Chapter 1
Quentin threw the stick for his dog, Dexter, who was a beautiful Tan, Black and Brown German Shepherd with dark Brown eyes. Tony had gifted the canine to him for a Christmas and ever since 3 weeks Beck had raised him. He was now three years old and probably one of the most taken care of dogs in the world. The man was outside due to some anxiety coated thoughts that would slither around his brain from time to time. He didn't like to think negatively, but it was pretty much impossible to avoid when you have a long history of self-esteem issues.
It always put a smile on Beck's face to see other people, or animals, happy. It's so rewarding to see a happy dog. Dexter galloped his way back over to his person with the stick in his mouth. Dex had many toys, yet he preferred nature, such as pine cones and such.
"Hey, good boy!" Quentin expressed, giving the pet a scrub of his chest fur with his gloved hand. Quentin was always fond of dogs, so fond in fact that he had learned how to communicate with them and, quite literally, speak their language. Dogs prefer being pet on the chest as they see being pet on the head as rude, that doesn't make someone a bad person if they do.
Quentin hummed as he drew back his arm and gave the stick a mighty throw as Dexter bolted after it. The thoughts still swam around in his brain, and unfortunately it was really getting to him as he was starting to play their game. Was he really important? Seriously, what would happen if he never existed or just left? Would everyone be better off? Maybe... he was a huge pain in the ass and definitely a handful, no, two handfuls.
His crisis was interrupted as a sudden smoke like bomb blew up in his face with no warning. "What the fuck?!" He coughed while swinging his arms around to clear a path so he could see. Everything looked fine and dandy until he turned around. A small box sat in the tall grass just a few inches from his feet. 'That's new.' The man thought to himself while bending down to get a closer look.
It hadn't been here before, he's been out here for hours, so he surely would have noticed it. What gives? His hand reached out to grab it, he could take it to Tony to see if he knew what it was, but that plan quickly changed as it started to lightly shake and almost looked like it were opening. It reminded him of a Jack-In-The-Box, but without a jump scare. Quentin gave it a curious head tilt as it opened even more, but his interest was quickly changed when the color began to turn to a fleshy red.
This was not right. He quickly turned to leave but whatever this thing was... well, it was way faster as it exploded and expanded into multiples of itself and before the ex villain knew it, he had been wrapped up tight in its mess.
"What the hell?!" Quentin tried to teleport out of its grip, go back to the lab to tell his husband about the small adventure he had, but his magic wasn't working and putting two and two together, this was a trap from the very start. Whatever that smoke mess was that he stepped in, that was its purpose. "Let go of me!" He squirmed, but it seemed the more he moved around, the tighter it got.
It felt slimey and warm, but not a fireplace type of warm, a claustrophobic warm. The kind of warm that would make you sweaty and uncomfortable. Dammit, what had he got himself into? He looked around to see just how big of a pickle he was in, and well, it wasn't good. Eight miniature versions of the box that had caught his attention, surrounded him. Each one spewing out one of these disgusting, uncomfortable and unpleasant tentacle like things.
He tried to remain calm. No magic, and he was probably too deep into the field for anyone in the house to hear him scream. It wasn't looking too good, but one friend did manage to hear his discomfort from moments ago. A worried 'bark!' echo'd from across the property as Dexter made his way over, stick in mouth. Quentin let out a sigh of relief, this could be his ticket out of here.
"Dexter, thank God," The man expressed as the loyal canine gave a famous GSD head tilt of confusion. "I need you to go fetch Tony, now!" Quentin ordered and with another powerful 'woof!' the dog took off running in the direction of the Beach House. See? Everything would turn out fine. He'd soon be rescued from this... thing.
It felt like minutes had gone by, but it was only seconds when the sound of rustled grass caused the victim to look over. 'Oh great.' Quentin whispered to himself. He had a lot of enemies, he was thinking it was someone from Ravencroft or even OsCorp that had him defenseless like this, but he was never expecting it to be the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. himself, Nick Fury.
The reveal made Quentin squirm, but he was making no progress. Yep, he was quite stuck. Fury could only grin at Mysterio's misfortune. It was a good day for society. The director whistled as he walked closer to the villain, making sure to be careful, as he still didn't know this thing's full potential.
"Oh? What have we here?" Nick asked with obvious sarcasm. Quentin only lightly growled. He was annoyed and actually really concerned. 'That dog better hurry up.' "I see you've quite literally walked into my trap."
"Oh, this is yours?" Quentin asked with attitude, "Well that sure would explain a lot now, wouldn't it? How about you take it back and we go our separate ways?"
