Everlasting • Tony Stark✔️

34 | vanko

LYRA watched as Coulson said farewell to Tony as Tony tried to create the new element. She knew Coulson and Clint were heading to New Mexico, and until Tony was all right again, she was in charge on keeping him from going off the rails again. She swore to do it this time, not wanting a single chance that he would die to happen.

After Tony had reconfigured some designs, hours later, he had sent the ray that almost took her head off to shine onto the triangle shape. She glared at him as he held it until he yelled for her to turn it off.

"Congratulations sir. You have created a new element," Jarvis said happily. Tony placed the element into arc reactor. "Sir, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics."

Tony eyed Lyra's nervous stance. Before he could say something, Lyra's phone rang.

"I need you to get to the Expo. Hammer is doing his slot tonight, and I don't trust him," Romanoff said without wasting time. "Potts wants you here as well."

"Yeah, I'll be there." Tony watched her hang up. "I'll need to—"

Tony's phone rang, and he answered it annoyed. "Incoming call with a blocked number sir."

"My phone privilege is reinstated. Lovely. Coulson. How's the Land of Enchantment?"

"Hey, Tony, how you doing? I double cycle," a voice spoke on the speaker causing Lyra to tense as Tony's face dropped.

"You what?"

"You told me double cycle's more power. Good advice."

"You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy."

"You too."

Tony muted his speaker. "Trace him," he said.

"Yes, sir," Jarvis said.

"Now, the true history of Stark name will be written."

"Jarvis, where is he?"

Lyra stood as she hurried over to him.

"Accessing the Oracle grid. Eastern Seaboard."

The man continued. "What your father did to my family over 40 years, I will do to you in 40 minutes."

Tony unmuted himself. "Sounds good. Let's get together and hash it out."

"Tri-State area. Manhattan and outlying boroughs."

"I hope you're ready," the man said before ending the call.

"Call trace incomplete."

Lyra looked around until her eyes landed on an ad on the television for Justin Hammer's presentation. "Tony!" He saw what she was saying and picked up new arc reactor.

"You want to run some tests, run them. And assemble the suit while you're at it. Put it together now," Tony said to Jarvis.

"We are unclear as to the effects," Jarvis said.

"I don't want to hear it Jarvis," he said as he clicked the reactor into place. The reactor gained power. "That tastes like coconut. And metal. Oh wow, yeah! Ly, hit the eighth bead on that bracelet. The white one."

Lyra looked at him incredulously before looking down at the bracelet. She saw Tony getting suited up as she glanced down at the bracelet. She saw the white one, counted it to make sure, and she hurried to click it.

She yelped when the bracelet grew to take form of a metal hand like on Tony's suit. Suddenly, the metal crawled up her arm around her body until she was covered from head to toe in her own Iron Man suit.

Tony watched with a smile before his mask flipped over. "Cute. Let's go. Jarvis, make sure she can fly."

Lyra yelled when a mask shot over her face and a screen popped up. She yelled, "Tony, this is a bad—IDEA!" She yelled the last word as Jarvis booted up her flight modules as Tony began to fly. He grabbed her waist to keep her steady as Jarvis directed her on how to fly.

"Great, test run was great. Now, we fly across the country. Ready, Ly?" Tony asked.

"No!"

"Let's go!"

Lyra yelled in fright as she took off while following Tony. Lyra heard Tony laugh—probably the most genuine laugh she had ever heard from him in a while. He flew circles around her as he explained how long he wanted to take her out flying.

Lyra could not deny how beautiful the cities were as they passed, but her nerves were growing. After almost thirty minutes of flying at the fastest speed she had ever been, Tony pointed to the Stark Expo where Hammer had a bunch of drones lined up behind him along with the War Machine in the front.

They could hear Hammer yelling, "For America and its allies, Hammer Industries is reporting for—"

Tony landed with a thud as Iron Man stared at Hammer and Rhodey. Lyra landed a bit less gracefully as Hammer's eyes widened.

"We got trouble."

"Tony, there are civilians present. I'm here on orders. Let's not do this right now," Rhodey said. "Lyra?"

"Hey, Rhodey," she said uncertainly as she turned to see the crowd watching in fascination.

Tony heard the crowd cheering, and he walked over to Rhodey. "Give them a wave."

Hammer laughed. "Hey, all right. Yeah!"

Tony watched as Lyra approached Hammer. "All these people are in danger. We gotta get them out of here. You gotta trust me for the next five minutes," Tony said to Rhodey.

"Yeah, I tried that. I got tossed around your house, remember?"

"Listen, I think he's working with Vanko."

"Vanko's alive?"

"Where is he?" Lyra snapped, hands flaring up as she held her palms out toward Hammer. She grinned a bit, feeling awesome in the suit.

Hammer rose his hands. "What? Lyra?"

"Where's Vanko?" Lyra yelled.

"Who?"

Tony marched next to her. "Tell me."

"What are you doing here man?"

Rhodey began to twist around as guns appeared out of his suit. "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Tony eyed Rhodey as the gun aimed at Lyra and then Tony. "Is that you?"

"No, I'm not doing that. That's not me. I can't move. I'm locked up. I'm locked up!" The drones took aim. "Get out of here. Go! This whole system's been compromised."

Tony took off as the drones and Rhodey flew after him. "Let's take it outside. Lyra, get these people out!"