She is family

Considering Tony's condition, Colonel Rhodey did not arrange an immediate flight back to New York. Instead, he took the group to the local military base to recuperate.

"Take a shower and get some proper rest."

Tony thanked his friend. "Help me look after Yinsen and Qiqi."

"As if you needed to ask. It's all arranged. I've assigned a female medic to Qiqi, and Yinsen is right next door to you."

Rhodey told Tony.

Knowing his friends were taken care of, Tony went into his room.

Only after watching Tony shut the door did Rhodey have time to deal with other matters. Somehow, the news that Tony had been found had leaked. His personal phone had been ringing throughout the journey, more and more frequently, giving him a headache.

After all, finding Stark was major news to the media. Everyone wanted to be the first to report it, and Colonel Rhodey, the man who had found him, naturally became the target of their harassment.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

"God, can't they give it a rest?"

Rhodey reluctantly pulled out his phone. The name on the screen left him no choice but to answer.

Miss Virginia Potts, Tony's chief assistant. From another perspective, Potts was the one who deserved the credit for keeping Stark Industries running smoothly.

After Stark disappeared, panic had spread through the company. Some shareholders with ulterior motives had wanted to seize the opportunity to make a fortune. Potts had rallied the directors who supported Tony to put pressure on them, preventing a corporate coup.

"Oh my God, Colonel Rhodey, this is Potts."

The moment the call connected, Potts's voice came through, a hint of urgency in her tone.

"Miss Potts."

Hearing her anxiety, Rhodey answered patiently, "He's all right."

"Really? That's wonderful. That's really wonderful."

Potts sounded as though she was already crying. She was under tremendous pressure. If Rhodey had no good news for her, she really could not hold on any longer.

This crisis was truly severe. She desperately needed confirmation that Tony was safe.

Realizing she had lost her composure, Potts quickly wiped away her tears. "Colonel Rhodey, could you tell me more about Mr. Stark's condition? And when will he be coming back?"

Rhodey hesitated for a moment. "He's fine, just a little dehydrated, with a few scrapes. Nothing serious. I'll have him receive some basic treatment here first, and he'll be back soon. Don't worry."

"That's wonderful. Thank you!"

"Miss Potts, there's no need to thank me. Once everything here is settled, I'll contact you with the flight's arrival time."

"Thank you so very much, Colonel Rhodey."

After hanging up, Rhodey headed outside. He still had plenty to deal with, including how to report to his military superiors. During the search for Stark, he had commandeered half the base's aviation resources, which had caused considerable displeasure higher up.

Now that the matter was settled, he had to give his superiors an explanation.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Already irritated, Rhodey almost wanted to smash the noisy phone. Seeing the caller ID made him restrain himself.

His tone, however, was far from polite.

"What?!"

"Sir, something isn't right here."

"What is it? Is there something wrong with her health?"

The caller was the female medic assigned to examine Qiqi. Rhodey's first thought was that the examination had uncovered a health problem.

"It's not a question of what's wrong. It's a question of what isn't." The medic had never encountered anything so bizarre in her life. Looking at the little girl sitting obediently on the bed, she felt cold sweat covering her back. Even the hand holding her phone kept trembling.

"What exactly is going on?" Rhodey asked with a frown.

The medic swallowed, stammering into the phone. "I-we-I-our equipment isn't picking up any signals... Her-her heartbeat, pulse, and body temperature aren't registering either. This... can't be a problem with the machines."

"What do you mean?"

Rhodey was baffled, his frown deepening.

"It means she... isn't alive."

The medic's voice trembled, but her words were perfectly clear. "She may already be dead."

Dead...

At those words, Rhodey's face instantly went pale. A wave of dizziness swept over him, and he almost fell to the floor.

How was that possible? The little girl had been greeting him so cheerfully just minutes ago. She hadn't even been in his care for half an hour, and now she was dead? How was he supposed to explain this to Tony?

"How is that possible? She was fine before we got off the plane!"

"No, sir, that's not what I mean," the medic hurriedly explained. "Perhaps she's one of the living dead. A dead person who can move around normally, just like a human."

Rhodey took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"I'm coming over now."

