Son of Iron Man
Surprise! Bet you never thought you'd see an update to this story again! Hell, I didn't even think there would be an update! But here we are, chapter 18 of 22 written so far! That's right, true believers, that's a whole five chapters waiting to be read, with more in writing! However, I know how much people love regular updates, so I'll only publish one per week. That way, though my inspiration comes in bursts and I can write several chapters in a day, if I run out of inspiration you've still got weeks of content to be uploaded. Happy days!
Now, I'd suggest reading the previous few chapters again (or the whole story if you want) so you know what's going on. I can't even remember what this chapter was about, never mind the rest of the story. Enjoy!
Chapter Eighteen: Poison
Toby sat in the security room. He stared at a blank screen, debating whether what he was about to do was right or not. There had definitely been something strange about Emily yesterday, but did it warrant looking into her room? The black leather, the new attitude... it just didn't seem like her. Looking in on her now would be a breach of privacy, not to mention trust, but what if something was wrong? He and Emily were all but alone, with Ben and Katie out on their date and all the others somewhere on the mainland. He made his decision: it would be wrong to spy on her, but he could go and visit her in person.
Outside her room, he listened for a moment, though he wasn't sure what he expected to hear. Some sort of diabolical monologue? No, this wasn't some kind of comic book. He knocked on the door and waited a moment.
"Just a moment," Emily called.
"Are you going to be much longer?" Toby asked after a few moments.
"Only if you want me to be dressed," Emily replied. After a little while, the door opened and Toby was greeted by a woman who bore very little resemblance to Emily. In addition to the new darker ensemble, she now had several black streaks in her hair. "Come in," she said.
"Are you feeling alright?" Toby asked as the pair sat on Emily's bed. He looked around the room in an attempt to find evidence that Emily had indeed been changing. He was greeted by an empty washing basket and no clothes lying around.
"Yes, of course I am. Why are you so worried?" Emily retaliated.
"No reason," Toby said. Then, after a moment, he added: "Where are your nightclothes? I'll take them to the washing machine in a bit."
"What nightclothes?"
"The ones you just changed out of," Toby said almost accusatively.
"Who says I changed out of anything?"
"Well, you did just - oh," Toby said, realising what she was saying. He had to admit, that was a clever cover... though he wouldn't put it past her for that to be the truth, especially in the summer.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Emily asked innocently.
"It's... not important," Toby said, standing to leave. "See you later."
"Wait," Emily said, standing with him. She put her hand on Toby's shoulder and turned him to face her. "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk in the park tonight? Just the two of us."
"Sure," Toby agreed. With a goodbye kiss, he left and returned to the security room.
Sat back in the office chair, Toby spun idly as thoughts tumbled through his mind. Emily certainly seemed different, but was it any more than a style change? She was acting normally enough. Was he reading too much into it? He continued to spin the chair, contemplating the situation. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he should trust Emily. They were together, after all, and what was a relationship built on if not trust? It still troubled him somewhat, but he decided that it would be best to leave the topic alone and trust her. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake...
As Toby was pondering his moral quandary, Ben and Katie were in a line for a fancy restaurant in the neighbourhood. Usually, you'd have to reserve your table months in advance, but being an Avenger had its privileges. Toby had called ahead to book them a place that very morning, and a combination of their past efforts to save people and the Stark fortune had gotten them a table for two. Of course, Toby had had to say Ben was his cousin, as his identity was still a secret. Ben was wearing a black pinstripe suit with a white shirt and black tie, and Katie had dressed herself in a long red dress with matching heels. As they reached the entrance, a man in a black suit asked them for their names.
"Ben Parker and Katie Forde," Ben replied.
"We've got a booking for two under the name of Benjamin Parker," the man told him, looking at his list. "Paid for in advance by one Toby Stark."
"Yep, that's us," Ben said.
"You must have done Stark a big favour," the man said.
"I'm his cousin. We rarely get to see each other, so he wanted to treat me and a guest to dinner," Ben explained. The man looked him over, and for a moment Ben thought he'd seen through the ruse. He needn't have worried.
