A new chapter after so long!

I wanted to offer a sincere thank you for those that took their time to help me with their actions and their kind words. They helped me a lot during this mess we call 2020.

To be honest I couldn't stop thinking about this fic. I had so many ideas that I had to put on hold for my sake. I'm doing better now, I still have no computer, but I figured I could just write on my phone. Ngl it's hard to type long paragraphs since I have no idea how it's going to translate in ff format.

Any grammar mistake will be blamed on my poor phone.

With nothing else to say, Enjoy!

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
― Oscar Wilde

The cops dragged her out of her room whilst Obadiah took care of distracting them.

Tony's eyes remained focused on his old friend, refusing to glance in her direction. If he had done it, perhaps he would've realized that Alex hadn't fainted due to the strong emotion of being caught red handed as Obadiah had suggested as soon as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Alex was aware that she was being carried out of the house. She wanted to run back inside and talk to Tony, beg him to understand and maybe tell him the truth. He could still be iron man without trauma, right?

Sadly, it didn't matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move her body at all.

Anger.

Confusion.

Betrayal.

And fear.

Many emotions were brewing inside of her as they dragged her outside

Alex wasn't an expert in the emotional response department, but part of her was sure her sudden nausea and dizziness weren't her doing. Also, she couldn't walk. At least not like a normal person. She must resemble a newborn deer no doubt.

Desperate for any sort of reaction, she tried screaming resulting in a weak groan that faded into silence as her head flew to the side, there was no pain or burning sensation that indicated that she'd been slapped, but she knew that her little defying act had earned a bruised cheek.

This wasn't normal, she knew herself well enough that by now she should be going by her third panic attack or something, not staring like a lifeless body as they dragged her around.

Alex wasn't sure if her eyes were open and she was staring at the night sky.

The lack of stars dismissed that thought immediately. So her eyes were most likely closed.

She tried to think of an explanation, many theories ran through her head, and at some point, she thought of blaming her powers, unsure if strong emotions could trigger her body to shut down.

She quickly dismissed this.

There was only one logic explanation, they had drugged her.

If she was drugged like she suspected, then it didn't make sense as to why her brain was working normally. Most of her thoughts were coherent, "What if the drugs make me think I'm functioning normally when in reality I can't even form a proper sentence?"

They forced her to move faster.

Her body was still unresponsive to her commands, prompting a new wave of emotions to overwhelm her.

She was barely able to stand on her own by the moment they reached the car.

She wanted to scream till her lungs ran out of air, and most importantly to tell Tony the truth.

Fuck the future.

Alex was afraid for her life. She was tired of playing superhero. She missed her old life.

She couldn't tell if she was crying or if it was raining.

Her last conscious moments were wasted reminiscing her happy memories in both of her life's.

Before she could dwell on it any longer, a voice interrupted her. It sounded like they were arguing, their voices were too far away for her to comprehend any of their meanings.

Their shouting became louder and Alex was dropped harshly on the ground.

She stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, till they decided to move her around again.

Alex couldn't feel a single thing.

She waited for fear and dread to overcome her as her brain was overheating by the amount of thoughts filling her head. She couldn't finish one, when a new one was taking its place. There was a constant one that wouldn't leave her. It didn't matter how hard she tried, it would still be there: "She was drugged."

From what she could gather, she had been dragged into a car. The smell of leather from the seats was making her dizzy, meaning that she was lying face down in the seats. She tried to crane her neck to get a better look at her situation and soon found out it was impossible to do so.

Another thing, her eyes were covered. So basically she was completely vulnerable with a group of dangerous strangers.

How frustrating it was. She had spent -wasted- weeks preparing herself for this type of scenario, and the moment they happen, she gets captured for being in emotional distress. She was so angry with everyone, especially with herself. She got too comfortable with the idea of being safe under Tony's roof that she underestimated Obadiah's and his quest for power.

She was truly naïve and incredible stupid. What hurt her the most was how quick Tony and Pepper were to believe Obadiah's lies. She had opened up to him a mere hours ago. Then again, that hardly could be compared to a friendship built in years of trust and respect.

They owed her nothing.

She couldn't blame them.

Obadiah had been their friend far longer than her, Tony had no reason to distrust him. Alex on the other side…

She was angry at them and angry with herself. She'll get over it sooner or later, but for now she was having fun picturing herself slapping Obadiah non stop. Talking about slaps, she was somehow relieved she couldn't feel her face, she was sure her cheek was bruised. Pepper might be a petite woman, but God! She knew how to deliver a slap. It was worthy of a telenovela scene.

She was truly screwed. She had literally lost every person she cared about in this universe.

She was all alone now.

Her inner musing was interrupted when the bandage was ripped from her eyes as she was forced to stare out the window. Someone behind her was holding her head up, grabbing handfuls of hair that were surely to give her a headache later. Her face was slammed against the glass and she closed her eyes out of reflex.

