Before the War

Now That They're Gone

  "It's still heartbreaking. Every second of every day." Bruce said, his face glued to a screen. The specs of the research he was doing plastered the monitors. He had come up with practically nothing. 

 "I know." Natasha stood beside him with three cups of coffee. She handed him his cup, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Steve suggested you try to find any Avengers affiliates. If you can. Just to have them on call in the event that we need them." 

 "Need them for what?" Bruce asked, defeated. He was a hopeless looking man. Most everyone he knew had vanished, and he didn't see a way for them to reverse what had happened. 

 "Just try. Please." 

 Bruce nodded, and went back to work. His work was his only solace, and his remaining fellow Avengers too. It was a comfort to him to have Natasha around. 

 "Have you seen Pepper? I haven't seen her since I got back this morning." Natasha had been out trying to track down Nick Fury or Maria Hill. 

She dropped a rusty old pager on the desk next to Bruce. It was all she found of Fury, and it seemed like nothing. Bruce shook his head. He hadn't seen Pepper either. Natasha brought Rhodes his cup of coffee. She had taken on the roll of doing what all the broken Avengers neglected to do. Well, mostly. There were some things she could't help them with. Sometimes coffee was the most and least she could do.

Rhodey was slouched over the table in the conference room. He had been on a call all through the night, and the bags under his eyes confirmed that report. Maps and papers littered the table, as did Rhodes' unfinished meals. He was trying to locate and help recover some of the navel ships that had been left practically crew-less in the middle of the sea. The ships with major weapons and secret missiles were the ones that seemed to be the hardest to find. It was concerning to say the least. 

 "No general, we don't have that information. And yes, you can reach out to Cpt. Rogers at the Whitehouse, he will confirm that report." He nodded to her, and hit the mute button. "Thanks. Oh and have you seen Pepper?" 

 "I was going to ask you that." 

 They both frowned. Rhodes reached for the phone. "Give me a second general. I'm going to have to call you back." He hung up. "Bruce hasn't seen her?" 

 "No." 

 Rhodes sighed. "Friday? Where is Pepper Pots?" 

 The AI's voice responded promptly. "I'm sorry Rhodes. Ms. Pots would like for her location to remain unknown." 

Natasha rolled her eyes. "You think I didn't try that already?" 

The three remaining Avengers swept the compound to no avail. 

 "Guys, take a look at this." Bruce played a clip of security footage for all to see. There was a slim figure dressed in something resembling iron man armor sneaking on board Thor and Rocket's jet. He enlarged the face of the figure, it was without a doubt Pepper Potts. 

 They were shocked. Not entirely at her actions, but more so in how she went about it. She was Pepper Potts, and Tony Stark was missing somewhere in space. Her taking a suit none of them knew existed, to go after him wasn't that out of character for her. Her not telling anyone as she became a stowaway was the crazy part. She could have come to them, they would have helped. Or at least Natasha would have. She knew that without a doubt. They were all worried for her. Yet, they all knew there was nothing they could do from earth. It was too late for them to stop her, or even talk to her. Though they were reassured that being with Thor and Rocket she'd be alright.