Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~*~

1 - Alabama, Arkansas

~*~

The horizon is in flame of oranges and reds when Pepper stepped out of the brownstone her Aunt owned and allowed her to house sit while looking for a job in New York. The small town girl had worked hard on hiding her accent, making it more middle American. She’d heard that type of accent put people at ease in other parts of the country, or even internationally.

She’d definitely stopped saying “warsh” at the least; and she had landed that interview at Stark Industries. Being a PA wasn’t exactly the dream job Pepper had hoped for when she moved to New York; but, she was away from Norman Benedict. The persistent abusive boyfriend that her family had practically begged her to leave; which she didn’t until he hit her and landed her in the hospital. After that, the Aunt in New York had to go to Europe and asked Pepper to come to NYC and look after her place.

And somehow that led to an interview at one of the biggest Tech companies in the world; the innovations would change the world, or so she had heard. And who didn’t want to be part of that?

Today would be the first day she’d actually see Mr. Stark. The man who was now in charge of the company. And of which she had heard a lot. That he was a big man-child and a PA had to do everything they were told. Which to Pepper’s mind was lame as fuck.

She checked the time and decided that standing on her stoop thinking would make her late and so meandered onto the sidewalk. She was getting used to the persistent traffick of New York, it was far different from the small town in Arkansas she’d grown up in.

She found the subway, and carefully followed the map of stops that’d get her to the building. Tony Stark usually lived in Malibu. However, he had set up in New York for the time being. He lived in a mansion on the outskirts of the city, yet, Pepper was told to go to his office at the SI building. It wasn’t tall at all. But it did dwarf most of the buildings around it. The Osborn and Baxter buildings were just around the corner too. Pepper had heard something’s about Spiderman and Osborn on the TV, but she doubted that news station was anything but biased against Spiderman.

Pepper showed her badge to the receptionist in the lobby and was directed through securoty. At the otherside a rather heavy set man - though she could tell he was a fighter of some type - smiled at her.

“My Name is happy Hogan, and I’m here to take you to Tony.”

“He’s actually here?” Pepper asked. “I expected him to be at the mansion.”

“He got pulled in by the ear by Mr. Stane.” Happy shook his head. “It’s like pulling teeth making that man do actual paper work.”

“So what exactly am I up against?” Pepper asked. “I refuse to be a glorified babysitter.”

Happy laughed then, and Pepper decided that she liked him and that it’d be worth her time to make friends. Maybe together they can get this “man-child” to be somewhat responsible. God only knew that his parents hadn’t taught him how to be that.

“You have your work cut out for you.” Happy winked. “Come on, he probably has something for you to do.”

~*~

Tony Stark HATED paperwork; he felt it was a waste of time. So when Happy brought Pepper in for her first day of work, he was relieved. Though he wouldn’t be for long. Pepper had her planner out straight away and it was one of those super cute ones, with flowers and shit.

She immediately poked her nose into his paperwork, wrote stuff down in her planner then turned to him and gave him a Look he’d become very familiar with over the next few years she’d work with him.

“You have just enough time to finish that pile -” she pointed to about twenty files. “Before your lunch with Mr. Stane and the board.”

“What…?”

“I wasn’t hired to be a glorified babysitter, Mr. Stark.” Pepper said, then took a handful of paperwork. “This seems to be none issues that I’ll take care of. Thank you for you time, Mr. Stark.”

“Thank you for yours, Mrs. Potts.”

“That’s Miss, sir.” she gave him the look again before flouncing off to a desk just outside the doors. Happy opened the door further for her just so that she wouldn’t lose all her files.

Pepper didn’t see the shit eating grin Happy trained on Mr. Stark who was very much taken aback but had a burgeoning respect for her.

~*~

Her Office at the New York SI office building hadn’t changed much since her first day at Stark Industries as a glorified babysitter for Tony. Though over the years their relationship had grown. She almost wished she’d never broken up with him, now that he’s gone missing, for the second time in her life.

