Iron Man
The fifth time involved robots and could be directly attributed to Stark's ego.
There was no mission, no bad guy as of yet. Thor was in New Mexico and Tony was making an appearance at a technology convention as Iron Man, Bruce and Steve tagging along to view the gadgets. Natasha was enjoying a rare day off by training with Clint in the extensive training room Tony had built into his tower. They barely got through one set before the call came.
"There is an incoming call from Miss Potts," Jarvis announced, "there also appears to be a situation as I can no longer access Mr Stark's suit."
"Go ahead," Clint said, both he and Natasha already picking up their things and preparing to depart. "What's happening, Pepper?"
"Tony's old university rival decided to one-up him in front of an audience," she explained, sounds of screaming and explosions in the background. "So far King has taken over his suit and brought an army of robots with him. They are mainly targeting Tony and anyone who tries to fight them, but there are a lot of civilians still in the area. Steve and Bruce are helping with evac but we could use the extra hand in taking out Tony."
"We're on the way," Clint reassured her, "ten minutes maximum." Pepper thanked them and hung up. Clint cocked his head at Natasha, "Didn't this happen the first time you dealt with Tony?"
"Yes, but I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often."
"Huh."
It was eight minutes later that Clint and Natasha arrived at the event centre where the convention was being held. They ditched their car in a side street and easily slipped past the police line that had been set up around the building. They found Steve, Bruce and Pepper in the doorway to the main room. Barton threw them each an earpiece so they could communicate while he took in the situation. Natasha did likewise after handing Steve his shield which had been left in his room in Stark Tower. He took it gratefully.
Fifty or so humanoid robots and a few artillery pods surrounded Iron Man and were pelting him with bullets and energy pulses while he appeared to be flailing around with no discernible pattern.
"What have we got?" Natasha asked.
"King is off site, I've got some volunteers from the convention tracking the signals back to him along with the police," Pepper said, worried eyes never leaving Tony.
"We got the civilians out, only a few injuries, but most of the fire has been aimed at Tony," Bruce said, relatively calm but with underlying anxiety. "Before you ask there were too many innocent people around to make me even consider letting the other guy out."
"Tony still has control of his mouth and he let us know that he's fine," Steve added, "But King has total control of his suit and is still in the stages of figuring out how to control it, hence the erratic movements."
"How did this happen in the first place?" Natasha asked.
"They gave Tony an award which turned out to be hacking technology. It latched onto his wrist as soon as he touched it and then everything went south from there."
"Hey guys," came the distant shout of Tony over the gun fire, "I know you lot are into your gossip sessions, but I'd really appreciate it if you turned your attention to the current problem."
Steve turned to Bruce, "You think you can manage the other guy?"
"Not this close to people. Put me down as plan Z."
"Alright then, you stay here with Pepper and keep us updated on King." Steve turned to Clint and Natasha, "Hawkeye, there is a second story balcony surrounding the room, you take position there. Don't fire until I say."
"You got it," Clint said before disappearing into the nearest staircase.
"Widow, you go to the east door and I'll go to the west. Wait until my mark."
Natasha nodded before entering the lobby and making her way around to the east entrance. She double-checked that her guns were loaded and her Widow's Bite bracelets were charged.
"Alright guys," Steve said over the comms, "on my mark. Once the robots realise they are under attack, they'll turn on us. The aim is to take out as many as you can as quickly as you can. Once they are out of the way, we can figure out what to do with Stark. Ready?"
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Mark."
Natasha burst through the doors as one of Hawkeye's exploding arrows took out the robots at the north of the room. She concentrated her fire on where the heads of the robots joined their bodies. She felt a rush of satisfaction when her hunch was proved correct and her targets fell.
"The control is in the head," she called, dodging bullets. "Sever the head and you're good."
"Roger that," Clint responded. "My exploding arrows work on the gun-pod-things, so stay clear of those if you don't want to be caught in the blast."
"Noted," Natasha said, Steve consenting as well.
Natasha was facing three robots when one gun ran out of ammo and the other jammed. With a growl she launched herself at the closest robot. Landing with her feet on its shoulders and her hands on its head for stability, she inspected the neck. To allow for movement the cladding was made up of several small pieces of metal instead of one solid piece. It was the work of a moment to reach between them and yank out the many wires. The robot fell beneath her and she leap to the next one.
Before long it was just Natasha, Steve, Clint, a convulsing Iron Man and piles of now useless metal.
"Solid work, team," Tony remarked, "but I think King just worked out the weaponry system."
Natasha dived out of the way of the blast from Tony's left hand while Steve blocked the right's with his shield.
"Great," Natasha sighed. "What now?" She danced around the spread of bullets the suit aimed at her.
"It's too bad Thor isn't here," Clint commented, ducking his own blast directed up at the balcony. "He could just fry him and reboot the system."
