Chapter 8 : Merciless And Control

As I look at the time after what feels like eternity , it is 1:57 A.M. . Groaning , I get up from the bed , stretching myself and go outside for a jog , as I make my way back and before opening the doors , a mechanical voice interrupts . " We will be having visitors later, Chris , they are meant for you " , the voice announces , " Roger that, Jarvis." I reply as I enter the Tower. As I take my jolly good time freshening myself up , I sense presences at the compound , " Great , what are they doing here ?" I mumble as I go to meet up with the supposed visitors at the living room .

" What are the celestial beings doing here in the world of mortals?" I question as I set foot into the living room . " Ah, Chris . " the man in a black tux seems pretty happy to see me . " Lucifer ." I utter , looking at the remaining two " Mazikeen and Ammandiel ." The others look completely shocked , " How in the world do you know them ? They are , like you said , celestial beings ." Steve queries with his eyes widen . "Looks like Decker isn't here. " I look around , " Send her my regards , will you ?" I turn to Lucifer , the devil himself, ignoring Steve's question . " Will do , the detective isn't here because of , you know, work , now don't talk to us as if you're inferior , Chris , you are the -" I cut him off , " I know , it's a gesture of respect , Morningstar ." I say with my gaze fixated onto him . " What business do you have here , I reckon you peeps are still at LA doing what you are doing . " I look at them .

" We got a high profile target on the loose ." Mazikeen starts to speak to clear the air . " Aren't you a bounty hunter , Maze , it's impossible for such a person to stay under the radar , especially yours because you're good at this as far as I know ." I frown at her . " Unfortunately , he is , now we're asking for your help . " she embarrassingly mutter . " What are the terms and conditions ?" I ask while checking my blades which I keep on my pockets and belt . " You can eliminate him ." she smirks . "How lovely , deal , I'll depart for him this instant ." I turn around , getting ready to leave . " But you have no idea where he is or who he is , he's a -" she stops me in my tracks

"A rouge angel or demon . " I look at her , raising an eyebrow . " No. " she shakes her head , " A grey one then . " I say , tilting my head . " Your intelligence is as astounding as ever ." she laughs . "We'll come with you , you may need backup , this thing sounds like a hazard for you to handle alone . " Natasha , pulling Yelena behind her . I look at Lucifer , signaling him to object them . He lets out a guffaw , " Let the mortals go with you , you'll ensure their safety , yeah?" . "Maybe ." I scratch my head , " Let's go lassies ." we head out . " Maze , you go on standby , in case he slips out . " I gesture for Mazikeen to follow . " On it , buddy . " she smiles and we all make our way to get on a vehicle .

" Hold up ," Mazikeen halts us before we get on the car , " How are we supposed to know where he is ?" . I whistle and a raven lands on my wrist , " Find him " I whisper to the bird so low that no one could hear and the avian creature takes flight . " All we have to do is to follow " I say , " Well, your codename sure means something . " Yelena says as she sits next to Natasha on the back . " How do you even communicate with animals ?" .

"Just stuff I learnt back there , during long missions " I reply as we take off . After moments of silence, the raven perks on a abandoned warehouse , indicating that we have arrive at the right spot . " We're here. " I mutter , " Maze , on standby ." I point to her . " Okay." she parts off . As we head deeper into the warehouse , I can sense the presence of the grey one getting stronger . I signal for them to be prepared . A figure dashes around , we stand our ground , eyeing his moves . " Mortal meat ." he snickers , " I haven't ate in ages . This should stuff me . " he continues , spreading his wings . As expected , he charges towards Natasha and Yelena . I scoop them up just enough for his blade to graze me , I brandish my daggers and charge in head first with him . I clash into him and as soon as I take off my mask which covers my face to show him my face which oppose the sole purpose of the mask, he flies backwards , staggering in fear . " You're ..... you're him " he stammers in fright . " You should've known who I am at the start ." I growl . He tries to run , so I grab his wings and slice it from his body . " Have mercy !" he screams in pain as he backs away from me , with tears glistening in his eyes . " Mercy ? You should've known , unlike the others , even the devil himself ,I'm not the merciful saint , boy . " I growl as I glare at him , baring my fangs at him . His screams abruptly stops as I slice his throat wide open without hesitation despite his pleading for mercy .

I look at the lifeless body , emotionless and turn to face the duo . " You okay ?" I ask , then stop as realization hits me . " Oh , right , they have celestial protection ." I mumble to myself . " Are you good ?" Natasha points at me . I catch my reflection on the pool of crimson red liquid pouring out of the body's throat , black veins are popping out . " Oh, I'm fine ." I brush my arms and flex my neck which makes the veins disappear . " Target eliminated ,Thomas , get the baggers , I'll send you the location ." I speak through the earpiece , turning to look at the slump of fleshy mass . The scent of blood fills my nostrils , " What a waste of good quality blood , it should've taste good . Too bad it has gone stale ." I mutter . " He pleaded for mercy ." Yelena looks at the body , grabbing my arm tightly , pressing against the graze caused by the blade earlier . " Sadly , I'm not a merciful saint . " I say while gently pushing her away and take the outerwear off me to look at the wound . "That's what makes me ruthless and cold blooded ." I add as I grab a vial of alcohol and kneel down . " That's mild " I say as I pour the vial onto the wound and pluck out a bullet , twist away the head and pour the gunpowder over it , I proceed to light a match and set it onto the mixture . The wound is sizzling, glowing dimly . " Should do the trick ." I rub off the remaining substance off the wound which has now been cauterized . " You didn't even wince , you sure you're okay?" Natasha asks as she takes a look at my wound . I nod at her as a response , " I've suffered worse , this is nothing ." I say as I turn to look at the baggers coming to bag the body . " What do we do with these ?" one of them asks, holding the severed wings . " Incinerate them " I command them as we all walk out of the warehouse .

