Like wow, I honestly did not expect to get this chapter done so soon! But it was super exciting to write, even though I don't really feel like I got Tony's character quite right. (Let me know what you guys think, as I shamelessly beg for reviews) That being said, this is definitely the most indepth action scene I think I've ever written and I really hope I did it justice in terms of realism.
Also, breaking the record for longest chapter with this baby at 22 pages (so proud of myself).
I hope you guys enjoyed the end of the stay in Washington DC, the next couple of chapters are going to involve shenanigans and embarrassment with Nicole's family. As always, a big thank you to the folks who are following/favoriting/reviewing this story, and a thank you to the rest of you guys who are actually reading it.
I don't know if I'll get another chapter up this week (I'll try) because I've been having some problems with my teeth and really need to see a dentist, not to mention the fact that I think I'm coming down with a cold.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter and again let me shamelessly beg for reviews. Honestly, I loved hearing back from you guys and it really makes my day!
Adara.
Chapter Eleven:
May 17, 2011, Location: Harlem, NY
The destruction of Harlem was everywhere. Cars were being flung back and forth, people screaming in a panic as the United States military made a weak, hopeless attempt at running interference. Nicole jerked her bike to a stop, weight shifting with the force of her breaking to the point where the machine pitched dangerously underneath her and she needed to fling a leg out for stability.
And there it was.
The monster was disgusting, a botched attempt at combining two differently radioactive serums into one body that was not, would never be, worthy of the power. It stood as tall as some of the skyscrapers, sickly beige skin so translucent that she could see the veins mapped through it, eyes yellow and filled with cruel glee. She could see the outline of a sternum, the ridge of the rib cage and along the spine and the tips of the elbow there were spikes, growths from the vertebrae. It was hideous, it was the very essence of nightmares.
It was… it was an abomination!
"They do not pay me enough for this." She could feel the fire all around her, from the burning buildings and the exploded cars, and it gave her strength. But even still, Nicole knew that it wouldn't be enough. Not for this.
She had faced off against a great many things, but this creature, this beast that Blonsky had turned himself into? She wouldn't stand a damn chance.
"Give me a real fight!" It snarled, that grotesque attempt at speech spurring her into motion. The Army opened fire, sending bullets and missiles soaring towards Blonsky. She used her powers subtly, using the combustion of the weapons to guide their flight. It was a subtle manipulation of her abilities, one that had taken years to perfect, and yet they might as well have been firing spitballs at him for all the good it did.
A chopper whirled ahead, Nicole doing her best to evacuate the few stragglers caught in the open and in need of shelter. She knew, without a doubt that Ross was in there, the man who had started them on this path. He wanted the Hulk for a weapon—she got that even if she didn't agree with it—but he had endangered so many people trying to get it. As far as she was concerned, there was just as much blood on his hands as well.
Nicole wasn't the only one who noticed the helicopter; a vicious grin on his face as yellow eyes narrowed on the bird. She saw the planned attack before it happened, Blonsky turning towards the helicopter and the people inside.
She saw the figure that came tumbling out, seeming almost frail and diminutive in the scheme of things.
"Come on Banner." She murmured, her body wrapping around a child's to shield it from a spray of rubble that had her coat shredding and gavel digging into her back. "Don't let him win."
IOI
September 10, 2011, Location: Washington DC
Nicole was less than thrilled at the moment. She was behind the steering wheel of the SUV once more, her thumbs tapping an impatient rapport against the curve of the wheel as they drew closer to the building where they were supposed to meet. She hadn't been informed until their arrival at the Triskelion this morning that General Ross would be attending the meetings.
Her brows furrowed slightly at that, grip tightening in annoyance. There were a great many reasons why she didn't much care for General Ross, his borderline sexist attitude for one, and the fact that he had a tendency to look down on anyone that didn't match his ideal of what a man should look and act like—i.e. himself—but the main reason had to do with his handling of the Hulk.
She had read the file on Bruce Banner; the physicist had been working on developing a gamma bomb and, when pushed for a deadline, had gotten caught in the blast as the prototype was detonated in the desert. The result of that was the creation of a creature dubbed the Incredible Hulk, Dr. Banner's alter ego that came out when his heart rate spiked above 200. The creature was around eight feet tall and a couple thousand pounds with no inhibition and a completely chaotic personality.
And instead of trying to teach Banner how to control the Hulk, instead of trying to find a cure, Ross had sought to capture the doctor and run tests on him. After a showdown in New Mexico Banner had literally disappeared off of the face of the planet, popping up years later in South America. There had been an incident in a soda bottling factory where some of Banner's blood had gotten exposed, nothing too serious though the man who'd drank the contaminated soda had gotten a lengthy hospital stay. And Banner had been tracked down by Ross, and forced into revealing himself in Harlem.
Where Ross had allowed his pet lapdog to mix some of Banner's blood with an already bastardized attempt at the super soldier serum. The destruction that had happened not even a week after Vanko had laid siege to Malibu using hijacked Hammer Tech. Which had also been about the time that the Destroyer had—as the name implied—destroyed Puerta Antigua, New Mexico. That had been a very interesting week, especially considering the fact that Nicole had been the agent put in charge of managing the Harlem incident.
And she was laying that chaos directly at Ross's feet. The man claimed that Banner was a threat to national security, but since leaving the states the man had tried nothing more than to find a cure for himself and help other people.
It was Ross that was pursuing him like a dog with a bone, and now Nicole had to play nice with the Air Force general.
Yeah, she completely understood why Fury had waited to tell her that the man would be present. Otherwise she might have had to fake an injury to get out of attending.
"So you look like you're about to punch something." Steve noted wryly, making her head twitch in the direction of those words.
It was then that Nicole realized that her face had turned into a foreboding scowl and her knuckles were white against the steering wheel of the SUV. Her entire face felt warm, cheeks likely splashed with color and it took a few deep breaths before she felt that she was able to speak without swearing.
"Am I that obvious?" As was typical Nicole went for an attempt at humor, her words light.
"Well…" Steve shrugged, a smile quirking at his lips. "I'm not saying that you look scary or anything but if we were to take a picture of your face it would make an excellent Halloween decoration."
His face became serious then, and she could feel his piercing gaze on her. "But all joking aside Nicole, what's wrong?"
"I do not like General Ross." The redhead announced, making yet another left hand turn.
Their meeting was scheduled to take place at the Department of Homeland Security; a fitting location for two high ranking military generals to meet their previously highest paid weapons manufacturer. Nicole had only been in the building twice in her entire life; once when her grandpa had taken her to work decades ago and another when she'd been called in for a debrief regarding Harlem. That had been… a couple of weeks before they'd discovered Steve in the Arctic.
"Yeah, I kind of gathered that by the string of expletives you let loose this morning." She grimaced when she thought about the poor intern who'd been present after delivering the file. "Wanna explain why?"
