Summary: Tony wakes up in the middle of a fight, with no idea what's going on or why. All he knows is that everything is shattered, and the world is in the worst war in history. Rated T for violence and wartime themes.

Warnings: Violence, wartime themes, might possibly be a character death, I haven't decided. Pepperony romance, nothing above PG. No slash.

Prologue

Burning. Burning burning burning burning. He was on fire, he was burning alive. It tore at his lungs, it ripped at his heart. He couldn't breathe; he was dying, dying...

He was drowning, drowning in fire and pain and he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe... his lungs screamed at him and he tried to scream himself, but no sound came out, nothing he could hear with the deafening silence pounding through his head as he drowned.

The fire burst through his mind and the white was so bright that it blinded him. The searing heat burned and scorched its way through him until he felt he couldn't handle the pain anymore.

"Tony!" He thought he heard someone calling his name, but it was so far away, so very far away... he couldn't make it, he couldn't handle the pain anymore. He was going to die, he knew it. He was going to drown in fire and burn in silence, ripped apart and devoured by flames. He couldn't make it.

"Tony! Hang on, Tony, just hang on, we'll get through this... MEDIC! OVER HERE, NOW!"

The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. He suddenly realized he was floating, and someone had a hold of his arm. He focused on that spot, trying to ignore the fire in his head.

"Wha-" He tried to breathe out.

"Tony, it's okay, don't try to talk," the voice said. "Just breathe. Breathe, Tony, don't give up!"

Tony took a breath and the fire raced to his side. He choked, unable to draw a second breath.

"He can't breathe, do something!" The voice yelled. There were voices yelling all around, he realized. He almost recognized a few of them, he almost recognized them-

BOOM!

Tony stopped floating and hit the ground with a thud, fire overtaking all thought for a moment.

Rolling over, he opened his eyes.

The world was burning. Fire and smoke filled the air, and the ground was overrun with the rubble of collapsed buildings, beams and crumbled walls and glass littered the street like confetti.

He let out a strangled yell, what had happened?

"Tony!" The first voice said again, and he turned to see Pepper running up to him, her hair long and wild, flying about her dirty face, dressed in black jeans and a tank top, a bloodied bandage wrapped around her arm just below her shoulder. The sight stunned him and completely broke his heart.

"Get him back on the stretcher," she said. "We've got to get to the compound, NOW!"

A few other people leaned over and lifted him onto a stretcher. "That blast," one of them said. "It was from the outpost. We need to get a response team out there ASAP."

"Got it," Pepper said, reaching up to her ear and clicking on a blue device. "Attention all units," she said. "Situation at the outpost; compromised. Closest strike team, report."

She clicked the device off and hurried to catch up with the team as they carried the stretcher to a modified van, modified as in there was armored plating covering the windows, and the back seats had been ripped out to give room for things such as stretchers.

He was loaded into the van and Pepper ducked in after him, kneeling down next to him as the van started up and began racing through the broken streets, jolting and bumping heavily.

He let out a few gasps of pain, and the fire began to consume him again.

"Tony," Pepper said urgently, trying to steady him as best she could. "Tony, everything's going to be fine. You have to be alright, you just have to be. Keep breathing, Tony, we're almost at the compound."

Tony stared up into her eyes, they were red and puffy. "Wha-" he tried again before his raspy throat rendered him mute.

"Shh," Pepper said. "It's alright, Tony, we'll figure all this out once we reach the compound. I promise."

Tony looked into her face as a single tear made it's way down her dirt-smudged cheek.

He nodded. She let out a small smile.

"There," she said. "That's better."

BOOM!

That one sounded farther away than the last one, but the van gave a lurch anyway, and Tony felt the fire overcome as he knew no more.

He gasped awake, he was in a crowded large room, the basement of a warehouse of some sort, most likely. There were people everywhere, lying on cots, beds, couches, some were on the floor or leaning against the wall, and they were all in a bad sort as far as injuries went. He was apparently in some sort of sick bay area in the compound Pepper had been speaking about, there were Medics working over him and Pepper was standing nearby, yelling directions into her earpiece.

"No," she was saying. "Get out of there, now. They're advancing, they'll be on you any second."

"Pepper," Tony croaked out, and she gasped.

"Tony!" She said breathlessly, before she frowned. "No," she said into her earpiece. "I wasn't talking to you, Tony just woke up." She huffed. "...Get out of there, then, and tell him yourself," she said.

She reached up and clicked the device off before walking over to Tony. "Tony," she said with a small smile. "We almost lost you last night."

"Pepper," Tony said again, but she held up a hand.

"Just a moment," she said. "Let me go try to find some water for your throat.

"No," he rasped, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "This is important."

She sighed and smiled sadly at him. "What is it, Tony?" She asked.

"I... I can't remember," Tony said.

Pepper frowned. "You can't remember what?" She asked.

Tony frowned, trying to think of the right word. "...Anything," he said finally.

Pepper's eyes grew wide. "What!?" She said. "Tony, what does that mean? No, get back," She said, shoeing away the medic, who had tried to push past her to do something. "Tony, what do you mean you don't remember anything?"

"I- I don't..." Tony stammered. "I don't remember, this- the city's destroyed- we're in some kinda war-"

"Oh, my, this can't be happening," Pepper said. "No, it- it just can't! Tony, think, you have to remember!"

Pepper looked so scared and broken that it made Tony want to cry. He didn't, but he wanted to. "Pepper," he said. "What happened? You have to tell me what happened!"

Pepper took a deep breath. "...Tell me what you do remember," she said.

Tony frowned. "I..." he said. "Last thing I- I remember, was... We were throwing a party..."

Pepper frowned. "A party?" She asked. "What kind of party? When was this?"

"It-it was to celebrate," Tony said. "We'd just finished the tower after... after Loki..."

Pepper's mouth dropped open. "You mean, right after the Chitauri attack!?" She asked.

Tony nodded. "That's- that's bad?" He asked.

"Oh, Tony..." Pepper said, squeezing his hand tightly and looking into his face. "That was six years ago."