Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the "Avengers." They belong to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, and a bunch of people way cooler and much better writers than me. I also don't own the characters from "Mission: Impossible." I think they're property of Paramount.
CHAPTER NINE
Baltimore
James Madison Elementary School
"My name is Mr. Rook, and I'll be your teacher today. Miss Hargreaves has the flu. Let's start by taking attendance."
It didn't take the bespectacled teacher long to get to the B's. "Clinton Brandt?"
"Here," Will answered for his brother.
"William Brandt?"
"Here," Clint replied.
Mr. Rook looked up for a moment from the roster and his mouth dropped into a small O. "Wow," he said. "Identical twins huh? Crazy."
Will and Clint both shrugged identical shrugs. Wasn't the first time they'd heard that and it sure wouldn't be the last.
Attendance ended without incident. Then Mr. Rook asked the class to open up their reading books. "Will someone please read paragraph one aloud?" He checked his attendance sheet. "Clinton?"
"Chapter One-" Clint began, glancing at his brother out of the corner of his eye.
"Wait," Mr. Rook said. "Aren't you William?"
Clint shook his head. "No sir," he replied innocently. "I'm Clint."
He blinked. "Right. Sorry about that. Go ahead."
Clint finished the first paragraph with a straight face.
Three more chapters passed as Gemma and Darrin both read one each and Katie read half of one, struggling over the words. "How about the next one?" Mr. Rook looked at Will. "William?"
"No sir," Will said, trying desperately not to smile. "I'm Clint."
The teacher frowned. "I thought-"
"Happens a lot, Mr. Rook," Clint replied. "It's okay. We don't mind."
Halfway through the class the entire class was snickering as the two brothers switched names half the time, or kept them for some. Will was pretty sure he'd seen smoke billowing from the substitute's ears. Problem was, they had him so confused, he didn't have a clue who was actually who.
The limousine rolled to a stop just down the highway from Tony's closest neighbor. "It's all walking from here," Happy announced over the intercom. "Good luck."
"That's your exit cue," Bruce told everyone. "We'll be here if you need us," he added, hoping desperately that they wouldn't-him or the Other Guy.
"Tony, where do you need Benji?" Ethan asked.
"I need him within two hundred feet of the house. There's a good vantage point up through the trees on the west side of the property," Tony responded. "JARVIS, are we live yet?"
Almost, sir, the AI responded. The suit is very nearly finished overriding Mr. Hammer's protocol.
"Soon as it's finished, open the garage access door," Tony said. "Featherhead and Agent 99, that's your cue to be in position."
"Feather Head?" Jane asked, glancing sideways at Clint.
"It could be worse," he replied. He held a hand out. "Ladies first," he said with a cocky grin. Jane had seen that one before. A pang of sadness hit her. He better be okay.
"You ready, Romanoff?" Tony asked as he slowed to land next to her. Natasha locked eyes with Clint. He gave her an imperceptible nod.
"Just don't drop me, Stark," she said.
"Don't be silly," Tony said, grabbing a handful of the back of her uniform. "Hammer wants you alive." Without warning, he rocketed up. Clint heard nonstop colorful language in Russian. "Deep breaths, Tasha!" he called after her, knowing she could hear him.
He turned to Jane. "All right, let's get hoofing."
Steve Rogers decided the best approach was the direct one. Keeping low, he started making his way up the shrubs in the side of the driveway, watching for any perimeter action on the way.
"Well Benj, you're in the field," Ethan said as they scrambled up the hill on the west side of Tony's property. "Everything you thought it would be?"
"Are you kidding?" Benji panted. He smiled. "This is awesome!"
Tony dropped Natasha at the patio entrance to the house. She absorbed the landing with her knees, and then doubled over. "You and Barton are wusses," Tony announced. "At least you didn't throw up."
"Bite me, Stark," Natasha hissed.
Tony looked inside. His blood boiled. Justin Hammer sat on a chair in the living room, casually flipping through a Wired magazine article on Stark Industries. Pepper was on the cover. "So not only does that little asshole override JARVIS and kidnap my girlfriend, but he has the balls to just sit in my house like he owns the place…." Tony growled inside the suit.
"Careful Stark," Natasha replied quietly.
Tony muttered something unintelligible. Then, he put up one hand and tapped the glass.
Justin Hammer looked up. "Hey! Tony!" he said, as if he was greeting an old friend. He made the 'come on in' gesture, with his hand, and returned to his paper.
"Bastard," Tony growled. He gave serious thought to using his repulsors to open the door, then had a better idea. He stepped up to the patio door, gripped the handle, and pulled. The door ripped off its hinges. Hammer had the sense to jump.
Natasha smirked.
"How we coming on security, J," Tony asked JARVIS.
Nearly there sir, the AI replied.
"Benji, copy that. We're going in."
