Roswell Fanatics

Winner Round 12





Title: Villain of the Piece
Author: Annie
Rating: Mature (violence, a bit of language)
Disclaimer I do not own Roswell. It belongs to UPN, Jason Katims, ect... No infrigement intended.

Summary: Nicholas/Ava... This is a story about Nicholas and how he became the villian that we know from the show. Part of it takes place during MITC, part is flashbacks to Antar. Warning: there is a good bit of violence in this... he is a villian after all. There is not a happy ending on this one... so read at your own risk!

PS. This is also a short bitty fic that is pratically done. Parts 2 & 3 just need a bit of refining. They should be up in the next few days.






Part One…. Innocence

I rarely dream. I don’t see the point in trying. Dreams are simply foolish wishes for things that we will never have. I prefer reality, to hold something tangible in my hands. It’s easier that way.

However, on the few occasions where I have dreamt, they are filled with death and decay, loss and pain. It’s funny that these visions of horror don’t disturb me. How can they after I’ve become so accustomed to seeing them during my waking hours? After I am the one who has inflicted it?

It is so ingrained in me now, that I’ve stopped flinching when witnessing that last shudder of life drains from someone’s body. I can face finality and not care. I know that my end will come violently, and I’ve accepted that because I am determined to take down as many as I can before then.

I am a solider, trained not to feel fear or to show mercy.

But last night, I dreamt of innocence, and that scared me beyond belief.

Her hair so long then, dripping like molten gold down to her waist as we ran thought the fields that surrounded the castle. Catch me, she would holler over her shoulder, the crystal blue of her eyes daring me to rise to the challenge. At 12, though she was small for her age, she was nearly as quick as the wind that danced around us as we played.

And, as a man all of 14, I was determined to do just that. I will, I called back, pumped my legs to go even faster. The day I can’t catch some silly little girl is the day another planet will overthrow Antar for superpower of the galaxy.

Looking back, I can remember thinking that I really didn’t know what the saying meant, but my father used it all the time, so I tried to do the same. By the power of the Granolith, I wanted to be just like the man. Power, prestige, and fair above everything else. He was one of the most respected men on Seoras and served as King Kellen’s second in command.

I was being groomed to follow in his footsteps, something I wished desperately to succeed at. Back then, as a boy, I dreamed. I dreamt of becoming a General, of protecting my people and helping to lead them towards higher standing in the Galactic Counsel.

So that was what I did. I attacked my studies like a demon, absorbing and refining concepts into my young mind. I trained both physically and mentally for the position I hoped to hold one day. And, at my father’s insistence, I still took what time I could to be a kid. Like I said, he was a fair man, believing that hard work and discipline should be awarded with a certain amount of freedom.

Without the castle walls surrounding me with all the expectations and demands contained in them, I explored that freedom. Ava was often at my side. She, too, understood the kind of burden those expectations put on a person, even when the person wished for them. Hell, she probably knew them better than I did.

It was the price for being the daughter of a King.

So in those precious moments of liberation, we laughed, ran, and played as every other child did. Treasuring it more because we knew the simplicity of it would be lost to us someday soon.

Too soon.

If I closed my eyes now, as I sit here in the bed where I awakened from the innocent nightmare now haunting me, my mind would recall what came next. Being so close to the surface of my thoughts, it had no other choice. And being a glutton for punishment, I did just that.

I could see Ava glance once more over her shoulder, smirking. Prove it, she challenged.

Pushing harder, my feet now slapping against the ground with my increased tempo, I did just that. I caught Ava around the waist. However, gangly with adolescence, I lost my balance in the process, tumbling the two of us into the dirt. My first concern was for her, that the fall might have injured her. Are you hurt? I asked as I quickly scanned for any ailment.

She giggled. The sound tickled my ears like a happy song. Then, I looked down at her, and suddenly it felt as if I were truly looking at her for the first time. Ava was grinning up at me, her smile and eyes alight with laughter and sunshine. And I fell.

It was a shock, a hard one, to know how fast and deep I could stumble into love. Maybe I had been falling all along, since time I first saw her. At that point, as I went hurdling towards completely giving up my heart to her, it really didn’t matter. What did matter was that I realized now how much she mattered to me, and how I was going to handle the situation.

