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The Forge	By : IndigoMiko Category: Marvel Verse Movies > Iron Man (all) > Iron Man (all) Views: 1688 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Iron Man, X-Men, Avengers, or any other Marvel verse property. I also don't make any money from writing this. All I do is wile away my free time kicking things around inside my head. It's a mess up there.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Disclaimer: Oops. Forgot to add this on the other chapters. I do not own Iron Man. I make no money writing this. Blah, blah, blah no chains please. I suppose I don’t own Kenny Rodgers either.
Chapter 9: The Gambler
“Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’ is knowin’ what to throw away, and knowin’ what to keep. Cause every hands a winner, and every hands a loser, and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.” The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
Tony watched Pepper as she watched Four descend to the lab. He and Pepper had gone around a few times already about his decision to involve himself with the metal bending woman. He hoped this wouldn’t be another time.
He heard the beep of the security disengage before Pepper turned back to him. “You’ve been avoiding me,” she accused.
Tony had. “I’ve been busy.”
He saw the red head eye the left over churros, the couch cushions, and the movie credits rolling on the TV. “Clearly.”
He rubbed a hand across his face and around his goatee, hiding his rolling eyes. She obviously thought he was screwing the mechanic. As much as that idea appealed to him it hadn’t happened yet.
He’d abandoned the hands off plan the first day Four was in his house. It was never going to last anyway, but she was taking some time to convince. Tony was actually okay with that. The flirting was fun and he was finding more reasons to like her everyday. He thought they were becoming friends.
“What is so important you’ve been blowing up my phone all day?” He tried for a teasing tone, but knew it had fallen flat.
“Tomorrow is the reopening ceremony for the Stark Expo.”
He knew that. He failed to see why that was something to hound him about.
“The organizers and I agree that after the incident with Hammer it would be best if you were there to give a rededication speech,” she explained. Her heels tapped on the floor as she took the few steps to rest her hip on the back of the couch.
Fuck. Tony sighed. He did not want to go back to New York right now.
“I’ve scheduled you a flight out at eight tomorrow morning and have a full itinerary for your day,” she continued on, but Tony was still hung up on ‘flight.’
“Wait, wait. I didn’t agree to this,” he waved his hands. “I don’t have time for this right now, Pepper,” he argued. Tony had just started fabrication on a few pieces he intended for Four. That being vulnerable because of unconsciousness thing needed fixing.
Pepper raised her eyebrows and clipped, “Apparently you have plenty of time.”
He ignored the snide remark for something he considered more important. “You’re going to drop this on me now?”
“I would have informed you about it this morning but you weren’t taking calls.”
“I told you no out of town trips for a month Pepper. A month,” he stressed. “It has not been a month.”
She cut across him. “Yes. No out of town trips for a month because that woman is staying with you.”
“That’s what this is actually about isn’t it?” He questioned. “Again Pepper?” Jesus, if she hadn’t dumped him Tony would have thought she was jealous. “It’s done. She’s staying here. Decision made.”
“That is not what this is about,” she argued. “This is about the company and it’s public image. Your company, Tony.”
Tony hated the term public image. He knew it was necessary though.
“The reopening of the expo is an important day. A speech, a few meetings.” She held the itinerary out to him. “One day.”
When he didn’t immediately take the paper from her she laid it on the back of the couch. He stood up and grabbed the thing to read it, ignoring the slightly hurt look in her eyes. Tony didn’t know what the hell she wanted from him anymore.
After a quick read through he sighed. One day. He could do one day, and Pepper had a point about the rededication. “Alright. Fine. I’ll be there.” He dropped the paper on the coffee table. “Eight tomorrow.“ He shook his head. “You know I hate early flights.”
Pepper tapped a few things on her phone. “I’ve got you three hotel rooms booked. I’ll send the information to Happy. Don’t skip the meeting with Mr. Vandimir at five. He wants to introduce you to his associate and discuss expanding the KoleTech presentations.”
“Hold up,” Tony cut in. “Three hotel rooms? Why do I need three hotel rooms?”
He watched Pepper’s lips press so hard together they almost disappeared. “Two hotel rooms then,” she clipped.
Tony furrowed his brows. What the hell was going on? “I think I’m still missing something, and you didn‘t answer my question.”
Pepper waved a hand, not looking up from the new tapping she was doing on her phone. “The usual two for you and Happy, and one for Miss. Maddix.”
“No, no. No. Four is not going to New York.” Why the hell would he take the woman back to the place where the bad guys were trying to get her? He registered the ominous pause from Pepper and knew then, that yes, it would be another one of those fights.
“What do you mean she’s not going to New York?”
“Exactly that.” He huffed. “New York is where she came from. It defeats the purpose of getting away,” he gestured, “if she goes back.”
