Vengeance [Avengers Fanfiction]

[Chapter 39]

[Quinn]

    The once bustling Fycon City was silent, cold. A pale moon hung in the starry sky that was hazy with the bright glow of the city. Silver light occasionally flitted over the empty, dark streets through the thick clouds that held the moon hostage. The silence was broken only by the howling of the winter wind and the sporadic screech of a demon.

    I sat and waited in a shabby apartment obscured by shadows. My breath rose and curled in the air in front of me in smoky tendrils, a reminder of the bitter cold that seeped into the room from the open window. Curtains fluttered in the frigid breeze, the cloth snapping in the wind.

    Next to me in the darkness, Steve stood and waited patiently, neither of us speaking to each other. From the dark alley outside of the window came deep singing, echoing hauntingly.

    "Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling." the voice crooned. "From glen to glen, and down the mountain side. The summer's gone, and all the roses falling. 'Tis you, "tis you must go and I must bide."

    "He's coming." I whispered, glancing out the window and seeing the shadowy figure of a man stumbling down the street, a half empty bottle in his hand. "Hopefully he won't get his soul devoured before he gets up here."

    "It sounds like he wants to be attacked by a demon." Cap murmured back. "He's practically inviting them over for dinner, literally."

    The drunken singing faded as the man entered the shabby apartment building on the outskirts of Fycon City.

    Shuffling footsteps blundered up the rickety stairs that led to the hallway, accompanied again by a  somber, drunken voice accented with a faint, Irish accent.

    "And when you come, and all the flowers are dying. If I am dead, as dead I well may be. You'll come and find the place where I am lying. And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me."

    A key scraped in the doorknob and then the rusted, metal door creaked open with a groan of protest.

    The man leaned heavily against the wall, taking another swig of beer. He sighed deeply as he closed the door to his apartment with his foot.

    "Why is it so bloody cold in here?" he mumbled to himself.

    I flicked the lamp on and stood, the dim, yellow light washing over me. 

    "Tobias Kincaid." I greeted, emotionless.

    Tobias froze, the bottle slipping from his hand and breaking onto the floor with a crash as he slowly turned to look at me, mouth gaping open like a fish. His shaggy, red hair was messy and stubble dotted his chin.

    "Y-you're d-dead." he stammered, blue eyes wide with fear locked onto me. He stumbled back against the wall, shaking. "I-I'm drunk. This is just a dream. You're d-dead. I went to your funeral. Dead."

    Steve glanced at me tensely, but I payed him no notice.

    "I'm not dead, Tobias." I snapped, taking a step towards him.

    Tobias pointed a shaking finger at me. "T-Talia. Ghost. Ghost! HELP! SOMEONE, PLEASE! HE-"

    He shut up as I slammed him against a wall, pinning him there with a knife against his throat.

    "Shut up, will you?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "You're going to get us killed."

    He gulped and silenced, glancing past me to the Captain, who looked slightly apologetic.

    "We need you to get us into town hall tonight." I informed him. "You're going to help us."

    "W-what's in it for me?" stuttered Tobias nervously.