"Multiple Incoming! On our six!"
The private jet, Stark One, banked hard and Virginia "Pepper" Potts tried to keep her wine from spilling. She grabbed the armrest to keep from sailing out of her seat, which sat opposite of Tony Stark's vacant seat. Tony had headed for the rear of the cabin at the first sign of trouble and things had only grown worse in the dozen-or-so seconds that followed.
The jet banked again and Pepper's tablet went flying. She found herself hoping it wouldn't break; she hadn't saved her work for a few minutes. Luckily, the shareholder presentation itself would have been backed-up to the cloud via the jet's wireless.
Pepper downed the rest of her wine in a single, long gulp just so she wouldn't have to worry about spilling it. "Tony?"
She heard no response from the rear cabin. The jet banked again, this time in the opposite direction. Pepper clung to the armrest with both hands, and then started to fumble with the seatbelt as soon as the plane evened out again.
"Flares away! Chaff away! Countermeasures ineffective, Mr. Stark. Jamming radar ... they-they're still on us, closing fast. I can't lose them."
A chute ... do I need a chute? Pepper wondered. She knew the auto-chutes were stored towards the rear of the plane, and she knew roughly where, but it had been a long time since the pilot had shown her how to use one. It seemed to be a simple process, though. Just buckle it on and activate; the rest was automated, able to sense altitude and air pressure, auto-guiding descent and so forth.
The plane banked and then climbed hard, almost pitching her out of her seat. She ruled the chute out, knowing the seatbelt was the best option for now. Besides, the seat probably had a chute built in-and Tony would deal with, well, whatever was going on. Some kind of attack; that was all she knew. He kept a spare suit in the rear cabin, where he had disappeared to, just for this sort of problem.
"Stark One, this is Iron Man. Dive. Get low. Now. There's too many of them. I can't-"
"Roger."
Oh, great, she thought. Her hands fumbled with the buckle-she almost had it-as the plane bucked like an old jalopy racing down a hardscrabble country road.
"No!"
Suddenly, Pepper found herself airborne, tumbling toward the back of the cabin while the plane dove hard. She tensed up for the impact, but it never came. Instead, there was sound like a car crash, full of thunder and twisting, screeching metal. The sound of roaring wind filled her ears and a massive blast of air sent her rocketing through the open sky. Breath escaped her lungs and pain pierced her ears from the sudden decompression. Her vision went all white for a second then returned to show her a kaleidoscope of clouds and water, twirling and spinning like a top. Sparklers popped in front of her vision, but she had to close her eyes from the wind stinging her eyes.
Okay, stay calm. Tony's in the air. Any second now, those titanium and carbon-fiber arms will wrap around me, and Iron Man will whisk me off to solid ground.
She waited.
After several pounding heartbeats, she opened her eyes, seeking the reassuring red and gold colors-the blue-white repulsor trails. Instead, she saw only debris, a scattered jigsaw puzzle of pieces that should have been the private jet. An aluminum bulkhead with the plane's numbers printed in black tumbled nearby. All around her, streamers of flame and oily, black smoke marked the falling remains of the jet. She saw the nose section further away and wondered if the pilot had managed to eject. The jet had ejection seats for the pilot, right?
She had just begun forcing herself to breathe again when she saw the flash of red among the debris. Iron Man was tumbling head over heels through the air. The tail section smashed into him and reversed his spin, but he didn't move.
Pepper's heart leapt in her chest. She tried to scream, but breathing alone took all of her effort in the rushing wind.
Then she heard a familiar but strangely alien tone in her ear.
"Miss Potts, this is Jarvis. Forgive the intrusion; I've accessed your Bluetooth device."
"Jarvis?" She shouted over the rushing wind of freefall. She cupped her hand over the earpiece. "Uh ... help?"
"I am trying to do so, Miss Potts. Please remain calm."
"Tony-is he?"
"Mr. Stark is alive, but his vitals are below the critical threshold. SHIELD and the Avengers have been alerted by automated systems. They are aware of your position."
"Okay," Pepper shouted. "Great? But I'm falling. I don't think they'll be here fast enough."
"I'm afraid you are correct, Miss Potts. I have only one solution to offer. Shall I activate the Pepper Protocol?"
"The ... what?" The clouds shot past her now, blurs of white. The air grew wetter and mist stung her face, which she tried to shield with her arms.
"The Pepper Protocol, Ma'am. Mr. Stark prepared it for certain emergencies."
"Oh," Pepper said. "Okay, then. Do it. Whatever it is, just do it. Activate the Pepper Protocol."
