Invisible To You (A Bruce Banner Love Story)

Chapter Eighteen - Found

Tony's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        Pepper and I sat on the couch, speechless. I was sitting in shock, while quiet tears leaked from Pepper's eyes. Casey sat in front of us, guilt across her face. "I know she wanted to tell you herself, but she hasn't, and now he's looking for her. I just- she just needs protection right now. You seem best fit for that."

        "How-Why- She never said a word about this." Pepper stutters. "I mean, I had my suspicions, but nothing this bad."

        "I didn't know. How could I not have known?" I ask myself. "Pepper, we need to get back to New York."

        "No!" Casey exclaims. We both look at her in surprise. "It's just, I trust Rose. Something must have happened to make it so she wouldn't tell you. You can't let her know you know, and if you go back now it'll look really suspicious. We all just need to act normal."

        "You're joking, right?" I ask. "Because I am going to find this guy, and I am going to blast him halfway to mars." I continue. "Or better yet, take him to the deepest part of the ocean, tie him to twenty thousand tons, and let him sink until he's crushed by the pressure."

        "Tony! We can't just kill him." Pepper says.

        "Well it seemed to work pretty well with Obadiah Stane and Whiplash!" I exclaim. "Except I don't want this guy's death to be quick and easy!"

        "Tony!" Both Pepper and Casey yell at the same time.

        "Trust me," Casey starts. "I want this guy dead as much as you do, but you both know how Rose is. If something is against her family or her friends, she's going to go more murderous than that dude who destroyed New York.  But she doesn't seem to grasp the concept of thinking about keeping herself safe." Well.... she's not wrong.

        "Well.. what are we supposed to do?" Pepper asks. "You can't honestly expect us to just sit here and-" My phone starts buzzing on the table, and the ringtone is an old recording of Rose's voice  from when she was ten going 'Toooonnnnyyy! Tony! Tony, come on! Annnssswweerrr!' So I know it's her on the other end of that line.

        "I swear she can read my mind." I say quietly.

        "Well, answer it!" Casey says, and I pick up the phone and put it to my ear.

        "Hello?"

        "Hey Tony, I need your help with something." I breathe out a sigh of relief, and mouth 'Lil' to Pepper who also relaxes slightly.

        "Yeah, of course kiddo, whats up?" I ask. "And why are you calling from Rose's phone and not the towers?"

        "Well, Rose left her phone cause she said she needed to go get the one she was giving us in case something happened, and Bruce left to help Em find some blank paper so she'll stop drawing all over his work." I chuckle. Em would draw all over whatever was available. I had lost more than a few important documents to that. "Anyway, I need your help, and I don't have anyone with me at the moment so I figured I might as well call you now."

        "For.....?" She still hadn't told me.

        "Oh. Right." She says. "Well, it is in my highest opinion and highest priority that Rose and Bruce go out." There is a moment of silence before I start to laugh, startling Pepper and Casey.

        "I couldn't agree with you more, kiddo." I say. "But, uh," I glance at Casey. "I can't really talk about it right now. Call me later tonight on your own phone, okay?"

        "Okie Dokie Artichokie." She responds, and says goodbye before hanging up.

        "What was that about?" Pepper asks curiously.