Ok, so this is where the fun starts. I wrote and re-wrote these notes so many times they're pretty much engraved onto my brain. Hopefully that means they're worth the wait. There's gonna be thirteen chapters in total, including an epilogue, and I'm finally one chapter ahead of posting agian instead of writing to post, so updates should be quicker. Once again, thanks to Marvel Comics Database and Marvel Universe Wiki for background information.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
After taking the rest of the day to get his head together, Tony gathered the team in the lounge to once more run over the plan. He'd been doing it at least once a week to ensure that they were always prepared for what would more than likely be a sudden invasion of the SHIELD airship. Everyone but Blake, who had gone on another sweep to find more help, was gathered around a blueprint Tony had managed to 'secure' of the inside of the airship.
"So, assuming getting up there goes of without a hitch, which it should, I want Punisher and Logan to enter here through this ventilation system above the entrance for the research facility. Now, it will be heavily guarded, but the soldiers down there aren't tactically minded. More shoot first and ask questions later, so taking them out shouldn't be that hard." He looked towards Logan and Punisher. "Even if they manage to alert the other recruits, they're several floors up so you'll have more than enough time to meet up with Cable and Luke. You two enter through the sleeping quarters and wait for their signal before making your way down-"
Tony stopped talking as a ferocious crack of lightening came from behind him, signalling Thor's arrival. He turned to greet him, only to discover he wasn't alone.
"Look who I found wandering up and down the dark streets of Malibu." Blake said, having transformed back from Thor.
"A little birdy told me you guys might need some assistance?" a tall man, clad in a red leather suit covering his entire body and head, holding a folded cane stepped forward. Tony beamed and moved to shake the man's hand.
"Daredevil, how the hell did you know?" he laughed. Daredevil, who had been standing slightly off to the right, unfolded his cane and tapped it against the floor, immediately turning to Tony as he 'saw' him and grabbing his outstretched hand, handing him a small disk with his other.
"Call me Matt." He said. "And like I said, a little birdy told me. Natasha got your message, Tony."
Tony's eyes lit up and let out a disbelieving noise as he took the disk. "That's fantastic! She's with us, then?"
Matt nodded. "One hundred percent. Everything you need is on that disk apparently, and there's a secure IP address you can contact her on."
Tony was practically bouncing on the spot as he turned to the rest of the group. "Everyone, what Matt had just handed over is what we've been waiting for." He walked over to one of Jarvis' wall mounted harddrives and inserted the disk. "Jarvis, I need everything on that disk moved onto secure sector seven, throw every firewall you have at it and load it up to the suit's upload drive." He turned back to the group as images and files started projecting themselves around him. "Natasha and I worked together at SHIELD, she helped me out a lot when I was on the run and now she's risking her own skin to give us the information we need. Now we have Hill's plan."
The disk finished loading and Tony studied it. There were names of registered supers, formulas for scientific experiments, blueprints for machines and various other files that looked legitimate, but there was more. As Tony manipulated the projection, hacking into ghost files and extracting more data, he exposed the sinister business SHIELD was really involved with. Blood samples, test results, video and image files, all indicating that the registered super-humans weren't just being registered, they were being harvested. The registered list sent from SHIELD to the Government appeared to show less than half of the actual captured list. In reality, super-humans with more dangerous, more interesting abilities were being kept secret and, from what Tony could gather, their powers were being ripped from them and refined for some sort of-
"Super Soldier Serum?" Logan asked from his position on the couch, gazing at the projected filed. "What the hell is that?"
Tony shook his head in disbelief. "It's the serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America, but this…this is something else. This is a combination of super abilities into one serum. This is wrong." He delved deeper into the files and ran a hand through his hair. "I knew Hill was up to something but…this is sick."
"So I take it this means time is of the essence?" Matt asked. Tony nodded and turned back to the group.
"We have to move on this as soon as possible." He said, closing the file. "Jarvis, send the plan files to Natasha through a ghost file 'Black Widow'. Pete, clue Matt in on the plan, everyone else, we need to-"
A flash of bright orange from behind Tony stopped him talking and he span around to face the front door. Punisher leapt up from his position and withdrew his guns, pointing them at the door as Sue and Johnny Storm barged through it.
"Tony!" Sue rushed over to him as he indicated for Punisher to lower his weapons. "Tony, you have to leave now. They're coming, they know you're alive."
Tony's eyes went wide and the rest of the group leapt into action.
"What do you mean?" Peter asked. "How the hell do they know he's alive?"
"Reed just contacted us." Johnny said from his lookout point at the window. "Some agent, Robert Owens, I think he said, was spying on the house and they saw him. They're going to attack the house."
The hair on the back of Tony's neck stood on end and he started towards the door but Blake held him back. "That's Pepper's fiancé; I have to get her to safety!"
