𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧-𝐯𝐞𝐞?

༻ ❁ ༺

Afghanistan Desert

          ARMS CONSTRICTED, Tony lay on the rusted metal gurney; his body was riddled with blood, a crater cut in his chest. He's held down while an anguished, chilling cry rips from his mouth, and his agony continues.

A pair of leather gloved hands lowered a contraption of sorts into the crater in Tony's chest. A soiled and ragged cloth was held over his face, the overwhelming chemical stench burned his eyes and throat; the last thing he thought of before the darkness swallowed his vision was Charlotte's face, her voice echoed as she helplessly called out to him.

༻ ❁ ༺

Yinsen stood over the makeshift cot as Tony lay there motionless; it took a moment for him to regain consciousness. As his mobility and sense returned to him, he slowly stood with the aid of Yinsen. The new mechanical addition to his chest emitted a vibrant , blue light, casting a gentle hue on Tony's stubbled and bruised face.

"You still haven't told me where you're from," Tony mused nonchalantly after the pair had been sat quietly for a while.

"I'm from a small town called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place."

"Got a family?"

"Yes. And I will see them when I leave here." Yinsen looked over the fire at Tony. The flickering flames reflecting on his skin, a thin sheen of sweat coating. "And you, Stark?"

For a fleeting second, the two exchanged eye contact until Tony looked away. He absently mindedly ran his thumb over his wedding band, his skin felt rough against the cold metal; he felt a sharp tug in his chest. "I have a wife. We've been married for twelve years." In his throat, a lump formed, "We have a daughter, Charlotte. She's only six."

"So you are a man who has everything, money, a loving family, and intelligence."

Tony lifted his gaze back to the flames. The flames reflect in the tears that prickled in his eyes; with a brisk swipe of his hand, he wiped them off.

"That just means that I have everything to lose. We almost lost her once. When she was a baby, she got sick. Meningitis. There was a blood clot that ruptured in her leg during surgery, and they weren't able to save it."

"I'm sorry, my friend." Yinsen's face softened at the revelation.

Tony's jaw locked as he was mentally taken back to the emergency room. The room was silent as they simply sat there for a moment before Yinsen leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on Tony's arm.

"She is happy and healthy, and that is what you have to hold onto."

Tony was determined to avoid the suffering he went through when he lost his parents to Charlotte. She was so young, and he didn't know whether she or Pepper would recover from it completely.

He was going to fight like hell and get back to his little girl.

༻ ❁ ༺

From the depths of the tunnel, a faint circle of light appeared, showing a complete suit of armor. Dangerous and unnerving, it is. The Ten Rings assailants staggered backward but never faltered. Instead, a command shrilled through the air, and each individual proceeded to unleash their own personal attack on the suit. With the onslaught of bullets, the armour became brittle, but Tony refused to collapse and surrender.

On seeing that they had virtually no impact, the assailants stopped firing their guns. The slits in the mask revealed his heavy and sunken eyes, revealing nothing but resolve and anger. When the guns fell silent, Tony spoke low and threatening.

"My turn."

Tony raised his arms and from the suit, a fire erupted. The fire spread quickly, allowing the attackers a split second to respond, with most preferring to throw themselves back out of reach. Their cries flooded the tent and they were engulfed by the heat and fire. He burnt them all, pouring fire on the very thing that landed him in this position. Tony took the opportunity to turn his attention to the stockpile of his own weapons. Every gun and every missile.

The flames abruptly ceased from Tony's arms as the bullets as powerful shots began to ricochet off of the metal suit. More soldiers entered the battle, in quick succession shooting at the suit and eager to kill it. In the gap of the joint in Tony's knee, one bullet found its mark; the armour buckled while bullets continued flying above and around him.

He was not done yet. He was down, but Tony was not out. And when he was on his knees, surrounded by flames, he fired and shot the side of the crate. The explosive inside detonated violently, and the attackers withdrew again. Tony eventually stumbled to his knees, inside the mess of fires and fire. The battered and dented armour burst from the campsite through the rising smoke and fire, veering backward. Abruptly, the fuel in the armour stopped and Tony screamed in confusion as he began to spin through the air, scattering parts of his suit everywhere. He lets out a pained grunt as he rolled to a halt and crash-landed in the sand, the armour broke his fall.

Sitting up, Tony shook out the mass of wires and metal that had been stuck to his arms; he took the mask, turned it over to the side, and discarded it. Before pulling himself to his feet and continuing his journey through the desert, he sat there for a few moments, catching his breath. In an attempt to cast shade from the unforgiving light, his jacket was wrapped over his head; his arms were coated in a coating of gradually dried blood and mud.

As he walked up a dune of sand, the distant sound of an engine came almost out of nowhere. Confused, on the spot, Tony turned around, attempting to find the sound source. A helicopter flew over the horizon as suddenly as the sound materialized, followed by a second and a third.

"HEY!" screamed Tony, flailing his uninjured arm desperately. He kept screaming and screaming until the helicopter landed; he dropped to his knees, laughing like a maniac; exhaustion washed through him.

A squad of soldiers, led by a familiar face, made their way over to him. Rhodey's face was creased with concern and empathy for his best friend, "How was that fun-vee?" he laughed dryly.

When Rhodey kneels down in front of him and places a soothing hand on his back, Tony releases a strained grin, relief filling his features. "Next time you ride with me, okay?"

Rhodey 's voice was weak and almost cracking, but when he gathered Tony in a firm hug, he managed to steady himself. His weathered and tired friend, thankful for the encouragement, leaned heavily against him.

"I want to see them. I want to see my baby girl," Tony whispers faintly in Rhodey's ear.

"You're going home, Tony. You'll see her soon."