Ch 32 The Mandarin

IMPORTANT NOTE: hi people it's been a long time since I posted any kind of note and I am requesting you help to support me on P_A_T_R_E_O_N. i know it may be too much to ask but as you all know I have not been able to upload for a few months, it's because of my college and that makes it much hard for me to upload new chapters and I really hope to get some support from u guys because it would be really helpful to me and in the P_A_T_R_E_O_N you guys can also vote which novel should I post next or help me in noval editing works and stuff, I will also do my best to upload at least two chapters a day of any novel which i am uploading, so please support me guys thank you guys 🙂.

https://www.patreon.com/Tony_stark_3000?fan_landing=true&view_as=public

This is my P_A_T_R_E_O_N link please support me.thank you guys

If you think i am asking for too much atleast give me some power stone it will be really helpful to me it will make more people look for this novel and support me and the other author's and also check out some of the best novels i have found online in my works. Please throw some power stones this way guys.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The next day, everyone woke up and had breakfast. No one spoke as tensions from the previous day were still very high.

When they went into the viewing room, there was one more couch though this time. And on it were Matt Murdock, Elektra Natchios Murdock, Jessica Jones Cage, Luke Cage, Frank Castle and Trish Walker.

"What're you guys doing here?" Benjamin asked.

"We had nothing better to do for the day." Elektra said.

"So we just decided to sit here and watch some movies." Luke said and everyone laughed.

"Movies. I like that." Tony said.

"You like a lot of stuff." Trish said, "Like screaming."

Everyone laughed again at Tony.

"It was a long time ago, Trish." Tony said, "I have changed."

"We know you have, Stark." Jessica told him.

"I'm interested to see how much." Frank said.

"I'm pretty sure he has changed a lot from back then." Matt said.

"You can't see bub. So why're you here?" Logan asked him.

"I can hear." Matt simply said.

"Well, in that case, I think he can stay around too." Steve shrugged.

"Now, we have to begin with-" Odinson trailed off.

"What is it?" Natasha asked him.

"Tony again." Odinson sighed.

"NOO!"

"YEES!"

Tony was happy, "Yeah it's me again! I'm gonna have so much fun watching myself work."

"It's about your PTSD after New York and the Mandarin business." Frank said and Tony's smirk vanished.

"Damn! You didn't have anything better to show?" Tony asked.

"You didn't have anything better to do?" Matt asked and everyone laughed.

"And then you had to tell me about it when I'm not that kind of doctor." Bruce said.

"All right. All right. Gang up on me." Tony said.

"I'm with you on this one." Pepper assured him.

"Thanks Pep." Tony said.

"As much as I hate to say it, me too." Rhodes said.

"Thanks a lot bro." Tony said to him.

"Well, let's get started." Benjamin said as he turned the TV on. Fury and Hill sat with Benjamin, Odinson and Logan this time, for reasons anyone could figure out.

Tony's suits were shown exploding as his voice was heard saying, "A famous man once said, "We create our own demons." Who said that? What does that even mean? Doesn't matter. I said it because he said it. So, now, he was famous and it's basically getting said by two well-known guys. I don't, uh..." Tony sighed, "I'm going to start again. Let's track this from the beginning."

"I remember that." Bruce said.

"So you were only pretending to be asleep?" Tony asked.

"I remember bits." Bruce said.

On New Year's Eve in 1999, Bern, Switzerland, Tony Stark was at a party after a conference with Maya Hansen. A young Happy Hogan was there too with long hair as Tony was complimented on his speech but he barely remembered giving it due to being drunk.

"That is Happy?" Natasha asked, amused at the sight as everyone else had the same reactions.

"This is the speech you gave while drunk?" Scott asked and Tony nodded as everyone laughed.

"Damn!" Hope said.

Ho Yinsen arrived and lead Tony to Dr. Wu, introducing them both as Tony joked how he had finally met a man called 'Ho.' Wu was a heart doctor and Tony joked how Maya would need one after he was done with her, dismissing them both as Yinsen said maybe another time.

"Oh boy! Of course! I remembered that." Tony sighed sadly, guilty over his treatment of everyone.

