Disclaimer: Song is not mine. Song belongs to Mirah.
Chapter Nine
"Kael."
The name slips from his lips unbidden and broken, so full of both relief and grief that it's almost tangible. Beside him, Jeice wears and expression that matches his tone almost exactly and it breaks his heart. His brothers are hurting and its all the humans' fault.
"Do not...hate... them... brother." He'd told him that gruesome night so long ago, when it had been Kael screaming and wailing his grief to the skies and him and Jeice dying from wounds dealt by them. Now, however, he felt hatred, dark and unforgiving unfurling low in his gut like a plague, slowly tainting his bloodstream and hid his thoughts.
Kael stared back at them, his dark eyes cold and angry like the tundra they'd called home, his head tilted just so in a mocking parody of curiosity.
Then he spoke...and Silas fought not to cry.
"The drug has worn off."
His brother sounded dead. Broken.
The younger dampyre's entire posture seemed to radiate defeat from where he sat slumped against the walls of his cell like a stringless marionette.
Jeice's lips parted as if he were going to speak but he was cut off by a soft sound. The two older hybrids shared a look, wondering what the sound had been.
Then they heard it again.
And again.
And again...
And it finally registered.
Laughter.
Soft broken giggles edged with hysteria rang throughout the room around them all originating from the small brunette on the other side of the bars. Its a sound that he remembers from long ago, from warrior driven mad in captivity and people that have been pushed entirely too far in life.
A man whose had everything and lost it all.
Jeice falters back a step, staring at their brother in unadulterated horror as he finally catches a glimpse of just what has the humans so terrified.
Kael is staring at them, lips curled into a wide, dangerous smile as he laughs. His eyes an all consuming black that gleam in the darkness as if they can do nothing else and insanity dances in every curve and line of his face.
"W-What have they done to you?" He whispers and those horrific sounds fall silent. Kael stills and falls limp against the grimy walls of his cell as if all life has suddenly left him. His long, tangled locks fall in front of his face, shielding his expression from view but they can both see that his smile has yet to leave his lips.
"Brother mine," The younger whispers and there's a soft click from behind him. "Tell me, who will you fight for? Me,"
There's another click and suddenly Kael is standing in front of the bars of his cell, one small callous hand wrapped around one of the steel bars.
"Or them?"
His response is instantaneous. Even with the Sanguis Ira in full bloom in his baby brother's blood and the insanity dancing in his gaze he knows without a doubt who's side he is on.
"You, Baby brother. Always you."
Kael's answering smile is cold but something about it makes him believe that his brother isn't as lost as he'd first thought.
The lock on the cell door clicks and he smiled.
Kael smiled back...and began to sing.
"Oh my god..." Steve whispered as they landed the quinjet in front of the place Jarvis had led them to.
The place in question was a large laboratory-like facility and loomed over them like a foreboding shadow, the stench of death strong in the air and mingling with the strong coppery scent of blood. The door of the facility was wide opened, as if someone had tried to escape and those that had opened it lay in pieces just inside the door way, blood pooling around them.
Bucky swallowed thickly, somehow just knowing that his lover had been responsible. He'd seen just what the man could do when he was pushed too far. He moved forward, about to enter the building but Natasha stopped him, placing one of her dainty hands on his arm.
He glared at her, but she shook her head and motioned for them all to be silent.
"Did you hear that?"
They shook their heads and she sighed and motioned for them to listen harder.
If you knew, that I could take the pain
Inflicted at the battle
With faithful arrows
You
Steve frowned. "It sounds like singing."
She nodded and they moved forward cautiously, all of them unconsciously trembling at the fear the haunting tune invoked in them.
might get back in the saddle
But It's a special death you saved
For me the brown eyed daughter
The inside of the facility was worse. Blood slicked the floors and painted the walls in a macabre parody of a child's attempt to paint and limbs were strewn about the floor like useless toys, broken and discarded anywhere and everywhere.
It was a massacre.
"Do...do you think Tony did this?" Clint asked and Bucky nodded, closing his eyes painfully.
"Yes."
Once you made it hotter
The thankless holy praise
Is left alone why bother
To cast a stone in water
Shock rippled through his team mates and they gazed at the bodies around them in a new light, horrified at what their missing friend had done... and what could've driven him to do it.
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la
Footsteps sounded up ahead of them and they rushed toward the sound, hoping beyond hope to find their team mate and perhaps stop him from doing any more damage...
Instead they found a terrified scientist running towards them, his white lab coat just as bloody as the walls and the floors...his left arm had been ripped away from his body.
The singing got louder the closer the scientist got and they could only watch as a something tackled the man from behind and ripped his head from his body.
It wasn't Tony, oh no.
The creature had dark cobalt eyes and long sable hair that stuck to his skin because of the slick blood. He grinned as he saw them, but didn't move from his prey, instead glancing behind him.
Another man emerged from the shadows, dragging a struggling man at his side by his hair. Bucky gasped.
"Project 1."
The man grinned, maliciously. "Soldier. A bit late home aren't you?"
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la
"Where's Tony?" Steve asked before Bucky could speak and Project 1's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"He's-"
"-not your concern." The unidentified man interrupted as bruce spoke and the man scowled.
"He's our friend!"
Project 1's hostage snorted. "He's a monster!"
The green eyed man slammed his hostage's head into the ground harshly. "Watch your tongue, filth!" He snarled at him and Bucky flinched, finally recognizing both the unidentified man and Project 1's hostage.
Project 2 and Master.
He was officially confused.
Project's 1 and 2 were the HYDRA's most loyal weapons and had come into effect almost two decades after he had. They never spoke and seemed invincible, able to heal from any injury they were dealt as if by magic. No one knew where exactly they had come from just that they were fanatically loyal to Master, yet here they were holding Master by his hair as if he were worth less than the ground they walked on and killing the people that ran the base.
Why?
Why were they helping Tony escape?
Before he could ask Tony appeared...and Bucky was lost.
La la la la
La la la
La la la la
His Toni was still just as beautiful as he remembered and the blood coating his pale skin did nothing to deter that.
His long dark hair wild and swaying with every step he took, the graceful arch of his throat, the gentle swell of his hips. It was everything he'd missed about his lover and more.
The beautiful assassin looked so at home amongst the carnage he'd caused and when he fell silent and opened his eyes, Bucky knew that whatever happened he'd follow the vixen to the ends earth and beyond if he had to.
Those pitch black eyes faded back to their original warm hazel and locked with his and he was hooked.
"Toni..." He breathed softly, stepping forward. His lover stared back at him then mirrored him, taking a step of his own ignoring the protests of Project 1 and Project 2.
Master grumbled something from his place on the ground and Tony's gaze left Bucky's to land on him. A slow smile crossed his lips.
"Master," He purred softly. " You pathetic little bug, I made you a promise didn't I?" Master stared up at him for a moment, then paled watching as Tony's smile grew.
The genius lifted his hand in a slow deliberate movement and kneeled, then swifter than anyone thought possible he plunged it straight into Master's gut and yanked it out holding the man's spine.
Master screamed and from nearby Bucky could hear a few of the other Avengers gag.
"Tony! Stop! Please, Tony!" Bruce begged and Toni paused thoughtfully, swaying in place and humming the same tune they'd heard when they arrived. Then he smiled.
"Alright." He agreed.
Bruce sighed in relief and stepped forward, only to still as his friend spun around and wrenched Master's head from his shoulders.
TBC...