Post by Stardrifter on Aug 9, 2014 23:06:13 GMT -5
by
Stardrifter
#3 - A Pawn in Play
"Whatever you do, don't...move," Tony whispers to Ho Yinsen as he very carefully, and slowly, adjusts the wires on a small metal device in front of him on the work table.
"Why not?" Yinsen whispers back, unsure why they are speaking in such hushed tones.
"Because when I flip this switch," Tony says, reaching over to said electrical switch that is connected by wires to the device, "there's a good, oh, eleven percent chance that it will blow up this entire building."
Tony hears Yinsen's sudden gasp but pays it no mind. The man doesn't move as he's instructed, so Tony bites his lower lip, holds his breath, and flips the switch.
There's a small pop as the circuit is closed which causes Yinsen to jump. Tony cringes but does nothing, sighing in relief as the small device begins to hum and glow a brilliant blue. Exhaling with a loud sigh, Tony relaxes his muscles and smiles.
"Not so bad. Beat the odds for another day."
Yinsen rubs his face with both hands, overcome with relief. "Do you think, perhaps, you should tell someone when you're putting their life in danger?"
"Our lives are already in danger," Tony answers dryly, unhooking the wires from the device. "And had I told you you might not have stayed to help. But I am sorry." Yinsen scowls but accepts his apology for what it is.
In truth Tony doesn't know what he'd have done without Yinsen. After pretending to be sick, the guards brought Yinsen in to treat him. He quickly caught on that Tony was faking, but kept the illusion going. Then it was just a matter of fast talking them into letting Yinsen remain to keep an eye on him and assist in his work.
Looking down at the glowing device, Yinsen asks the obvious, "What is it?"
"This baby is an arc reactor," Tony smiles, tossing it up and catching it like a baseball. Yinsen stiffens in fear, so Tony pats his shoulder. "It's fine. Now that it's going there's no danger. My father designed this a couple years ago. The prototype took up an entire room and they never got it going."
"And you just built a miniaturized version, that works, in one day?"
Tony smiles and spins around, leaps to his feet, and walks over to another work table. "It's amazing what you can accomplish with the right motivation." He unrolls a dozen large sheets of paper and spreads them out on the table.
"How much power does it give out?"
"Approximately three gigajoules per second," Tony mutters as he shuffles the papers around, laying them on top of one another.
"Three...that's more than enough to power your missile," Yinsen says in a congratulatory tone, before realizing what it means. "So you're going to give the madman his weapon?"
Tony grabs Yinsen by the arm, pulling him close, and whispers into his ear. "Of course not. I'd die before I let him hurt anyone. But I very much like living, don't you?" Yinsen offers a confused nod. "So we're going to use this baby to power something else."
Tony waves his hand over the papers. The diagram is in parts, each on a separate paper, so that only by putting them all together in order do you see the whole picture. It looks like a large robot.
"You've got to be kidding," Yinsen says. "This is some American joke?"
"Of course not," Tony sighs, shuffling the papers out of order again. He walks toward the various weaponry stored in the building and points to one of the Ultratech prototype armor suits. It's over 7 feet tall and built like a linebacker. "I looked this armor over yesterday. It's bulky, the joints are faulty, the electrical system is a joke..." Yinsen crosses his arms and sighs, waiting for Tony to get to the point. "...and it's our ticket out of here!"
Tony rushes back over and holds the arc reactor up. "This is all Mandarin needs to power the Jericho, but he doesn't know that. He's not a fool, so we'll need to work on the armor while working on the missile. Make it look like we're stripping it for parts, which isn't far from the truth because that thing is full of junk. But when we're done, that armor is going to be a force to be reckoned with."
Yinsen looks back and forth from the armor to Tony. He reaches up under his glasses and rubs his eyes. "You're certain you can make this work?"
"Hey, you said it yourself. I just solved, miniaturized, and completed a device my father and his team couldn't do for years," Tony says with a self satisfied smirk. "I think I can handle a suit of armor. You with me?" He holds out his hand.
Yinsen looks down at Tony's hand, sighs, and shakes it. "Yes. Yes I'm with you. At least if we're killed it'll be an end to this madness."
"Good. Always stay positive." Tony playfully slaps Yinsen in the shoulder before walking away. "'But I need you to work on a little side project for me first."
"Side project?"
"Yeah, it's what's really going to save our lives, armor or not."
Four Days Later
New York City
Pepper nearly drops her bags when she hears Katy Perry's "Roar" come from her pocket book. The elevator doors open to the floor of her apartment, but she ignores them and fumbles for her phone. Once she has it out, she sighs with disappointment when she sees it's only her mother. The elevator starts to head back down, adding to her irritation, when Pepper answers.
