Chapter Text
CHAPTER TWO, IRON MAN.
I want to clarify that the timeline for the viewers is after endgame but before far from home.
[text between these will be description of the scene or audio]
/ Text between these will be characters in the movie talking, they will also have the character name /
“Text between these will be speech”
———
[The scene opens in a desert in Kunar province, Afghanistan. A convoy drives through playing ‘back in black’ by AC/DC]
Tony Stark / I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial. This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me. What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest! /
Soldier / We can talk, sir. /
Tony Stark / Oh, I see. So, it's personal? /
Soldier / Female / No, you intimidate them. /
Tony Stark / Good God, you're a woman. I honestly... I couldn't have called that. I mean, I'd apologize, but isn't that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first. /
———
“Tsk, of course Stark would say that… women can be soldiers!” Natalie exclaimed, her hand wafting the air angrily.
“I don’t believe he meant it that way, Natalie” Marie only replied, keeping an air of elegance.
Natalie only huffed once more, turning her attention silently to the screen.
———
Soldier / Female / I'm an airman.
Tony Stark / Well, you have, actually, excellent bone structure, there. I'm kind of having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird? /
[The Soldiers in the vehicle chuckle lightly.]
/ Come on, it's okay, laugh. /
Soldier / Sir, I have a question to ask. /
Tony Stark / Yes, please. /
Soldier / Is it true you went 12 for 12 with last year's Maxim cover models? /
Tony Stark / That is an excellent question. Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict, but fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins. Anything else? /
[The Soldier next to him, pointedly named Jimmy, raises his hand. Stark gives a questioning look.]
/ You're kidding me with the hand up, right? /
Soldier / Jimmy / Is it cool if I take a picture with you? /
Tony Stark / Yes. It's very cool. /
[The soldier next to him pulls his camera out and hands it to the soldier in the front seat.]
/ I don't want to see this on your MySpace page. /
[The Soldier puts up a peace sign for the photo.]
/ Please, no gang signs. No, throw it up. I'm kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I'd be out of a job with peace. /
———
Stacy rolled her eyes defiantly “loves peace and killed millions at this point in time, still does…”
No one had much a response to the emotionally charged comment; it was rather under the breath and was intended to not be replied to.
———
Soldier / Jimmy / Come on. Hurry up. Just click it. Don't change any settings. Just click it. /
[As the picture was about to be taken, something hit and blew up the vehicle in front of them. Gunshots were audible and hitting the side of their vehicle.]
Tony Stark / What's going on? /
Soldier / female / Contact left! /
Tony Stark / What have we got? /
[The driver stepped out to go into combat and was shot down]
Soldier / Jimmy, stay with Stark! /
Soldier / Jimmy / Stay down!
Tony Stark / Yeah. /
[The other Soldier from the front seat got out to shoot but was shot too]
Soldier / Jimmy / Son of a bitch!
[Jimmy goes out to fight.]
Tony Stark / Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Give me a gun! /
Soldier / Jimmy / Stay here!
[Jimmy turned back around, and he was gunned down too, holes piercing the vehicle. Tony momentarily stunned as he dragged himself out the building himself out of the vehicle, stumbling a bit in the chaos. He recovered slowly and ran for cover behind a rock. As he pulled out his phone to call for help, a bomb landed next to him. He looked across to read ‘Stark Industries’ emblazoned on the side. Tony shoots up to get away but reacts too slow. The bomb exploded and launched him into the air.]
Tony Stark / Whoa! /
[Tony hit the ground hard, senses dulled again. He felt a pain in his chest and pulled his shirt of out the way as blood started to pool.]
[Tony is then shown kidnapped by an unknown terrorist group and there is a man speaking in Urdu something redacted]
———
“Oh my god! That’s how it happened?” Exclaimed cole, leaning forward slightly.
Natalie scoffed out her reply. “The pretentious bastard had it coming with all the people he killed.”
“No one deserves to be kidnapped and-“ she paused “whatever else they did to him!” Cole finished.
“They probably treated him like royalty, he’s a spoiled prince and they knew it. If they wanted his services they would’ve buttered him up to him for it!” Countered Natalie, crossing her legs.
