A/N: Sorry this one took so long. I had to rewrite it at least a dozen times. It just felt too rushed. But I wanted to give you a little insight to more of Arista's past before I go spend some time with a friend. So enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I only own the OCs and the plot line. Marvel owns the rest
After a hurried conversation with Stark and Thor, Arista stepped out on the balcony. Preparing herself for the encounter she was about to bring herself into. They had decided Stark and herself would go down to the streets and begin patrols. Next would be Clint and Steve, followed by Mellissande and Thor. Natasha would be worked into the equation as soon as she arrived back from her mission.
Deciding it was time to meet stark on the main level, she wandered back inside. Giving Mellissande, Thor, Clint and Bruce a nod as she made her way to the elevator which would carry her down to the lobby.
The elevator doors opened revealing a disgruntled looking Loki. Looking much the way stark had when she woke him. Dark hair a mess atop his head, wearing nothing but a pair of sweat pants riding low on his hips. He looked as though he had just woken from a troubling dream.
"Lady Arista." He said as she stepped forward to enter the elevator. "You may see it wise to watch how you view your memories. Some of us might get caught in the backlash."
She didn't have time to respond to the silver tongued man as the doors slid shut and the elevator began it's descent. She hadn't realised that she had projected her memory. She hadn't, had she? No. She would remember summoning the energy to do it. That meant he was a telepath. She had forgotten to put her mind on lockdown. Thinking she didn't need it.
Her train of thought was cut off when she reached the lobby of the tower. Where an annoyed looking Stark stood in his suit of metal waiting.
"It's about time. I started thinking you got cold feet." He said as the metal face plat slid back revealing a smile. "Are you ready, She-Ra?"
Arista looked at him puzzled. "Who is She-Ra?" She asked looking around the lobby. "There is no one with us down here."
"She was a cartoon character from the eighties." He said answering her puzzled look. "She was a female warrior...kicked some serious ass...oh nevermind, let's just go." He walked to the main doors and took off toward the skyline as he activated his thrusters.
Arista took off on foot through the city, people still lingered on the streets throwing her curious stares. She ignored them as she made her way to the last place she had felt the ominous presence. Pulling her sword from it's sheath as she rounded a corner into an alley, she heard a chuckle.
"I wondered when you would catch my scent, you pathetic excuse for a creature." A man said stepping out into the open alleyway. She couldn't help but notice the familiarity of his scent.
"I know not who you are, but I will warn you, you have made a grave mistake coming here." She said readying her sword. Where is Sylus hiding?"
The man laughed again, taking a few steps closer to her. "Now why would I tell you a thing like that, Princess?" He countered. No one had called her that in a very long time. Not since she was punished. Mellissande on occasion, but never in a joking or spiteful matter. Immediately she knew he was of Numaria.
Arista jumped into action, her sword connecting with the unknown strangers thigh as he made to dodge her attack. Only grazing his skin, but deep enough that she could smell his blood. She felt the tiny prick of a needle in her thigh, sending a shiver down her spine, as he went down.
"I do believe it is you who has made the grave mistake, Princess." He said getting to his feet, waving a small syringe between his fingers. A sinister grin breaking across his features. She felt a chill creeping over her body, pain radiating from the injection site. She felt the injection site, it was ice cold. Her eyes going wide in recognition. "I see you realised what it is you have running in your blood stream. It seems that silver nitrate is easy to acquire in this realm." Her head was swimming as the man came closer. "Not enough was administered to kill you, just enough to incapacitate you. Sylus's friends don't want you killed." He produced a gun from his hip and pointed it at her chest. "We just need to keep you out of the way." And with that he opened fire. Sending several rounds into her torso. Her world began to spin and blackness crept up into her vision. With her last ounces of strength she called out to Mellissande.
Silver...been shot...accomplice...
And her mind went dark as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Mellissande didn't know what had happened. All she knew is that Arista needed her help. She tried to reach out to touch her mind, but found no trace of it. After alerting Stark of the problem at hand, she ran for the elevator that would take her to ground level where she hoped she could pick up a trace of where Arista had been last. She could hear Tony in his metal suit above her. The sound of his thrusters getting closer as he descended to stand next to her.
