.04 | Showtime

The moment Merida was thrust past the tent flaps in the back where Killian hung out, she was me with primal eyes staring at her. They glowed in the darkness of the area, but the outline of the form was large and the guttural growl of recognition that emerged from the primal shadow made Meria's lip flip up into a small smile.

Ansem

The lion took a small step forward, but she immediately saw the large black collar around his neck that linked to a chain that ran the length of the area to the left and ended on a stake that was fastened to the ground. She tsked and strode effortlessly to Ansem. All her instincts were to go straight to the feline King.

Her hand brushed his mane, his head bowing as he butted it into her side affectionately. She hated the electric collar, but she was no stranger to it herself.

There were many a times Killian would put the collar on her, even in human form. The memories of the painful jolts passing through her body made her bite her tongue until it bled.

She could taste the blood before her body felt the sting of pain from cutting into her tongue.

"Ansem." Merida murmured soothingly as he nuzzled into her. There was no other bond she had with any of the animals like the one she had with Ansem. She didn't know if it were because they were both part of the feline species, but the big cat had taken to her instantly upon meeting her.

Killian was always jealous.

"Looooook what the cat dragged in."

Maniacal laughter followed.

That voice made her quake and quiver with fear. It was much like nails on a chalkboard.

Merida winced as Ansem brought his feline eyes over to Killian who had been hiding in the shadows, completely hidden from her. She swallowed thickly, staying next to Ansem for a long moment before taking a small step back, placing her hands behind her back and bowing her head to look at her bare feet.

Everything about her movements screamed submission. Ansem snorted through his nostrils in agitation. The King of the jungle found it very hard to keep his feelings for Killian at bay. She wished Ansem wouldn't be so stubborn because it led to trouble for them both. But on the flip side she got to see Killian become frustrated at the fact that not everyone fell into line before him.

Killian approached her with swiftness of a cobra, his eyes reveling over her dress and her hair. He smirked, curling his lip as he sauntered his way closer to her, using his right fingertip to tilt her chin up so she faced him.

"Look at me so I can get a glimpse of you."

His voice was low but make no mistake. It was not a caress or a whisper. It was a command.

Merida lifted her head along with his cold fingertip aiding below her chin. She was met with lifeless eyes that stared at her with a possession that bordered on psychotic. Merida felt her insides quiver, her skin curling in on itself as his presence scared her to submission.

"Magnificent as always." His eyes roamed her makeup, while his left hand came up to her face and pushed some curls away, fluffing them out behind her.

He was dressed to the nines in his Ringermaster coat tails. His black top hat was missing, but he mever put that on until right before he made his grand entrance.

His icy cold fingers grazed her face as he smirked down at her.

"You and I have a date at the circus. You know what to do, right?"

He asked her this question every single time before show time. Merida wondered if he enjoyed hearing her submissive yes. She nodded; her lips tightly shut before that gleam of irritation in his eyes had her answering more quickly.

"Yes, Killian."

He smiled like a Cheshire cat. The irritation gone as quickly as the sun had disappeared this evening.

"No surprises tonight either." The warning in his voice was enough to make her nod her head back and forth.

The last time she had disobeyed his orders in the ring she had payed for it dearly later. The sting of the whip on her back flashed through her mind and she knew he could tell she was taking a trip down memory lane to that awful barbaric time.

He had enjoyed the lashings immensely. 

"Of course not. We do the same song and dance each time. I know it by heart." Merida whispered casually.

Killian eyed Ansem as the lion grumbled with distaste for the current company in the room. Merida understood why the animals shied away from Killian. He radiated an evil energy that made them fearful and because of that they were submissive.

Then there was Ansem. The rebel.

"Shut it, Ansem. Or I'll make a good throw rug out of you." Killian growled right back as the feline glared at Killian. The electric collar was a reminder that he could be fried to submission in the blink of an eye.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Our routine." Killian rambled on undeterred by the fact that Ansem wanted to rip him apart limb by limb.

