Avengers

Torture Awaits

    Where was the splat? The last pain of eternal death on a pavement? 

    Natasha opened her eyes warily. Chained in a dark room, she observed. With a creature moving in the corner. A Chitauri warrior! She struggled against the bonds, but the chain and chair had been fixed permanently to the floor. A large hand grabbed her hair; she was released from the chains as a second Chitauri pulled her to her feet. Natasha stifled a gasp of pain as she was brought forwards. An imposing steel operating table sat before her. Chitauri materialised; Natasha was forced and tied to the table: struggling, a potion was forced down her throat. Natasha spluttered and gagged as the acrid taste of paralysis poison stung her throat. Her eyes watered as the Chitauri watched her swallow.

    Almost immediately, Natasha found she could not move a millimetre. Another table was pulled over; Natasha watched with horror the Chitauri extracting various instruments of torture from within a box on the table. They leered with satisfaction at the terror upon her face: they were enjoying this. The first Chitauri brandished a large vial of acid. He dipped a ring in it. Natasha's face paled as it picked up her hand, and slotted the ring onto her ring finger. The burning began; she stifled screams of pain.

    Next, the following Chitauri dipped a necklace into the acid and fixed it around her neck. It added matching earrings. Agony surged through Natasha's body like wildfire. Not done yet, the third Chitauri took its act of vengeance: she cried out in sheer horror at this Chitauri's choice. He was holding up a voodoo doll of Barton. He stuck a needle in its eye; she could almost hear the scream of agony from Barton's lips …

    "Who's screaming?" Fury demanded. Maria paled at her boss's sudden demand.

    "Um … Barton, boss, I think!" she stuttered. She cowered at Fury's retort.

    "Then I suggest you go do something!" Fury roared furiously. She hurried away to see Barton clutching his eye, and screaming, "The flames! Where are they? I'm burning! It hurts! IT HURTS! WHERE IS NATASHA? TELL HER I NEED HER NOW, SHE CAN - " He stopped abruptly. The pain had miraculously vanished. But then Rogers began to yell.

    "Where is she? I can hear her! Peggy! Peggy! Don't go! Don't let me leave you again!" he screeched. He tottered towards the door; he was hallucinating Peggy Carter on the wing, talking to him. "Yes, it's me, Steve. Don't go. I need you." she whispered, almost seductive. Maria grabbed Rogers, and, summing up all her strength and confidence, slapped him. He reeled backwards in shock, feeling the red mark on his cheek. Everyone looked at Maria in astonishment.

"Just calm down. Tell me what's happening!" she ordered. Then they began to talk.

    Sobbing, Natasha gave up on resisting the Chitauri's cruel torture. She submitted, ready to die. The Chitauri stopped, stepping smartly from her. Loki smiled at them; they nodded back, as if proud of the progress they had made with torturing her. Loki brushed the tear tracks on her cheek, knowing that she was too weak to protest. She just glared fiercely back, daring him to do his worst. Then Loki picked something up …