Raptor was in pain, it hurt to move and she didn't even try shifting into her human form in fear that it would make the pain worse. Once all of the drugs wore off she was able to feel the metal that lined her entire spine now and reached the tip of her tail, which she knew was the cause of her pain. She marked the days by how often Loki and Mordo exchanged places, so far she had it at about a week and a half. No one came to get her, no one spoke to her, and Loki wouldn't even look at her as she slowly grew weaker and more skeletal... at times she wished she'd been left alone in death. But her exile was about to end as the door opened and Red Skull entered the room, when she saw him she wished she could've just been left alone to continue rotting away.
"You don't seem to happy to see me." Skull commented. "You should be glad I cared enough to have you brought back, such ungratefulness won't go unpunished. I'm guessing you noticed your upgrades? Well unless you help me they can be removed in a more painful way than how they were put in."
Ah yes, rip them out... so painful. Raptor thought half heartedly before forcing herself to her feet and growling at him.
"I'll take that as a no." Red Skull drew out a gun and swiftly pulled the trigger.
She screeched in pain as the bullet tore through her arm. She crouched down and felt the metal plates rise in anger as she prepared to attack him. Skull attacked before she could move however and her spine protested as one of the spikes were ripped out and stabbed into her side. Raptor bit his arm before he could get out of range and felt her teeth graze bone for a moment before she was stabbed again and forced to let go. Both of them allowed the blood from their wounds to drip freely onto the ground and she bared her teeth at him in fury.
"You dare attack me?" He roared and went in for another attack.
Raptor rushed to meet him and felt her claws tear into his skin before pain flooded her and she fell to the ground bringing up blood. Skull gave her a look of distain but didn't appear to be behind the new wound.
What's going on? There's so much pain, I can't breathe... Raptor wheezed on the ground and tried to get back up only to fail as more pain flooded her.
"Ah, I should have told you." Red Skull gave her a triumphant grin. "We needed you for only one thing, your DNA, you see the stabilizer prevented you from sharing fates similar to some of your dead friends but I needed it for a couple of younger... more evolved... creations. The pain you're no doubtable experiencing now is only the beginning, eventually you will die; your body can't handle the shifting forever. Even a human and raptor heart rate is different, the conflict of one form over another will destroy you again."
Raptor snarled through the pain and rolled back onto her feet before leaping at his throat. Red skull took out a knife and slashed a deep gash from her head to her ribs where the knife became stuck in her bone. She shrieked in pain and created three long claw marks across his face before Mordo appeared in the doorway and used his magic to force her into a wall. Skull glared down at her before giving a sharp whistle, a few minutes later two creatures raced into the room in a pale blue streak of light. When they came to a stop the raptor like experiments looked at Red Skull expectantly and he petted both of them on their bony armored heads.
"Like them?" He asked, not caring what her opinion was. "We mixed Utahraptor DNA with Ankylosaurous... I'm guessing you know where the speed came from. When the Avengers show their faces again these two will destroy them without hesitation. I'll demonstrate.... Hammer, get in here!"
Justin Hammer appeared in the doorway a few moments later. "Are they acting up again? I didn't want to make them too docile but I could create new ones-"
"They're fine." Red Skull petted their heads again and the raptors looked at him eagerly. "Kill the scientist."
The two instantly turned on Hammer with teeth bared and long claws raised to kill. Hammer's eyes widened and he quickly backed away with a look at Mordo. "Help me!"
"No." Mordo refused simply before walking off.
"Please, I haven't done anything wrong, I've listened to everything you wanted me to do!" Hammer continued backing away until he was trapped between the wall and raptors.
"Your usefulness has ended for me, I don't need a scientist anymore." Red Skull left the room to let his new pets deal with Hammer. "I'll let someone clean up the mess before they can eat you though."
"No! Please!" Hammer screamed as one of the creatures tore into his leg and brought him to the ground.
Raptor tried to ignore the sounds of his pleading and looked towards the open door, she could escape, she only had to outrun Mordo and Red Skull before he could call his Mutts on her.
"But I can't just let him die, he wasn't the evilest person in the world, he didn't deserve to die like this." She glanced back at Hammer as the Mutts continued to play with their prey.
He created them, let him die by them, they're abominations. Raptor started cautiously going in the direction Skull had taken.
It went silent behind her except for Hammer's groaning. She uneasily froze and looked back to see the derserted hallway with his bleeding form. Blurs came from her left and right before the Mutts brought her to the ground in a tangle of scales and claws. She struggled against the two but their armor prevented much damage from being done. Raptor could feel them biting at the metal spikes and trying to tear them out of her spine before a gunshot distracted them. She slipped free and got into a defensive position while Hammer struggled to aim his weapon properly.
"Why is he helping?"
Probably helping himself and you're just going to be the next target once the Mutts are gone.
"Target the neck!" Hammer shouted as the Mutts recovered and raced towards them.
Raptor didn't want to trust him, but at the moment didn't have a choice as claws and teeth sank back into her again. She tried shaking one off her back while the second trailed claws down her flank before moving towards Hammer. Blood pooled onto the ground until it was slippery, she finally brought the smaller Mutt to the ground before sinking her teeth into its unprotected throat. It squealed in agony to its partner, who had killed Hammer with ease now that it was done playing, and sharp pain filled her head as it's clubbed tail brought her to the ground once more. She couldn't bring herself to get up as the world spun around her and the Mutts left her to feed on Hammer's body.
"Enough!" Loki's voice made her head pound as he arrived to 'clean up'. "Go home."
The Mutts glanced at him with cruel amber eyes before snarling and rushing past. Raptor watched his feet walk past where she was lying before hearing him drag Hammer's body away. She tried to get up before he could come back, still intent on escaping, but only slumped back onto the ground in time for him to see her futile attempt.
"Congratulations, you won't be allowed to rest long after what you did to Skull's favorite pets." Loki spoke up sarcastically. "Now be a good beast and get back in your cell."
Raptor growled at him but forced herself to limp the few feet into the cell before collapsing again while blood continued to collect around her. She flinched as a cold hand was placed on her head but a few seconds later relaxed as the pain faded and Loki walked out.
"We can't allow our prisoner to die just yet, not until the replacement comes at least." With that the door locked and Loki walked off to allow Mordo to return to his post.
YOU ARE READING
Winter
Fanfiction[Sequel to Raptor] Six months after Ultron was defeated things at S.H.I.E.L.D. had begun to calm down. Steve was working with the new Avengers members, even well enough to start a mission to fight HYDRA as they searched for the Winter Soldier, Rapto...
