Iron Man Volume 1 #6

Tony slammed the Mandarin’s assassin into the wall as Maya ran from the room. The assassin managed to slide out of Tony’s grasp just as Rhodes bolted in.

 

“Tony! What do you need me to do?” He asked just as the Mandarin’s assassin raised a ring, sending Tony backwards into the wall with a sonic blast.

 

“…get the camera…” Tony said, somewhat deliriously before he shook his head under the mask and leapt back at the assassin.

 

“The camera?” Rhodes asked, confused. Tony placed his hand over the assassin’s hands in order to block the rings as he replied to Rhodes,

 

“Can’t you see he’s proposing?” As he said this, Tony made a motion towards the assassin with his head. Rhodes rolled his eyes as he raised his pistol and began firing at the assailant. Turning the assassin to attempt to use them as a human shield, Tony was surprised when one of the bullets collided with his suit’s arm. It did not pierce his skin, but tore through the initial layer of metal. Letting out a groan, Tony said, “C’mon Rhodey, watch yourself. Don’t want to have to mend the suit because of a few stray bullets.”

 

“You know, I could be working for a bunch of different clients,” As Rhodes said this, he ran at the Mandarin’s assassin and attempted to grab him but instead ended up grabbing Tony’s suit’s arm, “Granted, they wouldn’t have the coolest suit of armor I’ve ever seen in my life, but they wouldn’t almost be assassinated twice in a month!”

 

“You think I asked to be?” Tony replied, in a joking and yet frustrated voice, as he threw Rhodes off of his arm. The Mandarin’s assassin climbed on top of the table and turned to the two, saying,

 

“Leave Stark to me. It is the Mandarin’s will to end his life.” Tony and Rhodes looked at each other for a moment before turning to the assassin and shaking their heads. In the course of a few seconds, Rhodes leapt upon the table and grabbed the assassin around the neck from behind. At the same time, Tony jumped up on the table and pressed the button that began to prime his repulser blasts. From his position on the table, Rhodes jumped down to the ground with the assassin still in a chokehold. Holding them down on the table with one arm, Rhodes quickly grabbed both rings off of the assassin’s respective fingers. Tony held one of his palms out to the assailant as the red light began to glow in the center as all three panted for a moment. Rhodes quickly broke the silence by saying,

 

“We…are…awesome…” The Mandarin’s assassin struggled as Tony motioned to Rhodes flipping off the figure’s hood. Rhodes complied and Tony found himself staring down at an American male in his eighties.

 

“Huh…I was expecting…” Tony said as he looked to Rhodes.

 

“Yeah…me too…” Rhodes replied as Tony’s voice became serious again,

 

“If we’re going to get the Mandarin to stop his attacks we’re going to need to flush him out completely. So…where is the Mandarin?” The assassin struggled as Tony repeated himself, “Where IS the Mandarin?”

 

“I DON’T KNOW!” The man suddenly yelled in a voice that sounded more terrified than the threatening one he had been sporting earlier. Rhodes looked at the man for a moment before saying,

 

“Tony…I think he’s telling the truth…”

 

“I know,” Tony replied before aiming at the man’s chest and letting off a repulser blast. The blast tore through the man’s midsection, killing him instantly, “But he made his choice. He chose the Mandarin. He chose to try and kill me,” Rhodes stood taken aback as Tony finished, “Not…a good…plan.” Before jumping down from the table and exiting the room, still clad in the Mark I.

 

Done