Chapter 13

"I'LL COUNT TO THREE STARK, THEN YOU BETTER STOP HIDING" Fury yelled, bursting into the sitting room where I was currently behind the couch. I'd been playing hide and seek with him for the past half hour.

"1…2…LAST CHANCE STARK…3" he yelled, before starting to look around the room. I waited until he had his back turned before throwing a paper airplane at his head, and running into the kitchen, jumping up on the counter and climbing into the air-duct. Fury caught my leg at the last second.

"Oh no you don't" he growled, grabbing my foot.

Kicking frantically, I tried to escape but he had a firm grip, and managed to pull me down. I landed painfully on the kitchen floor below, hitting my head off the counter. My vision blackened for a few seconds but that's all Fury needed, and when I could see again, he had dragged a chair over, sitting on it backwards like they did in all the movies…and he placed a gun to my head.

"Talk" he hissed and I stuck my tongue out at him.

What I was not expecting, was him punching me across the face.

"TALK" he shouted as I leant back against the wall. Maybe if I- then he hit me again. Harder, way harder, and I could taste the rustiness of blood in my mouth.

"I WARNED YOU STARK" he yelled, "NOW TALK OR I SWEAR I'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF".

Hmmm…this was a side of Fury I'd never seen before.

Slowly reaching inside my jacket, I pulled out a small sheet of paper and handed it to him.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he asked and I motioned for him to open it. He looked at my warily before pocketing his gun and slowly unfolding the sheet of paper, "What does it say…'what do you think of Emma? I think that's a nice name, but I prefer Chloe. Lot of love, Stark'…WHY YOU BASTARD" he said, yelling the last part as he tore up the note, wasting a few seconds.

But that's all I needed. I quickly jumped up, laughing and started to run again, grinning as he chased after me, cursing. Natasha was right; he could curse in 7 languages.

"GET BACK HERE YOU MOTHERFUCKER" Fury yelled and a bullet flew over my head. He was SHOOTING AT ME? Cheater. No shooting allowed. He fired a few more shots, all of them missing me thankfully, before the gun clocked empty and he threw it to one side before tackling me. I hit the wooden floor with a soft thud, and began to roll, finally stopping as I hit the wall. Jeez, that hurt.

"STARK I TOLD YOU TO BACK OFF" Fury yelled, getting to his feet and walking over to me, "AND THEN YOU GO AND DO…THAT?"

I nodded, smirking as I tried to stand up but Nickie firmly pushed me back down, leaning in and whispering to me, his voice scary and dangerous sounding, "Listen to me Stark. I was prepared to give you another chance, even if that chance was slim and most likely not going to happen. But now you've gone and thrown that chance back in my face and now I'm angry. Do you know what I do when I get this angry Stark? No? Well I hurt people. I hurt the people that make me angry. That means you. Forget about the Avengers, you're finished with them. You feeling hurt yet? Well it's only just starting".

Then he pulled me up and slammed me against the wall. Wow, for an old dude, he sure had some strength in him. Then it got worse, and he punched me I don't know how many times, before finally letting go and kicking me mercilessly in the ribs.

"You disgust me" he said, spitting on the ground next to my head before picking back up his gun and walking away, leaving me groaning on the floor, clutching my stomach.

I swore he had broken a few ribs. It hurt to breathe, and it hurt to move. So when I pulled myself up off the ground 15 minutes later, I was using all my self determination not to black out. Still clutching my stomach, I stumbled towards the kitchen, getting out an ice-pack and holding it to my swollen lip. Jeez that old bald dude could hit hard.

"Is it safe to come out yet?" Rogers asked, coming around the corner and stopping short when he saw me doubled over and leaning against the counter for support.

"Tony?" he asked, taking a wary step forward, "son of a gun…BRUCE".

I winced at the yelling.

Why couldn't people be quiet anymore?

"Is Nickie gone?" Clint asked coming around the corner, his smile fading when he saw me.

"Jeasus…" he muttered, rushing over, "Fury did that?"

I nodded, moaning in pain when a sudden dizziness rushed to my head.

"Where's Bruce?" Steve asked, clearly agitated, "BRUCE?"

"I'm right here, no need to shout" the doctor mumbled, coming into the room, "what's all the fuss?"

I raised my hand guilty and it seemed only then that Bruce noticed me.

"…Fury?" he asked, walking over and I nodded.

"Man Tony you seriously got to stop annoying him…come on, sit down. Steve get the med bag from my room" he said, leading me over to the kitchen island.

