CHAPTER ELEVEN
Training Exercise
- - - - -
WASHINGTON DC
Thea's eyes kept dropping down to her watch.
She was waiting on something. Someone. Tony. She hadn't accepted his invitation to attend the party he was throwing at his condo in Dubai. She had a company to run and a back to watch. Obadiah couldn't be disregarded. She couldn't just shake him off. She had to keep her ears peeled and eyes opened. And it's a wonder what you realise when you're paying attention to the things around you. Luck had visited her early in the morning while she was still asleep on her desk to remind her of a crucial appointment. Thea couldn't believe she had almost missed it completely, which was how she ended up on the other side of the continent so quickly.
Thea was currently sat down at a reserved table in a small restaurant located in the heart of Washington DC. There were three occupied seats around her and she mildly listened to the way the men she spent her afternoon with conversed over their shared Air Force experiences. She felt something nudge her Jimmy Choo heels and she lifted her head to glance up at Luck with a clueless expression. His greying moustache dipped downwards in a small frown. He didn't know what Thea was thinking about, or if she had anything better to do, but he found it disrespectful when she would zone out every ten minutes. Their guests were beginning to notice her behaviour, and instead of taking it personally, they realised she must be worried about something.
Thea sighed and straightened up in her seat, bringing her hand up to push a loose stand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes flickered between the two men opposite her and offered them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I'm being such a terrible host." She said. Luck cleared his throat and reached out to grab his almost empty pint of Guinness.
Sam Wilson let a charming smile spread across his face, and he waved a dismissive hand at Thea's words. "We forgive you." He replied, motioning to himself and his good friend Riley, who was trying to suppress a quiet chuckle behind his closed fist. "After all, you've selected us for a super cool, super secret government program." He continued to say in a low, playful tone that made Thea laugh.
Riley grinned. "Don't forget super expensive." He added, to which Sam nodded his head.
Luck wiped the froth of beer from his lips and exhaled from the taste of his beverage. It paired great with his ribeye steak and potato wedges. "Thea's been working on this project for years. She can probably recite the fifty page memo for you off the top of her head."
Thea folded her arms on the table and tilted her head at Luck. "It's fifty eight pages, Lou." She then turned to face Riley and Sam, and breathed out. "And he's right. You two got time to listen to all that B.S. on why the program exists and what it requires out of us all and... blah, blah, blah?" She questioned, raising a brow.
Sam picked up his cola and shook his head. "Hell no. I've read that thing twice and I'm beginning to have nightmares." He joked.
Riley pushed away his empty plate and leaned back in his seat. "It still doesn't feel real." He spoke up, getting Thea to frown out of curiosity. "I mean, I get that we were eligible for the program and that you hand picked us for the line up, but it's been sixteen months since then and I guess all I'm saying is that... when are we going to take those things out for a test drive?"
Sam was surprised by Riley's sudden question, but he had to admit, he was eager to get fitted and soar into the sky with Thea's technology. The pararescue duo had their attention on Thea, and how she paused briefly before replying. There was a sparkle in her eye as she leaned forward and sent them a smirk.
"By the end of this week, fellas."
Luck let out a hearty chuckle when Riley and Sam widened their eyes at the news. It took a moment or two for it to actually sink in and when it finally did, they turned to each other and bumped their fists with a lively laugh before hugging one another. Thea was delighted by their reaction and smiled brightly. She knew it meant a lot to them. They were waiting for something like this for a long time, to get out there and change the world. And they were going to do it side by side, just like it was meant to be.
Luck extended his hand and shook theirs in congratulations. Sam stood up and made his way to Thea, who accepted his outstretched hand and got out of her seat. She then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and embraced him tightly. "You two deserve this. All the hard work and commitment I've seen from the two of you was enough to sell me. I know you'll do us all proud. Just know that we believe in you, and we're always here if you need anything."
Sam pulled back and peered down at Thea with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Thea. We won't let you down."
"I know you won't, Falcon."
CALIFORNIA
Tony was nursing a migraine.
It was just as bad as a hangover, except he didn't have a drop of alcohol in his system to feel this sick. And it was driving him insane. All he wanted was to down an entire bottle of bourbon. His mouth was running dry just thinking about it. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. Not after what he had just been through. For the first time in weeks, Tony returned to Gulmira to set the record straight. His weapons were marked, and if he caught anyone carrying one, if anybody was even thinking about putting their grabby hands on any them, the man in the red and gold armour was going to bring the fire and put an end to it all. The village he just reaped through was proof of his wrath. He made sure there was nothing left. Nothing but scrap metal and smoke. He ensured the safety of the people being forced into submission by freeing them of their captors and handing them the power.