"You're a changed man now." Pepper said, "You can feel ashamed of what you did, but do not let that define you."

"Thanks Pep." Tony said with a smile.

Tony and Maya went to the elevator with Happy as Tony was heard narrating how his demons from 1999 returned to haunt him. A limping man with a cane arrived, telling Maya he was a big fan of her work and that he had been following her research. He forced his way into the elevator and said they were a private think tank called Advanced Idea Mechanics or A.I.M. and gave her 2 cards.

Pepper clenched her fists angrily on seeing Killian as Tony glared at him.

"Are you too drunk or too much of a jerk?" Sam asked Tony.

"Both." Trish said, "That's what he was like back then."

Maya went out as Tony told Killian he was interested to work with him and agreed to meet on the rooftop in a few minutes.

"And you never showed up?" Bruce then asked.

"Nope." Tony said, "Unfortunately."

"Some heroes create their own villains." Frank said.

"Is it just me or are you the Punisher?" Tony asked.

"I'm the Punisher." Frank said.

"How did you join their ranks?" Rhodes asked.

"Because they're not half-measures." Frank said.

Tony and Maya looked at her laptop as she showed him a brain scan and how she was trying to access the area that governed repairs and chemically recode it, impressing Tony.

"That is pretty impressive." Bucky said.

Happy touched her plant but she told him not to as she didn't like it and Tony supported her in that. The two went to her bedroom as Happy touched the plant anyway, breaking it a little.

"Respect the plants." Thor said in agitation to Happy.

The plant was then shown glowing like fire and growing back as Maya said she called it Extremis.

Pepper shivered on seeing that, reminded of the experiment on her as Tony put an arm around her for comfort.

Tony told Maya she was the most gifted woman he had met, flattering her, until he added in Switzerland as she took his glasses.

Everybody snickered.

"We all know who is the most gifted woman I have met." Tony said with an arm around Pepper said as everyone smirked.

The leaf exploded as Maya explained it was a glitch when Happy ran in and tackle Tony to the bed thinking it was a real bomb as Tony said how Happy was on top of him. Happy got up as Tony explained the situation.

Everybody laughed at the scene.

"Sweet Christmas!" Luke said.

"The IGH guys could never do that." Jessica said.

People were heard counting down and wishing each other a Happy New Year as Tony, Maya and Happy wished each other too before Happy walked off and the two made out.

"There it goes again." Elektra said and everyone chuckled.

People were bursting fireworks outside as Killian was shown waiting for Tony who never arrived.

"And you've created another villain, bub." Logan told him.

Tony was heard narrating how he had created demons as the next morning, he was shown taking his glasses and writing "You Know Who I Am" on the card as he walked off. Maya, now in her inners, was shown working on her laptop as she looked at Tony one last time.

"At least she didn't seem that bothered by a one-night stand." Clint said.]

Present Day Malibu, California was shown as Tony was heard narrating how the Afghan cave had changed him and he was different and that everyone knew who he was.

Everyone shook their heads at Tony's amusing narration.

Tony finished his micro-repair implant sequence as Jarvis said how he had prepared a safety briefing for Stark to entirely ignore.

Everyone laughed hard at this point.

"Why are you not witty as you used to be?" Wanda asked Vision and everyone nodded as she had a point.

Tony then saw Dum-E in a hat and said it had earned it before asking it to clean blood on his mat as he did some basic martial arts and hit a wooden wing-chun dummy.

"Dum-E." Wanda said happily.

"As cute as ever." Sam said.

"And I treat him better." Tony said.

"Very nice of you." Rhodes said.

"Even non-living things need love sometimes." Luke agreed.

Jarvis said how Tony had been awake for 72 hours as U raised a camera and Tony gave a funny speech to welcome Mark 42 which was under testing. He asked Jarvis to drop the needle and 'Jingle Bells' by Joe Williams started playing as Tony danced to the tune.

Everyone laughed again at Stark's antics.

"Just wait till you see what happens next." Tony said.

"I have a feeling you won't enjoy it." Benjamin told him.

Tony tried several poses before the pieces of his suit started flying up to him, forming the left arm and part of the right one as Tony asked Jarvis to send them all and soon, the pieces were flying around and breaking the room as Tony managed to get the right leg too.

