"Before we proceed to the next scene, I would like the kids in the room to get out of here", The older Stephen came in front of the large screen.
"Why is that?", Anthony asked.
"You'll see, Toni you also don't have to be here, if you do not want to", Stephen offered to Toni with a smile.
"Toni, I think you should go, you know", Pepper advised to which Toni nodded her head. Pepper didn't want her sister to go through that again or even see that.
"I agree with Pepper on this", Rhodey commented.
"I will wait outside, the kids can come with me if you want", she turned to Daphne and Violet.
"Hyacinth, Gregory… Go out with your sister please", Violet said to the kids, who were already protesting, but a stern stare from their mother quiet them down. Meanwhile, Daphne and Simon were conversing with each other and the former handed Augie to her sister.
"Aww, look who this is", Toni cooed at the boy in her baby voice while Augie replied with a sudden slap on her nose which earned chuckles from around the room. Contrary to popular belief, Toni Stark loved babies and kids and they loved her back equally.
"Augie be a good boy for your aunt", Daphne said his boy. She knew her sister for not even half an hour but she trusted her with her son, she knew deep down that her eldest sister wouldn't let him get the smallest scratch.
"Do you want me to come, with you?", her Stephen asked quietly at her who was already in awe of her interaction with the kid.
"It's fine, you can sit here and enjoy", she assured him as she kissed his cheek. But the act of love made her younger brothers mad and they looked ready to pounce on Stephen any moment and they would have if Kate was not holding them down. Gregory who was standing beside Toni was glaring daggers at Stephen while Hyacinth giggled at them.
"I will see you all soon", Toni said addressing the room as she turned towards the exit with Augie in her arms and Hyacinth holding her other hand with a spring in her step. The screen turned black once again.
INT. CRUDE OPERATING ROOM - CAVE - AFGHANISTAN - NIGHT
The scene was nightmarish—stabbing lights and gargled voices. Toni thrashes against a restraining belt. Impressionistic glimpses of a red scalpel and blood-spattered hands could be seen along with Toni's heaving chest, which was covered with a rag. A boilerplate. A man in his sixties looks down on her, performing the "operation". He yells to someone in Arabic, and Toni is held down, a chloroform rag is pressed to her face.
"Oh my god, what's happening?", Violet asked horrified. Francesca covered her eyes with her hands in horror but curiosity made her look through her fingers. Colin too had to look the other way from the blight.
"She was conscious throughout the operation", Bruce couldn't believe his eyes. This was not surgery but torture in its rawest form.
But Kate was furious. She was furious at those vile men around her sister-in-law who were looking at her like she was a piece of meat, with lust in their eyes when she was fighting for her life. She was ready to kill those men if she ever got her hands on them. Wanda had a similar reaction, her eyes were glowing red in anger as she watched her mentor going through things no human, scratch that, no living being should ever go through.
While Anthony was about to have a breakdown. She had no right to through this. Peter and Pietro felt sick as they watched their elder sister helplessly screaming.
Toni flickers awake, disoriented. A tube protrudes from her nose. She sees Yinsen, humming a tune as he shaves by a broken mirror. But more importantly, right now, there is a jug of water on the table. Toni tries to speak but she can't. It's the damn nasal tube. She pulls at it, gagging as two feet of tubing slither from her nose.
"And then there is she pulling out things that are keeping her alive", Steve groaned in his hands. It was no lie that they were enemies, but before that, they had actually been somewhat friends. And a part of Steve still cared for Toni, even though they had different sets of ideals and beliefs.
Toni: (whispering hoarsely) …water…water.
Yinsen keeps humming. Toni yanks the IV from her arm and stretches for the water, but is stopped by a wire, under her chest bandages which are snapping taut.
Yinsen: I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Toni follows the wire with his eyes and finds, to her horror, that it's hooked up to a car battery. She starts clawing at her chest bandages. Yinsen turns. Toni sees her ugly chest wound. It's too much. She swoons.
"Car battery, she was hooked to a bloody car battery?", Thor shouted horrified and enraged.
"Oh my god", Pepper gasped at the scene. She knew Toni was tortured and had heart surgery, but she didn't know the extent of it.
"Did you know?", Stephen questioned Pepper and Rhodey in a dangerously low voice.
"No. She didn't tell us anything", Rhodey replied. Rhodey was mad. He was mad at these men for what he did to his best friend. He was at Toni for never opening up to anyone and for going through all of this alone. And mostly, he was mad at himself because he couldn't stop it and he was not there.
"Knowing Stark, she would have rather taken her secrets to the grave", Natasha replied. She had known the billionaire for quite some time now and she knew that Toni was the last person to show weakness.
