9. It's better to light a fuse than curse the forces of darkness

Allen Randal was a grunt. He wasn't the least bit ashamed of that, in fact he was very slightly proud of it. He liked his job because it involved the two things he was best at; shooting people and breaking things. He especially liked the fact that, under General Ross, he didn't even have to bother with the pesky ethics of whether or not he should actually be shooting these people in particular. Ross liked it when there wasn't anyone left at the end of the day to complain about his methods and Allen liked the fact that he didn't have to worry about tribunals and review boards and enquiries. It was pretty much the prefect job as far as he was concerned.

Except for tonight. They'd entered the facility, belonging to that Stark guy, nearly four hours ago and so far Allen hadn't shot anyone. It was an absolute let-down and he was beginning to wonder if it wasn't some sort of punishment because he'd been on guard duty for the entire time with the new guy. Bryant...Baily... Burns... he honestly wasn't sure. He never bothered learning the names of other grunts unless they managed to live or be useful. Which really was kind of the same thing, because a dead grunt wasn't useful to anyone and a live one must be doing something right. Allen thought back over his last mission, looking for someone he should have shot but didn't. No, he was quite sure he'd shot everyone. Maybe he should break more things this time, just to show he was the ambitious sort.

"Damn, this is boring," Bryant complained. Allen grunted noncommittally. Bryant must be one of those talkers who couldn't appreciate the fact that their job was both easy and enjoyable. Allen hated those. "We've been staring at these morons stuck to the wall for hours now. Shouldn't we be interrogating them or something?" Allen ignored him. Admittedly he was a bit of a fan of interrogation, breaking people, breaking things, it was all the same really. As long as there was breaking he was happy. Bryant did have a bit of a point. He'd be enjoying this assignment more if he'd at least get to rough someone up a little.

"Did you hear that?" Bryant asked. Allen frowned, listening to the rattling sound. It was followed by what could only be described as a shout for help and his brow furrowed. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I thought this floor was clear," Bryant stated. Allen shrugged, trudging down the hall toward the elevator.

"Hello!" it was definitely a woman's voice on the other side of the door and Allen smirked. He liked women, not as much as breaking things but all things considered this might be an opportunity. "Is anyone out there!? We're trapped!"

"Don't get your shorts in a knot lady!" Bryant declared, prying his fingers into the door. "Give us a hand here, Randall," Allen shrugged, lending his weight to the door and they pried it open. A young woman in a lab coat looked up at them, the lift car stuck three quarters of the way to the floor.

"Oh thank god!" she fairly wailed. "We've been stuck in here for hours." She grasped hold of Allen's wrist, hauling herself out of the elevator.

"I was beginning to think we were never going to get out of here." a second woman declared, clambering out of the lift, her red hair up in a messy bun and her glasses pulled down to the end of her nose. She clutched a portfolio to her ample chest, gazing at them both with wide doe eyes. "Has there been a fire or some sort of terrorist threat?"

"Is there a bathroom on this floor?" the shorter woman demanded. "I have to pee!"

"Ms. Lewis, really," the redhead scolded gently before turning back to them. "You'll have to forgive her, she's R&D, it's like a frat house down there."

"I had to pee when we got stuck in there four hours ago!" Lewis protested, hoisting her messenger bag on her shoulder. "Seriously! Where's the bathroom, I'm going to have an accident!"

"This is Mr. Stark's penthouse," the redhead sighed, looking around with a slightly alarmed expression. "I thought you said you could get the elevator to go down, what sort of engineer are you?"

"I was in a six by six box with no windows!" Lewis protested. "I can't tell!"

"Where are my manners," the redhead stated, holding out her hand. "I'm Rushman from Legal, you must be Mr. Stark's personal security detail. I'm so very sorry for all of this, can we get an escort out of the building?"

"To the bathroom!" Lewis insisted, shifting back and forth on her feet. Allen turned to look at Bryant who was staring at both women with a bewildered expression. He let out a huff. Typical.

"Shut up," he rumbled, prodding the smaller woman in the chest with the barrel of his gun. Lewis stared down at it with wide eyes, clearly too shocked to be properly frightened.

"There's no call for rudeness," Rushman insisted calmly. "I'm sure we've all had a very stressful evening. If you could just take the girl to the ladies room and then direct us safely out."

