Tony's POV

We arrived back at the tower and quickly headed inside leaving the agents to do all of the unloading. I had a task in mind, something that had been bugging me for quite some time. Immediately detaching myself from our injured and hobbling group I headed to the lab. My equipment was polished and ready to be used waiting for me to set to work. Sitting down in my wheely chair I drummed my fingers on my desk. What to do? How to proceed? Finally deciding I reached into my pocket producing the lighter I had taken. Resting it on my desk I stared at it's polished surface. We need a clue. Something to figure out who's been messing with us. First the box, then the security breech, now the fire, and the gigantic burning X.

"Jarvis can you scan this for finger prints?" I asked picking up the lighter and scanning it into the computer.

"Sure thing sir." With that I pushed myself across the lab and grabbed one of my tablets before rolling back to my desk. Clicking a few keys I activated the tablet which was also connected to Jarvis, well Jarvis 2.0, since Ultron decided to be an ass and kill my original Jarvis.

"Jarvis give me an aerial view of the woods we visited." I clicked another button activating a probe. It was small with a camera and different gadgets. Steve had insisted on me making a probe that could travel for miles and observe the landscape so we knew what we were dealing with in a fight. Of course the only reason he wanted this was because I may have accidentally told him that the terrain should be flat. Instead he had to climb an entire mountain to get to his designated post, oops.

"The probe is ready and on its way sir." It would take the thing a few hours to get to Russia. Did I mention it was able to fly at the speed of a jet?

"Alright thanks Jarvis. How's the scan?" I asked pulling up a holographic image of the lighter.

"There are two sets of fingertips sir. They belong to Tony Stark and Thor Odinson." What? That didn't make any sense. There should have been a third set. Somebody had to have used the lighter.

"Jarvis can you estimate how many times this lighter was used?" I asked. There was a pause as he calculated.

"Approximately twice sir." Okay that made sense. I used it once and the Fire-Happy-Town-Burner must have used it once as well.

" Can you tell me the location where it was bought?"

"It was not bought sir. This is a custom build. It does not register with any other information I have in my data banks." Okay not helpful.

"Can you tell me what the difference is?" I rotated the lighter before pulling up images of others. They looked the same to me.

"The insides sir run on a complicated circuit. Some lighters use batteries others don't but this allows the flame to grow larger if need be and increase with intensity or heat. Most lighters have a small burning flame and stay around one temperature." So there was no way I could trace this person at all? No there had to be something. I was deep in thought when I heard the rapping of knuckles on wood. Turning in my chair I was faced with Natasha leaning casually against the door frame.

"Watcha doing Stark?" I sighed running a hand down my face.

"Trying to figure out what asshole started this fire." Picking up the lighter I tossed it to her which she caught with a single swift motion. "Thor, Steve, and I found it. Jarvis can't find any finger prints and we can't trace who bought it and where-" She cut me off finishing my sentence.

"Because it's custom." She studied it flipping it on and off a few times the flame shooting out seeming eager to catch something in its heated grasp. "Have you tried searching the scene?"

"I sent the probe, it should be there by tonight. I just don't think I can wait that long." I leaned back in my chair resting my feet on my desk not sure how to quell my boredom.

"I didn't come here to see what you were doing. I wanted to thank you actually, I can't believe I'm doing this, for saving my life." She said wincing at her words. It wasn't just awkward for her it was for me as well. Our friendship wasn't supposed to work like this. I stood up walking over and wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"You're very welcome little Natasha." I cooed. She groaned pushing me away though I could tell she was glad I had done something we were both used to, teasing one another. She stuck out her hand in a stiff gesture. I took it giving a firm shake.

"Thanks again, oh and don't hug me like that ever again." She said with a mature tone. Though she winked before leaving and I couldn't help but smile. She was a piece of work that was for sure. Needing something to do for the rest of the day I began repairs on my suit when I heard another knock on my door.

"Whatever happened I didn't do it." I called not bothering to look back and see who it was.

