Capítulo 11: The Connection
Wednesday 22nd June 2016
The bullet tore into his thigh, tearing through ligaments and muscles and striking the bone, burying deep into his leg.
Tony screamed, trying to jerk away but the steel grip of the Winter Soldier on his hair prevented him from twisting away. Breathing heavily, he forced himself to look up at Ross. "You missed."
"I shot you where I wanted to, Stark." Ross walked slowly towards him until the butt of the gun was pressing against Tony's head. "Blowing your brains out will be the last thing I do." He shifted his aim and fired again, only this time into Tony's already injured shoulder.
"Your downfall… is… your… own…" Tony panted, trying to ignore the pain shooting through his whole body. Fresh blood leaked from the two wounds in his leg and his shoulder. "You know… before… you kill me… How did you manage it?"
Ross scrutinised him. "To get you? You have many enemies, Stark, some just waiting for a chance to be given a shot at you. You've been under my surveillance for a long time. After you unleashed Ultron, I visited you at your new Compound, remember?"
Tony froze. He remembered. For him, it was such a long time ago but for Ross, it was only a year ago. "The world was already turning against the Avengers. Surveillance was needed. The people you hired to build the new Compound were also under our pay salary with strict instructions to lay the groundwork for undetectable surveillance to be built into it. Only certain areas are covered. Your office for one. Just a tiny camera, small enough to be undetectable, always recording every moment of the day. Your little hidden draw was not so hidden to me. I saw you install it. I know how it works. I know it needs finger-print recognition. Easy to add another finger-print to a system once you have a way in, isn't it? William is quite skilled with computers."
Tony gritted his teeth. Ross had always been one step ahead of them. "Espionage, that's how you did it. You always had a backdoor." If the cameras had been installed before Tony had added FRIDAY, no wonder she wouldn't have detected the other system. It was a basic system, a small camera that probably had no links to the mainframe.
"Naturally. It was easy for William to hack into your secure files and find everything we needed to know. Once you have a backdoor, it can be used as many times as we liked."
"And coffee? You drugged us…"
Ross laughed. "Very easy. One of the domestics was on my payroll as well as yours. She refilled the sugar pot the night before with a sleeping agent. The coffee would have been too predictable. And I know you have plenty of sugar in your coffee, Stark. You never suspected a thing."
Tony glared at his captor. "And who came into my office to steal the Red Book?"
"The domestic did. Once you were out she went in, took what she needed, and left but made sure to leave a mess behind. Make it look authentic at least. She is now far away from here. I paid her quite handsomely to carry this off. No one will be able to identify her. You'll be dead and this information will not make its way back to anyone. We won't be leaving this room alive, Stark."
So he'd been right to predict Ross's plan. Tony smirked. "So you'll frame an innocent man for your crimes?"
Ross laughed. "Barnes is hardly innocent. He's killed many people in his time. We will be his last victims. I kill you, he kills me and then he has orders to wait until we are found and then he will be charged with our murder. His numerous crimes will be leaked and his fate will be sealed."
The Winter Soldier did not move from behind Tony. He was fully aware of what his orders were and could not countermand them himself. He was in Ross's complete control, holding Tony steady.
"I have four bullets left, Stark. Where shall I shoot you next?"
Natasha leaned back in the chair frustrated by the lack of progress. Her left shoulder burned with pain and her thigh was throbbing. She didn't know why. She assumed she'd overstretched herself fighting but it didn't make sense.
She was trawling through security footage of the tunnel where they knew vehicles had been swopped. It was tiresome work. Tracking every single vehicle and finding where it went to see if it would lead to any clues as to which one now held Tony. Or where it had taken him. They'd already sent Rhodey to investigate for any secret pathways from the tunnel. He'd found nothing.
"Ouch!" A burning pain shot up her wrist and she rubbed it. It hurt like hell. Where was this pain coming from? It felt like the burn from gunshot wounds…
Natasha paused.
Tony had been shot in the shoulder and she had an ache exactly where he'd been injured…
What if he is getting shot in different places? Somehow I'm feeling it…
She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. Focusing her mind upon the area of her wrist, which still burned, Natasha sought her way through the pain and she found herself looking out of Tony's eyes. In front of him was Ross, holding a gun at him. She couldn't hear what was being said but she knew he was in trouble and he'd been shot multiple times, judging by the burning pain she could feel through his whole body. He remained defiant. Not scared, determined to meet his fate with dignity if he was to die here today.