"Hey…where's Nat and the others?" Clint asked suddenly and Banner sighed, "Natasha is currently in the library, Peppers doing paper work, and Thor is hiding in his room, scared that Fury is still here".

"…..We have a library?" Clint asked and I laughed, wincing when my lip started bleeding again. Damn you Barton.

"Got it" Steve said breathlessly, running back into the room, Bruce's bag in tow.

"Thanks…" Bruce muttered, taking out a needle and thread, "and I'm not going to lie to you Tony, this is going to hurt…A LOT".

True to his word, it hurt like hell as Banner fixed me up. I had four stitches across my bottom lip, a swollen cheek, three cracked ribs, and a pounding head ache. But all in all, I didn't care.

"Did anyone ever tell you you're great at pissing off people?" Barton asked, sitting down next to me.

I grinned, wincing slightly as it pulled at the stitches, as held up a new sign. 'It was worth it'.

Clint sighed before breaking out in laughter, "HIS FACE! Priceless! Man, you got to be the greatest jerk in history".

I nodded thoughtfully. True. I really did have a talent of annoying people. But hey, it was fun.

"Don't look now but world war 3 is about to break loose" Natasha muttered as she walked past.

I looked over at Clint confused, before following his gaze over to the door as he turned to me, "you better start running".

"YOU IDIOT" Pepper yelled charging over.

"See ya" Barton said quickly, jumping up and scrambling away before all hell could break loose. I glared after him but he only smirked, "good luck man".

"YOU COMPLETE….IDIOT!" Pepper yelled hitting me with her briefcase. Yes, I got that.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" she shouted, "FURY?"

Pushing her away, I picked back up my notebook but she grabbed in out of my hand.

"THIS IS IT ANTHONY" she yelled, "NO MORE PRANKS, NO MORE SILENCE, NO MORE IDELING".

Harsh. So, so harsh. Pepper NEVER called me Athony unless she was VERY, VERY, VERY angry, or else annoyed. I think the first description fits her better in this situation.

"SURE IT WAS ALL FUN AND GAMES AT THE START, BUT NOW LOOK. YOU'VE GONE AND GOTTEN YOURSELF BEATEN UP".

Hey, in my defence, it wasn't that bad. Hitting me once more with the brief case, she stepped back, taking a calm breath and fixing her hair.

"Look" she said calmly, "I know you're angry at Fury for kicking you off the Avengers, and I know you only want to get back at him. But you've done that now, can't you just move on? Seriously, I think everyone miss's your stupid jokes".

I looked away. No, I wasn't done yet. Fury wasn't going to scare me away.

"Please Tony" Pepper continued, her voice cracking at the end. And it tore open my heart. I looked back up at her slowly, shocked to see that she was crying. No Pep…don't cry… "Please" she said again, "we just want the old Tony back".

I couldn't stand it, seeing her so…hurt looking, so upset.

All because of me. I just couldn't take it anymore.

"Why?" I asked my voice scratchy and sore from not talking for so long, "Why? The Avengers was everything I had. Now it's gone. There's nothing left for me anymore".

She completely broke down, so I pulled her into a hug as she sobbed against my shoulder.

No…don't cry…not over me…

"You have me" she said quietly.

"The others left…in time, you'll leave too" I mumbled and she pulled back, keeping her arms around my shoulder,

"I promise you Tony, I won't leave".

"You say that now…" I trailed off, avoiding her gaze but she lifted my head back up, "I swear on my life, I won't go. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. This place…the business…you… It my life now, just as the Avengers was yours. We'll get through it Tony, I promise, everything will sort itself out. But you have to start talking again. Properly, not just to me or the team, but to everyone".

"…Even Nickie?" I asked and she smiled, the tears gleaming in her eyes, "yes, even Nickie. Everyone".

"But I…I…I don't want to… Not when I'm finished with the team. They gave me life Pepper, now that their gone I… I don't know what to do…"

"Look at me" she said, lifting back up my head, "we'll get through it. The team isn't the Avengers without you. Give it a couple weeks, Fury'll calm down, and soon he'll be begging you to come back. You just got to trust me".

Trust… I didn't trust anyone. I couldn't. Not after everything that had happened…my father…Hammer….Obie….

"I'm not Obadiah Tony. I wouldn't betray you like he did" she said quietly as if reading my mind.

"Trust…" I muttered.

"I swear to you, on all the Avengers lives" she continued, "I won't leave".