Easing to a stop, brown eyes lifted to the rearview mirror, where she could see Happy inching up behind her in the other vehicle. Nicole counted to ten, trying to collect her scattered thoughts and filter out the needless profanities. "I… he's such a fucking jackass I swear! Like, okay, I am aware that nobody is perfect, and we all have our reasons for doing what we do. I try to be understanding, I try not to judge anyone but Steve he's not just a dick. He's a whole god damn bag of them."
So much for filtering out the profanity. She thought darkly, mouth already working again.
"Sometimes I wonder how in the ever-loving fuck he still has his job because I've seen the man try and handle a situation and it was a fuck-all that I had to clean up." Nicole snarled. "It was a fuck-fest, and rather than own up to his part in it he just pinned all of the blame on someone who, while not completely innocent themselves, was definitely the victim in the situation. He was careless and driven by a petty ambition and need for revenge that got a lot of people killed and cost a shit load in property damage."
For the most part Steve was quiet during her rant, though she could feel his entire body tense up by small increments.
"I'm sure that the man has his redeeming qualities, I know he cares for his daughter and all, and I'm sure that he's just trying to do his job but God, Steve, I can't stand him. Not that you have anything to worry about; I'll be much better behaved than I was with Dr. Pisani, but just know that I'll be silently judging non-stop." She finished, sweeping her hand out in an absent waving gesture.
Steve had a small half-smile on his face as she finished, the expression more internally contemplative than anything else. "I'd ask you to tell me how you really feel, but after all that… is he that bad?"
"Like I said, I don't like him. And I have my reasons for not liking him—as I've already said—and while I'm loathe to just make someone out as a bad guy… kinda?" Nicole felt that, with her track record of horrible mistakes, she was the last person who was entitled to pass judgment on another human being.
And yet, whether it was right or wrong, she still couldn't stand Thaddaeus Ross.
"I'll keep that in mind." Steve offered neutrally, earning a shrug.
"We won't even really have to interact with them. That's not why we're here." Which was true; Tony had already been prepped by SHIELD officials on what would and would not be an appropriate response in his discussions with the military. Not that Nicole particularly expected the man to listen; the last time he'd been given a SHIELD censored speech he'd tossed it out and announced that he was Iron Man.
"No, our job is to keep an eye out and make sure that this Justin Hammer guy doesn't try anything. What's his game anyway, isn't he in jail?" The blonde asked, looking out the window.
By the time they'd left the hotel, the sun had risen and the streets were filled with people.
Nicole resisted the urge to roll her eyes childishly. "He's a wannabe. After Tony pulled Stark Industries out of the weapons game, Hammer swooped in to be the military's manufacturer. His weapons weren't bad, but they were second tier to what Tony developed. He likes people to believe he's this genius innovator, but the fact of the matter is that he had the money to hire a bunch of people to invent new weapons while he stole all of the credit."
"Dishonest, and deplorable, but not necessarily illegal." Steve noted neutrally. "So how did he go from being just a fat-head to landing in the can?"
Nicole huffed a soft laugh at his choice of words, eyes flicking once more to the car following behind them.
"That's the purpose of today's meetings." She began, pulling up to a four way intersection. "Tony's Iron Man suit is one of a kind, yeah? Well there are a lot of people who would very much like to put him out of the game by improving on the technology. Hammer was one of them and in an attempt to one up Tony he broke out Ivan Vanko, the son of one of Howard's spurned partners."
"So that's why he's in jail, right?" Steve was watching her in interest now, his curiosity fully piqued. "I mean, how much worse could it be?"
"Oh that's certainly part of the reason, sure. Definitely didn't help Hammer any. But Vanko was really smart, like really smart and he was brought in to help create a Hammer version of Tony's suits. He ended up making a bunch of drones that ideally were controlled by Hammer, and a suit of his own. Vanko used the drones to attack the Stark Expo, and his own suit to try and kill Tony. Hammer had no idea that it was the plan, and was completely blindsided, but he was still guilty." They were getting closer to the Department of Homeland Security, she could tell by the subtle shift in building types.
"Back to your original question of what his game is? I doubt Hammer would be able to do anything in jail, I really do, but he's got a grudge like no other and I wouldn't put it past him to try and actually kill Tony or get revenge of some sort." Which she was not willing to let happen. All grousing and jokes aside, Tony Stark was like family to her—the awkward, distant family that usually only showed up to Christmas drunk—and though she would never admit it she was actually rather fond of the man.
The news that he'd been kidnapped and held hostage in Afghanistan had terrified her, and she remembered the nauseating fear that had churned in her stomach until he'd shown up weeks later. Nicole had begged Fury to let her keep an eye on him, but the Director of SHIELD had needed her elsewhere. At the time she'd been incredibly resentful about the fact, but after having time to reflect she understood why Fury had done it.
She'd been needed in London.
"So we're there just in case." There was something in the edge of his voice that made Nicole look over briefly.
"Yep, basically. But hey, we get free lunch and the possibility of punching someone!" And with the mood she was in from being stuck in DC, Nicole was almost begging someone to try something. "And look, here we are."
The Department of Homeland Security building was a rather nondescript piece of architecture. In fact it looked like almost any other traditional office building, the beige stone walls housing multiple stories of reflective windows. One thing that she was not surprised to see was a crowd of photographers and paparazzi already outside and waiting for their chance to snap a picture of the famous Tony Stark. She pulled out her phone, hitting the first contact on her recent calls.
"Hogan." Happy answered on the second ring, and she could see him on the phone behind her.
"Looks like we've got quite a crowd. Tell me that Tony didn't tip them off to where he'd be?" She wanted to believe that he had more sense than that, but to be honest the man was more than a little arrogant. Especially when he had access to his Iron Man suit which, to be honest, was nearly all the time.
There was a pause on the other end and she could practically hear Happy considering how best to answer. "I… wish that I could. Should we take the back entrance?"
"Yeah. The less people that get close, the less likely we are to have any unexpected surprises." It was more than a little paranoid—and Nicole could already hear Tony's protests as Happy relayed their plan—but there was a reason that Fury wanted Nicole on this mission.
She wasn't as good as Agent Romanoff, but she was still an expert at doing her damned job.
"We're following your lead. You know how to get back there?" Happy asked, causing the redhead to peer around curiously.
Conveniently there was a sign.
"Yeah. No, yeah, I got this." She assured him, her foot already pressing on the gas pedal. And as used to walking in high heels as she was, Nicole would never quite get used to the awkward sensation that was driving in the damned things.
"I think I've been here before." Steve muttered, his blue eyes sweeping over the area and picking out every detail as they eased around to the back entrance.
Nicole was only half paying attention, her eyes locked more on the crowds. They weren't stupid, they would realize what was up before too long. "Really?"
