Women of the Avengers

It was a lovely day when the Stark Expo, the giant science convention, was taking place, only a few miles from the Tower.

Jane, Betty, Bruce, and Tony were all there, with anything and everything science-related from around the world. Every developed country had sent its top scientists to display what they had discovered or learned. Cold fusion, cloning, DNA, cancer treatments, environmental studies-the possibilities of science were endless, as were the topics displayed.

Whilst Bruce and Tony had gone off to discuss with some British scientists about A.I., Jane went to the Japanese to discuss other matters. That just left Betty by herself looking at theories to convert the deadly carbon monoxide gas into fuel for airplanes while they were flying. Suddenly Betty heard a voice from behind her. “Betty, Betty, Betty, always such a nerd.”

She turned around and couldn’t believe her eyes, taking a step back. It was her ex, Glenn Talbot. “So where is he?”

“Where is who?” Betty asked while trying to look around to find Bruce, hoping she could warn him.

“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. Remember, you’re the stupid one? You broke up with me,” Glenn said as he moved closer, his face growing firmer and sterner.

Betty started to move away, thinking that if she could get him outside that it would be better for Bruce, but unbeknownst to both of them, a security guard had already noticed the odd behavior and had called it in. He was told to monitor them, but as the guard watched, a mother came up to him. Her child was missing, so he had to help her.

Fortunately for Betty, the minute Glenn Talbot had walked in the Expo area, the entrance’s security cameras had transmitted his face into Jarvis’s facial recognition program. It had set off the red flags which had then prompted Jarvis to alert Agent Robert hall and the other Avengers to get over there.

“Betty, we could have had such a life together, but no, you wanted that monster.” His face got redder; his voice got darker. “I loved you and you broke up with me, and for what, that monster?One day he’ll kill you, and I’ll be laughing over your grave.”

Betty kept looking for help, but she had moved herself away from the crowds, and there was no one around. She couldn’t see anyone, no security guards; Tony, Bruce, and Jane were nowhere. ‘Where the fuck is everyone,’she thought.
She looked backward and noticed that she was near a staircase, so she ran for it. She opened the door and ran down the stairs, her heart almost stopping for a second as she heard the footsteps behind her. She ran faster, going around each set of steps as fast as she could. “Betty! Yes Betty, just like Bruce, that coward, run, RUN!!!” he yelled, his footsteps thundering after her. She was very grateful that she hadn’t worn high heels that day.

There were ten more floors to go to the bottom, and as she came down another set of stairs, she saw a door open. She ran in it onto the floor, but then she tripped. “Haha, for a scientist, you sure are fucking stupid. I’m going to hurt you, Betty. You are going to wish that monster got you first.” He caught up to her and grabbed her wrist. He forced her up to a standing position and stuck his nose against her neck. “Hmmm, you smell good. What do you say? One last time for old time’s sake?” With an evil grin, he licked her throat with his tongue. She was disgusted and felt the anger swell up in her.

“Glenn, get the fuck away from me!” She lifted her knee right into the jewels, and he howled in pain, dropping her. She ran back into the stairwell, and as she went out and to the right, her feet betrayed her again. She lost her footing and slipped as she hit the ground. She heard his sick laughter from behind her. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn’t give him that.

"Betty, Betty, once again you have failed. You betrayed your father who did nothing but love you."

Those words lit a forest fire of anger within her."My father was a true monster, you fuck head. All he did was rip me away from Bruce. All we wanted was love! You’re no better than he is."

"You bitch. I’m gonna’ hurt you," he snapped, pulling out a knife, its cold silver blade sticking out. Betty was truly afraid, but she wouldn’t give this monster the joy of her fear.

"Any last words? Maybe I’ll cut your heart out and then send it to Bruce."

Betty knew she was going to die. She wished that she could see Bruce one more time.

Just as she screwed her eyes shut and flinched away from the knife, she heard one word, and almost burst into tears of relief.

"Betty!!" That seemed to be Tony, and he sounded more concerned than she’d ever heard him before.

"Betty!!!" Oh, and that was Bruce, sounding scared out of his mind.

Glenn, hearing them, shrugged. "Oh well, I guess I’ll make this quick. Time to d..." Betty didn't want to die. She closed her eyes; she didn't know what to do, but she knew she wouldn't beg for mercy, not to this monster. She did a small prayer, but opened her eyes again when she heard another voice.

