A/N: So happy to see so many reviews and follows on this! Thanks, ya'll!

Chapter Two: The Alien in the Basement

Up in the penthouse of Stark Tower, Steve Rogers looked out at the city. It was late afternoon and, finally, things had calmed down enough to call it a day. For the most part, they've been all working together on various Avengers projects. After the Chitauri invasion, Stark Tower pretty much became the official Avengers base camp for the past three years. Every once in a while, they would still go their separate ways for missions: Widow and Hawkeye still had obligations to Shield; Thor traveled back and forth to Asgard a lot, and Tony still had a company to run. However, unlike the others, Bruce and Steve were predominantly at the tower. Bruce preferred to spend more time in his new lab at the tower working on his various projects. Steve, as the face of the Avengers, did a lot of coordination between his team, SHIELD, and the government.

"Hey Spangles, quit sight-seeing! The pizzas getting cold!"

The Captain turned around to look at his team. They were all squeezed together at the small table in the kitchenette; a huge stack of pizza boxes was piled in the center. He rolled his eyes at his nickname and chuckled. Natasha scooted over a little as a gesture for Steve to join them. It almost seemed like everything was back to normal for a second. They all missed their weekly shawarma outings and movie nights. The responsibilities of becoming Earth's Mightiest Heroes have slowly consumed any free time they once had. The conversation was light and cheerily. Thor happily told stories of his visit to Asgard and the battles he's won, and Tony made snarky remarks to his theatrics.

The sound of laughter was quickly silenced by a loud crash coming from below. Everyone immediately jumped from there seats, fully prepared to fight at a moment notice. Even though they weren't in uniform, they always had their weapons nearby.

Tony scanned the room carefully raising his eyebrow in concern. He would have been alerted to any security breach far in advance.

"Yo, Jarvis," Tony called out, "Did you pick up that up?"

-I did sir-, The A.I. responded on command, -It came from your lab.-

"My lab, huh? You got a visual on that?"

-I'm afraid not. Whatever happened shut down my video feed.-

Tony groaned, sagging his shoulders in a dramatically.

"Tony, is everything okay?"

Stark heard Natasha call his name from behind. He turned around to see his friends still on edge to the situation. Tony pinch the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry to freak you guys out. It's just I had some tests I was running downstairs and- am an idiot to- put Dumb-E in charge. The Tin-Can must have screwed up something."

He threw up his arms in frustration and turned to head towards the elevator.

"You guys go ahead and chill out," Tony waved his hand in dismissal, "I'm just going to make sure Dumb-E still knows how to use a fire extinguisher."

Walking into the elevator Tony and turned around and pointed at Thor.

"And Point Break over there, you better save me a slice. Your limit's two pies remember?"

Thor smiled, already in mid-chew of another slice, and gave him a thumbs-up as the elevator door closed. As Tony went out of sight the others sat back down and continued the conversation as normal. Steve was the last to join them back at the table. He sat down and looked back at the elevator in concern before going in for another slice.

Tony leaned against the elevator wall sluggishly. He was working on some new thrusters for his latest suit and left his robots to run a few test cycles. His anxiety started to grow as he imagined what all that racket was going on down there. The thrusters have been in the works for months. All the endless nights; the blood, sweat, and tears have been put into this new addition. Sure, the old suit was adequate, but after the Chitauri attack, he knew it could use an update.

If that sorry excuse for a robot broke anything, I'm turning him into a Roomba vacuum.

All the number-crunching was wearing on him. Since during day he was busy with Avengers and Stark Industry, the only free time he had to work on his suit was at night. Tony often joked that his veins are full of more coffee than blood.

The elevator ding snapped him out of his head. He wondered through the maze of walls with ease. It felt eerily quiet. The lights flickered the farther down the halls he went. A shiver went up Tony's spine as it reminded him of a famous horror movie moment.

Tony kept his eyes peeled, "Jarvis… you still down here?"

