-Infinity Heart
-Paring(s): Tony Stark/OC
-Rated: T for language and slight adult situations
-Movie-based
Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man. The characters belong to Marvel studios and Stan Lee. I only own the OCs used
Chapter Four:
"Gotta Be Done"
"..Done me wrong,
Done all wrong,
All the wrong I've done,
I'm sure I'll live quite long.."
~Done All Wrong, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
When he saw Tegan's face, Tony gave a sigh of relief. But he then took in the details—her cheeks were flush and lips swollen. The brief surroundings behind her weren't from any room back at his place. He then thought back to his comment to the soldier Jimmy about how she was single. Maybe she really wasn't..and deep inside him, a certain anger grew.
"Tony! Are you alright?" his successor exclaimed with worry. "What's happening?"
He ignored the anger and replied loudly, "Something bad! We were attacked! I need you, Tegan—" A thud was heard beside him right then and he turned to look. It was a bomb and not just any but his own product from the logo 'Stark Industries' visible on the side. He hurried to stand and cried out as the weapon discharged, sending him flying back. Landing a few feet away hard on the ground, the man laid there for a moment, disoriented. Stark lifted his head some to peer at his chest. Blood could be seen slowly seeping through his white shirt. His hands tore it open, revealing an armor-plated chest vest but it had done no good, evident from the blood. The pain was becoming so great that he eventually fainting.
The next things he remembered happening were a blur. Him surrounded by men speaking in a language he couldn't register at that moment. Then being on a table with more strange men around him and pain. So much pain that caused him to thrash and those men were causing it. He wanted to get away from them but he seemed bounded. Tony cried out during the whole ordeal before finally blacking out again.
When the billionaire woke again, he was in a dark, fire-lighted place. It was cold and his hands felt numb but his mind was more clear than it had been for the few times he was awake; except baffled still. He tried to breath but something was in the way. It felt like a tube of some sort. Reaching up, he pulled until it was out and tossing it away. Dark eyes looked around, spying a table with a bowl and canteen of water beside him. The man went to grab the bowl but it was a little out of reach and he ended up knocking it over. He coughed, gasped, before reaching again only to pause when discovering there was someone else there with him.
It was another man, older and a different nationality than himself, stood in front of a small mirror held by wires on a pole. He was shaving and humming softly. The genius looked away and went back to the getting the water; sitting up a bit this time to move closer. He reached again, feeling something heavy tug along with his movement.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." warned the stranger. Tony glanced behind him then, now noticing the car battery on another table on the other side. Wires ran from the battery all the way to his bandage covered chest. Something hard laid in the middle of his chest cavity. He tore away the bloody strips of cloth to find a small, circular device that hadn't ever been there before.
Pepper entered Tony's house quietly, peering around. It was silent inside which she found eerie and out of place. It had been two weeks since her boss' kidnapping. She had been so busy dealing with the business and law enforcement of every kind to come there until now. Tegan had been held up inside from what Joven had informed her..and she wasn't doing so good.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Potts." greeted Jarvis. She sighed with a slight smile. At least the AI was still present even if his creator wasn't.
"Is Tegan here?" she asked.
"Madam can be found down in the garage." told the voice, sounding worry. "She has been taking residence there for two weeks now."
"Thank you, Jarvis." the woman said, moving towards the steps leading there.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to go inside." he stated, stopping her. "She has ordered me not to let anyone in without her approval."
"Can you ask her? Let her know I'm here?"
"I shall." A minute passed before she heard from him again. "She has allowed your admittance."
She thanked the AI again and proceeded down. The lab appeared normal as usual but instead of Tony being inside, there was Tegan. She sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket. Pepper typed in her code and once the door open, hurried over to the younger woman. The heiress glanced at her as she approached, making her pause mid-step at her appearance. Dark circles laid under her vacant grey eyes. Her skin looked pallid and sweaty like she was sick. Brown wavy locks were messy and stuck out in random places, signifying bed-head. The female genius stared at her for a few moment as if trying to register who she was again. Something clicked and she turned away with apathy.
"Pepper. Nice to see you.." she greeted tiredly.
"Tegan, are you.." the assistant cut off her sentence. She knew well enough that Hayes wasn't alright. The poor thing looked haunted. So instead she asked, "Have you been eating?"
Tegan shrugged. "Sometimes. I've been drinking alot." Grey eyes looked at her, seeing her open her mouth to scold. "Not what you're thinking. I've been using the hell out of the espresso machine."
