Hi! I hope you all didn't wait too long for this. I had exams all last week and finals next week, so I've been pretty busy. Again, I want to thank you all for your reviews. I really meant to answer the ones that guessed why Steve, Natasha, and Clint were affected, but between work and school, I just didn't have enough time. Sorry! But here's your answer: for Natasha and Clint, it is because they're spies and they had to train all their senses for their line of work; and Steve is Superhuman. I don't want to give too much away because it's explained in this chapter and will probably be explained further in the next, (though I probably already gave everything away with that...).
Props to charliebrown1234 for figuring out at that code 3473 spells out FIRE. You are brilliant! :)
Also, I know a couple of you wanted me to put Thor in this story. The reason I haven't yet is because I honestly don't know how to write him. His character for me is hard to grasp. I know he's a little silly and kind of...fresh off the boat...on Earth, but I'm basing these characters off what I saw in the movie. Thor seemed pretty serious to me, but the fanfiction that involve him make him seem childish, so I don't know how to go about him. I may put him in towards the end, but I'd rather not write in Thor if he's completely out of character. It's just unfair to him otherwise.
So, as always, I don't own any Marvel products. Please enjoy and review!
Chapter 3
Not for the first time, Tony decided that he really hated anything that had anything to do with magic. There were so many things that could go wrong when sorcery was involved. His teammates could decide that he was the enemy and proceed to pummel him to the ground. Or his suit could decide to short out and leave him hanging.
Tony really had no other way to say it: magic sucked – big time.
The Enchantress was much more intelligent than Tony had given her credit for. She had chosen a strategic battlefield; they were exactly 10.3 miles away from his mansion and were in the middle of nowhere. Under normal circumstances, the scenery would have been considered serene – beautiful, even – but the mountainside half-hidden by the surrounding trees was just terrible for the Avengers.
There were too many places to hide – to plan an ambush, and the Enchantress counted on it, choosing to hide behind her illusions once again.
By the time Tony had arrived, Clint and Natasha was nowhere in sight. Steve was in the center of a clearing, holding his shield up defensively. Even hovering unnoticed several feet in the air above the Captain, Tony could see the trail of blood at the side of his head, the cuts through his uniform, and the harshness in his eyes. Otherwise, he seemed alright and Tony felt his worry lessen slightly.
"JARVIS, locate Clint and Natasha," he said.
"Agents Barton and Romanoff are currently circling each other," replied JARVIS, showing their positions with blinking red lights. "Based on their body language, it seems that they are about to engage."
"Emit a frequency range of 2300 Hz and broadcast it. Make sure all three of them hear it."
"Understood, sir."
Tony swiveled around, looking for Banner, but he saw nothing green except for the pine and spruce trees below him. He cursed. "I am so going to throw a bitch fit later…" he muttered and flew towards the Enchantress, who was watching Captain America, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow with such amusement that it just pissed Tony off more.
He didn't know how he managed to surreptitiously catch the Asgardian off-guard. He was the definition of obnoxious and loudness, especially with his suit on. Clint would be so proud of him. Still, in hindsight, it probably wasn't quite a good idea to take on the Enchantress when he was already so injured. It just didn't bode well, but Tony didn't have time to regret his decision. He wasn't sure how long it would take for Banner to show up or for the Asgardian's illusions to fade. He had to buy time for his team, no matter the cost.
Floating behind the offending woman, Tony raised his left hand and fired off his repulsor, wincing as it jarred his rib. Not surprisingly, his attack missed – his sore body preventing him from being accurate.
With her dress singed, the Asgardian whirled on him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You!" she hissed and flung out a hand, throwing a fireball towards him.
Tony easily dodged it and fired off another shot at her. She blocked it with her magic and returned it at him with added power. His back stretched incredibly painfully as he ducked, twisting to avoid it. Gritting his teeth, he flew around, continuously using the various weapons he had on person, but with no real success.
It didn't take very long for him to begin to pant or his vision to wane. He could feel the trickle of blood down his lower back. If it wasn't for his suit putting pressure on the stab wound, he was sure that he would bleed out in a matter of minutes.
The momentary hesitation was just enough for the Enchantress to gain the upper hand. Raising a hand, she conjured invisible chains to wrap tightly around the Iron Man, pinning his arms against his sides and leaving him immobile and at her mercy.
Tony gasped as the bindings tightened, sending waves of hot, burning agony through him. Glancing down, he saw Steve, Clint, and Natasha congregating below him in the clearing.
