●Chapter Two●

A special thanks to Jess Marilyn and Ali for reviewing!
Tony, Pepper©Marvel

Annie © Me


My eyes slowly opened.

At least, I think they opened. I couldn't see anything. There was nothing but suffocating darkness. My body felt weighed down, and I could still feel the water slugging down my veins.

Did I die? I must have. But how come there is no light? And what about the pain I feel? Wait… Was I in hell?

Panic surged over me like nothing I've ever felt before. My heart went into overdrive as I started to hyperventilate. Someone, in the distance, started screaming, something that made my blood curdle and goose bumps rise all over my skin. It took me a second to realize that I was the one screaming, and I was lying in the fetal position with my hands clamped firmly over my ears.

This can't be true. I don't want to die!

Something wrapped around me, like two strong vines. I shrieked and started fighting the vines. Not today! I wasn't going to die today!

"Anna! AnnaMarie!" a deep voice shouted. Now there were four vines!

"No, don't take me!" I screamed, eyes clenched shut. "I don't wanna die!"

"You're not dying!" a woman's voice yelled.

Wait… a woman? My eyes slowly opened, and there was Tony Stark standing over the bed I was sitting in. The woman, a strawberry blonde, was sitting beside me, looking shocked.

"I'm not dead…" I whispered, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

The woman wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close to her. If these were normal circumstances, I would've pulled away. But I was exhausted and still terrified. I allowed her to comfort me as I sobbed into her shoulder. The tears pouring down my cheeks stung a little, but it wasn't too bad. Plus, it was helping to get the water out of my system.

"Shh," she muttered, stroking my hair.

It didn't take me long to fall unconscious again.

The next time I woke up, I was underneath the thick quilt spread across the bed. The overhead light was faintly on, casting a soft, blue-ish light over the room. I snuggled into the pillow, flipping over onto my stomach. Ugh, this bed was so comfortable. If I never moved again, I would be perfectly fine.

I could hear talking and laughing coming from outside my room. Also, the faint scent of pizza drafted back, causing my stomach to growl. For the first time, I realized I was ravenous.

I pushed the quilt away, wincing as pain shot up my arm. Okay, so no more sudden movements. Slowly now, I stood up, flinching as my aching feet and thighs cried out in protest. My legs wobbled for a second before giving out underneath me. I flung my hands out in front of me, but still managed to jar my chin against the ground.

"Ouch," I muttered. I sat up, balancing my ankle on my knee so I could balance my foot enough to examine the bottom of it. It was still cut up but not bleeding. I scowled at it, remembering the lashes to my foot whenever I didn't comply with orders. And trust me, seeing as I was very defiant, I had plenty of lashes on both feet.

I looked around, trying to find slippers or socks, at least. But I didn't find anything. I sighed, clenching my jaw as I used the bed to pull myself up into a standing position. My body was trembling, and I clung to a bedpost, trying to keep myself upright.

I took a step forwards. I sucked my breath in, unprepared for the amount of agony as the carpet aggravated my exposed cuts. I whimpered a little, but then immediately cursed myself for it.

You've already cried in front of them, Anna. They already think you're weak. Don't give them something else to make them think you can't take a little pain. Grit your teeth, and get over it.

I made it to the door before I sagged against the wall. Not having walked myself in who-knows-how-long, coupled with the pain shooting up my legs from my feet and the other tortures I endured, I was physically in the worst shape I had ever been in. Not even when I was human was I this weak.

I opened the door and inched my way down the hall, leaning against the walls for support. At least the floor was hardwood now, rather than carpet. I followed the sound of the voices, wondering how far away the pizza could be.

Finally, I came into an exposed room with large windows for a back wall. A long, circular, gray couch was a few feet in front of the windows. Outside, the moon was shining on the inky black waves gently rolling onto a beach. I turned to the right to see the kitchen. It was open and massive, with Tony and the redhead sitting at the table, bickering over a box of pizza.

I was starving, and they hadn't noticed me. But I didn't completely trust them. The fight or flight instinct inside of me said that now was my chance to run. I bit my lip, indecisive. If I ran now, I would get a head start. It would be a while before they noticed I was gone. But how far would I get? I was wounded and alone with absolutely no money.

My question was answered for me as Tony glanced over in my direction, doing a double take as he saw me. I stared into his dark brown eyes, trying to decide if I should trust him. What if he had just saved me in order to run his own tests?