"It was… I think right after the procedure." If he noticed her lapse in attentiveness he paid it no mind, his words softening. "Senator Brandt brought me to DC to start my tour. He showed me around and brought me here. It was a lot different back then though."
She looked over then, spotting an almost vulnerable look on his face.
"If it helps, the monuments are still the same." The redhead offered, squeezing his arm.
"Please never be a motivational speaker." Steve croaked with a slight laugh as they pulled into the parking garage. His arm shifted as he reached over to unbuckle his seatbelt and Nicole couldn't help but chuckle as she put the vehicle into park.
"I'll scratch that off of my list of potential career changes then, shall I?" There was a thin smile on her face as they got out of the SUV, the pair migrating to where Happy was pulling in to the space beside them.
"What the hell, Freckles?" Tony demanded almost instantly, and Nicole steeled herself against the billionaire's complaints. "You can't just keep me from my adoring public. This is inhuman, they came to see me."
Before she had the chance to open her mouth, let alone speak in her defense, Steve was levelling an annoyed glare at the man. "We're not here for you to get your pictures taken, Mr. Stark. It's our job to make sure that you get in and out of those meetings in one piece."
"Don't make me laugh." Tony snorted, his eyes flicking back to the Iron Man suit that was currently disguised as a briefcase in Happy's hand. "I don't need protection, Spangles. You're just a formality because Fury doesn't trust me."
"I wonder why." Steve growled in response, his entire body language shifting in response to the hostility. Which was her cue to intervene before the two clashing personalities came to a head.
"Look, Tony." Nicole snapped, the harshness in her words uncharacteristic enough to make both men turn to face her. "Whether we're necessary or not, we're here so get over it. And I took the lead, which means that I get to run this show and frankly I'd rather we get through this as quickly as possible without you making an ass of yourself so I can go home because contrary to popular belief the world doesn't revolve around you."
She saw the inventor bristle at her words, but held up a hand to silence him as her eyes hardened. "I don't care. I really don't fucking care right now. So shut up, stop bitching and let's go."
Stunned silence met her little outburst, and Nicole rolled her eyes in frustration at the two men watching her. Sure she could be easy going when need be—it was her preferred way of living her life—but Nicole wasn't incapable of voicing when she was fed up with their shit. Pepper was hiding the smirk on her face that had her eyes sparkling, and Happy wasn't even making an attempt at masking his amusement. Instead he gestured for the two women to walk ahead with him as he made his way to the stairs that led to the main lobby.
"Well put." Stark Industries' head of security muttered, cutting through Nicole's anger and making her lips twitch ever so faintly.
Tony, always the one to have the last word, caught up to them easily, regarding her warily. "I didn't know you got that angry."
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Tony." There was a tone of reproach in her voice as they walked, leaving Steve to take the rear. It was as much a strategic formation as it was based on circumstance, this way Pepper and Happy—the two more vulnerable members of their group—were positioned towards the center while she and Tony walked shoulder to shoulder in the front.
He seemed to consider those words for a moment, his expression turning serious and troubled before a blinding smile lit up his face. "You know I like it. You get this whole femme fatale vibe going on, and I just wanna say yes ma'am."
"Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, whacking him on the shoulder. "I'm right here!"
"You know I kid." Tony soothed, the smile shifting to something infinitely softer as he turned to face his girlfriend. "Besides, she's like a weird cousin or something."
"Weird cousin or something, wow. Thanks." Nicole rolled her eyes, pushing the door open and stepping into the main receiving area of the Department of Homeland Security. The secretary working at the front desk looked up at their approach, her jaw dropping as she noticed the entirety of their entourage.
It wasn't hard to pick out the awe that was evident on the woman's face as they approached, her hand absently reaching out to grasp the handle of her black phone. Feeding off the attention and clearly in his element Tony put on his most winning expression as he sauntered up to the desk.
"Hello," He purred, casually leaning against the desk. "Would you be so kind as to inform General Lawrence that his eleven o'clock has arrived? He should be expecting us."
Nicole shook her head slightly at the man, eyes scanning the surrounding area. They were attracting spectators, people who looked like they would love nothing more than to ask for an autograph or a picture, but the expectations of professionalism kept them from doing such. She didn't quite trust the crowd that was beginning to form; a lot of people meant a lot of unknown variables and while she didn't believe that anyone would try something in a government building she wouldn't have gotten as far as she had in SHIELD without some level of paranoia.
"A lot of spectators." Steve offered blandly as he eased up beside her, effectively creating a slight wall between the others and the rest of the room. "You see anything suspicious?"
"Not particularly. Doesn't mean that there can't be something we're missing." They spoke in hushed whispers, keeping an aura of feigned disinterest.
Once again her eyes swept the faces, passing over most of the people who were watching with star-struck expressions. Brown eyes narrowed on a figure wearing an all-black suit, carrying a briefcase and leaning back against the wall. He looked like he was on the phone, nothing particularly off putting about his posture initially. But as she looked closer she realized tha the man's eyes kept furtively darting to where they were waiting, and his body language was tense.
Just as she was about to mention something to Steve, Tony swept forward with his arms thrown up and a grin on his face.
"Hello, my adoring public!" The billionaire beamed, "Come on, don't just stand there like statues. What, because we're in the Department of Homeland Security we're supposed to act like professionals? C'mon, folks, I'm Iron Man!"
And just like that the people abandoned their attempts at professional decorum and swarmed to the armored superhero. Nicole was jostled slightly to the side by a young man pushing past her with his phone out and her concentration was lost. When she looked back up to try and find the man that had made her so uneasy, he was gone.
She wanted to swear, wanted to punch someone—Tony came to mind—but instead of giving in to that very base urge of physical violence the redhead shoved her hands in her pockets and rested her back against the desk. Steve looked about as thrilled as she felt, his jaw clenched and striking quite the silhouette as he watched the billionaire being fawned over.
Happy was doing a more hands on prowl, making a seemingly futile attempt at establishing order that was completely destroyed as soon as Tony went over the man's head. Happy looked more exasperated than anything else and not for the first time Nicole was impressed that anyone could put up with Tony for as long as he did without going to jail for murder. Ever the CEO and epitome of business professionalism Pepper stood silently in the background like a graceful statue, an indulgent smile on her face as her green eyes picked apart every slight detail for later analysis. Situations like this, Nicole suspected, were nothing new for Pepper, who had spent years as Tony's personal assistant before receiving the promotion to CEO. She had tried signing control of the company back to him after what had happened at Malibu, after resolving the issue with the palladium poisoning from his reactor, and yet he'd refused to take control of his company back.
Probably a smart move, as Pepper had a much better head for dealing with the board and investors.
"Is this sort of thing normal?" Steve asked, drawing the redhead out of her musings.
"Happens all the time." She confirmed, swiping at her nose. "He's the first real superhero they've had since, well, you. I mean, people have tried but for the most part individuals with that particular set of skills in their toolbox have tried to keep what they are a secret. Such is not the case with Tony, who proudly flaunts his genius."
