Hi everybody! I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to write this chapter of FOW. But trust me I have my reasons with University taking its toll on both my sleep patterns and the amount of time it takes me to write these chapters.
Anyway, ENJOY!
The Beast within
All seemed dim during this period of time for the team, many members had personal affairs that they had to take care of. Tony had dealing with Stark Industries and the amount of attacks on the company from both protestors that blamed the Avengers for the events in Chicago, the Iron Avenger also had helping with the relief in Chicago on his agenda along with a remembrance service for all those that had died that he was going to attend on behalf of the team.
The Iron Avenger however now that he was standing in the Church was now thinking that attending probably wasn't the best idea.
It may have been the hateful glances from civilians attending the service
It may have been the VERY hateful scowls he got from the relatives of the victims of the incident
Or most likely
The priest and his very one sided speech
"…and so we ask you, Lord, not only for the souls of the Men, Women and Children who perished, but for the Super-People whose Reckless and Brutish actions Caused this great Tragedy" the Priest said in a loud clear voice. Tony could feel the animosity emanating from him, especially when he put emphasis on the words Caused and Reckless.
Tony never thought he would see a Priest look at him like that, like he was the one that caused all of this. The Billionaire could tell that the Priest blamed him and the other Avengers for what happened, and the Priest didn't even need to say he blamed them it was that obvious.
Tony would almost be afraid of the people attending attacking him if not for the fact that Happy had brought his Suitcase armour along just in case things went sour. Though Tony seriously doubted that he would need to suit up, as the armour was merely a safety precaution.
It didn't take long for the sermon to end as Tony and Happy left the church, after most of the other attendants had paid their respects and left. The Iron Avenger left the church feeling like things could have gone a lot worse.
"Tony Stark?" asked a female voice from behind him, Tony turned to see a woman dressed in a black dress and a pearl necklace. Before the Iron Avenger had any time to reply she spat at him in the face before violently shouting "YOU FILTHY PIECE OF CRAP!"
"Ma'am, please were going to have to ask you to leave" Happy said as he held his arm between the woman and Tony
"Leave, what? My own son's funeral? Stark is the one you should be dragging away!" the woman shouted hysterics, her mascara clearly leaking down her cheeks
"Ma'am I know you are upset, but I swear that what happened in Chicago had nothing to do with me" Tony said, he knew for a fact that the destruction was not caused by him, but was caused By Viktor and Cyrus' battle of which neither could be blamed for.
"Oh Yeah? And who finances the Avengers? Who's been telling kids for years that they can live outside the law as long as they're wearing tights?" the woman yelled at the Iron Avenger "Cops have to train and carry badges, but that's too boring for Tony Stark. Nah Joe Billionaire here says all you need are some powers and a Badass attitude, and you can have a place in his private Super-gang!" the woman continued to rave at Tony as he wiped the spit off his cheek with a handkerchief
"Can someone please get her out of here?" Happy aske the crowd as the Woman's hysterics were not helping the situation.
"You Fund this sickness, Stark. With your dirty billions" she yelled at Tony as Happy kept her at arm's length "the blood of my little Damien is on your hands now" she concluded as she stormed off, leaving Tony and Happy stood there at the archway of the church.
"It's alright boss that was uncalled for" Happy reassured his boss
"Funny thing Happy, people never spat at me in the face when I spent my 'dirty billions' on weapons of death and war, but now that I fund people that save lives I'm suddenly the bad guy" Tony said as he watched the woman storm off into the distance.
"Boss?" Happy asked with concern
"…I think I need a drink" Tony said as he pinched the bridge of his nose and began walking, his confused Body guard following him.
*Avengers Mansion, New York City
Viktor's wounds had fully healed over the time he had spent in the Mansion's infirmary, it was mind boggling to Hank and Reed over how durable and resilient Viktor was, not to mention how quickly he burned through the sedative drugs.
And right now, drugs weren't only thing he was burning off
*TWACK! TWACK! TWACK!*
The sound of Viktor's fists Impacting upon the punching bags in the Mansions Gym echoed throughout the room. Viktor was wearing his black jeans and knee high armoured boots, he was also wearing bandages on his fists and forearms like a Boxer would. Viktor was also bare chested thus showing off his scarred torso, anyone watching would be able to clearly see the faint glowing light that is scars gave off as his blood ran hotter and hotter.
His eyes burned red as he let loose on the punching bag, delivering devastating punch after punch he let off steam, literally, Steam was emitting from his body as his actions sped up, his eyes burning brightly as steam emitted from his mouth.
Viktor grunted as his punches began leaving imprints in the punching bag, the heat emitting from his fists also left small scorch marks on the bag. The Black Haired Meta-human thought back to his failure at getting his answers from Cyrus, how he probably wouldn't be seeing the Silver haired Meta-human anytime soon.
The others probably would have told him something like 'try again next time' or 'you'll see him again soon' but Viktor knew the truth of it. If Cyrus had managed to stay hidden from him for 950 years then who was to say he could stay hidden for another 950? With how Viktor didn't age he wouldn't put it past that in another 900 years both he and Cyrus would still be alive.
If Cyrus didn't want to be found when Viktor would have to go without his answers, and that pained him much more than any Physical pain or wound he had ever suffered. The train of thought he was having however was not affecting him in a very positive way as his attacks were getting stronger and stronger.
Usually the Punching bags would hold up against the attacks of high level Meta-humans like Viktor, but they were not very resilient under such brute force, they were meant for attacks of practise, not attacks of rage. Viktor's fists seemed to be heating up, steam emitted from his fists until they were literally engulfed in flame and his hand wrappings burned away.
The material of the Punching bag got weaker and weaker underneath Viktor's brute strength until finally with one final strike.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Viktor roared at the top of his lungs as his final fiery right hook broke the chain holding the Bag in place and sent it flying into the opposite side of the room. With a crash the bag made a dent in the wall, pieces of cement and concrete fell to the floor in a clutter as it was made clear that Viktor had pulverised the interior of said punching bag.
