Out of Time (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 10

You wake from another nightmare and sit there trying to catch your breathe.
"You good?" A voice asks.
"Yeah" you sigh.

Next minute you're distracted by a noise.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you" the voice speaks again.
You start to get up and make your way over to the noise.
"Hey shhh your okay, well kind of anyway" you say to a person laying on a cot.

"What the hell did you two do to me?" He asks
The other person laughs "what we did?... what we did is save your life, removed all the shrapnel we could but there's a lot left and it's headed into your atrial septum. Here want to see? I have an souvenir. Take a look." He chucks a glass bottle at the other guy.
"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" he explains.
"What is this?"

"That is an electromagnetic, hooked up to what is a car battery, it's keeping the shrapnel from entering your heart" you say.
The person looks around and notices cameras in the room.
"That's right smile" the other guy says.
"You look familiar" you say looking at guy on the cot.
"The great Tony Stark" the other guys adds.

You gasp and walk back to your own bed trying not to cry.
"She okay?" Tony asks.
"She is complicated" the other guy responds "You know we met once" he add.
"I don't remember" Tony states.
"Well if I was that drunk I wouldn't be able to stand let alone give a lecture on integrated circuits."

"Where are we?" Tony asks.
Next minute there is a bang on the door and you jump out of your bed and head to the guys.
"Stand up" you whisper to Tony.
"Do as as we do" the other guy says.
"Put your arms up" you whisper .
"Those are my guns. How did they get my guns?" Tony asks shocked.
"Do you understand me? do what we do" the other guy pleads.

A group of guys walk in with one of them speaking Arabic.
"He says Welcome Tony Stark the most famous mass murderer in the history of America" the other guy translates and your breathe catches at the words.
"He is honoured, he wants you to build the missile. The Jericho missile that you demonstrated" he gets handed a piece of paper.
"This one"
"I refuse" Tony states.

After being separated you are now back in the room with the two guys. You're sat on your cot, while they sit by the fire.
"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?"
"Why should I do anything? They're going to kill us all anyway. And if they don't I will probably be dead in a week" Tony counters.

"Well then this is a very important week for you isn't it?"
They hear your sniffles.
"You okay?" Tony asks.
"I'm okay as I can be" you respond.
"What's your name?" He questions
"Gracie" you respond slowly sitting up and facing him.
"My father had a best friend named that" you smile at this.
"Howard?" You ask.
"Yeah how did you know?" He questions.
"Howard was a great man. You look just like him." You smile remembering your friend.
"It can't be..but you do look exactly like the pictures he used to show me" he examines you closer.
"Yeah it's complicated" you wipe your tears.

Next minute men are entering the room with the equipment.
"If this is going to be my work station I want it we'll lit and 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." Tony lists all the other stuff he's gonna need.

"Who are these people?" Tony questions.
"They are your loyal customers sir, they call themselves the ten rings" the other guy responds.
"You know it may be more productive if you include us in the planning process."
"Uh uh"
You sit and watch Tony work and you're transformed back to when you used to stand and watch Howard get excited over something he just discovered. The way his face would light up and he would be excited to show you and then you would work together.
"What is that?" The other guy asks.
"That is palladium, 0.15 grams we need at least 1.6 so can you both work on breaking down the other 11?"
"Yep got it" you respond getting to work.

"Careful careful. We only got one shot at this" Tony speaks.
"Relax I've got steady hands. Why do you think you're still alive? Huh?"
"Thought that was to do with her" he points at you.
"Nope mostly him" you smile.
"What's your name anyway" Tony asks the other guy
"Yinsen"
"Nice to meet you I guess" Tony responds .

You let the guys work helping where you can.
"That doesn't look like a Jericho missile" Yinsen questions.
"That's because it's a miniaturised arc reactor. I've got a big one power in my factory at home. It should keep the shrapnel out of my heart."
"But could it generate?" Yinsen asks.
"If my Math is right, and it always is, three gigajoules per second" Tony responds.
"That could run your heart for 50 lifetimes"
"Yeah or something big for 15 minutes"

As Tony shows you his plan "This is our ticket out of here."
"What is it?" Yinsen asks.
"Flatten them out and look" you say with a smile on your face as you caught on to Tony's idea.

You help Yinsen put the arc reactor into Tony's chest.
"So how are you not 100 years old right now ?" Tony questions.
"I was frozen by an organisation who like these people wanted to use your fathers creations for evil. I was kidnapped and tortured to help them but I refused but they thought killing me would be a waste so they put me in a cryostasis chamber, must've forgotten about me then next thing I know Yinsen here is awakening me telling me it's 2008 and turns out I'm still with bad guys" you say a tear falling down your cheek.

"Where you from?" He points to Yinsen.
"Small town called Gulmira it's actually a nice place."
"Family?"
"Yes and I will see them when we leave. You stark?" He questions.
You look at him wondering if Howard is still alive.
Tony looks at you.
"No" he sees your face drop.
"I'm sorry" you whisper.
"I will get us out of here I promise, then I want to know more about you" Tony grabs your hand and squeezes it for reassurance.

The three of you get to work on Tony's idea. Your hard at work when the soldiers come in and you instantly put your hands on your head.
One guy starts looking round while talking then he speaks to Yinsen in Arabic. You see they are about to torture him and close your eyes. 
"I need him. He's a good assistant" Tony pleads.
"You have till tomorrow" he then walks up to you and strikes you across the face and you stumble back "Or I will kill her first."

As soon as they leave Tony looks at the gash on your face "I'm fine, I've had worse" you half smile.
You get then get back to working on the suit. Soldiers start banging on the door.
"Say something" Tony looks at Yinsen.
"I don't know Hungarian" and they both look at you.
"Don't look at me" you say while tightening part of the suit.

The soldiers try and force the door and it causes an explosion.
"I will finish this you initialise the power sequence" you say to Yinsen.
"Okay" he heads over to the controls.
"Function 11, tell me when you see a progress bar" Tony orders "it should be up right now"
"Yes I have it"
"Press control I"
"I got it"
"I Enter, I and enter" Tony shouts.

"They are coming" you say looking at the door.
"Just get it done" Tony says as you and Yinsen try and finish the suit.
"Make sure the checkpoints are clear before you both follow me out okay."
"We need more time" you say looking at the screen.

"I will buy you guys some" Yinsen say heading to run off.
"Yinsen no don't let's stick with the plan" you plead
"You deserve a second chance" he smiles at you and runs down the corridor with gun in hand.
"Shit" you say looking at Tony and then back at the progress bar.
You run to get a gun from the other solider on the ground.
"Just incase" you smile at Tony and go to hide while the suit finishes powering. As the suit powers you start assembling something similar to Tony's except it's mainly to stop you being shot.

As Tony uses the suit to make his escape and you wait till you think the coast is clear and slowly follow the way Tony went, shooting where needed.
As you see Tony approaching the exit you see Yinsen laying on the ground. Someone fires at Tony causing you to dive out the way hitting your head on a rock.
"Come on we gotta go" Stark says to Yinsen
"You can only save one of us, save her" he points to you on the ground.
"Get up you need to see your family again" Tony plead.

"My family is dead I'm going to see them now, she deserves a second chance like you, it's okay. I want this" Yinsen says looking at you.
"Thanks for saving us" Tony picks up and places you near the exit. You start to wake and see Tony using flamethrowers to clear the path. You grab a gun and start helping and Tony comes back and grabs you before flying off.