Chapter 14: Ready for Anything
Friday Morning
There was only one thing James Rhodes loved just as much as being a pilot and that was prepping for a mission. The anticipation of combat, the adrenaline screaming to escape into his veins, and the sight of perfectly polished weaponry made his blood pump faster. It was when he was taking inventory of his equipment and packing his vest; with the blast of his music coming through the tiny earphones attached to his mp3 player; that he thought to himself, this is what Tony Stark must feel like when he is consumed by something down in that workshop of his.
Nothing else matters except this moment; this mission.
He surveyed the table in front of him. His own personal weapons included two 9mm pistols; both with several back-up clips, a submachine gun; which he hardly ever carried because if its bulkiness. But he decided that this was a tactical mission that would require a bit more fire power, so he added it to his gear; several sets of hand-ties, his radio, a combat helmet, gloves, and a Kevlar vest. The vest was a Tony Stark special design combat vest. It was never approved for official use by the military, but Rhodes and Stark had spent moths perfecting its durability-and he trusted it more than the standard military issued one.
Rhodes reached a hand out and ran an index finger across the cool metal of the gun closest to him. His thoughts travelled to Stark and the newest investment of his time—the suit. Truthfully, he understood Stark and his sudden change of business tactics after he returned from his captivity. After he had seen what his weapons were being used for, everything had changed for him. Bearing witness to more death and destruction than he cared to admit, Rhodes agreed that Stark had made a good moral decision about halting the production of weapons—even though at the time he was scared to death he was gonna lose his job, his pension, and his eardrums after getting yelled at by his superiors for not keeping Stark on the military payroll.
Satisfied that he would be ready to gear up at a moment's notice, he turned out the lights, closed and locked the fenced-in prep area, and headed for the stairs that would lead him out of the subbasement of Stark Industries.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888
Knowing that business should run as usual and all normal activities should be carried out; Pepper made it a point to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, and concentrate on getting through the afternoon so she could go straight home and have a very large glass of wine. Her own mind couldn't block out the evening's impending events and she wondered how Tony and Rhodey were handling themselves.
As if her thoughts were a foreshadowing of their arrival, the two men in question came walking out of the elevator bank and were heading towards her desk. Absorbed in what seemed like a serious conversation regarding tonight's planned procedures, they walked straight past her desk and into Tony's office without so much as a glance in her direction.
It's not like this sort of behavior was new or unexpected of Tony Stark. In fact, on more than one occasion, she had come to work and not spoken a single word to him. The reasons varied, but it allowed for a respectable distance to be kept for both of them if he were having a particularly bad day. Nevertheless, a pang of irritation and disappointment hit her, and she found herself clutching the handles of her chair a bit tighter than before.
Then, moments later, her intercom buzzed to life, "Coming Potts?" Tony's voice asked. She did a double take at the unexpected request, and then, sending her previous thoughts out the window, she grabbed her pen and a pad of paper and made her way into the large office.
88888888888888888888888888888888
"Like I said, you are there only in case things get out of hand. My team is perfectly capable of stopping a known robbery." Rhodes said. He had planted himself in one of the leather office chairs in front of Tony's desk.
"Uh huh. Right. Just like you stopped the last theft at the same location?" Tony returned fire, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Rhodes' jaw clenched. "Hey. No need to take jabs at each other right now. Let's just focus on what needs to happen tonight."
Pepper walked into the office and sat in the matching chair next to Rhodes. Not willing to step between the two bickering men, she kept quiet and continued listening.
Tony had already poured himself a drink and was leaning on the edge of his desk facing Rhodes. "You know what's gonna happen tonight…They're gonna try to steal a bunch of crates full of bricks, and I'm gonna swoop in and stop 'em."
Rhodes sat up in his chair, shaking his head negatively, "No, you see, nuh uh. YOU are not swooping in there, there will be NO swooping!" He countered. "Tony, we can't have you coming in there and causing chaos. It will endanger me, my team, and the whole operation."
