Earth-717: Iron Maiden Vol 2
Chapter 9: Bain of Your Existence
Standing still with his arms outstretched, Rhodes patiently waited as the mechanical limbs assembled the armour around his body. After stepping into the boots, which latched around his ankles and formed themselves up to his knees, he felt the line of metal plates for the arms unfold and wrap themselves around his limbs.
Rhodes stretched out his fingers as the metallic gloves were locked into place. Turning both of his palms over to look at the repulsors, he nodded to himself in satisfaction. The pelvis plate was lined up and placed as the chest plate unfolded so as to fit over Rhodes' torso. The two chest segments locked into each other, connected by the square arc reactor.
Branching off from the chest plates were the shoulder guards, stomach lining and back plates, all automatically fitting themselves to the contours of Rhodes' chiseled form. He held his head up high and straight as a mechanical arm lowered the helmet to the base of his neck. After the helmet wrapped itself around his head and the face plate locked into place, the internal heads-up display appeared before Rhodes' eyes.
Many blue, holographic data feeds and graphs formed all at once. Rhodes was initially put off by the amount of information he was being bombarded with. Janice's voice then spoke to him through the armour.
"Do not be perturbed, Colonel Rhodes. I shall do everything in my power to ensure that you adjust quickly to all of the armour's functionality."
"Right."
Stepping down from the assembly platform and towards Pepper, Rhodes then put both of his fists on his hips and pumped out his chest, smirking at her.
"So . . . . how do I look?"
Pepper would never admit it, but she felt an odd mixture of awe and arousal upon seeing Rhodes pose in the armour. Before she could think of a suitable answer to give him, Janice spoke through the apartment's loudspeaker.
"Colonel Rhodes, Miss Potts."
"What is it?" asked Pepper.
"I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news . . . . Miss Stark is gone."
Rhodes' eyes flared up.
"Gone?!"
"AIM has taken her. They have done the same with Mister Stane and Mister Hogan. They're gone."
Pepper placed one of her palms on her chest, emotionally overwhelmed but silent. Rhodes steeled himself before asking his question.
"Where's SHIELD?"
"This is a goddamned mess."
Fury was standing on Hollywood Boulevard, in the aftermath of Tasha's battle with Anya, Arthur and Chen. Natalia was standing next to him, with her arms folded over her chest. Most of the surrounding blocks had been evacuated, and now police forces and clean-up crews had started to filter into the area.
Large chunks of debris were scattered across the entire block. Many of the buildings had suffered moderate to severe damage from laser blasts or missile collisions. Over a dozen wrecked vehicles littered the ground, including a truck that was on fire and split in half that was being hosed down with water by a team from the LA Fire Department.
"At least Hoag will be happy," said Natalia.
"Yeah," said Fury. "She's making a killing the last couple years. Tampa, New York, now this?"
"Maybe we should start investigating her," chided Natalia. "Maybe she's the true mastermind behind it all."
Fury shook his head, deflecting her attempt at humour. He then watched as an unconscious Chen was loaded by four officers into a large truck with a radiation containment unit. Natalia glanced from the truck to Fury.
"Ravencroft?"
"Yeah. Science Team's already designing his cell."
"Director . . . . what do we do about Stark?"
"Given what's happened here, I'd say we have to . . . ."
Fury was interrupted by the sound of something flying above him. Knowing that it wasn't one of the SHIELD Quinjets, both he and Natalia looked up and saw an armoured humanoid hovering overhead. They both silently gasped, not knowing who it was.
The armoured figure then landed on the ground next to them, and the face plate retracted to reveal Rhodes.
"Director."
Fury took a moment before responding.
"You know, Colonel . . . . it isn't often someone surprises me."
"You think that I thought I would be in this armour today . . . . you'd be wrong."
"I didn't think Stark would build someone else a suit."
"She didn't."
Fury raised an eyebrow.
"Long story," said Rhodes. "What's the report?"
"Probably around a billion dollars in property damage and one kidnapped superhero," answered Natalia. "We tried to get a lead on the shuttle's location, but they got away."
"Not for long," said Rhodes. "Janice! What's the status on Tasha's sensor link?"
Janice spoke in external mode, so that Fury and Natalia could hear her.
"The sensor link is non-damaged and functioning perfectly. I have Miss Stark's exact geographical location. I can upload my tracking system to SHIELD's servers if given access via a terminal on the helicarrier."
"More than we had a minute ago," said Fury.
