Tony is sitting on a couch in his lab watching the news. He is fiddling with one of his gauntlets. The news reporter says that the 15 mile hike to the outskirts of Gulmira can only be described as a descent into hell in a modern day heart of darkness. She says that farmers and herders from peaceful villages have been driven from their homes, displaced from their lands by warlords emboldened by a new-found power. She reports that villagers have been forced to take shelter in whatever dwellings they can find in ruins of other villages or in the remnants of a soviet smelting plant. She says that recent violence has been attributed to a group of foreign fighters called the 10 rings by locals, she says that they're heavily armed and they're on a mission.
"Why do I get the feeling Tony's about to do something drastic?" Bruce said
"He is." Fury said causing a few snorts
Tony gives his screwdriver a violent twist. She says the mission could be fatal to anyone in their way. Tony gets up off the couch. She says with no political or international pressure there isn't much hope for the refugees. Tony looks to the side and raises the hand holding the gauntlet. The reporter talks about a woman begging for news of her husband who's been kidnapped. Tony shoots at something in the lab and his arm is knocked back from the force. A light fixture falls from the ceiling. The reporter continues talking about those who are missing. Tony straightens his posture and walks forward.
"He's got a look of revenge." Clint said some nodding with his statement Tony watched with a smirk
The reporter talks about a child asking where their parents are. Tony stops in front of three panels of reflective glass, he turns and looks at it. The reporter says that there is little hope for the refugees who can only wonder if someone would help them. Tony looks at his reflection with a grimace, he shoots at the center panel, then the left panel then turns and shoots at the right panel and walks away. The scene switches to Tony getting suited up. Then it cuts to him flying.
"They better run." Harley said causing some laughs but everyone sat silent waiting to see what he would do
In Gulmira there are bombs going off and the ten rings are killing people. One of them says to put the women in the trucks and to stack the weapons, then clear the houses. A family tries to get their son away. A man says to grab him and put him with the others and calls him a 'dog'. A little boy tries to run to his father. They shove the boy away and shove his father to the ground and stand over him then a man starts kicking him, a woman screams in the background.
"NO!" Many screamed in the room jumping up trying to save him before sitting back down
A man says to shoot him, then calls his men incompetent. Then Tony lands.
"Talk about an entrance." Sam said Tony looked at him and said "I've gotten better at them" Causing Sam to laugh
A man shoots at him, Tony punches him then starts firing at the others. He goes to fire at the ones behind him but they're holding guns to civilians' heads. He puts his hands down and targets the terrorists. The boy runs to his father. Tony walks to where the last guy is and grabs him through the wall and throws him on the ground in front of the civilians. Says he's theirs and then flies away. The people glare at the man on the ground.
"Something tells me he wasn't seen after that." Wanda said Tony shook his head
Tony flies and locates his weapons, he gets blown out of the sky and lands at the place the weapons are located. A tank is shooting at him and he blows it up. People start shooting at him, he flies up and notices the Jericho missile, he blows it up. He flies away and gets noticed by the military.
"Oh no." Tony said facepalming as Rhodes laughed and said "Really now? I remember a certain jog you were supposed to do?" Causing laughter from the people in the room who knew and confused look from the others
A man asks what it was and if they were cleared to go in there. Someone else says that they weren't because they were using human shields. Someone says to put him through to the States because they're gonna want to be all over this.
"Hmm I don't think this will end well." Peggy said smirking Pepper shook her head and mouth nope getting a laugh from Peggy and a pout from Tony
Someone says they've got a bogey. Someone says that it wasn't the air force. Someone asks if they've got the CIA on the line. Someone says that they do and that the CIA wants to know if it's them. Someone says that it isn't them. Someone says it wasn't the Navy. Another says that it wasn't the marines. Someone says that he needs answers and asks if he could get eyes on the target. Someone says that they can't and it's unidentified. Someone asks for Colonel Rhodes from weapons development.
"Rhodes!" Peter and Harley yelled laughing causing some confused looks as he also laughed
Rhodey enters the room. Someone tells him that they ran an ID check and cross-referenced with known databases and that they have nothing. Rhodey asks if there's any high altitude surveillance in the region. The man tells him that they have an AWAC and a Global Hawk in the area. Rhodey asks if the thing they're looking for appeared out of nowhere and asks why it didn't show up on the radar. Someone says that radar cross-section is minimal. Rhodey asks if it's stealth. Someone says that it's not and it's tiny and they think it's an unmanned aerial vehicle.
"You know this could have been avoided if you had listened to me." Tony said and Rhodes gave him a glare and said "I really thought you we're losing it."
