The Forgotten Warriors: Avenge

Chapter 4:

Written by Elle- enjoy!!!!

Azure opened his eyes to a two-star hotel room, irritated about the noise of cars that kept him awake all night. He'd had the joy of having the couch, mostly because of the whole betrayal thing, they'd all agreed that he deserved it at this point. He rolled over, seeing RJ and Naomi on the separate twin beds. His gaze lingered on RJ, and a clawing feeling of regret came to his stomach.

Why did he have to leave him? Well, he knew why, but why did it have to be like this? Why did his life have to affect others so badly so constantly?

In the "old days", he'd go to Loki for these types of problems. A jeering comment or a smirk of mischief always gave him the answer he needed. It would be followed by a trip to McDonalds or a walk through a park somewhere in the world.

Loki's loss had hit him like fire. It stung and burned him to the point of no feeling. Azure had thought pretending it never happened or just moving on would be what Loki would've done and wanted, but he found out that it definitely wasn't. And that's why he didn't get over RJ; he couldn't stand the thought of trying to forget him.

Something startled him, causing him to open his eyes again. It was RJ sitting at the side of his couch-bed. He had soft eyes, yet they still had a touch of hurt in them. Azure sat up slowly.

"I'm sor-" Azure began.

"I'm sor-" RJ started at the same time.

Azure's breath left him. "You have no reason to the sorry, RJ. I'm the one who.." he put his hand on his forehead, suddenly getting emotional. "You didn't deserve that." His voice wavered. RJ frowned, sad to see Azure upset but also because it was true. There was nothing he could say to contradict his self blame or overthinking. But still, RJ looked down and muttered, "you don't know that."

"You didn't." Azure snapped accidentally. "You didn't deserve to be abandoned, you didn't deserve my foolishness and my ridiculous excuses and the danger I put you in-" "Az." RJ stopped him, his hand on Azure's neck and thumb on his cheek. He searched his eyes, taking the oddness of the moment in. He gave a small, sad smile. "I wouldn't have traded it for the world." He revealed. Azure stared, unable to process his words. He thought he hated him. He thought he would've yelled at him that he regretted even meeting him by now.

"You guys done yet?" Naomi questioned, looking over her shoulder in annoyance. "I'm trying to sleep." She complained. She didn't mind them talking, but she couldn't handle the weight of knowing there was an emptiness in her bed yet another night. And plus, her stomach was hurting and queasy. She groaned quietly, wishing it would go away, but it only got worse. 

****

"Ok, so," Naomi sighed at the wheel. "We have no way of knowing or finding out where he is right now. But, Bucky called and he said he'll look in a place he thinks Rowan could be. But other than that, it's just us." She informed them. RJ nodded from the backseat, Azure sitting in the passenger's seat. "So... what will we do?" RJ asked.

"You know, it's almost like that's what we're trying to figure out, Richard." Azure commented sarcastically. RJ smiled and rolled his eyes. "But I do have one, small idea." Azure stated.

*******

Rowan opened his eyes, still sitting on the cold, concrete floor against the wall. The room's chill wasn't so bad, but after awhile it had got uncomfortable, even for him. He looked around, his head foggy and his vision still unclear. Who was he again?

Think, think, think...

Rowan Rogers. That's who he was. He had his wife Naomi and a really good lawyer as friends. He lived in a two story house in.. in... That didn't matter right now. He was in River's, uh, prison? Whatever this was, that's what it felt like. He certainly knew the reason why, she only reminded him of it every time she looked him in the eye. 

Speaking of, her "guards" came and took him by his shoulders, dragging him to the wretched room. Fear penetrated him like bullets. He knew what was going to happen. The shock, the cold, the searing pain. A break filled of terror and confusion so he'd be alive to do it all over again.

When they arrived, her body stayed facing the wall, head down like she was thinking heavily about something. Maybe if it was between torture by water or machine today. They looked at her for to green light putting the needles in him once again, but she stayed silent.

River's mind clashed, aching like something inside her was fighting to be able to speak. She felt torn. "What am I doing?" She asked herself inwardly. "Exactly what you're meant to do," a voice answered.

Her voice. It was her own. It was she who was doing these terrible things. And what about Peter, her husband? Her kids?...

No. What she was doing was terribly good things. She shook her head and tried to shop away her second thoughts. It was just old Rowan getting to her. That's not who he was anymore. And plus, she was avenging. Quill would understand.

She confirmed the beginning of the process, rerunning what she'd changed about the mind serum last as she looked anywhere but him. Rowan glared at her, his frustration rising. Why was she doing this after all these years? Why hadn't she just gotten it out of the way earlier? But when her gaze finally landed on him, he stopped moving altogether.

"If you had been the same kid I knew, the one Steve knew, the one Natasha knew," she walked closer to the chair. "You'd have already gotten out of here. You would've saved yourself." She tilted her head, crossing her arms slowly in front of her. "Why haven't you?"

He stared at the floor, silent. He knew that was right. He knew he could've gotten out of here, for sure with a few scratches, but he could've done it. "Why?" She began again. "Because you know you don't deserve to. So, you stay." She got close, whispering in his ear. "You are a coward, Rogers. Steve must've been so terribly blind picking you out of the smoke." She backed up, looking him straight in the eyes. "You are his biggest mistake."

Rowan stood, pushing her away with a blast of fire. But, she pushed back with more strength, due to the fact that she had been the one controlling the torture and not the one experiencing it. The force pushed him down to one knee, and his arms began to hurt. The flames swirled into the air, lashing at everything around it. River took a step toward Rowan, which forced him down to his other knee. He fell forward, his hands on the ground as his body ached.

"Look at me." She demanded furiously. He didn't. He stared at the ground as he tried to catch his breath, wishing it were all a bad nightmare. Praying it was, because he needed it to be. "LOOK AT ME!" She screamed, "you will do as I say, and you will not make a sound, and if you do..." she cut herself off, almost hesitating to say what she threatened next. "If you do, then Naomi? Bucky? They will know what *my* version pain is like. Do you understand?"

His eyes rose to meet her's, staring daggers into her. "Do you understand, Flaming Shadow?" She repeated.

"Yes, Sorceress of Fire." He obeyed.