"You know I've actually been working on something. This should be fun. Banners already there." I arch an eyebrow I didn't know Banner whet back to New York. I would've thought he'd left the country, gone somewhere else.
"There you go." Coulson says sounding satisfied.
"What about Astella?" I demand. Another sigh from Coulson. Maria stares at the floor tapping her foot and Clint keeps flexing his burned hand. He might have hurt it again when he was up against Astella. Holding a bow with a burnt hand probably doesn't feel too good.
"For now we have to assume that Astella is no longer on our side. From here on out she is no longer our priority." I'm so shocked I don't know what to say at first.
"Coulson! We can't just let Hydra have her!" I shout at him.
"Not my orders." He replies immediately. Fury. In blind rage I punch a hole in the wall next to me. Pulling back plaster and bits of paint fall down.
"Calm down Steve. If Hydra has her we should expect her to fire back at us. What better way to kill off the Avengers then by using one of their own teammates against them." They would use Astella against us. I can see them doing that. It's just down their alley.
"Head to New York. Stay safe." He signs off. We stand there awkwardly for a bit.
"Well, I will get my suit and we'll try and find a way out of her since I'm the only one who can really fly and I'm not about to carry any of you." Tony states. Sighing we follow him back through the damaged hallways before leaving L.A for good.
Unusually the semi damaged aircraft we had used to get to downtown L.A when "Loki" attacked so still there. I guess S.H.I.E.L.D didn't have another use for it seeing as it's pretty badly broken and Hydra just couldn't be bothered. "Easy fix. We'll be out of here and back in New York in no time." Tony says cheerily as he sets out to fix it with what little tools he has. The rest of us do nothing more but stand around and watch as Tony and Maria argue over heat goes where, because apparently she's fixed one of these things before. In a little over an hour the ship is prepared and ready for take off.
"Alright everyone in! We have just enough fuel in this bad boy for a one way trip to New York city!" Tony calls out happily slapping the sides of the ship. Clint and I exchange a look before leaning up off the wall and heading for the open hanger. The ride is bumpy to say the least. Tony, and Natasha fight the whole way. They both want to be the one to fly the plane and Maria gets them to settle for co-piloting which doesn't make either of them happy. It's either full control or no control. Clint and i grip the edges of our seats as they continue to argue and fly us just below the cloud line back towards New York. The sun is blinding us as we head in it's direction.
"How much longer?" i murmur more to myself than anyone else.
"Shouldn't be long." Natasha replied ceasing her fighting with Tony for a minute to answer my question. I don't even know how she heard me. We land on top of a parking garage. It's the only place big enough for us to land on. We exit the craft and with one last shudder the engine gives out.
"Just in time." Tony says happily clipping me on the shoulder. I sigh and shift the strap of my duffle bag. I don't have much. Some clothes, my suit, and my shield which is strapped to my arm. "I'll have some guys come pick this up." Tony says backing up and turning around to point at it.
"You have guys that pick up machines for you?" Clint asks. Tony shrugs.
"We could always have Banner do it." Tony replies with a shrug walking towards a black limo that pulls up onto the garage. A woman steps out. I recognize her as Pepper Potts.
"When you said you were bringing the whole gang i didn't think you actually meant the whole gang." Pepper says with a smile walking towards us.
"What did you think i meant?" Tony replies kissing her. I suddenly wish Astella was her. Tony wraps an arm around Pepper's waist and she smiles at him. I don't really know how their relationship works but they seem pretty happy.
"Maria, Natasha. Good to see you again." she says turning back to us with a smile on her face.
"We're going to ride in that?" Clint interrupts. Tony looks back at the limo.
"Only car i have that fits all of us." he says. "Besides Steve here has never been in one." Tony points at me and i arch an eyebrow.
"So? They're just really long cars. Tony smirks.
"You've just never stood up through the sunroof old man."
"This is stupid." i grumble. Tony had shoved us all into the dimly lit car and we all shifted around on the seats uncomfortably. Not because the seats were uncomfortable it's just that we weren't used to being well together when there wasn't something we had to do. Like save the world for instance. Never would i have ever pictured us getting into a limo and driving away under any circumstances, but here we were.
"This will be fun. this will be great." Tony says shutting the door. "Hey Jarvis tell the guys to come pick up this air craft plane thingy." the mechanical voice known as Jarvis pours out above and around us.
"Yes sir, but which guys are you referring to?" a holographic list with some of Tony's contacts listed just as Guy or Guy 2 pops up in front of him. Tony taps his chin and scrolls up and down.
"Just send.. Guys 3 through 9 and Guys 12 through 15." Tony swipes the screen away.
"Very well sir." Jarvis replies.
"Where too Mr. Stark??" the driver calls back.
"The Tower of course!" then quietly to Pepper he asks.
"Who is he and why doesn't he already know where we're going." Pepper gives him this look.
"He's been your driver for over twenty years. He's a good man." Pepper replies quietly.
"Well he's doing a bad job of it." then louder he says.
