?" I asked.

"Where the hell were you?" He asked.

"New York, about four and a half months ago. Give or take. Then some time in the future." I said.

"What?" He said.

"Yeah, There are a few things we need to talk about." I said.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." He said crossing his arms across his chest.

"I guess I should probably start at the beginning. I'm a time traveler." I said.

"Time traveler?" He asked.

"Yeah, I jump through time. The glowing thing I just did was a time jump. About a year and a half ago I walked into this shop in Dublin and some lady gave me a bracelet with a weird stone on it. A few days later while I was in Geneva for a presentation on the Hadron Super Collider a malfunction happened and I was sent back in time to 1943." I said. "Ever since I occasionally get sent back in time or to the future, like you just saw."

"You're a time traveler?" He said.

"Yes." I answered.

"And all of that was caused by the stone."

"Yes."

"Is that all you can do?" He asked.

"No, I can make force fields and project energy to move things. Kind of like telekinesis." I said

"That time at the clinic, your force field is what shielded us from the blast." He said.

"Yeah, I didn't actually make the shield the stone occasionally activates it on instinct when I'm in danger." I said.

"You talk about it like it's a person." He said.

"It kind of is. It's a sentient energy that predates the universe. It occasionally likes to chat. It takes on the form of people I know. Used to be my Nana but lately it takes my form. It's kind of creepy. Also goes into my dreams, did that a few times before it started showing up while I was conscious." I said.

"Wow, that's wow." He said.

"The wow factor dies down pretty quickly." I answered.

"That explains why you didn't freak out when I teleported you away from that bomb." He said.

"Jumping through time or jumping through space are a bit similar. Only difference is that with time traveling I have to be careful not to spill anything that could alter the timeline." I said. "What about you? How did you get your powers?" I asked.

"I was born with mine. I was four the first time I teleported. Scared the hell out of the nuns." He said.

"How far can you go?" I asked.

"Anywhere in the world as long as I have an image or have been there before." He said. "Makes eating out all the more fun. Endless possibilities."

"Sounds fun." I said.

"It's something that's for sure, You're actually one of the first persons I ever tell this." He says.

"You're one of the only three people in this time that know about the time traveling." I said. "My dad doesn't even know."

"Is the stone why you can't return how or even call him?"

"It's a part of it." I said.

"What's the other part?" he said.

"That's a question for another time. We need to go it's getting late." I answered.

That was a turning point for us. Wren wasn't as defensive about everything and actually joked around. I didn't have to tip toe around as much. Of course I still hadn't told him I ran into a future version of him or who my dad was or about Steve and Bucky but I was getting there.

By the time it was my birthday we were given time off to go see one of the towns that was under US control. I personally didn't feel like doing anything. It was the first time I wasn't spending my birthday with Dad and I was pretty bummed out. It was around 7am when there was a knock at the door. I buried my head in my pillow.

"Nora open up." I heard Wren call out.

"I'm sleeping." I called out.

Next thing I knew he jumping on my bed.

"Ah!" I screamed in surprise.

"Get up" He said.

"No, I want to sleep in." I said.

"It's your birthday come on. We need to celebrate." He said. "You beat teenage pregnancy. It's the start of a new decade." He pried the pillow out of my hands.

"Were in the middle of nowhere Wren, The only thing to do in the town is drink and as a woman I'm not even allowed in there." I said. He got off of me opened my drawers and pulled out a green flowy tank top, a pair of jeans and a cardigan and threw them at me.

"Get dressed. If you're not outside in ten minutes I'm coming back in." He said before leaving. I groaned, I just want to stay in but I knew he wasn't going to let me. I sighed and got out of bed.

I looked at the clothes Wren had picked out and I have to say he has good taste. Everything matched and fit well. I put on the clothes and put on some short dark brown combat boots. I put on my Arc reactor necklace for the first time in months and then grabbed a scarf I could use to cover my head when we were out. I walked outside where Wren was sitting waiting for me.

"Let's go." He said leading me to our ride. The town was pretty small, most people come here when they need a drink or some company.

