The Lies We Tell Ourselves (an MCU story)

Revenge for our Brothers

I don't own Marvel or any of it's characters. They belong to the mouse. I don't own the picture either. If you see your art in my work and don't want it featured please let me know and I will remove it. I only own my OCs, my ideas, and my Smart Pets :)

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Blood trickled from Tony's leg. He stared at the dark figure before him. His hands shook as his eyes widened in disbelief. "Y-you're..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

The figure sniffed. He shifted his weight from one thin leg to another and adjusted his grip on the glistening rifle's barrel. "I'm what?" He challenged, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. His piercing green eyes glared at the dumbfounded avenger. "I'm a monster? An animal? A Smart Pet?"

"You're human," Tony breathed.

The figure's velvet ears flattened as his grip visibly loosened. He clenched his teeth and raised his rifle to take aim at Tony's neck. A fresh wave of fury washing over him, he pulled the trigger

A few hours earlier...

"A toast!" Tony called out, silencing the bustling crowd. He held up his champagne glass and gestured for Steve to do the same. "A toast to this wonderful business, to the genuis behind it, and to Smart Pets." Tony struggled to keep from gagging at such a corny and boastful toast while the crowd around him echoed his cheer.

That's when the first gunshot rang out.

The crowd fell silent as a pale man stood up from the shadows. He held a rusted gun in one hand and a frayed pet collar in the other. On his gun the words "Revenge for our brothers" was etched in dark red blood. His sickening expression morphed into a sadistic grin, his face made of mismatched peices of skin stitched together like a living Frankenstein.

"What a lovely little speech, Richie," he smirked, brown and green eyes boring into Tony's soul. He pointed the barrel at his chest. "What a shame ya won't be around to continue it, eh?"

Tony glared back, fingers reaching down into his pocket to activate his Iron Man suit.

"Anyway," the Frankenstein-like creature continued, pulling a second pistol out of his lavish coat, "I have a very important announcement to make. Y'all here for those Smart Pets right?"

A few nervous nods.

He fired a second shot, this time into the crowd. He raised his voice to be heard over the screams. "Well they ain't Smart Pets. We're called Gifted and we got lives! We got families and lives of our own beyond serving ya stupid richies! Y'all got everythin and we got nothin! So tonight we gonna take back what ya took from us! We gonna take back yer precious Smart Pets ya hear!?"

The crowd remained silent, shaking in terror.

He swept a disapproving eye over the trembling people. "I'm gonna take my brothers and we're gonna get our people but first ya need ta meet some other Gifted who'll keep ya company." He pointed to the far edge where a ragged man leapt up out of the group with a triumphant call and perched lightly on the chandelier above. Dark hair hid a sharp-toothed smile and massive leathery wings flapped in excitement. "That's Ravan." The patchwork man grinned. "If any of y'all try ta call for help he'll tear ya ta bits without hesitation." He gestured to a dark, cat-like shadow hunkered outside one of the reception windows, shimmering sniper rifle cutting through the darkness like a life. "That over there is Cat. Any of ya try ta leave he'll shoot ya dead got it?"

The crowd remained silent.

The patchwork man sighed in disappointment. "Y'all ain't no fun." A gunshot went off within the crowd. A guest collapsed, screaming in pain. He laughed as the room erupted in chaos. Haggard creatures leapt from the people like demons from hell. They raised their weapons, voices shouting as one. 

"REVENGE FOR OUR BROTHERS!"

Tony ducked behind an upturned table, red and gold armored gauntlet formed on his hand and firing blasts of energy at the demonic creatures. "Cap!" He called, scanning the crowd frantically for his fellow avenger. "CAP!" His eyes locked with the cat-like sniper firing round after round into the chaotic crowd. He felt a tightness in his chest, the same tightness he felt years ago when he was manufacturing and selling weapons.

Unnecessary violence.

The phrase echoed in his head. Feeling the other gauntlet form around his hand and a surge of adrenaline coursing through him, he leapt at the window. He crashed through the glass and tackled the sniper to the garden below.

The sniper fired a shot through his leg.

Tony fired a shot through his shoulder.

The sniper hissed in pain, grabbing his shoulder as the thin cloak fell from his shoulders.

Tony felt his breath catch as blood began to pool beneath his leg. He stared at the dark figure before him. His hands shook as his eyes widened in disbelief. "Y-you're..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

The figure sniffed. He shifted his weight from one thin leg to another and adjusted his grip on the glistening rifle's barrel. "I'm what?" He challenged, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. His piercing green eyes glared at the dumbfounded avenger. "I'm a monster? An animal? A Smart Pet?"

"You're human," Tony breathed.

The figure's velvet ears flattened as his grip visibly loosened. He clenched his teeth and raised his rifle to take aim at Tony's neck. A fresh wave of fury washing over him, he pulled the trigger.

Present...

Tony struggled to hold onto his consciousness as darkness crept into his vision. He stared up at the dark sniper, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "I-I wanted t-to help," he whispered, struggling to catch his rasping breath.

The sniper's cold green eyes glared down at him. He rammed a booted foot into Tony's stomach. "Revenge for our brothers," he bit out as darkness claimed Tony's vision.

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