Blind Faith, Chapter 3
PG-13 for some language
Tony/Michelle
Wow. I wrote something.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
“Your move.”
Luc glanced up from the chessboard at his opponent. He smirked and then focused back on the board. He was beginning to like this mortal. “Thanks, I can see that.”
“Oh, ha. Ha.” Michelle glared in the demon’s general direction.
“Sorry. Just couldn’t help myself.” His eyes scanned over the multicolored squares.
“Why are you doing this?” Luc looked up again and this time sat back in his chair. He stared at the woman in front of him. Frankly, she fascinated him. She knew what he was and yet she had no issues with a friendly game of chess now and then. Him. The prince of evil. He didn’t feel any revulsion from her, only genuine curiosity.
“You’re gonna have to be more specific. Why am I allowing you to somewhat see? Why do I even show up? Why have I given you and your husband a second chance? Why--”
“All of it. I won’t pretend to be some wilting flower you both can keep locked up in hotel rooms. I’m blind, not stupid. So I’ll ask again, why are you doing this?”
Luc took a deep breath and he knew she could see the hazy billow of smoke that came out his nostrils. He allowed her just enough sight to play. She could see a blurry image of him and make out the board and pieces. She never asked for her sight back. That confused him. Now she’s asking way more than he wanted or even needed her to know. She was as much a pawn as the pieces they played with. He stared back at her empty eyes for a while before finally answering her.
“Our game isn’t the only one I have going. There is an eternal game. I’m sure you’re familiar with the players.” He gave an evil chuckle but Michelle didn’t move, just continued to look at him with those eyes. He’d never admit it to anyone, but it unnerved him. She unnerved him. He tilted his head to try and shake off the uneasiness. It was an emotion he was unfamiliar with. “This ‘other’ game, it has it’s own pieces. Your husband is a valuable asset for me.”
“Why? How could Tony or I be of any help to you?”
“You can’t see it, but there is a darkness in him that I need to carry out the moves I need to make. And you...you I use to control him.” He narrowed his eyes at her when her face showed she didn’t appreciate that last statement.
“What are you having him do for this, this game?” She said the last word like it was something foul.
“I’m not telling you that. Personally, I just want to be around when Almeida has to explain to you what he’s done. So, ask him but please, for me, make sure I’m around.” He chuckled again and she turned her head and he could see her eyes were wet. Lucifer looked her over and felt a pang of...something. He didn’t like that he’d made her upset. She was beautiful, inside and out. And just like he’d explained to Tony, darkness was drawn to the pure and she radiated it. Maybe he’d been alone too long. He sighed and looked back down at the board. Best to get back to the game.
“If you’re finished then, I’d like to be able to concentrate. You’re actually a pretty good opponent.” Michelle turned back to look at him and just nodded slowly. He didn’t like that her mood was so dark. He took his turn and sat back again. “I’m letting you win, of course.” He saw the hint of a smile as she surveyed the board. There it was again. That feeling.
The prince ran his tongue over a fang, thinking. Maybe once he’d won his ‘game’ and Almeida was burning in hell, he’d take her for himself. There was nothing in the rules that said he couldn’t claim a lost soul as his own. Eternity in limbo or rule by his side.
The choice was clear.
Tony stumbled a little as the man on his knees fell forward. He was exhausted and the burnt out body’s weight was enough to make him nearly tip over. The demon had told him he’d have “special abilities” but he never said how much they would take out of him. He waved his hands in the air to get the smoke to stop billowing from his palms. At least the redness was fading quickly.
Bending over and resting his weight on his knees, he gave the body a disgusted look. Death never bothered him. He had killed. Was ordered to do it and this guy, he definitely didn’t mind getting rid of. But a gunshot wound was far off from being burnt alive. Squeezing his eyes tight, the small bout of nausea passed and he stood back up, wiping his arm across his sweaty brow.
Tony didn’t know what was more sickening, the body or that he’d felt nothing doing what he did. Sure, he was working for the devil but the demon never made any rules about “how” Tony went about finding Bauer. He didn’t have to kill innocent people. They weren’t the only ones who kept tabs on Jack.
It was getting easier and easier to do his duty, the closer he came to finding his old friend. What made Tony wary was with each kill that gave new information, he seemed to look forward to confronting Bauer. He couldn’t tell if Luc was doing this or not. And that scared the hell out of him.