He watched Pepper seem to swell up with some emotion. “You can’t leave her here, Tony! JARVIS is not enough to stop her stealing your tech if you are on the other side of the country,” she exploded. Oh, the emotion was rage.
“Again? Seriously?” His voice was starting to raise now and he really couldn’t stop it. He ran a hand through his hair. “How is this difficult for you to understand?”
Pepper dropped her arms to her sides. “It is! It’s difficult to understand why you felt the need to involve yourself in this Tony! Now it‘s affecting your work,” she argued.
“She is not affecting my work.” He shouted. Pepper did not just say that to him. He was not the irresponsible man he‘d been in the past. “You think I haven’t been keeping track of everything,” he stressed the word, “That has been going on with the company since June. That hasn’t changed!”
“And yet you won’t go on business trips for a month because she’s in your house!” Pepper accused.
“I set that up so that she and I could get used to working with each other!” He exclaimed. “I needed time to figure out whether or not I was comfortable leaving her alone with the suits. You know how important to me they are!”
Pepper huffed, “Yes. I am very aware of how important your damned suits are Tony!”
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. Tony didn’t want to acknowledge another old bone between them. “I am fine with going to New York tomorrow. I go,” he gestured again, “She stays here. You get me at the reopening. What is the problem?”
“My problem is that it’s not safe to leave her here! You don‘t know if you can trust her! Think of what she could do Tony!” Pepper cried.
Tony had thought of what Four could do. He‘d had JARVIS think of what she could do. Both of them were of the opinion Four was trustworthy. “I am not taking her to New York!” He yelled. “Especially not the Expo. If I take her back to New York with me I might as well stick a fucking bow on her! And in case it escaped your attention the suit is metal! This,” he tapped the arc reactor, “Is metal! If she wanted my suit or to kill me, there’s not a god damn thing I could do about it but sit there and die! Being in New York or here doesn’t matter!”
“I don’t see why you had to do anything in the first place! She brought this on herself, and you! You couldn’t leave something so personally dangerous to you alone.” Pepper threw her hands into the air. “Of course not! When are you going to stop doing these things Tony!?”
Jesus, they were arguing in circles. “When are you going to trust my judgment!? I’m Iron Man, Pepper! There will always be someone who can kill me, who wants very much to kill me.”
“But you don’t invite them to your home, Tony!” Pepper had reached new levels of loud, and Tony was grateful Four was down in the soundproof lab.
“Four does not want to kill me, Pepper!” Wasn’t that obvious? If Four wanted to kill him she would have done it the first week she was there. He’d seen her background. She was smart enough to work out the tech on her own if she wanted. Maybe Four would have run afoul of SHIELD later on for it, but Tony would have been long dead by then. The woman didn’t seem to want anything but to hide.
“She needs help!” Tony continued. “SHIELD, no one, knew shit about her before the Expo happened. That happened because of me!” Didn’t Pepper get it at all? For someone who had claimed to love him she sure didn‘t act like she knew him. It wasn’t just that Four’s situation might be a tiny bit his fault. It was that he could help her. Four was brilliant, and special, and she did not deserve to be hunted around the world by people who were only interested in using her. “My evaluation with SHIELD is why there were Agents even there to know her name before I could delete the records!”
“Don’t!” Pepper turned to follow him as he stalked across the living room. “Don’t pretend that the only reason she’s here isn’t to sate your curiosity!” Tony scowled and headed for the bar top in the kitchen. He needed a fucking drink. “You are always like this!”
“Fine!” Tony cried, pulling down a bottle of scotch. “That is part of it, but it is not all of it Pepper. She’s smart, talented, what she can do is amazing…”
Pepper cut across him before he could finish. “Oh my God! I cannot believe you! Just because you‘re sleeping with her does not make her a good person!” The octave of her voice really went up on the ‘sleeping.’ “Do you get bonus points for her being a shiny, deadly, puzzle for you!?”
Tony slammed his glass down on the counter. “Everything I do does not revolve around me fucking people, Pepper!”
……………………………….........................................................................
Downstairs Forge listened to the argument between Miss. Potts and Tony escalate. That woman’s voice could carry. Back home people would have called this a half block argument. They would have whispered about how tacky it was to pull out your dirty laundry on the front lawn. Those same people would have had their front windows wide open to hear better though.
She wondered if standing by the open security door listening made her fit right in back home. Whatever. They were obviously discussing her.
Despite Stark’s refusal, Forge had to concede if he was needed on a business trip and wasn’t going because of her, then she was interfering with his work. She could give that one to Miss. Potts.
The discussion about the suits and her trustworthiness was interesting. Yes, she was being tested. Apparently Stark thought it was okay to leave her here for a weekend. Miss. Potts was definitely not on board with that though. Seen from the outside his decision to bring her to his house was reckless, maybe even a little stupid. But as Stark had put it, the genie was out of that bottle.