Viktor panted, steam emerging from his mouth with every exhale, sweat running from his brow and his long pitch black hair hanging down covering his face. His ruby red eyes continued to glow bright through the black veil that was his hair, the one thing that Viktor had failed to pick up on through his loud breathing and thoughts on Cyrus, was the fact that he had an observer in the room until that very moment.
Viktor stood up straight and slowly turned to meet eyes with the person watching. Blood Red Eyes met Emerald Green as Viktor saw that Laura was standing behind him with a worried expression on her face, probably staring at his flaming fists and the burnt and charred wrappings on his forearms.
"…How long have you…been standing there?" Viktor asked between deep breaths as he shook his arms to extinguish the flames before he tore off the charred wrappings.
"Long enough" she replied as she watched Viktor ripped the wrappings from his arms, the material crumbling away into ashes as he tore it free.
"You know, Reed and Hank said you should not be out of the infirmary until they know that you are fully recovered" Laura said walking closer to Viktor.
"I'm fine Laura, you saw what I did to that?" Viktor said pointing to the shredded punching bag "I'm pretty sure I'm recovered" Viktor continued giving Laura a smile
"I didn't mean physically recovered" Laura said, making Viktor drop his smile. "What is that supposed to mean?" he replied with a serious look
"Ever since what happened in Chicago you've been…Different" Laura said with a tone of concern
"I don't know what you're talking about Laura, I'm fine" Viktor replied as he turned away and grabbed a nearby Towel, wiping the sweat from his face.
"No…you're not, you haven't spoken to anyone but me and Callus for nearly a week, you are pushing yourself in the gym and you are acting way more distant than usual, I'm worried about you" Laura stepped closer and put a hand onto Viktor's shoulder. She was surprised at how hot his skin felt to the touch, it was like touching the underside of a hot plate, it was hot but not hot enough to burn or sear.
"Worried? Laura this may not have occurred to you, but I'm nine hundred and fifty years old, I can take care of myself" Viktor retorted before began walking back to his locker where his outfit would be. As he turned however Laura could see close up the dark areas around the bottom of his eyes, a very bad side effect from his lack of sleep.
Ever since Viktor had regained the full use of his body he hadn't gotten a single wink of sleep, the bags underneath his eyes were pure proof of that, if Viktor was a human, mutant or low level meta-human he would barely have the energy to stand but seeing as Viktor was a walking sun he had energy to spare. But even if he had that kind of energy, it was plain unhealthy for him not to sleep.
"Why don't you get some sleep? You could at least use some rest" Laura suggested
"I don't need it…I'm fine as it is" Viktor replied with a stern tone as he opened his locker, finding his Undershirt, Flak Jacket, Hat and his trademark Gauntlets.
"Everyone is worried about you, they haven't seen you for days and spending hours on end in the Gym and training simulator isn't helping anyone" Laura tried to reason with Viktor as he slipped his black undershirt over his head, the long sleeved undershirt also had his mask attached to the collar which he kept down.
"I need to get stronger Laura…I won't…I won't be blindsided again" Viktor replied as he took his necklace from one of the pockets of his coat and draped it around his neck. Laura on the other hand tried to figure out what he meant by being 'Blindsided', Viktor was an extremely old person even by Meta-human standards so it was expected that he would be hard to figure out, but one fact that Laura had learned from being his girlfriend for 2 solid years was that he was a Very straight forward guy.
Laura then thought about what had happened recently…then it hit her, but there was no way that he was talking about that! How could he blame himself for something so easily forgiven? Why would he be burdening his already burdened mind with something that anyone in the team could probably deal with? When Laura came to this realization, Viktor had already zipped up his Flak Jacket and was moving on to his Gauntlets, as he touched them Laura spoke.
"It's about Cyrus isn't it?" she asked, Viktor froze on the spot, his blood red eyes wide open and glowing intensely, his face holding a blank expression as his right hand touched the metallic surface of one of his Gauntlets.
"You shouldn't blame yourself for not beating him, the man beat all of us single handed, it's nothing to be ashamed of" she spoke softly, hoping she could talk some sense into him.
"Ashamed? You…you think I'm ashamed of myself, Laura?" Viktor asked as he slowly turned to Laura and met eyes with her, when she saw the look in those bright crimson orbs of his, she saw something and it wasn't shame like she thought.
"Laura, you think it is Shame that is causing me to be like this?" Viktor asked turning fully to face the Raven haired Mutant. Laura to be honest felt a little intimidated at the way he was looking at her, due to Viktor usually kind and caring nature she forgot how intimidating he really was. Standing at 7 feet tall with hair as black as obsidian and eyes as red as blood not to mention his stance that identified him as a veteran warrior through and through, it only dawned on her now how scary he could be.
"I am not ashamed of myself, Laura. I doubt anyone on this team, no, anyone on this planet could understand what I am feeling. I am distraught with a pain that is seeping through every inch of my being" Viktor explained as he walked towards Laura. Laura backed up as he approached but it wasn't long until her back hit a wall.
"The answer to everything, the answers I have wanted since the moment I found I wasn't human, they were right there Laura, they were right within arm's reach, if I was strong enough I could have gotten the answers I wanted and I would finally know what I am. No one, no one in the world could understand what I feel right now and as if it couldn't get worse…" Viktor said as he walked closer to Laura until he was right in front of her, he then slowly put both his hands on either side of her head and leaned close to her.
"…I got reminded of what I am, Laura. All those people that died, they reminded me of what I am underneath this…" Viktor said gesturing to his face "…I'm a killer, always have been, always will be, nothing will change that, there is a beast inside of me and every so often it manages to get out" Viktor said before he lowered his head, staring at the floor and closing his eyes.
It was only now that Laura realized something about Viktor, in a way he was right, there was a beast within him and it would manage to break out, to influence him, she herself saw its reflection as he made her back into a wall. It must have been hard to be like him, to strike fear into people's hearts, even without meaning it.
The female Mutant slowly brought her hands up and held Viktor's head, making him face her, his blood red eyes met her emerald green.
"I promise Viktor…I'm helping you get through this, no matter what it takes" the raven haired mutant spoke with care as she touched her forehead to Viktor's in a comforting manner. She had to try and help Viktor, but deep down within she knew…she didn't know how.