The Enchantress pulled him closer to her where she stood at the edge of the cliff. He could see her scowling at him, her beauty twisted with such hatred and anger. It was almost sad. Almost.
"Man of Iron, you have been nothing but a nuisance from the start," she growled.
Tony chuckled, glad that his suit hid the pain in his voice, "You know, I was just about to say the same thing about you. Are all Asgardians such pain in the asses? 'Cause I've only met three of your kind. I've got to say, two out of three are terrible odds. I can only come to the conclusion that your planet is full of bitches and bastards."
"How dare you?"
"How dare you? You come to my world and think you can fuck around? What the fuck crawled up your ass and died there?"
"Your world has made the son of Odin weak and foolish. I am eliminating the obstacles that prevent him from reaching greatness."
"You're fucking me, right? This entire thing was about Thor?" gaped Tony. "You turned my teammates against me for someone who isn't even currently in this world?"
Thor could say goodbye to his Pop-tarts…forever.
The Enchantress grinned. "How did you enjoy my illusions, Man of Iron? Did you enjoy getting struck by the Captain of America? Or have the Bird shoot you? My favorite part was when the Spider stabbed you in the back. How does it feel to have the people most important to you betray you?"
Anger flaring, Tony snarled, "You'll pay for doing that, bitch."
"What can you do? You are powerless against me!" she laughed – the same annoying, irritating sound that haunted his nightmares.
Tony grinned as he saw something huge and green behind the unsuspecting witch.
"I may be, but I'm not alone."
Before the Enchantress had a chance to question him, Tony took in a huge breath before yelling on top of his lungs.
"Hulk! SMASH!"
He heard a roar followed by a scream. And then he was falling.
Shit. He had not thought that one through…
"JARVIS! What happened to the thrusters?" he barked, trying to regain some footing as he plummeted the hundred feet towards the ground.
But there was no response. Realization hit Tony as hard as the ground was going to.
He groaned. "Fuck…I really hate magic…"
Steve winced as something piercing and keening sound hurt his ears. Raising a hand to his ear, he looked around, slightly bewildered. Wasn't he just fighting the Enchantress and her minion? Why was he standing all alone in the middle of a clearing?
There was a thud and very loud cursing directly behind him. He would recognize that voice anywhere and he turned to see Clint sitting on the ground, rubbing his ears as well, glaring at Steve as if he was at fault.
"Who the fuck blew the dog whistle? That shit always gives me headaches!" he grumbled, "I fell out of the tree because of it. Damn it."
Natasha joined him a few seconds later, a look of annoyance on her face. "You know, for once, I hate the training we had to go through. There's a reason why normal humans shouldn't be able to hear that kind of high pitched noise. It's grating on the nerves."
She looked at Steve who was busy fighting through the ringing that was reverberating in his head. "Cap, how're you doing? Your hearing should be sharper than both of ours."
"I'll be fine," Steve replied, frowning as he started to make out words through his comms.
"How dare you? You come to my world and think you can fuck around? What the fuck crawled up your ass and died there?"
That had to be Tony. No one else had such a drawling voice that was littered with so many swears. But that wasn't right. Tony was back in the mansion, recovering. They had made sure of it when they secretly slipped out at Fury's call.
"Anyone know what happened to the Enchantress?" asked Natasha.
"And why Tony's bitching in my ear again?" Clint added.
The three shared a look and then panic reached their eyes. Simultaneously, they looked up to see Iron Man hovering about hundred feet and more over them, but he wasn't moving. More accurately, it didn't seem like he could move because of some sort of sorcery, and he was talking to the Enchantress. What the hell? Weren't they just fighting her? It wasn't possible for her to make it up the cliff so fast, even with her powers.
"You're fucking me, right? This entire thing was about Thor? You turned my teammates against me for someone who isn't even currently in this world?"
What? Steve felt his heart sink. His suspicions were slowly proving themselves correct and by the looks of Natasha and Barton's expressions, they had been on the same page as him. They may not be geniuses, but they were far from slow. All the hints were there – it just took a few connections here and there and they had a general idea of what may have happened. They just didn't want to believe it until now.
"How did you enjoy my illusions, Man of Iron? Did you enjoy getting struck by the Captain of America? Or have the Bird shoot you? My favorite part was when the Spider stabbed you in the back. How does it feel to have the people most important to you betray you?"
Oh. That explained so much.
Didn't mean it didn't tear Steve's heart apart. He was responsible for breaking Tony's rib. He was responsible for his nightmares. No wonder Tony would flinch whenever Steve came near him. Steve had hurt the man he loved. Who was to tell that he wouldn't do it again?
