Tony knew taking down the terrorists was important. Steve didn't have to tell him twice. But he had other unfinished business to attend to.
Even though they couldn't see him, he still had to pay Pepper and Rhodey a final visit. They were really the only friends he had ever had and he had to at least try and say goodbye. And while he was in the neighborhood, he was going to pay Obadiah a friendly visit, see what he could learn about his dealings with the terrorists and maybe scare him straight. It was an ambitious goal, but he was a Stark and Starks always aimed high.
Steve looked a little disappointed when Tony announced he was heading back to the U.S., but he had no right to judge him. He had admitted to going to see Peggy and if he was allowed to see her, Tony should be allowed to see the people he cared about.
"Don't give me that look," Tony said indignantly. "I'm not abandoning you and your noble quest to save the world. Just have to see a few people first."
"They can wait," Steve said. "They'll still be here after we eliminate the terrorists."
"And how do you know that? I never thought I'd be dead before fifty and yet here I am. Nothing's certain. All I know is that I wish I could have told them what they meant to me before it was too late. And if I don't take this chance to see them now, I'm going to regret it for the rest of my afterlife."
Steve was silent for a long time and then he slowly nodded. "Okay, you've got a few days to straighten up your affairs. And then I want you back here to help me out. I can't do this without you."
Tony offered him a sloppy salute and flew off in the direction he supposed America was. It wasn't like he could ask anybody for directions.
Well, okay, he could have asked Steve. But he'd rather be shot ten times over than ask that man anything. Even ghosts had their pride.
And if he took the more scenic route back to Malibu, he wasn't going to be too torn up about it. Flying was pretty awesome. He had flown in the jet countless times and he thought he'd be over the sights by now, but it was so different flying solo. He could go as high or as low as he wanted and since he was a ghost, he could do flips and barrel rolls without worrying about getting sick to his stomach. It was just too bad that he couldn't feel the wind through his hair.
It took him a little longer than he would have like to find his way back to California. But finally, he touched down outside his mansion.
"Well, this is it," he said quietly. He walked through the doors.
He had assumed that the news of his death wouldn't have made it home yet, but when he finally found Pepper, she was down in his lab, crying while boxing up some of his lab equipment.
"Aw, Pep," Tony said. "Tears for your lost boss?"
He regretted how much he had taken her presence for granted. She had always been around to clean up his messes and put up with him. And he had never even thanked her for it. He had even pushed her buttons a few times just to see how angry he could make her. But he hated seeing her cry.
"It's going to be okay," he said quietly. "Don't cry for me, Pep." He reached out for her and was a little disappointed to see his hands go right through her.
Pepper shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's freezing in here. Jarvis, could you turn up the heat a little, please?"
"Of course, Miss Potts. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, thank you. It's just-" Pepper smiled weakly. "It's just nice to have someone to talk to."
"That was one of the reasons for my creation. To provide companionship for Mr. Stark. A function I am no longer able to perform."
It shouldn't have been possible for the A.I. to actually sound melancholy, but his tone seemed distinctly sad.
Tony sighed and draped himself over one of his computers. This wasn't what he wanted. He had hoped to see Pepper going about her day like usual: bright, vibrant, and competent. One last good memory of the woman he might have loved. But seeing her like this felt like a punch to the gut. Especially knowing that it was his fault she was in so much pain.
He shoved a hand through the monitor. God, he wished he could pick up the piece of crap and hurl it across the room, scream about how unfair this was. He still had so much living left to do.
"Miss Potts, I am detecting an unusual energy reading in the building."
Tony perked up. Was Jarvis actually able to sense him?
Pepper dabbed at her eyes. "What is it, Jarvis?"
"I'm not certain at the moment. But I will be monitoring and analyzing what I find."
Tony huffed and flew down to circle around the bots. "Be good for Uncle J, will you?" He patted the air above You's frame. "Never got around to upgrading your treads, did I? Sorry, buddy. Just one of the many things I wish I had gotten around to."
Dummy let out a high-pitched whine.
"I'm sure she will take that into consideration," Jarvis said. "For now, I think it best that we do not trouble Miss Potts unnecessarily."
