A/N: This chapter has a lot of flashbacks which are marked. There is a canon character death mentioned as well.
Tired of hearing Rhodey assert that he was never on time for anything, Tony decided to be ready early, reinforcing his unpredictability. Pepper had been amazed to arrive at the mansion to find him dressed in a nice suit and looking every inch the responsible billionaire genius she despaired he'd ever become. He smiled a little at the memory, letting it morph into the 'I'm a genius asshole' smile he reserved for people he wasn't sure he liked as Agent Coulson entered the room. He knew that Pepper had been impressed with the federal agent, but Tony wasn't quite willing to trust her opinion.
He wasn't sure he trusted anyone's opinion who had in any way liked Obadiah. Given that Obadiah had been determined to not only kill him, but had gone after his son, Tony felt entitled to some completely rational anger.
"Mr. Stark," Coulson said in the sharp way that indicated he'd said his name more than once.
"Agent Coulson," Tony replied as he straightened in his desk chair, "let's get this over with then." He really wasn't sure why Pepper had insisted on the meeting being held at Stark Industries, but he was willing to go along with it.
"Of course," Coulson said, "would you also be willing to answer questions about the other night?"
"I'll tell you what I know," Tony confirmed.
Coulson nodded and looked at the file he'd brought with him. "About Afghanistan, after the convoy was attacked and the area searched, it was determined that there were two people unaccounted for, you and a reporter Colonel Rhodes referred to as Brian Jacobs."
/flashback\\\
"I can't believe this," one of the soldiers said, "I did not expect to meet you, Mr. Stark."
Tony smiled, "I can honestly say the same thing."
"Can I take a picture with you?" The soldier asked.
"Sure, go ahead," Tony agreed.
"I'll take it," Jacobs said, holding up his camera, "I can send a copy and maybe even use it with the article."
"Thanks," the soldier said eagerly as he leaned closer to Tony.
The soft click of the shutter was drowned by an explosion and gunfire.
/End\\\
"Jacobs was along for a human interest piece," Tony said in an almost dead voice, "His boss had an in with Obadiah and the story was supposed to show how Stark Industries technology was protecting our soldiers."
"What happened to him?" Coulson asked.
"During the attack, he followed me," Tony said carefully, "I left the Jeep because I felt that a smaller target would be more likely to survive. He was on the far side of me when the rocket went off. I passed out shortly there after. When I woke up, I was in the terrorist camp, and Jacobs was with me."
/flashback\\\
He had drifted in and out of consciousness, one second he was undergoing surgery without painkillers, the next he was staring down a video camera while someone spoke in a foreign language. Finally, he woke up and knew that he was in a cave, on an exceptionally uncomfortable cot. He lay there for a moment, listening. "Will he wake up soon?"
The relief of hearing that cultured English voice made Tony moan as he closed his eyes. "I believe he is," a second voice replied.
"Mr. Stark," the first voice said, "welcome back to the land of the living, of a sort."
"Brian," Tony said as he opened his eyes and began to sit up.
"Careful," Brian said, appearing in his field of vision. "You've had some interesting days lately."
Tony eyed the young Englishman, taking in the torn polo, and bandages that peeked out from underneath, with odd wires trailing down to the car battery he was carrying. Looking down at his own chest, Tony found he was the bearer of a similar arrangement.
/End\\\
"There was a third man in the cave," Tony continued, "Ho Yinsen, the man who saved my life. He had installed the electromagnet while I was unconscious, and hooked it up to a car battery." He stood up, "Want something to drink, Agent Coulson? I could use some Scotch."
"No, thank you," Coulson replied, "but if it helps you."
Tony lifted his filled glass, "I don't know about helps," he muttered and took a drink, then went to sit down again. "The terrorists showed up shortly after I woke up. They wanted me to make weapons. I said no, they tried to torture me, I said no. Then they started on Jacobs. I wasn't going to let that stand, so I said yes even though I knew I would never do it. First, I made the arc reactor."
/Flashback\\\
"Why did you say yes?" Brian asked him quietly as they watched people bring in supplies from outside.
"Because I'm not getting you killed for me," Tony replied, equally softly. He watched as the last guard left and shut the door behind him.
"Stark," Brian hissed, "it's my job."
"And I promised your mother," Tony replied, he hissed back.
"Now what do we do?" Yinsen asked.
Tony smiled tightly, "Now, we get to work."
/End\\\
"Jacobs and Yinsen helped me," Tony said, "and after the arc reactor was built, we started on the mock ups for the Jericho missile. Our intent was to make it look like we were building to buy us time. I'd already begun sketches for the Mark One."
"I'm sorry," Coulson said, "but, the Mark One?"
"The first prototype of the exoskeleton you saw," Tony replied.
"Was there a problem?" Coulson prompted him.
"Yes," Tony said quietly, "Jacobs didn't want to wear it."
/Flashback\\\
"I'm not wearing it," Brian said.
"You should," Tony insisted.
"No," Brian said, "I'm not going to wear the armor. I wouldn't know the first thing about how to fight in it, and I can handle myself without it."
