Chapter Text
"So, is it true? Are you really The Butcher?"
Simon sighed as he slowly turned his head. Standing behind him, just far enough that the distance wasn't awkward, was a guy. If Simon had to guess, he must have been taken in within the last week. A newbie who had yet to get his lights knocked out.
"Nope. Got me confused for someone else," Simon grumbled, turning back towards his lunch. It wasn't good - prison slop never was - but it was better than starving.
The new guy just stood there, arms crossed and anger flaring. He started to draw the attention of other inmates who already knew the nickname the news had given Simon fifteen years ago. They were hoping for a fight. The Butcher was hoping for a peaceful lunch.
The next moment, the new inmates stepped forward and shoved Simon's tray to the ground. As he turned, the man grabbed his collar and got in his face. "Come on. I'm told you're top dog around here. Too scared to fight? Get soft with old age?"
"Please don't make me hurt you," Simon begged, grabbing the man's balled fist and tugging gently. There was no give.
All eyes were on the pair now. Even the guards took interest. Simon internally cursed them for not intervening. His words further infuriated the man, who pulled one fist back and prepared to strike.
Before he could finish the blow, Simon snapped his head forward into the guy's nose. There was a sick crunch as the inmate staggered back, blood dripping down his face. A few people jeered from other tables. He couldn't tell who it was aimed at. It didn't matter.
"Sit down. Neither of us want this," Simon commanded, standing and rolling his shoulders back, hoping his form would intimidate the younger man.
Apparently, the man really did want this. He growled and wiped the blood from his face before dashing forward and punching Simon hard in the jaw. That was the only hit the Butcher allowed him.
As the man tried to hit him again, Simon stepped to the side and tripped him. The momentum was too much to stop. The inmate ended up sprawled on the ground, right in the pile of food the he had ruined. Waves of laughter rolled off of the onlookers. As the inmate leveled his hate-filled gaze on Simon, the convict raised his fists.
"Last chance. I don't want to hurt you," Simon warned. The embarrassment just wasn't enough yet. The inmate groaned as he lept forward, tackling Simon and trying to hit his face again.
Simon easily rolled them and pinned the inmate's far smaller body with his knees. One hand rested on the man's throat. No pressure, but a warning.
"That's enough!"
At the first word from the guard, Simon was already standing, backing away from the man. It took two guards to keep him from jumping back at The Butcher. The entire time he was being drug away, the inmate was screaming, calling Simon a coward and any other insult that came to mind.
"You alright?" A third guard asked, glancing at the blooming red patch on his face. The beard helped hide it.
Simon shrugged, glancing at the floor were blood mixed with what was supposed to be his lunch. "Could use another meal."
The guard cracked a small smile and nodded. "Sure. Good behavior gets rewarded."
"I headbutted a guy."
"Self defense," she said simply, glancing around at the crowd. "I mean, that's what I saw. Doubt any of these guys are gonna spill. Just go, Simon."
With a nod, he turned back to the food line. Just as he took the first step, a loud buzzer blared through the speakers. There goes that plan. He glanced back as the guard walked up. "Keep going. I'll bring you back later."
"Thanks, Elli."
Elli was one of the older guards. She had been there since Simon was arrested fifteen years ago. She also was the only person that seemed to believe him when he said that he never meant for people to die.
The Butcher was a cruel nickname he had earned in his teen years. Just outside of the city was a nuclear wasteland. It had been destroyed after SHIELD discovered the forest was being used for HYDRA operations. After it was destroyed, Eden moved in.
A small sub-branch of HYDRA, Eden did everything it could to stop SHIELD and the heroes that came out of it. Simon was just foot soldier tasked with making sure the plans went through. After seeing the devastation Eden caused, he had surrendered to authorities. All the death from his brothers' hands were thrust onto his head.
"Simon."
The convict looked up as he grabbed more food. Elli had a nervous twitch in her eyes that never meant good news. "What?" He murmered as he continued to get his second round of food.
"At the start of lunch, I was informed that there is someone here to see you. A, uh... Dr. Ava? I think. Big scar on the left side of her face. Seem familiar?"
"No. I don't know anyone named Ava," Simon told her honestly, trying to think about everyone he had ever met. The only women he ever got close to were his mother and Elli. Eden was separate and so was the prison.
