004. warning signs

Having a room to herself again feels almost odd, after days of being in the hospital and crashing on Peter's couch its a change she likes though. The feeling of an actual mattress rather than the rough material of a lounge is rather euphoric, but man she misses her bed from home. The knitted blanket that her mother had made is simply going to waste, collecting dust as she struggles to sleep in a bed that isn't her's.

The moonlight streams through the window, hitting the pillow and exposing the deep blue cover. She can only imagine how beautiful it would look on the lake at this time of night, the water shimmering under the moon's bright light.

The brunette can hear the soft snores of Alexander through their shared wall, the man having gone to bed rather early due to the fact he has to get up early for work in the morning. Erica had joined him not long after, leaving Isabella to try and figure out what to do.

She can't sleep, her mind is far too active for a peaceful slumber. When the girl was unable to sleep back home, she would move to the living room and read one of Peter's comic books or Ellie's romance novels. The last thing she wants to do here is invade anybody's privacy or go through things that aren't her's, she doesn't even really know these people.

Isabella stares at the moon for a few more moments before pushing herself out of the bed, grabbing one of the jumpers that Erica had loaned her and slips it on. Her footsteps are quiet as she sneaks out of the room and down the stairs, slipping out the back door so that she can see the water from earlier, Erica's blank easel practically staring her in the face.

"I hope she doesn't mind," Isabella mummers to herself as she takes the seat in front of the blank slate. Her shaky hands pick up the paintbrush, dipping the tip of the blue paint that she can only just make out due to the moonlight.

The moon comes and goes, the sun slowly rising with ever stroke of paint but her eyes are glued to the project in front of her. She doesn't stop, even when she hears Alexander moving about inside nor when his car pulls out of the driveway. It's as if the world around her simply doesn't exist anymore, everything mere background noise in her own little world.

"Isabella?"

The sound of her voice being called doesn't even pull her from her trance like state, far too invested in where this painting is going. The colours all smudge together, forming different shapes and patterns that seem to simply come together on their own.

Erica walks up behind her, careful not to startle the girl as she paints. A small smile pulls at her lips as she watches, a bouquet of beautiful flowers amongst a field displayed before her, Isabella clearly showing off something she's seen before with the accuracy she draws it.

It's the next moment that stuns Erica though, the younger woman dipping the tip of her brush into the black paint and messily drawing over the beautiful scene with aggression. Isabella's eyes are practically staring a hole into the image, no emotion washing over her face at all.

"Isabella?" Erica makes sure her voice is soft, as if she is talking to a child. There's no indication that the girl even hears her, far too consumed by what's going on in front of her. The woman then places a hand on her shoulder, Isabella jumping slightly at the contact and turning her gaze to Erica with confusion plastered upon her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Isabella responds, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Erica doesn't respond with her words, simply pointing at the painting behind her. Isabella moves her gaze back to the painting and takes a small, yet shuttered breath. The paintbrush drops into the paint and splatters red upon the darkened surface, Isabella standing up abruptly and moving away.

"I need a minute,"  Isabella breathes, leaving the blonde woman to watch her walk away.

Isabella has never been one for self pity, she always found the idea of it extremely pointless. There's been those few moments when she's felt it, it's not like you can't entirely shut it out, but the moment she realizes it's normally pushed away. Today, however, she can't seem to shake it. What had she done to deserve the life she has to live?

Sure, the whole evil scientist is partially her fault, agreeing to be a human lab rat to a man who was more concerned with power than anything else was stupid. It's the stuff that led up to that which she cannot help but pity herself for — losing her dad and then her sister in such a short period of time was cruel even in a world that has constantly shown it's unforgiving nature. Then in her grief she'd made a couple of incredibly stupid decisions that she cannot take back, now she's stuck like this forever.

The darkness that swirls around within her and taunts her mind endlessly, the signs of that destructive nature bubbling to the surface terrifies her. At least if they manage to break free before they find Doctor Strange, there is a whole league of superheroes here to stop her.

"Erica said you fled,"

Isabella turns her head to see Tony standing there with his hands in his pockets and a thoughtful expression on his face. "I assumed she meant you'd fled the city not run off to the other side of the lake,"

"I just needed some time," Isabella replies quietly, eyes returning to the shimmering water in front of her. The man makes no move to come closer, thankfully, obviously sensing that it's the last thing she wants or needs. "I'm going to hurt somebody,"

"And how do you know that?" Tony questions curiously, his voice not harsh nor demanding, simply just asking what he's thinking.

"I did last time. I mean I didn't kill anybody, I guess that's a positive, but I probably wouldn't have stopped if I started. I-it's like I can't even control my own body when it takes over, you know? I almost killed one of the people I love because my mind was so clouded by destruction,"

"I'm still looking for him, this Doctor Strange you mentioned earlier. I'll find him, I promise you I will. We'll get you a new necklace and then we will find a way to get you back to your home,"

Isabella nods slightly. "Thanks,"

"Don't mention it, kid. How about you join me and Pepper for a walk in the park tomorrow morning? Get your mind off things a little more,"

"Sounds good to me,"

Isabella gives the man a brief smile, probably one of the biggest she's managed since she's been here and lifts a hand in goodbye when he turns to leave. For now, she'll just have to trust him — trust that he can help her get back home.

NOTE!

Hi! It's been a long time, and I'm so sorry it's so short but I'm really close to moving into Infinity War now. The first few chapters have been to introduce the Original characters in this story a little because they'll come more into play later on!

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next time!