Title: Temporal Exigency (3/8+epilogue)

A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone. Don't forget, I will be posting every day or so, but if you can't wait, you can find the entire fic on my tumblr (jaylie12). :o)

...

Blaine saw them before he realized what they were, six massive sharp-edged shadows in the dusky night. It wasn't until the black dots swarming around them morphed into oddly shaped planes and screeched across the sky that Blaine scrambled off the couch, clutching nervously at Steve's shirt cuffs still bunched at his wrists and stumbling backwards until his back hit the door.

This was nothing like the movies—well, it was like the movies with planes now firing at each other, the dull roar of engines overhead, and explosions reverberating through the building and down his spine—but the paralyzing fear was something he hadn't expected as he stood barely breathing and eyes wide.

"Evacuation protocol three," an artificial voice—Jarvis—said over the comm. Blaine started at the sound, the tiny earpiece forgotten until now.

"Blaine," Pepper's voice followed. "Blaine?" she repeated after a beat.

Blaine swallowed, eyes still darting around the scene playing out through the large windows.

"I'm here," Blaine said, voice rough and barely there. Pepper sighed in relief.

"Ms. Potts, Mr. Anderson's heart rate is elevated well above acceptable limits and his breathing is shallow," Jarvis said. Blaine's hand splayed across his chest as if to hold him upright.

"Blaine, are you hurt?"

"No," Blaine replied, cringing at his breathlessness.

"Good," Pepper said kindly. "Just take a deep breath okay? Can you make it back down to command?"

Blaine tore his gaze from the windows and took a deep breath. Focusing on how the warm plaid pattern of Steve's shirt contrasted with his cool, trembling hand, he swallowed and straightened.

"Yes," he said steadily.

"I'll see you soon," Pepper said.

Blaine took another deep breath, feeling his heartbeat under his fingers slow. A flash of Steve's face when he blinked was the final push he needed, and he was out the door the next second.

…..

"We've got you all patched in now," Pepper said, tapping a few more times on her tablet and looking at one of the screens mounted on the wall. Staff still sat at various stations around her.

"What's the status?" Stark's voice came over the speakers.

"Levels 40 through 50 have been compromised. Lockdown protocols have been initiated for those levels. Personnel have been evacuated to medical and command floors. Six minor injuries reported."

"Thank you, Jarvis," Pepper said, scanning the blueprints displayed on the screen. "Are you sure shutting down the system will work?"

"It will get us back to a more level playing field," Tony answered.

"Then you've got to pull at least two relays otherwise the failsafe will kick in," Pepper said. "And we're not going to last long on our back-up."

"Have Fury move the troops to a safe distance around the buildings," Steve spoke up. Pepper nodded at a uniformed woman, who tapped her comm and quietly relayed the message to Fury's ship.

"Once we disconnect the arc reactor, they can make their move," Tony added.

"Ms. Potts, evacuation protocol three is complete. However, we have intrusion on levels 20 and above now," Jarvis informed.

"Didn't I say they move fast?" Clint interjected.

"Too fast," Natasha agreed.

"Pepper, start the shutdown protocol. We'll get the relays," Tony instructed.

Pepper looked back down at her tablet and tapped at the controls. A moment later Jarvis' voice played over the hum of computers announcing "evacuation protocol four." Pepper looked back up at the screens.

"Jarvis, let's start—."

"Ms. Potts?"

"Steve?"

"Is Blaine there?"

Pepper turned to scan the room, but before she could answer, Blaine spoke up from where he stood by the doors.

"I'm here."

Pepper offered Blaine a small smile as she walked up to him. She pressed a button on her tablet.

"I've switched you to a private channel," she said quietly. Blaine nodded gratefully and she turned, going back to the screens and calling for Jarvis.

"Steve?" Blaine prompted nervously, ducking his head.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," Blaine answered evenly, his heartbeat still racing.

"Listen to everything Ms. Potts tells you."

"I'm not a child," Blaine countered, exasperation edging his tone.

"I know," Steve said earnestly after a beat. "I just want you to be safe."

The tension lessened in Blaine's shoulders at Steve's words.

"You're the one out there," Blaine pointed out. When Steve didn't answer, Blaine continued, "Be careful. Come home."

"To you?" Steve asked quietly.

Blaine sighed, lips lifting in a small smile, and confirmed, "To me."

…..

The trip down to command had been long and uneventful, various security personnel herding people down the dozens of flights of stairs. The stairwell muffled the sounds of battle, but not the pounding and shaking of explosive concussions. Blaine had focused on his steps, vaguely aware of more people joining their descent the further they went, until the flow of people spewed onto the lobby floor. Blaine followed the crowd to another stairwell and no one had questioned him when he veered off at sublevel 2 while everyone else continued down to the lower levels.

