Zafona's Notes:

Okay hello everyone! This is a story that I am writing with my co-author Touta Matsuda. It was originally from Matsu's head but I obviously added my own style into it so I hope you all enjoy it ;)

WARNINGS:

Major warnings here guys. This story will have a small amount of slash in it, possibly but that is not why this story is rated M. There will be explicit scenes of torture (and I mean REALLY nasty because matsu loves that kind of thing). I am warning you now, okay? It is graphic. Very graphic and some of you (you know who you are) I know for a fact can NOT handle this kind of thing.

The entire story is like this, okay? It is not a happy-fall-in-love story. It is ugly. Very ugly and gruesome and I can't believe half the things I read. This story is meant for the sick twisted minds that like to see these characters torments and put through hell. Just remember you don't have to read it if you don't like. I encourage you not to read if you don't like it. I am warning you ahead of time because adding this at the top of each chapter is excessive. The entire story, guys. Aside from the bits of fluff I might add for a reprieve, it is all gory and traumatizing.

Matsu's Notes:

I deserved more credit than that. And Zaf's not joking about the excessive nature of gore. This fic is rated M for gratuitous violence and explicit torture. It was my intention to write something with an M rating that didn't derive it from SLASH.

Tony grinned at the crowd's tumultuous roar – a near deafening cheer that had erupted as the opening ceremony for this year's Stark Expo commenced. Tony considered these to be his glory days –not that he had ever considered his time before the Avengers –before Iron Man –to have been any less glorious at the time, but this was truly stupendous. All of the lighting, special effects, music, jumbo trons... all powered by Stark Technology, more specifically the newest prototype of the arc reactor. And if that alone wasn't his pride and joy Tony couldn't help but feel the slightest tinglings of satisfaction that this year he actually had friends to share it all with, and what an odd thought was that? Somewhere in that roiling sea of people stood Steve Rogers, the resident captain and all-round great guy that he was, probably scared out of his wits by the sheer size of the Expo and manic state of the crowd. Elsewhere would be Dr. Bruce Banner, though Tony highly doubted he was in the crowd. It was more likely that Banner was backstage, or watching from some greater distance. Although Tony did have to admit that there would be a certain dosage of humour in seeing a few dozen screaming fans get tossed into the sky like the detonation of a giant green stick of dynamite.

Tony sauntered on stage (he couldn't have two Iron Man entrances in a row, that'd just be repetitive), and the cheering reached its peak along with the climax of Tony's hand-selected soundtrack. He wore a fine suit that walked the line between fashion and business, with just a hint of formal –probably Italian by Tony's own guess, though he wasn't responsible for most of his public-appearance wardrobe. He stood patiently, hands clasped behind his back as he revelled in the attention and praise of the adoring crowds. Tony couldn't help but wonder if this is what a god felt like, and while that thought may seem audacious to most it was a near daily concern for the billionaire-turned-superhero. He rocked on the balls of his feet to his tip toes and back down for just a moment as the crowd's boisterous roar simmered into a dull tremor at the simple sight of the billionaire's raised hand –yup, definitely developing a god complex.

Tony removed his nearly trademarked sunglasses and pocketed them, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 2012 Stark Expo!" He raised both arms with a gesture of extravagance, accompanied by the launching of several dozen fireworks from stage level, exploding high above the crowd. He smiled again as the crowd erupted in cheers, publicity had always been good, and it didn't matter so much that he sold weapons or energy as long as there were bright lights and pounding music the crowds would come. Sort of like zombies, if you thought hard enough about it.

Bright flashing lights everywhere, people even more everywhere, it was a goddamn nightmare. Bruce hadn't wanted to go to the Stark Expo at all but it was Tony's thing and he figured supporting the man was only polite. After all, Tony let him crash in the tower whenever he pleased, let him play with all the nifty and technological things and even ordered rare chemicals for him to experiment with. What's a little Expo?

