The Scarlet Moon Ball

The city of New York was always known for its inability to ever fall asleep. Despite the sun going down and the clock striking twelve, the city still moved and pulsed, thrumming with the nocturnal energy of humanity that seemed just as restless as New York City itself. Lights from street lamps, neon signs, and 24-hour convenience stores would still flood the streets, bathing pedestrians walking in the nightly gloom in multicolored hues. Taxis and late-night delivery vans would drive about through the dizzying maze of the metropolis, finishing their shifts just so they can finally rest. And the midnight business centers, like the red-light district, would be bursting to the seams with people who relish the cover of night to fill their wanton passions. The city was an insomniac, caffeinated on the flow of human activity and high on the energy of civilization.

The city of New York was also home to a lot of people, from all walks of life. From the far reaches of the Eastern nations, to the end of South America, humanity from every region seemed to coalesce there. A melting pot of culture, the city was the center of activity for many nationalities and races. As diverse as a painter’s palette, almost all types of people live in New York City.

But beneath the ebb of the sleepless populace, behind the patchwork mix of bohemian artisans and sharp suited businessmen, lies something greater. A hidden treasure within the confines of this concrete jungle. A diamond buried among the asphalt and rusted metal, beneath brick-wall houses and glass-covered skyscrapers. Or maybe not buried. Maybe more twisted and sculpted in plain sight, hidden from the eyes of people simply because of its indistinguishability from the general world. Yet still it is there. The silk scarf among the pile of rags. The gemstone hidden in the core of simple stone. The golden city hidden from the steel metropolis.

And for the first time ever, Peter was seeing it. The concealed star of the Big Apple was now in front of his very eyes. Better yet, he was about to experience it.

The Scarlet Moon Ball.

Peter was at the Scarlet Moon Ball. Not a fiesta hidden in the streets of the Night Realm. Not a party with fellow college students who would be drunk on cheap liquor while dancing to awful music. But an actual ball, like a Disney movie. He was going to celebrate the Scarlet Moon Festival in the most prestigious event ever.

Him. A simple witch, a college kid from Queens who was only brewing simple luck potions in his room. He was at the most elite event in the city, the country, the entire continent. The most prestigious party to ever exist, a pipe dream for someone like him, was happening right in front of his very eyes. He was gonna be surrounded by the richest, most famous, and most powerful witches, sorcerers, vampires, werewolves, and other night creatures in the country. He wasn’t even sure if this was reality or a very elaborate deception casted on him by a cruel illusionist.

As Peter fiddled with his dress robes and mask in a nervous and excited gesture, he looked around at the room in awe, mas. Everywhere he looked was an image of opulent splendor. The hall he was standing in was massive, the ceiling probably reached 5 stories, maybe more. The width of it was large enough to fit his entire apartment three times over. The floors were carpeted with an ornate rug that had rich embroidery sewn in with glowing threads of gold and silver. Potted plants in full bloom were on display on every table he could see. Roses, chrysanthemums, tulips, and many other florae that Peter couldn’t recognize. The walls of the hall were covered humongous paintings with decorative metal frames, each portraying a scene from mythology from what Peter could gather. And each one came to life whenever Peter looked at them.

One was a portrait of a beautiful woman standing in the ocean, sea foam surrounding her as she rose of out a clam. Waves would crash against her and make her luscious hair billow in an intangible wind. Another was a painting of the sky filled with women riding horses with wings, all covered in armor and holding swords in their hands, faces twisted in an angry war cry that Peter swore he could hear. Another had a man with a giant hammer fighting a serpent from the sea, bolts of lightning surrounding them in a veil of white, crackling and lighting the dark stormy sky.

As Peter brought his gaze upwards, he noticed that even the vaulted ceiling was painted with beautiful scenery. Endless fields of clouds filled with little angels dancing amongst men and women in robes, armor and fur, all of them painted with bright smiles and laughing faces. Even from his distance, Peter could still see the amount of detail that was in every figure, the colors still bright even though they looked something only Michelangelo could do, if Michelangelo could make paintings move.

Peter felt like he walked into a fairy tale.

“Stop staring at the ceiling kid. My neck hurts just looking at you.”

He was brought out of his musings by the amused voice of his mentor right beside him. He looked towards the sharp suited man in front him with an embarrassed expression.

“I’m sorry Mr. Stark. I just can’t believe I’m actually here!” Peter waved his hands around, gesturing to the grand lobby that they were currently in. “At the Scarlet Moon Ball! The crown jewel of the Night Society. The grandest affair in history. Everything they said about it is true. The ceilings made of gold, literal diamond chandeliers, and even fountains filled with sweet grape juice!”

Tony Stark grabbed the back of Peter’s robes, almost afraid that he would run around in excitement. “Kid, that’s wine. And please stop talking like you’re in Downtown Abbey.”

“As I said, grape juice. But with style. And no I will not. I’m taking this chance to talk like a Victorian aristocrat.”

“Oh let him be Tony.” Came Pepper Potts’ retort. She appeared beside Tony almost silently, dressed in a gorgeous sea green satin dress that glistened with emerald gossamers, Peter completely forgetting she was even there. One of the many reasons Peter respected her more than Tony. “He’s just excited.”

“I am not going to be the one to rescue a college kid from the jaws of a troll.”

