{Chapter Ten}
Abby laid in bed staring at the ceiling. She had just woken up. She didn't know what time it was just that it was late. Moving to reach and turn on the lamp on her bedside table and picked up her book opening it.
She laid there reading until she heard the voices. She couldn't identify the voices but being the curious girl she was she wanted to know who was there.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped her feet into her slippers. As she made her way out of the door she grabbed the jumper that was hung on the back and carried it down with her in case she got cold.
When she reached the top of the stairs she looked down to see Obediah stood over her father.
"Too bad you had to involve Pepper in this. I would have preferred that she lived." The bald man spoke as the small girl padded her way down the stairs.
Tony looked past Obediah to see his daughter making her way towards them with a smile on her face and his heart sunk.
"Dad?" Abby asked as she entered the room, sensing the tension the girl's smile slowly faded. Obediah's head snapped up at the sound of the soft voice.
"Hey, Abby." The man took a step towards the girl but glancing at her father she took a step back.
"What's wrong with my dad?" She questioned glancing past the man at her father.
"Nothing, sweetie he's just feeling a little under the weather," Obediah assured her. As much as he hated it, Obediah knew he couldn't leave Abby with what she had seen.
"What are you doing here, Obie?" Abby asked her voice shaking slightly as she spoke, her fear obvious.
"I just came to talk to your dad." Obediah shrugged trying to distract her but failing. Abby glances past him at her father and backed away slightly.
"Maybe I should call 9-1-1," Abby muttered grabbing a phone.
"Oh no, you don't," Obediah spoke taking the phone from the girl, "You always been this smart Abby, or have you been spending too much time with your dad?"
"What did you do to my dad?" Abby growled and the man gripped her upper arm.
"You know what kid, you and I are gonna go for a ride," Obediah said pulling the girl along with him out of the house.
"No!" She screamed, "Let me go! Dad! Daddy, please! Don't let him take me!"
Tony watched helplessly as the man he had thought to be his friend dragged his daughter away from him. When they left the house Obediah stuffed the small girl into the trunk of his car.
"Please! Stop!" Abby cried.
"I'm sorry kid. I really didn't want you to get caught up in this." Obediah sighed before closing her into darkness.
Tony dragged himself from the couch and threw the house down to his workshop. Pulling himself across the floor he reached the desktop supporting the gift he had gotten from his daughter and assistant. As he reached up for the arc reactor encased in the glass he collapsed to the ground.
Knowing that there was a limited chance he would be successful, the man slumped on the floor trying to catch his breath. Just as he was on the verge of giving up he heard a noise above his head.
"Good boy," Tony spoke as the Dum-E handed him the object he had been reaching for. Using the last of his energy the desperate father smashed the glass leaving the arc reactor in all its glory. Struggling Tony tried to fix the arc reactor into the cavity of his chest.
"Tony!" He heard a familiar voice call. "Tony!"
The voice continued to shout until James Rhodes made an appearance in the doorway.
"Tony! You okay?" The colonel asked when he reached the deathly pale man.
"Abby." Tony wheezed, still trying to catch his breath, "Where's Abby and Pepper?"
"Pepper's fine five agents are with her, they're gonna arrest Obediah. She said Abby was here with you."
"He took her. I couldn't move and he just took her." Tony told his friend panicked, "Fives not gonna be enough Rhodey, he's gonna kill my little girl."
"Let me go!" Abby screamed as Obediah dragged her past the large arc reactor.
"Oh, shut up!" Obediah growled as he dragged her past the large arc reactor.
Abby tried to calm her breathing but her fear was getting the best of her. Tears burned her eyes as the man's grip tightened painfully on her arm. The poor defenseless girl could do nothing as the man dragged her into a room full of junk, her jumper trailing behind her.
Abby froze her jumper falling to the floor when she looked up to see a large metal suit, similar to her father's stood above the. It was silver and a lot bigger than her dad's she didn't know how the man had gotten it or what he was going to do with it, but she knew it was nothing good.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Obediah spoke as the girl took a step back from him.
"Please, just let me go." She whispered fear clear in her voice.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Obediah shook his head taking a step towards the small girl.
"Please!" She screamed tears leaking down her cheeks.
"Now, now, Abby you need to be quiet." The man instructed reaching behind her for the tape on the table. He ripped a piece off before placing it roughly over the girl's mouth to shut her up.
Opening the door behind her he shoved the girl into a cramped closet. Abby tried to scream for help but couldn't. Her breath was fast and she couldn't get enough oxygen in her lungs. Her eyes were now flooded with tears as she sat on the floor of the closet.
Her lungs burned for more oxygen than she was giving them and slowly her eyesight became darker until her eyes fell closed and her small body slumped to the floor.