"Wren its 10:30 in the morning nothing's open yet." I complained as we were walking through town.

Wren grabbed my hand and pulled me into an alley. "Close your eyes." He said putting a hand on my shoulder and then we were gone.

When I opened my eyes we were in another dark alley. "You really thought we were staying in Afghanistan? You do remember I'm a teleporter." He said.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Around the corner from my favorite bistro. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." He said with a smirk.

"Do this often?" I said as we walked out of the alley.

"Used to, don't really get the chance since I joined the army." He said.

"We don't get a chance to do a lot of things. I don't remember the last time I wore jeans." I said.

"Same, come on. We have a full day ahead of us." He said.

After breakfast we took a walk around the city and made it to the Eiffel Tower. We were walking along the Seine when Wren handed me a small box.

"What's this?" I said.

"Open it." He said.

I opened it and saw a blank folded up piece of paper and a pen.

"Am I supposed to take notes or something?" I said confused.

"Well I was going to ask you to write your father a letter…" He said and I interrupted.

"Wren,"

"Relax I know you can't so instead I want you to write down all the places you'd wish you could be at right now." He said.

"A list?" I said.

"Anywhere in the world no questions asked." He said.

I started writing down all the places I want to be.

Malibu- Near the beach. 'Near dad's mansion' I thought.

New York City. 'Finally see Stark Tower' I thought

Dallas- Jess and Sam's house.

I finished the list and handed it to Wren.

"We're about seven hours ahead of Dallas. What time do Sam and Jess get up?" He asked. I had introduced them a few months ago when Wren interrupted a Skype session. He and Sam bonded over a love of soccer, boxing, and UFC. Apparently Wren was a fan, what a surprise.

"Around seven so four hours from now" I said looking at my pocket watch necklace.

"Okay, I can work with that." And without letting me know he put a hand on my shoulder and we were off.

"Aw that feels gross," I said as we appeared in a park surrounded by trees and bushes.

"Takes some getting used to, A few more times and you won't feel the shift anymore." He said.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Central Park, New York City." He said.

"Wow." I said looking around.

"You ever been?" He asked.

"Never, Dad always said we should go but it was never the right time. He lives here part of the year." I said.

"Did we arrive at said part of the year?" He said knowing why he was asking.

"No, He doesn't like the cold." I said. Dad stayed away from New York after Halloween until mid January. It reminds him too much of Gramps and Grandma's accident.

"Normally I'd suggest we should catch a show on Broadway or visit the Met but considering its only 0415 I say we take a walk." He said.

"Sounds good. I could use a coffee, it's a bit chilly." I say.

"It is America I'm sure we can find a Starbucks around here somewhere." He said.

"They aren't that common." I said.

"Oh really?" He said looking across the street. There were two Starbucks across the street from each other.

"This only happens in New York." I argued.

"Sure it is." He said.

Instead of going to a Starbucks we walked a bit farther. We found a diner that was right across from Stark tower. The building had been repaired since the invasion. I think dad actually upgraded it. The balcony was still under construction, probably to make it more compatible with the suits or maybe to allow a helicopter to land on it. Dad did a bang up job.

"The city looks good. If it weren't for all the news footage you never would have guessed it was invaded by aliens." Wren said.

"Yeah, looks like every one recovered pretty fast." I said.

"You ever tried schwarma?" Wren asked.

"No, knew someone who was going to try it but I never got a chance to ask." I said.

"We should grab some, before we head out." He said casually.

"Where to?" I ask.

"Don't want to miss the sunset." He said.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Doing what?"

"Doing this. The grand tour. I've known you for months and this is the first time I've seen you use your powers this much." I say.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks, you're not the only one who needed a break. Besides, you're leaving in a few weeks this might be the last time we get to hang out." He said looking away.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" I asked.

"Nothing, I got leave so might take a vacation. Might let me spend Christmas in Dubai or Germany." He said.

"Those sound fun." I said.

"They are." He said.

"You could do that or I don't know come back to Texas and visit." I said. "I normally spend Christmas with my dad but considering I haven't spoken to him in months, I don't think that's an option. I was going to spend it with Jess, Sam and Connor. Small dinner good wine and booze. You're more than welcome to join us."

