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“Boss, you appear to have multiple contusions,” FRIDAY said.
“Yeah, no shit,” Tony grunted, vision slowly coming back into focus. “Do me a favour and the weapons on my back to fire.”
“Charged and ready,” FRIDAY said, and Tony felt the rubble shift off his back and crash to the ground beside him with a loud bang. Now free, he was able to stand up and take a look at his surroundings.
What had formally been Conference Room A was now a mess of broken chairs and half the ceiling. Tony was lucky that he had been the only one in the room, using it to throw Pepper of his trail – Pepper!
“FRIDAY, call Pepper,” Tony snapped, his chest tightening at the thought of her trapped somewhere in the building.
While FRIDAY did so, Tony peered up at the ceiling, blinking into the darkness. Water dripped down steadily from the ceiling, ominous cracks echoing from above. There was the occasional spark, but it faded as quickly as it had come.
“Tony!” Pepper voice rang through his suit. “What the hell was that?”
“An explosion,” Tony said, the panic receding from his chest at the sound of her voice. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m outside,” Pepper said. “We evacuated the building as fast as we could.”
Tony felt himself relax a fraction, knowing that Pepper was safe. “Good. Don’t come back in.”
“Where are you?” Pepper asked, the worry evident in her voice.
“Inside. I’m fine. Got myself in the suit before I could be squashed,” Tony said. He didn’t mention how long he was out for – unsure himself. “I’m having FRIDAY scan the building as we speak.”
“Be careful,” Pepper said.
“You too,” Tony said, and he hung up the phone. “FRIDAY, scan the building. Let me know what happened.”
While his AI worked, Tony put his thrusters on low and carefully made his way through the hole that was now in his ceiling. He scanned the area, broken bits of pipe, wire and steel sticking out everywhere, the occasional spark flaring up. When he made it up to the next floor, he found himself in a broken office.
“Boss, it appears that the explosion came from one of the labs,” FRIDAY said. “I am scanning for anyone else in the building.” There was a pause, before – “Peter is trying to call you.”
“Patch him through,” Tony said.
“Mr. Stark!” Peter said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine kid. Listen I can’t chat,” Tony said as FRIDAY displayed a heat signature on his screen, not far from his location. “So, unless this call is urgent, I’m going to have to go.”
“I understand,” Peter said, voice a little quieter and hesitant. “Be careful Mr. Stark.”
“Always am, kid,” Tony said and then he hung up. “Alright FRIDAY, direct me where to go.”
Peter hand shook as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Peter?” Karen asked, her voice sounding small from his phone. He was glad that he and Tony had made the upgrade to have Karen on his phone as well as Peter didn’t currently have his suit on him. He didn’t hadn’t planned on needing it today, simply wanting to spend time with Tony in the lab working on one of their other projects.
“I’m okay,” Peter gasped, eye darting around the confined space he found himself trapped in.
He had been in the elevator when his senses had screamed danger but before he could do anything, the lights flickered and the elevator rocked violently, plunging Peter into darkness. He clung with all his strength to the wall as his stomach dropped with the distinct sensation of falling before the elevator came to an abrupt stop. His ears were ringing with the deafening silence, the terrifying cracking of steel echoing around him. Concrete had come crushing through the walls and Peter found himself mostly unharmed in a small, cramped space.
It wasn’t his first time being trapped under a building, but he was kind of hoping that it had been a one-time-thing.
“Karen,” Peter gasped. “How do I get out of here?”
“Mr. Stark could help,” Karen said.
Peter shook his head. “You heard him. There are other people in the building and I’m not hurt so it’s not urgent.”
“I think Mr. Stark would find this urgent,” Karen said.
“I’m Spider-Man,” Peter said. The sharp reminder that this was eerily similar to the same situation he found himself in not too long ago had something cold spreading through his chest. “I’m Spider-Man,” Peter whispered again.
“Peter, if you hold your phone I up I will able to scan your surroundings,” Karen said.
Peter swallowed around the panic building in his chest. He clutched the phone tightly in his hand and held it up, the phone shaking as his arm did.
“The elevator is currently wedged on it’s side, knocked by the blast,” Karen reported. “Moving any of the debris could cause the elevator to shift and drop. I would advise against moving and contacting Mr. Stark again.”
Peter’s stomach swooped at Karen’s words and his chest tightened. Flashes of his classmates trapped in the elevator, of Ned nearly plummeting to his death, of nearly unable to save Liz from falling. His breath hitched as he remembered free falling down the endless elevator shaft…
“Peter? What would you like to do?” Karen asked.
“I – I,” Peter stuttered, trying to breath but he couldn’t get the air into his lungs. He swallowed around the thick lump in his throat and let out a shaky breath. “I can do this.”
