Chapter 11
(Peter POV)
I woke up groggily to a distinct churning in my ears, though I quickly realised I was just accidentally listening to my own blood flow through my brain - I tended to that sometimes after I woke up, and my concentration was down.
I soon came to the realisation that I had been kidnapped -probably that is, maybe I just happened to encounter a kind person who hit me while swinging, then put a sack over my head and plunged a sedative into my skin. It's New York: you never know.
I slowly formed slits with my eyes. Nat had taught me how to, when she found me after a fight with aliens, pretending to sleep on the rubble of a building because I didn't want to admit I had a concussion. She had then taught me how how to look around you while feigning sleep. Then she had reprimanded me of course, and told me to go to bed. Which, to my credit, I had done.
Now that my eyes were slits I could finally look around. I had found myself in a large white tiled room. Like and insane asylum! my brain offered helpfully. Not helpful brain, not helpful at all. I groaned in my "sleep" as I moved my head to see to what I was tied. Vibranium cuffs I was sure. Vibranium chair. Wow, what was next: vibranium prisoner porridge?
'He's waking up.' I heard a gruff voice declare, as he saw me "groan" in my "sleep". 'The sedative will probably completely wash out of his system in 5 minutes.' the voice continued his elaboration, to his unknown business associate.
'Mhh, he'd better wake up quick: he's been out way longer than anticipated.' A thin wispy voice spoke up. She was a woman. Honestly, I would have found her voice comforting, if it weren't for the fact I was tied to a chair in a room that looked like it belonged in an insane asylum. My life was great.
I wanted to see who had spoken, but couldn't risk a groan for another few minutes - something Nat had taught me as well. So I just had my head hanging uncomfortably in silence. Finally, I could groan again, and I did, moving my head awkwardly as to view the two people.
He had a scruffy red beard. It was unkept and not at all tame, seeming as though he was living in the woods. Maybe he was - who was I to know and judge? Actually, I would. He had grey eyes, that were the colour of steel, to be exact. So I could surely say that he had a steely gaze. Had to remember that one for later. His clothes were black and seemed to be of military sorts. On his chest he wore an emblem. A skull with snakes protruding from it.
I pushed down the gasp as realisation hit me: I was in Hydra.
I calmed my nerves and glanced at the woman. She was tall. Brown hair. Blue eyes. Very pretty to be honest, she and Sam would really hit it up together. Only problem that she was in Hydra, but Sam had overlooked huger red flags in his time, so this would be right up his alley. She also had a Hydra symbol on her chest, confirming my suspicions. She however, did not wear combat black gear, but a lab coat.
They were basically dumb and dumber, but then weird and weirder. The princess and the pauper would fit as well. I had to come up with better nicknames than that: calling her princess might not make her mad. Though making her mad should probably not be one of my goals. However, what does one have when tied to an unescapable chair but their wits?
Scruffy Gruffy and Set-Up-Sam. I decided, the latter because if I didn't know she were in Hydra, I would set them up. Also because Sam would be infuriated at this nickname when I would eventually tell him, which would be hilarious. IF I ever got out of here, that is. Here, what was even here? Very philosophical of me, I know. Some Hydra base? Hopefully not in Russia, I wasn't that fluent yet. Though I did know how to ask for where the toilet was, which honestly is all you need to know of a language really - including understanding the response.
Wanting some answers, I finally decided to "awaken". I groaned dramatically and decided to add in a dumb mumble: 'Mommy, you there?' I asked dramatically, just wanting to know how they would react. The woman laughed cruely - quite mean, what if I really wanted the attention of my dead mother - and the man snorted.
