Chapter 24: Reprise Chapters: My Name is Prince
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It took every ounce of internal strength for Steve to keep silent. He finally had the shield he wanted and he was in the process of getting the information he needed.
Steve pulled his kevlar glove up over his forearm and then he secured his shield against his back.
Fury told him about Obadiah Stane as Steve dressed into the suit that Howard made for him.
It was the first time he'd put on the Captain America suit since he was brought out of the ice... Steve didn't allow his mind to go there.
"The tracking device indicates that he is taking Tony toward the middle east. All we can do is follow the trail." Fury tried to communicate with Steve, but Steve was short with everyone and his anger was obvious.
"SO that is what we do." Steve didn't open the floor for discussion. It was time for them to leave. They had already wasted too much time. Obadiah was a very smart person. Tony and Howard both failed to see how intelligent and evil he actually was. He provided himself a lengthy head-start.
Fury and Steve boarded one of the jets that S.H.I.E.L.D. had at their disposal. Steve told himself that he would NEVER be in that situation ever again. He had to rely on other people to take him where he needed to go. It was bullshit.
"It's the fastest one on the market right now. So we will be able to catch up Steve. Don't blame yourself, shit happens."
Steve turned his head slowly and he glared at the man.
"Shit happens?" He held them all responsible. Steve turned away because he was very close to assaulting someone. Catch up? Steve was convinced they would NEVER catch up and find Tony. It took too damn long for the pilots to even start the engine. Steve couldn't stop. He began to pace around.
He was too impatient and it felt like his heart was about to explode. He wanted an instant take-off but something was wasn't right. Steve tried to remain calm as Fury spoke to the pilot and co-pilot.
Steve couldn't see them and he didn't care too.
"LET'S GO." Steve shouted at everyone that was there to listen. Fury stared at him as he stood beside the the door to the cockpit. The only fraction of hope Steve had was the fact that Obadiah planned to present Tony to the highest bidder. So that meant Tony was still alive for the moment.
They finally took off and Steve tried to shake the nervous feeling he had. It was deep in his gut. Fury closed the cockpit door and he walked over to Steve. He ignored the soldier's behavior and continued to educate Steve on the situation.
"Stark hired Obadiah because of the fact that he is a client to the Ten Rings. None of this can be proven on paper of course but he is deeply affiliated with them and Howard was keeping the enemy close." Fury explained and Steve became irate.
"CLOSE ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF HIS SON?!" Steve reacted in an angrier tone than he was prepared for. Fury was officially shocked. Steve just looked away and debated taking a seat.
The jet was too comfortable and it made him feel ILL. The interior was too cozy for him to stomach so he decided to stand. Steve couldn't sit down and ease up when he knew that Tony was in danger. It was physically impossible for him to relax.
Fury studied every move that Steve made, then he started to speak again.
"Howard and Obadiah became friends. Howard doesn't have alot of friends if you haven't noticed. He was conned obviously. Obadiah is a sneaky son of a bitch." Fury felt the need to defend Howard.
"Don't make Howard look innocent. He's got a house full of friends he can call up." Steve didn't buy Fury's sympathy for a moment. the soldier rolled his eyes and he glared at some image on the wall of the jet.
"That's business. Howard hasn't had a real friend since you sank to the bottom of the deep blue sea. Remember? Obadiah fed on that loss. Just like he fed on Tony's need for freedom."
Fury hated himself for being so blind. All of Obadiah's schemes were right there in front of his face. He knew that Howard opened up to Obadiah on a lot of things. Howard was an over-worked alcoholic that was obsessed with keeping his family safe.
Obadiah took advantage of that. It wasn't obvious. The man slithered around the Starks in whatever way he could.
"We were all fooled Steve. He wants Howard's technology. His company. he wants it whether he gets it through Howard or Tony it doesn't matter to him. He's ruthless." Steve heard what Fury said but he refused to listen. Fury had a printed file on Obadiah Stane and he ripped it from his hand.
Steve held a glare and he looked it over. It was a personality file that S.H.I.E.L.D. had on the books. Steve saw the picture of Obidiah and he wanted to rip the file in half.
"Well in the end it doesn't matter who he is... " Steve tossed the file and he walked away from Fury. He was going to take Obadiah out of the picture. At that point, Steve had enough and he could hold his tongue no longer.
"I am done with everyone's carelessness. Tony is trapped in the middle of a mess he doesn't deserve to be in." Steve vented all his frustration with Fury, with Howard, with everyone. Fury listened and he looked over at the door to the cockpit.
