Hold Onto Me 'Cause I'm a Little Unsteady

Chapter Thirteen

Day Sixty-Six is the first day Peter gets hit. Like really hit.

So far, Sir has stuck to the less hands-on methods like electrocution and the basin.

Today though, Peter supposes he must be angrier than usual. Or maybe he's happier than usual. Peter can tell.

All he knows is that his body takes the consequences for whatever happened.

Now, bruised and bloody, Sir unhooks his wrists and ankles from the table. Peter expects to be taken back to his room. (He's quick to correct himself. Not his room. The room he's been given. Different.)

But instead, Sir lets him collapse to his knees on the tiled floor. Elodie's hovering like she always is, but he doesn't pay her any attention so neither does Peter.

"What a good little bug," Sir murmurs almost pridefully.

Peter's smart enough to keep his head down, staying on his knees in front of him, silent and compliant.

The permanent metal collar sits heavy around his neck, a reminder of what Sir can do to him at any given moment. He can barely stand on his weak legs let alone try to escape at this point. He's not sure why they're even still looking at him like a threat.

He's no longer a big strong superhero. He's no longer Spider-Man. He's not even Peter. He's just a freak. He's just a mindless rule-follower that won't lift his head unless told otherwise. He's just a science experiment to be poked and prodded at. He's just a mutant project. A little bug. A good boy.

"You'll be a good boy and stay, won't you?" Sir asks, sickly sweet and hand landing in Peter's curls gently.

After the beating he took, this is exactly what Peter desperately needed.

"Yes, sir," Peter replies. It's technically a lie, but it's hard for Peter to distinguish what's actually a lie and what he actually wants. Sometimes he's not even sure he wants to leave. The lines are blurred.

"Come with me," Sir instructs, waving a lazy hand towards Peter. The remote that triggers his collar is still in his other hand though, making Peter well-aware of the consequences he'll face if he tries to disobey.

Peter moves to stand, body trembling with the strained effort, but then Sir's hand is on his shoulder, weighted and heavy, keeping him firmly in place.

"You don't deserve to stand and walk among humans, freak," Sir spits. It's gotten to the point that there's no shame when Peter cowers. "You crawl like the dirty bug you are."

There's also no shame when Peter falls to his hands and knees, head dropped low as to not accidentally make eye contact with anybody. The last thing he wants is to be punished, not after he'd been so good.

Sir leads the way, Peter crawling just a foot or so behind him, and Elodie at the back. Peter's beginning to think that Luc was killed after that one time he was shot for being snarky. Peter hasn't seen him since. Peter can't bring himself to care.

They head down the hallway towards a new doorway that they haven't been through yet.

Sir opens the heavy metal door and doesn't bother holding it open, letting it hit Peter hard in the shoulder, nearly knocking him off his feet. Luckily, Elodie shoulders it open for both of them to be let through.

If Peter had anything in his stomach, he would've thrown up.

A baby. Barely a year old by the looks of her with big blue eyes and little blonde curls around her ears. She's adorable, dressed in a little bear onesie and grinning from ear to ear.