The Soldier's Goddess

Fall in New York was beautiful. Kari still couldn't get over the roaring colours on the trees during this season; the burnt oranges, the dark browns, the bright reds, the pastel peaches. They never had this on Asgard, and each Fall, she would just spent an hour or two wandering around Central Park, taking in all the beauty. This year was no different. She had not long come back in from the Park, after having a leaf fight with Steve. She had won, of course, but she had a pretty shrewd idea he had let her win.
"Is Pepper up yet?" Kari asked. Tony turned to answer her, but broke into a grin instead.
"Why don't you ask her?"
"I think I may have to send out new change of address cards pretty soon," Pepper grumbled, her hand across her stomach. "If I throw up anymore times today, I'll just have to move into the bathroom."
"Oh so ladylike," giggled Kari. Pepper responded by poking her tongue out at her.
"Ugh, if these kids don't stop kicking me, their dad will be in a lot of trouble." Pepper glared at Tony, who rushed over to her aid and began rubbing her lower back.
"Now come on boys, leave mommy's bladder alone, and she might stop kicking me in the night," he said in a sweet baby cooing voice to her swelling bump.
"Tony, I've told you, we don't know what sex they are yet," smiled Pepper. That's what she was going to find out today. They had tried before, but the babies were being uncooperative. There were definitely two in there, but they wanted to know the sex. That was the joy of private medical care and a billionaire fiance. Kari was going with her this afternoon, then they would be doing a bit of retail therapy. Killing the credit cards, was how Tony liked to refer to it as.
An hour later, the two women were in a private car, driven by one of Stark Industries best drivers, on their way to Madison Avenue, where the Mount Sinai Hospital was. After much deliberation, Tony had agreed with Pepper on this being the best choice for them and their unborn children.
"Miss Potts, welcome back," smiled the sonographer, as they made their way into the room. "Will your friend be staying?"
"Yes," said Pepper, attempting to untangle herself from her jacket.
"So how many months are we now?"
"About six, but I feel like I'm about twenty months," she grinned.
"Yeah we hear that alot with multiple pregnancies," the sonographer laughed. She lifted her tops, exposing her bump and lay back on the bed. "It's going to be cold," she warned, squeezing the gel over Pepper's belly and getting the spreading it evenly with the scanner. As she moved it about, doing her usual check ups, Kari gasped.
"The babies," she cried. "Oh Pep, they are beautiful." Ten minutes later, the checks were done and the sonographer turned the screen to the two women.
"Now, would you like to know what sex they are?" she grinned. Pepper nodded. "Ok, as you know, they are identical, and you will soon be the proud mommy to twin daughters." Kari gasped, and Pepper burst into happy tears.
When they were all finished and packed up, they went back out to the car. The driver took them to Columbus Circle for their retail therapy, and they promised to ring him when they were ready to leave. The two women headed straight for the baby store and began to pile lots of pinks and purples into the trolley. Kari managed to convince Pepper to get these baby gros. Tony will love them, she had giggled.
"Oh look at these hats," cried Pepper, putting them straight into the trolley.
"And being Stark children, I can guarantee you will need these," Kari laughed, putting them in. With a trolley full of baby clothes and essentials, and Pepper agreeing to bring Tony back in at a later date to sort out prams and cribs, they made their way to the checkout. Kari ran back to grab one last thing, that she insisted on paying for herself. "It's a surprise," she laughed, " from aunty Kari and uncle Steve." But when they got outside, she couldn't resist. handing it over.
"Oh Kari I love them," squealed Pepper, opening the bag, and hugging her best friend. "Urgh, ok I'm craving chocolate right now," she sighed. "Meet you back here in twenty minutes?" Kari nodded. She wanted to get a little something special for Steve, so they both figured it would be better to split up. They could get home and put their feet up quicker that way.
Twenty minutes later, an another two bags full of chocolate, Pepper sat back down at their agreed meeting place. As ten minutes went by, and another, Pepper started getting really worried. She called their driver and he came to help her with her shopping, then back in the car. On the way home, Pepper called in with Tony, but no-one had heard from Kari. She could hear Steve in the background, starting to panic. Kari wasn't the type to wander off. By the time Pepper got home and up to the Stark penthouse, Fury was sat there.
"I had a call a few moments ago," he started as she sat down with Tony, Steve, Bruce, Clint, and Natasha. "Steve," he sighed, "do you remember Doctor Faustus?"
"Oh god, no," Steve cried.
"He's taken her somewhere, but we don't know where yet. We are already putting a trace on him. Steve," he said to the man pacing back and forth, panicking. "Steve, I promise we will find her."
"We need help," Steve said suddenly, looking up. "We need Reed Richards, he's the only one to have defeated him so far. I mean truly defeated him."
"We'll get him now," assured Fury, leaving to get started on finding Kari. Steve sat down and sighed again, his head in his hands. The others were staring at him, so slowly, he began to explain who Doctor Faustus was. That he was a evil mastermind in all senses of the word and more. He had trained as a psychiatrist in his early days, but had later teamed up with Red Skull, brainwashing people. He had brain washed a woman to kill Captain America, but she had failed. The only person who had not been affected by being brainwashed, had been Reed Richards, otherwise known as Mr Fantastic, one quarter of the Fantastic Four.

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