#1 STOPWATCH

Chapter 82

" It might be a bit shocking." Max says, stopping Wade before they enter the guarded room. " Just. Remember to let him do the talking. That's all he wants. "

She says fiddling with a Kittypool plushie he Hadn't bothered to ask about.

Wade nods in response.

" I'll tell you when to come in. You have to leave your weapons out here before they will let you in." She says before sliding a card through a security lock on the door. The door unlocks and she walks in, the door sliding shut behind her and locking once again.

When max enters the small, rectangular room. The entire wall in front of her was a complete glass wall. A window to observe the occupant housed inside of the completely white room.

Peter sits on the floor inside with his back to the window, bouncing a ball onto the wall and waiting for it to roll back towards him before grabbing it and bouncing it again.

There is a full sized mattress in the rather large fifteen by eight room. The window taking up the longer length. Scattered around the floor there is a small pile of S.H.I.E.L.D. Issued foam stackable blocks, there is a sketch book with no pencils ( unless under supervision). I'm a nice and organized array of the many stuffed animals and character plushies the Shifter had brought to Peter. The collection consisting of a few different types of kittens, a monkey, mallard duck, A Night Fury, dolphin, a few different types of stuffed spider-man, and the rest Mainly little Deadpools in an impressive array of diversity. She never gave him the same one twice.

" Peter." Max says calmly, like grabbing the attention of an anxious dog.

Peter instantly responds to the call, his nails digging into the rubber ball as he glares over his shoulder at the visitor.

His gaze becomes surprisingly ever so slightly less harsh before he stands up. Letting the ball drop to the ground as he makes his why to stand across from Max.

" I brought something for you." She says holding up the toy  for him to see before putting it in a box. The box being only form of an entrance to the room since the door had  been shut behind Peter.

He picks up the red object once its transported to his side of the glass.

" I brought Someone here to see you Peter." She says after he observes the plushie.

Peter glances up from the closely held additional comfort object to regard her words.

The door clicks as it unlocks, the mercenary glances at the guards once before entering the room.

" Wade!" Peter cries out, instantly on top of the Glass trying to get as close to Wade as possible.

The overly excited response slightly sets a small, unsettling feeling on the Merc. He rechecks to reassure himself his shields to the interaction are up. He won't break.

" Hi Peter." He says evenly as he comes closer to the glass.

( he's different...)

[ Almost child like...]

" What took you so long? I've been waiting." Peter says though his eyes still bright.

" I've been busy." Wade says. He almost feels like withdrawing away from the glass. This wasn't right. Why isn't Peter angry? Why isn't he crying? He's just.... Innocent. Not Peter.

Peter nods. Looking at something over his shoulder as he seems to think for a moment. It's quite for a long minute before Peter perks again.

" I got it off. It's finally gone." Peter smiles before looking at his wrist.

Wade's eyes follow Peter's faze and a sick feeling rises in his stomach as he looks at the scared pale skin. Sratch marks running along the heel of his hand, up to his his mid forearm. The same on the back side of his arm.

" You did." Wade responds simply not to leave Peter without and answer as he slowly looks at Max for some sort of explanation.

Max looks at the blank white eyes of the Deadpool mask. " Did that soon after containment. There was evidence he'd been trying before. But after he snapped..."

" I thought they're supposed to be unbreakable. The timers are unbreakable bonds."

" They are.... But it's not the soulmate bond that's they hold." She looks back at Peter. " He broke his bond of debt to death." She says. " That's what the timers really are. All the do is keep you tied to the fate of death with the reward of a soulmate."

" And if he broke the bond?" Wade asks turning back to look at Peter who was watching them, listening as much as his advanced hearing would allow him with the glass while the conversation wasn't meant for him to hear.

" She can't take him."

" And if you give him a new stopwatch?"

" We don't know what that would do. It could kill either of you. Could make his state worse." Max says.

" State worse?"

" We thought he was unstable when we contained him... When the watch came off that's when he started to really change. We aren't sure what's wrong.... I hoped maybe someone he trusts would be able to help him... Even after the last note you left on he still loves you. He cried out for you all night before he managed to get the timer off."

[ Is our Peter even still here?]

( You can see him. He's locked inside of himself. Look at his eyes. He's hidden beneath the glaze over eyes. Trapped out from his world.)

The shield finally crumbles.

" I just want my Baby boy back." Wade whispers, reaching a hand out to the glass on the other side of Peter's.

The arachnid cocks his head as he look at Wade. Hearing his Soulmates statement. The name stirring something deep inside of him. Something inside of him trying to get out.

" I won't ever let you go again." Peter says. A flicker of himself being allowed to shine through the unstable ocean trying to drown him. " I Promise." He says looking Wade in the eyes

One chapter left and then the epilogue.
Epilogue is the window for a possible future sequel of the time ever should come