Huntress (Steve Rogers AU) 18+

26

Ikaris takes me to one side. "I was alerted of a breach near the border. It didn't take me five minutes to get over there and haul him back. I could've just killed him and sent him back with a pretty little ribbon wrapped around him, but I wanted to know more and thought you might too. You may get more out of him than I've already though", he tells me, "But the bottom line is that he's been sent here to try and kill you. He's stated that much".

I look back at the shackled man on the floor, he's not exactly hurt in anyway but I wonder just what Ikaris may have done before he came to get me. Then again if it was anything major then the man would probably be dead already. It seems he has gone incredibly easy on him.

But I have been betrayed. 

Somewhere in my mind I was hoping that Joseph wouldn't have resorted to this, just being happy to see the back of me and have me out of his lands. But it will never be enough. Not until he knows I no longer breathe the same air.

Turning to the assassin, I now look down on him. "How do you feel knowing your mission has failed?" I ask. The man says nothing, head bowed. He knows that this will not end well and is appearing to accept it. "It was foolish of your High Lord to even send you - because he has simply handed you your death warrant".

The man swallows and then looks up. "He wanted reassurance that you would never return".

"And the word Ikaris gave about me not returning was not enough? Clearly. Otherwise you wouldn't be here". I hiss, feeling the anger begin to rise.

Behind me, Ikaris simply stands, arms still folded and watches on calmly. He's leaving this to me - so as I can deal with it as I see fit to. Whether it's because he cannot interfere? I do not know, but I plan on dealing with this the only way that I know.

"I'll ask you one last question. And you'd best think twice before lying to me". I tell him. "You would like to go to the grave a truthful man, would you not?"

The assassin nods.

I click my tongue. "Well then, there's just one thing I need to know. All orders made by the High Lord are usually held and made in agreement with the council as well as his son. Lord Steven". I crouch down in front of him and smile innocently. "Did Steve agree for this to happen? Did he agree that I should be put to death?"

The assassin looks at me with a darkened expression. "He was one of the first to raise his hand in agreement. I was there. I saw it myself. No one objected the order".

My blood runs cold, but I mockingly pat the man's head as I would a pet dog before I rise to my feet. "Thank you..." My eyes chance, nails now growing long and sharp. He will die by a Siren hand. Not a pretender like I have been playing. This is who I am after all.
With manipulation of my hands the man suddenly begins to choke, water leaving his mouth as he now struggles against his restraints as well as the internal drowning that I am proceeding to give him. My anger at it's highest, the hurt of knowing that I have been betrayed is only amplifying it. My fists clench together until my nails are digging into my palms, and then twisting them suddenly, the man falls to the side onto the floor, lying in the puddle of water that had ultimately killed him from the inside. 

The hall falls silent once more. 

I stare at him, and then look at my palms which bear the crescent indentations from the infliction of my nails, some of them now bleeding where I was gripping against my skin so hard.

I feel nothing except a new kind of purpose that has awakened inside of me.

To be me again. 

Ikaris watches me silently before walking forward and standing by my side. His hand gently brushes against mine. "I'll dump him where they can find him". His eyes are on the body.

"Good. They need to know that should they choose to send anyone else? They'll only be burying them in the end". I say as I try to calm down. More will come, this is only the start of something new. "I've also made my decision about my future here".

He looks across at me. "And what is it?"

"I will marry you. It's very clear to me now that you were right about everything. Even the people who I thought honourable are anything but that".

With a small nod, he takes the body as leaves to go and send Auburndale a message.

I make my way outside and close my eyes as the warmth of the sun hits my face, taking a deep breath in before exhaling the anger and tension from within me. If Steve Rogers wants me to be the villain in his narrative? Then he should consider it done.

After all, he has just given me all the more reason to become the enemy...

THE END