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Clint Barton was pretty surprised when he suddenly got a visit from Pepper Potts at the Farm.
Not only that she knew where to find them (although she could always ask Tony even if he promised to never tell a soul or that god-awful Intelligence JARVIS) but also that she bothered with him.
Tony was pretty alright and they bonded a bit after the invasion but Tony was also really busy and a fucking billionaire. What did he want from a guy that even ran away from the circus? And Ultron was not cool, and he knew that Tony had something to do with that.
Also, there was Wanda.
For some reason, Tony seemed wary of her and he accepted that. So he left the Avengers along with Tony and returned to his farm, to this day not seeing any of them again – not even Natasha.
If Clint was honest, he was disappointed by this. Steve and Natasha both told him that he was important, a part of the team regardless if he retired and then nobody even asked how he was doing for six months. They weren’t that busy at least not that he heard about it on television.
He had seen Iron Man back with them though, working alongside Scarlet Witch with no issues he had seen.
Clint was a sniper and an archer – he saw even subtle hints a person displayed if they were unhappy with something which Tony clearly did when discussing the adding of Wanda as a member.
And then Tony had been the better man and stepped down, allowing Wanda to come on board even though he was against it.
So somehow Tony had to be in trouble or the world was once more ending, he concluded while Potts was making her way up his driveway on foot. Her high-heels were switched for a pair of well-worn boots and she still looked stunning in them. And dangerous.
Maybe he should get Laura for this, whatever it was. Potts made him nervous, more so than Natasha ever could.
Tasha talked a big game and he knew she could kill him if she wanted to but she clearly was attached and maybe even loved him in some way. Potts however, she was more like a silent predator, stalking you gracefully and surrounded you until you had no way out.
Natasha was more of a back-stabbing Ninja, who you only saw after it was too late. Potts wanted to be seen, she wanted you to tremble in fear while making it absolutely clear that you were just a fly and she would crush you.
In a way she was like Tony. He also commanded every room he went into, but he never wanted anyone to feel afraid of him. So he downplayed everything he could do to you and made silly remarks, sometimes even just bad jokes.
When he came to, after being Loki’s plaything he recognized Stark in the room and was blatantly surprised when everyone of the others utterly dismissed him.
If he hadn’t known that they were the good guys and Stark was on their side, he would have assumed to be used against Tony.
Maybe that would have been in his future, you never knew with SHIELD. Natasha already antagonized Stark before to lure him into the Avengers initiative she later told him.
That Natasha was still alive and kicking and not either on some posting in Alaska nor six feet under showed him two things: Tony had a big heart and was very forgiving and Potts was following his lead on this. The woman would have loved to burn SHIELD down.
“Clint? Call I can you Clint, Mr. Barton?” Pepper Potts was now at his side and smiled pleasantly at him. It seems that he didn’t catch her ire after all that happened.
“You certainly can, Miss Potts.” Clint replied, still cautious.
“What brings you to this lovely abode? I mean, I kinda told Tony that he should keep it a secret but I….” he was interrupted by Pepper.
“I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have come if… and Tony didn’t tell me anything. I had to snoop with FRIDAY deep into SHIELD or what is left of it and I found the address deeply buried.”
Yep, his assessment was dead-on. Potts would have destroyed him if she desired to do so. That meant Tony could do it without thinking, and the fact that he hadn’t, told Clint that he was trustworthy and even somewhat of a friend.
“It’s fine. I mean, you’re Tony’s girl and...”
“Um… I’m not. We separated.”
“I’m… sorry to hear that?” He was out of his depth here, where was Laura when he needed her?
She smiled again.
“Don’t be. I only suggested a break but now he is too busy for anything than the Avengers.” She tried to sound cheerful but he heard a bitter note.
“That’s not why I’m here though… or well it kinda is.” she continued twirling her hair between her fingers in a nervous gesture.
It make Clint queasy. If there was something going on that could make Pepper Potts loose her cool after all that happened, he didn’t really want to be involved. But here she was, clearly looking for him, not the other Avengers. He wasn’t one anymore, he had retired, was done super-heroing.
“Why are you here? Don’t get me wrong, Tony’s a great guy but I don’t know what he could need me for. Or you for that matter.”
Pepper knew that Clint wasn’t stupid nor naive but it still astonished her how fast he picked up on the situation even though she did not yet state what was going on.
“The truth is… I don’t know what’s wrong. But I just know that there is. Something wrong that is. With Tony. And I wanted to ask you to help me.”
Because she had no other option. If Clint Barton said no and he was well within his rights to do so, as he had no obligation to her or Tony, then she would have to give up or confront someone at the compound directly. Maybe even ask Natasha after all.
Clint Barton didn’t say no, he just sighed and scratched his head. He hated when he was spot-on right. It always led him into big trouble.
“Mind telling me what’s it all about? I’m not killing anyone just because you don’t want to get your hands dirty….” He did not think it was about that part of his skillset but you never knew.
“No, that’s not what I’m asking you. Gosh, I don’t need…” now she was flustered, clearly uncomfortable with what he was alluding to.
