So Worrying

"You weren't afraid I'd get lost!?"

Finney understood Tony's nervous concern. He replied helplessly, then said, "Call me if anything happens. If it's an emergency, tell me where you are first—the more detail, the better!"

"Thank you!"

At that moment, Tony felt deeply grateful to Finney. He didn't know why Finney was helping him so much, but he could feel his sincerity. After a moment's hesitation, he finally said quietly, "I'm really sorry about what happened before!"

Hidden from view, Finney looked shocked. After spending time with Tony, he understood his personality better, so hearing him apologize was a genuine surprise.

"Has he left?"

A few seconds passed without an answer. Assuming Finney had already gone, Tony muttered, "That kid has no manners. That was Tony Stark apologizing."

"So I should've recorded it and saved it forever!?"

Finney came back to himself and teased him when he heard that.

"..."

Tony's expression soured again. Fortunately, he was worried about Pepper's safety just then; otherwise, he probably would've argued about it for a long time.

"Then I'll go look for her."

Finney hadn't forgotten why he was there, and set out to find Pepper.

"Oh, wait a second." Tony suddenly remembered something. He found an access card in a corner of the office and held it up. "This is my key card. Take it with you."

Finney accepted it without hesitation. If Obadiah had really captured Pepper, he wouldn't have left her in the hallway.

The two went their separate ways. Finney had no specific plan; he simply searched for rooms that seemed empty and deserted. Before long, a thought struck him.

When the call came in, there couldn't have been many people nearby. Otherwise, Pepper wouldn't have called him for help. Since they were in Stark Tower, the most likely place for an attack was the office.

Pepper Potts was a grown woman, while Obadiah was an old man. Considering both his strength and the need for secrecy, he probably couldn't have taken her very far.

With that in mind, Finney immediately doubled back and searched the area around the office. At last, he heard a noise coming from a storage cabinet in one of the rooms and found Pepper Potts trapped inside, her face pale and drained.

Finney dismissed Possessed by Evil Spirit and returned to his normal appearance, then rescued Pepper.

"Hi, I'm Finney Hailsaiz, Tony's... friend, I guess!"

Finney introduced himself, but hesitated slightly over calling himself Tony's friend. He wasn't sure whether Tony considered him one.

"Are you the boy Tony mentioned?"

Pepper looked at Finney and asked weakly. Her eyes were still bloodshot, as if Obadiah had put her through some kind of ordeal.

"Tony mentioned me?"

Finney was surprised again. But since Pepper had been able to call him, it had to be because of Tony. He just didn't know what Tony had said about him.

Pepper nodded with difficulty, then hurriedly urged him, "You have to tell Tony that Obadiah had someone kidnap him. He also built a hidden facility beneath Section 16 of the Arc Reactor Project."

"It's okay. Tony already knows." Finney reassured Pepper, then took out his phone to call Tony. But he suddenly realized he didn't know Tony's number. The last time Tony had called him, he'd clearly used a masked number.

"Do you know Tony's number?"

Fortunately, Tony's assistant was right there. Finney handed her his phone and said, "He's in the tower now, looking for Obadiah. Call him and let him know."

Pepper dialed the number with practiced ease, but even after waiting a while, no one answered.

"That guy..."

Finney's expression changed. A sudden sense of foreboding came over him, and he asked Pepper, who was sitting on the floor, "Can you stand?"

Pepper nodded and struggled to her feet, then asked anxiously, "Has something happened to Tony?"

"I think he might've run into Obadiah."

Finney voiced his suspicion, then sighed worriedly and asked, "Where do you think he'd go to look for Obadiah?"

"Come with me!"

Pepper knew Stark Tower even better than Tony, and she immediately had an idea. She started to lead Finney along, but before they set off, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right—we should call the police first. I know an agent named Coulson. I can call him."

Phil Coulson was someone Finney knew about, of course: a busy S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and one of the few subordinates Director Nick Fury trusted.

"Let's not rush. Calling an agent might make things more complicated."

Finney didn't want to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D., so he stopped Pepper from making the call. "Let's find Tony first. Don't worry, I can protect you both."

If Obadiah was all they had to deal with, Finney could take on ten of him without even equipping Possessed by Evil Spirit.

Pepper still seemed hesitant, but when she saw Finney equip Possessed by Evil Spirit and turn invisible again, she finally decided to trust him.

Pepper stumbled her way to a room that seemed to be the main control room. Tony was the only one inside, sitting in a chair with his back to them.

"Tony!"

Pepper called out delightedly when she saw him, but Tony didn't turn around. He remained completely still.

Sensing something was wrong, the two hurried over. Tony was slumped in the chair, his face deathly pale. Pain filled his eyes, along with a trace of relief at seeing Pepper. His trembling lips looked as though he wanted to say something.

Most importantly, the Miniature Arc Reactor in his chest—the thing that kept his heart beating—was gone.

"You two really are so worrying!"

Finney dismissed his invisibility and looked at Tony, letting out a troubled sigh. Then he asked Pepper anxiously, "Does he have a spare one at home?"

He was genuinely afraid that his arrival had changed things for Tony. If Tony hadn't kept the old one, what were they supposed to do now?

Pepper was panicking and didn't know what to do. When Finney suddenly appeared and spoke, she snapped back to herself and quickly replied, "Yes, it's in the workshop. I'll get the car!"

Finney quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"No need. That'll take too long. Keep him steady."

This was Stark Tower in New York. If they waited for Pepper to drive back to Los Angeles, Tony would probably be dead by then. Fortunately, Finney had learned how to open a portal. Otherwise, Iron Man might never exist.

Pepper didn't understand what Finney meant at first. But when an orange-red Fire Ring appeared before her, she was startled. When she saw the workshop on the other side, disbelief filled her eyes.

"Get him through, quickly."

Finney opened the portal and went over to help Pepper support Tony. Seeing her standing there in a daze, he added, "Don't worry. It's just a portal. It won't hurt you."

Pepper came to her senses. The most important thing now was to save Tony.

I've got a featured spot this afternoon. Hehe! (*^▽^*)