Chapter Four

A few hours later, Agent Hill and I finally meet up with Director Fury and Agent Coulson on the helicarrier. Agent Hill was told to go check on something, I don't exactly remember what. Meanwhile Agent Coulson and I had the task of telling Agent Romanoff to get Bruce Banner, and of recruiting Tony Stark.

"Just stand there for now," Agent Coulson told me, pulling a phone out of his pocket and calling Agent Romanoff.

He stood there for a moment waiting for her to answer. When he did start talking, it must have been to some men, as he was asking them to put Agent Romanoff on the phone.

"You're at 1-14 Silensky Plaza, 3rd floor. We have an F-22 exactly eight miles out. Put the women on the phone, or I will blow up the block before you can make the lobby."

I raised my eyebrows at that. Agent Coulson doesn't seem like the type to do that sort of stuff. Or maybe he does, and I'm just not around to witness it.

"We need you to come…This takes precedence… Natasha, Barton's been compromised."

Just then I heard to sound of a fight coming from the phone. I didn't think it would be loud enough for me to hear it, but apparently so. Agent Coulson just stood there, swaying from side-to-side a little, listening to the sound of Agent Romanoff fighting the men she was with.

"We don't know." Agent Coulson responded to whatever Agent Romanoff had said. I assume she must have asked where Agent Barton, as the answer Agent Coulson had given her only made sense. He continued talking.

"We think so. Agent Olson and I will brief you on everything when you get back. But first, we need you to talk to the big guy… I've got Stark. You get the big guy."

Turning off his phone, Agent Coulson turned to me. "Let's go," I nodded, following him out of the bridge of the helicarrier.

Later that evening we finally arrive at Stark Tower. Going in I saw the elevator right away, with a box beside it. I guess you must need a keycard just to get into the elevator.

"How odd, there's nobody downstairs," I commented, looking around the lobby of Stark Tower.

"That just makes it easier for us then," Agent Coulson remarked back.

"Makes what easier?"

"Getting the elevator and going up to greet Stark."

"Oh." There was a pause. "How do you expect to get into the elevator?"

"You're a witch, right?"

"Yes," I grumbled. "Why?"

"Wave your wand and cast some sort of spell."

"Fine."

I grabbed my wand, looking around incase there were any no-majs around. Besides Agent Coulson of course. Flicking my wand towards the elevator I said "Alohomora." The elevator doors opened, and Agent Coulson and I walked in.

Agent Coulson pressed on of the buttons for a higher floor then turned to me.

"Aloh-what?"

"Alohomora," I said, struggling to put my wand away. "It unlocks anything with a lock. I'm guessing you only asked my because neither of us have a keycard to get into the elevator."

Agent Coulson looked at me before pulling out his phone punching a number.

As we were waiting for Mr. Stark to answer, I realized something. If Mr. Stark has an AI called J.A.R.V.I.S., then why isn't he calling us out. He couldn't have been turned off. But I shrugged it off for now, having better things to worry about.

I guess Agent Coulson finally got through to Mr. Stark, and he put it on speaker phone so I could hear him.

"Mr. Stark, we need to talk."

"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message."

I rolled my eyes. Why wouldn't he avoid Agent Coulson?

"This is urgent."

We got to the floor right when Agent Coulson finished speaking.

"The leave it urgently."

Mr. Stark replied, finishing his sentence just before the elevator opened.

Agent Coulson hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket before stepping out. I followed closely behind.

"Security breach," Mr. Stark was saying as we walked out. "It's on you."

Calmly, Agent Coulson said "Mr. Stark."

Pepper Potts turned around to look at us.

"Phil, Grace, come in," she told us, getting up and walking over.

"Phil? Grace?" Mr. Stark asked.

"We can't stay," I told her.

"His first name is 'Agent.' So is hers," Mr. Stark was still saying, pointing at each of us respectfully.

Pepper ignored him, continuing to talk to Agent Coulson and I. "Come on in. We're celebrating."

"Which is why they can't stay." Mr. Stark walked over to us, plastering a smile on his face.

"We need you to look this over as soon as possible," Agent Coulson said, holding out a folder for Mr. Stark to take.

"I don't like being handed things." Mr. Stark shook his head, continuing to hold a glass of champagne is his hand and not reaching out for the folder.

Instead, Pepper reached out to take it. "That's fine," she was saying, "because I love to be handed things. So, let's trade." She took the folder form Agent Coulson and handing her glass of champagne to him in his other hand. Agent Coulson just took it with a smile.

"Thank you," Pepper said to Mr. Stark, handing him the folder and taking his glass of champagne from him, sipping from it.

Mr. Stark begrudgingly took it from her before turning to us.

"Official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday," he told us.

I spoke up. "This isn't a consultation."

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asked, causing Agent Coulson and I to look at her. As we did so, she quickly spoke again. "Which I know nothing about."

Mr. Stark scoffed before turning around and speaking again. "The Avengers Initiative scraped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify," he finished, turning to face us as he said the last part.

"I didn't know that either."

"Apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others."

"That I did know," Pepper informed us, shaking her head a little.

"This isn't about personality profiles anymore," Agent Coulson informed Mr. Stark.

"Whatever," Mr. Stark waved if off and gesturing to Pepper. "Ms. Potts, got a second?"

Pepper turned to us. "Half a mo," she said, before turning and walking over to Mr. Stark.

Even though I know that both Pepper and Mr. Stark had lowered their voices so that they couldn't be heard by us, I could still hear them. And from the way Agent Coulson was reacting, I'm guessing he could too.

"You know, I thought we were having a moment," Mr. Stark was telling Pepper.

"I was having 12% of a moment," she shot back at him. Mr. Stark looked at her. "This seems serious," she continued talking. "Phil and Grace are both pretty shaken."

"How would you know if it's… Why is he 'Phil"? And why is she 'Grace'?"

"What is all this?" Pepper asked Mr. Stark.

"This is," Mr. Stark paused, bringing his hands to the edge of the screen, making holograms of Thor, Captain Steve Rogers, and Bruce Banner appear, "this."

They both looked around before Pepper sighed.

"I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight."

"Tomorrow."

"You have homework. You have a lot of homework."

"Well, what if I didn't?" Mr. Stark asked Pepper, turning to face her.

"If you didn't?"

"Yeah."

"You mean when you've finished?" Pepper almost seemed to correct him.

Mr. Stark shook his head, before Pepper leaned in to whisper in his ear.

Agent Coulson and I looked away from them, the both of us wanting to give them a moment. And I was also feeling just a little weirded out even though I couldn't hear what Pepper was telling Mr. Stark.

She straightened, then Mr. Stark was saying goodbye to her. Somewhat anyways.

"Square deal. Fly safe."

Pepper leaned in and kissed him. "Work hard," she told him, before turning away from him.

"So, any change you're driving by LaGuardia?" she asked us, walking towards us.

"We can drop you," Agent Coulson told her.

"Fantastic. I want to hear about the cellist. Is that still a thing?"

"She moved back to Portland."

"What? Boo!" We got in the elevator before she turned to me. "What about you?"

I could feel my cheeks turning red as I felt Pepper's and Agent Coulson's eyes on me. "No, not really," I denied.

"Then why are your cheeks red."

"You both are looking at me," I mumbled quietly, hunching over a little to try and avoid their gazes on me.

"What was that?" Agent Coulson asked.

"You both are looking at me expectantly, and it's making me uncomfortable," I said louder, standing up straighter.

Agent Coulson and Pepper laughed a little and we continued to head down towards the ground floor.