"No, go ahead," Pepper said quietly. "What does he want?"
"He wants to know if he's going to be boxed up with the rest of Mr. Stark's possessions. It is his wish to remain here in the lab. This is his home and even though Mr. Stark is no longer with us, it's still filled with his presence."
"I will definitely take that into consideration." She glanced around the lab with a sigh. "It doesn't have to all go to Stark Industries, I suppose. Although they're the only ones who would use any of this stuff. Does Dummy really want to stay down here with no one to keep him company all day?"
Dummy beeped and clicked his claw.
"I'm afraid he is adamant, Miss Potts."
"Very well. I'll discuss it with Obadiah when he gets back."
Back? From where? If news had already gotten out about Tony's death, Obadiah would have been expected to make some sort of statement on behalf of the company. Unless…
Goddamnit, he had probably gone to Afghanistan to identify the body.
Tony watched Pepper walk out of the lab, clutching her clipboard to her chest. "Oh, Pep," he said quietly. "You're a strong woman. You'll get through this. And you'll be so much better off without me."
He turned back to the bots. "I'm not letting Obadiah take you," he declared fiercely. "And he's not taking Jarvis either. I'm going to get rid of him and the Ten Rings and then I'm coming back so you'll never have to be alone."
Haunting his lab for the rest of eternity didn't seem so bad. It might actually be kind of fun.
"Catch you later, kids," he said as he flew towards the ceiling.
"Sir?" Jarvis asked hesitantly.
You whirred and made a series of clicking sounds.
"No, it's alright," Jarvis said. "Just a minor malfunction."
Tony turned back to gaze down at his little family and then forced himself to move on. Steve was right. The bots would still be there when he got back. His human friends were the ones he needed to see first.
He circled around the mansion until he found Happy down in the second-level garage, polishing the rims on the Bugatti.
It was a wasted effort. Nobody would be driving any of the cars now. They'd either be sold off to some other rich men or preserved as a collection in a museum.
"I remember the day Mr. Stark brought you home," Happy murmured to the car. "You were always one of his favorites. I bet he's looking down from heaven right now, wishing he could take you for a spin one last time."
"Oh, Happy," Tony said with a shake of his head.
Everyone grieved in different ways, but this was the first time Tony had ever heard somebody trying to comfort a car after their owner's death.
"I wish I had been there to drive him," Happy said quietly. "I bet I could have gotten him out in one piece." He rose and patted the car's hood. "No use thinking about what might have been. Mr. Stark's dead and there's nothing we can do about it now."
Sad, but true.
"Bye, Happy," he said. "Hope the next asshole you chauffeur realizes how lucky he is to have you before he's dead."
And now there was nothing left to do but go back and see Rhodey at the Air Force base.
Rhodey was alone in the barracks, sitting on the edge of his bunk. There was a bottle of whiskey on the floor and a glass tumbler in his hand. "Here's to you, Tones," he murmured, lifting the glass towards a picture of Tony hung over the back of the door. "Hope the next world treats you better than this one."
"Come on, Rhodes," Tony said. "This is just sad, man. Pathetic. What's next, lighting a fucking candle and playing some mopey 80s music? If you're going to drink in my honor, you need to get wild and shit-faced. None of this maudlin crap. I can't right now. I can't even look at you like this." He shook his head. "And you owe me, you know. If I hadn't kicked you out of that Humvee, you'd be dead, too. So, you should be drinking to me, building a shrine in my honor, all that good stuff. You should be grateful, you should be…" He wilted. "Just be okay, please?
In life, he had been a pain in Rhodey's ass and in death, he was still making the man miserable.
And sure, it was touching to know the people he cared about actually missed him, but he wished they didn't miss him so hard. He was getting seriously worried about Rhodey's mental stability and that was saying a lot.
Rhodey knocked back another glass of whiskey and proclaimed, "To the best friend I ever had."
"Okay, now you're just being ridiculous, Rhodes. Which means you've had way too much to drink. So let's just put this away now."
His hand went right through the bottle.
"Goddamnit."
He punched the wall, sighing when his hand went through it, too. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he couldn't touch anything.
