Chaos.
That was a dramatic understatement for what was happening in the ballroom. The drones were on Tony's tail no matter how cleverly he maneuvered through overturned tables and debris. So much of the room had been destroyed that charting a course across it was no easy feat. He'd gotten lucky so far, but even so, he'd had to dodge sprays of gunfire and cause simple distractions on his way.
Out of breath, Tony ducked into a narrow alcove near the collapsed main entrance. Debris hid him from view. His chest hurt from breathing so hard and his hands were scraped from climbing debris and throwing himself to the ground several times.
There had to be a better way.
Pepper was at least able to help some people to safety. He'd seen to it. Still, people were hurt. This was a disaster.
"I can't keep running around like this." Tony slid out of the alcove, into the line of fire, dodged and narrowly ducked out of the way. The hiss of bullets rushed so close he felt the force of them through the air. He pulled an earpiece from his pocket and slipped it in. Just in case. Thank god for paranoia. "Jarvis, scan these things, okay?" Tony held his phone up as he ran, hoping that was enough.
"These robots are rather high tech in design however it appears they are incomplete." Tony threw himself to the ground and covered his head as one of the drones grabbed for him, knocking debris over in its wake.
Crawling on his elbows, he rolled barely out of the way as the robot stomped toward him, then slid between its legs and behind it.
"What does that mean, Jarvis?" Tony hissed. Who was controlling them? Or did they work independently? Either way, he was the bright shiny red target and the bulls were closing in. Jarvis' response was drowned out by the sound of the robot trying once again to stomp on Tony. He rolled onto his back and felt the floor break beneath him to his right. He caught his breath, and froze very briefly.
These things were massive. Without his suit he couldn't do anything to stop them. He was bound to slip up and get himself killed!
"Nope. Can't die like this. It's been nearly six months since I've had sex and I refuse to die tonight." He muttered. "Going to have to repeat that, Jarvis. Was a little busy." Tony got to his feet and scrambled forward. He dipped left, expecting to be stopped by another drone as he had been time and again, but no such thing happened. He stopped dead in his tracks, nearly slipped and fell on some overturned flatware, and then turned around.
The drones were retreating to the outer edge of the room. What were they up to?
"Sir, it appears they are being controlled remotely via satellite. If you can locate their receivers then they will likely power down." Tony barely had a moment to breathe nonetheless analyze the structure of these robotics to discern where their receivers would be! Where was Happy? He needed his suit!
Torn between frustration and worry, Tony glanced to the doors and then to the drones that were backing up. He kept running through the room, refusing to stand still just in case. Then he looked up and realized all at once what the drones were doing.
The ceiling was made of glass. There were very few places he could hide. Very few places anyone left inside could hide. He had to warn those who remained.
"Jarvis, project my voice." Tony waited for the beep to confirm it had been done and then shouted. "Everyone take cover if you can! Get beneath something, whatever will cover your body. That glass is coming down! I'll let you know when it's clear and then you need to get out! Go to the windows by the garden! I'll hold them off best I can." Tony stopped and the phone beeped to let him know he would no longer be projected.
People were scrambling, listening to his warning without question. Then he scrambled toward the nearest table but before he could get to cover, gunfire exploded behind him. Just as he guessed, the glass overhead shattered, raining down from overhead in jagged shards. Pieces struck his back, scraping at the expensive fabric of his suit. He barely made it underneath the table near the stage as a large piece of glass struck the ground outside of it and shattered, sliding across the marble floor. He shielded his eyes and then held his phone up above his head.
"Jarvis, keep an eye out."
"No injuries from the glass, sir."
"Good." Tony cursed under his breath and was grateful people actually listened to him in a panic. The tinkling and crashing of glass continued for what felt like forever. "Why would they send unfinished technology after me. It doesn't make sense." Tony mused, flipping through the screens of his phone. He was the King of Tech! Why would they risk attacking Iron Man with unfinished technology?
"I cannot speculate on the motives of people we do not know." Jarvis, always there to keep him humbled. "Would you like my advice, sir?"
"Always." Tony peeked from beneath the table. With the glass gone, he worried about the structural integrity of the remaining roof. It'd be much harder to dodge that. The walls were creaking. As he snuck back beneath the table he felt a stinging in his arm, like a wasp. A piece of glass about an inch in length was stuck through his sleeve. He pulled it free and tossed it to the side. Just a scratch. "Project me, Jarvis." Tony risked exposure and ran from under the table. He threw his coat off. It was full of glass. "Everyone go! Now! Go, go!"
People were leaving. Finally, the ballroom was clearing out.
