[Y/N]'s P.O.V.
I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the city sprawl beneath me. The buildings were monolithic, dwarfing even the skyscrapers I’d known back home. This one, in particular, stretched impossibly high, and the room I was in—sparse with just a bed and a bedside lamp—felt suspended in the clouds. The walls were a muted beige, somewhere between white and tan. I stood and pressed my palm against the cool, smooth surface. Heal. I needed to heal. Every muscle in my body throbbed with exhaustion.
*Come on,* I urged myself, *you can do this.* I closed my eyes, focusing on the familiar burn. The pain, once agonizing, now felt almost…pleasing. It pulsed through my veins, sinking into every ache and wound. When I opened my eyes, I looked down at my arms. Only fading scabs and bruises remained. A shaky sigh escaped my lips. Relief washed over me.
“Good job, my dear.” The voice was velvet smooth, and it had become a nightly comfort. He’d appeared the night after Bucky disappeared, a whisper in the darkness. He'd kept me clinging to sanity, letting me find rest even when sleep wouldn't come. The voice was so silky, so seductive, that you couldn't help but believe every word.
“Thank you…” I murmured, not daring to turn around. There was no point. He never materialized. He always spoke as if he were a ghost in the room. “You followed me here?” The silence stretched, taut and expectant. No answer.
“For what you’ve been through, your powers are…remarkable.” The voice continued, unbidden. “Now that you’re free, they will only grow stronger.” A desperate curiosity twisted inside me. I wanted to spin around and find him, to see if he was really there.
“Who are you?” I asked softly, barely above a whisper. Another pause.
“You’ll learn in time.” He responded, his voice a silken echo.
“Will I ever get to meet you?”
“Of course, my dear. I promise you that.” A smile laced his words. “And know that I will always be here. Always.” A laugh bubbled up, light and fragile.
“I can’t tell if you’re threatening me or comforting me,” I admitted, the words tumbling out.
He chuckled, a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “That’s the thing about me. You never do know.” His voice began to fade, drifting away like smoke.
“Wait! Please don’t—” I spun around, heart hammering. Nothing. Empty space. “Leave…” I collapsed back onto the bed, letting my eyelids drift shut.
Tony's P.O.V.
“Jarvis, what’s [Y/N] doing?” I asked, leaning back in my chair in the lab. The room was a mess of wires and half-assembled tech, but I couldn't focus.
“It appears they are engaged in a conversation, sir.” Jarvis responded, his tone even. I froze, my gut twisting with dread. I knew for a fact that no one had entered that room with [Y/N].
“They’re *what*?” I demanded, my voice tight.