5 C (22)
"No," grinned Natasha. "He's losing his power."
"It wouldn't surprise me if the others requested a new appointment to his position. He is rather… unstable. I hope the changes we asked for will be implemented. On the day of the signing, before we sign the official document, we will need to check to make sure Ross hasn't tampered with it."
"Would he dare?"
"He would. He wants the Avengers under his control. What we've done is strip power away from him. He'll be gunning for us both, Nat."
"Let him try," she replied darkly. "He won't win."
Tony grimaced. "We'll see. Steve should at least accept the Accords now. We've requested the changes and hopefully, part one of our plans have worked. We'll keep the team together for Thanos."
Natasha sighed. "Once they are signed we have to start preparing for him."
"We do… we do." Good thing he was already thinking about it.
-------------
On the way back to the Compound, Tony received two messages. "Pepper is at the Compound. And I've just been sent this." He passed his phone over to Natasha.
On the screen was a video of a masked individual swinging through New York, stopping a bus from rolling over and bringing it to a stop.
"Peter?"
"Yep," Tony confirmed. "I'm keeping an eye on him."
"Are you bringing him into the Avengers?"
"Soon." Tony took his phone back. "I want to be involved in his life, Nat. He meant a lot to me. But… I'm not sure whether to get close or not."
She laid a hand on his arm. "Do it. But do things differently this time. His Aunt found out about his secret identity, right?"
Tony nodded. "She did."
"Recruit him to the Avengers but tell her. Spider-Man may only be a teenager but we need as many heroes as possible if we are to counter-act Thanos."
"The kid is going nowhere near Thanos again," stated Tony darkly.
Natasha cocked her head to the side. "If you want that, you cannot get involved with him."
Tony groaned. "Damn it, Nat." He put his phone back in his pocket. "I'll talk to his Aunt. I cannot not have him in my life."
-------------
Pepper was waiting in the common room when Tony and Natasha returned. Her long hair fell about her shoulders and she wore a shirt and skirt, having dressed down for the occasion. She was surprised to see them both there.
"Hi Pep," smiled Tony. "Good day?"
"The usual when you are running a world-successful business," she answered. "What do you want to talk to me about Tony?"
Tony exchanged a glance with Natasha. They had already discussed how best to start this out. There was no point leading up to the reveal that they were both from the future. It was better to just come out and say it. He'd already ensured all recording equipment was switched off and none of the other Avengers were currently in the Compound so they were unlikely to be disturbed or overheard.
Tony scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure how to go about and say this, Pep, so I'm just going to come out and say it. Nat and I… we're from the future."
-------------
Friday 13th May 2016
Tony scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure how to go about and say this, Pep, so I'm just going to come out and say it. Nat and I… we're from the future."
"Have you been drinking?" Pepper leaned forward and then back, her eyes opening suspiciously, watching the both of them with her sharp gaze. "Because you generally only say stupid things when you are drunk."
"To be fair he says stupid things when he isn't drunk too," interjected Natasha.
Tony threw her a look. "Not helping," he whispered. Returning his attention to Pepper, he continued: "I'm not drunk. I'm completely sane."
Pepper raised an eyebrow.
"Ok, maybe not completely sane… We both know I'm a bit crazy…" he admitted. "The point is… I'm not lying to you. I am from the future. As is Nat."
"You asked me here for this?" Pepper shook her head in despair. "Tony… if you think pretending you are from the future is going to repair what's happened between us, you've got –"
"I can prove it." This wasn't going the way he expected. He couldn't lose Pepper in his second chance.
Maybe it was too soon to try to get her back. Maybe he should have waited to talk to her.
But knowing what their endgame was made him want to spend as much time with her as possible.
'It won't be your endgame if you do things right…'
The voice reverberated inside his head, attempting to comfort him, to waylay his fears of what the future could still hold for him and Pepper.
"You're scared," she whispered.
"You're trembling. Why?" Her voice was soft and soothing, comforting him, despite the worry he felt at potentially losing her.
"I am," admitted Tony, something he rarely did. "I'm scared you won't believe me."
"Time travel… really?" she asked dubiously, tipping her head forward and raising an eyebrow in question.
Tony shrugged. "I was going to invent it one day."
Pepper stepped back, her eyes moving from Tony to Natasha and then back to Tony. "I'm not sure…"
"It's the truth, Pepper," reassured Natasha.
"Tony isn't lying. We are both from the future. Maybe he should have built up to the reveal instead of dropping a bit of a bombshell on yourself? This isn't something we would lie to you about." Natasha explained.
Pepper patted the seat beside her. She still looked unsure. "Tony, sit with me, please."
Tony moved across the room to sit beside her, his body trembling. "Pep…"
She raised a finger and pressed it on his lips. "I need to ask you something." She shuffled slightly in her seat but kept her eyes upon Tony's. "Are we married in the future?"
Tony nodded, staying quiet. He wondered what Pepper was up to.
"Then if we are married then you will know something about me that I vowed to tell only to one person and that was to the man I would marry. I would tell them the night before our wedding. If you truly are from the future you will know what I am talking about as I would have told you."
****
Power stone plz.
