The Other Symbiote

Alive on the Raft

The roaring waves rocked the floating prison, as well as jolting Raiva awake in her cell. The teen looked down and saw her arm still severed, the vicious Vision having accomplished in removing a part of her. She could feel her self-inflicted wound had several stitches in it and she huffed to herself.

*Lena said she would rather die than be alive on the Raft. Well, I almost did and it wasn't even my choice, sis.*

She scanned her body briefly, noticing she was in a blue straight jacket that held her singular arm tight to her chest. She had no shoes on but was glad that she had socks on for the metal beneath her thinly-covered ass was freezing. A locked, leathery mask covered her nose and mouth, preventing her from opening and closing her jaw.

She saw that three out of the four walls encasing her were metal, with the one opposite her being glass. She edged closer but paused as she looked down at her hips.

A metallic band wrapped underneath her strapped arm, tying her down with chain that was locked in the middle of the small room, barely giving her enough chain to lean against the glass.

She quickly analysed her surroundings, taking in the details of the four walls. The glass was bulletproof and made of three layers. The metal around her was thick, easily 10 mm and had huge, bolted plates across the joints.

She finally looked through the glass and saw Wanda across from her, her eyes looking at her but not seeing her, like she was in another realm. Her eyes were sunken in and lost of hope, with tear stains running down her cheeks. 

Raiva was suddenly fuelled with anger and banged against the glass, which she quickly regretted. The metal band across her waist shot spikes into her stomach and back, her vocal chords releasing a blood-curdling shriek. Wanda immediately reacted to the muffled scream and slid slowly over to the glass.

"Wanda, don't." Clint murmured next to her.

"Why? She's in pain."

"They'll do it to her more if you try to save her. We've all tried. Please, don't."

All Wanda could do was watch until Raiva calmed down, registering the cold spikes leaving her body and watched as blood soaked down her straight jacket. Wanda leaned her forehead against the wall and smiled softly, saying the words she wanted but knowing Raiva wouldn't hear them.

"I love you."

Instantly, Raiva began to tear up, nodding her head profusely in response and Wanda smiled softly, knowing she meant it back. Even though the spikes shot out into her stomach again, all Raiva could think about was Wanda.

Until a guard came in and hit his baton against the glass, startling Raiva like a goldfish in a tank.

"Ha ha. Little bitch." He unlocked the door and Raiva tensed as he took of her mask before laying a tray of food before her. She snapped her teeth at him but was met with a strike of the baton, sending her into a haze momentarily.

He stepped back out and a buzzer went off, demagnetising the clasp that held Raiva's arm back. She picked up the plastic fork and began to eat slowly, consuming a small amount of food compared to what she normally ate.

And she suddenly realised why. Nemesis was gone.

She felt it in her bones. Nemesis was not residing somewhere in the back of her mind, locked away, no. She couldn't feel Nemesis' bond, which meant she couldn't heal... Which meant she was dying and couldn't feel Wanda. 

That was truly terrifying.

The teen immediately pulled away from the food and threw it against the wall to her right before falling on her face without a right arm as an anchor.