Night in Vegas

Tony's mesmerizing hazel eyes bore into her green ones and she could feel the heat rising inside her. She tried to blink it away but instead found herself getting lost in his gaze. Before long, Serena's muscles began to loosen and relax.

"Yet it is so simple to get you into this state...but the moment I do this," He leaned in and locked his lips on hers. Almost immediately, Serena's eyes snapped open, wide with fear and confusion as she gasped. Tony drew back and examined her face. He watched with curiosity as the black swirls slowly faded from her eyes and the light returned. "You wake back up instantly. What a perplexing situation."

Serena shook her head rapidly and stumbled backwards, her knees buckling underneath her. She landed on the floor with a thud. As soon as her back hit the carpet, her mind clouded over, "What are you?" She whispered weakly as her eyelids drooped halfway shut.

Tony smiled, "I almost feel inclined to answer that question. You aren't an ordinary human, if you are human at all. I wonder what they are working so hard to keep locked away..." He crouched in front of Serena. "You must be pretty valuable if you're being guarded by a very powerful spell."

He traced a finger along Serena's cheek then trailed it down her neck, stopping between her breasts. "What this?" He held the necklace given to her by Cheryl and rubbed his thumb over the stone pendant. "Interesting..."

"Get out of my head," Serena muttered sleepily.

Tony chuckled softly, "Is it possible that you don't know who or what you are?"

"I don't know anything!" Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her head and squeezed her eyes tight. "Stop this please! Please just leave me alone! I won't say anything. Just let me leave. I was forced out her tonight by my friend. I just wanted to stay at the hotel and go home without any trouble." She begged desperately.

"So pure and innocent, yet so naive and sheltered." He kept his eyes locked with the pendant and tapped a finger on it thoughtfully. "Answers might lie in here, but first..." A sudden loud snarl erupted from Tony's throat as he shot upright, his eyes flashing an eerie red. "That spell is interfering. I cannot enter your mind. The bond is too strong."

Tony backed off and paced the room angrily, grumbling curses under his breath, "I can't access her memories, damnit!" In a fit of fury he punched a hole in the wall next to Serena which caused her to jump. Her heart hammered wildly as he stalked towards her. Grabbing her roughly, he lifted her to her feet and pinned her against the nearest piece of furniture, a heavy oak dresser.

Serena cried out as her body slammed against the hard surface. "Please, stop it! Please!!" She begged, struggling against his firm grip.

"Let's try this again," Tony growled, entrancing Serena with his eyes as he grabbed the pendant. "Tell me where you got this necklace Serena."

"I've had it my entire life, I don't know how I got it." Serena answered obediently.

Tony pursed his lips. The answer was unexpected to say the least and disappointing. Whoever had bound the girl with a ward spell had done so without her knowledge. He frowned and let go of the charm.

"Take off the necklace and give it to me," Tony demanded. Serena nodded compliantly and obeyed without protest. She unclasped the silver chain and handed over the magical object. Once it was safely in his palm, he inspected the shiny gem, turning it over between his fingertips. "I'll look more into this later. Let's get back to you now. Serena, look at me."

Slowly, Serena lifted her head to meet his gaze. All fear subsided as he stared deep into her soul. His eyes flickered a different color and her head swam, everything in the room blurred together like watercolors dripping on paper. "Relax Serena, forget about the necklace and concentrate on me," Tony crooned.

"What necklace?" She slurred, her eyelids closing briefly.

"Good girl, now the-" Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of deja vu engulfed Serena. Her eyes rolled back into her head as images flashed before her mind, leaving her gasping for air as the past came flooding back. The visions continued to roll through her mind at an alarming speed, memories of a life she couldn't remember rushed forward, followed by voices screaming and crying, begging and pleading to be freed.

When the torrent ceased, Serena crumpled to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes fluttered open momentarily before she passed out. Tony watched her fall. He cocked his head and studied the prone form on the floor. "Curiouser and curiouser. Perhaps there is something unique about her after all." He wondered aloud.

