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The alien attack on New York — for those who believed it had happened in the first place — quickly became more myth than fact. Like the alligators who purportedly lived in the sewers. Tony wasn't ruling anything out, given that werewolves were apparently a thing, but he was still amused at how blase the rest of New York's denizens were about the sky literally opening up above them and spitting out a bunch of aliens. Tony was halfway convinced the kids could walk around town in full beta shift and no one would even notice, let alone remember it a month later.
He had gotten one person read in on the secret at least; Bruce Banner had shown up an hour or so after they'd gotten back from the shawarma joint, and the wolves had accepted him quickly. Though his transformation was not supernatural in nature, it was close enough that their human sides seemed comfortable with him. The two born wolves were more cautious, as their inner wolf seemed to sense the predator that was the lurking Hulk, but Bruce's self-effacing personality eventually won them over. It helped that the Hulk was able to smell that there was something different about them, so their wolf side wasn't a secret anyway.
Stiles, of course, had been ecstatic to meet Bruce. He'd even read some of Bruce's papers — which led to him confessing to a college paper writing business back home — and could talk intelligently with Bruce in the lab. Tony had never felt particularly paternal before, but he was tempted to try to adopt the kid. If it wasn't for the fact that Stiles still loved his dad, however big of an ass he was being, Tony might even have offered.
With Bruce read in on the werewolf secret — and Jillian Richards offering to represent him if the US Government decided to attempt to prosecute him for what happened in Harlem, the science began. Though Tony had offered on the Helicarrier, Bruce hadn't really thought he was serious about hiring him to work in SI. That was until Pepper had greeted him with a contract and instructions to look it over and tell her if he wanted anything changed. (Jillian's firm had taken him on pro bono, and their employment lawyer confirmed that it was a more than fair offer)
Bruce had still been wary, until Tony showed him the suite of rooms he had designed on one of the unused floors. Two rooms had been joined together, with a larger door, giant sized furniture, and all the state of the art reinforcement he could dream up. "It's a safe space for you to hide," Tony had explained. "These doors lock from the inside. So if you feel like going mean and green, you don't have to worry about hurting anyone. Not that I think you will, but I know you think it."
Bruce had honestly never felt so understood, and after that he welcomed Tony's input on the rest of his suite. Not to mention his own lab space on the rest of the floor!
The pack were on the floor below him, Tony having surprised them with a dorm-like space. All but Peter shared a space — though in the case of the two couples that wasn't exactly a hardship — and there was room for the pack to grow. Plus a large living room with a sunken pit piled high with pillows that they could lounge on in what Stiles called "puppy piles". No one else dared to use the term, with the way Derek glared at him for it, but Stiles was unrepentant.
Somehow, the presence of the pack made Bruce feel even safer. There were a half dozen super strong people between him and the lower levels of the tower, meaning there were a half dozen people who could at least delay the Hulk if he went on a rampage towards all those civilians. Not to mention Tony with his suits and JARVIS always watching!
It was the first time since his accident that Bruce actually found himself relaxing around other people, and his own space felt far more comfortable than anywhere he'd lived in the last few years. Bruce wanted to stay.
And not just for the chance to conduct all the experiments he wanted in his brand new, state of the art lab. In addition to unlimited funding on his own projects — like making his blood less radioactive — Bruce was also able to delve into the science behind real lycanthropy.
The born wolves were still wary of giving up their blood, but when Bruce had expressed interest in seeing if he could find a genetic reason for bite rejection, they became more open to the idea of some experimentation happening. It helped that the Hulk was the product of a scientific experiment himself, so to the wolves it felt more like he was their comrade, rather than the big bad scientist from their nightmares. At least that's what Peter had confessed to Bruce, Tony, and Pepper late one night while they were having a teen free evening.
Bruce had been able to obtain samples from all their wolves — including a former Kanima who had finally arrived just a few days after the Loki mess — and several from the Richards pack, both born and bitten. He'd also taken samples from Tony, Stiles, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy, to compare several baseline humans. Again, human members of the Richards pack, like Stiles's magic tutor Clarissa, stepped up and donated as well. Bruce was easily able to accommodate those who wanted to remain anonymous, and a nurse in the pack drew the samples for him, giving them each a number and keeping the code to herself. That concession made several new volunteers step up, and Bruce was satisfied at the spread of his sample size.
It wasn't entirely altruistic, Peter admitted when it came up. Everyone who knew about the possibility wanted to know if they'd survive the bite before it was given. That was simply human nature. And while Stiles and Clarissa might lose their magic if bitten, that wasn't the same as bite rejection, which they may or may not still be susceptible to.
Bruce was working on a side project attempting to identify magical genes as well, but that was more of a pipe dream, and something he was keeping close to his chest.
As a bonus, Miss Reyes still had blood on file at the hospital in Beacon Hills, from her many tests and treatment attempts, so Bruce was able to get a sample that predated her bite. They had pre-bite blood samples from one of the Richards pack as well, thanks to their in-the-know nurse, so he had at least two examples where a successful bite was guaranteed.
