Once again, a chapter warning. This chapter has heavy non-con themes and mentions of self-harm and may be upsetting. I won't write anything graphic, but I still feel like we need a warning here.
When Tony came to, all he felt was pain. His mind was too foggy to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. Tony couldn't tell exactly where he was. He felt a mattress underneath him and he could feel that he was turned on his stomach, but other than that Tony mostly felt pain. His head was pounding, and it hurt too much to open his eyes.
As Tony became more aware, he was able to take note of where the pain actually was coming from. He felt sore all over. His head hurt like someone had hit him and like he hadn't gotten enough air. His throat felt like someone had stuck something large and obtrusive down it. Like he'd been choked. Well, that would explain the headache. Tony was still taking tally of his injuries when he felt it.
There was a horrible stabbing pain in his lower back and ass.
Tony's heart dropped. No! This couldn't be happening! Not again! He had to find a way out. He couldn't stay where ever he was. Tony pried his eyes open and it felt like his head was being split open with Thor's hammer. It was so incredibly painful. Tony wanted to scream and cover his eyes, but he needed to get a good look at his surroundings. He needed to get away from where he was being held and he couldn't do that if his eyes were closed. Tony was trying to keep a level head. If he fell into a flashback or a panic attack now, it was all over.
After the worst of the pain subsided, Tony took a good long look around the room he was in. The walls were made of a dark grey concrete that had small cracks running close to the ceiling. There were no windows and the door seemed to be made of thick steel and was most likely locked from the outside. The only furniture in the room was the barren mattress that Tony was laid out on. The room itself was freezing. He was most likely underground. Tony took stock of what he was wearing. He was lucky. Tony was still wearing his undersuit and boots. It looked like Stone was nice enough to keep him dressed after he assaulted him. Tony guessed it was more to keep him from dying of hypothermia than for decency.
Tony was about to try to get up when he heard a series of locks being opened. Ignoring the pain, Tony scrambled into a sitting position and pressed himself against the wall. Tony didn't want to admit it, but he was scared. The door was slammed open. The wall took the force and a small dent was made by the handle. Tony's breathing stopped once the door was open. Standing there was none other than Tiberius Stone. He hadn't changed much in the 28 years that had passed. His hair was less black and was now greyer. His face was more wrinkled and there was an obvious break in his nose, most likely from when Rhodey beat him up. Stone's face held an all too pleased smile as he stalked into the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Well hello, Boo Bear. It's nice to see you finally awake." Sneered Stone. "I like it better when you fight back."
"Fuck off Stone." Snapped Tony. He was scared and alone and the only emotion he could express was anger. His anger was justified, however.
"Now now sweet thing. Don't put up such a fuss." Stone crept closer to Tony, who just pressed himself closer to the wall. Stone leant down to kiss Tony on the lips. Tony tried to push him away, but Stone was much stronger and was able to pin Tony down.
"Now stop all this!" Stone commanded. "You've been out for over a day. I couldn't wait that long to take you again. It's just like old times." He cooed.
Tony stiffened and tried once again to get away. He didn't want this. He wanted out of here. He wanted to get back to his sons. He wanted to get back to Steve. Tony struggled. He kicked and punched by nothing was making contact. This was one of Tony's worst nightmares come true.
"Behave you whore!" bellowed Stone as he slapped Tony's right cheek hard enough to leave him dazed.
"Now I was going to be lenient. HYDRA said I could keep you if I could break you. They do such fun things here. HYDRA has let me truly explore my scientific interests. Like medaling around with the super soldier serum and that sceptre of Loki's. We even had a little extra serum left over. What a shame though, I think we just wasted the last of it." Lamented Stone as he pressed more of his body onto Tony.
"Now, I have to go report to my superiors. When I come back you better be ready to take me SLUT!" Stone than pushed Tony into the bed flipped him over and grabbed his ass. Soon he left the room, leaving Tony shaking and stuck in a flashback.
30 minutes passed before Tony could even concentrate enough to breathe properly. All he could think of was that first time Stone got him. Waking up trapped and in pain in his own bed. Crying in the bathroom with a razor blade. Tony was shaking and crying silent tears. He felt so utterly weak and useless. He just wanted his team to come and find him, so he could go home, cuddle his kids, and feel safe and protected in his lab.
That was when Tony remembered.
He still had all his clothes on. He still had ways of defending himself and getting help. The thought didn't stop the shaking and crying, but it was a start. Inside Tony's left boot was a small transponder and the special dagger that Thor had given him all those years ago when he found out about the MIT incident. Tony was a very lucky man.
Well, he wasn't lucky to be in this situation.