INT. LAB - CAVE - HOURS LATER - DAY
Yinsen stirs a bubbling pot in the furnace. He flicks glances at Toni, waking up on the cot. Toni eyes the bulky chest piece protruding from her fresh bandages.
Toni Stark: What the hell did you do to me?
Yinsen: What I did do? What I did is to save your life. I removed all the shrapnel I could, but there's a lot left, and it's headed into your atrial septum. Here, want to see?
Shuri, Bruce and Stephen scoffed at the man on the screen. They had seen and done enough operations to know how ethically twisted this was. Yes, it did save Toni's life but that didn't mean it was safe or right to perform such a delicate task like that.
Yinsen pulls out a bottle of shrapnel and places it in front of her.
Yinsen: I have a souvenir. Take a look.
"This man has a really dark sense of humour", Shuri commented.
He then tosses the bottle to Toni.
Yinsen: I've seen many wounds like that in my village. We call them the walking dead because it takes about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs.
Toni Stark: What is this?
Yinsen: That is an electromagnet, hooked up to a car battery, and it's keeping the shrapnel from entering your heart. Hmm?
Toni zips up the jacket she's wearing and looks at the camera on the ceiling.
Yinsen: That's right. Smile. We met once, you know, at a technical conference in Bern.
Toni Stark: I don't remember.
Yinsen: No, you wouldn't. If I had been that drunk, I wouldn't have been able to stand, much less give a lecture on integrated circuits.
"That sounds like a Toni thing to do", Clint commented.
"Yeah, I mean she made JARVIS on a dare when she was shitfaced drunk in college", Rhodey said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"She made JARVIS in one night?" Shuri exclaimed in surprise. "It took me a week to make Griot, how did she do it on a night and that too drunk?"
"Easy there sister, calm down", T'Challa said to her sister whose mouth was hung open as she took in the shock. But internally, he was happy that he got something to rub on her face when she would boast of her invention.
Toni Stark: Where are we?
The door slat flies open and a pair of dark eyes stare in. Yinsen drops his spoon and puts his hands on his head. Men walk in with guns. Toni gets to her feet but can't get her hands up. Yinsen helps her.
Yinsen: Come on, stand up. Stand up! Just do as I do. Come on, put your hands up.
Toni Stark: Those are my guns. How did they get my guns?
Yinsen: Do you understand me? Do as I do.
A man starts speaking in Arabic. Yinsen translates for him.
Yinsen: He says, "Welcome, Toni Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America." He is honoured. He wants you to build the missile. The Jericho missile that you demonstrated.
The man speaks in Arabic, handing Yinsen a picture of the Jericho missile.
Yinsen: This one.
Toni Stark: I refuse.
"You do not refuse your kidnappers", Benedict exclaimed throwing his hands in the air as he slumped in his seat.
"What is she trying to do? Get killed?" Bucky groaned as he facepalmed. He knew that Toni was a genius but what he didn't know was that she was also an idiot.
"For such a genius, she is an utter idiot", MJ commented groaning at the choice of words of the woman.
"Tell me about it", Pepper agreed to the younger girl.
Toni is shown her head being pushed into a large thing of water. Flashes of herself and the electromagnet in her chest are shown.
Pepper Potts: Toni!
Rhodey: Toni!
The voices in her head screamed as she tried not to drown. The water trickled down her body and touched the live wire in her chest, electrocuting her. The men pull her out, put a bag over her head, and escorted her out of the cave. Toni sees a lot of men, tents, and guns.
Pepper's eyes gleamed as she tried to choke back a sob on seeing Toni's condition. Why did she not tell anyone what she went through? While Violet was full-on sobbing as she watched her daughter on screen, Daphne tried hard to calm her down but she was also unable to look at the screen.
Even Loki averted his eyes unable to watch the woman he knew go through that torture, while Thor squeezed his shoulders trying to comfort him knowing what went through and this time, Loki didn't push his affection away.
The same man speaking Arabic before speaks again.
Yinsen: He wants to know what you think.
Toni Stark: I think you got a lot of my weapons.
On hearing her voice Violet calmed down a little, relieved that she was somewhat alright.
Yinsen translates Toni's words into Arabic. The same man speaking Arabic responds, with Yinsen translating them.
Yinsen: He says they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile. He wants you to make the list of materials.
The man speaks Arabic again.
Yinsen: He says for you to start working immediately, and when you're done, he will set you free.
Toni sees a heavily armed and imposing man surrounded by several men, who act as pilotfish around her. This is Warlord Raza, a man you don't mess with.
