It's Not A Gift

Chapter 2

     Peter had a really bad headache. His entire body hurt from head to toe and he didn't even have the strength to open his own eyes. Peter weakly coughed, turning to his side.

He forced his eyes open only to find a white wall that was not his. Panic swelled up inside of him. He quickly scanned the  rest of the room. This wasn't his home.

He slid off of the uncomfortable metal bed, cautiously making his way to the metal door at the other side of the room.

"Hello?" Peter called out. He was surprised by how awful his own voice sounded.

Peter turned the handle of the door, but it didn't budge. Why would someone lock him up in this strange room? Peter began to get really scared. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was leaving school for Christmas break! What day was it now? Had Christmas already passed?

Peter felt like crying he was so afraid. Where were his parents? Why was he alone? Could it be possible that this was just a bad dream? Peter wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. He was going to be fine. Peter was bullied a lot at school and his Dad would always tell him, 'Just take a few breaths. The strongest people are the ones who are in the middle of a war, yet have peace. Don't let them lure you into hurting another person just because your upset. Have control of your actions and your emotions... but if he does it again kick his butt.'

Peter smiled to himself a little. His Dad well knew that Peter wasn't capable of kicking anyone's butt. But he was still there to encourage him after getting pummeled by some jerks.

Peter snapped back to reality and decided to do some investigating. Along one of the four starch-white walls, beside the door, was a glass window. But it was all black and Peter couldn't see through it. It also couldn't be broken, after a few failed attempts to smash through it. The bed was a flimsy looking thing, with only a white sheet and flattened pillow. Geez, Peter thought. Whatever hotel this is I'm giving it two big thumbs down. In the back corner was a white curtain and behind it was a toilet and a sink. Peter glanced up to find a black camera tucked in the opposite corner of the ceiling. What kind of hotel was this?!

Peter dramatically dropped to the ground and sighed. Not only was this place bad quality but it was boring! The only colors were white, black, and metal. Was metal even a color? Silver? Whatever it was it was boring. What did they expect him to do?! Play I spy with himself? I spy something white! Is it the wall? No it's the ceiling! He was eight years old he could barely sit still on a ten minute car ride!

He would have to talk with the manager about their guest services. Not to complain even more, but he was also starving. How long has it been since he's last eaten?

Though that was a minor issue. The thing that really bothered him was that he couldn't remember anything that had happened leading up to where he was now. He was completely clueless. He had no idea what was going on and he was completely oblivious to the danger he was in at the moment.

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Brock Rumlow sat at his desk looking through one of the many files displayed across his desk. He slapped the pieces of paper back on his desk in aggravation. He had just recently come back from a mission tasked by SHIELD. He hated SHIELD. He wanted so badly to betray them right then, to see their shocked faces as they miserably died underneath his boot. He wanted them all to suffer and working along side of them was killing him. But things like this took patience and Hydra refused to act so blindly. Brock Rumlow had not yet gained their trust. He was an extremely talented fighter and agent, but he still has to start at the bottom of the food chain.

There was a light knock on the door. "Come in." Brock said. A woman of about thirty with light skin and bright green eyes walked in. Her fingers nervously tapped against the clipboard in her hands. Immediately Brock lightened up, "Ah hello Dr. Emerson. Have you come with any news on our new patients?" She tucked a strand of fiery orange hair behind her ear.

"Yes sir, I brought you all of the data we have collected so far, sir." But Dr. Emerson didn't hand over the clipboard. Her mouth kept opening and closing as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Brock's patience was thinning.

"Dr. Emerson if you come with bad news I suggest you go ahead and spit it out."

Dr. Emerson pursed her lips and glanced back down at her clipboard. "Yes sir. Well first off I just wanted to inform you that test subject #2 just woke up about thirty minutes ago."

"It's about time. Kid's been out for two days. What about Ben Parker?"

Dr. Emerson bit her bit her lip and continued to stare down at the clipboard, "...I am sorry to admit that test subject #1 ended in a failed attempt."

"Define 'failed attempt.'"

"Well, he was injected with the spider venom yesterday evening and then was returned to his cell. This morning, Dr. Conners came in to do some blood tests and he was dead. Dr. Conners and I have been at work all morning trying to figure out the exact cause of death."

Brock's expression was blank, "...and?"

"The spider venom didn't bond with his DNA, it attacked it. The venom began to destroy his own cells."

Brock Rumlow clenched his fists and punched at his desk. Dr. Emerson jumped and backed up a little, clutching the clipboard to her chest as if it would protect her. "I knew it! I knew we should have kept that traitor alive! Richard Parker was the only perfect match for the venom, but you all killed him anyway!"

"But sir, killing Richard was your-"

"Did I say you could talk?!" Brock was raging. He was acting like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum, because things weren't going his way. Only this child had a gun strapped to his belt and a knife tucked on the inside of his boot. And he would use either without any hesitation.

This venom was suppose to be the beginning of a new age! After successfully bonding the venom with the Parker's DNA, they could hopefully recreate it to produce a serum. The results of how exactly the venom would mutate them were unclear, but that was not a main concern. The serum could produce a new super soldier, possibly one with more capabilities than Captain America. 

Brock pinched the bridge of his nose, "If that venom kills the kid, then this entire experiment is over! Do you know what happens to the people working on that experiment? They become just as useful as the dead subjects."

Dr. Emerson gulped, "Sir we have not yet begun experimentation on subject 2-"

"And I wouldn't get your hopes up. The venom killed Richard Parker's brother what makes you think it won't kill his eight-year-old son? In the likely case it does, I suggest you kill yourself Dr. Emerson. Conners too. Your both walking on a thin line. Don't fail Hydra again."

Dr. Emerson shakily nodded her head. Frank sat back down at his desk and began flipping through the files again. "I want you and Conners to inject Peter Parker with the venom first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir." Dr. Emerson replied, turning around hastily to get out of the room. "And Dr. Emerson..." Brock dragged on.

She took her hand off of the door handle to face him again. "Don't screw this one up." Dr. Emerson turned back around and left the room without saying another word.