Chapter 2: Don't Feed the Animals

"What. I don't have control issues." Marcus would say as he raised a tendril from his shadow and made it to look like a small dagger.

You have control issues.

"I only have to deal with you two. That isn't much control issues." Marcus would say again while tapping the side of his head before looking back to Waldo. "Sorry, Yes. I can Control.. shadows. And phase though things. And as I said, I need to leave as soon as possible. It's ether I get out sooner then later please. Or I walk out the cage then fly to the roof and walk though the ground till I'm out." Marcus would sort of half lie of his means of escape. He had a few ways to get out but being stuck under ground for a while didn't seem so good looking as he thought about.

"Just. Arr. Never-mind." grey would say before looking back to the door that held Shadow. "what will you do."

"By control issues, I mean anger issues," Waldo calmly said. "We have on record instances of your time here in New York, where you used excessive, even overtly destructive force to achieve your ends. And a fight over flight complex, especially with the police."

Before Kat could say a word, Gestalt was already speaking again. "Forgive me, I've been sifting through your notes regarding your brother and his activities as 'Revenant,'" he said. "Oh....oh my. I thought you'd have known.....sorry, but none of these will work." James gave the tablet, then Kat a questioning look and asked "What won't work?"

"Thats Dark. he's the ass that blows things up when I sleep." Marcus would say as he made the dagger to a cup and allowed of his snakes to rip though his shirt and appear over his shoulder. "This is Dark or what I represent him when he's not running the show in here." he would say as he pointed to his head.

"Your wasting your time here human. You might as well leave now." Dark would say though the snake so all could hear. His voice a lot more deeper then Marcus's demonic voice.

"I know but His name is Waldo. WALDO. I wanna rip him apart and hug him."

At the words from both the snake and Shadow, Murphy was already reaching for his gun before Waldo held his hand up. "Wait," he said. "The gun won't do you any good. Besides, he's still our guest let's not be rude." Staring back at Shadow, he then said "My point, is that my bosses are not exactly....comfortable, with you running around. They see you as a loose cannon, with a large blast radius. And in the city of New York, that would make for far too many casualties."

Exhaling sharply from her nose, Kat said "I want, to get those nanites out of you James. They're dangerous, and you have no idea what they're really doing to you." Staring back at her in shock, James said "What and you do? Three month's I've been bonded to the nanites, I'd say I'm the only one around that knows what they're doing."

"Yes. But you see. Their are monsters out their. And while I may be a small version of the hulk. I can still deal with them faster, better then Draco. Of course I need to get their and i need to deal with one right now and as we speak. A monster maker is making monsters. So as I said. It's ether I leave soon. or I walk out and i leave a few injured behind. So Before you question me more. Tell me how long is it gonna take till I'm out of here." Marcus would say as he rose a few more tendrils that began to wrap themselves around Shadow like snakes. The snake itself slithered back into Marcus's skin as he spoke.

Waldo was not having any of it. Palming a switch on the tablet, the lights in the room changed, from regular white light to UV light, which according to their data would have severely reduced Shadow's capabilities. "You may not like it," Waldo said and all courtesy was gone from his voice, "but you agreed to come to us, because you had questions. Well so do we, and your actions speak fairly better than you can."

"Bu--" Kat tried to say, before James cut her off. "And," he said, "I can't get separated. The nanites formed a symbiotic link and now that it's had time to settle.....they're embedded in my nervous system, Kat. Effectively, we're the same thing now." He could still see that look, that desperate look in her eyes to find a way to beat the problem. "Plus," he added, "the arm and leg.....are not the only things, that their arrival cost me." Then he went into detail, of his status: the lost right eye, the organs so damaged they had to be replicated by nanites. Nerve damage, heart damage, and that wasn't even counting all the damage he picked up being a vigilante. "I'm a corpse walking, Kat," he said. "Nanites keep me alive, keep me functioning. But if they go....I'm gonna be right behind them."

As soon as the light's changed, Marcus dropped from his chair seething in pain. The Shadows began to go wild and clashed at the walls while slowly disintegration in response to Waldo pressing the switch and Marcus could feel his mask peeling away as his skin burned from the light. "NO." Marcus would yell as he stood up with a wobble, walking to a wall and slamming himself ageist it all the while letting out a loud piercing screech, a sound that was barley human.