"How is she?" asked Rhodes.
"Still unconscious, but she is alive."
"Where's she now?"
"She has stopped moving. I believe the shuttle has arrived at its destination. They are in Colorado, specifically within the Rocky Mountains."
"The Rockies?" asked Fury. "The hell they doing out there?"
"I do not know, Director," replied Janice. "However, given Advanced Idea Mechanics' preference for secrecy, I believe that they may have constructed a covert base in the middle of the mountain range for their illegal research. It would be appropriate, given that it is extremely unlikely that anyone would stumble upon them, especially if the base has a way of cloaking itself to look like a part of the scenery."
Rhodes lowered his face plate.
"I'm going after her."
"With what?" asked Natalia. "Just you? All we know, that base might have heavy defenses, or armies of troops!"
"Doesn't SHIELD have an army for something like this?"
"We're not as big of an organization as you think," said Fury.
"So what? You gonna let her die? You gonna let AIM get away with all this?!"
"No."
Fury sighed and stroked his chin.
"I don't have an army . . . . but I know someone who does."
The world was blurry.
Vague shadows of white and grey floated in and out of vision, seemingly non-committal about whether they wanted to be seen. Violent light poured into Tasha's eye sockets, and then was stripped away. Sounds that were garbled words of gibberish tickled the tips of her ear drums, not bothering to go any further.
Then, as she was about to fall back to sleep, she heard something she could make out.
"Wake her up."
The world was clear.
Tasha was secured to a vertical medical table, with all four of her limbs latched to it via metal braces. Her clothes were soaked with sweat and blood, and her arc reactor glowed through her thin, weathered shirt. Much of her skin was bruised with splashes of deep blue and sickly yellow, and she was covered in cuts from her battle in Los Angeles.
None of that mattered to her, for she was too busy staring into the eyes of her archenemy.
"Good morning, Miss Stark," said Sunset.
"You."
Sunset grinned upon being addressed by Tasha. They were standing inside of a relatively nondescript medical room, with four Risk Control troopers standing near the only entrance, two on each side of the door. Tasha scowled as hard as she could at Sunset, but she was well aware that her facial gestures would not improve her situation.
For her part, Sunset zealously laughed to herself, revelling in her victory.
"I do work fast, don't I?" asked Sunset. "Less than thirty six hours after seizing control of this organization, and here I have you, delivered right to order."
Sunset indulged herself in another few seconds of joyous laughter before continuing.
"Killian was after you for years . . . . what did he accomplish? Nothing! I should have ousted him a long time ago . . . . but, patience is a virtue, I suppose. Doesn't matter now. I've wanted you for so long . . . . and now I finally have you . . . . the Invincible Iron Maiden . . . . the great Tasha Stark . . . . at my disposal."
Tasha squinted her eyes as she thought about Sunset's last statement.
"You know, for someone I've never met, you seem kinda obsessed, lady. Not that I haven't gotten that before."
All of the joy in Sunset's face was immediately flushed away. Her lower jaw fell as her left eye incessantly twitched.
"N-Never . . . . met?"
"Yeah . . . ."
"You mean . . . . you . . . . y-you . . . . you don't remember me?!"
"Should I?"
Sunset's eyes widened in absolute shock.
"Was it at a technology conference in Switzerland? Please tell me it wasn't. I feel like I've forgotten too many people from that thing . . . ."
Tasha was cut off by Sunset screaming and backhanding her across the face with one of her gloved hands. The stinging pain of the slap made it feel like her entire right cheek had been scalded by burning liquid. Wincing and breathing fast, she could only glare again at the woman standing before her.
Sunset was not looking at Tasha, instead staring off at the wall. Both of her hands were at her sides, with her arms tensed to the point that it seemed like they were going to snap off. Her fingers were outstretched, curled and locked into place, and her palms were violently vibrating along with her shoulders.
She was hyperventilating through grated teeth, clearly seething with uncontrollable indignation. It took her a couple of minutes to recover from this vexed state, upon which she slurped down a heavy dose of oxygen. Closing her eyes, she wiped one of her hands down the front end of her dress, and after straightening her back and reorienting herself, she turned back to Tasha.
Sunset opened her mouth to speak, but still needed another minute before she could address Tasha again.
"No. Not Switzerland."
Tasha licked a cut on the inside of her cheek.
"Massachusetts Institute of Technology," said Sunset, her voice raspy and contemptuous. "Your graduating year. The night . . . . before . . . . the final grades were announced."
