Always Been You | Tony Stark

Captiolo (35) Trentacinque ~ Clean Slate

I shot awake with a gasp, having passed out from the pain.

"Hi." Killian stood in front of me, smiling.

I breathed heavily, looking around and noticing they had moved me to a different location.

"You think he's gonna help you? He won't." I shook my head.

"Having you here is not just to motivate Tony Stark. It's, um... Well, it's actually more embarrassing than that." He moved closer to me, leaning his arm against what I was strapped to. "You're here as my, um..."

"Trophy." I quietly filled in for him.

"Hmm." He chuckled. "I mean, I would have preferred to have Pepper, seeing as she and I have a history. But you're nice too. Plus I was able to help you with your leg. See? It's all better now!"

I looked down, seeing a fully formed left leg where my once stump used to be. Before I could say anything, the familiar sound of an Iron Man suit's repulsers filled my ears. My hopes went up upon seeing the Iron Patriot suit, hopeful that Rhodey had come to help me, but was disappointed and confused when Killian opened his stupid mouth.

"Good evening, sir." The suit then opened up, President Ellis falling out and onto the floor. "Welcome aboard, Mr. President." He saluted him.

"Ever hear of an elephant graveyard?" Killian asked as he and the President walked up a set of stairs, moving out of my line of sight. "Well, two years ago, the elephant in the room was this scow."

"This is the Roxxon Norco." I heard the President say.

"And of course, you'll remember that when she spilled a million gallons of crude off Pensacola, thanks to you, not one fat cat saw a day in court."

"What do you want from me?"

"Uh, nothing, sir. I just needed a reason to kill you that would play well on TV. You see, I've moved on. I- I found myself a new political patron, and this time tomorrow, he'll have your job. String him up." I heard footsteps walking away and the sound of President Ellis struggling against someone's hold.

Before I knew it, I was left alone in the room.

~~

"What's going on out there?" I asked one of the doctors that had come into the room not long ago to check my progress. The man didn't respond, just continued to go through his work.

"Hey! What's happening?" I asked again, getting the same none verbal response.

Right when I was about to try again, an explosion ripped through the room, the force of the blast so large I was thrown across the room, large bits of debris falling on top of me.

I must have hit my head on something, cause I ended up blacking out again.

I really need to stop doing that.

~~

I shot awake from the pain in the lower half of my body, the sound of the debris on top of me groaning from the sudden movement.

"Stop! Put it down. Put it down. Put it down." I rushed out, looking over and seeing Tony's Iron Man suit set the wreckage back down before he crouched down to be eye level with me.

"See what happens when you hang out with my ex-girlfriends?"

"I hang out with Pepper all the time." I countered.

"Yeah, well, she's the exception."

"You're such a jerk, you know." I glared at him.

"Yep. We'll talk about it over dinner." Tony reached his arm out, trying to get my outstretched arm and pull me out. "Come on. A little more, baby."