“Remember Tony, this is Peter we’re talking about, the kid you decided was responsible enough to learn all of your alchemical research, not you.” Pepper replied, causing a tiny protest from Tony. Peter was too busy admiring the magnificence around him to hear them though. Tony Stark simply rolled his eyes at Peter, a fondly exasperated expression on his face. The younger man kept on chattering, his body filled with energy from the exhilaration of being here. Sure he was just in the lobby and not the actual ballroom, but if this is what the outside looked like then the inside must be even better.

“Pete it’s just a party, and a masquerade party at that like a cliché. This isn’t the Academy Awards. Besides, haven’t you been to Thor’s house before?”

“But this is better than the Academy Awards! I feel like Cinderella going to the palace for the first time. And no, I’ve been to Thor’s apartment. Big difference.”

“So you feel like a slave going to a party thanks to a fairy godmother? Should I start singing bippity boppity boo now?”

This had Peter rolling his eyes at the alchemist. “That’s not what I mean Mr. Stark.”

“And how could you possibly know how the Academy Awards aren’t as good as this boring thing?” Tony proclaimed, brushing off non-existent dirt on his red and gold suit made of metals sown into satin. The lack of response had the man looking up to the sight of Peter staring at him open mouthed.

“What?” Tony asked with a shrug.

Peter stared at Tony in opened mouth disbelief. Boring? The event of the century is happening around him and Mr. Stark thought it was boring? He shared as much to his mentor.

“Yes I do.” Tony replied. “It’s just a bunch of rich people like me plotting to expand their business, politicians and leaders scheming for power, and pompous assholes locked in one mansion for an entire night until the moon shines red so people can get their rocks off before going home and continue getting their rocks off.”

“Tony, don’t tell him lies. We don’t turn into a sex cult Peter. And please remember that not everyone is invited to galas like this,” replied Pepper.

“And please never discuss anything sex-related in my presence ever again. I feel incredibly uncomfortable.” Peter supplied, a disturbed expression on his face that made Tony and Pepper laugh.

“And for your information, I haven’t gone to any rich people parties in both the human world and the Night Society. So this is gonna be a first for me.”

“Kid, you’re in college. Shouldn’t you have gone to college parties or raves already? I’ll be very disappointed if you haven’t.”

“Because Peter is responsible that way because he’s more focused on studying.”

“Come one Peps, kid’s a genius. He shouldn’t be having trouble in school.”

“Still not an excuse to become College Tony Stark 2.0.”

“Hey that’s a great idea.”

“Tony, no.” Pepper directed an exasperated glare at Tony who simply smiled in reply. Peter was still too busy appreciating a painting to take notice.

“College parties don’t have gilded cups or tiles that have diamond inlets. This is like a major upgrade Mr. Stark, so let me enjoy this.” He absentmindedly replied. Behind Peter’s back, Tony was about to say something but was silenced by Pepper’s gaze. He swallowed his words and tried something else.

“Just saying that you’ll regret ever coming here kid.” The alchemist said sagely before walking through the open doors and into the main ballroom, Pepper and Peter following behind him. Peter was suddenly moving forward, past Tony and Pepper, after seeing the sight before him.

The doors opened into an enormous room bursting with guests. Everywhere he looked, the lavishly designed tile floors was covered by party goers moving in beautiful swirls of lace and silk and velvet. Crystal chandeliers decorated with gemstones and precious metals of every kind hung from the tall walls and casted the ballroom in a kaleidoscope of colors. Thick curtains draping the tall windows fell in long rivers of blood crimson stitched with swirling threads of gold. The ceiling itself was hidden from view, instead an image of the night sky filled with stars and galaxies could be seen, with a few momentary streaks of falling stars.

Music was playing in a resounding crescendo as he walked in, the melody coming from an orchestra floating in the air above the dance floor. The symphony petered of into a softer tune allowing Peter to hear the chatter of the people, a cacophony of voices speaking in multiple languages, some mixed with growls or inhuman clicks. And the food! There was so much food everywhere! Plates filled with honeyed meats dripping in sauces and giving of a delicious aroma, fresh bread still steaming, giant slices of cheeses, shining fillets of fish and sea food, cakes so tall Peter feared they would topple over.  All of them were on silver plates and were almost everywhere, brought by servers moving swiftly in between inebriated guests and placed on long tables carved from aged elder wood.

But the best part were the masks. The theme was masquerade for this time. Which is why everywhere he looked, there were beautifully made masks on every guest in the room, almost like they were doing their best to surpass each other in sheer beauty. Peter saw masks of porcelain painted in a riot of colors and decorated with gemstones, feathers, scales, and tassels of different sorts. Some had half masks that covered their eyes but exposed their mouths, letting him see their fangs or snouts. Others had full masks, shaped like a human, shaped like an animal, shaped like a creature he had never seen before, all painted in different colors. Some resembled the sea during a storm, others shined like brilliant diamonds under the light, and others still had masks glowed with light. Peter saw one mask that let out an warm light and had streaks of orange, red, and yellow moving around it like the flames of a candle. And there was another who wore not a mask, but a severed head of a dragon. Others wore veils of shimmering cloth that hid their face yet showed the light of their eyes. Some even had scarfs made of scales that wrapped around their faces. And still there were so many more. Fur masks, crystal masks, masks made of leaves and twigs, masks of flowers and spring blooms, masks made of pearls and shining water, masks of sunlight and stars.

