Little Me
Hope flew amongst falling rubble and smoke, everything seeming massive compared to her tiny size. The second that she had arrived Tony had sent her out again with the orders to try and infiltrate the helicopters. The others hadn’t been alerted to her presence and anyone who hadn’t seen her arrive was not going to find out until Tony was positive that they weren’t being bugged .She didn’t have a com for that exact reason. Only a burn phone that had been shrunk down with her so that important information could be sent in emergencies.
The helicopters looked huge as Hope flew up to them, and their armor was practically impenetrable. She’d have to sneak in where all the gunners were. She quickly dodged a flash of red that Wanda was shooting at the ship and dove in between two gunmen to get in. As badly as she wanted to pop up to full size and bash the Nemea agent’s heads in, she remembered Stark’s orders. Get information, and take out the copters. No letting them see her. She sighed and got to work, careful to avoid the eyes of the agents around her, to focused on trying to get to papers without being spotted to notice the abnormally loud BANG that sounded far below them.
May stared in horror as Dr. Strange keeled over sideways and collapsed onto Tony. She had been waiting in one of the surviving buildings when the doctor had appeared, explaining who he was and that they had to leave the city.
“What about Peter and Mindy?”
“They’re safe, I already got them to the compound.”
“Alright, but I think-” May was cut off by an ear splitting bang that left her ears ringing painfully. The world was suddenly dust and smoke as pieces of debris and shrapnel went everywhere. May squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable feeling of metal piercing skin, but it never came. A bright portal was open in front of her sending all he shrapnel to what looked like the middle of the Sahara desert, while Dr. Strange, panting held it open. May hadn’t noticed the blood at first. She’d been to shaken by whatever had just gone off to focus, but as the dark crimson stain grew over the doctor’s abdomen, she found her gaze zeroing in on it.
“Oh my God!” she started, voice hoarse.
“Quickly, the portal,” Dr. Strange choked out, switching from desert to compound. May took his advice and jumped through, making sure he followed her.
That was why she felt like sobbing as Tony tried in vein to wake the other man up.
“What happened?” Tony asked desperately, cutting away at the blue tunic that the doctor always wore to get a better look at what was causing the bleeding.
“We were about to head back and then there was an explosion. I don’t know what it was, but it was bigger than the other ones. He made a portal for the shrapnel, but he still must have gotten hit,” May said, voice thick with emotion.
“Get Banner up here,” Tony ordered in a voice of deadly calm. Peter glanced over his shoulder and thought he’d throw up when he saw the damaged. A huge piece of wickedly sharp metal was embedded in Strange’s side. Blood was slowly coating Tony’s hands as he tried to keep his steady, and Strange’s breathing was getting shallower.
“Oh God,” he whispered. Tony, seeming to just realize that Peter was still there, looked up. “May, get him outta here. Palmarius too. Where the fuck is Banner!” he said, shouting the last part as May steered Peter and Palmarious, who, in her shock turned back into Mindy, out of the room.
“I’ll call Shuri back,” T’Challa said, already reaching for his com.
“Then we’ll need to send someone else out. They’re already outnumbered as it is,” Bruce said, not looking up from the wound in Strange’s side.
“I’ll go,” the voice of Steve Rogers said. They all turned to see Steve already in uniform with his shield strapped to his back. “I’ll need a jet pack though.” Tony nodded wordlessly and grabbed one form the closet in his lab. “Here. The com channels already set up,” Tony said. Steve nodded his thanks, activate the jetpack, and was off.
“Alright, now call Shuri back,” Bruce said. “I’ll definitely need her help for this one.”
Palmarious and Peter sat silently on the couch in the sitting room before the ladder stood up angrily. “That’s it, I’m going back out.”
“You can’t seriously think Tony’ll let you do that,” Palmarious warned, standing as well. “He’s already stressed enough as it is. And after what happened to Strange? You’re lucky he hasn’t locked you in your room!”
“What choice do we have? Our city’s dieing. Queens is dying!” Peter shot back. Come on Mindy,” he said, appealing to her human form. She sighed and straightened her back, shifting back into Palmarious.