"I suggest you run for it and call for backup. You are outnumbered and outgunned without your suit. But since I know you will not do that, I have a secondary suggestion."
Tony laughed but it faded quickly as the drones turned toward him. One of them was still damaged, twitching and failing to move its left arm.
"Out with it, Jarvis."
"Grab wires and pull."
That was exactly what he'd been thinking. But that would require getting closer to these things and well, they were shooting at him.
"I'll do both." Tony started toward the drones, trying to remain defensive. They weren't firing at him immediately. Why? His brain was running a mile a minute. Something felt off. Maybe they weren't here for him after all. "Dial Rhodey."
Before the phone could respond from his hand, he was grabbed around the middle and he lost his grip on it. It shattered on the ground and the drone stomped on it.
"Oh, come on, do you know how much that thing costs to build?" Tony turned to face the robot, slamming his hand against the arm. "Didn't think so." Tony grabbed a fistful of exposed wires from the shoulder of the drone and tugged. Another electrical jolt made him jump. A defense mechanism built into the drone perhaps? Fascinating. The drone groaned and twitched, stumbling. "Didn't like that, did you?" Tony gritted his teeth and pulled another handful of wires, resisting the shock it resulted in. Then the drone squeezed and his stomach lurched. He made a face of disgust. "Gonna… puke." He grabbed more wires and pulled some more but then he yelped in surprise as he was thrown hard to the ground. Tony smashed back first into the wall next to the collapsed balcony.
Seeing stars, Tony stumbled to his feet and then fell back to his knees. His wound from the other day was aching, blood dripping down his arm and chest.
"Going to have to lay off the booze for a bit." Tony cursed and tore at the cloth of his shirt that had ripped on his sleeve. Then he tied it sloppily around the wound on his shoulder before getting back to his feet. His legs were buckling beneath him in exhaustion.
He was pulled suddenly and tugged to the side.
Leo and Pepper pulled him beneath the collapsed balcony. Once out of sight, Tony leaned heavily against the rubble and slid onto his backside. He was grateful for the moment to catch his breath. Leonard was deathly pale and stared out from beneath the rubble. The drone Tony had ripped at was twitching and malfunctioning. Still going, but not correctly at least. Much to his surprise, Tony watched as one of the other drones approached the twitching one, aimed at its head, and fired. Then the drone fell to the ground, useless.
The wall on the opposite end of the room was cracked near the secondary balcony. Then it began to cave, the entire building was crumbling.
"You're bleeding, Tony." Pepper fretted over his shoulder and Tony shooed her away.
"I'm fine." Tony got to his feet. "Are you two okay? Leo, not looking so hot, buddy."
"He refused to go with the paramedics. He has a concussion, Tony! You can't keep doing this! We all need to get out of here." Pepper insisted. "I called the police, they're here but they don't have the firepower to handle this!"
"Because you should be calling SHIELD." Tony pointed to Leonard. "Go with the paramedics. That could kill you. Don't be stupid, okay? Your fiancee is waiting for you at home." Then he turned to Pepper, grasped her shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile. "Call Rhodey. Tell him I'm sorry, but we need his help."
"I am not letting you go back out there. You're already bleeding!" Pepper's lower lip quivered with fear. Her strong revolve was crumbling.
"One of them is gone. It's just a matter of pissing them off enough to kill each other. I got this. Trust me, okay?" Confidence oozed off of him but he knew it wasn't anywhere as simple as he made it sound. But hell, he'd gotten rid of one of these things! And that was one less to deal with.
"I can't. Not like this."
"Call Rhodey." Tony glanced behind him. The remaining drones were punching holes in the wall and smashing into things in search of him. Leonard now leaned his head against the wall, looking exhausted.
"Thank you." Pepper sighed and turned away to dial her phone and Tony took his chance. He had to go.
"I'll be fine! Call Rhodes!" Tony shouted and then made his way back into the chaos. He'd do what he could until he was confident he couldn't. With any luck, Happy was on his way with his suit right now. Or Rhodey would show up and help him out.
Some things were worth the risk. And keeping his friends out of harm's way was well worth it.
Scarlett sprang into action, pouncing on the shooter, tackling him to the ground. After a moment of wrestling, she managed to pry the gun from his hand. He grabbed her neck and squeezed. Choking, Scarlett twisted the gun in her hand as he rolled her onto her back. She wrapped her legs around his middle and tried to throw him aside. When that didn't work, she slammed the gun into the side of her attacker's head. He was dazed and relaxed his grip on her and so she knocked his wrist away and then twisted his arm across her body.
