21 Chapter 21) – Devil On My Shoulder

After the meeting at Randy's Donut shop, everyone travelled back to Tony's mansion via the Quinjet. Not much was said during the flight as everyone had their own problems that they were internalising.

Tony was thinking about the metaphorical time bomb in his chest and what exactly Fury meant when he told him that he hadn't exhausted all the solutions.

Fury was looking and interacting with the screen that had returned to his lap. Mara mentioned something about the week being very stressful for the director, and having to deal with Tony's issue was only the tip of the iceberg.

Natasha and Mara spent the journey back with my host asking the spy constant questions about her earliest S.H.I.E.L.D. missions. When Natasha asked why Mara was so interested in her previous missions, the justification she gave was fairly logical, "The earliest missions would be the ones that aren't as confidential and are the ones that wouldn't be as perfect. So, there could be lessons you've learnt that I could pick up before I make the exact same ones."

With such sound logic, Natasha didn't actually seem to mind enlightening Mara on some of her missions, but even the early ones for the infamous Black Widow seemed to contain quite a bit of confidentiality.

As the Quinjet landed at the roundabout, outside the front door of Tony's mansion, Natasha finished off the story she was telling my host as the pair exited the jet first, "… I had the escort behind me, and I thought he would be safe. But the shooter shot through me to get to my charge. Left a hell of a scar just above my left hip."

Even with all the key information redacted throughout the spy's story, Mara knew the exact event she was describing, but had to play it off like she had no clue, "Did the guy you were escorting die? Did you get the shooter? What happened?"

As the duo were walking into the mansion, Natasha replied, wearing a slightly melancholic expression, "Unfortunately my charge died from their injury, and if the medical team were any slower, I would have bled out too. The shooter escaped and even when I tried to track them down, I was forced to give up as they were too illusive. The mission went down as a failure and is one of very few I suffered, even until now, ever since I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. From it though, I learnt that just covering someone with my body doesn't offer very good protection. All of my missions prior to S.H.I.E.L.D. were assassinations, so I didn't have a lot of experience being on the protection side of the fight, and that inexperience cost me. I also learnt that some organisations have agents that are leagues better than I thought possible. Although the first part of the lesson might not apply to you since I'm not sure if your powers make you bulletproof, the latter definitely should. Never underestimate your opponent. No matter how much you think you know about them, everyone has secrets. Even on this protection detail for Stark, just because Vanko was easily beaten the first time you fought him, don't expect it to be as easy if there's a next time."

As my host already knew that the next time Vanko went after Iron Man, he would be considerably stronger than the last, Mara nodded her head and replied, "Thanks Nat, I'll make sure to remember your advice and the lessons you learnt. Besides, even with a scar on your stomach, you still turn heads with your looks."

Instead of verbally replying, Natasha gave an, albeit small, but seemingly genuine, appreciative smile in response as the 2 continued their walk through Tony's house to the kitchen balcony - overlooking the channel islands of California - with the other 2 men quietly following suit.

Mara had previously detailed how the birthday fight between Rhodey and Tony was meant to finish with an explosion as the 2 fired their repulsors at each other. Said explosion would then shatter all the glass separating the balcony from the kitchen, creating 1 large open area.

However, since Mara got involved before it went that far, the glass windows were still intact. As such, to get to the balcony, they had to go through the glass doors, where Fury and Tony sat on the curved sofa, up against the solid white concrete that functioned as a railing.

Mara pulled out the remainder of her opened packet of popcorn and resumed her munching as Natasha informed Fury, "We'll secure the area."

Receiving a nod in return, Mara and Natasha split up to ensure that the mansion grounds were clear of any interested parties. My host took the outside of the house as the Black Widow took the inside, to sweep for any possible hidden cameras or other spyware.

As we made our way around the exterior of the excessively big abode, I spoke to my host internally as it was about future events, <So, the next step is to make sure that Tony fixes his chest problem, right?>

Still snacking on her popcorn, Mara replied, [Yup. To be honest, I always thought the next part of the movie was complete bullshit. Tony goes to see Pepper at her work and takes home a model of the Stark Expo layout from 1974. Miraculously, that model is actually a disguised diagram for the molecular structure for a new element. Said element is the exact thing Tony needs to create a perfected arc reactor. I mean I understand the need for secrecy, but at the same time, if the model broke, or was scrapped, in the 30 plus years since the last Expo, Tony would never re-discover the element.]

