Chapter Eight
Unfortunately, the mix of explosions and her shooting away from it caused her to end up on some radars.
"What the hell was that? Were we cleared to go in there?" A captain of the US Army asked in a dark room filled with other military personnel and several monitors.
"No sir, they were using human shields. We never got the green light." CAOC Analyst responded from his computer.
"Put me through to State. They're going to be all over this," Major Allen ordered.
"Get those monitors up!" An analyst shouted.
"We got a bogey!" Another announced. "Wasn't Air Force!"
"We got the CIA on the line?" Major Allen asked.
"I've got Langley on the line. They want to know if it's us." The Captain said.
"No, it definitely is not us, sir," said Analyst #1.
"It wasn't Navy," Analyst #2.
"Wasn't Marines," Analyst #3.
"I need answers! Can I please get eyes on target?" Major Allen said.
"Negative, negative. Cannot identify." Analyst #3 confirmed.
"Get me Colonel Rhodes from weapons development down here now!"
An hour later, Colonel Rhodes was being led into the room.
"We ran an ID check and cross-referenced with all known databases. We have nothing." Major Allen explained.
"Any high-altitude surveillance in the region?" Rhodey asked.
"We got an AWAC and a Global Hawk in the area," the Captain replied.
"So, this thing just appeared out of nowhere? How come it didn't show up on the radar?"
"Got a minimal radar cross-section, sir." Analyst #1.
"Is it stealth?" Rhodey asked.
"No, sir, it's tiny. We think it's an unmanned aerial vehicle," the analyst responded.
"Colonel, what are we dealing with here?" Major Allen asked.
"Let me make a call," Rhodey said after thinking for a moment. He hadn't reached out to her since she had been back, trying to put out the fires of her shutting down the weapons division and also just to let her heal in peace and quiet.
"Sergeant, clear a hole."
"Hello?" Toni answered as a little window on the bottom right of her LED display showing someone was calling her.
"Toni?" Rhodey asked back in the military command center.
"Who's this?"
"It's Rhodes."
"Sorry, hello?"
"I said it's Rhodes."
"Speak up, please."
"What in the hell is that noise?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm driving with the top down."
"Yeah, well, I need your help right now."
Toni was feeling slightly hurt that Rhodey hadn't reached out at all during this time without any explanation what so ever. And now he was calling out of the blue to ask for her help.
She couldn't help but scoff. "It's funny how that works, huh?"
"Yeah. Speaking of funny, we've got a weapons depot that was just blown up a few clicks from where you were being held captive."
"Well, that's a hot spot. Sounds like someone stepped in and did your job for you, huh?"
"Why do you sound out of breath, Toni?"
"I'm not, I was just jogging in the canyon."
"I thought you were driving."
"Right, I was driving to the canyon, where I'm going to jog."
"You sure you don't have any tech in that area I should know about?"
"Nope!"
"BOGEY SPOTTTED!" Analyst #2 shouted.
"Whiplash, come in hot," analyst #3 said.
"Okay, good, 'cause I'm staring at one right now, and it's about to be blown to kingdom come," Rhodey said. Toni glanced over her shoulder to see two jets flanking her.
"That's my exit." Toni said, hanging up as she began evasive maneuvers.
"Ballroom, this is Whiplash One. I've got the bogey in my sights," Pilot #1 said.
"Whiplash One, what is it?" Rhodey asked.
"I've got no idea," said the pilot.
"You have radio contact?" Major Allen asked.
"Non responsive, sir."
"Then you are clear to engage," Major Allen ordered.
Man, these guys aren't giving up, Toni thought to herself before deciding to put on some speed. "Hit it!"
"That bogey just went supersonic. I got a lock!" Pilot #1 said, as his weapons system locked on target. Without hesitation, the pilot fired.
"Inbound missile." JARVIS warned.
"Flares!"
"Wait a second. Bogey deployed flares!" The pilots dodged the explosion from the flares and missile before locking onto the bogey again. Immediately they began firing their bullets that Toni dodged a majority of but some still hit.
"Deploy flaps!" Toni ordered and immediately jerked back in the air in between the two jets which dodged away just in time to avoid being hit by the bogey.
"Holy!" Pilot #2 shouted.
