Iron Man

Camera footage shows Yinsen placing the arc reactor into Tony’s chest.

“Aww, we don’t get to see them put it in?” Peter complained.

“I’m sure they will show us later.” Tony said.

They settle down and play a boardgames with nuts and bolts.

“You still haven’t told me where you’re from.” Tony says.

“I’m from a small town called Gulmira. It’s actually a nice place.”

“Got a family?”

“Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?”

Tony looks down. “No.”

“Tony…” Rhodey said soft. “You know, we’re your family, right?”

Tony smirked. “Of course I know that now. It’s just…”

“What?” Pepper prompted.

“Well, my parents were supposed to be my family.” Tony said. “And then Obadiah… and then the Avengers. It just doesn’t feel like my family tends to stick around that much.”

Bucky looked down guiltily. He was the reason why Tony’s parents weren’t around anymore and he was one of the catalysts leading to the breakup of the Avengers. Why did he have to destroy everything he touched?

“No? So you’re a man who has everything and nothing.”

The leader of the Ten Rings checks up on them seeing that they are working. Little does he know that they’ve begun work on the Iron Man armour.

A montage shows Tony welding pieces of the armour.

The terrorists can be seen watching the cameras trying to figure out which pieces match the image of the Jericho missile.

“Wow. How stupid can they be?” Peter laughed.

Raza watches the footage, only to see Tony testing one of the leg pieces, a suspicious look in his eyes.

“I mean, seriously, how can they think that’s a Jericho missile?” Peter continued.

“You’re not being very subtle.” Natasha commented.

There is yelling coming from the iron door and a group of terrorists enter, followed by Raza. Tony and Yinsen stand and raise their hands to their heads.

Raza stalks towards them. “Relax.” He says.

He examines Tony’s arc reactor.“The bow and arrow once was the pinnacle of weapons technology.”

“Hey! It still is.” Clint protested.

“You wish.” Natasha nudged him.

“It allowed the great Genghis Khan to rule from the Pacific to the Ukraine. An empire twice the size of Alexander the Great and four times the size of the Roman Empire.”

Clint pointed at the screen. “See?”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

He picks up some of the sheets that hold the secrets to the armour. “But today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands.”

“Ha! Looks like I got you beat, Legolas!” Tony smirked at him.

“Whatever, shell-head.” Clint pouted.

Tony sends a look to Yinsen, who discreetly waves his hand telling him to calm down.

“And soon,” The man lays down the sheets. “it will be my turn.”

Everyone let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding, as he put down the sheets.

“Why have you failed me?” He starks speaking in Urdu.

Yinsen tries to explain that they’re working, but the man is having none of it. He forces Yinsen to his knees.

“You think I’m a fool.” He says as he stokes the fire. “I’ll get the truth.” He pulls out a pice of red hot coal and commands the others to open Yinsen’s mouth.

Tony starts to panic. “What does he want?”

“Do something, Tony!” Thor cried, the tension putting him on edge.

“You think I’m a fool.” The man brings the coal closer. “What’s going on? Tell the truth.” He demands.

“He’s building your Jericho.” Yinsen insists.

“The truth!” He demands.

“He’s building your Jericho!” Yinsen repeats.

“The truth!” He yells again.

“He’s building your Jericho!”

Tony steps forward. “What do you want? A delivery date?”

The men cry out pointing their guns at him.

Pepper gasped and grabbed Tony’s hand.

Tony stops suddenly and hastily raises his hands. “I need him. Good assistant.”

The man hesitates for a moment before laying down the coal in front of Yinsen’s face. “You have till tomorrow to assemble my missile.”

They leave.

“Oh, thank God.” Pepper released a breath.

“Damn, that was close.” Sam said.

“Is it always the last minute with you?” Gamora asked.

“Yep, that’s pretty much how he’s always been.” Happy nodded.

Loud music blares as Tony sets to work, furiously banging his hammer against a sheet of metal. There’s a hiss as he dunks the burning metal into a vat of water. He pulls it out and lays it on the table in front of Yinsen. It is the Iron Man helmet.

“Oh, that’s badass.” Peter clapped. “That’s really very cool.”

“Damn straight.” Tony agreed.

Cut to Tony wrapping his hands in protective bandages, whist Yinsen raises the armour chest plate so that Tony can put it on. Tony puts on his this leather jacket and leather soldering gloves, then an extra piece of leather round his neck.

“Of course, it’s gonna get hot and heavy.” Bruce realised. “I almost think you should be wearing more.”

“Well, we didn’t have much to work with.” Tony said.

“You must have had some serious burns from that.” Gamora said.

“Yeah, I got a few.” Tony admitted. “But it was all we could do.”

Yinsen lowers the chest plate over Tony’s shoulders.

“Okay? Can you move?” Yinsen questions.