Wren just looked at me trying to see if I was being serious or if I was just inviting him out of pity.

"Can I think about it?" He said.

"Of course, door's always open."

"Do they know about…" He said referring to the stone.

"They saw me time jump had to explain what was going on." I answered.

"Did you tell them about me?"

"No, that's not my secret to tell." I said making Wren smile.

"Let's get lunch." He said leaving money on the table and standing up.

We got schwarma and then walked into another alley. Another jump and we were on a beach.

"Malibu, California as requested." He said.

"It's really quiet, would've thought someone else would have thought to come see the sunrise."

"It's a private beach. Part of one of the properties." He said.

I looked around and didn't see a road or another house. "Up there" Wren said looking over at one of the houses that was on a cliff. "Think it's Tony Stark's. Saw it on the news once."

"It does looks familiar from somewhere." I said smiling.

'You get until the sunrises then he gets you out of there or I will." The stone threatened.

"We have to leave after the sun's up, Stone's orders." I told Wren.

"Wasn't planning on staying long." Wren said. "Did it at least say Happy Birthday?" Wren asked making me laugh.

"Don't think it matters much to it." I said. "When I'm not in my own time the stone stops me from aging. I was in the 1940's for over a year, didn't age a day. Also stopped me from getting pregnant. Thought I couldn't have kids. Two weeks after I got back I got my period. I freaked out went to a doctor said I was perfectly healthy."

"um,"

"That was the first time I time traveled. That's where I met Steve and Bucky." I told him.

"Steve and Bucky?" He said confused.

"My soulmates." I said lifting my sleeves up to show him my marks.

"Thought they both died in the war, imagine my surprise when I see a news recording of Steve during the Battle of New York. Captain America saving the day. Stone didn't want me back in New York and made me stay in Kandahar. It doesn't care about me Wren, it only cares about the bigger picture and my role to play. It won't let me get distracted so it's keeping me away from my Dad and soulmate."

"Wait, Captain America is you soulmate!" He said shocked.

"Yeah." I said watching the sun start to rise.

"That sounds complicated. You met him during World War II?" He asked.

"Yeah I was the Howling Commandos' medic. Kandahar wasn't the first time I was in battle." I said.

"I knew you reacted a bit too well to that explosion." He said.

"Not the first time a bombs blown up in my face or someone's tried shooting me." I say.

"You have had a busy year."

"You don't know the half of it." I answered watching, as the sun was half way out.

"I've had my powers since I was four. Started off as me having strange dreams and I would wake up somewhere that wasn't my bed. Used to think I was sleepwalking or something until one day I did it while I was awake. I practiced and I got better at controlling it. Slowly I started being able to go farther and farther. Now I can go anywhere in the world as long as I have a good image of where I want to be." He explained. By the time he was done talking the sun was all the way up.

"We better go before the stone sends you back in time." He said.

"Yeah, one last stop." I said.

"You have a picture of where to go?" He asked.

"Not exactly, can I borrow your phone?" I asked. He handed me his phone and I opened up Google maps. I put in Jess and Sam's address and clicked on a street view picture. "Does this work?"

"Perfect, hold on." He said putting his hand on my shoulder again. A blink of an eye later we were on the sidewalk in front of Sam and Jess' house.

"Dallas Texas." I said with a smile.

"As requested." He said.

"Come on," I said.

"I think I'll just wait this one out."

"Wren come on, they'll be happy to finally meet you in person."

"Nora…" He started.

"Nope," I looped my arm around his and dragged him onto the porch. I rang the doorbell and waited.

"Hi Oh Shit!" Sam said pulling me into a hug.

"Hey Sammy" I said hugging him.

"How are you here?" He said once the shock wore off.

"I got some leave thought I'd spend my birthday with family." I said.

"Sam who's at the door." Jess said coming towards the door. When she saw I was there she let out a scream. "AHHHHHH!" He ran over and lifted me into a hug.

I responded another scream "AHHH!"