"I bet you'd love that, now wouldn't you?"
"Is that a yes?"
Nick chuckled as he watched the fear slowly appear on Quentin's face. It was starting slowly, his eyes still smug and his expression hopeful, but the way his eyebrows were raising and the sweat appearing at his forehead was enough evidence. Mysterio was nervous, good, he had him right where he wanted him.
"So, how are you enjoying the Prison Realm?" Fury asked, which caused Quentin to look up at him.
"Prison what now?"
"Prison Realm." Fury repeated. "Some of my agents found it while out on another mission of cleaning up after some aliens. It seems to be working as explained, which is good."
"And what does it do?" Quentin asked while trying to hide the worry in his voice.
"Oh, you'll see." The director grinned, and that was enough for Beck to stop his act and show his real colors. He was terrified.
"Uh," He stuttered, "What if I uh, don't want to see?"
"What if you, uh, don't have a choice?" Fury mocked.
"Can you hurry it up before you fuck this arrest up too?" A female voice said from behind.
Maria Hill was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.s best agents and most of the time kept Fury in check. Those two worked well as a duo, and though that was good for them, it was bad for Beck. "Alright, fine." Fury responded.
"Alright Mysterio," Fury began, "Enough conversation."
"Really? I think we've had too less." Quentin protested with a nervous grin.
'Tony hurry…'
"Well, that isn't for you to decide." Fury took a few steps back from the alien mess and stood by Maria as he turned to talk to her. They were plotting and just as before, squirming got Quentin nowhere. Fuck it, he was having a moment of weakness. Hopefully he was on his way, or this would turn out useless.
"TONY!" Quentin screamed, trying to hopelessly wiggle his way out of this trap, "HELP ME!!"
Okay, it was now or never. Fury confirmed what Maria said before walking back over to, quite literally, wrap this up.
"Gate close." He spoke.
Quentin watched hopelessly as the boxes looped around his area, forming a layout that slowly began to close him in. He didn't know what the fuck would happen to him. Would he die? Would it hurt?? There was no way of knowing beforehand. He gave one more loud scream before the cube morphed and slammed shut into the first form that had lured the villain in minutes ago.
Fury grinned as it gently floated down into the palm of his hand. Finally, he had done it. Mysterio was finally captured. No escape and no rescue. After all those years, he had finally defeated him.
Tony sprinted behind the four legged family member as he pushed open the front doors that led him to out front. He had been working in the lab before Dexter ran in, barking. Stark was a cat person, but even he could tell the discomfort and worry in the animal's whimpers, and when Quentin wasn't with him? He knew something was up.
He followed Dexter over to the field, and seeing the two assholes of S.H.I.E.L.D. was enough for him to know what had happened. But something was off... where was Quentin?
"Stark's here." Maria whispered while leaning over to the director.
"Thanks for the heads-up." With no time at all, Fury placed the Prison Realm inside his trench coat's pocket. Out of sight, out of mind. Sorry Stark, but you're not getting him back this time. He acted normal, tapping some things on his iPad as Tony angrily stomped his way over to them.
"Alright Fury, where is he?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know." Nick lied, "He took off before I could officially arrest him."
"You expect me to believe that?" Stark snapped.
"Unless your eyes can see him and mine can't."
Tony looked around the property and it seemed like he was right. There was no sign of Quentin Beck. No sign that he had even been out here. How could that be? Where the hell did he go?
"Well?" Fury pestered.
The genius looked around once more before dipping his head and sighing. "Guess you're right." He didn't want to admit that Nick was right, quite the opposite, really, but unless Quentin was disguised as a plant or camouflaged into the background he was not here.
Dexter pulled at Tony's pant leg, causing the man to look down at the dog. 'What?" Tony asked. The dog's big doe eyes stared at the hidden camera on the property. Of course, that's how he could figure out what happened and find his one and only. Tony quickly turned back to Nick. "Well, since you're not harassing my husband, I guess there's no reason for us to be interacting. Have a terrible rest of your day." And with that the genius darted back inside.
"Should we be concerned about him checking the cameras?" Maria asked.
"Nah," Nick reassured, "Even if he finds out where Quentin is there is still no way he's getting him back." Fury huffed as he began to walk back to the jet they had parked. "Let's go back."
Tony's once messy desk was cleared in seconds as he threw everything on it to the floor. "Friday I need the footage from out front."
"How long ago?" The A.I asked.
"At least an hour."
The playboy watched as the holographic footage began to form around him. Quentin had helped program it with his illusion tech. Tony had the idea down before hand but Beck had definitally improved/perfected it. He was smart like that. He just hopes that he was smart again.