"Move and you are fucking dead. Drop the knife NOW!!!" It was a security guard. Glenn put the knife down. As the guard came down, he glanced at Betty. "You okay, miss?" That was the wrong thing for him to do.

As he turned his head to get a better look at Betty, Glenn quickly kicked his left leg out and struck the guard in the gut. He made an ‘ooaff’ sound as the air was knocked out of him. The guard stumbled backwards, finally stopping when his back hit the railing; he plopped down on the ground.

Glenn picked up the knife and ran down the stairs. He knew he had to get out of there quickly, but he didn't get too far. As he went to run down another set of stairs, he was suddenly body-checked into the wall. When he looked up there was a very large gun in his face. A man pulled out his badge.

"Hi Glenn, or asshole, or whatever you like to be called. My name is Agent Hall, SHIELD agent, and you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.” Hall lifted up his gun and nailed him across the face, knocking Glenn out cold. As Hall looked up, he saw Betty crying, being comforted by Bruce and Tony. Clint and Natasha appeared. Robert looked at them. “Make sure he’s secure,” Robert told them as he walked up the stairs. “ Are you okay, Betty?” he asked with his softest voice, his brown eyes somehow showing care and revenge for the animal that did this to her.

She smiled. ”I’m okay really, I’m good now that you’re here.” There was a moaning sound. “He’s an idiot, but he did save the day,” she added. Robert walked over to the guard. “You alright there?” he asked as he put his gun away,

“Damn, he got the drop on me. I fucked up. Is she okay?”

“Yes, you did fuck up, yes, that could have killed you, but yes, she is okay,” Robert said with a stern and coldness in his voice. “But thank you for showing up at the right moment, so I’ll forgive you on your one mistake.”

“What about the other one, sir?” the guard said as he rose to his feet,

“Aren’t, you going to ask which mistake I didn’t forgive you for?”

“No, it doesn’t matter. Either one could have gotten us killed, sir.”

“Agents Barton, Romanoff, please come here.” The death twins showed up now that Glenn was in the hands of NYPD. Robert looked at them.

“Your name and how long have you been security?”

“Mike Jones, and this is my first week. I was a cop in New Jersey, small town.”

“Nice, Barton and Romanoff. He’s yours.”

“Uh, what does that mean?”

“It means you’re a shitty security guard and that I should fire you,” Tony said, as he was helping Betty get off the ground. “But you have potential and seem like a decent guy, and you will be getting trained by them tomorrow at eight am.”

The guard looked surprised as he looked at the two agents. “Let me guess, I’m in for a world of hurt?”
.
Barton looked at Natasha. “Oh, I like him already.”

Natasha returned his gaze with a cold stare. “Me too.” She smiled. “And the answer is yes.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

Betty was back in the tower with the team, feeling safe, since Bruce hadn’t left her side once. Betty had wanted to smack him on the head for apologizing too much, but she loved that he cared. Clint and Natasha were planning on how to make Talbot pay. Thor wanted to light him up. Steve and Pepper were upset at Tony, because Tony had just wanted to fire all the security guards and make terminator guards.

The elevator doors opened up and a very pissed off Agent Hall came into the room. He then slammed his briefcase on the ground and slumped down on the couch. “Drink, por favor. Monsieur Stark, weil ich hasse die Welt.”

The team knew that Robert was pissed whenever he started to use other languages with english.

Tony made a Jack on the rocks, a double, and set it on the bar. Pepper picked it up and handed it to Robert. Robert downed it in two gulps and set the glass on the table that was next to him. ”I take it that it didn’t go well with Fury?” Tony asked.

“No, turns out Glenn Talbot is a Colonel in the Air Force, so the D.A. won’t charge him with any more than simple assault, because there is no evidence of the threats. It’s her word against his word. The jackass doesn’t even care about that security guard’s testimony. Fury won’t intervene, to quote him, “We are a fucking spy agency, and don’t get dragged into a public courtroom. I am glad that Dr. Ross is okay, but I am sorry, SHIELD needs to remain hidden.”

Robert took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could instantly feeling the room’s blood pressure shoot up faster than the Space Shuttle. “Alright, chill out everyone, I didn’t say we weren’t doing anything. Betty, we’ll take care of this off the record, but that’s your call. If you want us to drop it, we will.

Betty thought for a second, and then she looked at Robert. “Are you going to kill him? I do hate him, but death is not right.”

“Would you settle for making his life hell in a non lethal manner?” he asked.

Betty turned to look at Bruce, her gaze then returning to look at everyone. She just smiled. “I can live with that.”

Notes