A/N: This is a crossover between Frozen, Maleficent, X-Men, Big Hero 6, Wicked, and possibly other fandoms. Some of the characters in this fic will be genderbent. Rated M for future mature themes. Thank you, let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy. :)
Blood smeared across the rim of the teacup with each swipe of the sponge that came by; following the tool's shadow before being spotted in light once more. A dark, almost black, color stained the hardened soles of the sponge regardless of how much it was dunked into the bucket beside it. Soon enough the water would be tainted and stain the battered plastic. Soon enough everything will be stained.
It's almost funny, he thought dryly, how blood can be so dark that it can hide in your shadow.
Elias's brows knitted together as he watched dark crimson slither into the grooves of the metal. He dug the sponge along the line where the door latch was hooked. The blood ever so slowly soaked into the sponge and left a splotched patch of red along the brass rim. He dunked the sponge into the bucket, the water sloshing calmly around his glove until he raised it again. As water splashed onto the ride's side, the blood dribbled down the ivory china piece. Thin trails of pink lingered along blue roses, making the flowers seem to drink in the red rain casting shadows upon them. The corner of Elias's lip twitched.
His fingers dug into the sponge as he lowered it to the cup's side. The sponge barely graze the new trail when a voice rumbled, "Leave it be Lias."
Elias blinked. He turned his head to the side to be greeted with Drex's sidelong glance. Drex shrugged down at him and nodded towards the sky. Sparse white clouds drifted along the underbelly of the black sky, whistling lowly on the wind as it eagerly thundered closer.
"The rain will take care of it." Drex grunted.
Elias flicked his gaze back to the pink drops inching down the cup. His fingers clenched around the sponge.
It will stain, he thought, his brow furrowing harder. The pink streaks stretched down over the roses, caging them in an abnormal prison of drink that wasn't what they thought it was. The sponge squelched under his grasp.
"Lias." Elias begrudgingly looked at the man. "It's a ride. A little rain won't hurt it." Elias's lips thinned as he dropped the sponge into the bucket. His knees popped with relief once he rose up. He glanced back at the tea cup with a frown and heaved the bucket to his side. Drex tossed his tattered rag over his shoulder, wrinkling his nose at the dark water sloshing in Elias's bucket.
"Can we go now?" A dull copper scent wafted from the bucket, making the older man cringe slightly. "I can practically hear that sucker's head cracking again."
Elias nodded, moving to opening of the fencing surrounding the ride. He lugged the towering wire close. Shoving his bucket into Drex's open arms, he pulled out a lock from his pocket. The rust encrusted lock clicked into place around the wire while Elias glanced at the small scanner resting on the fence. An eerie blue-green glowed from the hissing scanner, matching Drex's tsking tone as Elias tugged off one of his gloves.
He pressed his thumb against the scanner, earning a loud ding from the machine as it blinked green. The locks overhead the fence, just beneath the sign, silently slid into place. Elias turned on his heel to have his bucket shoved roughly against his chest. Elias coughed, stumbling back slightly as the water splashed up onto his jumpsuit. Drex mumbled a quick apology, urging the younger to follow him. Elias glanced down at the dark brown splotch spreading over the yellow suit. His lips thinned out into line.
"It's a little spot!" Drex groaned, running a hand over his face. "It will come out!"
Elias flicked his eyes to the bucket, then at the spot. He sighed as he followed after Drex. The Tea-Time-Whirl's glowing sign flickered into darkness behind them, along with the other children's rides in the toddler part of the park. The innocent gleams of pink, blue, and green lights fell into the splurge of copper lampposts that bolted to life with a vibrant hum. Elias kept his gaze on the winding walkway smeared in colorful chalk. A faint ghost of a smile crept at the corner of his mouth as he squinted at the drawings.
"Funny, huh?" Drex grunted, catching Elias's eye. He scanned the chalked drawings with a pointed leer. "Makes you wonder what goes on in the little monsters' heads."
Elias's breath caught at the back of his throat. His fingers tightened around the bucket handle as a flash of a body, small and fragile as the pseudo China cup, hovered over another—dark red dripping from a hand gripping a plastic knife. He shook his head, the air suddenly growing too thin.
Little monsters, he thought solemnly.
The walkway died off to bare concrete as the two wound their way through the park towards the main building. Sweat and sugar seeped through the back room, pressing down on the staff's faces like a fog. Elias held the collar of his undershirt over his mouth as he shrugged out of his jumpsuit. The yellow fabric crumpled off his shoulders; scrunching around his waist while he snatched a shirt from his locker.
