EIGHT
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He grabbed a woman, holding onto her as she screamed. "Slow down, slow down, relax. What's your name? Heather?" Listen to me. You see that guy? I'm gonna swing by, you're just gonna grab him. You got it?"
"What? Ahhhh!" She yelled again as Tony flew off after him.
"I'll electrify your arm, you won't be able to open your hand. We can do this, Heather." He brought her down and she grabbed his hand. "Easy, see? Eleven more to go."
He went from person to person, and each of them continued to grab onto each other's hands.
"Remember that game called Barrel of Monkeys? That's what we're gonna do."
"18,000 feet." Jarvis informed him.
"Come on, people! Everyone, grab your monkey!"
"10,000 feet."
"Nice!"
"6,000 feet."
"Come on, people!" They all continued to lock hands or grab on anyway they could. "Come on, come on, come on!"
There was one person left. "1,000 feet."
Tony flew after him as fast as he could.
"400 feet." Jarvis continued. "200 feet, sir!"
"He's a tricky monkey. Let's get him." He swooped down and someone grabbed him. "Hello."
He let out a shaky breath as he brought them all up seconds from touching the water. He then proceeded to slow them all down and brought them into the water safely. They were all fine and cheering.
"Nice work, guys! Excellent. Good team effort all around. Go us. Alright, Jarvis. But, it's only half done. We've still got Pepper—" He was interrupted as he flew into an oncoming semi on the highway, and the armor parts scattered everywhere. "Phew, that came out of nowhere."
"Give me some good news, man." Rhodey opened the door to the bathroom where Tony had been controlling the suit from.
"I think they all made it." He nodded.
"Oh, thank God."
"Yeah, but I missed the President." Tony sighed.
"You couldn't save the President with the suit, how are we gonna save Pepper with nothing?"
"Uh, say, Jarvis, is it that time?" Tony asked.
"The House Party Protocol, sir?" Jarvis asked.
"Correct." He nodded.
The President was transported to Killian at the Roxxon Norco via the Iron Patriot armor. Meredith watched from afar, seeing that suit flying into where she assumed Killian and Pepper were. Pepper witnessed this, as Killian had come to talk to her. She realized then that she was more than just leverage for Tony and Meredith, she was his trophy.
Tony and Rhodey found their way to the location, meeting up with Meredith. She left the suit in a safe place, knowing that until all three of them could access their suits, stealth was the best course of action. The climbed onto the platform. They snuck around, always checking over their shoulders. They climbed up a ladder and waited until their pathway was clear before they ran to the next spot. Tony made Meredith go first so he could keep an eye on her. The three of them had the guns they took as weapons. "You're not gonna freak out on me, right?"
"I hope not." He replied. Meredith knew he'd be fine. It seemed he only got concerned when New York was brought up, and when he's overwhelmed. With the reassurance of bringing the Iron Legion our, he should feel fine. They continued to make their way towards the commotion, trying to get where Meredith had seen the Iron Patriot armor go before, assuming that's where Pepper is. They peaked around a corner at all the lights that were being faced in the same direction.
"What are they doing?" Tony asked from behind. They looked to see the Iron Patriot armor hanging in the air, obviously containing President Ellis.
"He wanted political power." Meredith shook her head.
"Oh my God." Rhodey breathed out.
"He's strung up over the oil tanker. They're gonna light him up, man." He was astonished at how insane this guy was.
"Viking funeral. Public execution." Tony remarked.
"Yeah, death by oil."
When the coast was clear, the three of them ran to a nearby staircase and began running up it as fast they could. An announcement came on over the PA. They knew they didn't have much time. "Broadcast will commence shortly. Take final positions."
"Is your gun up?" Rhodey asked Tony as they had made it up the first few flights of stairs. Meredith and Tony walked behind him. Both of them were definitely out of their comfort zones, but Meredith did better than he did. She'd spent a lot more time with Nat.
"Yep." Tony replied as he put it up. "What do I do?"
"Stay on my six, cover high and don't shoot me in the back." He replied
"Six, high, back. Got it." Tony nodded. Someone began shooting at them, and Meredith shot him down in one shot. "Wow, good aim."
"That's what happens when you hang out with Black Widow." She replied. More guys began shooting at them and Tony grabbed her and pulled her down with them. They crawled and got cover.
