When Quinn walked out to the rest of the plane, she was met with smiles until they saw her. She looked terrified and soaked to the bone from the sprinklers that went off in there cabin. Kim nearly ran to her. "Quinn! What happened? Are you ok?" But Quinn could barely talk. In the middle of an anxiety attack as her breathing got faster and faster and her body shook like a leaf. Kim held her as Jarvis spoke.
"It seems Agent Smith is dying." Tony stood quickly."Dying? Gage is dying? How? He was just fine when I saw him." He watched Kim calm there daughter down and TJ and Loki looking on with worry. "When he was captured he was taken By Aiden Killian who injected him with his experimental serum Extrmis. It's unstable and is slowly burning him up from the inside out. I calculate he has less then a week if unchecked or treated. Slightly longer if he kept in cold temperatures. Right now he is in the bath and I am keeping the water as cold as possible."
Tony ran his hands through his hair. If it wasn't one thing it was another."Ok. Jarvis. Call . Tell him to meet us at the safe house in Maine." Quinn looked at her dad strangely. Calmed for the moment. "Maine? We have a house in Maine?" Tony nodded. "Yeah. After Afghanistan I bought a house in Maine if I ever felt unsafe or just wanted to get away. I've kept it furnished and up to date. Fully working lab and since I went into the hospital business, a fully functional tiny hospital. Bruce will have everything he could possibly need to help Gage." Quinn visibly relaxed for the moment. Feeling not all hope was lost.
Clint was packing his bag to leave. It was slower given his wrist brace and still splinted fingers. There was a knock on the door. It almost hurt his ears. He reached to adjust the aid before opening the door. "Director." Coulson nodded, before stepping inside. "Plans changed. You won't be leaving in fifteen minutes. You'll be leaving as soon as your ready." Clint frowned. "What happened? Did I do something wrong?" "Not at all. We just got a call from Tony. It's your brother. I'l be blunt, he's dying and has an estimated week to live." Clint swallowed his nerves. "Got it. Did he say why?" "I'l explain on the way. Finish packing and get to the Jet." "Yes sir."
As the jet lifted off the ground Clint covered his ears. He still didn't find a good adjustment on his hearing aid and the jet was ringing in his ears. He took it out for the moment, until they were on autopilot.
When Coulson walked back to the seats he put it back in, adjusting it. Coulson spoke. "Still having trouble?" "A little but nothing Tony can't fix. Now what's wrong with my brother." Coulson took in a breath. He hated being the bearer of this kind of news. "After the attack on Stark mansion Agent Gage Smith was captured by Aiden Killian and injected with the experimental serum Extrmis. It's unstable and burning him up inside out. There keeping him cold until they can figure out a way to help. and are doing everything they can." Clint nodded. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or punch something. Why couldn't they get a break for once?
Once Quinn calmed she walked back to the bathroom to check on Gage. He was in the bathtub, filled with water as cold Jarvis could make it. She walked over, kneeling by the tub. "How you feeling?" He looked at her, unsure of how to answer. "Normal. My temperature has really gone down." She felt his skin with a frown, feeling the contrast of the freezing water. "It's like your temp is nearly normal. Jarvis, what's his temperature?" "His temperature is at 115 degrees. Its close to normal range. If it starts getting below 98 I will let you know so your body can warm up. We don't want to give you hyperthermia." Gage sighed. "Great. I'm gonna be flip flopping between burning up and normal."
Quinn smiled weakly. "Well I might have some good news. My dad called and he's gonna meet us at the safe house. He and dad are gonna help you. They just have to figure out the formula of the serum to counteract it." Gage gave a weak smile. "Guess there is some hope. Never thought I'd die this way. Always thought I'd get stabbed one too many times." She gave a weak smirk. "You have gotten stabbed one too many times." "Not the point."
Rhody came back to the rest of the family from the cockpit, putting it on autopilot via Jarvis. "Shouldn't be more then twenty minutes before landing. You doing ok Tony?" Tony has been sitting with his head in his hands since after he got contact from Banner that he was on his way. He felt guilty and helpless. "Just peachy." Kim had been sitting next to him, attempting to comfort him. She frowned, still running his back. "Tony..." He looked at her. Loki and TJ had gone into hiding inside another room in the jet. "What do you two want me to say? That I'm falling apart at the seams because I can't keep my family safe?" Rhody shrugged his shoulders. "It's a start."
Tony got up, pacing. "Alright, fine. I'm not so fine, my future son-in-law is dying and I'm not sure we can even help him. My family is getting into danger more and more and I can't do anything about it because these bad guys are getting smarter and bigger and badder and know where to hit us." Rhody nodded. "I was never a fan of the cliff side mansion. Always seemed dangerous to me." Tony rolled his eyes. "Please, my family is dying, I don't need you sass. I'm just saying if there was more of us maybe this could have been prevented. Maybe Gage wouldn't be dying from lord knows what and my daughter didn't have to be at the bottom of the ocean!" Kim shot up, going to Tony who was breathing heavy from his rise in emotions.
Anxiety clearly starting to get to him. "Tony, calm down." He held onto Kim a few moments, calming. Rhody spoke. "You can't save everyone Tony and you can't predict what's going to happen next. It's not your fault all this happened. It's not your fault Gage is dying." Tony looked at him, as serious as he's ever been. "No. But it will be if I can't save him." He was already forming plans and blue prints and equations in his head. He need suits that were drones, that didn't require a person. An Iron Legion.
When Clint landed Coulson lent him one of the shield SUVs with GPS to the new house. Clint looked around the woodsy state of Maine with a sad smile. "Tony, your always surprising me." He got in the car, starting and following the GPS. It was a forty-five minute drive and according to Coulson they were already there or close to it. When he got there he saw Tony's BMW and another car. He felt nervous. What if they didn't want him? What if he was too broken for them? What if his own experience and torment with Ward is cast aside like its nothing in comparison to his brothers state?
He didn't realize how long he had been standing outside the car with the bag slung around his shoulders. He was brought out of his thoughts by the call of his name from the most beautiful voice. "Clint!" Clint saw Tony, running to him with Kim following behind. He dropped his bag as Tony nearly tackled him, hugging him so tightly around his neck before kissing him. Clint felt his eyes water he was so happy, holding on tightly to one of his lovers he missed so terribly. He returned the kiss but pulled away when he felt Kim wrapping her arms around his back, sobbing. He turned to her, trying to remain strong but his voice shook. "Oh god.. I missed you so much."
Kim smiled though her tears, kissing him, letting him hold her so close. He pulled away, an arm wrapped around each. He spoke, voice shaking as the tears refused to stop. "I love you both so much. I missed you both so much." Tony shushed him with a kiss, running his hands thorough blonde spikes. "shh. We know. We missed you to and we never stopped thinking of you. Guess your here because of your brother? Only reason Coulson would let you go so early." Clint gave a weak smile. "My brother may have sped it up but it's gonna take more then a few weeks for my hand to heal completely. He gave me a Honorable discharge. I'm retired. Sorta."
"Sorta?" Kim asked. Clint shrugged. "Well with this family I'm bound to be brought back into action again. Now let's go inside and have some coffee and talk." Tony laid his head against his shoulder. "Sounds like a plan bird-brain."
AN: sorry it's taken so long. I've been super focused on my book which is half way to being done! Just gotta print it out, get it edited and hopefully publish it around October on Kindle. Updates for this will be slow as life gets int he way, writing my other stuff, ect but its never forgotten.