"This must be it." Clint pointed at a recess in the rocks at the top of the road. "Stark, we found your access panel. Open the door."
"Five minutes," Tony replied in his comm.
"I hate waiting," Clint growled. He reached over his shoulder and pulled his bow from its bolt on his quiver. One shake of his arm and it extended to full length.
"Even in close quarters, you use that instead of a gun or something?" Jane couldn't help but ask.
Clint shrugged. "Just feels more natural. I handle it pretty well in tight spaces," he added, thinking of the helicarrier. The look on Tasha's face….He blinked once and shook his head. Stay here, Clint. Stay in this moment, not that one.
"Does Will shoot as good as you?" Jane asked him.
He opened his mouth to offer a smart comment, then thought better. "Not quite," he replied. "But close. He and I started shooting at the same age. I just did it more."
"He told us you went to the range with your dad a lot as kids," Jane offered.
"Yeah, anytime Dad had nights," Clint replied. "Mom hated it, but that was family bonding time for us." He grinned. "Dad still shows us off to his squad guys every now and then."
"When Will showed off his skills in Dubai, we couldn't believe it," Jane remembered. "I've never seen anyone take Ethan down that fast." She nodded to him. "I can see where he gets it."
Clint sighed. "That's Will," he said.
"Do you know you do that?" Jane asked him quietly.
"Do what?" Clint asked, instantly on edge.
Jane looked at him apologetically. "Anytime I've mentioned Will being better than you at something, you tense up," she told him.
Clint frowned. "I do?"
She nodded. "It's almost like….like you're jealous of him."
This time, instead of tensing up, Clint paled. Damn it. Leave it to Will's partner to be so damn perceptive. He ignored the comment and waited for the signal to go in. This moment, Clint. Stay in this moment.
I've managed to regain control of the mansion security systems, JARVIS reported to Tony.
"You hear that, Benji?" Tony asked. "Unlock the doors."
From his spot on the hill, as Ethan covered him, Benji punched in the security code for Stark's mansion and waited. "C'mon….c'mon….yes!" he cheered as the screen lit up green. "Everyone, we're in!"
Steve caught the first sign of security about halfway up the drive. A big guy in black, sporting a black t-shirt and blue jeans. "There's trouble," he muttered quietly.
"Handle it," Clint replied in his ear. Steve nodded. He moved around the guy and came at him from the side. The serum gave him a little boost of speed, and the guy never saw it when Steve got up behind him and caught him in a choke hold. It didn't take long for him to collapse, and Steve shrugged him off with little effort. "That's one," he announced. And who knows how many more to go.
Seven months ago in Manhattan, Will Brandt had come face to face with the superhero known as Iron Man. The eye slits glowing blue, the rockets on the shoulders, the hand mounted repulsors. It was a feat of technology as much as it was hellishly intimidating. But then the face mask had popped up and he'd been introduced to Tony Stark, a man with a quick wit and a take no prisoners attitude. The man behind the suit somehow made it a little less terrifying.
He wished he felt that way now.
Will Brandt was staring into the eyes of four Iron Man suits. But the eyes looked empty, the armor cold and calculating. Because he knew Tony wasn't in them. Nor was he in control of them.
Anytime he took a breath, or looked at Pepper, the suits followed him, each one with a repulsor up and aimed at him and Pepper.
"Don't move," Will told Pepper again. "They're locked onto us. Anything they perceive as a threat, and Hammer just might have them shoot us."
He heard the sound of metal and glass breaking from upstairs. That better be the cavalry, he thought to himself. Let's just hope that Hammer doesn't have an itchy trigger finger. Or that someone sets these guys off accidentally...
Bruce could feel it. The tugging in his chest that meant the Hulk wanted to come out and play. He shoved the Other Guy back, reminding him that there wasn't anything to smash at the moment, and that he needed to stay Bruce just in case something happened and they needed a doctor. Which he wasn't. But he was the best they had.
And then in his ear, several things happened.
He heard Steve curse a four letter blue streak-words he had to have learned from Tony and/or Clint. Then he heard the sounds of a struggle.
He heard Clint say, "Holy shit."
And then he heard the unmistakable sound of a repulsor blast, followed by the sound of concrete and glass exploding, and then a cloud of smoke.
He looked at Happy. "Gimme the keys."
"What?" Tony's best friend and body guard was too distracted by the explosion. Bruce ran around the side of the car, vaulting over the hood Dukes of Hazzard style, and climbed into the driver's seat.
He hit the gas and screamed up the driveway.
Author's Note: Because I feel the need to clarify, in case you're wondering how everybody's talking to each other, and Tony's talking to Hammer and JARVIS without being heard by Hammer well...you saw the movie. How did they all talk to each other without being anywhere near each other? Call it Marvel magic, don't overthink it. :)