"Yes?" Pepper answers, her frustration apparent.
"Honey? Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry Mom. I just...I was hoping it was news about Tony."
"Still nothing?"
The elevator stops and an older couple walks on. Pepper grabs her shopping bags and moves over to the corner. "No there's been no word. Mr. Stark said SHIELD has been working non-stop, but there's been no demands. They're getting nowhere."
"Have you gone back to work yet?"
"I go back tomorrow." The elevator reaches her floor again and Pepper moves toward the door, smiling politely as she squeezes by. "I've been going nuts sitting at home."
"Is that all you're doing? You haven't been going out?"
"I just went grocery shopping," Pepper says in a apologetic tone. Reaching her door, she fumbles with the lock and steps inside.
"You know that's not what I meant. Honey, don't you have any friends?"
"Of course, Mom," Pepper lies. "I just haven't been in the mood for company."
"What about that college boy you were talking about? Um...Fred?"
"Frank," Pepper corrects, slamming her bags down on the counter but keeping her tone civil. "And I haven't seen him in over a month."
"Why not? He seemed so nice."
"It just...didn't work out. I don't know."
"Well it can't work out if you don't try, honey. You've always been so shy. You need to open up to people. Put yourself out there."
"Uh huh," Pepper mutters, holding the phone with her shoulder as she goes through her bags. She pulls a box of cereal out and hits her purse, knocking it onto the floor. "Goddamn it!"
"What? Honey? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just dropped my purse." She squats down to pick up the contents that spilled out onto the floor when she notices a blinking light. "I...Mom can I call you back?"
"Honey I really..."
Pepper hangs up her phone and puts it aside. She pushes her wallet and compact aside to get at the blinking light. It's Tony's phone. She'd forgotten she put it in her purse after the accident. A small green light keeps flashing on the screen. She looks over the phone for the power button and turns it on.
"Jarvis?" Pepper asks.
"Greetings Ms. Potts. How are you today?"
"I'm fine, thank you. Why were you blinking?"
"Blinking? Oh yes. I am receiving a signal."
"A signal?" Pepper asks, standing back up. "From who?"
"I do not know. The signal is static, but it's on a frequency I was designed to monitor."
"Designed? Why?" Before Jarvis can respond, the answer comes to her. "Tony! He's the only one that would know how to send you a signal, right?"
"That is correct, Ms. Potts. Where is Tony?"
Pepper puts a hand to her mouth, overcome with excitement. "Long story. Can you trace the signal to it's origin?"
"Of course, Ms. Potts. I..."
"Do it!" Pepper grabs her wallet, phone, and keys, leaving the rest of her purse and her groceries in a mad dash toward her door. She almost forgets to lock her door as she leaves, frantically looking for Colonel Rhodes' name in her contacts.
One Day Later
Valley of Spirits
"Stark!"
Tony's head shoots up from the welding he's working on. Pulling up his mask, he watches a dozen soldiers file into the room.
"Drop the torch and step away back! Hands in the air!"
Tony does as he's told, looking over to Yinsen for any hint of understanding. Yinsen puts his hands up as well and subtly shakes his head, indicating he has no clue what's going on either.
After two soldier pat Tony down, they step back and wait, rifles at the ready, until the Mandarin strolls into the room. He is again adorned in simple robes, his hands held behind his back.
"Good morning, Mr. Stark," the Mandarin says without looking at him. He walks up toward the Jericho missile, it's plates removed and wires strewn about, and inspects the work. "You only have one day left. How is my missile coming?"
"Great," Tony says as nonchalantly as he can. "It's going great."
"Really?" Mandarin says, skepticism heavy in his voice. He walks over to the table with the armor.
"Yeah I know what's wrong and I'm fixing it."
"Indeed?" Mandarin raises an eyebrow. "It seems to me you're spending a lot of time on this armor."
"Yeah it has the parts I need."
"And this?" Mandarin asks, holding up the arc reactor.
"Well that's what's gonna power this baby. See, the repulsor tech was working but was sucking too much power for the missile to handle. With that, power's a non-issue. I just needed to overhaul the system to handle so much energy."
There's an awkward silence as the Mandarin looks at Tony, his expression unreadable, and stares into his eyes. Tony can see, just behind the Mandarin's back, that he's idly playing with the ring on his pinky finger.
"You sound very confident," Mandarin breaks the silence, snapping Tony's eyes back up. "But you always do, my friend. You're known for it. Confidence. Sharp wit. Arrogance, some say." He walks over and stops an inch from Tony's face, staring down into Tony's eyes. "I see through it. You're a child. A brilliant one, but a child. A frightened boy, in over his head trying to play in the man's world. I do not believe you can do as you say. Nor do I really care."
