Pepper put up with a lot of Tony's irritating obsessions. Quantum physics? It was a bit necessary when dating a philanthropist. But it got annoying when he'd shout, "Helium! It needs more helium!" instead of her name during sex.

Shopping? Of course she put up with that; she was a shopaholic herself. But her idea of a rather outlandish purchase was a $900 pair of Jimmie Choos. Tony's idea of an average purchase was an Italian sports car that would just end up in storage.

Then, of course, there was porn. Tony had no shame in his racy obsession; he didn't even try to hide it from her. Pepper only hoped he would never get his hands on the adult film she had shot to pay for her third year of university.

But, aside from the obvious, Tony's most annoying obsession was with horror films. Had he not inherited Stark Industries from Howard, he probably would have breezed through film school and become a director that could rival Spielberg. But, this particular obsession Pepper had known nothing about. She'd had to learn about it the hard way.

The very hard way.

It was late. Pepper had stayed at the office to finish up some paperwork that seemed to be taking forever, as most usually did in this company. It wasn't like Tony was much help...

The phone rang.

Furrowing her brow, Pepper reached to answer it. There shouldn't be any calls being forwarded to her office now; it was far too late. First they had to reach her assistant, Ginny, who would put them through to her.

Ginny went home nearly four hours ago; the entire building was deserted.

"Stark Industries, CEO's office," Pepper stated formally when she answered.

"Hello?"

The voice was unfamiliar; a new client whom she had yet to speak to, perhaps? It had a husky tone, and seemed slightly hushed.

"Who is this?" Pepper asked with a frown, glancing at the glass office door. The corridor beyond it was dark, void and empty.

"Who is this?" the man echoed, and Pepper shifted in her seat nervously, absentmindedly reaching out for the ferris wheel-like ornament that irritated Tony so much.

"Sir, I think you have the wrong number," she stated as she picked up the heavy object, still baffled at how the call even managed to get through to her office phone.

"I must," he said, and the coolness of his voice only seemed to make Pepper even more nervous.

"Well, no harm done," she insisted, managing to keep her voice even as she hung up the phone before the strange man could get another word in.

Just as she began to go back to her work and forget about the incident, the phone rang again, and she jumped, releasing a quiet cry. Swallowing roughly, she said to herself that she just wouldn't answer, but the phone persistently kept ringing, leaving her no choice but to pick up. She'd go crazy with fear otherwise.

"Hello…?"

"It's rude to hang up on someone. You should know better, Miss Potts."

Squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched her makeshift weapon, Pepper shook her head. "What do you want? How do you know my name? Who gave you this number?"

The chilling voice laughed, and Pepper clenched her jaw. Who was this person?

"I want to talk, Virginia. Won't you talk to me?"

"No," she choked out, "I'm a very busy woman-"

"Come on; don't you want to play my game?"

"No!" she snapped, shaking her head. "I've had enough of this! Go harass someone else!"

She moved to hang up the phone, and jumped when she heard the man shouting.

"You hang up that phone and it will be the last thing you do, you little bitch! I'll cut you like a fish!"

Her hand shaking as she gripped it, she slowly brought it back to her ear, shaking her head as terrified anger built within her. "Listen here, asshole; I don't know what you're playing at, but my boyfriend happens to be Iron Man. When I tell him what you did, he'll trace this call and kick the shit out of you!"

Most people would have hung up. The voice just laughed yet again, bitter and cold. "How will he trace the call if there's no one to tell him it happened?"

Pepper's face turned about three shades paler. "What…?"

"You see, Miss Potts; my game is a very important one. Call it… advanced Trivial Pursuit. Answer correctly and you move on. Answer incorrectly… you die."

Jumping to her feet at his startling words, the dainty woman lost her grip on the ornament and it fell to the floor with a clatter of steel and wire.

"No… leave me alone, you psychopath!" she whimpered, buzzing for building security. It was no good; the system was offline.

"Having some trouble calling for help?" the cruel voice purred, and Pepper cussed.

"What do you want? Money, Stark blueprints, revenge?"

"Your blood," he stated darkly and Pepper glanced toward the window as she shook with fear.

"You can't escape through that window, Virginia; it's a fifty story drop."

Pepper froze, clutching the phone more tightly to her ear. "How did you know I was looking at the window…?"

"Oh, simple Virginia; you're a smart woman. I'd have thought it was obvious…" He was quiet for a moment before he muttered menacingly, "I know because I'm looking at you now."

Uncertain of what else to do, Pepper dashed across the room and turned the polished silver lock, quickly backing away again, terrified of how close this insane man really was.

"How did you get in here? Where the hell is Happy?"

"You mean Harold Hogan?" the voice asked as Pepper shut her crystal-like blue eyes, dreading the answer she would receive. Happy would never let anyone get so close to her; he had to be hurt, or worse. "What is it with your boyfriend and nicknames, huh?"

"Where is he?" Pepper shrieked with her nerves completely shot; bad things had happened to her since she started working for Tony, many of them involving psychos like this guy. But none of them had ever managed to take things so far before…

The voice just laughed in that same cold tone. "Who, Pepper? Harold… or Tony?"

