Shadow

I winced, my head in my hand, looking way as Bruce stuck another needle in my right arm. He drew another vile of blood and went over to one of the many microscopes.

"Are we good, Doc?" I asked rolling down my sleeve.

"For now," he nodded. He then smirked, "You're brother said I had a limit on how much I could torture you."

"While I'm not in the room," Tony amended his statement. "When I'm here you can torture all you want."

I rolled my eyes, "Funny, Tony."

He gave me a cheeky smile before turning to Bruce, sipping his coffee, "What's the verdict, Doc?"

"Too much silver is lethal," Bruce said examining the blood.

I rolled my eyes, "I could have told you that, Brucey."

He shot me a look before going back to his microscopes. "But just the right amount could help control her powers." Bruce scratched his head. "But I need to find a counter in case something goes wrong."

"Emmy, what increases your power," Tony asked his eyes falling on me as he took another drink.

I cocked my head, "People calling me Emmy," I growled.

"Seriously, Emily," Tony sighed inspecting Bruce's findings on the computer hanging off the wall. I searched my mind for something that increased my powers. I flinched at my memories and turned to the window, looking out at the city. "Well?" Tony asked.

I looked over my shoulder at him before turning back to the window. "I don't know," I whispered crossing my arms over my chest.

"Emily! Emily, stop you're hurting me!" I flinched taking my eyes off my reflection in the window. "Emily!" I pulled away and saw blood pooling down his chest. I touched my chin. I pulled my fingers back and looked at the blood that covered them. I spat and blood hit the sheets. I looked at his wrists and saw blisters and torn skin. "Oh my, God." I quickly checked for a pulse but there was none. "No," I whispered backing away from the bed. I grabbed my clothes from the floor and fled the apartment.

"Emily!" I looked up as Tony shook my shoulders. "Emily?"

I pushed him off and ran out the door to the stairs. I rubbed fiercely at the tears coming down my face but the only came faster. I didn't stop or pause as I pushed through the door on the third floor, smacking it into someone else. "Oh!" I gasped as Steve landed on his ass with a groan. "I-I'm sorry," I said picking him back up. He gasped and pulled back and I noticed blisters on his wrists. I back up to the wall just as Tony burst through, almost sending Steve back on his ass.

"Emily! What is wrong with you?" He asked. I shook my head and ran for my room. I slammed the door in his face and locked it. He pounded on the door as I leaned my back up against it and slid down to the floor. "Emily! Emily, open this door and tell me what is going on!"

"Just leave me alone," I choked out.

He stopped pounding on the door and I heard him sit down on the other side. "Emmy," he said through the door. "What happened?"

"No," I shook my head. "No." I began to rock back and forth as the headache became worse and the flashbacks of others flashed in my mind. "No!" I sobbed.

"Emily," Steve said through the door. "Open up."

"No, no. Not now. I-I'm not stable," I gasped through my tears.

"Let us in, Emmy. We'll help you," Tony whispered. "Remember what mom always said?"

I clenched my jaw and shoved my head in between my arms. "Family never judges," I said through clenched teeth, trying to hold back even more tears. I took a deep breath and stood up. I unlocked the door and opened it, keeping my head down.

Tony grabbed me into a hug and I let him as more tears slipped away from my grasp. I wound my arms around his torso and pressed my face into his chest. "Emmy?" he asked trying to pull me back to look at my face. He grabbed my chin and lifted it up so I was looking at him. "What happened?"

"I loved them too much. And I killed them," I whispered, my eyes casting down.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Tony asked and I shook my head. I pulled away and walked into my room. I flopped down on my bed and hugged the pillow to my chest.

******

A few hours later there was a knock at my door. I didn't respond and the door opened. Tony walked in with Steve, and Bruce. I sat up, wiping my almost dry cheeks and pulled the pillow into my chest again.

"Here," Tony said handing me a grocery bag.

I eyed it before grabbing it and opening it up. I smiled pulling out a teddy bear, "Really?"

Tony chuckled, "It cheer's Pepper up."

I shook my head and dug into the bag again pulling out a bag of twix bars. "You remembered," I smiled placing the bag on my lap.

"Why wouldn't I," he smiled sitting on the bed next to me.

"Thanks," I smiled. "All of you."

"Actually, I came down to give you this," Bruce said handing me a little bottle of pills.

I took it and frowned slightly, "Do you have the counter pills?" I asked.

He pulled out another bottle of pills, "Just in case."

Sighing, "How many?"

"One, to start," Bruce said sitting down on the other side of the bed, Steve leaned against the wall near Bruce.

I pulled out a pill and swallowed it dry. I kept my eyes closed and waited for something bad to happen. I felt the effects start to run through my veins and I coughed leaning forward. I coughed into my hands and pulled away to find blood. "Yeah, I don't think that was a good idea," I coughed into my hands again as Bruce got out a counter pill. I grabbed it from him and swallowed it down with a mixture of blood and saliva. My ears began to ring and my vision filled with black spots. "Really bad idea," I said putting my hands over my ears and pulling them back to find blood.