Grey covered his ears in response to the screech, something he never made when they did this too him all those years ago. He simply struck back but this was like a monster was just set ablaze.

The sound had both Murphy and Waldo covering their ears, eyes shut in pain. It even carried over into the room holding Revenant and Kat, both of trading a look with the latter asking "What the fuck?" As for her brother, he paled and said "Dammit Shadow no!"

Marcus turned back to the two as his Armour began to slowly cover up his body, Making a short sprint, Marcus would make a grab at Murphy's head and try to throw him at the wall before making a grab for Waldo's Shirt. He agreed to come. I didn't, I didn't know. I wasn't meaning. IT'S HIS FAULT. I NEED TO FIND HER." He would yell into the doctors face before dropping him and looking to the roof and the door. "I must find her." he would say as he began to walk to the door, intent on leaving.

All that would have happened......had the door not burst open, and the armed guards outside not stormed in, weapons raised; no assault rifles, too big for turning corners in the interior, they had to use compact SMG's that were still mounted with the same UV lights. No one intended to kill, just force back. Besides, given then intel about Shadow, guns wouldn't kill him. In short bursts, they fired at Shadow's arms and legs with the intent to disable him.

James was already up, the nano-epidermis forming when he reached the door. "I need to go!" he barked, voice changed through the nanites. "Why what's wrong?" Kat asked as she stood up, pulling a gun that she somehow had hidden on her. It made James do a double take and say "You're carrying a gun?" Kat flatly responded "Yes." Again, James stared at her, shocked. "You carried a gun into an interview with your own brother?"

"Well.....I wasn't sure if you'd be in control of those nanites or not," she said with a small blush. "So you were prepared to shoot your own brother?" he asked her incredulously. "Are we really gonna do this now?" she asked.

Shadow was met with armed men and with the lights he was simply happy they came. As the fired he would feel the bullets hitting his armored leg but his arms were not so lucky and he continued walking though the pain. "Fight with your guns. I only want out." He would say though seethed pain in his voice. He would try and use the shadows to trip the armed men until he made it to the open light.

Revenant was out the door and bursting down the hall, armed guards nearly blanching as they saw the metal clad vigilante come running out of the room and towards Shadow's cell. Kat emerged from the room as well and screamed "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" The guards inside Shadow's cell couldn't hear her, and kept firing at the target. Then they, along with Murphy and Waldo, got shoved to the side as Revenant came in behind them, shoving them out of the way and slamming into Shadow, pinning him to the wall with his arm at the wounded man's throat. "That's enough Shadow!" Revenant snarled.

Marcus took a step from the UV and breathed before feeling more bullets rip at his arms and finally getting shoved ageist a wall by Revanant. His breath shallow and his voice pained. "I said... I wouldn't... kill anyone. What would you do... If your family was probably in danger." Marcus would say though quick breaths as he raised a bloody hand to Rev's arm, pieces of his amour growing along the fingers. "I.. didn't mean to come. I wasn't... I'm not sane. I'm..." Marcus would not finish as he coughed a little. He needed darkness.

"Oh I think I have a few ideas," Revenant growled. Relieving some of the pressure, he let Shadow sag down against the wall. "Cut the lights," he said without turning his head. "I can keep him in check....I think." One of the soldiers snorted and said "Is that supposed to be encouraging?"

"No," Revenant said slowly, "but it's all you've got."

As Marcus sagged down the wall, he would cough some more before looking to his hands, a mix of blood and burnt skin. He wasn't human, he wasn't sane. A wave a doubt and disbelief just over took the young man. No, you may not be human anymore, you may not be the hero you want to be. But at least your trying. Countless others couldn't say the same, you over took the madness and made something. She needs you Human. Now get up and run. With the prep talk, Marcus used his strength to push himself to a standing to Revanant. "I'm a bad man that means well. Talk to Grey. I think you should learn." Marcus would painfully say before melding, the pain cutting only a bit as he became a absence of light, a shadow and fell to the ground before moving to the other shadows to hide.