"This will be a big crowd, Mer-i-duh. I want you to put on a showstopper performance. Potential buyers will be among the audience tonight. I will not come off as a half ass pony show, you got that?" The growl at the end of the sentence sent a jolt of fright through her.

Potential buyers were code for illegal black-market buyers.

She flinched and he grinned.

"Shhh, little Merida." He cooed, sweeping his left arm around her waist and pulling her a short distance away from Ansem. 

"So jumpy today, aren't we?" 

There was a maddening glee in his eye. He got off on it and it made her want to vomit, but she kept herself together. He pushed himself against her and jerked her head back roughly by her curls, his right hand fisted into them as his lips came so close to her ear that she felt them.

"Ya' know, we have yet to do another kind of song and dance ourselves. This little arrangement we've had is going to be, uh, shall we say, consummated, this weekend. I will have you in every way, Merida. Mind, body and spir-ittt." He sing songed into her ear in the crudest whisper of a violent promise.

Her body quivered uncontrollably as fear and panic surged through her veins. He had always played around with Merida's mind as to whether he wanted her in a sexual way. Sometimes he looked at her as if she were filth beneath his shoe, and other times he would look at her as if he wanted to jump her bones and his sink his teeth into her skin

His mood swings were as wicked as his heart, and she would rather die than be taken by Killian in that way. But death had eluded her before. It was cruel world she was the victim who sank deeper into the depths of Killian's darkness.

Little did she know, Killian wanted every aspect of Merida, no matter if she were a filthy mutant or not. Breaking her had taken time and patience on his end. Many a times he wanted to kill her, but he couldn't bring himself to because he enjoyed the power he had over her.

As her delicate body filled out over the yeara, he realized he wanted to break her in every which way. He bided his time over the years, watching and waiting. He had broken her mental state through manipulation and torture, but she still owned a piece of herself that he wanted.

Her spirit was what he wanted. Which would be taken though her virtue.

He smiled into her ear, a huff of his breath escaped his cracked lips and onto her skin. When his lips left her ear he pulled away, releasing his iron grip from her hair and fluffing it out.

He cackled with delight; his own cheeks were oddly blemished from the exhilarating thought of breaking her spirit by taking her virtue.

He was in every aspect of the word; a  monster.

He grinned widely, took a step back and turned quickly on his heel, marching now like a solider out of the tent before giggling crazily on his way out. His laughter trailed long behind him as Isabella screamed from outside the tent in maddening delight upon seeing Killian.

"Oh, Killian! Come help me freshen up, will ya' toots?" Her high-pitched voice got softer as Killian walked with Isabella towards her own tent to do whatever it was he did with girls like Isabella.

Merida fell to her knees and put her face in her hands. It took all she had not to cry off her perfectly applied make up as thoughts around losing her virtue to Killian made her want to keel over and die.

---

The circus had begun just as explosively as any other show. The fireworks were loud, enticing and bright. The circus performers for the grand entrance were already marching along, the white horse that

Isabella rode in on was parading around the ring as she laughed and waved at the crowd. The twins made their entrance from above, a collective ooh and ahh from the crowd could be heard around the tent.

Merida stayed in the shadows behind the scenes until Killian called upon her.

More than ever, her body twitched and quivered from Killian's words. Ansem had already been led out to the parade portion of the grand openinv so he was nowhere there to calm her nerves. She found it very hard to focus on the show as whole tonight. Her chest was tight with despair.

The show continued to gain momentum despite the fact that she broke apart behind the scenes.

---

Steve, Sam and Natasha were spread apart in the audience so they could fan out instead of being seen altogether. Natasha had taken the far right of the tent, Sam the far left and Steve chose to sit in an aisle in the middle.

They were all incognito the best they could, but Steve had chosen to pull his baseball cap further down on his head in case anyone recognized him.

He was lucky the seat next to him was empty, but to his right sat a little girl who split ice cream on her shirt while she ate. Her eyes paid no mind to Steve. They were staring straight ahead at the ring where all the excitement was about to take place.

"Any fan girl's approach you yet?" Sam asked with a smirk in his voice.

