An: I do not own Marvel or any other works of fiction you recognize. If you see something you know here, then I don't own it.
Location: The Grand Council Chamber, Wakanda
Date: 23 December 2012
"The shocking event in Congo where a seemingly queit and normal neighbourghood was suddenly bombarded with gun noises as locals say they saw no signs of the gun violence happening and it all happened so suddenly..."
The royal council was quiet as a projection of a news broadcaster all the way in America confirmed one of their worst nightmares coming to life.
The sound of wood and cement colliding broke the silence as a knobkerrie, or a stick as Shuri liked to call it hit the cemented ground of the royal hall. Even Shuri knew she wouldn't have the guts to hit the expensive floor with that much force without much hesitation.
"This is unnaceptable!" M'baku, the leader of the Jibaru tribe said with his expression changing fiercely.
"I can't allow myself and my country to be embarrassed as such, we need to take action now."
"My king." Okoye, the general of the Dora Milaje, said as she bowed to a certain individual in the room.
"Even though I would not like to, I agree with M'baku, we cannot allow Ulysses Klaw to continue roaming around freely after causing us so many problems especially this time. He has gone too far." She continued only after the the King, T'Chaka nodded.
Murmurs continued as they watched the king frown a bit as he thought, Shuri knew her father's response would be intelligent even if not everyone would agree with it. The screen showing the news ancor fadded as if it were a hologram.
"I hear all of your complaints but you know we cannot move freely with the amount of problems we have here inside Wakanda and the outsiders interference we have started to notice." Everyone, went silent in the room as he continued.
"But at the same time our integrity, the secrets of Wakanda and the safety of our fellow Wakandan are at stake here so we should follow the protocol pertaining to matters such as this one." Shuri stood in shock like many other council members as the words her father said repeated at the back of her mind. She couldnt believe her father had actually said something so...something so...insane. She could not even hear the murmers of the council members as she thought back to her first time seeing the protocol of the Dora Milaj.
The king of Wakanda then pointed at Okoye.
"You will lead a team and complete the mission. Treat it as a first priority mission and deal with it as the protocol states."
"Yes my King. I will do my best " Okoye said after a bit of hesitation. Shuri could tell that even Okoye was a little suprised by the King's determination to keep Wakanda's state of affaris the same. Shuri panicked a bit, it wasn't because she did not trust the Dora Milaj and Okoye but it was because she did trust them and she knew that gthey would definetely finish with their mission even if it meant killing Victor to protect the sectrets of Wakanda.
'I need to go find brother, he's probably the only one who would be willing to help me go against father's word.' Shuri thought as she sat in silence as the meeting continued and the council discussed other matters pertaining to the running of the country and their problems.
*Pov change: Vic*
Location: South Africa, Metal
Date: 23 December 2012
My anxiety calmed as I watched the multiple broadcasts that mentioned the situation in Congo and how none has seen me escaping. I had to thoroughly make sure I had covered my tracks well.
My next move was going to America but first I had to deal with settling in. Hundreds of workers moved around in the previously empty warehouse that was owned by Ulysses Klaw as the metal processing machinery was changed to function differently through blueprints I had given.
It was nice having a workforce even though I has stolen it from Ulysses. Currently my face looked like one of his most renowned henchmen as I had taken over this factory which was one of his tens of metal working forces that both built his weaponry and helped with the sale of his metal.
Ulysses had been stashed in one of his more secluded hideouts with the Jon Van Disil a South Africa millionaire under Ulysses and the man who's face I was currently using.
After seeing how the work was already underway I decided to pack and once again head to the airport to travel to America.
I knew I had to rush to do many things but I had no choice as time was against me.
*Pov change: Tony*
Location: Unknown
Date: 25 December early morning
The voices in the room force his consciousness back as his eyes slowly overcome the weight they feel and open. With his vision blurry, he could still see two figures standing next to each other and with how loud their voices were he could tell they were having some kind of argument or important conversation. This was even though his ears were still ringing...
Wait, why were his ears ringing? He tried recalling any memories of the past two days but nothing showed up.