"I'm sorry Laura….but you can't" Viktor replied as he broke free from her embrace and stood up straight, turning around the retrieve the rest of his gear. Laura was frozen as she suddenly felt the heat around her leave with Viktor.
Viktor latched his Gauntlets onto his forearms, zipped up his Flak Jacket and put on his coat before Callus flew onto his shoulder and held on tight. "CAW!" the Crow squawked as Viktor put up his mask and put his hat on, tilting it low, thus covering his eyes.
Viktor was silent as he left the locker room, not saying a single word. Callus kept Cawing and Cawing as if trying to stop Viktor from leaving, but the bird was powerless as Viktor left the room quickly, leaving Laura behind.
*Stark Tower, New York City
Tony simply sat on his couch as he slowly poured scotch into his glass, the Television was on the news channel but the billionaire wasn't really paying attention to what was happening as he was focused on relaxing and taking things easy. The Iron Avenger wasn't someone who would usually find himself in a situation such as this, whenever he had business meetings and or Television appearances and whatnot to make he would usually turn up late or get Pepper and Happy to deal with it.
But this situation that he had found himself in was unlike any of the others, he was basically the face of the Avengers, he was the team's first leader and by that logic he basically made himself a bull's eye for anyone who was against them which was pretty much the entire United States right now.
Tony simply drank his scotch and tried to get at least a couple of minutes of relaxation until something on the television caught his attention.
"…In other news, the President himself has confirmed the Publics beliefs that a Superhuman Registration act is in the works…" the presenter said, Tony's eyes widened and he nearly choked on his scotch in shock. As he wiped the dripping alcohol from his mouth he looked at the television and began to intently listen to the report as it continued.
"…this act has been confirmed to require all Masked Vigilantes in the United States to register with the Government if they wish to continue hero work, there have been no comments on whether or not this act will treat Mutants or non-crime fighting Meta-humans differently but what we do know from the President is that a special task force on par with S.H.I.E.L.D will be trusted with enforcing said law. In light of the recent disaster in Chicago the American Public seem to be supporting such an act with much enthusiasm with many giving statements on what they think to be the law that could change this country for the better" the presenter continued before the screen changed to one showing a middle aged woman.
"I think this act is just what this country needs, how come we need licences for guns but they don't need licenses for Magic hammers and powers that can blow up cities?" she said before it cut to someone else, an elderly man.
"I say the President knows exactly what he is doing, these people are flying around, blowing up cities and ruining this country, I say it's about dam time we start making them abide to a set of laws" he spoke, Tony noted that this guy was most likely one of those old farts that read too much of the daily bugle and thus bought into Jameson's Hero slandering crap.
Tony had heard enough, he wasn't going to stick around and listen to some idiots on the news talk about a law that could start a war in a biased way such as this. He was going to have to put a stop to this and if that meant going to the very top then so be it, Tony was not one to sit back and do nothing when it could start a war, his years as the world's most famous weapons dealer had given him that experience already.
The Iron Avenger sat up and turned off the television before calling to his AI butler.
"JARVIS"
"Yes sir?"
"Activate the Mark 6, we have some flying to do"
Tony Stark was going to see the President.
*Baxter Building, New York City
"Ok, now Bill, very gently" Reed Richards directed as he kept a good eye on the Vitals of their patient
"Alright, and three, two, one and pull" Reed continued as Bill Foster pulled the back panel off of the fried metallic skull of the Vision, both scientists were sure to be as delicate as possible when doing this as the Synthezoid was extremely damaged after what had happened in Chicago, any mistake could cause further harm and thus risk permanently shutting down the Avenger.
"Alright, now his CPU should be in there somewhere, pull it out slowly" Reed said, the two would need to have a closer look at the Vision's CPU in order to see if the damage was as bad as it seemed.
With a firm yank of his pliers, Bill pulled the CPU chip from the Vision's head and set it down on an examination tray nearby. Reed instantly went to inspect the chip, making notes of any imperfections or damage done to the small piece of hardware.
"Reed Honey, Tony just rung, he said something about meeting up tomorrow for a scientific discussion about an Act or something, you would be able to make more sense out of than I ever could…what are you doing?" Sue said as she walked into the room, the two scientists were both circled around the Tray in their Lab Coats and were both doing intense analysis on the Vision's CPU chip.
"Bill and I are trying to make sure that Vision's CPU wasn't too badly damaged by the blast, so far everything looks to be in working order" Reed added as he tinkered with the small piece of hardware.
"Um, why is it so important that, that piece is ok?" Sue asked as she approached the two scientists
"The Vision's CPU is basically his brain, it holds all his memories, his data and whatever made him, him. Now Normally Vision's self-repair systems would have fixed the most vital systems and he would at the very least look recognisable, I'm betting that the thermal energy that the blast contained short circuited his repair program, all we need to do is fix that and the rest should be a piece of cake" Bill spoke with his experience in such fields.
"Uh, huh, well I hope you guys finish that soon because Ben is going out Bowling, Johnny is going out clubbing with Peter and I'm going out with the girls, meaning that Nathan and Valeria will need you to babysit them" Sue replied, putting a hand on her hip.
"Sue, Honey I'm in the middle of…" Reed began until his wife interrupted him
"I'm sure Bill can handle it Reed, but our kids need someone to look after them tonight and last I checked you aren't going out, so yeah, kids first, science later" Sue said, proving her sway over Reed as he sighed and agreed "Yes dear"
Sue smiled triumphantly but as she further looked around the room she noticed one or two new things that had appeared within her Husband's lab. The thing that stood out the most was a weapon contained in some kind of weird harness on one of the desks. Under closer inspection she recognised it as a Japanese Tanto knife, but the blade had strange markings engraved on it and there was a slight blue sheen to it.
"Uh Reed, please don't tell me you are starting a creepy knife collection" Sue said as she went to touch the Tanto. Reed turned to see Sue reaching for the Tanto and extended his arm to grab hers before she touched it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Sue" Reed said with a hint of caution in his voice
"Why not?" the Invisible Woman asked "Why do you have a Japanese knife here anyway?" she asked further, Reed responded to the first question by walking over to his wife and taking off the glove of his other hand, revealing that it was heavily bandaged.
