Scarlet rubbed her eyes and sat up in the backseat of the car. The leather beneath her groaned at the shifting weight. When she looked out the window she saw the grape vineyards that she had parked next to that night. She hadn't stopped driving till she was out of state. And only after she had gone a ways down a secluded road, had she let herself get some sleep.

But her sleep was restless, her worried mind wouldn't stop planting seeds of doubt and wouldn't stop playing that horrifying memory of when she last spoke to her mother.

There was fire and blood and screaming before the line was cut and Scarlet was left staring at a blue bubble in the center of the screen. Skype had expressed its apologies for the loss of connection. Scarlet had found it kind of ironic that the machine had apologized, as if it knew that Scarlet had just lost her mother forever.

Last night, unanswered questions bubbled up in her brain. It was like a virus that wouldn't stop spreading. The road became a blur to her as it passed beneath her. She felt as if with each mile she traveled she became that much closer to her own uncertainty.

Scarlet turned to watch the sunrise. The sunlight turned the vines a golden brown and the grapes a deep lavender color. Scarlet felt herself calm as she embraced this moment of peace before she set off. She had to leave now.

Scarlet was unfamiliar with Stark's daily routine but from the small snippets she got from the web and magazines she was able to figure out that Tony rarely left his house. Scarlet was still worried about what she might actually say when she met with Tony for the first time. Would he reject helping her? Even still, she had to try.

Turning on the car she got back on the main road and drove as fast as she could to Malibu. Dirt kicked up behind her as she emerged from the vineyard back roads and hopped onto the main highway that would lead to the interstate. She only had a little ways left to get to Malibu.

The day before she had driven about 7 hours so she was under an hour away from the city now. The first thing on her agenda was to get to a library to use the computers. She didn't expect much movement from Stark as there hadn't been any in the last month. She still wanted to make she he hadn't given her the slip, even if he didn't know that she was coming.

The traffic in the city scared Scarlet to death. There were motorcycles lane splitting just inches from where she sat and there were aggressive drivers who honked at her the moment the light turned green. She was afraid to take even one finger off the wheel.

She sighed in relief when she spotted the large library a block down. Her bones turned to jelly as she slumped into a computer chair in the library. She took a moment to take a relaxing breath before checking up on the billionaire.

The moment she did however her body stiffened as the first update was a picture of a exhausted Stark with massive bedhead. The bedhead isn't what got her. What got her was the fact that he was boarding a private plane.

She just couldn't catch a break could she? Stark hadn't moved from his little hidey hole until she did. And he just happened to hike it across the entire country. The post was made only an hour ago. There were already multiple comments about secret Avengers meetings, or at least speculation of it.

Scarlet banged her fist against the table and was immediately shushed by a uptight librarian and a studious college student. Scarlet pointedly ignored them before leaning back in her chair to think.

If Stark had indeed left for a meeting with the Avengers there was no way that she could go after him.

The entire team was linked to S.H.I.E.L.D. There was nothing that the team could hide from S.H.I.E.L.D. At least not easily. They had ears in every corner and eyes on every person. If they wanted information they would get it. There was no fighting it, most of the time there wasn't even a discussion. Since the Avengers were made up up a Norse god, two assassins, a scientist with major anger issues, the famous super soldier from WWII and a man who wears an iron suit, and not just as a fashion statement, Scarlet was positive that being able to hide from them for long would be preposterous.

But maybe she was just being overly paranoid. She had always thought that her mother over thought things. Maybe it had just rubbed off on her. There was no reason to be panicking. Her mother never told her to stay away from the Avengers. In fact her mother never really told her who she needed to avoid.

Her mother never told her what to do if she went away, for good.

The lights in the house were off. The harsh yellow street lights were the only light source as Scarlet stared at the entrance to her home. She was picking at the buttons on her coat. She was shivering in the cold of Arizona nights, as she should be seeing as she was dressed for the warm weather of the day with her sandals and sundress. Her friend, Beverly, had lent the coat to her for her walk home.

The two of them had walked to her house after school. Bev needed help with her school work and Scarlet usually would help her with it after school. This day, however, they had dropped the studies and settled for watching Disney movies instead. Scarlet had fallen asleep when Jasmine had stepped onto the magic carpet and Bev was soon to follow.

