….
The desert air ripples with heat.
Tony stumbles down a dune, sweat streaks through the dust on his face, his lips are cracked.
Behind him, Jin-Ho trudges in silence, Yinsen slumped across his back, still breathing - nevertheless, as every minute passes, Yinsen's condition is worsening.
Tony collapses to his knees, chest heaving, he raises his head, eyes squinting through the glare.
"Easy there, old man." Jin-Ho said, his voice dry despite the concern in his eyes. "Dying in the desert after all that would be embarrassing."
For a second, the horizon looks empty - then, a low thumping builds.
Out of the shimmering heat, a USAF Blackhawk rises over the dune like a mechanical angel.
"WHUP-WHUP-WHUP" The rotor wash blasts sand across them.
Tony raises a trembling arm, the wind nearly knocks him flat.
The helicopter descends, soldiers leaping out before it even touches ground.
Rhodey, helmet off, eyes wide, sprints across the sand, disbelief turning into raw relief.
"Jesus, Tony…!!"
Tony gives a crooked, half-mad grin. "Honeybear… You are late."
Rhodey laughs shakily, then helps him up. "Saving your ass is getting to be a full-time job."
Tony groans as he's hoisted to his feet. "Yeah, well, maybe I should start paying you hourly."
Behind them, Jin-Ho staggers forward.
The soldiers spot him - young, bloodied, holding a half-dead man over his shoulder.
They immediately aim rifles, barking orders.
"Hands where we can see 'em! Drop the—"
Jin-Ho snarls, eyes flashing. "Drop your guns, idiots! He is dying!"
The soldiers freeze, exchanging looks.
Understanding Tony's look, Rhodey lifts a hand–
"Easy! He is with them! Someone get a medic here!"
A pair of medics rush forward, taking Yinsen from Jin-Ho's arms.
For a moment, Jin-Ho just stands there, breathing hard, sand sticking to the sweat on his skin.
Yinsen's eyes flutter open, he reaches weakly toward Tony, his voice barely audible over the rotor blades.
"Keep… going…"
Tony swallows hard, crouching down beside him. "You are gonna be fine, Yinsen. You are gonna make it."
Yinsen tries to smile - but it's faint, tired.
"I already did." His hand falls limp as they lift him onto the stretcher.
Tony watches him go, silent.
Jin-Ho didn't hold back with his warning. "Don't die in the ambulance, that would be anticlimactic."
Rhodey looks between them, confused. "Okay, can someone explain who the hell this kid is?"
Jin-Ho introduces. "Someone who saved his ass."
Tony smirks, leaning heavily on Rhodey's arm. "Correction. We both saved each other's asses."
Jin-Ho shoots back immediately. "Yeah, but I did it more times."
Tony lets out a broken laugh, half pain, half amusement. "God, you are never letting that go, are you?"
Rhodey grins, shaking his head. "I leave you for three months and you start collecting strays now?"
"Who the fuck are you calling str–"
"Hey." Tony says dryly. "This stray has got better aim than my entire security team."
Jin-Ho scoffs. "That's not a compliment, that's just sad."
Tony chuckles, then winces, clutching his ribs. "Ow! Okay, stop making me laugh. Everything hurts."
"Then shut up."
Rhodey was clearly stunned by this–
Did Tony just let it slide when a kid told him to shut up?
But for now he just shakes his head, and signals the soldiers. "Let's get them both out of here. Now!"
As they lift Tony into the helicopter, Jin-Ho hesitates. He watches Yinsen being loaded onto a separate chopper surrounded by medics.
Tony notices. "Go with him." He says quietly. "Make sure he is okay."
Jin-Ho shakes his head. "You will collapse before we are halfway home. You need someone to keep you from saying something stupid to the military guys."
Tony gives a crooked smirk. "That's… fair."
They both sit opposite each other inside the Blackhawk as it lifts off.
Through the open door, the wreckage of the Mark I shrinks below them, swallowed by sand and distance.
Tony stares out silently.
Jin-Ho leans back, exhaustion finally catching up.
The rotor hum fills the space.
Then Tony mutters, mostly to himself. "Never thought I would miss Malibu."
Jin-Ho half-opens an eye. "Malibu is overrated. I just want water."
"Yeah." Tony says, smiling faintly. "We will get that. Water, something to eat… and a very public press conference."
Jin-Ho frowns. "You just escaped terrorists, and you are already planning PR?"
Tony leans his head back against the seat, eyes closing. "Kid… that's how I survive."
….
The massive C-17 taxied across Edwards Air Force Base.
Minutes later, the rear ramp of the C-17 came down with a hydraulic vibration.
Blinding California sunlight flooded in, so bright after the darkness of captivity that it hurt to look at.
Tony sat in a wheelchair, Rhodey positioned behind him like a guardian.
Jin-Ho stood nearby, arms crossed in a casual way that screamed defiance, as if daring anyone to comment on his presence.