Toni Stark: No, he won't.
Shaking the Arabic man's hand.
Yinsen: No, he won't.
INT. LAB - CAVE - DAYS LATER - DAY
Dark. Toni sits in a wheelbarrow by the furnace, wrapped in an Army surplus blanket. Yinsen looms over her.
Yinsen: I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark. But they will never find you in these mountains. Look, what you just saw, that is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work is in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Toni Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?
Silence.
Toni Stark: Why should I do anything? They're going to kill me, you, either way. And if they don't, I'll probably be dead in a week.
Loki was shocked to see the woman on the screen, for he knew her as a fearless woman. He clearly remembered the day she marched up to him and threatened him and eventually defeated his army with her band of baboons. And he respected her chivalry. But the woman on the screen was almost the opposite of that Toni Stark—broken, vulnerable and giving up so easily.
While Vision frowned at his creator. He was admittedly young and had known Dr Stark for less time but he never saw her this broken down and he never thought that anything could crack Toni Stark. But then again, it's the boiling water that hardens an egg.
Yinsen: Well, then, this is a very important week for you, isn't it? Hmm?
INT. LAB - CAVE - DAY
The lights come on as the generator is started. Abu is flanked by Ahmed and several Guards. He watches as – Omar refuels the generator, then walks the gas can to a 'cage', housing a fuel drum, and locks that down too. Toni paces, barking what she needs to be done while more of Abu's Guards carry in missiles and materials. Yinsen follows, translating as Toni assesses her work area.
Toni Stark: If this is going to be my workstation, 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. I also need a proper bathroom, my periods will start soon, so you need to bring me period supplies. Pads, tampons whatever you have.
"Look at her bossing those men around!", Kate exclaimed in happiness as she watched the woman on the screen. A smile played on every person's lips sitting in the theatre. Their Toni was back.
Yinsen and Toni start taking apart the weapons.
Toni Stark: How many languages do you speak?
Yinsen: A lot. But apparently, not enough for this place. They speak Arabic, Urdu, Dari, Pashto, Mongolian, Farsi, and Russian.
"That's many", Eloise who was silent for a long time spoke up.
Toni Stark: Who are these people?
Yinsen: They are your loyal customers, mam. They call themselves the Ten Rings.
The men of the Ten Rings are shown watching Toni and Yinsen work on a TV.
Yinsen: You know, we might be more productive if you include me in the planning process.
Toni Stark: Uh-huh.
Toni pulls open a missile housing and removes a glass ring from the inner workings of its guts. Then, she leads Yinsen up to a large missile crate. They remove the chip-rack cylinder from a larger warhead. Toni walks the heavy chip rack to the workbench and removes a tiny palladium strip.
Toni Stark: Okay, we don't need this.
Yinsen: What is that?
Toni Stark: That's palladium, 0.15 grams. We need at least 1.6, so why don't you go break down the other 11?
Man #1: What's he doing? [speaking Arabic]
Man #2: Working. [speaking Arabic]
"He is not wrong", Sam commented.
Yinsen removes chip-rack cylinders, bringing them to Toni. Toni extracts palladium strips. She wraps a copper coil around the glass ring. She drops the palladium strips into a crucible on the fire and sculpts a sand mould for the palladium ring. Yinsen brings the crucible of melted palladium to her.
Toni Stark: Careful. Careful, we only get one shot at this.
Yinsen: Relax. I have steady hands. Why do you think you're still alive?
"Points were made", Stephen commented.
Toni Stark: What do I call you?
Yinsen: My name is Yinsen.
Toni Stark: Yinsen. Nice to meet you.
Yinsen: Nice to meet you, too.
The hall smiled warmly at the interaction. Even though some of them were sceptical of the man but at the end of the day, he was the reason Toni Stark was there with them.
Toni plugs a cable into the generator. Toni throws a generator switch. The lights go up and down. The finished RT device, wired to the generator cable, begins to glow on the workbench. Yinsen wipes his face and trails Toni to the workbench. He undoes the wires, holding up the glowing RT device.
Yinsen: Whoa. That doesn't look like a Jericho missile.
Toni Stark: That's because it's a miniaturized arc reactor. I got a big one powering my factory at home. It should keep the shrapnel out of my heart.
Yinsen: But what could it generate?
Toni Stark: If my math is right, and it always is, three gigajoules per second.
Yinsen marvels.
Yinsen: That could run your heart for 50 lifetimes.
Toni Stark: Yeah. Or something big for 15 minutes.
"Wow, is that what I think it is?", Peter asked gaping at the screen.
"I know right, it's happening", Shuri too was at the edge of her seat.
