AN: I don't own DC/YJ, Iron Man/Marvel, or anything else.
Chapter Three: "Hostages"
Early Morning, NYC, Manhattan, Chinatown
Deep under the chinatown district of Manhattan laid the hideout of the Mandarin and his Tong. Mandarin was sitting in his throne beneath the statue of the head of a dragon with an orb depicting dragons under it and behind him.
"The Maggia's incursions into your territories have increased, master", informed the lead Tong inform the Mandarin. This Tong was wore golden armor on top of his armored black suit that the others shared.
"They have long fought the Tong for control of the city's underworld, but this new aggression-", the Tong continues but is cut off.
"Is not unexpected", Mandarin tells them.
"Master?", the head Tong questions.
"Of course the Maggia are stepping up their attacks", Mandarin shares, "I have been making strikes directly against their leadership", confusing the Tongs,
"Master, we have never-", the Tong goes.
"We do now", Mandarin cuts him off, the two Makluan Rings glowing, "Tell me, my servant, of the progress you have made in researching the Makluan Rings.
"I- Mandarin, no one knew more information about the rings than Howard Stark. And ever since the plane, we have nothing", The Tong finishes with a hanging head.
"Leave in shame, and be grateful for your lives", Mandarin commands them.
They bow on their knees before rising to their feet and saluting with a fist to their chest before leaving.
Mandarin stands from his throne and leaves for a darkened area, "I must acquire all the rings but why...", he looks to the two rings, "Why won't you work now like before?!", he grumbles as he leaves, unaware of Shaun Li in the shadows.
Shaun notices his alarm for the shop was going off on his watch and heads back up through the elevator back to the surface.
"Yes? What?", he enters into the front of the shop, "Huh?", only to be taken back by who he saw.
"Uh, hi", Jason with his backpack and his Starkpod clipped on waves to him, "My name's Jason Stark".
Jason looks to a small dragon statue over a hollow dome, just like the massie one in the hideout downstairs.
"So you guys import chinese art and antiquities here to the US, like statues and relics and stuff?", Jason asks him, scratching the back of his head.
"Yes, stuff is our specialty", Shaun snarks, "Now, what did you want to talk to my stepfather about?"
"Right, sorry", Jason says, "I'm looking for information on one of my dad's projects. these ancient Chinese artifacts called the Makluan Rings."
"Makluan Rings?", Shaun questions, acting clueless as he scratches his chin in thought.
"Yeah, I've been going through all my dad's ntes on the rings, and Mr. Zhang's name came up in his diary", he brings up his Starkpod, "I guess they talked a while back".
"You dad keeps a diary?", Shaun asks, finding that a little funny.
"Yeah, I know", Jason smiles, "it was kind of an old school thing", before activating his Starkpod and sowing holographic images of the notes in the diary, "I, uh, digitized them. It has everything he learned about the rings. But he wrote about wanting to follow up with your stepdad and ask him a few things about Chinese history and similar artifacts".
Shaun thought for a moment, "Zhang's... out of the country on business and won't be back for awhile", he lies, "But, if you want to leave me a copy of the diary, I'll be sure to give it to him".
"That's okay", Jason denies as he puts his Starkpod away, "Just let him know I'd like to talk to him as soon as possible
"Sure", Shaun says, "Whee can he find you?"
"I wrote down my cell", Jason says, handing him a piece of paper, "But I'm in school during the week.
"Do you go around here?", Shaun asks as he takes the paper.
"The Tomorrow Academy on the east side", Jason answers.
"No kidding", Shaun says in surprise, "That's where I'm enrolling".
"That's cool. We'll be classmates", Jason tells him with a smirk, "Maybe I'll see you around", before leaving the chinese antique shop.
"Maybe", Shaun agrees, deep in thought for a plan.
Later, Jason's Lab
Jason rushes through the secret entrance to his hidden lab.
"Hey, Rhodey. I went and saw...", Jason goes, only to see his Iron Man suit running at him.