The two woke up later when Bev's mother had returned from work and by then it was dark out. Scarlet had declined an offer to be driven home seeing as she only lived a few blocks away. It was only when she got to her street that she realized that she had forgotten to tell her mother where she was all day. This of course was when her mother had a steady job and she hadn't needed to join the force yet.

Her mother was a worry wart. She was concerned over even the smallest things. So seeing as she had never told her mother where she was, Scarlet was sure that her mother was freaking out. However on the other hand her mother knew that she often went over to Bev's house after school. Her mother might have assumed that she had just been over there for a while now and was sleeping.

She wasn't sure if her mother would still be awake at this time or if she had gone to bed but something told Scarlet that her mother wasn't sleeping just yet.

Finally she got up her courage to go inside her house.

When she opened the door it squeaked on it hinges and Scarlet winced as it did the same as she closed the door. She had only been able to kick off one shoe before the light in the kitchen flipped on. There her mother was, leaning against the counter, a coffee mug in her hand. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she was still in her mechanic jumpsuit from work. Dark circles were under her mother's eyes and her feet wore her worn out work boots.

"Beverly's mother called when you left their house." Her mother said taking a sip out of her cup and then setting it on the counter. "Next time you need to call. Go to your room, you're grounded." Scarlet kicked off her other shoe and took a step forward.

"Wait that's not fair I was helping Bev with her homework and we fell asleep!" Her mother glared and took a step forward.

"Bev's mother told me you two were watching Disney movies. Its worrying when I don't know where you are. I need a call from you or something and I don't tolerate lying. You're going to go to your room and you can't go over to Beverly's house anymore. If she needs help with homework she can come over here."

"That's hardly fair."

"I'm not arguing with you over this."

"No, you are." Jane looks taken aback by the blunt defiance. "Why are you always so over protective with me? You don't let me go out! You refuse to give me a reason. You act like there's something out there to get me." Jane rolls her eyes at her daughter.

"Stop this now, Scarlet. You're acting like a spoiled brat."

"No. Not until you tell me why." Scarlet had stopped yelling and was looking at her mother. Something in her eyes tugged at Jane. She couldn't take the look Scarlet was giving her.

It was the same one that Scarlet had when she was little. It was the look she gave when she was asking why the sky was blue or how many stars were in the sky. It was the look that could melt anyone's heart. So with a sigh Jane walked to the other side of the kitchen and leaned on the counter.

"Scarlet, I love you so much. You know that. I just can't-" Jane cleared her throat and paused. "I can't let you get hurt and I'm sorry but I act the way I do out of love. But I can't tell you, not because I don't want to but because I can't. I want to keep you safe."

Scarlet didn't say anything for the longest time. She just stared at her mother, deflated by her words.

"Well," Scarlet hiked her bag up on her back. "You're doing a great job at that." She walked to her room and shut her door softly. To Jane it seemed to have more force than if she slammed it.

Scarlet sighed and shut down the computer before exiting the building. For a while she just sat there. Staring at the roof of her car mulling over what to do. She didn't know what to do. She hadn't prepared for this. She was alone with no one to guide her.

For the first time in her life….

Scarlet was alone.

Maybe her mother always knew that Scarlet was never going to be ready for what she needed to do if she ever… passed on.

Maybe that's why she never wanted Scarlet to be out of her sight. Why she was always so fearful.

Scarlet cursed as she looked at the clock on the dash.

She reached for her bag and pulled out a orange prescription bottle and took out two white pills before swallowing them dry.

Look at her. She can't even remember to take care of herself without her mother always reminding her to. She was completely ridiculous.

Scarlet leaned back in her chair and stared out at the sky. She watched as some birds flew in the direction of the ocean and Scarlet got a bright idea.

She was going to the ocean.

Quickly she started the car and whipped out of the parking lot. The drive there was a blur of colors, noises and blinking lights but she couldn't recall a moment of it. Because she was there.

The white sand of the beaches and blue waves instantly made her relax. She stepped out of the car and was surprised by the smell. She had heard many describe the ocean as a salty smell. The sound of waves were supposed to be heaven on the ears and the sand between your toes would seem to warm you right up. So many people seemed to agree with this perfect vision of a beach that was broadcasted in big-screen movies. She couldn't help but expect it to be somewhat accurate.