Tony clenches his fists in response.

“Okay, say it again.”

Tony begins reciting the rout out of the cave. “41 steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps, that’s from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right.”

“You remembered all that from them just walking you out that one time?” Clint asked.

“Well, when your godmother’s Agent Carter, you learn a thing or two.” Tony said casually.

Steve almost choked. “Peggy’s your godmother?”

“Of course she is.” Fury answered for Tony. “Howard and Agent Carter were two of the founding members of SHIELD. They were very close when Tony was born.”

“Huh.” Steve frowned, very confused and slightly disturbed by this turn of events.

Bucky glanced at Steve, amusement in his eyes.

Raza looks at he cameras but can’t see Tony. He sends men to see when they’re up to.

“Come on Tony, hurry up.” Natasha muttered under her breath.

The men arrive at the door and start yelling for Yinsen and Stark.

Yinsen is still soldering the pieces of the suit together and Tony urges him to say something back.

“They’re speaking Hungarian. I don’t…”

“Then speak Hungarian. What do you know?”

Yinsen says something back, but this does little to dissuade them. The men start opening the door only to reveal a bomb that promptly explodes upon entry.

Most people jumped back in shock.

Rocket laughed like a maniac. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Brilliant!”

The cameras go dead and Raza sends more men to go down there.

“How’d that work?” Tony asks.

“Oh, my goodness. It worked all right.”

“Of course it did.” Tony said matter-of-factly.

Rocket was still brimming with excitement. “Wow Stark, if this is what you can do in a cave, then I need to introduce you to some of my toys.”

Tony went to answer, but Pepper interrupted.

“No, no, no thank you. Tony does not need more extra terrestrial firepower to blow stuff up.”

Both Rocket and Tony pouted at this, but Pepper’s word was the law.

“That’s what I do.” He says modestly. “Initialise the power sequence.”

Yinsen hastily rushes to the computer where Tony leads him through the sequence, both clearly stressed. Yinsen rushes back to finish the armour.

“Every other hex bolt.”

“They’re coming!”

“Nothing pretty, just get it done.”

They can hear the terrorists shouting and running down the hallway.

Yinsen looks back at the progress bar, it’s only half way.

“There won’t be enough time.” Natasha muttered.

“Make sure the checkpoints are clear before you follow me out, okay?” Tony is saying, but Yinsen isn’t listening.

“We need more time.” He mutters. He looks back at Tony. “I’m gonna go buy you some time.”

“No! Don’t let him do it!” Peter panicked.

“Stick to the plan!” Tony yells.

Yinsen ignores him and picks up one of the guns from the guards. He starts firing wilding pushing the terrorists back.

“Yinsen!” Tony cries out after him.

Yinsen yells and chases the men down the corridors until he turns a corner and runs into a large group of them. They aim their guns and fire.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut.

“No!” Peter cried out.

“Shit.” Fury muttered.

A collective of gasps and swears filled the room.

“Hey.” Pepper said softly, placing a comforting hand on Tony’s arm. “It’s okay.”

Meanwhile, the power bar reaches completion and the suit fires up.

Men of the Ten Rings reach the room, but it is all dark. They see the dead bodies on the ground and cautiously enter the room.

“Oh this is intense.” Scott whispered.

One turns and finds himself face to face with a body of iron. Tony clenches his fists and sends the man flying.

The other panic and open fire.

They think they got him, when the armour appears out of nowhere and crushes two of them against the wall.

The other shoots but non of the bullets pierce the iron, as Tony walks through the bullets and nocks him out.

The camera pulls back to reveal the Mark 1 armour in all its rustic glory, with the glowing arc reactor in the centre.

Applause filled the room.

“Yes, Tony!” Rhodey cheers.

“That thing looks epic!” Peter exclaims.

“Okay, I’d admit it.” Quill puts up his hands. “This is very cool.”

Tony stalks down the corridors, taking out terrorists as he goes. They run away from him in fear, closing an iron door to one of the checkpoints, leaving a single man on the other side, screaming for his life.

“Did I already mention, this was like a horror film? Cause it is.” Sam stated.

Suddenly theirs a metal clang from behind the door and the screaming stops. There’s another bang on the door and Tony bursts through, sending the men running away in panic.

Tony tries to whack one with his arm, but the armour is hard to control and it gets lodged in the stone wall.

There were a few chuckles at that.

“Come on, really?” Gamora asked.

Tony raised his hands. “Alright, I’d admit there were a few birthing issues…”

“Birthing issues?” Natasha muttered.

“But that’s just what improvement is for.” Tony finished.

As he struggles to pull it out, one brave terrorist walks up to Tony with a pistol and tries to fire through the helmet at point plank range. The bullet repels off the iron and nocks him out in the head.

“These men are so stupid.” Okoye said dryly, gaining some nods of agreement from the others.