Natasha was mentally marking her ledger. She thought that she had changed for the better – that she had become someone who could draw the line between friend and foe. That her loyalties didn't waver just because of the mission. Tony was her teammate. Despite how annoying he was, he was still her friend. He offered her sanctuary; he accepted her and let her be who she was without feeling like she was an assassin with a bloody past. And she had literally stabbed him in the back for it. She was a danger to everyone and she hurt the one person who wasn't properly trained to defend himself. God, she was a monster…
Beside her, Clint felt horrified. He had shot one of his best friends? Using the very same weapons that Tony had developed? The irony was lost in Clint's guilt. He was a spy – loyalty meant everything to him, especially someone who he had considered a good friend – family even. He could count on one hand how many people were precious to him. And he still attacked Tony.
Still, as upset as he was, he was more worried about Steve and Natasha at this point: Steve because the gentle soul had hurt his own lover and Natasha because she was responsible for Tony's most grievous injury. No wonder Tony couldn't have Natasha stand behind him. No wonder he had kept all of them at arm's length. Clint wouldn't blame him if he stayed afraid of the three of them for years to come.
"You'll pay for that, bitch."
The three of them couldn't agree more.
"What can you do? You are powerless against me!"
"I may be, but I'm not alone."
Those words could never be truer.
"Hulk! SMASH!" Tony had shouted, making the three soldiers cringe at the loudness. Their ears were still ringing from the dog whistle that they now assumed Tony had released.
Relief filled them as they saw the Enchantress thrown a distance by a giant green arm, but they quickly felt alarm replace that feeling when they saw Tony fall down.
There was a brief flashback to the fight with Loki – after Tony had tumbled out of the portal, propelled by the shockwaves of the nuke.
"Something's wrong…" breathed Steve as he watched his lover flip around like a leaf in a gale.
"Shit, he's not slowly down!" Barton swore, springing into action.
He pressed a button on his arrow case, changing the tip of his weapon. Swiftly, he drew it out and carefully took aim. With a twang, the arrow flew straight, piercing through the rock wall near the top. Trailing behind it was a thick rope that was connected to Barton. Hawkeye pressed another button and he was jerked off the ground, pulled along the retracting properties towards Tony.
The only thing missing from his escapade was the Tarzan yell as he grabbed Tony from midair.
"Look who dropped out of the sky. Nice to see you, Bird Brain," Tony said, his sarcasm a welcome sound.
"What the hell are you doing here, Tony?" grunted Clint. He could feel his right arm strain from holding the two of them up.
"Enjoying the mountain air."
Clint could hear Tony rolling his eyes behind his mask.
"What do you think I'm doing here?" Tony snapped, "Saving all our asses, of course, because you guys just can't last without me."
Tony glanced down. They weren't too far from the ground now – they were now at a distance that only a bone or two would break instead of the entire body. Steve and Natasha were lingering directly beneath them, concern in their stances. "Good to see my plan worked," he sighed, thankful that they were no longer under the Enchantress' illusions.
"What plan?"
Tony deflected, "Think you can get us down?"
"I'm working on it."
"Well, you may want to work on it faster."
"Why?"
His question was answered by their sudden slight drop. Glaring at the rope, Clint could see it begin to unravel, breaking under their weight.
"Getting a little pudgy there, aren't you, Hawkeye?" quipped Tony.
"Says the person wearing a suit of metal. Can you fly us out of here?"
"Nope. Magic fucked up my system and I can't access JARVIS. I'm blind."
It was only then when Barton realized that he didn't see the usual light shining from the Iron Man's eyes.
Shit.
Barton could easily pull some aerobatic move to save himself, but he now had Tony to worry about – a severely injured Tony who probably would die on impact.
"Cap!" Clint said loudly. "You ready?"
"Ready for what?" came Steve's reply on the comms.
"Let's play a game of catch."
Horror filled the genius as he realized what Clint was planning. "If he drops me, I will fucking end you," hissed Tony.
"Stay alive then."
And then Tony was falling again.
This really needed to stop. It wasn't like he particularly enjoyed the sensation of his stomach threatening to turn over. But he didn't feel worried or scared, even in the slightest. Because he had faith in Steve. Kind, strong Steve would never let him down.
And sure enough, he felt those familiar muscular arms surround him, embracing him in a tight, protecting hug, effectively ending his descent.
He sank into Steve's hold. For the first time, he hated his armor, wishing to be able to physically feel Steve and his warmth.
