The Birth of Ironman
Chapter 7
6 Months go by as Tony, Pepper, Gohan, and Goten adjust to their situation.
Over that time, Tony was precariously balancing on a razors edge.
Working with Gohan to figure out how to reopen the portal to the boys' original home while simultaneously keeping up with his SI projects.
Giving Gohan the promised pop-culture crash course while having JARVIS bring the boy up to speed on the history of this Earth to better blend in.
Trying to keep up appearances with the media and Obadiah, so far succeeding in keeping the boys out of the paparazzi's sight.
As the time passed, Tony grew frustrated at the roadblocks he's hit on the portal problem, but he was growing even more reluctant to actually solve it.
He kept finding himself looking forward to movie nights with Pepper and the boys.
He was consistently blown away by the amazing technologies from Gohan's home the boy was introducing him to.
He even got a kick out of the martial arts training Gohan insisted on giving the man, wanting him to be prepared if Obadiah's intentions turn violent.
But he was especially loving just hanging out with Gohan and Goten, pulling the tween out of his shell bit by bit with the occasional exchange of banter, (there's a snarky little shit in there and Tony loves seeing him go) watching the baby grow, fascinated at how much faster he was developing compared to a normal baby; already walking, sometimes talking, and –on one near heart attack inducing occasion– floating.
Tony realizes that he's starting to view Gohan and Goten as his own, and while grateful to the boys for revealing the truth about Obadiah, he knows that they and Pepper are the main contributors to why he hasn't fallen into a depression over Obi's betrayal similar to the one he went through when his parents died.
He wonders how he'll fare if and when the time comes to send them back.
What Tony hasn't realized yet was that Gohan was also becoming more and more reluctant to go back home; loving the time he spent with Tony, Pepper, Happy, and –once they met– Rhodey.
Amazed by this Earth's forms of entertainment, particularly the cartoons and movies that had Goten smiling the entire time they played on screen.
He thoroughly enjoyed learning how different this Earth was compared to his own.
From the music, some wild and erratic, some calm and soothing. After having an especially bad nightmare, he'd always watch the video JARVIS recorded of Tony trying to teach Goten to dance after he saw the baby sway and jump to some pop song playing as he and Pepper are laughing in the background for a smile.
He was enraptured by this Earth's geography, it's multiple continents, and the differing cultures within them.
Though Gohan misses Piccolo, Krillin, Dende, Bulma, and the rest of his friends, he knows even with his Grandfather's revivial, (if Grandpa Ox decided to come back at all) he'd be so busy with the responsibilities of his kingdom, he wouldn't really have time for him and Goten if they actually made it back home.
So there will basically be no family waiting for him to return, and after half a year, Gohan has begun to view Tony and Pepper as family, especially after how much effort they put into celebrating his birthday when it came around, how kind they've been to him and Goten, and not to mention how much Goten absolutely loves them.
Gohan is beginning to wonder if it's even still worth trying to go back to the vacant house on Mount Paozu when he's feeling like this new world is his home with every passing day.
Then the day comes when Tony has to leave for the Jericho demonstration.
‐Stark Malibu Home‐
Tony carries his luggage to the door then turns to Pepper and the boys to say his goodbyes.
"Welp, the day of reckoning is upon us." He quips, hoping to keep the mood light.
"Tony, be serious." Perper scolds. "This presentation is very important, for more than one reason."
"I know, Pep, I know." Tony flippantly replies.
"Please stay on guard, Tony." Gohan pleads. "Obadiah has been flying under the radar so far, but he might use this as an opportunity to try something."
Tony ruffles Gohan's hair. "Don't worry, Kiddo. I'll be careful, I promise. Besides, if he tries anything, I'll have some kick-ass skills to fall back on, courtesy of you."
"Tony!" Pepper chides.
Tony winces. "Sorry, Pepper-pot. JARVIS, what's that put the 'Swear Jar' total up to?"
