"Log number 31. The date is July 6th, at… 23:43. The last of S.H.I.E.L.D is down, it's gone. They have Captain America, Agent Romanoff and Doctor Bruce banner…They've took them. Two months of nearly no food or water for all America. HYDRA is at the rise and no-one can stop them," Tony said. The camera moved, un-focusing and then focusing on his face again. Blood dripped down from the cut on his forehead and down his cheek. The lighting around Tony's face was dark as he sniffed. Tony's breathing was heavy and his eyes were blood shot and wide. He turned his head to look behind him, hair sticking out in different directions. He looked panicked and on edge. Anxious. He turned back around to face the camera. He looked tired, his face nearly taking up the whole screen.

"I repeat no-one can stop them. Stay under ground people... Don't be the hero... it's foolish to thing you, only you, can defeat them. So stupid," Tony muttered the last bit to himself. He shook his head to concentrate and looked back at the camera. He sniffed again. "Food supplies are hopefully coming from the US and the UK Army, but do not get your hopes up. Not everyone will get some. Ration your food, don't waste it. HYDRA are strong, their powerful. I repeat stay. Under. Ground." Tony sniffled again and then coughed. There was a bang behind him and Tony's head snapped around to look behind him. He quickly turned around to look at the camera again, words rushing out.

"Stay hopeful America..." Tony Stark said yet he seemed to think that it was the end. "This is... This was Tony Stark saying his last words to you. Peace guys. Over and out," Tony said before the screen went blank.

Everyone stared at it in shock.

Many people in the underground train track huddled together as the loud explosion occurred above them. People also huddled together in and out of the abandoned train on the tracks. Lights flickered along the track, giving a kind of horror movie feeling. Someone started to cry to the right of the underground train track, causing someone else to go over to them, placing an arm around their shoulder. They didn't know each other but everyone needed someone to be there for them.

Pepper looked at the blank screen as another loud explosion went off above them, making many people around her flinch and cry out in terror. Dust fell from the curved ceiling that ran down to the track floor. A man at the back of the group started to cough. Pepper turned away from the blank screen taking a deep breath.
This is worst then the alien invasion. Worst than the Mandarin, pepper thought.

This was it.

Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

Pepper turn on the comm link that was in her ear. She had turned it off after a loud ear piercing sound had rang through it before Tony had broadcasted the video worldwide. The comm link was to stay in touch with Hill and Barton. However she hadn't heard a word from them before she had turned the comm off. She had lost touch with them about twenty minutes ago. They had both stupidly gone off down the train track, alone, to try and find anyone or anything that could help them.

Pepper sat down on the side of the train track as another explosion went off, causing many more people to start to cry and dust fall from the curved ceiling once more. Pepper listened down the comm for anyone as her boyfriends words sunk in.

Steve had been taken.

Natasha.

Bruce.

They were going down, one by one. She had no idea where Thor was. She hadn't heard from the God for a month now. Coulson and Fury, both disappeared about a month ago too. She hoped that Jane, Darcy and Betty were somewhere safe underground. Rhodes was up on the ground with the USA Army, fighting with everything he had against HYDRA. Nearly everyone at SHIELD who had been trusted had turned HYDRA. People within SHIELD who were HYDRA had killed many on that day. That day of the uprising of HYDRA. Hail hydra would be heard above them every so often and it just drained and drained the spirits of the people down here with Pepper. It had been one month and two weeks since everyone went underground. They had had to leave there last site after HYDRA had found them, killing many people within the group, making it down to around forty people in this group.

Clint had placed ten women and men around the little camp they had going on to stand guard. Each one had a SA80 assault rifle in their arms. The ten people after five hours would switch with another ten people so they could get some rest. Jarvis had been disconnected from nearly everything except the comm link. She could still talked to him, but he wasn't as "powerful" as normal. He couldn't find anyone, couldn't trace. Couldn't hack. The most Jarvis could do was be there and talk.

"...p-p-per," a voice came down the comm line. It crackled a little but it was hope. Pepper straighten up and people sitting near her noticed, turning to look at her.

"Maria?" Pepper asked, her finger going to press against the ear piece in her ear. It didn't help but it was just something Pepper had gotten used to doing.