I took a step back, prepared to turn and make a run for it. Before I could take another step, the woman intervened. She stood and came over to me, a huge grin on her face. "Are you hungry?" she asked nicely.

I glared at her. Her smile slipped off. "I don't need pity," I growled, my voice sounding guttural and rough, like I haven't used it for months.

She stared back, unwavering. "Of course not." She smiled again. I decided she was okay. She stood up to me, after all, instead of letting me intimidate her. "Come on, we've got plenty extra."

I followed her, conscious of Tony's steady gaze that never left me. I stood up straight and refused to limp or show any sign of pain, like I had in the hallway.

I made up my mind that I would run away later. Once I was strong enough.

"I'm Pepper Potts, by the way," the redhead stated, pulling a chair up to the table for me. I gratefully sank into it, happy to have my weight off my aching feet.

"AnnaMarie," I returned, holding out my hand to her. She looked mildly surprised before shaking my hand. "You can call me Anna."

"Well, Anna," she mused, smiling. "Cheese or Pepperoni?"

"Pepperoni," I returned without hesitation. I wanted to smile, but I forced myself not to as Pepper fished a piece onto a napkin and pushed it over to me.

I took a bite, slightly surprised at the burst of flavor in my mouth. I hadn't eaten since I was taken. I savored the bite for a second before taking another bite. And then another. Before I realized it, I had scarfed down the whole piece.

Tony snorted. "Don't forget to breathe."

I shot him a glare, as Pepper scolded him. "Tony! Leave her alone! Who knows the last time she ate?"

"She does," he returned sweetly. "Hey, when was the last time you ate?" he asked me.

"Tony! You can't just ask things like that! She's emotionally unstable!" Pepper chastised.

"I'm perfectly stable," I promised.

"See, she's perfectly stable! How about that question, sweetheart?" Tony reminded, smirking at me.

I sighed. "I don't know. Since I was taken."

"When were you taken?" Pepper questioned sympathetically. I realized she couldn't help empathizing with me; it was her nature. So instead of snapping at her for it, I just answered her question.

"I don't know. Can I have another piece?"

Pepper nodded, handing me another slice of the mouth-wateringly good pizza. I ate this one slower than the first one; my stomach full before I even got halfway through with it. I frowned at it. Normally I could eat three or four slices before my stomach started feeling content.

"Your stomach's shrunk from not eating. It'll get back to normal in no time, don't worry," Tony chimed with a wink. He was smiling at me, instead of looking sad, like Pepper. I liked him already. He didn't sugarcoat things, nor did he skirt around things. He was straightforward.

"Do you want something to drink?" Pepper asked.

My eyes widened for a second before realizing it was just an innocent question. I shook my head. "I can't."

"Can't? Can't what?"

"Can't drink," I responded to Tony's questions.

"Oh, I didn't mean alcohol," Pepper retorted, misunderstanding my response.

"I know," I stated. They looked at me in confusion. "I literally cannot drink. The fluids are poisonous to me."

"What?" Pepper breathed, shocked.

I closed my eyes and sighed, losing my patience. "I have the power to shoot fire from my hands, and water is my kryptonite," I said quickly. I opened my eyes again to a bewildered Pepper and a smirking Tony. "And seeing as water is in most drinks, I cannot have drinks. I don't need them. Your bodies are seventy percent water. Mine is zero. Well, not right now, at least." I trailed off, picking at the last pepperoni on my half-devoured slice.

"Why not?" Tony asked.

I stood up abruptly, flashes of water being injected into my arms, mouth, ears, etc. filling my head. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I wasn't completely stable.

"Sorry," Tony apologized immediately.

"You don't have to talk about it right now," Pepper added.

I stared at Tony. His eyes gave me a sense of comfort, of security, even though I don't know him. His gaze pulled me out of the nightmarish land of horror and back into this place. I nodded, finally looking away as I slowly sat back down.

I could tell that Pepper was trying to start a new conversation, trying to pick an area that wouldn't be sensitive. But honestly, I didn't know if there was a topic that wasn't sensitive. Come on, Anna, I told myself. Grow up. Grit your teeth.

"They injected me with water," I confessed quickly. I bit my lip and stood up, walking out of the kitchen and living room. Once I got back into the hallway, I sagged against the wall, using it to prop myself up.

As soon as I got into my room, I collapsed on the bed and instantly fell asleep.