NOTE* Sorry guys, this chapter is short, but I hope you all had a great Memorial day! Love you all and Enjoy!
Chapter Ten:
Oh Believe You Me
Tony walked into Avenger tower, shuffling as he went. His ankle was still recovering, as were his other injuries, but he wasn't about to let that be a weakness as he prepared the trap that would snag the prize.
"Now Tony", lectured Pepper, "I expect you to abide by the doctors and take it easy. That means no workshop."
Stark sighed and sank down onto the couch, missing the concerned look she flashed his way when he didn't argue with her. It was very, very rare for Anthony Stark not to argue about anything said, especially concerning what he should and should not do when talking about his Avenger work and lab time.
"Man I'm starving!" moaned Clint, "what does it take for a guy to get some food around here?!"
"Stop your whining. We will get food shortly", Natasha scolded.
Clint pouted as he sank onto the couch beside Tony. Glancing over at the man, he took in the others appearance. Stark was still a bit pale, but he had a lot more color than before. The week in the hospital had done wonders for the man. Still, he looked very tired.
Steve was the last into the room after Bruce and Thor. He took in his team's ragged appearance before sinking into his own chair. Sighing with relief as he settled down, he smiled at his friends.
"I got to admit", he said grinning, "I didn't think we would be home so soon."
"I for one am very happy we are out of those caves and warm", muttered Clint.
"Here, here", agreed Tony with a snort.
Pepper just shook her head as she draped herself over the arm of the couch, laying her head on top of Tony's.
"I wasn't kidding though, I want food", Clint replied as he looked at each of his team in turn before he settled on Steve. Steve Rogers sighed as he stood back up.
"I suppose we could go get something."
"I want what you Midgard call Pasta!" Thor shouted in a thunderous voice.
"That does sound rather good", agreed Bruce.
"Yeah I could go for that", Natasha said nodding.
Clint shrugged, "Anything."
"I will call Happy and see if he can't drive us", Pepper said as she grabbed her phone and stepped out.
"Stark, that okay with you?" Clint asked.
Tony was silent for a moment.
"Tony?" Steve questioned.
"Huh?" Tony said looking up, "Ah yeah that's fine. Actually I am not very hungry. How about you guys go without me?"
"Tony, I said no about the lab", Pepper said as she walked back into the room, her heels clicking across the floor.
"No, I…I'm just tired", he replied with a smile, "I think I am going to go to bed."
Everyone stared at him.
"What?" he asked, feeling a bit self-conscious.
"N-Nothing. Just usually we have to drug you to make you sleep", Bruce answered when no one else did.
"Are you sure you are okay Tony?" Pepper asked, concern evident in her tone.
"I'm fine. Really. Just tired", he said again.
"Alright, well…do you want me to bring you something back?"
"Um…yeah actually. Just get me a take-home spaghetti with breadsticks."
"Alright", Pepper nodded, "anything else?"
"Nah, I think that will suffice. If I'm asleep when you get home, just leave it in the fridge for me. I will get it tomorrow."
"Alright, well we will be back. If you need anything, don't hesitate to have Jarvis call me."
"I will be fine Pep, really", he said again with a confident smile.
He watched as they filed out of the room. When the door finally shut, leaving him the only one besides Jarvis, his AI, in the house, he stood up, leaning on his temporary cane as he hobbled into the back room where everyone kept their spare weapons. Grabbing some of Clint and Natasha's spare flash bangs and smoke grenades, he hid them around the room before making his way to Steve's room. He hesitated only for a moment before stepping inside. Grabbing the shield off the blue blanketed bed, he sat down and took a deep breath.
"Well, here goes nothing", he whispered as he reached underneath and with his fingers, felt for a small implant. Sure enough, his hand brushed something that shouldn't belong. "Bingo", he said with a smile.
Taking the implant into his palm, he crushed it and watched as it faded into nothing, vanishing with a small whoosh and a sparkle of green.
"Just as I thought", he whispered, "I know it's you. I know you are watching. Come out, come out wherever you are?!"
A wicked, high sounding laugh filled the silence as he headed out of Cap's personal bedroom and back into the living room. He barely got there in time before they appeared, smirking, staring at him with hungry eyes.
"How did you know it was I, mortal?" they asked curiously.
