Chapter 3 - I'm Screaming
(I'm bored, this is boring!)
[You've been saying that for the past hour.]
"Give it a rest fellas..."
(Then let's do something!)
[Like what?] Deadpool lean back into the couch closing his eyes.
(Anything! Something! Not nothing!)
"Get used to it."
[With the city at a standstill and SHIELD just outside there isn't much else we can do.]
(Since when are we afraid of the Cyclops of SHIELD? Oh! I know, let's go poke out his other eye!)
[We aren't worried about ourselves.]
(Huh?)
"Shut up, you're giving me a headache."
(If we aren't worried about us then let's go out there with Cap and his lackeys.)
[What about Spider-Man?]
(What about him?)
[Well--]
"Enough!" Wade growled and stood up "I'm going to get to the bottom of this mess!" Making his way to the doors Hawkeye carried the webslinger through, Wade huffed readying himself to fight his way to the hero. As he opened the door, he was met with ...no resistance?
(Thought for sure we'd at least be blasted by a Repulsor Ray.) Deadpool steadily made his way through the halls. At first only the sound of his footsteps, was all he could hear. It wasn't too long before quiet echos began to fill the passageway.
[I don't like this. Something's not right.] As the merc advanced the echos only grew louder, only now he could swear he heard people talking.
"Shh. I think we're getting close." A piercing scream caused the merc to stop in his tracks. "Spidey?!" Another horrific scream rang loudly through the hallway. Deadpool grit his teeth as he started running through the hall. The voices he could barely hear before started to grow louder. The screaming continued, so it was difficult to make out what they were saying. What little he caught sounded so technical. He had been so focused on finding the source of the screams, he hadn't noticed that the walls and surroundings had altered.
The once brightly lit high tech facility, was now dimly lit with flickering lighting. Deadpool no longer felt as though he was running. Loud metal clanking on sterilized tile replaced the heavy sound of his boots. Now he felt as though his movement was restricted. As if his head, arms and legs restrained his heart pounded harshly within his chest. Another tormented scream even more anguish filled then the last ripped through the building.
"He's a failure, the damage to his mind is irreversible. Terminate the experiment. This subject will be of no use to anyone."
The ground opened up beneath him and he suddenly felt the sensation of falling the screaming louder than ever before and angry vivid reds and yellows whipped heat into his face. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air Deadpool was being burned alive painfully and without compassion. Then darkness, as he finally felt the sweet release of death floating aimlessly in the dark lonely peace. No pain, no worry, no fear, just rest. Simple relief. Closing his eyes as he drifted into the abyss.
Then a piercing white light in the distance caught his attention. It started off far, but quickly drew nearer. Wade couldn't help but, smile and close his eyes as the lights inviting warmth and allure began to cover him. In the abyss he couldn't feel anything. Nothing that is, but the light. Without warning the warmth was leaving his body once again.
He opened his eyes to see an unfocused image within the light. The light which was now leaving him. Desperately he strained his eyes too focus as he reached out to rejoin the light once again. The light which always seems so close, and yet somehow always out of reach. Wade wanted so desperately to go into the light. He knew deep within his existence that the light would be all he ever needed and wanted.
He was close now, so close that the obscure image inside the light was actually beginning to take form. A person? He could almost see...
Just as he got close enough he felt a sharp pain causing him to grit his teeth hissing and shutting his eyes tightly. A flash of images rang through his head rapidly and a firm grip on his shoulder pulled him back, denying him all he would have loved!
Wade swallowed hard as he watched the light become more and more distant, until it seemed that the abyss had swallowed it.
"Wade Wilson?"
The sudden utterance of another voice had him looking for who had just called his name. It was useless. The only remnants of light had already been swallowed by the abyss.
"Who are you?" Asked the merc as he realized the futility of his search.
"You don't recognize me? " Asked the voice softly as it echoed around him in whispers.
"Should I?" Wade asked, but it was soon clear there would be no reply. "Hello?" He tried again, and waited. Nothing. Nothing but the vast emptiness. He could feel it now. Just how alone he was again. He sighed, closing his eyes.
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"What happened to him?"
Tony asked as he walked into the medical bay armor free, in his normal casual wear. The arc reactor gave a dull glow through the dark material of his long sleeved shirt.
"Isn't it obvious?" He replied as he scrolled through a few more pages before pulling up a specific chart.
Bruce took a sip of his tea before turning to face Tony.
Tony sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It has to be something else. The serum we developed--" Tony stopped short of finishing. The sudden look of dread clear on his face as he took in the information on display.
Bruce looked back to his work. The light from the advanced technology reflecting onto his glasses, effectively hiding his own emotions. No matter what, he knew he needed to keep a cool head about anything that was to transpire.
"We both knew the serum had risk Tony. We also knew it wasn't a cure... Peter knew that as well." Bruce said calmly before taking another sip of his tea.
Tony glared at the test results that Bruce was reading over, gritting his teeth. Then he turned to see the curtained off section of the room. He let out a shuddered sigh before speaking again.
"How's his current condition?"
Bruce didn't turn from his work, and his tone stayed the same. "Stable. He's just resting now. Shouldn't be long."
"Have JARVIS alert me as soon as he's awake." Tony said determination clear in his voice. He made his way towards the door, and stopped in the door way. "We're not done here yet, Bruce. Not by a long shot..."
As he walked away, Bruce let out a quiet sigh and rested his now half empty mug onto his lap.