"Well that's not what I was expecting. I thought you'd be happier to see me." Pepper! Spinning around I tossed aside my screw driver and skipped over to her. Wrapping my arms around her I pulled her into a kiss. It lasted longer than expected and when we pulled apart I couldn't keep the smile off of my face.

"Boy am I glad to see you! You aren't even supposed to be back yet." She rolled her eyes walking over to my suit and doing a full circle around it.

"Well when I heard there was fire involved I figured I should probably leave early." She teased picking up a rag and rubbing a soot covered spot.

"I see. You do care about me." I said with a smirk.

"Well, you do need someone to look after you." Raising an eyebrow I wrapped my arms around her waist resting my chin on her head.

"I guess I got the best person for the job." She laughed turning and pecking me on the cheek. Glancing up at my suit I caught sight of Clint rushing down the hall towards us. This is going to be good.

"Hey Pepper welcome back, Tony Fury wants you and Steve he says it's important." I groaned leaving Pepper alone and shuffling down the hall. Why do I,have to go? Why can't I just stay with Pepper? Why can't I be Happy Tony?

Entering Fury's office I took my seat next to Steve who was drumming his fingers lightly on his leg. Fury sat across from us with his usual stony expression and that creepy eye patch. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"Are we going to sit here in silence or are we actually going to talk?" I asked wanting to get back to what I was doing before I came here.

" Yes, as you may know the incident in Russia was very extreme. Thor took the liberty of filling me in on your discoveries. It is clear to see that this fire was started by human hand. I have also been informed that you, Tony, have started searching for evidence. I have also sent out a team to investigate, something tells me this is important." Fury said with an authoritative tone clasping his hands together.

"No really, you couldn't tell by the fact that some guy wanted to burn all of us into a pile of ashes?" Was my reply. Clearly we weren't getting anywhere.

" I've done some thinking. None of this is sporadic, it's all planned, it's all organized. The box, the security over ride, the fire, the X. It makes me nervous." Steve said his eyebrows pulling together.

"Exactly why I called both of you here." Fury noted looking at each of us in turn. "If such events like this keep happening I will have to make a serious decision. We don't yet have enough information to make any moves against the people doing this. If such events keep happening I will be sending you away while the team and I continue to work on the case."

"What?" Steve and I said in unison jumping up from our chairs.

"I don't want any arguing. We are not prepared and I will not take unnecessary risks. I have arranged a place for you to stay if need be. You will continue with tomorrow's plan and investigate further but if things go awry note that my decision will be final." He has to be kidding. We can't just not do anything, we have some lunatic out there who is tormenting us, possibly little girls, and likes to start raging forest fires.

"You may go now." Fury informed waving us out the door. I glared at him making it clear I wasn't happy. Steve stomped down the hall in quiet anger, man he had great self control, while I headed back to the lab. Once inside I noticed Natasha scribbling furiously on a white board. The blue box was open with its contents resting on a table.
She was completely oblivious to my entrance.

"What are you doing?" I asked making her jump. She glared at me from over her shoulder before turning back to her work.

"I'm organizing my thoughts. I figured I might as well do some of my own thinking, after all I can't let you get all of the credit." Was the only response I got. Walking over I observed what she had written. A series of dates were scrolled on one side of the whiteboard with the event that matched the date.

Nov. 15; German base infiltration and interogating

Nov.17; Computer Override

Nov.18; Fire

Nov.18; X

After that was how much time had passed between each incident.

2 Days

1 Day

1 Day

On the other side was a picture of the X that one of the agents had probably sent her with the number of places the person had set the X on fire.

Number of times lit; 8

The fire hadn't been lit in eight places. Maybe a few of the agents had found other lighters while we were exploring, that or there were significant markings indicating the start of the flames. I watched as she circled a few things in an article that was taped to the whiteboard as well. Looking I realised it was key words or dates.

The incidents occurred;

January
March
July
August

Total Taken ; 13

Some of the key words included;

Missing
Russia
Unknown
Unsolved Case

"Are you going to explain what all of this means?" I asked as she studied the board before drawing again.