With my host making sense in her small rant, I agreed with her point of view, <That does make sense. But from the sounds of it, S.H.I.E.L.D. are close to finding an alternative anyways, so it most likely wouldn't have been death him if he hadn't re-discovered it.>

Having completed half a lap of the house, Mara continued looking around for anything suspicious while we continued our internal conversation, [That's true. It was never explicitly stated in the movies that S.H.I.E.L.D. was close to finding a fix and that they only discovered using Lithium Dioxide to subdue the symptoms. But I suppose it would make logical sense for them to be using their resources to find a solution. The more information I learn about the world that wasn't included in the movies, the more it feels like a real world, rather than just a movie I'm experiencing in-person.]

Diverting Mara from her existential musings, I brought us back to the immediate future, <Basically, we need to make sure that Tony notices the model and does whatever he needs in order re-discover element. Right?>

Turning the last corner of the house and seeing Fury talking with Tony in the distance, Mara finished off her open popcorn packet, as well as the conversation, [Yeah. Our presence might have affected things and make him miss it, so we need to make sure that doesn't happen. It should be pretty straightforward though since we'll be following him everywhere.]

As my host came to a stop in front of the pair, she reported to Fury as their conversation had also seemingly stalled, "Nothing unusual around the perimeter, boss."

Following on from Mara's brief report, Natasha appeared from behind her, "Same on the inside. Nothing out of the ordinary other than the mess."

Fury nodded at the pair in response as Coulson made his way through the kitchen with a couple of agents. The agents were carrying a large box that had the words 'Property of H. Stark' stamped on it.

Directly addressing Fury, Coulson said, "Director, we brought the box. Where should we put it?"

Standing up from the sofa, Fury replied to Coulson, "Just put it down wherever, not like you need to worry about making a mess." Before he turned back to Tony who had copied his action of standing up, "I got a 2 o'clock. You're good right?"

Tony, slightly caught off-guard with how suddenly Fury was leaving, responded, "Wait, wait, wait. No, I'm not good. What do you mean am I good?"

Unfortunately for the Iron Man, his protest fell on deaf ears, "You got this? You know what you need to do, right?"

Still trying to fight his case, Tony questioned, "Got what? I don't even know what I'm supposed to get, let alone know what to do."

Again, ignoring the opposition, Fury explained the situation that Tony clearly had no say in, "Agent Romanoff will remain within Stark Industries with her cover intact. You know Mara and you remember agent Coulson, right? Mara's going to be following you everywhere and will report your every move to Coulson, got it?"

Realising the situation he was in, Tony could only surrender and half-heartedly agree, "Yeah."

As he started to walk away, Fury turned back after only a couple of steps to say, "Oh, and Tony. I got my eye on you. Even with 1, I see everything."

With him having said everything he needed; Fury continued to walk off the premises to his Quinjet for his next appointment.

Natasha then said what she needed to, before she could return to her undercover assignment at Stark Industries, "We've temporarily disabled all communications. You won't be able to see what's going on in the world, or contact anyone, unless it's through Mara or Coulson. Have fun."

Before she had a chance to set off walking, however, Mara called out to her, "See you later, Nat."

Echoing my host's sentiments, Natasha replied, "See you later, Mara, El."

As she went out of her way to say goodbye to myself as well as Mara, I locked the suit and created a hand to wave her off to return the goodwill.

After the remaining 3 humans, and myself, watched Natasha walk away, Tony turned to Coulson, slowly walking closer to him as he spoke, "First thing, I need a massage or something, my joints are killing me. Then I'll put in a little time at the lab to see if what Angry said was right. If we could send one of your minions down to Starbucks for some caffeine to keep me energised, or something like that, that'd be nice."

Smiling, Coulson replied, "I'm not here for that. I'm leading the assignment, so I'm going to be hands-off. You won't see me unless you break the rules we've set, and Mara over here will let me know if you do. She's also been authorized by director Fury to use any means necessary to keep you within eyesight. You're lucky she's here, otherwise you'd be forced to stay on the premises. At least with her, you have the freedom to venture out - within reason and only if it's approved by myself. If you attempt to play any games with us, I'm sure Mara will have no problem replicating what she did last night. Okay?"

Punctuating the question he asked, Coulson stuck his hand out for a handshake which Tony reluctantly accepted as he confirmed, "I think I got it, yeah."

Breaking off the handshake, Coulson concluded with, "Enjoy your evening's entertainment."

Just before the agent walked away, he passed Mara a communicator and said to my host, "Mara, El, keep me posted."

With Mara accepting the communicator in her right hand, she raised her left hand to salute, while I created a hand coming from her shoulder, on her right, to make it a double salute, as she replied, "You can rely on us Coulson."

