At Once Returned

Chapter 13

Tony had a bone to pick with Ross. He'd actually believed the man when he'd said the team could return to sign the new Accords without worry about being arrested. Clearly, he had either not paid close enough attention to what Ross had really said or Ross was just that clever at creating loopholes. 

It was particularly annoying because Tony had been so careful with the negotiation, going as far as to write it out himself and make Ross sign it with multiple witnesses. He'd forgotten Natasha hadn't originally been on Steve's team and now he was paying for it.

He had FRIDAY start monitor the Raft prison as soon as he'd received Pepper's call. If Ross was going to take Natasha anywhere, it would be his godforsaken prison in the middle of the Atlantic.

Arriving at the Compound, Tony hurried inside, searching through the common floor until he found Pepper in the kitchen staring at the floor blankly.

"Pep?" he murmured, walking towards her slowly. Her head snapped up and she jumped to attention. "Hey, it's just me," Tony said softly, raising his hands. "I'm here, no one else."

"Tony," she breathed.

Tony nodded, not sure what else to do.

Her eyes were still red from crying after Ross had taken Natasha. She'd screamed and FRIDAY had informed him of Pepper's state shortly before she'd called him. FRIDAY hadn't been super clear about how it had happened, though, which meant Tony needed to have Pepper repeat it to him yet again.

"What happened?"

Pepper recounted the short story for him again. "They came in with guns and threatened to shoot if she didn't go nicely, so she went."

Tony wasn't surprised. Natasha would have done the same thing for anyone if she was worried they might get injured otherwise. Still, there was one thing he was not looking forward to... 

"Did you call Steve?" 

Pepper nodded.

"Right after I called you," she answered. Before he could ask, she said, "He'll be here in about twenty-five minutes if he goes the speed limit, but I give it ten."

* * * * *

Almost exactly ten minutes after Tony arrived, Steve walked into the Compound with Wanda and Sam jogging to keep up. Tony knew Steve walked fast, but even he could tell the man was walking faster than usual.

Rather than comment on Steve's obvious worry, he decided to have FRIDAY pull up information on the Raft. Honestly, if he didn't want a pack of angry Avengers on his tail, he shouldn't be so predictable. Even though he hadn't landed the helicopter yet, FRIDAY had picked up on its signal over the Atlantic and heading towards the prison.

Steve didn't wait until he was standing in front of Tony to snarl, "I thought we were free to come back."

Tony raised an eyebrow as Steve crossed his arms, glaring at Tony as if he were responsible for Natasha's arrest.

"Yeah, so did I," he snapped back.

"How do we know the rest of us aren't going to be arrested?" Steve demanded.

"You won't," Tony promised, opening another live feed at the landing pad on the Raft. "Don't worry, you guys are fine."

"How can we be sure?" Sam stopped beside Steve crossed his arms as well, watching Tony sceptically.

"Natasha helped write the document he signed," Tony explained harshly. "There's no loophole for Ross to find in order to arrest any of you."

"But you left one for Natasha."

Tony want to pull his hair out. Steve really thought he wanted Natasha to be arrested?

"I didn't mean to," he argued.

"Well, you did!" Steve wasn't quite sneering yet, but he was close enough to it that Tony knew there was very little preventing Steve from snapping. "How can you be sure there isn't one for us?" 

Instead of repeating what he'd said earlier, Tony ignored him and focused on hacking the rest of the Raft security cameras. With his attention on his computers, he didn't see Steve's fist flying towards him almost until it was too late. Just as he jumped and moved to block his face, Steve's fist stopped. 

"Steve," Wanda said calmly, pulling his fist back with magic. "This isn't going to get Natasha back."

Steve rolled his shoulders and took a step away from Tony before Wanda released him.

"If you think I wanted Natasha to be arrested, then you're wrong," Tony told him, scowling at Steve. "I didn't mean to leave a loophole for Ross and when we get her off that godforsaken floating prison, Ross won't be there to find a loophole. Now, are you going to work with me or against me?" 

Steve clenched his jaw but Tony waited.

"Fine," Steve gave in "But if anything goes wrong, that's on you."