AN: Credit goes to AO3 user DemonicDreams for the German translation! :D
Tony felt like removing his brain from his skull because of how much pain it was causing him every time it pounded against his skull. If he was ever going to die, he'd like to preserve his brain. Not only for the glory of science, but what the heck, right?
He couldn't really think right now. Despite his raging headache, he had adrenaline surging through his veins because of all the gunfire and explosions at his every turn. He found a huge enough rock and hid behind it. He pulled out his phone.
Oh shit, shit, shit. Pep, please prove to Tony he didn't make a mistake of hiring you as his personal assistant and please answer your phone.
He wasn't even able to get to Pepper's number because his attention was quickly diverted to a missile that landed not far to his right.
Oh how ironic. Stark Industries.
He cursed quite colorfully as he attempted to back away as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough. The air was suddenly ignited in front of him and the impact of it sent him flying backwards. His phone was shot out of his hand and landed on his back.
He coughed and suddenly he could feel this… pooling in his chest before it was replaced by a raging fire. His eyes widened as he ripped the buttons to his shirt open and even dizzy, he could clearly see his bullet-proof vest didn't work. Fuck this government issue vest. He should have gone with his gut and made himself a better one.
His consciousness was wearing thin now. He could barely hold on to the light. As his eyes slowly closed, he could see a masked man with long hair…
… and a shiny arm…?
Tony woke up, gasping. His hair was damp with sweat and he could feel his eyes still stinging with tears. His hand automatically shot to his chest, resting lightly over where his miniaturised version of his father's arc reactor. It wasn't a perfect a model, it was powered by a car battery that had to be attached at all times, other wise, the shrapnel from his own missile would be able to creep into his heart and effectively kill him.
It would be a perfect model if only Red Star out there could just let him out and use actual and real equipment.
Yeah. That's what Tony called the man who apparently saved him from a hailstorm of bullets and flames. He called him that because of the red star on his arm prosthetic.
He didn't catch a name. He didn't even spoke English. He knew this because he tried to engage Red Star into conversation on multiple occasions, only to receive cold silence. He rarely spoke anyway, but when he did, it was just the same string of angry German words that Tony could probably sing in his sleep.
"Wenn das hier vorbei ist, lass uns ausgehen."
He didn't say it right off the bat. He said it probably three months after he saved Tony. It shocked Tony so much because he thought he couldn't speak at all.
The zipper to the tent was opened and Red Star took a peek in, a habit he had been doing to check on Tony.
Tony gave a thumbs up to him, an indication that he was fine. Red Star stared a while before closing up the tent again.
This was routine for them now. Apparently, Red Star didn't trust any public transportation or public roads so they were always on foot in the strangest places. Tony had absolutely no access to any sort of technology besides the car battery he was always lugging around, with Red Star either in the lead or trailing behind him. When they needed to rest, Red Star would lay out a tent in a very secluded area where no human could possibly wander into, or strap Tony into a sleeping bag high on a branch in a tree, while he'd go out and miraculously appear with good food.
On good days, Red Star brought back Burger King or McDonald's. On bad days, he'd bring back local food that was still good.
And when they were done eating, Tony'd just lay there until he fell asleep while Red Star just kept watch. Always had a finger on the gun he always held.
Tony Stark had no geographical knowledge whatsoever. He always depended on Pepper or JARVIS for that one. But one thing's for sure, he knew he was nowhere near Afghanistan anymore as the boat rocked against a current again. How Red Star stole this boat, he didn't want to know.
Tony threw his head back unto his lumpy makeshift pillow. It's been months since they were adrift into the ocean. He didn't want to think they were lost, he wanted to believe that Red Star actually knew where he was going. He huffed before closing his eyes and forced himself to go back to sleep.
Tony woke up.
It was cold.
Tony sat up quickly because that wasn't right. He looked around, vision still focusing before he realized where he was.
He was in one of the ports in Florida.
He was in America again.
He felt like tearing up because it's been so long. He didn't know the exact time of how long he had been away, travelling to get here… it didn't matter now. He was finally home.
Kind of.
Whatever.
He looked to his side and found Red Star. He wasn't in tactical clothing anymore. He was in civilian clothing. He had a cap on, a white t-shirt, blue hoodie, jeans and wow, Converse sneakers. Tony didn't see any of his weapons, but at that moment, it didn't matter. He was still marvelling at the fact that he was actually in America again.
And that Red Star actually looked good outside the black uniform.
Red Star stood up, walked over to Tony and knelt down to meet him at eye-level. Instead of the usual blank expression on his face, he actually had the tiniest bit of what could be thought of as a smile. He looked Tony in the eye and said those same words again. Tony was starting to think it was Red Star's form of prayer, because of how often he said it.
"Wenn das hier vorbei ist, lass uns ausgehen."
Red Star's smile widened just a little bit before he turned on his heel and walked away.
Tony was just kind of dumbfounded there, still in his sleeping bag and with his large cart of car batteries beside him. He slowly stood up and it wasn't too long before he had been recognized by someone and pretty soon, he was flocked by police who escorted him away from the ports.
Tony didn't see Red Star as he watched Tony get driven away.
He was welcomed back in open arms.
He didn't really care.
He went back to Stark Industries and cancelled the weapons manufacturing department.
When he got home, he told Pepper she could have the day off and he stalked off to his workshop where he worked on a better version of his arc reactor because no way was he going to lug around a car battery with him everywhere he went.
As he worked on the core of the arc reactor, he leaned back and just paused for a second.
"JARVIS?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"Translate 'wenn das hier vorbei ist, lass uns ausgehen.'"
JARVIS pulled up a hologram in front of Tony that read the translation.
Tony was stunned at first before he grinned.
"Why the hell not, Red Star?!" He yelled at the ceiling, as if he would be heard by Red Star.
He stood up, the arc reactor he was working on completely forgotten, as he pushed the cart of his car batteries to his living room. The hologram that read 'when all this blows over, let's go on a date,' left open as he exited his workshop.
He was very much in the mood for some champagne.
Tony didn't see Red Star as he grinned from outside Tony's Malibu home.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a review.