Well first off 'little' isn't the term that Bruce would use but he did his best not to complain. He had tried to stand where the crowd would, tried to convince himself that he'd end up enjoying it but all he could think of 'What if I lose control?' The thought of massacring this event was a startling and upsetting thing so he moved back stage, away from the screaming and cheering, where the loud music was less obnoxious and everyone was busy with something. It was much better than standing in a sweaty mess of writhing bodies. He was a scientist, a man of logic; he failed to see how that was fun for anybody.

Regardless though, Tony seemed to be enjoying it. The guy practically fed entirely on publicity, good or bad. Well, publicity and booze but that was a habit the genius seemed to be kicking. Bruce looked up at the stage from his safety zone and smirked, Tony really knew how to control a crowd.

Steve apologized for possibly the hundredth time in the last hour for accidentally bumping into someone. It was impossible to keep to his own space here, not that it bothered him but he didn't want to accidentally knock someone over. No one else seemed to mind when they brushed shoulders with the chiselled soldier, often he noticed their eyes dragging over him swiftly and he couldn't tell if they thought they were being subtle and really sucking at it or if they intended to be that forward. Knowing the way the times were in this decade in comparison to the one he remembered, he figured it was probably a purposeful thing.

He finally found a spot that wasn't in too many people's way but close enough that he could get a good look at the show. He'd been to a few Stark Expos before, they were always flashy, always excessively drawn out with flare and they were definitely always a reason to show off. Stark's didn't seem to change, even in the last 70 years.

Steve smiled at the feeling of familiarity, standing in a large cheering crowd all screaming for the most talented man in the world of technology. It was a strong memory for him; the Stark Expo of 1942 was the same place he'd finally been accepted into the war, the place he'd met Dr. Erskine and passed that test. His feeling of warmth from the past quickly washed away as he had to remind himself that everything he knew was gone, that the world was more complex and much colder than it had been in his time. Technology had taken the place of men in all sorts of jobs, and even removed the need for human contact or face to face conversations. And so much of it was so gosh darn confusing.

Yet as much as Steve knew he wouldn't understand half of the invented things, he also knew it was necessary that he be present. A friend of his was putting on a show; it was the right thing to do even if his comfort level was slightly pressured. Though he'd be lying if he said he came without the added push of his friends. Tony and Pepper had urged him to get out more often, experience things a little more fully than he had been. He didn't want to turn down their offer of free admittance to a Stark Expo, he'd enjoyed it in the past so what was the harm in doing it again? Obviously he'd accepted and here he was, smushed in a crowd of half-naked people. Comfort level was definitely in the red.

As Tony's proceedings went on, showcasing the various themes and events planned for the Expo, there was an undertow of fear in the air. Most were oblivious to the slightest signs of it, but Tony Stark had his enemies. More specifically, Iron Man had enemies, and while the public seemed to love the notion of superheroes among them there would always be those who held their doubts and contempt. There was of course the basic security one would expect of a large scale event, but there were also a surprising number of military personnel on site for a company exposition that had completely moved away from weapons manufacturing.

The security and added protection did little to thwart the best laid plans. The man was dressed in a well tailored suit and busily toying with his hand held device, which one could only assume was a cell phone. There was very little that set him apart from the others in the crowd, save for his evident lack of enthusiasm for the arrogant display of wealth and power, and an air of direction –a sort of goal-oriented behaviour. He looked up from his phone, brown eyes scanning the crowd, then beyond it, setting squarely on Tony's form, strafing confidently across the stage. A grin made its way to the man's lips, twisting over his features before ghosting away.

With his sights elsewhere, the man bumped shoulders with another, a tall, blonde haired male in the crowd. The man dipped his head and tipped his brimmed fedora with a curt, "sorry," before vanishing into the crowd.

"Oh, not at... all..." Steve muttered as the stranger disappeared from sight. "Okay..." he scratched his head but tried not to worry too much about it. Something was suddenly not sitting right with him, it was tough to put his finger on it but that little brush by was somehow unsettling.

Tony's gusto was just ramping up to a climax on stage, "And THAT is why Stark Industries-" Suddenly the audio cut out, along with the lights and everything else running on cable-drawn electricity. Tony made a quick glance right and left, anxiety growing quickly as he felt overly exposed with a glowing bull's-eye in the centre of his chest in a dark arena. The glow was dull beneath the suit but Tony lifted his left hand to cover it unconsciously all the same. His right rose to his ear, checking the comms, "Pepper, what happened?"