"What is happening?", Benedict questioned.
"Shhh! We are watching history being made", MJ hushed the man who gave her a funny look.
Yinsen looks at sheets of paper with Toni.
Toni Stark: This is our ticket out of here.
Yinsen: What is it?
Toni Stark: Flatten them out and look.
Yinsen flattens the sheets out to see a drawing of a metal suit.
"What is that?", Steve questioned but was hushed by the youngsters in the room.
"The Mark I suit, oh my god, this is the best day of my life", Ned said smiling ear-to-ear like a mad scientist while the adults in the room looked at him concerned.
"These kids scare me", Sam whispered to Bucky.
"Tell me about it", Bucky whispered back.
Yinsen: Oh, wow. Impressive.
Security footage shows that the arc reactor was successfully put in Toni, allowing her more freedom of movement without having to carry the car battery around.
INT. LAB – CAVE – DAYS LATER – DAY
Toni and Yinsen playing a game.
Yinsen: Good. Good roll. Good roll.
Toni Stark: You still haven't told me where you're from.
Yinsen: I'm from a small town called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place.
Toni Stark: Got a family?
Yinsen: Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?
Toni Stark: No.
Violet's heart broke time and again. Her daughter deserved a family, even if not by blood but by choice. And she hoped that she would find that someday.
Yinsen: No? So you're a woman who has everything and nothing.
The men of the Ten Rings come to the door, armed. They open the hatch to see Toni and Yinsen working before turning around and leaving. The screen shows Toni welding metal together, while the Ten Rings watch the cameras and compare what he's creating with the Jericho picture.
Man #1: It doesn't look anything like the picture. [Speaking Arabic]
Man #2: Maybe it's been modified. [Speaking Arabic]
"They are nincompoops", Eloise commented as she scrunched her nose at their intelligence or lack thereof.
"Tell me about it", Wanda too remarked as she massaged her temple.
Man #1: The tail is wrong. [Speaking Arabic]
Man #2: It's just backward. [Speaking Arabic]
"They are duller than my husband", Kate spoke out loud as the whole room snorted Anthony looked at her betrayed and beside him, Benedict and Colin were having a hard time holding their laugh.
"Well, she said duller than you. So you are better than them, you know", Francesca said to her brother.
"Yeah, I mean she somewhat complimented you", Eloise also joined her sister not at all trying to control her laugh as Simon patted his best friend's head.
The head of the Ten Rings, Raza, watches Toni and Yinsen test out one of the legs of the suit. He and his men go visit Toni and Yinsen. The door-slat flies open. Abu again. He barks, more stern than usual. Toni stops and the secret cylinder she was filling, clatters to the floor. Yinsen notices and looks at Toni.
Raza: Relax.
They lower their hands. Silence as Raza meanders, picking up and putting things down. He almost steps on Toni's secret cylinder, but then sees the washing machine. He shoots Abu a cold look and turns to the workbench and peruses Toni's onion-paper schematics of the missile.
Raza: The bow and arrow once was the pinnacle of weapons technology.
"That's true", Clint said.
"Are you kidding me? Those are ancient weaponry", Eloise retorted.
"See, even people from the past agree", Natasha replied cheekily to which Clint rolled his eyes and pouted like a child.
Raza: It allowed the great Genghis Khan to rule from the Pacific to the Ukraine. An empire twice the size of Alexander the Great and four times the size of the Roman Empire. But today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands. And soon, it will be my turn.
"This guy is delusional", Sam remarked.
Starts speaking in Urdu as he stares down Toni.
Raza: Why have you failed me?
Yinsen replies back in Urdu.
Yinsen: We're working. Diligently.
Turns and walks toward Yinsen.
Raza: I let you live. This is how you repay me?
Yinsen: It's very complex. She's trying very hard.
Raza: On his knees.
He commands his men in Urdu. Yinsen is forced to his knees.
Raza: You think I'm a fool? I'll get the truth.
Speaking in Urdu as he takes a piece of coal from the dying fire.
Yinsen: We're both working.
Raza: Open your mouth.
Toni Stark: What does he want?
Raza: You think I'm a fool? What's going on? Tell me the truth. [Speaking in Urdu. Raza forces Yinsen's head to lie on the table.]
Yinsen: He's building your Jericho. He's building your Jericho. [Speaking in Urdu.]
Toni Stark: What do you want? A delivery date?
Toni tries to go towards Raza and Yinsen but the other men pull their guns on her.
Toni Stark: I need him. Good assistant.
Raza: You have till tomorrow to assemble my missile.
