Building Superheroes at Marvel

"Where is this place? And who are they?"

When Tony Stark regained consciousness, he immediately understood that he couldn't stay idle. This experience made him realize that there must be an undercover agent right under his nose.

He never remembered his weapons being traded to terrorists; his weapons were only sold to the military.

Of course, military products can sometimes end up in the hands of foreign nations. After all, Stark is a businessman, and profit is key.

However, Tony Stark could swear that these were regular army clients, not rebels or terrorists. He personally oversaw every deal.

In the past, he believed that the negative publicity surrounding Stark Industries mainly pushed by competitors like Hammer Industries was just a cheap tactic, and he paid it no mind.

But now, it seemed those accusations were disturbingly accurate.

These terrorists were using Stark Industries' weapons to slaughter innocent civilians.

"This place is located in the vast desert. Even satellites can't locate it on the map. Those people belong to the Ten Rings," said Dr. Ethan, cleaning Tony Stark's bruised body with a basin of water. His job was to look after this genius.

Having been imprisoned for some time, Dr. Ethan likely understood why the Ten Rings were so interested in Tony Stark.

Their goal? Capture him, imprison him, and force him to create devastating weapons for them.

"The Ten Rings..." Stark muttered, his fists clenched in fury. The minute he escaped, he would make these terrorists pay.

But right now, his priority was survival. The most immediate concern was to rid himself of the debris embedded in his chest. Dr. Ethan had explained that the shrapnel from the rocket blast was lodged in his body, and it couldn't be removed at the moment.

Thus, an electromagnet was being used to hold the shrapnel together and prevent further damage.

"Maybe... I can try something."

Tony Stark gazed at the large battery next to him. A familiar sight though it was rather humbling for someone of his genius.

"Every day I carry this thing around. Is this really the path I'm meant to take?" he wondered, his thoughts a mix of disbelief and frustration.

"Don't worry," Dr. Ethan spoke up, noticing Stark's grim expression. "I was also captured by them. But it was only to be useful."

Stark didn't acknowledge him, thinking Ethan might have been an ally of the terrorists. The situation was strange.

At that moment, a guttural sound from outside the door echoed. Then, the heavy iron gate opened. A short, stocky figure with a bushy beard walked in the leader of this group, most likely.

He stopped in front of Tony Stark, and with a smug smile, he leaned in close and said something in a foreign language.

"He says he welcomes the famous inventor of weapons as a guest," Ethan translated, standing behind Stark.

"Tell him," Tony Stark snapped, "that it's better for him to let me go. Otherwise, the military will come for him."

His arrogance wouldn't allow him to bow to this man. Stark met the stranger's gaze with a fiery resolve.

Ethan hesitated, then translated the message. But, understanding the danger, he softened it, hoping to mitigate Stark's anger and prevent further harm.

The bearded man let out a loud, mocking laugh, unbothered by the threat, and signaled for someone to bring in a massive, rolled-up blueprint. It was a diagram of something unfamiliar a weapon that seemed to resemble a large cannon.

The bearded man explained through Ethan: "They found this in a small village while pillaging. A flame bomb accidentally triggered an explosion that revealed a hidden cave behind a rock wall."

Upon hearing this, their leader, Raza, ordered the massacre of the entire village to cover up the discovery.

"He says he wants you to help them build the weapon from the drawing. The price is up to you," Ethan translated again.

Tony Stark looked at the design, now laid out before him. The sight of it struck him like a jolt of electricity.

"This… this is impossible!" he gasped.

Even the corner formulas alone shook him to his core. Pushing the soldiers aside, he spread the design across the floor and began analyzing it.

"This is a completely new method of energy operation something that could revolutionize decades of human research," Stark muttered in disbelief, his mind racing.

He could tell this wasn't just some advanced weapon; if built correctly, it could be more destructive than anything humanity had ever seen, possibly even outclassing nuclear weaponry.

Glaring at the bearded man, a new idea sparked in Tony Stark's mind.

"Tell him I'll build it for him, but I need materials, assistants, and a quiet place to work."

Though Tony Stark didn't fully understand the design, he knew this was his opportunity to escape.

As he turned away, he secretly winked at Dr. Ethan, signaling his plan.

Ethan's sharp mind quickly grasped Stark's intentions. They had to build something that could give Tony Stark the mobility he needed to break free.

After some brief conversation, the bearded man seemed pleased, speaking a few more words before leaving with his henchmen.

"He said to give him a list of materials, and they'll gather everything right away. As for assistants, he's offering himself," Ethan relayed, looking slightly concerned at how easily the bearded man had fallen for Stark's ruse.

"This is simple," Tony Stark replied, already scribbling down what he needed. "We need to build something that will allow me to move freely."

With that, Stark set to work on the list, his mind already focused on how to turn this opportunity to his advantage.

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