"I think you moved a little fast." Steve said.

"Yeah. That's me." Tony said.

Tony asked to slow down a little bit as the pieces broke the workshop and he managed to get the left leg before a piece hit his crotch, hurting him a little and another piece hit him from behind, throwing him down.

No one could control their laughter at this point.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. I will get all the dirt on you." Tony said jokingly.

Tony used the repulsors to save himself as the rest of his suit put itself on him and he dodged the visor. It flew back at him and hitting a pillar, turned upside down so Tony flipped and put it on his face upside down before landing, though his face was a little hurt and he said, "I'm the best."

Everybody clapped at Tony managing to assemble the new suit.

"That was awesome!" Peter said.

Then a stray piece hit him on the back and the entire suit broke as he fell down and Jarvis said it was a pleasure to watch him work.

Everyone laughed again.

"That just sucks." Aunt May said.

"Yeah, all the hard work destroyed by a stray." Hope said.

"I knew you'd get the feeling." Tony said.

"I think you meant it was a pleasure to see him fall down a lot." Clint joked to Vision and everyone chuckled.

Tony's voice was heard saying how 72 hours was a long time between siestas and it couldn't get worse until he turned on the TV and saw 'him.' A strange bald man with a beard was seen on TV as his firing squad executed prisoners and he said that while some considered him a terrorist, he considered himself a teacher who teach America it's lessons as he had attacked the Ali Al Salem Base is Kuwait. Footage of the explosion was shown as he said President Ellis resisted him too much and while they knew who he was, they didn't know where he was and they would never see him coming. A symbol of two swords between 10 rings was shown.

"Damn!" Scott said as everyone watched the disturbing footage, "That footage was very well made!"

"I know right!" Tony said, "Even I bought it."

"It is pretty convincing." Bucky agreed.

"Well, considering who was behind it, not surprising." Logan pointed out.

The news reporters talked about the footage and how attempts to find this terrorist known as the Mandarin had been unsuccessful. Ellis was seen introducing people to Colonel James Rhodes in his War Machine Armor which was repainted and called Iron Patriot as a countermeasure against Mandarin and the news reporters joked how Ellis' response was to repaint War Machine in red, white and blue and call him Iron Patriot in case the paint was subtle.

Everyone snickered as Rhodes had his head in his hands, "That name and color didn't work on me."

"Yeah. Sounds about right." Natasha said, "Though it may suit better on Steve."

"You know what Romanoff." Steve said as everyone chuckled.

Tony and Rhodes watched the news in a café as Tony mocked the name and Rhodes argued it sent a better message. Tony asked about the Mandarin and Rhodes said it was classified. There had been 9 bombings and 3 were public as Rhodes said they couldn't find any device and Tony said he could help with the new stuff he had built. Rhodes asked when he had slept the last time as Tony argued Einstein only slept for 3 hours in a year.

"Not a good argument." Pepper told Tony.

Rhodes tried to tell Tony how everyone was concerned about him and that he was not trying to be a dick when they saw 2 kids behind him and he shut up.

Everyone chuckled at that again.

"Sucks." Rhodes said.

Tony asked the girl her name and she said it was Erin as he took her drawing to give an autograph as Rhodes said the Mandarin wasn't superhero responsibility but American responsibility. The drawing was of him diverting the nuke to the portal, which made him start breathing erratically as he broke the crayon and the kid asked him how he had escaped the portal. That caused Tony to bolt the area as he wrote on the drawing "Erin help me" and he walked into his Mark VII as Jarvis told him he was having an anxiety attack. Rhodes told him it wasn't a good look but he said he needed to split and flew off.

Pepper held Tony's hand, hoping to offer comfort as he clearly looked uncomfortable.

"Erin didn't help you obviously, but we can." Steve assured Tony as he turned to him.

"Look man, I don't like what you did during the Accords fiasco." Sam told him, "But let's just say that if after all of this, we move past that, I'm ready to help you."

"Thanks." Tony said gratefully.

"PTSD." Frank said, "Changes everyone. For better or worse."

"What do you think about me in that case?" Tony asked.

"I think better eventually." Matt said.

