CHAPTER ONE
Midnight had been alive a long time and she had been dead even longer than that. She'd seen a lot of weird shit in those years but this definitely took the cake. After deciding to leave Chicago for a while, she travelled to New York to check on another Court. Midnight was worried that she was bringing nothing but pain and misery to the people she was supposed to be protecting. She had gone to New York for a break and strolled into the middle of a real life alien invasion. But these aliens weren't the cute and fuzzy kind, these guys meant Business with a capital B.
Midnight had managed to avoid the worst of the fighting and meet up with the Vampire Court she had come to see. The undead population of New York had been prepared to step in to protect their own kind and their food source but it proved unnecessary. A group of super heroes called The Avengers had saved the day. Midnight liked the name, short and to the point. She had hidden in the shadows and watched them work, they didn't do too badly for a bunch of humans. The one called Ironman had a big mouth but he had taken that nuke away from the planet, seemingly without a thought for himself. Captain America looked like the Statue of Liberty's pimp but his shield packed quite a wallop.
Thor and Hulk were pretty scary even to Midnight but she watched the one's called Hawkeye and Black Widow with more interest. They seemed to be one hundred per cent human but they always got up when something threw them down. Midnight took to the shadows as the battle wound down and the clean-up began. She returned to the park when The Avengers met once again to see off Thor and his murderous little brother. Midnight leaned against a tree and watched as they shook hands, laughed and went their separate ways.
To her surprise, Loki's head turned in her direction. Midnight couldn't really tell because of the muzzle he was wearing, but she felt a cold shiver slip down her spine as she realized the God of Mischief and Lies was smiling right at her. He winked and then he and Thor were gone. Just before someone jumped Midnight from behind and knocked her out, she had about half a second to wonder if she were getting too old for this shit.
After being tasered, knocked unconscious and dropped in what looked like a giant glass jar, Midnight groaned and stood up. She turned in a full circle until she noticed The Avengers and a tall man with dark skin and an eye patch standing infront of a bank of controls. She raised an eyebrow and bowed deeply before folding her arms across her chest and waiting. The man with the eye patch walked towards the glass and stopped about three feet from the giant jar, he cleared his throat.
"You're Midnight" he said, it wasn't a question. Director Nick Fury stared at their guest and tried not to let his surprise show on his normally wooden face. He didn't know who he was expecting but this girl was certainly not it. She didn't look more then nineteen, very slightly built and skin so pale she was almost transparent. Midnight wore knee high boots with ridiculously high heels, a black mesh skirt that hung to her ankles and a long black duster with a white tee underneath. Her white blonde hair was cut into a sharp bob with two electric blue streaks to frame her face. Fury raised his own eyebrow and decided to test his information.
"I believe you know The Avengers?"
"Not personally, but I love your work. Loving the name too, very nice" replied Midnight. Fury introduced the others around him before turning to the assembled team and gesturing towards the jar.
"This is Midnight. She's a vampire." There was a moment of silence before Tony Stark snorted with laughter. Midnight raised her eyebrow and tilted her head to one side, she looked a little like a cat that had just spotted an interesting mouse.
"A vampire? You might wanna loosen your patch, Fury. I think your brain's being starved of much needed oxygen." As he spoke, Stark walked up the steps and almost pressed his face against the glass of Midnight's cage. She covered her face for a moment, and then she was crouched on the glass right infront of Tony Stark. Her golden eyes flashed yellow and her fangs snapped as she clawed at the glass. Stark jumped backwards and almost tripped over his own feet trying to get away. The other Avengers had automatically drawn their weapons despite the fact it was probably impossible for Midnight to escape her prison. A sound echoed around the room that nobody had heard before. Director Fury was laughing.
"Linnea told me you were visiting" he said, wiping the tears from his good eye. Midnight straightened up and walked across the glass wall to where Fury was standing. The others gathered around the glass box and tried to figure out how the Hell she was doing that!
"Why would Old Mother tell you anything?" asked Midnight. Her face returned to its normal delicate shade of pale and her fangs pulled back.
"Because she needs our help with something" replied Fury. Midnight laughed a deep throaty chuckle that made the hairs stand up on all the necks in the room. She stepped down from the wall and leaned against the glass.
"She needs the help of humans? I find that hard to believe. With what, pray tell?"
"It's nearly Christmas, Midnight."
"I still don't see –"
"Santa Claus is stalking the town." Midnight snarled and muttered what was probably a very bad word under her breath.
"S-o ia dracu de treaba! I've dealt with him already" she snapped. Her eyes flashed yellow as the other took an involuntary step back.
"Yes, Linnea told me. He's been bought out of retirement by Whiteweb." Tony Stark looked ready to burst with questions but Bruce Banner clapped a hand over his mouth and shook his head. Midnight took a deep breath she didn't really need, turned to face Fury and raised that famous eyebrow.
"I'm on vacation, Director Fury. This is not my city and Redcap is not my Court." Fury raised his eyebrow and looked a little incredulous.
"You're going to deny Old Mother?" Midnight smiled, it was cold and full of scorn.
"I've done it before, scurt timp and I will do it again" snapped the vampire. Fury frowned, he wondered what the old creature had called him but he didn't quite dare to ask. He pushed a button on the console and a glass slide aside, Midnight stepped out onto the walkway.
"Then you're free to go. Thank you for your time" said Fury. Midnight made it all the way along the metal walk and down the steps before Stark almost exploded.
"What the Hell is going on?" he almost shrieked.
"That's what I'd like to know." The answering voice was female; the tone was almost melodic and kind of sing song. Three figures emerged from the shadows and Midnight cursed herself for automatically straightening her spine. The female looked about eight and she wore a yellow sun dress with red dolly shoes, her golden hair hung in tight curls and she was holding a ragged bunny toy in her right arm.
"Hello Linnea" said Midnight. The girl smiled, it didn't quite reach her eyes but that was normal. This particular little girl hadn't shown a real smile in almost four hundred years. Linnea was the Liderul of The Redcap Court and she was not a girl to mess with. Her justice was swift and always brutal, she did not rule with an iron fist but with a sharpened dagger. Midnight was immediately on her guard, her face changing to reveal nothing of what she felt or thought. With Linnea, that was the best way.
"Hello Midnight. I've been waiting for you to come and see me ever since you came to town. That would have been the polite thing to do" said Linnea. She turned to the hulking vampire on her left; he picked her up and placed her on the nearest table so that she could speak to Midnight eye to eye.
"I wasn't planning on staying, Linnea. I was just passing through when your lackeys snatched me from the street. I am not the Călău anymore, I am Liderul of The Blackwing Court. I am the oldest vampire in existence and I will not bow to you" said Midnight. Linnea narrowed her eyes and her two bodyguards took a menacing step forward. From the corner of her eye, Midnight saw Hawkeye reach for an arrow and the Black Widow removed her gun. Linnea held up a hand and the two vampires backed off.
"I had a vision, Midnight. A vision of the end of days and you need to know about it."
"So tell me" snapped Midnight.
"Not unless you agree to help." Midnight snarled, her hands clenched into fists and she had to remind herself that this was precisely what the little bitch wanted.
"Then I'll be going." Midnight spun on her very high heels and stalked towards the door, the Avengers scattered to get out of her way. When Linnea spoke again her voice was low and full of sorrow.
"Throttle will die." Midnight stopped, she turned very slowly and snarled again.
"Why should I care?"
"Because you love him" replied Linnea. Midnight looked at Natasha Romanov and smiled a little.
"Love is for children." There was silence as the two ancient creatures glared at each other across the space of centuries. Midnight refused to drop her gaze but she nodded once and Fury led the way to the nearest meeting room.