The sheer amount, the variety, the grandeur around him made Peter feel giddy with delight. Looking back to Tony, Peter saw that the mad held a face of indifference, his mask absent. Peter inquired about this and got “I don’t do rules kid. Besides, why should I cover a face like this?” as a reply. Peter was pretty sure Ms. Potts made Tony wear a mask before they left, but he had no idea where the man managed to hid it. It was something Pepper was currently dabbling with at the moment if her words of “Tony where did you put it?” and Mr. Stark’s nervous reply of “I don’t know what you mean” where anything. Peter grasped his own mask firmly sitting on his face, spider silk woven into abstract designs of crimson, black, and midnight blue that centered around a jewel in the shape of a spider in the center. Natasha called it a ‘mask suited for Black Widow’ and believed that it suited Peter perfectly.

“From what I can see, I don’t think so.” Peter exclaimed to the bickering couple behind him.

As he excitedly walked into the room, he shouted behind his shoulder.

“I’m gonna have the time of my life!”

After 3 political proposals, 5 attempts to gain his subservience, 2 proclamations of love, multiple attempts of random people flirting with him, and a fight that broke out over who gets to ask for his hand in marriage, Peter has decided that this party was the worst decision of his life.

He had only been in the party for 2 hours yet he was already longing the sanctuary of his bed and leather tomes, thoroughly disillusioned with the ball. In all honesty, the party could have been fun, if it weren’t for the amount of creeps that have been following. He had no idea who thought that trying to get to him would be the best way to manipulate the great alchemist Tony Stark, but whoever they were did not do enough research to consider Peter was not an idiot. Multiple politicians, and company CEOs and presidents had tried to approach him with business deals or talks with Tony Stark. He politely told them that he wasn’t going to be part of the business division of Mr. Stark’s company and that they should inquire with Ms. Pepper Potts instead. Any other attempts at grabbing his attention was swiftly redirected by a subtle confusion spell that gave him enough time to flee.  

He could have been working in advance on his papers for class or maybe start on a fresh batch of enchanted spider silk, yet here he was mingling with the elite of New York City as they peacocked about in ostentatious dresses, establishing their wealth and dominance like the mating displays of untamed wildlife. He felt less like going to a dance and more like going to a zoo.

Then again, most of the guests were closer to beasts than human so maybe the spectacle of arrogance was an innate part of their biology.

God, even he was starting think like a pompous asshole.

Swirling his flute of golden champagne and taking small languid sips, he gazed across the dance floor in barely concealed boredom as he hid in an alcove, a charm surrounding him to keep unwanted attention away. All around him, perfumed guests in gilded coats and gowns were twirling about into small whirlwinds of silk and satin. Some were off to the sides, conversing in small groups as they held their own glasses of spirits. He could see creatures of every size and form socializing with one another. Goblins and ogres dressed in sophisticated suits chatted with pale vampires in dark silken robes. Werewolves in fur-lined coats danced with faeries the colors of spring flowers and autumn leaves. Sirens either swam in the multitude of pools or danced on their scaled legs wearing gowns that shimmered like pearls under the bright lights of the ballroom. Trolls walked about with their towering forms and dwarfs ate with elves on the many ornate tables filled with delicacies. All of them dressed so finely that a handkerchief from any of them could have been enough to pay for the apartment’s rent for 2 months.

It was a dizzying assemblage of the rich and elite of the Night Society that Peter rarely saw outside of books and movies. And he was already done with them.

“So I see your having fun.”

He directed a glare to his right before returning to staring at the room in ennui. He heard a laugh beside him and glared once more at the man enjoying his suffering.

“Yes, having vampires sharing their desire to drink my blood and faeries trying to trick me into giving them my soul is a wonderful way to enjoy my evening.”

Steve Rogers, the bastard, simply laughed at him harder. He was dressed in a midnight blue double breasted suit with a ruby red one shoulder cloak. With his mask of cerulean embroided with moonlight threads and inlaid with a sprinkle of silver dust near the cheeks, he made for a dashing figure that could make anyone swoon. He looked like the prince out of a fairy tale. Peter thought he was an ass for not being a little bit sympathetic for his plight.

“Tony did tell me he warned you that coming here was a bad idea. You were the one who was insistent on coming.” He replied, small chuckles escaping him. Peter pouted at him. Sure, Steve had a point. But he didn’t think that coming to the party was going to be self-inflicted agony.

“Because this is the Scarlet Moon Ball! The event of the century! A party that only the richest people on this side of the globe could go. This is like the MET Gala for supernatural creatures.”

“And yet here you are brooding in a corner, using a spell to stay invisible, and sipping champagne all alone.”

“I am not brooding.”

Steve simply raised an eyebrow at him to which he responded with a scowl.

“I’m not.”

“I half expected you to be dancing with five people than sitting here all alone.”

“Better to drink champagne in peace here than dance with the creeps there.”

This declaration caused Steve to lose his smile. A sudden serious expression appeared on his faced that made Peter widen his eyes in surprise.

“Did someone try to touch you inappropriately?”

The unabashed and frankly scary way he said it caused Peter to flare up red as a tomato.

