ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪʀᴏɴ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ

Variable Threat Response Battle Suit

{Chapter Twenty-Two}

Abby was in her room quickly packing a bag. Pepper had come by to ask Tony if she could take the girl to New York with her. Pepper had to go to the Stark Expo due to the fact that she was the CEO of Stark Industries and she thought Abby might want to go back to New York for a few days. Tony had been reluctant to let Abigail out of his sight but after he saw the way her face lit up at the thought of going back to the city she once called home he couldn't say no.

Now the father stood at the door of the girl's new room that had just been rebuilt watching as she looked through the new clothes that had been bought after her old ones were destroyed during the fight between himself and Rhodey.

"You got everything?" Tony asked causing the girl to turn around her case in her hands.

"I think so." Abby nodded.

"Let's get downstairs then." Tony took the case from his daughter as the two made their way to where Pepper was waiting.

As soon as the two got down the stairs Happy stepped forward taking the case from Tony so that he could put it in the car.

"Ready?" Pepper asked Abby with a smile earning a small nod from the girl, "Good. I'll be waiting for you in the car."

Pepper left without a word to Tony making it clear she was still mad at him. The Stark man watched as the woman left sighing as she walked out of sight and moving his gaze to his daughter.

"You be good, okay?" Tony spoke crouching down to give his daughter a hug.

"I will," Abby nodded wrapping her arms around the man's neck.

After a minute Abby pulled back with a smile and made her way out to the car. Abby climbed into the car smiling at Pepper who sat beside her.

The journey to New York didn't take as long as Abby expected. Pepper had made sure that the young girl did her school work while she made work calls.

When they arrived Pepper took Abby straight to the hotel. Apparently, they were running late and needed four hours to get ready for the stupid Expo.

"We're going to the Expo tonight and then for the rest of the weekend we can look around New York," Pepper promised Abby as she was drying her hair.

"Fine. Do I have to wear a dress though?" Abby asked as she looked at the dress hanging from the wardrobe.

Abby wasn't opposed to wearing dresses, she wore skirts all the time in Malibu. But that is because it is super warm in Malibu whereas New York is pretty cold especially at night.

The dress Pepper had chosen her to wear was dark blue and reached just above the knee. It didn't have sleeves and the girl was convinced she was going to die of hypothermia before the night was over.

"Yes, you do. Now get dressed quickly so that I can do your hair." Pepper instructed.

Just as Pepper had finished doing Abby's hair the door opened revealing a familiar red-head stood there with a polite smile on her face.

"Natalie, good. Is Happy ready?" Pepper asked as she sprayed Abby's hair.

"Yes. He is waiting outside in the car." Natasha nodded.

"Wonderful. Don't forget your jacket, Abby." Pepper grabbed her bag and made her way out of the room, Abby following closely behind her.

"Natalie," Abby nodded at the woman with a small smirk.

"Miss Stark," Natasha replied with a similar look.

The ride to the Expo was shorter than Abby expected and soon they were climbing out of the car. Abby looked around in awe as she stood in front of the Expo Center. She had never actually been to the Expo, only watched it from the hotel room with Pepper.

"Woah." Abby breathed with a large smile on her face.

Pepper climbed out of the car after the girl smiling at the look of awe on Abby's face. In hopes of keeping Abby close to her Pepper placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and guided her into the Expo.

Abby sat beside Pepper burying her face into the woman's arm trying to muffle her laughs as Justin Hammer danced across the stage. The woman looked down at her laughing at the girl's antics.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! Thanks for coming. Ladies and gentlemen, for far too long, this country has had to place its brave men and women in harm's way then the Iron Man arrived and we thought the days of losing lives were behind us. Sadly that technology was kept out of reach. That's not fair. That's not right. And it's just too bad," Hammer spoke into the microphone as Abby rolled her eyes.

"Oh, lord." Pepper sighed from beside Abby, rolling her eyes.

"Regardless, it was an impressive innovation, one that grabbed headlines the world over. Well, today, my friends, the press is faced with quite a different problem. They are about to run our od ink!" Hammer paused waiting for the audience to respond. Abby snorted when he was met by a couple of claps but other than that there was just very awkward silence, "Ladies and gentlemen today I present to you a new face of the United States military. The Hammer drone."

Behind Hammer, a video began to play on the screen. "Army! Navy! Air Force! Marines!" As Hammer called out each word, drones rose from the ground.

Abby's eyes widened at the sight of the drones and she glanced over at Pepper and Natasha who stared at the stage with blank expressions.

"Yeah! Yeah! Whoo! That's a hell of a lot better than some cheerleaders, let me tell you. But as revolutionary as this technology is, there will always be a need for a man to be present in the threat of war. Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am proud to present to you the very first prototype in the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit as its pilot, Air Force Luitenant Colonel James Rhodes!" Hammer introduced.

"Rhodey?" Abby breathed in disbelief her green-eyed wide.

"What?" Pepper muttered causing Abby to look back at her, and see that she was in the same state of shock.

They watched as Rhodey rose from the ground in the Iron Man suit he had taken on the night of the disastrous party, only now it was decked out with different weapons. Rhodey lifted his arm to salute the audience the drones mirroring this action.

"For America and its allies, Hammer Industries is reporting for..." Hammer was cut off when he caught sight of something, the audience followed his gaze to Iron Man flying towards the expo.

"Dad!" Abby smiled when she saw him.

Everyone watched as Tony landed on the stage. The whole crowd jumped up clapping and cheering for Iron Man. Tony walked towards Rhodey and the two waved at the audience.

"Hey, all right! Yeah! Iron Man!" Hammer yelled as if it was all part of the act.

Abby watched as her father walked towards Justin obviously trying to speak to him. Her eyes narrowed at her father as she tried to figure out what was wrong. As she focused on her father a feeling of dread washed over her causing her breathing to pick up.

"Abby, are you okay?" Pepper asked noticing the change in the girl.

"No," Abby shook her head her voice shaking as she spoke, "Something is wrong."

"Something is very wrong."