"Would you like to see her? I can send her away." It wouldn't be the first time someone asked to meet with him just to say they got to meet Simon the Butcher. But on the other hand, no doctor had ever tried to meet with him.
The convict shrugged as he walked to the nearest bench. "As long as I still get to eat." That the only joy in this place. Getting just a few moments of brief peace. It was better than the SHIELD prison he had originally been held in for a few weeks. That place was a death sentence for anyone who came through the doors. This was just a standard state prison.
Elli nodded and motioned to another guard, who immediately left the room.
By now, the food had long gone cold. But they already were given barely enough to survive. Simon wasn't going to be wasteful. Some days it felt like what they were given wasn't even enough.
Somewhere behind him, he heard as Elli scoffed, reading something on her pager. "Something funny?" Simon asked her, glancing back as she pocketed the device.
"Just the cities new weekly vigilante. The regular cops got it covered."
"Vigilante? I thought that was a movie thing? You know, like Zorro and Batman."
Elli let out a loud laugh at that, quickly moving to cover her mouth. "How do you know about those? Didn't you grow up in a cult?"
"I knew how to read," Simon murmered defensively, a slight blush dusting his face. Elli didn't have time to reply as the doors swung open.
A woman slowly walked in, two guards flanking her. She wore a suit and loose bun. One hand held a clipboard and pen. As described, she had a large, jagged scar covering almost the entire left side of her face.
"Dr. Ava. Sorry for the long wait," Elli greeted, taking a few steps towards the doctor. "We normally don't allow visitors on Mondays."
"I'm here on official SHIELD business. I didn't have time to wait until next weekend." Dr. Ava's tone was clipped and tight. She barely glanced at the guard before her eyes traveled to Simon, who continued to eat his lunch. "You are The Butcher I presume?"
"Again with the Butcher," Simon grumbled to himself, looking up at the doctor. She had her hand extended, waiting for his to shake it. "Yeah. That's me," he said a little louder. His hands stayed firmly on his tray.
After a brief, tense moment, she relented and put her hand down. Silently, she set the clipboard down on the table and sat across from Simon, eyeing his food with disgust.
He didn't offer any reprieve to the awkward silence that seemed to fill the entire room. Even so, his stomach churned at her previous words. She was an agent of SHIELD. If she was here to take him back to the high-risk prison, they were going to have to sedate or kill him.
Dr. Ava sat and stared for a while, picking apart his appearance. He noticed the way her eyes narrowed as his long hair fell in front of his eyes and he made no move to fix it. Her eyes briefly glanced down as he tapped his foot. Then she seemed to take offense at the scar on his neck. It was originally a tattoo from Eden before he was forced to burn it off.
"You're a child of Eden," she stated bluntly. There was no doubt in his mind that she already knew that.
"Was," he corrected, left hand gently touching the mark. "I don't belive in that shit anymore."
Dr. Ava nodded, the slightest smile gracing the corner of her lip. "That's good news. I actually came here with an offer. You help me, and I help you."
That stole Simon's interest. Most SHIELD agents were just out to help themselves. "And what does that mean?" He asked, leaning back and looking up at her. For once, his lunch could wait.
"Recently, we recieved a rover back from a mission to a distant moon called AT-5. We need someone willing to examine it."
And instantly Simon lost interest. "I'm not a scientist. Think you have the wrong guy."
"What if I promised you would go free?"
And she had his attention again. "Say that again," he demanded, leaning closer and glancing around. Elli was staring with wide eyes. She didn't know about this before.
"You analyze the sample. We pardon you. Home scot-free. Do whatever you want for all I care."
Free. Simon had given up the hope of that years ago when he was sentenced to life. Could she really do that? She was a SHIELD agent, so the answer was most likely yes. The question was if she would do it. Most agents weren't particularly fond of children of Eden. It didn't matter if Simon still believed it or not, he bore there mark.
Dr. Ava let out a small, dry laugh. "Don't belive me? It's all here," she told him, tapping the clipboard before picking it up and handing it to him.
The convict took it from her slowly, entranced by what it may contain. A chance at freedom in writing. A ticket out of this bloodbath. Simon read it slowly, considering every word that was written. Nothing could be forgotten. Every word had a meaning. He would not be deceived and let his freedom fall out from under him.
