the chain

damn the light

Two hands seize you from behind, digging their fingers into your shoulders and yanking you backwards. You barely have time to let a gasp out before you're slammed against the floor, all the air knocked from your lungs. Suddenly, you're upright. Your back is against something large and you're standing on both your feet. As you try to suck in a breath, you can feel your head spinning in circles. It hasn't been five days. You have more time. Pushing against the wall, you stumble forwards but a cold thickness wraps around your wrist. You scream, tugging at it as you watch the vine creeping up your wrist to your elbow.

"Stop fighting."

You look up, letting out a shallow breath at the man standing before you, "Steve."

He's wearing his old uniform but it's tattered and covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. His blood. His face is swollen, beaten... exactly how you remember it from a year ago. Steve looks down at you. For the first time ever, his large eyes are cold and filled with hatred. It feels like he's staring into your soul, piercing your heart with every fibre of his being.

"Just let go," he tells you. His voice is light and sweet but those eyes... that stare... it makes your chest ache.

"No, I-"

"It's so easy." When Robin places her hand on your shoulder, you let out a gasp at her bloodied figure. She grins, letting out a laugh before her face completely drops, "It's so easy to let go, to give in. We did - when we had to accept you killing us."

"I never-"

"Letting us die is the same thing as killing us yourself," Steve cuts you off, taking a cynical step toward you, "what would you have done, huh? You're not a hero. You can't throw a punch, you can barely even keep yourself safe. That soldier was going to beat me to death and you didn't do anything - not a single thing. You barely moved a muscle."

"That isn't true-"

"Admit it!" Steve screams in your face, leaning forward so close that you can feel a piece of spit flick from his lips onto your cheek.

"I was drugged!"

"You were awake!" Robin screams back, silencing you, "That's more than I can say."

"You were going to let me die," Steve barks, "And Robin? She was next. You were going to let her die too!"

"Steve bled because of you," Robin nods, "but you know that. You heard it. Tell me how it sounded."

"I wasn't in my right m-mind, I couldn't-"

She grips your chin and another vine wraps around your other wrist. You're pinned to the wall, feet barely brushing the ground. Robin cocks her at you, "I was unconscious - you were still present. So, tell me what you heard!"

"St-Steve was screaming-"

"And?" She removes her hands from you but not before roughly squeezing your chin and tossing your head to the side, "Keep talking."

"They were-" You shut your eyes harshly, "I don't- I don't know!"

"What were they doing?!"

"H-Hurting h-"

Steve presses his elbow against your neck, causing you to cough and sputter loudly, "You want to know? Want me to remind you of what you heard?"

"No."

"They tied me to a chair, bound my hands together so tightly that I lost feeling in them," Steve sneers at you.

"No. Stop."

"My legs were tied to the chair. One guy stood over me, he was the one with the mean swing," Steve continues, "A few to the nose and some to the abdomen. The pain was so bad I couldn't even feel my own blood dripping from my nose, from my bloodied gums, from my face down to my neck."