“No! Not really! No one’s tried anything and they’ve kept their hands to themselves.” He squeaked out. Which was a surprise given that a lot of the creatures here have a tendency towards violence over conscious thought. Multiple times, he had been approached by aggressive alphas, shapeshifters, pompous vampires, and any other sort of overly confident being who decided that he was pretty enough to be a walking trophy. He politely declined at first. But when more and more had begun to approach him, he decided that a hasty retreat was in order. Yet in all that time, no one had even got into his comfort zone. Not even the werewolves who had zero understanding of personal space tried to sniff him. The sparks flying from his hands were enough to deter them probably.

Of course this didn’t stop them from vocalizing their desire. Five separate night creatures decided to have an all-out brawl when none of them received his blessings for dating him and they decided that it was the other suitors fault, totally ignoring Peter when he tried to stop them. He honestly thought that he might lose his head then. After which it turned to a simple full out brawl over who hit who and who said what to their mother. He had already seen multiple scuffles that ended up with broken bones and decapitated limbs, but this one took the cake. Nonconsensual touches were suddenly the least of his worries.

Of course, these did end with all parties just laughing it off and regenerating any lost parts so maybe viciousness was just a language amongst rich people that he had yet to figure out? Maybe sexual harassment was the bigger no-no rather than violence and murder?

“Good. I prefer not to slay anyone, especially since I’m technically on holiday.” Steve said, the seriousness melting back into an easy smile. Peter often wondered how Captain Rogers could instantly shift between boy-next-door to John Wick. Maybe it came with being the leader of the Avengers?

“I can take care of myself you know. I wasn’t trained by Dr. Strange for nothing.”

“You might be a powerful witch, but you’re still a kid. And you’re still the Avengers’ kid even if you just make us magical items, which means I’ll always worry about you.”

Okay that was surprisingly sweet. And he said so to Steve, giving him an appreciative smile. It was nice to be reminded people cared for him.

“Still, I can handle myself. Anyone tries anything funny, I can just make sure they can never get it up ever again.”

Steve looked at him in surprise and asked in a voice half wary and half amused, “Have you been hanging out with Natasha lately? I swear you suddenly had her vibe when you said that.”

Peter gave him a sweet smile that was too sharp to be anything kind. Steve simply shook his head fondly before taking a glass from a passing server filled with dark red liquor that Peter had yet to try. Curious, he grabbed for a nearby flute from the same server, filled with the same liquid, and placed his empty glass unto the tray before taking a sip. The sweet taste of fruit and metal filed his mouth and Peter instantly realized what it was.

“Is this bloodfruit wine?”

Steve nodded then laughed at the face Peter made, vampire fangs glinting in the soft light of the room. The younger man was too busy grimacing and regretting all of his decisions in life to even think about making some witty quip. He passed his glass to Steve, who took it smiling, before walking off to the food table to try out anything that wasn’t made with ingredients that tasted like human blood.

On his way to the table, he saw a familiar face busy picking up multiple pieces of food and unto his plate, sans mask and wearing a simple black tuxedo. He beamed.

“Hi Dr. Banner!” Peter greeted enthusiastically. Bruce Banner turned from his plate of night salmon sushi rolls and other deep sea delicacies at the greeting, and seeing Peter, gave him a big smile.

“Hey Peter! I didn’t know you were coming!” he said, hugging Peter with the arm not occupied by sea food delicacies.

“I convinced Mr. Stark to let me join him and now I’m here.” He answered, not mentioning he had already wanted to leave already. “I’m surprised you’re here. Clint always said that you never came to these things. Said you were always too busy with research.”

Bruce gave a sheepish laugh.

“I usually don’t. Never really was good at parties. But Natasha managed to convince me to get away from studying spiritual energy physics long enough for me to change my mind. Plus, she said Hulk might like to get out of the lab once in a while.” He said, referring to the war spirit that had took residence in the spiritual physicist.

“Did the convincing require threatening from locking you away from your private library again?” Peter cheekily replied. Bruce let out an exasperated sigh.

“That happened one time.”

“Yeah because you almost created a portal to Hell when you were too sleep deprived to read the instructions.”

“Come on, cut me some slack. It wasn’t that bad.”

“Even Mr. Stark called it irresponsible. And if something like that came from Tony Stark himself, then you know it was really stupid.”

“Did someone call for me?”

In a sudden flurry of shining red and gold, Tony Stark appeared right beside them carrying a glass of champagne in one hand, and a mask of pure gold inlaid with rubies in another. He looked like he was running, judging by his red face. Or maybe he was already half way drunk. Peter tended to not keep track of what Tony did in parties. It just caused him headaches in the end.

“Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.” Bruce whispered.

“I appreciate the sentiment Brucie but the Devil’s got nothing on me.”

“True. You’re way more irritating for one,” was Clint’s sudden retort, the shapeshifter reappearing from a hawk that silently flew behind them, dressed in a simple brown suit with a feathery cloak. Beside him was Natasha Romanov, sipping at a glass of bloodfruit wine. The vampire wore a sleeveless dress made of black velvet and embroided with silver silk that flowed like water. Both were wearing half face masks, Clint’s decorated with feathers in the shades of earth and Natasha’s made of crisscrossing black and red fibers that resembled spiders that blended beautifully with her red hair.

“Clint don’t be mean,” Natasha admonished.

Tony smirked at the archer, “Yeah Clint, don’t be so mean to such a kind man such as myself.”

“-because you might offend the Devil.” Natasha suddenly continued then raised her eyebrow at the alchemist. “What? You thought I was defending you?”