Minutes after the young girl had lost consciousness, Agent Phil Coulson made his way through the junk-filled room. As he passed the door of the closet containing the girl he noticed the small jumper on the floor. He frowned slightly before opening the door to find the small girl.
Kneeling down her turned the girl over a carefully peeled the duck taped from the girl's mouth and softly shook her.
"Abby, wake up." He spoke urgently.
Abby's eyes snapped open as she awoke with a gasp for air. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the agent.
"Agent Coulson." She breathed, relieved wrapping her arms around his neck.
"It's okay." He assured her until they heard a scream. They looked up to see Pepper running towards them followed closely by a large metal suit. "Abby, I need you to run!"
Abby ran beside her father's assistant, following her out of the building. Pepper turned towards the girl and crouched down to her level.
"Abby? What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Obediah, he took me and locked me in a closet." Abby panted.
"Are you okay?" Pepper asked concerned, wiping the tear stains from the girl's cheeks. Abby nodded weakly before wrapping her arms around the woman's neck and digging her face into her shoulder. Pepper held the small girl tightly, soothingly rubbing her back.
"Pepper." A voice spoke out of nowhere. Abby looked around for the source of the noise, confused when she realized that it was just her and Pepper.
"Tony." Pepper said relieved, lifting her hand up to her ear, "Tony, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Where's Abby?"
"She's okay, she's right here," Pepper assured him, one arm still wrapped around the girl.
"Dad!" Abby called out.
"Hey, munchkin, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Abby nodded shakily.
"Tony, Obediah's gone insane," Pepper told him.
"I know. Listen, you need to get out of there."
"Daddy, he built a suit," Abby stated.
"I know. Get out of there, right now!"
The ground began to shake, causing Abby to scream as Pepper pulled her closer. Pepper pulled Abby backward as Obediah emerged from beneath them.
"Where do you think you're going?" Obediah's deep voice spoke from beneath the suit, "Your services are no longer required."
Obediah held up his arm intending to shoot the two. Pepper moved Abby behind her in an attempt to protect her and took a step back.
"STANE!" A voice shouted in the distance. Pepper and Abby turned to see a figure flying towards them before colliding with Obediah.
"DAD!" Abby screamed as the two fell back into the hole. She ran over to look for her dad but it was too dark for her to see anything.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Pepper muttered in a panic.
"Pepper?" Abby looked up at her with fear in her eyes. Pepper glanced down at the girl and her eyes softened. It was easy to forget how young Abby was.
"It's going to be okay, honey," Pepper whispered pulling Abby close.
Their attention was caught when they saw Tony's suit flying through the air, Obediah following closely behind him.
"Why are they flying up?" Pepper asked.
"I don't know." Abby shook her head watching her father.
"Potts." Tony's voice spoke through Pepper's earpiece.
"Tony! Oh my God, are you okay?" Pepper asked.
"I'm almost dead of power. I gotta get out of this thing. I'll be right there."
"Your father will be here soon," Pepper told the girl causing her face to break out in a large smile.
Abby looked up at the sky looking for her father's suit. Her smile slowly faded as time passed.
"Where is he?" She asked turning to Pepper, meeting the women concerned gaze.
"Potts?"
"Tony!" Pepper sighed in relief.
"This isn't working. We're gonna have to overload the reactor and blast the roof."
"Well, how are you going to do that?" Pepper asked.
"You're gonna do it. Go to the central console, open up all the circuits. When I get clear of the roof, I'll let you know. You're going to hit the master bypass button."
Pepper made her way into the building Abby following closely behind her.
"I'm going in now," Pepper told him. Abby followed her trying to keep her breathing under control as she walked over the shattered glass.
"Make sure you wait till I clear the roof. I'll buy you some time."
Abby helped Pepper flip the switches. The two then walked over to the console and began to press the buttons and flip the switched that needed pressing and flipped.
After hearing a clatter above them Abby looked up to see her father. When she made eye contact with him relief flooded through her. Tony sent her a small smile.
"It's ready, Tony! Get off the roof!" Pepper called.
The glass above them shattered and rained on Pepper and Abby. Pepper tried to shield the girl as they both looked up to see Tony hanging from the metal bars.
"Tony!" The woman screamed.
"Pepper!" Tony yelled back, "Time to hit the button."
"You told me not to!" Pepper replied.
"Just do it!"
"You'll die!" Pepper argued.
"Daddy!" Abby shouted tears falling from her eyes. Tony's heart broke from the sound of his daughter's distraught cries.
"Push it!"
Pepper pushed the button before grabbing Abby and running out of the building.
"NO, DADDY!" Abby screamed as the building went up in flames. Pepper held the girl tightly in her arms as she fought to go to her father.