Trust | 1 |

Chapter Twenty

I've lost track of how long it's been since I got my straight jacket and shock collar. Stark came by at some point but he wasn't even told about my presence. If he was, he didn't come over to tell them anything. Maybe he couldn't do anything. Was I an idiot for holding onto this false hope? Yes.

As I sat on the floor, I tried to think of how I could've gotten out of this. Maybe I should've stayed in the hospital for recovery, but Secretary Ross would've gotten me that much sooner and easier. Maybe I should've stuck with Nat and went wherever she did, but then I may have been apprehended quickly as well. Maybe I should've gone with Stark to the hospital, but not only was it not my place, Secretary Ross could've gotten me easily there.

There was no situation I could think of that would've saved my ass from getting put in a cell. It was probably fate ending up here, getting shocked every now and then while strapped in a straight jacket. Besides, my whole life I had been subjected to sitting in a cell with nothing to hold onto but my own ridiculous optimism. With every jolt of electricity that passed through me, I was losing that optimism. It was a miracle I had any in the first place, but in a way it made sense.

While I was under Hydra's custody, I could at least hope that the Avengers would tear through the base and rescue me. Now that I was under the supposed good guy's custody I didn't see any reason for hope. The Accords bound everyone to stay away from the Rift.

I heard loud footfall outside my cell and looked up from my lap and out the window in front of me. Outside I saw the main guard who controlled the shocking systems, the other guard who was supposed to be there for reinforcements, and a new guy. He was mostly in the shadows (or maybe the light in my cell was so bright I just couldn't see anyone not right by the window) so I couldn't tell who joined.

Then he spoke. "When was the last round?" he asked the main guy. My eyes widened at the recognition of Secretary Ross' voice.

"About 30 minutes," he answered with a small shrug while looking back to face Ross. I already figured out what the next order was before he even said it, and I sank into myself and tried to curl into a ball. It wouldn't help, but it felt a little safer.

"Go again," Ross said after some consideration. I tensed in anticipation, but no matter how many times they sent bolts of electricity through me, I would never be able to fully prepare.

The instant shock caused my body to tense even more and I clenched my jaw shut, hoping to rid them of the satisfaction of me screaming, but the pain was too much and I let it all out. My throat burned from how much I had screamed already and my voice felt as though it would go out, yet I still found some more energy to make noise. I could just imagine the look of satisfaction that was plastered on Ross' face.

This round of electricity was lasting longer than before and I could just barely hear myself thinking "God please just make it stop". At this point I was crying, shaking, and my body gave up on holding me up and I fell over and landed on my right side.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the electricity was stopped and I was left to twitch on the ground as I tried to recover. Ross said something else before he left with more heavy footsteps. I closed my eyes and went dead weight as I laid on the ground. At this point, I just needed to accept that this was my new life.

~~

Sam paced in his cell with his arms cross over his chest as he heard Rey's screams. They could all hear the pain she was being put through. He knew this was what she didn't want; this exact situation she was in was what she was trying to avoid by signing. Stark had stopped by earlier and left just in time to miss the screaming. If he heard it, Stark wouldn't be the same. Sam certainly wasn't.