"Tony, you alright?" came Steve's breathless and worried voice.
Tony responded by throwing back his mask and smiling up at those gorgeous blue eyes. "I'm fine now," Tony returned, knowing full well how anxious Steve must have been feeling with his suit out of commission, though it was far from what he was feeling.
As much as he was glad that Steve did catch him, the Capsicle's arms were as hard as rock with all his muscles and he knew that his body was going to hate it in a few minutes. Now that he was safe, he could feel the adrenaline masking his pain disappear quickly.
Tony twitched, biting back a moan as his back wound made itself known again, this time with fervor, as if it was upset at Tony for putting it aside. There was a dull roar in his ears and his vision dimmed as lightning ran rampart through his body.
Steve could see how pale Tony was becoming with each passing second, the sheen of sweat on his brow, and how harsh his breathing had become. Gently, he lowered the two of them to the ground so that Tony had better support for him to check on his injuries.
He made to release Tony's armor, but Tony's hand grabbed at him.
"D-don't…" he gasped.
"Tony, I know it hurts, but I have to take a look at it."
"Stop," Natasha said suddenly, coming around to join the two. "I'm guessing that suit's the only reason why he hasn't passed out from blood loss yet. We need Banner."
"He's a little preoccupied," Clint said, his bow at the ready as he stood on guard next to Tony. "With that bitch upstairs."
Tony wasn't sure how Clint managed to make it down without a problem. He couldn't really think about that anyway. He was struggling to stay conscious, mentally running through complex quantum physics to distract him from the burning torment he was trapped in, but he was failing miserably.
"You mean witch?" Steve asked, unable to resist.
"No, no. I definitely meant bitch."
Tony smirked at that and his eyes sparkled with mischievousness as they connected with Clint's. "Bitch fight."
Clint grinned at Tony's words and looked hopefully at Natasha. "That'll be so hot, Tasha!"
"You do realize that you're calling me a bitch, right? You'll pay for it later, Clint," Natasha said, almost off-handedly. She would have put some malice behind her words, but she was busy stretching and cracking her neck before nodding at Steve. "But I do have to give her a piece of my mind. Cap, will you do me the honors?"
Clint shifted, taking over Steve's hold on Tony so that the soldier could grab his shield.
"You think you can make it?" Steve questioned.
"Yeah, yeah…I think so."
"Keep her up there," warned Clint, his grip on Tony subconsciously tightening. If the fight came down to them, Tony would be in danger.
"Got it. Let's go, Cap."
Natasha backed away several feet and then sprinted forward. Steve bent down, keeping his shield facing upwards. The moment Natasha leapt onto it, he used all his strength to throw her upwards as far as he could.
She flew, aided by Steve's strength and her perfect timing, going higher than she had ever before. For a brief second, she thought she wasn't going to make it, but luck was on her side and she managed to grab on to the edge of the top of the cliff with her fingers.
Anger fueling her more than anything, she scrambled upwards and out of Steve's and Clint's sight. Sounds of Hulk's roars and furious screams from the Enchantress could be heard in the matter of seconds.
Tony could see how much the two were itching to join in, though he didn't know that their motives were not for justice. Instead, the three soldiers felt as if every fiber of their beings was fired by the need for revenge.
The Enchantress had used them to hurt Tony and she needed to pay a thousand times over.
"You know, I'm not opposed to you guys kicking her ass as well. I'll just…um, sit here and wait for you all."
"We're not leaving you alone, Tony," Steve said, settling down next to Clint.
If anyone saw them, they probably would have found the sight odd, to say the least. It was always weird to see Tony in his suit without his helmet. Add on to the fact that he was pretty much laying in Hawkeye's lap with Captain America stroking his hair and cheek – it just made for an unusual picture.
But Tony wasn't complaining. Their actions soothed him, chasing away his pain. He closed his eyes with a satisfied hum, and let their caring presences lull him into a daze where his injuries were mere shadows in his mind.
Yet, something was off. Their silence was too heavy, and Tony unwillingly opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows at the two.
"What?"
Steve looked away, staring at the ground. Shame burned on his face. Clint refused to make eye contact and his face was wiped clean. Both of their shoulder slumped.
Ah hell.
Tony felt his stomach drop and he swallowed hard. "You heard her, didn't you?" whispered Tony.
Steve's hand fell away and Tony instantly missed the contact. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I never meant to hurt you…" Steve's voice was broken.
"Don't be stupid. There's nothing to be sorry for," he shot back. "That goes for you too, Feathers."
