Chapter 4: Afghanistan
Note: Tony is around 21 now.
"Tony, the Director wants to talk to you about a new mission." Phil Coulson told the young man when he stepped into his domain.
Tony whirled around in his chair and stood up, wiping his grease smeared hands off on a towel before following Phil out of the room. "Any idea what kind of mission, Phil?"
The older Agent didn't look at him when he answered, which alarmed Tony before he had even said a word. "I think it has something to do with the new lead SHIELD has finally found after all these years on the person behind the Car Crash." You could practically hear how Phil put capital letters on the words 'car crash' and Tony immediately new what he meant. But instead of showing openly that he was shocked by the announcement – he had given up on SHIELD ever finding out who it had been – and arched instead a sarcastic eyebrow (a trick he had grudgingly to confess he had learned from THE Spy himself). "Oh? SHIELD is getting slow on its old age, isn't it? I mean it took you what, six years since that happened?"
Phil gave Tony a sideways glance that told him, that Phil wasn't fooled by Tony's display of nonchalance (of course he wasn't, that man could read Tony like an open book) but didn't comment it and instead gave in the code to open the door to Director Fury's bureau.
They stepped inside and were greeted by the sight of Fury's back since the other man was looking out of the window and onto the streets of New York City (the windows were one way, no one could look into the upper rooms but everyone in the building could see the people outside). Phil cleared his throat to catch the Director's attention – even if they all knew that this wasn't necessary (as if Fury wouldn't realise that they were there!) and the Director of SHIELD turned around. Nick Fury's face was, as always, grim and the one visible eye always gave Tony the feeling as if it wanted to bore a hole into his head.
Not being one for pleasantries Tony just stepped forward and said his typical greeting. "You wanted to see me Eye-Patch?" And now Tony's feeling was definitely justified – if that look would consist of laser beams then Tony would only be a pile of ash (if at all) but Tony just grinned being already used to the glare (and if that didn't tell him how many screws he had to have to loose then he didn't know what would…)
"Yes Anthony. I am sure Agent Coulson already told you that it concerned the Car Crash." 'How do they make it sound as if the use capital letters when speaking these two words? I have been here for six years and I am sure that I can't do that…' Unaware of Tony's musings, Fury continued without a pause. "We finally found a small lead to Obadiah Stane, I am sure you still remember him?" Tony nodded, of course he had known Obadiah – the man had been Howard's business partner after all. "I am not happy to admit it but Stane had done a really good job of covering his tracks and to my displeasure we still don't have enough evidence that he was it. This is where you come into it: your mission will be to infiltrate SI as Obadiah's new bodyguard and to hack his personal computer if you can to uncover any dirt you can find on him, understood?"
"Yes sir." Never say that Tony didn't learn any manners during his kind-of-Agent years.
"Good. Obadiah will set out to Afghanistan in a week to present a new weapon to the military and there you will join up with his team as the newbie. Agent Coulson will give you the details. Dismissed!"
Once back in his room, Tony collected the things he would need for this assignment while Phil told him the details. When the other Agent had finished, he said: "Be careful out there Tony. I am sure Obadiah will be suspicious of a new bodyguard and Fury denied my request to come along and I have a feeling that something will go wrong on this mission, so please be careful!"
Tony stopped his packing, turned around to face Phil and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry I will be careful. What could possibly happen?"
Tony woke up startled and before he could even formulate the question what had happened in his mind, his brain already delivered the answer:
He had – as ordered – taken part in the presentation of Stane's new weapon and the old man had given him such a strange look as if he would recognize Tony – which shouldn't be possible since he hadn't had a public appearance since he officially died. Besides he didn't even look like his 15 year old self anymore – especially with the dark suit, gelled hair and the sunglasses hiding his calculating eyes.
Or (something Tony really hope not) he had at least realize that Tony was supposed to spy on him.
After the presentation Tony had been sitting in one of the convoys when they returned to base and on their way back they had been attacked.
The soldiers had left the convoys to defend the one where Stane was sitting and Tony had gone out too since it was his mission play the role of Obadiah's bodyguard and he had been trained by Phil. Clint and Natasha, so he could help. Help, ha! The only help he had given was for the attackers to get another target! A bomb had went off right in front off him and then everything had gone black…
"So you are finally awake." Stated a voice from his left with a strange accent and Tony tried to sit up but a cable that lead from his chest to what looked like a car battery. He ripped the bandages of his chest and a strange looking device in his chest was revealed.
"You shouldn't try to move, if you lose that connection to the battery you are as good as dead."
"Wha…" croaked Tony, after trying to clear his throat he tried again. "What is that?"