Tasha shook her head once.
"We met . . . . in the dorm house. There was a party . . . . and you . . . ."
"Party?" asked Tasha, giving Sunset a jovial smile. "Girl, you met me at a party, especially once term was over . . . . I mean, I know me. I woulda been wicked drunk, heh heh. I wasn't gonna remember anything from that."
Sunset breathed in and out several more times, finding it more and more difficult to maintain her composure.
"Did I say something to you?" said Tasha. "Steal your boyfriend, maybe?"
"The marks . . . . they w-were posted in the morning . . . . you were . . . ."
Tasha blinked.
". . . . First."
"And I was . . . . not."
"That's what this is about?" asked Tasha, genuinely surprised, but also disgusted. "You went to all this trouble . . . . cause you came in second place? That's a loss to you?"
Sunset roared with wild abandon, slapping Tasha on the left cheek this time.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO LOST!"
Tasha winced at the pain.
"Without your armour, you're nothing!" yelled Sunset. "Without your inventions, you're nothing! Without your tools, without your gadgets, without those pathetic little servants you call friends . . . . YOU'RE NOTHING!"
Sunset ended her tirade with both of her hands held in front of her, squeezing on invisible orbs of air in frustration. Tasha spit on the floor in front of her.
"So what now?" asked Tasha. "Gonna indulge your little revenge fantasy? You really think that gives you power, don't you?"
Snarling at Tasha, Sunset pulled out her pistol and shot a bullet through the brain of one of the Risk Control troopers. The dead trooper slumped to the floor, while the rest did not move in any way. Sunset placed her pistol back in her belt.
"At attention!"
The three remaining Risk Control troopers all stood at attention in response to Sunset's order. Sunset smirked at Tasha.
"That . . . . is power. Absolute control. That . . . . is what I have . . . . what I'll use against you. You're next, Miss Stark. But oh no, I'm not going to use just any Protocol chip on you. No, no . . . . you deserve something better. Something much more personalized."
Tasha didn't bother responding. Sunset started to pace side to side in front of Tasha as she continued her speech.
"You see, my current design has its . . . . disadvantages. It becomes glaringly obvious when someone has a Protocol chip . . . . their face turns blue, for one. They don't retain any higher level brain function. No personality. I have to program all of that. Great for foot soldiers . . . . disposable bodies . . . . but not for someone as special as you."
Tasha felt a wave of revulsion flow through her entire body upon being called 'special' by Sunset.
"I'm working on a new version. The Protocol Chip Mark Two. No more visual giveaways, and . . . . personality and brain functions intact. I had planned on using it on President Ellis once it was finished, but then I realized . . . . who better to test it on than you? You'd still be you. Your mind . . . . your essence . . . . it'd all still be there. Would all be the same . . . . with just one small difference . . . ."
Pulling out her pistol again, Sunset placed it against Tasha's left temple. She then spoke directly into her right ear.
"You would live to serve me," whispered Sunset.
Sunset stepped back, once again breaking into self-indulgent, maniacal laughter. Tasha looked down at the floor, unsure of how to process what Sunset had said. She didn't even have the time to before the woman spoke again.
"And don't worry," said Sunset. "You won't be alone. Your friends Mister Hogan and Mister Stane will be . . . . accompanying you to your new position within my organization."
Tasha's eyes immediately flared with rage.
"What have you done?!"
"Oh, nothing yet, Tasha," retorted Sunset. "But soon, let's just say . . . . they'll be more willing to agree with my line of thinking. Particularly Mister Stane. I think he could become quite an asset to AIM, given the proper . . . . motivation."
Sunset clenched her fists and bent her elbows to her sides as she flagrantly laughed at the top of her lungs. As she did so, an alarm then sounded. Sunset broke off her laugh and looked up at the ceiling.
"What's happening?!"
"Ma'am," said one of the Risk Control troopers. "I've just received word that hostiles have breached the security perimeter. This base is under attack."
"What?! How?! Who?!"
"According to the scouts, the insignias match the United States Armed Forces."
Sunset quickly jerked her head to glare at Tasha, who didn't say anything. Considering her options for a moment, she then turned back to the trooper.
"Initiate full defensive counter-measures. Evacuate all science personnel."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The three Risk Control troopers ran out of the room. Sunset was about to follow them before she turned to Tasha and pointed at her.
"You . . . . stay put."