It dives at him and Jason jumps at of the way, letting it hit into the sealed door. Jason lays prone as it then flies around, bouncing off walls and the ceiling before crashing into the ground. It stands up and looks to Jason, before walking to him like a broken puppet before falling onto him.
Rhodey was in the high-tech computer chair that looks like a wheel, spinning around and rotating every which way.
"Rhodey. Rhodey!", Jason calls out as the chair stops for his friend while he holds up the heavy armor, "Ugh, Rhodey, if you're mad at me about something, we could just talk it out".
"Whoa. Sorry, man", Rhodey tells him, "I've been practicing the remote controls for the armor".
"I need more practice", Jason grunts as he holds away the armor from falling on him, "I'd rather just have the AI do it at this rate".
Later, On the Way to School
Jason and Rhodey were walking down the street.
"So the stepson said this guy, Zhang, was out of the country", Jason tells Rhodey, "All the contacts in my dad's notes are turning up a big zero."
"So... you don't know what the rings are or who the Mandarin is", Rhodey states, "Good start".
"I don't really do research", Jason tells him, "I usually invent anything I need".
Rhodey rubs his chin as they approach their school, "Hey, I hear scientists have developed these amazing things that tell you about ancient history. They're called books", he smiles to Jason.
Jason goes to back hand him and Rhodey blocks but they stop mid action as it was just kid nature ribbing.
"I hate research", Jason claims, remembering the long hours of it as Robin with Batman.
Near Noon, Tomorrow Academy
"And that's why I wasn't very popular in the eighth grade", Pepper finishes telling Rhodey as Jason walks in with a bunch of books, "But no charges were filed, so everything turned out okay", before Jason sets the books down on the dual table desks for science class with sinks, which tip over before Pepper, "Uh, what's with all the books?", she asks, "I thought you didn't do the whole book thing".
"Actually, I am an avid reader", Jason tells her, "I just don't like research".
"Oh, on what?", Pepper asks him with excitement.
Jason and Rhodey look to each other, not sure what to say.
"Jewelry?", Jason answers, unsure if he should go with that.
"Attention, class", Professor Abraham Klein calls out as he walks in with Shaun, "We have a new student joining us today. So everyone please welcome Shaun Li", placing a hand on Shaun's shoulder.
Everyone seemed to talk amongst themselves over a new student, while Jason just waves a greeting to the boy he met earlier.
Klein looks to Shaun, "Go head and take a seat", he points to the back with his other hand, "There's a free one by Happy Hogan there", before patting Shaun's back in encouragement.
Shaun walks to the back, passing Jason and his friends, to the football uniform wearing Happy Hogan.
Happy pats the table in front of the seat next to him in excitement for a seat mate, where Shaun sits, placing his bag on the table before him.
Rhodey looks to Shaun in thought before realizing what it was and looked to Jason, "Wait, that's the kid you were talking about from the import place? And he's going to school here?"
"Cool, huh?", Jason remarks
"Shaun Li?", Pepper asks to herself.
Happy looks to Shaun, "Hey, new guy!", he fist pumps, "I'm just gonna call you The Li. Is that cool, Li?"
"Wonderful", Shaun Li sighs.
Later, In The Halls
Jason, Rhodey, and Pepper were by Rhodey's locker as he put his stuff away.
"He seems kind of... like he's above all this", Rhodey comments about Shaun, "He's got that arrogant rich kid vibe going on", saying all this to a rich kid.
The trio look over to see Happy hovering around Shaun as he puts his stuff away in his locker, flexing his muscles to the asian.
"Yeah, arrogant rich kids are the worst", Jason jokingly remarks to Rhodey.
"You know what I mean, jerk", Rhodey gripes, "This is weird"
Pepper brings a hand to her chin, "I'm pretty sure I know something about him. I just can't remember what".
Jason glances at his watch before telling them, "Sorry, no time to gossip, girls", before going to walk away, "It's my free period, and research calls", and saying, "Hey, Shaun", as he passes by him to do his research.
"Jason", Shaun says back as Jason rounds a corner to get to work.