Tony squawked at her which she promptly ignored to stealing a piece of lava fish sashimi from Bruce’s plate. As she chewed on the morsel, she turned to Peter with a questioning glance.

“Is there a reason why my innocent spider child is here?”

Peter raised his own eyebrow at her, spider son like spider mother.

“You do know I’m 22 right?”

“You shall and forever will be my spider child. Ever since I saw you weaving webs by milking them from spiders directly and not using magic to brew them yourself, I knew I had another idiot to mentor.”

“Technically I already figured out how to make webs of my own. I just needed to figure out how spiders make their webs to make it longer lasting. Besides, you only know how to control spiders.”

“Hush my sweet child. I shall protect you.” She then embraced Peter’s head and pulled it down to her chest, patting his head like a child, which was awkward since it had Peter bending downwards to almost half his usual height.

“And here I thought we were friends.” Tony pouted at the vampire.

“We are friends Tony.” Natasha replied. She then pointed to Clint behind her who was busy attacking the sushi platter. “Most of my friends are idiots anyways so don’t worry, you’re not alone.”

Clint’s reply of “Hey I heard that!” was ignored when the lights suddenly dimmed to almost darkness, the bright light of the moon through the windows and the stars in the ceiling keeping the ballroom in a soft ethereal glow. The sounds of the orchestra floating above had trickled into silence, and Peter noticed that everyone had now turned their attention to the center of the ballroom where a platform had suddenly appeared.

“What’s going on?” he whispered to Natasha. She gave him a smile, nodded to the stage, and said, “Just watch.”

And so he did. Bringing his attention back to the center, a saw a spotlight suddenly appear, the light coming from one of the stars in the ceiling that shined brighter than before. The light suddenly grew brighter and brighter before suddenly disappearing. Bathed once more in darkness, Peter could scarcely prepare himself before a sudden flash occurred above him, followed instantly by a loud clap of thunder.

Peter felt himself jump at the sound, and looked up to see the ceiling, once covered in stars, now veiled with dark clouds that rumbled with lightning. More and more flashes occurred, each one brighter and each thunder clap louder than the one previous. Soon the lightning began to strike the walls of the ballroom like white hot spears of energy. Gasps of panic came from around him as more and more lightning bolts struck the room. He feared for the worst and turned to the Avengers beside him, only to notice smirks on their faces. Noticing his distressed expression, Bruce replied in a calm manner.

“Don’t worry, nothing bad is happening. He’s just being over dramatic.”

“His brother must be rubbing off of him.” Tony mumbled beside him.

Peter didn’t get to ask what that meant when suddenly, a bright flash that consumed the sky followed by a loud clap of thunder that resonated through the room. The lights suddenly began to swim in the air. The bolts of lightning that ran wild were suddenly flowing like ribbons of crackling energy in the air. They swooped low, allowing sparks to shoot out of it and give light shocks to the audience. The ribbons then began taking shape, forming figures of fish and birds, men and women dancing in clear glowing mirages. He even saw a spider spinning glowing webs above him. Peter felt himself laugh in wonder. This was absolutely beautiful! Then, suddenly, the lights that swam around the room began to swim into the center, forming a growing ball of energy that suddenly exploded into loud thunder and a harmless gust of glowing white mist. Peter closed his eyes against the bright wind and blinked out stars from his eyes before he was able to focus on the figure that now stood on the platform. And felt himself smile.

“Thor!”

The warrior fae gave a cocky grin to Peter at his cheer. Thor was dressed elegantly in a silver suit lined with dark blue and wearing a white shirt underneath, no mask. A cape of brilliant red was clasped around his shoulders, flowing through the air along with his long blond hair. He gave a confident smirk before bowing to the rest of his audience. Peter then realized that the ringing in his ears from the thunder had prevented him from hearing the loud applause from everyone in the room. Thor clearly enjoyed the attention he was receiving, giving out a friendly wave and a dashing wink that had some in the audience swoon. Peter waved enthusiastically at Thor while the other Avengers clapped politely behind him. Thor waved back before suddenly raising his hand, a command for silence. The applause ended and the audience held their breath. Thor suddenly waved his hands, letting out two bolts of lightning to race through the air. The bolts swam through the room like glowing silver fishes before changing color. One turned a brilliant yellow, a flying stream of garnet, while the other turned the bright red of scarlet. Along the paths of the two beams of light, fireworks would follow. Sparks flying and falling as harmless sparkles down below. Peter heard cries of amazement around him as the sky was soon filled with red and yellow sparks falling like sparkling rain. The two bolts of light suddenly began circling each other, first slowly before rapidly picking up speed. In a single instant, the two balls of light crashed into the platform in another explosion of light, this one releasing a quiet boom. And as the Thor stood, hands and arms open, two familiar figures appeared beside him.

A thunderous hurrah came from the assemblage when the Vision and Scarlet Witch appeared beside Thor. The two waved at the crow, which had everyone in the room applaud even louder. Peter himself was clapping enthusiastically at them for the display. Vision was decked out in his usual wear, the strange combination of primary colors creating strange abstract patterns on his usual robe ensemble, with no mask. Wanda was decked in more party appropriate wear, wearing a gown of pure red that flared at the skirt like a rose, a half mask made of crystals on her face. The three of them held hands before giving a simultaneous bow to the crowd, making them cheer once more.