"Oh my god reed what happened?" Sue responded with worry
"That knife was Cyrus'" Reed replied making Sue put on a confused face "Logan gave it to me after the fight, Cyrus had apparently nailed him to the floor with it so Logan thought I could analyse it to see what it's made of. So far I found that it conducts heat…really well" Reed said undoing the bandages on his hand, showing off the burns that the dagger had caused.
"It really speaks volumes about the Bastard when he doesn't even need to be using his weapons for then to hurt you" Bill added as he continued to work on fixing Vision's CPU.
"Just don't touch it for another….5 days" Reed said
"Why 5 days?"
"Because I charged it with a small burst of electricity an hour ago and it amplified the charge tenfold, and by the looks of things the charge isn't dying out, I fried my hand trying to remove it from the harness" Reed explained, being a dedicated scientist was always risky especially when dealing with unknown factors like Viktor and Cyrus.
"Ok….you had better not let either of the kids in here or else" Sue warned, she didn't want either Franklin or Valeria to end up touching Cyrus' Tanto.
Otherwise Reed would be in for the beating of a lifetime.
*Avengers Mansion
Peter and Carol were sat down in the lounge, in their full Avenger attire. Of course the two of them had their masks off due to the convenience of having one sided glass installed on all the windows. The two had simply wanted to relax in the confines of the mansion for a bit, while also occasionally trying to plan out their wedding.
"I don't think Fiji is the sort of place we want to hold the wedding Pete" Carol sighed
"Why not?"
"Well, it's way too far from the city, I don't want us to get halfway through the ceremony and half our guests need to leave to try and fight a Doombot that's destroying New York" Carol replied.
"Good point" the Web slinger said as he scratched his head. Thinking of a destination where to have the wedding was extremely tricky, especially when T'Challa, Namor and even Thor offered to have the wedding held in their respected kingdoms.
Too much choice could be a bigger problem than not enough.
As the Web Slinger and the Blonde Avenger skimmed through pamphlets and travel guides that they had picked up, Peter and Carol both picked up someone approaching with their superhuman senses. Their senses weren't exactly required due to the fact that said person wasn't trying to hide their presence.
The sound of heavy metal boots treading their way through the mansion alerted Peter and Carol and as they turned they saw Viktor, dressed in his full attire with the exception of his hat being tilted much lower than usual, thus covering his entire face.
"Caw! Caw!" Callus squawked as Viktor walked right past the two and headed straight for the door.
"Hey, Vik where are you go…"
*SLAM!* Viktor slammed the door shut as soon as he made it past the doorway.
Soon after, Laura came into the room in a very timid posture. Carol and Peter both instantly felt that something was wrong.
"Laura are you ok?" Peter asked as he saw the state the Raven haired mutant was in. Laura didn't reply and slowly walked over to the couch and sat down without making a sound.
"It's….it's Viktor…" Laura spoke quietly.
"What's the matter? Isn't he getting better?" Peter asked, worried for the health of his friend.
"Not exactly. I've…I've never seen him like this, he…he isn't being himself. I have no idea what to do" Laura spoke with a shaky tone in her voice. "He…he blames himself for what happened, and I…I don't know what to say, I…I can't…" Laura said, her eyes tearing up as she tried desperately to find the words.
Peter knew the look in her eyes, the look of helplessness. It was a look he had seen in Carol's eyes when she opened up to him, Viktor's eyes when he told the team of his true past and most of all it was a look he held in his eyes when Gwen and Uncle Ben had been taken from him.
"Laura, just speak slowly and tell me everything" Peter spoke softly as he put his hands on Laura's shoulders.
"I….I tried speaking to him, about how he has been acting differently…but…but…" Laura couldn't speak as he eyes began to tear up. Peter and Carol were amazed at this, not only the fact that they rarely saw Laura act like this, but that Viktor was in a state that made Laura like this.
"Listen, Laura. Peter will speak to him alright? He's sure to listen to his best friend" Carol said in a comforting manner.
"Yeah, just let me deal with it. Vik will be back to his old self in no time" Peter said, trying his best to reassure Laura.
"That's what I'm afraid of Peter" Laura whispered. Peter picked up his mask and stood up, he wouldn't let Laura or Viktor down. He put his mask over his face and walked towards the Mansion's entrance.
"JARVIS, you there buddy?" Peter asked the AI who sprung to life "Yes Master Parker, what do you need assistance with?" the articulate AI responded.
"Can you track Viktor's ID card location and lead me to him?" Peter asked
"Of course sir, tracking ID card now" the AI responded.
"I'll be right back" Peter told Laura and Carol as he opened the Mansion doors and set out to find Viktor. He had to try and fix things, even if it meant doing everything himself.
The wind felt pleasant enough on his face as his long pitch black hair blew softly in the wind. Not many people would feel at ease sitting atop a structure as tall as this one, it being a deadly fall if you hadn't the superhuman endurance, power of flight and the always helpful ability of not giving two shits if you fell anyway.
Viktor kept his eyes closed and his breathing slow so he could simply soak in the sound of the wind blowing against his pale super-dense skin. He tried to think back to a time when none of his surroundings even existed, back when the people below him didn't even exist. Viktor thought back to a time where everything below him was naught but small buildings barely a fraction of the size of the super structures that existed today, back when the United States were colonies under the Empire which he both served and fought against countless times.
But most of all, he tried to think back to a time when the troubles and problems of life didn't plague and follow him everywhere he went, a time when he didn't have to worry of the dangers that tomorrow would bring, a time where he could live in the now without shadows of the past looming over him every constant moment of the day.
But he could not.
Every point in his life after that day nine hundred and twenty years ago, was nothing but a long stretch of him running, moving from place to place, never finding his way no matter where he went. All the wars he fought in, all the skills he had been taught, all the languages he had learned, all the people he had met but most of all…all the deaths he had caused.
