I would like to thank everyone who's supported this story. At first, I was hesitant about rewriting Arbitrary, but I'm glad I did now. Thank you all!
Title: Corpse Flower
Rating: M
Summary: My mind is a dark place, an endless abyss filled with horrors that no sane person could ever dream of. Everything I care about is gone, and I am constantly on the run as I struggle to control my demons. But my dark past is rapidly catching up with me, and my sanity continues to slip by the day. It hasn't helped that I'm now stuck with a bunch of egotistical superhumans, either. I just hope I don't end up killing them, too.
Warnings: Schizophrenia, Cannibalism, Extreme Gore, Masochism, Sadism, Torture, Graphic Descriptions of Illness, Graphic Descriptions of Corpses, Slight Necrophilia, Hallucinations/Delusions, Unreliable Narrator
Author Notes: Heed the warnings, as always. I put an element of cannibalism in here, but that's only because of Danny's severe lack of nutrition and influence from Dan on what he should eat...
Enjoy, and don't forget to read, review, like, favorite, and follow!
He was still looking at her as if he would snap her neck and very much enjoy doing it.
The man had endless, soul-piercing ice-blue eyes that sent chills down her spine whenever he looked her way. It was as if he were a beast stalking its prey, nevermind the daylight, and that he would absolutely cherish the moment when his teeth sunk deep into her pale, mortal flesh.
"Ma'am? Can I take your order?"
Flinching, she looked up to see the very man she had been fearing standing over her, a pad of paper and a pen in his hands as he stared down at her. Despite the soft smile plastered on his pale face, his eyes were as dark and cold as ever, filled with the pain and suffering that only an ageless being would even begin to understand or know.
When she remembered that he was a waiter at the restaurant she was sitting in, she stuttered over her words for a moment. "Sorry. I'll take a cinnamon scone and a coffee, black, please."
He never broke eye contact with her even as his pen moved across the paper. It was then that she noticed the thick, dark scars on his skin, horrific obstructions that, without them, would have made his hands otherwise beautiful in a way. As strange as it may seem, she knew those hands could do many things, and she knew that those long and slender, deceptive fingers held a dangerously hidden power that could shatter her if she tried to fight him.
Wrenching her mind from that place, she smiled and motioned for him to leave. But the waiter was already gone, and she was left alone with a heavy chill in the air above her.
I moaned as I bent over the toilet, coughing up another mouthful of bright crimson-green fluid. Acid fire ran through my body as I trembled harshly, my breathing hoarse and ragged as I braced myself with a hand on the wall of the bathroom stall.
Forbidden fruit or not, Daniel, you cannot deny that it was delicious.
I gagged and spat out another mouthful, grimacing deeply. You just don't know when to shut up, do you?
Oh, well aren't you just a moody little bucket of sass today?
My head was pounding now, and my skin was slicked with sweat. Why did you make me do that, of all things?
Make you? I did nothing, Daniel. You just gave into your desires, is all.
I ran a trembling hand over my face and settled into a crouched position, resting my head against the cool metal wall.
The roses are wilted, the violets are dead.
The demons run in circles, round and round in my head.
A pained cry tore from my throat, and I was slamming my fist into the ground, leaving a considerably sized crater in the worn, sticky tile. Heat washed over me, and then I was keeling over to cough violently, pain rattling through my chest.
Have you so little misery that you must create more? You're only harming yourself, you know.
I ignored the rumbling voices and slowly rose to my feet, panting heavily and pushing my hair out of my face.
I flinched as there was a knock on the door. "Daniel? Are you in here?"
A snarl curled back my lips and my eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Gerard?"
"Bossman wanted me to check on you. He saw you rush out in a hurry." There was a rattling as he tried to turn the doorknob. "Hey, why don't you let me in? I'm only trying to help."
I scowled and turned on the tap, splashing a handful of water on my face in an attempt to clear the fatigue and sickness from my expression. "I never asked for your help." Turning, I unlocked the door and stormed past him, leaving a trail of icy wind in my wake.
"Sir, may I ask how long you are going to pace? You have had the same window open for the past twenty minutes."
"Quiet, Jarvis. I'm trying to think."
"Is there something you need clarification on? The term 'necrophilia,' perhaps? It is defined as the attraction towards—"
Tony grimaced and waved his hands in the air. "Really don't need that here and now, buddy, okay? Not while I'm already knee-deep in some seriously messed up crap."