"$10,000, Sir, I must say I'm surprised at how low it is." JARVIS cheekily answers.
"I'm hurt, JARVIS, really, give me some credit." Tony banters.
"Ki-kik-ahhs." Goten mumbles.
Pepper sighs at Goten's attempt at cursing. "See what you've started."
Tony and Gohan glance at each other and burst into laughter.
They both promptly snap their mouths shut when Pepper levels a glare at them.
Getting back on topic, Gohan asks, "Are you sure I can't come with you? You've made great progress considering how stretched thin you've been lately, but it wouldn't hurt to have back-up."
Tony surprises Gohan (and himself) by pulling the boy into a hug. "I'm sure, Gohan, I'll be ok. You've already spent more than your fair share on the front lines. Let me handle this. Besides, if worse comes to worse, even though I'm not great at it yet, I'll flare up my Ki to let you know something's wrong, ok?"
Gohan shifts Goten to one arm and hugs Tony back. "Ok, I understand, but if something does happen, don't hesitate to call me, ok?"
Tony pats Gohan's back. "I promise, Squirt."
Tony crouches down to Goten's eye level. "I'll see you later, Monkey? Hold down the fort, no wild parties, and take care of your brother and Pep for me will ya?"
"Ya!" Goten grabs Tony's nose and squeezes.
"Ahh! Ahh! Ok, Monkey, ok. You drive a hard bargain, I'll overlook any wild parties this once. Just release the merchandise, alright?" Tony begs in a nasally voice.
"Ya!" Goten shouts again, releasing his grip.
Tony glances up at Gohan and Pepper, both –very poorly– attempting to contain their laughter.
"Go on, let it out. But I'm telling you, this little guy is a hell of a negotiator." Tony defends as he straightens back up.
Gohan starts laughing again while Pepper sighs in exasperation. "Tony!" but she has a smile on her face, willing to indulge him since Tony's just trying to cheer Gohan up.
"$10,100 now, Sir." JARVIS informs.
"Uh-oh, I'd better head out now, before I rack my total up any higher." Tony winks at Pepper as he opens the door and heads out. "Later, everybody."
Still chuckling a bit, Gohan waves. "See you soon, Tony. Say bye-bye to Tony, Goten."
"Bye-bye Dada!" Goten shouts, startling everyone.
Tony blue screens for a few seconds, shoots the boys and Pepper a forced smile, then rushes to his car and speeds to the airport.
Tony is so lost in thought, he doesn't fully reboot until he hears Rhodey calling his name. "Tones, you in there?"
Tony startles a bit and shakes his head. "Yeah...yeah, what's up, Rhodey?"
"I should be asking you that, you've been like a zombie the whole flight. Did something happen?"
Tony avoids meeting Rhodey's worried stare. "It's the little guy. Right before I left, he called me...'Dada'."
Rhodey instantly relaxes back into his seat and smirks. "Ahhh, so it finally happened."
"Rhodey! This is serious!" Tony whines.
"Yeah, I agree, you can finally stop pretending those boys aren't yours and just officially adopt them already." Rhodey casually shoots back.
"Come on, Platypus, you know I'm not cut out to be a father." Tony says like he's stating the obvious.
He is promptly slapped on the back of his head.
Tony levels his friend with a glare, but before he can attempt to argue his point, Rhodey says, "Tony, you are not going to seriously sit there and say that you don't adore those boys, and before you try to argue it, I was there for Gohan's birthday party, plus he showed me you and Goten's 'rocking out' video-"
"That little traitor!" Tony interrupts, receiving another smack to the head.
"And those boys adore you just as much, man, so just make it official." Rhodey finishes. "Or as official as you can with kids from another planet."
"Honestly, Honey Bear, I do like having them around. Even though he's only 12, Gohan is smart enough to keep up with my tech talk, sometimes he even helps me workshop ideas, and he a has such a good heart despite all the shit he's lived through. And Goten is always fun, even when Pepper has me on 'toxic waste disposal' duty. The little monkey can light up a room with a single smile. They're great kids and deserve the best, I just don't think I can give them what they need."