The rays of the scorching fireball blind my vision , I look around squinting . " Chris!" a familiar voice erupts as I am pulled into a hug . " Detective " I give her a glance " It's been a while " I look up to see two more people walking behind her . " Detective Espinoza and Lopez ." I give them a slight nod . " You prolly know each other since you guys have been working together for a certain amount of time . " I look at the duo behind me . " Hello , Chloe ." Yelena gives a little wave and Natasha puts up a hand . " What brings you here ?" I ask as I look around . " Lucifer says you're back so I came here first thing to see you . " she beams with excitement . " Yeah , I'm back " I weakly utter .

As we all get back to the Tower , Lucifer lets out a sigh ." Detective , you went to see him without me ? That's sad." he rolls his eyes as he laughs . " She's okay , she got there after the whole murder . " I look at him in annoyance . His phone rings unexpectedly , making me jolt . I calm my nerves down and sigh as he goes to a corner to get his call . " I'm sorry , you been through that and we can't even do anything . " Chloe hugs me tightly, tears glistening her eyes . " What did you tell her ?" I ask the others . " The Council . Basically everything we know ." Steve utters , scratching his head. " Ah , good gracious . " I groan in annoyance ." It's neither of your fault , alright ?" I mutter " I don't blame anyone . " I glare at Steve and he gulps and slightly back away . " Wait , if you are born in the Council's custody , how do you know them ?" Tony asks , confusion written on his face . " It's a rather complicated story . I'll tell y'all when the time is right ." I scoff . " If you say so , buddy." Tony gives me a small smile and proceeds to examine a small cube on his hand. Lucifer comes back after the call , seemingly outraged and afraid . " What ? You can't handle a certain mortal's favor ?" I raise an eyebrow at him. With a sigh , he says " It's stolen . "

" What?" I tilt my head sideways , my face creasing into a frown .

" IT is stolen " he emphasize .

" For the love of God , damn it ." I growl as I look away . "What is stolen , Lucifer ?" Chloe asks , with the others seemingly curious as well . " The wings , Detective , the wings ." he whisper to her . " I thought they were yours ." she steps back , looking even more confused . " I have mine back , it's his ." he points at me . Chloe looks at me , " So, that means you're the superior being he was talking about , whom whose wings are entrusted to him . " I look at her , not sure what to say . One big part of my history has been revealed , " Damn it ." I scoff . " Time to tell you one of the main reasons why the Council is extremely keen on keeping me . " I sigh .

" I am basically the first archangel and the first fallen archangel to have ever touch hell ." I pause , expecting for someone to laugh . There is silence . " So ,a few decades back , before I am even incarnated to who I am now , Lucifer and I get on the mortal world and he , under my command , cut off my wings , making me the same as you all here as a sign of impurity . Which explains the scars on my back . " I pause again , Tony nods for me to go on ." The bloodline I am born in apparently have the blood of archangels because of some mish mash in the past and the Council knows about it , this specific bloodline has immense strength and durability as well as agility but not immortal . Dreykov wants to make me , the last of them , immortal so I can serve him for eternity.

" So , you were banished to hell ?" Sam asks .

" Technically , yes but I am not there physically as in the flesh, I am then transferred to this body when God promised the bloodline to bestow a blessing upon them and out of everything , he chose me ." I sarcastically reply .

"Why would he seal you off ? Did you revolt against him ?" Tony asks , tilting his head .

"No, he just made a stupid mistake of creating something that can be on par with him on accident and therefore , out of fear , he sealed me off. "

"So, you're equally powerful as God ?" Daniel asks , seemingly terrified .

" Nope , I'm not as powerful as the almighty himself but I am , technically speaking the most powerful archangel and fallen archangel which is not known to the world . Morningstar here just stands as my representative ." I cross my arms and sigh .

"Oh, " I add on "If you're wondering why I did not break out of the Council that easily when I am basically powerful , God have a rule here . That is all celestial beings here are to be vulnerable to certain weapons , but me on the other hand , the moment I get here , I am to be the same as the mortals here , vulnerable to everything and I am only able to briefly use my abilities , he implies a larger handicap to me compared to the others . So, meaning to say , anything can harm or kill me . " I look at them and hear gasps from across the room . " I am pretty much useless , all I am now is a killing machine . " I sigh once more . " The reason I cut off my wings is because I thought that if I am to be handicapped , might as well make myself be like a mortal . Grey ones are a mix of demon and angel , Lucifer is a fallen archangel , I am both an archangel and a fallen one , meaning to say I harness both demonic and holy abilities . " .

"You .... you've been through so much . " Natasha walks up to me and grasps my hand . " You should be scared of me at this point , Nat " I raise an eyebrow at her . " You're not an actual demon , you deserve so much more , you're just like us at this point ." . I shrug , " Yeah , I guess , since I am just a incarnation and nothing more than a tool ." .

"Why are the wings so important to you then ? Since you cut them off to weaken yourself ." Tony asks , "If Dreykov gets ahold of them then we're all doomed. I met up with Lucifer in secret during a mission and had him cut it off so that the Council won't get it . My wings are a threat ." I say with a sigh .

"Are you still hiding something from us ?" Natasha asks , raising her eyebrows . " If it weren't for Lucifer , I won't be telling you all this . How stupid of me , exposing myself to people that may potentially kill me ." I glare at Lucifer who nervously chuckles. " You're safe here , no one's going to harm you like they did." Yelena steps forward , smiling . " I won't let the bastard who took them off that easily , they must die . I have no choice since he or she knows and touched it . Also , it is sort of a prized possession of mine . " I say , implying the fact that I have no intention of leaving witnesses . As silence greets me , I add " After that , if you want to throw me back into the cell , feel free to do so ." . " No, we're not planning on doing that . " Tony sighs " We're ," he pauses , looking at the others . " Curious to how it looks like ?" I guess , he nods slowly , " Alright then , not like it's gonna cost me more than eternal damnation at the end of it ." I sigh as I flex my neck .