"I'm surprised it hasn't blown up in his face yet." The blonde snorted, looking as though he would enjoy nothing more.
"Well… it kind of has. When he first returned from Afghanistan and pulled his company out of the weapons game, an old partner built a rudimentary, gigantic version of the suit and tried to kill him." Nicole shrugged.
"Not to mention that several competitors have tried replicating the suit. And up until Rhodey stole the war machine suit the military was trying to bribe and bully Tony into sharing the technology." Pepper added from her other side.
Steve arched an eyebrow as he turned to face both women fully. "So the army now has a suit like Tony's? Why didn't they just build more and use them to stop the drones?"
Pepper's eyes flicked back to where her boyfriend was posing with a few people who looked like interns. "Their engineers can't quite work out the technology used to build the suit. So they only have the one, and it was upgraded with more weapons sure, but they couldn't replicate the repulsor systems that are uniquely based off of the arc reactor at our tower in New York. All they have is the War Machine suit, and that was hacked into by Vanko when he attacked Malibu."
"No doubt that's what going to be a point of discussion today." Nicole said, lifting her gaze as the area suddenly became rather quiet.
A group of four came walking from the elevator, their arrival arresting the attention of the room. The man in front looked to easily be in his sixties or seventies, as evidenced by the streaks of grey that were starting to frost his dark hair. Wearing a forest green dress uniform, General Albus Lawrence walked with brisk, clipped steps. His face was utterly relaxed, projecting an air of calm and a presence that demanded respect. On his uniform was written the story of his rise into the position of a 5 star army general, a nearly arrayed system of pins and bars that proved that the man was nobody to turn your nose at. His attention was more focused on the woman beside him though, who had her lips pursed thoughtfully as she inspected a camera.
They appeared to be in deep conversation as they walked, an affectionate look of familiarity filling his dark eyes as he watched her.
Just a few steps behind Lawrence was another figure in a nearly identical uniform save for the fact that his was dark blue. The contrast between the two generals was as plain as day; Lawrence was all dark, but with a warmth and competence that made him instantly likable. Ross on the other hand, with his sandy moustache and cold demeanor had her hackles rising and it took all of her self-control to not sneer. Especially when she caught sight of the man standing right behind him.
Wearing a similarly military suit and looking nicely groomed was Emil Blonsky, the man who was the abomination. What he was doing walking freely in the Department of Homeland Security instead of shackled in chains and forgotten in the darkest cell was beyond her. But then, they had pinned all of the Harlem attack on Dr. Banner and allowed the Abomination to get off with barely a slap on the wrist. This time she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from swearing.
As though sensing her hostility—and she would be surprised if it wasn't painted obviously on her face—Steve inched in a little closer so that his shoulder was pressing against hers. Nicole took some small comfort in the contact, forcing the breath that she hadn't been aware she'd been holding out her nose. The silent question was obvious in those icy blue eyes; was she going to be okay? The answer a little less so.
Nicole couldn't afford to let her personal bias get in the way today, this wasn't like the meetings that they'd had with Dr. Pisani earlier in the week. This was bigger than just getting to say 'I told you so', this was an important meeting that had nothing to do with her immediately and yet the results would still impact her life. And if she managed to fuck it up with her less than welcoming personality, Fury would be well within his rights to call for her badge. So while she would like nothing more than to punch both Ross and Blonsky right in their stupid faces, Nicole needed to suck it up and remember that she was an agent of SHIELD first and foremost.
Which should have been easy, considering the fact that she'd done more than a small number of missions that had required her getting close with truly deplorable human beings.
So was she going to be alright? Yes, because she had to be.
General Lawrence and his entourage drew closer, Ross glaring at the group of individuals assembled around Tony. There was an animosity between the two of them as well, though it was much less one-sided than hers. As the four approached their group, Nicole caught a slight snippet of conversation between Lawrence and the woman beside him, a woman who looked slightly familiar.
"Send me some of those pictures; I don't want to wait until they get published to see them." Lawrence requested, making the blonde woman laugh.
She nudged him gently before her body shifted towards the exit. "I'll talk to Paul and see what I can do. Thanks for the tip, Alby. I'll see you at dinner?"
Lawrence allowed himself to be pulled into a quick hug, pressing a chaste kiss to the woman's cheek. "You know Shana would kill me if I let you miss it. Take care of yourself Nikko."
And just like that the woman was hurrying out of the building, her long legs carrying her to the door in a few short strides. Nicole watched her go with a furrowed brow; she had seen the woman somewhere… she just wasn't sure where. It was one of those things that would continue to bother her until she either figured it out or got distracted by something else.
"Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts. So kind of you to make it on time." Lawrence smirked, offering his hand. Pepper was the first to take it, a warm greeting on her lips.
"Thank you for working around our schedule. Tony and I really appreciate it." It didn't escape her notice how Pepper had included her partner's name, even though Tony looked a little like he was sucking on a lemon.
"General Lawrence. Ross." The billionaire nodded, only shaking hands with the man after Pepper had finished. Ross gave a brusque nod, carefully inspecting the rest of the group. Nicole made certain that her face was free of any insulting expressions.
"This is Emil Blonsky, he's with Ross." Lawrence explained, giving the rest of the room a stern-but-amused look as they all studiously went about their business. "But maybe we can save the rest of the introductions for somewhere a little more private."
"An excellent idea!" Pepper exclaimed, easily taking control of the situation. Nicole was more than content to fall back to the rear, her mind wandering even as she zeroed in on their path through the building.
Down the first hall, to the elevator. Up three flights of stairs, past a restroom, two lefts and a right before reaching a room with large windows. The windows provided a structural weakness, somebody could use them as an entrance or have a sniper set up in the building across the street. There were two doors, one on the left and another on the right; they would have to be watched as well.
Tony sat down first, Happy subtly unclipping the case from his wrist and setting it down beside the man. Pepper took a seat beside her boyfriend, with Lawrence at the head of the long table leaving Ross and Blonsky at the other side. Nicole didn't sit, neither did Steve or Happy. Instead they remained standing close together as their attention strayed to the obvious weak spots of the room.
"You of course know Harold Hogan, head of Stark Industries." Tony was saying, introducing his friend. "And these are the people SHIELD sent over; Agent Nicole Dugan and—"
"Captain Rogers." Lawrence interrupted, leaving Tony more than slightly affronted. "Fury already briefed us on the results of your discovery. It's an honor to meet you."
"General." Steve saluted, eyes sparkling at something that finally felt familiar to him.
"It was a damn miracle finding you in the ice, soldier." Lawrence continued, dropping his hand and reaching out to grasp Steve's. "A damn fine miracle."
"I don't think anyone's more relieved than I am, sir." Steve chuckled, turning to offer his hand to General Ross. "General Ross."