Giving us a brief nod, Coulson began his exit with the agents he arrived with as Tony turned to face Mara, "So when you say 'us', do you mean me, or are there other babysitters coming?"

Taking Tony's question as a clear invitation to introduce myself, I created a head and answered him, "Mar means me, Stark. I would say it's nice to finally meet you, but it's more neutral than pleasant."

To which Tony responded in his usual snarky choice of words, "The Palladium must have made it to my head. I'm hallucinating. Mara, can you see a particularly sassy, floating, demon head coming from over your shoulder, or is that just me?"

With Tony just staring at my head like I was some sort of alien, which I guess was correct, Mara tried to shut down his denial attempt, "Tony, this is Elysium, or El for short. Nat said I have multiple personality disorder or something, and El here is that personality. They can use my, or rather our, powers to communicate and have the same degree of control over them as I do, if not more."

Staring at Mara in slight disbelief, he replied, "That seems somewhat believable, but wouldn't it make sense for them to copy your face if they're a different version of you? Why do they look like they're gonna eat me if the Palladium doesn't get to me first?"

Instead of my host replying, I was the one that responded, "Charming, thanks for that. According to Nat, although we share the same body, I'm essentially a different person completely. With our abilities, I could copy any face, but this appearance feels natural to me. Since you think I look demonic, you can just think of me as the devil on Mar's shoulder."

Preventing Tony from getting another quippy remark out, Mara interjected, "Wait El, have you come up with a nickname for me on your own?! Calling me Mar once might be a slip of the tongue, but twice in such a short time means it must be intentional, right?!"

Ignoring the Iron Man for the time being, I turned my head to face my host, "It's not exactly innovative, since it's only missing a letter, but it feels closer than your full name."

Displaying her happiness before explicitly saying it, Mara hugged my head as she nearly squealed out, "It's the nickname you came up with through your own initiative, so I think it's perfect!"

As my host embraced me in her bosom, Tony re-joined the conversation he was excluded from, "I don't think this is something I'm going to immediately get used to, but as long as they don't try and eat me, I think I'll get used to it… eventually. For now, though, could you and your demon help me move this box down to the garage please? I would do it myself, but I'm grounded - so no toys."

Releasing my head, my host replied to the snarky billionaire, "You know you don't need an Iron Man suit to lift everything. You do have working arms and legs you could use to carry it."

Holding one fist in front of his mouth, and his other hand over the arc reactor on his chest, Tony faked a cough as he retorted, "Cough, cough. Are you really going to make a dying man carry a heavy box down a flight of stairs in his weakened state?"

With such an obvious act, both my host and I instinctually rolled our eyes.

However, Mara didn't want to refuse the request and possibly delay the element re-discovery, so she agreed, "Fine, but you can't complain about me munching on my snacks during my assignment. Deal?"

As was to be expected, Tony replied in his usual manner, "If by assignment you mean stalking me? Then sure, I'll try not to complain."

Accepting that it was the best she was going to get, Mara grabbed another pouch of popcorn from her thigh holster as she said, "Good enough, I guess. El can you give me a hand please?"

Giving a quick affirmation, "Of course, Mar." I returned the head, and unlocked the agent suit we were wearing, so that I could then create tendrils to pick up the box.

Opening the pouch in her hands, Mara threw a kernel into her mouth as she commented, "Let's go old man. You've got work to do."

Leaving the words in the air, my host set off walking towards the staircase as I carried the box of Howard Stark's property behind her. Mara didn't forget to deposit the empty popcorn packet into the kitchen bin, that was somehow untouched by the surrounding debris, on her way past it.

Tony hesitated to follow for a brief moment as he questioned, "Old man?" Before he followed after my host trying to rebuke the title, "Hey, I'm not an old man. I've only just turned 40! You were at my damn birthday!!"

Ignoring Tony's protests, Mara continued on, unperturbed, down the stairs to the garage.

------

With the box emptied and all of Howard Stark's possessions strewn around the kitchen area of the garage. Tony set up an antique projector to play the film reels that his father had recorded to see if there was any inspiration he could gleam from history.

While the recordings were playing, however, Tony was also going through his father's notebooks and schematics trying to understand the thought process behind them as well as figuring out if there were any possibilities or concepts that his father had thought of, that he so far hadn't.

As Tony spent his time sifting through his father's belongings, Mara was casually sat on the same white sacco style chair she had used on her previous visit to the garage - with Rhodey after returning from Monaco - and snacked away on her popcorn while watching the Iron Man's researching.

