Prompt: When Penny is captured with another person, she lets them escape and stays behind

"Ned, you have to go," Penny spoke in a harsh, raspy whisper as she tried to survive through the pain. That's all she had to do. Survive. Survive for long enough so that Ned could get out.

"What?" His face was covered in tears and dirt and blood, and she knew that she probably looked just as bad. But she couldn't think about that. Couldn't focus on that when she needed to get him out.

"Listen to me. I'm going to get you out and then you're going to run." He shook his head, eyes wide but she kept going. "No, listen Ned!" She hissed, grabbing his arm hard...harder than she should have. "You have to run. Fast. Find a phone and call Mr. Stark."

"Penny…" Ned was crying, lips trembling as he looked at the edge of the cage. The bruise on his face was dark and ugly, and the blood trailing from his lip worried her. She hoped it was just because he'd bitten it or something. "I don't...I don't know his number."

"Okay...okay, um…" She looked around, helpless. They'd taken their phones while Penny had been out. Penny's suit was at home. Their backpacks were useless. Except they had paper...and pens. "Just a second." Getting a hand through the door, she found the padlock and squeezed, unable to think of another way of getting the cage door open without revealing her strength. They didn't have time to pick the lock. Didn't have time to be clever. Brute strength was going to have to work.

They had thrown Ned and Penny into the cage after half dragging them down the stairs, every step a new wave of stabbing agony in her useless leg...it was a dog cage, big enough for a Great Dane, but still...not big enough for Penny and Ned both to sit comfortably. She was able to get the door open without much trouble but gasped in pain as she tried to pull herself out of the cage. She couldn't do it. Ned would have to.

The bullet had caught her in the back of her knee, and every movement made the wound explode with pain so intense that she could barely stand it. But she had to save Ned. He was counting on her. She was Spidergirl. She saved people. Ned was her best friend. "Open your backpack and find a piece of paper and a pen. Bring it here. Now! Hurry!" She ordered, heart pounding as he raced to do as she'd asked, crawling out of the cage then stumbling over to his backpack that sat on the floor.

Meanwhile, she dragged herself over to the window, unable to help the trail of blood. They would know that she'd helped him, but she had no other choice. There was no time to think of a plan. Not with his life on the line. Ned had nothing to do with any of this...they'd grabbed him because he'd been with her, she was sure of it. She'd heard them talking right before they'd pulled away from the house in the woods...they'd mentioned ''Stark' and 'interns.' But Ned wasn't an intern or a superhero...he was her friend and she had to save him before she did anything else.

Ned ripped his backpack open, grabbing a physics textbook and tearing out the title page, then dug around for a pen. Every second seemed to last for hours...they had no idea how long until the men returned. No idea what these people had in store for them. But she couldn't risk Ned. He wasn't going to die because of her. Finally, he found a pen and raced to her side. She snatched it, and with shaking hands, she wrote down Tony's phone number, then Happy's. He grabbed the paper as soon as she was done, stuffing it into his pocket.

"Okay." She whispered, holding up a hand, and he pulled her up, her biting down hard on her lip. Her right leg was useless, and she had to lean on the wall almost completely, sticky fingers holding her in place. They were in a basement, and a few small windows dotted the wall close to the ceiling. It would have to be enough. "Listen. We're in the middle of the woods, so you'll have to pick a direction. Follow the driveway to the road and run, but stay out of sight. If they come after you, hide. Stay still. Try not to make any noise. Flag down a car or stop at the next house you see." He nodded at her orders, desperately given. He was crying...that was fine.

On a table in the corner was a butcher block full of knives and she pointed at it. "Grab 2." She ordered. "The biggest ones." He stared at her in horror, not moving, and she fought the urge to scream. They didn't have time for him to be in shock. "Now, Ned. Hurry!" He jumped to follow her orders then, wiping at his eyes with one hand and then yanking first the largest butcher knife and then another long but thinner knife out. "If anyone tries to stop you...stab them in the eye...the throat...just...make sure you get away. Call Mr. Stark and tell him what happened. If he doesn't answer, call Happy. One of them will answer." They had to.

