Silhouette | B. Banner

4

"someone take me home"

Two days. Amelia only has to last two more days and then she gets to go. Where? She has no idea. As much as it pains her to admit, the Avengers have 'grown' on her. She's gotten used to living here in the Tower.

How idiotic is that? It goes against every fiber in her body. This isn't home.... She's never had a home. She never will. She shouldn't even be thinking about silly things like that. She shouldn't be thinking. 

But she is. She is thinking.  She voices her thoughts without fear of punishment. She isn't who she was...... and maybe that's not so terrible.

There's a knock on her door, interrupting her thoughts. She sighs, regaining her composure. It's probably Natasha triple-warning her not to pull anything while the team's gone. "Enter if you must."

Bruce walks in, much to her surprise. "Hey, the team's already gone. I just wanted to check up on you and... give you this." He hands her a worn paperback book.

Her brow rises in curiosity as she takes it. A Study in Scarlet. She tilts her head, "Is this about color theory?"

"What? No, it's Sherlock Holmes. It's a classic."

"Oh, so like a biography?" Amelia wonders, looking the book over. "I've only ever read a few of these. Glimpsed, really. I wasn't supposed to read these sorts of things." 

"It's not a biography. It's just a story about a detective and his partner. They solve mysteries. It's fiction."

"Fiction?" She tries the new word out on her tongue. Her nose scrunched up slightly. 

"You know, like a story? The characters don't exist or anything, it's completely made up."

"Oh."

Out of all things, they kept from her, for whatever reason this one in particular hurts. It makes her want to scream.

What? No, never. She'd never do such a thing. She's not allowed to.

Just like she's not allowed to read those types of stories.

They must've had a reason. Some reason for them to do all of this to her. It made her strong. She's the best at what she does. Whatever that even is.

She doesn't like this. 

Amelia shakes the thoughts out of her head. Her confusion mixed with distraught must have shown on her face because Bruce takes a seat on her bed, "Amelia, I-"

She hands the book back to him, cutting his sentence off and standing abruptly. "Thank you, Doctor Banner but I-"  She grabs the nearest trash can, emptying her stomach. 

Without hesitation, Bruce holds her hair out of the way as she pukes. Her eyes tear up as the stench reaches her eyes. She gags at the smell, turning her head away, panting. She lightly grazes her wet tearstained cheek. She sits back on her haunches, breathing shallowly. Wincing, her massages her temple in the hopes of stopping whatever appeared to be arriving.

Before Bruce can say or do anything. She practically bolts out of the room. She speedwalks through the Tower, looking for the nearest exit.

"Amelia!"