"You won't be armed," Tony protested.
"I won't need to be," Brian replied. "You know I'm trained to take care of myself. Putting you in the suit makes it easier for me because it will be nearly bullet proof."
"You aren't Superman, Brian," Tony told him.
"Build me a shield," Brian replied, "big enough and thick enough I can duck behind with Yinsen and we'll follow you out."
"I do not understand," Yinsen interjected finally.
Tony and Brian exchanged a long look, and then Brian nodded, "Brian isn't just a reporter," Tony said as quietly as possible, "he's a bodyguard."
Yinsen nodded slightly, "Then I must agree with him. You must be in the suit."
/End\\\
"Why did you agree to be in the suit then?" Coulson asked.
"Because Jacobs wasn't just a reporter," Tony said, "he was a bodyguard. There had been concern about the increase in terrorist activity so Rhodey recommended him to me."
"A bodyguard," Coulson repeated.
"I don't know why they took him back to the camp," Tony said, "I really don't, but he was there, and they used him against me."
"So you were in the suit," Coulson said.
"Right," Tony agreed, "and I made a shield for Jacobs and Yinsen to carry. They were supposed to head out after I cleared the way to the cave mouth. Once they were clear, I would blow the weapons and get out myself."
"It didn't go to plan, I take it?" Coulson asked.
"Not exactly," Tony agreed.
/Flashback\\\
They came to check on them just as Tony was being fastened into the armor. The timing was the worst, because Tony couldn't get out, and not being seen by the cameras or the guards would bring them before anyone of them were ready.
Brian had rigged an explosive on the door that morning before they'd begun to strap Tony in, and it bought them time. Time to get the chest piece situated and the program running to power the whole thing. Not enough for the program to complete, not enough to get Tony loose.
Yinsen moved before Brian could react, grabbing a machine gun from a dead guard and charging away. "I'll get him," Brian said, picking up the metal shield Tony had made him, almost vanishing behind the giant device.
"No," Tony began.
"Not this time," Brian snapped. He vanished, Tony could hear some rustling and clicks of metal on metal, then footsteps trotting away.
Tony stared at the progress bar, willing it to go faster with all of his might.
/End\\\
"There was a random visit just as I was being strapped into the suit," Tony said, "Jacobs had wired the door to blow that morning in case we were interrupted. It bought us time, but not enough. Yinsen decided to take matters in his own hand. He grabbed a machine gun and went running, firing into the cave roof like a madman. Jacobs finished the suit, started the power program, and then took off after Yinsen with the shield."
"What happened to them?" Coulson asked, almost gently.
"I found Yinsen, he'd been shot and was dying." Tony spoke slowly and deliberately, not even minding the way his voice cracked. He lifted his drink, surprised to find it empty.
Coulson took the glass, "What about Brian Jacobs?"
"I don't know," Tony said. "I didn't see him, and I looked. The shield," he shuddered, "I found the shield lying on the ground outside the cave. There were bodies, but, not his. I kept going, I started burning the weapons." Coulson put the glass down, filled. Tony nodded and took a drink. "I think, I think he did something, because some of the explosives, they went up faster than I expected. Once I was sure that everything was burning, I left. Brian was supposed to take one of their vehicles, we'd seen them when they showed me all the weapons they had. I still don't know if he made it out."
"Tony," Coulson said, "someone fired at least one rocket into that cave. The kind that can come from a shoulder mounted launcher. When we traced the explosions, we found the launcher."
"That wasn't me," Tony replied. He drained his glass and fought to get himself under control. If he never had to speak of Afghanistan, it would be too soon.
"Now, about Gulmira," Coulson said.
"Me," Tony replied, feeling drained and ready to end the interview, "that was me. I heard about the terrorists, the Ten Rings, attacking the city and I acted."
"Why?" Coulson asked, "the Ten Rings has been terrorizing that area for years."
"Yinsen was from Gulmira."
"Why did you build the armor the second time?"
"To prove that I could do it again. To see how to do it right. Until I saw a Jericho missile at Gulmira, I didn't plan to use it like I did."
"What about the other night, when you went after Stane."
"I didn't go after Stane. I was not in any shape to go after Stane."
"Then who did?"
"A friend, ex-military type that I have been thinking about hiring for a bodyguard."
"Who?"
"I was asked not to give his name. As I respect my friend, I will abide by his wishes."
"It possible someone will press charges, Mr. Stark."
"Stane was in possession of faulty armor," Tony closed his eyes, "I saw the schematics, afterwards. He didn't have the right amount of protection. The blast was calculated to be under what the helmet should have withstood. It would have fried circuitry, maybe the optics, but it shouldn't have killed him." He opened his eyes and stood, "This interview is over, Agent Coulson. Kindly remove yourself from the premises."
"Mr Stark," Coulson began.
"I said leave," Tony all but snarled, slamming his hands on the desk and leaning over it; "get out of my office, get out of this building, get offStark Industries property now."
"Very well," Coulson replied, "but this isn't over."
"It never is."