Do I spy something that starts with UP and ends with DATE? *Gasps* I DO! Okay, Okay, I'm exaggerating, just a bit. Though, true it has been a while since I actually updated one of these stories. I admit, I'm ashamed for starting so many new stories for different fandoms, but whatever, you guys are still my top priority! :D
Hopefully this nice and LONG chapter ought to satisfy you guys!
Disclaimer: IMAA is...yeah...NO.
Looking out the window, he watched as droplets of rain hit the glass and slowly travel down. He watched as some joined together and worked together to move faster. They accumulated together at the bottom of the window pane and soon soaked into the material.
It was all he could do to keep his eyes open; to keep himself awake. To keep away from what was waiting for him in the darkness. It wasn't even nighttime yet, and he was having issues keeping his eyes open. It sure seemed as if it was night. It was dark, and it was raining, and it was quiet.
His mind kept trying to shut down and going to sleep, but Tony did everything in his will not to do just that. Instead he busied himself, once again, with retelling Pepper's story in his mind. For some reason, he just couldn't grasp the story in his mind. Maybe it was because something wasn't sitting well with him. Something seemed off…
(Flashback)
Pepper's POV (3rd person)
The redhead armored up along with her boyfriend, flying behind him. He was busy explaining whatever it was they were going after. Though, that wasn't what Pepper was necessarily worried about. She was more concerned about Tony. She didn't know what, but something was going on with him. Something was distracting him, and she wanted to be there to make sure his mind kept on track.
It wasn't far of a flight, so she didn't have much time to think to herself. They landed in front of the smoking building ahead of them, a van parked in front of the entrance.
Pepper was really hoping for it to just be the Maggia or something like that, but of course their luck wasn't that good. A fully armored psychopath dressed in some crazy get up that distinctively resembled that of a clown.
He looked harmless enough, but the high tech weapons he was carrying was their top concern. In the right or wrong hands, that kind of weapon could be highly lethal.
"Be careful with this one, Pep." Tony said, stepping so he was slightly in front of the redhead.
'I'm not the one I'm worried about' She thought to herself.
The armed clown set his eyes upon the armored couple with a smile. He giggled in excitement. "Ooh! Look who graces me with their presence!" The man's voice was raspy and high, making him sound childish and crazy. "Today is filled with much wonders!"
"Give it up!" Tony said, stepping forward, his fist clenched.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The armed clown clicked. He walked closer to Tony, ever so slowly. "I wouldn't be that way." He held up an arm, showing that he was holding a detonator.
Pepper could see Tony tense at the sight of the detonator. She had to admit, so did she. Who knows what that thing was attached to, it could've been anything.
The armed clown laughed, seeing the change in the heroes' posture. He bit his smirking bottom lip, letting out a thrilled squeal. "I just love your reactions! It gives me the chills, it excites me!"
Pepper could imagine that Tony was giving the man a glare. She wanted to step forward and say something so he didn't do anything rash, but the man was watching her, them.
"Leave them alone!" Tony said, voice clearly strained.
Pepper stepped out so she wasn't so much behind him. She almost wished that she hadn't when he tensed up the instant she left his reach, to the point where she was more visible to the enemy.
The armed clowned laughed, high and crazily. His laughter drowned out the noise of the panicking citizens and bystanders. "Them? Who's them?"
Pepper was left confused, and she could see that Tony was clearly confused as well.
The clown man waved the detonator in his hand in front of Tony's face, who was only about five or less feet away. "This? This isn't for some kind of bomb! At least not one that strapped to nobody!"
Tony stepped forward, his whole body tensing and flexing. "What are you up to?"
Pepper sidestepped a bit. "Tony, don't goad him on. You need to take a breath." She said through the private comm. Link.
She noticed him shift. "Okay."
The laugher of the armed clown broke them from their conversation. "Too late! It's too late now!" The laughter got louder and louder. "You'll never save her now!"
Confused, Pepper thought it through, but it was too late before he realized what the psycho meant. She turned, her own body betraying her as it seemed to as if she was frozen. By the time her body turned all the way, it was too late.
But not too late for Tony, who threw his arms around Pepper and rose his shields.
The missile hitting Tony's back directly. He stood his ground, his arms tightly wound around Pepper. The explosion seemed to last a longer time than usual. Just as she thought everything had calmed down, they went flying.