Of course many of said deaths didn't bother him for an instant, when he brutally dismembered men who had committed horrible crimes until they were unrecognisable. Viktor was serious when he said he wasn't a hero, he never had been, a hero didn't do the things he had done, even at his best Viktor never thought himself on the same level as Peter or Carol or any of the other selfless Avengers that risked their lives every day.
Viktor told himself that he would do what was necessary. But what was necessary about what he had done? Truth be told he didn't fight Cyrus to save anyone, it may have been on his mind a little at the time, but the main reason he fought the Samurai was to gain answers and knowledge about his origins and where he had come from.
Everyone had a certain period or moment in their life where they questioned why they were put on this planet to begin with, when they question their reason to continue struggling.
For Viktor, that was his entire life.
As the wind continued to blow through his Hair Viktor opened his glowing crimson red eyes to scan his surroundings. With his hat in his right hand and his mask pulled down to his chin he relished in the feeling of cool air kissing his pale skin.
"Ok, I get the whole 'brooding hero' thing, but is sitting on top of a clock tower is too much" Viktor didn't need to turn to know who that was.
"Hey Pete, nice of you to drop by" Viktor replied, not even glancing backwards.
"Is it? I heard from Laura that you aren't doing so well at the moment" Peter said as he walked closer to the British Avenger, taking a seat beside him once he was close enough.
"Is that what she told you?" Viktor said, not even looking at the Web slinger.
"You should know that you shouldn't be blaming yourself over what happened" Peter spoke truthfully.
"Nice of you to say Pete, but it's hard to let things go with the blood of three thousand people staining your hands" Viktor replied, keeping his gaze fixed upon the city.
"We all have things that we aren't proud of, Vik. But you can't let a single mistake, even one as large as this weight you down and stop you from being who you are" Peter told his friend as he put a hand on his Shoulder.
"It's not that easy Pete. I have a Beast inside me. It's been there since I was born, it gets out whenever I feel rage, whenever I feel pain, and when it gets out I….I do things, horrible things, it took me over when my family died and….and I'm afraid it's taking over again…please Pete, I…I need help" Viktor said, tears slowly emerging in his eyes as he reached up and held his face in his hands.
"I will help you as long as there is a breath in my Body, Viktor. But I can't do all the work myself, you have to forgive yourself, you have to let go" Peter continued.
"It's easy for you to tell someone to let it go Pete, but you have no idea the things I have done. No offence but what makes you think that you are justified in telling me to let it go?" Viktor asked, teary eyed. Peter pondered his question before he finally came back with an answer.
"I killed the woman I loved" Peter replied, Viktor finally tore his gaze from the city and looked into the white lenses of Peter's mask. Viktor instantly felt ashamed of himself, he remembered how much losing Gwen destroyed Peter, but nevertheless he still marched on and continued to be the hero he was.
"I'm….I'm sorry Pete, I didn't mean to….dammit" Viktor replied, his head sinking down and his black hair veiling his face. Peter's grip on his shoulder tightened and the Crimson eyed Brit looked back up at him.
"It's alright, man. I know what loss is like, I know how it feels to fail, to think that you are the worst scum because of the mistakes you have done. But you can't let it get the best of you, mistakes are made so we can get stronger and never let it happen again. You are one of the strongest guys I know, literally and figuratively, after all the things you have been though I'm amazed you have managed to soldier on this far in life, despite all the things you have lost and done…" Peter said, letting his words settle in.
"Don't let this drag you down, you are a great man, and my best friend…don't let it all be for nothing, do what you can to make up for it…I know you can" Peter continued, gripping Viktor's shoulder the whole time. Viktor wasn't ashamed of the tear that dropped from his eye as Peter spoke.
"Ha….just look at me, I'm crying like a schoolgirl, you sure have a way with words Spidey" Viktor chuckled as he wiped his eyes.
"Tears aren't a weakness, Vik. Trust me" Peter smiled, his grin managing to make its way through his mask.
"Thanks…I…I really needed that, though I really don't think I will be redeeming myself anytime soon" Viktor spoke truthfully, he still felt the guilt in his chest. Even though it wasn't as bad it still lingered like a flame within his heart.
"I know Vik, but it's a start" Peter smiled as he stood up and motioned for Viktor to stand up. The Black Haired Brit stood up after pulling up his mask, covering his face and putting on his hat.
"Tell you what, Johnny and me are going out for a few drinks tonight, do you want to tag along? It might help brighten your spirit" Peter asked.
"Thanks Pete, I think I may just do that" Viktor smiled back as he straightened out his coat and stood on the edge of the clock tower.
Peter leapt off the tower and swung from his webs as Viktor shot off into the air. The Black haired Avenger now feeling as least a bit better than he did this morning, though it was all uphill from there.
Right?
*Washington DC, the White House
The black suited Bodyguards stood a vigil watch at the entrance of the Oval Office, their black shades covering their experienced gazes and their confidence and class was made clear by their hands clasped in front of them.
*CLANG!* the Red metallic form of Iron Man landed, ploughing his metal fist into the ground in his trademark pose.
Of course the bodyguards weren't expecting the Iron Avenger to land not 5 feet away from them in the blink of an eye and immediately went for their side arms before a clear female voice spoke out.
"Easy boys, bullets wouldn't work even if you tried" she spoke
Tony looked up to see who said woman was, he saw a very attractive raven haired woman, she wore glasses and a very professional suit and skirt. If Tony wasn't already in a relationship with Jessica he would have seriously contemplated hitting on her. Then again Tony wasn't exactly in the mood to be chatting up women as he had a different reason for being there.
"And who are you?" Tony asked as his Face plate stayed in place, the stern and serious look of the Iron Man helmet gazing upon the woman.
"Victoria Hand, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr Stark" Victoria replied with a smile
"Listen Ms Hand, I don't have time for pleasantries Im here to…"
"See the President, I know Mr Stark, President Jones is actually expecting you right now" Hand smiled
"He…He is?" Tony asked in surprise
"The President is a very busy man Mr Stark, I don't think keeping him waiting would be a good idea" Hand smiled as she motioned the Leader of the Avengers to follow her. Tony narrowed his eyes and begrudgingly followed Hand into the White house, but before he entered the huge structure he looked to the two Guards and said "Keep up the good work fellas"
The Guards silently scowled at the Iron Avenger as he passed the two of them and walked into the white house.
