While the Christmas party at Charles's base continued, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, after an intense moment of intimacy, had fallen asleep together.
Lying in bed, Tony began to dream about the Battle of New York, fighting off Chitauri soldiers with his Iron Man suit. The intensity of the dream caused Tony to move restlessly, which woke up Pepper.
Pepper, noticing Tony's distress, tried to comfort him by holding him and gently calling his name, "Tony... Tony..."
However, before she could fully wake him, Mark 42 suddenly appeared beside the bed and grabbed Pepper's arm, pinning her down.
"Ahhh!" Pepper screamed, frightened by the sudden attack. Her scream woke Tony.
Tony, startled, quickly sat up and saw Mark 42 pinning Pepper. Shocked, he immediately intervened, shouting, "Power down!"
Following Tony's command, Mark 42 released Pepper, stood still, and powered down. Tony quickly approached, using hand gestures to disassemble the suit into its components.
Watching the pieces of Mark 42 scatter on the floor, Tony sighed with relief and turned to Pepper. "I must have summoned it in my sleep. This shouldn't have happened. I'll recalibrate the sensors."
"Can we just... let me..."
Pepper, still shaken, looked at Tony before getting out of bed and walking towards the door.
Tony pleaded, "Please, let me catch my breath. Don't leave, Pepper..."
Pepper turned around and said, "I'm going to sleep downstairs. You can fix your toys on your own."
With that, Pepper left the room, leaving Tony alone. Tony looked at the disassembled parts on the floor, feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by his anxiety.
...
Meanwhile-
At the Chinese Theater in New York, Happy Hogan was waiting outside for a performance to start.
While trying on sunglasses at a vendor's stand, he noticed Aldrich Killian's assistant, who had visited Stark Industries earlier, handing a suspicious box to a man sitting on a bench.
Seeing this exchange, Happy decided to investigate. He approached the man with the box, pretending to accidentally bump into him, causing the box to spill its contents.
"Sorry about that, buddy," Happy apologized while crouching down to help pick up the scattered items. During this, he discreetly pocketed one of the items without the man's notice.
After packing the items, Happy stood up and walked away, glancing at the object he had taken.
It seemed important...
At that moment, Killian's assistant bumped into Happy. Eric Savin looked at Happy Hogan and sneered, "What are you doing here, buddy? Out on a little solo date night? Maybe watching your favorite chick flick?"
Happy retorted, "Yeah, a movie called 'This Ends Here.' Starring you and your junkie girlfriend."
He then held up the item he had taken.
"This is the ticket."
Eric's expression darkened. "Seriously, that thing isn't yours."
He lunged to grab the item from Happy, but only managed to seize his wrist. Unfazed, Happy immediately swung his left fist at Eric's face, but Eric deftly dodged.
Happy freed his right hand and landed a solid punch on Eric's face, making him stumble. However, as Eric turned back, a red glow flashed across his face, and his broken nose healed instantly.
Happy was taken aback.
"Is this guy a superhuman?" He thought. Determined to end the fight quickly, Happy threw another punch, but this time, Eric caught his arm.
With a swift move, Eric performed a shoulder throw, sending Happy crashing into a nearby vendor's table.
"Crash!"
Happy toppled the stand, scattering its contents everywhere. The sudden brawl caused a commotion in the square, drawing attention as it was no small matter to see someone thrown through the air.
Meanwhile, the man who had received the item from Eric had started using it. However, shortly after, he began overheating uncontrollably and shouted, "Savin!"
Hearing his name, Eric paused and looked back. The man, now engulfed in flames, exploded.
"Boom!"
The massive explosion turned the front square of the Chinese Theater into a scene of chaos, killing and injuring many. Those at the epicenter were incinerated, leaving only shadows on the walls.
Happy, severely injured, shielded himself with a vendor's cart, while Eric, aided by the Extremis virus, quickly recovered and fled the scene.
Police arrived shortly and rushed the critically injured Happy to the hospital.
The next morning, Tony Stark received news of the explosion and learned that Happy was critically injured and in the hospital, fighting for his life.
To him, Happy was not only his former bodyguard but also his friend and even family member.
Thinking of Happy's injury, Tony took out his phone, dialed Charles Doyle's number, and called him directly.
...
Meanwhile-
Charles Doyle was still in bed, having had a long night of festivities with everyone. The phone call from Tony Stark pulled Charles Doyle out of his haze. He groggily answered, "Hello?"
On the other end, Tony's voice sounded urgent. "Charles, it's Tony."
"Hey, Tony. Long time no see."
"Charles, Happy was caught in an explosion and is critically injured in the hospital. I need your help. Can you bring Tsunade to help treat him?"
Charles immediately recalled from the movie that Happy was indeed gravely injured in a Christmas Eve explosion.
"Sure, I'll bring Tsunade over to check on him. Which hospital is he in?"
"Maria Hospital."
"Got it."
"Thank you!"
After hanging up, Charles got up, washed, and dressed. He then headed to Tsunade's room.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
It didn't take long for the door to open, revealing a drowsy Tsunade in her sleepwear, her body looking even more imposing in her relaxed state.
"What's the matter so early?" Tsunade asked, stretching lazily.
Charles, trying not to let his eyes linger, explained, "Tony's bodyguard, Happy, was injured in an explosion. He's critically hurt, and Tony wants your help."
Tsunade yawned and replied, "If you want my help, it's going to cost a lot."
Charles grinned, "Tony can afford it. Besides, he's my friend."
"Alright, give me a moment to get ready."
Tsunade closed the door, leaving Charles waiting outside. She soon emerged, fully dressed and ready.
"Let's go!"
With John Wick driving, Charles and Tsunade headed to the hospital where Happy was being treated.
...
Meanwhile-
The morning news broadcast was interrupted again. The Mandarin appeared, taking responsibility for the Chinese Theater explosion and warning that it was just the beginning.
Elsewhere-
Tony Stark arrived at the hospital, only to be swarmed by reporters as soon as he stepped out of his car. Cameras flashed, and microphones were thrust toward him.
A female reporter spoke, "We've been here since before dawn, waiting for Tony Stark to appear. We hope he will respond to this latest attack."
"Mr. Stark, over here!"
"Reports suggest this was another attack by the Mandarin. Are you here to seek revenge for your bodyguard?"
"Do you have anything to say to us?"
Ignoring the barrage of questions, Tony made his way through the crowd, heading straight for the hospital entrance.
###
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