MALIBU, CALIFORNIA

Violence.

Violence seemed to be the only cure for Buffy's worried mind.

With her father still missing and her Uncle still out in Afghanistan looking for him that left Buffy trying to distract herself to keep from going crazy. And unluckily for Happy that meant as her current caregiver while Pepper was working, he was the one currently stuck in the gym with her.

Hence why the two of them were circling each other in the boxing ring.

Buffy couldn't help but snort as she looks at her sparring partner, training with Happy was a lot like training with Giles. Given that right now, while she was happily bouncing on the balls of her feet in shorts and a t-shirt, Happy, on the other hand, was covered head to toe in protective gear.
He had clearly learned very quickly that when it came to the youngest member of the Stark clan, looks could be very deceiving. For a tiny 5 foot 4 girl, Buffy had been kicking his ass all over the place, turning the bodyguard into practically a walking bruised peach.

Leaping up, Buffy sends a spinning kick to Happy's chest causing the bodyguard to stumble, his body hitting the corner post with a loud thud.

"You okay, Happy?" Buffy questions as she raises a brow in the security guard's direction who merely coughs loudly before nodding, clearly struggling to speak as he attempts to catch his breath.
Chuckling softly Buffy merely moves to continue distracting herself with violence.

She had been training a lot more since her dad went missing, even if it had only been about a week it had felt like an eternity since she got the call from Pepper.
Violence was allowing her a way to vent out her worry and fear for her father's life.

She knew if she actually sat down and allowed her mind to wonder where her father may be, it would cripple her. All those worst-case scenarios of what could be happening to Tony would start running through her mind and she knew deep down that she wouldn't be able to function.

So to avoid confronting the range of emotions threatening to consume her, she would fight.

Sending another kick to Happy's chest, Buffy couldn't help but wince as Happy goes flying backward, landing on his back on the floor with a loud thud.

Happy groans loudly as he lays on the boxing ring floor staring up at the ceiling. He had never been so sore in his entire life, despite the extra padding, Buffy really did pack a punch.
Quickly moving over to him, Buffy grabs Happy's arm and carefully pulls him back to his feet before leading him into the corner of the ring "Sorry!" She whispers softly before grabbing the bottle of water and bringing it to Happy's lips.

Sitting Happy down in the corner of the ring, Buffy taps his shoulder softly before moving to climb out of the ring. Pulling off her gloves she tosses them to the side before grabbing her hoodie off the table in the corner of the room.

Happy who was attempting and failing to stand glances over at the blonde in astonishment.
They had been training for hours, yet while he was bruised, sweaty, and out of breath, she hadn't even broken a sweat.
Every time he trained with her he was left in shock, he had never expected this sweet innocent girl that used to dance around the mansion in bunny slippers and pigtails would be able to fight with such skill.

He had never seen someone with so much strength and agility at such a young age. Despite her 17 years, she clearly had knowledge of someone who had been fighting for decades.

However, despite his curiosity regarding how she had developed and honed her skills he knew now wasn't the time to bring it up.

"How are you doing?" He asks as he finally climbs out of the ring and begins pulling off the protective pads which hadn't exactly done a lot of protecting during their session.

When the usually bubbly and talkative merely shrugs Happy sighs and throws her a pointed look. She was definitely a lot more like Tony than she would admit, she was pretending to feel nothing when he knew deep down she was feeling more than anyone.
Spotting the pointed all-knowing look being thrown in her direction Buffy groans before zipping up her hoodie "I'm worried." She finally admits as she runs a shaky hand over her face "Happy...what if RJ doesn't find him?" Halting in her words as her voice catches in her throat, emotion finally fills Buffy's eyes causing the stern look on Happy's face to fall "What if...Happy I can't lose anyone else."

As tears fill the young girl's eyes, Happy moves over to her and wraps his arms around the young girl, hugging her close to his chest.
She had been trying to be so strong but she was still a 17-year-old girl. He had known her pretty much her entire life and seeing her like this broke his heart. Running his hands through her hair he sighs sadly wanting nothing more than to protect her.

Sure enough, as he holds the young girl a small idea fills his mind, something that would hopefully get her to smile.
Pulling back he places his still gloved hands on her shoulders before tapping her nose playfully, just as he used to when she was little and would beg to be carried everywhere "Okay, pack a bag."

"What?"

Chuckling the bodyguard ruffles her plated pigtails before throwing an arm over her shoulders "Well, your mom is back from Italy and your friends are worried about you. So pack a bag, I'll load up the car. You, me...road trip kid!"
Buffy eyes him skeptically before glancing around her Malibu home, while she knew she wasn't supposed to be in Sunnydale being in this house, surrounded by memories about her dad, was suffocating her.
"Can we take the Impala?"
Happy couldn't help but laugh loudly at her words "Sure, but when Rhodey finds your dad...we never speak of it."

