Chapter Four:

Operation Stony

Toni stared Fury down and Fury stared right back at her. He was determined not to lose this battle, but her brown eyes looking so intently into his own were enough to cause his usual resolve to lower, just slightly. Apparently, slightly was enough because he finally sighed and fell back into his chair, aggravated and defeated.

"What do you want me to say, Toni?" he barked, "That I know more than I am letting on?"

"Yes", she replied evenly.

"Well I can't, because honestly at the moment…we don't", he replied dejectedly.

She stared at him, but when she saw nothing in his gaze that might indicate a lie, she sighed and backed up. If Fury didn't know who was after them and it was obviously someone with a large sum of money…

Needing to think things out more thoroughly, she began reasoning out loud.

"So out of nowhere, someone wants us, the Avengers, our worst enemies, and even my best friends just for the heck of it? That amount of money isn't a small amount, Fury. Someone really wants us and I want to know why and where they came from."

"As do I", he replied seriously, "However my sources have yet to find anything on this list of bounties and that in and of itself is… rather concerning."

Toni narrowed her eyes and leaned forward a little more like she had been originally.

"You think an inside job?"

Fury leaned forward, his chin resting on his knuckles as he peered at her, deep in thought.

"It is under speculation", he admitted.

Toni shook her head, snorting.

"You have to be kidding me. The great Shield outed by one of their own."

Fury growled as he stood up, angry that she was actually right and that one of his own had dared to betray him.

"I could always move the Avengers to one of my other houses? You think they know all the places I own?"

"We will put that under consideration, but for the moment, I want to wait and see what happens. Perhaps this is all just a game."

"Maybe", Toni agreed, "Or maybe they are waiting, for the perfect moment."

"Could be that too", Fury nodded, "but I want to wait."

"Fine, but I expect you to update us should you find out anything."

"I will…take that into consideration."

Toni just huffed and turned. Even if he didn't, she wouldn't just sit on the sidelines. Luckily for her and her team, she just happened to be a master hacker on the side of all her engineering work.

AVNGRS

Back at Avenger tower, Natasha and Clint were putting together their own master strategy.

Code name: Stony.

Mission objective: Get Captain Oblivious to admit his love for Toni.

Risk level: High (Toni and Cap might get revenge on them)

Possibility of success: 50%

"So how does it look?" Clint asked through the comm.

Natasha who was the only one that could hear him watched from the couch as Steve paced in the living room, obviously waiting for Toni to arrive back at home, though she knew he would never admit it.

"Spangles is still in position", she whispered.

"Jarvis, buddy", Clint whispered, "Toni ETA?"

"Ms. Stark will be arriving in exactly thirty seconds Agent Barton", the AI replied into his comm link.

"Good", Clint replied smiling.

It still surprised him that the AI had agreed to help them, but then again, as weird as it was, Clint swore up and down that the AI was honestly alive and just as tired of watching them flirt unproductively as the rest of them were.

"Ms. Stark has entered the elevator."

"Hear that Nat?" he whispered.

"I heard. Spangles is moving towards the elevator."

Natasha watched curiously as the good Captain moved nervously towards where the elevator binged. Doors opening, Toni stepped out and froze on the spot when she found herself literally face to face with Steve.

"Err…hey", she replied awkwardly.

Steve, realizing how close he was too her, quickly backed up before replying back. "Hey. How did it go with fury?"

"He doesn't know anything."

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't be, but I am nearly positive he was telling the truth."

Steve nodded as the two just kind of stood there.

"Well, I should let you get changed."

"Right", she replied stepping past, "I better go do that."

Steve watched her go, sighing to himself as he started towards his own bedroom. Natasha watched them go, scowling at their naivety. Surely they both could see the others feelings for one another? Then again, this was Toni and Steve she was taking about.

Steve was just… oblivious to most everything. Having come from the past and dumped into the present, he obviously felt like he didn't fit in most of the time. Then of course there was Toni who, as arrogant as she was, it was rather obvious she couldn't stand herself. Natasha had her suspicions as to why, but she doubted the girl would ever admit to them.

"I think it's time to put our plan into action, Clint. Ready?"

"You have no idea", came the huffed reply, "Operation Stony is a go!"

AVNGRS

Toni stepped out of the shower with a towel around her waist; her brown hair hanging stringy across her bare shoulders. The mirror of the bathroom was fogged, but she quickly wiped it off, taking the first good look at herself that she had in a week.

The sight made her sigh.