"Hey!" Revanant snapped. "We're still guests here and with guns aimed at us. You can't just leave anymore than I can!" Suddenly, a new voice joined the fray. New to James anyway. "Amazing," Waldo said as he tried moving past the soldiers that tried to keep him safe. "So you're Revenant?" Turning to look at the staring Waldo, he said "Take a picture buddy. It'll last longer."

Grey walked though the men, looking to the silver clad man and then looking for Shadow. Selfishness for protection of his daughter was strong so hope Shadow could leave was well very high in the man. He looked the man up and down. "Make a deal with Shadow. He has a thing for them. But we might want to hurry, he's pretty hurt." Grey would say to try and help both party's.

Marcus had made some distance from the cell and everyone till unmelding and moving into any nearby room. getting behind anything that looked like cover to hide, marcus was beginning to find it hard to stay awake with the blood loss. "Maybe you should give up. Be better off if you simply died." A voice came to Marcus and he looked for the voice. It was female, familiarize yet he hadn't heard it before.

"Nah, he can fight. He will become the monster he was meant to be." Another voice came and this one was of a thing from the past that no one liked. In truth, Marcus was simply muttering these words in a dazed hallucination of pain and blood lost.

As soon as Shadow vanished.....well, the shit hit the fan. Someone triggered an alarm and the whole floor went into lockdown. "Oh goddammit Shadow you stupid son of a...." Revenant muttered. Kat finally arrived and said "We need to find him, now!" Murphy took charge and said "Teams of three run sweeps of the floor. Use the UV lights but do not engage. Report position and try to talk him into surrender."

Grey moved to Kat, a hand rubbing his temple. "He's injured, he's scared. And he has a reason to leave. I don't think he was truly their when he decided to come here and when that man turned on those lights. I told you he goes berserk when struck by that but he never reacted like that.. Never." Grey would say as he looked around. Dammit. Why are you doing this.

As Marcus got a better look around, he saw that their were box's and other items in the multiples. Metal bars, seemed this was like a storage room and the light was off. "Thank g--"

"You know he never helps. He might not even exist but who are we to say eh." Another him appeared, one that was mask-less clean. No wounds or scars.

"I agree, We've only had those ghost and ourselves." A version with his mask appeared next to the mask-less

"Yet we are what they fear." One final version, mask was damaged, gaping holes in his chest and missing arms. "They hate what they don't understand, what is different to them. We are yet nothing to them. We will die alone with no one to love us, to care for us. No one will miss us. We will simply be known as that monster who died." The hurt version would say as Marcus felt his body start to heal, bullets being pushed from bone and muscle and wounds slowly closing.

"Then.. We make them.. care." Marcus would respond but only heard a taunting laugh.

The masked one knelled next to him and grabbed at Marcus's mask. "Well. Your doing quite well, I mean first you insulted them, then you threatened them. And now your just being rude, even if you walk back like a good puppie they won't release you. THEY WON'T HAVE A DOG THAT BITES IT'S MASTER." He would yell Before letting go and standing to laugh some more. "You might as well die and allow that fake to take us back. Before you cause more trouble for this city then it already has."

The normal one stood up and looked the the ceiling's darkness. "But then Bella will be lost, not knowing her father is here. She will kill herself trying to be what you are. When her ability is something that can't fight the armed forces."

Two of the guards running the sweep heard a commotion coming from the storage room on that floor. "Possible location over in room 413, send backup." Murphy, who was waiting with the others, responded. "Understood, sending backup," he said. Revenant, in the meantime, stepped over to Kat. "So.....this isn't gonna end well, is it?" She sighed and said "He hasn't killed anyone yet, so that's better for him than you can imagine. And Gray, berserk or not at least we know we have something effective to use on him."

Revenant looked to Murphy and asked "Which room is he holed up in?" He didn't need an answer though, as he saw the guards go jogging by and figured they were heading right for Shadow. So before Murphy or Kat could say anything he broke off after them.