No pain came.

A chuckle coming from behind made Alex open her eyes once again. She blinked multiple times to make sure she wasn't seeing things, but not, they were really driving past the police station.

"That's right girl. You ain't going there. Stane has better plans for you than root in a cell," A man whispered in her ear.

She shivered in disgust, or so she believed, she couldn't tell whether her body reacted or not.

The bandage was placed again leaving Alex to muse in darkness.

She had to escape.

She tried to raise her arm but someone stopped her from moving any further.

"Not so fast girl," There was a rustling noise, "We barely know each other and you already want to leave?" He sounded disappointed with her reaction.

Alex felt a pinch in her right arm that made her go numb again. She opened her mouth to curse him, but only unintelligent mumbling could be heard making him laugh at her as she lost her consciousness.

He petted her head like a dog, "Easy there. Take a nap, we still have a long way to go."

Her hate for Obadiah increased each passing second.

Several hours later, Alex woke up again. Her head was throbbing with pain and her ears were ringing. Like before, Alex was aware she was being moved, the darkness around made it hard for her to see anything. The pressure in her head was familiar, she recognized the sensation as the same she felt whenever she hung upside down too long in the monkey bars when she was a child.

"Focus."

The pain in her head increased. She was able to make out a pair of legs and frowned. Those weren't her legs. She was being carried like a sack of potatoes. Angry with her situation and aware of her position, Alex began to grow worried.

"Don't panic," She reassured herself. Number one, she needed to find out where she was and number two, she needed to get the fuck out of here.

Her brain was still foggy with sleep and whatever drugs were injected in her system so it took her longer than usual to recognize the smell of rain. Funny, she didn't remember any report of rain by Jarvis. Before she could ponder any further, the sound of creaking wood reached her ears and the smell dissipated.

Judging by the way her stomach was going up and down, up and down, it was safe to assume she was being carried upstairs. Crap, it was time to act, the moment she was taken to a secondary location she was as good as dead.

She bawled her fists and without a warning she hit her captor in the back, he yelped in pain as he threw her body down in response. Alex used her hands to shield her face from the fall, receiving most of the damage in her forearms. She wasted no time to start running, wincing at the numbness in her legs, she could be floating as far as she knew. Her gaze was everywhere, taking in every little detail that could help her find an exit. They seemed to be in some sort of abandoned cabin. What a cliché.

Her captor let out an orchestra of curses as he ran after her. His footsteps were heavier, making the old wood creak loudly in his haste as he followed after the running girl.

"You're making me angry," He warned, reaching out to grab her.

Alex ducked just in time to avoid being grabbed, and thanked every God above that she was smart enough to keep her hair short. Not that being grabbed by a crazy man was her main reason whenever she decided to trim her hair.

She reached the living room, though it only consisted of a ragged couch, a coffee table and an old TV. They were really committed to the whole creepy hideout thing. She jumped over the couch and her captor followed suit, he landed much more harshly than hers hitting his side with the coffee table, and taking advantage of this, Alex increased her speed.

She saw an open door, the sight of the trees illuminated by the moonlight made her shiver with anticipation. Her legs were on fire by the moment she reached it.

Just a little closer and she'll be free.

She closed her left eye when a bead of sweat got inside, it stung badly, unconsciously she slowed down to wipe it.

When she opened her eyes again, her whole face exploded with pain. She had collided with something hard.

"Where do you think you're going?" The same man from the car asked in a mocking voice, "We just arrive and you already wanna leave. It seems Stark didn't teach you any manners. Then again, it's not like he has any." His hand flew to her neck and lifted her body like she weighed nothing.

She choked, struggling to breathe as he tightened his grip. Alex raised her knee to hit him in his sensitive area when an all too familiar pain came from her back. She gasped as she fought to keep her eyes open. Her previous captor came to stand beside her, dropping a syringe by his feet.

He squeezed her windpipe one last time, satisfied with the red marks that were beginning to form, "Tough little bitch aren't ya?" He let go of her, dropping her body without care, "You sure gave Donny a run for his money."

"Shut up man, she hit me hard," Donny defended himself, mildly offended at the look of disbelief he received.

He sighed, running a tired hand through his hair, "You're fucking joking?" He kicked her side to emphasize his point, "She's half your size!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning to Donny, "Get her out here."

He buffed, removing once again his wrinkled tie. He was about to give up when Pepper walked in, not bothering to comment on the fact that he was actually on time for the first time in years. He dropped his arms immediately, sighing in the process. He barely moved his head in greeting, and Pepper did the same, adding a small forced smile in hers. She got the message and stood in front of him, tying his tie with expertise as she did many times before. Their closeness and his height gave him a proper look at her face, and just like him, she looked haggard. Not a single hair was out of place, yet he could see how affected she was. Pepper didn't have the privilege to hide behind a dark pair of glasses like he did, so she did her best to look presentable as she always did.