Thor once again raised his hand, asking for silence. As the noise faded, a small mic appeared in his hands, from where Peter didn’t know. He brought the mic to his lips, took a deep breath, and spoke with his signature rumbling voice.

“Good evening ladies, gents, and everyone in between. Did you enjoy the show?”

A chorus of ‘yes’ came from an enthusiastic crowd. Thor chuckled at this before continuing.

“Glad to know you had fun. Now as you know, the Scarlet Moon Ball is known for many things. The grandest party of the century. The most exclusive event in this side of the world. The rich man’s version of a college rave.” Laughter blossomed from the crowd and Peter saw Thor smirk confidently, the audience already wrapped around his finger.

“But it is more than that. This ball is a celebration. A celebration of all life, both of the night and of the day. Exclusive this ball may be, but the festival is still about all of us, the people. All members of the Night Society, from the small to the great come out in celebration of the Scarlet Moon.”

At this, he gestured upwards. The image of the night sky disappeared and turned into the ornate high vaulted ceiling of the ballroom before that too was replaced. With a light rumble, the ceiling folded, like a paper, revealing the true night sky. The full moon shined brightly and bathed them all in its soft white light. Thor then waved his arm as a glass of bloodfruit wine appeared in his hands and raised it to the air. Similar glasses of wine appeared in the hands of all party goers and they followed suit. As they raised their glasses, dark red liquor almost glowing in the ethereal radiance, Thor continued his speech.

“We celebrate to remember the Scarlet Moon. In remembrance of the war our kind fought, against each other and then against the darkness that threatened to consume our world. We celebrate in the name of our victory against that darkness as our kind settled their differences and became one. What once were broken tribes of the creatures of the night banded together into a singular unit. The Night Society!”

A raucous cheer rose from the crowd, roars and howls melding into one in joyous celebration of the occasion. Even Peter found himself shouting giddily into the air, letting the spirit of the Scarlet Moon Festival fill him with glee. He was also a bit thankful that the whole ball wasn’t a sex cult after all, unlike what Tony said.

“Now I know the moon has yet to turn red, so we’re starting a little bit early with the drinking.” A few chuckles erupted from the crowd and Thor smiled, a naughty glint in his eyes. “But that just makes it even better once the real fun begins.”

More laughter came from the audience and Peter began to wonder if Pepper was the one who lied and this actually was a freaky sex cult? Oh gods, he was still a virgin! He didn’t want to lose that in some weird vampire orgy!

“So let’s get the music started and let the dancing commence!”

The orchestra suddenly came back to life, a jaunty tune cascading down from their perch. Peter let out a sigh of relief. Okay, no freaky sex cult.

He heard laughter beside him, and saw Natasha and Bruce already spinning away as they danced. More and more people joined the dance floor and soon it was filled with the bodies of party goers dancing the thrumming sound of the music and the energy of the festival hanging in the air like electricity. He saw Ms. Potts and grabbed Tony’s attention before gesturing to the lady. Tony fixed his tie and fixed on a confident smirk before sauntering towards his beloved. He was about to turn to Clint and ask him where his partner was when he saw that he was busy attacking the snacks with his children while his wife tried her best not to laugh. Seeing that he was already preoccupied, he turned to the dance floor and see if any of his friends were there.

Wanda and Vision were busy dancing, or floating more accurately. Red and yellow magic swirled around them as they spun in mid-air, waltzing elegantly as they used the wind as the dance floor. Other creatures had started their floating waltz as well. Peter saw two vampires having a full on tango session up above, a bird shifter and a fairy creating a ballet in the air below them, a tall troll on the ground dancing with a wind spirit who twirled around him. On the ground, he saw Steve Rogers dancing with Peggy Carter, another vampire. On the sides, the flacon shifter Sam Wilson was trying to get away from an irate Bucky Barnes who had wine stains on his dress shirt. Peter could hear his shouts of “I’m gonna drink the blood out of you, you fucking bird-head!” followed by a squawk that sounded suspiciously like laughter from Sam. He could even see the werepanther king T’Challa dancing with his beloved Nakia, and the werepanther princess Shuri escaping from Okoye who looked like she was trying to keep her away from something.

With the roof down and the light of the moon on them, it seemed that a spirit of festivity possessed them all. All the pretenses, all the scheming, all the plans and facades people hid from melted away. Even the decorative masks that everyone wore lay forgotten on the ground as their owners ate and danced and chatted in merriment. They all become one under the presence of the moon. All genuine laughter. All honest smiles.

He changed his mind. This party could be a great idea.

Which was when it all went to shit.

As everyone was busy partying, Peter felt a sudden spike in him. A feeling of the world slowing down and moving backwards and forwards all at once came to him in dizzying speeds. It was his psychic sense acting up. Something dangerous was coming.

He closed his eyes and let his awareness of his physical surroundings fade into the background and let his psychic sense fill him. The music and noise faded into silence as he let himself fall deeper and deeper into his sense, until he was bathed only in darkness and the spikes of emotion that came from the danger approaching. He followed the sense, letting his body moved on its own accord, while his mind was busy searching for the source.

A pinprick in the distance came to view. In the darkness of his mind, he could feel the pinprick getting largely rapidly. He tried to keep calm as he desperately tried to find the source. But in a sudden flash, his senses exploded. The pinprick in the distance was suddenly all consuming, everywhere and nowhere at once, a blanket of fear and danger. He quickly left his mindscape, heart racing and limbs shaking, and seeked out the Avengers. He saw Thor chatting amicably with his brother Loki and quickly approached.

