Search for the Soul Gem

Chapter Fifty-Three

Trigger Warning: Violence, Abuse, and Domestic Violence. Please don't read this chapter if any of this will upset you or harm you in any way. I do not mean any harm to you or your mental health. Your health and well being comes first.

I stood in the center of Tony's penthouse. The sun was rising over the Hudson and casting an orange glow through the room. It was eerily silent and still, which was unusually for Tony's house. There was always something moving or working. I wondered where Tony was. The house was only still when Tony was gone.

"J?" I called out, my voice harsh. There was no answer, which was also weird. "JARVIS?" I called again. Again, no answer.

"I told you not to address him," a cold voice from behind me said. I jumped and turned around. Tony stood there, arms crossed. His face was set and hard, nothing like the Tony that I knew.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Did I stutter?" he hissed. I shifted.

"I heard you, I just don't understand," I said. Tony stalked up to me and yanked my head back by my hair. It was so sudden and shocking that I let out a shocked squeal.

"It is not your place to understand. It is your place to listen," he hissed. This shocked me. Tony didn't speak like this. Especially to me.

"Tony...?" I started. His hold on my hair tightened, cutting me off.

"Don't talk," he growled. His voice was emotionless and his eyes were cold. The Tony I knew was nowhere to be found. He let go of my hair and pushed away from me, his eyes filling with disgust. He began walking toward the elevator.

"Tony?" I scampered after him. I didn't understand what was happening. Why was he being so cold to me?

"Tony please, I don't understand. Are you mad at me?" I asked. He stopped and looked at me with blank eyes.

"Of course no. You have to care about someone first in order to be mad at them," he said, feigning compassion. It felt like he'd slapped me.

"Tony...," he laughed.

"Did you honestly think someone like me would love someone like you? Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark would fall in love with you; Professor Nobody of a fake science who can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. Why would I fall in love with you," he hissed. His words sting like walking out into the frost. I shrank back from him, tears in my eyes, "honestly, did you fool yourself that bad! Did you really believe the lie you were fed? Fury said it would be hard but all I had to do was say some nice things and your dumbass fell," Tony snickered.

"Fury?" I said slowly, my brain not making any connections.

"You really are thick, aren't you? Fury orchestrated this whole thing. He needed you to cooperate and you played your part beautifully," he said.

"You lied?"

"Glad you finally joined the conversation," he rolled his eyes.

"How dare you! You vile snake. You're trash Stark!" I shouted. His hand came out and smacked me across the face. He had so much force behind it that it knocked me to the ground. I was stunned for a moment. Before I could wrap my head around it, my head was yanked back by my hair. I was flung across the room and into the wall. I gasped out. He knelt down and wrapped his hand around my throat.