I peeled open my eyes fully and blinked up at SetUpSam, who had crossed her arms in front of her chest and stood towering over my chair. I put on a smile, almost dropped it as I realised I wasn't wearing my mask - I could always feel the fabric stretch whenever I changed facial expressions, but kept it there anyway to annoy her:
'Morning, ma'am.' I intoned lightly, then glanced over at the man: 'Morning, sir, how do you fare on this wonderful day?' I inquired, earning me a slap in the face from SetUpSam. 'Rude.' I remarked lightly, earning me another slap from her. 'I am really tempted to say that that's rude, but I feel like you would slap me again.' I told her seriocomically. Another slap. 'I didn't even say it!' I protested dramatically as I grinned up at the two Hydra agents.
She finally stopped and rolled her eyes: 'Spider-Man, you must be wondering why you are here.'
'Nah, couldn't care less, wasn't feeling like doing my homework anyway.' I quipped lightly, making Scruffy Gruffy reach into his belt, but his action was stopped by SetUpSam. She was clearly the leader in this scenario, he the bulk.
'Well, since you couldn't care less: I'll tell you anyway, to annoy you.' Scruffy Gruffy cried out triumphantly, solidifying my suspicions of him being the brawn, and nothing more, even firmer. I rolled my eyes up at SetUpSam:
'Men amiright? Such dumb creatures.'
She rolled her eyes, though not with me, but at me. Then, turning to Scruffy Gruffy, ordered him to take the "materials". She smiled a lot when saying that, which was rather suspicious. I hoped it was not the kind of materials I was thinking of.
I pushed in a curtain, with something behind me, but them being drama queens, they would not let me know what was behind it, slapping me every time I asked, with such considerable force that I had to bite down on my lip to not cry out in pain, making it bleed.
3 minutes after the arrival of the materials, they nodded at each other. 'Recording.' Scruffy Gruffy notified her, and she dramatically whipped the curtain away to reveal a camera that was recording.
I turned to her and smiled the best I could: 'Wow, you're such a diva miss SetUpSam!' I earned another slap in my face, but I kept my smile plastered on it, just to annoy her further. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice was saying annoying my captors was not the best move, but I could not help myself. Like what else was I supposed to do with my time? Sleep?!
SetUpSam, much to her credit, decided to ignore my nickname for her, and turned to the camera. Then, she started monologueing, how more typical-run-down-the-mill-villain could she get?
'Hello Avengers, Tony, Pepper, hey is Morgan watching as well?' she inquired darkly.
'Depends.' I quipped up, 'What time is it?'
She glared at me but answered anyway: '2100 at night.'
'Nope, she's supposed to be in bed right now.' I told her helpfully, then turned to the camera: 'Mo-Mo, if you're watching this: go to bed.' I told the camera sternly as the corners of my mouth twitched in joy.
That dissappeared when she stomped me in the abdomen.
'Hey!' I complained, 'Can we go back to when you were slapping me? I much preffered that.'
'No. Now shut it!'
I rolled my eyes, she once again turned to the camera, as I watched in interest:
'As you can see, I have your newest member here...'
I cut her off: 'Uhh, you seem to be misinformed miss SetUpSam, I'm actually...' she punched me in the gut again before I could say anything more, after a few seconds of wheezing breathes filled with pain I piped out: 'Okay, okay, I'll shut up now. Have fun monologueing to a camera.' With that I lent back in the chair, my eyes wide as I sucked in deep breaths. That really hurt. My ego hurt as well: she was recording a ransom video of me for the avengers. Like for real? Being kidnapped is emberassing, at least don't tell my friends about it!
I decided to listen to what she was saying, and caught only half of a sentence, having missed the other half as I was in deep phylosiphical thoughts: '... poisoned him to weaken him, gave him the antidote though to get him awake for you all.'
'Rude and also slightly kind I guess.' I muttered under my breath. She whipped around, clearly having had enough. I swallowed, but decided to not give her the pleasure of me backing down: 'Like also: don't record a ransom video. Being kidnapped is emberassing! You don't need to go tell my family about it, my ego is already bruised enough as it is and I now require compensations for this heinous act of hate.' I finished, surprised to have not been punched or slapped yet.