"Please, walk this way. Someone will show you to your table," the man said, gesturing inside the building. Ben thanked him and led Katie inside. When they entered, the pair had to stop and look around. The place was beautiful! The walls were plastered with art and murals, the floors carpeted with the softest material you could imagine. The whole place was spotless, and the tables they saw were made of polished oak and covered with silk tablecloths. The lighting, dim but bright enough to see by, came largely from hanging glass chandeliers and the candles which decorated the tables.
"Wow!" Katie gasped. Ben smiled to himself and silently thanked Toby. What an amazing day he was having! He'd been with Katie all morning, quickly growing to love her more and more as they talked about anything and everything. Now he was about to have what would probably be the best meal he had ever had. And all thanks to Toby! A slim woman dressed in the luxurious uniform of the staff came up to them and gave them her greetings.
"You must be Mr. Parker and Miss. Ford. Mr. Stark has booked you one of our finest tables! If you'd like to follow me?" she offered, walking toward a nearby flight of steps which led to the upper area of the restaurant. Ben and Katie exchanged a smile and followed her up to a table for two. It looked exactly like the ones they had seen downstairs, though a small dish of caviar and some breadsticks were adorning the table. Ben and Katie took their seats and thanked the woman who had led them there, who promised to return for their orders later. Katie took a menu, and Ben immediately dipped a breadstick in the caviar. As he started to eat, he heard a chuckle from behind the menu.
"What?" he asked.
"You'll spoil your dinner!" Katie observed.
"You sound like my mother!" Ben replied with a chuckle. "Don't you want any?" he asked, pushing the bowl toward her. Katie shook her head.
"Do you know what caviar is?" she asked him.
"No," he replied slowly. Katie giggled and Ben raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Fish eggs," she told him. Ben immediately spat out the bite he had just taken into the bowl.
"You're right, I'll wait for dinner," he said. "Sorry," he said hurriedly upon realising he had just spat in front of Katie. Katie, though, was too busy laughing to complain.
"It's OK," she said once she calmed down. "I think it's kinda cute how you're trying to act cultured for me."
"Uh, thanks," Ben said. He didn't know what else to say. He'd never been called cute before, and wasn't entirely sure whether he was comfortable with it. Katie, according to their conversation earlier, had been with a guy before... She thought. Everything before Venom was a little hazy to her. But the way she had kissed him earlier, Ben felt sure he wasn't the first. She was his first, though, and he had no idea how to act. So far he seemed to have managed to fluke it.
"So..." Katie said, and Ben realised he had lapsed into an awkward silence. "Are you going to look at the menu, or what?"
"Oh, yes, of course," he said, taking the other menu and opening it. It was bound with leather, and each page seemed to have been handwritten by someone with far better handwriting than his. There were sections for starters, mains, desserts and drinks. "Toby said we can have a full three course meal," he told Katie.
"Oh boy," she said heavily, "I'm gonna need some bigger dresses." Ben thought entirely too long about the best response, which came after several saturated seconds of silence.
"I'm sure you'd look beautiful even if you were fat," he said. Suddenly, death looked a very welcome prospect to Ben. His eyes widened and he moved quickly to cover up his mistake. "Not that you are! And you never will be, probably... Definitely, I mean! I mean, I'll love you whether you're beautiful or not... Which you definitely are! And there's no problem with fatties, even if you did become one, because they're beautiful too and... Not that anyone's more beautiful than you! I... I'll shut up now..." he trailed off. He studied her face for a painfully long time, looking for some sign of offence. He gazed into her hazel eyes, framed by long, brown hair. Oh boy, he'd really blown it! Katie's mouth fell agape and Ben prepared himself for the worst.
She burst into laughter. Ben looked around hopelessly as she laughed, feeling all the eyes on them.
"Are you... Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes! Yes, it's just... That was hilarious! Seeing you struggle like that!" she breathed between bouts of laughter.
"So you're... Not offended?" Ben asked hopefully.
"Not in the slightest," Katie said, serious once more. "Now that we've made a scene, are you going to look at that menu?"
The rest of the dinner went much smoother. Ben had a steak meal, but Katie settled for pizza. They both had a salad starter, but neither them left enough room for dessert. Having had a glass of wine with their meal, they thanked the staff and were on their way.
"That was lovely, thank you, Ben!" Katie said as they walked home.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, because I definitely do not have the money to take you there again," Ben replied, eliciting a chuckle.