It would have been hard to miss had they not been spending so much time together, but Nicole noticed that Steve was a little more guarded as he sized up Ross.
"Captain." Ross nodded, his own gaze sweeping over the blonde almost greedily. "Interesting to see that you're still with SHIELD. Have you considered re-enlisting? The Department of Defense would love to see you back on the front lines."
A wave of concern went through Nicole at that, sending her senses into red alert as she tried very hard to pretend that she wasn't listening. It rang too closely to the conversation that she and Steve had on their way to the hotel, about him returning to the army. Nicole had the utmost respect for General Lawrence, but she would defend her stance against Steve returning to the front lines tooth and nail. She honestly felt that it would be a waste, especially when there was so much going on that they were still scrambling to explain. Granted, her reasons for wanting to keep him in SHIELD weren't entirely altruistic; Nicole had come to care a lot for Steve as a friend, and she didn't want to lose him. It was a selfish reason, there was no denying that, but if there was a way to keep him from getting shipped off overseas, or stuck in a lab like a guinea pig she would jump on it.
"I haven't really given it too much thought at the moment," Steve answered with a slight smile. "I'm still trying to get my feet under me to be honest."
"Is now really the time, General Ross?" Nicole interjected softly before the man could begin pressing his case. She could see the way that Blonsky was watching them both, and it sent chills down her spine. "I was under the impression that you needed to speak with Mr. Stark?"
She could feel the curiosity rolling off of Steve, and silently prayed that he would drop it until she could explain later. It seemed that for once the universe decided to work in her favor, because at that moment Pepper decided to actually get things moving in the right direction.
"Why don't we get started? Now, I know that you had some concerns you needed to discuss regarding the Malibu incident?"
IOI
"I daresay all of our immediate concerns have been handled." Nicole blinked, that simple sentence cutting through the mind numbing boredom that threatened to overwhelm her.
She pushed herself up off of the wall, trying to ignore the way her feet rubbed against the interior of her shoes. As a typical rule Nicole didn't wear high heels; it wasn't so much an issue of balance as it was that her feet were not the most optimally designed for the fashionable shoes. The only reason why she was currently wearing them was the need for an intimidation tactic; the shoes made the already tall women practically tower over a lot of people, which was good when it came down to the fact that she was trying to dissuade any potential attackers.
Granted, if they did find themselves in a sticky situation she would most likely end up kicking her shoes off to avoid falling and snapping an ankle.
Steve—already at attention—looked over to the long table, where General Lawrence was folding his note pad closed and pushing away from the table. That motion was the catalyst that had Tony stretching and Pepper easing down to rub at her ankle. No doubt her feet were aching as much as Nicole's. Ross just looked annoyed, his face a flushed almost purple color, from dealing with Tony's attitude and Nicole couldn't find fault with that in the slightest. It was more than a little spiteful, of that she had absolutely no doubt, but for the life of her Nicole couldn't be convinced to care. Instead she migrated over to the other end of the room so that there was only a few feet of space between her and Pepper.
"Why don't we break for lunch? There's a place down the street that delivers, and they have some good sandwiches. General Ross and I have some other matters we need to go over regarding everything we've learned, we can pick back up in about an hour and a half?"
"That sounds like a plan, General Lawrence." Pepper smiled winningly, pushing to her feet to shake the men's hands once more as they broke for their meal.
"We'll meet you back here then." General Lawrence was obviously in charge of the meetings, and judging by the dark look on Ross' face the man was less than thrilled by that fact. Nicole found that slightly strange though; Ross was the head of the Air Force, the branch of the military that actually had access to the War Machine suit. She had expected that the man would have been the one to lead the discussions.
Chalking it up to a matter of experience, Nicole dropped into one of the seats that had been recently vacated with a yawn.
"Well, that was certainly exciting." She offered sarcastically, "how much more do we have to go through?"
"I don't think there's a whole lot left." Pepper offered sympathetically, easing her shoes off. "Assuming that Tony can stop insulting the military."
"What?" The billionaire asked innocently, a devilish light in his eyes. "I like Lawrence, he's a pretty decent guy. It's not my fault that Ross is a blustering windbag."
"Sure." Happy growled, less than impressed as he took the head of the table. "It's all fun and games until we're being shoved into a van with a black bag over our heads."
Tony flinched slightly at that, no doubt thinking back to the time when that had actually happened to him. He quickly masked the reaction, going back to his default indifferent expression, though she noticed Pepper reach over and grab his hand under the table. The fact that Tony Stark was actually in a serious relationship with anyone was something that still astounded Nicole. He wasn't exactly the kind of man to settle down, though if there were anybody that could reform the playboy that person was Pepper Potts. And all it took was for a person to be in the room with them for ten minutes to know that underneath all of his quips and jokes, he genuinely cared for the woman.
Nicole found it utterly sweet.
"So," She began, pressing a hand to her stomach as it started protesting the fact that breakfast was so long ago. "Sandwich place a street down that delivers? I'm hungry."
"Lunch does sound good." Steve agreed, speaking for the first time since they'd started the meetings. Whereas she or Happy would chime in from time to time—whether it was helpful input or to stop Tony from getting throttled—Steve had been completely silent. She would have been worried if it weren't for the fact that his eyes had been rapidly flicking around the room; he had been keeping an eye out for any possible attacks.
Though there had been a few comments that had made him scowl—such as when Tony had almost went and called Ross an idiot—and a few that had the blonde pressing his lips into a tight line to keep the corners from tipping up.
"Well," Pepper mused thoughtfully, "the only place I'm seeing is called Da Vinci's. But it does say that they deliver so I'm guessing that's the place. Here, you guys can look over the menu and see what you want."
Of course Tony was the first to get the tablet, flicking through their menu choices before placing his order and passing it on. By the time it reached Nicole, she was almost ready to start gnawing on her own arm. Resisting the cannibalistic urges, she leaned over to Steve in order to show him the menu.
"Oh look! They have a roast beef and cheese. Or, you can make your own." She exclaimed as he leaned over her shoulder in interest. "Though I hear their meatball hoagies are really good."
"A little messy though." He noted with a pointed look at her snowy white shirt. "What about the turkey and Swiss?"
"Ooh, the international—get it?" She elbowed him in the side with a cheesy smile on her face, making him roll his eyes.
"You're hilarious." Steve snorted, reaching over to scroll down. "I think I'll be good with the BLT."
"Mkay… I'll get the roast beef and cheese, uh, Swiss." Nicole passed the tablet back over to Pepper after she finished their orders. "Here you go!"
"Thanks." The woman had an almost knowing smile on her face as she accepted the tablet, fishing out her wallet to pay.
"I got this Pep." Tony interjected, reaching out with his own credit card. "God knows I have enough to spare."
"Fair enough." Not even bothering to argue—Pepper Potts was a master at picking her battles—she accepted the square of plastic and squinted to make out the numbers.
