1963-07-09 - The Maggia
Summary: Raven finally wakes up. Tony surmises that the Maggia are after him.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
tony raven 


Tony let Raven recover in his spare room, although he had no illusions that she would stay there. She was obviously stubborn and had her secrets. Which meant that she'd hop, skip and jump out of there as soon as she got the chance.

Still, the bullet wounds kept her grounded for a little bit.

After dealing with Pepper's homecoming and then spending a day working on a medical table (he doesn't like being dependent on doctors, better to have a machine he can trust to fix his injuries), he comes upstairs to check on her, opening the door and peeking in, "I'd ask if you were decent, but it isn't like that would stop me," he says, stepping inside.

*

Raven slept it off. In fact, it was the most sleep she had gotten at Stark than she had anywhere else. Her safe houses weren't all that bad. Spartan rooms with a few things here and there, only meant to stay for the night or a few days with enough rations that'll keep for a month without watch. She paid a boy to routinely check her houses. He doesn't ask questions. But he was due for another payment, naturally, and she had to get up and get out.

Even though there was a set of clothing upon the chair, 'Malin', all pinked skinned and normal, leans forward to reach for the shirt that was provided for her. A symbol of Stark Industries upon it, which was tugged over her head, blonde hair drawing out as she lets out a wince for moving her arm. Yes. That hurt..

"Naturally." Raven comments, offering up a little smile in his direction. "Once you've seen it.. there is no hiding it."

*

Tony nods, "Speaking of which, you don't have to play pretend with me around. Don't get me wrong, Malin…which I'm guessing isn't your actual name…is nice. But I like dealing with people face to face. If you don't feel comfortable, of course, that's up to you, but I'm just letting you know you don't need to pretend," he says.

"My publicity people have made the incident all about me - which I suspect it was, in fact. No mention of you, by name or appearance, will be in any of the papers or police reports. I've made a liberal gift of funds to the owner of the restaurant to effect repairs, along with a significant bonus for his trouble."

*

Raven closes her eyes for a moment, considering..

"I.." Could she? "..not right now." There was a lot of reservation to it all. Even though he's seen her in action, to willingly drop that and show him? That was a level of intimacy that they both did not desire to have with anyone.. not even each other. "In truth, this is the real me. Same bone structure, same height. The only thing that is different is the color of my skin, in which I can employ a varying amount of shade to meet my needs.."

The jogging pants were taken, and with a slight groan and hunch, she lifts one leg to step into it, her head nodding slowly. "And I appreciate that candor. I'm not exactly a favorite among .. anyone lately." She looks to him, a grin drawn upon her face. It was a sad grin, for it reaches her eyes and told the truth. "I do appreciate you putting me up."

*

Tony shrugs, "I'm not always the most popular person myself. I mean, the public loves me, but, again, that publicity department comes in handy. Plus, they love things that go vroom and the armor definitely goes vroom," he says.

"But generals, other scientists, pretty much anyone who wishes they could make money off of ideas that I think of while soaking my brain in five gallons of gin? Yeah, they don't love me much. Nor does organized crime, because I don't let them bid for contracts and I have a habit of blowing up their operations on occasions. The latter would be the ones who hired the assassins the other night - the Maggia. I pulled a few strings and got the rap sheets on the ones who were taken into custody - it almost smelled like salami, they were so Italian," he says.

*

Raven flexes her shoulder, working her elbow back and forth as she listens. Her fingers take to the rubberband left behind, drawing her arm up then lowering it again, her cheeks flushed with a hint of red as she takes those few steps towards Tony. "Put my hair up."

"The Maggia." Raven murmurs, turning her back towards the man as she waits for him to do what she asks. "That does not seem too far off of something that they might do. However, is it the conglomerate of the Maggia or a single family within it's infrastructure who ordered the hit." Her lips were pursed now, one eye squinting.

"There was recently an attempt on the life of an Italian boss. I will need to put an ear to the ground to see if there is any connection."

*

Tony considers, "I'm not sure. I admit to not being fully up to date on all the internal structures of mob bureaucracy," he says. "I just know when my architects and my contractors end up getting pressure from the same people to pay protection money. And that my refusal to pay it, combined with Iron Man's habit of punching the people who try to collect it, tends to get on somebody's nerves," he says.

He ties her hair up expertly, looping the elastic around and doubling it once before snapping it into place. "Either way, whoever's responsible, once I find them, will be having a nice lifetime inside of a penitentiary eating an all-soup diet," he says.