"I'll have to thank you properly when we get home," Katie said matter-of-factly. Ben simply smiled. This day just kept getting better.
Night had arrived. As Toby touched down in the park, his suit illuminated the surroundings enough to spot Emily waiting for him. As he stepped out, though, her black suit made her disappear into the night. He looked around, trying to spot her, before feeling soft lips pressed against his. As swiftly as they had appeared, they were gone.
"Well, hello to you, too," he said. "Should I get the suit to give us some light?"
"No, it's more romantic this way," came the breathy response. Emily kissed him again, but this time it lasted longer.
"Emily, we're in public," Toby said when he felt her lips leave his.
"No one can see us. I could be wearing nothing right now and no one would know."
"...Are you?" Toby asked.
"Come over here and find out," Emily said teasingly. Toby stumbled forward in the dark. He tripped over a stone, but Emily caught him. They kissed again.
"As nice as this is," Toby said, "do you plan to do anything other than kissing me?"
"Oh, yes. I've got some big plans for you," Emily said. "Follow my voice." She started talking about her day, moving forward and allowing Toby to follow her voice. They walked onward, Toby tripping a few times. Suddenly, Emily stopped talking. There was a scream, and he heard a body hitting the floor.
"Emily?" he asked. No response. He pressed the button on his watch just in time to see a fist flying toward him. Caught off guard, he fell down and was set upon by an outrageously strong man. The man gripped his shoulders and began to physically crush the armour, prompting JARVIS to display all manner of warning signals.
"Sir, I'd advise that you use your unibeam," he suggested.
"Good idea, thanks JARVIS," Toby said. He rerouted power to the weapon on his chest and blasted the man into the sky. He quickly stood up and aimed his repulsors at the falling figure of his foe. As the body approached, though, it was clear something was wrong. He was limp, and when he landed on the floor a circle led straight through his chest, still steaming. Needless to say, he wasn't breathing.
"No..." Toby said as he looked at his victim. "NO!" His repulsors fired, shooting him up into the air. His vision became blurred and he set a course for the facility, but he quickly found his mind becoming fuzzy with guilt. Before he could reach his destination, he blacked out and plummeted to Earth...
"Toby?" His mind was fuzzy, but he thought he heard a concerned voice say his name. "Toby?" There it was again! He opened his eyes, and through the haze he saw the concerned face of Ben. "Oh, thank God you're awake!" He exclaimed. "I thought for sure you were going to die!"
"What happened?" Toby moaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. He was in the Avengers Facility's medbay, and looking around he saw all his friends gathered around him.
"Your blood toxicity levels were through the roof!" Ben told him. "JARVIS called to tell us your vital signs were dangerously low, and I rushed over to bring you back here. I thought you were dead when I found you, foaming at the mouth and not breathing."
"I was... Poisoned?" Toby deduced.
"By a very powerful toxin. If JARVIS hadn't called you'd have died in minutes," Emily said. As Toby looked at her face, he began to remember the events of the night before.
"Hang on... Why aren't you in a bed, too? You were there!" He said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Emily said. "I was there, yes, but then you went berserk and started attacking thin air. Then you just flew off. I didn't know what happened after that."
"I flew off because I... Wait... Thin air?"
"Yes, you just sent off a random blast into the air and flew away screaming," Emily confirmed. Toby felt such a wave of relief at those words! He didn't kill anyone after all! It must have been a hallucination induced by the poison.
"Well, that's a relief!" he said aloud. "I'll explain later," he said upon seeing the confused faces around him. For now, he was just satisfied that no one else had suffered.
And there we have it, the first chapter in ages. Sorry it wasn't action packed, but all that will come shortly. In the meantime, having written ahead for once, I need some new young heroes to put in the story. It can be the child of a known superhero, or even a brand new one with no connection to the Marvel Universe. I have a backup team already if no one has any ideas, but I thought I'd give you lot the chance to suggest any characters you want to see. You can PM me or leave a review with either the name of a superhero or an entire character description, if you want your character to be in this story. I'll be posting the next chapter this weekend, so make sure to get your suggestions in by then if you want a mention in the introduction to the new chapter.
Until next time, true believers!