Drex glanced over at him, changing out of his suit as well, and grunted, "You headin' home?"
Elias popped out of the head of his shirt, nodding lightly. Drex hummed thoughtfully as he slid his jacket over his large shoulders. The faded leather rose and fell on his shoulders like a second skin while he turned to Elias again.
"How about you stop by my place? It's a bit up land, but not too far." He leaned back against his locker. Elias shook his head softly. Drex glanced at the other staff members quickly shedding their uniforms and racing out the door with sweat slicked brows. The corner of Drex's lip twitched as he sighed, "Lias, you do know what tonight is. Right?"
Elias paused mid fold, his uniform dangling off his arm. He looked over at Drex and nodded. The older man groaned.
"Then why stay down in that hell bin?"
Elias placed his uniform in his knapsack before rummaging through the bag. His fingers fumbled through pockets filled with neatly folded tissues and bills until he pulled out a small notepad. Pressing the button of a pen against his chest, Elias scribbled along the paper and tore a scrap off the pad. Drex took the thin sheet with a quizzical glance. His eyebrows rose then furrowed as he gawked at the younger man.
Drex turned the paper over to Elias, scoffing, "A bird? You're going back for a bird! " Elias blinked at the name he scribbled and shrugged. He tossed the strap of his knapsack over his shoulder, ignoring Drex's stare as he moved towards the door. "It's your funeral!"
Elias put two fingers to his temple, flinging them out in a small salute as he slipped out the door. The sound of the door squeaking close became drowned out by a rumbling roar. Elias froze, turning his head up to the blackening sky overhead. Amidst the dark clouds chasing after the dark blue dusk a streak of white shattered through the night. Elias's fingers tightened around the strap and let out a heavy sigh. As the scent of sea salt filled his lungs, Elias forced his legs to move forward.
A soft breeze ruffled his hair, causing an ivory strand to fall over his eye. It's too late for a storm to kill you, he told himself. His clammy fingers trembled slightly as another round of thunder echoed in the distance.
Elias trekked down the sidewalk bordering the road that winded down the hill, watching his shadows hop along the glare of lampposts. The hiss of trapped flares flooded his ears along with the stray rover that raced by on the road. Elias trailed his fingers along the metal fencing curving over the sidewalk, the prongs tipped like fangs. The man trailed his eyes over the fence towards the towering buildings whose lights set the night ablaze with a rusty red. Each light that roamed across blinked in uneven intervals like fireflies grappling for an edge of the sky, or at least what was left of it. Elias's lips twitched into a frown as he sped his walk down the sidewalk.
The roadways and concrete side lines soon deteriorated into crumbling gravel and weeds that peeked out from under the street, yet still trimmed enough to contain the wild. Elias's boots kicked at pebbles that sprinkled his path, stepping over bulges in on the road. The towering buildings behind him were draped by straggly tree limbs whose leaves rustled down with the wind. Elias swatted at the leaves fluttering around him, letting his shoulders slack at the familiar shadows creeping along the edge of the lampposts and the thick A-023 that was melded to the overhead gate.
The apartment complex was settled on a small gradient with its roof tiles cracking down along the edge. Thin weeds hugged the walls of the complex, bulging around the columns of the gate like thick veins protruding from arms. The head of the complex slanted forward triangularly where a lone doorbell clung to the front door, beaming a dull yellow glow. In short, the entire building was that of an alligator turned into a housed fortress. Elias's lip twitched, barely gracing that of a grin before smoothing over again.
He took two steps at a time up the stairs to the door and snatched out his keys from the second pocket of his knapsack. The gears of the lock crunched around the key as he pushed the door open. Darkness blanketed the hallway, greedily devouring Elias's shadow as he locked the door behind him. He ran his hand along the wall, feeling his way through the hall until his boot clunked against the first step at the end of the hall. The air grew thick as he walked up the stairwell, his shoulders brushing against the wall. The man listened to the echoing clunk of his boots that reverberated throughout the stairwell that lingered far longer than it usually did.
Alone again then, he thought. He leaped up onto the last landing of the third floor. He glanced down at the cracks of the doors in the hall, earning an empty shadow in response. He shrugged.
Elias turned to his door on the right side of the hall and froze. In the frail light that wandered in through barred windows, Elias's brows furrowed deeply as he followed the dark trail from the stairs that led to his door in large globs.