He swallowed, it wasn't often Tony Stark was out of words, but right now he didn't know what to say. He had tried joking 3 days ago, as he always did, but the glare Pepper shot in his direction was all he needed to shut up. "I'll be back soon," He offered.

"I know. I'll make sure everything stays in place for your return." There was a hint of a sincere smile, but it was gone as soon as his phone rang loudly. "You need to leave now, Happy is probably running out of excuses,"

She smoothed his suit, leaving her hand lingering in his frame longer than needed, and with a gentle squeeze she ended their contact.

He turned to leave, "I'll bring you sand from Afghanistan, you know, a little souvenir to cheer you up,"

This time she did smile, "Please don't," she pleaded softly shaking her head, "I have enough from your trip to Egypt."

He exited his room, Pepper trailing quietly behind him, both of them ignoring the pang of guilt as they walked past Alex's old room.

Once he was in his car he turned to her one last time, removing his glasses momentarily "Take care Pepp,"

"You too, Mr. Stark."

She felt disgusting, sitting obediently like a submissive idiot. The smell of mold and dust was a horrible combination that still made her insides churn. The sight of the yellowed toilet didn't help her case either. Oh, how she longed to smash through the ugly flower wallpaper and never look back.

Alex shivered as her body hit the cold water. She kept her face down, as water was poured in her greasy hair. She gripped the porcelain tub, creating tiny cracks in the borders. A gasp came from her side, and she dropped her hands in her lap.

"Sorry," she apologized immediately.

"We talked about this," chastised a girl no older than 14. Alex didn't know her name, but she was the one in charge of taking care of her needs, and so far she was the only one that treated her well.

Alex closed her eyes, her gaze was starting to blur and she knew she had exceeded her limit of consciousness.

"I don't know how you do it," The girl said in awe, before frowning, "The dosage they gave you," she poured more water in Alex hair, as she worked her finger through her tangled locks, "You shouldn't be awake,"

"Yet here I am," Alex whispered through gritted teeth, "You have to help me" she pleaded resting her head in the tub, forcing the girl to stop.

"You know I can't," she reminded her.

Alex peered her eyes open, and glared at the girl, "Why?" she asked, pushing herself forward, "you're not like them!"

"Sorry!" she said, and Alex frowned not understanding, till she looked down and saw the syringe embedded in her left arm. "Sorry," she repeated as Alex consciousness abandoned her.

When Alex woke up, she was no longer naked in that pathetic excuse of a bathroom. She was somewhere worse. Her cell. She was laying down in her worn down bed covered in her rough blanket, with her back facing the metal door she had tirelessly punched to escape. As per usual there was an I.V connected to her, filled with god knows what to keep her sedated. It didn't matter how much they increased the dosage, she would always be awake within a few hours. The first time it happened, she had taken her chance and ripped the I.V, she had tripped in her haste to escape and quickly stood, not realizing she was running in the wrong direction and ended up colliding with someone. After that, they had permanently connected her to the I.V instead of regular shots.

Nowadays, she spent her time staring at the spot for hours to no end, unable to move or to do anything besides keep her eyes open. It was a nightmare. She truly didn't wish this upon anyone, with the exception of Obadiah she would happily connect him to the I.V.

He had actually visited her a while ago to congratulate her for being their most successful guinea pig and to give his condolences for Tony's death.

He patted her shoulder as he sat next to her bed, "I know you were close friends, so I can't imagine how hard it must be for you."

"I know you did it." She smirked, "I also know how you're going to die.

Needless to say, he wasn't happy so he ordered to increase her dosage.

Donny hesitated, "She could die,"

Obadiah looked exasperated, "So? Stop standing there doing nothing and do as I order. I don't pay you to be our moral compass." He walked out of the room, ready to leave and then stopped, "If she doesn't die, make sure to increase her dosage daily. I'm curious to see what's her limit."

"Shouldn't we be reporting this to the boss?." Someone else interjected, earning a glare from the bald man.

"The boss?" He mocked, "While you here I'm your only boss and you report to me and only me. This stay between us." He waited for the other man to nod before continuing, "We'll wait a month. If she is still kicking by then, I'll personally inform the boss about it. Hail h-"

She had lost consciousness.

She had no idea how long it's been, time seemed to pass relatively slowly when she was awake. It could have been months as far as she knew, and as much as it hurt to admit, Tony was most likely already going through his own hardships or maybe he was already suited up in his gold and red armor saving everybody but her, meaning he forgot about her and left her here to die alone.

A sob built in her throat, and she was reluctant to release it, she was tired of crying, but she couldn't help it.

