Shattered

Chapter 1

Tony is preparing to step out onto the MIT stage when the call comes.

He can see the stage manager giving him the signal that he's on in five, and he gives her a nod as he pulls out his phone. Honeybear calling.

"You got four minutes Platypus, then I have to go inspire some hopeful twenty-somethings that make me feel far too old for comfort."

"Tony, we're in trouble."

The playfulness is instantly gone from Tony's voice. "Where?"

"How quickly can you get to Berlin?"

Tony is already moving, ignoring the panicked stare he gets from the stage manager as he hurries towards the exit. Pepper is at his side in an instant, her face questioning. "Fast," Tony tells Rhodey. "How much trouble are we talking?"

Pepper nods in understanding, giving his hand a squeeze before hurrying off to assuage the frantic MIT staff. God, I don't deserve that woman.

The phone line crackles and Tony can hear the sounds of an explosion before Rhodey's next words. "Does that answer your question?"

Tony's out the door and signaling to Happy, who is already moving to retrieve the suit Tony keeps in his car trunk at all times. "Whole team?" Tony asks.

"They ambushed us, Tones. It was a trap and we walked right into it."

"Anyone hurt?"

"Sam was down last time I saw. They separated us, and now -"

A second explosion, closer than the first one, makes Rhodey curse.

"Rhodey?" But there's nothing but static on the other end of the line. Tony thinks he's lost him, is about to hang up when -

"Tony. Hurry." Then the line goes dead.

Tony's in the suit and in the air in an instant. "F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"Hello, Boss. My schedule indicates that you should be giving a talk at MIT at this time."

"Yeah, something came up. I need coordinates - War Machine's last known location."

There's a pause as the AI considers then - "The War Machine armor has been compromised."

Tony clamps down on the flare of panic that roils in his chest. Not the time for that. "Who else you got for me, Fri? Who can I track?"

There's a brief pause then: "I have located Vision. Locking in coordinates now."

"Full speed, Fri. Put everything we got into the thrusters."

"Anything else, Boss?"

Tony's mind is racing, conjuring up every worst-case scenario of what he's going to find in Berlin. He can feel his breath getting shorter, his chest getting tighter. "Call Pepper."

"Calling Pepper Potts."

She answers on the first ring. "What's going on?"

"Team's in trouble."

"How can I help?" I love this woman.

"I don't know how bad it is, Pep. Rhodey cut off before he could tell me."

His voice is laced with anxiety that's threatening to boil over and he can't let it - a panic attack will only slow him down, cost him and the team time.

"You'll get there in time, Tony. You always do. And they're superheroes - whatever it is, I'm sure they've handled worse."

Tony exhales. In. Out.