THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

With the flap of their frail wings, history was made. This term was used to describe whatever decision you make could cause major events to happen in the near or distant future.

Military vehicles drove through the barren desert while kicking up sand as it trod on through the endless plains of nothingness. The soldiers on the inside would occasionally glance back to the passenger's seat at their billionaire weapons maker, Tony Stark. The man wore what looked to be an expensive suit with a glass of whiskey in hand. Silence ran throughout the vehicle with 'Back in Black' playing on the radio.

"I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial." Tony finally couldn't stand it anymore and addressed the stressful silence. "This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me. What, are you not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest!" He turned to the soldier to his left.

"We can talk, sir." The soldier said.

"Oh, I see. So it's personal?"

"No, you intimidate them." The female driver called from the front.

"Good god, you're a woman. I honestly... I couldn't have called that. I mean, I'd apologize, but isn't that what we're going for here?" He caused some of the soldiers to grin. "I thought of you as a soldier first."

"I'm an airman." She said.

"Having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird?" He even caused the soldiers to laugh. "Come on, it's okay, laugh."

"Sir," The guy up front turned his body to look at Tony. "I have a question to ask."

"Yes, please." He practically begged.

"Is it true you went 12 for 12 with last year's Maxim cover models?" He had to ask.

Tony took off his sunglasses. "That is an excellent question. Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict, but fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins." He answered very honestly. "Anything else." The man to his left lifted his hand slightly like he was in a class. "You're kidding me with the hands up, right?"

"Is it cool if I take a picture with you?"

"Yes. It's very cool."

The soldier smiled and opened one of his many pouches and pulled out a digital camera and handed it to the man at the front.

"All right."

"I don't want to see this on your Myspace page," Tony added, and the guard held up two fingers, giving a peace sign. "Please, no gang signs." The guard dropped his hand. "No, throw it up. I'm kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I'd be out of a job with peace."

"Come on. Hurry up. Just click it. Don't change any settings."

Whether it would be for the best or be a catastrophe. That cannot be avoided.

Before the picture was taken, the van in front of them was engulfed in flames by a sudden explosion that caused the vehicle to skid to a halt to avoid the flaming metal chunks. Hell rained down upon them and the endless sound of gunfire sounded throughout the once peaceful wastelands.

"Contact left!" The girl got out of the van but she was shot down immediately.

"Jimmy! Stay with Stark!" The last one in front got out of the van.

"Stay down!" Jimmy pushed Tony down out of sight.

"Yeah." Tony's eyes where wide and he was left stunned. He looked to the guy he just saw get shot as while the windshield was cracked from the bullets.

"Son of a bitch!" Jimmy loaded his AK and opened the door, ready to get out there.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Tony called out for him in a frenzy.

"Stay here!" He shouted at him. He slammed the door behind him, moments later he was blown away from a weapon that left holes in the van.

But if it was fate, or if it was just unfortunate only depends on the person who caused it.

His hearing seemed to have failed a bit and everything just sounded hollow, despite the bombs in the distance and the bullets pounding against the metal doors. Tony rushed out of the van and the reality around him finally became clear. The heat of the fire and the sun glared upon his skin made his stomach turn.

He ducked his head away from the exploding sounds and ran behind a boulder and whipped out his phone. He started to frantically dial into it when a loud thudding sound made him freeze. He looked to his left and saw that an undetonated bomb had landed right beside him, but what really shocked him to his core...is that the name on the side read 'Stark Industries'. It read his name, his company. It was his dang weapon that had landed right beside him. Tony caught on really quickly when the ticking began to go off. He darted up from his cover in a flash but not quick enough before it finally went off. The impact caused his body to fly forwards and land hard against the sandy ground.

The explosion knocked all the air out of him and for a moment...it was quiet. No gunfire or explosions rattling his eardrums. Tony could near nothing and all he could really see was the sunny sky that he laid under. He felt something wet against his clothes though and looked down, his white shirt had blood seeping through it. He lifted his hands to his chest and pulled upon his shirt and saw...that he was hit by the shrapnel. His body grew icy cold in an instant despite being under a blistering sun. His vision was soon devoured by a blinding white light.

Tony Stark fell in and out of conciseness, and the times that he was awake, he was met with a while light under an...operating table? He honestly didn't know what was going on anymore and had no strength in his body to fight whatever was happening. He was scared, cold, hurt, and alone, but the only thing he found comfort in was a voice. It was a female that spoke in a different language but he couldn't help to think it was rather lovely sounding. It was soft and velvety, graceful, and elegant. It was way too beautiful of a voice to be in a guttural place like this. But the voice soon disappeared and he felt scared again. Where did that voice go?

Foreign voices were the first thing he heard when he regained consciousness yet again, but his vision was blocked by a bag over his head. It was suddenly ripped off and he was rudely met with a blinding light. He saw it, a video camera in front of him.

And that was called the butterfly effect.

Author's Note:

I have not the slightest clue how this story is going to play out for all you. I already know who she is and all the plans but I can't predict how all of you will react. Of course, This is one of my top favorites stories to write and I had a lot of fun with it.

To be honest, I was REALLY hesitant to post this story. (Since I never had the intentions to post any of my stories in the first place.) If you enjoy it then I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will warn you that it will take a strange turn for my character who will slowly reveal who she is in time, but for now please enjoy.