"She couldn't have gone far. It's only been fifteen minutes since I left." He said as the face plate slid back to reveal his concerned look.
"She said that she felt the presence over that way." Mellissande said as she took off running towards the alley a few buildings up. Rounding the corner into the alleyway she saw Arista lying face down in the darkness. Her body surrounded in a pool of blood. As she walked closer she could see dark streaks winding their way through Arista's skin. "She's been poisoned."
Taking Arista's limp body in her hands she felt for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. "And she's been shot." Tony said looking over her prone form. Noticing the black markings going up and down her skin Tony swore. "What the fuck is that?"
"Silver Nitrate. We have to get her back upstairs. It can be fatal if left alone." Mellissande said hoisting Arista up.
"I'll take her, you get back upstairs and clear a space in the livingroom. Get everyone out of the way." He said taking Arista from Mellissande's arms. His face plate slid down and made for the other end of the alley. Mellissande turned a sprinted back to Stark Tower, taking the elevator back to the penthouse.
Upon arrival she sprinted out and into the main room, sweeping the table clear of obstructions. "What is wrong?" Thor asked as she grabbed several towels from the bathroom.
"Stark is on his way up. Arista's been injured."
Thor's face grew grim. He stepped out of the frantic womans way, allowing her to move about freely to gather what she needed. As if on cue, Stark landed and came to the center of the room carrying a blood soaked Arista. Laying her gently on top of the coffee table.
"I need help removing her armor. We have to get the bullets out." Stark said trying to pull the complex armor off of Arista's torso. "How do you get it off?"
Mellissande stepped forward and let the supplies she had pulled from the various cabinets fall to the floor. Running her fingers under Arista's hair, she found the buckles that held her shoulder plates on. After a few seconds of messing with them, the plates fell to the floor. Next she ran her fingers down the left side, unhooking the clips that held her chest plate in place. After they were all undone, she grabbed the two pieces and gently removed them. Exposing the flesh beneath. Revealing intricate roadmap of blacked veins caused by the silver nitrate.
Mellissande could see the shallow rise and fall of Arista's chest with each labored breath she took. The squelch of blood prominent as Stark slowly layed her back letting her head loll to the side.
"I'm glad Pepper keeps tweezers out here." he said opening a drawer and pulling a pair out. "We can use them to pull the bullets. I need you to hold the wound open." He indicated the holes in her stomach and chest. "I count four."
He dug the tweezers into her skin and pulled out the first letting it fall to the floor. "We need to hurry if you want to get them out. These wounds will heal soon." Mellissande said with a concerned look. Stark pulled the second and third out.
"The last one is gonna be a bit tricky, it's in her ribcage. I'm gonna have to dig for it." He said as he started to plunge the tweezers into the last hole. By the time he had pulled the last of the bullets out the others had all accumulated into the room.
"What happened?" Banner asked grabbing a towel and pressing it firmly to Arista's stomach to staunch the bleeding.
"She was attacked. Whoever it was knew the weaknesses of our race." Mellissande explained indicating the the expanse of lines over Arista's body. "It was a trap."
"How did this happen?" Thor asked assisting Tony with gently lifting her from the table. Carrying the limp form of Arista to the bedroom that she and Mellissande shared. Carefully maneuvering over to the bed as Mellissande pulled back the blankets.
"We will ask when she wakes. She will be asleep for several hours at least. A day at most." She said removing the rest of Arista's armor. "I have to get the silver nitrate out of her first, then she will begin her recovery." She pulled the blankets up enough to cover her exposed chest. "I'm sorry, but I need everyone out of the room. This is a private matter." She said as she sat on the edge of the bed. Pulling her arm into her lap as she watched Thor, Tony and Bruce exit the room with the snap of the door.