Even worse, Elias thought bitterly, his frown deepening with his narrowed brow. His eyes lingered on the thick batch of mud that smeared across the doormat bunched in front of the door. I just bought this mat.
Elias sighed exasperatedly and kneeled over the doormat. His fingers carefully pinched the corner of the striped fabric, lifting the sopping mat to the side. He squinted at the wooden floorboards until his eyes locked onto an uprooted edge curling up against the door. Elias wrapped his hand around the edge, tugging it back as the wood splintered up. He dug his free hand into the floor, his fingers rummaging along the top of the wood until they hooked around something metal. He pulled his hand out of the open hole and dropped the wood into place.
Elias grimaced at the cobwebs thickly lacing his fingers and shook his hand, clinging onto the metal handle of his prize. The man rose up from the floor with a sigh. His hand gently tapped the door as it swung inward with a quiet creak.
Could've bothered to at least close the door, Elias frowned.
He slowly crept into the room, closing the door behind him. His eyes blinked in the darkness until the familiar silhouettes of his doorway graced his presence. Elias carefully stepped further into the room, bracing his self against the wall. As a soft chirping met his ears, his finger tightened around the trigger.
The gentle twittering set Elias's heart thundering in his ears as he sucked in a breath. His eyes hardened, shoving his gun out from his chest, and twisted around the wall. Elias's eyes widened slightly as he blinked in the shadow of man hunched over his cage. The man froze, his fingers pinched around a dusting of crumbs that hovered over the open cage, and turned his head to Elias. Elias snapped out of his daze and clenched his finger around the trigger, a low hiss bursting from the head of the gun while the man's grimy cheeks shrugged into a half smile.
"You wouldn't hurt an old man," he chuckled, nodding to the blue sparks buzzing from the gun, "with a stun gun now would you?"
Elias's shoulders slouched, glancing at the stun gun in his hands. It's still a gun, he thought with a frown.
The old man chuckled with a shake of his head, turning back to the cage. The bird inside propped its head up to his hand, its beak opened wide as he lowered the piece of bread into the cage. The bird's beak eagerly pecked at the bread, barely sparing a glance at Elias before pecking at the crumbs caught in its feathers. Elias blankly glared at the bird before letting the stun gun fall to his side. The man gazed up at Elias from under the hood that covered his eyes and grinned.
"Don't mind her," he said, breaking off a piece of bread crumbled in his hand and shoving the piece in his mouth. "She just looked so hungry." His finger dipped into the cage and gently scratched the bird's tiny head. The bird cooed softly, rubbing back against the finger.
"After all," the man ran his thumb over the knobs jutting out from the bird's shoulders, where gray feathers flurried around the covered bone, "it's not like she can feed herself."
Elias's jaw set, shooting his glare down at the muddy trail that rested at the man's feet. His lip twitched at the yellow crumbs sprinkling over the small couch the man leaned back on until the man's eyes lit up.
"My bad," he grinned sheepishly under the hood. He flicked his gaze to the stun gun gripped in Elias's hand. "I suppose," he gulped over another mouthful of bread. "You wouldn't mind me staying here till the rain settles?"
The bird tilted her head towards Elias, blinking her almond eyes up at him. Elias returned her stare as thunder bellowed loudly outside. Rain began splattering against the barred windowpane. Elias sighed deeply, shoving the stun gun in his knapsack and turned on his heel towards the kitchen. He jerked off his knapsack and tossed it onto the small table behind him.
"I also don't suppose," Elias glanced over his shoulder. "You wouldn't mind sparing something hot would you? Stale bread doesn't get you as far as it used to."
Elias rolled his eyes, finding his self several minutes later on the floor with his stranger; a steaming pot of broth between them. The man noisily slurped from his cup, quickly dipping his cup into the pot once more for another serving while Elias merely watched him from over the rim of his cup. Elias stared at the steam curling up from the edges of his cup, wafting over the chipped edges towards his nose.
"You should still eat when you're not hungry." Elias glanced up at the man as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. He smacked his lips together. "Food's a blessing nowadays. Right next to living, eating is practically heaven."
Elias blinked at him then at his cup, the chives in the brown broth seeming to wrinkle a broken smile up at him. The younger brought the cup to his lips and threw his head back. He swallowed down a choked gurgle as the broth scorched his throat. He wiped the corner of his mouth as he set the cup aside–vaguely grinning at the empty cup.
