Demons Run.
Instantly, you knew it was a reference. You knew the lines, you knew the show.
Only now, it wasn't just a reference. It was an organization, striking fear into the souls of the fearless.
The whispered words came from your lips before you could stop them, a cloud of fog resting in the cold bunker air.
"Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun. When a good man goes to war, friendship dies and true love lies. Night will fall and the dark will rise, when a good man goes to war. Demons run but count the cost. The battle's won but the child is lost."
Collapsing on the ground in shock, you griped the package, staring at the written words that seemed to mock your very existence and thought process. "No."
This wasn't him. Couldn't be. He was dead.
Then how else do you explain this?! Your brain demanded, throwing you back in gear. Get your head in the game! It's him!
No! This wasn't him! He was different, he was...not...like this...ever.
Staggering out of the bunker, you heard another whoosh, and Pietro was there, helping you stand.
"(Your name), what's wrong?"
"Ever seen those Hydra agents leaving with those packages? I found out where they go." You held up the package, weakly, and gestured to the name on the side.
Pietro shrugged. "So?"
"Damn it, Pietro! It's important!" That's when you realized he didn't know much about Shield. Hydra was his home, and you were his friend. Demons Run didn't exist to him, nor did it matter. "I-I'm sorry. I just...uh, need some sleep or something."
He raised an eyebrow, and you nodded, trying to convince yourself that's what you needed. But both of you know that wasn't what it was.
Finally you engaged. "Okay, let me explain. Where we are now, this is Hydra, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well there's another organization, and they're called S.H.I.E.L.D. Don't know what that stands for, I just think someone really wanted it to spell shield. Anyway, them and Hydra aren't the best of friends. And to the world, Shield is the good guys and Hydra is the bad."
"...Okay." Wow, he took that well. "What does this have to do with your package?" He asked, spinning it around in his hands.
"Demons Run. You see the name?" He nodded. "This place doesn't even exist, except to a few secretive agent in Hydra, one or two in Shield possibly, and the people who run the organization itself. Hardly anyone knows about it. But it's beginning to create conflict, and they're looking for something. That's why Hydra is providing them with these gifts."
"Why does this worry you? It does not seem to be any of your business." Pietro walked around, examining the dusty package and tossed it back your way.
"Long story...but apparently it is my business. My name was on a charred message. And, I think I've been invited."
That's when the voice in your head started to laugh, the distant clapping of hands ringing in your ears.
Good show, Ice Box. Good show.
And just when you thought it had stopped, the sinister teasing remained.
Positively brilliant.
Growling, you tried to tune it out, walking forward. When it did stop, you continued on your way to your room. At least you weren't being tested on and they left you in peace besides the Maximoffs.
Well, at least, so far.
Thinking of Maximoffs...there was Wanda, waiting by the bedside when you entered the room.
"Yes?" You said, though it was in the form of a question. She glanced up and smiled. Wanly.
"They know I can create visions. They want to see how you react to one, that's all."
Hydra, wanted to test you? Before you could open your mouth to protest, she stood. The red light appeared, and you could almost see your fear reflect off of it.
You didn't need a vision. Not now. What if it became demented, like last time? That one was an accident, but still...
Red flashed in your eyes and you took a deep breath.
No turning back now.
***
[In The Vision]
A hand slammed against the window.
But it wasn't just any hand.
It was bloody.
And had your best friend not slapped his hand over your mouth, you might have yelled in horror.
You pushed his arm out of your face. "I wasn't going to yell!" You hissed, peaking back at the window, watching the hand sliding down the middle and leaving a red streak.
"Liar." Theyel whispered back.
Where were you?
You were hidden in a damn Dominos pizza building, that's where. It was more secluded than the alleyway from before, huddled together against a wall.
Chitauri were everywhere. You'd only just escaped one moments ago, and now, staying alive was your only worry.
Another body rammed into the building, and some debris rained down, and both of you covered your heads.
It was a nightmare, all of it.
His parents were gone. Your parents were gone. The Avengers were searching for you, and the Chitauri didn't help the situation.
This wasn't as bad as it could be, but it was pretty damn bad.
How Theyel was handling this so well, you never knew. The kid was freaking ten years old for gosh sakes. And yet, here he was, looking out for you when it should've been the other way around.
Speaking of other way around...your nightmare only increased.
Your friend was standing, his eyes glowing a deadly maroon, a crazed smile appearing. His voice cracked and creaked, raising in pitch demonically.
"Hello...(your name)...."