She isn’t crying though, she has a company to run with a ruthlessness she learnt from her father when he had the small tool store before the bigger box companies moved in as their town increased in homes and new people.

He kept his books in pristine condition; and Pepper knew that if Stane hadn’t kept a separate set of books for SI, that she would have found all of his under the table business dealings. As it stood she only had the fake ones. They’d found everything Stane thought he’d buried after his death. Tony spent months decrypting.

The whole thing was a mess, but at least Tony had been there. Now though…….nothing. They’d been through everything from the secret Hydra Bunker and while she knew that Tony had gone there they couldn’t figure out what happened after. Or during his time. Steve had sent a letter and a stupid flip phone that Pepper immediately threw in the trash.

She sighed as she signed another contract that’d move the company forwards. She of course had a lot of things to work with since Tony was such an avid creator of technology. But she still wanted him here, and she wanted to rebuff the Rogues and the growing support they had in the media. The Accords were being shot down because of money. She couldn’t blame the American Middle Class of not wanting a ton of their tax money to go to other countries that couldn’t afford their own defense structures, much less a superhero team.  

Of course a lot didn’t want the Avengers to be a government entity either; also to do with taxes, and universal Superhero insurance that was highly unaffordable for a lot of people. Despite promises of “If you like your superhero insurance, you can keep it.”

Yeah, she hadn’t believed that one either, though she did keep SI as neutral about politics as possible. Eitherway, this was turning out into a shit storm.

So, she’d taken to Twitter. And tagged Steve. She tweeted one simple thing; “What did you do with Tony?”

And he didn't answered. The Tweet had gone viral and now the media was expounding on it. Tony had either taken off for space, or Tahiti. He would have called her if he’d gone to Tahiti. So Space was the theory she was personally invested in.

It’d explain why she didn’t get a message from him, or if he was kidnapped, from his captors. This wasn’t Afghanistan. But it was worse, because she doesn’t know if he’s alive or dead. And she doesn’t know where he is. At least she knew he was on Earth. But now...she’s not so sure.

And the Rogues aren’t helping shit either.

Not that she can do anything about that; they’re being protected by T’Challa, and no one wants to piss off a country that’s more advanced than the Western World; Pepper sighes. She’s got so many problems that she doesn’t need another one.

Yet, he walks in. More like Struts in. Tiberius Stone.

“Hello there, Pepper my dear, I am here for my ten o’clock.”

Pepper dead panned at him; “i don’t have a ten o’clock with you.”

“Now you do.” the man smiled. And he reminded her so much of Tony that she threw a desk weight at him and told him to get the fuck out of her office before Security came to keep her from murdering him.

~*~

Rhodey wheeled himself around the sofa, he had a tray on his lap and he set it on the coffee table. Pepper had retreated to the penthouse of Potts Tower. She had the the opportunity to change the title after the Rogues all but left everyone in the dust.

“Can you believe that bastard?” Pepper asked. Rhodey set a cool washcloth over her eyes without so much as a sympathetic sound.

“He’s always been after Tony’s stuff.” Rhodey said. He had met the man one or two other times. Tony always hated his cousin. Of course, and both tech giants had been in direct competition for years. It all came down to how well SI made their tech that made them number 1. Stone was second then Hammer was all the way down in the three digits.

“I am not some Damsel in distress that he has to rescue.” Pepper felt her blood start to boil. Tony had stabilised the Extremis within her, but she’d learnt how to use her abilities. Though she hasn’t shown them off in public. She doesn’t want to fill Tony’s Shoes. She wants to make her own path. Tony always teased her about those Bohemian ways, though whenever she pointed it out in Tony, he’d scoff and claim to be a futurist.

“Well, you’re gonna have to do something.” Rhodey said. He’d retired from the Military and of course Pepper had him move to the Tower. They’d taken over the top three levels. And Rhodey had a job in making protective devices for the military and police. So that there’d be less civilian casualties whenever it came to a protest or riot.

