For Better or For Worse

Chapter 5

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Peter woke to the feeling of a hard, cold slab.  Must be what he was laying on because it was awfully uncomfortable.

He tried to sit up, only to find that he couldn't, that he was stuck.

After trying to sit up, or just move his limbs in any way, he gave up realizing that he would not be able to escape these bonds. 

It was then that he realized how dire the situation could be, and it was then that he realized how he was unable to use his powers.

"Help!" Peter cried out, fear consuming him entirely.

But nobody came, he was completely and utterly alone, strapped to some sort of gurney, cold, and afraid. Completely powerless.

Calm down Peter, calm down now, Peter told himself in his mind.

Try to remember what happened last, what got you into this mess; how did you end up here, he thought.

He then vaguely remembered running to the mansion, Xavier's School for the Gifted. 

He remembered an explosion, making it in time to save all but two.  The one boy's brother, who had succumbed to the flame, and the Professor himself, who was taken by Apocalypse and his cronies.

Apocalypse and his father...

Peter grimaced at the thought.

Okay, Peter chided himself. Then what happened?

He found himself struggling to remember.

What happened? How did I get here?

Peter racked his memory, trying with all his might to remember.

Oh yeah, he remembered.

He had fallen into a depressive and hopeless state, he had missed the signs of the incoming threat of the helicopter and its passengers.

That is until mystique cried out and Peter was forced out of his stupor. 

From there, he remembered hearing a 'thwaping' sound, and then... And then...

Nothing . . .

But how on earth did he get here? Whoever was in that helicopter must have taken him.

But why?

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It felt like days had passed. 

Peter lay on the cold slab, unable to move.  Hunger was starting to naw at his stomach and fatigue was beginning to set in.

Still, there seemed to be no signs of life in the cell, yet he felt like he was being watched.

It made him uneasy and anxious.

Yet, he really just wanted whoever had kidnapped him to show themselves and get whatever they planned to do with him, done. 

Because, all this waiting for the unknown simply heightened his anxiety and fear further. 

He felt like he was going crazy in there all alone.

All part of the game, Peter figured.

As if right on cue, as if his captors had heard his thoughts, the heavy looking metal door swung open, seemingly for the first time since his arrival in this hell hole.

Two men walked in, one in army camies and the other in a lab coat.

"Ah, you're awake" said the man in camies.

"C'mon man, you've been watching me. I know it. You knew damn well I was awake long before you walked in here" Peter shot back.

The man in camies laughed at that, and began to complement Peter on his charisma.

"Now, let's get straight to business" the man in camies continued, "my name is Colonel Stryker and I recognize you as the mutant who helped the terrorist magneto escape". 

"H-how did you know that?" Peter stuttered in shock.

"Ah, come now Peter, the government has been tracking you ever since. We just never came to arrest you because it was not necessary and not worth the materials at the time" Stryker said.

"Y-you know my name too?!" Peter was starting to become very afraid now.

"Oh, poor thing, don't fret. We will not hurt you as long as you do as we say.  I think you should know, that we know where your mother and little sister live".

"Please! Please don't hurt them!" Peter cried, panic beginning to overcome him.

"As I said Peter, as long as you do as well say, no harm will come to you or your mother and sister" Stryker replied, "now, compliance is key. So, we are going to take a blood sample in order to see and understand the extent of your mutation".

"I should also note" said Stryker, "that i still don't trust you and I think you will betray me, so your blood sample will also help me and my scientists to create a compliance drug for you". 

Tears began to leak from Peter's eyes as the man in the lab coat began to prep the syringe.

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Stryker, full of glee with how well his plan was working, went into the lab to go check on the blood test results. 

When one of the scientists saw Colonel Stryker's entry, he ran up to him.

"Colonel Stryker, sir!" He called, "you won't believe what we found through the blood test".

"Go on..."

"Sir, we found out who his father is..."

"And why should I care about that? I just want to know how to use him and his mutation against other mutants".

"But Colonel... The boy's DNA shows that he is the son of Erik Leshner".

Stryker froze in shock.  Could he get any more lucky?

"Well Dr.," Stryker said briskly, "It looks like we will have a lot of leverage over both the X-Men and Apocalypse".  He smirked.

Oh how fun this would be.