Hey Guys! So this is a Sherlock Holmes AU with the avengers. Tony Stark is Sherlock Holmes, (Obviously) Steve Rogers is Watson, Natasha Romanoff is a version of Irene Adler, and Pepper Potts is a version of the land lady Mrs. Hudson (Just more badass) Hopefully you can guess who the other characters are, or figure it out through reasoning, but the others will be revealed in time. This is inspired by the Sherlock Holmes movie with RDJ and Jude Law :) Hope you enjoy! Rate and Review!
Footsteps echoed down the road as Tony Stark sprinted down the cobble stone street. The tail of his coat flew out behind him, and his hair was becoming rather windswept. He could hear the roar of the Yard's carriages thundering along behind him and the scream of the horses. London's back alleys were nothing new to the world class detective, however being chased by an animated stone gargoyle was something new to everyone involved in this particular case. Nicolas Fury was driving the strange creature towards their trap while Stark acted as bait. He really hated being bait. A certain line of fence told the genius that he was nearing his destination, but the angry cackles of the green goblin like creature told him that he was running out of time.
"Stark! What the hell are you doing?" The voice of Captain Steve Rogers yelled. The heartthrob was waving frantically from behind a metal grate and running alongside him. Stark gave him a glance at first, than whipped his head around to look at him again.
"Rogers? Why are you on that side of the fence?" Tony demanded, still sprinting along. The ex-military captain looked over at the creature chasing him.
"Because this side doesn't have a gargoyle!" He called.
"What about the plan?" The gargoyle cackled again and Fury's carriage came to a screeching halt when a gate suddenly closed.
"You didn't tell me the plan remember?! You always withhold your plans from me! All you said was to be on Fourth Street tonight at midnight!" Steve pointed out, annoyed.
"Ah… so I did. However I was hoping you would instinctively choose the side I did. No matter." Stark puffed, slipping a pocket watch from his jacket as he ran. "Where's the Director gone to?"
"I believe he went to find a detour." Steve told him looking around at the retreating carriage.
"That could take all night." Stark complained. He returned the watch to his pocket and pulled out his pipe.
"You do realize that you're still being chased by that thing right?"
"All according to plan my dear Captain." A brick wall was quickly approaching both sides and Steve looked at his blood brother.
"You sure about that?" Tony winked and continued to run pell-mell at the bricks. At the last second however, he dropped to the ground and rolled back towards the monster. The beast did not have time to stop and crashed into the wall, shattering into different sized chunks of stone. Steve stopped to catch his breath and assessed the damages. "How did you know that would work?"
"An educated consideration of previous encounters of the beasts attack." He explained with a large smirk. Steve sighed and looked toward the heavens.
"In other words, you guessed. Stark, I swear, one of these days, you're going to get yourself killed." He said shaking his head.
"Of course I won't. On the rare occasion I am wrong, you'll always be there to yell at me then pull my ass from the fire."
"I'm really starting to wonder why I spend so much of my time with you." Steve groaned climbing over the grate.
"What you should be wondering is who brought this monstrosity to life." Stark muttered, slipping a piece of the gargoyle into his pocket. Fury and his right hand man Phillip Coulson arrived, both toting shotguns.
"What in Sam hell happened here?" Fury demanded looking around at the stone scattered amongst the street with his left eye. The man had his right cut out after an unfortunate accident involving a rabid wolverine.
"Impeccable timing Fury. We were just about to call for a cleaning crew." Stark smiled cheekily. Fury narrowed his eye.
"Care to tell me why you shut that gate when we had almost had it?" He demanded as Coulson started to talk excitedly to Steve.
"Well if I hadn't it would have switched targets and you would be joining your other eye." Fury glared angrily but said nothing. Steve slipped away from Coulson and the pair left the matter to the police. After they had gotten out of ear shot, Tony smirked. "So what did the fan boy want this time?" Steve groaned and slapped a hand over his face.
"Lieutenant Coulson is a good man, but all he ever wants to talk about is my time in the war." Tony snickered and lit his pipe.
The flat was meticulously cared for and the meals were always hot and delicious. Rogers really had no clue how they managed to afford it, but the housekeeper had yet to kick them out which was something she threatened to do at least twice a day, so they must have been able to scrap together at least the rent. However, after spending two weeks straight shut up in the place, Steve had no clue how Stark managed a third week in solitary. As he opened the door to Stark's personal room, the stench of unwashed skin assaulted his nose.
"Ugh, how do you stand it?" Rogers asked, his eyes watering as he crinkled his nose in disgust. Tony poked his head out from a bundle of sheets and pillows.
"Rogers! So glad you're here! I am in the process of developing a new type of lamp that uses the energy from the sun!" He raved proudly. He held up a strange device that had a black panel on the top.
"Stark. How long have you been in here?" The brunette glanced around the room.
"A few days." He said uncertainly. Steve shook his head and ripped open the curtains. "AAAAHHH! Rogers, be gentle with me, please I- AAAAHHH!" Stark cried ducking back underneath the bundle of cloth.
"Don't be a baby." Steve snapped, opening the other blinds and cranked open every window in the room. "Here, come take the paper."
"Ugh, thank you." Stark crawled slowly out from under his mound of blankets and squinted at Steve in a typical matter. Steve smiled at his blood brother, clearing a space on his cluttered desk before situating himself on it. He picked up a small pile of hand written notes and crossed his partially dangling legs.
"It's been two months since our last case Stark. Don't you think it's time we found a new one?"
"I couldn't agree more Rogers. Give me riddles, give me work." Steve bit his lip to repress his laughter as he heard Stark tumble to the floor. He landed on his back and as he rolled over to crawl toward Rogers, Steve began going through the pile of cases.
"Alright. Hm… One Mrs. Townsend's three cats have escaped."
"Her niece took them for the weekend to Brighton." Steve raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Alright… Ah! Mr. Illess has filed a missing report for his seventeen year old son."
"He's sleeping off a hangover in the basement of the Shield telegraph office." There was a quick knock at the door before it creaked open giving Stark a reason to interrupt his partner.
"There is only one case right now that intrigues me. The curious case of Miss Potts." Patricia Potts was a twenty five year old women with long red hair tied up in a bun. She was also the only person to ever manage serving Rogers and Stark for more than a week… In fact she lasted two whole years.
"I've watched the maid's comings and goings with interest and I must say her activities seem most… sinister." Patricia let out a small smile while rolling her eyes.
"Tea, Mr. Stark."
"Is it poisoned? Pepper." Patricia rolled her eyes again and began clearing his old dishes. She spotted Jarvis lying in the corner of the room, immobile.
"Stark what have you done to Jarvis?!" Pepper checked the terrier's pulse and sighed, shaking her head. She picked up her tray again and began to leave the room. "Great, he's killed the dog… Again."
"Actually Pepper, he is an American Staffordshire, not just a dog." Pepper gave him a look and continued on her way out. Stark went back to reading the paper as Steve watched him. He had been smiling throughout the entire conversation.
"Have you proposed yet?" Stark sat straight up and glared at his blood brother with a glare that rivaled a bats. Steve just smiled again and continued to look through the stack of cases.
"Propose? To Pepper? My lord, Rogers your Natasha has better manners." Steve started coughing and Stark sat back down with a satisfied smirk.
"She isn't my anything-"
"Yet." Steve looked heavenwards and sighed in annoyance. Steve read a particularly short case note and froze. Only when he had stayed so for over a minute did Stark bother turning.
"Something wrong Captain?" Steve looked up at him and the corner of his mouth hitched up slightly.
"Mr. Banner has sent you a calling card Stark. Again. And he says it's urgent."