"See that? Nailed it." Tony said.
"Yeah, you really killed the glass." Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Nice job, Mer."
"You think I was aiming for the bulb?" Tony asked. "You can't hit a bulb at this distance."
Rhodey raised up and shot it once, giving him a look. There was another announcement alerting everyone of their presence.
"I'm out. Give me... you got extra magazines?"
"They're not universal, Tony." Rhodey sighed.
"I know what I'm doing. I make this stuff. Give me another one." He demanded. "One of yours."
"I don't have one that fits that gun."
"You've got, like, five of them." He got up on his feet, continuing to squat. "Here's what I'm going to do. Save my spot, ready?"
They watched as he raised up. "What'd you see?"
"Too fast. Nothing." He replied, and Rhodey shook his head. Meredith peaked over, then, and saw all the men.
"Three guys, one girl, all armed." She informed them. They all looked over the metal they were behind and aimed their guns.
"I would kill for some armor right now." Rhodey sighed.
"You're right, we need backup." Tony remarked, and Meredith gave him a smile.
"Yeah, a bunch." Rhodey agreed.
"You know what?" He nodded towards the light coming towards them.
"Is that...?"
"Yep."
"Are those...?"
"Yeah."
In came the Iron Legion with all sorts of color combinations, sizes, and different abilities.
"Merry Christmas, buddy." Tony put his arm around Rhodey's shoulder. They all surrounded the place, and Rhodey was amazed. Even Meredith didn't know the extent of it. She'd helped work on some, but she didn't realize there were this many. "Jarvis, target Extremis heat signatures. Disable with extreme prejudice."
"Yes, sir." All the suits replied as they surrounded the place. Maybe all his work payed off after all.
"What are you waiting for? It's Christmas. Take them to church." Tony ordered, and they watched as they began miraculously working together to take them all out. It was no secret that they'd lose some. One flew over them and fell below, exploding. "Jarvis, get Igor to steady this thing."
"This is how you've been managing your time, huh?" Rhodey asked with amazement.
"Even the time he doesn't have." Meredith replied.
"Hey, everybody needs a hobby. Don't shame." He gave her a playful grin. "Heartbreaker, help Red Snapper out, will you?"
Multiple explosions happened as a few suits crashed and burned. Tony's armor landed and he got into it, as did Meredith's. "Nice timing."
"Oh, yeah. That's awesome. Give me a suit, okay?" Rhodey grinned.
"Oh, I'm sorry, they're only coded to Meredith and I." Tony replied.
"What does that mean?"
"I got you covered." He replied and shot off, along with Meredith. Another suit approached him.
"Good evening, Colonel, may I give you a lift?" Jarvis asked as he held his arms out and wrapped them around him.
"Very funny." Rhodey rolled his eyes. He held onto it, nonetheless, and it flew him up to the top.
"Sir, Miss, I've located Miss Potts." Jarvis informed them.
"It's about time." Tony replied.
"Right where I told you she was." Meredith gave him a look, though he couldn't see. They flew up to the location, helping where they could on the way. There was a nice entrance hole on the side that they entered through. The place was full of debris. They looked around for Pepper.
"I found her." Meredith pointed towards her spot. They went to lift the debris above her, but she awoke and yelled at them to stop.
"Put it down!"
Tony knelt down and lifted the face of his helmet to look at her. "See what happens when you hang out with my ex-girlfriends?"
He offered his hand to her. "You're such a jerk."
"Yep. We'll talk about it over dinner." He replied. She reached for his hand, and they heard the metal creaking. "Come on, just a little more, baby."
She finally grabbed onto his hand, but just as she did, an orange glowing arm came out of the floor and grabbed onto his Arc Reactor. He fell back. Meredith backed up and aimed her Repulsor at Killian as he emerged from the floor. "Is this guy bothering you?"
She didn't shoot considering how unstable the place was, but she should've. He jumped up and climbed on top of Tony.
"Don't move." He advised as he pressed his hot finger to his chest. "Ooh, is it hot in there? Stuck, do you feel a little stuck? Like a little turtle, cooking in his little turtle suit."
"Oh, Tony." Pepper frowned.
"She's watching. So is the other one. I think you should close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close your eyes, you don't wanna see this." He demanded. He bought his arm up, but Tony released a spike from his hand and cut his arm off with it as he swung at him. He cried out in pain.
