Chapter 3: The Day After the Attack
"Attention, hoodlums." Professor Rotwood announces. "For those of you wondering about the whereabouts of Jake Long, his dad called and told he can't come today for reasons Long Senior seemed to blame on me given how angry he sounded. Also, in a non-related topic, your Home Economics teacher Sun Park called a sick day, meaning she won't be teaching today. Hopefully the agency will send the substitute on time."
"Trixie?" Spud whispers to her. "Why are you glaring at Rose?"
"Anyway, I'll need a volunteer to pass him notes of today's classes." Rotwood adds. "Anyone interested please raise your hands."
Rose, Trixie and Spud raise their hands. "Ms. Rose, you're the most reliable of the volunteers so I'll trust you with this task."
During lunch time, Rose sits at a table with Trixie and Spud. "Spill it out, Homegirl." Trixie asks. "What do you know about what happened to our Jakey?"
"The Huntsmaster tried to use his own version of the Iron Man armor but the real Iron Man and some friend of his got on the way." Rose explains.
"You met Iron Man?" Spud asks/exclaims. "Cool!" He then notices the girls looking at him. "I mean, if you were not working for the evil dude who ripped off the armor."
"Wait a minute, Rose." Trixie asks. "Are you saying the Huntsclan has its own set of Iron Man armors?" Rose sadly nods.
"Where do I sign?" Spud eagerly asks, drawing glares from Trixie and Rose and confused looks from other students who overheard him. Fortunately they're used to hear him saying stupid things so they quickly ignore him.
"Actually there's only one Iron Man armor with the Huntsclan and that's the one the Huntsmaster worn in battle against Jake and the others." Rose explains.
"Others?" Trixie asks. "You mean Sun and Gramps, right?"
"Actually I also mean Haley." Rose explains.
"Attention, Ms. Rose." Rotwood's voice is heard from all the school's voice boxes. "Please report to the Principal's office."
After Rose leaves, Trixie and Spud are wondering at what Rotwood wants with Rose until they're also called into his office. "Hoodlums, it's with sadness I must say Ms. Rose was dismissed from the rest of today's classes because of some 'family emergency' and therefore one of you will have to deliver Jake his homework."
Earlier that day, at the Huntslair
"Master, why can't we have the Huntsgirl present during this?" #89 asks.
"Because, the Huntsgirl must keep her civilian identity at school and the Hunts-council won't wait for her." The Huntsmaster angrily replies. He then sends the images of the last battle.
"Well, it's obvious the armor needs improvements." One of the Hunts-councillors says. "And that the project drew unwanted attention. I believe you should focus on adjusting the armor and that we should avoid using it in public until it's really necessary."
Looking at the other videoscreens, the Huntsmaster notices the rest of the Hunts-council seems to agree with the first one. "Members of the Hunts-council, I'm sure my clash against Iron Man and War Machine was an isolated event and there's no way they'd be able to locate…" He then notices the transmission being interrupted.
"Huntsman, you're surrounded." Huntsmaster, 88 and 89 hear Iron Man announce and then see themselves surrounded by several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "Surrender and nobody gets hurt."
Like the last time, they try to teleport themselves away but this fails.
Even earlier that day, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters
"Then, Mr. Stark, I'm afraid we're gonna have a long day." Lao Shi sternly replies.
"Lao Shi, these people are trying to capture your assaulter." Jonathan replies, shocked at his father-in-law's attitude.
"They're trying to sneak upon my life, daughter's husband." Lao Shi says. "I won't allow that."
"Kids. Ms. Park. Will anyone please be more cooperative?" Jonathan pleads.
"Actually, Mr. Long, I agree with Lao Shi on this." Sun replies.
"What about you, kids?" Jonathan replies.
"I'm with G." Jake replies.
"Me too." Haley adds.
"But Haley, you just told how much you respect Mr. Stark for his achievements." Jonathan replies.
"True, but I still don't trust him."
Nick Fury then appears. "Tony, we found something. You can come with us too, Mr. and Mrs. Long. You may be helpful."
Jonathan accepts the invitation but Susan decides to stay with the children. "Dad, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure about whom to trust, Susan." Lao Shi replies. "But we mustn't let the Government learn about us."
"But what can we do?" Susan worriedly asks.
"We can wait until the Dragon Council sends a rescue party or that they decide to release us." Lao Shi answers.
Meanwhile, Fury shows Tony and Jonathan his findings. "Does anyone recognize this girl?" Fury asks, showing a photograph of Rose.
"No." Tony says.
"I do." Jonathan answers. "She's Rose, the girl my son is dating. I've never met her but I've seen a picture of hers in his room."
"A woman once gave birth to twin blonde girls who looked the same except that one of them has a dragon-shaped birthmark at her right hand." Fury explains. "Because of that birthmark, the poor baby was taken from her family by a cult obsessed with dragons. I now believe this cult to be behind this attack. Suspecting your son's school to be the connection, I've done a check on everyone at the school from students to faculty members to find out anyone with dragon-shaped birthmarks and found Rose. Further investigation revealed that she's the baby I've mentioned before."
Jonathan starts sobbing. "That's… so sad. I never thought she had it so hard."
"Don't worry, Mr. Long." Nick Fury replies. "As we speak, some of our agents are picking her at school while her so-called "Uncle" is being arrested by other agents."
"I'm glad for her." Jonathan replies. "I'm just wondering about who is going to tell my son the girl dating him might be involved with people who tried to kill him."
"We'll find a way around, Mr. Long." Fury replies. "We'll find."
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