“Fine. Let’s do this.” Palmarious and Peter slipped out a side window, everyone too preoccupied with the dying sorcerer to notice an alert pop up on Tony’s phone saying that a window had been opened.
“So, any idea where the others are?” Peter asked.
“I’m gonna guess up there,” Pararius replied, pointing to the helicopters in the distance.
“Yeah… I’d say you’re right,” Peter agreed. “You’ll have to help me get up there though.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” she agreed. “So, how long do you think we have until Tony notices we’re gone?”
“Depends on the state that Dr. Strange is in,” Peter said, feeling a pang of guilt for leaving at such an important time. Still, New York needed as much help as it could get. “Come on! We’ve gotta go faster!”
“Tony, stop pacing. It’s distracting,” Shuri chastised. She had returned the second T’Challa had told her what was going on, and they had all helped move Strange into the lab. She and Bruce were currently trying to figure out the amount of damage that had been done, while Tony paced around in circles, deep in thought.
“Well, it hasn’t punctured any organs, so that’s good,” Bruce noted. Tony sighed in relief. At least they didn’t have to worry about that.
“Do you think it’s safe to take him to a hospital?” May asked, coming down into the lab.
“No,” T’Challa replied. “Nemea wants us dead or captured. They probably have people posted at any major location that we’d be likely to use in a situation like this. Besides, the majority of hospitals around here were destroyed, and the roads are unfit for an ambulance to drive on without seriously disturbing the wound.”
“T’Challa’s right, we’ve gotta keep him here,” Bruce agreed. May nodded silently.
“Hey, have any of you seen Peter or Palmarius?” she asked.
“No, why?” Tony questioned, looking up sharply.
“Well I can’t find them anywhere,” May replied. Tony’s eyes widened and suddenly he was running out of the lab.
“F.R.I.D.A.Y, locate Peter Parker in the building,” Tony ordered.
“I’m sorry boss, but Peter Parker is not currently in the Avenger’s Compound, or on the grounds,” the AI informed TOny, making him curse.
“What about Palmarius?”
“Palmarius is not here either.”
“Shit. They went to help the others,” Tony growled, grabbing a com unit and patching himself through to Peter’s suit. “Peter Parker,” he growled. “Is there a reason you are not in the building?”
“Uhh…” came the muffled response along with the sound of shooting. “Can I put you on hold?”
“If you put me on hold I swear to God I will-” Tony didn’t get to finish though because suddenly the line was disconnected.
Natasha sat crouched on the top of one of the new helicopters, using taser to try and fry the wiring. So far it was having minimal effect, but she kept at it. Sam swooped by, barely dodging some shots heading his way and tossing her a grenade.
“You might wanna try that,” he said over the coms.
“Thanks,” she replied, attaching it to the wires and jetting off the helicopter as not to get caught up in the explosion.
“Guys, we’re gonna need more backup,” Rhodey said.
“Well you’ve got some,” Came the too young to be there voice of Peter Parker.
“Kid? What are you doing here!” Came the angry voice of Steve Rogers. “There’s no way that Tony let you come here.”
“You don’t know that for a fact-”
“Um… yeah I do,” was the grunted response.
“Steve is right, there’s no way you’re here under orders,” Wanda agreed. “But given the circumstances I’m willing to let that slide.”
“Yes!” Peter cheered, earning an eye roll from Palmarius.
“Alright, where do ya want him. I’ve gotta put him down if you want me to fight,” Palmarius said.
“He can join me,” Steve said from where he was on the top of a helicopter. Peter soon found himslef dropped next to Captain fricken America and recieved a small wave from Palmarius before she was off to help blast the propellers off the copters with Wanda.
Hope was on to her forth helicopter when the guy who was known as Spiderman and his Infinity Stone friend showed up. It was also at that time that she had also received a text from Tony’s phone, but from someone who wasn’t Tony.
‘This is the White Wolf. I don’t know who you are, but I know your getting information for Tony. If you want anything on the leader, look for someone with the last name Alert.’
Hope put the phone away and began looking through all the papers again, a new goal in mind. Alert.