Clint just wordlessly shook his head.
But if Tony wanted to argue more, he never got a chance. Wind swirled around them as a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter found them. There was barely enough room in the clearing for it land, forcing Clint and Steve to use their bodies to shield Tony from any flying debris.
Within minutes, the three of them were surrounded by medics.
Steve and Clint handed Tony off to them, trusting that he was in good hands, but Tony was not pleased.
"No, put me down!" he shouted as the paramedics strapped him down to a stretcher.
"Tony," Steve sighed, following their movements. "I know you don't like doctors, but they're just trying to help you."
"We're in the middle of a fight!"
"Not anymore." Clint pointed at the cliff top. Banner and Natasha were both looking down at them.
"She got away, but I highly doubt she'll show her face anytime soon," Natasha said over the comms. "Hulk got her good."
She sounded extremely satisfied and smug.
"When Stark is situated, can someone get us down?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D., we're clear. Take Iron Man back to his home for treatment. Black Widow and Dr. Banner need transportation," said Captain Rogers.
"Stark still alive?" asked Fury, his voice gruff.
"Yes, sir. Medics are on-site now."
"Good. Keep me updated."
"Yes, sir."
Steve nodded at the medics who started wheeling Tony away. Tony reached for Steve, grabbing his hand.
"Steve, it's not your fault. Please, don't blame yourself."
Steve could only shake his head and smile at Tony sadly. "I'll see you back at home. I have to get Banner and Natasha."
"Steve!" But Tony was literally wrenched away and the next thing he knew, he was already in the air, separated from his team.
"Mr. Stark," said a doctor, "We need to remove your armor."
Tony gritted his teeth, feeling more frustrated than anything at this point. "Fuck off."
"Sir, your injuries are severe."
"I'm aware of that," he snapped. "Fully aware. Turn around and pick up the others. No one is touching me unless your name is Banner and you can turn into a giant jolly green monster."
"Mr. Stark…"
Tony used the sharp edges of his suit to rip through the stretcher. He pointed his repulsor at the nearest doctor, thankful that his suit was working again now that the Enchantress' hold on it had disappeared with her. The medic trembled in place. Tony wouldn't actually do anything to harm innocents, but then and again, most people didn't know him as well as his team, relying more on tabloids and the act that he kept up in public, and he used that to his advantage.
"Turn this damn helicopter around, now."
Fury was going to be so pissed once he found out what Tony did, but he didn't really care. Right now, he was worried about Steve, Natasha, and Clint.
His own health could wait.
Staying alive didn't mean anything if his family distanced themselves from him because of unnecessary guilt, but things were never simple for Tony Stark.
In hindsight, it was his own damn fault for thinking that the danger had passed. The Enchantress had gotten away - if she had been any other opponent, none of the Avengers would have rested until she was brought down. As it were, she had managed to screw up their team's dynamics by thoroughly distracted them all with her actions.
He really should have seen it coming.
As the helicopter neared the battle site, Tony heard alarms blaring from the cockpit and saw the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents looking very confused. His instincts screamed at him and he instantly flipped his helmet down in place, making sure JARVIS turned on his comms to his team.
"Hey, what's going on?" he shouted as the helicopter started to swerve uneasily.
No one answered him. Before him, he watched in horror as the medics' expressions went slack and their eyes took on a dull, bluish tinge - much like Hawkeye's when he was under Loki's control.
There was a rush of winds by him and a crackle of lightning. Suddenly, Tony found himself face-to-face with the Enchantress.
The Asgardian was pale and clearly in pain. She gripped at her side where blood pooled from underneath her fingers. Tony couldn't see how serious her injury was, but the amount of blood she was losing wasn't healthy for anyone - not even a goddess. Yet, it didn't seem to deter her magic.
Tony could feel the helicopter come to a standstill. Dread became stuck in Tony's throat and he felt his mouth go dry. So he handled his fear like he always did - with wit and sarcasm.
Unable to stop himself, he smirked under his mask, "Remind me to send a gift basket to Hulk. Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Enchantress?"
"Tony?" came Steve's extremely worried voice. "Is she with you right now?"
"Nice of you to join me," Tony continued, answering Steve's question as well, "I'd ask how you're doing, but I don't really give a fucking damn."
"You will pay for spilling a goddess' blood, mortal!" she hissed.
"Hey, it wasn't me that took out half your side. Throw it down with Bruce! And this time, let me watch as he whips your ass again."
"Do you honestly think your quick tongue can have any affect on me? You're powerless without that suit of iron!"
