"Jim chose the best week to leave," Pepper complained, fanning herself as the girls walked into Stark Industries' Los Angeles headquarters. It was 102 degrees outside with no breeze to make it tolerable. Pepper was unchanged by the heat. Grey was red in the face just walking in from the car. "It's going to be like this all week."

"Fucking kill me now," Grey moaned, resisting the urge to run her fingers through her hair. "Although, Uncle Jim's going to the desert, so it's likely to be worse there. Should it be this hot in May?"

"Probably not, it's just a freak heatwave." Pepper was unconcerned, but Grey snarled.

"Fucking republicans, climate change is not a fucking hoax," Grey hissed, her face twisted in something Pepper thought was disgust but wasn't sure. They sighed the moment they crossed into the air conditioning.

"We might need to get Jayne to work with you on your hatred of Republicans," Pepper said lightly. "You're going to alienate potential allies if you keep this up."

"Maybe. But only for the next six years," Grey said, pressing the button to call the elevator. Pepper watched as Grey leaned against the wall, absently rubbing her leg, a grimace on her face. "Then you'll join me in my hatred. And I'll get to say I told you so, but it's going to taste like ash."

"And if your version of things don't happen?" Pepper asked as they stepped into the elevator. Grey smacked the button for legal's floor and shook her head.

"Then I'm going to get to hear I told you so, and it's going to taste beautiful."

"I'm kind of worried that you want to be wrong," Pepper said, a furrow between her brows.

"Pepper, I'm going to be right about a lot of terrible, terrible things." Grey sighed, and Pepper could see just how tired she was. It wasn't the bags under her eyes that Grey spent twenty minutes covering that morning, it was the line of her shoulders, the tightness of her fist, the absentminded picking of her lips. Pepper didn't think she was supposed to hear Grey whisper to herself, "I would give so much to be wrong."

Pepper's reply was cut off as the elevator opened on the third floor, and three finance interns joined them, whispering to themselves. They fell silent as they discovered the elevator wasn't empty.

"Miss Potts, I was asked to bring this to your office, but since you're here, would you like it now?" A young man with bright green eyes asked, holding out a sealed manilla envelope. "I have one for you as well, Miss Stark, it's about Saturday's call?"

"What happened on Saturday?" Pepper asked. She looked at the intern, who shrugged slightly, then to Grey, who was already skimming through the documents. "Oh, and thank you."

"Tennessee got flooded. Eighteen dead," Grey said, tapping the middle of the page. "This is a good number. Have them get this in effect immediately. You can tell Bridget that the Maria Stark Foundation is already halfway there."

"Thank you, Miss Stark," he said taking the now signed papers back. The elevator opened to legal on the fifth floor, and the interns parted ways to let the women through. He called out after a moment's thought, "I hope your dad's okay."

"Me too, love. I appreciate your thoughts," Grey said before the elevator closed.

"Tennessee flooded two days ago, and you've already sent the foundation, and money for damages?"

"The governor declared a state of emergency, Jarvis noticed and sent me the info. I reached out to Bridget in finance, and Henry at the foundation and asked them how we could best help. While I'd love to cover the entire two billion in damages, we're only sending half a billion, so that's at least something."

"You're sending the governor of Tennessee five hundred million dollars?" Pepper tried not to shriek, she really did, but she couldn't help it.

"After checking that the company could afford it without affecting payroll, benefits, and bonuses. Yes. Because there is more than one way to save the world," Grey said, looking up at Pepper with a raised eyebrow. She glanced around, making sure they were alone. "Pepper, we need to get the Stark name associated with more than just weapons and body armor. My first official act as CEO is going to be reopening the tablet manufacturing that Stane scrapped two years ago. We had good plans there, and we flopped. Fucking Apple beat us to it. I'd like us to have something to release this year."

"This year?" Pepper repeated, wondering how they ended up talking about tablets when they were talking about a natural disaster. Tony did the same thing, but it felt startling coming from Grey.

"Samsung is releasing theirs in September, if we surprise release a better tablet than both Apple and Samsung, do you know what that will do to our stock prices?" Grey just pointed up, before pulling out her phone and sending a text message. Pepper knew it was to Jarvis, and that he was likely pulling Tony's various blueprints for such a thing. "I know doing it this year is ambitious, but I've run the numbers, well, Jarvis ran the numbers, and it's possible."

"We'd have to do a limited release. No in store sales, just online orders for the rest of the year." Pepper knew they could do it. "And pre-orders."

