Chapter Two, Open Heart Surgery and Torture

Pain. Unimaginable pain was all Toni knew next as she came to a sort of awareness screaming, pinned down by strange men while she was being cut into. If she didn't want to desperately try to get back home to her babies then she would give into the pain and follow the light. But as it was she was desperate. Desperate and alone and confused, and in severe unimaginable pain; which is why she fought against those holding her as she screamed her throat raw. Only for more men to pin her down to the old workbench before someone knocked her out with a chloroform rag.

Toni next came to a sort of awareness three times. The first time, she vaguely realised she was tied to a chair, bandages covered her chest already bloody from the open heart surgery, blood trickled down her temple and legs from the explosion. Her suit jacket was missing along with her top and heels in only her ripped trousers and bandages that thankfully covered her chest protecting her modesty. She was sitting in a cavern full of men pointing guns at her head as she was being recorded. The leader was speaking in Urdu so she only knew a little (thanks to a friend from M.I.T) and was able to pick up her name, treachery and Obadiah Stane.

If she wasn't so out of it from the pain she no doubt would've been able to pick up more and would no doubt be burning alive in anger; but for now she just wanted to survive. Survive to find out what happened to Rhodey. If he - no she couldn't, wouldn't think that as his death would literally break her. Once the recording stopped she soon succumbed to the comforting darkness away from the debilitating pain. Away from these men and whatever situation Stane landed her in.

The second time she woke up was due to the pain, but she was almost delirious with a fever and soon succumbed once more. The third and final time she awoke was slow and groggy as she realised a long tube was up her nose and freaked out, quickly pulling it out coughing as she did so. Through her watery eyes she noticed a cup of water beside her and went to pick it up to soothe the burning in her throat, however, her hands were shaking too much to hold it causing two things to happen.

First the cup fell to the floor with a loud clatter that reverberated all around them, and the second a pulling occurred painfully on her chest as she went to grab the cup. Startled and alarmed upon noticing an old car battery sat beside her with wires leading towards her. Toni followed them, pulling the bandages aside and found an electromagnetic plate inserted into her chest. Fear was all that consumed her, hand reaching towards the wires when a voice stopped her from ripping them out.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A man in his fifties reproached, looking at her in the mirror as he continued shaving.

"What is this? What happened?" Toni cried, her voice dry and cracking and not only from the tidal wave of emotion roiling within her.
"I saved your life. I'm sorry you had to endure that pain. They wouldn't allow me to give you any  anaesthesia. I removed as much shrapnel as I could but there's still quite a lot left. It's headed into your atrial septum. This was the only way I could save you, the injury you have is called the "walking dead" in my village as it only takes a week for the barbs to pierce the internal organs."

"Thank you for doing what you could." Toni muttered feeling hollow but still wanted to show she was grateful. "D-Did...did they..."
"No. No, I stayed with you and made sure no one touched you. Here, put this around you." He took off his own jumper and helped her put it on before zipping it up while making sure it didn't pull in the wires.
"Thank you -"
"Yinsen. My name is Dr Ho Yinsen but you can call me Yinsen. And you don't have to thank me, Dr Stark." Yinsen supplied.

"Then thank you Yinsen, and you can call me Toni." Toni smiled slightly but it didn't reach her eyes. It was in this moment of quiet that a protective instinct surged through Yinsen towards Toni as he swore he would do all he could to protect her given their circumstances when they heard a bolt open and panic surged throughout the man who quickly but carefully helped her to stand.
"Trust me and do as I do." He instructed in a panicked tone, hands raised above his head.

* * *

Tears fell down Rhodey's face as he drove down the long driveway of Stark Mansion towards the underground car park. He had spent the last fortnight trying to find his little sister out in the deserts of Afghanistan. He still he'd nightmares about the scene he came across: convoys blown to bits, bodies littering the ground, and Toni's broken phone stuck on his contact lying beside her ripped and bloodied blazer, military grade bulletproof vest and a large pool of blood (a concerning amount) along with her ruined heels.

