The Equivalents

38. Breaking point.

A/N: ()=Russian.

Zemo, Goblin, and Joker were all working towards one thing. Finding a breaking point. Eight days had passed and things were getting severe.

When Peter had refused to embrace the darkness, Goblin brought pain with the light. More then physical pain. Psychological. Reminding him of the last time he tried to do this. How he was lucky to escape. How he almost didn't. But with no powers this time, Goblin told him he belonged to him now. No matter what, he would never be able to escape him.

Bucky was too stubborn to let Zemo brainwash him. It took all he had in him to resist it. He was worn out and exhausted, but he refused to give in. So Zemo decided the only way to fix this, was to break him first and then scramble his mind when he had no will power left to fight. He reminded him of everything he did to people. While giving him a physical demonstration as well.

Jason was already getting to his breaking point. Literally. Crowbars weren't his favorite thing in the world. He hated them. He used them from time to time to try and get over this fear, but the memories still haunted him. Joker knew that. Which is why he used the crowbar the most. But he also liked knives, guns, pretty much anything that would hurt him.

"You know, you've always been my favorite." Joker smiled as he walked to his box of 'toys'. "All the memories we've made together. Besides batsy, you're the one I love most. I just want you to love me back, kiddo. I want you to know you're my hero now. You don't need Batman. You're all mine."

Jason had been gagged again. Lucky for him, he probably would've said something that would've resulted in Joker killing him. Again.

"Let me show you just how much I care about you." Joker came back from his box with a metal stick with a glowing red end. It took Jason a second to realize what it was. It was a brand. With a J on the end. "I want everyone to know you're mine."

Jason tried to get away. The last thing he wanted was an eternal reminder of this. He knew trauma had a way of never letting you forget things. Not even a detail. Some people had cases where they experienced trauma and forgot the whole event. But not Jason Todd. He always remembered, and he remembered everything. This would be more then just a mental scar. It would be a permanent physical one. Something he'd be reminded of every time he looked in a mirror. Something that no matter what would remind him that he belonged to Joker. And would that even be a lie? All Batman ever did was put Joker behind bars, just for him to break out and ruin Jason's life. Why should he trust Batman? All he's done is let him down.

"Tell me, do you think Batman is coming to save you?" Joker asked. "All you have to do is say yes, and I won't do this. But you have to be honest. I know when my little birdie is lying." He ungagged Jason. Yeah, I'm just making up words now I guess.

Jason let a tear roll down his face. He hated crying. He thought it made him weak. It's why he always locked up his emotions. He had since he was a little kid. Since he was barely older then a toddler. But he couldn't help it now. It was true. He couldn't lie either. He couldn't deny it. It was true.

"So? Do you think Batman is coming to save you?" Joker asked with a smile.

Jason let another tear roll down, but kept his face neutral. "No."

"Perfect."

A scream could be heard throughout the mental hospital, and all the villains rejoiced as they knew that one of their victims had finally been broken.

Peter had been resisting for a long time. He had been electrocuted over fifty times already. Goblin made sure though that the shock wasn't enough to kill him. Just enough to make him hurt. Enough to make him suffer. Everytime Peter was on the brink of death, Goblin locked him in a pitch black room. He wanted to make him feel safe in the dark. He wanted him to only see the light as pain.

Peter was sitting in the dark, thinking. How maybe he wasn't the hero he thought he was. How maybe it was inevitable for him to become a villain. 
He thought about all the people who suffered because of him. MJ Watson had almost been killed several times because of him. Gwen Stacy did die because of him. Flash Thompson, Aunt May, Uncle Ben. They all were killed or almost killed because of him.

Goblin came into the room to get him. When he opened the door, the blinding light made Peter's eyes hurt. It made his head ache. All he wanted to do was make it go away. Make the pain, the hurt, the guilt. He wanted it all to just go away.

When Goblin went in to start his daily shock treatment, Peter was weak. He didn't know how much more he could take.

Goblin knew he was almost to his breaking point. So he cranked up the voltage a little bit. Not enough to kill him, but just about to. Then he switched it on. Peter screamed for awhile until he begged Goblin to turn it off. Which he did.

"Just give in. It won't hurt you, it will help you. The darkness is safe. It wants you." Norman explained. "Now, do you want the light or the dark?"

Peter had enough. He couldn't do this anymore. "The dark. I want the dark to make it go away. Just make it stop, please."

Osborne was happier then can be. "Then the darkness it is."

Bucky wouldn't give. Zemo was irritated by it. He was enraged by it. Bucky was getting weaker though. Even he couldn't deny that. Zemo and Bucky just had to see who would last longer is this sick and twisted game.

"Why don't we talk about something we haven't discussed yet?" Zemo asked. "The Black Widow."

"No." Bucky stated. He could fight talking about what he did for the Soviets, what they did to him, what he had done back in the war in order to help America win. But Natasha? She was a private subject.

"The woman you loved. One of the few women you have really loved." Zemo smiled. He knew he had struck a nerve. "Someone you could've spent the rest of your life with. And she would've."

"Stop." Bucky said, his voice getting slightly louder.

"But you were taken from her mind. Ripped out. Forgotten." Zemo smirked. "She hasn't been interested in you since. She doesn't love you. And you know that."

"Shut up!" Bucky exclaimed.

"She's told you that she doesn't want to be with you, and you try anyway." Zemo said. "You're a lost cause. You don't matter to her. You don't matter to anyone anymore."

"I said shut up!!!"

"The only time you were ever truly valued is when you were with the Soviets. All the measures they took to keep you." Zemo continued. "You could be valued again." Zemo switched on the machine.

Bucky's screams started off mild, but they grew and grew as the machine kept going and his mind got weaker. Zemo started reading off the words and all Bucky could do was try to focus on blocking it out. But he couldn't. All he could think about was Natasha. She fell in live with the Winter Soldier. She didn't know him as Bucky then, she knew him as the assassin. Maybe she would fall for him again? Maybe they could do it all over again? All he had to do was give in. But he also knew he couldn't be someone's toy soldier again. But who would win? His brain or his heart?

Zemo finished reading the words and turned off the machine. Bucky was silent. So Zemo spoke first.

"(Soldier?)"

There was a second of silence before he received a response.

"(Ready to comply.)"