Falling debris from the crash suddenly flared to life around her. She recognized the blue pulse of repulsor technology as half a dozen blue streaks shot towards her from an exploding compartment among the jet's debris field. She screamed and tried to twist away from them, but they just twisted, turned, and rolled around themselves in response, coming right at her.
Just a heartbeat before the first one struck, it burst open. The casing fell away, and a silver-pink spidery machine wrapped around her leg. She shrieked and shook her leg, even as more of the tiny missiles exploded and more spider-machines attached to her. They began to crawl over her body. Even with all the wind and screaming she could hear the tiny clicks and whirs. Once or twice, she felt a pinprick or a pinch, but other than that, they were surprisingly gentle.
The first spider hugged her waist, extending legs around her hips like a belt. Silver and pink plates unfolded and snapped into place, forming into a thin belt that hugger her waist. Another attached to her chest, sending out similar plates, these thicker. One after another, they wrapped themselves around her arms, legs, shoulders, neck, and head. Finally, blackness enveloped her face and she heard only silence. She couldn't feel the newly formed armor around her body, but she suddenly felt weightless and surrounded by nothingness on all sides. She had no sense of falling.
Oh, Tony, she thought. Oh, Tony ... you didn't.
A blue light flickered in her sight, just inches from her eyes. It blinked. Then it blinked again. Suddenly there was light all around her. A pixilated image resolved into green water with little white crests topping the waves. A dark green blob surrounded by white foam marked an island, which grew ever larger in her vision.
White text flared to life with a little white line pointing at the island. It printed a name and GPS coordinates, but she didn't pause to read them. More information was flickering to life all around her, scrolling into view when she turned her head to look at it, including mundane things like temperature and air pressure.
"Iron Maiden Mark I online, Ma'am," Jarvis said. His voice now came from all around her in rich 3D surround-sound.
"Iron Mai-"
A blaring sound of electric guitars and pounding drums deafened her.
"Jarvis, what is that?"
"I'm very sorry, Miss Potts, but Mr. Stark insisted. I'm afraid that is your theme song. Or rather, the Iron Maiden armor's theme song. It is Aces High, by the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. I believe you're supposed to think it is clever."
"Just, please, mute it?"
"Of course."
Silence followed. It felt eerie to know she was falling, but she heard and felt no wind now. She breathed, aware that regulated, pressurized air was coming from somewhere.
"Jarvis?"
"Yes, Miss Potts."
"How do I fly? I can fly, right?"
"Yes, Miss Potts. The Iron Maiden has most of the capabilities of the Iron Man series, except that its design is primarily defensive. To fire the repulsor rockets, aim your hands or feet and flex the appendage's muscles. The suit will read the electrical pulses in your muscles and nerves and respond with thrust equal to the strength of your flex."
Pepper extended both arms downward, toward the now-large island rushing up at her. She spread her fingers and flexed her hand muscles hard. She felt faint pressure against her hands and her descent slowed, but now she was toppling head over heels. She extended her hands and gave a tiny flex. The suit responded.
She had to try a few more times before she had stabilized herself and then flexed her feet and toe muscles. She achieved an unsteady form of hovering.
"Very good. Now, if I may, even with the Iron Man armor attached, a fall from this height is still likely to be traumatic for Mr. Stark in his wounded state."
She looked down and the image before her zoomed in on Tony, dead falling towards the water in a slow spin.
"Oh!" Pepper cried.
Acting on instinct, she jackknifed in mid air, thrust her arms out behind her, and flexed arm and leg muscles. She shot towards the blip on the screen in front of her, still unsteady, but drawing closer at nerve-wracking speed. She wanted to slow down, but Tony was nearing the water. When she was almost to him, she put both arms forward, and fired a rocket-pulse to slow herself enough. She grabbed him with the other hand, surprised at how the suit sent pressure signals into her hand so that it felt as if she was holding him with her flesh hand rather than some pink and silver mechanical hand.
Pink? Tony knows I hate pink.
She pulsed again, slowing her descent even more. Soon her legs were below her and the combination of one hand and both legs let her hover, Iron Man held firmly by the other hand. She leaned towards the island and flexed a little more, content to just drift upright in that direction until she was over the beach.
Before she descended, she saw a dark blip on the horizon.
"What is that?"
The visor zoomed in and showed her a black rubber skiff skipping across the waves at top speed towards her location. She could see several dark-clad men in the boat. Details were blurring even with the zoom, but they looked bulky.
"Are they friendly?"