She took the smaller knife from him, gesturing for him to keep the big one. Ned was shaking his head again and Penny choked on a sob, dropping her forehead against his.

"Ned, I need you. Please. I can't run. I…" He wrapped his arms around her and she wanted him to stay with her...she didn't want to be alone in this basement. "Please." Her voice broke and she wiped at her eyes, grabbing the wall and holding herself up. "Please. Please, I need you to do this. I need you to be my guy in the chair. Please, Ned." He nodded, wiping a hand under his nose. "I love you. I need you to know...you're my best friend and I love you so much, and if…"

"Penny, stop." He begged, but she shook her head.

"If you guys don't make it in time, tell May that I love her so much and that I'm sorry…"

"Penny…" He whimpered. She cut him off.

"And tell Mr. Stark that...that he is my hero and I...I was just so grateful to get to meet him." She hadn't spoken to the man since after homecoming...after she'd turned him down. She wondered if he would ever contact her again...still, he'd given her his number for emergencies so she would have to pray that Ned would find a phone. That he wouldn't be caught.

He pressed a hand over his mouth as she grabbed the wall, pulling herself up and, as quietly as possible, pulled up hard on the window. It took some effort and it creaked, but she managed to get it open. Then she dropped to the floor, biting down on her hand when she landed so hard that she nearly broke skin.

The truck had driven away almost ten minutes ago...but that didn't mean there were no people in the house. They had no way of knowing that. Her hearing was good, but the house was 2 stories high and they were in a concrete basement so there may have been people upstairs. So she grabbed Ned's arm. "Reach your arms up. I'm going to lift you up through the window, then you run." She looked around the room, listening hard. She didn't hear anyone. He put the knife handle in his mouth, holding it sideways. Bending down as best she could, she put her arms around his knees and stood, so grateful for her super strength as she lifted him easily up to the window. He placed his feet on her shoulders, her standing fully upright, then pulling herself up the wall with her hands, and he managed to grab the window ledge.

He pulled himself through eventually, slipping into the darkness of the outside, and she thought about following. She could drag herself up...but she wouldn't be able to run. And Ned would be slowed down by her. "Go, Ned." She ordered. He shook his head, looking young and so afraid...was this how she looked to Mr. Stark? "Go! Hurry!" She snapped, and then he did.

She dropped back onto the ground, dragging herself back into the cage, shutting the door behind her, leaving a trail of blood behind her. If she was in the cage when they got back, it might take them a few more seconds to notice that Ned was gone. Ned would need those seconds. "Please." She whispered into the dark basement.

"Please let him get away...please...please let Mr. Stark find me." Penny had never really prayed much before, even though she'd gone to mass with May every Christmas. But now...now she closed her eyes, head against the bars of the dog crate, tears running down her cheeks. "Please. Please help me. God if...if you're real...if you're there...please. Help me."

Penny and Ned had been on their way home from the last Decathlon practice of the year, walking together on their way to Delmar's where they had planned on getting dinner, then going to Ned's to hang out. It was a Friday, so May didn't expect her home until late. At least 9. New York could be dangerous, but they had grown up there...they hadn't been afraid. It was cold, even for December, and the two had been bundled up, making their way down the street in the near-dark. The sun had nearly set at 5:45pm...they'd stayed late after practice to finish their homework, not wanting to work on it at Ned's where LEGO sets and video games were there to tempt them.

Penny's spider sense had exploded right before the crowbar had hit her in the back of the head, driving her to her knees in the alley. They'd been cutting through...stupid but faster than going all the way around. Ned had started to scream, but a gun had been pressed against her temple when she'd started to stagger upright. "You make another sound and I blow the little bitch's brains out." The man had warned, and Ned had gone pale and silent.

Penny had thrown an elbow into his ribs, starting to throw a punch, when the gun had gone off. From then, it had been a haze of agony and confusion...a blindfold. Hands tied behind her back. Being thrown into the back of a pickup truck, half rolled through the back right before Ned had been thrown in beside her and then the bed cover had been pulled down, leaving them in darkness.

