Impaling

Penny wasn't unconscious for any of the crash. She wished she had been...more than anything, she wished she could pass out so that she wouldn't have to hear the roaring of flames or feel the head of them encompassing her...so she wouldn't have to be aware of the metal sticking out of her side, emerging from the skin that covered her ribs. She was flat on her back, mouth opened as she struggled to catch her breath which felt more and more impossible as the seconds ticked by. Had the metal hit something vital? Was she going to bleed out in the middle of nowhere, totally alone?

She wasn't even supposed to be on this plane. The plane with her classmates on it, the one that had been taking them on a special Academic Decathlon trip to a meet in California, had left an hour before she'd arrived at the airport. Her bus had been late, and then she'd been stuck in the subway for almost thirty minutes when the train had broken down. Her teacher had arranged for her take the next flight out with some begging and maybe even outright bribery, but when there had been a mix up with the booking, she'd found herself holding a first class ticket and being called to board first, something she'd never thought she'd be able to do, especially since she'd never even flown before.

Her heart had been pounding as she'd taken her seat beside the window, immediately pulling the little complimentary blanket over her and staring out the window at the tarmac for a moment before pulling out her AP Chemistry textbook. She'd been thinking about messing a little with her web formula and had grabbed her notebook as well, turning to the last page she'd filled with notes labeled Web Formula Version 2.1. Hoping that whoever ended up sitting next to her didn't want to talk, she tried to take her mind off the fact that she'd be flying in an airplane for the first time, and also the fact that her parents had died on one, she'd engrossed herself in her work until someone had placed a bag into the overhead luggage compartment and sat down in the seat a couple of feet away from her.

First class had two seats together on each side of the aisle, and she had a footrest, which was practical since she was trying to take notes and read at the same time. The person beside her had put their feet up as well, and she had tried to appear totally lost in her work until the person had spoken, their voice soft. "Hey, Pep. I'm...yeah, I'm on the plane. I can't believe you're making me fly commercial."

"That's what you get for being two hours late," the voice on the phone had told him.

"It's my plane!" the man had cried in a faux whisper, laughter in his voice. "How can i be late when I own the plane?"

"Whatever. Just tell Cap that if he starts the briefing without me, I'm gonna hide his shield again."

If the voice hadn't convinced Penny of the identity of her seatmate, that last statement had done it for sure. Still, she'd kept her eyes on her notes, hand shaking a little as she'd flipped the page, hiding the web formula and instead staring on a problem in the book. If there was anyone on this plane that could decipher what a web formula was, it was the man beside her, she'd told herself, effectively hiding it from view. The problem in the book was easy, and she'd flown through it before starting on the next one, more to have something to do than before she needed practice.

"Sir, can I get you anything to drink before we take off?"

Beside her, Tony Stark had hesitated before asking for sparkling water, and then the flight attendant had turned to her, and Penny had been forced to lift her head. "And you, miss?"

"No thank you," Penny had murmured, smiling briefly before turning a few pages in her book as though she were studying. As though she weren't sitting less than four feet away from Iron Man, her childhood (and present) hero. Part of her had wanted to sneak her phone out to get a picture, because otherwise Ned would never believe her, but the thought of getting caught was too embarrassing to even imagine trying it. Instead, she had made sure her seat belt was fastened when the pilot had started making his announcements, and then she'd gripped the seat as the plane had started, her eyes closing as the plane had started to speed down the runway.

"Nervous flyer?" the man beside her had asked, and Penny had tried to force a smile, not wanting to look like a coward in front of the man she respected most in the world. Besides, she had tried to remind herself, she practically flew as Spider-Girl all the time! How was this different?

"Um...I'm not sure," she had told him, trying for casual. "I've never flown before."

"Yeah? What's waiting for you in California?"

"Academic Decathlon meet. I missed the flight the rest of my team got on...so…" she had gestured at the seat and the first class flyers around her.

"Nice. Bumped up to first class on your first flight. Not that I've ever flown coach, but from what I hear there's less legroom." He'd spoken with all of the casualness she'd been aiming for, and she'd opened her eyes as the plane had started to lift, her stomach doing a little flip. "Where are you from?"

"Queens," she had told him, easing up on her grip of the armrests lest she dent them. It was then that she'd realized that she hadn't even introduced herself...and here he was trying to put her at ease. When she'd met his eyes for the first time, she'd been surprised at the soft, friendly smile there, his elbow resting on the armrest, his body twisted a little so that he could face her. "Um...I...I'm Penny."

He'd held a hand out then, smiling when she'd followed suit and had shaken his hand, trying not to squeeze too hard. "Tony."

"I think everyone knows who you are, Mr. Stark."

He'd chuckled then, shrugging. "Yeah, well. The price of fame." He hadn't seemed too upset at the idea, and Penny had laughed. Then he'd jerked his chin toward her textbook. "What are you working on?"

"Oh, just, uh...getting some Chemistry homework done." It had been a lie, but she couldn't exactly tell him about her web formula.

He'd taken a look at her book before lifting an eyebrow. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"That's some pretty advanced stuff for fifteen. Where do you go to school?"

"Midtown."

He'd lifted both eyebrows then, nodding a little to himself. "Impressive."

Penny had shaken her head. "Not really. You went straight to college!"

Mr. Stark had snorted. "Well, technically I went to a pretentious ass boarding school for a year, and then I went to college, but it's not exactly a path I'd recommend. Midtown is a great school. Any plans for college?"

She'd shrugged, not about to tell him that the only post-high school plans she had involved trying to get a job working for him. "Not yet."

"Eh. You've got some time." He'd flagged down a flight attendant passing by then, asking for two bottled waters, then handing her one. "Best to stay hydrated on planes. At least, that's what Pepper's always telling me."