Jason arrives in an empty classroom, his next class and begins to read a chinese book and translate it into his notes.
"Your translations are pretty good", Shaun remarks, "Though the last one was incorrect".
Jason looks to Shaun, "What?".
"The word you want is 'dread'", Shaun tells him.
Shaun looks to the book again, "Right, you're totally right", before then correcting it in his notes, "The more ancient forms of the language ain't my strong suit. Thanks, Shaun, I-", only to see Shaun Li leaving.
After School
Jason and Pepper, with the latter leaning against the wall of the outside of Tomorrow Academy as she looks into her matching pink bag while Jason leans on his right hand against the same wall beside her.
"Who stays after class to debate with his history professor about history?", Jason asks Pepper, referring to Rhodey not being there, "I mean, come on".
"Rhodey loves history. Maybe he'll marry it. I don't know", Pepper jokes, causing Jason to snort, before Shaun passes by them, "Hey, there's Shaun", only for them to see him approach a white six-wheeled limo, "ooh, he's got a limo. And you don't. Jealous? Oh, you should come to school in two limos tomorrow".
"One, I do have a limo, I just don't like riding in them. And two, why would I travel anywhere with two limos?", Jason tells her before calling out, "Shaun", and rushing across the street to the limo as Shaun was about to get in.
Shaun stops and looks back to see Jason and pepper rushing over to him.
"Hey, thanks again for the help earlier", Jason says to him as he and Pepper stop before Shaun.
"No problem", Shaun shrugs.
Jason and Pepper briefly look to each other before Jason scratches his head, "And, uh, actually, I could use a lot more help when it come to ancient languages".
"I'm usually busy", Shaun remarks as he goes to get into the limo only for Jason to notice something coming from the sky.
"Look out!", he cries as he pulls Shaun away from the limo as a ball of energy collides with the limo and it explodes, leaving the teens to fall to the ground.
A black panel van then pulls up near them and men covered head to toe in black, showing no skin with three piece suits and a fedora with gloves, their face a black white mask with simple faces on them, while also caring high-tech guns.
Also steps out a more uniquely dressed man. He wore a primarily green and orange armor exoskeleton with some black accents on hi feet, hands, and shoulders. His helmet left a visor over his eyes, leaving his mouth area exposed like Batman or the Flash. There was four lenses over his eyes, making it seem like he had four eyes. Most prominently was an orange horn from his forehead, making him look like a uniforn man (Unicorn, Iron Man Armored Adventures).
The other men surround the teens as Unicorn steps before the three teens.
The teens soon see another man fly down to them in his own unique suit.
This suit was bluish-green and dark blue with some light yellow mixed in, cybernetic wings coming from his back that allowed him to fly. He had a similar helmet but the four lense were replaced with cyber eye designs, and the horn was replaced with two tri-fins where his ears would be. On his forearms with blades that jutted out with ports between them for a blast attack. All he needs was a bat symbol to look like a high-tech armored Batman. (Killer Shrike, Iron man Armored Adventures)
"Shaun Li, the Maggia would like a word with you about your stepfather", Killer Shrike points to Shaun, causing Jason and Pepper to look at the teen in question.
Rhodey was just leaving the school, while on the phone trying to call Jason, "Jay, it's me. Where'd you guys go?", only to stop as others were crowding around the sidewalk, "What the-?!", at seeing the destroyed limo and Pepper being pushed into the van, "Jay! Pepper!".
"Rhodey!", Pepper cries out to him, struggling not to be pushed into the van but fails as the doors are then shut and the van guns it outta their.
Rhodey tries to run after them but he is nowhere near fast enough as it turns a corner. He stops, out of breath before then knowing what he has to due and runs away from the scene of the kidnapping.
Evening, A Warehouse at the Docks
The teens were dropped before some crates in a warehouse by the goons, Pepper more roughly than the boys since she was the least compliant.
"Hey, watch it", she yells at them as she sits between the two captured with her., "You guys are in big trouble", crossing her arms in anger.