I’d never kissed a girl, never really wanted to, until then. She lay under me, all innocence and joy, and for the first time I wanted to taste her, to see if sunshine and laughter were as sweet as I imagined. Yet, even as I stared down at her, my gaze lingering over her lips, Ava sighed and laid a hand against my cheek.

Niko, she said, partly mocking, partly sad, so serious. Don’t be serious. That’s all we’ll have time to be when we grow up. Let’s just enjoy now.

Horrified at myself for what I was about to do, I pulled back. I could have ruined everything… this day, our friendship, her feelings for me… everything, if I had done what I so desperately wanted to do. It was too much to risk. So, I stood up instead, forcing myself to smile as I offered her a hand to help her to her feet.

You’re right, I conceded. Forgive me.

Ava laughed, gave me a little shove. Maybe. Then she took off, running freely once more. That is, if you can catch me. Last time was a fluke.

For a second, I allowed myself to hope that all it was. A fluke, a brief fleeting moment of insanity. Anything else would be too complicated. Though, as I took off after her, the deepest recesses of my heart knew that I was simply lying to myself, that my hope was false. It would forever belong, from that moment on, to Ava.

Those sweet images faded as I opened my eyes, entering my present reality once more. And I had a job to do. One that was infinitely more important than the silly wishes of a silly child. Rising from my bed, I walked over to the lone dresser across the room, opened the top drawer, and rummaged through for a shirt.

The reincarnated boy-king was in for a surprise when he arrived at the Summit today. Until then, there were preparations to be made. So, I shoved the dream away, needing to lockdown all of the memories that had surfaced with it. They didn’t matter.

Howdy all~

Thanks for the comments, Jenny. I hope that you all like this next part.

Annie:)


Part Two… Changes:


The punked out piece of gutter trash and the conniving, betraying bitch… they were two sides of the same coin. Their attributes, physically and mentally, were spliced from the same common thread, yet they both were as different as night and day, with one lone exception. They both made me sick just to gaze upon them.

I remember what the real Ava was like at the same age these two are now. The girl had grown, changed into woman. Regal and lovely, she’d gain the attention of everyone the moment she entered a room. Radiance shone from her countenance, her voice soft and sweet that managed to hide a will of steel, which only showed when her mind was completely set.

Now, as I glance across the table, surrounded by members of the once powerful Galactic Council and the idiot boy-king, I catch a glimpse of what that radiance has become. Tess is sitting there, nearly mooning over him, as if that will gain her power of the crown. She’d never be able to handle it, she was so malleable to the wills of others.

Yes, I’ve used her desperation for the throne to my advantage. It was pitifully easy.

The original Ava never had a need for validation. No, she understood the weight that a crown bore, the responsibility, and she carried that burden to her death.

She chose it over me.

I’d lied to myself that day in the field. The love I had recognized was not a fluke, but an ever-growing need inside me for her. And as the months and years passed, we left the innocence of childhood behind and embraced our chosen paths, I longed for more with her. More than the friendship we’d shared for nearly our whole lives.

By that time, Kivar was gaining strength in the Counsel, causing worry amongst those who did not support him. My father and King Kellan were among them who despised him and his ethics. Around the time I’d finished my training, the two of them had devised a plan, one they hoped would strengthen forces against Kivar’s influence. In the end, it was their downfall.

Thought I had heard muttering about the plan, I didn’t have inkling as to what they were really up to. I found out the night before Ava’s 17th birthday. Every year, a huge ball would be thrown to commemorate the day Seoras’s beloved princess was born. Excitement about that year’s ball was only further by rumors spreading that an announcement would be made regarding the royal family.

There was much suspicion and speculation. I, myself, had my own thoughts on what it might be. Yet, every time I went to share them with Ava, my biggest confidant, she withdrew from me. That strain on our relationship had the control on my true feelings regarding her nearing the breaking point.

On the night before the party, I heard a tap on my chamber doors. Thinking it might have been my father, I answered automatically, and was completely surprised to see Ava standing there. I need to talk to you, she whispered, just a hint of desperation underlying the tone of her voice. Without a thought, pulled her into my room and shut the door.

What is it? I demanded almost instantly, but didn’t receive an answer right away. Awkwardly, she moved away from me, her attention turned to my room, glancing around the chamber nervously. After a few minutes of silence, I could not longer stand it anymore. I came up behind her and, laying a hand on her shoulder, repeated my question. What is it, Ava?