“Tony… he’s changed. Some would say for the better because he never did his paperwork with such enthusiasm and neatness as he does now. But also he never talks to me, his e-mails are less personal than hallmark-cards and he never goes out anymore except on missions. And what’s with that, he’s supposed to be retired. Like you.”
Now she was looking at Clint again, her eyes boring into his.
“The other Avengers… well, Stark Industries has a contract for some stuff for them but not enough for me to barge in there and demand answers. Tony’s an adult and if he doesn’t want to see me apart from business meetings, I can’t do much about it. So, if an old friend could just visit him, unannounced, just take a look at how he’s doing…”
“How much fishyness are we talking about?” Clint wanted to know.
“He listens to Steve in and out of the field without ever arguing.”
“That sounds… very fishy.” was Clint’s conclusion. Pepper nodded.
“I could understand if you don’t want to, don’t worry, but then I will call Natasha…”
“Nope, count me in. You know Tony best and even I think that’s weird as hell. I can visit them at the compound to catch up. It’s not like Tasha kept me in the loop, she never comes here anymore either. If I didn’t know her, I would be disappointed. Tony’s busy that I get, but aside from some big fight they could at least call sometimes. But no, I see them on TV. And now you’re saying it, Tony is really tamed in his interviews.”
Clint stopped before finishing his thoughts. No, he did not need to tell Pepper Potts that he secretly thought that Tony finally got laid again, the poor guy was always so stuck up. Worse than Steve and Steve was as stuck-up as they come.
Glad that Pepper seemed to not have the ability to read his mind (and where did that come from, no one could do that!) Clint sighed again.
“I’ll come by next week. I have to talk to Laura before so that she doesn’t think the worst that I’m once more on a mission or controlled by some megalomaniac alien again.” he chuckled to lighten the mood but the pity he saw in Potts eyes reminded him again of his ordeal.
And then he realized why he thought about mind reading in the first place.
When will I ever by through with that shit?, he thought to himself.
Potts tried to steer the direction of their conversation once more into safer territory.
“I’m sure it’s nothing like that. You just visit some old friends and take a peak at Tony and if he is doing well and nothing seems crazy, then I will let it be. Maybe he is really turning a new leaf, getting better with responsibility and acting as a closed team is always good for morale. I just thought that he was hurt enough by their actions but maybe I underestimated Tony’s ability again to forgive.”
Now Clint was feeling left out.
“What kinda action do you mean? You mean the other Avengers right? What did they do to Tony?” What did I do?
Potts sighed.
“Well, the ignorance of the death of one of his longest friends was hurtful for him. I know you don’t view them as people as he does but nothing whatsoever? And then Wanda on the team…”
Clint was getting more and more confused.
“I’m sorry, but who died? Other than Pietro there were no casualties. Did I miss something afterwards?” If Natasha failed to mention a dead team member he would kill her.
“JARVIS. He’s gone, Ultron destroyed him and what was left of him is now part of Vision. For Tony it’s how he died.” Now she wondered if the others even realized what had happened and that JARVIS had been a lot more than a convenience feature in their lives.
“He’s got FRIDAY now I suppose, as he left me a small version of her to deal with Stark Industries stuff but like Vision, she is very young and nobody knew him as well as JARVIS had. God, I hope that FRIDAY helps him pilot the suit...” Pepper continued, worry eating at her again. She couldn't stop doing it anymore it seemed.
Why wouldn’t Tony just talk to her? She loved him, had always loved him and she hated herself for even suggesting a break.
“I think I missed a lot how Tony’s really doing...” Clint was slow to admit it but damn he had screwed up. If a friend or even just a team member had to deal with this kind of grief all alone that spelled trouble. He always had Coulson as his support if something went awry and after his death, his team was there for him. Not only Natasha, but Tony and Bruce, Steve and Thor too. They didn’t even know him, just accepted him as part of the group after he fought against them under Loki’s control.
And now Pepper told him that nobody even cared about a loss of this magnitude?
“Shit! I didn’t… Tony, he… After everyone blamed him for creating Ultron I guess he stopped… telling us anything? JARVIS is really gone? I thought he fixed him as he always does. And you say he needs an AI to pilot his suit?” It made sense, when he thought about it.
Pepper nodded, gnawing on her lower lip.
“There are only so many information a human mind can filter through so mostly he had JARVIS sift through it and give him the most important ones. He can pilot it fine if there is a malfunction with communication and the software the suit runs on can do astonishing stuff but nobody will be there to keep Tony from doing something reckless to save someone. He isn’t stupid, but he never regards his life as important as all the others so if he’s in a situation where it’s rescue for someone and harm for him, he will go for it without a sensible AI to talk him out, point out other options. Sometimes not even then.”
Now she was thinking back to the fight against Obadiah, where Tony only survived because he had good luck. Two feet to the side and he would have been toast.
“Well I guess I have some apologizing to do. I promise you I will look into it and if there is anything going on with Tony the person responsible will pay.”
Even if it were the other Avengers, somehow.