Mellissande slowly slit the skin open at her wrist, letting the blood well up and start to slip over the smooth edges of the cut. "Drink." She positioned the wound a few inches over Arista's slack mouth, watching as the trickle of blood made it's way into her mouth. Tension easing as Arista's four small fangs appeared. Deciding she had given enough for the time being, Mellissande pulled her arm back to herself and wrapped a small cloth around the wound. She stood and walked to her own bed and climbed into letting sleep wash over her.
Arista was trapped in her own mind. Memories flooding. Some she hadn't seen in a millenium. One in particular decided to rear it's head, the actions that took place that decided her fate.
After watching the last of the Wolves disappear into the forest, Arista turned and made her way to the palace. She could still hear the screams of the citizens of Delvar. A cheshire grin spread across her face as she realized pandemonium had struck. Everything was in chaos because of her actions. And everyone would pay for their poor choice of sport. She passed through the courtyard in front of the palace and made her way to the city. Sword still grasped firmly in her hand. Anticipation prickling her entire body as she came closer to her goal.
People scrambled out of the way as she made her way to the town square. Her fangs descended into view, sending terror into the people around. She pulled a torch from it's place on the side of a building.
"Now has come such time that you will all pay for the atrocities you have bestowed upon my mother's people. You will feel what they felt. You will die as they died!" Arista shouted as she set the closest structure ablaze. Causing the citizens around to go into even more of a frenzy. She pulled her sword high, letting it fall with a sickening squelch as it made contact with the man closest. Causing him to fall lifeless to the ground at her feet.
She turned her attentions on the chaos ensuing around her. Slicing and stabbing her way through the streets. Leaving a trail of bodies to be consumed by the intense flames of the fires that rampaged. Making her way back to the palace, where the problem at hand was currently hiding.
Guards began pouring from the doors as Arista walked back through the courtyard. She made quick work of them, running her blade through each one in turn. She could smell the burning flesh and blood, overpowering her senses. She made her kill more personal with the next guard. Pulling him to her, she ripped out his throat. Letting the warm blood wash down her body. She let her latest victim fall to her feet. Making her way into the foyer of what she called home.
She ran through the hallways, searching for her father. The one man who had made all the wrong decisions. The one who made sport out of slaughtering the Wolves. To prove a point to his beloved daughter. To show her that no matter what, he would always be the superior species. Telling her to revel in the fact that she was part of that. It disgusted her. He had slaughtered her mother before her eyes when she was young. He would pay.
She found him barricaded in his chambers, surrounding himself with armed guards, her brothers standing on either side of him. "I knew this day would come, darling." He said with menace dripping from his words. "You were always perfection. Even from a young age. Why do you think I took you?" He stepped around the barricade of guards coming closer. "I wanted you to know that you come from my line. You are truly the Black Seed we were warned of."
Not wanting to listen to his ramblings anymore, she readied her sword. "This is for my mother." Bringing it across his neck, she sliced through the first round of muscle. "And this is for her people." The hacked away until his head no longer rested on his shoulders. His body falling to it's knees, as his head rolled to her feet. "And this is for me." She whispered running his heart through on her sword.
She turned when she heard the guards rush forward. Taking them out one by one, hacking her way through to where her brothers were staring wide eyed. Farren jumped forward, knocking her sword from her hand. She turned her icy gaze to him. "Arista, have you any idea what you have done?" He whispered. Causing Arista's gaze to soften a little. "Dear sister, why?"
Her gazed hardened once more. "I'm going to watch the city burn, brother. These people do not deserve to live." She walked to the large balcony, gazing out to the now burning city in the distance. "I will spare you, Brothers. You have done nothing to provoke me. But do not acknowledge me in passing. I don't want you shunned for what I've done."
She heard the unmistakable sound of more guards coming through the palace. Seizing her by her wrists, they shackled her and placed the muzzle over her mouth. She fought back feebly. Fatigue taking her body, she slumped into the arms of her captors. Letting them lead her out to the waiting carriage. She would accept her fate. No longer would her mother's people be subjected to torture and slaughter at her father's hand. She could live with the shunning and subjugation of her crimes.