"We'll discuss this later, our guest has finally woken up. Tony," one of the figures says as they notice his movements and look towards him.
"You're finally awake, I was starting to think we'd killed the mighty Iron man by accident." The figure said as he approached Tony. The other figure followed behind after a little fraughstrated sigh.
Tony finally recognized the figures after they got closer.
"Killian?" Tony said he's tone filled with shock and confusion.
"Ahhh, I see your brain wasn't scrambled up." Killian the now identified first figure said with a smile on his face
Tony felt a surge of pain as he tried to move his arms and legs. He realized he was strapped to a metal table, with wires and electrodes attached to his chest and head. He looked around and saw a large screen displaying his vital signs and brain activity.
"What did you do to me, Killian?" Tony asked, his voice hoarse and weak.
"Oh, nothing much. Just a little experiment to see how your arc reactor interacts with my Extremis virus. You see, Tony, I've always admired your genius. You created something that no one else could. A source of unlimited power that keeps you alive and fuels your suits. But you also wasted your potential. You could have used your technology to change the world, to make it a better place. Instead, you became a selfish, arrogant, playboy who only cares about himself and his toys. You don't deserve to have what you have, Tony. You don't deserve to be Iron Man." Killian said, his voice dripping with contempt and envy.
Tony felt a flash of anger and defiance. He glared at Killian and said, "You're the one who doesn't deserve anything, Killian. You're a madman, a terrorist, a murderer. You think you can improve on my work, but you only made a twisted mockery of it. You turned people into human bombs, into monsters. You killed innocent lives, you tried to kill my friends, you tried to kill the president. You're nothing but a failed experiment, Killian. A mistake."
Killian laughed and said, "Oh, Tony, you're so naive. You think you're the hero, but you're really the villain. You're the one who started this, Tony. You're the one who rejected me, who humiliated me, who ignored me. You're the one who created the Mandarin, who gave me the idea to use Extremis, who gave me the motivation to destroy you. You're the one who made me who I am, Tony. And now, you're the one who will pay the price."
Killian pressed a button and Tony felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. He screamed in agony as the screen showed his arc reactor fluctuating and his brain waves spiking. Killian smiled and said, "Let's see how long you can last, Tony. Let's see how much pain you can endure. Let's see how much power you can handle. Let's see who's the real Iron Man."
Tony screamed in agony as he was electrocuted and his eyes blurred as they struggled to stay open as he jumped in and out of consciousness. The pain was overwhelming to the point that he felt death would have been a better result.
He could feel his body losing its energy. Still he knew that he had to stay conscious. He had to find a way to escape, to stop Killian, to save Pepper. He had to be Iron Man.
He tried to focus on his arc reactor, to use it as a source of strength, to channel its power to his suit. But he realized with horror that his suit was gone. Killian had taken it apart, piece by piece, and used it to enhance his own Extremis soldiers. Tony was left with nothing but his arc reactor and his mind.
He wondered if anyone was looking for him, if anyone knew he was alive. He thought of Rhodey, of Happy, of Jarvis, of Nick Fury, of the Avengers. He wondered if they would ever see him again, if they would ever forgive him for his mistakes, if they would ever remember him as a hero.
He felt another shock of electricity and his vision faded. He heard Killian's voice, taunting him, mocking him, telling him he was worthless, telling him he was nothing. He felt a surge of anger and defiance. He refused to give up, he refused to give in, he refused to let Killian win.
He gathered all his remaining willpower and said, "I am Iron Man." He gathered all his strength and pushed his eyes open as he screamed even louder. This time not in agony but in a more passionate roar of one who's willpower was endless.
"Killian that's enough!" Maya, the other figure in the room Tony had all but ignored and even forgotten, screamed out in anger. "You're killing him." She said...
"Maya, we talked about this," Killian said in annoyance."With our memory altering technology we can get him to work for us but that will need extremis in his system so we can tap into his consciousness and alter his memories."
The agony continued as Killian reveled in his sadistic experiment. Tony gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of resilience within him. The pain became a pulsating rhythm, synchronized with the erratic beats of his arc reactor.
