Location: Malibu Mansion, Tony's private lab.

"You are sure you are okay?" asked a worried Tony.

"For the last time. I am fine!" answered Pepper exasperated while she was grateful for all the extra time she got to spend with Tony, having him look at her as if she was going to disappear at a moment was getting tiresome.

"Simulations show that she is going to be more than fine boss," said Friday their newest assistant.

"I know Fry. It's just... I worry" said Tony as he collapsed on the chair beside the treatment bed.

Pepper sat on the bed and gave Tony a questioning look.

"The world I am in? It's filled with aliens, people with weird abilities, secret organizations with unknown weapons and mystic artefacts of stupid powers... it's overwhelming." said Tony as he took a deep breath.

Pepper sat on the armrest of the chair, half hugging him, while Tony leaned into her.

"When I am with you I can pretend that that world doesn't exist and it's just the two of us but with everything that's going on? I am afraid of losing you," confessed Tony as he buried his head into her chest.

They sat there silently for a few moments and Pepper started playing with his hair.

"Tony" called Pepper softly and Tony looked up at her.

"You won't lose me, ever," said Pepper with conviction in her eyes that reassured Tony of the amazing woman he fell in love with causing him to sigh.

"If anything I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand next to you and simply watch as you break down carrying something that I can't help you with," confessed Pepper with a sad smile.

Tony leaned away from her with a questioning look on his face causing Pepper to roll her eyes.

"I didn't and still don't want you out there where I could lose you, New York was scary enough and I could do nothing except watch on. If it were up to me, I would have you completely give up on being Iron Man; but I understand and accept that Iron Man is a very big part of you, and taking that away would leave you hollow and empty and watching you like that hurts more than the fear of losing you." said pepper softly.

Tony was about to say something but was interrupted by Pepper kissing him.

"I am not going to stop you and if I am afraid of losing you, I should stand by your side and make sure you are okay. I am going to do just that and you can't stop me." declared Pepper while staring right into his eyes.

Tony looked into her eyes and saw the love and determination in them and a weight lifted off his heart.

"I love you," said Tony.

"I love you too" answered Pepper as they dissolved into a romantic couples activity.

Location: Stark Tower, Banner's Private Lab.

"Thank you, Bruce," said Natasha with a smile as she looked at the briefcase filled with various gadgets filled with the compound that could theoretically neutralise the type of mind control used by the Red Room or knock a person out for a few hours.

Bruce shrugged.

"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" asked Bruce with worry.

Natasha gave him a genuine smile, she was touched but the Red Room was something she did not want to mix with her current life. It was a monster that she thought she had killed and this time she is going to make sure that it stays dead.

"Yeah. It is something I must do" she said as she looked him in the eyes with determination in her voice.

Bruce nodded and she closed the briefcase and walked to the exit with it.

"Natasha" called Bruce.

She turned to look at him, he tossed her a small buzzer which she caught. It was a small rectangular box with a red button that read SOS. She planned to get rid of it as it most definitely was a tracker.

"I am always going to be a button press away," said Bruce his warm brown eyes tinged with green.

On second thought she is going to cherish it like no other.

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

"Come back safe" said Bruce with his normal brown eyes and a warm smile that set butterflies in her stomach.

"I will," said Natasha as she left with a small happy smile.

Location: Barton Farm

Clint walked into his home feeling apprehensive that Ultron could easily find his family and grateful that he had made them impossible to find through technology.

"Hey," said Laura as she hugged and kissed him.

"Hey" replied Clint returning the gesture.

"What's wrong?" asked Laura.

"Nothing... it's just..." said Clint struggling to articulate his thoughts.

"is it about Ultron?" asked Laura with a sigh causing Clint to look at her in alarm.

"How do you know about Ultron?" 

"It's better if I show you," said Laura, leading him to the tractor shed and a secret bunker that doubled as a panic room.

"When did this happen?" asked Clint as the bunker came to life.

"About 3-4 days ago? A Mini showed up and we had a lengthy conversation. I wanted to call you but I wasn't sure if it was secure and then he had an army of drones come and build this overnight." said Laura as Clint explored the bunker.

It contained everything they as a family would need to completely disappear from the world as well as everything he would need for his job and then some as well as a manual on the workbench that explained the various functions of the bunker and a letter assuring him that the data on the very existence of the bunker had been deleted from his servers leaving Clint with mixed feelings.

"This is one hell of a distraction" muttered Clint.

"Do we need to move?" asked Laura worried.

"I don't think so? if anything I think we are safer here than anywhere else," answered Clint making Laura sigh of relief.