"So , you going to summon a raven , again ?" Natasha asks , slightly smiling . " No, I'll be going to do this singlehandedly . " I answer her with a stern look on my face . " Lucifer , do you still have the surveillance footage for the heist ?" I look at Lucifer who nods and whips out a USB drive . " Play it , Jarvis ." Tony commands the A.I. and the footage starts running . A bunch of people are seen cranking open the vessel. A black hooded figure can be seen at the back and he has a tattoo printed on his forearm , I instantly recognize it . " Bastard's too careless to even cover it up . " I say as I stop Jarvis from playing the footage any further . " Zoom in on the person , Jarvis . " I command the A.I. and as the image is being magnified , I can finally confirm my suspicion . " Bloody hell ." I mutter as I walk out , leaving the others dumbfounded .

"You know this person?" Tony asks , eyes widen . " I know what organization he is in . So , yeah I know who he is . " I continue walking , not looking back . " I'll be back , prepare some towels and uh , " I stop and think for a moment . " And some meds , this will probably end up bloody . " I hop onto a motorcycle and ride off . On the road , various thoughts are racing through my head , " Focus , damn it " I growl to myself as I get on the highway which is seemingly empty . " Chris ?" A voice pierce through the earpiece , " Yeah ?" I reply , my gaze unwavering . " I don't get a clue why you left in such a haste but , " the voice trails off , " " Yeah ?" I query as I pass by a few cars , " Be careful , don't do anything stupid . " the voice quivers . " Will do , Nat ." I reassuringly say although I know what I am going to do is beyond the term "stupid" .

I park the motorcycle at an alley a block away from the designated spot, with a tad bit of parkour skills , I make it to the highest point of the targeted tower from the rooftops . " I'm going in . " I whisper through the earpiece as I grab and fasten a wire onto my belt , I proceed to have a final check with my blades . With a sigh , I dive down and after a few moments , I screech to a halt as I reach just above the room where my wings are kept . It is the rooms of one of the higher ups of the organization . I leap away from the glass , loosening the wire and dive into the room , shattering the glass window in front of me . I roll onto the ground and stand up , looking around and catch sight of the owner of the room . " You got something that is rightfully mine , I'm here to get it back . " I say in a calm manner . He presses a button and it alarms all the guards within the vicinity , " I've got some super soldiers guarding me , y'know ?" he grins menacingly . " I know , " I sarcastically reply ," But they don't even matter anyways ." I look at the door as more guards barge in . The instant I brandish my daggers , I slit three of the guards' throat open within the blink of an eye . " I won't press the button if I were you , but there's no use of crying over spilt milk now , eh." I glare at him . One of the five buffed guards charges towards me , determined to maul me over . I easily dodge him and got onto him and plunge my dagger into his head . He flops over , dead . " Talk about the super soldier serum , they don't even last a minute , weak." I utter as I get back up . " All talk and no bite , pathetic . " I scoff . " Oh , one lesson for you , " I zoom past the remaining buffed guards , leaving them confusedly glued to the ground. "Don't get so talkative during combat ." I point my dagger at him , " Scott Janglo ." I say his name , my gaze fixated on him .I feel multiple objects penetrating my body , coughing up blood , I turn around and see that the guards regained their senses . I lunge towards them and slit their throats open and proceed to toss Scott across the room . " Look at me . Hey ! Look at me !" I yell at him , forgetting the fact that the earpiece and my body camera is still on . The reflection of his glasses reflects me standing in front of a glass in which my wings are sealed in . As far as the sayings goes , a pair of wings will look suitable and fitting with the actual or worthy owner . I take off my mask , revealing my face , terrified, Scott whips out his gun . "How dare you touch them ? You are not even worthy of looking at them ." my voice booms across the room . He fires shots at me to which I do not even wince . " Have mercy on me , please! They told me to do it ." he begs , kneeling down . " I know . I'll kill you and them ." I growl and slash at his face . Crying in fear he reaches for the door , I stop him and cut his hand off . His body becomes lifeless , he is dead from actual fear and blood loss .

I leap out the window and press a button I have and the whole building is blown to bits with explosives that I have rigged around the place . " Wow , you really leave no witness ." a voice echoes through the earpiece . " I usually don't do explosions but I have no choice . " I sigh as I get onto the motorcycle and ride off , undetected by anyone . " Object secured , Lucifer . Find me another glass box . " I groan as I head on my way back . " Glad to hear that , " he says " You alright ? You sound out of breath and you've just been stabbed and shot a heck ton of times." he adds on . "I'm fine , Morningstar . " I heave as I am reaching the compound .

The motorcycle skids and crash as I lose a little of my conscious , sending me flying and crashing onto the floor . Groaning in annoyance , I limp my way into the common room . " Sorry for making a mess and ruining your bike , Tony ." I wheeze as I lean against the wall , heaving heavily . " You got knives stuck into you ." Clint gasps . " Plus a spear in which I extracted and a few bullets . Nothing much . " I say as I pluck out the knives one by one . " I'm fine , just get me some forensic knives and alcohol as well as gunpowder and a matchbox , thanks ." I gesture for Bruce to get me the items . As the items are placed on my left , I grab the bottle of alcohol and pour it all over the wound , grab the knife , and poke it deep into the gunshot wounds , flicking out the bullets . " Ah , finally . " I mutter as I scatter the gunpowder all over the wounds . " Don't try this , people , it's going to hurt till it goes out ." I say as I light up a match . " Why are you doing it then ? What in the hell are you doing ?" Steve lashes out .