She was tired of this, of waiting for her savior. Contrary to her belief, Lady Eir hadn't taken control of her body to unleash her godly powers and rid the world of those that wronged her. To be honest, Alex was expecting something like an Avatar state, with the crazy glowing eyes and everything, but no, none of it came. She had tried, to no avail to talk to the Lady, yet no answer came. So, what use was her power if she didn't know how to use them? Going one on one with her captors was a no, she couldn't even stand, so fighting was completely out of the question.

Fresh tears burned in her eyes, and this time she set them free at the same time the red-haired girl came in, carrying an opened can of soup and a glass of water. It was time to eat.

"Hey," The girl greeted, dragging a metal chair as she usually did to sit in front of her. "Today's special is classic chicken noodle soup, the number one choice of 8 out of 10 grandmas," she said, reading the label before filling a plastic spoon with the liquid, "Open wide!"

Alex complied, refusing to do so would only earn her days without food, and she already had many of those, "What is your name?" She asked after swallowing.

She hesitated, and after a long pause she spoke, "Lisa." She whispered, "But you can't call me that," she said in a warning tone.

"I know." Alex nodded before Lisa fed her again. "How did you end up here?" she asked once she had swallowed and grimaced, it tasted like water with a hint of salt and pieces of something that definitely wasn't chicken.

Lisa dropped the spoon, as she hastily stood, spilling the remaining soup in her pants as the can fell, "I'm done here," She said, taking the glass of water along with her, "I'll see you in a few days." She said before knocking 4 times for the heavy metal door to open.

What was she waiting for? By now it was more than obvious that Iron man or anyone for that matter wasn't coming to her rescue.

That mere thought left a bitter taste in her mouth that was enough to put her in a worse mood. What had been her mistake? Trusting Tony? No, that couldn't be. She literally teleported next to him, which could surely mean she was supposed to meet him so early on, unless she was mistaken of course, which was also a painful possibility.

Despite her knowing this, she couldn't find it in herself to regret her decision. Her short time with them was filled with a happiness she hadn't had in a while, regardless of the outcome, Alex was sure she made the right choice.

Now to her current predicament. It was true that despite being drugged and fed food of questionable origins, she wasn't being mistreated. Sure, this wasn't a 5 stars hotel or her dream vacation but at least they weren't abusing her. Besides a comment here and there, they hadn't put a hand in her. Lisa had told her it was under Obadiah orders that she was kept like this, since apparently after hearing of how strangely her body was reacting to the drug he had become interested in her. By acting strangely, Lisa meant how fast her body burned the drug, the dose they gave her should be enough to put her in a coma or kill her, Lisa informed her, and yet, here she was. Her lucid moments were becoming more frequent and lasted longer. Ever since she stopped trying to escape, her captors seemed to forget she even existed, Lisa was the only person that was allowed to tend her needs and Alex was fine with that.

Alex didn't know what to do. Sure, she knew she had to escape since everyone seemed to forget about her. The thing was, she had no idea how. From what she saw when she first arrived and from what she could gather from Lisa they were in the middle of the woods in some old cabin and that was it. She had no idea if they were still in the same country. After all he had sent Tony to Afghanistan, so who's to say he wouldn't do the same to her?

Except, he had no reason to do so. Tony was a menace to his plans, but Alex, she was nothing to him. Just some random girl that spoke highly of his enemy and that was it, well that, and the fact that she had some super healing powers, nothing to gain his attention really.

Another day or days went by, Alex thought sadly as she awoke in the darkness of her room when a random idea struck her.

Perhaps she needed to stop waiting for others to rescue her. She was more than capable to fight back, just not in the conventional way. She was going to become her own hero. Her own avenger.

If Alex recalled correctly, Lisa forgot to take the can with her, and any help she could get was appreciated. First, she had to remove the needle from her arm.

It wouldn't be easy, considering she currently had the mobility of a ragdoll.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered and her finger twitched in response. Slowly, she fought with her own body to cooperate. Alex struggled to rest her arm on her chest, but she managed to. Now, she needed to reach the needle and she would be done with phase one. She was so tired, her eyes were starting to close but she needed to do this. Slower than before, Alex finally reached the needle, lifted the tape that secured it with her long nails and ripped it.

Alex felt relieved when she saw the little thing she held between her fingers, she wanted to crush it and throw it away, but common sense refrained her from doing so. It was important to keep appearances, and with that in mind she put the needle in the same place, making sure not to poke herself in the process as she tape it back in place. It looked the same as before, just that this time the liquid was dripping in the ground instead of her veins.

Now, she only needed to wait.

Once she was out of here, she was going to find Obadiah and make him pay for what he did to them.

Alex worried for Tony, she still might be upset with him but she knew the ordeal he'll be put through, and she could only hope he remembered her words.

Sorry for the cliffhanger lol

Let me know what you thought of this chapter.