Amelie Stark - Cruel Vision
Amelie Stark - Cruel Vision
The darkness was suffocating and pressing in on me from all sides; cold and unyielding. Peter and I were crouched behind a broken wall, our eyes fixed on the imposing gates of the mansion looming before us. The eerie silence of the night only amplified my anxiety, making my heart race in anticipation.
"Okay, so…” Peter whispered, his voice barely audible even in our close proximity. "We should split up. You take the left side, and I'll take the right. That way we can cover more ground and have a better chance at actually making it inside."
I hesitated for a moment, my gut twisting with unease at the thought of separating from him. With a shaky breath, I nodded in agreement. "Alright, but we have to meet up again inside. Promise?"
"Promise." Peter replied, his brown eyes shining with determination. As much as his jokes and light-hearted demeanour could sometimes make it easy to forget, there was no denying the fierce bravery that lay beneath.
With a final nod, he shot a web from his wrist, silently scaling the outer wall of the estate. I watched in awe as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
After a few moments, no sounds of Peter having been captured, reached me. I crept along the perimeter of the wall until I found a section that seemed climbable, my hands grasping at the rough edges as I pulled myself up and over.
Once I landed on the other side, I dropped down to my knees quickly, my heart skipping a beat at the noise my landing made against the dusty earth. I held my breath, half expecting guards to come charging around the corner, but none appeared.
I let out a silent sigh of relief and slowly made my way toward the main door. As I rounded an ornate statue, the large and lavish front doors loomed into view. Either side were two men clad in sleek, black uniforms.
I froze. My heart pounded in my chest so loudly that I was convinced the guards would hear it from yards away.
I scanned the area for any sign of Peter, briefly catching a glimpse of movement above me. He was perched on the edge of the roof like a bird, waving at me before gesturing down towards an open ground floor window. With a combination of grace and speed that only Spider-Man could achieve, he climbed down the wall and slipped inside the building.
"Thank fuck." I breathed, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I glanced around to ensure no one had spotted us before following Peter's path through the window.
Once inside, I took the lead, my memory guiding us through the ground floor towards the stairs. The silence was suffocating, broken only by our cautious footsteps. "We need to find the cell I was in last time." I whispered, hoping that the Avengers would be in the same one, or at least near by.
"Right behind you." Peter replied softly, his eyes darting around for any signs of danger.
"God, I hope they're okay." I whispered.
We moved carefully through the shadows, pausing to hide behind corners or duck into alcoves when guards approached. Every near-encounter made my pulse quicken, but our determination kept us going.
Tony's voice pierced through the tense silence, freezing us both in place. Relief washed over me as I heard his familiar tone, even though I couldn't make out the words. He was in a room just off the hallway we were creeping down, surrounded by guards whose faces were obscured by shadows.
My pulse quickened, my urge to get to him like electricity in my veins.
I turned to Peter, nodding in the direction we had been going. "The cell is at the end of this hallway. We can split up - I'll get Tony; you go save the others." I whispered.
"Be careful." He replied, concern etched into his features as his eyes met mine. I gave him a quick nod before watching him disappear down the corridor, his lithe form moving easily through the darkness.
After a few moments of conversation that barely reached my ears, the guards left the room. The door was wide open, but Tony made no move to escape, keeping his back to the hallway as he read something in his hands.
Slipping into the room like a ghost, I remained alert for any signs of lurking danger.
"Tony!" I exclaimed quietly, my joy and relief almost overwhelming. He turned, and I could see the confusion on his face, quickly replaced by recognition. Unable to contain my happiness, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Tony! I was so worried!" I breathed, tears quickly escaping down my cheeks.
He made no movement, his arms hung limply at his sides and an unfamiliar distance between us. A shiver snaked its way down my spine as I pulled back, searching his face for answers.
"Tony, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice barely audible. Something about his expression seemed... off, as if a stranger were wearing his skin. The warmth and kindness I had always associated with my uncle seemed to have evaporated, leaving behind a cold, hollow expression.
"Nothing's wrong, Amelie." He replied, his voice unnaturally calm, devoid of the usual sarcasm and wit. "We just need to get out of here, that's all."
"Okay…" I murmured, my unease growing by the second. Tony only called me Amelie when he was angry, or when we had done something stupid and he wanted me to lie to Pepper. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Instead of answering, Tony suddenly grabbed my arm, his grip like a vice. Pain shot up through my shoulder and I yelped, alarmed by the sudden change in his demeanour. His eyes, once filled with warmth and humour, now held a sinister gleam that set ice in the pit of my stomach.