"Can I drive?"

Sure enough, as she expected Buffy was only met with a horrified expression making it crystal clear that there was no way in hell that was happening "Thought I'd take a shot...I'll go pack."


AFGHANISTAN, SOUTH ASIA

Blood money.

That was what years of work and success in the weapons industry had led him to.
Every dollar he had ever made in his many years of developing and engineering for his company had left Tony Stark drenched head to toe in blood money. He had spent years thinking that his inventions were protecting people, but in reality, he had been doing the exact opposite. His weapons had been used to cause destruction and chaos without him even knowing it.

"I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark." The translator pipes up from beside the billionaire who was still staring off into space, horrified by the truth he had discovered "But they will never find you in these mountains. Look, what you just saw, that is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work... in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?"

Clenching his jaw, Tony doesn't even glance at the man beside him as he continues to stare off into space. For the first time in his life, he just felt like a complete and utter failure.
"Why should I do anything?" He argues "They're going to kill me, you, either way. And if they don't, I'll probably be dead in a week."

"Well, then, this is a very important week for you, isn't it?"

Despite wanting nothing more than to wallow in his own misery and give up, the translator's word summoned one specific image in the billionaire's mind.
A certain green-eyed blonde who was his true legacy.

Buffy was the one thing he had done in his life, that was good and right. Yet because of the damage that his work had caused it would taint her life forever. If he didn't change the narrative now then for Buffy's entire life she would have to live with his mistakes.

His failures.

She would be left with that as her legacy and her memory of him would be tainted.
The memory of a father who gave up on getting home to her and did nothing with his life other than creating weapons that had helped slaughter thousands of people.

Sighing deeply, the billionaire thinks back to the children of the village his captures had taken him to. Those kids were innocent, most of them who had been holding his weapons in their hands were not much younger than his little girl.

At that moment, despite how much his body wanted him to give up, his mind wanted to fight.
Fight to stop the chaos he had set into motion, fight to get home to his daughter, and change the legacy he would one day leave to her.

And he only had a week to figure out how he was going to do that.

He would find a way home, he would deal with whatever games these men came up with so he could convince them to get him supplies. So he could build the ultimate weapon, one that would allow him to escape and destroy the weapons he had released on this world.

Standing up from his seat Tony claps his hands together loudly causing his companion to smile slightly from beside him.
It was time to start planning their next move.

Because if there was anything in this world Tony wanted...it was to make sure he didn't break another promise to his daughter.


SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

Crossing the town sign into Sunnydale, the place she had once called home Buffy couldn't help but inhale tightly.
There was a part of her brain that loved Sunnydale, given that her mother and friends live here but there was also the other part.
The dread and terror.
As much as she loved the people here she didn't love what had happened here.
She had died here when she was barely 16 and she had killed the love of her life here.

Allowing her eyes to scan over the town she had once called home, Buffy couldn't help but find herself nervous as Happy turned onto her old street. This was actually happening, she was actually back on the Hellmouth.
To be honest, when her mom had sent her to Malibu there was a part of her that thought she would never come back here.

"So this is Sunnydale?" Happy breaths from beside the blonde who had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole drive here. It was strange to have the Stark Girl be so quiet and calm, normally she was a bubble of energy and a sarcastic mess.

"Yep." Buffy mumbles softly as her eyes watch each house they pass closely "Big with the Sunny, not one person in town named Dale though."

Smiling softly at the young girl, Happy couldn't help but feel for her. Her life had never been simple even before Tony's trip to Afghanistan.
Between Tony's lack of maturity during her youth and the insane amount of rules she had to follow when it came to her life as a Stark he couldn't say he was surprised she finally snapped.
Yes, burning down her High School gym and all the fights had been bad but... Buffy was a struggling kid who had never really had any real stability in her life.

Before the bodyguard could say another word though, Buffy's eyes had instantly widened at the sight of the familiar figure walking out of her old house.
At the sight of her mom, Buffy finally felt all the walls she had built up around herself when it came to her dad going missing bubble over the surface.
As Happy begins to pull into the Summers' driveway, Buffy doesn't even wait for the car to come to a stop as she practically throws herself out of the moving vehicle; taking off in a sprint right into her mother's arms.

"Mom!"

Joyce couldn't help but blink through happy tears as she wraps her arms around her daughter's small frame. Pulling back she pushes the hair out of the teenage girl's face smiling brightly down at her "Welcome home, Sweetie."
Hugging her daughter once more, Joyce couldn't help but let out a small snort as she spots the familiar face of Happy Hogan rushing out of the car his eyes filled with concern as he moves over to Buffy.
"Buffy, you can't just jump out of the car! You'll give me a damn heart attack kid. It's like the dam roller coaster in Coney Island you dragged me onto all over again." He breaths out as he clutches his pounding panicked chest.