“You don’t know that.” Pointed Cole
Rolling her eyes, Natalie responded with a roll of her neck. “Well neither do you, sweetheart.”
“Let’s just stay calm, this has already passed. Nothing we could do or have ever done about any of it anyways.” Marie intervened swiftly, her tone calculated and neutral.
———
[Las Vegas, 36 Hours Earlier ]
Voice over / Tony Stark. Visionary. Genius. American patriot. Even from an early age, the son of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind. At age four, he built his first circuit board. At age six, his first engine. And at 17, he graduated summa cum laude from MIT. Then, the passing of a titan. Howard Stark's lifelong friend and ally, Obadiah Stane, steps in to help fill the gap left by the legendary founder, until, at age 21, the prodigal son returns and is anointed the new CEO of Stark Industries. With the keys to the kingdom, Tony ushers in a new era for his father's legacy, creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, satellite targeting. Today, Tony Stark has changed the face of the weapons industry by ensuring freedom and protecting America and her interests around the globe. /
James Rhodes / As liaison to Stark Industries, I've had the unique privilege of serving with a real patriot. He is my friend, and he is my great mentor. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present this year's Apogee Award to Mr. Tony Stark. Tony? /
[Tony’s lack of appearance made Obadiah stand to take the award for Tony]
Obadiah Stane / Thank you, Colonel. /
James Rhodes / Thanks for the save. /
Obadiah Stane / This is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you all very much. This is wonderful. Well, I'm not Tony Stark. But if I were Tony, I would tell you how honored I feel and what a joy it is to receive this very prestigious award. Tony, you know...The best thing about Tony is also the worst thing. He's always working. /
———
“I can’t believe it, he didn’t even show up to get his own awards.”
“Have you ever heard of Tony Stark because I don’t think you get that he never did, ever.”
“Just shows how little he cared.” Stacy
“Man if I got given one of those I would’ve thrown it away and gone back to partying. Stark was living the dream before iron man!” Will added unhelpfully
“You’re one shallow man…” Natalie piped up, not having talked in multiple minutes.
“The she devil speaks!” Yelled Stacy, who earned a grunt from Natalie.
Will shrugged “Whatever, you just don’t get me.”
———
Tony Stark / Work it! Come on! We should just stay till the morning. /
Woman / You are unbelievable. /
Tony Stark / Oh, no! Did they rope you into this? /
James Rhodes / Nobody roped me into anything! /
Tony Stark / I'm so sorry. /
James Rhodes / But they told me that if I presented you with an award, you'd be deeply honored. /
Tony Stark / Of course I'd be deeply honored. And it's you, that's great. So, when do we do it? /
James Rhodes / It's right here. Here you go. /
Tony Stark / There it is. That was easy. I'm so sorry. /
James Rhodes / Yeah, it's okay. /
Tony Stark / Wow! Would you look at that? That's something else. I don't have any of those floating around. Uh, we're gonna let it ride! Give me a hand, will you? Give me a little something-something. [The woman next to him blows on the dice]
Okay, you, too. /
[Tony holds the dice out to Rhodes, earning an unimpressed glare.]
James Rhodes / I don't blow on a man's dice. /
Tony Stark / Come on, honey bear. /
James Rhodes / I don't blow on a man's dice. /
[Rhodes reiterates before he knocks Tony's hand away causing the dice to roll]
Tony Stark / There it is. Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes rolls! And... /
Dealer / Two craps. Line away. /
James Rhodes / That's what happens. /
Tony Stark / Worse things have happened. I think we're gonna be fine. Color me up, will ya? /
[Tony, Rhodes, and Happy are seen leaving the casino.]
James Rhodes / This is where I exit. /
Tony Stark / All right. /
James Rhodes / Tomorrow don't be late. /
Tony Stark / Yeah, you can count on it. /
James Rhodes / I'm serious! /
Tony Stark / I know, I know. [he unceremoniously dumped the reward into Caesar’s hands.] Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's. There you go. /
[Outside of the casino.]