"Yeah, you take a minute." Tony replied as he crashed onto the ground. His hot arm made the floor beneath it melt and eventually fall, Pepper going with it. Meredith went after her, along with Tony after he ejected himself from the ruined suit. The scaffold below her was moving. As Tony was running, guys were coming after him.
"Tony, you go, I'll hold them off. Get a suit!" She yelled at him. He nodded, and she did so. As he was running after her, he tried to get a suit, but it was shot down. Rhodey went after the President. He somehow managed to get to him in the air perfectly. He used the repulsor of the Iron Patriot armor to shoot the rope holding that arm, making them swing down and up above a nearby platform. Rhodey landed on the ground and shot the rope holding his other arm, making him fall.
"You look damn good, Mr. President, but I'm gonna need that suit back."
Tony continued to run after Pepper. He was going to be able to get to her in time. Over the communicators, he heard Rhodey.
"The President is secure, Tony, I'm clearing the area." He told them.
"Nice work." Tony replied. He climbed up and went to where Pepper was hanging from. "Pep, I got you. Relax, I got you. Just look at me! Honey, I can't reach any further and you can't stay there. Alright, you've got to let go. You've got to let go, I'll catch you, I promise!"
But, the structure shifted, and she fell into the fire below. Tony stared down. Meredith flew over and landed next to him after she got a break from fighting off the other enemies. "Where's your suit? Where's Pepper?"
Then she looked down to where he was staring and went silent. She thought he would've been able to get a suit. She should've went after her. If she had, this wouldn't have happened. She always makes the mistake that costs a life. She never made the right play. He climbed over and back onto the walkway. Killian was on the other side. "What a shame. I would've caught her."
Tony began to run towards him, and Killian did the same. As they were about to meet, Killian jumped towards him, and Tony slid underneath. He ran to the armor that had landed and got inside it. He then began to fight Killian. They fought back and forth until Killian got him down and went to punch through his Arc Reactor. He ejected himself before he could, though. He fell through the air before another suit caught him and he entered that one. Meredith flew over and began firing repulsors rapidly at him, but he just avoided them. Tony flew up and grabbed him, distracting him from Meredith, then threw him onto the ground. He did the same as Meredith with his repulsors, but Killian ran up to him while once more avoiding the beams. They continued to fight hand to hand again, until Tony cornered him. He avoided the blast again, and Killian grabbed his hand when he was firing up another beam and pointed it at him. He almost fell back, but he didn't let himself. Tony was angry, so he fought him relentlessly, with no mercy. Killian grabbed onto him, though, after having severed part of his arm. He held onto him with his hot hand.
"Well, here we are, on the roof." He brought his hand back and severed the armor in half, leaving Tony to fall back onto the platform meters below. Meredith landed behind him. She held her hand up, aiming the repulsor at him.
"Mark 42 inbound." Jarvis informed them as they looked towards it.
"Well, I'll be damned. The prodigal son returns." He said and sat up. He stuck his arm out and summoned it to his body, but it was so disoriented that it ran into the side of the platform and fell to pieces. "Whatever."
"You really didn't deserve her, Tony. It's a pity. I was so close to having her perfect." Killian told him. He jumped down to the platform and Tony hopped up, backing up.
"Okay, okay, wait, wait, wait! Slow down! Slow down! You're right. I don't deserve her. Here's where you're wrong. She was already perfect." He told him, then summoned the armor onto Killian. "Jarvis, to me a favor and blow Mark 42."
"Noo—" He was cut off when the helmet went onto his head. There was a massive explosion, and meredith grabbed Tony and flew them safely to the ground below. They watched as pieces of the armor began to fall around them. The helmet landed and it cracked open. There was nothing inside. In the fire, they saw him begin to stand. He was still alive. He approached them. "No more false faces. You said you wanted the Mandarin. You're looking right at him. It was always me, Tony. Right from the start. I am the Mandarin!"
Meredith aimed her repulsor at him, but she didn't have to use it Pepper hit him with a pole. Both of them were surprised, but happy nonetheless, to see her alive. It was evident the Extremis injections had worked on her. That's why she survived the fall. "I got nothing."
Another one of the suits came flying around the corner, obviously aiming for Pepper and Killian.