He was lucky because now the team could find him, and he could fight.
Tony hit the on button on the transponder and tucked it back in his boot. He set the dagger beside him but in reach. The logical part of his brain wanted to keep him away from the weapon while his emotions were running so high. Tony didn't want to do anything stupid like trying to kill himself again. As Tony calmed down, he started drawing up escape plans in the dust on the floor. He had plans for if the Avengers arrived before Stone got back. He had plans for if Stone bust in right that second with weapons. Tony had plans. But plans don't always go 100% the way you want them.
Tony was sitting on the floor, trying to soothe himself enough to get his head on straight. He was trying. He really was. It still didn't change the fact that he was more scared than he was in Afghanistan. This was a part of his past that he just wanted to get rid of. He had opened up to Steve and the original team years ago and he'd felt relieved then to get everything off his chest. To finally talk to someone and feel validated in his pain. And now he was stuck reliving it in a dumpy HYDRA base. Tony Stark was not amused and was ready to break out and go home.
But things never go the way you want them too.
An hour after Stone left, he returned to the room. The door began clicking open and Tony panicked. Normally he wouldn't be acting like a scared puppy but being forced to relive your traumatic youth often causes adverse reactions, especially when it came to Tony. The door creaked open and Tony scrambled for the dagger. The rubies at the hilt looked dull in the dusty light of the room. Stone entered the room and Tony pushed himself up to his feet desperately trying to ignore the pain in his lower body. He took the dagger and hid it behind his back.
"Are you ready for me Boo Bear? I feel like I've waited long enough to take you again." Asked Stone as he walked closer to Tony. Tony tried to school his features into one of defiance, but the fear won out.
"Don't give me that look sweet thing. I know you like it. I bet that I can make you feel better than that fossil of a boyfriend of yours ever could." Cooed Stone as he continued to walk closer to Tony.
"I don't want it. Never from you. Never again." Groundout Tony as his grip on the dagger tightened behind his back.
"Now Boo Bear, we had a nice thing going years ago. I want to pick up where we left off. With me being in control, and you being my whore of a fuck toy. It's not so bad. I promise not to hurt you to the point of death." Stone kept talking and Tony was ready to strike. Stone was getting closer to the point where he was caressing Tony's face and leaning in for a kiss. It was now or never.
Tony brought forth all the fear and anger he had felt for so long. He channelled that anger and fear to fuel into the dagger as he swung his arm out and stabbed Stone in the carotid artery. He pulled the dagger out with a yell and pushed Stone away from him before pushing the dagger back in in a different spot. Tony pulled the dagger out again and watched as Stone stumbled back against the wall on the far side of the room. Blood was pouring out of his neck and he was gasping for breath. Stone hit the wall and slid down to the ground with a thud.
Tony stood there and watched as Stone died on the cold hard floor. He fell to his knees as the reality of the situation hit him. This whole thing with Stone, it was over. His tormentor was dead, and Tony had done it. His hands were covered in blood and all Tony felt was relief. Years of worrying that Stone was still out there were over. The man was dead, and Tony had killed him. He could begin to heal now. And with that realization, the shock of everything that had happened in the last few days began to set in. Tony knew he had to get out before whatever HYDRA goons that were in the building found him. But Tony found that he couldn't quite move. His body hurt, and he couldn't stop shaking and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. Tony heard a loud bang in the distance, but he still couldn't find the resolve to get up and move. His mind was moving a mile a minute, and everything just hurt too much. So Tony stayed put and hoped that Steve would find him.
The team stuck to the plan. Once Steve got Carter he carried the crying child back to the jet and took off. Only Clint made it on time and he was there to help Steve. Carter was screaming and crying and nothing Steve did calmed him down. The plane landed, and Steve immediately took Carter to medical. Steve stayed with him the entire time. Carter was running a bit of a fever and he said that his right ear hurt, but there were no bruises or cuts. Steve held Carter in his lap as the doctor put some padding around his ear to help soften any noise and to prevent further damage. After giving the kid some Tylenol and having some cuddles from his Papa, Carter fell asleep in Steve's lap.
Steve held Carter on the medical bed while he waited for Tony and the rest of the team to arrive. An hour after he had arrived in medical with his son, the team came by to figure out what happened. Everyone except Tony.
"Guys, where's Tony? Shouldn't he be here?" asked Steve as he rocked Carter in his arms.
"I'm sure he's on his way. You saw what that place looked like." Commented Natasha.
"I'll ask FRIDAY where he is." Said Sam. "Hey FRIDAY, can you tell us Tony's location?" he asked.
