The sun rose over the horizon in multitudes of red, orange, and blinding yellow. The new compound was large and the symbol of the Avengers was plastered on it so many times it might as well say, "Bad guys please knock here."

It was too early for anyone to have woken. Yet a woman dressed in a blue and white dress, brown hair pulled back, and hazel eyes glowing with excitement, walked out the front door.

As she neared the neighboring town, her voice flowed freely of it's own accord, "Little town. It's a quiet village. Everyday, like the one before. Little town, full of little people. Waking up to say..."

The clock towering above the town's center suddenly chimed noon, and signs of life began to show.

"Bonjour!"

"Bonjour!"

"Bonjour, Bonjour, Bonjour!"

Belle made her way weaving through the various people who always seemed to have somewhere to be, "There goes the baker with his tray like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same, since the morning that we came, to this poor provincial town."

"Good morning Belle!", the baker shouts.

"Good Morning Monsieur!"

He set his tray, stacked with loaf after loaf, on the nearest table, "Where're you off to?"

"To return this book to Père Robert at the bookstore. I just finished the most wonderful story! About a beanstalk and an ogre and-!"

"That's nice dear." He patted her arm then turned to yell at the woman inside his shop, "Marie! The  baguettes! Hurry up!!!"

Belle tucked her book under her arm and continued to walk down the street, eager to reach her destination.

It didn't take long, however, for the rest of the town to voice their regular feelings towards the girl. "Look there she goes that girl strange no question, dazed and distracted can't you tell?"

"Never part of any crowd, cause her head's up on some cloud."

"No denying she's a funny girl that Belle."

They always talk about her, regardless if she can hear them. The shop was only a block away now, so she pushed her feelings down (mainly sadness and anger) as far down as they could go, somewhat glad that a select few doesn't like to talk about her, to her face at least. Too busy with their morning routines.

"Bonjour, good day. How is your family?"

"Bonjour, good day. How is your wife?"

"I need six eggs!"

"That's too expensive!"

"There must be more than this provincial life!" The bell dinged as Belle pushed open the wooden door. Bookshelves lined the perimeter of the small space.

"Ah, Belle!"

Belle's smile brightened at seeing the shop owner, "Good morning! I've come to return the book I borrowed."

The dark skinned man stepped down off a ladder and took the book from her, "Finished already?!"

"Oh I couldn't put it down, have you got anything new?" she asked as she took his place climbing the ladder.

"Not since yesterday I'm afraid."

"That's alright I'll borrow... this one!" She yanked a blue bound book off the shelf and it practically flew into Père Robert's arms.

"This one? But you've read it twice!"

"Well, it's my favorite!" She kicked the nearest shelf sending the ladder sliding to the other end, "Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"

Père shook his head in amusement as she jumped down, "Well if you like it all that much it's yours."

"But, sir!"

"I insist!" he said shoving the book into her waiting arms.

"Well, thank you. Thank you very much!"

"And tell your brother I said hi!"

"I will!" She stepped back out of the shop at the sound of the bell and the town resumed it's gossip.

"Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar, I wonder if she's feeling well?"

"With a dreamy far off look, and her nose stuck in a book."

"Well the puzzle to the rest of us is Belle!"

"Oh isn't this amazing! It's my favorite part because, you'll see!" Belle's fingers traced the various words sending images through her mind, "Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him, till chapter three!"

She winds her way through the crowds passing by shop windows covered with sale signs from a week ago, "Now it's no wonder that her name means 'Beauty', her looks have got no parallel."

"But behind that fair facade, I'm afraid she's rather odd. Very different from the rest of us-"

"She's nothing like the rest of us, she's different from the rest of us is Belle!"

On the other side of town a tall dark haired man handed the shorter man next to him the scope he was previously looking through, "Look at her LeFou. My future wife."

A few feet away sat a girl with short ginger hair, typing away on her phone, "Gaston, why do you have to stalk my best friend of all people? Why not some other girl who actually knows you exist?"

"Belle is the most beautiful girl in town, that makes her the best."

The girl rolled her eyes as they went on ignoring her. LeFou gave the scope back to Gaston, "But she's so... well read, and your so... athletically inclined."

"Yes but, ever since we've graduated, I can't get her out of my head!" Gaston marched off towards Belle's direction with LeFou trailing behind.

The girl closed her tumbler app, stood up and walked slowly after them, "Here we go again."

Gaston made his way ducking and dodging the townsfolk, his eyes never leaving that big, blue bow that held Belle's hair back, "Right from the moment that I met her, saw her, I said 'she's gorgeous' and I fell. Here in town there's only she, who is beautiful as me, so I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle."

He passed a store and three women, triplets, stared after him. All had blond hair and flawless skin, each wearing green, orange, and red shirts as their only distinction, "Look there, he goes! Isn't he dreamy? Monsieur, Gaston! Oh he's so cute! Be still, my heart! I'm hardly breathing! He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!"

Gaston was about to reach Belle when the people scurrying about cut in front of him and stalled his progress.

"Bonjour!"

"Pardon!"

"Good day, you call this bacon?"

"Ooh, what lovely drapes!"