Finally pulling out of her daughter's hold Joyce smiles as she turns to face the familiar stressed-out Happy, who always seemed to be flowing with anxiety through his bones.
Reaching out she taps his shoulder softly offering him a kind friendly smile "It's good to see you Happy."

Throwing one more annoying over-protective glare in Buffy's direction, Happy happily turns to face the elder blonde pulling her into a big bear hug causing a loud laugh to escape her "Long time Joey!"
Chuckling softly as Happy finally lowers her back to her feet Joyce wraps an arm around Buffy before sighing "Buffy, I need to talk to Happy about a few things..."

Realizing that her mother was hinting about the current situation with Tony's disappearance Buffy nods awkwardly, honestly, she wasn't too sure she wanted to be present for the grown-up serious talk anyway.
"Okay, I think I'll go see the gang."

Hugging her mother once more Buffy moves to head down the street only to come to a halt as Happy clears his throat drawing her attention.
Clenching his jaw as he contemplates just how much of a bad idea this was, Happy finally with much reluctance holds out the keys to the Impala towards the blonde, causing her eyes to widen in excitement.

"Get out!" She exclaims in joy as she takes the keys before quickly jumping up and hugging Happy tightly "Thank you! Thank you!"

Smiling softly enjoying the rare smile off the girl Happy couldn't help but groan, he already knew how much of a bad idea this was but if it made her smile then he could deal with the backlash.

"No one ever finds out." He warns out as she nods rapidly in agreement before rushing off, practically leaping into the car like a coked-up NASCAR driver.
Spotting the blonde put the car into drive before speeding off at what was clearly over the speed limit Happy couldn't help but feel dread fill his gut.

He had just made a massive mistake he could feel it.

"She's going to crash that car isn't she?"

Joyce snorts softly before tapping the horrified Happy's shoulder supportively as she leads the now very distraught guard towards the house, she could practically feel the mental breakdown coming "She drives like her father."

"Oh, God. What have I done?"


Driving at least 10 miles over the speed limit, Buffy was living life to the fullest for the first time in months.
With her sunglasses resting on the bridge of her nose, Buffy couldn't help but grin as the engine of the Impala hums softly while her music blasted loudly from the radio.

Turning the corner of the next street, Buffy couldn't help but pause as she spots the familiar sight of the one and only Sunnydale High.
Driving up to the entrance of the school she couldn't help but feel out of place, more like a passer-by than anything.

This wasn't her place anymore, she knew that.

Malibu was her home now and honestly, as much as she would deny it, having Jarvis home school her was probably the best thing for her. The A.I was surprisingly talented at teaching and strangely funny. Jarvis had managed to do something no teacher in her life had done...make learning fun.

Allowing her eyes to scan the endless crowds of students riffling out of the school, a bright grin fills Buffy's lips as she spots Xander, Cordelia, Oz, and Willow walking out of the building in the thralls of conversation.

Driving right up to the steps of the school, Buffy not so smoothly pulls the car over right in front of the group of friends who all froze staring at the car with wide eyes.
Having not noticed just who exactly was driving the luxurious vehicle yet both Oz and Xander were too busy admiring the four-wheel vehicle.
"Cool." They both breathe examining the car while Buffy merely pulled off her glasses smiling over at them "Hey guys."

Spotting the four of them now staring at her with wide eyes, Buffy merely climbs out of the car chuckling as Willow practically sprints over to her, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde's shoulders.

Giggling softly Buffy grins into Willows's shoulder before letting out a small giggle as Xander, finally having realized that she was actually here and not some weird hallucination from one of his many teenage boy fantasies, rushes over, almost tossing Willow to Oz so he could wrap his arms around the blonde.
"Buffster!" He cheers lifting her off the ground and spinning her around causing bubbles of laughter to escape the billionaire's daughter "Man we missed you."

"I missed you guys too. But Xander I really need oxygen."

Realizing that he was still suffocating her Xander finally unwraps his arms from around her "Sorry." He breaths before groaning and again hugging her tightly, this time Willow joining in, letting the original three amigos have a small moment.
This was the longest the three of them had been apart since the moment they had met and it had been torturous for all of them.

Despite being happy to see Buffy again, Willow couldn't help but frown in confusion, there was a reason Buffy had been sent to Malibu "Buffy, not that we're not happy you're here..."
"And this car!" Xander pipes up, barely even listening as he begins examining every inch of the Impala, his eyes gleeful like a child on Christmas morning.

Rolling her eyes, the young redhead ignores the currently fangirling Xander, turning her attention back to Buffy "What about The Council, isn't you being here dangerous?"

