A Proper Family Reunion

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Team Spicy Iron Dragon and their fourth wall guests
Date: April 15-30
Location: Keeliai, and House Spicy Iron Dragon
Situation: Dads. Dads everywhere. Also shitty stepdads. Gene losing his goddamned mind.
Warnings/Rating: "Father-in-law" tension, mentions of child abuse, very likely violence, complete and utter mental breakdowns, potential self-injurious behavior, gaslighting, and Actual Well-Adjusted Families. Gross.

The booms of the college's salt explosion echo through Keeliai, and with each boom more and more people appear.

The first is benevolent, and he's been here before.

The second is benevolent, and he has no clue where he is.

The third is malevolent...and he will take this city by storm, one way or another.

Comments

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony doesn't think Gene is exactly thrilled about Tony and Pepper's regular nighttime patrolling (if only because it means Tony's up and about when he should probably be in bed) but he tolerates it. Not to the point of offering to join them - though maybe that has more to do with his lingering discomfort with the Iron Man armor.

So Tony's surprised when he glances down into an alley and catches a glimpse of the Mandarin's familiar black and gold armor.

He pulls up short, flaring his boot jets, and lands. "Did you see that?" he asks Pepper. "I'm not going crazy, am I?"

He takes a step into the alley. "Gene? What's up? I thought you were at home." He had been, when Tony and Pepper had left. If he was coming out, why didn't he call? Or just teleport to them?

[lasergrenades]

As much as Pepper wishes that Gene did more than just tolerate their patrols, she also enjoys some one-on-one time with Tony. It's part of a normal routine, and it means she gets to go flying a lot.

What is not routine is Gene appearing unannounced in the Mandarin armor.

"Pretty sure you're not going crazy."

She follows Tony to the ground, looking around a little warily. Something doesn't feel right, but that could just be the darkness in the alley or another echo of the Dreaming implosion. Right?

[stepfatheroftheyear]

The Mandarin turns back when Iron Man speaks.

Interesting.

The whelp lives with Iron Man and there's another armored nuisance here.

"Obviously I'm not," Zhang says tersely through the armor's modulator, sounding exactly like Gene does. "Come here. I want to show you something."

[highprofilerichkid]

"What's up with the cryptic routine?" Tony asks, amused. "You remember we have radios, right?"

But being unnecessarily mysterious isn't out of character for Gene (old habits die hard), so Tony's suspicions are not yet aroused. He follows the Mandarin deeper into the alley.

so sorry for the late :(

[lasergrenades]

"Well, duh, you're not at home anymore." Tony's asked the pertinent questions: Why isn't Gene just spilling the reason for not being home in the first place?

It's annoying. Pepper likes surprises most of the time, but she's impatient about them too.