STRIKE Special TV Show part I

Fandom: Marvel, Captain America.
Ship: Steve Rogers X Reader.
Word count: 1656 words.
Square: 10 "We are experiencing technical difficulties."
Rating: Teen.
Summary: Something happened during a TV show in 1977.
Major Tags: Possession, mention of devil, crossover with "Late night with the devil".
N/A: This is my entry to Here There Be Monsters Bingo.

You're sitting in the conference room. Everyone looked uncomfortable, including the Strike team members. Clint was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, staring sideways at the screen playing an old TV show recording from the 1970s.

You were sitting next to Steve, staring at the screen. Even Brock had joked that Rollins' namesake was more famous than Rollins himself. The TV show in question, called Night Owls with Jack Delroy, that broadcast had never been aired in its entirety, but the clips that remained of the episode were chilling.

The video began innocently and like any other of the era, with Jack greeting the audience; however, as the night progressed, something dark began to take over the atmosphere.

"We're here for a special night, folks," said Jack, "because tonight... we're going to get in touch with the unknown."

The show had been touted as some sort of live paranormal experiment. They would have a medium on set who would attempt to contact the "other side." Something that in the 1970s was seen as entertainment, but that night, everything that could go wrong...did.

The Strike team watched in silence. No one said a word.

"What does this have to do with us?" Clint muttered, breaking the silence. "Why is S.H.I.E.L.D. interested in an old TV show?

Steve, frowning, watched the recording intently. He didn't have all the answers either.

"Something happened on that broadcast," you said quietly. "Something S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't been able to explain... yet.

The program continued until the cameras picked up a dark figure in the background, barely visible in the shadows.

The tension increased as the image became static. The words "WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES" flashed briefly on the screen, but the transmission never stopped. When the image returned, Jack Delroy was no longer the same.

"Did you see it?" you asked as you rewound the video. "That cut... it's not normal.

Steve nodded. "It looks... manipulated.

"That's what's been said for years," Clint interjected, "that the video was edited, that what happened that night was never aired for security reasons... but rumor has it otherwise.

The video continued, showing the studio audience. Everyone was silent, almost mesmerized. Suddenly, Jack stood up abruptly from his seat. His face was no longer that of the charismatic man who had greeted the audience. There was something in his eyes, something empty and frightening.

"Are you here with us?" Jack asked, but his voice had changed as if something else was speaking through him.

The medium began to convulse, her eyes rolling, as a shadow loomed behind her. The lights flickered once more, and when they returned, the medium was standing, but she no longer looked human. Her body twisted impossibly, and a ghoulish laugh echoed through the studio.

"That's not a performance," Steve muttered, his eyes glued to the screen.

Chaos gripped the set. Members of the technical crew tried to stop the transmission, but it seemed that something or someone had taken control. The picture was cut out again. "WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES" appeared again, this time longer.

You felt a shiver run down your spine. Something about that program wasn't right. It was supposed to be just a TV show... but what if it wasn't? What if they had really awakened something that night?

"S.H.I.E.L.D. sent us here because someone or something has been mimicking these events," Steve explained, his jaw tense. "Several nightly live broadcasts have had similar glitches over the past few months. The same thing always happens: the signal cuts out, shadows appear on the recordings, and... people disappear.

"What are you saying?" asked Clint, uncrossing his arms.

"I'm saying it's not just a coincidence. Every one of those broadcasts occurs around Halloween, just like this show. And in each of them, the people who were on the set... have not been seen again. We're needed on site," said Steve, standing up. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has traced the broadcasts to an abandoned television station outside New York. They think that's where it all started.

Clint straightened up, adjusting his quiver of arrows. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's stop this.

You felt a knot in your stomach as you stood up with the team. Steve gave you a look like he always did when danger was near.

"Don't worry. We're in this together.

The television station was a desolate place. The windows were covered with dust and dirt, and the building looked like it had been abandoned for decades. As you entered, an inexplicable chill ran through your body. The lights from the crew's flashlights illuminated the musty walls and rusted recording equipment.

"This is where it all started," Steve said quietly as he walked through the rubble.

The team moved silently, scanning the control room. Clint was going through the old monitors, trying to find some clues.

