Clint punched in the frequency the Avengers always used, followed by the privacy code and hoped to high heaven they hadn't changed the password after he left… if he could just get through to Jarvis…

But of course they had. You didn't leave the code unchanged when you could no longer trust everyone who knew it.

He pulled his cell phone out and dialed the number for the Avengers Tower switch board.

It rang for an interminable ten seconds, during which he had all the time to curse himself. He could have insisted on interrogating Strucker. He'd refused to cross that line for the sake of the twins, but if it was too late...if the Soldiers had already gotten to the Avengers…

Once again he felt himself torn into two, between two forces each demanding his loyalty.

The call connected. "Avengers Tower. How can I help you?"

He ignored the friendly voice. "Jarvis! I know you monitor these calls. This is Clint. I need to talk to you or Tony, or anyone there, please!"

"Sir I-" But the friendly voice was abruptly cut off. There was only a fraction of a moment of silence and then the familiar voice of Jarvis was saying in his ear:

"Good evening Agent Barton. It is good to hear from you again." And dang if he didn't sound completely sincere in that.

"Jarvis, where are the Avengers?"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Listen, I know neither you nor they have any reason to trust me, but I have very creditable reason to believe they've been targeted for an assassination attempt. Where are they?"

"Mr. Odinson and Dr. Banner are currently on Asgard, the others are at a charity function. It is a very large affair, with a great many witnesses."

"I don't think secrecy is a factor, not after the files and Insight. And a party? They won't be armed, if the Soldiers are going after them it's the perfect opportunity. Jarvis you have to warm them." A perfect opportunity. If the Soldiers were everything Bucky said they were, they'd be waiting and watching, and they wouldn't let a chance like this slip past them.

"I have already attempted to do so as soon as you mentioned the threat. But I am unable to get through to Mr. Stark. He is not answering his phone."

"…Will you send me the address Jarvis? I'm just outside New York. I swear to you, you can trust me on this."

There wasn't even a fraction of a pause. "I know sir. I am already sending you the coordinates to your number…and I trust your judgment sir, should I send Mr. Stark's suit to him?"

"Yes. Jarvis. I think you should."

"This is a disaster," muttered Tony, surveying the large, and opulent lobby that had been decked out for the occasion of the gala. "Thor and Bruce still aren't back from Asgard even though they promised faithfully to be here on time. Now Natasha's been missing for twenty minutes."

An amused smile played across Pepper's lips as she glanced over at Tony. "I've never seen you this responsible at a party before."

"Yeah, well." He shrugged. "Someone has to be because apparently the other Avengers aren't."

"I don't know. Steve's playing his part."

"Okay. Sure. He's good. But, that doesn't let the others off the hook."

"Tony, relax. This is not a disaster, Natasha will be back, she probably just needed a breather, and I'm sure Thor and Bruce have a good explanation for why they're not here. You can't shoulder the entire team."

"I'm not-"

"You are. And you know you can't control everything every single person on it does. All of you care about pulling the Avengers through this, or else they wouldn't have moved back into the tower. And that, the fact that you all care, is the real reason why you're going to be okay."

He finally pulled his gaze away from Steve and searching for Natasha, and turned his attention to Pepper. "Did anyone ever tell you, you are both smart and gorgeous?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice."

"Oh well of course I did. I am a genius. I notice these things. And that is a very beautiful dress you're in tonight…it does, however, look familiar…that was my birthday present to you wasn't it a few years ago?"

"The one I picked out?"

"Hey, in my defense, once we started dating officially, I picked out your presents myself."

"Yes I know. It's why they're not nearly as tasteful anymore."

"Hey, I thought you liked that negligee."

Laughing, Pepper took him by the arm and pulled him towards the elevators. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"It's our turn to disappear for twenty minutes."

"Need I remind you that this very important charity gala was your idea and you gave me a very long talk on the importance of all Avengers being on their best behavior?"

"Yes," she said, leading him into one of the lifts ad hitting the button for the roof. "But I am always telling you to be on your best behavior. And you never listen to me. Don't start now." She kissed him, one hand curling into his hair while the other snaked around his neck.

In his pocket his cell phone buzzed insistently, but he ignored it.

"Why, Miss Potts," He said, "I do believe you are trying to be a bad influenced on me."

"I'm just worried that all this good behavior of the past few weeks is going to make you burst and do something truly horrific. Just doing my bit for the team."

He kissed her neck, and then moved back up to her lips. "Hmmm, I always said you were a team player. It's why I hired you. Your time on the college soccer team really stood out on your resume."

"Like you took the trouble to read my resume."

"Jarvis read it to me a couple years after I hired you. I was wondering why you were so good at your job. I do have it framed somewhere though." The next kiss was deeper, richer- the elevator slid to a halt and the doors opened. "Horrible timing," he muttered.

Laughing, Pepper took his hand and led him out onto the roof. The night was brisk and beautiful. The lights of the city spread out around them.

