Search for the Soul Gem

Chapter Sixteen

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! THIS CHAPTER IS RATED R (I'm not entirely sure if/how to change the rating of a specific chapter)!! IF YOU WISH TO NOT TAINT YOUR PURE EYES, SKIP THIS CHAPTER! IF YOU ARE ALREADY TAINTED, READ ON! NOT FOR THE CHILDRENS. KEEP THE CHILDREN AWAY! (Also I apologize in advance. Not my best work...) Enjoy :)

Alone. That's how I sat on the linoleum floor. Everyone had left the lab a long time ago, though I wasn't entirely sure when. All I know is that one minute they were there and then suddenly they weren't. My mind was going a hundred miles a minute as I tried to make sense of all that had been said to me today. None of this seemed real. I wasn't brave. I wasn't wise. I was just normal, unextraordinary, me. Yet, on the other hand, it made perfect sense why out of everyone, I was chosen to find the stone. I looked for things for a living. Digging in the desert, climbing through the mountains, wading through rivers, all of that was in my job description; so why wouldn't they chose an experienced searcher to look for their lost rock. But brave? Why couldn't they have picked Steve or Tony for that job. Not me. Just the fact that I was too numb to pull myself off the ground showed that I wasn't brave in slightest. And certainly not brave enough for whatever lay ahead. My head dropped into my arms as I took a deep breath to try and calm my racing mind.

"You alright sweetheart?" a familiar velvet voice came from above me. I knew who it was instantly; only one person calls me sweetheart.

"What is it Tony?" I moaned into my knees without looking up at him. All I wanted was to hide to never be found and he was kinda ruining it.

"I wanted to see if you were okay. You've had quite an adventure the past few hours," he said. The smirk was audible but under it, genuine concern was evident. I raised my head to look at him finally, my eyes half lidded to keep from stress crying. My arms held onto my knees tight, trying to keep the puzzle pieces of my being in place.

"Oh, I'm doing great!" I said, my voice so acidic that it burned my throat as soon as I spat out the words.

"Oh are you?" Tony quirked one of his eyebrows and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Of course. I live for Indiana Jones shit to happen to me," I shot back. He was so caught off guard by my retort that he burst out laughing. He hung his head with that beautiful smile back on his face that I'd only begun to appreciate. When he looked back up at me, he stuck his hand out to me with a playful smirk on his face.

"Come on, I wanna take you somewhere," he said softly. I took his hand in mine and he pulled me up to my feet. Instead of disconnecting his hand with mine, he laced his fingers through mine and held my hand gently. He led me through the lab and to the elevator. Once we were secure in the elevator, Tony hit the button with the number 100 on it.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked finally. He looked over at me and a slow smile grew on his mouth. The elevator doors slip open to reveal a breathtaking view of the city through wall length windows. Late afternoon sun drifted in just a bit from the top of the windows and washed everything in white light. Unconsciously, I took a deep breath in awe as I stepped out of the elevator, pulling Tony along with me. He smiled as he was pulled after me and over to the window. My nose was almost to the glass when I stopped and just stood in amazement of the sight I was taking in. It was pure beauty. I'd never seen anything like it. It was even more beautiful than the view from the Party Deck.

"Tony, it's beautiful!" I breathed, my breath fogging up the glass slightly, "You've got the best views," I turned to look up at him. His eyes hadn't left my face once and were full of compassion.

"Damn right I do," he smiled as his eyes flickered down my face. My face flushed and I looked down at my feet, "Come on," he pulled on my hand gently and led me through the apartment. Around a dividing wall, there was a large kitchen and dinning room. His kitchen was furnished just like the one I had in the Tower.