Hello everyone. I am so tremendously sorry…. but I do have an excuse. After my accident and return to work my current place of employment decided that working full time wasn't enough. I've been working some 12 hour shifts and the weekends and by the time I get home I black out until its time to go back in… *sobbing*
I honestly think I might be able to write more (and better quality) when I go back to school because there won't be a rush and then spurts of time where there is nothing.
On a brighter note I realized I have a cousin that looks like Phil freakin' Coulson… I might have stared at him in complete awe for a while at a family event… x'D Pretty sure he noticed and I scared him...
Chapter Something: Who Are These People?
The relatively small group of people stared at a screen in one of them more secluded conference rooms on the helicarrier.
A large man made his way into the large room they were being held in, flanked by armed men. He seemed happy if his jolly smile was anything to go by. He started speaking, making gestures toward Tony before looking at Tony's cellmate expectantly.
The smaller man fidgeted slightly before turning marginally toward Tony. "He says…'Welcome, Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America.'"
"Some welcome wagon," Clint said with a frown.
"Friend Stark is not a murderer!" Thor thundered. "He is one of Earth's mightiest defenders! This man shall regret his slights!"
Pepper sniffed slightly which attracted everyones attention. They were slightly taken aback by the honest to go haughty look she was giving the screen. They had thought she was upset but she actually seemed totally annoyed by the man.
"She knows!" Clint stage whispered to himself.
The man, obviously their captor, grinned before he continued with more quick spoken whatever it was…Tony was frankly not in the shape to try and catch up with him as his words seemed to have an echo and slur.
"He is honored. He wants you to build the missile." The man said something a bit harsher then he had before. "The Jericho missile," his cellmate amended quickly, "that you demonstrated. This one'."
A picture was handed to Tony and he looked down slowly. Sure enough, an image of the missile was in his hands and Tony felt something creep up the back of his throat.
"I refuse."
"That isn't what you tell a hostile terrorist Tony," Bruce sighed to himself.
If the others had been paying attention, they would have noticed Pepper, Bruce and even Coulson prepare themselves.
The screen cut to Tony's face under water. He thrashed and pulled against the hands holding him before he was roughly pulled up out of the water. He barely pulled in a breath before he was forced back under. His new chest piece sent shocks through him as he desperately tried to get up. He sucked in a mouthful of water and distantly heard Pepper calling for him. "Tony!"
Bruce let out a hiss between his teeth while Pepper made a noise like a cross between choking and growling. Besides Phil and Clint everyone had maintained a distance and at that moment they were glad for it.
"He must love you dearly, Lady Stark." Thor's rumbling voice came out quietly for the thunderer, and Pepper looked at him slightly wide eyed. "This is the second time he had heard your voice."
Pepper smiled gently. "Thank you, Thor."
Tony felt himself being pulled up again and faintly he heard his cellmate urging them to get the water out of his lungs. There was a strong hand pounding at his back and he felt the water come back up his throat before he was doubled over to cough it out. Barely coherent, a sack was forced over his head and he was being dragged out of the room and through the cave. He was yanked to a stop and the bag was ripped off, nearly blinding him at the sudden change in light.
Bruce was taking deep steady breaths through his nose while Pepper soothingly ran a hand up and down his arm as she stared seemingly transfixed on the screen.
"God," she said softly. "I know all of this… I know what happened. But seeing… It's different."
Steve and Natasha looked a bit awkward in their seats for completely different reasons. Steve didn't know what to do in this situation. His teammate, who he had just been reprimanding, had died nearly three times in such a short time of this film already. A man he thought to be weak had survived some horrible treatment at the hands of men such as these. Natasha on the other hand remained as stiff and stoic as ever.
The man started talking again and Tony's cellmate appeared at his side translating what was said. But Tony's mind was on all of the Stark weaponry he was surrounded by.
"He wants to know what you think," the man said softly as he, too, looked around.
"I think you got a lot of my weapons," Tony said, sending a darker look toward the man who was still smiling.
"He says they have everything you need to build the Jericho Missile. He wants you to make the list of materials. He says for you to start working immediately, and when you're done, he will set you free."
"No, he won't," Tony said morosely
"No…He won't," the man agreed.
The man was looking between the two as they smiled weakly. He nodded and clapped his hands together looking far happier then Tony wanted him to.
"God, if looks could kill that man would be ashes," Clint, honest to god, cackled.
"I don't think this is a time for laughter, Hawkeye." Steve snapped back.
"Oh, Clint's in trouble," Bruce snarked which shocked just about everyone in the room back to silence.
The scene cut again to show Tony sitting in the room despondently. He stared down at the small fire that crackled between him and the strange man he shared the space with.
"I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark," he said, "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!"
"What is this man's problem?" Steve asked in a harsh tone. "Is he honestly trying to make Stark feel worse?"
"He's trying to fire him up. You would see that in about five more seconds," Pepper said.
"Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark?!" he exclaimed before calming down again to ask, "Or are you going to do something about it?"
"Why should I do anything?" Tony asked (in that defiant tone the avengers were very familiar with),"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 asked with a small grin.
Pepper may or may not have given an 'oh snap' snap.
There was a flurry of motion and noise as Tony was listing off directions and his cellmate translated. Men were moving around equipment, tools, and weapons where Tony told them.
"lf this is going to be my work station, I want it well-lit. I want these up. I need welding gear. I don't care if it's acetylene or propane. I need a soldering station. I need helmets. I'm gonna need goggles. I would like a smelting cup. I need two sets of precision tools." Tony started to list off, pointing at different areas of the room.
"WHAT?! He's building it?!" Steve exclaimed pushing himself up to the edge of his seat.
"No, you ass!" Pepper hissed, turning to glare at the man.
"SPOILER ALERT!" Clint said loudly, earning a glare most of the room. He simply raised his hands in surrender, but didn't look sorry at all.
The men were all gone and it was just Tony sitting at one of the new lit tables with his cellmate looking over his shoulder as he worked on disassembling a missile.
"How many languages do you speak?" He asked suddenly, voice gentle and calm as his fingers deftly worked with the parts.
"A lot," the man said simply, "but apparently, not enough for this place. They speak Arabic, Urdu, Dari, Pashto, Mongolian, Farsi, Russian…" he trailed off.
"Who are these people?" Tony glanced over at the man as he asked.
"They are your loyal customers, Sir," he replied. "They call themselves the Ten Rings." He paused for a moment. "You know, we might be more productive if you include me in the planning process."
"Ya, ha," But Tony continued to work at the missile. "We don't need this."
He tossed a large hunk of metal over his shoulder, making the other man jump slightly, before he held up a small bit of metal."
"What is that?" the man questioned.
"That's palladium, 0.15 grammes. We need at least 1.6, so why don't you go break down the other 11?"
He nodded and they got to work.
The scene cut to guards watching over the two on a screen.
"What's he doing?" one barked.
"Working."
Tony spent a bit of time making a mold for the melting metal to be poured in. When the time came, he followed his cellmate closely as he moved the palladium over to be poured.
"Careful," Tony warned. "Careful, we only get one shot at this."
"Relax. I have steady hands," the other said before a small grin pulled at his lips. "Why do you think you're still alive?"
A moment passed in silence before Tony looked at the man. "What do I call you?"
"Finally!" Clint groaned. "I was getting really tired of calling him that man in my head."
Phil gave him a soft swat to the back of the head, making Clint pout.
"My name is Yinsen."
"Yinsen," Tony said, like he was testing the name. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too." Yinsen replied with a soft smile.