"Boss is not currently in the armour. He got out so that he could run faster. I've lost track of him and he hasn't returned to the armour." Panicked FRIDAY with her Irish lilt.
The air in the room turned ice cold. Tony was missing. That was the only plausible answer. He would never leave his kids when one was hurt. Never! What made it worse was that the team knew that Stone and HYDRA were behind all this. If Stone had Tony, there was no telling what he would do. Steve was panicking. His youngest son was hurting, Peter was probably going to be scared one he was told what was going on, and Tony was missing and probably being hurt in the most horrible ways. Steve held Carter close and tried not to cry.
"This isn't good." Whispered Clint.
The team stood there silently for a few moments. Rhodey walked over and sat down with Steve and Carter on the bed. Rhodey and Steve had gotten close over the years. Steve thought that it was in his best interest to make friends with the people Tony considered family. The two quickly became friends due to their shared military experience. Now they were united in continuous worrying over Tony.
"We have to find him." Cried Rhodey. "He's my little brother. I can't let him live through this again!" Steve nodded and wrapped his free arm around Rhodey. Both men were extremely upset and were relying on each other for any semblance of comfort.
"FRIDAY," Spoke Bucky, "Use whatever you have to scan the entire New York area. They couldn't have gone too far." Bucky was mad. He quite liked Tony. Despite Bucky having killed his mother, Tony took him in and helped him when he needed it most. Tony was his friend and he was Steve's family. Bucky wouldn't let them continue to suffer.
"Right away Sargent Barnes." Replied FRIDAY.
"Steve, you have to tell Peter." Spoke Natasha as Steve looked up. "It has to be you. You're his Papa. It has to be you.
"I don't want to leave Carter." He whispered.
"I'll stay with him." Answered Rhodey. Steve nodded and passed Cater over with one last hug.
Bucky and Sam stayed with Steve as they made their way out of medical and back to the personal wing of the compound. Steve was a bit of a shaking mess. The past few hours had been hell. First, his youngest son had been taken and Tony was left in the snow. Then they find out that Stone was the one to take him. And when they went to rescue Carter, Tony had been taken. It was all too much. Steve had to stop walking for a second because he was shaking so bad. Bucky and Sam kept him upright and they tried their best to help Steve calm down enough to talk with Peter. Once they got to the living room, Bucky and Sam left Steve so that he could talk to Peter.
"Hi, Pops!" smiled Peter as Steve walked into his room. Peter was sitting at his desk finishing up some chemistry homework.
"Come here, Petey." Whispered Steve. Peter frowned but listened and walked over. Steve scooped him into a hug.
"Pops… is everything ok?" asked Peter. Steve just hugged him closer.
"Let's sit down Pete. I have to tell you something." Peter frowned again but sat down with Steve on his bed. Steve took a deep breath in before beginning.
"Peter, this afternoon we had a bit of a run-in with a really bad person. They tried to take your brother away from us. We got Carter back and he's having a nap in medical. But, when we went to get Carter back…" Steve's voice broke and Peter instantly knew that something was very wrong. "Peter, a very bad person from your dad's past has kidnapped him. We don't know where he is but we're going to do everything we can to find him." By the end, Steve was crying and Peter was too. Peter climbed onto Steve's lap like a small child. And Steve just hugged him in turn.
"We'll get him back. I promise you that Peter. We'll get him back." Whispered Steve as he rocked Peter back and forth.
"I can't lose another parent. I can't go through that again!" sobbed Peter. Steve just held him closer.
After an hour of both heroes trying to calm down, Steve convinced Peter to go with him back to medical. Having both his kids in one place was the best option. After making sure that Peter had something to eat, both kids were fast asleep together and Steve stayed with them. Rhodey was in and out of the room all night as everyone on the team tried to find where Tony was. They slept in shifts with someone always keeping an eye on the scanners.
Peter didn't go to school the next day. He stayed home and looked after his brother. Steve and Rhodey were in and out. Each of them taking turns watching over Peter and Carter. Carter was still upset over what happened. The poor kid was crying as he told Steve what happened. Steve was trying to stop a full-blown panic attack as Carter told him what happened. Stone and a few HYDRA agents had taken Carter for the woods. When they took him to the warehouse they injected him with some sort of serum. That would explain the fever. Steve held his kids as they cried and worried.
It was late in the evening after Tony had been missing for over a day when they finally got something. All the Avengers were in one of the labs when FRIDAY got a signal transmitted by Tony's micro transmitter. Tony must have set it off! In no time at all the team were in the air and flying out to the location of the signal.
