Chapter 3
The first thing Tony is aware of is the delicious smell enveloping him. Then he feels a small weight vibrating on his chest. ‘I swear, if Clint left working vibrators on me, I’m going to strangle him with my own hands and even Steve’s hugs won’t stop me.” Tony wouldn’t be surprised, if it was true. Clint pranks know little to no boundaries. “Also, didn’t I fall asleep on the sofa?’ He blinks his eyes and looks down. Tony smiled at the sigh. Luna and Cleo were hugging and purring up a storm on his chest.
Noise from the kitchen took away his attention, so he looked over. Bruce is standing near the stove and Steve is clearly helping him chop the vegetables. Clint and Natasha are sitting at the table and gossiping about their last mission.
Tony gently grabbed the kittens and stood up, letting the blanket fall on the couch. Luna startled at the touch while Cleo didn’t move and continued napping.
Tony yawned. “What’s cooking, my science bro? It smells like curry.”
Bruce looked over at him. “Because it is.”
Steve opened the cupboard and took out tuna flavored cat food. “Sit at the table Tony, we are almost done making lunch.”
“There was a delivery in the morning. It was full of cat stuff.” Natasha spoke when Tony sat down. He let out the kittens on the floor and smiled at Steve when he gave them bowls of food and water. They started practically inhaling the food. It disappeared so quickly.
”It is for Cleo and Luna.” Tony looked from the side at Clint and squinted. “Don’t think about running. I’m going to use all of you to build the cat tower for them.” His eyes twinkled. “J.A.R.V.I.S will help me, Won’t you?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Aww, bummer.” The archer frowned, mischievously. “I wanted to work today on these babies.” He said, patting his biceps.
“Don’t be so sad. Look on the good side! You will use your arms when building the cat tower!” Tony cheered at Barton. They looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Before they could continue their act, Bruce and Steve started to put food on the table. Natasha meanwhile switched on the TV in the living room. She likes to know what happens in the world. Like she couldn’t just check on the internet, the heathen.
The Avengers are halfway through the meal when news about the aliens were broadcasted.
“...People from all over Queens saw strange sights if they were out at night. This video here-” On the right side of the screen a short video was shown. It is a view from one of the windows that look out at the street. In the corner stood a man in a white coat like a scientist. In one frame the head of the scientist glitch to show something green and then it's back to normal. The Avengers stopped eating in order to focus their attention on the television. “-is an example of what happened. People are starting to feel unsafe in their homes. There are questions if it is connected to the ufo signing we showed yesterday in our evening news or if it is a conspiracy theory that our government is hiding something. We don’t have enough evidence to point out who has the right. Now onto our next subject. Samantha Knuces was reported missing yesterday from the orphanage...”
“You know…” Clint looked at his friends. “I’m not as convinced as I was yesterday.”
“Well, It might be a prank. I know that you have the skill to do the same Clint.” Bruce commented, not as sure as he would like.
“Hey! I can’t believe you betrayed me like this Bruce!” Clint cried out, dramatically falling backwards into Tony. The brunet, being a little shit, stepped sideways and avoided Clint's body entirely. “...Ow.” He spoke from the floor.
“This is your fate Clint.” Tony smirked, looking down at him. The archer stuck out his tongue at him. The kittens sniffed at his hair, became uninterested and walked to the couch in the living room to doze for a while.
“Coming back to the topic. “Steve spoke up. “I think we should set up patrol times for the area for the time being.”
“Steve has a point.” Natasha remarked. “It isn't a problem right now, but it has potential to be one. If we eliminate it before it becomes a serious complication, we could save ourselves more trouble than it's worth.”
“It’s so sad that Thor had to go to Asgard.” Clint spoke from the floor. ”He could fly over and just zap the problem and boom! No problem to be found.”
“Let's start patrolling tomorrow. Maybe we will know more info.” Steve turned to Tony. ”Do you have time tomorrow to fly a few circles around Manhattan?”
