Incubus

Incubus Part 10

"You know, I'm actually a little surprised. Thought you would have cracked a long time ago. You've got spark, kid. I'll give you that." Rumlow leans forward in his seat, eyeing you with faint admiration. "What is it that's driving you? Is it loyalty, stubbornness... love?"

He notices the slight twitch in your jaw, despite the way you try to keep your face neutral. A slow grin stretches across his mouth. "Wow," he breathes before he laughs. "Really?" he questions with a shake of his head. "You're in love with him?"

You narrow your gaze, maintaining your stoic silence.

He scoots his chair closer, looking at you with interest. "What the hell is that like? To be in love, knowing that he'll never love you back. Did you just not care? Or did you somehow manage to trick yourself into thinking that maybe 'in his own way' he does love you? Because really, that's just sad."

"Do you ever shut up?" you ask, your voice sounding like something else entirely. Your throat is so raw and hoarse.

Rumlow only laughs again. "Touched a nerve, did we?" He bends down, lifting the water bottle he'd set at the foot of his chair when he'd begun the session. You knew that this was only going to be another part of his game. You honestly thought he was just going to leave it there the whole time to taunt you. You're not sure when the last time was you'd had anything to drink.

"You gettin' thirsty?" he asks knowingly. "This is pure holy water, right here. One sip of this can increase the healing process by 10."

You maintain your silence.

"I can give you this whole bottle, but I'm gonna need something first. Just any little thing you have on Barnes. Anything that can help us deal with an incubus. I'm sure you must have learned something with all that pillow talk you two had."

You don't even have to think about, your response automatic. "Go fuck yourself."

He releases a long sigh, feigning despondence. "I didn't want to have to do this, sweet cheeks. You've started to grow on me. But if you're going to leave me no choice..." He reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a small vial of yellow liquid. "Do you know what this is?"

You glance briefly at the vial before looking back at him.

"This is arachnae venom," he tells you. He smirks when your eyes widen just a fraction, telling him that you know exactly what he holds in his hand. "One drop of this shit can kill a human. This whole vial can kill a descendant. Now, we're not quite done with you; yet, so I can't give this stuff to you straight." He moves to open the bottle of holy water. "That's why I'm gonna dilute it." Twisting open the cap of the vial, he turns it upside down, pouring the contents into the bottle.

Your breath starts to come in quick, shallow pants when you see how the holy water reacts to the venom. It starts to bubble and pop violently, turning an angry blood red.

Rumlow stands from his seat and approaches you, his gaze dark.

You shake your head, "No. Please don't-"

He fists a handful of hair at the back of your head, and yanks back. You cry out in pain, presenting him with the opportunity to pour the deadly concoction into your mouth. There's nowhere for the liquid to go but down. You choke and sputter around the opening of the bottle. If you thought your throat hurt before, you would have given anything to go back to that level of pain, because this was so much worse. The venom had turned the water to acid, and you could feel it turning your insides to ash. It burned the whole way down your throat, settling into your stomach in a pool of fire.