Toni is shown hammering the helmet of the suit to shape it. She cools it in water before setting it on the table in front of Yinsen. Toni is shown wrapping her hands up and Yinsen lifting the suit. Yinsen helps Toni suit up.
The science maniacs in the room were on the edge of their seat. Making a complex suit like Toni's in a cave with minimum resources was one of the greatest feats a scientist could ever achieve. While people from the past were in awe of her. They may not have understood what their sister/daughter was doing but they were sure it was no easy task for someone to do.
Yinsen: Okay? Can you move? Okay, say it again.
Toni Stark: 41 steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps, that's from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right.
"How did she remember that?", Steve questioned.
"Eidetic memory", Shuri shrugged as she answered the hundred-year-old man in front of her.
Raza notices on the security screens that Stark cannot be seen.
Raza: Where is Stark? [Speaking Arabic]
Man: She was here a moment ago. [Speaking Arabic]
Raza: Go look for her. [Speaking Arabic]
"Oh no!", Benedict muttered as he continued to bite his fingernails.
"Shit!", Peter said out loud.
"Lang-", Steve went to say but was hushed by Bucky and Sam.
The men rush to the cell.
Man: Yinsen! Yinsen! Stark!
Toni Stark: Say something. Say something back to him.
Yinsen: He's speaking Hungarian. I don't...
Toni Stark: Then speak Hungarian.
"You can't ask someone to speak Hungarian", Steve commented.
"Oh shut up!", Simon said to Steve annoyed without even sparing a glance.
"She's panicking. You would have too if you were there", Kate retorted. That golden-haired boy had started to get on her nerves.
Yinsen: Okay. I know.
Toni Stark: What do you know?
The men are shouting through the door while Yinsen is shouting something back at them. The door is shown to have an explosive on it. The men try to open the door, only for it to explode. Raza watches this all on camera and orders his men down there.
The whole hall cheered for Toni. Pietro, Colin and Peter started whooping as if their favourite team was winning the game and Wanda and MJ fist-bumped each other.
Toni Stark: How'd that work?
Yinsen: Oh, my goodness. It worked all right.
Toni Stark: That's what I do.
Yinsen: Let me finish this.
Toni Stark: Initialize the power sequence.
Yinsen: Okay.
Toni Stark: Now!
Yinsen: Tell me. Tell me.
Toni Stark: Function 11. Tell me when you see a progress bar. It should be up right now.
Yinsen: Yes.
Toni Stark: Talk to me. Tell me when you see it.
Yinsen: I have it.
Toni Stark: Press Control "l".
Yinsen: "I."
Toni Stark: "I." "Enter."
Yinsen: Got it.
Toni Stark: "l" and "Enter." Come over here and button me up.
Yinsen: Okay. All right.
Toni Stark: Every other hex bolt.
Yinsen: They're coming!
Toni Stark: Nothing pretty, just get it done. Just get it done.
Yinsen: They're coming.
Toni Stark: Make sure the checkpoints are clear before you follow me out, okay?
Yinsen: We need more time. Hey, I'm gonna go buy you some time.
Toni Stark: Stick to the plan! Stick to the plan!
"Listen to her, she's an idiot. But listen to her", Thor shouted at the man on the screen.
"Exactly. He is trying to get himself killed", Loki sighed as he commented but then realization hit him. That's what he is going to do…
Yinsen runs out of the cave with a gun from one of the dead men.
Toni Stark: Yinsen! Yinsen!
Toni watches the progress bar move while Yinsen aimlessly shoots the cave walls as he runs, scarring the men. Yinsen is stopped when he reaches the mouth of the cave and a group of men. The progress bar finishes loading, causing the lights to dim, and the suit to be powered. More men arrive in the cave to get Toni. Toni attacks them using the suit. On his way out of the cave, he attacks more of the men. Raza waits at the mouth of the cave. Toni arrives to see Yinsen has been shot.
"Oh no, not him", Violet sighed as she watched the man fighting for his life. Eloise squeezed Francesca's hand as they understood what was about to happen.
Toni Stark: Yinsen!
Yinsen: Watch out! Stark.
Raza tries to shoot at Toni but misses. Toni shoots back, hitting the wall behind Raza, causing a mini explosion and knocking Raza out.
Toni Stark: Come on.
Toni opens her helmet.
Toni Stark We got to go. Move for me, come on. We got a plan. We're gonna stick to it.
Yinsen: This was always the plan, Stark.
Toni Stark: Come on, you're gonna go see your family. Get up.
Yinsen: My family is dead. I'm going to see them now, Stark. It's okay. I want this. I want this.