Tony shrugged. "Let's see. You're bleeding on the floor of the helicopter. And I'm completely suited up and we're two minutes away from my team. Don't think you'll fare too well in this scenario. Might as well let the agents go or this damn bird is going to fall out of the sky faster than Hulk can wipe your ass on the floor."
He knew that at least one person on his team, if not all, would understand his carefully chosen words that revealed his location and situation.
"We see the chopper, Tony. You're close to us. Hang on, we're coming for you," said Clint.
The archer sounded out of breath. How odd. Tony had never heard that before. It did nothing to reassure his growing uneasiness. Why did he have a feeling that they would be too late?
"What do you even want from me, Enchantress?" Tony asked. "As you said, I'm pretty useless outside of this suit. Why the hell did you come looking for me? It's not like I did anything to you."
"Loki told me of the brilliance of your mind. I need you to build me a portal back to Asgard."
"And if I refuse?"
"You will die."
"You'll kill me either or. I'd rather have all this end with me fighting 'til my last breath."
The Enchantress smiled wickedly, "I think I will be able to convince you otherwise."
Tony rolled his eyes, "Look, last time someone tried to make me build them something, I made the Iron Man suit and blew them all up. I highly doubt you'd do any better."
She shouted something and Tony responded with emitting the high pitched frequency again, countering any illusions she might have cast. Had he known how aggravated the Enchantress got with the sound, he would have never done it.
A bloodcurdling scream filled the enclosed space. Flinching, he gaped at the sight of the Enchantress clutching the sides of her head, covering her ears with her hands. The windows of the helicopter wavered for a brief second before everything shattered; the metal bolts holding down the seats floated into the air. And then the helicopter started to nosedive; the gravity made Tony smash into the ceiling.
Lights burst in his eyes as he felt something dig into his back wound. His thoughts came to a stuttering stop as he watched the Enchantress try to kill one of the agents who had snapped out of her illusions.
Without thinking of the consequences, Tony fired one of his repulsors. The resulting explosion struck true, hitting the Enchantress straight in the chest, but it didn't stop there. It blasted her through the side of the helicopter and she went flying out of sight, leaving behind a huge gaping hole.
Calculations flashed in Tony's mind and he forced himself into action. He probably had twenty seconds before they were all fucked. He steadied himself with his thrusters and reached out to help the two agents that were pressed against the wall with the pressure of the atmosphere rushing in. Quickly, he handed them backpacks containing parachutes.
"Get out of here!" he shouted.
"Mr. Stark, we are responsible for your safety!" one of them yelled back.
"I have my suit. I'll be fine. I gotta get the pilots. Now get!"
The medics reluctantly nodded and let themselves be taken by the currents, escaping the dying helicopter. Tony flew towards the cockpit, wincing as he kept banging into the bird's sides.
"Goddamn!" he swore under his breath before gripping the back of the pilot's chair tightly. "Hey, what the hell are you still doing here?" he barked.
The pilot stared at him with wide eyes, fumbling with his seatbelt. It was stuck. Tony had a funny déjà vu back to the time when those raptors were trying to shoot him out the sky, and he punched the contraption, making a mental note to upgrade military seats. The next thing the pilot and his co-pilot knew, they were being tossed out of the plane with parachutes attached to them.
Tony meant to follow, using the hole that the Enchantress had left from (the Iron Man suit couldn't fit through the space that the pilots had gone through), but luck was not on his side. A metal pole of the stretcher came flying towards him out of nowhere (how it even broke off was beyond him) and pierced through his armor and his left thigh, pinning him to the wall of the helicopter.
A scream escaped him and he feebly struggled to pull himself free, knowing full well that he could bleed out once he was, but anything was better than going down in a fiery crash.
The HUD blared red at him and he felt his heart sink to his toes as he read the calculations.
Time had run out – his twenty seconds were up.
Shit.
To be continued...
Notes to consider: 2200 Hz is usually the maximum frequency that normal humans can hear. Anything above, as in 2300 Hz is usually the range that dog's can hear, but some humans can hear it too. (I've tested it; I can actually hear a dog whistle. Does that mean I'm just as awesome as Steve? Cuz that'll be awesome. Lol!) So that's why Clint, Natasha, and Steve can hear it so clearly - it's because of their spy training and Steve's serum. Also, I'll explain why the Enchantress needs to return to Asgard in the next chapter.
Anyway, please let me know if there are any inaccuracies and discrepancies, alright?
As usual, I hope you enjoyed and please review!
~ Kanae Yuna
