Chapter 2

After two freeway exits and countless tears, Pepper gathered herself together. Crying wouldn't help the situation. She needed to approach this from an angle that she could understand. She needed to be in control. She needed a plan. A damn good one. Who better to devise a plan than the CEO of a successful multi-national conglomerate? Contrary to popular belief, Stark Industries did not run itself. Nor was it run by the girlfriend of the founder's son. Well, it was, but that girl had a name, she had brains, and she took responsibility for her actions. It was time for Pepper Potts to make a real name for herself, even if the world at large never found out what she did.

It took her 20 minutes to back track and drive around the neighborhood in circles to make sure she wasn't followed. By the time she got to the well-appointed bungalow, Pepper felt she had designed the best possible rescue mission she was capable of attempting to pull off. She had no military training, no tactical skills, with the notable exception of her improving handgun skills, and no access to reliable information. But, she had back up.

A firm knock on the front door brought her face-to-face with a surprised Happy Hogan. "Hi, Pep-, oh, ah, are we on the clock here?" he asked as he questioned the use of her first name as opposed to the more formal "Ms. Potts" if they were working.

Pushing past him into his home, Pepper sighed heavily, "Oh, Happy. I don't know about on the clock, but I can tell you that I'm off my rocker."

He closed and locked the door and followed Pepper into the living room where she was standing perfectly still and her eyes trained on him. He muted the LA Dodger's game on the TV. Whatever brought her here must be important.

"Happy, I have to ask you for your help. What I'm about to tell you is beyond top secret and not even I can comprehend how dangerous it is. I have to know if you're willing to back me up and be a part of something that could turn out very, very badly."

"Can I say no?"

"Oh, Happy, of course you can. In fact, you would ease my conscience if you did."

"I was kidding, Pepper," Happy countered. "Whatever you've got going on, if you think you need my help then there's no way I'm leaving you hanging."

Her eyes filled with tears again. She bit back the urge to let them fall. Time to toughen up. If this succeeds then you can cry tears of joy for weeks; if it fails then you can cry tears of sorrow until your dying day - she told herself. Until then, turn the emotion switch to "off."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes Happy could tell there was something different about her. She was still the attractive, consummate business professional she always was, but there was an edge to her now. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he figured he was getting involved in something important. Something big. And she began to speak.

When she was done, Happy couldn't remember when he'd sat down. He had no idea the weight they were about to bear. Her encounter with Natasha at the mansion, the office, and the safe house, the involvement of AIM and SHIELD in an attempt to assassinate the Avengers, my God especially Tony, and her unbelievable plan to rescue Clint from the facility - what had he agreed to?

"Well, what do you think?" Pepper asked hopefully.

"Honestly, I think it sounds like a Mad Magazine parody mash-up of a 007 and Bourne Identity script. I think it's nuts. I think it's so nuts that it just might work." Happy picked up the remote and switched off the TV. "Should I call and get the jet ready for a flight to New York?"

Pepper allowed herself a very small smile. "Yes, but we're going to leave for the airport now. We'll stop somewhere on the way and pick up Track Phones so we don't use our personal cell phones. I don't know about yours, but mine is probably hacked. Use the new phones to contact only the necessary personnel. We don't need a cabin crew - just a pilot and co-pilot. Don't file the flight plan until the very last minute. In fact, let's fly into Newark, not JFK. We can rent a regular car to get to the Tower and then pick up the supplies from there."

"Ah, I know we're on our own from here on out, but don't you think we should contact Tony and tell him something? If he finds out his jet is gone, things could get weird. Well, weirdER."

"Leave Tony to me," said Pepper confidently.

Happy nodded and got up from the couch. He disappeared into his room to gather a bag of clothes for the trip.

Tony. What was she going to tell Tony?

She walked into the kitchen and pressed his speed dial number. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Oh, crap. She didn't plan on leaving a message. Four ring- "Pepper Potts? The one and only Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries?" came his voice over the phone. She smiled in spite of the dire situation she found herself in. She had to fix this. Had to make sure this man, her best friend, her lover, her future remained unharmed. And that he remained completely in the dark about her risking her life for him.

"Lucky for you, it is."

"Yep, I am lucky. I'm so lucky, in fact, that I don't even know how lucky I am."

"Tony, that makes no sense."

"Makes perfect sense to me, Potts. Shall I break it down for you?"

"No, no, not right now. But, maybe when I get back you can explain it to me."

"Back from where?" asked Tony with a slight edge to his voice.

"Back from New York. I have to fly out there tonight and put out a fire first thing tomorrow morning. It all started when the -" Pepper began to explain.

Tony immediately cut her off as she knew he would. "Ah, hey, Pep, you know it's not that I don't care about the details, but I just don't care about the details. I trust you with my company. If you think you need to be in New York tomorrow Ms. Potts, then you need to be there."

Pepper was momentarily overcome with emotion. Toughen up! "Well, Mr. Stark, I can't tell you what that vote of confidence from you means to me. You can rest comfortably knowing that I will successfully complete the mission."

"The mission?" laughed Tony. "Do you think you're an Avenger now? Hey, God knows we could use a set of brains to that operation. I think I'll suggest that to Fury."

"No!" Shouted Pepper. Get it together Potts. She chuckled into the phone, "Well, I mean no sense in dragging his sorry ass into legitimate business dealings. Let's leave covert ops to him and transparent corporate details to me, ok?"

"Gladly. Think you'll have it wrapped it up in time to be back for the weekend?" he asked with a seductive tone.

"I'll have to have this wrapped up long before then," she said, sounding ominous to her own ears. And added, "And we can make up for lost time."

"You drive a hard bargain, Potts. Go get 'em in New York. They don't stand a chance against you. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have you on my side?"

"You're so lucky, you don't even know how lucky you are," she sighed. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

Tony let out a genuine laugh. "Have a safe trip, Ms. Potts. That will be all." He hung up.

She heard Happy come out of the room and drop his bag. He was dressed in gray sweatpants, a black hoodie, and white sneakers. He asked, "Are you ok?"

She thought about it for a quick moment and replied, "Actually, I am. He believes in me. Tony believes I can do anything. I want to prove him right. I want to save their lives."

He responded, "Then let's get across the country. We have an Avenger to rescue."

To be continued...