Lilith

Stepping out of a store with a bundle of paper bags in his arm filled with groceries, Steve Rogers made his way back to the Avengers mansion by foot. It was just a few blocks from the mansion itself, a quick jaunt if anything, but he enjoyed the walk. Tony had told him repeatedly that the mansion had staff that picked up foodstuffs and goods for the Avengers, but… Steve always preferred to get his own things, plus the walk did him good. Passing by a news stand, he spotted a few papers continuing to show headlines of missing persons throughout the city. Men and women over the course of the last few weeks had been disappearing off the streets, what was worse was there were also cases of murders so heinous, they compared to the dark days when Carnage had broken free from Ravencroft prison.

Several reports showed men torn apart, limb from limb and women practically cut open like carved birds in hotel rooms and alley ways. Eviscerated, mauled, or worse. Whoever or whatever it was that was causing this mayhem started in Jersey almost half a month ago and was making its way to the greater Manhattan area. It was enough to make Steve sick to his stomach, and the murders were happening more and more frequently of late. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Steve continued his way back to the mansion with his goods in hand.

Passing an alleyway on the way back, Steve heard a woman cry out for help. Stopping in his tracks, he looked out over the narrow space between buildings and found two men assaulting a woman in the alley and pinning her to the brickwork of an adjacent wall. Even being several meters away, he could hear them commenting on what to do with her while one ripped open her skirt. She tried to call out for help again but ended up with a hand around her mouth to keep her from screaming. Locking eyes with the frightened women for but a split instant, Steve reacted.

“HEY YOU TWO! GET OFF HER!”

Dropping his goods to the ground and storming into the alleyway, Steve caught one of the assailants with a right hook that sent the man reeling and spin back while the other looked up surprised. Letting the woman go, the man stormed towards Steve with a cocked back fist of his own, just as it was caught by Captain America who delivered a jab to the man’s nose that sent him tumbling back, both men completely out cold after hitting the ground hard. Making sure neither man had no fight left in them, Steve turned his attention to the woman clutching at her torn dress with a reassuring smile. A frightened stare was her only response to him approaching her, looking up at the man that saved her.

“Are you alright Ma’am?”

Stumbling forward and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, the blond-haired woman pressed her face into Steve’s chest and whimpered out in gratitude. A little taken back, Steve slowly wrapped his arms around her to keep her from trembling and help her regain her footing. “It was awful! They ambushed me just when I was going to cross the street. They were… They were…”

“It’s okay now, I don’t think they’ll be bothering anyone else for a little while.” Looking down at his feet, both men were still **** when he helped lead the woman out of the alley. “Let’s get you someplace where we can call the authorities, I think a friend of mine might have a spare dress for you to wear.” He offered, prying off his jacket and wrapping it around the woman’s shoulders to maintain her dignity as she wiped her tears. Gathering his dropped groceries at the crossroad of the alley, Steve helped guide the woman back to the Avengers mansion.

When the pair were out of sight, the two men in the alley quickly got back up to their feet without any worse for wear save for one who had to relocate his jaw from the punch he received from the super soldier who attacked them. Looking out the alleyway where their matriarch left with her prey, the two exchanged looks, and nodded. They had performed their part of the plan well and had been convincing. Being sure no one else was in sight, they ran the opposite way of the alley to pull a 100-pound sewer grate open with the same ease as lifting a plastic lid to make their escape. The two jumping down into the sewers and disappear from sight. Eager to join the rest of the hive and wait for future commands.

Stopping at a light, the woman wiped a strand of blond hair out of her eyes and looked up at the man leading her back to his home with a bashful smile. She looked to be in her early twenties, and despite how rough a situation he found her in, she did not have a scratch or mark on her save for her torn dress. She was beautiful, incredibly so. With high cheek bones, pert lips and ocean blue eyes that drew the man in until he blinked and looked away sheepishly. In no time at all the two had arrived at the front gates of the Avengers mansion, where Steve went to the intercom by the entrance and keyed in his card. An electric beep chirped out and the gate clamped open, allowing the large gates to swing open wide enough for a car to enter before the man helped guide her with him inside.

“Thank you for helping me, Mr…?”

“Name’s Steve, and what’s yours?”

“Me? Well… You can call me Lilith.” Tugging at the jacket around her shoulders more tightly, the woman inhaled his scent off the hem, a smile on her lips by the time they made their way through the front steps of the mansion. “Thanks again for letting me in…”