"Pepper", Jason says to quiet her while Shaun sits all chill like with his back against a crate.
"My dad, he's an FBI agent", she declares, "You don't know who you're messing with", leaving Jason to facepalm at her behavior in this situation.
"Pepper!", both Jason and Shaun loudly say to quiet her.
"What?!", she loudly asks Jason.
"Let's NOT antagonize the armed thugs, okay?", Jason tells her, referring to all the men with weapons around them.
Shaun glances over to the two men in power exosuits, while Jason quietly types onto his Starkpod.
"Give me that", a henchman says, taking Jason's Starkpod and inspects it.
"It's just an MP4 player", Jason lies, since the Starkpod wasn't streamlined to stores yet.
Killer Shrike appears before him, "Kid, you better shut up and cooperate if you want to get out of this without suffering too much", pointing to Jason in a threatening manner.
"You're supposed to say, "Get out of this alive", nimrod. Get it right", Pepper tells him as he and Jason looked to her with scowls, "And what kind of name is Killer Shrike anyway?".
Ignoring her, Jason asks them, "Who are you people? What do you want with Shaun?".
"Your buddy's dad is the head of the Tong", Killer Shrike reveals, gesturing to Shaun, "The Maggia's at war with the Tong. They're hitting our leaders, so we're hitting back".
Pepper then gets into Shaun's face in excited realization, "That's where I knew you from. the FBI suspected Xin Zhang was connected to the Chinese criminal underworld".
"What?", Jason asks in surprise, since he had went to see him this morning and Howard had done so previously.
"That's so awesome", Pepper remarks to Shaun.
Shaun angrily gets up off the crate and walks away but Pepper follows him so he stops.
"So how long has your father been a crime lord?", she asks him.
"What?", he looks to her, "My STEPfather is of no concern to me. As far as I know he is a businessman, an importer. He works with Museums, not criminals", denying any accusations, "What do you want?", he asks the crooks., "Money? My stepfather won't pay. This is the fifth time I've been kidnapped. He's more likely to sue".
"I hate kids", Unicorn grumbles in annoyance.
Jason looks to his Starkpod and quietly utters to himself, "Come on, Rhodey".
Jason's Secret Lab
Rhodey rushes into the lab and rushes over to the side console.
"Come on, come on", he utters as he activates the Armor Control Console from this morning, which lowers from the other side of the lab.
Rhodey rushes over and hops into the seat.
"Computer, lock on to Jason's pod signal and give me the coordinates", Rhodey commands.
"Sphere systems online", the computer states as a map shows on the main screen, "Searching", leaving Rhodey to wait.
Back at the Warehouse
Shaun was at his seat on the smaller crates with Jason while Pepper was leaning against the bigger crate next to Shaun. Jason glances around the room at the henchmen before Pepper speaks.
"We should try to escape", Pepper tells them with worry, "Shaun, you take the lead, since your father's a violent criminal and all".
"My STEPfather is not a criminal!", he yells, startling her.
"Shaun, relax", Jason says, "No one thinks your step-dad is a criminal".
"Except these criminals, oh, and the FBI", Pepper interjects.
Shaun sighs, "It's stepfather, he's not my dad", he says to Pepper, "Criminal on the other hand... I know all about the FBI's investigation and they came up with nothing".
"Easy, Shaun", Jason waves him down, "Everything's gonna be okay", causing Pepper and Shaun to look at each other in confusion, "I have trackers all over me and built into my Starkpod. The police, FBI, marines, someone's going to come help us".
The henchmen who took the Starkpod was tapping away on it, trying to get it to work.
"You're my hero, Jason", Pepper gushes as she sits next to him before taking his left arm into hers, "Oh, I hope it's the marines".
Shaun looks to Jason, "Why do you have a-?".
"You're not the only rich kid who's been kidnapped before", Jason tells him.
The goon with his Starkpod shakes it, trying to use it, before looking to Jason, "Can, uh- Can you get the game on this?".
