. . .‧₊˚ ✩ CHAPTER EIGHT ⁺◟༉ . . .
❨ ∘ 𝔞𝔠𝔱 𝔦𝔦 ∘ ❩
NO MATTER THE COST
❛another suit❜

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"Lydia?! Tony?" Rhodey yells as he runs into the dark mansion.

Rhodey notices the items scattered all over the floor making him even more worried than he already was.

He knew Tony wouldn't go down without a fight to protect Lydia. With that in mind, he rushes towards where he thought Tony might be.

"They would have too. To get my daughter they would have to go through me first," Tony mutters with a dark look on his face remembering this.

"Tony?!" Rhodey calls louder as he runs into Tony's workshops. There he found Tony on the floor pale and gasping for breath.

Maria gasps as she tries not to cry as she squeezes Howard's hand.

"Tony? Tony?!" Rhodey screams as he runs over to Tony and bends down next to him.

"Tony, open your eyes! Come on, man!" Rhodey says as he sees Tony's deadly pale complexion, the sweat covering his forehead.

In his chest was a new arc reactor; it was working while his chest rose a lot while he struggled to breathe.

Suddenly, Tony's eyes open, and he looks around wide-eyed.

Maria says in relief holding back her tears and seeing her son alive.

Tony extends his hand and grabbed Rhodey's, his fingers digging into his jacket.

"Where is she?" Tony asks as Rhodey looks at him sadly.

"I didn't make it in time. She's gone," Rhodey says as Tony shakes his head before his jaw clenched.

"He took her," Tony says wiping away his tears as his face falls completely and Rhodey sees the heartbroken look on his best friend's face.

"I know. She called me. I heard everything," Rhodey tells Tony as he rests a hand on his shoulder.

"But we'll get her back, Tony. She's a smart girl, she'll be fine. We'll get her back," Rhodey tells her looking Tony in his eyes as a shaky breath comes from Tony.

"He said he was going to kill her," Tony says as his voice breaks as he remembers his daughter being taken from him as he laid there helpless hearing her screams for him. 

Tony closes his eyes remembering the fear in his body when he heard what Stane told him and remembering his daughter's screams. It's something he could never forget. He still had nightmares about it.

And the only way to calm himself down was to see his daughter. His little girl alive and well. But for how long?

"He's a dead man. I'll make sure of it," Rhodey promises Tony with a hardened expression and a look of determination.

Tony looks over to his iron man suit that was on the other side of the workshop, his eyes were hard and instead of soft brown like usual, they were now black.

"Not if I get to him first," Tony says in a dark tone before getting up and heading toward his suit.

He was getting his daughter back. No matter the cost. And no matter who had to die to get her back.

"The only time I've ever been scared of Tony," Rhodey says as Steve nods. He remembers what happened at the airport. When Lydia got hurt it was like a switch flipped in Tony and he became deadly.

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"Let me go you oversized walrus!" Lydia yells as she tries to get out of Obadiah's grip.

Obadiah glares at the girl who he was struggling to maintain control over as he drags her by the arm through the underground tunnels of Stark Industries.

"Let go of my granddaughter!" Howard yells angrily towards the screen.

"I'm killing him. When we get back to our timeline. I'm killing him," Howard tells Maria who nods agreeing with her husband's words.

Lydia begins kicking the man's legs. She kicks him right in the back of the knee making her groan as he falls to his knees but doesn't let Lydia go.

"Stop fighting! I'm not going to kill you!" Obadiah tells Lydia as he grabs her arm tightly.

"Does it like I'm an idiot like you?" Lydia asks the man with a raised eyebrow.

"Not the time for sarcasm Princess," Tony says as he sighs trying not to laugh at the same time but he was beyond worried.

"Enough," Obadiah tells Lydia as he pushes the girl in front of her making her walk Lydia looks around although not directly.

She knew exactly where she was. It was one of her father's buildings that she has been in and knew the blueprints by heart.

