This is the sequel to 'Hostile Takeover'. I call the series 'Originals & SHIELD Agents'. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Elijah stood by the window in his office and looked at New York City and the battlefield that it had turned into. He shook his head in disbelief. Just when he thought that after 1000 years nothing could surprise him anymore, there was an alien invasion.

Behind him he heard the agitated voices of his employees, who were also staring out of the windows.

Elijah pulled himself together, he now had to make sure that his employees could escape to safety and that the building, which he owned, was cleared.

"Everyone, listen to me!" He called out loud. "Leave the building but don't go out into the street, go through the basement. Use the stairs, the elevator is for those who cannot use them. On the way down, stop at each floor and pass this message on. I will take care of the three floors that are above us."

Elijah now had the attention of everyone in the room and he used his compulsion. "Keep your nerve and make sure that everyone else keeps calm too. Go!"

His employees, used to following his instructions, obeyed immediately.

Elijah followed them. The stairwell leading up was still deserted. Elijah decided to start with the top floor and used his vampire speed to get upstairs. Here, everyone was still standing at the window and stared spellbound outside.

Elijah sighed internally about today's human inclination to gawking rather than acting. He whistled loudly through his teeth and everyone present jumped frightened before they turned to him. He repeated his instructions. At first everyone was a little reluctant but when Elijah used the full strength of his personality against them, for which he didn't even need compulsion, they quickly became more cooperative.

Elijah grinned smugly, he still had it. He repeated the same procedure on the next two floors.

When he returned back to his level, he was pleased to see it deserted. He used his vampire speed to run through all the offices, making sure that nobody had been left behind.

Elijah went back into the stairwell and watched the people going down in an orderly manner. The initial fear had subsided and now everyone was moving quickly but without panic. He followed the last people and made sure it stayed that way.

On each floor, he checked that no one had been left behind. Finally the building was completely cleared. Elijah raced one last time all the way up to check that the top three floors had also been cleared.

He was on the floor above his when Elijah heard a loud detonation from the top and felt the building distinctly tremble. Then he heard a window break in the next office, which was not unusual given the detonation but then he heard the groaning of a man in pain.

Now gotten curious Elijah decided to check the situation, however, he was amazed when he recognized Agent Barton. He was in a uniform, had a bow in his hand and carried an empty quiver on his back, on which he, judging by his pained face, must have landed hard.

Elijah crouched down next to Barton. "Agent Barton, can you get up?"

The SHIELD agent looked so confused at him as if he didn't know him. Elijah frowned in concern. The man's face was gaunt and his eyes haunted, he looked like he had several times gone through hell.

On the spur of the moment, Elijah bit his wrist and held it to Barton's mouth. "Drink it!"

Barton obeyed dazedly and Elijah could see his eyes becoming sharper and more alert. His body was healing noticeably but even Elijah's blood could not remove the bone deep exhaustion that ruled Barton's body.

"Elijah Smith? What are you doing here?" Barton asked, straightening up. He grimaced in pain at the movement of his bruised back, where he still carried his empty quiver.

Elijah got up and held out his hand to Barton, who took it. Elijah pulled him up before he answered: "It is my office building, my company's headquarter is one floor below."

"Oh, okay! The people…?" Barton became increasingly focussed and Elijah could now recognize the strongminded man, he had met a few months ago.

"Everyone left the building, it is completely evacuated", Elijah answered patiently. "We are the last people here."

"That is good." Barton frowned. "Did you just give me your blood to drink?" He asked puzzled and a little disgusted.

"Yes, I did", Elijah replied amused. "Did it help you?"

Barton listened inward as he checked the condition of his body. "Yes, a little! How can that be?"

Elijah thought for a moment. They weren't safe yet, maybe it was better that Barton knew what he was capable of. "Remember our last encounter, Clint!"

"Damn it!" Barton said, stunned when he remembered their last meeting. "Not only aliens but now vampires too, both at the same day?! How is that my life?"

"Well, at least we vampires were human once", Elijah replied with a smirk. "Can you deal with this knowledge or would you prefer that I take away your memory again?"

"No, thank you. A so called god played enough with my mind in the last few days", Barton replied bitterly.

"Why, what happened to you?" Elijah asked curiously.

Barton pondered briefly, then told Elijah what had happened to him. Strangely enough, despite everything that had happened the last time, Clint had a certain trust in the vampire. Elijah simply reminded him too much of Phil with his composure.

Elijah listened attentive to Clint's story. "No wonder, you look so battered and exhausted", he said finally dismayed. "Where are Phil and Natasha?" He inquired about the other SHIELD agents he had met.

Clint swallowed hard. "Phil is dead, Loki murdered him. Natasha is out there trying to close the wormhole."

"I regret your loss", said Elijah, genuinely affected, he had liked Phil.

"Thank you, Elijah", Clint said in a hoarse voice.

"What would you like to do next?" Elijah was content to let Clint make all the decisions. After all, that was his job.

"I have to go back in the fight to help the others. I just wish I had my spare quiver with me", Clint muttered. "I hate it to be unarmed."