"Are they always like this?" I heard Wren ask Sam.

"Kind of. Let's grab a coffee." He said inviting Wren in.

"How are you here?" Jess said.

"I got a few days leave. Got a few hours before I have to head back. Twenty something hour flight back and forth didn't leave a lot of time." I said.

"Well get in here, I'll make you breakfast." Jess said. As we walked into the kitchen I was tackled by Axl.

"Oof, Hi buddy" I said hugging Axl. I scratched the spot behind his ears. Axl just whimpered and nuzzled against me. "You been a good boy?" Axl just barked.

Then I heard a cry from one of the rooms.

"I'll grab him," I volunteered getting up before Jess and Sam had the chance to argue. Axl followed me but waited outside the room. Guess Sam and Jess trained him to wait outside.

"She spoils our kid so much." I heard Sam say as I walked away.

I walked into Connor's room and found him standing up in his crib. "Hi sweetheart."

Connor let out a laugh and smiled. "I missed you." I said picking him up and kissing his forehead. I checked his diaper and noticed he was a bit wet. I quickly changed his diaper before bringing him to the kitchen where Sam and Wren were talking about sports and Jess was making pancakes.

"Wren, meet my godson and nephew Connor." I said.

Wren turned to look at us and he smiled. "Hi there little bugger." He said.

"Nora mind putting him in his chair, he's probably hungry and you do not want to see him hangry." Jess said.

"Course." I put him down in the chair and buckled him in. Jess handed me some oatmeal with fruit and I fed Connor without Jess having to ask.

"So how long are you two here for?" Sam asked.

"Um a few hours, we have to head back to Afghanistan." Wren said.

"But you just got here." Jess complained. "We don't even have enough time to celebrate your Birthday."

"I know but I'll be back in a few weeks and then I'll be around so much you'll get sick of me." I said.

"Will you be here for Christmas?" Jess asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." I answered.

"Are you spending Christmas with us Wren?" Sam asked.

"Um, not sure…" He said.

"Come on Wren it'll be fun. Nora goes all out for dinner. She makes like three different types of pies. It's a full on feast. Can you really disappoint this little guy?" Jess said and almost on cue Connor stares intensely at Wren and gives him his most adorable smile before putting his hands up asking for Wren to hold him.

"Aww, He likes you." I said.

"He's a really good judge of character." Jess said taking Connor out of his chair and handing him to Wren. Wren hesitantly takes Connor and holds him.

"I don't want to intrude." Wren said.

"Wren cut the shit, we want you to come, and it'll be nice to have another guy around." Sam said.

"The more the merrier" Jess said.

"I told you, you're more than welcome and I have more than enough room at my place for you to crash." I said.

Wren was quiet for a bit and looked down at Connor who was just saying random syllables trying to talk.

"Is there anything I need to bring?" He said.

"An appetite and some booze if you want." Jess said.

"Looking forward to it." He said. Wren looked over at the clock and said. "I think it's time for us to go." He said handing Connor back to Jess.

"You're right." I said.

"This sucks but at least you'll both be here for Christmas." Sam said.

"And then some." I answered.

I hugged Jess and then Sam. Sam gave Wren a bro hug and Jess surprised him with one as well.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah lets go." I said about to turn around when Wren put a hand on my shoulder and teleported us back to Afghanistan.

"Huh, not dizzy this time." I said.

"Told you."

"I thought you were going to keep this under wraps." I said referring to him teleporting in front of Sam and Jess.

"I know it just felt right. They're really good people." He said.

"Yeah they're the best." I said.

"Very huggy." He said still surprised they had literally welcomed him with open arms.

"You get used to that, I remember when I met Jess we had talked for like ten minutes and she got up and hugged me goodbye. I asked her why she did that and she said I looked like I needed it." I answered.

"Looks like we made it just in time." He said looking over to where the Humvee was parked.

"Great timing." I said making him laugh.