"That isn't good for you either." Potts told softly, "Have you been able to sleep at all?"
"Sometimes.." she responded with again. "I've been awake for two days. I'll end up crashing again, have a nightmare, and waking up screaming or crying..or both."
"How about seeing a doctor.." the other woman suggested helpfully.
"Hell. No." The younger stood and strolled over to the espresso machine, pouring another cup. Pepper walked towards her and touched her shoulder kindly.
"Oh, honey. I understand what you're—"
Hayes faced her fully with a glare. "No, you don't. You weren't the one he called during it. Didn't see his panic and scared face. Heard him cry out during the explosion. That's what I dream about every time I fall asleep. It just loops over and over until I can't fucking take it anymore.."
"Then maybe helping out at the company will do you good." the assistant mentioned warily, still trying to help her in some way. "Legally, if Tony is unable to work, you stand as acting president."
"I couldn't work with my mind in chaos as it is." Tegan dismissed, taking a sip of her drink. A sigh escaped. The warmth was more good than usual. It help take away the ever present chill around her as of late.
"Well, I'm sure Obadiah will—"
The heiress shook her head. "No. I don't want him in full control. I've told you before I've never liked him. He's a snake in the grass." A faint smirk formed her chapped lips. Grey stared into brown with almost their normal mischievous glint.
The strawberry-blonde raised a brow, curious. "What?"
"If I'm acting president, then as my first and official order, for the time being," the brunette declared, "I want you to have temporary full control of the company in my place."
Potts blinked. "You're kidding.." she uttered.
"No, I'm absolutely serious." Hayes said, walking away. The other woman followed close behind.
"I don't think I'm qualified."
"Liar. You are more than qualified. You're suited. Plus, I trust you more than Stane. You care about the business with good intentions. Tony would agree if here." The young woman plopped back down on the couch, crossing her legs. She was acting a bit more like herself and of some else the two knew well.
"I see. Then, I thank you, Miss Hayes." Pepper told, business proper.
"It's only until Tony is found." Tegan pointed at her, serious. "Oh, one more thing..Jarvis, you record that?"
"Indeed, madam."
"Good boy. Send it to headquarters." she said before addressing the assistant. "I want you to have a meeting as soon as possible with all the big wigs and present that so they know my word is indeed final. Any objections, send them to me."
"Will do." the other woman replied. She glanced at her watch then. It was getting late so she needed to leave if she wanted to get the meeting in that day. "I'll be going then." The younger nodded, drinking more coffee. Pepper headed to the door but stopped, glancing back at the heiress.
"Tony would be proud hearing what you said." She paused a second. "He also wouldn't want you being depressed.." Tegan said nothing and Pepper left without another word. A tense silence filled the air. Suddenly, a cup was hurled at the wall where it shattered into pieces. The female genius curled into a ball, rocking back and forth. She did that until calming. Her eyes drifted to the TV then.
"Play it..but only the last part before the explosion and on loop." Jarvis had been installed in her iPhone so any video or calls were recorded and saved in his memory system. The TV turned on and the last image of Tony appeared.
"I need you, Tegan."
"I need you, Tegan."
"I need you, Tegan."
Something cold and metal touched her shoulder and she turned to see Dummy. Its fingers spun slowly left and right, giving her the impression of tilting its' head from side to side. Tegan hugged and caressed the mechanical arm then like she would a pet. She peered at the flat screen again.
"I need you, Tegan."
"We've got work to do, Dummy.." she murmured, sounding resolved.
"What the hell did you do to me?" Tony questioned hoarsely, staring at the device reflected in the small mirror. He was now sitting up in the bed cot while the man with him cooked food for them.
"What I did?" the man repeated, giving a light chuckle. "What I did is to save your life. I removed all the shrapnel I could, but there's a lot left and it's headed into your atrial septum. Here, wanna see?" He stood, placing down the pan of food to grab a tiny glass jar with bits of sharp metal. "I have a souvenir. Take a look." The jar was tossed to the billionaire then. He caught and peered inside, seeing the bits.
"I've seen many wounds like that in my village. We call them the walking dead because it takes about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs."
"What is this?" asked the genius, noting the device.
"That is an electromagnet." the doctor replied, "Hooked up to a car battery and it's keeping the shrapnel from entering your heart." Stark zipped up the jacket given to him, not wanting to see the device anymore. His dark eyes then drifted to the corners of the cave, seeing the security camera. The other man looked where his gaze was.
