Spider-X: A Spider-Man Story

Chapter 29: Mind Games

Peter quickly figures out that none of the serums work completely. Not like they do on Jean, who has remained powerless since they've been here. Peter also figures out that Hydra only has about three base serums that they're amending based off his reactions, so he's gotten pretty good at making sure they use the least potent—and least powerful.

It doesn't do much for him but it does lesson the time he's spent unconscious or writhing in pain. And it helps his healing factor. It's slow but working steadily. Well, that's what he tells himself. He's definitely not getting worse, but they're barely fed and only given a bottle of water a day. That plus the power dampening leaves Peter with only a hint of strength, barely stronger than the average man.

Even with all that, he's doing better than Jean, who never had a healing factor to begin with, and whose injuries seem to not be healing at all.

Once Peter woke up from the first serum, he found a stray piece of wood and broke it into a splint for Jean's arm, which is still bruised and swollen. She also has at least one broken rib and a few bruised ones from their fall, plus a concussion.

Peter pushes the cement door, a routine he repeats every day, just in case someone forgets to lock it. It doesn't budge. He then combs the entire cell with his fingers, looking for cracks, air vents, anything besides wet cement. He tries to think like Black Widow. How would she get out of here? But day after day, nothing turns up. There's not even a window in here, and slowly, Peter realizes if they can't find a way to fight their way out of here soon, they might never get out.

Jean coughs, distracting Peter. He crouched down as she wakes up. She's shivering and she holds her arm to her chest. She'll insist that she's fine, but Peter can tell how much pain she's in.

"A-anything?" Jean asks him, her teeth chattering.

Peter shakes his head and sits down, pulling Jean into his arms to try and get some warmth back into her. They've both lost weight, but Peter's last ditch powers give him a little bit of cushion for the hunger and cold. Jean... she needs to get out here. 

From behind their cell door, a lock snaps open and the hinges creak as it opens. Jean tenses at his side as Mesmero walks in, Wanda behind him. It's another part of their routine. Sometimes Mesmero comes in to make sure they're still weak, knock round their heads a bit. With Peter, he punches through Peter's memories of Thanos, of the final battle, over and over. If Peter isn't his target, guards take Jean out of the cell and, from the way Jean has a migraine the rest of the day to Mesmero. She doesn't really talk about what Mesmero makes her see.

Mesmero looks him and Jean up and down then sneers, "pathetic." His gaze shifts to Jean and Peter feels her duck her head.

"Hey," Peter snaps, "didn't your parents ever teach you it's not nice to kidnap and torture?"

Mesmero shrugs, "was that the lesson right before thou shall not kill?"

"Seems that one didn't stick either," Peter grumbles. Then louder, "you don't know what you're doing, bringing Thanos here. You're out of your depth."

Mesmero smirks, "I think not. I've seen what he did to your world. Half the population gone with the snap of his fingers," Mesmero snaps, "once the humans are gone mutants will finally be able to live in peace. My life's work will be complete."

Peter shakes his head, "you don't get to pick who lives and who dies. Thanos doesn't even choose. It's just half the population wiped out—"

Mesmero raises a hand then gestures at Wanda, "hence, Ms. Maximoff and I will... persuade him otherwise. Ms. Grey will have her own role once I get my hands on Cerebro."