A Month Later-

After over twenty hours on a plane, with a layover in Germany, we finally made it back to Dallas. I had Sam and Jess drop off my Audi in airport long-term parking. I took a key with me when I left. I didn't want Sam and Jess to have to get up at three in the morning when the plane landed. Wren spent the entire plane ride scared for his life. He kept muttering something about a giant tin can defying gravity being an accident waiting to happen. He wasn't a fan of flying. He almost teleported us both out of there but I made him stay. It would be hard to explain how we disappeared on the flight and then suddenly reappeared before the plane landed. Also there was the small matter of Wren having to get a visa stamped on his passport.

"Are you sure your car is here? I could just teleport us to your house." He said.

"First of all it's a ranch, it's private property and it doesn't come up on Google maps. Second of all this is where Sam said the car was parked and it's better for us to drive. You really want to carry all our luggage." I said.

"I know I'm just tired. I want to sleep." He whined.

"Then sleep in the car. I'll drive." I said pulling my keys out and unlocking the car.

"that's your car?" Wren said surprised.

"Yeah, it was a birthday gift from my dad." I said opening the trunk.

"What does your dad do for a living again?" He asked.

"He's in the tech business." I said. It was kind of true.

"Right." He said getting in.

There wasn't a lot of traffic so getting back to the ranch was a shorter drive than normal. We walked in and there was a sign hanging on the wall. 'Welcome Home' Then Axl came and greeted both of us. Sam and Jess must've left him there the day before as a surprise.

"Hi buddy." I said kneeling and petting him. Axl got up when he noticed Wren and walked over and sat down in front of him, kind of testing his reaction.

Wren kneeled down and put his hand out. Axl growled a bit but Wren held it out letting Axl sniff him. He calmed down and Wren gently pet him. He started nuzzling him.

"Who's a good boy?" Wren said scratching Axl's belly.

"Wow, he actually likes you and you didn't have to bribe him with hamburgers like my dad did."

"Always wanted a dog, just never had the chance." Wren said standing up. "So this is your house, this is where you grew up."

"Yup, welcome to casa Nora. My fortress of solitude."

"It is very isolated." He said.

"Yeah, you have no idea what a pain it is to get delivery over here. Um well all the rooms have their own bathrooms. So just pick anyone you like except the one at the end of the hall, that's mine." I said. "If you need any towels, blankets, or sheets just check one of the hall closets."

"Will do, night Nora, or should I say morning?"

"Night Wren." I said as he went up the stairs. I went to the kitchen to make sure Axl had enough food and water before heading to the lab. I entered my pin. "Friday lights please." And the lights flashed on.

"It's been a while Ma'am, you have fifty messages, forty of which are from your father." She said.

"Push through the most urgent ones from the ten and delete the ones from Dad, I know what he's asking. Also make sure he isn't notified I'm here."

"You're avoiding him." Friday said but doing as I asked.

"For now, I'll call him when it's time, hopefully before Christmas. Friday get me any files dad has on Captain Steve Rogers or any news in the media." I said.

"As you wish, your father's files on Captain Rogers and the rest of the Avengers are encrypted."

"Then use the backdoor and give me access." I said.

"Back door has been blocked by Jarvis." She said.

"Well then looks like I have to do this manually." I said walking over to the computer.

I used the backdoor I left in the SHIELD server and used their feed to hack into Jarvis. I looked through all of his files until I found what I was looking for. Captain Steve Rogers, born in Brooklyn, New York currently resides in Washington DC, head of Strike Team Delta, SHIELD Special Ops.

Steve was still fighting the good fight. Good for him. Dad had been busy. He had built more suits. Some with sleeker design, some a lot bulkier for greater strength. I found a few new files As well, one for the Iron Legion, a support protocol for when he wasn't with his team the Avengers, and another for something Dad was calling Veronica, a failsafe for something.

I was tired so I shut everything down, made sure to reroute my signal around three continents so if SHIELD had detected the leak they'd never trace it back to me. I went up to their room and through myself on the bed. I looked over at my nightstand and saw the Picture of Steve and Bucky I left there the last time I was in Texas.

"I wish you guys were here." I whispered before knocking out.