Toni Stark: Thank you for saving me.
"He was a brave man", Thor said in a quiet voice as everyone in the hall bowed their head in respect after all Yinsen died a hero's death.
"May he rest in peace", Anthony said and it was repeated by everyone in the room.
Yinsen dies. Rage overtakes Toni. Men are waiting outside of the mouth of the cave. They all shoot at Toni in the suit but don't do any damage. He steams towards the exit, roaring. Raza's men flee as a deluge of flame shoots from the tunnel. Then, Toni emerges, the grey armour scarred and sizzling. Insurgents keep firing, trying to draw him from the massive ammo dump under the camouflage. But Toni is relentless and keeps moving towards it. Toni turns his flame throwers on the crates.
Toni Stark: My turn.
They begin to burn, the STARK logos eaten by flames. And now, a withering barrage of gunfire knocks Toni to her knees. The hose to her flame thrower is pierced, setting her arm on fire. Another bullet catches a seam and enters her shoulder. But Toni struggles back to her feet. The suit grinds. She pushes further into the maze, torching everything. More gunfire pings and ricochets off her and pieces of the grey armour begin to come loose. Now, Toni opens a metal flap on his arm and flips a red switch. And now something incredible happens, a whine builds to a roar. Toni tucks, angles forward as heel-boosters glow white hot, kicking up desert plumes and then she blasts off like a missile, rising hundreds of feet. One insurgent watches dumbstruck, as Toni arcs across the sky towards a mountain pass. And then the first ammo dump ignites. Then another and another, fire roses joining in a hellish conflagration. And barely outpacing the fireball.
The whole hall stared in horror. This was the first time any one of them was seeing her rage. Bucky looked at the screen in astonishment. She could have killed them in Siberia if she wanted to. That was her being reasonable. It was her grief and he did not want to witness her anger.
EXT. SKY - CONTINUOUS - DAY
The grey armour shoots towards us. Toni clears the mountain ridge by inches, and then her boosters are suddenly spent. She plunges like a human cannonball.
Toni Stark: Not bad.
EXT. SAND DUNES - DAY
Toni thuds into the sand, pieces of the armour splitting away. Dazed, she struggles with the exoskeleton. She staggers into the dunes, away from the smoke and distant explosions. She's torn up, clutching a bullet wound. She falls, gets up again, and keeps moving.
Toni staggers down a dune, dying from thirst. Behind her, a USAF Blackhawk suddenly rises over the lip of the dune. She waves down the helicopters.
Toni Stark: Hey! Hey!
As one of the helicopters lands, Toni collapses to her knees, holding up a peace sign. Rhodey and a few men are seen running up to Toni from the helicopter.
James Rhodes: How was the "fun-vee"? Next time, you ride with me, okay?
"You didn't waste a moment to get back to her, right?", Sam said laughing at their antics, easing up the tension in the room.
"No, I did not", Rhodey replied smiling at the scene.
EXT. CALIFORNIA MILITARY BASE – DAY
A giant plane has just landed. Medical, Happy, and Pepper are waiting there. The ramp lowers and Rhodey helps Toni down.
James Rhodes: Watch it, coming up here.
Toni Stark: Are you kidding me with this? Get rid of them.
Toni walks up to Pepper who is standing red-eyed and gives her a warm smile.
Toni Stark: Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?
It was when Violet realised that she too was crying at her daughter's state, she pulled out her handkerchief and dried her eyes as Colin squeezed her shoulders to comfort her.
Pepper Potts: Tears of joy. I hate job hunting.
This brought in a few chuckles from around the sombre hall.
Toni Stark: Yeah, vacation's over.
Hogan comes around and holds the limo door open for Toni. Toni, Pepper, and Happy get into the car. Awkward silence. Pepper meets her eyes with Hogan in the mirror.
Happy: Where to, ma'am?
Pepper Potts: Take us to the hospital, please, Happy.
Toni Stark: No.
Stephen groaned as he rubbed his face in his hands, of course, she will not go to the hospital. She is Toni Stark, after all, she would rather die than go for a checkup. Bruce too was having a mental breakdown on seeing her. His 'doctor side' was coming out as he watched her.
Pepper Potts: No? Toni, you have to go to the hospital.
Toni Stark: No is a complete answer.
Pepper Potts: The doctor has to look at you.
"Toni, for the love of God, listen to anyone for at least once", Steve muttered under his breath as he watched the woman on the screen.
Toni Stark: I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger and the other…
"Her love for cheeseburgers exceeds her love for herself", Happy sighed at the screen.
"What's a cheeseburger, that my sister is so fond of, that she would have it before visiting a doctor?", Eloise questioned out loud.
