Universal Chaos

Chapter 11

They traveled back up to Tony and Pepper's penthouse after finishing in the lab. Sutton didn't continue to insist on leaving. But she also didn't tell them that she wouldn't try. Instead she called out to Jarvis, asking the AI to turn on the news to see if there was anything about Steve and the others. At first there was nothing. Just typical stories about the weather and a local mugging. But then the breaking news bar popped up on the bottom of the screen and Sutton leaned forward on the couch.

Three enormous helicarriers had risen up over D.C. Sutton bit at her thumbnail, unable to tear her eyes away from the TV. This was it. They'd either succeed or they wouldn't.

But they would.

"I believe in you."

Pepper turned to Tony.

"Are those the things Fury consulted you on?"

"Just the repulsor technology. I didn't know they'd go into mass killing machines."

The helicarriers hovered like great, menacing metal beasts over the Potomac for a period of time. And then they moved. In formation, they began to cut across the sky; passed the river and out over land. A chopper followed them at a distance, watching as they flew a path directly towards the Atlantic.

Sutton wasn't sure what to think. It had to be interference from the team. There was no reason for Pierce to send them out over open water first. Surely he'd have started thinning the masses closer to home. But then it made an alarming amount of sense. The helicarriers turned on each other. Each ship aimed their guns at the other until they created a closed triangle of destruction.

And then they shot each other down into the ocean.

Sutton let out a short relieved laugh as the helicarriers fell to unsalvageable pieces. The fiery chunks of metal crashed into the water and her relief slowly dimmed.

"Where are they?"

She turned to face Tony and Pepper.

"Those things can be flown remotely, right? They weren't in there."

Neither of them knew any more than she did. They cast uneasy glances at each other and Sutton pressed her knuckles to her lips as she held her waist with the other hand.

"He didn't do it again, did he? Steve didn't-"

But the helicopter had backed away from the scene because of the falling debris, and she couldn't make out any distinct shapes. Couldn't see any escaping figures if there were any. Focusing on the TV was starting to give her a headache; Sutton looked away and rubbed at her temples. The news report went silent and Pepper reassuringly ran a hand over her shoulder.

"I'm sure the others are safe. They know what they're doing."

Sutton lifted her eyes.

"Pepper, you've met them."

More noise came from the direction of the television and Sutton grimaced. There was murmuring chatter and it scraped against the inside of her head sharply.

They had to be alive.

"Hey, could you mute the TV for a bit," she asked. She rubbed at her temples again. "I think it's messing with my concussion."
"The TV is already off, Sutton."

She peeked over to Pepper and then glanced at the television. She couldn't see it. Instead there was man in a suit and bow tie. He was chatting, his words indecipherable, with a bartender in a busy club. Or a bar. Sutton wasn't sure which. Her face scrunched down as she stared at the scene. The longer she stared, the more clear it appeared to be. The murmurs grew until she could hear separate words.