The Unknown Variable

I own nothing; Disney and JK have the entire claim, so go bother them.

I was standing in mist; everything around me was blurry and unclear. I did not know where I was or what was going on.

There was a loud bang, followed by a flash and I was suddenly in the dark as the black figure appeared once again.

"Who are you?" I asked, although it didn't sound like my voice.

'I have many names.' An echo of a voice flowed into my mind; the figure was just standing there. Its grey eyes locked onto mine. 'But you know me as Death.'

I drifted in and out of consciousness a few times, barely long enough to open my eyes before I fell back into the land of nod.

When I finally regained consciousness, I was laying on the floor back in our cave prison.

A soft groan escaped my lips, my body felt like it weighed a thousand tons and my eyelids felt like they were glued shut. Another groan escaped my lips as my eyes fluttered open.

I was lying down on the dirt floor; my hair was still damp so I couldn't have been laying here long.

I slowly was able to raise my head and look around. Tony and Yinsen were nowhere in sight and panic flooded me as I pondered their fate.

I took a deep breathe to calm down, they needed Tony alive, and I hoped that nothing would happen to the older captive ether.

My fists clenched in the dirt as I slowly and painfully pushed myself up into a sitting position, my chest flared with pain as excess water shocked my core once again.

The flash of pain dragged the memories back into the surface and I felt my chest contract with panic, my mind being pulled back into the past. My breathing quickened and my eyes clenched shut as I struggled to keep the memories at bay. After a moment my eyes reopened as I was able to push the memories back into a distant corner in my mind for the moment.

A soft cry of pain escaped my lips, and my eyes darted to the cameras around the room, I didn't want them to see me, I just wanted to be left alone. I noticed that they had dumped me on the far side of the room, right in front of the corner that was the blind spot of the surveillance cameras.

I gritted my teeth and slowly managed to scoot over to the corner, I leaned against the cold stone as I tried to catch my breath.

A tear escaped my eye before I could stop it and the next thing I knew I was silently sobbing into my arms, hugging my knees to my chest. Memories flashed through my mind, all of them were disjointed and muddled, as my brain naturally tried to dim them.

After a while my sobs subsided and I realized that I was no longer alone. As a hand touched my shoulder I jerked back, scraping my arm on the stone and banging my head in the process.

My eyes snapped open at the pain, expecting to see Tony or one of the captors, but instead the figure was back. He was kneeling next to me, his grey eyes wide in concern. His eyebrows knitted together in a silent question, as his eyes conveying the silent message of 'are you ok?'

I was too shocked to move, my dream floating to the top of my mind. He had done something, something that helped, I think.

"Who are you?" I echoed my dream. My voice was rough from all the screaming, and my throat burned as the words passed through my lips.

I thought I saw a flash of pain enter the figure's grey eyes before it was hidden once again. A small smile appeared on his lips as he nodded his head slightly towards me, as if saying, 'you know me'.

A small frown appeared on my face as I asked softly, "You're Death, aren't you."

He replied with a simple nod of his head and a real smile played on his lips for a moment before disappearing once again.

"Can you talk?" I whispered, shocked that I was talking to, or hallucinating about, I wasn't sure, Death, actual Death personified.

His lips narrowed into a line and he appeared to be concentrating, trying to find a way to answer my question silently.

He nodded slightly, but then paused half way and shook his head. "You can but you can't?" I asked, trying to clarify.

He waved his hand in a 'go on' gesture and I continued, my brain going a mile a minute.

"You can talk… but not in a way that I'd understand?" I asked softly after a moment.

Another smile and nod was my answer.

"If you're death," I started, hoping to not anger the entity, "Then why are you helping me?"

A strange look came over Death's face, before a cryptic smile appeared and he looked at me silently saying, 'that's for me to know and you to find out.'

"I'm not dead am I?" I knew it was a silly question the moment it passed my lips, but come one, you meet death and that has to be the natural response.

I knew I was wrong though, when Death burst out into silent chuckles, shaking his head amusedly.

"Thank you," the almost silent whisper passed my lips before I even knew what I was saying. Death, in response, softly patted my arm.

We were silent for a while; I found that while he was around my thoughts couldn't stray towards what happened. Every time they tried to push their way to my attention a cold chill would send them back down. I knew that Death had something to do with it, but I wasn't sure just what he was doing, why, or if he even realized he was doing it. But whatever it was, why ever he was doing it, I was thankful. For just a moment, it kept the monsters at bay.

I was started out of my thoughts; I might have fallen asleep… I didn't know, unaware of how much time had passed, by a large commotion coming from the other side of the large metal doors.

I pressed myself back into the corner, desperate not to be seen. As the door slammed open Death disappeared into the shadows. I didn't know if others could see him or not, but I thought it was wise for him to vanish.

Tony stood up from his cot he must have returned when I was sleeping, and I almost ran up to him, wanting to make sure he was ok. He look tired, and sore, but I could tell by the gleam in his eye that he had a plan.

I stayed in my corner as the room was flooded with the captures. Tony started directing them and ordering them around; Yinsen, whom I was also glad to see alive, and for the most part, well, was translating for him.

