Revenge of the Raven (Captain America and the Avengers)

Chapter 24: The fear of hope

Lillian Raven Quinn

Revenge

Though it's a new age, some things will never change. We still try to hold on to our values, morals, a cause to stand up and fight for. We try to hold onto hope, for it is the only thing stronger than fear. Hope drives fear away, because if we let fear overtake our hope it will consume us, break our spirits and tear us apart from the inside. So we hold on to hope, for ourselves, for others, for everyone. There is power in the hope of many, but the hope of one is much harder maintained. For the hope in this one soul goes through it all. Loneliness. Torture. Looks into the eyes of fear and death itself. And at this moment I was the one soul that still had hope. That still believed. But fear was trying to creep it's way in. And I was close to caving.

The whip traced my back in intricate patterns. Thick, scarlet blood dripped to the floor in pools. Punishment for escaping. No matter how it had gone I knew that this would happen. There was no escaping this fate.

"Enough! She still needs to lead my army into battle. She can't do that if you break her." Douglas ordered, waltzing into the dark cell. I was unchained, my body falling to the ground in a heap. "Unless you've already broke her."

I spit blood on the floor, pushing myself up with much force into a standing position. "I'm ready when you are sir. No pain compares to the knowledge that there are people like the Avengers." I lied, trying to remain conscious.

Douglas cackled, nearly measuring up to the sickness of the devil, or maybe even Schmidt himself. "I like your optimism my dear. Is your plan in tact?"

I simply nod in response. I didn't like talking much in general. It usually ended up with me pissed off at someone. "Good. Welcome to the beginning of a new world Revenge. The beginning of something beautiful." Gosh, these people are full of poetic bullshit.

"Some agents will escort you and help you prep. I want you and the men advancing on S.H.I.E.L.D at 23:00 hours. Now go." I was roughly grabbed, and instead of being escorted I was shoved and dragged to a room light well enough for me to for the agents unaccustomed to the darkness.

I was put in tight, flexible combat pants, a simple black sleeveless shirt, a leather jacket with odd shapes and some military boots. I looked fit to lead armies. My hair partially pulled away from my face, my face dawning dark war paint that made me look lethal.

"I want confirmed deaths of the Avengers within the next eight hours." Douglas ordered, "If not, I promise you shall forget what light looks like. We will lock you in the deepest darkest cell. Who knows. Maybe we won't even freeze you."

I tried my best not to snap this mans neck. If I killed him now then this would all render useless. Risks were still high. I had no idea if Rogers was going to help. I doubted he would. He tried to arrest me. His cause no longer mattered I suppose. If he wasn't with me he was against me. I knew the Avengers would hate my guts and want me either locked up or dead. So I suppose things just got more complicated. Twice as many enemies meant twice the challenge. Maybe there wasn't a side of good or evil. Maybe it is just the choices you make. There is not much good in my soul, there wasn't much left of a soul to begin with.

I was alone in this world. No one cared for me. Rogers just used my emotions so he could arrest me. He was a good man with a complicated life. But we were polar opposites. And right now, I had orders to kill him............ and I was supposed to make it hurt.