The gunman basically collapsed right on top of her and she slammed the gun against his shoulder and then pulled until his shoulder popped out of joint. Scarlett then flipped the gunman onto his back and bashed him across the face with the gun, hitting hard enough to knock him unconscious.
Untangling herself from her attacker, Scarlett stood, stumbling on her heels. She dismantled the gun, pulling pieces apart so it wouldn't hurt anyone else. Most of these idiots didn't know how to clean them nonetheless put them back together. But before she could even think of talking to Happy to tell him to get back to the ballroom, the third man in black came from the bathroom, ran at her, and threw her face first against the wall. Her wound slammed on the wall and she cursed, trying not to let her leg collapse beneath her.
Then she smashed her elbow into his stomach over and over until he relaxed his grip and then she smashed the back of her head into his face and he swore. She tossed the useless gun aside, grasped the attacker's hand, spun him hard and pinned him to the wall. But as she stepped back to take the offensive her damn heel broke and she lost her balance then fell unceremoniously on her ass.
"Really? Now you choose to break? Jesus." Scarlett kicked off the broken heel and stood up but before she could kick off the other heel the man in black was pointing his gun at her.
"Hands up!" He had his other hand on his radio, blood dripping from his nose, beneath his mask. He spat to the side. Happy was behind him, unnoticed and Scarlett signaled to him to do something and he simply stared blankly. He had to go. He could get the briefcase to Tony and come back for her. Whatever chaos was unfolding down the hall was more important than her and one guard with a gun.
"They told us to bring you in unharmed, bitch… so when you show up beaten all to hell I'll just tell them you made me do it." Hands trembling, the man approached and pressed the gun to her neck unnecessarily. Scarlett quickly snatched the gun and much to her surprise, he caught her. He pulled her arm down and smacked her on the side of her head with the butt end of the gun and it knocked her off of her feet. Scarlett slid against the floor, rolled onto her back and had every intention of going on the defensive but her attacker stood over her, gun aimed.
"Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart. We're not all idiots." He crouched next to her and then looked her over with a sigh. "Such a shame that a pretty little thing like you caused us such trouble. I promise you'll regret running." Scarlett tried to make note of Happy and couldn't find him.
"Oh, trust me. I don't think that." Scarlett smiled, annoyed.
"Oh, really?" He grabbed a fistful of her once perfect hair and snarled. "It's too late to kiss my ass, pretty little thing."
Scarlett scowled at him. "You've misunderstood."
"Enlighten me."
He rested his hands on his knees and laughed at her. She blew her hair out of her face then kicked him hard in the crotch, grabbed the hand holding the gun and pointed it aside. "I know you're an idiot. Smart people don't rant about their plans. They just get shit done." Scarlett kicked off her heel, then twisted his wrist and he dropped the gun. She kicked him off of her. He shoved her against the wall with a yell and she clawed at his face, aiming for his eyes.
Then she kicked his knee and he fell to the side and she went to go after him but he'd picked up his gun and aimed it at her. She braced herself but was surprised when Happy appeared behind the man and slammed the suitcase cuffed to his wrist into the agent's head.
With a resounding thud the soldier fell to the ground, unconscious. Scarlett leaned heavily against the wall and laughed, pushing stray hair from her face.
"...what's so funny?" Happy was confused.
"I thought you ran off." Scarlett stumbled away from the wall and patted Happy's shoulder reassuringly. "Thank you." She walked to the soldier and checked his pulse. "Nice shot. He's out."
"I wouldn't leave you with that creep." Happy seemed flustered.
"I shouldn't have assumed." Scarlett glanced down the hall. "What the hell is happening in there?"
"I was hoping you'd know. Tony sent me to check on you since you were gone for so long."
"I'm glad he did. I pissed those guys off enough to get shot." The adrenaline made her want to run a marathon. Crouching, she grabbed the soldier's legs and then began to drag him into the women's restroom.
"What… what are you doing?" Happy frowned.
"They'll wake up eventually. Can never really tell how long. So, we can trap them. Buy us a little time before they give chase." Scarlett kicked open the door behind her and then dragged the soldier into the bathroom and into the handicap stall.
"Oh. Good idea." Happy helped her and pulled the second man into the bathroom behind her.
"That and the last guy called for backup, I'm pretty sure. They'll track him. Having to deal with this will buy us that time too." Scarlett thanked Happy as he pushed the third man into the stall. Scarlett propped all three of them up and then searched their pockets. No identification. Not surprising.
In the breast pocket of the third man she'd knocked out, she found a picture and it made her heart hurt. From a year ago, right after she'd been released from the hospital in Afghanistan. She still had a cast on her arm. They must have raided the last apartment she and Scott once shared. Scott stood alongside her in the photo, smiling brightly. A passerby had taken the picture for them. It was the first photo she'd let him put on the wall.