And do you know how he felt?
Tony felt good.
That was until he was targeted by US Air Force pilots in F-22 Raptors. Seemed like he woke up the Americans scouting the no-man zone. The government was clear in their decision to hold off on invading the village because of the fact that the Ten Rings were holding civilians hostage and using them as human shields. It was too risky. Rhodey had to learn the hard way that his best friend was the reason for all the commotion. A pilot from Thea's training group had almost fallen to his death because of his chute that wouldn't deploy. Despite being saved by the man-sized aircraft, the pilot believed it would be best to return to the ground for a while.
Tony leaned back into his seat in his garage and faced the TV, smirking when Rhodey explained to the press about their training exercise and reassured the public that the US government was in no way involved with the sudden turn of events in Gulmira. He hissed when he felt the bruise on his ribs flare up with shooting pain. He switched the icepack from his head to the affected area on his chest and settled back into the cushion slowly, breathing out as the pain slowly numbed away.
Regardless of the fact that he'd have to take it easy for a few days, Tony was pretty happy with himself and his actions. The faces of the people he helped keep safe was proof that his second chance at life wasn't being wasted. He was finally doing something worth building on. Worth continuing on. He knew what he had to do.
And Tony knew in his heart that it was right.
Tony's concentration splintered when he felt buzzing against his thigh. At first he thought his nerves were going haywire. He dropped his head and looked down at the pocket of his sweat pants before digging out his phone. An embarrassing photograph of Thea was taking over the screen and he had to laugh. The paparazzi did supply Tony with some of the best candid shots of Thea Apollo money could buy. He would never let Thea know about it, of course, otherwise he'd have to move houses to avoid a napalm strike. He realised he had been staring at the photo for too long when the call dropped out. Tony went to dial her number when a message notification popped up.
You have some explaining to do, Stark.
Tony looked up at nothing in particular, and shrugged.
"Don't I always?"
APOLLO MANSION
Thea had just come back home when she heard.
The mysterious mechanical being in red and gold had taken apart one of the most dangerous insurgent bases in Gulmira in less than a day. And it did so by ensuring their weapons were blown to kingdom come. As messy as the situation was, Thea figured it worked out well. The civilians were safe. They could return home with their family and loved ones. They could rebuild what was knocked down and ensure a better future for their children away from the wars that threatened their communities. Luck had caught Thea smiling while she watched the footage of a young boy reunite with his parents. When asked who she thought was behind the change in power in Gulmira, Thea had looked to Luck and shrugged simply, replying with an equally curious response.
Lara was already inside her mansion preparing dinner for the three of them. Aside from celebrating Thea's success with the Falcon Program, Lara was eager to commemorate the night by reminding Luck and Thea about her last day of being apart of Apollo Enterprises. She had requested M.I.D.A.S. to play songs from her favourite French artist. She softly sang along to Édith Piaf's famous La Vie en rose, recalling the day her fiancé had asked her to marry him on the streets of Paris. William was cheesy as camembert. Just the thought of him, and the reality that she would be in his arms in less than twenty-four hours, brought the greatest smile to her face. She continued to tend to the pot of bouillabaisse, inhaling the warm scent with a satisfied nod.
M.I.D.A.S. didn't want to interrupt Lara's state of bliss as he watched her practically twirl throughout the huge kitchen. It was nice to see Lara enjoying herself. He knew how much she meant to Thea, and if he was honest with his programming, he would miss registering Lara's unique signature whenever she was by Thea's side. As M.I.D.A.S. lit up the lights at the front door due to Thea and Luck approaching them, he activated his voice controls in the kitchen area. "Lara, they have arrived."
Lara looked up and nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, monsieur."
While Lara turned off the stove and prepared the dining table, Thea and Luck walked inside, removing their coats. Thea looked down at her phone, expecting a reply from Tony. When she didn't see any new notifications, she pocketed the device and looked up when her sense of smell was overwhelmed. She was almost drooling because of it. Luck wasn't any different too. They floated into the kitchen, being met with the sight of Lara standing in front of the dining table. She had on a dark blue dress Thea gifted to her on her last birthday.