Tony contemplated his words. "But if chaos ensues without my interference, then I at least get to break it up, right?"
Rhodes sighed. "Ok, yes. Right."
"Great." Tony replied, taking a sip of his drink, and then turned to Pepper.
"So, whaddya say we have a celebratory dinner after this whole thing is wrapped up? We can go to that great Steakhouse on Sunset. The last time we were there I convinced you to drink while you were still on the clock, remember?" Tony's eyes shimmered and his lips were wet from the scotch; the combination of which made Pepper fidget in her chair.
But, determined to not let him get to her today, she recouped her professional exterior and cleared her throat. "Tony, by the time you and Rhodey finish, it will be well past midnight, the Steakhouse will be closed, and I will be asleep."
Tony tilted his head to the side and leaned back further on the desk. "Asleep, huh? Not gonna wait up for me?" Images of Pepper tossing and turning in her bed because of him made him grin at her.
Pepper blinked. "Ah…no." She snorted, and raised her pen at him, "And I did not drink on the job while we were there. It was a business meeting and you ordered me a cocktail, amidst my protesting, then you ended up drinking when I went to the ladies' room." A small smile played at her lips as she recalled the visit to the restaurant. She tried to hide it by looking down at the notepad in her lap and pretended to write something. Tony feigned a hurt expression and slapped his free hand to his chest.
Rhodes glanced at Pepper and then back at Tony. This was definitely a very different atmosphere than the last time he had occupied a space with these two. The witty banter was a bit more personal and the looks they were sending and receiving nearly made him blush.
Nearly.
Rhodes leaned back in his chair and let out a breath. The buzzing of his cell phone was a welcome distraction.
"This is Rhodes." A pause, then, "What?! Hell no--!" The sudden raising of his voice attracted the attention of Tony and Pepper, and they both turned their heads towards their friend.
Rhodes felt their eyes on him and stopped yelling. "Ah—wait, wait. Hold on a minute." Covering the receiver and standing up, he excused himself and quickly left the office to continue yelling at the person on the other end of the phone.
Pepper knew the day ahead was going to be very busy, so she stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of her business slacks. "So…I've ordered lunch from Augustino's—they have the Italian Sub back on the menu, so I ordered that for you. And, uh--" She looked down at the checklist she had scribbled down while Rhodes had left. She paused as she looked back up and realized she was talking to thin air—as she hadn't notice that Tony had moved to his office chair and was currently chewing on the end of a pen and looking out the window.
She turned towards him and continued, "The contractor called. He said that all modifications and construction is now complete." Pepper furrowed her brow. "What modifications? Where?" She asked Tony.
He swiveled around to face her. "Oh, I had a few more changes made to the workshop. It makes it all easier for removing the suit and keeping the place organized and clean—well, as clean as I can keep it." He smirked, then turned his attention back to the dock in the distance.
Pepper could sense his anxiousness and could see how tense he was by the way he hunched his shoulders. Another sixth sense she had picked up over the years—being able to read Tony
Stark's body language. However, despite being able to understand what tense shoulders mean, she was never able to penetrate that brilliant mind of his. In the past, she would never press an issue with him when he seemed deep in thought, but today, her curiosity got the better of her.
"Do you ever get nervous?" She asked impulsively. Tony turned once more to look at her, and she suddenly regretted asking such an impractical question.
Tony squinted at her and pulled the pen from his mouth. "What do you mean?"
Pepper shifted from one foot to the other. "You know, putting that armor of yours on. Throwing yourself into what are essentially combat zone situations; facing men who have no problem killing you." She frowned, taking a breath. "Doesn't any of that bother you?"
A beat. "You mean the way it bothers you?" His eyebrows lifted.
Pepper's mouth opened and shut quickly. His response was so unexpected that she had no immediate answer for him. But he waited patiently, keeping his eyes on her.
"Well, if you mean that I worry about your safety and whether or not you are going to get blown to smithereens every time you fly out of the basement…then yes, that does bother me." She replied calmly, holding his gaze.