His words take Tony aback. He looks around, confused. "Then what's all this about? Why make me do this? I don't..."
"Irony," Mandarin interrupts. "Poetic justice. To remind others of their place. Take your pick. You're just a pawn on my board, your role unimportant in the grand scheme."
"Every piece is important," Tony quickly retorts, narrowing his eyes. "Even a pawn can become the most powerful piece on the board."
The Mandarin shrugs. "That is true, Mr. Stark. But not for you."
After a slight nod from his master, one of the soldiers turns to Yinsen and fires a single bullet. It tears into his abdomen, knocking him off his feet in a spray of blood.
"No!" Tony shouts, going to help him. The Mandarin, moving faster than any man has a right too, snaps his hand up and clasps it around Tony's throat.
"You have until your friend bleeds to death to finish the Jericho," Mandarin spits at Tony. "Succeed, and he shall live. Fail, and you will be sacrificed in my next move."
Tony falls to the floor as the Mandarin and his men leave. He crawls over to Yinsen, cradling the bleeding man in his arms. "You're going to be all right. I'll finish the missile. I can do it. Give him..."
"No," Yinsen groans. "You said...you would die...before giving him..."
"I would die, not you." Tears begin to steam down Tony's cheeks. "I won't..."
"I...would die...too." Yinsen reaches up to pat Tony's cheek. "Do not play his game, Tony. Do not give...do not give him what he wants. Finish the armor. Be free. For me."
Tony nods. He quickly runs over and grabs a towel from a work bench and ties it around Yinsen's waist. "All right, but you're coming with me. Don't give up."
Tony jumps up and heads to the armor to start attaching the repulsor rockets. He notices the transmitter Yinsen constructed is now receiving the reply signal. "Help is coming, my friend. Just you wait."
The stealth jet soars high above the Pacific Ocean. Part of Rhodes would have preferred to take a squadron but he knew stealth, not brute force, was needed for this operation. Flying a small army into Chinese airspace was the kind of attention they didn't need.
"I can now narrow the location down to ten thousand square miles," Jarvis tells him.
"That's better, but still too large to search effectively."
"The interference is lessening the closer we approach. By my estimates, I will be able to narrow the location to at least one thousand square miles when we are in range."
Rhodes sighs, staring down at the phone in his hand. He feels ridiculous talking to it, but there isn't much choice. When Pepper first brought it to him, he tried to interface it with a SHIELD computer, but Tony put so much security on his phone that every attempt failed. The worst part was Jarvis repeatedly, and politely, telling them it wouldn't work.
Breathing a heavy sigh, Rhodes sits back in his chair and closes his eyes. He mentally runs over the mission and the variables. Too many variables. He's essentially taking his squad of a dozen men in blind. They have no intelligence on the area, the enemy, or anything. General Fury himself contacted him to explain this could very well be a suicide mission. Rhodes volunteered anyway.
"Sir, I have calculated the odds of success, and the results are not promising," Jarvis says, echoing Rhodes' thoughts. "I am concerned for Mr. Stark's well being."
Rhodes opens his eyes and looks down at the phone. It's cold and blank. Emotionless. Yet when he heard it's words, he could envision the fear in it's eyes.
"Are you really? Concerned? Tony's a brilliant kid, but I'm not ready to believe he programmed real emotions into you."
"I cannot say whether I have emotions or not, having no basis to make a comparison. All I know is that, to give voice to my thoughts, concerned is the word that best fits. I hope we find Mr. Stark in good health."
Rhodes raises an eyebrow and grins, at both the AI's words and the ridiculousness of it all. Yet he finds he can't fault Jarvis nonetheless. "You and me both. You and me both."
"Hold on, Yinsen!" Tony shouts as he finishes wiring the arc reactor into the chest plate of the armor. He looks over to see Yinsen shaking, his head rolled back onto the floor. "I'm just...about...done!"
With the wiring finished the armor powers up. The chest plate, abdomen, and front of the legs all fold out to allow entry. Looking it over, Tony realize he's a bit short for it, but he doesn't have much choice.
"Yinsen!" Tony rushes over, lifting his head and offering him some water. "Stay with me! We're getting out of here now."
"Go," Yinsen croaks out, his eyes moving wildly around the room. "Save yourself. It's...too late...for me."
"Don't say that!" Tony shouts, tears welling up. "Fight! I'm going to clear us a path and then come back for you."
Before Yinsen can object any further, Tony runs over to the armor. He climbs up onto the table and tries to discover the best way to get inside.
"What is this?" a voice shouts from the doorway. Tony looks up to see two guards staring at him. "Stop! Get down now!" They raise their weapons.