"So, he was expecting me?" Tony asked Hand as he followed her through the White House.
"The President can read most people like a Book Mr Stark, it was only natural that after all the news coverage of the registration act, that the leader of the world's most famous Superhumans would respond" Hand replied to the Iron Avenger as he followed her closely.
As the two came to the doors of the Oval Office, Hand stopped and turned to the Armoured Avenger whom still hadn't opened up his Face plate.
"Just to make this clear Mr Stark, the President is a very busy man, I suggest you say what you want to tell him fast because we are running on a tight schedule" Hand told Tony, he didn't even have time to reply as she opened the doors to the Oval Office. Tony had been in the office a couple of time before so it was nothing new though The only difference being the man sitting at the Desk with his hands wrapped around some documents.
"Mr President, Mr Stark is here" Hand announced.
"Ah, Mr Stark, I didn't expect you to dress up like that" Jones joked, putting his Documents down on the table.
"Where are my manners, take a seat if you want" Jones offered, gesturing to the two couches in the centre of the room. Tony finally took off the helmet section of his armour and sat down on the couch to the right. The Iron Avenger was used to wearing his armour while sitting down on couches and chairs and such, so wearing his armour now wasn't really a problem.
"That will be all Ms Hand" Jones said, dismissing the raven haired woman whom left the room sharply.
"She's quite something isn't she? Not like most of the women around DC, secretaries who sit around doing their finger nails like they are fashion models or something. She actually gets things done" Jones smiled.
"Can I get you a drink? Scotch, Bourbon? Coffee? My personal assistant makes an excellent latte" Jones asked in a friendly manner.
"Listen, Mr President. I know you are just trying to be nice but I'm not here on a social visit" Tony replied with a stern tone.
"I know, that doesn't mean we can't be civil about things. I knew that someone in the Avengers would reply to a law that affects the Metahuman community so much. I was expecting either you are Captain America to arrive on my doorstep pretty much immediately after the announcement was released, seems I was right" Jones smiled as he spoke.
"Well, it's good you know how we feel about this subject, but I hope you understand why approving a Registration act like this is an extremely bad idea" Tony said, sitting up.
"Just so you know Mr Stark, I'm not just saying yes to this act because of what the public are saying. I think that we both know that if the Majority got what they wanted all the time, this world would be up to its neck in shit" Jones said, his tone changing from joking to serious.
"Excuse me?" Tony asked, confused as to how this man thought.
"Don't mistake me for some son of a rich politician Mr Stark, I didn't become President to sit on my ass and let Congress make the same ineffectual changes that they have always done" Jones said with the upmost seriousness.
"That doesn't change the fact that this act could start a war. You realize that if this act goes public, the Metahuman community will be split in half, then you'll be wishing that it started a war" Tony said, standing up.
"What course of action would you take then?" Jones asked, clasping his hands in front of his face.
"Don't let the act pass" Tony replied with an 'as a matter of fact' tone.
"Alright, and if I did that, then the riots would continue, the public would continue to question the countries ethics if the victims of Chicago went unjustified and then there is the danger that what happened in Chicago might happen again" Jones replied.
"Before you reply, Mr Stark. I just want you to consider one or two things" Jones said immediately before Tony could possibly reply. The Iron Avenger nodded and let the President stand to his feet.
"I love my country, Mr Stark. And as the President it's my job to stop it from tearing itself apart, so try and see it from my point of view. 2 years ago you and your Avengers along with the X-Men and Fantastic Four invaded Latveria, of course you had Shield at your back but it was still the invasion of a country, a country that is still trying to rebuild itself from all the damage done to it…" Jones said before he turned to look outside the window at the rest of DC.
"…And now Chicago is in ashes, everything burnt and turned to ruin. Your Friend Yellow jacket created the creature known as Ultron, a mistake which I think you can agree could have been avoided. The Hulk destroys cities and towns whenever he goes out of control, pro Mutant groups destroy whatever they can because they think Humanity is destined for extinction and now there are Metahuman groups all over the place, not trained and experienced groups like your Avengers but teams made out of youths who probably aren't old enough to vote yet, how long before the Young Avengers or the New Guardians accidently blow up LA or Manhattan. How long before another city is destroyed when another two Omega level Metahumans decide to have a tussle in the centre of it?" Jones continued before he turned to Tony.
"I want to protect my country, Mr Stark, but I can't do it alone with nothing but dusty democrats and soldiers who can't hold their own against a single low level Metahuman. Of course General Ross, Agent Venom and your good friend Colonel Rhodes work under us…but how well could they possibly perform if the all the X-Men went rogue or if your Friend Brimstone went feral again?" President Jones asked, Tony went speechless as he tried to think of a retort, but every as he pondered on Jones' words he kept making more and more sense.
"You and your friends may think that this Act is another way of the Government trying to put Metahumans on a leash, but I want the Metahumans of this country to be safe too. Now training for the less experienced Metahumans, the revealing of identities and government protection…does that sound like we want you in chains?" Jones asked with an honest look.
"When you have men like Kelly supporting you? I should think chains were part of the deal you made with him" Tony replied.
"Kelly is a paranoid idiot who knows about as much politics as he does actual Mutants. I think we both knew that if he had his way, he would probably bring out the gas chambers. I don't have a hand in what he wants to support, if he likes my ideas then good for him" Jones replied.
Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing, the president didn't seem to be what he thought him to be. Unlike Kelly he seemed genuinely concerned about the country, and all of its people, be they human or otherwise. Tony however wasn't going to start following this guy's lead just because he brought up a good point or two, he wanted to know more about what this Act would bring.
"Just how exactly is this act supposed to help Metahumans? I don't see how turning crime fighters into an army is supposed to improve the country" Tony replied, eager to know the details of this registration act.
"Every time I hear someone oppose this act, they say I'm trying to build a superhuman army. But Metahumans such as yourself would only need to register your real identity and assist in training less experienced heroes. However if you really want to know how this will affect the Superhuman community, I suggest you come with me" Jones spoke. The President then stood up and grabbed his coat from a nearby coat hanger before putting it on.
