Problems
“This is Carol. I am just calling to make sure you’re okay. You’ve been gone two days, you kind of have us all worried, plus we are all having a meeting with Director Brax in about an hour. I thought you should be here for it, but we aren’t going to delay it.”
Peter frowned as he listened to the voicemail. It was time stamped from an hour ago. The meeting had just started. He’d had meant to go back and warn them of the possible threat that Brax presented, but he had been busy chasing down the list of leads that Mr. Stark had made of people who could offer him information. Peter hadn’t had any luck, and had decided it was probably best to not talk over the phone incase Brax had them tapped. He didn’t want him knowing he suspected him of anything. Now it was time for him to get back. He needed to talk to the rest of the Avengers about his suspicions.
Peter sped down the driveway of the compound and skidded to a stop out front.
“Anyone home?” Peter said calling down the hallway as he stepped inside. The lights were dimmed.
“Hey kid you’re back!” Steve voice spoke from behind him. Peter spun around startled. Cap was in his full uniform.
“Did I miss a mission?” Peter asked.
“No,” Cap replied, “Not exactly.”
Peter's hair stood on end, and without warning Steve hurled his shield at Peter. Peter dodged in the nick of time, and the shield embedded itself in the wall.
“What the hell?!”
Steve didn’t answer and just started running toward him. Peter didn’t want to fight Steve, so he turned on his heels and ran the other way. Natasha stepped out in front of him, and pulled out her guns. Peter ducked right as she fired. What the hell was going on? Peter really wished this was some horrible nightmare. He dove into the nearest room, and locked the door behind him. Standing across the room from him was a young girl.
“Um what are you doing here?”
“You should go,” Was all she said, and suddenly Peter was standing back outside next to his motorcycle. What the literal hell? Peter wanted to run back in and find the girl again, but her tone had been very serious. Her confident mannerism told him she'd be fine, so he got on his motorcycle and sped toward the Quinjet hangar.
Pepper sat with her legs tucked onto the couch. She knew she should get some sleep, but despite the fact that it was 2:00am, she really didn’t want to sleep. She didn’t want to go anywhere near the bed. She couldn’t bare the thought of never sharing it with him again. She hugged his shirt that she had put on, closer to her. Why couldn’t he have just listened to her? If only she had been able to go with him. She could have stopped all this. She sniffed a little, and a tear slipped down her face. She wished she wasn’t alone. Rhodey had left to go to some meeting that morning leaving Pepper all alone.
KNOCK!
Pepper jumped. Who was knocking on the door at 2:00am? She approached the door cautiously.
“Friday who is it?”
“Peter and Harley.”
Pepper smiled, she couldn’t believe they had come all this way.
She opened the door, and the two young men pushed their way inside. They both looked completely spooked.
“Rude,” Pepper frowned.
“Sorry Pepper,” Peter said quietly his voice shaking, “Long night.”
Harley nodded emphatically, and then hugged her.
“Did we wake you?” Harley asked quietly.
“No, I couldn’t sleep. Why are you guys here?” Pepper replied slowly, her exhaustion was slowly creeping up on her.
“Um… Um…” Peter fumbled over his words, “Have you spoken to any of the Avengers today?”
“No, just you,” Pepper answered. She was starting to nervous; Peter seemed very shaken, “Why what happened?”
“I-- um….we were… I was…”
“He went to the compound, and something happened to them, and they all tried to kill him,” Harley explained, “He explained it to me when he landed the quinjet in my backyard. It took him a long to time to be able to talk at all. I thought it best for us to come here, with someone you know...”
“All of them?” Pepper exclaimed. The past week and half had been so strange.
“Don’t know. He hasn't been talking straight.”
“Come on Peter,” Pepper said gently and guided Peter over to the couch; she sat down next to him and rubbed his shaking shoulder. What ever had happened it at traumatized the shit out of him.
“Brax…” Peter whispered.
“What? What about Brax?” Pepper looked at Peter in confusion, “Peter what happened?”
Peter just shook his head.