Chapter 4

Toni Stark: Woman of Letters

A/N: Please forewarned that this chapter has a scene of attempted sexual assault.

[Oct 31, 1994 - Cambridge, Massachusetts.]

Just breathe Toni, remember you're here to kill ghosts, not people. Toni opened her eyes, exhaling slowly as she grabbed the hand on her ass and dug her nails in. The drunk frat boy yelped as he clutched his hand, his friends howling in laughter as he cursed, stumbling his way back to them.

Toni continued to push her way through the bodies, making her way to the edge of the makeshift dancefloor in the living room. Music was blaring as the bass shook the opulent house, a koi pond catching the eye beneath the large winding staircase at the entrance.

Further inside, couches were pushed aside as cob-webs and streamers glimmered in the dim light. A large katana sword was displayed over the mantle of the fireplace, but was (thankfully) covered by stacks and stacks of overflowing red cups. A bonsai tree was shoved into a corner behind the DJ table as the music blared loudly. Toni finally made her way to the refreshments table, filled with pumpkin shaped cookies and a glowing green punch.

Standing off to the side, Toni surveyed the room. Nothing weird yet. Toni adjusted her proton pack and brushed glitter off her grey jumpsuit. Who seriously uses that much glitter to decorate? That shit is impossible to clean off. Toni glowered at her glitter infested pants. She shifted her proton pack as she dusted as much as she could off her legs.

The one saving grace of being forced to come to come to this party, was the fact that Toni was never going to pass up getting to hunt ghosts in her Ghostbuster costume. Toni spent the last week taking apart an old vacuum, getting it as close to the movie original as possible.

Plus, she added a compartment and a switch to shoot out salt, so yes it can repel ghosts. Toni was super proud of that. She slipped off the proton pack, setting it down at her feet as she stretched.

"Well, well well boys, look what the cat dragged in."

Toni stiffened as she glared at the leers as the group circled her.

"Oh look we have dumb, dumber and dumbest. Seriously guys, the point of Halloween is to come dressed in costumes, not wear your football jerseys."

"Such a smart mouth Stark relax, you don't have to be so tense all the time." Ty's arm wrapped around her shoulder as he stroked her wrist. Toni moved to tug herself away, but Ty tightened his hold around her wrist as Toni hissed.

"Come on Stark, don't be like that. We'll show you a good time, won't we boys?"

A dark rage filled Toni as she twisted her arm out of his tight grip before stomping down hard on Ty's foot. "Believe me, Ty I would rather throw myself off a cliff before going anywhere with you."

Ty howled as the surrounding crowd laughed. Grabbing her proton pack, Toni quickly slipped away as the crowd cackled around her.

Toni grabbed one of the red cups of punch off the table, downing it as she made her way through the dance floor. She watched the crowd as she slowly made her way across the room. There were 3 deaths so far, with the only thing connecting all of them being that they all attended frat parties the week of their death.

Which in itself, was not uncommon, but as Aunt Peggy had always said, follow your instincts darling. And Toni's instincts were hardly ever wrong. The coincidence was too strong, and screamed supernatural.

Toni danced her way about halfway before the beat picked up and trapped her once again as the dancers recognized the familiar tune. A flicker out of the corner of her eye made her turn. As she turned to look, she saw nothing, but felt something in her peripheral vision.

Colours started to flash and the room started to spin as Toni finally stumbled across to the edge of the crowd of dancers. Toni blinked hard as the vision of a small dark haired girl wearing a torn white dress stared back at her at the top of the stairs. She blinked again as the girl disappeared once again.

Fuck, they spiked the punch with something extra.

Toni stumbled up the stairs as she looked desperately for the girl. The proton pack on her back felt heavier and heavier as she made her way up the stairs. She unclipped it as she moved toward the empty bathroom. A hand darted out and grabbed her, shoving her against the dark wall on the other side.

A hand grasped around her throat as she felt others hold her hips against the wall. Toni panicked as her vision grew blurry and the hands holding her squeezed harder.

"You little bitch! You think you can humiliate me Stark? You've got another thing coming. Hold her down."

Toni screamed as her limbs refused to cooperate. She felt hands starting to rip at her uniform as she heard the rustling of a belt being removed.

No no no no no NO.

She clutched at the arm around her neck, and with the last of her strength and bit down hard. The arm let go as Toni slid down the wall. She felt hands drop her as she collapsed to the floor. Hands gripped at her hips as she desperately tried to move. Another arm slowly gripped at her throat, cutting off her airway as she gasped for air. Toni's hands darted out as she clawed and thrashed, spots dancing at the side of her vision as she started to slump.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Toni watched as the dark haired man took in the scene, eyes flicking from her torn costume to Ty looming over her. Toni let out a sob as the newcomer realised what was happening and moved. Suddenly, Ty and the rest of the guys were pulled away as Ty was punched in the face. The remaining group of guys stumbled away quickly, as Ty clutched at his bleeding nose.