"Tony is only eighteen years old. Sure, I wanted to throw himself into the fire when I enlisted in the army a million times. THAT WAS MY CHOICE. But Tony? None of this is his choice. JUST GET ME TO HIM." Steve stepped off and he walked away from Fury.
Nothing in Tony's life was his choice. Steve was determined to change that. He thought on the subject as he paced around. The cockpit door opened wide and Steve glanced over.
Steve saw Howard Stark emerge from within. Dressed in brown dress pants and an off-white dress shirt. How the hell was he out of the hospital?! Steve watched in shock as he headed down the small hallway. He had his arm in a sling and his hair was disheveled.
"What the hell are you doing on this jet?" Steve asked as Howard stopped his step.
"Co-piloting. Do you have a problem with that?" Howard asked with his focus set on something else. Steve summoned all his force. He punched one of the seats. He knocked the headrest off of one of the comfortable chairs and he turned away from the two. Fury and Howard both jerked back. They flinched the moment that fist collided with the chair. Howard glanced at Steve but then he stopped next to Fury.
"This thing keeps blinking.." Howard tossed an object over to Fury and he caught it right away. Steve clenched his fists and kept his back turned to the two. He knew that if he became engaged in a conversation with Howard he was going to fight with him.
Howard was the reason it took forever to leave. DID HE WANT HIS SON TO DIE? Steve was too on edge to focus. He was too annoyed with everyone and his mind was clouded with anger.
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"Nothing's gunna stand in my way." Obadiah stood up tall and towered above Tony. Tony coughed and tried to turn over. He inhaled whatever dust or dirt was on the floor and he coughed again.
It felt like he was about to choke. Tony was about to choke to death on the fucking dust on the ground. He felt Obadiah rip him up off the floor by his hair. Tony tried to grab his arm but he couldn't move a muscle. His body felt dead.
He felt dead inside.
"Least of all, you. You're not going to fuck this up for me kid." He roughly dropped Tony back to the floor. His face hit the floor hard but Tony didn't feel a thing. His body stayed perfectly still on the floor where he ended up.
He told his body to move, but it refused.
Obadiah and his men wore out every usable muscle he had. Tony wondered if that was the case or he thought the drug he was injected with caused him to become a zombie. Tony started to mentally freak out. He wondered if he had brain damage?! He heard Obadiah walk around him and he said something to one of his men.
"You stay in here and watch him. Let me know if he moves and leave those shorts where they are." The door slammed shut and Tony's heart slammed with it. The loud sound of the door startled him but his body didn't react.
He was mentally aware of everything and Tony wanted to vomit all over the dusty floor. He had just experienced the most nightmarish thing in his life. Obadiah raped him again. He had him raped by his attack dogs as well and he couldn't do a thing about it.
Tony held a thought over and over that he was going to die. Like Freddie Mercury. He thought he was going to die. Too much love will kill you. Just like he said in the song. Tony's mind started to wander and tears started to drop to the floor.
He remembered the old man that gave him a ride to find Steve. He told him that Freddie Mercury died of AIDS. He also remembered his teacher put up some flyer about AIDS and he said you only get it if you sleep around. At that point Tony had been with at least ten people. Obadiah was the first, then a few meaningless people at the house parties, his drug dealer Rip, Steve, and..."
He was convinced that he was going to go out just like Freddie. Obadiah had his stupid henchmen, His "Chessmen", treat him like he was just some worthless cum-dumpster.
He told him that it was a message back to Steve. Tony tried to get the words out of his head but it kept coming back to his mind.
"Your precious Yankee won't be-" GARRRRGHHHHH HNNNNOOOOO ! Tony mentally fought the words and he stopped himself from having them on repeat. He needed a distraction. A tool, a piece of something, ANYTHING to distract his mind.
Tony needed to do something with his hands but he was unable to move. At some point his mind grew tired. He closed his eyes and decided to die. Tony's mind gave up the fight and he passed out.
Tony missed the flight entirely. Hours later, he was woken up by one of the men that had his way with him. Tony looked around in a daze. He had a sudden fear wash over him because Obadiah might have told them to rape him again.
Tony gasped out an exhausted breath. He cried as he looked down. He felt his shorts travel back up to his waist? Uhwhut... He was being dressed? One man grabbed his arm, and the other held his back. Tony was taken out of the narrow storage room of the aircraft and he was brought outside.
He had no idea where he was, but everything was bright and nothing around him made sense. The drug made his head spin. He was escorted around like a little rag doll.
One solid image registered in his mind as he was drug around. Dirt. Tony could tell that he was taken to a place that was covered in dirt. He glanced in the direction where his right hand should have been.