"That thing just jumped off the radar, sir." Analyst #1 reported.
"The SAT visual has been lost," Analyst #2 added.
"No way that's a UAV," Pilot #1 said.
"What is it?" Major Allen asked.
"I can't see anything," Pilot #2 reported.
"Whatever it was, it just bought the farm. I think bogey's been handled, sir."
Just then, Rhodey's cellphone began ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Rhodey, it's me."
"It's who?"
"I'm sorry, it is me. You asked. What you were asking about is me."
"No, see, this isn't a game. You not send civilian equipment into my active war zone. You understand that?"
"This is not a piece of equipment. I'm in it. It's a suit. It's me!"
Rhodey froze at her words, not really comprehending what his friend was telling him.
"Rhodes, you got anything for me?" Major Allen asked. Rhodey looked over at Major Allen speechless, not knowing what to say.
"Mark your position and return to base," Major Allen ordered the pilots.
"Roger that, Ballroom," Pilot #1 confirmed.
As the first jet turned on its side to began to head back to base, the second jet saw a red and gold thing attached to the belly of the jet.
"On your belly! It looks like a man! Shake him off!" The pilot of the first jet ordered the second. "Roll! Roll!"
Toni couldn't hold on any longer and lost her grip, flying off the jet and back through the air. Then she flew threw a wing of the second jet in a small explosion.
"I'm hit! I'm hit!"
"It's confirmed. He has been hit," in the control room someone said.
"Punch out! Punch out! Whiplash One down," Pilot #2 said as the other ejected from his jet and began falling through the air.
"Whiplash Two, do you see a chute?" Major Allen asked.
"Negative! No chute, no chute!"
"My chute's jammed!" Pilot #1 announced.
Toni flew through the air towards the falling pilot, not caring about being spotted at the moment.
"Sir, I've got a visual on the bogey."
"Whiplash Two, reengage. If you get a clear shot, you take it."
"Major, we don't even know what we're shooting at. Call off the Raptors." Rhodey suggested, trying to help his friend get to safety.
"That thing just took out an F-22 inside a legal no fly zone!" Major Allen snapped at him. "Whiplash Two, if you have a clear shot, take it!"
"You've been reengaged. Execute evasive maneuver." JARVIS said.
"Keep going!" Toni ordered. Finally reaching the pilot, she punched the side where the chute was jammed and immediately it was released, slowing the pilot's descent and saving his life.
"Good chute! Good chute!" Pilot #2 exclaimed. Cheers sounded in the command center at the pilot not losing his life.
In the brief celebration, the pilot lost sight of the bogey whom went supersonic once more to finally get away from the area.
"Toni, you still there?" Rhodey asked, bringing the phone back up to his ear.
"Hey, thanks." Rhodey felt relief fill him as her familiar voice responded to him.
"Oh, my God, you crazy asshole. You owe me a plane. You know that, right?" Rhodey said with a soft smile.
"Well, technically, he hit me. Now are you going to come by and see what I'm working on?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, the less I know, the better. Now, what am I supposed to tell the press?"
"Training exercise. Isn't that the usual BS?"
"It's not that simple." But later when he was talking in front of the press, he did in fact say it was a training exercise.
At about the same time, Toni was in her lab trying to get the suit off.
"Hey!" She exclaimed.
"It is a tight fit, miss. Miss, the more you struggle, the more this is going to hurt." JARVIS warned. So caught up in this, Toni did not notice anyone entering her lab through the destroyed windows behind her.
"Be gentle. This is my first time… I designed this to come off, so… Hey. I really should be able to…"
"Please, try not to move, miss."
"What's going on here?" Bryan asked from behind her. Freezing, looking over her shoulder, she found all five of her guards as well as her three best friends standing in her lab staring at her wide eyed.
She groaned softly to herself.
"Let's face it. This is not the worst thing any of you've caught me doing."
"A-Are those bullet holes?" Lex asked.
A bit later after getting the suit off, she grabbed a few ice packs and joined her guards and best friends in the living room. Groaning at the soreness in her limbs from not only the explosions, and gun fire, but also the weight of the suit. As soon as she sat down on her chair and placed the ice packs, Toni sighed and looked at them.