"That's right. Smile." he said, looking back to their food. "We met once, you know, at a technical conference in Bern."
"I don't remember."
"No, you wouldn't. If I had been that drunk, I wouldn't have been able to stand, much less give a lecture on integrated circuits."
"Where are we?" Before he could answer, a slot on the one of the steel doors open and revealed a man. He barked at them in another language.
But the physician acted quickly, addressing Stark. "Come on, stand up. Stand up!" When Stark didn't, he hauled him up by his arm and added, "Just do as I do." He placed his hands behind his head. "Come on, put your hands up." Tony complied. The doors opened and several men stepped inside, all but one carrying military guns.
"Those are my guns. How did they get my guns?" the kidnapped man inquired, confused.
"Do you understand me? Do as I do." told the doctor again. He listened, saying nothing more. The only man without a military weapon spoke, raising his arms in the air. He said several unknown words before motioning to the doctor to translate.
"He says, 'Welcome, Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America.'" The terrorist said more. "He's honored. He wants you to build the missile. The Jericho missile that you demonstrated." The physician was handed a photo of the said weapon and he showed it to Tony. "This one."
A moment of silence passed. "I refuse." came his reply. The terrorist seemed to understand what he said for then he was taken out of the cave and to another location where they dunked his head in water several times. As billionaire was submerged, images flashed behind his eyes. The electromagnet. A large machine he was well familiar with back at home. And he heard his name being called by a well-known voice.
Before he could drown, he was pulled back. He gasped for air and thrashed in their hold as they placed a bag over his head. Tony was then lead somewhere else and he mentally counted the steps and remembered the turns taken until the bag was removed. A bright light assaulted his dark-accustom eyes and he had to close them for a moment. When they opened, he was able to see clearly. They had took him outside where rocky hills surrounded the enclosure. More terrorist stood or walked about but what really caught his eye was the stacks upon stacks of weapons under camouflage tarps. He was then moved along, seeing the weapons more closely. They all had his company logo..The terrorist from before addressed him; luckily the doctor had been brought along.
"He wants to know what you think."
Tony looked at the terrorist. "I think you got a lot of my weapons." The other man translated and the terrorist spoke more, gesturing to the weapons.
"He says they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile." the doctor told, "He wants you to make the list of materials." The man said something else. "He says for you to start working immediately and when you're done, he will set you free." The terrorist offered his hand to Stark.
The genius took it with a smile while saying, "No, he won't."
The physician smiled and said as well. "No, he won't." Once back inside their cave, Tony sat down in front of fire for some time, watching the flames flicker.
"I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark." the man with him suddenly stated, sitting beside him. "But they will never find you in these mountains. Look, what you just saw, that is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work, in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?"
"Why should I do anything?" Stark questioned, sounding defeated. "They're going to kill me, you, either way. And if they don't, I'll probably be dead in a week."
"Well then, this is a very important week for you, isn't it?" He ignored him and continued to stare at the fire. The older man sighed before reaching in his coat. "When I was operating on you, I had noticed an item slipping from your pocket." When his hand reappeared, it gripped a familiar silver chain. The younger glanced at the object, eyes widening. "I figured it was something sentimental to you, so I hid it from them." It was handed to him then. The polished silver of the ring shined in the fire light. Tony had forgotten about it..His eyes slowly closed and in his mind, Tegan appeared.
"He's right, you know? And this," she said, kicking his shoe like she would when annoyed at him. "Isn't you. You don't give up that easily on anything."
"Don't lecture me, Turtle. You're supposed to comfort me."
"Fuck that! Get off your arse and do something! You need to get home and I don't want it to be in a body bag." The young woman knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. Her voice was soft and encouraging. "I've always told you that those weapons were your father's legacy but you, yours in going to be something greater and helpful for the world." Her caregiver said nothing. He squeezed her hands and they felt so real but he knew she wasn't really there..and he hated that so much.
"I'm sorry.."
Grey eyes blinked, "For what?"
"For not being—" Tony begin but his words were cut off by a slender finger touching his lips.
"Save it for when you see me again." Tegan smirked, "Get to work, Mr. Stark." The young woman disappeared and his eyes opened with determination. She was right. The doctor was right. He had to act now and only he was capable to pull off such a stunt.
Alert, Review, & Fave if you want more of Infinity Heart!
