Chapter 14

JC stood staring at Tony's special project with a less than enthusiastic look on her face.

"Ready to try it on?" Tony asked when she didn't leap at the chance.

"If that thing is what I think it is, I am not wearing it," she said pointing to the blue, rectangular shaped case on the floor.

"What do you think it is?" he asked confused.

"It looks like the football case, and you know I can't handle a full suit of armor. That thing is just going to slow me down," she said, arms crossed over her chest.

"Okay, I'm confused. What's the football?" Caleb asked.

"The President keeps a case known as the football that carries nuclear codes. Tony keeps one with a set of armor in it," JC explained.

"It is not another football. Would you just try it?" Tony pressed as he picked up the case and held it out to her.

"Fine," she huffed. "How does it work?"

"Take off your jacket," he said. She did as told and tossed her jacket at Tony's desk. He motioned for her to turn around which she did. "How found are you of this shirt?" he asked when he saw that there was no hole in the back for her reactor.

"At this point, not very," she answered gruffly.

"Good," Tony said, and with a quick snip from a pair scissors he found amongst the mess on his desk he cut a hole in the shirt big enough for the reactor.

Tony then picked up the case and turned it around to show off a pair of backpack straps attached to the case. After getting her arms through each strap Tony pressed the pack in place until he heard the click of the pack connecting with the reactor. JC then buckled the straps at her chest and waist and pulled the straps tight.

"What now?" she asked.

"Put your hands through the loops up here and push up and out," Tony explained, pointing to two metal loops on either side of the top of the pack. She looked at him skeptically but did as he had instructed. She put her hands through the loops and pushed up. The loops extended up and metal began to wrap around her arms until both were completely encased. She brought her arms down to look at the tech.

"What is this?" she asked as she continued to examine it.

"I know you hate the whole armor, so I thought this was a better idea. You can still handle your guns, and now you've got two repulsors. You might need the extra fire power in there," he explained.

"Very nice," she said with a smirk.

"Hey, do I get one of those?" Caleb asked. They both turned to him with a glare. "Just thought I'd ask," he said putting his hands up in surrender.

"All kidding aside, we're going to need one hell of a plan to get in and get out relatively unscathed. Any ideas?" Tony said.

"Can you pull up any schematics of the building? If there's some way to get in easily, I could sneak in and secure Darren before you storm in and destroy whatever it is they were building for JARVIS," JC suggested.

"Okay, JARVIS, you heard the lady," Tony said as he took a seat at his desk. "See what you can find about this A.I.M. facility," he said as he typed in the specifics for JARVIS.

"Of course, sir. It will take me a moment to locate the schematics for the facility," JARVIS reported.

"Make it fast, honey."

"Caleb, what can you tell about the security in the facility? Any possible loop holes, weak areas, anything," JC asked, the gears in her head probably going about a mile a minute. If there was anything Tony could say for her it was that she was a master of thinking on her feet. He had to admit he couldn't even compare with her on one of her bad days, and right now she was almost at the top of her game, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"As far as I know, security is pretty air tight. No one gets in or out without a security card, and there are check points all over the facility from what I remember. And that's just the small section that I was in. I can only imagine it gets worse the further in you get," Caleb answered.

"Every system has a weakness somewhere that can be exploited. Do you know where they might hold Darren?" she continued.

"I didn't get that far into the facility, but I did get some info from some drunk guards. There's an area towards the back of the facility where prisoners are supposed to be kept. The only way I know to get there is to go through the thickest part of security. That involves cameras, some lasers, and an army of guards and commandos. We're gonna need one hell of a distraction to get through there."

"We need to try to avoid that until after we know where Darren is and can secure him. If they catch any sniff of an escape plan, they're likely to cut their losses and kill him. JARVIS, what do you have?" she asked the computer.

"I have found a set of blue prints for the facility in question," the computer reported.

"Pull it up, Tony," she ordered. He did as told and pull the schematics from the screen and out on to the floor through the holographic projectors. "Okay, Caleb, show me all the security checkpoints you know of and the area they might keep Darren."

Caleb began marking most of the doorways as security points and a small area where he thought the prison would be.

"What about the main frame for JARVIS? You said you had delivered parts before. Where were they taken?" Tony asked.

"All the parts were taken here," Caleb said as he pointed out a large open area near the middle of the facility. "The last shipment of those parts I took were several months ago and nothing had been built yet that I could see. If they were going to build something the size that you're talking about it would be in this area." He pointed to a much smaller area still in the middle of the facility.