"Emmy," Tony said grabbing my shoulders. "Look at me." I tried to focus my eyes but the light in my room became too bright. "God dammnit, Bruce what did you put in that pill!"

"It was a low dose I swear," Bruce said, panicking.

"Tony," I groaned, rolling into his arms. "Tony!"

"Shush," he murmured. "The other pill should work." I felt the effects of the second pill begin to pulse through me. The coughing began to subside and I was able to open my eyes again. "Better?" Tony asked eyeing me with worry.

"When did you become such a softy," I groaned pulling away from him.

He sighed, "Something Pepper taught me."

Bruce chewed on his thumb deep in thought as I laid back in my bed. "Maybe the pill isn't the way to go. Maybe an injection." Bruce wondered out of the room.

Tony kissed my forehead and then went after him, probably to put in his own input. I looked over at Steve. "Sorry about knocking you over and burning you're wrists earlier."

"It's fine," he said sitting down on the bed next to me. "Do you feel any better?"

"Nope," I groaned pushing my head into my pillow, "Headache has gotten worse." I shifted to my head was facing him, "You know where Tony keeps his vodka?"

"Yeah, why?" he asked as I sat up.

"Can you snag me some while I take a quick shower and get this blood off me?" Steve seemed a little unsure and I smiled. I kissed his cheek, "Thanks, Steve." I went off to my bathroom and stripped down before climbing into the hot shower. I washed myself down and let the hot water run over my muscles and take away all the blood from my face and hair. After a while I climbed back out and put on my pajamas. I walked back out into my room and smiled at Steve who sat at the kitchen table with a bottle of vodka. "My savior," I sighed grabbing it from him, opening the top and taking a swig. He blinked and I gave a cheeky smile, "I forgot, you come from a place where women only drink wine, am I right?"

"Well, I guess," he shrugged. "It is a strange sight to see a woman openly drink, for me."

I smiled and sat down on the stool next to him, "Tell me what it was like."

"What, what was like?" he asked.

"The forties!" I smiled placing my hands under my chin and leaning closer. "The movies. The music. The gals," I said elbowing him.

Steve turned a little red, "Heh. Well. I can tell you about the movies and the music, but I've never been much good with gals."

"Oh," I scoffed, "Okay. The wonderfully dashing Captain America didn't get all the gals in town!? Don't fuck with me, Steve," I said taking another swig of vodka, feeling the drink starting to flow through my veins and take away the headache.

He blinked at my vulgar language. "Well, uh. No. I never really had a girlfriend." He looked down, suddenly sad. "I had a date though. But I missed it."

I touched his hand after taking another drink, "Tell me about her."

Steve shook his head, "No. No. You don't want-"

"Tell me," I said punching his shoulder, taking another drink.

Steve raised an eyebrow, "You should probably take a break."

He went to grab for the bottle but I tipped it back and took another big drink. "Oh, honey, I could do this all night," I giggled, feeling slightly tipsy.

"Yeah, and your brother would probably kill you," he reasoned.

I raised an eyebrow and then scoffed, slipping off the chair and onto the floor, "Ohhh I knew you'd be a buzz kill."

Steve seemed slightly offended but picked me up from the ground, "Okay, time for you to go to bed."

I shrugged him off, "Nope. Not even tired yet." I said drinking the rest of the bottle.

Steve herded me to the the bed room and I flopped down on my bed, giggling, "Ohh, this is the softest bed ever!" I grabbed my bag of twix and ripped it open before grabbing a small bar and biting the caramel off first before munching on the cookie. "Want one, pretty boy," I giggled handing him a piece of chocolate.

"No," he said shaking his head and giving it back to me. "They're yours."

"Hmm," I sighed pushing the bag off the bed, sending candy bars everywhere. "Lay with me," I smiled tugging on his arm while laying down.

"Emily," Steve shook his head.

"Aw, come on. I'm a cuddly drunk," I snickered. "Only time you'll get, cause I'm sure after this Tony's going to cut my liquor off." Steve frowned as I trailed my fingers up and down his arm. "Please," I pout. "For me? Save a poor damsel from being alone?"

Steve sighed. "Fine," he grumbled and laid awkwardly down next to me. Giggling I pulled his arm around my waist and I snuggled up into his side. I sighed as he shifted, looking unsure.

"Don't be a pansy," I said poking his rock hard abs. "I just want to cuddle." I snuggled in, wrapping an arm around his stomach and thew a leg over his. "And sleep," I sigh closing my eyes. "Thanks, Steve. I needed a cuddle buddy." I yawn as Steve's other hand touched my arm that was wrapped around his stomach.

"You're welcome," he said running his finger tips over my arm and then touching my still wet hair.

"I don't know how you never had a girlfriend," I yawn, nearly asleep now. "You're very sweet. And you give a girl liquor even though it's probably against your better judgement."

"I figured you'd probably find a way to get it anyway," I heard Steve chuckle.

"Smart..." I mumbled falling into the dark world of dreams and nightmares.