V I G I L A N C E ~ (Marvel) ~

C H A P T E R 2 0_

(song: "Blood on my Hands" by Hans Zimmer)

I am in our designated war room the next time we awaken...

I overhear Tony and Pepper arguing as I work alone in this huge training room, the three of us the only people in here.

He is trying to get her to fire her pistol at the target as she argues that she already knows how to use a gun.

"We can't be too careful and I don't want to lose you," Stark says quietly to her.

"I know..." she mutters.

"And you did almost kill me today."

"I saved your life, asshole."

"Debatable."

She scoffs and hits him on the arm.

I listen to them practice a bit but soon Pepper is gone and Tony reloads the weapon, testing his aim with a real gun instead of his usual laser beams...

I look up at him from my map that I work on... It's quiet in here besides the banging of his gun every now and then.

I glance down at the map and then back at him. I guess I could use a break. Man, I've been taking lots of those, granted I so have all the time in the world to prepare. I walk around the table towards him and then stop a few inches behind him. "You look like you're having fun," I say humorously.

"Clearly not as much fun as you are having—what exactly are you working on so quietly over there?" he replies as he fires again.

"Oh, just some... unimportant stuff," I lie as I look back at the table.

"Okay keep it a secret," he says quickly and aims carefully... squinting... and firing. But it doesn't hit the center and he makes a pained look as he puts it down. "Yeah guns aren't really my thing," he mutters.

"I can see that," I say with a laugh. "Would you like some assistance?"

"Nah I don't really need these when I have this," he holds up his arm that he wears a strange looking bracelet that I thought was a watch but instead one of his metal Iron Man hands comes from nowhere and arms it. He holds out his palm and lets the loud blast erupt in our ears and I shut my eyes from the sudden light.

I look now at the target that has a hole blasted through the center of it and has made a black mark on the concrete wall behind it, smoke rising from it all as well...

He stares at the damage he caused and almost smirks. "I love doing that."

I whistle approvingly. "Nice. Any chance that I could get you to make me one of those?"

"Sure thing. You can be Iron Woman, how does that sound?" he teases me.

"Umm... thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll just stick with Andromeda."

"'Andromeda'? Who thought of that?" he asks in quirky way with a half frown.

"Loki," I say as I stare at the floor, a small smile on my face.

"Yikes. I'd keep my distance from that psychopath if I were you. He looks at you like he wants to... feed you a taco then stab you," he says really without thinking about it too hard obviously.