"Watch and learn , Rogers" Tony stops him and shoots a look at Natasha , who is attempting to dive towards me .

My wounds starts sizzling and I clench my jaw to calm myself down . The numbness becomes too much that I black out , as my vision blurs , I hear Natasha screaming my name and a bunch of hands grabbing onto me . A flurry of flashbacks of Dreykov and the Council slap me back into reality , " No!" I yell as I jolt upwards , blinded by the lights . Heaving , I look around and see everyone's shocked expression . " How long have I been out ?" I ask , " 4 minutes , that's fast ." Bruce answers . " Jeez." I sigh . I try to get up and is pushed back down by Natasha . " What ?" I ask in annoyance . "You need rest , you haven't even fully recover from the mission either ." she says in a worried tone . " Nah , I've got worse , I'm fine ." I get up as I look at her . " No you're not . " Teresa chirps in . " God , how in the hell am I not ? I'm okay . " I groan in frustration .

I sense some sort of tension in the room , " Alright , what's the jig ?" I ask . Everyone is looking at me , confused . " Don't give that look , mates , is it about the reflection of Janglo's glasses or my short reign of terror ?" I look at them coldly . " I was thinking about the reflection but you can start wherever you feel like it " Tony shrugs . " Okay , I admit that I am actually a tad bit pissed off at the time and that is all I have to say for it . " I say in annoyance as I roll my eyes . I nod at Bruce , " What's the status report , Banner . " I ask , " You should have something fascinating to say." I add .

"You can still regain consciousness within a short period of time despite being fatally injured and abnormally high blood loss . That is something not even a super soldier can do , I doubt that even celestial beings can do that too . " He raises his eyebrows . " I have to say , the doctor is right , at this point even an archangel could die off ." Lucifer looks at Bruce with a nod of agreement . " And ?" I annoyingly straighten my posture , flexing my neck . " You should be dead and yet you are still here . " Hange adds on " You are almost a breath away from being completely drained . In which , no one will be able to live through that . " .

"If that's the case I should've died a long time ago , I've suffered blood loss in which the amount is way larger than this and here I am , still breathing , unfortunately ." I scoff . " Unfortunately ?" Bucky queries, then his eyes widens as he realizes what I mean . " Hold on , you must be joking ." He laughs , " God , you're awful at jokes ." . I look at him , " Do I look like I'm joking to you , Barnes ?" I ask in a cold tone . "You really did ....." He trails off . " Yes , I tried , sepukku , sliting , bombs, poison , even tried putting a bullet in my head . Whatever you can think of , I've tried them all." I scoff as if these does not even matter , " Either they seized me from doing so or I somehow survived miraculously ." I sigh in frustration . " Why ?" I ask them , " I'm a valuable prop for them to just discard and every time I do it , this thing inside of me just forbids me from dying . " . I look at the shocked reaction upon their faces .

" I may look and sound like a depressed , deranged person , but I'm completely fine . I did all this is to get rid of the reins of control they have over me which was all in vain until I get knocked out by you peeps . " I add on , " God , I should've done it sooner than letting them lay their hands on me at every chance they get . " I groan in annoyance , " I can be stupid sometimes . " I scoff . " You did all those , just to shake off their control . Aren't you afraid that you are going to die after it ?" Carol asks , her voice shaking .

" I'm not afraid of dying , not like there's anything left for me to live for anyways." I look down .

"What about your family ? " Steve asks .

I whip my head up and look straight at him , " Don't you ever mention them in my presence , ever ." I snarl at him , making him jolt . " I'm sorry , I overreacted ." I look back down .

"It's fine ." He says , heaving a sigh of relief . "Remember this , now , you have people that make it worth living for , alright ? " He walks over and pats me on the back . " We're your family now , so , please , stay alive for us , not just for the sole purpose of survival ." He cracks a smile . " Family , huh . Wonder how it feels ." I sarcastically say , my eyes glued to the ground . " There's gotta be something you find worth living for , it's impossible for someone to live long enough from just the purpose of surviving . " He utters . " It is and here is a live sample for you ." I say as I slowly look back up .

"Remember , Rogers . I have no emotions nor a soul , I don't need to live for something . The only reason why I am still alive is just the sole purpose of survival ." I say , staring blankly at him . " I may just be a ," I pause to think for a second " Inhumane being to begin with . " . I raise an eyebrow at him. Natasha pulls me into a hug with Yelena , I can feel their tears dripping onto me . " I'm fine , I don't get why you all are making such a big deal out of it . " I opine as I try to get off the bed but get held back by Teresa . " Because you deserve to be tend to and cared for , damn it ." Yelena sniffles . " And you almost died , twice ." Tony points at me . " So? What of it , it still doesn't makes sense to me to feel worthy of being tend to ?" I shrug . " This is why people treat you like an object and not a person , Chris ." Gally slants his posture . " If that is the case , then so be it , I'm used to it anyways . " I say sarcastically . " You have no clue at all what it is like outside the Maze , eyebrows . All you know is WICKED , the Maze and Glade , and the Flare . Don't act like you know jack ." I rebuke him . " Why are you always targeting my eyebrows , man ? That's sad." he mutters . " All I find abnormal and annoying are those eyebrows , what else can I do?" I scoff.

"Whoa , cut the insult , dude , you're going to make him cry at this point . " Winston says , holding his hand up . " Weak ." I scoff as I look at Gally from head to toe . I get up despite being held down by Teresa and Natasha , " So , what do we have today , " I pause and clear my throat , " Tony ." I add , obviously not used to the informality . " Ah , you're still not used to it , eh." he chuckles . " We do have a task . " he raises his eyebrows . " An assassination actually , we found one of Hydra's main taskforce generals ."

