Playtime

Part 1
Thanatos threw his ring at Riddle out of frustration. "Fine. Since you seem to want my power so badly, you can have it."

The ring pelted Riddle in the back of the head, causing him to yelp in surprise more so than pain. He hissed in anger, rounding on his counterpart. His anger faded immediately upon seeing the ring laying innocently upon the ground. Strange, that it was born of such lack of innocence. He carefully picked up the sparkling piece of jewelry, both unassuming and attractive all at once. He ran his fingertips along the sharp edges before looking up at Thanatos and smiling beautifully.

"We're going to have a bit of fun, you and I." He laughed, looking hungrily at his 'brother'.
/—–

That was a mistake. Thanatos hadn't thought his actions through very well and the look Riddle was giving him caused a sinking feeling in his gut. He was just trying to get his brother's attention, and had completely forgotten that his soul was tied to the ring. Now that Riddle had it, an odd feeling began to develop inside of him. Something strange and unnamable. He reached out in an attempt to reclaim his host.

Riddle was quick on his feet, he darted out of grasp and held the ring up to the light admiringly. He ran his thumb lovingly along the gemstone, the smooth metal ring before slipping it on to his index finger and shooting his brother a wicked, indulgent smile.

"Oh, come now Thanatos. Don't you wan't to have a bit of fun with me? Isn't this what you always wanted?" He laughed coldly, sending his own power pumping through the ring, forcing his counterpart under his will. "You finally have my attention, brother. Now, let's see you keep it."
—-

Thanatos could feel Riddle's power at the edge of his mind and desperately pushed back with his own ebbing power. As he continued to fight Riddle off, he tried once more to grab the ring from Riddle's finger.

Yet, for as hard as he fought against the mental assault, he found it harder to focus as Riddle overwhelmed him. He panicked as his body stopped responding to his commands and fell to his knees. He found himself unable to move or do anything beyond passively sitting there, staring blankly ahead as Riddle took control over his mind and body. He fruitlessly continued to struggle until his mind was finally quieted, bound under Riddle's will.

He sat there, waiting for his master's first command.

"Thanatos…" Riddle's voice was soft as velvet as he watched his brother struggle before him. He bit back cruel laughter, kept his emotions carefully in check as he watched Thanatos crumple to the floor. The other man stared blankly up at him, but he was bound to the ring, and the ring was now bound to Riddle.

Riddle smiled. There was a hungry glint in his eyes.

"Calm down, brother. You're in good hands." He lowered himself, kneeling beside Thanatos, reaching out tentatively as though to test whether or not his counterpart was faking his submissive nature. "I promise I'll be far more gentle than our lordship has been to you."

Part 2
Ava was patient. She had waited this long, she could wait a bit more. Looking at the clock, she mentally counted down the seconds until it hit midnight. The moment it did, she stood up from her perch and stretched, as a wicked smirk crept across her lips and a mischievous glint returned to her emerald eyes. After a full month of being stuck in this bloody fortress, she was ready to make her move and get out of there. It had almost been fun, playing the part of a broken little doll. It was even more entertaining that they hadn't suspected a thing. As far as she knew, they would assume that she wouldn't dare cross her "masters" and try to escape. They thought she was completely under their control, pleasantly content in her submission. If only they knew how wrong they were.

Hiking up her skirt, she quietly made her way to the door. She didn't really worry too much about running into someone. She had been listening all day, and figured out that they were all relatively busy with whatever the hell they were doing. In all honesty, she didn't care what it was, as long as it kept them occupied as she made her escape.

The wards on the door leading outside, the ones that were supposed to keep her and the others from leaving, weren't anything new. In fact, they weren't all that strong. It was as if they were designed to keep people out, rather than in. She assumed a lot of that came from their greedy dependence on each other. That they would have no reason to leave. Whatever. That just meant less work for her. With a bit of prodding at the right places, the wards disappeared just long enough to let her through.

Stepping out into the brisk December air, she made her way back to her flat for a change of clothes. She didn't have a lot of time before she'd have to head over to the Blanchard's for Christmas, but she'd do what she could. Either way, she wasn't going to let those bastards keep her from enjoying her holidays. When she was far enough away, she turned around and mock saluted the fortress. "Catch me if you can," she whispered. As she walked away, the mark on her arm pulsed ever so slightly.

