The Puppeteer

Chapter One: The lab

Avengers POV:

As Tony and the rest of the hero team known as the "Avengers" walked through the lab that had been called "Shadows INC" it wasn't like they expected. Just a week before they had heard of the secret illegal lab. It had been using people and kids as test subjects for their experiments. The mutants had power that no one should have. Yet as they came to raid the research lab it was empty. Blood was everywhere and it stank horribly. Dead mulled bodies test subjects and scientists alike were on the floor or hung. "What the hell happened here...?" Tony asked in a weary voice as Steve responded with "Language." Which made Tony groan in annoyance at the super soldier's response. Why did he always have to say that when someone swore? It wasn't the end of the world, if someone swore. "Something went through here. That much is clear." Clint said as he pointed his bow and arrow at a body that seemed to move for a split second. The lab was cold not as dark as you'd expect surprisingly for it being almost 10pm on a winter night. It was eerily silent which meant something had to be there but what? After walking through the lab, a bit more they started to hear someone humming. Or chuckling almost. The sound was creepy and seemed to make the air colder than it already was. Hehehehe... Was all they heard as they got closer. They reached a room with the door seemingly ripped off the hinges, barely holding onto the small pieces of metal holding it up. "Be careful. We have no idea what could be here." Said Tony as he had F.R.I.D.A.Y. scan around but it was all cold and whatever was there F.R.I.D.A.Y. couldn't pick up onto it. "Boo." Said the new person. Leaning against a wall with their face hidden in the shadows.

"Who are you?" Steve said as he raised his shield, expecting an attack from the person. "Oh, you can call me Zero for your concern." Said the person, leaning against a wall as shadows kept their face and body hidden from the view of the heroes. "I mean no harm." The stranger said as they seemingly walked closer, but they made no sound, almost as if they weren't walking on the floor and instead the air. The heroes; raised their weapons in case of an attack. Not wanting to take the risk of you being a threat and hurting them. Spiderman was worried and pretty scared, but he stayed brave underneath the mask. "Why should we trust that? Why should we trust you?" Tony asked holding up a repulser up towards the stranger with a stern face with his mask up so his face showed. "Oh, you certainly shouldn't. I have no reason to not backstab you." The person's words were cold and blunt. Their words held no lies and yet that made it somehow worse to hear. "That's worse." Peter mumbled underneath his mask as he starred wide-eyed at the stranger underneath his mask. Thor's grip on his hammer got tighter as he starred at the person. "Your name?" Thor asked. "Zero." The person responded. "That's not a name. That's a number and you're lying." "I'm truly not but I suppose if you want my other name. Well story for another day." Thor's eyes narrowed as the stranger didn't answer his question fully. He wanted their name. Their actual name, not some number. Steve sensing the tension spoke up. "Ok everyone let's calm it down, shall we? No need to start a fight with each other." He said while trying to keep the peace.

Zero's POV: 

I watched Thor's face. I could see the annoyance. The curiosity. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but I learned way too young to never trust someone. Sure, they were heroes but that didn't mean I could trust them. I scoffed as Steve said that. "Says mister "frozen an Ice cube for over 40 years" rogers." I said my emotionless tone making the room seemingly get colder. I chuckled as Spiderman got more uneasy. "I'm not going to attack you, you know?" I asked spiderman. "How do I know that!?" He responded in a picnicked nervous voice. "I do not want a fight. I just want to talk." I responded my voice having a bit more warmth which calmed down the boy. "Talk about what? What is so important to talk about?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow. "I want you to help me find a way to gain mortality. Not immortality. Mortality. Simple as that really. I want to find a way to take immortality and give mortality. Nothing more than that." I watched their faces turned to slight confusion at my words. I could see them wondering why. Who wanted mortality? It was a good question. Though people don't often realize how much of a curse immortality truly is. It's painful. Cursed to watch those you care about die around you while you live on. Only a truly heartless person would want immortality and be ok with it. After all. It was human nature to want someone. To want connection. To never be alone. "Why that? And why would you need our help?" I heard the redhead ask. I looked at her. Black widow. That was her I believed. "Why mortality and not immortality? Hmm...well why should I tell you?" I responded, with a slight mocking tone. "I want to gain mortality for a reason. One you don't need to know." 

I saw her eyes narrow as she glared at me. Her grip on the handle of her gun tightening. She clearly didn't like my answer. Not like I cared. The heroes never saved me. Why should I tell them my reasons? I watched as Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened, I leaned against a wall as I looked at them all. They couldn't see my face due to the shadows covering my whole body. "Being rude won't get you anywhere...zero." Thor said with such disdain to my name. I understood he didn't like that my "name" was a number. I wouldn't give them my real one though. "Maybe not. I couldn't really care either way. I want help. You can help me. So, are you going to help me or not?" "No." Was what I heard immediately. I looked at who said that. It was Steve. "No? What do you mean "No"?" I responded in a slightly confused tone. "Answer our questions first then maybe we'll help you." My eyes narrowed but I compiled, "Fine. Ask." Thor spoke next. "What killed the scientists and test subjects." It was more of a demand to know then a question. "Me." I said bluntly in response. "I killed them all. Yeah. Ok no. Ew. What the fuck?" I said as I was reading their minds, and they had the weirdest thoughts ever.  "Why did you kill them?" Tony said as Bucky snuck behind me unnoticed with a gun to my head. "Because like you I'm more then aware that the mutants here were too strong and were dangerous. No one should have that much power." 

Thor's face turned into anger. "THAT DIDN'T MEAN YOU HAD TO KILL THEM!" He snapped. My eyes narrowed more. "Do not yell at me Odinson." I used his last name which had caught him off guard. After a few minutes of talking, I felt the cold metal of a gun to the back of my head. "Don't move." I heard Bucky say from behind me. His voice cold. "What-" I got cut off by Steve. "I'm sorry but you're too much of a threat." Before I could respond the Bucky cocked the gun and bang went the bullet into the back of my skull. I fell onto my knees then my face fully, dead. Tony checked for a pulse and when they didn't find one, they all left. Leaving my body to bleed out of a head wound. When they were gone, "OWWW!" I yelled to myself as I got up, pulling the bullet out of my skull. The wound already healing. "Did they really just shoot me!? I didn't even attack them." I scoffed. "So rude." I got cleaned up and then looked around the lab. I controlled the blood everywhere making it all form a ball and go down the drains. I made the bodies turned to dust and then I went to work on cleaning it all. All while my powers made barriers around the lab making it invisible...