The Soulguard, A Dragon Who Can See Spirits

Chapter 1

The alarms were blaring across the hidden complex in the middle of a vast forest, Hydra soldiers hastily picking up weapons. The Avengers were here. They launched an attack on the Hydra complex. Everyone was on high alert. A nervous scientist scrambled from a room deep in the base. A low rumbling and a sound of heavy metal chains could be heard from the room. The scientist hurriedly traveled through the corridors wide and high enough to have a large truck drive through them. When the scientist finally reached their destination they were terrified, they didn't want to be the bearer of these news, they knew what would happen to them. They knocked on the heavy door in front of them, waiting for permission to enter. When a muffled 'come in' reached their ears they opened the door, nervously entering the room. A Hydra leader of this lesser known branch of the organization stood in front of a large wooden table, his back facing the door. By the leader's stance alone the scientist knew that their leader was less than happy with what is currently happening. "Speak." A simple order was said. "The beast, sir. It has not yet-." The scientist gulped heavily when their leader let out a frustrated sigh, leaning against the table in front of him. "I do not care! We need the beast to tear the Avengers apart!." The scientist knew that releasing the beast now was not wise. "But sir-" they were quickly silenced. "I said we need it against the Avengers! Now go! Before I shoot you right where you stand!" At that the scientist scrambled back towards the room they emerged from before, hoping for a miracle. They and their colleagues were already tasked with an impossible job, this only confirming their very much inevitable demise.

The Avengers were having an upper hand in the battle outside of the complex. Tony Stark in his suit of armor was raining fire from above together with Sam Wilson with his mechanical wings and an android called Vision, while the Hulk and Thor, god of thunder, were causing havoc on the ground, ensuring that their teammates were able to safely get in the complex. Multiple of the defensive structures were already destroyed and in flames. Hulk attacking all and any with a Hydra uniform who dared to challenge him. When Thor managed to clear the way to the entrance, he signaled for the others. The two supersoldiers together with two spies and an enchanted. The group of five were quick to dispatch any members of Hydra that came in their way, not slowing their advances. It took only a couple groups of Hydra soldiers before Wanda Maximoff, the enchanted, noticed something on the logo of the Hydra soldiers. The logo was different than usual. "Steve, Nat-" She called "Look at the logo, it is different. I don't think these are our usual Hydra soldiers." The other took a look at the logo, agreeing with Wanda. They had never seen a Hydra logo like that, and it worried them. What was the terrorist organization up to now? Soon they came across a large corridor, larger than any they have seen ever before. "What are they doing here? Transporting heavy weaponry with trucks?" Clint Barton asked with sarcasm. Steve Rogers frowned in thought while they walked forward in caution. Suddenly screams and yells alongside screeches of metal echoed through the corridor, startling the Avengers. "What the hell?" Came a breathy question from Bucky Barnes, the others thinking just the same. What was Hydra doing in this complex? There weren't any cells they had come across, nor any training rooms, only a couple of rooms dedicated for scientists with vials of strange liquids. Most of the rooms were to accommodate the soldiers. The Avengers could feel the ground start to shake and hear the sound of chains scraping on the ground, the screams from before silenced.

The sounds kept nearing the five Avengers and they didn't want to face the being coming straight at them. Without saying anything Steve and Bucky opened a door to their left, pushing the others in. The room smells like death but the Avengers decided to endure the smell, not wanting to get in the way of whatever was making the noise outside. They left the door ajar and held their breaths in hopes of catching a glimpse of whatever was running in the corridor, because by the sounds of it, it is something big and probably very dangerous. The sounds are right next to the room now. The Avengers stare out of the gap in the doorway, holding their breaths. Something large runs past the door, a low rumbling leaving the creature as it continues forward. Natasha Romanoff is the first to move, cautiously approaching the door. She opens it a bit more, enough to see that the corridor is empty, and silent. She looks at the ground outside of the door. Bloody prints leading to where the Avengers came from. She crouches down, inspecting the prints. They resemble paw prints but are still different, almost lizard-like. The group takes a moment to catch their breath, relaxing just a bit now that the creature was further away. They inspect the room they were in. It is clearly abandoned, a cage on the far end with a rotting carcass of something large, the body too decomposed to identify. After a brief discussion the five decide to inspect where the owner of the prints came from, the fact that the creature was not close by reassuring them. There, at the very end of the corridor, lies a heavy steel door, ripped off the hinges and bent. A heavy stench of blood coming from the doorless room. Steve stands in front of the group, holding his shield up in front of him.