"Let me guess , Philipe Drekson ?" I tilt my head sideways . " How in the world do you know ?" he asks in fascination . " Most of the missions here are handled by him so , anyone in their right mind would expect it to be him." I sarcastically reply . " I mean , there are some who are also handling the missions here but he handles the majority of it . " I add , looking at my hands . Tony walks up to me , " What do you think ? " he asks . I look at him , furrowing my brows , " I am only following orders here, my opinions don't matter . " I say . Tony shakes his head , " You are by far , the best strategist and tactician we have encountered , and also you have mastered a tremendous amount of skills . " .

"Uh , okay? " I confusedly keep my gaze steady on them ." Meaning to say , you matter . Your thoughts matter , you're not a soldier no more . " Sam chimes in . " What are the terms ? I doubt that it is just assassination , you want to interrogate him too , no?" I ask . " You're good at reading us through ." Nick smirks . " It's common sense , since it's Drekson we're talking about here . " I reply while walking out . " Where are you going ?" Maria grabs my wrist , " To get a change of clothes ?" I wring my arm off her grasp .

"Oh , you're not going ." Steve says , nonchalantly nodding . " What?" I scoff , " Well , at least have a meeting before all this , Drekson is a tough cookie for you people to deal with after all ." I add . " Alright then , see you all at the meeting room in 20 minutes ." Tony says as he exits the wardroom . I make my way back to my room , get into my combat set and arrive 18 minutes earlier in the room . I look up the files they have on Philipe , all of it is missing a huge ton of information . I hear footstep outside the meeting room and look up to see Carol , Natasha , Yelena and Maria going into the room , talking among themselves , not noticing my presence in the room . " You gals are early " I say , taking them by surprise . " You're way more earlier than us , man ." Carol scoff " There's still time until the meeting , what are you doing here ?" she adds . " I was just about to ask you the same thing . " I hold up the documents , " Analyzing and studying ." I add . " Oh, you're too hardworking for a soldier and a heavily wounded person ." Maria chuckles . " Some of the hard to change habits , Ma'am." I reply as I continue analyzing the documents . " You got all this info from the brokers ?" I query as I flip over page after page .

"Some of them , the majority is either our guess or what we actually know about him ." Yelena answers with a crease in her eyebrows . I hum at her as a response . "What?" Natasha asks , sitting next to me . " Is there something wrong ?" she adds , rubbing my back gently . I stay silent , not sure if I should tell them first . The others start piling into the room , Peter is holding a tray of coffee . " Coffee , Chris ?" he asks as he offers me an Americano . " Thanks , Spidey-boy ." I say as I sip on the pitch black liquid . " You sure know me well . " I add. " Oh , it's actually Natasha who asks me to get you Americano . " he smiles and walks off . " Thanks , Nat . " I silently thank her as I breeze through the documents . " No problem ." she smiles as she replies , patting me on the back .

" Alright , everyone's here , great . " Tony starts off , " We all know that our target is Philipe Drekson . We may or may not know much about him other than the fact that he's one of the main generals at Hydra." . Silence greets him , " Now , we all know where he is , for now." he goes on , " What is his relation to the Council , Chris . ?" he points at me . " Like I said before , the Councils are organizations combined together , including Hydra . If the soldiers there are under the command of the Council , Drekson , being one of the main generals is one of the important pawns . His relationship with the Council is strong , they trust him as much as the other Council members and generals . " I answer . " Your documents have a ton of loopholes ." I add on . " He has just been promoted to one of the Council's taskforce general , he still has control over Hydra's troop , it's just that his range of control expanded ."I add on. " It requires more than just manpower to get to him , he has 35 soldiers with the serum guarding him 24/7 ." I pause for a second " By that , I mean your so called super soldiers . " . "How are you so sure ?" Bucky asks , looking at me .

"I was assigned to guard him , 5 times , right here . If there is any need for confirmation , that will be me , Barnes." I look at him . " I am basically your very own info broker , it takes more thinking and planning than to just barge in to him , that's not going to work in his case ." I look up at Tony . " If that's the case , then Natasha and Yelena should go , they're both intelligent and skilled . " he says , twirling his pen . " As easy as it sounds, can they interrogate him with 35 super soldiers hot on their tails ?" I look at Natasha and Yelena , " No offense though ." I add . " None taken " Natasha smirks .

" What do you suggest ?" Tony asks , expecting me to put myself on the line . " I suggest that I should be on standby . Just in case things go south ." I say . " You haven't recovered yet but I don't think you'll listen since you're so determined ." Teresa butts in . " Yeah , I'm not backing down on this one . " I nod with agreement with her . " Okay . I'll show you the layout of the building he is in . You can figure out a plan ." he shows us a slide of the blueprint of the building . The moment I realize what is his actual motive is , I say " Let's go . Nat and Yelena drop down at the east side of the building , the guards aren't as saturated there , that's how they disperse their troops . " .

" Why , what's the hurry ?" Tony asks. " Think , why would he stay near us although he clearly knows that our base is nearby ?" I ask him . " He's scouting , plotting an attack . " I add on . " I've been assigned to do this before back at Los Angeles . " .

"Alright then , let's go ." he says as we get up from our seats. " Chris , you have permission to exterminate them . " Tony pats me on the back as we get on the quinjet . " Roger that, Sir ." I reply as I sit at the rear end of the jet. Natasha and Yelena prepare themselves as we are arriving the building , " Don't do anything stupid ." I say as I look at the building below . " Thank you , we won't " Yelena laughs as they both deploy themselves onto the east part of the building . " Cleared a way , Chris is right , they have less lookout here ." Natasha announces over the earpiece . " Focus , Romanoff." I reply as I look at the blueprint once more .

