Behind the Veil

Lola refused to let him die and she ran to the edge at full speed and the quick reflexes of the plants within her were what shot out to grab him mid air. The weight of Tony’s body jerked her forward as she pulled back to bring him back to a safe distance away from the edge. He was seemingly unconscious, he smelt of alcohol and seeing him in his weakened state made her want to cry. Lola cradled him in her arms and she tried to recover from what had just occurred.

“Well you’re no fun.”

Her eyes snapped upwards to the person who had just spoke and a furious look graced her face. Those very eyes narrowed much like a lioness ready to take down her prey. Franz smirked at her feeling as though she’d never kill him, he took great joy out of destroying her life and bringing out the angry beast that dwelled within her.

“I know you more than anyone Lola, the side of you that is wicked and enjoys torturing,” Franz continued to speak.

“This ends tonight,” she spoke in a threatening tone. The nearby tree grew next to Franz and lashed out at him. It weaved around his midsection creeping up towards his chest crushing his body. He looked at her now realizing she was set on killing him right there with no chance of being revived. Gradually the plants covered the entirety of his body, raising higher to cover his face until it was completely restrained. It forced him to enter her mind telepathically. Lola was trying to wake Tony when the pain entered her body.

Tony’s eyes flickered open and he seemed disoriented. Upon seeing her looking down at him he remembered the loss of control he had over his own actions. Her eyes were filled with worry and pain causing Tony to snap out of his daze. Lola began to turn away, the pain in her mind seeming to amplify. But Tony pulled her towards him trying to figure out if she was harmed. Her veins darkened, the usually green vines were black as they ran down her arms. There was a muffled howl of pain came from the other side of the area.

“Keep going into people‘s heads and see what that get‘s you,” Lola growls as the howls from the covered man grew louder. She balled her hand into a fist, her eyes darkened and avoided the gaze of Tony while she pushed herself up fist to the concrete. Tony didn’t know what to do exactly because he didn’t know what she was planning to do. She stood staring at the cocoon-like closure she had created around Franz. His voice in her head barely there anymore as the life began to slip from his being. However he mustered the strength to send whispers. It only angered Lola more not believe a word he said in turned causing the cocoon to close in tighter around his body breaking every rib that remained intact. Next to break were his arms, legs, and hips. Tony watched as her skin began to turn black and he knew he had to stop her. He grabbed Lola by the hand and she turned to give him an angry look.

“Come on, let it up, I can have Fury lock him up,” Tony says.

“No, he tried to kill you, I almost lost you because I didn’t kill him when I had the chance,” she counters still fierce with the intention of killing Franz.

“And be exactly what he wants you to be? Look at yourself Lola, look what is happening.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Stop and we can get him locked up for good,” he states raising his hands to cup her face. Lola’s eye’s softened and a sigh escaped her lips. Tony gave her a reassuring smile as he brought her closer to his body. Tears filled her eyes as she tried to savor his embrace. He led her back into the penthouse, ready to call Director Fury to take care of the restrained man. Lola stood drifting further from Tony as she approached the cocoon, the top unraveled revealing Franz’s face that was covered in lacerations. His eyes were closed until he used what little strength he had to look up at her through half open lids. She felt the intrusion in her mind and the change in the air. It was then that she realized Franz had reinforcements somehow. Quickly Lola turned to Tony her heart racing at an unhealthy rate. Soon Tony was frozen in his place, slowly being raised from the ground and Lola’s eyes went back to the landing where the man in red floated above wearing a strange helmet. Three others appeared and Lola grew defensive being that the man she loved was being controlled by the notorious Magneto. The vines slid down her arms, the anger building up in her while the rest of her arms turned black.

“Do not do anything drastic my dear,” Magneto spoke in an eerily calm tone. He closed his hand into a fist and Tony’s face construed into that portrayed only pain.

“What do you want?”

“We do not harm our own kind.”

“Then what are you doing right now?” Lola retorts angrily.

“I understand that you were very close with your father,” he states. “It was humans that turned him into that monster, it was humans that shunned and tortured you as a child, humans that rejected the fact you are a mutant.”

“Now let me list some mutants who have fucked me over as well. It was a mutant that tortured and murdered me in cold blood, it was a mutant who toyed with the minds of the people I love, currently it is a mutant that is hurting another person that I love. Your argument is invalid now let Tony go.”

“I cannot expect anything less from someone who consorts with Charles, always defending the humans.”

“I said let him go,” she snaps growing impatient with the man’s games.

“Very well,” Magneto replies throwing Tony’s body against the nearest wall. This gesture only angered Lola more and she let the vines shoot out at Magneto to subdue him only to have them set on fire by one of the other men. The pain caused by the fire caused her to let out a small scream and she recoiled briefly to regain her bearings. Next the man who manipulated fire was grabbed from behind by the nearby plants and flung across the landing. With this move, the other men joined in the fight, all except Magneto and Franz. Magneto seemed intrigued with the power and fight that Lola seemed to possess. However the amount of fire exposed to her slowed down her advances, burning her flesh and Magneto knew she had enough. After a long while, Lola saw the group collect around Franz. Soon they simply disappeared into thin air and she stood there weakened. Lola moved towards where Tony’s unconscious body lied and it hurt her to kneel down on her burned legs. He didn’t wake and she tried to gently shake him as the tears welled up in her eyes. The blood that came from the back of his head not easing her in the least. She did not want to lose him that was for damn sure.

The smoke from the fires caused the fire sprinklers to go off on the entire floor. At first the water droplets pricked at her tender wounds and she let out a cry of pain that was mixed with desperation. Lola placed her hand on the side of Tony’s face, although in a weakened state she decided to use her powers in hopes of healing him.