“Thor!” he shouted. The man quickly turned around, and seeing him approach, put on a wide smile. It quickly melted of his face when he saw that Peter was upset.

“Young spider witch, are you alright? What’s wrong?” he asked, Loki giving him a similar look of concern.

Peter had to make his heart slow down before he could properly talk. He grabbed on to Thor’s arm tightly and said in a rushed voice, “Something is coming! Something dangerous!”

Thor turned to his brother and they shared a look of apprehension, before he turned back to Peter and spoke in a calm voice.

“Are you sure about this?”

“My senses have never lied. My ability can’t be tampered with by illusions. There’s something bad and it’s coming fast.”

Thor was about to ask him something once again when a flurry of activity in the sky caught their attention. They all looked up as a trail of something dark moved high in the sky. It moved quietly, a black streak flying in lazy circles above them. Peter could still hear the rest party so they hadn’t noticed the thing above. And Peter wouldn’t have noticed either if his senses weren’t screaming at him to run.

In a sudden motion, the whirling black trail exploded into mass of dark clouds. The noise caught everyone’s attention, and all directed their eyes to the furious whirlpool of darkness above. The coiling mass of black shifted above and expanded. Larger it got and more of the sky did it consume. It kept on getting bigger and bigger until Peter could barely see the land around them, the moonlight hidden by the darkness above. And suddenly, as quickly as it appeared, it recoiled once more unto itself. Like a tornado, it sucked itself back until it was nothing more than a ball of darkness before dropping rapidly unto the earth. Anyone in the way of the thing quickly scrambled away.

In a strong yet quiet whoosh of air, the ball of darkness landed unto the earth, letting smoke-like wind rush about itself. Peter covered himself against the sudden gust before going back to the thing that landed. At the sight in front of them, Thor and Loki suddenly tensed. He felt himself pulled back until he was hidden from view by both the two brothers. He peaked from behind them to take a look at what was happening.

Amongst the swirling remnants of the ball of shadow stood a group of figures. There were 8 people there, from what Peter could see. He wasn’t sure what they looked like because they were all black, like they were bathed in shadow. It took a moment for Peter to realize that that wouldn’t make sense since they were standing directly under the moonlight. It was almost like their bodies were wrapped in black paint. From what he could tell, two seemed to have a huge bulk that spoke of ogre or wereanimal blood. The rest were closer to what fae or shifter would be, slimmer in build and closer to a human’s body. He wasn’t sure since he couldn’t tell anything about them.

A moment of silence stretched, the already gathered guests shooting fearful glances at the intrusion. He could see some of the Avengers have set themselves around them. Steve, now moving as Captain Rogers, walked to them, vampire instincts making him look like he was prowling. His shield was already in his hand, the enchanted metal glowing under the moonlight. He stopped a few yards away from the people and spoke with a voice clear and deadly serious.

“Klyntar.”

The group shifted with quietly, before a sudden laughter erupted from one of them. One of them was laughing so hard that he bouncing in place. Peter noticed that this one didn’t look so black, but was closer to a dark red, like the shadow of a blood. The man kept on chuckling until he suddenly stepped forward and away from the group. As he did, the darkness covering began to recede. Not away from him, Peter noted, but into him. As the shadows bled away, a man wearing suit made of velvet the color of old blood. He was a redhead with glowing red eyes that bulged in a sort of manic fervor. When he smiled, sharp canines poked out.

“Well. This isn’t the welcome we expected.” The vampire spoke, voice casual like he was talking about the weather, like he didn’t just scare the entire assemblage with their display.

Steve must have thought the same since he gripped his shield tighter and spoke with an undertone of anger despite the calm exterior.

“You aren’t welcome here Cletus Kasady. You have been banned from ever returning to this society.”

“Come on Captain! That’s so unfair! I didn’t even do anything wrong!”

“You murdered the ruling house of the vampire clans during a peace summit.”

“They wanted to destroy the peace treaty! I was helping you!”

“By destroying the building that held the summit and trying to kill all of the ruling houses of all the tribes.”

Steve took one step, body solid yet unbridled fury coming out in waves, enough to make the Kasady back away in barely concealed fear.

“By coming here tonight, on the sacred night of the Scarlet Moon Festival no less, you are willfully breaking your sentence and will accept the punishment fitting for your trespass.”

Suddenly, dark vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped themselves around Kasady. He cried out in surprise before his voice was muffled by the vines wrapping themselves around him until he was nothing more than a wrapped up bundle of vines twitching on the ground. All the while Steve looked on dispassionately.

Peter was shocked at the display of aggression from Steve, the heartlessness of what was happening. The sight made him feel sick yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Something blocked his vision, something silver, and he looked to see Thor blocking Peter’s view with his back.

He looked back at Peter, eyes filled with a dark emotion he couldn’t place, before answering with, “Don’t look.”

Peter could barely muster up a response, too wrapped up in the sudden turn of events. A commotion captured Thor’s attention. A loud ripping sound suddenly came from where Cletus Kasady was lying. Peter didn’t know if he should look once more but the loud voice shouting “WAIT”.

Peter peaked out from behind Thor just in time to see Kasady rip himself out of the vines. In a single move, Steve was on him, hands around Kasady’s neck and shield held high, ready to decapitate the other vampire. Kasady was too busy begging to notice.