"Nope." Steve responded with a small chuckle as Natasha could be heard from his earpiece laughing lightly.

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the comradery they had together. Steve never hesitated to go on missions with them because they were loyal and could be trusted to make crucial split-second decisions.

"Just keep your eyes peeled. Once it's over we split up and do some recon around the place." His voice was low and the girl next to him continued to spill chocolate ice cream down her shirt. It looked like the show was close to starting. Steve saw between one of the bleachers a group of people readying themselves on what looked like white horses.

Clowns started to pour out into the arena, their dazzling makeup and bright red shoes bringing back memories, either good or ba depending on how you faired with clowns.

Sam spoke up before the show started.

"Real talk right now. I've always hated clowns."

"Too bad buddy. The place is filled with them." Natasha remarked coolly as Steve smirked.

"Exactly my point." Sam grumbled with a tremor from his childhood fears.

Steve kept quiet, but he had never been a fan of clowns either.

The Ringmaster made his grand entrance, the fireworks erupting around him as animals of all kinds paraded around. Steve narrowed his eyes at the maniac.

"That's our target." Natasha mumbled as the guys nodded in unison but kept silent.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, you are about to witness a one time anomaly. A show that will be whispered for generations to come. We have delights and frights for all ages, and a spectacular finale that will leave you breathless. I am your Ringmaster for the night-"

He bowed with a grandiose arrogance as the crowd applauded.

"And I will take you on a special trip filled with magic, wander, dazzling surprises and ferocious beasts. All I ask is that you remain in your seats."

He smiled manically and the crowd cheered even more as he looked at the crowd of spectators who became enthralled with the magic flowing from the tent. He smirked and thrust his hand out towards the two blonde haired twins that wore bright, vivid blue suits.

"The flying gems, Blaze and Blair, will start our night off. How high they go nobody knows." He cackled evilly and waltzed out from the ring with a skip to his step as the acrobat twins started the show.

He went to the back where Merida was, standing beside her as his eyes lit up with the energy he had been feeding off of from the crowd.

"Let the show begin." He cryptically mused as Merida fidgeted beside him.

---

As the circus went on the three agents sat in awe as the show was more spectacular than any of them had originally thought it to be. The acrobats were two blonde kids, each one flying through the air higher and higher, much to Steve's shock.

The show continued with a fire breather, the enigmatic woman that rode in on the white horse with a fake unicorn horn on its head had a beautiful act with the animal.

There were so many other things happening. Between the elephant, the lion, the clowns and the other performer's, Steve became a bit overwhelmed. He kept his emotions at bay, but his heart continued to beat more quickly than usual. 

The lights and fireworks triggered gunfire from the war and a small frown escaped his features at the thought of Bucky. They were no strangers to the circus. He had gone to a carnival a time or two with Bucky during their youth.  

During the last intermission, a bunch of clowns acted out a funny skit, bringing children on stage to help them. 

"You okay over there, bird boy?" Natasha mused.

"Yep, totally fine, Molotov." Sam responded back as Natasha rolled her eyes at the Russian nickname.

When the finale was about to ready happen, Steve shifted in his seat as the Ringmaster followed out behind a clown who was carrying what looked like a bar stool. The Ringmaster now had a whip attached to his side and a conniving smirk on his white face.

The clown set the bar stool down next to the Ringmaster and he cartwheeled out of the arena towards the back, leaving the Ringmaster to look around at the crowd. 

"The grande finale is a sight to behold. What you will see next will leave your skin cold."

He grinned wider, leaving Steve to furrow his brow as the girl that rode in on the white horse was now bringing out a slender and pale girl with short brown hair out. Her dress was bold, shimmery and reminded Steve of the twenties era. 

Steve could also see her hands trembling by her sides.

"What is going on?" Sam mumbled as Steve just shook his head, not responding as he too were confused. The girl stayed eerily still as she stood across the arena from the Ringmaster. The enigmatic girl who brought her in skipped to the back with an eerie trail of laughter following her behind her.

