I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I don't know how I feel about the next chapter I'm working on either...After that chapter I only have a general idea of where the story is going, so expect longer delays between updates. I shall try my best, but well, life.
I feel I should also remind/tell everyone that I have no idea about the medical field or the technology field. So all of my hacking and breaking and hospital stuff? Pretty much made up. So sorry for any, you know, lies that I'm feeding you.
Anywho, look for the next update in about a week or week and a half. I'll try and get it done before I head back up to school.
Read, review, and enjoy :D
Pepper was waiting for them on the landing dock. Steve had forced her home a day earlier, telling her to get a good night's sleep, a shower, and some real food. From the looks of it, the only thing she had done was the shower. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her chest. She could handle listening to Tony berate the doctors as they patched him up after a mission gone wrong. What she couldn't handle was watching Tony's life quietly slip away in front of her eyes.
"Captain, do you have news?" she asked urgently.
"We're taking control of the mission. Is there any way Jarvis might have picked something up that Fury wouldn't have access to?" Clint and Natasha followed behind them as he led the way to Tony's workshop. Pepper considered his words.
"There's a chance. I don't really need to tell you how much Tony dislikes Fury," she said with a sad smile.
"Would you have access to it?" Clint asked. Pepper leaned against the elevator wall while she debated with herself. On one hand, Tony would kill her. On the other, it might save his life so that he would actually have the chance to kill her…
"Probably. Jarvis?" she called to the ceiling.
"Yes Miss. Potts?"
"Access ghost drive. Password: Pepper Potts."
The AI was silent for a second, then responded back, "Password accepted. Voice recognition accepted. What may I help you find Miss. Potts?"
"The password to his ghost drive is your name?" Clint asked in disbelief.
"It's only half of the password. Jarvis also matches voices, so just saying my name won't help any."
Steve rested a hand on her shoulder. "He loves you a lot."
For a second, her defenses crumbled. Her shoulders sagged, her eyes sought the ground. Another second later, her mask was carefully set back into place. "I know. Jarvis, do you have any information from the day Tony infiltrated A.I.M's headquarters?"
"Very little Miss. Potts. However, I was able to get a small so-called 'leg in' on A.I.M.'s system. Are you looking for any information in specific?"
"Any information on where A.I.M headed after the attack," Steve answered.
"You heard the man Jarvis. Please," Pepper instructed.
"I require a few minutes to search the system."
"Thank you Jarvis," Pepper said to the AI before turning back to the team. "Normally Tony would search through the code. It takes Jarvis a little longer, but not by much."
A loud thunk from upstairs, followed by a booming "My fellow teammates! Where might I find your location?" alerted them to Thor's presence.
"I'll go debrief him," Natasha volunteered. "Let me know if he finds anything."
"How are you holding up Pepper?" Steve asked, though he still found it strange to call her by her first name. Pepper gave him a hopeful smile.
"As well as can be expected. The company has proved to be a good distraction. We've been trying to keep Tony's condition out of the media, but they're starting to ask too many questions."
"Why the secrecy?" Steve asked.
"If the public finds out about Tony's…condition," Clint said, not able to force himself to say what was really happening, "Stark Industries' stock would plummet and the company would suffer."
"Just because Tony wasn't 100%?" There was still a lot Steve didn't understand in the new world. The economy and its businesses was one of them.
"Tony leads the company's scientists in patents. He's the reason that Stark Industries is where it is now. Without him, many of our investors wouldn't see how the company could keep up in the world and would sell out. The company would most likely go bankrupt."
"I believe I have found something Miss. Pots. There is indication of an underground base in Nevada. I have coordinates, if you would like them."
"Send them to the quinjet Jarvis," Pepper instructed. "Go ahead and shut down the ghost drive as well."
"Of course Miss. Potts."
"Thank you Pepper. Now we have a location."
Pepper's eyes hardened. "When you find whoever did this, make sure they never get the chance to do it again."
"No worries there Pepper," Clint responded as he pulled out some of the arrows Tony had been working on. New gases and explosives had been attached. "Even S.H.I.E.L.D won't get to see them."
"I do not understand," Thor was saying, his voice the closest to angry that Steve or Clint had ever heard. "Why have we not gone after those who hurt the Man of Iron before now?"
"Because we were being lied to," Clint said, coming to Natasha defense. "But now we're going to make them all pay."
"We have a location?" Natasha asked.
"Nevada. Pile in. Jarvis is driving," Steve said.
(|o.o|) /||\ (|o.o|)
Tony debated hitting the manual release on the suit. If he was able to get to the arc reactor, he might be able to rig something up to jump start it again. Footsteps, however, alerted him to a presence that wasn't Clint, and he decided that at least the armor still offered him protection from bullets and knives.
Not that it mattered. Without power, the face mask didn't allow very much in outside visuals, so he was defenseless when said presence reached forward and tugged the helmet off. The man was older, probably 60's, hair turning white. He had the build of someone who had once been muscular, but had let his fitness go. Other than that, the man was utterly unremarkable. To either side of him stood two figures, completely cloaked in black gear much like his flight suit, armed with semi-automatic guns. Heavy fire power for a defenseless opponent.
"Clever, turning the entire computer system into an EMP," Tony panted as he glared up at the man. "I'm guessing you set it to trigger as soon as remote access was attempted?"
"The whole system was a set-up, Mr. Stark." The man's voice was smooth, reminding him of Obadiah's voice. It had the same persuasive tone that made people do what he said. "It didn't matter what computer you attempted to access, the result would have been the same."
"That's quite the plan, just to capture little old me," Tony tried to play off.
The man laughed. "Oh come now Mr. Stark. There's nothing 'little' about you, is there?"
"Let me guess. You have the deal of a lifetime for me. I help you build some weapons and you let me live?"
He shrugged. "I imagine that most people have offered you that deal. However, A.I.M. is well aware you won't accept our offer. See, we have a plan. It's little bit more extravagant, but well, we think you're worth it."
Tony had to deliberately keep his hand from going up to his chest. There was only so much longer he was going to be conscious. It had to be a strong EMP to knock the arc reactor out for so long. "You'll forgive me if I don't really feel particularly honored. Most people regret trying to mix themselves up in my life, not to mention the fact that I have a team now, and they don't really like it when I just vanish without any word. Especially Bruce. He tends to get…green. Very green."
"Don't worry, we are well aware of your team. They have been accounted for in our plans." Tony really didn't like the sound of that. His eyes twitched up to the rafters with a small hope of seeing Clint magically appear like he always seemed to. "Oh I wouldn't worry too much Mr. Stark. Your friend up in the ceiling won't be able to get here in time." Tony noticed a distinct black edge narrowing in on his vision. The man checked his watch. "Looks like we're just about out of time though, as fun as this has been Mr. Stark." He gestured to one of the masked guards behind him, who handed a syringe. Oh, Tony definitely didn't like this. "This will most likely hurt a bit, but you won't really notice it after a while." He leaned down, pressing the needle into Tony's neck. Tony tried to raise his hands or push away from him but everything in his body was weak with lack of oxygen. Tony blinked furiously, trying to focus on the man's face as it invaded his personal bubble like crazy. "Come find us when you wake up Mr. Stark. Your team and I will be waiting."
The man stood up and moved back, dropping the empty syringe next to Tony. "Let's go," he commanded the other two. They left the room without looking back, leaving Tony behind as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.