Tony grabbed his helmet and held it in his arm "You can bring the armour if it make you feel comfortable" Jones smiled before he opened the door with the Iron Avenger following him closely. As the two exited the room, they were followed by two black suited body guards, most likely CIA agents.
"Don't mind Jackson and Miles, they follow me everywhere nowadays" Jones spoke as the four of them exited the oval office. As the four passed by the President's secretary, she spoke to the Commander in Chief "Sir, Miss Hand is waiting with your vehicle outside"
"Thanks Sophie" Jones smiled back.
"Vehicle?" Tony asked, the President simply smiled as they came to the doors. The two guards from before who had drew their pistols on Tony opened the double doors so the President wouldn't have to trouble himself with opening the door. As they stepped outside however Tony felt gobsmacked at the sight before him.
"Do you like it? I trust you should, seeing as you initially designed it after all" Jones smiled.
"Is…is that a Quinjet?" Tony asked, the sight before him being that of a black Quinjet with an American logo on the side, but next to that a Logo of a Gauntlet grasping a fire sigil, the Logo of F.L.A.M.E.
"Well…sort of, it's more of a Prototype so it doesn't have all the fancy gizmos that yours do, once you share the original schematics with us we will be able to have them off the assembly line in dozens" Jones said over the sound of the engines roaring.
"Hold on, I never said anything about giving anyone any Schematics" Tony replied angry that he insinuated that he would hand over one of his creations.
"Calm down, Mr Stark. Once you have seen what we have planned, you will be begging to let us see the schematics" Jones smiled as hopped into the Quinjet. Tony stepped into the jet with the two bodyguards following close behind.
Tony and the President sat in their seats opposite Victoria Hand whom had a folder of assorted files resting on her lap "Mr Stark, I'm pleased to see you could join us" Hand spoke sincerely.
"Thanks, but I'd prefer to know where we are going" Tony said.
"Somewhere that will blow your mind. Pilot" Jones spoke to Tony before turning to the pilot.
"Take us to site A" Jones smiled. The Pilot nodded before the Quinjet took off into the skies at about half the speed of the original models, their Location unknown to the Iron Avenger as he tightly gripped his helmet underarm.
"He should be here by now"
"Hey, he's a celebrity, he doesn't have the privilege of a secret Identity so people are bound to ask for autographs or something"
"Doesn't excuse being late all the time, the man can fly as fast as me for god's sake"
"Relax Vik, isn't this why you wanted to come along?" Peter asked as he put a hand on Viktor's shoulder. The two had been waiting outside the club for at least an hour and Viktor's patience was starting to wear thin.
The two Avengers were wearing street clothes, Peter in a red hoodie and blue shirt with jeans and sneakers while Viktor dressed in a black leather jacket, black jeans, Rocker boots and Fingerless gloves while he had his hair tied in a ponytail.
"I don't get why the hell we have to stand out here waiting for him, can't we just get inside now and wait for him there?" Viktor asked, his aggravation bleeding through.
"Have you even seen the line, Vik? It would take us just as long to get inside as to wait for him. Besides when Johnny gets here he can get us right in past the line, he said that he once saved the owners life and gave him a VIP pass" Peter explained, trying to get Viktor to calm down.
"I can handle Lines, Pete. I'm British, we are practically born to handle the bloody things" Viktor replied with his arms crossed. Peter sighed, 'at least he isn't moping anymore' he thought, it seemed that getting out for some fresh air might have helped Viktor's mood a bit.
All of a sudden the sky above them lit up and as the two looked up, they saw the one and only Johnny Storm, the Human Torch descending from the sky with his form engulfed in flame. Once Johnny landed the flames ceased and revealed him in a very expensive looking shirt and trousers.
"Hey guys, sorry to keep you waiting, I had to save some cute kids from a burning orphanage on the way over here" Johnny smiled.
"Is that so? Well I guess saving those kids must have been hard in those nice looking shoes, are Gucci really what you want to wear in a burning building?" Viktor asked with a raised eyebrow with his arms crossed.
"Ok, Ok it was a bunch of hot babes that wanted my autograph, you would do the same bro" Johnny chuckled as he put his hands in his pockets.
"I can keep my pants on, Storm. So no I wouldn't have done the same" Viktor replied. Johnny then stopped chuckling and put a hand on Viktor's shoulder "So…how are feeling, man?" he asked.
"I'm fine Johnny, just…a little on edge" Viktor explained before taking Johnny's hand from his shoulder "I'll be a lot better once I've gotten some drinks down me though"
"Ok, let's go then" Johnny smiled as he led the way to the club. Outside said club was a huge line, stretching to at least the end of the street, not to mention almost everyone in that line looked pissed off.
"Hey Joe, how are things big man?" Johnny greeted the doorman.
"Good Johnny, I got to say there are some very fine looking ladies waiting for you tonight, some of them couldn't believe it when I said you were coming" the doorman replied.
"Hey, there's plenty of Storm to go around" Johnny chuckled.
"Hey! How come that loser gets to go straight in! We've been waiting for hours!" a woman with a cowboy hat from the crowd shouted at the Doorman.
"Hey, missy! Next time you save the world from Galactus you can borrow my VIP pass, until then you'll just have to be patient and wait in line" Johnny replied.
"What about the next time you blow up a city, Jackass!" a short haired blonde woman from the crowd shouted next.
"Yeah! What about the next time you kill some kids?" another guy from the crowd shouted, this one looked like a Beatles reject.
"What!?" Johnny replied, he could not believe what he was hearing. These people were shouting abuse at him for no reason when all he wanted was to go out for a good time with Peter and Viktor.
Johnny walked towards the line of people but Peter grabbed Johnny's arm "Come on man, they're not worth it" Peter told Johnny, but the blonde replied "Its ok man, they're just a bunch of punks" he said before confronting the crowd.
"Man, you got some nerve swaggering around town after that! If I was you I would be ashamed to go outside!" a fat black man wearing a gold chain around his neck shouted.
"What the hell are you even talking about, tubby?" Johnny replied with a confused and annoyed tone.
