ᏴᏞᏆNᎠ ᎷᎪN'Ꮪ ᏴᏞᏌFF

ᏟᎻᎪᏢᎢᎬᎡ ᎢᏔᎾ

Third Person POV-

They took Tony away and tortured him. Dunking his head in water for large amounts of time, though he never passed out. Maddie felt useless, she couldn't help him whatsoever. She just sat on her bed and flinched every time she heard a scream erupt from Tony's lips.

When they thought Tony had enough, they placed a bag on his head. Guards escorted Maddie along as well and they found themselves both outside.

They tore off the bag and Tony was blinded by the bright sun. Maddie now by his side, she saw no change in the environment. Though she knew they were outside due to the feeling of the wind and the heat of the sun against her face.

Tony immediately noticed more crates and guns with the letters printed on the side: Stark Industries.

The leader spoke up again as they walked. The guards pushed the young child along with Tony and their leader.

The man spoke again in the native tongue and Maddie replied with: "He wants to know: what do you think?"

"I think he has a lot of my weapons," Stark growls and Maddie translated. The leader nodded his head and spoke again.

"He says they have everything you need to make the Jericho missile. He wants you to make a list of materials you may need and wants you to start working immediately. And when you are done...he will set you free," she sighed.

Tony smiled and shook the extended hand given by the man. "No he won't."

"No he won't," Maddie nodded in agreement.

Back inside the cave-

"I'm sure they are looking for you, Mr Stark," Maddie reassured the billionaire back inside the cave. She paced across the room many times."But they won't find us. Not in these mountains."

She suddenly came to a stop and she pointed to the door. He looked up at her from where he was sitting and waited.

"Look: what you just saw is your legacy. Your life's work in the hands of those murderers." Maddie began pacing again. "Is this how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance for Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?"

She slammed into a table on accident. Her hands darted down and onto the table. Tony looked at her with confusion, knitting his eyebrows together.

"You alright or did you just not se-," he trailed off but stopped as he say a look of hurt and embarrassment in the girl's eyes. "Anyways what does it matter. They are going to kill me anyways and if not, I'll still be dead in a week."

"Well then...this is a very important week for you isn't it?"

Two days later-

Twenty men filled the little cave, bringing in materials Tony had asked for. All kinds of tools and equipment where there for him to use.

"This is gonna be my work station. I want it well lit. I want welding gear. I'll need helmets, googles, smelting cup. Sets of tools, I need it all," he said over all the commotion.

Maddie translated what she could and the leader would nod understandingly. Then, a few men would bring in whatever they needed. And soon, they both had the quietness to begin their work.

The next day-

"How many languages do you speak," Tony asked as he unscrewed a part to one of his weapons.

"A lot," she admitted, standing next to him, waiting for orders. "But apparently not enough for this place. They speak Arabic, Urdu, Mongolian, Russian-."

"Who are these people," Tony whispered?

"They are your loyal customers, sir," she said sarcastically. "They call themselves the Tirinks."

Maddie heard movement and metal things clinking together but she didn't know what he was doing.

"You know, we might be a little more productive if you include me in the process," she finally admitted.

"Uh-hu. We don't need this," he said throwing a large piece of metal behind him. Maddie flinched as it hit the ground.

Tony carefully pulled out a piece of metal and held it up with his tweezers. Observing it before looking at Maddie. Her eyes though, we're not set on the piece Tony was holding.

"This is .15 grams of palladium. But we need at least 1.6 grams so why don't you go break down the other eleven," Tony said, still looking at her. She bit her lip and she looked hesitant. "What?"

"W-Well just how do you expect m-me to go extract the palladium when I don't even know w-what it looks like?"

"I'm holding it right in front of your face," he said calmly.

Maddie sighed in frustration. How could she tell him?That she was blind? That she was worthless?

"Why can't you just-," then it clicked. Maddie's face was blank as Tony put it all together. He looked at her helplessly. The next words burning her ears. "You...can't...see." Maddie turned her head a little more towards Tony.

"I can see fine," she lied.

"Follow my finger," he placed it in front of her face and moved it from side to side. Her eyes though, made no movement. "Fine, you don't want to cooperate. Just describe this room for me then."

"I-I."

"Well, come on," he yelled making her flinch.

"T-The walls are rock. It's cold, very cold. The ground is cool sand," she stuttered.

"Those are all physical characteristics that I already know. Tell me, describe the colors?"

"C-Color?"

"Yes. Color." She sighed again. "What do you see right now?"

Tears filled her eyes as she whispered:"Nothing."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" His hand rested back down on the table.

"I-It didn't seem necessary."

"Necessary? How am I still alive?"

"I-I told men what to do and what to look for," she cried slightly. Tony stood up abruptly, causing the table to move back too. Maddie stepped back a little in defense. "I didn't mean to hurt you in any way, shape or form."

"Well, you did. You know why? Cause I trusted you. And what did you do, you kept a secret from me that could affect the plan," Tony said aloud, weaving his hands and fingers through his hair.

"We have a plan?!?"

"Yes, we have a plan. Our plan of escape. But I can't tell you the plan unless you are totally honest with me, okay," he sat back in his chair and was eye height with her now.

"Okay," she nodded.

"What's your name, kid?"

"It's uh....Maddie."