Prompt: Penny is once more trapped under a building (part 1)
Penny had worked with the Avengers a handful of times now. They hadn't seen her face yet...she didn't really want them to. Neither did Mr. Stark. He hadn't exactly had the chance to have the 'Spidergirl is only sixteen' talk with the Avengers. Now that they were all tentatively working together again, he didn't want to upset the delicate balance. Or something. Either way, she'd gotten a call while out on patrols to help out and had jumped at the chance to work with the Avengers. Karen was able to patch her into the comms, and the next thing she knew, she was swinging through the city, catching a glimpse of Falcon and Iron Man out of the corner of her eye.
Her heart soared as Captain America's voice hit her ear through the comms. "Alright, team, does everyone copy?" There were a chorus of replies from the other Avengers, then Penny realized she should probably chime in.
"Um...yes sir...Captain, sir...I...I copy...Mr. America, sir." Everyone chuckled and her face went red under her mask, cheeks matching her suit.
"Just call him Cap, Spidey. Everyone else does." Mr. Stark spoke in her ear, sounding like he was smiling. Talking to Captain America hadn't gotten any easier despite having worked with him a few times...then again, she'd never actually spoken to him one on one. She had always just talked with Mr. Stark and he'd given her her orders.
The team had gotten back together not too long ago...a few months. Right around the time of her birthday. She wasn't sure, but she suspected it had something to do with Bruce Banner and Thor returning from...well, wherever they'd been. She hadn't met them yet...not really. She'd just worked with them a few times...seen them in passing. Worked in the same city block. But they hadn't spoken yet, beyond Thor introducing himself and telling her it was nice to meet the 'girl of spiders.'
The issue on the table: killer robots. Possibly made by Hydra or maybe a local supervillain. They weren't too sure yet. Either way, they were attacking civilians and so they had to be taken care of. Cue the Avengers.
"Spidergirl, you and Natasha start getting civilians to safety. Iron Man, you, Falcon, and War Machine set up a perimeter. Let's try to keep these things in a six-block radius."
"I've got emergency services evacuating everyone north of here. Spidey, Nat, give them a hand?" Mr. Stark suggested.
"Good. The rest of us will start taking these things down. Try to capture one if you can, Tony. We need to figure out where these things are coming from." Penny swung around a corner, releasing her web and dropping down to the ground, landing in front of a group of people all running the wrong way.
"Hey, guys." She waving, hoping she didn't look scary or anything...and that they'd listen to her. "Try the other way. The Avengers are here...they're going to take care of this."
"What are those things?" One man demanded, pointing up at one of the robots.
"Um...not sure yet. But you guys need to head south. We're setting up a perimeter." She ordered, pointing in the direction they needed to go. To her surprise, they immediately turned and began running the right way. "Awesome." She muttered. "Karen, can you help me out?"
"It seems as if there are more civilians hiding in the bank two blocks north of you."
"Got it!" Taking off at a sprint, she dodged derbies and falling robot parts as, above her head, Mr. Stark took out some robots and attempted to capture one. When she turned a corner, she saw Thor going head to head with one of them. She jumped onto the roof of one of the cars parked on the street, shot a web, then leaped, swinging around another corner and was easily able to find the bank.
"Hello!" She called, looking around the dark lobby. "It's...it's Spidergirl! Come on out! I'll get you to safety!" Slowly, one by one, heads popped out. "Hi! Spidergirl." She introduced herself again, counting as quickly as she could. Three women, two men, and, peering out from around a column, a man with a baby and a three or four year old. The older child pointed at her in wonder.
"Daddy! Spidergirl!" She smiled, heart warm. It was always cool when someone recognized her
"That's right. And I'm going to get you guys out. You ready?"
No one argued...no one even seemed to think twice about trusting her. The man carried his baby while another one of the men picked up the older child, and the group gathered behind her in a tight huddle. "Okay. Stay close. I'm going to lead you out of here. Got it?" They all nodded, silent and pale, eyes watching her anxiously. "Karen, um...make it so I can talk to everyone again?" The comms had been quiet for the most part...the occasional quip from Hawkeye or Iron Man going unanswered as they all focused. But Penny might need more cover.
