Running Blind (Avengers Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

Tony Stark loved having an audience. He loved being loud, and vibrant and saying all the things people usually wished they could, but couldn't. He loved being able to say whatever was on his mind without consequence. Tony knew he owed that kind of luxury to his wealth, to people not wanting to get on his bad side because they were afraid he'd fire them. In many cases, Tony Stark really just loved to hear himself talk.

Today was different. Today there were actually too many words in his head for him to even speak a coherent thought, and so he chose to say nothing. To many it was strange, but today as he sat on an airplane to Vienna, there was one person bold enough to point out the behavior.

"Something happened last night, didn't it?" Natasha asked from her spot where she sat across from the man. It was still strange to him that she was taking his side on this one, but he didn't question it much, figuring he could use all the support he could get. "With Sparrow."

"Sparrow?" Rhodey asked from his spot beside Tony. He looked from Natasha to the man with a quirked brow. "Wait, I know this." he turned away in thought. "Katie!" Rhodes said proudly, before turning to the bored look of Natasha who just shook her head. "Sorry, sometimes there are too many code names to remember." Both he and Natasha turned back to Tony, who kept his eyes out the window.

"I knew her going away would change something, but I didn't think it would change her." Tony said, not even turning to him.

"She seemed the same to me." Rhodes said turning to Natasha who rolled her eyes.

"It's because she was the same annoying, big mouthed, smart person anyone has ever seen." Natasha replied glancing over to Tony. "What happened the last time you saw her?"

"It doesn't matter." Tony said waving the woman off.

"It kind of does, because I just got a text from Barton." Natasha said and Tony finally met her eyes. "Guess who hasn't returned to old Mc Donald's farm?" Tony let out a huff before unbuckling his seat belt and storming toward the back of the plane.

"Where are you going?!" Rhodes called after him, but the man didn't say a word. Rhodes turned to Natasha who shook her head before looking down to her phone. "Is this something we should be worried about?"

"When it comes to her, we should always be worried." Natasha replied before unbuckling her own seat belt and walking away as well leaving Rhodes alone wondering if he too needed to make a couple of phone calls.

Tony stalks to the back of the plane, closing the door behind him so he's all alone. He drops in a seat, that spins around as a holo computer appears.

"FRIDAY, give me a location of Katie's bracelet." Tony ordered.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that."

"And why the hell-" Tony stopped and dropped his head letting out a deep sigh. "When did she override your program?" Tony shook his head. "You know what it doesn't matter, because we planned for this. Run the counter attack function."

"I can't do that either Tony."

Tony stopped and stared blankly at the screen before reaching forward and bringing up FRIDAY's internal code and he let out a snort.

"She found it." he muttered with a shake of his head. "Of course she found it, she wouldn't be my kitten-" he let out a sigh as he remembers their last conversation. "Do you have surveillance of Katie before she left the facility."

"It's been erased."

"Fuck!" Tony snapped before standing to his feet trying to rack his brain. "So right now we don't know if she is no where to be found because she's being held against her will or if she's ghost because she wants to be." Tony stopped because he wasn't sure which one he wanted to be true. He walked over and typed in a string of code to reboot FRIDAY's system and hopefully give him control again.