"And I want to enable customization. Change the color away from stale metal silver, allow engraving for personalization. Oh, and we'll need cases, chargers, we already have the StarkOS system for the phones we released but never updated, load it up, we can get that updated." Grey paused and Pepper wondered just how fast her mind was running. When Tony had an idea, he got a manic glint, and he'd throw out blueprint after blueprint without blinking. His daughter, however, seemed to have idea after idea, just waiting for someone to create it. Pepper was reluctantly happy she had time to get used to Grey before Tony returned. She didn't think she could survive them both. "I need to talk to Jay about creating a limited AI assistant for the Stark OS. Amazon, Google, and Samsung all end up with their own, but I don't think Alexa came out until I was a senior, so if we can get one in the next year or so, we'll be well ahead of the game. Do you have a pad of paper, I need to write this down. Maybe I should've taken those coding classes dad suggested."

Pepper handed over a pad of sticky notes, the only free paper she had available and watched as Grey crammed two paragraphs of ideas on the note. Grey kept walking as she wrote, so Pepper had no choice but to grab her shoulder and guide her down to Samantha's office.

"Morning, Pepper," Samantha said from her desk, barely glancing up as she finished signing the paper in front of her. A petite woman with dark brown hair took the file and tucked it under her arm, waiting for the next one. "This is the intern I was talking about, Jennifer, Jennifer, I'd like to introduce you to Tony Stark's PA, Pepper Potts."

"You'll see me more than you ever will Tony," Pepper said, reaching out to shake her hand. "Sam, Jennifer, this is Tony's daughter, Grey."

Grey was still scribbling on the notepad but glanced up and flashed everyone a smile.

"Hi, sorry, I've gotta finish this before I forget." She turned back to her writing for another moment.

"She's just like her father," Pepper said dryly. "Will you finish up so you can tell Sam about her job offer?"

"Oh, right! Sam, in a few months, Stark Industries is going to set up something called the Avengers Initiative, and it's going to need a giant legal department. I'm talking domestic law, international law, criminal law, and knowing my luck, probably even family law." Grey nearly dropped her phone talking with her hands, gesturing wildly. "Pepper said you're the best she's ever met, so I'd like to officially offer you the position of President of Legal for the Avengers Initiative. Shoot, Pepper do you have that file?"

Pepper handed Sam an inch thick file with the new logo on the cover. It was a stylized A with the arc reactor superimposed behind it.

"President?" Sam echoed, accepting the folder. There was an NDA attached, one Sam signed without hesitation. Pepper smiled.

"You'll be the one setting up the department. Once we get a few more things straightened out, we'll give you your budget, but for now, go ahead and skip to the last page?" Grey asked, shoving the sticky notes in her back pocket, and her phone in her waistband. "We're moving to New York. Stark Industries will cover your moving costs and will purchase your current residence to give you the funds to move."

"Wow, that's wow. I have questions."

"And we will answer them," Pepper promised. "We're interviewing for HR and Finance as well; we've got a short list. Once those positions are finalized, we're going to sit you all down and explain what the overarching goals are. Read over the offer, get back to us by the end of the month."

"This is… UN liaison? Pepper, just how big is this new initiative?" Sam asked.

"This is going to be huge," Grey said, a wide smile on her face. The smile faltered for a moment as she finally caught sight of the intern's face. "Oh, and Jennifer, you're more than welcome to join as well. I'll get you a welcome packet in the next few days."

"Really, you're adopting this one too?" Pepper asked, gesturing to Jennifer, who looked alarmed.

"Of course we're adopting Jennifer! She's a fantastic lawyer and will be a great asset to the Avengers Initiative," Grey said turning to face Pepper just enough that no one else saw her wink. "So, Sam, make sure there's room for her in your department. Even if we have to pay her student loans."

"Oh, thank God," Sam said. "I've been wanting to keep her since her first week!"

"Okay, we still have to stop downstairs at HR before we leave for the day, Grey needs to do her onboarding, and she wants to take a look at the employee handbook."

"You know that won't apply to you," Jennifer said hesitantly.

"Oh, I know," Grey said. "But I also know that dad likely hasn't ever looked at it, so I want to see what changes need to be made."

"Do something about the hair," Jennifer muttered petulantly, eyeing Grey's pink hair with something akin to jealousy.

"There's something in there about hair?" Grey asked, turning all of her attention to Jennifer, who seemed to wilt. "Like, for the people who work in lab spaces?"

"No, there's a clause in there about natural hair in the office," Jennifer explained, gesturing to her own hair, a soft looking silk press. "Hair can't be distracting or extreme."

"Pepper, I'm going to burn this company to the ground," Grey said, turning on her heel to look sharply at the red head. She turned back to the lawyers with a fury that seemed extreme for the situation. "Jennifer, I want you to spread word to everyone here. I want anyone with an opinion about the employee handbook, company policies, benefits, whatever – email me. I think the first thing I'm doing in June is restructuring what those old ass white men think my company should be."

"Is that really a priority?" Pepper asked. Everyone in the room understood that Pepper wasn't being biased, she was just worried that Grey was going after something that could wait. "It can wait a few weeks, can't it?"

"It could. But it's also an easy fix. Besides, I want opinions from every branch at every location. Who do I have to speak to about the newsletter? I want my email attached to it all. Or maybe a spreadsheet so people can do it anonymously?"

