It's been six months since the Battle of New York and the world had finally settled down in peace. New York was well on its way to recovery, especially with Stark Industries and Ironman himself taking active participation in its rebuilding. Stark Tower stood tall and proud, completely repaired and even upgraded after its surprise renovation in the Chitauri attack. Now, unbeknownst to the people who walked below, the top levels housed the very people who had saved their lives – the Avengers.
Some of them, anyway.
It's been seven and a half weeks since everyone moved in, and the team was still struggling to adjust to the home life. Actually, Pepper, Tony, and Bruce were struggling to adjust to the home life. Natasha had stopped by long enough to correct Tony's initial interior design of her room, before leaving for an extended mission to Switzerland. Clint had managed to stop by more often (by more often meaning thrice), and if Tony didn't know any better he'd think the guy was being shy. They (Pepper and Bruce) counted themselves lucky that Steve was around so often (two to three times a week), seeing as he had already finished his "round trip of America and its senior citizen community" (Tony's words) and was now also in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s employ.
And of course, no one had heard from Thor other than that he will know and come if they ever needed his help.
Frankly, Tony was happy enough to pat himself on the back every morning he walked into the kitchen area for breakfast and found Banner sitting in his chair, sipping a mug of tea. So basically, everyone was about as accounted for as everyone could be in a group as filled with misfits as theirs was.
It's also been eighteen days since the Melter incident, and Tony was starting to get really, really tired of Ironman wannabes.
"We are streaming live from Bronx Park. A man calling himself Bomberman has planted several bombs within the vicinity, threatening to activate them if Ironman does not show himself." A pale but steady news reporter spoke rapidly from the TV.
"You're joking, right?" Tony said flatly, his arms crossed as he glared at the television.
BOOM!
Screams resonated through the surround-sound speakers as a part of the ground exploded, forcing the people within to flee from the area.
"Apparently not, sir." JARVIS answered.
"Haha, very funny JARVIS."
JARVIS hesitated. "I do not believe I was making a humorous declaration."
Tony was saved from replying by the television screaming his name.
Literally.
"TONY STARK!" The camera quickly zoomed in on what could only be the hostage taker. He hung in the air above the park, a small figure of blue and white armor that nearly had him blending into the clouds. "I CHALLENGE YOU, SUIT TO SUIT! COME FACE ME BEFORE THE CLOCK STRIKES THREE, OR ELSE I'LL BLOW UP THE PARK!"
"Next thing you know he'll be yelling out 'Fight me! For honor!' or something like that," Tony grumbled. "What is this, the Dark Ages? Who even does this kind of stuff anymore? JARVIS!" he called out, spreading his hands. "Time to suit up." He checked the clock. Five minutes to three. He tsked. Some super villains had no patience at all.
"Right away sir."
Neither did he, but then again he wasn't a super villain so it didn't count.
"Oh, and…" He turned his attention back to the TV as Mr. Blue Wannabe spoke up again. "If I see any of your Avenger friends with you, I'll blow the place up, no questions asked. I want this to be between you and me. Just you and me, Tinman." He rolled his eyes as the man even pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then at the camera. What was he, four?
"Now that's just rude," he complained for the sake of complaining. Even as he spoke, he felt the familiar weight of his armor settling on his shoulders, courtesy of JARVIS. "It's like he's asking for his own as on a silver platter."
"Already the park has been thrown into chaos, people panicking as they try to flee, only to be blocked by the laser fence you can see behind me, planted around the park by Bomberman. Unable to reach the citizens, the police force have been made completely helpless in the face of this new threat. The question now is, will Ironman come? Or maybe his new teammates, the heroes who saved Manhattan from-"
Tony's visor settled over his face with a final clink. He was ready to go.
"Need any help?" Steve walked up behind him, a cup of coffee in his hands and his eyes on the TV screen.
"Aww, Cap, you do care." Tony put a hand to his heart, the clank of metal on metal echoing slightly. "I'm touched. Really. See here? Touched." He patted his arc reactor again.
Steve stiffened, frowning, before releasing a sigh and letting it go. "Just be careful," he said dryly. "If you need help, call." He turned and headed for the elevator back to his rooms.
"Yes mother!" Tony yelled after him. He grumbled some unflattering words about the Captain under his breath and turned his back to the closing elevator doors, a breeze whipping past his face as his windows slid open for him. "JARVIS, prepare my music, will you? You know that one track..."
He heard JARVIS sigh and grinned, blasting into the sky.
"Very well, sir."
The enemy of the day was a man in a blue full-body mechanic suit with little canons on his forearms, a jetpack on his back (So last season, Tony sniffed), and bombs strung across his chest and around his waist.
Hence his preferred title, Bomberman.
Tony almost had a coronary trying to hold back his laughter.
Of course, no one was laughing now as he tried to save people from the stupid bomb version of a countdown Bomberman had initiated while trying to fight Bomberman himself.
BOOM! BOOM!
"JARVIS, tell me how to deactivate the fence!" Tony ordered, grabbing a couple and flying them over the laser barrier, quickly depositing them on the other side and zooming back into the park.
"Feel the despair, Ironman! Feel the disappointment as you fail these people who are so in need of your help! Feel the pain I felt after you ruined my life!" Bomberman yelled, shooting blasts from his hand cannons.
