Hi,
I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter.
I am very happy with all the reviews, favorites and followers.
This story has now 100 followers. I'm curious perhaps we can break my record of Against All Odds.
Enjoy
'We have a problem.' The guard told him just as the lights went out.
Green looked around him in the dark room. 'Computer, turn the light back on.' He ordered.
'Negative. System rebooting.' The automated voice answered.
Clint sagged a little in relief. His prayers were answered. 'Tony' he whispered. It had to be. He was the only one, especially with Hammer dead, who could hack into Jarvis.
He saw the relief in Pepper's eyes as well. She figured it out too. Green looked from Clint to Pepper. He noticed the relief on both their faces. He turned to Pepper.
'Finally. Mr. Stark has returned.' He surprised them both.
Clint was immediately back on guard. 'What?' Right, this was all to get back at Tony. His body hurt all over and he probably had a concussion. No wonder he was a little slow.
'Get the woman. It is time we welcomed Mr. Stark home.' Green grinned.
A guard loosened the cuffs on Pepper chair. He made sure to cuff her hands back together. Green walked to Pepper he took her upper arm and dragged her away from Clint.
'No.' Clint shouted. They were leaving. How was supposed to look after Pepper if they took her away from him. He started struggling again. The pain in his arm flared, he ignored it. He felt the tape give. Green stopped walking. He hated leaving Hawkeye out of his sight, but he had no choice. He handed Green over to the guard standing behind him.
He pulled his gun and walked over to Clint. Pepper started trashing as she saw Green with the gun standing behind Clint.
'No. Clint.' She cried.
Clint froze. He had heard Green coming. Peppers cries could mean only one thing. He looked around him. There was no way he could escape before Green could pull the trigger. He tried turning his head. He needed to tell Pepper he was sorry that he couldn't save her.
Pepper could only watch as Clint tried to turn to her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again. She couldn't help herself. Just like she could only watch as Green turned the gun in his hands and hit Clint hard against his head.
'No. 'She sobbed again, as she watched the archer go limp in the chair.
'Watch him. He is unconscious so you don't have an excuse if he escapes.' Green snarled at guards. He took Pepper's arm again and dragged her from the room. Pepper struggled uselessly trying to stay with Clint. She couldn't believe they were being separated again.
Green dragged her to the elevator. Only two guards with him. He needed all the guards he could spare watching Hawkeye. Green moved Pepper in front of him facing the elevator doors. He put the gun he was still holding against her head.
'Smile. You're going to see your lover again.'
It was good that Green couldn't see Pepper's face, because she definitely didn't smile. She silently muttered every curse she knew. And a few she had heard Natasha say. Not that she knew what meant and she was sure her accent was terrible, but she needed something to take away the edge. Tony was walking in a trap because of her.
The elevator light indicated that the elevator was going up. She swallowed hard. Two floors to go. One floor. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The elevator was empty. There was no-one in it.
Pepper only just stopped herself from sagging in relief. Tony was smart. He hadn't fallen for the obvious trap. Green didn't seem put off. The gun didn't leave her head.
'Mr. Stark. I know you are here. I have you're precious assistant.' Green called out.
'I'm his CEO, not his assistant.' Pepper thought he should know. If she was arguing with him she wouldn't pay too much attention to the gun.
Green ignored her. 'Mr. Stark.' He taunted. 'I know you can hear me. If you don't show up soon I'm going to get bored. You wouldn't want that. Ms Potts could get hurt.' The threat couldn't be clearer if he had actually voiced it.
'How do you even know he can hear you?' Pepper asked. Anything to keep her mind of the gun. Seriously.
'I don't.' Was the short reply. That didn't really help Pepper.
The elevator doors closed. The elevator moved again. Down this time. Pepper watched as the elevator reached the ground level and came back up again. She held her breath again as the doors opened. Nothing. The elevator was empty again.
'Tony.' Pepper muttered. This was a really bad time for him to be funny. Out loud she said. 'I don't think he heard you.'
Green responded by pressing the gun harder against her head. 'Pooh I think he heard. I think he just didn't care.'
'I wouldn't say that.' Toni's voice came from behind them. Green turned pulling Pepper with him.
Pepper's gaze went over Tony. He was still unharmed. Perhaps a bit sweaty. He seemed to have walked all the way up the stairs to the top floor. Where were Steve and Bruce?
'Why would you….' Green started.
'I'm here just like you wanted. Now let the lady go and we can discuss this as grownups.' Tony tried really hard not to sound disdainful, it didn't work. Pepper sighed. Was it really too much to ask for Tony to be a little more mature.
'I'm not going to do that.' Green sounded a little off.
'Come on.' Tony whined. 'I'm not even in my suit. I'm not a threat. You can let my assistant go.' Tony reasoned.
'I thought she was your CEO.' Green argued back.
Pepper sighed again. They were getting nowhere like this. Something else hit her. 'Clint.' She whispered. 'Tony you have to save Clint. He is hurt and...'
Green had taken the gun from her head and poked it in her side. She figured it would leave a bruise, but she stopped talking. Tony's eyes flashed. He nodded his head.
'Release her.' Pepper had never heard Tony sound so serious before.
'Write your company over to me and I might consider it.' Green told the billionaire.
'Release her.' Tony said again.
'No.' Green responded. Pepper hadn't really expected anything less from Green and she doubted that Tony did either. So what was Tony doing?
'We seem to have hit a standoff then.' Tony grinned. It was a grin he normally reserved for interviews. Pepper recognized it immediately. It was a classic distractive move from Tony. Green pushed the gun even harder in her side. Pepper resisted the urge to look around her. Tony was up to something.
'You really don't seem to care about your lover do you? Oooh well.'
Pepper didn't like the sound of that. When a knock to her head brought her to her knees she liked it even less. Even through the pain that flared in her head she could hear the click of the weapon being readied behind her. She looked up with panicked eyes. She could see the panic in Tony's eyes as well.
'Wait.' Tony scrambled to make it right. 'I'll do whatever you say. Just don't hurt her.'
'You'll write over you're company?' Green had probably meant it as an order, but it came out as a question. He seemed confused because of Tony's behavior.
'Now you know what I deal with every day.' Pepper muttered too low for anyone to hear.
Tony nodded to Green. Green was moving. He removed the gun away from Pepper's head and was aiming at Tony now. 'After you.' He ordered.
Tony nodded. He started walking. The billionaire didn't look at his girlfriend, just at the gun still aimed at him. Tony walked around her in a big circle until she was kneeling behind Green, who had stopped paying attention to the crying woman on the ground.
Suddenly Tony stopped moving. 'Actually. No I don't think I will.' Tony's smirk was back.
'Do I really need to start threatening the woman again.' Green, who still had the gun pointed in Tony's direction, sounded vaguely amused.
'No, but perhaps you should look behind you.' Now Tony was smiling.
Green looked around. First he noted that the two guards he had brought were unconscious on the ground. Green turned around completely standing face-to-face with Steve Rogers. Steve, even though he wasn't suited up, was still very intimidating. Pepper grinned; Tony really was a master at manipulation. Steve didn't waste any words on Green, with one swift blow the doctor was knocked out cold.
Yeeey Tony and Steve are here.
Please review