-I am, sir. My audio is working, but in your lab all video and sensors are inoperable.-

Stark bit the bottom of his lip, praying it was just some power surge -or something of the matter. He walked briskly down the flight of steps leading to his lab. Approaching the door of the lab, Tony cupped his hands over his eyes to see through the glass frame. The lab was pitch black with an uncomfortable silence inside. Every once in awhile, a few sparks would pop up in the darkness around the lab -not a good sign. Tony pulled back and stood there waiting for the door to open automatically upon his arrival. Before he could open his mouth to speak up, Jarvis responded.

-Sir, I am unable to open it from my end. You'll have to do it manually.-

Tony let out a frustrated moan. He was getting too spoiled with automated equipment; doing things manually sucked. He grumbled as he rested his hand on a random part of the doorframe. A section of the wall depressed with his touch and a hidden cubby appeared; a dusty keypad was wedged deep inside the hole. Tony set his jaw for a second as he tried to remember the passcode he had set years ago. After a few tries, the door finally clicked open. Even though it was unlocked, he had to manually push it open.

"Dammit, this is definitely not a good sign," Tony grumbled to himself as he pried the door open, just enough to slip through.

After squeezing through, he let the door slam closed behind him. Stark looked around the empty void of black, trying to make out any sort of shapes. The dull glow of his Arc Reactor wasn't a sufficient enough light source.

He hesitated to call out, "Hey, Dumb-E? Are you in here?"

There was no answer.

Tony slid farther into the darkness and tried to avoid the sparks that sprang up past him. In doing so, he unknowing rammed his hip on the corner of a table.

Shit! Tony clutched his injured side.

Even though it was dark, Tony knew the layout of his lab. That table was not supposed to be that close to the entrance. As he stepped off to the side to avoid the corner, he heard the crunching of glass beneath his feet. Stark started to panic at the unknown state of his lab. He stayed frozen in one spot and looked up to the ceiling for help.

"Jarvis?"

-Ye-yes, Mr. Stark?-

The static in the A.I.'s voice only added to the fear-factor.

"Is there any way you can activate the emergency generator?"

-I-I can t-try, sir.-

Jarvis's voice sounded unsure. Tony pulled his hands out to his side to feel around. His fingers brushed up against the metal table he ran into. Swallowing his fear, he probed further. He could feel some of his tools scattered around the table and noted that's not how he left them. Around the lab, he could see the dim glow of the remnants of his computer screens. Tony begged his data wasn't lost from whatever had happened here.

As Jarvis -hopefully- worked on the lights, he continued to run his fingers on the edge of the counter, taking caution to anything sharp. It wasn't until he felt something wet, he stopped. Tony recoiled at the sensation and pulled his hand off the table. Unable to see it, he rubbed his fingers together to identify it; it was barely warm and slick to the touch. Whatever it was, he could feel it slowly trail down his fingers, pooling into his palm.

Oil? Tony raised his eyebrow, perplexed. He thought for a second about it, before his eyes widened in fear. If it's oil, then it's flammable.

He wondered how much of it was leaking around the lab. Sparks from the broken machinery danced in the corner his vision. Any of those could ignite the oil at any second. This place was a death trap waiting to happen.

Before only could think any further, the lights above buzzed ominously and started to flicker, shooting off bursts of light before dying down. In between the blinks of light, Tony tried to get a glance at his hand and froze at the sight. His whole hand was coated in a thick layer of red fluid.

Blood... He stretched his hand as far away as possible before trying to shake off the blood. The liquid clung to his skin as it started to dry.

Was someone in here? Is someone STILL in here? Tony's eyes darted wildly around the room. The lights didn't give him enough time to look around before the lab plunged back into darkness. He was panicking at the thought he could be alone, in the dark, without his suit, with something in here. He started to back up slowly, but foot slipped. Tony fell backward onto the hard, unforgiving floor. Thankfully, he wasn't near any broken glass at the time. Scrambling to stand back up, Tony stared at the ground as the lights flickered again.

Red... it's everywhere; so much of it!

Blood was pooled around him. It coated his arms and stained his white shirt. Adrenaline started to fuel his panicked mind. Tony scooted back, not caring if he couldn't see.