The signal originated from a run-down WW2 training bunker. It was close to the one where Steve trained back in the 40's. As soon as they landed they were met with HYDRA agents. Everyone brought their A game. They took down the agents with extreme prejudice. Rhodey set off a large explosion that blasted open the main doors to the bunker. The team stormed in and slip up. Every single room was to be searched. They had to find Tony. They all split up and began to search.
Steve was in charge of searching the lowest levels. That was where the signal was strongest according to FRIDAY. Steve searched every room as thoroughly as possible. There was only one room left that Steve hadn't searched. It was the one at the end of the hall with the door wide open. As Steve got closer he could see a pool of blood forming on the floor. Steve's mind immediately went to the worst. Steve wasted no time in running over to the room and peering in. On the wall nearest the door was a man around Tony's age. He was clearly dead and bleeding all over the floor. On the other end of the room was an old mattress and right beside it was Tony. He was on his knees and staring at the dead body on the wall. Putting two and two together, Steve figured that the dead man was Tiberius Stone. Tony didn't even recognize that Steve had entered the room. He looked horrible.
"Tony? Tony Darlin'. What happened? Are you hurt?" panicked Steve as he knelt down next to him and managed to get Tony's attention.
"My legs, I think. And my… I don't… I can't… He made me sleep and I can't… I can't…" mumbled Tony. He wasn't very coherent, and his eyes were glazed over. Like he'd been drugged and was in shock. Tony pressed the heal of his palm against his face in confusion and stress.
That was when it dawned on Steve. Stone had once again done the unthinkable. Tony's neck was covered in bruises and scratches. There were large hand-shaped marks on Tony's throat and on his right cheek. There was blood on Tony's hands from when he stabbed Stone's throat, but there was also some blood on Tony's pants. Right around his crotch. Steve wanted to cry and shout, he also wanted to throw up. But he had to stay strong for Tony. He needed to be.
"Oh god, Tony," Steve said as he tried hard to hold back tears. Just hearing the cracks in his voice was enough to break Tony.
"I didn't want it! I didn't want it! I couldn't fight him! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" screamed Tony as he cried and curled into a ball.
"Anthony sweetie, can I touch you? We need to get you out of here and I don't want you walking and getting hurt." Asked Steve as silent tears rolled down his cheeks. Tony didn't even answer. He just latched himself to Steve and shook with tears. Steve carefully picked him up and cuddled him close as he marched back to the jet.
The jet ride back was mostly silent. Nobody what quite sure what to do. Based on Steve and Tony's reactions, the members of the team were able to figure out what happened. Rhodey felt sick when he figured it out. Tony spent the entire flight back to the compound wrapped up in a blanket and held in Steve's arms. It was reminiscent of the trip back from the HYDRA base in Sakovia a few years ago when Tony had been shown his worst fears.
When they landed back at the compound they were met with a team of doctors, including Dr. Cho. She was the best of the best. Hopefully, they wouldn't need her, but this was a situation where they might. Once Steve set Tony down in his medical bed, he was forced to leave the room so that the doctors could examine Tony under anesthetic. He was too wound up and in pain to do it awake. Steve sat outside the whole time anxiously waiting for news. The rest of the team was close by but not allowed in. The only other person allowed was Rhodey. He and Steve sat together in silence trying to comfort each other. It didn't take too long for the doctors to gather a medical report and present it to Steve and Rhodey. There were some drugs in Tony body what would work themselves out on their own. There were superficial bruises all over Tony's body that too would heal on their own. Tony's throat had been badly bruised as well so his voice would be off for a bit and it would hurt to swallow. The worst was the tearing and bleeding that Tony had suffered. Steve and Rhodey were upset by the news, but at least they had Tony back with them.
Because Tony would be resting for a while yet, Steve took the opportunity to go see his kids. They needed to know that they found their dad and That he was with the doctors. Bother Peter and Carter got excited when Steve entered their room. Carter was still running a bit of a fever and his ear still hurt. Peter was stressed out and just wanted answers.
"Pops! Did you find him?" asked Peter the second Steve entered the room.
"We found him." Peter let out a sigh of relief and got up to hug his Papa.
"Now I need you two to listen alright." Spoke Steve softly as he sat on the bed with his kids. "Now your dad got a bit hurt, so he has a few bandages and his voice might sound a bit scratchy, ok. So, we need to be careful." Peter and Carter nodded but followed Steve over to where Tony's room was. Steve left the kids outside with Rhodey while he went in to check on Tony.
Tony was just starting to wake up when Steve entered the room. Because they didn't know how Tony would react, Steve made sure to announce his presence.
"Hey, Anthony. It's Steve. Can I come in?" Whispered Steve. He didn't want to startle Tony. The answer Steve got was not the one he was expecting.