True to her word, the clipboard contained a three page document, ending with a thin line that said: Sign Here. It was air tight, detailing dozens of different outcomes. What would and wouldn't guarantee his freedom. All he had to do was examine this sample thing.
"Why me? Why not some scientist who knows about this stuff?"
She grew tense, lips locked shut as her eyes stayed glued to the board. A little voice in the back of his mind hissed his worst fear. She thinks you're expendable. Maybe you are.
He reread the document, trying to find any tricks. It seemed both clean and legal. A fair trade.
"Do you understand what it says?"
"I can read," Simon said defensively. "Just making sure I read it all. More than once."
"It's a pretty straightforward deal."
Simon made a small sound, acknowledging her words. Still, he kept reading. There just had to be something wrong.
"Show me your I.D." he demanded, finally putting the clipboard down. He needed proof that this woman was who she said she was. He needed to know she was actually an agent of SHIELD and not just some asshole getting his hopes up.
With a sigh, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin, brown leather wallet. Quickly, she pulled out a thick card and handed it over.
The picture was definitely accurate. Her name matched too. Height seemed fine based off the little he had seen her standing. So, the I.D. and the document were real.
With a small nod, he handed the card back and watched as she put it back in her wallet. "So, what do I need to do?"
"Sign there, then come with us," Dr. Ava told him, pulling a pen out of her pocket and handing it over. Simon glanced towards Elli, who stood nearby, face completely empty. Surely if she suspected this was a trick, she would warn him.
After one final glance over, Simon paused on the back page. He never had to sign anything before. While writing in print was no struggle, he never learned cursive. With a final groan, he leaned forward, wrote a large S and followed it with some squiggles that could maybe be excused for letters. Wasn't that what most signatures looked like anyway?
"Excellent. We have no time to waste. There's a car waiting for us," Dr. Ava told him, standing quickly and nodding towards Elli. "I've already spoke to your supervisor about our arrangement. Feel free to ask about it."
"I will," Elli told her, taking a few steps away to radio the warden. They spoke quietly for a few minutes as Ava checked over the paperwork and pocketed her pen.
The silence was tense. Simon had seen moments before fights with less tension. Elli kept glancing back towards the doctor, distrust clear on her face. Despite this, she eventually nodded and put her radio away.
Dr. Ava glanced at the guard, waiting for a response. Humming quietly, Elli fixed her gaze on Simon. "You're good to go. Everything is all squared away."
"Just like that?"
"Yep. Just like that. Amazing what rich maniacs can do," Elli told him, not so subtly glancing at the doctor. "Take care. Be good."
Without another word, Dr. Ava turned and began walking out of the room. The two guards who walked in with her tailed her, hands resting near their weapons. It was an odd position in the prison. Simon had never seen the guards do that before. He really hoped this wasn't a setup.
Then again, if this doctor really went through all the trouble to legally get him set free, maybe she deserved to trick him.
Simon slowly stood, watching the guards for any sign of erratic behavior. They were almost out the door when he decided that they seemed normal enough. He had to jog to catch up. As he left the lunchroom, he waved at Elli and smiled. She returned the motion warmly.
Dr. Ava walked fast, weaving through the prison like an expert. The guards, who never once glanced back to make sure Simon was there, stayed close to her. Despite wearing the prison's uniform, they seemed more like her personal guards.
They stopped only for a brief moment to grab a box from one of the rooms near the exit. Dr. Ava handed it to the inmate with a small nod. It had some clothes, a bandana, gloves, and a pendent. All the things he had when he was originally arrested. The clothes had little value. He was far taller and larger than his eighteen year old self now.
Silently, he wrapped the pendent around his left wrist, examining the seed inside of it. It had been the only thing he kept from Eden. The doctor probably wouldn't like him holding onto it, but that didn't matter. It was his.
She lead the small group out the doors towards a large silver van. Just above the door handle was a small red symbol. It was simple. Just three letters. C.O.I.
"Wait, I thought you were SHIELD?" Simon questioned as they opened the door, eyes glued to the symbol.
"The C.O.I. and SHIELD work together all the time. We're both. This is SHIELD work," the doctor told him, glaring as she held the door open.