Tony shrugged and turned his attention back to the necklace in his hand. "That is odd. There was no protection ward on this." He held the jewelry close to his face and peered at it suspiciously. "What tricks are they playing at? This is obviously the work of a magician."

Looking at Serena on the floor, Tony smirked maliciously, "I can scene it now, you trul-" He was interrupted by his door being blown open violently, nearly ripping itself apart.

"Don't touch her," Cheryl bellowed, her hands outstretched towards Tony.

"You have quite the timing," Tony said as he folded his arms across his chest, still holding the necklace in his fist. His red eyes blazed brightly and his expression darkened. "I do wonder why you even let me get so close in the first place. Almost as if you wanted me to remove her necklace."

"Her necklace is none of your business!" Cheryl snarled and stomped her foot on the floor with every word. Sparks flew everywhere creating a trail of fire which traveled towards Tony.

Tony glanced down at the raging inferno heading toward him. His mouth curled into a fiendish smile, "Nice trick." He waved a hand and the flames dissipated into a puff of smoke. "I wouldn't want to burn the place down though, so maybe let's keep the magic to a minimum, hmm?" He wiggled his fingers and sent Cheryl flying backwards across the room.

"I've not had a guardian visit in quite some time. This is turning out to be an interesting night." Tony smirked.

Cheryl scrambled up from where she'd fallen, her arms extended outwards and palms facing him. A ball of fire burst forth from both hands launching at Tony simultaneously. His eyes narrowed as the blast hit its mark sending him crashing into the wall next to Serena. He shook his head and chuckled lightly, "You certainly aren't giving up easily, are you?"

Tony groaned as the pain intensified and he dropped the pendant. It fell to the ground next to Serena, causing her to wake up from unconsciousness. Serena blinked and groggily sat up with a throbbing headache. She saw Tony lying on the floor with the necklace next to her. Instantly, the fog cleared and she regained her senses.

Serena gasped loudly as reality set in. She looked up and witnessed Cheryl casting another round of spells on Tony while he lay motionless. "Cheryl, what the fuck are you doing?" She yelled.

"I'll explain later, we don't have time for this. We have to go NOW!" Cheryl replied frantically without even glancing at Serena.

Just then, Tony's body stirred on the ground. "Oh, no you don't." He muttered and glared at them both menacingly. "This is far from over girls. We are not done here," he warned in a low voice. With a flick of his wrist, his eyes glowed crimson as he vanished into thin air.

He reappeared behind Cheryl, startling her enough to disrupt her spellwork. The flames she was conjuring disappeared harmlessly as she spun around. "How dare you come to my house and interrupt me. No one gets away with that," Tony growled. "You know what happens now." He snatched Cheryl's arm and pulled her close staring directly into her eyes. "Do you realize how much stronger than you I am? How foolish and arrogant you were for coming alone? Did your master teach you nothing?" He sneered contemptuously as his grip tightened painfully around her upper arm.

"I am a fool..." Cheryl panted, struggling to keep eye contact with him. Sweat dripped down her temples and her pulse raced frantically. "But so are you it seems." She flashed a devilish grin. Tony cocked his head quizzically, confused by her remark.

Cheryl raised a hand towards him and started chanting incantations under her breath. Her eyes burned intensely with determination as she recited spell after spell at lightning speed. Tony felt his body begin to tremble violently, his knees buckling beneath him, causing him to fall backwards onto the hardwood floor. He writhed and groaned as Cheryl continued her attack on him relentlessly.

Finally, she stopped and lowered her head down to peer straight into his face. "I have to admit, I enjoyed beating the shit out of you," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Seems you are more than an ordinary Guardian." Tony's voice resounded from behind Cheryl, completely unscathed by her attacks.

Cheryl whirled around and took several steps backward. Tony leaned casually against the door frame leading into the kitchen watching them intently. "You Guardians are always quite the pests. So nosy and annoying," he complained as he rubbed his palms together.