"So, you all no doubt have questions. However, before I answer them, Clyde, Jason, if you could speed up your timeline to break into Stane's office that would be great. Like, today, if possible."
The two exchanged glances before looking back at their charge. "Any reason the timeline got sped up?"
Toni shrugged. "Oh, it could be for any reason. But I'm sure the terrorists are going to be pissed about their stolen weapons being destroyed and will contacting whoever is dealing under the table very soon."
"How'd the weapons get destroyed?" Oliver asked.
"That part doesn't matter. Can any of it be traced back to you?" Bryan asked, ignoring the looks Oliver and Bruce sent him.
"Nope. I mean, I did play dodge the bullet with a couple F-22s but Rhodey got them to stand down after a bit. So no need to worry about that at the moment." Her three friends groaned in their hands at the concerning statement she just casually dropped.
"Were you hurt?" Lex asked.
She shot him a look. "Duh. Why do you think I have icepacks right now? Although it could be a number of things: the tank, the bullets, missiles, explosions. Any one of those could be contributing to my aches and pains right now. Anyway, Clyde, Jason?"
"We're on it, Boss," Clyde and Jason disappeared out the door with Deckard driving and Robert as backup just in case. That left Bryan, Oliver, Bruce, and Lex with Toni.
"Toni, you know that I would help you with anything, but I cannot help you if you're going to start all of this - the destructive tendencies again." Oliver said, being hypocritical considering what he and Bruce do outside of their day jobs.
"There is nothing except this. There's no art opening. There is no benefit. There is nothing to sign. There is the next mission and nothing else." Toni said, her tone warning them to drop this.
"That's how I thought in the beginning when I returned to Gotham," Bruce finally said, his eyes on her's as he showed his understanding. "But then I began to care about others, let others beside Alfred into my life. My family grew: Dick, Jason, Tim, Steph, Cass, Damian, and others outside of Gotham. All of them became just as important as my next mission." Bruce took a deep breath, not even caring that he was about to reveal his identity which Oliver noticed if his wide eyes were any indication.
Lex, however, was puzzled by the two male billionaires while Toni didn't show any expression. "You have all stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. And now that I'm trying to protect the people that I put in harm's way, you are pretty much telling me to stop?" She didn't give them a chance to answer. "And don't tell me anymore bullshit. Oliver, I know you are Green Arrow. Bruce, I know that you are Batman. Lex, I know that you technically don't have an alter ego but I do know you like ruining Superman's day. None of that matters. I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy. I just finally know what I have to do and I know in my heart that it's right… and if you can't agree with that, well, then you know where the door is."
Toni left the room to go take a hot shower and then hunt down some food. Bryan gave the three billionaires - not caring that they were Green Arrow, Batman, and a supervillain - a look.
"I think you all need some space right now. Why don't you three stay at a hotel tonight and come back in the morning, talk things through calmly? I'll drive."
The four men left the house, not knowing that doing so, left Toni wide open to an attack.
Toni sat down on her couch with a couple slices of pizza warmed up on a plate.
"Toni?" Pepper asked as she called her on the phone. "I have the basics of the intern program written up and will have the final details sent to you by tomorrow." No response came from Toni as she was then paralyzed by Stane whom had somehow got in the house.
"Breathe. Easy, easy. You remember this one, right?" Stane said, coming around from behind her. "It's a shame the government didn't approve it. There's so many applications for causing short-term paralysis." He paused as he set a case on the table and pulled out a device. "But, you see, it was just fate that you survived that." He pulled the arc reactor from Toni's chest. "You had one last golden egg to give. Do you really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you? Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now, what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you? Oh, it's beautiful!" Stane said, holding up the arc reactor and admiring it.
"Toni, this is your Ninth Symphony. What a masterpiece. Look at that. This is your legacy. A new generation of weapons with this at its heart. Weapons that will help steer the world back on course, put the balance of power in our hands. The right hands. I wish you could've seen my prototype. It's not as… Well, not as conservative as yours. Too bad you had to involve those guards of yours. I would have preferred that they lived. Maybe they would have liked working for me a lot more than working for a whiny little brat like you."
Stane left, leaving Toni still in slight paralysis and weak from the reactor being removed. Slowly, she began to pull herself towards the lab, where the one thing that would save her was.
Clyde's gift.