Tony? She tried, hoping he might answer her.
He didn't.
Ross aimed the gun, swerving it around in the air, talking to Tony as he undoubtedly tried to decide where he was going to wound Tony next. Clearly there was only one way this would end: Tony would be shot dead.
Natasha pulled herself away, trying to bring herself back to her body. It felt like she had seen into Tony's soul. Her very body tingled as if they were now linked. She knew where he was. She could feel him, not far from where she was. His soul was burning in her brain, leading her to him.
Even when she opened her eyes she still felt the tug of his soul on hers. The burning of his soul urged her forward in her steps.
"Steve…" she said, reaching where Steve was going through his own data from the tunnel. "I know where Tony is."
"You do? Where is he?"
"Not far from here. He's been taken to a hotel near the airport. In the basement." She could feel him close to the airport. It was only a twenty-minute drive… twenty minutes Tony did not have.
"Did you track one of the vehicles there?" asked Steve.
She nodded. She couldn't tell him she seemed to have a connection to Tony which told her where he was. She'd only just learned of it. She didn't understand it. She wondered if Tony had noticed her presence. "Ross was smart. He was always going to be close by. They've gone in the complete opposite direction to which they originally went. They thought they could outsmart us. They didn't. But I don't think we have long. Rhodey and I will travel ahead. You follow our beacons."
"Why can't –" Steve started but Natasha interrupted.
"We do not have time to discuss this, Steve." She turned and ran out the room, already pulling out the smaller Arc Reactor Tony had given her and attaching it to her chest.
Tony panted. His wrist hurt. Ross had ordered the Winter Soldier to release one of his arms and hold it up for Ross to shoot. The bullet had torn through his wrist but was lodged halfway through. Blood was leaking down his wrist. Tony was sure the bullet had nicked a major artery yet it seemed to be stemming the blood flow.
"You know… if you had been receptive to changes in the Accords, this wouldn't… have… happened," gasped Tony.
"The Accords were perfect as they were before you meddled with them. We need to control the Avengers. To send you where you are needed to be only and not waste time dealing with terrorists like Brock Rumlow."
Tony winced. "You do realise nothing bad happened in Lagos, right? There were no reported injuries, no deaths… We even notified the government to ensure we had permission to act, and the relevant authorities were involved. We're supposed to safeguard human life… The Accords work. But you cannot force people to go somewhere where they shouldn't be. Nor is it legal for us to be detained without trial. All those -"
"Shut up!" Ross walked forward and pressed the gun to Tony's head.
"Shoot me, you know you want to."
Ross snarled. "Not yet." He walked away. "I'm not done with you."
"The more you shoot me, the more this looks like you did it." Tony attempted to shrug but roaring pain ran through his shoulders. "Sending me that note was not a smart move. I knew you'd try something."
"And yet you still made yourself vulnerable," smirked Ross, his eyes glinting.
"Everyone is going to know you killed me. Not the Winter Soldier. Even if he shoots you dead, you'll still be vilified as a villain in the public's eyes," snarled Tony. "It doesn't matter if I played right into your trap. I know help is coming."
"You're a fool." Ross waved the gun around in the air.
Tony smirked. "I wouldn't underestimate Natasha Romanoff." Because he could feel her in his head, probing around could almost feel they were joined together in soul. He didn't know how she was doing it but she was there, with him.
Tony?
Her voice reverberated inside his head.
He didn't answer. Couldn't allow himself to be distracted.
"Three bullets to go. The last one is going in your head, Stark." He walked forward. "I'd quite like to shoot you in the heart but doing so would be a waste… You'd be dead before I can blow your brains out." He pressed forward until the butt of the gun was pressed against Tony's stomach. "Will I shoot you in the head from the top or up through the chin? But first…"
Tony flinched, jerked as the bullet went into his stomach.
"Let him go," Ross ordered.
The Winter Soldier released Tony and he fell, slumping to the floor, gasping in pain.
"If I know my anatomy correctly that bullet should have gone into your stomach. Your stomach acid will leak and you'll suffer serious internal damage. Before it can kill you…"
"You'll shoot me in the head… I know!" He almost wanted this to be over. Intense pain was ripping through his entire body. He couldn't even lift himself up from the floor. His blood covered the floor. He couldn't even feel the hand Ross had shot.
"One more place to shoot before your brains… Where shall it go, Stark? Maybe I'll let you choose?"
Tony scoffed. "Yeah, right, as if I'm going to give you ideas…" he wheezed.
