Go Lapdog
“Why?” Peter screams, his entire body detained with machines he doesn’t know the name of. It feels as if he’s being pulled apart from every angle, as if there was one person by each limb. Pulling, and pulling, until there’s nothing left of him, and he simply falls apart. “Let me out! Please, I just want to go home. You killed my dad- please!” he cries, thrashing around to try and break free but they have it so tight.
He can’t breathe. It’s as if they’ve placed an anchor on his chest, and they’re pushing him down into the water. There’s nothing to get him out. No speeches about how good the world is, or how he’s protected by his mother and father. There’s no warmth here, at all. He’s freezing. And now all he wants is to fall asleep and never wake up again. Because then, at least, they won’t get as much from him as they please. But, as he’s learnt now, the world’s unrelenting and when you beg for something… only the lucky few end up happy.
“Why- why are you doing this to me?” He manages to say, before someone dressed head to toe in PPE saunters over to the machine that he’s in and throws a device over his mouth to stop him from talking. He mumbles underneath the new restraint, but it’s impossible for them to hear. So, he gives up. And he waits.
He waits for hours, held up by restraints that make him cry in agony. Until the door is thrown open and the man from the alleyway comes out. He looks proud of himself. And when looks behind him, he seems to cower in fear at (presumably) his boss. Humans tend to do that. When they have power, they’ll act like a big shot. They think they’re the king of the jungle. But as soon as somebody walks in and shows that, no, they are the ones in charge… they’ll submit and look up to them. They’ll do their every bidding. Peter thinks it’s pathetic, but- it’s just a pattern he’s noticed- and one he doesn’t really want to analyse right now. Not here.
“Now- look at this,” The boss man (the real boss) grins, running his hand over the casing of the machine. He chuckles. “You really did it, Rumlow. I’ll be honest… I didn’t think you had it in you. I’m impressed.”
It’s not a compliment Peter would be jumping for joy by. Honestly, it’s a little backhanded. But Rumlow takes the praise like a young child, who’s only goal is to impress. To show off. He smiles to himself, glancing over at Peter as if to say, ‘I did that, look at me- I’m the one who got this for you’. And Peter would say ‘you caught me at a bad time’. Because, really, he could’ve taken them all out. But he doesn’t want to. He never wanted to hurt anybody with his gift, no matter what they did or who they turned out to be. He just wanted to make a difference, when he could, but now that’s impossible. And it makes Peter (the fourteen-year-old alien kid) wish that he did more when he could.
“Thank you, sir,” Rumlow whispers, but it’s long forgotten when Peter looks into the eyes of his commander.
Dark, evil, eyes. Peter’s never seen anything like them. The way they explore the trap, grinning without the need of the man’s lips. There’s more of his pupil than the pigment, but- if Peter can see properly- he thinks they’d be blue. His hair flops on top of his head like there’s no effort. He’s got out of his tomb for the day, underneath the fraud that he’s normal. Like he’s the average Joe who lives in a white picket house, with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever. His wife’s name would be ‘Sally’, and they’d argue every fortnight whenever he’d spend too much time with his old friends.
He’s old, Peter realises. He can tell by the wrinkles that line his face, each one adding to the fear Peter feels. Because he’s old, it means he has experience. And he’s too old to be doing the dirty work himself, but at the right age to reap the benefits of work that people do below him. Now, people know aliens exist. They’ve met Thor. But they don’t have a form of transport to visit those planets, or perhaps even more there. If Peter can show them how, well- it would be amazing. Peter can see in these eyes that Pierce be the one to claim all the fame and fortune that comes with a discovery like it.
“Alexander Pierce,” the man smiles (Peter’s not sure if he’s introducing himself, or if they’ve got the wrong alien. He thinks it might be the latter). But, no- it’s not a smile. It’s more of a leer. Because Peter’s sure this person has never sincerely smiled in their life, and this- this little meeting they have going on here would not be the first. Not in a long shot. “It’s nice to meet you, Peter. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”
“I can’t say I share the same sentiment, sir,” Peter says, as soon as the device that kept his mouth shut drops. Apparently, the commander ‘Pierce’ is interested in what he has to say.
“Oh, so polite. And your English is impeccable… especially as it’s your… hm, well- let’s say it’s not your native tongue. Who taught you that?” Pierce chuckles. “Oh, wait. You don’t have to tell me. It was your lovely Aunt. What was her name again? May? What a lovely name, Peter. A lovely lady too, I presume. It would be such a shame if… if she got caught up in this. Wouldn’t it?”
