MUTT

EIGHT

I punch the living hell out of a tattered of a punching bag. I pound on it in a grassy patch outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. The moon shines down between rustling tree leaves.

I throw my best punch and pull my hand back, gritting my teeth as my knuckles split. I hop up and down stifling a scream.

I calm down and examine my knuckles. In between the joints a deep bloody cut sits giving me grief.

''That looks bad, '' a low voice says.

I whirl around and see Steve standing behind me.

I relax and resume punching the crap out of the bag. Steve presses his hand to my stomach. I tense up and stop punching the bag.

His lips are right beside my ear. ''Don't forget to keep your tension here. '' He leaves after I nod.

I try a couple more times and stop, sweating and tug off my sweatshirt. I collapse in the grass and close my eyes.

I feel poking at the edge of my mind. The light tapping becomes full on pounding. It turns into screeching pain as claws tear at my mind. I'm still waiting...waiting for you to break...

I sit up fast. He's been always in the corner of my sub-consciousness. For five weeks I haven't been able to sleep soundly without screaming or flooding or setting things on fire. Calvin has always been there, comforting me when I lose my mind. He sleeps on the floor of my room every now and then.

I take a drink of water and pour some of it on my sweating face. I hear some shuffling behind me and someone clamps a hand over my mouth, tying a strip of cloth over my eyes. New hands grab my arms and legs.

Someone slips these metal covers on my hands and I can't get them off. I writher around and the attackers lose their grip on me. I use that chance and roll away and stand up, straining my ears. I hear a whoosh of wind to my left and duck as a blow sails over my head.

I send a punch to the left and feel my fist sink into solid muscle. I push whoever it is to the floor and I hear a gun shot.

I scream and duck.

I hear glass shattering and spark's rain down on my back. They shot the street light. I scream as my skin burns and blisters. I rip off the strip that blinds my eyes. The grassy patch is dark.

I see four figures moving through the dark, sliding in and out of the shadows to-wards me. I see the outline of a gun and I drop to the ground and roll, tumbling to it. I pick it up and click a bullet in to place.

''Don't move, '' I growl, trying to be menacing.

From behind me someone bear hugs me. They grab me, tying my hands and feet. Someone throws me over their shoulder, charging down the hill, towards the lake. I try to move but someone holds my arms.

They pick me up; I feel their cold wet hands against my waist.

I can smell a metallic scent. Blood.

''Have fun, '' a male says.

I pause. He sounds familiar. "Leo?"

He hoists me into the air. I feel myself suspended in the air and I crash into the lake deeper into S.H.I.E.L.D property with a deafening splash.

I scream, streams of bubbles escaping from my mouth. I hold my hands in front of me and wedge my tied feet on the strip of cloth as I sink deeper into the cold water.

I finally get the cloth off and I quickly untie the tie holding my legs together as my butt touches the sand on the bottom of the lake. My ears scream in pain from the pressure. My bones groan beneath my skin in a protest from the weight of the water. My chest tightens.