When it came time, Jillian Richards had agreed to let him take samples from three bodies interred locally — family members of living pack members who had rejected the bite. It was a delicate offer, and Bruce appreciated the opportunity immensely. The only other way to get such data was through human experimentation, waiting until someone needed the bite and hoping that it failed. Bruce hated the idea of hoping for a heartbreaking outcome like that. But with the range of samples he was able to take, he had high hopes that he could identify exactly what component — or components — were necessary for a successful bite.
Stiles was loving his life. He missed his dad, of course, but everything else he missed from Beacon Hills was here with him. And even better! Over the summer, he'd taken an English 3 course at the school Aunt Pepper found for him, which was the only thing preventing him from becoming a senior again. He'd passed it with flying colors, and was now back in his proper grade and set to graduate at the end of the year.
Isaac and Jackson were also enrolled there, as well as some of the kids from the Richards pack. Being in the same grade as Jackson again might have been a downside, but he'd been downright tolerable since he joined the pack. There were even hints of the boy Stiles had known as kids, back before the death of his mom and Jackson's issues with being adopted.
Isaac wasn't alone in his grade: the Cox twins from the Richards pack were in most of his classes. And he was able to study with Boyd and Erica in the afternoons. They were being homeschooled with some of the other pack kids, at least until they turned 18 and were no longer considered runaways. Isaac, as Derek's legal ward, and Jackson, here with his parents' knowledge, were covered, just like Stiles was.
Of course his parents didn't know that the rest of the pack was here. They thought they were moving Jackson away from the 'bad seeds' in Beacon Hills, and had even threatened to send him to his distant uncle in London! But Jackson had convinced them to keep him in the country so that his school credits and lacrosse experience wouldn't be wasted, and then cunningly led them to the idea of sending him to New York. He was subletting the apartment his parents picked out for him, and stayed with the pack in their suite.
Which was insane to think about. They had an entire floor in Stark Towers! Aunt Pepper might have said that it was her suite originally, but you'd never know to see it now. Derek and Stiles had the master bedroom and ensuite, while Boyd and Erica had a slightly smaller suite at the other end of the hall. Isaac and Jackson each currently had a single room that could be converted to a double, and there were a few extras they could use when the pack expanded. Even Peter had his own place, and actually stayed there most of the time!
They had their own kitchen and dining room, and a living room that was literally made for pack cuddles. Plus all the newest gaming consoles, and TVs in each room, so they could play together. It was literally a dream of a packhouse, and Peter and Tony had created it together, as a surprise to the others.
Stiles thought that was when Derek really accepted that his uncle was back — that the insane alpha they'd both fought against was truly dead and gone.
So all in all, everything at school was going well — he'd even joined the scholastic decathlon team. Everything with the pack was going wonderfully — even Jackson's presence. And everything with Derek was even better than that. As of his birthday, Stiles was no longer a virgin, thank you very much, and he and Derek made frequent use of their luxurious king bed in their thankfully soundproofed suite.
Nothing could bring Stiles down.
"Hey guys. Isaac, I've been thinking about that girl — Kira — in your history class that you said smells like something supernatural? She's on the scholastic decathlon team with me, but I can't get a good read on whether she knows or not, so I talked to Clarissa tonight and asked if she could come to a match and see if she can sense— what's going on?" Stiles stopped mid ramble when he saw the others gathered around the TV, watching silently. The pack was never silent, not when they were all together like this. And especially not when it was so late — his training with Clarissa had started late and run long tonight.
JARVIS obligingly turned the news report up slightly.
"The Mandarin has struck again; this time at the Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. We know it was him because he released a video claiming the credit."
"True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese, they sound Chinese, but they're actually an American invention. Which is why they're hollow, full of lies, and leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knock-off, The Chinese Theater. Mr. President, I know this must be getting frustrating, but this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming; your graduation."
"Another bombing?" Stiles asked, fidgeting with his phone. This was the closest they'd come to Beacon Hills; Stiles could have been in LA himself if Aunt Pepper hadn't been based here in New York when his dad had gotten rid of him. "JARVIS, are Tony and Aunt Pepper okay?"
"They are," JARVIS said stiltedly.
Stiles narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding something. Who's hurt?"
"I was not hiding it," JARVIS said primly. "You did not ask about Mr. Hogan."
"Happy?" several of the betas chorused. "Happy's hurt?" Erica added.
"He was investigating something that I am not at liberty to discuss," JARVIS explained. "He is now on his way to the hospital."
"Does he need me?" Derek asked, looking up from the papers he had been going over at the table.
JARVIS paused for far too long. "Possibly."
"Alright, give us 10 minutes to pack a bag," Stiles said, hoisting his backpack on his shoulder. "I've been to the Malibu house before: I can portal us into the living room. Is Tony there?"
"Sir is about to leave for the hospital," JARVIS said. "I have asked him to wait 10 minutes."
"Good. We'll be ready," Derek said, abandoning his papers. "Peter?"
"I'll look after the pups," he agreed, looking up from his reading nook in the corner.
Stiles raced to pack, throwing a few changes of clothes into his duffle bag. Thankfully, Bruce had identified a set of genes, and to the best of his reckoning, one or all were needed to have a successful bite. Happy, Tony, and Colonel Rhodes all had them. Aunt Pepper and Stiles did not. Once they'd worked that out, the three men agreed that Derek could bite them if they were incapacitated or near death. Aunt Pepper and Stiles were stuck with human medicine, and whatever he could magic up with his Spark.
