Hi everyone!
I was in misery waiting until I could see this film and I was NOT disappointed, as many of you probably agree. To convey my enormous appreciation for this fandom I present to you my first Avengers fanfiction.
Summary: the Arc Reactor can provide enough power to run a heart for fifteen lifetimes, or something big for fifteen minutes; the mechanical marvel that is the Iron Man suit.
But what could it achieve in a fraction of a moment?
The Paths We Tread
She gently placed a hand onto his shoulder.
He flinched slightly, but gave a weak smile as he looked up at her. Only then did he realise just how tired he was. He had been sitting hunched over for an hour and a half, elbows on knees with clasped hands between them. He straightened up and exhaled as his back muscles protested against the movement.
Peggy took a seat beside him, hair perfectly coifed and uniform sharp and impeccable, as per usual. Supporting an old colleague-slash-friend was the last thing she had expected to be doing when she departed on this trip to America. It was as if they were back in the same position they had been in back when Steve-
She stopped that particular train of thought. It didn't do to dwell on the past. She and Howard had been two of many people who mourned the loss of their Captain. She had been both surprised and touched by the extents to which Howard had gone to attempt to find him, scouring the ocean floor for almost a year. He never did. So they had moved on and pulled back some semblance of normalcy, as if the horrors of the war didn't still weigh heavily on their minds.
Howard had surprised her yet again, by getting married. She had met his wife, only once whilst visiting S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. She was one of the biological scientists, and had struck Peggy as kind, calm and measured, quite the opposite of her exuberant, snarky but well-meaning husband. However a wry spark in the woman's eyes told of a side that Howard had probably fallen for.
As for Peggy, her career had progressed and she was relatively stable and comfortable with her life. She had not ventured into any kind of relationship. She told herself that this had nothing to do with Steve, but that statement didn't soothe the ache in her chest whenever she thought about him. She realised that she could understand Howard's pain more than she first thought. And that she had just done what she had actively tried to avoid and gotten lost in her thoughts. She broached the air, now thick with tension.
"How is she?"
He ran his hands over his face exasperatedly. "They've been in there ever since she came in. Every time someone comes out all they do is tell me to wait. I've been doing nothing but wait. I just need to know."
"She'll pull through," Peggy assured him, "After all; she's got to be tough after having agreed to marry you."
She smiled half-heartedly, trying to lighten the situation, something she was no expert at. She was rewarded with a small grin, but that was all. She decided to approach by a different method.
"What happened?"
Howard had been in a board meeting. They were discussing the possibility of a partnership with another company. Several of the board members had been maintaining that an alliance would mean Stark Industries would have access to not only more and different resources, but new ideas. That they could diversify somewhat, and explore new territories in weapons manufacture. The idea held no appeal whatsoever for Howard. Their company was successful, profitable and probably the most advanced technologically. Their independence was what gave them such a stronghold. They were growing by the day, so an alliance would only be a liability.
Obadiah rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "It is an interesting option. They're offering thirty nine percent of their shares..."
Howard swivelled his sceptical gaze to rest on that of his business partner. He quirked an eyebrow. "In return for something in very particular from us, I expect."
"Well, the know-how behind the Manhattan project had been touched-"
"-No, Obie. That has nothing to do with Stark Industries as it is. They're fishing for something big, but I can tell you now they won't find it here," he ended the discussion before it begin and pushed up from the armrests of his chair, claiming the attention of the occupants of the vast boardroom.
"I have taken the proposal of an alliance into consideration," he said, "I have decided that it is in the best interests of this company and its workers and shareholders to decline this offer."
He paused to allow the fresh thrum of voices to dissipate before continuing, "I understand the possible benefits to the company in such a venture, but these are starkly outweighed by the possible pitfalls," he grinned inwardly at his unconscious name-dropping, "If I could throw up my own suggestion, we should concentrate on advancing our biotechnology department. There is still very much to discover in this particular field, which many of our rivals have yet to even consider. We should take advantage of this."
He walked behind his chair and slowly progressed to the front of the room whilst looking out to the board members, "Stark Industries should remain as it always has; pioneering, unique, at the forefront of discovery."
He was now standing in front of the large table, which stretched to the back of the room and faced a projector screen behind him. He slipped his hands into his pockets.
"But most of all, independent. Everything we've achieved to date-"
The door to the room, situated to his right, had been suddenly pushed open. His PA, Janet, leant into the room, gripping the handle. Her eyes were bright and cheeks flushed. It took a lot to get Janet so flustered.
"I'm very sorry to interrupt, sir, but there's an urgent message for you," she took a breath.
His brow furrowed and every gaze was fixed on them, some questioning, some worried.
"It's about your wife."
That was all it had taken. He all but ran from the room, leaving the meeting in Obadiah's more than capable hands.
Janet power walked to keep up with him and informed him of the news without him needing to ask, "I got a call from Agent Wainwright. Apparently some sort of explosion occurred in one of the biogenetics labs," she avoided directly naming S.H.I.E.L.D in public, something he was grateful for, he later realised.
"They're evacuating now, but they said she was at a workstation close to it. The medics haven't been able to fully assess her yet," she came to a stop in beside him in front of the elevator and looked him in the eyes, "But there's always a risk with pregnancy."
