#the mystery of mrs flood is going to bug me until we get answers

[bookpersonmaryjon]

has anyone else taken note of the way Mrs Flood reacted to the TARDIS in the timeline where Ruby didn't exist?

don't have a picture cause disney+ (like all streaming services these days) is a bitch about screenshots, but when Ruby gets erased bc of the goblins and fifteen flies off to go and save her, we see Mrs Flood standing on the walkway behind the TARDIS

and we see her drop her groceries and look shocked/confused at the box disappearing

now, this could be played up. or it could somehow be connected to Ruby not existing. not sure how yet tbh, but I noticed it and found it curious

[professionallyprocrastinating]

Spitefic (after a long break)

So, I don’t normally write Iron Man specific spitefics, but this one has bugged me for a long time. Another post about how not noticing Stark Weapons on the black market wasn’t Tony’s fault prompted me to put them together. Takes place some time between Iron Man 1 and 2 TW: Homophobia, Transphobia, hints of racism.

***

Tony left a devastated Rhodey in Pepper’s capable hands - she’d handled him as an incoherent mess enough times to get the details out of the good Colonel - and walked down to the lab, where he kept the hangover cures and the phone with the direct numbers of several people too high up to be bothered with calls from just anyone.

Rhodey had called Happy a few hours ago, asking for a ride. Happy Hogan, finding his boss’s bestie drunker than even Tony managed to get on the regular (a few epic benders nonwithstanding), panicked and took him back to Stark Tower, taking the direct elevator to Tony’s penthouse. Rhodey had been barely able to stand under his own power, and calling his speech ‘slurred’ would be a compliment to the unintelligible rambling pouring out of him like water from a fountain. It would be like comparing a fight between alley cats to the Gettysburg Address, even, and Tony liked his friend too much to do that to him.

The most Rhodey’ s friends had managed to extract was something about how his life was over and assholes who couldn’t keep their mouths shut.

Rhodey had been deployed on a flyover mission for the past week, perhaps something had happened there? The Military as a whole might be pissed at Tony Stark for halting his weapons division, but enough of them owed him favours that they should give him at least an outline of an answer. The General who picked up didn’t sound happy to hear from him, but agreed to send him a copy of the report.

Bringing his StarkPad with him, Tony headed back upstairs, skimming through the report as he went.

The mission itself had been routine, but there was a note about Colonel James Rhodes being called in for Disciplinary Action as soon as he landed, leaving the junior pilot who had been his wingman to deal with the report and debrief. That, from what little Tony understood of military protocol, was unusual in the extreme.

He emerged from the elevator to find Pepper and Happy talking in soft voices, concern clear on their faces and Rhodey nowhere to be seen. “Where did he go?”

Pepper sighed, “I put him in one of the guestrooms to sleep it off. He’s not in a good shape, in any respect.”

Tony nodded, relaxing a little. “Thanks. Which one, I brought aspirin and a hangover remedy.”

The look his girlfriend and driver exchanged didn’t fill him with confidence. Pepper took both from his hands. “Happy, will you take those in? I’ll explain matters here.”

Something a lot like relief flashed across Happy’s face, which didn’t make Tony any less suspicious. Or apprehensive, when he noticed the chill in Pepper’s eyes that only appeared when he really screwed up. Pepper folded her arms and aimed the full force of her disappointed frown at Tony.

He squirmed, trying to deflect. “All the General told me was that there was a Diciplinary meeting once he got back from the mission he was on.”

Pepper inclined her head, the frown not wavering an inch. “Colonel Rhodes received a dishonourable discharge, for conduct unbecoming and against the regulations of the US Military.”

Rhodey, discharged for dishonourable conduct?

How? Why? Rhodey was one of the most honourable and rule-abiding people that Tony knew! It made him a terrible spokesperson, since it was way too obvious when he was shading the truth, but an excellent leader. Why would anyone think that kicking him out was a good idea.

Tony spun on his heel and stalked back to his lab, ready to shout at whoever he had to in order to get this fixed. 

This time, the General was far less helpful. “I’m sorry, Mr Stark, there’s nothing we can do. He came out as having had homosexual relations, in front of a dozen personnel. Even if he did so with your support, we can’t hush that up now.”

With Tony’s support? A dozen personnel? Rhodey was tight-lipped about his personal life at the best of times...

Oh.

Oh, shit!

Tony cleared his throat, sure that he could still pull a few strings. “Is this about what I said about Spring Break? That was just me trying to make Rhodey squirm and get the others to lighten up.”

He could practically hear the General shrug, and wondered if the slimy note in his voice was just the landline connection. “The only loophole would be if discharging him was against the best interest of the armed forces. While you were so closely connected with the Military, having your friend in charge of your itinerary was beneficial. Now that you’ve announced your decision to no longer sell weapons, however...”

The implications were clear, and Tony froze in place. He had finally had it rubbed in his face that selling deadly missiles to the highest bidder was a bad idea that got people killed. Until he discovered whether Stayne had been working alone in his blackmarket dealings, he couldn’t risk adding more blood to the flood that already stained his hands.

The General hung up before Tony collected himself enough to reply, and Happy stuck his head in. “Hey, Boss, there’s a lady here asking for Rhodey.”

Oh, what now? Tony went down to meet the mystery woman, who turned out to be a tall blonde with a faint accent and rather more muscles than Tony was used to seeing on a woman. The angry, narrow-eyed glare that she aimed at him was less unfamiliar, though Tony didn’.t remember sleeping with this one.

The elevator dinged again before the newly-minted Iron Man could put his foot in his mouth, and they both turned to see Rhodey emerge, looking only marginally better than when he arrived. The woman pushed past Tony and ran to his side, slinging Rhodey’s arm over her shoulder, supporting him and earning the faintest of smiles. “Thanks, babe.”

The woman pressed a light kiss against his cheek. “I have a few friends who let me know whenever someone falls victim to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Figured it was the least I can do, since it’s indirectly my fault.”

The pieces clicked together. 

Tony had left out most of the details about that particular spring break, like how Ivan was actually Ivana, who moonlighted as an escort to pay off her Top Surgery medical bills and save for Transition. She’d thrown her drink in Tony’s face when he misgendered her one too many times, which resulted in her date of the night starting a brawl (Tony still wasn’t sure if he’d been actually unaware or just pretending, and they’d both vanished by the time Tony returned from changing his shirt. Rhodey hadn’t mentioned Ivan/Ivana again, and Tony assumed that it had been a one night stand, or a drunken make-out, or something.

Apparently, Rhodey had just applied his legendary discretion to his own relationship, and had very specifically not told Tony. In hindsight, of course, Tony couldn’t blame him, especially not now.

Rhodey paused for a moment on his way out. “Tony, I know what High Command asked for in exchange for not discharging me, and I know that you make bad decisions when you feel guilty. This time, don’t. I won’t be responsible for more deaths than I have to be.”

Ivana squeezed the arm that she had wrapped around Rhodey’s waist. “There’s a network, matching discharged vets with more open-minded businesses. It’ll be ok.”

Maybe Rhodey would be ok, but it wouldn’t be any thanks to Tony. 

Perhaps it was time to take Pepper’s advice and talk to a behaviour therapist, instead of blurting out whatever glib witticism popped into his head.