He very carefully did not think about what he could have done for his mom, if only he'd known in time.
In nine minutes they were done, Derek standing there with his own duffle bag, and Stiles didn't hesitate. "Sir is in the kitchen. The living room is empty," JARVIS said.
"Let's go," Stiles said, opening up a portal between the two rooms. Derek went first, ever alert for danger, and Stiles followed a step behind. He quickly closed the portal and turned to find Tony leaning against the doorway, looking wrecked.
"Pepper's asleep; she's got a big presentation tomorrow. I don't wanna—"
"I'll talk to her, break it to her gently," Stiles offered.
"Here," Derek held out a card. "Peter gave it to me. It's the best supernaturally aware clinic in LA. Have Happy transferred there and then we can do the bite if necessary. Even if we don't, I'll be able to drain his pain without it causing problems."
"Got it," Tony said, accepting the card.
"Wear your incognito glasses!" Stiles piped up. "Until we know if this person's gunning for you too!" They were glasses that Stiles had charmed himself. As long as Tony was wearing them, he appeared to be just another non-descript person who would fade from memory after a few minutes. As soon as he took them off and tucked them into his pocket, he became the Tony Stark again.
"I'll grab them," Tony said, heading for the front hall.
"I'll take care of him; you take care of Pepper," Derek promised, giving Stiles a quick kiss. Then he hurried after Tony.
Once they'd left, Stiles let out a deep sigh. "JARIVS, can you please direct me to Aunt Pepper?"
"Of course. Right this way."
Stiles ran his hand down his face and then followed the subtle lighting cues JARVIS had created. This was going to be a long day.
Tony was glad he was accompanied by Derek, and that Stiles had reminded him to bring his incognito glasses. There was a hoard of reporters waiting outside the hospital, and Derek easily cleared a path through them for Tony. Thanks to his glasses, they largely ignored him, and he was able to make it inside to Happy's room without trouble.
A guard from Stark Industries was already there, checking badges at the door, and Tony quickly swept off his glasses and strode up to him. A nurse was coming out of the room, and Tony caught her attention. "I need to speak to someone about transferring Mr. Hogan to a private clinic," he said.
"I'll get someone for you right away," she promised.
Then Tony and Derek were entering Happy's room, and Tony was getting his first good look at his friend. He looked awful, of course, but at least all his limbs were in the right place, which was more than Tony could say for some of the other victims he'd seen on the news.
Derek immediately moved to his side and took his hand, subtly draining his pain. The wolf panted with the effort, and when he released Happy's hand, he quickly made his way over to the chair in the corner and collapsed into it. "He'll definitely need the bite," Derek reported.
Tony nodded. Happy had already agreed to take it in life threatening situations, and Bruce was fairly certain that he wouldn't reject it. It was the best plan they had. Tony would make sure the transfer went off without a hitch, and then as soon as he was carefully ensconced at the new clinic he'd give Derek the go ahead to bite him.
It didn't take long at all for the paperwork to go through, and an ambulance from the other clinic arrived. Derek gave a subtle nod when the two paramedics entered, confirming that they were supernaturals. So, itching to go along and keep an eye on him, Tony allowed them to bundle Happy up into their ambulance.
"Let's go," Tony said, as soon as Happy was out of sight, his SI guard trailing along behind him. The sooner they got going, the sooner they'd get there and get Happy the bite, the sooner he'd be awake and messing up videocall technology again.
"Don't forget your glasses," Derek reminded him. Tony balked for a minute, but then he remembered the hoard of reporters outside, and pulled them out of his pocket. He really was grateful to Stiles for the neat trick, don't get him wrong, but it was galling to be sneaking around like a thief when he should be able to just bluster his way through. He had Derek with him, however, and he needed to keep that in mind.
So, out they went. As they walked past, Tony caught a snippet of what one of the reporters was saying. "No word yet from Tony Stark, and everyone here is wondering what the famous billionaire would do, now that one of his own has been injured. What will it take for him to finally go and kill the Mandarin?"
Tony saw red. One of his own? Finally? As though he didn't care about anyone else but his own people? He was Iron Man for fuck's sake! Rhodey was actively using the damned Iron Patriot armor to hunt down the Mandarin as they spoke! Was that not enough?
Tony had a sudden flash of himself, whipping off his glasses and calling out the reporter — and the Mandarin. He'd invite him to a little tete a tete, maybe tell him to come here to Malibu and face him like a man.
Derek grabbed his elbow gently and started tugging Tony towards his car, and it was like being doused in cold water. Happy. That's what was important right now. Happy needed the bite, and Tony needed to get Derek to him. He couldn't go inviting a terrorist to his house while Stiles and Pepper were inside it. Not to mention Happy would need a safe place to recover soon, and get used to his new wolfy instincts.
Tony took a deep breath and allowed himself to be directed into his car, letting Derek drive for once since he knew where he was going. It had nothing at all to do with how much Tony's hands were shaking with adrenaline. None at all.
