Lockhart and Stark

This is your mind

Victoria woke up in a dark room, she was strapped to an operating table. She could hear a ringing in her ears and her vision was blurry. Suddenly a bright light appeared just above her. She winced at the sudden light, she turned her head and saw Obadiah come into the light.

"Good morning Victoria." Obadiah said with a smile.

"Obadiah where am I!?" She exclaimed.

"Somewhere safe. I have to thank you I never would have found out the inner workings of the arc reactor without you." Obadiah said.

"You used my own technology against me. There was a reason that I never brought that technology into the light, the side effects are too dangerous." Victoria said.

"I know, I read the warnings that you wrote, for yourself. Just in case you ever wanted to use it." Obadiah said.

Victoria raised an eyebrow and thought about where she was, then she remembered the side effects.

"Do you know where we are now?" Obadiah asked.

"Yes, we are inside my mind." Victoria said.

"Bingo! This is your mind Victoria, or at least what you are seeing it as, a prison, an operation. That light, I assume that you know what it was." Obadiah said.

"That light was a response to me waking up. Well, not really...I am stuck, trapped in my own mind." Victoria said.

They paused for a few moments then Victoria sighed.

"Obadiah, where is my body?" Victoria asked.

"Since you are not getting out of here anytime soon, you are in sector sixteen in Tony Stark's factory." Obadiah said.

"What are you planning to do?" Victoria asked.

"Well, Tony was never supposed to survive that attack. I need to get rid of him. Did he tell you how he escaped, from Afghanistan?" Obadiah asked.

Victoria laid quietly on the operating table. She tried to get out of the straps that were holding her down but failed. Obadiah chuckled.

"Oh Victoria, I expected so much from you. I thought that it would be much harder than this. You can't even escape your own mind." Obadiah said.

"I will get out of this and when I do-" Victoria started.

"You'll what? You know what will happen when you wake up...or should I say, escape." Obadiah said.

Victoria grunted and she stretched out her fingers as a calming strategy.

"Obadiah, if you did read the warnings that I wrote you know that I do have a chance that I could get out of here fine and alright." Victoria said.

"Oh? You mean the ten percent chance that you will make it out of this without the permanent mental or physical effects." Obadiah said.

"Yes, it is a low chance but it is a chance!" Victoria said.

"You'll go crazy, if not out there then in here. Being trapped in your own mind, being suffocated in your own body. Looking around you and realizing that you are completely alone, no one is here to help you Victoria." Obadiah taunted.

Victoria looked up towards the light. Obadiah was right, she was alone. She was trapped inside of her own mind, no one could help her. Suddenly a blue light spread across the room. Obadiah smiled.

"It's starting already, you are causing your body so much stress. You'll kill yourself in time, once this whole room is filled with light like this...well you know what will happen." Obadiah said.

He cuffed his hand around his own throat and made a noise that resembled a dying cow. Victoria closed her eyes and breathed heavily.

"You know, I have always wanted to crush you. I wanted to see your beautiful body on the floor with my crushing foot on your soft chest. That is how I wanted you to go down but, this is the next best thing." Obadiah said.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Victoria asked sarcastically.

Obadiah walked towards her and put his hand on hers and rubbed his fingers around her hand. He slowly moved his hand from her hand to her stomach and towards her chest.

"Oh yes, you are very beautiful Victoria. And that is why I am allowing you to die like this, only for you." Obadiah said.

Victoria wanted to bite Obadiah but he wasn't close enough. He removed his hand and Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. He walked away from her and stood right at the edge of the light.

"Obadiah! What's your next move?" Victoria asked.

Obadiah turned around and smiled.

"I extracted the information about the arc reactor, but none of the mechanics were able to decipher the information. Through your genius I know how to attach the arc reactor into a suit like mine. I just need to get the arc reactor of course." Obadiah said.

Victoria thought for a moment.

"The arc reactor?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, Tony's." Obadiah said.

"But that is keeping him alive! He'll die!" Victoria exclaimed.

"Yes, killing two birds with one stone." Obadiah said deviously.

Obadiah continued.

"Well, I have to get going. Have a fun time inside here Victoria." Obadiah concluded.

Once Obadiah finished he completely faded into the darkness and just like that he was gone. Victoria struggled against the straps of the operating table, and each time she tried to break free they just got tighter.

"I have to get out of here." Victoria said to herself.

Suddenly a turquoise ribbon, appeared around the room. Victoria stopped struggling and stared at the bright light above her.

"Obadiah is right, I'm never going to get out of here." Victoria said.