"Actually that would only make him stronger. Stark's suit is designed to absorb large amounts of electricity," Natasha countered. "Only a small targeted pulse in a weak spot would do it…" she trailed off.
"Nat," Clint said in warning. He had a feeling he would not like what Natasha was thinking. He was right.
"Hey, Tony," she called, "does King have access to audio and visual?"
"Yep, I'm afraid he can see and hear your very longwinded attempt at defeating my suit. To be fair the Hulk is the probably the only one who could stop Iron Man," he added.
Natasha smiled. "Draw his fire," she ordered the others before running straight for Stark.
From above Clint swore before starting to fire arrows at Stark. A metal plated suit, the best he could do without blowing Tony up or melting off a limb with acid was to dent the joints enough that it was harder for him to move. He got creative firing a grappling hook and tying him to the balcony rail, but the next minute he had to move as the railing and the floor attached to it was pulled off.
Steve was doing his best to draw fire as he dodged the suit's blasts and bullets, constantly moving and creating a new target. When he could he threw his shield at the suit, knocking him back a step or two and making it have to revaluate its surroundings. That option was cut off when the Black Widow threw herself at Stark, perching on his back and shoulders.
"What are you doing?" he shouted, watching as the suit clumsily tried to dislodge the women.
"What does it look like?" she muttered, trying to stay on top of the moving suit while avoiding its grip.
"I didn't know you liked it on top, Agent Romanoff," Tony snickered.
"Not now, Stark."
"Ah, Nat," Clint cautioned, "I think you better hurry up, Stark's about to take off."
Natasha cursed in Russian as the suit started to hover. She redoubled her efforts to get at the one weak spot of the suit. The only place she could shock to be able to overload the circuits was where electricity was allowed to pass. Tony's chest reactor was too well protected, but his palms were not. She dug in her feet as the suit started to fly clumsily around the room, trying its best to throw her off with tight turns, ramming her into the walls and roof and flying with her upside-down.
She fell when Stark did a summersault in the air. She was thrown off, but on the way down managed to catch onto his arm with one hand. "Watch out," Tony shouted as his other arm came up preparing to shoot her in the head. Before the suit had a chance, she thrust her Widow's Bite into the palm. With a crackle the electricity travelled over her and through the suit, the lights of his eyes turning off and the thrusters cutting out. Gravity took hold and they started to fall, but Natasha was already unconscious.
She didn't immediately open her eyes when she woke up. She was lying down in a bed, in a hospital she guessed based on the feeling of the sheets, the beeping of a heart monitor and that signature disinfectant smell. She sensed someone on her right and beyond that were the quiet voices of what sounded like a poker match.
She slowly opened her eyes, giving them a chance to adjust to the bright light. Turning her head to the right she saw Clint sitting in a chair at the side of the bed.
"Hey," he smiled. "We're at S.H.I.E.L.D. base. It was the only hospital that had the equipment to remove Stark from his suit."
"How bad?" she asked softly.
"Considering you fell over thirty feet after being electrocuted and being shot at, I'd say you were doing fine," he smirked.
"Clint."
"Mild concussion, a few scrapes and bruises. The good old Captain managed to catch you on the way down."
"Unlike me, whom he just let fall in a heap," Tony grumbled.
"I think given the choice of you in a solid metal suit and Natasha, Natasha would be the easy choice," Bruce remarked. "Glad to see you awake, Natasha."
Natasha looked beyond Clint to the next bed where Stark was sitting up playing cards on his table, Bruce sitting opposite him on the end of the bed while Steve had the chair. Stark looked a little bruised, but appeared to have come out of the fight in good shape.
"I'm glad too," she responded, slowly sitting up. "Good catch, Captain."
Steve blushed, but nodded. "I figured I owed you from that one time."
Tony snorted, "Like you wouldn't have caught her either way. But it's good you finally woke up, Sleeping Beauty, Hawkeye refused to play a round of poker until you did and no offence but you two are sadly lacking," he gestured to Steve and Bruce who only shrugged in agreement.
"I am warmed by your concern, Stark," Natasha sighed. "Nice to see that this whole event didn't affect your ego."
"Speaking of ego," he said with a smirk, "I believe that I am the first to take down the Black Widow."
Natasha arched an eyebrow at him, "Really?"
"Actually, I think technically she electrocuted herself, so the Black Widow took out the Black Widow," Steve commented casually, throwing down his hand of cards, "and I believe I win this round."
"What?" Tony asked in disbelief.
"A royal flush," Bruce laughed, "nice one, Steve."
"What?" Tony repeated.
"I think your ego just deflated a little bit, Stark," Clint said, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.
Natasha fell asleep to the sounds of Stark's protests and the other's good-natured teasing.