It was until then that she realized that there was more than one missile that had hit Tony directly on. But by then, it was too late to try to help him. He was already out cold on the ground.
(Flash Back End)
Tony rubbed his back, which was still incredibly sore. He honestly couldn't remember what had happened, but that's pretty much what Pepper had told him. Though, she did explain what happened to him in detail. The 'accident' part.
After about three or four direct missiles, Tony had almost broken his back, earned a mild/severe concussion, and an ever so lovely sprain in the ankle. He missed about a week of school and he just about gave his dad a heart attack. Or so he was told.
A loud bang of thunder rolled throughout the house, bringing his attention back to the window that was next to his bed. The sky was darker as the storm became heavier. Not mentioning that it was getting late.
He wanted to get up and move around, but every time he tried, it sent a sharp pain through his back, that made him just want to never get up again. That wasn't even bringing up the major migraine he got along with that back pain.
There was a soft knock at his door.
He rolled his head to the side to see who was there, saying his door was open. Even though he already knew who it was going to be. Pepper had stayed the night, and had promised that she was staying one extra night so he didn't get lonely. Tony knew that it wasn't just for him, because he knew that she got lonely since her dad had to leave for an extra week.
"How you feeling?" Pepper asked, her voice just as soft as her movements.
It was as if she knew exactly how he felt about every little sound. They hurt. They pounded inside his head, and his hearing seemed extra sensitive to sound.
"Better." He smiled softly, through his droopy eyes.
"Go to sleep Tony."
She knew he hadn't slept the night before. She laid down with him, tried to comfort him into rest, but he fought it like it was the last thing he would have done. She knew that he was still fighting sleep.
"I'm fine." Was his argument.
Pepper rolled her eyes, "Sure, I'll believe that when pigs fly."
Tony had to admit, this side of Pepper, was nice. Though, he hated that it wasn't the Pepper he knew and loved. Well, it was, but the tone of her voice was like she was pitying him. Couldn't she be herself and understand that he didn't want to be pitied?
Pepper sat down next to him with a smile. "Sleep."
"I'm not tired." Tony tried.
"Not buying it," Pepper replied faintly. "Just go to sleep, Tony."
"I don't want to." Tony argued, moving to sit up, only to be pushed down by his own pain.
"What are you so afraid of? Why don't you want to go to sleep?" Pepper asked, starting to get irritated. Actually, she wasn't irritated, she was more…frustrated. "I don't see what's so bad about falling asleep!"
Tony winced. The sound level she was reaching was definitely causing waves of pain to go through his head; not a bit help to the whole headache deal.
That wasn't the only reason he winced. Flashes and faint memories of the dreams filled his mind. Replaying over and over. Focusing that on his close friends, family.
He took in a sharp breath. "I'll be fine, Pep. Don't worry about me."
Pepper tensed in her spot. She was ready to shout at him, argue her point even further. He needed sleep. She couldn't understand why he was fighting it so much! Why was he lying to her? She could clearly see that he was tired, and that he wanted sleep, but she could also see that he feared falling asleep.
But, she let it go.
"Fine." Pepper said. "I'm going to get some water, want some?"
Tony smiled softly at her. "That'd be nice."
…
"Why, Tony?"
"Why?"
"Son?"
"Kill them."
"Tony!"
His breath picked up, almost matching the impossibly fast pace his heart was setting. Even though it was incredibly cold, he still felt as if someone just shoved him in an oven.
They surrounded him. Cornered him. Crowded him. They questioned him.
"Kill them, before they kill you."
"They wouldn't do that!" Tony protested to the voice that was still faceless.
"Everybody eventually turns, why not be the first?"
Tony didn't get the chance to respond. His friends, his family were closing in. They were getting closer and closer, the space between then grew smaller and smaller.
The voice chanted, "Kill them, kill them, kill them, kill them, kill them…"
Tony closed his eyes trying to cut out the voice. To cut out the chanting, the words. The accusations. He could feel one of his friend's breath on his neck. He edged away, only to bump into someone else. He stepped back, bumping into yet another. And again, and again.
"Kill them, kill them, kill them…"
No! His mind told him, but his body had different plans.
His arm, as if it was moving by itself, lashed out. His eyes still closed, he froze.