He looked around the small cramped area and pushed the overwhelming fear down. “Okay, okay, I can do this,” he whispered to himself. “Karen, what’s on the other side of this wall?”
Before Karen could answer, the ominous groan on steel filled the space and Peter had enough time to push himself flat against the wall as much as he could as the debris shifted inside. But there wasn’t enough space and he let out a pain yell as his foot became trapped and he felt the bones snap in his foot.
Peter let out a cry, trying to yank his foot out but it was trapped, and he gasped for breath.
“Pete?” Karen said, her voice sounding worried in the small space.
“My foot,” Peter choked out. “It’s stuck! I can’t – help!”
“I am calling Mr. Stark,” Karen said, and Peter could only sob.
“Tony!”
Tony looked up sharply to see Steve picking his way across the broken glass, an unconscious man draped over his shoulder.
“Steve, you good?” Tony asked.
Steve nodded. “What happened?”
“Mistake in one of the labs,” Tony explained. “Caused an explosion. Is Bruce here?”
“No,” Steve said, sounding relieved. “He was out today.”
Tony let out a small breath. At least they wouldn’t have a Code Green on their hands. “How much of the team was here?”
“Most but we are without coms. Clint and Natasha helped with the evacuation with Wanda and Vision,” Steve said. “Rhodey, myself and Sam are helping with those who are trapped.”
“Good,” Tony nodded. “Friday scanned the building. For the amount of people we employ, doesn’t look like too many people got trapped. FRIDAY, scan again. How many people are left?”
“Scanning now,” FRIDAY said. After a moment, the AI spoke again. “From the camera’s still operational it appears everyone has been evacuated. There is one heat signature trapped in the elevator. Boss, Peter is calling again.”
“No now,” Tony said. “The person in the elevator – do they seem injured?”
“Karen tells me that Peter’s foot is trapped,” FRIDAY said.
Tony’s heart stopped; the breath knocked out of him. “What?” he choked out.
“Karen is informing me that Peter’s foot is trapped under some debris in the elevator. He is unable to move without risking the elevator dropping,” FRIDAY said.
“Peter’s here!” Tony yelped, staring at Steve with horror. “It’s Tuesday! He’s never here on a Tuesday!”
“You had to reschedule,” FRIDAY said. “Peter has a Decathlon Meet on Wednesday during your usual lab time.”
Tony swore. It had completely slipped his mind that Peter was coming to the Tower today.
“Reviewing my feed just before the explosion hit,” FRIDAY said, image of Peter alive and healthy filling his display. “Peter entered elevator four a few minutes before the explosion. I lost my feed when the explosion went off.” Peter’s image fell away.
“Get Rhodey to meet me at the elevator,” Tony snapped, leaving Steve as he rushed towards where Peter was trapped. “And get me Peter on the phone. Now!”
“Hello Mr. Stark,” Karen’s voice filtered through Tony’s suit as he raced towards the elevator.
“Karen! Where’s Peter?” Tony gasped.
“Would you like me to put him on speaker?” Karen asked.
“Yes!” Tony yelled. “Put me on speaker. Peter? Peter, can you hear me?”
There was sharp, wheezing breaths over the phone and Tony’s heart clenched at the sound.
“Kid. Underoos, it’s me. Tony. I’m coming buddy,” Tony soothed over his racing heart.
“Mr. Stark?” Peter wheezed out.
“That’s right, Peter,” Tony exhaled, relief washing through him at the sound of his kids’ voice. “I’m here buddy, I’m entering the elevator shaft now.”
Tony carefully manoeuvred the suit down the shaft, cursing at the amount of damage he was seeing.
“I’m trapped,” Peter gasped. “I can’t – help.”
Tony winced at the sheer panic in Peter’s voice. He sounded so much younger than he was, and Tony pushed himself to get their faster.
“I’m here kid, I’m helping you. Everything is going to be okay,” Tony soothed. “I’m going to tap on the elevator. If you hear it, can you tap back?”
“Ye-yes,” Peter stuttered.
Tony tapped on the side of the elevator and waited with bated breath until he heard –
Tap Tap Tap
“Okay, good job Pete,” Tony said. “Can you tell me if you are hurt at all?”
“My foot,” Peter said, voice wobbling. “I can’t- I can’t get it out. Karen said the elevator would drop.”
“I’m not going to let you fall,” Tony said, already having FRIDAY scanning the elevator for the best way to get Peter out. “I’m so sorry I cut you off before kid. You should have told me you were trapped.”
“Wasn’t urgent,” Peter said quietly. “M’ Spider-Man.”
Tony knew that there was something else going on with Peter, but the boy was clearly in pain and Tony knew better than the press the issue right now.