Serena took a couple steps to her right cautiously eyeing him warily, her chest heaving with each exhale. Tony chuckled at the obvious uneasiness etched upon Serena's face, and directed his gaze towards Cheryl. "Come along. It is my duty to educate you properly." He beckoned with his finger.

Cheryl shook her head vehemently and crossed her arms over her bosom defiantly. Tony sighed and snapped his fingers. An invisible force lifted Cheryl into the air and dragged her toward Tony, suspending her above the floor just inches away from his face.

Cheryl squirmed against the bindings holding her but couldn't escape. She twisted in midair and met Tony's cruel gaze, "Cheryl, was it? Such a sweet name for such a bitter Guardian. You are quite the strong willed little thing." Tony grinned wickedly. He caressed her cheek tenderly. "Let's fix that first."

He placed his palm atop her head while continuing to stare into her eyes. Cheryl struggled harder than before trying desperately to free herself, however, her efforts only served to make Tony laugh. "Struggling will not help you any now, my dear." Tony told Cheryl in a soft voice. "Your mind is mine to play with."

Serena stood helplessly frozen to the spot, unsure of what she should do. Then, without warning, she charged at Tony with all the strength she possessed. At that exact moment, Tony snapped his fingers and an enormous gust of wind knocked Serena to the side, slamming her hard against the wall. She cried out in pain as her shoulder dislocated and fell to the floor clutching her injured limb.

"No!" Cheryl screamed hysterically. "Stop hurting her!" She screamed louder.

"Don't worry about her right now, she will be fine." Tony murmured soothingly. "You are who I'm concerned about at the moment. Now that you're calmer let us continue. Shall we?" He began stroking her head again and his eyes changed into a brilliant orange color.

Cheryl grimaced as flashes of light filled her vision. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and disoriented. Her head ached terribly but she tried to ignore it. Tony removed his hand from her head and stepped back to admire his handiwork. He smiled triumphantly when she collapsed onto the ground. She lay there panting heavily while trying to regain composure.

"Much better," Tony complimented smugly, "However, I am not finished yet. That will not do either." He grabbed Cheryl's hair tightly making her gasp sharply and tug her up to standing. He then grabbed Cheryl's chin and lifted her head, his fingers digging into her cheeks. "You will not fight me, understand?"

Cheryl nodded meekly, unable to speak due to the pain coursing through every nerve ending. Tony smiled approvingly. "Excellent, good girl," He praised and released her chin, letting her fall back to the floor limply.

His hands wandered over her body, gently massaging and caressing every inch of skin. Cheryl shuddered involuntarily as his touch grew increasingly intimate, goosebumps prickling over her flesh. She moaned softly under his ministrations, her breathing labored and shallow. His fingertips traced patterns across her collarbone and trailed along the curve of her spine until finally reaching the sensitive areas of her neck. "Relax, enjoy the sensations, Cheryl..." He purred seductively. "Don't fight it..." He whispered into her ear.

"Stop," Serena's hoarse plea cut through the sexual tension hanging thick in the air. "Leave her alone..." Her voice trembled slightly despite her best attempts to remain composed.

"I can't do that, I need to mark her before someone else comes and interrupts our time together." Tony retorted without looking up from Cheryl.

"M--Mark her?" Serena stuttered confused.

Tony looked up meeting Serena's frightened gaze before shifting it back down to Cheryl's neck, "Yes, to mark her as mine." He replied simply. He held his palm over the top of her throat applying slight pressure, a soft red glow emanating from beneath his palm. Slowly, a large red triangle formed on Cheryl's pale skin just below her jawline. When Tony was satisfied with his work, he lifted his hand and admired the newly imprinted symbol proudly.

He brought Cheryl up to her feet with one hand supporting her lower back, "Seems there are others already on the way. Time to go. I'm sure we will meet again quite soon." He turned toward Serena, his hand still wrapped around Cheryl's waist. With a sharp whistle, the dark mist started to swirl around them. Serena watched in horror as they vanished without warning, leaving her alone amongst the rubble.