Pepper frowned, looking as well.

"That's the mobster."

"Yes. Friday?"

"They are all unarmed," the AI assured him. "SHIELD met them at the lobby entrance and relieved them of their weapons."

"They came here armed?" Tony said, scowling.

"The two bodyguards were armed," Friday told him, stressing the past subjunctive. "Now they aren't."

"What does he want?"

"He merely told security that he needed a moment of your time."

The billionaire didn't lose his scowl, but he did look at Pepper.

"I might as well see what he wants," he told her. "Do you want to leave?"

"Since it probably has something to do with Peter," she replied. "No."

Tony pressed the intercom.

"Allow them in, please."

A moment later Joel King walked through the open door, waving for his escorting guards to wait at the door as he entered Tony's office. He walked over, glancing at Pepper, but being careful not to look at her too closely before turning his attention to Stark.

"Mr. King…"

"Stark." He turned to Pepper and gave her a slight nod. "Mrs. Stark."

"You wanted to see me?"

The man seated himself in the plush leather chair on the other side of Tony's desk, purposefully putting the barrier between himself and a man who might well be more dangerous than he was – and certainly hung out with people who were. He leaned forward, though, his eyes watching the billionaire's expression, knowing he'd find the truth in it – no matter how good Stark's poker face was reputed to be.

"Did you kill my friend?"

OOOOOOOOOOO

"What?"

"Joel King just showed up at the Tower."

"Did Tony have a meeting I wasn't aware of?"

The SHIELD agent who commanded the small team that were constantly on guard at Stark Tower shook his head.

"He doesn't keep us apprised of his schedule," the man reminded her. "But I'd say this was an unsolicited appearance."

"Was he alone?" Romanoff asked, glancing at Bucky and Steve, who had been sitting down to a late lunch, pleased at the news that Peter's team had advanced to the finals.

"He had a couple of bodyguards. They didn't give us any grief about taking their weapons from them before we let them in."

"Did Tony send tell him to go to hell?" Barnes asked, curiously. He already knew Stark's temper – and had heard the story of the initial meeting with the mobster.

"My understanding is that King is in Tony's office, now. Pepper is with them."

"And the bodyguards?"

"Are waiting in the hall."

"Please tell me that you have someone there…" Romanoff said, clearly looking like she was ready to rush over and secure the place, herself.

"We do." The tone was confident, and it reassured. "If anything happens, we'll be right there."

Unsaid was the fact that Tony didn't really need them to come and save him. King was a killer, yes, but Tony was Ironman, and the suit tech was always available to him in an instant. There wasn't much concern that King would be dumb enough to try anything, really – even without Natasha looming large over Stark's shoulder.

"Let me know when he leaves," she told him. "Thanks."

The call ended and the three men looked at each other.

"What do you think he wants with Tony?" Steve asked.

"No clue. But I'm definitely going to ask, later."

OOOOOOOOOOO

It was honestly the last thing Tony had anticipated hearing and he couldn't help the surprise in his expression.

"What?"

"Varsto," King clarified. "Did you kill him?"

"Who?" Pepper didn't have a clue who that was – until she realized that she did. "The man in the elevator with you and Peter?"

"Yes." He was still watching Tony. "Did you?"

"Of course not." The answer was immediate and sincere, but then he realized what he was being asked, and his expression changed, almost imperceptibly, and his eyes narrowed, slightly. "Is there a reason I would have?"

King leaned back; the question surprised him – but he believed Stark's response.

"No. I suppose not. The timing was just pretty good…"

"He spent the day in the elevator with Peter," Tony reminded the mobster. "Probably armed. If I was concerned – and if I could just kill someone with a thought – then that's when I would have made my move, don't you think?"

"Your son wasn't in any danger in the elevator," King assured both of them. "Nick didn't know who he was. And if he had, that still doesn't mean he'd have done something…"

But King wondered, now that he thought about it, just what his friend would have thought if he'd known who the boy was that he'd been thinking about recruiting – especially given the manner that he was thinking about doing it.

"Did he know after the elevator?" Pepper asked – also wondering if there had been a threat to their boy. Tony didn't have a death ray or something that could just kill a man with a thought, but that didn't mean there might not be something out there that did. Her mind went to the mind stone – or the power stone, immediately. "Did-"

"He didn't know," King interrupted, looking almost angry – and maybe a little defensive. "My bargain with you didn't end when I left your secret compound. As you well know. I've done what I could to protect the boy. And I did in the elevator as well."

Tony nodded.

"I know. And I appreciate it." He did know. He'd watched the entire thing and knew that any time a question had come up in conversation that might lead to someone asking the boy something personal, it had been King who had deftly veered the conversation in a different direction. "Is there a threat that we need to know about?"

King shook his head.

"No. Not one that I know about. And none of my people would have a reason to be interested in him – beyond the fact that the ones in the elevator think he's a genius."

"Which he is," Tony said, looking like the proud father that he was.

"Yeah."

"Your wife is doing an amazing job with the foundation," Pepper said, ready to make things a little less uncomfortable – and to change the subject a little, as well. She was good at that, of course. "Peter keeps an eye on it and he's pleased with what they're accomplishing."

"So is Marie." King smiled, understanding what she was doing. "I'll tell her you approve," he said, standing up, now. "Without naming names, of course."

Tony stood, as well.

"Thanks."

The mobster didn't say anything more; he just nodded at Pepper, again, and then turned and left, closing the door behind him. Friday turned on the display, showing the hallway, once more, and the images of King gathering his bodyguards and heading for the elevator.

"That was interesting…" Pepper said, sitting on the edge of Tony's desk, watching him.

"That's one word for it," he agreed. He looked thoughtful. "Think there's a threat that he isn't mentioning?" he asked, knowing she could read people – even mobsters – just as well, if not better, than he could.

"I think there was a threat," she replied, shrugging. "I don't know what, obviously, but it certainly sounds as if his friend might have said something – something he thought that you somehow overhead – and made you take action to prevent it from happening."

"I didn't."

Pepper smiled.

"I know." She shrugged, again. "Are we going to eat?"

Tony nodded.

"Yeah." But he might invite Stephen over, later, to have a quick chat – and he might have Friday check to see if there was any kind of audio or visual in whatever room King and his buddy were in after they left the elevator. It could all wait, though. Peter was safe, he knew, and under the watchful eye of more firepower than anyone could gather to throw at them, just then. He figured he could take a breath and have a late lunch with his wife. He offered her his arm. "I'll even buy."

"Oooooh. An offer I can't refuse."