His phone buzzed again. He reached his hand into his pocket and automatically hit the cancel button. Whoever it was could wait. He'd made Pepper wait enough times in their lives.

The pair walked towards the edge, and she slipping her arm through his.

"It reminds me of when we got together," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I think we've always been together."

"Then it was completely inappropriate of you to keep giving me the job of throwing out your one night stands."

He chuckled "What was completely inappropriate was you taking so long to tell me we were together. You know I've always counted on you to inform me of important details." He turned round to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But I was big about it. Didn't fire you over the oversight. Simply issued a written reprimand." He started to lean in as she rolled her eyes, but suddenly her gaze flickered to something behind his shoulder, her smile froze, he saw her eyes go wide, and instinctively he knew, and he moved without hesitation as she pulled him to the ground and there was a hail of bullets.

Together, they rolled towards cover, ducking behind a low wall, bullets still raining down above then. He pulled out his phone and punched the speed dial for Jarvis.

Together, crouching and crawling back along the wall, fragments of concrete splintering around them, Tony yelled into his phone: "J! I need my suit! Now!"

"It is already on the way, sir. Three minutes."

Concrete an inch from his face shattered at the impact of a bullet, cutting his cheek, and Pepper pulled him down closer to the ground. "We may not have three minutes!"

They reached a generator shed and ducked behind it. The shooting abruptly stopped, but the sound of footsteps was heard, heavy, moving inevitably towards them. Peppers eyes meant his, she gave a flicker of a smile, that made him ache. She reached for the bottom skirt of her dress and with a rip, tore it, freeing up her movement, and turned. They each covered one corner, as ready as they could hope to be. Tony flicked his gaze down to his watch. They just needed to make it until the suit arrived…

The assassin came round Tony's side. He was a largely built man, dressed in black, his hair close cropped in a soldiers cut, his face surly and determined. Instantly he caught sight of Tony and raised his automatic, but Tony lashed out with a punch. A punch that barely seemed to faze the man, other than to respond with one of his own.

It was like being hit by a ton of bricks. The strength behind it was like nothing Tony had ever felt from one human being. It sent Tony staggering. And then he was being grabbed by the neck, lifted, then thrown back, skidding several feet across the roof. The assassin raised his gun, aiming for Tony-

Pepper slammed into the man with her full weight. He took one step back then, whirled and kicked out, catching her in the gut and sending her sprawling.

Several things happened at once. The attacker raised his gun, pointing at Pepper. Still feet away, still staggering back to his feet, Tony saw it and let out a yell of desperation, a yell he couldn't hear because something was flying overhead and suddenly someone was jumping down onto the roof, in front of the assassin. There was a flash of silver as a metal arm punched, sending the assassin back a step then the gun was wrenched from his hand and tossed to the side, just in time for the assassin to recover and throw himself at the newcomer. As the two locked together in a flurry of punches, Pepper scrambled back to Tony, still clutching her side and winching in pain.

Tony stared at the metal arm. Barnes!? It can't be! How- But he'd been staring at photos in the Hydra files of that arm for weeks now, trying to come to some kind of muddled peace with Steve's search and he'd know it anywhere.

Barnes was putting up a better fight than Pepper or Tony had, but both could see he was losing. The assassin was stronger, forcing the other man on the defensive almost immediately, but the speed at which the two exchanged blows made intervention impossible.

The assassin had managed to grab Barnes's right arm, and now twisted it back behind him, bringing him to his knees and eliciting a grunt of pain, before reigning blow after blow down on his face and neck. Barnes tried to elbow his attacker, fighting for leverage to free himself...

There was a blast of energy, knocking the assassin across the roof, smashing him through a glass skylight. Barnes turned. Iron Man stood several feet away, the suit still locking itself into place around Tony, both arms raised and weapons primed.

Barnes rose to his feet and ran to the shattered remains of the skylight. The assassin was, impossibly it seemed, already gone from the debris of glass on the floor below.

There was a light thud, as Tony landed the suit beside him. "Sergeant Barnes, right?"

"...Mr. Stark." He nodded a greeting.

"Mind telling me what that was?"

"...A Hydra super assassin...with possible super powers?"

"As one would expect. Really quite obvious. Should have guessed. Uh, I suppose he's probably still very much alive after that fall?" Tony leaned over the edge of the skylight, and looked down. "I don't see him down there."

"I'd say that's a safe bet." Bucky shrugged. "Also there are probably four more of them in the building."

"Ah, that explains all the screaming I hear. The food was bad but not that bad."

"Seems like another safe bet."

"Well, I suppose we'd better go after him."

"After you."

Tony turned to look towards Pepper, to appreciate the fact that she was still very much standing there, still very much alive, to have some image to wipe out the one of the assassin with his gun turned towards her, and then, to cover the moment said lightly, "See you later, honey." Then he flew up and down through the shattered skylight, and with a running start, Bucky leapt through after him.