The shadow Hunter

chapter 27

Tony clattered around his lab, picking up random scraps of metal and material. It wasn't clear what he was building, it probably wasn't clear to him. Anything to distract him from the gaping hole in his life. He sang along to the led Zeppelin that played on the record player, muttering instruction to FRIDAY every now and then. Soon he felt a headache coming on which forced him to stop his work. "FRIDAY, stop the music." He instructed and the music seized. He thought that would make it better but if anything the silence made his head hurt more. He sighed and left the lab. He made his way to his bedroom. With a pang, he looked over to the bed which was just his now. He saw some of Pepper's stuff still littered around the room and stopped for a while. Memories flooded his mind but he quickly pushed them back into the little locked box in the back of his mind.

The door to the bathroom was already open which was odd because Tony could have sworn he had shut it. But it was such a small detail it didn't really matter. The cabinet under the sink was open too even though Tony didn't remember it being open when he had a shower this morning. He furrowed his brows but then decided he must be going mad. He searched the cabinet for Xanax and eventually found a box. As he went to open it and take one, something caught his eye. He furrowed his brows and picked up the container of his anxiety pills. He hadn't had to take one in months and yet the tub was empty. He straightened up and stared at the container with confusion. Maybe he had forgotten to get a refill. No, he could have sworn he got a refill. He remembers because it was the week Clara came to live with him. He looked across the room and out through the door to the hallway. Tony slowly walked across the room, the bottle still clutched in his hand, and out to the hall. "Clara?" He called. No reply. He checked his watch, it was 7am, maybe she was still sleeping. "Clara." He called again, listening through her door. Still no reply. "Clara, I'm coming in." He said, opening the door. When he stepped inside her bedroom, it was empty. Maybe she was downstairs.

He searched the kitchen and living space but there was no where to hide there so after one glance he knew she wasn't there. Worry started to set in but still he convinced himself she was somewhere. He searched the bar upstairs, the roof, he even searched the lab in case she had gone in when he left. But all of them were empty. The fear in his chest built as he sped down in the elevator to the ground floor. His phone rang in his ear but it went straight to Clara's voicemail again and again. "Come on, come on pick up." He willed, but she didn't. He pressed on Happy's contact and after the first ring, he picked up. "Happy! Is Clara with you?" He asked urgently. "No, why would she be with me?" He asked. He didn't have time for conversation so he hung up immediately. He knew she wouldn't pick up but still he tried Pepper. His suspicions had been right and then the phone went straight to voicemail. He left a message for her although he doubted she would hear it. "Hi Pepper, it's Tony. I know things are difficult between us but this is urgent. I can't find Clara and my anxiety pill box is empty and i don't know what to do." His words rushed out of him. "I was hoping maybe she went to you so please call me back when you get this message." He hung up and rushed to security. 

"Did Alena Rose leave this building?" He asked one body guard, having to stop himself from using her real name. He shrugged carefree which disgruntled Tony. He gritted his teeth and strode back towards the elevator. He stepped inside and took it down to the garage beneath. Tony chose his fastest car, the Aston Martin, unlocked it and didn't waste any time. He drove through the city, probably exceeding every single speed limit but it didn't matter, he could pay for those. He swung into the parking lot outside avengers compound. He jumped out the car and ran to the door. He pushed his id against the reader, it beeped green and the doors opened. Tony burst through the doors of the compound with such urgency. Sam, Steve and Nat were all sitting in the common area and jumped up immediately. Tony's eyes quickly scanned the room and when he found nothing, he became more desperate. "Where is she?" He demanded. Steve stepped forward, "Where's who?" He asked, feeling very confused. Tony met his gaze with frantic eyes and gave him a look that showed the answer should be obvious. "Clara. Where is she?" He asked, running around the compound, not leaving an inch over looked. "Has she ran away again?" Sam asked. Tony didn't answer, he just kept looking. When he came back to the center of the room, Steve stepped forward and outstretched his hand reassuringly. 

"Hey Tony, don't worry, we know Clara, we know what she is like. She probably just got annoyed about something or bored and ran off for a while." Tony clenched his jaw. "It's not like that this time." He insisted. Steve raised a brow doubtfully. Clara was always running away, she never liked to settle, she hated being stuck somewhere for too long. This will be the reason. "She is not like anyone else. She is like me!" Tony's voice got louder and more urgent. The statement feared Tony. The idea that his daughter was like him was not something he thought could lead to go.  Other's had heard the commotion and now Wanda and Vision had come to see what was going on. "She doesn't know how to deal with her feelings and emotions because she was never taught to." He blamed himself for that, just like he blamed his own father for the same affect on him. If only Tony had been there, chosen her over everything else, then maybe she would have had a better life. Natasha was watching him intensely now. She understood the effect of the red room better than anyone. "And when i was 17 i ran away from home too." A lump rose in his throat but he desperately pushed it down. "And when my mum found me i was high on pills..." He took a shaky breath. "You don't think that she..." Steve started but stopped as soon as Tony nodded with an intense fear in his eyes. "I found my anxiety pill box empty." There was an unsettling silence. Wanda gasped quietly and her eyes began to glaze over with tears. She couldn't lose Clara too. Tony turned around sharply and started to walk out the door. "Where are you going?" Wanda called after him. "To find my daughter." He replied. "Not with out us." Natasha told him. 

They all split up into different cars. Wanda, Natasha and Tony in one car, Steve, Sam and Rhodes in another. Vision offered to stay at the compound in case Clara came back. Happy called Tony back and he was on the search too. They drove all over the city hoping to find her but after an hour, there was still no luck. Until Wanda gasped in the back seat of the Aston Martin. "I think i know where she will be."