Finally a man stepped into Tony's vision and helped him to sit up. "It is a magnet which is powered by a car battery to keep shards like these" He held up a small bottle with splinter like looking stuff in it. "from traveling any further towards your heart."
After looking at the shards for a few seconds and analysing where he was and what his situation was, he asked the man: "Who are you and where exactly are we? Besides the obvious answer that we are in a cave."
The man gave him a small smile and answered in his strange accent. "My name is Ho Yinsen. I am the one who saved your life and we are being held by a group that calls themselves the Ten Rings. So now that I answered your questions, would you be so kind to satisfy my curiosity? I was ordered to save your life but who are you that they would want you alive young man?
Tony looked at Yinsen warily – could he trust that man? Sure he had saved his life but still, it could be a trick to gain his trust… Wait a minute! Was he really getting just as paranoid as that stupid eye patch? "My name is Tony. Nice to meet you, Yinsen – even if it's under such circumstances. To be honest I'm not sure why they would want me alive… maybe because of my connection…" The last part Tony mumbled to himself but Yinsen still heard him and raised an eyebrow. 'Connection?'
Suddenly a man burst into the room and Yinsen grabbed Tony by his arm. "Do as I do." whispered Yinsen into Tony's ear who obeyed.
A round man walked towards them and exclaimed in a cherry ton and a booming voice: "Ah, it is an honour to finally meet the long thought dead: Tony Stark!"
Tony stiffened at the use of his once last name – no one was supposed to know it except for a few SHIELD Agents – and he saw Yinsen's eyes widen in surprise at that revelation but he kept his mouth shut.
The fat man babbled about how Tony would build weapons for them that the world had never seen – please, as if Tony would do that! – and Tony refused right away which lead to water torture.
He had heard of it – Phil, Clint and Natasha had told him about all possible torture devices – but there was a huge difference between being told about it and experiencing it.
After another of his torture sessions Tony and Yinsen sat together playing a game of dice talking about this and that when Yinsen suddenly asked a personal question.
"Do you have family Tony?"
This question provoked a smile on Tony's face. "Well not in blood anymore – but there are some crazy people that are like family to me. And what about you Yinsen?"
The doctor gave him a small smile and said: "Oh yes and when I get out I will see them again."
The smile dropped from Yinsen's face when he saw the look on Tony's face.
"You're lying. They are dead, aren't they? ...I'm sure your family would want you to live and not give up to join them. …If you don't know what you will do after we get out of here, you could come with me!"
This suggestion was not something Yinsen had expected from Tony since he had realized that Tony was very close mouthed about personal stuff and it showed that he trusted Yinsen so much that he would let him near his beloved ones. It touched Yinsen deeply and since he could somehow feel that Tony was right – his family would want him to live on – he agreed with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.
"I would be honoured to meet them."
Tony's smile could have lightened the world so bright was it in that moment. "Great! But first of all: we have to get out of here and I know just the way how."
He explained Yinsen his idea about building an armour to open up a way for them but before they could build the armour they had to build something to replace the car battery powering the magnet.
Together they pretended to agree to the fat mans demands and used the given material to build a mini arc reactor and after that they worked on the rather primitive – but keeping in ones mind the situation – still advanced iron suit.
With the help of said suit they succeeded in escaping that hell of a cave…
Now they were free from the Ten Rings but walking in the hot midday sun in the desert without water.
"If we don't find an oasis or a village soon, it will mean nothing that we escaped since we will die of thirst." stated Yinsen when Tony's legs gave up on for a second and he landed on his knees in the sand while Yinsen was trying to help him stand up again.
"Well at least we will die free." Tony said with an exhausted grin when suddenly they heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like a chopper.
They looked at each other and dared to hope when the chopper flew over them and landed a few feet away from them.
A man in a black suit came running towards them and Tony stumbled towards him. He hugged the man with his last strength and Yinsen heard Tony mumble something that sounded like "Phil!" The man – Phil – rubbed Tony's back soothingly. "I'm so glad that you are alive. I would never have forgiven myself if you had died here just because Fury had demanded you to be on this mission! I won't leave your side ever again as long as it can be avoided and if Fury tries to say something about that I will tase him till kingdom come!"
After a few more seconds of hugging the life out of each other they reluctantly let the other go and Phil turned to Yinsen who stood a few steps away to give them some privacy.
Phil offered Yinsen his hand, who accepted it without hesitation. "Phil Coulson, Tony's big brother and you are?"
Yinsen smiled at the introduction – 'brother' not in blood but in bond. "Ho Yinsen, Tony's friend and personal physician."