chapter xvi.
(   iron man   )

i'm waking up to ash and dust
i wipe my brow and i sweat my rust,
i'm breathing in the chemicals
radioactive ─── imagine dragons

stark mansion
may 24, 2010

TRIGGER WARNINGS

depictions of mental illness,

violence, & torture

After my embarrassing psychotic break, things have gone back to pretty much normal. Except the fact that Dad now, once again, treats me like a stinking china doll. I'm not glass. I won't break. Well, not physically anyway, I'm pretty sure I just said that I had a psychotic one. He keeps telling me to get some sleep and to eat more. I can see he's trying so hard to give me all the attention that I need, but it's obvious to me that he has a ton on his mind.

Edgar, for one. That's certainly been taking its toll on him. He tries not to discuss it with me, scared that it might set me off again. I appreciate the sentiment, but I honestly feel, well, kind of better. I think getting it off my chest helped a little. My only regret is that I am, in fact, stupid because I kept it to myself for so long. Who knew that the therapist was right all along, huh? But, anyway, I'm not deaf so I can hear when he's quietly talking about it with Pepper. Well, not so quietly. He usually gets pretty loud whenever it gets brought up. I know Dad is searching for him. He's notified the police and Rhodey who said he would help in any way that he can. Happy bumped up security on the house. I guess I should be annoyed, but I just feel safe.

Now if that wasn't enough, there's something else that seems so big that I'm actually scared to ask about it. I can see it in Dad's eyes. He's, I don't know, not lost, but, maybe, found. He has this emotional determination in his eyes that stretches beyond me and even Pepper. It finally stretches to himself. Whatever it is that is on his mind, it's huge and it haunts him, but I can't help but think it's maybe for the better.

I'm just coming downstairs after a nap that Dad insisted I take when I see Pepper's strawberry-blonde hair disappear into the workshop before me. I slide to the bottom of the staircase and put my foot in between the closing door and the doorway so I can open it when I hear what sounds like the beginning of a serious conversation. I nearly scowl, thinking about having to hear Edgar Frost's name brought up again, but that's not what this is.

"Hey," Dad's voice is so low and sincere when he speaks, "You busy? You mind if I send you on an errand? I need you to go to my office. You're going to hack into the mainframe and you're going to retrieve all the recent shipping manifests," my eyes widen as I continue to listen, "This is a lock chip. This'll get you in. It's probably under Executive Files. If not, they put it on a ghost drive, in which case you need to look for the lowest numeric heading."

What the heck is going on?

"And what do you plan to do with this information if I bring it back here?" Pepper asks seriously.

"Same drill. They've been dealing under the table, and I'm going to stop them. I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them," he sounds so calm and it's terrifying me.

I don't want a repeat of Afghanistan. He almost died. Just like I told him he would. And he's going to keep doing it, just like he told me he would. But I know that he was right when he said he was the only one who can do this.

"Tony," Pepper lets out a quiet puff of air, "you know that I would help you with anything, but I cannot help you if you're going to start all of this again."

"There is nothing except this," Dad's voice slowly starts to build into a tone I have never heard before, "There's no art opening. There is no benefit. There is nothing to sign," he pauses and says severely, "There is the next mission and nothing else."

"Is that so?" she asks quietly, "Well, then, I quit."

My heart drops. I hear her toss something hard onto a table before her heels click toward the door.

"You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. And now that I'm trying to protect the people that I put in harm's way, my daughter, you, and you're going to walk out?"

"You're going to kill yourself, Tony," Pepper says with honesty and fear in her voice, "I'm not going to be a part of it."

I hear his voice nearly tremble when he says, "I shouldn't be alive," his voice grows gruff and emotional, "unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right."

I squeeze my eyes shut, hating that I, personally, am now convinced.

Pepper's heels slowly click back into the room before she says quietly, "You and Lisa are all I have too, you know."

I step back from the doorway and jog back up the stairs quickly. I drop myself onto the couch and casually stretch before I see Pepper moving up the stairs. I give her a smile when we meet eyes.

"Hey Pep, going somewhere?" I ask, nonchalantly.

"Mmhm," she nods and picks up her purse, "Gotta, uh, get some work done. You know your dad; he's always pushing me hard," she gives a weak grin.

For her sake, I pretend to totally believe so I answer exasperatedly, "Right?!"

She laughs a bit before she straightens, "Well, I'm off."

"Okay," I smile.

I watch as she walks to the front door before suddenly turning, "Hey, maybe just hang around the house for now, okay?"