Jason and Pepper glance to each other before Jason gets up and heads over to the henchman, "Dude, I can get anything on that", taking back from the henchman, "Music, TV, movies, you name it", almost going into a salesman pitch, "The pod uses remote control to have my computer at hoe give me anything I need a any location", he explains as he twists it open and takes a wireless earbud from it, all while activating the final part for the tracker for Rhodey.
Back at the Lab
"Gotcha!", Rhodey exclaims as they get the signal for Jason.
"Acquiring signal", the computer states.
"Whatever you need, coming up", Rhodey claims before the armor is sent auto launching towards the location.
"Remote control systems engaged", the computer informs Rhodey.
"Okay, now let's see if I've gotten any better at driving this thing", Rhodey says he takes control before spinning around as the armor flies at little wildly, "Nope!".
Back at the Warehouse
The henchman messes with the Starkpod as Jason explains, "It even gets my cable, which I have the ultimate bundle with all the channels", before a laser fires at them and knocks the Starkpod out of the henchman's hands and to the ground, mostly unharmed due to its materials and build.
Jason gets it up from the ground and turns to see who fired at it, only for Unicorn to grab his shoulder.
"Sit down!", he grunts as he throws Jason back to the crates, leaving him to land between Jason.
'So those suits also augment their strength, not just the flight and energy blasts', Jason thinks before looking to his Starkpod, "Well, this is a little problem", he says to the other teens, seeing the small screen in the center was cracked.
Back at the Lab
"Error, pod signal lost", the computer informs Rhodey, causing him to stop the armor's flight and having it hovering in the air.
"Well, that's a problem", Rhodey remarks at the situation.
Back at the Warehouse
The three teens sit in silence before Jason gazes to the two power suit wearing super goons.
Jason soon gets up from his seat and walks over to them, with Pepper rushing after him.
"I have to go to the bathroom", Jason tells them, "I mean, I really have to go".
"Too bad!", Killer Shrike tells him, believing it may be a lie.
"You should trust him on this", Pepper adds in, "He uses the bathroom a lot, like, seriously, all the time", causing Jason to chuckle in embarrassment, going along with Pepper's lie due to his leaving as Iron Man using that excuse before.
"There's no bathroom here, kid", Killer Shrike tells him
"What?", Pepper asks in confusion before saying, "There's one down that hall. Um, I can see it from here", pointing towards it causing the two to look to it, "Right there. No, the other door".
Killer Shrike looks to his partner, "Unicorn, take the kid to the bathroom".
"You've got to be kidding", Unicorn remarks.
"Ooh, ooh, I have to go to", Pepper remarks before she and Jason started walking towards the restroom.
"Whatever, just shut up", Unicorn gripes a he escorts them, with the others left guarding Shaun
Whooo-Whooo-Whooo-Who0o-Whooop!
A shrill ring sounds out from a slim radio on a lit desk which Killer Shrike retrieves.
"Shrike", Killer Shrike answers.
{"Zhang is not responding to our threats. We need to show him we are serious"}, a man's voice tells him, {"Eliminate the boy's friends"}.
"Yes, Count Nefaria", Killer Shrike accepts, looking towards where they went.
"Look, just shut up already", Unicorn almost begs in annoyance.
"Sorry", Jason tells him as they walk, "I'm just saying that much energy right by your brain can't be good. Do you get headaches?".
"I got two right now", Unicorn rubs his head from the annoyance, though it didn't do anything due to the helmet in the way, causing Jason and Pepper to briefly smile.
"There's no way you're not going to jail after this. You know that, right?", Pepper tells him, "Or worse. Seriously, if the cops don't get you, the Tong will", wall the while Jason was stealthily clutches his Starkpod.
Unicorn gets something on his comm, "Unicorn", he confirms and looks away from the teens, giving Jason the opportunity to show Pepper his tracker was working again.
Back in the Lab
"Pod signal reacquired", the computer informs Rhodey, causing him to smile
"Yes", he cheers as he pilots the armor to the warehouses.