Peter’s sight goes red, and he doesn’t know what to do. He tries to move in his restraints. “Don’t you dare touch her. You’ve already killed my dad. He was innocent. You didn’t have to… why did you do that? You could’ve knocked him out. You could’ve just let him go. But-,”
“Life’s not all about making friends, or family, Pete. You’ll learn that with the proper teachings. I’ll make sure you understand the real world. And it is a shame about Ben. I do apologise. I guess I just have trigger friendly employees, you must know how it goes. However, I assure you that May will be left alone. As long as you do what you’re told.”
Pierce presses a button on the side of the machine. The doors open, and Peter falls out. He’s bounded by specially made handcuffs, meaning there’s no way for him to break free and run. But as he stands there, completely vulnerable in front of the small crowd of people, he doesn’t know what to do. He stays quiet. Because he won’t be the reason that May dies. He’s already killed Ben, and he knows he’ll never fully comprehend that fact. So, he decides to just do what they say (for now), because if he’s hurt… well, it’s much better than the alternative.
Rumlow walks him down the hallway, the higher-ups of their group stalking close behind. Turning into a bright, white, room, Peter’s thrown to the floor. The door shuts after him, the sound of the lock turning making his stomach churn with dread. He shouldn’t be here. Mama sent him to safety, told him to go to a planet where he’d be okay. He should’ve never picked Earth.
People like to pretend they’re better than they are. They’ve damaged the world in which they live, to the point of fires destroying their land. To huge earthquakes decimating land, destroying the lives (typically the lives of those who don’t deserve it, comeuppance like that never comes to people like Pierce) of cities. They’ve released so much pollution that it’s hard to breathe. And yet, they continue to live the same. They don’t care. And if they hurt thousands of others during their rampage, so be it. And Peter? Peter’s part of the thousands. He’s not seen as a living thing, but he’s just a barrier they need to cross to expand. He knows all they want to do is invade, to take over planets like Peter’s home. And if they do, they’d destroy them too.
Peter thinks he’s met the extent of good in humanity. May, Ben, Ned, and MJ… they made his time on Earth worthwhile. But the rest of the population seems to be cruel, at least from what he’s experienced. So, as he sits in the room- caged up like a zoo animal (he wonders if they’ll make him perform tricks, as people stare at him through the glass), he resigns to his fate and lets his head rest on the floor. This is his new home… he might as well get used to it.
There’s banging on the only glass window into the room. It makes Peter flinch, the sounds in his head overwhelming from the super hearing he was born with. Looking up, he realises the group haven’t left. They’re just looking… waiting to see if he’ll react.
“Peter, this is no time for sleep,” Pierce chuckles darkly. “I want you to tell us how you got here, and how we might find your home. Just for a little visit, of course.”
“My home planet is gone. That’s why I came here,” Peter says, eyes closing as he remembers.
Two years… (and a bit) ago
Peter’s home planet was gorgeous. There’s vegetation as far as the eye can see, houses woven into the environment. There are no cars on the concrete road (although, Peter hadn’t heard of that machine before he came to Earth… so it’s not something he took notice of). People swing down the street, cheers of joy filling the air. Everyone’s happy, living in their bubble.
Sure, if you look deeper, there’s crime and darkness everywhere. In each little crevice, there’s more to see than meets the eye. On paper, his planet was everything. But the reality was damming. Peter was afraid every time he went to sleep that he’d wake up and nobody would be there. But still. It was better than Earth. Because at least he’s not trapped in a room that feels like it’s getting smaller and smaller by the minute.
But then the invasion happened. Beings from a neighbouring planet came in on ships that were far too advanced for his people to take out. They had weapons that people wouldn’t even comprehend, but the invaders… well, they had more. And as the planet was torn to shreds, they made sure that every last being was destroyed. But his parents (Richard and Mary) put him in a pod and launched him into space. They must’ve done something to wipe a bit of his memory, because he wasn’t sure of his real name, or how it felt when they died in his arms. He knows that they did, but it’s like the memory is hidden behind bars… parts of it escaping only for it to be pushed back inside once he realises.
He remembers the dust after the explosions went off. It was everywhere. And as he looked around, he saw those he loved on the floor. They were crying out for help, but he couldn’t do anything. He was trapped in this escape pod, forced to leave when all he wanted to do was be the hero. And that’s probably why he didn’t realise where he was going, ending up on the one planet that was worse than his own.
Back in present time
“Focus, Pete. You’ve got that far off look in your eyes, I don’t like it,” Pierce says, banging on the glass once more. It kicks Peter out of his memory he was so deep inside. “Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Tell me where you’re from and how you got here, I won’t ask again.”
“It’s gone,” Peter repeats. “My planet… it’s gone.”
“I don’t care, you stupid kid. Boohoo, things like that happen. There’s more out there than just your home, isn’t there? I’ll find it, don’t get me wrong- but that’s not what I just asked you… is it? How did you get here?! Don’t make me go and find May.”
