Chapter 2
“Captain Steve Rogers, meet Colonel James Rhodes.”
“Nice to meet you, James.”
“I outrank Captain America. This is awesome.”
“...I guess you do.”
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“Dum-E. Hi, Dum-E. How did you get that cap on your head? You earned it.”
“Don’t listen to her, Dum-E.” Steve smiled from his spot on the couch. Toni turned to him, affronted. “Don’t listen? I made him, what do you mean-”
“Perhaps it’s time to consider finding a real bed?” J.A.R.V.I.S cut in, “You’ve been awake for nearly 72 hours, Ma’am.”
Steve gave her a Look, one she’d been getting a lot in the year since he moved out to California with her. It meant something along the lines of ‘Why do I have to beg you to keep yourself alive.’ “Bedtime, Shellhead.” He said sternly, already moving towards her. “Aw, c’mon Capsicle,” She whined, but allowed herself to be dragged away anyway, “Where’s your holiday spirit?”
Keeping his face neutral, he picked up a discarded Santa hat and put it on his head. “Bed. Now.” The two stared each other down for a second, before Toni burst into laughter, causing Steve to join in. After a minute, Steve nudged her. “You still gotta sleep.” They were about to leave when the T.V turned on abruptly. “Actually,” J.A.R.V.I.S said, sounding alarmed, “You may want to see this.”
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“You’ll never see me coming.”
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“How’s Pepper?” Rhodey asked, taking a sip of his drink. Toni waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, considering her fiance was killed by an alien god.” Rhodey raised an eyebrow, and she sighed. “Pep is overseeing the reconstruction of the tower in New York. Thought the work would be good for her, get her mind off... everything.”
“So,” Steve cut in, trying to steer the conversation to what they came for. “That suit is really, uh...”
“Spangly.” Toni filled in, smiling as Steve nodded.
“Look, it tested well with focus groups, alright?” Clearly they weren’t the firsts to tease him over the new look. “I am Iron Patriot.” Tony growled, causing her and Steve to laugh.
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“Excuse me?” a little girl tapped on Toni’s shoulder, “Can you sign my drawing?”
Steve’s heart melted a bit as he saw the shift in Toni’s demeanor. “Of course, sweetheart.” She smiled as the girl shyly handed over the paper and a red crayon.
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“I broke the crayon.”
“Toni?”
“How did you get out of the wormhole?”
She got up, walking out of the restaurant, Steve and Rhodey rushing to follow, calling after her.
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“Check the heart, check the... check the... is it the brain?”
“No sign of cardiac anomaly or unusual brain activity.”
“Okay, so was I poisoned?”
“My diagnosis is that you’ve experienced a severe anxiety attack.”
“Me?”
She opened the suit, collapsing into Steve’s arms. People were staring. “Steve.” She clutched his arms, looking around wildly. “Steve, I can’t-”
“J.A.R.V.I.S, get the suit home.” Steve commanded, and the Iron Woman closed up and shot off. “I got you.” He held her close, and he didn't understand, but it didn't matter.
“I got you.”
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“Toni, we might need you in New York. A man named Killian came to the office today, showed Pepper, uh, his big brain.”
“Killian? Doesn’t ring a bell, so his brain can't be that big. Don’t worry about it.”
“Boss-”
“Relax, Happy.” Steve laughed from behind Toni, “It’ll be okay.”
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“Steve, I promise, I’m okay.” Toni tried to wave him away, but he wouldn’t budge. “You won’t let J tell me what’s wrong, so I’m going to have to figure it out myself.” He made another attempt at wrestling the thermometer in her mouth. “You’re lucky, you know.” He told her. “When I was a kid, and we got sick, we just died.” She groaned, letting her head hit the pillow. As soon as they made it home, Steve had taken her straight to bed, and not even in the fun way. “For the love of God, I’m fine.” Steve looked at her, suddenly serious. “Then what was that?” He asked, and he sounded so sad that Toni had to look away from him. “Because I haven’t seen you like that in almost a year.” Since Phil. “Toni, I hate seeing you like that. I just want to help.” Toni sighed, sitting up and making space for him to sit next to her. “Alright.” She said, leaning into him as soon as he was close enough. “I’ll tell you.”
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“You experience things and then they're over and you still can't explain 'em. Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I...I'm just a woman in a can. The only reason I haven't cracked up is probably because you moved in. Which is great. I love having you around, I'm lucky. But, Steve, I can't sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know, I tinker.”
Steve looked at him, then back to the newest suit Toni was working on. Mark 42.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I can go back to the way I was without you. Steve, I can’t- I don’t want-”
He nodded, crossing the lab to give her a hug. She rested her forehead on his chest, taking a deep breath. “I’m going to order sushi.” Steve informed her, “And you are going to shower, and then we are going to watch one of the movies you quote constantly.” Toni smiled up at him, and it had only been a year but she loved him so much.
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Pepper ran to them, hugging Toni as soon as she was close enough. They had rushed to New York as soon as Pepper called, telling them Happy was hurt. “I was just on my way back to the office.” She told them, “But you two can go in. Toni-” She ignored her, continuing on into the room. Sighing, Pepper turned to Steve. “It’s bad.” She told him, “and I won’t be able to be here, for either of them.” Steve nodded, understanding. “Of course.” She squeezed his arm, walking away.
