I own the plunny.

I apologize for disappearing off the face of the earth. Real life got messy. Trying to get back into updating this weekly like before. We finally hit the final arc and look all of a sudden PLOT! Also the next couple chapters targets and makes fun of the Army. I mean no offense. It's purely for the sake of story.

Step 10: There are two meanings for the "Building Under Attack" Drill

Hotaru knew a soldier when she saw one. She had grown up in a neighborhood where Army families were constantly moving in and out of the place. By the time she was ten, she could tell which spouse was serving and which one wasn't; she knew which families enforced the same iron clad control in their home and which ones didn't, even which children who would follow in their parent's footsteps. Their training made them stand out in their crowd from their gait to their control and ingrained but predictable habits. Frankly the ones that had the training but none of the predictably, none of the obvious signs were the dangerous ones.

Like her husband for example. Like half of the employees who worked in the building.

A predictable soldier was nothing more a gear in a well oiled machine, nothing more than a cannon folder.

The people standing before her were predictable soldiers. "Hello," Hotaru greeted with a smile. "How may I help you?"

They at least had the sense to dress as normal civilians which put them a notch above the idiotic criminals who pull this crap with her twice a week. There are three of them standing in front of her, another lingering by the door pretending to read the pamphlets. Three more were scattered outside, one reading a newspaper, one talking on the phone and one eating lunch.

"We're here to see Doctor Banner," one of them spoke up.

Obviously. Hotaru was not an idiot. She read the papers, saw the news, and had enough logic and common sense to have seen this would have happened as soon as she saw the footage on the TV this morning.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Banner is not in the building at the present moment," Hotaru answered. "Mr. Stark took all of the Avengers out to lunch." Hotaru made sure to stress the word 'Avengers' in hopes that a strike of enlightenment would hit those idiots and make them reconsider whatever they were planning.

"We can wait," the fool replied.

Well so much for that. "I'm afraid I don't know when they will be returning," Hotaru said. "Mr. Stark mentioned taking a plane to Japan for sushi and sake in celebration for their latest victory over the aliens. They could be back tomorrow or next week, I'm afraid." This was technically a lie. She knew the Avengers were upstairs, too tired and battered to move after their fight. Hotaru also knew Agent Coulson was out on a food run.

"I see," the idiot... the leader of the group said. He picked up the snow globe sitting on her desk. With a small shake the white glitter whirled around the small snowman inside. "We will check back tomorrow then."

"Of course," Hotaru said with a smile. Inwardly though she's cursing them because that snow globe was a surprise, I-just-wanted-to-get-you-something, gift from Kai. It was something those idiots shouldn't even be touching with their grubby hands. Not to mention she was now going to have to break it in order to "accidentally" fry the listening bug that the… the… dunderhead just stuck on there.

She waved as they exited, all of them leaving discretely except for the one reading the newspaper. Soon, Agent Coulson entered, juggling several boxes of food in his hands.

"Good day Agent Coulson," Hotaru called out. "Here let me help you with that."

"Hello, Mrs. Yamashita," Coulson greeted. "And thank you."

"It isn't a problem," Hotaru said. She cleared her throat and spoke in a slightly louder tone, one she knew the bug would pick up. "The Accounting Department mentioned you would be stopping by for round two of 'Who is going pay for the damages done to roof garden'. Food was a good start. Smart move."

She led Agent Coulson to the elevator and entered with him. To his credit, Coulson didn't say anything until the doors closed. "What was that about?" he asked.

"I need to speak to Mr. Stark. He isn't picking up his phone," Hotaru offered. Partly true. She hadn't tried calling him, not with the bug in place, but knew after most major battles no one was going to be in condition to answer phones.

Coulson accepted her excuse and punched in the code to access the upper floors. The ride was silent and soon the doors open to the upper floors. Hotaru could feel her annoyance and anger slowly starting to ebb away.

She stepped out with Coulson, hearing the cheers of 'Food!' from the tired Avengers. It was only when she stopped to take a look at them that her anger returned with vengeance. It wasn't the fact that they look so broken and beaten, no frankly Hotaru was use to seeing people coming home more hurt than when they left (it was an awkward phase of dating Kai.) No, it was their positions that upset her.

Bruce was asleep in the dead center of the room. Thor was behind him and Steve and Tony were in front of him. Natasha was in clear line of the elevator and Clint was facing the windows, bow and quiver nearby. They were all protecting Bruce. Hotaru suppressed the strangled sound in her throat and grew furious at the idiots who had just been standing in front of her.

Because if even half of the news was correct, yesterday during the alien invasion Hulk got hit the most, which meant Bruce got hurt the most, which meant Hulk was even angrier, which meant there was even more damage than usual. Inevitably, the blind idiots who thought the Hulk was dangerous woke up from their sleep. The goddamn army showing up in her lobby was the final straw.

Hotaru took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. 'Nothing is going to happen,' she reassured herself. 'Just look at their positions, they're protective of each other. Nothing is going to happen. Not without a fight.'

"Hotaru?" Tony asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Why are you up here?"

Hotaru had worked for Mr. Stark long enough to catch the worried undertones in his question. Her presence here, was an anomaly; something to worry about. She smiled. There was no need to alarm everyone just yet. For all she knew, it was just a precautionary on the Army's part and they weren't at fault... yet.

"I want to request a building under attack drill," Hotaru said.

Tony gave her a confused look. "We just had one." Yes she knew. This past Tuesday in fact.

Hotaru's smile strained a little. "I insist." Hotaru watched as a sharp look appeared on Tony's face and knew he understood her words. She knew her little sentence probably set off all of the Avengers. Agent Coulson most likely put together most of the pieces by now.

"Sure, just send out the email," Tony started. "No wait, let me do that. Actually come with me Hotaru. I need you to actually type it up cause I'm not gonna be able to word it properly but you'll need my account to spam everyone with it."

Hotaru smiled. "Of course, Mr. Stark." If she was feeling honest, a part of her giggled like a child tattling on their sibling who just stole a cookie from the cookie jar at the simple fact she was about to unleash the Avengers and an entire building of capable employees on the Army.

xXxXx

Throughout the building, everyone began reading their emails. Those who could read in between the lines and knew what it was implying summed up the situation neatly in one little word.

"Fuck."