Here is the next chapter! I must admit, it is dialogue heavy, but important for setting the stage on Earth. Anyways, enjoy!
Song: Hells Bells by ACDC
"Friday? Double check the fuel line for me".
A moment's silence. Then, "Fuel line unimpaired, Sir".
Tony scratched his chin, mind whirling a mile a minute. "We've replaced everything with new parts, Friday. Why won't this work?"
"Perhaps because some things are unsalvageable, even for you".
Stark snorted, a glimpse of amusement quickly replaced by frustration. "Very funny, Friday. What if we don't use new parts? Check the carburetor. Replace it with Stark tech instead, run the simulation again".
Silence again. Then, "That will do it, Sir. I estimate the car will run at 80% efficiency with that adjustment".
He grimaced. 80% was still unacceptable, but it would have to do for now. "Have manufacturing set one aside and deliver it to the complex. Let Peter know I've fixed his car problem". Flicking the holographic display away, he muttered, "Though I'm not sure why he even bothers with that ancient piece of junk".
"Karen has been notified, Sir. Peter will pick it up on Friday when he comes for training".
That's right. Training. AKA make sure the kid is still alive and kicking and making smart choices. Operating in that grey area Tony had told him about. "Good. Write a reminder. Anything else?"
"Ms. Potts would like a word".
Tony quickly rolled out from under his desk, an old coffee in his hand and grease stains on his t-shirt. Dumping both in the sink, he shimmied into his business suit and took the stairs two at a time. A man who wanted to stay alive didn't keep Ms. Potts waiting. Particularly if he planned to marry her in the fall. An elevator ride and half a floor later, he pushed open glass doors (which were pointless, but whatever) and bounded into Pepper's Avengers Headquarters office. "Hi Honey. How was work?"
And oops, Pepper was glaring at him now. That was never a good sign. "Tony, I needed your signature on these catering forms three days ago. And Secretary Ross has been calling Stark Industries, since apparently you have been 'unavailable' for two weeks".
"What can I say? I like watching the light blink".
"Yeah, well, you're on thin ice already after the Siberia incident".
"Can we please stop calling it an incident? It was almost two years ago. Plus, as I told everyone, Sam sent me on a wild goose chase to Siberia, leaving Captain America to free his merry band of miscreants from the Raft…"
Pepper glared at him, shutting him up in a way only she could. "Don't give me that crap, Tony. I understand that you had to…alter the truth a bit for Ross. But you told me everything. And both you and I know it was an incident. It doesn't matter at the moment though. Sign off on the catering and call Secretary Ross back. Right now".
Tony sighed and grabbed a pen. "Yes dear".
His beautiful and talented fiancé tapped a delicate fingernail on the desk. "Anything unusual this week?"
Tony snorted. Like she hadn't already browsed his calendar. "Nope. Tomorrow is the regular Tuesday tooth-pulling with the UN Security Council, Wednesday is devoted to Stark Industries, Friday is team training. Peter is coming to that".
Pepper hesitated. Oh no. "I received a call from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Selvig has a matter of great importance he would like to discuss with you…"
"Oh no. No, Pepper. You know that man gives me the heebie jeebies".
"If it's because of Loki…"
"It has…very little to do with Loki. It has more to do with his lack of pants and crazy theories about Asgardian…"
"Oh, like you are always politically correct. Of all people, he should be able to confide in you because…"
"Just because I'm more open minded than the rest of the scientific community doesn't mean that I will buy every crackpot theory…"
"He thinks he knows where Thor is. The Avengers…"
"Oh yeah, I'm just going to pop into Asgard and grab Thor. Or send him an interdimensional message! And what would I even say? Come back to Earth, Thor! Half our teammates are fugitives and the rest are depressed and dysfunctional? Please sign this binding document from Earth that won't let you come and go as you please? How well do you think that will go over Pepper? Huh?"
Tony sucked in deep breaths, purposefully not looking at Pepper as her glare softened. "I can't lose another friend".
"I know, Tony. I'm not asking you to contact Thor. I'm asking you to listen to a colleague. Plus, it's your job to monitor all potential threats. And Selvig seems to think there's a threat".