I closed my eyes at all the noise, it was bringing back the painful memories of the water. I curled back into myself, wishing, hoping with every thought, that I wouldn't be seen.

The most surprising thing that happened during that time, looking back, was that I wasn't seen. No one took any notice of me until the room was set up, and it was only Tony, Yinsen and I alone once again.

I slowly lifted my head from my knees, which I were still hugging to my chest, and peered around. I must have fallen asleep, if the creak in my neck was anything to go by.

Tony was sitting on his small cot staring at his hands, and I say Yinsen asleep on his own cot on the other side of the room.

I slowly stood up, my arms now hugging my chest. My legs screamed in protest as I tried to stand. I didn't know how long I had been sitting there, but I knew that between that, and the resent torture, that I wasn't in good shape.

My belly rumbled, also reminding me how I hadn't eaten since before the plane ride, however long that was ago.

I slowly walked towards Tony, I was shaking slightly and my head was still pounding but I knew that I had to talk to him; only for my own sake, but for his as well.

I sat down on the cot next to him, and he didn't even notice me until I slowly reached out and touched his arm.

He whipped around his eyes wide in panic, terror in his eyes. It took a moment for him to recognize me back as soon as he did he calmed down noticeably.

"Are you ok?" Tony asked his eyes now wide with worry. I silently wondered what I must look like to make his so worried. 'Probably like hell.' I thought to myself.

"As well as could be expected." I said hoarsely, my lips were chapped and they cracked when I talked, I must have been in that corner for a while.

"What did they do…where have you been?" He asked, his dark brown eyes wide, they were the same shape as mine, though mine were a different color.

I swallowed, I was hoping he wouldn't ask, "I've been in that corner," I pointed over to my hiding place, Tony's eyes darted over to the corner before coming back to meet mine, "And…as for… well…" I stuttered, trying to push back the memories, I silently wished Death was here to make them go away but I knew that I was going to need to deal with them… but I just didn't want to.

"Let's just say I'm not having anything to do with water ever again." I winced as the memories flooded my mind, and I hoped that he wouldn't push it.

Tony nodded, and by the pained look in his eye I had a feeling that he went through the same thing I did… then I remembered that his chest was open and was not water proof, and winced. That must have hurt just as back as my Core getting wet did.

"But…" Tony started as he pushed his own pain back as a strange unease entered his eyes, "they did…do…any…" I could tell Tony was incredibly uncomfortable with the conversation.

I wondered what might make Tony uncomfortable and then my eyes widened as realization came upon me and I shook my head fiercely.

"No, nothing like that." I reassured Tony as he breathed a sigh of relief. I could tell that he had been worrying over that for a while.

"Are you ok?" I asked him softly my blue eyes widening. A bitter laugh escaped Tony's lips as he shook his head.

"Why?" He asked his eyes focused off in the distance.

"Why what?" There were a lot of 'why' questions that Tony could be asking right now, and I needed to know which one he was talking about.

"Why don't you hate me?" He asked me, his dark eyes locking into the identical, but lighter ones.

I literally flinched in shock, I was appalled. I would never hate Tony; he was the only family I had left.

"Why on earth would I hate you?" I asked, not bothering to hide the shock in my voice.

Tony looked back to the wall as he answered bitterly. "This is my fault. The only reason that you were there was because I let you get in the Humvee with me, you wouldn't have been in the gun fight or a captive of terrorists…"

"Nor would you have been tortured if I hadn't just left you alone. I shouldn't have given you the job, Pepper was right… I should have said no…" My eyes widened with tears at Tony's words.

If Tony had never given me the job…I don't know what I would have done.

"Pepper was right… I'm a bad influence and shouldn't be around you…" Tony was now muttering, completely caught up in self-loathing.

My gaze hardened as I heard Tony say those words. I had no idea that Pepper ever said that to him, but I wasn't surprised.

"She was not." I hissed, and he jumped in surprise and looked at me with wide eyes. He was shocked at the venom in my voice.

"This. Is. Not. Your. Fault." I growled at my father, "and don't you ever say that! I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if you hadn't hired me. So don't even think that."

"What happens happens, I learned that long ago; and self-pity doesn't change anything! Been there done that. We're captured, ok, we've been tortured, whatever, you have less than a week to live, get over it! What are you going to do about it?" I snapped at him, if we were going to get out of this alive then Tony needed to get his head on straight.

Tony started to protest; I grabbed his arm and pulled his around to meet my eyes. I glared at him and growled, "What are going to do about it?"

After a moment of silence Tony's gaze hardened and he said with determination, "I'm gonna show them why you don't mess with a Stark."

I smiled at him and nodded, "And I'm going to help."

While it wasn't the conversation I was planning on having, it was definitely one that we both needed; and that was alright with me.

Hah, another chapter done. I'm glad that you all are enjoying this so much! I have so many fav/followers! XD

To the reviewer (who will most likely not read this) that this was too much of a Mary Sue/OC/Fem-Harry (as far as all of you know) for you, and I am sorry. I'm trying to keep it realistic but at the same time AU/OC… so I apologize, but each of us has our own things we like in a story and I am sorry you feel that this story was not the one for you. But hey! Can't please everyone!

Thanks to my Beta once again,
Cp