"Get the fuck out of this house, and don't you dare touch her again. If I ever see you at one of these parties again, I will find you, and I will end you."

As Ty and his goons scrambled away, Toni cried in relief as she clung to her dark haired saviour.

"Hey, are you okay? Did you need me to call someone? The police?"

Toni shook her head as the arms around her tightened. She looked up into worried eyes as the world turned dark.

A dimly lit bedroom slowly came into focus as Toni tried to sit up. Her head pounded as the world started to spin. Toni took a few shaky breaths as felt a gentle hand on her shoulder steadying her.

"Whoa, careful there."

Toni tensed as she glanced up. The dark-haired man from earlier quickly backed away a few steps. Far enough to give her some breathing room, but close enough to catch her if she blacked out again. Toni relaxed in gratitude and glanced down at the leather jacket that had slipped off when she sat up. She let out a clear sigh of relief as she saw that while torn in places, the rest of her costume remained in tact.

"Here you should drink some water."

Toni grabbed the offered water bottle, twisting the plastic lid and sipping slowly. Music continued to thrum through the floor as Toni recognized the hallway through the cracked door. She peered at her worried savior who took a seat in the armchair across from the bed.

"Thanks for your help. Normally I would be able to handle them, but well-"

"Yeah I get it, don't worry about it. I'm James Rhodes."

Toni took his offered hand, "I'm Toni."

He looked at her bruised wrist more closely. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

"No," Toni quickly cut off, slowly retracting her hand back, "no, thankfully you got there before. Well, before they could. Do anything that is."

He let out a clear sigh of relief. "Don't worry about them pulling something like that again. I told a friend of mine who runs these parties, and you can be sure they won't be welcomed back again."

The door slammed open as a couple tripped into the room. "Whoops, sorry! Looks like this room is taken babe." The redheaded cheerleader dragged her girlfriend back into the hallway as they closed the door behind them. Giggles followed them as they continued down the hallway, music continuing to shake the walls from below.

Toni snorted before taking a long gulp of water.

Rhodes watched her carefully, checking to see if there were any injuries he missed. He paused, watching her carefully, "Do you want to press charges? I can go to the police with you if you want, having a witness will help to build a case-"

Toni smiled sadly as she sipped the last of her water. "Thanks for the offer, but I can guarantee you that they won't press charges."

"But-"

"Ty's uncle is a friend of the crown prosecutor. He skipped out on impaired driving charges with a slap on the wrist, and something like this wouldn't be any different. His father has an entire fleet of lawyers to make sure of it."

Toni laughed as Rhodes muttered angrily about 'rich assholes' and 'the injustice of it all'.

She slipped the jacket off, handing it back. Rhodes shook his head. "Nah, you keep it. It's a shame that those assholes had to go and ruin your costume though. It looks fantastic."

Toni glanced at his matching ghostbuster costume and grinned. "Well great minds think alike. Did you make it yourself?"

Rhodes grinned as he looked down, "Yeah, Mama Rhodes was forceful in making sure I knew how to sew before leaving for college. Guess it came in handy for Halloween. I wish I had a proton pack though - that would have made it amazing."

Toni's eyes widened as she remembered dropping hers. Fuck, the girl.

Toni stumbled off the bed, legs still shaky as she made her way towards the door. Rhodes quickly steadied her as he supported her shoulders. "Whoa, what's the rush? You should rest, I don't think you should be-"

"There's no time! I've got to find her-"

"Find who?"

A faint scream echoed off the walls as Toni and Rhodes reached the doorway. Glancing at each other, they quickly rushed toward the scream down the hall.

Rhodes half carried, half dragged Toni with him down the hallway as they turned the corner at the end of the hall. Another scream, much louder and clearer, echoed off the walls as Toni and Rhodey drew closer.

"Wait!"

They were almost outside the bathroom they were in before; Toni ducked into the closet where she dropped her proton pack. Slipping it back on, she darted back out to Rhodes as they continued toward the screams.

"While that thing looks fantastic, and I'd really like to ask you later where you got it-"

"I made it."

"You made it? Holy shit you're going to have to go over with me how you did that- okay getting side-tracked here. Tell me why you felt the need to carry heavy thing around now?"

"Trust me. I have a feeling we'll need it."

They reached the last bedroom at the end of the hallway as they heard a shattering noise. Toni sucked in a harsh breath as they took in the scene.

"Shit."

The couple earlier who had stumbled in their room earlier were cowering in the corner, one of them wielding a candlestick holder, the other a large broken piece of a vase, the rest of which lay shattered on the ground beside them. They whimpered as the clutched their makeshift weapons, staring at the bed.