Who's smiling now? He thought with a smirk.
The man watched Elias dip his cup into the pot, the clinking of their cups filling their silence save for the thundering rain, and glanced back at the bird.
"She's a beauty," the man murmured around the rim of his cup. The bird ruffled its feathers, nodding slightly at the man. "She's a…a canary ain't she?"
He looked at Elias expectantly only receiving a blank stare. Elias pulled out a pen from his pocket and scribbled on a piece of scratch paper beside him. He shoved the paper towards the man. The man arched an eyebrow, squinting down at the paper that read Sparrow in scrawled letters.
"Oh," he hummed over a slurp. "How she lose them wings?"
Elias stared at his cup for a long while then shrugged before chugging the broth down his throat. The man's brows crinkled at the boy until he reached out for the pot again. His dark eyes caught the faintest inch of skin that stretched out from under Elias's sleeve. Black ink lied stark against the boy's pale flesh, twisting around his wrist like a snake. The ink stained into the Elias's skin was ticked like a row of stitches.
A lazy smirk smoothed over the man's lips as he bowed his head. "My apologies." The faintest hint of a snicker lingered in his voice. "I didn't mean to press myself onto a taciturn."
Elias shot an icy glare at the man as he gestured his hands in front of him. "I mean no disrespect. I'm just surprised." He tilted his head to the side, the hood falling further over his eyes. He smirked even wider. "It's just here I am, a defenseless old man, sharing a pot of soup with a criminal who has not just one, but three ticks—and with no tongue."
The man rested his cheek on his fist, drawling, "Whatever did you do to receive such a punishment?"
Elias stared at the man coolly over the rim of his cup, arching an eyebrow at him. The rain pounded harder against the barred window, almost cheering the younger man to act until Elias pulled his sheet of paper towards him. His pen scribbled across the page as he tore the sheet aside and slid it to the man. The man glanced down at the torn paper, reading the elegantly scribbled print: If I told you, I'd have to add another tick to my sentence.
Silence stretched between them agonizingly slow. And then the man doubled over with tears in his eyes. He wound his arms around his stomach as he howled in laughter, slamming his fist against the floor. Elias merely stared at him, sipping the last of his broth from his cup. The man finally heaved in a breath, propping his self on his elbows.
"You're something else, you know that?" He wheezed, wiping the tears from his eyes. Elias shrugged. "Let me guess, that stun gun was all you could scavenge through your restriction?" The younger man nodded, earning another bout of guffaws from the man. Elias could catch the faintest hint of thickening stubble curling around the man's chin as he threw his head back and felt his skin crawl.
Until a roar—softer than thunder, yet louder than the rain—erupted in the distance, making the walls of the complex tremble ever so slightly. Elias and the man fell silent as a series of faint cries wailed on the wind. The roaring rocked the complex every few minutes while Elias's muscles tensed.
It's here.
He swept the cups from the floor and dropped them into the pot, striding over to the open kitchen in four steps. He quickly rinsed the pot and cups, tossing them under the sink's cupboard before shuffling over to the ones overhead. He rummaged through the shelves while the man rolled his neck to the side.
"So the purging's finally here, huh?" He mused as Elias snatched bottles and boxes from the cupboard. "Must be nice; being a member of the devil's army and sweeping whatever trash you hate from existence."
Elias's teeth dug into his lip, balancing the bottles on the boxes.
Gangs. They're just gangs. He growled to his self. He slid a thin door in the back to the side and slipped inside. He dropped the boxes and bottles into the tub's basin before coming back into the room.
The man sat there on his haunches while Elias continued popping in and out of the bathroom with more supplies. His black smeared fingers rapped along the floor, pondering, "When did this island grow so painful?"
Elias moved over the lonely couch in the middle of the room, yanking a blanket from under the cushions before staring at the man. He shook his head.
I doubt it matters.
Elias turned on his heel only to feel his self pulled back. The young man blinked at the large hand clamped over his wrist. A shiver ran down his spine, the man's cheeky grin melted into a line as he traced his fingers down Elias's arm. He pushed up the ragged sleeve up along Elias's arm and stared at the thick black ticks dug through his skin. He clucked his tongue.
"What did you do boy?" He murmured, rubbing his thumb over the marks. Elias felt his skin shrivel against him. He gently tugged his arm from the man's grasp, yet the man merely gripped harder. Elias winced at the blunt nails digging into his skin as the man breathed over his ticks, "You of all people shouldn't be the prey."