Slowly, he opened his eyes when he felt a sticky warm liquid cover his hand. Looking up, he looked into the wide eyes of Pepper, who had blood spilling out of her mouth.
"T-Tony…why?" Her voice cracked as tears freely rolled down her cheeks.
She fell to the ground in front of him, and it was as if the world fell along with her. "PEPPER!"
…
Pepper woke from a sudden pain in her leg. She took a moment to wake, before she felt the pain again. It took her only a moment to realize that Tony was kicking her. She turned to see him thrashing about in the bed, the sheets tangled in his legs. It wasn't long before he started to scream.
Pepper acted on instinct and wrapped her arms around him, trying to subside the thrashing. "Tony!" He thrashed and thrashed about in her arms, not waking. "Tony, it's alright! It's just a dream!"
She felt fear for Tony as it felt as if he wasn't going to wake. "Tony, it's just a dream! Calm down, please! Just wake up!" She was practically begging him to wake up.
Not because it hurt trying to hold him down like this, but because she was worried. It not only worried her, but it panicked her.
She wrapped her legs around him, gaining more control over his thrashing, and pinned his arms to his side with her arms. "Tony, it's time to wake up!" She tried. "I promise that it's just a dream!"
She was about to switch tactics, when he gasped awake. "Pepper!"
She could feel his rapid heartbeat underneath her skin, and his sharp, quick breaths. "OH my…Pepper…It's you! It's you and you and your not…!"
"Tony!" Pepper stopped him. "It's alright. I'm here."
She rubbed his shoulder to comfort him, hoping that she could calm his breathing and his heart beat a bit. She could feel him physically shaking.
It took him a bit to actually calm down, but he finally did. It was then that Pepper remembered how she was sitting and that she was still pinning Tony down, with her whole body wrapped around him, so she laughed lightly hoping to lighten the mood a bit as she unwound herself.
Sitting up, she switched on the table lamp beside her. She twisted to get a complete look at her boyfriend. He was still shaking, his cheeks were pink, and he looked clammy and unstable. In all, he looked completely and utterly terrified.
"You alright?" Pepper asked.
Stupid question, but she couldn't take it back.
He tried to smile, only he seemed to flinch away from his own smile. "I'm…it was just a dream, Pep."
She gave him a skeptic look, but let it be. For the moment.
"How about some water?" She suggested, shifting to the edge of the bed.
She stood up, but Tony grabbed her wrist. "I'm coming with you."
"No," She said, easing him back to the bed. "You sprained your ankle,"
"I have crutches." He protested.
"It's the middle of the night."
"I'm fine."
She sighed, but gave him a stern look. "Stay here, I'm just going to get a glass of water."
She could see defeat in his eyes as she walked out the door.
She returned to the room, water at hand. "Want to talk about it?"
It was a long shot, she knew, but it couldn't hurt to try. Even Tony had his moments where he surprised everybody, so why not now?
"Not really…" Tony said, drinking his water. "But I suppose…you need to know, huh?"
Not expecting the answer, but still hoping for it, Pepper smiled. "I do suppose since I am your girlfriend." She joked lightly.
Smiling only a bit, Tony took a deep breath. Seconds later, he was telling her his short story of nightmares.
Only, she could tell he was hiding the details of those dream. The only thing she knew, was that he was having recurring nightmares, which were haunting him in his sleep. That and apparently there was a lot of death involved in them.
Pepper could only wish she could've been more comforting after that.
I'd like to thank 3mee (I think it is) for the idea, but I'd like to say, I've changed it just a bit. Sorry, but I had too! I swear!
Anyways, hopefully you guys liked (loved) the chapter! :D I hope you like it enough to leave a nice and good review!
Fun Fact: I've probably said this before, but I LOVE drawing anime! Just whenever I want to draw, I REALLY want to write, so I don't get much done...
Just a little side note, I do have another poll up and running, but I think this will be one of the only times I push on about it, because i'm not particularly in a rush to end it. So, take a look if you get a chance!
Next, I HOPE to work on Baby Genius or The Elevator next. If not, then In Loving Memory, but you guys know how it is. I'll probably do like every other story before I get to those...T_T
Well, Hugs and Love, SilverPedals!
P.S. When you think of the word, 'Truth' what's the first thing that comes to your mind?