“Boss, the best way to get Peter’s out is to cut a hole in the side of the elevator,” FRIDAY said.
“Tony, I’m here,” Rhodey’s voice came through the speaker. “FRIDAY said you were somewhere between floor 61 and 49.”
“Rhodey, Peter’s foot is trapped,” Tony said. “The elevators on a weird angle and if he moves it, the whole thing will drop, Peter included.”
“Got it,” Rhodey said. “I can get under it and hold it steady while you get him out.”
“Hurry,” was all Tony said. “Peter? Did you hear that?”
“Yes,” Peter gasped out.
“Alright, kid. I need you to cover your eyes. I’m going to cut a hole in the side,” Tony said.
“Okay,” Peter said weakly.
“Hey, Pete. You trust me?” Tony asked.
“Yes,” Peter said quickly and confidently.
“Then you know I won’t let anything happen to you,” Tony said. “I’ve got you kid. I’m going to get you out of here and so is Rhodey. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Okay,” Peter said louder this time. “I’m ready.”
“Here we go,” Tony said.
Aiming his gauntlet at the elevator, Tony used a thin laser to carefully cut a wide hole in the elevator. As soon as he could, he peeled away the metal, yanking it off and letting it fall down the shaft with a clatter. He peered inside the hole, instantly searching for Peter and his breath caught once again.
Peter’s face was so pale that Tony wondered if he was about to pass out. His hair was sweaty, small beads of sweat clinging to the side of his temple. There was hardly any room for the kid, pressed up in the small space and clutching to his surroundings with one hand, his phone held tightly in the other. His leg disappeared into the debris where his foot was stuck.
“Hey Mr. Stark,” Peter tried to sound up-beat, but it came out as a wet gasp.
“Hey Underoos,” Tony said. “Bet you were wishing it was Wednesday right now, huh?”
Peter whimpered, tears dribbling down his cheek.
“Tony, I’m here,” Rhodey said.
“Good,” Tony said. “Can you see the kids’ foot at all?”
“Hang on,” Rhodey said. There was moment of silence while Rhodey looked. “Okay. I can just see it. If we time this right, I can blast some of the debris away to free his foot. If you pull him at the same time, you can get him out before it drops.”
Tony swallowed thickly. “What about you?”
“It won’t hit me,” Rhodey said. “You ready?”
“Hang on,” Tony said. He blasted more of the hole away until he was practically cleared and looked at Peter. “Kid, this is probably going to hurt.”
“I heard,” Peter gasped. “Just get me out of here.”
“Okay,” Tony said. “I need you to wrap your arms around my shoulder, like a hug.”
“Sure you won’t just be opening a door?” Peter hiccupped, trying to lighten to terrifying mood.
Tony let out a bark of laughter. “I’m sure kid. This will be a hug.”
“Okay,” Peter whispered. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and with shaking limbs he wrapped his arms around Tony, hugging him tightly. He whimpered as his body stretched and he tugged on his trapped foot.
“Okay, I got you,” Tony said. Wrapping a secure arm around Peter waist. “Rhodey; on three. One. Two. Three.”
Tony pulled Peter as he heard Rhodey shoot. The elevator shifted and Tony reared back when he felt no more tension on Peter’s foot and the hit the shaft wall with a thud just as the elevator came crashing down loudly.
Tony looked down to see Rhodey safe on the other side and he let out a small breath.
Peter wrapped his legs around Tony’s waist, clinging so tightly that Tony could feel his suit creaking in protest.
“This way,” Rhodey said, directing them to the open doors a few meters down.
Carefully, Tony followed and soon enough they were out of the shaft and into a safe area.
“Pete?” Tony asked. “I have to put you down for a second kid.”
It took a moment before Peter reluctantly unwound his legs and gingerly stood on his good leg. It didn’t matter for Rhodey was already out his suit and wrapping his arms around Peter’s chest to keep him upright.
Tony let his suit fall away, hand coming to push Peter’s sweaty curls off his forehead. “You did great kid. Really good.”
“My foot,” Peter gasped. “Mr. Stark it hurts.”
Tony looked down and if with the shredded shoe still clinging to his foot, Tony could see that it was badly broken, boarding on being mangled.
“We’re going to fix that,” Tony said. “Hey, look at me Pete.”
Peter looked up with tears in his eyes and hiccupped. “You’re going to be okay. I’ve got you now.”
Peter nodded, sniffing loudly. “Okay.”
Tony stepped back into his suit and picked up Peter once again.
“Rhodey, call Helen. Get her ask to the Compound now. Have Bruce meet us there too.”
“Got it,” Rhodey said, stepping back into his suit.
“Hang on kid,” Tony said. “I’ve got you.” Then he shot out the shattered window the building and held Peter tightly as he shot them towards the compound.