"Hmm."
"What?"
Tony shrugged. "Nothing." He replied, then stood up from his chair, and moved to stand in front of Pepper, hands in his pockets. "Look…I can't tell you that I am calm and cool when I'm in that suit or in those types of situations." He gave a short burst of laughter and ran his hand through his hair. "In fact, I am scared shitless most of the time. But, knowing that I am about to do something for the greater good—well, that's a feeling that outweighs the fear and the nerves."
He glanced down at her hands which were tangling together in front of her. His fingers itched to touch hers, but he kept them tucked securely in his pockets. "So, to answer your question…yes, Miss Potts, I do get nervous from time to time. It just depends on the situation, and what… or who is making me nervous." His head bobbed to one side and he was close enough for her to notice the lines at the corners of his eyes when he smiled at her.
Pepper's expression remained quite neutral as she changed the subject. "Well, then I suppose I should leave you to your work." She waited a moment more, then turned on her heel and made her way to the exit. She was nearly out the door when his voice rang out once more.
"Oh, Miss Potts?"
She turned; her hand on the doorknob. "Yes?"
He stood in the same spot as before. "If nothing else, knowing that you are nervous for my well-being does give me all the more reason to return home safely." He said rather seriously; a ghost of a smile playing at his lips.
Realizing this was a compliment, Pepper felt her own lips curving upwards. She nodded her understanding, and removed herself from the office.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Just as she exited, Rhodes had finished his intense phone conversation and was still currently pacing back and forth in front of her desk.
"Rhodey? Is everything alright?" She asked, concerned.
Rhodes ran a hand over the top of his head. He was clearly agitated. "Ah. Well no, not really. I think I'm gonna be short handed tonight, and the General won't give me any extra guys." He stopped pacing and turned towards Pepper. "It looks like I'm really gonna need Tony tonight. I was trying to avoid having him involved. I was hoping he would be my backup, backup, backup plan." He sighed again, "Shit."
Pepper swallowed a lump in her throat and moved to sit at her desk. "Well, I'm sure you and Mr. Stark will work something out. Regardless of his stubborn nature, you two work very well together." She told him honestly. She reached for a folder at the end of the desk, brought it to sit in front of her and flipped it open.
There was a stretch of silence as Rhodes continued thinking about his situation tonight and Pepper turning her own attention to some paperwork. Rhodes grumbled something incoherent and started towards Stark's office, then stopped.
"Pepper, can I ask you a question?" He inquired.
"Hm?" She replied, not looking up from her writing.
"Do you think he's crazy?" he asked. Pepper's pen came to a halt and she looked up at him. Rhodes crossed his arms and continued, "I mean, he's not military. He's not a soldier. He's just a…" He paused, searching for the right thing to say, "…just a really smart guy who built a really great piece of machinery."
Pepper absorbed his words and thought about her answer. Clearly, Rhodey was having second and third thoughts about the mission tonight—and the role Stark would play in it.
"Rhodey, if there is one thing I know about Tony, it's that he's never been someone who can be told he couldn't do something. He demands more from himself every time he makes a breakthrough, and, frankly, he expects more from himself for the next one." Pepper's voice was soft, thoughtful. She had always admired Tony's drive and spirit when it came to being the best. It was a quality that most people called arrogant or ego-driven—but to her, it was about making
the best of a life that is your own. It was about doing something more rather than doing just enough. She could identify with that reasoning; and perhaps that has been the saving grace of her employment at Stark Industries all of these years.
"He's not crazy, Rhodey. He's driven. You of all people should realize that." She finished making her point and turned back to the contract on her desk.
Rhodes didn't say anything. He just nodded, took a deep breath, and walked back into Stark's office. Pepper continued her work, a smile on her lips.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888
…Later that night
Being the beginning of September, the sun had set late into the evening. When it finally fell over the horizon, the residents of Malibu were finally given a break from its intrusive rays. The night's warm air still wrapped around the city like a blanket, but a soothing breeze swept the cool air from the ocean inland, allowing some reprieve from the heat.