She'd muttered her thanks, flushing a little and downing half the bottle.

For a little while, she'd gone back to her work, doing a few more problems before closing her book and shoving it back into her backpack along with her notebook. "Are...are you meeting the Avengers in California?" It had taken all the bravery she possessed to actually ask Iron Man a question, but he'd nodded as though they were discussing the weather.

"Yep. Some big expo is happening and we're supposed to...do something." He'd shrugged. "I wasn't paying a lot of attention." Penny had laughed along with him, but she hadn't been fooled. This was Iron Man, the brains behind the Avengers. He always knew what was going on. She had longed to ask him about the armor and whether or not he had it on him, but instead, she had curled up in her seat, closing her eyes and deciding to try and sleep instead, lest she blurt out some embarrassing question or declaration of worship.

The plane shaking had woken her up, and immediately she'd felt the tension filling the cabin. Mr. Stark had glanced over at her as she'd started to sit up. "Mr. Stark? What…"

And then the oxygen masks had dropped, along with her heart.

"What…"

"Put it on," Mr. Stark had urged gently, ignoring the directive to put his own on first. Pulling it down even further, he'd eased it over her mouth, securing the strap, then doing the same for his own. "It's okay. Probably just some turbulence." Still, he'd tapped at his watch, pulling his wrist gauntlet over his hand.

Then the explosion. The pain. A hand grabbing hers, arms wrapping around her before she was ripped away. Impact. A brief moment of darkness before she was staring up at the bright blue sky hidden by a haze of smoke. She needed to move. Was Tony Stark dead? Was everyone dead? Would she be dead soon too? The thought brought more tears to her eyes and she fought the urge to close them...to just give in to the fuzzy darkness at the edge of her vision. No. She was Spider-Girl. Spider-Girl got back up, every time, no matter how hard she got knocked down.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make her hands push her body upright.

"Penny? Hey!"

Penny blinked, realizing suddenly that she must have passed out despite her best efforts, and that she was staring into the dark brown eyes of Tony Stark.

"Not...dead," she rasped, and he shook his head.

"No, you're not dead."

"No...you…"

"I'm not dead either." His hands hovered over her side and she felt the blood soaking the sand under her back.

"My parents...they died...in a plane crash," she whispered, eyes struggling to stay open as her mouth continued talking, words she hadn't planned to share. "You saved me once...at an expo..I was...I was wearing...wearing…" She pointed at his pale face with a finger that barely lifted. "Mask...you...you're mask."

The man looked stricken as he stared down at her, shaking his head. "Hey, stay with me, Penny. Come on, kid. We have to…" His hands hovered over her side, but she knew there was nothing he could do.

This was it. She wasn't getting back up. "I'm...I was Spider-Girl," she murmured, barely able to get the words out, and although it hadn't seemed possible, more blood seemed to drain from his face.

"What? You...that's you?"

"I...I wanted to be like you…"

And then the world was dark.

Someone was carrying her, and with every jarring movement she felt the metal shift in her side. It hurt...every second hurt. But she was alive. When she pried her eyes open, she saw Mr. Stark's grim, determined face as he marched forward. Then his eyes shifted downward, meeting hers, and his face softened. "Hey, kiddo. Stay with me, okay? I'm getting you away from the plane." After a moment, he knelt, easing her onto the ground and grimacing when she gasped in pain. Yanking off his jacket, he placed it over her. "Don't worry. The Avengers are coming, okay? They've got my jet and a medical team and they're going to help you." She blinked at him, shivering a little despite the sun beating down on them. "So, Spider-Girl, huh? That's cool. How did that happen? Were you born a spider?"

"Oscorp," she whispered, voice breathless, but he seemed determined to keep her awake and engaged, snorting a little.

"Yeah that checks out. They're up to some shady shit over there."

"Field trip...spider…"

"Does anyone know?"

"You."

"Your secret's safe, don't worry. I won't tell."

More voices were there, soft and frantic, and hands touched her face and pressed against her throat. Something firm was eased under her back, and then she was lifted right as she went back into the darkness.

When she opened her eyes again, the lights above her were dim, and a soft beeping to her left told her that her heart was still beating. Someone else was in the room...she could tell from the breathing on her right, and she turned her head slowly to find Mr. Stark, his tablet in his hand. As soon as she moved, he looked up, smiling and putting it down. "There you are. I was starting to think you were going to sleep another day away."

It took a moment for all of that to sink in, and Penny rubbed a heavy hand over her eyes. "Where am I?"

"Private medical facility in California. Your teacher has been informed that you are alive and out of surgery, and your aunt arrived this morning. She just stepped out to get some rest at the hotel. Also I think she has a crush on Captain America."

"He's her favorite," she muttered, struggling to keep up despite the fog that sat heavy on her brain. "May...she's here?"

"She is. Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything about you being part spider...which you are, by the way, which is pretty cool." She blinked at him, watching as he held up his tablet once more, and a holographic video of her, dressed in her suit, stopping a bus from crashing into a car appeared above it. "I think you might be stronger than Cap...also, who makes that webbing?"

"I do."

Without being asked, the man grabbed a pitcher of water from the table beside him, pouring her a glass of water and, as if it were no big deal, he eased a hand under her neck, helping her take a drink. "Nice. Tensile strength off the charts. You'll have to show me that formula some time."

"We didn't die."

"Nope," he agreed, easing her back onto the pillow. "I'm glad to say that Queens' favorite vigilante will live to web swing again...which reminds me, when you wake up, we've got to talk about that onesie you swing around in."

"Not...not a onesie," she murmured, eyes closing once more.

He laughed, and she felt him brush her hair back before patting her on the shoulder. "Whatever you say, Spiderling. We'll talk about it when you wake up."