21- Rose Hill, TN

December only got worse.

I was awoken one morning to my phone ringing loudly. It yanked me out of my sleep. I rolled over in my bed and grabbed my phone off my nightstand, answering it and putting it on speakerphone.

"Agent Stark." I greeted since I see who was calling me. I threw my arm over my eyes as Jarvis rolled up the shades on my window. I had slept at the tower last night because Matt had called and told me that he was going to be working late. I didn't mine and even offered to help him out with his vigilanting but he told me to just stay at the tower.

"I'm going to ignore that and go straight to the point. Happy's in the hospital." Tony's voice wavered on the other side of the phone call. I sat up in bed, holding the phone.

"What? Why?" I ask as information pops up in front of me. Various newspaper articles about an attack on the Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. I scan the text quickly as Tony talks again.

"He was at the attack at the theater. He's banged up pretty bad." Tony sighs as I move the information around so I can see the pictures of the attack. The explosion was so hot that the charred remains of people were on the walls, looking like eerie shadows. I swallowed hard, suddenly wide awake.

"Bomb?" I ask, getting up off the bed, the information following me. I grab the phone as I walk around the room. I know the Tony's stay in Malibu hadn't been the easiest. He freaked out in a restaurant because of a little kid. Rhodey said it looked like a panic attack and Jarvis told me that it was.

"You've heard of the Mandarin right?" He asks as the man he is speaking off's image appears on screen.

"I have. He's been doing all those bombings right? Nine of them in total?" I respond and Tony groans. The public only knew about three, but because of SHIELD I get more information than Tony would be able to get.

"You knew about all nine? Shit. Well there's no bomb casing. No device." He feeds me the information I already know. That's when the clip of Tony threatening the Mandarin pops up on the screen.

"You threatened the Mandarin? Jesus Christ, Anthony why didn't you tell me earlier?" I ask as I run a hand through my hair. All of these had happened earlier this morning. I'm such a bad sister.

"He hurt Happy-"

"You couldn't call me last night about Happy? Do you want me to come out there? Because I'm started to thing I should." I walk out of my bedroom, planning on heading to the lab.

"I'm sorry I should've called and no. You need to stay in Nee York just in case something happens over there, okay? Jarvis will have the crime scene things and everything you need in the lab okay? You just stay in New York and stay safe." His voice sounds nervous. There's something big he isn't telling me.

"Anthony, tell me what you aren't saying." I try to push, but I can hear a doorbell ringing in the background.

"I gotta go. I love you, okay?" He hangs up before I can say anything.

That's the last thing my brother says to me.

-

Presumed dead.

My brother, Anthony Edward Stark, is presumed dead. If dead, he would have been killed by the Mandarin. Killed in his own home too.

He isn't dead and no I'm not just being overly confident. Jarvis managed to pull him out of the ocean in time so he wouldn't die and he flew the suit with Tony inside all the way to Tennessee. That's exactly where I was headed at the moment. Before Jarvis had let me know that Tony was still alive, I had been crying at news broadcast that Bruce had been watching when I got downstairs after the phone call. I watched the missiles fly into the house because they had to fucking replay it in order to talk about his "death". After a ten minute breakdown and Jarvis telling me where Tony was, I quickly put a bag together. I grabbed my usual suit, as well as the new suit I had been developing with both Tony and Bruce.

I was maybe thirty minutes out of Rose Hill, Tennessee, glad I had put snow chains on the random Audi I had taken from the garage. I wasn't exactly driving the speed limit, but this moment I didn't care. The only people that know I left was Bruce and Matt, since I left a message on his phone (and left his Christmas present on the table). The only thing that's currently not making explode into a bunch of flames is the fact that I would have to ditch the car.

Thirty minutes later, I pull into town, stopping right in front of a bar. I pull the zipper of the jacket up, hiding the fact I have my suit on underneath. I slip a hat on and get out of the car. I look around to see a small kid, looking around lost.

