The Shadow (Book 1)

Chapter 9

Taking out the Trash

"Good morning Dr Williams. The time is 7.00am. Tony would like you in the lab when you are ready," Scarlet groaned as she rolled over in her bed. When Tony had insisted she move in, the first time hearing Jarvis waking her up had given her such a fright that she screamed. Now, fortunately, she had gotten used to the smooth British voice that woke her up most days.

"Morning, Jarv and how many times have I told you to call me Scar," Scarlet replied, sitting up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Three thousand times to be exact, doctor," Jarvis replied, the question having not fazed him, seemingly as he'd opted to call her doctor again.

"Oh wow, that is a lot," Scarlet muttered under her breath. Heaving herself out of bed and into more work-appropriate clothes. Although she knew Tony wouldn't exactly complain if she turned up downstairs still in Pyjamas.

Her first destination that morning was the kitchen. Coffee and waffles were what Scarlet needed to wake her up. Once she'd made it downstairs, it was apparent she wasn't alone as a feminine voice echoed around the floor.

"Hey, Tony?" the voice was familiar to Scarlet. She recognised it as the female reporter from the night before, Chrissy, Chris, Christine; her name was one of those, not that Scarlet needed to have remembered it. She bet Tony didn't either.

"You are not authorized to access this area," Jarvis's voice abruptly spoke, causing the woman to squeal in surprise.

"Jesus," Christine cursed, spinning around only to jump again when she noticed Scarlet stood not far behind her.

"That's just Jarvis," Pepper explained before Scarlet could. She stood further down the hall a clothes bag and a cup of coffee to go in each hand. For the third time that morning, Christine jumped.

"He runs the house," Scarlet spoke, moving around Christines' frozen body to make her way towards the kitchen.

"I've got your clothes here. They've been dry-cleaned and pressed. There's a car waiting for you outside, which will take you anywhere you want to go," Pepper continued. Scarlet had gone ahead with fixing herself breakfast but was still in earshot of the conversation.

"You must be the famous Pepper Potts," the blonde observed. Scarlet rolled her eyes. It was always the same statement, no matter the girl.

"Indeed I am," Pepper remained calm, responding to the; obvious remark.

"After all these years, Tony still has you, picking up the dry-cleaning," Scarlet had rounded the corner again, her coffee cup pressed to her lips as she took a long, loud sip. Christens' eyes narrowed. It appeared as if she was trying to recall who the brunette in front of her was.

"We do everything that Mr. stark requires us to do, including occasionally taking out the trash," Pepper reasoned. Scarlet winked; the blonde stood taken aback at the bluntness of the two women in front of her.

"And what do you do?" She turned towards Scarlets figure, the coffee mug still clutched in her grasp. She took a sip before responding.

"Did you seriously just ask the question? Scarlet snapped, raising an eyebrow. Christens' bottom lip quivered, the words on the tip of her tongue seeming to have melted away.

"Dr. Mr stark requests you down in the lab right away," Jarvis called over the intercom.

"Tell him I'm coming," Scarlet breathed out, making her way past the stunned blonde; towards the panel that had previously denied her entry. Without so much as a look behind her, Scarlet descended the winding stairs down to the garage.

ACDC played loudly from behind the glass. Scarlet sighed, tapping a couple buttons on the control panel to turn it down. She had no idea how Tony could hear himself think with the loudness of the music. It wasn't that Scarlet didn't like it. It was more the fact she prefered to be able to hear her own thoughts sometimes.

"Could you please not turn my music down," Tony snapped, not looking up from his position tinkering with the car before him. Scarlet sighed, but before the apology could slip past her pursed lips, Pepper entered the garage a tablet perched in her hand.

"You do realise you are both meant to be halfway around the world right now," Pepper cut in her gaze, hovering over Scarlet before turning it to Tony.

"Are we?'' The two echoed.

"Your plane was meant to leave half an hour ago, and Scarlet's the only one dressed properly," Pepper responded, letting out an exasperated sigh as she continued to scroll and type on her tablet.

"Ask Scar if she's packed because I know the answers no," Tony grinned, his head finally peeking up from behind the car he was working on. The spanner clutched in his hand, spun round to point at the brunette to his left.

"It'll take me five minutes," the doctor shrugged, narrowing her eyes at her boss, who had now dropped the spanner he was holding, fully standing up to be level with Pepper.

"Anyway, it's funny. I thought with it being my plane and all that it would just wait for me to get there," Tony turned his attention to Pepper this time. It was a valid question, one which Scarlet backed much to Peppers annoyance.

"Yeah, doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?"

"Exactly, Scar's got a good point, and why do you want us out of the way so bad. Have you got plans?" Tony asked Pepper, glancing briefing between the two women currently looking at him.

"Actually, I do," Pepper replied, shocking both Scarlet and Tony in the process. Pepper hadn't mentioned she'd made plans when they'd spoken about the trip just yesterday.

"I hate it when you have plans," Tony whined, his bottom lip drooping slightly in a pout.

"So I can't have plans for my birthday," Scarlet gasped, knocking a knuckle against her head in frustration.

''I knew I was forgetting something. I'm so sorry, Pep,'' and Scarlet was generally sorry for not recalling her colleague and friends birthday. It had managed to slip her mind in amongst the planning for that day's trip.

''All ready?'' Tony asked.

"Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year," Pepper responded. By her, tone; Scarlet judged that this was a regular occurrence, and Tony often forgot things like birthdays.

The whole talk about birthdays did spike something inside her, in fact, Scarlet had no idea when her birthday was, and the more she thought the, more she came to the conclusion that she, had no clue how old she was. If Scarlet had to guess, she'd say somewhere in her early to mid-twenties, but her exact age was a mystery to her. Perhaps Coulson or Fury knew, she parked the thought in the back of her mind, making a note to ask the next time she saw either of them.

"Well, get yourself something nice from us," Tony said, pointing towards Scarlet, who stood rather sheepishly in the corner. She had to make it up to Pepper after they got back from the trip.

"I already did. It was very nice. Very tasteful. Thank you, Mr Stark and Dr Williams," Pepper softly spoke, nodding her head in thanks at the pair.

"You're welcome, Miss Potts," Tony then turned to face Scarlet properly.

"Get ready, let's go. Can't believe you're making me late again,'' Tony, smirked waving her out the garage and up the stairs. Scarlet rolled her eyes. Maybe Pepper deserved a break from the both of them. Even if it was for a day and a half.