POISONED LIGHTBULB

Security breach. Alert: malfunction.

Rhodey gasped, shielding his eyes from the sudden blinding flash of light and the inevitable scattering of dust and debris that would quickly follow. Was this really Tony Stark?

The high-tech super-villain was saving people. Saving people? Yeah right. His eyes impossibly widened further as he saw Iron Man and Crimson Dynamo engage in a furious battle. Since when was Iron Man even an eighth close to the power and might of the Crimson Dynamo after only 24 hours? Their last battle... well let's just say The Crimson Dynamo was overly generous, too merciful, and it was Iron Man's most fortunate day.

"No," Rhodey shook his head in denial. This must be some sort of publicity stunt.

Tony Stark; the most arrogant, careless, egotistical, spoiled jerk did not retain a shred of compassion for others unless it was to his own advantage. That's it. He did not care what others thought and could do just about anything to get what he wanted. So, in short, he an alarming megalomaniac. Stark personally made it plainly obvious to him when he ambushed him, whilst Rhodey sneaked around his lab uninvited. It was the last, and only time, Rhodey would stalk Tony Stark. At times, Rhodey wished he never discovered the brutal revelation that his class-mate was on the FBI's Most Wanted list. And the CIA's. And SHIELD's. And probably all the other secret crime-fighting/peace-keeping government organizations.

Tony Stark was the monster that modeled the metal monstrosity, causing mayhem in New York.

His low GPA, unbelievable lateness to class, lethargic attitude to lessons: they were all a façade to prevent suspicion from attacking him. Rhodey, without doubt, considered himself to be smarter than Tony Stark by a mile in academic studies. He aced History, outdid himself in Physics (earning an A+!), and excelled Maths better than Tony, even though it was Rhodey's most-hated subject. How wrong he was. It was an icy slap smashed across his face when Rhodey finally managed to absorb he meaning of his findings on that fateful say. It was crystal clear that Tony feigned his stupidity to stop people from thinking he was a genius inventor; a prodigy.

Tony wanted to be underestimated. A sweat trailed down Rhodey's forehead. People's errs and miscalculation were part of his cunning strategy to mask his alter-ego. And he also had been affected by it. He blinked hard, trying desperately to halt the incoming flashback of a memory about two weeks ago. But to his resentment, no matter how hard Rhodey tried to erase that day, his intellect would not let him:

It was a clear day, and school had finished, much to Rhodey's convenience. After hearing Pepper's apprehensive monologue, he was fuming. She was like a sister to him. How dare Tony have the nerve to treat Pepper like that? The guy was an obvious Playboy, but Whitney was his obsessive, crazy girlfriend. He was supposed to leave Pepper alone. He was past the annoying-flirt stage. Tony Stark doesn't deserve someone as sweet as her. So after straining his brain cells in his last free period, Rhodey made an irrevocable decision to spy. Get more on information. Find out why on Earth Tony after Pepper so tenaciously? After all, he already had Whitney Stane anchored to his arm most of the time. Espionage was not Rhodey's usual style, but it was the safest option.

Or so he thought.

Furtively Rhodey tracked Tony to some sort of lab before he oddly vanished from sight. A hidden lab; a secret lab! Rhodey was a statue, his jaw practically dangling on the floor, his eyes fixated on the state-of-the-art technology surrounding him. The walls were overloaded with thousands of blueprints on advanced ammunition, each overlapping some or others; there were several boards that had scribbles of laborious equations stretching across a foot or two- he couldn't even begin to comprehend them!; there were also artistic sketches and drafts of more weaponised, iron-plated robots scattered on a large desktop. Beside it was litter bin with scrunched up papers towering above like a white mountain, with some balls of paper sitting at the foot of it. How long had Tony been working in the lab? Holographic computer screens were all processing confusing algorithms, and the centre screen showed a satellite imaging of New York. Rhodey's could easily hear the loud thuds of his heart vibrating with trepidation in his chest. With a single glace he could tell the precocious pioneering was decades ahead of modern research. This work was coming from someone who failed so pathetically in Art, Maths, and Science, that it was absurd.

But this. This was overwhelming. The conceited, empty-headed reputation was yet another thing Tony had so brilliantly engineered. A disguise good enough to fool everyone. Including Rhodey. He exhaled, releasing an agitated breath of air.

Then, when he was just about to pick up a rough plan, that looked like some sort of laser shooters, from the overflowing desk to futilely understand it, someone grabbed the back of his jacket and flung his against the wall unceremoniously. Rhodey was sure he must have broken a bone. Bewildered, he had attempted to stand back up, but his spine protested as the agonising pain that shot through his back. Instead, unwanted support reached forward as the attacker threw him up. He gripped the collars with his fists. The unexpected impact forced Rhodey to stand before he could haul himself half-way up.