December 18th 2012- Third Person's POV

It had been about six the months since the Battle of New York as the media had dubbed it but that wasn't what Tony thought when he was up late at night in his lab injecting himself with Microchips. Normally he'd check in with his lab partner and possibly ask her to perform the injections on him since she was a medical professional but she wasn't taking his calls these days. In fact she had disappeared of the face of the Earth. When someone mentioned New York that was what ran through Tony's head.

"Sir, please may I request just a few hours to calibrate..." Jarvis pleaded with Tony

"No. Forty-eight." Tony said as he injected himself with the last microchip. "Ah! Micro-repeater implanting sequence complete."

"As you wish, sir. I've also prepared a safety briefing for you to entirely ignore." Jarvis offered as was in his protocols.

"Which I will. Right, let's do this." Tony said standing up. He turned to look at Dummy. "Dummy. Hi, Dummy. How did you get that cap on your head? You earned it. Hey. Hey! What are you doing round in the corner? You know what you did. Blood on my mat, handle it."

"Sir, may I remind you that you've been awake for nearly seventy-two hours." Jarvis said sounding slightly concerned.

Tony walked over to a platform in front of the glass cases displaying his suits. "Focus up, ladies. Good evening, and welcome to the birthing suite. I'm pleased to announce the imminent arrival of your bouncing, bad-ass, baby brother." He'd been doing that a lot, talking to his suits. It could have been the sleep deprivation or it could be that he was missing a certain someone. His girlfriend considered it might be after effects of his near death experience.

Tony took a deep breath before giving Jarvis instructions "Start tight and go wide, stamp in time. Mark 42 autonomous prehensile propulsion suit test. Initialize sequence." He raised his hands and activated the suit.

"Jarvis, drop my needle." He raised his hand again and nothing happened.

"Crap." The third time it finally worked. Parts of the suit started flying at him attaching to his arms and legs. "Alright, I think we got this. Send 'em all." Worst idea ever. The suit parts started flying all over his work shop making a mess and breaking the glass display case.

"Probably a little fast, slow it down. Slow it down just a..." But it was too late and the parts were heading right at him. "...little bit." He groaned as it hit him right in the gonads.

"Cool it, will you, Jarvis?" Tony called out to his AI but it was too late. Everything attached to him except the faceplate.

"Come on. I ain't scared of you." Tony taunted. This time he was ready, he flipped over and grabbed the face plate and attached it to the suit.

"I'm the best." Tony said feeling happy with his accomplishment.

"As always, sir, a great pleasure watching you work." Jarvis said sarcastically.

He still wasn't tired so he decided to turn on the news. And that's when he saw it.

"Some people call me a terrorist, I consider myself a teacher. America, ready for another lesson. In 1864 in Sand Creek Colorado the U.S. military waited till the friendly Cheyenne braves all gone hunting, waited to attack and slaughter their families left behind, and claim their land. Thirty-nine hours ago the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was attacked. I...I...I did that. A quaint military church filled with wives and children, of course. The soldiers were out on maneuver, the braves were away. President Ellis you continue to resist my attempts to educate you, sir. And now, you've missed me again. You know who I am, you don't know where I am, and you'll never see me coming." Said the terrorists known as the Mandarin.

Looks like Tony had more work to do.

December 19th, 2012- Dallas, Texas- Nora's POV

I woke up early that morning. Wren and I had gotten into a routine of cooking each other breakfast. I decided today was going to be the day I introduced him to mushroom, cheese and avocado omelets. I made us each a plate with hash browns, bacon and the omelet. I hated eating in the kitchen or the dining room so instead we were eating in the living room. I set the plates down while Wren brought over the coffee.

It was still pretty early, we were still getting used to the time change and our routine while on the base required us to start at 5am everyday. There was nothing on TV so we watched the news when all of a sudden the signal was interrupted.

"What the hell?" Wren said.

At that moment Wren's phone started ringing. He looked down and said "I have to take this." He stood up and walked back to the kitchen.

The news channels were all calling him the Mandarin and apparently this wasn;t the firt time he did something like this. It was the fifth. The news switched over to the White House where the president was going to respond to the recent event.

