A/N: Sorry for the delay - adulting got the better of me.
Disclaimer: Not mine
The beating lasted several minutes, though to Steve it felt like hours. By the end, Tony had lost all ability to protect himself, splayed out on the ground. He had been curled up into a ball, but that was quickly rectified by the eager assailants. The man was somehow holding on to consciousness, but Steve didn't know how or why.
During the entire thing, the man whom Steve assumed was in charge had sat in a chair next to Steve and acted as if he were at a sporting event, commenting to Steve on the techniques used and locations hit. The man, thought Steve, was truly a sadist.
As they watched Tony slowly and painfully try to curl back up around his battered chest, the boss man got to his feet and circled him. He stared as Tony managed to tuck his right arm into his body, the left still exposed. Studied his face as Tony haltingly drew his knees closer to his chest. Tony - oblivious to the scrutiny he was receiving, breath stuttering around the pain - began to bring his left arm into the fold as well.
Steve saw it coming - even in his hazy, drug-filled stupor - but he couldn't get the warning out in time. Tony's scream reverberated through his brain as the Bossman (as Steve had now dubbed him) stomped on Tony's exposed left hand, grinding the broken bones beneath his heal like he was snuffing out the last embers in a cigarette stub.
Tony futilely tried to remove the foot that now trapped his hand to the ground, but the obstruction remained, the Bossman watching the smaller man writhe in pain. Steve fought back the tears that Tony couldn't.
When Bossman seemed to have his fill and Tony tumbled into oblivion's abyss, he motioned for his goons and walked back to his seat by Steve. Together, they watched as Tony was cuffed to chains that hung around a pipe and coiled on a rotating lever on the wall behind. No care or mind given to the man's inability to support his weight.
"Where are we at, people?" Director Fury could be one of the most stoic, patient assholes in the world when he so desired. Having two of his prized people stolen out of his backdoor with no clue as to who or why not only left him seething, but made him anxious. He didn't like not knowing what was in store.
So far, no one had reached out to either SHIELD, Stark Industries, Pepper directly, or any media outlets to announce their accomplishments. While that was probably incredibly smart on their part, it left Fury annoyed; he wanted - no, needed - a clue of some kind.
Extensive and exhaustive concentration on the car that had taken both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers had led to a dead end. The tracker that Mr. Stark had hidden inside his arc reactor was either malfunctioning or had been disabled. Even JARVIS was getting snippy and frustrated over the lack of information at hand.
"Sir, still no word from either Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark, or the kidnappers."
"Well keep on it. They couldn't have just disappeared out of thin air."
"Working on it, Sir." If he could trust anyone to help the Avengers find their missing teammates, it was Maria Hill.