There was the catch. Silently, Simon crawled into the car as a dread settled over his heart. The building that had been destroyed, the one her surrendered at and all those people died, had been a C.O.I. building. Meaning they weren't exactly his biggest fans.
"So, this substance you mentioned... what am I supposed to do with it?"
"Just interact. Report how it behaves, what it does. Use your senses. Those things." Dr. Ava sat in the front seat and motioned to the driver. Simon sat behind the driver with a guard on his right.
For someone offering him freedom, she didn't seem very convinced that he wasn't going to hurt her. The guard never took their hand off of the gun at their side. Simon couldn't even enjoy getting to see the city after so long. He was too busy worried that he would look over to the barrel of a gun.
That never happened. The guard never drew their weapon as they slowly traveled outside of the city. The sun was almost unbearably bright. As the city faded into suburbs, Simon started spotting vibrant flowers almost everywhere he looked. The colors were a nice contrast to the grey and white of the prison.
Eventually, the van came to a halt in front of a large, white painted brick building. Dr. Ava stepped out first, saying something the a guy standing near the door.
The guard flicked their hand, motioning Simon to follow as they left. The uneasy feeling from seeing the symbol on the car had started to dissipate. Maybe this wouldn't go horrible wrong and end up with Simon dying.
"Convict, this way," the doctor ordered, walking into the large building at a brisk pace. While Simon was taller, he struggled to keep up with her.
They walked towards a thick iron wall that required her I.D. card the unlock. Dr. Ava, Simon, a guard, and the door guy all walked down the stairs. It felt like more than one flight, but there was only one door below the first floor.
The floor looked normal. Pristine white floors. A long corridor of doors with different labels near the handles. The doctor kept up her brisk pace as she took turns, seemingly at random. The guard stayed close, but the door guy seemed a bit winded by the speed. Simon almost made a joke about their shared pain. He decided against it.
Finally, she came to a stop near one of the doors. Simon had to fight the urge to grab the wall and catch his breath. It took every fiber of his being to breathe quietly.
The door they stopped at read: SM-13-E. Simon was sure that was supposed to mean something. What it meant, he didn't know. The next door down was similar with the phrase SM-14-M written on it.
"Everything you need should be in there. There in a camera on one wall. Report whatever you find to it. If you need anything, I will be on the intercom system," Dr. Ava explained as she unlocked the door. It needed three different keys.
"This won't like... kill me, right?" Simon asked slowly, glancing at all the security on the door.
"Not if you're careful," Dr. Ava told him as she opened the door.
Before stepping in, Simon glanced into the room. All he could see was a small tank that held a few liters of a thick, blood red sludge. "Tell me that's not blood," he muttered, staring at the substance.
"It's not blood," she told him honestly, barely glancing at the liquid.
Simon wasn't sure whether that made him feel better or worse.
"Ready to do some good for a change, Convict?"
Sighing deeply, Simon stepped forward into the room. "Yeah. Let's get this done," he murmered as he looked around. There were some scientific instruments sitting on a small table in the corner.
"Are you sure about him, Ava?" The convict wasn't supposed to hear that, but the door had yet to be fully shut.
Dr. Ava sighed as the door clicked shut. Simon stepped closer, listening for her words. "Certain sacrifices must be made for the greater good, David. Eva couldn't see that. Now we're the ones with the symbiotes and she is high and dry."
Sacrifices? Simon grabbed the handle, all consuming fear gripping his heart. "Hey! You said this was safe!" He yelled, trying to open it. The door didn't budge as he slammed his shoulder into it.
On the other side of the door, all three people went quiet. Then, Dr. Ava's face appeared in the small window. "I knew I was forgetting something," she muttered before closing the metal cover over the window. Then, loud enough she was sure he could hear it, "I said you wouldn't die, Convict. Not that it was safe."
A grating sound followed as she left. The door quickly began heating under Simon's hands. "Are you... are you fucking welding this shut?!" He screamed, hitting the door as hard as he could. Nothing. Not even a tiny shake.
"Please refrain from injuring yourself against the door. We do not have doctor's nearby." Dr. Ava's voice rang through the room. Simon ignored her and continued slamming into the door until the sound of the torch disappeared.
All he wanted was to curl up and cry. Or die. Either sounded fine. He knew this sounded too good to be true. How stupid could he be? Trust the random lady who works for the organization that hates him. No smart person does that!