“I-I-“ Peter stutters, “I don’t know. Please, just believe me. I have no idea.” He’s telling the truth, he really doesn’t understand how she planned it. He doesn’t know how to get back, either. So, really, they have the wrong alien. “My mama- she- she did it. I fell asleep and then I was here. I swear.”
Pierce takes a deep breath, shaking his head. He leans over to Rumlow, mumbling something, before he turns and walks away. Peter thinks that it must be over then, but he couldn’t be prepared for what came next. The doors open, and Rumlow (who Peter’s affectionately nicknamed ‘lap dog’ in his head) waltzes in. He takes Peter’s handcuffs off, putting a collar on instead. Quickly running out, closing the door again before Peter can escape, he has that same evil leer on his face as his boss did. Just as Peter was trying to figure out what was happening, a sharp shock came from the collar.
And the pain that follows that, it’s immense. It happens for hours. Over and over, he’s shocked by this stupid collar. He feels as if he’s going to pass out from the pain, but they give it just enough time for his super healing to help- and then they shock him again.
“If you don’t tell us, Peter, this is going to become a routine for you,” Rumlow says, pressing the button one more time before leaving (also reminding Peter that Pierce was right… his employees really were sadistic assholes who are trigger happy). “Have fun, kiddo.”
As the agent walks away, remote still tight in his hand, Peter lets a tear escape. He couldn’t believe that this man had been watching him all this time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab him, and run intrusive tests… just in the sake of power. And what hurts a lot, is he really thought his ‘teacher’ cared for him… But people like him don’t have the space in their hearts to care, and they never will.
In the corner of the room, there’s a TV. It’s playing the news, but it’s barely loud enough to hear. But Peter’s different. He can hear it just fine. On the screen at the moment, he recognises the group of Earth’s defenders as ‘The Avengers’. Powerful, influential, people who use their gifts for good. However, Peter’s not sure if they are. Because they work for SHIELD, and the badge of Pierce’s jacket is of the same company. And if they’re working amongst people like that… then how good can they be? Yet, if they are as good as they say they are… Peter almost dreams that they’d bust through these white walls and save him.
They’d get what it’s like to be him. They’re all different, swaying from the norm that the humans take to. Powers beyond belief, ones that scare the ordinary. He stares- and hopes. In his dreams, his prayers, he whispers to whoever’s listening… ‘Please, just help me. I don’t deserve any of this. I just want to live’. He’d like to think somebody heard.
Just as he dreams, he hears a clatter behind him. And as he looks up, he sees… a worried face that he thinks he should recognise. Red and gold- a suit so familiar. Was he just looking at it? But the face just glides past him, not seeing the young boy imprisoned by his co-workers.
Trying to listen to their conversation, he only gets little bits.
“Hey Rumlow,” Steve Rogers says, Tony Stark standing just behind him. “I’ve just come to inform you when our next mission is.” They look at each with harsh glances, and it’s clear they don’t really get along. Maybe the two heroes know the type of person lap dog is… and they might be aware that kidnapping is something he’s capable of. “You know- if we need you.”
They have no idea, Peter thinks. He tries to climb up the walls, but he slips. He hasn’t used his powers in so long… he’s become rusty. He cries out in agony, hoping that they’d hear. That they’d notice him and save him. As he screams, he’s shocked again. He’s shocked- this time until he passes out and he cannot cry anymore.
And when he wakes up… his heroes were gone.
And instead, he sees the devil in the form of a man. Because he’s not in the same room anymore. He’s strapped to a chair, and people in lab coats are walking around him and injecting him with needles, taking his blood- and doing so many tests that Peter doesn’t even know what they’re trying to look for.
“You’re doing so well, Peter,” Pierce smiles, “We’re going to learn so much from you. You’ll be a hero, trust me. A hero! People won’t be afraid of you, son. They’ll thank you for all that you’ve done.”
Peter shakes his head, “No, you’re a monster. Nobody will ever look up to you, sir. You’re the scum of the Earth, and you’re the reason why so many live in fea-,”
Peter’s rant is stopped by a slap to the face. It stings, and Peter sits there as a tear falls down his face (much to the delight of Pierce). The man leans down, resting his elbow on the side of the chair. “Don’t ever speak to me like that again,” he whispers. “Or I promise, things will get a lot worse for you. Do you understand?” he asks, but Peter’s silent. So, Pierce leans back and slaps him again. Harder. “Do you understand, Peter?!” he says, shouting so loud that it makes everyone in the room stop what they’re doing.
“Yes,” Peter nods, trying not to show that he’s weak in any way.
“Yes… what? Use your manners.”
“Yes, sir,” Peter whispers.
“There we go. Good boy,” Pierce smiles. He looks over at the nearest scientist to his left, “Hurry up. Get these tests done. We don’t have all night, do we?”