"Jarvis, the subject on my 12 o'clock is not a target! Disengage, disengage!" But his communicators was out of his ear. Meredith tried then, too, but the suit had already shot at Pepper. She dodged it, then started running towards Tony. "What? Oh, what, are you mad at me?"
She jumped up off of his knee and punched the suit as it flew over top of them. Her fist went through it and she brought it down with her as she landed. Tony and Meredith's eyes widened as they watched. She then placed on the gauntlet and punched Killian back as he lunged at her.
"Whoo!" Tony remarked. Meredith raised her helmet as she watched, still not believing what she was seeing. As Killian stood back up, Pepper kicked a small missile from the suit at him and shot it with the repulsor, making him explode. "Honey?"
"Oh my God." She breathed out. "That was really violent."
"You just scared the devil out of me. I thought you were..."
"I was dead. Why? Because I fell 200 feet? Who's the hot mess now?"
"It's still debatable." He replied. "Probably tipping your way a bit. Why don't you dress like this at home? Hmm? Sports bra, the whole deal."
"You know, I think I understand why you don't want to give up the suits. What am I going to complain about now?" She asked.
"Well, it's me. You'll think of something." He assured her.
"That's a fair point." Meredith nodded. He approached her.
"No, don't touch me! I'm gonna burn you!" She stepped away.
"No, you're not." He grabbed her hand. "Not hot."
"Am I gonna be okay?" She asked.
"No. You're in a relationship with me. Everything will never be okay." He replied, and they all chuckled slightly. "But I think I can figure this out, yeah. Meredith and I. There's nothing we can't do. I almost had this twenty years ago when I was drunk. I think I can get you better. That's what I do. I fix stuff."
"And, all your distractions?"
"Uh, I'm gonna shave them down a little bit." He replied. "Jarvis. Hey."
"All wrapped up here, sir. Will there be anything else?" He asked.
"You know what to do."
"The Clean Slate Protocol, sir?" He asked.
"Screw it, it's Christmas. Yes, yes." He confirmed. He pulled Pepper into a hug, and they watched as the Iron Legion began to explode, one by one.
"Come over here, Mer. We're family, and it's Christmas." Pepper reached out towards her. She stepped out of the suit and hugged them both tightly. She was right. This was their little family. They were just all glad they were okay.
"Okay, so far? You like it?" Tony asked her.
"It'll do." Pepper replied.
The Vice President was arrested because he was an ally of the Mandarin, as was Trevor Slattery. Pepper was cured of the Extremis, and Tony had the shrapnel removed from his chest with the support of Pepper, Meredith, and Rhodey. Happy woke up from his coma. Harley returned home to his shed with lots of new technology waiting for him, along with a car. Then, Tony went to the place where his Malibu mansion used to be. Where he had so many memories, like raising Meredith. They had to move to Avengers Tower in New York, but before that, he pulled the Arc Reactor that had been removed from his chest and threw it into the ocean. You could do many things to both Tony and Pepper, but you could never take away the fact that they are Iron Man and Iron Woman.
Once they moved to New York, the technology didn't stop, despite Tony's promise to Pepper that he'd stop being distracted. With all their stuff destroyed after the Mandarin attack, Meredith was hardly able to work. She spent most of her time helping Tony create new suits and mechanisms. Not to mention, all new technology for all the other Avengers and the tower, which would be their headquarters. Pepper stayed in Malibu in order to run the Stark Industries headquarters there while they worked on opening up a new one in New York City, or maybe upstate. They couldn't decide yet. She flew in often to see them. But, with the tower being so big, it was a little lonely with just the two of them there.
Meredith was usually the one to travel for Stark Industries when it came up. So, when they were asked to do a presentation at a convention, Meredith was the one to fly out. She didn't really want to go, her mind was running wild at the thought of new weapons and technology for the Avengers. In her absence, Bruce Banner came to the tower and was helping Tony out with some of his new ideas. Also, he just wanted someone else to confide in. They loved each other, but sometimes it got tiring to share ideas with the same person. He wanted a different perspective on something else he'd thought up. Meredith couldn't exactly remember the name... The Ultron Program?
