ᏴᏞᏆNᎠ ᎷᎪN'Ꮪ ᏴᏞᏌFF

ᏟᎻᎪᏢᎢᎬᎡ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ

The two kept working the entire week and Tony would occasionally look at the cameras watching them. But of course, the terrorists didn't know he wasn't building their Jericho missile. He was in fact building a way out of there.

After a lot of smelting the palladium and making a ring. He was finally able to power what he had been working on for the past week.

The power surged and it made a ringing noise. Maddie's face scrunched up as she put her ear to it.

"That doesn't sound like a Jericho missile," she admitted.

"That's because it's a miniaturized arc reactor. I got one powering my factory at home."

"What could it generate?"

"If my calculations are
corrects-which they always are- this could generate 15 giga-jewels per second," Tony said looking at the glowing chest piece.

"That could generate your heart for fifty lifetimes," she said in surprise.

"Yeah. Or something big for fifteen minutes."

That night-

Maddie prepared Tony for in installing of the arc reactor. He lay back in a chair and sighed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..." She smiled slightly, waiting for him to continue. "Kid, if I don't make it through-."

"You will."

"But if I don't-."

"You. Will." He sighed and relaxed again in the chair. Maddie placed her hands over the electro magnet and slowly unscrewed it. Afterwards, she quickly replaced it with the arc reactor.

Once in place, Tony gasped and laughed slightly. Maddie searched for what he could possibly be laughing at.

"What," she finally asked?

"Nothing. I feel so much better now. Thank you," Tony sighed, grabbing her shoulder. She returned the favor and helped him up. "Come on, we got work to do."

Tony brought Maddie over to the table and searched for his plans. Once he found it, he brought over many pieces of thin paper and lined them together. His designs on them made a puzzle. Each piece of detail given on a different sheet and when put together, make a picture.

He took Maddie's hand and outlined it with the string he had placed over his writing so she could see it.

"What is it," she asked?

"This is our ticket out of here," Tony said.

"A suit?" She realized what it was. "You want to build a metal suit?!? You must be crazy."

Tony shook his head and even though Maddie was hesitant, she agreed to the terms.

That night, Maddie began teaching him a game with some dice. Every time Tony rolled, she would feel the dice and tell him his best move. He soon caught on and he didn't need her help.

"You still haven't told me were you are from," Tony said taking a sip of water. Maddie looked up, amusement in her eyes.

"I was born in the States but was raised in a small town called Gulmira. It was a very nice place from what I remembered," she smiled.

"Got a family?"

"No, not anymore," she said looking at the board. "What about you, Mr Stark? You have family?" She noticed his eyes on her and she smiled.

She waited but his silence told her the answer. "Nah," he said quietly.

"So you are a man who has everything and nothing," she smiled. The doors began to open and their heads snapped towards the door. The two stood up quickly. Tony placed his hands up like he was taught and waited.

Raza, their leader, walked in with a bunch of armed gunmen. He looked at both of them and said, surprising in English: "Relax."

Their hands fell to their sides as he approached Tony. He slightly moved his shirt so he could get a better view at the glowing arc reactor.

"The bow and arrow was once the most advanced weapon of technology. It allowed the Great Glenhas Khan to rule from the pacific to the Ukraine. An empire twice the size of Alexander the Great. And four times the size of the Roman Empire. But today: whoever holds the latest Stark industries weapons rules these lands. And soon: it'll be my turn," Raza spoke, circling around Tony then walking over to Maddie.

Raza tilted his head at the young girl. He grabbed her face in one hand, making both Tony and Maddie flinch.

"Why have you failed me," he asked in Arabic?

"We are working. Diligently," she responded as best as she could through the pressure.

"I let you live and this is how you repay me," he growled.

"It's very complex. Believe me, he's trying very hard to please you. We both are," Maddie responded in Arabic again.

"On your knees," she was immediately kicked in the back of her knees by a guard, making her collapse to the ground. Her hands were bound behind her back by the same guard.

Raza made his way over to Tony and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Raza laughed and said in English:

"You really shouldn't trust this girl. She lies about everything. How she got here, how her parents died, even herself," Raza let go and walked away.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a blind man's bluff. You really think she can't see?!?"

"I can't," Maddie pleaded in Arabic.

"Silence!" Maddie was hit in the back of the head and she groaned in pain. "You think I'm a fool? What's going on? Tell me the truth!"

Raza turned to Maddje as he spoke these harsh words. "He's building your Jericho."

"Tell me the truth," Raza yelled.

"He's building your Jericho," Maddie said again in Arabic.

"Tell me the truth."

"He's building your Jericho," she said once again in a calm voice. Finally, Raza delivered a smack to Maddie's face. He grabbed a fist full of her shirt and raised his fist.

"Tell me!!!"

"What do you want a deliver date," Tony said, taking a step forward. All the guards panicked and warned him not to take another step. "I need her. She's a good assistant." Raza released a teary eyed Maddie and walked over to Tony.

"You have three days to make my missile. Make 'em count," he spat and walked away. The guards dragged Maddie off as well, leaving Tony alone.

"Hey," Tony yelled after them. "No, I need her. That's not part of our deal!" He tried to stop them but was punched in the face by one of the guards. He stumbled to the ground and the doors closed.

Three days to finish his suit, break out of the cave, save Maddie, and find a way home.

He stood up and dusted himself off. He only hoped and prayed that they didn't kill Maddie before his time was up.