Time moved in slow motion…...Happy saw each individual flame rush from the ambulance…heard Pepper's breathless scream….felt his own hands turning the wheel even as he remained fixated on the burning mass in front of him….
Time sped up again, and Happy yelled, "Everybody out! Out, now!" He jerked the wheel to the left so fast that the back end of the limo fishtailed and came inches from slamming into the ambulance.
The Avengers were out and around the ambulance in a matter of seconds. Happy kept Jane, Darcy and Pepper from joining them. Darcy was yelling, but her words were unintelligible. Pepper was in shock, and Jane kept her arms around the shaking woman comfortingly even as tears slipped down her own face.
"Thor! Clint, and Natasha! Get the paramedics!" Captain America commanded instantly, his voice steady and confident, "Bruce, stand back. I'll get Tony!"
"Avengers! Bow down the master of all, MODOK!"
Before the whole team's eyes, the ugliest man-robot they ever saw rose from behind the wreckage of the ambulance. His face was burned, and his outer shell cracked, but still grinning manically. Steve gritted his teeth in anger, and threw his shield as hard as he could. It bounced off a crackling force field, and landed too far away from him to get.
"Change of plans, Cap?" Bruce asked quietly, eyes pure green and hands shaking violently. Cap took as sharp breath, "Bruce…I wouldn't…"
"Don't worry, Cap," Bruce said, even as his skin began taking of the electric hue of the Hulk, "I'll keep the destruction to a minimum." The roar shook the whole block, and the monster launched himself at MODOK.
"Get the medics, now!" He yelled at his other three team members, before turning the back where Tony was, "Hold on, Tony," Steve whispered, "I'll save you. Just hold on."
The Hulk couldn't get past the force field either, but he kept trying, which was just enough distraction to let the rest of the team work.
The burning hot metal of the ambulance doors burned Steve's hands, but they were already cracked open, making it easier to rip them off and toss them to the side. The actual explosion had come from the engine and cab, but the back was still burning also. Tony was just a pale, dark haired figure on the floor, not moving.
Cap picked him up gently, fingers instantly searching for a pulse on his neck. He found one, but it was weak and slow, and Tony was struggling to breathe. Panic had Steve tense, but he didn't slow as he exited the ambulance.
"Where's a medic?" He called out, lying Tony gently on the pavement. He guessed that moving him around too much wouldn't be good for his condition. He kept one hand on Tony's shoulder, feeling his chest move unevenly, and glanced around for his team.
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Thor had been closest to the door, other than Jane and Darcy, and he had been the first to reach the cab holding the medics.
The door was quickly gone, and Thor reached for the men. One was only stunned, blood running down his shoulder. Another was unconscious, a ugly bruise forming on his temple.
Clint and Natasha each took one of the men, and set them down, far away from the wreckage. Thor raised his hammer, and yelled as lightning crashed down around them.
Lightning crackled against the force field, but that just gave MODOK more power. His eyes began to burn for it as he cackled unpleasantly, sparks shooting outwards from the sphere that encircled him.
One spark shot out and connected with Thor, who was standing too close, and sent him flying for twenty feet. Over the limo he went, nearly taking out a group of civvies as he landed on his feet.
Cap's shield was nearby, and the god picked it up. He glanced around the Steve, and saw him kneeling nearby Tony's prone body.
Just the sight of the fallen teammate energized Thor, and he threw Mjӧlnir as hard as he could toward MODOK.
Thor returned Cap's shield to him, also kneeling by Tony. Clint and Natasha joined him, while the Hulk roared in the background, still determinedly attacking MODOK.
"Game plan, Cap?" Clint asked, stringing a new arrow on his bow, "We can't all fight this thing. Someone has to get Tony out of here."
As much as the whole team wanted Tony safe and sound, no one wanted to leave MODOK. Each wanted a chance to take down the villain that had brought all this pain on the team.
Dusk was falling, and it was quickly turning to night. It had been around four hours now since the team had left the Tower.
"Can Happy and Pepper take him?" Natasha asked.
Cap shook his head, "MODOK seems particularly interested in Tony. I would rather not leave him without a guard."
A hint of smile passed over Natasha's face, "We'll keep him busy," She promised, "You, and the other four, take Tony to the hospital."
Cap hesitated, but not for long, throwing his shield to block a pulse beam from MODOK, who was getting increasingly annoyed by the Hulk.
"Okay," He nodded, "Keep in contact. Let's do this, team."
They broke. Thor reached for Mjӧlnir, and it flew to his grasp. Clint took careful aim and released an arrow at the same time Thor's hammer hit the force field.
It faltered momentarily, and everyone noticed. Steve felt a moment of pride. That was an advantage his team could use. Combo moves were not their strong point, but they had gotten better at it. Each had started to learn that they were not individuals, like they had been for so long, but a team.
Natasha used a unintentional boost from the Hulk to shoot feet-first towards MODOK, and almost breached the force field, before she was sent flying backwards.
Captain America took that as his cue to leave, and gathered Tony up in his arms before commandeering a car from a nearby civilian.
"Happy," He yelled, and the group of four came running.
"Yes?" Happy asked, instantly getting in the driver's seat.
"Exactly." Cap nodded, turning to Pepper, "Can you keep him from moving around too much?"
Pepper looked like she wanted to blink, and just have this whole incident be over, but she took Tony's head in her arms, and cradled him gently. He barely stirred. Whereas only his arms had been burned before, now his shoulder and back was enflamed and tender.