His therapist said he was going to have these moments from time to time, when the PTSD made his body's fight or flight instincts kick in, but he hadn't expected it to happen from something as mundane as a simpleton reporter. The therapy had actually been helping, much to Tony's surprise. He'd never trusted that a simple NDA would protect his secrets before, so he'd never attempted it. But that was before the supernatural and magical oaths came into his life. Most of the kids were seeing one too, to deal with the hell they'd gone through in Beacon Hills. Ever since he'd started his PTSD treatment, Tony had found the nightmares and panic attacks had lessened, but he still sometimes got these moments that came out of nowhere.
Once again, he had to be grateful to Derek as he pulled into a parking space at the clinic — Tony had completely zoned out on the entire ride.
Derek opened his door, and Tony followed, slipping his glasses off when he saw no reporters huddling outside; clearly word hadn't yet leaked of their new location. It didn't take long at all to check Happy in, and then they were shown to a much less clinical looking room. Happy still looked awful, but it was better without all the beeping machines and the cacophony from the hallway.
"Are you sure? Last chance to change your mind," Derek said.
Tony looked at Happy's bruised face and nodded sharply. "I'm sure. Do it."
Derek nodded as well and gathered Happy's wrist. Tony could see the lines of black pain snaking up his arm as he did a mild pain drain. This one didn't affect the alpha nearly as bad as the first had, and Tony wondered if he was just taking the edge off because of the upcoming bite, or if Happy was just in less pain now, despite being moved. Maybe someone else in the hospital had already drained his pain after he arrived.
A moment later Derek's beta shift emerged, derailing Tony's spiraling thoughts, and he bit down. The nurse, who Tony had barely noticed, stepped forward, took Happy's arm from him, and lightly wrapped the bite in gauze.
"We'll know within ten minutes if it's going to take or not," she said softly. "Once he starts healing, he'll be able to breathe on his own and we'll remove him from the ventilator so he doesn't wake up choking on it," she explained.
"Thank you," Derek said, his beta shift fading away.
"Of course, Alpha Hale," she replied.
Tony's gaze was stuck on Happy's arm, where the faintest hint of red was peeking through the gauze. He knew they'd kept the wrapping light so they could check it for the blank gunk that would ooze out of him if the bite didn't take.
"You should sit down," Derek offered, and Tony nodded jerkily, his gaze never leaving Happy's arm. Somehow he managed to sit in the really quite comfortable chair, while Derek perched on the edge of the bed. He ran his hand up and down Happy's arm, scenting him. Tony knew how important scent was to the wolves — it had been brought up several times as an explanation for their touchy feely-ness — but he hadn't associated that with Happy before now. But Happy was going to be one of Derek's betas soon. He would have someone else besides Tony to answer to; his wolf inclined to follow his alpha over his mere boss and friend.
It felt almost like losing him, in a way, and Tony shoved it aside to deal with later. He wasn't losing Happy, damn it! The whole reason he was getting the bite was to save him from this coma!
And it wasn't like Tony hadn't contemplated the bite himself. Especially once Bruce found that he seemed to have the markers that would make him a survivor. He had had several long talks with Peter about it, actually, and they'd hit a wall. There had been examples in the past of bitten wolves who had had hardware inside of them from a previous accident: medical rods, plates, or screws. There were also instances of a bitten wolf who still had bullets inside of him, either from old wounds that hadn't been removed, or because they were being bitten after being shot. 95% of the time, those pieces of metal made their way out of the body during the course of the turning — sometimes painfully — and were removed outright, with the change healing any old damage.
However, there was still that 5%. If Tony received the bite, he should be able to remove the arc reactor casing, and the lycanthropy would regrow his sternum and ribs properly, fixing his entire chest. But if he got it while the shrapnel was still inside his heart, well that could go either way. The shrapnel could be removed wholesale, with the bite curing the damage it left behind. Or, 5% said it could remain, tearing its way into his heart over and over again and being instantly healed every time.
It was a nightmare scenario.
Tony was actively looking into finding a surgeon who could do the tricky work of removing the shrapnel, so he could take the bite and finally be healed. Helen Cho was doing remarkable things with a cradle that Tony suspected was based on supernatural healing abilities, though she obviously couldn't admit to the wider scientific community that that's where her research came from.
And he already knew from the War Machine armor that an external reactor was just as efficient as his internal one — moreso, as it didn't have to power himself at the same time. Tony could finally be free of this well designed mess in his chest, free from frequent pneumonia, free from constant upkeep, free from painful hyperventilating, free from the remains of his palladium poisoning that had shaved about 10 years off of his life expectancy.
Tony wanted the bite.
But he knew this wasn't how Happy had wanted it. He'd been satisfied being a human, much the way Stiles was, and he'd only agreed under extreme circumstances.
Well, the circumstances were extreme enough, and once again Tony flashed back to the reporters outside the hospital. The Mandarin had made this personal, and as soon as Happy was awake, Tony was going to take the fight to him. He'd get Rhodey on board as well, get JARVIS to do the research and recreations, and they'd make a plan.
Because the Mandarin? He was going down.