“WAIT! I didn’t come here to break the law! I’m here in service of it!”

This made Steve pause. Keeping his shield within striking distance, Steve didn’t move from his position before he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Them!” Kasady gestured, pointing to the group of still dark figures that did not move to help the vampire. “I’m here to bring them here!”

Steve looked towards the group before returning his glare back to the other vampire. “What do you mean? All I see are more victims of Carnage.”

“They aren’t! Look, I’ll show you!” he all but screamed. He then started waving frantically at them.

“Guys! Time to come out now! Need a bit of help here!”

When no one move, Steve tightened his hold in Kasady’s neck, causing the man to begin to choke. A few moments passed of Kasady struggling to breathe air before the figures moved. As one unit they walked forward, the shadows that covered them receding into their bodies. Now under the light of the moon, Peter could see them in their entirety. One of them had ogres blood, his body bulging with muscles stretching the fabric of his dark orange suit. Another one was a shifter, her eyes in slits and resembling a lizard’s, wearing a dress that was bright yellow. The one in the dark green suit had the signature glowing eyes and fangs of a vampire, along with the other man in a light gray tux. The two remaining women were fae, one wearing a pink gown and the other a black pant suit. All of them looked so well dressed that Peter felt a bit of whiplash at the sudden transition.

The six figures stood silently as Steve assessed them. Kasady moaned from his spot on the ground, causing Steve to ease of the pressure on his neck. The fallen man took heaping gulps of air before managing to croak out words.

“I didn’t kidnap them.” He said weakly. “Carnage didn’t possess them. They’re here of their own free will.”

Steve looked back at Kasady, then to the group, before his eyes widened, coming to a conclusion Peter didn’t understand. “Wait, does that mean-“

“Yes.” Kasady said almost gleefully. “They’re just as you think.”

“They possess the Klyntar.” Steve whispered.

A sudden murmur broke out in the crowd. All around him, Peter noted that everyone was suddenly gazing at the group with eyes now filled with terror. This just raised even more questions. How is a room of the deadliest creatures on Earth so fearful of them?

Peter’s eyes suddenly narrowed when he noticed something. Without much thought, he stepped out of the protection of Thor and Loki and spoke up.

“Hey weren’t there 8 of you?”

His sudden interruption caused everyone to look at him. All the eyes on him made Peter realize what a stupid idea that was. Why did he suddenly speak up? Gods, was the stress of the evening and wine getting to him?

“What do you mean?” Steve asked gently, aware of how nervous Peter had gotten. Peter gulped before soldiering on.

“I mean that there was 8 of you. But now I only count 7 people. Where’d the other one go?”

His observation had Steve go back to Kasady and tighten his grip on the man’s throat. Kasady looked back to the group, eyes wide in panic. They stared back at him with mixed reactions, yet all apathetic.

And then the group shifted. The movement caught everyone’s eye, bringing back the attention to them. From behind the two vampires, hidden on all sides by the other tall members of the group, came a figure still bathed in shadow, and hunched so low that he managed to disappear. Its build lacked any distinctive features that Peter could attribute to a night creature. It had the build of a football player, and was only 6 ft tall, a humble height though it still towered over Peter. Everyone stared at the figure in bated breath as it walked out of the protective circle and out in the open. The black shadows that enveloped his body receded slowly, beginning from his feet. Black boots were the first thing Peter, made of worn leather. Black dress pants followed by a dark cape on a pure black suit appeared. The clothes hugged their owner in a tight fit, and Peter could see the bulge of muscle from underneath the black cloth. And then the black finally receded from his face, giving them a good look. Peter felt his breath stolen away.

The first thing he noticed was the shock of blond hair that looked silver under the moonlight. His hair was cut short, enough that it began to blend with the blond scuff covering his chiseled jaw. Next were the blue eyes. Dark orbs filled with the color of the sky, they gazed at the crowd slowly before landing on Peter. He felt himself shiver at the intensity of his stare. Peter tried to stare back, doing his best not to back down against the challenge in the other man’s eyes. It felt like ages before the man turned his attention away from Peter and back to Steve. Peter could only let out a quiet breath of relief before he tensed once again as the man spoke.

“Kasady’s telling the truth.” He said, voice a monotone bass that reverberated through Peter. “We possess the Klyntar, and in accordance to his sentence, he has brought us here. We are here at our own volition to celebrate the Scarlet Moon Festival, and to present our identities to the heads of all the clans of Night.”

His words brought Peter out of the haze in his mind and he turned to Thor with a single question.

“What is going on?” He asked. Thor looked at him in pity.

“A lot that you don’t understand young one.”

Peter could only stare at Thor, asking for more, yet the other man decided to stay quiet.

Steve looked at the group of Klyntar in silence. He then looked back, towards the Avengers who were huddled in a group behind him. Peter saw Scarlet Witch nod before Steve turned back to the group.

“We will verify your claims first. If proven true, then we will accept you as our own and welcome you to the celebration of the Scarlet Moon. If not, then you already know the punishment that awaits.”

Kasady moaning in a wreck in the floor was enough warning for them.

“We promise that are words are true. But we will also accept any test you may require of us.” Came the blond’s reply.

Steve nodded in approval and as gave a grim smile.

“Then welcome to the party.”