The Ringmaster narrowed his eyes at the girl, a silent cue that no one else from the audience would recognize but Merida. 

The audience drew silent. A pin could drop. The tension could be felt throughout the crowd as everyone waited on pins and needles for what was to come. They wouldn't see it coming. They would be blindsided as they always were. 

"I have a date to dance with a beast. But make no mistake, you are all in for a mighty fine treat." The Ringmaster sing-songed into his mic as it echoed around the circus with a malevolent undertone.

Steve gazed further at the girl. Her body language was one of submission, her eyes were staring at the Ringmaster, but he saw the tremble in her body again. For a brief second she looked out to the crowd on her left, her eyes not seeing Steve, but looking in his generally direction.

Her facial expression was indescribable.

One wrought from submission, dread, and something that made Steve think she was not exactly keen on even being here.  

Merida took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her body violently shifted into a very large over sized tiger. The prickle and pull of her skin was the same every single time she shifted. The whole ordeal was still exhausting for her human body, but the show had to go on.

Her tiger form was majestic and beastly all at the same time. Her fur was a dazzling array of orange with black stripes, hints of white in there as well. Her paws were two times the size of a normal tiger and her form itself was pure and solid muscle.

She was the largest tiger known to date.

The power behind the beast could be glimpsed within a second, the mouth hung open, revealing ivory white teeth that glistened in the light of the circus. 

Every inch of the tiger was magnificent, but horrifying at the same time. The paws thundered the earth as it started to pace opposite of Killian. The slender tail flickered around in agitation, while the haunted orbs of the feline peered out at the crowd before returning to the Ringmaster.  

Merida was typically in tact within her mind inside beast, but there were times she was uncontrollable. There were times Killian had to zap her with a volt of electricity to knock her out. There was another time they had to use tranquilizer darts to knock her out.

Those were times in the past, but still, the beast within her soul was screaming to be unchained; to be set free. It acted on its own accord sometimes, leaving Merida little room to be in control. 

Tonight, she hoped the beast within her acted accordingly.

"Please tell me that girl didn't just turn into a big ass tiger!" Sam stated with an awestruck tone. 

"Yep, she definitely did." Natasha noted as her eyes widened. 

"Is she a-a mutant?" Sam asked lowly as the other two fell silent. 

Steve was too shocked to say anything for a brief moment. 

"That, or it's a darn good parlor trick." Steve finally returned in a whisper as the finale began. 

The tiger was nothing like anyone had every seen before. The crowd reared back in shock, some were hurling insults of mutant and freak her way. Others were silent, captive by their own fear and shock as the tiger paced the circle back and forth. 

The Ringmaster grinned as he procured the whip from his pocket, his hand inching over to the bar stool as he spoke into the mic again.

"Watch as man and beast do a dance." 

And they did.

Their act was full of oohs and ahhs, and sometimes Steve heard a woman shriek as the beast would start pacing towards the audience. However, the Ringmaster would be there to get the beast's attention back to him.

It seemed to be a routine they had, but to the children and young in the audience they would think it was all real and that the Ringmaster was truly trying to gain control over a wild creature. 

Steve and his partners could tell it was a staged act, but it didn't make the finale any less bearable to watch as the Ringmaster cruelly exhibited his power over the girl. Steve frowned more and more as the show progressed. 

The entire finale was gut wrenching for the three agents. They watched as man and beast fought each other for control. The whip would lash out with a crack and Natasha found herself flinching when the whip would hit the tiger. Her usually cool demeanor slipped and a frown showed on her face. 

The finale finally ended when the Ringmaster had his boot upon the side of the tiger, the beast laying on in it's side in submission as he stepped upon the large beast and waved his arms in the air in triumph. The bar stool had been discarded and thrown across the arena now, lying broken as the tiger earlier had bit it and tossed it like a rag doll across the arena.

Right now it would be so easy for Merida to lunge and mar his skin, to latch onto his neck and bite down. 

But she didn't. 