Tony Stark.

Rhodey was speechless, the fright and fear entirely exposed on his face. He stared into Tony's menacing electric blue eyes which possessed a sinister hue Rhodey never noticed before. A trickle of sweat ran down his throbbing spine. He was too shocked to move a limb, too shocked to blink and too shocked to apologise for trespassing. The intent of his spying was wiped completely from his brain as Tony glared ominously at him, his jaw locked angrily. Rhodey realised he couldn't move even if he wanted to. Tony was stronger than he looked. He underestimated him. Just like Tony wanted him to. Just like Tony wanted everyone to do.

"What are you doing here!?" Tony growled, venom oozing out of his words as his fists become tighter.

Everything was scrambled in his mind, as it hadn't fully perceived what was occurring. "Your Iron Man, aren't you?" Rhodey asked anxiously. It was the only coherent sentence he could formulate in his head. Rhodey thanked his lucky stars that he sounded much more confident than he felt. Seriously, it felt like it was the last moment in his life.

Tony clenched his teeth and his narrowed his eyes, boiling with animosity. Feeling thick apprehension in the air between them, Rhodey's breath hitched in his throat as he watched the malice simmer in Tony's eyes. To his surprise- and horror- Tony lips curled into a smirk and ultimately he let go of his crushing hold, calmly placing his hands in his pockets. It perturbed Rhodey even more.

"Well, now you've seen my work, it'd be dumb to deny it," Tony replied haughtily, his eyes sparking with pride. "Amazing, isn't it? Just pulled an all-nighter yesterday working on a new invention. Still perfecting the algorithm. It's almost done, should take just another few hours." With the pieces fixing together like a mental jigsaw, Rhodey now understood why Tony was consistently late. He was always working on tonnes of clandestine projects. Literally, thought Rhodey, his eyes shifting to the endless hurdles of papers pinned on the walls.

And Tony didn't make an effort to defend himself. To contest the savage statement he hit him with. Tony held the statement up vainly and gloated. Rhodey's bewilderment swelled substantially as he gawked at him. "W-why?"

Without warning, Tony kneed him in the stomach swiftly, taking a step back so he could admire the result. Rodey's hands automatically clutched his abdomen in agony as he shrunk to the ground, enduring the fatal hit. With a bored sigh, Tony crouched beside the floundering teenager. "Did that hurt?" he said in fake sympathy, "sorry, I have a twitchy knee, Rhodes. It really hates spies." Rhodey cringed when he spat the last word out.

As his movements ceased, he shot a stony gaze at Tony, his pain converting to anger and taking charge, dominating the heightened fear he felt. This was his last (and probably only) try to be at least one bit threatening. "I will tell everyone, you hear me? You arrogant Prick. Everyone will know that you are-"

Before his brain could even register the action, Tony's hand seized his neck, asphyxiating his windpipe ruthlessly so it effectively cut off his fruitless threat. He was taking no risks. "I don't think so, Rhodes," Tony replied nonchalantly, as if he was deciding what topping he'd like on his pizza. "Not unless you want something to happen to your family by accident. That wouldn't be very nice, would it?"

Any vestige of defiance vanished from Rhodey's face. His skin grew paler, from the lack of oxygen but also by the indirect deadly ultimatum. Rhodey knew Tony could do it; he'd seen Iron Man kill innocent people. He stared at him fretfully, meeting Tony's steely glare. He was not joking.

"I won't tell!" he managed to choke out, remembering his mom and Pepper. "I promise, Tony, I won't!" Rhodey's hands weakly wrapped around Tony's wrist, begging it to stop. He struggled against Tony's relentless Iron grip for what seemed like forever. But to his relief, Tony's grip finally stopped its assault. Rhodey took in a deep breath of delicious air, never being more grateful for it. "I won't," he spluttered again, as if he wasn't convinced Tony believed him the first time.

Satisfied, Tony stood back up, mockingly holding his hand out to help Rhodey. "Good choice, I knew you'd make the right decision," he commented, sadistic pleasure colouring his voice. "Make sure you keep your promise, Rhodes, otherwise-"

Ignoring the taunting gesture, Rhodey stumbled up, leaning against the wall for balance. "-I know," he interjected grudgingly, straightening the creases of his jacket.

"That includes this place too, but I'm sure you know that."

Rhodey nodded curtly with his gaze on the ground, his eye's not wanting to see Tony's diabolical expression. He was enjoying having control over him, but Rhodey was determined to to give him the full complacency of his authority over him.