She wore a gorgeous designer dress for the occasion. It was a light blue, fitted dress that flared out at the end with a slit and a small train. Apparently it was formal rather than business casual. It's was an highly funded presentation, and Meredith was excited that she got to do whatever she wanted with it. Lots of people were going to be there, intelligent and highly respected people. She knew the kind of audience she was addressing, so the outline she'd wrote down of what she wanted to say would hopefully please the crowd.
She was welcomed onto the stage and everyone clapped for her. "Thank you, thank you. I'll just get straight to it. I was asked here tonight to give you all a presentation about Stark Industries. I'm not sure why, because I'm sure you all know everything you need to know about Stark Industries. I'll enlighten you, anyways. My father, Howard Stark, founded Stark Industries in 1940. He ran it until his tragic death in 1991. Now, the thing about this presentation? It isn't going to be focused around the bland details of Stark Industries. Rather, the more interesting facts. Directly after my father's death, Obadiah Stane was appointed interim CEO until my brother, Tony, was able to take over. Well, he turned out to be a bad guy. That's usually how it goes for us nowadays, though, yeah?" She earned a couple of laughs from that. "Right, yeah, we just have to laugh it off. It didn't take long to adjust, huh? I swear, around every corner there's something lurking. But, I'm not afraid. There's nothing that I'm scared of. Do you know why? Because I am Iron Woman, and nothing can take that away. That's a new-found revelation Tony and I have come across. But, let's rewind for a moment. Tony was captured by the Ten Rings in 2008, which was actually organized by Obadiah Stane in order to get him out of the way so he could take over the business. He was also secretly selling our weapons to terrorist groups like the Ten Rings, for example. While in a cave, locked away, Tony created the Mark 1, the first Iron Man suit. At that time, he wasn't sure exactly what was going to come out of it, as he was just trying to escape. He successfully did so, and he was able to return home to me. Tony decided then, having seen firsthand the destruction our family's company's weapons can cause in the wrong hands, that our weapons division would be immediately shut down. Of course I stood by him, and it was so. After the whole Obadiah Stane thing, and Tony revealed us as superheroes to the world, he appointed Virginia Pepper Potts as his successor. At that time, he was dying from Palladium poisoning from the Arc Reactor in his chest, as that was the only sufficient element to run it. We solved that problem, too, by creating a new element. Not without guidance from the things our father left us at S.H.I.E.L.D., though. Speaking of which, we were asked to join the Avengers. We fought a war with aliens in New York, right above what was supposed to be Stark Tower. It was ultimately damaged in the battle, and now it acts as Avengers Tower. Fun fact, all the Avengers technology is funded and created by Stark Industries. So, that's another thing. Tony and I have been through a lot, which means Stark Industries has been through a lot. We're a family there, and everything we go through makes us stronger. It brings us closer. Many people ask me about my life. If I would change it. If the burdens of being a superhero ever becomes too much. It's hard for me to reply to that, especially in one moment. But, I've given a lot of thought to it for a while. There's not a thing I would change. Everything that's happened to me, that's happened to Tony, that's happened to Stark Industries— it's brought me to where I am now. It's brought Tony where he is now, the same with Stark Industries. Pepper is an incredible chairman, and if it wasn't for the Palladium poisoning, then she wouldn't be chairman now. You can say this about anything. Everything happens for a reason. And if I've been taught anything from all the hardships I've suffered, that's it. I'm not exactly sure what this presentation is centered around, but I hope it made you all feel something. I'm glad I had the opportunity to speak in front of you all tonight. Thank you to the National Scientific Research Association!"
Meredith waved to the audience as they cheered loudly, even giving a standing ovation, although she didn't think she quite deserved one. It was an unorganized speech, but it went over well and got her messages across, like she'd hoped. She walked off the stage and took a seat at her table, surrounded by her close friends from her days back at MIT. "I loved that, Mer!"
"Thanks, Marzia." Meredith gave her a smile.
"What was the point, again?" Luke teased.
"I don't think there was one." Evan continued.
"She just wanted to talk about being a superhero." John gave her a grin and she rolled her eyes.
"I wonder why I ever even hung out with you guys in the first place." She crossed her arms over her chest as she eyed them.