"Why are you doing this? Who do you think you are, invading my dreams, getting past Wanda? This past is all I've got left of my friend, and you, whoever the heck you are, are dementing my past. I will burn you."
The person using Theyel as their vessel grinned, laughing. "That would be useless, Ice Box. I've already been burned, in many ways. But bravo, you're finally asking the right the right questions. Any others...?"
"Hell yeah. Are you the bloody voice in my head?" You kept your distance, all the while forming an ice hard snowball in your hands.
"Why, yes. Pieces coming together now, are they? Good. And why I am doing this...eheheh...well, it wouldn't be a puzzle if I told you. As for who I am...I am the Devil. Invading dreams, scarring pasts. Welcome to my world."
Opening your mouth to retort, you threw the ball at his face, only to remain speechless as the ball dissipated into smoke.
"You see, the thing about you," the Devil continued, walking closer in proximity to your frame, "is that you've sided with an assembly of people. And those people want to protect the world, but they don't want it to change."
"What, no, I-"
"DONT DENY IT!" His voice became a possessed roar of anger, personality changing in seconds. "I've been inside your head. We have a link, you and I. I know who you've sided with, whether you've said it aloud or not. And the only path to peace, (your name), is your extinction."
"My extinction?" You asked, never even losing your cool. This guy wanted to shake hands in hell? You wouldn't disappoint him. "Go ahead and try, Devil. You don't know me, don't know what I'm prepared to do, even if you've been inside my head."
He chuckled.
He chuckled.
"Really? You really think-" He began laughing again. "Oh this is going to be much more fun than I thought."
You said nothing, waiting for the inevitable mocking sentence that would follow.
"I'm going to show you something beautiful, (your name). The whole world, screaming for mercy. They look to the skies, searching for hope!"
Still, you didn't reply. All you could do was grimace. You were a sociopath, not a psychopath. This was clearly someone who was psychopathic.
His words echoed in the failing structured building, and in the dream it started to crumble, the ceiling beginning to collapse. Closing your eyes in pain at the distorted voice, you let out a piercing yell, attempting to drown it out.
It didn't work.
"I'll take that from them first."
***
[After Vision]
"Look, I'm in shock. I've got a shock blanket."
Wanda and Pietro looked at you skeptically, and you held up the blanket that was draped around your shoulders.
"See? Shock blanket equals shock. I am in shock. I told you the vision experiment was a bad idea." They still didn't seen to buy it.
"What are you waiting for?" You finally asked, gesturing in a frustrated manner. "I took the Nope Train to Nopevillie, what else do you want?"
Pietro raised an eyebrow. "I don't think being sarcastic like that is good for your health."
"Probably not. Just another reason why I'm in shock and you should leave."
They both groaned.
"What, you didn't see that coming?" You laughed lightly. "But really, you're not just staying because of your concern for my health; what's up? Do you want to know what I saw?"
Wanda interjected. "The scientists want to know how you feel, but also, yeah."
"I drove the Dang It Boat to Darn It City, that's what I did."
"(Your name)..."
"I rode the Heck No Model-T to This Is Stupid Street."
"(Your name), could you-"
"Listen, I don't obey Hydra's every command, guys. You don't have to either."
An awkward silence followed your suggestion, and then it was followed by the loud blaring noise of Hydra's alarms.
Dweeeeeeeee.
Couldn't you just stay in one place, just for more than a few days? Huh?
Dweeeeeeee.
That's when you remembered seeing something familiar in the package room. And it struck you. You knew who was knocking.
Loki's Scepter.
The Avengers were back.
Dweeeeeeeee.
"Hey," you said, instantly dropping the blanket and stretching, filled with new energy as you turned to the twins, smiling. "Want to lend me a hand with somethin'?"
"Depends on what you have in mind."
"Great. This way."
Dashing down the hall, you all made several turns and shortcuts, trying to arrive at the main building. Unfortunately, you got split up somehow and you ended up alone, barefoot in the snow, and out of breath.
Fighting sounded all around, and yet you couldn't see any of the team. Good, a chance to slip away.
Re-entering the silent bunker, you searched for the scepter, following the blue glow that emitted from around a corner. There, there it was. Hidden, but there. As you moved closer, a speeding figure made it's way to you with another, and you realized it was Pietro and Wanda.
"Here." You said, tossing them the scepter. "Take this to another Hydra base. Get it away from here. Take it anywhere, and just go."
Pietro nodded, though you suspected neither of them knew what you were talking about.