"It was rather obvious. Mandarin isn't exactly a man with a plan that often works. The fact he got so close to success amazed me. Then there were the worms. Mandarin may have found them, but they acted smarter than just lab animals, as though they were being controlled. There are only two people I know of off the top of my head that could possibly organize and pursue such a feat and that is Loki, Thor's step-brother, and then you…Loki's very own partner and underling, the Enchantress."
The blonde haired, green eyed woman stepped forward out of the shadows, her hair swirling around her shoulders as her black boots clicked with every step. Her beauty was positively breathtaking, but her personality…well, he didn't question why Thor and the rest of his planet called her Witch.
"You are either very brave or very stupid, Anthony Stark", she replied, "Truly I only wanted to know the whereabouts of my beloved Thor, but when I noticed you were beginning to close in on me, I had to make my move a bit sooner."
"So you what? Just hired Mandarin to do the job?"
"No you fool", she snapped, "I didn't hire that monstrosity. I merely...manipulated the situation."
"To distract me?"
"To kill you", she replied with a laugh as she circled where Stark stood, leaning against his cane. He hadn't been an idiot. His cane also hid an emergency button to call his suit. He was just waiting for the opportune time. When it did call his suit, it would also signal Jarvis to call the other Avengers.
"Well he failed", Tony replied evenly.
"Obviously", she muttered with a glare, "Still…I suppose he did serve his purpose."
Tony watched her, trying to see when she would attack. He knew it was only a matter of time, but if he missed in the timing, his plan would ultimately fail. He couldn't risk her manipulating his mind.
"You were a fool mortal, to ever have tried to fight me", she growled as she closed in on his position.
Tony pushed the button on his cane. Now he knew the clock was truly counting down.
"Oh believe you me", he replied with a feral grin, "I haven't even begun to fight back yet."
At that moment, his armor began slamming into place. First his gloves, then the rest of it piece by piece. The Enchantress screamed in anger as she raised her now glowing green hands. Tony dodged as she fired an energy blast, which missed and instead struck the furniture leaving a smoking black hole in its wake. Repulsors charged and ready to fire, he lifted his hands just as he realized she had vanished.
"Where are you…" he whispered as he stood, his face plate in place as he stood and stepped forward.
"Behind you", she answered and he turned only for her to stick one of her glowing hands to his reactor.
Screaming in pain, he startled back as his reactor sparked. She merely grinned and followed his movements.
AVNGRS
"I can't believe Tony didn't want to come with us to get pasta", remarked Bruce.
"I know, the guy loves eating almost as much as I do", Clint laughed as he took a bit bite of his Fettuccini.
"I don't think he was feeling very well. Maybe that's why?" Suggested Steve.
"No…" Pepper stated, her mouth set in a deep frown, "there was more to it than that."
"What do you mean?" asked Clint, as he slurped another bite down.
Natasha wrinkled her nose at him as Thor burst out laughing. Steve however had his attention trained on Pepper, as did Bruce.
"I know Tony Stark when he sick and he wasn't acting…sick. I don't know what was wrong."
"Maybe it had something to do with the bug infestation?" offered Steve with a shrug.
"Bug infestation?" Bruce asked, confused.
Pepper also looked clearly confused.
"Yeah, he told me he was checking my shield for bugs when I punched him. I told him I could handle the bugs though and had he just told me, I wouldn't have…"
"Steve!" Bruce yelled.
"W-What?"
"Did Tony say that? Checking your shield for bugs?"
"Yeah? Why?"
"No wonder he wanted to get rid of us", Bruce whispered, "that little sly devil. He wanted to draw out…"
A beeping made them all freeze.
"Jarvis?" Pepper asked into her cell phone as it rang the tone she had set specifically for the AI.
"Code Blue, Avengers Assemble."
Every person there dropped what they were doing and took off. Pepper watched them run, without knowing what it meant. Confused, she paid for the food as the others rushed to the mansion as fast as they could either run or fly.
"What does that mean exactly?" Steve asked as they ran.
"Tony set in a distinct alarm. Code Red means Medical Emergency. Code Green means Avenger Problem, such as if one of us is ill or going crazy. The Hulk was the one mostly considered for this, hence the color code."
"And Code Blue?" asked Steve, worried.
"Intruder in Avenger Tower", he answered, his voice cold, "Our bug has been caught."
Steve's eyes widened as it dawned on him what Tony had meant. Angry at himself and Stark, he ran faster as he headed to help his teammate, whatever the problem may be by the time they arrived.