Chapter 9
Outside of the Optical Systems Labs, four figures landed.
Tony in his suit carrying Steve, while Castiel carrying Dean with his wings out.
The moment the four of them landed on the ground, Dean immediately threw up on the floor.
“Dammit, Cas! You didn’t have to fly so fast!” Dean whined as he kept cursing, while emptying his stomach.
“And you didn’t have to eat all that food earlier.” Castiel just rolled his eyes, as he tucked away his wings.
“Such a badass sight of you in your superhero suit, throwing up all over the floor.” Tony chuckled. The helmet disappeared from around his head as he watched Dean, who, along with Castiel, were indeed wearing the super suits he made for them months ago.
“Shut up, Iron Shit.” Dean hissed, finally getting back to his feet, while wiping his mouth.
“Are you alright now?” Castiel asked, with barley hidden amusement in his eyes and Dean just narrowed his own at him.
“Alright, the rest of the team are still on their way.” Steve announced as he turned towards them, after checking with the team. “Let’s get a head start and see what’s happening inside. Dean, are you done throwing up? You owe the Jar twelve dollars now.” he turned to Dean, amusement visible on his face even with the masked helmet on his head, holding out the Swear Jar towards him.
“I will throw up on you.” Dean threatened lowly as he paid, making the others chuckle a little, before they all started to move.
“So, what do we know about this place?” Dean asked seriously, as the sounds of struggle reached them from inside the building. “Why are the AUers targeting it?”
“Because…” A distorted voice answered and it didn’t belong to any one of his companions. The four of them stopped and watched as four masked, black figures walked up to them from inside the building. The one with a shield strapped to their back was carrying a large glass cube, with what looked like a giant, red diamond inside, which they placed in front of them on the floor to reach back for their shield. Obviously, this was what they stole from inside the building. When the four figures stopped in a row in front of them, the leader continued. “They had something we need.”
The four heroes also stood in a row as they faced the black, masked figures unflinchingly.
“Whatever you stole, we are gonna want it back.” Steve stated firmly, as he stared back at them.
“Your confidence is predictable.” The leader said, their voice still distorted from obviously a voice changer in their mask. “You have faced some of the greatest evils known to man, and you have defeated them, but if you think so highly of yourselves that you can defeat any threat that comes your way-“ they paused as the four figures raised their hands together towards their masks, to make them disappear. “-how do you feel about us?”
The four heroes froze with wide eyes, as they saw their own faces staring back at them coldly, with cruelty itched to their faces.
Of all the things they expected, this was not one of them.
“This is sick.” Dean muttered in disgust, staring at his own doppelganger, who apparently was their leader.
“Do you mean looking at your reflection and seeing only weakness? I agree.” Dark Dean countered with a look of disdain directed at Dean.
“You have to be kidding me.” Tony exclaimed, looking at his own face smirking mockingly back at him. “You can’t possibly be me.”
“Sadly, for you, I am the improved Tony Stark. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Oh well, no longer the philanthropist part, though.” Dark Tony just chuckled with a cruel glint in his eyes.
“Well, if you are here, then no longer the ‘genius’ part either.” Tony raised an eyebrow at the other, trying to hide how it shook him to see his own face distorted with an ugly look of cruelty on his face.
“Your Sam killed himself.” Dean announced carefully, trying to see his doppelganger’s reaction to that.
“This is what your world does to people. It makes them soft.” The dark king retorted in an ice-cold voice. “This is a war. People die in war.”
“We have been watching you.” Dark Castiel announced as he stared down Castiel, who was watching the other intently the entire time, unable to believe. “We have been watching all of you. And how you have squandered the potential of two worlds. On our world, we have developed a meritocracy. We have accomplished greatness.”
“You are perverse.” Castiel murmured with a shake of his head.
“No, Castiel, you are the perversion. One of the most powerful beings on the planet, rendered weak by mere feelings and emotions. Stuck between being an angel and a human. A pathetic shell!” disdain was obvious in every word the dark angel was saying.
“It’s better than being a cold, bastard like what you are now.” Castiel snapped firmly, not letting the harsh words, said by his own voice, affect him.
Steve kept staring at his dark version, who just remained silent the entire time, face devoid of any emotion of any kind. What was even confusing was the fact that his eyes weren’t blue like it was supposed to be. It was bloody red instead.
“What the hell happened to you?” Steve asked, before he could stop himself, because he tried to understand how a version of him could have such a detached, frozen expression like this, but failed.
“Oh, my little captain doesn’t talk.” Dark Tony grinned viciously, as he moved to slap Dark Steve’s ass in an atrocious way, that made the heroes cringe. The dark captain didn’t even flinch, looking like he didn’t even feel it. “Such a shame. He had a pretty voice, but sadly, I guess he screamed his voice away to become this loyal little thing.”
The heroes’ eyes widened in panic at that, unable to believe what he just said.
“You sick bastard! You are controlling his mind?! Made him your pet?! How could you do that?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Tony shouted in pure rage, body shaking in both anger and disgust.
“The captain was discovered in the ice by us.” Dark Dean was the one to answer coldly. “He was dangerous to us, but would be the perfect soldier to our cause. He had to be broken down, so he was handed down to Stark. He did an excellent job in breaking him down to pieces and building him again to be our most loyal soldier.”
“And the perfect Sex Toy.” Dark Tony added with an ugly smirk, while squeezing the captain’s ass.
The heroes bristled at that.