"That's not nearly big enough. There has to be another area," Tony said.

"No, it's plenty big enough. You see all these walls? All them have been knocked down. It's the only other large open area in the building that wasn't already in use for other projects," Caleb said.

"What do you think, JC? Caleb's probably right about security. It doesn't look like there's an easy way in," Tony said as he examined the schematics. He had to admit he was pretty impressed. He had expected it to be a secure facility, but from the looks of the security that Caleb had pointed out it was even more secure than most of Tony's facilities. The fact that most of their operations were illegal might have had something to do with it.

"What's this right here?" she asked, pointing to what looked like a ventilation shaft.

"It looks like the air conditioning. Most of those vents aren't big enough for a person to fit through though. The only larger vents are the ones that run to these computer rooms, but there's no way of telling which shafts are larger than the others. I wouldn't suggest that as an entrance. Besides, I've heard there's a bunch of laser motion detectors in there. I doubt you could pull it off," Caleb said.

"JARVIS, what can show me for sewage or waterways? They can't have much security for those areas," JC mused.

"One moment," the computer said before pulling up another schematic showing the pipelines.

"Can you show me how they both overlap?" she asked.

With the main schematic in one color and the sewage in another, JARVIS overlapped the two outlines. JC stared at the layout for several minutes deep in thought.

"JARVIS, show me the ventilation system," she finally ordered.

"Were you not listening to what I said? Any vents that lead to Darren will be too small, and the larger ones lead straight to an army of guards. The vents aren't an option," Caleb insisted.

"I'm not trying to get directly to him through the vents. Just shut up so I can think," JC snapped.

JARVIS did as instructed and pulled up another diagram layering it on top of the other two. JC continued to stare at the plans.

"Caleb, you have a security card that still works, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it won't do us much good. Unless you plan on going through the front door," he added sarcastically.

"That's exactly what you're going to do," she said firmly.

"Excuse me?" Caleb exclaimed. "Have you lost your mind? I can't just take you two through the front door. You're both kind of recognizable."

"You're the only one going through the door, Caleb. I need someone on the inside with a key to get me through the checkpoints," she explained.

"What about me? How am I getting in?" Tony asked.

"You'll be blasting your way in. It'll be nearly impossible to get you in with any amount of stealth while you're in your suit. I'm sending you in through the sewer system here," she said pointing to the pipeline. "Follow the pipe until you get to the boiler room here. There shouldn't be too much security in that area. Wait for my signal before you enter the building. I'll need Darren secure before all the alarms are set off."

"What about you? How are you getting in? And after that, how do we all get out without getting killed?" Caleb asked.

"I'll be going through the vents to where the computer parts are being stored. I'll need you with your security card to get me out of the room and through the next checkpoint," she said.

"And what about the security? There's supposed to be motion detectors in the vents. And besides that, you might not even fit. What's your plan for that?" Caleb questioned.

"You can't put motion detectors in ventilation. Dust sometimes builds up and when they turn on the system it sets off the alarms and makes them useless. If there is a security device on the vents, it'll be on the vent covers. It'll set off the alarms as soon as the cover is removed. It's a fairly easy bypass. One of the first tricks I learned early in the business," she said with a smirk.

"What's next?" Tony asked.

"From the storage room it's not too far to the prison. There's maybe two more security checkpoints. I doubt your card will get us all the way back there, but we'll use it until it no longer works. After that we'll probably have to fight our way back. Once we have Darren I'll give you the signal to make your move. By then Rhodey will be in position and ready to move. Between you and him there should be ample distraction for the guards. We'll make a run for the door and get as far away from there as possible. With any luck we won't take too much fire."

"This is all assuming that his information is reliable," Tony pointed out. "For all we know security has changed or he's wrong about the prison. What then?"

"We'll adapt on the go if we have to. For now, this is all we've got, and we'll have to make it work. There's no time left to come up with something else. Gear up," she ordered and left the room.

An hour later JC was making her way through the ventilation system of the A.I.M. facility. The only part she absolutely hated was getting from the ground up in to the ceiling vents; it was always the most difficult and most dangerous. Thankfully Tony had a few toys that would prove to be very useful. A small grappling hook took her up and, what was essentially a glorified skateboard, rolled her swiftly and quietly through the vents. She had to admit one thing: Caleb wasn't kidding about the vents. It was tight quarters giving her the feeling of being a sardine in a can. Along with her vest of knives and two shoulder holsters, the pack that Tony had made for wasn't helping matters much. While it was relatively small in comparison to his suitcase armor it was still bulky and cumbersome in the vents. Even so, she was sure it would probably come in handy when she was no longer in the vent.

