Chapter Eleven (And We Will Fall)

(Sometime Later)

Voices, he heard voices everywhere. Screams. Cries. The sound of death. Sirens filled the distance. Shouts swarmed his head. The faint smell of blood filled his nostrils.

He struggled to peel his eyes open, harsh, white light pouring into them. Everything hurt, everything burned. His vision was blurred with streaks of red tinting it. He laid practically glued to the floor, unable to get up due to the burning pain.

He clawed at the carpet, trying to pull himself forward towards the bed he could barely make out. Red tinted his hands, surprising him in his already disoriented state. Bringing them towards his lowered head, he saw that blood was caked and dried all over them. Bile started to rise.

What happened? What was going on? Where did the blood come from? Why was there so much screaming?

Brief flashes of red, piercing eyes haunted his thoughts. But where did they come from? He couldn't remember. All he remembered was getting to the motel then nothing. Now he was lying on the ratty floor of his room, covered in blood, he didn't know if it was his own or someone else's, and dying.

"Help…" he croaked out, barely making a sound. His voice was too weak, too sore. "Help…"

He reached towards the bed with a bloodied hand, but a violent tremor passed through his body, causing him to collapse entirely to the ground. Something sinful and corrupt felt as though it was building itself up inside of his mind and chest, blurring everything else out.

A sharp twinge of pain caused him to wretch, but nothing came up. He was dying, this was death.

His vision started to darken as his body started to tremble. What was going on? Something was wrong with him. Something really bad.

But he didn't get to see what was going on. His vision went completely dark, unconsciousness meeting him once again. His body stilled, only the soft rise and fall of his chest moved him.

His wings stirred from underneath his tattered jacket and shirt, twisting and turning. He let out a small, soft whimper as his unconscious form started to tremble once more.

And all he felt was pain.

Death.

Darkness.

An evil so vile was stirring. And it was from deep within him.


Coulson, Bobbi, Hunter, May, and Skye approached the small motel, which was surrounded by a heavy police force. They gulped seeing frantic, crying people running around dazed. EMTs provided medical service to a few people. Cops tried to figure out what was going on.

"I don't think that Ward 'just smashed the damn thing'." Hunter commented as they approached the police tape surrounding the motel complex. "Something happened."

"I can see that." Coulson said.

A police officer noticed them and came towards them, "Can I help you?" he asked. "This is a crime scene, I'm afraid no one can come in."

Coulson flashed his SHIELD badge, "We're SHIELD. We were, uh, in the area and noticed the commotion." he said.

The officer raised an eyebrow, "Oh, sorry Director." he said.

"No problem. What's going on?" Coulson asked.

The officer motioned towards the building, "We really don't know what exactly." he said, letting the five agents in the scene. "It's bloody though."

"Bloody?" May asked as they followed the officer.

"Someone, well something killed about five people here brutally. Tore them apart. 'Bout seven people got hurt. We really don't know."

"Something?" Hunter asked.

"The victims were torn apart by what seems to be claws, but there's no wild animals recorded to do that around here." the officer explained. "That's why we're saying something."

"So what kills five people brutally in a small, Southern town?" Skye asked. "That makes no sense."

"I'm saying aliens." the officer said. "But that's ridiculous, I know."

Coulson sighed, "Nothing's ridiculous these days." he said. "Just show us where most of the damage took place."

"I can't do that myself, I'm gonna have to direct you to the sheriff here on duty." the officer replied.

Coulson nodded as the officer brought them to a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man in a sheriff's uniform.

The man turned around, "Lieutenant Johnson, who are they?" he asked.

"Uh, Sheriff Holden, this is Director Coulson and his agents. Of SHIELD." Johnson replied nervously.

Holden raised an eyebrow, "SHIELD?" he asked. "How are you in the area?"

"Investigating something else." Coulson replied. "Saw all the commotion and decided to see what's going on."

"Good thing you came, Director." Holden said, shaking Coulson's hand. "Did Johnson already explain to you what happened?"

Coulson nodded, "He did. Any clues to what happened?"

Holden shook his head, "No, other than something not human killed them. Wild animal or something. But the wildlife service already concluded that it couldn't have been a wild animal. Monster. That's what I'm going with."

"Mind if we take a look in the rooms and talk with people?" Coulson asked. "Try to gauge what's going on."

Holden nodded, "I guess. Maybe you can figure something out."

Coulson nodded and looked to the four agents, "Go around and see what you can find." he said. "Talk to whoever you can."

They all nodded and walked off.

Coulson looked back to Sheriff Holden, "Are people saying what it was?" he asked.

Holden let out a small laugh, "Their explanations are crazy though."

"Crazier than monster or alien?" he asked, looking at Johnson.

"Well, witnesses who survived are sayin' that it was a demon." Holden responded.

"Demon?" Coulson asked.

"Someone said it was a tall man, the only thing humanly she could make out about it. It had piercin', red eyes, pointed ears, apparently fangs and claws, and massive bat-like wings. And it was covered in blood. Lady could've been hallucinating, but we really don't know. I hope y'all can figure somethin' out." Holden explained.

"We'll figure something out, hopefully." Coulson said. "I don't need demons invading the world now."


(Meanwhile)

Skye searched the motel rooms, looking for anything that showed what could've killed five people horribly. Bobbi and Hunter were talking to witnesses and May was searching another part of the building. Three rooms were roped off, she figured that meant there were bodies inside.

And this was the motel that Ward was last registered at. What happened to him? Could he had been killed and they didn't know it? What exactly happened here?

She held her breath, looking in another darkened room. Nothing. But something on the floor caught her eye near the bed as she started to leave. She switched on the light and gasped, freezing in fear.

Ward. Ward laid in a broken heap on the floor, his clothes tattered and blood covering his face and hands. Whatever had killed the five people had gotten to him.

She ran over to him, falling to her knees next to him. She frantically shook him, "Grant! Grant!" she cried. The ground trembled slightly beneath them, a signal that her emotions were getting out of hand.

His face twitched in response and his eyes snapped open. He scampered back, a fear in his eyes that reminded Skye of the Berserker Incident, "Get back!" he screeched. "Get away!"

"Grant! It's me, Skye!" Skye exclaimed, reaching a hand out towards the frightened half-angel.

Ward blinked, recognition filling his face, "Skye?" he asked. "What? What's going…" He didn't get to finish. He collapsed back to the carpet again, unconscious.

"Grant!" Skye's head whipped back towards the door, "Coulson! May! Bobbi! Hunter!" she screamed. "Help!"

She looked back to Ward's blood-covered, unconscious stature. What happened to him? As she saw his face twitch, she figured that it wasn't good.

Something dark.

Something evil.


Author's Note: I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So a pretty gruesome chapter. What exactly killed the five people? What exactly is wrong with Ward? I don't know. Try to figure it out. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.