"Jarvis? Jarvis?" Tony screamed.

But no answer came.

Without Jarvis to call the others, Tony needed the hell out on his own. His shoulder grazed past something, causing him to audibly gasp. He threw his arms out to defend himself against the attack but ended up hitting a metal it wasn't an enemy, Tony gripped it tightly with his other hand and hoisted himself up quickly. On the way up, his head collided with something above him. He clutched his head in pain, cursing through his teeth. If an explosion in his lab isn't going to kill him, running around his lab blind will. Quickly shaking off the pain, Tony reached up to locate the object responsible. A cool, metal surface slid over his fingers. He traced in across the surface and down a groove. Tony knit his brows together trying to decipher the object. He was sweating profusely from the panic. His hands still caked with someone…something's blood.

His fingernail hit something, making a ding-ing sound- different than metal. Exploring further, he made the deduction it was a lightbulb. And as if his own light just went off in his head, Tony realized what he ran into. He kept a large spotlight in the lab for extra light when he worked late in the night. It had a large battery-powered core. As his life hung in the balance, he groped the backside of it to try to turn it on. He finally grazed over the toggle switch and quickly flicked it. Brightness filled the room in an instant. Tony recoiled, shutting his eyes to the blinding light. He was afraid to open them and turn around. Tony already knew there was blood, but what else? Whatever happened must have screwed up the A.I.s system too. Jarvis was now useless. Now he really wished he let the others come down with him. They're upstairs unknowing of Tony's predicament.

Not wanting to keep his back facing the room any longer, he took a deep breath and spun around to face the lab. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw the full extent of his room.

Mouth agape, Tony stared at- or what was left of- his lab. The place was a sight to behold. As if a literal bomb went off, blackened scorch marks covered every surface. His workbenches sewn across the room as if they were toys. Various machines and experiments toppled over, broken, and leaking fluids. Dumb-E was crumpled in the far corner, his arm dangling by a cord. But what got him most wasn't the destruction, no… it was the blood; copious amounts of it intermingling the scorched surfaces. It splatted the floor and pooled off the tables.

"J-Jarvis?!" Stuttering, he tried calling out one more time.

But no still no reply.

Tony held back a scream. The room was silent, but that didn't keep him from being on edge. He tries to swallow back his fear and shuffled through the debris. Whatever happened must have come and gone. It didn't seem anything else was moving around in the room. He stopped next to a pile of files on the ground. The papers were absorbing motor oil that was leaking close by. Picking up the damp files, Tony realized what they were. They were his blueprints for the new Iron Man thrusters.

He turned to place the ruined prints on the counter but noticed something very off-putting. Next to the workbench, on the floor, was a large, sun-shaped scorch mark. The rays extended outwards giving it the effect that the explosion ignited from the center. Tony followed edge with his eyes and onto another pool of blood. The pond of red looked disturbed and seemed like, whatever was bleeding landed there and skidded past. The blood smear streaked across the floor and led to the back corner of the lab. All the furniture and items were pushed out of the way of its trail.

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and, with shaking hands, set the papers on the table. He was nervous to follow the blood trail, unknowing if something was on the other side of it. The spotlight did light the room better, but it drew harsh shadows on cluttered areas. The streak leads into one of those dark shadows. He took one step forward cautiously, making sure to not step on more glass. Tony opened his mouth, but then closed it quickly.

If something's there… should I call out to it? What if it attacks? There's a lot of blood… so maybe it's too weak? Should I get the others first? What if it's still in here and I leave? Will it get loose? Maybe I shouldn't go….

Tony's mind spun with endless decisions. He decided on the latter and followed the trail. Approaching, he reached to the side and grabbed a wrench off a table. Tony was still a good twenty feet from the shadows when the overhead lights buzzed. Flinching a little to the sudden noise, he looked up. Whatever lights weren't broken came back to life. The beams chasing away any lurking shadows from the spotlight.

"Jarvis?" Tony whispered.