"Please examine the sample."
Simon punched the door one final time in spite. "Sorry," he murmered, more to the door than the people on the other side. It may not be living, but he had beat the shit out of it.
The substance, symbiote Dr. Ava had called it, churned inside its tank. Simon felt he might be sick. Carefully, he grabbed a scalpel off the nearby table and took small steps towards the tank.
As he looked over it, the dark liquid began bubbling. Small tendrils began to rise as if reaching for him. "Oh, fuck that," Simon said simply, tossing the scalpel at the symbiote and backing away.
No. No. Nope. Not happening. There was nothing now that could convince him to go near that stuff. He would rather be in the SHIELD prison. "Nope. I'm done. Get me out. I quit. Put me back in prison."
Simon raised his hands, fully ready to face insult. He didn't care, it wasn't worth it. To his surprise, there was no sound from the intercom. "Ava. I'm done. Not doing it. Kill me if you want. I won't do it."
"You can and you will. There is no going back. You will do it, Convict."
Simon would rather die. He took a deep, shuttering breath as he looked back to the substance. It had stopped bubbling. With a heavy heart, he walked back to the table and began looking through the items.
If he was being honest with himself, he wouldn't actually prefer death. Not with freedom so close. All he had to do was a few simple experiments. He didn't have to touch it. Just mess with it. Like some kind of slimey sludge. Jello. Pudding. Something like that. Not the smelly, congealed mess in the tank.
To his surprise, he had been provided a lab burner. It attentched to a tiny tub that came out of the wall. As he turned the handle, it lit itself. The second he lifted it, the flame went out. No way to light anything on fire.
Next to it was a small ceramic dish that set perfectly in the iron ring cemented a few inches above the fire. His chest grew tight as he picked up a pipet and approached the symbiote again.
Dozens of tiny hands started reaching up again. Simon made sure to keep his fingers far away as he slowly sucked up a bit of the liquid. As soon as he dropped the liquid into the ceramic, it lit on fire and a small screeching came from it. Soon, the substance was gone, leaving behind an inky black film.
"It's really flammable," he muttered, examining the pot.
"Don't waste oxygen. Say it to the camera."
Simon rolled his eyes and began looking around. Embedded in one of the walls was a small black camera. He kneeled in front of it, and looked directly into the lens as he repeated the statement. "The symbiote is extremely flammable. Happy?"
"Very. Continue."
Simon huffed as he stood, trying to come up with other things he could possibly do. The symbiote was churning more furiously now. The hand were gone, all replaced with large bubbles.
The convict looked back over the tank, trying to see the bubbles better. There was no heat source under this thing. And it never boiled, just instantly burned. To be acting like that it had to be living. But there was no-
His thoughts were stopped as one of the bubbles popped, spraying his eyes with the red substance. For a moment, Simon stood there, unsure of what to do. Sighing, he grabbed for the wall, making his way back to the table and grabbing a rag to wipe his face.
Before he got the chance to find the rag, an intense pressure filled his head. The next moment, his entire body was flung through the air, crashing backwards into the tank. His head hit the glass hard enough to crack. He could feel hot blood flow from the wound down his neck. Could hear Ava yelling over the intercom. Then nothing.
Do you believe in God, Simon?
"What? Ava?"
Do you?
"I... no. I told you. I don't follow Eden anymore. Why are you asking me dumb questions?"
Who's Ava?
"What? Who am I talking to?"
I am a convict. They put me in a room. SM-8-B.
"I'm a convict too. SM-13-E. Wait... I'm not the first person down here?"
No.
The world came back in a burst of bright colors. Simon bolted up, panting wildly, clutching his chest to try and catch his air. His head ached like never before. What took more notice was the hole in his stomach. He nearly doubled over as hunger overtook his body.
Where was he again? This wasn't the prison.
That freaky lab. Right. He slowly managed to unfurl his body and stand, looking around the room. The lab burner had turned itself off at some point. The tank that had held the symbiote now had a head shaped hole in one side. The substance was gone. Every drop of it.
"Ava?" Simon called, glancing around. The door still looked welded shut. "What happened?"
There was only silence for multiple long, unbearable moments. Simon began to wonder if he had truly died and this was Hell.
