A/N
Replies to your reviews (I noticed that I haven't done this before and I really should)
Afredigo – thank you I will keep going.
RLMz – I totally agree with you about Happy. He is a great guy who deserves more credit from Marvel.
"So did Tony send that Stone asshole to jail?" Spiderman asked and at this Rhodes and the others, apart from Wanda, Bucky, Thor and Steve smirked maliciously, remembering Stone's scandal being spread across the papers.
"Oh yes," Rhodes's voice was laced with a malicious satisfaction, "he got 25 years in Prison for ABH , Administering Poison to endanger life and Attempted kidnapping charges. The Drug that Su San used is actually lethal if too high a dose is used which added 10 years to Stone's sentence. Without their CEO Vivastone tanked and was bought by Stark Industries soon after for $10."
Amazed, their jaws dropped open before Thor boomed with laughter. "I am glad to see that friend Anthony got justice on this dastardly villain but I must admit that I feel ashamed at looking over the noble Harry of Hogan. He has proven to have a warrior's heart."
"Yeah, you don't think someone with Starks profile would ever have something like that happen to him. I'm glad Happy was there. They seem to have a good friendship going." Clint added, smiling with the rest of them as they thought of the potential Happy and Tony's friendship showed.
"I have never seen him around Stark in all my time at the Compound. Hogan obviously seems to have wizened up to Stark's true self since that meeting." Sneered Wanda. "He was wise to leave before Stark's friendliness turned sour… have you all forgotten how he betrayed half of us two years ago?"
"First, Tony never betrayed any of you. I'm not going to begin to start on how stupid that belief is. And second, that is because Happy was in a coma Maximoff. Do you really think Tony flipped and declared war on the Mandarin for no reason?" Rhodey snarled in response whilst Bruce winced.
No I didn't know- maybe if I hadn't fallen asleep on him when he was telling me about it. I would've known that.
Vision stepped up to back up Rhodey's point before anyone else, namely Wanda, had a chance to retort.
"Wanda, Mr Stark came to the compound periodically once every month after we arrived. I'm curious as to what you were basing that conclusion on considering the lack of evidence you have to support your claim." Visions tone carried only a hint of the bite that Rhodey's had but it was mainly full of a genuine confusion that implied that he couldn't believe what she was saying.
Despite her outraged, hurt look in response, he didn't appear apologetic and he didn't give her a glance back.
Neither Clint or Steve rushed to her defence as they quickly saw what Vision had said wasn't directly offensive to her it was just pure logic.
"Are you all ready to continue?" They all nodded apart from Wanda, who was contenting herself with sulkily glaring holes at the floor.
Therefore, the Being ignored her and whipped them all into the next memory.
They suddenly found themselves walking along a hallway beside a noticeably younger looking Pepper Pots. She was dressed in her usual stylish but business appropriate clothing; with a crisp white form fitting blouse and a navy satin pencil skirt which matched with her normal towering high heels. Despite a confident mask being firmly in place, the spies could see through the twitching of her fingers around the file clasped in her hands and the way she was slightly biting her lip that she appeared nervous.
She took a moment to collect herself before entering through the large modern, wooden double doors.
They all slipped in behind Pepper to see a ridiculously large office that screamed both professionalism and Tony Stark at the same time which all them, apart from Rhodey who had seen this office before, didn't think was possible.
Most of the colour scheme was a dark mahogany, black and silver towards the entrance, with the dark glass coffee table and the ebony leather seats positioned around it dominating the space which hinted that it was mainly used as a meeting table.
However, this cold colour scheme gradually bled out as they looked deeper into the office. The unsympathetic silver accessories were isolated to the front of the office and now they could see that the gold was used to sparsely to highlight the warmth of the lighter Red Oak wood used in this section. They formed the pillars each side of the desk in the centre of the room which both Tony and Obadiah were sat at sorting through candidate files.
The Avengers as well as Pepper both had to squint as the sunlight streamed in from the window that formed a wall directly behind Tony and Obadiah.
Both of them were too deep in conversation with each other to notice Pepper at the door.
"I don't get why I have to be here," Childishly, Tony groaned and flicked his feet up on the desk. "I'm CEO, I have other things to do-"
"If this year has proven anything, it's that you need a Personal Assistant Tony." Obadiah replied condescendingly, he pushed Tony's feet off the desk when he noticed Pepper at the door.
His eyes raked over her appreciatively which succeeded in making most of them feel a little bit ill.
"Your last applicant for the day is here," Obadiah got off his seat and offered his hand to Pepper. "Forgive him, Miss Potts. It has been a long day."
Tony's eyes widened slightly and he straightened as he saw Pepper. Wow, she's gorgeous.
Smiling slightly, a faint blush made its way across his face as he stood up and made his way over to them.
"I'm sure." Pepper smiled in reply and shook Obadiah's hand, they noticed that her expression became more genuine when her eyes flicked to Tony. "Hello Mr Stark, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Virginia Potts." She held out a hand to him which Tony took.
"A beautiful woman like yourself can't be called Virginia."
Challengingly, Pepper raised an eyebrow at him and dropped her hand. "Why not?"
"It doesn't suit you. I see you as more of a…" Glancing over her, Tony's eyes lingered over the light brown freckles speckling her otherwise chalky white cheeks and her strawberry blonde hair, before meeting her bright crystal blue eyes. "Pepper." He breathed.
Pepper met his gaze and held it as she replied lightly. "I always thought my name was better suited to a Spice than a State."
"Yes, it does, for two reasons, your colouring reminds of the spice but I also think you and I could spice things up later." Tony winked suggestively.
"That would be inappropriate, Mr Stark. Especially considering I work for you now too."
