Symbiote 0213: Broken Walls

Flickering green hues illuminated the gold cell. Green lines were spread across the walls and floor like an encompassing circuit that radiated an unfathomable, suppressive energy. The translucent green energy shield at the entrance didn't hide the inside of the cell from the eyes of the two guards stationed outside.

Inside the cell, were Alex and Jane. Alex was free to walk around with just his hands cuffed in front of him — they had changed to a different set of cuffs when putting him and Jane in the cell. Jane, on the other hand, was cuffed to the wall with her arms held above her head, forced to stay on her toes.

"Why are you free?" She asked while struggling against the suppressive cuffs, unwilling to give up. She had already attempted to summon Mjolnir to herself, but without a response, she couldn't do anything.

[This entire cell is made of a circuit that is harnessing the Soul Stone's power, Jane. They don't need to restrain us because the circuit is doing the suppression for us. You are tied up like that because you annoyed them.] Alex said helpfully, [I, on the other hand, am a model prisoner. No resistance, no punching the guard in the face, nothing. These things matter.]

Jane's response was cut short by a deep growl that resounded through the hall, "Unhand me, metal fiends!" Thor's booming voice reached Jane's ears, making her sigh.

"How many Thors does that make?" She asked Alex rhetorically. They had already passed by a few occupied cells, telling them that it wasn't just them who were in this situation.

"Three," He said, "Four if I include you. Someone's probably luring them here."

She didn't respond to his words, [So what's your plan?] She asked instead, [You're not one to just act like a sitting duck while someone keeps you imprisoned.]

[I'm working on it.] He said, [I want the Soul Stone that these people are using to suppress us.]

[You make it sound like there are more Soul Stones.] She said, [There's only supposed to be one of each Infinity Stone in a universe.]

[Under normal circumstances, you would be correct. But this universe is not normal, is it?] Alex's question stumped Jane.

She didn't say anything and started brooding while sending a piercing glare at the green-hued barrier.

After a few minutes of silence, [I think that it's been long enough that you delayed accepting me don't you think?] Alex asked her.

[Was that your master plan? Getting us trapped in a helpless situation where I would have no way to escape without accepting your help.] Jane said.

[I think you know the answer to that question.] Alex said uncaringly while taking a seat on the floor and leaning against the wall beside Jane.

She glanced at him, sitting there calmly as if he didn't care about what happened here, and felt fury bubbling up inside her, [What is wrong with you?] She snapped, [We are here stuck in what could possibly be a deathly situation for us and you are nonchalant as if it is of no consequence. Not to mention, how these people are literally capturing Thor's variants as if they are some kind of zoo animal with the use of the Soul Stone. Do you really feel nothing about all this?]

What greeted Jane's outburst was the inexpressive unreadable blank face of Alex as he looked up at her. It needed her to crane her neck, but the apathy-filled expression sent a chill down her spine. He finally gave her his answer, [It's because I truly, genuinely, do not feel anything close to remorse for anything here, Jane. To me, this planet, the Sovereign, Xandarians, none of it matters. This planet can burn and explode and I couldn't give two shits about it. Hell, if I'm given an ultimatum where I have to choose between snatching the Soul Stone and destroying this planet then I will, without a second of thought, choose to take the Soul Stone at the expense of this planet and all the lives on it.]

Jane had complicated feelings toward Alex's words and didn't know how to respond to him, growing quiet with a contemplative expression, [Then why haven't you dissolved our bond and left? I know you have multiple copies of yourself scattered all across the forty converged Earths. You can leave me here with no consequence to yourself.]

Alex took a while to give her a reply, [Truth be told, I would rather not destroy the possible bond that we may develop eventually. As you have most likely realized, I not only have multiple copies in the cluster but also multiple hosts. Dissolving this bond would be, at worst, a minor inconvenience.]

[Then why?] She asked, her voice trembled as she spoke.

[I'm getting to it. I like you. Plain and simple. Think of it as some kind of appreciation toward your headstrong personality that's a breath of fresh air in front of my other hosts. Maybe it's just that you are very strong and can help me get much stronger as we deepen our biological bond. There are many factors to it. Ultimately, I don't want to dissolve our bond, so I'm not going to, plain and simple.] Alex confessed.

She didn't know how many of his words she could blindly trust, but she understood that he wasn't planning on letting go, [Can you … Can you tell me what your endgame is here? What do you, really, expect from our bond?]

