The Seventh Avenger

Chapter 16: Tony Stark

"So..." Nat muses from where she sits across the table in front of me, a cup of coffee in her hands which she quickly brings up to her mouth to take a sip of. Once done, she gently swallows the liquid and places the cup back down on the table, before then adding, "How'd the hearing go yesterday?"

I shrug my shoulders, though I still stir my coffee with a teaspoon, my eyes fixed on the dark liquid in the cup. "It was something," I say. "Sort of gave me an insight on what Stark's like and everything."

"And?"

I pause, considering my answer to her question. "He's something else," I finally manage to say. "Interesting...rude...sarcastic...occasionally funny. He'll definitely make the mission a lot more interesting then it sounds to be."

"I take it your not keen for this one?"

I shake my head in response, finally looking up from my drink to lock eyes with Nat. "It's just...normally with my work, I'm out there in the field and fighting, you know? For this one I'm parked behind the lines and trying to connect with a billionaire playboy to try and find out how it is that he's dying. Not to mention, I have to act like a personal assistant, which I've never done before in my life and have no clue as to how to do so."

"Leave it to me," Nat assures me. "I've done this sort of thing before-if you get stuck on anything or you don't know what to do, just let me know and I'll handle it."

"Thanks Nattie. You're the best."

"And I wouldn't worry about this mission being quiet and boring," Nat adds, taking another sip of her coffee. "Generally there's always some kind of fight in the end-and something tells me that that's going to be the case, considering we're technically working for a superhero."

"Hm. Never really thought of it like that," I admit.

"Gotta have perspective. Besides, I would've thought you may have wanted some peace and quiet, after what went down in Harlem and all."

"Nah-that was six weeks ago anyway. And I've been on bed rest for most of the time since then-I actually want some action, if that makes sense."

"No, it does," Nat replies, "And like I said, they're probably will be some."

"But we won't be able to do anything, because we can't blow our cover."

"No, we definitely can't-did anyone see you at the hearing?"

I shake my head. "Stark and Pepper Potts were towards the front of the room-I was in the back along with the press. I wore the glasses too so if someone did take note of what I looked like, then the glasses would've at least hidden some of my face. Besides, I think everyone was more focused on Stark verbally trashing Justin Hammer and The Senator rather than what I looked like."

Nat gives a small smirk of amusement. "Did you tell Fury why they had called the hearing now?"

I nod my head. The minute that the hearing had ended and Stark and Ms Potts had left the chamber, I had immediately left the chamber myself and made the quick call to Fury to explain what happened. Like I had guessed, he didn't seem truly concerned with other countries attempting to make their own Iron Man suits, due to the fact that they had all failed miserably and Stark had given the estimation of how far away these countries were from replicating his work, though Fury did say that he would keep an eye on it and see if anything changed.

"Yeah- he's not worried though. He just wants us to focus on the mission and all that."

"Speaking off mission-we should probably go pick up our clothes and head to the hotel," Nat suggests. "Or soon anyway."