"Well, according to Toni, it's the best food man has ever created", Wanda replied.
Pepper Potts: That's enough of that.
Toni Stark: …is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now.
Pepper Potts: Call for a press conference?
"She wants to call for a press conference? At that time? I thought her father was a nutcase", Bucky exclaimed in horror.
"What's a press conference?", Benedict asked.
"You all have newspapers right?", Shuri asked.
"Yes, we do", Kate replied.
"So, press conferences are like a meeting of an important person and people who write in the newspapers", Ned explained.
Toni Stark: Yeah.
Pepper Potts: What on earth for?
Toni Stark: Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first.
"She has her priorities straight", MJ commented.
EXT. STARK INDUSTRIES HQ - DAY
Toni's limo pulls up, and Hogan lets Toni out. She finishes a cheeseburger and Hogan takes the wrappers. Obadiah is waiting there with a group of gathered employees. They all start applauding. Obadiah with arms outstretched. Happy driving them up to Stark Industries HQ, where Obadiah is waiting with the press and their employees.
Obadiah Stane: Look at this! Toni. We were going to meet at the hospital.
Toni Stark: No, I'm fine.
"No, you are not", Bruce exclaimed horrified at his sister in everything but blood.
"No, you are not, she had to go hospital", Violet shouted at the scene her heart running a thousand miles per minute, what was wrong with her eldest?
"I know right, she never listens to me", Pepper grumbled while agreeing with her mother.
Obadiah Stane: Look at you! You had to have a burger, yeah?
Toni Stark: Well, come on.
Obadiah Stane: You get me one of those?
"That's what he asks? After she came out of captive", Natasha asks flabbergasted at the man on the screen.
Toni Stark: There's only one left. I need it.
Obadiah Stane: Hey, look who's here! Yeah!
Packed with reporters waiting for the hundred-carat headline. Agent Phil Coulson approaches Pepper.
Agent Coulson: Miss Potts?
Pepper Potts: Yes.
Agent Coulson: Can I speak to you for a moment?
Pepper Potts: I'm not part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now.
Agent Coulson: I'm not a reporter. I'm Agent Phil Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
"What is that?", Francesca asked.
"A spy and intelligence organisation her father and godmother created", Pietro answered.
Pepper Potts: That's quite a mouthful.
Agent Coulson: I know. We're working on it.
Pepper Potts: You know, we've been approached already by the DOD, the FBI, the CIA…
"What are those?", Simon asked.
"Other spy organizations", T'Challa replied.
"How many organizations does the world require?", Anthony asked.
"There are more organizations than countries in this world", MJ said.
"But are they necessary?", Kate asked.
"For normal citizens, no. But, politically very much so. The bigger the organisation, the more dirt they can collect on others hence the more powerful the countries", Natasha explained.
"So it's all about collecting dirt? Are they even loyal to their own country? Or to themselves. The latter could cause many problems", Eloise further questioned.
"Well to answer that there are two types of people in the world, these organizations are full of both", Rhodey said.
Agent Coulson: We're a separate division with a more specific focus. We need to debrief Dr Stark about the circumstances of her escape.
"So, they are rather curious about sister's escape, than her kidnappers?", Colin scoffed. For him the future was weird, shouldn't their first priority be capturing her captives, given she is an important person in the world?
Pepper Potts: I'll put something in the book, shall I?
Agent Coulson: Thank you.
Obadiah Stane: Well, let's get this started, uh…
Toni Stark: Hey, would it be all right if everyone sat down?
Sitting in front of the podium.
Toni Stark: Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me, and I can… A little less formal and…
Toni takes a bite of his cheeseburger as everyone sits, or squats, down.
"What is she doing?", Daphne asked.
"She is taking control of the crowd", Natasha explained.
James Rhodes: What's up with the love-in?
Pepper Potts: Don't look at me. I don't know what she's up to.
"Lady Toni seems to like it when you two are worried out of your mind", Loki commented.
"That she does", Rhodey agreed.
"Sounds like someone I know", Thor said giving his brother a side-eye but he just smiles mischievously.
Toni Stark: Good to see you.
Obadiah Stane: Good to see you.
Toni Stark: (to Obadiah) I never got to say goodbye to Dad.
The whole hall paused at the statement, taking in what she was about to say.
Toni stands up to address the room.
Toni Stark: I never got to say goodbye to my father. There are questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.
"It was actually nice of her to step up", Mj commented which drew the attention of the whole room. "It is not every day people like her take accountability for her own actions."
"What do you mean by people like her?", Francesca questioned.