“J.A.R.V.I.S, What is my plan tomorrow?”
“You have a meeting with Miss Potts after lunch, sir. It’s a mandatory report about SI yearly performance.” The AI delivered the answer in the most dry tone he was capable of.
“Aww, I can’t skip those. Pep would skin me alive and I need my skin to look fabulous. Sorry Cap, looks like this boy is busy tomorrow.” Tony glanced at Clint. “How about the Bird Brain?”
“What? No-” Clint jerked from his position on the floor.
“This is a good idea.” Bruce chimed in. He ignored the betrayed eyes watching him. “Someone was restless some time ago and played with mhgt-” The group couldn't understand Bruce with his mouth covered by Clint's hands.
“You, Mr Banner, are a troll.” Clint huffed, while Bruce's eyes sparked with humor.
“Okay squad!” Tony clapped his hands. “We can squabble at the same time we put together the cat tower and other things I got from the package. Luna and Cleo are taking a nap, so we don’t have supervisors to keep us in line!”
Time has flown by while Avengers tried to assemble the cat tower. Tony thought that with his and Bruce Bear genius, Steve muscles, Natasha coordination and Clint eye for details, it would take like 2 hours max.
But no.
It was a disaster.
While the Science Bros and Steve were agreeing with each other, - who would have thought that nerds and jocks are working with each other. Take that, stereotypes! Clint's prankster side chose to show up at that moment and Natasha was bored after 10 minutes that she joined Clint in making their lives difficult.
When peace finally fell and the cat tower was almost done, Cleo and Luna had woken up from their nap. Luna was walking between the legs and generally being a nuisance. Cleo however stayed on the couch.
Bruce looked at the cat tower and frowned. “Where is the screw for that?” He said, pointing at the side of the tower.
Clint peered at him. “I think that was here.” The archer pointed at the floor beside the cat toys.
Bruce surveyed the area. “But I don’t see it here.”
Natasha appeared behind them. “What?” She faced over to their local billionaire, who was squinting at the build and judging it’s worth for his kittens, while being oblivious of the looks Steve gives him. “Tony?”
He didn’t even turn towards her. “Hmm?”
“Did you take the screw?
Tony sharply turned his head, face appalled. “Of course not! How dare you to accuse me of such a thing!”
Steve gazed perplexed at Luna. “...guys?”
“Tony. In all this time that I lived in the Tower, I saw you disassemble three toasters, two clocks, and the oven. You made from them talking coffee machines and what was left you made upgrades in the gym. I’m sure you can make something from that screw.” Natasha deadpanned.
“Hey! This is an attack on my person.” Tony shouted whilst smiling cheekily. ”Even I need something more than just a piece of metal.” Then he stared at Clint. “Bird Brain, have you already broken the Peace Treaty Of the Cat Tower?”
Clint gasped and grabbed his chest.“I don’t break my promises, unlike certain people.”
“Guys!” Steve's voice was ignored as Natasha immediately zeroed at Clint.
“I have spoken to you before, these chocolates were mine to begin with, Barton!”
“You promised me a box if I could help you with your problem!” Clint stood before the readhead, with his finger pointed at her chest.
“GUYS!”
“What!” The Avengers yelled at Steve.
“Luna has it.”
Like one being all Avengers looked at the black cat. She looked at them with open wide eyes. Then she jumped and ran away.
Luna, seeing her sister having fun, joined the fun. She grabbed the screwdriver from Tony's hand and fled after her.
“Catch the CRIMINALS!”
“MY KITTENS ARE NOT CRIMINALS CLINT!”
Afterwards they caught the cats and finally assembled the cat tower. Everyone was too tired to cook dinner, so Tony delivered Chinese and Thai to eat. The cats were napping after having such an exciting afternoon and their food bowls were licked clean before that.
The Avengers chose to watch a movie while they were eating. It was Bruce's turn to choose a movie and because Bruce is a troll, they all started watching Project X.