"Alright, now..." Spinning, you heard a music track start playing on the speakers. It was familiar...in fact it was Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC. And you knew exactly who that was. But back to the Maximoffs. "Just, ah...run. Yeah, basically run."
Dust settled in the air as they dashed off, and you sighed. Walking out of the said and now empty bunker, you faced the all-to-familiar suit of armor. "Stark," you greeted.
"Ice Box," he replied curtly.
Nothing was said for several moments, you two staring each other down. It was almost like he was asking you to back down and join them. No, not today. You were going to standing your ground, and you were going to find the third organization, Demons Run. You couldn't do that if you joined the Avengers.
Eventually he shrugged, raising his hands, about to blast you.
You shrugged too, deciding to speak to make him pause for a moment. "Don't you understand? You're all puppets.....tangled in.....strings. I had strings, but now I'm free."
Tony hesitated, suspicious and shocked at the odd words coming from your mouth.
"There are no strings on me." You finished, and grinned wide.
That's when you felt a second and third presence behind you.
The Maximoffs. They were back.
"Where's the scepter?" You whispered.
"Hid it. We weren't leaving you." Wanda responded, smiling, letting the red light start to dance between his figure and her brothers.
Pietro grinned. "You didn't see that coming?"
Iron Man listened a second, and for a second time raised his hands to blast all three of you, when you stopped him.
"Tony, I wouldn't do that."
He was probably smirking. "Why?"
You raised your arms slowly, one at a time, all the while your head bowed. "Because..." Suddenly you raised them quickly, and a gigantic wall of ice shot from the ground behind the twins, and it rose up like a wave of imminent doom.
You looked up at Tony and smiled. "Because I am a Tortured Genius...and...well. Isn't it obvious?"
The ice wall shot his way at an alarming speed, Pietro suddenly driving his shoulder into the back of Tony's suit, and Wanda's power lighting up the ice in a blood color.
"Winter is coming."
***
[Through the eyes of ???]
Night had fallen, the lights were dim.
The Devil in Converse stood alone in the darkness and shadows, away from the small bit of light, eyes closed.
Music was playing in a pair of headphones, a broken, evil sounding drum beat in the background with a violin. His foot tapped to the track, head tipped each way once, the slight cracking of bones heard.
When the track stopped, eerie silence descended.
In his head he repeated your words with a smile.
"There are no strings on me."
"Winter is coming."
"Atta (boy/girl). That's what I like to hear from you." His voice was clear and melodic out loud, but a close listen-in would show insanity hidden in it's depths. "That's what I'm looking for; the change. It's inevitable, (your name), that you are I will be mirrors of one another. Because we're just alike, you and I."
Converse's laugh echoed throughout the room as another track began to play. Taking a few steps to the left, he also began to dance.
A step to the right. Left. Forward.
One large step backwards, feet brought together and hands raised into the air. Anyone watching this scene would obviously choose one word to describe it: I-N-S-A-N-E.
The hollow laugh grew deeper as time passed. Then the Devil took a shallow breath, and the laugh that passed from his lips this time around was more raspy and it held a psychotic cackle.
"Gonna raise the stakes...." He whispered in glee. "Gonna smoke you out."
Black light shot from an invisible source, spinning circles near the figure like death. Blue tint followed the black leaving a trail of smoke, but was whisked away by the slashing of something else black from the side/edge of his back.
Laughter ceasing, a dark grin replaced the evil sound.
His eyes lit up, a third song playing now.
He closed his eyes, the grin still there, emitting a hum to the beat.
"I've come to burn your kingdom down."
_________
A/N:
Every fairytale needs a good old-fashioned villain, what can I say.
Quick shout-out to everyone who's checked out my story; thank you for your support like what people read this in blown away
Now to the subject which I must address, I hope you do not mind the Ultron lines which I am probably overly obsessed with Like I've said before, I love so many things and really who can stop me
#Sorry
#not sorry
References are part of me, like sarcasm, lack of sleep and coffee and I just...it's almost impossible for me to go through a book I'm writing and not make a reference.
So, drinks all around!
#i may not be your cup of tea but I'm your 10th shot of tequila
And yeah.
Whatcha think? Am I doing well?
Who do you think The Devil in Converse is?
Is he evil enough so far?
Idk I'm trying
Share, Comment, Vote, all in a good day's work of being the odd one out, right?
so I like newspapers. Fairytales. And pretty Grimm ones too. amen
this isn't funny Dean the voice says I'm almost out of minutes,
Styx