When Thea realised what was going on, she started to frown. She couldn't help it. Lara had been with her for years. It felt like she had known her for all her life. And now she was leaving. Luck nudged Thea when he noticed Lara begin to mirror the look on Apollo's face. Lara wanted to celebrate the night, not make it worse. Thea didn't look to Luck and walked forward instead, meeting Lara halfway. They hugged each other without exchanging any words. Thea knew she had to understand the reason as to why Lara was leaving. Her assistant was ready to begin a new life with her partner back in France. She had worked for years and built up the income to support her growing family.
Lara had her doubts about departing from Thea. She had seen what the inventor was like at the beginning of her career as her assistant. She had been suffering quietly for a long time. Her life was in shambles until Lara came in and started to clean things up. She brought a sense of order. Someone Thea would go to for help or advice or simply to talk to. Lara hadn't been by Thea's side for it all, but she might as well have been.
M.I.D.A.S. was first to break the silence. "I think the food is getting cold."
Thea and Lara parted and shared a laugh. Lara looked at her friend with a smile, "This isn't the last time you'd be eating my famous cooking, you know. You can visit us, or we can visit you."
"I know that, Lara. I guess I'm still trying to process the fact that you're moving on." Thea took Lara's hand and led her to the table. They sat down with Luck and began filling their plates with food.
Lara chuckled. "You are not a computer. You don't need to process anything in those hard drives." She poked Thea's forehead with her index finger, causing Luck to let out a laugh.
"Well, we're gonna miss you, a lot." Luck said, reaching over to take Lara's hand in his. "You know that if you ever need anything..."
"You don't even have to finish the sentence." Lara replied, smiling softly.
Thea watched as Lara and Luck dove into the memories they had of one another, sharing what they most enjoyed about their time together. She found that she started to smile. It was rare for Thea to experience times like these. When she wasn't working. When Luck had the health to keep himself awake for a few more hours. There was so much to do, Thea thought to herself, but all of that can wait. For now, she was appreciating what she had. Friends that felt more like family to her. A night to remember. And for a little while at least, Thea let herself forget about Stane. She couldn't let his threats ruin the moment she was living in. Not now. Not ever.
- - -
After a night full of great food and better people, Thea bid her friends a good night. Luck had taken Lara back to her place to get her luggage ready for the ride to the airport tomorrow morning. Lara's flight was leaving at six a.m., and despite Thea insisting for her to use one of the company's jets free of charge, Lara politely declined seeing as she already had a ticket purchased — of which Thea reimbursed in her last pay check. King wasn't privy to the fact that Thea didn't trust any aircraft besides her own. She also wasn't aware just how restless Thea had become.
Apollo looked at the digital clock on her bedside drawer, eyes straining to read the time. It was half past two. She let out a heavy breath and placed her palms on her clammy forehead. She let her eyes close and tried to centre her breathing. When that didn't work, she removed the covers from her legs and got out of bed. M.I.D.A.S. turned the light in her bedroom on when she started walking around, cautious of her bumping into anything. Thea had almost stepped on her Helicarrier model that she left lying in front of her stereo. She rubbed her eyes and entered the bathroom.
"What are you looking for, Thea?" M.I.D.A.S. questioned.
"My pills." Thea yawned, pulling the mirror above the sink open, revealing her toiletries and medication.
"You haven't taken any since..."
"Since I stopped drinking." Thea finished for him. She took the amber bottle in her hands and unscrewed the top. She looked inside to find only three were left since she last got her prescriptions dispensed — which was a whole year ago. "Just one for tonight. Just to get me through the morning."
"Thea..." M.I.D.A.S. began to say, but stopped short.
Thea sighed. She couldn't do it. She placed the cap back onto the bottle and put it back on the shelf, closing the mirror. She turned on the facet and splashed cold water on her face. "Well, looks like I'm pulling another all-nighter. M.I.D.A.S., can you-"
"Coffee machine is on and your lab is fully operational." M.I.D.A.S. interjected, somewhat energetically. "Continuing our work on the Helicarrier Mark Two, are we?"
"Yes we are." Thea smiled up at her reflection. "Thanks, M.I.D.A.S.."
"You're welcome, Thea."
- - - - -
Hey everyone! Ha, I'm hoping you're all not too mad at me for taking so long to update. To be honest, I kinda lost the drive to write for this book, though I kept jotting things down whenever I got the chance. Anyway, I know this is a short one, but it's only a filler chapter since the next one will take place at the end of the first Iron Man film, concluding Part One of the book. Tell me what you thought and I'll update again very soon!
Q- How's self-isolation going for you guys?
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