I nod sternly, understanding. Whatever's going on with our weapons, whatever scheme Dad has Pepper doing, it's much better if I am left out of it. For everyone's sake.

"Good luck, Pepper," I whisper as she disappears out the front door.

I find myself antsy as time begins to pass. I don't know exactly what's happening, but I know whatever it is, it's probably dangerous. I don't like the idea that Pepper is doing something dangerous. I also don't like the idea of bothering Dad at a time like this. He's stressed and distracted enough as it is. I wander all around the house aimlessly. I go outside to the pool, upstairs to my room, poke around in the pantry, and end up back in the living room.

I'm just about to sit down when a sudden hand claps over my mouth and an arm wraps around my body, restraining me. I panic and try to twist around to get away from whoever's holding me. I start screaming into the hand, stomping my feet and throwing my elbows around in hopes of Dad hearing me. All of this ceases when I feel a muzzle of a gun pushing into my back. I gasp into the large hand and freeze. A bullet in the back is not the way I want to go. A hand guides me into a chair and roughly pushes me down into it.

"It's okay, Sweetie, it's okay," a familiar voice whispers into my ear.

My eyes widen and I jolt my head back to look into Obadiah Stane's eyes.

Holy. Crap.

"Don't make a sound. You scream and I shoot you in the back, you got that?" he pushes the muzzle further into my skin and I wince, "You got that?"

Fat chance.

I nod slowly. His hand moves from my mouth and I let out a small beginning of a scream before his hand claps back over my face. A sudden ringing pierces my ears and I feel my body completely stiffen. The veins on my face and neck rise on my skin. My eyes widen as my back falls into the chair.

Obie sighs as he pulls little, blue-glowing buds out of his ears, "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that, Lees, but you forced my hand."

My body won't move. Not my hands. Not my legs. Not my mouth. Oh Lord, not again.

"Don't worry, Sweetie, it'll only last fifteen minutes and then, after the real work finishes, you'll be good as new."

Real work? Real work?! What's going on? I mean, I knew Obie was going off his rocker because of the weapons deals, but I didn't think he was going literally psycho. Putting a gun to my back? Threatening to kill the girl who is basically his granddaughter? What is he doing? Oh come on, where's Dad? I become aware of Obie handcuffing me to the chair and putting duct tape over my mouth. I force my nose to breathe in and and out.

"I was so worried when I realized what Pepper and your father knew about what I had done,"

My eyes dart up to his face as he crouches in front of me.

"And I knew it was time to set my plan into motion. You see, I was a little unprepared for Pepper to sneak into the office and realize that I was the one who ordered the hit on your father,"

I feel my chest combust. He's the one who told the Ten Rings about us? He's the one who tried to have us killed?

"I honestly didn't know that you were going along to Afghanistan. Really, I hoped one day that you would end up deciding to hand the company over to me. It may be in your blood, Lisa, but it's not in your ability," Obie says it so easily, as if nothing could possibly be wrong about what he's saying, "So, understand, my desire was never to kill you, Sweetie. And it still isn't. I have a much bigger plan for you."

I feel my insides tremble. Suddenly he stands and then he leaves my line of sight. The minutes tick by slowly and painfully as I sit, paralyzed and mute all over again. What does Obie want with us? All of this just for my father's company? I hear another ringing suddenly and it's coming from the couch across from me. My fingers begin to tingle as feeling starts to come back to me. Even if I could begin fully moving, the handcuffs chaining me to the chair won't let me answer it and the duct tape won't let me yell for help. Feet pad up the stairs behind me and I still can't get my mouth to move.

"Hey Smalls," Dad's voice calls out, "you gonna answer that?"

My fingers clench and unclench in anger.

He walks by me and digs under the pillow for the phone. He's just answering it when he turns to face me. His eyes widen at the sight of me and then Obie's there behind him, sounding that high-pitched ring. Dad jerks in response and then he goes very still. I watch as his skin goes deathly pale and the veins on his flesh become visible. His eyes stay wide and trained on me. His body slowly leans back into the couch, slumping down motionlessly. Obie hangs up the phone in Dad's hand and helps him ease back.

He says in an almost sing-song voice, "Breathe. Easy, easy," Dad lets out a quiet breath as Obie holds up the device in display, "You remember this one, right? It's a shame the government didn't approve it. There's so many applications for causing short-term paralysis."

Being enough out of the vicinity of the stupid device, my body wasn't 'short-term paralyzed' again. I begin to feel my toes again and my knees bounce in rage. My fingers clench again as I watch Obie walk around and take Dad's chin, forcing him to look at him.

Obie pulls the buds out of his ears.