The truth was that it stunk. Both figuratively and literally. The beach was nearly abandoned. There was a lonely photographer taking pictures of the shells but other than that there wasn't even a speck of life. It smelled like seaweed and dead fish. As she walked out she discovered that the white sand was littered with black rocks that poked at her feet, she had taken her shoes off in her car.

Even though it was the middle of summer it was chilly. Clouds overhung in the sky and there were whitecaps all over. The sea was rough and it foamed at the edge where the water lapped against the shore, an ugly greenish-brown color.

Scarlet couldn't help but laugh.

Of course. Nothing is as she expected it to be. It was like a premature revelation. It was very anti-climatic and unromantic if you asked her, but who was she to complain?

Her laughter cut through the sounds of the angry waters and the photographer turned to look at her in confusion. Scarlet could hardly care though. She was laughing uncontrollably. Somehow overcome by an overwhelming joy.

She was let down. Her expectations were completely and udderly crushed. But she was happy.

Somehow, she was happy.

The photographer completely forgot about his shells at that moment. He began to take pictures of this strange person who was entirely too happy to be at this backwash beach. Though Scarlet took no notice of him, too caught up in her fits of laughter.

Soon Scarlets laughter died down and she was left smiling at the whitecaps that didn't seem as foreboding as before. The sky roared and she looked up to see a plane taking off towards the west. Out towards the sea.

Maybe I'm overthinking things. Maybe it could be as simple as staying put and everything will work out just fine. Scarlet thought to herself. I could stay here until someone finds me and tells me what to do. That'd be nice. Not having to worry.

But then she paused. I may not have to worry but my life would be dictated again. What if they were just as paranoid as my mother? As much as I love her, she was suffocating.

She looked up to the plane again.

"I'm going to try." Scarlet said to no one.

If it was the last thing she was going to do. She was going to damn well try to find her father. She wants to be able to prove it to herself. She can do this on her own.

With that Scarlet nodded her head decisively, as if making a pact with the soaring hunk of metal in the sky. She turned on her heel and climbed back into her car.

So with a ratty baseball cap on her head and aviator sunglasses covering her eyes she set out to the airport with one goal in mind. To find Tony Stark. She wouldn't stop until she found him.

The drive to the airport wasn't as bad as she had expected it to be. She might have been getting used to the busy traffic, that's not to say that she was even feeling remotely comfortable in it. She left her car in a secure parking lot of the airport, wishing it well as she walked inside the building. The ticket wasn't all that expensive and hardly made a dent in the cash she pulled out.

She had to forge her mother's signature in order for her to travel unaccompanied by an adult. But she had done it multiple times for pink slips from school or permission slips. Pretty soon she was on a non-stop flight to Manhattan and she was relaxing in a blue cloth seat, well as much as she could as they weren't all that comfortable.

She could see the blue sky and giant fluffy white clouds through the window and she almost wished it was night time so she could see the stars. In her small hometown she could find the more popular constellations. She could find the big dipper, north star and cancer but all the other stars were blocked out by the city lights.

Scarlet closed her eyes and recalled the time her mother taught her some of the constellations.

"You see that one, Scarlet?" Her mother asked as they laid out on a blanket in their backyard. This was before Jane, Scarlett's mother, had to sign up for the military when the factory she worked in got shut down. They had time to spend with one another and Jane would find elaborate stories to tell her daughter or teach her all the wonderful things she knew. This was back when everything was in place. "That is the constellation for Leo. That's your sign. It means you are brave and courageous, born to lead, as your grandma would say." Jane turned to look at Scarlet and stroked her cheek. "You will be viable but you will also experience love."

At this Scarlet made a sour face and Jane laughed at her daughter.

"Oh you look at me like that now but one day you're going to find a handsome young boy. He'll fall in love with you in an instant." Jane got to her feet and pulled up her daughter with her. "You'll meet at the ball of a century and he'll take your hand and ask you for a dance." Scarlet grinned up at her mother who started humming a fancy tune she had heard once before on one of her mother's old records.

"Your heart will swoon and you'll find yourself dancing the night away until you come home. Then of course I would expect you to tell me in exact detail how it went. Hmm?" The two giggled and danced around the yard, Jane humming her favorite melody all the while.

To this memory Scarlet fell asleep while humming the song her mother had fallen in love with.

OOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOo

Plz like and comment! I'd love to hear what you think!