Tony thought he expertly stated his case, but gets smacked for a third time.
"Rhodey! Stop smacking me!" Tony demands.
"I will once you stop being stupid." Rhodey retorts.
Tony directs another glare at his friend, but then lets a small smile slip. "Alright, I'll give it some thought. Just go easy on my head, I kind of need it."
Rhodey hums in approval. "Good."
Any further thoughts or discussion on this particularly sensitive subject will have to wait now that their destination is in sight.
Tony puts his sunglasses on. "Well, I guess it's showtime."
-Back in Malibu-
Gohan's sat on the living room couch, watching Goten happily playing with various toys on the floor in front of him.
'I can't believe Goten called Tony 'Dada'. Though I guess he and Pepper have been the only parental figures Goten's known, and sometimes I can't help seeing them that way myself. But-No! I can't waste time worrying about this, I need to concentrate on Tony's Ki signature to make sure he's not in danger.'
Pepper steps into the room and spots Gohan with a bleak look on his face.
She walks over to the boy and places a hand on his shoulder, surprised when he jumps. Apparently he hadn't noticed her approach.
"Gohan, are you ok?" She asks. "Something on your mind?"
Gohan looks up at her. "Not much more than usual, Pepper, I'll be fine."
He tries to force a reassuring smile, but she doesn't buy it for a second.
Pepper has a strong hunch about what's got him like this, so she sits down next to him and wraps an arm around his shoulders. "You know what Goten called Tony may have caught him off guard, but I know he's really touched Goten sees him like that, and he would feel the same way if you did too, Gohan."
"I know, I just feel like it's a betrayal to our mom and dad back home that Goten and I are coming to think of you and Tony as our parents." Gohan laments. "Besides, if we're able to open a portal to our original Earth, we'll have to say goodbye, and the longer it takes, the more I'm wondering if it's even worth it."
With tears threatening to fall from his eyes, Gohan asks Pepper, "What does it say about me that after only 6 months with you guys, I feel more at home here than I ever did where me and Goten were born?"
Pepper pulls the boy into a hug and tells him, "Gohan, I know you love Goku and Chi-Chi, and I'm sure they love you too. But they were also irresponsible, reckless with your safety and well being, and abandoned you to take care of a baby all on your own. That was very selfish of them. So it's understandable that you're second guessing going back to an empty home even with all the friends you love and miss nearby. What it says about you is that you're reluctant to leave a place where you can be the kid you are, and your little brother can grow up with the family you both deserve. You're finally starting to think about what you want for yourself, instead of what everyone else wants."
With his lips quivering, Gohan brokenly asks, "But doesn't that mean I'm being selfish? Dad entrusted me with our Earth's safety. I'm the strongest now, don't I have a duty to protect the world I was born in since I have the power to do so?"
Pepper plants a kiss on the crown of Gohan's head and gives him the best answer she can think of. "Yes, you do have the power to protect the world, and times may come where you have to use it. But no one has the right to drop the weight and fate of the entire world on one person, especially not on a child. People need to work together to protect and better the world, it's not a job for one person alone. If you want to protect and help people that's fine, but it's your choice. If you want to stay here, that's your choice too. Tony and I would love for you to stay, but if you want to go back to your old home we won't stand in your way. It's all your choice, Sweetheart, and we will support whatever you choose. It's not selfish to decide for yourself what you want to do with your life."
A few tears finally slip free. Gohan quickly wipes his face with his arm. "Thanks, Pepper."
Pepper hugs him again. "Of course, Sweetheart."
While his face was tucked in the crook of Pepper's neck, something starts lightly tapping on his leg. He lifts his head and finds Goten staring up at him.
"Hey, Goten, what's up?" Gohan asks.
"Buh..Bubba sad?" Goten asks back.