Tony sighed. Contrary to popular opinion, he did know when to give in. "Fine, schedule him in, Friday. For Tuesday morning. Might as well get all the unpleasantness over with in one day. Oh! And ask him to bring taser girl with him…Darby. Sometimes she's the only thing that keeps me from locking him in the freezer".
"Very well, Sir. Dr. Selvig and Darcy will come to Avengers Headquarters tomorrow morning".
Pepper positively beamed at him. He scowled at her, but she wasn't convinced. She could read right through his PR face. The fiend then handed him the phone.
"Ross, then dinner".
"Dinner, then Ross?" Tony tried, knowing full well it wouldn't work. Pepper merely kissed him on the cheek and pointed to the phone before walking out the door. He sighed, then dialed. And instantly regretted it.
"Well if it isn't the Iron Man. If I had known calling Potts would get this result, I would have done that two weeks ago".
"Ross. I have ten minutes. What do you want? It can't be all that important since you haven't show up unannounced yet".
"I need a meeting with you all".
"You all?"
"The Avengers, Stark. Don't get smart".
"Too late for that" Tony quipped as he tossed Pepper's smiley face stress ball in the air. If he had to call Ross, he was going to make it as amusing as possible.
"Look, I have a mission for you guys".
Tony frowned, pausing for a moment. "Really? The UN didn't mention anything about it".
Ross hesitated. Then, "The UN hasn't discussed this particular issue. But I am sure they would be amendable to the idea…"
"Let me stop you right there, Ross. The whole purpose of the Sokovia Accords was accountability, not to use the Avengers as the US's personal special ops. If the UN hasn't sanctioned it, we aren't doing it".
"We found Wanda, Tony. I want you guys to bring her in". Well, that was awful. Tony had done a really good job of ignoring the old Avengers, even when Friday picked up trails of them across the world. They weren't his responsibility until the UN told him they were. He was a billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist after all. Not an attack dog.
"No. If I have to deal with the boring and tedious UN paperwork, so do you. File a motion, get them to sign off on it, and then I will happily bring Ms. Maximoff to justice in accordance with international law and the Rome Statute…"
"We don't have time for that Stark…"
"Yes, we do. Remember what happened last time you told me to bring her in? Without explicit UN clearance? You stuck her in a prison in the middle of the ocean with a shockcollar. I didn't sign because I liked the government or you, Ross. I signed because it was the right thing to do. So the Avengers are going to operate in accordance with international law. They're my bosses, Ross. Not you".
Silence from the other end of the line. Finally, "I would have thought you would want her brought to justice just as much as me".
Tony thought about Ross's previous career in the army, the redacted military records from Ross's "special projects" (including the Hulk), his political invulnerability. He didn't think Secretary Ross was particularly interested in bringing her to "justice".
"Get UN approval, Ross. Then we can talk". Tony hung up. He stretched, then meandered to the window overlooking the compound. The Avenger's support staff were running laps around the complex along with Rodey. Finally, after two long years of research and failed prototypes, Tony created technology that enabled the man to function like he used to. It was worth the hours and sweat and tears to see his friend running along with old military buddies, obviously very pleased with his place in the world.
Tony remembered standing here three years ago, looking over the compound with hope and determination and if he was being honest, a bit of trepidation.
I'm going to miss him though. And you're going to miss me. It's going to be a lot of manful tears.
I will miss you, Tony.
Yeah, but it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I'll take a page out of Barton's book. Build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up.
Suddenly, he felt very alone.
Walking away from the window (not because of any feelings, just because he felt like it, okay?), Tony headed back down to his lab before flying to New York City for dinner with Pepper. Holographic designs and test results filled the air, Friday running simulations constantly.
"How's project Extremis coming, Friday?"
"Simulations have yet to find a solution to your ignition problem. However, I am only part way through your parameters". Friday sounded almost sympathetic. Which was weird, that used to be Jarvis's territory. Friday was more sassy and biting.
"Keep running simulations until all the parameters have been accounted for. Let me know if any come through as successes. I'm going to dinner. Don't wait up for me, honey".
"Of course, Sir. Have fun".