I’m to be married. The words stole my breath. I stumbled back even as she pushed forward. My father feels that if I marry Zan, it will strengthen our position in the Council. Antar is the seat of the galaxy, after all. They hold the largest influence. Both my father and yours are supporting this.

I shook my head. They’re wrong. There has to be something else that can be done, but not this. Never this. They mean to send you away from your home, your people… From me, I wanted to scream.

She turned to face me then, tears sliding quietly down her cheeks. I needed to tell you. It will all become official tomorrow, but I wanted you to know first.

The truth struck me like a physical blow. The announcement tomorrow, the very one I’d been speculating over for weeks was the same one that was going to send Ava away from me. The irony of it, the horror, had my grip on her shoulder tightening. I refused to let this happen.

No. I ran my hand down her back, bringing her closer as my other arm wrapped around her waist. No. I won’t allow it.

Shock, but not fear, widened her eyes. There is no way you can stop it. I wish… She trailed off, tilting her chin up enough so could meet my gaze. There is no point in wishes. I’ve met Zan, and I like him. I believe that this will work, that this match will work.

The control snapped. Are you listening to yourself, Ava? He’s all but a stranger to you, yet you would marry him. He will never love you like you deserve. Like I will.

Ignoring her gasp, I drew her closer. Lowering my head, I stopped with my lips only a breath away from hers. And whispered the words I’d wait for years to say. I love you, Ava. With that, I kissed her.

I had once wondered about how sunshine and laughter would taste on her lips, the thoughts of a boy becoming a man. And now, as I man, I sampled what they’d age into. It was like honey, tainted slightly by the bitterness of tears. Still, it was enough of heaven to me to make me bold. Even as she began to kiss me back, I drew away, desperate to ask for my deepest wish.

Belong to me. I was so close to begging. Be with me. Marry me. I am sure we can reason with our fathers. If not, then we leave.

More tears wet her eyes. Ava shook her head to keep from shedding them. I can’t. I can’t put what I want before what my people… what our people need. It wouldn’t be right.

And marrying someone who doesn’t love you, who you don’t love… that’s right? Forget close, I actually stooped to begging at that point. Please. Ava, please. If you love me, even the slightest bit, don’t do this.

Now, she kiss me tenderly, just a light brush of her mouth against mine. I’m sorry, she murmured against my lips, then kissed me again, deeper. I am so sorry. Ava took a step away from me. I can’t. I just can’t.

With that, she fled. Broken, I didn’t follow her. How could I after being allowed the briefest glimpse at everything I ever wanted, just to be told that I couldn’t have it. Sorrow cut sharp and deep, and to my relief, short-lived. My military trained mind kicked in, and I began to plan.

The first thing I did was go to my father. I told him what I felt, want I wanted, and begged, yet again, for him to help me. But my father was a fair man, one who took account of all sides of a situation and weighed them before coming up with the best solution. In his mind, that solution was for Ava to marry Zan. It had the greater benefit for the people of Seoras.

He actually knew how I felt about Ava. Unbeknownst to me, he’d known it for years. However, he hadn’t factored that into the equation when he and King decided to ruin my life. According to him, he couldn’t.

And that is when I stopped worshiping my father. The next day, as the masses reveled in the princess’s birthday and the announcement of her impending marriage, I left the only home I’d ever known. Soon after, Kivar tracked me down and made an offer. If I joined his cause, he would mentor me, train me to become his second. Power, he said. It is what makes all things possible. And the more you have, the easier it is to gain anything else you might desire. Join me, and I will show you how to take back control. How to become strong, respected and get everything you’d ever want.

In my mind, I could see Ava standing before me, her lips full and wet from my kiss, tears leaking from her eyes as she refused me. And I knew what I wanted.

So did Kivar. A smile, smug and satisfied, crept across his face. He knew with that one offer that he’d won.

That day, I made a deal with the devil, or so most would say. I say that I handed my soul over to my own personal savior.

Over the next few months, I began training once more, only this time with Kivar as my teacher. My powers, my strength, my skills... they all rose to new heights. And with each new responsibility I took over, I saw the one thing that I’d never known I wanted. I was feared. My subordinates, those weak people under my command, they grew to fear every word I spoke.

It was exhilarating.

