Engine of Survival by Marinarusalka (PG13)

[ficwize.livejournal.com]

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS: Iron Man Movieverse
Title: Engine of Survival
Pairing: Mostly gen; hints of past Yinsen/OFC
Rating: PG-13
Length: approx. 6800 words
Author on LJ: marinarusalka
Author Website: marinarusalka
Why this must be read:

Author's summary: Yinsen's story.

Yinsen is such a major part of the film that it's amazing to me that there isn't more fanfiction written about him. Still, once you read this particular story, you won't really need more. It's brilliant and it tells the story of the man who created Iron Man - and it certainly isn't Tony Stark.

This is a realistic look at what Yinsen's life was probably like - everything from why he left Afghanistan to why he returned, the decisions that made him more heroic that anyone in a metal suit, and the consequences he knew would result from those decisions.

Make sure you have tissue handy.

"You will keep him alive," Raza said in a flat voice that allowed for no possibility of disagreement, "for as long as I require it. Do whatever is necessary."

Yinsen wasn't sure if he was up to the task. He'd removed all the larger pieces of shrapnel from Stark's chest, but he'd seen similar injuries often enough to know that it wasn't enough. There were still pieces of metal floating in Stark's bloodstream, most of them too small to see with the naked eye yet still big enough to be fatal once they reached the heart. He'd never seen anyone survive such a wound for more than a few days.

He looked down at Stark's motionless form and thought back to the notes he'd made at the hospital months before, outlining the pros and cons of a theoretical procedure he'd never actually had a chance to try. The conditions in the caves were hardly ideal for experimental surgery, but what did he have to lose, after all?

Yinsen adjusted his glasses and gave Raza a thin-lipped smile.

"I'll need a battery from one of the cars," he said.

Engine of Survival