"Soldier, turn him onto his front."
Grabbed by the Winter Soldier, Tony was forced onto his front, head pressed down onto the floor.
"Remove his shirt."
Sticky with blood soaking through it from the stomach wound, the Winter Soldier cut the clothes off, leaving Tony on the floor shivering from the cold room and the lack of blood running through his body. His heart was beating faster than it should as it tried to compensate for the loss of blood.
Ross knelt down beside Tony's body, running the butt of the gun down his spine before moving the gun to the level where the kidneys were usually found.
"You don't need two kidney's – "
And that was when the door flew open.
Because of the nature of the attack, the remaining Accords committee had already sanctioned a rescue mission, meaning Rhodey and Natasha didn't need to seek permission to rescue Tony. She knew they were running out of time. Thankfully the two Iron Man suits quickly made it to the hotel where Natasha could feel Tony.
"We haven't got time to waste, Rhodey," breathed Natasha, one hand over her abdomen, feeling pain running through her body. Ignoring the check-in clerk at the hotel counter, they pushed past and into the corridor. She could feel Tony beneath them.
Finding a lift they took it down to the bottommost level – the service level, located beneath the ground floor of the hotel and where guests never go.
"He's close…" Natasha still had her suit on, as did Rhodey. Smaller and lithe, she was able to run down the corridor before stopping at a metal door labelled 'No Entry'. She pointed at it. "Blow this door in. He's in there." She could sense his pain through there.
Rhodey urged her to step back, raised his arm and fired a repulsor shot right at the door, blowing it open on its hinges.
Stepping through the smoke, Natasha and Rhodey walked into the room. The Winter Soldier came at them. Natasha ducked underneath his attack leaving Rhodey in his War Machine armour to tackle the threat he posed. Her main concern was Tony.
She collided with a body, heard a gun-shot and a cry of pain before she was twisting her legs around the body and pulled them down with her. The smoke was beginning to dissipate, clearing her vision and she saw Ross on the floor, glaring at her before he scrambled towards the gun he had dropped in her attack of him. Launching herself forward she reached out, aiming a punch at his head and punched him hard in the side of his head.
Ross went down like a light, her gauntlet hand leaving blood-red marks on the side of his head. She picked up the gun and saw Tony lying on the floor, his body covered in blood.
"Tony!"
Running forward and then kneeling beside him, she carefully turned him over. The last bullet had hit his right elbow. Looking down she saw the trail of blood in his left wrist. It was a mess. He was unconscious but breathing.
"Stay with me, Stark. I cannot do this without you." Gently laying him on the floor, she moved across to Ross, flipped him over and pulled out a set of handcuffs from her utility belt, chaining both his wrists and ankles together. Then she took a risk to look outside the room, in the corridor where Rhodey had the Winter Soldier pinned against the wall. He didn't need her help. Turning back, kneeling down beside Tony's body, she retraced her suit and pulled out a medical kit and started to wrap the various wounds that littered Tony's body.
He needed treatment and fast.
"What the hell did Ross do to him?" Rhodey stepped into the room.
"Shot him a few times," answered Nat, placing a bandage on Tony's wrist and circling around it to stop the blood from continually leaking. "There is one in his stomach. We need to get him to a hospital." She hesitated then, glancing up at Rhodey. "Is Bucky Barnes okay?"
"He is. I managed to knock him out quite quickly. He found it difficult to get through my armour. Yours he might be able to sustain damage to." Rhodey moved forward, his bulky suit having trouble fitting through the door. "I'll take Tony. I'll be careful with him. Nearest hospital?"
Natasha nodded. They had no other choice. They were in Vienna. Away from the Avengers facility and they couldn't afford to waste in getting Tony treatment. "Call in Helen Cho. As soon as Tony is stabilised we'll get him back to the Avenger's facility but for now we need to trust in the local doctors to help him before we lose him."
Finishing bandaging the various wounds, Natasha stepped away as Rhodey knelt down, slid his arms underneath his friend's and body and hefted him into the arms.
"Go." Natasha urged. "I'll deal with Ross."
"Authorities are already on their way," added Rhodey as he turned and walked away.
"I'll follow when I can." As much as Natasha wanted to stay with Tony, she had to ensure Ross was captured and tried for his crimes. Bucky could now be reunited with Steve and begin treatment for his own personality differences.
Apart from the little hiccup with Tony's injuries, everything was running smoothly.
By the time she made it to the hospital, Tony was already in surgery.