Remembering it, feeling that same rush through my veins, I pushed forward with Kivar’s plan. I demanded the Granolith and laid out terms that neither Kivar or I were going to honor. Why should we? Once the Granolith was in our hands, we wouldn’t need the royals anymore. Things would as they should be.

Looking perplexed, the fallen king asked for time to consider, a request that was granted. Twenty minutes, at the end of which I was sure I would have what I wanted... to be rid of any version of Ava for good.

Howdy all~

Xsuper_novaX, FaithfulAngel24, and Cardinalgirl.... thank you for the feedback!!!! I hope that you like the end of this story.

Have a good all!!!

Annie:)


Part Three… Misery


Like a child throwing a tantrum, I watch as Tess paces back and forth, raging about how everything went down. In her opinion, if we had just listened to her and left things alone, she would have gotten the information we needed on the Granolith. But no, we interfered, and now everything had gone to shit.

For some reason, I am going to call it common sense, I don’t believe Tess is telling me the truth. I have a feeling that she knows exactly where the Granolith is located, but is holding that piece of information back until she can use it to her advantage. If I had my way, I’d use whatever method possible to make her confess, but I know that would displease Kivar. He still feels she is of use to us, and he maybe correct on that point. She is the only one who has infiltrated the other set of Royals.

Still, I can just picture walking over to her and wrapping my hands around her neck, keeping even a breath of air from entering her lungs. Maybe then she would stop her endless prattling. Only one intelligent thing has come out of her mouth during this whole fiasco. Lonnie and Rath couldn’t even succeed in killing Max, thereby proving their incompetency. I think it just may be time to put them out of their misery.

Misery. It seems to be my speciality.

It could have something to do with the fact that I wallowed in it for far too long during my youth. Despite everything Kivar taught me about power, about the thrill and exhilaration of wielding it, I still missed Ava. For so long, she’d been a part of my life that without her by my side, I felt slightly lost.

During this time, I would occasionally attend a ball on Antar in my capacity as Kivar’s second. Each time, I’d see Ava fall a little more in love with the man who would soon be her husband. I also noticed that the bastard didn’t love her back… not as she deserved. Feelings of jealousy welled up within me. So, in front of her, I would blatantly encourage the attentions women aimed in my direction, even the occasional one from Vilandra herself.

I wondered if it hurt her, part of me hoping that the answer was yes. Maybe, though I was never sure, I might have caught a flicker of it in her eyes before she turned them back to him.

And as I wished pain on her, I suffered through my own. My misery made me work harder, fight harder to keep my place as Kivar’s second, until the time when it all culminated in their downfall.

The night after the wedding ceremony, while everyone’s senses were dulled by celebrational festivities, we made our move on the palace. It was the right time, with Kivar’s power in the Council at an all time high, rivaling against some of the radical policies Zan was trying to impose. In the dark of night, we attacked, gaining entrance through the stupidity of Princess Vilandra.

She actually thought that by offering herself as a sort of sacrificial lamb, it would sate Kivar’s needs so he would leave her brother and his kingdom alone. Only someone who didn’t understand the driving quest for power could have made such a mistake. The thirst for power is a lust that cannot be quenched.

Still, she proved herself useful by letting us in, so Kivar killed her quickly.

We each had our assignments, I was to tackle my counterpart, Rath. I was more than willing to rise to the challenge. Though Rath was a competent solider, he often became too emotional during battle, therefore, reckless. I used this, taunting him with his wife’s betrayal and death. I could see the misery in his eyes as I took that swing at him, the fatal blow that cost him his life.

And I reveled in it.

Since Kivar wished to handle Zan on his own, to have Antar’s precious King’s blood on his hands, I went on to search for Ava. To give her one last chance to be with me. I located her in the Zan’s bedchamber, huddled in the corner, hands covering her face. Blood dotted the white nightgown she was wearing in preparation for her wedding night. A few feet away from her laid Zan’s body.

From behind me, I heard Kivar’s voice. I’ve been waiting for you, Niko. Ava was kind enough to entertain me while you dispatched with Rath.

At the sound of her name, or maybe it was mine, Ava whimpered.

Kivar walked up beside me, laid a hand on my shoulder. I will spare her. Payment for all of the hard-work and loyalty you’ve shown me over this past year. But she has to swear her allegiance to me, right here… right now. If she does that, then she is yours, Niko.