As they walked Lydia saw many versions of her father's arc reactors, each of which seemed as elaborate and expansive as the previous one making her worriedly but she schooled her expression.

The two then head toward a metal door. Obadiah did not hesitate to push Lydia into the narrow and dimly lit room, before following her making Lydia tense slightly.

As Lydia looks around she froze as she looks at what was in the center of the room surrounded by cables and circuit boards. A colossal gray metal suit, but it was missing the arc reactor in the center of his chest.

Lydia looks at Obadiah disgusted realizing he attacked her father and left him to all because of the arc reactor in her father's chest.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Obadiah asks Lydia who scoffs rolling her eyes.

"Uhm no," Lydia tells him making Obadiah look towards her with his arms over his chest and staring at the girl.

"Tony!" Pepper and Maria yell at the man who smiles at sheepishly. That was his fault. His daughters need to use sarcasm all day every day.

"What? Dad told me to not lie. Unless it's to Pepper regarding food or to him. Oh, and if it could save my life," Lydia says shrugging as of it was common knowledge.

"Lydia," Pepper says sighing at the girl.

"And you're not going to get away with it. I do hope you know that. I mean probably due to your small brain," Lydia tells him with a glare toward the older man.

"Tony I think you might have dropped her on the head or something," Clint says making Tony scoff.

"No it's just the Starks genes," Peggy tells Clint who nods understanding that.

"Lydia. No one is coming for you," Obadiah says as he looks the girl straight in the eyes.

"Your father is dead Lydia. And after killing you, I think I'll visit your aunt Pepper and Uncle Rhodey. Maybe even Happy as well," Obadiah tells her making Lydia's jaw clench at that.

"You know I tried to get rid of you. Send you away to a place where they teach little girls manners," Obadiah says glaring at the little girl as he grabs her arm hard and begins dragging her.

Tony glares at the screen. He remembers when he saw her again and saw the hand mark bruises on her skin.

Lydia then looks around before noticing a wrench on the table beside her. She looks towards Obadiah who wasn't looking at her making her grab it and then throw it at Obadiah who screams as he follows the knees.

"Yes!" Natasha yells smiling at her little protégé not that Lydia needed much help becoming a fighter. Which wasn't a surprise once they realized whose Lydia's birth mother really was.

With that Lydia begins to run as fast as she could away from Obadiah. She knew that she had approximately fifteen seconds before Obadiah recovered his concretion and then he would come for her.

Lydia ran faster and faster from the man and as she got to the door. Lydia ran slamming the door shut behind her as she tries to remind somewhere to hide.

"Yes! Run!" Everyone yells wanting the little girl safe and away from Obadiah

As she was running Lydia looked behind her running straight into someone and immediately begin hitting them not even knowing who it was.

"Miss Stark?" A familiar voice asks making Lydia freeze.

Tony smiles thankfully that Argent found him.

"Argent!" Lydia yells as she hugs him tightly. Coulson looks towards the girl awkwardly before hugging her back.

"What are you doing here? Where is Stane?" Coulson asks Lydia as he kneels down to her height making Lydia look into his eyes.

"Obadiah, he-," Lydia begin to explain before heels come towards the pair making Lydia look up and tears appear in her eyes seeing who was running towards her.

"Mom!" Lydia yells running toward Pepper who paused hearing that before running towards Lydia and hugging her tightly not wanting to let her.

"She called you mom," Maria says making Pepper nod tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, she calls me that now. After that Tony and I had a talk and then one with Lydia. I never tried to replace her birth mother but Lydia sees me as a mom," Pepper tells Maria who smiles at the woman glad her son and granddaughter had her.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asks as she looks Lydia over worriedly.

When Rhodey called Pepper to inform her of Tony's condition, and then they Obadiah had taken Lydia Pepper felt like she was about to pass out.

She knew Lydia might not be hers biologically but she loves her. She helped Tony raise her and in her heart Lydia was hers.

"You are her mom. Biologically or not," Tony tells Pepper as he squeezes her hand making Pepper smile at him with tears in her eyes.