"We'll work it out with HR, where we should be heading now. Sam, see you at the departmental meeting on Friday?" Pepper asked, herding Grey out the door. "Oh, why don't you two come over for brunch on Saturday, we'll discuss the new program."

"I do like brunch," Sam teased, smiling at Pepper. "Good luck with that one."

Grey was already scribbling on her sticky notes, shaking her head as she thought up different ideas, and glaring intermittently at the ceiling.

"I deserve a raise," Pepper said, laughing lightly. With a last wave, Pepper closed the office door behind her and joined Grey as they waited for the elevator. "Do you ever not have an idea?"

"Sometime after I graduated high school, California passed something called the CROWN Act, preventing employers from discriminating against natural hairstyles."

"Didn't you graduate in 2015?"

"Yes."

"Now I understand the anger," Pepper said lightly. She looked at Grey with new eyes.

"There's more than one way to save the world, Miss Potts. And most of them involve me yelling at entitled white men, so this is going to be the best year of my life," Grey said dreamily as they walked into the elevator. Grey said that often, that there were multiple ways to save the world. Pepper had assumed it meant that there were different paths they could take to save Tony, but she was starting to understand that Grey meant the actual world. Human rights were a frequent dinner topic as Grey tried to learn as much as she could.

"Genuine question, why didn't you do this in your timeline?"

"You need money to affect change. I had no money," Grey shrugged. "And besides, some of the time, the problem was solved before I realized it was a problem. Plus, I was kinda naïve back then. I thought everyone wanted equality, and it was inconceivable to me that people would judge based on hair or skin color. Still doesn't make any sense to me."

"Rose tinted glasses?" Pepper suggested.

"Something like that."

Pepper watched Grey as she scribbled down idea after idea in miniscule handwritings, occasionally biting down on the end of her pen as she thought. She wondered how much of Grey's personality was an act to help her fill the role of Tony's daughter, and how much is just her. She'd barely stopped in the seventeen days she'd been in their lives. Pepper was worried. Something was going to break.

Line Break

Jim went back to the desert to look for Tony. Happy was out for the week to visit his mom. Pepper was asleep in the guest room she often claimed when she came over. Barnes had just nodded off in Grey's room, sitting up on the couch he shoved in there, claiming the bed was too soft. Grey was in the living room, pacing.

Grey couldn't sleep. That, in itself, wasn't terribly unusual, especially since her dad went missing. This was a strange, restless insomnia, one that left her pacing around the living room, absently pointing out various places Bucky had stashed his weapons. There was one under the lid of the grand piano. One was secured under the coffee table, and a third was hidden where the fireplace's chimney should've been. Three were hidden in the kitchen (one was taped to the back of the Keurig) and at least one in each room.

Before Jim had left, he'd asked Bucky if he'd be okay teaching Grey and Pepper how to shoot properly. Pepper had surprisingly steady hands and an aim that should frighten any enemies of Tony Stark. Grey had done well, even if she had pinched her hand when cocking the gun (for the second time in her life, she'd thought bitterly.)

A blue light flashing in the kitchen caught her attention. It was Jarvis' way of communicating with them silently. Something was wrong. Someone was in the house. Grey's first thought was Jim, Happy, then Tony, until it occurred to her that Jarvis wouldn't alert her for them. SOS. Someone was in the house; and they weren't a friendly.

Grey heard the ding of the elevator that came up from the garage. She froze until she saw Jarvis' light again. She had to do had to do something.

Grey threw herself onto the couch and pulled out one of Bucky's weapons, flicking off the safety and moving into a position of cover. She had no real-world knowledge of what to do in a firefight, so she silently prayed that what she learned from TV was good enough. Grey peeked up as the elevator doors opened, casting a square of light on the floor. Four men stood there, armed to the teeth in tactical gear with an ugly red and black squid on it.Oh God.

"Fuck," Grey mumbled to herself. They were covered in Kevlar. They had automatic rifles. She was outnumbered, out gunned, and if she called to Bucky for backup, it was likely one of them had the trigger words. She cocked the gun. "Fuck it."

Before they could even get out of the elevator, Grey popped up behind the couch and opened fire. The first two men went down almost immediately with twin shots to the thighs. Oh God. Based on the spray of blood from the first man, she hit his femoral artery. The third fell to a lucky shot to the head.Oh God.

Grey ducked back down as the fourth opened fire, spraying bullets across the living room. Oh God. Grey heard a few windows crack, then shatter with the force. As soon as there was a pause, she popped back up and fired until her gun clicked. Oh God. The Hydra goon fell back against the elevator wall and sagged to the ground, bleeding profusely from his neck.

Bucky and Pepper ran in just as Grey lowered her weapon, staring, slack jawed at the men in the elevator. One was still alive, groaning as he tried to apply pressure to his leg. Oh God. He let out a short yell as he clamped his hand over the bleeding wound, and Grey moved without thinking, falling to her knees and applying pressure.