"I've ruined plenty of lives," Tony replied over his shoulder, dodging the blasts and shooting back some of his own. "Just ask the Chitauri. Or maybe even Justin Hammer. So you'll have to do better than that."
He took a deep breath and felt it stick in his throat. Suddenly his suit felt hot and stifling. He shuddered, and shook his head. What was happening to him?
"Sir, your heart rate is increasing." JARVIS sounded worried. "Are you alright sir?"
He shook his head, focused on his screens, and yelped, diving into a barrel roll as a pair of round bombs flew by his head, exploding in midair. "I'm fine, I'm fine, the fence, JARVIS, focus on the fence!" He glanced at the heads-up display projected in front of his face, behind his helmet. His view of the ground was obscured by the blue silhouettes of the trapped citizens underneath him, and the yellow circles that represented the bombs JARVIS identified buried beneath them. As he watched, one bomb slowly shifted from yellow, to orange, to red.
BOOM!
More screams echoed throughout the park as another bomb exploded. "JARVIS, I need to bring down the fence now!"
A circle appeared on his HUD, which shrank until it encircled a corner of the laser fence. The iron rod anchoring the lasers flashed white. "Bingo!" He dove, activating the micromissiles hidden in his shoulder.
BOOM!
The lasers flickered, spluttered, then died. The people nearest them froze, as if unable to believe their luck.
Tony quickly changed their mind.
"MOVE!" he roared, zooming over their heads.
They moved.
"NO!" Bomberman screamed in fury. He streaked towards Ironman, grabbing a bomb from his chest and throwing it in his direction. Tony swerved, rolled, and blasted the bomb before it could land on the people below.
"He's turning into a real giant pain in the-" Tony swore and dodged another two blasts from Bomberman's cannons.
"Sir, those cannons seem to be powered by inserting explosives from the supply around the enemy's body. If he could be made to suffer sufficient heat or impact, the bombs may explode, taking away his ammunition as well as injuring him."
"Sure, yeah, let's go with that." He charged up his micromissiles again, sending them straight at Bomberman.
BOOM!
"Sir, Captain Rogers is attempting to contact you-"
Tony growled in frustration. "What now?"
He was answered by the beep of a call connecting. "Tony!" Steve yelled, cutting off whatever complaint he was planning to make. "There are still children in there!"
"What?" Tony looked down, JARVIS quickly locating and zooming in on a woman being held back by a couple of policemen, screaming and reaching out towards the park. From his position in the air, he could see two girls running towards her, one carrying the other in her arms. A nearby cameraman and reporter told Tony exactly where Steve had gotten his information. Even as he watched, another bomb exploded nearby, showering the girls with debris. "Shit!"
"Sir-"
"I know!" Tony dove.
A few feet in front of the children, a yellow circle turned orange.
Five. The woman screamed. "Alice! Alice!"
Four. "Moommyyy!" the little child wailed.
Three. The older girl stumbled, then froze, seeing a blinking red light at her feet.
Two. "Full power to thrusters!" Tony yelled.
One. The girl whirled around, and threw the child towards her mother. A policeman ran forward and caught her, yelling at the girl to run.
Zero.
Tony slammed into the girl, the shockwave from the bomb throwing him off-balance and sending them careening through the air. He managed to twist himself halfway underneath her before they smashed into the ground.
He took a deep breath, gasping, as his HUD scrambled with data about his suit. He felt suffocated, like he was falling again, without air, without fuel, helpless, dying-
"Sir? Sir!"
"I'm fine," he gasped, and rolled over. A muffled thump reminded him of his passenger.
"Hey kid... Kid!" Tony leaned over her, letting JARVIS scan her vitals. "Kid, you alright?" JARVIS sent back a visual report. Horribly bruised and scraped, but she'll be fine, Tony noted with relief.
Blue eyes fluttered open. "Owow... Uhh... I think? I-" Her eyes widened. "Look out!"
Tony whirled around, only to be slammed to the side by something- what? "Argh!" He flew though the air, skidding across the ground before he managed to right himself.
"KID!" He snapped his head up, searching for the girl-
And froze.
She sat, exactly where he had left her. One hand was stretched toward him, while the other was held out in front of her. A small round sphere stayed suspended in the air in front of her hand.
A sphere that, Tony was sure, had been careening towards them both a mere few seconds earlier, ready to blow them to bits.
To be fair, she looked as shocked as he felt at that moment.
Then, of course, the bomb blew up.
I churned this out as fast as I could because I have not received this much positive feedback since, well, ever! I live for reviews now, hahaha! So don't be shy dear readers~
Also, I lied. You won't get to meet miss mystery girl til next chapter. Sorry!
katniss: Wow, is it really that big a deal? Anyway, thanks for your feedback! I tried my best with Hawkeye, and your approval means a lot to me!
Silmarilz1701, EmersedMouse, Starcrier: Thank you much for your support! I'll do my best not to disappoint you!
And of course, thank you to all those people who followed and favorited this story! Wish you guys would speak up though. Maybe this chapter will be enough incentive? :3
Next up, you get to seriously meet dear mystery girl already.
Ps. Did anyone notice my tiny Dynasty Warriors reference? ;)