[You know, I kinda expected it, but it's pretty clear why the movie just had a short section on this whole inheritance research thing. All the equations don't make any sense to me, and the films are mainly outtakes from old recordings. There isn't really a lot of entertainment value other than Tony's dad fucking up the presentation and even that lost its enjoyment within a couple of takes.]

Also not finding the babysitting particularly entertaining, I replied, <This is the last film reel and Tony reading book. Do you remember if he lingered around in his garage after going through everything, or does start working on new element straight away?>

Slowing down her snacking to ensure that the amount that remained in the open packet would be enough to last until we moved on from the researching, Mara answered, [Not straight away. There are clues in 1 of the outtake reels that subtly hint at the model being the key to re-discovering the new element, and without it he'll never figure it out. Since this is the last reel, it must be at the end of this set of outtakes. It's not like the movie had the exact molecular structure either, so it's not like I could give him the answer. Before Tony can start working on a cure, he needs to go and 'coincidently' find the model in his old office, which is now Pepper's office, at Stark Industries. Regardless, he should get his poisoning issue fixed today or tomorrow depending on how long it takes to make the damn thing.]

Just as I was about to respond to my host, the stressed researcher interrupted us, "Are you purposefully eating louder than normal to irritate me or something? What could you possibly be eating to make such a consistently loud crunching noise?"

Making sure she swallowed the food in her mouth, Mara rebutted, "The same thing you've seen me eating all day, toffee popcorn. You were doing so well not saying anything while you were reading, I almost thought you'd stick to what we agreed upon but apparently, I overestimated you. Find a solution yet, you old codger?"

At Mara's jab, one of Tony's temple veins bulged slightly as he responded, "We've been over this, I'm. Not. Old. And no, not yet. I feel like there's something in this mess, but as was always the case with my old man, nothing is ever just spelt out."

Rather than argue with the man, Mara redirected his attention to the screen as she noticed a child version of Tony had appeared in the background of the recording, "Aww look how cute you were Tony. Haah, Where did it all go wrong?"

As the Iron Man turned to face the screen, Howard Stark on the film turned to look behind him and saw Tony remove one of the models exhibits, 'I would like to personally- Tony, what are you doing back there? What is that? Put that back. Put it back where you got it from. Where's your mother? Maria? Go on. Go, go, go, go. All right, I think we got the, err, I'll… I'll… I'll come in and-'

As the outtake cut off to go onto the next one, Tony turned back to my host but before he could get a word out, Mara spoke, "Never mind, evidently you've been a pain in the arse from a young age, so nothing's changed."

Chuckling slightly at the remark, Tony replied, "Yeah, I guess I was a bit of a troublemaker. Sometimes I wonder where I got it from since my old man was such a hard ass, while my mom was always so kind and caring."

Locking the suit, I created a head to join the conversation, "Attention seeking I imagine. It's probably what evolved into your narcissism as well."

Since I had hit the proverbial nail on the head and he couldn't refute what I had said, Tony instead tried to ignore it with his trademark snarky tone, "You hear somethin' Mara? Cause I can't hear anything."

Interrupting before any of us was given the chance to respond, Howard Stark stood in the centre of the screen and spoke to Tony through the film, while the camera panned over the Expo model, 'Tony? You're too young to understand this right now, so I though I would put it on film for you. I built this for you. And someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is, and always will be, my greatest creation, is you.'

With those final words, the film in the projector ran out leaving a white screen from the light source.

Neither my host nor Tony said anything as silence reigned - with the exception of the noise the loose film, slapping the projector as it spun round, was making. Going off what Mara had said earlier, I retracted the head back into my form in preparation for our departure.

Snapping out of his reverie, the Iron Man stood up off his chair and turned off the projector before turning to my host to say, "I need to go see Pepper. Let agent Coulson or whoever needs to know that I'm going out."

Mirroring Tony's first action, Mara also stood up and corrected him, "WE'RE going to see Pepper. You're not getting out of my sight."

Deciding not to argue with my host, Tony silently accepted her stance and headed to the semi-circle desk where his Palladium cores resided, in their wooden box.

Mara, following close behind, grabbed the communicator, she had to contact Coulson, from her hip pouch and the call instantly connected, "Coulson, this is Mara. Tony's going to see Pepper at Stark Industries. I will naturally be going along with him."

Almost immediately, Mara received a reply, "Understood. Keep me updated should anything change."

With the brief exchange, everything was cleared so the 2 could make their way to the Stark Industries headquarters unimpeded, and with no concerns from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s side of things.