Simon Lewis and The Avengers

The Need to Feed

The Avengers took shifts guarding Simon - at least that's how Simon wanted it to be. They were probably protecting the world from him. It was Tony and Clint's turns first. Tony was at the desk whilst Clint stood next to Simon's crucifix.

"You said my file would be cleared." Simon let his head hang. He smiled at how inevitably unlucky the situation had turned out. "I'm not blaming you. I just- I hoped for a moment that you were right."

Tony was silent. (For the first time in forever).

"Isn't being a vampire a good thing? Surely the superman qualities are worth it?" Clint asked.

"Worth being dead?" that came out louder than Simon anticipated. "Sorry." he apologized for yelling. "Its just that three years ago I was ripped apart by the vampires I tried to stay away from, then I woke up six feet under. All I remember is being hungry - starving, even, as I dug myself out of my grave. If you had told me at my Bar Mitzvah that I'd become a monster and outlive most of my friends, I'd've set myself on fire using one of those candles."

"Come on, Its not that bad." Tony didn't look very convinced of his own opinion.

"I'm tied up at the moment." Simon glared sarcastically. "I haven't even mastered all my vampire powers and its been three (excuse the joke) bloody years!" Simon couldn't keep his voice from rising. "Right now, I'm stuck in a white room despite being nocturnal and the only things I can hear are your heartbeats - will someone please talk so I don't go insane." Simon tipped his head back against the wall. It was annoyingly quiet for a moment and Simon squeezed his eyes shut to block out the noises of blood.

"I'd say you're going to be okay, but you're already dead so. . ." Tony tried to fill in the silence.

"Simon, even if your heart doesn't beat, know that you are a good kid at heart." Clint made the scene into a chick flick moment. All three of them burst out laughing, even Simon in his restricted state.

"Is it weird though?" Tony leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the desk.

"Not breathing or being outcast by my own God?"

"Just- everything."

"Not breathing is the same as breathing: I hardly notice it. Getting burnt is an annoyance but that's what faith is." Simon outstretched his hand to snow the stars of David. Tony stood up to look closer and Simon explained.

"One from the Torah on my bedroom floor, one from a prison bar in the capital." Simon rubbed his palm, causing his fingers to cramp slightly. "The capital of Alicante is for the supernatural beings. The inquisitor there starved me until I would agree take his deal. I declined and he died in the end, so all is well."

"Since when were you so good at video games then?" Clint changed the subject to Simon's relief.

----

They kept the small talk up for hours. The two Avengers even exchanged stories about their 'welcome' to SHIELD. The hours turned into almost a day and then further, the heart beats getting louder and louder. Simon looked up and realised that Tony had spoken.

"Simon?" He was standing up now, in concern. Simon was spinning in his mind. He was magnetised to Clint and Tony, their blood deafening. Simon hoped he wasn't about to do something he was going to regret. He tightened his eyes as a way of distracting himself.

"Are you alright?" Clint was a good combination of scared and worried.

"I'm immortal, not invulnerable." Simon shook his head.

"But I thought vampires had a healing factor, or is the wooden stake deal a fake?" Tony stood.

"That's true, but I can also starve. I will get weaker until my last moments when I won't have any control over my vampire strength." Simon looked up at Clint and Tony. He couldn't see his reflection but he could imagine what he looked like from previous comments of concern (mostly Izzy and Clary). His skin had sunk, carving hollows at his temples and eyes. His eyes bagged and veins became very prominent. He probably looked more like the stereotypical vampire now. Except, his fangs hadn't appeared yet.

"Kind of like the hulk when he gets angry?"

"I wouldn't know, but I suggest you leave quickly. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I might within the next hour." Simon rested his head against the wall, wanting to bash the pulses out of his brain.

"Well, we're not going anywhere." Tony announced smugly.

"Actually. . ." Clint began. "My shift is over, its Steve's turn now."

Tony watched in betrayal as Clint left the room and Steve entered. Simon picked up an increase of blood and braced himself against the extra heartbeat for a moment. Simon's irises thinned as his gaze narrowed on a small package Steve was holding behind him. Steve muttered some words to Tony who set to work on the computer. Simon could've listened in but his mind was focused on the parcel like a shark.

The security cameras switched off, the green lights going red, and Steve stepped towards Simon.

"You. . . brought me blood? Why? From where?" Simon stammered, his fists clenching and unclenching as his body involuntarily strained against the bonds. The chains creaked but didn't give way.

"Sh. We don't have much time, I'll answer later." Steve slid a blood donation bag out of the envelope. It was small so it would be good enough for a few hours at least and it was human! Somehow, Simon was deeply reluctant to drink human blood. . . then again it was dead and donated so he wouldn't actually be feeding from a human.

Steve held the bag in front of Simon, causing his fangs to push through, throbbing like mad. Just before he gave in though, Simon looked to Steve, dead serious.

"Look away, this won't look pretty." Simon looked to Tony. "Please." They turned away and Simon tore through the plastic, trying to drink the pouch clean as noiselessly as possible. The pouch was only as big as Simon's Torah but it reinvigorated him immensely, it could probably last longer than a few hours (previously, Simon had thought of animal blood in that amount).

Everything was so much clearer- brighter than how it had looked when he was human. He felt so much better, and so much guiltier.

"Thank you." Simon pulled away, this would've been where he sighed in satisfaction, though he could only smile. He hoped there wasn't too much blood on his face that he looked like a psycho for grinning. The floor was clean since Simon had licked every drop - he was getting good at feeding, he wasn't so sure if that was something to feel proud of. "Sorry for the trouble."

"Its alright." Steve took out a hankerchief and started wiping Simon's chin of blood.

"I feel like a baby with you feeding me, cleaning me, next thing you might be burping me." Simon moaned as Steve pocketed his hankie, smiling.

"Tony, you can turn the cameras on now." Steve said over his shoulder. He pocketed the empty bag. "So, what have you guys been talking about?" Steve dismissed the previous events.

"Video games, vampires: the usual." Simon shrugged, finding out that his bonds had shifted slightly from his outburst. That might be a problem later.