The only reply he got in return was white noise, barely audible over the roaring panic of the crowds immersed in darkness. "Fuck," the one syllable was uttered with finality though Tony knew full well that this was only the beginning of something. Just exactly what that something was, he hadn't a clue. He felt a buzzing in his pocket and heard the faint riffs of ACDC before he remembered that the comm device wasn't the only form of communication. 'Well no duh,' his overly-sarcastic inner voice chastised him. Tony fished the phone from his pocket, "Shut up."

"What?" Came Pepper's startled reply.

"Not you," Tony quickly assured her.

"Whatever. Tony, are you ok? What happened?" Ever the overly concerned worry wart, her fear for his safety was almost palpable in her tone.

"I was hoping that you could tell me that," Tony shot back, more than a little frustrated that not only was his Expo crashing for the second year in a row, but someone was able to override his arc reactor.

"The reactor's down, Tony," Pepper informed him, and he just couldn't help but wonder why she asked him what was up when apparently she knew. Also, he totally called the problem being reactor-related.

"Malfunction?" Tony wasn't sure which he feared more, someone else crashing his tech or the idea that perhaps he had made a mistake.

"Definitely sabotage," Pepper replied, her voice no less tense than when their conversation began. "Tony, you might be in danger. Please tell me you're not still standing on that stage."

"Right, because I can see exactly where I'm going-" Tony's eyes caught a glimpse of something bright in the crowd, a light but it was moving too fast to be just a person. "Pepper, did you see that?"

Bruce blinked a few times in confusion when he realized he could barely see, in fact he couldn't see at all. Part of him figured 'nah, it's just a random power failure' though the rest of him could have bitch slapped the idiocy that was that statement. Tony's arc reactor was the thing power this event, that kind of thing didn't just randomly go out, not without there being a major problem.

With his nerves getting the better of him, Bruce started feeling his way around in the darkness, hoping he'd come across something important before it was too late, though, of course, when did that ever happen?

"It's time," the man with the fedora smiled again, barely able to contain his excitement. It was risky to come out here in person, he knew, but who would recognize him? Who here even remembered his name? No, he had to see Tony Stark go down in person. He lifted his phone and entered the password into the dialog box on the dim display, striking the 'Enter' key brought all the lights and glamour to a startling, silent halt. He listened for a moment as the silence was broken by screams –someone always screamed, and he honestly didn't know why –nothing had even happened yet. Nearby he heard the reassuring hum of his drone, whirring to life just as its counterpart was, on the opposite side of the arena.

Tony squinted into the darkness in attempts to find that flash of light again. His eyes were adjusting, just not quite as quickly as he would have liked. Whatever it was, it had the same glow as the arc reactor in his chest, a luminous blue. "Probably not a good sign," Tony muttered to himself, decidedly heading for the exit, stage right. He didn't quite make it.

He saw it out of the corner of his eye, the glowing blue approaching at high speeds. There was no time to react before it was on him. Humanoid in shape, Tony could have sworn for just a moment that it was his suit that had just assaulted him.

Steve's eyes were quickly adjusting to the shift in lighting, a nice addition to the rest of his enhancements. He could see much clearer than everyone else around him which made it easier to avoid the flurry of bodies. That pit in his stomach only tightened and his gaze snapped up toward the stage, someone here didn't like Tony Stark and something much worse was about to happen, he just knew it. From where he stood Tony still looked okay, on his phone and probably trying to talk through what had just happened.

He had to get over there. Steve knew he had to get over there because he could see it all in Tony's shifting stance. The subtle way he went a little bit left and then a little bit right, uncertainty in his posture and just enough fear to be able to mask it easily. Steve knew it. He could clearly make it out even from this distance. Because really, how could he notice it? A few months ago he'd met Pepper outside of a coffee shop, she was on her way inside and he was sitting on the front patio, his face buried in his hands. Or, that's at least all she saw, anyway. He'd been miserable, figuring out the world's new way of functioning was impossible, he'd gotten so fed up with it. She could tell he was having a hard time and offered to help him, if he came by the Tower every once in a while she could explain things. Though it was a nice thought Steve knew just stopping by once a week or so wouldn't help all that much, he needed constant assistance and it drove him insane. She countered with 'move in'. She was convincing because the next thing he knew he had.

