Game?
By TheAnomally
Tony Stark was not much one for sleep; he was an avid collector of power naps, but not a straight eight hours sleeper. When he wasn't pestering Pepper, flying around in his super suit, or annoying the other members of the Avenger team, he could be found in his lab. His mind was a Rubick's cube, all his ideas twisted and turned into more ideas. His latest gadget would help with information gathering, and other recon endeavors. He was surprised S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't come up with something like this sooner, or maybe they had and it had not worked out well. He had even tested it already by using Steve, Bruce, and even Thor as unsuspecting subjects. In Tony's mind it was their fault for being heavy sleepers, or even sleeping in general. Using energy it tapped into the person's memory and projected the image on any screen JARVIS could access. He had already learned what occurred in the test when Steve became Captain America; from the man's own recollection, even though the others' eyes. Same with Banner, up until he Hulked out for the first time. Thor's memories were of Jane, his home, his Father, and Loki; no secret there. The only ones in the Tower he had not tried it on was Natasha and Clint, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Those two moved as silent as cats, and never seemed to be off guard at any time. He flipped the dime sized metal pog around his fingers, and tried to think up how to get it on the Hawk and Spider.
- Weeks Later—
Tony moved his hands around the screen trashing all his drunken ideas, and filing the good ones under things to think more about later WHILE drunk.
Pepper strode in with a tablet in her hands, "Tony we still need your OK…"
"When I made you head honcho of my company it was so you would not need me to you know….do all this boring stuff." He quipped.
She did not respond with her usual sarcasm because she was staring at the wall behind Tony. It was pock marked with holes, burn marks, and other visible damage. Each hole, crack, scorch mark, and dent was numbered with different values. The closer to Tony's the destruction got the higher the number.
She blinked. "What's going on here?"
"None of your business." He said not really meaning it.
She wasn't having any of it. "Who have you been annoying?"
"Me?! " He said in his most innocent voice. "Why I resent that implication, Ms. Potts." He said like a spoiled teenager.
She held her ground. "Tony..."
"Fine! I'm not saying it was me, but someone may have tried to do some stuff to some rather stubborn people, but I am not saying it was me, but it's for science and all, and they are being…well…uncooperative. " Tony spilled. "VERY UNCOOPERATIVE!" He then finished looked at the wall behind him.
She then laughed a bit. "Uh-huh and all this is…what…protestation, or in your words false accusation?"
"You could say that, but I made a game of it…" He said.
Pepper shook her head. "Everything is a game to you."
"Life is a game baby, better grab a game piece and join right in, or you'll never win." He quipped with a silly grin.
Pepper shook her head again and turned to go. "So who's winning in your little sport."
Tony was about to answer when a bolt sailed a breath's away from his head and imbedded itself in the wall behind him. Pepper watched in partial shock, and amazement. She had heard nothing, not the shot or the arrow itself. Tony smiled he had seen nothing as well as heard nothing.
"With that addition, Robin Hood takes the lead." Tony joked after taking measurements and calculating the values.
Pepper sighed. "You're lucky he missed."
"He never misses." Natasha said from behind Pepper.
Pepper jumped visibly and Tony backed towards the other exit. "Natasha I didn't hear you come in."
The red headed assassin smiled at Pepper Potts as is to silently transmit, that's the point, to the blond.
Pepper side stepped the other woman. "Tony approvals on the new designs, and try not to…" She trailed off since Tony was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't worry I'll pass on your message to him." Black Widow said as she strutted towards the other door.
Pepper nodded a little spooked by both Clint and Natasha; it was unnerving how they could move so stealthily. "Try not to kill him, I still need him this weekend for a banquet!" she called after the red-head. "No face or head shots, I can cover up the rest with a tux!" She added with a laugh.
Tony was playing with fire messing with those two.