Part 3
Ava looked lazily at the young man who had shown up not even two days after she had made her escape. "Well. That didn't take long," she mused. "I see Riddle sent you to do the dirty work. Leave it to him to send one of his toys to come get me, rather than come himself. I suppose I should applaud him for being /so/ like Voldemort himself, with them not wanting to stain their hands so they send their little executioner."

She began to circle him, tauntingly. "I have no intentions of returning, you know. But before I kick you out, perhaps I should repay the favor you so graciously gave me." Reaching up, she ran her finger across his cheek, in the same place he had cut her almost two weeks ago when he forcefully slapped her. "I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about."

With a chilling laugh, she spun away. "Or maybe not. Like you said, my defiance isn't productive, so I'd just be wasting energy. Then again, despite the lack of usefulness, it does keep the lot of you coming back." She waved her hand dismissively. "Well, that's all. You can run home to your masters now. I'm going to make myself some tea."

Thanatos didn't say anything as he watched Ava. He let her ramble on, although her words bored him. He wanted to complete his tasks as efficiently as possible and quickly return to the safety of his master. Her words barely bothered him, although he winced slightly when Ava touched his face, remembering his guilt.

Riddle had found out that Thanatos had harmed his precious doll prior to his surrender. While he had been graciously forgiven, he still remembered the look on Riddle's face when he found out. He was almost scared to disappoint his master now. He had to bring Riddle's bird back to her cage.

He finally spoke when Ava turned around to make tea. "Our master gave you a gift, Ava. He bestowed upon you a great honor, and you ran away from it. You should know better than anyone that our master never gives up his posessions. You should be grateful, as it is safety for us." As he spoke, he withdrew his wand and cast his spell at her with lightning quick reflexes. "Immobilus!"

~~~~~
With her back still turned to him, Ava gave an exasperated sigh before gracefully stepping out of the way of the spell, watching it shoot past her instead. "Okay then. I /won't/ make tea." She turned to face him once again.

"You seem to be under the impression that we are similar, dear Thanatos. You see, unlike you, I don't have any desire whatsoever to be controlled. It's not a gift and it's by no means an honor. Why would I be grateful for something I want no part of?"

The energy in the room seemed to crackle between them, most of it being given off by the stubborn young woman. She was growing tired of this game of cat and mouse. Not to mention that her arm had been burning painfully for the past 48 hours or so. She knew exactly why it was flaring, but she had no plans of going, no, /crawling/ back to those who claimed to be her masters.
~~~~~~

"Riddle wants you back at his side, so back at his side you will be. Whether you like it or not, you are returning with me." Irritation colored his voice as he stalked towards Ava. He laughed, his grin almost insane. "We have plans for you, little bird. It's not being controlled, exactly. You'll be a part of something bigger, something grander than you can even imagine. All of us are connected, and it makes us stronger. There will be no more fighting, no more useless defiance."

He maneuvered around, trying to corner Ava against the kitchen counter as his wordlessly cast his paralyzing spell as quickly as he could.

Dammit. Wordless spells were always much harder to avoid. She didn't respond to his words at first, instead focusing her energy on watching his actions in an attempt to continue dodging his curses. It wasn't easy, but she'd done it before with Aurora's insane cousin. One of the perks of growing up with American wizards.

"I'm sure that's fine…being horcruxes and all….but…I'm not…a horcrux." Her sentences were fragmented as she multitasked. "I…don't want…to be…a part of your plans."

What she failed to notice was that, as she dodged, she was being forced backwards. It wasn't until her back hit the edge of the counter that she realized she just might have bitten off more than she could handle. Shit.
~~~~~

"You revived us. It doesn't matter what you want, you're a part of this." Thanatos smirked as he loomed over her, trapping her between himself and the counter, wand threateningly pointed at her. "Therefore, you are valuable to us. Immobilus."

There was nowhere to go. Even though he was so much taller than her, there wasn't enough time to slip under the arm with which he raised his wand before the spell hit her full on.

Frozen in place, Ava couldn't do anything but helplessly glare at him, completely at his mercy.

She cursed mentally. Why did she go after that damn diary all those months ago. It had brought her nothing but trouble. And now she was in too deep to escape.
~~~~~

Thanatos smiled to himself. Victory was always sweet, and he didn't even have to resort to harming the little bird. His master would be pleased. Casting a shrinking spell on her, he picked her up and left, ready to return Riddle's pet to her proper place.