Stiles let out a giant sigh of relief when they got the call that Happy hadn't rejected the bite. Aunt Pepper was crying softly, but at the good news she had smiled brightly through her tears. Stiles knew well enough that in addition to worrying about her friend, she was imagining Tony in Happy's place. He did so many dangerous stunts as Iron Man, and Stiles had accidentally overheard them talking about him giving it up, but he didn't see it happening. That was like asking one of the betas to give up their wolf; it was a part of them.
Stiles may have only known the man for six months, but he knew just as surely that Iron Man was a part of him; one he wouldn't be able to give up. Maybe not even for Aunt Pepper.
He just hoped, for her sake, that she could come to live with that choice. Though he supposed he wouldn't mind if she ended up with Happy or Colonel Rhodes instead; they would both make good uncles to him.
Now that they'd received the good news, Stiles couldn't stop from yawning, and eventually Aunt Pepper convinced him to lay down in one of the guest suites while she went back to bed herself. She had meetings tomorrow, despite it being Sunday, because time zones were the worst. Soon Stiles was dropping off to sleep, wishing Derek was here, curled around him, but knowing it was more important that he stay with his new beta.
Stiles was surprised when Tony, Derek, and Happy arrived home around dinnertime. He'd been expecting Aunt Pepper back well before then, but he'd lost track of time as he worked on the homework that Clairssa had given him last night. All of his school work was done, of course, because he'd had finals the week before, but Spark tutoring didn't come with holiday breaks.
"Where's Pepper?" Tony asked as he entered the house carrying a stack of pizza boxes. Happy was behind him, looking around at everything with fresh eyes while Derek hovered at his elbow.
"Still at work, I assume?" Stiles shrugged. "She had that meeting with the people in New Zealand, where it's Monday already, but I thought she'd be home by now. She went in early to do some prep work while the office was quiet, but said her meeting was only from eleven to one."
"JARVIS, call her." Tony commanded.
JARVIS must have complied, because a minute later he responded, "Miss Potts is not answering. According to security she received a visitor after her meeting. Records indicate her name is Maya Hansen. Miss Potts left with her at approximately 1:20 PM and did not return for her car."
"Give me everything you have on Hansen," Tony snapped, and holographic images immediately sprung up around him. "It looks like she runs a think tank for AIM—"
"Killian," Happy growled, straining towards the holograms. Derek easily caught his arm and held him back.
"JARVIS, any sight of their car?" Tony asked, shrinking the information away so that Happy would calm down.
"I shall attempt to trace it now," the AI replied.
"Derek—"
Derek shrugged sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, but JARIVS said she got into a car. If she was on foot we could sniff her out, but as it is…"
Tony manfully resisted the urge to snap at Derek, then what good are you? It wasn't like he had a better way to track Pepper himself. He'd been playing with creating a subcutaneous tracker, given how many members of their little pack had been kidnapped before, but when they'd proven that it would be ejected from the wolves by their healing, he'd shelved the idea. If he hadn't, maybe…
But there was no room for 'maybe's or wishes. The cold hard facts were that Pepper was gone, and Tony had no way to trace her, because he'd given up on the project. And because the supernatural squad that had done so much to help with Loki and his crap before were equally hamstrung.
"I may have something," Stiles spoke up, sounding furious, and Tony whirled to face him.
"What?"
"Clarissa has mentioned doing a scrying spell before. I don't know how to actually do it yet — I'd need to call her and see if she can talk me through it — but it couldn't hurt to try. I don't know how far it would work, though, so if you could narrow it down a little smaller than the entire world…"
"JARVIS, I'm heading to the lab." Tony dropped all but one of the pizza boxes on the table. "Get me scene reconstructions and everything we have on these Mandarin attacks and AIM. Let's narrow it down."
"I'll call Clarissa," Stiles said, grabbing his own pizza box off the stack.
"We'll start werewolf 101," Derek said with a sigh, scoping up the remaining boxes and heading towards Happy's guest room, the new wolf following him like a duckling.
"Rose Hill, Tennessee," Tony mused as he headed back upstairs to check on the others. "What the fuck could be in Rose Hill, Tennessee?" Rhodey was already on his way; his commanders had given him clearance to come investigate since it seemed like the Mandarin was targeting SI — or at least Iron Man. JARVIS had already sent him the data, and he was going to stop in Rose Hill on his way to LA.
Tony reached the top of the stairs and found Stiles hunched over the coffee table, pulling at his hair in frustration. "That's not a great look."
Stiles slumped, looking up at him with reddened eyes. "Clarissa taught me what to do, and JARVIS printed off the map for me, but I'm not having any luck."
"What's going wrong?" Tony asked. Brainstorming aloud with Rhodey or JARIVS almost always helped him when things weren't working.
"It's a scrying spell — you calibrate a crystal to the signature of your subject, cast a spell, and then it breaks the crystal down into smaller parts that represent their family members of a certain degree. I'm testing it out on Derek, since I know that the only family members he has left are Peter, and Jillian and her kids on his dad's side. The spell's designed for immediate family, which goes down to the level of first cousin and includes aunts and uncles. It's the same degree of relationship as me and Aunt Pepper, so if it works for him it should work for me."
"Sounds about right."