"Ah, Tony. When I ordered the hit on you," Dad's eyes somehow get larger, "I worried that I was killing the golden goose," Obie pulls out a strange looking claw and begins to drill it into Dad's arc reactor, "But, you see," Dad groans and then grunts when Obie shoves the device fully into his chest.

I start yelling into the duct tape, but it all comes out muffled, "Let him go! Stop! Obie! Stop it!"

"It was just fate that you survived that," he continues speaking as he pulls the arc out, "You had one last golden egg to give."

"Obie!" I yell and slam the legs of my chair against the floor.

Dad glares up at his mentor and friend.

Obie hovers over him, "Do you really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you? Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now, what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?"

He fully pulls the wires out of my father's body and Dad lets out a sound of pain.

"Dad!" I fight against the handcuffs.

Obie detaches the arc and gazes down at it, "Oh, it's beautiful. Oh, Tony, this is your Ninth Symphony. What a masterpiece. Look at that. This is your legacy,"

His legacy.

Obie sits down beside him and Dad's eyes trail from the arc back to my face, "A new generation of weapons with this at its heart. Weapons that will help steer the world back on course, put the balance of power in our hands. The right hands," Obie puts the arc into a case and starts to laugh, "I wish you could've seen my prototype. It's not as, well, not as conservative as yours."

He stands and moves towards me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. I jerk away, trying to get away from his grasp. Dad's glare deepens as he stares at us.

"Too bad you had to involve Pepper in this. I would have preferred that she lived," he lets out a sad sigh and I gaze up at him with terrified eyes.

My fists clench as I look back at my father.

"And Lisa, well, my plan for her happens to be a lot more interesting," Obie's hand tightens on my shoulder, "Sweetie, you remember a man named Edgar Frost, don't you?"

I feel all of the blood rush down from my face and my stomach is nauseous.

"He's enjoyed working in my lab these past couple years," his deep voice tells me, "and, when I got all of the designs from your father's suit, he created some even bigger ideas for you. I think he misses you."

I feel a whimper escape me as Dad's eyes get heavy with terrified and furious tears. Obie's hands begin unlocking my handcuffs from the armrests. As soon as I'm unattached from the chair, I throw my fist at Obie's face. He immediately sees it coming, ripping my arm behind my back and shoving me down onto the ground. I cry out and I feel the handcuffs latch over both of my wrists. I grunt and fight against Obie as he pulls me back to my feet with one hand and holds the case with the arc in his other. Dad continues to watch us, unable to move. Panic dances in his eyes.

"Goodbye, Tony," Obie gives a nod before yanking me around and forcing me through the front door.

He hoists me up and tosses me into the trunk of his car. Darkness clouds my everything and I feel myself begin to panic as the car begins driving. Oh no. Oh no. The car keeps driving away, further and further away from my home, from my father. I haven't had a panic attack in so long and now it decides to happen?! I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to forget where I am. I refuse to allow the tears to fall and I force air in and out of my lungs. I begin counting my mind.

One.

Dad is going to die without the arc reactor in his chest.

Two.

I have to get out of this car.

Three.

My foot begins kicking at what I think is the backlight, but it doesn't give way.

Four.

I slide my hands over the bottom of the trunk and try to find something that will help me.

Five.

The car is beginning to slow down.

Six.

We're getting closer to wherever Obie is taking me.

Seven.

My fingers find a small, sharp edged piece of metal, probably a screw.

Eight.

Edgar Frost.

Nine.

He's going to hurt me.

Ten.

I'm going to kill him.

The truck lid opens and Obie yanks me out of it. I stumble across the pavement and glance around. A big 'Stark Industries' sign hangs before me and it actually makes sense that he'd take me here. As he shoves me across the property and eventually into the Reactor Building, I try to get a better hold on the screw. My fingers are sweaty and it's hard for me to grasp it correctly when I'm stuck in handcuffs. Obie waves a card over a scanner and a door that reads 'Sector 16' slides open. He pushes me inside and, if I could, my jaw would drop at what I see before me. A large metal suit. A much uglier version of my father's. A much more despicable looking one. My hand grips onto the screw tighter. He forces me into a backroom with only one bright light hanging over a metal table.

That's when I stop moving.

I'm not walking into whatever this is.

I throw my elbow back, landing it into Obie's side. He grunts as I whirl around and try to dash around him. I slide to a sudden stop when I am met with a terrifying sight. Edgar Frost is standing before me with a gun pointed at my forehead.