At Stark Industries, Happy, who was now the head of security, was telling all the employees to wear their ID tags as Pepper arrived Happy suggested robots could replace the janitorial staff because the human element of human resources was their biggest point of vulnerability and they should start phasing it out immediately.

Everyone snickered.

"The guy has brains." Jessica complimented with an amused phase.

"Well, he learnt from me." Tony joked.

"I can see that." Thor said.

Pepper was incredulous and told him that while she was thrilled that he was head of security, staff complaints had risen by 300% but he took it as a compliment because it meant someone was hiding something.

"So this guy is like the CW." Logan said and everyone laughed again.

Pepper was informed her 4:00 was here and Happy asked if he had been cleared with him. Pepper opened the room to see Aldrich Killian, no longer having the cane and looking very handsome. Pepper was shocked as Aldrich said she looked great and Pepper told him he looked great. She asked what he had been doing and he said he had been with physical therapists. Happy inquired about the ID tag but Pepper sent him out, saying it was okay.

"No its not okay." Pepper said angrily.

"Jerk." Tony said about Killian.

"I think the ID habit was pretty good in that case." Loki said dryly.

Happy sat outside and looked at Aldrich's right hand man Savin who was reading a newspaper as Happy pointed at the ID tag and he showed him.

"Yes it is good." Odinson agreed.

Aldrich told Pepper he had an idea called Extremis and putting a device on the left side of his head, opened a hologram of the brain, though he ended up opening one of the universe by mistake before opening one of the brain. Pepper said it was amazing and Aldrich said it was a live feed of his brain which he would prove.

"Okay, people can do that?" Scott asked.

"Want to learn more science, hang out with me." Tony joked.

He asked her to pinch him and she did as his brain's pain center reacted. Extremis harnessed the body's bioelectrical potential and put it in an empty slot which proved the brain was destined to evolve, awing Pepper.

"In the right hands, that would be something." Trish said.

"Which means, unfortunately, not many hands." Elektra said.

Happy got a call from Tony and they talked as he spoke about all of his previous embarrassments as Tony's bodyguard and told him about Killian who was now rich and handsome and they had met him in the Science conference in Switzerland in 1999, though Tony didn't remember.

"Now I do." Tony said.

Happy said they were talking business and now it was weird with him showing her his big brain so Tony asked him to flip the screen which he failed to do.

"Is he an idiot or does he not want to flip the screen?" Aunt May asked.

"I wish I knew." Tony said.

Happy continued ranting and talked about the shifty guy with Aldrich as Tony looked at his credentials and asked Happy to secure the perimeter. Happy told Tony that Pepper was the best thing to happen to him and he was ignoring her.

"He's got a point there." Rhodes said as Tony and Pepper blushed.

Happy said he was gonna follow the guy and if it got rough, no problem. Tony said he missed Happy and Happy said he missed him too but now he was off with his super-friends and the world was weirder. Tony told Happy there was a gal trying to steal printer ink in HR so he should zap her with a taser as he cut the call.

"I know he rants but why didn't I take him seriously at the time?" Tony said guiltily.

"Hey!" Pepper said as he looked at her, "It's not your fault."

"Attacks come at us from all ways." Frank told Tony as he remembered Billy Russo, "We can't see them all coming. So don't blame yourself, Stark."

Tony nodded in appreciation.

Aldrich told Pepper about his idea but she said while it was amazing, it was highly weaponizable so she couldn't help him. Aldrich said he had asked Tony to join AIM 13 years ago but now there was a new genius on the throne with less of an ego but she still refused even though she would like to help him.

"Good call, Pepper." Hope told her and she nodded.

Aldrich walked out and said he was disappointed but his father used to say failure was the fog through which they glimpsed triumph. Pepper said it was deep as Aldrich said his father was an idiot.

"And the son is a psycho." Tony snarled.

Aldrich said he would see her again and kissed her on the cheek before walking off.

"Jackass." Logan said.

Happy told Pepper the car was ready and she quickly went to get her other things as Happy took a picture of the nameplate of Aldrich's car.

"Smart guy." Matt said.