"Because we're irresistible." Luke replied and he put his arms around both of the guys on either side of him. They all, like her, went to MIT early and graduated. They were the smartest and nerdiest people at school, so they easily migrated towards each other. Luke Brooks, Marzia Oliver, Evan Johnson, and John O'Connor were now some of the most accomplished in a multitude of smarts, such as astrophysics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, all the branches of physics and more. Meredith was just able to do more. She had so much of a legacy, one that she had to fulfill. They were happy for her and proud, nonetheless. They were never once envious of her. They worked every second to get where they were in their success, and they couldn't be more happy to be where they were.
After the presentations and speeches were over, they were immediately invited to an after party on the floor above. They made their way up and there was dancing and drinks, like usual. Marzia instantly made her way onto the dance floor with Evan by her side. It kind of threw Meredith back to her college years at MIT. She'd never really partied before in her life— unless you count the rough patch she had after her parents died— so when she went to MIT and got talked into going to all those parties, she had a good time. This is what that time felt like. Everyone was acting a fool and drinking too much and nobody judged them. It was the night when all the smart people got to be a little dumb for once.
"It's been a while." John stood next to her as she watched Marzia shake to the song that was playing, along with Evan, if you could even call it dancing.
"It has." She nodded as she finally looked over to him. She'd always thought he was gorgeous. They had a thing during college, as did Marzia and Evan, but it was never real. He had brown hair, caramel eyes, a chiseled jawline, golden skin, a perfect body, and he was tall. He really had it going for him. All the girls fell at his feet all the time, but he only ever made time for her. At least, during college. It was obvious he still went to the gym everyday, seeing as his muscles were larger than ever before. She snapped out of her trance as she realized she was staring at him and her eyes met his. He was grinning at her. He knew.
"Do you wanna catch up?" He asked. "I'll buy you a drink, how about that?"
"You still owe me from that time I beat you a beer pong... five times." She pointed out. He nodded.
"That's a fair point. Come on." He stuck out his hand towards her, and she took it. He led her over to a table in the corner and he pulled the chair out for her. He was such a gentleman. He went and got them drinks before sitting down in front of her. "So, how's it going?"
"Same old, same old." She replied with a shrug. He gave her a look with an amused smile on his lips. He tilted his head to the side at her.
"Don't lie to me like that, Meredith Stark. You realize I can read you just as well as Tony? Besides, I'm not stupid. You're a superhero. When is your life ever calm?" He chuckled. She nodded.
"You're right. At least, that's what I said in my speech. I meant it. It feels like there's always a lingering threat on my shoulders. Like I have to carry the weight of the world... I think I might've lied, John. I mean, gosh..." She put her face in her hands.
"Sounds like the drink was much needed." He joked before taking a sip of his own. He grabbed her wrists and pried her hands from her face. He made a goofy face at her in attempts to get her to smile. It worked. It was always that easy with her. "That's why I'm here. Talk."
"Well, I mean, what do you want to know?" She asked.
"I don't want to know anything in particular, I just wanna hear what it is that's weighing on you right now." He shrugged. She gave him a smile. John was always the most comforting person she knew. He was kind, gorgeous, funny, and had a perfect smile. He really was the perfect guy, but the feeling just wasn't there. It never was. But she knew for him, it was. And she hated that.
"It's just... all the stuff that comes with being a superhero, it's tough. I don't know. I guess I just got kind of overwhelmed at the mention of it. I carried myself well on stage, though." She remarked.
"You did, that's true. You've always been able to. I mean, you carry yourself like royalty. It's crazy." He chuckled.
"Do I really?"
"Yeah. Have you never known that? All the girls wanted to be you because you were basically a queen at our school. All the guys wanted you, you were first in our class, let alone the school, and you're basically one of the smartest people alive. They idolized your father, then your brother, and then they began to idolize you and envy you when they realized your potential. But, you've always been one to cower down to anyone. I hope you're not like that anymore." He told her.
"I'm not." She shook her head quickly. "A friend, Natasha Romanoff, taught me better. She taught me a lot, actually."
"Black Widow?" He asked. She nodded. "What are they like?"
