Vengeance [Avengers Fanfiction]

[Chapter 7]

[Quinn]

    Drip. Drip. Drip.

    My body wracked with shivers as my back pressed against the cold, damp wall, water seeping through my thin shirt. I feebly attempted to wrap my arms around my torso to conserve body heat, but I knew it was no use. The shackles on my wrists wouldn't allow it; my arms could only move so far before the chain connecting them to the wall would snap them back, the cool metal biting into my delicate skin.

    I was chained to a wall, my arms extending to either side of my head. My ankles were also shackled, but the chains were long enough to allow me to sink to my knees on the dirty, concrete floor.

    Drip. Drop.

    My eyes traced the cracks in the concrete, searing every little detail of the paper thin crevices into my mind.

    Drip.

    The echoes of water falling from somewhere in the room reverberated through my dark, concrete, prison, reminding me of how thirsty I was. I couldn't remember the last time I had something to eat or drink. A few days? Only hours? It was impossible to tell from down here.

    Suddenly, the only door in the room swung open, its rusted hinges shrieking in protest. A figure stepped into the room, then flicked a light switch and turned on the only source of light in my room, a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling, its wires exposed.

    After a few flickers and a soft buzzing, the bulb was illuminated with dull, yellow light. I cringed as spots danced in front of my eyes from the unexpected onslaught of brightness.

    I continued to stare blankly at the floor as footsteps came towards me, the sound echoing with every step. Black loafers, shined to perfection, paused in front of me. I didn't need to look up to know who it was.

    Rough, calloused fingers tightly gripped my chin and forced me to look into a pair of dark, cruel eyes. I glared at the man in front of me.

    He pulled something from his pocket. A syringe, filled with a murky amber liquid. I blanched. Not again I whispered in my mind. My eyes followed the syringe as the point of the needle was positioned on the side of my neck.

    "Now, Talia, let's try this again. Last time it only lasted for a few minutes because your mind was able to break away from the effects of the serum. This time, it will last longer and the hallucinations will be more vivid. As will be the pain." I could hear the cruel, sick smile in his voice.

    I struggled as he started to jab the needle into my neck.

    "Sweet dreams, daughter."

    He injected the liquid, and my veins turned to ice, then slowly started burning, on fire. I convulsed as the serum took effect, blurring my vision and muffling all sound. Everything went black and my body became rigid as I fell into the realm of my nightmares and worst horrors.

    The last thing I heard was a chilling, savage laugh.

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    Gasping for air, I shot up in bed. The white sheets were tangled around my legs, preventing much movement. Taking a shaky breath, I dropped my sweaty forehead into my clammy palms, trying to calm down. Once I wasn't on the verge of a panic attack, I glanced at the digital clock beside my bed. 7:00 A.M.

    I knew there was no use trying to go back to sleep. I was used to only having a few hours of sleep due to my recurrent nightmares. It was then that I realized how hungry I was. How long has it been since I last ate something, a day?