"Apologies, sir."
The scientist sighed and ran a hand over his face, shutting his eyes for a brief moment. He was finding it rather hard to concentrate, and if that was from the alcohol or the creepy kid file in front of him, he didn't know. Peering out from between his fingers, the scientist's eyes roamed over the spread out file papers before him.
"Jarvis, bring up a map and mark all the places this kid has been."
"Certainly, sir." A moment later, a large digital map appeared before the brunette, and he narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the image.
"Am I going crazy or am I seeing a pattern here?"
"Your sanity is forever questioned, sir, but the target seems to be traveling in the direction of New York City."
Tony grinned widely and mentally patted himself on the back. "Okay. Any idea where he is now?"
"If there is a pattern, he would currently be in the area of central North America."
Sighing and stretching, the man rose to his feet and took another drink from the glass on the desk. "I'm going for a road trip, Jarvis. If anyone calls, tell them I'm off to see the wizard."
"Very well, sir."
Fate is a very weighty word to throw around before breakfast, don't you think?
"What? What does that mean?"
You know very well, my dear Daniel. I can hear your thoughts, you know. Why are you thinking like this?
I began to pace back and forth, shaking my head. "I don't understand."
All this power and you're still nothing but a simple-minded human, aren't you? Do you really not know what I mean?
"How about you care to explain for once in your life?" I sighed and shut my eyes, leaning heavily against the kitchen counter as a wave of nausea overcame me.
Breathe, Daniel. You need to breathe.
"Shut...up." I coughed and grimaced at the taste of bile in the back of my throat, the ground lurching beneath my feet.
Enough of this, Daniel! I cannot keep offering my power if you keep rejecting it and make yourself sicker! Why do you not understand this?
"Because you're a crazed and delusional, cannibalistic monster who wants nothing more than to destroy my world!" I spun around and slammed a fist into the wall nearest me, leaving a deep, cracked indent in the brick, plaster, and mortar.
That may be true, but I do have your best interests at the bottom of my cold, motionless heart. After all, if you did not want me, I would not be here.
"As you no doubt have to constantly point out." Straightening slowly as I regained my sense of balance, I made my way deeper into the alley to find something worthy of being my home for the night.
Tony curled his lip back slightly as he took in the dingy motel from high in the air. Jarvis had managed to pinpoint a location of the teen SHIELD was hunting down, and although it had been days ago, it was a good place to start.
Taking a deep breath to steel himself, the billionaire landed and stepped out of his suit. "Keep her warm for me, buddy."
"Yes, sir."
As the scientist pushed open the door and stepped inside, the scent of sweat, faux leather, and mothballs hit him. He wrinkled his nose and approached the main desk, where a lanky young man with a five o'clock shadow was sitting, smoking a cigarette.
"Hey, there. I'm wondering if you've had any unusual guests lately?"
The man glanced up at the billionaire, irritation clear in his silver eyes. "Who's asking?"
With a sigh, Stark pulled out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and slid it across the counter. "I am."
A cruel light shone in the man's eyes, and he glanced up at his visitor. "Look, buddy. This is a roadside motel. Plenty of unusual people come through here. Any person in particular?"
Stark reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small, slightly worn photo. "Have you ever seen this guy? Maybe in the last week or so?"
The receptionist shrugged, scratching absentmindedly at the side of his neck. "Yeah. Came in all in a hurry, passed me a few bills, and booked a room alone in the back. Didn't come out for a few days, and he never came to check out." He perked up almost instantly, fascination passing across his face. "Why? Is he in trouble? Have I housed an escaped convict? Are you a suit?"
"What? Do I look like a suit to you?" Tony demanded, motioning to his body. "Forget about the literal suit I'm wearing. I'm just passing through and being a nosy bugger, after all. Mind showing me to his room?"
"Sorry." The young man shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "I'm not going to lose my job today. But you can come back with a warrant, suit."
"For the love of God, I'm not a suit," Stark grumbled, running his hands over his face before reaching into his pocket. "Call this number if you decide to remember anything else." He turned and headed for the door, pausing to glance over his shoulder. "Ask for Eyepatch, and be sure to hold the phone away from your ear."
I approached the motel silently, keeping to the shadows and steeling my body against the heat that nipped at my heels. My aura was out of sync, and my core was allowing the heat of the damp, humid night to affect me.
Daniel...