"Pepper is on her way over," explained Rhodey.
"Naturally. Did they say anything about the prognosis?"
"They did a CT. Multiple bullet wounds: two in the right shoulder, one through the back and one in the front, his thigh as well as wrist and elbow and his stomach. They're operating on him now to remove them. The worst injury is his stomach…"
She could see Rhodey was worried. "He'll be alright."
"We cannot say it for certain yet…"
"No, but I believe he will be," answered Natasha. We were both sent back for a reason. What was the point of sending Tony back if he dies before Thanos has even arrived? It didn't make sense. Rhodey didn't know the Tony he knew had memories from a life he had already lived.
"He was shot in the stomach, Nat. He's having major surgery to repair the damage. His wrist… God knows what his wrist will be like when they fix it if they can! He could lose it because of where the bullet has hit."
He'll be fine.
The mysterious voice echoed in her mind. She hadn't heard it in a while but now it was offering her reassurance.
"Rhodey… trust me. Tony will be fine."
Pepper sat next to Tony's bed. He was still sleeping off the anaesthetic. He'd come round a few times since returning to his room after his surgery but he hadn't been truly awake. He'd been unaware of where he was before falling back into the blessed slumber of dreams. His wounds were serious and he'd need a few weeks in hospital before he was given the all-clear to fly home. Tony didn't know that yet. He wouldn't be happy when he found out.
Rhodey and Nat were also sat around Tony's bed.
"What's going to happen to happen to Ross?" asked Pepper quietly.
"Incarcerated immediately," stated Natasha. "I made sure he was turned over to the relevant authorities. Once Steve arrived at the location, he swiftly took control of the situation. He's overseeing Bucky Barnes and what happens to him now. Barnes has been controlled for years. He's had no say in what he does through no fault of his own… It's time he was given the chance to live a normal life with help and therapy from people who are in a position to help him. I'm sure Steve will be a huge factor in this."
"Good. I will be pressing charges against Ross," confirmed Pepper. Her eyes were hard and she looked determined.
"You and a few other people will be," noted Rhodey. "He's the reason why the attack happened. Ross will not be seeing the outside world for years. If he lives that long… He's looking at decades for this."
"I'll make sure he never becomes a threat again." Pepper's voice was hard. She was determined and focused on this matter.
Nothing would be able to stand in her way of ensuring Tony's safety.
Friday 24th June 2016
Consciousness slowly returned to him. He knew he'd been wavering in and out of it for hours now. He felt like he'd been run over and his whole body ached with pain.
"Tony? Honey… shh… It's alright. You're safe."
He was groaning. He knew. His eyes slowly opened and his vision focused upon Pepper's face looking over him. "Hey, Pep." He smiled lightly. "I… hurt…"
"You've had surgery, Tony. Your body is still recovering. You need to rest."
"I think… I've… rested… enough…"
Her hand was running through his hair, soothing him. "They've kept you sedated for a bit longer, just to give your body that little bit extra time to heal. They were going to bring you out of the anaesthetic after the surgery but they wanted to keep you under just a little bit longer."
Tony blinked, still feeling drowsy, turning his head to the other side. The sleepiness was slowly fading leaving him far more aware.
"Hey, Nat," he whispered.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Could be better…" he sighed, shifting in the bed. "I… wanna… know… one… thing…" He struggled to say the words, exhaustion from talking overwhelming him.
"What?" Natasha leaned forward.
"Why… did… I… feel… you… in… my… head?"
With those last words, Tony's eyes fell shut.
Pepper glanced up at Natasha sitting quietly to Tony's other side. "What did he mean? Feeling you in his head?" Thankfully Rhodey had stepped out to bring them lunch otherwise Tony's words would have been very awkward to explain, especially since Rhodey had no idea about Tony and Natasha's true history.
Natasha winced. "I think… Tony and I are connected."
"Connected?"
"I could feel it each time he was shot," admitted Nat. "I didn't know for sure until I arrived there and saw where his injuries were. But we have a link… I tracked him because of it. I somehow… saw through his eyes," explained Natasha. "I cannot explain it… or why, or how this link now exists. We didn't have it before we both came back. But something is linking us together."
"The voice is," reasoned Pepper. "You said you both hear it… That's the link. If you can both hear it then you already had this link but if you've only been sent back in time why do you have the voice now? Tony said you both woke up here and it was with you. Why has it now suddenly appeared unless…" Pepper stopped and then gasped, realisation dawning over her. "Natasha, did you and Tony die?"
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