#kayparadiselost

[jube-art]

*throws the door open* PLEASE EXPLAIN THE INFINITY STONES AU TO ME I HAVE TO KNOW—

"You really do live up to your rapscallion reputation," Janet Drake chirps, her hands not so subtly feeling up his arm and chest.

Bruce forces a laugh as he takes one of her hands. She's smiling, slightly drunk. She doesn't notice, too dulled by cocktails, when Bruce slips one of her Valerian gold rings from her fingers and tucks it into his pocket.

"I'm glad that you find my reputation so…" he leans in and she smiles wider. "Tantalizing."

Her eyes gleam with lust and her tugging becomes more insistent. He has no intention of taking this woman to bed tonight, but a passed-out lady of the house makes stealing the priceless artifacts taken from their rightful owners much easier.

"You're as charming as they say," Janet hummed, leaning into him.

"You're more beautiful than all the glimmering things in your house."

He expects her to melt, but instead she goes stiff. Her faces cracks, suddenly becoming annoyed.

"You're lying," she snaps at him, trying to whip around but slightly wobbling.

Bruce suddenly sees his chance beginning to slip. "No, lady, out of everything I've seen, you're the most--"

"You haven't seen everything."

Bruce blinked.

Oh.

Oh.

His doubt faded. He interest grew.

"What have I not seen, my lady?"

She yanks him in a different direction and begins to lead him deeper into her sprawling. They pass magnificent item after, magnificent item and each pass makes Bruce more excited to see what could be hidden behind the thick, impenetrable looking door that Janet clumsily unlocks. Bruce remembers every pass of her fingers, every single thing she did to get past the locks.

The door groaned open into a gold-leafed room. Everything sparkled and gleamed in gold. Fine drapes, silken pillows, exquisitely carved decorations hanging from the ceiling. And, in the middle of the room, a gigantic bed.

Suddenly, Bruce felt his heart drop into his stomach and dread crawl its way up his throat.

A tiny figure on the bed moved, leverage up on his thin arms to stare at the newcomers.

He was tiny, pale, impossibly thin with his bones creating knobby along his body. He didn't have a shirt on, Bruce couldn't even tell if he had pants on, and he could see the boy's breath pick up the moment he laid eyes on Bruce.

He nervously swallowed making the golden collar and leash around his throat bob.

He was nervously looking between Janet and Bruce, taking them in and growing increasing more anxious.

"Miss Drake," he said his tiny voice was thin. "What can I do for you tonight?"

He looked like he wanted to ask anything but that.

"It's it beautiful," she said while staring at the boy.

Bruce couldn't help but note the "it" and scrunched his nose in disgust.

His mouth as dry as he spoke. "What…What's going on here?"

"It's the Mind Stone," she answered. Bruce saw the boy's flinch, the way he seemed to try to melt into the golden covers. "It's been in my family for centuries. All the possibilities of the universe kept right here in our guest bedroom. It can answer any question."

She brightened and pushed Bruce forward.

"Go on! Go! Ask it a question."

Bruce slowly approached the bed.

The boy shuffled, eyes flickering down, trying to appear as small as possible. He flinched away from every movement. He was terrified of Bruce's hands.

Bruce tried to be as much as he could to be gentle as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"What is your name?"

The boy shuddered and shook his head. "I…I don't remember. Someone took it. A long time ago."

"Someone took it?"

He nodded. "T-they said that it was distracting me… because I w-wanted…" His face tightened. "I don't remember."

Bruce chewed his lip, looking over the chains that kept the boy on the bed, the locks on the door to a windowless room. His lack of memories to a life outside of these four walls. A prison. Both physically and in the mind.

"Would you like to leave here?"

The boy's head snapped up. Suddenly, he looked so, so desperate. "Please," he begged. "Please."

(a collective au by the discord, the writing is by @salparadiselost ) (Does this explain anything? no. But it is fun!)

[salparadiselost]

Trying to resurrect my twitter! Follow me at @kayparadiselost on Twitter for more randomness, one sentence snippets, and more general thoughts.