𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗

Ch.11

📍 Avengers Compound
Tony Stark (1st person POV)
3:00pm

I'd been working at this damn video forever, and still nothing. I've been running voice recognition, lightening the video to see a location, re-listening to the audio for any holes or mistakes...and nothing.

I know what you're thinking. I know you think I should just pay the fee and get the girl back, regardless of what gets out. But you don't get it. You don't understand how detrimental our secret will be to not only our reputations, but my marriage. I love Pepper more than anything and I couldn't do that to her. If worst came to absolute worst, Val goes "missing" forever and no one knows what happened. No way to trace it back to me. I know it's awful, but it would be the cleanest and easiest way to get out of this.

As I'm deep in thought, I'm suddenly snapped out of it by a knock at the door. I turn around to see Bruce leaning in the doorway. I close the video from my computer and quickly act like I'm going through the phone records.

"Tony," He starts, walking toward me.

"Bruce I know what you're gonna say. I know you want me up there and working with everyone else-"

"What's wrong Tony?" He furrows his brows. "You know, you have this thing you do. You isolate yourself and tell everyone you're fine, when it's obvious you're not fine. What's happening?"

"Banner, it's really nothing. I'm just taking the whole situation pretty hard y'know? And we all are. I just-"

"You just cope differently." He cuts me off. "I understand. But are you sure that's all? Just seems like something's really on your mind." He cluelessly urges.

I should tell him. For Val's sake, I should tell him. It would make this all easier, just to force it out of myself. To rip off the band-aid. If I tell him now, I can't take it back. It'll already be out and it won't be eating me alive anymore...but I can't.

"No, it's just this." I lie. "Taking a major toll."

"We're all here for each other, Tony. You know we're always here." He puts his hand on my shoulder.

There's a pause.

"...This is weird. Hands off." I brush his hand off of me.

He sighs. "Even in the hardest times, you're still you."

"You can bet on it." I turn back around to the papers as he walks out.

I need to rest, I've worked for 9 hours. Val would want me to rest...

Who am I kidding.

The girls life is quite literally in my hands. I could save her right now but I'm not. And I think I deserve to rest?...I'm spiraling.

I need to rest.