It was dark by the time he pulled into the hotel parking lot. Tony shut off the engine and just sat for a few. He was filthy and yet again, blood was splattered across him in various areas. While he chastised himself for the thought, he was glad Michelle couldn’t see him like this. He had no doubts he’d make the same choice. He wasn’t sure what hurt more, the fact that he was lying to her or that she knew he was lying. Lose one sense and the others compensate.
She knew what blood smelled like.
Taking one last deep breath he got out of the car and pushed his way into their room. Like many times before he entered to the sight of his wife playing chess with Lucifer. The insane situation had ceased to surprise him a while ago.
“Who’s winning?” He pulled off his jacket and shirt as quickly as he could before Michelle could notice anything.
“Shhhh!” The demon held out a hand towards him without looking up. “I’m thinking.”
Michelle didn’t look in his direction as she smirked. “He’s always thinking.”
Tony chuckled and hurried into the bathroom. He turned on the sink and splashed cold water on his face. Leaning against the porcelain he glanced up at the mirror hanging above him and jumped. “What the hell?!”
Luc just leaned against the wall behind Tony, his nose wrinkled. “Dear God, you stink.”
“Shhh!” Tony shifted his eyes to the door and after a few seconds looked back at the demon. “I don’t want Michelle to come in here.”
“Oh, she won’t. She’s still trying to make her move. She doesn’t know I left.” Tony glared at him and turned to get back to cleaning up. “So, any closer to finding our elusive Mr. Bauer?”
Tony had started to shave and stopped pulling the razor down his cheek. He cut his eyes to the demon in the mirror, saw the fangs as he smiled back at him and narrowed his eyes. He went back to shaving. “I got what I needed.”
“Oh come on! Give me something!”
Tony rinsed the razor out in the sink. “You’re the fucking devil and you need me to get your rocks off?”
“Oh I could definitely use you for that. But that’s not what I meant.” Luc smiled evilly back at Tony’s glare. “Lighten up, Almeida. It’s the 21st century. Don’t knock it till you try it.”
“No thanks.”
The demon just tsked at him as he watched the mortal dry his face. “As much as this foreplay is doing for me, I’d like to know if this, at least, brought us closer?”
Tony saw how keen the demon was to hear good news. “Every kill brings me closer to Bauer. Otherwise, I wouldn’t do it.”
“Still trying to play the hero, huh? Hello?!” Luc waved frantically in Tony’s face making him back up against the sink as the demon’s voice grew louder. “You.Work.For.The.Devil.”
“Will you shut the fuck up?!” Tony’s eyes frantically switched between the demon and the door.
“Oh would you stop worrying about the little woman. She’s blind, man. She can only see the game board and just a glimmer of me. She doesn’t have super sonic hearing or some shit.” Tony could tell the demon was getting agitated from the amount of smoke that came from his nostrils as he ranted.
“If I tell you, will you get out of here and let me do my thing?” Tony pointed at the shower and the demon just nodded.
“I know where we need to go next and who to contact.”
“Did you do it my way this time? No guns?”
“Yeah...yeah I did it your way.” Tony couldn’t look at him and the demon smirked. “Fucking boy scout, you are.” He waited for some kind of smart ass comment but he continued when Tony didn’t say anything. “You agree then? This is cleaner. No guns, no ballistics, no fingerprints.” Almedia just nodded. “This has to be neat. I don’t want to have to clean up anymore messes like all the other times.”
Tony turned his head slowly and stared directly into the demon’s eyes. “What other times?” His question was quiet but that’s how Luc knew when he was really pissed off.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Luc waved his hand in the air casually. “Now, how did you like using your new ‘abilities?’” He made air quotes as Tony turned to the shower. Luc caught a small smirk, but it was there.
Once the shower started, Michelle was unable to hear anything else. She tried to control her breathing but after what she’d just heard...
She felt around for the door jamb and then the wall, making her way back into the main area of the hotel room. She dropped heavily into her chair so they wouldn’t know she’d moved. Gripping the edge of the table hard, she tried to imagine things weren’t as bad as they seemed.
I’m playing chess with the devil.
She laughed softly till it turned into a short sob. She wiped at her eyes quickly. She knew Tony hadn’t told her everything. It hurt but she believed he had a good reason for it. He never did anything without a reason. She didn’t want to believe he’d been lying to her but she wasn’t stupid. She knew he came in sometimes, smelling like blood. Just like tonight. Now she knew why. She just didn’t know what it had to do with Jack.
Michelle wasn’t the only one playing a game with the devil. But she knew Tony had a hell of a lot more to lose.