Why was it that Natasha had such a fit body and beautiful full hair, but Toni had stick straight black hair and the ugliest scars running across her chest from the arc reactor where they had cut her open. Not to mention the scars left behind from the palladium poisoning. It was no wonder Steve didn't want anything to do with her romantically. Not even she wanted herself and so why would he when he had the option?

Now thoroughly depressed and disgusted with her own body, she made her way to the closet. Pulling on her usual house clothes consisting of a pair of gray sweats and a black tank top, she quickly brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail.

"Toni, this is Clint. Come in?"

Toni sighed as she grabbed her comm and stuck it into her ear.

"I hear you Clint. What's wrong?"

"We have a situation that may need the old Toni charm."

Toni frowned.

"Did Cap break the blender again?"

"No Toni, its… well, just come see for yourself. I am in the Hulk-out room."

"Hulk out room", she whispered, confused. What could possibly have happened in there? The room was practically empty save for the lights and…uh oh. Did Bruce have an episode she didn't know about?

"I will be right there", she replied as she quickly slipped on some sandals and began making her way down the stairs to the floor below her own.

"Clint?" she called when she reached the hallway that led to the room. The entire area was dark, as all of the lights seemed to have been turned off. "Jarvis, can you turn on the lights?"

No response came.

"Jarvis?"

Thoroughly concerned, she began making her way at a brisker pace towards the only room that seemed to have light. The hulk out room. Tons of different reasons for the silence and darkness went through her mind, but none that made a lot of sense to her.

"Clint?" she called again as she stepped inside.

Toni didn't get a chance to call out again as something cold touched her shoulder and the next thing she knew, a needle had been stuck into the side of her neck. Turning in an attempt to escape, the last thing she saw was the grinning face of Clint Barton standing over her.

Clint watched as Toni fell unconscious. Honestly, he felt horrible about doing that to her, but the amount he injected her with would only last about ten minutes' tops. Besides, she was the easiest to get. Steve would have been the harder one, had they gone with this plan against him.

"Sorry Toni, but hopefully this works out like I think it will", he stated before quickly leaving the room.

AVNGRS

Steve had just set up all of his pain tools and easel when the comm flipped on and Natasha's worried voice came across it.

"Steve!" she yelled.

Tensing at the obvious concern in her voice, he immediately went into Captain mode as his hand reached for the comm in his ear.

"Natasha, what is wrong?" he asked.

"It's Toni! Something is wrong with her and we can't seem to wake her up!"

Steve's heart dropped as he jumped to his feet.

"Where are you?!" he yelled.

"The Hulk out room. Please hurry!"

"I'm coming, hang tight. Can you tell me her symptoms?"

"I don't know", came the worried response, "Clint is the one who found her. He says she won't wake up, but he doesn't see any signs of sabotage."

"Alright I am on my way!"

Steve didn't wait a second as he dashed through the living room and to the stairs, knowing it would be faster than the elevator. He raced up the two flights and down the dark hallway without even pausing to take in the fact that he couldn't hear voices and that all the lights were out, save one.

"Toni!" he yelled as he came to the doorway.

His heart flipped when he saw her lying against the wall across the room. In four large strides, he was at her side. Her pulse was normal and she seemed to be breathing. Where was Clint and Natasha?! Why would they leave her alone when she obviously needed medical attention?

His answer came when the door slammed shut and the lock was shifted into place. Running to the door, he had just enough time to see the smiling faces of Natasha and Clint before they vanished, leaving him alone with Toni in a locked room that not even the Hulk could smash his way out of.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked calmly into his comm, though anyone could hear the obvious anger behind his words, as well as the confusion and concern.

"Sorry Cap, but this is for you and Toni's own good", Came Clint's reply, "we will let you out in an hour or so. Until then, you best look after Stark. I doubt she will be very happy when she wakes up."

"If you don't let us out right now, I will…"

He didn't get the chance to say anything else, as the comms went dead. Groaning, he made his way back to Toni's side and slid down the wall to sit beside her. For a moment, he stared across the room, before his gaze eventually rested back on her sleeping, peaceful face. She honestly looked so different now compared to the usual lively expressions he saw most of the time when she was awake and yelling about different things.

"You really are so beautiful", he whispered as he gently took her into his arms and laid her head across his shoulder as he placed her into his lap. "I suppose, just until you wake, this wouldn't hurt anything."

With those words, he closed his eyes and waited for when his sleeping beauty would once again open her eyes.

AUTHORS NOTE*

Okay, I am not even going to lie. I had writers block with this chapter sooooo badly. You're honestly lucky I even got this out. Hopefully next chapter will go better, but here is this one.

Let me know what you think so far!