Tony shivered as he walked through the metal detector. He knew that selling Stark (Avengers) Tower was the right decision, but he missed the ease of owning his own building in New York City. The building security was necessary, as there were celebrities and businessmen like himself who owned apartments here. That didn't make it any less annoying.
"Sir? The detector is going off". Wow, thanks for that observation. Tony merely looked over his shades, eyebrow raised. The security guard showed no signs of recognition. With a petulant eye roll, Tony stepped aside and removed his glasses.
"There's metal in my body from medical procedures. I made that clear to the security team when we bought the apartment. Do you need to see my paperwork? Friday…"
Tony ignored the paling man's stuttered apologies as he pulled his tablet from the conveyor belt. "Friday, look alive. I need the medical paperwork for this pinhead".
"Right away, Sir". And lookie there, the security guy jumped and grabbed the hilt of his gun at the disembodied voice. Where did they find this idiots? Did they just pluck this guy off the street and stuff him in a uniform? Why was everyone so slow these days? Tony was distracted from the deterioration of the human race by the ping of documents loaded on his Starklet. He shoved them in the security guard's face, who barely looked at them before gesturing Tony through. Screw under the radar. Next time he was landing on the roof.
"So sorry Mr. Stark sir".
"Your manager will be hearing about this, young man". God, he sounded like a geezer. Couldn't have that. "Never mind. Just, don't accost me next time and we won't have to deal with this again".
The man gulped and nodded so much Tony was sure his head would pop right off. A raised eyebrow and a pat on the shoulder later, he was in the elevator that lead directly to the penthouse. Viciously removing his tie, he looked at himself in the glass interior of the elevator. Didn't look bad for all the crap he had going on. Needed to find something for the bags under his eyes. Maybe there was a supplement or something? Pepper would know.
Speaking of his fiancé, she was cooking dinner when he walked through the door. Gosh she was beautiful, in her oversized sweatpants and Stark Industries t-shirt. The speakers were blasting rock as she danced around the kitchen. No one else got to see her like this. Sure, Pepper was a force to be reckoned with. But she was also a lot of fun, once you got the perfectly tailored business suit off her. He snuck up on her as best he was able (he was pretty sure she let him) and grabbed her from the back, sweeping her into a bear hug. She swatted him and set the hot pan down.
"Tony! I'm cooking".
"I noticed". Tony was momentarily distracted from Pepper by the concoction in the pan. He grabbed the spoon and went in for a taste, only to have the spoon stolen by Pepper. Unacceptable. He chased after Pepper, intent on tickling her until the food was relinquished when he was interrupted by his phone pinging. Pepper smirked and gestured towards the device before returning to her cooking.
"Ugh if this is Ross, I don't care that he is the Secretary of State, I am going to leave him on hold forever".
But the caller ID wasn't a government number, or a burner. It wasn't even a phone call. It was an update from his apartment's security system.
System rebooted. Did this solve your problem? [yes] [no]
Tony glanced sharply at Pepper. "Hon? Were you having problems with the security system?"
She frowned, tuned into his worried expression. "No. Why?"
Tony's mind was working a mile a minute. If there was a problem, Friday would have notified him and taken care of it. Why was the system manually rebooting? Unless someone was covering their tracks without knowing the extent of his system. Or the system was triggered without Friday picking up on it. Forcing himself to remain calm, he walked leisurely towards the kitchen. "I'm sure it's nothing, dear. Just got a notification that it had been updated".
Pepper's eyes widened with alarm as he walked over and pretended to look for another spoon. His left hand was rummaging through the drawer while his right was sending instructions to Friday. The AI ran thermal scans all over the penthouse, then silently sent Tony the results. Three thermal images. Two in the kitchen, one in the master bathroom. He grabbed his wristbands from the kitchen counter and activated his watch, which formed into a gauntlet over his hand. He motioned for Pepper to stay put, which she promptly ignored (no surprise), grabbing a Glock from under the counter. Before the whole Sokovia Accords snafu, Natasha had been teaching Pepper to use one, as well as stashing them all over their tower. Apparently Pepper had picked up the habit. Double incentive not to piss her off anytime soon. And he definitely needed to thank Natasha before he arrested her, because his fiancé looked hot with a handgun. Focus Tony. Threat. Bathroom. Right.