When Pepper returned home that evening, she opened all of her windows and turned on a large ceiling fan to help circulate the air in her apartment. She had an air conditioner, but she always opted for a more natural way of cooling off rather than an artificial solution. After a long cool shower, she dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, and then sat herself on her patio with a glass of wine. The view from her home was quite spectacular—another thing she could thank Tony Stark for. An unobstructed view of the ocean filled her vision as she raised her wine glass to her lips.
Tonight, she blocked out all other things going on in the city below, and just concentrated on the sweet oak of her chardonnay. She closed her eyes as the breeze caressed her face.
In the distance, a muted boom caught her attention, and as her eyelids fluttered open, a flash of light to her left reminded her that even though she had no intentions of allowing herself to worry about Rhodey and Stark tonight—her mind and her heart had other plans. Sighing, she finished the last of the wine in her glass and then headed straight for the kitchen; where she promptly opened another bottle.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Clad in his full armor, Tony Stark landed smoothly across the bay from Dock 12. His hi-tech heads-up display gave him perfect night vision and an ideal view of the Dock's main entrance.
"Jarvis, you on-line? Ready to go?" He asked, his voice muffled inside the helmet.
"As always sir. I do hope you are enjoying the cooling unit you installed at the last moment?" Jarvis questioned.
"Genius idea Jarvis. That's why I pay you the big bucks." Tony squatted behind an air conditioning unit on the rooftop. "Alright, Rhodey said he would signal me when to move in." Tony frowned to himself, and then broke into a smirk. "But you know how much I hate waiting on the sidelines."
"All too well, sir." Jarvis agreed. "Perhaps a closer vantage point might suffice?" Jarvis offered, a bright target on the display indicated another hiding spot on a closer roof top.
"Right, let's go." Tony powered up the boosters and felt himself being propelled into the air. He positioned his hands behind him to stabilize his flight path and expertly maneuvered himself to the new rooftop. He hovered for a moment, then set himself down gently.
"Sir, might I say, your ability to land gracefully without crashing through rooftops has remarkably improved." Jarvis quipped.
"Why thank you, Jarvis. Practice is the key to perfection" He replied. "…Helmet up." He instructed. The whirring of tiny latches began, and the face plate opened, allowing Tony a breath of fresh air. He settled himself down on one iron-clad knee.
"What now sir?" Jarvis queried.
"Now…we wait."
88888888888888888888888888888
Dock 12 was as quiet as a ghost town. Undercover agents dressed as dock workers had spent the good part of the afternoon moving in about a dozen large crates that were supposedly filled with a variety of firearms, military weaponry, and other assorted firepower. The press release had revealed that the stockpile of these weapons was going to be moved to a secure storage facility in Northern California where they would later be dismantled and destroyed. Rhodes had the crates filled with solid concrete brick with a few 'dummy' weapons hidden within. In case the would-be thieved decided to break one of the crates open early, they would see the useless guns and assume that the entire crate was full.
The bait was set. The plan was simple and clean.
Rhodes and his men waited in the rafters of the building; in Dock 11, on the opposite side of 12; and in a storage bunker that sat between the two docks. They were ready.
Time passed slowly for all parties involved. Stark's leg began cramping from his current position, so he switched legs cautiously. Even though Rhodes and his men were trained to be patient, they too were getting a bit edgy from waiting.
Then, at fifteen minutes past 2:00am, the unmistakable sound of a motor boat and several jet skis split the silence that had enveloped the night.
888888888888888888888888888888888
A/N: I am having a hard time writing out the action sequence that will follow this scene. I had originally planned to include it in this update, but I decided that it would fit well in the next chapter. So…here is chapter 14, with 15 coming right on its heels!
R/R Thanks again so much to my faithful reviewers—you all rock! And to all of those who have told me they were re-reading the chapters before. I think you would agree that my direction has wavered a bit, but it seems to be heading in the right direction now!