"Excuse me! Please let me through!" Gaston had to shove past  many, all while LeFou hugged his leg and the girl followed typing on her phone without a care in the world.

"This bread, is stale!"

"Madame's mistaken!"

Belle slammed her book shut, "There must be more than this provincial life!"

"Just watch I'm going to make Belle my wife!"

"Look there she goes that girl is strange but special! A most peculiar mademoiselle!"

"It's a pity and a sin, she doesn't quite fit it, but she really a funny girl."

"A beauty but a funny girl."

"She really is a funny girl, that Belle!"

The crowd finally dispersed and Gaston made it to Belle in no time, "Good morning Belle."

Belle looked up from her book to find him standing in front of her, a good foot taller, and in his usual red jacket. She offered him barely even a smile as she tried to move around him, "Bonjour Gaston." Before she could get away though, he grabbed her book from her hands and flipped through the pages. Belle sighed, having gone through this routine many, many times, "Gaston, may I have my book back please?"

"How can you read this? There's no pictures?"

"Some people use their imagination, idiot." The girl put her phone in her pocket and offered Belle a sad smile, "Something you clearly don't have." 

"Hush Kathleen, the adults are talking." Gaston said, not even bothering to look at his sister.

"Ok, first of all, it's Kate. All of my friends call me Kate! Keep up! And second, I'm the same age as you!"

She tore the book from his grip and gave it back to Belle with a satisfied grin as she hugged her best friend.

Gaston glared at her and then returned his attention to Belle, "Anyways, Belle how about we take a walk by the tavern and look at my trophies?"

The tavern down the nearby street was lined with stuffed heads from wall to wall, every single one killed by Gaston. He finds it as sport, kill just to kill, but Belle finds it morbid, "Maybe later. "

"Oh, busy?"

She gave Kate a sideways glance, eyes begging her to come up with an excuse, "Uh, we have to help her dad with upgrades to one of his suits, should take all day." She winked at Belle who sighed with relief. "I'll see you at home ok?"

She quickly grabbed Belle's arm and they raced back towards the compound, leaving Gaston scowling and LeFou politely waving.

The two raced to get to the door. Kate got there first and held the door for Belle. The smell of food permitted the air, the only sign that the rest of the compound's occupants had risen. Kate followed the smell and then proceeded to fill a plate with as many waffles as she could.

Kate chewed as loudly as humanly possible as they ventured down the halls to the training room.

When they reached their destination, Belle pushed open the doors and were welcomed to a sight others rarely see. Captain America and Black Widow led the training exercise for the day with Falcon, War Machine, and the two new recruits Scarlet Witch and Vision, as their victims. Pepper Potts leaned against the wall talking on the phone, but immediately looked over and smiled at her daughter and Kate.

When the exercise was over, Belle quickly ran over to the magenta skinned synthzoid and hugged him from behind, "Hey."

Vision turned to return her hug, "Hello sister."

"I think you're getting better at cooking, Kate loves the waffles you made." Vision's blue irises glanced up to a full mouth and thumbs up from the red head. "Père also says hi. Do you know where Papa is?"

"Last I saw him he was heading towards the lab."

"Thanks." She reached up to kiss his cheek before taking off. She ran off down the hall but paused to call back to Kate, "I'm going to find Papa, I'll be back in a bit!"

"Coolio!"

Belle sped through the winding corridors until she heard the familiar noise of a blow torch. She shook her head and followed the sound until she found their lab. As always her father was hunched over a desk welding a piece of a new Iron Man suit.

Though this time, a soft melody could be heard escaping his mouth, "How does a moment last forever? How does a story never die? It is love we must hold on to. Never easy, but we try. Sometimes our happiness is captured. Somehow a time and place stand still. Love lives on inside our hearts, and always will." Belle cleared her throat loud enough for him to hear. Tony swiveled around his chair and lifted his goggles, "Hey kiddo!"

"Morning Papa." Belle sank into his waiting arms, the best part about her mornings.

He let her go and resumed his work while she sat next to him, ready to help however she could. "You have a good time in town today?"

"I got a new book."

"Do you ever get tired of reading so much?"

"I can't help it Papa! Every time I open a new book, it's like I'm holding a whole world in my hands. Full of mystery, action, romance, and the adventure I've always wanted."

"Hmm."

The room was peacefully silent. But a question was burning in the back of Belle's mind that needed answered. "Papa?"

"Yeah?"

"If I were to ask you something, would you answer me honestly?"

"Course"

Belle fidgeted in her seat, nervousness filling her body and mind to the point the question is but a whisper, "Do you think I'm odd?"

The silence is deafening. Tony slowly removed his goggles entirely, and stared at her with utmost concern, "Where would you get an idea like that?"

"I don't know. It's just that, well, people talk."

Tony took her hands in his, "Belle, listen to me. The world, its messed up. Some people like to feel on top so they put other people down. Look, now I made Ultron, totally on me and the world never ceases to remind me. But I don't let them get to me, and I don't want them to get to you." Belle smiles and leaned into the crook of his shoulder, sighing when he wraps his arms around her, protecting her from the world, "You're never strange."

"Don't ever change."

Tony bent down to plant a kiss in the softness of her hair, "No matter what."