-S-sir, my systems are down. I-I'm going to have to d-do a hard reset.-

Before he could protest, he heard the distinct noise of the A.I. powering down. Tony was now truly by himself. At the very least, the majority of the lights were back on. He shuddered and spun back into the direction facing the once shadowed section. It appeared to be a blanket… but most blankets aren't covered in blood.

Tony visibly shook, but still crept forward. Something WAS there. But it didn't attack him. By now… it probably would have attacked him. Only a few feet away, he was able to study it more. It was fabric was covered in a muddied mixture of blood, soot, and dirt. The edges frayed and burnt holes peppered the material. Underneath it all, the fabrics true color was emerald green. It overall was a large piece of fabric that piled in a heap on the ground.

He bit his lip and gripped the wrench harder as he closed in. Not wanting to touch the disgusting mess, Tony probed it with his tool. There was no response; no movement. He took another hesitating step closer and dug the wrench under the fabric. Raising the wrench, the fabric caught on it. The material was thick and well made. Tony didn't lift it up too far, just enough to push it back a little.

The wrench dropped out of his hand with a loud crash. Tony stumbled back at the sight of it- a blue hand. It laid unmoving under the fabric. Its knuckles were torn and swollen, letting off an ugly purple tinge. Thousands of tiny cuts covered the blue flesh. Tony couldn't help but to yelp, increasing the distance between them, Shit- an alien!

Still, no movement is shown from the figure, though the puddle of blood every so slowly grew beneath it.

That's it, I'm outta here! Tony spun around and didn't look back. Prying the lab door back open, he burst back up the stairs to find the others.

"I do not understand this challenge, friend Barton?" Thor looked at the set-up on the table, confused.

"It's called Beer Pong," Clint laughed and handed Thor a ping-pong ball, "Just stand here and throw it into a cup."

The god studied the small object in his hand.

"Is this a duel of sorts?" He held the ball up to his eye and looked back at the table full of cups and beer.

Hawkeye snickered at Thor's expense, then tried to explain it in a more "lay man's terms". Widow stood next to Clint of the opposite side of the table. She couldn't help but have a small smirk on her face.

Bruce walked up to the thundering God and patted him on the shoulder.

"Come' on, buddy. We can't let these two beat us!"

Clint crossed his arms and huffed, "Psh, as if!"

The archer looked over at Steve, who was sitting on a chair nearby watching it all happen. He had the look of a disappointed parent of a bunch of teenagers.

"You better be keeping score over there," Clint joked, "Okay, grandpa?!"

Steve only raised his eyebrow at his nickname and gave a forced smile. His friends seemed to have an endless supply of names for him.

Thor took his place on the opposite side of the table. The cups of beer were lined perfectly in two separate pyramid shapes. As he gripped the ping-pong, he pulled back to take aim. When the ball was just about to leave the god's hand, Tony burst through the penthouse doors. The sudden noise startled Thor, hurdling the ball towards Stark.

"Guys, you got to- oh shit!" Tony stumbled forward out of the ball's path.

Everyone stopped what they were doing as the frantic billionaire skidded towards them. Tony's chest heaved as he came to a stop in front of them. He was trying to speak but couldn't catch his breath. His teammates all stared in shock at him. He was hunched over, drenched in sweat, with blood smeared on his shirt and arms. They immediately dropped their game ran him.

"Tony, what's wron- Is that blood?!" Steve gasped.

"Th-there's a-a," Tony struggled to finish.

"Come' on! Spit it out!"

"Clint, give him a second!" Natasha scolded.

Bruce put his hand on his panicking friend. "Just breath, Tony."

"Friend Stark? Is there a threat?!" Thor asked, already summoning Mjolnir.

Tony took a deep, shaky breath to calm down. He rubbed his hand over his face to wipe off the sweat.

"Th-there's something in my lab." He panted.

"In the lab?" Steve said.

"Yes… my lab, it's destroyed. And there's blood… so much blood…"

The thunderer swung his hammer, "Then let us go find this beast!"

Next Chapter: The Fight for Survival

Word Count: 3,342

Updated On: 8-31-19

Posted On: 8-31-19