"I'm not a girl, I'm twenty-two!" Lewis protested.

"I said shut up!" Allen growled. This was frustrating. He felt like he should be shooting or breaking but somehow he wasn't quite certain which one. He wasn't keen to make an error here, seeing as he was clearly already being punished for something. This was getting complicated and he hated complicated.

A blast went off down the hall and his head whipped around, his rifle following the track of the sound. And that's when it happened, Rushman's hand shot out, catching Bryant hard in the jaw and sending him tumbling to the floor. In the same instant Lewis scrunched down on the floor in a little ball, grasping hold of his leg and he had only a moment to register the lithe form springing from the roof of the elevator car, her stiletto heels catching him full in the chest. His head hit the wall hard, his last thought as he looked up at the leggy woman in the pencil skirt was that she looked vaguely familiar and he probably should shoot her. Then he blacked out.


Betty took the stairs two at a time, careening down the stairwell and skidding across the landing before heading downward again. She'd lost her Prada pumps somewhere near sixty-five and her nylons weren't the best for traction but she wasn't about to let that slow her down.

She'd come to like Steve, more to the point she'd come to love Steve for the way he treated Bruce, for the way he protected all of them. Bruce finally had a place to belong and people to call family and she'd be damned if she let anyone take that from him, her father most of all. She skidded to a stop on sixty-two, pulling the highly questionable door charge from her pocket and pressing it to the lock. She mashed the button, diving down in the stairwell and covering her ears. It wasn't a high concussive force but everything was louder in the concrete stairwell. The door swung free and she pulled the repulser out of her other pocket, slipping it on her hand.

"I completely forgot to think of something cool to say," she murmured to herself in realization as she drew in a steadying breath. "I suck at this." She shoved off the step, diving into the shelter of the doorway. The gunfire was almost immediate and she held up the repulser, firing off. The bolt ricocheted off the walls, grazing the helmet of the first guard and sending him toppling back. She let off another blast, hitting him full on this time and he tumbled end over end, crashing into the second guard who rounded the corner. She fired another round, hitting his gun as he took aim at her and the rifle exploded, charring the walls and warping the safety glass of the surrounding labs.

"I'm not dead," She realized, breathing heavily. "I'm kind of annoyed that I'm surprised." She scrambled to her feet, her hand up and ready to fire again. Her eye swept the hall and she shoved the stairwell door shut, running a low level repulser blast along the jamb and melting it shut. She'd promised Jane, she wasn't going to get Steve out that way anyway.

"JARVIS, please tell me you're down here!" She pleaded, checking the nearest labs.

"Partially, Dr. Ross," he replied, static obscuring his voice. "Agent Coulson is still attempting to restore my systems."

"Can you lock down this floor?" She asked, her voice shaking as she started down the hall.

"The elevators will not hold indefinitely. Also, I am still unable to secure the South West Stairwell, intruders could gain entry from that location." He answered.

"I figured, I just need you to buy me as much time as you can." She stopped in front of the second stairwell, melting that door as well "Is the southeast stairwell still secure?"

"It appears to be, Doctor," JARVIS answered. "I would advise that you locate Captain Rogers and vacate this floor immediately before reinforcements arrive."

"Yeah," She nodded, peering into the labs on either side. "I was kind of afraid you were going to say that. Are you detecting anyone else on this floor?"

"One unconscious adult male, two doors down on your right," JARVIS answered. She ran the rest of the way down the hall, bursting into the lab.

"Steve?!" She shouted, scanning the room but there was no one there other than the blond man, too pale and far too still on the exam table. "Steve! Eyes front soldier! Steve!" She stroked his hair back from his face but he didn't respond.

"Oh god, don't die on me," She pleaded, checking his pulse. She was getting a thready heartbeat and she choked back a whimper.

"I need a readout on Captain Roger's condition," she declared in agitation, scanning the instrument tray, snagging up an IV bag and setting the needle in Steve's hand. The vitals came to life, hovering over his still body and she gritted her teeth.

"His blood pressure is steadily decreasing," The AI answered as she worked frantically, taping off the remaining open wounds on his legs. She was sure there must be more on his back but she wasn't sure how to do much about them without assistance.