In the few months he lived there he'd seen a lot more of Tony Stark and had managed to learn several of his mannerisms, whether the genius would like to admit it or not. And the way he was skittishly looking for an exit, his hand pinned to his chest like a lifeline, he was clearly terrified.

In an attempt to work his way through the frantic crowd a flicker of light caught the Captain's eye, he turned his attention in its direction and spotted a gaze not unlike the Iron Man suit. 'That can't be good.' He furrowed his brow and forced himself through the blockade of people, he regretted it a little, hoping he didn't harm any of them in his rush to possibly save their lives. If this thing was like the Iron Man suit then there was a person inside, or so Steve's logic told him anyway, he couldn't know for sure.

"Hey!" he shouted, grabbing the metallic arm, feeling that there was no hollow sensation by the simple touch. This thing was not being piloted by a person, or at least not someone present.

In that split second he realized what the thing was aiming at, the stage, Tony. In the next few seconds he'd rounded his gaze back to the stage where he could see another drone, this one easily over-powering the suit-less Iron Man, Tony Stark completely defenceless, helpless against the attack. As the vague sight of his friend being treated like a rag doll settled into his retinas, Steve felt the shift in the drone next to him. "Oh no you don't." He snarled, gripping its arm tighter, bending it and smirking as he heard a snapping sound.

The automated thing reeled on him then, bringing one fist around to smash him aside though Steve easily deflected it, and punched it in the face, not sure where the important parts of a drone were. The robot dropped the outer part of its pinned arm, effectively dropping Steve's deadly grip. The soldier was a bit stunned though clearly a drone would have no issue with losing an arm, it couldn't possibly feel it. Steve ducked another swing at him and reached out to try and knock the thing's head off. His manoeuvre was cut a little short as he had to block the incoming fist again, not realizing that just because his enemy had lost its other arm didn't mean it couldn't still use it. He felt the rim of some kind of gun pressed against his belly and before he could react he felt a strong blast of energy colliding with his abdomen. A pained cry escaped him as he tumbled to the ground, instinctively grabbing for his wounded midsection.

Steve didn't get a chance to lie there for very long, however. He heard the thing's thrusters starting up and knew it was going after Tony. He had to move. With another agonized groan he forced himself to his feet and leapt onto the thing's back just as it took off, rocketing them both after its partner drone and Tony.

Tony's face collided with the polished stage floor for not the first or second, but third time that evening, and he could have sworn he felt his cheek bone crack from the force of it. In his defense, the first face-floor contact of the evening hadn't been dealt by the drone, but instead resulted from an unfortunate trip on a misplaced sound cable during rehearsal. Admittedly, that was a weak-ass defense. All things being equal, this machine (Tony doubted from its jerky movements that it was piloted by any human being that had a sense ofmomentum) didn't want him dead. It was obvious really, especially to someone who regularly pilots humanoid machines, that if this thing had wanted him dead –he would be.

Tony was faintly aware that he was being lifted off the floor, and a persistent ringing in his ears had set in. His vision blurred, and he deduced that he was probably on the verge of unconsciousness. His brow furrowed as sensory data to his brain began to slow while his mind reeled to make sense of it all. As his vision faded to black, he could have sworn he'd seen a second drone.

Bruce had managed to make it to the far part of the stage, his eyes adjusting slowly but hardly enough to allow him to understand what he'd just seen. Tony had been abducted by an Iron Man replica and Captain Rogers had just chased after the kidnapper riding a second suit. With that crowd of people Bruce was more aware of himself and how he couldn't do anything to help, not without harming a lot of innocents. "Please catch them, Steve..." he muttered hopefully, if anyone could do anything about this it was the Captain.