“I know.” Pepper calmed herself. Though she still felt a bit under the color. Much like Banner, her powers tended to show themselves when she was angry. But she had to learn to weld them no matter how she felt.

“And the Rogues are trying to bully the Accords Council into giving  them pardons.”

That made Pepper sit up and lose the cool cloth for her headache; “Over my dead body.” she snarled. Rhodey nodded. “Me too.” he added.

Chapter Text

~*~

“Pepper, dear, are you feeling alright?” ever since Pepper had told her mother about the Extremis virus, her mother was always asking her that. Helen Potts didn’t understand much of the science, only that her daughter had been kidnapped and “enhanced” against her will.

“I’m fine, Mama.” Pepper replied. “It’s getting better as I burn it out. Soon enough I’ll be normal.” Pepper said. The last time she and Tony had an experiment on what she could do, they found that the more she burned the more the virus left. It also left her tired for a few days. She doubted that was the intent of A.I.M. but it worked well enough for her. To a point.

“And what about Tony?” Helen asked.

Oh yes, what about him? - “Nothing, we have found nothing and Rogers has kept his mouth shut, which means he knows something.” Pepper groaned.

“I’m sure you’ll pull it out of him.” Helen replied. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. Tony didn’t tell us because he was probably going against the accords.” Pepper had thought long and hard on it; that had to be why.

“He’ll be back, he always is. Now, don’t cry. You’ve a multi-million business to run and heroing to do.”

“Mama, I am not a superhero.” Pepper said.

“Tell that to the eight year old who insisted she was Supergirl.” Helen chuckled. They said their “I love yous” and “good by’s” then hung up.

Pepper shook her head. Well, someone had to step up to the plate. Now every Villain in Midtown thinks they can just destroy New York at every turn.

“MA’AM, if I may.” Fridays voice distracted her from those thoughts. “Maybe you should take one of Sir’s suites out for a ride?”

And Friday, bless her little heart, was trying. Trying so gosh darn hard. The last time Pepper had been in the suite she had saved Tony from some falling rubble when A.I.M. had blasted his Malibu house. She missed California, not the taxes, but she did miss the warmness.

She had taken her mother’s call in the Workshop; and from the middle Friday brought up a suite, not much unlike Tony’s usual model. This build was sleeker though. With some silver accents instead of gold and his usual hot rod red.

Pepper was astounded. It opened and waited.

“I don’t know how to fly that thing.” Pepper said.

“It’s not hard, I’ll give you the tutorial.” Friday replied.

“This is a bad idea.” Pepper muttered, though she felt herself being pulled towards it. In a way it was kind of like being near Tony.

“There is a small disturbance at a Stark industries lab in Taiwan that you could handle without much effort.” Friday said.  Bringing up a projection. Pepper frowned. Then looked at her cell phone.

“Why hasn’t anyone called me?” she asked.

“Cell Reception in that area has gone down.” Friday replied. “Shall I alert the Accords members of your imminent arrival?”

Pepper growled and stalked her way to the armour. If Tony could blast his way out of a cave with nothing more than a flamethrower attached to his arm, than she could fly his highly complicated suites. Damn the man.

Her HUD lit up with the basic control mechanisms. “Just let me know what you need, I will try to help in anyway I can.” Friday came through in the earpiece.

“Thanks. Fri. Let’s do this.”

~*~

Pepper sped across the world in record time; she felt flabbergasted. This must be how Tony felt every time he took off to divert another disaster.

“Ma’am, I have Noelle LaRou on the line.” Friday said.

“Patch her through.” Pepper replied.

“Ms. Potts?” the female voice is tinged with a bit of a French accent. “This is highly….”

“That is a Stark Industries building.” Pepper cut her off. “Those are my employees, being attacked by a terrorist. Now, I am sorry that I am not a member of the accords. But seeing as how they were only thinking of the Avengers - I don’t see why you should be angry about this.”