"Can I see my kids?" rasped out Tony. After everything he just went through, all he wanted to do was see his kids. Steve turned to the nurse in the room and she gave a nod.
Steve poked his nose out the door and motioned for Peter and Carter to come in. As soon as Tony saw them, both kids went running. Tony pulled both of them onto the bed and hugged them close.
"My babies. My babies." Sobbed Tony. He was crying and rocking both kids as he held them close. Tony's voice was all shaky and rough and it hurt to talk, but Tony was just glad that he had his kids. They stayed like that for a long time. After a few moments, Peter came to realize a few things. First of all, Tony had referred to Peter as his baby. Even though Peter wasn't his biologically, he was 100% family. Secondly, this was the first time Peter had ever seen Tony cry. Peter just hugged his dad harder and didn't let go for a long time. Eventually, everyone fell asleep. The nurse relented and let the family stay together in the bed with Steve keeping watch.
Morning came and with it some new revelations. Tony and Steve didn't get time to talk about what had happened until the afternoon. The morning was filled with medical tests and a psychiatric evaluation for Tony. They needed to know if Tony needed to be put on suicide watch. It was understandable given his history. Once the doctors left, Tony and Steve finally got a moment alone.
"I'm so sorry Steve." Muttered Tony after about 20 minutes of silence.
"What are you sorry for Tony?" asked Steve as he took his hand.
"I cheated on you."
"Tony…?" Steve was confused. Did Tony think that this counted as cheating?
"I'm so so sorry." Tony had a few tears in his eyes. Steve took a moment to compose himself before he spoke again.
"Tony… are you referring to what Stone did to you?" asked Steve. Tony nodded and looked down at his lap trying his best not to cry again. He'd done enough crying.
"Anthony Darlin'. No, no. that's not cheating Sweetheart." Cooed Steve as he tried to calm down Tony.
"I didn't want too. I'm so sorry Steven." Tony looked like a wreck and Steve held his hand tighter.
"Tony. I don't know what's goin' though that head of yours, but I can tell you one thing. You did not cheat on me. That monster did horrible things to you against your will. That's not cheating." Tony tried to look up at Steve but found that he couldn't. "I love you, Anthony. I love you with everything I have. I will never leave you. Never. You're stuck with me." That brought a small smile to Tony's face.
Tony and Steve's relationship had survived through a lot. They could survive through this too.
After a few days in medical, multiple evaluations, and a visit from a very emotional Rhodey, Tony Stark was finally released from medical. It would be a long road to recovery with many talks with a therapist, but Tony was determined to get better. He refused to let Stone and his memory ruin his life.
Once Tony was released form medical, Carter's doctors thought that it would be a good time to do a hearing test. They needed to know if Carter's hearing had been damaged when he was kidnapped. Carter was mostly cooperative during the tests. He sat on his dad's lap and did everything the doctor told him too. He was just a bit squirmy and upset because he was scared and just wanted to watch a movie. He was 4 though and had been through a traumatic experience, cut the kid some slack.
When the results came back, both Tony and Steve were a bit upset. Carter had enough hearing loss in his right ear to warrant the use of a hearing aid. It took a talk between Carter and Clint to convince the kid to wear them. Once Carter realized that the things in Clint's ears were hearing aids and that Clint was still a super awesome superhero, Carter warmed up to the idea. Carter requested that his hearing aid be red and blue. Like Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man. The kid got his wish.
Now despite all the crap that had happened, Life at the compound continued on. Everyone was there to help each other through the tough times. Even Wanda, who had famously hated Tony back during Ultron, was there helping out when Tony needed to take a break from everything and sort out his emotions. Tony and Steve were still snuggling up to each other in bed at night. The only difference being that Steve slept on top of the covers. Tony was still too high strung and scared for much else. Steve didn't care how long it took for Tony to be comfortable again. Steve didn't care f Tony was NEVER comfortable again. He was just happy that Tony was back with him and alive. That was all he wanted. The rest could be worked on later. Tony was alive and back with his kids. That was all that mattered.
Ok, so that happened. At least one of the demons from Tony's past is finally gone so he can start working on getting better. With Steve and the rest of the team by his side, I think Tony can do it. So, we're now in the lead up to Infinity war. Pieces referenced in past chapters will really start to come into play and the story will continue to get a bit darker. In the chapters to come, pay attention to the endnotes. I may tell you to go back and reread something to remind you of a certain detail. There's more to come. I can't really believe how far this story has come and how close to IW we are. Things will all begin to make sense now. Shoot me an ask on my Tumblr shadows-in-the-clouds if you have questions. Until next time -Shadows.