Stella Stark // ORIGINS [REWRITTING]

3.9 The rig

Dad, Rhodey and I were in a car on our way to the oil rig, upper state. I tried not to cry. Torturing James was the worse thing Killian could do to me.

"We'll get them I promise" dad said as he took my hand in his. I saw the pain in his eyes. I knew he imagined losing Pepper, how horrible he would feel if he couldn't save her. I looked down and saw my engagement ring. This time the pain was too strong and I couldn't hold my tears anymore. I leaned back and buried my face in my hands.

The last time I felt that sad was when dad got captured, five years ago. I remembered how difficult it was, how bad I felt, how my life felt empty. I wasn't ready to feel it again...

"What you doing?" Rhodey asked dad. Dad was doing something on his phone.

"Organizing a small party for Killian" Dad said with a smirk.

We finally arrived near the rig. Rhodey parked the car and we all got out.

Killian also had the president, which one of us had to save. The vice president was actually just a puppet and accepted to help Killian in exchange for an EXTREMIS serum to "cure" his handicapped daughter.

"Ok the plan is simple: Tony, you go get Pepper, Stella you go get James and I will save the president" Rhodey said.

"Wait!" dad interrupted. "We have to wait for the party" he finished.

"Dad, I seriously don't want to joke around right now" I said with anger. He took me by the wrist.

"Stella, I'm not joking." He stopped and raised his eyes. "Here" He finally said pointing at the sky. There was a horde of suits floating in the air.

"Are those..." I began.

"Yup" dad simply answered proudly. "Now let's go!"

As soon as we put a foot on the rig, men started shooting at us. We all shot back and immediately covered behind tanks.

"We need backups" I said, still shooting at some guy behind.

"You're right" Dad opened his arms and the whole army of suits surrounded the rig. "Jarvis, target EXTREMIS heat signature" Dad ordered.

"Yes sure"

"What are you waiting for? It's Christmas, take them to church" As dad said that, every suit attacked. A suit came to dad and attached itself to him. He gave me and Rhodes and earpiece.

"Okay now give me a suit" Rhodey said and opened his arms like dad did.

"Um.. there only coded to me... It's okay, I got you covered." Dad said and flew away.

"Miss Stark, I located Mr. McKadden" Jarvis said in my earpiece.

"Finally"

"He's in the red tank to your right"

I ran to the the tank but one of dad's suit shot right in front of me and cut the platform leading to the tank.

"Fuck" James could explode at any moment.I knew it was only a matter of time. Two men jumped in front of me, both with two guns in their hands. I kicked the first one in the face with a high kick, took one of his gun while he was dizzy and shote the second man. He fell to the ground, and I pushed the first one over. There was a rope in front of me. I jumped and swanged to reach the red tank. Some shot at my hand when I reached out for a corner of the container. I turned around and saw Killian. He continued shooting, and I couldn't do anything as I didn't have any weapon nor source of energy close enough.

"Stellaaaa!" James screamed. "Stellaaaaa help me!" I swang again to catch one of the corners. When I finally put my hand on the tank, it became awfully hot and suddenly exploded. The blast pushed me and I free fell. I couldn't reach anything, and the ground under me became closer every second. Eventually, one of the suits had caught me before I smashed on the ground.

"Get me back up there!" I ordered. The suit did as I said and landed where the red tank was. There was nothing elsa than fragments of metal and concrete. No sign of James. I stood there without doing anything. I didn't cry, scream. I just looked at the remains.



It hit me.



James died.



I fell on my knees and screamed. Everything in my body hurt. I wanted to scream, to yell, to cry. I wanted to blame his death on everyone. My dad, Rhodey, Pepper... myself... I didn't save him. He needed me, he cried out for me and I wasn't there. Guilt and sadness invaded my veins. I couldn't breathe right. I was suffocating. I hated myself. All these feeling built up in my body.

I let go. I screamed from the top of my lungs. Every lamp around me exploded as I did so.

I heard the sound of metal falling, behind me. Killian had melted the core of the suit making it fall.

"Sorry for your loss," He sarcastically said. He put his hands on my shoulders and rapidly got hotter. His face became red, same for his eyes.

"I'm getting sick of you!" I yelled. I absorbed every drop of energy he had in him and shot it back to him. I looked down at my hands. They were red like Killian's face. He was still standing. I kicked him, but he caught my leg and knocked me down. He put his hands on my face and heat up. I tried to absorb the energy but there was too much and I still could feel my skin burning under his fingers. Suddenly his hands withdrawled my face. I looked around and couldn't see him. Dad was behind me in a suit. I stood back up and ran in his arms. I didn't need to tell him. He understood. He hugged me and, for once, didn't say a word.

"Rhodey" Dad called in his earpiece. "Do you still have room for one last passenger?"

"Yep, bring 'im"

Dad took me in his arms and took me to Rhodey. The president was with him.

"No, Dad, Pepper is still out there! You're not going to fight Killian alone!" I yelled.

"Stella, it's not your fight anymore"

"It is!" Dad looked at Rhodey and noded. Rhodey noded back and wrapped his arm around me.

"No Rhodey put me down. I can't let him go alone!" I protested. But he didn't listen and took me along with the President.