"Rich people, business moguls, weapon manufacturers, politically powerful people and to some extent heroes", MJ cleared herself.
Reporter: Dr Stark!
Toni Stark: Hey, Ben.
Reporter (Ben): What happened over there?
Toni Stark: I had my eyes opened.
"That's a way to put it", Stephen commented.
Toni stands and moves behind the podium.
Toni Stark: I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International.
Everyone stands up in the commotion.
Toni Stark: Until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be.
Obadiah Stane: I think we're gonna be selling a lot of newspapers.
"They did, it was the only thing news channels and newspapers talked about for a month", Sam said.
"Tell me about it, it was a PR nightmare at its best", Pepper shuddered thinking.
"Yeah, and it was discussed everywhere from dinner tables to marketplaces", Clint said.
Standing up beside Toni.
Toni Stark: What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well?
Toni leaves the stage.
Obadiah Stane: What we should take away from this is that Toni's back! And she's healthier than ever. We're going to have a little internal discussion and we'll get back to you with the follow-up.
"Internal discussion? I thought it was her company?", Eloise questioned.
Obadiah is shown on a Segway, riding up to one of the Stark buildings. Happy leaning against a car outside.
Obadiah Stane: Where is she?
Happy: She's inside.
Obadiah goes inside to find Toni looking at the giant arc reactor.
Obadiah Stane: Well, that…uh… That went well.
"For him, it did not", Stephen muttered.
Toni Stark: Did I just paint a target on the back of my head?
Obadiah Stane: Your head? What about my head? What do you think the over-under on the stock drop is gonna be tomorrow?
Wanda scoffed at the man. How could his head be a bigger target than Toni's? He was not the one who was kidnapped and tortured for months.
Toni Stark: Uh, optimistically, 40 points.
Obadiah Stane: At minimum.
Toni Stark: Yep.
Obadiah Stane: Toni, we're a weapons manufacturer.
"And she's trying to change that… Duh", Natasha says in a monotone voice.
Toni Stark: Obie, I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy.
Obadiah Stane: That's what we do. We're ironmongers. We make weapons.
"That man is delusional", Pietro commented.
"I wonder if he has something to do with the kidnapping", Vision questioned in a low voice
"I won't be surprised if it was that, Vis", Wanda who heard his words replied.
Toni Stark: It's my name on the side of the building.
Obadiah Stane: And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos.
Toni Stark: Not based on what I saw. We're not doing a good enough job. We can do better. We're gonna do something else.
Obadiah Stane: Like what? Do you want us to make baby bottles?
"Why are they always making baby-related things opposite of weaponry?" Bucky frowned.
"Maybe because it is the opposite of weaponry?" Pietro answered but it came out like a question.
"Clearly, they have never been near a baby", Simon said.
"Yeah, they are more like synonymous with each other", Eloise joined in.
Toni Stark: I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology.
Obadiah Stane: Ah, come on. The arc reactor, that's a publicity stunt! Toni, come on. We built that thing to shut the hippies up.
"No, you did nothing, asshole. It was Toni who made it", Pepper glared at the man on the screen.
Toni Stark: It works.
Obadiah Stane: Yeah, as a science project. The arc was never cost-effective. We knew that before we built it. Arc reactor technology, that's a dead end, right?
Toni Stark: Maybe.
Obadiah Stane: Huh? Am I right? We haven't had a breakthrough in that in what? Thirty years.
Toni Stark: That's what they say. Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you?
Obadiah Stane: Never mind who told me. Show me.
Toni Stark: It's Rhodey or Pepper.
Obadiah Stane: I want to see it.
Toni Stark: No. I am not opening my shirt.
Obadiah Stane: Oh, come on!
"What the hell is wrong with this man", Steve asked flabbergasted. How could he ask a woman to open her shirt for him… that was wrong on so many levels…
"Is he mentally disturbed or something?", Kate asked horrified.
"He was", Pepper said agreeing with the woman.
"The world hasn't changed a bit", Daphne scrunched up her nose as he saw the man on the screen while her brothers were fuming at the man.
Toni Stark: What? You can see the glow of this thing from the top of my shirt.
Obadiah Stane: Okay.
Toni Stark: Okay? It works.
Obadiah Stane: Listen to me, Toni. We're a team. Do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and I.
Toni Stark: I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads-up, okay? But if I had…
Obadiah Stane: Toni. Toni, no more of this "ready, fire, aim" business. You understand me?
Toni Stark: That was Dad's line.
Obadiah Stane: You gotta let me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now. We're going to have to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low.
"And now he wants to take her out of her own company?", Shuri gibed at the man.