When Rhodey heard the news, he was stunned. A delegate of his had passed the phone to him at work with a nervous expression and that was when he had been told. Alden's old friend Daniel had been killed in an explosion at the hospital where Tony had been hosting a fundraiser. And then Tony himself had been kidnapped.

Tony Stark, his best friend in the whole entire world, had been kidnapped.

His superior gave him the day off, which was lucky, as Rhodey was planning on taking all subsequent days off until he found his best friend and would've run out otherwise. Despite his urge to simply commandeer a plane and search the world for Tony, he knew that speaking to Alden would be a good choice. Alden was cool-headed and in no way short of brains. If anyone knew where Tony would be, it was Alden. But, then again, Alden's friend had just died...

Rhodey considered staying away but how could he? Alden might need the support. He was mercifully saved from these thoughts by the appearance of a very familiar red-headed woman outside his barracks.

"How did you know to come here?" He asked coldly, not about to start trusting the woman who had lied to his now missing friend.

She ignored him.

"I know you don't trust me but I have information. Alden was called twice in the last hour. Once by his friend Libby."

Rhodey lowered his eyes, knowing what that would've been about.

"The other time was by an unknown number but we have the recording."

Romanoff played the recording and Rhodey froze at the harsh grating tones of the kidnapper. 

"Have you been able to track the call?" He questioned desperately.

"No, but we were hoping Alden could help us."

"As was I," Rhodey stated, beginning to look at the agent in a new light.

She looked at him determinedly.

"Then we might as well work together."

*

When Rhodey and Romanoff got to Malibu, Jarvis let them in instantly which had alarm bells going off in Rhodey's head. Looking at the agent, he was sure she felt the same.

"Mr Walker is by the sofa. Please hurry."

Jarvis sounded, for lack of a better word, desperate.

They hurried in and found Alden lying there, unconscious.

"What happened, Jarvis?" Romanoff barked.

"Mr Walker was called twice and then he passed out, Miss Romanoff. He has been unresponsive for a few minutes now."

Romanoff knelt next to Alden and timed his heartbeat against her watch.

"His pulse is erratic, it's all over the place," she reported.

"Shock can do that, can't it?" Rhodey asked.

He'd seen colleagues fall apart after receiving bad news and fainting wasn't so uncommon.

She looked up.

"Yes," she replied. "He'll stir in a moment."

"Good," he said, relieved.

As if on cue, Alden moved and his eyelids flickered, showcasing bright green eyes blown wide.

"Alden?" Rhodey asked tentatively. "Alden, can you hear me?"

"Daniel_" The man gasped, sitting bolt upright. "Daniel_ dead. And Tony... Kidnapped. Dead, dead..."

Alden began crying and Rhodey put a comforting, but by no means constricting, arm around him.

"I don't understand," Alden choked, and Rhodey's heart broke. "Why? I-I don't understand what happened..."

Romanoff, whom Rhodey had fully expected to give him a glance saying 'why are we speaking to this moron?' right around now, surprisingly crouched in front of Alden and spoke in soothing tones.

"Everything's going to be alright, Alden."

"Get away from me!" The man yelled suddenly and Romanoff scampered back like a pet who knows they've disappointed their owner. "You betrayed my trust..."

Alden almost seemed to fall asleep but his breathing was getting louder and harsher.

"Alden?" Rhodey questioned, concerned.

The man scrabbled at his own chest frantically.

"I can't breathe."

He turned eyes filled with fresh tears towards Rhodey.

"I-I can't breathe. Rhodey, I can't breathe!"

Years in the military and S.H.I.E.L.D respectively had taught both Rhodey and Romanoff what this was: a panic attack. But it was a severe one and Alden had never had one before.

"Alden," Rhodey soothed, "You've got to calm down. You won't be able to breathe at the moment but if you copy me you'll be fine in a few minutes."

He breathed in and out and Alden hesitantly mimicked him.

"I need to see them," Alden stated, when he had enough air to speak again.

"Who?" Rhodey asked.

The other man turned to him with red-rimmed, cadaverous eyes.

"The others, of course. Libby, Uriel, Alejandro. I need to see them."

"Alden," Rhodey said softly, "It's too soon."

"I need to see... where it happened."

"Listen to me, Alden," Rhodey pleaded. "That is not something you need to see."

"You're just being selfish! You want me to help you find Tony. My best friend is dead. There's nothing I can help you with."

Stunned, Rhodey got slowly to his feet. Even half out of his mind with shock, Alden could still guess exactly what was going on.

"We're going to need his help," he said quietly to the agent, out of earshot of the hopeless man.

She nodded, but her eyes were on Alden.

"He can't help you at the moment," she replied, lips barely moving. "He's hardly in a fit state to contemplate the whereabouts of his only other surviving friend. You go, I'll stay."

"Thank you," he whispered, and left.

Natasha knelt back down next to Alden. Alden seemed to have slipped into a daze or a stupor and, sensing this, she put an arm round him. He put his head on her shoulder in a shocking show of companionship.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked despairingly.

"Nothing," she murmured, running fingers through his hair.

"I killed him, Mother. He's dead because of me."

Alden's eyes had glassed over.

"It wasn't your fault," Natasha promised, bewildered to be thought of as Alden's presumably long-lost mother.

"Please keep telling me that," the man whispered, tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Alden, none of it was your fault. None of it."

And somewhere, in his foggy mind, Loki knew she was right.

*****

A.N. I'm rubbish at these author's notes, aren't I? Loki is... Very sad. And it's all my fault because I'm a horrible author. :(

But, anyway, thank you for reading!