It's Not Just In Your Head

864 21 2
                                    


One year ago, Spider-Man was responsible for the imprisonment of a villain, The Vulture. His kind-of girlfriend, Liz, the Vulture's daughter had ended up moving away. But after a few weeks, Peter wasn't affected much. Honestly, he had almost forgot about it. That was until two days ago. The seventeen year old was walking back from school when something in his head tells him that danger is near. He doesn't have any time to think before he's hit over the back of the head with enough power to make him collapse to the ground. He scrambles to try and fight back but another hit has him passing out. Peter tried to keep his eyes open, he really did, but he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
It's been a day now since he woke up strapped to a chair. He's been pumped with so many drugs that he can barely think anymore. He still fights, he shouts out cries for help every time he's left alone, just like right now. The man at the centre of his kidnapping is a man he had already come to know as 'The Shocker.' He was the Vulture's right hand man when his operation was up and running. And apparently he wasn't pleased that Peter was the one that shut them down.
The door opens, the kid uses all of his bravery to look him in the eyes, but what he sees besides Shocker's smug face, is a syringe.
'Not again.' Peter thinks, his eyes watering in fear. "No." He whispers.
"Stay still now kid, you don't want this to hurt more, right?" The man says with a grin.
"Please stop. Just- Just let me go." He chokes out, dropping his head as Shocker simply smiles and walks towards him.
"No. No. Please- No-" Peter shakes, more hysterical now as the villain sets the needle down and grabs a cloth. "No. No!" He's cut off when it's shoved in his mouth. The shocker picks up the syringe again.
The hero squirmed, letting out an alarmed cry through the thick fabric of the gag as the villain inserted a needle into his neck. The Shocker withdrew it just as quickly and moved to tighten the leather cuffs binding him to the chair he's trapped in.
"Don't worry," He said, "It won't hurt for long. You can feel it, right? Breaking down all your defences?" The man simpered, watching as the heroes eyes widened and then tensed- then within seconds relaxed back in the chair.
The man snapped his fingers in front of Peter's face and got no reaction from his glassy eyes.
"There you go," He purred, running a hand through his hair, "Atta boy."
Peter's vision starts to blur and he can't comprehend anything that's going on.
"I'll be back in to check on you later." The words spin around in his head as the man leaves him to suffer alone.
The kid doesn't know how long has passed, it's impossible to tell. But after a while he begins to feel better, his vision coming back. He looks around at the bare walls and breathes out in relief.
"Hey, you're awake." A voice comes from behind him, scaring him so badly that he flinches forward.
Peter turns to face whoever it is, when he realises that he's no longer gagged or strapped down. He gasps when he sees the man behind him.
"Ben? Uncle- Uncle Ben?" He asks in shock, he stands up and moves towards him.
"Yeah?" His uncle asks with a smile, "You okay, Peter?"
"I- Yeah." His brain stops fighting him and he just registers that what's happening is normal, that Ben didn't die years ago. "What are you doing here?"
"I can't come visit my favourite nephew?" He asks with a smirk.
"I'm your only nephew." Peter replies with a soft smile.
But suddenly Ben's face turns stoic and serious. "I have to go now."
"What?" Peter asks with a confused look, "You have to go where?"
"Goodbye, Peter. Be safe." He says, and with a flash he's gone.
Peter looks around and his eyes begin to tear up as he hears another voice. "What's the matter?"
He spins around and immediately takes a few steps backwards in a panicked state.
"You miss me, Pete?" The Vulture asks sarcastically, "You feel good about saving my life?"
"Get- Get back." Peter replies, scrambling to the door that has suddenly disappeared into thin air.
"You can't live with the consequences of your actions. Tell me, how did dear old Ben die?"
"Stay away from me." The kid mumbles as the older man moves towards him.
"You killed him."
"No. I- I didn't- "