Someone asks Rhodey what they're dealing with. Rhodey says to let him make a phone call. Tony is still flying and we hear a ringing noise coming from the suit. Tony answers the phone with a 'Hello.' Rhodey greets him. Tony asks who's talking to him. Rhodey says that it's him. Tony apologizes and says 'hello' again. Rhodey repeats himself.
"Really? Dodging?" Quill asked
"No, I couldn't hear him at first." Tony said
Tony tells him to speak up. Rhodey asks what the noise is. Tony tells him he's driving with the top down. Rhodey says he needs Tony's help. Tony says that it's funny how that works. Rhodey says that he has a weapons depot that was blown up close to where Tony was held captive. Tony makes a comment about it being a hot spot and says that it sounded like someone did Rhode's job for him. Rhodey asks Tony why he sounds out of breath. Tony says that he's jogging.
"You are so bad at lying." Nat said smirking
"No, I just can't lie to him." Tony said pouting causing her to laugh
"You can't lie to us." Peter pointed at him and Harley who Tony smiled and said "You are absolutely right now shush." Before the giggled
Rhodey says that he thought Tony said he was driving. Tony says that he was driving to the canyon where he was going to jog. Rhodey asks if Tony has any tech in the area. Tony says he doesn't. Someone says that they spotted the bogey. Someone says that whiplash is coming in hot. Rhodey tells Tony that that's good because he's staring at a piece of tech that's about to get blown up. Two planes appear behind Tony.
"Now that's a bit harsh." Happy said
"Well he tried to lie, and I didn't know he was in it." Rhodes said shrugging
Tony says that this is his exit and he turns left. The planes follow him. A pilot says that he has the bogey in his sights. Rhodey asks what it is. The pilot says he doesn't know. Someone else asks if he has radio contact. The pilot says it's non-responsive. They give the pilot the all clear and tell him he can engage. Inside Tony's suit red words that say 'engage supersonic' appear. He activates it then flies really fast. The pilot says that the bogey went supersonic and that he has target lock on it. Then he starts shooting at Tony. JARVIS warns Tony about the inbound missile. Tony activates the flares. The missile blows up. A pilot says that the bogey deployed flares. Tony starts falling out of the sky but steadies himself after a few seconds. One of the planes starts shooting at him. Tony tells JARVIS to deploy the flaps and then falls back.
"You really thought it out didn't you?" Hank asked
Tony turned to him, smirking "I had 4 pots of coffee in 30 minutes that day." Causing some laughter from those who knew him and some horrified looks from others as Peter said "Can I..." But was cut off by Tony saying "Absolutely not." Causing Pepper to laugh and Peter to pout
Someone says that the bogey jumped off the radar. Another person says that the visual was lost. A pilot says that there's no way he can borrow a UAV. Someone asks what it is. The pilot says he can't see anything. Someone says that whatever it was, it bought the farm. Someone says that he thinks the bogeys have been handled. Rhodes's phone starts ringing. He picks it up to see Tony calling, the name used is ''the starkster."
"Really now?" Tony asked looking at him as he blushed and said
"If it's any importance I changed it to Tiny Stank." Causing everyone to laugh for a few minutes
Rhodey greets him. Tony greets him back and tries to tell him that the bogey is him but Rhodey doesn't understand. Tony says that what Rhodes's been asking about is him. Rhodey tells him that it isn't a game and that he can't send civilian equipment into an active warzone. Tony says it isn't a piece of equipment and that it's a suit and he's in it. Someone asks Rhodey if he's got anything. Someone else tells the pilots to return to the base. One of the planes flies off and Tony is revealed to be hanging onto the bottom of it.
Fury and Nat stood up and started clapping at his attempt to escape as others laughed as Coulson spoke "That was a terrible attempt."
The other pilot tells him that something is on the plane and that it looks like a man. The pilot says to shake the man off and the other pilot rolls the plane. Tony flies off and hits the other plane, ripping one of its wings off. The plane starts falling. The other pilot tells him to punch out. The man ejects himself, then his plane blows up. The man starts falling. Someone says that whiplash one is down. Someone asks the other pilot if he sees a parachute. The pilot says that there isn't one.
"You still owe me a plane." Rhodes said but Tony just said
"He actually hit me so." Causing some snorts from Bucky
The pilot is still falling, trying to eject his parachute, and yells that it's jammed. Tony starts flying after him. The other pilot says that he has a visual on the bogey. Someone tells the pilot to re-engage and that if he gets a clear shot he should take it. Rhodey says that they don't know what they're dealing with and that he should call off the planes. The man says that the bogey took out an F22 in a no fly zone and repeated what he said to the pilot. JARVIS tells Tony that he's been reengaged, and to execute the evasive maneuver. Tony says to keep going and flies faster and successfully un- jams the man's chute.
