Through Her Eyes (Second Part in the Beyond Her Eyes Trilogy)

Chapter Seven

YN groaned as she leant against a wall, pressing her hand against the bloody hole in her stomach.

"YN, you're losing too much blood-"

"Pepper, please. I love you, but you need to shut up." Pepper nodded, a concerned look on her face. "I just need a second to recenter."

Pepper nodded again, letting out a breath. A loud noise made YN startle upright, stepping in front of Pepper. She held up her finger to Pepper's lips, sliding them both behind a wall as she peeked around it, watching Killian walk toward... "Iron Patriot?" Pepper whispered, her eyes wide.

"Still a stupid fucking name." YN returned, shaking her head. The suit opened up and YN and Pepper gasped quietly, watching the President fall to his knees.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. President." Killian grinned, walking over and grabbing the man's arm and lifting him to his feet effortlessly. Killian dragged him over toward a screen, forcing him to stand in front of it. "Ever hear of an elephant graveyard? Well, two years ago, the elephant in the room was this scow."

YN turned her head slightly, ensuring her one seeing eye could capture what was on the screen. "This is the Roxxon Norco." YN bit her lip, the fear in President Ellis' voice making her cringe.

"And, of course, you'll remember that when she spilled a million gallons of crude off Pensacola, thanks to you, not one fat cat saw a day in court." The president turned to Killian, his hands fisted at his side.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, making Killian laugh.

"Uh, nothing, sir. I just needed a reason to kill you that would play well on TV." YN and Pepper's eyes widened at the words, their hearts beating rapidly. "You see, I've moved on. I found myself a new political patron, and this time tomorrow, he'll have your job."

"Vice President Rodriguez." YN whispered, swallowing thickly.

"String him up." YN and Pepper watched as they dragged President Ellis from the room and toward the oil hanger.

"They're going to light him up, we gotta move." Pepper nodded, following YN as they slinked from the room unnoticed. "He's going to notice you're gone soon, we have to find Tony and-" Before she could finish, a spray of bullets were fired at them, causing YN to push Pepper down and behind a blockade.

"I think they might know now." YN gave her a look, throwing her hands up.

"You think?" She muttered, whimpering as she crouched down and looked at the barrel of her gun. "Okay, I have six rounds left. And I saw six men." YN closed her eyes, thinking of a tactic.

"Can't you just... you know..." YN pointed at her eyes and shrugged.

"I've not really practiced much using it on more than three people. I've only done it twice." Pepper smiled, resting a hand on YN's shoulder.

"I believe in you." YN smiled back, calming her breathing and closing her eyes. She imagine bringing her power forward and directing it to where it was needed. Feeling it surface, YN stood and turned making the men above still, gasping in pain. They stumbled back, crying out as they fell off of their platform. YN groaned, shutting her eyes as she felt them leak. "YN-"

"I know, Pepper." She whispered, wiping as much blood from her face as she could. The two of them continued down the staircase toward where a group of men hovered around the shouting president, that was now hanging in the Iron Patriot suit. They made it to the bottom deck, YN quickly stopping as she noticed two moving figures. "Is that?"

"YN, get down!" Pepper screamed as a guard barreled toward them, tackling YN to the ground.

"Pepper, find Tony!" YN shouted, grunting as she took a knee to the stomach.

"YN-"

"Go!" YN screamed, throwing her elbow into her attacker's nose. She watched Pepper run off, making her breath slightly easier. "Hey man," YN stopped, coughing as he landed another punch to her gut. "This is totally not-" YN lifted her legs, wrapping them around his neck and twisting them hearing a satisfying crack. "Cool." She finished, relaxing as he fell beside her.

She slowly lifted her body, whimpering as her stomach painfully argued with her movements. YN limped over to the wall, swallowing down a cry. Before she could move anymore, YN's attention shot to the sky as a crowd of Iron Man suits surrounded the boat, making her smile slightly.

She took a minute to watch the bots take out the agents, her breathing growing ragged as her eyes fought to remain open. She pushed off the wall, falling forward and grabbing onto the railing of the side of the boat. She used it to move forward, stopping as she watched Tony, now adorned in a suit, lift a large piece of metal off of Pepper, who had been trapped after a shipping container had exploded.

Just as Tony grabbed a hold of Pepper, a bright orange arm shot through the floor and grabbed him, making YN jump. She hobbled forward, trying her hardest to get to him. Killian sat on top Tony, pressing a finger against his iron chest.

"I think you should close your eyes." Killian grinned, lifting his arm. Just as he went to land a hit on Tony, a knife shot from the suit's arm, instantly cutting off Killian's arm.

"Gross." YN muttered, stumbling forward.

"YN?" Someone said behind her making her slowly turn, her body quickly losing its energy to stand.

"Rhodey." She hummed, her eyes falling shut briefly.

"Jesus, does Tony know you're here?" YN shook her head, lifting her gun and planting a bullet in an approaching soldier's chest. "You don't look so good."

"Neither does President Ellis, and you know whom of the two of us is more important." Rhodey sighed, handing YN his gun.

"Get somewhere safe." YN smiled, shaking her head.

"You know I can't do that." She whispered, taking his offered weapon as Rhodey took off toward the president.

YN's attention soon turned toward where Pepper was dangling precariously from a piece of metal, her hand outstretched to Tony. "Honey I can't reach any further and you can't stay there." Pepper shouted out as the platform she was stuck on fell a few inches. "You gotta let go!" Tony shouted. "I'll catch you."

YN lifted her gun, shooting three soldiers as they ran toward Tony. YN's eyes shot to Pepper as the platform groaned, finally giving out. YN screamed at the same time as Tony, watching Pepper fall past Tony's outstretched hand and toward the fiery pit below her.