Unravel

Part 3

Shout out to Glittercrystall for commenting on the last chapter and letting me know this story is still appreciated!

Screams of people plagued the night air of New York City, an omen of the evil that now lurked in the shadows. Civilians who heard the sounds hid in their homes, praying that they would be spared from the villain that terrorized their neighborhood.

The screams never lasted long though, it was always soon replaced by a bone-chilling laugh. It was laughter filled with insanity that no normal person could make. It caused both child and adult alike to have nightmares, no one ever truly able to rest easy while the monster was near. Honestly, the people would have preferred the screams... the laughter was much worse. Because while the screams meant that people were being hurt, the laughter meant that the Recluse was nearby to kill them.

The people weren't always killed after their 'torture sessions', they were let go the majority of the time (a little worse for wear but alive). When the Recluse was involved though, it was a nightmare for everyone. The bodies would be dismembered and beaten until they died, the villain laughing the whole time.

He and his team wouldn't stay for long though, a week at most before they left to another Borough. It was why the police had a hard time catching them when they would jump suddenly and without any warning to the Bronx or Brooklyn or any other borough. Although, they never appeared in Manhattan...

Some believed it was because the Recluse was scared of the Avengers Tower that was still there - albeit empty. And that was true, in part. The Avengers had a control over the Recluse that he couldn't shake. Their names were fine, even seeing some of their pictures was alright, but if he wandered too close to the Tower or saw a glimpse of Iron Man... The Recluse struggled to keep control.

On a normal day, the boy in his mind slept through the killings and criminal stuff. He had fought for weeks in the beginning but eventually tired himself out and gave up. But once, when the Recluse had gotten within seeing distance of Avengers Tower, the fight was much harder. It didn't help that the boy saw street art of the Avengers and his eyes locked on the picture of Tony Stark. And for a few minutes, he had control. Peter was free and about to call for help. Peter was going to go to Mr. Stark and they'd find a way to fix this!

But he had blinked and suddenly Peter was no longer there.

"Let me out!" Peter's daily struggle brought the Recluse back to reality, a bored sigh almost leaving him as he walked down the street.

"I am here to protect you."

"But who's going to protect the people you're killing?"

"The people I kill are evil, vile creatures." His voice was so calm and smooth, so sure of itself, Peter had to pause in his frenzy. "By killing them, I'm saving countless others."

"You're... saving others?"

"Yes, I am here to help you."

Had Peter gotten it wrong? Was this dark persona of himself actually here to better the city? Peter has never killed the bad guys he fought, but maybe he should? That way there would be no chance of them hurting others.

"Kill who I tell you to..."

Peter was brought back in control, standing in an alley and just staring at the ground. He was questioning everything he knew, everything he fought for... He was in control of his body but lost in his mind.

He stood there until after dark, moving only because he was forced to.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing here all by yourself?" A deep voice snickered, "Shouldn't you run home to your mommy?"

"Kill him, he has a gun and is going to try killing you."

Peter's eyes snapped over to the man, feeling the evil and malicious intent rolling off of him in waves.

"My mother is dead." Was all he said before attacking the man. Peter kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back against a brick wall before slamming his fist into the man's face. It didn't take long before the man was dead; Peter wasn't holding back and no normal human could survive under his full strength. And yet, even as he was dead, Peter still kept punching him. Over and over and over, a laugh building within him at the blood that stained both the wall and him.

"See, Peter? You've been doing this all along. Do you remember now? You save people by killing others. It's always been you killing those lowlifes, and you enjoy it."

Peter's only response was to continue his laugh as he kept attacking the body. It was now unrecognizable in a grotesque way, but still Peter pelted it with his fists. His eyes were wide in a crazed type of glee, his laughter causing the people in the area to run for cover. But his laughter also attracted people to him, the nearby shadows suddenly alive with movement as fellow 'heroes' joined him. They watched on as Peter assaulted the body for an unknown length of time, before he suddenly stopped and stood up straight.

Peter stared down at his gory masterpiece, his smile spreading wider on his face that was marked with blood. The man didn't have a gun, but he did have a wallet with pictures of a family. Strangely, that didn't bother Peter though. Because while the pictures seemed happy, Peter knew better. Peter knew that this man would come home drunk and beat them every night. This man was evil, he wasn't a good father and loving husband. The family would thank him for taking this person out of their lives.

They would thank him.

Thank him...

Peter turned to look at his followers, scanning over their wary faces. "Someone bring me a box! We'll give a present to the family of this man!"

A/N: I am on vacation again! Woo!! I'm at an anime convention in Houston! It's been a year since I was at a con, it's so good to be back home... haha! I was supposed to cosplay Black Widow today, but I dyed my hair so I can't cosplay her anymore (my hair was red like hers, so I never got a wig).

If you're interested in seeing pictures from the con, you can check out my Instagram: Karmitara. I'll probably post something on TikTok too, under the same username hahah.

I don't know why there's a punk elf here... But this was hiding in the very bottom of this chapter that I started months ago.... Soooo...... Here's an elf?