The two continued shouting about whether or not it was okay to leave the kid at home, and Forge cracked her neck, buffering herself from the unpleasant childhood memories with sarcasm. Oh, thanks mom and dad for making it easier for me to deal with people screaming at each other at the top of their lungs later in life, she thought.
She grimaced a bit when Miss. Potts claimed she’d brought creeper agent on herself. What Stark said seemed true too. It appeared Miss. Potts did not trust his judgment. Forge was a bit heartened when he defended her, but then immediately felt like crap as he blamed himself for her situation.
Forge knew when she took his offer to hide in Malibu, that she would probably make his life complicated. She hadn’t expected to disrupt it to this degree however. The man was putting his business on hold, playing detective, and now having to defend his judgment to his CEO.
She wasn’t surprised when he admitted she was there for his curiosity. That was old ground. Being called talented by a man like Tony Stark made her feel a little fuzzy though. Of course the feeling was immediately wrecked by Miss. Potts accusation. Fuck you to, lady. Apparently that little comment touched a nerve with Stark as well.
What would Uncle Wall do in this situation? A small grin tilted her lips thinking of how his whole face would have pulled down into a frown. Her Uncle wouldn’t have been too happy with Stark coming on to her, but her Uncle would have respected him for doing what he was doing for her.
Stark had issues, but he was playing the role of big, fat blockade between her and whoever was currently trying to get at her. All else aside, she owed Tony. Uncle Wall would have said ‘You pay your debts Forge. In increments if you have to.’
It didn’t seem like the argument upstairs was going to be resolved anytime soon and Tony seemed to be getting more upset the longer it went on. There was no hint of either of the people involved looking for middle ground. Forge had an idea of a compromise but it would require her stepping into the firing line of the red head’s temper.
She wiped her hands on the rag in her pocket and pushed some stray hairs off her face. Okay then. Big girl pants.
……………………………….........................................................................
Ever since Pepper had left him over a month ago she treated him like he was all the worst parts of himself. And yeah, Tony had a lot of bad parts, but acting like he was back to being the man he was before Afghanistan was insulting. He was capable of good, of wanting to help someone just because he could. Georgia, he could see it in her, was someone he could really make a difference with. That woman was just waiting for the right push to fly.
Pepper started in on a new round of chastisement and Tony started to tune her out. She was repeating the same arguments at this point. He wasn’t budging. If she wanted him to go to New York so damn badly she could deal with him leaving Four here. Otherwise, Tony wasn’t going.
A high whistle suddenly cut through Pepper’s screeching, and Tony turned to see Four standing at the top of the stairs. Tony thought her face said ‘I’m gonna kick some ass.’ Oh, shit just kept on coming.
“There is a very simple solution to this problem you are both overlooking.”
Tony grimaced. Four had heard more than enough to know what was going on then.
“I hardly think either of us trusts you enough to come up with a solution.”
Tony opened his mouth to protest when Four took Pepper’s acidity and tossed it right back.
“I think I am well enough aware of what you think of me, Miss. Potts.”
That was a very verbal slap, Tony thought. He watched, a bit taken aback, as Four turned to him.
“Lock the lab. Lock the house. I’ll put myself up in a hotel and you can have Happy watch me for the weekend.” Tony’s jaw went loose in shock. “We’ll rent chick flicks and eat cookie dough ice cream. It’ll be a mini vacation.”
Four turned back to Pepper. “That way he,“ she pointed at Tony, “can go be business proper at his Expo without worrying about me being in New York. Meanwhile you,” she point to Pepper, “don’t have to worry overmuch about me making away with the proprietary technology and getting into a death match with a superhero.” Four crossed her arms. “Who, by the way, is very right about the fact that if I wanted to kill him, I could do so. At any time.”
Tony glanced at Pepper to see her eyes go wide. She even took a step back, and Tony had to agree because, yeah, that was a scary thing to say.
“Fortunately he’s also correct about me not wanting to.” Four dropped her arms and continued gesturing. “I was taught it is poor manners to kill someone who is doing you a solid. Or you know, anyone at all, unless it’s a life or death situation. For your information Miss. Potts, I have never killed anyone in in my life, and I have had cause.” Tony heard Four’s voice say the words ‘It’s happened before,’ in his memory.
“Now, considering I can waltz through a bank vault without a problem, my suggestion is the closest anyone is going to get to happy at this point. I vote we all take it, and get on with life.” He could see that her hands were shaking.
He knew from the look on her face that Pepper didn’t trust or believe Four and was about to start the argument back up again. Four had been so insistent that things having to do with her powers be her choice. Tony decided to let her have her choice in this too. He didn‘t like it, but it was the quickest way to get anything done.
Tony took a deep breath, and drained the last of his drink. He saw Pepper open her mouth from the corner of his eye and spoke before she could. “JARVIS call Happy.”
- 8
- 9
- 10
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The Forge