"Come on, Steve," she pleaded. "Wake up, Are you showing any drugs in his system, JARVIS?"

"There are several compounds I am unable to identify," JARVIS admitted.

"What have they done to you?" Betty whispered. "You can't tell me for certain how he'll react if I medicate him?" She worried her lip between her teeth.

"According to his current readings, doing nothing would be inadvisable," JARVIS remarked.

"Yeah, I know," Betty nodded. "I just don't want to kill him." She sorted through the medication, grasping up a syringe and a bottle of epinephrine.

"Steve if you die on me, Tony is going to fire me," She stated firmly, injecting his IV line. "And you wouldn't want to put a lady out of a job in this economy, would you? I mean that's just unheroic." She grabbed more bandages, her fingers cradling the back of his neck. She felt an obtrusion and she frowned.

"What is this?" She asked, crouching to eye the small metal disk.

"Unknown," JARVIS answered.

"What is going on here?" she demanded, bandaging the wounds she could reach. "Come on Steve, wake up! Attention soldier!" She shed her coat, draping it over him, grasping his hand and rubbing it frantically.

A soft moan escaped his lips and she let out a choked laugh.

"Steve?" She called again, stroking his face. "You have to open your eyes, come on."

"B.. Betty," he slurred. Looking up at her though eyes that were barely slits.

"There you are!" She grinned, brushing the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Where's your backup?" he mumbled.

"It's a long story," She sighed. "Can you roll onto your side so I can treat the rest of your wounds?"

"Can't move," he objected, his voice thin. "Don't know why... Ross."

"It's ok, shhh," Betty soothed, stroking the hair back from his face. "Backup will be here any minute and then we'll get you out of here."

"Dr. Ross, an armed detail of six is attempting to access this floor though the northwest elevator," JARVIS declared.

"Damn," she hissed.

"Go," Steve insisted. She shook her head in reply.

"Steve, we have to get off this floor," She stated firmly. "Together. Is there anything you can tell me?"

"Remote," Steve declared, licking his lips, his eyes drifting to the instrument tray. Her gaze followed his, sweeping over the technology she was quite certain she'd never encountered in medical school classes.

"This one?" She asked, grasping it up and holding it out for him to see. He managed to nod faintly and she stared at the buttons in dumbfounded silence.

"I..." she hesitated a moment, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Do it," He insisted. Betty mashed one of the buttons and Steve let out a groan of pain.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" She cringed, pressing it again. Steve relaxed, gulping in breaths. "I'm so sorry!"

"Try again," he insisted, looking up at her with glassy, dilated eyes. She hesitated a moment looking horrified. He gave her the most understanding smile she'd ever seen. "Try again," he repeated. She closed her eyes, pressing one of the buttons. Steve let out a soft chuckle, curling his fingers as his head lolled to the side.

"Oh thank god," Betty breathed a sigh of relief, grasping his arm and rolling him onto his side toward her.

"Still can't move," he observed, crumpling on the edge of the exam table like a rag doll.

"On your feet, soldier!" She ordered, slipping an arm around his chest and pulling him upright. "You're Captain America, now you stand at attention!" His legs buckled beneath him and she let out a grunt, sagging under his weight.

"I hate being Captain America," Steve confessed struggling to keep his feet moving as they stumbled across the lab.

"You don't say," Betty shifted her hold on him, grasping for the door frame as she half dragged him out into the hall.

"At first is was great," Steve babbled, barely coherent. "Then I stared to realize that people didn't even see a person when they looked at me any more. I was a thing, a tool. That's an insult now, you know? Calling someone a tool. But that's what I was. That's what I am now too."

"I'm really hoping you don't remember any of this when your brain boots up enough to shut up your mouth," Betty admitted, tripping into the wall and letting out a yelp as he half fell on her. "Because I'm pretty sure you'll never talk to me again."

"I'm going to make sure Tony doesn't fire you," Steve promised. "because I'm not dead and that should be worth something."

"Shit," she hissed with a sigh. There was a loud bang that could only be the sound of the elevator door locks being blown and she grasped at him with a squeak, tumbling into the cover of a side corridor as the patrol opened fire.