"Get me something to act as a tourniquet. Pepper, call the feds. You, who the fuck sent you?" Grey put her entire weight on his leg, ignoring his pained screams. She had to stop the bleeding. Oh God. She had to stop the bleeding before he died. She couldn't let him die too. There was blood on her hands. Real, actual, warm, wet, sticky blood. "Why are you here?"

"We were sent to retrieve the asset," he said finally as Bucky returned with the first aid kit. He watched Bucky with a possessive glare, and Grey shoved her knee into the wound, forcing his attention back to her. "Any means necessary."

"Idiots," Grey said as Bucky quickly tied the band, earning another scream. "The feds are coming; Pierce overplayed his hand. You're still alive, and you are drenched in Hydra branding. They'll find them."

The man grimaced, then leered at Grey. "Hail Hydra." He slammed his jaw shut and let the cyanide pill do its job. Oh God. Grey watched in horror and disgust as the man killed himself.

"What the hell was that?" Pepper shrieked, having chosen the worst moment to walk back into the felt her stomach lurch as she felt the man's pulse stop. She gagged as she shakily stumbled to her feet, her hand smearing blood on the elevator wall.

"Failsafe," Bucky said roughly. "What do we do now?"

"I'm gonna throw up," Grey said thickly, staggering back. She barely made it to the kitchen before she lost the contents of her stomach. When she was done, she rinsed her mouth and collapsed to the floor, crying as she looked at her blood-soaked hands. "I've never. I just... Oh God."

Grey lurched back to her feet and threw up again. Bucky came around and carefully started wiping the blood off her was shaking

"Katherine is sending some people she trusts. Any ideas?"

"I don't. I can't. Pepper?" Grey looked at the woman with heartbreak in her eyes. Everything was too much for her. Oh God. Four dead bodies were too much for her. The blood on her hands was too much. She looked from Pepper to Bucky, then her eyes rolled back in her head, and she passed out against the cabinets. Bucky dropped to his knees next to her and checked her over for injuries. She was unharmed.

"Okay. Here's what we do," Bucky said, scooping Grey into his arms before standing. He put her on the countertop, putting the roll of paper towels under her head. "Call Happy, let him know what happened. Call Jim – he'll want to know. I'm going to strip them of identifiers, remove all the Hydra bullshit."

"You sound like Grey," Pepper pointed out dryly. "Get to work, then let me know what story we're running with. I'll call Jayne, someone will need to spin this. How will we spin this?"

"Are we still hiding Hydra's existence?" Barnes asked as Pepper pulled out her phone with one hand and reached for Grey with the other. She took her hand, uncaring about the remaining blood. Grey needed her, and she would be there.

The walls flashed blue, and Pepper almost collapsed in relief at seeing Jarvis unharmed from the attack. She flashed a grateful smile at the nearest camera as she dialed Happy's number.

"When first discussing the potential of Hydra attacking, Miss Stark had a contingency plan in place. Miss Stark stated that if it could be spun as part of the group that had taken Sir, it could easily be accepted by the press," Jarvis said. "There is even a recorded clip of the attacker's time in the elevator, talking about bringing her back. As they intended to take Miss Stark as well as Sergeant Barnes, it was a simple matter to remove their unfortunate decorations. The tape is ready to pass over to the authorities."

"Hogan will secure contractors for the damages, Jarvis, compile a list of what needs repaired so we can prepare," Barnes said. Grey would be sad to hear that she missed the first time Bucky addressed the AI.

Pepper watched FBI Agent Aaron Peterson watch his team take pictures of the four bodies in the elevator, the damage to the walls, windows and the couch. The ME and her assistant slowly loaded them onto gurneys and wheeled them out. Grey was sitting in Happy's armchair, an IV in her arm as the paramedics ensured she was okay. Gayle, another FBI agent was talking with her, taking her statement. The ping from her tablet pulled her attention away from Grey, who seemed like a shell of herself. It was a news alert.

"Did you see it?" Jayne asked as she crossed the room to stand next to Pepper. "Christine reached out about an hour ago for the quote."

Brave Billionaire's Daughter Defends Herself from Terrorist Kidnapping Attempt

Christine Everhart

05/12/2010

LA, CA — In a dramatic turn of events that has shocked both local and international communities, Dr Anthony Stark's daughter, Margaret, bravely thwarted an attempted kidnapping by the group of terrorists who are holding her father hostage. The extraordinary incident unfolded at the family's residence in Malibu late last night.

The terrorists, still unaffiliated and unidentified at this time, had initially targeted and captured Dr Stark, a well-known figure in the weapons industry. The CEO was taken hostage just eighteen days ago and is still , this time, they aimed their sights at his daughter.

According to sources close to the investigation, the terrorists, armed and determined, infiltrated the CEO's estate under the cover of darkness. However, their plans were unexpectedly thwarted when Margaret, an 18-year-old, soon to be CEO, managed to defend herself against the intruders.

