Chapter 4

Something's... wrong.

I-I can't remember.

I feel like I'm floating.

My body does not obey and I don't know why.

Help.

Please.

Save me.

I think I was screaming. But no one hears me. No matter how much I struggle, no matter how much I beg, no one comes, no one helps.

I'm alone.

I will always be alone.

The lights are crackling, the blue and green enveloping my body whole. I sense the gold line my chest, swirling at my heart, burning me, searing me, making me realize I am made for something more--

A piercing siren, shoot straights into my brain, proving too much for me to handle as I'm startled awake, brutally ripped away from the earlier feeling that paralyzed my senses.

I gasp, choking.

My neck felt like it was on fire and my wrist burned like the 4th of July.

"Blues, Blues, hey!"

A pair of arms circle me upwards so I'm sitting up and melting onto my brother's warm embrace, feeling his warmth as it seeps into my bones.

I fought against the disorientation, feeling unbearably dizzy.

"What happened? I-I can't remember..." My voice sounded like chalk. Like I have not drunk water for days.

Prying my eyes open, I noticed I'm in my room and everything around me was in disarray as though an earthquake had rocked it.

Without a doubt, I knew it must have been me.

How did I get here?

Didn't I just leave the Tower?

Why were my memories so hazy?

"Tony, what happened?" I demanded, forcing him to meet me. He shakes his head and reaches for a cup situated on the counter.

It's filled with a weird teal looking liquid.

"Do you expect me to drink that?" My gaze narrowed at it in suspicion.

Tony rolls his eyes and hands it to me more forcefully. "Drink it, or I won't speak."

Reluctantly, I obeyed and swallowed it on go, feeling my throat burn at the intensity of how bitter it was.

"Ah, shit!" I coughed hard, the liquid freezing my veins.

All at once, something like coldness began to shadow me, melting into my bones and filling my veins. I felt my whole body relax.

The pain disappeared and my headache cleared.

What on earth?

"How did you...?"

"That's something I've been working on for your abilities." Tony hummed as an explanation, setting the glass down on the work table.

"It numbs your powers so you're able to clear your head for a while."

When did he do this? How did he even engineer it? As far as we know, there is nothing on this Earth that can ever fully control the power that runs through my veins.

Unless...

"You used the sceptre," Looking up at him, I waited for his confirmation, gaze burning. "If Thor finds out--"

"I had to," My brother cuts me off, conflict filling his gaze. "Your nightmares are only getting worse, they're even happening in real life."

He's referring to what I've done to the glass panels at the Lab.

"When a nightmare begins to physically manifest, you don't have a nightmare anymore---you have a problem."

I look down at my fingers, feeling his words affect me more than I'd like to admit. On some level, he was right. My powers could hurt others if I didn't control them.

I had to control them.

"Thank you," I sighed honestly, feeling at ease and wholly grateful he'd created that serum for me.

Tony nodded and ran his hands through his hair, expression tired. Blue eye bags are evident on his eyes and I wondered just how long he's been awake.

"Tony, what--"

"You disappeared. Couldn't find you for two days."

Two days?!

I had a blackout for two days?!

"No-" Tearing the covers off me, I gaze at the room frantically. "Did I hurt anyone? Did I--"

"No, you didn't." He shakes his head, adamant about it. "The Iron legion found you somewhere near Brooklyn passed out in an alley."

Classy. Real classy, blackout Lorelie.

"How..." I trailed off, unable to understand what happened. I was gone for two days and my brain is unable to understand where it went.

"You don't remember?" Tony piped, smiling weakly at me, as though it hurt him.

It was one of his greatest fears.

The fact that they are times when I can't remember.

Because if I am unable to remember what happens, what if one day, I forget about myself? What if one day, I forget who I am, who is important to me, all those memories of my friends, my family-- Tony...

I nodded sadly. "The nightmares... I think..." I didn't know what else to say.

That they were becoming very real? That his theory was correct?

He sighs out loud. "I'll fix you okay? I'm a fixer. I fix things." In his attempt to comfort me, he places both hands on my shoulders.

I thought about how my abilities went havoc. How they shattered all the windows without warning.

It was beyond my control and I had no idea why.

"But Tony, I may be the only project you can't fix."

His eyes narrowed stubbornly. "Not on my watch," He scoffed, getting up from his spot which was beside me.

"Get some sleep, the team's worried for you but that can wait till tomorrow."