"Um...hello?"
"We copy, Spidergirl." Captain America answered immediately.
"I've got a group of civilians at the Stonewall Bank. Eight adults, two kids. I'm going to get them to safety."
"Alright, Spiderkid. I've got you." Rhodey spoke up. "Go ahead and get them out. I'll cover you guys from the air."
And that was that, she supposed.
Penny hurried out of the building, the two men carrying children in the center of the group, the others flanking them. They moved quickly, Penny keeping an eye out for falling derbies or angry robots.
They were lucky.
With Rhodey flying overhead, they were able to make it to the line of police who'd set up their own perimeter, and she caught sight of Iron Man flying overhead, shooting a robot with his repulsors. "So cool." She whispered, then had Karen switch over to the comms. "Thank you, War Machine, sir." He chucked.
"You got it, kid."
"Karen?"
"Five blocks northeast, there are civilians trapped in a parking garage."
"How many?" She asked, shooting a web to the nearest building and taking off, swinging by Black Widow who was guiding another group of civilians out.
"2 women, one appears to be in her early forties, the other in her late seventies."
"Which level?" She asked, swinging as fast as she could."
"They are on the first sublevel."
"Thanks, Karen."
She found them huddled behind the car, the whole structure shaking. Hurrying over to them, she crouched beside their car, holding out a hand. "Hi, I'm Spidergirl." She introduced herself. "I'm going to help you get out. Okay?"
"Is it going to fall?" The younger woman wanted to know, looking around in obvious terror.
"It might. So we have to get out. Hurry." They followed without arguing, letting her lead them up to the first floor...then the ground was shaking...and she glanced back to find one of the robots making its way toward her. "Go...go now!" She ordered, turning to face the thing and praying that they listened.
They were on the ground floor, half walls surrounding them, and little rectangles of daylight visible along the sides. But she didn't see any other Avengers around.
She didn't need any other Avengers...she could handle this.
The robot sped up, claws on either side aiming themselves at her, and she leaped as it flew by, wincing when the building shook. She turned once more as it came at her, the movements jerky but relentless. She dodged it almost easily...almost like it wasn't trying too hard to get her. Still, it seemed to avoid her webs until she got a little closer, which turned out to be a mistake.
One of the metal claws, tipped with sharp metal almost as if it had fingernails, caught her in the side, and she hissed at the burning pain, dropping to the ground and gasping, staggering a little. It came at her again, and this time she was able to duck out of the way, shooting a web at the ceiling to get herself away, blood soaking the side of her suit.
She thought about calling the others…maybe someone was close enough to help her.
How would they ever take her seriously if she couldn't even defend herself against one robot?
Penny shot a web at the robot once more, this time incapacitating one of its claws. The thing struggled as she shot more and more webs, making it impossible for it to move...and then her spider senses exploded.
And then everything went dark.
When Penny woke, it was slow. Breathing was hair and the air was filled with dust and it was so dark...she could barely see. Her eyes peeled slowly open, and she coughed, nearly screaming in pain when that moved her whole body. Her whole body which was pinned beneath something...the worst pain was in her chest...she was being crushed.
"Karen?" She choked out.
"Yes, Penny?"
"How bad is it?"
"I am afraid that I am unable to run diagnostics. Something was damaged…". Karen cut out for a second, then came back. "Damaged in the collapse."
"Okay...um…can you link me to the comms?" She asked, voice desperate. After a moment, during which she rested her forehead on the ground, unable to hold it up anymore, she heard the others. Faintly. "Um...hello?"
"We copy, kid. What's up?" Mr. Stark asked, sounding tense.
"Um...I'm kind of...I could use some help." She muttered, trying not to cough.
"Can you hold out for a little while, Spidergirl? We're kind of tied up here." Captain America asked, his voice tight.
"Oh...yeah, of course." She swallows back a sob, shivering from the cold that hit her like a brick wall...or a parking garage that had collapsed on her. "Yeah. I'll...I can wait."