He wasn't sure the tracking device was going to work if he was taken into some deep dank cave. Tony felt the men stop and he felt something snake around his waist. The object around his waist felt frozen and something pinched his skin. Tony cried out because everything hurt. His skin was pinched and he tried to see what it was. It was a thick chain. A heavy chain rest around the bones in Tony's hips. He was left to stand on his own but his legs collapsed and he fell to the floor.
Tony inhaled more dirt. His face was covered with dirt and he started to cough.
"STAND HIM UP." Obadiah's voice rang through his ears and Tony wanted to scream. He did not want to hear that voice ever again. Tony couldn't stop his tears. The Chessmen brought him up but Tony's spine wouldn't hold the position he was placed in.
They had to hold him and his legs would not stop. They shook as he stood. Tony's eyes started to focus. He saw Obadiah to his left. Tony understood that he was being presented to someone.
Someone that was perched in some chair right in front of him.
"I had to drug him to keep him from acting up. So, he's a bit out of it."
"You've mistreated him as well. His face is swollen, his body is abused. Why did you abuse him?" The man spoke to Obadiah and Tony tried to focus on his face. A shadow covered him and Tony couldn't see shit.
"He deserved it.." Obadiah shrugged and he brushed some dirt off his tailored suit. Obadiah walked over to Tony and he turned his face.
"Everyone. I present to you, the little prince of the weapons industry. His father is Howard Stark. The man that owns the largest weapons manufacturing plant that is currently on this planet." Tony was presented like a blue ribbon pig. He felt like cattle being shown off for slaughter. The man that was perched ahead of him got up from his seat. Tony noticed an airy smell about him. The man smelled like spices, or like the smoke from an incense. And he had a strange accent when he spoke aloud.
"We know who he is. I've been watching this one for quite some time." Tony tried to look up. Who the fuck was he? Tony didn't understand why some incense burning FREAK would watch him.
"SO then you know he's just as smart as his father?"
"He is far more intelligent than Howard Stark.." The man really seemed interested in Tony. Tony's eyes focused on the man's hands. He heard the rings on his fingers clink together. The man wound his fingers together and Tony stared at all the different rings.
Was it Mr. Fuckin T? From the A-team? Did he have gold necklaces that hung down to his stomach as well?
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?" Tony managed to belt out a question. His stomach hurt and he winced. Obadiah ignored Tony's question.
"Well! What is it your dad always said to you? You have to have iron in your blood or some crap like that? Well here's your chance kid. The Mandarin wants to recruit you." The WHO? Tony recalled what his father often said. Yeah yeah he had to have iron in his blood. His father only said that when he was younger and when he got in trouble.
The man beside Obadiah looked at him. Tony was at a loss and he felt the man's hand touch his face. The man with the rings gripped his chin. His face was pulled upward. They made eye contact, but Tony was out of it.
The Mandarin? Mandarin oranges.. Tony tried to focus but his body was cold and all he wanted to do was lie down. When they made eye contact Tony felt an uneasy stir in his chest. It felt like the man looked deep into his soul.
"He does have iron in his blood. I can see his fighting spirit."
His body was lifeless, but the Mandarin saw all he needed to see.
"That's the troubled life we intelligent people lead. Your father is correct and you should have listened to him. He was trying to teach you something important." The Mandarin got in front of Obadiah and he placed his complete focus on Tony. He touched Tony's forehead and Tony tried to move his face away.
"Everyone wants what your brain can develop." He gripped both of Tony's wrists and he brought his hands up to view. Obadiah thought the Mandarin's change in behavior was odd but he ignored the feeling. Tony however, tried to keep his balance. He looked at the hands that covered his wrists. Each ring had a small detailed design on it.
Tony fought the dizzy feeling in his head and he listened to the man as he spoke.
"They want what your hands can forge. You young man are going to be a prisoner to that for the rest of your life. You will never be safe with your ability to create. So if you make weapons for me, if you join my army, I promise that no future harm will come to you."
Tony let the words soak into his altered brain. The man in front of him was so calm, his manner of speaking made it hard to ignore. The man's eyes bore into his, and for some reason Tony felt uplifted.
He had never seen his life in that perspective before. He had no idea why his father was always on edge. They made weapons. COOL.. good for them. Tony never understood. The Mandarin's words made Tony feel uneasy. His eyes darted around for a way to leave.
"You'll have to kill me. Because I won't do it." His wrists were released and Tony stepped back. He was able to stand on his own and he looked down at the floor.