Back at the Warehouse
"All those times I wanted us to hang out, this isn't exactly what I meant", Pepper quietly tells Jason.
Jason smiles and leans in close to her, "Let me guess, You think this is better".
Pepper smiles to him with her hands clasped together below her chin, "Yeah, way batter".
{"Orders came in from Nefaria"}, Shrike informs Unicorn through the comms, {"Eliminate the kids"}, causing Unicorn to smile.
"Punks, today is my lucky day", Unicorn turns to the teens, drawing fear.
"Hurting the others will gain the Maggia nothing", Shaun tells Killer Shrike.
"You should be less worried about them and more worried about yourself", Shrike responds.
"Hmph, that's funny", Shaun says in humor, "I was about to say the same to you".
Shrike flies into his face, "Shut your mouth, kid. Or you're next".
Shaun was about to fight back, only for the Iron Man armor to crash into the building and into some crates, drawing everyone's attention.
"What was-", Unicorn goes only to get drop kicked by Jason into some crates.
Jaso lands without problem before running, "Come on", as Pepper joins him, leaving Jason.
The lower goons were firing on the armor at it steps forward towards them, not even scratching the red and gold armor as the bullets ricochet into the crates near it.
Rhodey uses it's camera gaze to see all those in the area, mostly the henchman firing at the armo sans Shaun on the ground to avoid it.
"Where are you?", Rhodey says as he looks around, "Come one, Jay. Where are you?", before spotting him sneak around a corner with Pepper, "There", before a shot from Killer Shrike sent the empty armor flying back into some crates.
"Shaun", Jason says as he and Pepper run up to him and kneel down with him, "Shaun, take Pepper. Get her out of here".
"What?", Pepper asks indignantly, "What about you?".
He didn't get to answer as the Iron Man armor flies at Killer Shrike, only for him to fly up out of the way, leaving for it to tackle Jason away and into some more crates, leaving Shaun and Pepper to look on in horror.
Unicorn runs onto the scene of the battle.
"Was that- Was that Iron man?", he asks aloud, only to be met with a crate being thrown from the smoke cloud from where Jason was sent.
"Attention, criminals", Iron Man announces with a computer reverb to his voice as he flips out of the smoke before landing on one knee with his fist punching the ground, "You're toast" causing them to fire on him.
{"Nice, you really put the fear into them"}, Rhodey says to him, {"Oh, and Jay? Welcome back"}.
Iron Man fires Repulsor Beams from his palm outlets, leaving only the two power suit wielders.
He dodges some fire from Killer Shrike's laser blasts before flying into the air for some aerial combat with him. Iron Man chases him among the support beams and rafters, all the while Unicorn fires a red beam at him. Shrike flips back to fire some blasts from his wrist blasts but Iron Man dodged with no trouble and continues to fly after each other.
All the while Shaun and Pepper sneak away between gates. Shaun gazes to the doors and bug gate to see the henchman leave it for the battle with Iron Man. Shaun rushes over to leave while Pepper hides behind the crates gap to watch Iron Man, unaware that a henchman was approaching her.
She looks back to see the man about t attack her, only for him to be knocked out by Shaun with a pipe.
"Come on. We have to get outta here", Shaun says, helping her to her feet before running away for the doors.
Killer Shrike lands on the rafters and fires shots at Iron Man. Iron Man lands on the rafters with him and both prepare for close quarters combat, only for Unicorn to grab his leg from the crates he stood on to get in close and pulls him off. Unicorn picks him up by his head and holds it before his own before firing his laser directly at him, causing Iron Man to fly back fro, the force and lands on another crate in the warehouse.
{"Jason, are you okay?"}, Rhodey asks him.
"Yeah", Iron Man grunts as he gets back up, "It's just the first time fighting something my size that can fight back, and not giant robots or cannon fodder", before seeing Unicron before him, "Uh, oh", and his sent flying back again by Unicorn's laser horn.
Unicorn fires a long blast, keeping Iron Man in the wall before grabbing his helmet and lifting him up.