"Hey kid, dumb question, but do you know where Tony Stark is?" I ask, squatting down in front of him and smiling. The little boy has to be like eleven years old.

"He's in the bar. Why do you know him too?" He asks and I nod.

"Yeah I do. Thanks kid." I respond and stand up, turning on my heel to walk into the bar. I walk in just in time to see my brother getting thrown to the ground by a woman, handcuffed. Better than dead, I suppose. I quickly walk over to my brother, taking off my hat and tossing it on a table.

"It's called an arrest. Sheriff, is it?" The lady says, trying to be dressed to look like some type of federal agent. I keep quiet as I make my way through the bar.

"Yes ma'am it is. And you are?" He asks, putting his hand on his hips. The lady lifts off an awfully fake badge.

"Homeland Security. We good here?" She asks getting annoyed. That's when I make my grand entrance. I push men aside as I walk next to the sheriff.

"I call bullshit on you being Homeland Security and since I'm above you, I'm not going to let you arrest him." I say sweetly. The lady looks mad and Tony, who is still on the ground, looks shocked.

"You know I was hoping to do this the smart way, but the fun way is always good." She smiles at me. I can see her skin start to glow and she starts to move, trying to force her badge into my face. I grab her glowing hand, my own hand taking in the heat.

"You should be nicer to the ones that came before you." I growl and make my hand hotter than hers. A woman screams as the glowing woman reaches and grabs the sheriff's gun, shooting him. Out of the corner of my eye, Tony runs out of the bar. The glowing woman and I look at each other before she runs out and I quickly follow her, burning through outer layer. Tony quickly runs, his hands still being cuffed behind his back.

"Hey hot wings you want to party? You and me, let's go!" He says before he runs to hide behind a car. I see other enhanced get out of his car. Fuck fuck fuck. He starts shooting at Tony, but he misses because the kid from before throws a snow ball at him. I grab the woman, tackling her to the ground. Her hands attempt to heat up again, but they're completely useless against me.

"I don't take kindly to you trying to kill my brother." I wrap a hand around her neck. She claws at my face until the other goon yanks me off of her. She quickly gets up to chase after Tony as the man throws me into a car. I cry out in pain, but I quickly get up when I see the building that Tony was in explode. I fly up into the sky, looking for any sign of Tony. I manage to catch him right before he gets hit by a huge wave of water. I fly down and extinguish the flames just before I grab him.

"Can you please stop trying to die? It would be much appreciated!" I tell him as I hold him in the air long enough so he doesn't die. I set him down on a piece of debris.

"You can get hotter than them. You need to do it." Tony says, looking at me with wide eyes. I start to say something but he shakes his head, "You have to."

"What if I lose control-" I once more get cut off, but by the male goon carrying the kid.

"Hey kid, what do you want for Christmas?" The goon asks as he sits with the kid, his hand glowing. The kid struggles.

"Mister Stark I am so sorry!" He cries out and the man shakes his head.

"No I think he said I want my god damn file." Goon #2 says and I sigh, lighting my hands on fire.

"It's not your fault, kid." Tony shouts back to him, slightly moving away from me as the fire grows brighter. "Remember what I told you about bullies?" The kid nods and uses a stunner on the goon, making him fall back. The kid runs away and I make a mental note to kick Tony's ass for even giving the kid a stunner. Tony looks at me and nods.

"You like that, Westworld?" Tony asks as I fly coward, tackling the man as bright white fire covers my body. I send a quick prayer to anyone who is listening as the flame shifts blue. I wrap my hands around his throat, straddling him as I burn him alive. I don't stop until he's dead and Tony clears his throat. I stand up, letting the flames disappear. I walk over to pile of snow, laying in it. Most of the snow melts, but once I am cool enough, I jump up and hug Tony.

"You're an asshole. I thought you were dead." I murmur and he smiles, hugging me back.

"You're an asshole for thinking I was dead." He murmurs back, kissing my temple.