Disclaimer: I do not own Bioware or Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"If you think that was bad, I should tell you about the Blackmarsh." Anders said.
"See, when you say things like that, Blondie, it just makes me glad I didn't know you sooner." Varric leaned back in his chair. "Who goes to a place named Blackmarsh on purpose? Now, if they called it Beermarsh…" He stopped. "No, still doesn't work."
"You've got a point. The marsh part does cancel out anything else." Anders gestured. "Flowermarsh? Kittenmarsh? Nope. No good." He got up upon noticing Marian and Steve. "Ah, you've got company. I'll see you later."
"Marian. What can I do for you?" Varric asked.
"What was Anders here for?" Marian asked as she sat down with Clint, Bobbi and Hunter.
"Only place in Kirkwall he can get a decent drink. Blondie comes by here, and I put him on my tab. He's got some stories about his days in Ferelden that sound implausible even to me." Varric shrugged. "He's not bad for a mage. Crazy, but that's most everyone in this city."
"This place doesn't look all that bad." Hunter said, measuring the place.
"What, you want to play how much pints you can take before you pass out?" Bobbi joked.
"I see you're showing the rest of the gang how are things in Kirkwall." Varric said as he offered his hand. "Varric Tethras, storyteller."
"Bobbi Morse and this is my husband, Lance Hunter." Bobbi said.
"Charmed to meet you, mate." Hunter said.
"And you remember…"
"Hawkeye." Varric said. "I guess this city is full of hawks."
Clint chuckled before they turned serious.
"Why are things so heated in this town? What's going on?" Clint asked.
"Nothing you don't know already. The viscount's departure. A vacuum of power. Trouble's brewing." Varric sighed. "Get rid of one threat and another appears. I'm starting to think this city is in love with crisis. Hope you're ready for it, my friends. I'm keeping Bianca close."
"The mages and templars are nearly at the breaking point and the grand cleric refuses to do anything, even leaving the city." Marian said.
"Sounds like things are about to reach the breaking point." Bobbi noted.
Varric nodded. "I know a tragedy when I see one and like before you'll be in the center of it."
"The eye of the storm, huh." Marian looked grim.
"People say the safest place to be in, but we know better." Varric nodded.
"I guess we did the right thing by keeping an eye on things here." Clint said.
"An elf matching your description, on the ship you named. And alone, as far as I could tell." Aveline said as Wanda entered Fenris's mansion.
"I need to know if it's a trap." Fenris said impatiently.
"I did as you asked, Fenris. Now it's up to you." Aveline said.
"What's going on here?" Wanda asked.
"Let him tell you." Aveline said, about to leave. "I've had my fill for today."
"Venhedis. Fasta vass." Fenris stopped pacing, and leaned on the table.
"What's going on, Fenris?" Wanda asked.
The elf sighed. "It's my sister. I didn't tell Marian, but I followed up on Hadriana's information. Everything she said was true. I had to keep it quiet, but I eventually contacted Varania and sent her coin enough to come meet me. And now she's here."
"That's good, isn't it?" Wanda asked, not understanding where was the problem.
"My sister left Magister Ahriman's service, and I found her in Minrathous. That made things more difficult. But according to the men I paid, it's just as Hadriana said: she's not a slave." Fenris looked down at his hands. "She's a tailor, in fact. Getting a letter to her was difficult, and she didn't believe me at first…" A variety of expressions came over his face. "But she's finally come."
Wanda realized where was the problem. "You think Danarius might know.""
"The more it seems he doesn't know, the more certain I become he does!" Fenris exploded. "Come with me, Wanda. I need you there when I meet her."
"I'll see what I can do, if things go badly." Wanda promised.
"If we go to the Hanged Man during the day, she'll be there. For the next week, at least. It would mean a lot to me. That's all I ask." Fenris said.
Bobbi, Clint and Hunter were on their way out as they met Marian, Fenris, Wanda, Steve and Strange.
"What's going on?" Bobbi asked.
"Did a red-haired elven woman enter?" Fenris asked.
"Yeah…" Hunter said as Fenris burst in.
The red-haired elven woman at the table looked up as they approached. Her face remained expressionless. "It really is you."
Suddenly, the Avengers' instincts turned on as Isabela also seemed wary before they turned to the stairs. Something was wrong.
"Varania? I…" Fenris' voice softened. "I remember you. We played in our master's courtyard while Mother worked. You called me…"
"Leto." Varania said. "That's your name."
"What's wrong?" Fenris asked. "Why are you so…?"
"It's a trap!" Steve said.
Suddenly, an elderly man walked down the stairs, holding a staff, wearing mage robes, his face having a cruel, satisfied smile as they realized who it was. Fenris's former master came to reclaim his slave.
"Ah, my little Fenris. Predictable as always." Danarius said.