I flinched, my breath hitching as I swayed on my feet momentarily.
You're a monster!
Nothing but a freak!
My hands trembled, and my vision flashed wildly. No. I had to control myself. I couldn't afford to lose my grasp on reality, not right now.
"I'm wondering if you've had any unusual guests lately?"
I froze, frost crawling up the side of my neck and face. The beast inside of me stirred, desperate to be unleashed upon the prey that was so close to us.
Daniel, listen closely. What is he searching for?
A snarl rumbled in the back of my throat, and I found myself baring my teeth. "They're looking for me."
Kill them.
You know you want to.
Sink your teeth deep into their flesh...
Consume their bodies whole.
Now.
Now.
Now!
"Stop it!" Without realizing it, I had fallen to my knees, gasping hoarsely as I struggled to suppress the homicidal urges rising within me. My stomach protested, declaring its hunger to the world as the barely concealed fantasies only fueled my hunger. My breathing only became heavier as I felt heat wash over me, making my head reel and my body tremble even harder.
A chill worked its way down my spine, and the ravenous hunger in my body lessened slightly.
I didn't ask for your help.
Well, if you wanted to go in there and devour everyone, I could unleash your hunger and let you do so. Just don't whine and mope when you've realized what you've done.
You act like I'm actually going to eat them.
You haven't exactly eaten anything else, Daniel. If you gain your sustenance from fresh human corpses, then so be it.
I don't want that and you know it.
Your hunger says otherwise, my boy.
Do you realize how strange it is for you to call me that? We're technically the same person.
I was like you once, but not anymore.
I sighed and ran a hand over my face, my desire for flesh having passed for the moment. "What are we going to do about this?"
Nothing for now. You don't want a corpse on your hands and you've got enough to worry about—like your health, for that matter.
Stop acting like you care.
Oh, but, my boy, I do.
"Sure, you do." I managed to regain my rationality and turned to head down the hidden path I had arrived on. But before I could move, my senses screamed and my other half roared, and I found my body fading from sight.
The sound of heavy, thudding footsteps reached me, and I backed away slowly and silently. Through the trees to the side of me, a tall suit of crimson and gold armor was steadily making its way down the worn and broken, dusty path.
"Jarvis, keep searching. I could have sworn that my scanners picked up something out here earlier."
Daniel, he is looking for you. Get out of here. Now.
Not yet. I want to see what I'm up against.
Obviously someone very wealthy with a lot of time on their hands. He's walking in a fancy tin suit, Daniel. Nothing good can come out of this.
Can't blame me for being curious, can you?
Your curiosity will be the cause of the rest of your death, my dear Daniel. I do hope you—
What? You hope I keel over and die? A snarl curled back my lips and I unintentionally clenched my hands into fists, my extended nails digging into my skin and drawing blood. My eyes clenched shut as a sudden wave of fury and disgust washed over me, and I was trembling violently as I struggled to remain rational.
My aura flared out and collided with something hard, and I hissed at the impact and stumbled back a few steps. Lips curling back in a snarl, my eyes snapped open.
The armored human was standing directly in front of me, his red-and-gold head tilted to the side. I could taste the confusion, agitation, and intrigue in his aura.
"Well, well, well. What have I found here?"
Tony Stark came to a stop as he stepped out of the motel, a chill working its way down his spine.
The feeling of eyes on him had returned.
Behind the cover of a rotted brick wall, Tony stepped into the familiar form of his armor.
"Jarvis."
"No need to ask, sir. I am currently scanning for nearby life forms."
"Put up defensive shielding, just in case."
"Certainly, sir."
The iciness of the air continued to grow stronger as the scientist surveyed the area, scanners constantly searching for any obstructions in the world around him. The suit creaked, each step becoming heavier and heavier as Stark moved closer to whatever hidden target was lurking in the shadows.
"Sir, I am detecting a dangerous drop in temperature. Caution is strongly advised."
Stark did not bother to reply, his head swiveling back and forth. The scanners were going haywire, static flitting across his vision as he struggled to find the source of the massive amount of energy.
"—profound amount of...—nergy—"
"Jarvis?"
"—I cannot—malfunction—"
The line cut off without warning, leaving the scientist completely in the dark.
A deep, feral growl rumbled through the clearing, and the air in front of him visibly trembled. For a brief moment, two molten crimson eyes tore a hole in the inventor's soul, and that same eerie chill raced down his spine once again.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and then Stark was whipping around, fists raised in the air.
