I AM A Stark - PREQUEL

Chapter Five - A Plane Ride of Horrors

With a single phonecall, the plan was put into action and Maria was packing her bags for a short trip to New York. Happy had arranged it all without a moments thought. Maria was now just waiting for the knock at her door along with the shiny black vehicle that would take her to the nearest airfield. Maria wasn't sure how to feel about this trip; she was happy and sad and curious and anxious about it all from seeing her father (and finding out what's wrong) to leaving her grandmother (when something was wrong there too). Maria despised adults go to decisions to hide stuff from her, it was not helpful.

Maria was sat on the couch beside her grandmother waiting patiently. What was making her even more uncomfortable was the fact that Grandma Johnston was watching her in a strange fashion. Maria knew she was being watched but as to why she had no idea.

It wasn't long before Maria heard a knock at her front door. Before she could even move the Iron Man Suit was at the door with its palms up, charging its pulsers. Maria sighed. She stood up and walked over to the suit knocking on its arm (as she couldn't reach its head).

"All clear" the tin can answered having scanned through the door. The suit stood back to let Maria in front but kept its arms and weapons ready. Tony really had gone over board with the suit.

Maria reached for the door handle, unlocked the door and pulled it open. However, it was not Happy. Maria's smile faultered for a moment. The man before her dressed in the same way as Happy and was clearly part of the security team but Maria did not recognise the trimmed-bearded face.

"Hi" Maria said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Joe, miss. Happy Hogan sent me" the man replied with a nod. Maria nodded in return. She was happy to take that as answer however her grandmother was not.

"She's going to check that" Grandma Johnston said from behind her before she took Maria's place and pushed Maria back into the house. With a pointed look off her grandmother (who was telling her to do as she was told), Maria lifted her hands up in surrender before she reached into her coat pocket to pull free the phone that Tony had given her. It had taken her forever to come to grasp with the whole phone as she had never seen anything like it but she figured it out. With a few clicks, Maria found Happy's phone number and dialled. It took a few moments for the man to pick up but that was not unexpected.

"Hey Happy, you're not here" Maria greeted kindly though her words held an edge that was not mistakable.

"No I'm not. I'm needed elsewhere. A job following a bad guy" Happy replied much to Maria's intrigue.

"A bad guy?" Maria echoed. Usually Happy would have had others follow someone but the fact he had was doing it himself told Maria this bad guy was super important. As Maria went to ask more her eyes landed on her suitcases. She was due to head for a plane. Looking back towards the door she could still see the bearded man. Pulling her phone from her ear, Maria opened the camera and sent a picture to Happy whilst putting him on speaker. "Hold that thought. You're on speaker and I just sent you a picture. Is this your guy to pick me up?"

A few ticks of silence passed before Happy's voice came through.

"Yes, yes, Joe, lovely man who will protect you with his life or he is losing his job!" The last part was spoken much louder than the rest and was a clear message for Joe. Maria couldn't help but laugh at it. Joe asked if he could take her bags now which Maria agreed to (with her grandmother's acceptance of course).

Clicking the screen of her phone, Maria once more placed the phone to her ear and began to speak to Happy. However, typically he wouldn't give her the information she wished for.

"No confidential, can't tell you."

"Can you at least tell me where you are?"

"Chinese Theatre." Maria had no idea where that was or what it was.