Avenging in July *Editing Before Continuing* [Avengers Fanfiction]

IX | Belligerence over Ambition

I'm belligerent rather than ambitious." -Ian Hart

<><><•><><>

I stare in horror at the eye slits that bore into my mind. The suit sits on its hands and knees, watching me. My breathing becomes shallow as I wait for any sudden movements. No thoughts are coming to my mind at how to escape this situation.

"You will never win the battle," the machine hisses.

"Don't go repeating yourself." I narrow my eyes at the strange being.

"Do not mock me, weakling," it growls in anger. In a quick second, it holds my throat with its cold and brutal metallic hand and pushes me up against the frame of the door. I gasp for breath and clutch its arm for stability. The coldness of the metal seeps into my touch. I begin to grow cold and shudder.

"What do you want from me?" I ask, losing more and more oxygen through gritted teeth.

"You shall find out soon enough." It dismisses the thought and looks into the damaged room.

"Then why not tell me now? Before you kill me."

"I have no intentions of killing the likes of you in a heartbeat," it sneers as it snaps its head in my direction. I back further into the door frame, afraid it could maybe bite my head off. I've only seen the suit in action a handful of times.

"So," I struggle against its grip, "you're going to kill me slowly and painfully. That's your kind of vibe?" I try to understand what it wants to do to me. Images from different horror movies and shows ripple through my mind. I can't die at the torturous hands of this metallic beast.

"That is somewhat my kind of... vibe," it tests out the word which rumbles through the thick air.

"Then what is it?" I gasp for air, "Slowly or all at once-"

"That is none of your concern!" It roars at me and crushes my throat even more.

"I'm pretty sure my death is my concern," I squeak and claw at my burning throat.

It chuckles. The metallic sound carries out through the dense smoke and bounces harshly off of the crumbling walls. "You have changed since I have last seen you, Alix."

"When was that?" I scoff, "Yesterday?"

It pauses for a moment. "Maybe I was mistaken. You are still very much like your old self."

My eyes narrow at his comment. 'Old self.' It knew me before the night. It-

"Who are you?" I ask in between gasps for breath.

"Do you really want to know who I am?" The suit asks like it is questioning its authority. "It might just devastate you."

I stare at it, expressionless. I hold my ground, waiting to see if his identity crushes me harder that its own iron hand.

"Are you sure that you want to know?" It chuckles again with the same, sickening wavelengths

I try to slowly nod but it's no good when my throat is being crushed.

"Do you?" It bellows at me.

"Yes," I barely speak.

"I am your worst nightmare. I am the shadows of the night. I am the darkest part of every living soul. I am feared by all. I am Skótos!" It pauses, heavy silence quickly filling in between my raspy breaths. I'm not sure what to say. It didn't really tell me a name as much as it gave confusion. It seems to be making sure that I am still paying attention. And of course I am, what else would I be listening to if I wasn't held to a door frame? Or maybe there's something that I didn't catch...