"What do you think asshole?! You and your meta-human buddies killing all those people in Chicago!" the Beatles reject shouted.
"Ok, One I wasn't even there when it happened! Two it was that Psycho with the samurai sword that is to blame! Not me! Not the Avengers! Not Meta-humans in general! Learn how to speak properly before ramming your bullshit down my ears!" Johnny shouted back, his fiery personality burning through.
"Oh yeah!? We all saw the news! You and your super power buddies are scum! I bet your friends here are Filthy Mutants or something aren't they!?" the woman wearing the cowboy hat shouted, pointing at Peter and Viktor. Peter looked to his friend and the look Viktor had on his face, these people and their words were getting to him. He couldn't speak back and defend himself like Johnny could, and speaking of Johnny, steam was literally bellowing off of his form and he was going to flame on any moment now.
"Baby Killer!"
"Murderer!"
"Monster!" the people kept shouting as the three in anger.
"Alright, you guys had better back off or else…"
*CRASH!*
Johnny fell to the floor as one of the people had hit him over the back of the head with a broken bottle. The Human Torch fell to the ground and blood dripped from the back of his head, the people rushed at him and began to stomping and hitting him while he was down.
"Hold him down! Hold him down!" one muscular man screamed as more and more people assaulted the downed Meta-human.
The man with the broken bottle held his weapon high, ready to kill the Human Torch but suddenly another hand grabbed his arm and in a split second.
*CRACK!*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" the man screamed as his arm was brutally snapped like a twig in an instant. Another hand grabbed his leg and the man was brutally tossed to the floor like a ragdoll.
The people attacking Johnny looked up to see his black haired friend with his eyes burning red and his fists faintly steaming. One of the more muscular men ran at Viktor try and punch him, but the Red eyed Meta-human grabbed his fist as it came for him and with a hard squeeze.
*CRUNCH!*
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" the man squealed like a pig as every bone in his hand was reduced to gravel. Viktor's fist then came into contact with the man's fact and his teeth went flying out of his mouth along with a worrying amount of blood. The man fell unconscious to the floor as Viktor walked closer to the people, snarling with steam emitting from his mouth.
"VIKTOR! NO!" Peter shouted in panic as his friend looked like he was about to make the crowd regret what they were doing.
The people closest to Johnny were still stomping and hitting him while he was bleeding heavily onto the floor. Viktor snarled as he violently booted one man off of him, the kick probably snapped every rib on his left side.
The Red eyed Avenger then lunged forward and grabbed the Fat man and a man who dressed like a Punk by their throats and raised them off the floor before he began squeezing. The people began to scream and panic as it seemed like Viktor was going to snap their necks in half.
"You want a Monster? Then what about me!?" Viktor snarled at the two.
"VIKTOR STOP NOW!" Peter shouted, grabbing Viktor's right arm. The Brit looked back at Peter and the Web Slinger saw the pure fury burning in his eyes.
"Stop!? You want me to stop!?" Viktor snarled like an animal as his grip on the two men only tightened as they dangled from his hands. At this rate they were going to suffocate if Viktor didn't break their necks first.
Viktor's eyes narrowed at Peter before he lowered the two to the ground. Viktor however was not releasing the two as he grabbed the backs of their necks and smashed their heads together. They would be lucky if they didn't suffer brain damage from that. Viktor then looked at the rest of the crowd and growled at them "RUN! RUN BEFORE I COME FOR THE LOT OF YOU!" he roared at them like a beast and surely enough they ran with their tails between their legs.
Viktor's eyes stopped burning and he knelt down besides Johnny before gently picking him up. Peter knelt down and helped him "What the hell was that!? You almost killed those people!?" Peter shouted.
"They are lucky I didn't rip their fucking innards out" Viktor growled as he hefted Johnny into his arms. The bleeding wasn't getting any better and if he didn't get medical attention soon then he probably wouldn't make it.
"He needs a doctor and quick" Viktor said as he began walking.
"What about them?" Peter asked, pointing to the people Viktor had brutally beaten.
"Fuck them" Viktor uttered before he took off into the skies with Johnny in his arms.
Peter couldn't believe what he just saw, that couldn't be the same Viktor he had befriended all those years ago. The kind and good man he knew wouldn't do something like this, he just couldn't. Peter quickly ran over to the doorman "Call 911, make sure they all get taken care of alright?" Peter told the Doorman as he nodded and had already taken out his phone.
The Web slinger shot a web stream into the sky and began swinging after Viktor. He was concerned about the people, but he had to make sure Johnny was alright, not to mention he had to confront Viktor about what had just occurred. Viktor kept telling Peter about what he had done in Chicago and how he blamed himself, that's when a single thing he said rang out in Peter's memory.
"I have a Beast inside me, Pete. It's been there since I was born, it gets out whenever I feel rage, whenever I feel pain, and when it gets out I….I do things, horrible things, it took me over when I was young and….and I'm afraid it's taking over again…please Pete, I…I need help"
Peter had just seen a taste of what Viktor would end up doing when the 'beast' stirred within him. And he knew that deep down, Viktor was hurting more than any of those people possibly could. He had to get his friend back and he wouldn't let anyone else get hurt.
If it were only that simple.
Alright everybody how was that? I know that it has been a long ass time since my last update and that this chapter probably doesn't have a lot of the stuff you initially wanted, but hey I hope it pleases you.
Now a few things:
Yeah I know Viktor's actions in this chapter have been very…well…let's say a bit more brutal than usual. But try and look at it from his point of view and you might just see why acted this way. And don't tell me you didn't read that part in civil war and didn't want to see those assholes that attacked Johnny get their heads smashed in.
Now for the Dakkaman777 speciality, since there has been a tonne of Marvel stuff happening recently I will be asking not one, but TWO questions.
1 – Have you seen the Age of Ultron Trailer and what did you think?
2 – Have you heard of Marvels line up for the next phase of films up to Infinity War? Tell me what you think and who would be an awesome Captain Marvel (Carol)
Now as always tell me what you thought about this chapter, and I promise the next chapter will come quicker (I am writing it this very moment in fact).
See you guys next chapter.