They are in an episode where scientists from all over the world try to find out if aliens created us and we were forgotten test subjects. Tony found that theory interesting, because all arguments were reasonable and hard to disprove.
That moment of peace was shattered by J.A.R.V.I.S. “Sir, you have Miss Potts on the phone.”
“Wha?” Startled, Tony looked up to the ceiling but at the last moment changed his angle to see the camera in the corner of the room. He frowned. Damn his friends and their infecting habit to stare at the ceiling when talking to J.A.R.V.I.S. “I don't have any plans for today. You looked and it’s too late anyway.”
“You have to ask Miss Potts, sir. Unlike the belief that I am omnipotent, I can't read minds.”
Tony massaged his face, resigned. “Shit. Where is my phone.”
“On the counter, sir.”
Tony stood up, grabbed the phone and connected. The rest of the Avengers have stopped watching the movie and instead focused on the brunet.
“What up pepper?” Tony cheerfully asked. If he acts like he doesn't know what is happening, when maybe he won't be yelled at.
“Tony, you know tomorrow you have meeting?” The genius could hear the stress in Pepper's voice.
“Of course I know.” Tony spoke hesitantly. “I would blow up that conference. I know the consequences.
Pepper signed. “Well we have an emergency meeting afterward. The board was complaining that the stocks are falling too fast for this quarter and want new ideas tomorrow.
“What!” Tony shouted, indignant. ”I know they are unreasonable old bitter men, but new ideas for tomorrow? That's insane. I know I'm a genius but brainstorming takes some time and effort. Most of our staff is home right now anyway.
“They want the new idea tomorrow, not a perfectly working prototype. just take some old blueprints and tweak them.” Pepper helpfully added. “I won’t even tell them and they won't see anything wrong.”
Tony laughed. “You drive a hard bargain, Miss Potts.”
Pepper was quiet before she stated. “If you really can’t do it, I will make up some emergency for your sake and you won’t even need to buy me shoes Mr Stark.”
Tony felt warm inside at the help pepper offered him. But he wouldn't be Tony Fucking Stark if he let old men be happy that he don't have the imposible idea for them to present tomorow. “Ha! I won't do it? Just watch me!
Pepper, with her Tony sense, felt dread. “Wait Ton-”
Tony ended the call before she finished her sentence. He turned toward his audience. “Sorry, something came up and I need to go to the workshop. Bye and enjoy the movie.” Before he left he took Clint popcorn and ignored his yell.
It was not his fault that he was hungry and Clint was closest to him.
Tony had not only brainstormed a fantastic idea, but with small changes from J.A.R.V.I.S he already sent the prototype to assembly. When he looked at the time, he had more time than he thought he had at his hands, so he started the next project.
He adjusted Clint arrows for better aerodynamics, checked Steve's uniform for wear and tear, made Natasha new lipstick laser and was in process of repairing a gauntlet from mark 50.
Tony was so focused on his project that he didn’t hear Natasha coming inside his sanctuary or the small creatures walking after her. Natasha quietly put Tony's supper next to his workspace. Cleo and Luna have disappeared to discover new space. Natasha left the same way she came while Tony's hand took sandwiches from the plate.
After some time Cleo had run up to Tony and climbed on his legs only to curl up on his thighs. Luna came a few minutes later and joined her sister.
Tony, oblivious to the passengers, continued to work all night.
By the time night had fallen, the Argadians collected more than one hundred and fifty-three people from over three hundred kilometers from their base. They stored the sleeping humans in a big hole that was dug up by lower rank workers. Katherina, a three-eyed short Asgardian with goggles, with her assistants took five humans at the time to the Chair.
The memories are taken from their host, duplicated and put back. That copy is stored in the main computer and sorted by special AI. Desired results show up on a smaller computer for the Captain to decide the target. Used humans were kept next to the hole for their return.
The Argardian worked until the last human was scanned.