The quality of the video was poor and grainy but he still was able to make out Steve. It would be hard to miss which one was Steve, given he was the one strapped to the chair. A harsh bright light illuminated the scene from the left. It caused the left side of the video to white out around the edges slightly.
Tony's fists clenched at the hard determined expression on Steve's face. He was looking straight at the camera unflinchingly. His was covered in large dark bruises and blood, but it didn't seem to impede his strength of will one bit. Steve sat straight and sure in his bonds.
Some of the lackeys were visibly disturbed by this. How after what was evidently a brutal beating, Steve still stood proud. But that was Steve, always fighting the good fight.
Tony chocked back a sob looking at him. The blood, so much of it, that covered him. The dark bruises and the raw open wounds. His uniform was nearly unrecognisable. The star on his chest was roughly cut away with a blade, and what remained hung off him in tatters. It was seeped in blood, colouring it dark. His gloves and boots were gone too, as was his helmet.
A tall man walks towards the front, the leader of the group
"Stark, I know you are watching!"
Tony bit down hard on his lower lip when the man addressed him with the demands
"You will send us the codes! Time is running out for America's pretty boy. You have an hour. If you fail to give us the codes, he dies. If you call the rest of the avengers, he dies. If you pull any other of your tricks, he dies. You hear me, Stark? This is your choice."
The leader's demands were loud and clear in the dark room. The sound quality of the video was high in contrast to the visual.
Steve called out to him, his voice raw and broken
"Tony, Listen, don't. I can handle this. The codes can't-"
Steve cut off with an agonizing scream as the second in command shocked him with a high voltage prod. Even with the low quality camera he can see the way Steve's restraints and the chair he sits on buckles; strains to contain him. Blood and spit frothed from his mouth as his screams choke off into a fit of retching coughs.
The second in command lets up, leaving Steve slumped and panting in his restraints. But he sat back up stubbornly.
"Tony, please.... Lis'en. I- I have the serum. I'll be ok-ay. ...Please... I-"
Tony recoiled as Steve was struck with heavy pipe to silence him. He ran the back of his hand over his face to wipe away his tears.
"Look at him, Stark! It is no secret you love him. Can you be the one to let this happen to him? Can you abide by his torture? It is your choice: The codes or your boyfriend?" The leader shouted at the camera.
Tony pitched forward onto the cold steel table before him, grasping it tightly in his trebling hands. His breath came in hitching shuddering gasps. Tears streamed freely down his face.
"I'm sorry"
He heard himself say,
"You are not getting those codes"
"-ony... love you... so m-much..." Steve whispered. He smiled a bloodied grin at the gunman approaching him like he just won. In his mind, he probably had, hadn't he? Steve was probably proud of him.
A horrific crack sounded in the room as the gunman in the video pulls the trigger, and Steve fell lifeless in the chair.
"Off!" Tony calls to FRIDAY and the recording stopped, leaving just a black screen. He stood there motionless in the dim room for a moment, sniffling.
"How could you?" he whispered into the silence, knowing there would be no reply.
"How was this fair to me Steve?"
"HOW?!" He screamed.
"HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? MAKE ME CHOOSE?" His voice broke under the strain.
"YOU SAID WE WOULD BE TOGETHER FOREVER, STEVE! YOU GOT ME A FUCKING RING! YOU SAID-..."
Tony collapsed down onto the floor, looking up at the ceiling. He turned his hand over and looked at the engagement ring Steve gave him only a month before.
He whispered brokenly into the silence, "You promised me, Steve. You promised."