"And," Tony added, stepping closer to him. Rhodey strained his muscles and rooted his feet to the ground, forcing himself not to be intimidated by Tony's demeanor. Rhodey could feel his fiery gaze piercing two holes in his skull. "Especially Pepper," he hissed, a corrupt smile etched on his face. He flinched, wishing Tony didn't detect it.

What do you want with Pepper? Why is Pepper so important to you? Why don't you leave her alone? Rhodey's mind replayed the questions over and over again like a broken tape, but his mouth was too stunned to move a muscle. Too afraid that it could land him in more heaps of trouble. Rhodey knew it was cowardly to comply with Tony's conditions, but he had the upper-hand. Any retaliation and that could be his final say. Rhodey strongly believed he could do more, help the police stop Iron Man some way in shape or form, if he lived today. To keep his family, friends and innocent people at bay from harm.

"Now, GET OUT!"

Rhodey's eyes snap back up, shattering his hopeful reverie. He scampered towards the door as he felt the radiation of Tony's abrupt rage peak. He didn't need to be told twice. Never had the young teen been more happy at the sight of a door. This is the freaking last time I spy alone, he reprimanded himself inwardly.

Tony Stark was... not simple-minded at all. Rhodey berated himself for thinking about Tony like that based in school. Tony Stark was a genius, granted he was evil too, but still an unparalleled genius. Unfortunately. It meant he was working with high-end weapons manufacturing companies like Stark International. His own company; he was assisting in Obediah Stane's evil activities. It made sense why Tony Stark was dating his daughter. If Whitney Stane also proved to be a villainess, it wouldn't be surprising.

Rhodey sighed in dismay, suddenly overcome with paramount guilt. Pepper had no idea how right she was. The information she read through her dad's FBI database (illegally, she admitted) was more helpful than he had ever considered. He felt like a traitor now, for scolding her about her "ridiculous assumptions" in the past and telling "Pepper, stop exaggerating". She was right. She was right about everything. And he was wrong. Wrong about everything.

Another bright flash of light and smoke permeated the sky, and Rhodey shielded his eyes again. He inhaled sharply as he took in the scene before him; Crimson Dynamo looked like it was about to break down, and Iron Man did not have a scratch on his Gold-Red amour.

"Gold and Red," Rhodey muttered ruefully, "not much difference from Black and Red. But a better colour scheme."

The police retreated a few minutes ago, knowing they were clearly no match for either robots. Helicopters had arrived and air force planes all armed. But the rockets were useless; they couldn't aim accurately with the amount of smoke smoldering the night sky. The random explosions just increased their disadvantage. The most they could do was help evacuate people in risk of being lethally injured, or dead in the midst of the chaos. But some bystanders, like Rhodey, stood from afar, observing the blazing catastrophe. The constant police warning reverberating through the megaphones was like hitting a saucepan compared to the clamorous commotion from the clashing confrontation and pandemonium of screaming people on the streets as they dashed to seek refuge.

"And it seems like Iron Man is winning the battle. What a turn of events from yesterday! This is not good for the safety of the state! Iron Man has clearly grown stronger in a short span of time. What will this mean?" Rhodey heard the news helicopters announcing above him. "Yet, everyone must be thinking why he is helping the police defeat the unstoppable robot. Is Iron Man turning over a new leaf and helping New York citizens? Or is it plain old vengeance?"

"Vengeance, duh," Rhodey muttered, disgruntled.

The suit of armour Tony invented was beyond amazing: no words would do justice. He sadly pondered about the possibilities if he had used his suit for good. To save lives, not take them. It proved to be strenuous on his head to try and imagine an opposite Tony Stark. Someone who was dedicated to helping others. Someone who didn't bother hiding his extensive knowledge in school; not be manipulative. Someone who had a good sense of humour and wasn't self-centred. Someone who hated Stane like he and Pepper did, not be his right-hand man. A person who created technology for peace and bettering lives, not warfare fashioned for devastation.

And maybe Rhodey would be his friend. Maybe Pepper too. His Mom told him Howard Stark was a good person. And that Tony Stark would have been a better person if his father was still around. That means there's still hope for Tony, right?

He sighed despondently at the ludicrous idea. It would never happen. Back to reality Rhodey, he told himself, deflated as he disappeared into the crowd, tracing his steps back home. He was dreading the next day. And the day after that. And the month after that. And year. Because he was cursed with the secret of knowing the identity of a murderer, but unable to somehow use it for safeguarding others.

If only Tony Stark changed his selfish ways.

This was just an idea that popped in my head after I finished watching the first season of IMAA, and I had to write it down! What did you think of it? Tell me in the review.