Failed Attempts
"I'm going with you this time," Claire said as she pulled the shadow portal into existence. We only have one shot at this, so let's get it right! She spoke the incantation Douxie had given her, focusing all of her being into the spell. It would take every ounce of her strength to open another portal into the past. The last one had left her unconscious laying amongst the rubble of Arcadia. She was lucky she hadn't been killed in her vulnerable state.
The portal flickered, turning clear and showing an image of the past, douxie standing in a cell dressed in white scrubs. "Now Archie" she yelled, charging at the portal. They hit it at the same time, pushing through the barrier and landing hard on a cement floor.
"Claire! Archie! I missed you so much, but you shouldn't have come" douxie gets as close to the barrier as he can without getting shocked by it again.
"We couldn't leave you here Douxie, we had to come back," Claire says faintly, still on her hands and knees. She tries to get to her feet only to collapse back to the ground.
"I was afraid this would happen. She's too exhausted to be of much use at the moment, stand back!" Archie says firmly. Douxie retreats to the corner as Archie blows dragon fire through the glass barrier, melting it through.
"Good work old pal!" Douxie says, hopping barefoot, dangerously around the pool of melted glass. He hunted around the tables of parts and tools, coming up with his bracer cuff, which had thankfully been reassembled After Tony had taken it apart to study it's inner mechanics.
He crouches down and swings Claire's arm around his shoulder, lifting her bridal style and carrying her to the elevator.
"Fuzzbuckets, what I wouldn't give to have Krel here right now!" Douxie lamented, his eyes darting over the complex computerized control system.
An artificial voice came on over the intercom "Mr. Stark has been informed of your escape attempt. Please lie on the ground and put your hands behind your head, any further attempt and the collar will activate."
Douxie set Claire down gently on the floor. If the collar was going to come on he didn't want to accidentally shock her. "I don't know what to do Arch, he is gonna be here any minute!"
Archie heard the panic in his voice " your magic, isn't it compatible with Arc reactor technology?" He asked.
"Oh yeah! But if I use my magic, the collar will incapacitate me," he pointed to the strip of metal around his neck.
"I think I can assist with that," Archie touched a claw to the metal just as Douxie yelled "no! Wait Arch-". It hummed as it activated, shocking Archie, who let out an indignant yowl. The voltage was turned up from the last time it had been used on him and he dropped to the floor convulsing, fingers clawing uselessly at the device.
Archie shook his head to clear the fog away and extended a single claw, slicing through the collar with ease even as it continued to shock him.
Douxie groaned and rolled onto his side, puking from the force of his stomach muscles contracting. He willed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly as the room spun
"Stand back Arch, wait for my signal and make a run for it. If it comes to it, I want you to get Claire out of here and leave me behind," He held his arm to the door and hit a few controls on his bracer cuff. A blue stream of magic shot through the panel and activated the elevator, opening the doors.
Several bits of metal flew past his head, attaching to Claire's unconscious form and securing her arms and legs together. The next round came straight at Douxie. He blasted the first one out of the air just as the second connected with his wrist. Several more followed, finding their targets. Douxies legs and arms snapped together as the tight metal cuffs linked up. "Oh Fuzzbuckets" he cursed again as he lost his balance and crashed back to the floor.
Iron Man exited the elevator leveling his flight stabilizer at Archie who Hissed, his fur standing on end. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. activate 'catch and release'" Tony asked the A.I. system. A metal net shot from his arm, ensnaring Archie. He struggled, biting through two of the braided steel chords before the electricity activated on the net, stunning him.
"Activate handcuff nanobots," Tony said, sending another command to the A.I.
Douxie felt his hands and feet go numb. He tried to pull his magic through the numbness, but he felt nothing.
Like the new cuffs? I designed them using the schematics for your bracer, I just reversed the polarity. Now instead of channeling your magic, they can suppress it. Isn't that neat?" Tony taunted as he approached the boy trussed up on the floor.
"Now, as far as escape attempts go, that was stupid and just plain sad," Tony look disapproving down at Hisirdoux. "Couldn't even make it up the elevator. So who are your friends?" He asked, crouching over a glaring douxie.
"I recognize the little flying furball of fury over there" he gestured to Archie currently snoring away in the net, having passed out.
"-but who is the chica? And how did she get in?" Douxie kept his eyes forward and his expression neutral. He didn't want to give Tony the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to him. If this had happened to anybody else but himself he would have found it hilarious. Douxie knew first hand just how efficient Stark tech was, he even helped design several pieces with Mr. Stark. Of course, that hadn't happened yet, if it were to happen at all now that he was royally messing with Time.
"Not talking? Fine, have it your way. Maybe I'll get some answers by dissecting that creepy little pet of yours" Tony threatened. He hadn't meant it, but he did regret his words when he saw the look of hurt and panic flash in douxies eyes.
"No! Please don't hurt him, please he is all I have." Hisirdoux pleaded with Tony. He attempted to push himself closer to Archie only to have the wrist cuffs let out another loud buzz as they shocked him. Douxie cried out again before Tony turned the settings back down.