Elias yanked his wrist out of the man's grip, clasping his hand to his chest. He staggered back to the table in the kitchen, his hand blindly reaching out for his knapsack when the man rumbled, "It was stolen from you wasn't it?"
The young man's blood ran cold, fingers teetering towards the stun gun.
"You know what." The man said.
Elias's breath hitched at the back of his throat. He swallowed thickly as the man's voice thickened with something louder than the explosions—something darker than the night. The man leaned against the arm of the couch, his arms crossed across his chest.
"It's in your eyes boy." He said softly. "The look of a lamb not as lame as he appears to be."
Elias felt the air seem to thin around him, his knuckles popping under his ashen skin the harder he gripped the table. The man tilted his head back as lightning crashed passed the window; tattooing the floor in the silhouettes of the rain. An airy smirk cracked across his lips.
"No. You're a mad one." He glanced at Elias wickedly. "And you know it…don't you?"
Elias sighed heavily, dropping his head forward until another shadow joined his own. The man's fingers tiptoed towards the stun gun clenched in the younger's hand and rested his palm on top of his.
"What if I told you, I could grant you a wish?" The man asked. Elias froze, practically hearing the leer in his voice. "Yes, I'm being serious. You fed me after all." He chuckled, gently prying the stun gun out of Elias's grasp. "What would you like? A mark less? A better home? Power?"
Elias shuddered and writhed out from under the man. Elias turned away from the man, his hands balled into fists. The man's smirk fell into a slanted frown.
"You are a smart one." He sighed with a faint grin. "That's probably why they cut your tongue, hmm?" Elias glowered at the floor. "Well, whenever you change your mind—call me."
Elias blinked as another round of thunder roared with a loud slam flinching him out of his thoughts. He turned around and found his door flung ajar…without his stranger in sight. Elias's brows furrowed until he glanced at the table to find a single strip of paper lying on top of the stun gun. He squinted at the thin script printed neatly on the peach colored paper reading down along the center: Make a wish!
A smiley face lied under the script, beaming up at Elias with large eyes. The young man frowned, pinching the ends of the paper before tearing the strip in half. The pieces fluttered down to the floor as another explosion rang in the air—closer than the rest. Elias gathered the blanket in his arms and moved over to the cage. He gently cupped the bird in his hands, shushing her softly as he moved to the back door.
Elias slid the door close behind him. He swung a leg over the tub and sank into the cool basin. Sea salt seeped through the silent air vents, making the air thicker and heavier on Elias's skin. He rested his head on a box as he pulled the blanket over his waist and carefully cradled the bird close to him. The walls shuddered as an explosion rippled through the air along with heavy thuds that popped on the side of the complex. Elias's heart clung to his chest while the bird cooed weakly. The young man forced a smile on his lips, brushing the bird's back tenderly.
It's just the rain Lumi, he mouthed. His fingers gently massaged the broken grooves of Lumi's wings. The bird slowly drifted her head against his hand as the rain whipped across the complex. The heavy whizzing that battered the side of the complex rang louder than before. Elias bit his lip and curled into a small ball, his lips murmuring a mantra against Lumi's soft head.
It's just the rain.
The taste of rust lingered in Elias's mouth as he stifled a scratchy yawn. Slamming his locker behind him, Elias zipped the end of his suit just below the collar of his shirt. He stretched his arms up in the air while making his way to the end of the room, snatching an empty bucket and sponge on his way out. Elias absentmindedly filled the empty spots in the staff room with the faces he memorized and sighed.
The brackish air whirled around him as he stepped out along the walkway. His boots stomped through large puddles lingering on the path, becoming the only other voice that welcomed him into the vacant park. Elias wound his way down the path until he reached the Toddler section. The chalked drawings dripped down the concrete like a melting rainbow, swirling in the puddles Elias splashed through.
The Tea-Time-Whirl peeked up over the small slope of the section, its dangling cups gleefully swinging down over the ride. Elias pressed his thumb against the scanner of the fence. The scanner glowed bright green while Elias pulled the lock a loose. He hauled the fence to the side and stepped towards the ride only to freeze in his tracks. Thick pink trails glimmered under the gray sun's glare as it plumed down the side of the cup, fringing around the blue roses to make them a discolored gray. Elias gritted his teeth, his gloved hands balling into tight fists.
It stained.