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Colonel James Rhodes was a military man; when he received orders, he followed them. But he didn't necessarily like everything he was told in the military. That's why he found it uncomfortable to be ordered to speak to his friend Anthony Stark. Tony Stark, one of the richest and smartest men in the world. The man James initially had to look after, as a liaison between Stark Industries and the Ministry of Defense, only to become friends. James knew what Tony was capable of, even if everyone else ignored him.
Not many people really understood Tony Stark, at least not the Tony Stark who had returned from the Middle East. Rhodes, however, did; he knew what had happened to him and had seen the consequences. Tony went into the desert to give weapons demonstrations for military buyers, and on the way back, his truck was attacked. The soldiers escorting him were executed, and he was captured and held by an organization that wanted him to build weapons. He built something, but it wasn't a weapon they could use. Tony escaped, killing many people for the first time in his life, and spent days in the desert. Until James found him, Tony had spent months imprisoned by that organization. He had returned to the world a few months ago, and so far, he hadn't returned to his old ways of partying and womanizing. Tony had also been making life miserable for Peggy Carter, a woman he used to respect.
"Remember why we're here, Colonel Rhodes," said the agent at his side.
"I know why I'm here, Agent May, because of my friend," Rhodes replied.
Melinda May was a WDRA officer, an Asian-American woman who often wore leather jackets. She had a no-nonsense look and a strong, flexible body that betrayed her fighting spirit.
"I know Mr. Stark has been through a lot, but he may be putting the agency in danger," said the other agent accompanying Rhodes.
"Don't worry Coulson , Tony's a decent guy."
May sneered, a sentiment Phil Coulson didn't share. He was a reasonable, modest-looking man, not too tall or strong-looking. But he was a very decent man.
"Why would Stark be here of all places?" May asked.
"It's certainly not where I expected it to be," Rhodes muttered.
Instead of tracking Tony to an expensive five-star hotel or restaurant, reports indicated he was somewhere more affordable. It was in midtown Manhattan, wasn't well-known, and had a generic name that made it difficult to find or remember. The trio walked into the bar; no one was there except for the bartender and a single customer sitting at a table. But that wasn't Tony; this man was wearing a cheap leather jacket and dark clothes. Tony usually stood out with his... his hair wasn't long and shaggy like Tony's. It wasn't his usual style either: his bangs fell over his eyes, and Tony usually styled his hair with gel.
"Well, he's not here," May said.
"I'm here," the customer raised his hand.
He turned around and revealed no shaved beard, but no goatee either, nothing people expected from Tony Stark.
"Well, if it isn't the cavalry and Agent High Hopes, why did you bring them, Rhodey ?" Tony asked in a grumpy murmur.
"Tony, what did you do to yourself?" Rhodey asked .
"You were hoping I'd get back to my old look, weren't you? I'm not sorry I disappointed you," Tony smiled as he downed his glass in one gulp.
Whiskey on the rocks and he drank it without hesitation.
"I thought you'd at least stop drinking," Rhodey muttered .
—I don't really feel like being sober anymore, another one —Tony raised his glass.
"Forget it," May said, showing her badge to the waiter.
Tony shook his head, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a hip flask. He opened it and brought it to his mouth. Rhodey suddenly grabbed Tony's wrist, preventing him from drinking.
"That's enough, Tony," he said.
"What do you want, Colonel?" Tony asked.
"As your friend, I care about you. As a colonel in the United States Air Force, I care about the future of your company. Do you know how many people you've saved with the weapons you've developed?" Rhodey asked .
"No matter how much they died because of him, it's not good for you to make money in this case." Tony snatched the canteen from him and brought it back to his mouth.
Suddenly, May lifted her leg, kicking the jar out of Tony's hands and throwing it across the room.
"Stop this nonsense, Stark. What are you going to do with the company now?" he asked.
"Honestly, the truth about me is that I don't really think that far ahead," Tony said.
"You're a futurist, Tony. You should know that there will be consequences if the agency doesn't have those weapons, and that we're going to turn to other people to fill that need," Phil explained.
"And I thought you were smarter, Coulson . The agency has been filling its ranks with thinkers without me. They had multiple contracts with various companies and private contractors as well. The agency isn't suffering from my absence, now if you'll excuse me, futurist," Tony mocked, chuckling as he took a sip from his flask.
Rhodey took a seat across from Tony, his stern expression replaced by that of a friend.
"I want a moment with him, alone," she said.
Phil nodded, pushing the less friendly May aside. Once they were out of earshot, Rhodey raised his finger, ordered a beer, took off his medal-laden jacket, and chatted with Tony. They started by looking at where Tony was staying.
"Shabby motel room, sold the penthouse suite."
"Which one?" Rhodes asked, laughing.
"All of them, why do I want to live in such luxury?"
-Tony, what happened out there in the desert?
For an instant, Tony's hand trembled, bringing him back to reality. It brought him back to a dark cavern, then to the scorching heat, then to the suffocating sensation of being pulled underwater. He swirled his flask around, hearing the whiskey sloshing and imagining the buckets of blood. They were buckets of blood he'd seen, filled as examples of his life's work, his family's legacy. Rhodey dropped his beer when Tony put a hand on his chest. The colonel was about to rise from his chair, and that made Tony smile.
Are you at least going to call her?
Tony shook his head again and laughed .
"Honestly, I don't think that far in the future," he said.
"Shit, Tony, you're the futurist."
"That's the real lie, Rhodey , that I plan for the future. I was the one selling weapons and making money off the little wars we fought. I was the one making arc reactors, but I never tried to make renewable energy into anything. The man people would have called president, but I never got into politics, at least not in a significant way," Tony explained.
"That's what most politicians do," Rhodey noted .
"Here's mine, Rhodey . Don't worry about me." He looked his friend in the eye. "I'm not dying, but I'm losing my rhythm. Not only can I not live like I used to... I don't want to live like I used to!"
"Don't you want to go back to that Tony, to the fast cars, to the beautiful women?"
" Rhodey , I'm not going to be the person people expect me to be."
For the first time in a long time, James Rhodes saw seriousness in Tony Stark's eyes. This was a man who, although still struggling with his personal demons, knew what to do with his life. He nodded, took his jacket, patted Tony on the shoulder, and started walking.
"So what now?" May asked.
"We're leaving. The man we're looking for isn't here. He died in the desert." Tony heard the hint of bitterness in his best friend's voice.
He stared at the bottle, fighting the urge to take another drink. The urge overcame him.
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Hello everyone, what did you think of the chapter? Please let me know in the comments. If you want to download the full book, it's available on my KO-FI page. The link is here. 👉
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