Christine Everhart / Mr. Stark! Excuse me, Mr. Stark! Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair magazine. Can I ask you a couple of questions? /
Happy Hogan / [whispering to Tony] She's cute. /
Tony Stark / [to Happy] She's all right? [to Christine] Hi. /
Christine Everhart / Hi. /
Tony Stark / Yeah. Okay-- /
Christine Everhart / It's okay? /
Tony Stark / Go. /
Christine Everhart / You've been called the da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that? /
Tony Stark / Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint. /
Christine Everhart / And what do you say to your other nickname? "The Merchant of Death"? /
Tony Stark: That's not bad. Let me guess. Berkeley? /
Christine Everhart / Brown, actually. /
Tony Stark / Well, Ms. Brown. It's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee you, the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals. /
Christine Everhart / You rehearse that much? /
Tony Stark / Every night in front of the mirror before bedtime. /
Christine Everhart / I can see that. /
Tony Stark / I'd like to show you first-hand. /
Christine Everhart / All I want is a serious answer. /
Tony Stark / Okay, here's serious. My old man had a philosophy, "Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy." /
Christine Everhart / That's a great line coming from the guy selling the sticks. /
Tony Stark / My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero. /
Christine Everhart / And a lot of people would also call that war profiteering. /
Tony Stark / Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs, military funding, honey. /
Christine Everhart / You ever lose an hour of sleep your whole life? /
Tony Stark / I'd be prepared to lose a few with you. /
[They go to Malibu and have sex.]
———
Exasperated, Stacy let out a yell. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”
“Well I guess they’re both…consenting adults…” Kevin could only justify, gesturing to the screen with a hand and adverting his gaze.
Natalie glanced at him with a patronising expression and gave a monotonous reply. “I couldn’t care less about Stark’s personal life, why is this relevant? When am I ever gonna need to know that Tony Stark fucked his way out of conflict?”
“I guess that stopped after he and Pepper Potts got together.”
Quickly interrupting, Kevin shot straight from his place on the couch. “Let’s not gossip about the dead, yeah?”
“If we can’t talk about him, why the hell are we here?” Disrupted Stacy, swiping her hand through the air in mild outrage.
He had no response, stowing in embarrassment as his ears reddened and he looked away from the others.
———
JARVIS / Good morning. It's 7:00 a.m. The weather in Malibu is 72 degrees with scattered clouds. The surf conditions are fair with waist-to-shoulder high lines. High tide will be at 10:52 a.m. /
[Christine wanders a little aimlessly but begins to call for Tony]
Christine Everhart / Tony? Hey, Tony? /
[She pokes at the controls on the wall, receiving a harsh beep instead of whatever she intended.]
JARVIS / You are not authorized to access this area. /
[Christine jolts in shock but composes herself]
Christine Everhart / Jesus. /
Pepper Potts / That's JARVIS. He runs the house. I've got your clothes here. They've been dry-cleaned and pressed, and there's a car waiting for you outside that will take you anywhere you'd like to go. /
Christine Everhart / You must be the famous Pepper Potts. /
Pepper Potts / Indeed I am. /
Christine Everhart / After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry-cleaning. /
Pepper Potts / I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires, including, occasionally, taking out the trash. Will that be all? /
[the scene changes to Tony working on a car in his workshop]
———
Will gasped, “Goddamn he’s loaded… I mean I knew but it’s so much easier to put it in perspective it when you see it” he ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly.
“He was loaded, now it’s all his wife and kids’ money.” Marie placed emphasis on the ‘was’ part of her statement. Though it hadn’t intended to have an undertone of snark, it gave off a wave of distaste for the man. Or maybe just billionaires.
