At All Costs

Disclaimer: I think we all know that unfortunately, the characters belong to Marvel and all of those lucky parties involved. Not me, not you, not us.

Author's Note: I was trying so hard NOT to do a trailer piece because I need to keep writing for Risks and Consequences, but I knew I had to get this out of my head. On a side note: thank you to StarksViolet for confirming what I thought I saw in the trailer. This is based on that clip.

Jarvis warns us about unidentified aircraft approaching, but we don't need the warning. We already know.

I feel the rumbling beneath my feet, and I know she feels it too. It's not long after that that the sound of the helicopters follow. I know right away where they are headed and what their mission is.

My heart sinks. I mentally curse myself for the single worst mistake of my life. Openly declaring that I was Iron Man. I made it easy for them. I exposed myself, and I exposed Pepper to this danger. If I could take it back, I probably would. It's too late now, though.

We both look at each other. Our worried expressions mirrored in each other's faces. The sound of blades cutting through the air is getting closer and more prominent. I face the direction they are coming from. The vast window that overlooks the Pacific starts to shake with the force of their vibrations. They hover there. Three of them. For a long while. Almost tauntingly.

My blood boils with anger. I want to protect my territory, my life's work. But more than anything I want to destroy them for threatening her safety.

"Tony?" Pepper's voice brings me out of my internal rage. Her hand pulls me from my bicep before it slides down to lace with mine. My heart sinks a little bit more, but my determination is stronger than ever.

"Move, Pepper." I shield her body with mine as I back her away from the glass.

"What…" She can't finish her question before she has to swallow the lump in her throat. I feel her anxiety.

They ready themselves for battle as they reveal their weapons.

"We're going to be alright. I'm going to get us through this." I squeeze her hand in an attempt to comfort her and convince her of my words. My promise.

I have time to breathe out one last time before I see the first of the missiles headed our way. I hold onto her hand more securely.

"Tony!"

The initial explosion is so powerful that it hurls us across the room. It breaks my hold on her. 'Protect Pepper. Keep her alive'. That's the only thought it my head as I brace myself for the impact of body against whatever is currently in the way. I shut my eyes tightly as I call the armor to me. It assembles quickly around me.

I don't know how many missiles are still coming our way or if they have left, because the sounds I hear are deafening.

Glass is shaterring and the walls and ceiling are crumbling around me. 'Pepper. Get to Pepper.' I tell myself. My mind is made up. If I die so be it, but she will not.

I finally land with a thud and my body instantly rattles inside the suit. I know if that hurt me, Pepper feels worse.

I use the repulsors in the palms to shoot me up. I'm standing, though unsteadily, gauging the damage. It's not over. "Pepper!" I yell for her, but I can't see her in the dust and smoke. "Pepper!" Still no answer.

I walk in every direction to try and locate her. I scan the room myself, because Jarvis is no more. I think about that in my head when I realize that the room is starting to tilt towards the sea.

I turn at once to where I locate Pepper.

I see her red strands beneath a pile of wooden beams. I move to free her and see how bad she is. But I never get the chance as the floor starts to crack under my boots.

We're falling. Our enitre mansion is on it's way to its final resting place. Under the blue ocean. 'Pepper. Grab Pepper.' I'm sliding down the steep angle of the flooring trying to animate the thrusters on the boots. They don't respond.

The entire window is gone. It has fallen into the water. And I see the rest of the ceiling and walls are following it. I turn to face Pepper, but I can't reach her because I'm still sliding down.

Using the the palm thrusters again, I manage to glide to where she'll be sliding down. 'Get Pepper. Don't let her fall.'

Her body starts to slide down towards me along with the pile that covers most of her. But I can't grab her. The part of the floor I stand on cracks and I feel myself fall. 'Pepper. Don't lose Pepper.' I claw at the chunks of floor and concrete trying to delay my fall so that I may make a grab for Pepper.

"Pepper!" I scream out her name to see if she will wake. Nothing. I dig my fingers deep into the concrete to anchor myself. 'Protect Pepper.'

With one last glance behind me I see we're getting closer to the water so I stretch one arm out to catch Pepper and pin her between my body and the concrete I have a grasp on, careful not to put too much pressure on her with the suit. 'Keep Pepper safe.'

As the water surrounds me I take a deep breath, though I know I don't need it. Natural human survival instinct.

I have to get Pepper out of the water fast. She'll drown otherwise, but the rubble and debris is falling all around us. She's not in a suit of armor, I could seriously injure her.

