Heroes: Monster, Scarlet Witch

Monster:
Strikers

You put the truck in park and turned it off before you looked out at the massive mansion.

Y/N: Damn.

Wanda: Hm.

You looked over and saw that she was staring at it intensely.

Y/N: What's up?

Wanda stared at the house for a moment before she shook her head.

Wanda: It's nothing.

You hesitated, but you just shrugged and opened the door. You and Wanda headed towards the front door, but you instead found a man standing there waiting.

Jospeh Langrock.

Jospeh: Welcome, welcome. I'm so glad you came.

You reached him and shook his hand. You were suddenly pounced upon, however, by a rather happy dog.

Jospeh: I'm sorry about the dogs. They're always excited about guests.

You looked down and petted the dog with a friendly smile.

Wanda: They're beautiful creatures, Mr. Langrock.

Jospeh: Please, call me Joseph. You know, Golden Retrievers were always my favorite. They were bred to sit at their master's feet in miserable weather, happily awaiting to fetch their kill. That's what I call loyalty. Please, come in.

He ushered you and Wanda into the home. It looked very, cozy. However, you noticed the many animal heads mounted all over the walls.

Y/N: Your home is beautiful, Jospeh.

Joseph: Oh, you're too kind. We wanted to replicate the design of a wilderness lodge. So, what has your investigation turned up? I'm sure you SHIELD folk have more information than the police around here.

Y/N: Well, a lot of questions, for one. Burns has it's fair share of problems.

Jospeh lead you and Wanda into the lounge. There, he showed you a painting. It seemed to have been of Old Burns.

Jospeh: When the founders first reached Burns, after a year long track through Canada, they realized that everything is bigger in Alaska. Even trouble.

He then walked over to his mini bar where he began to pour himself a drink.

Joseph: I've lost men before, of course. But all to the ocean. It makes me sick, what happened on the boat. And I'm going to make certain that their families are taken care of.

Wanda: That's very kind of you.

Joseph held out a glass towards you. You raised a brow before you took it.

Joseph: I hope you find this Victor character and lock him away for a hundred years.

You winced mentally at the suggestion. It would be awful to find your father just to lock him away for murder. Especially after he went through so much to redeem himself with the Strikers.

Y/N: Yeah, well, I hope I find Jessica Drew in my bed. Sometimes what we want isn't what's going to happen.

Jospeh raised a brow.

Jospeh: Jessica Drew?

Y/N: Uh, Spider-Woman.

Jospeh looked at you oddly. Wait, how did he not know who she was?

Y/N: Uh, she's an Avenger.

Jospeh: Avenger? You mean those heroes, right?

You nodded.

Jospeh: Ah. I'm afraid I don't really co concern myself with those kinds of things.

Wanda: Well, Brent lives here as well, yes? Would you think he could sit with us and answer some questions?

Jospeh looked at her oddly, like he had just realized she was there. He spoke to her earlier, right?

Jospeh: Both of my sons live with me, yes. They help me run the business. Brent is currently out spearheading the hunt for the grizzly.

Y/N: I heard about that. Ten grand? That's a lot of dough.

Jospeh: Not enough to keep this town safe. Why would you want to speak speak my son?

Wanda: Word around town is, he had relations with some of the female victims.

Jospeh looked at her for a moment.

Joseph: I'm sorry, uh, would you like a drink?

Wanda shook her head.

Wanda: No thank you.

Joseph shook his head.

Joseph: Well, it is true. He did date that Evans girl back in highschool. Uh, he was also seeing that Jessica girl on and off. You don't think....

Y/N: Just covering our ground. To be sure.

Joseph: Well, I wouldn't see why he wouldn't talk to you. I would have to arrange something once he returns.

You heard someone walk out of a room from the hallway above. You looked up at the banister and found another man standing there. He looked, smaller. He wore bottle glasses and his hair was obviously covering his bald spot.

???: Father, I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time to prep for your 2 o'clock meeting. I'd like to brief you on the projected earnings.

Jospeh nodded and turned back towards you.

Jospeh: This is my other son. Hudson. He takes care of the books for me. You'll excuse me, we're very busy as you can see.

He set his glass down, as did you. You went to shake his hand but he just walked right past you.

Joseph: I'm sure you can show yourself out.
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Wanda: I don't think he likes you very much.

Y/N: Nope.

You were laying on the bed back at the hotel room while Wanda ironed her clothes. You stared at the ceiling for a moment before you sat up.

Y/N: Am I intimidating?

Wanda looked at you with a raised brow.

Wanda: You want to ask me that again when you aren't wearing Hulk boxers?

You looked down to see your boxers. You smiled as you looked back up.

Y/N: They're my....smashing boxers.

You pointed at her but Wanda was unamused.

Wanda: I'm not sleeping with you after that one.

Y/N: Damnit.

Wanda laughed a bit as she set the iron down. She walked over to the bed as sat beside you.

Wanda: You can be very intimidating, when you try. But that's not who you are.

Y/N: Yeah. I'm a dork. I get it.

Wanda: No. What I mean to say, darling, is that you're a hero. You're not Moony. Not Venom. Not Logan or Widow or any one of them. You're Monster. You inspire people, not scare them.

