A year to Remember. Part 1, the Wrong Number

Secrets and Spies

Natasha POV:

Tony was acting very strange yesterday. He's not quick for turnarounds, yet it only took him 3 hours to go from scorch the earth to one of his softer smiles?  Somethings up, something I'm not aware of — yet. I don't like that. What could it be, and how to figure it out...

I start thinking over this, sat on the kitchen island, as a sleepy Wanda, Bruce and Pietro — at wanda's threat — come walking into the kitchen. While Steve, Bucky and Sam return from their run, the former 2 starting to make breakfast.

While the old men start cooking, Steve as he picked it up as a hobby and Bucky for... reasons neither of them are aware of, I keep thinking back to Tony. What could he have been doing. He could've been talking to Pepper, but I'm not so sure, it would've been too early in the morning for her, and the Tony I know wouldn't have actively gone to her about this. Also, if Pepper was involved another one of us would probably know about it, I'll ask the team during breakfast.

In the meanwhile, if not Pepper.... what could it be?

As Steve and Bucky finish cooking an Avenger's sized breakfast, I snap out of my theorising and help them carry the food to the table, where most of the avengers sans Clint, Scott and Tony are already sitting down.  Before they can get too distracted by the food though, I start; "Have any of you seen Tony acting differently?".

Bucky's the first to respond "It's Tony, what qualifies as normal?".

"Uhh, self absorbed, emotionally constipated, and shoves his money everywhere?", Pietro jokes.

"I'm serious guys", I try and return to topic, "Has he been acting, nicer? More erratic? Has he been on his phone more often?".

"Why do you ask Nat, what are you thinking?", Steve wonders. I explain; "Its Tony, after last night, I went to check on him in his lab. I thought I'd have to talk him down from an anger fit, or call Pepper to, but when I arrived I saw him happy, smiling, chatting on his phone".

"And how is this suspicious?", Sam asks, a question matched by Bucky and Pietro's faces. "Tony. Our Tony. Emotionally inert Tony. The guy who can barely deal with his own emotions, went from erupting with rage at us... to a happy dopey peaceful smile in a matter of hours of being alone. Don't you find that suspicious?".

"Couldn't he have just been talking to Pepper?", Steve asks. "Wouldn't she have called at least one of us as well if he did?", I counter. "Besides, it was 4 am for Pepper at the time, so I doubt she called him. And it's Tony, I find it more unbelievable that he called her".

Everyone starts thinking over my arguments, puzzled looks dawning upon their faces one by one before Bruce asks, "Hey Fri, who was Tony texting last night?".

"I'm sorry Mr Green-Bean, but information on Boss' phone and other private information is not something I can disclose to you". Earning an eye roll at the name out of Bruce. Everyone remains puzzled, myself included, before I think to ask, "Fri, can you tell us of any other times Tony did whatever he was doing last night when I walked into his lab?".

Fri seems to think it over for a second before concluding this is something she can answer, "Boss is usually on his phone early in the mornings, late at nights, and sometimes sporadically throughout the day".

"And when did this start", Wanda asks, caught on to my style of loopholes and questions. "It appears to have started around 3 weeks ago Ms Maximoff".

Bruce, Wanda, Steve and I keep thinking, while Pietro, Sam and Bucky get back to their food, until Bucky chimes in "Are you sure you aren't looking too much into this? It's Tony, maybe last night he just made another billion? Or someone he hates suffered", He argued, as Sam adds: "Yeah, for once I agree with the old man", earning a scowl from the Soldier. I see Tony start to walk in... from the Living Quarters?