"Shit !" Yelena's voice erupts through the earpiece . " Status report ." I say , " They've been tazed and immobilized . " Maria announces as she checks at the duo's condition through a computer . " I'm going down . " I report to Tony as I drop down . I crash through the window panes and land between the duo with the rest of the guards , " You okay?" I ask as I slit one of their throats open . " Yeah , just got immobilized ." Natasha says with a shrug . "They are programmed to kill any threat , good thing I drop in before they have a chance to do so . " I mutter . We get to where Drekson is , he is right there , being shielded by the remaining 15 guards . " Get the Raven ." he orders his guards who then taze and pin me to the ground. The others round up Natasha and Yelena and tie them up .

"Never thought to face the Raven himself up close and personal . " he snickers . " Drekson ." I greet him back . They fasten me onto a chair with chains . " The Council's prized subject , good thing they give me this in case I come across you , they want to test it on you but since you just show up without prior notice , it saves me all the trouble to locate you . " he laughs . " All this , just to bait me here?" I ask , to which he nods , " Pathetic ." I growl at him . He whacks me over with a metal rod , he pulls on my hair " Respect me , you slave !" he yells at my face . " You're not worth my respect , old man ." I say as I spit blood at his face which angers him even more . He knocks the rod onto my head and shoots me in the abdomen . " Damn , I just patched that part up . " I sigh . " You will learn to show me respect , dog . " he snarls as he thrusts the syringe deep into my neck , injecting a vial of liquid into me . " What the hell did you do ?" I choke on my own blood as I question him . "Just a vial given for me to test on you , you've taken it in well, good boy ." he chuckles .

" So , this is just to get a vial of liquid into me ? Then take me back ?" I whisper , my voice going hoarse . " Bingo!" he claps . " You hear that , peeps ?" I ask , " Loud and clear . Nice job , buddy ." Tony voices through the earpiece . " Well, I would like to play with you a little longer but too bad I now have to say , " I pause for a moment , " Thank you for your corporation ." . I snap the chains like it is nothing , breaking myself free . " You should not look down on the most prized possession of the Council , only specific chains can hold me in place ." I snarl as I lash out towards the guards circling on me . As the last of the guards fall dead , Philipe whips out his Desert Eagle with special rounds and starts going off onto me , I pounce on him , ripping his throat out with my bare hands .

"Sorry to keep you two waiting ." I utter as I set Natasha and Yelena free from their confinement . " Yo, Tommy , I sent the coordinates , send some baggers over , yeah ?" I speak over the earpiece . " Good that ." Thomas replies . I stagger as I cough up blood , my vision starts to get blurry and I collapse into a heap on the ground . " Chris ?" Natasha rushes over to help me up . "I'm fine , it's just the vial having its effect on me and the special rounds that was set off by the old bastard." I heave as I shake my head to regain focus . As we board onto the quinjet , my legs give way and I drop onto the ground . " Maria !" Natasha screams for the lady at the computer who comes rushing with a med pack . " Tony ...." I gasp as I grab onto his arm , " Yeah , buddy ?" he asks as he applies pressure onto the wounds . " Put me back into the cell as soon as we arrive . " I wheeze . " What ?" he looks confused and hesitant , " Please , do it!" I push him against the wall , wheezing . " Okay . " he silently nods and I start losing consciousness . " Don't you dare close your eyes ." Maria snaps at me . Their voices are muffled and I drift into the void of unconsciousness .

When I open my eyes , my vision is blinded by the lights and I hear arguments nearby . I look around and find myself inside a cell , looks like Tony understands what I am implying . " You can't just throw him in there . " Natasha scowls at Tony , " He asked me to . What else can I do about it ?" Tony snaps back at her . " He's awake !" Wanda points at me . " Hey , you okay ? We're going to get you out of here ." Yelena is walking towards me . My cold and blank gaze make Tony realize what is going on , " I don't think that's a good idea ." he mutters . Once Yelena gets within striking distance , I lunge towards her , hitting the glass standing between me and them . She backs off , surprised . " It's us , Chris . It's okay ." Natasha takes a step forward. I stop in my tracks , turn around and punch the glass again , snarling . " He attacks anyone within striking distance , what in the hell did they give him ?" Bruce shakes his head in dismay . I step back , unable to do anything . " There has to be a way to get him back , right ?" Natasha asks , her voice quivering . " I doubt , but it is up to him now for the time being ." Hange stares at me . " I just got him , I can't lose him again ." she sheds a tear . " Change that to 'we'" Yelena kneels down next to her , hugging her for comfort .

I spend the night in the cell , with Natasha and Yelena outside of it. I silently stare off into the distance whereas Natasha and Yelena are looking at me . " C'mon , Chris , come back to us . " Natasha whimpers . " He will , we have to trust him for this ." Yelena comforts her . Dawn breaks and they are both asleep . I still stare at the same spot , motionless . A sudden blare of alarm jolts them awake and I am still motionless , staring at an empty space . " What's going on ?" Yelena asks in confusion , " I have no idea ." Natasha looks around . " We have to leave him then ." Natasha says in a worried tone , looking at me . " We'll come back for him once this is over , don't worry ." Yelena yanks at her arm .

I am left to my own devices , a burst and a wild ray of light catch my attention. I back away from the glass panel , looking at the soldiers piling in . They do not seem like the soldiers here , realization strikes me like lightning as I see the logo on their armbands . They are the Council's troops . The moment they disable the lock on the door of my cell , I lash out to attack them . It takes 5 dead soldiers to restrain me , I am tied in the chains that are made specifically to keep me down and led into the common room like a dog on a leash .I see Natasha and the others are surrounded by the troops , I want to lunge towards them but I could not do so due to the effect of the serum that was injected into me .