You sighed.

Y/N: Yeah. Guess you're right.

But, maybe you needed to be something more.
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User Monster updated his message board....

Hey, guys. Things aren't getting any simpler here. If anything, we have more questions then we started with. Somehow.

There's something else at play here. I can feel it. Plus, like, there's this Long Night thing coming and I have no idea what that means.

P.S. Wanda made fun of my Hulk Boxers. I want a new companion.

Comments:

Hawkeye: *gasp! Not the Hulk Boxers!

Wasp: Just be safe! If you need back up, you how to reach us.

Wiccan: You have Hulk Boxers? Where do I get a pair?
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Your eyes shot open to the ringing of a phone. You slowly sat up in the dark and looked around before you realized it was the land-line. Wanda was still asleep beside you, but you could tell she was starting to stir.

You reached over and picked it up.

Y/N: Hello?

Victor: I told you to stop looking for me.

You suddenly found yourself wide awake. It was him. Your dad.

Y/N: Creed....

Victor: You know why I do what I do?

What? He sounded kinda, drunk.

Victor: Because I came here to get away from the fight. From the corruption. Thought it would be different. But it never is. Same old story. I ain't looking for trouble, but trouble always finds me. There's always a rich bastard, no matter where you go. Even here.

Y/N: Wait...what are you talking about?

Victor: Burns. I don't know how you found it, but it ain't a place. Not really. My friend, he said this place doesn't exist. Or, it does. I couldn't understand it but, Burns isn't in Alaska. It's not even on earth. Or, space. Or anywhere. But it's everywhere. The center for weird shit.

What was he on about.

Victor: A few days ago, some rich kid named Brent bailed me out of jail after a fight. Said he wanted to hire me. Thing about that was...he reeked of those girls. I could smell them on him.

Y/N: Like, he killed them?

Victor: Maybe. I wouldn't doubt it. Bastard tried to shoot me when I turned him down. He ended up with a nice clean claw mark across the chest. There's something rotten in this town. Bigger than me, bigger than the Langrocks, bigger than SHIELD. I have the scent. And I'm going to go hunting. Stay out of my way if you know what's good for you.

Before you could say anything, he hung up. The line went dead and you sat there with the phone in your hand.
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Wanda: I don't get it. A few days ago, Victor said he doesn't like being threatened, that he's going hunting. And then a group of fishermen, who work for the Langrocks, end up killed. There's a lot of uncharted territory between those two points.

You and Wanda were driving down the road towards the Splitrock Canyon. You figured you could question a few more hunters there.

You had just told her about the phone call last night, and she was understandably confused.

Y/N: I don't know. But I think this has to do with those drugs on the boat as well.

Wanda: You think Joseph isoving drugs?

Y/N: I don't know. I do have a theory, though.

Wanda: Go ahead.

Y/N: Joseph is using his business to push drugs across the water to Russia. Brent, if he's as cocky as everyone makes him out to be, let it slip that this was happening to the people he was seeing, the victims, and they realized they needed to be silenced. He kills them and pins them on this bear. My dad knows this, and is fighting back.

Wanda: Okay. But, what does the Aurora have to do with this? Prophet? The Long Night.

You sighed as your gripped the steering wheel.

Y/N: I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with Burns itself.

Wanda: And how it doesn't exist?

You were still trying to wrap your head around what your dad said. It doesn't exist, but it does. And if you weren't in Alaska, then how were you here? And does that include why you have six months missing from your memory?

Wanda: Wait, something going on.

You reached the bridge that went over the canyon and noticed the crowd of people overlooking the ridge. You pulled in and parked before you and Wanda got out. You spotted someone and hurried over.

Y/N: Mrs. Evans, what's going on?

The mother turned and quickly grabbed your arm.

Mrs. Evans: Hurry! Brent's flushing the grizzly through the canyon. Said it's the biggest he's ever seen.

She pulled you along to the railing as Wanda followed. Down below, you could see someone running along the ridge. He looked hurt.

Mrs. Evans: Before, I didn't believe it. But, maybe...maybe they found my baby's killer!

You and Wanda watched as Brent lead the bear out into the open. Your eyes went big. That bear....that thing....it wasn't normal. It really was bigger than you had ever seen.

It was a fucking monster.

Wanda: It's in range. Why isn't he using his rifle?

The bear suddenly stepped on a bear trap which caused it to cry out.

Y/N: A bear trap. Everyone wants it to be the bear. I can tell.

You watched as Brent pulled out a knife. He charged forward and lunged at the beast.

Y/N: Some monsters hide their claws. Some are hairy on the inside. This...this isn't a hunt. It's a slaughter.

You clenched your fists as you watched Brent slay the bear. Wanda covered her mouth and looked away.

Y/N: Bastard.

You sighed but you felt your phone go off. You reached for it and saw it was the sheriff. You had given him your number in case he had anymore leads. You answered and held it to your ear.

Y/N: Hello?

Sheriff: Romanoff, you better get down here. We got another Vic. And this one is alive. Dinah Aliyak. A native from the Ekwok Village.

However, you could hear her screaming in the background as the EMTs rushed her into the hospital.

Dinah: CLAWS! CLAWS! HE HAD CLAWS!