I look at the window from my bedroom and noticed it was dark, telling me it was nighttime.

Tony leaves my room and the door closes behind him. I lay back down on my bed, my mind in utter shambles at what just happened.

What did happen?

I try to remember what happened after I left the Tower, but try as I might nothing comes to mind. It was like a block had been placed in my brain and no matter what I do, it won't go away.

The image is unclear.

I could've sworn I saw myself fighting and getting back up every single time I was pinned. There's a shadow in the corner of my vision, a figure sitting on a dark throne.

When I try to clear it, I find that I can't. All I remember is the loneliness. The pain.

The regret.

I don't know where I went but one thing was for certain.

Where I went, no one could follow.

Burning with frustration at the fact that I am unable to remember, I stood up on my feet and made my way out of the room, seeking refuge.

I didn't want to go to sleep alone.

I didn't want to be plagued by nightmares.

Sneaking out of my room, I stealthily avoided the major areas of the building and made my way towards the elevators.

Pressing the button, I got in and frowned when I noticed Banner and Tony up in the Lab through the glass that made up the Avengers Tower.

They looked to be discussing something serious.

My brother must've been working on something when JARVIS alerted him.

I debated if I should join them but decided against it.

They could be working on something important.

Getting in the elevator, I pressed the floor I wanted to go to and waited as the elevator eases downwards.

When it stopped on the floor I chose, I walked out, hands wrapped around my arms as the bitter cold greeted me.

The hallways were dark as I walked towards the farthest room, knowing whoever lurked behind there would let me in.

Hopefully.

There I stood, behind his door and debated if I should knock.

It was stupid and reminded me of the time I was scared to even go in, back at Sam's house.

Releasing a furious growl at my own stupidity, I turned the knob and entered the room, not caring if I startled him in any way possible.

"This is stupid! I don't know why I was so scared!"

Steve jumps up from his bed at my words and reaches for his shield as though I was a threat.

Blue eyes met mine and they softened immediately.

The lights come on, dimming.

I rake my gaze at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "There's nothing to be afraid of! Why the hell should I be worried about entering my boyfriend's room?!" I shouted more to myself.

I sounded a bit hysterical, to be honest.

Okay, I was hysterical. I had no idea what I was doing, nor why I was doing it.

Steve sets the shield down and shakes his head, running a hand through his bedraggled hair.

"Riley?"

His voice is hoarse and I swallowed hard before glaring at him.

"Yeah, it's me! What, did you think it was someone else?"

Steve exasperatedly bypasses my side to close the door behind me and stood to his full height.

"You should be resting," He admonishes.

I rolled my eyes and slap at his bare arm, moving slightly so I face him head-on.

"I had a blackout for two days, I'm sure I had enough rest."

Steve remains adamant, he runs a hair through his blond hair and sighed tiredly at my energy.

"That's no excuse. We had no idea where you went, what you could've done. I don't even know how you're standing right now,"

He gestures at me as a point and I realized I'm shaking.

Biting my lip, I refused to give him the satisfaction. "I don't care about me! I--"

"I, care about you. And right now, you're going to go to sleep." In one swift movement, I am in his arms and face down on the bed.

His larger frame traps me and his chest pulls my back flush against him, causing heat to crawl up my spine.

I paused, unsure, more than surprised actually.

"How-"

"Sleep. You need to sleep."

Steve's voice is somewhere above my ear and it brings shivers down my spine.

Annoyed, I elbow his arm and turn so I face him, eye to eye. The Super Soldier has this dizzying frown on his face at my movement but doesn't speak.

"Why should I sleep next to you?" My childishness over this whole situation is ridiculous and Steve knows.

"Because you came into my room, shouting about god knows what."

I glared at him for mocking me but he merely smiles before planting a delicate kiss on my forehead.

I felt like a child that got caught and it annoyed me to no end.

He was right. Wasn't it why I chose to find him?

"I'm still angry at you," I grumbled, poking his cheek. Referring to the time at the elevator.

Those blue eyes narrowed in apparent guilt before abruptly, his deft fingers caught mine and his teeth gently bit my index finger.

Warmth spread across my cheeks and my breathing became laboured at his touch.

Why does this always happen?

His blue eyes sparkled and I felt very aware of the warmth that surrounded me at the moment.

Sleep was the last thing on my mind and it was all because of Captain America.

"You're bad," I scolded, a hint of dark meaning lurking behind my words.

His face presses closer. "Not as bad as you,"

He was right.