Marcus held his eyes closed for a while and when he opened he was met with a single figure, the one that was missing his arms, almost dead. Looking to his arm's he couldn't see much, the bullets did well to make his arms blood red but moving his hands he could feel metal pellets along the ground. "So. Your not becoming me yet it seems but don't fret. It'll happen." And with that, the ghost dissipated after those words. Marcus moved from his position and into a better one to hide, hearing a plop as metal left skin.

"Yes. And next time these men will die... Unless. If they recapture him he isn't leaving is he?" Grey would ask before sparking up. "And I guess that's the famous Revanant.. I was wrong, these two have about as much relationship as a married couple divorcing."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Kat said before running off after her brother.

As for Revenant, he arrived at the door to the storage room, two of the guards already positioned outside it. He didn't bother telling them what to do, bursting through the door into the room. "Shadow," he said, "enough hiding, and get your ass out here. We came here together, so whatever punishment they've got in store for you, they're probably gonna do to me. So why don't you stop screwing me over on this huh?"

"Heh." Grey would follow after Kat, knowing that where they went Shadow was.

Marcus heard the door burst open and dived for the closet cover only to hear Rev's voice. "We inquired on when we would leave and they burnt us, shot us. What would you do if you had a sister and she was in danger. What if your.. friend was in possible danger and something you weren't even fully aware of is now slowing you down. I'm not going back to that cell where they can burn me Rev. I'm not going back." Marcus would say as his Armour formed over his body. It seemed to be something non related to that of Dark and lessened that damn purple light's effect on his body, he was going to use this for as long as he could. And this was a plead on Rev's good nature and once and for all. Telling Shadow who he was.

"Yeah well so far these guys don't seem like they're the type to shoot you for asking when you can leave," Revenant snapped. "And as far as family issues go, believe me I hear you there. But something set them off, and if it wasn't the question, then what the hell was it?"

"Rev I ain't human anymore. That purple light, it hurt more then anything. It sent me into a berserk. I was momentary made.. into A lunatic with a no kill set. But if I didn't react I would have killed everyone in that room. It also corresponds with a person. I'm afraid for her and I can get her away from all this madness." Marcus would say as he stood from his cover, blood all over his shirt and arms, pants and a bit of his leg. " Don't worry, it's all, my blood. I can't stay. I can come back. But I can't stay now."

"You're not human anymore? You're preaching to the choir Shadow, I'm half machine," Revenant said. "And as for the person.....look, drop the deadly crazy psychopath shit and walk out with me. If we're lucky.....this ends well for us. If not well then.....we figure something out."

"... I.. didn't know. I guess you could say we're both freaks. Except your the good guy. I'm insane. I want you too talk to Grey. When you can, good man. He can tell you, everything. I did." Marcus would say as he walked up to Rev and and placed his hands out in a sort of hand cuffed. "I may have also said I would injure people if they didn't answer me but by then they should have known my threats were nothing but words. I mean how many times did I threaten them without doing squat ey?" Marcus would say with a small laugh. "Jesus I need a shower but let it be known, i didn't do shit when they almost killed me.. and I'm keeping Armour." Marcus would finish as he brought his armour back over his skin.

"Dude," Revenant said, "considering your recent history with authority figures......can you blame them?"

Outside, the guards all had their weapons trained on the door to the room, waiting for any sign of activity, just an excuse to fire. They knew was behind it, and it had them scared.

"Hey. I've been getting better. I'm trying Rev. I'm trying to be better because of you too. Don't ever go bad on this city." Marcus would say before looking out the door. " Um. Mind escorting me so they don't waste their their ammo?" Marcus would joke as he waited on Rev to drag, walk, push him out. he didn't care.

"Yeah.....just stand behind me, and don't try anything," Revenant said. Turning to the open door, he shouted back "Alright it's good. I'm coming out!" In response, he heard Kat chuckle and say "I always knew this day would come." Groaning, he shouted back "In your dreams Kit-Kat." With that, he slowly lead the way.

Marcus cracked his neck and followed, only a small wha? could be heard when Revanant called someone Kit-Kat.

"Married couple. Give them some time and they make up." Grey would say as he stepped beside Kat. "You know Silvery?" Grey would ask the woman in response to what said to the silver clad man.