“Tony you idiot I love you now wake up,” Lola says feeling the energy she barely had begin to fleet away from herself. Tony heard her words and his eyes slowly flicked open.

“Hey Shorty.”

“Tony,” she replies her eyes clouded with tears.

“Did I hear you profess your love for me?” Tony replies with a small smile. “I think you might have to say those words again, it’s something I can get used to hearing.”

“I don’t say it very often to much of a--”

Lola stopped talking, everything hurt and Tony took notice of her face that seemed to lose color. His eyes drifted to her burned arms and legs. The worry swelled within him and he sat up from his spot to take care of her. He was angry that they had harmed her, even angrier because he didn’t do anything to help her. The water seemed to be helping with the burns after a while but still Lola was very weak. Tony held her close, trying to keep her conscious.

“Just stay awake for me okay?” he says in a shaky tone. Lola barely nodded as she relaxed into his embrace. “We still have got to go on that vacation.”

“Where?” Lola whispers.

“I’m not sure, Paris maybe?”

“Overrated, how about Greece?”

“Even better, I heard they have some good nude beaches,” Tony states. Lola gave a soft chuckle.

“I’m sure,” she replies leaning into him. She felt tired and it was a struggle to stay awake. Director Nick Fury along with several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived on the scene. They looked around seeing the destruction caused by a fight they hadn’t know occurred. There were burn marks, simmering fires, turned over furniture and various other things all over the penthouse. Nick Fury saw Tony on the ground behind a turned over couch with an injured Lola in his arms. He had expected to only find the infamous Franz Keller to be taken into custody but instead found the remnants of chaos that seemed to have occurred since Tony had called him.

“What happened here?” Nick questions standing over the pair. Tony looked up at him.

“We have to get her to a hospital,” Tony spoke without giving him an answer. Nick stared down at Lola who seemed to be exhausted and burned beyond belief. Agent Coulson saw the state she was in and took the initiative to call the medical team for the agency. Tony kept close to Lola the entire time because it felt like déjà vu her state of weakness caused by some awful people. This time however he did not want to lose her. Lola fell into unconsciousness unable to stay awake any longer. The doctors did their very best to take care of her and the rest was left to waiting.

Tony waited at her side while her bandaged body rested in a private medical room. She had been healing slowly according to the doctors and was stabilized to the point things were only left to let her rest. When her eyes finally opened, Tony was hunched over the hospital bed with his hand on hers, sleeping in a strange manner. A small smile graced her face as she reached to touch the mess he had for hair. Tony stirred in his sleep and looked up to see that Lola had waken from her long rest. He sat up giving her a kiss on the forehead but remained holding her hand.

“So how about that vacation?”

“Sounds great,” Tony smiles. He looked down at her happy to have her awake. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright, a little tired but nothing some relaxing won’t help,” Lola replies. She looked down at her bandaged arms and began to inspect the damage that had been done. Strangely enough the wounds did not look as bad as she had thought it would considering the pain she was in before. Actually her arms only looked slightly reddened rather than the 3rd degree burns she had.

“Can I get you anything?”

“Water maybe?”

“Coming right up,” he says getting up to get what she wanted. Grabbing the water bottle from the counter and he sat on the edge of the hospital bed, he handed her the bottle. Lola gave him a smile before taking a long drink of water. With each drink she felt a bit better than before. Tony watched intrigued with the enjoyment she got from drinking water.

“How long have I been out for?” she questions.

“Couple days, you must be thirsty,” Tony teases lightly. Lola nudged him in response.

“Of course I am, but I‘m feeling better, so I can leave wherever the hell I am.”

“You are at a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house but we can head out if you get the go to leave from the doctor.”

“I’m sure I’m fine to go,” Lola reassures with a smile.

“Just to be sure, then we can go on that vacation,” he responds smiling back at her. As if on cue the doctor assigned to her, entered the room. The doctor looked at the pair and remained very professional. She headed straight to check the machines and then prodded at Lola’s bandaged leg while picking it up in the process.

“Have you always been this capable at healing so easily?”

“Nope,” Lola answers. “I have a death to prove that one.”

“Yes, that was one your chart,” the doctor responds. “Everything seems to be alright here, I just need to take out the iv.”

“Son of a-”

The doctor didn’t wait and pulled out the iv causing Lola to give her a dirty look while holding her arm. There was no reply from the crass doctor and Lola had a feeling the woman did not like her. Once the woman was gone, Lola turned to Tony with an expectant stare. Tony stared back at her waiting for Lola to say what was on her mind.

“You should really consider treating your one-night-stands a little better,” Lola states.

“Who’s to say things went poorly? Are you jealous?”

“Not at all just bit in pain.”

“Not the jealous type?”

“Not entirely,” Lola replies honestly. She moved out of the bed and attempted stretch out. Tony moved over to help her out of the bed. They soon managed to get out of the safe house. Lola looked forward to spending time with Tony and as they exited the building a downpour of rain was covering the city. She didn’t hesitate to dodge the umbrella Tony held and take in the rain. Tony smiled upon seeing her twirl around in the rain, she was a bit strange but he enjoyed watching her look so carefree.

“The morphine is still working?” Tony smirks.

“So very much,” she smiles stopping mid-twirl.

“Did you want to go on that vacation?”

“Of course but I am going to make you dance in the rain with me first,” Lola states tugging him by the hand. Tony chuckled while she pulled him close. In the middle of the sidewalk they began to dance regardless of other people staring at them like they were insane. Once they were done they headed into the car to drive towards the airport where Tony‘s private jet. They were to go on the vacation they so very much needed.

Tony and Lola were ready to go do something that didn’t involve fighting off enemies or getting injured. They were going to go to Greece to spend some time together. Or at least that was what Lola had thought.