In a remarkable display of courage and self-defense, Margaret reportedly engaged with the terrorists in a confrontation that lasted several minutes. Armed with only her quick thinking and a Stark Industries prototype handgun, she managed to successfully fend off her attackers.

"Her bravery and resilience in the face of such danger are nothing short of extraordinary," said Officer Kyles, the responding officer. "It's a testament to her strength and courage that she was able to protect herself and prevent the terrorists from overpowering her."

Law enforcement officials, along with special tactical units, arrived at the scene shortly after the altercation. All four of her attackers were dead when law enforcement arrived, three to gunshot wounds, and one, who committed suicide in a bid to evade capture. Margaret was looked over by paramedics, but is reported to be in good condition.

The high-profile nature of the case has drawn widespread media attention and sparked a flurry of support from both public figures and ordinary citizens. The family has expressed their gratitude to the law enforcement agencies for their swift response and to the public for their support during this harrowing time.

The situation with Dr Stark remains ongoing, with the US military dedicating time and manpower to the search for the CEO in the desert of Afghanistan. The motivations behind the kidnapping and the full extent of the insurgents' plans are still under investigation.

In a statement released earlier today, Margaret expressed her gratitude for the support and the efforts of the responding officers. "I'm very grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and other first responders," she said. "I'm still hopeful that my dad will return soon, and I'm very glad that he raised me well enough to handle things in his absence."

As the investigations continue, the community remains on edge, but Margaret's bravery has become a symbol of resilience and hope amid the crisis. The story of her courage in the face of danger is expected to inspire many as the situation unfolds.

Jayne was right, Christine's article showed Grey in a positive light, taking the few crumbs of information Pepper allowed released and turning it into a story with a good ending.

"I was just down the hall," Pepper said, slightly numb. It wasn't what she planned on saying, but it was that type of morning. "There was nothing I could do."

"She's okay, Pepper," Jayne said, reaching over to put a supportive hand on her shoulder. "She's alive. She's going to need therapy forever, but she's alive."

"When Tony gets home, he's going to be furious," Pepper said idly. She couldn't know that for sure, as Pepper had already known Grey for longer than he had, but Pepper knew he was protective of his people. Jim had reacted with a cold fury when they were finally able to connect. It was the same cold fury Jim held for the Ten Rings, showing just how much he'd come to care for Grey. "Once the shock wears off, Grey will be too."

"Did you see this bullshit?" Happy demanded, storming in from the side door. Grey startled as the door slammed, throwing herself backwards so hard the chair almost tipped, and Gayle worked to reassure her that she was okay. "I knew we'd have to do damage control with the press, but I didn't expect something this fast!"

"What are you talking about, Christine wrote a good piece?" Jayne questioned, glancing at Grey before taking Happy's phone to read the article. "Oh. Marsha Smith. That woman should be a tabloid writer for all the shit she spouts."

"How bad?" Pepper asked. Jayne handed over the phone and Pepper couldn't help but grimace at the carefully phrased vitriol. "Oh, this is awful. Jayne, go, do what it is you do. I'm going to call Sam; we'll have her monitored just in case she steps over the line and into libel."

Billionaire's Daughter Thwarts Kidnapping Attempt: A Suspiciously Convenient Heroine

Marsha Smith

05/12/2010

LA, CA — In what can only be described as a fortuitously timed twist of fate, Margaret Stark, the daughter of famous and infamous billionaire Tony Stark, has emerged as the unlikely heroine in a bizarre turn of events that saw terrorists making a half-hearted attempt to kidnap her. The incident occurred at the family's sprawling estate in Malibu last night, just over a week after Mr. Stark was declared missing.

The terrorists, believed to be the same sect that has Mr. Stark, apparently set their sights on his daughter in a clumsy and unconvincing double pronged attack. Sources suggest that the attackers, who had no overt ties to terrorism, barely managed to enter the property before Margaret took matters into her own hands.

In what some might call a strikingly convenient turn of events, Margaret, an 18-year-old college student, reportedly engaged in a dramatic struggle with the terrorists. Armed with nothing but her wits, and her father's gun, she purportedly managed to fend off the multiple intruders and emerge unscathed.

While local authorities have lauded her actions as "brave and remarkable," skeptics have raised eyebrows at the timing of this so-called "heroic" act. The timing of the incident seems suspiciously opportune, coming just after it was announced that Stark Industries would fall under her control. Critics argue that the circumstances surrounding the incident raise questions about the true nature of the attack, and the motivations behind it.

"The story seems almost too perfectly scripted," said Larry Elder, a local commentator known for their skepticism of the Starks. "One has to wonder if this 'heroic' defense was just another calculated move in a high-stakes game of public relations."