She was not to shift back to her human self until after the act. She stayed in tiger form as Killian made it seem as if the beast had succumbed to submission. The crowd went wild, cheering and jeering as eyes of hatred, fear and disgust stared down at the mutant beast. However, their eyes lit up at the fact that the Ringmaster had triumphed.

Killian smirked as he whipped the ground beside her, the whip snapping as her fur bristled. She got up and hung her head low as Killian made a grand show of how he could make a beast become his slave. 

"Man will always conquer beast." The Ringmaster hummed into his mic as the final acts started to come together as the big finale of a parade started, the other performer's running into the arena for one last hurrah. 

She padded out of the arena, her head hung low as the sound of the whip again behind her crackled. The audience was still clapping as her beastly form slunk out from the arena and behind the curtains.

When she shifted back to her human body, Fran caught sight of her. The woman rushed to her with a water bottle in her hands as Merida's forehead perspired from sweat. 

"I hate that act." Fran mumbled as she helped Merida back to her quarters. 

Her body trembled and her eyes adjusted back to mortal sight. She drank the bottled water all in one go, wiping her mouth as Fran put a hand to her back as she helped her walk. 

"Me too." Merida whispered roughly as she leaned against her boudoir in her dressing room. Fran stayed with her for a moment until it was time to get back to her own tent. Merida was drained, but not enough to make her sleepy. 

About fifteen minutes later, the circus ended for the night. It would stir up a buzz and even more people would come back tomorrow. She could hear the crowd from her dressing room as people started pouring out from the tent and to the carnival. 

Killian appeared in her dressing room.

She hadn't even heard him come in. Her eyes met his in her mirror and she whipped around as he approached. She flinched as he raised his hand, to which he smiled, but it merely rested upon her cheek possessively. 

"Quite the performance. I love the little bit where you acted as if you were going towards the audience. Very clever. Gave them a real frigh-t." He smiled approvingly, as his thumb harshly rubbed her skin. Little did he know that part of her had done that because for a second the beast took control.

It wasn't of her doing. 

"May I explore a bit tonight?" Merida blurted out quickly. She wanted to get out of the tent and into the night air. She needed that. Her body trembled as Killian made her even more nervous than before. His promise looming over them with a palpable tension filling her dressing room. 

"Since you didn't disappoint tonight, my pet, of course." His voice was ice cream sweet and it made her nervous. "Just don't stray too far, Mer-i-duh." He enunciated her name and it irritated her. However, she stood there with a numbing look to her face and merely nodded. 

"Ah, now what do we say?" He asked with a gleam to his dark eyes. He was still perfectly presentable, despite having just battled a tiger in the arena. He was still riding the high he got from being the Ringmaster as well. She could see it in the way his chest heaved up and down. 

"Th-thank you." She murmured meekly as Killian smirked at her submissive tone. He stalked out of her dressing room with a predatory gait, one with arrogance and confidence.

As he left, Merida felt the chill he brought with him leave the room as he exited. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and bit her lip to stifle a strangled cry that threatened to erupt from her throat. 

Author's Note: 

Highkey sorry that Steve and Merida didn't officially meet in this chapter BUT THEY WILL IN CHAPTER FIVE  xD

Sorry if this chapter was triggering in any way, but I wanted a catalyst to be put into effect at the fact that Merida now has a HUGE reason to dread being there and a big reason for her shift in feeling like she can't leave. She doesn't know it yet, but that dread from Killian's yucky promise will start to gnaw at her.

Killian is awful and he always gives me the creeps. I write him too well  and I'm curious what that says about me? LOL Merida is a bean and I know I didn't go into too much description of her tiger form, but it'll be brought up in more description in the later chapters. Promise! ;D 

Anyways, I hope this chapter was entertaining. I hope the circus description was fair enough so that it wasn't too boring, nor was it too descriptive to where it is too much.

I had to throw in my favorite three agents in the mix and their banter makes me laugh LOL I love that everyone has nickname's for each other too! Sam being afraid of clowns seems like canon material to me LOL

Hopefully I did this chapter justice seeing as the others have gotten great feedback. I already have the next chapter typed up I just need to tweak a few things before I post it later in the week!