Pepper's eyes snapped open at his words.

"What in God's name did you do to Tony?" she choked out almost angrily, and he emitted another chuckle. What the fuck was so funny?

"Oh; nothing… yet. His fate depends on how well you play the game, Virginia."

"How do I know he's even with you?" Pepper snapped, and her head jerked up when the lights in the hallway flicked on.

"Look for yourself."

Slowly, Pepper approached the glass door and barely contained her cry when she saw Tony Stark, her Tony, tied to a chair at the end of the hall; too far away for her to reach fast enough to free him and escape. Horror sank into the pit of her stomach at the sobering realization.

"Ready to play my little game now, Virginia?"

"You're sick…" she choked out. If she refused to play, she would die. So would Tony, most likely. Who this mystery man would kill first was the question. Who was he? How did he manage to capture Tony Stark?

"Fine," she said finally, knowing it was their only, slim, chance. "Fine, I'll play your stupid game. Just don't hurt him…"

"Well, that depends on how well you answer. Tell me, Virginia; do you like… scary movies?"

Swallowing harshly, Pepper bit back tears and shook her head. "No…"

The voice over the phone tutted; "I pity poor Anthony, then. You won't be very good at this game…"

Pressing her fingertips to the glass of the door, tears flooded Pepper's blue eyes as they met Tony's wide brown ones. He looked positively panicked, and Pepper was on the verge of a breakdown. She'd never had one of those before; she was too composed…

"Please…" she sobbed. "Please, just don't hurt him… He's all I have…"

"Question number one," the voice said smugly, ignoring her hysteria, "who was the killer in Nightmare on Elm Street?"

Taking a shaky breath to clear her head, Pepper wracked her brain for the answer. She should know this; it was a classic, even if she didn't watch horror movies. "Freddy Krueger…"

"Very good, Virginia," the voice praised, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to do her much good. "Question number two; what was used for fake blood in Psycho?"

"Chocolate syrup!" Pepper cried, choking back sobs. She knew this. "It was chocolate syrup…! The movie was black and white, so viewers couldn't tell the difference between the color of the chocolate and blood!"

"Yes!" the voice said harshly, and Pepper cried harder when his voice was nearly a cackle. He knew she couldn't keep this up forever… "Final question…"

Pepper sagged with relief. They would be okay…

"How many knives were on the glove of Freddy Krueger?"

"Five!" she said with a whimper, reaching for the door lock. It had to be five… what else could it be? Oh, God, what if it wasn't…? "It was five…! Right…?"

The silence on the other end made Pepper's heart stop. No, no, no…

"Wrong answer…"

Screaming, Pepper fell to her knees in a mass of hysterical sobs when a masked, cloaked figure darted out from one of the offices and slashed at Tony's stomach. Blood began to seep through his white shirt, and he gave her a last helpless look before his head lolled forward.

"No…!" she screeched, trembling with horror. That didn't happen… Tony wasn't… he wasn't… wasn't… "Tony…!"

The cry of his name caught in her throat when the man turned to face her, its terrifying white, ghostly mask the only thing she could focus on as her fight or flight instincts took over.

"No…" she whimpered as she leapt to her feet when it started toward her. Shaking violently, she stumbled back across the office and began searching desperately through the desk for the object that had awarded her the name she bore so proudly;

Pepper spray. Pepper Potts wasn't going to let the urge to take flight win out; she wasn't going to go down without a fight. This motherfucker would pay for killing the only person she had…

Panicking with anger when she heard the door being rattled, Pepper shook her head and searched more frantically. "No, no, no; it has to be here…"

She didn't remember when she'd dropped the phone. Probably when she'd saw this fiend slice the man she loved open. A scream escaped her when the glass door shattered and she saw the phone skid across the floor as the demonic figure burst in. She thanked God when her fingers found the little yellow canister at just the right moment.

"Pepper…" the husky voice muttered, and her blue eyes narrowed as he removed his mask that mirrored Edvard Munch's The Scream.

"Pepper spray, asshole!"

"Happy Hallow- argharhh…!"

The playful greeting was cut off with an infuriated howl as her attacker's eyes burned, and Pepper grinned victoriously.

"You messed with the wrong CEO," she stated as she kicked the knife away, frowning in confusion when the blade bent like rubber. A fake…? But she'd seen him kill Tony with it… There was blood…

Her eyes snapped back down to the man who was howling on the floor, turning pale when his howls turned into deep, monstrous growls and his flesh began to ripple.

"Bruce…?"

Out in the hallway, Tony's head snapped back up at all the shouting that could be heard in the office, and he fought to break the binds keeping him in the chair.

Banner hulking out wasn't a part of their ultimate Halloween prank.

And he couldn't get free to stop it.

"Fucking hell… Pepper!"

… . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . …

Note: Anything that seems familiar in this fic was taken from the Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson movie Scream; this is why I shouldn't be allowed to watch horror movies in my spare time. Unless, of course, you liked it; then, I guess, it was a good thing! I plan on continuing this soon, so please leave a review with your thoughts!