Pepper felt like her worst nightmare came true. She couldn't lose Lydia. She couldn't ever.

"Lydia! Oh my Gosh!" Pepper says hugging her gut tightly as she picks her up not wanting to let her go.

Lydia wraps her arms tightly around Pepper's neck pushing her face into her neck as she inhales the familiar and comforting scent.

Pepper pulls back from Lydia as she looks at her face and worriedly.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Pepper asks worriedly looking Lydia over. She glares at the cuts and bruises on Lydia before hugging her turkey once again.

"I'm okay but dad—," Lydia begins when a loud noise was heard catching everyone's attention seeing Obadiah's suit exploding behind the wall of chains.

"Oh no," Ana mutters worriedly clutching Jarvis's hand who winces at the tight grip.

Pepper pulls Lydia closer to her turning slightly so Lydia was shielded as numerous agents came into the room as they fired weapons and pointed their guns at the iron suit.

Coulson also took out his own gun and moves to position himself in front of the two.

"You have to get out of here. There is an exit door behind us, take it and keep running," Coulson orders, without taking his eyes off the suit.

"But, Argent you won't be able to stop him. Guns will do nothing to him," Lydia tells him concerned.

"Don't worry about me," Coulson says as he looks over his shoulder, giving the little girl a small smile.

Suddenly, the suit lit up and begins. running towards them. The agents begin to open fire guns at the suit.

Pepper ran out of the door clutching onto Lydia tightly as they tried to get as far as they could. Pepper pushes through the doors, narrowly avoiding the giant metal arm as Obadiah reached them.

Pepper put Lydia down and behind her as they stood in the parking lot, watching Obadiah's arm get stuck at the door of the building.

He fought for several minutes before giving in and retreating back to the building.

"You're fine, honey. Now we are safe," Pepper tells Lydia as she kneels in front of Lydia who nods.

"Dad?" Lydia asks His barely above whisper as she looks at Pepper with hopeful eyes.

"Tony is fine. Rhodey saved him," Pepper says making Lydia smile brightly.

"Uncle Rhodey is now my favorite!" Lydia tells Pepper who laughs as she smiles brightly.

"I knew I was her favorite!" Rhodey declares making Tony roll his eyes.

"Pepper?" A voice asks. A familiar asks making Lydia freeze hearing the voice. The weak but familiar voice.

"Pep, are you there?" Tony asks once again worriedly.

"Tony? Tony, are you okay?" Pepper asks him frantically, pressing the Bluetooth device further into her ear since the connection was somewhat weak.

"I'm fine. Did you find Lydia? Is she safe?" Tony asks frantically through the earpiece.

"She's fine! A shaken and a few scratches and bruises but she's fine," Pepper tells Tony before removing the ear and handing it to Lydia.

"Daddy?" Lydia asks as Tony sighs in relief on the other end.

"Hey Princess," Tony says making Lydia sigh in relief as she tries not to cry.

"Are you okay?" Lydia asks him worriedly as Tony smiles.

"Hearing your voice I'm fine. But when I hug you I'll be perfect," Tony tells Lydia who smiles.

"I love you, daddy," Lydia tells him making Tony smile.

"I love you t-," Tony begins but Lydia couldn't hear him as the sound of the ground suddenly began to crumble and collapse behind them.

The two turn to see the metal suit, scratching the asphalt off of it as it climbs up from the ground.

"No! Coulson!" Peggy yells for the argent worriedly.

The suit's eyes were trained on the two as they emitted a white glow on their skin.

Stane then has the suit there points a gun at the two.
"Your services are no longer necessary," Stane tell the two as they at him terrified.

❀ ༄ ❀ AUTHOR NOTE ❀ ༄ ❀
She called her mom!!!

Probably two or three more chapters and iron man one is over!

And don't worry Lydia will be arriving soon. Either at the end of Iron Man One or Iron Two. Which will be short probably I still haven't decided

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I love you all!  <333