A/N All right we are almost done. There's just an epilogue after this. We finally have some action so those of you waiting for that hopefully this will satisfy. I know nothing about bombs and bomb diffusion so just know that anything regarding that in this chapter is complete fiction.
Thanks once again to all those who alerted, faved, and reviewed!
Chapter 5
The next day saw the team doing much the same as they had the day before. They decided it would be a good idea for each of them to take the same place as the previous day since they were already familiar with the people they were watching.
"All right, same drill as yesterday. Keep an eye on your targets and be on the look out for accomplices. We don't know how many others there might be," Phil told them. "Once again, keep comms on but keep Clint's incoming off unless necessary."
There were nods all around as they set off for their assignments once more.
At the archery field, Tony was keeping his eyes on the 'slightly creep guy' while Clint won his matches. About midway through the day the shifty guy unobtrusively left the stands. Tony inconspicuously watched him until the man disappeared around a turn. Tony debated whether to follow him or not. He was just about to inform Clint and the others, when the guy came back. He was carrying what appeared to be a small box but the man's arms were covering it and Tony couldn't make out exactly what it was. Whatever it was, though, Tony had a feeling it wasn't good, or innocent for that matter.
For the moment Tony stayed where he was, watching to see what the guy would do. The man eased over by a trash can and started fiddling with the box in his arms. The guy wasn't doing anything obvious and Tony wouldn't have paid any attention to him if he hadn't already been watching the guy. As it was, Tony was scrutinizing his every move. The man seemed to be doing something with whatever was in the box. It wasn't until Tony saw a couple wires poke out of the box that his alarms started going off.
Tony reached up and touched his earpiece. "Clint behind you, five o'clock," he said quietly.
Clint inconspicuously turned and glanced over his shoulder before turning back. "I see him," he whispered.
"Can you see what's in the box?" Tony asked.
Clint took another subtle look. He was at just the right angle to see what the guy was holding. It wasn't an alarm clock taped to sticks of dynamite but Clint knew a bomb when he saw one.
"Tony! He's got a bomb!" Clint hissed. He heard Tony curse under his breath.
The guy looked up and saw Clint looking at him. The archer jerked back around but it was too late.
"Tony, I think he made me," Clint said and Tony cursed again.
Before either of them could say anything, though, the guy apparently finished what he was doing and threw the box into the trash. Then he proceeded to pull out a gun, and not just some pistol, but what looked like an assault rifle, from out of nowhere.
"Clint behind you!" Tony called.
Clint was ready. He already had an arrow out for, what most people would assume was his next shot and it was, just not at the archery target. He swung around his bow already drawn and fired at the guy. His arrow like all of the others hit exactly where he was aiming. The man fell having never fired a shot. There were screams from the crowd as they first saw the arrow kill the man then noticed the gun.
Tony was already moving through the people toward the field, when suddenly five more men came running out of the crowd bearing guns. People ran in all directions, trying to get away from the men. Tony leapt out of the stands and onto the field calling the suit as he did so. In seconds he was suited up and ready to fight. And not a moment too soon, as the men opened fire, mostly on him. He began shooting his repulsors, taking them out while, at the same time, Clint began loosing arrows. In a matter of seconds they had taken out every last man.
"Guys we had a bit of a situation but we've got it mostly handled now," Tony said through he comms as he moved toward the trash can.
"Good then your free to offer some help," Bruce said. "I've got my own situation here and I really would prefer to not let 'the other guy' out if I have a choice.
"Sorry, Brucey, but I said we have it mostly handled, but there's still the small matter of the bomb I need to disarm. Maybe Cap can help," Tony said.
"I'm kind of in the middle of something myself," Steve said. In the background they could here the clang of Steve's shield hitting something, or probably someone.
"Okay. Then how about Point Break?"
"I too am engaged in combat," was Thor's reply.
Tony reached the trash can and pulled out the bomb and began examining it.
"Phil? Natasha?" he asked.
"We have a bomb of our own to deal with," Natasha said.
"Okay that means for the moment we are all on our own," Tony said. "Bruce, I'll be there as soon as I can but in the mean time your gonna have to let Jolly Green out."
"Tony-" Bruce began but Tony cut off his worried protest.