Part 4
There was no doubt that Ava was fuming. She sat, staring out the window of her cage, angrily drumming her fingers against the windowsill. She just couldn't understand their motives at this point. What the hell was so important or special about her that they couldn't wait even a week before chasing her down? Half the time they were so busy with each other they left her alone anyway.

She sighed before standing up and moving to the other side of the room. Maybe there was a book she hadn't read yet. She doubted it, but it would give her something to do. It wasn't like she could go anywhere. The damn blood bastards had put special wards on her room, effectively trapping her in her chambers. There was nothing she could do but wait until someone miraculously had time in their schedule to visit her so she could demand answers.

At least she didn't have to wear those bloody dresses or play pretend this time. She still couldn't get Riddle's necklace off, however. Damn trinket probably charmed it or something.

Part 5
Ava looked around nervously, her eyes brimming with a mix of anticipation and fear. Her whole body was tensed as she curled into herself, shrinking back further into the chair in which she sat. The silence was overwhelming as her eyes darted from horcrux to horcrux, wondering who would make the first move.

There was no doubt in her mind that they were angry at her, maybe even furious. Riddle especially. After all, his little pet bird had slipped away after putting on a very convincing act of submission. From an outsider's perspective, it was almost comedic how this tiny, Muggle girl had out-manipulated the master of manipulation himself. But inside the fortress, no one was laughing.

Wetting her lips, Ava eventually broke the silence. "I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you're after. I don't regret my actions." Her voice was quiet but controlled.

Part 6
Light poured into the opulent room. The heavy drapes were drawn back to reveal a library, a study of sorts. The books were gilded with gold, inlaid with leather. The heavy parchment yellowed and old. The chairs were cushioned. The wine within the decanters was aged and full-bodied. The crystal was polished. The pictures within the frames were regal and well dusted. The room was absolutely beautiful.

Ava's cage was gilded to perfection.

She sat, trapped and ensnared by the power of the Dark Lord as the sun reached it's zenith outside her window, wondering exactly what was to become of her now that she had been unceremoniously dragged back to the fortress. She had escaped for a short time, managed to free herself from the haze of torment and hypnosis that Riddle had locked her within. Now she sat, a perfectly poised doll within a perfectly decorated room.

Riddle entered, the ease of his gait made the action seem almost casual as he shut the door behind him and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. "You won't believe the day I've had, Ava. I'm so happy to be done with it." The look he gave her could only be described as 'relieved'. "What, with the Imperial Ambassador of China seeking an audience at the same time as the Russian Trade officials, I've been swamped. You'll have to forgive my lateness." He gestured flippantly with his hand about the room. "It's good to see that you've been comfortable though. How have you been, little bird?"

Ava stared at him, her lips tight, eyes wide. She would not admit to being afraid. She would not.

Riddle's lips twitched into a pitying smile as he shook his head knowingly. "You know, I feel so…oh, what's the word…perhaps, complete. When you're near, I feel more complete. I think it may have something to do with the way you recreated myself and my brothers. I feel connected to you." He peered at her, framed in the midday light, clothed in the fine ruffles and beautiful garments he had forced her into. She stared back, her expression had not shifted.

"But you left, Ava. You left us behind." He got up and moved towards her. He knelt before her gently and laid his delicate hands on her shoulder. Ava tensed at the action, detesting the contact and longing for it all at once, unable to look away from those beautiful eyes. "I was so grateful to you for bringing us back. You did us a great service, even if by accident. Perhaps that makes you think you are impervious to my anger."

The fingers began to tighten about her throat. Ava found herself frozen, unable to move as breathing became a horrifying impossibility. She tensed and squirmed, her fingers clawing at the seat, still unable to look away from Riddle's beautiful face as he sadly continued speaking.