Realizing it's now or never, Tony puts a hand down and vaults into the correct position, slamming down hard into the armor. He winces in pain when his left leg hits the side, but he quickly corrects himself.
Pressing a button in the arm, the armor closes around him. Once the helmet clamps down over his face, the clear visor giving him almost 20/20 vision, he attempts to sit up. It's one of the hardest things he's ever done.
A hail of bullets slam into him and bounce harmlessly off the armor. Tony throws his leg over to get off the work table, kicking over a machine as he goes. Once he has both feet on the floor, the weight is correctly distributed and he's able to move much easier.
The guards, obviously afraid, continue to fire until their rifles run out of ammo. With nothing else to do, they run for the door.
"Well there goes the element of surprise," Tony sighs.
He heads for the door, the armor's massive frame requiring him to smash his way through it. Once outside, he sees the base in a panic. Unarmed men run away, while a squad of armed soldiers run toward him.
"All right, let's see what you can do."
Tony raises his arms and opens fire with wrist mounted machine guns. His aim is poor, the bullets digging into the ground in front of the soldiers, but it does scare half of them into fleeing. The other half open fire, their bullets doing as little as the first guards.
Deciding the guns are a waste of time, Tony stomps forward and crashes into the soldiers. They tumble over like bowling pins. One remains standing and gets knocked back ten feet with a wave of Tony's arm.
Suddenly an explosion hits him from behind. It knocks him forward and he struggles with everything he has to remain standing. He turns to see two soldiers a couple buildings over, one crouched down holding a rocket launcher. The other is loading a second rocket into it.
Tony opens a hatch on his shoulder and fires a mini rocket of his own. It spirals through the air and lands two feet in front of the soldiers, doing little more than blocking their view for a moment.
"Fuck, Ultratech," Tony grumbles. "Your targeting systems are horrible."
Before they can fire another rocket, Tony walks behind a nearby building. He doesn't get very far when another explosion erupts in front of him. He turns to see two more soldiers with rocket launchers.
Tony charges the soldier with the armed launcher, knocking the weapon aside and causing it to fire into the roof of another building. He then turns and backhands the other soldier with a rocket launcher.
"Stand down or die!"
He looks up to see himself being surrounded by soldiers. His entire plan was your basic shock and awe, scaring the soldiers into fleeing to clear an area so he could bring Yinsen out and escape. He didn't expect the Mandarin's army to be so disciplined.
The soldiers rain bullets down upon him. So many that he detects minor cracks forming in his armor. He hears a rumbling sound in the distance. He looks over to see a tank coming around a building.
Tony looks back toward the armory where Yinsen is. He's cut off by over two dozen soldiers. Even if he could make it, the tank would be in range by then. Logic tells him he can't save Yinsen even if he was able to reach him. Still, when he finally pushes the button to activate the repulsor rockets, he hates himself for doing it. "Goddamn it!"
The makeshift rockets fire from the bottom of his armor's boots, quickly sending him soaring through the air. The force is so overwhelming he can barely keep his legs straight, making his trachetory erratic. Tony fights with all his strength to keep himself aimed out of the valley.
As he soars above the temple, he sees the Mandarin walk out and stare up at him. For an instant, the two lock eyes, the Mandarin's face as calm as ever.
"My lord?" one of the Mandarin's aides asks. "Aren't you going to stop him?"
The edge of the Mandarin's lips curl slightly. "Why? My message has been sent. I have no further use of the boy." Behind his back, he cracks each of his knuckles individually. "Let them have this. Victory makes one complacent."
It doesn't take long for Tony's repulsors to burn out, the energy from the arc reactor overloading them. Soaring over the jungle, he cuts power and free falls until he reaches the tree tops. Then he reengages the repulsors just long enough to break most of his fall, the branches of the trees doing the rest.
When he finally hits the jungle floor, the impact rattles his entire body and knocks the air from his lungs. Once he regains his senses, he opens the armor and crawls out. His entire body feels like it's still vibrating, making it hard for him to stand.
"Any landing you can crawl away from," Tony mumbles, turning back toward the armor. He presses a sequence of keys on the inside, takes the transmitter out, and runs off in what he assumes is away from the valley.
After almost one minute of running, Tony ducks behind a tree. "Five, four, three, two..."
A massive explosion rips through the jungle as the arc reactor overloads. Even at this distance, Tony can feel the heat of the flames. He quickly jumps back to his feet and runs off again, knowing the Ten Rings won't take long to find him.
It isn't long before Tony hears a jet fly overhead. He ducks down low, trying to stay under the cover of the trees, as he watches the jet come back around and stop to hover. His fear quickly turns to joy when he sees the SHIELD symbol on the side.
"Thank you, Pepper!"
The End