“I’m not.” Noelle replied. “Some of the others are, but as you said and as I have told them, it is your building and your business. If you want to dress up like Iron Man and put a stop to that thing. Fine.”

“Than what…?”

“As I was saying.” Noelle interrupted. Pepper felt it was only fair. “I am going to coordinated with the Taiwan officials on the ground. They know you’re coming.”

“Alright.” Pepper said. Her ETA popped up on screen. “Five minutes.” she replied.

~*~

Tony smiled at her; “Don’t worry, Pep, it’s super easy.” They stood out in an abandoned airport; She was dressed in a suite made especially for her. She had been worried about ruining Tony’s tower by going through the hatchway he’d built into it for the launch of the suites. So he had Friday drive Pepper’s suite to the airway with him beside it while she and Happy took the car.

Happy lent against said car with an apple juice box in hand. He was far more happy just watching than doing. Pepper nodded. “Okay, so what do I do?”

Tony clapped his hands and the suite opened; “Get in.” he was still dressed in his and once she was encased he showed her how to gently hover. He took her only a few feet off the ground. Because Pepper was new at this and he didn’t want her to get scared.

“If anything happens to me, Pep, you’ll need to know how to do this.”

As she races across the wilde blue sky; Pepper tries not to cry as the memory suddenly came back to her. She’d flown this suite only a handful of times but Tony had taught her everything she would need to know.

“Friday, I need to know if anyone is trapped under the rubble.” Pepper addressed the AI. “I’ll have to see if I can get them out first.”

“Yes Ma’am.” Friday replied. Soon enough they flew over the Stark Industry lab. Half the building had collapsed. The other third is on fire which is being fought by the local fire department. And people are running away as if something were after them.

Pepper figured something was, so she didn’t spend too much time figuring that out; instead she glanced at the corner of her HUD. There’s an x-ray of several people trapped under a bit of concrete cieling.

“It’s stable enough for you to lift.” Friday replied.

“Okay. all alive?”

“That’s the only group alive, all other are deceased.” Friday replied. Pepper frowned, this was going to be a PR disaster. The Families would probably sue. She really hated it when this happened. She tried so hard to treat her employees no matter where they were with respect.

“Alright.” Pepper landed and lifted the edge of the ceiling quite easily. It would have taken a group of twenty people to move it. She levered it up enough for people to scramble out. Once all were out she dropped it and turned her attention to the fire.

There’s an explosion of some magnitude. Pepper screams as it comes towards her. People behind her screams. She covers her face, forgetting for a moment that she’s encased in a fire proof suite.

Then, something walks out of the inferno. “Where is Iron Man?” it asks. It looks like something out of a b-science fiction movie Tony likes to make her watch when he’s being annoying. It has eyes like C-3PO. And stands a foot taller than her.

“Not here.” Pepper replied. “What do you want with Stark’s employees?” she asked. She decided it would be best to act as a third party. No one really needed to know she was here except the Accords council.

“I have business with him.” the Machine type of thing said. Pepper scoffed.

“You’ll have to pay me for my services first.” She quipped back, and then, as she had seen Tony do. She raised her hand and let off a blast from her Repulsor. The Machine - she didn’t know what else to call it - was caught unawares by her move and stumbled back.

Then it came at her fist raised. Pepper blinked once before dodging and punching it back. The two went on like this for what felt like forever to Pepper. She kicked and punched as hard as she could. She got a couple good hits in return from the Machine. Until finally she sent it through the partly collapsed building.

It went through several walls and dented the foundation a bit more. The building started to tremble.

“Ma’am, you need to get out.” Friday replied.

“Are there any other survivors?” Pepper asked.

“No, the authorities have used the fight as a distraction to get as many people out. The dead count will be horrendous though.” Friday replied.

“Okay, let’s go,” and with that Pepper took off. She already knew she’d have several emails and phone calls awaiting her.

