"I was doing this to keep Pepper safe," said Tony in defense of the other's accusatory looks, "I'm not the bad guy here!"
Happy shook his head. "Ah boss, what have you done?"
"Nothing but show Pepper how important she is to me," he protested. "I don't know what the big deal is. Everyone here wants to know Pepper is safe, or am I wrong on that front?"
"Of course, you're not wrong," said Steve in annoyance, "but you show a woman how you feel by giving her flowers, or candy-"
"Or having the royal poet compose an ode to her beauty," Thor chimed in.
"Or just having an honest conversation with them," Bruce added on.
"You don't show a woman you care by putting something in their ass without asking, Tony," said Happy firmly. "In fact, you don't put anything in anyone's ass without asking, that's just a good general rule of thumb to live by."
"But if I'd have asked her Pepper would have said no," said Tony in frustration.
"And as a grown woman, that's her right," Bruce informed him.
Tony looked at him in disbelief. "So, what, even if she's wrong and could get herself killed because of her stubbornness, I should just be okay with it?"
They all answered as one. "Yes."
Tony glared at them. "It's real easy for you to all have an opinion, isn't it? None of you have a girlfriend. You don't know how this feels."
Bruce gave him an angry look. "Even you can't be so self-involved to actually think that is true, Stark." He motioned at the other men. "We've all had to make sacrifices for love. You didn't invent the concept."
"I haven't done anything wrong," Tony insisted stubbornly.
"Except for put your needs above Peppers," said Bruce.
Happy agreed. "You're letting your insecurities take over, boss."
Tony didn't appreciate the way they were all ganging up on him. "This is none of your damn business, any of you, so shut the hell up!"
Steve glared at him. "We're trying to help you, you idiot," he bit out. "Damn, for a smart guy, you can sure be a moron."
"Oh great," Tony snapped, "I'm getting lectures from the world's oldest virgin, this should be great."
Steve's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "You don't know anything about anything, Stark, but I'm going to help you out. I had a girl and I thought about her all the time. I wanted to be with her but always found a reason to talk myself out of it because of all the what ifs. When I finally decided to man up and go after what I wanted, what I needed, I was too late." A muscle ticked in Steve's jaw. "Peggy's dead, I'll never have a second chance with her, it's too late." He seemed to be wrestling with his emotions after that statement but continued on nonetheless, his voice low and accusing. "But Pepper is just there, within your reach and you're letting your stupid pride ruin the best thing that will ever happen to a conceited, loud-mouthed, phoney like you. I don't know what she sees in you, but she sees enough to want to take a chance on you, and all you're doing is screwing it up!"
"Steve Rogers speaks the truth," said Thor forcefully. "Thy maiden loves you-"
"God only knows why," interjected Steve in annoyance.
"-and you have betrayed her trust," Thor continued on. "You must do all in your power to make peace with her."
Tony threw up his hands. "How did I break her trust, by going out of my way to protect her? Come on!"
"If you really believed that you wouldn't have done this behind Pepper's back," Happy chided him. "Tony, you've got to fix this. You seriously can't afford to lose Pepper."
"I'm not going to lose Pepper," said Tony in agitation. He didn't like the way the others were staring at him. "Right?"
"You two need to talk and you need to talk now because if you let her leave this building mad, I don't know what is going to happen," said Happy firmly.
"Pepper's not going to leave me," said Tony, hearing the uncertainty in his own voice and trying to ignore it. "She loves me."
Happy gave him a pointed look. "I loved Philly Steaks, but after my last cholesterol test, I've had my last one."
"And I'm a Philly Steak?" asked Tony in annoyance.
"If it was battered, deep fried and served with a lard sauce," said Happy straight-faced. "Yes."
Tony folded his arms in front of him and glared at him. "So, I'm a heart attack waiting to happen for Pepper, is that it?"
"Best case scenario," said Happy without hesitation.
Before Tony could formulate a retort to that, Nick Fury's voice came over their individual communicators. "Avengers, we have a crisis, suit up."
"We're on our way," said Tony without thinking.
"No," said Bruce determinedly, "Thor, Steve and I are on our way, Tony is sitting this one out. He's got some domestic issues to take care of."
"But-" Tony went to protest, but the others were already heading for the door.
"Do you guys need a ride somewhere?" Happy volunteered.
Thor put a large hand on Happy's shoulder. "Thank you for your offer of assistance, Lassie, but the Captain and I will take it from here."
Happy looked surprised and opened his mouth and then closed it again. Bruce turned away abruptly to hide a smile. He looked over at Tony. "Fix this," Bruce ordered him and then they were gone, only leaving Happy and Tony in the room.
Tony looked at his friend in resignation. "I've done a bad thing, haven't I?"
"Yes," said Happy without hesitation.
"But I needed to do something, I needed to know Pepper was safe," said Tony earnestly. "She's my whole world, I can't lose her."
"Why are you telling me?" Happy quizzed him. "You need to be telling Pepper."
Tony looked at him wide-eyed, realising he was right. Without another word Tony turned around and ran from the room in search of Pepper and a way to make things right between them again.
oooOOOOooo
"You've got an hour," the prison guard informed the visitor curtly.
The man nodded and walked over to where his client was seated at the table. "Good morning, Mr. Hammer, I'm Duncan Warlock, you're lawyer."
"Hey there, lawyer man," said Justin jovially, "good to finally meet you face to face."
The older man gave a polite smile as they shook hands. He laid down the file he was holding. "I have all the information about your appeal right here."
His client looked like a kid on Christmas morning. "And how's it looking, Mr. Warlock? Cool name by the way."
"Ah, thank you," he said, not used to such an excitable charge.
"You could absolutely strikeout into super villain arena with a name like that," Justin noted. "The Warlock, the Black Warlock, Doctor Warlock."
Duncan Warlock was confused. "Excuse me?"
Justin waved a hand at him. "Sorry, just thinking aloud, don't mind me. Tell me about the appeal."
He looked down at the paperwork and then back at his client. "It's not going to be easy. The case they have against you is pretty cut and dried."
"And circumstantial," Justin replied. "That last jury were out for blood and wouldn't listen to reason."
"The judge didn't seem to think so."
Justin shrugged. "So, get me one that will. Money is no object, you got my memo about that, right?"
"I understand your desire for freedom," said Duncan hesitantly, "but you've made some powerful enemies on the outside. Are you really sure you want to give them easy access to you by being set free?"
Justin leant his forearms on the table leaned towards him. "Well, here's the thing, Mr. Warlock, it's not about me." A small smile played around his lips. "I've got a girl on the outside that I need to be reunited with, you know how it is. Some things are just meant to be."
Duncan nodded slowly. "I suppose. I can get started on your appeal today."
Justin slapped the bench. "Excellent news! You can start with Ivan Vanko. The guy is crazy and I need you to make sure the whole world knows how unstable he is."
Duncan arched an eyebrow. "And how am I going to do that exactly?"
Justin grinned. "You just leave the details to me. I've got everything in hand."
He frowned. "I can't be a part of anything illegal."
Justin winked at him. "That's why I've got a big payroll, W. It's all good."
Duncan kept a professional neutrality to his expression but inside he couldn't help but wonder if he'd just made a huge mistake in accepting this case...