Now, standing at the back of the command room and waiting to hear if the Avengers made it to the relay locations, it was anything but uneventful. One screen displayed muted television reports—footage of the city from what looked like Liberty State Park in New Jersey and another from a particularly daring helicopter pilot and cameraperson who circled the aerial fighting. Another screen was a collage of Stark Tower's security cameras—aliens filling floor after floor, firing at locked doors and dropping explosives down elevator shafts and stairwells. Another screen held some sort of blueprints overlaid with faint outlines of buildings.

Explosions and weapons fire echoed from above and shook the room, jarring the equipment and causing the images to wobble on screen every few seconds.

"Have we got everyone, Jarvis?" Pepper asked from her position on the floor, crouched by an open wall panel.

"Everyone accounted for, Ms. Potts. Three more minor injuries and one fatality reported. We have intruders on sublevel 1."

Pepper took a deep breath and stood.

"Okay, everyone," Pepper said to the few uniformed people still sitting at workstations. The majority had already been evacuated. "I want the rest of you down in medical. I'll finish up the shutdown and see you there."

She looked pointedly at the remaining personnel, who stood, readying their weapons, and started making their way to the door. Spying Blaine, she followed them through the room.

"You too, Blaine," Pepper ordered, coming to a stop at the open door. The others moved cautiously but quickly along the corridor.

Blaine wanted to protest, but before he had the chance, an explosion rocked them. They ducked as debris rained down on them and gunfire echoed sharply down the hall. Blaine caught a glimpse of black armor, strange looking rifles, and collapsed bodies before Pepper pulled him away from the door and slammed her hand against the console. The doors slid shut with a hiss and the lock engaged with a loud click.

"Jarvis!" Pepper yelled over a new wave of gunfire as she slid down the wall. Blaine crouched with her as bullets impacted the shatter proof glass of the doors. Large heavy panels covered his view, locking into place on the other side of the doors and muffling the continued impact of weapons fire.

Blaine breathed a relieved sigh and leaned against the wall. He looked at Pepper, taking in her pale complexion, heavy-lidded eyes, and agonized expression. His breathing hitched as his eyes slid down her slumped body, fear making his heart beat wildly. Blaine felt the world tilting as his gaze fell on Pepper's hands clutching at her abdomen, fingers so delicate under the red seeping over them and staining her white shirt.

"Blaine," Pepper rasped out, pulling his gaze from her wound. Wide eyes met dull ones. "Breathe," she instructed with a weak but amused huff.

Blaine took a deep breath, willing his heart rate to slow and his panic to subside.

"Okay," Blaine said. He took another deep breath. "Okay," he repeated before finally moving. He helped Pepper lay down, wincing when she gave an agonized moan. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Jarvis," Pepper called weakly. "Walk Blaine through the shutdown."

"No, wait," Blaine protested, his hands hovering over her stomach. "We have to get you help."

"If we don't complete the shutdown," Pepper countered around shallow breaths, "and they pull the relays, we could be destroying midtown. The explosions could take out a 10-block radius around each building."

Blaine's mind swirled with everything as he stared at the blood still seeping out of Pepper's wound. When she shifted and with a groan, started to sit up, Blaine pushed her gently back down.

"No, stay still," Blaine ordered, his mind suddenly focused. He hastily tugged the plaid shirt off, balled it up, and settled it under Pepper's hands against her wound. She winced at the pressure, but kept her hands there. "Jarvis, what are Pepper's vitals?"

"Pulse is 121, blood pressure is 78 over 45, and oxygen at 82%."

"None of that sounds good," Blaine muttered.

"My readings are well beyond acceptable limits, sir."

"The shutdown," Pepper protested slowly, her eyes nearly closed.

"We'll get to it," Blaine assured. "Jarvis, do we have any medical supplies?"

A panel slid open on the far wall and Blaine hurried to retrieve the case. He returned to Pepper's side and opened the kit.

"Do you know anything about gunshot wounds?"

"I have access to several volumes of medical texts," Jarvis answered.

"Good, I should try to slow the bleeding, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Anderson."

Blaine grabbed several rolls of bandages and set about carefully wrapping it around Pepper's abdomen. She gasped in pain when he slid his hands under her. Blaine stifled his apologies and kept his jostling to a minimum and tried to work quickly. Not daring to examine the wound closely, he kept the now stained plaid shirt in place as he tied off the bandage.

"Can I give her something for the pain?" Blaine asked.

"Each kit comes with a standard dose of morphine," Jarvis supplied.

Blaine looked through the contents, finding a small packet and a bottle of water. Opening the bottle, he gulped down half, then tore open the packet and mixed the powder in the remaining water. Lifting Pepper's head with a supporting hand at her neck, Blaine held the bottle as Pepper sipped slowly from it. When the water was gone, Blaine settled Pepper back down and wiped her hands with a makeshift sling from the first aid kit.

"Shutdown," Pepper whispered tiredly, her fingers curling weakly around his.

"Sir, Ms. Potts' vitals are slightly improved."

"Thank you, Jarvis." Blaine leaned down, kissed Pepper's forehead, and squeezed her fingers back. "Now, let's get to that shutdown."