Obie lets out a light laugh, "I'm honestly surprised, Lisa, I really am. You are much more trouble than I gave you credit for. A Stark is a Stark, I suppose, no matter how pathetic," he unlocks my handcuffs and walks around to face me, "What's going to happen next was a thought belonging to both your father and your, what is it?" his eyes narrow in mock confusion, "step-father of sorts? Anyway, when you feel the pain, remember that this idea belongs to them. I simply went along with it because it was fascinating," he nods at Edgar, "She's all yours. I have business to attend to."

With that, the man I considered my grandfather turns and leaves me to a monster, closing the door behind him. My heart thuds in my chest as I look up at Edgar's smiling face. I fight away the tears and grit my teeth. My newly freed hands raise and I leap at him. My screw plunges down his face, causing a deep and sickening slice. He yells and kicks me away from him. I stumble and fall back before scrambling to get up. His hand finds my throat and his blood drips down onto my face while I glare up at him. He angrily wipes the wound, but it only smears his blood.

"Come on, Dimples, didn't I tell you it would just be better if you put yourself out of your misery? Now look what you're making me do. You should've died when you had the chance," all I can really process is my anger as his eyes narrow, "Let's get to work."

He talks as he cuts the palms of my hands open. He talks and he talks, but I shut it out. I try to shut it all out. His voice. The pain. His knife digs up my arms and slices into my veins, tearing them open. I scream into my duct tape and thrash against my new restrains, trying to make him stop. His eyes are so focused and concentrated. There's blood all up my arms and it hurts worse than anything anyone has ever done to me. I feel him put something cold against the bones of my hands. He pushes wires into my veins and through my body. I scream louder when it begins to burn and shock. I feel my mind trip and fall, struggling to stay conscious, struggling to stay alive. My eyes search around wildly, one last time, trying to take in one last image before the darkness claims me.

There is light on my hands.

Why is there light on my hands?

Another shock sends me into the darkness.

Another shock brings me out of it.

I wake up, gasping. Everything on my body is screaming. My arms and hands hurt the worst of all. They burn and they ache. My chest is throbbing and I can't understand why. I blink a few times, trying to get used to the bright light above me. There isn't any duct tape over my mouth and there aren't restraints on my body anymore. I can breathe and move freely. My arms and hands are covered in bandages, but they're stained with red. My brain is so foggy and the world seems so distant. There are people around me so I try to focus on their faces as I breathe in through an oxygen mask.

Pepper is beside me, sobbing, "Oh my, thank you, God! God! Lisa, Lisa, Sweetheart," her hand shakily strokes the sweaty hair off of my forehead, "Baby Girl, you're alive!"

"I-I wasn't b-before?" I croak into the mask, looking around dazedly.

What's going on?

I was dead?

Dead?

This is insanity.

I think I'm going to be sick.

"Come on, Miss Stark," says a voice that I recognize, but can't quite place fills my ears, "We're going to get you out of here."

I squint over in the direction of the voice and see a man. A man with dark hair who is wearing a grave expression when there usually is a constant small smile playing at his lips. Who is he again? What is going on?

"Lisa, come on, Sweetie,"

"My dad," I whisper, pained, "Is he d-dead?"

Hands pull off the oxygen mask and arms lift me off of the table so I roll my head back to see the man again.

"Agent Coul," I mumble in recognition.

"That's right," he nods and finishes, "Agent Coulson."

I look around and then I see a body lying on the floor. Familiar watery eyes stare up at the ceiling, lifeless. There's a bullet hole in his head. Edgar's dead. I want to cry in relief.

"You're safe now, Sweetie, safe now," Pepper tells me, hurrying beside us as we start moving.

We move out of the backroom and into a large dark room. Water seems to be reflected upon the walls and there are chains everywhere. I groan in pain and my brain still feels so fuzzy. What's going on? Agent Coulson is quick and sturdy as he carries me across metal ground. The other agents that I'm just noticing have their guns pulled out.

"O-Obie, the suit," I mumble, trying to stay awake, "where is he? Where's the suit?"

"We just passed the suit on the way in. He's not in it," Agent Coulson informs me quietly.

"We're okay, Lees," Pepper adds, "It was strange though. I thought it'd be bigger."

Bigger? I thought it was really big.

"We'll find Obadiah Stane and arrest him," the agent behind me says firmly.

I blink, tiredly. It's so hard to stay awake. There's a low groaning as we continue to walk along and the chains beside us begin to shake. Their pace slows and they carefully turn towards the noise. Wires hang and zap from the ceiling and empty space is below it. I notice that something is missing, something that I saw on my way into the sector. Something is not where is should be. I wish my brain wasn't so foggy. I think there was something important there. The agents begin to spread out and Agent Coulson looks around with narrowed eyes.

