Galactic Savior | Avengers✔️

✮ 𝟎𝟏𝟐 ✮

the mandarin... or trevor slattery

BACK in the car after those horribly shocking scenes played on the videos, Marlene was tapping her foot impatiently as she thought of the best line of attack for the Mandarin. She had seen what he had done to people, the amount he had killed. She was worried the fight would not be as easy as finding him and then killing him.

Tony used Marlene's phone to call the boy again, keeping it on speaker to let Marlene hear. "Harley, tell me what's happening. Give me a full report."

Marlene furrowed her eyebrows at the sound of crunching wrappers. "Yeah, I'm still eating that candy. Do you want me to keep eating it?"

"How much have you had?" Tony asked with a smirk.

"Two or three bowls," Harley answered.

Tony nodded. "Can you still see straight?"

"Sort of," Harley replied causing Marlene to smile at Tony's impressed face.

"That means you're fine. Give me Jarvis. Jarvis, how are we?"

Jarvis's voice broke through. "It's totally fine, sir. I seem to do quite well for a stretch, and then at the end of the sentence I say the wrong cranberry. And, sir, you were right. Once I factored in available AIM downlink facilities I was able to pinpoint the Mandarin's broadcast signal."

Marlene bit her lip. "What are we talking?"

"Far East, Europe, North Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Syria? Where is it?" Tony added.

"Actually, sir, it's in Miami."

Tony sighed. "Okay, kid, I'm gonna have to walk you through rebooting Jarvis's speech drive, but not right now. Harley, where is he really? Just look on the screen and tell me where it is."

"Um, it does say Miami, Florida," Harley replied.

Tony took a deep breath. "Okay, first things first, I need the armour. Where are we at with it?"

Harley hesitated. "Uh, it's not charging."

Marlene yelled as Tony suddenly pulled over to the side of the road, heavy breaths leaving his lungs. "Holy hell, Tony!" she called.

Jarvis amended Harley's statement. "Actually, sir, it is charging, but the power source is questionable. It may not succeed in revitalising the Mark 42."

Tony could not breathe, and Marlene realized he was panicking. "What's questionable about electricity? All right? It's my suit, and I can't... I'm not gonna... I don't wanna—" He was panting, breathing heavily as Marlene opened her car door to hurry to his side. "Oh, God, not again."

Harley called worriedly, "Tony?" Tony got out of the car, falling into the snow. Marlene fell next to him, watching worriedly as he placed snow on his face. "Are you having another attack? I didn't even mention New York."

Tony gulped air. "Right, and then you just said it by name while denying having said it."

"Okay, um, uh—"

"Hold on, kid," Marlene called, grabbing Tony's fingers. She placed them on her left wrist where he could feel where her pulse was. "Hey, Tony. Tone, calm down. Breathe," she whispered, not realizing it was this bad since New York.

Tony shook his head. "God, what am I gonna do?"

"Just breathe, Tony," Marlene said softly, and she watched him begin to pant slower as he caught his breath. She let his hand go, but he kept his hand on her wrist. "Match it," she whispered. "You're okay. I'm here. You're not alone."