But Scott was torn from the picture. She supposed they didn't need to look for him anymore. Turning the photo over, she found instructions to bring her in alive with a deadline for a week from then. What would happen when they failed? Maybe they wouldn't need her alive anymore.
"What's that?" Happy peered over her shoulder and before he saw it, she tore it to pieces and flushed it down the toilet.
"Nothing. Help me get their belts off." Scarlett unhooked the belt of the man closest to her and pulled it free with a skilled tug.
"Why?"
"To bind their wrists to the accessibility railing here. Then we'll put their radios in the toilet so they'll fritz out too." Scarlett kept working, looping the belt around each wrist of the unconscious man before securing it to the railing.
"Wow." Happy followed orders. After she secured the second man and Happy struggled with the third, she took over with a smile.
"I got this. Toss their radios." Scarlett instructed as she finished tying up the third man. Happy did as he was asked.
"You seem really good at this." Happy asked suspiciously.
"I'm just really into BDSM. That's all." Scarlett joked. Happy was awkward and uncomfortable. "I'm joking." Happy laughed awkwardly but kept an eye on her. "Let's get out of here."
Happy offered Scarlett a hand and she got to her feet. The power flickered overhead as they got into the hall. The crashing she'd heard earlier and gunfire were more constant now.
"You need to get that suit to Tony. It sounds like he's in way more trouble than we are." Power flickered again as if to prove a point. Then the power stayed off entirely. "What the hell is happening out there?" Then there was shouting from the other end of the hall. There was the backup.
"What did you say you used to do? Thought you were an… engineer…" Happy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"I didn't." Scarlett racked her mind. "They're coming for me. You go help Tony. He needs you more than I do. I can handle this part." Scarlett reached for the gun the last man had dropped and checked the cartridge. It was fully loaded. Then she retrieved the cartridge she'd ejected from the other gun.
"I won't leave you here alone. Not after the way that guy talked."
"He was just pissed." Scarlett knew time was running out. It sounded like three more. If he could get the suit to Tony then Tony could handle whatever the hell was going on in the ballroom and then come offer her backup.
There was no doubt in her mind that this was MedCo. The hall shook, dust and debris falling from the ceiling. Only a few minutes ago she'd been worried about keeping her emotions in check and now there she was worrying about the lives of others. "Come on, Happy. Please."
"Take this." Happy unlocked the handcuff on his wrist and thrust the suitcase into her arms. "I'll distract them. They don't want me but if they think I'm protecting you then they'll follow me. It'll buy you time to get Tony the suit."
"They have orders to take me alive. But they don't have orders not to kill you." Scarlett laughed in surprise at his kindness. She held the suitcase for him to take.
"Trust me. They don't want to kill me." Happy puffed out his chest but Scarlett saw the nerves behind his confidence. "I used to be a boxer. I've got this." Happy didn't take the suitcase. "The doors are caved in. You'll have to find another way to the ballroom. And you're faster than I am."
"I don't think I am, actually." Scarlett looked down at her wounded leg but held the suitcase against her chest.
"You're clever. I'll buy you time then I'll get to safety. I promise." Happy smiled and Scarlett hoped he was guessing correctly.
"You're giving me too much credit." She set down the suitcase and handed him the gun and extra clip. "Ever used one of these before?"
"Once or twice at the range." Happy took the gun nervously.
"It'll pull when you fire. Aim a little higher if it's a bad shot, and if that doesn't work, try lower. Prepare for a kick. Both hands since you're not practiced. Do not shoot unless you have to. They won't shoot at you if you don't shoot at them… probably." Scarlett instructed.
"They shot at you."
"Yeah, after I kicked them in the nuts and wiped the floor with them. I pissed them off. You have no idea how much." Scarlett retrieved the suitcase.
"That guy was really pissed."
"I can't help but open my big mouth." Scarlett smiled. "There's no time. Be safe. Don't worry about stragglers. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure you don't need the gun?"
"No. You need it more than I do." Scarlett knew the safest place for Happy was as far from her as possible.
"Be careful, okay?" Happy aimed the gun down the hall. Scarlett urged his hand down and his finger off the trigger.
"Point down. Finger next to the trigger. Don't point at anything you don't intend to shoot. Got it?" Scarlett instructed. "In fact, just keep the gun out of sight. They might not even come after you." She didn't want him to get hurt. "Get us help."
"Don't worry about me so much. I'm tough. Get Tony his suit." Happy did as she requested anyway. Scarlett stared at the suitcase and then started down the hall, leaving Happy to the men that were hunting her.