———
Tony Stark / Give me an exploded view. /
JARVIS / The compression in cylinder three appears to be low. /
Tony Stark / Log that. /
Pepper Potts / [gaze fixed on her phone.] I'm gonna try again, right now. /
Tony Stark / Please don't turn down my music. /
Pepper Potts / I'll keep you posted. [Pepper stated as she looked up] You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now. /
Tony Stark / How'd she take it? /
Pepper Potts / Like a champ. /
Tony Stark / Why are you trying to hustle me out of here? /
Pepper Potts / Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago. /
Tony Stark / That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there. /
Pepper Potts / Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door. /
Tony Stark / I mean, doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive? /
Pepper Potts / Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no. /
Tony Stark / Is it a good representation of his spring period? /
Pepper Potts / Um, no. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked- /
Tony Stark / So? /
Pepper Potts / Not "spring" like the season. I think it's a fair example. Um.. I think it's incredibly overpriced. /
Tony Stark / I need it. Buy it. Store it. /
Pepper Potts / Okay. The MIT commencement speech... /
Tony Stark /
Is in June. Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down... /
Pepper Potts / Well, they're haranguing me, so I'm gonna say yes. /
Tony Stark / Deflect it and absorb it. Don't transmit it back to me. /
Pepper Potts / I need you to sign this before you get on the plane. /
Tony Stark / What are you trying to get rid of me for? What, you got plans? /
Pepper Potts / As a matter of fact, I do. /
Tony Stark / I don't like it when you have plans. /
———
“Clearly he already had an attachment for her at the time…” Cole muttered.
“Well I’m sure their sudden relationship didn’t just happen in a click” Marie comments coolly, fixing her hair behind her ear.
Glancing towards the other woman, she spoke slightly louder now. “Yeah but they made it official after the incident with HammerTech and the stark expo attack, so it could’ve been a recent development.”
“Tony stark doesn’t seem like a very romantically involved person. Sexually, definitely but his relationships never had much more than a one night stand” Concluded Natalie.
The pair gave half-hearted hum to eachother and moved on, going back to watching the movie like documentary.
———
Pepper Potts / I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday. /
Tony Stark / It's your birthday? /
Pepper Potts / Yes. /
Tony Stark / I knew that. Already? /
Pepper Potts / Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year. /
———
Almost everyone winced for him
“Well she sure matches his energy?” Kevin attempted to soften the blow, earning snorts of laughter and varying forms of amusement.
“Yeah and he seems about as put together as a cheese board.” Was Stacy’s reply.
“Why is that what you thought of?!” Cole asked incredulously, unable to ignore the comment even if it was her intention to.
Stacy pulled her shoulders inwards slightly, her head shifting to the side nervously.
“Uh cause it’s true!”
“You’ve just been waiting to say that stupid shit and thought it would sound cooler.” Cole breathed.
———
Tony Stark / Well, get yourself something nice from me. /
Pepper Potts / I already did. /
Tony Stark / And? /
Pepper Potts / Oh, it was very nice. /
Tony Stark / Yeah. /
Pepper Potts / Very tasteful. Thank you, Mr. Stark. /
Tony Stark / You're welcome, Miss Potts... Okay. /
———
The romantic/sexual tension between the two was evident, and the watchers felt like they were intruding.
———
[Happy and Tony racing to the airport and arriving.]
Tony Stark / You're good. I thought I lost you back there. /
Happy / You did, sir. [fishing Tony’s belongings out the boot of the car] I had to cut across Mulholland./
Tony Stark / I got you. I got you. /
James Rhodes / What's wrong with you?/
[Rhodey was stood at the jet doorway, impatiently stood waiting for tony]
Tony Stark / What? /
James Rhodes / Three hours. /
Tony Stark / I got caught doing a piece for Vanity Fair. /
James Rhodes / For three hours. For three hours you got me standing here. /
Tony Stark / Waiting on you now. Let's go. Come on. Wheels up! Rock and roll! /
———
“What a prick…” mumbled Natalie.
“About to say bellend, are you love?” Stacy mocked, her head leading forward.
Natalie only had a jaw clench in response for a moment before she gathered words, cheeks red.
“Oh shut, don’t sass me.”
“Keep your wig on, madam, you can have a cup of tea soon” smirking, stacy relaxed for the first time, opening the gradually lax atmosphere for breathing room.
Natalie groaned aggressively and shoved a pillow into her lap gruffly.
———
[inside the jet.]
