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He was already leaping to the side, using the sides of the van to catapult himself off of it, leaping towards Tony, who tried to shift his aim only for the Soldier to tackle him before he had a chance to retaliate.
Tony fell back, his head and shoulder banging against the floor. Fiery pain erupted and he yelled out.
The Winter Soldier was on him in an instant, straddling his chest and one hand curled around Tony's throat, tightening his grasp as he restricted airflow.
Choking, Tony brought up his Gauntlet-covered hand and tried to fire again yet the Soldier noticed and slammed his foot onto the arm, trapping Tony's arm against the floor.
His other arm was still free. A single punch to the Winter Soldier's jaw did nothing.
The grip on his throat tightened.
Blackness was starting to fall around the sides of his vision.
"Don't!" Tony choked out, now abandoning all attempt to fight.
But the Winter Soldier had his orders.
Being choked into unconsciousness wasn't a pleasant experience.
Desperate to get air into his lungs, despite the pain in his shoulder and his throbbing head, Tony forced his hands onto the wrist of the Winter Soldier, trying to pry the cold fingers away from his throat.
Slowly but surely he could feel the fingers slipping from his throat. Determination spread through him. He could do this!
The Winter Soldier's eyes widened only briefly before he raised his metal arm above his head, forming it into a fist.
Eyes widening, Tony tried to move but couldn't as the Winter Soldier brought his fist down hard on Tony's cheek, cutting his lip and bruising his cheek.
Dazed, Tony's attempts to stop being strangled loosened and the fingers only tightened around his throat again. "No…!"
He tried again, rather feebly, but it was enough to anger the Winter Soldier further who curled his metal hand into a wrist again and punched Tony not once but twice in the side of the head.
The first hit was enough to make him lose consciousness for a few seconds, the second punch made him fall into blackness, his whole body going limp as he lost sight of everything.
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"William Ginter Riva." Natasha, arms crossed over her chest, observed the man in front of him. "Former engineer at Stark Industries, fired by Obadiah Stane just a few hours prior to his death, and now a criminal in the eyes of the law. Tell us what you know and maybe the law will go easy on you."
The man did not reply, just stared stonily ahead.
"Who hired you?" Natasha tried again, her eyes sharp as she observed the man in the police interrogation room.
Still there was no response.
"You're only making things worse for yourself by not answering. I saw you by Stark before the smoke bomb went off. You're not going to get out of this."
"I was merely asked to keep Stark distracted. I did not know what was going to happen," the man admitted.
"I find that hard to believe. Most of the people involved in this attack are former disgruntled Stark Industries employees who have been fired for various reasons. Obadiah Stane fired you, not Tony Stark, yet you seem to dislike him. Why?"
"Because of whom he is, because of what he can do even with limited materials. I was unable to replicate the Arc Reactor. Stark is at fault for simply being better than me. I was fired from a job I loved because I could not complete the work assignment Stane had given me. I was one of the top scientists. Once Stane was gone I appealed to return, to have my position reinstated. Stark refused."
"But that isn't Tony's fault you got fired. But you were complicit in aiding Stane and it is understandable he wouldn't want to rehire someone who was helping him. Didn't you find it odd when he tasked you with replicating the Arc Reactor technology?" Natasha asked, trying to sense how this man could hold a vendetta against Tony.
William sighed. "It doesn't matter. Stark's own actions caused me to lose my job. There are many of his ex-employees who hold grudges against him. This was our chance to make him suffer for once."
Natasha chose to ignore his words. He'd be questioned further. "Tell me who hired you."
"I don't know. I was contacted anonymously to distract him at the Accords signing. I didn't know what was going to happen. The other people involved in this? I don't know them."
"They're all ex-Stark Industries employees. That is the connection. Fine, if you don't know who is behind this, then do you know where Tony is?"
"No. As I said, I knew what I had to know."
Natasha sighed. This wasn't getting her anywhere. "Fine. You'll be held here until charges are filed against you. I'm not the first person who will be interrogating you today." Natasha rose from her chair and walked out, leaning against the wall.
They'd lost Tony and had no way to track him.
They had to find him.
And fast.
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When the blackness receded Tony found himself in a cold and small room, lying on the floor with his shoulder on fire.
It hurt like hell. His wrists were bound behind him.
"Ah, it is good to see you are finally awake, Stark."
The man's voice didn't surprise Tony.
"Get him up. I want him facing me."
A cold metal hand grabbed him by his hair and hoisted him up into a kneeling position. The movement jarred his shoulder and he hissed in pain.
He focused his gaze on the man in front of him, clearly showing his contempt and his defiance in the face of what could possibly be his death, unless he found a way to escape.
"Thaddeus Ross," stated Tony.
"Stark. You've ruined me."
"Shouldn't have given me a reason to ruin you," retorted Tony, defiant.
"You could have been an asset to me if only you hadn't gone behind my back with the Accords."
Tony snarled. "They deserved to know. You lost your power because you refused to comply with the rules yourself. If you do not follow the rules, how do you expect others to do so in your name?" It was a valid point.
Ross stalked forward, a gun glinting in the dim light of the room they were in.
"You've ruined everything for me, Stark. People have tried to silence you before. Unlike them, I will not fail."
The Winter Soldier tipped Tony's head back, holding him securely in place.
"They'll come for me."
"No, they won't." Ross reached into his pocket and pulled out several bullets, inserting them into the gun. "They have no idea where you are. You're dead, Stark."
He raised the gun at Tony and fired.
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POWER STONES!!!
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