He had been intending to come home earlier and inform everyone himself but he had wanted to find her. Now with the lies told by Stane, he had left the search to inform every one of the truth. He was desperate to find her as nightmares filled his sleep over what they could be doing to her especially as they had undressed her before they took her. But he couldn't wait anymore, especially as it was made public knowledge that morning.

So after flying back to America he had gathered Toni's godparents Daniel and Peggy Carter-Sousa, and Nick Fury at Stark Mansion along with Hope, Pepper and Happy. He dreaded to think how the twins and Stephen were coping.
"Welcome back Colonel Rhodes." Jarvis greeted as he parked. "I have finished the audit and enquiry Mrs Stark asked to he completed and found something... quite disturbing under Obadiah's drive -"
"Thanks Jarvis. What is it? And how is Stephen? The twins?" Rhodey asked as he took the stairs two at a time.

"Not good I'm afraid. Mr Strange has been trying to remain strong for the twins who don't understand and cry for their mother. He's taken time off work and Miss Van Dyne has moved in for a while with Peggy Carter visiting daily, however, he does have several night terrors and breaks down once the twins are in bed. As for the results...it's best to inform everyone all at once." Jarvis replied a note to his voice that was close to anger.
"That bad, huh." Rhodey muttered grimly with anger burning in his eyes as he ran up the telling steps, through the passcode door and into the living room.
"Uncle Rhodey." Peter and Katherine sobbed, running into his arms clinging to him tightly.

"It's going to be okay little munchkins." Rhodey muttered sadly, kissing both of their foreheads as he stood with both of them in his hips. His eyes assessed everyone who was gathered and noticed they all - like himself - had red and puffy eyes, even if Nick Fury tried to hide it.
"What happened, Rhodey? What's happened to my wife?!" Stephen Strange demanded angrily. He wasn't necessarily angry at his best friend but he was full of grief. And Rhodey knew this.
"It was an ambush with the intent to capture Tony at any cost. The two convoys and Toni's own were destroyed, and all the personnel with her were dead. After the demonstration my superior wanted a word so I wasn't with Toni but several behind.

The state we came across... I still have nightmares. They stripped Toni of her blazer and vest before they took her and there was a lot of blood. Her phone beside it, broken and stuck on my contact. She'd tried to call me before whatever happened to her happened." Rhodey explained tears running down his cheeks with pain clear in his eyes as he held the twins close. "I haven't and I won't stop looking for your Mama, I promise. I'll bring her home." Rhodey promised the twins.
"Hold on Mama. Pwease." Peter and Kat sobbed, begging, which broke everyone's hearts. 

"Why would they attack Toni?!" Hope demanded hotly, desperate for answers.
"I can answer that Miss Van Dyne." Jarvis answered as he pulled up all of Obadiah's wrong doings on the holographic screen until they came across a video of Toni barely conscious and severely injured and held captive which made everyone gasp and Rhodey to hide the twins' faces in his chest. That didn't need to see this or hear it.
"Peter, Kat, how about you come with Grandpa Dan and we will make something for Mummy to cheer her up when she's home?" Daniel suggested as Jarvis turned off the screen for a moment.

They looked like they were going to fight them but the thought of making something for their beloved Mother won them over.
"Okay." They agreed, going into Daniel's arms as he took them into Toni's lab where an arts and crafts area was set up for the twins near the door. Dum-E, U and Butterfingers were waiting for them, chirping happily at seeing Peter and Kat as they were confused about where their mother was. Like everyone else.
"Okay play it with translation please Jarvis." Stephen asked stealing himself with his best friends Hope and Rhodey on either side of him.

"'You did not tell us that the target you paid us to kill was the great Dr Toni Stark.'"

"Oh my god." Pepper muttered her hands covering her mouth as tears built in her eyes.
"Mother Fucker!!" Fury shouted getting up to pace behind the sofa but his eyes remained on the screen. He wasn't the only one who had lost composure causing Jarvis to pause the video. Rhodey and Happy had their fists clenched and looked like they wanted to either beat them to a pulp or shoot them; Peggy had her nails digging into the arm of the chair with one hand resting on her gun in her thigh holster; Hope was crying but she had a look of revenge in her eyes. As for Stephen, despite having sworn an Oath to do no harm when he became a doctor he wanted to kill all those involved. Starting with Obadiah.