Tony Stark / What you reading, platypus? /
James Rhodes / Nothing. /
Tony Stark / Come on, sour patch. /
James Rhodes / I'm not sour. /
Tony Stark / Don't be mad. /
James Rhodes / I told you, I'm not mad. I'm indifferent, okay? /
Tony Stark / I said I was sorry. /
Flight Attendant #1 / Good morning, Mr. Stark. /
James Rhodes / You don't need to apologize to me. /
Tony Stark / I told you I was sorry. /
James Rhodes / I'm your man. /
Tony Stark / Hi. I told him I was sorry, but he... /
James Rhodes / I'm just indifferent right now. /
Flight Attendant #1 / Hot towel? /
James Rhodes / You don't respect yourself, so I know you don't respect me. /
Tony Stark / I respect you. /
James Rhodes / I'm just your babysitter. So, when you need your diaper changed... [takes a hot towel] Thank you. Let me know and I'll get you a bottle, okay? /
Tony Stark / Hey! Heat up the sake, will you? Thanks for reminding me. /
James Rhodes / No, I'm not talking... We're not drinking. We're working right now. /
Tony Stark / You can't have sashimi without sake. /
James Rhodes / You are constitutionally incapable of being responsible. /
Tony Stark / It would be irresponsible not to drink. I'm just talking about a nightcap. /
Flight Attendant #2 / Hot sake? /
Tony Stark / Yes, two, please. /
James Rhodes / No. Just-- I'm not drinking. I don't want any. /
[Rhodes and Tony drunk on the couch and the flight attendants dancing around them.]
———
“Shit, when I said he fucks his way out of things I didn’t mean every time!” Natalie yelped, pillow abandoned to her left as she pressed a hand to her chin.
Unexpectedly, Marie was the one to answer. “I don’t know what you expected, the guy probably has five kids he has no clue about”
Even Marie seemed less uptight.
“True…” Levelled natalie. Removing her hand from her chin and replacing it in her lap.
———
James Rhodes / That's what I'm talking about. When I get up in the morning and I'm putting on my uniform, you know what I recognize? I see in that mirror that every person that's got this uniform on got my back! /
Tony Stark / Hey, you know what? I'm not like you. I'm not cut out... /
James Rhodes / No, no. You don't have to be like me! But you're more than what you are. /
Tony Stark / Can you excuse me if I'm a bit distracted here? /
James Rhodes / No! You can't be distracted right now! Listen to me! /
———
“Damn, he’s mouthy when he’s drunk!” Exclaimed will, smiling wide.
The boy was lying across a beanbag infront of the couch and armchair set, watching up at the screen and looking enamoured by the now fully set in realisation that - holy shit they’re watching Tony stark live his life!
“He’s friends with Tony, of course he gets like that.” Cole cooed back,‘Ist comfortable with interacting with him as they were closest in age.
———
[Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.]
Tony Stark / General. /
General / Welcome, Mr. Stark. We look forward to your weapons presentation. /
Tony Stark / Thanks. /
———
“Ugh…weapons…” grumbled Stacy.
“I guess that means we’re getting closer to his kidnapping.” Marie commented inquisitively, pointing loosely towards the display.
“I wish he’d died back there.” Stacy only added.
Earning three stares, she glared back at the watchful eyes.
Kevin couldn’t help the hero worship that flowed through his veins.
“He saves so many people, though!”
“He kills them, too! My brother is dead because of him and I will never…never forgive him for it!” Her yells gave way to silence.
———
[Tony giving his presentation in the desert of Afghanistan.]
Tony Stark / Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both? With that in mind, I humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries' Freedom Line. It's the first missile system to incorporate our proprietary repulsor technology. They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it. That's how America does it. And it's worked out pretty well so far. Find an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee you the bad guys won't even want to come out of their caves. [The missiles blast through the air.] For your consideration, the Jericho. /
[The missiles explode in the background]
———
Stacy stared blankly, her eyes darkening. As her eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched, she couldn’t help the anger that washed over her. He was wreckless, careless!
“Goddamn… he was good at his shit though…” muttered a dazed will.
“Yeah, good at mass murder” She stated defiantly.
Tony Stark / [Opening a cooler full of alcohol] I'll be throwing one of these in with every purchase of 500 million or more. To peace! /
[Tony's phone rings, he answers it.]
Obadiah Stane / Tony. /
Tony Stark / Obie, what are you doing up? /
Obadiah Stane / I couldn't sleep till I found out how it went. How'd it go? /
Tony Stark / It went great. Looks like it's gonna be an early Christmas. /
Obadiah Stane / Hey! Way to go, my boy! I'll see you tomorrow, yeah? /
Tony Stark / Why aren't you wearing those pajamas I got you? /
Obadiah Stane / Good night, Tony. /
[Tony hangs up the call as he enters the military van.]
