𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐒

ELEANOR

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'Ma?'

I lifted my head off of Rhodey's shoulder, blinking the sleep away. My gaze fell on a troubled Margo, setting the monitors around her into chaos as she took in deep breaths. Her blue eyes were frightened, looking around the room and pushing a hand into her wound. Warmth expanded in my chest when I saw her stir, feeling utmost relief and a soft grin coming to my face.

'Margo,' I rushed to her side, trying to stop her from tugging off her nasal cannula. I brought her arm back to her sides. 'You're okay, love. Lie down for a moment.'

It must've been around three in the morning when Margo awoke, Rhodey staying back with me while Tony took off to clear the situation with the press and media. His statement about the intruder and the accident had appeared on the midnight news, Pepper Potts flanking him while he spoke in a hushed monotone. He was disturbed and perplexed, hence the unusual nature to his speech. Noses prodded and of course, Tony abruptly split the gathering as soon as Margo's name was invoked. Pepper had graciously finished the statement for him, informing them that there was nothing to worry about and the situation was being handled. The current CEO of Stark International had ceased further leaks on her part.

Margo quietened, looking to Rhodey over my shoulder with a tiny grin. 'Hi, uncle Rhodey.'

Rhodey settled himself behind me, touching her knee on the blanket. The colonel had grown a soft spot for her despite the countless disagreements that brewed between them. The arguments usually revolved around Tony, Margo possessive over her dad being her best friend. Rhodey always used to rub it in when they took off in their suits or Margo latching onto Tony like glue every time her uncle was around. They were still good friends, Rhodey had even taken her for a trip to the military airbase to show her all the cool jetliners.

'Hey, pipsqueak,' he smiled, 'you okay?'

'I'm feeling a little woozy,' she muttered, rubbing her eyes. 'I think I need new glasses.'

The door swung open and Tony sauntered in, trying to balance three cups of coffee while holding the door for himself. His eyes enlarged when he saw Margo up, deserting the cups by the sofa and his feet leading him to her bed. Margo shot up, pushing off her blankets and ready to give Tony the biggest hug ever. Tony grunted when her knees drove into his cracked rib, his face screwing up with pain. She had her hands lobbed around his neck and squeezing him tightly. The IV tube bent shapelessly and I helped her hold the oxygen tube up before she blocked it.

'I'm sorry I forgot to put on the seatbelt,' she sniffed. 'It's my fault.'

'No, no, no, Mags,' he murmured. 'It's nobody's fault, okay? None of us saw it coming.'

'Exactly,' I rubbed the back of her head gently. 

Rhodey spoke quietly after me, placing a hand over my shoulder.  'What matters is everyone is safe.'

'Now, that's that. Mommy and I,' Tony looked at me, 'we have work to do.'

∞

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐔, 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀

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There was no racket in the house. Even from the basement where the sound of Tony's tinkering lingered around the halls. There was an ominous stillness, the usual vigour of a child's drifts missing. The air felt so brittle, the fear in my chest waiting to take over. Never had I felt so vulnerable, my heart feeling like it may crumble to dust at my feet. The house had been tortured, sofas cut apart and boards were split in half. Some had even taken a knife and wedged it into the hardwood floors, scouring for the evidence they had come looking for. It felt like a hate-crime rather than a robbery.

'You know what, baby. It's fine,' Tony smiled at me, hoping to uplift my spirits. 'This place was direly due for a makeover. What do you say — 90s retro? Scandinavian? Rustic farmhouse?'

I managed a half laugh. 'I liked it the way it was.'

'Mags would love the farmhouse vibe. She wants a garden. And a barn.'

'Tony, not now.'

'Oh, c'mon. Just having some harmless fun!'

'Our home's been vandalised.'

'For good.'

Thankfully, during the break-in, his workshop had initiated it's automatic lock-down measures. There were indeed no armours stolen but the house had been wrecked, as if they were searching for something minute and commonplace object that would be hidden. But the mystery was, no one knew what this person had stolen. Even after installing security measures that had cost a bomb, the intruders had managed to decrypt the defence systems and disarm whatever they had come in for.

The cops had left the mansion nearly two days after the crime, investigators waltzing in as and when they had liked it. Officials had reason to believe the intruders may have stolen a weapon or a bomb that may be capable of miles-based destruction. Provided Tony's reputation in the weapon's manufacturing enterprise, it was a valid cause to consider so.

I walked around the garage, inspecting the damage that had been done. There were no traces of anybody in the basement which seem deeply unnatural. Why break into Tony Stark's home and not steal one of his suits? 

Until I found what would provide as a clue. I held back a loud gasp, placing my hands over my mouth.

'Oh no.' 

'Babe?' he hummed cautiously, looking up from his papers on the desk and making his way to me. He laid his eyes on what I was gawking at, hissing lowly. 

It was the Maiden. Or what was left of the Maiden. Like someone had taken a laser and slashed every nook and cranny of her. The panels were distraught, wire poking out of the reactor core and the arms dislodged beside her. All the repulsor sites had been stabbed in, a dodgy scent coming off her. She had been discarded carelessly behind one of the sports cars in the garage, managing to hide it from view. 