"You're not, little bird. You're just as disposable as any of my servants. I've found you to be such a comfort in these past few months, but if you disappoint me in this way…" The fingers clenched tighter, air was now cut off completely. "I will have to do away with you. Do you want me to do that, little bird? Do you want me to hurt you?" His voice was soft, gentle, almost timid as Ava's eyes began to roll into the back of her head as she fought for life.

Riddle loosened his grip. Ava gulped down air and sputtered for breath. Riddle knelt before her, entirely unperturbed, and waited for her to collect herself. She trembled as he leaned forward slowly, carefully.

"You've toyed with dark magic, Ava." He whispered, intimate and personal. "You've tied our souls together. Don't think you can so easily escape that." Their lips met for a heartbeat of a moment. The warmth and intimacy outlined by the threat beneath Riddle's words and the fear in Ava's eyes.

Riddle pulled back and gave her a playful smile before straightening and brushing off his smartly styled robes. "Well, there's still so much to do, my dear little Starling. Do be good for me, will you? Don't disappoint me again." His eyes lingered on her for a moment too long before he turned casually towards the door. "So much to organize, so much to control, so little time." He said in sing-song before closing the door soundly behind him.

The lock turned in place with a heavy click.

Virgin lips, taken as easily as breathing. Even after Riddle left, Ava could feel the sensation of his lips pressed against hers. While she was disgusted by the action, she was even more disgusted with herself for the slightest feeling of pleasure she had felt when he kissed her. As much as she abhorred it, Riddle knew what buttons to push. He knew, not only how to get under her skin, but how to make her feel cared for. It was love in the most twisted sense of the word, and Ava hated how she continued to fall prey to it. A broken soul clinging to any affection offered to her.

Part 7
"Oh, splendid!" Riddle smiled brightly, clapping his hands together as he looked down at her fondly. "You look fantastic. I knew you would, my little starling. You know how much I love it when you dress for me."

Everything from the immaculately laced corset, to the sparkling emeralds and the frills of lace seemed to make Ava's skin stand out as though it were porcelain. Riddle seemed enthralled. He owned her, she was his perfect little toy and he would do with her what he pleased. It certainly pleased him to see her this way, compliant and perfect.

Except she wasn't. She hated the way he had her dress, especially when one considered everything it stood for. The only reason she was doing it this time was because she was almost certain he really would kill her if she didn't obey. She had already angered him enough with her brief stint of freedom. So, instead, she bit back words of venom and quietly fumed, glaring murderously with eyes of poison. No matter what, she couldn't allow him to get to her. She refused to be broken.

Part 10

"You'll never be free of me, of any version of me, Ava, not unless we can get out of here. Together." Tom held her hand tightly in his own, his eyes pleading. "Please..." he whispered.

Seeing him like this almost broke her heart. While she wasn't his biggest fan, it pained her to see him so defeated. "I want to help you, Tom, I really do." Ava rolled up her lacy sleeve, revealing her mark. "But as long as I have this damn thing, any version of you can track me down. It took Riddle and Thanatos less than 48 hours to find me after I left."

She rolled her sleeve back down. "But I care about you. I really do. If you want to escape, I will do everything in my power to help you."

Tom grabbed her wrist and forced the sleeve up to the elbow again. The mark stood out angrily against her skin, he'd given that mark to many a people but he didn't know, even with his newly gifted wand, if he could undo it. He had never planned to unbrand his followers.

He ghosted a kiss over her marred arm, the magic lingered there and made his lips tingle.

"I will free you from this," he rolled her sleeve down. "Then we will get out of this madhouse."

Ava winced slightly at his lips on her skin. It reminded her a little too much of Riddle's recent actions.

"Not that I don't trust your abilities, but do you think you'll be able to? Without any of the others knowing?" She lowered her voice. "Even if you free me, we'll have to be careful. Our dear Riddle has been keeping a close eye on me ever since I escaped a few weeks ago. And before you say anything, I was planning on coming back for you, I promise. I saw what happened at the flat. You didn't deserve that." She looked at him with genuine sympathy. Then an expression of curiosity passed over her face.

"Why do you want me to join you anyway? You'd only be making things more complicated, as both Riddle and Thanatos, who is Riddle's latest toy, are personally seeing to it that I stay trapped here. I'd only bring you trouble. Besides, last time I checked you found me to be an asshole who never has a pleasant or productive thing to say."