Her thoughts were running over a mile a minute. She couldn't help but worry about whether or not Darren was okay or if he was even in this facility. If they were wrong, it could spell total disaster. She only hoped that Caleb and Tony would pull off their parts without a hitch. She was confident that Tony wouldn't blow it, but she still had plenty of concerns about Caleb. She had no idea how well he would perform under pressure. She only hoped he didn't screw it all up.

Before long she was hovering over one of the vent covers that led down into what was supposed to be the storage area for the computer parts. When she looked down to get some kind of view of the room she noticed that the parts were not simply being stored there. From the looks of it, they had all been assembled, each server evenly spaced like a grid. This was not a good sign.

After a quick examination of the cover she found no signs of any kind of sensors. Had Caleb been wrong? Or was it all just some rumor passed along to discourage someone who might think of using the vents? And if Caleb was wrong about the security for the vents, could there be more that he had been wrong about? JC hoped not, or everything was going to go to hell real fast real soon.

Grabbing the cover with both hands she gently pried it loose and pulled it up into the shaft. When no alarms sounded and no guards came rushing in she carefully lowered herself down and gently landed on top of one of the servers. She then quickly hopped down and hid behind one of the servers and waited for Caleb.

After several minutes of waiting Caleb still hadn't showed up. Now she was beginning to worry. He should have been there long ago. Had he been caught? Did his card not work? As these thoughts and several others began running through her mind her earpiece started beeping signaling that someone was calling her. She looked to her wrist where the reciver was and saw Caleb's name on the ID.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"We have a problem. They've changed the storage area," he reported.

"I can tell. All the parts in here have been assembled. Where are you now?"

"They made me take an elevator down to some basement area. I've never seen this area before, and from the sound of it, Darren is down here somewhere. I heard some guards saying something about having trouble with a kid. It's gotta be him."

JC felt her heart stop for a moment. How was she supposed to get down there? That hadn't been on any of the schematics, and she had no idea how to get through the security to that area.

"What do you suggest we do?" he asked.

"I don't know. See what you can do about finding Darren. I'll try to find some way down there," she said and pulled herself back up in to the vent. "Tony," she said into the earpiece after hanging up on Caleb.

"What is it?" he replied.

"We've hit a snag. It looks like Darren is being kept in some basement area. It looks like all the computer stuff is still on the first floor, but we still need a way down there. Can JARVIS show you any routes on your HUD?"

"Gimme a sec," he said and began talking to JARVIS. After another minute he finally said, "JARVIS thinks the most possible route is twenty feet in front of you. Take a right, go another ten feet and to the left there might be a vent leading downward. Just watch yourself. No telling what security there might be."

"Understood. Are you in position?"

"Ready and waiting," he reported.

"Good," she said and started down the shaft again. "I'll be another few minutes. Let's just hope nothing else goes wrong."

JC continued down the shaft in the direction Tony had suggested. She prayed that JARVIS was right. Otherwise they were going to need a new plan which would probably involve more brute force than they could afford. Luckily JARVIS was spot on in his calculations. She found a shaft that led downward and she assumed that it had to lead down to a basement; it went too far down for anything else. She attached the end of the grappler to the top of the vent and slowly lowered herself down until she reached another vent cover.

Peering down she could see a catwalk hanging over a large open area. She couldn't make out any other details of the room from her angle. After quickly checking the vent for any sensors she popped it off and dropped down to the walkway. She checked both ways to make sure no guards were in the area and continued. With a better view of the room she could see that it was mostly empty space with what looked like large doors on the floor. She could only assume that it led down to another level of the facility and moved on.

"Caleb," she said in to the earpiece, "I'm in. Any idea where the prison is?"

"Where are you?" he asked.

"There's some large open area. Looks like a garage or something," she said.

"I haven't seen that part yet. I don't have a clue. It could be anywhere down here. You're on your own," he said.

She rolled her eyes and continued until she saw a doorway. She went through and checked the halls. When she saw it was clear she continued down looking for any kind of markers on the walls or a guard station, something that could tell her where to go or at least give her a vague idea. She didn't get much farther before sirens started blaring and red lights began flashing in the halls.

JC cussed under her breath. "Caleb, please tell me that wasn't you," she demanded.

