The next day Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries arrived at the Stark Expo with her personal assistant, Natalie Rushman at her side. Natasha didn't like this set up one bit. The space was too big. There were too many people. And the only weapons she could conceal in this stupid sheath dress were a 4" Ruger and a 3"blade. What was worse, Coulson was gone, replaced by Sitwell. Romanoff didn't know Sitwell very well and certainly wasn't comfortable having him as her eyes and ears on a mission like this. But since she had no choice, she decided to give the younger agent a chance – for now. Natasha had a large tote bag – some fancy bag that Natalie Rushman might use – with her gear in it just in case.
Pepper wasn't ready to get out of the back of the car yet. Romanoff turned her head away so Happy Hogan was less likely to understand her and checked in with SHIELD.
"Widow here."
"We read you, Widow."
"We're here at the expo now. Where's Stark?"
"In his lab, we think he just did it."
"Did what?" With Tony Stark, there was no telling…
"Created a new element to replace the palladium." Came Nick Fury's voice.
"Good to hear." Mumbled Natasha. So Fury wasn't leaving this mission to a junior agent after all…
"Romanoff, we think the Air Force has sent the silver suit over to Hammer. Be prepared."
"Yes sir." Pepper was shooting her dirty looks - annoyed with Romanoff's clandestine conversation. "We're going in, Sir. Romanoff out." and she ended the line.
Potts and Romanoff made their way through the crowds of people into the main auditorium and found seats towards the front. Natasha leaned forward like she was fiddling with her shoe.
"Control. Do you read me?"
"Read, you Widow."
"Where's Stark?"
"He just replaced his reactor and it looks like he's about ready to take off."
"Understood." Take off to where?
The lights started moving in rhythm to loud music and the crowd leaned forward to catch the act.
The weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer came out on stage dancing like an ass-clown. Is he high on something? The idiot talked on for a while leaving the rest of the audience assuming he was high too.
But then, he said something about presenting…and oh, you have to be fucking kidding me? Thought Natasaha. The floor in the stage open up and up rose several sets of stupid looking Iron Man knock-offs. Drones by the look of them. And what was worse, much worse, the stupid things were armed.
Pepper was alarmed and Natasha tried reassuring her. Even louder music starting playing again and the drones twitched a little.
Romanoff could barely hear what Hammer was saying when another hole in the stage opened, revealing Col. Rhodes in the silver suit. Except now, the silver suit was equipped with an array of heavy caliber weapons. Pepper was approaching panic, and Natasha wished she hadn't decided to leave her gear bag in the car with Happy. Clint's words from the other night were ringing in her ears "What are you going to stop them with, a handgun and kitchen chair?" Damnit Barton, why aren't you here right now?
But Barton and Coulson were on the other side of the continent doing who in the hell knows what and Romanoff was on her own. Romanoff was assessing the risks/benefits of getting Potts out of the auditorium right then when the crowd gasped and turned to look at Iron Man descending from the air.
Natasha whispered in her Pepper's ear, "Miss Potts, I need you to continue to stay calm. This is going to get worse before it gets better and I need to know that you will do exactly what I say. Can you do that?"
Pepper nodded, watching Tony stalk around on the stage between Rhodie and Hammer.
Then Romanoff saw Stark give a warning to Rhodes…
"Control! What did he say?"
"He said that Hammer is working with Vanko."
Figures.
Suddenly Rhodes started acting like he wasn't in control of his suit anymore. Then, like in some bad science fiction movie, all the drones suddenly armed themselves and moved forward.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Natasha stopped herself from grabbing Potts and leaving. This is what Fury wanted. This was it – the test Fury had been hoping that Tony Stark would pass. With the lives of innocent civilians in the balance, SHIELD held back its team's waiting in the sky overhead. If Nick Fury was wrong, people were going to die. If he was right, Iron Man would find a way to neutralize the threat.
Iron Man flew back out of the auditorium, trying to call Vanko out. Rhode's suit and some of drones took off after him. The remaining drones took up a position against the audience.
Romanoff pushed Potts forward down the aisle of seats, changing the frequency of her comm link so that Fury could hear everything.
"Romanoff, go get that idiot Hammer and found out where Vanko is." He roared over the mic.
"Pepper, we need to find Hammer now!" yelled Natasha, "how do we get back stage?"
Pepper led the way. She and Romanoff found Hammer at a control panel with a few of his staff, trying desperately to regain control of the drones. Natasha was surprised when Pepper Potts pushed passed her and went after Justin Hammer first. Romanoff held back a second, amused at Pepper's dressing down of this moron. "They've engaged" Sitwell's voice rushed over the comm.
Romanoff quickly moved over to Justin Hammer, grabbed his arm behind his back and slammed into the desk. "Tell me where Vanko is!" she growled in his ear. Hammer screamed at the pain Romanoff was inflicting on several body parts at once.
"m-my facility." He whimpered.
Natasha dropped him, told Pepper she was going after Vanko and rushed off. Pepper Potts was surrounded by security guards at the point and police ran past Romanoff on their way to Hammer. Pepper Potts not in danger at the moment, but Justin Hammer certainly was.