"Hey uhh. Driver, pull over. I'm going to take the wheel. We all look at Tony surprised as the car stops and he gets out. We haven't even left the parking garage yet. Pepper sighs as Tony and the driver switch places. "Hey serve them drinks." Tony commands downing the limo drivers hat.
"Champagne anyone?" the driver asks pulling out a bottle from built in coolers behind the seats.
"No thank you." Pepper says. We all politely decline in turn as Tony swings out into traffic nearly throwing us off balance and onto the floor.
"Do you even know how to drive a limo?" I demand glaring at Tony. He glances at me through the rear view mirror.
"Looks like I'm going to learn." he says with a mischievous smile. We all grumbled under our breathe and Pepper sighs giving Tony a small smile as she managed to sit upright despite Tony's wild turns and exaggerated hand motions. Then came the stupid part. "Come on Cap!" Tony complained.
"You can't make me do anything from up there." i retort, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Pepper, make him do it." she looks at me and shrugs before looking back at him.
"I can't make him do anything."
"Natasha?" Tony tries. She glares at Tony before looking at me.
"You should do it just to shut him up." she tells me, but I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to stand up in the sunroof and shout WOOHOO! From the top of my lungs.
"Come on. This is a once in a lifetime chance!" Tony shouts back at me.
"No it's not." i snort.
"How many more times do you plan on being in a limo?" he asks. I don't get the chance to answer him. "Exactly! just do it. I'll pay you." i roll my eyes.
"You won't pay me." i reply.
"A million dollars." i arch an eyebrow and glance around the limo.
"A million dollars just to stand up and shout woohoo? You're not that stupid Tony." He rolls his eyes at me.
"It's not stupid. I just get the pleasure of you doing it." he wants me to look embarrassed that's what he wants to see.
"I'm not doing it. Even if you pay me Stark." Tony begins to complain loudly.
"Come on!" he whines. I shake my head no. This continues the rest of the ride. "You are no fun." Tony says when we arrive at the tower. He points at me and shakes his head almost disgusted.
"It was childish and stupid." Tony continues to shake his head.
"A million dollars. I was willing to give you a million dollars to do it." I sigh heavily as we head for the elevators.
"What is Dr. Banner doing here?" Maria asks suddenly as we wait for the elevator to open.
"Oh, i sent him here after that whole brainwashing S.H.I.E.L.D thing. He should be better now." Tony replies shrugging as the elevator dings. The doors slide open and we manage to squeeze everyone in. Tony presses the button for the highest floor and we slowly begin to ascend. There's loud rock music blasting through the speakers that Tony is bobbing his head too.
"He thought elevator music needed some spicing up." Pepper explains to us. I have to admit it's better than most elevator music I've heard. When we reach the top i notice how different everything looks since Loki and now Astella have both destroyed it. Banner is sitting on a couch nearby and stands quickly when we exit the elevator.
"Hi." he says with a tired smile. "Look.. I.." he pauses. "Sorry." then he seems to realize someone's missing.
"Astella?" he questions.
"Gone. Hydra took her back." Dr. Banner sighs and closes his eyes rubbing his temple.
"I'm sorry i wasn't there." he says unhappily.
"It's okay Bruce." i tell him. Everyone's quiet.
"Hey! Why don't we play the Avengers game!" Tony says trying to distract us.
"We have a game?" Clint questions cocking his head.
"Game?" i repeat. Tony looks back and forth between the two of us like he doesn't know who to insult/answer first.
"Yes. Video Game. It's fun. I call Captain America!" he calls out striding toward the TV and pulling out a couple of controllers, what looks like a DVD case, and the remote for the TV. He turns it on and beings plugging in a series of wires.
"You can play as.. Captain America?" i question. Tony nods.
"You can play as all of us. I have the best attack power." he tosses a control to Bruce who catches it a bit clumsily. "Ladies?" he questions as he tosses Clint and I two more controllers.
"We're going to pass. Go do some girl things." Pepper speaks up. Maria places her hands on her hips and turns her way. Natasha crosses her arms.
"Girl things?" Natasha asks.
"We're going to test drive some Tony's new suits." Pepper replies with this mischievous glint in her eye.
"Uh.. No you're not." Tony says popping a disk into this box thing.
"Yeah we are, Ladies." she says turning back towards the elevator.
"Jarvis make sure they don't test drive anything." Tony calls out.
"Override." Pepper calls back. tony shoots her a look and Pepper blows a kiss. Maria and Natasha smile as the elevator doors ding closed. Tony doesn't seem worried though.
"I call being Bruce." Clint speaks up suddenly.
"I'm going to be you then." Bruce says pointing at Clint who smirks.
"So what will it be. Natasha or yours truly?" Tony asks as we all settle down onto the couch.
"Natasha. She's a better fighter than you." Clint smirks and Tony scowls.
"But the suit! She has to stay on the ground! I can fly!" he protests. i roll my eyes as Tony shows us how to work the controls so we can select a character. He takes mine from me though and selects Iron Man. I glare at him as he hands it back. "You'll like my character a lot more." he reassures me. Then the game begins.