"What the hell is this?" muttered Clint, finding an old videotape labeled simply 'Delroy, 1977'.

"Another recording of the show," you asked.

Steve nodded and plugged the tape into an old machine that still worked. The black-and-white image of Jack Delroy appeared on the screen once again, but this time, his face was distorted, as if something was trying to come through the screen.

"WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES," Jack repeated with a grotesque grin as the image decayed.

The station lights flickered, and suddenly, the air became thicker. Something moved in the shadows.

"Did you hear it?" You whispered as you approached Steve.

Clint raised his bow, ready to fire. The Strike team braced for whatever was lurking in the darkness. Then, the static on the monitor intensified, and a low, whispery voice filled the room.

"You should never have come back..."

A huge shadow appeared behind the screen. The old cameras in the room began to rotate on their own, focusing on the equipment.

"Watch out!" shouted Steve, as something invisible pushed one of the agents against the wall.

Whatever had happened in 1977 had not only been caught on the tapes... it was there, alive, and it had awakened. Steve moved closer to you, protecting you with his shield, while the shadows moved quickly around you.

"This isn't possible," Clint muttered. It's like the damn program has come to life.

"Whatever they woke up in 1977 is still here," said Steve, holding you close. "And it looks like it wants to finish what it started.

Suddenly, the lights flickered once more, and a dark figure appeared at the end of the hallway, barely visible in the gloom.

"What is that?" You asked in a whisper, unable to look away.

"I don't know.

Clint fired an arrow at the figure, but instead of hitting it, the arrow passed straight through it, like smoke.

"Get back!" shouted Steve. We have to regroup!

As you moved next to Steve, you felt something cold and sticky brush against your arm. You turned quickly and saw one of the shadows reaching out toward you as if trying to touch you. A scream escaped your lips, and Steve reacted immediately, pushing you out of the dark figure's reach.

"Don't come any closer!" he shouted, hurling his shield at the shadow. The impact didn't stop it entirely, but it did disorient it enough for them to gain ground.

"We have to find the source," said Clint, breathing heavily. "These things are being controlled by something... or someone.

"You, keep checking the recording equipment," Steve ordered, turning to look at you. "There may be something here that we can use to trace what's causing this.

With trembling hands, you approached the old control equipment; the static on the monitors was increasing, as if something was interfering with the signals, and the words "DEVIL" flashed on the screen again.

As you fiddled with the old tapes, you noticed something strange. One of the security cameras was still operational, but it was showing something disturbing. In the image, you could see what appeared to be the original set of Night Owls with Jack Delroy, as if it had never been dismantled. Instead of being in ruins like the rest of the station, the set was intact, illuminated by a soft, unnatural light.

"Steve... I think I found something.

Steve and Clint quickly approached. Seeing what the camera showed, Steve frowned.

"That can't be real," Clint muttered. "This place has been abandoned for decades.

"Whatever it is, it's there," Steve replied.

Without wasting any more time, the team headed towards the place the camera had shown.

Finally, you came to a door that looked much newer than the rest of the building. When you opened it, you found the program set, perfectly preserved. Everything was in its place: Jack Delroy's desk, the orange sofas, the brown curtains... and in the center, an empty chair, as if waiting for someone.

"This is a trap," said Clint, looking around cautiously.

Steve nodded.

Suddenly, the lights on the set came on by themselves, and a figure appeared in the chair. It was Jack Delroy... or at least something that looked like him. His face was pale, and his eyes were vacant as if his soul had been ripped from his body. He smiled unnaturally, his teeth stained and his expression inhuman.

"Welcome back," Jack said in a distorted voice. "You've been a long time coming back."

"We're not like the ones who were here before," said Steve coldly.

"We're here to end this.

Jack's figure laughed, a laugh that chilled your blood. "End it? You people don't understand anything. What started in 1977 never ended. It was just feeding, waiting for the right time. And now, you have brought more energy, more fear—just what we needed."

Suddenly, the shadows in the room began to swirl around Jack, merging with him and making him grow and deform into something much more monstrous. The human form disappeared, giving way to a creature made of pure darkness with glowing eyes and sharp teeth.