A little taken aback, Gohan laughs, picks Goten up, and sets him on his lap. "Don't worry, Goten, I just had a bit on my mind, I'm ok now."
Goten blinks at him, looks over at Pepper, then back at Gohan. "Mama hep Bubba?"
Pepper gasps then looks at Gohan as if asking something. Gohan smiles and nods at her, then tells Goten, "Yeah, Goten, Mama helped Bubba."
A few tears of her own fall from Pepper's eyes and she pulls both boys into another hug.
Just when Gohan's feeling at peace, Tony's Ki signature suddenly spikes.
Worry flashes across Gohan and Goten faces, and Goten shouts, "Bubba! Dada nee hep!"
Pepper gasps again and asks, "Gohan, is Tony in trouble?!"
"Yeah, I think so. He feels anxious and hurt!"
Gohan looks up to the ceiling and says, "JARVIS, please get the capsules ready!"
"Right away, Young Sir Gohan." JARVIS replies.
Gohan shifts Goten to Pepper's lap and makes a beeline down to Tony's lab.
"Gohan, wait!" Pepper shouts.
She chases after the boy with Goten in her arms.
When she enters the lab, Peppers finds Gohan changing into an outfit resembling the ones he wore during his fights in his memory playbacks. Though the undershirt, wristbands, belt, and boots are black, and the overshirt and pants are dark green.
"Gohan, what's all this?"
"When training Tony, I used a technique Piccolo taught me to materialize clothes for us to use. When Tony prepared for this trip, he sewed in a few micro chips in this outfit that will make me invisible to all radars and satellites, so if he needed backup I could come to help without worrying about being spotted."
Gohan grabs a couple of capsules and stores some food, water, and first aid kits inside them, then slips them into his pocket.
Next he grabs an orange outlined, black lensed, pair of sunglasses, puts them on, pushes a small button on the top right of them, and they fold out, turning into a visor circled around Gohan's head as well as covering his eyes and ears.
When Pepper looks at Gohan questioningly again, he explains, "Tony was curious about Bulma's capsule technology, so I explained how they worked and we were able to replicate them. I had some set aside for an emergency like this. Tony also made this visor to keep my face hidden, and keep me in contact with JARVIS so he can help me navigate around outside."
Pepper hesitantly smiles and asks, "Tony really thought of everything didn't he?"
Gohan gives his own sad smile. "Pretty much, I just wish he would have let me come with him so this wouldn't be necessary."
Goten asks Gohan, "Bubba hep Dada?"
Gohan's smile becomes more genuine as he walks over to Pepper and his brother. He ruffles Goten's hair. "Don't worry, Squirt, Bubba is gonna go get Dada and bring him home, I promise."
Goten giggles and Pepper tells Gohan, "Please be careful."
"I will, I'll be back with Tony in no time." Gohan promises as a hole in the ceiling opens up. He turns Super Saiyan and blasts off through it.
-Elsewhere-
Riding in the humvee, the gunfire, and all the poor, brave, young soldiers with him being picked off one by one. It all plays out over and over in a hellish loop.
On impulse, he'd grabbed one of the fallen soldiers weapons and took cover behind a big rock while flaring up his Ki to hopefully alert Gohan to his distress.
Tony was so concentrated on that task, he didn't notice one of his own company's weapons had landed right next to him until it was too late to gain enough distance to avoid the blast.
Since then he's been in an out of consciousness while several different voices are yelling in a language he doesn't understand.
When he finally regains some movement, he looks down and sees the hole in his chest with wires coming out of it connected to a car battery.
"NO!" Tony screams as he shoots up from the filthy cot he was laid out on.
"Hey, easy, easy. You need to stay still." A nearby voice tells Tony.
Tony's eyes dart around the area until he spots a man in the room with him. "Who are you? Where are we?"
"My name is Ho Yinsen." The stranger answers. "I'm the man who saved your life, Mr. Stark. As to where we are, we're imprisoned in a cave by a group calling themselves the 'Ten Rings'."
