Stark Syndrome: IronStrange

Torture

Tony looked up at Phobos with a hateful glare "What did you do to him?!" he stood back up and tried to put hands on Phobos but as he swung a right hook Phobos crossfaded sideways. Tony slightly lost his balance and Phobos claws at him hitting his side. Tony let out a cry of pain as he put his hand on his side and then looked at it. Bloody, he wished it was Phobos's blood and started to doubt if he could make a Wendigo-like God monster bleed. Phobos came at him again to slice across his chest but this time Tony was more patient and fluent in Wing Chung (a close quarters martial art). Tony blocked, hit Phobos, blocked three more times and hit again. The landed blows to his enemy didn't feel like they where doing much against its thick scale like skin, but it was all he could do. Tony started to tire, sweating and bleeding Phobos randomly strikes low. His abnormal long arms allowed his reach to Tony's Achilles Tendon. Tony groaned and hit the floor, the impact was hard, it nocked the air out of him. He tried to get up again, Phobos was walking circles around him like a shark watching it's pray squirm. Out of nowhere Tony heard a voice "Stay down Stark." He looked around. Strange still tied down. He looked unconscious, but was he really? Tony ached and tried once more to get up, making it slowly to his knees. Before he could try to stand Phobos came down with a hammer blow to his upper back nocking the air out of him. It felt like he got hit by a truck and he wasn't sure if his back broke or he was stabbed. He heard the voice again "Stark stay down, you didn't listen to me before and look where we are. I need you alive if I'm going to get out of here." He was sure now it was Strange but how? Another trick the Dr had up his sleeve. He was communicating to Tony telepathically while faking unconsciousness. Tony audibly sighed and rest on the floor. Phobos came at his side and kicked him over on his back. He yelled out in pain, the kick was hard but he felt his back injury and bruising scratches from the blows before. Phobos abnormally bent over in two to meet his face with Tony's, he found out what is was like to smell death and fear of countless victims. His steaming hot breath hit Tonys face almost burning him. Staring strait at him Tony saw himself inside the monsters red eyes, now feeling unsure of his decision to come alone. He didn't want to be alone facing this monster anymore. A voice in his head saying "Your not alone. I'm with you." Strange told him. Tony just wished Strange would stop reading his mind. Phobos said sinisterly "You are alone Stark... I know he's awake." Strange looked up at them. Phobos continued "You want to talk to him Dr.? Then talk!" Phobos nocked Tony unconscious and tied him up in front of Strange.

By the time Tony woke he was face to face with strange. Both bound. Strange had just been watching him with a hopeless stare, fixed mostly on the new cut underneath his eye from being nocked unconscious. A few drops of blood down his cheek had now dried by the time he woke. "And you told me to stay down..." Tony said. "Glad to see your sarcasms still in tact." "What's your plan from here doc.?" Strange just stared at him. "Great..." Tony cont. All Strange could say is "You shouldn't have come." Tony looked up with a hint of anger and locked eyes with Strange, he retorted "What was I supposed to do?! Leave the entire world to a game of chance? Leave you here to die by the hand of some demon?..." he hesitated to speak anymore after realizing how passionate those words came out then continued in a calmer tone... "or worse, he could absorb your powers and become the God he's claiming to be." "Ok Stark. I'll give you that. He's powerful, more then I, but he's not a God. Maybe a Demi. But I have no plan. Only theory's. He claims to be the God of fear. So I want you to think before you answer. Is there ANYTHING you fear more then anything else?" Strange's question hit Tony hard. He looked down deep in thought. "Pepper?...." "You know you let your feelings for her start to fade when you handed her the company. It's not her. I doubt it's the world ending so what then?" Strange was trying to make Tony think outside the box. If he could come up with what it is sooner rather then later this could all be over. "Tony, whatever it is it's going to be hard for you. Maybe hard for you to admit or come to terms with. You have to try." Strange rarely called Tony by his first name so he knew Strange had something on his mind but he couldn't come up with any ideas on what that might be.