Once they were somewhat calm Jarvis continued the video.
"'As you can see, Obadiah Stane, your deception and lies will cost you dearly. The price to kill Dr Antoinette Stark has just gone up.'"

"Jarvis copy everything onto Toni's private server and find out if anyone other than that mother fucker was involved in my goddaughter's kidnapping." Fury requested.
"Of course." Jarvis agreed, he will do all he could to make sure those who hurt his mother paid dearly.
"Fury, get our best people out looking for our goddaughter immediately but keep it within the inner circle only we don't want the wrong people finding her. And have Coulson take people to arrest Stane." Peggy ordered.

"I'll speak to Major Williams about what has happened discreetly. There has to be a mole within the army to allow this to happen and to get his best people looking for Toni instead of calling it off in two weeks." Rhodey added hesitantly casting a weary glance at Stephen.
"WHAT!!" Stephen thundered, looking at his best friend accusingly.
"Don't look at me like that Stephen! I've been arguing with him for weeks!" Rhodey snapped. "Did you really think that I would listen?! Even if they court martialed me I would still continue to search that entire desert, and if need be every cave. I'm not giving up on my baby sister."

"No. No, I'm sorry Rhodey." Stephen apologised with a weary sigh.
"It gives me nightmares about what they could be doing to her. I'll never stop searching just like we promised each other in M.I.T and after she...after  what happened to Carol." Rhodey confessed.
"What can Pepper and I do!" Happy asked, wanting to help. Needing to help.
"We need to find out how far this goes and who is on Stane's side and in his pocket." Hope explained. "I can talk to my Dad to see what else we can do as well." She added thoughtfully.

"I need my wife back." Stephen cried distraught, finally letting go of his emotions now that the a plan was in place and the kids were being entertained for a bit. Plus seeing Toni like that had been too much.
"We will. We will get her back. Toni, she's strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever met." Pepper tried to reassure Stephen. Tried to reassure everyone and herself. Willing herself to believe them.
"Thankfully Toni had this place locked down so there's no chance of him getting in here or any listening devices being implanted." Fury muttered, before he pulled out his phone to carry out the order. They had work to do.

* * *

Toni watched scared and confused as men poured into the cavern she and Yinsen were being held in armed to the teeth with the guns she had made and tested before putting on the blank poker face she'd been taught to wear since a young age.
"He says, "Welcome, Dr Toni Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America"." Yinsen translated. "'He is honoured. He wants you to build the missile. The Jericho missile that you demonstrated. This one." Yinsen clarifies accepting and showing Toni an aerial photo of the missile.

"I refuse." Toni spat with vitriol towards them. Immediately extremely dark looks appeared on their faces and they lunged for her, dragging her out of the cavern with a bag over her head (as if that will stop her from figuring a way out); all the while Yinsen yelled at them to stop. The next thing Toni knew was the bag was ripped off her head and she shoved head first into a barrel of water where she thrashed against them as her lungs filled with water. A fist yanking her hair made her gasp in pain causing her to swallow more water only to be suddenly yanked back.

She barely had a second to breathe as she refused to help them once again, only to he shoved deeper into the water soaking the reactor. Pain beyond anything she'd previously experienced shot through her body as she was simultaneously drowned and electrocuted. This happened three more times. On the fourth round of torture, however, she was beginning to lose consciousness when a sort of vision appeared before her eyes. It was of her beautiful babies crying in their uncle Rhodey's arms.

The sight of them and their next words gave her the strength that she needed to get through this, while also breaking her heart.
"Hold on Mama. Pwease." Peter and Kat sobbed, begging. So that is what she did. She would hold on long enough to escape with Yinsen. Long enough for Rhodey to find them. And find her he would. He had promised. Promised that he would always find her.

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Author's note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this.