"Yeah, but I keep getting bizarre results. A cluster in New York, which are Peter, Jillian, and his cousins, and three in Brazil."
"Have you asked Clarissa what more results mean?"
"More family members, usually, but also that your search terms are too broad and you're getting false positives." Stiles said bitterly.
"Have you talked to Derek? Maybe he's got some more distant relatives out there?"
Stiles's jaw dropped open, and he immediately shouted. "Sourwolf! Come out here please!"
A moment later Derek burst into the room in his beta shift, Happy right behind him, eyes glowing yellow.
"Put the fangs away," Stiles waved him off. "Do you have any relatives in Brazil?"
Derek dropped his shift, looking surprised. "My mom and Peter's sister Dahlia. She has one kid, last I heard."
Stiles snapped his fingers. "That must be it. She's probably had another one since the last time you talked to her. You should call and say 'hi' sometime when we're not in a crisis."
"What's going on?" Happy growled, still in his beta shift.
"I've been getting hinky results from this familial scrying spell," Stiles explained absently as he began fussing with his supplies. "I thought I was screwing it up, but I just didn't have all the information."
"Does that mean you can do the spell for yourself now?" Tony asked desperately.
"Yup!" Stiles reached up and plucked a hair from his own head, then pressed it against a crystal. The crystal glowed a dark purple for a moment, then faded back to clear. Stiles muttered something under his breath, then blew gently on the crystal. Then in a totally unexpected move, he smashed it down on the table.
Tony shielded his face automatically, but nothing hit him. Happy growled, but Derek growled back, and he whined. When Tony looked back at the table, he found that the crystal had separated into three pieces. One in Malibu for Stiles, one in Beacon Hills for his dad, and one for Pepper in— "Is that Miami?"
"Looks like it," Stiles said breathlessly. "JARVIS, can you get me a detailed map of Miami?"
"Do you need another crystal?" Tony asked. "Not that I remember having crystals in my lab."
"Clarissa portaled them over," Stiles said tiredly. "And no, now that this one is calibrated for Aunt Pepper, I can reuse it. I kept repeating it from the start with Derek because I thought I was screwing up the spell."
"How many times have you done this?" Derek asked, abandoning Happy and hurrying over to press a hand against Stiles's forehead.
"Not too many times. I'm alright, Sourwolf," Stiles promised him. "You can get back to your training now."
Derek gave him a searching look for a long second, then apparently decided that Stiles was alright. After a quick kiss, he stood up and headed back towards Happy, who was no longer sporting fangs and wild sideburns. "Let's finish working on your control," he said, and Happy nodded eagerly before following him out of the room.
"Your map is in the printer," JARIVS announced.
Stiles bounced up and hurried over to the nearest printer — the one in the corner wall of the living room — to fetch it. Tony watched with interest as he picked up the piece of crystal that represented Pepper, whispered to it, and then slammed it down on the new map. It skidded across the page before stopping over a small neighborhood. It had been years since Tony had been to a party in Miami, but if he recalled correctly, that was an area full of warehouses. "JARVIS, cross reference that neighborhood with holdings for AIM, Killian, Hansen, and then any known associates. Send it to me in the air."
"Yes Sir," JARVIS agreed, even as the Mark 41 emerged from the lab and opened up to allow him to climb inside.
Tony looked back at Stiles, who looked worse than before. "Kid, climb up on that couch and take a nap before you pass out."
"I'm alright," Stiles insisted stubbornly.
"Yeah, sure. And if I need you to do some magic in the future, you'll need to be well rested for it, right?" Tony pointed out, ignoring the hypocrisy, given that his catnaps last night weren't enough to make up for the 72 plus hours he'd been awake before that.
Stiles scowled, but dragged himself upright, where he wavered before toppling over onto the couch. Tony shook his head fondly, then stepped into the suit. "Alright J, let's go get Pepper back."
Pepper felt like she was being burnt alive, and she had a sudden burst of sympathy for Peter, who had spent six years in a coma feeling this way. At first it had just been a warmth at the injection site, but it had slowly spread throughout her until it felt like all her nerve endings were on fire. Then she'd literally started to glow.
Killian had stood over her and delivered some monologue — something about mice that she didn't give a damn about — but she got the gist even through the haze of pain. They wanted Tony to help them perfect their formula, and they thought that injecting it into her would give him an incentive to join in.
If she knew Tony — and she did — he was going to kill them all first, then speed through their notes with JARIVS and find a cure anyway. The only question would be if Pepper would survive until that point.
She could only imagine what would happen to Noah and Stiles if she didn't make it; they'd already lost Claudia, and Stiles had lost his home, though he'd made a valiant attempt at building a new life in New York. To have her ripped away by human villains that neither one could protect her from? It would hurt them both, so deeply.
And Tony.
Tony was prepared to face death as Iron Man. He'd told her more than once that he was living on borrowed time already. If he wanted to throw himself into danger recklessly, that was his choice. But he'd never agreed to let Pepper face that kind of danger. Ever since that first confrontation with Stane, he'd worked hard to keep her out of the line of fire. And it had worked.