It started off the same as all of the other speeches. He was aware of the situation and it was all under control. They had assembled a new task force dedicated to apprehending the Mandarin.

"Central to my Administration's response to this terrorist event, is a newly minted resource. I know him as Colonel James Rhodes, the American people will soon know him as the Iron Patriot." President Ellis said as they introduced Rhodey in his repainted suit.

"I liked War Machine better." I muttered.

"That is an awful paint job, why do Americans insist on putting your flag everywhere?" Wren said walking in.

"It's called patriotism. We love our country." I retorted.

"That's what you're taught to believe the rest of the world just sees showboating."

"Maybe but for us it's pride. I admit though, they just butchered the intimidation factor of that suit. Iron Patriot? I think of starts and stripes and singing. War machine, now that says you don't stand a chance so don't bother." I answer looking over at Wren. He looks tense.

"Everything okay?" I ask.

"That was Colonel Stevens, I'm on stand by. They want me back a bit sooner than expected."

"How much sooner?"

"My flight leaves Christmas Day afternoon." He said.

"Shit, I thought you had until after new years?"

"I did but it's an all hands on deck situation. Command wanted me back now but I have seniority and rank I got a few days."

"Well, that's something at least." I say as I stand up and clean up the dishes. "I have to run to get groceries, any requests?"

"I'll go with you, we can make it a day." He suggested probably trying to cheer himself up.

I felt my phone ring and I picked it up. It was a message from Jess.

Hey Nora, need a huge favor; I have to go help out my mom for the day. Her nurse had a family emergency and I don't want to leave her alone. Can you take Connor for the day?

"Uh, just got a text from Jess. Needs me to take Connor for the day." I said.

"Let's go get the little bugger." He said happily. Whether Wren wanted to admit it or not, he loved kids and he was good with them. Connor adored him and they had only seen each other two or three times. I replied to Jess' text.

On our way :)

"Wait how are we going to all it, a car seat won't fit in the convertible?" Wren asked.

"We can take the SUV." I said. Dad had felt guilty about missing Christmas last year so he sent me an SUV, and Audi Q5. He had it sent to the ranch so I didn't have a chance to send it back.

"You have an SUV?" Wren asked.

"Yeah it's in the garage." I said grabbing my coat and purse.

"This place has a garage?" He said following me.

"Uh, Yeah." I said grabbing the keys.

Malibu, California- Third Person's POV

Tony had seen the news about how Rhodey had been renamed the Iron Patriot and couldn't help the opportunity to tease him in person which is why for the first time in weeks he finally made it out of his lab to have lunch with his best friend.

"It tested well with focus groups, alright?" Rhodey defended.

"I am Iron Patriot..." Tony mocked

"Listen, War Machine was a little too aggressive, alright? This sends a better message." Rhodey explained what he was told by his superiors.

"So what's really goin' on? With Mandarin. Seriously, can we talk about this guy?" Tony said getting to the real reason he showed up to lunch.

"It's classified information, Tony." Rhodey said making Tony give him a look until he caved. "Okay, there have been nine bombings."

"Nine." Tony said a bit surprised.

"The public only knows about three. Here's the thing, nobody can ID a device. There's no bomb casings." Rhodey said making Tony curious.

"You know I can help, just ask. I got a ton of new tech, I got a prehensile, I got a...I got a new bomb disposal. Catches explosions mid-air." Tony said bragging a bit but making his friend see everything Pepper had talked to him about earlier.

"When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Rhodey asked concerned about Tony's well being.

"Einstein slept three hours a year. Look what he did?" Tony retorted with the same argument Nora once gave him.

"People are concerned about you, Tony. I'm concerned about you. I know that New York changed things and Nora…" That struck a nerve with Tony.

"You're gonna come at me like that?" Tony said before he could finish that sentence.

"No. No, look, I'm not trying to be a dic..." Rhodey started before he saw two kids come up to their table and corrected himself at the last minute. "...tator."

"Do you mind signing my drawing?" The girl asked.

"If Richard doesn't mind." He said looking at Rhodey "You alright with this, Dick?" He said teasing his almost slip up.