"Finance, right?" Amused, Obadiah had suddenly interjected, which caused both Tony and Pepper jolt, Tony upon noticing how close he was to her took several steps backwards.
"That is correct, Mr Stane."
"Tell me why you are the most suitable for the job-"Obadiah Started before Tony rudely cut him off.
"I'm hiring her." He glanced to Obie who was giving him a narrow-eyed glare for either cutting him off or being so rash.
"Mr Stark," Astounded, Pepper placed her empty hand over her chest while using the other to offer him the file, which they now saw to be her CV out to him but Tony waved it away. " I-I would be delighted to accept Mr Stark. On the condition that you won't try anything on."
Scandalised, Steve choked on air whilst the others either chuckled or were in silent awe of Pepper's bluntness.
"Of course, not." Respectfully, he nodded to her whilst Obadiah stared her down in a silent request for her to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow 10 sharp at my Malibu Home, my Artificial butler will guide you to my workshop."
"See you then Mr Stark." Pepper edged away, clearly wary of Obadiah by this point, leaving her file on the small glass coffee table.
Obadiah's overly fake sweet smile turned into a leer as she turned around then disappeared through the double doors.
"You picked well Tony," Obadiah clapped him on the shoulder and moved across the room to grab his glass of whisky on the desk, he swirled the ice cubes around his glass. "She is a pretty little thing and in any other situation, you know I would be encouraging your behaviour. But this is SI. Even Howard," Tony stiffened. "knew when to keep it in his pants before he met Maria. It doesn't do well to mix business and pleasure, my boy. You must know by now that everything is a balancing act with Business," Obadiah's tone deliberately softened at this point turning into a tone a patient Parent might use when scolding a disobedient child. "You remember what I told you, don't you?"
"Of course I do." Tony rolled his eyes, "'Business is balancing act Tony,'" He sighed, perching on the table that Obadiah was leaning on, none of them liked the way he appeared to be looming over Tony at that point. "- you gave me a lot of guidelines about how to act in that lecture but the part your referring to is the socialising. Right? 'Socialise enough to charm people but don't let yourself be controlled by a pretty face' and 'don't let people sleep their way into your heart, Sex is just a physical act'. You didn't need to tell me that I learnt that in MIT. Thanks to Sunset Bitc- err- Bain. So, no I won't let Pepper in or let anyone control my decisions. I get that you worry about me Obie, but I know better."
"She's not the one you have to worry about controlling you, man." Growled Bucky as he glared holes into Obadiah faux concerned face.
It was close enough to his Winter Soldier voice to make Steve give him a look full of real alarm as the scene changed.
"Sir, Miss Potts is at the door. However, given your current wellbeing I recommend that you postpone your meeting with her for another time."
"J, don't give Daddy a day off just because he's feeling a little blue. Let her in, its rude to keep a lady waiting." Tony kept his eyes down cast on the weapon's skeleton spread open across his desk while very intrusive thoughts about improvements to the device buzzed angrily across the front of his head.
"Good Morning, Mr Stark." Cutting through the mayhem of the self-deprecating thoughts and intrusive improvements, Peppers happy voice worked well in grounding him.
Is it? He swallowed the pessimistic retort hovering on his tongue and nodded.
"Are you alright? You seem very subdued."
"I'm fine," Tony waved a hand at her dismissively, "anyway I'm just -the weapons systems on here could be better utilised- thinner, stronger? Titanium… maybe? No that's stupid- how is that stupid? Design flaw. Metal is fine, smaller pellets needed. Arrow head shape rather than pellet? That would work better, much better." He looked up to the ceiling at JARVIS's sensors, "JARVIS bring up holographic simulation."
Carefully observing him, Pepper moved forwards and placed the black coffee that was clasped in her hands on the side whilst Tony appeared absorbed in the gruesome hologram of a figure being hit by his new design.
"Wanna know how it works?" Hopefully, Tony looked over to Pepper who kept watching the holographic version of the device being aimed at the person's chest. She watched the shards slicing straight through and out the other side then rewind and repeat this action.
"Have you been working on this all night, Mr Stark?"
Diversion tactic, of course she wouldn't want to look at that. Idiot.
Tony was about to answer before JARVIS cut him off, "Sir has been in the lab working for 13 hours straight, Miss Potts."
Outraged Peppers face dropped into a comical 'O' shape, Tony noticed this and quickly spoke up in his own defence.
"That's not that bad for me. Look, Pepper you've got to get that my mind doesn't work like a normal person's does. Honestly, I scored higher than 300 on the IQ test so when I get an idea about something -How do I explain this? You won't get it because you're normal and – that's great really. If I was a normal genius I wouldn't feel like there are a pack of angry bees in my head every time I get inspiration to do something. I know from experience that they'll keep stinging unless I do something about them."
Peppers professionalism faltered and her voice softened, "You're right, I don't get what you mean. I never thought…" Hesitating for a moment, she shook her head then her voice became fondly firm. "Make sure you eat regularly while you are working and here," Tony stopped as he tracked her moving around the table with his eyes before she pushed her coffee towards him. "You need it more than I do. You look dead on your feet. Am I correct in presuming our introductory meeting is postponed? If so is there anything else that I can do for you, today?"
"Go up to my office, JARVIS will show you the ropes of what you have to do as my PA and guide you on how to handle things." They noticed a weary note creep into his voice at this point, almost as if it was taking all his will power to keep talking. However, the more telling thing was that he didn't use Peppers last question as an opportunity to make an innuendo which they knew he would've done if he was feeling better.
Seemingly sensing that now was the right time to leave, she moved away. "Will that be all Mr Stark?"
"That will be all Miss Potts."