Tony/Michelle
Wow. I wrote something.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
“Your move.”
Luc glanced up from the chessboard at his opponent. He smirked and then focused back on the board. He was beginning to like this mortal. “Thanks, I can see that.”
“Oh, ha. Ha.” Michelle glared in the demon’s general direction.
“Sorry. Just couldn’t help myself.” His eyes scanned over the multicolored squares.
“Why are you doing this?” Luc looked up again and this time sat back in his chair. He stared at the woman in front of him. Frankly, she fascinated him. She knew what he was and yet she had no issues with a friendly game of chess now and then. Him. The prince of evil. He didn’t feel any revulsion from her, only genuine curiosity.
“You’re gonna have to be more specific. Why am I allowing you to somewhat see? Why do I even show up? Why have I given you and your husband a second chance? Why--”
“All of it. I won’t pretend to be some wilting flower you both can keep locked up in hotel rooms. I’m blind, not stupid. So I’ll ask again, why are you doing this?”
Luc took a deep breath and he knew she could see the hazy billow of smoke that came out his nostrils. He allowed her just enough sight to play. She could see a blurry image of him and make out the board and pieces. She never asked for her sight back. That confused him. Now she’s asking way more than he wanted or even needed her to know. She was as much a pawn as the pieces they played with. He stared back at her empty eyes for a while before finally answering her.
“Our game isn’t the only one I have going. There is an eternal game. I’m sure you’re familiar with the players.” He gave an evil chuckle but Michelle didn’t move, just continued to look at him with those eyes. He’d never admit it to anyone, but it unnerved him. She unnerved him. He tilted his head to try and shake off the uneasiness. It was an emotion he was unfamiliar with. “This ‘other’ game, it has it’s own pieces. Your husband is a valuable asset for me.”
“Why? How could Tony or I be of any help to you?”
“You can’t see it, but there is a darkness in him that I need to carry out the moves I need to make. And you...you I use to control him.” He narrowed his eyes at her when her face showed she didn’t appreciate that last statement.
“What are you having him do for this, this game?” She said the last word like it was something foul.
“I’m not telling you that. Personally, I just want to be around when Almeida has to explain to you what he’s done. So, ask him but please, for me, make sure I’m around.” He chuckled again and she turned her head and he could see her eyes were wet. Lucifer looked her over and felt a pang of...something. He didn’t like that he’d made her upset. She was beautiful, inside and out. And just like he’d explained to Tony, darkness was drawn to the pure and she radiated it. Maybe he’d been alone too long. He sighed and looked back down at the board. Best to get back to the game.
“If you’re finished then, I’d like to be able to concentrate. You’re actually a pretty good opponent.” Michelle turned back to look at him and just nodded slowly. He didn’t like that her mood was so dark. He took his turn and sat back again. “I’m letting you win, of course.” He saw the hint of a smile as she surveyed the board. There it was again. That feeling.
The prince ran his tongue over a fang, thinking. Maybe once he’d won his ‘game’ and Almeida was burning in hell, he’d take her for himself. There was nothing in the rules that said he couldn’t claim a lost soul as his own. Eternity in limbo or rule by his side.
The choice was clear.
Tony stumbled a little as the man on his knees fell forward. He was exhausted and the burnt out body’s weight was enough to make him nearly tip over. The demon had told him he’d have “special abilities” but he never said how much they would take out of him. He waved his hands in the air to get the smoke to stop billowing from his palms. At least the redness was fading quickly.
Bending over and resting his weight on his knees, he gave the body a disgusted look. Death never bothered him. He had killed. Was ordered to do it and this guy, he definitely didn’t mind getting rid of. But a gunshot wound was far off from being burnt alive. Squeezing his eyes tight, the small bout of nausea passed and he stood back up, wiping his arm across his sweaty brow.
Tony didn’t know what was more sickening, the body or that he’d felt nothing doing what he did. Sure, he was working for the devil but the demon never made any rules about “how” Tony went about finding Bauer. He didn’t have to kill innocent people. They weren’t the only ones who kept tabs on Jack.
It was getting easier and easier to do his duty, the closer he came to finding his old friend. What made Tony wary was with each kill that gave new information, he seemed to look forward to confronting Bauer. He couldn’t tell if Luc was doing this or not. And that scared the hell out of him.