I pounced.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Never did I think I had to hide, until now.

"JARVIS, don't you dare--"

The doors to my room are slammed opened and in comes a flaming redhead whose deadly eyes are solely trained on me.

In the background I hear JARVIS mutter a small; "I'm sorry Miss Stark,"

I was--"Fucked,"

"You jumped off the tower and disappeared for two days are you kidding me?!"

Her voice bellows across my room and I cringe, running a hand through my tangled hair.

It was too early in the afternoon to be talking about this.

"Hi, Nat, how are you? Good? No-"

Her fingers curled around my arm and just when I think, shit she's gonna break it, she pulls me up against her instead and hugged me tightly.

"Don't disappear." She scolds, voice filled with an unknown emotion. "Don't ever do that. Do you hear me?"

Her worry is clear in her tone and in the way her body trembles.

I didn't need to use my powers to know she had been suffering from concern.

Pulling away from her I sighed. "I didn't mean to. All I remembered was feeling like I lost control. I had to get out. So I jumped. And then... apparently I ended up back here,"

The Redhead does not look satisfied by my answer but she eventually lets it go with a heavy sigh. "We're the Avengers for a reason, Riley. We're a team. And teams don't give up on each other,"

She was referring to the fact that I ran because I felt like they didn't know me. That they had no idea what was happening to me.

She was calling me out for not trusting them and I hated it.

"Fine," I spoke, defeated. "You want to know the truth?"

The redhead settles herself down next to me and nods expectantly.

"I feel Loki's sceptre, calling me. Beckoning me to join its forces. Now I don't know what it wants but I know it isn't good. I'm resisting every damn second and it's exhausting."

There. The truth.

A part of it.

Don't look at me like that.

Some secrets deserve to stay hidden.

Natasha frowns for a moment, thinking it over. "I thought you were only connected to the Tesseract? And that your connection got severed?"

"That's the thing, Loki's sceptre is similar to the Tesseract in many ways. So it makes sense that it's calling me from afar."

If anything the two energy sources are connected in a way.

I just don't know, how.

The Russian nods understandingly before biting her lip. "As soon as Stark is done with that thing, Thor will take it far away from here and you won't need to worry."

I was counting on it.

Shifting slightly, I winced when my body ached.

Natasha's quick eyes caught the movement and she smiled. No, not smile.

Smirked.

That little she-devil.

"If you're wondering what happened while you were gone, Tony threw a massive tantrum. Clint and I scrounge the entirety of New York and Cap didn't stop looking for you for 2 days."

Huh. It's no wonder he looked massively tired when I went into his room.

That didn't stop him either way.

"Tony doesn't know, does he?" I winced, ducking my head slightly.

Natasha shakes her head. "No. He doesn't. But I am tempted so Tony can beat Steve's ass."

I wondered who would win?

Oh god, I hope it'd never come to that.

"Steve and I had a misunderstanding. I think the negative effects of the mission hit me harder than expected. It's why I lost control."

Yeah, for now, I'll tell it like that.

Never mind that it was because the dark energy was back. That can wait.

"I'm sure you guys already made up,"

I threw the pillow at her face and she dodged it, laughing at my expression.

"You should get ready," She points out, gesturing to my attire.

I was wearing Steve's oversize shirt and short pants after I sneaked out of his room.

To be honest, earlier this morning when I woke up, my mind blanked at the fact that I so eagerly let it happen.

It was embarrassing, so I left to save some of whatever dignity America's righteous man left me.

Ugh. Steve.

"The party. It's tonight isn't it?" I groaned, remembering what Tony mentioned at the Quinjet.

"Yeah, and you're not going like that are you?" She gestures to my outfit once more.

I scoffed. Of course not.

If Steve thinks I can let him get away with what he did, he was sorely mistaken.

My eyes gleamed with mischief and Natasha pursed her lips before finally saying what was on her mind.

"Oh, I know that look."

Blinking at her innocently she smirks before crossing her arms across her chess.

"Someone's definitely going to cry to their Mama."

~~@ @ @~~

A/N

Since I reallyyyy love putting ya'll through a wild goose chase, I'll let those gears turn in your head. 

Don't worry, I have not forgotten the 'little, little' details I placed in the first book.

I'm sure you guys are dying to know what it means and that I left it as plot hole.

 No, I didn't.

 You're just going to have to be patient!

;)

VoTe ANd CoMMeNT