He crept around the doorway into their master suite, Friday indicating the intruder was still in the bathroom. Tony inched the door open, gauntlet at the ready and Friday posed to send a suit to him…
He paused. Stared at the intruder. Blinked a couple times. Looked at Pepper. Yup, she was seeing the same thing. He wasn't crazy (or at least no more than usual).
Which begged the question: why was the Scarlet Witch in his bathtub? The girl was sleeping, arm positioned protectively over her side. On closer inspection, there was blood seeping through her jacket, slowly dripping down the drain. Tony poked her (sue him, he didn't know how to deal with young adult fugitives showing up bleeding in his house) and oops there she went. Wanda banged her head on the tub spout, hand at the ready to do, whatever it was she did. She lowered her hand once she saw Tony and Pepper, rubbing the back of her head instead and wincing when the movement pulled at her wound. Tony waved with his gauntlet, then positioned the stabilizer so it wasn't pointed at his former teammate.
"Hey Stark".
"Wanda?" Tony was honestly at a loss for words. Which was quite the achievement. She should get a metal. He had received awards for less difficult tasks. "Why are you here? You do know the American government doesn't like you, right?"
Pepper nailed him in the ribs with her bony elbow. Okay, that was maybe insensitive when the girl was bleeding out in his bathtub. But if it bothered Wanda, she didn't say. Merely gestured to her side and shrugged.
"I didn't have many options. And you needed to be warned, so I thought I would down two birds with one bullet".
Eh. Close enough. Wait, "Warned?"
The Scarlet Witch grimaced, "Yeah. He's coming. For Vision, for the sorcerer, for the soul keepers, for Earth".
"Who?" Pepper was kneeling by her now, helping to stem the blood flow as she called up an old nurse friend of hers to help. Discretely of course. "Who's coming?"
"Earth's doom. Death itself". Well, that sounded great. But she wasn't done yet, "The Gauntlet approaches. Beware" she was whispering now, eyes steadily glowing red, "beware the Mad Titan. Or perish".
Silence. "Okay. Thank you for that extremely vague and terrifying declaration. What am I supposed to do about it?"
Wanda just shrugged, "I don't know. That is more your territory, Stark, playing games with politicians. My powers have given me the warning. My purpose is merely to pass the information on".
Pepper glared at him, prompting Tony to move aside as she gathered first aid supplies. "Alright, Wanda. Don't worry about that right now. We are going to get you fixed up here". Good, Pepper was much more soothing than him.
"Yeah and pray Ross doesn't find out" Tony muttered under his breath, retracting his watch gauntlet. "This was a horrible idea, Wanda. You already popped up on the US's radar. I managed to put Ross off for now, but soon enough he will go to the UN and my hands will be tied". Woo-hoo, way to go with the comforting thing, Tony.
Wanda stared at him for a moment, looking like a lost kid. "Wait, so you won't arrest me?"
Tony's breath left him, eyebrows furrowing. "No. The UN hasn't told me to apprehend you, so I am not legally bound to do anything".
Wanda's face relaxed as she slumped further into the tub, "I thought you would want to bring me in. You don't think I'm a monster for not signing? For Lagos?"
Was that truly what she thought of him? Was that what Steve's whole team thought of him? Did his (ex)friends really not know him at all? He ignored the bitter sting of betrayal (because she already betrayed him, he couldn't be more betrayed, right?) and focused on consoling the poor girl, "No, Wanda. I believe oversight is the right thing. So I signed. You made my life difficult, Wanda, but that doesn't make you a monster. As long as you aren't actively disobeying the Sokovia Accords, I am perfectly happy to leave you alone. In fact, in my mind, you chose to retire. So there's no reason to bring you in or even alert the UN or Ross to your presence".
She nodded slowly, then lifted her jacket for Pepper to look at. "Thank you, Tony". He heard the unsaid apology in her tone, the mild undertone of surprise that made his heart warm just a little. Never mind about the Earth's doom or whatever. Screw Ross and the UN meetings and Asgard and the endless simulations to fix his problems. He could deal with that tomorrow. Right now, he would bask in the knowledge that one his teammates had come home.