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Council's most prized possession ." A familiar voice echoes from the other side of the room . I snap my head to the source of the voice and see a familiar someone standing . I stay silent as my gaze fixating itself onto him . " Right , the serum is reconstructing you , I see how it goes ." he gleefully laughs and gestures for the soldiers next to me to release me from the restraints . I lash out at him and stop when I am inches away from him , I try to bring the knife down his throat but my hand would not budge . " It's working like a charm . Let's test it out more , shall we?" he excitedly claps . The troops spread out and form a circle , surrounding them and I , " Ladies and gents , this is a rare chance for foot soldiers like you to witness an experiment in action , especially with the top tier subject like the Raven , feast your eyes and embed this moment into your minds ." he raises his arms gracefully .

He smiles and looks at me , " You will probably already gotten used to this but just in case you forget , " he leans towards me , " You'll never escape from us ." . He laughs menacingly as he looks at them , " This will be your final moments alive , any last words ?" he sniggers . No one reply to his question , which irritates him a bit . " Fine , have it your way , don't say I didn't give you a chance ." he raises an eyebrow and proceeds to look at me . " Occidere eos" he commands me in Latin . I involuntarily lash towards them , I try to resist my own movements with every blow which does not provide any help at all . " Kill me ." I manage to get the words out , " What ?" Bucky asks in confusion . " Kill me !" I yell as I strike at Steve's shield , sending him flying . I feel something penetrate my chest , I look down and see a spear poking out of it . I turn around and see Natasha in tears , " Thank you ." I whisper as I drop onto my knees . "Get up , you don't die this easily . " he grins in delight , I close my eyes , trying to slowly let my life drain away . " It's not your time yet , they still need you ." A voice echoes through the darkness , I feel an intense push and I am snapped back into reality . Gasping , I open my eyes and stand up. I regain my stability and pull out the spear from my body , " Janson ." I utter to the man in front of me . " Looks like I'm right all along ." he chuckles , " Too bad Tommy and his gang ain't here , they'll be delighted to see you ." I glare at him .

I lunge out at him but I am stopped by a few of the soldiers and is tackled to the ground . I shove them away and annihilate them and dart towards Janson again , with pure determination to maul him over . He takes out a tazing launcher and fires it at me , the surging volts of electricity immobilizes me almost immediately. He straps himself onto a wire and before zipping out towards a chopper above us he says " Come back to us , for their sake ." and they disappear as if they were never here. " Douchebags ." I grumble as I look around the mess that I made . " We need a few baggers for this ." I groan in annoyance as Tony slowly makes his way to me . " Is this really you ?" he asks , almost tripping over a body of a lifeless Council soldier . " Yeah , it's me in the flesh , what do you expect ? A ghost ?" I sarcastically answer. " It's him alright , gettin' more sarcastic by the minute ." Sam chuckles . Maria patches up my wounds and as she gets closer , I wince a bit , " You're okay , don't worry ." she gives me a stern look . " Did I ...." I trail off , " Kill anyone ?" she asks , " If you are talking about us then nope . You told Tony to lock you in a cell before you blacked out , remember ?" she tightens the bandage on my arm . " I see. Thanks , Maria ." I stand up , she pulls me right back down . " You should sit for a bit , you must be pretty drained ." she mutters and walks off to return the med packs to their original positions . I let out a sigh as I look at the baggers clearing up the place and all the damages done being repaired . " Hey buddy , how are you holding up ?" Tony sits next to me , " Sorry about the mess." I reply , my gaze fixated on the floor . " It's okay . " he laughs , " Glad to have you back , by the way ." he chuckles . " Yeah." I softly reply , not sure if this is actually good news or not .

"Hey." Natasha sits by my left and Tony gets up , " I'll leave you two to your own ." he says and leaves . I continue staring at the ground , " C'mon , don't get so gloomy now ." she nudges me softly . " Why ?" I whisper as I slowly look up to her . "What?" she smirks . " Why aren't you all afraid ? I almost killed you , especially you , Nat. " I ask , a frown creasing on my face . " Why should I ? " she raises an eyebrow . " I am a murderer , a merciless and ruthless one , I have a long list of people whose lives I've claimed and I almost add you people to that list . You are supposed to be hating and afraid of me right now . What do you mean by why ?" I reply to her question , staring deep into her eyes . " You're not a monster , Chris , you're a human , just like us . You are forced to kill , not by your own will . " she calmly utters . " I'm not humane enough to be called a human , you and Yelena should know this out of everyone here . " I utter as I look away. " We all know it's not true . Stop shutting yourself out . " she grasps my arm . I look at the window , staying silent . " Thank you . " I turn to her , " For what ?" she asks . " For still being alive . " I say , " Back there , I actually thought you are dead . When I see you for the first time , I thought I was hallucinating . Looks like the harsh environments and work really have its worth . " I scoff . " Thanks to you, We have a chance to live life normally . " she chuckles . I can feel the guilt weighing heavily on my chest from her statement .