"At Least he saved the pilot." Betty said getting some nods of agreement
Rhodey asks Tony if he's still there. Tony thanks him. Rhodey calls him a crazy son of a bitch and tells Tony that he owes him a plane. Tony says that technically the pilot hit him. Tony asks if Rhodey will come see what he's been working on. Rhodey says that he won't because the less he knows about it the better.
"I think I'd say that too." Wilson said causing some laughter
Rhodey asks what he's supposed to tell the press. Tony tells him to say that it was a training exercise and asks if that was the usual BS excuse. Rhodey says that it isn't that simple. The scene flips to Rhodey talking to a group of reporters. He says that a training exercise involving an f22 raptor occurred, and that the pilot was uninjured.
"I guess it was that easy huh?" Shuri said laughing
Obadiah is shown watching this happen on TV. Rhodey talks about the turn of events in Gulmira and says that the United States government wasn't involved. Pepper is shown walking down the stairs to Tony's lab. Tony greets her. JARVIS says that the suit is a tight fit and the more he struggles, the more it'll hurt. Tony tells him to be gentle because it was his first time.
"You know that doesn't even sound remotely clean." Bucky said causing some laughter as Sam face palmed
Tony is shown standing on a machine that is trying to take his suit off. Tony says that he designed the suit to come off so it should be able to. JARVIS tells him to try and not move. Pepper asks what's going on. Tony turns his head and says that this isn't the worst thing she's caught him doing.
"What is the worse thing she's caught you doing?" Howard asked
Pepper just said "We don't talk about it."
Pepper asks if the holes in the suit are bullet holes. The scene switches to Afghanistan. A few SUV's pull up to where Raza is standing with a few other men. Obadiah and a few security guards get out of the first car.
"THAT MOTHER...." Dugan said
"Language." Tony said While everyone looked worried about what happened most piecing it together hoping it wasn't true
Obadiah walks toward Raza who welcomes him. Obadiah turns to look at the large burn mark on the side of his face. Raza explains that it was because of Tony. Obadiah says that Raza killed Tony when he was supposed to, he'd still have a face. Raza says that Obadiah gave them trinkets to kill a prince.
"He should burn in hell!" Sousa said angrily
"You should never betray someone like that!" Thompson said Tony looked shocked by who cared
Obadiah tells Raza to show him the weapon. Raza tells him to leave the guards outside. They start to walk into the cave. Inside the cave we see the Mark 1 iron man suit finally assembled correctly.
"That's what you mean by the wrong hands." Steve said looking disappointed in the Stane guy
Tony just nods
Raza says that Tony's escape bore unexpected fruit. Obadiah realizes that the suit was how Tony escaped. Raza says that this suit is a crude effort and that Tony has perfected the design. says that Tony has made a masterpiece of death.
"It was never meant to cause death." Tony said sadly
"It was meant to be a symbol of hope, to bring peace of mind to those in danger." Abe said As everyone turned to him confused he just shrugs and says "Never judge someone's motivation from the outside you never know what's going on on the inside."
"I like that one." Nat said getting some nods of agreement
Raza says a man with a dozen of the suits can rule Asia, and says that Obadiah dreams of Tony's 'throne', then says that they have a common enemy and if they're still in business he'll give the designs to Obadiah. Obadiah is staring at the hole in the chest of the suit, he runs his fingers along the side.
"He knows." Mr. Mortia said
Raza says he hopes Obadiah will repay him with iron soldiers. Obadiah walked toward him. He rested his arm on Obadiah's shoulder and turned on a device that emitted a high pitched noise. Raza started breathing heavily and the veins in his head started popping out. Obadiah says that that is the only gift he'll receive, and says that technology has always been the Achilles heel in this part of the world, then tells Raza the temporary paralysis would only last 15 minutes.
"He's a little weasel, takes what he wants not caring about how it affects others." May says causing others to nod in agreement
Obadiah tells the guards to crate up the armor and to finish their business there. He gets into the car, behind him a bunch of people get shot. Obadiah is on the phone now. He says to set up sector 16 under the arc reactor and that he wants the data masked, he says to recruit their top engineers and he wants a prototype right away.
"He can get that" Bucky shouted
Tony nods and says "The scientist would need me work to figure it out which they won't get" Pepper just looked nervous since she didn't know exactly what happened