"Pep-p-per," Maria voice came cracking down the comm link. "We f-found mo-r-re food." Maria said. This was the best news she had heard in a long time.

"It's all j-junk-kkkk-k food-d," Clint added down the line.

"Get back here now," Pepper said, her voice firm, standing up as she spoke. She wondered if they had heard since it took them a while the reply.

"B-be there s-sss-soon-n," Maria said.

"Over and o-out," Clint said.

"Over and out," Pepper replied. More people were looking at her now, hope in their eyes.

"Are they ok?" A women around mid thirties asked.

"They have food," Pepper said and everyone sighed in relief, a smile appearing on some of the sea of faces. Pepper turned to the right after hearing a sniffle to see Bethany, a six year old girl, curled up in a ball with tears running down her face. Pepper walked forward and sat down next to the young girl, pulling her into a hug.

"You're safe Bethany," Pepper said. The girl had lost her mother and father that day it had happened.

Around thirty minutes later, according to Pepper's very slow watch on her wrist, they heard footsteps coming down the track. Most people stood up and the five guards on the right lifted up their guns. Five on the right, five on the left, blocking the group in for safety reasons.

Two figures came walking toward the group. It was hard to tell who it was since the lighting in the under ground train track was very dark. The temperature slowly lowering and lowering.

"Don't shoot," Clint's voice echoed towards them. Pepper walked forward to stand in front of the group. She saw Maria and Clint come walking towards them. Clint however was limping, one arm around Maria's shoulder as she helped him. Maria had her deep blue rucksack hung over her left shoulder, Clint next to her on her right. She was supporting a bleeding head wound and two gun shot wounds. One a flesh injury the other one hitting her left arm, which she ignored the pain. Clint had come off worse, a stab wound to his right leg and three gunshot wounds. Pepper saw that both were covered in dust and dried blood. They looked like a train reck.

"I like you hair," Pepper called out to them.

"The Hulk cut it for me," Maria and Clint both replied at the same time. Pepper and the rest of the group relaxed a little. Pepper then rushed forward with four other people. Pepper took hold of Maria, handing the rucksack off to one of the people. Three people helped Clint get sat down inside the subway train were they had one medical kit between the forty of them. Maria sat down on one of the plastic red seats with Pepper sitting down next to her. Maria gestured to the man who took her rucksack to hand it to her. The man gave it to Maria and she opened it up.

"We got everything we could get from the vending machine before the HYDRA dumbasses ambushed us," Maria explained as one of the two doctors that was in the group cleaned her up, the other cleaning Clint up, who laid on the plastic chairs opposite the two women.

"We got out and managed to give them a false trail," Maria said and Pepper nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Tony... He erm... He updated," Pepper said and Maria looked up. Clint turned his head to look at them.

"What did he say?" Maria asked and Pepper looked down.

"That HYDRA are too strong and that we should stay underground. He said that Steve, Nat and Bruce had been taken. He said it was his... His last words," Pepper whispered. Maria wasn't big on hugs but realised the blonde really needed one. She placed her right arm around Pepper's shoulder and pulled the women towards her, holding her close.

"We'll find him," Maria told her, even though she didn't believe her own words. She didn't believe one word of them in fact. Pepper nodded, knowing Maria was only saying that to make her feel better. The doctor called Scar, finished cleaning up Maria and went to help the other doctor, called Raj, clean up Clint and stop him for bleeding so much.
The carriage they were in was empty except them, everyone leaving the doctors to do what they can do. Pepper closed her eyes as Maria hugged her, her heat beating strong after everything that had happened.

"I'm sorry," Pepper said and Maria frowned, wondering what the women was talking about.

"Why?" Maria asked and Pepper pulled away to look at the brunette.

"You must be so upset," Pepper said. "Steve's been taken. I could see that you two loved each other, even though you both never said it," Pepper added. Maria took a deep breath.

"Like I said two days ago... It's going to be alright," Maria said, as Pepper looked into her blue eyes. She smiled lightly and pulled Maria into a hug.

It had all happened on May 29th 2015. The time had been 14:44. Weather was sunny with a chance of rain and the temperature was 26 degrees Celsius. It was that day... That day when it all happened. It was supposed to be a normal day in New York. But HYDRA decided that it was the day to take over.