Storm ≛ Tony Stark ≛

31.

Tony gripped the handle of the door at Johnny's inquisitive stare. It annoyed him that Johnny was so laidback yet hid the side of him that was observant. When he was able to pick things out of people without trying, Tony saw the connection between him and Sue. She was too observant and interrogative for her own good. Johnny exhibited the the same trait when he saw fit, making it unexpected and easier to read people's secrets. Although Tony would call them alterations of the truth, he didn't like being read.

'Stark, if you've done something to her, I swear-'

'I haven't done anything,' Tony bit back. 'She stayed at my house last night. We played uno and watched a chic-flick.'

'Is that supposed to be slang for something?'

Tony left Johnny's room and stayed in Happy's for the rest of the night. He had half a mind to go back and apologise to the man who saved Happy. Whatever exploded would have left nothing but a Happy-shadow if Johnny wasn't there to take the heat. But like most things, Tony's pride wouldn't let him.

Sue rushed into the room when morning was well into its duration. Tony ripped his blank stare from Happy's bed and stood to his feet. The woman looked at Happy and parted her lips at the state he was in. The swollen eyes, red welts, burns, everything was raw and bleeding. Sue hung the jacket she held over the end of Happy's bed, walking to stop next to Tony.

'Why didn't you wake me up?' her voice was small, her eyes not leaving Happy.

'After last night, I thought you deserved a bit of peace...' Tony slipped his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. He gave Sue a strained smile and Sue returned one. It reassured him that she wasn't thinking too much about last night. He took advantage of this and slid his forefinger into the space between hers and her middle finger. He then laced the rest and edged her to be against his side.

'Johnny's okay. Still insufferable,' he said, his hand squeezing her delicate one. 'He took most of the hit.'

Johnny was asleep when Sue went to see him. Tony waited outside and said they would go home for now. He had a lot of work to do now that The Mandarin made it personal. But they would be back for regular visits.

Sue held Johnny's hand that wasn't in the sling and sat with him for a few minutes. He wasn't too hurt and Sue was grateful for his firey abilities. But he was still at the location of a bombing, one that incinerated anyone in its radius. She looked over the bandage around his head and the sling holding his arm. The Mandarin found a way to involve both her and Johnny in his despicable acts, yet she wasn't sure why he and Happy were even at The Chinese Theatre. She was sure she would find out once Johnny woke up. For now, the anger towards the terrorist was seering in both Sue and Tony.

The reporters that sat around the entrance of the hospital was overwhelming. As Sue and Tony stepped out and descended to their parked cars, they were bombarded with microphones and cameras in their faces. Flashes filled Sue's sight and she kept her head down, following Tony's lead as he pushed his way through with his sunglasses over his eyes.

'Mr Stark! Mr Stark! Anything you can tell us about the recent Mandarin attack?!'

'Miss Storm! What's your brother's condition?! What do you have to say about the attack?!'

'Hey, Mr Stark! When is somebody gonna kill this guy?!'

Tony stopped at his car and turned around, making Sue do the same. She was about to make her way to her Audi that was parked behind Tony's sportscar, but she could see the hard glaze in Tony's eyes. He had ripped his sunglasses off his face and stared at the reporter who held his phone to record any quotes. The reporter looked smug at the fact that he was able to catch the superhero's attention, but he would soon regret it.