There was a crackle of electricity and all the lights in the barrack went out.
"Oops."
"What the hell?" Rhodey asked.
And, oh hey, ghosts had night vision. Nifty.
Tony dipped his hand back into the wall. He couldn't feel what he was touching, but he was pretty sure there were electrical cables right beneath his hands. And with a little twist of his hand, the lights started flickering on and off.
It was easier than Tony expected. Had it really taken Steve five years to figure this out?
"Alright," Rhodey growled, rising from the bed. "Who's messing with the power?"
Channeling despair into anger. That seemed like a reasonable short-term solution to keep Rhodey okay. He'd have to think of something else later, but this was a good start.
"Sorry, buddy," Tony said, spiraling up towards the ceiling. "You'll thank me later. Or well, maybe not."
It really was too bad they couldn't have a laugh about this later. Rhodey had been with him through so many crazy times. But this was just one time they couldn't share.
From the base, he streaked back to the scene of his death. It was hard to recognize the place now that most of the bodies and wreckage had been cleared away. But Steve was still there, hovering over the rocky outcropping.
"You actually came back," Steve said, his face splitting into a welcoming smile.
Tony swore he could feel something clench in his chest. But that was silly because ghosts didn't feel things.
"Of course I came back. I promised you, didn't I?"
"Don't get testy. I know how hard it is to leave loved ones behind. I was sure you'd want to spend a lot more time with them."
"I'll go back and see them when this terrorist business is all over," Tony muttered.
And when they were done mourning him.
"What did you find out from Obadiah?"
"Nothing yet," Tony said. "Obadiah wasn't there. I think he might actually be on his way here."
Steve nodded slowly. "It makes sense. He'll want to see the body before he gives the Ten Rings their payment."
"Ah, yes, my gorgeous corpse."
The corners of Steve's mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile. "You don't actually look that bad, considering."
"Considering that I'm dead?"
"Considering the explosion. The blast could have ripped your body to shreds, but the majority of the shrapnel stayed in this area." He traced a finger over Tony's chest to illustrate his point.
Tony felt his chest constrict again and he pulled away from Steve. "So if Obie's going to be there to see my body, we need to be there to see him. Did you see where they moved me?"
Steve nodded. "Air Force base."
"Goddamnit. I was just there with Rhodey."
"I'm surprised you couldn't sense anything. Ghosts are supposed to feel a pull to their bodies. I know I can always find where my plane went down." Steve cocked his head to one side and gave him an appraising look. "I could take you there sometime. The scenery isn't very exciting, but I'm sure you would be interested in the old Hydra technology. It was way ahead of its time. Probably even advanced by today's standards."
"Ha," Tony said. "Not by my standards."
That earned an actual smile from Steve. "We'll see. Come on. Let's head to the base and have a look around before Stane shows up. I'll let you take the lead since you've been there before."
Tony shrugged. "I don't know the place that well. This is the first time I've actually been to Afghanistan. Rhodey and I usually just Skype."
"You're still probably more familiar with the place than I am."
"Well, if you say so. Follow me." Tony rose into the air and started off at a nice casual speed Steve could surely keep up with.
"What are you doing?" Steve called after him.
Tony paused. "Heading towards the base. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Oh dear. Is this how you've been getting around the whole time?"
"Why?" Tony didn't think there was anything wrong with the way he was flying, but if Steve started to critique his form, he was going to punch him again.
"Just watch," Steve said. There was a determined set to his expression and then he vanished. A moment later he reappeared in the same spot. "I just traveled from here to New York."
"Whoa. How'd you do that?"
"Ghosts also feel a strong connection with people we were close to. If I think about Peggy, I can be at her side in an instant."
"That's handy," Tony said. Pepper wasn't always going to be at his mansion and it helped if he wouldn't have to go looking for her every time he wanted to check in on her.
"So we can travel directly to the base and prepare an ambush for Stane when he arrives. Or we can travel to wherever Stane is now. He was once a big part of your life. I'm sure if you concentrated-"
"Hell no. I'm not going to give that jerk any more thought than I need to. I'll wait for him here with you."