"It wasn't me," he exclaimed.

"Tony, was it you?"

"No, it wasn't," he replied.

"You might want to get in here. Sounds like everything is going to hell," she said and hurried down the hall trying to find the source of the alarm. Several guards went running by her down the hall. She hoped that they might be able to lead her to the source of the alarm, so she kept her distance and followed them. They turned down several halls before she could hear the sounds of men grunting. After turning another corner she could see several guards trying in vain to restrain someone; it was Darren! And he wasn't alone. Natalie Rushman had managed to find her own way into the base and was fighting off the guards with Darren's help.

Not wasting another moment, JC put her hands through both loops on the pack and pulled up, ready to fight. She pulled back the first guard she could get her hands on and punched him square in the jaw. Another turned and attempted to subdue her. He met a similar fate as the other one. She continued to fight them off, making her way slowly but surely to her son. It came down to the finally four, Natalie taking care of two leaving one for both her and Darren. It only took a sharp hit to the man's nose for JC to subdue him, and she grabbed the man who had his arms around Darren's neck giving him a swift kick to the abdomen and punch him in the face. Darren, still thinking he needed to fight, swung at JC. She deflected his hit and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Darren, it's me!"

He stared at her for a moment as the words seems to register in his mind. In an instant his arms were wrapped around and she hugged him tightly.

"I knew you'd come," he said into her shoulder.

"Damn right, I came," she said as she pulled away to look at him. "But you and I are going to have a serious talk when we get home about where you learned to fight."

"Does it really matter that much?" he asked with a cringe.

"Oh yes, it does, mister," she said in her I'm-still-your-mother tone.

"No, thanks, I didn't need any help back there," Natalie said sarcastically as she finished off the last guard.

"I noticed you had everything under control. What the hell are you doing here anyway?" JC demanded. "I never told S.H.I.E.L.D. we were coming here."

"You didn't have to. This facility was next on our list. I was sent to check things out. I would think you'd be a little more grateful since I just saved his life," Natalie snapped.

"You didn't save anyone. You managed to set off every fricking alarm in the building," JC fumed, pushing Darren aside.

"I didn't do anything. He's the one who set off the alarms," Natalie said pointing at Darren. "He broke out of his cell, tried to escape on his own."

JC turned back to Darren who had a sheepish look on his face. She wasn't sure whether to be proud that he had managed to escape or mad that he had nearly gotten himself killed trying to play hero. She settled for a glare.

"We'll discuss this when we get home. Right now we need to get out of here. I'm assuming you have a way to get out?" JC looked to Natalie.

"Of course I have a way out," Natalie sneered. "Come on."

She started to lead them back the way JC had originally come. They turned another hallway and were greeted by five more guards. They all skidded to a stop, and without thinking, she held up her hands and shot at the guards with her repulsors. All five were thrown back and knocked against each other; JC, unprepared for the force of the repulsors, was pushed back nearly falling over herself.

"Holy crap, Mom!" Darren exclaimed. "When did you get those?"

"Call it an early wedding present. Just don't let me do that again," she said grimacing. Pain was shooting through her injured shoulder from the recoil.

"Are you all right?" Natalie asked.

"I'll be fine," she grunted. "Come on."

"JC, you there?" she heard Tony ask over her comm piece.

"What is it, Tony?"

"We've got a big problem. Where are you?" he said before an explosion went off on his end.

"We're on our way out. What was that?"

"Don't worry about me. Do you have Darren?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Then get out of here," he cut her off. "I'll meet you outside if I can."

"Tony—"

"Just go, damn it! Don't argue!"

"What's going on?" Natalie asked.

Before she could answer the building began to shake. They all looked to each other for some sort of answer.

"We need to get out of here. Sounds like Tony and Rhodey are going to blow this place to kingdom come," JC said and grabbed Darren by the arm dragging him down the halls.

They continued down the hallways until they were almost to the catwalk. As they got closer gunfire and explosions could be heard. As they made their way out on to the catwalk JC looked out on what had been the garage looking area. It was hardly recognizable. Scorch marks adorned the floor and walls and there was a large hole in the ceiling more than likely from Tony blasting his way through. She looked down to see Tony and Rhodey in a fighting stance staring down their opponent. JC couldn't believe what she was seeing; it was another Iron Monger looking suit of armor.

AN: Yay for a faster update! Only two more chapters to go and then this story will finally be over, which I'm sure many of you will be happy for. Let me know what you think ^_^