"You weren't there to save him!" The Vulture yells, startling the child.
"Stop. Stop..."
"You left him to die! ALONE!"
"STOP IT!" Peter screams, hiding his face in his hands and sliding down the wall so he's sitting on the floor.
"You're no hero. You're a disgrace! The Avengers don't need you! Why do you think Tony Stark never answers your messages?!" He replies angrily, throwing his hands up to punctuate his point.
"No. No."
"Yes! They don't care about you! They left you to fight me alone! He doesn't care! Tony doesn't care about you!" He kicks the wall beside Peter's head in frustration.
"If he cared he'd be here to save you! You know that deep down!"
"Please- Just leave me alone." Peter sobs, gripping his hair tight in his fists.
"Grow up! You're a parasite! All you do is cause pain!"
"Stop it! Please! Just stop!" Peter screams, his voice hoarse from the crying. He's met with silence. As the kid looks up, he realises that he's by himself again and his vision is blurring. It takes a few minutes before he's back to reality, although he doesn't know the difference between what's real and the nightmares.
He closes his eyes and opens them to see the room he had gotten used to. The one with bare walls and a metal door. He glances down and sees that his hands are still strapped down with leather, but the gag has been removed. He can hear someone talking but realises that it's his own voice. "I'm not a parasite. He cares. He cares." Muttering reassurances over and over.
He's pulled from his thoughts when someone snaps in front of his face. He throws his head back and looks directly at the Shocker.
"Jesus." He says with a smirk, "That did something, huh?"
Peter drops his head again in shame and chokes back a sob.
"I'll take that as a yes." The man replies plainly, "Drink this." He puts a glass of what looks like water under the kid's nose, but the hero just shakes his head.
"Drink this or I inject you with more of that stuff. It's just water. I can't have you dying before my next experiment." He huffs.
Peter lunges as far forward as he can with the restraints that he's in, but it's enough to make the man drop the glass.
"You piece of shit!" He yells, grabbing the kid's hair and gripping it tight.
"I won't do anything you say!" Peter spits back at him defiantly. He can't stop him from hurting him, might as well make it difficult, right?
"When I kill you, I'll send your Avenger friends what's left of your body." He snarls, getting closer to Peter's ear.
The kid takes a few deep breaths before saying confidently,
"You can't scare me anymore."
The man slaps him across the face before standing up straight and walking quickly out of the door.
Peter prepares for something bad, but he keeps his head held high as the sound of crashing comes from a few doors away. But then he hears a noise that makes him question if he's actually in reality, maybe he was drugged again.
"Where is he?!" Tony's angry voice echoes up the corridors. "Take this asshole to jail."
"Mr. Stark?" Peter whispers, listening intently.
"Parker?!"
"Mr. Stark!" The kid yells as loud as he can, he can hear the sound of Tony's shoes rushing up the hall.
He turns the corner and is met with his kid staring up at him from a chair, with a blank expression.
"Kid. Kid. Oh my God. Are you okay? You alright?" Tony asks nervously, one hand on his cheek and the other ripping the leather straps off.
Peter just stares at him.
"Kid? Peter, I need you to listen to me. Can you hear me?" Tony asks, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Are you real?" The kid whispers.
"I'm real. I'm real. Look. Come on. Let's go, okay? Can you stand?" His father figure asks him, putting an arm underneath his shoulder and helping him up.
"Mr. Stark. I- He- He drugged me. I was- " He tries to finish his sentence but his legs buckle as soon as he tries to take a step.
"You're alright. I got you." Tony replies, lifting him into his arms and carrying him out with little effort. "What drug did he give you?"
"Thirteen of them." Peter says with glassy eyes, "All the ones he had time to give me."
"Jesus Christ." Tony mutters, taking him out to the car that awaits them.
"Am I gonna die?" The kid asks anxiously.
"No. No. I got you. We're gonna get you back to yourself."
"Promise?"
"Promise."

Peter Parker and Tony Stark Whump ShotsWhere stories live. Discover now