Kidnapped

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Pepper and Tony ducked down behind a staircase as soon as the sound of voices drifted over to them. Peeking over the edge of the steps, they saw seven men conversing in low tones in a spacious section of the hallway that opened out into the elevator area, which was just beside the stairs. Pepper clamped her hand over her mouth when she squeaked as Tony tapped her shoulder. He pointed across the hall to where they could just barely see Rhodey's eyes as he peeked around a corner. He caught sight of his friends and waved at them, moving his assault rifle to where they could see it and then nodded his head at the men. Tony bit his lip and shook his head and mouthed the word "no."

"What?" Pepper asked, glancing at the brown-haired teen. "I see no problem with him shooting everyone in there."

"One," Tony said, still staring over the stairs, "if we ca-can, I don't want to kill a-anyone. Two, if R-Rhodey starts shoot-shooting in there, the ones he m-misses will shoot him. No, w-we need a plan."

Pepper knew it was futile to argue; he actually had a point.

Tony's eyes scanned the room for some means of escape, and his eyes landed on the elevator. He blinked, a plan forming, and he started to stand. He started at the feel of Pepper's hand on his shoulder, keeping him crouched down.

"No, first tell me what you're doing," Pepper hissed, glaring at him. No way was she going to let him needlessly put himself in danger. He sighed in exasperation, shaking her off.

"R-right now, all of those men are wo-wondering where the heck we-we are. To them, we co-could be anywhere. If I hit that elevator button, wh-when the doors slide op-open, they'll open fire on it, th-thinking that's wh-where we are, and Rhodey will ha-have a clear shot while their backs are turned."

"Fine," Pepper said, standing and creeping away, only to have Tony catch her wrist in his hand.

"Where are y-you going?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Your plan-"

"You're n-not doing that!" Tony half whispered, half shouted. "It's way too dan-dangerous for you! They might see you!"

"And it's not dangerous for you?" Pepper asked. "Tony, you have lost tons of blood, you have countless broken bones, and you look like you're about to pass out. I'm going."

Before Tony could stop her, she was sneaking around the staircase to the elevators. She waited beside the staircase for a moment, trying to calm her breathing as she felt the inventor's eyes on her back. Truth be told, she was terrified, but there was no way that she was going to let Tony put himself in harm's way. It would be suicidal for him.

She darted over to the elevator and smacked her hand against the button on the panel. Her eyes widened as it let out a ding, staring at the men, but none of them seemed to have noticed the noise. She stepped backwards, eyes on the men, before hurrying back to Tony, crouching down beside him and trying to ignore the look he was giving her. A minute later the elevator door slid back with a louder ding, and, as predicted, the men shouted and turned their guns on the open elevator. Rhodey began shooting limbs, arms and legs, and almost all of the men were on the ground, writhing in pain, before they realized what had happened and turned their guns to the corner and opened fire, Rhodey whirling back moments before chunks of plaster were blasted off of the wall where he had been. The three men still standing ran after him.

"Arrrgh!"

Tony was pushed into the open by a thug they hadn't noticed that had snuck up behind them. He hit the tiled floor on his back with a grimace, shouting and rolling away as a knife imbedded itself where his shoulder had just been. Pepper reappeared, screaming her head off as she tackled the man and brought him to the ground in a heap. She cried out as the man fastened his hand around her neck and slammed her head against the railing, emitting a sharp crack as her skull connected with the metal banister. Tony gasped and tried to scramble over to her, but was kicked in the face and he went sprawling on the floor, the metallic taste of blood gushing into his mouth.