"This is not good," Steve observed as she fired repulser blasts around the corner. She glanced at him with an exasperated expression.

"You're a bleeding national icon in his skivvies," she stated. "It was already bad before we got to this." Steve looked down at his chest, a dark blush blooming on his features as if he'd only just realizing he was dressed in only his underwear.

"It's only a few yards to the other elevator," Betty declared, glancing down the corridor. "I'm going to lay down some cover and then we're going to make a run for it."

"That's a tactically horrible idea," Steve stated.

"I agree," Betty nodded. "If you've got a better one, I'm all ears." Steve shrugged, his eyes still bloodshot and unfocused.

"JARVIS, be my hero and tell me you have the elevator waiting for us!" she pleaded. There was the unmistakable ding of the elevator chime and the doors half way down the hall slid open.

"JARVIS, I love you!" she declared with a delighted grin. She swung out around the corner, shooting off a fury of repulser fire, taking out the overhead lights and ceiling panels that tumbled to the floor in a heap. She hit the fire suppression system, sending off sprays of retardant foam. Several more shots hit their assailants and she clambered to her feet, dragging Steve up after her and careening down the hall toward the elevator.

"I feel awful," Steve confessed as she shoved him through the door.

"JARVIS! get us out of here!" she shouted just as a fresh volley of fire rained down on them. Steve collapsed in a heap on the floor and Betty sprawled out beside him, her hand pressed to her chest, panting breathlessly as the elevator shot upwards.

"I need a new personal trainer," She admitted.

"You should ask Natasha," Steve suggested. Betty smacked her head into the wall a couple of times with a groan.

"That's far and away the stupidest thing I've ever done," she shook her head, sighing as she ran her fingers though her hair.

"Don't worry," Steve mumbled, curling up on the floor. "You've only been here a couple of weeks, you'll get more chances."


"Good job!" Natasha praised, grasping Darcy by the arm and hauling her to her feet as she drew her gun.

"I think I actually do have to pee now," Darcy admitted, ruffling her hair as Pepper secured the pair of guards. They could hear booted feet rumbling down the stairs and Natasha hustled her forward.

"Rec Room, go, hurry," She ordered. Pepper sped forward, her own gun drawn and they rushed up the hall, taking cover in the doorway as more guards took aim at them.

"Tony!" Pepper shouted over the blare of gunfire. Darcy's head whipped around to see Tony and Thor stuck to the wall under the staircase like crepe paper.

"There's something you don't see every day," Darcy declared, blinking blankly.

"JARVIS?" Pepper shouted, but there was no answer. "Phil, you better hurry!"

"Here, cover me!" Natasha stated, handing Darcy a modified pistol.

"Wait, what?" Darcy demanded clutching it in both hands. "What's this thing?"

"Point and click!" Natasha ordered. "Do not hit me."

"Ok," she swallowed, wide eyed.

"Do. Not. Hit. Me." Natasha repeated sternly. That seemed to shake Darcy from her stupor and she nodded, slithering forward and letting off several shots. electrical blasts hit the kevlar vests of the guards, arcing over their rifles and sending them jittering to the floor. Natasha sprang up, racing up the steps, a punch to the neck, a kick to the groin, her arm swung out, toppling another guard over the rail.

"What did I miss?" Jane asked breathlessly, laying down repulser fire along the top of the stair rail.

"What took you so long?!" Darcy demanded. "I've been getting shot at!"

"Give me that," Pepper requested, taking the repulser pack from Jane.

"Oh god, don't get killed!" Darcy pleaded, continuing to lay down fire as Natasha carved though their attackers. "Nat'll end me!"

"This isn't my first block party," Pepper assured. Without another word she rolled out into the middle of the rec room, diving behind the sofa and popping up to blast the guards on the upper floor overlook. Natasha wrapped her choke line around the one nearest her, shoving him over the rail to dangle in the air like a piƱata.

"JARVIS!?" Jane shouted over the din.

"My systems are rebooting, doctor," The AI answered. "Communications coming back online now."

"Phil?" she called. "Clint?"

"I'm almost clear," Phil answered and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm on my way down, where's Betty?" Clint's voice sounded strained and she bit her lip.

"Give her another minute!" Jane begged, rifling in one of the bags she carried.