Despite the official narrative of a dramatic confrontation, the details surrounding the attacker's capabilities and the ease with which they were subdued have left many questioning the integrity of the entire incident. The terrorists, now deceased, appear to have made little headway in their mission, leading some to speculate about possible staging or miscommunication.

In a statement released through her family's public relations team, Margaret expressed her relief at the outcome and thanked the authorities for their prompt response. However, the public remains divided, with many questioning whether the episode was merely an orchestrated subplot in a larger, more convoluted saga.

As the saga of Tony Stark and his family's unfortunate plight continues, one thing remains clear: the story of Margaret's supposed heroism is likely to be a topic of debate and intrigue, with some seeing it as a tale of bravery and others as an overly convenient chapter in a high-profile drama.

"How bad is her article for us?" Happy asked as he walked Jayne to the door. Jayne sighed and glanced over at Grey again, her worry for the woman clear.

"The more conservative crowd is going to treat this like gospel. But those are the same people that have been calling President Obama's kids gorillas," Jayne said, no small amount of venom in her tone. "Smith, and Elder both have reputations for staying this side of slander and libel. ABC, CNN and local 15 is running a similar story to what Christine wrote. I've got Hannah from Stark Industries PR department drafting an official company release, and her and I are planning to set up a press conference of our own likely tomorrow."

"And for the plans moving forward?"

"This is a tiny speed bump. This incident should only be brought up when something similar happens. So as long as this doesn't ever happen again, this should fade into obscurity."

"She's a Stark, this will never fade completely, but that is reassuring. Give me a call if you need anything," Happy said, opening the door for her. A dozen paparazzi were waiting, cameras flashing as Jayne walked, blank-faced, to her car. Happy was quick to slam the door shut behind her. He looked skyward, "Tony, now would be a really good time to escape and get your ass home."

Iron Man

It was the arid, soul sucking dryness that was starting to piss him off. His hands were dry and cracking. The side of his hands, by his thumbs were a constant angry red color from all his unprotected welding.

"How is this?" Yinsen asked, holding up a piece of metal he poured for Tony.

"Perfect, get that slotted in over there. It's a stabilizer," Tony explained as he rubbed his hands together roughly. Flakes of dead skin fell to the ground at his feet, ignored. "What are you thinking, over there, Yinsen?"

"Food, today. Today I dream of home-cooked food." Yinsen sighed heavily as he lost himself in memories. "And what of you, Stark?"

"Food. American cheeseburgers with bacon, and fries. The Italian dishes my mother made me as a boy," Tony sighed. "I haven't passed them on to my daughter yet. I need to."

Tony rubbed his hands together again, and more dead skin fell to the ground. This time, Tony watched it fall. It felt symbolic, somehow. I've gotta get out of this cave.

He couldn't help but wonder which would be worse, his mental or physical health. Tony shook the thoughts from his head and kept working. Step one, reactor. Step two, suit. Step three, freedom.

Line Break

"How is she?" Jim asked the moment he saw Pepper.

"Sleeping, again," Pepper replied, moving to hug Jim. "Barnes is watching over her, Jayne's been in and out. She's been either smoking or sleeping since the feds left. I think Barnes robbed a dispensary for her."

"Do we know anything, who sent them, if there's more coming? What are we doing to prevent this from happening again?" Jim could definitely believe that Barnes was committing crimes to help Grey. As long as it wasn't murder or undue violence, and he didn't get caught, Jim officially didn't care.

"Barnes and Happy expanded Jarvis' sensors, he's now got eyes on every inch of the property, the cliff, the beach, and the drive," Pepper assured. "Jayne even went out to help, and Katherine flew out just to test it with Sharon. They couldn't get close without Jarvis being aware."

"I want Barnes with her any time she leaves the property. I don't want you going anywhere alone either, take Hogan. Have him pick someone he trusts to stay with Jayne," Jim said, shaking his head. "We know about Hydra, and they know we know, so they're going to keep coming after us."

"You really think they'll risk getting exposed by coming after us?"

"They're nazi terrorists, I think they'll do anything they can to survive," Jim said. "If they're able to hide within SHIELD, who knows what else they're capable of?"

Line Break

"Grey, this is ridiculous," Pepper said, leaning as far forward as she could without moving her feet. "You've made enoughfood to feed Barnes for the rest of the month!"

"Pepper, I made French toast. I can eat three pieces by myself. Chill, or I'll throw you out of the dining room too."

"You don't have to do this," Jim tried, from his assigned spot across from Pepper. "Sam and Jennifer would be just fine with going to a restaurant."

"We're having brunch on the patio because this is the first day all week that didn't start at a bazillion degrees, and the living room still smells like blood. Pepper, go downstairs to the wine cellar and pull three bottles of bubbly. Jim, go answer the door, they're here, Sugar, will you take the fruit outside for me?" Barnes was the only one allowed in the kitchen when Grey was cooking. Pepper had gotten smacked with a spatula for reaching for a sausage, and Jim got banned for questioning her choice of bread. Happy and Jaynes had been the only ones smart enough to stay away completely.