"Having fun are we?" Phobos voice rang out in the cave. He was back. It was time for whatever he had planned. They both knew it with an uneasy feeling sinking to the pit of their stomachs. "Your turn." Phobos grabbed Strange by the shoulder sinking his claws deep into his flesh. Strange screamed out. "Leave him!" Tony cried. "Maybe I will. You have the power to decide if I do or if I tear him apart and then the rest of this god forsaken world." Phobos explained as he used the other hand to slice the ropes and free Strange. He then turned the post Tony was tied to so that he could watch what he was going to do to Strange. "See that camera Stark?..... the world will watch the outcome if this trial. It's a simple task. If you can admit your darkest fear and what would cause it to be true, Strange lives." Phobos had Strange down now his knees in between Tony and him. "Now tell me Stark, what do you fear..." He thought hard starting to panic at the lack of an answer. "Chaos?! Betrayal?! Loosing what I have left?!" "Good answers Stark. All valid for other parties but not for you." Phobos replied looking at his hand, it lit a fiery orange, walking behind Strange he placed his fiery fingers on Strange's side sliding them slowly up his skin to his chest. The effect burned through Strange's skin leaving blistered scars. He tried to keep a strait face, stay strong for Tony, but as Phobos's claws scraped up his side his eyes began to water his face turn red. Jaw clenched in pain Strange couldn't help but let out a deep moan of pain. "Stop!"' Tony yelled. Eyes watering, Tony was loosing all composure. Phobos walked towards tony. "What's the answer Stark? What's your greatest fear hmmm? What would be the reason for it?" Phobos had left Strange on the floor on his knees. He tried to get up. Phobos said while still face to face with Tony "Don't try it Dr. your too weak."
Tony said teary eyed "I don't know." 

"I'm disappointed Stark, sincerely. I was hoping you would've had it in your will to shut down your subconscious fears and admit the truth." Phobos said, He was walking towards Strange and continued, "It seems like there is only one way to bring it out of you." Tony was standing, his back against the wooden post, his hands tied, his feet were unbound. Tony watched in horror... "I don't know what you want?! Just tell me what you want?!" Phobos answered "I will tell you your greatest fear and then you will admit to me what would cause that fear. You will admit in front of the world what your keeping from them and yourself. If I tell you, there will be a consequence. You can't stop that now." Phobos walked behind Strange and used one hand grabbing him by the neck pulling him upright. Phobos raised his left hand, it shape-shifted into a black sword. Tony's eyes widened, "No don't!!" Phobos had done it without hesitation. The sword went through Strange's upper left side and came out his lower right side. He was so beaten he didn't let out a sound through it. Phobos pulled the sword out and Strange fell to the floor face down bleeding. Tony's hopelessness turned to rage. He had been pulling on the ropes so long and hard now his wrists rubbed raw, almost bleeding. "I will..." He could hardly spit any words out between heavy breaths from shock and struggling.
"You will what Stark?!" Phobos cut him off. Tony gasped for air and fell to his knees almost passing out. His arms behind and above him from being bound. He looked up at Strange on the floor. Just staring at the back of his head. He felt pain before, all types, but this was much worse and it made him sickly depressed and like he wanted to faint. "Now Stark. The truth is...." Phobos has walked up to him, punched him in the jaw with a hook making him spit blood. Tony welcomed the physical pain. Better then what he was feeling about Strange. ".... Your afraid to be unpopular. Your afraid of being abandoned by those who love you if you make unpopular decisions. This comes from the death of your mother and father. Your lack in trust in people fuels this because of betrayal from a close friend. So you hide your true feelings from yourself Stark...." he lifted Tony's face up by his chin and looked him in the eyes, a drop of blood ran down his chin. Tony's expression filled with rage and sorrow. "You have one last chance to save the rest of humanity. Tell me what you won't admit because of these fears and I won't harm anyone else on this planet."     "I don't under..." Tony tried to talk but his jaw hurt and he felt incredibly numb and unmotivated after watching Strange die.   "Then let me ask a much simpler question... Tell me Stark, why did watching him suffer hurt you so deeply?"
"No, it's..... I... don't like watching anyone suffer." Tony looked down knowing that wasn't right. He now knew the answer. He still didn't want to admit it. Especially now. What was the point?
"Wrong?! And you know it!!" Phobos was tired of playing games. He held his hand out pointed towards Tony's head. Tony started to scream.... "Hear that Stark?! That's the sound of a thousand screams. My next victims if you don't confess!..... Why did it hurt you so badly to see the Doctor die?!"
Phobos stepped back and let Tony recover. He lifted up his head, eyes glossy with a vein bursted in one turning it red, face bruised and bloody, drops of blood still running down his side. He spoke softly finally admitting, ".......... I loved him..." his head dropped looking down and a few tears fell to the floor.