“This is considered raping! Are you fucking sick?!” Tony shouted in both horror and rage. Steve’s face went a little pale, the words falling over him like cold water. Dean and Castiel’s bodies went tense in repressed anger and disgust.
“Technicalities.” The Dark Tony just shrugged with a lazy smirk. “As long as I have my needs satisfied, I don’t care about what this called. He was Captain America! You know how we always had a small crush on him since our teens. How can I pass up such opportunity?”
“You little-“ Tony was about to step forward, but was held back by both Steve and Dean.
“This is for the good of our nation. We don’t care what he does with him, as long as he is loyal to us and to our cause.” Dark Castiel just shrugged in disinterest.
“Then go back to your fucking nation!” Dean barked angrily.
“This is not your world. Leave.” Castiel growled in repressed rage.
“I don’t answer to the likes of you.” The king scoffed in disdain. “My allegiance is to our Fatherland. And to my husband.” He said the last part while glancing over to Dark Castiel, who gave him a brief glance in return.
“And here I thought you are above such sentiments.” Dean just snorted with a frown.
“Last chance. Go home.” Steve ordered firmly.
“And stay there.” Castiel growled.
“All of you!” Tony added in anger.
Dark Tony just smirked, and turned to the dark captain and gave him a nod.
Suddenly, Dark Steve moved and threw his shield with all his strength at Tony.
Tony was startled at the sudden move, but Steve was immediately in front of him and used his own shield to block the one flying towards them successfully.
With that, all hell broke loose.
The two Tonys immediately had their helmets cover their heads and where in the air charging at each other, while Dark Steve caught his shield back and attacked Steve with all his might.
Dean pulled out one of his guns and pointed it at Dark Castiel.
“And what do you think this will do? Bullets doesn’t hurt me in case you forgot.” The dark angel raised an amused eyebrow at Dean and shared a carless look with his dark husband.
“This one will.” Dean muttered as he shot at him.
The bullet hit its target in Dark Castiel’s shoulder and he exclaimed in both pain and anger, as the wound glowed bright white light, while Dark Dean’s eyes widened as he stared at the wound.
“Are those Angel Killing Bullets?” Castiel accused as he sent an indignant look at Dean. “Why do you have Angel Killing Bullets?”
“Uh, in case another angel or an evil you ever showed up.” Dean answered with a very obvious ‘duh’ in his voice.
Dark Castiel growled in rage as he sprouted his wings and charged towards Dean. Castiel immediately brought out his own and used one of them to hit Dark Castiel so hard, that he went flying into a large statue in front of the building and crashed into it.
***
Tony hit the ground hard, after his doppelganger caught him off guard and managed to shot him in the chest with a repulsor blast.
Meanwhile, Dark Dean was running towards Dark Castiel, who was hunched on the ground after crashing with the statue. Dark Tony landed next to them.
“Get the Prism out of here!” The king ordered firmly and the black Iron man nodded, before flying away. “Are you alright?” he asked as he grabbed Dark Castiel’s arm to help him up.
“I am pissed.” He growled in answer as he straightened up.
“Well, take it out on that.” He ordered as he nodded towards a building under construction, filled with workers, not too far away from them.
Dark Castiel immediately understood what the king wants, then released a large amount of grace and shot it towards the building.
***
Steve was pushed hard against a nearby tree, but he immediately got back to his feet to face his controlled doppelganger, who, unfortunately, was way more vicious than Steve anticipated.
But then the black Iron Man flew by and turned to the black Captain.
“Take the Prism and follow me.” He ordered firmly and the dark captain ignored Steve completely and rushed away.
Before Steve could chase behind him, he saw a powerful blast of bright white light coming from somewhere and hitting a tall, under construction building, then heard the screams of the workers there, as the building started to fall apart.
“Cas! The building!” Steve shouted as he saw the angel a few feet away from him, who came rushing when he saw the grace blast.
Castiel immediately was in the air, grapping Steve, then flew fast towards the falling apart building.
***
Dean rushed to help Tony back to his feet, then they both stood there and stared at the chaos in the construction site.
“It’s gonna fall.” Tony murmured in panic.
“Alright, get us over there, come on!” Dean urged, and Tony immediately gripped his arms and flew at top speed towards the falling construction sight.
When they got over there, they saw Castiel catching a falling large metal beam midair before it hit a group of workers, and started to merge it back to the building by using his grace to heat it up, until it merged to the body of the construction, while Steve was jumping around to help the workers to get to safety.
“I will help Steve with the workers. You help Cas to stabilize the building.” Dean said as Tony dropped him on one of the metal beams. Tony nodded and flew away.
Castiel continued to merge the falling metal beams, while Tony moved around, using his laser to stabilize the shaking and falling apart part of the building, as Steve and Dean worked together to help the workers.
After what felt like forever, the four of them finally regrouped on the ground by the saved workers.
“Site is cleared.” Dean announced, while panting a little.
“And stabilized.” Tony added, sharing a nod with Castiel.
“Nice work.” Steve nodded at them with a smile.
“Let’s not celebrate yet.” Castiel stated grimly with a displeased frown. “We gave those doppelgangers the window they needed to escape.”
“Escape with what? What the hell was that diamond thing do and why do they need it so desperately?” Dean asked in frustrated confusion.
From afar, they saw their team finally arriving. A little bit too late.
“We need to regroup with the team and tell them the news. And Tony, you need to get into the data base of optical company and find out what that thing they stole.” Steve stated firmly. They all nodded at him, then moved to regroup with their team.
The four of them not talking about the fact that they just fought dark versions of themselves. Not yet.