"Penny...oh god...they shot you...Penny…"

"I'm okay...it's okay…" She'd sobbed, trying to comfort him. "We're going to get out…" She hadn't been able to move her right leg at all without the blinding agony. But they had Ned and she couldn't let Ned get hurt. That had been her main thought, other than the pain in her leg, as the truck had bumped along. They'd been snatched from an alley...no one had been around. A gunshot would have drawn some attention, but as far as she knew, no one had seen the men take them.

The two had been silent on the long car ride, the bed of the truck freezing under the bed cover when had been snapped shut. It wasn't airtight, but Penny had felt herself gasping for breath, tears building in her eyes and falling down her icy cheeks. She was Spidergirl, she'd told herself, trying to find a comfortable position as the truck had bumped along. She had to do something. But her knee had been so, so painful and her brain had been fuzzy and then everything had gone black.

She put a shaky hand to her leg, trying and failing to slow the bleeding. She couldn't bend her leg...couldn't move it anymore. Dropping her head against the back of the cage, she sobbed, shaking her head. She couldn't die here...not like this. She clutched the knife, heart racing. "Please." She whispered. "Please, please…" She wiped a weak hand over her face, blood dripping down her cheeks from her wet hand. Giving up, tried again to put pressure on her knee. The bullet had gone in the back of her knee but hadn't come out.

She'd woken up in the cage, slumped against Ned, his arm around her. He hadn't been shaking her or anything. He'd just been holding her, a hand cupped around the back of her head, holding her close. "It's okay." He'd been whispering. "We'll be okay. We'll be okay."

"Ned?" She'd croaked, and he'd shifted a little to give her enough room to sit up. "Ned? What? Where are they?" Penny had asked, remembering their plight immediately.

"They just left...a truck just pulled out of the driveway but...I don't...I don't know." And she'd wanted to go back to sleep. To close her eyes and cry and let Ned hold her and pretend that she wasn't going to have to be the person to get them out. That it wasn't all on her shoulders. But she was Spidergirl and Ned was her guy in the chair and she had to save him.

Now, curled up in a cage just big enough for a large dog, or a large teenager and a smaller one to sit side by side uncomfortably, she hoped that Ned would be able to get through to Mr. Stark...that Mr. Stark would come. Of course he would come...right? He would save her. Or send someone to save her. She'd take what she could get. She clutched the knife in her hand, holding it behind her back. When they came back, she would defend herself. She was Spidergirl. If no one came to save her, if Ned couldn't get help in time, she was going to save herself.

They came back about an hour later. An hour, she told herself, doing her best to keep track of the time. That would have given Ned plenty of time to get somewhere safe. Even if he didn't bring him back help, at least he was safe.

The truck pulled into the driveway and Penny felt cold dread knot her stomach. She had no idea what these guys wanted...no idea why they'd taken her. Was it because she was Mr. Stark's intern? Or just random New York violence? Would they tell her or just come down and shoot her in the cage. There was nothing she could do if they decided to do that. She had no idea how long they'd been driving or where they were, other than the fact that it was a house and that it sounded like the woods. She could see trees out the window and hear birds chirping. Pulling herself as far back against the back of the cage as she could, Penny clutched the knife in her shaking hand, Spidey senses telling her to GET OUT but she couldn't. Not with her leg basically useless and throbbing.

She couldn't move it anymore. Couldn't even bend her foot without stabbing pain going all the way from her toes to her hip. Hands shaking, teeth chattering, she waited. And waited. She could hear them opening a door upstairs, and their footsteps. There were two of them, heavy boots thumping against the floor. "Anything from the boss yet?" One asked.

"Nothing. What are we going to do with the boy?"

"You don't think he'll want him too?"

"Hell if I know." Ned. They were talking about Ned. But Ned was gone. She smiled, glad to have thwarted them. So they had really just wanted her, not Ned. Good. Maybe they'd let him go...forget about him. She knew it wasn't exactly likely, but she could hope. She tried to make herself small in the cage, heart pounding, a pulse of burning pain coming with every beat of her heart. The knife...she wasn't a killer but if they came after her, if they tried to drag her out of that cage...she might just become one.

Footsteps upstairs.

A door opening.

Footsteps on the stairs.

Closer. Closer. And then she saw the boots, then legs, then the man. And then another man.