James Rhodes / Hey, Tony. /
[Rhodey called as he bounded over, hand lifted slightly in preparation]
Tony Stark / I'm sorry, this is the "fun-vee." The "hum-drum-vee" is back there. /
James Rhodes / Nice job. /
[he pulled his lips into a line as he said it, nodding sin a minuscule arch]
Tony Stark / See you back at base. /
———
“I bet he regrets that one” was the only comment that was mustered, from Marie of all people.
———
[Replay of the attack in the first scene mixed with Tony have surgery and screaming. Tony wakes up suddenly with a tube up his nose, laying on a cot in a cave. He rips out the tube and tries to pick up a cup on the table beside him, but fails. He notices a man shaving and tries to reach further but is stopped by wires.]
———
Cole gagged at the new scene. “Goddamn…! Getting into it, hey?”
“I suppose it was in the nonexistent contract we signed” snarked Kevin, earning a disgruntled huff from Cole who was covering her mouth while looking paler than white walls.
———
Yinsen / I wouldn't do that if I were you. /
[Tony realizes that he's connected to a battery. He rips off the bandages over his chest to see an electromagnet inside his chest]
[Yinsen and Tony sitting by a small fire. Yinsen is making food while Tony is using a mirror to look at his chest.]
Tony Stark / What the hell did you do to me? /
Yinsen / What I did? 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? /
[Yinsen shakes a bottle of shrapnel.]
I have a souvenir. Take a look.
[Tosses the bottle to Tony]
: 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. /
Tony 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? /
[Tony zips up the jacket he's wearing, his eyes finding the camera on the ceiling.]
That's right. Smile. We met once, you know, at a technical conference in Bern. /
Tony 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. /
———
“You know what? I like this guy so far. He gave villain vibes but I think we would’ve seen him before if he were bad.”
Will waited for a reply.
He received none and acted as if he wasn’t expecting acknowledgment.
———
Tony Stark / Where are we? /
[Loud voices sound from the other side of the metal door as they open it. Yinsen scrambles to stand]
Yinsen / Come on, stand up. Stand up! Just do as I do. Come on, put your hands up. /
[armed men walk in]
Tony 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.]
/ He says, "Welcome, Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America." [The man continues.] He is honored. He wants you to build the missile. [The man speaks in Arabic again.] The Jericho missile that you demonstrated. [The man speaks handing Yinsen a picture of the Jericho missile.] This one. /
Tony Stark / I refuse. /
[Suddenly, the scene shows Tony being waterboarded, the image flashes between him and the electromagnet in his chest. /
———
Gasps of terror and shock emitted from each throat, Stacy averted her eyes will shifted on the beanbag. Creating a crinkling noise that infected the silence.
———
Pepper Potts / Tony! /
[As a voice in his head as he tries not to drown.]
[The men pull him out, put a bag over his head, and escort him out of the cave. Tony sees a lot of men, tents, and his guns. The same man speaking Arabic before speaks again.]
Yinsen / He wants to know what you think. /
Tony Stark / I think you got a lot of my weapons. /
[Yinsen translates Tony's words into Arabic. The same man speaking Arabic responds]
Yinsen / He says they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile. He wants you to make the list of materials. [Man speaks Arabic again] He says for you to start working immediately, and when you're done, he will set you free. /
Tony Stark / No, he won't. / [Shaking the Arabic man's hand with a sarcastic smile.]
Yinsen / No, he won't. / [Smiling as well.]
[now the pair are sat around a campfire in the cave]
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, in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it? /
Tony 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. /
Yinsen / Well, then, this is a very important week for you, isn't it? Hm? /
Tony Stark / [Directing the men to where to put things while Yinsen's translating] 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. [Yinsen and Tony start taking apart the weapons.] How many languages do you speak? /
Yinsen / A lot. But apparently, not enough for this place. They speak Arabic, Urdu, Dari, Pashto, Mongolian, Farsi, Russian. /
Tony Stark / Who are these people? /
Yinsen / They are your loyal customers, sir. They call themselves the Ten Rings. [The men of the Ten Rings are shown watching Tony and Yinsen work on a TV.] You know, we might be more productive if you include me in the planning process. /
Tony Stark / Uh-huh. [Tony pulls apart a missile.] Okay, we don't need this. /
Yinsen / What is that? /
Tony 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]
[Tony and Yinsen working on something. Yinsen is pulling something out of the fire.]