She tilted her eyebrows, then kicked. Yeaaaaaaahhhhhhhh... insulting her might not have been the way to go. Her foot made contact with my jaw and I heard a crack, and I involuntarily screamed out in pain. My mouth hung slightly opened as I realised that my jaw had been dislocated, which caused me not to be able to close it properly. I bit back tears as I just stared ahead. People were talking. She was talking, but I only heard glimpses of what she was saying:
'Ransom...alien tech...dropoff point....dead....36 hours....bye bye Spidey...video every 4 hours...'
I slowly sunk my head lower as everything that had once been white around me dimmed. For some reason, the white tiles became gray, like a thunderstorm, and the voice of SetUpSam became distorted. My jaw throbbed and stabbed with pain. My eyes stung with unshed tears. And my head reeled with nausea. I knew I should probably stay awake, but I couldn't. Slowly I gave into the darkness and let it engulf me.
(T'Challa POV)
We all sat around the screen in stunned silence as a brown haired woman drammatically pulled away the curtain, to reveal a very dishevelled looking Peter. He tried to not let it on, or maybe he didn't realise how bad he really looked, but he had a sickly pale look to his face, except on the right side, where we could still see the red mark of someone having slapped him.
We watched in horror as he opened his big dumb mouth to contradict everything the woman said - he reminded me of Shuri-, nicknamed her SetUpSam, much to his discomfort - which was probably why he did it- then gasped as he mentioned she should not tell his family he was kidnapped because that was emberassing. He thought of us as family. We were his family! Then, she kicked him. A clean kick Natasha would have been proud of, had it been aimed at anyone else.
We heard a crack, and his jaw was dislocated. His eyes became dazed and his head slumped back, then SetUpSam, started talking again: 'We don't require a ransom, not money wise anyway, but just some harmless alien tech that was left on earth during the battle of New York. The dropoff point will be Spidey's local McDonalds, because we want to grab a burger after.' she joked, making us all roll our eyes. Seriously, of all the places? McDonalds? She continued after having laughed at her own joke - pathetic: 'So, if you don't want your buddy here to be dead, I suggest you get me what I want. You have 36 hours to get it for us, and else bye bye Spidey it is! Oh, and don't worry, we will send you a video every 4 hours, just to show he is still alive.' she smiled at the camera, 'And screaming.' she answered, then the video cut.
I blinked my eyes rapidly several times as I tried to process the information. Tony was having a panic attack, Pepper was calming him down. Clint was hugging Nat, who was crying. Bucky and Sam were biting back tears. Scott had forgotten the taco he had been eaten, showing just how shook up he really was. Bruce had left the room before the Hulk decided to pay us a visit. Stephen Strange was staring at the wall. Wanda and Pietro were staring at the screen. Thor was busy demolishing a nearby bench. Nick Fury, agent Hill and Agent Coulson were already trying to hack the video for the location of where it was taken or simply to find some indication of where Spider-man was being kept. Finally, there was Okoye, next to me, seething with rage, and turned to me:
'How dare they?!' she cried out in anger, the pain evident in her voice as she said thus. 'How dare they treat the best superhero in this way!'
Normally I would have asked her if I was not the best superhero. Today was not that day. Spider-Man, was the best superhero out there. I knew it. Everyone knew it. Okoye just admitted it. I would not spout this information around freely, but the whole of Wakanda respected him, even the ones who didn't like me did like him. He was the talk of the past couple of years, and honestly I had been looking forward to meeting him. After all, he was the local best superhero to the Wakandians (sadly that was not me, but if anyone deserved to be favortised it was him).
I merely shook my head: 'They're messed up, that's what.' I responded, staring at the TV screen, frozen in the last frame, where I could just see Spider-Man in the process of passing out from pain. How dare they? If one thing was for sure, it was that we would find him and kick the buts of whoever those two were.
Then I'd ask him to sign his autograph for Shuri, since she was a huge fan. Maybe one for Okoye as well, since she would never ask herself.