When Tony turned back to face the two SHIELD members, there was a speculative gleam in his eyes and Nicole immediately felt uneasy. Something about the look on his face, it was exactly the same expression as when he'd asked if she and Steve 'fondued', whatever that even meant. The question had made Steve sputter and almost spit out his coffee, but for the life of her Nicole couldn't possibly understand the joke.
"Tell me something." Tony purred, a Cheshire grin on his face. "How did you two end up together?"
She felt Steve tense beside her, his expression turning foreboding. Nicole didn't understand why the question seemed to upset her friend, but she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, Fury assigned me to be his liaison to SHIELD when he returned to consciousness after being on the ice. We live together in a 2 bedroom in New York, so through work I guess?"
Tony let out a wheezing laugh at the innocent expression on her face, and Nicole felt her eyebrows knitting together. She was definitely missing something here, and she was beginning to get a feeling for what.
"So," The billionaire practically giggled. "That's what, three months? Moving a little fast paced for you, isn't it old man? Have you even asked her father's permission first? What will the neighbors say?"
"Oh my God, Tony!" Nicole groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "You are such a man-child! It's not even like that! Does everything have to be sexual to you?"
"Really?" Stark asked, arching one eyebrow. "You're all joking and affectionate? What do you expect me to think? Really, Freckles there's no need to be upset about it. You've had a bit of a dry spell, sure, but the polar ice Cap seems like a good fit."
Her fingers curled into a fist under the table, and Nicole had to resist the urge to go skittering to the other end of the room. If she did that, it would mean letting Tony win. "Tony. Don't."
Tony just continued, oblivious to her mounting anger. "It's kind of cute, actually. You're like little snuggly bunnies. Sure he's older than you, but really didn't you always say that you wanted to—"
"Anthony Edward Stark!" The use of his full name being shouted across the table halted the inventor mid-sentence and he froze with wide eyes. Nicole had pushed to her feet, the fist slammed on the table and her lips drawn back to reveal her teeth. "We're just friends, okay? So enough about my fucking love life."
All eyes were on her as, for the second time in one day, Nicole lost her temper. And just like that the anger drained out of her body only to be replaced with a splash of crimson color rising to her cheeks as embarrassment filled her. Suddenly feeling more than a little self-conscious, the redhead glared at her old family friend.
"Just drop it." The words came out in a defeated plea, and without waiting for a response she went streaking towards the door. It closed behind her with a sharp snap, and Nicole found herself moving without any conscious thought to where she was going.
She didn't even know why she was so upset about his words. It was actually pretty mild for Tony, to be honest, and she'd definitely kept her head in much worse situations. Sure it was a little embarrassing, especially considering the fact that he was about to mention the huge crush that she'd had on Captain America, but even that wasn't typically something that got her too riled up.
It was probably because Nicole was tired of people trying to set her up for dates. It was a near constant thing whenever she talked to any of her aunts, or even her grandma Josie. Hell, her mom wasn't even as bad about it but lately the topic of 'when are you getting married' and 'I want grandkids' was getting to be a little mind numbing. Especially when she was still reeling from the loss of Loki. Sure, they hadn't actually talked in years but he had been her first love, her first boyfriend, her first… well everything really. And their entire relationship had been something that she'd carried with her for so long and now it was just gone.
He was just gone.
"Nicole?" She looked up at Pepper's soft voice to find herself staring at her reflection. Her makeup was smeared and there were lines running down her face… she hadn't even realized that she'd been crying.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry that Tony's being such a jerk today." The CEO of Stark Industries wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. She found herself leaning into the embrace, taking comfort from the simple act of human contact.
"It's not even that," She admitted shakily. "Not really anyway, I can usually take Tony being Tony. It's just been a really bad summer for me. Especially in terms of romance."
"Oh honey!" Pepper gave her a sympathetic squeeze, chin resting on her shoulder. "What happened?"
"I…" Nicole swiped at the tear tracks on her face, blotting at her cheeks. It had been so damn long since she'd had the opportunity to talk to a female friend. Between their work lives Nicole hadn't had the opportunity to actually sit down and discuss what had happened to her with Bobbi, and she found herself painfully missing her friend. The days they would spend in the Triskelion training—either hand to hand or with their weapons—and then chat afterwards as they stretched out, or the days when they could convince Natasha to come join them. Sparring time with the Black Widow happened few and far between, but they always ended the sessions with a few drinks and swapping stories.
"My first boyfriend died a few months ago." She admitted after a while, reaching for a paper towel in an attempt to keep herself from turning into a raccoon. "And lately my family has been really pushing me to settle down. I shouldn't have snapped like that though. I know Tony wasn't actively trying to be spiteful, he's not that type, but I lost my cool. I probably shouldn't have done that."
Pepper growled softly at that response, the sound more than a little frightening as the woman grasped her shoulders and swung her around so that they were face to face. "Don't you dare say that, Nicole. You are allowed to grieve, and you're allowed to be upset. I don't know what they taught you at SHIELD, but you're a human being that is allowed to have emotions."
Her eyes burned with green fire. "Anyone who tries to make you feel bad for feeling can go to hell, got it?"
Nicole was stunned, and if she had less composure she was sure she'd probably catch a few flies with her mouth gaping open. It took a few minutes of staring dumbfounded before the redhead let out a light, genuine laugh. If her eyes were still a little wet Pepper tactfully refused to mention anything. Instead she pulled the taller woman into a tight hug before digging into her clutch.
"Here." Nicole accepted the tube of lipstick in confusion, popping the cap open to reveal a bright red shade. "It'll look good with your skin tone. I have some mascara as well, so you can touch up your eyes."
"Thanks Pep." Nicole smiled, dabbing at her eyes before accepting the makeup. "You're an angel."
"If you get the time, you should come to the Tower. We can have some genuine girl time, away from Tony and just chat. It's been a long time since I've had a good, old-fashioned ladies night." She offered, leaning one hip against the sink.
It would certainly be nice, Nicole thought as she inspected her face carefully. Her eyes were slightly red rimmed, her face a little puffy, but all in all it didn't look too bad.
"If I get the time, I'd love to." She decided, applying the lipstick. It had been a very long time since Nicole had put anything on her lips other than Chap Stick, and she had to admit that the texture was a little odd. Even so, she had to admit that it certainly did make her lips look good. "But we should get back before the boys go at each other."
"Oh, yeah, Captain Rogers was less than thrilled with Tony when I left. He's a very good friend." Nicole could just imagine the scene they were going to walk in on back in the meeting room.
"He really is." She confirmed, a slight smile on her face. "And thank you."
"Don't mention it at all." Pepper grinned, looping their arms together. "But how insane is this? First Tony and his Iron Man suit, then Dr. Banner? Whatever happened in New Mexico and now they've found Captain America! I can't even believe!"