"So you put this thing in my chest?" Tony accuses.
"That 'thing' is an electro magnet keeping the shrapnel from your company's bomb in place so they don't peirce your heart and kill you." Yinsen explains. "You're welcome, though you may soon wish I had let you die."
"Well, thanks...I guess. It's preferable to death I suppose, but what do these 'Ten Rings' bastards want with us?"
Before Yinsen can answer, a group of armed men barge into the room.
One of them approaches Tony and Yinsen and says something to them, but Tony is unable to understand the language he's speaking.
Tony shrugs. "Sorry, man, I didn't get any of that."
"Apologies, Mr. Stark, I was just saying welcome, and that I hope our accommodations are to your liking." The man says, switching to english.
"Well I hate to sound rude, but I'd have to give the decor and service zero stars, so if you don't mind, I'd like to check out and head home."
"Sorry, Mr. Stark, but I'm going to have to insist you stay, though I will show you the 'resort' outside." The man shoots back.
He raises a hand and the men behind him point their weapons at Tony and Yinsen, then lead them outside the cave, where they see dozens of other men, tents, and to Tony's horror, many crates of Stark Industries weapons.
"That's a lot of my weapons you got here." Tony states, wondering how the hell these people got their hands on them.
"Yes, they were, how you say 'on sale'. They will be at your disposal while you work." The man explains as he and his armed entourage escort Tony and Yinsen back into the cave.
"Work? What do you mean by that?" Tony asks.
"Well you see, we would like for you to make us the weapon you demonstrated earlier today, the 'Jericho' you call it? So if you don't mind, please get started." The man calmly orders.
"Just do what he says for now, Mr. Stark, it'll spare you some pain if you comply." Yinsen informs Tony.
Tony briefly ponders over that advice, and immediately disregards it. "No."
Without another word, Tony is dragged into another room in the cave and has his head dunked and held down in a bucket of water over and over all while he has to keep the car battery from getting wet so he's not electrocuted.
After enduring this for what feels like hours, Tony is dragged back to the room with Yinsen and is locked in with him.
"It would do you good to not be so stubborn in the future, Mr. Stark." Yinsen advises as he helps Tony back to his feet.
Filled with determination, Tony simply says, "Let's get to work."
-The Ambush Site-
Gohan lands when he finds the military vehicles and bodies of the soldiers.
He looks around, distraught at the sight in front of him.
"These poor people. They didn't deserve this. I hope you're ok, Tony." Gohan mutters to himself as he looks around.
"JARVIS, this is where I last sensed Tony, can you scan the area to see which way he might have been taken?" Gohan asks.
"Right away, Young Sir Gohan." JARVIS answers.
A blue lights emits from Gohan's visor and envelops the area around him.
After a few minutes, the blue light vanishes and JARVIS gives Gohan the bad news. "Unfortunately, Young Sir, I cannot confirm where Sir was taken. These assailants were very thorough in covering their tracks."
"I guess we have no choice, I'll have to check every area where I can sense life until we find him."
'I'm gonna save you, Dad, just hang in there.'
Realizing what he just referred to Tony as, Gohan shakes his head, and flies off in search of life.
-Ten Rings' Hideout-
It was a total rush job, but Tony had cobbled together a miniature Arc Reactor to better power the electromagnet keeping the shrapnel in his chest in place, and was now working with Yinsen on a suit of armor to help them escape while pretending they were building the Jericho their captors wanted.
"How about we take a break, Mr. Stark?" Yinsen suggests.
Tony nods. "Sure."
They grab some of the gruel left out for them and eat in silence until Yinsen decides to ask, "Do you have a family, Mr. Stark?"
"You can just call me Tony...and well, they aren't my blood, but I do have some people important to me."
"Tell me about them." Yinsen requests.
