The occupants of Avenger's Tower fell apart after Laynie's sudden phone call.
Tony crumbled. He sat on the couch and put his hands over his mouth. He shook his head against anything said to him.
"Technovore is ready, all we have to do is wait for the rest of the tech to come in," Bruce said quietly.
Thor and Steve stood beside him, eyes trained on Tony. Natasha sat beside him and spoke quietly. The words didn't quite reach their ears, and it didn't look like they were hitting Tony either.
"Hammer was close enough for Laynie to hit him... That's just too close for me. We have to get those girls out of there."
"She didn't even mention Carter," Bruce sighed.
There was a certain sense of dread that overwhelmed the room.
What if the tech didn't arrive in time? What if Hammer didn't keep his end of the deal?
"Should we locate Hammer, would we storm his stronghold and take the girls for ourselves? Correct me if I am wrong, but the technology we're supplying him with will not be put toward a good cause."
Steve patted Thor on the arm. "I think we'd all love to do that, but we have no clue what we would be up against."
"Excuse me," JARVIS said suddenly. "Mr. Stark."
All eyes turned toward Tony. He didn't move.
"Sir," JARVIS persisted.
"What do you have for us, JARVIS?" Steve asked.
"Mr. Rogers, I took the liberty of tracing the call Miss Stark made. While my tactical programming does not recommend you make a move to strike, I could very well pinpoint the exact location of the girls. Miss Stark's description helped me to reduce the radius to a quarter mile."
"I want a satellite monitoring the place," Bruce said instantly. "JARVIS, when will the tech arrive?"
"According to an email Mr. Stark received earlier, the last of it is on a mail plane, headed this way."
Steve looked to Thor. "Would you be able..?"
"I'll go get it," Tony said grimly. Before rising, he lightly tapped Natasha on the shoulder, which was the closest thing to a "thank you" she was getting.
Not five minutes later, Tony shot away from the tower in the Mark 7.
"Wake up."
Carter gasped when a sharp slap hit her cheek.
She was met with Parks standing over her.
"Finally." He said exasperatedly.
Carter groaned. "You need to work on your bedside manner."
Parks scoffed.
"You would be a perfect test subject if you could just shut up."
Carter raised her head to see Hammer leaning into the doorway. He looked as if he had a nasty fight with a doorjam. There was a red knot on his head.
"Running into walls again?"
He clenched his jaw. "No I am not. Parks, what's the progress?"
Carter began talking before the mad scientist could. "I really hope Laynie did that. I hope you got knocked out by my sixteen year old female friend."
Hammer crossed the tiny room in two long strides. Grabbing a hold of Carter's face, he dug his fingernails into her cheeks and shook her head violently as he spoke. "She did. And she's going to pay for it. Don't make her punishment yours, girl." He released her face.
"Progress, Parks," he barked.
"S-sir, the transformation of her cells is complete, but there's no density change. I thought there would be at least a little bit of fluctuation in the molecular-"
"I really don't care. Make it work. We have a limited time before we have to hand over the Stark girl, and you know they will come after this one too."
"Yes sir." Parks nodded nervously and set to work on his machines.
"And you," Hammer turned to Carter again, "Try to keep your mouth shut before I make you."
Carter bit her lip and turned her head away from him.
She heard his footsteps receding and the door slam shut.
Parks sat in a chair and stared at Carter. He completely still save for his hands twisting around in his lap.
Looking at him so still, it was easy to believe he was a normal aspiring scientist in his mid twenties, hoping desperately to change the world. Then his eyes hardened as he leaned forward, and the insanity returned.
"I do wish I had listened to Stark. He may have been able to control this better. Carter, how do you feel?"
"Normal," she answered hesitantly.
"Hm. I am going to run more tests. Would you like to be sedated again?"
Carter thought it odd that he had suddenly grown a sense of compassion, however small it might have been.
"No, I'd rather not be sedated again..." Carter answered.
Parks shrugged. "Very well."
"What's going to happen to me?"
Parks stared at her. "I don't know. Hammer is in charge of the operation."
That wasn't what she wanted to hear.