"We might not have another minute!" Clint replied angrily. "There's more guys on the way up. Where is she?"

"Duck!" Jane shouted, lobbing the grenade out into the middle of the rec room. Pepper curled in a ball, her hands over her head as Natasha shielded her eyes in her arm and Jane grasped hold of Darcy's coat, dragging her behind the wall as the blast went off, sending a burst of piercing white light through the room so bright their skin felt singed. The guards let out screams, the intensity rendering most of them unconscious.

"Holy hell!" Darcy gaped wide eyed as Natasha grabbed the last guard standing by his Kevlar vest, smacking his head into the wall hard. She vaulted to the rec room floor, dusting off her hands with smug satisfaction.

The elevator dinged and Pepper rolled from behind the couch pointing her gun at the lift at the end of the hall.

"Hold!" Jane pleaded loudly, half shielding Darcy who had her gun trained as well. "Hold your fire!"

"Little help here?" Betty groaned, nearly collapsing under the weight of Captain America, clutching at the elevator door frame in an attempt to stay upright. Natasha swore, lowering her own gun and running down the corridor to Betty as Phil busted through one of the vents, rolling out on the floor.

"JARVIS! lock it down!" Clint's voice sounded over the com.

"With pleasure, sir." the AI answered.

"Tony, oh god," Pepper hurried to him, Jane hot on her heels. "Are you all right?"

"Jane, you should not be here," Thor murmured, smiling at her tenderly.

"We're going to do this now?" she asked in exasperation.

"They took Steve," Tony ground out as Pepper stroked his face.

"It's ok, we got him back," Natasha declared, helping Betty deposit him on the couch.

"Did I just see a national treasure in his boxer briefs on my sofa?" Tony asked, a stunned expression on his face.

"Yeah I think you did," Pepper struggled not to laugh.

"Good I thought I'd lost it," Tony admitted.

"Phil's been shot!" Darcy declared, half dragging him into the rec room, his arm draped around her.

"It's only my shoulder," Coulson declared as Clint descended the stairs two at a time. "It's not bad." Barton grasped hold of Phil, steering him into one of the chairs and taking the bandages Betty held out to him.

"I can't get them down!" Jane stated in frustration, her fingers tugging futilely at Thor's arm.

"Here, try this," Betty answered, tossing her the remote. "I think red's for off, just don't press the green one." Jane mashed the button and both Thor and Tony tumbled from the wall, collapsing in a heap on the carpet.

"Oh, damn I can't feel my hands," Tony complained, groaning as he rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

"What is this thing on the back of his neck?" Natasha demanded, her fingers raking gently though Steve's hair.

"Some form of control technology," Betty shook her head. "I'm guessing they all have one.

"That explains a good deal," Thor stated, rubbing the one on the back of his own neck.

"I'm good," Steve mumbled, trying to sit up. "Give me a minute to catch my breath and we'll go."

"Lay down and shut up or I'm going to shoot you," Natasha stated in her most calm, serious voice. Steve seemed to consider the order a moment before easing back down on the couch silently.

"We need to go get Bruce," Pepper stated firmly.

"The top floors are secure," Natasha nodded in agreement. "Jane, stay here, cover the wounded, Darcy, Clint, Betty, Pepper, you're with me." Phil made to open his mouth but she glared at him angrily.

"I'm in a shooty mood today," she stated flatly. He leaned back in the chair with a sigh.

"JARVIS, could you bring up the security interface?" Phil asked calmly. The feeds flickered to life, and he settled a hand over the wound on his shoulder as Clint pulled away.

The low rumbling boom shook the floor and Pepper's head whipped around, staring as the water in the fish tank on the wall rippled.

"Please tell me no one in R&D has been making dinosaurs," Tony pleaded. "Damn it I know I didn't authorize that shit!"

"There's too much ominous in this tower," Darcy declared, staring up at Natasha with eyes like saucers. "I want an ominous-free lifestyle."

"Then you're going to need new friends, baby," Natasha offered drily.


Notes:

The following two chapters make reference to events in If the Night Runs Over If you haven't read it, you might want to. If you don't want to, (and I'll be kind of sad if you don't want to) You can get Spoilers of all the technical information in the end notes of the next chapter.