Tony Stark / Careful. Careful, we only get one shot at this. /
Yinsen / Relax. I have steady hands. Why do you think you're still alive? /
Tony Stark / What do I call you? /
Yinsen / My name is Yinsen. /
Tony Stark / Yinsen. Nice to meet you. /
Yinsen / Nice to meet you, too. [Tony puts together a device while Yinsen watches.] Whoa. That doesn't look like a Jericho missile. /
Tony 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? /
Tony Stark / If my math is right, and it always is, three gigajoules per second. /
Yinsen / That could run your heart for 50 lifetimes. /
Tony Stark / Yeah. Or something big for 15 minutes. /
Tony Stark / [Looking at sheets of paper with Yinsen] This is our ticket out of here. /
Yinsen / What is it? /
Tony Stark / Flatten them out and look. / [Yinsen flattens the sheets out to see a drawing of a metal suit.]
Yinsen / Oh, wow. Impressive. /
[Security footage shows that the arc reactor was successfully put in Tony, allowing him more freedom of movement without having to carry the car battery around.]
[Tony and Yinsen playing a game.]
Yinsen / Good. Good roll. Good roll. /
Tony 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. /
Tony Stark / Got a family? /
Yinsen / Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark? /
Tony Stark / No. /
Yinsen / No? So you're a man who has everything and nothing. /
[The men of the Ten Rings come to the door, armed. They open the hatch to see Tony and Yinsen working before turning around and leaving. Shows Tony welding metal together, while the Ten Rings watch the cameras and compare what he's creating with the Jericho picture.]
**in Arabic**
Man #1 */ It doesn't look anything like the picture. /*
Man #2 */ Maybe it's been modified. /*
Man #1 */ The tail is wrong. /*
Man #2 */ It's just backwards. /*
[The head of the Ten Rings, Raza, watches Tony and Yinsen test out one of the legs of the suit. He and his men go visit Tony and Yinsen.]
Raza / Relax. [Motioning for the two men to remove their hands from above their heads. They do so as Raza comes up and inspects Tony's arc reactor.] The bow and arrow once was the pinnacle of weapons technology. 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.
[Starts speaking in Urdu as he stares down Tony.] Why have you failed me? /
Yinsen / We're working. Diligently. / [Speaking in Urdu.]
[he turns to them]
Raza / I let you live. This is how you repay me? / [Speaking in Urdu.]
Yinsen / It's very complex. He's trying very hard. / [Speaking in Urdu.]
[Raza commands his men in Urdu, they force Yinsen to his knees]
Raza / On his knees. You think I'm a fool? I'll get the truth. /
[Speaking in Urdu as he takes a coal from the dying fire.]
Yinsen: / We're both working. /
[Speaking in Urdu.]
Raza / Open your mouth. /
[Speaking in Urdu.]
Tony Stark / What does he want? /
Raza / You think I'm a fool? What's going on? Tell me the truth. /
[Raza forces Yinsen's head to lay on the table.]
Yinsen / He's building your Jericho. He's building your Jericho. /
[Speaking in Urdu.]
Tony Stark / What do you want? A delivery date? [Tony tries to go towards Raza and Yinsen but the other men pull their guns on him.] I need him. Good assistant. /
Raza / You have till tomorrow to assemble my missile. /
[Tony is shown hammering the helmet of the suit to shape it. He cools it in water before setting on the table in front of Yinsen. Tony is shown wrapping his hands up and Yinsen lifting the suit up. Yinsen helps Tony suit up.]
———
“He really did build it all in a cave..” muttered Kevin
“Yeah, the birthplace of the original iron man..! I’d love- I’d love to see it in person.” Cole replied, the two already comfortable with having conversations with each other.