Varania stood and moved away. "I'm sorry it came to this, Leto."
"You led him here." Fenris snarled.
"Now, now, Fenris." Danarius smirked. His tone was patient, sounding almost like someone speaking to a child. "Don't blame your sister. She did what any good Imperial citizen should."
"I never wanted these filthy markings, Danarius. But I won't let you kill me to get them." Fenris growled, his markings glowing.
Danarius laughed. "Oh, how little you know, my pet." The magister glanced at Marian and the Avengers. "And this is your new master, then? The Champion of Kirkwall? And the Scarlet Witch? Impressive."
"Fenris is a free man." Wanda glared as she stepped up, her eyes flashing red, with the rest of the Avengers ready to fight. It took just few moments to know that Danarius was just as arrogant, smug and evil as Red Skull, Strucker, Thanos and other villains they had faced.
"Do I detect a note of jealousy? It's not surprising. The lad is rather skilled, isn't he?" Danarius said.
"Shut your mouth, Danarius!" Fenris snarled, reaching for his sword.
"The word is "master"!" Danarius glared, gesturing for his men to attack.
Mercenaries started to come down the stairs. Focused as they were on Fenris, they never saw Marian, Varric, Isabela, Clint, Bucky, Bobbi and Hunter coming. Isabela brought both of her daggers down into the shoulders of a mage that was starting to cast as Clint and Varric shot down several slavers as Bucky, Bobbi and Hunter swiftly took them down, while Steve bashed the slavers with his shield. Danarius put up a barrier around himself, then started summoning demons but Strange countered the spells Danarius casted before immobilizing him with Eldritch whips.
"What magic is this?" Danarius demanded.
"None like you ever saw." Strange said before he threw Tao Mandalas that sliced through the demons that Danarius had summoned.
The expression on Danarius's face when he realized his men and demons were being slaughtered was almost comical. The magister tried to bring another spell in but Wanda destroyed whatever energy had been forming in his hand with a gesture of her hands.
Fenris rushed at Danarius and grabbed him by his throat as Fenris's markings glowed. "You are no longer my master."
Danarius groaned and gagged before Fenris squeezed his throat, and there was a rather sickening squelching noise as blood burst out from his neck as Fenris ripped out the flesh of the magister as Fenris dropped him. Fenris then turned to his sister, who was cowering in a corner.
"Uh-oh." Steve said, realizing what was going to happen next.
"I had no choice, Leto." Varania held her hands in front of herself in a gesture that combined warding with surrendering.
Fenris was nearly snarling. "Stop calling me that."
"He was going to make me his apprentice. I would have been a magister." Varania said but that was not the best thing she could say in her defense.
"You're a mage?" Wanda realized.
"You sold out your own brother to become a magister?" Fenris started walking towards her.
"You have no idea what we went through. What I've had to do since Mother died. This was my only chance." Varania sneered.
"And now you have no chance at all." Fenris's markings glowed again as he reached for his sword.
"Please…" Varania begged. "Don't do this." She turned to Marian and Wanda with a begging look. "Please, tell him to stop!"
"Fenris, no!" Wanda said. "Don't kill her." Despite what Varania had done, and even if Fenris did not remember her, killing his own sister was not something Fenris should do. Especially, if some good memories of her would return to him.
"Why not? She was ready to see me killed. What is she to me other than just one more tool of the magisters?" Fenris snarled.
Steve stared. Fenris's anger reminded him a lot of, when Tony found out the truth about his parents' death, angry beyond any reason.
"This is your family. No matter what happened, this is going to haunt you forever." Steve advised as Fenris stopped, contemplating.
"Elf…" Varric stepped up, remembering, when he was ready to kill his own brother. "Fenris. I know how hard this is to believe, but this is the last thing you want to do."
Fenris looked from one to the other before giving Varania one last glare full of hate and contempt. "Get out."
Varania ran off, but stopped at the door as she turned to her brother. "You said you didn't ask for this, but that's not true. You wanted it. You competed for it. When you won you used the boon to have Mother and I freed."
"Why are you telling me this?" Fenris asked painfully as they felt a lot of sympathies for him.
"Freedom was no boon. I look on you now and I think you received the better end of the bargain." Varania said before leaving the tavern
Fenris looked around at the corpses piled on the floor. "I thought discovering my past would bring a sense of belonging, but I was wrong. Magic has tainted that, too. There is nothing for me to reclaim. I am alone." He looked down, as if he was sick of his own existence.
"You're not alone, Fenris." Wanda said as she held his hand as Fenris turned to her, contemplating. "Not all mages are terrible." She reminded as Fenris glanced at Anders and Strange. Wanda had told him enough about Strange to know that there are people, who use magic for good. But still…
Fenris held up his hands and stared at the markings. "You heard what Varania said. I wanted these. I fought for them. I feel unclean, like this magic is not only etched into my skin, but has also stained me soul. Let's go." He took a deep breath. "I need to get out of here."