Rhodey could not believe such a horrifying conclusion, but he had to see for himself. Putting down his phone, he ran toward the infirmary.

Tony had finally cleaned himself from head to toe, not even neglecting the soles of his feet. After he had eaten something, the people Rhodey had assigned came to see him.

With the medical staff's help, he had the various minor wounds across his body roughly treated, then lay on the bed, drifting toward sleep. He felt utterly drained, without even the strength to open his eyes.

Rhodey pushed the door open and paused at the sight of Tony.

Considering the seriousness of the matter, however, he still woke Tony up.

"Hey, Tony, wake up. I need to ask you a few things."

Tony barely lifted his head, exhaustion written all over his face.

"Mm, my head hurts so much."

Tony answered with his eyes closed.

"All right, you can sleep as much as you want once I've finished asking. Now open your eyes and look at me."

Rhodey helped Tony sit up and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Tony groggily opened his eyes.

Rhodey gave the soldiers nearby a meaningful look. The others packed up their things and left the room, giving the two of them a private space to talk.

"Well, what do you want to ask?"

Sitting on the sofa, Tony leisurely picked up a glass of champagne beside him.

"You can't drink right now. Where did this come from? I don't remember having anyone bring you alcohol." Rhodey snatched it away when he saw it. He had intended to set the champagne down, but halfway through the motion, he thought of the question he was about to ask. His hand changed direction, bringing the glass to his lips, and he drained it in one gulp.

"Hey! That was mine."

Tony was deeply displeased. "You could pour yourself a glass."

"Enough, Tony. You're hiding something from me."

Rhodey tossed the glass onto the coffee table, his expression serious. "I know you don't want me to worry, but right now, I need you to tell me the truth."

"That girl named Qiqi. What exactly is she?"

Tony froze at those words. He opened his mouth.

"I told you. She's my child."

Rhodey was so angry he almost laughed. "Tony! This is no time for jokes."

"What? I'm not joking. I'm serious."

"Do you know she..."

"Yes, I know. Of course I know."

Tony waved a hand, cutting off his friend. His expression was earnest, his words rapid. "She's different from other people. Yes, I won't deny that. But aside from that, she's a good kid. Those little quirks aren't a problem, as long as you don't tell anyone, Colonel Rhodey."

"Good Lord..."

Rhodey realized Tony was serious. He had known about the girl's unusual nature from the start. "This could be a conspiracy."

"No, it couldn't. You don't understand. Without her, we would have died long ago." Tony's tone grew more forceful. "I know you can do this. Once the military finds out what makes Qiqi special, they won't leave her alone."

"When we get back, I'll look for Qiqi's family. If I can't find them, then Tony Stark will be her family."

"I don't think you want to hand Qiqi over either. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to me first."

After hearing Tony's words, Rhodey fell silent for a long time.

"You're a lunatic."

Tony smiled. He knew that meant Rhodey was giving in.

"Thanks for the compliment. You're as sweet-tongued as ever."

Now that he knew his friend's decision, Tony had no more concerns. He picked up the glass and was about to pour himself a drink, only for the bottle to slip out of his control.

Rhodey was angry at how Tony had maneuvered him, yet also struck by how deeply his friend understood him. He really could not bring himself to hurt a child. He had seen how the military, or certain research organizations in civilian society, treated people with unusual abilities. Their methods were brutal. He could not imagine what Qiqi would endure if he handed her over.

But he was still furious with Tony.

So he viciously snatched away the man's alcohol, along with the glass in his hand.

"Bring him a bucket of mineral water!"

Stepping outside, Rhodey ordered the soldiers by the door, "Other than water, don't let me see anything unnecessary in there."

Qiqi's existence remained a major problem, so Rhodey obtained a set of test reports and used them to bluff his way past the frightened medic. After Tony and the others had rested for a night, he gathered them up and flew them back to New York.

After several hours in the air, they finally reached their destination.

Ding.

Hearing the pleasant notification chime, Lin Ze, who had been sitting on the plane in a daze, opened the game interface.

At last, his first official mission had begun.

The Weight of Iron

<Mission description: Witness Tony Stark become a true hero-Iron Man>