I'm sorry, another insanely short chapter….Sorry, sorry, sorry… Okay, I'mdone apologizing…I'm working on a longer chapter right now, but I've also got characterization issues at the moment…so bear with me, k? Enjoy!
Tony Stark flew over the Atlantic seaboard of Brazil, lazily watching the sunburned forms of hundreds of tourists as they milled around the beaches and towns below. A few of them noticed the red glint of metal above them and, as Stark could see zooming in his helmet screens, saying the name of his alter-ego.
Iron Man…Couldn't have said it better himself. What was he thinking? Of course he could! He was Iron Man!
Looking back at the cloudy sky before him, Tony called up his onboard computer.
"Hey Jarvis, how long till we get to Hawk's beeper?"
The British-accented voice that answered was clear and precise, but somehow more human than most computerized voices.
Scanning now sir, though I might advise that you proceed with caution. SHIELD never gave you permission to go on this rescue mission or to hack into their tracking systems.
"Yeah, well, they were taking too long and it's my tech…and I was bored."
Tony banked his suit a few degrees to the right and started a slow descent, letting the updrafts of the heat-rippled city below keep him in the air.
Sir, I regret to inform you that Agent Barton's signal was lost some hours ago. Jarvis reported. Tony gave a frustrated huff and began to arc in a circle around the downtown area.
"Any idea why the signal went dead? It can't have been the battery."
Indeed sir. It appears that it was manually disconnected.
"Broken."
It appears so sir.
"Oh, there's gonna be hell to pay. Does he know how expensive those things are?" Stark muttered in annoyance.
Yes sir…Seeing how short of funds Stark Industries is sir. Jarvis added with a hint of sarcasm.
Tony had to smile at that one. He loved how good he was at developing AIs. It was almost like talking to a real person.
"Alright, guess we're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way…" He said, smiling as he landed at the center of a busy town square.
Sir? Jarvis asked.
"We're going incognito."
Jarvis's AI brain registered the approaching hoards of men, women, and children that recognized the red and gold suit, waving pens and papers and calling Stark's name.
Indeed sir. This should prove interesting.