"Alright kid. See you soon. Stay down if you're hurt." Mr. Stark ordered, and then Karen disconnected them.
She was under a parking garage. She was being crushed. And she was cold. Head aching, Penny took stock. She couldn't breathe very well, and when she tried to move her hands under herself to get some leverage, her left arm screamed at her, refusing to move from where it was caught between two chunks of concrete.
It was broken.
Penny let the sob out them, wriggling her right arm out from underneath herself and gripping her mask. It was too small. Too tight. She couldn't breathe! Yanking the mask up over her nose, she gasped for air that still didn't come. Her sobs were high pitched...desperate. "Please, Mr. Stark...please hurry." She whimpered to no one, wondering if Karen was still recording. "Please...please…"
It all went dark again.
She gasped awake, screaming when her body jerked under the concrete. It hurt...it hurt so much. Her body trembled as she gasped for air, and her left arm throbbed. She couldn't even feel her legs...couldn't move them or find them...were they even still there? She wanted to connect to the comms again, but her mouth was so dry and she was so cold...every word she managed was barely a whisper. "Karen?"
"I'm here, Penny." Her AI spoke in a gentle murmur, and Penny felt tears slide down her cheek.
"Don't leave me. Please."
"I won't leave you, Penny. I'm right here." Still crying, Penny closed her eyes again. Karen wouldn't leave her. She wasn't alone this time.
This time the comms jolted her back into consciousness...she hadn't even realized that she'd been asleep. "Alright, kid. Do you need a lift? Where are you?" Mr. Stark asked. She blinked at the concrete inches from her face, swallowing hard...her whole mouth tasted like dust. "Kid? You okay?"
"I'm...parking garage." She muttered.
"You're breaking up, Spidey. You said parking garage?" She nodded. "Kid?" He asked, sounded worried.
"Garage…"
"Tony, track her suit." Captain America ordered suddenly, his voice deadly quiet.
"I am...it's coming from…". More silent and Penny wondered if it had cut out again. "Kid? Are you in the parking garage?" Mr. Stark all but whispered.
"Mhm." She murmured, and then someone was swearing.
"Kid? We're going to get you out, okay? We've got Banner here...he's going to look you over as soon as we get you out. Talk to me!"
"Karen...she's broke. Can't tell me." Penny slurred, shivering so violently that it hurt.
"Okay. That's okay. We'll fix her. How about you?"
"My arm...I can't...I'm...I'm cold, Mssr Sark….". Her words dropped off and she heard movement above her.
"Okay. Possibly a broken arm. We can fix that. Don't worry about that. Anything else?" She just blinked at the concrete, wondering if this was it.
"M'dying?" She asked, pretty sure she knew the answer. The pain was ebbing away and even though she could barely breathe, she didn't care quite so much.
"No! Absolutely not, kiddo. You're not dying." Mr. Stark sounded more upset than she'd ever heard him but she could barely bring herself to care.
"Spidergirl! Keep talking!" Someone else ordered. Cap. He'd said to call him Cap...or had Mr. Stark told her to? "We've almost got to you. Just hang on! Talk to me, kid!" He ordered. She was supposed to listen to him.
"I'm stuck again." She murmured.
"Yeah, I know, but we're digging you out," Cap assured her.
"What do you mean 'again?'" Falcon wanted to know. She tried to remember.
"Vulture." She told him. "Homecoming dance...under a building he...the supports…pushed it off but I can't…". She trailed off, gasping for air. "Mr. Stark I can't breathe...sir...please…". She was crying again. She didn't want to die. Not here. "Please, sir, I don't…"
"You aren't dying!" Her mentor barked. "I'm coming, kid. Just hold on!"
She gave a breathless scream when something was lifted off her back, and she looked up to fine Cap down in the little space beside her, fingers on her throat. "Okay...Bruce?"
"I copy, Cap."
"Prep emergency evac. It's bad. Pulse barely there. She's conscious but barely responsive. Her left leg is trapped under some concrete...Thor?" She phased in and out as something was pulled off of her, wondering what he was talking about. "Left arm definitely broken. She's coughing up blood." Was she? If she was, she hadn't noticed. Then again, it was hard to breathe. "Bleeding...I think it's from her stomach…oh…". He whispered, eyes softening as he seeks to get a better look at something. "Get the jet here now! We need to get her out of here."