That same maniacal growl sounded again, and then a monstrous force was slamming into his body. Tony clenched his teeth together as the sound of creaking metal met his ears; he could feel the bending and warping material dig into his skin and was forced to bite back a pained groan.
"Human."
A deep, thunderous voice tore through the tense silence, and then two powerful hands were clamping down on the billionaire's arms. With a vicious wrench, the metal was torn away and cast off to the side with a clatter.
Before him appeared none other than the very being he was hunting. Seemingly human in appearance, the target known as Daniel Fenton glared at him through incensed, murderous eyes. From within the depths of molten lava eyes, Stark could see the raging desire and ravenous hunger filling his eyes. From what he could tell, the monster before him was furious, and his fury was only fueled by the yearning for what Stark assumed to be his own flesh.
The beast pushed harder against the armored man, his gaze rapidly changing from furious to ravenous to dangerously unexpressive. A cry of pain escaped the billionaire as the metal of his suit splintered off and cut through the skin-tight shirt he was wearing, easily tearing through skin and drawing out blood.
Daniel's eyes flickered, and Tony could have sworn that they turned the briefest shade of ice blue. He hesitated as the human-like creature eyed the blood dripping down the inventor's arm, his tongue passing over his exposed teeth as something like a longing groan escaped the back of his throat.
Tony attempted to jerk away from his captor, but the raven-haired young man tightened his grasp. The sound of splintering bone echoed sharply, and Stark failed to restrain an exclamation of pain as acid fire raced through his body.
The beast lurched forward and pressed his weight into the inventor, steadily pushing against his prey until his back slammed into the ground. Gasping as he tried to catch his breath, Tony glared defiantly up at the monster and was met with a shocking sight.
Two cold, glazed ice blue eyes stared down at him through a pale and weary face. Tangled raven hair hung in thick strands around his face, neck, and shoulders, and his chest heaved with heavy and unsteady, hoarse breaths. Tears streamed down his skin and landed on the scientist's face, causing Stark to flinch back even as he glared at the beast.
"Please..." The monster's voice was soft and broken, carrying the weight of an unbeatable task that no doubt caused everlasting pain and longing. "Please, don't make me do it..."
"I'm not making you do anything," Tony muttered, watching his captor's movements carefully. "You have a mind of your own."
Daniel trembled violently, an agonized moan escaping his throat. Saliva dripped from his chin as his teeth extended to lethal points, and the faintest trace of frost began to appear on his skin. "No—stop it—I d-don't want t-to—" He groaned and doubled over, the motion causing his weight to press even harder into the restrained man beneath him. Tony's back arched against his will and he cried out as the added weight put a fiery pressure on his splintered bones.
"Don't do that. Don't scream—please..." Wide, dull blue eyes stared through a curtain of terror as the monster disguised as a young man stared down at his captive prey. "I can't handle—I'm so, so hungry..." He trembled even harder, if possible, and the dangerous chill in the air dropped to painfully numbing temperatures. "You're going to make me—God, no—!"
Leaning forward, Daniel bared his teeth and snarled, the violent crimson reappearing in his broken stare. His tongue snaked out and trailed over torn, bruised flesh, and a heavy moan left his throat as he rocked his weight against his prey.
"Kid!" Tony ground out, eyes wide with disgust and fear as he fought the urge to buck again. "Kid, listen to me. I can get you help, but you need to be cooperative."
"Cooperative? No, I don't—they're going to hurt me again! I don't want t-that!"
"Hurt you again?" Stark frowned deeply, narrowing his eyes. "What do you—?"
But Daniel was no longer listening, shaking his head back and forth as he moaned softly. Tony could not help but notice that his eyes were crimson once again, and the ice on his skin was spreading out over his entire body.
"Hear my warning, human."
The scientist jolted and groaned as pressure was put onto his wounds, and he stared through watering eyes at his enemy.
The beast was staring at him, but his expression was of cold indifference. His eyes held the wisdom and suffering of an ageless and wandering spirit, and his lips were turned down slightly in a frown as an unnaturally long and forked tongue passed over his chin.
"Be very happy that we let you out of here alive."
Before he had a chance to react, a fist was flying towards his face, and Tony Stark was knocked into a black, dreamless sleep.
There's Chapter Three! Feel free to leave constructive criticism and to point out any errors if you find any! Read and review, please~