Pepper drove back home to see a huge stuffed bunny that couldn't fit in the house. She walked in to see Tony in his armor and he said everyone needed a hobby while she said he wore his in his living room. He asked if she had seen her present and she asked how they would fit it through the door. He said he was calling some guys to blow the wall open.

"Okay, what?" Natasha asked.

"You are an interesting person, Mr. Stark." T'Challa said in amusement.

"I know I'm over the top." Tony said.

"That was way beyond that." Scott said.

Tony gave her a massage and she got up to get a kiss but he acted like he was stuck so she had to kiss the slit but she decided to get a crowbar. He said there was a radiation leak but she would take her chances as she walked down to see Tony doing pullups while communicating via interface and said it was a new level of lame and Stark said he was busted.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Hope said and everyone chuckled.

"Damn!" Sam said, "That is lame."

"Thank you." Pepper said.

Pepper realized he had eaten without her and he said they were going to host her as he wasn't sure if she would come home or have drinks with Aldrich Killian. She looked angry and said Tony was spying on her though he just said Happy was concerned. She started walking away as Tony called her back and apologized, saying he was a piping hot mess.

"To be honest, it was Happy being concerned." Natasha told her.

"Now I know." Pepper sighed.

Tony said nothing had been the same since New York and she sarcastically said she hadn't noticed. "Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I'm just a man in a can." Tony said and that the only reason he hadn't snapped was that she had moved in.

"Stuff affects us all." Steve said sympathetically, "How we deal with it is what matters."

"Thanks Cap." Tony said.

He said he loved her and he was lucky but he always had to tinker down here as a threat was imminent and he had to protect her because he cared about her most. His suits were a part of him though Pepper argued they were machines and distraction. Pepper then hugged Tony and removed his head piece, saying she was going to take a shower and he was going to join her to cheer him up and help him.

In spite of the sexual subtext, no one felt like joking this time as it was clear how damaged Tony was and how Pepper was trying to help him.

Later, the two were sleeping as Tony dreamt of battling the Chitauri and carrying the nuke into the wormhole. He groaned in his sleep as a concerned Pepper tried to wake him up.

"You know what man. I will help you after this as long as you pick a time when I'm not tired." Bruce told Tony.

"All right. Thanks science bro." Tony said gratefully.

Suddenly, the Mark 42 grabbed Pepper and she gasped as Tony awoke and shut it down before dismantling it with a mental command.

Everyone gasped at the scene.

"Did your suit just attack her?" Rhodes asked Tony.

"Watch the scene." Luke said.

Tony tried to catch his breath and said he had called it in his sleep so he should recalibrate the sensors but Pepper said she was going to sleep downstairs and to tinker with that.

It was impossible to take a side in this argument as Tony had PTSD which had made this happen but Pepper had been almost attacked by the suit so her reaction was understandable too.

The two looked at each other apologetically.

"Instead of building suits, spend time with us maybe." Natasha told Tony.

"You're not the only one with demons." Frank said.

At the Chinese Theater, a man was sitting quietly with his tags as Savin approached him and gave him a case, saying he had done a lot for him. The man thanked him for understanding as he walked off while Happy tried on glasses nearby, watching them both from a mirror.

"Smart maybe but not so subtle." Jessica said.

"Maybe you can train him." Matt told her and they all snickered.

Happy then bumped into the man, making him drop the case as the doses fell out. Happy apologized as the man's face glowed. Happy helped him in picking them up while keeping one himself as he walked off but Savin bumped into him.

"That is not good at all." Wanda said.

"The Extremis is about to explode." Vision said.

Savin asked if he was seeing a movie and Happy showed him the dose. Savin tried to take it as Happy punched him but he dodged. Happy punched again and he staggered back. The man glowed too, shocking Happy. He then grabbed Happy's arm and flipped him over his shoulder, sending him crashing through glass as everyone ran and the man took a high dose and called out to Savin.

"Shit!" Sam said.

The man exploded, destroying the theater as a wounded Happy lay on the ground and saw the man's tags while there was no sign of him. Savin got back up in spite of his wounds and tattered clothes and putting chewing gum in his mouth, walked off as Happy lost consciousness.

"Oh boy! This is getting worse for us all." Rhodes said.

"No kidding." Tony sighed.