Hammer's Payback - Iron Man Fan Fiction (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Chapter 6

Somewhere in the haze of sleep, Tony heard the phone indicator chime, but he couldn't quite wake up enough to answer it. JARVIS would take a message.

"Sir, Miss Potts is calling," JARVIS said.

"Uh huh," Tony mumbled incoherently.

"Sir, you asked her number to be put on priority. If you wish to disregard—"

You must give the override code. He had programmed the AI so he would have to be awake and sober enough to refuse on purpose. He glanced at the clock. 3:35 AM. Pepper was always good about remembering the time difference. She wouldn't call if it wasn't important. He propped up on an elbow. "Answer call, JARVIS." He didn't have to use a receiver as there were microphones and computer terminals all over his house to relay calls.

"Boss, it's me," said a voice that was clearly not Pepper.

"Happy, do you have any idea what time it is?" he groaned, letting his head flop back down on the pillow.

"Pepper called me twenty minutes ago to say she was on her way down. I waited in the garage with the engine running. She never arrived. I found her phone next to the elevator on the eighteenth floor. She wouldn't answer her door, so I broke it down to check on her. She wasn't there. I don't like this. Something's wrong. Thought you'd want to know."

Tony bolted upright. "Have you called the police yet?"

"That would be my next call after Iron Man." The smirk was detectable without needing a visual. Happy never quite caught on to using the video call function. He had used voice-only.

"Good thinking, Hap. But hold off on that a couple hours. I can be there in ninety-seven minutes." Tony leapt from the bed and yanked on the dresser pull of his shirt drawer.

"I can't just not call the cops! She's been mugged or something!"

"Do you have any evidence of that? If anyone is around, ask if they heard a scream or saw anything suspicious. Otherwise, it's just a missing persons report and they'll make you wait 24 hours anyway."

"So if I find someone who heard a scream, then I can call the cops?" Happy was not the kind to sit around for 24 hours and wait patiently.

Tony didn't like to wait either, which was why he would be blasting out of here as soon as he got some clothes on and made it down to the Mark V. The ex-boxer was fiercely loyal to him, as evidenced by the fact he called. But if it ever came down to it, he'd probably choose Pepper over him, which was why Tony approved of Happy being her driver/bodyguard in the first place. However, chances were, it would take a while for Happy to find a witness, if one could be found at all, and then it would take the NYPD a while to send out an investigator. Tony could still beat them. Much as he wanted to be first on the scene, he wasn't going to ask Happy to hold back. "Yeah, go ahead. But don't let anyone else into her apartment. I'm on my way."

"Ninety-seven minutes. I'm holding you to that."

Tony disconnected the call. It wasn't like he planned to stop at Starbucks along the way, but sheesh. It would take at least five and a half hours by jet and there could be storms and headwinds and all kinds of things in his way. He wanted to be there in thirty seconds, but he had to live with what was possible, not what he wanted. But it was no use taking out frustrations on Happy. He was worried about Pepper, just as he was. Tony hurriedly threw a shirt over his head and pulled on a pair of pants.

"JARVIS, call Bambi at SI and have Pepper put on sick leave. Cancel all her appointments. We don't need anyone else getting suspicious."

"Yes, sir."