Medics wheeled Yinsen on a stretcher toward a waiting ambulance, where many doctors were already prepared for the treatment.
As the ramp landed, Rhodey pushed Tony in a wheelchair down.
At the base of the ramp - Pepper Potts waits, eyes red but brightening the moment she sees Tony.
As they reached the ramp's end, Tony spoke up.
"Help me out of this thing—"
He struggled to his feet, his body protesting every movement, only to be faltered.
"I got you." Rhodey steadies him as he stands, legs trembling.
Pepper steps forward, trying not to cry.
Tony manages a thin smile. "Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?"
Pepper exhales shakily. "Tears of joy. I hate job hunting."
Beside them, Jin-Ho mutters under his breath. "You two have the weirdest flirting."
Tony shoots him a look. "Mind you, kid. That's my assistant you are talking about."
She looked at Jin-Ho again, questions forming on her lips.
"And you are...?"
"Long story." Tony said, settling into the leather seat like a man coming home. "Very long. Involves caves and explosions."
"And me being awesome." Jin-Ho added.
"And him being moderately helpful." Tony corrected.
Happy Hogan came around the waiting limousine, holding the door open with the same professional courtesy he had shown for years.
"Good to see you again, Sir."
Tony squinted at him. "You did something new with your hair?"
"Wouldn't dream of it, Sir."
Pepper helped Tony into the limo, supporting more of his weight than she let on.
Jin-Ho slid in after him without asking permission.
Pepper blinked, clearly thrown by the presumption.
Awkward silence filled the limo.
Pepper looked between them, utterly lost in whatever dynamic had formed in that cave.
Happy met her eyes in the rearview mirror, equally confused.
"Where to, Mr. Stark?"
"We are due at the hospital." Pepper said automatically.
"No." Tony said with finality. "To the office."
"Tony, you need medical attention—"
"I have been in captivity for three months. There are only two things I want to do. I want to eat a cheeseburger—"
"Make those two cheeseburgers." Jin-Ho interjected. He adds. "...and you forgot 'sleep for a week.'"
Tony glances at him. "You will get your nap after the cheeseburger."
Then back at Pepper. "...and I want to hold a press conference."
Pepper's voice rose slightly. "A press conference? Tony, you just—"
"He has been like this the whole trip. Impossible to reason with." Jin-Ho clearly sees no way of convincing Tony.
Pepper nodded in defeat, but her eyes looked between them, her confusion deepening into something closer to bewilderment–
"I feel like I am missing something very important here."
"You are missing a lot." Tony said, his eyes already distant, thinking ahead. "It's been an interestingly horrendous three months."
….
The limo pulled up to Stark International headquarters, and the contrast between the hell they had escaped and this gleaming symbol of American industry was almost surreal.
Happy let Tony out, efficiently collecting the burger wrappers.
Jin-Ho exited after him, finishing his drink.
Obadiah Stane was waiting with a group of gathered employees.
The moment they spotted Tony, applause erupted - genuine, relieved, celebratory.
Obadiah approached with arms outstretched, his smile wide and paternal. "See this. Huh. Huh. There he is!"
He hugged Tony warmly, then spoke close to his ear, his voice dropping to something more private and concerned. "Tony, thought we were meeting at the hospital. You know there are a lot of reporters there. What's going on?"
Tony claps a hand on his shoulder. "You will see."
As they started walking toward the entrance, Jin-Ho leaned closer, his voice dropping to a murmur that only Tony could hear over the clicking cameras and whispered conversations.
"Tony, I want some money."
Tony didn't miss a beat. "I am not your sugar daddy, and I definitely don't run a char—"
"I will pay interest." Jin-Ho interrupted smoothly.
That made Tony pause. "How much do you need?"
"Hum, I don't know exactly." Jin-Ho paused, then added with nonchalance. "Okay. Enough to buy ten percent of your company stocks... after half an hour. As soon as they crash."
"...." Tony stopped walking entirely.
You for real? He turned to look at Jin-Ho with an expression that was completely deadpan, processing what he had just heard.
The kid wanted to use his money to buy his company's stocks, and had the absolute audacity to tell him - to his face - that those stocks were going to crash within half an hour.
The worst part? It was true.
They absolutely would.
"You are so cheap, brat." Tony was at wow, caught between admiration and exasperation.
Jin-Ho shrugged, completely unbothered. "I am just making use of the situation."
"Opportunistic little—"
"Anyway... make it fast?" Jin-Ho cut in, his eyebrow raised in challenge.
Tony smirked, resuming his walk toward the waiting reporters and their hungry cameras.
He didn't look back at the kid as he spoke, but his voice carried clear approval.
"Deal... partner."
Jin-Ho's lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile as they disappeared into the building together.
The kid had just negotiated himself into a fortune using Tony's own money, betting on the fallout of whatever Tony was about to say in that press conference.
And Tony had let him.
Maybe even respected him for it.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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