Starting Over - Loki (COMPLETE)

21) Finding Tony

Rhodey was worried. They hadn't heard from Alden in days. To grieve in solitary confinement was perfectly understandable - Rhodey understood this - but to stand by when another friend was missing? Alden had to know that he was their only way to find Tony. Out of everyone Rhodey knew, and possibly on earth, Alden alone had an intellect which could match Tony Stark's.

He decided to go to Malibu and convince Alden himself. Jarvis, he was sure, would let him in. He wanted to do what was best for Tony and Tony was Jarvis' creator.

"Jarvis!" He called on the front porch, feeling a little foolish.

"Colonel Rhodes," came the AI's cool British voice almost instantly.

For once, the AI almost sounded... dispassionate.

Rhodey knew Tony had made a high-functioning AI capable of independent thought but of independent emotion? That was when you ended up with an AI hungry for mass destructive. He shuddered at the thought.

"Please let me in," he pleaded. "I have to see Alden."

"Sir is in no fit state to be seen."

It was interesting how Jarvis had adopted Alden almost as a second master. Rhodey found such loyalty touching and decided that, if Jarvis had been a human, he would have liked him very much.

"Alden is the only one who can save Tony. The only one who can save your master."

"I understand perfectly," came the cool voice again. "However, I am not sure Mr Walker will be of much use to you."

Rhodey felt vaguely helpless. 

"I need whatever help I can get," he admitted. "I don't care how much of a mess Alden is, how comatose he is - I need his help to get Tony back. And," he felt like crying, "I need a friend right now. In whatever form that friend takes."

The door clicked open.

*

The house felt cold and eerie, even to Rhodey's paranoid self. Tony left places filled with joy and happiness but Malibu seemed to know he was missing.

"Where is Alden, Jarvis?"

"In his bedroom."

Quietly, Rhodey made his way to Alden's bedroom, unsure of whether he was going to find the man sobbing. What he found, however, was far worse. Alden was staring listlessly at the plain white walls. His eyes were empty, his hands curled into fists.

"Alden?" He whispered. "Alden, it's me, Rhodey."

"I killed him, Rhodey," Alden breathed, eyes frozen in place and mouth barely moving. "Why wasn't I there?"

"There was nothing you could have done," Rhodey replied, frowning slightly.

"Then why do I feel guilty?"

Alden turned to face Rhodey and Rhodey felt the younger man's pain. He felt the screaming agony, the burning grief. There was no way Rhodey was going to let Alden go without grieving the death of his friend but that time wasn't now. There was still hope for Tony.

"Please, Alden," he said, heartbroken. "I know it's hard, fighting the urge to just do nothing and regret everything but, somewhere out there, Tony is afraid and maybe even hurt. If there is anything that can be done for him, we need to do it now rather than later. Now he still has a chance. Later... There's no way of knowing."

The other man stared at him for a few moments then blinked and rolled over to stare up at the ceiling. Rhodey almost thought that was it, that he'd given up. But Rhodey had got Tony through the death of his parents at the precious age of twenty-one so he sure as hell could get Alden through this. However, before he said any more, Alden spoke.

"Give me an hour," he croaked, with a voice full of a confidence that seemed to be from so long ago. "An hour and I'll have found him. Give me an hour."

And an hour later, when Rhodey was sitting on the sofa, jittery with nerves, Alden returned.

"I've found him."

The words were short and sweet but it was all Rhodey needed.

He exhaled, tension leaving him.

"Thank you," he replied.

"It isn't me you should be thanking," answered the other.

But, after all, who else could he thank?

*

Mere hours later they were in the air. Rhodey had, this time, commandeered a plane and the help of Romanoff and her partner Clint Barton who had been perfectly happy to fly and avoid the small talk outside the cockpit.

Coming with them, no matter how useless, was Alden. The man hadn't regained any strength but there was a certain tenacity in those blank eyes that screamed to be included, to bring his friend home. A part of Rhodey couldn't blame him. The man had lost two of his friends and one of them permanently in the space of just a day. Alden had no military training; he couldn't, as a civilian, be expected to simply bounce back and be okay with all that had happened.

Rhodey had tried to insist that he was a civilian but Alden had pointed out, with a hint of his old resolve, that Tony, too, was a civilian. Angered by this, Rhodey had let the man tag along but he wasn't happy about it.

When they picked Tony up, there were tears and hugs. Rhodey picked Tony, who now seemed so small, off the ground and held him close.

"What have they done to you?" He asked, trying to ignore the gaping hole in the middle of his friend's chest and the car battery by his side.

Tony shook his head.

"Let's just go home."

And he looked at Alden. Rhodey didn't see it but Tony saw the way Alden seemed to fall apart, just a little bit. He saw the unbidden tears cling to the corner of the man's eyes. He felt the raw anguish reflected inside him. And he understood, although Rhodey didn't, why Alden couldn't bear to hug him too.

*****

A.N. As a warning, perhaps don't look at the contents page. My chapter headings are all simple and give away plot points so yeah... Perhaps not.

And they've found Tony! Maybe there is hope after all. :)

Thank you for reading!