Maya's desperate plea sliced through the air, but Killian dismissed her concerns with a callous laugh. The intensity of the shocks increased, threatening to push Tony beyond the brink of endurance.
In the midst of the torment, a surge of heat radiated from Tony's chest. His arc reactor pulsed with a newfound vitality, resonating with the Extremis virus coursing through his veins. The fusion of man and machine reached a crescendo, an involuntary metamorphosis spurred by the convergence of science and desperation.
Maya's eyes widened in shock as she witnessed Tony's body undergoing a transformation. The once agonized screams morphed into an otherworldly resonance, an echo of power awakening. Tony's entire form glowed with an ethereal luminosity as Extremis rewrote the fabric of his being.
Yet, in his altered state, Tony remained oblivious to the change. The lines between consciousness and unconsciousness blurred as Extremis he felt the extremis syrum pump into his system. His physical form transcended the limitations of mere mortal flesh, embracing a newfound potency.
In a cruel twist of fate, Killian's maniacal laughter filled the room. He approached Maya with a malevolent gleam in his eyes. Before she could react, a burst of energy surged from Killian's palm, striking her down in an instant. Maya crumpled to the ground, a casualty of Killian's ruthlessness.
As Tony's transformation reached its zenith, a blinding light enveloped him. The arc reactor radiated with an intensity that seemed to defy the laws of nature. The warehouse shook as if reacting to the cosmic forces at play.
Yet, just as Tony's consciousness should have embraced his newfound power, an abrupt stillness settled over him. The glow receded, leaving him in an almost serene repose.
Consciousness sputtered back, a weak bulb fighting its way through smoke and darkness. Coughing, Tony scraped dust from his throat, wincing as his eyes flickered open to a harsh sun spearing through a fractured ceiling. Rubble, twisted metal, the stench of burnt rubber – this wasn't the lab he had woken up to the first time, this was...ashes. The warehouse, reduced to a smoking crater, echoed with the phantom rumble of the blast, a grim symphony of his near-demise.
He touched his chest, searching for the familiar hum of the arc reactor. There it was, a faint heartbeat nestled amidst the chaos within. Relief washed over him, fragile and fleeting. But something was different. A foreign weight clung to him, a sluggishness that felt like extra limbs.
Tentatively, he uncurled a fist. Muscles bunched beneath cracked skin, responding with a surprising ease that sent a shiver down his spine. A grin, half-grimace, half-wonder, stretched across his dust-streaked face. Power. Not just survival, but transformation. The explosion hadn't just taken the warehouse, it had taken him too, reforged him in its fiery crucible.
The mix of extremis with the arc reactor must have caused some type of reaction.' Tony hypothesized. 'I'll have to look into that.'
**Pov: Vic**
Location:United States of America, Los Angeles International Airport
Date: 24 December 2012
Landing in LAX, the Hollywood sun a warm kiss on my cheek, felt oddly surreal. Like a pre-life dream finally blooming into reality. A smile flickered, then died on my lips as the phone clock glared:
12:09 pm
34 F
I knew the final fight happened late christmas eve in the movies of the MCU and even though there were deviations from the original universe I knew most events happened at the same time periods even if thwy were a little different.
I had prepared a lot for this trip to America. My trip? No tourist selfie safari. Stealing AIM's Extremis research wasn't a quick hack and grab. This was a digital minefield, demanding surgical precision and nerves of ice. The mainframe, the beast's heart, wouldn't yield from remote hacking as it would be too difficult even for my hacking skills.
This meant I would be in the heart of the fight. I would need to be either stealthy enough or able to protect mysel even from extremis soldiers.
You know its crazy how it took me this long to get here, I'd like to apologize for that. When starting this story the idea was to be consistent but i guess I failed at that and well its okay. It's christmas l felt like coming back and releasing this chapter as a gift to you and myself. I'm happy cause it turned out great, im exited for the next arc after this one ends in the next chapter. Cause it will really show how different this story is gonna be compared to the MCU or other fanfics ive read.
But anyway, thanks for reading.