Simon Lewis and The Avengers

Why is a Warlock's Flame Blue?

Everyone left to re-join Nick in the living room. He'd not come with them to Tony and now he observed from the corner, untrusting. Hawkeye had switched on the TV for background noise, but the Avengers were mostly interested in Magnus. Magnus was a luminous contrast to the rest of the room. He drifted around the various alcohols in the bar like a nerd might around books or an a-sexual around cats (I hope that doesn't offend anyone, sorry). The bar was pretty much a home for him, but he took a sip from his own canister instead of one from Tony's colourful collection.

"Funny." Magnus thought, "Last time I was arrested by SHIELD, they were just beginning. I must have been around three hundred and... forty two-ish." Magnus decided, squinting at the strength of his tequila as he drank thoughtfully.

"You're not being arrested at the moment." Simon reminded him, feeling starting to return to his fingers and toes.

"Yeah, I know, just humour me so I can have a flashback and you can all listen in pure wonder like the humans you are." Magnus said. Nick Fury and Steve became suddenly interested in Magnus' story at the mention of SHIELD.

"I believe it was New York; every week I opened up an illegal club and invited a group of frequent... visitors. When the police were spotted outside, I clicked my fingers to turn the drinks to books and the walls to portals, by the time the agents arrived, the guests were safe and sound somewhere downtown and my bar became a book club. I opened up in different places every week without fail but the police could never get there in time to have proof of my guilt.
"Finally, they snapped and arrested me anyway. I was brought down to SHIELD HQ and was surprised to find the technology was quite advanced for its time. Stark's work no doubt. However, he didn't factor in the fact that there was more than just humans on Earth. I flicked out the cameras (which weren't supposed to exist) and portalled out of the interrogation whilst the interrogator was out. Back then that took a lot out of me, but turns out Stark had managed to recover a fragment of film, enough to see me flash my demon-marked eyes. He didn't kill me or tell anyone what he'd found out. Instead, he located my home and came to talk to me as if I were an alien. His fascination was adorable and, well, you know the rest." Magnus finished.

"Speaking of which-" Simon began voicing his concern for Magnus' energy usage, but Nick rudely interrupted.

"YOU BROKE THE LAW, I-"

"Seventy years ago, I may remind you." Magnus reminded.

"BUT-"

"Nope." Magnus raised a finger and Nick instantly froze and a piece of tape had found its way to his mouth. "Simon, continue."

"How come you aren't exhausted from healing me and doing all that other stuff?" Simon asked.

"Ah. Now, I wish I'd let Fury proceed." Magnus cleared his throat and then stayed silent, picking the right words. Simon knew that if Magnus was thinking before he spoke, it must mean he had something important to say. Magnus turned his hand so his palm faced up and summoned a flame.

"There is reason behind the blueness of warlock fire." he began. "It not only separates us from being entirely human, but also has a poetic connotation. Whilst physical strength and joy amplifies our energy, our emotional state has a much stronger hold over it. A warlock's flame goes red when angry, but always returns to the blue of sadness." He took a break.

"What do you mean?" Simon urged.

"I mean that there is a reason why mundanes are mortal. Warlocks are cursed from birth with a subconscious sadness because we cannot find a permanent love. Our lovers can move onto wait for us in heaven, but we can't arrive to reunite with them like pure humans can. My father is Asmodeous and that means when I die he will take my soul and uses it to fuel his hellish realm like a battery in his power plant of Asmodei.
"What I'm trying to say is that I am an incredibly powerful warlock, some say the one of the most powerful I the world, but I am also incredibly old. These past few days I've began to tour through all my old lovers and mourn them properly. True, it would take about 47 years if I mourn one per day, but I just want to see how far into the past I get before, before I-" Magnus gulped.

"Before?" Simon's voice kept level as he was anxious for a reply.

"Before I give up! Before I surrender to my father's will. I'm tired, Simon, of all of this. My power grows stronger with every body that falls and Alec was the last straw, I can't keep watching those that I love turn to dust. I can't sit by their bedsides as they grow old, or worse: die young, whilst I stay young and constant through the years and decades and centuries. The most powerful warlocks are the most dangerous, my friend Malcom has recently lost his first and I fear he is taking it much harder than he should. I hope he doesn't turn out like me or become a revenge-driven psycho to get her back like I nearly did mine for the first 30 years after my first, I need to stop before I snap again. I'd rather die than kill for pleasure and- I'd rather die myself." Magnus downed his bottle and Simon noticed dark shadows beneath his eyes, which were not intentional make-up. Simon understood what Magnus meant, hell, the very same thoughts had crossed his mind during low nights. He needed to respond now, to discourage suicide, but before he could say a word Magnus had his mind made up.

"I'll be helping Stark, Simon come when you want to leave and do with him what you will." Magnus cleared the air with his tone and swept from the room as noiseless as a cat and into the lift. Fury's tape was gone and he grumbled but didn't attack. At some point, Simon was definitely going to talk to Magnus.