"Natasha is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She's closed off and she just seems like a cherry bomb, but she's really sweet. She loves kids and would do anything to be able to have her own family. I mean, we all would, but it doesn't exactly seem possible after New York. Anyways, she's great. I love her. She taught me hand-to-hand combat and how to stand tall. She's one of my best friends and I owe her a lot." Meredith explained, feeling like she was rambling. She gave him a hesitant look. He urged her to go on. "I've only met Thor once, but he's a good guy. There was a slight misunderstanding when we met, and I ended up fighting him alongside Tony over the prisoner, Loki, when we were still figuring things out. In the end, he was a great help to the fight and we talked some during his limited time on the Helicarrier. He's sweet and funny. Clint is the same. He's like a dad, he's got all kinds of dad jokes. I don't know why, though, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a family. Most of us don't, which is why we're all slowly becoming each other's family. Then there's Bruce. The Hulk was pretty frightening at first, but once he understood his place in the fight, he was easy to get along with. As long as you give him permission to smash, you're on his good side and he'll only go after the bad guys. I've noticed he has limited vocabulary, but he doesn't really need to say anything. Bruce is a great guy. Incredible brain and extraordinary scientist and physicist. He's sweet, but he's got a crazier side to him, obviously. Then, you know Tony."
"That's crazy. I mean, I couldn't ever imagine knowing any of the Avengers." John shook his head with wide eyes.
"You know me and Tony." She gave him a smile.
"I guess that's a fair point."
"That's almost a third of the Avengers." She shrugged.
"What about Captain America?" He asked.
"He's okay. Not exactly what I expected, but you know how I feel about him." She answered. He nodded, though he didn't know how she felt about him after meeting him in Stuttgart.
"Well, I think you're incredible. You literally fought off aliens and saved New York. I mean, do you ever think about the extent of what you did? I'm talking millions of people, Meredith. You saved their lives and you're their hero." He told her.
"I do, yeah, but... it's hard to think about I guess. It's just really surreal. A lot of the people that would've been affected don't even think the Avengers should be a thing, but we're only here to help. We can do more than most." She replied.
"You know I one hundred percent agree." He gave her a reassuring smile. She returned the gesture.
"What about you? How have you been?" She asked.
"Good! I mean, work keeps me busy, you know. There's much else going on in my life, compared to yours." He shrugged.
"Don't feel like your success is insignificant compared to mine. I wanna hear something that's happened to you recently." She urged him, sitting up in her chair and giving him her full attention. He tapped his chin for a moment as he thought before giving her a look.
"I tried Panda Express for the first time the other day." He told her, and she laughed, making him laugh too. He was always able to lift her mood. He was probably the goofiest person she'd ever met.
"I've never had it. How was it?"
"Pretty decent, I mean, I've had better chow mein..."
"King Buffet?"
"One hundred percent."
"You always know how to make me feel better." She told him with a slight giggle. She'd managed to down about three drinks now. It was just whiskey on the rocks, but it got her a little warm.
"I do my best. I think in order for me to have found out how to deal with you, I had to study you. Like we were in class or something. You're probably one of the finest specimens I've ever had the pleasure to study, though." He told her, and her mouth was slightly agape. In his own way, that was probably one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said to her.
"John..." Her cheeks were a shade of pink as she looked at him. She let out a small laugh as she hid her face again, and he just grinned at her. There was still no feeling. She just didn't feel it for him, and she didn't understand why, because he was probably one of the greatest guys she'd ever met. She could just stop right now, be with him, have kids, and probably make a legacy together like her father. He was a terribly smart man, so why didn't she just take the easy way out? It was a female thing to be so set on having that feeling, to reassured in knowing you made the right decision.
"It's the truth." He shrugged.
"You don't have a wife or something?" She asked.
"Wow!" He chuckled.
"What? It's not a bad question. I don't have a husband." She replied. He just shook his head at her with an amused smile.
"Of course I don't, Mer. Does it look like I have time for that?"
"Is that really it?"
"No." He said. She gave him a look before downing the rest of her third glass. "I think you've had enough for tonight."
"Maybe so." She agreed.
"Could I walk you back to your hotel room? I just wanna make sure you get there safely." He stood up and offered his hand to her again. She eyed him.
"You'd think Iron Woman wouldn't need any help getting back to her hotel room, no matter how late." She paused, then took his hand. "Thank you."
"Of course." He nodded. They managed to say goodbye to Evan, Luke, and Marzia before making their way down the street and around the corner to the fancy hotel everyone was staying at. It was beautiful in Washington, to see the skyline and the capital. All the lights filled the sky for miles, but she wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing or not. She was just glad everything she did ran on clean energy. She was one of the biggest names in the clean energy industry, after all.