The one in front was the one who'd shot her, and he crossed his arms, smiling at her for a half second before his eyes widened, going from her to the floor that was covered in blood that led to the window. "Where is he?" He demanded, taking a step forward. She was honestly shocked that her voice didn't shake when she answered.

"He had to step out for a moment." She told him with her own smile. "Now how can I help you." The man snorted, smiling dangerously.

"Figures Stark hired a little smartass." He snapped racing over to the widow and yanking it open, revealing the other man, the one she hadn't gotten a good look at. But now that they were both still and in a well-lit room, she recognized him.

He worked for Mr. Stark. "You…" She whispered. No...he didn't work for Mr. Stark. He worked for Happy. Or...well...security. He worked for Mr. Stark's security team. His name was...Tim? Tom? Tyler? It was definitely a T name...

"Shit!" The first guy snapped, slamming a hand against the wall while TimTomTyler grinned down at her.

"He's going to kill you for this." She informed him, surprised that her own voice could sound so cold.

"Oh, I don't think so, kid. I figure we keep you for a couple of days, let him get desperate, then collect his money and disappear."

"You think he'll let you disappear?" There wasn't even a hint of fear on his smirking face, but before he could answer, the other guy whirled around.

"The kid's gone."

"So what? Stark will still pay good money for this one."

"Yeah, but what if that kid gets back to Stark?" The obviously smarter one asked.

TylerTomTim-maybe-Trent nodded, jaw tightening. "We'd better not risk it. Grab her and we'll take her to my place." He snapped, hurrying over to the backpacks on the ground and grabbing them while the other one yanked the door to her cage open.

"Alright, let's go…" He reached out, getting a grip on her arm and yanking her forward, and she struck so quickly she doubted he could see, sinking the knife into his arm right between his shoulder and collar bone, and he shrieked, falling backward as she yanked the knife out. He screamed then, a hand pressed to his arm, and TomTimTrent-probably not Tyler but possible Todd spun around, dropping the backpacks and drawing his gun. "Shit! Fuck! Travis!" The first one screamed. "You little bitch!"

Right. Travis.

"Slide the knife over here or I'll…"

"What? You'll what?" Penny asked, pointing the bloody knife at him with a shaking hand. "Mr. Stark won't pay you anything if you kill me."

He snorted, shaking his head and eyeing his friend. "Alright. Crawl out of that cage and slide that knife out before I shoot you in the other leg." She went pale. He'd do it. "Come on now, Penny Parker. Slide the knife out. Now." She hesitated and he cocked the gun, lifting an eyebrow. "Three. Two…"

Not seeing another choice, she put the knife on the ground, moving as slowly as possible, praying that she was giving Ned as much time as possible to get help. How would Mr. Stark find her if they moved? She had to stay in that basement. That was where Ned thought she was. "Chop chop, intern." He snapped, and she slid it forward, leaning forward to do so, then screamed when the first guy grabbed her by the hair, yanking hard and pulling her off balance. The movement shifted her knee and she thought she might black out, the world going a bright white at the edges. She couldn't crawl, couldn't pull herself up as the guy she'd stabbed yanked on her hair, dragging her forward.

Please...please let Mr. Stark find me, she prayed. Begged. Please. He dragged her out of the crate, throwing her down and standing over her as she panted on the floor. "Please." The word escaped without her meaning to say it, and then a foot pulled back and hit her in the side, the boot smashing into her ribs hard enough to break one. She screamed again, trying to push herself up, but that same boot came down on her right hand and she yanked it back as soon as she could, a high pitched whine like a beaten dog escaping her mouth. Penny cradled her now-broken fingers to her chest, pulling her other hand in just to be safe, and then the boot kicked her bloody knee and the world went black.

When Penny woke, she was being dragged by her arms up the stairs and she reached up without thinking, grabbing one of the hands hooked under her armpit and, finding the fingers, pulling up and back hard enough to snap one. The man dragging her, Travis, screamed and dropped her. Calling herself an idiot even as she did it, she rolled under the railing, crashing back down to the ground as Travis cursed. "You fucking little bitch!" He screamed, pulling the gun out, and she closed her eyes, doing her best to play dead as he cocked it, then went still when he pressed it to her stomach. "You pull something like that again…"

"You can't kill me if you want your money." She reminded him, and he chuckled, moving the gun to her left knee.