Buffy couldn't help but wince at that, to be honest, when Happy had suggested a trip here she hadn't even figured the threat of The Council into her decision.
With everything going on with her dad, it had been the last thing on her mind.
"Last minute trip. Happy thought it would be good to get out of Malibu plus I wanted to see my mom, I haven't really spoken to her in a while. And with my father missing it's slightly weird being in the beach house..." Spotting the sympathetic looks being thrown her way, Buffy inhales tightly before running a shaky hand through her hair "I-I just need a distraction...I can't be in that house."

Every time she walked around the house it was a constant reminder that it was likely her father was dead. She couldn't keep walking around what felt like an empty graveyard. It was worse torture than sitting by the phone every day, waiting desperately to hear any news from Rhodey.

Xander, finally tearing his eyes off of the beautiful car wraps an arm over Buffy's shoulder "We heard, I'm sorry Buff." He tells her as he rubs her shoulder comfortingly.
Smiling softly, Buffy inhales tightly before raising her car keys with a mischievous grin, for a few hours she would just like to hang with her friends and not be the girl whose dad was probably dead.

"So who's up for a drive?"

Without evening bothering to answer, both Xander and Oz were moving towards the car climbing right in, making themselves comfortable only causing all three girls to roll their eyes.
"What is it with boys and cars?" Cordelia mutters as she moves to climb into the backseat beside Xander who was now for some reason wearing Buffy's sunglasses, living up his own fantasy of being the daughter or son of Tony Stark.

Willow and Buffy glance at each other before snorting in amusement and moving to climb into the car.

As she climbs into the driver's seat, Buffy quickly snatches her sunglasses back off Xander who leans his chin against Willows's seat so he could look at the blonde, his mind clicking back to something else Buffy had said.

"Buff, this Happy guy... it's not Happy Hogan is it?"
"Yeah, why?" The blonde mutters in confusion as she pulls the car away from the school, not noticing the way that both Willow and Cordelia were now clutching onto their seats for dear life.

"Boxer Happy Hogan? With the weird shoulder-length mullet?"

Instantly, Buffy's head shoots off the road so she could stare at Xander only causing Willow to panic "Buffy, eyes on the road!"
"Yeah, yeah." The blonde mumbles before glancing at Xander through the rearview mirror, if this was the same Happy Hogan then she needed to know everything.

"Huh?! Okay, I need to know everything."


"So James hasn't found any sign of him yet?" Joyce mumbles dishearteningly as she places a cup of coffee in front of Happy before taking her seat beside him on the couch.
She had known Tony for over two decades and with every passing second he was missing, it shattered her heart. They had been always been there for each other, they had been best friends since they were 15, he was the father of her child and while she had never been in love with Tony Stark, she still loved him.

She couldn't imagine a world without him.

He had to come back, he had to be okay...not just for his own sake but for Buffy's. While Joyce had yet to admit her darkest secret out loud, she was holding on until Tony was back.
Until she was sure that he and Buffy were going to be okay...even if it meant she wasn't around anymore.

"No." Happy breaths as he wraps his hands around the mug of boiling hot coffee "I check in every day, Rhodes is still searching every inch of the desert. He won't stop till he finds Tony."

Nodding weakly Joyce inhales tightly before placing her own coffee down on the table, as much as she wanted to believe Tony was okay if he wasn't...she had to make sure Buffy was going to be okay.
Letting her green eyes meet his Joyce sighs deeply causing the tension in the room to quickly grow, things were about to get very serious, Happy could sense it.

"Happy..." Joyce whispers softly trying to remain as composed as possible as she speaks "I need you to promise me something."

Not yet realizing how deep of a question this was or how serious this topic was to Joyce, Happy merely grins nodding nonchalantly at her.
He had always liked Joyce, why Tony had never actually tried to make it work with her he would never understand "Of course, Joy."

"If Tony doesn't come back if God forbid.." She breaths her voice catching in her throat at the mere suggestion of Tony not coming home "...just make sure Buffy is going to be okay."

At her wording, Happy couldn't help but frown.

Placing his coffee down he turns to face her fully, a small frown of concern filling his features. He could see it all over her face and could hear it in her voice, something had pushed her to bring this topic up, something was going on with Joy, he just had no idea what. But whatever it was, had gotten her worried enough to start making plans, which was enough to make dread form in Happy's gut.

"Joy... what's going on."

"Just listen to me." Joyce tells him blatantly avoiding his question "Buffy is unlike anyone else in this world. She's special...if Tony doesn't come back...you and James...you have to keep Buffy safe no matter what."

A now very freaked-out Happy shakes his head, this wasn't right, this whole conversation, there was something so...final about it.
"Joy..."
"Just promise me, Happy." Joyce snaps, her eyes meeting his with an almost desperate gleam to them "I need you to promise me, that no matter what happens to Tony...or me...that she'll be okay..please"

Remaining frozen for a long moment, Happy finally nods, while he didn't like the way this conversation was going he did know one thing.

He would protect Buffy.

"Okay...I promise."