Is Love Enough?

Chapter 21

The three men shared a hopeful look as they turned back. The blonde one spoke gently, "Peter Parker, he's our boyfriend."

The soldier's eyes clouded over and looked down to his hands, "He's dead." He looked back up to see shocked expressions, "I killed him, didn't I? That's why I'm still alive? I can remember all their faces, but not their names."

The three shared a sad look. The shorter one wearing glasses stepped up to the glass and put his hand on it, "Before you went to H.Y.D.R.A, you lived here. Your name is Peter Parker."

The caged man visibly stiffened, the disbelief palpable from his unfocused stare. Him? Living with the enemy? That's not possible. Is it? These people have treated him much kinder than he is used to so far. Even if he's traded one cage for another he knows that he is safe from his failure here. If he were to returned he would be ... decommissioned. Shaking his head the soldier looked to each man standing before him, looking for any sign of deceit.

Raising his brow in disbelief the soldier asked, "And how am I to trust you?--" the boy shook his head-- "I remember no life before H.Y.D.R.A, if there ever was one, so I currently see no reason to suddenly change my loyalties." Of course the three men before him could not see the lie it made the soldier feel cold. If these S.H.I.E.L.D agents decided he wasn't worth any effort and tossed him out on the street, however unlikely it is they would actually allow him to live, then he would be on the run from H.Y.D.R.A. These men did not have to know that, however. He needs to retain his aloofness if he has any hope to convincing them to shelter him for a brief period. If he shows all of his cards now how is he to retain any power in this situation.

The soldier's neck flared from his sixth-sense, another person was entering the room behind the three men already there. They made eye contact as it would seem he is the only one aware of the new addition.

The blonde looked frustrated but it would seem not with him, "What did H.Y.D.R.A even tell you-"

The stranger made his presence known by cutting off the blonde answering for the soldier, "They told him he had been saved. The terrorist group known as S.H.I.E.L.D held him prisoner and tortured him before H.Y.D.R.A collected him. That's what they told you wasn't it?" Gaining no form of response from the boy he continued, "You should be thankful for their mercy, right? Thankful you were no longer in the clutches of such evil."

The soldier stared coolly, "You say this with conviction, White Wolf. I cannot say I'm surprised to see how a traitor like yourself would have such opinions."

The metal-armed man walked up to the glass with a wicked smirk upon his lips and laughed despondently. He crossed his arms, "You know I'm right. We both know you have no want to return having failed. You would be killed on the spot if they ever found you. We're just tools to them and one mistake like this is all it takes."

Staring impassively at his spectators the soldier noticed how upset the other three men were upon hearing this revelation. The one with glasses seemed to be turning, green? Not terribly odd considering one of these "Avengers" was supposed to be a giant green man with anger issues. Funny how he isn't always an angry green monster. Strange reactions aside the bigger issue here was how the White Wolf just showed his hand. If he wanted any asylum with these people he might have to start getting creative.

Before he could make a response the White Wolf had cut him off, "I know what you're thinking and you aren't going to get anywhere by tricking them. You have to block out all that H.Y.D.R.A told you and remember your life before. Remember your life with them" he finished his point by sweeping his arm to the men behind him.

The soldier felt an unknown anger start to rise within him, "My life before? Before what?! Being tortured and molded into the perfect weapon because I was already a natural freak?!--" he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second before showing the men glassy eyes-- "They didn't experiment on me like I'm sure they did on you, oh no. I was drowned to see how long I could hold my breath, I was buried in debris every other day to see if I could lift the weight of an entire building! They electrocuted me until I had a heart attack to 'toughen me up' as they liked to say. I was killed and brought back to life on a bi-weekly basis." He looked down unable to control the emotion bubbling out of him, and for some reason unable to stare into their eyes because he didn't want to see their pity: or their pain.