Welcoming the distraction, Tony isn't as hesitant as he'd normally be and opens up. "Well there are my friends, Rhodey, and Happy, they always look out for me when I'm in over my head. There's Pepper, my dutiful, beautiful P.A, who keeps me and my company standing. Then there are these two boys who've been staying with me for the past six months."
"You adopted two boys?" Yinsen asks.
"Not exactly." Tony clarifies. "You see, there were some extreme, extenuating circumstances, which kind of literally dropped them on my door step."
"But you see them as your own." Yinsen states with certainty.
"Yeah, I guess I do." Tony confirms with a smile, thinking about his friends and the boys.
"What are your boys like?" Yinsen asks.
"Well, the oldest, Gohan, just recently turned 12. He has a brilliant mind, and a huge heart. He's been through Hell similar to our current predicament, but he's still so innocent, and always puts others before himself. Then there's the little guy, Goten. He's about 8 months old. He's a hyperactive, little monkey, but pretty alert and observant. Very advanced for his age. He's always able to light up a room with a single smile."
"It sounds like there are a lot of people waiting for you, Tony. We'll have to make sure you get back to them safe and sound." Yinsen declares.
"What about you?" Tony asks. "Do you have any family?"
"Yes, I have a family." Yinsen calmly answers.
Tony stands up, ready to get back to it. "Welp, we'll make sure you get back to them too."
"Yes, that's the plan." Yinsen replies as he stands up to help Tony.
-Out in the Desert-
Gohan scours the sandy terrain, following any Ki signatures he can sense.
He comes across what appears to be a base camp. There are dozens of men surrounding a cave in the center of the area.
As he assesses the situation he notices the crates full of weapons with the Stark Industries logo on the side.
"JARVIS, can you check to see if those are actually Stark Industries weapons?" Gohan asks.
"Right away, Young Sir." JARVIS says.
Gohan watches in fascination as JARVIS uses his visor to zoom in on the crates and examine the specs of the weapons that appear in his line of sight.
Gohan's mood drops when JARVIS confirms, "Unfortunately, Young Sir, these are Stark Industries weapons."
"But how could these people get their hands on them? Tony's made sure his company's weapons are strictly controlled."
"Well, Young Sir, there have been rumors as of late about Stark Industries selling their weapons under the table to the highest bidder regardless of affiliation."
"Tony would never do that, so the only one who could would be..." Gohan leaves unfinished, knowing JARVIS understands.
"My thoughts exactly, Young Sir." JARVIS replies.
"That dirty-" Gohan nearly yells before he's interrupted by gunfire and explosions erupting from the cave.
He watches the men outside storm the cave with weapons drawn.
Gohan finally locks onto Tony's Ki signature. He's in the cave, hurt and anxious, but still alive.
"I'm coming, Dad, don't worry." Gohan declares as he jumps into action.
-Inside the Cave-
Tony was devastated, Yinsen was dying and there was nothing he could do to save him.
"Why didn't you follow the plan?" Tony asks his new friend. "We had a plan."
"This was always the plan, Tony." Yinsen tells him.
"But what about your family?" Tony asks, wondering what Yinsen could be thinking.
"They're dead, Tony. They were killed by the Ten Rings along with the rest of the people from my village. This is the only way I can be with them again."
Horror and rage nearly consume Tony, this is his fault. The Ten Rings had more than likely used his company's weapons to murder all of those innocent people.
Yinsen smiles up at Tony. "Don't waste your life, Tony, go be with your family, I'm going to join mine now."
Tony helplessly watches the life leave the man's eyes as he takes his last breath.
Tony feels some bullets bounce off his armor, and he turns to see a couple of men shooting at him.
"MY TURN!" Tony growls, pushing his grief down to be dealt with later and unleashes his rage on the obstacles in front of him as he proceeds to fight his way through all the men blocking his path.
When he gets outside, he's surprised to find most of the Ten Rings members outside already on the ground, and a familiar figure effortlessly taking down the last few standing in his way.
"Gohan." Tony whispers.