On top of the bed in the middle of the room lay another couple, clearly dead as their stomachs were slashed open, dripping onto the bedspread underneath them. The little girl from before stood beside the bodies, eyes darting up as Toni and Rhodes entered the doorway.

Rhodes blanched at the sight as he took a few steps back. "Holy fuck. They're dead. But, who did that-"

Toni unclipped the neutrona wand as she took aim. Clicking on the power, she glanced over at the girls in the corner watching her as she held the trigger. "As soon as I shoot, run."

Toni turned back to the girl and pressed the trigger.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

Three shots of salt rounds fired, and the girls in the corner sprinted out of the room and down the hallway. Toni hit the girl square in the chest. The shots landed squarely in the chest, but Toni stiffened and started to back away quickly as the ghost shrugged off the salt rounds, hissing as she prowled towards Toni and Rhodes.

"Oh fuck. Run-run-run-run-"

"What were you shooting at? Run from what? OH SHIT."

Toni and Rhodes flew backwards, slamming into the hallway as the ghost drew closer.

Toni winced as she scrambled to her feet, pulling Rhodes up alongside her as she ran down the hall. Toni turned the corner before sliding open the conservatory doors and slamming it shut behind them. They quickly made their way down the winding staircase. A large indoor Shinto garden surrounded them as Toni led them to the back, past the rock gardens and indoor pond.

Toni pulled Rhodes into the smaller obscured and hidden room attached to the back. A giant bag of fertilizer leaned against a collection of garden tools. She checked behind them and let out a short sigh of relief as she caught her breath.

"It doesn't seem to be following us."

Rhodes slid to the ground next to her as he leaned against the counter. "What exactly was following us? And how the hell did it throw us against the wall?"

Toni raised an eyebrow. "Oh I don't know, remember that terrifying little girl spirit that stood menacingly over the bodies before she tried to eat us as well?"

Rhodes gaped as his mouth closed and opened several times. "What little girl? I didn't see anyone in that room other than those two girls in the corner."

Toni stared at him, eyes narrowing in concentration. "You didn't see her at all?"

Rhodes slid a hand through his hair as he shook his head. "If I wasn't thrown into the hallway a second later, I probably would have insisted going to the hospital in getting your head checked." He straightened before looking more closely at Toni. "But you have an idea of what's going on; you tried to shoot something at it. What was it?"

Toni patted her pack. "Salt. Spirits are usually weakened by salt, but for some reason, this thing just got really angry after I shot it. They also usually manifest after the first shot, so the fact that you still didn't see it, and it's sudden Rambo power-up tells me that it's probably something different."

Rhodes stared at her, blinking slowly. "A spirit. As in a ghost. As in you re-worked your proton pack to actually hunt ghosts."

Toni laughed as she grinned. "Got it in one go! You're taking it much better than I thought you'd might."

Rhodes groaned. "Please don't tell me you're a real-life ghostbuster."

Toni snickered as she popped her head back out and back in; the coast was still clear. "Kind of? Technically, I'm not supposed to before I turn 18-"

Rhodes inhaled sharply behind her, eyes narrowing down at her. "You're a minor? And those assholes that you knew still tried, still tried-"

Toni let out a sharp laugh. "Yeah I know, a real piece of work Tiberius Stone."

"Shit."

Toni glanced up, a warmth filling her as Rhodes muttered darkly to himself. She's never quite fit in at MIT; all the teachers looked at her with apprehension, while the rest of the students tended to ignore her. While she was super thankful that she got her own private room, it was…nice to finally have someone here actually be concerned about her for once.

Rhodes stretched out his neck as he slowly got back to his feet. "So what's the plan? How are we going to get rid of this thing?"

"We?'

Rhodes gave her a sharp look. "You obviously came to the party prepared; you were going to fight this thing one way or another. There's no way I'm going to let you go back there on your own-"

"It's dangerous-"

Rhodes cut her off with a knowing glance. "I know. There's no way I'm just letting some kid go in by herself to get killed-"

Toni stiffened and glared. "I'm not a kid-"

"How old are you exactly? 12? 13?"

Toni glared at him mutinously "I'm 15 you jerk."

Rhodes raised an eyebrow in retaliation, a grin on his lips as Toni pouted. "Like I said, I'm not just letting a kid go off on her own without some backup. I may not know what you do, but let me help."

Toni considered him silently before letting out a sigh. "Alright Rhodeybear, let's get to work then."

Rhodey gave her a deadpan stare. "Rhodeybear?"

Toni smirked. "You attacked those guys like a mama bear protecting her cub. Face it cupcake, you even snarled."

Another scream reverberated faintly in the distance.

Toni sighed. "We better hurry."

A/N: Any guesses on what Toni and Rhodey are fighting? Let me know what you think!