fox (iron man's daughter)

18

fox's p.o.v

there are so many things about this place that don't make sense.

one being that at meal times, we get given good food. literally, on my first night we had macaroni cheese, last week we had pizza, this morning we were given pancakes. now i'm not being ungrateful, but when i was kidnapped i kind of expected to be starved or given raw potatoes. 

secondly, no one has spoken to us since i arrived, i've just been left to live with rubin and caspian in this weird cell thing. it's not even like a normal cell. sure, it's made of concrete, the door is metal, i'm pretty sure we're underground, but we have a bathroom with a bath, shower, toilet, sink, we have beds instead of a mat on the floor. 

also, no one has tried to get me to film a ransom video or whatever. this has to be connected to my dad somehow, but i can't work it out. surely if they want money or whatever they'd have done something by now. i want to know what they want, not so i can give it to them but to make sure that they don't.

i've been here for about a month now, our main source of timing being when they give us food. everyday we train, i'm not quite sure what for but i suppose i agree with rubin and casp when they say that we should be prepared for whatever happens. 

it was frustrating to start with, not knowing how to make the telekinesis thing work. i didn't think i had the abilities to be honest, i couldn't make anything work, i just had this burning in my veins, ringing in my ears. 

i got upset, locked myself in the bathroom for some space. there's no space here at all, nowhere to get away and think, nowhere to cry for a few minutes and be alone. rubin, being rubin, unlocked the door with his mind or whatever. i got angry, glared at him and a toothbrush flew off the shelf and him straight in the head.

so that was the beginning. 

every day is the same, that's just how it works. which is why we were all completely thrown when the door slams open one morning after breakfast. a man strides into the room, holding a gun. i shuffle backwards on my ass, pressing into rubin who wraps an arm around me protectively. 

the guy pays no heed, marching over and grabbing me by the shoulder, tearing me from rubin and dragging me out of the room. he ignores any protests from me or rubin or casp. none of us are stupid enough to use our powers though, once we start doing that we get into dangerous territory. we need them to think that we're harmless, that there's nothing dangerous about us at all, that they have the upper hand. 

i'm dragged to a small room, locked in. there's a yellow dress hanging from a rail on the wall, along with a pair of white heels. there's a note stuck to them 'put these on'. i recognise the handwriting, but i can't place it. i change quickly and then the guy takes me somewhere else.

the room i'm taken to completely messes with my head. it's a photography studio, a white screen and several cameras. there's several guys on the cameras, all wearing masks to protect their identities. 

in front of the screen, though, is what catches my attention. it's set out like a birthday party. a banner across the top of the screen reads 'happy 14th birthday fox'. there's a long table covered in that party food that you'd have when you were five and invited your whole class round to the village hall. the entire set is covered in blue and purple balloons, a fox drawn on each and every one.

i feel sick, this is sick. it's twisted.

someone walks onto the set, another man, he's not as big as the others but he has a gun and i have no choice but to move as he shoves the barrel onto my back and pushes me forwards. his nails dig into my waist as he picks me up effortlessly but harshly, placing me on the end of the table. he grabs a nearby bunch of balloons and my right wrist. uncurling my fingers from the fist i didn't know they were balled into, he presses the strings of the balloons into my hand and then presses my hand into a fist again. someone else puts one of those party hats that looks like an ice cream cone with a string onto my head, letting the elastic ping and hit me in the chin. i wince at the sudden stinging sensation, tears starting to collect in my eyes. 

come on fox, don't cry now.

"smile" someone commands me and in that moment i know exactly what's going on. they're messing with me, to mess with my dad.

i pull a wobbly smile onto my face, small sobs escaping my mouth as i struggle to flash my teeth. the photographers smile, i know this is exactly what they wanted. they want me to appear broken, on the edge. maybe i am? 

then it got worse.

"sing the song"

"what?" i gulp, they can't mean what i think they mean, they can't.

"you know which one, sing it" 

tony's p.o.v

as soon as she finished throwing up, the stream ended.

we tried desperately to get it back, get a trace, to no avail. at this point, about a month later, i know that people think she's dead. i know she's not. i hardly sleep, i hardly eat, pepper and i have drifted. everything is pretty much in pieces.

the first thing sent through was a picture. she was sat on a table, surrounded by balloons and glitter. her knuckles were white, gripping a bunch of colourful balloons. on her head was a pink party hat, she's wearing a yellow dress and white high heels. the whole concept of the photo is happy, but she's crying as she clings to a fake smile, her cheeks red as hot tears roll down them. above her head is a banner 'happy 14th birthday fox'.

her birthday? it's her birthday. she's spending her 14th birthday with those monsters. 

then comes a video.

she's singing, her voice is soft and sweet, but she has to pause to let out small sobs. can't take my eyes off you - frankie valli. lanie was obsessed with the song. 

"F.R.I.D.A.Y search the web for a video of melanie brooks and fox stark" i keep my eyes trained on the screen after the video ends, a brainwave washing over me. sure enough, there's multiple videos of fox on her birthday with her mum, singing that song.