"Unknown, but I would not recommend any assumptions until SHIELD or the Avengers arrive."
"Good idea."
"SHIELD-have they contacted us."
"Yes, Miss Potts. SHIELD agents will arrive shortly. Director Fury has been apprised of the situation and is monitoring."
"Good. I don't feel quite so worried about the boat people then."
"Indeed."
She was close enough to the beach now to release the Iron Man suit and let Tony flop into the coarse gray sand. Then she managed a crude landing next to him. White and gray rocks littered the beach, leading up to a pine tree line. They were somewhere in the northern Atlantic ocean. Gray-green waves broke into white foam and washed dark green, tan, and brown seaweed, along with the remnants of Tony's private jet, ashore.
She knelt beside Tony. Information about his systems popped up all over her vision, but she didn't understand any of it.
"Is he going to be alright?" she asked.
"Unknown. His vitals are low and falling. The Iron Man armor will, of course, try to keep him alive with automated, but limited, first aid systems. It has administered pain medication and stabilizing agents. The ARC reactor is keeping his heart beating, and oxygen levels have been increased; however, he will need professional medical attention soon."
"Does shield have EMTs on that jet?"
"Yes."
"Okay, good. Open my visor."
Her visor hissed and slid open. She felt a rush of cool air. It invigorated her as it filtered into her lungs. The air smelled salty and felt wet.
"Hang on," she whispered to Tony. "Hear me?"
She put a hand on his chest, feeling the slight sense of pressure through her gloves.
"Jarvis," she said. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I am afraid not, Miss Potts; however, the men in the boat have beached. They are headed this way."
"Great," she sighed. "Tell SHIELD to hurry, just in case."
"I will do that, Ma'am."
Still kneeling, she looked out over the beach. She could make out the men now, rounding the corner into site far down the beach. They would have to cross a small inlet before they reached her.
She tilted her head forward and the visor snapped closed. She could feel the pressure in her eyes as it sealed and filled with processed air. The smell of the ocean was gone, replaced by a faint sterile-metallic scent.
The suit zoomed in and began marking weapons and defense systems. The men were clad in military gear, all with formidability to it that was hard to ignore.
"They are not wearing identifying patches, but some of their technology is reminiscent of the latest Latverian designs. They could be Victor von Doom's men acting covertly. If they are, they are far from their jurisdiction."
"Okay, you said this suit was a defensive design?"
"That is correct?"
"Why don't you tell me about that."
"The Iron Maiden Mark I armor uses the latest alloys and composite plating, as well as a full array of tracking countermeasures. Anti-tank and anti-personnel weapons were removed in favor of non-lethal weapons, such as gas and taser armaments. The suit also employs the latest prototype repulsor shield technology."
"Oh, repulsor shields? That sounds promising. Tell me about that one."
"Repulsor shield technology uses your suits repulsor emitters to generate a spherical shield around the armor that can withstand most attacks. The current prototype could withstand a small tactical nuclear strike, in theory."
"In theory? Tony hasn't tested this has he?"
"Well, no, Miss Potts. Older series of repulsor shields have seen extensive field use though. Nuclear testing is forbidden by current United Nations treaties."
"And Tony cares about that?"
"I believe he simply didn't have time to test its upper limits yet."
"Damn it, Tony. I tell him to test these things, but does he? Okay, I want that one. Do that ... thing you just said."
"You will need to extend your hands to the sides."
She stretched her arms out to either side, palms out, fingers splayed.
She noted a static buzz and a faint vibration in the air. The image of the soldiers, which were now around the inlet and drawing close, blurred and wavered. Her heart rate began to increase.
"Is that it? Is it on?"
"It is, Miss Potts. Shall I extend the shield to include Mr. Stark? It will drain the armor's energy reserves quicker."
"Yes, do that. Extend it. How long will it last?"
"Only a few minutes, I'm afraid. Ideally, your armor is for emergency, short-term use only. The SHIELD jet may not arrive before your armor's reserves are too low to sustain the repulsor shield if you protect Tony as well."
"Okay then, we'll have to meet them mid-air. Can you link with SHIELD and give me a direction to the jet?"
"That may not be advisable. I am detecting a ship a few miles out. It is using stealth technology and carries advanced anti-aircraft weapons that may be beyond the Iron Maiden's capacity to defend. The repulsor shield cannot be used in flight; however, the suits countermeasures may be enough to keep them from locking on. They have not been tested against Dr. Doom's technology, though."
"What about the jet?"
"The jet has been notified," Jarvis said. "It will need to await reinforcements before approaching the island."
