Night Terror

A whimper escaped parted lips.

A shadowy figure swayed in the door frame.

Back turned to the entrance of his bedroom, Tony Stark's eyes widened in surprise. His breath caught in his throat as the hypervigilance took over his system and he found himself caught in a tailspin of terror and worry.

Threat detected, threat detected, THREAT DETECTED, his mind screamed at him.

Someone was in his bedroom. Someone was trying to KILL him.

Uncontrollable breaths came out in ragged gasps. His amygdala sprouted fear like poppies in a field, as he tried unsuccessfully to regain control of his prefrontal cortex.

Where was the threat? Where was the threat? His mind raced as the walls started closing in on him. Everything was small and tight and uncomfortable. THIS feeling was uncomfortable. He had to escape. He had to break free. Break free and go where?

Where was Jarvis? Why wasn't he alerting him to the danger ahead?

Where was Jarvis! His mind pleaded in horror. Was he…was he back in Afghanistan?

Flashes of torture caused a film to overcome his brown eyes. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he didn't want to feel, everything was turning into a terrible windstorm of pain and fear.

An unsteady step forward is what he heard next. Or at least, it's what he could have sworn he heard next. Maybe he hadn't heard anything at all. But wait-no, there was the soft gliding sound on the wall farthest from him of someone's skin cresting on the paint.

There WAS someone in his room. Tony unconsciously bit into his bottom lip, squeezing the flesh between his teeth in an effort to feel the physical pain and block out the mental one.

"S-Stark?"

A voice, cracked and raspy whispered into the darkness.

Obadiah. It was Obadiah. He had come to finish what he had started all those years ago.

Reflexively, Tony swallowed. He sputtered briefly on his saliva, he couldn't remember the last time he had swallowed in awareness, but that time certainly hadn't been intentional.

He wanted to lick his lips to taste the metallic sweetness on them, but he couldn't find his tongue, let alone his voice.

"S-Stark?" The voice repeated again, this time a little stronger.

Tony's eyes narrowed, the sound was almost recognizable, but fear rooted him to the spot, unable to turn around for the anxiety that would meet him if he did.

A stuttered step and a small groan flopped into the air around them.

Tony felt the cold ice swim over his cradled body. His breathing had slowed-when had that happened?-as he strained himself to remain as silent as possible. The darkness of the night provided a sweet comfort in all the wrong ways. If he could keep as still as possible, maybe his intruder would just give up and leave him be. Maybe the fists wouldn't fly and the kicks to his ribs wouldn't come, as Tony silently prayed to entities he didn't believe in to save him from this stranger's wrath.

A stumble resounded off the bitter walls. A small thump hit the floor in a way that Tony later realized sounded like someone falling to their knees.

Wait-why would his intruder be falling down? Unless they were trying to confuse him, to make him turn around so he could see the metal bat swinging into his skull? Or maybe they were injured…? Where was he? Where was Tony?

He couldn't help it then, he moved slightly, but movement all the same. Just as his mind hurled insults into side of his cranium, Tony recognized the soft sheets against his mattress. He recognized the firm grip of his pillow, with his arms curled up in towards his chest. He gazed down to the bedspread and could see the faint glow of his arc reactor, resting comfortably in his chest with a hope that things would be all right.

His body unstiffened, the cold in his chest remaining, even as he gathered his courage and his iron steel of grit to turn around and see-no, meet the eyes-of the stranger in his bedroom.

He almost laughed when he recognized who it was. He almost chortled at how ridiculous he had been, thinking someone was out to get him when the truth lay before him in the blue light.

The air came to his vocal cords to escape with such nervous laughter, until the clash of blue hit the streaks of red on the body of his intruder. He choked back shock instead.

Rising unsteadily once more, the man before him rested unfixed eyes to his brown orbs.

"Stark."

It had been a long time since Tony had heard so much pain and remorse laden within his name.

The cold of his body was back, his mouth was dry and an unexpected twist of newly flourished fear spiked through his innards.

Tony was up and out of bed before he could properly finish his sentence, "What the hell happened?"

His arms hovered over his teammate's form, unsure of whether to touch them or not.

A haggard, wet breath met his ears.

"Th-Th-" a stutter was all that could be mustered, the pain rocketing through his teammate's body.

Confusion swam before Tony's eyes, as he swallowed again, hoping to eradicate the uneasiness that came to his mind as he watched the red, viscous liquid drip from his teammate.

"O-Okay, don't try and talk," Tony's eyes scanned his bedroom, only to land begrudgingly on his bedspread. "Come on; let's get you to the bed."

Tony's hands came onto their shoulders lightly, and he was shocked to feel the shivers wracking through their body as their body fell limp with Tony's added weight.

"Whoa there," Tony said, surprise lacing through his words, "are you okay? Do you need me to help you get to the bed?"

A wet cough pierced the air as blood came spewing out.

"Uh, yeah, that's a yes," Tony grumbled, sliding his arm underneath one of his teammates.

A/N:

Hey everyone! Welcome back to yet another fic I probably shouldn't be starting. This one will be short though. Sorry it ends off suddenly, my Muse came and then departed once I spoke to someone online. Sorry for the lack of uploading lately, I haven't been well mentally and actually wasn't today either, but I wound up skipping school in order to stay safe, and while waiting on a crisis chat line I wound up writing this. Inspired by "Beacon" a TonyxSteve fic that inspired me at the time as well as re-reading my first published fic here :)

I'll see what more I can write today and tomorrow. Thank you so much for reading and supporting me! Much love and hugs to you all. :)