Tony watched as Quentin played fetch with Dexter, nothing was wrong yet and he only grew more and more nervous thinking about what happened. His attention was hyperfocused, he'd figure this out. Hopefully it was just a spook and Quentin flew off in a random direction and would walk in at any moment, but he couldn't help but overthink.
"Fri can you fast forward please?"
The image moved quickly, so far it was just a ton of fetch and running back and forth. At one point he teleported across the property but that wasn't unusual. What was unsusual however was the sudden smoke bomb. "Stop!" Tony ordered. 'What the hell does that do?'
"Play footage."
He watched Quentin react, stepping off what seemed to be a small pad hidden beneath some dirt. Even looking down you probably wouldn't notice it. Tony still didn't see an issue but it turns out those two really were locked together as they both noticed at the same time.
"What the..." Tony whispered while rolling his chair closer. "What is that?"
"I have no information on it." Friday answered.
"Thanks for the feedback, Fri." Tony replied sarcastically. He examined the strange item. A square... did he know anything that was square? ...And had the ability to open like that? The man's jaw dropped when it expanded and wrapped Quentin up. Fuck, that meant Fury was lying.
The playboy cringed as he watched the situation unfold, the guilt settling in his stomach when he discovered that Beck had screamed for him but he wasn't there. He didn't hear him... it wasn't his fault, but he was still going to blame himself for it. Tony reacted vocally as the strange item, quite literally, swallowed Beck whole. 'What the actual fuck.'
He sat through tons of rewinding and pausing, trying to see if there was any hints or clues on how it oppertated. He knew it was voice activated and that it was called a Prison Realm, but it seemed like saying two simple words was too easy to open something powerful like that. Panic levels were raising the more he thought about it. His beloved Quentin was at Nick's mercy. Packed away as if he were just a toy that a child had out grown. And he wasn't there to help him.
What would he tell Beck's kids? That he failed their father? Well, maybe, there was really no way to sugar coat this. Unless he didn't tell them at all. He could come up with excuses. Quentin was out shopping, he was on a mission, he was doing some work for Stark back at the building. Yeah, that could work.
"Friday what do we know about this evil cube?"
"As you already know it is called a Prison Realm, it is a powerful sorcerer tool to hold strong, and powerful threats, but it can only hold one." Friday explained.
"Anything else?" Tony asked.
"The proper term for being captured in one is called being sealed. Time is frozen inside the prison and the overall item is unusable unless the victim is unsealed or they kill themselves."
Tony bit his nails nervously. He was really hoping Quentin would hold on in there. He knew he had the patience but he couldn't think of being trapped in a tiny box with nothing, not even a concept of time. "So Quentin is sealed?"
"Correct," His AI confirmed, "He needs someone to unseal him. Until then he's practically gone. Unlike other traps like Octavius' plush ray, a prisoner cannot interact with the outside world."
"So what he's just- doomed?" Tony asked.
"Unfortunately, Beck's rescue is entirely on you and the people who care about him. He can't do anything from the inside."
"Shit," Tony muttered, nervously pacing the lab. He had broken Mysterio out of prison loads of times, one even being freeing him from being turned to literal stone, but this? This was going to be tough. Hard, but not impossible. He'd get Quentin back even if it kills him. He just hopes that he doesn't take the easy way out.
Back on the Hellicarrier, the agency was celebrating the permanent capture of Mysterio. They cheered and clinked glasses of champaigne as the Prison Realm was practically attached to the director. He wasn't letting it out of his sight. His singular eye would make sure of it. Maria Hill definitally had mixed feelings on the extreme trap.
"I still don't think it was smart to use such a powerful item on a bad guy like Beck." She explained while taking a sip of wine.
"Sure, but when you really think about it ask yourself this," Fury responded, "Which of our targets has escaped the most?"
The agent rolled her eyes before answering, "Mysterio."
"Right, and who has caused the most damage and chaos to New York in short periods of time?"
She sighed, "Mysterio again, Nick."
"Have any of our more powerful, alien type troublemakers ever escape confinement?"
"No." She replied sternly.
"Well then, it seems like as of right now Beck was our number one pain in the ass. I think this was the right decision."
"I guess you're right."
"If a bigger problem reveals itself to us, we'll be ready." Fury promised, "For right now, let's celebrate!" He clinked her glass as she chuckled before cheersing him back.
It was all up to Tony Stark and the rest of Quentin's family now to get him out of that damn box.
And believe me, Tony was willing to do anything to do so.