|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 111• Sharpen Your Knife

"What the hell happened?" Natasha ran after Bruce almost stumbling over her feet as she tried to pull on her other shoe. Bruce's car stood still by the garage where he left it when he arrived. He clicked on the button to unlock it. "One of her lungs gave out, or collapsed, I don't know. Tony kept rambling; I could barely understand him. She's barely breathing." Bruce pulled open the door on the driver's side of the car and launched himself inside of the vehicle. Natasha managed to pull herself in just in time before Bruce sped away. "Put on your seatbelt," Bruce told her as he drove towards the opened gates. "Just drive, Bruce!" Both of their hearts were pounding rapidly beneath their skins. Bruce kept glancing over at his hands on the steering wheel – old habit – to make sure they didn't change shades. "Why are they not coming here? Are they at home?" Natasha asked him. "Tony's taking her there now. I could hear Peter screaming in the background. Tony said it would be quicker and maybe safer too. I don't know, Nat! Why doesn't this car go faster?!" Bruce slammed his fist against the steering wheel but he never lost control of the vehicle. Natasha glanced over at him. "Sorry." Bruce apologized. Nothing else was said. Bruce's feet barely left the gas as he drove to the cabin in the woods.

Pepper covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped loudly and the tears sprung in her eyes. "Oh my god!" Peter carried her daughter's unconscious body through the door with Tony following him close behind. Y/n was lying limp in her boyfriend's arms. Her face pale, her eyes closed. She looked cold. All the color seemed to have drained from her. Pepper feared the worst already. "My baby... no, no. Tony!!" Pepper tried to touch her daughter's face but Tony pushed her out of the way gently. He was still wearing his suit just like Peter, only he wasn't wearing his mask anymore. The boy's face was red, his cheeks were covered in dried tears, and his lips were moving slightly but neither Pepper nor Tony could hear what he was whispering to their daughter. Tony tapped his chest to make the suit retreat back into his arc reactor. "Tony, what's happening? What happened to her? She's... she's- Tony!" If only her husband would tell her something or at least open his mouth. He slowly turned to Peter and wiped away the sweat from his forehead with both hands. Blood and adrenaline were pumping through his veins. His eyes were shot open wide with fear written all over them. He looked around the room as if he was trying to think of what to do. Peter stood there with Y/n in his arms. She seemed weightless, he carried her with such ease. Pepper turned to her husband again and saw that one of his hands was trembling. "Bruce is on his way. We need to get her downstairs." Tony said calmly. He wanted to freak out but his body wouldn't allow it. Pepper's eyes widened even more when Tony's words settled in her mind. "Downstairs? There's a downstairs?! Tony!?" She shouted at him. Tony ignored his wife and took Peter through the house and to the back door and straight to the shed. He never told anyone about it before. It was a small lab. Just in case he ever needed it, he wasn't planning on using it anymore, but what if his heart gave out again or if he needed to work on something in secret? The shed was too small. So he had something built under it and the house. Pepper followed them both into the shed and saw a staircase right where the floor had been. "You never told me about this!"

Tony gently kissed his daughter's forehead whist stroking her cheek with his thumb. Her skin was icy cold and lacked color. "Kid, get her downstairs, on the table." Peter left without saying a word. Pepper hit her husband's chest and stopped him from going downstairs with the boy. "Tony, what the hell is going on!?" Tony grabbed his wife's wrists and looked straight into her eyes to calm her down. "When Bruce arrives, let him inside. He knows how to get in. Promise me you'll stay up there with Morgan." Pepper shook her head. "No, you're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on! What's happening with my daughter?" Pepper screamed at him. She could only think the absolute worst, that her daughter was already gone, and she looked like it too. Pepper was also trying to understand what was hidden under her house and she never knew. "I'm coming down there with you." Tony shook his head and placed his hands on her cheeks. "You need to go back inside and make sure that Bruce gets through and Morgan doesn't come snooping. Okay? Can you do that?" Pepper's eyes became glossy. "Honey, do you understand?!" Tony raised his voice when he didn't mean to. His emotions were finally coming out. He was filled with fear and worry. "Pepper!" He said. "Yes! Yes, I'll go back inside!" She replied. "I'll take care of it, okay? Go!" Tony turned around to follow Peter down the steps and the floor closed up again. It was as if it was never there. Pepper wondered if this might all be a bad dream. It could be. Of course, Tony would hide something in the shed. No wonder he didn't want Morgan to play around in here. Pepper placed her hand over her heart and tried to get her breathing under control before she had to go back inside. "Mommy? Mommy?" She heard Morgan calling her from the house. Pepper inhaled deeply and turned around walking straight out of the shed and toward the house. "Mommy, why were you yelling? I heard you upstairs." Morgan rubbed her eyes gently. "Is something wrong?" Pepper picked up her daughter and carried her inside. "It'll all be okay, baby. It'll be okay."