Chapter Three

Author's Note: This is a short update but I figured you would all like to see how Happy, Rhodey, and Tony is doing.

And I've finally heard from my beta reader. She escaped from the attic again. Imagine, she tapped out Morse Code with her feet! Ha ha! How clever! *drags her back*

"I don't care if you don't want me. I'm yours!" -"Screaming" Jay Hawkins

James "Rhodey" Rhodes thought he had long ceased being surprised by violence, especially growing up in New York City.

Someone attacking two friends while they were on a date threw him because it affected him personally.

Rhodey had been in the library studying when he got the text. After seeing the attached photo he grabbed his book bag and ran out the door, ignoring the admonishing desk clerk.

Someone in the Angel Network reported Happy being admitted to a Brooklyn hospital. He took the subway and got there in a record thirty minutes.

He wasn't allowed to see the athlete since he wasn't family. To his irritation Happy's parents were yet again out of town. The boy was facing death and severe injury alone.

A kindly orderly told him the doctors put Happy into a medical coma so his body's natural healing could work unimpeded. Rhodey sat in a sticky uncomfortable plastic chair as he numbly texted anyone and everyone he thought would care or could help find the scum-sucking former friend who had done this. The hospital sounds faded and all he could hear were the muted beeps from his phone.

"Rhodey?"

The soft inquiry didn't surprise him. He looked up in expectation and saw his best friend.

The young hero was pale and shaking, sweating as if he'd run the New York Marathon. His eyes beseeched Rhodey's in the hope of hearing good news.

"You got here pretty quick," Rhodey sighed. "Monitoring the police band again?"

"Yeah." Tony's eyes looked tired. "I told Pepper to stay home. I wished she'd listened. She shouldn't have been out."

"They were attacked while on a date. Someone sent me this."

Rhodey held up his phone so Tony could see. The resolution wasn't as sharp as Stark-made technology but the familiar black armor emblazoned with a gold dragon was unmistakeable.

Tony exhaled as if he'd been expecting this. "Gene. I knew it. That cowardly bastard." His voice was as cold and hard as the iron in his name. His stormy eyes briefly held the killing rage Rhodey had glimpsed once before. The time Iron Man had nearly killed Stane's security chief in an attempt to destroy the Crimson Dynamo armor.

Tony seemed to feel Rhodey looking at him and the genius' gaze turned hopeful. "Pepper? How's she handling this? Where is she? Is she hurt?"

The black teen shook his his head negatively. "No sign of her. No blood that matched hers was found on-scene. Her purse is gone too. The Mandarin probably showed up, blasted Happy, and grabbed her before teleporting out."

The brown-haired teen glared at nothing and Rhodey understood his frustration. "The police found no note, no ransom demand. No one's come forward to claim responsibility."

"That'll change. Gene wants help with the rings and he's out of bargaining chips. I'm sure he's aware claiming my dad's alive won't work again."

The young genius' voice went from heated to dispassionate; clinical. He had acted that way while creating Technovore as well and Rhodey felt very concerned for Gene Khan's life, even if he detested Gene.

"Listen, Tony..."

"Clear the hall!"

Conversation ended as medical personnel escorted a gurney down the corridor. The orderlies grunted as they tried to push their heavy burden faster.

The two friends gasped as they recognized Happy. Far from the team captain and boisterous bruiser he usually was, he looked wan and helpless and Rhodey desperately wanted him to jump up and yell "Prank War!" The various tubes and wires, not to mention the IV in his arm would have made that impossible. The gurney passed by without further comment, leaving the uncomfortable impression of a funeral procession.

"Gene'll pay for this," Rhodey muttered under his breath and looked over at his best friend.

He was expecting to see the same anger he felt on Tony's face. Instead, the younger Stark was chalk white and breathing heavily. He was whispering something over and over under his breath. Rhodey could only catch one phrase.

"Severely injured...one passenger missing...injured...one passenger missing."

Those were the words spoken by the doctors who'd worked on Tony after the accident. They must not have know Tony could hear them or they never would have said anything within hearing distance of their patient. Tony was having flashbacks to the plane crash was a very bad sign. His mental state was slipping backwards. Rhodey reached out to comfort Tony but the other boy rallied.

"I'm sorry, Rhodey." Tony moved before his best friend could touch him and staggered towards the exit. "I gotta go. Pepper needs me."

"You're in no shape to go anywhere, man. You can't even stand!" Rhodey tried to force the other boy to sit but was shaken off.

"While we stand here and debate there's no telling what he's doing to her!" Tony's expression said what he thought exactly "what" was. "You stay here in case Happy wakes up. I'll try to stay in contact and let you know what I find. No guarantees though."

Rhodey wanted to argue Tony hadn't exactly found any clues about Gene's whereabouts after two months of searching but understood now was not the time to bring that up. He wanted to accompany his friend too but knew Tony would have a counterargument to anything he could think up.

"Fine. I'll get in contact with the Red Angel Network. See if anyone knows something. Go do your thing."

Tony sagged in relief. "Thanks for understanding. I'm sorry. If I don't do something I'll crack. Get ahold of Whitney. See if she can get anyone at school to help stand vigil for Happy. I'll check in with SHIELD. Something will come up."

"Sure." Rhodey wanted to be optimistic but his confidence was flagging. Tony had searched for Gene for months with no luck on the slim hope his dad was alive. He had found no proof of Howard Stark's existence. Now they knew he had Pepper. Perhaps she'd use her cheerfully annoying nature to slow the Mandarin down.

"Pepper's smart. She'll find a way to escape and contact us." Tony tried to smile confidently but the result was weak. "Wish me luck."

"Always."

Tony squeezed his best friend's shoulder in gratitude and was gone.

Rhodey sat down and settled in for a long night of phone calls, starting with the most difficult.

"Mom? It's Rhodey. Listen, something's come up."