Barnes scooped up the fruit and the juices and brought them out to the patio by the pool. It was a cooler morning, causing fog to roll over the ocean. It was the perfect morning to relax with friends outside. Since he was the closest, he opened the door when the bell rang. And if he happened to reach for the gun tucked under his shirt, that was his business.

Two women stood at the door. An Asian American woman with straight black hair with blonde tips stood tall, holding a file of Stark Industries secrets tucked under her arm. There was a light skinned black woman with hair curling around her face. Barnes smiled at them both and directed them inside.

"It smells great in here," Samantha said. Jim moved from his spot and hugged her briefly, taking the folder and setting it on the coffee table in the living room. "Grey, thank you so much for hosting us, we know you've got a lot going on."

"Missing dad, terrorists breaking into my house, training to be CEO," Grey said, a smile on her face as she brought out the food, bacon balanced on sausage balanced on French toast. In her other arm she carried a tray of poached eggs with hollandaisesauce. "It's ridiculous, but brunch? I can do brunch. Come on ladies, grab a seat, there's coffee in the pot, hot water for tea, three juices for mimosas, we're eating poolside."

"I could get used to this," Jennifer muttered to Sam as they followed the parade, Pepper falling into step behind them.

"I wouldn't recommendit," Sam said lightly. "Brunch usually comes with work, a lot of work."

"Brunch is lunch as a bribe," Pepper said conspiratorially, winking at the younger woman. She shared a look with Sam, they'd both disguised work meetings as brunch, it was much more productive than a luncheon.

"We're here, we made it," Happy's voice called from the staircase as two sets of footsteps echoed off the walls. "Sorry, somebody woke up late."

"Yeah, you!" Jayne said, smiling as she finally came into view. "I was finishing up a press release. Definitely wasn't my fault."

"It was completely your fault, I knocked on your door and you threw a hole punch at my head!" Happy expertly pulled plates out of Grey's arms and settled them on the table, blindly reaching his left leg back to trip Jayne. Barnes had to save the tray of poached eggs as Grey nearly dropped them laughing.

"Siblings," Grey sighed in a way that seemed fond, but her eyes told a different story before she blinked it away. "What's a nineteen-year age gap anyway?"

"I've seen stranger," Jennifer said as she helped Jayne up from the floor. "I was watching this reality show in a bar last month. It's ridiculous. People are awful."

"Oh, let me tell you about this time in college," Jayne said, settling in her seat and accepting the coffee pot from Jim. Grey opened the champagne without a sound and started pouring it into glasses for those that wanted it.

Jim didn't know the last time he felt this carefree. He was sitting at a table with most of his family, drinking his fourth mimosa, while Grey animatedly told a story, giggling throughout. Every now and again, she would scrunch her nose up in a way that reminded him so fiercelyof Tony that it sent a pain shooting through his chest.

"And then, this absolute jackwagon reaches across the counter to try and touch Kellee! So, I did what anyone else would've done. I grabbed his arm and yanked. His head bounced off that counter like a basketball," Grey said, and Jim could picture it. Sam snorted into her drink; she had traded in her tea for a mimosa and was hanging on every word Grey said. "We're fairly sure I broke his nose, because it was for sure bleeding a lot, but we never saw him again."

"Why do people touch people?" Jen gasped, fighting against the alcohol in her system. Her eyes were glassy in the early afternoon sun. "I'd have done the exact same thing."

"She's always itching for a fight, no idea where she got it," Pepper said into her mimosa. There was a wry grin just visible in the corners of her eyes.

"If you're not angry, you're not paying enough attention," Grey said darkly, something startlingly out of place at the luncheon. She brightened just as quickly. "Uncle Jim, it's your turn, tell us a story about yours and dad's MIT days."

"Let me tell you about the time Tony ended up banned from the engineering labs," Jim said, shifting in his seat. "Because, to this day, it's the best story I can tell about him. So, this was, what, '92 maybe '93. And he's wrapping up a project for his third master's and his second PhD. This was the project that gave him Dum-E. And thank God we found a sitter for you, because if you'd been in the lab with us that day, you'd have drowned in foam."

"I wasn't supposed to say that, was I?" Grey asked, burying her face in her hands. "Fuck. Okay, plan B?"

"Plan B," Pepper sighed, climbing to her feet and heading into the house proper to grab the folders in the kitchen.

"It's hard to keep it all straight, okay?" Grey defended to Jayne, who was giving her a judgmental look.

"Tell me right now why I shouldn't call the FBI and tell them you know where Tony Stark is?" Samantha demanded, holding her phone in her hand. Barnes pulled it out of her grasp and pocketed it. Grey and Jim were the only ones that had seen him move, and therefore weren't startled. Jennifer sighed and handed hers over with a half pout.