"Fine with me." Rhodey said not letting Tony get to him.

"Erin." The girl said giving him her name. Tony looked over at the boy standing next to Erin.

"I loved you in A Christmas Story, by the way." Tony said trying to make the kid laugh.

"Listen, the Pentagon is scared. After what happened in New York... aliens, come on. They need to look strong. Stopping the Mandarin is priority, but it's not..." Rhodey said trying to get Tony to stay away from the Mandarin case. It wasn't that he couldn't help but Rhodey knew that his friend wasn't in the best state of mind and he needed to focus on getting better first.

"It's superhero business, I get it." Tony said.

"No, it's not, quite frankly. It's American business." He said making it clear he was in no way to get involved.

"That's why I said I...got it." Tony said starting to panic.

"Are you okay?" Rhodey asked noticing he wasn't feeling okay.

"I broke the crayon." Tony said looking down at his hand as his vision started getting blurry.

"Are you okay, Mr. Stark?" Erin asked.

"Take it easy. Tony..." Rhodey said.

"How did you get out of the wormhole? How did you get out of the wormhole?" the little boy slowly whispered and slowly the voice started sounding more and more like his daughter's he looked down and he saw Nora at five years old just looking up at him. He got up and started walking outside.

"Wait a minute! Tony!" Rhodey said getting up and following Tony.

"What'd she say?!" Tony said as he started having a hard time breathing.

"Tony!" Rhodey said raising his voice trying to get his attention.

"Sorry. Have to check on the suit...make sure...okay." Tony said as he walked into his suit, which he had left next to a row of parked motorcycles. "Check the heart, check the...check the...is it the brain?" He said getting Jarvis to check him out.

"No sign of cardiac anomaly or unusual brain activity" Jarvis reported.

"Okay, so I was poisoned?" Tony said trying to find a reason for his symptoms.

"My diagnosis is that you've experienced a severe anxiety attack." Jarvis said.

"Me?" Tony said not believing that it was possible he was panicking.

Rhodey had gotten worried and needed to make sure he was okay. He knocked on the suit to get Tony's attention. "Come on, man. This isn't a good look, open up."

"Sorry, I gotta split." Tony said before flying off in his suit.

The Next Day- Nora's POV

I was in the living room watching the news as Wren walked in with scrambled eggs and pancakes. We sat down and ate while the News Report was interrupted once again.

"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." The Mandarin said before the signal went back to the news report.

"What the hell?" I said.

"How does he keep doing that? Interrupting all the channels at the same time." Wren asked.

"Pretty advanced stuff, not something your run of the mill hacker can pull off." I said.

"We're awaiting the arrival of Tony Stark. We're hoping he'll give us the reaction...his reaction to the latest attack." A reporter on the news said as she stood in front of a hospital in Los Angeles. Apparently one of Dad's employees had gotten injured in the recent attacks. In the background dad walked out of the hospital and reporters crowded around him.

"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Our sources are telling us that this is another Mandarin attack. Anything else you can tell us?" One of the reporters asked.

"Hey, Mr. Stark! When is somebody gonna kill this guy? Just sayin'" Another asked.

Dad took of his glasses and stared right at them. "Is that what you want? Here's a little Holiday greeting I've been wanting to send to the Mandarin. I just didn't know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward, so I've decided that you just died, pal. I'm gonna come get the body. There's no politics here; it's just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon; it's just you and me. And on the off-chance you're a man, here's my home address: 10880, Malibu Port, 90265. I'll leave the door unlocked." Dad answered throwing the reporters phone shattering it to pieces. He was a wreck. What did I do to him?

"Bill me." He called over his shoulder before getting in his car and driving off.

"What an idiot? He just invited the Terrorist to attack him." Wren said.

"What the hell is he thinking?" I thought out loud. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and typed out a message. The same one I had sent out way to many times in the past few years to Rhodey. The phone had a scrambler integrated there was no way it could be tracked so there was no way they'd find me.

Keep an eye on him, he's getting reckless and isn't thinking clearly-NS