I return to my room , lie on the bed , and sigh . I hear a knock on the door and from the scent from the person , it is Wanda . " What is it, Wanda ?" I ask without getting up ," Dinner's almost ready , you need any help getting down ?" she calls out from the other side of the door . " Nah , thanks , I'll be there in a jiffy ." I reply and hear her footsteps fading away . I get into a plain black hoodie and head downstairs , I am greeted by people gathering by the table eating and talking among themselves . " Hey , you're just in time ." Carol waves at me , I give them a little nod as I take my seat . I look at the piping hot penne in front me , losing my appetite in every passing second. Laughter and chit chat fill the entire room , I pick at my food absentmindedly unlike how I used to . The atmosphere is being blocked out by my own consciousness , various dark thoughts are racing through my head like a marathon . A touch on my shoulder makes me flinch , I turn to look at Natasha with her hand on my shoulder , " Jeez , sorry about that ." I say as I turn back to the plate in front of me , " Can I help you with anything ?" I ask as I continue staring at the now cooling plate of penne . " You haven't ate , you okay?" she asks , tilting her head sideways . " Yeah . Just thinking ." I reply , not looking at her . " About what ?" she leans in , " Nothing important ." I answer . " Eat up , food's getting cold ." she pats me at the back . I then proceed to stuff myself slowly despite losing the appetite . After dinner , we are all gathered at the common room , talking and entertaining ourselves .

" Come on , don't give me that stern attitude ." Yelena nudges me playfully . I look at her and raise an eyebrow to indicate that I have no idea what she is talking about . " Be more carefree , there's no reason to put up a straight face all the time , yeah?" she chuckles , " I'm not a carefree type of person as far as you should know ." I say as I roll my eyes at her . Natasha and Maria seem to notice my absentmindedness and make their way in my direction . " Coffee?" Maria hands me a cup of hot Americano as they both sit down . " Thanks ." I mutter as I take a sip off the cup . " Is there something wrong ?" Maria asks , looking at me . I hum at her as a response , " You look pretty absentminded since dinner , what happened ?" Natasha chimes in , furrowing her eyebrows . " Nothing is happening , don't worry ." I assure them , they both look at each other , seemingly not convinced , and turn back towards me ." I'm going to assume that you are not convinced ." I say , looking at them in a sarcastic way. " Obviously . What are you hiding from us ?" Natasha leans back , crossing her arms . " What do you think ?" I ask her in return . " I know you said that you'll tell us everything when the time is right but stop pressuring yourself ." Maria says as she sips on her cup. " Pressuring myself ? Please , I'm trained to thrive in pressuring environments , I don't need to pressurize myself ." I scoff . " Man, I know when to suck it up and when not to . " I add , shrugging sarcastically . I silently take a swig of Americano as they both look at me . " I know it's hard to accept this sudden relaxation but you have to trust us on this , okay?" Natasha's voice goes soft , " You know you can trust us right ? Me, especially." she smiles . " Yeah , I think . " I shrug , " Jeez , this is the first time I'm unsure of something . " I add, I let out a heavy sigh after I finish my sentence . My mind is debating itself whether I should put my trust in them and a lump forms in my throat . I gulp and look at them , they stare back at me , seemingly expecting me to break into a heap of confusion . " What ?" I raise an eyebrow at them . " Nothing . Just fascinated at how sure you are about your decisions most of the time but not this ." Maria chuckles . " I know , ironic , isn't it ?" I ask , " There were some miscalculations and setbacks but they were just some minor ones . But this is hard to decide , since I've been used to working alone and seeing people that I know betray me and die off one at a time ." I add , not expressing any emotions . " It's hard to keep a straight face when someone says that , but what can I say ? You're different somehow ." she says , raising her cup of coffee . I nod at her statement and look away .

Time flies by and everyone is ready to be tucked in for the night , " Aren't you going to bed ?" Wanda asks as she goes past me . " I'll stay up for a while . " I answer her without looking at her . " Okay then , good night ." she yawns drowsily as she continues on her way to her room . The common room is silent and dim , I sit by the spot near the windows , looking at the view ahead of me . I hear soft footsteps from the hallway , I whip back to see Natasha and Yelena sneaking into the common room as if I'm not there . " What are you doing ?" I ask , almost causing Yelena to trip over Natasha by surprise . " Getting some coffee , what are YOU doing up so late and how did you hear us ?" Natasha lean against the wall , gesturing for Yelena to get the beverages ready . " Just pondering , nothing much . I can smell and hear you guys pretty well despite your efforts to sneak around .Why are you sneaking around for coffee when you can just walk ?" I ask . She shrugs , " Because Yelena was sneaking around so I unconsciously followed her . " . I give her a small nod and look away , " Alright then , take your time ." . She sits opposite me and leans in on the table , " Don't tell me , you're going to not sleep for the entire night ." she frowns . " Nat, sleep isn't in my schedule , I don't even need it ." I say without looking at her . She scoffs as she leans back , smiling . " Even someone like Lucifer needs some nappy time , I doubt you don't ." she chuckles . " We are both different somehow ." I say , looking at her . " From bloodline to reputation , he has it better than me . " I add . " Aren't you two made by the same creator ?" she asks , tilting her head . " Yeah , but I'm just ," I pause , " A mistake , a powerful one and he's just an archangel who was exposed to the wrong influence ."

" How is it like ?"

I hum at her , not sure what she means .

"Death ." she says " What it's like ?"

"Depends ." I say , " But I can say for sure that y'all will have a warm welcome when the time comes , it won't be cold , unlike mine ." I look away .

"You can't say that for sure , you know , we also killed people ." she says , raising an eyebrow .

"I'm serious , your ledger is clean , you all will ascend instead of descending . I'm the first archangel , Nat , do I look like I'm lying to you ?" I turn back to her .

" But what about you ? Where will you go ?"

"Depends , " I answer " I may be going down and not be able to be with you guys but who knows ." I add .

"What makes you think that ?" Yelena sits down next to Natasha .

" Just common sense , I'll go back to where I was ." I shrug .

" But you are the first archangel ." she says .

" And a fallen one ." I add .

After a while , they both get up and go to their room . I sigh , thinking about the conversation that I had with them . " Back where I belong , huh ." I sigh . The night seems longer tonight but I have no complains about it .