Small Town Girl

Take me instead

Penny was up before the sun, as was her custom.

She sat by the window, watching the city waking up.

It was quite beautiful, really.

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"Penny? Are you awake?"

Penny crossed the room, opening the door for Natasha.

"Hello, паук."

Penny pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Is dad okay?"

Natasha smiled. "No change, as of yet, but that's a good thing. We wanted to ask if you'd join us for breakfast?"

Penny nodded shyly. "Ok."

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Conversations ceased as Penny entered the room, and she flushed as she felt their gazes on her. "Hi." He mumbled.

Steve smiled gently. "Hey Penny."

She nodded at him. "Steve."

Everyone else mumbled various greetings.

It was awkward, very awkward. Penny felt like they were all silently judging her, and she wanted to escape.

An escape came minutes later, in the form of Bruce's frantic voice over the speakers. "Steve! Get in here now, Tony's thrashing around, he's going to rip the stitches out!"

Steve shot up, racing for the elevator, and Penny followed.

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Tony was shaking, thrashing around, crying out, his eyes shut tightly.

Steve grabbed his legs, forcing him back down. "Penny, grab his hands!" He ordered.

Penny pushed his hands back down, holding them tightly. "Dad, it's okay. You're safe. You're at the compound. Please, calm down."

She continued talking, whispering gentle reassurances until his shaking subsided.

But he didn't wake up.

Penny sat with him for hours. Natasha brought her a meal to make up for not eating breakfast, and she ate.

She fell asleep there, leaning on the bed, one hand holding Tony's.

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The fight was going in their favor.

The creatures, most likely aliens, weren't exactly easy to kill, but they were almost all taken care of.

Tony landed by Steve, helping him up, and scanned for the rest of the team.

Nat and Clint were there, and Bruce had de-hulked. Thor was nowhere to be found.

And Penny...

Wasn't there either.

Tony opened his visor. "Steve, did you-"

The sound of a gun firing echoed through the air.

Tony's head shot up, looking for the source, and saw one of the last...things, holding one of their guns, aimed at him.

That's when he felt a burning pain in his midsection.

He fell to his knees, staring at the blood, not comprehending the thought of being injured.

Then he was on the ground, and Steve was crouching beside him, quickly putting pressure on the wound.

It hurt, and suddenly it was hard to breathe, and he was gasping for air, and then Bruce was beside him, a string of orders issuing from his mouth, but he couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus, and then darkness.