Chapter Text

~*~

“And in other news…...a new Superhero is on the forefront after the betrayal of the Avengers; Rescue is on his - or her - way!”

Pepper turned the tv off. Really, it was bugging her and she wondered if Tony ever felt the same way; at first it seemed that he was very interested in it and she assumed for all the wrong reasons but as she learnt more about his time in Afghanistan - finding him in a bathtub of cold water having a panic attack one late night led to him spilling the beans - she couldn’t stand the endless news and the opinions of people who didn’t actually know what they were talking about.

And Rescue - They were calling her Rescue. It fit, she always did come to Tony’s rescue. No matter if he knew it or not. This was just another form of it, wasn’t it?

“You looked fine out there today.” Happy said as he arrived with Chinese take out. Pepper was hungry. She smiled up at him. And right behind him came Rhodey.

“That was awesome, Pep.” Rhodey congratulated.

“I didn’t do much, really.” She replied.

“You did, and you know what….I recognize that thing you fought.” from a side pocket of his wheelchair Rhodey took out a file. “It took me some doing but here.”

“Ezekiel Stane….?” Pepper read.

“I didn’t know Stane had a son.” Happy muttered.

“He did, I don’t know much though…” Pepper began to read the file. “He built a suite like Tony’s. He’s trying to take SI down.”

“And guess who he’s working with?” Rhodey said even though he knew the name was in the file and that Pepper had just caught sight of it going by the size of her eyes and the slight orange tinge of her skin.

“Tiberius Stone….”

~*~

“That was brilliant. Letting Rescue win like that. Good job.” Tiberius poured out a glass of whiskey for his “friend” and business partner.

“So says you.” Ezekiel pouted. “I got bruises from where she hit me.”

“It’s not my fault you didn’t use the same alloy as Stark did for your suite.” Tiberius rolled his eyes and handed the glass over. “Honestly, pet, you sound like a five year old.”

Ezekiel sighs and downs the glass; “Either way next time I am putting that…...Rescue…...into the ground.”

“We’ll get rid of that new pest.” Tiberius agreed. “But really, we have the Avengers to thank for all this.” he sipped at his own drink. “Without them in the picture it’ll be very easy to take over the States, and once that is done the world.”

“Everyone tries for the world and they have all failed. “Ezekiel reminded his lover; “What makes your plan so special?”

“I don’t go after big targets the first time around.” Tiberius said. “I set them up and watch them fall when everything fits nicely together.”

He smiled. “Come dear, the bedroom is calling.”

~*~

WHAT EXACTLY DID CAPTAIN AMERICA DO WITH TONY STARK; the death of a legend…

The by-line was good Natasha had to agree with it; they had essentially killed everything they had worked hard to obtain. She had killed another life. It wasn’t a loss, per se. But sometimes she missed it. The others didn’t miss it as much though.

Scott had made up with his family by actually telling the truth once and for all; his friends had come and gone with him - to where no one actually knew - but Natasha wasn’t a huge fan so she didn’t care where Scott was at all.

Clint was another story altogether; instead of simply saying he couldn’t handle retirement or his family he expected his wife to just forgive him and let him come back. A Pardon would have gone a long way on that, but they had yet to hear, and last time Natasha had listened in on Clint’s skype call it sounded as if Laura was not going to let him come skipping back into their lives as if NOTHING had happened.

She insisted on marriage counseling and if he couldn’t do that than she’d expect some type of child care payment. Laura had then ended the call.

Clint tried to call her back until Steve just pulled the plug and told him to go sleep for a while and to think about his next step in convincing Laura that they all did the right thing.

Their whole lives were incumbent on that fact; that they had done the right thing. Natasha put the news paper away. It didn’t much matter what the public thought of them. As long as she could get the majority of votes for a Pardon from the Accords Council, that would be enough.

They hadn’t done the right things, not at all, but now it was too late. Now they had to lie in the bed they had made.