Doctor Yinsen operated on Tony Stark. The conditions were crude, and afterward Tony had to carry a car battery around with him, but at least Yinsen managed to save his life.
Thus began an unusual period of "cohabitation" for the three brothers in misfortune.
Tony Stark was restless even while unconscious. He shouted constantly and thrashed around like a madman.
This seriously interfered with old comrade 006's diary writing, so he had no choice but to help Doctor Yinsen tie Stark to the bed.
Undergoing heart surgery in a dungeon dealt a severe blow to Tony Stark's health. His fever refused to break, and he remained unconscious for three full days.
"Who are you?" Tony Stark asked Doctor Yinsen, who was shaving nearby, after finally waking. He also noticed another figure in the depths of the room, but the man was too far away for Tony to make out his face.
"Yinsen."
"Oh." Tony Stark's response was perfunctory.
"Mm. We actually met once before, in Switzerland. But never mind."
Doctor Yinsen was a genuinely good man with an even temper. He did not mind the arrogance buried deep in Tony Stark's bones.
"Hey! What's your name? Do you know me too?" Tony Stark called to the man in the back of the room.
006 did not want to bother with him, but pretending ignorance when asked directly was not in his nature. "We've met before. More than once, in fact—many times. Though I'm rather more familiar with Obadiah."
There was no denying that 006 was doing quite well for himself these days, though his reputation in the outside world remained decidedly mixed. That was exactly why Bella and the Assassin Brotherhood had pushed him into the public eye. Someone had to take the blame.
That reputation affected Tony Stark's opinion of 006. In his view, their principles were on entirely different wavelengths.
"Oh, it's you—the one who makes clones? That… what was it… Peter? Right, I remember now. Peter Weyland?"
006 replied leisurely, "That's me. Your heart seems to have developed a problem as well. Would you care to use our company's services? Since we're all in trouble together, I'll give you a twenty-percent discount."
His heart? Only then did Tony Stark look down at his chest. An electromagnet had been implanted there, with two wires running to a battered car battery not far away.
No one could remain calm after suddenly discovering such a thing attached to his heart. Tony Stark's expression changed drastically. Still, everyone present was an adult. Not only 006, but even the kindly Doctor Yinsen remained silent. Neither man offered any comforting words. Tony could think it through for himself.
The Ten Rings had demanded that 006 open the alien spaceship and unlock its weapons systems. Once they became convinced that he truly knew nothing, they gradually stopped paying attention to him.
Tony Stark, on the other hand, had been captured for his technical expertise. The Ten Rings wanted the latest Jericho missile he had developed. The U.S. military in Afghanistan was thoroughly corrupt; anyone with money could buy missiles, but no one's money fell from the sky. Rather than purchase missiles, it was cheaper to manufacture their own. So they abducted Tony Stark, intending to create a missile production line belonging to the Ten Rings.
006 had been brutally beaten for more than half a month and could still joke with the other two because of his powerful recovery and rigorous training. Tony Stark was merely a rich young master. What iron will could he possibly possess? The future was the future. At present, after two days of beatings, he chose to submit—though only in appearance.
"The Jericho missile…" 006 remembered that weapon extremely well. Five years earlier, he had sent his men to steal the control chip from an early version of the missile, planning to put on a grand fireworks display for Her Majesty the Queen. The operation had been ruined by Bella and Natasha…
It all felt like yesterday.
He had waited nearly a month, yet the figure he had expected to appear very soon had never shown up!
006 had no idea that Bella was currently at Kamar-Taj discussing gods, divine bodies, divine authorities, and divine blood with the Ancient One. The person who should have come never did, while plenty of people who should not have come had appeared instead. He could only activate Plan B and escape on his own. He might be getting old, and he might be unable to mobilize the biochemical virus, but he had once been a super-agent. He was confident he could handle a group of ordinary men.
Tony Stark was still dismantling the Jericho missile as part of his feigned cooperation. 006 spoke solemnly to the other two. "When those people come later, work with me. As long as I can get my hands on two guns, I can lead you out of here."
He was not boasting. The biochemical virus caused severe pain whenever it passed through his heart, preventing him from drawing on its power, but the enhanced neural reaction speed it had granted him remained. Combined with his practiced Gun Kata, he believed he could fight his way out with the other two. It would be somewhat dangerous, of course, and not nearly as safe as simply waiting for Bella to rescue him…
But now… Heaven only knew what Bella was doing! 006 had come alone to observe the new 007 at close range, and Weyland-Yutani had no idea where he was. He could only depend on himself.
"Peter! Don't be rash! I've seen the defenses at the dungeon entrance. There are three iron gates, and they've set up heavy machine guns outside the cave. The moment we reach the exit, we'll be swept by machine-gun fire. It's far too dangerous!"
Doctor Yinsen advised him with great caution.
Heavy machine guns as well? During the earlier days, 006 had been beaten half to death. After being brought to this dungeon, he had never gone outside again and knew nothing of the defenses beyond the cave. On hearing how thoroughly the enemy had prepared, he fell into hesitation.
Heavy-machine-gun fire was too fast. With nothing more than an ordinary human body at present, dodging it would be extremely difficult.
He hesitated.
Tony Stark snorted. "Who do you think you are, charging out in front? Captain America? Since we can't force our way out, come help me instead. I have a way to get us out."
Originally, he had intended for Yinsen and 006 to do little more than menial work. He had never expected 006 to be extremely familiar with the Jericho missile.
"Does Weyland-Yutani want to copy my missile too?" That was the only explanation he could imagine.
This was not something 006 could explain in detail. He answered vaguely, "I simply happen to know a little about missiles."
Tony Stark then began using the resources in the cave to build an ultra-compact Arc Reactor according to his own design. To his surprise, 006 was also highly familiar with Arc Reactors.
"The material you're using for this component is unsuitable. Its rotational speed is too high."
"This is only a temporary device. Why are you designing a plasma channel into it?"
006 repeatedly pointed out shortcomings in Tony Stark's design. Tony, of course, understood those issues as well, but he was a perfectionist who refused to allow defects in anything he designed.
It was normal for Tony to understand such things. But 006 was a businessman who researched human cloning. For him to understand them too was anything but normal. Their fields had nothing in common, so how did he know so much about Arc Reactors?