Disclaimer: I don't own any Avengers characters.
Tony sighed as he sat heavily in his office desk chair. He glanced out his huge window to the midnight sky. They had just arrived and he went to his office once he was sure everything was okay back at the mansion.
He looked through his computer and the tons of leads they head on the breakout. Most of them were false and if they were real by the time they checked it out the trail had gone cold. There was so many but it was hard to track. They didn't plan on making the same mistake again. And it was even harder for him since his mind wasn't paying attention.
"Earth to Tony."
He snapped in attention. "W-what?" He looked up and saw that Pepper was standing in front of him and her hands on the desk. "Oh, exactly how long have you been spying on me?" he winked.
"I wasn't spying." She rolled her eyes. "I was right here."
"Oh. Well what happened?"
She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Are you okay, you're really distracted?"
"What? Me? No, just thinking."
"Tony, I know you." She smiled almost ruefully. "And I know when something's bugging you. Now what is it?"
Tony looked down and sighed. "She's just a kid."
"What? Whose just a kid?"
"So young."
"Who! Tony, talk to me."
Tony tried to smiled but then frowned and he told her all that had happened. When he finished she stared blankly.
"How old!"
"Fifteen. She's barely fifteen and look at her. She's all messed up in the medic lab." He spun his chair and stared out the window. "You should have seen her! She was covered in bruises and all cut up. Four broken ribs and a cut to the head! She was unconscious for a couple of hours."
"Did she wake up?"
"She did. For a while. Then she just knocked back out. She's supposed to wake up but . . . she just looked so . . . broken. And you should have seen Hawkeye. He was a mess to."
"Did he get hurt to?"
"No but you should have seen him. He was going ballistic. But I don't blame him. She was hurt and we-I couldn't do anything."
Then he sagged his shoulders and his head dropped. "I stopped making weapons because I was tired of people being hurt. Tired that all these, villains getting a hold of it and using it against us. I quit weapons then went to the Avengers. I made them to help people and stop people from getting hurt. Now look at it! It seems that no matter what I do people will just get hurt. Maybe that's all I'm good at making. Making pain!" he yelled angrily.
Pepper flinched at his voice. Then she walked to his side. "No Tony you're not. And you know that. You stopped weapons for a good reason and you have stopped people from getting hurt. And the Avengers are probably the greatest thing that's happened to New York. Maybe even the world."
"How? If kids are going out in the streets and trying to be like us. Trying to capture bad guys like Hydra then how is that good?"
"You said that she was like Hawkeye's kid right?"
"Sort of, yeah."
"Then what does that have to do with you? It seems to me that she's just trying to be like her hero. Her only real role model. And Hawkeye needs to help her and deal with her. But that doesn't mean you can't help. Just don't take all the burden." She had put a hand on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while as they looked out to the city and stars.
Tony suddenly felt a lot better. He knew he could depend on Pepper for advice and she would listen. He smiled down a little then looked up to her. "Thanks Pepper. I knew you would understand." He said as he grabbed her hand and held it with his.
She blushed a little but smiled. "Your welcome. Now, you could look at these leads in the morning." She pulled her hand away and began to walk out. "Go to sleep."
"You want to help me with that?" Tony asked flirtatiously, smiling.
"Good night Tony." She called back.