The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

005

CHAPTER 005
BREAKOUT, PART 2

LOCATION: the middle of nowhere

IRON MAN HELD ECHO IN HIS
arms, attempting to fly, but failing as his armor begins to come apart. He tries to land on his back when he crashes into the ground and succeeds, barely. Iron Man groans and then Echo follows suit. Her eyes open slowly and she sits up and winces. "Kase, your awake."

Echo groans and holds her pounding head, "I wish I wasn't."

"You have a concussion and two cracked ribs." Tony informs her as his helmet slides up, revealing his face as he stands.

"Yeah, figured." Echo responds. Tony holds out his hand for her and she accepts it and he helps her stand up. Echo looks around, "Okay, where the heck are we?"

"Uh, Chicago." Tony answers.

"Why are we in Chicago?"

"Because my suit is having some problems, that's why!" Tony responds, getting a bit annoyed. Not at her, at his suit, which was severely damaged. Tony's helmet slides closed "J.A.R.V.I.S., any news on the Helicarrier?"

"Still sinking, sir."

"Thanks. Open remote access to the Chicago armory."

"Remote access initiated. Activating Mark VII armor." J.A.R.V.I.S. responds.

Echo pulls off her mask and it falls on her back like a hood. She sighs, "Now what?"

Tony's helmet slides up again as he glances at her, "Now, we wait."

"For what? The end of the world? No, let's go." She begins to walk through what looked like an endless crop field.

"No, we're waiting for my armor to come pick me up. And where are you trying to go? We're in the middle of nowhere!" Tony exclaims. Kasey sighs and stops walking. "Now, do you want to tell me why you were in The Vault?" Kasey gives him a blank look which he responds to, "Yeah, I have some questions! A few of which happen to be where the heck have you been?!" Kasey stares at him as he continues, "You don't call, you don't write, you don't even send a frickin Raven! I have been looking for you for the past two years, Kasey! So, you better give me an explanation and it better be a damn good one!"

"Are you done?"

Tony takes a deep breath, "Yes, I am done."

Kasey nods, "I'm working for S.H.I.E.L.D."

Tony's eyes widen, "Excuse me, I must have bad hearing because I thought you just said S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Yeah, I did." Kasey answers, "Well, I was. I was working for S.H.I.E.L.D., but I'm not anymore." She clarifies.

Tony stares at her in shock, "Why?"

Kasey sighs, "They think I'm a traitor."

"Well, that's ridiculous--"

"I know! I was accused of something I didn't do, so they threw me in The Vault."

Kasey could basically see the steam coming from Tony's ears, "I'm gonna kill Fury."

"No! You're not!" Kasey protests.

"Why the hell aren't I?! He locked you in The Vault! A place that I built for supervillains! Not for my own sister!" Tony yells.

"You can't!" Kasey yells at him, "You can't! If you confront him about this, then he'll know that we talked! The last thing I need is S.H.I.E.L.D. chasing you too!"

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing."

Just then, the Mark VII flies next to Tony. "Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice sounds through Tony's helmet, "the Mark VII is ready for deployment."

"All right, get this suit off me, J.A.R.V.I.S.." J.A.R.V.I.S. obeys and the suit comes off Tony and he steps into the Mark VII, which encloses around his body. He looks at Kasey, "Let's go."

"I'm not going."

Tony's helmet lifts, "I'm not gonna leave you here, Kase. I won't."

"You have to." Kasey crosses her arms, "People's lives are in danger, Tony. They need you. And if anybody sees me, then S.H.I.E.L.D. will be crawling all over me."

"Kase--"

Kasey steps towards him, "Look, I know you want to help me, but I have to do this alone. I mean, I'll be fine, I'm Kasey Stark."

Tony sighs and then hugs her and she hugs him back, which was the Iron Man suit. In all honesty it was a bit uncomfortable to hug the suit, but whatever, to them they were just hugging each other, and no metal suit stood between them. Tony's eyes sadden, "I missed you."

Kasey looks down, feeling guilty, "I missed you too."

The two pull away when they hear an engine coming towards them from behind Tony. The two look to see a farmer driving a tractor, who was looking at Tony's suit in wonder. Tony smiles at the man, "Hey, we're just having a brother-sister moment." He waves his hand, "Nothing special."

The man looks at Tony oddly, as if he had just seen a ghost. It became a bit awkward and the two siblings waited until the man moved on his way so they could resume their conversation. Kasey turns back to Tony with an amused smile, which soon faded as she said the word that punched her in the heart, "Go."

Tony nodded and stared at her for a moment more before his helmet closed and he was off. Kasey watched him leave and then looked around. She really was in the middle of nowhere.

•  •  •

poor them