He looked around at his destroyed workshop and frowned at the boy at his feet, "guess we will be finding you and your friends some different quarters for now. I'll have to whip up a fire suppression system for that spicy cat of yours" Tony fell deep in thought.
"Please" Hisirdoux said again, panting as his heart still raced in his chest from the electric shock, "please don't hurt them, please,they mean you no harm."
Tony watched him for a long minute as if trying to decide something important, "I don't hurt kids, but you are going to have to talk eventually. we could help each other, work as a team and fix the future together," Tony supplied.
At this point, douxie was considering it. Sod the rules, his friends were in danger, he had to rethink this if they were going to make it out alive and with everyone returned. Before he could speak, Tony slumped to the floor, a tranquilizer arrow stuck into his neck.
"Play time over, lets have a chat like big boys, shall we?" Clint stepped over Tony where he lay prone on the floor. He glared down at Douxie before grabbing him by the metal cuffs on his wrists and slinging him up over his shoulder.
"Put me down! Clint, you're a good man, you don't want to do this!" Douxie tried reasoning. He had met Clint before and he was a good guy, genuine and down to earth. He didn't know this version of Clint, twisted by anger and rage. Something had broken inside of this man and that made him dangerous.
"I'm done waiting around while you play games. He headed to the elevator, hitting the button for the ground floor.
Douxie struggled trying to throw himself off of Clint. He managed to catch him off balance and drop to the floor. " I'm not going with you"
"Oh yeah, we'll see about that" Clint aimed a well placed kick to his stomach. Douxie curled around his foot trying to absorb the impact but it was no good. The wind was knocked out of him and he gasped for breath as Clint threw him back over his shoulder.
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Douxie hung from the ceiling by his arms, his toes barely scraping the pavement. Clint stood in front of him, holding a metallic rod in his right hand.
" My teammates didn't want me to do this. They said they wouldn't resort to torturing a kid. I'm not really one of the team anymore though, am I?" Clint hit a button on the rod and the crackling of high volt electricity pierced the silence of the warehouse.
Douxie tried to school his features, to stay strong and show no fear,"I want to tell you, truly I do. I can't, please understand that I can't. Anything I say could change the outcome of future events," douxie struggled to stay balanced on his toes, unable to take the weight off of his shoulders.
"I was kind of hoping you would say that," Clint looked almost delighted as he observed the electricity running through the tip of the cattle prod. In a flash, he thrust the prod into douxies side. Douxie screamed through clenched teeth as his body seized up, shaking violently while the current ran through him.
"Please...you don't… don't understand…" douxie panted, trying to keep the panic from washing over him.
Clint circled him, letting the tip of the cattle prod drag along the floor as he went. "You know, Tony seems to have quite a fascination with electricity lately. I thought I'd give it a go, see if I can figure out why he likes it so much. This can end for you anytime you want it to. You just have to tell me who sent you and why," douxie bit his tongue to stay silent. He whimpered at the sound of the prod scraping against the floor behind him.
It pissed Clint off that this kid was standing between him and the only chance at having his family back. He grabbed a fistful of hair and viciously yanked. Douxie yelped in pain, crying out,"stop, please stop! It hurts," he whimpered, his resolve to stay strong dissolving as Clint brought his face within inches of douxies, glaring at him with all of the anger and hatred he had felt through the last three years. There was no turning back now. In his mind, douxie was the enemy.
He raised the cattle prod again, stabbing it painfully into the boy's back before turning it all the way up and holding it there. Douxie writhed and twisted trying to escape the pain. He cut his wrists on the metal cuffs, blood streaked down his forearms, staining his shirt with crimson droplets. His hair and clothing was soaked through with perspiration. Black dots swam across his vision as he grew lightheaded. At last, Clint drew back. Douxie hung boneless from the metal chains. His breathing was erratic and if he didn't get it under control soon he feared he would go into shock. He thought of Claire and of Archie waiting for him, counting on him to bring everyone back alive.
"Hey, don't pass out on me now. We're not done talking, " Clint slapped at his face to bring his attention back to the present.
"Can't...them..." Douxie mumbled deliriously.
"Can't what? Who is them?" Clint asked, his hand painfully gripping douxies jaw, forcing the boy to look at him.
"Can't let them down... They're waiting… I have to save...have to save them...cannot tell you, please…you're wrong..." douxie rambled, slurring his words as he struggled to maintain consciousness.
"You stupid kid, you fucking brat!" Clint cursed. He raised the prod again, pressing it to douxies stomach and cranking it up again. Douxie hardly even flinched this time, his eyes rolling up into his head as the shocks traveled through him. He wet himself as the shocks forced his bladder to contract.
A loud bang echoed off the warehouse walls, drawing Clints attention. He dropped the prod and raised his bow, pointing an arrow at the door. Another loud boom blasted the door open, tearing it from its hinges. A flash bang charge rolled across the floor to clints feet. He kicked it and rolled away just as it went off. The charge stunned him and he stumbled. Douxie heard screaming, at least he thought he did. A flash of red and gold crossed his vision, "we got you kid, you'll be ok, we got you" he heard the words but couldn't quite grasp their meaning as at last, he slipped into unconsciousness.