"There is a darkness in you Tony Stark. All you need is a little push.." The man clenched one of his fists. Tony heard the rings collide together and he rolled his eyes.
"OK VADER." Was the empire trying to convert him to the dark side? Tony had enough strength to laugh in his face. He looked at Obadiah and stomped in his direction. The chain around his waist held him in his place. Tony looked down at it and he tried to pry it off.
"Enough of this Star Wars bullshit. You aren't going to get what you want so TAKE ME HOME." Tony demanded as his shoulders felt lighter. He looked down at his hands because..
What the hell? he no longer felt out of it. He looked back at the Mandarin and he noticed one of his rings on his finger. It had a bright blue glow to it. The gem on his ring finger became brighter and Tony felt himself getting angrier.
"Hey, how the hell is he .." Obadiah noticed a change in Tony. The Mandarin did something to make Tony coherent. He didn't heal him, Obadiah could still see the deep bruises all over his body.
He just made him different.
"I can feel the hostility between the two of you. Ebbing and flowing like a wave above your heads. Would you like that hostility to end little prince?" The Mandarin spoke only to Tony and Obadiah didn't like what he saw.
He gave Tony the mental push that he needed. One of his rings enhanced the Mandarin's psychic energy. He had been working his mental magic on Tony as soon as the two made eye contact.
He used one of his other rings to bring Obadiah to his knees. He used the power of his ring to hold Obadiah in place.
"If you kill him, all of that frustration will dissipate. Here's your chance to end his hold on you."
Tony looked down at Obadiah. An anger toward the man in front of him was about to bubble over. Obadiah took advantage of him, he had him drugged up and raped, he ruined whatever possible relationship he could have with his father...
HE SHOT HIS FUCKING MOTHER..
Tony felt a powerful tug within his brain. He heard a voice in his head. A calm voice that reminded him of all the things that Obadiah had done to him. The gold band with a blue shaped gem on it burned even brighter.
The Mandarin used his psionic energy and filled Tony's head with a decision. Obadiah was trapped in place. He began to yell different things between the two. He said something about it being a shitty deal and he made demands for them to stop.
Tony just stared down at him. Tony's expression was emotionless and almost robotic. He looked around for anything that would shut Obadiah's loud mouth.
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Steve, Howard, and Nick Fury made up for the time that they lost in the hospital. The jet cut through the air at a much faster speed then the aircraft that Obadiah used. They tracked the object on Tony's wrist all the way to some hole in the ground way out in Afghanistan. Howard knew that Steve was unhappy with his presence but Howard really didn't give a shit.
Tony was his son and they all had made mistakes. Fury had too much of a blind eye, Howard became too trusting, and Steve...
Steve obviously developed feelings that he shouldn't have.
Howard thought about everything as the cargo portion of the jet opened up. Fury and Howard remained strapped to the inside as Steve stood at the opening. Steve was too impatient to wait for them to land. As soon as they confirmed the location he asked to leave the jet. He had radio communication linked to Fury and he was all set to leave.
"I will be bringing Tony to you so be ready to take off." He spoke confidently and Howard stared at his stance. Steve looked down at his jump and Howard had a flashback of Tony as he stood in the bulky armor.
He remembered when Tony stared down at the water. He had the same eager expression that Steve had on his face. He began to think that those two were drawn to each other for some strange reason. Howard couldn't wrap his head around it.
"STEVE! before you go.." Howard yelled out and Steve turned his head. He gave a look of frustration because they DID NOT HAVE THE TIME.
"I'm sorry I caused this. I know it's my fault and I just want you to know.." Howard tried to get the words right. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and set Steve off yet again. Howard was brash and often too quick with his decisions.
He knew that everything was his fault and he hated himself for it. Steve didn't understand and he held a glare.
"WHAT?" The soldier wasn't sure what Howard was tying to communicate and he NEEDED TO LEAVE.
"I'm just saying that you being VULNERABLE? that's, that is ok." It was obvious to Howard that something had happened between Tony and Steve. He knew about them in the future as well so he decided that he needed to accept it.
Steve's face softened a bit and he turned away. He processed the words and his reaction to it was to jump out of the jet. He ripped through the air like a boulder and he crashed down onto the ground.
"Captain. I'll give you the coordinates to the jet once we land. You're about a mile away from Tony's location. We might get shot down so you better get a move on it."
"Got it." Steve knew the coordinates of Tony's location.
He had a sprint ahead of him and he burst into action. He checked his location on the indicator that he had on him and he hauled ass to get to Tony.
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Chapter END
thanks for reading.