Tony looks down at him then wrenches his arm free.

Meanwhile, at the exit of the cave, Raza loads a rocket launcher.

Tony approaches, but then sees Yinsen in a bloody mess on the floor.

“Oh no.” Shuri muttered.

“Yinsen!” Tony cries.

“Watch out!”

Pepper reflexively grabbed Tony’s hand again.

Tony turns just in time to see the man fire the rocket launcher. Tony moves out of the way just in time. He holds out his arm, then manually sets off his own missiles, narrowly missing the man and blowing up the wall behind him, burying him under a pile of rubble.

“Yes!” Drax yelled. “Kill that man!”

With that done, Tony turns his attention to Yinsen.

“Stark.” He coughed.

“Come on, we gotta go.” Tony lifts his helmet. “Move for me, come on. We got a plan. We’re gonna stick to it.”

“There’s no way he can move for you like that.” Strange said, not unkindly. “I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did.”

“I know, I just…” Tony, for once, struggled for worlds.

“This was always the plan, Stark.” Yinsen says softly.

Tony won’t accept it. “Come on, you’re gonna go see your family. Get up.”

“My family is dead. I’m going to see them now, Stark.” Yinsen whispers.

“No…” Peter muttered softly. “No, no, no…”

Something like realisation flashes across Tony’s face.

“It’s okay. I want this.” Yinsen reassures him. “I want this.”

Tony lets out a breath. “Thank you for saving me.”

Clint raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t think he’s ever heard Stark say thank you for something. He was pretty sure this was the first time he’s ever said thank you in his life.

“Don’t waste it.” Yinsen says, his voice fading. “Don’t waste your life.”

He goes still.

“I won’t waste it.” Tony muttered under his breath. “I can’t waste it.”

“I won’t let you waste it.” Pepper told him assuredly, promising to do whatever it takes to help him protect the universe.

Tony turns his gaze to the exit, his expression murderous.

“Oh, they’re gonna get it now.” Sam said ominously.

The army of terrorists stand outside with their guns pointed towards the dark entrance of the cave. They wait in silence.

A low thumping can be heard and slowly the light from the arc reactor can be seen emerging from the cave.

Tony steps out into the sunlight and the guns open fire. Tony stands there and takes it, none of the bullets piercing through the iron.

“Be careful, Stark!” Shuri cried out. “They can pierce through the iron with enough time and there’s cracks in the armour.”

“Don’t worry.” Tony assured her. “I had a plan.”

“My turn.” He growls when the bullets stop.

He lets fire rain from his fists.

“Oh damn!” Sam said, impressed.

“That’s gotta be so hot. How’d you stop it from overheating?” Bruce asked.

“Oh, it overheated.” Tony assured him. "I've still got some burn scars."

Tony marches through the assortment of weapons, burning everything he can see. The screams of burning men echoing in the distance.

“This is so cool.” Scott said.

“Seriously?” Hope asked.

“But also horrible.” Scott amended.

Hope rolled her eyes.

Larger guns start firing down on him from a distance. It looks like he’s about to be overwhelmed.

“Get out of there Tony.” Rhodey said nervously.

“You know I made it out of there.” Tony rolled his eyes.

A bullet gets caught in the workings of the armour and he is sent to his knees.

“Tony get out!” Steve yelled.

“Dude, I’m right here!” Tony yelled back.

The weapons start to blow with Tony still within the midst of them.

“Tony!” Pepper shrieked.

“Hello?” Tony exclaimed exasperated. “A clearly alive Tony Stark sitting right here.”

He lifts a panel on his armour and flips a red switch. The screen explodes with fire.

They all gasped.

The fire raises higher and higher, then suddenly another streak appears from within. Tony shoots out like a rocket flying even higher into the sky away from the blast.

They all released a breath, mixing with applause and nervous laughter.

“See? I told you.” Tony said.

“You barely made it.” Quill said.

“I never knew it was such a close call.” Rhodey said.

“So that’s how you escaped.” Said Coulson. “You never did tell me.”

Tony spread his arms wide. “What can I say?”

Suddenly his boots cut off as the suit looses power, sending him crashing into a sand bank.

Most of the people face palmed.

“Not the most elegant of landings.” T’Challa said, smirking.

Rubble and pieces of metal scatter the sand around him as Tony throws off the helmet.

“Not bad.” He mutters.

“I love how that’s your reaction.” Natasha rolled her eyes.

“The rate at which you’re trying to kill yourself seems to have increased.” Fury commented. “Why is it that you constantly put yourself into this kind of danger?”

“Hey, I was kidnapped!” Tony defended. “And I think that went pretty well, all things considered.” Then he paused, remembering Yinsen. “At least the suit part.”

Pepper sighed, rubbing his shoulder. “It’s okay, dear. You did your best.”