Knowing the boy can easily deal with the remaining enimies, Tony heads to the crates of his weapons and begins to destroy them so that any stragglers they may miss can't use them to hurt anyone else.
A few stragglers charge Tony as he's destroying the weapons, but he shoots fire from an arm of his suit that engulfs all but one of them. And before the last one can even blink, he gets nailed by a Ki blast.
Tony turns to Gohan, who's looking at him with a mixture of worry and relief in his eyes. But before the boy can say anything, Tony tells him, "Let's take off, Kiddo. One of the bombs they had is about to blow, we need to get some distance."
Gohan nods, jogs over to Tony, assuming he'll need to give him a lift, but Tony surprises him when the suit takes flight.
"That armor can fly?!" Gohan shouts after Tony as he flies up to catch up with the man.
Tony chuckles a bit at Gohan's shock, but the levity is short lived. The vibrations from the explosion rattle across his entire body.
In secods, his armor crumbles apart and he plummets toward the ground.
"Dad!" Tony hears Gohan shout as he flashsteps over to him to stop his fall.
Quickly thinking back to his training with Gohan, Tony manages to access his Ki and starts to float before he can crash into the ground.
Though he's so exhausted from his ordeal, it only lasts a few seconds. He falls the rest of the way but is caught by Gohan instead of hitting the sand.
Gohan quickly looks Tony over then excitedly praises, "You did it! You were able to fly, your Ki control has gotten a lot better."
Tony smirks at the boy. "It's all thanks to you, Gohan. Thanks for coming for me. I'm sorry I didn't heed your advice and just let you come with."
Gohan shakes his head, a few tears slipping down past his visor. "Don't worry about it, I'm just so relieved you're ok, Dad."
Tony's eyes widen as his exhausted mind finally fully registers what Gohan just called him now, and when he started to fall. "D-Dad?"
Gohan winces, and tries to deflect. "I-I'm sorry...with the stress of what just happened, and Goten calling you...you know, b-before you left...i-it just slipped out, I didn't mean to-"
The worry in Gohan's voice, along with everything that just happened tugs Tony's heartstrings past their limit.
Figuring they both really need one, Tony pulls the boy into a hug and tells him, "It's ok, Kiddo, you and Goten can call me whatever you want. I'm totally fine with it."
Tony feels Gohan stiffen up in his arms for a second before tightly hugging him back.
Tony's heart breaks all over again when Gohan starts sniffling. "We were all so scared when Goten and I felt your Ki spike, I thought...I thought we were gonna lose you. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."
Tony starts rubbing circles on Gohan's back with one hand while ruffling his hair with the other. "It's ok, Buddy, it's ok. I made it out, none of this is your fault, you hear me?"
Gohan looks up into Tony's eyes and shyly nods. "I hear you, Dad." before quickly hiding his face in Tony's chest .
Tony chuckles, but their moment is interrupted when they hear a helicopter approaching from the distance.
Gohan looks up and says, "I feel Rhodey on that helicopter, and it's coming our way."
Tony smiles in relief and quips, "Well I guess we got a new ride home."
"But there are a few others with him, so what should I do?" Gohan asks. "Rhodey will know how I got here, but how will we explain it to the other people?"
Tony mulls it over for a moment, then decides, "We can't let them see you, Kiddo. I'll stay here to be 'rescued', then when the helicopter is out of sight, you fly back home. Let Pepper, Happy, and Goten know I'm ok."
Gohan's grip on Tony tightens a bit more as he protests. "But I promised Pepper and Goten I'd bring you home."
Tony moves his hands to Gohan's shoulders and crouches down to the boy's eye level. "Kid, nothing would make me happier than to go with you and see Pep and Monkey as soon as possible, but this is the best way to keep your powers a secret from the public. I'll be home as soon as I can, ok? Just head back once the chopper's out of sight and I'll see you in the states, I promise."
Gohan nods, takes off the visor, wipes the tears away, and says, "I understand, I'll explain everything to Pepper and we'll see you when you get home."