*

"Mmh." Raven considers, one eye squinting as it shifts to yellow. Then the other. Even as he ties her hair, her skin begins to peel and ripple, almost like a wave of scale that forms along her neck and forehead, her hair soon changing color within his grasp to the blood red that hangs loosely and dangles by her neck. It was a little thicker, and a lot more curlier. Mostly because she preferred it that way when it was in a ponytail.

"Perhaps you should leave all of that to me. Instead of figuring out the 'who'. An exact who.." Raven turns around, drawing herself close to the man to politely fix his collar. Her blue skin was a heavy contrast to his, and even though he said he didn't mind, her hand still shook at the prospect of touching him as he was. "..there needs to be a 'why'. No one is that dumb nor bold to go after Anthony Stark in public, knowing full well of who he is and what he could do. There has to be another reason." She grins. "We have to keep you untarnished."

*

Tony was surprised by the transformation, but doesn't show it, of course. He has one of the best poker faces in the business, as attested to the large amounts of Frank Sinatra's money he'd taken over the years. He does raise an eyebrow, his impeccable, jet-black mustache just above his smirking mouth.

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity - or arrogance," he says. "As for tarnish, believe me, I've got plenty. But that's okay, I don't pretend otherwise. The only skeletons in my closet, I bring them out to dance in front of the world. No one can hate me for not being a saint if I never pretend to be one in the first place,' he says. "I'm a man, like any other. A spectacularly talented man of incredible capability, yes, but no more moral than most and probably a few degrees less. I haven't been to confession in a very long time and, if I did, I'm afraid the priest might die of shock."

*

Even though he has one of the best poker faces, Raven seems.. a little bit put off. It was a product of her own doing, so few could stand to look at her which is why she keeps people at arms length. And the one who loved her for who she was..

"That's the problem. I don't underestimate it. I expect it." Her fingers reach up to tap his nose, and with a turn she's by the bed again, settling down upon it to reach for the two little asprin and glass of water that was left for her. "But you're not understanding me, Anthony. Granted Iron Man packs a punch, but you do not need more deaths under your belt. I do believe we should reset your counter to zero. Let me do the heavy work. It's safer for the both of us that way. As it stands, you're a walking target and you'd only get in my way." She winks towards him, blue as she was.

"Tell me, Anthony, does this bother you?"

*

Tony considers, reaching into his pocket and lighting a cigarette, "Bother is a loaded word. It takes adjustment, as much as if I suddenly started breathing underwater or if the entire world were suddenly upside down. The mind is conditioned to expect certain things and, when those things vary, a degree of shock is natural. But…no, beyond that bit of cognitive dissonance, not in the least. You're quite beautiful, regardless of the color of your skin or eyes," he says.

"I'm not particularly keen to sanction murder in my name any more than I am to be a victim of it. Killing is messy and legally complicated. Much easier to just put those responsible behind bars," he says. "But I'm not going to moralize about it either. I won't lose sleep if they die - I just don't want to clean up the aftermath," he says.

*

"Fair enough." Raven murmurs. And if she could blush? She would. Simple as that.

She was careful at dragging the slippers to slip upon her feet, rolling her shoulders in a moment to try to relax herself before she leaves the business. Her hand lifts and snaps, pointing towards him completely. "Bingo." She states. "As I said. Leave it to me. I'm the one who was technically shot in the heart. And I have developed a grudge." She sighs quietly. "Besides, this isn't for you Anthony. There's a lot of aggression I need to get out and the Maggia may just be what's needed to scratch that itch."

Yeah, that social engineering? She hasn't forgotten about that. With that, she stands, taking those few strides towards him as her skin begins to ripple and change. She was essentially normal again, as one could be in a situation as that. "Do me a favor. Burn everything here in regards to me. I'm unsure if you're the type to take my blood while I'm unawares.. but.. a girl's gotta be cautious."

*

Tony smiles, "If I wanted a sample, I'd just ask. But it's a little out of my field - if you were made out of circuits, perhaps, but any samples I took would be out of idle curiosity, not experimentation. But I didn't and I won't," he says. "You're a person, not a specimen and, contrary to what some people might think, I do know the difference."

"And don't worry, my sheets are disposed of on a regular basis - it seems only polite to the ladies," he says. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a job? I'm fairly sure you'd be excellent at security," he says.

*

"You are too good to me." Raven purrs. It was all just a joke, somewhat. But at least he was honest.

The prospect of a job was interesting; her head cants a little to the side as her lips purse a touch in thought. "I'll think about it. There are a few things that need be doing and you'd rather not be associated with the likes of me. But if you need me, you have my number." She reaches up to lightly touch his cheek, there was no telling if she'd ever see him again in an affectionate capacity. With a lean in to kiss at his cheek, she takes off.

*

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