The Watch-Victoria “A Spider-Man’s tale”

[Enchantress]

The events within take place between the last Watch Mission and the beginning of this story

Sinister's Song
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Mere moments before, Victoria was standing toe to toe with the God of Mischief. It had taken a leap of faith on her part, but she had somehow managed to summon up the powers she thought long lost with her sentient cloak and the Phoenix Force.
Rematerializing, sword in hand, she found herself surrounded by blackness.
“Hello Victoria...” she heard his voice behind her before she had a chance to even gather her bearings.
She turned slowly, fear creeping up from within the depths of her. This was the moment she had dreaded for years now.
Light slowly began to filter into the room they were standing it, candlelight from some forgotten corridor.
The diamond on his forehead was glowing just as hers was. Her sword at the ready, she did her best to calm her fear and not let him see it.
“Hhhello Sinister.” her voice was just slightly jittery as she backed slowly away from him.
He however, was having none of that. Holding his hand out to her, he beckoned her towards him.
Nathaniel Essex slowly moved closer to his finest creation. Backing her into a corner in more ways than one.
“I knew that eventually, you’d find your way back to me.” he said, hand still extended towards her.
Victoria took a deep breath and did her best to quell the voice screaming within her head to run in the opposite direction as fast as she could. Even the silky seductive voice who had been wooing her all these weeks since the Phoenix had vacated her was warning her away from Sinister.
“I didn’t come here on purpose, Father.” the last was said with such contempt that you could almost hear her spitting it out.
“My dear, I’m only serving to warn you against the real monsters. The ones creeping into your mind, doing their best to seduce you into something dark and destructive.” Hand still extended, Sinister tilted his head slightly and watched his words sink in.
“You’re joking right? Oh come on!” It was like a light switch going off inside Victoria, her fear was replaced with unstoppable rage.
“You want to warn me against destruction and seductive monsters? Isn’t that rather the pot calling the kettle black syndrome?”
Then he did something he should have never done, he laughed at her.
Victoria’s eyes lowered to slits as the diamond on her forehead did not only glow, but slowly began to drip blood down her face.
“My girl, you’ve yet to see my darkness. Would you like for me to put a name to the voice who speaks to you now. Deep within your mind, wooing you, seducing you for his own cause? N’astihr would be that name.” he lowered his hand as he saw her rage begin to produce physical results.
“Good, let her get mad...let her burn with anger...” He thought to himself as he turned and walked away from her. Walking across the room to the desk, he picked up his journal and turned back to her, a malevolent smile on his face.

Victoria almost couldn’t believe where she had reappeared. But figuring in that Sinister must have sequenced her DNA with some sort of failsafe, something to make her always want to return to him, it didn’t surprise her either.
“I have one question for you.” Victoria said as she sheathed her sword. He was standing with his back to her, his cloak whipping wildly around him. Just like hers used to do. She was glad to be rid of that damned thing.
“I may have that answer.” was all he said as he turned, his journal in his hand.
It took everything in her to keep her voice from cracking as her emotions threatened to spill over.
“Why Scott Summers? Why him?”

Sinister stood silent for a moment before answering her question.
“I see you must have encountered Summers in your journeys. Were you compelled by him? Did you long to be near him? Did you love him, as Madeline did?” he was taunting her. He knew the answer she’d give him, but being Sinister, this was just another game.
“You unmitigated bastard.” she said in a low dangerous voice. “I don’t know which one is worse, you or N’astihr.”
His eyebrow arched at the mention of the demon. So N’astihr had been wooing her already.
“Well, did you?” he pushed again, wanting to hear her admit it.
A lone trail of a teardrops made their way down her cheek.
“Why?” she asked again. “Why do this? What was the purpose?” her mind couldn’t wrap around it. Was it meant to? She doubted it, no one understood the inner workings of Sinister, and she wasn’t about to try.
“Why? You need to ask why? My girl, you’re not as bright as I gave you credit for.” he laid the journal back on his desk and approached her again.
“It’s not the why you need to ask, but how.” he crossed his arms and stood there, watching her take stock of what he had said so far.
“I know how. I’m not stupid Sinister. It’s a mere string of resequenced DNA.” her ire was gone, replaced with a desperation of sorts.
“Then you are as smart, good... good.” he offered his hand again, and surprising herself, she took it.

Deep within the pits of god only knows where, the demon known as N’astihr watched as Sinister did his best to undo the weeks of progress he had made with his new Goblin Queen, Victoria. It had been a coup on his part of take not only Madeline Pryor from Sinister, but his beloved creation as well. The war between the two had been waging for ages and it didn’t look to stop anytime soon.
Calling out to his demons, he ordered them quickly to pull Victoria from Sinister’s side.
“I’ll not lose this time. I’ve won before, I’ll win again.” he hissed.

Sinister took her hand and led her from the room. He could feel the raw emotions emanating from her. This might be his one chance.
“Victoria, I realize perhaps in your mind, I’ve done some horrible things. Everything I’ve ever done has been for your benefit, your glory.” he said to her softly, leading her towards the lower levels of the house.
She didn’t reply, she didn’t need to. Part of her wanted to die right now. Part of her felt life was over and nothing was worth living for again. Because no matter where she went, she always came full circle again, and she’s always be in his shadow, or walking beside him. So why fight fate? Maybe he could keep this N’asthir from entering her mind as the Phoenix had done. Maybe he was just using her again, as he always had.
More than anything, Victoria was just tired. She was tired of running from Sinister, tired of being used, tired of everything.
When she finally spoke, it stopped him in his tracks.
“No matter what I do, where I go, I’ll always end up here again, won’t I? Either longing to be with you, or longing to be with Scott Summers, no matter who holds my heart.” she had been looking straight at the floor when she spoke, when she finally looked up, he saw the tears trailing down her cheeks. Somewhere deep inside himself, he smiled.
“Yes.” a simple answer as he lead her down a staircase.
“No matter what I want, even if this is all for me. No matter if I want nothing to do with this. I want nothing to do with you, I hate you.” she didn’t sound very convincing. She wasn’t sure anymore if she was sure of anything.
“I know.” he said very matter of factly, leading her deep beneath the house.
“Then why do this?” she asked, looking at him closely, analyzing his features to see if somehow she could read him. She’d learned long ago to never try to read his mind.
“Because...I...Can.” he said in a very triumphant way.

Within the shadows of the house, the minions of N’astihr watched Sinister mentally seduce a fragile Victoria, leading her blindly into his lab.
When the moment was right, they made a grab for their new Queen.

He had felt their presence long before they made themselves known. Sinister knew N’astihr would put up a fight and he was ready.
Victoria gasped as what felt like white hot claws grabbed at her arms, her legs, they were everywhere. Suddenly the room was swarming with demons, she and Sinister surrounded.
“Hank...” her mind screamed as blackness overtook her again.

When Victoria next awoke, she was in the corner of her bedroom, her hair matted and caked in blood, a look of absolute horror on her face.
“It’s gone...it’s all gone.” she said as her longtime friend Peter Parker rushed to her side.
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