"No. But I can make sure you never walk again."

"He's going to kill you for this." Not looking even remotely worried about that, he stood up, pulling back a foot.

"I like you better when you're quiet." And then he lifted his foot and brought it down hard on her right leg once more, the explosion of pain sending her back to the dark.

She woke to darkness. PItch black nothingness, and for a moment, she was afraid that she was blind. There was rumbling underneath her, and she tried to push herself up, forgetting for a moment that a rib was broken and so were some fingers on her right hand. Swearing under her breath, she fell back down to the uneven surface underneath her, wishing she could adjust her position but not able to. Her head throbbed and her stomach turned and her whole body felt weak and cold. She'd lost too much blood.

There was a screech and she was sent sliding forward as the surface under her came to an abrupt halt. A truck...she was in the bed of a truck, the tunnel cover down just like before. Then there was screaming, and she thought maybe she ought to be more concerned about that, but honestly, she couldn't muster up the energy. Shivering, she dropped her head back down to the bed of the truck and closed her eyes, praying once more that Mr. Stark would find her.

The screaming stopped, and then the tunnel cover was being pulled open. She knew she should get ready to fight. Try to resist, but her whole body was shaking and she felt like just lifting her head was more than she could do at the moment. "Kid? Shit...Penny?"

Mr. Stark.

He was here.

"Mis...miss..r…" She asked, wondering why it was suddenly so hard to talk.

"Alright, kid. Take it easy." He urged from the foot of the truck, then she felt the whole thing shift as he must have climbed up beside her, finally resting a hand on her shoulder. "Pen? You with me?"

"Trav's...wo...works for…"

"I know. Don't you worry about him, kid."

"I tol...told him...you'd…" She opened her eyes for the first time and shivered again in the cold air, barely able to see the side of the truck in the dim light. It was dark out...how long had they had her? "Told...him…"

"Stay with me, kid." Mr. Stark urged. "Let's get you out of here, huh?" He got one hand around her back, rolling her over, and she screamed when this moved her leg, throwing her head back against the metal arm supporting her. "Sorry. I'm sorry, kid. I know. I know it hurts." He soothed in a voice she didn't recognize. "I'm gonna get you back to the Compound, okay? You're okay...tell me what hurts." He slid another arm beneath her knees and she gripped his metal-covered arm so tightly that the metal gave. He didn't complain.

"Knee...my...my knee he…" She gasped out as he slid out of the back of the truck, taking flight almost immediately.

"Okay. Knee. Anything else?" Iron Man's voice asked.

"Hand...he broke…" Things were going black again...she was dizzy. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Ned? Is Ned…"

"Ned is fine. He called me from a gas station. That was smart, Pen...giving him my number. You did good."

"I was...afraid...I thought…"

"Hey, don't be afraid. You're okay." He promised, holding her a little closer. "They were keeping you not too far from the Compound. You're going to be fine. I called May. Ned is safe. You're okay." He was rambling a little, Iron Man's metallic voice almost frantic.

"I said no…"

"What?"

"I said...no...you asked me and I said...no and I was afraid…you wouldn't..."

There was a long, terrible silence as her eyes slid shut, head limp against his chest. "No, no no. You stay with me." He ordered. "Kid!" She couldn't. "Please. Please, Penny. Try to stay awake, kid. We're almost there."

Penny jerked in pain when he landed, head thrown back as she screamed. "I know." He murmured, rubbing her back with a metal-covered hand. "I know, kid. You're doing good...you're doing so good. Bruce!"

Bruce?

He was hurrying down a hallway and into an elevator. "FRIDAY, call Bruce. Tell him to get to the Medbay right now!"

"Tony? Who is…"

"Help her, now!" He ordered, every hurried step sending her leg into new agony. It didn't make sense that it could still hurt this much after so long. Finally, after what felt like hours of jogging and jostling, he was setting her down on a bed. She writhed from the pain, tears dripping down her cheeks, and then a hand, a real hand, not metal, was gripping her left one. "FRIDAY?"