They all sighed. As if Fenris had not suffered enough already.
"Poor man…" Bucky said. Fenris reminded him a little of himself due to not remembering… but such hatred towards mages… it made him wonder what the elven fugitive slave had been through.
"Was it really that bad for him?" Sam asked as they went out.
"Didn't think it was that bad." Wanda said. "I should talk to him."
"We'll wait." Steve said.
"You don't need to stay in this pit anymore, you know. Not that you haven't, er, fixed it up nicely." Varric said somewhat awkwardly as he and Aveline talked with Fenris in his manor.
"It's falling apart, and my ability to keep the seneschal from noticing is nearing an end." Aveline noted.
"I appreciate what you've done, Aveline." Fenris said.
"But you're staying. You could go anywhere now!" Varric pointed out.
Fenris leaned back, seeming tired. "Perhaps I don't wish to go anywhere."
Varric and Aveline sighed in frustration as they left before Wanda entered.
"Freedom must be a terrible burden, I guess." Varric muttered.
Wanda saw Fenris leaned onto a table, seeming tired as he sighed. "They don't understand. Yes, I am free. Danarius is dead. Yet… it doesn't feel like it should."
"You thought you'd feel better by killing him but you don't." Wanda said as she sat down.
"I suppose not." Fenris shrugged. "I thought if I didn't need to run and fight to stay alive, I would finally be able to live as a free man does. But how is that? My sister is gone, and I have nothing—not even an enemy."
"There's nothing in your past holding you back. Shouldn't you look up to what the future offers?" Wanda pointed out.
"Hmm. An interesting thought." Fenris mused, seeming contemplative. "It's just… difficult to overlook the stain that magic has left on my life. If I seem bitter, it's not without cause. Perhaps it is time to move forward. I just don't know where that leads. Do you?" He gave Wanda a pointed look.
Wanda stared. Even after all these years, all that her and Marian had shown him, he still had narrow-minded view on magic. "Are you really still blaming magic for everything?"
"Think about it, Wanda. Look at what happened to Leandra. Look at the life you and Marian have had to lead. Look at what those Stones had done to your friends." Fenris waved around. "Is there anyone, whose life has been touched by magic, that actually benefits?"
The Grey Wardens. Doctor Strange. Wanda could think of a lot of examples. Fenris still believed that it was simpler to blame magic for everything. Wanda could only shake her head at his narrow line of thinking. "I understand how you feel but blaming magic for everything isn't going to help."
"For every mage such as Bethany, you or that Strange, there are a dozen more too weak to handle their power." Fenris said, waving his hand. "Them, I fear. As should you. As should anyone." Wanda narrowed her eyes. There was some truth to what he had said. "But what's important now, is moving forward. I only wish I knew where that led."
"Nobody knows the future, Fenris." Wanda said.
"The future of a slave is never uncertain. But I'm no longer slave. Perhaps it's time I remember that." Fenris said after a moment of consideration. Wanda noticed that he was hesitant to bring something else up.
"What is it?" Wanda asked.
"We've… never discussed what happened between us three years ago." Fenris said hesitantly, barely able to look into Wanda's eyes.
"I wasn't sure you wanted to." Wanda said.
"I felt like a fool." Fenris looked down, ashamed. "I thought it better, if you hated me. I deserved no less."
Wanda felt sad for him. Because he had been condemning almost every mage, just for being who they were, he showed to Wanda, Bethany, Anders and Merrill dozens of reasons to spite him. Wanda, Merrill and Bethany were understanding where he was coming from but Anders didn't have patience with Fenris's prejudice.
"But it isn't better. That night…" Fenris got up. "I remember your touch as if it were yesterday. I should have asked for your forgiveness long ago. I hope you can forgive me now."
Wanda had never blamed him. In fact, he reminded her a lot of Bucky.
"There's nothing to forgive, Fenris. I've always understood." Wanda said as she took a breath. "Look, Fenris… I'm not sure if this will ever work, since we both know I don't belong here. But I'm willing to try."
"So am I." Fenris smiled as he kissed her. "If there is a future to be had, I will walk into it gladly at your side."
Wanda pulled away. "Just one thing… if you ever again run away, Clint and Marian are going to kill you."
"They're welcome to try." Fenris said, amused.
Present
"So, they killed a magister that wish to reclaim his slave. I'm surprised the Knight-Commander did not know of this." Cassandra looked disgusted.
"Danarius would hardly let his presence known if he wanted to come in secret." Leliana said.
"But well, I wonder whether the elf and the Scarlet Witch…"
"From what I've heard, he left into their world for a time. Although a lot of Tevinter slavers had died in the past three years."
"I see. Perhaps the dwarf can shed more light on that."
So, what do you guys think about it?
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