Allie
III
Burning, crying, and blood so much blood.
"GABIE!" I wail and jump to my feet. My head spins and the pain makes me stumble but I remain on my feet.
"Allie? What's wrong?" Tony mumbles and rubs his eyes. It seems we both dozed off again.
"Something's wrong with Gabie," I say. "She's hurt I know it." Closing my eyes I open the bond and agony floods my nerves. "She's in so much pain!"
"Allie what's going on? How can you keep this?" Tony questions and grabs my hands.
Through the pain I manage to catch sight of a destroyed theater and Happy.
"I'm coming Gabie, just hang in there."
Abruptly I'm shut out and brought back to myself.
"She's with Happy, there at this theater I think?" I stammer.
"I'll make some calls, you rest," he stares and rushes down the room.
III
It isn't long before we get the news: there was an explosion at the Chinese Theater in LA.
Gabie and Happy were there and they're hurt.
III
In the hospital everything is quiet except for the tv's; on the screens, the Mandarin is speaking 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."
He slams his fist onto three fortune cookies and the thump makes me flinch.
"My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knock-off, The Chinese Theater."
Footage of the theater blowing up plays across the screen.
In the corner I can see Gabie fall. It brings tears I my eyes to see her crumple, to see her bleed.
I should have been there.
"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 screens go black for an eternal second before the news replaces it.
"Miss Hollden?" Quickly I sniffle and wipe my tears away.
"Yes?" I mutter and turn to the nurse. She is looking at my sympathetically.
"Miss Trent is awake and asking for you," the nurse says. I nod and thank her quietly. She leaves me to stare at the door to my best friends hospital room. It only takes me five minutes to work up the courage to open it.
Gabie is sitting up on her bed, watching the news on the television.
"This Mandarin guy, he sucks," she remarks offhandedly.
"He does," I agree in a shaky voice. Gabie looks over at me and frowns.
"Allie I'm fine; I managed to get away with cuts, bruises, and one bruised rib. It looks a lot worse than it feels I promise, and I'm even getting discharged tomorrow."
Inhaling deeply I open my eyes and look at my best friend.
She has a bandaged arm, bandaged legs, bruises littering her skin, small scrapes covering her legs, and one clotted cut on her cheek.
"When I opened our bond all I felt was pain," I utter and move to sit in a chair beside her bed. "How did this even happen? Gabie it was fire, you control fire."
"I was in a lot of pain at the time yes, but I'm feeling much better now. And I tried to shield Happy and I from the blast but a stinging pain in my head and throat scrambled my focus," she explains and I wince.
"You're always connected to me partially right?"
"Yes."
"This is my fault then." Gabie gawks at me and shakes her head. "I'm serious Gabie. Last night there was an incident with one of the suits and I got my head slammed into a bed frame while it clutched my throat."
"I leave for one damn night and you get beat by one of cock wallet's suits!?"
"Hey I'm not the one in the hospital bed," I defend and place my arm in hers to calm her down. "Don't get riled up, you'll hurt yourself."
"I'll hurt myself?" she scoffs. "Like money ball's suit hurt you?"
"Gabie it was a bump and a squeeze, not an actual explosion," I counter and she glowers. "Gabie please I was so scared." Her scowl softens and she leans back into bed.
I take her hand in mine and hold it tight.
"If lose you Gabie, I lose everything."
"I feel the same Allie."
III
Gabie
III
"Stark," I greet stoically. Tony jolts and gawks at me. He was staring at Happy's unconscious form in his bed.
"What are you doing up? You shouldn't be out of bed. Where's Allie?" he rattles off and I roll my eyes.
"I'm came to see Hogan before I ditched this place," I reply. "I hate hospitals and I'm feeling fine."
"Allie would never agree with this," he says and I nod.
"She wouldn't which is why I ditched her after she fell asleep in my room," I answer but my eyes stay I'm Happy. He looks so broken and weak with a breathing tube shoved down his throat and casts on his body. "How is he?"
"They say he should be okay," Tony responds and I sigh in relief.
"Good."
"It wasn't your fault," Tony murmurs and I frown.
"It wasn't, it was yours." Tony's head jerks up and he stares in surprise. "Allie and I, we are connected. When she was attacked by your stupid suit I felt it and that's why I couldn't shield Happy and I. So you're right it isn't my fault, it's yours."
Tony gapes at me.
"Gabie I-"
"Save it Stark." He opens his mouth but closes it and remains quiet.
In that moment a nurse decides to stroll in.
"Hi," Tony greets and the nurse gasps in shock. Tony nods to the tv and she raises an eyebrow. "Uh...mind leaving that on?"
"Sure," she agrees.
"Sunday night's PBS 'Downtown Abbey." That's his show, he thinks it's elegant," Tony muses. He glances at the badge on her shirt before continuing. "One more thing...make sure everyone wears their badges. He's a stickler for that sort of thing, plus my guys won't let anyone in without them."
"I'll be sure to let the staff know," she promises and Tony nods in thanks. "I'll let you have some privacy now." She quickly leaves after that.
"I'm going now, try not to kill Allie while I'm away," I scoff.
"I can't let you leave while you're still injured. Allie wouldn't want me to," he blurts out and jumps to his feet.
"I wasn't asking denture dick," I growl and spin on my heel before stalking out.
Sometimes I really dislike Tony Stark.
III
Allie
III
"Allie?" Groggily I blink my eyes and raise my head.
Tony is standing in front of me with a frown on his face.
"I didn't sleep well last night," I grumble defensively. "Stop frowning."
"I'm frowning because your friend left the hospital," he says and I furrow my eyebrows. Left the hospital?
"What?-but she's right-fuck you're right," I grumble upon noticing Gabie's absence from her bed. "She's hurt, why did she go?"
"Said she was fine and said she hated hospitals," he answers dully and I huff. "Come on we gotta go, the press is starting to show up."
Tony holds out his hand and I take it gratefully.
"Don't let go of my hand please," I whisper to him.
"I'll hold it as long as you want," he promises and ushers me from the hospital.
Outside reporters are flooding the scene all filming and snapping photos.
"We're awaiting the arrival of Tony Stark. We're hoping he'll give us the reaction...his reaction to the latest attack."
"How about we switch this up, I put my arm around you instead of holding your hand," Tony suggests after spotting the swarm.
"That's a good idea," I agree. Tony gives me a reassuring smile and wraps an arm around my shoulders before pushing open the doors and stepping out.
The immediately swarm us.
"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Our sources are telling us that this is another Mandarin attack. Anything else you can tell us?"
Tony ignores the questions and continues guiding me toward his car.
"Hey, Mr. Stark! When is somebody gonna kill this guy? Just sayin'," a pushy tabloid reporter remarks callously.
Tony seizes and turns to face the man.
"Is that what you want?" The tabloid reporter shrugs and Tony glowers.
"Tony ignore it," I beg but he doesn't listen.
"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 die, 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."
"Oh my god," I utter and my eyes blow wide. He just gave the Mandarin his address.
"That's what you wanted, right?" Tony growls to the reporter and snatches away his phone. He tosses it aside in anguish and opens the cars backdoor. Wordlessly I get in and he shuts it promptly.
"Bill me," Tony spits to the man and hops in the front seat before speeding away.
I sit in stunned silence, I have no words for what just happened.