"I can understand that. Where can I find it?" Elijah asked calmly.

"In our crashed ship." Clint thought for a moment. "The ship should be in front of the office building next to this one. The quiver is in the cockpit, I left it hanging over the pilot's seat."

Elijah thought for a moment. "Let's us at first go to the stairwell and get a few floors behind us. Then I'll walk ahead and get your quiver for you. You will have it before you are getting into the next fight."

Clint frowned. "How are you going to do that?"

"Remember, I'm a lot faster than you. What you saw a few months ago was nothing." Elijah smiled pleasantly. "They were young vampires, it wasn't necessary to use all my speed against them."

Clint gulped as he remembered the speed and ease with which Elijah had eliminated ten other vampires. "You won't put yourself in danger through that?"

"Have you already forgotten? I'm immortal and indestructible." Elijah smirked again.

Clint nodded briefly, then focused back on the present. "Let's get out of here before the Chitauri find out where I've gone."

Elijah froze suddenly and looked over Barton's shoulder. "I'm afraid, it's too late for that", he remarked in a calm voice.

Clint spun around to find six Chitauri standing behind him, their weapons pointed at him. They must have come through the broken window. They completely ignored Elijah, who for them was unarmed, and who posed no threat for them or so they thought.

Elijah stood now beside him and eyed the aliens fearlessly. "What can you tell me about their abilities?"

"They're very strong and a little faster than normal people", Clint replied quietly. "I think that they have some kind of a hive mind."

"Well, if that's all." Elijah smiled and took a step forward. "Gentlemen, I am Elijah! Welcome to Earth!"

A Chitauri with a gold helmet growled at him.

"I don't think he can answer you in our language", said Clint amused. Again reminded Elijah him of Phil, a stab went through Clint's heart when he thought of his dead friend, self-controlled, completely unimpressed in the face of danger and with a touch of cheekiness.

"The only thing that is important that he understands my words. Gentlemen, I should let you know that I'm not a normal human. It would undoubtedly be better for your survival if you let us go now before I am forced to kill you."

Clint snorted entertained and said. "Really?"

"I always consider it polite to give a fair warning." Elijah smirked. "However, if they do not listen to my warning, I reserve the right to react accordingly."

Clint laughed. "Have fun then." He took a step back.

The leader now waved his weapon in the direction of Elijah, who took this as his answer.

Faster than Clint could see, Elijah stood now behind the leading Chitauri, and tore first him his head off before tearing out the backbones of the next two Chitauri.

The Chitauri had now realized that the unarmed man, whom they had considered harmless, posed a greater danger to them than they had ever thought. But it was too late for them.

Clint watched in disbelief as Elijah literally tore the remaining three Chitauri to pieces. It looked like Elijah had really held back the last time they had met. After the last one was dead, Elijah rummaged through its entrails, seemingly searching for something. Finally he seemed to have found what he was looking for, for he straightened up. Elijah was from top to bottom sullied with blood or what was considered blood by the Chitauri.

"What were you looking for?" Clint asked dazedly. He had seen a lot of violence in his life, a lot of it in the last few hours, but he had never seen anything like this before.

Elijah looked at him and Clint needed all of his self-control not to shrink away from the face that was now looking at him. The eyes were red and black, with black lines appearing around them. Not to mention Elijah's vampire teeth, which Clint now saw for the first time. But the most terrifying thing was the ancient and inhuman look in Elijah's eyes.

An apex predator stood in front of Clint and Clint's instinct advised him to stand completely still and not make any movement that could be interpreted as an attempt to escape or to attack.

Elijah looked for a moment at him as if he didn't recognise him, then he took a deep breath and his face became wholly human again.

"I apologize! The smell from these creatures and of their blood is provocative to my senses and seems to increase my natural aggressiveness, which is already considerable. I've been looking for his heart. Ripping out the spine is so messy." Elijah wrinkled his nose when he looked down at himself.

Clint swallowed again. "No problem. Shall we go?"

"If these Chitauri really have a hive mind, this would be reasonable. Go ahead, I'll cover your retreat until we get to the stairwell." Elijah made a gesture and Clint started moving. It made him feel uncomfortable to turn his back on someone he was so helpless against. Clint had no illusions, he knew when he was outmatched through someone.

If Elijah noticed Clint's discomfort, he decided not to comment on it. As soon as they got a few floors behind them, Elijah pushed past Clint. The human's heartbeat, which had first calmed down, quickened for a moment before slowing down again.

"I'll get your quiver", Elijah said simply. He was impressed with the nerve strength of the agent.

Clint watched how Elijah practically vanished before his eyes, then he took a deep breath. He was glad that he had a chance to be alone for a few minutes. This was without a doubt the most dangerous creature he had ever met. Even Natasha at the beginning of their friendship couldn't compare to him and she'd been very scary.

Clint was just glad that Elijah appeared to be on his side and didn't plan to kill him to protect his secret. Okay, of course he could erase Clint's memory at any time. Clint grimaced at this thought.