<div class="floatleft">(http://kittygossip.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/robert-downeyjr.jpg?w=460)</div><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>  Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br/>  <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br/>  <strong>Location:</strong> R&amp;D Level Elevator Lobby<br/>  <strong>Time:</strong> 6:56pm Thursday<br/>  <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Pepper Potts</strong></span></span><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">     Stark new better than to interrupt Pepper when she was angry and had good points to make. He would normally jump in with little quips, counting on whittling away her anger with a certain charm that always softened her up. This time, however, she was far too upset. Her words were all true and accurate and he could come up with no rebuttal that either of them would believe.<br/><br/>     So he just stood there and accepted the reprimand from Potts. He appeared to take it heavily - or perhaps there was something else that was burdening him. The keen Ms. Potts knew Tony better than any and quickly left her previous argument behind as she sought the deeper problem at the root of it all. Twice Stark had been on the brink of death, first from metal poisoning and second against Loki as he escorted a nuclear warhead through a dimensional portal that he might not have ever returned from. Perhaps that was why Pepper choice to leave her argument - and a very valid one - alone for the time being.<br/><br/>     He'd been in overdrive for months, living off of caffeine, sugar, and God knows what else; and it was finally beginning to show. Tony was too stubborn though - he hated showing his weaknesses, even to Pepper... who probably saw through his facades anyhow. The slightest glimpse of a near-defeated smile showed on his face before he answered one of her earlier questions with a jovial quip, <strong>"Hey, it's never too late to join the 'space-race' right?"</strong> Knowing the weak attempt wouldn't get him far - especially not anymore now that the two had grown much closer - he owned up somewhat.<br/><br/>     <strong>"It had to be done Pepper... Loki is back."</strong> Of course he didn't going into details on the fact that every single one of the things she'd listed he did <em>before</em> he found that out... Minor details. <strong>"I don't know how much time we have, but it won't be long."</strong> Tony warned. A slight pain crept into the distance in his eyes. It seemed as though every time he and Pepper had a chance to develop their relationship, all hell broke loose. However, she had a way of bringing out the best in him - of supporting him when no one else would - and knocking him down a notch when he needed it.<br/><br/>     At the moment he was torn somewhere between both of those. He knew he'd been overstepping a few boundaries lately, but at the same time he felt like he was behind, outnumbered, and outgunned. He felt like everything he was doing just wasn't quite enough. So he gladly accepted the comfort of her touch as she reached out, her hand resting lightly on his cheek. He nearly melted under the weight of the intimacy with the strawberry-blond - something he still hadn't found a defense for, as if he would even look for one.<br/><br/>     <em>"You look like shit. Tony, what is it? What are you </em>not<em> telling me?"</em><br/><br/>     His eyes locked to hers for that short intimate moment, and a fairly honest and authentic response tumbled out. <strong>"I don't know if I'll be ready Pepper."</strong> There were so many layers to that statement, some even <em>she</em> might not realize. A lot of it had to do with Tony operating on an unknown deadline. He had to get his job done. But it went beyond the technology. Tony had essentially taken up position as the figurehead leader of the Avengers - even if Captain America was the battlefield commander. It had been done out of necessity at the time - feeling the weight of SHIELD and the restrictions it imposed. Tony was finally beginning to realize that being a leader required much more than just funding and furnishing the team. It called for more than just stepping out an walking in front. <br/><br/>     It took a special kind of person, with special talents that were difficult (or impossible) to learn and very few possessed. For the first time in his life, Tony had found a challenge that he couldn't force his way successfully through using money, intelligence, or sheer willpower. <br/><br/>     He had to dig deep. <br/><br/>     To be honest... he was afraid of what he might find... or <em>not</em> find.<br/></span></span></div>