'Phew, thank god.'

I looked at him.

'I mean, phew, it wasn't the new one,' he mused. 'You think I'd build that and not make another one?'

I got on my knees to inspect the damage further, ignoring his comment. Letting a finger trace the dismounted head, I held the helmet in my hands and watching the silver mask stare back at me. My blurry reflection appeared on the frosted steel, letting a thumb caress the mouth of the helmet. I didn't hold the armour for too long but I would miss her. She had saved me from hell multiple times.

'It's all so screwy,' I murmured, looking up at him. 'Why would someone break-in, steal nothing and slash my suit?'

He thumbed his lip in thought. 'You think it's a hate crime?'

'It's ridiculous,' I shrugged. 'But it makes sense.'

'Mr Stark, I have picked up something peculiar in my radar.'

JARVIS' voice sent my heart for a leap, lacing a hand over it to calm myself. I used Tony's arm to help myself up, walking around his desk to look into the alight panels. The world-map stood still, blinking in a spot above Europe and expecting Tony's next instructions.

'I'm all for peculiar,' Tony muttered, tapping a few keys on the flattened, hologram pad. I watched quietly as the longitudinal projection zoomed in on a small, bit of country beside Romania and a red, dot flickering lowly. It produced coordinates and the country's name with another tap. I read the title with confusion. 

'What's Latveria?'

Tony chewed the inside of his cheeks, almost nervous. 'It's a place. A country ruled by Victor Von Doom. Ruled as in, an absolute monarchy.'

I blinked. 'He's... a king?'

'Dictator.'

'Really,' I mused, impressed. Tony threw me a dirty look.

'Eh,' he made a face, 'not as cool as Wakanda. But, he'll do.'

'Someone has broken into Castle Doomstadt in broad daylight,' JARVIS informed. 'The regime of Latveria was uncooperating but SHIELD's satellite footage is unmistakable.'

'Pull it up, J.'

The footage showed a castle on a stout hill as if seen from a street below. The castle was all stone, cracking and improperly managed, losing all the charm of being called a fort. Someone snuck towards the open ledge that peered down into nothing but a dark expanse of bushes, looking behind them one last time before leaping off. 

'Holy shit!'

When I was in a different kind of awe. I gasped, taking in the frozen video, the familiar face striking a chord in my mind. It was not possible.

'No fucking way.'

Madame Masque was dead. I saw her die in the blast after retrieving her mask back in Kiernsk. When Tony had no option but keep running to keep Starkdrive 000, his brain, away from the hands of Norman Osborn. Whitney had found him and me, hiding in Kiernsk and threatened to kill me before I triggered a blast which blew the cottage to pieces. Ushering to Tony to leave me before Osborn got there, I had set off a second blast that swallowed her in. There was no way the masked woman in the footage was the same Whitney Frost I had the displeasure of knowing. And stealing the identity of.

'I saw her die,' I replied hardly, 'how is she doing this?'

'No idea,' he shrugged. 'But we know who broke into our home. She killed Ed Gross two weeks ago for similar thievery and popped up on SHIELD's radar.'

I frowned. 'And, you didn't tell me.'

'I,' he drawled, 'didn't want to worry you.'

'Never mind,' I shook my head, 'but she broke in to find what?'

'I guess I'll have to go there to find out.' 

He sighed, rubbing his eyes in weariness. Tony was having a burnout after hours of cameras, lights and hospital rooms. Conferring sympathy, I stepped forward to hold his face in my hands and he glanced at me. 

'Tony,' I murmured. 

'I don't want this,' he conceded, looking me in the eye. 'I can't put you both at risk right now. It's the state of things with Margo and—and—'

 I shushed him, hoping to cease his anxious rambles. He shook his head, continuing anyway.

'My heart froze,' he breathed out, his eyes swimming in regret, 'I saw her bleeding out and I realized what the gamble was. She's a kid, Elle. My kid.'

'I know,' I nodded promptly. 'But, you have me. We can figure this out, right?'

He gave me a half-smile in acceptance. I gave him one of my own, pressing a soft kiss to his lips and laying my forehead against his. His hands paved a way to a soft embrace, holding me for what felt like aeons until I spoke into his skin and an idea coming to me.

'How long has it been since we had a date?'

'Years,' he answered with a laugh in his voice, 'are you going to whisk me off into the twilight, Mrs Stark?'

'You read my mind,' I hummed back, showing my teeth. 'I was thinking... Latveria? Dinner in a castle sounds great.'

He snickered softly into my neck.

'You need backup. I'm here.'

Tony pulled back, looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time. Every ounce of breath had left my lungs when a smile tugged one end of his lips as if he had seen space and time become a single, most distinct concept in front of his eyes. I almost didn't want to look away.

'Do you have any idea how lucky I am?'

I managed to choke out a laugh, facing my one stable force with the trust he needed in my eyes. I loved him so much for that, for being a constant factor throughout the years I had known him.

'A few can be that fortunate,' I said in all cheekiness. 'Want to save the world with me?'

'Hell yeah,' he smirked. 'We'll fix Rhodey on babysitting duty.'

∞

edited!