Rhodey's house [Tony's New York, early evening]

[momslilassassin]

After a...not-terribly-illuminating message from Tony this afternoon, Ben had booked a portal to New York.

Yes, Tony, with the lightsaber.

He didn't know what to expect, but "stuck in Rhodey's house while a hyperactive girl chattered non-stop at him" wasn't really anywhere on his list.

"Does she ever take a breath?" he whispered to Rhodey.

[OOC: NFB due to distance!]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"You're ruining all of their stuff," Ben said with the hypocritical indignity of someone who once set fire to a planet as a stalling tactic.

He aimed his lightsaber at Whiplash's wrist. Don't make him turn to you into one of the many handless people running around the universe, dude. Don't do it!

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

BEN, STOP THIS VICIOUS SKYWALKER CYCLE OF HANDLESSNESS.

Whiplash stared at the stump left where his hand had once been and made an annoyed noise. Robot limbs were so flimsy these days.

Any witty remark he had planned was interrupted by a red and silver blur knocking him out of the house and onto the lawn through what had been a rather nice picture window. Tony. So much repair work. So much.

[momslilassassin]

Ben blinked at the destruction, then shrugged and dove out the window to join Tony.

Iron Man.

Whichever he was in narrative right now.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Iron Man. Totally Iron Man.

...in public.

"At least your visit here was more exciting than Ender's," Tony remarked, watching as Whiplash extracted himself from a bush.

[momslilassassin]

"He wouldn't really appreciate kicking bad guys into shrubbery as much," Ben decided. "Does your police force know how to deal with crazy guys in outfits?"

Beat.

"Um, no offense to your outfit."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"None taken," Tony replied magnanimously. He held up a hand, palm out and ready to shoot someone. "SHIELD would be the ones to handle him if they ever get here. Oddly enough, they don't tend to trust anonymous tips on their secure channels."

Imagine that!

"Until then, its just you and--" He was rather rudely interrupted by a glowing chain around his neck, though. Whiplash had no manners at all, it seemed. "--me."

[momslilassassin]

"Did you leave one on their regular voicemail too or anything?" Ben asked, trying to smack the lightsaber through the chain again. "I'll take off your other hand too," he warned Whiplash.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony reached up, grabbing the chain to pull Whiplash closer. Oh, upgraded suit was wonderful. "You cut off his hand?" he asked, somewhere between impressed and disturbed.

[momslilassassin]

"It's better than killing him," Ben said. "Prosthetics are pretty cheap, too."

Maybe in your galaxy, Ben.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Not here they're not!" Tony replied with his silly logic, pulling harder on Whiplash. Guy was surprisingly strong, it turned out.

The chains glowed a bit brighter and there was the lovely smell of scorched metal in the air. "These were created to neutralize you should you interfere with Mr. Fix's plans," Whiplash wheezed.

"I feel special now."

[momslilassassin]

"You should," Ben agreed, adding a bit of a Force-shove into Tony's efforts. "When they're planning for you, they fear you."

Beat.

"And not working on better villain-y names. Mr. Fix? Really?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Oh, Ben. Remember the angry, combat beekeepers?

"Yeah! I suggest going the mad scientist route," Tony said, using that oomph to knock Whiplash off his feet and yank him around like a psychotic yo-yo before letting go do he could crash somewhere and hopefully be knocked out. Unfortunately that was the same area as the power transformer for the formerly peaceful neighborhood.

Like a bug in a lightbulb.

"...that was not part of the plan."

[momslilassassin]

"I kind of guessed," Ben said with a snicker. "Think the power company will beat SHIELD here?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Well, hopefully someone called the police here to get their attention."

Oh, Marvel.

"...did you /really/ cut off his hand?"

[momslilassassin]

"Kind of?" Ben admitted. "Think we check on Rhodey and Pepper?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"That's actually pretty cool," Tony admitted, looking over the display for how far off the cavalry was."...Pepper scares me a little."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm worried that if we take too long, she'll have talked Rhodey deaf," Ben replied.

He was mostly kidding.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

It was a frightening possibility. "I'm sure she's dying to talk to a brave federal agent like you. But superheroes like myself need to get a move on before they get arrested."

[momslilassassin]

Ben sighed. "You just want to avoid her."

Not that he couldn't understand the appeal. Tahiri talked a lot, but Pepper talked a lot.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"That wouldn't be very heroic."

Even if it was accurate.

[momslilassassin]

"Not very," Ben said. "You can always zoom in, assure her there's no need to thank you, and then flee. That's what Dad tries to do most days."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Because your dad never met Pepper," Tony reasoned before offering Ben a hand. "Last chance to escape..."

And be carried like a bride.

[momslilassassin]

Ben took Tony's hand, looking dubious. "Let's not tell Ender about this part."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Deal. I'll even respect you in the morning."

A beat.

"I just got the weirdest sense of deja vu."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "I can't imagine why."

Sure he could.