Mine. The thought of it had the need for possession rising up inside of me. I moved across the room to her, crouched down beside her cowering frame. Ava, I whispered, gently running my hand her chin, guiding her eyes to mine. Did you hear that? Say the words and we can be together… forever.

Instead of what I needed to hear, a sob escaped from her throat as she reached over to slap me. Niko, what have you done? How could you have a part in any of this? It goes against everything you were ever taught, against everything I’d ever believe about you.

My hands reached out, griping her arms tightly as I dragged her towards me. Say the words, I demanded.

In that moment, she looked at me not with the love I longed for or hurt I once wished for, but with disgust. Disgust and condemnation. Never, she spat.

Then it is done, Kivar said. If she will not pledge her allegiance to me as you have done, she will erased like the rest of those who defy me. Niko, you know what you have to do.

He wanted me to kill her. She was the woman I loved, the one who I gave up my family and home for. But, I found it in myself to do what he asked. Still, I hesitated, for a moment, the last shred of my humanity hoping she would take this final chance. Ava…

I hate you, she murmured. I hate what you have become. I could never love you now.

With those words, my goodwill fade away and I snapped her neck. The last flicker of life in her eyes damned me to hell.

I welcomed it.

In the years that followed, Kivar ruled with the heavy hand that was needed to control the galaxy’s superpower and thereby the Galactic Council. We invaded Seoras, and I turned what ever pain I felt at returning to my homeland into rage. We stormed the capital city, burning the castle where I’d grown up to the ground. My father died along with it, knowing that his decision was catalyst in the destruction of all he stood for.

During that time, a small group of rebels used our absence to attempt to regain the throne of Antar. While they did not succeed in seizing it, they managed to take hold of the Granolith, and with it, the power to recreate. Which they did. It was not long before we learned they duplicated the Antarian royals and sent them off to another galaxy... to another planet.

Kivar decided that I needed to be the one to bring both sets down. He knew my anger over someone recreating Ava would keep me focused on the goal. He was right. After spending 40 years on this despicable planet, my anger delved deeper, growing beyond bitterness for the one I used to love... for the two abominations they created from her.

It should have been over, done with. Instead, I had to stand her now, in this dingy warehouse, looking into her face as it twisted with greed.

Still, remembering my hesitation to kill the original Ava, Kivar send me along with a reminder. Stuck for all those years in the body of an adolescent, it fueled me onward, because I knew that I would be stay like that until I succeeded. I hated being denied even that much power, the power my old presence had on others. They feared me, respected the fact that I was in command, but I adjust to this challenge.

And now, seeing Tess stand there, spuing over failures that had been her own fault, I decided it was time to show her exactly why others feared me.

I stepped forward, raising my hand to strike her down with my powers. With a cry of agony, she dropped to her knees, shock written all over her face. "You can’t," she gasped.

I sent out another wave which had her crumbling to the ground. Behind me, Lonnie foolishly snickered. Little did she know that her time was soon coming. But my attention remained on the girl lying before me. "Yes," I said calmly. "I can. I would be best if you remember that and do you’re best to turn this disaster around. I am holding you accountable."

She stumbled before gaining her feet. Then, with a false arrogance, she stuck her chin out definitely. "When Max comes looking for me, I can tell him you attacked me," she said, rubbing a hand over her stomach. "It’s not far from the truth. But I can play it out to my advantage. Draw on his sympathy. I’m sure that soon he will tell me everything."

I nearly snarled at her. The real Ava had never been like that. Even at the times when I hated her for all she denied me, I never loathed her as I did Tess. I will be glad when it is time to get rid of her and her duplicate. So, though she had more than a couple of inches on me, I reached out, circling my hand around her neck. As I did so, a flash of killing my Ava filled my mind. It had my grip tightening.

"Never forget," I whispered so only she could hear me. "Never let it leave your mind, that I can kill you where you stand. I killed you in your past life when you meant a hell of a lot more to me than you do now. You are only a means to an end now. So never, ever forget it."

That said, I turned and left.

When I returned to my barren room at the mangy hotel, the remnants of my dream the night before flooded me. I sat down on the edge of the bed hard, my mind a blur with memories. Only then, for a brief second, did I doubt my choice. I’d killed what I loved, choosing to fill the empty places with power instead. And, in the end, I knew would make the same choice again.

Because, even though this is my story, I am not the hero. I am of the villain of this piece.

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