"Cap?" Mr. Stark asked from somewhere...the comms! She opened her eyes and realized that they were in a small space and that the concrete hadn't all been removed. She was still stuck under a piece of it.
"Rebar...it's coming out of her stomach...she must have fallen on it or something...pressure is keeping it from bleeding too badly but I'm going to have to pull her off it." He spoke softly, moving closer and crouching beside her. "Spidey?" She moaned, unable to make her words work. "It's okay. I'm going to hand you up to Thor and he's going to get you to the jet." He touched his ear. "Sam, you and Bruce ready?"
"Mssr….Strrk…?" She moaned.
"He's bringing the jet over. He'll be with you, Spidergirl."
Something was lifted off of her, freeing her completely from the concrete, and she coughed, choking on the dirt and dust that settled over her like a cloud. "Alright, kid. Bear with me here for a second." He mumbled. "Thor?"
"I am ready to take her."
"Sam? Bruce?"
"We're ready for her in the jet."
"Tony?"
"I've got the jet now get my fucking kid out of there!" Mr. Stark snapped. Everyone seemed to freeze, and then Captain America had a hand on her mask.
"Tony...is she…"
"Cap, I swear…"
"Here." She heard Thor move closer, leaning over the open space before climbing down. "Let me take her out of here."
"I'm afraid to move her," Cap admitted softly. "The rebar is stopping the bleeding...as soon as we pick her up it's going to start bleeding again. A lot…"
She was on her back, upper body slightly elevated thanks to the uneven concrete, and when she looked down at her body she could see the metal sticking out of her stomach.
He was afraid to move her…there was rebar in her stomach.
She was going to die.
Penny sobbed, lifting a hand to her mouth, and a gentle hand touched her hair. "Hello, girl of spiders." Thor greeted her softly, slipping his arms under her shoulders and knees. "I'm going to take you to the jet...Banner and Falcon are going to help you."
"I can't...can't move…". She whimpered. He nodded gravely.
"Alright. Do not worry about moving. Just hold on for a few more moments."
When he lifted her, it was like every ounce of energy she still had in her body drained out with the blood pouring out of her back. But he was running, pressing one hand tightly to her back at an awkward angle.
Time blurred.
She was placed on a bed, two men hovering around her, placing something on her stomach and back but she couldn't even scream...couldn't get her lungs to work. They were speaking to her and asking questions...she didn't have any answers. Could barely even talk. Someone was swearing...one of them? Definitely not her. Then the jet was moving and Mr. Stark was there.
He pulled her mask the rest of the way off without hesitating, and then his hand cupped her cheek. Someone asked something. He closed his eyes for a second.
"Sixteen." He told them, defeat in his voice.
Breathing got harder. Every second it was harder. "We're here. Don't worry, Penny. You're going to be okay. I'm here."
"Mssr...Mssr St..." She gasped, and he shook his head, thumb rubbing under her eye.
"Hush...hush, kiddo. It's okay. I know...I know it hurts. I'm sorry. But I'm right here. I won't leave you."
Thor took her hand and she realized she was squeezing it, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She choked out at one point, looking up at Mr. Stark who looked sick.
"No. There's nothing to be sorry about. You did great. I'm sorry, kid. I should have come sooner."
"Too much blood...Tony, I can't…I don't know if we're going to make it in time..." Someone else spoke urgently, pushing down on her stomach.
Mr. Stark stood, hands fisted in his hair, leaning over as if in pain while the other two men hurried around her, moving and touching her. She turned to find Thor at her other side and squeezed his hand weakly. He was the only one sitting still, jaw clenched, staring down at their connected hands until she squeezed them.
"Thanks for getting me out, Mr. Thor." She whispered, and before he could respond, she closed her eyes, figuring that bleeding out while surrounded by her heroes wasn't the worst way to go.
Thank you so much for reading!