It was dark by the time he pulled into the hotel parking lot. Tony shut off the engine and just sat for a few. He was filthy and yet again, blood was splattered across him in various areas. While he chastised himself for the thought, he was glad Michelle couldn’t see him like this. He had no doubts he’d make the same choice. He wasn’t sure what hurt more, the fact that he was lying to her or that she knew he was lying. Lose one sense and the others compensate.
She knew what blood smelled like.
Taking one last deep breath he got out of the car and pushed his way into their room. Like many times before he entered to the sight of his wife playing chess with Lucifer. The insane situation had ceased to surprise him a while ago.
“Who’s winning?” He pulled off his jacket and shirt as quickly as he could before Michelle could notice anything.
“Shhhh!” The demon held out a hand towards him without looking up. “I’m thinking.”
Michelle didn’t look in his direction as she smirked. “He’s always thinking.”
Tony chuckled and hurried into the bathroom. He turned on the sink and splashed cold water on his face. Leaning against the porcelain he glanced up at the mirror hanging above him and jumped. “What the hell?!”
Luc just leaned against the wall behind Tony, his nose wrinkled. “Dear God, you stink.”
“Shhh!” Tony shifted his eyes to the door and after a few seconds looked back at the demon. “I don’t want Michelle to come in here.”
“Oh, she won’t. She’s still trying to make her move. She doesn’t know I left.” Tony glared at him and turned to get back to cleaning up. “So, any closer to finding our elusive Mr. Bauer?”
Tony had started to shave and stopped pulling the razor down his cheek. He cut his eyes to the demon in the mirror, saw the fangs as he smiled back at him and narrowed his eyes. He went back to shaving. “I got what I needed.”
“Oh come on! Give me something!”
Tony rinsed the razor out in the sink. “You’re the fucking devil and you need me to get your rocks off?”
“Oh I could definitely use you for that. But that’s not what I meant.” Luc smiled evilly back at Tony’s glare. “Lighten up, Almeida. It’s the 21st century. Don’t knock it till you try it.”
“No thanks.”
The demon just tsked at him as he watched the mortal dry his face. “As much as this foreplay is doing for me, I’d like to know if this, at least, brought us closer?”
Tony saw how keen the demon was to hear good news. “Every kill brings me closer to Bauer. Otherwise, I wouldn’t do it.”
“Still trying to play the hero, huh? Hello?!” Luc waved frantically in Tony’s face making him back up against the sink as the demon’s voice grew louder. “You.Work.For.The.Devil.”
“Will you shut the fuck up?!” Tony’s eyes frantically switched between the demon and the door.
“Oh would you stop worrying about the little woman. She’s blind, man. She can only see the game board and just a glimmer of me. She doesn’t have super sonic hearing or some shit.” Tony could tell the demon was getting agitated from the amount of smoke that came from his nostrils as he ranted.
“If I tell you, will you get out of here and let me do my thing?” Tony pointed at the shower and the demon just nodded.
“I know where we need to go next and who to contact.”
“Did you do it my way this time? No guns?”
“Yeah...yeah I did it your way.” Tony couldn’t look at him and the demon smirked. “Fucking boy scout, you are.” He waited for some kind of smart ass comment but he continued when Tony didn’t say anything. “You agree then? This is cleaner. No guns, no ballistics, no fingerprints.” Almedia just nodded. “This has to be neat. I don’t want to have to clean up anymore messes like all the other times.”
Tony turned his head slowly and stared directly into the demon’s eyes. “What other times?” His question was quiet but that’s how Luc knew when he was really pissed off.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Luc waved his hand in the air casually. “Now, how did you like using your new ‘abilities?’” He made air quotes as Tony turned to the shower. Luc caught a small smirk, but it was there.
Once the shower started, Michelle was unable to hear anything else. She tried to control her breathing but after what she’d just heard...
She felt around for the door jamb and then the wall, making her way back into the main area of the hotel room. She dropped heavily into her chair so they wouldn’t know she’d moved. Gripping the edge of the table hard, she tried to imagine things weren’t as bad as they seemed.
I’m playing chess with the devil.
She laughed softly till it turned into a short sob. She wiped at her eyes quickly. She knew Tony hadn’t told her everything. It hurt but she believed he had a good reason for it. He never did anything without a reason. She didn’t want to believe he’d been lying to her but she wasn’t stupid. She knew he came in sometimes, smelling like blood. Just like tonight. Now she knew why. She just didn’t know what it had to do with Jack.
Michelle wasn’t the only one playing a game with the devil. But she knew Tony had a hell of a lot more to lose.