"Well, this is it." She said when they got to her door.
"It was good to see you." He told her.
"Yeah, even though it wasn't for that long." She nodded.
"It's more than usual."
"I'm sorry, John."
"I know."
She let out a small sigh as she stood there. He towered over her like a chiseled statue. She pushed herself up onto her toes and placed a sweet kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He nodded.
"If I'm not busy sometime, I'll see if you'd like to get some King Buffet back in Boston. Maybe we could make a special trip." She suggested.
"I'd like that."
"Perfect." She grinned at him. After a moment of staring at him, she almost considering inviting him in, but she couldn't do that to him. She cared about him a lot, he was one of her best friends, and she knew how he felt about her. She couldn't lead him on like that and he probably wouldn't want to anyways. He was a gentleman, one of the nicest people she'd met. She looked down at her feet as her cheeks turned pink once she noticed she was staring again. "I should get inside. Good night, John."
"Good night, Meredith." He told her, and she finally stepped inside her dark hotel room. She shut the door behind her after giving him one last look and leaned against the door, letting out a sigh. All she could see was his caramel eyes staring back at her when she shut her own. There was no doubt he gave her butterflies, but it just wasn't... there. Or was it? Was she convincing herself it wasn't so she wouldn't have to worry about him? So she could continue to work without distractions? Or was she overthinking it? Probably the latter.
As she stepped out of the doorway and into the living space portion of the suite, she flipped on the lights. In a second, she felt herself being pushed against a wall and a hand cover her mouth. She attempted to struggle until she looked and saw what was underneath the baseball cap she'd came face to face with. He gave her a hesitant look before slowly removing his hand from her mouth. "...Steve?"
He grabbed a sheet of paper and showed it to her, which read I need your phone. She gave him an odd look before handing it to him. He walked over to the balcony and threw it off.
"What the hell!" She exclaimed.
"Listen to me." He demanded. She narrowed her eyes at him. John had made her forget about him. That unfamiliar feeling was back as she looked at him standing there, a tight t-shirt that highlighted every inch of his extremely muscular arms. John was muscular, but of course it didn't compare to the superhuman that was Steve. It didn't matter, she didn't need to feel anything for him anyways. She didn't need the distraction.
"What? I'm listening?"
"I already checked the room for bugs, there was a few but I got rid of them. I had to get rid of your phone just in case. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated and I need your help. I would ask Natasha, but she's on a mission with Clint. Trust me, I don't wanna bother you, but I've gotta crack this drive." He held it up in front of her face. She eyed it before grabbing it out of his hand. She stepped away from him and examined it. There was no doubt that S.H.I.E.L.D., or whoever, would be able to track them as soon as the drive was plugged into a computer. She came up with a quick idea.
"We can go to the mall. The Apple store. Use one of their computers and it'll be easier for us to get in and out, blend into the crowd." She told him. He nodded.
"Sounds like a plan." He agreed.
"Perfect." She headed towards the bathroom to change.
"Hey!" He called after her. She stopped and turned to look at him. The back of the dress was low cut, hanging just below the small of her back. There were just some things about certain parts of the body that made him go wild. "You looked incredible tonight."
"Thanks." She was short with him. He chewed his lip as she went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. He took a seat on the bed and let out a sigh. He hated showing up here, asking her for help after he hadn't spoken to her in a year. He'd just gotten wind of the whole Mandarin mishap, but he didn't know how to bring it up. He knew why she was being short with him, but he didn't know if there was a way to make up for the way he'd been. He just needed to take some time to himself, to come into touch with the world again. He'd done that, and found his way back to Washington. Now, here he was, ready to go back on missions. And, as it turned out, HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and it was like the 1940s for him all over again. It almost felt like he couldn't escape his past.
She came back out with a heathered t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans, and her hair was pulled back into a low, messy bun. "The mall closes soon. If we're gonna do this, we've gotta do it now. You realize that I've taken out S.T.R.I.K.E. agents and I'm a fugitive to S.H.I.E.L.D. If you help me, you're gonna be a fugitive, too, until we fix this."
"I know, now let's get going." She slipped on a pair of sneakers. She didn't have to help him. In fact, he didn't deserve her help. But she had to do it, because if this was as serious as it seemed, he was going to need her help.