Her Game

Short Bonus Chapter - Thomas

Five Hours

Natasha flinches when she watches Steve be rushed out of Parker's cell, the super soldier physically shaking in fear. Who are these people? 

"Rogers? Are you alright?" Tony and Natasha simultaneously ask, Bruce doing medical checks on the shaken man. Everyone flinches as a dent is made in the cell door by Kai throwing the forgotten shield at it. 

"Someone forgot this!!" Everyone heard the sociopath laughing uncontrollably, very happy with himself. 

"We need to release them, we can't keep them here, they'll kill everyone...she....Elena...she'll be the end of us." Steve mutters continuously, suffering from whatever mental damage Kai inflicted on him. 

"This is a mess." Tony mutters, looking at Natasha with an unusually serious face. "We need to bring in Thor for this, perhaps even see if we can borrow Reindeer Games, I'm sure he can get in their heads." 

"These people are seriously out of our league, and how is that even possible? What are they?" Natasha murmured, watching the live camera feed for the prisoners, her eyes lingering on Ellie. "Her powers, she's like Wanda. Perhaps we could get her to speak to Gilbert?"

Before Tony can reply, Fury comes back into the room, frowning when he notices Steve's mental state. 

"Natasha, you've got O'Connor. Have fun."

***************

Natasha walked into Thomas's cell, expecting an angry outburst or a sadistic attempt at an attack but all she was met with was low calculating eyes. The Heretic slowly walking from the shadows the back of the cell possessed, watching Natasha's every move as she came further into the room.

The Heretic chuckles lowly, Natasha stiffening at the predatory look in his eyes. Thomas moves closer to the centre of the room, Natasha matching his movements, both soon coming to be moving in a small circle.

"You're an interesting little thing." Thomas's Irish accent was thick, as he look at Natasha as if he could see her every thought. "Your ledger is covered in red, and yet you're still so wonderfully humane, curious."

"Perhaps I should be the one asking the questions? There is nothing you can get from me." Natasha fired back, Thomas finding amusement in the red head.

"You can try, but it would be a shame to waste what oxygen you have left." 

"Wha-"

Natasha is brought to her knee's as Thomas's vamps closer, his hand crushing her windpipe. The Heretic's hand coming to rest upon her temple, Natasha feeling her arms numb as a surge of power soars through her.

"The Red room, how nasty that looks." Thomas's fake tuts as he searches her mind. Rolling his eyes when Tony Stark and several other agents storm into the room, all of them becoming frozen in place as soon as they enter the cell. "I wonder how your friends would react if they found out what I knew. Oh what's this?..."

Tears escape Natasha's eyes, black spots dancing across her vision as she lets out a quiet whimper. Thomas lessons his grip, not quite wanting her to pass out just yet, her body still paralyzed from his touch.

"A sister...oh look at her little face. And a father and a mother. What a mix! And here I thought my family was unconventional..."

"Let her go." Tony manages to grunt out, the man dropping to his knees as he feels an immense pressure push him down from above. 

"I'm not done playing, hush, you'll have your turn fuckboy." Thomas smiles, one that could be mistaken for a smile of kindness if he was not currently paralyzing everyone in the room. "You see Natasha, just like you have your skillset, I have mine. Mother was always particularly pleased about my ability to paralyze people, it's how I first met Klaus actually, I was like a shiny new trophy she could show off. Until recently I couldn't use the ability, but it seems like your people bring out the best in me." 

A black gunk trickles down from Natasha's nose and ears, Thomas tutting as he wipes it away. He releases her mind, letting go of the grip on her throat as she falls to the ground immobile. 

"So fragile...but her mind is strong, perhaps she won't fall into a coma like the others." Thomas turns around and opens his arms wide, his face falling at the angry looks he was being given. "Tough crowd."

Taking in a deep breath, veins form under the Heretic's eyes, vamp speeding to different soldiers in the room, draining them of blood. Once he slaughtered almost half of the room, Thomas walks back in front of Tony, wiping away the blood on his mouth with a grin.

"Take your girl and go, I'll have my chance again, and perhaps if you're lucky, you'll be my first victim."