"Tell me about it, I thought that Phil was going to pop out of his suit and dance around in his red white and blue boxers." Already feeling better, Nicole allowed herself to be led back to the meeting room.
"I don't care how well you think you know her; that was rude. You owe Nicole an apology." Steve hissed, his voice carrying well into the hall.
"Seeing as it was a joke…" Tony drawled, making Nicole roll her eyes.
Yeah, it would probably take a global crisis to get him to actually apologize.
Steve made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, one that had Nicole lengthening her strides in an attempt to circumvent the fight that she knew was going to break out. "I was wrong. You're nothing like your father at all, Stark. You're just a self-entitled prick."
"Excuse me?" For the first time in a long time she heard legitimate rage in Tony's voice, and shoving open the door she saw the two men standing nose to nose with Happy concerned between them.
"Fellas, come on." He began, throwing a helpless look to the two women who just entered the room.
Nicole frowned at them both, shoving between both men with a hand on each of their chests. Her fingers tingled from the proximity of the arc reactor, and she glared at them both. "Cut it out you guys."
"He owes you an apology." Steve protested, his blue eyes burning with outrage.
"Or what?" Tony taunted, "Call off your boyfriend, Freckles."
Don't punch him.
"Stop it both of you." She sighed, "it's fine Steve."
He opened his mouth to respond, a protest hot on his lips but she turned her head to look over her shoulder at Tony.
"And you're being an ass. Steve is just her friend." Pepper had a hold of the billionaire's arm, pulling him back a few more steps. "So let's play nice until it's time to go home, okay?"
The men scowled at each other almost sullenly. With a sudden pounding between her temples Nicole lowered her hands, wanting nothing more than to slink into the chair and fall asleep. Unfortunately their day wasn't over by a long shot. They looked like they wanted to argue some more; Steve's eyes were still brooding with anger, a look that was matched by Tony's.
Steve's comment about Howard had been a cheap shot; the blonde only knew the man that had been his friend, the man that had funded yearly expeditions looking for the wreckage of Schmidt's plane. Steve didn't necessarily know the Howard that Tony did, the one that had pushed his son away, who constantly held the young boy up to the example of what all men should aspire to. Captain America—Steven Rogers—was a hard man to live up to, after all.
Steve was the one to crumble first, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Fine."
Tony held out a little longer, his jaw clenched and his entire posture rigid and waiting in response to the unspoken challenge. Pepper stared him down though, the two having a silent battle of wills before, in his style, Tony conceded with a sigh and a shrug. "Whatever. I guess I was—"
"Stark!"
Nicole never got to hear what he was going to say; suddenly the windows were shattering and the door was splintering open as the room was flooded. She recognized with sharp clarity the man in the suit that had made her so uneasy downstairs, except this time he'd brought friends. Friends and… robots?!
"You die today!" The lead man growled, lifting his gun.
"Pepper get down!" Happy was grabbing the CEO and pulling her under the table as the others sprang into action.
Nicole kicked out blindly, her foot catching one of the chairs and sending it flying into the group of men as Steve drew his gun. The room exploded in a flurry of gunfire. Nicole ducked down under the arm of one of the shooters and swung her elbow into the sensitive joint of his arm. He went down easily, the robots firing off blasters that looked remarkably similar to the Iron Man suits.
Everything was chaotic and terrifying, people were swinging and shooting and particles of debris and glass went flying everywhere.
Nicole was thrown into the far wall, the blow knocking the wind out of her as her head cracked hard enough against the structure to splinter the plaster and have her ears ringing. She saw Steve retaliate against her attacker, his pistol firing off a crack shot that had the man hitting the ground with a spray of blood. For the most part they seemed interested in the main threats; Tony was now in his suit picking off the robots, Steve was fighting tooth and nail, and Nicole was…
Shit. She was just sitting there.
The redhead kicked off her shoes, preparing to jump back up to her feet when her vision was clouded with a shadowy haze. Her already impaired balance and vision were worsened when she felt the fist connect with her jaw, head snapping to the side quick enough to give her whiplash.
Her first instinct was to use her powers. Fire burned just beneath the surface of her skin and she barely resisted the urge to give in and incinerate all of them. They were in a government building, and she didn't think even SHIELD would be able to protect her if Ross discovered what she could do. Nicole felt a wave of disgust go through her; this was bullshit.
The same fist collided with her stomach, making the redhead grunt as she felt the urge to hurl.
She was Nicole Dugan, agent of SHIELD. She had gone through Operations training to be sent out into the field.
She hit the ground, glass shards biting into her unprotected feet and ankles, biting through the material of her suit. Her blood steamed slightly against the tile floor.
"Nicole!" Steve's voice sounded far away, the sound of repulsor pads powering up and blasting more of the bots back as Tony was swarmed.
She had been trained by Melinda May in becoming an agent. She had gone through the gauntlet to become a sentinel of Asgard.
And mere mortals were beating her?
"Va brûler en enfer!" In a way that would have made her Papou proud, Nicole climbed back to her feet, swiping a hand over her lips. The skin came back red and sticky… and not from the lipstick.
The man smirked at her, falling into a fighting stance as he made a 'come hither' gesture with his hand. Brown eyes drifted across the room; Tony was standing protectively in front of Pepper and Happy's shelter, ripping the arms off of one of the bots that looked a lot like the Hammer drones. Steve was surrounded by what had to be six men and then there was the one facing her.
This would not stand.
Nicole exploded into movement, fingers closing around the back of one of the chairs as, in one swift movement she slammed it into her opponent's face. He stumbled back, unable to defend from the blunt force of the blow. There was never a chance for recovery as the agent followed up with a quick jab to the throat. By the time he fell her gun was out and he didn't get up. Her fingers dug into the interior of her jacket, and ignoring the pain from the glass digging into her feet she leapt onto another.
The knives went flying, two going wide and burying into the wall. One landed just above the ear of a dark haired man that was aiming a gun at Steve, and he went toppling over into his friend. The force of her momentum sent Nicole careening into another one of the black suits, the crook of her knee curving around his neck as she used her weight to bring him to the ground.
He managed to make it to his hands and knees by the time she recovered, but a well-placed elbow had him out cold.
In the time it had taken her to finish off two, Steve had handled himself well. Most of the rest were down, and though she wanted to throw an assist to Tony she needed to trust that he could handle himself.
Where's the military? The stray thought popped up into her head as she slid across the floor and between the legs of a man shooting at her, fist slamming into a very sensitive body part that opened up the back of the neck as he clutched himself.
Snatching one of her knives out of the wall, she took off sprinting for the table.
"Rogers, duck!" She shouted, using the desk as a diving board as she went soaring. Steve dropped low, his eyes wide when she went over him, blade first as her fall was cushioned by another suit. The knife slid in with a sickening sound that she should not be used to, but when she popped her body back up and ready for the next blow Nicole was relieved when no one attacked.