Chains continue to jingle and Pepper steps closer to me, ready to shield me if necessary. I weakly peer around her to stare into the darkness.

Suddenly white glowing eyes shoot open. I hear a loud, almost whining noise as the eyes begin to go higher and higher above us.

Pepper stumbles back into us with wide eyes, screaming. Agent Coulson drops me to my shaking feet and pushes me into her. Pepper throws her arms around me and begins dragging me along, trying to force us into a sprint. The big metal beast rushes after us.

"Take him out!" I hear Agent Coulson yell as we run between the other agents.

Bullets fly and metal clashes with metal. I hear the suit behind us crashing around, destroying everything in his path. Light explodes around us and sparks touch our skin. Pepper hurries me up a few steps before we stumble-run across a metal platform towards a doorway. I throw my head over my shoulder and shriek when I see a large metal hand shoot out towards us. We skid around the corner and keep running. We rush outside of the Reactor Building and the world is dark at the edges.

"Pepper!" I hear a familiar voice yell from Pepper's earpiece.

"Tony!" she exclaims in relief, "Tony, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he starts to answer, "Where's Lees? Have you seen her? Is she okay?"

I quickly look up at her earpiece as we stumble away from the glass doors, "Daddy!"

"Lisa!" his voice sounds terrified and thrilled at the same time, "God, Baby, are you okay?! Did Frost touch you? Did he hurt you?!"

"I-I think he k-killed me ac-actually," my voice sounds funny and distant.

"What?!" Dad screams in anger and terror, "Killed? Did you just say 'killed'?! Pepper! What happened?!"

Pepper is crying again as her arm tightens around my weak frame, "Oh, God, sh-she was dead when we got there, Tony. We-we had to restart her heart."

Dad's breathing suddenly stops and I wonder if it's just because I can't hear him anymore.

Finally, my father's voice speaks again, but this time full of rage and hatred, "I'm going to kill him."

My mind briefly wonders which 'him' he's referring to. Obie or Edgar? It's doesn't matter. Both is probably what Dad's meaning anyway.

"But O-O-Obadiah, he's gone insane! He's got this suit," I begin to ramble, feeling more awake now that I know my father is actually alive.

"Both of you need to get out of there," Dad interrupts sharply.

"Tony, there are agents inside," Pepper looks down at me with wide eyes, "a-and Lisa, she's still really hurt,"

"I'm on my way! Just get out of there right now," his voice is is muffled by a loud and strange rumbling behind us.

I lean into Pepper as we slowly turn around to face the noise. The earth two feet from us is cracking and shaking open. The ground pushes up and I see big metal hands erupt from inside. The hands easily throw away a large piece of concrete to reveal the terrifying suit with the terrifying man inside of it. I let out a panicked shriek as Pepper stumbles back in shock.

"Lisa! Pepper!" I hear Dad yelling.

The suit shakes the ground when it stands to its feet before us and a deep, low voice asks, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Pepper!" I whisper.

She shouts as she pulls me back.

The suit's arm raises and a gun lifts from the metal, "Your services are no longer required."

I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping and praying that this is all a bad dream.

Suddenly a loud voice yells, "Stane!"

Pepper and I whirl around and the suit looks up to see my father, armored in red and gold, flying towards us. I scream when the suit begins shooting at Dad and stumble back when Dad smashes his suit into Obie's. They both go flying through the hole in the ground, disappearing from our view. I hear loud crashing from far away and the world begins to grow hazy again.

"Pepper," I whisper again as my knees fall from underneath me.

Pepper struggles to catch me, falling to the ground as well. The pain I had forgotten for a few moments is back and, as I drift back into oblivion, I see red and gold fly up into the sky, light shooting from his feet and hands.

He has to win.

He always wins.

Did I just kill Lisa Stark, main oc? Yep. But hey, I brought her back, okay? So... Holy crap? Totally saw it coming? Still have no clue what happened to Lisa? Okay, well, tell me what you think. Any confusion should be cleared up in the next chapter. Yay! Comment, vote, follow!

Funny Thingamabob (kind of an extra but it's so great so whatever):

Future quote:

"'Red Robin, yum!' Dad shouts as soon as I enter the room.

I scowl, 'It's Red Raven, not Red Robin, I am not a restaurant, and I didn't even choose it so shut up.'

Dad raises his eyebrows and hands, 'Touchy, touchy.'"

- Lisa Stark and Tony Stark, The Red Raven