"It'll be all right, Bruce. He won't hurt anybody. I know it," Tony said with such conviction that Bruce believed it too. "Just trust me."
The next sound they heard over the comms was the Hulk's roar.
"Hey, Big Guy. All right, smash the bad guys but don't hurt anyone else, okay?" Tony said over the comms.
He heard a grunt from the Hulk and took it as an affirmative. Tony returned his attention to the bomb he was holding. He retracted his helmet to get a better look at it. After a moment he began to tweak the wires on the bomb. A second later, Clint appeared beside him.
"Can you disarm it?"
"Yeah, no problem," Tony replied.
Clint scanned the field for anymore threats. There were none but he noticed a few camera men still filming.
"You know, all this is probably going to be all over the news tomorrow morning," he said to Tony.
"Tomorrow? Oh, it's not gonna take them that long, Birdie. I wouldn't be surprised if this was live on every channel on the planet already," Tony scoffed.
"Oh, that's great. Let all the kids watch the Avengers kill a bunch of people," Clint said.
"Ah, a little therapy and they'll be fine. Kids bounce back fast," Tony said offhandedly.
"If I ever have kids, remind me to never leave them with you." Clint said causing Tony to smirk.
Tony twisted some wires on the bomb and it let out a soft beep.
"There, all done," Tony said, setting the bomb down. "Progress report?" Tony asked through the comms.
"We're clear," Phil said. "Bomb disarmed and subjects taken care of."
"I have dispatched these cowards," Thor boomed.
"Was there a bomb?" Tony asked.
"They did not have the chance to activate it."
"Good. Cap, how bout you?"
"Uh, the guys are not a threat but they may have armed their bomb first, and I may not know how to disarm it," Steve answered.
"All right, I'm on my way," Tony said. "Clint you stay here and guard this until bomb disposal gets here," Tony said pointing at the disarmed explosive.
At Clint's nod Tony took to the skies. He was halfway to The Gymnastics Center when he heard Bruce speak over the comms.
"Guys."
"Hey, Bruce nice to have you back with us. How'd it go?" Tony asked.
"The other guy took out the men and, amazingly, didn't hurt anybody else or cause too much destruction, but we do have a little problem."
"What?" Tony asked, hearing the alarm in Bruce's voice.
"There's a bomb."
Tony cursed.
"All right, I'm closer to The Aquatic Center. I'll stop there first," Tony said as he rocketed toward Bruce's location.
"Um, Tony?" Steve's voice came over the comms. "I don't think you're going to have time to do both."
Tony cursed again. "Okay. Cap, you're going to have to disarm it."
"What?" Steve shrieked. "Tony, I have no idea what I'm doing! I'll blow us all up!"
"Don't worry I'll walk you through it," Tony assured.
"Tony-"
"Steve, just trust me, okay?"
"Okay. Tell me what to do."
Tony landed next to Bruce (who had borrowed one of the swimmers' towels to wrap around himself) in The Aquatic Center via the new sunroof (at least that's what Tony would call the hole he just punched in the ceiling). His helmet once again retracted as he knelt down next to the device.
"Okay Steve. You should see six wires. Two red, one yellow, one blue, one green, and one black.
"Yeah, I see them."
"Good. The two red wires, one running across the top, the other on the bottom."
"Right."
"Okay. Cut and strip the top red one," Tony said doing the same to his own bomb.
"Done."
"Now, cut the green one but what ever you do, don't touch the black one," Tony stressed.
"Why? What happens if I touch the black one?"
"We all go boom," Tony replied.
"So black is bad. Good to know," Steve said nervously. "All right, I cut the green one."
"Good. Now attach the red and green wires. You should hear a soft beep and you're done."
"Got it."
"All righty, ladies and gents, we are done, and since we, and everybody else, are all still alive I'd say this was a success. Feel free to do a victory dance," Tony said speaking to the rest of the team. He saw Bruce roll his eyes and he could practically feel the others do the same.
"Are we sure there were no other targets?" Phil asked.
"Don't worry. I had Jarvis scan the area as I flew over. He didn't detect any more explosives," Tony replied.
"Good. SHEILD agents will be here soon to clean this up. Until then everybody stay where you are. Once we're done, meet up at the hotel. And good work people."