He nodded, "I want a car out by the time I reach the lobby. Tell them I'm coming."
She walked away quickly, carefully composed once more. Howard stepped into the elevator and tried to calm his racing heart as it descended, the familiar lurch in his stomach only exacerbating his panicked condition.
He was not a religious man, but he could only pray that all would be well.
The car was travelling at a speed which could get him a hefty fine, but he didn't care. For him, money was no object. He was running towards the entrance to the labs complex, which was obstructed by hordes of uniformed S.H.I.E.L.D personnel and emergency services. He sped through them with relative ease, given that practically every employee knew who he was – one of the founding members, that is. He was only stopped as he came close to Maria's usual lab. There were two ambulances and several clumps of higher order agents surrounding the entrance. An agent noticed him straight away and strode up to him.
"She is behind the ambulance," he gestured to his left, "You can go with her."
Fury was one of the few agents who held Howard's respect. He was relatively new to the organisation, but had proven himself on countless occasions. Howard spared him a grateful look before moving off again. The medics, who were preparing to take her away, stepped away slightly at Maria's request.
She was lying on a stretcher, but had her hands clasped beneath the bump that dominated her lower torso and her legs were bunching up from the pain, making her appear so very small. He grasped her hands as he ran his eyes up and down her frame, scanning for obvious injuries whilst raining down a barrage of questions.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Who in the worl-"
She held her hand up weakly and caught his gaze.
"I-I don't know, and right now I don't care," she paused to allow a spike of pain to pass, "Just, just make sure our baby is safe. Please..."
Peggy nodded slowly. She truly didn't know what to say, what possible comfort she could give. She could only assure him everything would work out alright in the end. Whether it did or not, was another matter entirely. The silence was broken by a nurse clad in blue, informing Mr. Stark that he should see his wife now.
He shot up and turned to leave, but remembered Peggy and turned around. She smiled.
"Go ahead, I'll wait to talk to you properly after."
He nodded and left with the nurse. Peggy's smile dropped off almost instantaneously, the nurse's words ringing in her head: he should see her now. With her lifetime of experience in the armed forces, she knew all too well what they meant.
His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and there were shadows beneath her usually bright sharp eyes. But what stuck out to him the most – her bump was gone. She noticed his shock and smiled weakly. He regained some form of consciousness and came closer, collapsing into the chair beside her bed and lacing their fingers together. He was bursting with thoughts, feelings and questions. Most prominent of all, was their child no more? This time, however, he waited. She looked very serene, he noted, probably due to being dosed up on painkillers. She looked past him, towards the doctor standing in front of the closed door.
She was in her mid to late forties, with short auburn hair. A pair of rectangular glasses hung from a chain around her neck. She took a breath, stepped forward and began to speak.
"Mr. Stark, the impact of the explosion caused your wife to go into an early labour. Only while delivering your son did we find a large internal bleed."
He had been staring at the tiled floor throughout the doctor's explanation, eyes moving every now and again as he processed the news; their child was alive and he was a boy. But there is a bleed. The doctor, meanwhile, had paused, obviously gearing up for the final cruel blow.
"I'm afraid it is too far gone for us to consider any form of treatment."
He rounded on her, "Why not? I want you to do everything remotely possible, I'll pay with every dime I have! I'll give everything, anything, just save her!"
"Howard..." Maria breathed.
He looked back to her, "You can't give up. You can't leave me, I need you," he pressed his lips together; "We need you."
She smiled and pressed a soft hand to his cheek which he covered with his own larger one. The doctor by now had allowed them some privacy. She tilted her head to the side, dark brown locks shifting.
"I was thinking," she stroked the top of his cheek while in thought, "How does Anthony sound?"
He laughed. Only she could find some kind of silver lining. He gave a mock look of indifference. "It'll do. But he'll only be Anthony if you're there to write it on the birth certificate."
Her smile faltered, "You'll be fine. I know you'll be a great Daddy."
His tone became more serious. "Mar, you know what I'm like. I can't handle this by myself. What about his first steps and first words and first calculator? What about when he turns around and asks why every other kid has a Mommy and he doesn't? What then?"
"He'll have you."
"Me? I won't last a week without you. I can't pick a tie let alone raise a child without you," he gripped her hand tighter, "I love you."
"Howard. I love you too, and I'm so sorry, so sorry. You cando this. It will hurt, but you can. I believe in you, I always have."
Her eyelids started to droop but her smile remained. He shook his head and clamped his lips together, willing himself to stay strong, for her and for him. Every moment was agony.
"Don't you dare close those eyes. Don't..."
A single, mechanical monotonous sound pierced the air.
He buried his face into her hand and finally allowed hot salty tears to run over her skin.
They were the last thing she felt before she left him.
Wow, heavy. If you feel even the slightest bit sad, my work is done ;)
This will involve the Avengers more directly as it progresses – please bear with me.
As some of you may have noticed, I have taken a teeny bit of inspiration from the Ultimate Marvel universe after a bit of research (never read a comic in my life), but that's all. The storyline is all my own.
Please review!
Anxious Owl (^,^)