She heard a static snap. The men had fired a couple shots at her, but the shield seemed to be holding. They were jogging up to her.
Pepper looked around.
"The water?" she asked.
"Both suits can operate underwater for a limited time; however, the shield's harmonics break down in water. You will have reduced defensive capability, but water itself will act as a sufficient shield as long as they don't have heavy depth charges."
Pepper sighed. A ship like that probably would have depth charges. She couldn't risk it. If she could just hold out long enough, SHIELD would deal with the ship and the men on the beach.
She looked down at Tony.
"Tony still holding on?"
If he dies, she thought. Survival ... just wouldn't be that important anymore. No, no that's not true. I have to keep the Iron Man technology out of Victor von Doom's hands. That man could conquer earth with Tony's technology. He's already close to it, as is. It would only take a year or so for him to outstrip the rest of the planet in an arms race. I couldn't live with myself knowing I had let that happen.
The men slowed as they finally reached her position. The man in the lead reached up to his ear. "We found them, but there is two, Sir." His accent was thick northern European.
There was a pause.
"Yes, I said two, Sir. The Iron Man, and-" He shook his head.
"Iron Maiden," Pepper said. That armor's designation wouldn't be a big secret.
The man reached his hand back up to his ear, then paused. "Wait, this is joke?"
She shook her head. "It wasn't my idea. I'm sure legal is going to hate him for this."
"Sir," the leader said. "It is a woman, and, uh, she is calling herself the Iron Maiden. She appears to be wearing suit with the same technology as Stark. Some sort of force shield technology protects them both. Our weapons cannot penetrate. Orders?"
Another pause, then the man nods.
"He says to wear down the shields and then capture them both."
The other men nodded and then leveled their weapons at Pepper. The shield buzzed, cracked, and snapped as they unleashed a volley of fire. They paused to see if it had any effect, and then resumed firing.
"Their weapons are quite powerful," Jarvis said. "Each shot will reduce the energy level of the suit just a little, reducing your energy levels."
"Will our armors survive their weapons after that?"
"For a time. They will likely have other means of capturing you at that point."
She was running low on options. "Come on, Tony," she whispered. "I need you. Wake up. Jarvis, what about the Avengers?"
"They have been alerted; however, Thor is the only Avenger capable of reaching you in time, and he is currently off-world. Directory Fury is attempting to make contact-he has spoken with Odin, Thor's Father. The repulsor shield will fail in approximately thirty seconds."
Her shoulders slumped. Odin the All-Father. "I bet that meeting went well."
"Directory Fury commented that they saw eye-to-eye."
That sounded like Nick.
"Okay, Jarvis you said the armor could hold out for a few seconds without the shield. The repulsors can be used as weapons, right? That's what Tony does, isn't it? Repulsor rays or something?"
"That is correct. They operate in a manner similar to using them for flight, except counter-jets will fire from the arm and back to keep you from flying backward. You should also brace yourself as best you can, for stability."
She nodded. Okay, this is it, she thought. This is your last option.
She glanced down at Iron Man. Sorry, Tony.
"Jarvis," she said. "Drop the shield."
The heard a faint electric tick and one of the weapons hit her. She felt a thump against her shoulder and fell back into the sand.
Crap!
She thrust her hands towards the men and flexed hard. She felt the shock against her hands and saw a flash of light, but nothing happened. She had missed. She moved her hands and noticed red circle-and-crosshairs move across her visor screen, then flash when they crossed over the men.
Several more shots thumped against her.
She flexed, hard. With a flash of light, the men were gone. She saw them a moment later, sailing back through the air, arms windmilling. She adjusted her aim and flexed again. Two more men flew through the air.
Wow. No wonder I could never talk Tony out of doing this stuff.
Another repulsor blast, and then another one, and she was alone on the beach, scrambling to get back to her feet.
"Well, that wasn't hard. I should have just done that-"
She heard a whistling sound from somewhere above her.
"Incoming artillery fire," Jarvis said.
Pepper cried out and crawled on top of Iron Man, throwing her arms wide. "Shields!"
The beach exploded around them with a thunderous sound, which her helmet seemed to filter down to non-eardrum-shattering levels for her, thankfully. She saw sand and smoke everywhere, even as she heard another whistling sound.
She clenched her teeth and kept her arms flexed. She knew now that the flexing part wasn't needed to sustain the shields, but she couldn't help it.
The beach exploded again.
"Shields are failing. Power levels minimal."
She clutched Tony tight. "Jarvis!" she screamed. "Does Tony's suit have shields?"