Tony stands back up and pats Gohan's head. "Good, I'll see you soon, Gohan."
Gohan chuckles, pulls the capsules he'd brought out from his pocket and says, "I guess I brought all this food, water, and first aid for nothing, huh?"
Tony bursts out laughing, pulls Gohan into another hug, and quips, "Well, maybe next time, Kiddo."
Hearing the helicopter getting closer, Tony let's Gohan go, wipes a few stray tears from his cheek, gives him the most sincere smile he can muster, and says, "They're almost here, Gohan, go now. I'll see you later, ok?
Gohan smiles back and nods. "Alright, I'll see you soon."
He flashsteps behind a hill of sand and takes cover.
"Heh...I've got to learn how to do that." Tony mutters to himself as the helicopter lands and Rhodey practically dives out of it.
As he's helps Tony into the helicopter, Rhodey asks, "So how was the 'Funvee'?"
Tony scoffs, though once inside the aircraft, he stops fighting the weariness and promptly passes out as it takes off.
Gohan waits until he can't hear the helicopter anymore, slides his visor back on and flies off, going as fast as he can without drawing attention.
After a couple of hours flying, Gohan sees his new home in the distance, flashsteps to the front door, and knocks.
The door is flung open by Pepper. She yanks Gohan inside and bombards him with questions.
"Oh my God, Gohan, are you ok?! What happened?! Is Tony alright?! What's going on?!"
Gohan is about to try to answer Pepper's questions when he hears, "Bubba!"
Gohan turns to see Goten toddle towards him.
"Hey, Goten." Gohan greets as he crouches down and scoops his brother up into his arms.
As Gohan stands back up, Goten asks, "Dada?"
"Dada is ok, Goten, he's on his way home right now with Rhodey."
Gohan looks up at Pepper and tells her, "He's alive, Pepper, I found Tony just as he was breaking himself out from where his kidnappers took him."
"How did he do that? Was it the training you gave him?" Pepper asks as they head to the living room.
Gohan sits on the couch, places Goten on his lap and explains what he saw. "Maybe a little, but for the most part it was this awesome suit of armor he managed to put together."
"Suit of armor?" Pepper checks to see if she heard right.
"Indeed, Ms. Potts, I can show the footage I recorded from Young Sir Gohan's visor if you wish." JARVIS offers.
"Gohan, how about you take Goten down to the lab to see DUM-E while you change, and I'll watch JARVIS' footage?" Pepper asks.
"Dum-Eee!" Goten shouts in excitement.
"I guess that's a yes." Gohan chuckles as he stands up with Goten in his arms and heads to the lab.
While DUM-E keeps Goten occupied, Gohan puts the capsules and visor away, then changes into a pair of blue jeans, red t-shirt, and a white overshirt.
After letting Goten and DUM-E play together for a little while, Gohan picks Goten up and tells him, "Say bye-bye to DUM-E, Goten."
"Bye-bye Dum-Eee." Goten says as he waves at the robot.
As the bot whirs and beeps in dejection, Gohan tries to reassure him. "We'll be back soon, DUM-E, we're going to bring Tony back home."
DUM-E returns to his charging station, beeping excitedly, so Gohan heads back up to check how much Pepper's seen of JARVIS' footage.
"Did you see it?" Gohan asks when he gets up stairs.
"Yes, and I just got a call from Rhodey. He and Tony are on their way back to the states as we speak, we can go pick him up at the airport in a few hours." Pepper infoms while looking lost in thought.
"What's the matter, Pepper?" Gohan asks.
"Obadiah was behind this, wasn't he? Selling Stark Industries weapons under the table to terrorists. Tony's abduction." Pepper states, not really asking.
Gohan nods. "Yeah, most likely."
"What should we do?" Pepper asks, "We don't have any proof."
Gohan sits next to Pepper and smiles reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, I bet Tony's already got an idea for that."