The Seventh Avenger: Playing With Fire

Chapter 18: Harley Keener

 Lydia isn't exactly sure when the snow ceases falling from the sky in glittering patterns and soft crystal-like shapes, but she's glad once it does. Usually, the sight of snow would ignite a child-like wonder within her and she would raise a hand to try and catch the perfect little flecks in her hand, but when she must walk almost knee-deep in the white, thick blanket of snow covering the ground, she finds herself hating the very sight of it.

For three-quarters of an hour, she and Tony have trekked in absolute silence towards Rose Hill with Lydia's powers being the only thing keeping them from dying of hyperthermia. Unwilling to leave his suit behind, Tony had procured two cables from deep within the titanium mechanism and hooked them around the shoulders of the suit, allowing him to pull it along behind him after the snow. If Lydia wasn't pissed at him and still feeling the exhausting effects of the excessive use of her powers, then she probably would have offered to help. Instead, she holds her tongue, walking just a little ahead of the billionaire philanthropist on their journey, the suit leaving a thick and long train of marks in the snow and in their wake.

Rightfully sensing that she was still furious with him, Tony had given Lydia her space. He had made no further attempts to try and explain himself or apologize for his actions and despite the angry little ball within her still burning, there's a part of her that feels relieved for this. She knows that if they were to try and talk things out now when both of their emotions are heightened and scattered all over the place, another fight would break out. More insults would be hurled around, harsh words spoken, and it would further split the two friends apart. Despite all the anger she holds, Lydia doesn't want to fight. She just wants to find the Mandarin, stop him, and go home to New York where Zeus and the comfort of her home wait for her.

She's not just exhausted in the physical sense after the events of the past few months. She just wants to crawl into her bed and forget about all the problems the world seems to have no qualms about throwing her way lately.

Rose Hill, Tennessee. Explosion, suicide bombing. Terrorists. Malibu, Pepper. I don't need your help. James, please. Her own eyes staring back at her. The Mandarin, have to find the Mandarin ...

She runs a hand down her tired face, trying to keep her thoughts in order. Rose Hill – that's all she needs to focus on. She just needs to get to Rose Hill and figure out if there really was any connection between this supposed suicide bombing and the recent Mandarin attacks.

She would be lying if she said there wasn't a sting of betrayal and hurt that had torn at her heart when it was revealed that Tony had continued the hunt for the Mandarin without her. He had sounded so sure when he had first insisted that she help him find the madman, and then out of the blue, he's done a one-eighty on her and continued the search alone. There's every chance that he would have told her had the mansion not been blown up, but the guilt on his face when JARVIS had revealed the truth tells Lydia that he had planned otherwise.

She thought that they would work together on this. She thought he trusted her enough to let her in and tell him what was going on with him. She'd thought a lot of things. But now all she's left thinking is that maybe she and Tony hadn't been as close as she thought.

She suddenly pauses in her tracks, something bright and glimmering in the distance catching her attention. Soon after, Tony joins her side, his breath falling heavier than hers, likely from the strain of pulling the suit. Breaking the tense spell for the first time since they started walking, he questions, "What is it?"

"There's light up ahead – I think it's a gas station."

Spurred on by the thought of being closer to civilization again and the possibility of finding shelter from the cold, the two quicken their pace and sure enough, find themselves standing in front of a small and – unfortunately – closed gas station. The building itself is decorated with colourful Christmas lights and a sign stating that Rose Hill is just a little further down the road but, with her legs already feeling like jelly, Lydia collapses against the side of the building, grateful for the solid, dry ground and a chance to properly rest. They can stop for a bit; Rose Hill isn't going anywhere anytime soon.