So I simply close my eyes and for the second time in my life I pray. 'Please let her live.' I open my eyes to look at her. To make sure I've still got her in my arms.

A sigh of relief escapes my lungs as I see her red hair float in front of my helmet.

Suddenly I'm being pulled down. I feel something around my neck drag me towards the bottom of the sea. I'm ripped away from her. And with a strong sense of panic I see her slip away from me. "Pepper!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I lose sight of her white blouse and red hair. "Pepper!" I know she won't hear me. No one will.

'Please keep her safe.'

I damn and curse everything and everyone that has crossed me with this attack. I swear to myself that they will pay. One way or another, they will taste my fury.

Again I try to cut through whatever is keeping me away from her. I need to get to her. I try the boot thrusters again, but to no avail. "Ah!" I grunt and yell with frustration as I use the palm thrusters again to pull away.

But the water around me is getting darker as I get pulled deeper. I stop struggling as exhaustion overtakes me. And then I'm strapped by a cable at my neck with a rather large piece of the mansion pinning me down. This could not be happening to me.

Tears of anger escape the outter corners of me eyes. I take a deep breath to calm myself. A flashback plays out in the back of my eyes. 'I hope...that I can protect the one thing I can't live without.' Pepper had smiled sadly and nodded. She knew what I was saying to her. And she believed me when I told her I would keep her safe against all odds and at all costs.

'Don't give up. Keep Pepper safe. Protect Pepper.' Here I lay at the bottom of the ocean. Pushed to the point where I could prove to myself and to her that I could keep my word. I couldn't let this hold me back. I would not let this keep me from the love of my life.

So I pull away to try and break the cable. I feel it budge. I steady my palms against the concrete slab that's holding me down. With everything I have in me I push. I leta guttural scream out as I push the slab off and activate the boots.

This time they work! I use all of the power to jet away and I feel the cable snap. I'm free. And I am determined. 'Save Pepper.'

I scan anxiously around for Pepper. I can't see her. There's still debris everywhere and the water is not as clear anymore.

A signal tells me I've located her and I jet through the water at full speed. My heart speeds up in anticipation. 'Protect Pepper.'

I see her falling slowly with her red hair swirling around her face. I take her in my arms and carry her as I make haste towards the surface. 'Please be ok.'

We break the surface as I keep a watchful eye, but I keep flying us up past the thin layer clouds. The sun is shinning on us. On her. I stare at her limp body in my arms. Her lips are blue and her skin is pale.

"Pepper." I whisper under my breath. The drops of water on her skin glisten and I let my tears run down my face.

Concentrating hard on her features I scan her body. Her heart is beating slowly. But she's not breathing.

She has to survive. She will. I refuse to let her die so I look for somewhere safe to land where I can help her. 'Be ok.'

There's a clear and obscure part of Pacific coastline where I fly us towards. I land carefully and place her gently on the sand. I disassemble the suit and command it to fold into the case. I get to my knees at her side.

Slowly I run my hands over her body to make sure everything else is fine. After I check for her breathing I blow two puffs of air into her lungs. 'Please breathe.' I check again. Still not breathing. "Pepper!" I call her out loud to bring her back to me. I breathe into her again. Willing her to survive. I pause to see if she reacts.

Pepper coughs water out and gasps for air as she flails her arms in my direction. "Pepper!" 'Thank you.' I sigh with relief. She's alive. She's alright.

She coughs for a while and I move to help her sit up. I pat her back and hold her to my chest as I place her on my lap. "Pepper?" I manage to choke out.

Pepper evens out her breathing before she looks up at me. "Tony? We're..." She caresses my cheek with her palm.

My eyes burn with tears. I simply nod. "We're ok. We're alright."

Her sigh tells me she's allowed herself to be at ease. She closes her eyes and her hand falls to rest at my reactor. I hug her more tighly and keep her close to me.

She smiles. "I love you." She looks at my eyes and wipes at my tears. "I love you so much."

Nothing could keep me from the feeling that floods my body. I sigh heavily before I lean down to kiss her. She pulls me to her by my shirt. I break our kiss and smile through watery eyes. "I love you, too." I nod and hug her close to me once again. Giving us time to enjoy the fact that we both go through the ordeal. Just like I had promised her. And time to recover.

I place my head on the top of hers. 'Protect Pepper. At all costs.' I will stop at nothing to make sure that the woman in my arms, my reason for existence, is safe.

There you have it folks! Just a little reaction to that scene in the trailer with the mansion crumbling into the sea. I hope you all enjoyed it! Stay tuned for Chapter 4 of Risks and Consequences.