When Steve walked into Happy’s room, Toni was sitting by his bed, tears in her eyes. “They gotta-” She whispered, not taking her eyes off her friend, beaten and unconscious, “They gotta make sure everyone wears their badges. He’s a stickler for that kinda thing.”
Steve nodded, coming over to her, “I’ll let the nurse know.” he promised. “Plus.” She said, “My security won't let anyone in without them.”
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“They’re calling this an attack by the terrorist who calls himself the Mandarin, do you have anything to say to him?”
“Ms. Stark! When is somebody going to kill this guy?”
“Captain, will you address the rumors that you and Toni are dating?”
“Are you going to call the other Avengers?”
Toni turned to the reporters, and they all fell silent.
“Is that what you want? 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 Toni Stark and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward, so I've decided that you just died, 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.”
While everyone absorbed her words, Steve and Toni ducked into their car and sped towards the air field.
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“When is a bomb not a bomb?”
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“Creating a flight path to Tennessee.”
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“This is Maya Hansen. Old Botanist pal.”
“Old girlfriend?”
“No! Well, just for one night.”
“You have saved yourself a world of pain. Toni, get your coat, we’re leaving.”
“Steve, I already said-”
“You threatened a-”
“-we can’t, I can’t protect you-”
“terrorist, Toni, this is how normal people behave!”
“if we just up and leave!”
And then the bomb hit.
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Steve pressed his forehead to the Iron Woman’s, crying.
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“Is that Iron Woman?” The little boy asked with wide eyes.
“Technically, I am.”
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‘Mandarin Attack: Stark Presumed Dead.’
“Oh, Steve...”
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“What’s your name?”
“Harley. And you’re...”
“The mechanic. Toni.”
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Steve turned on the girl, the one Toni had called Maya.
“Why were you at the house tonight? What was so important that you had to speak to Toni?”
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“Six dead, only five shadows.”
“Yeah, people said these shadows are like the mark of souls gone to Heaven. Except the bomb guy, he went to Hell on account of he didn't get a shadow. That's why there's only five.”
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“Do you have medication?”
“Nope.”
“Do you need to be put on it?”
“Probably.”
“Do you have PTSD?”
“I- I think so.”
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“I’m cold.”
“I can tell. You know how I can tell? Because we’re connected.”
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The president made the call.
An innocent man died regardless.
“One lesson left, President Ellis.”
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“Now, last time I went missing, if I remember correctly, you came looking for me. What are you doing?”
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“Once misfits, cripples... You are the next iteration of human evolution.”
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“A bomb is not a bomb when it’s a misfire.”
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“What are we talking? Far East, Europe, North Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Syria? Where is it?”
“Actually, Ma’am, it’s in Miami.”
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“God, what am I gonna do?”
“Just breathe. Really, just breathe. You're a mechanic, right?”
“Right.”
“You said so.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why don't you just build something?”
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“You’re not him. Where’s the Mandarin?”
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“Okay. So you took Killian's card.”
“I took his money.”
“And here you are 13 years later, in a dungeon.”
“No.”
“Yeah.”
“No, you're in a dungeon. I'm free to go.”
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“I'm gonna take the Chinook to base camp. And I want Rogers with me.”
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“Toni, they have Steve.”
“Well then let’s go get him back.”
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“You think she's gonna help you? She won't.”
“Having you here is not just to motivate Toni Stark. It's, um... Well, it's actually more embarrassing than that. You're here as my, um... well, my trophy. I'm a big fan.”
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Steve struggled against the chains, but with the cocktail of drugs constantly streaming into his system, he could barely keep his eyes open. Not that it mattered. Toni would come. He knew she would.”
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“It’s Christmas. Take ‘em to church.”
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“Steve, look at me!”
He was still mostly out of it, and his eyes were unfocused. Whatever they had given him to weken him would take some time to wear off, time they just didn't have.
“You’ve got to let go, Steve, I’ll catch you, okay honey? You gotta let go baby, I promise, I’ll catch you!”
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“A shame. I would’ve caught him.”
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“Well, I’ll be damned. The prodigal daughter returns.”
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“No more false faces. You said you wanted the Mandarin. You're looking right at him. It was always me, Toni. Right from the start. I am the Mandarin!”
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“That was... really violent!”
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“No, don’t touch me!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m gonna burn you!”
“No, you’re not. See? Not hot.”
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She kept in touch with Harley Keener. The kid had a future at Stark Industries.
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“How’re those new powers coming along?” Toni asked. Steve had just finished a runthrough of an obstacle course Toni designed for him, to test his body’s new limits. “I think I can make this work.” He said, “I mean, the serum is probably making it easier.”
“Probably.” Toni agreed, looking around. They’d been back in Stark- or rather, Avengers Tower for about two months, but they still hadn’t really talked about it, and Toni had to get it off her chest.
“Steve.” She began, “When you fell, when I thought I’d lost you, I just... I wouldn't be able to live with myself, if something like that happened again and I never told you-”
And that was when Steve kissed her.
“I know.” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Toni, I know.”
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