"It's a classic!" huffed Tony. Steve just gave him a blank stare, thus signifying yet another thing he was not familiar with.

"Really? Well we'll definitely have to correct that gross oversight. But really?" Stark turned his disbelief towards Bruce, who threw his hands up in surrender. He wasn't overly familiar with what Tony was referring to either. "Unbelievable. Just what is it you do with your spare time?"

Bruce, Steve and Stark had all gathered in the kitchen taking a break from their current projects. Bruce and Tony had been tinkering in one of the labs at Stark Tower, and Rogers had been making a small attempt to acquaint himself with Tony' s vast DVD collection of movies Steve "just had to watch". The only thing that Captain America had learned was that he and Tony had very different definitions about what constituted entertainment.

Tony took a sip of his scotch and glanced at the clock. He was supposed to meet Pepper for dinner tonight and he wasn't about to miss this date. The woman had the patience of a saint; he'd pretty much stood her up last week when he lost track of time while trying to make some new adjustments to his Iron Man suit, and she was scheduled to fly out tomorrow for a board meeting. So not only did he have to make up for his short sightedness last week, but he had a deadline in which to do it.

"Any word on Romanoff yet?" asked Banner.

Steve shook his head as he sat down at the table and picked up half of his sandwich. A sharp snapping sound caught both his and Bruce attention, and they turned to face Tony who was downing his drink with one hand and snapping his fingers at them with the other.

"Fury said she wasn't due back for another four days," informed Stark as he put down the empty crystal tumbler.

"Sir?" sounded the AI voice, stopping any further discussion from the group.

"What is it Jarvis?" asked Stark with his usual slightly annoyed tone.

"There is something I think you should see." The TV in the kitchen turned on to the local news station which was airing a live report from outside a bank; all three men turned to watch the news program.

"Again, if you're just tuning in we are currently watching local law enforcement secure the scene at the First National Bank where several armed men are currently holding numerous people hostage," reported the broadcaster.

Jarvis continued, "Sir, Ms. Potts had an appointment there this afternoon. I believe agent Barton was with her."

"What? Why would she have an appointment . . . never mind," muttered Stark to himself then in a more audible voice, "Try getting Pepper on her cell."

Everyone waited somewhat impatiently as they listened to the ringing that Jarvis was playing over the speakers. After a few moments Pepper's voice answered instructing them to leave her a message.

A million scenarios ran through Tony's head for all the reasons his CEO was not answering her cell, but despite some fantastical scenarios they all came back to the very real possibility that she was in the middle of the hostage situation at the bank.

"Try her phone again," ordered Tony trying to keep the fear he felt from his voice; the phone rang again and then went to voice mail. "Again!" he demanded.

Banner and Rogers waited silently as Stark tried three more times to reach Pepper; each lost in their own thoughts regarding a potentially dangerous situation. Both could understand what Tony was feeling at that moment; the possibility that someone you loved was in danger.

Bruce spoke up first as a thought occurred to him. "Jarvis, you said agent Barton was with Pepper?"

"Yes."

"Try calling his cell."

It was a long shot. Maybe Pepper wasn't in a position to pick up her cell but Clint was; maybe the archer was going to answer and be able to tell them that everything was going to be alright. When an automated voice requested they leave a message, all hope that their friends weren't in the middle of the scene unfolding on the television crumbled.

"Right. We're suiting up, let's go Rogers," snapped Tony as he started formulating plans in his head.

Steve stood up from his stool, "We need to tell Fury what's happened. If they are trapped inside the bank . . ."

"When has anything ever gone our way? Of course they're there. Now let's go!"

Rogers nodded and left to get his stuff. Tony started to walk towards the door to get his Iron Man suit on when he noticed Bruce lingering by the table, a serious expression on his face.

It wasn't that Banner didn't want to help. Pepper had become a very good friend, and Clint was not only a friend but a teammate as well; but bringing the hulk into a hostage negotiation? That sounded like a recipe for disaster not rescue.

"Let's go Bruce, don't make me tell you twice!"

Bruce replied in his usual calm placid manner. "Right, 'cause a hostage situation at a bank is a real stress free relaxing place."

Stark just ignored him as they both moved towards the elevator so Tony could go suit up. Captain America joined them fifteen minutes later having put on his own suit, grabbed his shield and contacted Fury.

"Do we have a plan?" asked Rogers as the last piece of Ironman's suit snapped into place.

"I'm working on it Cap. Jarvis, try Ms. Potts cell one more time."

The phone rang twice and no one really expected a different outcome from before, but they were about to be wrong. The quiet frantic whisper greeted them on the other end of the line "Tony!"