But these people weren't after Iron Man. They were after Tony, looking for his big brain to waltz in and solve all their problems. They hadn't taken her because she was Iron Man's girlfriend, they had taken her because she was Tony Stark's. It made her feel better, in a way, though she doubted it would bring the same comfort to Tony.
He already had too much guilt on his plate for what Stane had done with his legacy, and then for what SHIELD had done with his father's. Jerichos and phase two weapons and all sorts of horrors that should have never been dreamed up, but were because Starks were a breed apart. Guilt was why Tony became Iron Man, and that same guilt would eat him alive over this.
Well not if Pepper had anything to say about it. She didn't know what went wrong with the other test subjects — people — who they'd injected, but if there was anything she'd learned from watching Stiles practice his magic, it was that belief could do a lot in this world. Pepper believed she would survive. Just like she believed that Tony would arrive and save her, and she believed that he would come up with whatever science was necessary to keep her from blowing up like the others had. Tony had a way of making the impossible seem possible, just like Stiles did in his own way, and she believed in them both.
She might not be able to get out of here herself — and not for lack of trying, but they'd learned how to make fireproof restraints — but she knew her boys would come for her. She believed it.
"Pepper!" Tony yelled, bursting into the lab.
"Don't touch me!" Pepper said quickly, even though it might have been obvious from the way she was glowing. "I'll burn you."
"Oh Pep…" he said sorrowfully.
"No, we're not going to do that," Pepper said firmly. "You're going to make sure this entire base is clear. And then you and JARVIS are going to figure out how to keep this thing from killing me. And then we are going home and celebrating Christmas with the pack. Is that clear?"
Tony gave her a wry grin. "Yes Ma'am."
"What am I going to be doing during all this?" Rhodey teased, and Pepper noticed him in the doorway for the first time.
"The same damn thing," she told him, then gritted her teeth as a wave of pain rolled through her. "And you might want to hurry."
"You got it."
They turned almost as one and headed back out the door, Tony slapping something she suspected was a personal lock on it before splitting up and heading the opposite direction as Rhodey. She heard the screams, booms, and roars of anger that signified the battle taking place, and Pepper grinned viciously at the knowledge that Killian's people were getting exactly what they deserved.
Damn Maya and her sob story about Wernher von Braun. She had chosen to experiment on humans before her research was viable, and then, instead of stopping and going back to the drawing board when it failed, she had helped kidnap Pepper to use as an incentive to get Tony to burst in and solve all her problems. Pepper hoped Tony was kicking her ass right now. And Killian's. She'd thought he was nice when she'd worked for him before, but she'd much prefer an asshole like Tony who actually cared about people than a 'nice guy' who saw the world as expendable.
Eventually the lab went quiet, and soon she heard the clomping of Tony's boots returning. He reached the door and tapped at the lock he'd added. It opened with a woosh and he entered the lab, helmet off. His armor looked worse for wear, with scorch marks in several places, but he was grinning tiredly at her. "Hey Pep."
"Hey yourself," she replied, riding the high of relief between the waves of pain. "Where's Rhodey?"
"We found plans; their goal was to go after the President."
Pepper got it: that was a much more pressing issue. "You should go with him."
Tony snorted. "No way."
Pepper needed to make him see reason. "Tony, it's the President."
Tony slammed his hand down on the counter. "And I'd pick you over him ten times out of ten!" he burst out. "Presidents can be replaced. You can't be."
She wanted to argue with him, but she also wanted to stop feeling this flaring agony. Plus it was one of the sweetest things he'd ever said to her, so Pepper subsided.
It didn't take JARVIS long to pull up the data on the Extremis virus they had created, and Tony reviewed it as quickly as possible. The problem was that he needed an extra pair of eyes — one that could think outside the box. Tony could try to fix the problem with their formula, sure, but that might not be in time to help Pepper. What he needed was someone who understood magic. Someone more advanced than Stiles, as brilliant as he was.
"JARVIS, call Clarissa."
A moment later, her tired voice came over the line. "Tony?"
"I need a favor," Tony said, cutting right to the chase. "If JARVIS sends a picture to your phone, can you portal to me the way Stiles does?"
"I can."
"Great. JARVIS, do it."
Soon enough, a blue portal was opening in the corner of the room, and Clarissa and Jillian Richards were stepping out of it.
"Oh Pepper!" Jillian exclaimed, while Clarissa looked horrified.
"It's an experimental virus that was supposed to create supersoldiers, but created walking bombs instead," Tony explained quickly. "I'm sure I can perfect the formula, given enough time, but time isn't on my side. I'm hoping with magic you can… do something."
Clarissa considered Pepper for a long moment, then frowned. "I have a freezing spell that might cool you down, but I don't know what it will do about the actual virus inside," she said. "I can also increase your natural healing abilities, which could either help or make it all worse. You said this virus was supposed to create super soldiers?"
"Right, and accelerated thermal regulation came along for the ride." Tony said, flicking through screens. "Her body has to finish assimilating the virus 100%, which will either turn her into an Extremis soldier or…" He trailed off, unable to even think it, let alone say the words aloud.
"Or turn me to ash," Pepper said when he couldn't seem to bring himself to. Killian had been quite explicit about the results. She was just grateful that Tony had called Clarissa, rather than Stiles. She'd never want him here to see her like this.