That was when she noticed the red light flashing from the hallway, and the blaring alarm audible over the groans of the poor bastards who hadn't been killed.
"What the hell was that?" Pepper shrieked, clambering to her feet behind Tony.
"Well, I don't know about the guys, but these are definitely Hammer bots." The face plate lifted on the suit, Tony kneeling down to inspect the technology. "You okay baby?"
"We're fine." Initial panic gone, the CEO of Stark Industries was already back in control of her emotions. "What about you guys?"
Tony rapped his knuckles against his suit, a self-assured smile on his face as his eyes scanned worriedly over his girlfriend's face. "I'm always fine. What about you two? I gotta admit, you fought well for a man your age. And Freckles, you've got skills."
"Just a shiner and a busted lip. Nicole?"
She didn't respond at first, bent low and rifling through the pockets of the nearest body. "They don't have any identifying characteristics on them."
They heard the banging of footsteps running down the hall; it seemed like the department had finally made some sense of what was happening and where. Steve placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her up from her crouch.
"You're hurt." It wasn't a question, though it made Nicole realize that through the haze of adrenaline there was the throb of actual injuries.
There was blood trickling down a cut near her hairline, as well as her lip. Her ribs and back hurt from where she'd been slammed into the wall, and she had a feeling that she would be bruised in the morning. What was worse was all of the needle sharp cuts from being dragged across the glass covered floor, and she had a feeling that they would need to be thoroughly cleaned before they started healing over properly.
"I… may need to see a doctor." She admitted sheepishly, reaching up to run a hand through her messy hair.
She winced when the pads of her fingers got caught on yet another piece of glass, droplets of blood forming on the tips.
"How the hell did these guys get past the military though?" Tony demanded, nudging the toe of his boot against the robotic wreckage. Brain already working a mile a minute, he led both Pepper and Happy out into the hall and away from the worst of where the fighting had been. Even with an expression of utter calm, Pepper's lips whitened around the edges when her eyes landed on the bodies.
"And what the hell is taking them so long?" Steve added, his eyes cold and analytical.
Nicole on the other hand was distracted by the pile of robotic limbs. She could have sworn she'd seen something move.
"I… have… revenge!"
"Tony!" She moved on instinct as the disarmed—literally, it was missing an arm—bot rose back to its feet, one hand raised and glowing white.
This time she did let the fire come out, summoning it as her hand flattened out. The arm of her jacket and shirt vaporized in a burst of almost white-hot flame, leaving a streak in the daylight as she jabbed it right through the center of the machine's torso. The metal parted like butter, and her fingers clenched around a mess of wires as she ripped the rest of the way through.
The bot stuttered and whirred, almost in confusion, before the light near its optical drive flickered out and it fell limp.
The inhabitants of the room looked at her in astonishment, and Nicole stared at her bare arm as though it belonged to someone else.
"Mr. Stark!" General Lawrence shouted from down the hall, his own weapon drawn as he came around the corner.
That had her recalling their situation and Nicole bit back the panic rising in her throat. She ripped off her jacket, burning it to ash with a passing thought before she reached up to rip off the right sleeve of her shirt and destroy it as well. "Steve, give me your sunglasses."
"Nicole?" He looked at her in confusion, patting down his pockets before pulling out the thankfully unbroken glasses.
She snatched them out of his hands, flipping the stems open before shoving them onto her face. "No time for questions. Don't tell anyone what you saw, and if they ask Tony did that."
She didn't need to point to the now destroyed Hammer drone, though she did anyway. Though he still looked confused, Steve nodded and she turned her now hidden gaze to the others. Tony watched her warily, the wheels already turning in his head before he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"We're fine, General. Though I am less than impressed with your security."
Tony would do a well enough job of keeping attention off of herself, and Nicole allowed herself a sigh of relief. Steve eased over to her, carefully inspecting the cut on her head.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
The question had an underlying meaning that she quickly picked up. More than just the fight, he was worried about how she was feeling after using her powers.
"I'm fine." Nicole answered honestly, wincing as the pain replaced the endorphins pumping through her veins. "Well, I'm not fine. I need to get these wounds cleaned up, and I know I stepped on a lot of glass."
"What happened here?" Ross demanded, eyes sweeping the wreckage of the room and the bodies. "Get those two in cuffs, and body bags for the rest."
"Is everyone alright?" Lawrence followed up, gaze dropping on her and Steve. They had definitely received the worst of the injuries, but luckily even those were minor.
"My friends need medical attention." Tony took charge of the situation, his body completely relaxed in the red and gold Iron Man suit that gave him a couple extra inches in height. "We were attacked by Hammer drones, and these guys. I don't know who they are or where they came from. It could be a coincidence, but I doubt it."
"It's not coincidence." All eyes turned to her once more, though this time she didn't shy under the attention. "I saw this man downstairs while we were waiting for you, sirs. He was watching Tony intensely while he was on the phone. He disappeared in the crowd before I could get near."
Soldiers swarmed into motion around them, already beginning the cleanup of the area. Lawrence stepped to the side as a few dragged the body in question away. "Then they were after you, Mr. Stark."
"It certainly seems that way. I'm flattered that they needed robots and cannon fodder to throw at me." His easy tones masked the anger simmering underneath the surface as Tony kept stealing glances at Pepper. "But we can finish this debrief after these guys see a doctor."
Ross leveled a speculative eye at Steve, one eyebrow climbing to his forehead. "You did good work with these bastards, Captain. It's good to know that the stories about you were all true."
"With all due respect," Steve began frostily, "I wasn't alone. Nicole took out quite a few of them, one who would have shot me had it not been for her."
And yet Ross didn't even so much as glance in her direction, he just hummed softly in the back of his throat.
"Good job, both of you." Lawrence gave a respectful nod. "We have the paramedics already arrived. Let's get you folks looked at."
She took a step towards the door and almost hit her knees as the weight settled on her feet. It felt like walking on broken glass—go figure—and she could feel the shards grinding beneath her skin. Steve had an arm around her waist instantly to support her, the other one carefully snaking behind her knees until she was being carried bridal style in his chest. Her face flushed scarlet at that, and she was prepared to insist that she could walk on her own.
"You absolutely will not walk down there and do any more damage to her your feet." It was as though the blonde was turning into a mind reader because his words were stern and brooked no argument. "Swallow your pride and let me help you Dugan."
She certainly swallowed something, blinking up at him with a sheepish smile. "Yes sir."
The corner of his mouth tipped up slightly at that, more glass crunching under his heel as he headed after the others out the door. Steve was being incredibly careful not to jostle her too badly, and as exhaustion settled in, she realized that it wasn't so bad to have a friend help her when she needed it.
It had just been a very long time since she'd had someone willing to, when she really needed it.
IOI
Translations (French):
Va brûler en enfer! Burn in hell!
