The journey to Oxenfurt was uneventful at first. Liam rode alongside Geralt, Ciri, Steve, and Natasha, all of them still pondering Tony's unusual request for assistance. The man was not known for asking for help unless it was absolutely necessary, which made this situation all the more intriguing.
Ciri was intrigued by this man who spoke over the radio. He had heard a lot about this man on the journey and was surprised to know that the man was genius. But what really caught Geralt's attention was that Ciri wasn't fazed at all by the technological products of Liam and others.
"I have seen better than that in one of the world I had hopped into." (A/N : Ciri once hinted that she had visited the world of Cyberpunk 2077)
Oxenfurt, as always, was a bustling hub of scholars, merchants, and travelers. The smell of roasted meat and ale from the taverns mixed with the distinct scent of parchment and ink, was still very evident. The group rode through the city, past students engaged in heated debates and street vendors shouting their wares. The atmosphere was as lively as ever, making it easy to dismiss any lingering doubts about Tony's call for aid.
They reached an inconspicuous inn on the edge of the city, where Tony had asked them to meet him. As they dismounted and stepped inside, the sight of Tony Stark, clad in a usual noble attire of this world, leaning against the bar with a mug in hand, greeted them.
His gaze lifted when they approached, and for a moment, there was something in his expression—an unease that was rare for him. At first, Ciri was introduced and Stark was happy to see Geralt finally able to end his search for his daughter.
"You're late," Tony greeted. "Figured you'd take your time."
"Didn't seem like an urgent request," Geralt responded.
"Not exactly," Tony sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Look, I didn't want to say much in the letter because I needed to be sure you'd come. But now that you're here, we've got a bigger problem."
"Stop being dramatic. We all know that we will show up when you called." Natasha said.
"Follow me. And don't make a scene." Tony said after looking around and sighed through his mouth. He seemed to be quite distressed.
Without another word, he led them out of the inn and through a series of narrow alleyways. The further they went, the quieter Oxenfurt became. Soon, they were at an old, abandoned warehouse near the riverbank. The place reeked of damp wood and mildew, with dust covering the broken crates inside. Tony led them to a trapdoor hidden beneath some old planks. He pulled it open, revealing a set of stone steps leading into darkness.
"Alright, this is where things get... complicated," Tony muttered.
"Where's Barton?" Steve asked.
"You will see him soon." Tony replied, not eyeing anyone of them.
The group followed, the air growing colder as they went deeper underground. The basement was dimly lit with only a few torches flickering along the damp stone walls. The scent of something unnatural lingered—iron, decay, and something else they couldn't quite place. Then they saw it.
Geralt was the first one to sense what it was once they came close.A dimeritium cage stood at the far end of the chamber, reinforced with thick bars. Inside, crouched in the shadows, was a man.
The moment they saw him, Ciri let out a sharp breath, while Natasha visibly stiffened. Steve's hand hovered near his weapon, ready for anything. Geralt took a step forward, golden eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.
The man had a pale skin, darkened veins, running along his neck and arms like cracks in stone. His eyes glowed a faint crimson, unnatural and haunting. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as if he were struggling against something within. His hands gripped the bars of the cage tightly, but he didn't make a move to lunge at them.
"What is this? Why is a vampire here?" Liam asked, as it didn't take much scrutiny to recognize what it was.
"This is Barton." Tony said.
"You got to be kidding me." Natasha said with a half laugh, expecting a prank from Tony and so did the others. But Tony's face didn't change at all. But his eyes seemed to have welled with tears a bit.
"No.." Steve said, in denial.
"This can't be happening." Natasha said, while Liam just looked at the new Barton. For some reason, after seeing the monster, the first thought that came to his mind was the happy face of the man, who was overjoyed when Liam had first given him an elvish bow.
That was the only scene that came to his mind and it was replayed. Over and over. Geralt, being the logical one that he is, asked Tony what had happened and the more he listened, the more his face turned grave.
He understood that it was an Higher Vampire who did this and there was nothing he could do. But he promised himself to hunt this bastard down, personally. The new group of friends that he had made were one of the closest he had in such a long time.
"That vampire bastard got to him. I tried everything, but—" Tony said while his voice was breaking at some points. He blamed himself for this whole debacle, and wanted nothing but to tear that bastard from limb to limb.
Barton let out a guttural growl, cutting Tony off. His body twitched, as though he were resisting an urge to attack them. He bared his teeth slightly, and they could now see the sharp fangs protruding from his gums. Natasha clenched her fists, eyes filled with concern, but she didn't step closer.
"He's not completely gone," Tony continued. "I've been watching him. He's... different. Not like the others. He still has some sense left."
"How do you know?" Geralt wasn't convinced at all by the words of Tony. He had seen vampires his whole life and even had a Higher vampire that had saved him once.