"It does, though it is an older series. It is not as durable as your suit's shield."
She moved into a straddling position over Tony, thinking only briefly about all the comments he would make right now, if he were conscious-and really wishing that, just this once, she could hear him make those comments. She wouldn't even slap him this time.
Another whistling sound. She grabbed his wrists and spread his arms wide. "Activate his shields, extend them around us."
"As you-" Sand and rock exploded all around. She felt a massive shockwave rock her, almost dislodging her from Tony. "-wish," Jarvis finished. "Ma'am, I'm afraid his shields cannot withstand the artillery. I'm having trouble reading the vessel, but it seems to be a fully armed, stealth battleship from the Latverian Navy."
She found herself marveling that Latveria even had a navy, being a landlocked nation. It must operate in secret, explaining the stealth technology.
"Does Tony's suit have any weapons we can use against it?"
"Not at this range, I'm afraid. Mr. Stark would need to operate at close range and systematically disable the vessel's systems. The anti-aircraft systems would pose a challenge, as well."
She didn't need to ask if SHIELD was being apprised of all this.
"Wait," she said. "Can I draw on Tony's battery? Can I power my suit with his suit?"
"It is possible, but the rate of power transfer would be too slow. You would need time to recharge between assaults."
Pepper thought for a moment. Her ears were ringing from all the noise despite the helmet's filters. She had the better shield, but Tony had the power to fuel it.
"What if we do that and then also sync our repulsor shields? His power, both of our shields, working in harmony?"
She heard the whistling sound.
There was a pause before Jarvis spoke. "That is possible. I cannot predict the precise results."
The beach erupted and rocked with another shell. Shale and sand rained down on her and Tony.
"Do it!"
A panel on her shoulder opened. A similar one on Iron Man's shoulder opened. She pulled a thick cable from the enclosure, which uncoiled in thick loops. She plugged it in to Tony's suit.
"I am attempting to synchronize the shield harmonics. This will take a moment since they are different models."
She heard the whistling sound above her, descending, growing louder.
"Hurry," she whispered. "Please."
Her heart was racing as she spread her arms out and lay down fully on top of Tony. Her palms were outward, hovering just inches from Tony's own hands. She wanted nothing more than to just hold his hands and make it all right, but she knew that would foil the repulsor shield technology.
The whistling grew louder. She pressed her helmet into his shoulder and closed her eyes.
She heard thunder, but it sounded more distant. She didn't feel the rock, shale, and sand pelt her this time.
"I believe I have it," Jarvis said. "I will need to optimize the harmonics for a few more minutes, but you should be able to withstand a continued assault now."
"How long will it last?"
"Quite some time. Mr. Stark's armor was fully charged. It also has more power than the Iron Maiden, since your armor was only designed to operate on an emergency basis. Even sustaining artillery blasts, the reserves should last until SHIELD is on scene."
Thank god. She could think that now that they were going to survive.
The beach continued to explode and erupt around her with regularity.
"Repulsor shield holding."
"Jarvis," Pepper said.
"Yes, Miss Potts."
"Play my theme song for me?"
There was a pause, as if she had actually managed to surprise the AI. "Of course, Miss Potts."
She continued to lie there, listening to the harsh music. It wasn't her thing, but it reminded her of Tony, and that reminder reassured her of Tony's capability. Even unconscious, he had come through for her once again.
A minute later, she heard the roar of multiple jets and rockets pass overhead, followed by explosions in the distance. More jets followed, and then another volley of missiles. Then she saw a gray and red streak.
"SHIELD has arrived, Ma'am. A squadron of jets has engaged the battleship, as well as long-range missiles launched from the SHIELD heli-carrier. Thor is also on the scene, engaging the battleship. I believe this will be a brief encounter."
She lowered her arms and wrapped them around Iron Man. She entwined her legs around one of his. "That's nice, Jarvis. Thank you. Thank you so much for your help."
A gust of wind kicked up sand around her. She looked up and saw Agent Coulson striding towards her, the wind from the SHIELD jet whipping his suit jacket and tie in all directions. A pair of EMTs was running up behind him.
She disentangled herself and rolled off Tony.
"You okay?" Coulson asked.
A peel of thunder shook the beach from the direction of the battleship, followed by the rolling sound of explosions.
Gazing up at Phil at a weird angle, she cocked her head. "Just save that man's life, Phil," she said. "So I can kill him later."
Agent Coulson nodded. "We'll do our best, Ma'am."
The Pepper Protocol, she thought. Oh, I'm so going to kill you for this, Tony Stark.