"Silvery?" Revenant called out as he stepped into the hall, Kat letting him have this one. "The name's Revenant, try and keep up," he said, clearly not in the mood. "Okay, Shadow's good now, but he wants to leave if that's possible; he has someone he needs to save, and I agreed to help him earlier." There was no response, everyone but Gray, Waldo and his sister still holding a gun on him. Sighing, he dropped his hands fast enough they slapped his thighs, and he said "Guys come on, he didn't even hurt anyone. As he tells it, you there, Mr......Waldo, was it? You activated whatever lights those are, and it set him off."

Waldo didn't quite like being on the spot, sputtering as he said "He was threatening us. Pulling his shadow snakes or whatever the hell they were out and talking about going through us."

Earlier

Stella had slid down to her knees. Revenant. Revenant, the hero, was James. It was fucking James the entire time, and now...now she knew. What the fuck was she supposed to do? Say? How to.react? It...it seemed unreal.

She just sat there, watching, until Shadows tantrum made her scream.in pain from the high pitched noise...then her glasses shattered, and reeled back. Eyes undamaged thankfully, her now empty frames were on the floor leaving Stella sitting there...effectively blind.

"Yeah well turning the lights on him didn't help much now did it," Revenant snapped. Murphy spoke up then and said "Everyone stand down; if they're willing to play nice, so should we. That said.....given the state Shadow is in, or at least how he acted...." There wasn't much more that needed to be said on that one, with Revenant nodding in agreement. "Look, if I know him half as well as I think then he's just trying to help his sister. Keeping him isn't gonna help, so let him go.....and I go with him, keep him in line," Revenant nodded.

Kat was about to speak, but the base commander, Wyle, arrived then. He had overrode the lockdown, arriving with more of his men and looking none too pleased. "And what guarantee do we have," he said, "that if we let you go that you'll come back? Your both too.....dangerous, to be running around." While he didn't quite look at Kat, Revenant said to Wyle "Trust me.....I'll be coming back."

Meanwhile in the observation room, in addition to Stella, a few other staff members were left with dizzy heads from Shadows' wail. There wasn't a medic, but one of them helped Stella up into a chair. "Sorry, nothing we can do for the glasses," he said. "Just wait here for now.

Marcus walked out the room, finally, still clad in his armour. "To be honest. It was Dark who said we could bulrush though." He would say before looking to Waldo. "Mate. I got my eyes on you." He would say before doing the two fingers to the eyes and back at Waldo.

Gray gave a small chuckle to that before looking to revanant. "Sorry Revanant." he would say in coherence to calling him Silvery. But he then stared to Shadow. Help his sister. Did he mean Bella? Why would he... His eye brows frowned a little at those words. His frown ended when a another man entered and the way he did, Gray could tell this man was high in the food chain.

Marcus gave a small cough after what Revanant said bout coming back here. This kid had someone down here he wanted to see. "Yea, he might be coming back but after getting turned to a red man. I'm not sure I want to good sir. Plus their are forces out their far more dangerous then little old us." Marcus would say in his good old demonic voice that had been around senice they first came.

"That remains to be seen," Wyle said, glaring coolly at Shadow. He thought it over in his head, before exhaling with flared nostrils. "Let them go," he said, to which a few men looked at him in confusion. "Not much we can actually do in close quarters against them," he said, which was fairly true; armor piercing rounds would do the trick on Revenant, but at close range he could move fast, armor giving him vital seconds of an edge. And as for Shadow.....the UV lights proved to be effective, but again he was a power-house in close range. It would be better to keep things....civil, for now.

Revenant certainly relaxed and said "Alright then. So....guess we just take the elevator out?" Before Wyle could say a word, Kat interjected and said "Commander Wyle, if you'll let me show Revenant out? I still have a few words I need to share with him." At that, Wyle looked like he would outright refuse....but Kat's glare gave him pause. "Besides sir," she said crisply, "I am his new handler, after all."

" Heh. You haven't seen my friends." Marcus would say in response to the man and gave a small sigh when he said let them go. "I would like to say to everyone. I understand you had to fill my arms to the blink with bullets. I don't blame any of you. Try again. Another story will unfold. P.S I want mister Soul to come with me and Rev and lady on the showing out." Marcus would as he pointed to his father with a stony finger. Gray giving a small shrug to the idea. Be better for him.