Then, like an angel sent from above, the intercom cracked to life. "Convict? Is that really you?" She sounded somewhere between stunned and amazed.
"Uh... yeah? I think that stuff did something. I hit my head," he told her, rubbing the back of his head. It was tender, but there seemed to be no bleeding wound. Odd. He would have sworn her remembered feeling blood. As an afterthought, he added, "May be slightly concussed."
"I don't believe it!" She said happily. "This shouldn't be possible. You should have ran out of oxygen days ago. Your heart stopped for God's sake! How are you standing?"
"...what?" The word was spoke with nothing short of horror. Days? His heart stopped? That wasn't possible. It had only been a few moments. Minutes at most.
Her voice cut out as she yelled something to others. A frw new voices joined. None of their words were distinguishable. Simon stood there, staring at the camera and waiting for an explanation. He hated the waiting.
"So... are we done? Kinda hard to experiment on something that isn't there. And I free to go?"
The intercom went dead. Simon stayed still, hoping they would soon laugh and tell him of course. He had done enough. Fire and smashing his head was already too much for the convict.
"Afraid not."
"Excuse me? But I did what you asked. You said to see how it reacted to things. It fucking left! What else am I supposed to do?"
Anger quickly bubbled in his chest. She had promised his freedom. This was bullshit and she was crazy to think he would stand for this.
"Sorry, convict. Not that I don't want to give you your freedom, but that thing has bonded with you. Letting you leave now would be letting SM-13-E get away. We need her to stay where we can analyze you two."
"So I'm just supposed to sit here and be your little test subject?" Their silence was answer enough. Simon grit his teeth and locked his eyes on the camera, hoping she was watching. "I was promised my freedom if I played your game. Do this for you and go free, that was the deal. So what? Now you just get to use me until I die?! We had a deal, Ava!"
"I'm sorry, Convict. Truly. But we can't let you leave with the symbiote. She will either leave kn her own, or..."
"Or I die?" Simon guessed. He couldn't rip his gaze from the camera. There was no assurance she was even looking. That didn't matter. He needed something to be pissed at.
Ava didn't say anything. In a bout of rage Simon clenched his fists and swung at the camera. He wasn't expecting anything to happen. Maybe even a broken hand on his part.
To his shock, a spider web of cracks spread across the wall. The camera fell out with a dull thub. Simon stared in awe at his hand. The crimson liquid that had been in the tank now covered his limb. It swirled menacingly. This time, it didn't unsettled him the way it had before.
"What did you do, Eden scum?!" Ava screamed as alarms began blaring in the room. The loud, shrill sound grated on Simon's ears. There was an odd tugging in his chest as he glanced around. "Have you lost your mind?!"
Still want your freedom, Simon?
"Who said that?" He muttered quietly, looking around as Ava continued yelling over the speaker. There was no one there. The voice sounded so close, as if it was his own thought.
I can hear you thinking. I'm here. I can help you, Simon.
"Who are you?" He whispered. Instead of looking around, he closed his eyes, focusing on the deep, growling voice. "Where are you?"
Ava called me SM-13-E. And I am here. In you. Let me help you.
"How?"
Simon was started from his thoughts as a loud banging started on the door. Get me food, and I get you out of here, the voice told him quietly.
He was a little short on money right now having not carried any in fifteen years. "What do you want? I'm kinda broke right now."
Money isn't an issue. My meal is right behind that door. What so your say? Still want your freedom, Butcher?
Behind the...? Oh.
Oh no.
The guard kept yelling as they slowly managed to open the door. "You wanna eat... them? The people?"
Yes.
No.
"That's disgusting and... cruel! You can't eat people!"
They tried to kill you Simon. It is only fair.
She had a point.
No! He could not think like that. Simon never wanted anyone to die. All he ever wanted was to live his life in peace and not rotting in a jail cell. He wouldn't give into a disembodied voice's demand to eat people.
Dinner time! The voice cried as the door fell open.
The next thing Simon remembered was waking up staring at the stars and his hunger finally dying away. To his right was a giant billboard. The entire thing was just a man in tight blue spandex with an oversized raincoat. The words Star-Spider were written just above him.
Elli's comment about this week's newest vigilante played through his head as Simon closed his eyes.