Special Touch Part: Three

Chapter Thirty

"Poison, poison, poison, poison."

A dark, sinister whisper echoed in your ears and you cupped your hands around them when the sound got to be too much, blood coating your palms. You ran to the door, but your pounding on it did next to nothing and you're pretty sure they already had enough to deal with out there.

You turned around, leaning up against the door with your eyes squeezed shut, and when you opened them, you noticed the warding on the walls. It glowed a dark red and you cursed yourself for falling for this so easily. You slid down the wall and just buried your face in your knees, still covering your ears.

But then it stopped.

"Your mother would be so disappointed, but isn't that the point?"

You looked around frantically, desperately searching for the source, but you couldn't see anything, even after your eyes adjusted to the dark and you didn't recognize the voice.

"So, you know that game we used to play?" Your brother's voice came from the corner of the room and you whipped your attention over to the right, "You called it...hide and run? I think?"

"Yes." You found yourself whispering shakily.

"We'd hide from mom and then," He chuckled, and you started to see his silhouette, but it was still hazy, "If she got close, we'd close our eyes, and..." He smirked, even though you couldn't make it out, before he suddenly said, "Poof!"

He was barely seventeen here, if you could remember how he looked correctly, and now you could see him like a lighthouse in the dark.

"We'd run."

"Yeah, exactly, us against the world and then suddenly we were at a random park where we could spot a drug deal going down or something..." He picked at the floor with a sigh, "I miss those times."

"We could've gotten killed."

"Mm, not really though, right?" He tilted his head, squinting at you with a higher voice, "I mean...you wouldn't have let that happen."

"No," You found yourself agreeing, "I guess I wouldn't have."

"You protected me from everything," He smiled softly, "Mom, dad, that asshole who'd pick on me in middle school, teachers, the random creep outside that one club..."

"Yeah," You nodded, and his eyes went to yours in an instant when you added, "I knew you were different, hell, I didn't know I was too until I was older, but you never...you were always willing to try everything."

"Got me in trouble."

"You never regretted it."

"Maybe that one time in high school when I hooked up with some random in the same club's bathroom," He cringed and you chuckled, shivering a little, making you frown, "But hey," He caught your attention again, making you forget about the cold instantly, "You always had my back, even when it hurt."

"Of course," You told him firmly, "Because that's family."

"And those guys out there?" He nodded towards the door you were still leaning up against, "Are they your family now?"

"Yes," You answered immediately, not even giving it a second thought, "Because family is...family cares about you, not what you can do for them like mom and dad treated us, just as pawns in their great plan," You shook your head in disgust, "Family's there through the good, the bad, fucking all of it."

You knew you should be wondering why your dead brother was sitting in the corner talking to you in this dark room, but you couldn't find it in yourself to care and looking at him now, you didn't doubt this was really him. Or, at least, exactly how he would act and speak if it was.

"They used me." He whimpered, almost as if he was realizing it for the first time, and you felt yourself tearing up.

"They did." You confirmed, because if you guys stuck to anything with your relationship, it was honesty.

No matter how painful.

"Why?"

You paused, wanting to just tell him it's because they were evil, horrible people, but that didn't feel good enough and now that you had your own son, it was becoming much more difficult to simply label it as that. Even trying to imagine something you were so driven by, so dedicated to, or in the mindset of 'whatever it takes' makes you sick to your stomach because you could never in a million years hurt a hair on Cory's head or anyone you loved. You'd rather give up everything, including your life, to prevent that from happening, and the idea that your parents could've-

"She's back." He whispered, frightened, and starting to fade.

"No, stay with me." You pleaded in a low voice, but he was gone a moment later.

You stayed completely still, noticing your fingers were stinging as they thawed quickly from the harsh cold that you had barely registered, and your breath no longer came out in puffs of smoke.

"Nope," You shook your head with a laugh, stumbling to stand up – but only because you're clumsy, not because you're like inebriated or something, "I killed you and this isn't a rerun, this is the fin-"

"Thought you might recognize this suit," She smirked, lifting her hands that looked more like icicles than they did fingers, and when her eyes flicked to yours, they were completely black, "But I'm not Amanda," She snapped her fingers and your breath caught in your throat at the sight, "Or your mother," She snapped again, "Or your father, or even," She chuckled darkly before snapping again and you widened your eyes, "Your beautiful wife."

"So, that was you?" You pointed to the corner where your brother had been and her eyes snapped to where you pointed, "Just some trick? A distraction? Something the so called 'darkness' cooked up?"

"No."

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to believe you?" You scoffed, "Bullshit."

"I don't lie, that's one thing you should know about me."

"Yeah?" You used a condescending tone as the thing flicked back to Amanda, someone she was obviously the most comfortable wearing, "Then tell me why you're doing this!" You shouted, "And why're you going after Natasha next!"

"Some people do call me the darkness, because it's easier to comprehend," She nodded, folding her hands in front of her middle, and biting her lip, glancing up at the ceiling, "But that's not my real name."

"Lemme guess, is it Satan or...God or...fucking Brenda?" You rolled your eyes and then your tone was laced with sarcasm when you added, "Yeah, all real original, babe."

"I'm Death."

"Fuck off, you're so full of yourself, you evil prick."

"I take what I need to take in the time it is-"

"Needed to be taken?" You guessed teasingly and they looked unamused, but you couldn't care less, "Yeah, so, you're here for me?" You put up your fists like you were going to fight that way, "Let's rumble then, because I've got a lot to go home to now and I'm not giving up on it just yet."

"I'm actually here to help you if you would kindly shut up, you ignorant human."

"Ouch," You put a hand to your chest, pretending to be offended, "That hurts, Mandy, it really does."

"Never mind," They shrugged, "I'll let the redhead die, no sweat off my brow."

"I think the expression is no ski – wait, Nat?" You processed everything they were saying, "She's going to die? When? I can save her."

"Not if you keep digging."

"Digging?" You furrowed your eyebrows, "You mean...into Hydra and my family?"

"If you keep going, you won't get to her in time and her two days will be up."

"I've got it!" You just barely heard Wanda yell, your attention going to the door, and when you looked back, the being was gone, "Stand back, boys, this is going to get messy!"