"Then boosting your body's immune response will spread the virus faster," Jililan said. "I could try biting you, but honestly, I don't know if it would help or just make things worse."
Pepper smiled sadly. "According to Doctor Banner's research, I'm not a candidate for the bite."
Jillian looked sorrowful at the news, while Clarissa snapped her fingers. "No you're not, because you're magical!"
"What?"
"You've got a tiny spark of magic in you, like Stiles but on a smaller scale. I imagine your brother does as well, not that it's relevant at the moment. Your magic should be enough to keep you alive, though it might burn itself out in the process, just as it would if you were bit."
"So if you accelerate her healing, she'll convert faster, and she'll become an Extremis soldier, but be out of pain," Tony summarized. "Then I'll have time to work on a stabilizing agent or a cure, assuming her magic doesn't have the same effect."
"I'm fairly certain it would work that way, yes," Clarissa agreed.
"Do it," Pepper said. She was damned if she did, and damned if she didn't, but at least this way it would be over faster. She didn't want Tony to have to make that choice on her behalf, not when she was competent to take that burden off of his shoulders.
Clarissa nodded, biting her lip, and then waved her hand at Pepper. Immediately the sensation of burning intensified, and Pepper gritted her teeth to withstand it.
She could do this, she reminded herself. She believed.
Pepper wasn't sure how much time passed, but eventually the pain began to lessen, and the intense heat backed off. "It's working," she heard Clarissa say, but it was taking all her energy to keep from collapsing against the table, so Pepper couldn't reply.
"I wonder if all of them had magic," Jillian said suddenly.
"Who now?" Tony asked.
"The survivors," she clarified. "You said there were many failed test subjects, and I was wondering if those few successes were from people who had their own small spark of magic. I saw the percentage, and that roughly correlates to studies on the number of magicals in the mundane population."
"It would explain their survival, and their ability to control their own thermal regulation," Clarissa agreed. "You said they could choose to heat up or not, and even control what part of their body changed. That certainly indicates a level of control I wouldn't expect outside of magical circumstances."
"So I'm a Spark, like Stiles?" Pepper managed to ask, gasping in relief at the cool air flooding over her. "Or I was?"
"Not exactly," Clarissa said. "Imagine yourself as a birthday candle, and then imagine Stiles as a roaring bonfire. There are far more birthday candles out in the world than bonfires, and plenty of shades in between. I'd imagine now that you could gain control over the fire element outside of your own body, if you practiced."
"Considering Killian just breathed fire at Colonel Rhodes, I'd say that's a distinct possibility," JARVIS's voice floated up from the console.
"Have the Iron Legion reached him yet?" Tony asked.
"They have, and are assisting as we speak," JARVIS said. "The president has been removed from his containment and is being moved to a safer location."
"Good," was all Tony said, then he went back to flicking through screens.
Pepper noticed that the glow was gone, and she was trembling. "Any chance I can get unshackled now?" she asked, giddy with relief.
Tony looked up at her for the first time and a smile split his face. "Hey, you made it!"
"I made it," she agreed as the suit walked over under JARVIS's power and broke the lock on the metal straps holding her down.
"Careful touching her, she might still run hot to you," Clarissa warned.
Tony reached out and ran a tentative hand down her arm, then pulled her in for a hug when she apparently didn't burn him. "Oh my god, Pep," he murmured into her shoulder. Pepper wrapped her arms firmly around him, relishing in being in his hold.
"And that's our cue to go," Jillian said with a laugh. "Tony, would you like a portal back home?"
"To New York?" he clarified. She nodded. "Then yes please." He quickly gathered up the flash drive he'd saved all their research to. "J?"
"Yes Sir," JARVIS replied easily, as the suit of armor moved out of sentry mode and joined the group
Clarissa easily opened up a portal, and Pepper could see the penthouse through it. JARVIS took the lead in the armor, clearly sweeping the room for threats. Tony grabbed her hand and tugged her through it, and finally she was back home. Clarissa and Jillian followed, then took another portal back to their own homes.
Pepper just stood for a moment, content in Tony's arms, as he let out heavy, damp breaths into her neck. She knew he was having another panic attack, and she didn't mind holding him for as long as he needed.
"Sir, Colonel Rhodes has killed Aldrich Killian. The president has been returned to the White House." JARVIS announced a little while later.
"Thanks J." Tony mumbled.
"JARVIS, let Stiles, Derek, and Happy know that I'm alright, and tell them they can come back here if they want," Pepper said.
"Right away, Miss Potts. And may I say, I'm very grateful that you survived."
"Thank you JARVIS." Pepper smiled fondly.
"JARVIS, hold all my everything for the next few days," Tony declared. "Send all the Extremis data down to the lab and keep rerunning the simulations. We are taking a nap. The longest nap ever."
"Once I've seen Stiles," Pepper amended.
"Once you've seen Stiles," Tony agreed easily.
Pepper took in a deep breath and relaxed at the knowledge that she was home and safe. She'd see Stiles as soon as he could portal back, and then she and Tony would be able to curl up together and finally get some sleep. And tomorrow, he'd get started working on that cure. She believed in him.