The Devil With The Face of an Angel | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 83

Pepper found the papers full of calculations in the envelope, as well as an ordinary white plastic card, which she considered her key to the building. She had Friday done a scan, so she knew exactly where she was. She parked at the side entrance and ran out of the car without hesitation. After all, if she showed up in the lobby like that, she would probably attract attention, and she certainly didn't need that. She had seconds, and she wasn't going to waste them.

She put the card on the reader and waited with bated breath for what would happen. Fortunately, the green light flashed and she got inside. Task one: completed. All that was left now was the rest. She had an open map on her phone, and Friday guided her the safest way. It was almost suspicious how few people she met.

"I have you," she whispered to herself as she reached the door with the engraved sign on it - Mary Fitzpatrick. She quickly attached the card to the chip, but this time a red light appeared instead of green light.

"No, no, no," she panicked and quickly checked the area. The alarm didn't seem to go off. She took a deep breath and tried to come up with a solution. She didn't have a pinch in her hair, and even if she did, it would be useless to her, because she couldn't open the locks with it, and everything was routed through electricity. It would first have to disable the entire circuit and-

"Of course! Friday dear, can you break into the net?" she asked quietly, remembering Tony's lessons: the basics of technology, or what to do in a crisis. She put the phone to the reader. The numbers ran on the screen and Pepper prayed it would work out.

"Done, Miss Potts," Friday told her, and the light flashed green immediately.

Pepper quickly disappeared outside the door and breathed a sigh of relief when she found the lab empty. Now that she thought about it, she realized she hadn't thought about it at all. She just needed to end it all for once and all.

The lab was suspiciously empty. As she went through it, she found that it actually looked like a brand new lab that was ready for new research. At that moment, she realized how foolish she was. But it was too late. Before she could turn to leave at all, a sharp pain shot through her body and she was surrounded by darkness.

"From someone as smart as you, Miss Potts, this has been a really stupid move," Quentin said as he watched her limp body. He typed a quick message on his phone and then slung her over his shoulder as if she was a sack of potatoes.

•••

Tony ran scared around the workshop, trying to find Natasha's things. He couldn't remember where he had cleaned them after she left. He knew Nat could be without them, but he would be calmer if she had them.

"Finally! What the hell is going on?!" Natasha shouted as soon as she accepted the call.

"Nat! Do you have Peter? Please tell me you have Peter," he begged, ignoring her completely. He hadn't been so desperate in a really long time. Even when Pepper left. He always had some hope there, but if Mary got Peter, he couldn't be sure what would happen.

"Tony, he didn't show up. None of you answered the phone and Bruce and I are starting to panic a little, so please finally tell me what's going on," she urged him.

Tony had to sort out his thoughts after opening another drawer with only tools. "I'll tell you all then, but now we have to get to Mary. She wanted Peter the whole time. It's about his abilities. She developed them," he said quickly, then angrily slammed into the table.

"You need to calm down, Tony. Everything will turn out well. We're on our way to Oscorp already. We'll meet there. Where's Pepper?"

"She went there alone — I — I didn't have time to stop her. Take care of them if you will be there sooner. And tell me where the hell your equipment is. "

"Next to Peter's suit," she replied, pushing the gas to the floor. She knew Pepper would do something as stupid as going to face Mary alone.

"Okay, I'll send it to you by drone. I immediately activate the suit and fly to Oscorp, if you can, keep the Hulk under wraps for now, okay? We don't need Ross to know about this," he said, ending the call.

•••

"So what is it?" Mary asked impatiently. "Think carefully about the answer you give me because if you screwed up, I'll strangle you myself," she warned him in an icy voice.

"It's like I said. Everything is alright, the last dose just took care of it. His rapid metabolism was already so heavily laden that he couldn't process it, so he reacted the way each of us would react if we drank it. It's a matter of a few hours before he wakes up," Richard replied calmly, though he felt like his heart would jump out of his chest in every moment at how fast it was beating.

"You're lucky, Richard. I don't want to lose a scientist like you," she said, her mouth curling into a smile for a single second. But it was so insignificant that no one could notice.

"I'd like to take his first blood sample while he's still asleep if you're okay with it. I think it will be easier," he dared to suggest.

Mary looked at him and considered his request. It was a fact that at least he wouldn't resist them like that. "You could. But take Patrick with you, just in case," she agreed, waving at the man standing near them.

"Yes?"

"Take Richard for a visit to our dear guest," she ordered. The two men parted, and her phone announced a new message. She read only the four words in the message and had to take a deep breath to keep herself from being angry because of that idiot.

I have a present for you, the message said, and she was just a little curious about what it would be.