[005] in another world

"Missing?"

The questions falls from her lips as a breathless whisper, eyes wide and heart beating so erratically that it threatens to push through her chest. Ellie doesn't even know what to add onto that, she'd seen Isabella just this morning — they'd promised to meet up for coffee during Ellie's break. Peter looks just as disheartened and that's how she knows this is real, the girl she loves now lost.

"How the fuck did you manage to lose her?" Ellie hisses at the police officer at their front door. "It's not like she can just vanish into thin air. She was there to help you with your police operation,"

"I'm afraid that's exactly what happened. One minute she was there and then the next she was just gone," The police officer responds, looking rather solemn. Ellie can only assume that this man had worked with Isabella's father, that he's known her for a long time and this is taking a toll on him too. It dims her anger slightly, only slightly.

"Did anything happen before hand? Did she use her powers or something?" Peter questions quickly, his hands shaking ever so slightly as he tries to push away the anxiety.

"The necklace she was wearing fell apart. It shattered into so many pieces and she was trying to gather them back up again,"

The two of them in the apartment freeze up, both knowing exactly what has happened. That necklace is the one thing keeping her magic at bay, allowing her to use it freely without it taking over her completely.

"Then this orange sort of portal appeared and she was gone," The man adds on afterwards.

Peter is able to hide the worry he's feeling because it's fairly obvious what's happened here — she's gone back to that other reality they'd been in only months before. That portal belongs to Doctor Strange, the man who had a hand in accidentally bringing them over and then sending them back after the fight was over. The only way she's going to be able to get back is if that man is willing to send her back.

"Right, uh thank you. Please let us know if you find her," Peter rushes out, catching Ellie's gaze and she knows that he knows exactly where she is. She'd heard plenty of stories about their time together in that other dimension but the specifics of it are a little hazy. "We'll be sure to contact you if she turns up here,"

The police officer nods his head once before retreating, Ellie spinning around to interrogate Peter the second the door slams shut. "Where is she?"

"If I had to guess, probably back with alternate Peter,"

Isabella had done many things in her life that could be considered unique, insane even, and yet somehow taking a walk in the park with Tony Stark tops most of them. People stare as they walk by, curiosity glimmering in their eyes as they look at her — no doubt they're all wondering who she is. It would probably be seen as somewhat scandalous if it wasn't for the fact Pepper Potts is right beside her, offering up kind conversation with the younger woman.

"I'm starting to feel like some sort of freak show," Isabella mummers to the blonde woman who gently squeezes her shoulder. "They probably think I'm an illegitimate child or something, right? One of Tony's escapades gone wrong,"

The last part comes out with clear humor, Tony rolling his eyes at the suggestion. She hasn't been here long, like at all, yet she's already read numerous things about one of the richest men in New York City. She's managed to piece together some things with what Peter had said when she was here last, mostly the fact that this man is apart of the infamous Avengers that Peter was so shocked they didn't know about — a constantly growing group of superheroes.

She'd also read about the lifestyle he used to live before he got with Pepper, apparently they're real thorough with their investigation.  There was legitimately a whole timeline in one of the magazines.

"Anyway, back into what I was actually talking about, my dream. You might not be our kid but I had a dream about us having one," Tony directs the last part to Pepper who raises her eyebrows. "We named him after your eccentric uncle. Uh, what was his name?"

Pepper and Isabella share a glance before Pepper starts nodding, unconvinced.

"Morgan! Morgan," Tony clicks his fingers, a smile on his face.

"So you woke up, and thought that we were—"

"Expecting,"

"Yeah,"

"Yes?"

Isabella snorts softly with a shake of her head. "Don't think that's how that works. You'd actually have to have —"

Tony puts his hand over her mouth to silence her before looking back to Pepper who shakes her head. "I had a dream about it. It was so real,"

"If you wanted to have a kid, you wouldn't have done that,"

Isabella pushes Tony's hand away and looks at the chest attachment that Pepper is pointing to. The brunette hadn't quite got that far with her reading into what that is but she assumes it's somewhat important to the whole 'Iron-Man' thing.

"I'm glad you brought this up because it's nothing. It's just a housing unit for nano particles," Tony says casually.

"It's not helping your case, OK?"

"No, no, it's an attachment, it's not a-"

"You don't need that,"

Isabella stands there awkwardly.

"I know. I had the surgery. I'm just trying to protect us. The future, us, and that's it. Just in case there's a monster in the closet, instead of, you know—" Tony trails off.

"Shirts?" Pepper replies.

"You know me so well. You finish all my sentences,"

"You should have shirts in your closet,"

"Yeah. You know what there should be? No more surprises. We're gonna have a nice dinner tonight. Show off this Harry Winston. Right? And we should have no more surprises. Ever. I should promise you,"

The two of them kiss and Isabella rolls her eyes, turning around to continue walking only to stop in her tracks abruptly. That familiar portal appears before her and that very man she's been searching for makes his way through.

"Strange," Isabella breathes and it catches Tony's attention, the man glancing her before looking back to the man.

"Tony Stark, I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. I need you to come with me. Oh, congratulations on the wedding, by the way,"

"I'm sorry, you giving out tickets or something?" Tony questions with narrowed eyes.

"We need your help. Look, it's not overselling to say that the fate of the universe is at stake,"

"And who's we?"

Another new face appears and this one Isabella recognizes as well. Bruce Banner, she'd seen that he turns into a giant green dude when he gets angry, which is kind of cool and terrifying at the same time.

"Hey, Tony," Bruce greets and the shock that washes over Tony's face isn't surprising. On the website she'd made her way to, it had said that this man had gone missing a few years back now.

"Bruce," Tony responds. "You okay?"

Bruce leans forward and gives him a hug, one that has fully taken the wind out of Tony. Isabella glances back at Strange who is also now eyeing her in return, cautiously even. Unfortunately for her, the chat she needs to have with him, may have to wait.

It seems like there is something much bigger at play here.