The tests go on for hours. They’re little lab experiment hurts- it makes Peter feel like he’s going to pass out (or worse). But if he could- if he could just close his eyes- then he wouldn’t see the whites of their eyes- the way they don’t even have a hint of remorse. They don’t shake when they pull his arm, injecting God knows what into his blood stream. It’s terrifying. It’s worse than the tyrants that destroyed his home. Because they told people of their evils, letting it be known what they could do. These people? They could be normal. They could walk past you in a shop. They could be your neighbour, your friend. Hiding in the shadows to attack, to hide, it’s scarier.
For the next week, this routine happens over and over again. He’s taken from the room he’s come to see as his new home, forced up into the ‘chair’. They test things. They hurt him. They induce pain just to see how he’ll react. Maybe they think they can take this power and develop it into something to make them stronger, to enhance a new group of humans. Because ultimately, finding a way to be better than everyone else is their goal.
He becomes weak. But… there’s times when he’s beaten so much that it makes him want to fight back. At the bottom of the pit that they’ve thrown him into, he knows that eventually he can get himself out. Before he knows it, he’ll be back with May, and they can mourn Ben together and look at the stars… and everything will be just fine. It will be, he knows it. Why else did he feel such a pulling from this planet to stay?
Meanwhile
After that weird encounter with Rumlow, a man named Tony Stark wonders down to his lab and he… he thinks. He’s always thought there was something off with his college, something deeper than being ‘unique’. The way he had people crowded around that room, and how he could’ve sworn he heard crying.
Born and bred on Earth, Tony Stark’s no alien. But he knows a bit about being different. A super mind, and a super suit, the man knows too much about the Earth’s flaws… and people like Brock Rumlow tend to find their way into his life without him asking.
Tony’s not a saint. No, he’s far from it. So, he doesn’t feel bad about hacking into Shield’s confidential files to try and get a peek of that division’s ‘secret project’ he’s heard whispers of. Getting into Fury’s account, he’s surprised to see that the director doesn’t have access to Pierce’s work. Hm, he wonders, now- that’s just made him even more intrigued.
If he just so happens to ‘have a question’ for them… What are they going to do if he sees what they’re up to? Unless they have some kind of atomic bomb in there, it’s not like he’ll tattle. He’s been known to keep things to himself. In fact, he’s a very trustful person (Rhodey would disagree… but it’s not like he knows everything about Tony… right?).
He’ll sleep on it, he thinks. Well, he won’t. He can’t sleep that well lately. Nightmares and all. Steve, and the rest of the team, have been trying their hardest to get him some help… but he doesn’t see the point of it. He’ll get better. He just has to give it some time. Because that’s always worked for him in the past…
Walking up to the kitchen to try and distract his mind from the pit of worry in his stomach (was he really worried about Rumlow was doing? Fury wouldn’t let SHIELD do anything that bad…), he sees someone else there. He wasn’t expecting that. He thought it was late at night… or early morning at least.
“Tony?” Steve says. He’s wearing his running gear. Has he taken up running in the night now? What is the time anyway? He checks his watch. Shit, it was 8am. And he hadn’t slept. “Tony,” Steve repeats, sadly.
“Oh, don’t look so sad Captain.”
“Why haven’t you slept?”
Tony bites his lip, trying to think of an excuse. “I have something to attend to.”
Steve’s hand covers Tony’s wrist. “We’re worried about you,” he says.
“’We’? What, do you speak for the whole team now?” Tony asks, trying to pull his arm out of Steve’s ridiculous super soldier grip. “Look, I need to check something out. Superhero stuff. You know the drill. It’s important.”
“And so are you,” Steve interjects.
“Steve, I think… I think Rumlow and Pierce are… well, didn’t you hear something suspicious when we were there?” He asks, completely glossing over the man’s worry.
“Now that you mention it…,” Steve says. “You think they’re hiding something?”
“I’m certain of it,” Tony says. And if it means he can also get out of this awkward conversation, he’d go be the knight in shining armour to whatever they’ve got locked up in that room. He’ll show Steve that he’s just fine, thank you, and that he’s more than capable of helping. And if he can beat Rumlow as he does it… well, it’s always a bonus. He never has liked that man anyway. He’s always so sure of himself, it drives Tony crazy.
Walking away from Steve as fast as he can, Tony finds himself in an area of the building he never goes to by himself. His slight worry turns into something much worse when he gets close to the door and… he hears utter terror from the other side. Blasting the door open with his suit, his eyes go wide at the sight. He never would’ve guessed this was the origin of his worry at all.
Because there… there in a chair surrounded by a bunch of people in lab coats was a kid. A scared, bleeding, and terrified kid who looked at Tony as if he was saved. And, suddenly, that’s all the billionaire wanted to do.