"Oh no," Kat said, stepping forward, "grab your own elevator. Revenant and I need to pick up something first." Curious about what she meant, James followed her as she walked away, while she said "All yours Gray."

"Uh, Kat?" James asked as they broke away, "what do you need to grab?" She sighed and said "Not what. Who. Stay in the mask, don't say a word until we reach the elevators." With that, she walked into the observation room.....and hissed when she saw Stella, broken glasses on the floor in a chair. "Oh I am gonna kill Shadow next time," she growled, stalking over.

As for James....his eyes went very wide as he recognized his classmate. Oh, shit...

"Fine Fine." Shadow said as he looked around at everyone. "Well hurry up and go back to your Chores." He would say as Gray started walking and he followed. Once they themselves detached, Gray would make a turn for the elevator. "Why did Revanant Say sister?" He would ask, Marcus lowering his armour to reveal a blood soaked shirt, pants, arms. Everything. "Cause shes like a sister to me. Sometimes I call Bell my sister." He would half lie as they continued on.

"What the hell was that Screech too?" Gray would ask only to receive a small chuckle. "To be honest. I have no fucking clue as to why. It felt like i got hit by a truck about 100 times and then superman punched me."

"royal flush i win"zeru said laying his hand down. "gotta say you guys are pretty decent at poker.

Stella sat there, crying. She was blind, unable to see and unable to do anything. She was left alone by the oltgers, who were trying to get a handle in the situation.

She didn't hear Kat approach. She just sat there, crying.

"Stella," Kat said clearly, crouched down before the girl. "Are you okay? Is there any glass in your eyes?"

In the meantime........ODIN cleaned up. Sorta. Wyle had his men tail both Shadow and Revenant, at least while they were still on the base; at the same time he had medical come down to assess those who were in the vicinity of Shadow's screech, just to ensure there was no lasting damage.

Stella looked up.
"Kat. I...I can't see without my glasses. I...I was born blind. Without glasses I can't even tell...I can't even tell where your lips are...your eyes...I can't even be sure I'm looking at you."

"Well you're talking to a wall so I think it's safe to say you really are blind," Kat sighed. James had to fight down a laugh as, true to his sisters words, Stella was staring at a wall and talking to it.

Stella paused...then cried even harder.
"I CAN HEAR THE STIFLED LAUGH ASSHOLE. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I GOUGED YOUR EYES OUT WITH THE PLASTIC SPORK I GOT FROM THE MESS HALL?!" She screamed.

Suddenly straight faced, James said "Good luck getting through the mask Stella." Kat gave him a withering look, shutting him up as she helped Stella to her feet. "Well, this gives me a chance at least to give you a.......well, present," she said.

Stella looked more crushed then anything. "...what present?" She asked, a bit bitter.

"Just hold on to my hand," Kat said softly, taking Stella's hand in her own. "It's in our room, come on." James' jaw didn't exactly drop......visibly anyway. But he said right then "Uhm......'our room?'" Kat gave him a dismissive glance and said "That's right James, you're going to the girls' dorms.....and no, it is not from the set of Skinemax."

Stella gently squeezed Kat's hand, holding on. She said nothing, saving the venom for later.

"Huh? Superman? Didn't think they made comics like that anymore. Heck, I'm still waiting on comics to be made based on you two with some absurd reasons as to why you exist and all that." Gray would say to Marcus's Amusement, a small laugh giving off. "Can I ask you one more thing?" Grey would say as they reached the elevator that Gray had taken to get here trice.

Marcus turned to him and shrugged. "Shoot." And with that he kinda knew what the question was or at least thought he knew.

"How do you have your ability?" Grey would ask on the off chance he could learn the details to share with the two organizations.

"It's a little hard to take in. But I died. And in death I made a deal with Death. I came back with a monster and in turn I became a monster. Now I really am a monster, blood, flesh and bone." Marcus would say to the old man as he waited for Gray to do something. Not realizing grey himself didn't know how to work the elevator.