"I'm gonna use your head as a doorstop, Iron man", Unicorn threatens
"Now that's just mean", Iron Man remarks before firing his Unibeam and sending Unicorn flying back through some crates, "And dumb".
Unicorn lay against a now bent in steel beam. He tries to get up but just ends up laying down even more form the pain.
Iron Man looks up to the flying Killer Shrike. He fires on the knight, who activates his own flight and dodges the fire while heading straight for Killer Shrike, who was getting desperate with his laser blasts, only to get tackled before flying through a skylight.
Killer Shrike brings his fists in a hammer strike onto Iron Man before kneeing his head to get off him. He flies away and spins around to fire on Iron Man, but this led to him bumping his head on a bar of a water tower and then his back, leaving him flopping in the air, allowing Iron Man to grab hold of him again, grabbing his hands to keep those blasts aimed away from him.
Killer Shrike activates laser blades from the blasters and tries to cut at Iron Man, but couldn't break from the grip of the armor.
"What are you-?!", before Iron Man breaks the blasters, causing Shrike's flight to deactivate as well and he fell from the sky.
"Aaaah!", he scream as he fell and crashed into the warehouse.
"Wait, your blasters helper you fly two?", Iron Man asks in disbelief as he stayed afloat in the air via his jet boots, "That's a serious design flaw".
{"The police should be there any second now"}, Rhodey informs him, {"They've been getting calls ever since the shooting started"}.
"I've gotta get outta the armor and back down there with Pepper and Shaun before they suspect anything", Iron Man says to him.
{"I'll pilot the armor back"}, Rhodey says, {"After you say it. Say it"}.
Iron Man sighs, "Thank you for saving us all, Rhodey. You're my hero", saying it like a child being forced to.
{"That's right, I am"}, Rhodey smiles.
The police soon arrive before the warehouse, with many of the goons be escorted in handcuffs while one searches the area with his flashlight in the now pitch black warehouse.
Shaun and Pepper were near another squad car, with Pepper sitting int the passenger's seat with the door open as a officer questions them before leaving.
"Why haven't they found him?", Pepper asks Shaun in worry, "Killer Shirke and Unicorn both got away, and they haven't found Jason. What if they-?".
"Pepper", Shaun cuts her off, "He's gonna be fine", he tells her in comfort.
"Yeah", Jason agrees, now standing before them, "But next time, I want to be rescued by Cotton Ball Man", cracking his back, "Iron hurts", referring to his armor tackling him, before Pepper rushes to him and hugs him.
"Shaun saved me, after you got saved", Pepper tells him, "Which is after you saved me before, ou know, by the bathroom.", she rambles on before Jason hugs her back before looking to Shaun.
"Thanks", Jason tells him.
"Don't worry about it", Shaun waves off as he steps forward to the duo, "I-I'm sorry you two got pulled into this".
"Hey, us high-profile rich kids have to stick together", Jason sas, holding his hand out and shaking Shaun's own.
Later, at the Rhode's Home
"Seriously, I know you're busy helping out with your stepfather's company while he's gone", Jason says on his phone to Shaun, having just recovered from his mother's assault to check for injuries, "It's okay. Research on the rings can wait".
{"I can make time for the research"}, Shaun responds, {"It's the least I can do"}.
"Awesome. I'll see you tomorrow", Jason tells him
Within the Mandarin Hideout
"Count on it", Shaun tells him before hanging up as he then sneaks around and finds his stepfather that had left him to fend for himself.
"...tell me more about your boss", Mandarin says to the captured Unicorn and Killer Shrike, hangin from metal crucifixes from the ceiling.
Chapter End
AN: based on Iron Man Armored Adventures "Secrets and Lies"
I'll be calling Shang-Chi by his alias, Shaun Li, until he becomes a hero and uses more of his skills.
I also made some changed to make the armor inherently better than the power exoskeletons that Killer Shrike and Unicorn wear, like the fact the former didn't cut into the armor with the laser blades, to make it more sought after.
Jason only has a basic computer program right now for his work, but he'll be working on an AI later.