"She'll be fine, Stark." Blake said, pushing him back into the house. "We have to leave. Now!"
Tony opened his mouth to argue, but before he could get a word out, the lights went out and the entire house went dark. A soft chink sounded from Tony's left as Logan drew out his claws.
"Jarvis, status report." Tony hissed. Jarvis remained silent. "Jarvis?"
The sound of breaking glass came from behind them and Blake started to spark, preparing to transform into Thor, but before he could complete it, Punisher clubbed him over the head with the butt of his gun, shooting Logan in the head at the same time and grabbing Peter, pressing the muzzle to his temple. Cable and Luke jumped up as a swarm of Cape Killers and SHIELD agents surrounded them. Tony started suiting up but Punisher pressed his gun harder to Peter's head.
"Do you really want to go down this road, Stark?" he hissed, pointing his other pistol at Daredevil who was tapping his cane on the ground. "Drop the stick, Murdock." He sneered. "I knew it was you. Even when you denied it, I knew."
"What are you doing, Frank?" Tony growled as Cable and Luke prepared for a fight. "You don't know who the hell these people are!"
"But I know who you are!" he shot back. "I know you're an outlaw, and outlaw's need to be dealt with, locked away. That's where I come in." he tightened his grip on Peter. "So, either you and your troop come quietly, or there's gonna be even more innocent lives on your hands. Which is it to be?"
"Don't do it, Tony!" Peter shouted. "You have to fight, you have to finish this, you can't let them get away with it!"
Tony stared at Peter, swallowing hard before retracting what little armour he'd started up and motioning to Luke and Cable to stand down. They did so, reluctantly, and were instantly hit with stunners. As they fell, another agent moved towards Matt and grabbed his cane, cuffing him and dragging him outside.
"Wise choice." Punisher mocked as more agents started rounding them up. He let Peter go long enough for him also to be cuffed and taken away. "You're lucky I hit the Norse wonder over there when I did, if he's transformed, no way in hell you'd be able to lift his weapon." He said to a couple of agents as they dragged the unconscious forms of Blake and Logan out of the house, followed by Cable and Luke. Tony shook his head.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked as Punisher stepped towards him. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"I'm doing my job, Stark." Punisher grinned as a Cape Killer pointed a gun at him. Instantly, Tony's head began to throb painfully. He raised his hands to his temples, scrunching his eyes closed as he crumpled to the floor in agony. "Fucking outlaw." Punisher sneered, before kicking Tony in the head, knocking him out cold. Two agents then grabbed his limp body and dragged him outside to the containment unit. Punisher gave the mansion one last look before bending and picking up Mjölnir, which was in its cane form, and following the SHIELD agents out the door, twirling it in his fingers as he went.
Later that night, after extensive interviews, reports and meetings, Robert returned home to find Pepper pacing the living room, wringing her hands together. She dashed towards him as he closed the door and jumped into his arms, hugging him.
"Robert! Where the hell have you been?" she asked, pulling back after a second. "I've been worried sick!"
"Have you?" Robert asked calmly, extricating himself from her arms and stepping around her. Perplexed, Pepper turned as he walked away and furrowed her brows.
"Of course I have." She said quietly. "You weren't here when I came home from work, where were you?"
Robert sighed and turned to face her. "I've been at base all day." He said. When Pepper said nothing, he continued. "See, I found something out today, you might have some idea of what it is. It's about Tony Stark."
Pepper paled visibly and swallowed. "W-what about him?"
Smiling sadly, Robert pulled leant against the back of the couch, staring at her. "I know, Gin. I know Tony's alive, I know you've been helping him to stay hidden, and I also know you've been sleeping with him. Don't." he raised a finger in warning as she opened her mouth to protest. "Don't lie to me any more than you already have. You're in enough trouble."
"But I don't know-"
"Don't fucking lie to me!" Robert yelled, slamming his hand down on the back of the couch. Pepper jumped and froze, staring at him with wide eyes. Robert set his jaw and stepped forward. "The baby's his, isn't it? Isn't it!"
Pepper stepped back as he advanced, scared. "I…I don't know. Robert, please-"
"No!" he yelled again. "I'm done listening to you lie to me. You are going to tell me exactly what he's planning, right now."
Pepper remained silent and Robert shoved her into the wall, pinning her there.
"Tell me!"
"I'll never tell you anything!" Pepper snapped, staring defiantly back at him. Robert snarled and back-handed her across the face, watching as she fell to the floor, clutching her jaw and curling into a ball.
"You will tell me." Robert said before bending and grabbing her arm, hoisting her up and dragging her out of the front door, shoving her into a waiting SHIELD vehicle and slamming the door shut.
TBC