"Tony, what's wrong?" I cried out, struggling to free myself from his grasp.
His lips twisted into a cruel smile. "You shouldn't have come here, Amelie." He whispered menacingly. "But don't worry, I'll make sure you're reunited with the Avengers."
The dark edge in his voice made it clear that the reunion wouldn't be a pleasant one. Panic surged within me, but I tried to reason with him. "It's me, Amelie! Your niece! What are you doing?"
He didn't seem to care. With a rough jerk of his wrist, he began to drag me out toward the hallway. My heart pounded in my chest as fear threatened to consume me. This wasn't the Tony Stark I knew and loved - something was terribly wrong.
I racked my brain for any possible explanation for his behaviour. Had he been brainwashed? Was this an imposter? Desperation clawed at my insides. This was a nightmare, it had to be.
"Please, Tony… talk to me." I pleaded, my shaky voice barely above a whisper. "I don't understand what's going on."
"Your understanding isn't necessary." He replied coldly, his grip on my arm never faltering. "Now keep quiet and keep moving."
Tears of frustration and fear pricked at the corners of my eyes. What was happening?
"Tony." Loki's voice cut through the tense silence like a lifeline, his vibrato washing over me as Tony froze. I'd never been so happy to hear someone's voice in my entire life. My eyes snapped to him desperately, drinking in his appearance as though it were water. He stood tall and imposing, with his hands raised in a placating gesture - as if attempting to calm a wild animal.
"Amelie." He breathed out, relief evident in his voice. He seemed unharmed, but his piercing eyes darted between Tony and me, worry etched across his strong features.
"Thank God you're here, Loki." Relief flooded my chest, yet fear still coiled tightly in my gut. "What's happening?" I asked him, my voice trembling. "Something's wrong with Tony!"
Loki met my gaze, and I saw an emotion in his eyes that I immediately recognised; sorrow. My stomach dropped, and I suddenly felt as if I was teetering on the edge of a cliff, staring into an abyss below.
"Tony's not himself." He said softly, and my heart clenched. I looked over at my uncle, taking in his tense posture and gritted teeth. His grip was still tight on my upper arm, his fingers bruising my skin.
The realisation hit me hard and fast, like I'd been punched in the gut. "The serum." I whispered, my voice barely audible even to myself.
"Smart." Tony spat, his tone dripping with venom. He gave me a once-over, a cruel gleam in his eyes. "Too bad I can't say the same for myself, huh? Guess being a Stark doesn't guarantee brilliance after all."
I grimaced. Tony would never say that about himself.
“Tony.” Loki said again, his arms still raised in an appeasing gesture. “Let Amelie go.”
A bitter laugh I didn’t recognise echoed from Tony as his grip tightened even further on my arm, the pain now a constant throbbing. “No.” He said simply.
Loki took a tentative step closer, his eyes briefly flicking to me before back to my uncle.
“Should’ve known you’d escape. What’s a simple prison cell to a God?”
Rather than answer, Loki simply took another step forward.
My heart hammered against my ribcage as I watched Loki cautiously step closer to us. He didn't look like the god of mischief anymore, but rather a man trying to save someone he cared about. His body language was tense and hesitant, every movement deliberate and calculated.
"Stark." Loki said, his tone slightly harsher now. "You need to let Amelie go."
I could feel my uncle's grip on my arm tighten impossibly further, his fingers now digging harshly into my flesh.
"Stay out of this." Tony growled.
Loki faltered, a confused look in his eye. "And what is this?”
"Don’t get smart with me.” Tony spat, his grip on me growing more painful by the second.
"You’re hurting her." Loki countered, his tone calm but firm. "Look at what you're doing to her, Tony. This isn't right."
I couldn't help but wince as Tony's grip began to cut off some off the blood supply to my arm, causing a sharp pain to shoot up my side. It was becoming harder to focus, the pain and fear fogging my thoughts.
"Tony." I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Please, say you’re still in there.”
"Quiet, Amelie!" Tony snapped, as if I had personally offended him. I could see something flicker in his eyes, a brief moment of confusion before it was buried beneath the anger that seemed to consume him.
"Tony." Loki called out, drawing my uncle's attention back to him. "You don't have to listen to whatever is controlling you. You can fight it."
"Control?" Tony scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "No one controls me.”
"Listen to yourself, Tony." Loki urged, desperation creeping into his voice. "This isn't who you are."
Tony simply laughed again. “How would you know? You’ve hardly known me long enough to judge.”
“I know that you would rather die than hurt your niece.”
“Maybe before, but now I have new priorities. Feel free to die for her in my place.”