The Stark Internship

Part 49

TONY

Shuri is a natural. She follows close behind as we do a sweep of the city. I lead her to the top of a building and she takes of her mask.
'Oh my God. Oh my God. That was incredible. That was...God.' She says, pacing the edge of the roof.
'You liked it?' I ask, sitting on the edge and watching as she tries to come to terms with what has just happened.
'Liked it? That was...God.' She says, coming over and sitting down beside me, 'and that...FRIDAY? It's incredible.'
'Thank you. I mean I'm sure you could have made the suit if you'd wanted.' I say, 'you've got my sixteenth...or seventeenth edition?'
'But you've done things I would have never thought of doing. FRIDAY, the city scanner. It's incredible.' She says, just as a beep goes off on her helmet.
She puts it on and I do the same. There's a raid a mile from here; gunmen at a train station.
I instantly hover above the roof, look to Shuri who's done the same.
'You can sit it out. It's up to you.' I say, wary that she hasn't had much practice at all.
'Definitely not. I've been making suits for my brother for too long. Time to try my hand at fighting.' She says, speeding off ahead of me.
I follow her and it takes us less than two minutes to get to the station. We sit just out of eye-line, and we take our masks off.
'So what's our plan?' She asks, 'they've got one hostage, the rest on the cash machines. They seem pretty nervous. I reckon they'd stand down pretty easy.'
I'm listening to her in awe as she continues to recount the situation expertly, planning the best suit of action, when another alarm sounds in my suit.
'FRIDAY, what's going on?' I ask as I put my mask back on.
'Peter has moved outside of the complex.' FRIDAY says calmly. I freeze.
'How long ago? Where's he going?' I ask. Shuri looks from the situation going on to me.
'Tony, what's going on?' She asks, and I ignore her.
'He left approximately ten minutes ago, and I'll display his tracker on the screen now.' FRIDAY says. I look to Shuri and a thousand thoughts go through my head.
'Can you do this?' I ask her, not sure if I'm making the right choice.
'Alone?' She asks.
'Yes. Can you do it?'
'I can.' She replies, certain.
'Peter could be in trouble. I need to go find him. Keep me updated. He police should be here soon. Be safe, okay kid? Above anything - be safe.' I say. She nods. I realise I trust her completely, I know she will be fine. But I still do not want to leave her alone so soon.
'Tony, go.' She says, smiling slightly and nodding, 'I got this.'