Simon Lewis and The Avengers

Vampire A-la-mode

Fury had regained his consciousness and aggressive personality, and charged into the room, a cross held centimetres from Simon's face.

"Fury, I-" Simon was interrupted.

"Don't talk, that won't work again." Nick pointed his gun at Simon. The invasion on Simon's personal space was the only thing he found annoying about the crucifix.

"Wrong religion." Simon plucked the cross from Nick's hand. Fury grew angrier and fired.

"I said no talking!" He yelled. Simon dodged the bullet which should have been impossible from such close proximity. The bullet bounced off the wall and everyone ducked until it found home in the desk leg. Fury pocketed the gun, realising it was more likely that he would be shot if he fired. Instead he pulled some handcuffs from his long coat. Though, Simon sensed something was wrong about them.

"One of these should work." Fury gripped Simon's wrists and snapped the cuffs on. Simon expected nothing, but he looked down and his arm was steaming.

"Ouch!" There was a small point where the metal touched his skin and it burnt as if... "You engraved religious symbols into the cuffs."

"I didn't know which would work, so I put them all in. Happy Hanukkah!" Fury pulled Simon along by the chain of his cuff. Simon was obsessed with keeping the cuff from melting his skin. Every time he got his fingers in between the tight cuff and his wrist, he was relieved, until his finger slipped to touch the David's star and he put it in his mouth to sooth it.

The Avengers watched as he was painfully paraded through the tower and into the back of a van. The Avengers also sat in the back of the van, Fury drove, but no one said a thing. No one knew where they were going, Simon didn't care - he was zoned out, fixated on stopping the excruciating burning which was beginning to fill the van with smoke.

When the van stopped, the Avengers exchanged worried glances regarding Simon. The van door opened and Simon looked up into the darkness, which never impaired his sight to any extent. He read the clock tower: 2 o'clock in the morning, so no mundanes. What could Fury be... "No."

Simon flattened himself as much as he could against the wall of the van, his burning wrist merely a paper-cut compared to the literal barbecue in front of him. Every flower and gravestone glared at him menacingly and Simon didn't even try to conceal his fear.

The Avengers didn't see the extent of the problem, climbing out fearlessly. Nick Fury had to use three men, including himself, to move the rigid Simon. Simon was paralysed at first, but as he was pulled out of the van, he found his mercy cries ready and his legs struggled forcefully.

"No. No, please don't do this. Anything but this!" Simon pleaded, tears forming as he made deep marks in the grass. Even his vampire strength was no match against Fury and reluctant Avengers.

"Stake me, decapitate me, defenestrate me. But please not this!" Simon's hand cuffs broke apart, still functioning as fashionably painful bracelets as he held onto Fury's coat. He'd turned to face away from the graveyard, inches away from Fury's face as he unsuccessfully tried to gain distance from it.

"Maybe, there's still enough human in you to learn how to treat your superiors, Vampire." Fury spat.

"You don't understand, this won't kill me. This can't kill me - please don't. Please, no!" Simon was inches away from the border of the cemetery. And then he was over it.

As soon as he crossed the line, his very blood burned like heavenly fire. The holy ground itself repelled his very existence and tried to extinguish it. Simon thrashed at first, trying to leave and finding the way blocked by Fury. His skin flushed pink, and then a very deep red as if is blood was trying to escape - and it was. Simon lay sprawled on his front, one arm reaching for the un-blessed soil, he watched as the veins in that arm went from sun-burn red to ironman red. Then they blistered, then boiled, then smoked and Simon could no longer tolerate the pain. He curled in a ball, silver-rung hands around his head (like the Doctor in the end of Time part 2) and his fingers pulled at his own hair. He bit into one cuff to cope, ripping the metal with his fangs, his vocal cords froze but his tear ducts didn't and he found the metal tasting salty with his tears.

His skin was completely raw everywhere and he burnt like a coal, sending billowing amber clouds upwards like a beacon. Which someone had seen.

"Simon?" A very tall silhouette appeared around the side of the synagogue. "Simon!"

The silhouette somehow recognised the shape and cries of the daylighter and rushed forward to help. Fury began to respond to this intruder, but the latter waved his hand from which a blue flame flew onto the ground, tracing a line in front of the Avengers and rose upwards to make a blue glowing wall. The figure hastily pulled Simon out of the churchyard, Simon stopped smoking but didn't move. The figure spread Simon flat as he snapped a blue flame to hand.

The Avengers had tried firing at first, but all the bullets, arrows and such disappeared, dissolving as they passed through the blue tinted barrier. Only Fury hadn't stopped shooting. The newcomer now had a layer of fire floating above Simon, mirroring his body shape and the blisters began to fade. The Avengers hadn't seen the damage before, when it was too dark, but the blue flames highlighted every excruciating detail. To say they were shocked would be an understatement.

"If you would stop shooting, mundane, it might attract more of you and its very distracting." The warlock looked up, his cat eyes shimmering daringly in the light of his fire, which were the only things anyone could see in the night.

"Excuse you, I'm the co-ordinator of SHIELD and the Avenger initiative." Fury's nostrils flared as he lowered his gun to challenge the other.

"And I'm the high warlock of Brooklyn, my father's a prince of Hell. So happy we both know our titles, now shut up." Magnus snapped, not looking up until the last line to flash his eyes. Fury was lost for words at being treated this way. Tony probably sniggered.

Simon's eyes opened and his fangs retracted.

"Magnus? How- Why?" Simon's voice was hoarse and he blinked, not able to sit up yet. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Magnus laughed. "Simon, you just got barbecued. How in the names of the nine princes of hell did you manage to get in trouble this time?"

"Long story." said Simon. "The question is- is: why are you outside your apartment and in a- a grave yard at 2 in the morning?"

"Also a medium-length story." Magnus stood. "I'll tell you at my place."

"No, Magnus, you just healed me, you have not got enough energy for a portal." Simon unsuccessfully attempted to sit stiffly, wiping his cheeks tiredly.

"Yes I-" Magnus folded his arms, though in the dark it might have looked like they disappeared.

"No. We'll go with the Avengers." Simon spoke over Magnus' moans. "Listen, they haven't done anything, only Nick starved me, shot me, and did this. He can't beat two downworlders though, so lets go back to the Avengers tower with them until you're strong enough."

"I'm fine Simon."

"Alright, but I won't be able to focus on the destination and I owe them an explanation."

"Ugh. Fine."