"Because I don't know where he is," Grey said, a sneer on her face that wasn't directed at Sam. Pepper came back and smacked two NDA forms on the table in front of the lawyers. When Grey looked up at them, her eyes were glowing orange. When she blinked it was gone. "I know that he's in a cave with a man named Ho Yinsen. I know he's being held captive by people wanting his weapons. And I know that he's working to come home to me. I have no earthly idea where he is."

"I'm going to need a better explanation if you want me to sign this NDA," Sam said, turning her displeased look to Pepper. Pepper, who had been a good friend to Sam in the few years they'd worked together.

"She can see the future, sort of," Jayne said, pouring herself another mimosa. She'd already gone through her revelation about the Stark Family, she could just observe this one. "It's imprecise, but yeah. It's there."

"Just after dad finished the designs for the Jericho Missile system, I started seeing him getting kidnapped. It changed so frequently that I chalked them up to nightmares rather than visions or whatever." Grey looked unimpressed with her own abilities, irritated by them rather than proud. Sam and Jen traded a look, the same one they shared when they knew someone was telling the absolute truth. "Until they all started looking the same. A Stark bomb going off, dad bleeding through his protection vest. He's building something. Something that's going to change the world, but we can't do it the way I saw."

"Why?" Jennifer asked before Sam could ask what Grey had seen.

"Because if we do it that way, half of all life in the universe will turn to dust," Grey said softly. Then a look of rage crossed her face. "Because if we do it that way, we will have to sit and watch as governments strip basic human rights away from people like me, like dad, like Dr Banner and Bucky. Doing it that way means the world needs saved from more than genocidal aliens. And if I'm going to work myself to death to save it, we're starting now."

"You know what happened to Bruce?" Jen asked, eyes suddenly sharp as they looked at Grey.

"He won't have to worry about Ross for much longer," Grey promised, a dark look in her eyes. "I'm going to roast him on a spit."

"Where do I sign?" Jennifer asked. Pepper handed her a pen.

"Was this the job you were hinting at?" Sam asked, looking at Pepper with a neutral expression. "This child's dream of saving the world?"

"At one point, everything was a child's dream, wasn't it?" Grey asked. "Wasn't Martin's whole speech a child's dream? An end to segregation, woman's right to vote, hell, everyone's right to vote? Weren't all these considered just kid's dreams?"

"And you think you can do it?"

"I think, the absolute worst-case scenario here is that Stark Industries just finances it. I'm not a genius. But my dad is. And he knows other geniuses. And we can throw money at problems until someone smart enough to solve the problem shows up."

"Okay." Sam pulled her NDA over and scratched out her signature. "What's the plan?"

"We have until January first of 2012 to outline, initiate, and legalize the Avengers Initiative as a PMC division of Stark Industries," Grey said, accepting the paper outline the family had constructed over the past two weeks. Jarvis also pulled up a virtual version of it. It was a watered down 'public safe' version, but it was enough to convince people they weren't crazy. "And we have to do it following the suspension of the weapons manufacturing division."

"Well, that's going to suck for us," Sam said, already taking notes. Behind her, Barnes went around collecting dishes and glasses, replacing the mimosas with water and lemonades. Brunch was over, it was time to work. Jayne pouted as she handed hers over.

"Why are we suspending the weapons?" Jennifer asked, wondering what she missed.

"Stane's dealing weapons under the table to terrorists," Pepper said. Both lawyers looked up at her in openmouthed surprise. "Yeah. I know."

"That means, wait, no. Is he behind Tony's disappearance?" Sam demanded. When no one would meet her eyes, she snarled. "Fine. Let's get to work."

Line Break

"I'm worried about her," Pepper said, breaking the silence in the living room. Jim and Barnes looked up at her. "She shut down after the attack, only to spring up for brunch, and now she's down again. It's not normal."

"She just killed four men, Pepper, of course she's not okay," Jim said gently. "The first time I took a man's life, I stood in the shower for three hours. She took four, in the span of ten minutes."

"But the crash isn't normal. This morning, she was practically coked up she had so much energy. Jarvis, she wasn't on coke, was she?" Pepper asked, suddenly worried.

"She wasn't on coke, Pepper." Jim shook his head. "She had a manic episode. Tony has them from time to time when he goes on his engineering binges. This is the crash from that. The past two days, of course she was down, she's freaked, and probably needs a therapist."

"Tony's going to need one too," Pepper sighed in agreement.

"I probably need one too, don't I?" Barnes said. "If I want to help?"

"You don't have to help, you can retire, you've earned that right," Jim said adamantly. While his motivation was different from Grey's, he still felt the urge to protect Barnes.

"I'll watch her back," Barnes said firmly. "I'll watch your backs. I want to do this. For me."

Jim smiled and reached across the coffee table, his hand out. Bucky shook it, a calm surrounding him for the first time since the forties. He would get better, be the person Grey saw in him. Make amends for the things he was forced to do.