I do not attempt to claim ownership of Marvel Comics or the Harry Potter series.

Chapter Eight

'Shattered Cage'

Afghanistan / 18.03.2010

Harry frowned, feeling the strain as a rock wall slowly raised from the ground, sealing off the tunnel to the workshop.

"You okay?" asked Ron, holding Harry up as he finished the wall, sweat running down his face.

"Not dead yet," grunted Harry, glancing over to where Yinsen and Hermione were helping to fit Tony into the suit.

"Why did you call Malfoy, Riddle?" questioned Ron as he helped Harry sit down, "It's been bugging me."

"Me too," chimed in Hermione, looking over at Harry and Ron for a second.

"The diary, I think it had a piece of Voldemort's soul in it," explained Harry, "I thought I destroyed it by stabbing it but it survived, it's been possessing Malfoy ever since."

Harry nodded his head, gesturing to where Malfoy lay, still unconscious and trussed up.

"How?" muttered Ron, frowning.

"Not sure," responded Harry, "We can't break Malfoy out of it either, I check, he doesn't have the diary on him. The only reason I know about this is because I had a vision of it while I was, well, dead."

"Yeah, so are you immortal now?"asked Ron.

"Nope," denied Harry, shaking his head, "This was a one time thing, I had a piece of Voldemort's soul in my scar, the curse destroyed it instead of killing me."

"Cool!" grinned Ron.

"Not magically possible," noted Hermione, continuing to monitor the levels of the suit on the computer.

"Whoa, your scar!" exclaimed Ron, pointing at Harry's forehead.

"What?" frowned Harry, conjuring a mirror and freezing in shock.

Harry couldn't believe it, his scar was nearly gone, little more than a faint red line.

"Whoa," muttered Harry, the mirror vanishing as his hand dropped down.

A sudden explosion rocked the workshop as the wall of stone blocking the tunnel cracked, threatening to break.

"Guys, I think it's time we got outta here!" called Ron, both he and Harry jumping to their feet.

"Nearly done," replied Yinsen, fitting the helmet onto Tony's head and shutting it.

"Let's go!" stated Tony, stepping forward, his suit clanking as he did, "It's party time!"

Stomping forwards, out of the workshop, Tony slammed his armoured fist into stone wall, rocks flying out everywhere.

"Nice work," coughed Harry, waving his hand to clear the dust in the air, "And, I take back my sarcasm."

Harry blinked, looking down the tunnel at the scattered forms of the terrorists, some looked unconscious while he was sure a few would not be walking this one off.

"Impressed yet?" questioned Tony, grinning under his helmet.

"Maybe if you paid attention," retorted Harry, raising his hand, picking up the last terrorist with his magic and slamming him into the wall.

"Liar, you're impressed," muttered Tony, before charging down the tunnel, rounding the corner.

"A little bit, maybe," whispered Harry, before turning to face Ron, Hermione and Yinsen, "Looks like it's time to go."

"We're ready," answered Hermione, stowing the last of Tony, Harry and Yinsen's shrunken belongings in her purse.

"Okay, let's go," spoke Harry, turning to leave, Ron and Hermione joining him.

Yinsen sighed, not moving as the other three began to set off.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry, stopping and turning back to face Yinsen.

"I'm not coming," stated Yinsen, refusing to look Harry in the eye.

"Why?" questioned Harry, "I thought you wanted to see your family again?"

"I do," uttered Yinsen, "They're dead, Raza's men killed them."

"You want to die," stated Harry solemnly.

Yinsen sighed, nodding slightly.

"How could you?" spoke Harry, anger flaring in his eyes.

"Why should you care?" muttered Yinsen, "All I've been since Tony arrived is dismissive of your magic."

"You cared about me, tended my wounds when they tortured me," argued Harry, "You sat with me when I had nightmares, that's more than any other adult has ever done for me."

"My parents died when I was fifteen months old," continued Harry, walking towards Yinsen, "Until I was nearly eleven my bedroom was the cupboard under stairs, I had no friends, I was fed the scraps of the table!"

Yinsen looked down, not even looking at Harry.

"When I was seven, I snuck a knife back from the kitchen to my cupboard," explained Harry, "The only thing that stopped me from killing myself was the terrifying thought that my parents would hate me as much as my aunt and uncle."

Yinsen slowly looked up, "Harry, maybe you're just stronger than me."

"No, don't," stated Harry firmly, "When that Killing Curse hit me I didn't just have a vision, I was in Limbo, between life and death, my mum was there, I wanted so much to give up, give in and go with her."

"But she reminded my of my fate, my duty, killing Voldemort," continued Harry, placing a hand on Yinsen's shoulder, "She reminded me that just because my biological family either were dead or hated me, I couldn't make a family for myself, Ron, Hermione, Stark, and, you."

"I don't know," spoke Yinsen, "I know what I have to do but I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"I, no, we can help you," assured Harry, "You've spent the last nine months looking after me, it's time I returned the favour."

"I'll come with you," uttered Yinsen slowly, "It's wanted my family would want me to do."

"Then, let's go," spoke Harry, returning to join Ron and Hermione at the door, Yinsen following him.

"I came here to kick ass and chew gum," spoke Tony as he entered the final cave, so close he could see the exit, coming face to face with ten of Raza's men, "And I'm all out of-"

Slapping one of the terrorist that ran at him into the wall, Tony sighed, "You had to ruin it."

Charging forward, Tony began to deal out damage to the terrorists, grabbing one my the heels and flailing him around, slamming him into the others. Spinning around, Tony turned to face the final few men, swinging his armoured fist at one of them, only to find him dodge it, Tony's fist slamming into the cave wall, becoming firmly lodged.

"Well, well, looks like you've bitten off more than you can chew," stated Raza smugly as he entered the cave, Abu and a small army of men behind him, "Open him up."

Tony paled as he saw a few men begin to approach, holding axle grinders. Swinging his free arm, Tony desperately tried to knock them away as even more of Raza's men swarming him, holding him in place.

"Bombarda!"

A spell hit Tony's armour, sending Raza's men flying in all directions, but leaving the armour largely undamaged.

"Need a hand?" questioned Harry as he, Ron, Hermione and Yinsen entered the cave.

"Got one of my own," replied Tony, the explosive spell have damaged the rock enough for him to yank his hand free.

"Get them!" commanded Raza, his men charging at the group.

Tony and Harry both charged into battle with Raza's men, the latter making a beeline for Raza himself. Pausing for second for a brief look between them, Ron and Hermione joined the fight.

"This for you," muttered Yinsen to himself, before lashing out at a nearby terrorist, knocking him to the ground and grabbing his gun.

Whew, that was a difficult chapter to write, just couldn't get it written, but I did in the end, if a little late. Unfortunately, I'm away camping for the weekend and I've got a report due in when I get back so I'm going to have to take a short break. Just a week, Chapter Nine will be up most likely on April 27th. Sorry about that.