Battle Strategies | Tony Stark [1]

FIFTEEN

"Okay. Right away. Right away." Pepper finished up on the phone before walking around Ares and Athena, talking to the technician. "Tell me everything you know. Go."

As the technician rambled off, Athena hit Ares over the head. "Don't go near her."

"Why?" Ares whined, an odd look in his eye as he looked over at the strawberry blonde PA. "She's pretty."

Athena rolled her eyes at him. "Because I said so."

Ares looked away from Pepper and glared at Athena. "This is why I don't like you."

"The feeling's mutual." Athena muttered back, poking him with her staff again for her amusement. 

"Each set of drone is communicating in its own unique language." The technician explained to Pepper, as the two siblings began bickering in the background. 

"Well, choose one and focus on that." Pepper demanded, gesturing to the screen. Hammer decided to speak up then.

"Have you tried Russian? Why don't you try Russian?" 

Athena marched over to the computer and shoved Hammer out of her way. "I know Russian."

Athena began typing away on the computer as the rest of them crowded around her. Hammer remained a good distance away from the blonde, scared for his safety. Pepper remained close, watching Athena's fingers move quickly across the keyboard. Ares stood slightly behind Pepper and didn't even try and understand what his sister was doing on the computer and instead gazed at the strawberry blonde who was in front of him.

As the screen began to clear, Pepper moved closer to Athena so she could see more clearly what was happening. Athena knew she had succeed when voices began to emit from the computer before two boxes popped up. 

"Well done on the new chest piece. I am reading significant higher output and your vitals all look promising." The group heard Natasha say before her image appeared in the box. 

"Yes, for the moment, I'm not dying. Thank you." Tony's words seemed to echo in Pepper's mind, who shoved Athena from the centre and glared at the screen. 

"What do you mean you're not dying? Did you just say you're dying?" Pepper spoke frantically.

"Is that you?" Tony asked Pepper. "No, I'm not. Not anymore."

Athena held her breath slightly as Pepper noticed the confused look on Natasha's face. "What's going on?"

"I was going to tell you. I didn't want to alarm you." Tony tried to explain, but this was possibly the worse time he could be telling her. 

"You were gonna tell me? You really were dying?" Pepper sounded heartbroken before she frowned and looked at Athena. "Did you know? Oh, my god. You definitely knew."

Athena threw her hands up and urged Pepper to look at the screen again, hoping to direct the attention away from her.  

"You didn't let me." Tony said and now he was making it worse. 

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Pepper cried at him. 

"I was gonna make you an omelette and tell you." Athena facepalmed as Ares looked around confused. 

"Hey, hey. Save it for the honeymoon. You got incoming Tony. Looks like the fight's coming to you." Natasha intervened and Athena scowled at her choice of words, feeling jealous. 

"Great. Pepper?" Tony asked. 

"Are you okay now?" Pepper sighed. 

"I am fine. Don't be mad. I will formally apologise-"

"I am mad!" 

"-when I'm not fending off a Hammeroid attack."

"Fine."

"We could have been in Venice." Tony teased. 

"Oh please." Athena muttered, closing down the software. "Ares, come on. We have some so-called Hammeroids to kill."

--

Athena was beginning to get bored by now. Most of the drones were now destroyed by both Athena and Ares. The god of war himself had offered to bring Pepper home and Athena hadn't the energy to fight him on. She wished Pepper the best before they left. Athena stared at the 'dead' drones and kicked one in boredom. Her eyebrow raised as a red light began to flash. She hardly caused that by kicking it. She looked around and realised that all the drones were flashing red lights. She definitely hadn't done that. 

She furrowed her brow and bent down to examine the drone closest to her. She ignored the familiar sound of the Iron Man suit and concentrated on the drone. It wasn't until she heard the ticking did she realise what was about to happen. 

Cold metal wrapped around her and she felt herself being lifted off her feet. She clutched on the suit as they barrelled through the air, the sounds of explosions echoing through the air. They land on a rooftop, a significant distance away from the exploding drones. Athena pushed away from the malfunctioning suit, catching her breath. 

Tony threw the helmet on the ground as Athena stood up straight and pointed at him threateningly. "Don't do that again."

"Don't do what again?" Tony asked, his tone outraged. He raised his arm up. "And don't point at me like that."

Athena took a step forward and Tony wanted to take a step back, but he remained where he was. "Don't ever just do what you just did."

"You're gonna have to be more specific." Tony argued back, waving his arms about. 

"Just everything!" Athena exclaimed, unable to pick anything specific. "Gods, you're so infuriating." 

"What did I do?" Tony protested. "Other than save the world from evil Hammeroids. I think I did okay."

Athena closed her eyes as a loud explosion echoed. She took a deep breath and reopened her eyes to see that Tony had moved a few steps closer to her. Tony held her arms. "I'm sorry."

Athena gaped at him. "Excuse me, what?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Well, I don't know if I heard you right. It sounded like you said-"

Athena gasped gently at the sudden pressure that was on her lips. Her hands grasped at his arms, keeping balanced and she leaned forward. She smiled as she kissed him, her heart warming. Tony pulled back and looked at her in concern. "Weird."

"Why would it be weird? I've kissed before."

"It's okay, right?"

"Yeah."

"Run that by me again." Tony leaned forward again and Athena's hands found their way into his hair as they kissed yet again. They were in bliss for all of 3 seconds before they were interrupted again. 

"I think it was weird. You guys look like two seals fighting over a grape."