"Shut up." Was the only response I received as she began to rearrange the numbers on the board whether it be a date or a total.

I watched as different combinations were put together and after each one she erased it with a shake of the head.
Mumbling to herself she stepped back resting the end of the marker against her chin eyes flicking across the board. With a glance at the article she started writing again though she had crossed off one of the numbers, the second one.

2813X was written on the board and I frowned not understanding what this meant at all.

"Okay what on earth does that mean?" I looked to her for a reply but she was frozen in place her eyes glassy and the marker in her hand slipped from her fingers landing on the floor with an echoing crack. "Natasha? Red?"

She didn't move and I felt a sense of dread come over me. What do I do? What even happened? I searched frantically around for something anything to help but even if I found something what could I use it for?

"Tony, there you are." I turned around giving Pepper a pleading look.

"Get Clint, get anyone I don't know what happened!" She frowned a look of concern etched in her face as she stepped around me to see Natasha frozen in place.

"Oh God." She whispered. "You didn't tell me it was this bad!"

"I didn't think it was I thought the box thing was a fluke!" I called rushing out of the room and weaving through the corridors. I had told Pepper about the recent events that had occured over the phone I guess she got to witness this one. My pulse pounded and I could hear it as I ran. Clint, he should know what to do, find Clint. I paused in front of his door slamming my fist against it.

"Emergency!" I yelled as loud as I could. Sometimes he didn't hear things. Moments later he whipped the door open and without waiting for a response I hurried back to the lab and I could hear his footsteps behind me. Arriving he looked around for the problem before he noticed Natasha staring blankly at the board. Hurrying forward he studied the same series of numbers that I had his lips turned down in a frown. He was thinking but it seemed he didn't understand. Turning his attention to Natasha he waved a hand in front of her face. She didn't even blink.

"Crap." He searched for something as I had done.

"What do you need?" I inquired wanting to help.

"Give me something that will cause mild pain." He said rummaging through my gadgets and throwing some to the side.

"What?" Pepper cried appalled at the idea. "Are you going to torture her back to reality?"

"Look this has happened a few times before. If I remember correctly the last two times I was able to get to her once by shocking her with a small electric current, the other was poking her with a safety pin, and before you judge me we were in the middle of a mission both times and it was the only thing I could think of. Besides it was years ago." Clint tossed aside another tool.

"Yeah, okay mild electric current." I headed over to my desk pulling open drawers and rifling through them. By now a few of the others had arrived. Clint started relaying the information with as little words as possible.

"This would be a lot easier if you were organized Tony." Scarlett and Steve informed me.

"Well she was being organized and look what happened." I said gesturing at the still frozen Natasha. We spent the next several minutes desperately trying to find something before I found it. Grabbing the small tool I flipped on the switch and it hummed to life an electric current pulsing through it. "I've got something."

Everyone stopped what they were doing as I walked over towards her pressing the tool against her back. Immediately she dropped to the ground Clint had to lunge to catch her head.

"Shit!" I yelled while she shivered the current running through her body.

"That can't be healthy." Pepper whispered as we all waited in silence. A minute or so later the agonizing wait ended as she sat bolt upright almost hitting Clint in the nose with her head. I let out a relieved sigh.

"You gave us a scare Red." I laughed nervously.

"Get Fury." She ordered. No one moved looking confused. "Get Fury!"

Steve turned hurrying out the door his shoes squeaking on the tile. Clint helped Natasha get to her feet but I realized her hands were shaking despite her cool appearance. Steve and Fury entered moments later followed by Maria. Nat pointed a finger at the same series of numbers that had been puzzling everyone.

" Do you remember this number?" She half yelled. I looked to Fury knowing that he had some understanding of what was going on. He set his lips in a thin line and the two seemed to have a silent battle.

"Yes." He said with a nod. Leaving the rest of us with puzzled expressions.

"Then you know who's doing this." She stated. Again he nodded but this time looked at me ,Clint, and Steve his gaze as icy as his voice.

"Clint, I think it's time you made those changes I suggested."