Alex returned a crooked smile, turning his face back up, [Are you sure that you can handle my answer?] His lips curled up into a menacing grin.

[Tell me …] Jane didn't like the expression that she was seeing on Alex's face but she was too deep in to give up like that.

[I want to conquer both your body and soul, Jane. I want to make sure that you are fully aware that you belong to me for all of eternity. You will be my general of war. My wife. My confidante. And when we free ourselves from this sick joke of a multiversal prank, we will have all of existence at our fingertips.]

His words sent a shiver down Jane's spine, giving rise to an image in her mind. Countless beings, spread across entire universes, acknowledging Alex's rule, bowing respectfully. Behind him, at the side, she, with her weapons drawn, stood by like the general of his multiversal army. Beside her, stood six faceless figures, undoubtedly female, each with their own respective roles and responsibilities that she was unaware of. She felt a faint, seventh figure, still illusory and unclear, standing alongside the six to make a total of eight. In front of him, an army, comprised of some formless mist, yet with unmistakable grandeur, covered the expanse as far as her eyes could see. They stretched even further beyond, every single one of them, silently awaiting his orders. She noticed some of the foremost beings within the army standing at the front, like commanders, similar to the previous six faceless feminine figures that stood at his sides.

The sound of Alex's fingers snapping brought her out of the lucid dream that had felt ever so real. She shook, her eyelids trembling as they fluttered open, only to see Alex's face right in front of her, the usual infuriating smirk on his lips. What she had experienced in that faint illusory yet realistic feeling vision had left her shaken. At this moment, meeting Alex's eyes, she felt the walls that she had so desperately clung to for so long crumbling to dust.

'Look away.'

She berated herself, but her body betrayed her mind, continuing to gaze into Alex's gentle yet bright emerald green eyes, unable to extricate herself from the spell that seemed to have been cast on her. Powerless, suppressed, restrained, her quivering eyes felt naked in front of him, vulnerable, unable to resist, her gaze fixed at her emerald green orbs.

"I see now that you just needed to feel my sincerity," Alex gently cupped Jane's face with a light smile, calming her tense, shivering figure.

'I was shivering?' 'When did he get free of those cuffs?'

As Alex's palm graced her cheek, the warmth calmed the tumultuous waves in her heart. Her questions, unable to escape her lips, dissipated into nonexistence.

"Alex …" Jane spoke as Alex merely shushed her.

"I know," He said as Jane felt herself falling further and further down the spiral.

"But —" This time, it was Alex's lips meeting hers that shut her up. It was a momentary, fleeting kiss, but it left a lasting impression. The faint sense of warmth on her lips and the fleeting breath that had just graced her cheek left her longing and wanting more.

"Describe to me what you saw, Jane," Alex said, the distance between their faces still negligible as he continued cupping her cheek. She finally had the presence of mind to realize that it wasn't just their faces, but their bodies were also sticking to each other. Jane felt her breasts being lightly compressed due to being pushed by Alex's sturdy build, her thighs brushing against his as his other hand held her by the waist, pulling her close.

"Didn't … Didn't you show me that scene?" She spoke with a glazed tone, the amplified beating of her heart felt like drums in her ears that made her stomach churn.

"I prompted the hallucination biologically. I couldn't control its contents," Alex said, "It was all you. I merely guided you when I said that you were going to be my general. Everything else, your own interpretation of our future." This was the reason that she had been so shaken up when Alex snapped his fingers. That hallucination was the amalgamation of what she knew to be true alongside her deepest desires, leaving her vulnerable and wanting in front of Alex. It was also the result of Alex having spent almost two months convincing her, helping her in the tiniest ways, and slowly breaking her defenses. All of those efforts finally broke through like a dam that finally made Jane accept him.

The fleeting kiss had been the sign that marked the complete destruction of her walls and Jane leaned forward, capturing Alex's lips in a passionate kiss. She gave into her desires and poured her passion into that kiss, unwilling to let go of Alex. Deep down, she knew, she was afraid of him giving up on her. That was why she kept trying to push him away. Like a patient with depression who refuses to accept the help that they are given and lashes out, she was the same. Broken, unwilling to be in a similar situation again. But she was lonely and wanting.

Alex felt a sense of surprise as Jane pressed her lips against his, even going as far as to push her tongue into his mouth to convey her passion. He wasn't one to passively accept a kiss and quickly responded to her with equal and even greater passion.

***

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