Darcy and Jane were forced to stay behind, as Tony took up the entire backseat, and Cap was shotgun.
"Be safe. For Thor, and for me." He told them.
"Just make sure Tony's okay," Darcy said, "He promised to show me his labs, and I will hold him to that promise."
"I'll call Director Fury," Jane offered, "I think he should now."
Cap smiled, "Thank you, Ms. Foster."
Then he climbed into the front seat, and Happy drove away quickly.
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Tony first started to stir right after Happy hit the gas pedal. Pepper brushed at his face, encouraging him to wake up softly.
"P-ppe-?" He asked groggily.
"Shush, I'm here, Tony, I'm right here." She soothed, "You'll be okay. Just stay with me."
"N-vr…dre-md…of…lee-v'n." He said, eyes already fluttering closed, "Hur's, P-pp-r."
"I know, baby, I know. I know it hurts. Just hang on for a little bit longer." Pepper took one of his hands that was rubbing at the arc reactor and gently kissed it.
"No….reactor…." Tony began to press on it hard, face twisted in pain, "Pepper, the reactor!"
While Steve noticed Tony was getting more coherent, he was also starting to writhe in pain.
"Jarvis?" Pepper asked, voice worried, "Jarvis, are you here?"
This wasn't Tony's car. He didn't have his phone, or any of his tablets. No suit. There was no AI to helpfully assess the state of Tony's reactor.
"Something wrong with the reactor," Pepper told Steve, "I don't….I don't have one…I don't know what to do…."
"Stay calm, Ms. Potts," Steve said, turning in his seat to face her, but the panic was clear in his eyes too, "The hospital will know what to do."
"Captain, the hospital doesn't have any spare reactors." Happy said, glancing in the rearview mirror, "Only the Tower, helicarrier, and one other hospital on the other side of the city does."
"Then why aren't we going there?" Steve asked, louder than he meant too.
"It was too far away! Do you want him to die?" Happy shouted also, face hard.
Pepper gasped, almost inaudibly, and Happy instantly felt guilty, "I'm sorry, Pep…I didn't mean it. You know that."
"Of course, Happy." She murmured, "Just…any hospital. I don't know what to do."
Tony had stopped writhing, as his energy gave out. Now he was just muttering, pain still clear in his face. Pepper tried to comfort him, but the pain was too great for even Pepper Potts to help with.
"Shh, Tony, it'll be okay, I'll make it better, I promise," She said tears pooling in her eyes as the man she loved went through unimaginable pain. But she refused to cry, and the tears didn't fall.
"We're here." Happy said, whipping into the parking lot faster than a Nascar driver does doughnuts in the winner's circle.
Cap carried Tony into the emergency area, yelling for nurses and doctors. Under the fluorescent lights, Tony looked pale and the different wounds stood out in sharp relief.
Pepper kept one hand locked around Tony's wrists, and felt his pulse, hardly beating. It was sluggish and slow, and worry about the arc failing was constant. What if the shrapnel was already….
The doctors came then, interrupting Pepper's thought, for which she was grateful. Happy carefully unlocked her fingers and Cap passed Tony onto the stretcher, and then he was gone.
The shock of having there one minute, and gone the next, almost undid Pepper. She choked on a sob, but the tears still didn't fall. Happy led her to a chair, before leaving to move the car so other emergency vehicles could make room.
Cap also left, saying he needed to make a call to SHIELD for an update.
People came and went. Pepper barely saw them. Just faceless shapes and figures, a random hum in her ears. The word 'Stark' caught her attention, but it was just the stock market channel announcing the final amount at closing.
She recognized the medics that had been in Tony's ambulance come through. They looked alright, and were awake.
Pepper didn't notice Happy or Cap come and join her. Or the rest of the team later on. She just sat, unaware of anything.
Except the clock, announcing each hour as it passed. Seven…eight….nine….ten…
One tear fell down Pepper's face. The rest refused to follow.
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Natasha saw Cap leave with Tony, and was glad. Now he would be fine, and these pesky worrisome feelings she had could away.
She could focus solely on MODOK, and what a challenge he was.
"Nat!" Clint said into the comm, "Come, I need help!" She was there within seconds.
Every time Clint fired off an arrow, a spark of force field would shoot out and disintegrate it. Clint needed a distraction.
And what was more distracting than a fiery redhead and giant green monster?
The Hulk seemed to realize that, while she was not a 'friend', she was friendly. He understood the basic concept of timing his smashing with her attacks, and reveled in the damage they caused together.
Good. After the incident on the helicarrier, Natasha never wanted to be on the Hulk's bad side again.
All four attacks came in at once. Mjӧlnir sent lightning crackling over the whole force field, which prevented any shocks from shooting out. Clint's arrow and Hulk's fists shattered the force field into a million pieces, and Natasha's dragon kick sent him wheeling backward, screaming.
None of them hesitated to attack. MODOK's shell laid in broken pieces everywhere before long.
SHIELD agents poured in, arresting MODOK, and carrying him away.
But the Avengers were long gone, already at the hospital with Pepper, Happy and Steve.
You guys have been awesome on pointing out the little mistakes I make, so keep it up! I didn't really proofread this one, so I'm sure there going to be something. :)
Thanks for all the reviews! There aren't that many chapters left *gasp!*