———
Yinsen / Okay? Can you move? Okay, say it again. /
Tony Stark / 41 steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps, that's from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right. /
[Raza notices on the security screens that Stark cannot be seen.]
Raza / Where is Stark? /
[Speaking Arabic]
Man / He was here a moment ago. /
[Speaking Arabic]
Raza / Go look for him. /
[Speaking Arabic]
[The men rush to the cell.]
Man / Yinsen! Yinsen! Stark! /
Tony Stark / Say something. Say something back to him. /
Yinsen / He's speaking Hungarian. I don't... /
Tony Stark / Then speak Hungarian. /
Yinsen / Okay. I know. /
Tony 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.]
Tony Stark / How'd that work? /
Yinsen / Oh, my goodness. It worked all right. /
Tony Stark / That's what I do. /
Yinsen / Let me finish this. /
Tony Stark / Initialize the power sequence. /
Yinsen / Okay. /
Tony Stark / Now! /
Yinsen / Tell me. Tell me. /
Tony Stark / Function 11. Tell me when you see a progress bar. It should be up right now. /
Yinsen / Yes. /
Tony Stark / Talk to me. Tell me when you see it. /
Yinsen / I have it. /
Tony Stark / Press Control "l". /
Yinsen / "I." /
Tony Stark / "I." "Enter." /
Yinsen / Got it. /
Tony Stark / "l" and "Enter." Come over here and button me up. /
Yinsen / Okay. All right. /
Tony Stark / Every other hex bolt. /
Yinsen / They're coming! /
Tony Stark / Nothing pretty, just get it done. Just get it done. /
Yinsen / They're coming. /
Tony 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. /
Tony Stark / Stick to the plan! Stick to the plan! /
[Yinsen runs out of the cave with a gun from one of the dead men.]
Tony Stark / Yinsen! Yinsen! /
———
“Oh my god, he’s gonna get himself killed!!” Yelped Natalie, her hand returning to her chin again.
Stacy, though she too were suspended in tension and suspense, couldn’t resist the opportunity to argue with the other woman as she leaned forward.
“Oh? You have a heart then do you? Thought you came straight from oz.” Her smirk faltered as Natalie gave no indication of even registering her comment.
———
[Tony 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 Tony. Tony 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. Tony arrives to see Yinsen has been shot.]
Tony Stark / Yinsen! /
Yinsen / Watch out! /
[Raza tries to shoot at Tony but misses. Tony shoots back, hitting the wall behind Raza, causing a mini explosion and knocking Raza out. A silence was held momentarily.]
Yinsen / Stark. /
Tony Stark / Come on. [The faceplate opens.] 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. /
[the pain on Starks face was now increasing]
———
“No…no he- he can’t mean it…”
Natalie was beginning to spiral, she couldn’t believe how someone would be okay with dying. Maybe it was a subconscious fear of her own inevitable death, something she struggled to come to terms with after a near death experience just as she moved to New York. She knew it was supervillain central; it’s just that she hadn’t expected she would be so close to it all, assumed it all was hyperbole from the locals.
The atmosphere was stiller than ever, quiet in shock.
———
Tony 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. /
Tony Stark / Thank you for saving me. /
Yinsen / Don't waste it. Don't waste your life. /
[Yinsen passes away]
———
“Mortals, you will be permitted a mental break as the continuing scenes may be overshadowed by Yinsen’s passing.” The deity announced from - it seemed to be - nowhere.
The group slowly disbanded, leaving Natalie and Marie on the couch.
Marie slid off the cushions and sat on the coffee table across from Natalie.
“Are you alright, Natalie?” Marie’s smooth voice was firm and grounding, the woman’s face wore wrinkles that weren’t visible till now, maybe from the tension of the previous scenes.
“I believe so…” was her soft reply, she gave thought and began to voice her thoughts.
“I just didn’t realise, how much it scared me. Death I mean. This man was so, so ready to go, so ready to let it happen, ready to let the world continue without him and… only us in here and Tony stark know what he did in his last days, moments! I just felt, for a second, I was him.” Letting her hands cover her eyes, her head ducked in sadness. Only disturbed by Marie sitting beside her and placing a careful hand to her shoulder.