She kept her eyes shut tight, and after a moment, FRIDAY was rattling off injuries. "Gunshot wound to the knee of the right leg, and the bullet is still lodged against her kneecap. She has three broken fingers on the right hand. Two broken ribs on the left side. Bruising covering the left side. Moderate concussion. Blood loss."

"Okay. Bruce?"

"Tony, who is she?"

"She's my intern now fix her!" He demanded, sounding harried, then he went on, voice smaller. "Please. Bruce...please."

The man was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Okay. Um...we need to do surgery...um...she needs blood. What's her name?"

"Penny," Mr. Stark bit out, his hand squeezing hers. "I have her files, medical records...everything...just…"

"Fix her. Got it." The man mumbled, and Penny felt the world spin around her, head lolling to the side as Mr. Stark brushed some hair out of her face. "Penny? Can you hear me?"

"Mhm." She muttered, not opening her eyes.

"Can you look at me?"

"I...I'm not…" And then, for what felt like the thousandth time, everything went dark.

She heard things while she slept. Yelling. Mr. Stark yelling. Then the guy named Bruce was talking and a hand touched her face. More voices, ones she didn't recognize...then May. May was there. In the darkness, holding Penny's hand and brushing her hair back. "I'm here, baby. You're okay."

May would never lie to her.

Penny woke what felt like days later, but since there were no windows, she had no idea what time it was or how much time had passed. She stared at the ceiling, blinking in confusion as she tried to remember everything. Pain. Darkness...a basement and a cage. All of that was vividly clear in her mind, and she shuddered at the thought. But everything after Mr. Stark had found her was a blurry mess in her mind.

"Penny?" The soft voice belonged to Mr. Stark, and she turned in surprise to find the man sitting at her bedside, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Hey, kiddo. You awake?" She nodded, bringing a hand up to wipe at her eyes but her fingers were in a cast. "Careful. Bruce was able to reset your fingers, and he removed the bullet from your knee. He doesn't know much about your healing...I didn't want to tell him everything without your permission. But, uh...you're going to be in a cast for a while, even with your healing factor. There was an infection and…" He waved a hand, shaking his head. "You're going to be fine."

"Thank you." She whispered, dropping her hand back down to the bed. "You...you don't have to stay if you're busy. I mean…"

"I owe you an apology." She blinked at that, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "When you turned me down for a spot on the Avengers...I get it. Honestly, kid. It was a smart decision. You're young, and you should be able to just...be a kid for a while. I'm all for it. And it's an open invitation. I still hoped that when you were older, you would join for real. But...just because you're not an Avenger doesn't mean that I don't have your back. You need help, you call me. Like you did today...well, like Ned did. You call me if you need me, and I'll be there."

She blinked hard, not sure why tears were filling her eyes, but not wanting to cry in front of Mr. Stark regardless. "I was trying to give you some space and I got kind of distracted by Bruce and Thor but…"

"Wait, what?" She asked, turning to him in surprise. "Bruce and Thor, as in Bruce Banner? Bruce Banner is my doctor? And Thor is here?"

He chuckled a little, a hand moving to her head and brushing some hair back in a move so unexpectedly tender that she forgot what she had been saying. "Yeah, kid. I'll introduce you for real as soon as you're feeling better." He squeezed her shoulder. "Okay. How are you feeling?"

"Um...tired." She admitted, letting her head drop back down onto the pillow.

"Alright, kiddo. You rest. When you wake up, I'll introduce you to Thor." He ran a hand through her hair again, and, moving as if in a haze, she brought her good hand up, grabbing his wrist to keep him there. She hoped that if he stayed, she wouldn't have nightmares...that he'd protect her. But before she could try to explain, he patted her hand with his other one, then brought her hand back down to her side. "I'm not going anywhere, honey. Get some sleep."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." She whispered, eyes closing.

"Anytime, kid." He murmured, patting the back of her hand, and then she was dreaming, not about a cage in a basement, but about Iron Man carrying her through the skies, his arms firmly around her keeping her safe.

Thank you for reading!