The Attack
Vision slowly shook his head.
“I would not be so sure about that. After Mr. Stark created Jarvis they tried together to find out a way to get it back. And even when Mr. Stark had given up hope Jarvis kept running scan after scan. He thought of every theory and possibility of getting the powers back. He never managed to come up with anything.”
But Wanda simply smiled.
“Jarvis didn’t have one thing back then to make his tests complete.”
For a second Vision looked almost hurt and Clint had to stop himself from laughing at the face the android made. But he was composed a second later when he asked:
“And what would that be?”
“Me.”
Everyone looked at her not really understanding. The first one to catch on to what she meant was Bruce.
“That could actually work. We wouldn’t have to take all of it. Maybe just half. So that both of you can regenerate it. If you’re up for that of course.”
Wanda nodded.
“I want to do that. For him.”
Sam put both his hands up to get the attention to him when Clint suddenly realized something.
“GUYS! Where is T’Challa?!”
Vision’s eyes widened and he quickly phased right through the floor. Bruce and Pepper flew up and rushed over to the elevator. Natasha stood up and gave out quick orders.
“Clint, Sam take the roof. See if his plane is still there. Rhodey, Wanda. You two take the back entrance. Steve and Winter. You follow me to the workshop. Friday! How did he manage to sneak out?”
While Wanda and Rhodey rushed over to the elevator that was already waiting open for them, Clint took out a gun and shot upwards. A vent cover crashed onto the floor and Clint jumped up into the vent.
“Fastest way up.”
Sam nodded and followed him. Natasha, Bucky and Steve were already in the third elevator when Friday answered.
“It must’ve been when I exploded those lights. I put a bit too much energy into that. He must’ve slipped out then. I am running scans now to find him.”
“NO!”
Silence followed Natashas command. She looked towards one of the cameras and said quickly:
“We’ll find him. Put all your focus on guarding Tony. Has Bruce and Pepper gotten there yet?”
“Yes. They and Vision are currently checking over Boss health status. I’m putting a lockdown around the medical area. No one gets in or out.”
Natasha nodded.
“Just tell Bruce about it. We don’t want him to accidentally electrify himself and Hulk out next to Tony and Pepper.”
“Copy that.”
The elevator stopped but the door didn’t open. Natasha turned towards the two men and said:
“Steve. You kinda know the layout of this workshop. Tony hasn’t changed much from when you lived here. On the wall to the right hangs your shield. If we are attacked me and Winter will keep them away from you until you grab it. The security system around it is designed to allow only you and Tony to take it. Winter. You have never been in Tony’s workshop. If we are attacked in there you need to make sure you are watching not only the enemies but also where you step. Tony has a habit of throwing things literally everywhere. And…”
Bucky put a hand up.
“I know Natasha. I lived with Jamie for four years.”
She nodded. There was no time to argue now. She pulled her gun out and then opened a small hidden opening in the elevator wall and took out another gun from there. She tossed it over to Bucky who caught it with his flesh arm. They nodded to each other and then the doors slid open. Natasha moved slowly along the glass wall looking around in the workshop on the other side. Bucky followed her and Steve went last. He looked through the glass and noticed the shield hanging on one of the walls. Natasha creeped towards the door and stretched her arm out to punch in the code when something exploded on the other side of the glass. They could almost see the shock wave moving towards them. But when it got to the glass it stopped. The wall rattled but held. The three heroes threw themselves in behind one of the solid walls. Bucky turned towards Natasha with surprise in his eyes.
“How did that glass stand it? That shock wave should have taken that glass out in seconds.”
“Tony reinforced it after it shattered when he tested the repulsors. It’s supposed to stand a blast from them. Steve does Clint have a comm?”
Steve shook his head.
“Damn it.”
She took out a small device from her pocket and talked into it.
“Clint? Clint? Do you copy?”
It took a few seconds under which Bucky kept a lookout towards the door to the workshop and Steve kept an eye on the elevator. But then Clint’s voice could be heard from the device.
“Nat? Thank God I kept this thing! The roof is clear. The plane is still there. No one is in it.”
At that same second he said that another explosion could be heard. Once again the glass rattled but held. Natasha was thankful for Tony’s genius.
“Nat? Nat?! Was that an explosion? Where are you?”
“Outside the workshop. Someone is blowing something up there. Tony’s reinforced glass is keeping us away from the shock waves but we need to get in there. Can you and Sam give us a few seconds?”
After a moment they could hear Clint’s voice again.
“I’m on my way. Something is happening near the back door. Sam put on the wings and flew down there. Did Tony lock the vents over the shop?”
Natasha shook her head as another explosion could be heard.
“No. He actually liked it when you dropped by. Quite literally.”
Clint’s smile was heard in his next sentence.
“Old Shellhead. Okey. I’m over the workshop now. There seems to be some kind of machine here that makes shock waves go across the workshop and towards the glass. It seems to have some kind of trigger. I think it is supposed to keep you away from Cap’s shield. You must’ve triggered it in some way. Give me a second. I need to see where the blasts go.”
They all waited in silence as both Natasha, Clint and Steve processed what Clint had just said. They remembered the good old times when they would face something mechanical on a mission and after just a few seconds Tony would be able to understand and disarm it even when the suit was broken. The next blast hit with much more force. Natasha smirked when the glass once again held. Whoever was behind it underestimated Tony Stark. Then another explosion and when they looked into the workshop they could see a machine on fire. Clint was dropping out of a vent. He waved them forward and they went over to the door and, when Natasha got it opened, walked in. Steve headed straight towards the wall where his shield was and took it down. He had to admit he had missed it. Natasha and Bucky went over to the machine with their guns raised. Clint smiled towards them.
“Calm down guys. It’s dead. But if you don’t need anything more from here we better get to the back door. It looked pretty bad back there. Some kind of soldiers. Don’t know where from. Most probably Hydra. Or maybe Ross found out we are here.”
Natasha sighed.
“Damn it. Did you see T’Challa anywhere?”
Clint shook his head.
“But, and you won’t believe it, I saw a uniform with Hydra sign on it in the plane.”
Suddenly Steve facepalmed.
“Did any of you two listen to him speaking on the phone in the plane?”
Clint shook his head and muttered something about losing in chess but Bucky on the other side quickly nodded.
“I thought I was the only one to notice. His Wakandian sounded almost as if he had a german accent.”
Hearing that Natasha rushed over to one of the black screens.
“Friday.”
The screen lit up and Natasha started to quickly type something in. After a few seconds an image of the inside of the plane appeared. The other three realized that it was footage from their flight to the Tower. They all moved closer to listen.