Bang-bang-bang!!!
The sharp, rapid sound of gunfire echoed through the cave as Stark finally managed to seal himself inside the hulking Mark I armor. His fingers worked feverishly, slipping into the suit's control panels with a mixture of urgency and precision, but time was slipping through his fingers like sand.
The screen in front of him blinked red. Surveillance breach detected.
"Shit!" Tony cursed under his breath, his heart pounding as he tried to quickly get the system online. He could hear the faint murmur of the terrorists' voices filtering through the thick stone walls of the cave.
BOOOOM!
The ground shook violently as the door exploded outward. The terrorists who had rushed in were blown apart by the explosive charges Tony had secretly planted.
"Yinsen! Hurry up! Activate the power system!" Tony's voice was rough, the urgency clear. The suit's chest panel flickered, showing a low power reading.
Power: 4% They were running out of time.
Yinsen's fingers flew across the keys with practiced speed, but it was no use, activating the power system from here was going to take too long.
"I'm almost there! Just a few more!" Yinsen's voice trailed off as he glanced up, his face pale.
The sound of footsteps was closer than ever, the terrorists closing in.
Tony's heart dropped as the countdown in his head began.
"Time is not enough! Stark, let me buy time for you!" Yinsen's voice was firm, resolute. Stark whipped his head around, confusion and disbelief on his face.
"Yinsen, what are you?"
But Yinsen was already moving. His eyes, usually kind, now burned with a fierce determination as he grabbed a weapon from the lifeless body of a terrorist. The weapon felt foreign in his hands, but desperation made him steady.
He turned to Tony, offering a small, fleeting smile. "You finish this. I'll make sure they don't get to you."
"Come back! Stick to the plan!" Tony shouted.
But Yinsen was already gone, disappearing into the dark tunnels, armed with nothing but a rifle and determination.
The steel suit hissed and whirred, servos locking into place as the Mark I came to life.
Outside the cave, gunfire and screams echoed in the distance. Yinsen was buying Stark time with his own life.
Tony turned back to the flickering console. The suit was powering up.
Power system activation: 55%…
A burst of gunfire rang out.
Power system activation: 59%…
Tony gritted his teeth. "Come on, come on!"
More distant shouts, followed by the sharp crack of a rifle.
Power system activation: 73%…
The sound of bodies hitting the floor.
Power system activation: 98%…
Power system activation: 100%!
The lights in the cave flickered and died, every ounce of energy diverted into the steel colossus Stark was encased in. The arc reactor in his chest glowed brilliant blue, illuminating the dark space.
The terrorists breached the cave at that moment.
"There! Kill him!" one of them yelled.
Tony didn't hesitate. He charged forward, his armored fist rocketing forward in a brutal punch.
CRACK!
The first terrorist flew back, colliding with the wall so hard that his body went limp before he even hit the ground. The second barely had time to react before Stark swung his other arm, sending him sprawling across the rocky floor.
The remaining soldiers staggered back, eyes wide with terror as they saw the hulking steel figure rising in the darkness.
"Shoot! SHOOT!"
A hail of bullets rained down.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The rounds pinged harmlessly off the thick iron plates. Tony growled behind his helmet.
"My turn."
He lunged forward, his movements slow but devastatingly powerful. One swing of his arm sent two men flying, their weapons clattering uselessly to the ground. Another stomp crushed an assault rifle underfoot.
More terrorists turned and ran.
Tony pushed forward, smashing and tearing his way through any resistance. He didn't need guns, his armor was the weapon.
And then, he saw him.
Yinsen lay motionless in the dirt. His clothes were soaked in blood, a rifle resting limply in his fingers.
Tony rushed over, kneeling beside him, his armored hands fumbling as he removed his helmet.
"Yinsen! No, stay with me!"
The older man's eyes fluttered open, barely clinging to consciousness. A small, tired smile played on his lips.
"Tony…" His voice was weak.
Tony shook his head, his heart pounding. "No! I'm getting you out of here! I can fix this!"
"You still don't understand, do you?" Yinsen's eyes softened.
Tony swallowed, his chest tightening.
"I have no family left." Yinsen murmured. "They're gone… And now, I can see them again."
Tony's hands tightened into fists. "No. You don't get to quit on me. You saved my life! Let me save yours!"
Yinsen let out a weak chuckle. "This… was always the plan, Stark."
His eyes glazed over, his breathing slowing.
Tony's chest ached in a way that had nothing to do with the shrapnel still lodged inside him.
"No, no, no… YINSEN!"
Tony roared in anguish, shaking Yinsen's lifeless body. His fingers trembled as they pressed against the gunshot wounds, trying to stop the bleeding, but it was useless.
Plap!
A small, crisp sound echoed against the cave's rocky walls. Something had fallen.
Slowly, his glowing blue eyes behind the metal visor lowered to the ground. Amidst the dirt and blood lay a sleek black card, its edges glowing faintly in the dim light.
Everlife Medical Center
The words shimmered under the glow of his arc reactor, and for the first time, hope flickered in his chest. A memory resurfaced~
A man in a bland suit, holding a glass of water. Soren.
"Mr. Stark, this card has a little trick. If you ever find yourself in mortal peril, crush it. You'll be in my medical hall immediately."
"This is it!"
Frantic and desperate, he grabbed Yinsen's limp hand, forcing the card into his palm.
"Come on, buddy, hold on!" Tony pleaded, his voice raw.
Yinsen's fingers were cold, barely responsive.
Tony clenched his teeth, his armor-clad hand pressing down, forcing Yinsen's fingers to snap the card.
CRACK
A brilliant white light exploded around them.
And, Yinsen was gone.
Only a pool of blood remained. It wasn't an illusion.
His friend was saved.
His hands curled into fists as he turned toward the exit, rage burning in his veins.
"Now… time to settle the score." With thunderous steps, the iron-clad warrior marched.
In the sleek white interior of the Everlife Medical Hall, Phil Coulson sat across from a calm, composed Soren.
The SHIELD agent's face was drawn, his suit slightly disheveled from the stress of the conversation.
"Mr. Soren, please. If you help us locate Tony Stark, we can meet any demand. SHIELD has resources, anything you need, we can get it."
Soren leaned back, unimpressed. "My services aren't for sale, Agent Coulson."
Coulson sighed. "You don't understand. Stark is too valuable to lose."
Soren was about to reply, when his expression suddenly changed.
A sharp fluctuation rippled through the air, distorting the space before them. A blood-soaked figure collapsed onto the floor.
Coulson shot to his feet, instinctively reaching for his gun.
"What?!"
But Soren remained unshaken. His gaze flickered to the pool of blood spreading beneath the body and to the torn fabric of the Middle Eastern garb.
A slow smile crept onto his lips. "Looks like Tony took my advice."
Coulson's eyes darted between Soren and the wounded man.
"You know him?"
Soren knelt beside the dying man, placing two fingers against his feeble pulse.
"Not personally." He exhaled. "But if he used my card, then I know what I have to do."
Coulson hesitated. "Can you… save him?"
Soren simply raised his hand.
A soft, emerald glow began to pulse from his fingertips.
The light grew, expanding, wrapping around Yinsen's wounds like a warm cocoon. It swirled, almost alive, before settling into a brilliant sphere that engulfed his entire body.
Coulson had seen many things as an agent of SHIELD… but this?
This was the Miracle of Everlife.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Fellow Phantoms and aspiring Phantoms to be, if you seek to access advanced parts of this story procced to my shadowy realm of p@treon.
PhantomDream