Chapter 6

At night, Tony Stark and Ethan sat at a small table, playing chess.

"You haven't told me where you're from yet," Tony Stark asked, moving a piece on the board.

Ethan stared at the game, holding a dice in his right hand. "A small town in Gemilla. It's a nice place."

"Do you have family?" Tony continued.

"Yes," Ethan replied softly. "I'll see them after I get out of here. What about you, Stark?"

Tony paused, his hand hovering over the chessboard. He hesitated for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with sadness. "I don't have any family."

Ethan looked up at him, studying his expression. "No family?" he repeated, and after a pause, added, "So, you have everything."

"But you have nothing."

Tony Stark lowered his head and chuckled bitterly. He didn't reply, but his eyes betrayed the pain behind his silence.

Suddenly, a loud explosion reverberated through the cave, startling them both.

"Boom!"

The two men exchanged a glance. Tony quickly raised a finger to his lips, signaling Ethan to be quiet. They listened closely, trying to discern what was happening outside.

Faint voices echoed through the cave. It sounded like gunfire and explosions mixed with shouts of alarm.

"An attack?" Tony whispered.

Ethan nodded, looking confused. "Sounds like someone's here to save you... but is that... music I hear?"

Tony blinked, his mind immediately flashing to Pepper Potts. He shrugged, trying to make sense of it. "Maybe…"

Half an hour earlier:

"Woof! I smell a lot of people ahead in the valley," Deadpool's dog said, tail wagging excitedly.

Ted squinted at the horizon. "That's it. That must be the militants' base. Let's go; I don't want to spend another night out here."

"Finally!" Deadpool grinned, drawing his twin swords. "I'm going to show these thugs how much of a headache they've given me."

"Stay put," Ted ordered. "Let me do the heavy lifting."

Pietro adjusted his goggles and smirked. "I'm going in first." Without another word, Quicksilver disappeared in a blur, speeding ahead.

Ted sighed, taking out a pair of goggles from his coat. "Well, see you later," he said, vanishing with a flash, leaving Deadpool and his dog behind.

"Hey! Take us with you!" Deadpool shouted, kicking the ground in frustration. "Ugh! Why don't I have any cool powers like that? This is discrimination!"

Left with no choice, Deadpool and his dog sprinted to catch up with the others.

Ten minutes later, Deadpool and his dog, panting heavily, finally caught up with Ted and Pietro. The two were lounging against a rock, sipping on bottles of Coke.

"You guys really left us behind!" Deadpool panted, snatching a Coke from Pietro and gulping it down.

Ted pointed to a group of militants wearing red turbans gathered around a cave in the valley below. "That's the base. Tony Stark's probably in that cave."

"Alright, Wade, you and the dog create a distraction. I'll sneak in and rescue Stark. Pietro, start the music."

"Burp... No problem," Deadpool replied with a loud belch.

Unfortunately, the burp was so loud that the militants below heard it. One of them shouted, "Who's there?!"

Ted and Pietro both turned to Deadpool with exasperated looks.

Deadpool, oblivious to his mistake, grinned and gestured dramatically. "Guess it's showtime!"

Ted sighed. "Let's get to work. Pietro, hit the music."

Deadpool sprang to his feet, brandishing his swords. "Your grandfather Deadpool is here! Tony Stark, are you in there?!" he yelled as he tossed a grenade toward the militants.

As the grenade exploded, the militants began firing their weapons. "Enemy attack!" one of them shouted.

"Da da da da da…"

Meanwhile, Pietro pulled out a small speaker, pressed play, and the world around them seemed to slow down. The iconic beat of "Sweet Dreams" began to play, filling the air.

Time slowed to a crawl. Deadpool, mid-jump, seemed suspended in the air alongside his dog, both moving in slow motion. Even the explosions and gunfire seemed to lag, creating an almost surreal atmosphere.

Ted and Quicksilver, however, moved at lightning speed. They zipped through the chaos, dodging bullets and explosives. Pietro couldn't help but mess with Deadpool's pose mid-flight, coiling his legs into a ridiculous position while placing the tip of a knife just inches from Deadpool's face.

As the music played, Ted skillfully redirected the bullets aimed at Deadpool and the dog, just in case. Despite knowing they'd survive the hits, Ted was kind enough to spare them the pain.

He darted through the valley, stripping the red turbans off the militants' heads and tying their hands with them in one swift motion.

"I've traveled the world and the seven seas, everybody's looking for something," the lyrics echoed in Ted's ears as he reached the entrance of the cave where Tony was being held.

A steel door blocked his path. Ted raised his hand, a faint red glow flickering at his fingertips. Slowly, he closed his fingers, and the door twisted and bent as though it were made of soft clay.

"Some of them want to use you…"

With a loud bang, the door crumpled and fell to the ground. Inside, Ted saw two figures—Tony Stark, with the glowing arc reactor in his chest, and Ethan, the white-bearded man in glasses.

They looked frozen, locked in place as if time had stopped for them too. The half-assembled Mark I suit lay scattered on the floor, a testament to Stark's genius even in captivity.

Ted confirmed their identities, and with a flick of his wrist, released the pause on time. The world resumed its normal pace.

Tony and Ethan blinked in surprise, glancing at the now-open door in confusion as Ted stepped inside.

"Tony Stark, your rescue party has arrived," Ted said with a smirk, glancing at the half-built Iron Man suit. "Looks like we got here just in time."

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